Candre, Romance, Songfic to "Gotta Tell You" by Samantha Mumba
Dedicated to Candreforever
Your love for me came as a waterfall
Flowing inside me like never before
Your love for me, something I didn't see
But baby, I know better now.
Andre hated all of Cat's relationships in high school. He only thought of her as a friend at the time, but that didn't stop him from getting upset every time she had a bad breakup.
Cat was probably the sweetest, most pure being he had ever known. Her smile was catchy and her laugh was high-pitched (almost matching that of a piccolo) with a nice melody to it. It made him rethink even the worst of his bad moods. If she could be in good spirits all the time, why couldn't he?
So one can imagine what it's like when Cat is depressed and trudging down the Hollywood Arts hallways in dark, opaque colors with that "I'm sad; please ask me why!" button pinned on her backpack. When she wasn't happy, almost no one was happy.
It's like she had that halo effect on people- she rubbed off of everyone. Andre couldn't help but feel bad for her on those melancholy days, when she would sit at the lunch table with her eyes cast down towards the table, slowly chewing on the lettuce in her salad with puffy, red eyes and a frown on her face. And yet he was the only one that seemed to notice when no one else did.
Today just happened to be one of those days. Tori was arguing with Robbie and Rex about how the concept of a "spork" was just weird, and Beck and Jade- surprise, surprise, were back together and arguing about something he knew was not his business.
Having nothing better to do but watch the actions of those around him, he glanced over at Cat, who was picking at her salad. She was wearing a black t-shirt with white writing on it and jeans- a sure sign that something was bothering her. He thought about inviting her over to sit next to him, but considering how crowded their table was already and how comfortable everyone seemed in their seats, he decided against it. All he could do was sit and observe her, wondering what douche bag broke her heart this time.
Then, without warning, she jumped out of her seat, flipping her salad into the air in the process. She hastily grabbed her backpack and her friends watched, frozen with surprise, as she fled from the Asphalt Café.
"I'll go get her," Andre said quickly. He got up and started to follow her path.
He wove through the many hallways of Hollywood Arts, following the scent of her strong, fruity perfume, and eventually found her sitting below her locker with her face buried in her hands.
"Andre, go awaaaay," she moaned without looking up. "I don't want to talk to anyone right now."
"How did you know I was the one that followed you?" he asked her. He stood in front of her with his hands shoved inside his pockets, not knowing what to do next.
"You breathe really fast and you're very heavy on your feet when you run. Plus, you called out my name. I knew you were worried about me by the inflections in your voice as you yelled and how your voice got higher the farther you followed me."
Andre stared at her in shock. "How…" he stammered. "How did you know all of that?"
Cat looked up and patted a space on the floor next to her with her hand, signaling for him to sit next to her. He hesitantly lowered himself down next to her, as if she could flip out at him any second. "I'm really good at observing people around me. People just don't realize it because I take a long time to understand stuff. I store these observations in my head and use them as needed as time goes on."
Ah, that explains why she is the way she is, he thought. She concentrates on remembering things for the future instead of focusing on what's going around her now. "Have you ever thought of telling anyone about this?"
"No, because no one would understand." She pouted but then gave Andre a warm smile. "Except for you."
Andre smiled back, glad that he was able to get her out of her funk. "So now that you're feeling better, Lil' Red, why don't you tell me what has got you all freaked out lately?"
She sighed. "No one asked me to Prome this year. I was really hoping someone would ask me too because everyone else has a date!" She pouted. "Beck and Jade are going together, Tori's going with her boyfriend Carson, Robbie is still really sick so he can't go, and you're going with Hazel."
He shifted awkwardly in his spot. Man, lockers really weren't the most comfortable things to lean against. "Um, Cat… Hazel and I broke up a week ago."
She gasped. "Really? Oh gosh, I'm sorry, Andre! I never knew…" She laughed and shook her head in amusement. "I just thought that she had caught the flu from Robbie."
"You didn't see my changed relationship status on TheSlap?" he asked her. "It says single now."
Cat twirled a strand of her red velvet hair between her fingers. "I guess I didn't…"
"Well, if you don't mind me asking…" He stood up and offered his hand to Cat. She took it gratefully and he hoisted her up as if she weighed next to nothing. "Since we both don't have dates, would you like to go to Prome with me?"
Her eyes widened to the size of golfballs. "Oh my gosh! Yes, yes! Of course I would!" she squealed as she barreled into his chest for a hug. "Thanks so much, Andre!" She gave him a quick peck on his cheek in his excitement. "I have to go tell everyone now!"
He chuckled to himself and watched her prance down the hallway towards the Asphalt Café. He could only think of one thing to describe what had just happened between the two of them.
That girl is something else.
When you walked in the room that very night
A special feeling just burst inside
There was only you, nobody else
But baby, I know better now.
Cat sat on her staircase in the salmon pink prom dress that she was going to wear to Prome. It was long and strapless with gold beads scattered across the chest and a silky skirt that fell just above her ankles. It took her hours to find just the right dress for this special occasion. She loved it, of course- she just hoped it would impress one person in particular.
Soon enough, the doorbell echoed throughout the house. She was so nervous that when she heard the ring, she shrieked and jumped off the stairs. She hurriedly put her gold high heels on her feet and hobbled to the front door. She took a deep breath before turning the doorknob, revealing a very handsome-looking boy in a tuxedo and a pink tie.
"Hey Lil' Red! Whoa…" He scanned her up and down. "You look amazing tonight."
She blushed. "Thanks! I bought it from Michael's Bridal Shop."
"Seriously? My stepsister works there!"'
"No way!" she exclaimed and started walking towards the living room, where her parents were waiting with their cameras at hand. "Was she there when I bought the dress?"
"I don't know. When did you buy it?"
"Yesterday."
"Dang, girl, that's late!"
He put a hand on her shoulder and they spent an hour talking, eating chips and salsa, and taking pictures. It was so nice that Cat wondered why they didn't do this more often. Sure, they've hung out together a few times in the past- but not as often now because of all the relationship drama going on between Beck and Jade and Tori and Carson.
It was a nice change from the ordinary routine. She felt at ease with him. He understood her mood swings and thought process, and she understood why he couldn't hold his feelings inside of him. Plus… he was kind of cute. And muscular. And not taken.
She could feel herself slowly falling for him. She never knew why she hadn't noticed Andre before. Probably because all of his past relationships had crumbled to the floor without her even knowing. And now that he was available, she didn't know what to do. Did he like her back? He did ask her to Prome, after all…
Or maybe he just felt sorry for her. She really hoped that wasn't the case.
As they exited the house, Andre slung an arm around Cat's shoulder and a fuzzy feeling entered her chest. She knew what she had to do- she needed to know if he returned her feelings for him.
And she knew just how to do it.
Don't wanna love you if you don't love me
Don't wanna need you when you won't need me too
Don't wanna tell you this now
But it wouldn't be right if I
Didn't tell you this tonight
"Hey Andre?"
"Yeah?"
Cat sighed and rubbed her temples. "Can we go somewhere quiet? The music's really loud and I have a really bad headache."
"Sure thing, Lil' Red." He helped Cat up and he led her out of the Asphalt Café, leaving their untouched cups of fruit punch on the table.
Hand in hand, they walked to the Blackbox Theater. In her mind, Cat chortled to herself; she couldn't believe how sneaky she was being. It was so unlike her to lie about something as stupid as a headache! But it needed to be done.
Andre pulled a chair onto the stage and gestured for Cat to sit down. She blushed and accepted the offer gratefully. He then pulled up another chair and sat next to her. "You feeling okay, Cat? You usually like parties and dancing and chizz like that."
"No…I'm fine." Cat's fingers started tapping against her leg and her heart started to beat faster as she became more and more nervous about what she was about to tell him.
Andre leaned back and crossed his arms. "You're not fooling me, girl. I know something's up. What's going on?"
"Um…" She took a quick look around the room and scooted her chair closer to his. "There's something I need to tell you."
Andre looked at her worriedly. "Did your brother eat his pants again?"
"Nope! He's on a denim-free diet now," she giggled. She suddenly became serious again. "And no, it's not about my brother."
She fiddled with the skirt of her dress. "There's this guy and I really like him, but I don't know if he likes me back."
"Oh, c'mon, Cat. What guy wouldn't like you?"
Cat rolled her eyes. "You'd be surprised. Anyway, I just… I don't know what to do."
He put a hand on her knee, trying to comfort her. "I'm sure whatever you decide to do will work out fine. No one will be able to say no to a girl as pretty as you."
Cat's eyes sparkled with tears. "Thanks, Andre. That means a lot. And now I know exactly what to do."
She grabbed him roughly by the shoulders and kissed him. When she pulled away, all Andre could do was stare at her in shock. "Cat… what just happened?"
She jumped out of her seat and her mouth moved wordlessly. "I…I…"
She saw the emotions on his face clear as day: surprised, confused… but not happy. And Cat wanted him to be happy. If he didn't like her back… then so be it. She didn't want to bring him down like that.
"Liar!" she shouted. "God, you're so clueless sometimes, Andre!" And with that, she sprinted out of the room and into the bathroom.
And now you're back inside my house again
I'm trying deeply to explain
'Cause baby, I wanna get it on
And baby, you're the one for me
"Cat, someone's here to see you!"
Cat slowly opened her eyes and sat up on her living room couch. She had gotten a ride home from Tori and cried into her pillow all night when she came home. When she woke up, she had taken a shower immediately due to all the hairspray still mangled in her hair. Her eyes and cheeks were swollen and red, so she had to put on a lot of makeup to cover up her disappointment. She figured she must have fallen asleep watching TV afterwards.
"Give me a second, Mom!" She dashed to the bathroom and briefly brushed her hair and put on lipstick. She had only been sleeping for an hour, but her hair still looked like she had just crawled out of bed just moments ago.
She put on a fake happy face and opened the front door. Upon revealing who was behind it, she shrieked and crouched down behind it so he couldn't see her.
"Cat! It's me, Andre!"
"I know it's you!" she said. She tried to keep the tears from streaming down her face. "Now go away!"
"I'm not going anywhere unless you let me in and tell me why the heck you ran away last night."
She came out from behind the door and reluctantly let him in. Andre eventually got her to calm down by offering to help her make red velvet cupcakes. They spent an hour making the batter, baking the cupcakes in the oven, and frosting them while avoiding the subject as much as they could.
Once Cat had put red sprinkles on the last cupcake, Andre cornered her. "Cat, we need to talk now."
"I think I'm in love with you!" she blurted out without thinking and covered her mouth.
Andre's eyes widened. "Well, I guess that explains the kiss…"
"Of course it does, dummy!"
Whoa, Andre thought. This is so unlike Cat to act like this. She's really not in a good mood. "Cat… I really like you too."
A glimmer of hope appeared in her brown eyes. "Really?"
"I do. It's just that after my breakup with Hazel, I'm not ready to put myself out there yet and date," Andre explained to her gently. "I really loved her and she broke my heart."
He took her hand and traced circles into her palm with his thumb, sending shivers up her back. "I don't want to ruin what we have by dating, okay? I care about you a lot."
Cat heard the words he said; she just didn't want to believe them. All that ran through her head was I can't believe I got friend zoned. No way. This isn't happening right now.
"Okay…" she said in a small, pitiful voice. "I understand."
He hugged her and lifted her up, making her squeal with glee. "Thanks, Cat. I really appreciate it."
Eventually, Andre had to go home and give his grandma her pills. Before he left, Cat kissed him on the cheek. "I'll wait for you," she whispered sweetly.
Andre blushed and grinned before he was out the door. Cat sighed and went back to her couch. She hoped that she wouldn't have to wait too long for him.
Little did she know that it would be a long time before she'd get the chance to see him again.
And now that I have got you all alone
After all this talking on the phone
I should be strong, there's nothing wrong
I'll tell you this is where you belong, where you belong
There was just something in your eyes
That made me realize
Now I hear voices deep inside
Telling me, telling me it's you and I
Cat found out over Christmas break that Andre was moving to North Carolina with his grandmother so he could be reunited with his parents again. Weirdly enough, she didn't find out from Andre himself. She found out from Tori.
"Why didn't he tell me?" she had gasped while she and Tori ate ice cream and chilled out on the Vega's sofa.
Tori gave her a sympathetic look. "I don't know. I don't think he wanted you to be sad because you tend to overreact sometimes."
"What's that supposed to mean?!"
"He'll be back soon, Cat. Once he goes to college, he said he'd come visit you as soon as he gets the chance."
He moved within a week after Tori told her the news. As soon as Robbie texted her and told her that he was off the plane and in North Carolina, she called him and they talked it over. Andre apologized profusely for not telling her; he was afraid that by telling her, she would think he was running away from her. Cat told him that that was absurd and they argued for a little bit, but Cat eventually forgave him.
High school came and went in a flash, and the gang slowly separated. Jade and Beck got picked to be the lead roles on a movie, and Tori was put on a record label. Robbie got a couple of gigs up in Washington doing ventriloquist acts with Rex, and Cat… well, she didn't know what she was going to do yet.
She took a year off of school and one day got a call asking her to audition for a Broadway play. To her delight, her audition made the cut and she got in.
She spent two more years performing in various Broadway musicals before she decided to go solo and pursue a career in music- and she knew the right person to call to help her out.
She and Andre had kept in touch over the years, but they hadn't seen each other in person since he had moved. She called him up and he agreed to help her out. He had gone to college in Florida (his reason? "Anywhere close to North Carolina is too cold. I just need to get out of that place.") and ended up graduating a year early because he got a job at a major record label called Demolition Records.
On a cold day in February, Cat was tending to her apartment. It was tiny; definitely much smaller than what she was used to. Her parents owned a big house. She even had had her own bathroom and TV! Now, her kitchen was practically the same size as her small room. She also had a living room, a basement, her bedroom, and that was it.
Even though it wasn't home, she did her best to make it seem like her house in Los Angeles. She painted her bedroom walls pink and plastered her posters of Justin Bieber, Taylor Lautner, and One Direction all over them. She put strawberry-scented candles all around the house and always made sure everything looked neat and pretty. Lastly, she made a scrapbook of all of the good times she had had with her Hollywood Arts friends- and, unknowingly to everyone but herself, she had drawn hearts around Andre's face.
She put down the vacuum and wiped her brow. She was exhausted. Even though it was the middle of winter down in New York and it was extremely cold, she had put the heat on really high in her house and had neglected to turn it down.
She brushed the rest of the dust bunnies off of her jeans and sat down on the living room couch to rest. Even though she was still the same old naïve Cat, she had matured a lot since high school. She learned that she couldn't keep living in her fantasy world of rainbows and kittens and had to take responsibility for her actions. She had grown an inch or two taller and dyed the tips of her red hair a bright purple for a change.
Her phone rang in her jeans pocket, and she jumped from her tired daze. She looked at the caller ID. That's strange… she thought to herself. There's no name. It just says "Restricted."
"Hello?" she answered hesitantly.
"Hey Lil' Red, won't you let me in your house?" a husky voice said on the other side.
Recognizing his voice, she screamed in excitement and dropped the phone onto the pink carpet. "ANDRE!"
She ran over and flung open the door. There he stood, with a suitcase and a briefcase slung over his shoulder. "I thought you were coming on Saturday!" she squealed and ran into his welcoming arms.
"Yeah, well I was too anxious to see you, so I came as soon as I could." He set his bags down by the door and Cat noticed that he hadn't changed too much. Sure, he had grown a bit of a beard and a couple of inches taller (he was now almost a full foot taller than she was), but he still looked and sounded like the Andre she knew and loved.
"Do you want something to drink?" Cat called to him as she headed over to the kitchen. "Coffee? Tea? Water?"
"Actually, I'm in the mood for a cupcake," he chuckled.
"Funny you said that because I just made some yesterday." She grabbed her cupcake container off the kitchen counter and showed him the cupcakes. "They're strawberry-flavored with whipped cream inside! Yum!"
"Do you still make your red velvet ones?"
"Of course I do, silly! I just wanted to try something new for a change." She smiled at him and opened the container. She took a cupcake and took a dainty bite out of it. "Oh my gosh, it's so good! Andre, try it!" she exclaimed and, on purpose, shoved the cupcake into his mouth.
She giggled as he wiped the frosting off of his lips and savored the frosting. "It's good… but I'm going to get you for that." Soon, cupcakes were flying all over the place and both of them were covered in cake and frosting in a matter of minutes.
"Eeeeep!" she squealed as he grabbed her around the waist and tickled her stomach. "Andre, stop! Stop it!" She flailed around helplessly until he stopped.
"I've missed this," he whispered in her ear.
"What have you missed?"
"Us. Seeing you. Hearing your melodious voice every day at school."
She turned around and his hands wrapped around her waist. She saw a twinkle in his eyes that wasn't present there three years ago. "I've missed you too." She stroked his cheek. "By the way…" She grinned at him mischievously. "I kept my promise."
Andre was taken aback. "What promise?"
She stood up on her tiptoes to peck him on the lips. "I waited for you."
Don't wanna love you if you don't love me
Don't wanna need you when you won't need me too
Don't wanna tell you this now
But it wouldn't be right if I
Didn't tell you this tonight
Whoa… who would've thought a hardcore Cabbie shipper would be writing a Candre story? Man, that took ages to write! I know Cat's a little bit OOC in the beginning, but that's the only way I could get the whole setup to work :P. Again, I'm sorry if this one isn't that good. I just think of Cat and Andre as friends, so it was hard to write them romantically. I didn't exactly follow the song, but I incorporated some of the ideas into it. I will get to the other requests eventually!
By the way, anyone else watching the new episode tonight? ASD;KLGSK;GKHF CABBIE KISS! I can't flipping wait any longer to see it!
SPOILER ALERT (DON'T READ THIS IF YOU WANNA BE SURPRISED): Cat runs away from Robbie after he kisses her. NOOOO! I just hope the episode doesn't end like that :( But still… THEY KISSED! YES! Watching it with my friend tonight. So excited to see it!
Please review, request, review, request, any of those things! I know a lot of people on here require a certain amount of reviews before they update next, but I'm not like that. But I do like them very very very very much! :)