Disclaimer: I do not own JONAS, vicTORIous, or any of the characters in this story. Just the plotline and dialogue.
Since before Victorious even started I've been thinking how cute Joe/Tori would be purely because of how cute they would be together physically. So here we go. Please tell me how you feel in a review!
Also, I have three chaptered fics out right now, Masquerades and Rose Parades, Love is For The Patient, and Fix You. I'd love to hear what you think of those and which should be a priority! I will finish all of them, but whichever you think is the best one I'll definitely focus on the most.
Joe wanders through the unfamiliar halls of Hollywood Arts High, exploring this strange building he's been shuttled off to. He's sure that Nick and Kevin, along with the girls are somewhere checking over things for the talent show that they're judging, but for right now he just wants to get a feel for the kids that he's going to be watching.
He finds a locker with a keyboard attached to the outer door, and smiles as he strokes the ivory down. He plays a few more seconds of Tell Me Why before moving on, crouching and finding himself peering into a locker with a transparent door. He tries not to pry too much, but he knows who this one belongs to. The staff of the school had been gabbing about Beck Oliver since the moment he and his brothers arrived, picking him as the frontrunner for the show. Joe only finds a notebook and a few pencils from the angle he's looking at. He begins to make his way up when his phone rings. He huffs. It's a text.
Where r U???? Showroom - lunch with Stella & Macy. Now.
He sighs and texts back an "OK B There in 5" before walking in the direction of the school's auditorium. As he makes his way out, one locker catches his eye. It's black with glowing stars and three neon words jump out at him. Make It Shine.
Tori Vega is a nervous wreck. For one thing, Cat is skittering around her like a chicken with it's head cut off, going on and on about Kevin Lucas and how they are perfect soulmates. Andre is no where to be found and they've only got two hours left to rehearse. Jade is glaring at her from across the room where she's got Beck cornered with a guitar in hand. And Robbie is babbling to his puppet--er-- Rex about pudding. Trina is off in the sauna at home, steaming her worries away.
Tori finds her mind wandering back to Cat as she makes a pros and cons list to dating Kevin Lucas and then she starts freaking out all over again because not only is this the biggest night of the year at HAHS, JONAS is hosting and judging it. Actual rockstars with actual musical point-of-views.
Not that she's nervous or cares what they think anyways. They're just some stupid kiddie band. They probably don't even sing live. Or play real instruments. And her sister likes them, which automatically makes them uncool. What do they even know? They only toured with Hannah Montana, Demi Lovato and have me the Queen of England. It's not like they're like, huge, or that her whole career depends on it. Except it kind of what the hell was she kidding? This would be the highlight of her life. So Tori stalks off out of the backstage area of the showroom in hot pursuit of Andre.
She's not going down without a fight.
Joe feels something lanky and lightweight smacking him in the gut, and then he feels his back making contact with the floor. He instinctively shut his eyes during the collision and now that he's down, he's not sure if he really wants to open them. But then he hears a girl, and she's freaking out and sounds like she's about to cry with her frantic chanting of "Oh my God, I'm so sorry!"
Joe's only instinct is to laugh. He lets out a breathy chuckle and opens one eye, only to find a pretty girl with shiny long brown hair looking down at him and extending her hand to help him up. He takes it. "It's okay." He reassures her, putting his hand on his back to make sure it isn't broken. "Happens all the time on tour."
This makes her blush wine red, and he laughs a little at that too. It's only after he finishes the last breathy huff of a chuckle when he fully regains himself, and in that moment finds himself staring into the eyes of one of the most beautiful girls he's ever seen (And he's seen a lot. He's in a band, remember?) with long flowing brown hair, skin the color of caramel and eyes in such a deep chocolate hue he wonders if she tastes like it. He of course knocks that thought out of his head, he doesn't even know this pretty girl's name for God's sake.
He smiles at her. One of his dazzling, ladykiller smiles he uses when he pulls a girl onstage to serenade. "What's your name?" He inquires, brushing some imaginary dirt off the sleeves of his pressed cotton dress shirt.
She smiles a little before biting her lip. She shifts awkwardly. "I'm Tori," She says hurriedly. "Tori Vega. I go to school here, I was actually just looking for my friend Andre, and I bumped into you -- Gosh, I'm so sorry about that! -- but I can't find him and we have to rehearse for the show and oh God, please don't hold that bump against me!" She covers her face with her hands and Joe smiles at her mortification. Not that he finds a cute girl having a panic attack funny, well, actually, he kind of does. But he just likes to watch how her facial reactions go from scared to death to hilariously giddy and then back to scared to death.
"Hey, it's cool." He says again, reassuringly putting his hand on her forearm and stroking down before grasping her hand and squeezing it. She's immediately caught off guard and stares up at him with her eyes widened, and he almost winces.
He waits for it.
One.
Two.
Three.
...
Three and a half?
She doesn't scream. And he blinks rapidly because really, she should be screaming right now. Joe of Jonas is holding her hand, and his thumb is still stroking too. But instead she pulls away slowly and then smiles at him.
"Thanks," She says, tucking some hair behind her ear. He notices she has multiple piercings. He likes that. "I'm sorry for freaking out, I'm just so nervous. This is my first showcase at Hollywood Arts and my friend, Andre, he's supposed to be playing the piano for me tonight. I just wanna nail it, make it shine, you know?"
He nods. "I get it. I get nervous before shows too." He grins a crooked smile, cocking his head to the side and liking how normal this girl is in this strange graffiti covered school with lockers that have instruments actually built into them. "But after I give Nick the third wedgie before doors open it's all good. Hey," He leans into her and shifts his eyes, before looking around them as if to tell her a secret. "You wanna give him one? I swear, it gets those nerves real good." He winks at her and she rolls her eyes at him, keeping a modest distance.
"Nah, I think I'll pass on giving one of the judges a wedgie." Joe frowns playfully and Tori shrugs. "Maybe if I don't win I'll have to give you one."
He feigns horror. "You wouldn't."
"Oh, but I would." She takes a step toward him, and pushes her finger into his chest. "So you better vote for me, rock star." And then in a split second, she's gone.
Joe blinks at her as he watches her tiny form disappear into the halls, swallowing her up as she yells out Andre's name. Then he remembers something she said about her performance and turns slightly, staring at that little black locker door with the glittering lights. He smiles.
Make It Shine.