2014

The Sun in California rose just as bright as usual Monday. The Campus was crowded with returning students cheering that there was only one semester left before summer. Except for a handful of seniors, who were already nostalgic about leaving their school, which to them felt like home. The thought of college and the uncertainty of the future was now constantly on their minds, especially for two of them, who drove in the same car singing along to the same song.

When getting to the school gates they lowered the volume of the radio to greet the security guard, and check in the school. Once they were past it, he drove straight to the parking lot.

"Now that we have more free time, you could try to learn how to drive." He suggested, and she shrugged.

"Why learn if you can drive me everywhere?" She answered. "And the campus is not big enough for me to have to drive."

He glanced over at her. "Pretty soon we're not going to be living here, you know that right?"

She looked at him, as he parked the car. "That's true, but New York has very efficient public transportation."

He backed the car into the spot, with a dramatic expression. "I am doomed to a life as your driver."

He stopped the car, and turned it off. He looked at his side, finding his girlfriend face inches away from his. "At least you'll be with me."

"True." She kissed him briefly, before they both got out of the car.

Beck had gotten into the arts school of his choice with a partial scholarship, and as a reward his parents agreed to help him pay for his own apartment. He worked during the summer, and sold his art online, saving every penny he could so he wouldn't have to live off ramen. Once their parents had placed their deposit, he told them the one piece of information they didn't know: That Tori would be living with him.

They didn't fight him about it, only asking that they met her before the inevitable break up, or wedding.

Tori called her parents right before the break, telling her parents that her best friend Beck would be staying with them, since his parents had to attend a big conference in Australia. They agreed, remembering him from a few years back, her oldest sister was the only one who knew there was more to that friendship. Once she was home, and they were warming up to Beck, she told them about the apartment. How she wanted to be on Broadway, and the way to do it was to audition. Her Father who was a cop, started interrogating her to see what this was all about, and why she wanted to go all the way across the country.

"That way Trina and I will never be close enough to yell at each other." Tori said, and her sister agreed.

Her Dad smiled at thought. "New York sounds wonderful."

She smiled, and exchanged looks with Beck, which sparkled the evil in her sibling. "There's a small detail my dear sister forgot to mention."

Tori nodded heard with smile, while kicking her sister under the table. "No, there isn't."

"Don't tell me Trina's moving to New York too." Her mother said, raising her tone of voice. "And if she is, you two will not drag your father and I into this again you he-"

"Mom!" Trina interrupted, having too much fun. "Don't worry, I'm staying right here with the two of you."

"As if that was much better…" Her father muttered under his breath.

"Anyway!" She continued. "Tori, don't you want to tell them the great news?"

"Yes, tell us the news!" David Vega insisted, feeling exhausted by the entire act.

"I don't think…" Tori began, looking at Beck with dreading eyes.

Her plan was to tell her parent about their relationship after they were already settled in the apartment. That way they wouldn't be able to argue that they shouldn't live together, because it would be far too late. Even though this wasn't the first time they would meet one of her boyfriends, it would be the first time she would admit that she would sleep in the same room – to say the least – with said boyfriend. With Ryder she always found good excuses, and tied things together so they wouldn't bother her about it.

"Tori's in love!" Trina announced, making her parents gasp.

"In love?" He father said, frowning. "In love with whom?"

Beck looked over at Tori, and she shrugged as if giving up on hiding their relationship. He raised his hand. "With me, Sir."

"With you?!" He questioned. "But you've known her since you were ten!"

"I know?" Beck answered, confused with the point he was making.

"Weren't you going to tell us?" Her Mom asked, revolted. "What's next? You two are going to elope?"

Her father raised his hands as if to interrupt the conversation. "Oh god, please don't elope."

Tori held his hand, and gave her sister a death-stare. Forty minutes later, and a big debate that ended up in a yelling match between the sisters, her parents decided it was better for her to live with him in New York, than anywhere closer to their other daughter.

"So…" Tori said, walking around his car to meet him. He took out both their bags from the trunk, strapping them on his shoulders. He shut the trunk, and turned around to see the only he thing he actually wanted to. "There's a dance this weekend." He leaned against the car, and she intertwined her fingers with his.

He glanced down at their left hands, which together formed the Yin-Yang he had drawn earlier in the morning. Their plan was to get a permanent tattoo, but thought their parents had had enough news for a short period of time. He then looked back up at her.

"And I thought…" She continued. "Since the girls are supposed to ask the boys this time, if you would like to go with me."

He tilted his head, finding it funny that she felt the need to formally ask him to go. "Well I was hoping Robbie would ask me, but since he hasn't said anything yet…"

She grinned, kissing him. Their hands broke apart, he wrapped on arm around her neck, and she laid her head on his chest. "I already miss this school." She said, looking up.

He planted a quick kiss on her lips, followed by a smile.

"Stop being gross!" They heard a familiar voice yell, followed by the clacking of very high heels.

Tori smiled at the sight of her friend. "We never complain when you're making out with Andre." She pointed out, and Jade rolled her eyes.

"Please, we don't do PDA." She stood in front of them, holding her black-leather bag. "It's not my fault some people like to go to their rooms when they're not supposed to!"

After Tori stopped being completely wrapped up in her own suffering during winter break, she asked to go to Los Angeles to be with two of her friends, and try to have some fun. Both of them came up with crazy excuses, and a two weeks after school started again, she walked in on the two of them. She saw a lot more than she ever wanted to.

Beck raised his eyebrows. "Just be happy it wasn't Robbie." He said, and Jade smirked.

"You two really did get the low end of the deal." Beck awkwardly laughed and Tori rolled her eyes. The chatted while waiting for Andre to finish getting his things from his girlfriend's car. And after a few minutes they heard his singing getting closer, and a smile growing once he saw his friends.

"Hey Tori, Beck!" He exclaimed, not being able to physically greet them, due to the keyboard under his left arm, and guitar on the right. They walked together to their dorms, all of them with a great feeling that their last semester would live up to all of their expectations.

Once they reached the square, the four of them stopped looking at each other. "So." Andre said, looking at Jade. "You're going to your room?"

"I guess." She looked at Tori. "Let's go?"

"If you say so." She looked at Beck, who was a bit confused. "I'll see you later?"

They all stood looking at each other in silence, holding their things in the center of the square.

"God!" Jade angrily exclaimed. She walked towards Beck. "Give me Tori's bag." She ordered.

"What?" He asked, hanging on to it.

Jade grunted, annoyed. "You take yours and Andre's stuff to your room, and I'll take mine and Tori's. This way you and your PDA-loving girlfriend can go to your room, and Andre and I can go to my room."

"Oh, ingenious." Tori said, taking her bag from Beck, and passing it to Jade.

"Now Andre, give your stuff to them." He obliged, giving them their musical instruments. "See you two at dinner." She said, taking her boyfriend's hand and walking towards the girl's dorm.

They walked away, leaving Beck and Tori staring at each other, with way too many equipment.

"Why does Andre need all this stuff?" Tori questioned, arranging the keyboard in her hands.

Beck strapped the guitar and held the two bags, tilting his head towards the dorm. "You know what I just remembered?"

"What?" She asked as they started making their way to his room.

"Robbie is not coming to school until tomorrow." She looked up at him, with a smirk.

"And Jade doesn't know?" He nodded his head. "So they're going to be there with Cat, and we're going to be alone?"

"Pretty much." He noticed she started walking ahead of him, once there was a noticeable distance. She looked behind with playful smile, raising her eyebrows. Another thought came to his mind. "That is if Cat doesn't tell them… And comes running back with threats and-"

"I'll race you!" She said, sprinting inside the dorm. He followed shortly behind, finding her leaning against his door with a bummed face. "I don't have the key."

He chuckled, taking it outside of his pocket. They got inside, leaving Andre's belongings on his bed. She kicked off her shoes, and sat down on the queen sized-bed that belonged to Beck. "Do you know what's sad?" She asked.

He tied up his hair, and lied down. "Please don't say that you're going to miss the school, again."

"No." She climbed up the bed, lying down next to him. "You stopped smoking, right before your last semester."

He looked down at her concerned, thinking she must be having a stroke to say that. "How is that sad for you?"

She turned around, lying on her stomach to look at him. "Well now you and Professor Gilmore can't enjoy your special smoking breaks, he'll be so sad."

"Jeez Andre couldn't you walk any slower! How come we didn't know Robbie wasn't coming?! URGH!"

"Did you hear that?!" Tori asked, sitting up. "They're coming."

Beck wide his eyes. "What do we do?"

"ANDRE! Do you want to sleep with me or stupid Beck?!"

They both started thinking fast knowing in a few seconds their friends would be here, now fully aware that their very aggressive friend would try to take the room from them. Even though it was only one night, they didn't want to lose to Jade.

"I have an idea!" Tori exclaimed. "Take off your shirt, and lie down!" Beck thought about questioning, but knew it would be pointless and time consuming. Tori messed up her hair, and jumped on the bed hovering above him. She kissed him, and he pulled away.

"This is a great plan, even if doesn't work." She chuckled, and flipped them over, before kissing her again.

They heard the door abruptly open, followed by heavy steps. "Really?!" Jade exclaimed. "It hasn't been five minutes since we were the square!" She banged the door shot, but stood still, her hands on her hips and a defiant look.

The couple broke away, managing to look almost as surprised as they were the morning Robbie walked in. "Why are you two doing here?" Beck asked, lying down beside Tori.

"Oh man, my instruments did not need to see that." Andre said, walking over to his bed. He took a blanket from his carry-on, and covered his things. "Nasty." He said.

"Would you mind?" Tori said, pointing at door.

"I would." She affirmed, trying to find a way to argue them to give up the room.

"Fine." Beck said, and Tori followed his cue, resuming heir previous activity. She wrapped her arm around his neck, and he ran his hand down her waist and hip.

Jade stomped her foot on the ground, and grabbed Andre's hand. "Fine!" She said, before reluctantly walking out. Once they heard the door shut, they pulled away proud of themselves.

"Great plan." He told her.

"I couldn't have done it without you."

Beck

I look myself in the mirror one last time before walking out. The coat that I'm wearing looks perfect, it's so big you can't even tell if I'm skinny or obese. Am I exaggerating? Possibly, but the coat will serve its purpose. I look around my room, and enjoy the silence for a few more seconds since as soon as I walk out through that door I know it'll be complete madness. At least I was lucky enough to be able to get ready by myself this time.

Andre and Jade are already performing at the dance, so they had to come in early, and Robbie's outside waiting for his date. I still can't believe he has a date, and that she's not a puppet.

I get my keys, and walk out. Just as I expected the dorm looks crazy. The guys are running around asking for help with their ties, even though they could have just bought clip-ons. The ones who aren't yelling about their clothes, are discussing the many ways they'll smuggle alcohol to the dance. Which is another pointless discussion since I've never seen one adult keeping the students from drinking. Every time people worry about getting caught, and every time not a single person gets punished.

As I get outside I try to ignore the hysteria of the freshmen students for going to a dance, and the act many of the juniors are putting up to appear 'so over it'. I roll my eyes, I should not be thinking about all the stupid around me right now.

I walk inside the girl's dorm, and the thoughts that it could all go wrong start to haunt me. I'm being dumb, there's absolutely no reason for things to go wrong. I wish I could have a cigarette to calm my stupid nerves. While I walk to Tori's door, I realized the girls are wondering what the hell is wrong with me for wearing the coat. I smile at thought, stopping in front of door. I really hope it doesn't go wrong.

I knock three times, and in seconds the door opens. I see pink fluff, and that's about it. "Hiii!" Cat exclaims, and I get a feeling that she might drown in her own dress before the dance ends.

"Cat, can you move your dress?" I hear Tori asking, but only catch a glimpse of her, as more pink gets in the way. I don't know how she'll get through the door with all that… Pink.

After a lot of moving Tori's able to get out, or more like shoved out by the dress. The door shuts behind her, and she stumbles in my way. "That dress is a monster." She says, using my chest as support for her not to fall. I smile, and allow her to stand properly. "Hi." She says, looking up with a smile.

"Hi." She has a tight red dress, and heels. "You look…" I begin, but am not able to find a proper adjective. She takes my hand, and I keep staring like an idiot. Honestly where are the words when you need them?

I only hope she likes the surprise.

She giggles, and we start to walk out. "So, where are we going?" She asks, and I have to keep telling myself to look ahead instead of just staring at her.

"Nowhere." I answer.

Tori

"Cat, can you move your dress?" I ask, inpatient. I know she's all about the pink and the fluff, but this is way too much. I don't even think she'll be able to dance in that. I push her to the side, and try to get between the wall and the dress. The pink puff pushed me outside, and I run into Beck. "That dress is a monster." Why is he wearing that weird coat? I look up somewhat confused, but also happy with the look he has in his eyes. Part of me wishes we could dump the dance, and just go back to his room. "Hi."

"Hi." He's smiling, I love his smile. "You look…" I feel myself blush at his loss of words, and take his hand.

I see our reflection on the window, and by heart skips a beat. I'm wearing a tight red dress, which stops right above my knees and a low cleavage. He's wearing that coat. But what really catches my attention is how happy we look, it still gives me chills that we are together like this.

I can tell he's looking down at me, and I predict my cheeks will start hurting from this much smiling in a row. We start walking. "So, where are we going?" I ask.

"Nowhere." He says, and nod with a slight grin. He's on top of his game, even though his wearing that strange coat.

"Funny." I say, and we take a weird turn towards the end of the campus, and the parking lot. "But seriously, where are we going?"

"You'll see." We head towards the gate, and the silence starts growing stronger. Everyone is waiting for the dance to start, or having dinner, or getting ready. We're the only two weirdoes who are wondering out of school. He stops walking, and I look ahead.

Wow.

Yin-Yang

"There." He said, pointing at the only bright spot between the trees. He had arranged a picnic – composed mostly of booze and sandwiches – lit by fairy lights. She was, to say the least, amazed. "And since heels aren't made for grass, I brought your slippers."

She laughed, impressed at how thoughtful he was. "This is amazing." She said, taking off her stilettos. "How did you know about the heels?"

He shrugged. "I spend a lot of time sitting in the grass, eventually you start to ask questions." He held her shoes for her, and they walked to the spot where he had set up the lights.

He dropped her stilettos on the towel, and she looked around, thinking that spot felt too familiar. "Wait, is this…" She leaned against the nearest tree, and her chin fell. "Is this the tree?"

"That's the tree." She looked around. "Beck, this is incredible."

"Didn't you wonder about what would have happened if that taxi hadn't arrived?" He took a few steps away from her. "And wished you could go back, and fix it all?"

"All the time."

"Well." He said, taking off his coat. And she didn't know whether to laugh, or kiss him, or faint.

"I can't believe this." She said, staring at his figure. He wore a polo shirt, white Nikes and mama's jeans: One of his classic 2009 looks. He took a step closer to her, and the time travel was over. Simply the way he carried himself was enough to destroy his younger self. "You wore such an awful coat I didn't even notice your sneakers."

He grinned. "So the coat did its job." He said, coming closer until there was no space left between them.

She wrapped her arms around his neck, he cupped her cheek with one hand, and held her by the hip with the other. Their noses brushed.

"Promise you won't replace me with some brit girl." She begged in a low tone of voice.

"I promise." He said, their lips aching for each other's.

He kissed her deep, and slow. Her hands traveled down to his chest, and down his back as she pulled him closer. She raised her hips, and he dug his fingers on her hair. So wrapped up in each other they almost didn't realize they were outside. "The lights." She said, breathless.

"What?" he questioned, before drawing her lips back to his. She fought against her lusts, now aware that they were the only lit beings between the trees. If anyone looked, they would only see them.

"Turn off the lights." She said, and he broke away, getting down to his knees to find the switch. She abandoned the tree, and met him on the ground. The lights went off, and they met again.

Half an hour later the lights went back on. He reached for the bag next to the food where he had a change of clothes for himself, black pants, fleece shirt, and a jeans jacket. There was no way he would go to that dance in the ugly clothes he was wearing before.

She grabbed her purse and fixed her almost completely ruined makeup, while sipping off a bottle of cheap wine. Beck finished getting ready, before sitting down behind her and taking off the grass that got stuck in her hair.

They ate and drank, and before they went to the dance, made sure to gather all of their belongings and leave them in his car. They hid a couple of flasks in his jacket, and then went to the dance. Like any other high school their dance was also in the gymnasium, with lame decoration and okay music. But all that was overshadowed by Cat's dress, which occupied a significant portion of the dance floor.

They danced together, and with their friends. Andre and Jade gave an impressionable performance, that made all the songs that came after awfully boring. Halfway through the dance Cat realized the mistake she had made to buy such a big dress, since it made it harder for her to dance. So Jade gladly took out her favorite scissors from her purse, and cut the almost all the fluff away.

They spun, dropped to floor, and sung along. They were just the right amount of drunk when Beck dropped one of his flasks, and didn't think to look for it anymore.

Once the clock stroke midnight, only the juniors and seniors were left. The songs slowed down, and Robbie decided to take himself to the nurse, before it was too late, again. Once the juniors started leaving the dance not to break their curfews, all of those who were still in the gymnasium were worn out. A few couples occupied the dance floor slow dancing along with Cat who enjoyed the freedom of not having twenty pounds of clothes on her.

Tori sat down on the edge of the stage where her friends had performed, and waited for Beck who walked back with a couple of water bottles. He sat down beside her, laying her hand on her knee. She laid her head on his shoulder.

"Where did Cat's fluff go?" He asked, dragging her words.

"Jade took it." She shrugged. "I don't know why." She left the water beside her, and lied down, looking at the ceiling which to was her spinning. He laid beside her, holding her hand.

"Someone had to get rid of it eventually." She laughed, and he sat back up. "Shall I take you back to your chambers?" He asked, and she sat up too.

"You shall." She stood up, using him as her balance point, which didn't work out too well since he was also more than tipsy. They walked back to her room, laughing at absolutely nothing. They walked inside, ignoring the eyes that followed them as he walked past the common room.

She took out her key, and unlike most times, got the keyhole in the first time. "So he's behaving tonight!" She pointed out, and Beck frowned.

"Who?" She giggled ignoring his question. She held his hand and pulled him inside with her, he turned on the lights. "Do you think Cat and Jade gonna be here soon?" He asked.

She smiled, taking a step closer to him and grabbing his collar. "Not for at least an hour." She affirmed, pulling him down to her with a smirk.

They were head over hills in love, and as they moved closer to the bed they promised each other to keep it that way for as long as they lived.

Fortunately, that promise was one they would keep forever.

PLEASE REVIEW! THANK YOU FOR READING MY STORY! LOVE,

- KIRIBATI