Tori worked hard to keep her private life private. It wasn't that she didn't trust her friends. That was honestly the furthest thing from the truth. But she learned that no matter how much you love or care about someone, once they knew you, they had the power to hurt you more than anyone else.

If someone were to ask how or when it all happened, Tori would answer 'in the eighth grade.' An accidental discovery created an implosion of thirteen years' worth of guilt, regret, and shame that left the Vega family in pieces. Thirteen was when Tori woke up one morning and found her mother gone, leaving a stack of papers on the table with a note that said: "I'm Sorry." There was no fanfare, secret kiss goodnight, and no tearful explanation.

Just a smooth exit stage left.

After that, the family fell apart. Trina was the first to crack. Despite being at a super-inclusive and high-profile performing arts school, Trina dropped out her junior year to follow some guy she'd met online to New York. He promised he could make her dreams of being on Broadway come true. It was the craziest thing, too, when Tori found Trina in a cast photo of CATS. She was in the back wearing a mask, but Tori knew her sister's smile. Trina's default look had always been arrogant, 'I'm The Best Person Here' smirk. But Tori's brief, albeit reluctant, moment of pride was overshadowed when her father took a promotion that had him working more hours away from home. Tori could count on one hand how often she saw her father throughout the year, and she only needed three fingers. It was the summer before her freshman year when Tori found out that he'd rented an apartment closer to the station to avoid coming home at night. She hadn't been as hurt as she should've been.

For two years, Tori went home to an empty house and sang to the walls, bowing to their silent applause. She danced through the bedrooms in an old t-shirt and sweatpants. She learned that water could, apparently, burn if you left it boiling long enough, and ramen noodles weren't something to eat morning, noon, and night. Tori turned fourteen with the power cut off because her father forgot to pay the electric bill, and she had to stalk his job until he showed up. The embarrassment alone led to her father never forgetting to pay the bills on time and having groceries delivered to the house.

But it was her sophomore year when things took…a turn.

Remember that accidental discovery that ruined her family? Yeah, it wasn't one of those discoveries where someone was having an affair or someone had a second family. It was one of those life-changing revelations that unearthed a family secret that showed Tori that her parents were people who made awful decisions. Decisions like her mother giving birth to twins and only taking one home. Decisions like her parents deciding that three kids were too much and deciding to separate Tori from her twin before she consciously knew he was there. Decisions like lying and hiding her brother's birth certificate and adoption papers in the attic until Tori needed a photo for a school project.

In the end, when it was all said and done, it was Trina who helped Tori track down Taylor. She wasn't always the best sister. Hell, she wasn't always a good sister, but Trina stepped in when it mattered. It helped that Trina wasn't happy either that they had a brother who didn't know they existed. So she used her limited connections in New York to get Tori a name and an address in New Mexico.

"Here. Don't say I never do anything for you," she'd said over the phone.

Tori stared at that name and address until she woke up one morning and decided that writing a letter didn't cut it. So she pooled what little money she had and bought a plane ticket to New Mexico. It was her semester break, and it wasn't like her father would miss her. Before she could talk herself out of it, Tori showed up at Taylor's house on a Saturday morning with a duffel bag, nervous as hell and questioning her impulsiveness. And then Lia Villanueva opened the door with a wry smile.

"You must be Tori," she said. "Trina told us you might stop by."

Tori blushed, and Lia smiled and stepped aside. Tori met Taylor, a pink-haired boy who had the same color eyes and the same smile, in the middle of a living room where he asked her why she had never responded to his letters. That he wrote to her for years on their birthdays, only to wait by the mailbox for a letter that never came. When Tori frowned, confused, Lia stared at her with a slow dawn of understanding.

"You didn't know," Lia said.

Tori shook her head, no, and Taylor's face fell.

"Oh," he whispered.

Their sympathy was too much, and Tori was hurt and angry and filled with so much pain that it all came out. Taylor held her through it, telling her it was going to be okay, and when she finally calmed down, Lia helped her to the guest bedroom and hugged her too before leaving. Alone, Tori called Trina.

"He knew about me," she told her. "The entire time, he knew. He sent cards. I never got them."

Trina went silent, the steady sounds of New York in the background, and she sighed.

"Don't let Mom and Dad ruin this. You can get to know him now. Just make sure you tell him he has an awesome older sister waiting to meet him too."

The conversation ended with Trina running off to another party, but she'd said the right thing. Tori pushed all of her anger toward her parents to the back of her mind and joined the family for dinner. She met Taylor's father, Tony, a high school swim coach, and she had cuchuco for the first time. She learned that Taylor played baseball, and football, and had a stint in soccer that he hated because it took too long. He loved to draw and had a room where he painted on the walls without getting in trouble. His favorite color was yellow, and he never wore dark colors. He had a nose ring and spoke more Spanish than he did English. He didn't like to cook but loved to bake. He did better in science and history than any other subject, and he was allergic to anything dealing with math. He played the guitar, and when he found out Tori could sing, he dragged her to the living room and made her sing while he played.

That night, he snuck into the bedroom and crawled on the mattress next to her, and they talked about everything from the time the sun went down to when it rose again. They went swimming and hiking and camping, and Tori learned how to make tamales and pandebono. She learned how to merengue. She let Taylor dye her hair blonde and laughed so hard that her stomach hurt when it came out copper. Taylor held her hand after he'd finally managed to convince Tori to get another piercing while Lia recorded the whole thing.

And at Christmas, long after Tori's flight had come and gone, Tori had just as many gifts as Taylor. She unwrapped new dresses, books, and a matching bracelet that she had with Taylor. She introduced Taylor to Trina during a video call, and Trina later sent a text that broke and healed Tori's heart.

He looks just like you.

Tori didn't even realize it was time to go back until Lia came and sat on her bed, telling her that she was going to miss her. Tori cried again for a different reason, silently admitting that Lia was more of a mother to her than Holly had ever been. And at the airport, Taylor walked her to security and stayed until Tori had to run and catch her flight. When she got back to Los Angeles, Trina was there to pick her up with a knowing look, and she drove Tori to the house. She stayed for a week before she returned to New York, and Tori was left alone again.

The second half of her sophomore year was boring until she spontaneously auditioned for Beauty and The Beast. She got the lead role, and the standing ovation she received was nothing compared to the utter and complete shock she felt when the principal of Hollywood Arts cornered her at the end. Trina had called and told him to see the play, (their relationship had gotten better after Tori's trip to New Mexico), and he'd accepted because Trina swore to him that Tori was the real deal. (Tori later found out that Trina blackmailed him with dirty pictures he'd sent to a council member.) Nevertheless, he offered her an official audition over Spring Break, and Tori didn't hesitate to say yes.

The rest was history.

She spent the summer in New Mexico, and by that fall, Tori was starting her new chapter at Hollywood Arts. Junior year came and went, and when the year ended, Tori had good friends and good grades. The house was still empty, but she had pictures on the mantle of her and Taylor from that summer. She even had some with Trina. She had silly notes from Cat, birthday cards from André, and cheesy Canadian movie posters from Beck. Jade even nailed a picture of a middle finger that she'd drawn to Tori's wall. Lia sent video messages every morning, and Tony made sure she knew he was always a call away. Taylor never let her go to bed without hearing his voice, and Tori was in a good place.

She was happy.

"Yo, Torro."

"I told you to stop calling me that, André," Tori said, stopping at her locker.

"No can do, chica. How was your summer? Did you enjoy all the cacti and sand?"

Tori rolled her eyes and said, "Yes, I had a wonderful time in New Mexico."

"Cool."

Tori side-eyed him and said, "Uh, oh. What happened?"

"You left me alone for three months, that's what happened."

"I explicitly remember telling you that I was going to be gone for the summer."

"Yeah, but I didn't think you meant the whole summer," he whined.

"When someone says they'll be gone for the summer -

"Okay, okay, I got it. But I had to deal with Beck and Jade's fourth breakup by myself."

"Fifth," Tori corrected.

"Who cares? It sucked."

"Are they back together?"

"Nope. Beck told me this time they're done. Jade said the same thing when I got coffee with her."

"Did either of them say what happened?"

"No, but they're on good terms. We've hung out as a group, and there's been no fighting."

Tori shrugged and opened her locker.

"Well, as long as they aren't fighting, I don't care."

"You don't care? Because the last time we talked, you were telling me all about your crush on-" Tori glared at him, and he chuckled, holding up his hands. "Alright, alright," he said.

"Asshole."

"You love me." André leaned against the lockers and folded his arms. "And don't think I don't see that silver thing in your nose," he said. "It looks good."

"Thank you. I-

Tori's response was cut off when someone tapped her on the shoulder.

"Excuse me, can you tell me where the principal's office is?"

Tori stiffened and turned slowly. Taylor, with a red buzzcut and a new eyebrow piercing, gave her a crooked grin.

"Hey, Bugs. Like my shirt?"

Taylor gestured to the Hollywood Arts shirt he more than likely bought at the orientation. And she knew that because she had the same one at home. Tori squealed and jumped into his arms, and he caught her at the last second. Tori knew she was in the middle of the hallway, but she didn't care. Taylor eventually put her down but didn't let go. He kissed her forehead and smiled when she pulled back to reveal she'd started crying.

"Aw, Bugs," he said, wiping her cheek. "Momma told me you were going to cry. But I hoped you would prove her wrong."

Tori punched him on the arm and wiped at her face.

"What are you doing here, Ducky?" she asked.

"Trina," he said, laughing. "She stopped in New Mexico on her way to Cancun to meet me officially. And it wasn't until I was looking for it did I realize she stole my sketchbook. Then, lo and behold, I get a call from this Dubois lady. She flat-out told me that this school was in desperate need of more artists. Apparently, this place is losing money, and they need to balance out the students to get a few grants back for the school. She said if I was interested, I had a shot. All I'd have to do was audition. That's it. I went in, did her tests, and sketched a few pictures, and that was that. I didn't hear from her until like a month ago. After that, it was a wild transition. Momma wanted me to surprise you."

"Well, you succeeded," she said.

"Are you mad?"

"No. I'm happy for you. So happy and proud that you're here."

"Yeah?"

"Duh. Wait, where are you staying? Are Mama Li and Papa here too? What about Jasmine?"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Taylor said, holding out his hands. "Mama and Papa are not here, no, but you can expect them to visit sometime soon. Jasmine and I broke up because she didn't want to have a long-distance relationship. And I'll be staying at casa de huéspedes de Vega."

"No está sucediendo. Tengo una habitación de invitados para ti," Tori said. "But I'm glad you and Jasmine broke up. She was not good for you."

"Tell me about it."

"I did. Several times, actually." Tori folded her arms and added, "You can't force someone to change. You can either accept them for who they are, which means the good, the bad, and the downright terrible or don't bother with the relationship."

"Okay, and where was all of this wisdom when you dated Melissa?"

"It's because I dated Melissa that I have all of this wisdom," Tori said. "She was a nightmare."

"You were with her for six months."

"I have the patience of a Saint."

Taylor shot her an unimpressed look, and someone coughed behind them. Tori turned to see her friends, and she'd completely forgotten they were there. Beck had his usual expression, calm and patient, and André looked torn between amusement and confusion. Cat was…playing with her hair, and Robbie was trying to keep her from eating it. Jade was the only one glaring at Taylor, and at first, Tori was annoyed. It was always two steps forward and ten steps back with her. But when Tori took a better look, those blue-green eyes were dark with…jealousy? Taylor elbowed her, and she cleared her throat.

"Sorry. Everyone, this is Taylor," she introduced. "My brother."