You'll Be a Memory
Summary: A revealed family secret helps Tori make sense of her upper class lifestyle...and Trina's first acceptance into Hollywood Arts. Some Tandre.
A/N: Hi everyone! This is my first Victorious story, unless you count a crossover with iCarly I never finished. Driving Tori Crazy (particularly the scenes with Tori and her mom) inspired me to explore the Vega sisters' family dynamics/history. Despite cheering Tori on in the first episode, the sisters' parents are shown as either indifferent or absentee ever since. Plus Mr. Vega is a cop, so while I can only guess his annual salary, how do the Vegas afford their luxurious Hollywood Hills lifestyle? There have been plenty of times where they seem to be at least upper middle class rich, maybe more.
Now apparently the next new episode is going to talk about how Trina got into Hollywood Arts. I didn't know about this when I had my story idea. Since the episode description doesn't clarify if we really get the answer or a bunch of rumors, I'm going ahead with my version. Trina's acceptance is only one of the story elements anyway.
"Trina, did you steal my jacket?"
"No..."
"Trina! I know you stole it!"
"Then why did you ask?"
Annoyed Tori glared as Trina walked downstairs, wearing the evidence. The Vega sisters were getting ready to go out on a Saturday night, arguing back and forth while they ran around the house in search of everything they needed. Tori catching Trina with stolen goods was nothing new. "And I want my hairbrush! You never gave it back!"
"It's on the kitchen counter. Get it yourself," Trina replied, grabbing her purse off the coffee table. "I'm taking your jacket tonight, by the way. It's the only blue one I have."
"I have, you mean," Tori retorted. She looked around the kitchen, easily finding her hairbrush. "And your outfit would be fine with any other color."
"My date likes blue. Though the shirt he had on yesterday was red. And his jeans were black instead of blue twice this week," Trina shrugged, happily thinking about her crush. "He's so complex."
Tori raised an eyebrow, amused by her sister's obsessive behavior. "Let's hope this guy shows up."
"Well he did say he might have work tonight, but I know he sells tickets at the movie theater so I can just go there and check..."
Tuning Trina out, Tori went over to the front door, looking out for her friends. They were going back to Karaoke Dokie to face off with some Northridge girls, who'd been badmouthing Hollywood Arts on various social networks. Tori and friends needed to defend their school.
"You girls are leaving me?"
Surprised, Tori and Trina glanced up at the stairs to see their mother, Holly. "Yeah," Tori answered, already wondering what her mother wanted. "We're both going out. It's Saturday."
"But I'm all alone here! Your father's out of town this week," Holly said, as if they had to be reminded.
Trina nodded. "Right, that family reunion trip. Why didn't you go again?"
"You know his family hates me. That's why he needs a reunion to see them," Holly remarked. The sisters tensed despite her joking tone, as they did whenever one of their parents mentioned family drama. "Anyway, I realize you both have plans, but couldn't you spend one night keeping your mom company? We can watch movies and make popcorn! How long has it been since we've done that?"
"Uh..." Tori paused and looked at Trina, who also appeared to be speechless for once. Normally they'd have no problem telling their mother to make other plans. After all, it wasn't often she begged for some quality time. But since she did, and seemed to be lonely, they couldn't easily walk away. "Fine. I'll go call Andre and cancel."
Then she pointedly glared at Trina. Be nice. Do the right thing.
Getting the message, Trina let out an overdramatic sigh. "Fine, I'll reschedule my date. You better hope he doesn't have work next weekend!"
Ten minutes later, the girls had made their respective calls, changed into pajamas and went back down to the living room. Holly was setting up the ancient VCR they kept around for these occasions. "So girls, what's on the lineup tonight? Breakfast Club, Ferris Bueller, Footloose..." Their family loved eighties classics.
"Oh, Dirty Dancing! My favorite," Trina added, dancing and badly singing to imaginary music. "Now I've, had, the time of my life, no I never felt like this before..."
"Maybe we should skip that one," Tori quickly interrupted. "Oh! Let's go nineties and watch The Parent Trap remake."
"Yeah, I loved that movie!" Trina paused, thinking over her mother's words. "Wait, remake? There was another one without Lindsay Lohan?"
Tori laughed. "That was the remake, Trina. The original was made in the sixties."
"Yup. Now Tori, go upstairs and find the tape. I think it's in the hall closet," Holly said.
Worried about finding the VHS tape in a huge, messy closet, Tori changed her tune. "Nah, let's watch it another time. I mean, The Parent Trap is so long..."
"Go, Tori!"
"Okay. See you in like an hour," Tori grumbled, reluctantly climbing the stairs. She quickly made her way to the giant hall closet, rummaged through stuff her family almost never used, then ten minutes later sat down on a box. I'm never going to find that stupid tape, she thought, her arms crossed. We can watch something else...oh wait, what am I sitting on?
Clearing a space and kneeling on the floor, Tori eagerly opened the metal trunk. She'd seen it in the closet her whole life, but never had reason or desire to go through its contents. Since Tori knew her family's birth certificates were in there, she expected to find nothing but old, boring documents. And those were exactly what appeared to fill the trunk. She sifted through old tax forms, bank statements, passports...until she actually discovered a video tape. Huh, Tori thought, fishing it out from the mound of paperwork. Why would The Parent Trap be in here...
It wasn't. This video had a generic sleeve that came with blank VHS tapes.
Probably a home movie. But why is it here instead of downstairs with the others?
Ugh, I hope it's not Mom and Dad.
Curiosity getting the better of her, Tori slid out the tape. A yellowed piece of folded notebook paper fell from between the video and sleeve. Tori opened the it, raising an eyebrow at the confusing list.
Deanna
"You'll Be a Memory"
Music Video
Summer Tour 1991
July 1994
Tori stared, wondering why one of her parents would kept a random singer's concert footage all these years. She knew the song was a smash hit in the early nineties, but important enough to store with birth certificates? The singer did turn out to be a has-been, since Tori never heard of her except when "You'll Be a Memory" played on classic rock stations.
So what was Tori supposed to do with this? She couldn't just leave it alone since the tape had to mean something. Maybe she should watch it on her own later? There might be clues, possibly extra footage besides the listed segments. Tori ran to her room and put the tape next to her television, then tried to pretend nothing unusual happened as she went back downstairs.
"Did you find the video?"
"Huh?" Tori exclaimed, instantly panicking. She took some deep breaths when she realized what her mother meant. "Oh, right, The Parent Trap. Sorry, didn't see it."
Not disappointed at all by the news, Trina shrugged. "Dirty Dancing it is then!" Pretending to dance like the characters, Trina enthusiastically continued singing. "I've been waiting for so long, now I've finally found someone to stand by me..."
Tori winced. "I'll go look again." While Trina finished off the verse, Tori ran back to the stairs and climbed them two at a time.
Tori didn't get a chance to watch the mysterious video until Sunday night. Her original intention had been to check it out when the movie marathon was over, but she couldn't steal the VCR unnoticed. In the morning, Holly actually offered to make the girls breakfast for once, as a thank-you for staying in, so Tori couldn't turn that down either. The weekend of family bonding was then completed with a day of shopping at their favorite stores.
Her mother's newfound eagerness to spend time with her daughters really freaked Tori out. The same went for Trina, and the sisters exchanged many bewildered glances throughout their day. But they couldn't outright question it, so what was the harm in playing along?
After getting some sushi for dinner, Tori and her family returned home with at least a dozen shopping bags. "Now go try on your outfits!" Holly ordered. "We'll get the full effect. And pick out what Trina should wear on her date next weekend!"
"Uh..." Trina replied, again glancing at equally overwhelmed Tori. "Maybe later? I...have homework to do. A lot of homework!"
Taking the excuse, Tori nodded. "Yeah, me too."
"Oh alright. I'm exhausted from all that shopping anyway," Holly replied. Much to the girls' surprise she hugged each of them, while carrying bags in each hand, on her way up the stairs. "Love you!"
"Uh...yeah, you too Mom." Tori stared as her mother turned into the hallway. She finally glanced at her sister. "So...what's up with Mom?"
Trina sighed. "No idea."
"Do you think she and Dad had fight before he left?"
"Wouldn't be the first time."
"Right? Wasn't she like this five years ago, when he got that apartment?" Deeply concerned, Tori wondered if her mother's Twilight Zone behavior indicated another parental separation."Should we talk to her?"
"No, let them figure it out. Nothing we can do except let Mom spoil us," Trina joked. But her sister wasn't fooled by her weak attempt at lightening the moment. "Try not to worry, okay? 'Night Tori." She began to trudge up the stairs, bogged down by her many purchases.
"Good night, Trina." Alone in the living room, Tori realized that this was her chance. Shifting her bags to one arm, she quickly scooped up the unplugged VCR, then ran upstairs like she might get caught at any moment. She tossed her shopping bags aside the second she got in her room and set up the machine, hoping the outdated wiring would work with her relatively new television.
It did, so Tori excitedly put in the tape. While she locked her door and hopped on her bed, the video slowly went through a black screen, then several title cards. The last card had "You'll Be a Memory" in fancy letters...next to a promotional picture of Deanna.
Tori paused the tape.
I must be crazy. There's no way.
But that is...her, right?
Wide-eyed Tori stared at the image of smiling Deanna, which looked exactly like pictures she'd seen of her mother at around that age. Trina frequently enjoyed taking out baby pictures and home movies just to remind everyone how adorable she'd been. That's why Tori instantly recognized young Holly Vega.
Only this wasn't supposed to be her. It was supposed to be a washed-up, one-name singer.
Taking a few deep, calming breaths, Tori made herself watch the rest. Like the paper indicated, the official music video for "You'll Be a Memory" began to play. Tori could kick herself for never bothering to look it up online when she actually did consider the song one of her favorite classics. Imagine if she had! She might've discovered her mother's secret years ago!
Seriously, how could I not know this?
The video began with "Deanna"...her mother...alone on the beach, a beautiful sunset behind her. There's a very serene atmosphere thanks to the faint sound of waves crashing, along with barefoot Holly's simple outfit of jeans and tank top. But Tori couldn't get over how curly her mother's long hair was!
Tori managed to watch the through the soft rock intro, attempting to contain her shock.
As it stands between us now
We're beyond repair
Too weary and hopeless
To ever get back again...
"Oh my God, I can't!" Tori blurted, abruptly turning off the video. Between reacting to an amazing secret, and the potential situation with her parents, she couldn't handle this. What was she supposed to do? Who was she supposed to tell?
I should talk to Mom. But what would I say? "Mom, I know you were a rock star"? I mean, how do I even feel about this? It's not...bad, exactly. Actually it's kind of cool. I shouldn't be angry at her, except maybe for keeping it from me. But how angry should I be about that?
Okay, then someone else first. Trina? No. Not a good idea. Trina will be super dramatic when she finds out. Then possibly announce to the whole school that she's a rock star's daughter.
So who did that leave?
Andre.
Perfect. He'll know what to say.
Though she considered calling him since it wasn't late yet, Tori decided she could wait to tell him in person at school the next morning. Plus, this meant she could put off thinking about anything until she had a sounding board. Already feeling better, she turned off the VCR and got ready for bed.
Still traumatized from her eventful weekend, Tori entered Hollywood Arts in a daze. Usual Monday morning fatigue made her condition even worse since she didn't get much sleep the night before. Her backpack was falling off her shoulder, but she didn't care as she numbly went over to her locker. In fact she was so out of sorts that she didn't even notice her friends standing right next to it.
Well, her friends and Jade. "Where were you on Saturday?"
The demand was barked so loud that Tori nearly jumped out of her skin. "Oh, God!" she exclaimed, staring at Jade, Cat and Andre with total confusion. "When did you people get here?"
"We've been standing here since before you walked in," Andre answered, concerned. "Are you okay?"
"Hey, don't be nice to her! She ditched us!" Jade snapped.
Taking a moment to clear her head, Tori let out a deep breath before defending herself. "I didn't ditch you, okay? Trust me, I really wanted to go!"
"Then why didn't you?" Cat asked. She wasn't angry but she had that sad puppy look, as if her best friend had really let her down. "We needed you to sing."
"Yeah, Vega. It was three against two. Guess who won," Jade said, her arms crossed.
Tori frowned. "But those Northridge girls can't sing. How did that happen?"
"Well you know the girl who hacked her friend's Slap account and spammed all our pages? Her voice isn't awful," Andre answered. "Plus the two girls who are usually there danced in the background. You should've seen it, Tori." Suddenly he had a faraway expression on his face, the mental picture clear in his head. "All three of them had on these really short shorts, tight tank tops, and I'm pretty sure they weren't even wearing..."
Annoyed Jade loudly clapped her hands. "Come back Andre!"
"Sorry."
"Yeah, I'm sorry too, but my mom made me and Trina stay home that night," Tori added. "Can we do a rematch next weekend?"
"Probably. I'll set it up," Jade said. Then before Tori could say another word, she turned to leave, Cat trailing behind her.
Glad the conversation was over, Tori leaned back on her locker, closed her eyes and let out a calming breath. Great. Not only do I have to deal with everything at home, I have to worry about a sing-off next weekend. This is too much. How am I even going to get through this day?
"Tori? Earth to Tori?" Andre hadn't left. He was staring at her, eyebrow raised, clearly wondering about her mental health. "What's going on with you?"
I better tell him now before I explode, Tori thought. She picked herself off her locker and grabbed his arm. "In here."
Then she dragged him into the janitor's closet.
Growing more and more nervous, Andre began pacing the small space. "What's this about, Tori? First you cancel on Saturday when you were all excited about the karaoke contest, then this morning you come to school looking like a zombie. Are you okay? Did something..."
"My mom used to be a rock star."