A. N. Please review.

Afternoon with Tori

Beck was just leaving school and heading for his car when he saw Andre who ditched some girls he was talking to and started waiving at him to wait.

"Hay man, can you drop me off at the music store that's on the way to Tori's." Andre asked him.

"How do you know that I'm going there?" Beck replied and motioned his friend to get in the car.

"Who do you think she told about your 'hanging out' first?" Andre smirked jokingly and got in, putting his bag on the back seat.

"Why would she tell you? What are you, her girlfriend?" Beck arched an eyebrow towards him. He started the car and took the route to Vegas' house.

"Hey, don't knock it before you try it. Having girl for friend has its advantages. She can give good tips on how to pick up girls." Andre replied somewhat defensively. It was true that Tori could be too girly sometimes. Usually it was when she got together with Cat. On such occasions he tried to flee the scene. Not always successfully, as an embarrassing photo, which he still had to destroy, on Cat's pear-phone would attest.

"I guess you are right." Beck agreed remembering his own weekly meetings with Alyssa.

"By the way, you might want to have a snack before you go hang with Tori. You don't want to scare her with your large appetite." Andre grinned at him with amusement. He had to admit, Jade's ire could be very entertaining, if you are not its target.

"Laugh it up Andre;" his friend replied with a sour expression. "Now the whole school will think that I'm some sort of sex maniac, damned Jade."

"I can only imagine the rumors that will fly around by tomorrow." Andre's words made Beck's mood even worse. He could envisage the rumors that will assault Tori tomorrow at school, he had seen couples split over rumors far more innocent then that one of them is a sex maniac.

"I just hope Tori wouldn't be too wigged out by this. I really want this to work out and last for a long time." Andre could feel the sincerity in his friend's voice. Soon they stopped in front of the music store.

"I hope so too. You are both nice friends and I wish you both happiness. But just in case, I think you should know, if this ends badly and I have to choose between you two, I'm sticking with Tori. You are a great dude and all, but me and her make too good of a team. You understand, right." Andre smiled apologetically and grabbed his bag from the back seat.

"Yeah, I do. I'll try not to mess it up. Bye man." Beck nodded understandingly towards his departing friend.

"Bye and good luck." Andre waved at him. Beck drove on to Tori's house. He felt both exaltation and trepidation as he neared his destination. He couldn't wait to see again her pretty, warm eyes. At the same time he was anxious about what she could say about Jade's remark.

Beck parked his car in front of the house and rang the doorbell. Tori opened the door. She was dressed casually, in a jeans shorts and t-shirt. His gaze stuck on her long smooth sun kissed legs. ' Get it together man or she will really think you are a perv.' He shook it off and smiled back at her. She seemed in a good mood, but then Tori usually was in a good mood. They got in and settled in the living room area. There they sat on a sofa and Tori put something on the TV to give them the excuse to snuggle together. Before he could even put his hand around her shoulder she stood up.

"Would you like lemonade?" Before he could respond she got off to the kitchen.

"Yes, please." He called after her, but she was already taking glasses from a cupboard. Soon she came back with two tall glasses filled with cold fresh lemonade.

"Here you go." Beck took the glass from her hand and motioned her to sit next to him. She did and soon her head was resting on his left shoulder while his hand lightly circled around her slim waist. He couldn't bring himself to pay attention to whatever was on TV. The feeling of her body snuggled next to his and the smell of her light flowery perfume distracted him and filled him with a sense of content. He felt as if he could spend an eternity like this. His reverie was interrupted when Tori suddenly jumped again from the sofa.

"Would you like some snack?" Again without waiting for his answer she rushed off into the kitchen. He got up and followed her. He grabbed one of the trays she was carrying, took her by the hand and led her back to the sofa. There they again sat side by side.

"Tori relax." He told her while pulling her back in his gentle embrace. Beck felt her body relaxing next to his and a small contended sigh left her lips. But this time he couldn't seem to relax. The thought that her jumpiness was related to Jade's words couldn't leave his mind. Beck felt himself becoming more and more agitated. Finally he couldn't take it anymore and turned to Tori.

"May be we have to talk about what happened at lunch today." He asked her hesitantly.

"No, no, we don't have to." She replied, but didn't sound very convincing to him. "Well it was a bit weird." She continued hesitantly after a brief pause. Beck took her hand in his and looked her in the eyes.

"I just want you to know that I will never make you do something you are not ready for. Just being with you is more than enough for me." Tori gave him her sweetest smile; cup his face with her hands and kissed him gently on the lips. Then she began giggling.

"What's so funny?" Beck asked bewildered.

"You, you are so sweet." Tori replied smiling joyfully at him. "You really thought that I'll freak out because of Jade's remark." She lovingly caressed his hair.

"So, you're not." A wave of relief washed over him.

"No, of course I'm not." She replied stroking softly his face. "I know Jade well enough, and I know you well enough. You are a good and decent guy. I am pretty sure you will never hurt me." She gave him another soft kiss.

"You don't know what a relieve it is to hear you say this." Beck smiled back. Tori straddled him as he was sitting on the sofa and took his face in her hands, tilting his head up.

"I might not be as goody-goody or as easily scared as Jade seems to thinks I am." She kissed him deeply and with passion. 'She really does like French stuff.' That was the only coherent thought he had before losing himself in the kiss. His hands roamed her back while hers were buried in his hair. It seemed as if they both had temporarily lost the need to breathe. Soon Tori's mom came home and the two love birds had to at least pretend they were doing homework. After awhile Beck readied to go home. He politely declined the invitation of Mrs. Vega to stay for diner. He thought that he should be more presentable when he meets Tori's dad for the first time as her boyfriend. On the front door Tori whispered to him.

"Tomorrow at school let's pretend that there is a tension between us. I want to know what exactly Jade's plan is." He looks at her with surprise but agreed. He too was curious about Jade's plan. She couldn't possibly think she could break them up with one remark. She must have something more up her sleeve.