I apologize for the delay in updating; I had writer's block for a while and then of course finals week settled in so that held me up even more. I tried to make this chapter longer as a result. I wanted to have it posted before Sam & Cat on Saturday, but my computer decided to act up. I hope this chapter's okay; I kinda rushed some of it and did a quick speed read through once it was finished so I'm pretty sure I've got a bunch of grammar errors. Either way, hope you enjoy and review after reading.

Disclaimer: I don't own Victorious

The sun rose early the next morning, ushering in yet another Saturday. As the sun's light shown down on a certain neighborhood in Los Angeles, it crept through the window of one particular house and was reflected back on Trina Vega's face, awakening the 18-year-old girl.

Trina didn't snap awake all at once. At first she just turned over in her bed to get the sun out of her face just so she could enjoy her peaceful state for a few more moments. Eventually, she sat up in bed, yawning as she stretched before rubbing the sleep from her eyes.

'Today's the day,' she thought as she turned to look out her window, catching a glimpse of the L.A. skyline illuminated by the early sunlight. Even though Trina had seen it hundreds of times, she took extra time today to really take in the sight and enjoy it. After all, it could be a long time before she'd ever see it again…that is if she ever got such a chance.

Unfortunately, Trina didn't get to enjoy it much longer.

"Today's the day I go to Canadaaa!" she heard her sister sing out, before Trina heard the bathroom door close.

After hearing Tori's overly joyous exclaim, Trina looked back at her pillow and briefly considered trying to get more sleep or just spending most of the day in her room. For one, she knew no one in her family would care if she just avoided them all day. Plus, after hearing her sister go on and on about the Yerba trip before they all headed to the war-torn country, Trina was certain that Tori would do nothing but brag about her upcoming trip: how excited she was to go somewhere new with her friends, to be on the set of a sitcom, and take in everything Canada had to offer.

Having already heard her sister's excitement for days now, Trina wasn't sure she wanted to hear it much more. But then again, today would be the last chance she'd have to see her family for a while. No matter how unpleasant the experience could end, she'd be willing to go through whatever to at least have a few more hours with them before leaving. So she quickly changed out of her pajamas into the jeans and top she'd worn yesterday and started downstairs.

As she got closer to the kitchen, Trina thought she smelled something for a second and then she caught a scent that she knew was maple syrup. When she finally could see the kitchen, she saw her mom at the table with a plate of waffles in front of her that she was slowly munching on.

"You made waffles for breakfast?" Trina asked her mom.

"Mm-hmm; I found a new recipe for Belgian waffles with bananas added into the mix," Holly responded before taking another bite. Once she swallowed, she looked back at Trina and asked, "Did you want some?"

Trina had to fight back her sigh. She pretty much knew the second she saw her mom eating that the woman had only made breakfast for herself; which had become a common thing in their household. While she would have preferred waffles, Trina just said, "No, of course not," as she walked over to kitchen. "I'll just have cereal."

"Oh I used all the milk in the waffles," her mom said, "We're out of juice too."

'Of course we are,' Trina thought to herself. "Then again, Pop Tarts and water work too," she said as she pulled the box out of the cabinet.

Shortly after Trina sat down at the table and started eating, her mom finished her plate and quickly cleaned it off in the sink before excusing herself to go pack more. Once she left, Trina finally let out the sigh she'd been holding back. She had to admit, times like this were when Trina felt even more neglected. Yes, her parents frequently went out of their way to avoid her, but her mother's habit of only making breakfast for herself made it seem like she forgot she even had children or that she just didn't care enough to put in the extra effort.

Still, Trina would miss her. Even though they didn't spend much (if any) time together any more, she had always enjoyed shopping with her mom, getting advice about boys, and watching "Celebrities Underwater" together.

"I smell waffles," Trina heard from upstairs. A second later, Tori came rushing down the staircase, clearly expecting breakfast on the table. But the smile she was wearing quickly turned to a look of confusion when she looked around and saw none. Quickly looking around, she finally located Trina at the kitchen table, and judging from the look in her eyes, the blame was about to fly.

"Trina, did you eat all th-," Tori started, but stopped when Trina held up her half eaten pop tart. Again, Tori looked confused, but after a quick look in the sink, she looked back over her shoulder before looking back to Trina. "Mom?" Tori asked.

Trina answered with only a nod. Groaning, Tori silently decided to follow Trina's lead for breakfast.

Once Trina finished her breakfast she went over to the sink and started cleaning her dishes, which really didn't take much. A minute later, her mother came back in the living room to say, "Trina, could you please move your car from behind mine so we don't have to worry about it later?"

"Sure," Trina said as she made her way to the stairs to grab her keys, "Where's Dad?

"Oh, he had to head to the station for a few hours; he needed to make sure everything was taken care of before we leave at 1' today."

"Kay," Trina said before she continued upstairs to grab her keys. Along the way she reviewed all her plans for the day. Despite all her plans for leaving, she'd had to put off packing so that her family wouldn't get suspicious; plus, she'd have to wait till later tonight before she could leave just to make sure her family was at their destined locations so she could get far enough away not to be found. She wished she had some more idea about what to plan, but for right now, this was all she could think of.

A few minutes later, Trina had moved her car and parked it on the street next to her house. Before she got out, she made a quick check in her back seat to make sure that there was nothing she needed to bring in before she started packing her car up later.

As she started back to her house, she got halfway up the driveway before she heard another car getting closer. Turning to look, she saw her dad's car coming up the street and moved out of the driveway for him to pull in.

For a moment Trina considered just continuing inside, but she decided against it in favor of a talk with her father, regardless of how short.

"Hey Dad," Trina started simply.

"Hey Tri," he replied back, "What's up?"

"Not much," Trina answered, "Mom and Tori have just been packing; I thought you had to work for a few more hours today."

"So did I," David said, "but apparently the Captain thinks that, since the department's already giving me two weeks off with pay to go and complete some training for a promotion at a beach, I probably don't need many extra hours," he said with a tone of sarcasm. "I'm gonna go see if your mother needs any help," he finished with before heading inside.

Trina gave a small laugh at her dad's comment as she watched him go inside. That was one thing she'd miss about him. Even though some of her dad's comments had hurt (as well as and inspire her idea of leaving), he sometimes had a way of finding humor in most situations. What she'd miss most though, was the sense of security he offered her. It wasn't just the fact that he was a cop, but that he did try to look out for his daughters…at least when he was at home that is. With nothing else to do outside, Trina headed back in the house.

Despite her earlier wishes against it, Trina found herself sitting in her room for the next few hours. She tried to interact some with her family, but they were all rushing around getting their stuff together, checking their hotel reservations, Tori's flight plan, etc. Trina tried helping some, but after she'd almost been run over by her mom rushing to get clothes out of the dryer, she decided to just stay out of the way. But after so long, Trina decided that she might as well go ahead and take a shower; at least if she were in the bathroom she could go ahead, change clothes, and still be out of the way.

Twenty minutes later, Trina left the bathroom, feeling a bit more refreshed. She was almost back to her room before she heard Tori say, "Hey Trina, can you help me? I really need you for this."

Trina stopped when she heard her sister. Even though she only gave a few seconds of thought, Trina had a rush of thoughts flooding her mind. Tori was the person she'd probably had the least amount of contact with today; now her sister was asking her for help? Whatever the reason, Trina was willing to assist, if anything just to feel needed.

"Sure Tori; what do you-," Trina started as she turned around, but once she had she noticed that Tori wasn't behind her. Turning slightly she saw that her sister's door was open.

Figuring it was the obvious location, Trina walked into Tori's room to see her sister at her closet, reaching up to grab something. "Can you help me get my bigger suitcase down?" Tori called behind her.

And just like that, Trina felt her mood plummet. "Sure," she answered calmly, hiding her disappointment as she walked over to the closet. The suitcase wasn't too heavy, just high enough where it might hurt someone if it fell. It took a minute or two for the sisters to get a good grip on the bag, but once they did it only took a few more seconds to set it on the ground. Once they did, Tori quickly knelt down to unzip the suitcase, and, without even looking back at Trina, said, "Okay; you can go now."

Trina just watched as her sister paid her no mind as she quickly went back to packing. Knowing she was no longer needed, she stepped out of the way and headed back to the room with a quick, "Sure."

Once Trina got back to her room, she closed the door before quietly falling back on it, sliding to the ground. Just for a second, she had thought Tori might actually need her or want her advice, but it really didn't surprise her when she just needed a quick favor.

Then again, that's all Tori ever seemed to need her for. She never needed Trina as a sister, a friend, or even someone just for company; just someone she could get a quick favor from to reap the rewards from and never offer thanks. It never mattered what it was: driving to get the solvent to remove the zombie make up from her face, tricking her into going on a date with the creepy Lendal to save Rex, fake being a celebrity to distract Mrs. Lee so Tori could improve her friendship with Jade, drive her to school because Tori had no ambition to get her license, be on her Brain Squeezer team just to beat Jade and win money; the list went on. And yet…Tori was the person Trina would miss most of all.

No matter what Tori said (good or bad), it was at least some interaction that Trina got with someone else. No one at Hollywood Arts paid her any mind and their parents were almost nonexistent in their lives; Tori was the only person who actually gave Trina any place in their life.

It wasn't just that; it was the smaller things Trina would miss more than anything: playing Wii sports together, watching CSI, and playing cards (despite the initial complaints from everyone about Trina forcing herself in the games). And, as crazy as it sounded, she'd miss her Tori's singing.

Trina knew she gave her sister a hard time about her talent, but it wasn't because she thought Tori lacked any. For one, Hollywood Arts was extremely competitive. There were only so many parts that could go out, and when one person succeeded, another failed. No matter how happy you could be for a friend, you were forced to acknowledge that their success came at your expense. As such, people had to try whatever they could to build themselves up; even if it meant thinking they were better than others. While Trina originally did this to help persevere in her own pursuits, she now accepted that she'd never be Tori's equal.

Further, she did it to help her sister. No matter how naturally talented Tori was, the girl had gone from an average student who been thrown into Hollywood Arts with little effort and no original drive to go to the school to one of the top students. While Tori had done great, things like that could swell her ego and lead her to think she didn't need to practice as much. To try and help Tori avoid that, Trina occasionally downplayed her sister's talent just to make sure Tori didn't think she was above trying (just like Trina had before hearing the truth about her time at Hollywood Arts).

As such, Tori kept up her practice and mastered every song she sang, and Trina liked listening to her sister. But her favorite memories were the times where she actually got to sing with Tori. Despite her lack of talent, Trina cherished the moments where everyone was so lost in the music that she could just join in singing with everyone. In fact, one of her favorite memories was when she got to join Tori in singing "Make It Shine" when they met the iCarly gang at Kennan Thompson's house.

Now though, all she'd have left were her memories; nothing more.

Two hours later, three members of the Vega family were all packed. They'd already loaded their baggage into the car and were doing a last minute check of things. Tori was upstairs letting her Pear Phone charge for just a few more minutes; David was in his and Holly's room, confirming their Hotel arrangements, and Holly was in the kitchen going over everything for Trina to take care of while they were gone.

"And remember to lock the door if you go out at any time," Holly reminded her daughter.

"Yes mom," Trina said, anxious for everyone to go so she could start getting her stuff ready.

A second later, she heard Tori come rushing down the steps, crying out, "Off to Canada now!"

"Bye Tori," Trina started, "I hope you have a g-," but by the time she had nearly finished wishing Tori well, her sister had flung the door open and was sprinting to the car.

A minute later, David appeared with one more bag and told Holly they were ready to go.

"Well that's our cue," Holly said as she walked to the door, "Call us if anything happens."

"I will," Trina assured. "Have a nice-," she started, but just like with Tori, her parents had exited the house and shut the door behind them. Right after that, Trina heard her parents' car start and pull out of the driveway, heading off to drop Tori off at the airport before heading to Santa Rosa. For a few minutes, Trina just stood in the kitchen watching the door she'd just seen her family leave out of, missing them already. Eventually, she snapped back to reality, and said, "Have a nice trip," before heading back to her empty room to pack.

By nine o'clock that night, Trina had packed up everything she thought that she would need for her new life; now she was just making sure that her family had arrived at their destinations so that she could make a clean getaway.

While she was waiting, she checked her bags once more. She was taking her backpack with her, just because she thought it was a way to avoid paying $30-$70 for a new one. Plus it was convenient for carrying some of her things. She had her laptop, some of her favorite books and CD's, and her PearPod charger. She'd had some space left so she went ahead and put her underwear in one of the pockets just so she would have more room in the travel bag she was taking. In that, she had three pairs of jeans, three skirts, a few shirts and blouses, a rain jacket, a cheap purse, and an extra pair of tennis shoes. Since she knew she wouldn't be able to get any of her allergy medication at any pharmacy in Flagstaff, she packed as much as she had in the house in case her allergies ever caused her any serious problems.

In an effort to make sure none of her money was stolen, she had separated it throughout her bags. A third of it was in the pockets of one of her jeans in the travel bag; another was in a CD case in her backpack; and the rest of it was in her pocket. She knew it was a risk not having it all on her, but she figured this way if someone tried to rob her (God forbid), then she'd be less likely of losing everything.

The thought of being robbed made her look back at her closet with a sigh. Despite her preference for more stylish fashions (i.e., Gucci purses, Fazzini footwear, and designer clothes), she had decided against bringing any of said products with her. For one, anyone wearing more expensive items would be a more likely target for attention or theft, and Trina didn't want to standout like that.

Second, all the fancy items had always made her feel like a star, like someone important that actually mattered. Knowing that she was neither, Trina didn't want to wear any of the clothes anymore; they would just be a sign of the lie she'd been living for her four years of high school.

Finally, practically all the items had been bought using her parents' money; a way of shutting Trina up by giving into her wants or a result of her "borrowing" her mom's credit card. Now, Trina felt like she had wasted her parents' money on buying all the unnecessary items, so the least she felt she could do would be leave them behind to send back for some money or give them to Tori.

As Trina sat on her bed, waiting for some sort of notification that her family was not going to be back anytime soon, she started to think about her plans. Even though she'd spent months thinking about this, now that she was actually about to go through with it, the full weight of her intentions started to sink in.

'Could she really do this? Was she really leaving the only home she'd ever none? Would she even be able to make it once she left?' All these questions were running through her mind. She tried to reassure herself that it was for the best, that with her gone everyone she knew would start having a better life. Still, she felt afraid of what could happen. No amount of planning would give her an idea of exactly what could happen. There were so many things that could go wrong, and what would she do if something did.

'I just need a sign; that's all,' she thought as she started feeling afraid, 'Just some sort of sign to tell me whether I'm doing the right thing.' She started to wish she didn't have to go through with this. She wanted someone in her family to come back; she'd be willing to tell them what she'd been planning just so they'd stop her. She didn't care if she had to put off going to college; she was just hoping that she could try to salvage her life here in L.A.

As she wished one of her family members was coming back, she felt her phone vibrate. She slowly pulled it out to see what the notification was. When she checked, she saw that Tori had just posted a new update on TheSlap:

'ARRIVED IN CANADA; TAKING IN SIGHTS TOMORROW. MOOD = PSYCHED.'

Groaning, Trina dropped her phone to her side. 'Well that's one,' she thought, accepting that her sister wouldn't stop her from leaving.

A few minutes later, she felt her vibrate again; this time it was a call. When she checked it, she saw it was from her mom.

"Hello," Trina answered.

"Hi Trina," her mom replied, "Just wanted to call and say me and Daddy made it to our resort."

"Oh," Trina said, her mood falling, "Okay; well I hope Dad does okay while you all are there."

"Alright," her mom said back, "like I said, call us if anything happens, and remember, lock the door if you go out."

"Okay, mom," Trina answered, fighting back a sigh.

"Well, that's it; see you when we get back," Holly told her daughter.

"Yeah, alright," Trina said. "I lo-," she started, but she heard the line go dead before she could finish.

"I love you both," Trina said to no one as she hung up and turned off her phone.

That was it; her family was away, off enjoying themselves. None of them would be back anytime soon…none of them would be by to stop her.

After sitting on her bed in silence, Trina finally stood up and walked over to place her phone on her dressed. She didn't want anyone to find it anytime soon so she hid it behind some of the books she wasn't bringing.

She started to turn back around to get her stuff together, but as she did, something else on the dresser caught her eye. As she turned back around, she noticed it was her diploma from graduating Hollywood Arts. For some reason, she felt the need to pick it up and open it. The certificate said the same thing it did the day she got it: "This certifies that Katrina Marie Vega, having exceptionally completed the Course of Study prescribed by the Board of Education, is now declared a Graduate of Hollywood Arts High School."

As Trina reread the declaration, she kept remembering everything she'd thought over the past few months. Other people would have been thrilled to have earned the grades she had; they would have loved to celebrate the graduation with pride. But the fact that Trina finished at a school she never should have been at (and never developed any of the talents she desired); this diploma was just a piece of paper, supporting a lie.

Disgusted by the printed statement, Trina quickly pulled out the diploma from its case. Setting it back on her dresser, she eyed a red pen close by. In a flash, she grabbed it and then started to furiously scribble over the worthless achievement statement until she almost scratched through the paper. Once she was satisfied that it was completely marked out, she replaced it with a message that was more honest about her time at Hollywood Arts: how she never belonged there; how her futile efforts that did nothing to help her talent; and how she was a disgrace to everyone who knew her.

Once she had finished, Trina forced the sheet back in the case before throwing it in the laundry basket in front of her closet; the same basket that still had all of her shredded certificates and busted trophies; she'd never bothered throwing them away. Shouldering her back pack, she grabbed travel bag off the floor and headed downstairs.

When Trina finally reached the door, she started to reach for the doorknob, but stopped once her hand touched it. She turned around and looked around the living room and kitchen. As she did, she could picture Tori and her friends sitting at the table playing cards, laughing and smiling. Behind them, Trina imagined seeing her parents in the kitchen, both cooking and also smiling. They all looked so happy. But no matter how hard she tried, Trina just couldn't convince herself that, if she were to appear, it would stay that way.

With a long sigh, she opened the door, closed and locked it, and walked to her car. Once she was there, she loaded both her bags in the trunk and headed for the driver's seat. Just before she got in, she took another look at the house, and, fighting back tears, quietly said, "Goodbye," before she took her seat and drove off into the night.

She drove for what felt like forever, when it was actually just 20 minutes. When she finally stopped, it was at a gas station that was a few blocks away from the USC campus…as well as the bus station. To make sure that she couldn't be followed, Trina had decided to take a bus; for better measures, she decided to ride so far north before heading southeast to Flagstaff.

Once Trina had both of her bags out of the car, she took a few minutes to look at her car. She knew she had complained when she first got it; she had wanted something a bit fancier than something used, but now that she was about to lose it, she knew she'd miss her red Pontiac. No matter how the car looked, it got her place to place with little problem and gave her a sense of freedom; that was why she couldn't sell it. Even though she was just leaving it at this gas station, it was a good chance that her dad might find it impounded when he got back. With Trina gone, Tori might finally feel like getting her driver's license and get Trina's car as a gift…or maybe something newer with the money her parents could get from selling the car. With one last look, Trina locked all the doors to the car, put the keys in the center console, and shut the doors.

Now with nothing stopping her, Trina grabbed her bags, took a deep breath, and started walking to the bus station.

Well there it is; hope it's okay. I know it's kinda depressing but that's how most of the chapters are gonna be. I've already got down my idea for the next chapter; I'm just not sure how some people might react to it (it's not offensive, just maybe not as likely a scenario). Anyway, again, please review and let me know how I'm doing.