She rushed straight to the Vega's house after school, bursting in the front door into a loud celebration going on in the living room. Tori, Trina, their parents and Andre were all talking excitedly and loudly over each other not even having noticed Rosemary bursting in.

"What is going on?" she tried to ask but even she could hardly hear herself over the noise which was actually 70% Trina who, now that she looked closer, had a ridiculously swollen tongue and was just making unintelligible noise. Not that it was much different to what Rosemary usually heard coming out of Trina's mouth.

"HEY!" She shouted over everyone, making them stop and turn to her, "What the hell is going on?"

"Rose! OhmygodRoseyou'llneverguesswhathappenedIcan'tbelieveit-"

Rosemary grabbed Tori's shoulders and shook her to stop her, "Enunciate, woman."

"Trina used some weird Chinese herb gurgle which made her tongue swell so she couldn't sing so Andre forced me onto the stage and I sung instead and then the Principal of Hollywood Arts offered me a spot at Hollywood Arts so I'm going to Hollywood Arts!" she rushed out, still just barely understandable but Rose managed to get it this time.

Her mouth dropped in surprise. She tried to force out some words but found she couldn't find anything to say, she was amazed and happy for Tori but this meant she would be leaving her and making her go to school without her where she had no other real friends.

"Say something!" Tori begged.

She finally managed to find her voice, "Oh my god Tori… that's amazing!" she hugged her.

Tori pulled out of the hug with a smug smirk making Rose tense in suspicion, "What?"

"Wellll… I also got the principal to agree to audition you!"

"…what?"

"I know you said you didn't want to but that was before I was going, and you can't leave me on my own there!" Tori folded her hands together and pulled her puppy dog eyes look.

She didn't know what to say to that, she sure as hell didn't want to go to school without Tori but… "The kids who go to Hollywood Arts are all-" she cut herself off with a look at Trina and rethought her words, "-almost all incredibly talented. I doubt I could-"

This time it was Tori who cut her off, "Stop! You are crazy talented! Just please at least set up an audition with the principal, I have his email for you, you'll smash it and we'll have the best time ever at Hollywood Arts together! Pleeeasssee Rosie!"

"Don't call me Rosie." She deadpanned immediately, then took a deep calming breath.

"Alright fine I suppose it couldn't hurt, but if I do get in then you and your parents will need to help me convince my parents to let me go and for them to pay the tuition for the school because they are not going to be happy about this."

Tori winced, "That'll be fun but fine, you've got a deal."

They shook hands and nodded at each other with faux serious expressions.

Tori's parents had rushed doing her transfer and Hollywood Arts principal was super helpful because he was happy to have Tori at his school so by the start of Monday Tori was all ready to start Hollywood Arts and Rose was still at their old school. Rosemary's audition was scheduled for that Tuesday and she had even managed, with help from Hollywood Arts, to get permission from her school's principal to get the Tuesday off school to attend the audition, and all without involving her parents.

Her Monday dragged on forever with no Tori to entertain her and with her English teacher giving her knowing and smug looks which she tried to ignore.

She had just got in her car at the end of the school day when a text from Tori came in.

Tori

Come straight to my house when you get out of school. I need to talk to you.

'Well, That's ominous.' Rosemary thought, worried.

She rushed over to Tori's house, walking in without bothering to knock as usual. Tori was pacing back and forth in her living room with ratty hair and stained clothes.

"Uhh Tori, you've got a little something… everywhere."

"Rose! Hollywood Arts is so weird!"

"I'm sorry were you expecting a school for the Arts in Hollywood to be normal?"

"Well… kinda." Tori pouted.

"What's got you all twisted up and stained anyway?"

"A girl in class made me pretend to be a dog with fleas and then dumped coffee over my head."

"…I don't even know where to begin with that."

"I don't want to go back." Tori whined.

"Yeah that's not an option anymore."

"Huh?"

"You've got me involved in this now, there is no going back. You've already transferred, I've got my audition tomorrow and even if I didn't go my parents are still going to find out about it and if I have to deal with that then I'm getting something out of it, like going to a school where I'll get to write stories and plays and have fun with my best friend. So explain this dog and coffee situation to me properly and we'll figure something out because you are not pulling out of Hollywood Arts now."

Tori stared at her, gobsmacked before throwing her hands up, "You're choosing now to get on board with all this!"

"Yeah, 'fraid so."

"You suck."

"Yeah well you stink, go take a shower, would you?"

Tori stormed upstairs in a huff while Rose immediately made herself at home. When Tori finally came back down she found Rosemary lounging on her couch, drinking a coffee and using Tori's laptop.

"Uhh what are you doing?" Tori asked, taking a seat right next to Rose.

"Watching the big showcase video, they finally put it up on The Slap. Also, you still smell like coffee."

"You sure it's not the one in your hand." Tori gestured to the cup.

"Nope, it's definitely you."

Tori sighed, giving up and laying her head on Rose's shoulder to watch the video with her.

Trina came over during the video and sat on her other side, "You know, you're actually not terrible."

"She's great." Rosemary interjected, nudging Tori who sat up straight with a sigh.

"Are you really going to quit Hollywood Arts?" Trina asked.

"No, she's not."

Tori rolled her eyes at her and turned to Trina, "What do you think I should do?"

"I think you should come back."

"Why?"

"So I won't be known at school as the girl with the lame little sister who quit on her first day." Trina leaned over Rose to push Tori before getting up and walking away.

She stopped just before the stairs and turned back, "…and I think you were really good in the big showcase." She admitted.

"Thanks tri." Tori smiled, obviously touched.

"But I would have been amazing." Trina trilled, kicking her foot up and finally leaving.

Rosemary snorted at her, amused by Trina's special kind of ability to cheer her sister up. She turned back to Tori, "Honestly Tori, if Trina is good enough for Hollywood Arts then you are beyond good enough. Who cares that one angry girl doesn't like you? Besides, you have to stay at least long enough that I get to see you perform properly on stage because I didn't get to see you live in the big showcase."

This time is was Tori's turn to snort.

"Also, I'm driving us to Hollywood Arts tomorrow and if you try to back out I'll drag you out of bed and to the school in your pyjama's if I have to."

The next day Rosemary makes sure she has everything she needs for the interview before driving to the Vega's house to find Tori up and waiting for her, ready for the day and actually looking quite happy.

"Well someone's looking chipper." She commented, as Tori got in the car with Trina climbing into the back with her earphones in and mouthing lyrics, at least she wasn't singing.

"I've decided I'm not going to let one angry girl who doesn't like me driving me away from such a great school and experience." Tori smiled.

"Good attitude."

"Besides, I've got a plan."

"Uh oh, that sounds ominous. You want to let me in on this plan?"

Tori looked away from her and outside her side window, "Uh it's not really fully fleshed out right now, it might change. I'll let you know what happens."

Rose let out an obviously unconvinced hum of acknowledgment

Rose was actually quite impressed as she pulled into Hollywood Arts parking lot, the school was clearly one for the Arts. There was all kinds of paintings and graffiti art all over the walls and floor, there were kids practicing lines for plays, dancing, and even some weirdo's juggling.

"Cool school." Rose commented as they all got out her car.

Trina clearly didn't hear her, prancing into the school without bothering with any goodbye's or wishing Rose good luck with her audition.

Tori however turned to Rose with a smile, "Yeah, it's alright here isn't it?"

"Better than our school for sure."

"Your school, you mean." She commented with a smug look which Rose responded to by sticking her tongue out at her childishly.

They had barely entered the school when they were stopped by Principal Eikner, "Tori! This must be your friend Rosemary Clark?"

He seemed friendly to Rose's relief. "Hi, yeah I'm Rosemary Clark, I prefer to go by Rose though. It's nice to meet you, Mr. Eikner."

She didn't need to see Tori's face to know she was biting back a smile, she'd no doubt be making fun of her as soon as she next sees her for being a suck up but she had decided she really wanted to get into this school, she sure as hell didn't want to have to continue going to her current boring school without even Tori for entertainment. So, she needed to make a good impression on the Principal.

"Nice to meet you Rose!" the Principal beamed, shaking her offered hand. "Why don't you follow me for your audition then after you can find Tori and spend the day checking out Hollywood Arts and it's classes."

"That sounds great, thank you." She thanked the Principal then turned to Tori who told her the room number for the class she would be in so she could meet her there after her audition.

She gave Tori a hug, got wished good luck then followed the Principal to an auditorium where two other teachers were waiting.

"We usually have at least two teachers present for auditions so we can get a fair judgement." Principal Eikner explained to her.

She rummaged through her bag, bring out the short stories and poems she had brought and handing them over to him. "I brought these because as I explained in my email I am most interested in writing but I've also prepared a song and a short scene for the audition."

"That's perfect, thank you Rose. We'll look over these after the audition, if you'll go up on stage and perform your scene first then a song."

Standing on the stage in front of the three of them was easily the most nerve-wracking situation she had ever been in, she had to take several deep breaths to calm herself down before she could begin.

"I'll be doing a scene from Shakespeare's 'The Taming Of The Shrew'."

She straightened her back, banishing the judges from her mind and clearing it.

"Fie, fie! Unknit that threat'ning unkind brow

And dart not scornful glances from those eyes

To wound thy lord, thy king, thy governor." She sneered the titles.

"It blots thy beauty as frosts do bite the meads,

Confounds thy fame as whirlwinds shake fair buds,

And in no sense is meet or amiable." Here she rolled her eyes, cocking her hip as she put her hand there.

"A woman is moved like a fountain troubled,

Muddy, ill-seeming, thick, bereft of beauty,

And while it is so, none so dry or thirsty

Will deign to sip or touch one drop of it.

Thy husband is thy lord, thy life, thy keeper," she hissed out between her teeth.

"Thy head, thy sovereign, one that cares for thee,

And for thy maintenance commits his body

To painful labour both by sea and land,

To watch the night in storms, the day in cold,

Whilst thou liest warm at home, secure and safe,

And craves no other tribute at thy hands

But love, fair looks and true obedience-

Too little payment for so great a debt." She pouted in obvious fake sympathy.

"Such duty as the subject owes the prince,

Even such a woman oweth to her husband.

And when she is froward, peevish, sullen, sour,

And not obedient to his honest will,

What is she but a foul contending rebel,

And graceless traitor to her loving lord?" Rose scoffed in disgust.

"I am ashamed that women are so simple" this line was said with such sarcasm it almost hurt.

"To offer war where they should kneel for peace;

Or seek for rule, supremacy and sway

When they are bound to serve, love, and obey." Rose hissed out the line between her teeth again.

"Why are our bodies soft and weak and smooth,

Unapt to toil and trouble in the world,

But that our soft conditions and soft hearts

Should well agree with our external parts?" She rolled her eyes here in exasperation at the lines.

"Come, come, you froward and unable worms!

My mind hath been as big as one of yours,

My heart as great, my reason haply more,

To bandy word for word and frown for frown.

But now I see our lances are but straws,

Our strength as weak, our weakness past compare,

That seeming to be most which we indeed least are.

Then vail your stomachs, for it is no boot,

And place your hands below your husband's foot:

In token of which duty, if he please,

My hand is ready, may it do him ease." Rose drawled the last line in derision and with heavy sarcasm.

There was polite clapping from her audience of three with expressions that gave absolutely nothing away before the Principal asked her to now perform the song she prepared.

She decided to go with a song from a musical as she figured it would appeal to a performing arts school more than something from the charts. She had thought to do 'Funny Honey' as she loves it and it has a good range and opportunity to act but thought it might be a bit too much considering the way she had done the Shakespeare scene. Likewise 'My Man' from Funny Girl was a bit to obvious an opposite to her scene that the change might be too startling and be all they're thinking about as she sings.

Instead, she went with 'Maybe I like it this way' from The Wild Party, keeping it a touch more in theme at least.

"I know it's wrong

I know he's rough.

I don't know what to do but we've through enough.

I know it's time

And yet I play.

Maybe I like it… this way.

I see his pain,

I hear his cry

He pulls me to the edge but I don't ask him why.

I understand

And I obey

Maybe I like it this way.

I like the way he laughs

His strange and silent stare

I like the way he moves, the way he's always there

The way he calls my name

The way he takes control

I like the way this man has stirred my soul.

When I first met Berth he was grand. You understand?

I was scared and awful lonely… hungry… hopeful.

How could I know?

Maybe tomorrow… it comes crashing down

Maybe next week I'll find another clown!

Maybe I'll try to go a different way!

But look who's sitting here today!

If I could change

If I could grow

I'd ask for nothing more and through that door I'd go!

But if I'm through, why do I stay?

Maybe he wants me

Maybe he needs me

Maybe he loves meeee!

Maybe I like it… this way."

"Well, I am impressed! I particularly liked your take on the Shakespeare scene, changing it from a sincere but sign of times past speech to a scathing indictment of how women and their place were viewed in history!" one of the teachers exclaimed.

"And you also have a good singing voice, though not good enough at the moment for performing in musicals on stage, we'd need to work on your projection and control, but there is some great potential there." The other piped up.

"Well her writing is simply delightful especially considering she has had no instruction or teaching on the subject until now."

"Uhh does that mean I'm in?" She interjected.

"Well we normally have a discussion in private and a vote." Principal Eikner said pointedly, giving the two teachers a glare.

"I vote yes!" the first teacher who spoke beamed.

"Yes me too, I don't think we need any more discussion." The other smiled kindly.

The Principal sighed yet he was clearly used to this kind of thing from his staff, collecting himself quickly and giving her a smile, "well, looks like you are the newest sophomore at Hollywood Arts, congratulations; you were great."