Disclaimer: I do not own Victorious
Chapter 5: Live Like We're Dying
Tori P.O.V
The week passed rather quickly after my encounter with Jade then Beck. To say the least I was astonished that my friends, especially Jade, were actually doing stuff like that. I know that it's common in high school but come on! All of us are trying to make it big and actually do something with our lives, there's no reason to do drugs and fuck that all up. And maybe that's the shit that made me take the situation so seriously.
It was obvious from that moment I set foot into Hollywood Arts that Jade was the, for lack of better words, head bitch. At first glance the girl was stunning, and as you got to know her, more aspects of beauty became prevalent. Although cold and sarcastic, Jade was a wonderful person when she wanted to be; those rare moments of kindness just made her seem…inhuman, too beautiful to be like everyone else. Add that to her vast amount of talent and limitless confidence and it seems like nothing can stop the girl; nothing but the drugs. Jade was someone I had come to envy yet praise at the same time, but now I'm not so sure. It's not that I think poorly of her now, it's just that I pity her and I don't want to become like her anymore. She had, and maybe still has, it all but she's just throwing it away like it meant nothing in the first place. Every opportunity, every talent, everything is just…gone.
Rather than dwelling in my thoughts any longer I close my wallet from my locker, stuff it in my bag and head out to the grub truck. I exchange my four dollars for a nice salad and a bottle of water then walk over to my table. By the time I get there André has already claimed a seat.
"Hola amigo!" His greeting with his sweet baritone calms me a bit.
"It's amiga André." I giggle setting my salad down and taking a seat next to him. "I'm a girl so it has a feminine ending."
"Are you sure?" He questions.
"Ummm…let's see, who's the half Latina at this table?" André answers my rhetorical question by hanging his head but giving a slight chuckle. "Yea that's what I thought. So….where's everyone else?"
Picking his head up André gives a thousand watt smile as his silent apology and responds.
"Well Robbie and Cat are working on some special effects for the junior prom, Beck is running lines for some play, and Jade's been MIA since Tuesday because of the break up so that just leaves you and I."
"Oh that makes sense, I thought that maybe y'all just started to hate each other."
"Not everyone is like Jade, Tor." He says, chuckling. Although his tone is teasing it still stings a bit. "Anyway-" He starts in response to my silence. "Since we both have a free period next period I was thinking that maybe you could help me with my song for music theory."
"If it's a theory class why do you have to compose something?"
"According to Kane, it's to show we actually learned something we can apply to our music. So whatya say, wanna help me out?" He looks up at me with pleading, chocolate eyes and I feel myself unraveling. I could never say no to him.
"I guess I, wait didn't Jade agree to help you?" I offer as one last ditch effort to get out of having to work. I'm not lazy, I swear, but sometime I just like a little down time, you know to lay low and release some stress.
"I told you she's been gone since Tuesday, like she doesn't come to school, doesn't answer her phone and doesn't even answer the door. I asked Beck to go talk to her and he said she wouldn't even come downstairs. She just made her mom open the door and tell Beck that she was feeling ill. I'm starting to think the chick is pregnant."
"Andre! Don't say stuff like that!" I swat him harshly on the arm for saying such a thing. "Maybe she just doesn't feel well and she doesn't want to talk to us." Or maybe she's in detox.
"Damn, I'm just saying it's weird even for Jade." He defends.
"You know that's exactly how gossip starts. What if Jade comes back and she hears that from some freshmen; she'll snap the poor kids neck."
"I think it's more likely that she would stab them with some scissors, but okay I won't bring it up again."
"Thanks." With that we settle into a comfortable silence, enjoying our meals and each other's company. A few minutes before the end of lunch he turns to me and smiles like he knows something I don't.
"What?" I inquire, taking the bait.
"You never answered my question."
"About?" I say lifting my water bottle to my mouth, taking a sip.
"Helping me out." He states. "It won't take long I swear, I just need you to help me record it and then you're done."
"Which translates to I need you to help me finish the second verse, find something that rhymes with oranges, find what's missing in the melody, sing the lyrics through seven times, record the song, watch you edit it only to scrap the entire thing and then do it all over again until you think you did a mediocre job which means it's practically perfect." I finish taking in a large amount of air at the end.
"Soo…you'll do it?" He says hopeful.
"Andre! I just want some me-time! You know like time for me and only me." I yell exasperated. I love Andre but sometimes the kid makes me want to shoot someone, preferably him.
"Alrighty then you don't have to do it, but before you go have your me-time how about you tell me what's eating you." He says with a knowing smile.
"Ahh…I don't know what you're talking about."
"Tor cut the crap I know when something is bothering you so just spill. It's not like I'm gonna tell anyone. I think the Sweater and Cardigan issue proved my loyalty." With a sigh, I relinquish my restraint.
"Umm okay I'm gonna tell you but it's going to be kinda vague."
"Vague?" He questions, confused.
"Yea vague because I can tell you what's going on but I can't exactly tell you every detail."
"Okay shoot."
"Okay… so hypothetical person A-" André erupts in laughter interrupting my speech.
"Hypothetical person A?" His laughter continues and I can't help but be irritated with him. "R- reallyy?"
"Yes really! Dammit André do you want me to tell you or not?" I counter, venom dripping from my lips.
"Y-y-yea go ahead amigo."
"It's amiga, with and A!"
"Like hypothetical person A." He teases dissolving in what can only be described as girly giggles.
"Andre, can you just listen to me?" He nods as his giggles slow. "Okay so hypothetical person A is not exactly a close friend but I do care about her very much."
"Mmm Tori remember what happened the last time you 'cared' about a girl who wasn't really into you." He warns. Mortified I slap my hand over his mouth before he can say anything else.
"Andre keep your voice down I'm not out yet you ass." I screech. Slowly, I remove my hand from his mouth.
"Woops sorry, but I don't understand why you just don't get it over with."
"This isn't about my…my sexuality, okay? It's just a friend caring about another friend." I pause and he nods in understanding. After collecting my thoughts I continue. "So person A is not necessarily a close friend but I feel like I should be doing something. Basically I found out that she's been doing drugs and just felt like…like it's my job to get her to stop or at least talk to the person that could get her to stop. So I did. I went to hypothetical person B but it didn't exactly work out like I had planned. Person B just kind of blew me off and told me not to worry about her, that she had everything under control and if she didn't she would go get help on her own."
"Is she doing any better?" André asks with concern shining through his unguarded eyes.
"That's the thing, I'm not really sure. She won't answer my calls or texts, she hasn't been around me since the incident and I'm not sure if that's a good thing or a bad thing. A part of me thinks she's distant because she's getting help while another part just… just feels like she's letting herself slip further and further into the hole." I drop my head to the table and pull my knees to my chest. "I don't know what to do André. She's a great person but she doesn't want my help."
"Sometimes people are just too proud to see the truth in their lives." He lifts his hand and rubs circles on my back. "Don't worry too much about the situation. Realistically there's nothing you can do." I lift my head and stare at him through my clouded vision.
"I wasn't raised to sit on the sidelines and watch someone wreak themselves, André." I crook.
"I know, but this isn't your battle."
"So you're suggesting I just let her go down a dark path?" I counter with venom.
"No I'm not. What I'm saying is just wait and see what happens. Remember that you have your own life to live and you can't be bogged down with someone else's recreational activities. Maybe it was a onetime thing for some fun and you just happened to be there."
"I'm starting to wonder if you even this is serious."
"Okay, personally I don't think that drugs are all that terrible. The shit is fun but I don't use them often, like in the past year I can count the amount of times I've used them on one hand." Andre's confession earns a gasp from me. "Listen I don't condemn using drugs moderately, but I do feel like there's a problem if you use constantly. From what you told me you're not really sure about the circumstances surrounding the problem, so at this point I wouldn't label it a problem."
"But I'm almost certain that she's developed some level of dependence."
"Okay so what drug was she using?"
"I don't really know but it was something that was a liquid. She had to put it in a needle and inject herself." Just speaking of the incident causes the memory to come rushing back. I shudder at the thought of Jade sticking the needle into her pale, porcelain skin.
"Mhmm that could be a lot of things so I think you should just chill out." Although he's words were meant to comfort me they did nothing to ease my tensions. "Tori stop worrying about something that you can't fix. Live your own life and don't think about others so much. Listen there's a party tomorrow night how about you come with me and we can unwind, like old times."
"Ugh I don't know. The party scene isn't exactly my place."
"I know but just come out with me this one time, it'll be fun." I give him a still unconvinced look. "Please!" He begs. "Please, please, please! Oh great Latina I beg you to grace me with your presence tomorrow night. I swear I'll never ask you for anything else if you go." His words cause a smile to replace my skeptical frown.
"Fine you idiot I'll go."
"Yes!" He jumps up victoriously, pumping his fist in the air like he just won the lottery. Laughing I grab his wrist a pull him back down to the table.
"Chill out bro it's not like we're celebrating our last night of freedom." I tease.
"Hey I just like to live like we're dying." The bell loudly chimes through the speakers in the asphalt café André climbs out of the table and collects our garbage as he turns to leave. He flashes me one last cheeky smile. I respond with a smile of my own and get up to walk with him, but he lifts a hand to stop me. Students file into the school and I can't figure out why he's having us staying out here.
"Andre what's go-"
"Tori if I were you I wouldn't worry about Jade all that much." His words hit me like a freight train and I stand stunned while he enters the school leaving me alone.
A/N: Yet another chapter is finished and I did it in a timely manner. I do apologize for any grammitical errors, I hate to proof read so I just don't do it. Anyway thank you to all who reviewed and followed my story. Until next time
-JKJOKER