Disclaimer: Carries over from every other chapter. In other words, lonely FF author earns no $$$.
Chapter 8
He spends all of the day Sunday doing absolutely nothing, dreading going to school the next day. He alternated between getting fat and watching TV for hours on end and creeping on people (namely Tori) on The Slap. He realizes just how, for lack of a better word, creepy he was being, pretty much stalking her profile. He gives that up quickly.
He didn't know what he was going to do when he saw her. Was he supposed to act differently? Would she? No, probably not. Should he ignore her? No. He should act normal. Like Friday didn't even happen. Yeah, that was better then being overly friendly or ignoring her like a douche. He was putting way too much thought into this. He's such a girl. He changes the channel from reality TV to Sports Center to reassure himself he's not as much of a chick as he had been acting lately. It works for about an hour, until he realizes golf was actually painfully boring to watch.
A thought hits him. He could always call her and sort things out beforehand so it wouldn't be awkward tomorrow. He bites his lip and considers it. Why the hell not?
He dials her number and his heart is beating so fast. She answers on the second ring.
"Hello?" She sounds tired.
He freezes. What was he even calling her for?
"Hellooo?" She snaps him back into reality.
"Tori…?" He manages.
"Beck?" She sounds surprised. He guesses she didn't check the caller ID.
"Uh, hey. I just was calling… to make sure we're still cool. We're still cool, right?" he asks, and he curses himself that he sounds way too hopeful. "I mean… can we forget Friday even happened?"
"Of course." She hesitates. "What was that, though? At least answer me that."
"What was what?"
"That look you gave me in the hall. Before you left," She inquires. "You looked like you wanted to say something."
Damn. She's more observant then he gives her credit for. "It was nothing…" He doesn't even convince himself.
"Okay…" She replies.
A short awkward silence ensues. Facepalm. Mission failed.
"Beck?" She begins.
"Yeah?"
"You didn't happen to like… overhear anything, did you? Between me and Andre? In the hall?" She sounds worried.
"Um…" He's not sure what he should do. Let her know what he knows? Maybe even tell her how he feels? But, he knows that would make things more awkward. And set them both up with unrealistic expectations. Plus, that's so not a conversation for over the phone. So, he takes the lame way out. He seems to be doing that a lot as of late. "Why, were you spreading vicious rumors about me?" He teases, going for totally unsuspecting.
She laughs nervously. "As if I would tell you." At least she tries to pretend back.
He smiles. It was nice to talk to her, even under these circumstances.
"I have a weird question." She says.
"Go for it."
"Were you really… looking at my… you know… in class? Or did you just say that to make Jade upset?" He can tell this is so awkward for her to ask him.
He ponders for a minute. He could say he only did it to make Jade jealous, but that'd be a lie. And he figures, if he can't tell her how he really feels, he can at least give her this much. He laughs confidently. "Oh, yeah. I really was. Making Jade mad was just a bonus."
She giggles. "Well, uh. I don't know what to say to that. Thank you?"
"Not a problem! Anytime, Ms. Waters." He smiles fondly at the memory of that nickname.
She laughs a hearty laugh. "I can't believe you still call me that."
"I can't believe you caused Melinda Murray to get shot through the hand with an arrow." He grins.
"No one liked her anyway." Tori retorted.
"And you got me my roll back." He remembers. He's still amazed at the lengths that she went to get the roll back for him.
"Yeah, but I'm the reason you got fired in the first place. I'm sorry for that, again." She sounds guilty.
"Stop apologizing, again." He rolls his eyes and smiles.
It's quiet for a moment and he remembers the day he got his roll back. That was a good day. He specifically remembers the hug he and Tori shared in the hall before Jade interrupted. He remembers the way her body felt against his when he wrapped his arms around her waist, the smell of her hair…
"Beck? You still there?" He's grateful she snaps him out of his thoughts. He really shouldn't go down that road.
"Yeah, sorry. Just remembered something for a second," He tells her.
"It's okay." She pauses. "I'm glad you called." She blurts and sounds kind of embarrassed to have admitted that.
He smiles sadly. "I'm glad I called, too. I'm sorry for embarrassing you at lunch." He adds on as an afterthought when he remembers what Robbie said about her blushing.
"It's fine. I'm over it."
"Thanks to Andre." He sounds way too bitter about that for his liking.
"Um… I guess…" She sounds a little ashamed. Probably thinking about the kiss.
The kiss. He hadn't given that much thought and is thankful for that because he feels another pang of jealousy and he's sort of really, really pissed off about it. No one should kiss Tori… but me, he thinks.
There are a million questions he'd like to ask her. What's up with you and Andre? Do you like him? Do you like anybody? Can I see you? Can I kiss you? Do you want to be my girlfriend? Can you come over? Will you stop being friends with Andre? Will you leave me alone so I can get over you? Why do I love you so damn much? Why do you think you love me? How long will this phase last? Should I ask you out before it ends and you're over it? Should I leave you alone? Will you forgive me when I inevitably fuck something up? There are also about a thousand and one things he'd like to say. But only one comes to mind.
"Well, I should get going." He says after a lull in the conversation. He's surprised his voice didn't shake.
"Okay." She sounds a little disappointed. "Well, bye Beck, I'll see you at school tomorrow." I love you, Beck, He imagines she'd say.
"Bye."
She hangs up.
I love you too, Tori, He'd say back.
He wants so badly for her to know it. To say it in person. He almost blurted it out for a second there. The good mood he had attained from talking to her deflated. He's bummed out, like, majorly.
He wants to be with Tori. That's all he really wants. He would fall off a building for her a million times in a purple dress if he had too. He already did it once. The corners of his mouth turn up.
He looks at the clock. 9:06. It's still way early to sleep, but he has nothing else to do but be haunted by his thoughts. Sleep is his only refuge. He didn't think he dreamt of her the night before, so maybe this night will follow suit.
He gets in bed and closes his eyes. He counts to a thousand before his lids finally get heavy.
He dreams of her anyways.
To say Beck woke up in a bad mood on Monday morning was an understatement. First, he overslept and had about ten minutes to get to school. Second, he couldn't find his shoes like, anywhere and because he was so pressed for time, he didn't have time to eat anything for breakfast. Third, he couldn't even stop for coffee. Fourth, he forgot to charge his phone the night before, so it was dead at home. Fifth, he pretty much had to speed to make it in time and almost got pulled over. Sixth, there was like, no parking spaces in the parking lot. He was about ready to punch anyone in the face if they so much as looked at him the wrong way, and he had a permanent scowl fixed on his face.
He makes it inside the school with two minutes to spare and doesn't answer any of the greetings he hears on his way to his first class. He doesn't want to deal with people. He just about catapults himself into his seat just as the bell rings to start first period.
It seemed like every class he went to from then on dragged out longer than usual just to piss him off. By the time he had to go to Sikowitz's class, he had officially resigned for the day and he decided that he was just not going to do anything in class, and if he absolutely had to, he was going to do it as terribly as possible. He plopped himself in a seat at the back and leaned his head on the wall to get some shut eye. The bell rings and Sikowitz begins talking but he doesn't budge. He must have looked pretty pissed off, even with his eyes closed, because he doesn't hear or feel anyone sit down next to him. Sikowitz's crazy voice was actually like a white noise to him. He's actually managed to snooze a little when suddenly he feels a gust of air and then, whack!
He shoots awake so fast, he falls out of his chair and sees everyone turned around looking at him, snickering. He's disoriented for like half a second and rubs his cheek where he got hit, when he sees the offending object on the floor next to him. It's the little rubber ball that Sikowitz liked to throw at people. He gets off his ass and settles back in his chair, clutching the ball, and glaring harshly at his insane teacher. Was that even legal?
"What's wrong, sour puss? Did I wake you from your slumber?" Sikowitz teases and a few people laugh. Mostly Jade.
"Dude… not cool. You couldn't have just like, called my name or something?" He knows he's probably getting irrationally upset, but he was already having a shittastic morning and getting smacked in the face by his acting teacher wasn't exactly the greatest addition.
"Ooooh! You're angry! I've got just the scene for you!" He makes a come hither motion with his pointer finger.
He had already determined not to do anything productive, but he was pissed off and sitting in the back fuming wasn't going to do anything. He figures if he gets to yell, even if it won't be him doing it per se, it might help a little. Blow off some steam, all of that shit.
So he stands from the chair, rubber ball in hand, and makes his way to the front of the stage, feeling everyone's eyes following his every move.
Sikowitz hands him his script and he notices right away that it's meant for two people, and there is a lot of yelling involved.
"Choose your victim, Beck."
He looks at his teacher for a sec, seeing he had moved offstage, and then sweeps his eyes across the class room. Who was he mad at? Cat? No. He didn't want to yell at Cat. Robbie? No. Sinjin? That might be fun. There was always Jade. But then he figures people would assume things that weren't true, and he was done having confrontations with her. His eyes move to the first row. Tori? He locks eyes with her and considers it for half a second because that would mean he got to at least do a scene with her, but then he knows he didn't have the heart to scream at her. God, she looks hot today. Then he sees who she's sitting next to and his temper flares up again. Oh, yeah. He knew who he was going to pick.
Not removing his eyes from the boy, he says through gritted teeth, "Andre."
"Come on down, Mr. Harris!" Sikowitz announces.
He sees Andre freeze for a second, almost imperceptible to anyone who wasn't looking for it. He stands up, and slowly makes his way onstage after collecting his script. He reads through it and raises his eyebrows.
"Make this your own, gentlemen. I want to believe your anger! Go crazy!" Sikowitz pauses for the pair of them to nod, though they never took their eyes from one another. Beck tosses the rubber ball he still was holding back towards Sikowitz. This wouldn't be too hard. "…Aaaand… go!"
Andre looks down at the first line and begins the scene.
"Did you pick up my dry-cleaning?"
"Uh, no. I forgot, sorry," Beck replies, a little more harshly than was necessary at that moment.
"God, you just can't do anything right, can you?" Andre mocks.
"I'm your roommate, Sampson, not your mother!" Beck feels the animosity he has towards this guy in front of him bubble up towards the surface, so he tries to control it so he doesn't explode prematurely and ruin the scene.
"I ask you for one favor, and what to you do? You go out for donuts? And you didn't even bring me any?"
"I knew you didn't like jelly-filled. I was only eating the jelly-filled!" Beck shouts.
Andre's character makes a disgusted face.
"Don't you judge my taste in donuts! I am a grown man and I'll enjoy all the jelly-filled donuts that I want!" Beck's character cries.
"You looky here, Johnny, I'm doing you a favor by moving in here! I pay all the bills!" Andre-as-Sampson states.
"Now that's not true! I took care of the light bill that once!" Beck/Johnny shouts.
"It is so true! And you don't even have the decency to pick up some pastries for me. What kind of a friend are you?" Andre yells.
"I am a great friend to you, buddy!" Beck retorts.
"Really? Is that why I hear you have a thing for my girlfriend?" Andre screams.
Whoa. Beck blinks.
"Last time I checked, she didn't love you." Beck sneers.
Andre fumes and narrows his eyes. "Like she would ever go for you. You're nothing!" He shouts.
Beck takes a step forward and points a finger at Andre. "Listen up, friend. You don't deserve a girl like her if this is how you treat your 'best' friend. You obviously know nothing about me, so don't tell me I'm nothing. I love her. You're pathetic," Beck growls, "Sampson." He spits the last part out when he remembers he's supposed to be acting.
Andre opens his mouth to retaliate when Sikowitz interrupts. "Scene! Please don't murder each other!" He laughs nervously.
They both snap their attention to the teacher and Beck realizes that through out the whole scene, he had crushed his script in his right fist and there was less then four inches space between him and Andre. He take a step back. Wow. That was…interesting, to say the least. He feels a tiny bit better.
He looks at everyone's faces but really only cares about one. She looks like a deer in the headlights, to say the least. The bell rings and the weird tension the room held sort of dissipated. People plowed out of the room, eager to get to lunch. It was quesadilla day, at least. There's a plus. Sikowitz bails just as quickly.
The three of them didn't move from their places.
Beck takes more one long look at her and pays no mind to Andre as he moves to the back of the room to collect his stuff and get the hell out of there. Had he stayed just a minute longer, he would have heard Andre ask Tori "You comin'?" and her reply off "Yeah, in a minute." He would have seen Andre walk off without her, but only after giving her one of those looks.
Had Beck stayed just a bit longer, he also would have seen Tori eventually unfreeze from her chair and walk up and grab the discarded script from the floor of the stage. He would have seen her unwrinkle it on her leg, read how the real half of the scene went, and furrow her brow as she saw that it was completely and totally unrelated to what he and Andre had just screamed at each other for in front of the class. Most of all, had Beck stuck around, he would have seen the wheels turning in Tori's head and the determined look she sported as she grabbed her bag and hurried to catch up with the rest of them.
A/N: First of all: Bam! Andre got told. Lololz. I feel kind of bad I'm making him a little douchey in this story, because I do like Andre. But, he's protective of Tori and all of that. Beck has to prove to him (and himself) that he deserves her. And I liked writing Bori's little phone call in the beginning. It was fun. & it seems Tor-Tor wasn't fooled by that scene. Aannyywayyss...
*CHAPTER 9: Awkward lunch, and making plans. ;) Bori action, coming soon. To a theater near you. (Just kidding.)
As usual, all my love to the reviewers. And, favorites/alerts make me soooo soo happy as well. You all keep me writing.
**Questions, confusion, and/or lengthy predictions that you want me to answer: Send me a PM. I'd be happy to oblige.