Disclaimer: Victorious is not owned by me, nor is "Counting Stars" by OneRepublic or "Shake" by Victoria Justice, but it IS pwned.
I can't believe I just said that.
April 22nd, 2017
"Lately I've been, I've been losing sleep,
Dreaming about the things that we could be,
But baby I've been, I've been praying hard,
Said no more counting dollars, we'll be counting stars"
Cat looks up at me, perplexed, and then she smiles. "That's not that song we're trying to film." She chuckles. I stop singing, looking back at her.
"I know. It's stuck in my head." I explain.
"Well, tell OneRepublic to give it a rest for now. It's Tori Vega's time to shine." Cat states.
"When I make it shine?" I joke. She bursts out giggling.
"No, that's the old Tori. This is Tori: the next level." Cat laughs.
"You make it sound so inspiring." I smirk.
"I read some directing article online that said you're supposed to keep your talent motivated. Yeah! You go, Tori!" Cat cheers. I chuckle, shaking my head.
"You go Glen Coco." Nicky throws an arm around me out of nowhere. And then I feel the now-familiar feeling of a Nicky noogie.
"Oww…" I cringe. Familiar, but still painful.
Nicky releases me and Cat looks over with a frown. "Oh… now I have to fix her hair again." Cat sighs, grabbing a brush, comb and hairspray.
"You don't have to. I can fix it. You can't be the director, designer, and hair and make-up artist." I state.
"I don't mind." Cat smiles slightly, putting her hands on my shoulders and gently pushing me down on the bench. She walks around and I feel her fingers tangle in my hair, and I swear she runs her nails over my scalp slower than she has to. My eyes shut. Thank you, Nicky.
"Okay, I think I'm all familiarized with the equipment." Vik declares, walking over to us.
"Good. Try to be careful with it… my job's on the line." Cat requests, as she runs a brush over my hair. Ugh, she's really good at this.
"I will be, don't worry." Vik assures her.
"Why can't I do some filming?" Nicky whines.
"Because you'd definitely drop and break a thousand dollar camera." Vik says.
"Mean. No I wouldn't." Nicky mutters.
"That's not why. I trust Nicky." Cat claims.
"Ha!" Nicky shoots at Vik.
"I just need her to help me organize all the extras. I know Nicky will keep everyone in line." Cat explains.
"That's true enough. When are the extras getting here anyway, Tori?" Vik asks, but I'm very focused on Cat's fingers pulling through my hair, the comb scraping over some hair as she gently clips my hair in place…
"Hm? Oh. I don't know for sure. I made a video requesting all my fans in the area to meet today at one o'clock at the base of the CN Tower. I also tweeted it… instagramed it… posted on The Slap… Keek'd… Hopefully some people saw it and will show up." I sigh. I feel Cat lightly massage the tender skin on top of my head.
"They'll come. Who would deny a chance to meet you?" Cat inquires.
"You give me too much credit." I sigh, her fingers still soothingly running over my scalp. I can't imagine this is making my hair less messy, but whatever… more time for her to spend on my hair.
"I think I give you just enough." Cat mutters, going back to running the brush through my hair.
"She's right, Tori. I saw a lot of positive response in comments on all those things. People will come." Vik assures me.
"I hope so. Otherwise Cat's idea will be completely ruined." I tip my head up to look at her, and smiles down at me, running her fingers back through my bangs. I close my eyes, smiling. "Which, by the way, are you going to tell me what your video concept is yet?"
"Oh, did I not tell you?" She asks. I open my eyes and she has a sheepish smile.
"No. As usual every time I asked you kept telling me it was a 'surprise'." I glare.
"Well that's because I didn't know how you'd feel about the idea." Cat admits.
"Is it about a giraffe finding love?" I ask.
"No." She smirks.
"Then I'm sure I'd love it. Tell me. I kind of need to know since we're filming soon." I urge. She looks over at Vik and he nods.
"I think it's a great idea." Vik says. Cat lets out a breath.
"Okay. So, you know flash mobs?" Cat asks.
"Yeah. They were pretty big a few years ago." I recall.
"Mhm. So I had an idea around that." Cat starts to explain.
"You have a choreographed dance for my fans to follow and dance in a public place?" I raise an eyebrow.
"Not exactly. Choreography was never my thing. See, I saw this thing on the internet… kind of a spin on flash mobs. A flash freeze." Cat reveals.
"Is that Canadian humour?" I ask.
"No, Tori." Cat giggles. "People walk around in a public area and just freeze whatever they're doing. Completely still. So I was thinking we can do that in different Toronto locations – including a super market," She laughs, "and we'll get some shots of people reacting to the frozen people with hidden cameras I already set up… meanwhile you'll be walking amongst the frozen people and singing along with the track. Then, once the chorus comes along… you snap your fingers, everyone unfreezes and starts dancing. It's just a fun video… a bit of a deep meaning in there somewhere."
"Cat… that sounds brilliant. You're a genius." I gape. "Like, I love that idea."
"Really?" Cat asks, stopping the teasing of my hair.
"Yeah, like… it's a cool idea. And it'll be fun for all of us and my fans." I grin.
"Thanks, Tori… I'm glad you like it." Cat mumbles, and I feel the spritz of hairspray over my head.
"Will the fans cooperate, though? I mean… They're just randoms. We don't know them." Vik questions.
"That's where Nicky comes in." Cat states, and I look over at the spunky blonde to see her flexing.
"I'll keep those punks in line." Nicky smirks.
"Hey, be nice to my fans." I huff.
"I won't be nice if one of them comes running at you with a knife." Nicky states.
"…Can that happen?" I stare.
"Relax, Tori." Cat giggles. "If one of your fans is a raging psychopath then they're clearly a fan of the wrong person."
"That's… comforting?" I blink. Cat just giggles again.
"There. All done." She says, stepping out from behind me. Damnit.
I pull out my phone, turning on the inverted camera to look at myself. She gave me some sort of… sexy bedhead look, and it honestly looks great. I have to admit, I agree with Barry on some level. Not that she shouldn't sing for a living, but she has so much talent in so many areas, she could definitely expand beyond her simple job at the diner if she wanted to. "Thanks, Cat." I smile.
"No problem. No more noogies." Cat warns Nicky. Nicky gives a mock salute.
"Yes ma'am." Nicky promises, but she has a cheeky smile. I'll be protecting my hair all day.
"Hey Cat," Vik starts.
"Yeah?"
"Why's that camera just set up and pointed up at the tower?" He asks.
"Oh, it's just a time lapse camera. I'll have a video feed of the clouds and sun moving over the tower to edit in. It's… artistic. Or something." Cat explains.
"I like it." Vik nods. I look up at the tower and immediately feel sick, looking down.
"We won't have to go up there again, do we?" I ask worriedly. Cat giggles, coming over to sit down beside me.
"No, just the base of the tower. I promise. We couldn't get clearance to do a flash freeze up there anyway, like we did for most places." Cat smiles.
"What a shame…" I sigh, and she giggles again, giving my back a comforting rub. I notice Nicky smirking and raising her eyebrow, but I ignore it. Cat's just affectionate…
"Oh. My. God." We hear. We turn to the source of the voices and there's a group of three adolescent girls staring are way. "It's her! Tori! Hi!"
"I guess those are the first of your fans." Vik chuckles.
"I told you they'd come." Cat grins.
They ran over and basically freaked out for a bit that they were meeting me, which baffles my mind. I'm just a person who sings on Splashface – no one special. Yet they acted as if I was this awe-inspiring person, which was sweet.
They weren't the only ones, either. In all, about thirty of my fans came from around the area, and some even drove a long distance to get to meet me. I signed things, I took pictures, I was given gifts and letters, one girl even told me listening to one of my covers one night was enough to keep her on this planet. That's the second time someone's told me I've saved their life, the other being Cat… I can't believe I could make such an impact. It's very humbling. I would've cried, had I not wanted to force Cat to do my make up again… Actually, if it was anything like her redoing my hair, it wouldn't have been such a bad thing…
Luckily for me, none of them seemed crazy or came bearing knives, so that made Nicky's job easier. Still, thirty people was a lot to organize, but Cat was ecstatic. It was plenty of people to pose as extras for the video.
"Told you." She reminds me, nudging me gently with her elbow.
"Why do I ever doubt you?" I sigh, smiling. People were interested in finding out who Vik, Nicky and Cat were to me as well. Vik and Nicky introduced themselves as my producers/managers… to be honest, I have no idea what their official title is, but my fans seemed to like them a lot. And why wouldn't they? Cat actually seemed much more reserved around them, and if they asked who she was she would just say she was the director. I noticed she was avoiding giving her name. I guess it's too large of a group of social networkers for her to feel safe to just give away her name, so I picked up on that and tried to avoid using her name unless I was out of ear shot.
"Tori, it's really nice to meet you. Truly." I hear. I turn to see a handsome young guy about my age with jet black hair, spacers in both ears, and a large smile.
"Oh, hi! It's nice to meet you, too." I nod. He goes in for a hug and I reciprocate.
"Your videos inspired me to do music, so I drove out here to help in whatever way I could." He states, pulling away with the big smile on his face. "Plus, I really had to see if you were as beautiful in real life as you are on Splashface. Turns out, you aren't. The real deal is much better." He flashes a smile.
"Oh… Um, that's sweet…" I blush, running my hand through my hair awkwardly. "Uh…?"
"Andy." He grins.
"Andy. It's nice to meet you." I nod, still blushing. I mean, I just feel more embarrassed than flattered, but it was still nice of him to say.
"Believe me, the pleasure is all mine." He chuckles. I notice Cat looking rapidly between me and Andy before clapping her hands together.
"Okay! Let's have everyone gather in one place so I can address everyone and explain their part." Cat announces.
"You heard the girl. Everyone, front and centre!" Nicky yells into a megaphone. Wait… I don't… when did she get that megaphone?
Everyone starts to gather, and Cat quickly grabs my arm and yanks me from Andy's side over to her. "You come with me." Cat orders.
"Uh o-okay." I stumble, slightly surprised by her abruptness. She places me by the bench we had been sitting on, and then she stands up on it. You know, in high school she very rarely took up a leadership role. But right now… She looks like she could command an army.
"Okay! Hi everyone! Thanks for coming and supporting Tori! We really appreciate it, and we're going to need every single one of you to help with this! And you'll all get credit in the video. So when Tori becomes a worldwide, number one album selling sensation, you can all say you were there in her first music video!" Cat shouts out to the crowd, and she gets a cheer. She beams at them, and I'm pretty sure it's out of pride for me. "So now we need to get down to business. Oh, thank you Nicky." She gets handed the megaphone. Cat holds it up to her mouth and continues, "I hope you're all as excited about this concept as I am. This is what we're planning…"
Cat explains and the entire group seems very excited about it, as I expected. Some of them seemed skeptical about freezing and then dancing like fools in front of other people, so I suggested playing them the finished song. We only had a PearPod to play the song for me to lip sync along with – hey, we were still on a budget. I mean we're lucky we had Cat and the diner equipment…
Either way, everyone was excited to hear the new song, and they seemed pretty pumped after. I think that's a good sign. They needed to know when to freeze and when to dance anyway. Cat gave everyone general places to stand for when the flash freeze happens, told them the cue is when they hear the music start playing, and then improvise a natural pose that they can hold for a long time. Everyone was a good sport. I think Nicky is actually feeling irrelevant. We did a practice run, and it went well enough that Cat got some shots of people reacting.
And now I'm nervous. I don't know why… it's a music video. But I feel pressure to do a good job in front of all these people who admire and look up to me. I feel Cat gently nudge me.
"Hey, you'll be great, Just look pretty for the cameras." Cat chuckles.
"Oh she can do that alright." Andy calls over, grinning. Oh boy. I swear Cat glares at him for a moment, but she shakes it off. Must be my imagination…
"Alright, everyone. Action." Cat calls out. Everyone starts walking about the space, talking or walking, taking pictures, dropping things, or just doing random activities. Vik and Cat circle a bit with the cameras, and then I see Nicky press the play button on the PearPod dock. Here goes… something.
"Lately everybody's so self-conscious
People talk about each other, so heartless,
but I don't want to hear those conversations
I just want to feel the good vibrations
Whatever happened to the simple pleasures
It's hard to live when there's so much pressure,
but I don't want to think about the ending
'cause every moment is a new beginning"
I've never really lip synced, but Nicky told me to just sing along anyway to make it more realistic, so I do. I walk amongst the frozen people, singing, looking at them, waving my hand in front of their faces. I glance over at Cat for a moment, and she has the biggest smile on her face. I must be doing something right.
PS, my favourite part of the song is coming up.
"Ohh,
You know life's too short to be complicated
Ohh,
Sometimes, sometimes
Sometimes you gotta…"
And, turn to camera… sly smile… and… snap.
Everyone comes to life and I sing along as I dance with them. Honesty, not only is it a cool idea, but it's a lot of fun, too. It reflects the song perfectly. Every so often Cat would call cut and do some switching around for aesthetic purposes. Interestingly enough, it'd usually be whenever I'd get near Andy. I mean, I'm not saying it has any connection but… I'm just saying.
"Tori, that was great." Cat grins at me, skipping over. She seems so alive and buzzing right now. It's like she's been waiting to release this creative energy forever. Living with Barry must be so… dull.
"Thanks. Did it look good on camera?" I ask.
"Oh it definitely did." Vik says, walking over with his camera. I turn around to my fans who have gathered.
"Guys, the director says it looks great! Good job!" I praise, and they all cheer. Cat leaps on me with a random hug, not that I'm complaining. "Okay, what now?" I ask her.
She stays firmly attached. "Now we pack up, and then we all head to the four other different locations." She explains.
"Four?" I exclaim.
"Yeah… Yonge and Dundas Square, High Park, the food court in the Eaton Centre, and of course the grocery store…" Cat lists off.
"And… how are we moving thirty some-odd people around the city?" I question. Cat pulls back, furrowing her brow.
"Um…" She trails off. I nearly smack myself in the forehead. I guess I can't blame her for missing some details. She's already doing so much.
"I got it. Calling a bunch of vans now." Vik states, holding a phone to his ear.
"Wait, we're going all over the city now?" Someone in the crowd asks. Nicky steps up with her megaphone.
"Excuse me. We will be paying for the cabs so you basically get a free tour of Toronto. Enjoy it!" Nicky shouts into the megaphone. Everybody nods simultaneously. I swear, sometimes Nicky can be very Jade-like.
"So, I can take some people in my car." I say.
"I can go with you." Andy steps up immediately. Cat pipes up immediately.
"Yeah. Count me in." She states.
"Um, I hate to burst your bubble, but you probably need a van to cart all of the equipment and you should probably stay with it." Vik rubs the back of his neck, and Cat's face falls.
"Oh. Right." She sighs.
"I'll go with T." Nicky states.
"Great, everyone else group up for the vans and tell them to head to High Park." Vik shouts to the crowd.
"Hey! Why did I bring my megaphone?" Nicky grumbles. Vik blinks at her.
"Yeah… Why did you?" He asks.
As we're starting to leave I overhear Cat talking to Nicky as she's about to get into her van with everything loaded up.
"Um… You'll look after Tori, right?" Cat bites her lip. Nicky stares at Cat for a moment, and then she smirks.
"Don't worry, kid." Nicky ruffles Cat's hair, "I'll make sure nothing happens." Nicky winks. Well, at least I'm not the only one Nicky calls kid, and it's cute that Cat cares. But there wasn't much need to look after me. Along with Andy I took two other fans, and they were all lovely. Andy even sang some of my song. He actually sounds really good.
When we got to High Park, Cat pointed out the bulbs on the trees that were close to blooming into beautiful cherry blossoms soon. I have to admit, I really wanted to come back here with her when they were in bloom, but she'll probably just come here with Barry. The shoot there went well as well despite us barely missing the beauty of the blossoms, and after we shot at Yonge and Dundas Sqaure, we shot in the Eaton Centre food court and took a break for everyone to grab a bite to eat.
"Hey Cat." I whisper to her as she's waiting in line. She looks over, puzzled.
"Yeah?"
"I'm really lucky to have you, you know?" I sigh. She's seriously been the best today. Vik and Nicky, too, but none of this would've been possible without Cat.
"Tori… Thanks." Cat blushes, making me smile. Andy walks over from the front of the line with a very loaded tray, and Cat seems to straighten up a bit.
"Hey Tori. I bought you food." He says, holding out the tray.
"Aw, you didn't have to do that." I mutter awkwardly. He basically got me everything on the menu.
"It's the least I can do for you giving me the opportunity to spend the day with you." Andy flashes a smile. "It's too bad it has to end eventually."
"Such a shame." Cat mutters under her breath. I raise an eyebrow at her but I give Andy a smile.
"Well thank you. That's sweet." I say, taking the tray.
"If you want, we can sit at the same table." Andy suggests. Cat whips her head away, fists clenched. Why is she being so weird whenever Andy is around?
"Um, actually I think I need to sit with my director so we can discuss things, but thanks for the offer." I smile. Cat relaxes but Andy looks disappointed.
"Oh, okay. Well I'll be sitting over there if you change your mind." He shrugs, walking away. I feel Cat step closer to me, but she says nothing. Why is she being so… protective? I guess she's just concerned. Andy is obviously interested in me, which is flattering. It's been a while since I've been "pursued", although I don't know how I feel about it. Cat's just probably trying to look out for me, like I am with her when I question Barry.
Again… cute.
"Um, well I have my food so I'll meet you at the table." I say.
"Okay. And um… thanks for sitting with me." Cat mumbles. I stare at her.
"Of course. You're my best friend." I say. She smiles at me and I feel an overwhelming urge to kiss her on the cheek, but I fight it by turning away. It shouldn't be a big deal, but ever since the snow storm I'm worried about how close my lips get to hers… they might not listen to my brain.
"Hey T… Eating for ten?" Nicky asks when I sit at the table with her and Vik.
"Haha… yeah…" I sigh, trying to figure out how to tackle the large amount of food. I start to take a bite of some burrito type thing and…
"So… kind of cute how Cat's jealous, huh?" Nicky says with a smirk.
Choking.
"Wh-what?" I sputter, and Nicky rolls her eyes.
"Oh come on, don't tell me you haven't noticed. Every time that Andy guy flirts with you… it like drives her insane." Nicky chuckles. I look over at Vik.
"I'm staying out of this." Vik states. Ugh.
"She's not jealous, she's just… protective." I reason.
"Yeah, of her territory. Or should I say, terriTORI!" She points at me, and both Vik and I roll our eyes.
"She's engaged, she doesn't want to be with me. Why would she be jealous?" I argue.
"Why do you find it so hard to believe that Cat might still harbour some feelings for you? Deep rooted feelings that will always be there no matter who she's with." Nicky argues back.
"One, you sound like a cheesy romance novel. Two, I… I don't know. I guess there's always the possibility, but her having feelings for me… that would just make things so much more complicated." I sigh.
"How so?" Nicky questions.
"She's engaged." Vik pipes in.
"I thought you were staying out of this!" Nicky snaps at him, but I nod at him in agreement. "Even with the engagement, it doesn't have to be complicated. You're in love with each other-"
"Whoa, who said anything about being in love?"
"-and that wouldn't happen if you were with the right person. You should snatch her up before it's too late." Nicky states.
"Nicky…" I huff, rolling my eyes. "We don't even know if she's really jealous. You can never really know with her. Cat's always been a bit… quirky."
"Come on. I'll prove it to you." Nicky declares, standing up and grabbing my arm, yanking me off my chair.
"Wh-hey wait!" I complain, giving Vik a pleading look as she drags me away. He just gives me a look that says it was nice knowing you. Useless.
Nicky drags me to the condiment station, where Cat is with her now purchased food. Nicky leans over to me. "Just follow my lead. You don't have to say anything. Just react." She whispers.
Great, I've been reduced to a shrugger.
Nicky walks up to the table and Cat looks over, smiling, as Nicky grabs a handful of ketchup packets.
"I mean, Andy's cute, right?" Nicky ask. I blink at her and Cat immediately tenses.
"Uhh…" I stare.
"And did you hear him in the car? Boy can SANG." Nicky exclaims. I blink again while Cat seems to viciously attack the relish dispenser.
"I mean seriously, you've been single for too long. Time to get out there, have some fun! Might be worth it." Nicky winks.
"I… I don't…" I fumble. What the hell is she doing.
"Plus, his lips look they'd be really good at kissing, among other things..." Nicky muses, and Cat's tray clatters against the table, sending some fries flying.
"Cat, you okay?" I ask her, concerned.
"Yeah…" She mumbles, not looking up from her tray. I glare at Nicky.
"So, if he asks you out, you should totally say yes. Just saying." Nicky states.
"Nicky!" I glower.
"What? I think it's a great idea!" Nicky turns to Cat, "Cat, what do you think? Should Tori start dating Andy?"
Cat promptly picks up her tray and breezes by. "Sure. Whatever." She mutters, a sad look on her face. I watch her walk away with an equally sad look, and then I turn to glare at a grinning Nicky.
"What's wrong with you? Among other things? What if you were right? You might've totally tortured her!" I hiss.
"If I was right? T, did you not see her reactions? You are totally her terriTORI!" Nicky grins.
"Stop saying that. And you're awful." I grumble.
"Are you actually going to go out with Andy?" Nicky asks.
"What? No."
"Then no harm done." Nicky shrugs, walking by me. She looks over her shoulder. "At least you know now there's something there for you, whether Cat knows it or not." And she heads back to the table.
"Or maybe she's stressed, they didn't have the condiment she wanted, she's feeling sick, many other reasons…" I mumble to no one in particular. I wander my way back to the table where Nicky and Cat have sat down, and I sit next to Cat. She's still looking down at her not-completely-covered food and saying nothing, looking deep in thought.
Screw it. I lean over and leave a small peck on her cheek. She looks startled and looks over at me with surprise. I just smile at her. She smiles back, and then she's back to her regular self. Geez, if I knew that's all it took, I could've saved a lot of money from buying her ice cream back in the day.
Our last stop was the grocery store. Cat decided it should be the same grocery store she took me to and danced with me the first time… I'm not going to be allowed to come back here pretty soon. But Vik assured me he cleared it with the manager, so, it should be fun just like all the other locations.
It actually has been the funniest place to have the freeze. The use of the carts and things on the shelves really gave extra opportunity for good poses, and Vik and Cat caught some nice confused reactions when running between the aisles, then I did my part (this time the song played over the speakers, which is awesome).
"Ohh,
You know life's too short to be complicated,
Ohh,"
I turn into the produce section which is much more open, and the area Cat and I danced. I walked right by Andy, who is frozen and funnily enough looking at artichokes, as I start the chorus.
"Sometimes you gotta…" Snap.
"Shake, shake what your momma gave ya,
Pull out your Michael J moves,
And dance the with the record on,
Sometimes you gotta get…"
Andy surprises me when he reaches over and grabs my arm, pulling me into a spin, but I stay in the moment. I continue to sing as he sways me from side to side, similar to how Cat swayed me when she inspired me to write this song… although she was a lot smoother.
"Down, down at the super market,
Even if there's people watching,
Just because you like the song,
Sometimes you gotta just,
Shake, shake, shake, shake,
Sometimes you gotta just-"
Andy goes to dip me and that's when Cat's voice rings out.
"Cut!" She yells. Andy releases me and everyone stops dancing, looking at her.
"What? What was wrong with that?" Andy asks her incredulously. Cat stares forward, seeming to try to find some sort of explanation. She looks down for a moment.
"I… I guess nothing. There's nothing wrong with it. There's no reason I should be upset with it." Cat mutters, and then she takes a deep breath and looks up with a smile. "You guys look good together. I just want to start from the beginning of the chorus and get a different angle. That's all." She states.
"Okay." I nod slowly. If she was jealous… she seems to have gotten over it now. Maybe. I don't know. Cat's really hard to read, okay?!
We ran the rest of the shoot and wrapped it up with a big round of applause, lots of hugs, a long list of people to follow on social networks, and massive apologies to the grocery store manager for creating a Joke-A-Cola fountain in one of the aisles. I'm definitely never coming back here.
Then everyone seemed to leave, except Andy. He stayed to help clean up all the lighting fixtures, grab the hidden cameras and such, which was really nice. Cat, Vik, Nicky and I headed to my car to load it up, since I won't have to be driving any fans so Cat plus her equipment will be able to fit.
"I guess that's a wrap." Vik beams, looking tired yet energetic. "But I don't think I'm cut out for a career in filmography."
"You did great." Cat smiles.
"Not as good as you! Damn, T is lucky she knows you." Nicky grins.
"So she's told me." Cat mumbles, blushing. She smiles at me as she heads to put a few things in the trunk.
"So, what's your last name, Cat?" Vik asks. Cat's eyebrows shoot to the sky, surprised.
"Why?" She questions.
"Well, we have to credit the director somehow." Vik reasons with a grin. Cat gets a conflicted look on her face.
"Oh, no, that's okay… You don't have to…" Cat shifts awkwardly. I furrow my brow for a moment, but then I understand. We can't exactly put Cat Valentine in the description as the director, especially since so many people that knew her would be watching this. But Vik and Nicky don't know that she's technically in hiding… and "Cat Valentine" is only one web search away from coming up as a victim of one of LA's most mysterious disappearances.
"What? Come on, you did good with this! You deserve credit!" Nicky argues.
"No, I really, I just did it for the experience…" Cat struggles to explain. She shoots me a look for help, but I've already opened my mouth.
"It's fine. She doesn't need credit if she doesn't want. She's probably just afraid she's going to be contacted by so many people asking her to do music videos for them, but she won't have the time to keep up with the demand, and there'd be a lot." I flash her a smile and she gives an embarrassed look. "We'll know the amazing job she did. That's all that matters."
Vik and Nicky stare at me for a second, and then Vik shrugs. "If that's what you want." He sighs. Cat mouths a thank you to me, then she turns back to Vik and Nicky.
"So now people will hear Tori's sound and really see her professional talent, and she'll be a star in no time. When's the tour?" Cat grins. Vik lets out a laugh.
"I'd like to say next week, but it's not that simple. This music video might have a big impact, it might not have any." Vik explains. Cat furrows her brow.
"It might take a little longer?" Cat frowns.
"It might take forever, but we won't stop trying." Nicky nods.
"It depends on who sees it, really. Networking. It's who you know, after all." Vik says.
"Oh…" Cat mutters.
"It's okay, Cat. You did great. You got my foot in the door. I can't thank you enough for that." I tell her. She gives me a small smile.
"Thanks, I just wish I could do more." Cat sighs.
"You've done plenty. Anyway, it's been a long day. I'm ready to pass out. We'll catch you guys later?" Vik asks.
"Yeah. Thanks, guys." I smile at them.
"Later, kids." Nicky winks. As they start to walk away, Andy passes them from out of nowhere, and Nicky shoots me a raised eyebrow before turning to walk away with Vik. I give Andy a friendly smile.
"Tori, could I ask you something?" Andy asks.
"Yeah, sure, go ahead." I nod. I notice Cat peer up from the trunk of my car, looking on curiously.
"Well," He starts, suddenly looking nervous while he scratches the back of his neck. "I really liked meeting you today."
"I really liked meeting you, too." I smile. He grins back.
"That's… that's great! I'm really glad. I know I can come off a little strong since I really like to help out." He shuffles.
"And it was really appreciated. Didn't come off too strong at all." I assure him.
"I'm glad you think so… You're a really cool girl, Tori. And I hope this doesn't sound weird, but I'd really like to get to know you more. I don't like the idea that this will be the only time we meet… I'm really drawn to you, so I know I got to at least take a shot. How'd you like to go out on a date with me?" He asks, and I let out a sigh. I should've seen this coming. Honestly, he seems like a really nice guy, and there's not much holding me back from taking a shot on him and just going on a date… But there is one thing holding me back.
Cat. I can't even deny it to myself. And no, it's not because I don't want to upset her out of the off chance she's jealous. It's because I'm so... into her right now. I honestly have no interest in pursuing something romantic with anybody other than Cat… Which is ridiculous because I can't pursue anything romantic with her, but I don't think I can try with anybody else until I get over these stupid feelings. I'd love to be able to say yes to Andy, but I know I'd just be leading him on at this point, and during the whole date I'd just be thinking… I wish you were Cat. Which is awful… he's treated me with respect, so he'll get the same from me.
"Andy… that's very flattering, but I'm not really interested… in dating right now. I'm very sorry. You're a really nice guy and you'll be a great catch for someone, and you'll be able to serenade them with that great voice of yours, and they'll be crazy about you. I promise." I say slowly. I feel a pang of pity as his face falls. I hate rejecting people, but I know it feels worse to be rejected.
"Oh… okay. It was worth a try." He gives a small smile. "Again, it was nice meeting you." Andy says, and then he walks away. I let out a sigh, and I feel small arms wrap around my waist from behind.
"Why'd you say no?" Cat mumbles softly, pressing a cheek to my back.
"Do you think I should've said yes?" I ask. She pauses for a minute.
"I don't know. Whatever you think is best. He was cute." Cat sighs.
"Yeah, but, I'm just not interested. He's not… the one for me." I explain. She's silent again, and then gives me a squeeze.
"I hope you find them soon. God knows you deserve someone incredible." Cat murmurs. I turn around and hug her back.
"Thanks, Cat. I'll do what I can." I chuckle.
"Good." She giggles, pulling away. "Help me take everything back to the diner?"
"Sure thing." I smile, popping the door open for her and holding it open for her. She smirks at me, shaking her head.
"You're never going to stop doing that, are you?" She sighs.
"Nah." I shrug, grinning.
As we drop off all the camera equipment through the diner's back door, Cat comes back with one smaller video camera.
"What about that one?" I ask.
"I asked to borrow this one a bit longer… you know, in case inspiration str-" She stops short, looking at the orangey colour of the sky.
"…Cat?" I raise an eyebrow at her.
"Tori, does your building have a roof?" Cat questions. I stare at her.
"Well… yeah… I mean, I know my building is a little run down, but…"
"No, that's not what I… ugh, Tori! I mean is there a way to get up there?" Cat clarifies.
"Oh. Yeah, I think so." I say.
"Can you take us there?" Cat grins, looking excited.
"Sure, but, why?" I inquire, and she grabs my hand and drags me back to my car.
"Inspiration!" She exclaims.
"Okay, you're the director." I laugh, shaking my head. I drive to my building and we go straight to the elevator to the roof from the parking garage. When we climb the stairwell up to the roof, Cat pulls out her phone.
"Hi, Barry? Are you home from work? …Okay great. Can you pick me up from Tori's in fifteen minutes? …Yeah it went really well, I'll tell you all about it tonight… Okay, thanks. See you in a bit." Cat hangs up.
"I could've driven you home." I state.
"I know. But you drive me everywhere. Barry has to pull his weight sometimes." Cat winks, and then she walks through the door at the top. We're met with a brilliant sight of a sunset.
"Wow." I breathe. "This building just got less shitty."
"And it's perfect for a couple of dancing in the sunset shots." Cat smirks.
"Ah, I knew I hired you for a reason." I grin. "No music?"
"No, just… dance." Cat says, picking up her camera. I let out a sigh, feeling a little self-conscious dancing with no music, but I go take a position with the sun behind me.
"How's this?" I ask, moving my hips and swinging my arms.
"Perfect. Now let's see that amazing smile of yours." Cat grins, looking like she's glowing. I blush a bit, and hope the camera can't pick it up. I dance for a few minutes, letting my moves get a little bit more outlandish as I go on, making Cat giggle. "Look at how much more you've been able to let loose in just a sort amount of time."
"It's easier to let loose with just you around." I laugh, doing a shimmy.
"Oh really? Why's that?"
"I don't know. You're just comforting." I admit. I see Cat lower the camera and I stop dancing. She gives me a long look.
"Really? I'm so glad…" She sighs.
"Yeah, me too." I say. We look at each other a long time, just silent, taking each other in. Eventually she looks away, shaking her head.
"Okay, I think we have enough footage." Cat mumbles, putting the camera back around her neck. I let out a breath and she walks over to the edge of the building, leaning on the ledge and looking out over the city… over the city…
"Cat…"
"Mhm?"
"How high are we?" I ask, cluing in. She whips her head towards me, looking horrified.
"Oh my god, I didn't… I didn't think! I'm so sorry!" Cat gasps, running towards me. I can imagine I'm suddenly pretty pale.
"It's fine. I just have to… stay away from the edges, that's all." I gulp. Cat grabs my hands and looks intently into my eyes.
"And not think about it. You were fine until you started to think about it. Try to distract yourself. Talk to me." Cat encourages. Right. Distraction. Talk to Cat.
"Okay… If I were to ask you something, do you promise to be honest?" I question. She gives me a worried look, but then nods.
"Yes, of course."
"Why were you being so weird around Andy today?" I question.
She looks taken aback, blinking rapidly, and then she bites her lip. "Oh… that." She mutters.
"Yeah… You seemed pretty… off whenever he was near me." I recall. She closes her eyes, letting out a breath.
"Well, he seemed to be really into you." Cat sighs. So… she was jealous?
"Yeah, but… that's not a big deal." I say slowly.
"No, you're right, it's not. But I just… I don't know. It'll sound stupid but I got a… bad vibe from him." Cat brushes her hair back behind her ear, and then wraps her arms across her chest, hugging herself.
"Really? How so? He seemed nice enough." I question.
"Yeah… now. But I don't think he's always been so nice." She grumbles. "I just don't think he deserved you, that's all. I wouldn't let you date someone any less than what you deserved."
"That's… sweet, but how do you know he was that bad?" I ask. She lets out a huff, turning away from me and taking a few steps away.
"I've seen him before." She admits in a small voice.
"What? Where?" I raise my eyebrows in surprise, taking a step closer to her. She seems to hug herself tighter.
"It's… not something I like to look back on." She mutters.
"Cat… if he did something to hurt you…"
"No, he didn't… hurt me, per say… it was…" She lets out a long winded sigh, "it was back when I was on the streets. I was begging, and… He walked by. I know it was him. I could never forget that face. I asked for money, just something I could put toward a sandwich. I usually wouldn't ask people, but it was a bad day for giving people and so… I asked. And he turned and spat on me." Cat trembles. My fists clench. Oh. No.
"Cat, if I had known…" I shake, fuming.
"You couldn't have… he obviously didn't recognize me. I look a lot better now. I didn't want to… cause a scene over it. It was three years ago. And you're right, he seemed nice. Maybe he changed? I don't know. I don't know his life. When I saw he was… interested in you… I guess I just got protective. I didn't want you ending up with someone who couldn't sympathize with others. Then I realized… I was being just as bad, not seeing his side of things. So I decided to give him the benefit of the doubt. And if you wanted to go out with him…" She lets out a shuddered breath, "I would support that."
"Cat…" I sigh. I can't even handle the amount of kindness that she emulates. Showing sympathy to someone who was once so awful to her? I can't even imagine. I walk up behind her and just like she did for me, I hug her from behind. She puts her hands over my arms, which are across her chest just above her camera, and she leans back into me. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry for everything you've been through. I'm sorry I didn't punch that guy when I had the chance." I murmur. I don't hold the same compassion she does. If someone hurts Cat, or disrespects her, they'll feel my wrath.
"Tori… Don't be sorry. And you don't have to punch anyone for my sake." Cat chuckles, squeezing my arms. She tilts her head to lean into my cheek. "Just promise me something."
"What's that?"
"Promise me… when you find the one for you… or just someone you're interested in dating… make sure they're everything you could ever want. Don't settle for less than what you want in someone… what you need in someone. They need to be able to appreciate you, what they'll have by having you. Meet all your needs. Kiss the ground you walk on. Work every day to make sure they're who you need them to be, and… they need to be special enough that you'll want to do the same for them. Just… make sure you find that. Please." Cat mumbles.
I'm totally taken aback. I barely even know what to say. That was so… heartfelt. Like all she wants is just for me to be happy, and make sure that whoever I find makes me happy as well. If I wasn't so floored right now, I would almost laugh at the irony of her being the very person she's describing. Instead, I just squeeze her tight, and nuzzle to put my mouth near her ear.
"I promise." I whisper.
"Good." Cat says, and I can feel her mouth turn up into a smile. I hear a buzz and Cat gingerly steps away, pressing her lips together. She looks at her phone then gives an apologetic look. "Barry's been waiting for five minutes."
"Oh. Oops. Better get you down there… and off this roof." I shudder.
"Yes, of course." Cat giggles. We head downstairs to a much more comfortable height and I wave goodbye to her and thank her again for everything as she heads out the lobby doors. She looks back at me with a smile as the door closes, and I find myself starting to the sing the bridge of my song.
"Is it wrong if it makes you feel right? You'll never know if you don't even try…"
April 26th, 2017
I love days off. The music video isn't quite ready yet, but Vik has been pushing me to write new music all weekend. I get his reasoning. If this music video goes viral, I'm going to need other original stuff pretty soon to back it up and show that I'm not some one-hit wonder. The problem is, I have absolutely no inspiration. I don't know what to write about, and Nicky has been showing me some sounds she's been working on and I just haven't been feeling them so far. We worked all Sunday, Monday and Tuesday on it, going well into the night and I had very little to show for it. If anything, I just ended up frustrated. So, Vik gave me the day off to recharge and maybe something will come to me. It's a little disheartening. I get artists have writers block all the time, but not after one song. If I'm having this much trouble now, it doesn't look good for me. and I really want to be able to write my own lyrics. That's important to me.
So how am I spending my day off? I'm gathering inspiration by lying in bed and listening to some of my favourite songs. So, relaxing, basically. Maybe I should write a song about having a siesta. Or just keep having one. It's not that I'm lazy, or dislike recording. I just think Vik was right. I need a break…
And my phone is ringing. Doesn't it know I'm siesta-ing?
I turn off my music and pick up my phone without looking at it. "Hello?" I ask.
"Tori?" I hear a weak, croaking voice on the other end. I furrow my brow.
"Who's… this?" I question.
"…Tori, it's Cat." She answers. My eyes go wide and I sit up quickly.
"Cat? Are you okay?" I ask frantically.
"Yeah. I just woke up this morning feeling awful. I think I got some kind of sickness. Ugh, my immune system hates me." Cat mumbles feebly. My eyebrows crease in concern.
"You sound awful." I sigh.
"Thanks."
"Er, sorry… Has Barry been taking care of you?" I ask.
"He's at work…" She breaks for a cough, "I've been surviving off of Dayquil. Anyway, I called to ask for a huge favour…"
"Do you want me to come over?" I answer immediately.
"What? N-no that's okay." She stutters.
"I'm coming over anyway. I'll bring you comfort foods, and then you can ask me your favour." I state.
"Really Tori, you don't have to." Cat says, sounding guilty.
"I want to." I claim. There's silence over the phone.
"…Okay." She agrees meekly.
"Great… hold tight, Cat. I'll be there soon." I assure her.
"You're the greatest." She wheezes. I hang up and jump up right away. Siesta over. Cat needs me.
I shuffle around my kitchen and find some salted caramel cookies Ms. Wilkinson made for me a few days ago when she saw how stressed I was, and they are heavenly. I'm sure Cat will love them. What else? A few cans of soup… Bananas are good when you're sick, and oranges… Ironically, these are all things that Cat makes sure I buy. Oh, and Mr. Purple. I bet she'd love to have him for cuddles while she's sick. Perfect. I'm basically a doctor.
I run down with my care package and hop in my car, practically speeding to Cat's condo. I buzz her to let me in, and her pitiful voice answering the intercom was almost heartbreaking. I impatiently wait for the elevator to climb to the seventh floor, and then practically as soon as the doors open, I'm at her door knocking. It's actually been a while since I've been here, but my main concern right now is…
"Cat." I breathe when she answers the door. She's all bundled up, looks really pale with deep bags under her eyes, and her nose is red and puffy. She gives me a small smile.
"Hi, Tori." She croaks.
"I brought you things." I state, lifting the bag up. She stares at it, then looks at me.
"…I can't even handle you. Thank you." She sighs, pulling her blanket tighter. "Please come in."
She steps aside and I step in. My jaw drops. Man her apartment is… classy. It's extremely spacious and the furnishing is gorgeous. It's honestly somewhere you'd picture a movie star living. It's a little dim, but that's my only criticism. I'd take this place over my shabby studio apartment any day.
"Oh yeah… you've never been inside." Cat recalls. "I'd give you a tour but… forgive me for not feeling up for it."
"No, of course I understand." I nod. I drop the bag next to me and then pull her and her blanket-wrapped self into a comforting hug.
"Tori… You'll get sick." Cat mutters into my shoulder, although she's not fighting the hug.
"I'll risk it." I state, running a hand through her messy hair. She lets out a deep sigh, and then quickly turns away to cough violently. "Oh, Cat…" I frown.
"It's okay. I've been sick before." She sighs.
"Do you want soup?" I ask. She shakes her head.
"I don't have any soup." Cat says. I flash a smile, picking up the bag again.
"You do now! Go lie on the couch, I'll go warm up a bowl for you." I offer. She shakes her head.
"No, please don't. I'll feel awful you're doing so much for me. Besides, I just ate some leftovers from dinner last night. My appetite isn't the best so I feel pretty full. Just… put any food you brought on the kitchen counter. Right through there. Thanks so much, Tori." She sighs.
"Okay, if you insist. I also brought bananas and oranges…" I explain. Her eyes brighten up.
"Bananas? Ooh, yay! Barry hates bananas, so we never have any." She smiles.
"And now you do." I wink. "And extra oranges."
"Never enough oranges." She chuckles, then goes into a fit of coughing. I let out a sigh.
"And I brought salted caramel cookies."
"What!? Um, on second thought, I think I have enough room for one of those now!" Cat gapes, somehow looking a little better just at the mention of cookies. I let out a laugh, handing her one. And then I pull out Mr. Purple. "Aw! Mr. Purple! Come to make me feel better?"
"He was very concerned about his mommy." I smile, handing him over. She smiles, holding the cookie and giraffe close. "Now I'll put these away. Go lie on the couch."
"But-"
"No buts." I state. She sighs and then obediently heads to the couch. I go into the very nice kitchen (are those granite counter tops?), and put everything away. When I head back into the living area, Cat's lying on her back, hugging Mr. Purple and looking over at me. I go up to her, and she looks very confused when I reach under her head to lift her up.
"What're you doing?" She asks, but I simply take a seat and place her head gently on my lap. She looks up at me with a mix of wonderment and puzzlement, but that look is quickly replaced by her eyelids fluttering closed when I start massaging her temples.
"My mom always used to do this when I was sick. It made me feel better." I murmur.
"Can't imagine why." She breathes, sounding content. I run my fingers over her forehead and hairline and she releases a soft sound.
"So, what was that favour?" I ask.
"What was what?" She mumbles sleepily.
"The favour you called about." I clarify. Her eyes open slightly before closing again.
"Oh yeah… well… you know what day it is, right?" She asks.
"Yeah… Wednesday… wait, didn't you have a performance tonight?" I inquire. She nods slightly.
"Mhm… but… as you can tell, I'm not in any fit state to sing." Cat sighs, and then lifts her arm up to cough into her sleeve.
"No kidding. Can someone else take your shift?" I ask.
"Well… out of the three other performers, one is out of town, one had a death in the family, and one quit." Cat explains.
"Oh… they never seem to be available." I note.
"I know, right?" She smiles up at me. "But… It's important that we have a performance tonight, and Bev will kill me if I cancel on her now…" She sighs.
"It's not your fault." I say.
"I know, but I still can't leave her hanging. That's… where you come in."
"What?"
"Tori… can you cover my performance tonight?" Cat requests.
My fingers stop their massaging as I stare down at her, and she stares up at me, biting her lip and searching my eyes. "Wh-what?" I stutter.
"I'm sorry to ask this of you, but out of anyone I know, you can pull an amazing performance out of nowhere. That's how you got into Hollywood Arts in the first place." Cat reasons.
"Well… yeah, but… I don't even know what to sing or… how to act up there and… that's a lot of pressure." I frown.
"I know. But… you know I wouldn't ask if this was important. Please, Tori." Cat begs, her tired eyes looking intently at me. She's right… I know she wouldn't ask this unless she really needed it. She's not the kind of person to ask for favours. I return to stroking over her hairline.
"Okay. I'll do it." I agree. She flashes a wide smile.
"Thank you, Tori. I really owe you." Cat sighs.
"Hey… it's what friends do. But… I still don't know what to sing." I scrunch my eyebrows.
"Just sing Shake… it's the best way to showcase your kind of music, and you need to practice performing it for the big stages one day." Cat says.
"Why do I need to showcase my music?" I question.
"Oh, no reason, really. Just that Bev likes the performers to be honest up on the stage. I would never perform a song I didn't like." She explains.
"Okay. And… is there any sort of choreography?" I ask. She shakes her head.
"No. I just kind of… move along with the beat." Cat describes, and I blush at the past memories of her doing so. She sure does.
"Alright… Anything else I need to know?" I ask.
"I'll call Bev letting her know after you leave, then you just get there around seven, she'll dress you up, and then you just have to sing… be yourself. Own that stage like I know you can." Cat states.
"I'll do my best." I gulp. It's not that I'm nervous about performing, but I am nervous I'll mess up for Cat's sake. I'll probably lose my shoe again and blind Bev, and then Cat will get fired…
"I know you will." Cat smiles.
"Do I have to serve food?" I raise an eyebrow.
"No, but Bev would marry you if you did." Cat laughs. "And Tori?"
"Yeah?"
"…Thank you for being someone I can count on." Cat murmurs, turning on her side to cuddle into my lap. I smile and comb my fingers through her hair. "And thank you for everything you brought. And this. You really didn't have to."
"Yes I did, Cat."
I'd do anything for you.
I left Cat's place after I was pretty sure she was ready to fall asleep any second. I swung by Vik's place to grab a copy of the music for Shake so I could play it at the diner. Vik seemed surprised, but he supported it. He said "seeing the performances inspired you the first time, maybe being in one will do that same". That would be helpful.
After eating dinner and trying some meditation to calm my nerves, I'm now doing vocal exercises in the car on my way to the diner. Cat's counting on me, so I really don't want her to look bad to Bev or her other colleagues. I walk through the front as normal, and Bev is there immediately.
"Tori! Sight for sore eyes. Stacy called, poor thing sounds like she caught a death. Thanks for filling in for her. You're a life saver." Bev states. She beckons me to follow her. "Come on. We'll find an outfit that fits you. Stacy says you can sing?"
"I… think I can get the job done." I say.
"Ha! I was wondering what you'd say to that. After Stace told me, I looked up a few of your videos. Getting the job done? You're being modest. In fact, if you weren't busy trying to make a career of it, I'd offer you a job." Bev tells me as she leads me through the kitchen doors.
"Aw, thanks so much." I blush. Some of the kitchen workers look at me with confusion, but the wait staff that I recognize smile at me. I come here often to visit Cat, so I'm well known as "Stacy's friend".
Bev takes me into another back room with racks of sparkly, pretty outfits. She shuffles through until she finds a size for me. "Here, put this on." Bev says, handing it to me. My, how… revealing. But I've seen several of Cat's performance outfits so I shouldn't be surprised. Tanned tights, silver sequined micro shorts, and a ruby sequined corset that looks as though it'll bear my midriff.
"O-okay." I stutter, looking at it. She seizes me up for a moment.
"Hmm… the black heel boots you're wearing now will have to do. Do you have music?" She asks. I nod, handing her the USB. "Great. Now hurry and put that on. Five minutes until curtain." Bev states, and then leaves like a blur. My mouth pops open.
"What?" I gape. I'm performing in five minutes?!
I throw the outfit on and I realize there's not even a mirror to look at myself. The door opens and I jump as a waiter I recognize as Michael pops his head in.
"Tori! Show time." He says.
"Whoa! What if I had still been changing?!" I glare.
"Good thing you're not. Bev's about to introduce you. I'm to take you to your place." Michael explains. I follow him silently, feeling that familiar pre-performance dry mouth. I'm starting to become more aware that this will be the first time in forever that I've performed live to an actual audience. Oh god. Picture everyone naked.
"Just stand here?" I whisper from behind a microphone, which is behind the curtain. He nods. "And, do I look any good?" I ask frantically, spinning around. He nods again.
"Yeah. Just relax. Stacy has a lot of faith in you. Break a leg." He winks, and then he leaves me alone.
Why am I so nervous… come on, Tori. Remember this is what you want to do with your life. Remember the message of the song. Remember you're doing this for Cat.
"Hello, diners! Tonight we have someone new performing for you. Coming all the way from Los Angeles in California, let's hear a round of applause for Tori Vega!" Bev announces. I hear applause, and then the curtain rises as my song starts playing. And…
Once again, I remember why I love performing. It does take me long to find my voice and to get caught up in the performance.
"Yeah do we really even know what matters
when we're stuck inside the same old patterns
You know it's easy to forget that feelin
when the kid in your heart stops dreamin"
I jump down from the stage which is something I never saw Cat do, but it just felt right in the moment. I start singing and interacting with the audience, and they cheer and whoop in response.
"Doesn't matter if you're six or sixty
It doesn't matter if you're rich or thrifty
If the moment feels right, just do it
Who cares if you're lookin' foolish?
Ohh,
You know life's too short to be complicated
Ohh,
Sometimes, sometimes,
Sometimes you gotta just shake,
Shake what your momma gave you"
I jump back on the stage and finish the song to completion and it's met with roaring applause. I feel so… fueled. Splashface is great, but how could I forget the thrill of live performance? The adrenaline of only having one take and an audience to give you immediate feedback? Ahh, that felt good.
I run back to a bunch of applauding staff and I smile shyly as I head into the back room to change into my regular clothes, pretty happy to have my stomach covered again. I walk out of the room and get enveloped into a hug by Bev.
"Hallelujah she has the soul of a performer!" Bev cries and I laugh, embarrassed.
"Thank you." I say, pulling away and brushing my hair back.
"Someone wants to talk to you." She winks, and I stare at her.
"Who?"
"Just come see." Bev demands, and she leads me back into the dining area. She leads me to a table near the stage and a lone man in a business suit is sitting there. He stands up as I approach.
"Tori Vega, right?" He smiles, sticking out his hand. I shake it tentatively.
"Yeah."
"Christopher Walsh." He gives another bright smile. My eyes widen. I had heard the name before… from Vik. Christopher Walsh, also known as Crave in the music world, is one of the top music producers in Canada. And now I'm shaking his hand. Vik would be having a heart attack.
"The Christopher Walsh? As in the Christopher 'Crave' Walsh?' I gasp, and he laughs.
"You don't need to add the 'the', but yes. That's me. It's a pleasure to meet you. I just wanted to tell you that I think you have something special. Nurture it a bit more and you'll go far in this business." He states. I nearly fall over.
"Wh… wow! Thank you so much!" I grin like an idiot.
"Are you signed with anyone right now?" He asks.
"Yeah, Singing Falcon Records." I answer. He scrunches his eyebrows.
"Hmm. Never heard of them. No matter. I want you to know I'll be keeping an eye on you." He says. I just stare at him. Say something, Tori. Anything. Now would be a good time.
"Yeah, I'll keep an eye on you, too!" Tori, you're an idiot. Why do you let words come out of your mouth?
He just laughs and shakes his head. "I hope so." He throws a wad of bills on the table. "Thank you for the wonderful performance." He says, and then walks by me to leave the restaurant. I stand there and catch my breath, and just when I think I've caught it…
"Well?!" I hear from behind me. I turn to see a bouncing giddy redhead who I could've sworn was dying a few hours ago. "Did he like you?"
"Cat!" I exclaim, and then clap my hand over my mouth before leaning close. "What are you doing here? You should be resting!"
Her face falls a bit, and she bites her lip. "Oh… I um… got better?" She says awkwardly. I study her for a minute. No red nose… normal complexion… no scratchy voice… usual energy level… I put my hands on my hips.
"Cat…" I narrow my eyes and she lets out a sigh.
"Okay, I may have… pretended I was sick." She admits. I blink at her.
"Yes… why?" I demand. She chews on her lip.
"Wait, first… what'd he think of your performance?" Cat asks.
"Who?"
"That music producer."
Again, I stare at her. "You knew he'd be here?" I gape incredulously.
"Well, yeah… Sometimes well-known music producers come here to scout out new talent. His people called ahead of time and I was slated to perform but… you know I don't want that life. But you do, so I convinced Bev to give you a shot. She likes you, so she agreed." Cat explains. She… But… she just… she…
"Why'd you fake sick?" I interrogate. She drops her arms with an egregious huff.
"Because, I know you. You would've felt like I deserved to be seen by him. But I could never… But you can! And also, if I told you the real reason I wanted you to cover for me, you might've ran in the other direction." Cat sighs. I open my mouth to argue, but I close it quickly. She's right. She's so right.
"But… you looked and seemed really bad earlier." I say in confusion.
"Yeah… that's why I really didn't want you to come over, but you sounded so convinced. Make-up and left over acting lessons from Hollywood Arts can go a long way. And guilt. You really bent over backwards to make me feel better and I wasn't even sick." She frowns. "I'll give you your cookies and stuff back… although I may keep the bananas…"
"Keep it all." I state. She looks at me with more guilt.
"No, I couldn't. I got them in a lie and-"
"No, Cat, you deserve them. You deserve everything." I say.
"Why?" She questions.
"Because that music producer… the one you tricked me into singing for… thinks I have something special and is going to keep an eye on me." I reveal. She pauses for a moment, processing the information, and then she throws her arms in the air.
"Oh my god! I knew he would! That's amazing!" Cat cheers.
"Why would you do that for me?" I shake my head.
"Hey, it's who you know, right? Now you know someone." She grins.
"Yeah, I do." I nod, and then I wrap her in the tightest hug. "I'm still mad that you tricked me."
"I'll take it." She giggles into my shoulder.
"I still can't believe… the lengths you go for me." I mutter into her hair. She squeezes me tight and nuzzles into my neck.
"Tori," Cat breathes, "I'd do anything for you."
Author's Notes: Ohhh the length. It surprised me. I didn't have much planned beyond "shake music video" and "Cat faking sick", but then inspiration hit me. Like a wrecking ball. Ridden by Miley Cyrus. And then, like... 11, 000 words later, Cat's jealous, Andy's a secret asshole, and Cat and Tori are really starting to discover how much they care for each 'd do anything for each other. JUST ADMIT THAT YOU'RE MEANT TO BE ALREADY. Oh right, I'm the author...
So, I'm not sure if you've noticed, but the chapters are slowly being released further and further apart. This is not because I'm losing interest in writing the story, but because I'm starting to struggle with juggling school and this, which as you can see can be 11, 000 words long. It's a juggle struggle. Just be patient with me... I'll be sure to release everything eventually. If I need to take a short hiatus, I'll let you know through Twitter... but I won't be going on any hiatus until the next chapter. Know why? BECAUSE NEXT CHAPTER WILL MAKE A LOT OF PEOPLE HAPPY! Or angry. I don't know your lives. while you wait for that... let me know what you thought of this one. Yeah!
Fun Fact: "Crave" is not an actual Canadian music producer. I made him up. Sue me! And if you're actually a music producer in Canada named Crave... I guess you can sue me. Please don't sue me.