A/N: Fanfic decided to delete this story. No idea why. They gave me no warning. So even though I haven't wrote this story in forever, I'm posting it again. Maybe new review will encourage me to write again
Tori Vega looked at her agent in shock. "You're dropping me?" She asked confused, her voice cracking.
"I'm sorry, Tori," Mason said in a British accent she wasn't so sure was real. "You're talented and everything but you don't have the right…" he looked across the desk staring at her chest. "…image. Maybe if you change a few things."
"I'm not changing my look!" Tori cried offended. "You expect me to go out and buy my 'talent' at plastic surgeons? You want me to be just another big bobbed bimbo trying to sleep my way to the top!"
"You got principles, Vega." She smiled, glad he understood, "Hollywood doesn't like principles. Maybe you should go be a Sunday school teacher!" he said, laughing at his own joke before bringing his hands down on his desk, "You're out. Good luck," He said waving her out.
Tori stood up, in shock, grabbed her bag and then walked out of the room. She couldn't believe it. This was not shaping up to be a good day. She hadn't performed a gig in months nor sold anywhere close to 100,000 EPs and now she'd been dropped by her agent! What was next? Her record company dropping her too? Suddenly, her phone started ringing. Tori pulled it out and answered it. "Hello?"
"Hi, Miss Vega, this is Helen from Independent Record Company."
"Hi, Helen."
"I have some bad news. Independent has decided not to renew your contract. We're going in a…different direction."
"What? But I only got an EP! With five songs on it! And three were covers!"
"I'm very sorry. You're a very talented young woman; you just don't have the right…"
"Image, yeah, I've heard that before."
"Have a good day."
Tori slammed her phone shut. Great. She was a twenty one year old college dropout who'd hung all her hopes on making it in the entertainment industry. Now she'd been dropped by her record company and her agent.
What else could happen? She thought as she made her way to her car. Just when she thought her life was going great, it all started going downhill. She thought for sure when she dropped out of college last year to sign to Independent, she would become a big star. She should have stuck with law school.
Tori pulled into her apartment's parking lot, parked her car then went up to her apartment. Once there, she saw the door was opening and there were two movers. "What is going on here?" She cried running in.
The movers looked from carrying a box. "Mason told us to clear out the apartment," one of them said.
"What? Why?" Tori asked confused grabbing at the television one of them was carrying. "Hey! Put that down! You can't just come in here and touch my stuff!"
"Actually, we can. Mason said you're three months behind on the rent." He jerked away from Tori's grip, "No rent…no apartment." the other mover said.
"Kicking me out? But where are you taking my stuff?"
"That's up to you. We can set it on the curb for free or for a hundred dollars we can take it wherever you're moving to. Either way…it's coming out."
Tori looked at the two movers and sighed. "I guess I should help."
Thirty minutes later, Tori was knocking on her sister's, Trina, door. Trina Vega had just graduated college a few months ago and was trying to make it in Hollywood which was a lot harder since she had no talent. Trina opened the door and smiled.
"Tori, what a surprise! What are you doing here?" Trina asked.
Tori nervously switched her bag to the other shoulder. "Trina, I need a favor."
"Anything for my baby sister."
"My agent and record company dropped me and I got kicked out of my apartment and now I need a place to stay," Tori cried pulling her sister into a hug as she started crying.
"Oh, Tori," Trina said rubbing her back. She looked behind her to see a moving van. "Of course you can stay here. Just one problem, where are we going to fit all your stuff?"
Tori pulled away and looked at the moving van. "Do Mom and Dad still have that storage unit?"
"I believe so," Trina said. "Let's move all your basics then we can call and ask."
Three hours later, Tori was putting the last of her clothes in Trina's guest room. She was able to keep her bed, dresser, entertainment center, TV and a chair. All of her other furniture was in her parent's storage unit. Luckily both her parents and Trina were sympathetic with her situation and hadn't asked what she was going to do next because, honestly, she had no idea.
A year ago, Tori had been a junior in college, majoring in business with law school in her future and her biggest dream was to go to law school. She decided to take theater as an easy class. As part of the curriculum they were required to participate in three performances- one had to be a musical. During the class she discovered two things: she could sing and she loved performing. On the opening night of the musical, a talent scout for Independent Records came to watch and immediately wanted to sign her. She sang for a year and that year of singing was the happiest she has ever been. She loved singing and really wanted to continue it. The problem was how would she continue without a record label…or an agent?
"Hey, Tor," Trina said poking her head in. "How are you doing?"
"I'm all settled," Tori said. "Thank you so much for letting me stay here, Trina. I really appreciated."
"Tori, you're my baby sister. Why wouldn't I?" Trina went over to the closet and pulled out a tight black dress. "Now, get dress. We're going out."
"Where?"
"A club. It will make you feel better." Trina tossed her the dress and walked out.
Tori looked at the dress then shrugged. She needed to let off some steam- forget about her recent string of bad luck. Maybe going to the club wouldn't make it all better but one thing was for sure…this day couldn't get any worse.
Jade West groaned as the door to the bathroom slammed for the fifth time that night. "Cat! Stop slamming the door!" She yelled. She looked down at her laptop and the five pages she had written for her script. She was never going to get this done. The door slammed again. "CAT!"
A giggled red head came skipping towards the small dining room. "Sorry, Jadey. I didn't mean to," The girl said sitting across from Jade at the table.
Jade sighed and pulled her black hair into a messing ponytail. "Yeah, whatever."
"How's it going?" Cat Valentine asked.
"Horrible. I'm only on page five. A play can't be five pages long."
"A short play can," Cat said giggled.
Jade glared at her and went back to her script. "Don't you have something else to do?"
"No."
"Well go find something."
"KK." The red head ran off to her bedroom, singing on her way.
Jade rolled her eyes and went back to her script. Jade and Cat have been best friends since they were little. They went to middle school and a performing arts high school together. After they graduated, they decided to move to New York to try to make it on Broadway. They were in one show for year when it closed down, leaving them both broke, and they'd had to move back to L.A. with their parents. Jade's mom decided to pay for their apartment when they moved back, seeing as she'd just gotten remarried and didn't want her daughter and her daughter's moody best friend in the house. She also didn't want the girls to give up on their dreams. They have been back in L.A. for a year. Both had gotten small roles in commercials, local theater and some TV shows. Jade was trying to make it as a writer and Cat as an actress. Both dreamed of doing music together at some point. Jade had recently begun to write her own plays. She'd submitted two to local agents. One was turned down; the other was turned into a small budget short film. Cat was now a recurring character on a new Dingo Channel show. Things weren't as perfect as they'd like but they both knew plenty of actresses and writers who had it far worse than them. At least they were working, doing what they loved. Chasing their dreams together.
The door slammed in the back of the apartment again. Jade yanked off her reading glasses and stormed towards the back. "Cat! What is going on?" She yelled as she went into Cat's room.
Cat was sitting on her bed looking at two dresses. "Which one should I wear?"
"Wear to what?"
"Jade, my cast mate's party is tonight, remember?"
"Oh, right," Jade said. "When do we have to leave?"
"In an hour."
"Cat! You should have reminded me!"
"I'm sorry!" Cat cried. "Don't yell at me!"
Jade rolled her eyes and went back to the dining room where she saved her script and turned off her laptop. She then went to room and picked out a dress for tonight. She chose a simple black bandage mini-dress and started curling her hair.
"Hey, Jade," Cat said coming into Jade's bathroom. "Robbie is coming over to ride with us."
"Ugh, why are we bringing your goofy cast mate?"
"He doesn't have a car remember. Please?"
Jade groaned. "Yes, Robbie can ride with us but he better not bring that stupid puppet."
"He doesn't like to be called a puppet!" Cat cried looking around the bathroom. "Can you help me with my hair?"
"Ponytail?"
Cat nodded and handed Jade her hairbrush.
Thirty minutes later, both girls were dress and waiting for Robbie Shapiro, Cat's cast mate. Jade finished putting in new hair extensions in a vibrant shade of purple as Cat put on her new sparkly red heels.
"Look, Jade, I sparkle!" Cat cried showing Jade her shoes. "Oo, I love those hair extensions on you! Very edgy!"
Jade pushed her hair out extensions out of the way then went to put on her black heels. "Is Robbie here yet?"
Cat looked down at her pink PearPhone. "He said he'll be here in a few," She answered as Jade grabbed her black clutch. "I'll go get my clutch. Be right back."
Jade rolled her eyes as Cat ran to her room; she went out to the dining room and put her laptop away as the doorbell rang.
"Robbie!" Cat cried struggling to run in her heels. She threw the door open and squealed as she hugged the person on the other side.
"Maybe if you squeeze him hard enough, he'll burst!" Jade said excitedly.
Cat and the boy pulled apart. Cat giggled at Jade's comment while the boy with curly black hair and glasses looked uncomfortable.
Robbie Shapiro was an awkward boy who has been trying to make it as a comedian. He moved to Hollywood a year ago and tried to do small, free shows but those weren't working out and he had to pay for his apartment somehow. He decided to start auditioning for roles. He auditioned for the Dingo Channel where he met Cat and they soon became friends. Both got small, recurring parts on a popular Dingo Channel show that paid the bills. It wasn't glamorous but Robbie was just happy to be getting paid to make people laugh…and to have met Cat in the process. Since meeting Cat, Robbie had been around Jade only a few times. She scared him, and he annoyed her but for Cat's sake they tolerated each other. All three of them hung out seeing as they were all trying to make it in Hollywood.
"Hey, Jade," He said. "Lovely to see you."
Jade glared at him. "Robbie. Where's your little puppet?"
"He doesn't like to be called a puppet!" Robbie defended.
Jade laughed. "Let's go. We're going to be late."
Beck Oliver sighed as he walked into his apartment, throwing a script on the floor as he entered. That was his eighth audition that the director completely turned him down on the spot. Didn't even give him a chance to finish his monologue- the one he'd worked on for weeks. Maybe he should have stayed in Canada. He went into the small kitchen and pulled out a water bottle, gulping it down in a matter of minutes.
He went into the back of the apartment into his roommate's bedroom where his roommate was sitting on the couch playing his keyboard.
"Hey, man," Andre said. "How did it go?"
"Horrible," Beck said. "The director told me to go. Just like that."
"Aww, man, that sucks. I'm sure you'll get a part soon," Andre said leaning back as Beck sat next to him.
"Hopefully. We kinda need to eat," Beck said trying to lighten the mood. "How did your audition go?"
"Not bad. He said I have potential but I need an agent," Andre answered. "And they're just handing those out on Sunset Boulevard!"
"Harder than we thought it would be, isn't it?"
"Oh, yeah. Hey, are we still going to that party tonight?"
"Oh, right. I forgot about that. We better get ready. Wear something pretty for me," Beck joked as standing up.
Andre laughed. "You got it."
Beck laughed and left, going into his room. Andre and he have been best friends ever since they were kids. Beck was born in Canada; Andre moved to Canada because of his dad's business when he was five. They went to school together up until they were 15 when Andre moved back to L.A. to pursue his dream of becoming a songwriter. Beck realized after Andre left that he wanted to be an actor so Beck convinced his parents to let him move to L.A. He moved when he was 16. Technically he lived with Andre and his family, but really he'd just parked his RV in their backyard. He preferred the independence. He and Andre both got into a performing arts school and had been pursuing their dreams ever since. After they graduated, Beck and Andre got an apartment together. Both got small parts on TV and commercials. After two years of small parts, Andre decided he wanted to sing and write so he started to audition for record companies. Beck decided he wanted to do more big roles and started auditioning for movies. They'd been at it for a year now and both always got the small results: "You need an agent."
Beck sighed and pulled on black pants, a white shirt, and a black tie. He fixed his long hair then went to the living room. Andre was already there wearing nice jeans, a blue shirt, and a red tie.
"Ready?" Andre asked.
"Let's go," Beck said grabbing his keys.
Twenty minutes later, the two best friends entered the House of Blues. The birthday girl was standing by the door. She smiled at Beck and winked. Beck smiled back as he and Andre made their way away from her and to the bar.
"Why did she invite us?" Andre asking sitting down.
"She saw me on the street and said I had 'great hair so you must come to my party.'" Beck answered putting quotes around the latter. "It might be good for us. Maybe we'll find an agent."
"Doubt it."
"Be optimistic, dude," Beck said. "Oh crap, here comes Trina Vega."
"Move, move, move!" Andre said pushing Beck further into the crowd and away from the obnoxious Trina Vega. They came to a table with a red head girl, a girl with black hair and purple extensions, and a boy with black curly hair and glasses. "Can we sit here? We're trying to escape from someone." Andre asked looking behind him. "She's coming! Hide!" Andre pushed Beck under the table then climbed after him.
The red head giggled. "Jade, there are two boys under our table."
The girl with extensions glared at her then yelped as one of the boys stepped on her foot.
Finally after Trina walked by, Beck and Andre climbed back out and sat down. Beck immediately grabbed a drink off the table and gulped it down.
"That was close," He said setting the empty glass down.
"That was mine," The girl with the long hair and beautiful eyes, said. "You owe me a new drink."
"Sorry. We just can't stand that girl. She follows us everywhere," Beck said. "I'm Beck by the way and this is my best friend Andre."
Andre nodded and smiled. "Hey."
"I'm Cat, like the animal," The red head said. "I'm a recurring character on the show the birthday girl is on! So is Robbie! Oh, this Robbie! He has a puppet named Rex but he doesn't like to be called a puppet!"
"Cat! You're killing me!" The girl with extensions grabbed Cat's shoulders and shook her.
"Don't yell at me!" Cat yelled turning back to the boys. "I talk a lot. It bugs Jade sometimes but that's okay cause we've been best friends forever! She could never hate me!"
Jade dropped her head in her hand. "I'm coming close."
Cat gasped dramatically. "That is so mean!"
Beck and Andre looked at each, deciding whether to stay then Beck shrugged his shoulders.
"Can we sit here?" Beck asked. "We'll buy more drinks."
Cat and Robbie looked at Jade who was eyeing the boys up and down. Finally, Jade shrugged. "Alright. You can stay."
"I'll go get some drinks. Everyone legal?" Beck asked standing up. When they all nodded, he went off to the bar.
"What do you do, Andre?" Robbie asked.
"Oh, you know, just trying to make it as a singer/songwriter," Andre answered.
"Not working out for you?" Jade asked assumed.
"How did you know?"
"I can see your soul in your eyes," Jade answered leaning forward and staring at him straight in the eyes.
Andre eyes widen and scooted his chair back.
Cat giggled. "She's kidding. Jade just likes to scare people but she's really as sweet as cotton candy." Cat attempted to hug her but Jade pushed her away and yelled, "NO!"
Andre didn't look convinced and as soon as Beck sat back down with five beers, Andre immediately grabbed his, gulping down.
"I hope beers okay with everyone," Beck said handing Cat, Jade, and Robbie one.
"It will do," Jade said gulping some down. She slammed it down then leaned forward to look at Beck. "Now, what about you, pretty boy? What do you do?"
"I'm trying to make it as an actor. I've gotten a few guest spots on TV and commercials but I really want to be in movies," Beck answered not fazed by Jade's stare.
"So you're both in the club?" Jade said taking a swing of beer.
"The club?" Beck and Andre asked.
"The trying to make it in Hollywood but failing miserably club," Jade answered.
"Yes," The boys answered hanging their heads.
"So are we," Cat said giggling. "I want to be a bigger actress! Jade wants to write screenplays and Jade and I really want to do an album together. Robbie wants to do comedy but we haven't gotten anywhere!"
"You sound so excited about that," Andre said.
"What's that suppose to mean?" Cat yelled offended.
"Just that you are an optimistic," Andre defended.
"Oh, yay!"
"Cat's bipolar," Jade whispered. "You get used to it."
A girl with brown hair and a black sparkly dress came up to them. "Has anyone seen my sister, Trina Vega?"
"You're related to that?!" Andre asked pointing to Trina who was giving a lap dance to a disgusted guy.
"Unfortunately. Maybe she won't notice me. She's being driving me insane and I've been trying escape all night," The girl said.
"Join us then," Andre offered. "My bud and I just barely escaped her. She likes to follow us."
"Oh great, more people," Jade mumbled.
"Jade, be nice. Of course you are can join us," Cat said motioning to the seat by Andre. "Jade doesn't like many people but she'll warm up soon. I'm Cat, you know like the animal but I'm not an animal."
Tori's eyes widened as she sat next to Andre. "Hi? I'm Tori?"
"Why did you say that like a question? Are you not sure of your name? Did you change it? One time my brother decided to change his name but my parents wouldn't let him," Cat said.
"Hey, Cat," Robbie said handing her some money. "Why don't you go get some candy?"
"Yay! I love candy!" Cat stood up and skipped away.
"She can be hyper," Robbie said. "I'm Robbie."
"Beck."
"Andre."
"Jade."
"Hi," Tori said waving at everyone as Cat came back.
"So, what do you do, Tori?" Andre asked.
"Well, I did have a contract with Independent Records Company but they dropped me today after they gave me one EP with five songs and earlier today, my agent dropped me. Then I lost my apartment and I'm now living with my sister. Oh and did I mention I dropped out of college to sign with Independent Records," Tori said.
"We need more drinks," Beck said getting up.
"What do you guys do?" Tori asked as Beck sat back down with more beers.
"Aspiring singer/songwriter," Andre said.
"Aspiring actor," Beck said.
"Aspiring comedian," Robbie said.
"Aspiring writer," Jade said.
"What does aspiring mean?" Cat asked confused.
"What do you want to do, Cat?" Tori asked slowly.
"Oh, I want to be an actress but Jade and I also want to do an album together. Right now, I'm on the Dingo Channel."
Jade shoved the beer in Cat's hand. "Drink the beer, Cat."
"So, we are all trying to make in this city," Tori said looking around.
Everyone nodded as Jade lifted her beer.
"Welcome to the 'trying to make it in Hollywood but failing miserably' club. The count is now up to six," Jade said.
Everyone lifted their beers and clinked the beers together.
"Here, here!"
"Yay!"
"Go us!"
"Woohoo!"
"Yes!"