Disclaimer: Only own me.

Ben and Valerie's audition was over. "Alright, next let's have...Will and Elizabeth.," They looked at each other, smiling, before walking up onto the makeshift stage at the front of the classroom. Tori got a look of horrified amusement on her face as she realized that she had just sent an engaged couple that had been shrunk down to twelve years old to audition for Romeo and Juliet without teaching them about stage kissing.

"Oh gosh," she said, looking shocked while trying to stifle a laugh at the same time. Jack looked at her questioningly. "I forgot to teach them about stage kisses!" she said, grinning. "Stage kisses?" Jack asked. "It's where you grab their face and put your thumbs on their mouth so you kiss your thumbs instead," she said, demonstrating in the air. "Oh," Jack said. He didn't really understand, but he could tell that this was one of those times when it was better to smile and nod than ask questions.

Will and Elizabeth's audition was over. "Very nice!" Mr. Harrington said. "Great chemistry. Girls, you've got competition! Very good. Alright, let's get Tori and Jack up here," he said.

Thankful that she had explained stage kisses to Jack, Tori got up and walked to the stage. The audition went great, and Tori thought that she had the part in the bag. "Very good! Exquisite, almost!" Mr. Harrington said. They walked back to their seats. Elizabeth leaned to Tori. "I knew that we had to read from those, as your teacher explained, but what exactly is it for?" Elizabeth asked. "Oh, a play! Y'know, where you get up in front of people, say your lines, act it out," Tori explained. Both Will and Jack were listening, but Elizabeth had paled. "What's the matter?" Tori asked.

"Oh, well, you said getting up in front of people," Elizabeth said. "I don't much like getting up in front of people." "But you were fine a minute ago! Your audition was great!" Tori exclaimed. "Well, it was different. There's not too many people in here, I just looked at you and Jack. But in front of more, I get nervous," she said. "Oh, that's okay! I know a lot of people like that. No biggie," Tori said.

The auditions were over. Mr. Harrington had told the class to give him ten minutes, and he'd have the results ready for them. They talked amongst themselves.

"So," Tori asked the three, "how do you like my school?" Will and Jack smiled. "It's great," Will said. "Yes, it's wonderful!" Jack said. "But where's all the rum?" he asked. Tori smiled at him. "Follow me. I think you three will like this. She walked up to Mr. Harrington's desk and asked for a hall pass.

"Why do you need it?" he asked. "My friends are thirsty, and I haven't showed them the vending machines," Tori replied. Mr. Harrington handed her a yellow slip of paper, and Tori walked out.

Jack, Will, and Elizabeth exchanged uneasy looks before following Tori. What were these "vending machines"? They didn't sound too pleasant, but the three seemed to decide, wordlessly, that they had faced worse things. They caught up with Tori, who was opening the auditorium doors.

"Uh, Tori?" Elizabeth got her attention. "What are vending machines?" Tori laughed. "You'll see!" she said in a sing-song voice.

They turned a corner, then walked further up the hall, until they came to a row of tall, brightly colored machines. There was one with a glass panel in front, so they could see the bags and wrappers full of snacks inside. The other two had a closed front, but had buttons with pictures on them lining one side. The pictures were of various cans and bottles with bright logos on the front.

"Watch this," Tori said, inserting a green piece of paper into the slot on the front of one of the closed-front machines. She looked over to the buttons.

"Think I'll have a Dr. Pepper today," she said, pressing a button with a picture of a clear bottle, filled with a brown liquid, that had a maroon wrapper. The machine clanked, causing Elizabeth to scream for a split second. A bottle matching the one on the button came out of the hollow part close to the bottom of the machine. Tori opened the bottle, causing the drink inside to fizz.

"If you want to survive at all in 2006, you have to know how to work a vending machine," she said, taking a sip from the bottle. "Pardon, what do you mean 2006?" Will asked. "Um, the year, this is 2006. Didn't you know?" she said, seeing their faces pale. Elizabeth fanned herself with her hand. She looked like she was about to faint. "What's the matter?" Tori asked.

"Oh, everything's fine. Everything except for the fact that we are, oh, about 200 years in the future!" she said sarcastically. "Well, we'll figure out a way to get you back! I promise. Until then, you'll just have to try to learn everything you can about this century," Tori said. "Now, lesson number one. The vending machine. Here's a dollar. You just put it in that slot, then press the button for whatever you want." She handed everyone a dollar. Elizabeth put the dollar in the machine without much difficulty. She stepped over to where she could see the buttons better, and selected a clear one with a clear drink inside. The soda popped out of the bottom of the machine. "Oh, Sprite, nice choice," Tori said. Elizabeth opened it gingerly. It didn't fizz as much as Tori's had. She took a sip. It was cold, sweet, and citrus-y. Elizabeth took a bigger drink, then said to Tori, "It's really good!" Tori smiled, then turned to the machine.

"Will, you're next," she said, showing Will how to put the money into the machine. He chose a Strawberry Fanta. The bottle came out the bottom of the machine, as they all had. Will opened it carefully, the took a sip. "This is really good, as well," he said to Tori. She smiled, then turned to help Jack.

She showed him how to put the money in, and how to choose a soda. He chose a root beer. Tori grinned. That was probably the closest thing to rum allowed in the school. He took a sip, and smiled. "This is delicious," he said.

Everybody being happy with their sodas, they walked back to the classroom. Just in time, too, as it looked like Mr. Harrington was about to announce the results of their audition.

"Alright, class, I have the results of your auditions for Romeo and Juliet. Tori and Elizabeth both crossed their fingers, but for opposite reasons. "Please let me be Juliet," Tori whispered to herself. "Please don't let me have a part," Elizabeth whispered.

Mr. Harrington read off the minor parts, including one that Will got. Tori whispered congratulations to him over her shoulder. "And in the part of Juliet," the teacher said, "we have Tori." Tori grinned, and walked up to get her script. She was still smiling as she walked back to her seat. "Congratulations, Tori," Elizabeth said, still relieved that she hadn't gotten a part.

"And," Mr. Harrington said, "bringing a new face to the theater in the part of Romeo, we have Jack." Tori raised her eyebrows, but was glad that it wasn't anybody she hated. She shoved Jack up to the front of the class, to get his script. When he sat back down, Will and Elizabeth smiled at him. It seemed, to them, anyway, that Jack was destined to be up in front of people, making a complete idiot of himself. They burst out laughing.

(R&R still appreciated! And, for those who care, my trip was excellent. I might have to write a fanfic based on it.)