9ine
Dreams Emotions Can Buy
Andre couldn't sleep at all Friday night. He'd been exhausted from his day; his fiasco with Sherry, plus he had to walk home after the showcase, but he just couldn't sleep.
He fought back the urge of calling Tori. She had been out with her parents all night shopping for her trip, at least, that's what he'd expected.
He had her… he had his chance, but he still felt as if he blew it. He should have kissed her. He should have told her that he was in love with her. He should have been honest from day one… he could see himself proposing to Tori.
But now she was gone… well not yet, but she might as well have been, and that killed him on the inside.
Saturday evening he crawled out of bed and slouched outside. He sat in a lawn chair in his back yard, listening to the birds chirp and the whistle the grass made whenever the wind blew. He turned on his Pear Pod and let Right Side of My Brain, by The-Dream play. That's when Robbie called.
"Hey" said Andre.
Robbie waited a moment before replying. "Sorry about that—" he breathed, "Rex Keeps trying to take the phone away from me—" Andre sighed.
"What's up Robbie?" he mumbled. Robbie sighed. "How are you holding up?" he asked. Andre shook his head. "I'm fine" he lied. "What you did last night was really cool, Tori loved it" said Robbie. "Yea" Andre replied. "Thanks."
"You're missing her aren't you?" Robbie asked. Andre nodded his head, forgetting that Robbie couldn't see him. "Hello?" said Robbie. "Oh… yea sorry Rob. Yea, I miss Tori a lot right now" he replied. "Well call her" Robbie suggested. Andre shook his head. "Naw… that's not good enough" he admitted.
"Then go see her." Andre removed his cell from his face and checked the time.
5:30
"It might be too late Rob. Her flight is at seven… she has to be at the airport at six." Robbie sighed again. "That's too bad Andre…" "Yea… thanks Robbie." "I'll talk to you later man… things always get better" Robbie said, and Andre hung up the phone.
Cat called. "Hey Cat." "ANDREEEE!" she sang. Andre covered his free ear and closed his eyes. "Lower the volume!" he cried.
"Hehehe" she giggled. "What's up?" Andre asked. "Oh nothinggg… are you and Tori dating now?" she asked. "No Cat… we're just friends" he replied. She frowned. "Aw…" "Yea… she's about to leave now. We might not see her again."
"You should go talk to her" Cat replied. "Naw… it's too late" he said. She gasped. "Don't give up Andre… Tori loves you" she replied. "That's nice and all… but it's just too late Cat. She's on her way to the airport." "Aww…" she mumbled. Andre and Cat sat in silence for a little while, until Cat started giggling.
"What are you doing Cat?" he asked. "Andre?" she replied. "Yea…" he said, irritated. "The beauty mole on my butt is looking at me…" she replied. "That's nasty" he said quietly. She gasped. "You're always so mean to me!" she declared. Andre huffed then apologized. "I'm sorry for making fun of your funny butt mole… I've to go Cat." "Byeee!"
Andre hug up the phone and sat back in the chair.
His phone rang again. Beck.
"What's up Beck?" he asked as he answered it. "Stop sitting around" Beck demanded. Andre sat up in confusion. "How did you know I was sitting around?" he asked. "You just told me" Beck replied. Andre sighed and sat back down.
"Good job with Tori" Beck began. "What you did meant a lot to her." Andre smiled. "Yea… we all could tell. She hasn't smiled in weeks, Andre." Ander sighed again. Tori hadn't smiled in weeks, and of course it was because of him. The worst part about it was the fact that he hadn't even noticed.
"Have you talked to her?" Beck asked, interrupting all of his regrets. "Naw…" Andre whispered. "Why not?" Beck demanded. "It's complicated" Andre replied. "It's complicated because you're making it complicated" Beck said. Andre sat back up. "Look, Beck—" "No excuses Andre. You want Tori in your life… go do something about it." "What can I do, Beck?" Andre pleaded. "I don't know, she's your girl not mine. Figure it out." Beck hung up the phone.
Andre locked the screen and tossed the phone at his feet. He sat there in silence for nearly ten minutes before his mother walked outside and pulled up a chair next to him.
"Hey baby" she said, rubbing his shoulder. "Hi mom" he replied. "It's going to be okay, Andre" she offered. He looked at her and sighed. "I know it hurts right now… but things always get better." Andre shrugged his shoulders and looked away. "There was something I've been meaning to give to Tori" she added. She reached to her pocket and pulled from it a small platinum band. "A ring?" Andre asked. "Yea… I've had it since I was a little girl. I've out grown out of it… but that girl is so tiny!" Mrs. Harris said laughing. Andre smiled at her and took the ring.
"When you find the time, can you take it to her parents? They'll be able to send it her." Andre nodded and his mom kissed him on the cheek. She got up and went back inside. Andre sat back in the chair and began twirling the ring around in his fingers.
His phone rang again. "Argh!" he moaned. He sat up, got his phone, and lay back down. Jade.
He tapped the screen and placed the phone to his face. "Jade?" he asked, confused. Besides last night, they hadn't spoken in weeks. Plus she never called or texted him.
"Hi" she said dully. "Are you okay… you never call me" he said. "Shut up" she replied. Andre rolled his eyes and relaxed in his chair.
"So… what can I do for you?" he asked after about a minute of silence.
She took a deep breath and spoke. "Look… I don't know how to do this but… I'm sorry… I guess." Andre smiled. "You're sorry?" he asked for confirmation. "Yes…" she replied. "For what, Jade?" he asked. She heard the enthusiasm in his voice and rolled her eyes.
"For what I said to you and Tori. I was wrong for that. That song you performed was nice. It was really sweet Andre." His grin slowly faded with every sentimental word she spoke.
"You and Tori deserve each other. I always wished that me and Beck could relate the way you two do. I'm happy you both have your chance now." Andre listened to Jade being more sincere than she'd ever been and wanted to cry.
"We can't be together" he croaked. "Oh yea… the movie. Well what did you guys do today?" she asked. Andre swallowed hard and shook his head. "I haven't talked to her" he replied. He heard Jade clear her throat. "Come again? she said.
"I haven't seen her since last night" he explained. "What… you're about to go see her right? Isn't she about to leave?" she asked. "Yea… and no… it's too late for me to see her" he replied. "Are you kidding me Andre?" she began. "What?" he asked. "So you're telling me you're going to let the last three months go to waste? I swear you're really stupid. Get up and go see her right now!" "But Jade—" "Please Andre, for me. I don't want you ending up like us" she trailed off. Andre sat silent, lost in his thoughts before replying. The fact that Jade actually begged him to find Tori proved to Andre that she really cared about them… and that she meant what she was saying.
"Alright… I'm going… I'll talk to you later Jade" he said. "Bye, Andre" she whispered. Andre leapt to his feet and hung up the phone. He caught a glimpse of the time.
5:57
He crossed the living room and kitchen in seconds and was out of the door. He tried to text Tori as he drove, but the task proved too difficult. He knew that if he would have gotten pulled over he would have gotten his license suspended; he was driving at least twenty five over the limit.
6:12
He pulled into the Vega driveway and hopped out of his car. Mr. Vega's car was gone, causing Andre to worry. He ran up to the front door and jammed his finger into the doorbell. He waited. No one answered. He waited a minute and tried again. Still no answer. He sat down on the steps and waited.
6:17
He tried the doorbell again.
6:23
He ponded the door with his fists and rang the doorbell at the same time.
6:34
Why bother anymore? Tori was gone. He had been at her door for over twenty minutes so far, and still no one answered. He didn't want to leave fully defeated though. He figured he'd leave the ring at the house for the Vegas to see. He didn't want to leave it out front, so he walked around the house and entered her backyard. "I'll just put it here" he said as he approached the double recliner.
He picked up a leaf and pulled from his pocket an ink pen. for Tori. love Andre.
He put up the pen and was about to tuck the leaf under the ring when he looked up and noticed that the sliding patio door was open. He approached with caution, but then he remembered that the Vega's almost never closed their patio door.
At least now he could leave the ring in her room. He entered through the kitchen and made his way to the stairs. The house was silent… so silent that it was a bit climbed the steps and pushed Tori's door open. Her room looked as if someone had just move in… or moved out.
Everything was tidy; Tori's room was usually a mess. Her window had been left open and her radio was playing Its Too Late, by One Republic.
He crossed the room to her make up desk and placed the ring on top of it. He sat down in her chair and closed his eyes, putting his face in his hands. There he cried. He didn't imagine this happening; this was actually what he'd wanted to avoid.
He was too late. Tori was gone, and there was no telling as to when he was going to see her again. He could call her, of course, but… it just wasn't enough.
Then he heard her. "Andre?" Tori asked. Andre turned in the chair to see her emerging from her bathroom. She was in her underwear and house shoes. Andre closed his eyes and held them shut for a second before reopening them. He slipped the ring back into his pocket.
"Tori?" he said back. "Yea" she said smiling as she approached. Thirsty, by Cassie played. "What are you doing here?" he asked. "I live here… what about you?" she replied. He laughed. "You know what I mean" he said standing. He wrapped his hands around her tiny waist and pulled her closer.
"I'm not going to Canada" she said, looking up at him. He stammered, confused. "I couldn't leave Andre" she explained. "The movie would have been nice… but there's something more important for me here… in California." Andre smiled and ran his hands down her face. "You're crazy for giving up that movie…" he said. She shrugged her shoulders. "I don't care" she whispered. Andre cupped her waist, and with his free hand he tilted her face towards him.
Tori leaned in and kissed Andre. His fingers tangled in her hair; all the while they slowly turned their heads from one side to the other. Their lips parted, and the smile Andre gave her made her giggle.
"I love you Tori" he said, wiping strands of hair form her soft face and looking deep into her eyes. She felt the butterflies collide in her stomach, and as she looked up into his face she let her emotions take over. "I love you too, Andre" she replied. Andre reached down into his pocket and removed the ring his mother had given him. Tori saw it and shuttered. Knees shaky and voice trembling, she asked, "what's that?"
"It's a ring… that my mom gave me" he began. He grabbed her left hand and held it up. He slid the ring on the finger to the right of the pinky.
Tori sniffed as a tear fell from each eye. Andre looked at her and smiled. "So… will you?" he asked, making a goofy face. Tori chuckled and smiled at her hand. The tears flowed smooth as Andre took her free hand in his. "Yes, of course I will Andre."
Save Me, By Nicki Minaj played on the radio.
Andre wrapped his arms around her waist again and kissed her forehead. "Why are you crying?" he asked as they swayed to the music. "You okay?" he added. "Yea…" she said, wiping away a few tears. "I'm so happy that you're here Andre" she whispered. Andre didn't know what say. "I've been waiting for this for so long… and it's finally happening."
Andre sniffed away the few tears cascading down his face and buried his face in Tori's neck. "I've spent all of this time worrying Tori… but's it's you that matters the most. I'm sorry for everything. I love you so much…" "Yea…I'm sorry too" she said, crying.
"But we made it…" she said once able to form another sentence. "Yea we did Tori" Andre said smiling. "You're all I ever wanted." Tori nodded her head, smiling and crying in agreement. "It's like a dream come true" she said laughing, "A dream that only emotions can buy."
There it is you guys... my first story. Tori and Andre are engaged and happy. Tell me what you think abt it.
JL