Work Text
Friday, March 14th
11:27 P.M.
Have you ever fallen in love with someone? I mean, really in love. Well, I have and it's ruined everything.
*sighs*
I've been wracking my brain for days, wondering what I could have done to prevent this. Maybe if I would have said this. Maybe if I would have done that. Honestly, it probably would have been better if I just kept my mouth closed. But enough of me rambling. If you want to understand how this all happened, you must go back two weeks ago.Oh, I forgot one other thing.My name is Tori Vega and this is how I lost my best friend.
Monday, March 3rd
3:22 P.M.
Sunbeams were shining brightly through the kitchen windows. Spring Break had just begun, and I was eager to start enjoying it. The only problem was I needed to finish this boring monologue which was due next week. Sighing heavily, I stared vacantly at my laptop screen until the words started to blend. Ugh! When will this madness end?!
DING-DONG!
Snapping out of my trance, I left the kitchen table and headed to the front door. Who could this be? Finishing this paper is difficult enough without any distractions."What is it? What do you--" I asked, as I opened the door.It was him."'Sup, Tori." smiled André Harris, as he stood there charmingly.Damn, what was it about him that just made me go wonky at times?"H-hey, what brings you here?""I just finished my paper and thought I'd drop by and see how you were doing with yours."Ugh, he wanted to help me with my monologue? Those two pages of scribble were the last thing on my mind."Uh, thanks. I appreciate it."As I let him into the house, I caught a whiff of his fragrance, and let me tell you, he smelled amazing.Sitting at the kitchen table, he began reading the monologue on my laptop, "So you're doing a piece about admitting your feelings to a crush?""Is that bad or--""No, no. It's perfect. I can tell you've placed a lot of emotions into this.""Yup, straight from the heart."I don't know why I was leaving subtle hints. It's pointless doing so with most guys."So how many pages have you written?" I asked as I walked to the fridge to get us some drinks."About four pages. I wrote about the fears and uncertainties of my future and how I should overcome them if I ever want to become a successful musician.""Wow, that's deep.""I wouldn't exactly say that." He chuckled modestly. "It was the only thing I could come up with at the time.""It still sounds fascinating to me," I responded while handing him a can of soda and sitting next to him."Thanks."As he continued reading, André eventually asked something rather interesting."So, aside from this paper, how have you been since... the breakup?"More than a week ago, I had broken up with this guy named Blake. We'd been together for a couple of months and I thought he was great, but a couple of days shy of our five-month anniversary, I caught him trying to grope Cat in the school's parking lot. Needless to say, both of us made sure Blake walked funny after that. A short time later, I discovered he also had two other girlfriends at Northridge High.
*Sighs heavily*
What is it with me dating guys who turn out to be absolute assholes? In the end, I was glad to be done with him and his bullshit."I'm feeling much better now." I replied, resting my head on my hand, "Thanks for asking.""I wouldn't be much of a friend if I didn't care." smiled André."All the more reason why I can depend on you," I replied, returning his smile.Being asked about my recent breakup got me curious about André's current relationship, "So, um... how are you and Kiko?"He looked surprised I asked this, "Oh, Kiko... well, we broke up, too."Did he say what I think he said?"W-w-wait, are you serious?" I questioned him, "How? Why? I thought you two were doing great.""It happened a couple of days ago. I didn't talk about it because I've been mostly busy, but it was for the best. Don't get me wrong, Kiko was awesome, but... she wanted to keep things casual between us.""Oh...""There's nothing wrong with her wanting that, but it's not for me anymore." André continued, as I listened intently, "Now I'm eager for something more... serious."To be honest, hearing him speak like this made me feel hopeful. I mean, c'mon! For the first time in months, both of us were single at the same time. Who knows what could happen at a moment like this?"I think I get what you mean. You want a relationship where the two of you are the only ones that matter." I said, searching for the right words, "You want to know that no matter what, you'll always be number one in their heart.""See, I knew you would get it." chuckled André, before his smile faded, "But there's something that I still can't wrap my head around.""What is it?""It's how someone can be that greedy and stupid to pull some shit like that. At least in my situation, Kiko made her intentions clear about wanting to see other people. But Blake? He was a total ass for what he did to you." André stated as he looked rather bothered.Worried for my friend, I reached to grab his hands, "Don't get yourself all worked over what Blake did. I love that you care so much, but it's his loss, not mine. So stop worrying, okay?"Something in my words must have soothed André because his smile gradually returned."You're right. You're absolutely right." he started, before thinking for a second, "Perhaps I'm biased when I say this, but Tori... you're truly an amazing girl."André had a knack for knowing what to say… at times. Thankfully, this was one of those moments."Find someone who appreciates you." he continued, now giving me his undivided attention, "Someone who isn't going to take you for granted."After a brief moment of reflection, I responded, "Wow, um, I really needed to hear that, especially from you.""Me? I'm not anything special," he spoke shyly.As I caressed his hands, I smiled, "You are to me.""Really?""Really."For a brief moment, we locked eyes and I swear I'd never felt this way with anyone before. I've had plenty of tender moments with André in the past, but they never felt quite like this.
*Sighs*
I just wish it could have lasted a bit longer.{A musical chime comes from André's phone}Such perfect timing."One sec." he sighed, letting go of my hands and answering his phone.Guess who was on the phone…"It's Jade. This will only take a minute," André said, as he got up to continue his conversation with her out on the patio.André and Jade, you see, were paired up for this huge drama scene that was due in two weeks. During this past week, the two have become even closer than before. And by that, I mean so close you would honestly think something was going on between them. But it wasn't, because Jade was too devoted to Beck."Okay. I'll see you soon, J." he laughed as he came back into the kitchen.They even had silly nicknames for each other. Dré and J? Seriously? It was insane. Jade's name was already short, it didn't need to be shorten any more!"So what did Jade want?" I asked, pretending to be interested."She wants to meet up at Jet Brew to go over some new lines she wrote."Of course, she does."Oh well, I guess you better get going then," I replied, trying my best to hide my disappointment."I promise it'll just take an hour… maybe two," André assured, as I walked him to the front door."Okay... see you then," I replied regretfully as he left.Because of this project of his, I haven't been able to spend more than a few minutes with him this past week. It's not that I didn't want him to get a good grade; it's that I would have preferred to have more time with my best friend.…Okay, okay! That, and I didn't like how much time they spent together.As I sat back down at the kitchen table, I resumed working on my monologue, but my thoughts kept returning to André and Jade.
*Sighs*
Only time would tell if anything would happen between them, and I was only a bystander.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Thursday, March 6th
2:45 P.M.
I'm furious, yet I feel like I shouldn't be.André didn't return the other day; in fact, I haven't seen or heard from him within the past three days. As I stated in my last entry, this project he's doing was very important, so if practicing all night was necessary for it to be perfect, so be it. Yet here I am, upset that he didn't have the nerve even to call. I mean, if you're not coming back to someone's house after telling them you'll be back, at least call!Ugh! Why did they have to get partnered up with her? Why couldn't it have been Robbie instead? I wouldn't be so freaked out if that was the case, but no! It had to be Jade! So who knows what she could be d--Wait! What if Jade got to him? Sure, she was with Beck, but… it was clear that she had some feelings for André, and I already knew that he liked her as well. It could happen. Jade could have seduced him and-- ugh, I don't even want to think about it.But it wasn't as if André and I had an intimate relationship going on or that my feelings for him were returned. It was always a friendship, a close friendship. We were best friends after all. And sure, we depended on each other plenty of times, but it always felt like something that friends do. Nothing more, nothing less. *Sighs* Even though I so wanted there to be more between us.But I know what you're thinking.
"What about that moment you two shared the other day?"
If it truly meant something to him, then wouldn't André have at least said something about it? At all? But he didn't.Ugh, I'm ranting way too much. I could sit and complain about Jade and André possibly hooking up or I could go out there and do something about it.Guess you already know which one I chose.
2:50 P.M.
I was about to leave the house when Trina arrived."Where are you going?" she asked, walking past me and sitting down on the sofa."I gotta find André. For some reason, he's not answering his phone.""Well of course not, I saw him and Jade at the library down the street from Hollywood Arts.""The library? Really?""Yeah, why is that so hard for you to understand?" Trina asked, grabbing the remote off the table and turning on the TV."Well… you rarely go to the library.""I do, too! Today, I saw this really cute guy go in there and I wasted 30 minutes trying to talk to him.""You spent half an hour trying to talk to some random guy in the library?""Yeah, but then this frumpy librarian kicked me out because I was getting too loud. It's ridiculous.""You do know that you have to be quiet in a library, right?""Tori, Tori, Tori. So pretty, yet so naïve." she scoffed, returning her gaze to the TV, "She kicked me out because she wanted the guy all for herself."This was surely one of those moments where I felt sorry for Trina, but I couldn't let that bother me right now. I had some very important business to take care of.After calling up a Drft driver, I finally arrived at the library. Hopefully, Trina's information was true; but then again, I was hoping that it was wrong. Dead wrong.Upon entering the building, I immediately bumped into Robbie and Rex as they were about to leave."Hi, Tori." smiled Robbie, holding the door open with his free hand."What's up, sweet thing." pestered Rex, staring at me, "You lookin' pretty damn fine today."Ugh, I didn't have the time to talk to them! I had to find André and Jade!"Hi, Robbie. Hi, Rex. Can't talk right now." I rattled, as I rushed past the two.Sadly, they didn't take the hint."So whatcha been up to lately?" asked Robbie, as he followed closely."Not much just gotta find André," I responded, walking faster and looking around for a glimpse of him."André? We saw him heading towards the study rooms with Jade earlier," Robbie stated.I came to a halt. The words that were uttered by Robbie made my heart stop beating.The study rooms of the library.Everybody knew those rooms were the quietest part of this library, but that wasn't why this bothered me. Because of its silence, the study rooms were infamous for the constant make-out sessions that happened there. It had the perfect ingredients: They were private and mostly soundproof, ridiculously comfortable seating, and in some areas, dim lighting.Yet both André and Jade were in there!It was then that a frightening thought entered my mind. André… making out with Jade.
*Sniffles*
As I stood there, in the middle of the lobby, a tear ran down my cheek. I honestly wanted to run out of the library crying. But I couldn't! I had to be strong. I had to keep going, despite what I might find out. Taking a deep breath, I wiped the tears away and continued walking."Uh, thanks, Robbie," I spoke, as I headed up the stairs that led to the study rooms."No problem." said Robbie, waving goodbye, "Say hi to them for me.""André's gonna be a little too busy up there if you know what I mean." laughed Rex."Uh, maybe you're forgetting something. Jade has a boyfriend." Robbie corrected him."That wouldn't stop me.""You're sick, you know that?" Robbie exclaimed as I began losing the sound of their argument.Entering the study rooms section, I immediately felt a deafening silence fall over me. This was soon broken by the muffled sounds of kissing, heavy breathing and groping. So much groping. The librarians should walk back here once in a while because it is ridiculous.As I passed each door, I noticed some people who were trying to study and some who were trying to swallow each other. Some of the windows to these rooms had their blinds shut, so I had to depend on listening through the doors. One by one, I listened in on a guy studying trigonometry, a girl who preferred studying rather than makeout with her boyfriend, and some heavy breathing and moaning from the last room. But I was thankful it wasn't André and Jade. It was two guys.I was just about to give up searching when I heard Jade's voice coming from a once quiet room."--Look, I really don't care. We both like each other, right? For the longest time, I have wanted to be with you."I could then hear André's voice say, "We can't. We just can't. You have a boyfriend and… if we're caught, it could ruin everything.""Can't you feel the intensity that's between us? That spark that has been there since the beginning?"André sighed, "Of course I have, but that doesn't make this any easier.""I-I love you." insisted Jade, who sounded as if she was about to cry, "If you honestly don't want to be with me, then look me in the eyes and tell me.""Why would you ask me to say that? I can't picture myself with anybody but you.""Then prove it… kiss me."Her words hit me like a gut punch. It was all over.I was heartbroken by what I heard and was glad that things couldn't get any worse.
{A musical chime plays on my phone.}
Damn! Who's calling me now?!I quickly tried to silence my phone, but it was too late.The door began to open…"Tori?"
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Thursday, March 6th
3:14 P.M.
The door began to open…"Tori?"I stared into his eyes, my pulse racing wildly."André! Hi!" I rambled, placing my phone in my purse, "Sorry to show up on such short notice. I tried calling you, but it goes straight to voicemail a-and Trina mentioned she saw you come in here... *Takes a deep breath* But anyway, I came here because I could use some help with my monologue and you're the only one I can trust this with."His shocked expression told me he remembered his promise from the other day.I could only wonder what his excuse was going to be."Ohhh! I knew I'd forgotten something," he said as he walked out into the hallway, "Tori, I'm so sorry. Me and Jade got caught up in revising and rehearsing that it's left me completely exhausted whenever I get home."Okay, that explains why he didn't come back, but what about the phone calls?"As for my phone, well... I left it in my jeans and my grandma accidentally washed them.""Again?""Yeah, so my replacement isn't arriving until tomorrow morning."I couldn't say I bought any of that, but it would explain a lot. Also... it was difficult for me to stay mad at him after not seeing him for days. I just really missed being in his company."What's the holdup?" asked a voice that immediately shattered the calm around me.It was her.Jade West stepped out of the room and stood beside André."Oh, it's you. What are you doing here?"Before I had the chance to answer, André spoke up."I promised to help with her monologue, but I got caught up with our scene," he explained, "So Tori decided to seek me out instead.""Seriously, Vega? You can't even do your homework without someone helping you?" asked Jade, with a look of disgust, "Couldn't you have asked Robbie or Cat to help? André and I have to practice this scene until it's perfect."I wanted to tell her off right there. I was so close, but I couldn't."I guess I could… do that," I replied, meekly.
*Sighs*
I hated giving in like that. But I couldn't reveal my true intentions to André, especially not in front of Jade."I'll just be going now," I stated, as I turned to leave."Tori, wait."Turning around, I saw André walk up to me."Just give me a moment and I'll be back," he said, looking back at Jade as she went back into the room, "Look, I'm sorry for not coming back and I'm even more sorry for not thinking to call you."I'll admit, it was cute seeing him apologize like this."I understand, it's okay." I assured him, as I took a moment to think, "So... the two of you were practicing your scene here?""Yeah, Jade's house is being fumigated and we couldn't practice over at my house. My grandma wouldn't leave us alone because of the chicken she thinks is running around." André clarified as he started to stretch out his back, "Honestly, I'm so glad you showed up because I could use a quick break and Jade can be a bit of a workaholic."As he bent backward, I caught a glimpse of his exposed waist as his shirt pulled up. Mmh, just the sight of his abs was enough to make me go wonky again, but I quickly snapped out of it."Um, glad that I could be of some assist there." I mentioned as I began to walk away, "Well, I should let you get back to your script. I hope to see you sometime later.""Don't worry, you'll see me later tonight. I have something very important to ask you," vowed André, as I left the study rooms section.What was this very important thing he had to ask me? My mind came up with countless possibilities, from assisting him with a new song to helping organize his grandma's doorknob collection.What was he going to ask me?!
6:58 P.M.
Back home, I was getting closer to finally finishing my monologue, but my mind constantly went back to thinking about what André had to ask me.It was almost 7 o'clock and he still hadn't shown up.I started to fear that the other day's events would be repeated.
7:33 P.M.
DING-DONG!
*Sighs heavily*
Not having much hope anymore, I walked over to the door half expecting to see Robbie, Cat, or Beck.Heck, maybe even Sinjin.As I opened the door, my heart leaped at the sight of who it was."'Sup, Tori? Told you I would make it."I never felt happier. He made it, he actually made it."You did." I beamed, gesturing him to enter, "So… what exactly did you have to ask me?""Yeah, about that. You see Jade has a dentist appointment tomorrow…"Ugh! Did he have to mention her?"…so we won't be able to rehearse."Okay, this is starting to sound interesting."So if you weren't busy, I was wondering…"I'm free as a bird tomorrow."…if you wanted to come along with me…"To where? To where?!"…to the Spring Break Beach Bash?""Yes! I would love to go!" I yelled, as I joyously hugged him.
*Sighs happily*
Maybe this is a sign. Maybe tomorrow will be more than just a day with my best friend. Maybe it is time that I finally tell him everything.At the moment, I only had one thought: Tomorrow was going to be an amazing day.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Friday, March 7
th
9:17 A.M.
I've never felt this anxious before. All I could think about last night was spending an entire day at the beach festival with André. Just the two of us... alone."Just be patient, Tori," I told myself as I sat on the bench out front. "He said he'd be here at 9, but he's running a little late. Nothing to worry about."God, I hope so.
{A musical chime plays on my phone}
It was André! Please don't let him cancel. Please don't let him cancel."Hello?" I asked, calming down.
{Hey, I'm gonna be a bit late. I'll be there around 10.}
"Oh… okay, see you when you get here."
{Bye.}
"Bye."As I entered the house and sat on the sofa, I tried distracting myself by watching some cartoons. All I had to do was sit and wait."Just be patient. It's going to be okay." I told myself again, "At least he called this time."
*Sighs*
I hated feeling like this. Only five minutes had gone by, yet the tension was killing me."Ughhh!" I grunted, leaving the den and going up to my room.Jumping on my bed and grabbing the nearest pillow, I screamed into it.I didn't understand it. I'm usually better at being patient than this. I once had to wait three weeks for a clutch bag I ordered to be delivered. Sure, on the 12th day, I nearly threw a brick at the patio window, but I got over it."Why am I so nervous?" I asked myself, turning over, "I-it's just André.""It's 'cause you love him."Jumping up, I was surprised to see Trina standing in the doorway. I could have sworn she left the house earlier."Trina! What are you doing here?""I had to come back to get my purse," she explained, "Still waiting for André?""Yes, and it's killing me!""Well, no duh." Trina laughed, as she sat at the edge of my bed, "It's 'cause you love him.""N-no, no I don't." I lied, sitting up, "We're just friends.""You're lying. You smile a lot when you lie."Dammit, she was right. I could feel the grin etched across my face."Okay, maybe I have a small crush on him.""Only a small crush?" Trina questioned, obviously not believing me."Fine! I like him a lot." I sighed, falling back on my pillows."I knew it. I saw this coming from a mile away.""It's not that obvious... is it?""Everyone could see that you two have something special going on, so I'm not sure why you haven't told him yet." she continued, placing her hand on my knee, "That's why I say you should go for it.""You make it sound so easy.""Trust me, it's not. But wouldn't it feel better to let him know how you feel?""Yeah.""And wouldn't it feel even better to know how he feels about you?""Mhmm." I smiled, as I sat back up."Then just go for it, lil sis," Trina added, reaching to hold my hand, "Because sooner or later, someone else won't hesitate to ask him out."What she was saying was right. If I didn't make a move on André, some other girl would jump at the opportunity. I still had Jade to worry about, so I didn't need other girls to compete with."You're right... I can do this." I said, taking a deep breath, "Thanks, Trina.""I'm just tellin' it like it is." Trina replied as we hugged, "So can you do me one favor?""What?""Can you lend me $20? I'm a little short on cash right now.""Sure." I chuckled.
10:01 A.M.
DING-DONG!
It was time. The parents were away and Trina was long gone."I got this," I told myself one last time.
*Takes a deep breath*
"Hey, Tori." André smiled, as I opened the door, "Are you ready to go--"Grabbing him by his collar, I kissed him right there, on the spot.Was my approach... forceful? Sure, but I wanted him so badly and nothing was gonna stop me."Tori… wow, uh… where did that come from?" he beamed."I'm tired, André. I'm tired of hiding these feelings I have for you." I stated, looking deep into his eyes, "I like you... a lot, and I need to know if you like me, too.""Tori…""Yes?"This was the moment. I anxiously awaited his response."I… I like you. I-I really do." he uttered, walking over to the piano, "Just… not in that way."…Wait... What?!Was he joking? He had to have been kidding."You don't think of me in that way?" I asked, walking up to him, "Why?""Tori, I've only liked you as a friend. T-that's how it's been since day one," he explained, although he looked unsure."But what about this chemistry that we share? It feels a lot more than a simple friendship." I insisted, feeling more and more hopeless.It was at that moment that I noticed something odd. André started avoiding eye contact with me."Tori, can't we just go to the festival? We're gonna miss--""No, André. I want an answer first." I demanded, "At least give me a reason why you don't feel this way."After a brief moment of silence, he spoke."I can't.""You can't?""Look, I don't have time for this." he snapped, walking towards the front door."Yet, you always find time for Jade," I tearfully lashed out.Turning around, André asked, "What does she have to do with us?""Everything! She's getting too close to you and something could happen!"
*Sighs heavily*
I didn't expect things to go this badly.Baffled, André asked, "Wait... do you honestly think I would cheat with Jade? That I would betray Beck, my best friend?"I couldn't answer him. I was so distraught by all that was going on.Why did this have to happen?!After another brief, uncomfortable silence, André spoke again."Is that what you really think of me?" he scoffed, "Then you obviously don't know me at all."As he walked out the door, I realized too late that I was making a terrible mistake.Chasing after him, I cried, "André, wait. I'm sorry! André, please!""Don't call me and I won't call you," he replied, getting into his car and driving off.As I stood in the driveway, I began crying heavily.I desperately wished this was a nightmare and I would eventually wake up. But it wasn't. It was all my fault. I took things too far.The perfect day was ruined.My best friend… no more.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Friday, March 14th
11:39 P.M.
Hey, there. Glad to see you made it back after catching up with all that's been happening. I wish I could tell you that it has gotten better, but I'm not that great of a liar. So far, it's been roughly a week since the kiss and André has kept his promise. I couldn't even blame him for being so disappointed. If I hadn't pushed him so far… I would still have my best friend to talk with.
*Sighs*
Even in our classes, André made it a point to sit far away from me. Lunchtime was no different. He started spending most of his time with Beck and Jade, even sitting with them at a separate table.He didn't answer my calls, texts, or emails. I even went to his house once but it ended with his grandma throwing tangerines at me. Her aim was spot on because she easily bruised my nose. But anyway, it wasn't until today during lunch that André finally spoke to me. I was waiting in line and he had to walk past me to get some napkins. All he said was "Excuse me." Nothing more, nothing less.He honestly wanted nothing to do with me.But strangely enough, there was something that's been nagging me since we last talked. Why was André continuously avoiding eye contact with me? I didn't think much of it at first, but it got me thinking: Was he hiding something? Something he wanted to tell, but couldn't?Ugh!Why are boys so complicated? Why is it so hard for them to admit how they feel?!
*Chuckles*
Look at me… getting worked up over a guy. But that was the problem. André wasn't just some guy. He was the guy I overlooked.
11:55 P.M.
I lay motionless in bed, staring out my bedroom window at the moonlit sky.Another sleepless night was underway.Full of deep thought and painfully replaying memories of that horrible day.Glancing over at Lucky sleeping soundly in his rabbit house, I grew envious of him. Not a care in the world except wondering when he'll get another slice of banana. No bunny ever had to worry about messing up a great friendship."Must be nice." I sighed, sitting up.In times like these, I would always have André to call on.But now... I didn't.I hated this feeling. I hated it so much."This is torture." I thought aloud.Getting up from my bed, I grabbed my phone and walked out of my room. Trying not to wake anyone, I crept downstairs and then out to the patio. As I stood there, a gentle breeze blew through. I can't tell you how much this cool spring air was helping me. It was as if my problems were temporarily wiped from my life. But gradually, I remembered those nights when André and I would spend time out here. We would do nothing but look up at the night sky for hours, and talk about our hopes, dreams, desires, and fan--
{An alarm rings on my phone}
It was a reminder alert. It had just turned midnight, meaning it was now my special day."Happy birthday, Tori." I sighed, placing my phone in my sweatshirt pocket and walking over to the other side of the yard.What was there to celebrate? Sure, I was now 18, but I failed my driver's test... yet again. So aside from dashing my hopes of my parents buying me a car for my birthday, there was nothing else to celebrate. I couldn't even joke about this with André because... well, you know...Arriving at the pool, I dipped my feet in the warm water and sat along the shallow end. Usually, I found the soft blue glow that illuminated the pool calming, but try as I might, it did nothing to help me with my problem.
*Sniffles*
It was over. My friendship ended and I need to accept this. André showed no signs that anything we had was fixable, so what was even the point--
{A musical chime plays on my phone.}
It was André!For the first time in over a week, he was calling me. I quickly snapped out of it and answered the call."H-hello?"
{Hey...}
"Hi..."
{Um... h-how are you?}
"I'm okay."
{Good. So... what are you up to?}
"Sitting by the pool."
{Oh.}
I wasn't sure what André was playing at, so I decided to get to the point."You know, I'm shocked you even called. You've been doing your best to avoid me all week."
{I know, I'm sorry. It was stupid of me to do that.}
"Then why did you?"For a moment, he was quiet.
{I don't know. I-I don't-- It's frustrating.}
"What can be so frustrating that we can't talk it out?"
{Tori, it's not that easy.}
"Well, I can see that," I sighed, standing up and pacing along the poolside, "I'm sorry I pushed you so hard. I didn't mean to insult you; I just wanted answers."
{I know and I'm sorry for lashing out at you. It's just that...}
"What?" I asked, anxious to hear where André was going with this.
{Nothing... it's nothing.}
"André, aren't we best friends?" I said choked up, "So please, j-just trust me."
{Click!}
He hung up on me. What in the hell is wrong with him?! That was the most childish, impolite--
Knock! Knock! Knock!
Someone was knocking on the vinyl gate at the front of the yard. Cautiously, I walked towards it, but not before grabbing one of the loose bricks that lined the flower bed."Who's there?""It's me, André.""André?" I asked, dropping the brick and opening the gate, "What are you doing here?"I looked around as he anxiously walked in to see if anyone else was with him. Closing the gate, I questioned him, "You drove all the way here?""Yeah, c-couldn't sleep. So I decided to go for a drive.""And let me guess, you happen to be in the neighborhood and decided to pay me a visit?" I asked, arms crossed.André sighed and kept looking away from me."What is this all about? I tried apologizing to you for days and--""Okay, I know. It was rude and... I'm just trying to make things right."As he paced the walkway, I noticed that André wouldn't stop fidgeting with his hands. I've seen him nervous plenty of times, but this was something else. Grabbing his hands, I said, "Hey, look at me. In through the nose, out through the mouth."Picking up on what I asked of him, André replied, "Y-yeah, sure.""In... out. In... out." I recited, as we both breathed deeply.With each breath I took, I began thinking about how ironic this was.This was the same breathing technique he taught me at the Big Showcase years ago, so it's only fitting of me to return the favor now."Feeling better?""Much better." he sighed, finally returning my gaze."Now calmly tell me what's on your mind," I said, still holding his hands.Taking a deep breath, André swallowed hard and began explaining, "When you kissed me... it scared the hell out of me."I knew I was a bit assertive with that kiss, but jeez..."It's not what you think." André quickly added, "It scared me because I wasn't alone in having these feelings.""Okay, so why would that scare you? We could have talked it out or something.""Because as much as I love our friendship, I wanted more." André replied, sounding calmer than before, "At the same time, I worried that if we started something serious and things didn't work out--""It could ruin our friendship.""Yet I almost let that happen anyway.""André, I'm just as terrified as you are. But I can't help how I feel about you. So I don't know about you, but I would rather not look back years from now and regret not giving this a chance."André took a moment to think before he responded, "You know how it's easy for me to get caught up in my music? Well, there are moments when we're singing together and I swear the music sounds so much better with you. To the point where I almost crave your presence whenever I come up with a new song."Hearing André confess this was rather touching. It felt even better knowing that I was right all along."At first, I wrote it off as me simply wanting you as a muse, but then I started having the same fuzzy feeling whenever we weren't singing together." André continued, "Even when I was dating other girls, I wondered why I could never feel the same as I do with you.""Trust me, I know exactly what you mean," I replied, thinking back to my exes."I think what I'm trying to say is... I'm ready to take that leap, that is if I haven't screwed things up with us.""You haven't. So about that leap?""Together?" he smiled."Together."As we inched closer, our lips gently touched as we plunged into this uncharted territory. Letting go of my hands, he carefully held my face and pulled me closer to his. With each kiss, I could feel his eagerness spilling over. Gradually, a delightful swirl of cool air danced around us as we continued to share this passionate moment. The intense heat between us and the calming breeze surrounding us made for such a breathtaking experience.As we slowly stopped kissing and the winds died, André smiled, "How's that for a birthday present?"Practically grinning, I replied, "My new favorite, but only if it doesn't end so soon.""Anything for the birthday girl."As we went back to kissing under the ethereal night sky, I thought about how this was the start of something new. Something beautiful. Something meaningful.My name is Tori Vega and this is how I got my best friend back… and gained a boyfriend as well.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Friday, June 6th
8:11 P.M.
Is it wrong to feel this good? Summer vacation was underway and André and I were in my den watching a movie.Okay, okay. I meant barely watching a movie.We had to have been making out for at least five minutes and boy, was it so good. I already knew that André was a great kisser; however, now that I'm on the receiving end, it makes perfect sense why Sherry was so obsessed with his lips. Whenever he would start kissing on my neck, it sent shivers down my spine. Words couldn't even describe how much it turned me on. As we rolled around on the sofa, I straddled him and gently grazed my hands across his chest."It's getting a bit hot in here, don't you think?" I asked playfully, pretending to fan myself.With a flirtatious grin, André removed his shirt to reveal his toned muscles, "Thinking of joining me?""Thought you would never ask," I said, removing my shirt."Now that's more like it." André smiled, as he sat up and got on top of me.From there, he slowly traced his lips down my neck... between my breasts... and then lingered around my tummy. As he came up to kiss me, I stopped him and asked, "Hey, my parents won't be back until midnight and Trina's gone for at least another hour or two. So I was wondering if... you wanted to take this upstairs?"For a moment, André looked as if something was bothering him. He looked away from me and then turned his attention to his phone. Grabbing it, he looked at the time and then rushed to grab his shirt."Um, Tori, I would love to." he said, buttoning up his shirt, "However, I forgot that I... was supposed to... help my grandma.""Help her do what?" I asked, putting my shirt back on."Um... y-you know, grandma stuff.""Grandma stuff?""Yeah, so um, I'll just be going--""Wait, André." I uttered, rushing past him to block his exit, "What's the problem?""Problem? What problem?""Well, we've been together for about three months, and even though we've been intimate in other ways, we still haven't... had sex."He just sighed and said nothing."I mean, I'm not trying to rush us into anything. But am I wrong for thinking that we both want more?"André looked even more frustrated.
*Sighs*
I guess that only left one reason for André behaving like this."Is it because I'm a virgin, because if it is--""No! Of course not.""Then just tell me what it is.""Tori…"Walking over to him, I grabbed his hand and pulled him back to the sofa to sit down, "Tell me, please?"Sighing heavily, André began explaining everything."I wanted to take things slow with us. I didn't want to rush you into sex.""Okay, I understand.""No, no you don't. Not yet." added André, with a serious expression, "About two and a half years ago, I dated this girl, Lauren... and she was my first."Listening to his story, I tried to understand where he was going with this."Lauren was an amazing girl." André continued, "We knew each other for years and were great friends. Eventually, we grew feelings for one another; and then one summer, we decided to take each other's virginity. It made the most sense at the time, I guess. Anyway, once the school year started, we were going steady. *chuckles softly* If only I knew what I was getting into.""What happened?""A couple of months into our relationship, Lauren was sick with the flu and I wanted to visit her after school. Once I got to her house, I heard her talking with some guy."After André took a moment to gather his thoughts, he continued, "Turns out, she had been sleeping with that guy... for weeks."Seeing how depressed he looked, I placed my arms around him."Last time I talked to her, she claimed a friend told her I was cheating with someone at HA. Somehow that was all the reason she needed." André sighed, "All those years of friendship flushed down the drain."It took me a while to take this all in."I'm so sorry. If I'd known--""Sooner or later, I had to tell you." insisted André, holding my hand, "This is the first serious relationship I've been in since Lauren. So it's not because you're a virgin, but because I don't want us to fuck this up so quickly.""Well... when the time is right, it'll be worth the wait." I smiled, laying my head on his shoulder."Thanks for understanding." he said, kissing my forehead, "Can't tell you how much better I feel right now."At that moment the front door opened and we quickly pulled apart.It was Trina, carrying a ridiculous amount of shopping bags through the door."Trina, hey! We weren't doing anything." insisted André, as we both stood up, "I should be getting home by now."Before he left, André kissed me on the cheek, "I'll call you later, okay?""Okay, love you.""Love you, too." he replied, walking past Trina and out of the front door, "Bye, Trina.""Bye, André." she responded, closing the door behind him, "Oooooh! Was someone having a little naughty time while no one was home?""No… kinda." I answered, walking into the kitchen to grab a soda, "He stopped before things went too far.""Aww, had trouble turning him on?" joked Trina, placing her shopping bags on the kitchen table.I felt I should keep André's secret and decided not to tell her."No, he had to run off somewhere." I sighed, playing around with the soda can tab."Well, there's nothing wrong with waiting for the right moment." divulged Trina, trying on her new pair of pink Converses, "Take it from me, little sis. Don't do anything until you feel you're ready.""Thanks, I needed to hear that."I had a lot of thinking to do but something caught my attention."Do you think I could borrow these sometime?" I asked, pointing at the pair of purple heels."I would love to... but nah." she chuckled, taking her bags and going to her room.Typical Trina.
8:42 P.M.
After watching a veterinarian fashion show for a while, I noticed André left his phone on the floor. As I picked it up, an incoming chat message popped up. The number was unknown and the message read:
{On my way. You won't be able to avoid me for long.}
Who was this and why were they going to his house?Clicking on the chat bubble, I saw a long thread of messages that André had with this person.The first group of messages from two days ago read:
Unknown: {Knock, Knock. Guess Who?}
André: {Who is this?}
U: {Someone you'll never forget.}
A: {Seriously, who is this?}
U: {Don't tell me you've already forgotten about me. :( }
U: {Two summers ago. The beach house.}
A: {How did you get this number, Lauren?}
Lauren?! This was Lauren texting him?!
Lauren: {Friend of a friend, but that's not important.}
L: {What matters is what I've heard about you.}
André: {Why does it matter to you?}
L: {Can't I be concerned for an ex of mine?}
A: {Nope.}
L: {Hmm, I'm gonna ignore that.}
L: {Anyway, I heard you got yourself a new girl}
A: {Like I said before, it's none of your business.}
A: {Leave me alone. Don't call, text, or come anywhere near me.}
L: {Okay, I see you are a bit moody now.}
L: {I'll text ya later.}
The text from the next day read:
L: {Ohh I see you dating a Latina girl}
L: {She looks pretty hot, too.}
L: {One question: Does she make your toes curl like I did?}
L: {Come on, be honest. She probably sucks at it.}
L: {Haha, sucks at it. I'm funny.}
The next set of messages was from 6 hours ago.
L: {Since you want to give me the cold shoulder, I guess I'll come over instead.}
L: {Maybe we could catch up for old times' sake... without the girlfriend}
L: {C'mon, you know you'll love it ;) }
And the recent text:
L: {On my way. You won't be able to avoid me for long.}
At that moment, another message from Lauren popped up. Only this time it had a picture attached to it.I was stunned to see that it was a picture of Lauren herself… naked.She was quite pretty with beautiful brown skin and short, wavy black hair. She was also… well endowed in the chest area. It was sad to see such a pretty girl have such a disgusting personality.Along with the picture was the text that reads:
L: {Be there soon, can't wait to catch up.}
Not if I have anything to do with it!Calling Trina from downstairs, I shouted, "Trina, I need you to take me to André's house!""What for?!""It's an emergency!""What kind of emergency?!""A relationship emergency!""What kind of relationship emergency?!""Andre's ex is going to his house to coerce him into having sex, and I need to get there as soon as possible to prevent a catastrophic event from happening.," I yelled in one breath."Well, why didn't you tell me that sooner?!" exclaimed Trina, sprinting downstairs with shaving cream on her legs and car keys in her hand, "Let's go!"As we left the house, I hoped we weren't too late. Not that I didn't have faith in André, but to keep Lauren from messing with his head.She made this a personal matter and I was gonna stop her.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Friday, June 6th
9:13 P.M.
"Drive faster!" I yelled as Trina drove a measly 35 mph, "I have to get there before André sees Lauren.""Explain to me again, why are we taking my car?" Trina asked as we swerved around a corner.Oh, that's right! I forgot to mention that. Long story short: A month after my birthday, I finally passed my driver's test and my parents got me a car like they promised. Are you caught up now? Good, now back to my dilemma."André would recognize my car and I can't have him seeing me if I catch Lauren before he does," I explained as we got closer to André's house.I couldn't let this girl mess with him anymore. This sick game had to end once and for all. Although, I hoped this Lauren chick wasn't a professional kickboxer or something. 'Cause if you didn't already know, I'm not much of a fighter.Once we arrived at the block where André's house was, I told Trina to park the car across from the house, "I've got to catch Lauren by surprise, so we don't want to be too close to the house.""And exactly what are you gonna ask her? 'Excuse me, but could you pretty please stop texting my boyfriend? I would greatly appreciate it." mocked Trina, poorly imitating my voice.First Jade and now Trina. Seriously, can no one imitate my voice correctly?!"I don't talk like that!" I yelled at Trina, as a mysterious green car pulled up in front of Andre's house."Shh! Look! You think that's Lauren?" asked Trina, as the car shut off."I don't know. It could be her."The doors opened as we stared at the car, waiting for the driver to exit. Yeah, I said doors. The girl stepping out on the front passenger side was fairly slender. She was Hispanic and had long brown hair with red streaks."So… is it her?" asked Trina."No, it's not her." I sighed, as the girl on the driver's side moved to where I could see her.To no surprise, it was indeed Lauren."Do you see what she's wearing?" I asked, practically leaning on Trina."Yeah, I wonder where she got that top from," Trina replied, as Lauren and her friend stood next to the car."Probably from that new store down by the market.""I don't know. They don't carry anything nice.""But I bought this shirt from there," I uttered, looking down at my purple shirt."Proves my point," Trina spoke, as Lauren and her friend walked towards André's front door."Let's go!" I said as we got out of the car.My heart was thumping loudly. I was finally about to confront this girl. But what was I going to say?! What was I going to say?! I had to come up with something pretty darn good…"Hey, you! Stop right there!"Nailed it.Lauren and her friend immediately turned around as Trina and I walked toward them. I could tell Lauren immediately recognized me. After all, she did go through the trouble of snooping around to see who André was dating."Let me guess… Tori, right?" Lauren smirked."You guessed correctly." I replied, trying not to look intimidated, "I take it that you're André's ex?""Yeah, I'm Lauren, the infamous ex you've probably heard about." smiled Lauren, as she and her friend started laughing, "And this is my right-hand bitch, Lindsey."It was so confusing. She was actually enjoying being known as a scheming ex-girlfriend."Let me guess, you're here to stop me from talking to André. You're here to stop me from reminding him of all those fun times we used to have, aren't you?" Lauren asked as she walked up to me.I'll admit, I was a bit frightened of Lauren when we were face to face. But then I remembered I couldn't let this girl get between me and André. I had to stand up to Lauren and show her I was no one to mess with."Yeah, that's right. I'm here to stop you." I replied, pushing Lauren away from me.All I knew was if Lauren punched me, I was punching her back."Calm down, Tori. We're not here to cause trouble," spoke Trina, as she held me back.Coming to my senses, I realized she was right; I was there to talk, not fight, "Look, I have nothing to do with your previous relationship with André. But I won't have you causing trouble with what I have with him. So could you please leave us alone?"I laid it all out. Plain and simple. It was only a matter of whether Lauren would accept it."Alright, I'll go. I'll leave you lovebirds alone."I have to admit, I didn't see this coming."Wow… Thanks, I appreciate it." I sighed, feeling relieved that Lauren was going to leave peacefully.As she went to walk back to her car, she quickly turned around and swung at me.
THWACK!
The punch she threw hit me directly on the cheek. Falling to the ground, I looked up to see Trina shoving Lauren."What the hell you did that for?!" Trina shouted as Lindsey moved towards her, "What are you crazy?!"Speaking for the first time, Lindsey smirked, "Bitch, just be glad things didn't get any worse.""Oh, like this?" asked Trina, swinging on Lindsey, knocking her down, and jumping on her.Times like this made me glad that Trina knew how to fight."Hey! Get off of her!" shouted Lauren, trying to pull Trina off her friend. But before she had the chance, I tackled Lauren to the ground and began swinging at her. There was just so much anger bottled up inside of me. This was the girl who was harassing my boyfriend. The girl who cheated on him when they were together. The girl who was trying to ruin our relationship. She was going to learn that no one messes with Victoria Vega!…That sounded so much better in my head... but I'm going along with it because I'm pissed.I felt so infuriated that I barely noticed several neighbors had come outside to see what was happening. But none of that mattered because my entire attention was on Lauren, who was cowering from the punches I was throwing. Not being the sweet, innocent girl for once felt so damn good. Nothing was gonna stop me from beating the crap out of Lauren... that was until I felt someone pull me off of her."Let me go! Let me go! I'm not done with her yet!" I yelled as I struggled to break free from the person's grasp around my waist.Whoever this person was, their grip was pretty strong."I said, 'Let me go!' She deserves this--" I shouted, turning to see that the person holding me was André."What in the name of gravy is going on?!" he asked, letting me go."These crazy bitches ambushed us." lied Lauren, as she and Lindsey got up from the ground."Stop lying, you swung at Tori first," Trina responded, brushing the dirt off her shirt."It doesn't matter who started it, but I know who's finishin' it!" exclaimed Lauren, as we brushed up against one another, only to be blocked by André and several of his neighbors."You two need to get the hell up out of here before the cops show up," warned André, speaking to Lauren and Lindsey."It's good. It's good, but if she comes anywhere near me again I'm scratchin' that pretty face up." Lauren smiled, as she and Lindsey got back in their car."I'd like to see you try!" I yelled as they sped off from the block."Come inside, I'll get you two an ice pack," spoke André, helping the two of us up the steps.I spent about ten minutes explaining myself to André, while he tended to us in the kitchen. And to my surprise, he took the explanation quite well."…and that's what led to the brawl out in the streets." I explained as he rubbed an alcohol patch on the cut that was on my cheek, "I was trying to keep you out of this, but then things got out of hand-- ouch!""Sorry about that... Tori, nobody has ever stood up for me like this and that is saying a lot.""Really?" I asked, holding the ice pack on my head."Yeah, but remember, I'm perfectly capable of fighting my battles. Lauren can be a handful, but she's nothing I can't handle," said André, grabbing two water bottles from the fridge."Trust me, I'll remember that from now on," I chuckled, as he handed the bottles to me and Trina, "Just know that I'll always have your back when you need it.""So not much different than when we were just friends?" André smiled, as he held my hand, "Because I can't think of anyone I would rather have in my corner than you. That and you know I got your back too.""Always." I smiled back.André leaned in and kissed my bruised cheek, "Feeling better?""Much better," I said as Trina left the kitchen table. "C'mon, Tori. It's time to get back home.""Text me later?" I asked after getting one last hug from André."You know it.""Good.""Will you hurry it up?! My beauty rest has to start at 10 o'clock sharp!" yelled Trina, dragging me out of the house."Okay! I'm going, I'm going!"
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Monday, June 23rd
10:15 A.M.
*Sighs*
You must've been wondering when I would post a new entry. Well, I was grounded. Days after my last entry, my mom caught me making out with André in my room… with most of our clothes off. I could have sworn she said she would be gone for an hour! Thank God she didn't tell Dad about any of this. She said something about not wanting to give him a stroke.But anyway, for the past week, I wasn't allowed to hang out with André or any of my friends. I could talk with them on the phone, but only for an hour each day. Aside from that, sitting around the house listening to Trina's singing, my dad's obnoxiously loud cop buddies during poker night, and my mom giving me a different version of "The Talk" every day was torture. As a bonus, she included high-quality photos, puppets, and a two-hour sex-ed documentary Waiting Is Fun For Everyone! Ugh, I can't get those puppets out of my head. It was so disturbing!Sorry that I'm rambling on and on. I was finally let out of this prison yesterday. So to celebrate my release, André took me to the fair, which I was desperately looking forward to.
Sunday, June 22nd
4:23 P.M.
I sat patiently in the den. My mom's eyes were fixed on me like a hawk. Her overprotective mode went into overdrive ever since the day I got caught. It's like she was a freakin' prison warden or something."Don't you have something else to do?""Nope," she replied sternly."Okay," I said meekly while avoiding her gaze.
DING! DONG!
Thank God! I rushed over to the door and nearly ripped it off its hinges."André!" I squealed, nearly knocking him off his feet as we hugged, "Boy, did I miss you!""Same here." he smiled before kissing me.Mmh, not as much as I miss those lips of his…"Ahem!"We quickly moved apart as my mom approached us."Hey, Mrs. Vega, how have you been doing?" André asked, holding his hand out to her.Not losing eye contact while shaking his hand, my mom said, "Good, good. Just making sure you don't force my daughter to do anything she's not ready for.""Mom!" I exclaimed, feeling so embarrassed."No, it's okay, Tori." said André, "Mrs. Vega, I can promise you this. I will never force Tori to do anything and I mean anything she's not ready for.""Good. Let's keep it that way." my mom replied, trying to read him.This was going on for far too long."Okay! Let's get going to the fair!" I shouted, dragging André to his car, "See ya, mom!""Remember to have her back home by ten o'clock!" my mom yelled, as we got in the car.As André turned on his car and drove off, I shouted, "Ah! It feels so good to be out of that house! I feel so free!"I even wind down the window to hang my head out and feel the wind in my hair.Ah! It was so liberating.
4:58 P.M.
Arriving at the fair, we took a moment to get reacquainted in the car."God, I miss having you in my arms." sighed André, as I sat on his lap, "I was about to go crazy not being able to see you.""Well, be thankful you didn't have to listen to Trina's singing or watch my mom use a banana and a donut to demonstrate--""Okay, okay, I get it." André interrupted, trying to shake off the image, "Although... listening to Trina doesn't sound quite as bad as what my grandma made me do.""You never did go into detail about your punishment," I asked, as I sat up, "What was so bad about helping out at the nursing home?""Nothing, at first. Spending the week entertaining the elderly didn't sound so bad." began André, before his expression quickly changed, "But then that odor... and the sound of someone chewing oatmeal. I-It got to me."For a few seconds, he stared blankly out the window."André? André?!" I shouted, snapping my fingers to get his attention."W-what? Oh... thanks." he said, coming to his senses, "Sorry 'bout that.""It's okay." I stated, caressing his shoulder, "How about we stop talking about all of this?""You're right. That's all in the past. You're here, I'm here, and we have a whole day to ourselves.""I like the sound of that." I smiled, leaning in to give him another kiss.
HOOONNNKKKK!
The loud car horn startled us."My butt honked the horn." I giggled, looking back at the steering wheel."Who knew such a cute butt could do such a thing?" chuckled André."You think my butt is cute?" I asked, twirling my fingers through his dreads."Definitely," he replied, unable to look away from my flirty gaze.We kissed one last time and realized some people were staring at us."We did come to this fair for a reason," I laughed, getting off his lap, "and I want some cotton candy.""I don't care much for cotton candy." stated André, as we got out of his car, "I'm more a fan of funnel cakes.""I've never had a funnel cake before." I wondered as we held hands while walking to the ticket booth, "Are they any good?""Any good?" he repeated while paying for our tickets, "Tori, it's freakin' amazing.
9:17 P.M.
This night has been FANTASTIC! Roller coasters, bumper cars, merry-go-round, cotton candy, corn dogs, petting zoo, and the Tunnel of Love! Ugh, there was so much to take in.André even won me a purple stuffed puppy and it's soooo cute. I even got to eat a funnel cake for the first time and let me tell you… André wasn't kidding. It was so delicious! The dough was fried perfectly and the chocolate and whipped cream made it even better. After spending about four hours having an amazing time, I wanted to go for a ride on the Ferris wheel to end the night."Do we have enough tickets for both of us?" I asked as André searched his pockets.He pulled out one ticket and said, "Guess this is the only one.""Maybe we could buy some more.""They already closed the ticket booths and the fair is about to close." André replied, looking at the time on his phone, "Plus I have to get you home soon, so it's best if you use this ticket and go on the ride.""But I wanted us to go together.""Me, too. But we only have one ticket, so you should go." he insisted, handing me the ticket stub, "Besides, I have to use the restroom. I shouldn't have drank that Bladder Buster Lemonade, but it was too damn good!""You sure?""I'm sure. Now hurry before more people show up."After André left, I got in line and waited for my turn to get on. When I finally got in my seat, some guy sat beside me."Hey." smiled the guy as the ride operator lowered the safety bar."Hi," I responded, while the ride slowly started.The more I looked, the more I recognized him."Have I seen you from somewhere before?""Yeah, we used to be in the same Algebra class. I sat in the back row.""You go to Hollywood Arts?""Yeah… you don't know me, do you?" asked the guy, with a curious grin."I've seen you in class, but can't think of your name.""Well, I'll make it easy for you." the guy replied, holding out his hand, "The name's Ryder. Ryder Daniels."Shaking his hand, I was stunned. When I arrived at Hollywood Arts, I heard about Ryder from several girls; however, I never knew the gorgeous guy in my boring Algebra class was him."Tori. M-my name's Tori. Tori Vega." I stammered, still in awe."I know who you are." Ryder said as we reached the top of the Ferris wheel, "You left quite an impact at the Cow Wow.""Didn't know you paid that much attention to me.""Yeah, a cute face and an amazing singing voice." smiled Ryder, "That's kind of hard to miss."Try as I might, I couldn't help but blush. But I know what you're thinking: Tori, you remember you have a boyfriend, don't you? And I did, I did know! It just wasn't clear if Ryder was complimenting me or not."Thanks," I uttered, as the wheel began to descend.It was silent for a while after that. I didn't know what else to say or if there was anything to say."Look, I know this is sudden… but would you like to go out with me sometime?" he asked.
*Sighs*
"Ryder, you do know I have a boyfriend, right?" I asked, clutching my plush puppy."Oh… I'm sorry, I didn't know." he murmured, looking slightly disappointed, "He's a lucky guy.""Yeah, he is," I added, as the Ferris wheel came to a stop."Guess the ride is over," Ryder said as the operator lifted the safety bar.Thank God! When I finally got off the ride, Ryder approached me and uttered, "I guess I'll be seeing you, only this time you'll know who I am."As he left, I felt a strange feeling come over me. It was hard to describe, but whatever it was gave me the shivers."Tori, are you alright?"I suddenly realized that André was standing in front of me."Are you alright?" he repeated, now looking worried."Yeah, I'm good," I said, as we began to leave the fairgrounds.Back at the car, André again asked how I was."Hey, are you sure nothing happened?" he asked as he opened the door for me, "You've been quiet the whole way over here.""Yeah." I replied, coming to my senses, "Just ran into a guy I knew from Algebra class.""Who?" André asked as he buckled his seat belt."Ryder Daniels."
HONK!
"What was that for?!" I asked, wondering why André hit the steering wheel. From what I could tell, he looked pissed, "Seriously, what's going on?""Tori… can you promise me something?" André sighed heavily."What?""Can you stay away from Ryder?""Why?""Just keep away from him, please?" he insisted, turning on the car."André, there's nothing to worry about." I chuckled, clearly not taking this seriously, "Although I never took you for the jealous type--""I'm not jealous! Just stay away from him and let's not talk about this anymore." he sighed, as we drove off.I wanted to get to the bottom of this, but I didn't want to end this perfect night with us arguing."Okay," I muttered as we stopped at a red light.For the rest of the car ride, it was quiet.
9:51 P.M.
Pulling into the driveway, I was quick to exit the car once it stopped."Tori, wait." André pleaded, rushing to catch up.As we walked to the front door, I could tell he was finally ready to tell me everything."I'm sorry for lashing at you. It's just that… Ryder is a fuckboy. He enjoys toying with girls until he gets what he wants.""So you were concerned about him playing with my head? How do you know so much about this?""Well, I'm ashamed to admit it, but Ryder and I used to be friends," André answered, with a look of regret."What?!""It was years ago in middle school. We were both girl crazy. At the time it was innocent fun. But after we got accepted into HA... he took things too far." he explained, sitting on the bench by the door, "I witnessed firsthand how manipulative he could be. He even said, 'I love 'em, then I leave 'em'. After that, I stopped hanging with the guy."I never would've guessed Ryder was like that. Most of the time, I would hear nothing but good things about him."How come I never heard any of this from other girls?""That's just it. A lot of them are probably too embarrassed to say anything. Some might not even care about what he did. It's all good, as long as they can spend time with the Ryder Daniels."I hated admitting it, but there were some girls like that."I'm sorry for thinking you were jealous." I sighed as I sat next to him. "If I knew beforehand, I wouldn't have talked to him at all.""It's okay. What's important is that you know now. So we can move past this."Laying my head on his shoulder, I said, "Thanks for looking out for me.""Anytime, Tor." he chuckled, as the front door opened."Ahem!""Okay, mom. I'm coming." I sighed, going into the house, "Love you.""Love you, too." André smiled, walking back to his car, "Night, Mrs. Vega.""Night, André," she responded, not taking her eyes off him."C'mon, Mom!" I grumbled as I pulled her back into the house.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Thursday, June 26 th
2:55 P.M.
I'm so bored! I've been here since eight and it's been mostly quiet. Oh! I forgot to tell you, didn't I? During my punishment, my mom made me look for a job. About a week ago, I found one at a retail store called November Daze about a mile from HA. The pay was decent, and the hours weren't bad either. So I couldn't complain... but it was so dull at times!As I banged my head against the cash register, laughter erupted behind me. Startled, I quickly turned around to see someone I was not expecting. His sleek black hair shined from the overhead lights. A wide grin was sketched across his handsome face. His chiseled muscles could be seen through his tight shirt.Why was he here?!"Ryder?! What are you doing here?!""I could ask you the same question," he replied, leaning against the countertop."I work here.""So do I."I wanted to scream. Seriously, what are the chances of him being employed at the same job I'm at?!"That's can't be true. Mr. Gates never mentioned you." I said, trying to keep some distance, "And I don't see your name anywhere on the schedule.""That's because my vacation just ended. He didn't get to put my name on the new schedule yet." Ryder answered, giving me a curious look, "Why are you being so jittery?""I-I'm not jittery, I'm just surprised." I muttered as I tried to calm down, "Look, we may... work together. But please, keep away from me."Walking into the backroom, I could hear Ryder following me. The backroom of the store was a very cluttered place. Filled with boxes upon boxes of store merchandise, it was a miracle I never got lost back here."Hey. What's the matter with you?" asked Ryder, moving quickly to get in front, "I couldn't have done anything to offend you. I just got here.""I know all about the games you love to play with girls." I said, firmly standing in front of him, "So please, leave me alone."He looked as if he heard this a thousand times before, "Let me guess, you heard some gossip from some girl and now you're quick to judge me? Typical.""Nope. You couldn't be any more wrong." I said, crossing my arms, "My boyfriend told me."Ryder scoffed at this and asked, "And who is this guy that knows so much about me?""André Harris." I replied with a satisfied grin, "Sound familiar?"Ryder looked as if he had seen a ghost. I guess what André said about him was true."André... is your boyfriend?" he asked, looking confused.I nodded."Look, there are some things that you need to know about--"Before he could finish his sentence, a pair of voices could be heard from the storefront."Ooo! The Wagglefuffles' new album is out.""So?""So... do you think you can buy it for me?""What?""Please?""No, what happened to your money?""Well, my brother had this problem with these possums and--""Okay, okay! I'll buy it for you. Just shut up about your brother.""Yay!"Leaving Ryder to start taking inventory, I whispered, "Just do your job, okay?""Whatever you say." he bluntly replied.Walking into the main room, I was greeted by Cat who was trying on a very vibrant oversized hat."Hi, Tori!" beamed the ditsy redhead, as she bounced over to hug me, "How was your day?""It was going great... until I met a fellow employee," I responded, while Jade approached me with a couple of graphic tees, a studded belt, the Wagglefuffles' CD, and a pair of combat boots."Ring me up, Vega," she said, taking out her credit card."Sure thing." I muttered, unenthusiastically, "Where did you get the card?""Let's just say that finding some of Daddy Dearest's secrets can be very... rewarding." the mean Goth smirked, "Now ring me up!""Calm down! Sheesh! I'm new here, remember?" I said, scanning the items, "I'm still trying to get used to using this thing.""With you working here, I might start coming over more often." Jade laughed, "You know, to torture you with even more excess labor."I should've known Jade would get a real kick out of me working retail. It gives her even more chances to treat me like some servant."Cat! Stop playing around with the mannequins!" shouted Jade, as Cat stopped dancing with one of the male figures, "They're not real and they never were real.""I don't believe you!" Cat yelled, holding onto the dummy's arm, "Plus... he's kinda cute."Leave it to Cat to turn things from normal to bizarre in less than five seconds.Once the awkwardness simmered, Jade paid for her items, and the two got ready to leave."Are you still coming over to André's later?" asked Cat, giddily holding onto her new CD."Of course. I wouldn't miss Chinese Thursday for anything." I smiled as I walked with them to the entrance, "Although, I might be a little late. I get off around eight, so save me an egg roll or two."Chinese Thursday was a new tradition of ours. We started it a week before I was grounded and made it a regular part of the week. This week it was being held over at Andre's house. As the name says, Chinese Thursday is when we all get together on a Thursday evening, order tons of Chinese food, and binge-watch reality shows for the whole night. Sure, it doesn't sound too exciting, but it was another way to have fun and spend time together as friends. You don't always have to go to a party or the beach to have a great time. Sometimes all it takes is the company of your closest friends, a Wulu Max subscription, and some delicious Lo Mein."Kay kay! See ya then!" smiled Cat, as the two left the store, "Jade, can we listen to this in the car?""Hell no.""Please?!""I said, NO!""Phooey!"
8:08 P.M.
"Ugh! Work stupid car! Work!" I yelled while the engine continued to stall, "New cars aren't supposed to be like this."For the past five minutes, my car decided that now was the perfect time to act up. I've only had this car for about three months and it never gave me any problems... until now."Come on! Come on, come on!" I hissed, frustrated as I tried turning on my car, "Please crank up. I'm irritable... and hungry."The stubborn car refused to turn on, forcing me to bang my head against the steering wheel."Oh, fuck me!" I shouted as the horn honked loudly.I wasn't one for dropping the F-word, but the car was seriously pissing me off. Finally giving up on the car, I decided to call André to see if he could pick me up. Waiting patiently for the dial tone, I groaned when I realized my phone didn't have service in the area."You've got to be kidding me!" I cried as I wanted to bang my head against the steering wheel again.
Knock Knock!
Scared nearly out of my skin, I looked to see who knocked on my passenger side window."What does he want?" I muttered to myself, as Ryder stood by the door.Making sure that the taser my dad gave me was hidden behind my back, I got out of the car to see what he wanted.What? I was in a partially dark parking lot, there were not that many people around, and there was a guy who was capable of taking advantage of me, standing near my car. I had to take every precaution and be prepared.Like you wouldn't have done the same thing.Don't lie."What do you want, Ryder?" I asked, keeping a safe distance from him."I saw you were having car troubles and decided to see if I could help.""You know a thing or two about cars?" I asked, still wary of his presence."My older brother is a mechanic. He practically taught me everything I know." he responded, leaning against my car, "So how about you pop the hood and let me look at it?"There was something about what he'd said that sounded so inappropriate, but I shrugged it off. I thought about letting him check to see what was wrong, but I still felt uneasy around him. Then again, if he knew how to fix cars, he could find out what was wrong. So I went back into my car and popped the hood.It turns out Ryder did know a lot about cars."So what seems to be the problem?" I asked as he closed the hood.Wiping his oil-covered hands on his jeans, Ryder replied, "It's your starter."The confused look on my face must have indicated he needed to explain further."It's the electrical device that causes the engine to fire up." he clarified, "Without it, the car won't start."His hint of sarcasm didn't do much to calm me, "Don't be smart with me. Can you fix it?""Nope, can't fix it. You have to buy a new one."Great! Now I know what I'll be spending my first paycheck on.Remembering that Ryder had a phone, I asked, "Do you mind if I use your phone? I need to call André to come pick me up.""You haven't heard?""Heard what?""The cops that were here earlier.""What does the police have to do with anything?""They came to ask if we heard anything about the Cell Tower Bandit.""Cell Tower Bandit. Cell Tower Bandit." I repeated, trying to remember that name, "Oh! Now I remember."The Cell Tower Bandit was this idiot who ran throughout parts of LA and stole parts off cell towers. He was responsible for the lack of cell reception that night my friends and I were stuck in the giant cupcake."So until they can find the tower he stole... no signal." spoke Ryder, showing me his phone, "How about I give you a ride to his house, instead?"God, I was afraid he was gonna ask that."Umm... I'm not too sure of that." I said, trying to hide my nervousness, "Maybe I could get a Drft or-""Sure, you go do that. Wait around in the dark for a Drft that you'll have to pay for or you could get a ride from me, free of charge and without the wait," uttered Ryder, as he walked to his car.
*Sighs*
Unlocking his car and opening the driver's side door, he said, "Look, I'm not gonna try anything funny with you. I'm just giving you a ride to André's and that's it."I had no choice. I didn't feel like waiting for a Drft to arrive. I was hungry beyond reason. I didn't even have the money to pay for the ten-minute drive."Please don't make me regret this," I said, locking up my car and walking over to Ryder's green muscle car."Just calm down. You'll be at his house in no time."I'll admit, Ryder did have a pretty sweet car. Although, I barely wanted to mention this to him. Aside from the soft rock that played on the radio, it was pretty quiet and that's how I liked it. Sadly, the silence didn't last the whole ride. About a mile from Andre's house, Ryder had to stop at a gas station. Ugh! He couldn't have filled it up before he came to work?!"Please hurry back," I said, as he left the car; desperately wishing that this ride was over.Laying my head back and closing my eyes, I thought of finally making it to my boyfriend's house and finally sinking my teeth into some delicious Chinese food."Tori. Tori. Tori Vega. Well, aren't you a sight for sore eyes?"Opening my eyes, I glanced around for whoever was calling me and was disappointed by what I saw."Lauren?! What the--?! What are you doing here?!" I asked, shocked by the girl's presence.The pretty girl with a nasty attitude wore a dazzling red dress and was hanging out with what I assumed were her friends. Walking towards me, I could easily smell the alcohol drift from her."Just got back from one hell of a party and we're about to crash another one!" she laughed, as the rest of her friends giggled, "What have you been up to lately?""None of your business." I replied, trying to ignore her and her friend's cackling, "Don't you have a party to go to?""Yeah, I do. It's going to be one long night. You know how that is..." she replied, tapping me on the arm, "...oh, wait! No, you don't!""Leave her alone, Lauren. Go bother someone else."I was so focused on Lauren that I didn't notice when Ryder returned."Ryder! Haven't seen you in a while." Lauren chimed, in an almost normal tone from her usual snarkiness, "Why are you hanging out with this glorified princess?""She needed a ride from work and I was kind enough to give her one." Ryder explained while placing the gas nozzle back in its holder, "You two know each other?""We have a connection through André. Although if you ask him, he'll tell you that our time together was more... intimate."All I could do was roll my eyes at that."To be honest, I never took you for the chivalrous type." muttered Lauren, as Ryder got into the car, "Especially to someone like her.""Well maybe if you stop being bitchy, some guy will see you as more than a one-night stand.""Well, maybe that's how I like it." she snapped, avoiding eye contact with Ryder."Can we please leave?" I asked Ryder as I looked at the time on my phone, "It's 8:29 and I would like to get going."Turning on his car, Ryder said, "Don't worry, we have a few minutes left."As we drove off, something caught my attention in the sideview mirror. The look on Lauren's face spoke more than she did. Ryder's words had shaken her up. For a moment, a thought entered my mind. Why was Ryder able to shut her down so easily? Eventually, I grew tired of even thinking about her. Why should I care how she felt?Back on the road, it was once again quiet in the car. That was until Ryder's voice broke the silence."You know, she wasn't always like that."I wished the silence would return."What do you mean?" I sighed, wanting time to speed up."Lauren used to be... different. She was friendly, shy, and a bit of a nerd." responded Ryder, as he made a left turn at the green light, "Sometimes I wish she was still like that."So Lauren used to be a nice girl, so what? It still didn't make up for how she was now. A total bitch."How do you know her so well?" I curiously asked."Um, I don't know if André told you, but... he used to date Lauren." Ryder sighed."I already know. He dated her and then they broke up after she cheated on him.""Well, apparently he didn't tell you everything." Ryder said, slowing down to let an ambulance cross the intersection, "You see... I was the guy she cheated with."WHAT?!
WHAT?!
So Ryder was the guy who slept with Lauren?! That would explain why André had such a deep hatred for him."Back then, I didn't care if I hurt my best friend." said Ryder, as we made the turn that led to André's house, "Lauren, at the time, was changing. She was tempting and... I took advantage of the situation. Without even a moment of hesitation."Something about Ryder's tone gave me the impression that he regretted what he'd done."I lost my friend because of my selfishness, and gained a black eye in return." he said, with a slight laugh, "André has one hell of a right hook."The thought of André punching Ryder made me snicker. But this was quickly wiped away by another thought. Not only did André lose his girlfriend, but also his best friend. It made me feel even more sad for him.When we finally arrived at André's house, I quickly exited the car, turning around only to say, "Thanks for the ride, see ya!"Ugh! I couldn't sit in that car for another second and listen to Ryder. It was making me depressed."Fine. See ya, then," uttered Ryder, as he sped off.
8:37 P.M.
Rushing up André's walkway and eagerly ringing the doorbell, I could hear voices on the other side of the door."Do you think that's her?""I don't see her car outside.""I hope it is her. She should have been here by now."As the front door was nearly ripped open, I was greeted by a pair of toned arms that wrapped me in a tight yet comforting hug."Thank God!" André sighed, as I returned his hug, "I knew you were gonna be late, but you started to have me worried."I can't tell you how much I longed to be wrapped in those arms."I had a bit of car trouble and had to get a ride from one of my coworkers," I assured him, keeping from mentioning Ryder's name.I didn't want him to become frantic and cause a scene in front of the others. Plus, there was nothing to tell... okay, there was a truckload to tell, but now wasn't the right time."Why didn't you call me? I could have swung by or something." André said, closing the door behind me, "I called earlier, but it kept going to voice mail."I hated seeing him worry over me. Even though it showed he cared about me, I didn't want him to stress out. Now you see why I'm iffy about the details dealing with Ryder and Lauren."We were all getting ready to check on you." said Beck, as I entered the den to see Jade, Beck, Robbie, and Cat all standing up, "Is everything alright?""Yeah, just some car and phone trouble." I uttered, trying to find the right words, "I'm starving. Please tell me that you guys saved me something."After sitting with my friends and chowing down on some delicious food, I told them of my eventful night.Without mentioning Ryder and Lauren, of course."So your car wouldn't start, the Cell Tower Bandit returned, and you caught a ride with a coworker named Audrey Quagmire?" asked Robbie, as he and Cat sat together on the floor.If you're wondering who Audrey Quagmire is, she's one of the other employees who work at the store. Nice lady, although she does smell of hush puppies."Yeah, it was a strange night." I laughed while chewing on some chicken, "But it's over, and that's all that matters.""True, but you still have to move your car and get it fixed." stated André, with his arm around me, "My uncle's a tow truck operator. So I can easily ask him for a favor.""And I know of a good mechanic who can take a look at your car." Beck added, receiving a nasty look from Jade, "What?""She didn't ask for your help.""She didn't have to. I'm just being a good friend.""That's all you better be.""She's with André, why would I--""Don't question me." snapped Jade, trying to change the subject, "I had a feeling Vega would show up with some kind of weird situation.""You say that like I planned this." I replied, getting defensive, "As if I would do this on purpose.""Wouldn't surprise me." smirked Jade, "You're not as much of a good girl as you want everyone to believe."Good girl? Since when did I consider myself a good girl? I'm not a bad girl, either. But I will admit that sometimes I don't hold the door for people coming my way. I have plenty of overdue library books... from the 3rd grade, and I've once taken more than one free sample from the mall kiosk vendor. I was more of a badass than a good girl if you ask me."J... enough." said André, firmly, "Tori's had a pretty stressful day. Now's not the time to start something."God, I loved it when he stood up for me, especially when that person happened to be Jade.She sighed and said, "Sorry... I guess you're right."I don't think I'll EVER get used to Jade being apologetic. It was that much of a rare sight."Can we please get back to Marry A Groundskeeper?" Cat squeaked, as she grabbed the remote off the table, "Ellie is finding out that Wyatt has been lying about whose grass he's been cutting while she was in the hospital.""Turn it up!" André shouted excitedly, as the redhead turned up the volume on the TV."I hope she bashes his expensive lawnmower after this." smiled Jade."Ellie is too forgiving. There's no way she's leaving Wyatt." Robbie noted."You're only saying that because she found out she's carrying his child," Beck commented."How do we even know if the baby is Wyatt's? I asked, unwrapping an eggroll, "For all we know, it could be Mason's""Mason's not like that," Cat quipped with a smirk, "He's too busy with the pool boys."
10:51 P.M.
Minutes after our friends left, André and I decided to treat the rest of the night as a special date night as we ate ice cream and watched Airplane."Stop hogging the ice cream." André chuckled, as I sat on his lap and took another bite of mint chocolate chip.Mmm! My favorite."You want some?" I teased, scooping some up and hovering it in his face."Mmhmm," he said, trying to take a bite."Okay..." I said, quickly moving the spoon into my mouth."Hey, no fair!" he whined, as I giggled, "I still haven't gotten any.""Of what? The ice cream... or me?" I asked, giving him a very flirty glance.Picking up on what I was hinting at, André quickly tried to hide the grin on his face, "The ice cream, but I wouldn't mind some of you.""Wouldn't mind having some of you, too." I smiled, kissing him gently, "So, have you thought about when... it'll happen?"Curling his lips, Andre replied, "Yeah, I did. I thought about it a lot, but one thing has always popped up.""And that is?""If you're ready.""I am.""Tori... it's not that simple. I know it's not gonna be perfect, but I want you to have the best experience possible.""I will because I trust you." I said, placing my arms around him, "You love me, right?""With all my heart.""And I love you. So this will be taking our love to a more intimate level. One that I'm ready to explore... with you."André smiled after taking a moment to think, "I guess that settles it then. It'll happen near the end of summer break before school starts.""And when it happens, it'll be special... for the both of us.""I'm already looking forward to it."We shared one final passionate kiss before continuing to watch the movie.As I cuddled closer to him, I sighed, "Talk about the perfect way to end the night, huh?""Mmhmm, the best way possible.""Can every night end like this?""Only if you want them to.""Good. I like the sound of that."
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Saturday, August 2nd
2:49 P.M.
"Hey! Snap out of your daydream and set up those shirts."After that weird night with him, Ryder started acting differently toward me. He was now an insensitive micromanager who delighted whenever I made a mistake."Hello! Did you not hear me? Stack those shirts." he shouted, walking over to me."I'm not deaf, I can hear you." I replied, rushing to grab the box of men's shirts from the backroom, "I was just lost in my thoughts.""Well, think on your own time. Your break doesn't start for another four minutes; so for now, you work."Going over to the empty table near the entrance, I started absentmindedly stacking shirts. My mind started drifting off when suddenly someone wrapped their arms around my waist. Startled, I was immediately relaxed when I heard the person's voice."Excuse me, do you happen to know where I can find my beautiful girlfriend, 'cause I've been missing her like crazy."Looking over my shoulder, I could see André's dazzling smile."Hmm, only if you can help me find my handsome boyfriend." I playfully replied, turning around in his arms, "Oh, there he is.""Hey, cutie. You ready to go?""As ready as I'll ever be, just let me--"{A musical chime comes from André's phone}Taking out his phone and glancing at the text, he sighed. As he looked up, André was greeted by my very stern pout."Tor...""No! No, you can't." I whined, walking away from him, "You've already canceled two times and I was looking forward to this.""So was I, but... Carrie says it's urgent."A month ago, André got a job as a personal assistant to this studio manager over at RPX Records. I know what you're thinking, "What's the problem with that?" Well, this manager has been calling him away so much lately, that we've barely had time to spend together. It's gotten to a point where it reminds me of when André and Jade had that project together. Ugh! How I hated those days. I wish I could spend an hour or two with my boyfriend uninterrupted. Was that too much to ask?"It's always urgent with her. She can barely tie her shoes without you." I exclaimed, "We haven't had time for ourselves since you've got this job.""You know how important this job is for me. If I play my cards right, this could lead me to get a record deal." uttered Andre, placing his hands on my waist, "But I do hate that we rarely spend any time together."Sighing heavily, I held his hands and pleaded, "Then stay... for us."As his phone chimed again, André checked the text, "I'm... I'm sorry, but I promise I'll make it up to you. I promise."I couldn't believe it. I hated it, but I had to accept it.
*Huffs*
I returned to stacking shirts to get my mind off another canceled lunch date. The longer I thought about it, the more I became conflicted."Hey, why aren't you on break? You should have been gone five minutes ago," asked Ryder, as he walked over to me.Not really in the mood to deal with him, I answered, "Change of plans, I decided to keep working."Somehow sensing that I was lying, Ryder decided to be an asshole and replied, "Oh, André stood you up again? I'm honestly not surprised."Holding back my anger and continuing to stack shirts, I ignored him. But Ryder just wouldn't let it go."By your sudden silence, I'll take it that I was right." he continued, hovering over me.He stood there, grinning while he examined the shirts I folded."At least you've gotten better at folding shirts." he muttered, tossing one of them at me, "And since your plans with your ever-so-awesome boyfriend were once again canceled; you can spend the rest of your lunch break bringing in the shipment of boots that just arrived."That doesn't sound too bad."But you must do it all by yourself," Ryder added, as he walked away."Wait! What?! I can't possibly carry all those boxes by myself!" I exclaimed, following him, "Why can't Audrey help me?""She's busy taking inventory.""Well, what about Trey? I'm sure he's not busy with anything.""Trey's on his lunch break. Something you should have been on.""How about you? You're not doing anything."Walking behind the counter, Ryder sat on the high stool and placed his head on the countertop."What are you doing?" I asked, puzzled."Taking a nap. Now quit bugging me and go get those boots," he replied, closing his eyes and burying his head into his arms."You've got to be kidding me." I muttered, nudging him, "Hey! Wake up!"He didn't respond. The only noise that came from him was the gentle sound of snoring. Whether he was sleeping or not, was beyond me."This is so ridiculous!" I shouted as I went to get started with the shipment.What else could I do? Mr. Gates, the owner, wasn't here... he rarely was; and Ryder... unfortunately for me, he was the shift manager.
*Sighs*
I could have kept whining, but it was best to start moving those boots. Much better than hearing Ryder bitch about it later.
8:14 P.M.
After hours of hard, unnecessary labor, I was finally ready to call it a day. As I got in my car, I received another call from André. For the past half hour, he'd been calling me, and to be honest... I didn't feel like hearing his excuses or promises— not at the moment. All I was eager to do was go home, take off my shoes, relax in front of the TV, and eat some leftover chicken alfredo.When I arrived home, André was waiting on my front porch. It must have been pretty serious for him to meet me at my house."Didn't expect to see you here," I said, shutting my car door, "Thought you would have been on another errand run.""When you didn't answer any of my calls, I had a feeling you were still mad at me." he replied as he handed me a rectangular box, "So I picked that up along the way here."Opening the box revealed an assortment of sugar and peanut butter cookies. My favorites."Thanks. But you know this won't work every time, right?" I said as we walked toward my front porch."I know. But is it working now?""Yep," I agreed, nibbling on one of the sugar cookies."Then that's all that matters." he replied, "Anyway, I was calling because I had big news to share.""What big news?"As we sat on the bench, André grabbed my hand and took a deep breath."Do you remember that demo I gave Carrie a week ago?""Yeah, it took you a while to get her to listen to it.""Well, Carrie sent some demos she approved to her higher-ups." André continued, growing more excited, "Somehow, she'd mistakenly sent mine along with the rest of them."Slowly seeing where this was going, I uttered, "André... are you saying that--"He couldn't help but happily nod, "It's not set in stone yet, but the head executive wants to meet me in person to discuss some things!"As I joyously wrapped him in a tight hug, I smiled, "This is wonderful news! I know nothing's official yet, but if that record exec has any real taste in music, he'll sign you up immediately!""Thanks, Tor," replied André, as I finally let go."Who exactly is this guy?""That's the part that got me... it's Shawn Quincy!""Shawn Quincy?! Are you serious?!""I've got his number on my phone if you don't believe me." responded André, "I still have to call him to tell him my decision.""Decision? You didn't already agree to meet up with him?" I asked, curious as to why André hadn't already agreed to meet up.At that moment his ecstatic expression slowly turned into a more troubled look."What? What is it?" I asked, holding his hand.Trying to find the right way to explain things, André answered, "When I talked to Shawn a couple of hours ago, I asked him if I could have time to think about meeting up with him. Thankfully, he gave me until nine o'clock tonight to call him."Still confused, I asked, "What's so difficult about meeting up with him that you need time to think about it? Is he in a different part of the state or something?"Shaking his head, he said, "No, he's much farther.""Another state?" I asked, as I slowly started to worry."More like out of the States." uttered André, standing up, "In merry ol' London."
LONDON?!
"He's in London?!" I asked, getting up, "That's pretty far off.""Yeah, no kidding. He's over at some music festival and won't be in the US for another three weeks.""So why can't you wait to see him then?""I asked him that. It turns out he's been looking for some new talent to add to his label... and being ever so busy with other clients, if I can't meet up with him sometime this week, he'll look elsewhere.""That's not fair! You worked hard to get this opportunity.""He's one of the top music executives in the world, he can practically do anything he wants, except walk on water." sighed André, leaning against the wall, "And he pretty much said he's interested in my work, so...""How's your mom taking this news?" I asked, not even sure of how I felt."She was not entirely happy hearing about the long trip, but after a lecture about making grown-up choices, she told me it would be up to me whether I stay or go.""And what did you say?""I told her I had to get someone else's opinion before I made a decision," he replied as he glanced at me.Even though he didn't outright say it, I was crucial to his choice. I could be the selfish, clingy girlfriend who didn't want her boyfriend to travel half the globe to hang around British girls. Wait... what am I saying? I trusted André. I was worrying about nothing. André was the most faithful guy that I've ever been with. I had absolutely nothing to worry about.But then I thought about something else.As I've told you, André and I haven't spent much time together lately. These past ten minutes have been the longest we've spent together in two weeks. It's ridiculous, I know. So I could have easily said I didn't want him to go. The words were right there on the tip of my tongue.But... *Sighs* I didn't want him to one day see this as a missed opportunity and I definitely couldn't live with that burden on me. So how could I stand in his way?After standing there for a while, André finally spoke, "You know what? I shouldn't have dragged you into this. I don't want to pressure you with my problems.""No, no, no! It's okay." I said, walking up to him and holding his hands, "I-I want you to go.""What?" he asked, trying to clarify what I just said."I want you to go to London." I replied as I forced a smile, "Don't worry about me."Frowning, he quickly responded, "Don't do that.""Do what?""Say that I shouldn't worry about you." he answered, as we sat back on the bench, "And don't hide how you feel about something that's clearly bothering you.""I'm not hiding anything.""Tori, remember what you always say? We're a couple, so...""We don't have to be afraid to say what's bothering us." I sighed, "I know, I know.""Then tell me the truth. How do you really feel about me going to London?"I couldn't lie anymore, I was terrible at it. It was best to tell him the truth."I'm thrilled about this. I am... but I hate that you must travel so far." I sighed as I caressed his hand, "I mean, we haven't been spending much time together lately. So yeah, I'm completely split on this."With a troubled look on his face, I could tell my answer only complicated André's decision. I had to straighten this out quickly."Look at me, I want you to go to London. I'll miss you, but we can always call each other and Skype whenever we get the chance."With a growing smile on his face, André said, "Right. Plus, it's not like we're starting a long-distance relationship or something. I'll just be gone for a couple of days and then before you know it, I'm back.""And with work, hanging out with the others, and getting ready for school, I'll have plenty of things to keep me busy." I beamed as we both chuckled lightly, "Now go call Shawn before it's too late.""Okay, okay!" André chuckled, "It'll just take me a minute."After calling Shawn and speaking for roughly a few minutes, André ended the call and laughed, "Looks like I'm London-bound!""That's wonderful! When do you leave?" I cheered, wrapping him in a tight hug again."Shawn had his assistant look up LAX flight schedules and the one that seemed best for me was tomorrow afternoon at 3:55.""3:55? That's not so bad." I said, loosening my grip around him. "Um, since you don't have to leave until tomorrow... do you wanna come inside, share some of these cookies, and watch some TV, at least for an hour or two?"When he hesitated to answer, I immediately replied, "Forget it. It was a stupid question. You obviously have to go pack."But André surprised me with his reply, "No, it wasn't a stupid question. I mean, I do have to pack my things. But right now, you're more important."
*Sighs happily*
It took a while to keep myself from crying. It just felt so good to hear him say that.Eventually, André noticed the one tear that escaped my eye, "What's wrong? Why are you crying?"Quickly wiping the tear, I answered, "Nothing, it's just... you're awesome, you know that?""It must be true if it's coming from you." André chuckled jokingly, "But seriously, sometimes you gotta make time for those you love. Especially adorkable brunettes named Tori."God! If he kept this up, I would be crying for days.After we shared a brief, yet very fervent kiss on the porch, we finally went inside the house.
11:53 P.M.
"Hey... wake up, sleepyhead."I could hear André's gentle voice whispering to me. Opening my eyes slightly, I was greeted by his handsome smile. Realizing I fell asleep while sitting on his lap, I laid my head on his shoulder and tried drifting back to sleep."Tor..."Now half awake, I tried my best to form some response. Heavy emphasis on the word tried."Hee hee, you're so adorably cute... like koalas... or turkey sammiches." I mumbled as I wrapped my arms around him and snuggled back onto his shoulder.Chuckling at my drowsy state, André replied, "Thanks... I think. Now c'mon, you need to go to bed."Still dwelling in my sleepy trance, I grumbled, "Nuh-uh... no, I wanna stay here-- and kiss you, piano boy.""Maybe later, but I really must get home to start packing."As I noticed André carrying me to my room, I giggled, "Noooo. I don't wanna go to bed... 'cause if I do... who will protect my sugar castle?""I'll protect the castle, okay? No one's gonna break in." assured André, as we went up the stairs, "Your magical sugar kingdom is in good hands.""Yaaaay." I yawned, as I slowly dozed back to sleep, "I can always count on you... my handsome prince."
Sunday, August 3rd
2:48 P.M.
Waking up the next day, I rolled around in my bed. Yawning loudly, I looked around my room. The sheer brightness of the sunlight instantly snapped me out of my drowsiness, but what got me up and running was when I saw what time it was."IT'S 2:48?!" I screamed, jumping out of bed and rushing downstairs, "Why didn't my alarm clock ring?! WHY DIDN'T ANYONE TRY TO WAKE ME UP?!""Tori, can you please calm down?" asked my dad, sitting back on the sofa and entranced by his typical baseball game, "I'm sure you can still make it to school on time."Anytime one of his games was on, he was all but in a separate universe."Dad, it's Sunday and I'm still on summer break. I don't have school, remember?" I replied, before going upstairs to shower, "Forget it, I don't have time for this. I have to get going!""Okay, but only if you remember to take the dog for a walk.""We don't have a dog!"
3:51 P.M.
After rushing through endless traffic, I finally arrived at the airport. It took me a while to find a parking space, though. Thankfully, it didn't take me long to find the gate André was supposed to leave from."150, 151, 152, 153... there it is! Gate 154!" I said as I rushed towards the gate.Once I arrived, I noticed Jade, Beck, Cat, and Robbie were already there."What took you so long to get here?" Jade snidely asked, "You knew the time André was leaving before any of us, yet here you are."Not in the mood to hear any of Jade's crap, I asked Beck, "Please tell me that he didn't leave already. I overslept and...""He went to the restroom about a minute ago." Beck responded, walking over to me, "Lucky for you, his flight had a ten-minute delay. Something about a glitch in the system."Breathing a sigh of relief, I said, "That's good— not the glitch, I mean. But that I'm not late to see him off.""I still can't believe André's going to London!" squeaked Cat, bouncing up and down, "I wonder if he'll meet Harry Potter.""Harry Potter's not real, Cat. He's just a character," stated Beck."No, I'm pretty sure he's real." assured Cat, "He just lives a private life away from us Muggles."Typical Cat. She's so sweet, but you can't help but wonder what's in that pretty little head."Okay, this is just too weird. There's no such thing as witches or wizards. Now can we all just shut up about it?" demanded Jade, crossing her arms, "Anyway, it's pretty cool that Dré might get a deal; even if he does have to travel halfway across the world to do so. Although, I must say I'm surprised to see you so calm about this.""Why should I worry? He's just going there to speak with a major record executive." I stated, shrugging off Jade's negativity, "If anything, I'm proud of him. He's come a long way and he's finally being rewarded for it.""Hmm, glad to hear you say that." a voice behind me spoke.Turning to face André, I eagerly hugged him and apologized for being late, "I'm just fortunate that your flight was delayed.""It's okay, you're here now and that's all that matters. Plus, I'm not surprised you overslept. You seemed pretty tired last night." laughed André, taking out his phone, "But I must thank you for falling asleep on me."Confused, I asked, "Why is that?""When I tried to wake you up, let's say you started to say some things. Things that I'll enjoy listening to on my flight.""What kind of things?" I questioned, now curious."It'll be so much better for you to hear it." André replied, playing the recorded audio from his phone, "At first it was nothing but you mumbling, but after a while, you started saying some things.""Oh God, you recorded it?" I asked, embarrassed."I had to! You were so cute." smiled André, as the others came to listen."Hmm, I didn't know turkey sammiches were cute." laughed Beck."Piano Boy? Oh, now I get it, 'cause André plays the piano." wondered Robbie."You sure you weren't drunk, Vega?" Jade snickered, "Who knew a prissy little girl like you actually drank?""I wasn't drunk! I was just really sleepy." I reassured everyone."Aww, I didn't know you two had a sugar kingdom." chimed Cat, hugging both André and me, "You two are so cute together!""Thanks, Cat. Uh, Tori, can I get a moment with you... alone?" André asked."Sure."To my surprise, André picked me up and twirled us about as we walked toward the terminal windows."Whoooo!" I giggled, twirling my fingers through his dreads. "So what did you have to tell me?""Oh, right. I had something to tell you." André responded, clearly enjoying how close we were, "Um... look, I know I haven't been the best boyfriend lately. And although last night was great, it still doesn't make up for the other times. So, I promise-- No, I guarantee that when I return from London, I will do all I can to show how much you mean to me.""André, you've been the best boyfriend I've ever had. Do you hear me?" I assured him while caressing his shoulders, "Aside from my drowsiness, last night was more than I could ask for. I got to spend time with my charming boyfriend, alone and uninterrupted. It wasn't anything fancy, but it was still special to me. So don't go to London thinking you're terrible. You are my prince, after all."André had the most beautiful smile I'd ever seen just then."I'm quite honored to be your prince, but what's a prince without his gorgeous princess?" he beamed, pulling me into a tender kiss.We didn't care who was watching; we wanted to savor this final moment.As we finally came up for air, André asked, "Are you sure I can't sneak you onto the plane? 'Cause after that kiss, I'm hungry for more.""I wish I could, but when you get back, there will be plenty more where that came from," I replied, flirtatiously.
[Attention passengers, we are now boarding British Airways Flight 282 to London. I repeat, British Airways Flight 282 to London.]
"That's my flight." André sighed as he grabbed his messenger bag from Beck, "Thanks for holding my bag.""No problem. Now you better get on that flight before it leaves without you." joked Beck, as they hugged."How are you able to fit all of your stuff in that small bag?" asked Cat, poking André's bag "Your guitar can't possibly fit in there.""His stuff is already on the plane." explained Robbie, "Those guys with the earmuffs placed it on the plane minutes ago. Remember, we saw them from the window.""Oh! Right." Cat giggled, as she pecked Robbie on the cheek."Ugh, I'll never get used to you two dating." muttered Jade, "It feels so weird and wrong.""You can hate all you want, but it doesn't matter." Robbie responded, with an air of confidence, "As long as I've got Cat in my life, nothing you say can hurt me.""Aww!" Cat and I uttered.Smirking, Jade walked over to Robbie and kicked him in the leg."Oww! What was that?!" exclaimed Robbie, as he fell to the floor."What the hell, Jade?!" asked Beck, helping Robbie to one of the seats."What? He said that nothing I say would hurt him." chuckled Jade, "So I kicked him.""Why?!" asked Robbie, trying not to cry."'Cause I wanted to."Yup, that's all the reasoning Jade needs to do something.
[We are now boarding First Class passengers. First Class passengers are now boarding.]
"Finally," André said, taking the plane ticket from out his jacket pocket."You're flying first class?" I asked, astonished."Well... yeah.""Whoa, Shawn Quincy is going all the way just to get you to London." Jade remarked, looking quite impressed, "I shouldn't be surprised, though; you're an amazing musician. He'll be a real jackass to pass up someone like you.""Thanks, Jade." André uttered, as the two hugged, "Take it easy on the others while I'm gone.""I'll try, but I can't make any promises." smiled Jade, as André walked over to Beck."You're gonna do great, man." Beck stated, "Just don't come back bragging about how Europe changed your outlook on life. We had enough of that when Robbie went to Puerto Rico.""But that trip really did change my life." added Robbie, as Cat massaged his sore leg, "I fell in love with New Age music over there. That seriously changed things for me.""Yet, you didn't have to constantly play it wherever you went." mumbled Beck, under his breath, "Anyway, good luck to you, André. I know you're gonna kill it over there.""Bring home that record deal!" shouted Robbie and Cat, joyously, as Cat ran up to hug him.Smiling, André said, "Don't worry, I will.", while Cat sat back down to tend to Robbie's "wound".Turning to look at me, André said, "Last, but not least..."Putting on my best smile, I tried to hold back all of my emotions for this moment, but I just couldn't hold back hard enough. I ended up bursting into tears. Practically rushing towards André and wrapping him in one final hug."Hey, hey. It's okay. I rather see your true feelings than a fake smile." he stated, rubbing my back, "Remember, you can always call me when you need me and we always have Skype, okay?""But that doesn't mean I'm gonna miss you any less.""I know. I'm gonna miss you, too."Seeing the last couple of First Class members line up to enter the terminal, André uttered, "I have to go."Wiping the tears from my face, I said, "Love you.""Love you, too, cutie," he uttered, as he started walking to the gate.After the gate agent cleared him to go onto the plane, André looked back at me and waved."Goodbye!" I shouted as I waved back."It's not goodbye. It's see ya later!" he smiled, as he turned to walk down the terminal.After the last passenger boarded the plane, we waited by the window to see it take off.I have to admit, I was proud to see him off to London, but I could only hope that he would come home safe and sound. As the plane took off, we waved as one of our own was off to another country."See ya later," I whispered, as the airplane slowly disappeared among the clouds.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Part III: The Start of a Cautionary Tale
Entry #011: On-The-Job Texting
Thursday, August 7th
12:45 P.M.
It has been almost four days since Andre had left for London.As much as I would love to say that things have been going well over there... it hasn't.For starters, Andre's acoustic guitar was destroyed during the plane's unloading.This really devastated him, seeing as it was his "lucky" guitar; which just so happened to also be the guitar that he started learning with.To say that it was a bad way to start off his trip was an understatement.But it only got worst.When Andre finally got to the hotel that he was staying at, he was disappointed to find that the room next to his was being remodeled.So, yeah... he really didn't get much sleep that first night.The very next day, after waiting for over an hour and a half, Andre's first meeting with Shawn Quincy was canceled. Apparently, Shawn was too busy with some of his other clients to deal with the one guy he was so eager to have flown over to London.It seemed pretty ridiculous to me.Almost like a waste of time.But thankfully, Shawn had postponed their meeting to today... wait... I mean, tonight over in London.Ugh, I'll never get used to the time differences.Anyway, all last night, Andre had been busy planning what he was gonna do today.Coming up with some new song ideas.Writing new lyrics for some of his older songs.Continuously practicing the set of songs he was gonna play for Shawn.It was completely hectic!But he wasn't at it alone.Throughout it all, we were video chatting with each other.Occasionally, Andre would ask for my opinion; ranging from whether his guitar playing sounded good, whether he should change up some of the lyrics, or whether he should or shouldn't use a certain song during the meeting.Aside from him complaining that the guitar that he bought at one of the local music stores was a bit "stiff", his skills alone were enough to make him sound pretty good.The only thing that worried me was that even though he kept acting as if none of the unfortunate events affected him, I could just tell that they did.Every now and then, he might accidentally play the wrong chord or mix the lyrics from one song with another.A second later, he would stress out for a bit and then quickly try to hide how he was feeling.
Sighs
I just wish that I could fly over to London, and give him a big hug.He could sure use one right now.But as much as I worried about my boyfriend, I couldn't ignore what occurred just an hour ago.Saying it was ridiculous is putting it very lightly.
11:24 A.M.
It was once again a pretty long day at work.The store had a fair amount of customers coming in and out, so I was almost always on my feet.Although, I couldn't say the same for my manager.Somehow, Ryder had resided himself in the storage room......with our coworker, Vanessa.He claimed that she was helping him organize the merchandise and take up inventory, but I knew that that was a lie.They were doing other things back there.How was Ryder getting away with this?Beats me.All I knew was that they had a thing for each other.Anyway, Vanessa really wasn't that bad.She was about my height, fairly slender, pale-skinned; and unlike Cat, Vanessa had natural red hair.She'd only been working here for about a week and so far, we've actually gotten along with each other.Like, there were a few times where she would actually stand up for me whenever Ryder was being his typical self.Even more surprising was how Ryder would really listen to her.But even though I was appreciative of what she'd done for me, I couldn't help but wonder why she was hanging out with a guy like Ryder.She could do so much better.As I stood behind the counter, I gazed around the store and notice that it was once again empty.Hmm, maybe I could send a quick text to Andre. Just gotta make sure that Ryder doesn't catch me.Taking out my phone, I quickly sent a text to Andre's number.
{Heyyy! :)}
After about a minute, Andre finally replied.
{lol is it weird that I was just about to text you?}
{Nope, not at all. I just wanted to send a quick text before you met up with Shawn.}
{Thanks. I could really use a pick-me-up.}
{Why u say that?}
{I'm just so nervous right now, that I'm practically shaking. Not even kidding.}
Reading that text made me feel even more worried for him.If he kept on like this, he would be a complete mess when it came time to perform.Thinking for a moment, I came up with the perfect way to get him to calm down.
{Andre, snap out of it! You're gonna rock this meeting! You just need to take a deep breath, clear your mind off of what's bugging you, and think of the time we went to the library... to study.}
{You mean, the reference section?}
{Mmhmm. ;D}
{That was a pretty good study date. Especially because you wore your glasses. Sexy librarian.}
I have to admit, I've always laughed whenever he mentioned that about my glasses.
{Yup! lmao Remember how I would gently rub behind your ear? Don't deny it, you really loved that.}
{Okay, that would really make my day right now.}
{Feeling better?}
{Yeah, much better. Not jittery anymore. I'm calm... and maybe a little turned on. :)}
{Good. Just focus more on the calming part and you're good to go!}
For some reason, Andre didn't immediately respond after that.It wasn't until three minutes later that I got a reply.
{Oh, sorry. The meeting's just about to start. Wish me luck!}
{You don't need any. You got this! :D}
Bang!
The sudden slam of the storage room door caused me to accidentally drop my phone."Dang it." I muttered, quickly dropping to the ground, "Where is it? C'mon, where is it?"As I scurried around the floor, I couldn't find my phone to be anywhere in sight.That is until I came across the feet of someone wearing red Nikes."Hmm, were you looking for this?" asked a voice that I dreaded hearing.Looking up, I gazed into the face of a smirking Ryder.Leaning against the counter, he held my phone and seemed quite pleased with himself.With a deep sigh, Ryder asked, "Texting on the job? You know the rules, Vega. This is what, the second time I've caught you?""I know, I know. It just fell out of my pocket." I lied, quickly standing up and brushing the dust off my hands, "I wasn't texting or anything.""Oh, really?" smiled Ryder, turning on the screen of my phone."Wait!" I shouted, trying to snatch it out of his hands, "That's personal."As Ryder read through my recent texts, he started laughing, "Aw! Looks like someone misses their boyfriend.""Give it back!" I demanded as Ryder continued to block me."Okay, I'll give you back your phone, but only because you gave me a good laugh for the day." Ryder smiled, returning my phone, "You can fool around on your own time, not when you're working."As Ryder started to walk away, I muttered, "I could tell you the same thing."Probably shouldn't have said that out loud."What was that?" asked Ryder, turning around."Nothing. I was just thinking out loud.""Oh, really? Sounded more like a snarky comment." he insisted, leaning over the counter, "Well, spit it out. I'm dying to hear what's on your mind."I could have easily avoided this.All I had to do was deny that I ever said anything about him and then went straight back to work.Staring down at me, Ryder uttered, "Well, I'm waiting."But as much as I wished that I didn't wound up in this situation, a part of me was glad that I did.Why?For several weeks, I've had to put up with Ryder's crap.But now I couldn't take it anymore."It's true, I was texting Andre earlier, but at least I'm not some arrogant jerk who loves harassing people." I stated, looking dead in his face, "I mean, God, you're such a hypocrite. You call me out for fooling around on the job, but you were entertaining Vanessa in the storage room for the past ten minutes."The shock on Ryder's face was utterly hilarious.He looked as if he didn't expect me to just come out with that."You sometimes take naps out in the open; on more than one occasion, you stayed out longer than your lunch break allowed, and boy! who could forget the time you forgot to lock up the store, and several of the merchandise was stolen? Poor Audrey quit her job just because she thought she was responsible. You didn't even try to admit to your mistake. You just sat there and let an innocent employee take the blame. God, you're so much worse than Andre said."Mentioning Andre must've struck a nerve, 'cause Ryder started to look pissed."There you go again! Andre this, Andre that! Always about Andre. No one gives a fuck about your relationship with a guy who's on the other side of the world."From this point on, Ryder was slowly making me more and more furious."You hop and skip all around this store, thinking that you're so much better than everyone else. And for what? Just because you have the most wonderful boyfriend in the world? If he's so damn awesome, then why is his career more important than you?"With just those last words, he was slowly crossing the line."You don't know a damn thing about my relationship!" I shouted, walking around the counter to confront Ryder, "And I don't have to explain myself to someone who sleeps around with anything that has a pulse.""Don't hate just because you and Andre don't fuck much. Maybe then you'll stop acting so bitchy." laughed Ryder, crossing his arms, "Then again, who knows? Andre would probably be too busy writing songs to even do anything with you."He was just trying to get to me.But it wasn't gonna work."You're so pathetic. I'll never understand how Andre could have ever been friends with someone like you."Chuckling, Ryder replied, "You know, Andre really was a good friend, and I'll always regret messing that up. But let me tell you something. Andre is one hell of a musician, and he's definitely going places... but one day, he's gonna reveal his true self to you.""What are you saying?" I scoffed, tired of his games."I only have one question for you. When Andre finally makes it big, where exactly are you gonna be?"Hesitating for a moment, I answered, "Hopefully, I'll be working on starting my career. What's your point?"Giving me a pity stare, Ryder explained, "Hmm, do you honestly think that after Andre is successful, he'll be willing to stay in a relationship with you?""Y-yeah, he would. What does it matter?""You were gonna learn it one way or the other, but I might as well tell you." sighed Ryder, as Vanessa came out from the back room, "You're an anchor, and all you'll end up doing is holding Andre down. So what's he gonna do? He's gonna drop you, 'cause he's got bigger, better things to do."I couldn't believe what I was hearing. He was scrapping the bottom of the barrel for anything that would upset me.Andre wouldn't do such a thing... he loved me.I mean, he loves me."If you really think that of Andre, then you honestly don't know him at all.""I don't care if you don't believe me. All I know is that I tried to warn you. It's gonna happen one day, and it's going to hit you hard. Hell, for all we know, Andre could be signing a record deal as we speak. Sooner or later, he'll be living it up in New York, with a ton of Grammys, and probably banging one or two of his backup sing-"
Smack!
With all my strength, I furiously slapped Ryder."How dare you say something like that?" I asked seethingly, as my hand stung from hitting him, "He wouldn't just leave me to further his career."Rubbing the left side of his face, Ryder strangely didn't look at all upset, "I hope that felt good to you. Just to get all the anger and pain out. But trust me, the longer you stay with him, the more it's gonna hurt in the end."Slowly calming down, I replied, "You're so... so sad. I almost feel sorry for you. How can you possibly live with yourself?""Easy. By not being ignorant of what's happening in front of me." Ryder remarked, as he walked past me, "And just so you know, you're fired."Wait... what?!Was I just fired?As I stood there in utter disbelief, I could hear Ryder call out to me, "You might as well gather your things and leave."Sniffling, I quickly turned around, "Why am I being fired?""Why? I could give you three good reasons why." Ryder answered as Vanessa looked confused about what was going on, "Your attitude is disgusting, you assaulted your manager, and I caught you texting twice. Need I go on?"I couldn't believe it.This was so... so... fucked up!"Wait, Ryder, don't you think this is a little harsh?" asked Vanessa, walking over to him, "Couldn't you just give her a warning?""Nope, she pushed too far and she's getting what was coming to her." replied Ryder, with a smirk, "For today, you'll have to take over for her."As Ryder left, Vanessa started following him, "But Ryder-""Vanessa, you don't have to do that." I insisted as I stopped her, "I wouldn't want you to lose your job as well.""But it's not right, Tori. I mean, I know we haven't known each long, but it's not right for someone to get fired like this."I have to admit, I did appreciate her wanting to help me. But I knew that this was a completely irreversible situation.No point in dragging others down with me."Thanks, but it's just a job. I can find another one." I uttered, as some people entered the store, "Um, you should go and see if they need some help.""I really am sorry." Vanessa apologized, before leaving to help the customers.Sighing heavily, I grabbed my phone off the counter and made my way to the back room to gather my things.It was just a job, and I could always find another one...
1:21 P.M.
Arriving back home, I was quick to grab my favorite pint of ice cream out of the fridge and watch a marathon of Impractical Jokers.Try as I might, neither the ice cream nor the show was able to cheer me up.All I could think of was how I was gonna explain this to Mom and Dad.How was I ever gonna tell this to Andre?
*A musical chime plays on my phone*
Speak of the devil! It was him.Immediately, my thoughts changed to hoping that he had some good news.Now it looked like I was the one in need of a pick-me-up."Hey, I was just thinking about you. How did things go?" I asked, eager to hear his news.
{Well, I didn't get signed...}
Sighs
This couldn't be right. How could they not sign him?Ugh, this day just keeps getting better and better."Andre, I'm so sorry. Maybe-"
{Whoa, Tori. Just listen. That's not what I mean.}
Confused, I asked, "Then what are you talking about?"
{*chuckles* I was in fact offered a contract.}
Over joyously screaming at the top of my lung, I couldn't explain how insanely happy I was.I knew that after all that hard work and determination, in the end, it would all work out just fine.
{Ha ha! Sounds like you're more than happy about it.}
"Yeah, I really am. But, um... how can you not be signed, yet be offered a contract?"
{Well, for most of the meeting, all Shawn wanted to know was everything about me. Something about "knowing the man before the musician". Anyway, after that, I played for him a couple of my songs, and he and the other executives said that I had the potential to become something big. We then talked some more about legal terms, promoting, and a bunch of other stuff. After all that, Shawn told me that he was eager to get me signed with his label.}
"So why didn't it happen yet?"
{That's where it gets tricky. He wants me to wait until I have an entertainment lawyer with me to finally set things in order. So it's gonna take me a while to find a reasonably priced one.}
"How long are we talking?"
{A couple more days.}
"How much is a couple more days?"It was pretty quiet on his side."Andre?"
{A-about a week.}
"A week?! Seriously?" I asked, once again feeling the depression coming over me, "I thought you were only staying for three or four days."
{I know, but Shawn seems pretty confident in me. I wouldn't have agreed to this if I wasn't absolutely sure that the outcome would be good.}
Ugh, a week? I mean, it'll be more than a week if you add the past couple of days, but still...Even though I've already dealt with being away from him for a whole month, I still missed him a lot.
Sighs
Guess I'll just have to suck it up.
{What's even crazier is that after I get signed, he wants me to start recording an EP.}
"An EP?"
{Extended play. Shorter than an album, but longer than a single. So if things turn out right by the end of this trip, I'll have an EP with four of my best songs... hold on a second.}
From what I could tell, Andre was talking to a woman. I could barely make out what they were saying, but what I could hear was something about "going out", "dinner", and "seeing the nightlife of the city".As much as I tried to hold back my curiosity, I couldn't help but wonder who it was he was talking to.
{Okay, I'm back. Um, that was Hope Quincy, Shawn's daughter. He sent her to take me out to this restaurant he owns.}
"Oh, is Shawn gonna be there too?" I asked, trying to ignore my envious thoughts.
{Yeah, he said he wanted to talk some more about the future of my career... wait! I'm sorry. I've been talking way too much. *chuckles* Um, how was your day at work? Is that manager of yours still being a hardass?}
This was exactly what I was fearing.Andre has pretty much had the greatest day of his life, and now... now he wanted to know how things had been going with me.The only problem was I had nothing but bad news.
Sighs
Just like I couldn't bring down Vanessa with my problems, Andre shouldn't have his day ruined because of my issues.After all, he'd been through since he'd got to London, and for things to finally come up for him?I'll just have to wait to tell him later... or not at all."No, we resolved our issues. You can pretty much say that I won't have to deal with them anymore." I muttered, eager to move on from this, "Um, my mom is calling me. Talk to you later tonight?"
{Yeah... sure. Love you.}
"Love you too."
{Bye.}
As I lay back on the sofa, I gazed blankly at the muted TV.This was gonna be one long week, and I was sure that there were more problems yet to come.