A/N: First let me apologize for my long and dramatic hiatus. I sprained my ankle and been back and forth to the doctor. Also, my band has a very important concert coming up and I've been preparing for that. Thank you! for sticking with me. I got a little stuck, but I think I've figured out where I am going from here. Wish me luck and enjoy!
The first bell rang as I reached my locker. I opened it and fiddled around with my books inside. "Hey girl." I knew who it was the second I heard the voice and it made my spine go cold. Jade.
I turned. I know I looked scared, but there was nothing I could do. After all, I really was. "Hey, Jade." I tried to put some pep in my tone.
"I heard about your little slumber party." Jade turned her angry look to the floor.
"Yeah…"
"Why wasn't I invited? Not that I wanted to go, but I wanted to know why?"
"Well, we kinda just wanted to make Beck feel better. And you guys were—"
"Oh." Jade said through her clinched teeth. She slammed her fist against the locker right next to my head and made a loud grunt and walked away quickly. As she stormed around the corner I watched as Beck passed her without looking at her at all, but she stared until she was out of sight.
"Hey." Beck said with a grin.
"Hey, kid." I playfully shoved his chest and smiled. "Did you get any sleep?"
He sighed loudly. "None, but it's okay."
He began talking about something that was on TV last night and we walked to Sichowitz class together.
When we walked in, and Jade was already in her normal seat in the back. Before the wreck Beck had sat next to Jade. After, he moved over next to Robbie, so he didn't look so lonely he'd told us, but today Beck sat right next to me and slung his arm around the back of my chair.
I felt wrong for a few seconds. I couldn't help but wonder how bad it made Jade feel to watch me steal her boyfriend. Or what once was her boyfriend. I knew it hurt her and as much as she had hurt me in the past I still didn't like hurting her back.
I forgot all about Jade when I looked next to me at Beck. He was slouched comfortably in his chair so that he was about the same height as me. He was staring right into my soul. I felt a hot rush of what felt like liquid gold run from my chest in every direction. The look in his eyes, his gorgeous brown eyes, told me everything I wanted to know about him. Things that he had never even told me… Things that didn't matter before, when we were just friend.
Tori, snap out of it. He hasn't actually asked you out. And besides, maybe he doesn't feel the way you think he does. Or maybe he feels way more than you can tell.
While I was having my own argument with myself in my mind, class was proceeding as usual. What made me snap back to reality was Sichowitz annoying voice saying, "…and now we choose names from the box, for the role in which I state beforehand !"
I looked around the room and even Beck, who had been staring at me throughout my war inside, was now tuned in.
"The role of Julie, a modern version or Juliet from the Shakespeare play who in madly in love with Rome, and will stop at nothing to show her love for him! Shaking the hat, annnnnnddd…. TORI!"
Why did I see this coming? Let me guess, Beck gets Rome and I have to play this out in front of Jade.
"And the role of Rome, who is madly in love with Julie and will stop at nothing to show his love for her…. Beck!" I knew it. Maybe the real acting challenge that Sichowitz is throwing in my face is acting like the part I'm acting out, isn't actually my true feelings. Maybe he wants me to fail at this part. Either way, I have to. I can't do that to Jade.
We were on the stage together holding the short scene's scripts in our hands. And I had the first line.
"Rome, I cannot stay here anymore. I want to go with you. You won't leave me here. I know you won't." The line wasn't very long, but by the end of it the nervous shake of my voice disappeared.
"Julie, my love…" Beck placed his hand on my cheek and I felt tiny sparks ignite my cheek in the places that his fingertips touch. "I will never leave you here. Not alone. I cannot. I would miss you so very much." Beck leaned in and I glanced at Jade making my blood run hot. Beck's sweet lips were close enough to mine that I could taste his breath, his hand pulled toward him, and I quickly turned my head and snatched away.
"I'm sorry. I can't." I stepped off of the tiny stage and walked toward the door.
"Tori! Wait!" Beck called after me with his hand around my arm. He let go and I walked out of the classroom in shame and headed straight for the girls bathroom. I didn't know what I'd do there, maybe hide until I died. But I went.
When I burst into the girl's bathroom, it was empty. Thank goodness! I went into the closest stall and locked myself in. I wasn't crying yet, but I could feel the tears coming. My eyes were starting to burn.
