/One week later/ - flashback cont.
Tori's POV
"Are we seriously going to do this?" I posed the question to the amused Cat and Jade.
We've been having lunch as a trio ever since what happened between Andre and I, and with the boys its the same. It's like an invisible barrier forces us to avoid each other when possible. As much as I'd like to say that running from confrontation is a bit soothing, I really can admit that I do miss him. I know, it's only been a week right?
But to me, a week without someone u spend most of your time with is a lot. A lot.
And now, here I am being an accomplice in a plan designed for me.
"Yes, we are. Let Andre see what it's like to be put on the back burner for once. He's used to girls wanting his attention, but not having yours? ...that's an extreme." Jade concludes with a knowing smirk.
"I don't really want to make him feel jealous, I'm not the biggest fan of revenge. I'm actually quite fine with the avoiding thing we've got going on." I try to explain attempting to sound believable.
"Well think of it as doing us a favor, personally I'd love to see his reaction." says Jade without remorse. "You really have nothing to lose here, and it's not that serious." she continued.
"Fine, fine. Let's do it." I agree, knowing Jade wouldn't let it down.
"I'll call Tony!" Cat excitedly interrupts.
Tony was a guy that Jade and Cat met at Nozu a few weeks back. He was interested in Jade, but after finding out about Beck he settled for being friends with them. Yes, just friends.
"Heyyy Tony the liger" said Cat into the phone.
Both Tori and Jade rolled their eyes and corrected her saying " Its tiger. "
About 15 minutes later, a sky blue convertible pulled into the Asphalt Cafe area.
It was almost cinematic how Tony came out of the car with shades on. Dressed in a blue collared polo shirt, and long khaki pants, he came out of the car and headed to the table where the girls were sitting.
"Hey hey hey" he said with a smile. He had brunette hair with a faded cut .
"Heyy Tony" the girls greeted him with a hug. "This is our friend Tori. Tori, Tony...Tony, Tori" said Cat with a grin.
"Hola" he said to Tori, giving her a hug also.
"Hi" she responded with a smile returning the hug.
"I'm assuming that you have a boyfriend too right ? You're too beautiful not to." Tony said to Tori with a grin.
She blushed and said "thanks, and it's complicated."
"I get it , don't even worry about it I totally understand" he expressed."So I have 40 minutes to spare until I gotta get back to work, wanna go for a ride? Frozen yogurt on me" he offered the girls.
Over at the boys' table, their eyes were locked on the girls.
"Why is it that when one of us mess up, all of us suffer? It's so unfair. I don't have a problem with separate punishment you know." Robbie complained. "I hardly ever do anything out of the way. Cat and I were doing great before a certain somebody chose not to keep jimmy in his pants."
Beck responded chuckling "Firstly, we're not being punished Rob. We're simply supporting Andre while they support Tori, and that...feels like punishment, but.."
"And secondly, I told u I didn't cheat on her so the next time u even imply that I did i will bring your insides outside. Cherish that spaghetti while you're eating it." Andre interrupted.
"Ok ok, graphic much?" Robbie whined. " I know you didn't, but why are we sitting at separate tables as if you did."
"Because she thinks that I did, and I can't blame her for it." Andre admits.
"Who is that?" Beck questioned, while beckoning to the direction Tony was in.
" He's pretty much a hot guy with a nice car." said Robbie. Beck and Andre looked at him incredulously. "What? He is." he said shamefully.
"No Robbie, he's pretty much a golf boy who's talking to the girls." Beck concluded while sipping on his iced tea.
"Act normal, act normal ...Jade's coming" Robbie alerted the boys.
"Umm Cat and I are going for frozen yogurt with Tori and her friend Tony. Save our seats in Theatre class." Jade said to Beck before giving him a peck. She left right after, but caught a satisfactory glance at Andre.
Though Andre heard everything Jade said, his eyes were glued to the vehicle that had Tori in it. He was staring, trying to understand the severity of what happened between them. They were best friends before right? Why is it so hard for her to trust him, and now ...why is he finding it so hard to trust her?
"Dré!" Beck called for the sixth time.
"Yeah, yeah...what's up?" Andre snapped out of his daze.
"Do you think Tori's trying to make you jealous?" He asked.
"Of course she is, do you see that guy?" Robbie intervened.
The boys looked at Robbie with a glare.
"You do understand that Cat's in that car too right?" asks Beck.
"I mean...well...yeah, sorta. Pfft...Andre has nothing to worry about, and neither do we..right?" Robbie questions a bit flustered.
"Right. But is the jealousy plot working? Are you even just a tad bit envious Andre?"
Beck probed his friend.
After watching the car speed out of the gate Andre responded "Nope, she can do whatever she wants." Following which he downed his drink, tossed it in the bin and walked off from the table.
"He's jealous." Beck tells Robbie, who nods his head in agreement. "Of course he is." he concludes.
About an hour later, The boys are in class.
It was about 20 minutes after 1 o'clock, which was the time the class started.
One by one Jade, Cat and then Tori trickled into the theatre, apologizing for their lateness. The class had an aisle between its two halves of seating arrangements.
Beck and Robbie were in the second to last row on the right half, later to be joined by Cat and Jade.
After they took their seats, Tori quickly realized that she was left with the option of taking the last available seat in the very front of the class, or the seat beside Andre in the middle row on the left half of the class.
Not wanting to make a bigger disruption, she took a deep breath in and plopped down beside him.
Andre looked at her once and then resumed looking at the teacher.
About 20 minutes later, still with his eyes locked on the teacher he said to her "hope you had fun."
Tori, noting his sarcasm, took a deep breath in and out before responding, " I did actually."
"You did? You seem to do a lot of things, like if I recall correctly, you DID say that everything that happened between us is behind us, yet you've been avoiding me" he said in hushed tones still not making eye contact with her.
"I don't exactly recall you ever coming to me either, so your point holds no weight." she answered pretending to pay attention to the lecture, yet still she was getting irritated.
"Oh, my bad for not approaching the girl that ended things between us" he sarcastically said.
"You should really hear yourself right now. Yes Andre, it is your bad. You're the one that hurt me, therefore if you cared as much as you're proving you do then you should've came to me. This is childish." She rolled her eyes before getting up and walking out of the class.
With everyone now staring at him, he hopped up and went after her.
"What's more childish than trying to make me jealous?" He said across the hallway. His words stopped her in her tracks.
"Clearly we have different ways of showing that we care. What do you want from me Andre? Seriously, what do you want !? You wanted a friend, I gave that to you. You wanted a best friend, I gave that to you. You wanted a girlfriend, I gave that to you...and you broke it. What do you want from me now? she said, her voice was shaking.
He slowly walked towards her in hopes of meeting her gaze. His heart felt heavy listening to her. Neither of them ever liked arguing with the other. They couldn't handle it.
When about 6 inches away from her he found the courage to answer.
"I want you to understand what happened. I want my eyes to stay meeting your gaze like it is right now. I want your voice to sing to me and about me whenever I make you happy. I want to see your smile everyday for as many times as I can. I want to give you a hug right now because I know you're hurting. I want oh so badly for my lips to be yours, and yours mine. I want you Tori. If I have to prove it to you I will, but before I can do that...you have to hear my side of what happened. The entire story. The truth."
Tori remained silent, her eyes were filled with tears. But she refused to let them fall.
Seconds later, she felt warmth and comfort within herself. Yet the warmth and comfort was from his embrace.
" I don't need permission to love you " he said to her, his arms now strapped around her.
She laughed at his words, still resting in his embrace. The tears fell with her laughter. Those are the same words he used to say to her when they were best friends. Whenever she teased him saying that when she finds a boyfriend she'll have to kick him to the curve to avoid jealousy, that was his response. He'd always tell her that he doesn't need anyone's permission to love her, because he always will.
It always made her smile.
And now this time, it made her laugh.
"I know you don't. If you want me to listen to you... I will." she said to him, after which he released her from the hug.
"That's all I need." He responded to her with a light smile.
They eventually went back to being best friends, and months later, they went back to being each other's everything
...though they never stopped.
-/
That's how it happened before. :). Sorry for having you guys wait so long for the update. Hope you enjoyed the read.
Let me know what you think. Xx
Next chapter, we're back to the present.