DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN VICTORIOUS OR ANY NICKELODEON CHARACTERS.
INTRO: I had posted the 1st chapter to this before, but decided to take it down, work on it, change things around, hopefully make it better. The mission is to try and intertwine (for lack of a better word) my OC into the fabric of the real show. Trying to make it feel like he was there all along. This first chapter is before Tori arrives (1st ep) just to get the ball rolling a little to start.
VICTORiOUS(ly)
Chapter 1 - "Before We Begin"
Hollywood Arts.
It was a High School for the talented kids. The ones with big aspirations for singing, dancing, acting, etc.. A lot of the big-wigs knew the school could be a potential gold-mine for young stars, so you well aware that once you stepped through the double doors, there was a chance for you to become a superstar. It didn't hurt, either, that Hollywood Arts was located in California. A stone's throw away from many a big producer and talent scout.
For one student, his eyes were firmly on the prize. But, it wasn't just stardom he was after. It was merely to follow in the footsteps of his favorite rock bands like The Black Keys or Blood Red Lips. He just wanted the chance to sing and perform in front of the masses. His turn in the spotlight, playing on stage at a crowded club or festival. Darin Summers was the boy's name and his dream was to be a singer/songwriter, just him and his guitar. And if it wasn't his way... It wasn't any way. Of course... He had yet to write a song of his own, or even half of one. Hence, begging his - thankfully - well-to-do parents to send him to Hollywood Arts.
Darin wasn't the smartest student, wasn't the most talented, either. At times, he liked to think he was, but in reality that just wasn't the case. He also wasn't all that popular, either. But, that didn't mean he wasn't without his own little circle of friends that he could just about always be seen with. Them being... Andre Harris, Cat Valentine, Beck Oliver, Jade West and Robbie Shapiro with his own best friend - a puppet - Rex.
Darin had just closed his locker, which was covered in little toy guitars of different colors. He was set to be on his way to the next class when he had been approached by none other than everyone's favorite teacher, Mr. Sikowitz. The man was dressed in his usual peculiar combination of clothing, as well as a big smile, sipping from a coconut...
"There is just the person I was looking for," he proclaimed loudly.
Having Sikowitz actively looking for you was never a good thing. Just... Never. Still, "Why?"
Sikowitz pointed a finger, smiling as he shook it and then went back on his way, "You'll see."
Not five seconds later, after Sikowitz was gone, leaving Darin in a state of confusion, there was Jade stomping across the floor, "Sikowitz? Sikowitz!"
"You just missed him," Darin informed.
Jade rolled her eyes and huffed, "That lunatic told me I was just the person he was looking for, then he just walked away."
"Uh oh," Darin mumbled, suddenly feeling faint.
Jade's typical short fuse was lit just then as she easily read Darin's eyes, "He didn't say the same thing to you, did he?"
No response.
"Darin," she got too close for comfort, "Tell me Sikowitz did not say the same thing to you!"
Darin reluctantly nodded his head, "Sure did."
"Crap," Jade threw her arms up, "You know he doesn't like that we always argue."
Darin wasn't in the mood to argue, "Maybe we should just suck it up and try to get along better. I mean... It's not like the world is gonna end if... We... Jade... Jade, where are you going?"
Jade West was already long gone. Little bit of back-story coming atcha... Darin and Jade certainly didn't hate each other, but they also seemed to revel in teasing each other. Bickering, pranks, flat-out arguing. Sure, in the end, they were friends, but it wasn't like they would ever hang out with each other if the rest of the group wasn't already around. In fact, it would be a fair assumption if you assumed they wouldn't even be friends if not for the others.
:::Sikowitz Class:::
"BELIEVABILITY!"
That certainly woke everyone up, even if they weren't sleeping in the first place. Sikowitz was a great teacher, albeit a bit unorthodox and... Well... A touch on the insane side as well. Also... If there was ever a picture-perfect example of teachers not getting their fair-share of pay... It was Sikowitz' wardrobe. Still... His students listened. And there they all were, including Jade and Darin... Who were now sitting in the furthest seats from each other. Needless to say... Andre, Cat, Robbie and Beck were all caught in the middle, both literally and figuratively.
"Now, believability is one of the most key factors of all acting," Sikowitz explained at the head of the room, "Sure, we all know we're watching someone be something they're not. But, regardless, we want to believe in them. We want to get wrapped up in the drama, suspense, action. We want to lose ourselves for a couple of hours. And we can't do that if Mr. and Mrs. Actor aren't believable in their roles."
"I'm smelling an assignment," Andre figured.
Sikowitz smiled, "You would be correct. However, this will not be a typical assignment."
That was really something coming from Sikowitz. Barely any of the assignments he asked of his students were typical or even close to normal, for that matter. So, the students all waited on pins and needles until...
"Can I have Jade and Darin join me on centre stage," Sikowitz humorously spoke in a royal accent while the two teenagers begrudgingly walked up, each standing at a different side, arms crossed, the opposite of thrilled, "There will be two very different assignments handed out. Tomorrow... All of you sitting down will be tasked with analyzing the believability of these two lovely people."
Jade and Darin both cocked their eyebrows, the other students not sure what to make of this.
"And the task for Jade and Darin?" Sikowitz let the suspense linger for a moment before the big reveal, "They will have to make us all believe that they're the best of friends!"
"Oh, come on," they said in unison before Jade took over, "Talk about impossible."
"Sikowitz," Darin complained, "Not even the greatest actors in the world could be best friends with Jade. She's a fun-vampire! She'll suck the fun out of any situation."
"Oh, good thing there's nothing fun about you, Darin," Jade grinned.
Rex had a comment to drop, "Man, this is like Robbie's grandparents when the apple pie is all gone."
"Rex," Robbie hushed him, "That was one time."
"One time can last a life time," Rex added.
"Okay, okay," Sikowitz stepped in, "Now, realizing that the two of you wouldn't take to this well... If at all, I've made a slightly controversial decision," a dramatic pause, "This exercise is going to count for nice heaping chunk of your grades this semester."
"What!?" Jade exclaimed, "My grade for the semester hinges on this idiot?"
"Hey," Cat decided to speak, "I know an idiot when I see one, and Darin's no idiot."
Oofa.
Jade just shook her head, "This is the very definition of sucks."
"At least we agree on something," Darin responded before the two of them both stomped out of class, opposite exits of course.
DARIN: "Act like besties with Jade? I think I'd rather clean Godzilla's bathroom."
MOOD: Flabbergasted.
:::Lunch:::
This was bad, plain and simple. Sure, Jade and Darin were seated at the same table with their friends like always. But, sadly, this time around... Their chairs weren't even facing the table, opting to instead face in opposite directions so they didn't have to look at each other. It seemed the desired effect behind Sikowitz plan was nowhere to be seen. It was actually driving Darin and Jade even further apart than they already were in the first place.
As you could imagine, the mood at the outside lunch table was tremendously awkward.
"I don't like this," Cat pouted, "It feels like the time my brother couldn't decide between which puppy to take home."
Andre realized something, "That's actually pretty tame considering some of the things your..."
"He couldn't make a decision so he just stayed there in one of the kennels," Cat finished her thought.
"There's no way the pound would let him stay in one of the..." Robbie didn't have a chance to finish.
"They didn't. He kept sneaking in."
Beck grabbed everyone's attention away from the insanity that was Cat's brother, "You guys can't keep this up," referring to Jade and Darin, "Seriously, it's only been an hour and it's already enough."
"Maybe this will be my protest," Jade declared, refusing to turn around, "No longer should the teachers of this school be able to give the students dumb assignments. I'm taking a stand."
"And I'm not going to give her the satisfaction of me caving in," Darin responded in kind.
"But, you heard Sikowitz. This one thing is going to count for a big part of your grades this semester," Robbie reminded them.
"Yeah," Andre spoke up, "Someone needs to step up and be the bigger man... woman... Whatever. Besides, imagine how Sikowitz would act if one of you put forth more effort than the other one. Huh? See what I'm sayin'?"
Wait a minute... Mister Andre Harris had a point. The wheels in their minds started to spin, as did their seats. Darin and Jade then eyed each other, the plans coming together in their heads. With Andre's one phrase - intentional or not - this assignment became a competition... A competition that neither student wanted to lose. No matter how big or small, the golden opportunity to upstage the other was priceless to the both of them. Yeah... This just got kicked up a notch.
"Dude," Beck looked at Andre then back and forth between the dueling friends, "What did you do?"
"They look like two Lions staring each other down for control of the pack," Robbie remarked.
"It's called a Pride, not a pack," Rex with the correction, "Man, and people think I'm the dummy."
The moment lingered in the air as Beck, Cat, Andre, Robbie and Rex watched the tension build via a stare down between Jade and Darin. It was like a deformed version of monkey in the middle. Yeesh... Scary.
:::Sikowitz Class:::
Some time after his class of the usual characters finished, Sikowitz had a thought. He wondered what it was exactly that kickstarted the bickering back and forth between Jade and Darin. To really dig down to the bottom of the mystery, the unusual teacher called in Andre and Cat to get the information he was looking for. Who better to know where it all began than the two of them. Well... Actually... Maybe Darin and Jade would know better. However, it wasn't like they would be willing to spill the beans.
"So, tell me," Sikowitz spoke to the two, "Where in the name of Plankton did this all begin?"
"When what began?" Cat wondered innocently, causing Sikowitz to turn toward Andre...
"Don't worry, I got this," Andre assured the teacher, "See... Jade and Darin are actually a lot alike. They both have a tendency to speak their minds when they probably shouldn't. Plus... It drives them crazy when someone decides to start giving it back. So... It was just one normal afternoon when..."
"I wish I had some popcorn," Cat added randomly.
Andre just shrugged off the interruption, "Like I said... It was just some normal afternoon when..."
A typical afternoon at Hollywood Arts. New friends Andre and Darin had just wrapped up a good ol' fashioned A-Plus on a musical project in class. To celebrate, Andre decided on introducing Darin to the rest of his friends. First, there was Cat who had no idea why Darin jokingly made a meow sound. Then there was Robbie and Rex... Rex mentioning he wasn't sure if he trusted someone with a seasonal last name. Beck was next, who seemed pretty cool. Then last but certainly never least... The infamous Jade West...
"Nice haircut," she smirked, "I didn't know there were blind barbers?"
Darin just couldn't let that slip by without being defended, "I like your hair, actually. I didn't know Skittles had their own shampoo?"
"And that's that," Andre finished, "Ever since then... They've gone back and forth."
"That's it?" Sikowitz was dumbfounded, "That's why they hate each other?"
"Pretty much," Andre answered, "But... I don't think it's so much that they actually hate each other. It's more like... They just like to hate each other. It's fun to them in some weird way. Plus... They both do not like being told what to do."
Well... That explained that, didn't it?
:::Next Day:::
A new school day. Not to mention, the day of Darin and Jade needing to appear believable as best friends in class. The two hadn't talked since the day before. Which worried their other friends. But, as would be made obvious... It seemed the idea of upstaging one another in the besties department would be the driving force of the day.
Darin rode through the halls on his skateboard, somehow maneuvering through the crowds without so much as a slip. Of course, that being until a student accidentally dropped a morning apple on the floor. Darin didn't see it in time, he was gonna be toast. He was gonna be... Freakin' saved by Jade West!?
"Whoah," Robbie's mind was blown as he and the others watched from the end of the hall, "Did I just see what I think I saw?"
"Diddo," Rex added.
Back to the two believable besties... Jade made sure Darin was still standing even after his board hit the apple. She then simply smiled brightly, really laying it on thick, "Be careful, Darin. Wouldn't want one of my best friends getting injured."
Not to be outdone, Darin then grabbed Jade's backpack filled with books, "Please, let me thank you by carrying your bag to... Wow, this isn't heavy at all."
"Why would it be?" she asked.
"Well books are nor... Oh wow, it's full of scissors," Darin's eyes went wide, "What kind of..." then stopped himself, noticing Jade was winning at the moment, "... Beautiful young woman would not be worried about possibly injuring her flawless porcelain skin with such dangerous scissors?"
Jade retched, but kept it under wraps, "Never-mind that. Perhaps we can chat about our aspirations for the school year as we walk together to class?"
It took a bit of will power, but Darin was able to go with the flow and keep the charade going, "Lead the way."
Dang, he was going along with it, "Will do."
Then they headed down the hallway, acting like best friends but with zero believability. A fact that didn't go un-noticed by the others in their circle of friends. Beck was first to comment, "Okay... That was too weird."
"Freaky," Andre followed.
"Well... At least they're trying, right?" Robbie mentioned, the boys nodding in agreement.
"No," Cat was visibly trouble by what she saw, "Guys... That wasn't believable at all. It doesn't matter if they're trying... They have to really look like best friends. And all they look like is that..."
They all said it together, "They're faking."
CAT: "What we have here is... A failure to communicate."
MOOD: Worried.
:::Sikowitz Class:::
Impending doom. The moment of truth. Define it any which way you would like. Bottom line... Everyone was a bit worried about what would happen between Darin and Jade. The vomit-inspiring confusion-inducing scene in the hallway earlier could only be the very tip of the iceberg. The group of friends were all waiting with tense anticipation, and even Sikowitz was beginning to second-guess his decision in making this such a big part of their grade. Making matters all the worse... Darin and Jade hadn't even been seen since their little show earlier. Yeah... Class had already begun and they were nowhere to be found.
"Well," Sikowitz started, "Today's class was designed to be centered around believability in acting."
"Wait," Cat spoke up for her friends, "Just give them a couple of minutes. Maybe they forgot how to get here?"
"Aw Red," Rex again, "You know I love ya... But I'm surprised you haven't forgotten how to get here."
"Rex," Robbie scolded, "Be nice."
Beck sighed, "I know Jade. I mean... Dating and all. Anyway, she doesn't play nice... Or act nice."
"And I know Darin," Andre followed suit, "He's the same way."
"Oh god," Sikowitz feared the worse, over-acting a little but getting his point across, "What have I done!? They're probably tearing each other apart," dropping to his knees, everyone focused on his theatrics, "Oh, the humanity!"
"Actually... No," then there was Jade and Darin, standing comfortably side by side just inside the doorway, "Although... Good job, Sikowitz."
"Yeah," Darin smirked as he and Jade sat next to each other, "Very believable. We totally bought it."
"Ummm... What's going on?" Robbie asked.
"Yeah," Beck too, "Where were you guys?"
"Pretty weird," Jade explained it, "After faking liking to talk to each other... We started actually liking to talk to each other."
"Yay!" Cat clapped happily.
"We have more in common than we realized," Darin admitted, "We both got hurt running with scissors when we were kids, we both hate doing what we're told. We both love telling people what to do and things they don't want to hear."
"Not to mention, we're both planning on starting a protest to get students to pick their own assignments," Jade capped it off nicely.
"And so it is true!" Sikowitz leaped up triumphantly, arms stretched, a wide smile on his face, "My teaching methods are genius!"
"Aren't we still supposed to comment on their believability?" Robbie wondered aloud.
Sikowitz shook his head, "Scratch that. Let's end this class on a high note for once, shall we? Children... You are dismissed!"
"But..." Robbie started.
"Dude, just go with it," Andre finished.
"But..."
"Look at you man," Rex was shaking his head, "You're just jealous your grandparents apple pie fight didn't end this well."
A moment or two later, the students all started filing out of the room, leaving only Jade with Beck and Darin with Cat. A second after that, Beck flung an arm over his girlfriend's shoulder, "I, for one, am glad this rivalry is over."
"Me too," Cat smiled.
"The end of an era," Darin summed it up, "You were a worthy opponent, West."
Jade shrugged, turning to walk away with her boyfriend, "Eh, one of us had to eventually bury the hatchet, right?"
Wait a minute... That didn't sound like...
"Dude," Darin stopped Jade, Cat wincing beside him, biting her nails, "Are you insinuating that this was all you?"
"Hey," Beck played peacekeeper, "What does it matter who did what? The main thing is..."
"You blind, Summers?" Jade retorted, "If it wasn't me taking the first step, we would have never made up at all. You surely weren't gonna do it."
"Oh gosh," Cat gasped, "Them's fightin' words."
"No, no, no," Darin wasn't down with that at all, "It was a mutual thing. It wasn't all you."
Jade chuckled, "Okay, whatever helps you sleep at night."
"Jade... Jade, don't walk out... Jade!" exasperated, Darin could only watch as Jade and Beck left the room, "That woman! Argh!"
"I have a sudden urge to sing..." Cat smiled again.
"Sing what?" what in the world could she possibly want to sing at a moment like...
"Why can't we be friends? Why can't we be friends?"
Darin's head just dropped as he fell back in a chair, shoulders slouching, feeling like his mind was flying away at this point while Cat continued singing to him.
ROLL CREDITS!
:::Darin's Slap Video:::
The setting was very simple. An afternoon after school at Darin's house. It wasn't really the fanciest place, but it was really nice. He had no complaints about how lucky he was to have such a good home. Nevertheless, there he was in front of the camera with Andre behind it. This would be his first official Slap video. Bare witness... Friends and Viewers... To the birth of a legend... Or, at least the birth of something. Hit it!
"What's up, Slappers," he cringed, "Or... Whatever you call..."
CUT!
"'Sup mah brothas and..."
CUT!
"Hey everyone, Darin Summers here saying what's up to all the ladies in..."
CUT!
"North Ridge! Wha-What!? Holler at..."
CUT!
"Hey, my name is Darin. Some know me... Some don't. My friend Andre mentioned that it'd might be a good idea to start posting videos on my SLAP page so everyone can get to know me better. So... Here I am. I like rock music, I hate sell-outs and fakes. Which is ironic because I recently had to..." loud barking in the background, "Oh chiz... I forgot... My dog hates cameras!"
"Dude, just..." Andre turned the camera towards a big ol' St. Bernard rumbling right in his direction, "What the heck is... AHHH!" Camera knocked over, Andre being hassled by the dog, "THE HUMANITY!"
"No, Mr. Pooch, no!" Darin could be heard shouting, the camera facing the other way, "Andre's not a chew toy! Mr. Pooch, listen to me! LISTEN TO ME!"
:::::VICTORiOUS(ly):::::
There you have the opening chapter. Good, Bad? Full of suckage and sewage? I tried to make it like an episode as best I could. Or I should say in an episode style. I maybe didn't get to Darin as much as I should, but it is what it is. I also purposely left out his appearance so you guys can just picture him how you'd like. Unless you don't want to do that... In which case it was a big mistake. Hopefully you guys enjoyed it, please leave a review either way. More on the way soon.