Andre leaned against the bar, watching Tori's jittery movements as she paced around the rooftop, LA city dazzling behind her. She was checking everything, again. For the tenth time in the past hour.
"Tori, seriously. Relax," Andre said, his voice light but firm. He gave a small laugh. "If it were any more perfect, we'd be hosting the Oscars, not a reunion."
Tori didn't even look at him, too caught up in her worries. "I just want everything to go right. What if someone's unhappy with the food? Or the music? Or... or what if no one shows up?"
"You're stressing abouteverything," Andre replied, raising an eyebrow. "You've been planning this for ages. Just breathe. You've got this."
But Tori's brow was furrowed, her eyes scanning the space as if she could somehow magically make everything fall perfectly into place.
The first arrivals broke the tension.
Sinjin and Burf walked in, hand in hand, laughing with each other. They had changed so much since high school—still quirky and fun, but now they carried the weight of years together as a married couple. Sinjin spotted Tori immediately and waved.
"Look at you two, still the life of the party," Sinjin greeted, his tone playful. Burf gave a small chuckle and nudged his husband.
"Long time, no see!" Burf added, offering a warm hug to Andre first.
Tori smiled, a small relief settling into her shoulders. "Hey, guys! It's so good to see you both. How's life treating you?" She tried to sound casual, though she couldn't suppress the twitch of her nervous energy.
"Oh, you know, the usual—endless adventures. Sinjin keeps me on my toes," Burf grinned, wrapping an arm around his husband. Sinjin rolled his eyes in response, but his smile softened.
Tori laughed and nodded, but her gaze flicked anxiously to the door again, as if she were waiting for something... or someone.
The door swung open. Robbie walked in, his familiar face lighting up when he saw them.
Without hesitation, Tori sprinted towards him, her arms open wide, and she enveloped him in a deep hug.
"Robbie! Oh my gosh, I can't believe you're here!" Tori exclaimed, her voice thick with relief. She squeezed him tightly, her earlier stress forgotten for a moment.
Robbie chuckled, holding her close. "Good to see you again." He pulled back just enough to take in her excited expression. "It's been a while hasn't it?"
Andre grinned, crossing his arms. He walked over to greet Robbie with a nod and a handshake. "Good to see you, man. How's the Mrs and baby?"
"Said his first words last week!" Robbie replied, full of pried at the big milestone.
Tori's eyes widened in disbelief. "You have a kid?! How did I not know that? Do you have pictures? Please tell me you do!"
Robbie laughed softly, holding up his hands in mock surrender. "Yeah, I've kept him under wraps, apparently," he said, a smile tugging at his lips. "I haven't posted him anywhere - people can do crazy things with your online footprint."
Tori flushed, a bit embarrassed. "I'm so sorry! I didn't know. It's just... it feels like I'm always the one whose life everyone knows about, and somehow I missed that you were a dad."
Robbie shrugged, his expression warm as he put his hand into his pocket to fish out his phone. "It's okay, Tori. There's things you've done that I probably don't know about, either. Life moves fast, you know?"
Tori let out a breath, a small smile curving her lips as she leaned in, Robbie showing her a picture. "Oh he's adorable."
Robbie chuckled, nodding. "He's a handful, but he's the best thing that's ever happened to me."
Andre, watching the two of them, couldn't help but smile. "Let me see," he cut in, his tone light. "This kid's got some serious cuteness potential."
Tori's attention returned to Robbie as she eagerly swiped through more pictures. "You're not kidding. He's going to be breaking hearts in no time!"
As the conversation drifted, the space filled with the sound of laughter, and more familiar faces trickled in. Tori's stress started to melt a way temporarily until-
The chatter across the rooftop was interrupted by distant yells that echoed from the entrance. The voices were unmistakable.
"Beck! I swear, you—"
"Jade, calm down—!"
Tori turned to the door, watching as Jade and Beck walked in almost simultaneously, both of them red-faced, clearly in the middle of a heated argument. Jade was gesturing wildly, her arms flailing as she talked, while Beck stood with his arms crossed, his expression one of frustration. Behind them, Cat followed in with a resigned expression, her eyes rolling slightly as she observed the ongoing drama.
"Seriously, guys?" Cat muttered, shaking her head. "I thought this was supposed to be a reunion, not a soap opera."
The room's attention had now shifted to them, people glancing over, murmuring quietly about the unexpected spectacle. Jade and Beck's argument was getting louder, and it wasn't long before people started to notice.
Tori's heart skipped a beat when she saw them. Jade and Beck—two of the most unpredictable people from their high school days—had walked in together. It was an unexpected twist.
Beck, clearly fed up, stepped away from Jade and made a beeline toward the group of friends who had been chatting by the refreshments table. His eyes flicked to Jade, then back to Tori, Andre, and Robbie.
"Sorry for the... entrance," Beck said with a heavy sigh, a small, awkward smile creeping across his face. "I wasn't going to stay long, but now, I'm definitely staying, to spite her." He shot a pointed glare toward Jade, who had already moved to the bar and was grabbing a drink, clearly needing something to wash away the tension, Cat in tow ordering something of her own.
Tori couldn't help but laugh nervously. She had no idea what was going on between Jade and Beck, but it seemed clear it wasn't a simple disagreement.
"Are you okay?" Tori asked, her voice laced with concern.
Beck glanced back toward Jade again, then softened. "Yeah, I'm fine. It's just... Jade's Jade, you know? Apparently never changes." His eyes lingered for a moment on her before he shrugged it off and refocused on the group. "Anyway, I'm glad you're all here. Even if she's making it... interesting."
Tori nodded, but her mind was racing. They were all here. She never expected them to show up, especially not together after all the drama they'd gone through. They'd clearly ran into each other on the way up or something.
But there they were.
Tori glanced toward Cat, who was stood with Jade, waiting as the bar tenders poured their drinks. She looked to be calming Jade down same as the old times it seemed—but there was something different about her. Her face was more confident now, as though she'd found her place in the world. Her red hair was gone too, choosing to go for her natural hair as she aged. Jade had changed too- her style bolder and more mature now - but still laced with dark colours. Her once-heavy eyeliner and dark lipstick were now softer, more precise—a deep berry hue on her lips, paired with perfectly shaped brows and faintly smoky eyes.
As the two were handed their drinks, they paid and turned back to the group. If Beck had riled her up, Jade didn't show it now. She exuded the kind of cool, aloof energy that made it hard to tell whether she was annoyed or just indifferent to everything around her. Jade hadn't changed much on the outside—sharp, intense, and always ready to make her opinion known—but there was something different in the way she interacted with the room now, a sense of world-weary maturity beneath her defiant exterior.
"Ready for round two?" Beck mused as the girls walked over.
"Bite me." Jade snarled back, making a point to stand between Robbie and Andre, on the opposite side of the circle from her Ex.
"Hiiii." Cat purred as she joined too, slipping between Jade and Robbie, taking a testing sip of her fruity cocktail. "This is good." She observed aloud, taking another, longer sip.
The air was quiet for a moment, as if no one knew what to say next. Apart from Jade, none of them had seen a thing of Cat; none of them really knew how to react. Beck had brought up Cat's disappearance in the lift up here, and thats what caused Jade's yelling so he wasn't about to try again.
"So, Cat," Tori started cautiously, her voice almost uncertain, "I heard you're on Broadway, right? How... when did that happen?"
Cat smirked, her eyes glinting with amusement. "You all never did know, did you? That's the fun part of being on Broadway. You don't have to tell anyone. Your face just starts showing up everywhere."
Tori blinked, a bit taken aback. "Why didn't even tell us you went to New York? Not even a text or anything?"
Cat shrugged nonchalantly. "I didn't need to. I figured it would get around." She chuckled lightly, though there was a tinge of something unreadable in her voice. "Anyway, I'm happy to be here. It's been way too long."
Tori absorbed this, the realisation that she hadn't been kept in the loop sinking in. Cat was living a completely different life now, one none of them had even known about at the start. Then, suddenly, she was on Broadway. Her career had exploded, and yet... she was still Cat, the same bubbly but unassuming girl she had been back in high school.
"You're killing it, Cat," Andre said, flashing her a grin. "I've got to try and catch a show sometime."
Cat gave him a playful smile. "Thanks. It's been a ride. But hey, what about you guys? What's been going on? What's the latest? Tori you're like- world famous now!"
"Was." Jade interjected quickly, receiving a swift foot stamp from Cat beside her. "OW! You're wearing stilettos!" She yelped.
"Oops." Cat giggled in reply, feigning innocence.
"I'll drag you out-"
"You've got to catch me first!" Cat teased, skipping away as Jade trailed behind, not seeing through Cat's plans to secretly just bring her to the dance floor.
Tori blinked, still trying to process the exchange between Jade and Cat, who were now moving through the crowd in a mix of playful chasing and subtle scheming. Cat's giggles echoed, while Jade's sharp words were met with an exaggerated yelp as her heel clicked loudly against the floor.
"That was weird, right?" Tori asked again, her gaze flicking between the two, watching them as they danced around each other, Jade's annoyance evident but not enough to stop her from following Cat's lead.
"Very weird," Andre agreed, his eyes still on the two of them, his smile creeping into a laugh. "Who would've thought those two would be doing... whatever that is."
"Jade and Cat have always been like that, though," Robbie said, watching with a small chuckle. "The whole 'we don't get along, but secretly we kind of do' dynamic."
Just then, Jade gave up on the chase, either that or she suddenly realised what had happened, finally letting Cat pull her toward the dance floor. As they moved further into the crowd, their bickering seemed to soften, the loud banter turning into a more subdued conversation. The sound of music grew louder as they reached the center of the room, Jade's voice now lowered but still unmistakable as she said something that made Cat burst out laughing.
Tori watched them for a beat longer, her mind swirling with thoughts about how much had changed in the years since high school. Some things, it seemed, hadn't changed at all.
She turned back to the group, her expression a little more relaxed now. "Okay, I guess it's gonna be one of those nights."
Andre raised his drink with a grin. "Maybe they're the only ones doing it right. We're all stood here pretending to make small talk. Let's dance muchacha." With a dramatic flair, he grabbed Tori's hand with his free one and led her toward the dance floor, her protests falling on deaf ears.
Tori laughed, caught up in the spontaneity of it all. "Wait, hold on, I—"
But Andre wasn't listening. He was already twirling her toward the floor, their laughter joining the music as they slipped into the rhythm of the night.
"My Lady?" Beck jested, putting his hand out for Robbie who laughed and took it, following Tori and Andre.
By now, Jade and Cat had fully claimed the centre of the floor, their playful bickering almost drowned out by the music.
The group found their space, the beat of the song pulsing through the room. Tori, her earlier nerves forgotten, threw herself into the rhythm, her laughter spilling out as Andre pulled her into another spin. She was getting lost in the music, feeling the weight of her worries lighten with each step.
Beck and Robbie were already in sync, laughing at how ridiculous they looked while trying to keep up with the tempo. Beck tried to show off some smooth moves, but Robbie couldn't help but laugh at his attempts, which only made Beck laugh harder.
"Okay, okay, you're not half-bad!" Robbie called out, bumping shoulders with him. "But don't get cocky, you're not stealing my spotlight."
Beck grinned. "You've got nothing to worry about, my friend." He playfully bumped Robbie back, spinning him into the crowd.
Meanwhile, Tori and Andre had already found their groove, a rhythm between them that felt natural. The energy in the room had shifted—no longer just a reunion of awkward small talk, but a celebration of old friendships and new moments. Tori laughed as Andre tried to teach her a few of his best moves, only for her to quickly abandon the effort and simply follow his lead.
"You know, for a guy who spends most of his time making music, you sure can't keep a beat," Tori teased with a grin.
Andre raised an eyebrow, leaning in to speak over the music. "Hey, I'm just here for fun. Can't outshine you at your own event can I?"
Tori rolled her eyes with a grin but kept moving, giving in to the infectious beat. It felt like high school again—without the drama, without the stress—just the pure, simple joy of being surrounded by people who knew her at her best, her worst, and everything in between.