Disclaimer: Yep. Not mine. Never will be.

Chapter 3

He decides to skip for the rest of the day, but he realizes he forgot a few things in his locker so he goes back inside to grab them. As he spins the dial to the last number in his combination, he overhears two people talking in hushed tones around the corner by the stairs. Not being one to eavesdrop, he finishes up at his locker and is about to shut the door and leave when he hears his name. Well, this could be interesting.

He inches closer to the wall, being careful not to make a sound or show his face. He peeks from out of the corner and sees Tori and Andre in a heated argument by the front door. He strains to hear what they're saying.

"Look, Tor, I know how you feel about him and everything but you can't seriously be buying this shit. He's just trying to make Jade jealous and they'll be back together before you know it. You'll always be second best, and you know that. Beck's just trying to charm you because he's bored. He doesn't care about you, not in that way." Andre finishes with an upset look on his face.

Beck is angry. He is beyond angry. He is livid. How could Andre be feeding Tori these lies? He wants to jump out and make a scene to defend himself but he knows it probably isn't the best idea to go apeshit without thinking. And, plus, he wants to hear what Tori says.

Tori sighs. "I know… but… it's nice to think that maybe, just maybe, he feels the same way I do." She finishes quietly, looking down at her feet.

His pulse quickens. Does she really see him that way? He's much too happy about that for his own good. But then she just agreed with Andre. He needs to make it right. To let her know that everything Andre is saying is wrong.

He doesn't know when it changed for him. He doesn't know when he accepted it, his feelings. He doesn't even know when they started. But then he backtracks because he won't pretend on this one. He knows it was the very first time he met her in Sikowitz's class. When he made eye contact with her that day and kissed her the next and felt that spark and he just knew. All he knows now is that he wants this girl. She should be his. And he doesn't even care how cheesy that sounds.

He's about to step out from behind the wall and make his presence known but then Andre is taking a step towards her and brushing a lock of hair behind her ear and suddenly the mood shifts and Andre gives her this look and everything is just so wrong with this situation and Beck wants to explode from his hiding spot and punch Andre in the face and kiss her senseless and just claim her but he finds he's rooted to the spot even though everything in him is screaming in protest but his body just won't cooperate.

His heart sinks because somehow behind all of the rage in his mind, he somehow knows that this is supposed to happen, that this is some event woven into the threads of time in the universe that is supposed to transpire and it could either make or break everything. And he feels like he's supposed to see it, but he doesn't want to just sit here and witness his own heart break, because that's really the only way it could go. Tori and Andre were just so… complimentary of each other and they got each other and they're best friends and how could she not fall in love with the keyboard player?

Andre's lips fall on Tori's and he feels sick. He narrows his eyes and he clenches his fists and he doesn't want to fucking watch this but knows he has to. It lasts about four seconds before Tori pulls away sharply and lets out an exasperated "What were you thinking, Andre?" as she steps away.

Well, this is definitely not what he expected to happen.

The dark skinned boy fumbles for words because he clearly wasn't on the same page she was.

"I, I was thinking…w-we had something…?" He finishes lamely. He looks around nervously and for a second his eyes flicker over to where Beck is and Beck realizes that he wasn't as well-concealed as he thought, as in his rage somehow he made it to where he was halfway out in plain view. He prepares himself to be revealed, but Andre looks away back to Tori and lets her continue. Beck doesn't know whether to be thankful or disappointed.

"Andre… I love you. You know that. But… but you're my best friend. You're like a brother to me. I don't see you that way. It's…It's always going to be him. I'm in love with him." She trails off.

Andre gives a lightning quick glance in his direction before looking back at Tori.

"So…you love Beck?" He asks for clarification.

And in the three seconds it took for her to answer, Beck's entire world shifted its focus and suddenly his entire being depended on the next words she would speak.

"Yes." She whispered.

Andre nodded soberly and gathered himself to say his next few words.

"Alright… I get it. We're still cool, Tor. But just know, I think you're making a mistake. He's gonna hurt you." And then he turns to give Beck a hard stare and then stalks off in the other direction.

Tori sits on the low steps and sighs, putting her head in her hands.

He emerges from the corner and takes a step towards her.

Her head snaps up and her beautiful brown eyes widen.

"B-Beck? What're you doing here?"

He opens his mouth to say something, anything. He wants to take her in his arms and confess his undying love to her or some stupid shit like that. But for some reason, some tiny nagging reason in the back of his mind, he knows he can't do that just yet. And he knows he probably shouldn't let her know what he just overheard, no matter how happy that it makes him inside.

And dude, if it doesn't hurt like hell when he puts on a blank face and shakes his head and tells her as emotionlessly as he can, "Uh, nothing. I gotta go."

She looks like she's about to protest, but she must have heard something in his voice to make her stop.

I'm sorry, Tori. He thinks as he walks away, and out the front doors of Hollywood Arts.

Since when did his life turn into a freaking soap opera? He shakes his head, gets in his car, and pulls out of the school parking lot as fast as he possibly could go.

Now I know what you're thinking. You're probably like 'what the hell is this.' But I assure you, I have a reason for my madness. I'm sorry if this totally sucks ass. But, whatever. :)

Special thanks to NaturalArtificialFruit, AshestoAshes, XxcoupleMseddiexX, myjumpingsocks, xBettiolx13, animeroxz, and that one anonymous person for reviewing and also huge thanks to anyone who put this story on their favorites and/or alerts. This is for all for you guys :)