Again, sorry for the long delay. And, like before, I have no excuse.
This has a time skip, towards the ending of filming. And to anyone wondering why Sikowitz only did one take, not a few takes to find the right one, the reason is he was testing Tori and Jade. He does do retakes, but I didn't focus on that during the scene because it was a part of Sikowitz's test to Tori and Jade.
Warning: There are a few words and a painful memory mentioned in this chapter. You might not like the word choices or anything used. You'll know it when you read it.
Disclaimer: I don't own 'VicTORious' or any characters.
No POV
Three Months Later
For the last three months, Sikowitz and his crew have worked on the movie, and Sikowitz was working on getting Tori and Jade past their high school break up, a challenge he has gotten better at during filming.
"Cut." Sikowitz says after Tori and Jade's characters do the awkward moment when they see each other after a break up. "Jade, what was that?" He asks her, crossing his arms as the crew resets the scene.
"What was what?" Jade asks, crossing her arms back at him, ignoring the crew.
"You broke up with Tori and have to see her the day after." Sikowitz says, purposely using their past. "Why are you acting like you were the one screwed over?" He asks her, ignoring the glare she's sending him.
"What do you mean, 'acting like I was the one screwed over'?" Jade asks darkly, a few of the crew adding some distance between them and her.
"When you saw Tori, you were quick to get angry." Sikowitz says, walking forward. "Why? And don't lie to me, Jadelyn. I have tried for over three months to get you two past this, but you refuse to. Why won't you get yourself past this?" He asks her quietly, no one hearing them.
"Why do you care?" Jade asks, lowering her voice.
"Because your father never did, and you were like a daughter to me since you were in the tenth grade. Now tell me why you're so angry when you broke up with her." Sikowitz tells her, showing how frustrated he's gotten after three months of trying.
"Because she wanted us to be public, and I wasn't ready to deal with what that would cause. And you made this scene exactly like that. Why?" Jade asks, staring at him after giving her a basic answer.
"There's more to it than that, and you know it. And I want you and her, and you two need, to get over this. You won't like hearing this, but you two are right for each other." Sikowitz says, backing up. "Now, everyone, back in positions. Let's get it right this time, shall we?" He calls out, his question to Jade.
"I feel like I'm seventeen again." Jade mumbles, going back into position for the scene.
"And I feel like I'm teaching again." Sikowitz calls after her. "Remember, Morgan broke up with Sasha two nights ago and there are bad emotions between them. Morgan, you are to act like Sasha is just another person, not get angry. And Sasha, you are hurt by Morgan's actions, but push past it while at work. Action." He says, reminding Jade of her role.
"It is nice to see you again." Sasha tells Morgan as they get ready for the business meeting.
"You too." Morgan tells Sasha, nodding. "How have you been?" She asks as they sit at the table.
"Been better." Sasha answers, getting up and moving a few seats away, closer to her boss.
"Cut." Sikowitz says, ending the scene. "This is the final scene of the first of a trilogy. It is meant to set up the sequel by you two being amicable enough during the meeting. Why did you move and give Morgan a hateful look?" He asks Tori, his attention partially on Jade. "Everyone take fifteen. I need to talk to our leads." He says, staring at the two.
"There's nothing to talk about." Jade says, keeping some distance from Tori and Sikowitz.
"I told you just a moment ago, Jade, I know there's more than either of you are telling. I have tried to be patient since your auditions, but even I have a limit with you girls. So here's what's going to happen until we resume filming today." Sikowitz says, sighing as he takes a step back. "You two are going to talk it out for the next thirteen and a half minutes, and if nothing seems remotely better, you'll talk again after we finish filming. Understood?" He asks them, no amusement in his voice.
"You're not our teacher anymore. You can't tell us what to do when it doesn't involve your movie." Jade says, not believing Sikowitz.
"It does effect the movie. But more importantly, it effects you two. Now you are going to talk, and work on getting past this. No games, no waiting around anymore. Talk." Sikowitz says, sitting in his director's chair. 'Just like high school all over again.' He thinks as they turn towards each other hesitantly.
Tori POV
"What's the real reason, Jade?" I ask, acting as if Sikowitz isn't there. "I know there's more than you don't want people finding out you're interested in women. So what is it?" I ask, crossing my arms.
"Fuck it. You both want to know why? You truly, genuinely want to know why I don't want anyone to know I like women?" Jade asks, staring between me and Sikowitz. "Fine. I'll tell you. Because when I was thirteen, my father caught me and Cat practicing kissing on each other, and he freaked out. My mother talked him out of throwing me out and disowning me, but it lead to their divorce because he was so furious that she would defend his 'dyke of a daughter'. So, after the divorce, I had to deal with my 'father' staring down at me. Me wanting to act, write, and direct only made it worse because he viewed them as not only worthless choices, but an opening into 'eating pussy like a dyke'. So there. I didn't want it to be known because my father's threat to disown me and stop funding my dreams of going to Hollywood Arts to further my career if he found out that me experimenting with Cat was more than 'just a phase'." Jade says, glaring at me. "And do you think it'd be better now? Me coming out well after establishing myself and my father no longer supporting me? No. It'll be worse, because he pays my mother for child support for their third child, which she got pregnant by a month before the divorce, and he's made it not so secretive that he'll stop paying and find a way to make it so if she takes him to court about it, he'll win and she'll owe more." She says, walking away.
"He would really be that low? Stop paying child support and ruin your mother's life just because his eldest liked women?" I ask, staring at her, making her stop.
"The version you saw during 'Well Wishes' was his business version, the one he shows when people are around who could judge him. Trust me, if it was just me and him, and maybe you, he wouldn't have been civil." Jade says before walking away, leaving the set.
"I'll edit the scenes. You go talk to her as I explain to the others that we won't be shooting again today." Sikowitz tells me softly, walking over to me. "For now, filming is done, and it's post-production time. And trust me, Tori, there's nothing her father could do if he's ever taken to court for refusing to pay child support." He tells me as he heads to his chair.
"How? He's arguably the best lawyer in all of California. He could make it out to be that the child isn't his, or something, to make it so he doesn't have to pay." I tell him, remembering some of the stories Jade has told me about him before we broke up.
"True. But here's the thing about being friends with almost every director, casting director, and star in Hollywood today, as well as being a director myself." Sikowitz tells me, picking up his megaphone. "I have friends in high places, and I have a tendency to record things for future reference." He says with a smirk, grabbing his phone from his chair and tapping the screen, Jade's slightly muffled voice explaining clearly what her father threatened. "You kids have become like children to me. And I don't like when my children are threatened over something stupid." He says, stopping the recording.
Again, sorry for the long delay, and sorry if this is kind of random. I wrote it at 12:30 in the morning, just to post it almost eight hours later. I had some writer's block for this, so it went from somewhat lighthearted (if it could be considered that at some point) to kinda angsty/dramatic as Jade's revelation shown.
The problem now, I guess, for Jade and Tori is if Jade is willing to get past it if she knows Sikowitz recorded her admittance, and if her parents go to court, there's not much her father could do if the judges take the recording as evidence, not a story. I don't know much about the court process, and don't watch a lot of crime dramas, so if that's highly improbable, to say the least, I apologize for it not being realistic.
Anyway, that's the end for this chapter, and the next will have Tori and Jade getting past it as Sikowitz finishes the movie. Hopefully, anyway.
There's maybe one or two chapters left of this, possibly three if I do an epilogue.
Thank you for reading. Please review.
Blessed Be.
