Hello dear readers. I hope you've had a nice week and I have another update for you.
Challenge King: Freddie's trying to come to terms in having a sister, but he had experience with being the ear and a source of wisdom to his female friends. The spar? Foreshadowing.
Fanfic-Reader-88: Audience may know his developing feelings, but it's another when a character in the story makes a mention of it.
Freddie has some hard earned experience from Ridgeway and Hollywood Arts, so sharing some of that experience with her was a no brainer. About being around people that cared about him, he did go through at least a little bit of therapy to deal with those issues.
Colonel Shay is in the mold of Eisenhower, in that he didn't necessarily want the job, but felt it was his duty. He also has the advantage of he doesn't care about wealth or power, so corruptibility isn't one of his potential problems. His biggest problem would be in shaking up the system is that someone would want to put a bullet in his head. Mrs. West's opinion will be the greatest factor.
If Freddie would have gone all out, there's a question how durable Jonathan may be in handling it and if perhaps he in turn could actually hurt Freddie as he was holding back too. Maybe they'll have a rematch? As much of a professional and skilled fighter Shelby may be, she's no match for Freddie and that's not even addressing the differences in sex and strength. Freddie is considerably tough, but not as physically durable as Dusty. Freddie is actually more durable than that 'Captain Man' Dan invented for his new show and he's supposed to be an outright superhero.
Twilight Warrior 627: I don't know if Shay's bid will be in the scope of this story, but he's obviously on his way. You'll see more of both in this chapter.
PD31 updated 'When Something Better Comes Along' and I've been working on a separate story, a pure Supernatural story called, 'Old Toothie Faces'. Check both out why you get a chance.
Rating: T Language
Chapter 22
Fox Residence
Los Angeles, CA
Noonish, Wednesday, October 23, 2013
Dusty took a deep breath as he stood on the front porch of his former girlfriend's home. He felt a slight tension in his chest and drummed his fingertips of his left hand on his jean covered thigh as an outlet of his nervous energy. He could have suppressed the physical feelings of his body as hunger and thirst and actual sleep were subconsciously suppressed due to his condition, but he decided to let it be. He didn't want to feel less human than he already did most of the time.
He had debated over the last several days whether he should stop by, but the fact that he was standing on the front porch indicated his decision. He heard the faint music on the other side of the door, a Rush song if he wasn't mistaken, that was perhaps indicating that she was studying up for her audition. He hated to interrupt, but there was a reason he was here and decided to figurative bite the bullet and tapped the doorbell.
He waited for several seconds before the door opened to reveal Heather. She was dressed in a simple fitted T-shirt and some gym shorts for what looked like she was lounging about. She looked back in astonishment at him then swallowed down her mild surprise and breathily greeted him, "Hey."
"Hi?"
Dusty glanced off to the side, avoiding her gaze and began, "I ah… was just checking to see how your studying was going. I didn't know if you needed to see my father again or maybe you've already had your audition."
Heather had never really seen him bashful—not to any great extent. It was an interesting demeanor to see on her former boyfriend who always had this sense of self-assurance and a little bit of lack of respect to persons that was shown being around her and the number of celebrities he had met over the last year with her and his friends from Hollywood Arts. She saw it as a positive as he wasn't awed by celebrities and seeing them as larger than life as some of the greater public at large may happen to believe and as unlike others, he didn't think of her as 'Heather the Model', but Heather the girl from New Jersey to Minnesota.
She readily answered, feeling the hesitation would be a bit torturous for him, "I haven't had the audition yet. I was… studying." She thumbed over her shoulder. "I'm listening to some Rush right now."
"Oh? Freewill is my favorite song from them."
She softly smiled and recalled, "I remember… it's no surprise from you."
His confident smile pushed aside his bashfulness.
They stood there for several odd seconds before she asked, unsure what possessed her to asked such a thing, "Do you want to come inside?"
Dusty hesitated for a second, but her welcoming gaze broke any resistance to make an excuse to leave. "Sure." He bashfully glanced towards her as she allowed him to pass inside.
Heather shut the door behind them and asked, "Do you want anything? I have some Peppy-Cola?"
The right corner of the muscular teenager's mouth lifted at her offer of his favorite soda. "I would love a Peppy-Cola."
She headed for the kitchen and he waited in the familiar living room. Her home was fairly impressive that rivaled Mrs. West's home or the home the Vega sister grew up in as the model's father was a fairly successful businessman in his own right. There were top-of-the-line furniture pieces, a home theater system and a few art pieces. The living space was meticulously tidy with everything in a proper place.
Heather returned in not time and handed him the glass filled with the soft drink.
He took a sip from the rim of the glass then replied, "Thank you."
"You're welcome."
He idly tapped the bottom of the glass and asked, "So how's the 'studying' going?"
She shrugged a shoulder and remarked, "I think it's going alright. Your dad was really helpful, so I've been listening up on some of the albums we didn't get to. Thank God for the PearTunes."
"What do you think your chances are for getting it?"
She's the one that turned bashful and remarked, "I don't know."
"You don't know because of the competition or… that self-doubt I see in your eyes."
Heather sighed and glanced away, speaking in a tired voice, "I don't doubt my acting. You know how hard I've been working at it."
Dusty joked with a half-smirk, "I think in spite of Sikowitz's private tutelage."
The model quickly defended the eccentric teacher with a smile, "He's better than you give him credit for."
"I guess when he's not high on spoiled coconut milk or wanting to get into Tori's panties."
Heather shook her head with a tight lipped smile, finding patience with his low opinion of the acting teacher.
Dusty waved her off, not wanting to debate the point for the hundredth time, "Okay, okay where's the doubt coming from?"
She was quick to point out, "You can't see that."
Dusty warmly grinned at her. "I can't look inside you even if I wanted to…" He motioned with finger towards the pendant around her neck as he finished, "…that was the point of the pendant, but Foxy… I know your little mannerisms and your moods and I see it in your eyes."
Heather subconsciously reached for the pendant hanging just blew her neck, brushing her thumb over the surface and ancient symbol. She glanced down and took a seat on the couch.
Dusty walked over and took a seat across from her on the coffee table. He took another sip from his drink then setting it next to him. He remained silent for several seconds until Heather offered, "Nate doesn't think I should go for the role."
He raised an eyebrow. He kept the hint of anger flaring up inside against Nate because there could a rational basis for the objection, so he simply questioned, "Why?"
"He thinks it could damage my image."
He got his rational basis, but wouldn't let it go and asked, "Do you think it could do that?"
The black haired teenager licked her lips and took a soft breath. She bashfully looked up to meet his eyes and answered, "It could because it could be risqué at times. It's going to be on cable where there's a lot more leeway on what can be done."
"What do your mom and dad think?"
"Dad has his hesitation for the same reasons as Nate, but mom is for me to try. She doesn't want me to be so afraid that I won't take a chance. What do you think?"
Dusty shrugged a shoulder and answered, "I don't know. I haven't read the script or what they have in mind for you. I know you well enough to know that you don't want to do something that would compromise your principles or set a bad example to girls. What I do know is that you should make sure whatever contract you sign doesn't require you to do things that you're simply not comfortable in doing."
"I might not get the part if I set that condition. They could just get someone that's willing to do anything they want and not bother me with the trouble."
"Yes they could, but in comparison to your morals, would that be a bad thing?"
Heather only needed a fraction of a second to answer, "No it wouldn't, but I'm excited about the character. It's a coming of age story for her. I don't know if she'll succeed or fail, assuming we don't get canceled in our first season, I think it could be a compelling story for people."
Dusty leaned forward and laced his fingers together to rest his forearms on his knees. "Well, if you think that and you can balance between the role and your morality then go for it with all of your heart. You know I won't judge you by the part you play."
Heather studied her ex's face, trying to pick up on the same hints he was able with her. "Are you just saying that to be contradictory to Nate?"
Dusty slumped his shoulders and answered, "No, because he could be right. He's the… guy that you may or may not be finding companionship with—Tasha thinks that's the case—and I'm the asshole ex-boyfriend. There is no competition between us. How many modeling jobs have you turned down and given to Tasha for these very concerns? This could be one of those cases or it might not. I simply don't know—I don't know, but I know you're doing the right thing in weighing your options and if you decide that this is what you want then I'll back you, but you know I'll be honest enough with you to tell you if things develop where it could hurt you and do my best to get you out of it."
Heather put on her best impassive expression while meeting his eyes, trying to judge his words. She cracked a hint of her beautiful smile and nodded.
Dusty picked his drink back up and took a sip, trying to partially hide his face and act as if his advice wasn't any big deal.
Any awkward tension that could have formed was interrupted when the front door unlocked and opened with a voice calling out, "Hey honey! I'm taking an extended lunch so I thought…"
The gentleman standing about six foot two with light brown hair that was fairly wild in the front and a prominent nose trailed off as he saw Dusty. He put on a guarded if not disapproving expression at seeing his daughter's ex-boyfriend.
Dusty stood up and politely greeted the head of the household as he stood up, "Mister Fox."
The older gentleman snapped back, disregarding any pleasantries or politeness, "Get out of my home before I throw you out you white trash."
Heather shouted in outrage as she stood up from the couch, "Dad?!"
Mister Fox ignored his daughter and repeated in stern voice, "You heard me Dustin."
"You are the head of the household—"
"Yes I am."
Dusty defiantly smiled. "But Heather is the one that invited me inside."
"She's lives under my roof, she lives under my rules."
Heather turned a glare to her father, dismayed that he attempted to act as she was a child in their home.
Dusty tightly smiled and politely asked his ex, "Heather, may I speak with your father alone for a few minutes?"
The lovely young woman exchanged looks between the pair then answered with a curt tone towards her father, "I'll be up in my room."
The model passed a smile to Dusty and a soft scrawl to her father before heading upstairs. As annoyed as he was with Dusty and the outwardly stern father he projected, he knew he could easily be in the doghouse with his daughter for the rest of the night—which meant he could be the same with his wife.
Dusty was quick to point out, "If it hasn't escaped your attention, but Heather is not a child you can discipline. This isn't one of those fucked up Muslim countries where the daughter is the father's bitch until she's her husband's bitch."
Mister Fox had admired Dusty's straightforwardness at times, but this wasn't one of them. "I don't need to be lectured by you on how to run my household or interact with my daughter."
The teenager answered with just as much a hard tone, "You need one if you think you can tell her who she can and can't see. She's over eighteen, remember?"
"I know she doesn't want to see you."
Dusty held his hands out and remarked, "Yet I was here when you arrived. She invited me inside. I didn't break in. I didn't force her to do anything."
Mister Fox scrawled at the young man that had broken his daughter's heart.
Dusty continued, but with a softer, disarming tone, "I find it quite an interesting response towards me—being so hostile and all—since I did exactly what you've always wished."
The gentlemen knotted his brow, jarred from his anger and asked, "Excuse me?"
"I didn't stutter Mister Fox. You've never approved of me. I was from a blue collar family that was below your social status—below what you think Heather deserves, that's strike one; I'm Protestant—which I have never made any apology for or felt shame about, that's strike two; and you think I'm just a lazy bum that's willing to live off my father or Heather, strike three."
Mister Fox responded with a sharp tongue, "You are a lazy. You're not going to school, you have no employment that I'm aware of for the last year and you dropped off the face of the Earth after you broke my daughter's heart after you probably realized that you couldn't get anything out of her."
"The only things I've ever accepted from Heather have been birthday and Christmas presents. What I'm doing… is something that will change the world. It's just going to take me some time and college would be a hindrance to that goal, not an asset just as it wouldn't be for Heather."
Mister Fox snorted out dismissively, "I didn't realize you were delusional."
"I'm not delusional, I'm simply ambitious. Gates and Jobs changed the world—gave us the modern world and they dropped out of college."
The successful businessman countered, "And how exactly are you going to do that without an education? And what are you actually going to accomplish? Your silly idea that you're going to be responsible for eradicating most diseases on the planet?"
"Look what happened with the invention of antibiotics and vaccines then tack on all the research in genetics and… how delusional am I?"
Mister Fox maintained a look towards him that suggested he still thought such a thing, but he didn't want to bother arguing a mad point with someone that touched in the head. Instead, he took a different approach, "You're right. I'm happy that you two broke up." He raised his finger and poked Dusty's chest several times to insinuate his point, "She's better off without you and the guy she's seeing now, Nate, seems like a fine guy—a good and responsible guy for Heather."
"As long as he doesn't try to hold her back."
"And why would he do that?"
"We're traditionalists, but we're different in some key points. He'd prefer her to be a stay at home mother and be this delicate little flower for him to take care of. There is nobility in motherhood, you and I understand that, but… but, it's her decision on whether to be that. The option of being a stay-at-home wife/mother is her decision to make—one she should be able to freely make because her husband can support the family without her working and not a condition for him in the relationship. That is something you need to be concerned about with him."
"What gave you that idea about him? Have you even met him?"
"Once."
"And from that, you think that about him?"
"I've always had a knack for sizing up people quickly. It's one of the things that allowed me to survive. It's the same thing that's allowed you to thrive in business despite the anti-Catholic sentiment."
The older gentlemen narrowed his eyes on the teenager, trying not to admit to seeing his point.
Dusty turned away and headed upstairs to Heather's room.
Mister Fox called out, "Where are you going?"
"I'm going to say bye to Heather then I'll leave your home," the teenager called up halfway up the stairs.
Dusty stopped just in front of the door and rapped his knuckles on the half door, catching Heather's attention. She was setting in a chair at her desk with her laptop. He smiled to his former girlfriend and began, "I wanted to say bye before I headed ou—"
"Did you break up with me because of what my dad thinks?
He took a deep breath, accepting that Heather had overheard them, then answered, "I was with you, not your father. I wasn't concern about what he thought."
The model wasn't so sure after the abruptness of him practically dumping her. "I never looked at you that way—the way my father looks at you if that's… if that's the reason we broke up."
He put all his emotional shields up and gave her a blank expression. "I broke up with you because this wasn't going to work and I'm an asshole and pathetic excuse for a man." He glanced away, unable to look into her eyes and finished, "If you need anything, just ask. Good luck with your audition."
He started on his way out, but she stopped him with a gentle gripping of his right wrist. He looked over his right shoulder and met her eyes. She whispered, "One day you're going to have to tell me the truth, the real truth."
He returned with a sad smile and answered, "And when that day happens… you'll hate me even more."
She blinked and in her moment of confusion, she slackened her grip on his wrist and allowed him to go.
The model stood in her room, nearly frozen in place as the conversation he and her father shared and his words to her swirled in her head. Though he was gone and out of earshot, she knew he would be able to hear her as she whispered it as a prayer, "I don't hate you…"
Schoenberg Music Building
UCLA Campus
Los Angeles, CA
Wednesday, October 23, 2013
Jade slipped into her classroom unnoticed as Jonathan was expectedly at the piano playing. He was playing a nice melody and seemed to be in good spirits. She hoped that it reflected his feelings from the previous day of being alright after him meeting up with Freddie and Shelby. She called out, "Hey."
Jonathan looked up from the piano and casually answered as he stopped playing, "Hey."
Jade flicked an eyebrow and questioned, "Are you alright? Freddie didn't hurt you too bad did he?"
The inspiring musician raised an eyebrow and gave her a questioning expression.
Jade pointed out with a picking laugh, "Freddie told me you two had a little sparring match yesterday."
The younger Benson son half grinned and remarked, "Yeah, it was fun. He's pretty good and he can take a punch. I thought I'd hit him a little too hard, but it didn't seem to faze him a bit."
"Freddie can take a beating and just keep going."
"From what I saw and the story about that fraternity, I certainly believe it. I thought I could take a punch," he finished with a bit of a laugh.
She cautiously questioned as she took a seat next to him on the piano bench, "How was meeting up with Shelby? I'm guessing it could be kind of awkward?"
He answered in an upbeat tone, "It wasn't that bad. Shelby didn't seem upset with me. If she was disappointed, she didn't seem to hold it against me. I think she was still a little flirty with me."
"That's good, but I'm sorry that it didn't work out."
He let a carefree smile play on his face and answered, "Freddie joked that he had tried to set me up, so I couldn't say he never did anything for me."
"Isn't that what brothers do?"
Jonathan hesitantly muttered, "Yeah, brothers…" He took a breath and put on a forced smile. "I guess I should really hash it out with him?"
Jade lazily shrugged a shoulder. "It really is up to you, but I know he's free right now. He's probably at the coffee house."
Jonathan slipped off the bench and gratefully smiled down to the famous musician. "Thanks Jade."
The purple highlighted hair musician answered, "You're welcome."
Kerckhoff Coffee House
Kerckhoff Hall
308 Westwood Plaza
UCLA, Los Angeles, CA
Freddie was enjoying a quick drink before his final class of the day when he spotted a familiar face entered the establishment.
Jonathan took a few seconds to search the establishment before he spotted Freddie. He took a deep breath then cautiously approached and greeted the fellow Benson, "Hey?"
"Hey."
"Mind if I join you?"
Freddie shook his head and offered his hand towards an open seat. "Not at all."
Jonathan slipped into a seat across from the older teenager and dropped his stuff next to him. He went ahead and got started without any small talk, "I know it was for Shelby's sake, but I appreciate what you tried to do."
"You're welcome. It was mostly for Shelby's sake, but I wouldn't have tried to pawn off a girl on you that I didn't think would be good for you. I assume since you turned down such a fantastic girl, that you have someone else in mind or are you going to stay single for a while?"
Jonathan hesitated as one person instantly came to mind then quickly disregarded it. "Probably staying single for the conceivable future, unless of course something comes up unexpectedly and I'll have to see."
Freddie grinned at his younger brother and gently pointed out, "You just did and you turned her down. Was it really because you instinctively thought you two couldn't work out or that you serious didn't want to pursue anything with anybody right now? You really didn't give her a real chance—not that you necessarily had to, but… you might have been a little quick to judge."
"Jade pointed that out to me."
Freddie smiled as he complimented his girl, "She's a very wise girl."
"And you wouldn't be biased at all in saying that?"
Freddie answered with a straight face, "No, of course not. I'm making that call based entirely on rational grounds."
Jonathan raised an eyebrow, but let it go. He licked his lips then started, "I did want to talk to you about something though."
"And what would that be?"
"Your friend Dusty… he has a way to get to… cut through the BS."
Freddie pleasantly smiled and commented, "He speaks his mind, but his tongue can be as silver as it gets when he needs it."
"Right, but it did get me thinking… along with what I'm seeing online about people questioning who I am in the video of Jade and our performance on Saturday. People are making the connection and asking." He took a deep breath and started again on what initially sounded like to Freddie as if he was going off on a tangent, "Your fallout with Carly and Sam is pretty public knowledge… how things just snapped and you ended up here. I guess you saw them for how they truly were then."
Freddie raised an eyebrow and questioned, "And the reason you're bringing that up is why?"
"I've never had… the ones that have been closest to me, the ones that I completely trust, let me down, made me look at them in a different light."
The former tech-producer took a few seconds before he realized what Jonathan may have been getting then answered, "It's not easy. It depends on the level of… betrayal. In my case, I had fooled myself into thinking they truly were my friends. I learned differently in the moment I needed them the most. Do I even have to guess who that person is to you?"
Jonathan frowned and answered, not needing to specify the person by name, "He has always been there. He's been the family's rock and one we could always count on. Why should I doubt his word on anything? Why should I do it for people that I don't know?"
"Because reality says he's either lying or he's deluded himself. Heck, I'm not asking him to take any responsibility. I don't even need him to acknowledge the truth, but the truth is there."
"That's not easy for me to accept that about my dad. It's reasonable—it's the explanation that should be accepted, that your mother had an affair and an eleven month pregnancy was nonsense."
"Yes, yes it is, but I've learned that the world isn't that cut and dry. I could let Shelby or any of other fighters at Punchy's Gym use me as a punching bag and they wouldn't put me down. Jade being alive right now is nonsense with her injuries she had from a falling battery. The little girl burned up in Tori's car accident should be dead instead of a happy and fine as if nothing happened."
Jonathan took a soft breath and studied the older Benson before admitting, "The unexplainable sure does happen around you."
"It does, but that is beside the point. Just because things aren't the way they 'should' be, doesn't mean it isn't the truth. Look me in the eyes and tell me we don't have the same father."
Jonathan met the older Benson's stare, various challenging emotions being traded as neither wished to stand down. It was the younger brother that relented and sighed and slumped back in his seat. "Where do we go from here?"
"I don't know. I don't know if we have to go anywhere from here. We're both living our lives and have our plans that don't necessarily have to intersect. Are we going to have to start including each other in our family plans? Are we going to have to start hanging out with one another?"
"That's what Amanda wants. She wants us to be one big happy family."
Freddie softly smiled and agreed, "You're right about her. We've been chatting and she clearly wants me to be a part of her life. I even gave her some dating advice with Ben."
"You have?"
"Yeah, I reminded her that she shouldn't hold on to a preconceived notion that could cause her to miss out on something great with somebody."
"That's my job to give her that advice. I'm her brother."
Freddie smirked, one where it could be interpreted that he was rubbing just a little salt into the wound, and answered, "So am I."
Jonathan reluctantly smiled and nodded his head. "I guess so."
A lull fell between the brothers for several moments, threatening to turn into an awkward situation. However, Freddie suggested, "How about you come over later this week for a study session? Jade could obviously help you with music if you needed it and I can help you with any gen-ed classes I've already taken. It's not really a social occasion if it makes you feel better."
Jonathan gave the suggestion some serious thought. It offered a chance to hang out and test the waters of what it meant to have a brother without having to jump head first into 'best brothers' territory to make Freddie an indispensable part of his life that Amanda was bent on accomplishing. On the practical side, it wouldn't hurt to study with people that knew the material and wasn't too comfortable with the people he was occasionally meeting up. "I'll give you a call next week after Halloween and see what my plans are, maybe Friday—unless Friday is your and Jade's night?"
"Thursday's probably best because we like to unwind together on Friday night where neither one of us has to worry about being someplace the next day, but I know you'd be welcome to any Halloween plans we would have. No point in being alone that night and I'm not sure you want to necessarily hang out with classmates you barely know."
The younger teenager stood up and said, "Okay, thanks. I better grab something and get going. I don't want to be late for my last class."
"I'll see you."
Jonathan departed for the counter and in no time, grabbed a drink then headed out of the café.
Del Posto
85 10th Ave
New York, NY
Wednesday, October 23, 2013
Tori led Amanda into the high class Italian restaurant and immediately greeted by the Maître d'hôtel. The brunette politely smiled then asked to be seated if there was a table available. The older gentleman was a little hesitant, apparently not familiar with Tori and had his doubts about the ability of the nineteen year old to pay the bill.
Fortunately, a waitress slipped beside him and whispered something into his ear, apparently informing him of Tori's identity and celebrity status.
The gray haired gentleman figuratively turned on a dime with a smile and eagerly welcomed the pair. He led the actress and high school cheerleader to an out of the way table and the pair took seats across from one another.
The waitress quickly brought menus for the young ladies and the older gentleman eagerly stated, "We are at your disposal. May we take your drink orders while you decide your selections?"
"Yes, thank you," Tori politely answered then turned to her menu. She took a passing glance over the drink section of the menu then ordered, "I'll take an ice tea."
Amanda followed, "I'll take the same."
The waitress scribbled the orders while the young ladies took several more seconds to look over their menus. Tori smiled and gave her order of pasta with her side of salad.
The redhead noticed the order on the menu and the price, which was quite steep for her. She curiously looked to Tori, almost in a questioning what she should order.
Tori picked up on the hesitation and answered, "Order anything you want."
The younger teenager took another glance at her menu and answered, "I'll take the same with a side of breadsticks too."
The Maître d'hôtel answered with a smile large enough that it nearly broke his face, "Of course. We'll have your order momentarily Miss Vega, Miss Valentine."
The waitress took the menus from them before she and the older gentleman turned to go about fulfilling their orders.
Amanda turned a curious gaze to her host.
Tori shrugged, understanding the girl's confusion. "I guess she thought you were Cat. It's no secret that we're friends and you do look like you could pass as twins, though she did wash out her hair."
The redhead nodded then looked around the high end restaurant. She had been to several over the years with her parents for various celebrations, the most recent one being Jonathan's graduation. "Don't you think this is a little much for an early dinner?"
Tori raised a curious and concerned eyebrow as she questioned, "I thought you liked Italian?"
"I do, but… this is a pretty expensive place."
Tori grinned and pointed out, "Hey, you treated me to a meal, the least I can do is do the same for you."
Amanda gently retorted, "I gave you pizza and we watched comedies before we fell asleep. That's hardly a comparison for a four-star restaurant."
Tori shook her head and muttered with a smile before glancing down at the table, "Just like your brother, always feeling like he's taking advantage of the situation."
The high school teenager knotted her brow and questioned, "Jonathan?"
The brunette looked up from her menu and corrected, "No, Freddie."
Amanda smirked for a second before asking, "I don't understand."
"Freddie… he's not pursuing acting right now, so he's not in the limelight or making the kind of money that any of us are making—I know he's making some serious money with Pear—but it's not like the rest of us, so he's…"
"The 'normal' one?"
"I would say the non-celebrity—to the extent we are as he still has a sizable iCarly fanbase, but I guess that fits for my point. We've gone to plenty of these award shows, after parties and other events with other celebrities and those places can be pretty high end. He sometimes thinks he's taking advantage of the situation."
"That he's a… someone that just hangs out with celebrity friends, that he's just part of an entourage?"
"I don't know how deep it runs, but I think it's just that he feels he probably should contribute more—financially speaking I mean."
"I can understand that. That's what dad taught us. A man is supposed to provide for his family. I guess it's not the same when the girl is an internationally recognized musician with millions to her name."
"It's probably not, but I really don't think it's a problem between them. They know they're not together because of the money and fame. They're a team. I wouldn't be surprised one day if Freddie was running Pear or maybe even Dingo."
The waitress returned with their drinks then disappeared as quickly as she appeared.
Amanda took a sip from her drink and asked, changing topics, "How's filming going?"
"It's going fine. I'm enjoying it and we're on schedule. We should be done in about two weeks."
"Wow, that's pretty fast."
"We're not shooting some blockbuster action movie where we have to worry about explosions and set pieces and exotic locations. It's pretty straight forward as acting pieces go."
"It looks like you're having a good time. I've seen some photos online." The dark redhead flicked an eyebrow and teased, "Your costar is really cute."
"Yes, he's very cute and sweet, but," Tori knotted her eyebrows as she spoke with an underlining laugh, "really tall though."
"It might be trouble if you have to kiss him. It is a romance isn't it?"
"Yeah, but not your typical one. I'm not going to spoil it whether or not I have to kiss, but it would be a bit of a trick to make it work."
Amanda lifted a corner of her mouth and asked a questioned that just occurred to her, "How do you do that when you have a boyfriend?"
"What?" Tori nearly coughed out while finishing a sip of her tea.
"I mean, if you're having to act out a romantic scene, how do you do that? Don't you feel guilty kissing someone else? The person you're with doesn't feel jealousy? I never understood how actors and actresses did that."
Tori licked her lips and smiled.
The Benson daughter questioned, feeling more lost with Tori's confident expression, "What?"
"Freddie was concerned about the same thing last year when we had to kiss for a play."
Amanda's eyes looked like they were about to pop out. "You and Freddie have kissed?"
"Yes. Sikowitz—our teacher—had the bright idea to cast us as husband and wife—Freddie thought it was just payback for something that happened between me and Jade for another play. They weren't getting along at that point… they really didn't get along for something else after it."
The Benson sister took another moment to wrap her head around her brother and Tori kissing before asking, "How did you handle it? The kissing I mean. He's your friend and your friend's boyfriend—fiancé."
"My understanding was that Jade explained how it worked and after a few nervous tries, we were able to pull off a convincing kiss as married couple."
"And that is?"
Tori took another sip of her drink and nonchalantly answered, "It's just stage kissing."
"You can just separate the fact that you're kissing someone else?
"You're just acting, no different from acting out any other emotion or scene. When you're passionately confession your love to another actor, that doesn't make it any real."
"Yeah, but kissing is a physical act. You're not pretending there."
"True, but you don't have to invest emotion into it. I will say that you do have to feel comfortable with the person and as initially awkward as it was with Freddie, I was comfortable with him." Her expression turned into a smug smile and commented, "Freddie is actually a pretty good kisser."
Amanda squinted and made a face. "I'm not sure I care to know that. I am his sister."
Tori embarrassingly smiled. "Sorry…" Deciding that it was best to turn away from that conversation, the brunette continued, Speaking of Freddie, I heard he and Jonathan got into a sparring match during their workout yesterday."
"Yeah, Jonathan told me about it. I'm glad."
Tori looked at the younger girl in mild astonishment. "Why? They could have gotten hurt?"
Amanda answered as if it was the most obvious answer in the world, "Because they're bonding."
Tori sympathetically smiled to the redhead. She could relate with the desire to have one's family back together. As much lingering anger she had towards her mother, a piece of her wished that her parents could find their way back to each other and make their family whole again. She felt a sense of content that it looked like Freddie might get that with his previously unknown family, even if it wasn't with his father.
The dark redhead took another sip of her drink and commented, "I'm glad it wasn't awkward though because of Shelby."
Tori picked up after a beat, "I'm glad too. I'm a little surprised that Jon would turn her down. Shelby's a great person."
Amanda shrugged a shoulder. "I could guess a number of reasons. He's still trying to get settled in L.A. before he pursues anyone. He's still transitioning living on the West Coast. He's buried in his studies and ah… I don't really think he's making friends."
"He's got Freddie and Jade and me," Tori was quick to point out.
The short redhead thankfully smiled and gently answered, "I'm glad for that. I'm still a little shocked that's the case with at least you and Jade."
"Why?"
The doppelganger to Cat laughed then pointedly questioned, "Did you forget for a second that you're famous?"
Tori continued to give her a confused expression.
"There are always stories where the public persona of entertainers that don't match up what is shown in public. They're either jerks or divas that would spit on you just as much as they would look at you and pretend that they love you because you support them, but you seem just like everyone else."
The brunette grinned and eyes lit up. "I'm glad I didn't disappoint. I always wanted to stay grounded. I've seen plenty the same as you come crashing down and some ending up dead. I've met a few personally that I think unfortunately that will happen to and I don't want to go through that. I don't want to not be me."
Amanda sat silently, surprised by the bluntness of position and observations of others in Hollywood. She knew she could be immature and still had a lot of growing up to do
The waitress arrived with their meals along with the Maître d'hôtel. She sat their respective meals in front of each young lady. Amanda almost squealed at how delicious looking the food was in front of her.
The gentleman again reminded them, "If you need anything, please don't hesitate to ask."
"Thank you. The only thing I can think of at the moment is perhaps the dessert menu after we're done with our meal."
"Of course."
The waitress added, "Refill?"
Tori glanced to Amanda then answered, "We're good, but thank you."
After the pair departed, Amanda picked up where they had left off, "As to why Jon may not have wanted to start with Shelby, I think the other reason might be that dad's warned him about girls and be careful in trusting them."
The brunette put her fork into her pasta and cautiously probed, "Because of what happened between your dad and Freddie's mom?"
Amanda glanced at her drink, feeling uncomfortable with the obvious reason. "Yeah. He doesn't want a repeat of that with Jon and me… if I get pregnant out of wedlock… dad's going to kill the guy."
The brunette actress teased a smile and asked, "You're what, seventeen? You don't need to be having babies anytime soon."
"I don't plan on having any right now. Do you plan to have any with Beck?"
Tori nervously laughed, "We have to get married first—or my sister would kill him."
Amanda giggled then clarified, "I meant after you're married. You've been together how long?"
"About a year and a half."
"So are you going to get married anytime soon? Or engaged? Jade and Freddie are already engaged, though I do think it's a little young to do that."
Tori sighed and directed her attention to her food.
Amanda curiously assessed the actress's reaction and asked, "What's wrong?"
The famous brunette debated on how to answer the girl. Could she risk being truthful with the girl? She wasn't Jade or Cat or her sister, so she couldn't trust that she wouldn't repeat what she was say, but she had been friendly and honest and she was Freddie's sister. She decided to take the chance and answered, "I ah… I don't think things with Beck have been going all that well and I can't even see a marriage proposal at the moment."
Amanda took a sharp breath, clearly floored by the confession. "Why? I thought you were happy. You seemed happy back in L.A. The photos of you two online show how happy you are."
The actress picked at her food and sadly commented, "We're happy… I think we're happy, but… I just have this sense that things just aren't right." She took a breath then reluctantly continued, "Beck has always gotten the attention of the ladies—too much attention. His failing to handle it was part of the reason that he and Jade broke up—there were other reasons, but it was a contributing factor."
Amanda took the leap and questioned, "You think he's starting the same behavior? He could be flirting with his costars? They are very pretty."
Tori's smile tightened and answered in a near grimace, "And a fanbase pushing for him to get with either and I don't mean just the characters." She licked her lips and relaxed the tension she felt to answer in an idle voice, "It might just be in my head, but Jade and my sister started noticing… 'something', just being uncomfortable around him. I told them that they were just seeing things."
Amanda slightly bowed her head and questioned, "But they really aren't?"
"No."
The cheerleader squinted and questioned, "But you're telling me? Why?"
Tori shook her head and randomly poked at her pasta with her fork and answered, "I guess I just need to talk to someone that doesn't have the emotional investment or baggage with Beck to be objective even if they say they're trying to be. My sister is afraid that he'll start treating me like Jade, Jade is his ex and with it that baggage and Freddie… he'll readily take my side and defend me."
"I don't think you're giving my brother enough credit. Out of all the times I've talked to him, he's seemed level headed and wouldn't make a rash decision just because he cares about you."
"I'm not so sure."
"Why?"
"A few weeks before I got with Beck, a few days before I was going to perform at the Platinum Music Awards, Mason suddenly dropped me—"
"I remember. It was big news with the last minute change to Jade then both of you came out. I read where everyone thought it was just some publicity stunt."
"It wasn't. He really did drop me because I didn't want to be some fake artist that he could mold into anything he wanted, but that's another story. Anyway, the day before the performance, Beck was over at my place trying to make me feel better, but it turned into him making a move on me… just as Freddie was walking in the house. He got upset and thought that Beck was trying to take advantage of the situation to make his move on me. They barely started arguing before the fist started flying… Freddie beat the chizz out of Beck. Trina, my dad and me had to pull Freddie off of him before he could really hurt him."
Amanda looked wide-eyed at the revelation. "Wow. It's hard to imagine Freddie would do something like that."
Tori sweetly smiled and commented in a soft voice, "He was trying to protect me. He has… he's been through a lot of stuff to get to this point in his life and… he's not afraid to get physical if it calls for it. Freddie walking in on what Beck was doing was actually the last straw with a lot of tension that had been building between them."
"I hate to ask, but was Beck taking advantage of the situation? I know I would have been devastated in losing out on that chance and not in the best state to accept someone making an advance on me."
"I don't think that was Beck's intention. We were talking and there was just this moment where we both seemed to be moving towards each other for a kiss. He had started liking me for a while after he broke up with Jade—maybe a little before then—and it was just bad timing. A few weeks later, we finally got together with Freddie urging me to give him a chance."
"Why? Why would he do that after getting into a fight with him?"
"It was the timing. That was it. I was hesitant in getting with Beck. He was my friend's ex-boyfriend, so I had my doubts about whether I should date him or not. Freddie reminded me that Jade doesn't get a say in who Beck got to date after they broke up just like he didn't get a say. Jade had actually made that clear months and months back, but I needed a reminder, so… we actually went out on a date then… we got together."
Amanda kept a curious gaze on the popstar and raised the point, "Freddie had reason to say that. If Beck was with someone, there's less chance that he could try for Jade."
Tori shook her head. "They're secure in their relationship and he wasn't threatened by Beck. In fact, he tried to help them reconcile before he got with Jade. Unfortunately, depending on your point of view, it didn't work out and led to them getting together."
"I think you just proved my point for me with Freddie.
The cheerleader
"Isn't he going to be here next week?"
"Yeah,"
"You could find some alone time with him to rekindle and you could just talk to him about it."
"I don't want to get into a fight with him and I just… I just think that's what it'll turn into. He'll get mad that I think he's just acting like he did a few years ago and holding him to past transgressions. I know that Jade did attempt to talk to him about things before they broke up, but it would always turn into fights."
Amanda half frowned. "Isn't that the risk you have to take if you want to be with him? You have to be able to talk with one another. You just can't ignore it and just hope it goes away. My parents don't agree with everything—they're certainly not agreeing on my desire to bring Freddie in as a member of our family—but they're at least talking about it to try to work it out."
"I guess I can bring up my concerns with him and if he can respond reasonably…"
The dark redhead fearfully asked, "And if he doesn't?"
"I don't know," Tori sadly answered while looking at her expensive meal.
The redhead dug into her pasta and idly commented, feeling as if she was sharing the weight of uncertainty with her brother's friend, "I know Jonathan would never make a girl feel that way."
Tori looked down at her plate and wondered aloud, "I guess it's the Benson way."
Amanda observed that Tori was slipping into a sullen disposition, so she decided to turn the conversation to more trivial topics of conversation including her reluctantly bringing up that she knew her friend Savannah would love to meet Tori if she was up to it due to the blonde being an inspiring actress. The brunette assured her the next time they went out that she could bring her along. As the meal continued, Tori felt a sense of relief in finally admitting that she thought her relationship with Beck wasn't where she wanted it even if it wasn't towards her closest friends. However, as the meal progressed, her mind couldn't help but wonder to another boy named Benson.
West Residence
Los Angeles, CA
Wednesday, October 23, 2013
Shay arrived back at the house that had become a second home to him in the last few months. After parking his motorcycle in the garage, he entered the kitchen and smiled at the sight of Ruby as she prepared a snack. She had to have beaten him back as she was dressed casually in a T-shirt and jeans.
He softly called out, "Hey."
She looked over her shoulder and lovingly smiled and answered, "Hey. Have a good day?"
"As best it can be in the circumstances."
He walked up behind her and wrapped his arms to rest over her stomach.
She smiled from the behind embraced as she chopped the pieces of fruit, but noticed within seconds the tension in his muscles. She looked over her shoulder with a concerned gaze and asked, "What's wrong?"
He didn't prepare any preamble as he saw no point in beating around the bush, "Would you be willing to be the First Lady?"
"What?"
"Would you be willing—"
She sat the knife down and turned around in his arms and asked, "I heard what you said, but why did you just ask me that?"
The former flyer took a deep breath and was about to answer when she interrupted, "Are you seriously considering it?" She turned and pulled out of his grasp to start pacing about the kitchen and started rambling, "I can't believe this. He's just a… a kid that is taking on too much and thinks he has to solve the world's problems and trying to drag you into this."
Shay answered without a second thought, "He's practically a god, of course he does. If you had that kind of power, what good would you do?"
Ruby stopped in her tracks and met her longtime friend and now companion's eyes.
"He has a point. A point that I can't just ignore."
"A point? He may have one about the Middle East then he started rattling off nonsense about ghouls, wraiths and what the Hell is an Ori?"
"Gou'ald," he gently corrected then softly bit his lip.
The raven haired beauty directed a curious gaze at him.
He sighed and looked to the floor. He met her eyes again and explained, "It's classified. Maybe I can tell you about it one day, but that is beside the point. It's a simple question: are you willing to be the First Lady?"
"This isn't about whether or not I would be a First Lady."
"Yes it is. Say no and I drop it. No more thought, no more talk, nothing."
Ruby was quick to ask, "You're pushing it off to be my decision?"
Shay cocked his head then slowly let a smile formed on her lips. "I'd vote for you."
Ruby rolled her eyes that he just had to be a smartass at that moment. "Steven…"
"I can't do this without you."
"You don't need me to run for president. Jade's Twilight Zone dream had you being President without me."
The former flyer deeply frowned as he recalled the story Jade had eventually shared with them. He was quite unhappy with how Ruby had turned out in Jade's experience. "I'm not that Steven. Your head would explode if you thought about all the possible yous there are in the multiverse. I don't want the job, remember? What I want is this, I want us."
She bowed her head and whispered, "Even if we're not in love with each other?"
He pulled her a little closer to her and kissed her forehead then whispered, "I'll stack our love against anyone's 'in-love' anytime, anyplace."
"It still feels like I'll be making the decision instead of you."
"No, you're making the decision of uprooting and turning your life upside down for the next six years, perhaps ten if I get two terms. You have to make the best decision for you."
"And ignore how it will affect you? This is a partnership you know."
"That's my point. I can't make a major decision without you. There isn't anything that can be compromised about it."
She looked dubious to him.
He took a deep breath and tried another tactic. "Do you remember your reaction when we got to college and I enrolled into the ROTC program?"
"Yeah, I laughed at first. I thought you were going to drop out of the program before we graduated. I didn't think you were going to do something that would keep you separated from Taylor and Spencer. What about it?"
The former flyer gently smiled, confidence lacing it, and asked, "Do you really think I made that decision to join the Air Force on my own?"
Ruby knotted her brow then looked at him as if the question had never occurred to her.
Shay slipped around her and towards the tray she had been working on an asked, "So what exactly were you making?"
Beck Oliver Residence
Thursday, October 24, 2013
Beck glanced over his luggage to double-check that he had everything for the next several weeks in New York. He was finally heading there after the cast had finished shooting the planned scenes in Los Angeles. Things had surprisingly got back on track when all the damaged and destroyed equipment from Dusty's dramatic returned and literally been magically restored without explanation. He wasn't going to give any gratitude to Dusty for fixing the equipment as he thought in his mind that the self-righteous prick had thrown a temper tantrum and should never had done such a thing.
He didn't linger on such thoughts as he was looking forward to getting to New York for a number of obvious reasons. However, he wasn't just packing and going as he had his own going away group. André, Cat, Jade and Freddie had shown up to wish him a goodbye and he was grateful for their presence.
André was sipping a drink and relaxing against the doorframe of the bedroom. "We're going to miss you, but it'll be good with you being back with Tori."
Jade pointed out with a supportive smile sitting on the edge of the bed towards the foot of it, "Sometimes you just need some alone time with that special someone and ignore the rest of the world."
Beck half-grinned and patiently pointed out while looking up from his suitcases, "This isn't a vacation. We'll both be working. We might be close, but we're going to be busy."
Freddie joked with a good humored smirk, "So close, yet so far away?"
The taller teenager looked away from his luggage and remarked, "Something like that."
André added for support, "Forget that chizz. She'll be done in two weeks then you'll have all the time you need between your shooting."
Jade was quick to add, "André's right. Tori doesn't need to hop on a plane back as soon as she wraps up filming. While you're filming, she has plenty of things to do in New York. She could pick something up or just work on some more music. Heck, maybe you can work her in as a guest star."
"I heard that some wanted you to guest star."
The nearly black hair girl rolled her eyes and replied, "Yeah, yeah… as some potential love interest."
The long haired actor muttered as he was zipping up one of his suitcases, "That'll make Tori feel better."
Jade slightly pouted, ignoring the irony that she could be a source of jealousy for Tori, but instead the cloud hanging over the couple that she and Trina suspected was taking place but neither would admit was transpiring.
Freddie good naturally picked, "What's a little stage kissing between friends? I've staged kissed Tori."
Cat eagerly raised her hand and stated towards Beck, "We've staged kissed."
Beck opened his mouth to make some comment, but then quickly shut it as he had no real response. He couldn't really say there wasn't anything wrong with what they had said because it was the truth. It shouldn't have been any big deal and have him concerned with what Tori thought because they were all friends and actors after all. Also, making any further comment would be a way of admitting that there could be problems between him and Tori.
Jade assured her former boyfriend, "If they decide they want me, I'll be happy to fly over and do a guest spot. Anything I can do to help you."
"Thanks, I would appreciate it. Some fans might be appreciative of it."
Beck turned back to finish zipping up his luggage and Jade pointed out with a disappointed smile, "The only downside of you going is that you won't be here for Halloween."
The long haired actor half squinted with his right eye while looking over his shoulder and asked, "Did we even nail down plans for Halloween?"
His ex-girlfriend casually remarked, "Not really. There are plenty of those Hollywood parties we could attend or we would all just get together for a private one. As long as we weren't plastered and couldn't remember the night, we'd be fine."
Freddie curiously eyed with a teasing smirk on his face as he commented, "I'm still wondering what your costume is going to be."
Jade licked her lips and flicked an eyebrow. "I told you, it would be a surprise."
Beck rolled his eyes at the flirtatious exchange, not because of any lingering jealousy, but because he couldn't partake in any with Tori at the moment, though that front with them had been kind of chilly over the last few weeks.
The doorbell rang, catching the group by surprise. Freddie glanced to the door asked, "Someone else to see you off?"
André offered, "Maybe it's Sikowitz? He just lives a few doors down."
Jade pointed out, "The school day's not out."
Freddie countered, "He could have always ditched. He did that a few times with us if I remember."
Beck cut off debate with a bitterly laced voice, "I don't know. Maybe it's Trina coming by to give me another lecture to make sure I take care of Tori while we're gone because she can't act like a mother hen around us."
Jade surprised herself in hastily coming to the defense of the eldest Vega sister, "She's just looking out for her after everything that happened with their parents."
Beck answered over his shoulder on his way to the door with the rest of them following him out of the room, "Because she suspects me of repeating all the mistakes I made during our relationship and break Tori's heart?"
The glanced that he tossed Jade's way was unmistakable to the rock star, an accusatory one that he didn't appreciate her thinking the same way. She held her tongue in seeing no point in arguing the fact that they were trying to look out for the couple as a whole and not just taking Tori's side—well, she was looking at it that way as Trina was a different story.
Beck opened the door and was surprised with the unexpected face on the other side. "Dusty?"
Dusty grinned and gently mocked with a return greeting, "Hey Pretty Boy. Glad I caught you."
"What are you doing here?"
"Hey Dusty," Freddie greeted him with a hint of his own confusion for the unexpected visit.
Dusty slipped passed Beck to step inside the apartment with the renter muttering, "Come on in…"
The unexpected guest slightly tilted his head to the side as he explained and offered, "I thought I'd swing by and offer you a lift. It'll save you an eight hours trip."
Beck closed the door behind him while studying the more often than not thorn in his side, seeing if the offer was genuine or he was just messing with him. "I appreciate it, but it would raise too many questions that I don't think you would like to answer."
The Southern teenager shrugged a shoulder. "Just trying to do my part for the planet."
The television actor raised an eyebrow.
"You know, dumping all those CO-two admissions into the atmosphere and destroying the planet."
The group of teenagers directed curious gazes towards, not expecting him to say such a thing.
He let out a good laugh then explained, "I'm just messing with you. You're not doing crap that the planet would notice. It was here a lot longer than we have and it will be around a lot longer after all of you are gone." He shrugged a shoulder and added as an afterthought, "It would be good for the plants anyway."
They continued looking at him, debating whether he was being serious.
Dusty passed a glance over all of them and asked incredulously, "Were all of you asleep in Mister Haule's science classes? Oh come on, you couldn't have ignored all your non-performing classes…" He sighed with an eye roll and finished, "That's right, I'm the only one that went there for an actually education instead of acting." He glanced to Freddie and motioned a hand, "Well, except for you with your situation."
Cat spoke up, "I did. I still don't think global warming is real."
Beck rolled his eyes and sighed, not in the mood to have this conversation. He forced a polite smile and commented, "I was doing my final luggage check when you arrived, so I need to grab my stuff. I don't want to miss my flight."
"Private or commercial?"
"Private."
Dusty nodded and smirked. "Good choice."
"Of course you would say that."
The Southern teenager smugly grinned, seeing no need to argue with the statement.
Beck walked back to his bedroom to grab his suitcases. He zipped them up then looked to his friends and thanked, "Thanks for stopping by."
Jade and Beck shared a hug then she gave him a warm smile and reminded him, "Anytime. Don't forget to tweet and call."
He returned with the charming smile that caused many teenage girls to wilt, "I won't."
As soon as he was out of her grasp, Cat wrapped her arms around for an exuberant hug. Beck smiled and patted the short girl's back. He looked to André and they shared a one armed hug.
The dreadlock wearing musician said, "Have a blast and look good doing it."
"I will."
The actor shared another one arm hug with Freddie. The former tech-producer added, "You and Tori have a good time, okay?"
"I'll remember."
Beck looked to Dusty with a curious gaze.
Dusty raised his hands and pointed out, "I'm a nephil, not a cupid. I'm not hugging you."
"I wasn't asking for one."
"Good."
Beck pulled on a backpack onto his shoulders and picked up a suitcase with Freddie and André each picking up a piece of luggage. The others followed them out of the room and the apartment, pausing only long enough to lock the door. They followed Beck to his car and the guys slipped the luggage into the trunk of the GTO.
After his luggage was secured, the long haired actor slipped into the driver's seat and pulled on his seatbelt. He looked over his shoulder to see if the parking lot was clear.
Freddie called out, "You're clear."
Beck waved a hand in thanks then back up into the rest of the parking lot. He gave them one last wave then drove off out of the parking lot and on his way to the airport.
There was silence for a few seconds before Jade regretfully muttered, "I hate these goodbyes."
Freddie wanly smiled and half-heartedly commented, "That's the choice of being an entertainer: either gone for filming or touring."
Jade sadly smiled and softly uttered, "I know, but… I guess I missed the simpler time where we were all just a drive a way."
The brown eyed teenager reached over and wrapped his arm around her waist to pull her close. "They'll be back in a few weeks and after that, no one else will be heading out anytime soon."
"Yeah, I know…"
André suggested to brighten the mood, "Hey, does anyone want to grab some lunch?"
Freddie readily agreed, "Sure, I have time before class."
Jade followed up with a smirk, "And I don't have class."
Freddie looked to Dusty to see if he would join them, but he was suddenly out of sight.
The others glanced around to see where he had gone with Cat calling out, "Dusty?"
André pointed out the obvious, "That can get really annoying."
Freddie pointed out with a smirk, "But really useful at times."
Jade questioned with a concerned laced voice, "I wonder what's up to make him leave in such a hurry."
Several minutes later, Beck was stopped at a stop light, waiting for it to turn green. He was idly listening to the radio and his ears barely picked up hearing about some escaped convict in Seattle and there was a manhunt for her, but he wasn't paying much attention to it as he was eager to get to the airport.
A fluttering sound came from the passenger seat and driver flinched at Dusty's arrival.
Dusty casually started looking out the front windshield as if it wasn't any big deal that he just popped into the passenger seat, "I thought we should really talk, before you left."
Beck looked to his unexpected guest and justifiably outrageously questioned, "So you just pop into my car? What if I was driving?"
"I waited for you to stop at a light. I'm more considerate than my mother in that regard. I'm not interested in having you get in a car wreck and killing someone or yourself. I'd never hear the end of it."
Beck rolled his eyes and muttered with very little patience, "What do you want?"
"To state the obvious, you'll be with Tori for the next two weeks without the rest of us… away from Jonathan."
Beck took a slow breath. "I'm not worried about Jonathan."
Dusty turned his head to meet Beck's eyes, almost insulted with the denial. "You can't bluff me Beck. Did you forget why I can't play Texas Hold'em with you?"
"Because you don't gamble?"
"That and the fact that I can tell if you're bluffing as you're doing right now."
The actor looked back out the front of the vehicle and muttered, "Why should I worry about him?"
"He's Freddie's brother with all those qualities she likes about Freddie and… you know she's had to be hanging with the sister. What little things do you supposed she's saying to Tori—intentionally or not—that's advocating for her brother as a partner to replace you?"
Beck nearly growled then took several calming breaths before asking, "Did you come here to rub it in my face? Try to stir chizz up with me? Still pissed about the Heather thing?"
"Heather and you settled that between yourselves and I considered the mattered resolved. I don't have the time or the inclination to mess with you like pulling the wings off a fly. As much as those fangirls throw themselves at you, the world doesn't revolve around you."
The light turned green and Beck slowly accelerated the vehicle. Beck thought he was pointing out the obvious, "You're not in school or working. You have all the time in the world."
"I'm busy trying to change the world and taking time out to try to help you out. I have far more productive things I could be doing than attempting to help you."
"Then why? Why would you help me?"
Dusty slightly tilted his head to the side and answered with a patient tone, "Valid question. I don't particularly like you to any great extent—though you have gotten better over the last year, I'll grant you that. Look at it this way: Jade cares about your wellbeing and I care about Jade, so you can always fall back on me give you advice for my own self-interests which just happens to benefit you. You can trust that."
Beck couldn't argue with that particular point. If anyone should have to worry about their relationship from another guy, it should be Freddie in regards to Dusty. He thought they were too close for his taste, especially if they were still together, and he had voiced his opinion before that Dusty had used Heather as a possible substitution for some deep seeded feelings towards Jade.
"What advice do you have for me?"
"Simple: take advantage of the opportunity to remind her how much you care and if there are any… lingering problems, take care of them without the distraction. You're there, not Freddie's brother."
"There's no pro—"
Dusty shook his head in disgust and pointed out with barely constrained irritation, "If you finish that statement then I'll do everything my power to get her to move on from you and right into that Benson's arms because your relationship isn't worth it if you refuse to face what's in front of you. There's no point in wasting her time when people have so very little of it."
Beck wanted to turn the harshest glare he could manage on the unwanted passenger, but he was driving.
"Don't stick your head in the sand and pretend there isn't something off with you two. You know there's something. Jade sees it, Trina sees it and I picked up on her emotional state when I came back and it wasn't just about the accident."
"You seriously expect me to take advice from you after all the chizz we've been through and how disastrous your relationship with Heather ended?"
Dusty raised an eyebrow and calmly answered, "Don't judge who is giving it, but the soundness of it. Jade and Freddie did it twice and look how well it turned out for them."
Beck looked dubious as he kept his focus on the road. "Why do you think that? Have you been talking to Jade and Trina?"
"I actually picked up on Jonathan's general disposition when we were out at Nozu Saturday night. He showed up purely on Tori's request. Why didn't she just trust Jade and Freddie to worry about Cat? Why bring him involved? When Shelby showed up, he was quite physically attracted to her—just like you were when you first met her and we know what that eventually led to—but he was conflicted. He was uncomfortable around her. I haven't heard if they've actually went on a date this week or planning to."
"He could just be bashful. He was just intimidated by the fact she's a celebrity," Beck lamely offered.
"He didn't show any real hesitation with Jade and Tori. Hasn't he been hanging out with you for the last few weeks since school started for them?"
The long haired actor remained silent for a few moments, just the car's radio and the car moving across the road providing any sound to the interior. Beck finally questioned in a tone that made it clear he didn't want to ask the question, "You aren't bullchizzing me with that are you?"
"No and I don't think it's conscious on his part, but if it starts to, make sure he'll have a hopeless shot. Just remind her how much you care about her and that any problems you have, you'll be there to work it out with her. Don't just roll over."
The car became quiet other than the radio as Beck digested Dusty's advice.
Dusty brought up one last item, "One last piece of advice, when you met up with their sister, as you will inevitably do, try not to alienate their sister. Getting on her bad side could complicate things with her maybe getting close to Tori and you definitely don't want to get on Freddie's bad side—you learned that the hard way—as they seem to be getting along."
Dusty disappeared in a blink of an eye, leaving a Beck with a heavy mind with the situation he could potentially be facing.
Cat Valentine/Sam Puckett Residence
Apartment 22
Venice, CA
Friday, October 25, 2013
Ian happily sat on the couch and played his video game while Sam lazily relaxed next to him with her foot propped up on the oddly shaped coffee table.
Out of all the kids she had babysat over the last year since she arrived in Los Angeles, well when she could babysit before Cat became a breakout success, Ian was alright. He didn't pester her and she'd admit this to no one, but she found the kid kind of adorable.
She found it relaxing just relaxing on the couch watching him kill the monster on the screen, but nature called and she usually didn't ignore her. She stood up and stated, "Be right back kid. I've got to use the little girl's room."
"Okay Sammy," the child idly commented while he kept his focus on his video game.
A few minutes later, Sam finished her business in the bathroom and walked out of her room and into the hallway leading to the living room. The blonde stopped when she saw that Ian was gone from the couch and the door lazily swinging open. She softly frowned and narrowed her eyes before slowly walked towards the door and glanced around outside. She shouted, "Ian! Ian!"
She took another step forward and the tip of her boot hit a rock. She looked down in irritation and was about to kick it away in frustration until she noticed the taped piece of paper. She picked it up and read the message: 'I have him.'
Sam's stomach felt as it dropped out. She remained stunned for several seconds then looked around vainly. She reached into her pocket and pulled out her phone and quickly dialed 911. There were two rings before someone picked up and Sam shouted, "Yeah, I need the police right now! There's been a kidnapping!"
Author's Note: A lot of things happened and a plot twist at the end. It's a little of a cliffhanger, but I hope to update next Thursday. Don't be a shy with the reviews.
Special Guest Appearance Denis Leary as Mister Fox