"Favorite food?" Beck asked, watching as Tori smirked through a mouthful of vodka that she quickly chased with soda.
"I'll eat anything if it tastes good," she said, a drunken slur in her words as she looked out the window. The sun was setting, and she smiled as the pink glow of the sun danced off her face and hair, as if she was basking in it. Beck kept watching her through intoxicated eyes, wondering whether or not this made her more attractive to him all of a sudden. They had sat down a couple hours earlier, eaten cookies, drank, and hashed ideas out about their project. They had done very well, which surprised them both, and had narrowed their script down to three ideas. But then Beck had brought up an interesting point.
"It might help to collaborate with you if I know you a little better." Tori had tilted her head to the side, not quite sure what he meant. But then he started asking her questions. What was her favorite movie? What kind of music did she listen to? What kind of books did she like to read? These were little questions that she had thrown back at him in turn, pleasant conversation blooming from their innocent inquiries. This was hours ago, and it seemed like they were nowhere close to being finished. That didn't bother either of them, though.
"You'll eat anything?" Beck asked, a mischievous grin playing on his lips as she smacked his arm playfully.
"Well, maybe not anything." He laughed as she relayed his own question back to him.
"What about you?"
"I'm pretty much the same way," Beck said, taking a cookie and stuffing it into his mouth. "I always make my own food, so I've gotten pretty good with experimenting over the years."
"You cook?" she asked, surprised.
"I don't claim to be a gourmet chef, but yeah, I can cook. I lived in the trailer, so I didn't want to end up going back into the house every time I wanted to eat. So, I kinda just started buying my own groceries. Making my own stuff. You can only eat so many sandwiches."
"Trailer?" Tori asked, confused and yet, still impressed with the boy sitting a foot away from her on the couch. He reached up and ran his fingers through his hair, his torso stretching and revealing a peak of the black boxers he wore beneath his jeans. His shirt still lay on her counter, slightly damp and not quite ready for wearing. Tori knew she should go check on it, but her drunken legs were determined to stay rooted. Beck brought his hand back down to his lap, smiling at her question.
"Yeah, I lived in my own trailer."
"I thought you had an apartment?"
"I do," Beck said, adjusting his position on the couch and inadvertently, scooting closer. "I've only had it for the past couple months, though. When I was in high school, my parents had a trailer in the drive-way, and I lived there."
"By choice?" Tori asked, adjusting her position as she hugged her knees closer to her chest.
"I like to have my own space, I guess," Beck said, shrugging. "It was kind of like, 'my own place, my own rules' mentality. And it wasn't like I wasn't home. My parents were literally 50 feet away." Tori noticed that he smiled with a sort of nostalgia as he described his old place.
"Why'd you move?" she asked, and Beck shot her a surprised look. Tori continued. "I just mean, from what you're telling me, you seemed happier there." One thing Tori had learned about Beck over the past month was that even though he enjoyed the money he was making, the fame and dollar amount accumulating in his pocket really weren't changing him. He really did enjoy simple things, and that made a different feeling bloom inside of her. It wasn't the smoldering fire between her legs that she was having a harder and harder time killing off every time he was near. No, this feeling was different. It was a warmth in her chest, one that had spread to her stomach, as if she had drank something hot. It was something she didn't understand; she'd never felt it before.
"Well," Beck said, taking the vodka bottle from her hand and taking a mouthful before continuing. "Jade thought it was time for me to, I believe her words were, 'grow up.' I don't know, I guess celebrities shouldn't be living in trailers?"
"Hm," Tori said, cocking her head to the side in contemplation. "I thought you said you weren't a celebrity."
"I'm not," he said, flashing a cocky grin at her. Tori leaned forward a bit, vodka and Sprite on her breath.
"Well, if you're not a celebrity, then I think you can live wherever you want." He looked at her as she said this, noticing the sincerity behind her mocking tone. He didn't even think about it when he took her hand, running his thumb over the soft skin.
"I still go there sometimes. To get away. That place holds a lot of memories for me, good and bad. But I figure that doesn't matter. You gotta learn from your experiences. And memories are still experiences, you know?"
Tori did know, and she looked around her tiny dorm room, thinking of her own scattered memories that had taken place around her. Her drunken mind brought forth her thoughts, playing them like projections. Beck looked at her, a curious expression on his face. He squeezed her hand, bringing her attention back to him.
"What are you thinking about?" he asked, almost a whisper. Tori smirked, taking the bottle back from him and sipping it slowly. She had reached the threshold of drunk where having a chaser didn't matter so much to her anymore. She liked the alcohol burning her lips, not noticing Beck's eyes as they followed her tongue, slowly licking away the excess as it dripped from her mouth.
"See that?" Tori said, indicating to the door of her tiny dorm bedroom. "I had to lock Cat in my room for a week once."
"When did this happen?" he asked. Beck didn't bother to ask why. He had an inkling any story involving Cat had to be drug related.
"Our freshman year was bad for her," Tori said, taking another mouthful of vodka. "She was drinking a lot. She'd put anything in her body to help her just not think about growing up or real life. Once, she literally thought she was in Wonderland for three days. It was scary. And Danny wasn't helping much."
"Danny?"
"Her boyfriend," Tori said, reaching out and taking a cookie from the bag. "Well, ex-boyfriend. He was worse than she was. I felt like Cat kept trying to catch up with him, but he was somewhere else altogether. I've never seen someone overdose that many times and live."
"Is he still living?" Beck asked, imagining the small red head chasing a faceless boy through a glowing door to the other side. He knew she loved to party from the short time he'd known her, but honestly couldn't imagine a dying version of her due to her vices. She seemed too happy to fit the part.
"Supposedly, he's in rehab. But he got kicked out of Hollywood Arts. They gave him so many chances, but he just kept fucking up. I have no idea what him and Cat were doing, but one day she was in her dorm room, just staring and mumbling. Danny wasn't there. I think he got scared and ran, but I don't really know. She said she couldn't feel her legs. Robbie found her one the floor. She scared the shit out of him. He carried her up to my room. We locked her in, and took turns watching her. We had to barricade the door, give her food, water, and bags to throw up in when she wasn't trying to fight us. We took turns with class and with sleeping. I still have no idea what Danny gave her that caused all that shit to happen. I thought she was going to die."
Tori's eyes took on a far away look, and Beck knew she was replaying that moment in her mind. He wondered how she must have felt, if it was scary or not. He was sure it was probably terrifying. He wished he could have been there for her.
"Then what happened?" he asked.
"Well, on day five we opened the door, she punched me in the face, and tried to run away. Robbie grabbed her, basically tackling her to the ground. And then…"
She trailed off, turning her head slightly to look at the door. Beck felt like he could see the scene unfolding with her as she continued.
"He started freaking out. I was scared he was going to have a panic attack. He carries this ventriloquist dummy, you know? He used to talk out of it. None of us knew why. But Cat was the only one who ever told him that it didn't matter. And, he was just begging her to be okay. He said all he wanted was for her to calm down, she didn't have to stop. She just had to control herself. And… he just loved her. He loved her so much."
Beck looked at Tori, seeing her eyes hold a combination of sadness and awe. It didn't occur to him until that moment how much she really did love her friends. He could see it, sure, but the depth in her eyes right now really was tugging at his heartstrings. He cared about his friends, Andre being one of the people he would gladly take a bullet for, but he had to wonder if he'd ever been touched like that. Tori turned to him, a small smile on her lips.
"So, after that, Cat kissed him, and he passed out. We had to take him to the hospital. He was only there for one night, but I've never seen Cat look more terrified in all the time we've been friends. She never left his side. When they left the hospital the next day, they were together. And I guess the rest is history."
They were both silent for a while, exchanging the bottles of vodka and soda, taking more and more sips as they went. Tori studied Beck's silhouette out of the corner of her eye, taking in his thin but strong frame. She reached over to turn on the lamp on the table, as it was dark outside by now. She watched as his body glowed in the golden light, the lack of a shirt making her realize how warm his skin looked. Her drunken mind was telling her to reach out and touch him, but she restrained herself.
"That's quite a story," Beck whispered.
"It's a great story," Tori said, agreeing with him. Beck suddenly sat upright.
"That should be our script!"
"What?" Tori asked, confused. "I thought we were gonna choose between these three." She pointed to the loose-leaf pieces of paper on the coffee table, which Beck quickly pushed aside with his arm. The pieces of paper flew to the ground, and Tori looked at him indignantly. He grinned at her despite this.
"Fuck that. The best stories come from personal experience."
"It's not exactly a tragedy."
"Not all tragedies end in death, Tori."
Hearing him say that, and honestly not being able to argue, Tori gave the idea some contemplation. She had to admit, it was a beautiful, sad story. One that would have been a beautiful base for their script. And it was a tragedy, in its own right.
"I don't think Cat and Robbie would appreciate me using their story," she said, tipping back another sip from the bottle into her mouth.
"We don't have to quote it word for word. Just take the general idea. Make it our own."
"How exactly are we going to spin this as a tragedy?" Tori asked, looking him in the eye. "I know not all tragedies end in death, but something beautiful came out of it. That's not tragic."
Beck thought for a moment, snapping his fingers suddenly when an idea came to him.
"When the guy wakes up in the hospital bed from his panic attack, they can tell each other they love each other. But then she can also tell him that she can't promise she's gonna stop. Because she can't imagine herself without drugs. It's not happening. It can end with him telling her even if he knows he's going to bury her, he is still going to love her. And she can say 'okay.'"
Tori just looked at him, touched and surprised by the fire she saw in his eyes. The scenario was indeed a sad tragedy, one with undertones of how love could just, honestly, fuck you over. It also captured Robbie and Cat's relationship on a level that she never thought of before. But Beck did. Because, in a way, that scenario wasn't far from the truth. Although Cat's drug use had gotten so much better, and Robbie's anxiety was virtually non-existent these days, the depth of their connection was one that would be constantly tested by the pull of their pasts. Beck somehow saw that and in less than ten minutes had managed to turn it into a beautiful piece of work. It was…
"Amazing," Tori mumbled, sipping at the bottle again. Beck took it from her, taking his own sip, a smile of genuine accomplishment playing on his face. He looked proud, excited, ready. He was beautiful.
"So, can that be our script?" he asked her, leaning forward and placing his hands together in a prayer pose, as if he was begging. "It's too good to pass up." Tori stuck her tongue out at him, finally relenting.
"Fine, that can be our script," she said, earning a triumphant laugh from the boy opposite of her. The laugh came from deep in his stomach, and suddenly, he reached out and hugged her, as if she had truly just given him a gift.
Tori didn't stiffen like she would have if she were sober. She instead enjoyed the warmth and let her body melt into his, bringing her arms to circle his waist as she laid her head on his shoulder. She felt him smile into her neck.
"I'm honestly excited," he said to her, a tone of happiness and slight embarrassment gracing his voice. Tori giggled.
"You sound like you're having a really good time," Tori told him, pushing away a little bit so she could look at his face. He shot her an incredulous look.
"I always have a good time when I'm with you," he told her, tucking a stray piece of hair behind her ear. She felt the fire as his skin brushed hers, suddenly very aware of how close their bodies were. She looked away, suddenly very interested in the coffee table.
"Of course you do, every time we're together, we are drunk."
"That's not true," Beck said. "We're not drunk when we're together in school."
"That's different. We don't exactly hang out in school."
"That's because you avoid me."
"I don't avoid you."
"Yes, you do. You may be a great actress Tori, but I can tell when you're lying." She glanced at him, the unrelenting way he looked at her a kind of magnet, keeping her trapped.
"So," he said, not giving up. "Why do you avoid me?"
"Your girlfriend is scary." Jade being brought up suddenly made Beck aware he was in a compromising position. But, instead of pulling away like he should have, he scooted closer. He knew that wasn't the only reason, and he wanted nothing more than to pull the truth from her lips. He suddenly knew that he wouldn't leave until he got the real answer.
"Tori, me having a scary girlfriend is not the reason you're avoiding me. Because if it was, everyone would be avoiding me. Now, what's the real reason?" Tori bit her lip, and Beck didn't notice as he got closer, the act causing a stirring beneath his jeans. He found himself wanting to be the one doing the biting. The alcohol clouding his judgment, he leaned forward slowly, only thinking about mimicking her mouth's actions. Tori put her hand between them in time to gently stop his mouth, bringing him back to reality. Beck kissed her palm, feeling the soft warmth beneath his lips. He leaned back and looked at her, noticing for the first time a nervous look in her eyes. It brought him back to reality slightly, the slow realization of what he had just attempted processing in his mind. In inappropriate response, he took another shot from the vodka bottle.
"That's why," she mumbled, confusing him.
"What?" he asked.
"That's why I avoid you," she said, her head shooting up as she looked at him directly in the eye, voice rising. "Because every time I'm near you, some weird feeling comes over me. It makes me feel like I'm sick, like I have a fever. Every time I'm near you, it's like you pull me in." Beck honestly didn't know what to say. He wanted to tell her that she made him feel like that too, but she continued on her tirade.
"It's scary. I JUST met you, and somehow you're always in my head, knowing what I'm thinking. It's weird, and I have no idea what's going on!" she said, throwing her arms up, as if she had given up on trying to figure out the explanation. He grabbed one of her wrists in his palm, bringing her hand to the vodka bottle.
"Take a shot and relax," he told her, and she did, slowly downing the last of what was left. It was an attempt to diffuse the situation with the one thing that seemed to make them honest with each other. They stayed quiet for a moment, Beck being the one to break the silence.
"I feel like we're in our own little world," he said, voice low, as if he was scared she was going to freak out again. She didn't though, and he looked up, only to find her looking out the window.
"We are," she whispered back to him. "But we can't stay here. It's not real." As if to prove her point, Beck's phone buzzed. Jade's name flashed across the screen, and Tori looked away. Beck took his phone and threw it on the ground, almost desperately reaching for the girl across from him. After a couple seconds, she looked up at him.
"It's not real," she repeated, smiling sadly at him. She suddenly looked tired, which wasn't a surprise considering they killed a bottle of vodka together. Beck too felt his eyelids starting to droop.
"Okay. It's not real. Doesn't mean it has to end yet, does it?" Tori looked at him like she was contemplating a decision. He was almost scared she was going to ask him to leave, but then she spoke.
"I'm tired," she said, rising and stretching, her shirt rising up to expose her stomach. He reached out and traced the hemline of her jeans. She didn't push him away.
"I'm tired too," he told her, rising as well and stumbling a bit. They were both drunk, they were both tired, and they both were insanely attracted to each other. But, neither was drunk enough to forget the buzzing of Beck's phone, his girlfriend on the other line. It was more than just Jade. It was the real world, calling to bring them back. And they could only ignore it for so long.
"Should I go?" he asked her. Tori shook her head.
"No, you're way too drunk to drive. And I'm way too drunk to drive." She held out her hand to him and he took it, enjoying the fit of her palm against his. He pulled her in, keeping her close enough to feel her heat, but far enough away so that their bodies weren't touching. The line they couldn't cross was there, along with the absence of explanations. Both of them didn't understand what was going on.
"So, what now?" he asked her.
"Now… we go to bed."
"Bed?" he asked her, glancing at the clock on the wall. It wasn't even nine o'clock yet.
"Yeah," she said, shooting him a stern look. "But just bed. To sleep. Next to a friend."
"We're friends?" he asked her, smirking at the irony of their situation and at the question she had asked him only hours before, now coming from his lips.
"Yes," she said, leading him to the bedroom. "We are just friends."
oooo
Beck followed her into the tiny space, surprised at how much different her room was from the rest of her dorm. It wasn't exactly decorated, but he could see Tori's personality clearly here. There were photos tacked to the walls, a few pieces of clothing strewn on the floor, and a thick, cushy, purple bedspread on a twin sized bed. Above the bed was a window, overlooking their campus.
"I like your room," he told her, observing the little space.
"It's not my room," she reminded him, pulling back the blanket and sitting down on the bed. He sat next to her, just looking her in the eye. She returned his stare, embracing the charged feeling instead of running. There was nowhere to run this time.
"I wanna get changed," she told him shyly. "Can you turn around?" Beck obliged by her request, but noticed he could see her darkened reflection in the window. Her back was to him as she pulled her shirt off, quickly slipping on a tank top from the floor. She then unhooked her bra through the shirt, and throwing it softly on the ground. She was shy, and for some reason, this was a turn on for him. Shimmying out of her jeans, he watched as the denim material slowly pooled around her ankles, her kicking out of them as she went.
"You know…" she started, not turning around. Beck put his head down anyway, almost as if he were afraid to get caught staring. "Its really hot in here."
"It is," he said, agreeing with her. "I wanted to ask if it was okay if I could sleep in my boxers. Jeans aren't exactly the most comfortable." Tori nodded.
"Yeah, that's fine," she said, and he glanced up at the window again, only to notice she was putting on a pair of pajama shorts. She was also staring at him. He felt her weight on the bed as she sat down and saw her look out the window. But he knew she wasn't looking out, she was looking in. She was looking at him in the glass.
He saw her raise her hand to place it on his shoulder, but he grabbed it before she could, pulling her forward and against his back. He felt her body through the thin fabric of her shirt, the softness of her breasts as they pushed into him. She placed her chin on his shoulder, her breath tickling his ear. She smelled like vodka and soda, her lips smiling a drunken smile. He vaguely wondered if either of them was going to remember anything tomorrow. They stayed like that for a while, just staring out at the lights of the city, looking at each other and not looking at each other.
"I love what I'm seeing," she said, her eyes shining as she observed the twinkling lights in the distance. "It's so beautiful." Beck looked at her through the window, catching her eye.
"Yeah, it is."
He wasn't referring to the lights, and she knew that. She swallowed, pulling away and breaking the trance. She was always doing that, and somewhere inside him, he was annoyed by this. But it was getting late, he was getting more sober, and it was becoming less acceptable to be with her like this. Tori knew that. She wanted to make sure he did, too.
"Why don't you lay down?" she mumbled, turning to face the doorway. "I won't look while you get changed." Beck wanted to point out to her that it didn't really matter, but knew that it was pointless. He unbuckled his belt, undid the button and the zipper, and awkwardly pulled his jeans off from his sitting position. He threw them somewhere on the floor, getting under the covers in an attempt to make her feel more comfortable. When he did this, she rose to flick the light switch off near the doorway, returning to the bed slowly. She glowed in the moonlight when she got closer, and this light on her was just as striking as the sunlight. It was like no matter what, he could never get tired of looking at her. She turned on her side and pulled her hair behind her neck, locking eyes with him. They just stared for a while.
"What are we doing?" she asked, no fear or anxiety behind her words. It was a simple question driven by curiosity. But he knew no more than she did.
"I don't know," he said, the honesty in his voice making him sound raw. "I'm not used to this."
"Used to what?"
"Not knowing what I'm doing."
"I guess you're not supposed to have all the answers sometimes," Tori said, shrugging. She was tired, and had, for the moment anyway, given up trying to figure out the odd connection they shared. He reached up, tracing the outline of her lips with his fingers.
"We're in our own world," he said. It was a simple statement of fact.
"Yeah…" Tori said, trailing off, not knowing where this was going.
"Would you say what happens here doesn't apply to the real world? You just said yourself, it's not real." Tori just looked at him, enjoying the feel of his fingertips.
"It isn't," she said. "So, I guess it doesn't apply."
"So, it's kind of like being in Vegas?" Beck asked, teasing her a bit. Tori let out an exasperated sigh, smiling slightly.
"Well, I wouldn't exactly call it Ve-"
Beck cut her off when he kissed her. His lips were a little dry, but they were soft, so soft and firm. Tori didn't move at first, but slowly, she responded by moving her mouth against his. He didn't touch her, didn't pull her close at all. Their only connection was their lips. When Tori opened her mouth to breathe, Beck slipped his tongue in, deepening their kiss. He tasted like vodka, but this onslaught wasn't as harsh as the liquor that was running down her throat only hours earlier. He was gentle and almost cautious, as if he knew she would pull away if given the chance. He didn't want to give her that chance.
But eventually they both pulled away, needing to come up for air. Beck opened his eyes slowly, noticing hers were still closed. He expected her tell tale brow furrow for when she was annoyed or angry, maybe even the worried expression that always seemed to be accompanied by her hand being pressed to her forehead in frustration. Instead, she just lay still, a serene expression on her face.
"Tori?" he asked, wondering if she had fallen asleep. Eyes still closed, she smiled.
"I feel like I'm dreaming," she said. "I think we're both dreaming."
"Do you want to be dreaming?" he asked her, knowing the answer before it even came.
"Yes. Because this isn't real."
Her words stung him a bit, and he was grateful her eyes were closed so that she couldn't see. It wasn't like she wasn't right, but he'd found himself less willing to let go of the moments they had been sharing since they met. He felt like a needy child. Never having once been needy in his life, Beck resented her a bit for making him feel like this.
He reached his arm out and placed it around her waist. She didn't push him away, but refused to move closer as he tried to bring her towards him. He didn't push the issue. For what seemed like the fiftieth time that night, they said nothing. Eventually, he heard Tori's breaths become even and slow as sleep took her. After what seemed like an eternity, he eventually felt his eyelids start to grow heavy. Before he drifted off, he whispered one of the questions that had been burning inside him since he met her.
"What are you doing to me?
ooooo
A high-pitched, happy pop song. That was what woke Tori up the next morning. Her head was killing her and she refused to open her eyes, because the sunlight filtering through her eyelids was unbearable enough as is. She reached her arm out from beneath her blanket, reaching blindly on the floor until she found the object making the noise. Her cell phone. Hitting the accept button without even bothering to look at who it was, Tori answered it.
"Hello," she said groggily, slightly horrified by how terrible she sounded.
"TORI!" Cat's voice shouted into her ear, startling her and causing her eyes to pop open as she flailed, crashing into something behind her. It was another person. Tori sat up quickly and turned, noticing Beck beside her, still sleeping. Almost instinctively, she looked down at herself, grateful that she was still dressed. Confused, she closed her eyes for a second, allowing her breathing to return to normal. She started to remember pieces of the night before and had to remind herself, yes, they had slept together but no, they hadn't slept together.
"Tori?" Cat's voice said on the other end of the receiver, although less intense this time. Stifling a groan, Tori brought the phone closer to her ear.
"Hi Cat," Tori said, slowly allowing her eyes to adjust to the light of the room. She felt terrible. Apparently, this was not hard to pick up on.
"You sound awful," Cat said. "You should have told me you were sick. I made soup last night."
"I'm fine," Tori said, rising from the bed and walking to the bathroom. She needed to wash her face.
"Well, where are you?" Cat asked. "Sikowitz is looking for you." Tori pulled the phone back from her face and glanced at the time. She had already missed her dance class, but her acting class didn't start for another two hours. What could her teacher possibly want?
"I'll be there soon," Tori said, keeping her voice down as she glanced back into her room. Beck was still sleeping, and she didn't want to wake him up.
"Why are you whispering?" Cat asked, chewing on some food Tori couldn't see.
"Trina had a rough night last night," Tori said, almost ashamed at how easy the lie rolled off her tongue. "That's why I'm running a little late." Tori searched her cabinet for the toothbrush she knew she kept there, pulling out her face wash in the process as well.
"Really?" Cat said, surprised. "Because I thought I saw your car in the parking lot when I got here earlier." Tori felt a slight feeling of panic rise in her throat that had nothing to do with her toothbrush.
"Nope," Tori said, now rushing through her morning routine as she held the phone between her ear and shoulder. "I didn't stay here last night. Definitely not mine."
"Are you sure? Because I thought I-"
"Cat," Tori said, cutting her friend off. "Did they have anything good to eat in the cafeteria today?" She heard a sharp intake from her friend's mouth.
"No!" she said, and Tori could almost see the disappointed look on her friend's face. "I really wanted some apple pancakes, but they made the kind with blueberries in them. I hate blueberries." Cat went off on a tirade, and Tori listened attentively, throwing in the occasional "yes" and "no." She had never been more grateful for her friend's tendency to get distracted.
After promising Cat that she would see her in twenty minutes, Tori hung up the phone. Finishing up in the bathroom, Tori quietly tip toed back into her room, silently looking for something to wear so as to not disturb the boy sleeping in her bed. She settled on her black jeans and a red blouse, pairing these with her combat boots. She managed to get her outfit on quickly enough, but just as she was lacing up her boots, Beck stirred. Tori froze as he sat up, that same confused look she was sure she wore this morning on his face. He turned to look at her, squinting.
"How…" he said, turning and surveying his surroundings, comprehension dawning on his face as he too remembered their evening. Then he turned to look at her.
"Were you planning on at least waking me up?"
"I have to go," Tori said, stuffing the rest of her laces into her boot and throwing her bag over her shoulder. "I have to meet Cat."
"I don't think she'll mind if you're late."
"I'm already late," Tori said, turning her back to him and stepping away. She might not have been able to run last night, but there was nothing stopping her now. She needed time to comprehend what was going on, and when he was there, her mind didn't work. "If you wanna sneak out, there's a service door on the second floor. The stairs lead to the back of the building near the parking lot. No one will see you."
"Tori-"
She turned to look at him, her blanket pooled around his waist, his hair slightly matted from sleep. Some part of her wanted to go back and sit beside him, talk to him, run her fingers through his hair. But instead, she just shot him an apologetic smile.
"I'll see you later," she said, turning and walking out into the living room, and then out the door before he could protest.
oooooo
Tori approached Sikowitz's door and knocked softly, her coffee and bagel balanced in her hand.
"Come in," Sikowitz called, a pleased smile coming over his face as he saw her peak her head in the doorway.
"Ah, Ms. Vega. Come in, come in. We were just talking about you."
"We…?" Tori said, trailing off as she stepped into her teacher's office, noticing Jade was sitting in one of the two empty chairs opposite her teacher's desk. She turned and shot Tori a forced smile.
"Hey, Tori. Nice to see you again." Tori's heart slammed against her ribcage, and she was sure that a cold sweat had broken out on her forehead. She opened her mouth to reply, but no words came out.
"You okay?" Jade asked, a confused look on her face. "You look like you've seen a ghost."
"Well, Ms. West, let's be fair. You are a sort of intimidating soul," Sikowitz said, indicating that Tori should sit as well. She took this opportunity to mentally calm down and compose herself. There was no way Jade knew anything that just happened. Tori knew that to be true. If she did, she was sure Jade wouldn't be wanting to speak to her in her teacher's office. Maybe in the parking lot after school, but definitely not here. Which led back to Tori's initial confusion. What was going on?
"Um," she started, swallowing hard as she felt Jade's stare burning into her from the side. "Cat said you wanted to see me."
"I did!" Sikowitz exclaimed, his smile growing even wider. "Ms. Vega, are you familiar with the show 'Witch Garden'?"
"Jade's show?" Tori asked, honestly not expecting this conversation at all.
"Ah, so you are familiar. Good, good. Well, I'll get right down to it. They are looking for a supporting role for the second half of their season, and Ms. West has been kind enough to suggest you! Her producer has seen some of your work, and he loves you. They'd like your answer by today!"
"Wait, what?" Tori asked, turning to look at Jade. "You want ME to work with YOU?"
"What's the matter, Vega?" Jade asked, a taunting smirk on her lips. "Is my show not good enough for you?"
"No," Tori said, frazzled and yet, trying to step cautiously. "I love that show-"
"Well, good," Jade said, rising from the chair. "Because we start filming next week. I heard that you don't miss Mondays. My producer said he'd be willing to work with you on that."
"Wait-"
"Awesome," Jade said, turning and walking out the door, blatantly ignoring her. "Sikowitz can tell you the rest. See you in class." She walked out the door, it slamming behind her with a loud thud. Tori turned quickly to face her teacher.
"I don't know if I should," Tori said, shooting her teacher a hopeless look. He shot her a compassionate smile, as if her understood why she was so nervous. He had no idea.
"Tori," he said, pulling out a stack of papers. "I understand why you might be nervous. I know that Jade isn't exactly the easiest person to get along with. But you don't have to worry. She's not the only one who's going to be working with you. It's not like she'll kill you." Tori resisted the urge to roll her eyes. She would not put that past Jade.
"Anyway," Sikowitz said, shuffling the papers forward so she could see them more clearly. "It's a guest role. Eight episodes in length. I've read the description of what they're looking for, and Ms. West was right. This role does suit you perfectly. It also comes with a generous salary and a very flexible schedule. They must really want you."
Tori took the papers cautiously in her hands, as if she were scared to be burned. She perused them as Sikowitz continued.
"It has a singing role as well, which I know is very important to you. I know your side jobs are plenty enough for you, but you are one of the best damn singers and actresses that has come through my classroom in all the years I've been teaching. I'm not telling you what to do Tori, but I certainly think it would be a shame if you gave up this role."
Tori shuffled through the papers a few more times. She couldn't help but agree with her teacher. Witch Garden was a very popular show, and the script was extremely well written. A lot of her classmates were hard pressed to even find roles as extras in that show, due to its rising popularity. And here was a wonderful opportunity that had simply fallen on her lap.
"When do they need their answer by?" Tori asked, not looking up.
"Ah, I'm afraid they need it within the hour. I told them I'd be meeting with you and would get the answer to them as soon as possible."
"Why so soon?" she asked, shocked. Sikowitz simply shrugged.
"That's Hollywood, I suppose." Tori bit her lip as she thought about the offer in front of her. It felt like a trap, but honestly, there was no good reason to say no. It would even help keep her busy and keep her mind off of certain things. She lifted her head to look at her teacher.
"Tell them I'll do it."
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Hi! Sorry for the late update. I plan to update a week from now. I have a test coming up so I will be pouring all my energy into that. I can't guarantee a week, but that's what I'm shooting for. I've been doing a lot of thinking and have a lot of things that I think are awesome for the coming chapters. Please REVIEW and tell me what you thought!