When Sikowitz told Jade that she'd be shadowing him at the Weston Theater, she thought it meant being something of a teaching assistant for his acting classes. While she didn't necessarily enjoy every class he taught at Hollywood Arts, there was no denying the occasional brilliance behind Sikowitz's directing and how he sometimes knew just what everyone needed before they even did. Jade even resigned to believing that the loony teacher was a big part of her and Tori becoming the couple they are now. All of those served as Jade's motivation in this new job; a first step to teaching and directing plays of her own someday. Her first days, however, felt nothing like that.

Today, like every day since she started work, was spent with Jade behind an old desk in the managing office, sorting through paperwork while Sikowitz taught his class of roughly a dozen in the main stage. The papers she was filing ranged from city permits and safety inspection certifications to budget reports, available licenses for performance rights, student applications, and more necessary evils that Jade had to read thoroughly; lest she risk missing something essential to the theater's already low-end means of staying afloat. Once she managed to finish skimming a 12-page report, Jade set it down on the desk with an exasperated groan and stared at the ceiling to readjust her vision. As her mind cleared, she could faintly hear Sikowitz's booming voice from the stage. She got up from the desk, deciding it was time for a much-needed break, and quietly made for the stage area.

As she stepped out of the office door, Jade noticed the stage curtains were all opened and Sikowitz stood behind a small podium with his back to her. In front of him were about twelve people, of widely varying ages and appearances, seated in folding chairs and listening intently to instruction.

"Alright, class! So far, only half of you have managed to get The Bird Scene down on your first try! I have to say, I expected just a little more from you after three days!" Jade rolled her eyes upon hearing that exercise's name after so long. The Bird Scene was the easiest assessment in all her time at Hollywood Arts, but it was a real struggle for many of her classmates; especially, Tori. It didn't surprise her that this gaggle of young adults—and even grown adults—were having the same troubles with it.

"So, that leaves us with one more brave soul to tackle the scene for today…Tara, you're up!" Sikowitz dramatically waved his hands toward a young tan-skinned woman wearing a dark-green checkered button-up shirt and jeans with both factory-made and actual tears along the legs.

This Tara was sitting quietly with a very neutral expression, even as her classmates applauded her as she got up in front of them. Jade raised an eyebrow, noticing the girl stood significantly shorter than Sikowitz and probably most of the other students, yet her face indicated a maturity greatly contrasting her stature.

As Tara stood over the X marker made with colored tape on the floor, she briefly glanced in Jade's direction before turning her back and facing her audience. "Just so you know, it's pronounced 'Tah-rah', not 'Tare-uh'." Her tone was firm, but without malice or attitude, which Sikowitz accepted with a silent thumbs-up in one hand and a 'rolling' motion with the other. Clearing her throat, Tara began to recite:

"It was 1934 when my…husband…left me alone. Living on the prairie was a dreary existence. No telephone, no radio; only a large, majestic bird with whom I shared my feelings."

Jade couldn't see Tara's expressions from far behind her, but she could hear her tone remaining even through the initial exposition of the scene. Jade's eyes narrowing at the unusual pause around the word "husband"; perhaps to emphasize that this man was no longer "husband" in her character's mind anymore. Tara's hands rose up, gently cupping an imaginary bird above her as she continued:

"One day, I said to him, 'Oh, bird, you can fly. You can soar miles from this lonely place, yet you stay. Why?' And apparently, my question rang true, for that afternoon, the bird…left. And so went…my spirit."

Her last lines were delivered softly and delicately until her final pause, punctuated by a reviled scoff and her staring down at her stage marker for a beat until she looked back up at Sikowitz with a shrug to indicate she was done.

He clapped generously, nodding with approval and encouraging the rest of the class to join in the praise. "Excellent, Tara! Probably the best I've seen all day! You've all got some work to do tomorrow if you want to join!" He was met with a few groans, but more positives and agreements from the students in response. His eyes briefly met Jade's from backstage and he clapped one more time. "That's all for today, everyone! I'll see you bright and early tomorrow for more Bird Scene assessments!" Once the students filed out of the auditorium, Jade stepped out from her spot backstage to join Sikowitz. "So, did you enjoy the little trip down memory lane, Jade?"

"I'm just surprised people older than we were can't figure out that they're not supposed to ask for your approval on the scene," Jade chuckled, watching some grown adults scratching their heads over the exercise. "But don't worry. Most of the paperwork's done, so I thought I'd check out your class for once."

Sikowitz quickly scanned behind him at all the students nearing the entrance. "Yes, well, it helps to remember that we all grow up and learn a little differently; some…much more than others." Shrugging it off, he pointed backward to the entrance with his thumb, "Anyhows, you're free to go, Jade! Give my regards to Tori!" Jade flashed a quick smile and a pat on her former teacher's shoulder as she eagerly dashed to the theater's front entrance.

Most of the students were already in their cars, driving on out of the block, while Jade stood just outside the entrance steps, stretching her stiff arms. In the corner of her eye, she spotted Tara sitting at the bottom step, sliding her ponytail from her hair to her wrist and letting her long curls fall over her back. Taking a better look at her face than back during class, especially her large, dark-colored eyes, Jade stared for a moment before calling out to her.

"Hey! You waiting for your ride, too?"

Tara's head poked up immediately and she looked at Jade unsurprised with the same neutral manner as before. Her reply was just a short, silent nod before turning back to her previous view of nothing in particular.

Jade hummed inquisitively, but decided not to pursue it. After all, she would have probably answered the same way if asked by a total stranger. After a minute, she could see her mom driving in on the black coupe Neutronium loaned out to her, prompting her to walk up to the passenger's window curiously.

Nora rolled down the window and waved to her, "Hi! Tori's working late at the office, so she asked me to pick you up! You don't mind that, right?"

Jade scoffed and promptly opened the passenger door, sliding her bag in before entering herself, "Like I'd willingly walk all the way back home? No, I don't mind." She looked ahead, catching Tara in her vision again, still in the same spot looking at nothing in front of her. A part of her wanted to ask if she wanted a ride, but the young girl had already stood up, slung her bag over her shoulder and walked back into the theater without a word.

Nora noticed her as well and turned to Jade, "Is that one of Sikowitz's students? You two friends?"

Jade just shook her head, still watching Tara climb the steps, "Nope, not one for words, that one."

"Sounds like someone I know all too well," Nora chuckled and put the car into gear, "Come on, then. Piper's meeting us at Nichijou, so let's get some dinner to bring to Tori, too."

Jade shrugged and settled back in her seat as her mother started to turn back out of the block and toward the restaurant district.

As she reached the top of the entrance steps, Tara took one long look back as Nora's car turned out of sight. She turned back to the entrance, catching Sikowitz as he locked every door except one.

"Alright, see ya tomorrow, Tara," he flashed another thumbs-up as he sipped the straw in a coconut in his other hand.

"Thanks." Tara half-heartedly returned the gesture as she walked back inside the theater, turning the lock shut behind her as it closed.

-DEFEAT!-

The virtual announcer spoke that single word for the 4th match in a row, echoing throughout the living room. From the dining table, Tori let out a frustrated groan, grabbed the remote from the arm of the couch, and muted the TV before she had to hear it follow up with the "Play of the Game". She looked down at Jade, who was staring straight ahead, but at just blank space instead of the TV. Waving her hand in front of her girlfriend's face, she called out:

"Hellooo~ Earth to Jade?" Tori frowned and gently shook Jade's shoulders, causing her to double back into the cushions.

"Gah! What?!" Jade snapped back into a proper sitting position as Tori pointed irritably at the TV with a small flashing "muted" icon. "Oh, that. Yeah, sorry. I'm just off my game, today."

"Clearly!" Tori huffed, taking a seat next to Jade on the couch, "Something on your mind? You didn't seem all there for a second…"

Jade sighed and held down the power button on her controller, shutting off the console under the TV. "There was a new student in Sikowitz's class at the theater. Some girl, probably our age or younger, nailed the Bird Scene on her first try."

"The Bird Scene?" Tori raised her eyebrows, thinking she'd never hear of that crazy ordeal again, "He's still doing that scene? Those poor students…but, wait, you said she aced it? On her first try? Seriously?"

"Yeah," Jade leaned forward, retracing that moment in her head, "She nailed the mannerisms, the tone, right up to the end, and she just dropped right back to being plain and indifferent about it. She didn't ask for feedback, and that was that. She aced it!"

"Wow…I can't think of anyone who caught the meaning of that assignment so quickly. Well, except you, maybe."

Jade shrugged, taking it as a compliment. "Okay, sure, but she didn't seem all that excited about passing the scene. I just wonder what she's even doing there in the first place..."

"I mean, it's a public theater, right? Maybe she just wanted to try it out and realized it wasn't for her?"

"If that's true, then she wouldn't have walked back up to the theater after my mom picked me up. After me, there wasn't anyone else except Sikowitz, who was probably locking the place for the night."

"You're really wrapped up in this, aren't you?" Tori rubbed Jade's arm and then leaned against it, "Why not ask her yourself when you see her there tomorrow?"

"I can try…" Jade made a doubtful face, "But she barely paid a glance at me when I tried talking to her today, so I doubt she'll be any different tomorrow."

"You never know until you try," Tori shrugged and got back up to her laptop on the dining table. "Anywho, I've still got a lot of brainstorming to do tonight…"

"Brainstorming, for what?" Jade joined her at the table, sneaking a peek at a long list of songs Tori typed down.

"Mason proposed I do a cover album to start my career off; give everyone a taste of music I like, my range, and maybe spark some ideas for original music later on down the line." Tori sat back down, looking at the list again with a sigh, "They said they'd take care of any licensing costs, but first I have to come up with 10 songs for it. It's tough narrowing it down, as you can see."

"Oh, I can see," Jade skimmed through the list, recognizing many hit songs from the earlier 2000s, late 90s, and more 80s pop than she cared for. "Is this gonna be a Millennial Mixtape or something? Wouldn't you want something more…eclectic?"

Groaning, Tori craned back in her chair, "I know! I don't want to come off as predictable with my song choices, but I like so many of these songs! In fact, I even professionally recorded a cover of 'A Thousand Miles' back in middle school!"

Jade's eyes briefly widened in surprise, "Seriously? Baby Tori Vega singing Vanessa Carlton? How'd you score that?"

"An old friend of Trina's had a home recording booth, and I may have snuck in and tried it out when we visited for a birthday party…" Tori grinned as she recalled the memory vividly, "It was just for fun, but then her parents said I should try covering the whole song and they loved it!"

"How come you've never showed it to any of us at Hollywood Arts, then?"

"…Trina might have destroyed every copy out of spite. Remember I said this was an 'old friend'?"

Jade laughed it off and propped a hand on Tori's shoulder, looking over the list again, "Well, you could cover the song again, now that you're miles away from Ms. No-Talent's claws. Or…maybe ask your hot, rock-and-roll girlfriend for some tips, too?"

"Oh, let me guess," Tori rolled her eyes, "You're gonna suggest some heavy metal and hard rock that'll probably kill my vocal cords?"

Jade looked down at her, almost genuinely offended, "Geez, Vega. Way to generalize my music tastes. I was going to suggest some power ballads with a bit of kick; a nice balance of the two like 'The Only Exception' by Paramore, 'Time After Time' by Cyndi Lauper?"

Tori looked at Jade with surprise, then typed those suggestions into her list. "Wow, those are…actually some good ideas." Jade leaned over and typed in a few more song titles herself, such as "Young Hearts" by Commuter and "The Warrior" by Scandal; both songs Tori didn't know off the top of her head. "Hm...Maybe I could ask them if I could include a bonus track; a duet with you, perhaps?"

"Were you thinking of that 'Take on Me' duet we sang at karaoke?" Jade smirked, "Because I'd expect to lengthy dedication to yours truly for that idea~"

Tori laughed and craned her head up to peck Jade on the cheek, "We'll see; still gotta narrow these down from two dozen to just ten, first."

Jade playfully ruffled Tori's hair as she stood back up and stretched a bit before heading to her bedroom. "Don't be up too long, now. We're low on coffee and we both know I'll need it more than you!"

Tori just stuck her tongue out in playful reply before turning back to her laptop.

Taking the gesture as another bit of affection and said quietly to herself, "Love you, too…" as she closed her bedroom door behind her.