Tori sighed as she walked into the semi-dark school. It was just like her to leave her assignment in her locker and have to come back after hours to get it.
As she rifled through the folders in her locker and located the paper, she realized she could hear soft music from the blackbox theater.
A beautiful voice, one she couldn't place, started to sing the opening lines of Finally Falling.
"Suddenly, my choice is clear. I knew when only you and I were standing here."
Tori was wandering slowly toward the sound of the voice. The next voice she recognized from rehearsals.
"And beautiful, is all I see. It's only you, it has to be." Beck! But what was he doing at school so late? And who was singing with him?
By now she had walked up to the slightly ajar door. Peeking in, she could see Beck and Jade standing on the stage, acting out Beck and Tori's parts for the play.
The unidentified voice had been Jade. Tori hadn't heard the other girl sing before.
As she watched the couple dance, Tori was overwhelmed by their chemistry. It was obvious in every move that they made that they were madly in love. While Tori had thought Beck was pretty convincing on stage with her, stage-Beck couldn't compete with Jade's Beck. The soft, caressing way he touched her conveyed so much want and love; it was unbelievable. The way their eyes were locked and their matching smiles made Tori feel suddenly as though she was intruding.
Tori realized then that they really did love each other. She'd eyed their relationship suspiciously since day one, (because, really, who could love someone like Jade?) but now she heard the way Jade sung the lyrics with such power and emotion that Tori couldn't believe that she'd ever doubted her.
Together on stage, they were mesmerizing and absolutely beautiful.
By now, Tori had walked into the theater and was walking down the aisle toward them. The song was over and Beck was pulling Jade into a kiss.
"You should have the part," Tori said aloud, causing the couple to jump away from each other in shock.
"Jesus, Tori, how long have you been standing there?" Beck asked, leaning back towards his girlfriend and lacing his fingers with hers.
"Stalking us, Vega?" Jade mused, raising one pierced eyebrow at the girl.
"I forgot something in my locker, so I had to come back-but that's not important. What's important is you need to have this part. You're so much better for it than I am," Tori said, starting to think of ways to get out of the play.
"Well, obviously, I am, Vega, but-" Jade began, only to be cut off by Tori.
"I'll tell them I have laryngitis or something but you have to do the part, Sofia Michelle has to see you two, not me. I wonder if Sikowitz will believe me if I-" Tori rambled.
"I don't need your charity, Vega!" Jade spat, ripping her hand from Beck's and stomping out of the theater.
"Wait, no, Jade! I didn't mean to- I just- Come back!" Tori cried, starting to go after the other girl. Beck grabbed her wrist and pulled her back.
"Don't. I'll go after her," he told her.
"I'm sorry, Beck, really, I didn't mean to-"
"I know you didn't. It's really nice of you to try, but Jade wants to get the part because they think she's the best, not because you hand it to her, y'know?" Beck shrugged.
"But, she really is better for it than me!" Tori whined.
"Believe me, I know she is. And I wish she did get the part, but hey, that's Hollywood. Jade will be fine," he started to walk to the door. "See you tomorrow, alright?" He called over his shoulder at her.
"Yeah. See ya."