Chapter 16
She was his. And Beck was determined to keep it that way.
The next few days passed by in a blur. It still felt so surreal to Beck that he finally got what he wanted, he got Tori. They were keeping their relationship a secret for now, although anyone with two eyes and a brain could tell they were head over heels for each other. Not so secretive glances and smiles over the lunch table and across the hall did not go unnoticed by the rest of the group, namely Andre. There was still bad blood between him and Beck, but they hadn't spoken a word since their heated exchange in the parking lot before Beck and Tori's date. As for Beck, he honestly was over the situation. He had what he wanted, and though it sucked to lose touch with someone he once considered a best friend, Tori's love was a sweet reprieve. It was a bit uncomfortable that he was forced to spend time with Andre, be it during lunch, in class, or when the group hung out. But they both had the same group of friends and there was nothing either of them could do about that.
Beck found himself smiling to himself more often and filled with this peculiar fuzzy feeling every time he laid eyes on the object of his affections, Victoria Vega. If he admitted it to himself, he was happier than he'd been in a long time, maybe even his whole life. Tori was the sun, and he couldn't get enough of her warmth. He associated her with the beach and smiling and laughing and happiness and freedom. And that's what he loved most about her, he felt happy and free. Like he could take on anything, with her by his side.
By the time Friday came around, Beck couldn't wait for the final bell to ring so he could begin his weekend with Tori. They had plans to hang out, and Beck intended to take her on a real date, although the details of which he had not worked out in his head, yet. Maybe he would take her to that new Thai place that just opened up. Or maybe a carriage ride downtown? He mentally snorted. He was scaring himself with the cheesiness of his own thoughts, but hey, for Tori, no expense is spared. As he walked through the hall on his way to his final class of the day, he smiled to himself.
"Becky!" He heard his name being called by a familiar twinkling voice. He turned around to see Cat standing near her locker, flanked by Robbie. He fought his way through the crowd over to her to see her clutching a lime green piece of paper in her tiny fist.
"Whatcha got there?" He asked.
"A paper!" she exclaimed excitedly.
He laughed. "State of the art first edition paper or something? What am I missing?"
"The party of the year is what you're gonna be missing!" Rex chimed in, from Robbie's side.
"Rex!" Robbie protested. "You promised you'd let me and Cat tell him!"
"Tell me what? What party? I'm so confused," he said.
"Okay, okay! Well, I heard from Mackenzie Lyons that there's gonna be a huge bonfire party at the beach tonight at 9! Absolutely everyone is going to be there, Becky." Cat scoffed, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.
"And why is this life-changing news, again?" Beck inquired. He still didn't understand the wow-factor quite yet.
"Because it's a party! And it's fun!" Robbie answered for Cat.
"Exactly!" Cat agreed.
"Look, a teenage bonfire party with the entire populous of Hollywood Arts sounds great and everything, but I sort of already have plans tonight," Beck said. He internally sighed. He didn't feel like going to a huge rager tonight. He just wanted a quiet, intimate evening with Tori. That thought was the only thing getting him through this day.
"You can bring her, silly!" Cat grinned and thumped Beck on the chest.
"Bring who?" Beck played dumb.
"You can bring Tori!" Cat exclaimed, a little too loudly for his liking.
"Bring me where?" Tori inquired as she appeared from behind the corner with a bright smile. Beck's pulse quickened upon seeing her and returned her smile, but his smile quickly faded as he caught sight of Andre dutifully at her side. He gave Beck a cold stare to which Beck rolled his eyes.
"Hey," he greeted her smoothly.
"Becky, tell her!" Cat squealed.
"Okay, calm down, spazz," he affectionately teased the redhead. "There's apparently a huge bonfire party tonight down at the beach. Everyone who's anyone is going to be there." He mocked.
Cat stuck her tongue out at Beck and turned to Tori. "Tori, you guys should totally come! It's going to be insane!"
"That actually sounds like a lot of fun!" Tori replied, much to Beck's surprise and Cat's excitement.
"Really?" Beck asked, looking over at Tori.
"Yeah! I haven't been to a Hollywood Arts party in a while, and I love bonfires! It sounds like a great time. Count me in, Cat!" Tori grinned at the shorter girl, who was currently bouncing up and down in glee.
"Count me in too, doll," Rex chimed in.
"But Rex! What about the Galaxy Wars marathon on tonight?" Robbie asked, sounding genuinely upset. The puppet on his arm placed a small arm across his face, as if in resignation.
"Rob, how many times do I have to tell you, Galaxy Wars comes second to fine ladies. And do you know how many delicious females will be frolicking in front of the fire tonight? This is too good of an opportunity to pass up, my friend. Don't you want me to spread my wings, man? Don't cramp my style!" Robbie continued a heated exchange with his puppet as Beck began to tune them out, as did the rest of the group standing there.
"Yeah, it sounds like a great idea to me. We can all spend some time together." Andre chimed in for the first time, with a pointed look at Beck. He guessed that Tori had spilled to him their plans to hang out that evening and Beck squinted in disdain. Of course he would want them all at the party, that way he could keep an eye on Tori.
"I'm glad you feel that way Andre, 'cause I sort of volunteered you to be in charge of music!" Cat blurted out to Andre's dismay.
"Whoa, whoa, hold up, you did what?" The boy asked.
"Yeah! I mean it's not like a paying gig or anything, and it's not really on stage or anything, 'cause it's just manning the stereo out of the back of Kev Costa's dad's van, but it's a really important job! You can't have a party without music and you have the best taste in music out of everyone that I know! You're amazing at coming up with awesome playlists under pressure! Just remember the Holiday Bash of 2010!" Cat exclaimed.
"Well, alright I guess…" Andre reluctantly agreed.
"Yay!" Cat squealed. You would have to show up early, around 7:30, to get set up. Robbie and I can ride with you!" Cat then proceeded to steer Andre off in the opposite direction not before throwing a smirk in Beck's direction, almost imperceptible to anyone who wasn't paying close attention. Beck saw what she was doing. She was setting it up for Beck to ask Tori to accompany him to the party as a date.
Beck politely excused himself and Tori from a still bickering Robbie and Rex, and quickly guided her to the janitor's closet at the end of the hall.
Tori turned the light on before turning to Beck with a small smile as Beck shut the door behind them.
"So… you really want to go to this party?" He asked, lamely.
"Yeah, I do. It honestly seems like a blast." She answered, simply.
He studied her for a moment. "Well, it's not what I was expecting our first real date to be, but it's better than nothing. Ms. Vega, would you be ever so inclined to accompany me to the raging bonfire beach bash this evening? Only the best of the best will be in attendance, so it seems fitting that they require your participation."
Tori let out a charming laugh. "What did you just say?"
He chuckled and ran a hand through his hair. "Honestly I don't even know. I was trying to sound charming." he admitted with a shy grin.
Tori's smile grew even wider. "Well, I would be honored to accompany you, Mr. Oliver," she curtseyed in a big show of politeness.
They both laughed and just looked at each other. The room shifted, and suddenly Beck was hyper-aware of the small space they were in and subconsciously found himself taking a step closer to her. Their bodies were just centimeters apart, and Tori nervously licked her lips.
Beck became entranced by her stare. He saw flecks of gold in her beautiful golden stare and tried to read her thoughts simply by looking deep into her eyes. His raised his right hand up to place on her cheek. She swallowed, but otherwise remained still. It was so quiet, Beck was afraid she could hear his heart going insane behind his rib cage. He was sure it was going to beat right out of his chest onto the floor beside them.
She opened her mouth to say something, but whatever it might've been was erased by Beck's own mouth descending upon hers. The kiss was strong, yet tender. Loving yet passionate. Patient yet hungry. His body was on fire. Every fiber in his being was combusting as her hands came up to knot in his hair as his other hand gripped her hip bone pulling her closer, if that were even possible. He felt the pit of his stomach constrict and open, and he felt as if he had jumped off of a building and his only lifeline was this girl in front of him. He didn't know when he would hit the bottom, but he didn't care. He was falling head first, with no reservations. There was no going back. His heart belonged to Tori Vega and it always had. He felt stupid for every trying to deny it.
Beck pulled into his driveway that afternoon with the tingles of excitement in his veins. In just a few short hours he would be with Tori, and although it wasn't under ideal circumstances, they would be at his favorite place, the beach.
The rest of the school day had flown by in a blur. When he and Tori had come up for air they realized with surprise (and to him, amusement) that they had missed the first twenty minutes of class. And with one last kiss and a smile they went their separate ways to their classes to try and hurry the day along. She had rushed off to her class in the Blackbox, but he had taken his time walking to his Theater History class and was met with everyone's judging eyes as he took his seat in the back. His teacher droned on about something irrelevant as he stared at the clock on the wall until it was time to go.
"Beck, a word please," his teacher called after him but he pretended not to hear as he rushed out of the door amongst the sea of people eager to get their weekend started.
Now, as he unlocked the door to his trailer he heard footsteps approaching him from behind. He turned to find his mother approaching him with an unreadable look on her face.
"Hey, mom. What's up?" He asked as she reached him and he leaned against the side of his trailer.
"Hi, sweetie. How was your day?" She asked casually but there was something off about her demeanor. Usually warm and comforting, she seemed skittish and nervous.
"Fine." He said bluntly. "What's wrong?"
With a small sigh she opened the trailer and motioned for him to follow her inside. He obeyed and she sat precariously on the edge of his unmade bed with no hesitation. Usually she chastised him about the perpetually messy state of his little dwelling, but she made no mention of the empty food wrappers in and around the garbage can, the clothes thrown haphazardly about the small space, or the unmade bed she was currently perched on.
"Your father and I had a discussion last night," she began. Beck groaned. His father probably sent her out to pass along another lecture criticizing his life choices and how he was a failure of a son.
"He found out about the money." She said simply.
Beck froze. His father had long since terminated his allowance, around the time he was fourteen, claiming that Beck wasted it on 'distractions' and that if he wanted his own money to spend how he wanted then he should get a real job and be responsible and all of that nonsense. His mother dutifully stood beside his father but later Beck came to find out that she didn't quite agree with her husband's rash decisions. She had been secretly transferring money into his account for a few years, feeling the need to try and support her son. She felt terrible lying to her husband, but she couldn't just cut off her youngest child. Beck knew that if his father found out what his wife had been doing behind his back, there would be hell to pay.
Which is why hearing the words coming out of his mother's mouth were a heart-stopper.
"What do you mean, he found out about the money?" Beck asked. He needed clarification of the shit hitting the fan.
"It was my fault. I left my bank statement open on the computer and he happened upon it and he put two and two together." She paused. "We got into a huge fight," he voice shook.
Beck was stunned. He didn't know what to say.
His mother began to speak again. "I brought up the fact that he was still supporting your sister even though she was burning through her college fund like wildfire. He didn't take too kindly to that."
Beck looked at his mother with surprise. "You actually said that to him?"
"In so many words..." she sounded weak now. He knew it must have pained her to stand up to his father and voice her disagreements. She hated conflict and always used to try to avoid it at all costs in the past. In a way he was touched. She stood up for him. She had never done that in the past. She always tried to grin and bear it when she had to or change the subject. It was silent for a few minutes. Eventually she spoke up again. "Also, your school called. Something about you missing a lot of class. They weren't too informative on the voicemail, I'll have to return the call on Monday."
Hollywood Arts had a very laissez-faire approach when it came to student discipline. They rarely contacted parents except in case of emergency, which is one of the reasons Beck enjoyed the school so much. They let him live his life without involving his parents in everything, but not now. He must had been skipping more than he realized for them to contact his parents. He'd have to cut back and save it for special occasions.
"Have you been skipping class, Beckett?" his mother had a stern tone to her voice. He was glad she didn't sound like she was on the verge of breaking down, as she had before.
"Just a few times, mom. No big deal." He brushed it off.
"It is a big deal. Your father already detests that school; if he finds out that you're not attending class, he'll-"
"Ship me off to military school. I know, I get it." Beck finished for her. "I've heard that one before."
His mother sighed and placed her hand on his cheek. "My son... I'm so sorry."
"For what?" he furrowed his brow. What did she have to be sorry for?
"I'm sorry that you don't have a good relationship with your father. You two were so close when you were young. You did everything together. But then you both grew older and began to butt heads... I just wish I could have prevented this." She sighed and closed her eyes.
"Prevented what?"
"This," she gestured around the room. "You live in a trailer for God's sake! You two can't even be in the same room as each other without jumping at each other's throats," she sighed again. "I blame myself." She admitted.
"What could you possibly blame yourself for, mom? You have done nothing wrong." Beck said adamantly, taking both of her hands in his. "You are a wonderful mother."
"I'm supposed to be the peacemaker, but I've failed. You know, you two are more alike than you realize and that's exactly why you can't get along. Your father sees himself in you," she declares.
Beck felt his face harden. I am nothing like my father, he thought.
His mother placed a kiss on his cheek. "But these are my burdens, not yours, my love." She stood up and he followed suit. "Now what do you have planned for the evening? A date with that mysterious girl you have yet to tell me about?" She teased.
"Just a get together with some people at school. Nothing major," he countered.
"Alright... well just be home at a reasonable hour, okay?" She headed for the door before looking back.
"I still need to meet her. She has to be really something to get rid of Jade," she laughed.
He playfully rolled his eyes. "Bye, mom." he called as she closed the door behind her.
With a sigh, Beck looked around his trailer. It really was a mess. He decided to straighten up a bit before getting ready for the party later. He had promised Tori he would pick her up at 8, so he had some time to spare. After about an hour, and Beck was satisfied that the place was looking semi-decent, he grabbed some clothes and a towel and headed toward the house. Luckily, his father was still at work so there would be no chance of running into him. Beck made his way up the stairs into his old room and tossed the clothes on the bed. He walked to the bathroom and ran the water for the shower before stepping out of his clothes and into the hot stream of water. He ran his head under the scalding water as he replayed everything his mother had told him.
He had no idea what was going to happen now that his father knew that his mother had been sending him money every month for three years. But frankly, he didn't want to think about any of that now. All he wanted to do is be with Tori right now.
Beck took his time getting ready and by the time he checked his PearPhone, it was 7:45. He got in his car, took a deep breath and closed his eyes for a beat. He was trying to clear his head of all the bullshit. Tonight was about Tori. And with that thought, he started the car and pulled out of his driveway, headed towards Tori's place.