~Tori~
Sikowitz's class was rarely ever boring. Today was no different. Beck and I played a couple talking over dinner and ending up fighting. Even though I suspected that Jade didn't like the setup she most likely enjoyed our acted out bickering. Granted, the argument was trivial to begin with so if we were really a couple we probably weren't good together if we fought over things like the difference between pastas. We didn't even get to finish because Sikowitz interrupted to announce that the cream he had been working on had successfully turned into butter. We all silently questioned him but it was Jade who questioned him out loud concerning why he even made it. But then he threw it out because he refused to eat dairy. What was the point of making it then? By the looks on everyone's faces they thought the same thing. He then dismissed Beck and I to sit back down.
"All right. For the last few minutes of class let's talk about the one act play I'm directing," he stated, holding a clipboard in his hands. He said it like it would be a cool thing but the class didn't react. I didn't know about everyone else, but I was waiting for him to continue.
"Well?" Andre finally said, disrupting the silence.
"Well, what?" Sikowitz replied, looking to him.
"You wanna talk about the one act play you're directing?" he answered. Sikowitz rolled his eyes.
"All right," he huffed out, making us all frown in confusion. He sounded like he didn't care for it now.
"First of all, I want to thank you all for auditioning. The two lead roles will be played by…" he began, withholding the rest so that we could drum roll with our feet as soon as he signaled to us. Cat squeaked in excitement.
"Andre and Robbie!" Sikowitz said, pointing at each of them.
"Cool," Andre said.
"Hot beef!" Robbie exclaimed happily.
"Aw, would anyone else like to be my guardian?" Rex spoke up. Robbie looked at him incredulously.
"Did any of the rest of us get parts?" Cat asked.
"Aww, is a certain little redhead hoping she got a role in teacher's play?" Sikowitz questioned, moving to sit in front of Cat on the step of the stage.
"She is!" Cat confirmed with a giggle.
"Well, she didn't," he deadpanned, causing Cat to stop.
"But, I do need some help with the backstage crew," he said, getting back up to take center stage.
"Jade, Cat, I want you girls on lighting," he assigned.
"Lighting?" Jade repeated questioningly.
"Yes, you pronounced it perfectly," Sikowitz responded. When I glanced back I could see the agitation on Jade's face from where I sat. It was subtle but it was there.
"Tori, I want you to work on Sinjin's team on special effects," he carried on.
"Ok, but I know nothing about special effects," I confessed.
"We'll teach you," Sinjin spoke up from behind me in that creepy tone he was known for. I turned in my seat to look at him but also made note of the strange way he and his team looked at me. I was a bit concerned and uncomfortable.
"Lookin' forward to it," I forced out, turning back around. Not really. No, I wasn't. The unique bell went off and we all filed out for lunch. Andre, Robbie, Cat, and I decided to hang out in the parking lot instead of at the table this time. Beck had offered the bed of his truck so we climbed up and sat along the sides while Jade dragged him off somewhere else.
"Hey, cheekbones," Rex called to me while I opened up my lunch.
"Yes Rex?" I sighed.
"Ya gonna eat that taquito?" he questioned.
"I sure am," I answered, going to take a bite.
"Come on, gimme one bite," Rex continued. My teeth barely touched it when I stopped to refuse.
"No!" I told him.
"Can I smell it?" he begged next, leaning closer.
"Robbie!" I exclaimed, looking to him. He pulled Rex back.
"Stop!" Robbie scolded him.
"Gimme a bath," Rex demanded. Robbie hesitated.
"Later," he whispered. I shook my head at him and went back to eating. Rex groaned sadly.
"So, I heard you went out with Jessica Wolf last night," Cat said, looking to Robbie. Andre and I looked to him to explain.
"Oh yes, I did," he confirmed with a smug grin. Trina strutted by at that moment to greet us and walked on. She seemed in a good mood. My phone went off and I pulled it out of my pocket to see that it was a notification.
"So your date with Jessica," Andre said, continuing the topic.
"Awesome," Robbie responded.
"Uh, not according to her last update on The Slap," I told him, looking at said update. Cat looked over my shoulder.
"What'd she write?" Robbie asked, cautious.
"It's kinda mean," I warned him.
"Read it!" Andre encouraged, interested. Cat took out the lollipop she had been eating to giggle at what was to come.
"'Last night: Worst date ever'," I read, glancing at Robbie apologetically.
"Uh, well, um, maybe she went out with some other guy after she went out with me and then she wrote that about the other guy?" he reasoned. I shook my head and returned my eyes to the screen.
"'Dude brought a puppet'," I continued to read.
"A puppet?!" Rex shouted, offended.
"Aw, she was talking about me," Robbie bemoaned.
"I'm sorry," I said while putting away my phone.
"Aw, who cares? You don't need to be hooking up with scrunge like that," Rex told him. Trina passed by again with a toss of her hair, walking like she was on a runway. She then pivoted and came back to explain that she was wearing some designer jeans I didn't really care for.
"These are real Felony jeans. The realio dealio," she said with a point at them.
"Realio dealio?" Robbie questioned her, unimpressed. She really shouldn't say that anymore if even Robbie thought it was ridiculous.
"I think that's Spanish for 'real deal'," Cat piped up. Oh boy.
"And what's Spanish for 'dizzy redhead'?" Rex commented.
"Aren't Felony Jeans, like, super expensive?" I asked my sister.
"Yes. Oh, uh, do me a flavor and put this credit card back in mom's purse," she said, pulling out the card to hand to me. So that's how she got them. Hey, she promised she wouldn't do that again! I frowned at her.
"Why do I have to put it back in mom's-" I began to say, but I stopped when Andre groaned and Trina pointed to him. I turned around to see what the problem was. Was he going cross-eyed?
"What are you doing?" I asked him.
"I'm trying to make myself cry," he answered.
"Looks like you're about to puke," Rex remarked.
"Want me to jerk a knot in your tail?" Andre retorted.
"Oh my god," Rex muttered, turning away.
"Why are you trying to make yourself cry?" I asked him.
"For the play I'm supposed to cry in the last scene. Sikowitz says a real actor has to cry real tears," he explained.
"So?" Cat said, like it wasn't a big deal.
"You're a great actor," I reassured him.
"Just cry real tears," Cat added. I nodded.
"You know how hard it is to make real tears come out?" he inquired. I exchanged a look with Cat.
"I mean, I could cry and make it look real and sound real but I don't see how an actor could just automatically make actual tears come out whenever. I mean, it's like…" he explained, stopping when he saw Trina, Cat, and I prove him wrong.
"Well, y'all are girls. It's easier for girls to cry," Andre reasoned. A sniff from Robbie and he was crying too, much to Andre's bewilderment.
"Sometimes, I have trouble not crying," Robbie said, voice wavering. The three of us wiped away the tears and I shrugged when Andre looked to me. Some people just had it while others did not.
Just made myself cry. Fun!
Now time to work on a play-
SPECIAL EFFECTS.
Feeling: Intrigued
Sikowitz ran around getting people in place and directing them on what needed to be done while I waited for Sinjin and his crew to tell me what I had to do. I literally had no idea. Hopefully he showed up soon. I didn't like feeling useless.
~Jade~
Sikowitz was a great teacher. Crazy, but great. He was also the only authority figure I would allow to taunt or make fun of me without the need to fight back. Sure, it was annoying, but I admired him too much to do anything about it. He knew it, I knew it, so moving on. At lunch I wanted to spend some time with Beck. We hadn't really had time or I didn't want to, but this time I did. It was nice to just sit and talk without any conflict for once. Neither of us brought up anything that would upset the other. He only asked why I stole his keys the night Tori, Cat, and I got back at those chicks from Karaoke Dokie. He told me I could have just asked and he would let me have them. I told him I highly doubted it, because who would want to willingly be stuck with Trina? I had to make sure they would stay put. Of course, he wasn't mad at me. Despite being stranded, he was actually happy that I spent some time with Vega and told me so during the brief moment we were able to talk when I gave him back his keys. By the time we had to work on the play I was in a relatively good mood. That is, until Cat got on my nerves. I was working on one of the lights to make sure it was secure, reaching up to adjust it then tighten it in place with a wrench. Next to me, Cat giggled while looking over the railing of the catwalk we were standing on.
"I love that they call this a catwalk," she said, turning to me. I stepped back from the light to look at her. She was supposed to be helping me but she was already distracted. Great.
"Cause my name is Cat, and look, I'm walking!" she exclaimed, displaying the action with exaggerated dancing thrown in.
"Walkin' on the catwalk," she said, turning at the end to come back in the same way. I stood there unamused and wanting to return to the task at hand. Luckily I knew just what to say to send her away without actually having to say it.
"If someone was pushed off this catwalk, and they landed on the floor really hard, do you think they'd live?" I questioned her, watching as she glanced over the railing again before fear etched into her expression.
"Why are you asking that?" she replied, skittish.
"No reason," I stated, keeping my face and voice blank. The worry in her eyes was just what I wanted to see. I spooked her alright. She gasped and ran for the door that led to the bottom, no doubt to get to safety. I smirked then got back to work. I happened to glance over the railing to see Sinjin and his nerd crew approaching Vega. I leaned on the railing and listened as Sinjin welcomed her then passed her a special effects shirt with a huge stain on it. She questioned him about it but he couldn't remember what it was. The disgust and incredulity in her features made me chuckle. I hated when he creeped me out, but when he turned it on Vega it was amusing. She tried so hard not to retaliate rudely but we both knew that was hard to do. Sinjin and his crew walked away, leaving Tori there with the shirt in hand. That was when Beck finally returned with the high powered jet fan he had been tasked to bring. Right on time.
"It has arrived!" he announced, pushing it in.
"Yeah, there she is!" Andre said while walking over. Vega made her way closer too.
"Cool, what's that?" she asked.
"This is a Turblow Jet," Beck answered her.
"To create the tornado for the play," Andre explained.
"Ooh, it blows?" she questioned.
"It blows," Andre confirmed with certainty. Yeah it does. Like that one time when a newbie special effects member used it and knocked down a whole set. The result was chaotic but so fun to watch. Good times. I wondered if Vega would make the same mistake. Andre and Beck turned the confirmation into a little song then Andre asked Beck to power it up.
"We'll start on…medium," he said, flipping a switch. It turned on and instantly knocked Sinjin down where he stood directly in front of it. Andre and Vega jumped in shock but Beck was as calm as ever as he powered it down.
"Sorry Sinj," he called to him.
"It happens," Sinjin replied, pushing himself up. See, he was fine.
"Wow, this thing's powerful," Vega commented.
"Yep, and it doesn't just blow," Andre told her.
"You flick that little red guy into reverse…" Beck began.
"It sucks," Andre finished.
"Show her," Beck told him.
"All right," Andre agreed, reaching over to turn it back on.
"Now come here!" he yelled over the roaring of the jet fan. He moved to stand in front of it while Vega watched from the side. He released one of the papers he held and it instantly got sucked into it.
"Whoa! That's insane!" Vega exclaimed. Andre chuckled. Suddenly, a mischievous smile pulled at her lips. I leaned forward, interested in what she planned to do. She stepped in front of it and held up the shirt Sinjin gave her. She let it go and it was yanked into the jet fan just as easily as the paper.
"Now that, is some serious suckage," she concluded. Hm, and she keeps on surprising me.
"I wanna play with it!" she requested, bouncing over to stand by Beck. I rolled my eyes and held back a smile at her excitement then turned away with a shake of my head. That's enough distractions from Vega. I had my own things to get done.
~Tori~
This thing was amazing! I couldn't wait to try it. Maybe being on the special effects crew wouldn't be too bad. I walked over to stand by Beck and get a look at the controls, fixing my hair as I went. He walked me through the basics and I listened carefully. This was my first time with a role like this and I wanted to do it right.
Ahhh! Play starts in 20 minutes!
I'm in charge of the
TURBLOW JET!
Feeling: Pumped
It was finally the big day after much rehearsing and practice with the Turblow Jet. I was ready. I had just given the signal to one of the crew up on the catwalk to raise the curtain a little higher then gestured that it was secure and in place properly when Sikowitz came striding out from backstage to get everyone's attention.
"Ok everyone, we have twenty minutes before our play begins! Where's my coconut milk?" he said, stopping to drink from said beverage. Beck glanced over from where he was by the Turblow Jet.
"You're drinking it," he told our teacher.
"So am I," Sikowitz said, striding away. He was so strange. I began toward my position when I heard Jade.
"Cat, don't turn on twenty one," she yelled up to her on the catwalk from where she stood on a ladder, fixing some wiring for the lights.
"Don't, what?" Cat responded.
"Turn on twenty one," Jade repeated. Uh oh. I glanced from Jade to Cat with worry.
"Twenty one on!" Cat announced.
"No-" Jade began, but her words cut off when a jolt of electricity paralyzed her. Cat was quick to shut it off and Jade gasped. I ran over, concerned.
"Cat, you just shocked me!" Jade yelled, releasing the wires to brace herself on the ladder. I was surprised she didn't topple off.
"I'm sorry," Cat whined in response. Jade shook her head and carefully made her way down. On the last step she stumbled but I was there to keep her from falling over. She tensed when my hands made contact with her. I quickly removed them and held them behind my back.
"Aren't you supposed to be over there?" she questioned, nodding towards Beck and the Turblow Jet. I nodded.
"Yeah, but I was making sure you were ok," I replied, fidgeting a little.
"I'm fine," she replied, terse with her arms crossed. I lifted a hand, hesitant, but ultimately set it on her arm.
"You sure? That was dangerous and you could've gotten hurt-" I tried to say, but she pushed away my hand and cut me off.
"I said I'm fine. Hurry up and get in place," she commanded. I couldn't hide the slight hurt when I nodded and turned away, but I was pulled back around when she grabbed at my arm. I looked back at her determinedly straight face. By the way her eyebrows relaxed from their hard slant downward and her eyes softened I knew she was grateful for my concern. As always, she didn't say it, but I felt it. I nodded and she let me go. I rushed to help Beck position the jet fan. We were starting to roll it into place when Robbie showed up.
"Hey, Tori," he addressed me. I faced him.
"Why aren't you in costume?" I questioned.
"I'm going to get changed. Will you watch Rex for me?" he asked. Really?
"Why can't you just take Rex with you?" I inquired.
"'Cause I don't like to change in front of him. He…makes jokes," he explained uncomfortably, looking to Rex who looked back at him. He looked to me pleadingly. I sighed.
"Heh heh, yeah I do," Rex agreed.
"Hush!" he demanded.
"Will you just keep an eye on him for me?" he continued, moving to place the puppet on a nearby wheelbarrow carrying a cotton prop. He arranged him so that he was sitting then walked away.
"Sure," I agreed with another sigh, even though he was already gone. I glanced at Rex sitting there silent for once but snapped to attention when Sikowitz returned.
"All right adolescents! Let's do some quick checks," he stated, stopping to stand at the front of the set.
"Crew, positions!" he ordered, gesturing to everyone on the catwalk.
"Sunshine," he requested, getting a bright light that warmed the farm setting.
"Love it! Chirping birds," he said next. Loudly crowing roosters was the response. What was Sinjin doing up there?
"No, not a cock fight. Peaceful birds," Sikowitz corrected. This time he got what he asked for.
"Charming. Thunderstorm," he said, moving on with a jump towards the set just as lights flashed, courtesy of Jade.
"Exellent! Lights up!" he shouted. She restored the soft lighting it had before.
"Next, um, Tori! Let's see the tornado," he said, pointing to me.
"Full on?" I questioned.
"Full on. Blow me away," he joked. He didn't get any laughs.
"Just turn it on," he grumbled.
"Here we go," I said with a smile, getting it started. It was on for a few seconds when Beck jumped up from his seat on the floor.
"You have it on reverse!" he warned me. I glanced ahead to see the props made to look like stalks of corn bend towards the jet fan. Jade and Cat rushed me to turn it off from above.
"I know! I know!" I yelled, too frazzled to remember how to do it. Rex tilted ominously and then flew into the jet fan with a loud crack. It squealed as it grinded up the puppet and I screamed in shock. Sikowitz came running over.
"Turn it off!" he ordered. Finally, I got it to shut down, but it was too late.
"Oh my god," I whispered, frozen in horror. What did I do? Everyone stood around, just as shocked as I was. Just then, Robbie came out from getting dressed.
"This shirt's a little big but, uh, it looks pretty good," he remarked, adjusting it before stopping to stand in front of the Turblow Jet. Beck walked up to lean on the side of it, body stiff and brows drawn down despite trying to look casual. My heart sank just knowing what would come next. Beck slowly moved to cover the open side of the jet fan, attempting to spare Robbie from what was inside, but he paused and looked to where he had left his companion.
"Where's Rex?" he questioned. I cringed and then looked to the Turblow Jet. The anxiety was going to kill me.
"I, uh…" I tried to say.
"What? Where is he?" Robbie questioned me.
"I accidentally…" I forced out, biting at my nails nervously. Robbie didn't react at first, but then he ran forward. I cried out and backed away but Sikowitz, Jade, and Cat held him back as he shouted and tried to get to Rex. They tried calming him while I rushed around the jet fan to pull Rex out. My jaw dropped at his condition. His face was cracked, an eye and an ear missing. His clothes were shredded. Robbie broke free and ran over, screaming when he laid eyes on him.
"No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no" he denied, taking Rex from me.
"What did you do?!" he demanded, voice hoarse.
"I…I j-just…um…" I stuttered, shifting from one foot to the other.
"Rex! Can you hear me?" he shouted, shaking him. Rex groaned in pain.
"Is that you, Rob?" he responded weakly. He coughed.
"Robbie's here. It's ok," he told the puppet.
"I…I'm busted up pretty bad," Rex gasped.
"I-I gotta get him to the hospital," Robbie said, seconds from bolting. Sikowitz addressed him with a hand on his shoulder.
"Robbie," he began calmly.
"I've got to!" Robbie yelled.
"Robbie! You're starring in this play. The audience is outside, waiting to come in. It's your job to entertain them. No matter what," Sikowitz reminded him. He patted his shoulders and then nodded.
"I feel cold," Rex groaned.
"Somebody's gotta take Rex to the hospital," he pleaded, turning to look at us.
"I'll take him!" I volunteered, needing to make it up to him. Yes, he was just a puppet, but he meant a lot to Robbie. I owed it to him.
"I'll drive," Beck suggested.
"I'll go too," Cat quickly added. A glance at Jade showed that she wasn't the least bit worried about the situation and was questioning us instead.
"Ok, does anyone else think this is bizarre? Come on, it can't just be me," she inquired with a wave of her hands which then rested on her hips. I had seen her concerned frown and she had warned me to shut off the jet fan too. She saw what was going to happen, like the others, and tried to stop it from happening. She cared to a certain extent. Maybe not as far as taking Rex to a hospital, but as far as Robbie's reaction concerning the accident. I would have been intrigued by that if I didn't feel so bad at the moment. So instead I shot her a reprimanding look that she rolled her eyes at and looked away.
"Alright, alright. Show time!" Andre stated with a clap of his hands while sauntering over. He stopped to look around at the scene before him.
"What'd I miss?" he asked, glancing at everyone who remained silent.
"Tori tried to murder Rex," Sinjin supplied. I glared at him.
"Sinjin!" I yelled, incredulous. I sighed and then opened my arms.
"Let me have him," I directed at Robbie.
"No," he refused, moving him out of my reach.
"We'll take him to the hospital," Cat assured him.
"Ok," Robbie agreed. I stepped forward to take Rex carefully.
"I got him," I said.
"Take care of him," Robbie whimpered.
"I promise," I told him, meaning it. Robbie leaned over and kissed Rex on the forehead. It was weird, but at the same time, it made me sorrier for having done this to him. I glanced at Beck and gestured to the exit with a tilt of my head. He nodded and followed me out.
~Jade~
Leave it to Vega to fudge something up once again. Did she have bad luck or something? Seriously. Anyway, the puppet was totaled and Robbie was crying now. I still thought the whole thing was bizarre and the dramatics were unneeded, but this was Robbie, and as much as I felt that having Rex in the first place was weird, I couldn't deny how real he thought he was. To him, Rex was a person who was injured and needed to go to the hospital. It was too strange to miss out on. With nothing but Robbie's sobs filling the silence I decided that I wasn't going to stick around either.
"Well I'm not missing this," I stated, throwing up my hands and then striding out. I easily caught up to them with my quick strides just as they reached the main hall.
"Hey. Whoa, whoa, whoa, wait up," I ordered, grabbing at Beck who was trailing behind Vega and Cat. They all stopped and turned to me.
"What?" Vega questioned, already exasperated. I hadn't even said anything yet. I was pretty good at agitating her. That, or she automatically assumed that I wouldn't be of any help. That was a possibility too.
"Where are you all going?" I questioned them with a disapproving shake of my head.
"To the hospital," Cat answered, sincere. Of course.
"Cat," Vega said carefully, looking at her. Well, at least Vega hadn't been serious. I was beginning to think she was actually going to do it.
"We're not really going to a hospital," Beck explained. Cat looked shocked.
"It's a puppet," he continued, driving the point home by turning away and buying himself a drink from the vendor behind us. I pulled out a strip of gum and slid it in my mouth.
"Not to Robbie," Cat mentioned, turning to brush at Rex's hair. That's when I had the epiphany.
"You know what? Maybe we should take Rex to the hospital," I agreed. Vega's eyebrows creased.
"Why?" she inquired.
"So he can die there," I clarified for her. Vega's expression was back to concerned and Cat's mouth fell open with offense.
"Jade," she lightly reprimanded.
"It's not good for a sixteen year old guy to go through life with his hand shoved up a-that," I retorted with a gesture at it, trying to show some concern. It would help my reasoning and at least get Vega on board. She thought about it then nodded.
"Maybe this happened for a reason," I continued, toying with the gum wrapper while I awaited Vega's response to my suggestion.
"But if Rex dies, Robbie's going to-" she tried to say, but I quickly talked over her.
"Get over it and become a normal person? Yeah, that'd be tragic," I responded dryly.
"She's got a point," Beck agreed. I knew he would see reason.
"I used to think my uncle Jesse was a normal person, but then, I found out that every Sunday he soaks his feet in chicken fat," Cat shared. We all exchanged looks, still unable to properly react to her idiosyncratic anecdotes. Silence fell between us.
"Let's take Rex to the hospital," Vega decided with a nod, looking to me then beginning the walk to the exit. The three of us followed right behind her. Finally. We took Beck's truck. I sat next to him on the bench seat while Cat and Vega were squished in the back. Getting to the hospital wasn't hard, but explaining what we had planned to a professional doctor, was. With a little more determination, and some not so subtle pushing from me, we got him to consider it.
"But he's a puppet," the doctor said, stopping. He looked down at the clipboard he held, unwilling to turn away from actual work. I didn't blame him.
"Yeah, we know he's a puppet," Beck said with a nod.
"Look, we just want you to hook him up to one of those beepy machines, and when our friend Robbie gets here, pretend he dies," Vega said, going over the plan. The doctor looked up at her.
"You want me to pretend this puppet dies?" he questioned seriously. Vega nodded.
"Is there any good reason why a grown man would soak his feet in chicken fat?" Cat randomly asked.
"Chicken fat?" the doctor repeated, turning to her. I could see that Vega didn't want to fall off topic because she rolled her eyes and sighed. She was getting a little agitated. Come to think of it, so was I.
"Why don't you go make friends with the nice lady at the desk?" I suggested, using the tone of voice I reserved just for Cat. She became excited and hopped in place.
"Kay kay!" she responded happily. I pushed her along and she ran over to talk the poor unsuspecting woman's ear off.
"So, will you do it?" Beck began, getting back to what we came to do.
"Look, I'm a doctor, this is a hospital. I can't justify pretending a puppet died-" he began while attempting to walk away, but Beck interrupted him and he stopped again.
"Come on, doc," he said while walking over, his tone of voice cool and collected in that way that could make most listen. Well, most everyone besides Vega and I. Weird that we had that in common.
"Just do it," I demanded, impatient as I walked over to stand right next to Vega who had followed the closest to the doctor.
"Please," she begged, the most patient out of the three of us. The doctor sighed and placed the clipboard under his arm.
"Will you do something for me?" he responded. She looked hesitant and glanced back to exchange a look with us. What the heck did he mean?
"What?" Vega questioned him.
"I have a sixteen year old son. His name is Lendell, and he's, um, well…he's a loser. Would you go out on a date with him?" he propositioned. That wasn't so bad. Vega might as well just say yes and get all this over with.
"How much of a loser?" she inquired, tone straightforward and steady. I raised a brow at that but remained quiet. The doctor pulled out his wallet and showed Vega a picture. I glanced at it over her shoulder, leaning a bit too close, but she didn't seem to notice because she was taken aback by the guy in the picture. He was a piece of work all right.
"Oh, my god," she commented.
"Yeah," the doctor accepted. She looked like she was going to back out.
"Look, I-" she began, but I jumped in before she could ruin anything again.
"Tori would love to go out with Lendell," I stated. Vega shot me a look.
"Really?" he replied, eyes leaving me to train on Vega again, testing my statement. She better agree. She sucked in a breath before speaking.
"One hour. And it has to be a dark restaurant," she negotiated. Nice job taking one for the team Vega. I smirked at her distaste.
"Done. Bring the puppet," he finally agreed. I coached my features into a blank mask when she glanced at me then we were following him down the hall. This time, I had to give her some credit. I would have already walked away if I was her.
~Tori~
It didn't take very long to set up Rex's room and dress him up to look the part. Once he was in place, all we had to do was wait for Robbie to finish with the play. He asked which hospital we took Rex to so that when the play was done he would be right over. Poor Robbie. I felt so bad. But this was what was best for him. Right?
At the hospital with a sick friend.
Well, not really a "friend"…
More like a…uh, nevermind.
Feeling: Conflicted
I stood by the doctor and admired the work they put into stitching and bandaging Rex. He actually looked like a patient in a hospital.
"Wow, that looks so real," I commented.
"So when this Robbie kid gets here…" he began.
"Just say that Rex isn't doing well. Let him say good bye, and then beep, dead Rex," Beck explained, drawing out the sound of the line going flat, his hands providing more of a display.
"Why can't my son be handsome like you?" the doctor inquired. Both Jade and I glanced at him. Beck only shrugged.
"Uh, hey, what's this?" Jade wondered, picking up a jar from the bedside table. It was filled with a clear liquid and something was floating inside.
"Oh, that's just a fatty lump I removed from a cab driver's back," the doctor answered, taking it from her. Ew. A look of fascination dawned on Jade's face.
"Can I have it?" she asked. Beck made a face and so did I. Even the doctor didn't quite know what to say. Of course she would take an interest in these kinds of things.
"What school do you kids go to?" he questioned. Jade's gaze was adamantly fastened on the jar while Beck and I just looked down. The doctor shook his head then passed Jade the jar. She took it with a satisfied smile, holding it up at eye level.
"I have to see another patient. I'll be back in twenty minutes," the doctor told us, leaving soon after.
"Why would you want-" Beck said while turning to Jade with a tap on her arm.
"I like to look at it," she answered swiftly. They began to talk about the contents of the jar. My phone chimed and I took it out of my purse to see it was a text.
"Who texted?" Beck inquired.
"Andre. They have one more scene left in the play and then he's going to bring Robbie here," I answered while reading the text.
"Good. One hour from now, you dead," Jade stated, turning from me to look at Rex. Beck smirked in slight amusement. I glanced around.
"Hey, where's Cat?" I wondered. Hopefully she didn't get herself into trouble. Great, now I had more to worry about.
At Hospital. Waiting.
Nervous. Grrrr.
Feeling: Guilty
~Jade~
It was a long, long hour but we waited. I kept myself occupied by swishing around the fatty lump in the jar. It was entertaining enough I guess. Eventually I took a seat by Rex with my hand on his to play out our plan. Robbie would probably be here soon. Vega came running in.
"Andre and Robbie are coming," she announced. See. I swished the lump around the jar again, taking my time to answer.
"Good," I responded, my eyes never leaving it.
"Found him," Beck said, guiding the doctor in by the shoulder. He left to find him some time ago.
"I was trying to stop that man from choking," the doctor said to Beck.
"Yeah, this is really important," he insisted, clapping the doctor on the shoulder.
"You got your machine set for Rex to die?" I questioned, making sure. He walked over to toggle with it.
"Yeah. It'll flat line in exactly fifteen minutes," he said. I nodded. Good enough.
"Shh, everyone get ready! Get ready!" Vega said, pulling her head in from outside the curtain to take her place. We all arranged ourselves where we needed to be just as Robbie burst in. Geez, the doctor could try just a tad harder to make it believable, not stand around with an expression like that. He looked like a mix of bored and exasperated. If Robbie wasn't so oblivious it would have been obvious. When he came in he let out a sound of despair and worry.
"Rex," he cried, shambling over to take Rex by the hand. Vega stood next to him, her sad expression genuine.
"Is he gonna be ok?" Robbie asked, looking to the doctor with hope.
"I'm…I'm afraid his injuries are very serious," he managed. Better. Vega nodded along.
"They don't think he's gonna make it," Beck added with a shake of his head.
"What in the name of Nancy is going on here?" Andre demanded, completely lost. I gestured for him to be quiet and Beck did the same.
"I'll leave you and Rex alone so you can…say your good-byes," the doctor said with a wave of his hand. He turned and left while Robbie cried harder. Vega, Andre, and Beck all patted him on the back then filed out. I offered a solitary wave and went with them. I had just stepped outside the curtain when Robbie called Vega back. She didn't want to but Robbie pointed out that she was the cause so she gave in. She could have walked out anyway, but she didn't. Andre and Beck already wandered off to the waiting room but I stayed close by so that I could listen in, because of course, Vega complied with Robbie's plea for her to stay with him. I wanted to demean her for it, because in all honesty, the guy was crying over a puppet.
But because it meant something to Robbie, and she understood that, I admired her for being a good friend. God, I was going soft. I had to give her props for staying with Robbie the whole fifteen minutes. I had left to sit with Andre and Beck for a while then wandered back when it was getting close to the time being up. Yep, and he was still bawling. He started recounting memories and Vega joined in apologizing. She prepared to leave but Robbie stopped her again so that she could sing Rex's favorite song with him. He even had the gall to correct her singing before starting again. I shook my head. By the end of the chorus the machine flat lined. The doctor showed up on time and the guys came over when they saw him. We all entered behind him and watched as he covered Rex. Robbie collapsed against him.
"I'm sorry. Uh, come, there's a quiet room where you can sit with your friends," the doctor told him in a robotic tone, prying Robbie off him so that he was standing. I smiled and was right behind the guys when I stopped, looking back to see that Vega was staring at the bed, biting her lip in thought. I brushed the curtain aside to stomp over to her.
"Vega, don't you dare," I threatened.
"But Jade, he's so heartbroken," she pleaded.
"I don't care. You are not to do anything. He's dead, all right? So let's just get out of here," I told her, grabbing her by the arm to steer her out. She pulled away from me and stood her ground.
"Robbie loves Rex and cares about him like a brother. Just because he's a puppet to us doesn't mean that's all he is to Robbie. He's actually dead and we chose that for him," she stated.
"If you want to put it that way then, technically, you killed him," I remarked, crossing my arms. She stomped her foot like a child.
"That's not the point! Look, it doesn't matter what you say because I'm bringing him back. It'll be a miracle and Robbie will be happy," she concluded, stomping over to the machine. I yanked her back by the arm and she spun around to stand almost on top of me due to the force I used to pull on her. We both froze for a second before I sneered.
"We decided to let him die, to play along with Robbie and allow him to move on without that thing. He doesn't need it anyway," I argued.
"You don't know that. He has him for a reason, and maybe, it's normal for Robbie to have him around, because without him I know Robbie won't be normal. He'll be broken," she said, conviction in her tone. I grunted my disagreement and looked away.
"You still owe me, Vega," I reminded her.
"What?" she inquired.
"I won our little ping-pong match so you owe me. I'm cashing it in now. You're going to leave that puppet dead, we are going to walk out of here, and then we'll all move on; Robbie included," I commanded, unyielding. When she only stood there with a frown I turned on my heel to leave.
"It isn't right. No matter how weird it is, it isn't right to kill him off. Robbie should choose when to leave Rex behind. Not us," she continued to refuse.
"Tori," I addressed her, making sure that she knew I was serious. She held her head high even when I doubled back to advance on her. Before I could say anything she began talking again.
"I know, I owe you, but this isn't what you should use it on. Let me do this and you can ask anything of me later. I promise," she bargained. She was honest and looked me in the eye when she said it so I nodded.
"Fine. I'll let the puppet live," I grumbled. She cheered, all trace of seriousness gone, then grabbed me in a hug before I could stop her. Her lips pressed to my cheek then she darted over to mess with the machine. I stood there frozen to the spot, my mind unable to catch up with the fact that she just kissed me on the cheek. I fought to keep down the rising blush while she ran out to get Robbie and tell him the good news. I touched my cheek, still having trouble registering what happened, when everyone came running back in. I stepped away to stand at the back, giving Vega and Robbie room at Rex's side.
"What happened?" Robbie asked, leaning over Rex.
"I dunno. It started beeping again," Vega replied.
"What? He's alive?!" Robbie exclaimed excitedly. Dang it, Vega. I scowled at her, unhappy again.
"Yeah, I think I even heard him say something." she encouraged, rubbing at Robbie's shoulder. The rest of us watched on in a mix of confusion and disbelief.
"Rex! Rex, can you hear me? Speak to me buddy!" Robbie called to him desperately. Rex began singing as a reply and we all tilted our heads back in irritation. When I cash in that debt, Vega is so gonna get it. A big smile spread across her face, and for a second, our eyes met. She looked truly happy, like she knew she did the right thing. I looked away, having a hard time disagreeing with her. Having Rex around couldn't be worse than it was already. It was manageable; especially so now that I would make Vega's debt to me a good one. So good in fact, that it'll make up for this little stunt she pulled.
~Tori~
I felt so accomplished for defying Jade and changing my mind at the last minute. This was the right thing to do. When Robbie was ready to leave Rex behind, he would, and in his own time. It wasn't up to us to make that decision for him, no matter how annoying he was. Rex finished the last of the song and Robbie bent over to hug him.
"Rex, it's a miracle!" he shouted, ecstatic. Andre, Beck, and Jade all gave a half-hearted cheer, not meaning it at all. Why even bother then?
"You still have to go on a date with my son," the doctor reminded me. I frowned and groaned, but then I had an idea.
"Wait, does it have to be me?" I asked him.
"You promised," he stated.
"But I know another girl for Lentil," I responded.
"Lendell," he corrected.
"Lendell," I repeated with a nod. He looked at me skeptically, but I got him covered. I made sure to get the guy's number then left with my friends after clearing the mix-up with Cat, which involved a call from her parents to prove her sanity. Or what passed as sanity for Cat. I couldn't believe they thought she was insane. Well, I kinda could, but mostly couldn't. The whole way home Jade and Beck didn't say a thing but Cat babbled about her time spent in the mental ward as well as how happy she was that Rex would be okay. The others could give me the cold shoulder, but it didn't matter. The first thing I did when I got home was to give Trina Lendell's number and told her he was a hot guitar player. She jumped on dating him in seconds flat after that. The night she went out on the date with him she called to complain that he was a loser and that she was going to get back at me. What else was new? Now I had Jade and Trina after me, but that's okay, because I've never seen Robbie happier. How he fixed Rex I would never know, and I don't care. Maybe, the only plus side to all this was the look on Jade's face when I pecked her on the cheek. I think I might have made her blush. That was a feat all on its own, and probably yet another thing between us that we would never speak of again. That was fine with me, because not speaking about it didn't mean that it didn't happen.