I Wish I could Fight you, but I can't

Chapter 14

Chapter Fourteen

Beck's POV

I kissed Tori Vega. I kissed Tori Vega. That sentence swirls through my mind. It wasn't a stage kiss, I'm sure of it. There was something more there between the two of us, a passion that you can't fake. I can't wipe the smile of my face. I lick my lips and I can taste Tori's lip gloss. She's still smiling too. "That was a really good scene you guys" Andre says as we get changed back stage. We're taking turns changing behind the screen. I can see the silhouette of Tori's body as she tugs off her costume. I avert my eyes. "Thanks man, you make a pretty good mafia lord" I joke lightly. Andre grins. Tori steps out, dressed in black jeans, a grey hoodie and a black leather jacket. She's wearing long black laced combat boots and a fake gun strapped to her belt. Her long brunette waves are tied back into a loose ponytail with two little strands framing her face. She smiles at me, eyes twinkling. I grab my clothes and step behind the screen, pulling it shut. I can hear Andre and Tori start whispering, their words barely audible. I wish I could hear what they're saying. I attach the leather holster to my belt and slip the plastic pistol into it. "All yours man" I say to Andre as I walk out. My costume's pretty simple: just some cargo pants, a crew neck and a denim jacket. Andre ducks behind the screen. I scoot next to Tori. "You're not a bad kisser Vega" I whisper quietly in her ear. She smiles shyly, poking me in the chest. "We've kissed before Beck, have you forgotten already?" She teases. How could I forget? We're silent for a second, before I build up the courage to ask. "So listen, you wanna come over to my place Friday night?" I say softly, fidgeting with the bottom of my jacket. She reddens, shifting from foot to foot. "Um, I sort of have a thing friday afternoon" My heart sinks. "But I'm free after seven?" She says quickly. I brighten. "Yeah, yeah that sounds great!" Tori tightens her ponytail.

Just as Andre steps out, dressed in a jet black suit, a loud ringing interrupts the silence. Tori pulls out her phone and smiles. "It's Cat, I'll be right back" She ducks out of the dressing room. "How you feeling bro?" Andre asks, nudging me with his elbow. "What do you mean?" I frown. He fixes me with a knowing stare and I feel my palms start to sweat. "How's it feel kissing the girl of your dreams?" He grins and I feel myself pale. "What'd you...I mean...um" I stammer. He laughs lightly at my reaction. "I hope you're not having a stroke cause I ain't giving you mouth to mouth" He jokes. "Um...what do you mean 'girl of my dreams'?" I ask innocently. Andre raises an eyebrow. "C'mon man, I know you like Tori, you're not great at hiding it" He says calmly. I want to object, but I don't. I can't hide things like this from Andre, he's been my best friend since day one. "Is it really that obvious?" I sigh, rubbing the back of my neck. "Nah, only to super observant people like me" He assures me. "But listen, I'm all for it. Tori's been messed around by jerks at this school before. It's about time she gets a nice, sensible boy to fall in love with her" I smile at his compliment. "Thanks Andre" I smile, then quickly add. "But, just...you know, don't tell anyone? Especially-"

"Jade?" He finishes my sentence and I gratefully nod. He shakes his head at me. "Beck, of course I'm not going to tell Jade, I'm not an idiot" I exhale, my shoulders sagging with relief. "You're a good friend Andre" I clap him on the shoulder. He grins. "Hey no charge man" I laugh. Tori rejoins us in the dressing room, a smile on her face. "What'd Cat say?" Andre says, as if our conversation never happened. "She'll be back in LA Friday morning, the judge gave her brother six months in juvie" She informs. I raise an eyebrow. "What did he even do anyway?" Tori exhales and shrugs. "I don't even know, Cat was speaking so fast it was hard to register that it was English!" She jokes. Andre and I both laugh.

"Beck, Tori, Andre, come back to set" Robbie calls out, his voice altered by the megaphone he's speaking through. We file out of the dressing room and step out to the stage. A large green screen has been set up behind stacks of fake shipping containers. A fog machine peeks out from behind one and the lighting has been changed to look like night time.

We filmed the final scene, a showdown between the police and the mafia. In the end, Tori's character got shot, right in front of me. Her eyes open wide and she looks down. A blood pack is hidden in her jacket and the rubber bullet from Andre's gun pierces through the pouch, soaking through her clothes. I can see him run off the set. "BECCA" I scream and sprint to her, the camera following me on a track. She collapses into my arms, breathing rapidly. "Becca, Becca it's going to be okay, we're gonna get you...you to a hospital a-and-"

"Bri" Tori breathes, looking up at me. I feel tears blur my vision, then trickle down my cheeks. I don't even need the dropper: seeing Tori like this breaks my heart – even if it's not real. "It's okay" She whispers. "I'm not scared" She breathes a smile. My shoulders shake with sobs. "No, stop it...you're going to be fine" She reaches a shaky hand up and strokes the side of my face. I lean down and press a kiss against her lips. My heart beats faster and I have to remember to pull away. Tori smiles, then exhales loudly and her eyes open all the way, not blinking. I can feel her start to hold her breath. "Becca" I shake her shoulders and Tori stays limp. "BECCA" I scream out into the "night". Through shaky breaths, I reach over and close her eyelids, Tori miraculously not flinching. I press a kiss against her forehead and I briefly see her cheeks flush. The camera zooms out on the empty "dock".

"Aaand cut!" Robbie yells and the lights turn back on. Tori's eyes pop open and she sits up, her legs still draped over my lap. "Your screaming scared the crap out of me, I almost forgot I was supposed to be dead" She jokes, tugging out her ponytail. I laugh and watch as her hair tumbles back down over her shoulders. "Great job guys, I don't think we need to do another take" Robbie says, smiling. Andre comes back around the corner and helps Tori up. "thanks for shooting me Harris" She rolls her eyes, dusting herself off. Andre laughs and wraps his arms around her shoulders, giving the side of her head a kiss. I can't help the pang of jealousy that strikes me. Even though I know her and Andre are just friends.

We head backstage to change out of our costumes. "Ugh, I think some of this red stuff soaked into my skin" Tori huffs, lifting up her bloodstained hoodie. I don't even notice the red stain, just the very tight core muscles packed into Tori's stomach. Tori looks up and sees Andre and I both looking. She quickly pulls the hoodie back down, face going as red as the fake blood. "Pervs" She quips, ducking behind the screen. I look to Andre and he's got the same expression on his face. He whips out his phone. A few seconds later my own phone vibrates and I pull it out of my pocket.

1 New Message from 'Andre'

Since when did Tori have a six pack?!?

I look up at his confused expression, then hastily type a reply.

I don't know, but she's definitely gotten musclier over the past month.

"You two are being very quiet out there" Tori calls out from behind the screen. "Sorry Tor, you almost done?" Andre answers, shooting me a "We'll talk later" glance. Tori steps out dressed in her jeans and jacket, her tank top over her arm. She pulls the jacket tighter around her and blushes. "Yep" Andre looks to me with a raised eyebrow and I wave him off. He walks over and shuts the screen. Tori picks up a cotton bud and some makeup remover. "Turn around" She says and I spin on my heel. What I don't think she realises is that I can see her in the mirror. She pulls of the jacket so she's standing there in her jeans and a white bra. She scrubs at the red stain on her torso and it starts to lighten. I look away, feeling uncomfortable. Tori tugs her tank top back on and tells me I can turn around.

"Hey, you said you'd teach me Spanish today!" I say, suddenly remembering our conversation on her patio. She runs a brush through her hair. "What do you want to learn?" I frown, trying to think of something that may be useful later on. I must have been quiet for awhile as Tori looks up at me, eyebrow raised. "Okay, how do I say I love you" I finally reply. Tori blushes and fidgets with the hair tie around her wrist. "Um, that's pretty simple, Te amo" The word rolls off her tongue perfectly. I nod. "Got it, Te amo" Tori snorts, then covers her mouth with her hand, trying to contain laughter. "What?" I ask self-consciously.

"Sorry Beck, it's just, you sound so white it's not even funny" She jokes. I scrunch my face with mock anger. "That is hurtful Miss Vega, plain hurtful" I sit down on the stool next to her. "Lo siento, lo siento, it wasn't too bad" She admits. "Anything else?" I tap my foot. "How about, 'thanks for doing my laundry, now it smells like daises'" I grin. Tori's face lights up with a laugh. "Gracias por lavar mi ropa, ahora huele a margaritas" The accent Tori has sounds so natural and downright sexy. I frown. "Yeeeah, you're gonna need to write that one down"