Hi every body! I want to thank every single reviewer who took the time out to tell me what they thought and have urged me to continue:0)

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Trina's apartment was cold. Tori vaguely wondered if her sister had forgotten to turn off the air conditioner as she struggled to find the light switch in the dark. Turning it on, the sudden onset of brightness caused her to squint her eyes in annoyance. The place wasn't as untidy as she was expecting. Turning into the kitchen, Tori saw the signature pack of cigarettes and half drank coffee cup on the table; true proof this was her sister's home. It always smelled like coffee and cigarettes here.

"Trina?" Tori called, not really expecting an answer. Her sister's car wasn't in its usual spot, and Trina usually never hesitated to answer the door for a guest. Even if that guest was her little sister with the spare key. It was late, and Tori figured her sister was out chasing the latest talent scout down or at another audition. She went to so many. Pulling out some leftovers from the previous night and a can of soda, Tori slammed the fridge behind her and made her way to her bedroom.

She didn't actually live with her sister, the bedroom in question being the "guest" room that Trina had never successfully turned into a guest room. Having the full scholarship that she did, Tori had her own private room in the Hollywood Arts dorms. She was only there two days a week, maybe three if Trina was grinding on her nerves especially on some weeks. All her stuff was basically here.

Tori's personality was all over the guest room with the full bed in the corner. She had walls covered with independent movie posters and artwork she had bought off street vendors in the past. Photographs from various artists were side by side with pictures of Andre, Robbie, and Cat. A picture of Trina even popped up once in a while. On her ceiling one night during their freshman year, she and Cat had painted endless stars in glow paint while under the influence of acid. The irony of how well everything came out wasn't lost on her.

Trina scoffed at Tori's room, preferring to keep her room in a complete prim and proper state. Even in the privacy of her own home, Trina was always playing some sort of role. Tori worried about her sister, whose desperation for her childhood dream of becoming famous led her into many sticky situations. Trina held her own, though, making enough money from her small roles as extras or in promotional posters to get by and live. But other times, she would not do so well. Tori would help her with her rent during those times, which was probably why Trina didn't mind her setting up her own corner of the universe across the hall.

Tori studied for a little bit, attempting to write songs for her music class and then reading up on classic tragedy plays, trying to draw inspiration from anything she could find. She had nothing. Exasperated, she made her way to the kitchen and grabbed one of Trina's cigarettes from her pack. Lighting it, Tori inhaled and quickly made her way to the balcony. She had always hated smoking inside the house.

She stared at the Los Angeles city lights, watching as her smoke curled in the air in front of her and followed the canyon winds. Rider hated smoking; they hadn't even been together that long before he had made her quit. And she had, even after they had broken up. She missed it sometimes, but had ignored the itch to light one up until today. She wasn't one to get stressed. Today had been one of her rare exceptions.

She took another pull, closing her eyes and thinking back over her day. She, Andre, Cat, and Robbie had been at Andre's house, attempting to start their projects. Andre lived with his grandmother in a beautiful house out in the Santa Ana valley, but she was on a cruise for the next two weeks with her friends from her Bingo club. Tori was glad; Andre's grandmother was sweet, but Tori swore the woman was a schizophrenic. They had all sat in a circle on the soft carpet, bouncing ideas off of each other while eating marshmallows and Smarties, Cat's latest obsessions. Tori felt like her head had split open two hours and no good ideas later. At some point, Cat had slapped the sweets out of Robbie's hand, stating that she didn't want the sugar to hype him up and trigger his anxiety. Robbie had protested, and the small argument had turned into a full-blown tickle fight and chase, both heading upstairs and never coming back down.

"No fucking in my grandma's room or my room!" Andre called up the stairs. "And I swear to God if you guys don't close the door this time, I'm going to break Rex and your new bowl, Cat!" Somewhere from the depths of the second floor, Andre heard Cat's squeal of protest. Andre and Tori laughed, heading onto the terrace of the old house. Andre grabbed his guitar on the way out. The sun was starting to set and Tori stretched, the sun's evening rays pleasant on her stomach as her shirt rode up. She caught Andre staring out of the corner of her eye.

"You're staring," she teased, and Andre reached out and smacked the back of her head.

"Hush," he said, smiling. Tori giggled and sat on the ledge, legs dangling.

"Have you heard from your wonderful project partner?" Tori asked him, watching as he took a seat on one of the lawn chairs and began to strum hesitantly on his guitar.

"Surprisingly, yes," Andre said, the music going from hesitant strums to song chords. "She sent me an e-mail at five in the morning."

"Really?" Tori asked, eyebrow raised. "How'd that go?"

"Well, she wasn't exactly too happy about the idea of writing a romance. She wasn't too happy about the fact that she couldn't pick her partner, and wasn't happy that this project required her coming to school every once in a while. So, overall, I'd say it went pretty well."

"Liar."

"Just a little bit," Andre said. "She left me her phone number, and then she somehow texted me, telling me that she'd be coming to school at some point next week when she had a day off."

"How'd she text you without you giving her your phone number?" Tori asked, jumping down onto her feet and swaying to Andre's guitar beat.

"How the hell should I know?" Andre asked, changing the song to a more dancy beat. "She's a witch, that's why."

"She only plays one on TV," Tori said, rolling her eyes. "She probably just asked someone at school that she still talks to. You need to stop sleeping around, Andre."

"Hey!" Andre protested, breaking his stride a bit to point a finger at her. "That is not what I do. I-"

"'Enjoy the company of beautiful women,'" Tori cut him off, finishing his age old statement. "Yes, yes, I know. I'm just saying, that shit might get you in trouble."
"I'd be loyal to the right one," Andre said, going back to the song he was playing. Tori didn't fight him on that one.

"So, anyway," Andre said, "what about you? You heard from Beck?"

"I actually haven't," Tori said, sitting in the chair beside her friend. "Sikowitz said I have a couple more days before I should be upset, but guess what? I'm already upset."

"The project was only assigned a couple days ago, Tori," Andre said, placing his guitar at his side. "Don't get so worked up. Why don't you send him an email through school?"

"Sikowitz said Beck doesn't check his school email since he's been getting more popular. Everyone and their mother sends him emails through it, so Sikowitz uses a private account that he's not allowed to give out."

"Want me to call him?" Andre said, taking out his phone. "It's been a while, but I'm pretty sure this is still his number."

"No," Tori said, feeling embarrassed. "I don't want to call someone I've never spoken to before. What if he doesn't even know about the project?"

"I'm sure he knows, Tori. Don't worry about him. Why don't you try and just brainstorm a little more so you know what to talk about when you do get to talk to him? Draw from personal experiences instead of books."

"Ugh," Tori said, placing her face in her hands. "The only tragedy happening around me is getting an absentee partner and that my sister won't stop sleeping with anyone she feels is going to help her become a celebrity." Andre winced, patting Tori on the shoulder.

"Ouch with the honesty," he said. "Well… you don't have to think about around you. What about inside you? Your relationships, or recent lack thereof?" Tori visibly stiffened.

"I told you I would talk about it when I was ready."

"I know you did," Andre said, clearly getting frustrated. "I understand that, but it's been months now. I don't even know what happened between you two. All I know is you show up at my house one night looking like you've been fighting and you were crying."

"I told you nothing happened," Tori said, looking straight at him. She hadn't been lying when she told him that. Rider had not hit her, and hadn't forced her into anything.

"Yes, yes, virginity still in tact, I know," Andre said, earning himself a smack.

"Shhhh!" Tori said, turning red. "Can't you keep your voice down?"

"Whatever Tori," Andre said, standing up to go inside. She reached out, grabbing the back of his shirt. She didn't want her best friend to be mad at her. After a minute, Andre exhaled a loud sigh and turned to face her. His eyes showed no anger.

"I'm sor-"

"Don't," Andre said, a warm smile crossing his features. "But don't shut me out, Tor. Robbie or Cat either. We love you. And not the way Rider did. We actually mean it."

"I know," Tori said, blowing a strand of hair out of her face. "I know." They stood there for a minute, only being interrupted by Cat, who showed up between them, wrapped only in a sheet. Andre slapped a hand to his face.

"Really, Cat?" he asked. "Please tell me you at least have underwear on."

"I can't find them, Robbie threw them somewhere," she pouted, earning a laugh from her two best friends. "But I found that bag of weed he lost the other day in his hoodie! It's really strong stuff, the guy who sold it to him said it came from overseas. Who's in?!"

Andre bounded off after Cat back into the house, claiming of course he was in but it required both her and Robbie being fully clothed. Tori stuck her hands into her pockets and followed close behind, thankful the little red head had put a halt to that awkward conversation.

Tori took a final pull of the cigarette in her hand, flicking the filter off the balcony and hoping it didn't hit a random passerby. She steadied herself against the railing; not smoking for a while had left her light headed. A chill from the nearby beach caused the hair to rise on her arms, making her retreat back inside.

She sighed. She, Andre, Cat and Robbie had all smoked, laughing and were once again bouncing ideas off of each other. She was jealous of Robbie and Cat's creativity, which the weed had definitely bolstered. Their theme was comedy, so they were having no problem pulling good ideas out of the air and writing them down in Robbie's notebook. Andre had put on a movie, and they had all curled up on the couch to watch it. She didn't remember falling asleep, but when she had awoken hours later, all her friends were still sleeping soundlessly. Tori didn't want to bother them, but instead threw the blankets from the couch over all of them. Burnt out and wanting to sleep in her own bed, Tori made the drive home to the empty apartment.

Settling in her bed, laptop on her lap, she leaned against her pillows and once again began to research old plays and movies about tragedies. Eventually, she fell asleep.

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Andre stirred, kicking something heavy off of him in the process. It took him a moment to register that it was the blanket from the couch. He looked up, the glow from the TV bright. Tori was nowhere to be found. It was dark outside, and the glowing numbers on his watch showed it was well after nine. When had he fallen asleep?

Sitting up, Andre accidentally felt his elbow hit another limb. Looking over, he realized it was Cat's ankle. The rest of her was curled up into Robbie, a serene smile on both their faces. The scene was very peaceful, only to be interrupted by his doorbell. Andre winced; he never realized it was so loud.

Getting up, he stretched and headed towards the door. He honestly couldn't think about who would be visiting him this time of night. Fearing it was his grandma, Andre stopped his advance toward the door. Then he shook his head. He was being stupid. Even if his grandma wasn't a good thousand miles away, she did have a key. Andre opened the door, and his breath caught in his throat. Even his grandma would have been less of a surprise than who was standing on his welcome mat.

"Beck Oliver, as I live and breathe."

Beck held his hand up in a slight wave. He looked exactly the same as the last time Andre had seen him, hair in his lazy eyes and the nonchalant smile on his face.

"Hey Andre," he said, stuffing his hands into his pockets. Even the close friendship the two shared wasn't enough to hide the fact that they hadn't spoken in a long time.

"Gonna invite me in?" Beck asked, and Andre stepped aside, allowing Beck to pass him. Walking into the living room, Beck was grateful he had been looking down. If he hadn't, he may have stepped on Robbie's face. Turning to face Andre, Beck gave him a questioning look.

"Good weed," Andre said, kneeling down to tuck the blanket tighter around the couple.

"Ah," Beck said. "Sounds good. Got any left?"

"Not this shit, but I have some upstairs. It's not as good, though."

"That's fine," Beck said, slightly in disbelief that he and Andre had so easily fallen back into the easy conversation that made up a lot of their friendship. He followed Andre up the stairs to his room. Stepping into it, Beck felt like he had stepped back in time. The same giant poster of Jimi Hendrix, the same turtle tank that hadn't housed a turtle since they were in the third grade. It now held old video games. He had pictures tucked into the different corners of the room, mismatched socks still on the floor. Andre's bed was still in the same corner, and there was the small futon couch across from it. Beck spent a lot of time here, with that same TV between them, playing the latest game system on the market.

Andre dug in his drawer, pulling out his bowl and a small bag of weed. Beck took a seat on the futon, feeling the familiar creak beneath him. While Andre filled the bowl, Beck attempted to continue the conversation.

"Was that Robbie Shapiro and Cat Valentine?" he asked, remembering the bright red hair of Cat and the puppet of Robbie from their freshman year of college.

"Yeah," Andre said, picking out stems and seeds. "They're dating now."

"Really?" Beck asked, surprise in his voice. "Wow."

"Tell me about it," Andre said, laughing as he searched his pockets for a lighter. "I never thought it would happen. He's been chasing her since high school." He lit the bowl and took a hit, coughing as he passed the bowl to Beck, which he accepted gratefully.

"Well…that's great."

"Yeah, it is."

Taking his own hit, Beck breathed in deep. He felt the smoke burn his throat as it went down, the taste potent on his tongue. He closed his eyes and imagined the smoke swirling in his blood, filling up his whole body. As he exhaled, a long moment passed. Suddenly, Andre smacked his hands together.

"Okay. I'm just gonna ask the obvious question, dude. What are you doing here?"

Being direct wasn't exactly Andre's style, but Beck honestly couldn't blame him. Years of friendship entitled him to ask whatever he wanted honestly. So Beck wanted to answer honestly.

"I don't know." Andre considered this, not showing that he was offended, but rather taking another hit and continuing his questioning.

"Dude," Andre said, a puff of smoke blowing into Beck's face as he did. "Don't think I'm mad. I'm not. I'm very happy for you. You've wanted to be an actor since we were ten. And it's pretty cool to be able to say one of your best friends is famous."

Beck smiled, in spite of the heavy undertones of the conversation. He took another pull of the bowl, coughing a little less. It had been too long since he smoked.

"I'm not mad," Andre said again. "But I have to admit, I'm a little surprised to see you, considering you haven't answered any of my calls in the past few months. Did you get a new phone number?"

"No, just a new phone," Beck said, guilt rising up with the smoke he was exhaling. "I've just been bus-"

"I understand you've been busy, Beck," Andre said, taking the bowl from him. "What I don't understand is why you haven't returned any of my texts or calls."

There was a silence in the air, and Beck realized he was right. With the rising fame, Beck told himself to always be conscious of fans. And yet, his best friend didn't deserve the same respect? Beck remembered some of the times when he had seen Andre's texts light up his screen. He'd been fucked up every time. A specific night, one filled with neon shots and rainbow pills came to mind. He remembered seeing the name and reaching out, but the phone seemed so far away. The next thing he remembered was waking up, the phone cracked next to him. He had managed to save the number, but had never returned the call.

"…I'm an asshole," Beck said, feeling the head rush of being high. He felt like his voice had dropped four octaves. "I wish I had something better to say man, but I can't. All I can say is I'm sorry."

Neither said anything, and the only sound between them was Andre tapping the bowl in his hand. The dull thudding sound made Beck jump in his skin every time he heard it. Each thud was like a ticking on the clock as he waited for Andre to say something.

Suddenly, Andre started laughing. Beck's head shot up, wondering if he really was hearing laughter.

"Fuck…Am I that high?"

Andre laughed harder, and, despite himself, Beck started laughing too. It was the kind of laugh that made him feel like his ribs were breaking. Finally, after what seemed like forever, Andre finally cleared his throat to speak.

"You know, for a guy who's a damn good actor, you suck at apologies." Andre said, making a face as he reached his hand out towards Beck to shake. "Apology accepted, dude. We all fuck up sometimes, right?"

"You have no idea," Beck said, reaching out his own hand and grabbing his best friend's. It was a simple happiness. Beck didn't delve into thought, but he knew that simple happiness was something he had been lacking lately.

"So, you never answered my question," Andre said, taking a seat and beginning to pack the bowl for a second time. Beck raised his eyebrow.

"What question?"

"What are you doing here?"

Beck sat as well, grateful for the couch underneath him, even though it wasn't soft in the slightest.

"Well, for starters, I heard about the project. And your partner." Andre grimaced.

"How is Jade, anyway?" he asked, lighting up the bowl once again and inhaling.

"She's good," Beck said, head swimming as he thought about his girlfriend. "She's good."

"Still happy?"

"Still happy."

"Huh," Andre said. "Hate me for saying I'm surprised?"

"Not surprised you're surprised," Beck said, taking a hit of the bowl. "She's not the easiest person to get along with. I wish you luck working with her. Not even I've done that."

"Thanks, buddy," Andre said, sarcastic drawl accompanying a cough. "I'd wish you the same luck, but you're a lucky bastard."

"Am I?"

"Yeah. You have Tori."

"I saw that," Beck said, swallowing another mouthful of smoke. "Who is she?"

As he exhaled, coughing as he went, Andre pointed to a photo on the wall.

"One on the right."

Through a smoky haze, Beck approached the photo. It was a picture of Cat and another girl, both wearing matching leopard print dresses. Where as Cat was small, warm, and vibrant, the girl next to her was tall, thin, and a beauty on the cooler side of the color palate. The first thing he noticed about her were her cheek bones; they were very prominent and smooth, like a sculpture. She looked familiar. Where had he seen her before?

"She's pretty," Beck said. "I feel like I've seen her before."

"I don't doubt that," Andre said, coming up beside him. "Our school is so small."

"What's her major?"

"Vocals."

"Can she sing?"

Andre shot him an incredulous look.

"You have no idea."

Beck smirked, holding his hands up in a surrender position.

"Just a question man. I don't even know her, remember?"

"Well, you're about to," Andre said. "You guys have that project to do together. And she's freaking out that you guys haven't talked about it."

"It's only been a couple of days," Beck said. Andre smiled.

"I told her that. But that's Tori for you."

"I gotta get out of here, man," Beck said, starting for the door. "I have work tomorrow. But just give her my number and tell her to call me."

"I'll walk you out," Andre said, following him down the stairs. "I can't tell her to call you, though."

"What? Why?"

"Tori doesn't like talking to strangers on the phone," Andre said, chuckling slightly. Beck raised an eyebrow.

"Okay… well, I guess I'll be in school on Monday."

"That will work. Be safe, man. You sure you're okay to drive?"

"Yeah," Beck said, loving the cool breeze on his face. "The cold air will do me good. I'll see you on Monday."

"See ya. Oh, and Beck?"

"Yeah?" his friend asked, looking over his shoulder.

"Pretty doesn't do her justice."

Beck said nothing, but silently he agreed with his friend.

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Please read and review! Let me know what you think! And once again much appreciation to everyone who's been kind enough to review. It feels good to be writing again.:0)