Andre Gets Crushed

Epilogue

Their friends and the stage crew cheered for the happy couple as soon as they appeared backstage again. Color had finally returned to Andre's skin and Jade had never been seen happier. He had his arm around her waist and gave her a squeeze.

"Hi guys!" Cat cried gleefully as she hopped in front of them. "I'm so happy for you!"

"Uh, thanks, Little Red," Andre said as he and Jade watched her jump up and down, still wearing her anti-gravity shoes.

"Yay!" Cat chirped. "Okay, bye!" And then she hopped away.

"She's adorable isn't she?" Jade caught Andre off guard with that. He stared at her with his mouth open.

"What?" She asked, still smiling from ear to ear.

"Oh uh, nothing," he chuckled.

"Hey hey heeeey," Tori belted out as she snuck up behind them. "Casanovaaa. I saw that big finish of yours you naughty children."

"I'm pretty sure everyone saw it," Jade stated playfully.

"Yeah," Andre agreed. "But I honestly do not care," they looked like they were about to kiss again.

"Aw you guys are so cute-" Tori froze all of a sudden. She didn't seem to be looking at either of them. Then she bolted as fast as Usain Bolt.
The new couple was confused.

"What was that all about?" Jade asked. And then someone behind them, someone they knew would confront them eventually, cleared his throat. They both turned around slowly, but Andre was the one who came face to face with Beck.

"I, uh" Jade stammered, "think I'll give you guys a moment." She nervously walked away as she rubbed her arm. Andre wished more than anything that she hadn't.

"I saw the finale too," Beck said plainly. Andre couldn't read him. It was making him go nuts. He took a shaky breath.

"I'm sorry. I didn't plan for any of this, I just-"

"Fell in love with Jade," Beck interrupted. "Decided to sneak around with her so I wouldn't find out. And even went as far as to pretend you had a crush on a girl who doesn't even go here." Andre braced himself for the punch in the face he figured he earned.

"Having said that, you made yourself crazy just to protect me or something," Beck paused, "when I already knew everything." Andre's jaw dropped.

"Dude, you're my best friend. Even if you weren't, I'm not stupid. You were crazy nervous when Sikowitz said you were partners. Then after the first night you guys rehearsed, you kept acting like you thought I'd kill you. I pieced it together after Jade pulled you into the janitor's closet. Oh and I also figured this wasn't the first time you fell for her."

"Wait what?!" Andre cried. How could he possibly have figured that out?

"You don't hide your emotions as well as you think, man," Beck laughed at him. "I remembered how you acted the first time you worked with Jade. I thought about it, and figured 'Jade' and 'baby' didn't sound that different from each other. Of course I felt kinda silly for not figuring it out sooner."

"Sooo you're not mad at me?" Andre asked carefully.

"Of course not," Beck playfully punched him in the shoulder. "I know you liked her while we were together, but you didn't act on it. You expressed how you felt with that song but you made sure she didn't know it was about her. And this time, you did the most to make sure I didn't find out how you felt about her so I didn't feel betrayed. You chose me over her so many times and I'm sure that wasn't easy."

"Yeah," Andre admitted. "Babysitting Trina after she went to the dentist was easier than putting up with everything I have for the past couple days."

"I could imagine," Beck said as he hugged his best friend. "Don't do that to yourself again. You can tell me anything, man."

"Thanks, Beck," Andre breathed a sigh of relief as they released each other.

"And between you and me, now I can ask Tori out without her fearing for her life."

"Alriiight," the guys high fived.

"Wait a minute," Andre remembered. "You couldn't have told me you knew about everything before now?"

"Yeah, I could've," Beck. "But I thought the whole thing was pretty funny at the same time."

"Funny?!" Andre roared. "BOY IF YOU DON'T!" And Beck took off laughing with Andre hot on his heels. They ran past Jade and Tori who smiled as they watched them.

"Should we help?" Tori inquired.

Jade watched as her new boyfriend chased her ex, and found that she couldn't be happier with the way things now were.

"They look fine to me."