Forbidden Sunrise

The Tenderness 2.0

A/N "The time to learn each others names has come for both teens and so much more."

Chapter 4: Hit Back

Esmeralda High School

The period Before lunch started, Beck was messing with a spare cell phone in class that he grabbed from his bedroom before leaving for school. He wanted to see if he could send text messages to his iphone, he did this so he and the new girl could keep in contact. Watching him mess around with the cell phone from a few seats away was Marcus, He looked at Beck like he just wanted to beat on him already. The class was watching a film about a feminine vampire boy and a regular human boy who had just established a friendship, there was an odd scene where both boys looked at each other like they were more than friends and were about to kiss each other. Needless to say, everyone was laughing and giggling at the scene.

Beck wasn't paying attention to the film and only cared if the messages he was sending to his Iphone was being received. When it came to the end of the day, he was a bit happy that Marcus and Tony didn't try messing with him all day. He ran into the boys bathroom to relieve some pressure off his bladder that had been collecting. He was thinking about his neighbor girl like any boy who had feelings for a girl would, her smile, her long brown hair and yes even her great looks. It was an obvious teen male curiosity to know what it would be like to hold her, even if it only meant holding hands.

Just then from outside the stall door, there were three loud bangs on his door, someone was trying to get his attention. He zipped up his jean zipper and stepped out of the stall, he knew it was to good to be true. Waiting for him outside was Marcus and Tony, There was a long silence in the bathroom when Marcus spoke up.

"What were you doing in literature class earlier? I saw you texting someone with your cell phone….let me get it" he asked of Beck.

"No" Beck responded defiantly.

"What!?" Marcus responded, he balled up his fists and stepped up to Beck's face. He slapped him hard twice and punched him in a third, Beck fell and landed his head on the bathroom door. The top of his brow had been cut when he hit the hinges of the door.

"DUDE!" yelled out Tony, "What Tony!?" responded Marcus.

"He's bleeding" Wondered Tony.

"It's alright…it's not like people die from a little cut on their head" Marcus and Tony left the bathroom and didn't bother to check on Beck.

Forest Lake Park, Courtyard 4:00 evening

Beck stopped by a small convenience store and bought some band aids to put on his cut, he walked back home and saw a sock on top of the picnic table. In it was his Iphone which had been wrapped in bubble wrap, It was definitely from the new neighbor who took good care of it. He turned it on and saw it had half power, he went to his Tetris app and discovered she had passed his own level and exceeded him in points. He smiled and wondered how someone who didn't know how to operate an iphone broke what he tried to achieve.

Sleeping in the Bathtub of her bathroom, the neighbor girl looked peaceful and sleepy. All the windows in her apartment had been taped over with cardboards and posters of old 80's and 90's concert bands. To keep herself from turning into ash she had to sleep in darkness or a dimly lit place.

8:00pm

After eating dinner and after cleaning the plates, Beck grabbed his coat and sweater to see if the new girl was downstairs. Sitting on top of the table with one leg over the other, hands on her lap was the neighbor girl. She saw Beck coming towards her, she sat down on the bench of the table to sit next to him, he came up to her with his Iphone.

"How did you do it? You beat a level which even I couldn't beat yet" he said all eager and confused, The new girl smiled and tapped on the bench signaling him to come sit next to her. Beck didn't waste time in finding his spot, she scooted over to him close enough to where their thighs touched. He wanted to giggle but knew it would sound weird if a boy did it, she smiled warmly at him anyway.

"Do I smell better now?" she asked him, he took a whiff and said nothing to her.

"uum…what's your Name?" the girl's smile faded to just plain normal. "Tori…Tori Vega. What's yours?"

"I'm Beck Oliver…look I got something for you, it's a spare cell phone. We can text each other when we can't see each other. You do know how to text right?"

"Beck…" she said his name.

"Yeah?" he looked into her eyes, "What happened to you there?" she pointed at and felt his green band aid on his brow.

"Oh! just some stupid assholes at school. By the way Tori….uuhh, how old are you?"

"I'm seventeen…More or Less, and you?" she answered him, "I'm also seventeen, what do you mean by more or less? Don't you remember your birthday?" he asked.

"It doesn't Matter now…but Beck, if these kids are making your life difficult you have to hit back." Beck didn't look so sure of that, he just couldn't find the strength to fight back.

"But there's two of them, plus their a lot stronger than me" he said, sounding so sure of the situation. "So hit back harder, hit them back as best you can and they'll stop"

"but then they'll just keep trying to test me day after day, and I don't have anyone who wants to help me."

"Then I'll help you Beck" she grabbed his hands and held it, he blushed and scooted much closer to her. "But you're a girl…" Tori smiled and smirked, "I'm a lot stronger than most girls…Beck"

Beck squeezed her hand and walked back to their home, they would give trying out texting a shot. Beck opened his door and giggled when Tori waited for him to enter his own home, they made getting into their home a game. Tori giggled and entered her house first, Beck was slower and lost. He didn't mind, he walked into his room and took off all his clothes except for his pants.

Apartment Building

In her own apartment, Tori walked into the bedroom closest to Beck's bedroom and found her Dad sitting there watching live TV on his laptop. "Move…I wanna sit there now." she told her father, her dad saw her holding onto a cell phone that he never gave her.

"Why?" he told her, she was in no mood for small talk, "Just Move!" he wasn't going to win this one. He moved out of the room with his laptop and closed the door, Tori turned her cell phone on and began texting Beck. In their chats the whole internet faces came to life,

"I Think you're cool Tori…J"

"I think you need to hit back Beck… : p"

Tori's dad eavesdropped a bit and heard Tori laughing, something she hasn't done in quite a long time.

(!) "Next chapter coming soon."