xxxxXxxxx

"I want to wake up first. I wouldn't care if were just an hour.

As long as I were properly alive and awake."

"Lyra Silvertonuge"

The Amber Spyglass

xxxxXxxxx

Tori paced her living room and glanced down at her watch for the twelfth time in five minutes. She walked to the front door and peaked out the side window. But, she realized that she wouldn't be able to see anything because the window was made out of frosted glass like a shower door. She then thought about how stupid it was to have a window by the door that you couldn't even see through while she opened the door –

And screamed when she caught sight of her dad standing right there on the other side of it.

"Ahh!"

"Ahh!" Daniel said, waving his arms around at her. "It's your father!"

"Dad," Tori complained. "That's not funny!" She closed the door after her father walked back inside. "Did you see anything?"

"No I didn't," Daniel answered.

Tori gave him an 'uh' "noise. Then why did you come inside?"

"Because I'm not going to stalk our driveway for Andre's car," her dad said. "The neighbors already have enough to talk about when Trina sunbathes wrapped in tinfoil on the deck."

"Oh, that reminds me," Holly Vega said from the sofa, where she was reclined reading a Jodi Pinchot book. "We need more tinfoil."

Tori stared at her mom: "You're not helping!"

"Honey relax," Mrs. Vega closed her book and set it on the coffee table. She turned the face of her black banded watch towards her wrist. "It's only 5 minutes till seven. Andre will be here."

"Unless he got suspended and thrown in jail," Tori stated and sat on the arm of the sofa. She grabbed an orange couch cushion and hugged it to her chest.

Daniel came over to where she was sitting. "Tori, you normally don't go straight from suspension to jail. There's usually a downward spiral process somewhere in between."

"I just don't want him to get in trouble because of me," Tori said and drew her knees up sideways on the couch arm and sat as tight as a curled cat.

"Baby," Daniel placed a hand on her shoulder. "Andre's not going to get in trouble, because he didn't do anything wrong. He was protecting you—And if anyone has a problem with that, I'm going to have them arrested." He drew her into a one armed hug.

The doorbell rang.

"Andre!" Tori shot out of her dad's hug and rand to the door and tore it open.

Andre smiled at her when the door opened. "Hey Tori, you ready-" his word were cut off when Tori tackled with a bone crushing hug.

Andre was a little startled at first, but then he returned her hug and rubbed her back.

"Honey," Daniel said, watching Tori and Andre, his voice a little said, a little in disbelief: "My hugs have been replaced."

"Oh my god! Are you okay?" Tori released Andre and dragged him inside the house and slammed the door. "You didn't go to jail did you!?"

"Principal Ikner only gave me a week of detention," Andre answered. "He said it was normally more, but because Beck and Jade backed me up about what happened, he cut me some slack. So no jail," he smiled lightly at her to give her some reassurance that he would be fine. "Jail wasn't even brought up" Andre paused his looked changed, "At least not with me."

Tori pulled back and looked at him. "David-?"

"Lane told me the cops came to his house about an hour ago," Andre said.

After she left Hollywood Arts with her mom, Tori had met up with her dad at the 34th Precinct where he worked and had filed a former complaint against David for aggravated battery.

"I'm sorry Tori," Andre knew that Tori didn't have any love loss for David but she wasn't the type of person that liked getting anyone in trouble. "Hey," he laid his hand on her arm. "You didn't do anything wrong okay? You did what you had too. It's over, it's done—" he took both her hands in his "Don't let him hurt you anymore."

Andre tucked a piece of loose hair behind her ear like head done previous night. Only this time she was awake to feel it. He held her at arms' length and took in her red dress, cropped steel gray jacket and black ankle boots. She was wearing concealer around her eye and left cheekbone. Still some of the bruising and butterfly bandages were visible through the makeup because the doctor warned against using a lot due to the risk of infection.

Andre smiled at her: "You look amazing," He watched her smile back, slow at first, but then it started to creep into a full fledged Tori Vega smile. He offered her his arm. "You ready to go?"

"Here baby," Mrs. Vega stood up from the couch and walked over to Tori with a pair of gray plastic framed sunglasses. "You forgot these" She opened the arms of the sunglasses and started to slide them on her daughter's face, but then her husband pulled them away from her.

"No she didn't," Daniel closed the glasses and hung them in the neck of his blue shirt. "She doesn't need them," he set a hand on her shoulder. "Andre's right Tori – you look amazing."

Tori felt her throat close up, and in the same moment forgot how to form coherent words. So instead she reached up and drew her arms around her father. "Thanks daddy."

Daniel returned the hug tightly. He pulled her back and kissed the top of her head. "Just have some fun tonight okay?"

Tori slid her arm through Andre's and smiled at her dad. "We will-" she turned to Andre with the smile still firmly in place. "Come on." she pulled him to the front door.

"Not too much fun!" Daniel called back as Andre opened the door.

Tori turned around and looked at him "Dad!"

"Kidding!" Daniel called back. He watched them walk through the door, and close it behind them.

Once they were safely gone, Daniel turned to his wife: "I'm not kidding."

Holly shook her head at him in sympathy, and patted the side of his face: "I know baby."

xxxxxXxxxxx

The bar was incredibly crowded as Robbie tried to juggle a container of soy sauce (low sodium), and two cups of iced green tea. He managed to bump into no less than two girls on the way back to the table. They gave him offended looks, but Robbie was more concerned not to drop the items he was holding then notice their snarky looks.

"Here Cat," Robbie set one of the brightly colored green cups in front of Cat, and removed the soy sauce container from under his chin. "A green tea, from your sweet pea," he gave Cat a wide smile and reclaimed his seat next to her.

"Oh I love green things!" Cat exclaimed with a giggle. "Thanks Robbie," She patted the top of his thick curls and smiled at him in a way that seemed to make Robbie melt like ice cream on a summer day.

Jade made a face. "You know you two are being so cute it's starting to sicken me." She took a drink from her glass.

"Aww, " Cat gave Jade's wrist a pat. "Thank you," she giggled again.

Jade started to roll her eyes, but in the end she smiled and just shook her head at Cat in the affection a sister would give. She turned when she felt Beck's eyes on her. "What?"

Beck looked at her in amusement, roughing a hand on her shoulder. "I think you're going soft."

"Oh what do you know!" Jade retorted. But she didn't pull away when Beck drew her against his side.

Mrs. Lee emerged from a thicket of girls on their way to the Make Your Own Sushi Bar. And she wasn't alone. She was leading Tori and Andre in front of her.

"Hello crowd from Hollywood Arts!" Mrs. Lee's smile about split open her face, and she added a wave that could be seen from space.

Everyone at the table said some variation of 'hi' to Mrs. Lee.

"Look who I brought to the table, Tori Vega and Andre Harris!" She waved at them like she was showing off prized wares at the bazaar. "Ahh, they came because my new sushi rolls are the best the entire world. Isn't' that right?" She gripped Tori and Andre's shoulders that very much resembled a Sleeper Hold.

"Oh yeah," Tori said, a little too fearful to disagree with the over eccentric Mrs. Lee.

"Best Sushi on the planet," Andre added.

Mrs. Lee smiled her maniacal smile, and tightened her hold. Tori visibly flinched. Mrs. Lee didn't notice. "You crazy kids," she waved their forced answers off. "You have fun at my restaurant tonight, understand?" She giggled and scurried away and the full skirt of her dress puffed out behind her like rising bread dough.

"Ow," Tori said once Mrs. Lee was out of range.

"That woman's got issues." Andre said, rotating his left arm, hearing a click, click from Mrs. Lee's death grip.

"Sorry we're late guys," Tori apologized maneuvering her arm like Andre's. "Mrs. Lee cornered us at the entrance to ask us to try samples of her new stewed pumpkin giant squid sushi. It tasted like melted tires," She winced and rubbed at her arm. "I think she separated my shoulder."

"Hang on," Andre said. "I got this." He moved up behind her to rub her shoulder.

Tori let her head drop in appreciation. "Thanks," she raised it up a second later, and looked over her shoulder at him. "Oh hey, could get me a Thai Tea?"

"Sure, no prob," Andre responded.

"They serve Thai Tea here?" Robbie asked confused. "I thought this was a Korean restaurant."

"You don't wanna think about it," Andre said back. "You'll just get a cranial bleed," he released Tori's shoulder. "I'll be right back."

"Yeah I'll come with you," Beck said and stood up from his chair.

"Alright cool," Andre said and the two boys walked towards the bar.

"Tori- "Jade studied Tori over the rim of her plastic glass like a mob boss. She kicked out the empty chair across the table from her with her boot. "Have a seat."

"Ok-ay," Tori said a little hesitantly, dropping into the chair and hanging her brown purse on the back of it. She and Jade were friends, but that still didn't mean that Tori stopped checking her chairs for tacks whenever Jade was around.

"So how's it going?" Jade fingered the rim of her glass with her pointer finger. The turquoise ring that she had worn yesterday in class sat on it. It was actually been a gift from Beck on their one year anniversary. Jade never told anyone that, it kind of made it loose its bad assness'

"It's better," Tori said taking a sip of the complementary water in the little glass by her elbow. "Thanks for asking, my eye still a little swollen but it feels a lot-"

"I'm not talking about that," Jade cut off, taking a swallowful from her glass. "I mean you and Andre?"

Tori shot Jade a look. "Me and Andre what?"

"Oh come on Tori don't be such a card!" Robbie said, "Everybody knows about you guys-"

"Robbie!" Jade interrupted. "Cat needs another drink."

Robbie looked over at Cat's full glass of Green Tea. "No she doesn't."

Jade picked up Cat's glass and poured its contents on the floor. "Now she does."

Robbie was the only one between him and Cat that looked upset at Jade's act. "Fine!" he stood up and slid his chair back with an audible squeaking sound and walked away.

"Stop playing dumb Vega," Jade said to Tori. "Even Robbie knows about what's been going on with you and Andre lately."

"Hey!" Cat said in defense of her boyfriend. "Oh, wait, never mind, I just got it-" she giggled for a moment. "But seriously Tori Jade's right. You and Andre are good together, what you have is totally real."

Cat was a very happy go lucky girl, but whenever she had something meaningful to say it was worth listening too.

Which is why Tori practically chugged down her tiny glass of water to drown out the rising emotions inside her.

xxxxxXxxxxx

"So how's your hand?" Beck asked Andre as they waited for Tori's drink order.

Andre fisted his right hand and palmed it in his left with a slight wince. "It's still attached." His admittance was an honest one. It wasn't like in the movies, all cool and easy. Hitting bone was like punching a brick, it hurt.

"But Tori's totally worth it," Beck said. He watched Andre turn away from him and clear his throat awkwardly. "Dude will you relax, it's not a crime to dig her."

Andre turned back to him. "She's my best friend Beck."

"I think that's kind of the point, man. " Beck said slapping a hand on Andre's shoulder. "No one's going to care about her the way you do."

Robbie pushed his way in-between Andre and Beck. "Hey guys, what's up?" he said smiled casually at his two friends. "Just came here to get my honey pot a little more tea."

Beck noticed Robbie's hair was roughed up and there was a large stain on the front of his plaid shirt. "What happened to you?"

Robbie looked down at his shirt. "Oh, that." He blew it off. "I slipped on a puddle of green tea. Totally by accident. You know," Robbie laid a hand on Beck's shoulder. "Jade's a peach man, you got a stellar girl there." Robbie waved over one of the women who worked behind the bar. "Hey there lady." He flashed her a smile. "Can I get another green tea in a pretty glass?"

The girl handed Robbie his tea in a blue frosted glass. "Is this pretty enough?" She had long platinum blonde hair and sea green eyes, and she was totally hitting on Robbie, batting those eyes at him.

And Robbie was totally oblivious to it.

"Oh, thank you dear," Robbie smiled politely at her and took the glass from her and that was it.

He then turned to Andre with a smile that showed all his teeth as the girl threw a white bar towel over her shoulder and stomped away. "So, you and Tori huh?" He punched Andre in the arm. "That's a good set up you got there. If I hadn't hooked up with my Caterina Valentine I so would've gotten with tha-" Robbie stopped at the look both Andre and Beck were giving him. "I'd better bring this to my dearest darling – and we're pretending this never happened right?"

"That's not a problem Rob."

"I've already forgotten."

Beck and Andre answered his remark on top of each other.

"And here's your Thai Tea," another waitress said sliding a tall glass of brown tea with a smoke white cloud floating on top of it. "Sara had to take a break so I'll be-" she broke off when she caught sight of Andre. "Hey, you're back." It was Shana from last night, and her face broke into a smile.

"Yeah well this place grows on you," Andre answered back. "This is Beck by the way," he pointed over at Beck.

Beck waved at Shana. "Hey."

"Hey," Shana said with a smile, maybe a little wider than she meant too but he was a bit of a looker. She looked over Andre's and Beck's shoulder and caught sight of Tori sitting at the table with the other girls."Judging by the lack of a lame dickhead guy, I'd say you made up with your friend."

"Yeah I did," Andre said. He glanced back over at Tori who was laughing at something Cat said.

"Good," Shana said. "Drinks are on me okay?" She leaned a little closer so she could speak to Andre in confidant. "Just don't tell Mrs. Lee."

"I'll keep you out of the viper pit," Andre responded.

Shana laughed for a moment. "Have fun tonight guys." She headed down to another section of the bar to take another customer's order.

Beck gave Andre a weird look "Viper pit?"

"Trust me you're better off not knowing," Andre responded. He took Tori's drink and his and walked back to their table; Beck followed.

"Here we go," Andre set the glass in front of Tori. "One Thai Tea for Tori."

"Thanks," Tori said with a smile, and rested a hand on his arm.

Andre smiled back and took the vacant seat next to her.

"Annd," Beck said, drawing out the word until everyone was paying attention. He produced a black colored iced drink in a tall green tumbler glass. "One iced Chinese black tea with passion fruit fusion that Jade was going to ask me for," he set the glass in front of Jade. "For Jade."

"You forgot my straw," Jade said.

Beck dropped back into his seat beside her. He turned and held out a black straw towards her, a smile on his face. "You're welcome," he leaned over and kissed the side of her face.

It took a few seconds, but Jade's smile chased his as she reached for the straw and dropped it into her glass.

The karaoke stage stood behind their table, complete with a mixing console, 20 inch plasma screen for lyrics and four subwoofer 4 foot speakers poised at each corner of the open stage.

A young kid, about their age, maybe a year older, jumped over the four stage steps. He landed on the stage a little harder than me meant too, tripping on his red Converse Allstars and almost sending one of the speakers crashing over. He managed to catch himself on said speaker, and pull it and himself back to an upright position. But the lapel mic that was clipped to the front of his black Ed Hardy shirt sounded through the speakers in an ear splitting reverb.

The crowd of people inside the restaurant/karaoke bar all ducked their heads down and covered their ears with their hands.

The kid tapped his lapel mic with his thumb, and it boomed like a thunder clap. Everyone covered their ears even harder.

"What's up LA!" the kid said in a high falsetto.

"The amount of things I'm going to hurt you with for deafening me!" Jade shouted out, digging a finger into her ears to try and stop the ringing.

The guy smiled at her; clearly not understanding the slam. "Maybe later sweet thang," he gave her a combination wink/gun finger point with a click of his mouth thing.

Jade responded with a seriously? hand gesture.

But the kid had moved on and faced the crowd as a whole. "Welcome to Karaoke night at Oppan Galbi Style!"

The crowd cheered.

"Aiight, aiight settle down my peeps," the kid said, adjusting the black Ed Hardy baseball cap with the skull on it so that it hung more sideways on his head. "I'm DJ Drop It and I'm you're MC for this evening!" DJ Drop it was a tall skinny redhead with a face full of freckles who kind of looked like Ed Sheeren, if Ed Shereen were trying to be gangster in too much Ed Hardy. "Who's ready for a little Kar-o-kee!"

The crowd cheered again.

DJ Drop It fanned himself with his shirt "Hot crowd tonight. Who wants to start us off? How about foxy ladies first?" he was looking at Jade when he said this.

"How about not?" Jade threw back crossing her arms.

"Oooh, me! Pick me!" A dirty blonde in a long ponytail and pink dress jumped up from her table and waved her hand like an over excited kindergartner trying to get their teacher's attention.

"Okay! " DJ Drop It said and waved her up. "Come on up pretty young thang!"

The girl bounded up on stage like a Jack Rabbit, waving at the crowd as she went.

DJ Drop It smiled at her. "What's your name baby girl?" He handed her a black hand held microphone.

"Amber!" she said with just as much enthusiasm as she had used when she jumped up on stage.

"That's hot," DJ Drop It said in appreciation with a smile that traveled up and down Amber's figure in her little pink dress. "Alright Ms. Am-ber,"

"I swear if he breaks one more word down phonetically I'm going to gouge his left eye out with my fork tines," Jade side barred to Beck.

Beck rubbed her shoulder and gave her an 'easy, no maiming the DJ babe' smile.

On stage Amber proclaimed that she wanted to sing song number #15 on the Karaoke roster. Song Number 15 was: "Call Me Maybe" by Rae Jepsan.

DJ Drop It said she was "hot" again then backed off the stage to cue up the song.

Amber turned around and struck a pose like a figure skater.

The opening chords of the song began and Amber turned around in a flurry of hair and hands and attacked the microphone. She was a good singer, if not a little over the top. Especially when she walked over to the end of the stage in her gilt 4 inch heels and added a few very exuberant pelvic thrusts to the sung right at their table.

Andre backed up in his chair slightly and tried to give a fake smile, but his hands were up like he was trying to keep the sun off his face. Robbie was mimicking his posture. Beck didn't have too, because Jade had thrown a hand over his eyes the minute Amber started towards them.

Three minutes and 57 seconds later – and they counted – Amber drew out the last note with a massive vibrato run and pulled the microphone away from her before ending with a full V splayed raised hand ending.

DJ Drop It clapped loudly and came back from the stage right "Whoo! That was smokin'!"

"Thanks!" Amber bounced in her high heels. She handed the mic back to Drop It and thrust a leg out backwards with a giggle before she bounded back down the stairs to the table of her girlfriends. They all twittered excitedly when she sat back down saying a lot of : "OMG,"'s and "I know, right?" 's .

"Aiight, let's keep this Hot Train rollin!' Drop it said, talking both into the mic he was holding and having the words catch on his lapel mic, so his words echoed. "Who's next?"

"It better not be some other lame girl," Jade said.

"I thought she was catchy-" Cat said.

"So's Bubonic Plague," Jade threw out.

"Hey!" Cat's cut back in before Jade could add anymore colorful descriptors about perky Amber's singing. She turned to Tori who sat across from her on the other side of the table. "Tori, you and Andre should sing your song you're going to do at the Sing Off!"

"Hey yeah!" Robbie agreed with his girlfriend. "It'll be great rehearsal for next week."

"I don't think so," Tori said.

Beck looked at her. "How come?"

"Yeah, how come?" Andre repeated and also turned towards her.

"Cause," Tori turned towards him. "I didn't have any time to rehearse the new lyrics with you before this whole thing with David blew up in my face-" she waved at the molted black bruises and bandages on her skin. "literally," She bent the black straw in her drink with a dejected look.

"So improvise," Beck told her, taking the straw from her glass before she could maim it. "David was a jerk Tori; don't let him run things for you-"

"Beck's right," Jade agreed. "You're good at doing things on the fly; plus you got good back up," she waved at Andre. Then she caught sight of everyone looking at her. "What? I can be nice."

"Yeah, but it's like watching a dog walk on his hinds legs," Robbie said.

"Excuse me?" Jade said and shot Robbie a withering look like she was itching for a pair of her scissors. "Did you just call me a dog?"

Robbie's face went bone white when he realized his faux pas. "What? No!" He laughed and pushed his and Cat's drink as far away from Jade as possible.

"They're right Tor," Andre said. "You can't let some loser ruin your life."

"Ugh, no no!" Tori grabbed at her hair. "I don't want to embarrass myself anymore."

"You won't," Andre said and laid a hand on her shoulder. "I got your back on this." He smiled at her in a way that he hoped was reassuring. The way he couldn't offer her the previous night.

Tori swallowed a sigh. "Okay."

Andre's smile grew wider. "That's my girl," he rubbed her shoulder briefly. "I'll go set it up with," he sniffed like he didn't want to say the next part "DJ Drop It." He stood up and walked up the stairs to the stage.

"Hey!" Cat said as she looked at the plastic menu she had pulled out from the center of the table. "Do you think Fried Eel Wantons are vegetarian?"

Tori blinked and tried to think of an answer.

"Yo, yo yo!" DJ Drop It's voice boomed into the mic. "We got ourselves another act. All the way from Hollywood Arts!"

The table of friends cheered; Jade whistled.

"This one's a slammin' duet. So let's make some noise for Numero Uno of Numero Twono- Andre Harris!"

Andre had been talking to some of the waiters at the side of the stage. When he heard his name he walked up on stage as applause started in like rain. He took the mic from DJ Drop it who wanted to slap him on the back and bump fists before releasing it to him.

"Hey what's up yall? I'm Numero Twono," Andre said it like it was a lingering bad taste and watched DJ Drop It give him a thumbs up from off stage. "Uh, My name's Andre Harris. I'm a Junior at Hollywood Arts High school here in LA."

Cat clapped her hands in excitement and whistled. "I go to that school!"

"DJ Drop it over there cued me up for a duet I'm singing next week with my partner- Tori-" Andre held out his hand and pointed to her. "Make some noise for her; she's fantastic!"

The crowd clapped, a few guys in the back whistled. Tori waved back, a little embarrassed.

"But I'd like to change it up a little for you all-"

A murmur of confusion rose through the crowd, especially from Tori.

There was a loud squeaking and banging sound as the two waiters Andre had been talking to earlier were now dragging up a black upright electric piano onto the stage. They grunted and said a few choice words, but managed to position the piano so that it sat sideways facing out to the front of the restaurant.

"Don't break your hands!" Mrs. Lee called, running up to the waiters as they were walking back down the stairs. "If you can't make food anymore I have to fire you!" she started saying a string of angry Chinese as they headed back to their work stations.

"Hey man," DJ Drop It came over to Andre, and leaned over to him, "I thought you and the brunette hottie were singing a duet?"

Andre moved the piano stool the over so it sat next to the keys. "Relax Mr. DJ" He patted DJ Drop it heavily on the chest. "It's cool."

DJ Drop It walked off stage muttering under his breath about 'method artists aren't the shiz'

"There's something I need to tell you about my singing partner," Andre said into the mic. "She's also my best friend – which is why I hope she'll forgive me for the improv—Especially since this is for her."

Tori's eyes went wide in complete confusion. She watched Andre set the microphone down into the black iron stand that was fixed to the side of the piano.

Andre poised his hands over the piano, then moved them over the black and white keys. A thumping synthesized beat glided out under his hands and spread into the room like a pulse.

"I just want you close,

So we can stay forever-"

Andre sang into the microphone as Tori's face went from confusion to wide eyed.

"You can be sure, that it will only get better.

You and me together, T

hrough the days and nights.

I don't worry cause everything's gonna be alright-"

There were some whistles from the back of the crowd. Tori sat there and felt her heartbeat in her ears.

"People keep talking,

They can say what they like,

But all I know is everything's gonna be alright.

No one, no one, no one –

Can get in the way of what I'm feeling.

No one, no one, no one,

Can get in the way of what I feel for you-"

"When the rain is pouring down-" Andre found Tori's eyes and made sure he didn't look away.

"And your heart is hurting.

I will always be around

This I know, for certain"

Tori's heart stopped drumming in her ears, and lodged itself somewhere very deeply in her throat. She stared at her best friend. Who'd never left her, even when she screwed up and tried to push him away when she needed him the most.

"You and me together-" Andre had a very melodic, soul filled voice and he melded it into Alicia Key's song, making it into a gift – for her.

"Through the days and nights

I don't worry cause everything's gonna be alright.

People keep talking, they can say what they like.

But all I know is everything's gonna be alright-"

Andre set the piano components on Auto Play to continue melody and took the microphone and stood up and walked across the stage as he continued to sing.

"No one, no one, no one, can get in the way of what I'm feeling."

He walked down the stage steps and stopped in front of Tori, his face a wide smile.

Tori's responding smile was a mixture of dizziness and wonder all rolled into one.

"No one, no one, no one, can get in the way of what I feel for you."

Andre took her hand and reached it up to him.

"Oh oh oh oh oh-" He released it and walked back up on stage.

"Oh oh oh oh oh

Oh oh oh oh-"

"Oh!" Beck, Jade, Cat, and Robbie echoed back, keeping rhythm with claps and waves.

"Oh," Andre sang back

"Oh!" The rest of the crowd echoed along with the others this time.

"Ohh," Andre drew out the last note in a vibrato that ended low and left an aftertaste into the air.

When the note faded, Andre opened his mouth again, to speak this time- "I love you, Tori."

His words were proceeded by a large amount of clapping and cheering.

But all Andre saw was Tori, who stood there, with a hand over her mouth, her eyes glistening.

Tori finally lowered her hands after several long seconds and walked up the stage steps.

And, Andre met her halfway in a hug that she felt down to her toes.

They both pulled back, Andre's arm was still around her back, and Tori leaned forward and kissed him. A real kiss, full and sweet and deep.

The cheering grew louder, especially from their friends. Beck clapped loudly and whistled when Andre drew Tori closer and returned her kiss. Beck grabbed Jade's head and kissed her hard, then turned back to the stage and screamed out 'Whoo!' hands cupped to his mouth.

Jade clapped along and screamed with him, so did Cat and Robbie.

After countless, breathless seconds, Tori pulled back. Her face was damp with tear tracks, but she laughed. She rested her forehead against his, and closed her eyes when she felt him kiss her there.

They stayed like that for a very long time.

xxxxXxxx

End.

A last note:

Domestic violence is a real problem in both teen and adult relationships. No matter how it started, no one deserves the outcome. If you or anyone you know is in this kind of situation, seek help. Break the cycle.

Everyone is deserving of love.

Peace,

Mystic