"It's been two days, can you believe it?"
"Two days since what?" the afro haired boy took a bite of his cucumber.
"Since they've talked."
"Oh. Well I'm going to get some frozen yogurt, you want to come?"
"No thanks, Burf. I'll see you later," Sinjin told his buddy. Sinjin sat at a far table, pulled out his binoculars and a notepad, and observed the behavior of certain people.
Cat was the first to step inside the main hall for lunch that. She had caught sight of Robbie and Andre taking a seat at the usual table together, the only two people who decided not to argue, and would up making a plate and sitting at a separate table this time.
Next was Tori. She came inside after having a quick chat with Lane about stage directions for Saturday. She spotted Andre and Robbie as well, then noticed Cat sitting away from them. She followed Cat's idea and found a table in another empty corner of the hall.
Beck stepped in not a moment later. Not really having an appetite, he grabbed an apple and sat somewhere in the middle of the room, well aware of where everyone else was.
Last came Jade. She noticed everyone spread out. She would have sat next to Andre and Robbie, or even Cat, Sinjin thought, but she went straight to the kitchen, and after a moment stepped out with a mug full of hot coffee and stepped outside to sit on the stairs. She knew she was being watched discreetly, just as she was watching them. But she didn't want to sit in the awkward tension in the room.
Burf walked up to Sinjin after noticing their behavior.
"Wow man, you're right," he took another bite of his cucumber.
"Told ya," Sinjin put his binoculars down. "So what are we going to do about it, Burf?"
"What do you mean we?" Burf said before biting his vegetable again.
"Ugh, must I do everything to save the day?" Sinjin rolled his eyes and walked out of the hall. Burf shrugged and sat down, continuing to eat his food.
That night, a private staff meeting involving just a few staff members, was being held. It was 7:30 PM on the dot, and Tori was first to arrive. She found six chairs set out so she sat in the center one. Next to step in where Robbie, Andre and Beck. They hadn't said a word to one another, but grabbed some chairs and moved a bit further from each other and Tori. Jade stepped in, obviously annoyed that it was familiar faces for this meeting; though she had a hunch she'd see them. After all, it was 'supposedly' an invite from Sikowitz. Lastly was Cat. She could feel the stares even when she kept her eyes on her feet. She found the last empty seat and didn't dare to meet eye to eye with anyone.
The clock was ticking and time was passing. Ten minutes and still no sign of Sikowitz.
"Where is Sikowitz?" Beck was first to speak.
"Seriously. I don't have time for this," Tori said.
"Why? Is there somewhere important you need to be? Or someone you need to see?" Jade raised an eyebrow.
"I just don't want to waste my time sitting in a room of people who have no intention of talking to me or letting me talk," she defended.
"Then maybe you should just be quiet and wait like the rest of us," The Goth retorted.
"Yeah, you don't think we need to be anywhere either?" Andre said.
"I didn't mean it like that. I'm sure you guys probably don't want to be here too," Tori tried to reason.
"You got that right," Beck said.
"Exactly. So I'm just saying what everyone is thinking."
"Why do you always have to be the one to speak for us?" Jade asked.
"What?" Tori was taken aback.
"Don't we get a say in things?"
"Of course you all do. I never agree to anything unless we all do."
"Oh really? How many ridiculous things have you gotten us into that we were all hesitant about in the beginning?" Andre asked.
"I don't know."
"I do. A lot," Robbie chimed in.
"But we all liked them anyways. We got closer, didn't we?" Cat defended Tori.
"And how did that turn out, Cat?" Beck asked her.
"Yeah, we're fighting right now. Don't go into your little world and pretend like everything is all cupcakes and rainbows," Jade told the redhead. It was harsh, but she needed to know.
"And don't make it seem like it's not your fault for any of this!" Beck told Jade.
"Same goes to you, Beck. Same goes to you!" she retorted.
"Man are we just going to yell again? I am tired of this! I don't want to hear y'all fighting all night," Andre complained.
"Well at least they're communicating! Why won't you talk to me?" Tori told him.
"And why won't you talk to me?" Cat shrieked to Robbie.
"Because I don't want to," Andre scowled.
"Same here," Robbie said.
"Vega stop trying to please everyone. Face it, there are just some people in this world who don't like you! And you're looking at one of them!"
"You know what Jade, I am sick and tired of you nagging me and giving me the hardest time. I never intentionally did anything to you to get you to hate me so much. So shut your pie hole because you have no right to hate me because of nothing!"
"ENOUGH!"
The six of them stood silent. They turned to face the figure standing at the door. The one who moments ago halted the heated argument.
"Sinjin? What are you doing here?"
"Sikowitz didn't call you guys to come here. I did."
"And why would you do that?"
"Because, you guys need to sort this thing out. Whatever it is."
"Sinjin, that's nice, but if we want to talk, we'll talk on our own time," Tori told him.
"See, there you go again, making a decision for all of us," Jade started.
They began to argue a bit more before Sinjin whistled extremely loud for them to stop again.
"Can you guys just please stop ripping each others' heads off for five minutes?" he asked.
They kept silent.
"I saw how you guys were during lunch and dinner. There was no interaction at all. That's not normal. Sikowitz is right, there's something going on and you guys need to fix it."
"I don't have time for this. I'm out."
"Yeah me too,"
They began to walk towards the door. But the tall geek did not dare to move.
"Sinjin move before I juice your head."
"No, I'm not going to move."
"Oh really?" Jade took a step closer to him, slightly cowering the poor kid.
"Yes really," he grew confidence.
"Sinjin, move,"
"No, Sit down," he ordered. And when they didn't do it, "NOW!" Surprisingly they obliged and sat back at their seats.
"Now, it's been two whole days with you guys not talking to each other. Actually it was probably longer than that. What's going on?"
Nobody bothered to answer. So Sinjin tried again.
"You guys are best friends, since when was the future the most of your worries?"
"Look Sinjin, it's nice that you're trying to help, but it's none of your business with what's going on between us. You didn't need to meddle," Andre argued.
"Of course it's none of my business because I can never be as cool or talented as any one of you. But at least I'm not the idiot in the room."
"What gives you the right to call us the dumb ones?"
"Look, it's wrong of Tori, Beck and Cat to keep things from their significant others, I get that. And I'm not picking sides because I get that nobody wants me on their side. But it's also not like Jade, Andre and Robbie to not be understanding; especially to the people they care about the most. Everyone is scared of the future, you have to all realize that. I just thought you guys would be less scared because you'll always have each other."
They were speechless. They never thought they'd be slapped in the face by Sinjin Van Cleef – again.
"All this fighting, this ignorance, this ego – well it sickens me. Worse than when you guys tried to fight for slap followers. I said it then and I'll say it now because I still mean it. You guys are all beautiful and part of the main crowd. I'm just the nerd who spits up chewed stuff and pastes them on my wall. I'm the one who admires girls from afar in the most stalkerish sort of way, and I'm the one who eats bird food. I'm a freak. And I'd give anything to be as cool as you guys. Getting chosen for every play, sing every song, even be Sikowitz's go to people for skits, but I'm not because that's all you guys. And you're seriously ending what could be a lifetime friendship because you're scared that you might fall apart in the future? Nothing's guaranteed, but don't let that affect you now. You guys are so lucky. You have everything, and most importantly, you have each other."
Sinjin had said all he wanted, and whether they hated on him the next day, he confidently stood up, walked to the door and turned around one last time to comment.
"You guys may be sick of each others' guts right now, but I'm really sick of seeing people who have it good take things like friendship for granted."
And with that, he disappeared into the night.
They sat in their seats for a while, taking in what Sinjin had said. But in all of their minds, they knew it wasn't as easy the first time with the Slap fight. This was a wound deeper than all of their past wounds combined, and the only thing that felt right was time. Each person needed time to think. Tori, Beck and Cat were the first to leave. They stood up almost one after the other and walked out, leaving Andre, Jade and Robbie in the large room. Jade, Andre and Robbie sat in their spots in deep thought, kind of not wanting to leave for the sake of being alone. Andre got up though, and walked over to the grand piano. He started playing a tune, one that was so familiar to Jade. Robbie decided to grab the guitar and try to match his notes. And Jade figured out the song. And just like that, she sang along; they were not necessarily consoling each other, but they were acknowledging each other's presence.
I like your smile
But even introductions need to last awhile
Sometimes I don't know if I'm right or wrong
And in the end it seems like everything is worse when you're gone
Jade felt the emotion in every note Andre played and Robbie matched. She was about ready to pour her heart out.
There is no upper hand
I'm giving you mine
It doesn't have to end up wasting your time
There's things that I could say
But hear it my way
I want to let you know that it's all okay
If only it was really ok, Robbie thought. When Cat was around, everything didn't seem so bad. Now that she wasn't, he didn't think he'd ever be just okay.
So there you are
Mistakenly mistaken for a deeper scar
A hole in your heart
And the same for me
Is everything you touch keeping you down
or setting you free
She knew he was scared. She knew this relationship was both a good and bad thing. But did she do the right thing to set Beck free so early?
There is no upper hand
I'm giving you mine
It doesn't have to end up wasting your time
There's things that I could say
But hear it my way
I want to let you know that it's all okay
Andre never thought he'd ever get into a huge argument with Tori. They've had fights, but they'd always make up. He just wanted to know that Tori would be okay, even if she were leaving him behind. Because the real world was much scarier than the Black Box theater at their school.
Shelter my eyes from the sun
And wait for the birds to fly by
Trying to reach every one
And know what you're feeling inside
Deep in my head now it's like a dream…. goodbye
Andre and Robbie stopped playing. Jade's voice cracked at the last word. Was this really it? Was she doing the right thing this time in letting him go? They've fought before, broken up before and made up before, but why was this the hardest one? Jade knew she loved Beck, but was love really enough?
Did the infamous Vega-Harris duo really split because of superstardom? He loved Tori like a sister, and he knew she was chasing her dreams, but the feeling of being left behind… that was something that not even hot Belgian cocoa could fix.
He just let go of the girl of his dreams. The girl who never saw him as an outcast, a girl who never truly laughed at him for his silly antics, a girl who was the nicest person to him. But he couldn't watch her from the sidelines for the rest of his life. It wasn't fair to either of them. Yet it wasn't fair that he was distancing himself from his best friend. He was committing the biggest lie to himself- that he didn't need her in his life to be happy.
The three of them didn't have much energy to praise one another, let alone look at each other in the face. They simply got up and walked out of the hall, one by one, going their separate ways for the evening.
A/N: Chapter Song Title - Five Fingaz To The Face - First off, they ignored each other. Then, Sinjin telling them off was pretty much a slap in the face.
Fun Fact: This was the very first chapter I wrote for this story. It was the night when The Slap Fight aired that I started writing this fic, and Sinjin's lecture inspired me to write this. He really made a name for himself and he really made a great point. Now I see why Dan said that the 'final episode' (which should have been this if Nick didn't air them out of order) was a good send off. Sinjin was right. Friendship was the important thing in this show, not necessarily romance, and he made it a point that we shouldn't care about upshowing anyone or complaining because the six of them were the greatest people in his eyes (and I'm sure we loved them too). I think it was the best dialogue that Sinjin had ever spoken. I wanted to share some of my favorite lines by some of the characters. I'll add them in the next chapter until the end.