Hollywood Arts: A Beacon of Hope

Disclaimer: I own nothing

A/N: I say screw waiting (some people have suggested otherwise) I will post as I have availability and space. This story by the way, I'm wrong the series will only serve as a spine. The deviation point (right now there's differences to the series because HA is based on the real school) will probably be the Sleepover at Sikowitz episode where the story officially breaks the spine and goes into it's own stuff-and we'll get there pretty quickly. Three years seems like too long of a time for this story's plot to span.

Chapter 3 (First Day Struggles)

Trina guided Tori into the school on her first day, looking as proud as any elder sister would having her sibling at the school. Tori on the other hand was almost spastic about the new place. "See Tori, there's nothing to be scared of here." Tori pulled her purse strap up on her shoulder and tucked her lower lip inwards.

"Says you. You're not the one coming here for the first time." Trina turned to face her and reached over, patting her upper arms.

"You'll be just fine. If you need me, you know how to reach me." They did have phones given to them by their social worker, so they were not going to be alone without being able to call someone for assistance. "It is just a high school like Sherwood, only more devoted to teaching you everything you need to know about the real world while preparing you for life."

"Don't…normal high schools do that?"

"Not exactly in the same way." One of Trina's friends came up, interrupting them about someone in their class. Tori bit her lip as the girl grabbed Trina's wrist and started pulling her. Trina rolled her eyes and looked over. "Tori, look for Andre and text me if you have any issues."

"I will." Tori frowned as the world around her grew tense in a near instant. "This isn't good." She took a few steps and looked down to the paper in her hands. "Okay, Mr. Sikowitz's class." She looked up at the crowd of people moving up and down the hallways.

The lockers were all decorated with arts and crafts, the walls were littered in posters, and the students didn't look like people you'd expect to be homeless or troubled.

She took a step forward and tensed when she heard someone call her name out. When she turned, she saw a redheaded girl with messy hair running up to her. "You're that girl in the showcase!" She smiled slightly and nodded.

"Yeah, that was me. My sister just wanted me to see what HA was like."

"You were so good!" Her heart swelled up and she began to relax. "I'm Cat, by the way."

"Oh, like the animal?"

"What's that supposed to mean!" Tori fell back at the girl's outburst and tense expression. She immediately sought to defend herself.

"Nothing, I love cats."

"Me too!" Cat giggled and began to walk away. "They're so cute." Tori's face fell and her eyebrow curved upwards. Once more she felt alone in this wild, crazy place.

She turned to the front door, tempting herself to run out when she saw a familiar face. A boy with curly black hair that she saw at the showcase was entering with a puppet in his hands. He averted eye contact until she tried calling out to him. "Can you tell me where Mr. Sikowitz's classroom is?"

"Um…" The boy's eyes widened and he stared at her as though she had an extra set of limbs. His lips began to twitch and two lines formed out on his forehead. "Well if you go to the right about thirty or so paces-"

"Paces?" The puppet spouted off. Tori staggered back and looked towards the puppet. She didn't know ventriloquism was taught at this school, but then, she figured it wasn't something to be surprised about. "Boy, she's not a pirate."

"Stay out of this…" The puppet continued to give her directions to the classroom. Tori wasn't going to ask any questions since she didn't want to pry into someone else's personal life, but she did feel completely awkward listening to someone's argument.

She had seen stand-up comedians who did ventriloquist acts, and for some reason, she could never truly enjoy them. "T-Thank you." She tucked her hair behind her ear and walked off in the direction advised, pondering if she shouldn't go find Trina's classroom. It was the one place she knew the location of since Trina told her on the way over.

Arriving in the classroom, Tori finally felt able to relax. It was a small room with several rows of chairs facing a raised stage. There was another door that led out the back of the room into another hallway.

To her right she saw the boy with the puppet beside the girl with the red hair. Why hadn't they just told her they had Sikowitz's class and led her to him? Andre was at the other end of the room, chatting with some blonde girl.

Still anxious, she turned around and slammed into another student. Her eyes widened as she saw coffee spill out on the boy's shirt. The boy had fluffed up hair and a raggedy looking jacket with blue jeans worn at the knees. "Oh god, I'm so sorry!"

"It's fine," he replied.

"No, I spilled coffee on you!" She tried to wipe it off by rubbing the coffee on his shirt. Her nerves kept her from thinking it would only worsen on fabric, since it wasn't a table.

"I think you're making it worse." She looked up and chuckled nervously when she saw his dark eyes. He had an appearance that reminded her of Ian back at Sherwood, but scruffier and darker looking.

As her rubbing slowed, some girl barked at them from behind. "What are you doing rubbing my boyfriend!" Tori pulled her hand away with a gasp and the boy turned towards her. This girl had eccentric gothic style clothes and long, dark brown hair with a purple highlight. Her eyes were dark and her skin pale. "Get away from him."

"Relax Jade," the boy walked up to her and kissed her cheek. "It's nothing." Andre looked over with wide eyes and began to move over.

"I will not relax, Beck. You-" Just then a man with a scruffy beard, bald head, and strange outfit jumped into the room. At first glance he looked homeless, but then she thought he was just the teacher.

"Run out, there's a fire!" Tori's heart stopped and the students began to panic. He put his hands up and called for them to settle. "Kidding, only kidding, I just wanted to get your blood pumping and ready for class." Tori moved her hand to her chest and saw Andre motion for her to sit next to him.

As she sat down, she spoke with a shakiness to her voice. "That's our teacher?" Andre nodded and her body sank in the chair. She was going to have a hell of a time telling Trina all about her first day of school at this rate. "Great."

"I'd like to introduce our new student, Victoria Vega." Tori waved awkwardly and snapped her fingers when she recalled where she saw him before. It was outside the class, and Trina laughed at her when she gave him some money. "I'd also like to thank her for two dollars she gave me outside class, not necessary but greatly appreciated."

"Why would you give him two dollars?" Andre raised an eyebrow at her and she moved her hand to her forehead.

"I thought he was homeless."

Later that evening, Tori had called Ian over and was talking to him about what happened at her first day of Hollywood Arts. She left early when Jade poured coffee on her during some improve thing. Trina was still at the school and was upset when she texted her over the events.

"Andre tried to make me feel better, but…I don't know." Tori scratched her hair and looked off to the side. Ian was on the couch beside her, his arm on the top of the couch and his eyebrows curled inwards.

"To be honest, there's always going to be mean people in life. That doesn't mean you should give up." Tori pulled her hand away and crossed her arms as Ian rubbed her shoulder. "Look Tori. Right now Hollywood Arts is the only thing keeping you from being sent into the system again-the one thing keeping you with your sister. Ask yourself, is that something you want to give up on because there's some mean-spirited person who dumped coffee on you for standing too close to her boyfriend?"

She shrugged and swayed to the right. "No…" She thought about just dropping out altogether. If she couldn't go to Sherwood or any other school, she'd just wait until Trina got a job and could take care of her. "Trina's turning seventeen in April. She can get a job and support both of us."

Ian moved his hand to the back of his head and stared at her for a minute. "Be realistic, Tori." At what point of time would Trina be capable of supporting them? He did have a point, but knowing her sister, Trina would find a way.

"She'd figure something out." Her hands fell into her lap and she let out a heavy sigh. Her eyes darted over to Ian and her lips curved into a tiny smile. "Do you really think I'm that good of a singer?"

"I saw your sister post it online. You were amazing. If you just stick with the program, Hollywood Arts can teach you so many things you need to learn. It's an opportunity, and I wouldn't give up on it if I were in your shoes. Besides, look at all the work your sister did to get you in there."

"I guess." She chuckled nervously and glanced off to the side. "The showcase really happens every year. Talent shows and stuff like that, but Trina did go out of her way to get everyone to make me feel comfortable. I just wish she would have gotten to Jade and done the same."

"Oh I did." Tori tensed and looked over her shoulder to see Trina walking down the steps. Her eyes were narrow and her hand was gripping the railing.

"W-When did you get home?"

"While you were taking an hour long shower." Trina crossed her arms and stepped down. "I found that girl and gave her hell for making you feel unwelcome. It'll probably bite me in the ass, but nobody's allowed to mess with my sister." Trina smirked and flattened her eyebrows. "Except me."

Tori's heart skipped a beat and Ian's eyebrows arched up. "Wait. Trina. What did you do?"

"Chewed her out." Trina shrugged and made her way towards the couch. "She said she was going to make my life a living hell because of it, but I don't care. I have to look after you, after all."

"No. You really don't. Not if it means getting mixed up with mean people."

"Mean people exist. It's a fact of life. You just have to learn to deal with it. Give tomorrow another shot, alright?" Tori leaned back and folded her arms across her abdomen. She didn't want to go and deal with Jade again, but she really felt like she needed to let people know not to trample with her.

At the same time, Ian was right to warn her what leaving Hollywood Arts could do. It was too much to risk being sent away because Holly could no longer afford to send her to an actual school.

The very next day she was in trouble already, having stooped to being vindictive in order to get her point across. She wound up kissing Jade's boyfriend, which led to a major fight that ended up right in Mr. Sikowitz's office.

Sikowitz was shaking his head at her and she was sitting with her purse in her lap and her head bowed. The bile was rising in her throat and her cheeks were burning. She begged him, if he had to call anyone, to make it David or Holly-but he ended up calling the one person she didn't want him to.

Sitting next to her was Jade, still glaring at her from their argument. The girl started to open her mouth, but the second she did, the door slammed open and her sister's voice echoed in the office. "Victoria Ciara Vega!" She flinched and kept her head bowed. "Your second day and I'm being pulled out of my class because you got into a fight?"

It seemed juvenile to say Jade started it, and one thing she learned in life was Trina demanded people take responsibility for their own screw-ups.

"I did ask him to call David or Holly." Trina put her hand to her hip and narrowed her eyes. "I'm sorry Trina, I tried, I just…didn't want people to think I was a pushover."

"That doesn't mean you go around kissing someone else's boyfriend." Trina stormed across the room and Jade gave Tori a smug look.

"Yeah," Jade replied. "Don't-"

Trina lifted a hand, flexing her fingers before bringing all but her forefinger into her palm. "You shut up." Tori's head flew up and Jade leaned back as Trina turned a slow glare to the woman. "I am talking to my sister."

"Miss Vega." Sikowitz exhaled slowly and clasped his hands over his desk. "What do you suggest I do? If I tell the director about this, both of them will be forced out of the school." Tori's hand moved up to her chest and Jade looked at Sikowitz with wide eyes. "It didn't get overly physical, but we have a strict policy regarding fights."

Trina adjusted her purse strap and stepped in between the chairs that the girls were sitting in. "I know. Look Mr. Sikowitz, Tori and I have been through foster home after foster home-if she can't stay in this school she's going to be sent back into the system." Tori dipped her eyes down and saw Jade looking at her with a curious gaze. Trina put her hand to her chest. "I'm too old to be sent through and I don't have a job or steady income yet so I can't even claim my sister as a dependent. I will lose her."

"It isn't that I don't sympathize with you." Sikowitz held up his hand and looked between the two girls. "But if fights break out, people get hurt. People start thinking it's okay and others start getting physical, soon we've got problems spiraling out of control and then society views this school as something of a bad thing. We have students here that are getting off drugs, we have students with alcohol problems and aggression issues, yes that is common…" He turned his hand down and pointed his finger onto the desk. "But on campus we have a strict zero tolerance policy in place, getting caught is grounds for immediate expulsion."

"Mr. Sikowitz please!" Tori leaned forward, her heart was racing and her eyes began to sting. "I won't start things again, I promise. I was just being stupid, I didn't mean to start a fight! I just, I wasn't feeling good after Jade dumped that coffee-"

"And I had a talk with her about that, as did your sister, but that is not an excuse."

"I understand, but please give me a chance."

"Yeah!" Jade exclaimed to Tori's surprise. She looked to the girl, leaning back and parting her lips. Jade's fingers tightened around her purse strap and her lips pressed together. "I mean, it was my fault. I was out of line. If you're going to punish anyone, punish me…" Sikowitz rubbed his chin while Tori continued to stare at Jade.

Why was she doing this all of a sudden? Sikowitz took a deep breath and lifted his hands. "I won't say anything now, but I will be watching. If you start to get physical and end up hurting one another on campus, I may have to blow the whistle. Now I don't want to be that guy, I'm not that teacher, but even I have to follow the rules." He perched his elbow on the desk and lifted his forearm, extending his finger at the two of them. "Do not get physical. I do not want to have to call your families again. Got it?"

Tori furrowed her brow and looked over to Jade. She knew Sikowitz contacted someone regarding Jade, but nobody showed up. It was disheartening as well as alarming. "Yes sir."

"Alright. You're dismissed. Just remember, I've got my eye on you."

"Thank you." Tori prepped herself for the walk of shame and stood up. She felt horrible for having disappointed Trina. She would try to not disrupt things again. While Trina stayed behind to talk to Sikowitz, she and Jade made their way out. "Why did you do that?"

"Do what?" Jade narrowed her eyes at her and tightened her lips.

"You didn't have to tell him not to punish us…or me…"

"Don't get used to it, Princess." Jade rolled her eyes and crossed her arms. "I don't like you, but I'm not going to be responsible for getting someone's sister sent away." Tori stopped in her tracks and watched the woman walk off. She glanced down to her feet and exhaled slowly. Jade stopped several paces and twisted around. "Oh, and I don't like your sister." Tori frowned and glanced over her shoulder as Jade started walking off.

"She does the best she can…"

So first hectic day, as all first days often are. The second day? Bad choices were made. Don't make bad choices, folks.