**** Friday 11/4 ****
Anthony had taken it well on Tuesday when Tori told him that she couldn't go to the dance with him. She didn't tell him why and it was really none of his business.
Friday evening, Jenna and Tori talked on the phone before getting ready for the dance. The two hadn't spoken much this week since Jenna had started dating someone new and they had barely spent two seconds apart.
"So you haven't told me who you're going with yet!"
"I'm meeting Tyler there."
"Who?"
"Tyler… the song-writer guy I told you about?"
"Josh's friend?"
"Yeah."
"Gross! Why the hell are you going with that loser?"
"He's not a loser! He's really cool, Jenna. I think if you gave both of them a chance, you'd see that they're good guys."
"You could have any guy at school you want, Tori… Logan, Anthony, that hot guy from the swim team… but you choose Tyler? Why?"
"Tyler knows me… the real me. And I trust him and I like him."
"I hope you're doing the right thing here. You know you're gonna get ridiculed like hell after people see you two together."
"I guess so… but not by you, right?" She was nervous about the length of time it took for her to answer:
"Not by me. Look Tori, I know I was a total bitch to Josh that time he asked me out… And I was wrong. You know I'm not like Amber and Lexi and Stephanie… and I know you're not like them either. They're shitty people."
"Having your support would mean a lot to me. Just have my back… don't let them make you talk smack about me, okay? I don't give a shit what they say just please don't be one of them."
"I promise, Tori."
The girls got off the phone and finished getting ready for the dance. Tori knew that the girls on the dance team were going to tease her mercilessly but she knew she could handle it. She was more worried about Tyler than herself. She didn't know him well enough to know how he'd handle all the bullshit they were bound to hear after tonight.
Arriving at the school, Tori spotted Jenna getting out of her new boyfriend's car. She recognized him as the president of the robotics team. He was certainly not someone Jenna would have ever been seen in public with a month ago. Tori smiled to herself, maybe we're finally growing up and realizing what's important.
"Jenna!" she called to her as she approached. "Hi guys!"
"Tori!" The two girls hugged. "Tori, this is Shawn. Shawn, this is my BFF Tori."
"Nice to meet you Tori."
"You too Shawn!"
"Where's your date?" he asked.
"Oh, I'm meeting him here."
"Well, let me escort both of you lovely ladies inside then!" The three of them walked inside together while chatting about the evening. "You guys want a drink? I'll go get them."
"Sure. Thanks babe."
"Thanks Shawn." After he was out of earshot, Tori leaned in close to Jenna. "Oh my god, Jenna, he's so nice!"
"Right?! I mean, he's obviously not the kind of guy I'd normally go for but he is so sweet and thoughtful… and not a man-whore!"
"That's awesome!" Tori laughed. "I like him so far."
"Yeah… Me too. Where is Tyler?"
"I don't know." She looked around but still didn't see him.
"What time is he supposed to meet you?"
"I guess we didn't say exactly what time."
"Soon, I hope. Do you think Josh will come with him?"
"Yeah. I think so."
"I'm gonna apologize to him. Do you think he'll be okay?"
"I think that would be awesome, Jenna."
"Oh… I think I see them!" Tori turned to look where Jenna was looking. Tyler and Josh were both wearing black suits. Tyler also wore a white shirt and a black tie while Josh donned a black shirt and black bowtie. They finally spotted her and Tyler's world slowed to a crawl. He felt like he would never reach her through the sea of students but he finally met her.
"Hello Tori."
"Hi Tyler. You look… so handsome. Both of you." She smiled at him then at Josh.
"Thanks Tori." Josh looked at Jenna and the smile immediately left his face. He turned to walk away but she stopped him.
"Josh please… Can we talk for a sec?"
"What do you want?"
"I wanna apologize… for how I treated you." He finally allowed her to talk to him and Tyler guided Tori away from them.
"Tori, you look so beautiful. The blue in your dress makes your eyes even more incredible than usual." She smiled, suddenly wanting nothing more than to kiss him.
"You're so sweet Tyler."
"Listen, Josh and I have something to do right now… Can you do me a favor?" She nodded, willing to do anything he asked at this moment. "I need you to be in front of the stage in about 10 minutes. Will you be there?"
"Yeah, of course."
"Okay. I'll see you in a few minutes."
"Okay."
Jenna and Shawn caught up to Tori as she approached the front of the stage. He handed Tori a drink and she thanked him.
"So? How'd it go with Josh?"
"I think it went well. I apologized for being awful and he said it's okay…"
"Good."
"So what are we doing now? Where'd Tyler disappear to?"
"I don't know. He asked me to meet him here… So I guess I'm just waiting!" They talked for a few more minutes before Jenna pointed up to the stage. Tori looked up. "Tyler!" He smiled down at her and spoke into the microphone.
"Good evening, Jameson High students. My name's Tyler and this is my buddy Josh… We wrote a couple of songs that we're gonna play for you tonight. Hope you all enjoy…" Tori couldn't stop grinning as she watched them. "I just wanna stay in the sun where I find, I know it's hard sometimes. Pieces of peace in sun's piece of mind, I know it's hard sometimes. Yeah I think about the end just way too much but it's fun to fantasize. All my enemies wouldn't wish who I was but it's fun to fantasize. Oh-whoa-whoa, oh-whoa-whoa I'm falling so I'm taking my time on my ride… Taking my time on my ride. I'd die for you, that's easy to say. We have a list of people that we would take a bullet for them a bullet for you a bullet for everybody in this room but I don't seem to see many bullets coming through… see many bullets coming through. Metaphorically I'm the man but literally I don't know what I'd do… I been thinking too much, help me. I been thinking too much, help me. I been thinking too much, help me…" The students applauded and Tori couldn't wait to hear what was next. She hoped it had been the song that she'd heard him work on. "This next one was inspired by someone who means more to me than she may realize." He looked directly down into Tori's eyes as he spoke. "This one's called Screen." He started playing the ukulele and she tuned out the rest of the world just listening to the notes and to his beautiful voice. "I do not know why I would go in front of you and hide my soul… cause you're the only one who knows it. Yeah, you're the only one who knows it. And I will hide behind my pride, I don't know why I think I could lie cause there's a screen on my chest. Yeah, there's a screen on my chest. I'm standing in front of you, I'm standing in front of you. I'm trying to be so cool, everything together, trying to be so cool…" Jenna looked at Tori and could see the mist in her eyes. Her friend was in deeper than she could have imagined. "We're broken, we're broken, we're broken, we're broken people… we're broken people, yeah…" Again the applause and Josh got up to leave the stage. "Thank you all. I was gonna leave it at that but I just gotta sing a piece of one more… and Tori, it's solely for you. Would you come up here?" Jenna patted her on the back and grinned at her.
"Go up there, girl!" She stood on the stage with him and waited. Her heart pounded and she was scared to death to have all eyes on them but she was so excited to hear what else he had for her. He performed a'capella and sounded amazing.
"I know where you stand, silent in the trees. And that's where I am, silent in the trees. Why won't you speak where I happen to be… silent in the trees, standing cowardly. I can feel your breath, I can feel mine then. I want to know you… I want to see… I want to say… hello… hello… hello… hello." He saw the tears forming in her eyes and he knew he was reaching her. He took her right hand in his left and brushed his thumb softly over her skin. She felt his emotion in her soul and she'd never felt anything like it before. He sang the words again, changing the pitch in some of them the second time around.
The students clapped for him and he pulled Tori into an embrace. Jenna snapped pictures of them on her phone and texted them to Tori. They walked off stage and the DJ played dance music.
"Do you think we could go somewhere and talk?" she asked Tyler.
"Yeah, of course. Lemme just tell Josh." Tyler walked away and Jenna bounded up to her.
"Tori!"
"Yeah?"
"Are you gonna tell him?!"
"Tell him what?"
"How you feel about him?"
"Yeah. My hands are shaking," she laughed.
"It's gonna be great. I'm so happy for you!" He came back and took her hand. They walked toward the exit and he opened the door for her.
"Dude! That was awesome!" another student called after him.
"Thanks! So… you wanna sit down somewhere?"
"No." They stood on the sidewalk but out of other people's way.
"Are you okay?"
"Yeah." She smiled but fidgeted nervously with her hands. "Okay, first of all… your songs are incredible and your voice is so beautiful and your face is so beautiful," she babbled. "You're so talented and sweet…"
"What are you trying to say, Tori," he chuckled.
"How can I tell you I'm in love with you without scaring you away?" Looking into his brown eyes, she waited for a response.
"You just did." Taking her into his arms, he pressed his soft lips to hers. Feeling more love than she ever had in her life, she relished their first kiss. They pulled back to look at one another and smiles spread across both of their faces. "I loved you the minute I heard you humming a line from my song. I saw you sitting there in the trees… I saw you interact with the deer… I knew you were special. I knew you were nothing like what other people saw you as."
"You saw me."
"I see you. And I'm in love with you too. I've never felt this way… the way I feel when I'm with you…"
"I wanna be with you, Tyler."
"I want that too… Listen, I don't want this to sound like I expect anything or like I'm gonna rush you into anything and nothing has to happen… but my mom is out of town until Sunday morning… and you're welcome to spend any amount of time you want at my house. I would love to just be alone with you… And again, no expectations."
"Are you sure it's okay?" He smiled and nodded. "I wanna stay with you."
"Really?"
"Yes."
"Okay… well, since this is my first school dance maybe we should go in and dance? We can head home soon… or whenever you want."
"Sounds perfect, Tyler." They walked back inside hand in hand and soon found their friends.
None of the kids that Tori had worried about had harassed her or Tyler that night. They had a great time hanging out with their friends and dancing to all kinds of music. The newly formed couple said goodnight and headed to his house around 10:45. She parked in his garage then headed into the house with him. He gave her a pair of sweats and a tee shirt to change into while he put on comfier clothes in the bathroom. They met downstairs in the living room to watch a movie.
"You want a glass of wine?"
"Won't your mom notice?"
"Nah. I stashed a bottle a long time ago when she had a big dinner party. Thought it might be cool to have for a special occasion sometime."
"Is this a special occasion?" she smiled up at him from the couch.
"Yes it is." He leaned down to kiss her before going into the kitchen to grab two glasses.
