Chapter Three:
Hollywood Arts High School
The first week was coming to a close as Freddie stepped into the school on Friday. He walked towards his locker and opened the lock as he placed some of his books inside. The school had a rare moment of silence right now that he found to be quite soothing. Not to be to be taken the wrong way as he loved the vibrant atmosphere unlike the unbelievably dull Ridgeway, but he did miss those days back in Seattle when he was able to get to his locker early in the morning before the chatter of students along with the clicks and squeaks of shoes and heels replaced the calm in the air. The boy let out a small smile as he soaked in the quiet as he gently closed his locker and closed his eyes for a moment.
"You're looking awfully relaxed." He heard a voice say. The boy opened up his eyes to see Tori smiling amused.
He smiled back as he noted, "It just feels good to have a moment of calm after the past few weeks. I feel like I am slowly starting to get settled in here."
"That's good Freddie. I'm happy for you." The girl stated, genuinely. The boy cracked a small grin in return before the sound of a notification drew Tori's attention to her device. Her eyebrows furrowed as she read the text.
"What's wrong?" He asked, concern laced to his voice. The brunette simply shook her head as she placed her phone back in her topic.
"It's just Trina she just... Never mind I don't think you would want to know. Girl things." Freddie nodded in understanding, slightly happy that he didn't have hear about it. With Carly and Sam they would have "girl only" conversations right in front him, some that would leave him quite confused and a bit disturbed, but more so from Sam's side of the conversation. His face fell a little as he remembered Spencer had sent him a text a couple days ago saying that Carly was looking for him and the boy knew that would be nothing but trouble. They hadn't found him yet, but Freddie knew the reunion was inevitable.
"Can't she just leave me alone." He mumbled, loud enough for Tori to hear.
"Who?" The boy looked to Tori who wore a confused look.
He sighed as he noted, "Carly. She is trying to find me and probably try to manipulate me to come back and be her love sick puppy again."
The songstress raised her eyebrow not used to hearing the web hostess being talked about in that manner, "So why don't you just tell her to leave you alone?"
The boy chuckled darkly, "Oh believe me I tried. Someone would think a person ignoring their calls and texts would be a good sign they don't want to be bothered, but not Carly. She and Sam just have to get their way no matter who they have to hurt to do so."
"So what are you going to do if they wind up here?"
The boy exhaled as he dropped his shoulders, "I don't really know." It was true. Freddie hadn't given the prospect much thought. What was there to say anyway? The fact that he wanted no part of either of them and that he never wanted to return to the hell hole that was Seattle for him. It's not like they would listen or even care about how he felt. It would just be the same as usual with Carly saying, "Please for me" and Sam beating him if he didn't do what was told of him.
Tori sensed the boy was deep in conflicted thought and placed a hand on his arm and gave him a reassuring smile, "Don't worry. If they show up I got your back."
"Thanks Tori." The boy whispered, feeling comforted by her touch.
"Any time." She replied as she reluctantly moved her hand and dropped it back to her side. She glanced at the boy's plain locker before asking, "So do you know how you are going to decorate your locker?" Freddie glanced at his locker and scratched the back of his neck. It was a tradition at the school to decorate your locker to represent you.
"Uh.. Well I was thinking that maybe I could put the words 'Make it Shine' and have it light up and call it a day." He replied playfully as he grabbed his notebook and shut his locker.
"Ha ha." Tori noted sarcastically as the bell rang, "But seriously, you need to find something that represents who you are."
The former iCarly member nodded, "Well until then, can I walk you to class?" Freddie asked, offering his arm. The brunette smiled and nodded as she took his arm as the pair made their way to class. They met André and Beck along the way who teased them about the innocent contact between the pair.
"So when is the honeymoon?" Beck teased as they took their seats. Tori rolled her eyes as the group laughed. She saw Freddie's cheeks turn slightly red as the rest of the students began taking their seats as well. The brunette boy looked around the room and couldn't help but notice that Jade was nowhere to be found.
"Hey Beck." Freddie called, drawing the long haired boy's attention, "Where is Jade?"
Beck shrugged his shoulders as he stated, "Beats me." The former tech producer raised a brow as he noticed his lack of concern for his girlfriend's whereabouts.
"Maybe she just slept in." André suggested.
"Or she had to attend a Goth convention." Rex joked, earning him and Robbie a glare from the former tech producer. Robbie sank a little in his seat and avoided Freddie's look. The brunette boy was about to say something before the sound of a loud bang came from the entrance of the classroom.
"I AM GOING TO KILL HIM!" Jade shouted as she slammed the door on her way in. The group turned to see the pale girl with a large coffee stain on her shirt.
"What happened?" Freddie asked getting out of his seat.
"RYDER!" She snapped.
"Wait you mean the one Tori embarrassed?" André questioned, noticing the confused look of Freddie.
Tori noticed it too as she explained, "Ryder was a guy I dated very briefly until I found out he was using me to help him get a better grade."
"So Tori embarrassed him in front of everyone when they performed." André finished.
"Okay!" Jade exclaimed, bringing the group's attention back on her, "Now that we took a trip down Tori lane can we get back to the part about me killing him?"
"Jade, just relax." Her boyfriend exclaimed earning him a glare from her.
"He bumped into me and spilled my coffee all over me! Instead of apologizing he told me to watch where I was going!" She shouted, "So I am not going to relax!" Beck retook his seat unsure of how to counter Jade's argument.
"Where is he?" Freddie asked, wearing a look of anger on his face. Jade was a bit taken a back as she realized that Freddie looked more angry than her.
"He has a spare right now so my guess is the Asphalt Café." Tori provided, not wanting to get in the way of whatever Freddie had planned. The look in his eyes surprised her as she was more used to seeing calm in them rather than fire.
"Tell Sikowitz that I will be back." He called back to no one in particular as he stormed out in search of the individual that messed with his sister. The rest of the group watched him leave in surprise as Jade's curiosity about the boy reached a whole new level. She didn't expect anyone to actually do anything about her problem let alone Freddie who she still didn't really know that well.
"Uh oh." Cat exclaimed. "This is not going to be good." André added as Tori nodded in agreement.
Hollywood Arts High School - Asphalt Café
Freddie's eyes scanned the outdoor café as he looked for Ryder. He growled as he saw the teenager that fit the description who was currently talking to a pair of girls. The boy shook his head in disgust as he saw the girls carelessly flirting with him as if they didn't know the kind of guy he was.
"Hey!" Freddie called out, drawing the attention of the boy and the girls, "Are you Ryder?"
The teen raised a brow as he looked at the former iCarly member making his way towards him, "Yes I am. What can I do for the iCarly tech producer or former tech producer I should say?"
"You spilled coffee all over Jade!"
"She should have watched where she was going!" He said nonchalantly as he joked to the girls, "Goth girl needed a makeover anyway."
Freddie fumed as he clenched his fist and roared, "Listen, you are going to go and apologize to Jade or else-"
"Or else what?" Ryder interrupted, "Listen dork, why don't you just run off before I beat you to a pulp. I mean no one cares about that slut-"
He wasn't able to continue as he felt a hard blow to the side of his face. Freddie tackled the boy as he continued to pound on the boy who shielded himself from the punches being rained on him.
"Freddie!" A voice shouted, trying to pull him off. The brunette boy saw Lane trying to pull him off Ryder who had blood coming from his mouth. He gave Ryder one last definitive blow before he got up as Lane restrained him in fear that he would go back to making the other teen into a bloody pulp.
"Never talk about Jade like that again otherwise I will end you!" Freddie hissed as Ryder spit out some blood, "And Jade better receive an apology! The same goes for Tori as well!"
"Let's go Freddie." Lane whispered cautiously as he escorted Freddie away while nearby students watched in shock at the scene they witnessed unfolding. The boy fixed his jacket as he stormed off with Lane following closely.
Hollywood Arts High School - Math Class
Tori sat in class nervously as she awaited the arrival of Freddie. He left before first period to confront Ryder and never returned and she couldn't help but worry about how much trouble he was in. Hollywood Arts was fairly strict on fighting. Her mind flashed to the time that she was accused of purposely hitting Jade during their stage fighting demonstration. She feared the possibility of a suspension then so she wondered what would happen to Freddie. The bell rang dismissing the students for lunch as the brunette quickly grabbed her things and made her way out of class.
"Hey!" She heard a voice call out. Tori turned to see André making his way towards her.
"Did you see Freddie?" She asked hopefully.
"No." André noted much to her disappointment, "But you have to see this." Tori's eyes lit up as she saw the video playing on his phone.
"Oh my god." She exclaimed, watching Freddie tackle Ryder and punch him repeatedly. The girl noticed the rage in his eyes as he fought Lane's attempt to restrain him. The video ended with Lane escorting Freddie away while Ryder laid on the floor spitting out blood as the boy threatened to end him and to apologize to Jade and her.
"It's a good thing Freddie doesn't know about Beck giving Jade a time out when we were making your song that day." André pointed out, remembering Beck ordering the girl to take a seat on the stairs and be quiet.
Tori nodded in agreement as she "We need to tell the others, but I feel they might have seen this already."
The songsmith nodded as the pair walked in search of the rest of the group. They saw Jade sitting on a bench staring at her phone as they assumed she was watching what they had just seen.
"Hey." She whispered, noticing the pair making their way towards them.
"You saw the video?" Tori asked, taking a seat beside her. The pale girl nodded.
"This is my fault." Jade stated out loud, realizing that Freddie would be in trouble for defending her.
"No one expected Freddie to go and beat him to a pulp." André assured. The pale brunette simply blew out a breath. This was not the way she wanted the first week of school to end. She just hoped that Freddie would be let off a little easier after the situation was explained. It felt a bit surreal to see someone stand up for her like that. Beck was too laid back to ever consider fighting someone and her friends wouldn't bother taking any of her problems that seriously. Meanwhile Freddie who she barely knew was willing to fight and stand up for her without caring about the consequences. Jade figured it was just his natural instinct to stand up for his friends, but there just seemed more to it than that.
Hollywood Arts High School - Lane's Office
"This isn't good Freddie." Lane admitted, pacing around his office unlike the brunette boy who sat on the couch and simply looked at the blood on his fist. The guidance counselor looked back at the boy, "You need to apologize."
"Are you kidding?" Freddie hissed, giving the man a cold stare, "He called Jade a slut and wasn't going to stop there. You expect me to apologize to that asshole?"
"This is serious. I understand that you are defending your friend, but beating Ryder to a pulp doesn't really look good. That is grounds for suspension." Lane pointed out hoping the boy would understand the seriousness of the situation he was in.
"Then suspend me. I am going to stand up for the people I care for no matter what and if that warrants being suspended then so be it. Is that all or is there more?" Freddie asked as he stood up putting his bag on.
"You need to talk to someone about this anger you have bottled up Freddie." Lane whispered shaking his head, "It is only going to become worse as time goes on. I will try talking to Principal Eikner, but I need you to promise me you won't do something like this again."
"I appreciate what you're trying to do, but we both know that I am not going to stand by if something like this happens again." The boy left without another word as the guidance counselor sighed and dropped into his chair. Freddie had severe issues that he was burying and Lane knew that it would only take a greater toll on the boy. He wished he would open up to someone even if it wasn't him.
Hollywood Arts High School - Parking Lot
Freddie growled as he walked outside. The adrenaline was wearing off and he could feel his right hand that he used to punch Ryder begin to throb. He made his way to his rental as he opened the rear door and tossed his bag inside.
"Freddie." He heard a voice call out as he shut the door. The boy turned to see a concerned Tori walking hurriedly towards him.
"Hey Tori-" The boy managed to say before Tori hugged him tightly. He was a bit taken aback by the contact as he patted her back. The brunette broke the hug and analyzed her friend's face. The girl was relieved to see no bruises or cuts of any kind.
"Are you okay?" She asked, genuinely.
"He got the worst of it." Freddie joked trying to lighten the mood. He winced a little as he felt a his hand sting as he tried to move it, "I'm fine." He assured, noting the look he was getting from the girl.
"Are you sure?" The younger Vega questioned, not really believing the boy.
Freddie nodded, "Sam's punches hurt a lot more than this." The boy chuckled darkly before asking, "How is Jade?"
Tori's face fell as she answered, "She feels guilty. She thinks that what happened is her fault."
"But it isn't."
"That's what we tried telling her, but she wouldn't listen."
"I'll talk to her." Freddie said as he blew out a breath, "Well listen I've got to go. I have a shift today at the Pear Store and I want to go back to my hotel room and clean up."
"Ok." Tori mumbled, a little disappointed as the boy made his way towards the driver side door.
"Oh and Freddie." She called out, drawing his attention. She surprised him as she gave him a soft peck on the cheek, "Thank you... For standing up for me against Ryder also."
Freddie cracked a small smile as he gave a nod and took a seat in his car. He gave the girl one last glance before pulling out of the parking lot and driving away. Tori watched the car fade away as she sighed. The girl turned around and was about to text her dad asking where he was when she saw a bruised Ryder walking towards his car. The teen saw her and stopped for a second. He stared at the girl before slowly making his way towards the brunette.
"Hi." He greeted. The songstress didn't respond as he continued, "Look... I just wanted to say sorry. I used you... and... you didn't deserve that."
"No girl did." She retorted, recounting that he did the same to multiple girls before her, "And if you were really sorry you would have apologized long before Freddie pounded you into the ground." Ryder grimaced a little as he rub his bruised cheek in memory of the punches from Freddie.
"Fair enough. Maybe I can make it up to you one day." He suggested, hoping she would agree.
"How about now?"
Ryder raised a brow, "I don't follow."
"Tell Principal Eikner that the fight was your fault." She explained as the boy scoffed.
"You've got to be kidding me." He muttered to no one in particular. The look the girl gave showed she was serious about her proposition, "Do you really think I am going to do that? Besides he threw the first punch."
The brunette smirked as a plan began to formulate in her head, "Did I ever tell you that my dad was a detective?" Ryder's eyes slightly popped open at the revelation as the girl continued, "He may not know you now, but what happens when he finds out that you manipulated his youngest daughter? What will he find if he decides to look into you?"
"He can't do that."
"Sure he can, he just needs a reason to and I know several girls you used that would be more than willing to tell him all the manipulative things you've done to them as well."
The boy gulped as he choked out, "Okay, I'll tell Eikner it was my fault tomorrow... Just promise me he won't look into me."
"Deal." She exclaimed, "But not tomorrow. Do it now." Ryder looked at the girl as he muttered something under his breath and brushed by her as he made his way back inside the school. Tori smiled triumphantly as she saw her father pull into the parking lot.
"Hey dad." She greeted, jumping into the car.
"Hey sweetie, how was school?"
Tori let out a small smile, "It was a bit rough, but it ended off much better."
Pear Store
The boy let out a breath as the store finally closed. It had been a long day and he wanted nothing more than to go back to his hotel room and crash. He waved to his manager as he walked out of the store and towards the parking lot. He was caught off guard at seeing a figure leaning against the hood of his car.
"Jade?" Freddie called out, wondering what the girl was doing here so late. The girl pushed herself off the hood of the car as she looked at the teen.
"Hey." She greeted softly, crossing her arms instinctively.
"What are you doing here?" He asked curiously. The boy leaned against the hood his rental as the girl followed suit.
"I... just wanted to thank you... for what you did."
Freddie shrugged his shoulders, "I did what Beck would have done anyway."
She snorted out a laugh and shook her head, "Beck getting into a fight defending me. Yeah that would never happen." The boy frowned a little as she continued, "No one's really stood up for me before. They all think that I am just some mean girl and I have it coming."
"I can relate." He casually replied, "Back in Seattle people used to walk all over me. I had no one to stand up for me or admit what they were doing to me was wrong. They all thought of it as fun and games. That a dork like me couldn't feel angry or hurt because it was my fault for letting them stomp on me in the first place. The more I think about though... the more I feel that... maybe it was my fault."
The pale girl arched her pierced brow, "How?"
"I did let it happen." He turned to look at the girl, "I didn't try to stand up for myself. Let them know I wasn't going to just be a punching bag. Instead I packed up my things and ran."
"You didn't run." She assured, "You decided you wanted something better from life. You can't blame yourself for that." He nodded as the pair leaned on the hood of the car in silence as they gazed at the clear night sky. The moon shone bright upon the empty parking lot as Freddie thought about what Jade said.
"There... was something else I wanted to ask you." Jade started, cautiously. The boy glanced at her and noticed the nervous expression that she wore, "It's just... why do you take so much interest in me? I mean I am not exactly the nicest person in the world and we don't really know each other that well. With Tori I would understand. I mean she is the nice and pretty girl at school that everyone seems to like whereas I'm just the mean bitch."
"No you're not." The boy dismissed, "I may not know you for as long as everyone else, but I can tell you one thing. You may be rough on the exterior, but deep down I know you care a lot about your friends." Jade opened her mouth to argue the point, but shut it when she realized he was telling the truth, "But you are right though."
The girl glanced at the boy curiously, "I have taken more interest in you than others." He confirmed.
"Why?"
Freddie blew out a breath. Now was as good as any time in the future to finally tell her, "This might sound weird and might come as a shock, but I need you to understand that this was a surprise to me as well." Jade furrowed her eyebrows as she waited for the boy to continue, "From what I have told people, you all believe that I left Seattle because of the way I was treated. That may have been true, but there was more to it than that."
He looked at the girl who remained focused on the boy, "You see my mother was a hiding a pretty big secret from me. My mother was pregnant when my father decided to abandon us. She always said he left without telling her where he went whenever I tried to pry information out of her. It wasn't until I overheard a conversation my mom was having on the phone with a woman a few weeks ago about my father that I started forcing the issue. It got to a point where I threatened to never speak to her again if she didn't tell me who the lady was and why she knew my father. You see after my father left Seattle, he went to L.A. Over there he met another woman and they got married and she got pregnant. He never told her however about my mom who was still pregnant carrying me and she was shocked at learning about us."
The boy took a breath as he finished, "She didn't want to be married to a man that would abandon his family and potentially do the same to her and her unborn child as well so she divorced him. She gave birth a couple of months after I was born to a girl. Which just so happens to be you."
Jade's eyes went wide as she tried processing what she had just heard. She never knew much about her father other than her mother telling her that they both agreed to a divorce because they weren't able to get along. Now she knew though, there was much more to it than that. She looked at the boy in realization of why he was so interested in her, "So that means you're like my-"
"Brother." Freddie finished, "Well half-brother to be exact, but yeah."
"Whoa."
"Yup, I didn't believe it at first myself."
"So does anyone else know?" She asked.
"Well aside from our father and both of our mothers, no. I didn't really want to announce it to the world." He explained, feeling a weight lifting off his shoulders, "So yeah. That is the whole story I guess and now you know the full reason why I am here."
"I guess I do." She replied, still taken aback that he would go to such lengths to try and get to know her. Truth be told, had it been the other way around she might have done the same, "So does that mean we should call each other brother and sister from now on or half-brother and half-sister?"
"How about we take it slow?" He suggested, not wanting to complicate things more, "This is still pretty new for both of us and I still want us to get to know each other more. I do hope we can get to that point one day though." Jade let out a small smile and nodded in agreement as they went back to looking at the night sky. The idea of having an older sibling was one that never crossed the mind of the girl. She found herself pondering how different her childhood might have been if she had known this fact.
"At least we have a chance now." The girl thought as she let out a yawn causing the boy to chuckle.
"Come on. Let me give you a ride back home." He offered. His younger half-sister smiled thankful as she stood up and took a seat in his car. The rest of the ride was quiet as Jade simply looked out the window reflecting at how much her life had changed within the span of a day. She couldn't help but feel a little betrayed however that her mother never told her the truth.
"Don't be mad at her." Freddie told the girl, keeping his eye on the road. Jade looked surprised as he read exactly what was on her mind, "The truth was hard for her as well and she didn't want you to carry it around your entire life. I mean who would have thought I would be here in L.A. I didn't that's for sure."
"I just wish she told me though." She insisted.
"I get it." The boy agreed, "I kind of wished my mom told me earlier too, but it must be tough on both of them. Your mom made a tough decision to leave our father, but she did it because she loves you and never wanted to see you get hurt. You can't really blame her for wanting to keep you protected."
"I guess not." The girl replied, thinking over what the boy said. They arrived at her house a few minutes later in comfortable silence. Jade thanked the boy and got out of the car as she made her way towards the front door. She waved as the boy backed out of the driveway and drove off into the night. The girl opened the door and saw her mother sitting on the couch looking at some papers she figured were from work.
"Jade?" She asked, taking off her reading glasses and looking at her daughter, "Are you okay?"
"I know... about Freddie." The girl simply replied. The mother nodded her head in understanding as she got up from her seat and gave the girl a hug.
"I'm sorry I never told you." The older West apologized.
"It's okay mom." Jade whispered as she rested her head on her mother's chest, "I know you only meant the best for me." The girl yawned as she broke away from her mother, "I'm going to go to bed."
"Okay sweetie goodnight."
"Night." She replied, "And mom."
"Yes?"
"I love you." The older West smiled as she looked at her daughter that she loved more than life itself.
"I love you too sweetheart."
Benson Hotel Room
"Hello?"
"Hey mom it's me."
"Freddie? How are you? Is everything alright?" She asked worriedly.
"Everything is fine... Great actually." He exclaimed, "I just wanted to call you and let you know that Jade knows about me now. I know you thought it was a bad idea, but-"
"It's alright Freddie. It took me some time to digest this, but you are old enough to make decisions for yourself now. You're not that little Freddie that used to run around the house in his diaper. If this was what you wanted then I can only do one thing and that is support my son." Freddie smiled at his mother's words.
"Thanks mom."
"Just promise not to forget about me while living your life in L.A."
"Never." He replied, "I'm going to go to bed now, but I promise to call you soon ok?"
The older Benson smiled feeling a tear slip down her face, "Sure. Goodnight Freddie. I love you."
"Love you too mom." He whispered as he placed the phone on the night table and sighed. It was tough to not have his mother in the room next to him like in Seattle, but he knew it was for the best. This was his second chance to live a happy life and he wasn't going to risk losing it no matter what.
Shay Residence
The youngest Shay rubbed her eyes and let out a soft yawn as she walked down the stairs. She walked into the kitchen and poured herself a glass of water. The sound of a knock on the door surprised her considering how late it was. She walked slowly towards the door as she looked through the peep hole. The web hostess groaned as she opened the door to reveal her ham loving best friend who was dressed in pajamas.
"Sam?" She whispered loudly, "What are you doing here? Do you know what time it is?"
"You've got to see this." She replied walking past the brunette into the apartment. Carly rolled her eyes and closed the door as she walked towards the blonde who began using the computer.
"If this is another one of those weird animal videos you can show me it tomorrow. I'm going to bed." The web hostess stated, as she began climbing the stairs.
"No wait." Sam shouted, before whispering, "Just look." The girl rolled her eyes as she walked back down and towards her friend. The blonde played the video and Carly's eyes went wide instantly as she recognized the face.
"Oh my god." Carly exclaimed, "Freddie!" She saw the boy tackle a teen to the floor and punch him repeatedly.
"Who knew the nub could pack a punch?"Sam pointed out, surprised herself at Freddie mopping the floor with the other kid.
"Where is this?" Carly asked, unfamiliar with the place.
"Uh.. Some high school called Hollywood Arts.. In Los Angeles." Sam read out, wondering how on Earth he got into a school that seemed out of the boy's league.
"Los Angeles? How did he end up there?"
The blonde looked at her friend and shrugged lacking concern, "Does it matter? We found him. The question is what are we going to do?"
Carly looked at the video as she saw Freddie walking away from the boy sprawled out on the ground.
"We're going to bring him back home."
AN: And that is the end of the chapter I hope you enjoyed it and thank you for reading. If you have any feedback or comments please feel free to leave a review and I will get back to you in the following chapter.
Xemtlenc: Thank you for your review. Beck letting insults directed at Jade fly by will not be tolerated by Freddie. Especially after this chapter, Freddie is going to make sure that no one messes with his half-sister and he'll go to whatever lengths to make sure of it. Expect Freddie and Beck to have a conversation later on in the future about that issue though.
epuresoul: Thank you for your review. I know it is difficult to wait for a new chapter, trust me I can relate being a reader myself. I will try my best to post somewhat consistently, but obviously it is dependent on my schedule.
Once again thank you all for reading and stay tuned!