Hard Day

Beck entered school with an unease and feeling of trepidation. This feeling did not mislead him. He was alone, since he and Tori had decided to pretend that there is a tension between them to entice Jade into showing her hand. At fist nothing seemed different. When he walked by groups of girls he got the usual furtive looks he got when Jade was not with him, but this time instead of bursting in the customary fit of giggles, the girls began to whisper quietly among themselves. Some of the boys instead of the usual friendly nod were looking at him with amazement, as if seeing him in a new light. Beck saw Robbie with Rex walking down the corridor and quickened his step to catch up with him.

"Robbie do you know what is going on? Why is everyone looking at me funny?" Robbie's face reddened and he refused to meet his gaze. After repeated probing finally Rex turned to him.

"Oh, man if you know the rumors that are spreading about you." Beck shut the puppet's mouth with one hand and put the other on Robbie's shoulder forcing the boy to look him in the eyes.

"What rumors?" Beck asked him. After his question was met with silence he shook the other boy. "Robbie, tell me." Rex began mumbling from under Beck's hand. "Not Rex, you tell me." Finally Robbie gave up and let go of Rex. His face was completely red and small drops of sweat were covering his forehead, but he did meet Beck's gaze.

"There are rumors spreading about you. About what you and Jade have done, about what you have wanted her to do." With every word that left his friend's mouth the feeling of dread in Beck's heart strengthened. Still by Robbie's shifting gaze he knew there was even more to come. He swallowed, although there was nothing in his drying mouth.

"What else is there, Robbie?" the curly headed boy shifted from foot to foot stared at is shoes and finally mumbled with barely audible whisper.

"About what Jade had refused to do… but Tori hadn't." His last words literary stunned Beck for a second. Robbie used this moment to pick up Rex and ran away.

"What!" Beck asked the empty space before him. He could not believe his ears. He couldn't believe that Jade was capable of spreading such a rumor. He clearly had underestimated the lengths to which she was prepared to go to get him back. He wanted to go and find Tori, but it was Friday and they did not have classes together before lunch. After the first class Beck caught up with Cat. She was sitting on the stairs of the main hallway looking uncharacteristically serious and thoughtful. Beck sat next to the otherwise happy and cheerful redhead.

"Cat, why are you sitting here?" Beck asked with concern. It wasn't like Cat to sit alone with a thoughtful expression on her face.

"I'm waiting for the recess to pass." She said with a sad sigh.

"Why are you waiting here alone?" He awkwardly patted her on the back. Usually you could lift Cat's spirits with a piece of candy, but somehow this time it didn't feel like it would be enough. And he didn't have any candy on him anyway.

"I don't want to talk to anyone." She answered miserably and leaned her head against the railing of the stairs.

"Why Cat? What happened?" Cat could talk your ear off, but now he had to pry the words out of her by force.

"Everybody is saying bad things about you and Tori." She sadly whispered. Beck's face darkened and the hand lightly rubbing her back froze. He forced his voice to sound calm and even.

"I know Cat. You know they are not true, don't you?" Cat sighed deeply, turned to him and her big sad eyes met his.

"Yes, I know. But why are they repeating them then?" she really didn't understand why so many people would tell such mean stories about her good friends.

"Sometimes people like to repeat stuff. Even if they know the stuff is mean and not true, but they find it interesting." Beck knew that this was part of the human character; he had dealt with it before, but it was hard to explain it to someone like Cat. She somehow usually managed to block out the bad side of the world around her.

"It's not fair. Now if I hang out with Tori Jade will be mad at me. And if I hang out with Jade Tori will be sad." Cat exclaimed frustrated. "Did you have to break up with Jade for Tori?" She asked with a slight hint of accusation in her voice. After all he had started this whole thing. If he hadn't they could all be together and happy.

"Yes, I had. You can't date someone if you love someone else." Beck told her gently. He had tried, he had really tried. His feelings or Tori had refused to die down no matter how hard he tried to ignore them.

"No, you can't." She agreed softly as if talking to herself and thinking about something else. It was time to go to class so he got up.

"Don't worry Cat everything will work out eventually." He patted her head and tried to sound confidently. After the next two classes, while looking for Tori, he saw Andre talking to some cute blond girl. The conversation was not going well because the blonde abandoned it abruptly, with Andre left to gesture frustrated in the air.

"What is going on?" Beck asked his friend. He recognized the girl, it was Erica Johnson, the girl Andre had a crush on.

"The damned rumors, that's what." Andre explained still annoyed. "Erica has heard them and now she is questioning my motives to spend so much time with Tori." He calmed down and carefully looked at Beck to see his reaction. Beck's face was calm, although his eyes began to have a dangerous gleam.

"Sorry you got caught in the crossfire." Beck smiled at him weakly. The smile didn't reach his eyes. "Do you know how Tori is taking all this?" The worry in his voice was palpable.

"She seems to be doing alright, at least on the surface." Andre tried to reassure him. "No one is bothering her, but they are whispering behind her back." He continued carefully. "One jerk made a crass comment to her, but I punched him." Andre finished with a hint of pride. He was not a violent guy by any means, but it had felt good to shut that guy up.

"Who was it?" The gleam in Beck's eyes had strengthened. His calm demeanor was cracking. His fists tightened involuntarily. He wanted to find that guy and take all of his frustration out on him. He felt the urge to punch anyone who even looked at Tori the wrong way.

"Calm down, it was just some dumb guy. You know that most of the people here like Tori, but these rumors are too juicy to ignore." Andre grabbed him by the arm, suddenly afraid that his friend will do something rash he will later regret.

"It's so frustrating. I know that Jade is behind it, but I can't do anything about it." Beck exclaimed angrily.

"I'm sure you and Tori will come up with something. After all you two have handled Jade before. She is now in overdrive, but you will handle her somehow." Andre's words helped and Beck felt the anger slipping away, only to be replaced by frustration and determination.

"Believe me, intend to." He said with resolve. He didn't know how but he was going to find a way to put a stop to this. Andre let him go.

"Okay, I have to go to class. Bye man. Stay cool." He patted him encouragingly on the back and took off for is next class.

"I'll try." Beck replied back. After two more classes, while he was at last heading in direction of the Asphalt Café he saw Trina. She was holding some scared half to death freshman girl by the collar and yelling at her.

"What did you say about my sister, you little twerp?" Beck had to admit that he had the desire to do the same whole morning. Unfortunately the rumors where spread mostly by freshman girls so he couldn't do much to stop them. He knew by their looks that many of the boys have heard some version of the rumors, but none of them was brave or stupid enough to ask him about it openly. Jade was carefully avoiding him as well. Finally he reached the Asphalt Café. There he saw that the others were already seated. On their usual table, Tori was staring intently in front of herself. Next to her was Andre who was looking frustrated. Next to him was Robbie, holding Rex in front of him as a shield, and looking as if he wanted to be invisible. On another table was Jade sitting next to the same guy Beck saw her talking to yesterday. Cat was sitting across from Jade and was throwing anxious glances between Jade and Tori, looking uncharacteristically quiet and subdued. The other places on her table were occupied by the three biggest gossip mongers in Hollywood Arts. Beck sat on the other side of Tori with his back to Jade. Tori was playing with her food, obviously lunch was the last thing on her mind. He didn't have any appetite at all either. Finally he pushed his lunch away, took Tori by the hand and got up.

"Come on let's get out of here. We don't have any important classes this afternoon. Let's clear our heads." She smiled and followed him. Without looking at anyone they left the Asphalt Café hand in hand and headed for Beck's car.