Standard disclaimer. Still don't own.
:}
Beck stomped his way into the halls of Hollywood Arts, fuming over something. Tori, not sure what went wrong, decided to go with the safe bet. "Okay, what did Jade do now?" She asked the actor as she approached his locker. The boy was roughly shoving his books around.
Beck glared at the singer, and for a moment, Tori actually felt threatened. However, the boy sighed, and murmured "Not your fault," even as his body deflated a touch.
"Okaaayyyy….." Tori tried, hoping that her friend calmed down enough to talk to her. 'It's the only way he can tell me, get that off his chest. Besides, now I really wanna know...' She flashed her best smile, projecting an aura of trustworthiness. It was hard, but she knew she'd find out, soon enough.
"Look, it's nothing." Beck said, but he slammed his locker shut, belying his words.
"It's obviously not nothing." Tori said, hoping to get this done before the pale terror of Hollywood Arts showed up. "Look, I get it, this is between you and Jade. Just, we're rooting for you, and if there's something going on, maybe we can help."
"Sides," Andre added, startling Tori, "you know we'll be on your side."
"DRE!" Tori squeaked, showing her surprise that the boy was there.
"My locker..." He pointed behind where Tori was standing, next to his keyboard locker.
"Sorry." Tori said, her voice still low.
"So, whats this about Jade doing something?" Andre asked. "If you want, we can try to act surprised."
Beck glared at his friends. Only, a moment later, he stopped, looking around to find Jade talking with Robbie next to their lockers. "Yes, something happened, and I'm not really interested in talking about it."
"Fair enough." Andre said, turning to leave.
"Wait." Tori snagged his wrist. "Beck, please, tell us, so we can maybe prevent another text fight."
"Course, we know Jade won't tell." Andre chuckled.
"Be better if she did." Beck groaned. Both teens looked at him. "Look, sorry, it's just, Jade did something, something wrong, and it hurt. Not intended to hurt, not sure she was even aware she did it." Beck was freaked out, the normally calm boy almost rambling. "I mean, I called it out, when it happened, so she knows. But I doubt she was too aware she did it at the time. It's just, man, it hurt. Not something I'd have ever though she'd do, but she did it, and now..." He shifted, not sure he wanted to go on.
"Is this about what Jade said?" Cat asked.
"CAT!" Tori screeched.
"What?" The innocent girl wondered.
"How is it you all keep sneaking up on me?" Tori demanded.
"Kinda loud in the hall today." Andre said.
"Jade's been teaching me these special forces things she knows." Cat added with a shrug. "Did you know, it's possible to kill someone with a roll of toilet paper?"
"Yea, kinda head that." Tori said.
"Um, the roll, the actual paper, or both?" Andre wondered.
"Depends." Cat said. "I got the feeling she had options."
"And can we not talk about that?" Tori asked.
"So, you told them?" Jade asked, and everyone jumped.
"See, she can be real quiet." Cat told the group.
"Told them what?" Rob asked.
"That I may have said the wrong name." Jade said, and it sounded so minor. Somehow, it didn't mater. "You know, at an inappropriate time."
"WHAT?!" Tori asked, feeling like her voice had carried a bit that day.
"It's no biggie." Jade insisted. "Sometimes, when we're with the guy we love, some girls, those of us who can get a date, we use a bit of fantasy to get the motor revving."
"Yea, I've heard that." Robbie agreed, causing everyone to look. "I dated this girl..."
"No you didn't." Andre cut him off.
"Who agreed to make out with me, and in the middle, she called Rex's name." Rob finished, ignoring the other boys comment. "Sometimes, the fantasy, it's real enough that they get lost. But it doesn't mean they're not happy to be with who they're with. It's just, hell, I'm betting even us guys have done it."
"Never." Andre protested.
"I plead the firth." Beck added. "I knew that much. Hell, I even tried to ignore that one small goof. Its just, you know what? It upset me, and I'll get over it."
"So, who's name did you say?" Cat asked.
"Not important." Jade waved off, smirking a private smile.
"Jade has a cru-ush." Tori taunted. It felt right, given how the pale girl was acting.
"Tori, please..." Beck tried to cut her off.
"What?" The singer asked, enjoying that rare moment. "Is Jade gonna hurt me? Like that's not her normal? Jade's just gonna have to accept a little teasing." She smiled an evil smile at the blue eyed girl.
"No I won't." Jade growled.
"Why not?" Cat asked, stirring the fire.
"Because it was Tori's name!" Jade snapped. A moment passed, with all eyes on the Latina, before Jade rushed off.
"And that's why I was mad." Beck breathed out. "Sorry, Tori, but how can I compete with the kind of connection you two have?" He started to drift away, as the others dispersed to head to class, and deal with this new bit of drama.
Tori, for her part, just watched the spot Jade had abandoned, lost in the absence of a girl who's bullying just got a lot more nuanced.
:}
Thoughts?