Happy day before Independence Day for my US readers! I have a modest update for you today. The chapter got longer than expected, so I'm having to split it and flesh out the second half that I hope to have up by Sunday. I hope you enjoy this in the meantime.

seddieloverfan12: Thanks for reading.

Fanfic-Reader-88: You would think they would learn by now not to tell Cat anything or did they when it turns out to be a lie?
No, Tori going off with Jon doesn't help things. Sikowitz has an apartment according to 'Sleepover at Sikowitz'.

Challenge King: Maybe Beck doesn't see the problems they are pointing out? What if he's not doing anything that would justify Tori's behavior? Sometimes you just need a good girl to rescue you.

Twilight Warrior 627: Things didn't get any less complicated after they left Hollywood Arts. The Mister West/Jade/Ian thing is a major story thread, so you will have to keep an eye out on it. Jon is a major player in this, so what happens to him is important to the story and to some of the other characters.

Remember, Elizabeth 'Liz' Gillies new movie 'Killing Daddy' airs this Saturday, July 5 on Lifetime at 8 PM East Coast.

Rating: T

Chapter 7

Kerckhoff Coffee House
Kerckhoff Hall
308 Westwood Plaza
UCLA
Friday, October 5, 2012

Tori and Jon casually entered the coffee house and headed for the counter. Since the lunch rush was over, the crowd had thinned out considerably and the pair was able to walk straight to the counter. The cashier smiled at Tori but looked to her with mild surprise at seeing her again after just serving her less than an hour ago, but she didn't mention it as the brunette glanced up at the drink selection menu out of habit.

The musician smiled at the familiar cashier and began to order her coffee while she reached in her clutch purse and pulled out a few bills.

Jon reached into his left front jean pocket and pulled out his wallet. "Oh no, I got this."

Tori slightly tilted her head to the side and softly laughed, "I can pay for my own coffee. I'm not a hurting college student."

He patiently smiled knowing she had a point in assuming that Tori probably had several million in the bank, but he explained, "I know, but if my father found out I was having coffee with a girl—even if it wasn't a date—and let her pay, I'd never hear the end of it."

The brunette musician smiled and slightly shook her head, accepting the hospitality.

Jon followed up with his order then handed the money to the cashier. They stepped aside and idly waited in comfortable silence for their order to be fulfilled. Less than half a minute later they got their drinks and Tori led them to her and the others usual table and took her seat, once again inviting the practical stranger into the group's territory. He sat her coffee in front of the musician then had a seat opposite to Tori.

Jon took a quick sip of his coffee then noticed a few eyes from the surrounding tables behind Tori giving him a few curious looks. He glanced around, suddenly feeling that he was being watched. His suspicions were confirmed when he saw a few more giving them looks.

Tori noticed him looking around and noticed a few stares of some of the other students. She looked back to him in an apologetic manner and commented, "I'm sorry. I forgot. I should have thrown a hat on or something."

He shook his head and laughed, "I'll just ignore them. I'm not going to run off this time."

"Good, because I just might chase you down since I rescued you instead of just going home."

The handsome lean teenager relaxed back in his seat and laughed, "Thanks for that."

"So those girls really wanted your company. So are you a ladies man?"

He chuckled and glanced to the tabletop. "I ah… I do seem to have the habit. I guess I have one of those faces the girls like because they always seem to want to get to know me. Fortunately I have my sister… had my sister at school and she would be the best judge on the ladies and keep them away. She's quite the popular girl at school, so she knew all the gossip and what the girls were really like."

Tori's easy going smile slightly faltered and remarked, "Yeah, my ah boyfriend had the same problem in high school and it… well it was part of the reason that he broke up with Jade and…" She glanced down at the tabletop and sourly finished, "…still has that 'problem' at times with the ladies."

"At least that's something that you can relate with your boyfriend."

The brunette's brow knotted. "Excuse me?"

Jon chuckled and leaned a little forward, resting his elbows on the table, "I mean that you must have the guys lining up to try to get your attention even if they know they don't have a shot with you."

The musician tilted her head slightly to the side and thought on his words for a moment, realizing that he was correct with a few guys, but… "A little, but not as often as you might think and nowhere near as blatant as the ladies have tried with him. I've had Freddie around plenty of times while Beck was gone and guys seemed smart enough not to try anything with him there and I made it quiet clear that I wasn't interested."

Jon commented just before he took a sip of his coffee, "I wonder how many guys just look at that as a challenge to try anyway."

Tori mildly grimaced, not liking thinking about such a thing as guys had seen it as a challenge before standing face to face with Freddie, but quickly hid her expression with a sip of her coffee. She pulled the cup from her lips in her cradling hands and decided to shift the conversation back to him, "So no lucky girl snagged you up?"

Jon slightly tilted his head to the side and bashfully smiled. "I just couldn't find the right girl. Maybe my standards are too high or maybe I or my sister—definitely my father—was too suspicious that a girl would try to take advantage me."

Tori raised an eyebrow and curiously asked, "Was that a serious concern?"

"Well, my father is a well-off and self-made businessman. I think he's kind of worried that a girl would hook her fingers into me—maybe try to get herself pregnant with another guy's baby and pass it on as mine. It happened to my father about twenty years with his first wife trying to pass another man's child as his, so…" He nervously laughed and broke eye contact once again. "I guess you would understand it far better than I would, go from just a high school student like the rest of us to an international sensation then to a multi-platinum artist in a matter of months. How many people would suddenly become your best friend?"

Tori was momentarily taken back by the revelation of such a story. She thought she had to worry about people pulling tricks on her to get money, but trying to fake a paternity… She slightly shook her head to clear her thoughts and continued, "Yeah, I do understand. I've had family come out of nowhere and anyone I had even the briefest of contact with in school wanting to get close to or just get something out me—or both."

The handsome New Yorker took a quick sip from his drink then softly laughed, "I guess that's one of the downsides to fame."

"It is and…" She softly grimaced while finishing, "…was a very bitter truth to swallow."

"I'm sorry. If it makes you feel better, I don't want anything from you."

She flicked an eyebrow and softly teased, "We'll have to see if that's the case."

Another person might have been disappointed, maybe even a little offended of being lopped into such a group of people, but for Jon, he had a sudden boost to his confidence for the first time of being around the superstar. "We'll see? Is that implying that this isn't a onetime thing? We'd see each other often enough where that question could be answered?"

Tori sweetly laughed then answered in a good nature manner, "Well I still have a few more classes to go before I'm heading out to New York for a month, so I expect us to see each other a few more times and when I get back."

He questioned with a disappointed expression on his face, "Oh?"

Tori softly bit her bottom lip, fearing that she let it slip as news hadn't really been released with the project being green lit. She quickly recovered, "Yeah I'm ah… I have to go out there for… something then I'll be back."

The messy haired young man awkwardly smiled then softly questioned, "What about your class?"

"I've worked it out with my professor and my dean. I'll be able to keep up with the assignments and notes with Jade. There are plenty of online courses and this isn't high school, so they really can't bug me about attendance and I don't think they want to alienate me to badmouth them for interfering with my job."

Jon continued, trying to relax from the tension he felt of hearing she was going to be gone for a month, "I'm sure the trip is well worth missing anything or you wouldn't be going. I'm guessing you're going to be filming a movie—I won't be telling. As much as I've enjoyed your music, I'd love to see some more of your acting. You were fantastic playing the crazy daughter being put in the home for troubled girls. That was an intense movie and the role stuck me as fitting Jade more, but you really pulled it off."

Tori directed a bashful smile towards him. "Thanks. You just might get that—not like her, but…"

The pair shared a soft laugh then sipped on their respective drinks before Jon picked up, "Do you mind me asking where you'll be visiting in New York? The state or the city?"

"The city. I'll be in the city."

He hopefully remarked, "Maybe you'll run into my sister? I might sound imposing, but I meant it. She's a fan. She'd flip if she had the chance to meet you just in passing if you're filming on location."

She turned on her beaming smile and nodded her head. "I'll do one better: if I get a chance, maybe you can call her up and we can see a movie?"

Jon chuckled and returned with a charming smile that the ladies that did chase after him found irresistible. "I might give her a heart attack if I told her such a thing, but why would offer to do such a thing?"

Tori just shrugged a shoulder. "It would be a nice thing to do for a fan and maybe I want to meet Cat's double? I know Jade's double and it would be interesting to meet another Benson?"

The New Yorker laughed, "You could complete the set since you look like Shelby Marx, the CFC fighter."

Tori instantly directed a glare at him and snapped, "I do not look like Shelby Marx."

Jon raised his hands and stated with a laugh, hoping he hadn't offended her, "Okay, okay. You don't look like Shelby Marx."

The brunette embarrassingly glanced back at the tabletop and muttered, "I'm sorry. It's just been a running gag for years among my friends, especially with Freddie. I just don't see the resemblance."

"Okay, no teasing you with the look alike thing."

She closed her eyes and shook her head, fighting laughing louder.

The hopeful musician couldn't help but smirk at seeing how cute she looked to his eyes. In different circumstances he would feel kind of ashamed to think that way with an attached girl, but he just chalked that up to her being a celebrity and most if not all her fans harmlessly thought the same thing.

As he glanced down to avoid looking like he was staring, he noticed his wristwatch and the time. He didn't realize that so much time had passed and he had about ten minutes before his next class. He figured that he had took his time walking with Tori to the coffee house from class as usually he was there in and out to get lunch—he had forget to eaten lunch being so captivated with the starlet.

He nervously chuckled, "I hate to cut this short, but I need to head to my last class of day. I didn't realize the time had slipped up on us."

"Oh it's alright. I don't want to make you late." She got up and pulled her purse over her shoulder. "Wait, did you get to each lunch?"

He chuckled as he stood up as well, "I guess I got distracted talking to you. I'll just grab something to eat on my way."

She offered with her lovely smile, "I'll pay for it this time." She walked around the table and headed back to the register.

He quickly caught up to her at the counter and stated behind her right shoulder figuring that it would be pointless to argue with her, "I'll just take a sandwich."

She glanced over her shoulder with a teasing smile then stepped aside so he could order. He gave the briefest of glances at the displayed menu and ordered a simple sandwich and a refill of his coffee. The staff was quick to fill his order and the musician paid and slipped the cashier a tip for the service.

The pair turned and took a few steps away from the counter as to not block the counter for other patrons. Tori surprised him with an offer, "I guess I can walk with you."

Jonathan fought back grinning like a madman at her offer. He motioned with his freehand towards the door and the pair headed out.

After just a few minutes of walking where Jon was trying to eat as quickly as he could without choking or looking ridiculous in front of the multi-platinum artist, they reached the front of the Mathematics building. The pair turned to one another and shared a friendly smile.

Tori casually remarked, "I guess I'll see you Monday?"

He boyishly grinned to her while balling up the napkin the sandwich had been wrapped. "If I decide to get some piano time after class then I guess you will."

The brunette took a step back and bashfully smiled. "Take care Jon and I'll see you Monday."

The Manhattenite smiled at hearing how definite she sounded in thinking they would see each other again. "You too," he finally responded after probably a second longer than expected.

Tori turned and casually walked away, but she surprised him by glancing over her shoulder and tossing him another smile. She turned her head back and continued walking to some unknown destination to him.

Jon turned and headed inside, trying not to grin like a fool at such a celebrity smiling at him and being a genuine person instead of some Hollywood phony. If only she wasn't seeing someone…

West Residence
Los Angeles, CA

Freddie was lazily typing away at some code on his computer, wrapping up getting another week ahead in his computer course before planning to grab something to eat then get back to work on his literature paper and possibly knock that out before the night was out.

As he was typing out the last bit of code, a soft knock and a quiet 'hello' pulled him away from the computer monitor. He smiled at his green streaked hair girlfriend and replied, "Hey, just get in?"

Jade directed a tired smile and answered, "Yeah, I've been at Cat's all afternoon."

Freddie turned the seat to face her and asked, "How did that go?"

Jade halfheartedly smiled and walked over to him then slipped onto his lap. She wrapped her right arm behind his neck while he wrapped an arm around her back and rested his right hand on her thigh. "It went fine. Sam couldn't ditch fast enough when I showed up, so it was just me, Ian and Cat. I think she went to the gym and bugged Goomer."

He kissed her cheek then replied, "Then it was a good day?"

The musician maintaining a weak smile unfortunately told him otherwise. He reluctantly continued, "What happened with Beck? How did that conversation go?"

Jade frowned and glanced away just a second before she slipped off his lap and walked towards his bed.

Freddie turned his chair with his back towards the computer and lifted his right leg to rest his ankle on his knee and lean back in his seat. "Not that well I take it?"

The dark haired singer pursed her lips and rolled her eyes towards her right. "No, it didn't. He denied what we were seeing and he got offended at what he saw as us accusing him of starting up his old ways… and Trina threatened to break his balls if he broke Tori's heart."

Freddie took a sharp hiss through his teeth then sympathetically remarked at least on the anatomical level, "I can see why Beck could get a little defensive."

Jade patted her knees with her palms and glanced to the floor while she reluctantly admitted, "We might have made things worst."

"You think?"

She snapped her head up and this time directed a glare at him with a thin lipped mouth and softly snapped, "I don't want to hear 'I told you so'."

Freddie shut his mouth and softly grinned for a second before he continued, "I'm not going to say that, only that you and Trina had to expect that might happen given his history with you."

She snorted out with a roll of her eyes, "That still sounds like an 'I told you so' to me."

"No… the 'I told you so' will come if it blows up in your face when Tori finds out and gets mad with you about it."

"If she gets made at me for trying to help her then she'll just have to get mad. She's not really in a position to get onto me if my plan doesn't work out according to plan. Her track record isn't exactly stellar with helping someone without a hitch. Remember what happened between you two when she was trying to help André 'get over me'?"

"I don't really think pointing out the… 'complications' in her execution would be the best in trying to resolve any kind of confrontation this might start."

Jade closed her eyes and took a deep breath then slowly let it out while meeting his eyes. She did not want to admit he could be right on either point.

Freddie forced a supportive smile and asked, "Do you think he'll talk about it with her?"

"I don't know. He was in such denial that he might just ignore it and not tell her. He might keep Trina at furthers arm length and me… he might be a little distant from me for a while."

"Tori might not notice things between him and Trina, but if things get frosty between you, she might notice."

"If she notices, she notices."

"Then things might play out like I suggested in the first place…"

Jade cocked her head to the side and pointed out, "Now that was an 'I told you so'."

Freddie smiled as he got up from his seat and walked over to join her on the bed. He took a seat on her right and wrapped an arm around her lower back and pulled her close. "I don't mean to sound that way. I'm just really concerned how this could blow up whether there is something there or not." He smirked as he finished, "I don't like it when my girls fight."

The dark haired singer turned her head to meet his eyes and raised her pierced eyebrow.

"Especially my number one girl," he remarked before he stole a kiss.

He intended it to be a short one, but before he could pull back, Jade slipped her left hand behind his head to hold him in place and deepen the kiss.

The computer programmer turned in his seat and rested his hand on her left jean covered thigh as the kiss continued for a few more seconds.

She finally pulled her lips away and smirked while looking directing into his eyes. "Damn right I'm you number one girl."

Freddie chuckled, his soft breath tickling her upper lip.

Jade got up and took hold of his hand on her thigh. "Come on, I need to get something to eat. The snack from Cat's is gone and you look like you could use a break."

"Actually I was just wrapping up—"

She silenced him with a kiss then stated in a firm voice, "My plan to help Tori looks like it bombed and I had to spend the afternoon at Cat's and had to hide in Cat's room when stepmommy showed up to pick him up—and had to make Ian keep me from dropping by in the afternoon a secret from his mom; I need the evening with my man to cheer me up."

Freddie stepped around her to take the lead and stated with an upbeat tone, "Then I will treat my angel for the evening. The code and the paper will be there tomorrow."

The couple headed out of the room hand-in-hand and down towards the kitchen.

Schoenberg Music Building
UCLA Campus
Los Angeles, CA
Monday, October 7, 2013

Jon lazily played at the piano while nearly impatiently waiting around for the two starlets. The weekend seemed like it had just drug on for him and getting ahead in his classes didn't help pass the time. He didn't realize until about halfway through Sunday how much enjoyed even the relatively short company of the girls.

The first two times may have not been intentional to see them—especially Friday when Tori surprised him—but this time he was intentionally waiting for them. If Tori was accepting of the idea of them seeing each other between their classes, then he was going to facilitate it. What guy in his right mind would turn down the opportunity to hang out with two such lovely girls besides the fact that they were major musicians?

As expected, the two musical sensations entered the classroom together a few minutes before class and looked up from the piano. Instead of the girls' expected easily going demeanor, he immediately noticed Jade's standoffish posture while Tori looked somewhat embarrassed.

Jon got up from his seat, picked up his satchel and approached the pair. He asked with a concern filled voice similar to another Benson to the darker haired teenager, "Hey, is everything is okay?"

Jade maintained her standoffish stance and answered in a borderline snap, "Why wouldn't there be?"

He slowly asked, looking even more confused by her reaction, "I don't know, that's why I'm asking?" He looked to Tori with a questioning expression.

Tori in turned glanced to Jade, unsure if she should involve herself into their conversation. However, she didn't want Jade to alienate the handsome teenager. She hesitantly answered, "There's some family drama starting up."

The pale singer snapped with a near murderous look in her eyes, "Vega!"

"What?"

Jade's eyes opened wider and questioned in disbelief, "What? I don't like people knowing all of my personal business. The last thing I need is the entertainment press trying to stick their nose into that."

Tori frowned and looked to her with near puppy dog eyes with sheer embarrassment.

The leaner Benson raised his hands in defense and remarked, "I'm not going to tweet anything."

Jade spared a barely patient glance to the younger teenager, "I hope not."

Jon nervously smiled, suddenly feeling a bit awkward with the pair even though they had made him feel comfortable since they met.

Tori quickly asked to break the forming tension, "How was your weekend?"

The messy haired teenager cracked a nervous smile and answered, grateful to turn his attention towards Tori to avoid the borderline scary expression from Jade, "It was pretty good until late last night and that's what I wanted to talk to you about."

Jade guardedly asked, eyeing him suspiciously, "And what's that?"

"I was wondering ask a favor from you."

The former mean girl softly muttered under her breath, "Here we go…"

The New Yorker quickly put on a charming smile that worked to disarm the girls back home and continued, "I'm not asking for money or anything. I know I could go to the school's computer center, but I was wondering if Freddie could take a look at my PearBook. It started acting up on me last night and it's really important that I get it fixed. It's not just for class work, but to keep in contact with my family back home. I obviously have my phone, but my sister likes to see me face-to-face. I'd pay him out of pocket for the trouble."

The darker haired musician was clearly surprised at the request, but quickly recovered by answering still somewhat caught off guard, "You'd have to ask him."

"I know, but I don't have any way to contact him."

Tori pointed out, "There's the school e-mail service."

Jade snorted out a laugh, "Do you really check that?"

Tori knotted his brow and pursed her lips. "Ah… yeah?"

"I don't. Mine just gets flooded with spam from on campus fans."

The lighter brunette knotted her brow and asked, "Then how do you get messages from the school?"

"I have them send anything that's really important to another email address."

"Oh."

Jon stood on the sideline, having sense enough not to interrupt the exchange and point out that he just didn't want to randomly out of the blue email the former tech-producer that he had only met for a few minutes.

Tori turned back to Jon and offered while pulling out her phone, "I'll give him a call. I'm sure he'd be willing to help you."

Jade crossed her arms and raised her studded eyebrow, clearly surprised that Tori would almost obligate Freddie to help the practical stranger.

Jon clearly saw that Jade didn't like that idea, but in the grand scheme of things, being able to talk to his sister electronically face-to-face was more important than her feeling a little put out. "Thanks, I appreciate it."

Tori answered while she held her phone to her ear, "Oh, it's not a problem… yeah Freddie, I need a favor for a friend."

The other Benson awkwardly looked to Jade while Tori sweet talked her friend. The lighter brunette calling up the other singer's boyfriend wasn't helping her foul mood and he thought it best to not say anymore in seeing that it probably wouldn't help.

Tori ended the call and happily announced, "He'll meet you at the coffee house after your class and he'll see what he can do."

"Thanks." He turned to Jade and finished, "I really appreciate it. She's my baby sister and I may be three thousand miles away, but I have to keep an eye on her when I can."

Jade's expression softened, the mentioning again that this was for his sibling getting to the darker musician and answered, "You're welcome. Freddie's just that kind of guy."

A few more students started filing into the room and Jon took that as it was time to head on out. He would like not to rush eating this time and mentioned, "It looks like I need to get going. I'm going to grab lunch before class. Thanks again."

Tori lazily waved as he grabbed his stuff and started on his way to the door, "Okay, we'll see you."

Jade looked on in mild concern at how Tori was taking to the young man named Benson.

Author's Note: I hope this relatively short chapter will tide you over until Sunday. Have a nice weekend, OneHorseShay.