Disclaimer: Do not own.

A/N: I don't know what's up with my focus lately, but I can't concentrate on anything for very long. Barely sleep. Barely eat. Insane writers block. I couldn't even write this chapter until today. Oh well. Enjoy.

Chapter 16

"So what happened?"

"Something's going on with Andre."

Cat sets my lamp on the bedside table. "Well, we all know that, Jade. I meant, what did Beck say about it? You said he called." She reached for something in the box she was unpacking. "Uh, where do you want me to put this?" I shrug and she sets it on the bookshelf. "You have some weird…things…"

I smirk. "You're just now figuring this out? I thought we were best friends." I roll my eyes. "Anyway, Beck called this morning and said that Andre showed up at his house, something about he might have been in a fight. He was going to track Andre down and take him to the hospital, even though Andre doesn't want to go." I set the empty box on the floor near the door. "I don't know, it's not like Andre to get into a fight. He isn't a fighter at all."

"You don't think…" I know she thinks the same thing I do, but before she gets a chance to say it, her brother pokes his head into the room.

"Mom and Dad are headed out. They said they'll be back later tonight and if we get hungry to order a pizza." He glances at me and smiles. My eyes wander to the beginning of a black eye, but I don't say anything. "Hey, Jade, glad you're moving in with us." I smile and nod and he turns to his sister. "I'm leaving for a couple of hours. Will you two be alright?"

Cat rolls her eyes. "Yeah, we'll be fine without a babysitter." He looks at me one more time before turning to leave and I notice his hand for the first time. His knuckles are bruised and cracked open but healing. He couldn't hurt a fly, so I wonder how that happened. Once he's gone, Cat looks at me. "He came home this morning looking like that. I tried to ask him how it happened, but he just shook his head and told me not to mention it, that he was robbed."

I frown. "Cat, you don't think…you don't think he got into a fight with Andre, do you? I mean, it can't be a coincidence that both of them are hurt, right?" I hope Cat's brother didn't fight Andre, but I wouldn't doubt it at this point. My cell phone rings and I roll my eyes, answering. "We were just talking about you…sort of. Did you find Andre?"

"Yeah, he didn't get too far. I found him sitting in a bar. Don't…even ask because I'm not sure why he was there. We're at the hospital now. Do you want to talk to him yourself and find out what's been going on with him? Maybe Tori can talk to him or something…"

"She isn't with me, but Cat and I can pick her up on the way. I have a theory I want to run by you as well…"

BREAK

I sit in the waiting room, Beck on one side, Cat on the other, and stare at random people waiting. Some of them give me dirty looks, but come on, what do you look at in a waiting room full of people? You can't tell me that you haven't once stared at someone else, whether it was to figure out why they were there or just because they were interesting to look at. Cat and I told Beck our theory about Cat's brother once we got here, after Tori had gone in the back to visit Andre. We figure if anyone can get anything out of him, it would be his own best friend.

Beck glances toward the door to the ER every few minutes, waiting for Tori to come out so he can go in, and honestly, I expected that minute a half an hour ago. "Maybe he's actually talking to her," I tell him, even though I don't believe it. He's probably asleep and she can't bring herself to leave him without talking to him first. She's always been like that, too nice to leave someone, even if they treated her like shit just for dating someone they didn't like.

"Do you really think that he was in a fight with your brother?" Beck asks Cat and she shrugs. She's not too sure either, but she can't deny that that's what it looked like. Before he can ask anything else, there's shouting from within the emergency room and he looks at me. We're both wondering the same thing; Andre might be awake. Tori emerges from behind the doors and comes to us, pulling me to my feet.

"Come on, let's go. We're not wanted here." She turns to Beck. "Go talk to him or something. We're going to get out of here." I slip my fingers between hers as she all but drags me out of the hospital and try to stop her. "Jade, I don't want to be here, not when he's being like this. Can we just go?"

"Okay, first, Cat drove us here so unless you want to walk, we're not going anywhere far." I wrap one arm around her waist to keep her from running and cup her cheek with my free hand so she'll look at me. "What did Andre say to you, Tori?" She shakes her head and averts her eyes. "Tori…please, you can tell me." I don't get my answer, but I don't push it. I lean in for a kiss, but she turns her head. My head falls on her shoulder instead and I sigh, letting go of her. "I'm sorry. I'll just…I'll get Cat so we can go."

I don't have to go far. Cat's exiting the waiting room, stopping only for the water fountain. She stares at me for a minute before she finally speaks. "What's wrong with Tori? You're all sad now." I shrug and head outside, Cat close behind. Tori's already across the parking lot at Cat's car, waiting for us.

"I don't know what's wrong, Cat. We came out here and she won't tell me what Andre said to her. She wouldn't even let me kiss her. I don't know if it's something I did or something I didn't do, but it kind of hurts that she's like this." Cat nods and we're silent before we reach Tori. I watch her while Cat unlocks the car, but she doesn't even glance in my direction. I take the backseat, forcing Tori to take shotgun, since she refuses to sit near me.

Cat jumps into some random monologue that I'm just not in the mood for and Tori and I both ignore her. I stare out the window, waiting to be back at Cat's house. Vega speaks up. "Drop me off at my house." It's almost a whisper, but it catches my attention. Why would she want to go home? Cat notices and nods, shooting me a look in the rearview mirror.

"Why don't you come and hang out with us?" I ask her, but she just shakes her head and sinks in the seat. "Tori…seriously, what's wrong?"

"Stop asking me!" This she shouts and it makes me recoil. This isn't the Tori I know and…love. This is someone else entirely. "It's none of your business, so just leave me alone about it."

Cat and I stare at her in shock. "I think it is my business if you won't talk to me. I'm sort of your girlfriend, Tori. If something's bothering you, I want to know. And if it's me, I definitely want to know. I care about you…"

She turns in her seat and glares at me. "I'm tired of you bothering me about this, Jade. Just let it go or go away." Cat pulled into the Vega driveway and Tori got out of the car, slamming the door behind her. The rest of the drive to Cat's house is in silence and I don't even talk to her as I go to my room and close the door. I want to be alone, away from everyone, including Cat.

What did I do to make Tori act like this?