Summary; For a pair of 'bffs' ,they acted like anything but with how much they fought. It was 6 months ago when that final fight destroyed their friendship. But what happens when they get paired up to be counselors at the summer Freshmen Arts Training camp? Cat/Jade
Disclaimer; Dan Schneider owns all rights to Victorious, I'm just borrowing his characters and am in no way associated with anyone that works for Nickelodean.
Note; this story is slightly AU, but I'm going to keep everyone in character as best I can.
F.A.T Camp
By xHeSaidSheSaidx
Chapter One
July
"This one's cute!"
Tori Vega turned toward her friend upon hearing her words, she frowned when she caught sight of the flowy floral print top the other girl was holding up.
"Kind of, but it reminds me of something my grandmother owns," Tori told her friend in all honesty. Cat Valentine let out a slow sigh and placed the top back on the rack. The girls had been at this for almost two hours and hadn't been able to really find anything worth buying. The mall was rather dry today. The store they were in looked like it definitely needed to be restocked, and there were tons of people packed in. It seemed as if everyone had had the same idea and reason for coming to the mall in the first place; it was air conditioned, and it was a hundred and three degrees outside. But no one really seemed too interested in the clothing, not just Cat and Tori. It was too hot of a day to actually enjoy any kind of activity, including shopping.
"Come on," Cat said, pulling her friend out of the store as a saleslady yelled after them to "have a nice day!"
"Want to get a smoothie"? Tori suggested as they entered the food court. Cat nodded excitedly. "Yes!" she could go for an ice cold, juicy beverage.
They made their way over to an Orange Julius to stand in the line that already had at least 15 other people waiting impatiently.
"Shoot, my phones ringing," Cat announced to her companion as they were standing in the line, as she could feel the small vibration through her purse. She shuffled through it frantically before finally pulling out the bright pink PearPhone.
"Who is it?" Tori inquired casually, fanning herself with her hand as the mixed body heat of all the people around her began to overtake the air conditioning.
Cat's eyebrows furrowed. "Unknown number," she said, as she didn't have the number saved in her contacts list. With a light shrug, she answered anyways.
"Hello?"
"Hi, Caterina Valentine?" a male voice answered back to her.
"That's me!" Cat said excitedly at the mention of her own name.
"This is Mr. Ikner, your school principal at Hollywood Arts; I pulled your phone number up from your student file."
Cat's eyes shot over to Tori's in confusion. Noticing the look, Tori mirrored it and mouthed "What?"
"Hi, Mr. Ikner…" Cat wasn't sure at first if this was just some strange prank phone call, but she realized that the voice did certainly sound like the principal. But still, why was he calling her, especially in the middle of the summer? Was she in trouble ?
"I'm calling to tell you about an opportunity that opened up recently to students your age that will be attending Hollywood Arts again in the fall," the principal went on. This time, Cat's eyebrows shot up in interest.
"What kind of an opportunity?"
She glanced to Tori again, who was watching her with curiosity while a bit of the confusion still remained.
"Have you ever heard of F.A.T Camp?"
"F.A.T?" Cat questioned, and then giggled. "You mean, fat camp?"
Tori's eyebrows shot up at hearing Cat mention something about fat camp. Cat was certainly not fat, what was this all about?
The principal (she was still having a somewhat tough time believing she was talking to him on the phone in early July) let out a chuckle. "Well that nickname has certainly been around, but no, it stands for Freshmen Arts Training camp. It's a two week summer camp out in Huntington Beach that incoming freshmen into performing arts schools in and around the area can go to, to kind of get a feel of what the year will be like. This is the fifth summer that the camp has been open, but the first that the camp has reserved a spot for students from Hollywood Arts. We've been on the waiting list for a while now."
"But I'm not a freshman," Cat reminded Mr. Ikner, convinced that he was calling her about this to tell her to sign up for the camp or something.
"Each school has to bring along no more than ten upper-class students to be camp counselors who will help teach certain courses at the camp. I've talked to some of the teachers that the classes of 2012 and 2013 had last year to see if they had any recommendations for class counselors. You've been recommended."
"Me?" Cat couldn't believe what she was hearing. Someone had recommended her for something? "One of my old teachers recommended me to be a counselor? Which one?"
"Mr. Sikowitz, he'll also be the faculty member that also must come with each school that attends the camp."
Cat grinned at the mention of her favorite teacher from last year. "So when does the camp start?"
"Next month, most likely around this time. It a two week program and it's overnight but they're asking that counselors arrive a week early at the campsite before the freshmen for training; that way you guys will be taught specifically on what to do and ready when they arrive. Would you be interested?"
"Yes!" The small red headed girl answered without giving it a second thought. She had never had the chance to go to a summer camp before as a kid, and this sounded like it could be loads of fun. Plus, she was sure her parents would be fine with it, and she didn't have anything all that huge planned for her summer anyways.
She stopped suddenly when she glanced over at Tori again, who was still watching her intently. She knew that Tori would love to have an opportunity like this as well, so before the principal could continue giving her information, she spoke again.
"Wait are counselors picked only if they're recommended or can anyone else sign up to do it? Because I know my friend Tori would love to-"
"Cat!" Tori cut her off with an impatient whisper as the girls finally moved up in the long smoothie line. "What's going on?"
"Well for now we're only calling the students that have been recommended, but if anyone declines the offer I'm sure they'll be openings."
"Oh," Cat's face almost fell, until Mr. Ikner went on.
"Actually, I have a list right here of the recommended students… you said Tori? Tori Vega? The girl from the show case that filled in for her sister right?"
"That's her!" Cat squealed.
Mr. Ikner laughed, "She's already on the list, students are being called by order of last name and she comes right after you on the list. I'll be calling her next in fact."
"Yay!" Cat exclaimed as Tori frantically jumped up and down in front of her eagerly chanting "What what what what what?" with a grin plastered across her face.
"No need to call her next Mr. Ikner, she's right here!"
The next thing Tori knew, Cat was shoving her phone in her face. She took it excitedly as people around them began to stare in wonderment at the girls jumping around happily. "Hello?"
Cat waited eagerly as Mr. Ikner explained everything to Tori as well before her brunette companion hung up with a smile.
"So you're going too, right?"
"Yeah, I just want to check it over first with my parents. Mr. Ikner said he'll be in touch to give us both more information, he also said it's totally free to counselors!"
"Yay!" Cat clapped excitedly. "Wait! So the freshmen have to pay?"
"I think so," Tori shrugged. "I guess we don't have to since we're the ones helping teach them, and since we've been recommended."
Cat sighed with content, placing her hands on her hips. "Good ol' Sikowitz," she smiled.
Tori nodded with agreement as she then realized that it was their turn to place their order.
"Oh Cat we're up!"
"Yay!" Cat clapped again, almost as if she had forgotten about the camp already, "smoothies!"
"Jade!"
The dark-haired girl sat up from her spot in the grass with a sigh of exasperation, plucking an earphone piece from her head in annoyance.
"What?" she looked back towards the house at her mother who stood angrily in the doorway.
"When am I going to stop having to constantly remind you to clean your room? You're almost seventeen years old, not seven! Go clean it now; stop lazing around!"
Jade West stood with another sigh, winding her headphones around her PearPod. So much for trying to darken her white-ass skin. She slumped back into the house, past her mother, and to her cluttered bedroom. It wasn't even that messy; just a few clothing items and CD's scattered around here and there. She picked up a few CD's and stacked them on her desk, next to where her phone was laying. She'd left it here in her room when she'd gone outside to tan, figuring that no one was going to call or text her anyways.
Disregarding that thought, Jade picked up the phone to check the time, but something sparked her curiosity when she saw that she had a missed call from some random number she didn't recognize and a voicemail.
"Who could that be?" she muttered to herself, racking her brain for any possibilities. It wasn't Sinjin; he'd been calling her all summer for reasons unknown, she almost had the creepy nerd with the freaky crush on her's number memorized as much as she hated herself for it.
Maybe it was Beck? Or Cat? She'd erased their numbers from her phone book long ago…
But as much as she sort of wished one of them would be calling her, she knew that would never happen. It had been months since she'd spoken to either one of them.
Putting her ex boyfriend and ex best friend out of her mind as best she could, the teenager went to her voice inbox and held the phone up to her ear. It had been kind of a while since anyone had really called her, and the fact that this call had come from an unknown number made it all the more interesting.
"Hi Jade, this is Principal Ikner from your school," Jade froze as the message continued. "There's an opportunity available to students your age that will be attending Hollywood Arts again this upcoming school year as a counselor for a two week summer camp that incoming freshmen into performing arts schools in and around the area signed up for. It's basically just a long freshmen orientation so that they can get an idea of the specific things we do at performing arts schools. You've been recommended by one of your former teachers to be a counselor to some of the freshmen from our school. This will all be early August and counselors are asked to show up a week early for training since you would be helping teach the kids and doing different activities with them. If you're interested please call back this number to let a faculty member know and so we can get you more information as soon as possible, we would love to have you. The office officially closes in a few days for the rest of the summer so please try to get back to me as soon as you can."
Jade had listened to the rest of the message carefully, but even after playing it again two more times she was still semi-confused. A teacher recommended her to basically boss around some 14 year old kids for two weeks? Well, she was a pretty amazing actor if she did say so herself, not to mention a fantastic singer, so the fact that she'd been recommended didn't really surprise her all that much, but she still had a lot of questions and some things holding her back from wanting to do it.
How much did this crap cost?
Where was the stupid camp at anyways?
How big was it?
How many people were going? Freshmen and counselors?
Who were the other counselors?
How did the freakin' principal even get her number in the first place?
Jade also couldn't stand kids or anyone younger than her… or anyone at all for that matter. And camp counselors were cheery, annoying people. Would she be able to handle a job like that for two weeks? Technically three, since Ikner had said something about a one week training?
On the other hand, this would definitely give her something to do with her summer, finally. Sure, it had only been summer for about three weeks now but so far she hadn't really done much and she sensed a long, boring couple of months ahead. So, maybe she should go on and accept this invitation?
Jade set her phone back down on the desk, shaking her head to herself as she continued to straighten up her room. She'd have to think about this some more before deciding.
August
"TORI ! ! !"
Cat sang her friend's name over and over again while pressing the doorbell repeatedly until finally the door was pulled open.
"Cat, I heard you! No need to break the doorbell," Tori laughed by way of greeting to the jubilant girl.
"Hehe, I'm sorry! I'm just so excited!" Cat giggled. It was August 4th, the day the girls were set to leave to the F.A.T Camp with their fellow camp counselors from Hollywood Arts.
"Where's your stuff?" Tori asked, leading her friend back into the house she'd been in many times.
"In the car, hurry and go get your things; my mom is waiting! She's dropping us off at the school," Cat explained excitedly, almost like a little girl telling her favorite story.
"Alright let me just-"
"I'm readyyyyyyyyyyyy!"
The brunette was cut off suddenly by her 17 year old sister shimmying her way down the steps from the upstairs, a large pair of sunglasses covering half her face and a big purple duffel bag in one hand with a black one in the other. Tori groaned at her sister's dramatic entrance as Cat glanced between the two girls in confusion.
"Ready for what?" a suddenly very dumbfounded Cat pressed.
"Tori! You didn't tell her?" a very offended Trina Vega hissed at her one year younger sister, wondering how anyone could pass up the chance to talk about her the second they had the chance.
"I must've forgot," Tori muttered sarcastically, less than enthusiastic about the news she was about to break to Cat. She'd tried to avoid the topic ever since she found out herself, and she had sort of planned on waiting to tell Cat and the rest of her friends for that matter last minute so that they wouldn't back out of being a camp counselor, because Trina had that kind of power to make someone- or anyone want to do something like that. Andre', Beck, and Robbie had all been recommended to be counselors as well. It made sense; they'd all been favorites of Sikowitz last year.
"Cat, Trina's going to the camp too," Tori informed the confused girl flatly. Cat bit her lip.
"Oh that's… that's great…!" she said with false enthusiasm.
"Isn't it!" Trina exclaimed delightfully.
"I still don't get why you're even excited about this anyways," Tori said, crossing her arms. "You hate the outdoors."
"True, but!" Trina started, dropping her duffle bags at the bottom of the staircase. "I don't hate the fact that I'll have several people younger than me adoring me! I'll be their role model- they'll want to be just like me! And what could be better than having tons of people adoring you?"
"Nothing I could ever imagine," the sarcasm was back in Tori's voice in an instant.
"Wait, you got recommended too?" Cat asked Trina, the realization hitting her at once like a ton of bricks. At that, Trina's confidence and face seemed to falter for a slight instant before regaining composure, but she said nothing, she just stood there full of pride and self admiration.
"When I told my parents about the camp, they decided that with me out of the house it'd be the perfect time for they themselves to get away and take a vacation," Tori explained. "But they didn't trust leaving Trina here alone for three weeks, so they talked to Principal Ikner on the phone and basically said I couldn't go unless Trina came too. So, he checked it over with Sikowitz, and here we are."
"Wow, Mr. Ikner and Sikowitz must really want you to go if they're willing to let Trina-" Cat stopped when she took mental note of the death glare Trina shot at her.
"I mean, yay! Trina's coming!" she threw her fists into the air and shook them for good measure.
"That's right," Mr. Vega said as he entered the house through the front door. He was carrying in two small bags of groceries and supplies he and his wife needed for their trip to Hawaii that they were leaving for in two days. "And I expect the two of you to get along and try not to set a bad example for the younger kids," he told his daughters.
"Dad come on, they're fourteen, not eight," Tori said, not willing to make any promises to not fight with her sister because it was bound to happen several times throughout the weeks.
"Just try not to kill each other," the girl's dad said as he set the groceries down on the counter. He then turned to Cat.
"You're mother's been waiting out there for you girls in the car, the three of you should probably get going." He faced Tori again. "Where's your mother?"
"Upstairs getting the rest of my bags!" Trina answered for her sister. The three people in the room shot her baffled looks.
"You already have two huge duffel bags! How many more are there?" Tori exclaimed.
"Just a couple!" Trina insisted. Before anyone could get another word in, they were cut off by Mrs. Vega's voice yelling to them from upstairs.
"Trinaaaaaaaaaaaaa! Get your dad, and the neighbors, and ask if they'll come help move the rest of these bags outside!"
Tori groaned again at her high-maintenance sister and shot Cat a look, a similar thought in both their minds.
Well this will sure be fun…
"It feels like forever since we've been here!" Cat exclaimed as they pulled into the school parking lot. This is where Sikowitz told everyone to meet and then they would take off to the camp on a bus together. There were ten counselors all together, but Cat and Tori only knew of the two of them, Trina, Andre', Beck, and Robbie, as they were all friends… well, if you didn't include Trina.
They learned the identity of a seventh counselor as they stepped out of Cat's mom's car and saw him walking toward them across the parking lot.
"Is that Sinjin?" Tori asked in shock. "He's coming too?"
"Yes he is!" Cat, Tori, and Trina jumped as Sikowitz appeared beside them. He was always doing that- popping up on people.
"Sikowitz!" Cat and Tori exclaimed at once at the sight of their favorite teacher.
"But wait… Sinjin doesn't act... isn't this an acting camp?" Tori asked him.
"No, it's a performing arts camp. He's coming to help teach the kids about props, lighting, and special effects. Some other teacher recommended him," Sikowitz informed her. Tori nodded.
"So, who else is coming besides us, him, Andre', Beck, and Robbie?"
"You'll have to wait to find out," the teacher slash chaperone said as Sinjin finally reached them and they circled around to the back of the van to get their bags. Mr. Vega had forced Trina to narrow it to three bags before the girls left from the ridiculous number of bags she had before, which had been nine. ("For Christ's sake Trina! You're not moving out! You're going camping!" had been his specific words. "Although feel free to move out the minute you turn eighteen..")
"Is Jade coming?" Sinjin asked hopefully as he approached the small group. He'd always had the biggest crush on her. Mrs. Valentine circled around to help the girls get their bags out of the back. Tori stiffened and dared to glance over to Cat to see her reaction to Sinjin's question. The shorter girl bit her lip and seemed to freeze for a second before continuing to grab her bags as if she was pretending she didn't hear him.
"Like I said, you'll find out," Sikowitz said, picking up a bag in each hand that belonged to Trina and walking off with them towards the bus that was parked several spaces away. Sinjin followed after him with his own, as did Trina, dragging her last duffel bag alone and yelling after Sikowitz to be careful handling her stuff. Tori, Cat, and Cat's mom were then left alone.
"Do you think Jade got invited too?" Tori carefully asked her friend, a bit nervous to bring it up again, but Sikowitz's answer had nearly given it away anyways. He could've just said no, but he said "you'll find out". Didn't that have to mean something?
Cat shrugged as her mom looked at her worriedly.
"I don't know," she said. "I guess it's possible. Sikowitz liked her too, even if she was a bit of a… what was that word?" Cat racked her brain "Oh yeah! Gank."
"Do you think anything… bad will happen if she comes?" was Tori's next question. Cat sucked in her bottom lip.
"Not if we steer clear of each other," she said.
"Honey, what even happened between the two of you?" Mrs. Valentine spoke for the first time since they'd been in the car. It had been months now since she had seen Jade being brought around the house by her daughter. She knew they obviously weren't friends anymore, but they used to be best friends. Though if Mrs. Valentine were to remember correctly, they did used to seem to fight a lot. But in any case, Jade had practically been a part of the family, and then one day, she was gone, just like that. But every time she tried to ask Cat about it, she refused to say a word.
"I don't want to talk about it mom. It doesn't even matter. And now, really? I'm about to leave!" Cat didn't mean to sound so snappy, that was never like her, but Jade was a touchy subject for her. She avoided talking about her at all costs. Tori knew what happened, but only because she had been there for part of it and Cat had filled in a couple of blanks for her, other than that, Cat never spoke of Jade to her either, or anyone for that matter that Tori knew of. And since Jade had never liked Tori herself to begin with, they completely had stopped talking after the final falling out of her and Cat's friendship.
"Sorry honey." Mrs. Valentine apologized quickly, knowing to back off when her daughter started to get angry or upset, since that was so rare for her. And Cat was right anyways, it wasn't the best time for a Jade question anyways, though she still hoped to get the answers out of her one day. Even though a long time had passed, she still wanted to know what happened. But like always, she would let it go for now.
"Well we better go," Cat said, quickly changing the subject. She gave her mom a hug before picking up each of her bags and telling Tori to "come on." Tori waved goodbye to Mrs. Valentine and told her thank you before following after Cat.
The girls walked in silence for a little ways until Tori broke it.
"Hey look, Andre' just pulled up!" she said, gesturing to the right side of the parking lot with her head since her hands were full with her bags. But Cat wasn't even listening, she suddenly stopped walking and stood frozen in place, her full attention captured by something, or rather, someone else.
"What is it?" Tori stopped as well, looking straight ahead in the direction Cat was staring, her jaw set hard and her face pale. But she didn't even have to hear Cat speak in order to know her answer as a small black car pulled up right next to the school bus and out stepped the one and only Jade West.
Cat took in a sharp breathe of air, as only two words replayed themselves in her mind.
Just. Great.
A/N: Well, here's my latest story ! I'm sure there are a lot of questions right now, such as; WHAT THE HECK HAPPENED BETWEEN THOSE TWO! And don't worry, we'll get there (;
… eventually. :p
This is my first multi-chapter Victorious/Cat and Jade story, but I posted a Cat/Jade friendship oneshot several days ago, so it'd mean the world to me if you guys went and checked that out and review if you haven't already. If you have… I really appreciate it, and I hope you can please review this first chapter here too (:
Anyways, pay close attention to these genres; friendship and romance, hmm, what could happen here? Guess we'll have to wait and see (:
If you review, I'm probably more likely to get chapter two out faster, just saying. Also, go check out aydenjett's story The Hider if you haven't, it's seriously amazing.
Much love xx