Anyone who can tell me what song from what musical inspired the first section of this chapter wins all my respect forever.
"How long do we have to stay?" Tori asks, trying to restrain a struggling Bailey as she and Beck speed down the road.
"Well don't say it like that," Beck sighs, reaching across and patting Bailey's nose. "They're my family – I'm sure you'll have a lovely time."
"They hate me, Beck," Tori says. "So no, I won't have a lovely time, not with them sniping and bitching and talking behind my back. I know they're your family but they definitely don't think I'm good enough for you and they never will. So please, just answer the question."
"Well, your flight back is in three days," Beck says. "So, you will only-"
"Hang on," she says dangerously. "What do you mean, my flight?"
"Well I have a meeting," he says awkwardly. "So, I need to fly back tomorrow."
"What?" she shrieks. "Are you fucking kidding me?"
"Don't shout at me, Victoria," he says, soothing a yapping Bailey.
"Don't tell me not to shout," she shouts. "Pull over right now."
"What?" he says as he pulls over to the side of the road. "Why?"
Tori ignores him, climbing out of the car. She puts Bailey down; he runs in several circles and then lies down on the ground to enjoy the sun. Tori sits down beside him, folds her arms and legs and doesn't move again. For a moment, Beck considers driving off and leaving her and then he sighs and gets out of the car.
"Get back in the car, you brat," he snaps. "We're going to be late."
"I'm not going," she says.
"Don't be silly, of course you are," he says.
"I'm not," she says. "Not until you answer some questions."
"Fine," he says, leaning on the bonnet of the car. "What questions?"
"How long have you known that you were going to have to leave early?" she asks, leaning back to look at him.
"A few days," he says. "Anna booked me a flight."
"And it never crossed your mind to think to book me one too?" she asks sharply.
"I really didn't think you staying a couple of extra days would be an issue," he says.
"No, no," she snaps. "Do not lie, Beck, you knew your family hate me, you knew this was going to be a problem."
"Look, I just didn't fucking think," Beck says. "It was a last-minute decision and I fucked up. Please, I'll call Anna and make another booking – just get back in the car."
"What's so important that you have to go back without me?" Tori asks.
"It's just a pitch," he says, scratching the back of his head.
"Stop lying!" she shouts. "Why would you have to go back to do a pitch on Thanksgiving weekend? And honestly, Beck, when was the last time you had to pitch anything anyway? I swear to God-"
"Okay, stop!" he shouts, waving and clapping his hands as she continues ranting. "Tori, stop! Couldn't we just have two minutes where you don't just contradict everything I say? Please, Tori, two minutes! And then it's your turn and you can say whatever you want." Tori scowls at him but shuts up and so he nods. "There are people, and they want me in their film. And there's a party that they are throwing." Tori scoffs and rolls her eyes and he points at her as if she has proved his point. "And you've made it very clear that you are not going to any more parties. But I will be going. And that's done. So, what's this really about?"
"Is it really about my family, Tori?" he continues. "Can we please for a minute stop blaming and say how we feel? Is it just that you're disappointed that you missed out on that role? Did you think it would all be much easier after the Oscars?" Tori shakes her head furiously. "Well then talk to me, Tori. Talk to me."
"Please don't patronise me," she says. "It's not about any role. It's about the fact that it took you three tries to admit that you were abandoning me to your family – who hate me - just to go to a fucking party. It's about the fact that you wanted me out of town so badly that you were willing to travel across the country and back when in reality if you'd just decided to stay at home, we could have both saved a whole lot of time. And I know, I know it must drive you crazy, that you won't get to play with your little girlfriends-"
"Oh, you're being-" Beck begins.
"No, I'm not!" she shouts. "No, I'm not, and the point is, Beck, that you can't spend a single day that's not about you, you and nothing but you and-"
"Are you serious?" he snaps. "You really think the way you've been behaving recently that you would have let me stay at home for a party? And it's not just a party, Victoria – it's a networking opportunity. It's not about the girls, it's not about me, it's about the work!"
"To be perfectly honest, Beck, I don't give a shit what you do anymore," she says. "All I care about is you dragging me into your convoluted plans when I could be at home working."
"Work, work, work," he complains. "That's why you wanted to avoid this trip – not because of my family."
"Are you having a laugh?" she says. "The only reason I work so much is because you're never around!"
"I'm always around," he says.
"When?" she says hysterically. "You sleep all day and party all night, and half the time you're out of town."
"I am really not out of town that much," he shouts.
"You missed my fucking birthday!" she shrieks. "You missed my premiere, you missed my show, you miss everything! And I'm not allowed to miss one sodding family event, when even you are?! Are you fucking kidding me?!"
"Like you don't miss things?!" he shouts. "You-"
"You be careful," she snarls. "I have been to every premiere, every birthday, every party where I've been presented as your pretty little girlfriend, despite the fact that I am the two time Oscar winner – not you!"
"And don't we all know it?" he shouts. "You think you're so much better than me."
"No!" she says, calming almost instantly. "I do not. I think you are an exceptional actor and an even better man, but right now, you are not being a very good boyfriend. I need you to understand that by presenting me as your girlfriend, instead of an independent woman with many accomplishments, you are undermining everything I have worked for. It's not about you, it's about the patriarchy."
"Seriously?" he says, shocked. "That's why you're mad at me?"
"Yes," she says, frowning. "Well that and the lying and the abandoning me to your family, who hate me."
"Okay, I get it, my family hate you," he says. "But that's why you don't want to come to parties with me? Because of the patriarchy?"
"Well, yeah," she says softly. "Did you think I wanted you to fail? Beck, I love you, I want you to get as much work as you want, but I hate being known as your little girlfriend."
"Well it's ironic really," he says. "Because the reason I don't want you there…it's not because of other girls, Tori, and it's not because I don't love you. It's because when you're around, I feel inferior. Like all eyes are always on you and I never come away with the job. Nobody is ever interested in me. You come out of my parties with 17 new offers and I've lost two. I just feel like I'm dragging you down."
"Are you serious?" she says, laughing even though her eyes are damp. "Beck, if I didn't believe in you, we wouldn't have gotten this far."
"If I didn't believe in you and all of the ten thousand women you are," he says with a fond smile.
"If I didn't think you could do anything you ever wanted to," she says firmly. "If I wasn't certain that you'd come through somehow… Well the fact of the matter is…I wouldn't be standing here now." She gets to her feet and looks at him intently. "If I didn't believe in you, we wouldn't be having this fight. If I didn't believe in you, I'd have walked out that door months ago and said that you're right. But I never could let that go, knowing the things about you I know…things when I met you those years ago, I knew. It never took much convincing to make me believe in you."
For a moment neither of them speak and then Beck murmurs, "Ditto."
"Oh, how romantic are you?" she laughs. "Look, I mean it, Beck. If I didn't think that you were an incredible actor…if I didn't think you had the drive and the talent and everything else necessary to succeed…I don't think I ever would have fallen in love with you. And we may have changed a whole lot since R&J, even since the Pact. But that's our constant. Our talent and our drive and our love. And my belief in you."
"I believe in you too," he whispers. "I want the world for you and more and if there's anybody out there who is making you feel less than you are, then they will have to answer to me. And I guess that starts with me? I have to answer to myself for making you feel unimportant and I am sorry. I love you."
"I love you too," she says. "Now can we go home?"
"Yes," he says, climbing into the car. "I'll call my uncle when we get home and send our apologies."
"We can send flowers," she says, picking up a snoozing Bailey and sliding into her seat. "Or a cow."
"I'm not some Southern hillbilly," he tuts. "I'm from Canada, they just live in the South. Flowers will do just fine."
"What are we going to do for Thanksgiving then?" she asks. "We don't have any food."
"We'll eat out," he shrugs. "Find a pub that's showing the football, easy."
"Whatever," she says, putting her feet up on the dashboard. "So, what is this film anyway?"
"It's a cancer flick," he says. "You know, Fault in our Stars-esque. But instead of a romance, he goes to assassinate a world leader."
"Topical," she says drily. "Sounds good though. Who's directing it?"
"I didn't know the name," he says. "How is the Wicked shoot going?"
"We're taking a break," she confesses.
"What?" he gapes. "Why?"
"Because the reaction to my casting has been negative," she admits. "The producers want me to go up to Broadway and do an 8-week run as Elphaba – just to gauge audience reaction before the film."
"Tori, that would be amazing," he says.
"I know," she says. "But I just don't know if now's a good time for me to leave Hollywood. I mean, you and I are not in the best place and we both know what we have to do to get us back on track, but I feel like leaving the city for 2 months is not-"
"Stop," he says. "I'm not going to leave you, I'm not going to stop loving you. I will be there every step of the way, Victoria, whether that's on Broadway or in Hollywood – and if you're hesitating because of me, I need you to not do that."
"So you think I should go?" she asks.
"I think that working in Wicked, on Broadway, is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity," he admits. "So yeah, I think you should go."
"What about the filming for Exposure?" she asks. "I'd miss the first two weeks and I'm supposed to be an executive producer."
"Selena was an executive producer for 13 Reasons Why and she went to one day of filming," he points out. "You were on set all the time for the first three – people know you take your job seriously."
"I guess," she says. "It's just…a lot."
"Well you know I've always thought you take on too much," he says quietly. "But equally, Tori, you've always proved me wrong. I don't expect it to be any different this time?"
"You're the best," she says. "And I love you."
"Oscar-winning sensation Tori Vega has proved critics wrong as she opens to sell-out crowds on the Broadway stage. Vega, 20, stepped into the shoes of Elphaba, the star of Wicked the Musical, to demonstrate to producers and fans alike that she was worthy of taking on the role. Her 8-week run started last night and critics did not have a bad word to say about her.
'Vega has once again showed talent and wisdom beyond her years, using the voice nobody fully appreciated to awe audiences.'
'Tori is incredible in the role – Wicked fans will have nothing to worry about when she brings Elphaba to the big screen.'
'While many actresses have played Elphaba excellently, only a lucky few have managed to measure up to the benchmark set by Idina Menzel – and now we can count Miss Vega amongst them. Her intelligent and touching performance is definitely not to be missed.'
Among the many stars that turned out to support Vega was her beloved boyfriend, Beck Oliver. Sources suggest that Oliver has turned up to every performance so far, and at the premiere, he spoke to delighted fans about his girlfriend.
'He said that she was getting better every day,' one girl said. 'He said that he'd listened to her rehearse at home but seeing it on the stage was so much better, and he said that she was so excited to be getting to do it.'
'He told us that he was going to be flying out quite a few times to see her,' another said. 'I've met him a few times and I've honestly never seen him so happy.'
Fans were also shocked to see Academy Award winner Leonardo DiCaprio turn out for Vega's opening night. Vega and DiCaprio are famously close, pictured together at many awards and on many nights out, and he spent the evening with her boyfriend, Oliver, clearly engaged with the performance.
"The first two instalments of the saga were a triumph for everyone involved, raising the profile of Oscar winner, Beck Oliver, and catapulting lead actress, Lizzie Riley, to stardom. Now, as Part Three receives more rave reviews, we sit down with them to see where the story will go next. "Beck, your character does something totally shocking in this film," I say, "What did you think of it?"
"Oh it broke my heart," Beck confesses, "He does it all for the love of a girl, you know? He really does have good intentions; it just all gets away from him. I think the problem is that he is young, very naïve, very innocent. Even after all he's gone through with the Virals, he still trusts blindly in this film and it's the biggest mistake he will ever make."
"It really is," I agree, "And it affects every single one of the characters. What was it like to film, knowing how it was going to end?"
"Well, it was actually more difficult than I expected," Beck says, "Tori and Jackson, who are leading this movie, didn't let any of the other cast members read this novel until we started filming the ending, because they didn't want them to drop clues throughout the film. I was the only one who knew the ending and Tori kept having to take me aside and telling me to tone it down – I was acting too guilty, and the book is so clever, it drops clues that only make sense when you know the truth."
"Obviously you can't say too much, but you've already started finished filming the next movie," I say, "What's coming up for Ben?"
"Heartbreak," he laughs, "No, Ben is completely falling apart. He's lost everything, he's lost all control and he lashes out, starts misbehaving, and completely loses sight of who he is. It's still about Tory for him – I think it probably always will be - but she's so angry after the events of Code that she won't even look at him for about the first third of the film, and that's impossibly hard for him to cope with. They have to completely rebuild their relationship and that's what Exposure is about."
"Now, you've been working on these films for three years pretty much straight now," I say and Beck nods. "How long do you have left and are you looking forward to the wrap?"
"No, I wouldn't say I'm looking forward to it," Beck says honestly. "It has been a large chunk of my life and I'm looking forward to taking some time off and then being able to play other roles, but it's been the most incredible experience and I wouldn't change a second of it. I think we've only got a couple of months left now and that does make me very sad."
"Your girlfriend, who started as an expert advisor on the first couple, has now been promoted to producer," I say, checking my notes. "What has that meant for the filming experience?"
"She gets to boss me about a bit more, which she loves," Beck laughs. "Nah, she just genuinely adores these books and she wanted to be involved. She's done an amazing job too; she's got all the makings of a great producer but she'll never commit to it fully because she loves acting so much."
"She certainly has been working a lot recently," I comment. "How many films has she made this year? Has that been tough for you?"
"I've honestly lost count," Beck admits. "She's been absolutely brilliant though, she's done such a diverse range of films and she's given every single one everything she has. I'm very proud of her and even though I haven't seen her anywhere near as much as I would like, our relationship is still as strong as it ever was."
"The two of you have been together a long time," I say. "How long is it? Are wedding bells on the cards at all?"
"It's been 5 years," Beck says, nodding. "A very long time, but it feels like I've just blinked, you know? I feel very lucky and I genuinely do love her more and more every day. I don't know about wedding bells, but we'll see how we go. We've both got clear schedules for the next few months so I think we're just looking forward to spending some time together."
"You're late," she says as he walks into the house.
"What are you still doing up?" he asks. "I told you I was going to be late – I needed to pick up some wrap gifts and I won't have time tomorrow because of the Code press."
"I can't believe we finish tomorrow," she says incredulously. "Forever. Five movies and it's gone in the blink of an eye."
"Yeah, it has," he says. "Are you okay?"
"No, we need to talk," she says. "Come sit down?"
"Oh no," he says, sitting down beside her.
"What?" she laughs.
"Well, we only talk when I'm in trouble," he says.
"Are you serious?" she says. "That's what you think?"
"No, I didn't mean that," he says awkwardly. "I just mean, we only do the whole 'we need to talk' thing when I'm in trouble."
"You're not in trouble," she says.
"Are you going back to Broadway?" he asks. "Or did you get that shoot in Atlanta?"
"Stop guessing," she says. "You're shit at it and I need to get this out."
"Oh God, please don't break up with me," he says. "I know I'm late but-"
"I'm pregnant," she says quietly and then he shuts up, not even breathing for well over a minute.
"What?" he says eventually. "When?"
"I mean, we're not exactly careful, Beck," she says. "I don't know when, but I'm about three months pregnant."
"Oh my God, Tori, this is amazing," he says, scooping her into a tight hug. Immediately she bursts into tearful laughter, hugging him back.
"I haven't told anyone," she says. "I thought we should wait until we know everything's okay? But I've taken myself out of the running for that new Darren Aronofsky film and now that Terminal is wrapping, I'm only signed for the 2-week shoot on the stupid video game film. I could always pull out of that too?"
"No," he says. "It's only two weeks, Victoria, it will be fine. But maybe we should tell our parents?"
"I don't know, baby," she says. "It's still early days, and my mom…she went through a lot when she was trying to get pregnant with Trina. I'd rather wait, if that's okay with you?"
"Whatever you want," Beck says. "Tori, I'm so happy. This is amazing."
"Yeah," she says, beaming. "I am too."