Disclaimer: I don't own Victorious. Dan Schneider does.
Author's Note: I want to address a review first. To the person who mentioned the repetition, that is how I chose to construct the chapter. I'm sorry if you didn't like, but I have my own methods, and for what I wanted to achieve for that moment, that's what I did.
I promise that not every chapter will be like that.
So there is where the story really gets started...
Remember, reviews get a preview!
The First Should Have Been the Easiest
"The oldest and strongest emotion of mankind is fear."
- H.P. Lovecraft
Seven years later…
Beck Oliver always thought he would make it as an actor.
But the death of Cat Valentine changed a lot of things.
It changed how he thought about life.
It changed how Jade acted.
It even changed their relationship.
After Cat's death, Jade withdrew from everybody, even Beck. And there was nothing Beck could do to bring her back. He tried to be there; he really did. But Jade just wanted to be alone. She had even made it a point to transfer out of Hollywood Arts for her senior year.
Beck never thought he'd see the day where Jade would leave the one place that seemed to make her happy. But Hollywood Arts just wasn't the same without Cat. Nothing was the same without Cat and no matter how much they tried to ignore it, the pain from missing Cat grew every single day. Beck couldn't even look at a giraffe or a cupcake or even a white mocha anymore.
Beck flashed his name badge and proceeded through the security checkpoint of the police department. Today was his first day on the call floor. All the new recruits had been asked to come in at different times for their first day, allowing the transition to be easier so the supervisor, David Vega, could spend a few minutes with each one without having to rush to the next. Beck had been scheduled for a night shift: 8pm to 6am.
"What made you decide to take this job? I always thought you wanted to be an actor," David Vega asked as Beck entered the call floor, also known as the hive from the sound it created when all the operators were busy.
"I can't let someone else experience what Cat must have gone through that night."
Beck still remembered that day in class when they found out that Cat had been murdered. And it wasn't just that day that prevented him from becoming an actor. Every time he had to read an emotional scene or there was a character even remotely similar to Cat, he shut down on the inside. He thought about how great Cat would have been if she were still alive. It was those emotions that completely took over.
And it eventually, it became too much for him. People always thought he was emotionless, but Cat's death really hit home for him. It hit him so hard that he couldn't do the one thing he wanted because it rocked him to the core. So he approached Cat's tragic death in a different manner.
"Well, you made it through orientation so we're going to put you on the floor. This is where you will figure out if you can really handle this job," Vega continued.
He led Beck over toward his station.
"Take a moment, gather yourself, and when you're ready, press the large green button to accept a call. Good luck. If you need anything, let me know. I'll be close by if you need me. Just wave me over."
Beck sat down and took a deep breath.
"For Cat," he whispered. "I wish you were here."
He put on his headset and moved his mouse to hover over the green button.
"911, where's your emergency?" Beck asked, as was the protocol for answering a 911 call.
"Someone help me!" a young woman's voice shrieked.
The tone of the woman's face almost knocked Beck out of his seat from its intensity. But there was something vaguely familiar about it. He knew that voice but he couldn't place it. Not yet at least.
"Ma'am, I need you to calm down."
"Don't tell me to calm down! I've been kidnapped! I'm in the trunk of a car!"
"What's your name?" Beck tried. He knew he needed to file a report and talking to whoever this was with their name rather than ma'am would probably elicit a better response. He needed to earn her trust so they could work together to get out of this situation.
"Jade West."
Beck could feel his entire face turn white and his heart started racing uncontrollably.
This couldn't be happening.
