Principal Helen Dubois paced in front of the two girls. She was sick of their two-year bickering and was appalled when it reached the point where they used their fists and turned the hallway into a makeshift arena. Practically the entire faculty knew about their mothers rivalry, yet it had never gotten this bad.
Both Lane Alexander, their guidance counselor, and Erwin Sikowitz, their homeroom and acting/improvisation teacher stood behind the principals desk, watching in silence. The two had good relationships with them, and their mothers.
"Have you no shame?" Helen hissed banging her fists on her desk. The two girls glanced at each other before turning back to their principal.
"I have never seen such unruly behavior in my term here at Hollywood Arts! Weren't you thought some class?! You are both almost juniors, ergo expected to act more mature than little five year olds fighting over a toy! And you are both leaders – aren't you ashamed of the example you just set out there?!"
Helen took deep calming breaths, "Look, since this is the first time this happened for you, Violet, I'm going to excuse you; no suspension as of now but be warned, your parents will know about this." She turned and looked at Hazel, crossing her arms across her chest. "As for you, this is your third strike. But because your mother was one of my most respectful students, I will let you go with a warning."
Violet and Hazel both exited the principal's office without saying a word to each other. They headed off in different directions and acted like nothing happened.
Xx
I don't need a dozen roses You ain't gotta wine and dine me, no I don't need a pretty poet
Ooh, gettin' all emotional You gotta beg for it, beg for it
I wanna see you lookin' up Baby, I'ma need you to beg for it
"Alright, that's perfect Tori." Mason Thornesmith spoke into the microphone connected to Tori's headphones. She was currently recording her newest single at Platinum Records.
She opened her eyes and smiled at her boss through the glass of the recording booth before slipping off her headphones. Her eyes flicked from Mason to Andre, who seemed to be hanging up from a phone-call.. on her phone.
Andre looked up at her and visibly sighed, motioning for her to step out. When she did, he handed her the Pearphone. "Helen called."
Tori's face fell and she moaned, covering her face and getting ready for the worst. "Oh God. What now?"
"Hazel got into a fist fight with another girl." Andre chuckled at the thought. "She was sent home, but Helen wants to see you."
The half Latina let out a deep breath and nodded, running a hand through her hair. She turned to Mason apologetically. "I'm so sorry Mason, I really have to get to my daughters school."
The British producer only laughed at her almost disheveled state. "Its alright, just don't make a habit out of it." he sat at his desk and paused for a moment, looking at her thoughtfully. "You know, she reminds me of your old female friend, she always came with you to your recordings years ago, no?"
Andre laughed in an almost pervish way at his comment, "She was more then just—"
Tori's cheeks burned red and her eyes widened, quickly interrupting him. "Andre!" her friend quickly shut up but grinned knowingly at her while she gripped her bag and moved to the door, smiling politely at her boss. "See you tomorrow, Mason."
Xx
Jade was watching over her movie cast like a hawk until her assistant approached her holding her phone. He gave Jade an apologetic look before taking over for her temporary absence.
"Hello?" Jade said in an impatient voice.
"Jade Oliver?" the familiar and authoritative voice asked on the other line.
Jade paused for a moment and slowly raised her eyebrow. "Its West, now.. Helen?"
"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that.. but yes, I wish I was calling of a lighter subject, but its about your daughter, Violet."
This was a call that no parent ever wanted to receive. Jade tried not to think of the worst as she waited with bated breath for the news to fall.
"She has been involved in a fistfight with another student and her unacceptable decorum is what I wanted to talk to you about…"
Jade said that she'll be there. Of all the things she was expecting, her daughter involved in a fistfight wasn't one of them. Violet was the type who could argue with you to the end but never get physical. She asked her assistant to watch over until the end of rehearsal as she headed towards her daughter's school.
Xx
Tori arrived first and was listening to the principal's briefing when Jade burst into the office looking very harassed. The dark haired woman froze in the door way as she took in the sight before her. There, sitting right in front of her, was Tori Vega.
Tori looked up and almost choked on her own saliva when she saw the one and only Jade West. No, no, no. It couldn't be. It was too ironic.
The principal observed the two parents and noted that the two hadn't seen each other in years based from the coldness they showed each other.
"Ms. West, I am happy you could join us. You remember Ms. Tori Vega – Ms. Vega, Ms. Jade West." Helen reintroduced the two and Tori couldn't help but feel a little worried for her daughter's well being - if she had gotten into a fist fight with Jade's daughter, she couldn't be doing very well - no matter how tough Hazel seemed to be.
Jade eyed Tori for a moment before slowly sitting herself down in the seat next to her. Now knowing Violet fought Tori's daughter, she wasn't as worried for her wellbeing. If Vega's daughter was anything like her mother, then she was a twig that Violet could easily take.
"So, as I was saying, your daughters have both made the hallway into an arena and this type of behavior is unacceptable in my school. We expect our students to show the proper decorum at all times and fistfights of this sort is the first, as far as I remember. I am also aware that they have been having this rivalry for almost their entire high school lives now and I want it to stop. This has finally gone too far and I am appealing to you both, to help me stop this." Helen looked at the parents who seemed shocked at the news.
"But… Hazel is not the type to pick fights. I mean she can really argue and.. threaten others, but a fistfight?" Tori reasoned not believing that her daughter would intentionally punch someone – not unless they deserve it.
"As she tried to explain a while ago, Ms. Oliver intentionally let her script fall on her foot." Helen explained glancing at Jade as did Tori.
"Well, Violet hates physical violence and I doubt she'd intentionally hit anyone with anything." Jade defended her daughter as she looked pointedly at Tori.
"Okay, well my daughter can be tough when she needs to be but hitting other students – not happening in her lifetime." Tori frowned at Jade.
"But she just did," the principal supplied making Tori glare at her.
"Oh… uhm… then she didn't start it. Didn't you say her daughter did?" Tori stammered but still looked defensively at the principal and Jade, refusing to say her name.
"My daughter never starts a fight!" Jade exclaimed looking really offended. She sat up straighter than before and crossed her arms in front of her.
"Well my daughter never does either – unless you take away her five slices of pizza or the remote control when she's watching TV – but what does it matter?!" Tori half-yelled irritably.
"Vi can't even squish a fly even if her life depended on it." Jade snapped giving Tori a death glare. The woman squirmed under her glare but she didn't back down – just like in high school.
"Well, I always knew why my two students act the way they do around each other. Role models are huge influences." Helen sarcastically said looking at the two glaring parents and effectively putting a stop to their quarrel. "Now I know you two were the same way, but theirs is ten times worse."
Jade seemed to snap back to reality and gave the principal an eye-roll while Tori grinned shyly and placed a strand of chocolate hair behind her ear.
"Okay, well, please promise to help me the best way you can," the principal told them and dismissed the two from her office shaking her head.
The two hurriedly left the office after a hasty goodbye and when they were safely out of earshot, Jade turned to Tori ready to give the woman a taste of her wrath. But before she could open her mouth to give her hell, she abruptly changed demeanor.
"You named your daughter Violet?" Tori asked in astonishment, her eyes glimmering with something Jade could only recognize as fondness.
The West girl stiffened and she glared once again, crossing her arms. "Yeah, so?"
Tori simply shrugged and smiled shyly at her old friend. "That's my favorite color."
Jade stayed silent as she fought the instinct to smile, forcing her lips not to curl upwards but failed, only a little. "Really? Didn't cross my mind."
"Ri-ight," Tori trailed off with a teasing smile. The two stared at each other for a quiet moment, taking in each others presence. Their trance was broken when a fluff of brown hair ran over and skidded to a halt in front of Jade, looking extremely frazzled and worried in a puffy shirt and tights.
"Is Vi alright? I ran off set when I got a call from Helen, it took me forty-five minutes to get here," Beck Oliver breathed out loud, trying to catch his breath and obviously not noticing Tori. "She said she got into a fight with another girl. What happened?"
Jade's eyebrows shot to her hairline as she took in his appearance, "The question is, what happened to you, Romeo?" She reached out and flicked his shirt.
Beck rolled his eyes and shoved her hand off him. "I was on set, I told you." He stood up straight and put his hands on his hips, his eyes burning with anger. "Now where's this ganks mom? I wanna give her a piece of my mind!"
Jade couldn't help but smirk as she pointed to the woman behind him who watched them in amusement. Her ex spun around and his face dropped in shock.
Tori grinned sheepishly and lifted her hand to wave. "Hiya, Beck. How are you?"
The actor just stared at her for a moment before he smiled in amusement. "Your kid beat up my kid?"
Tori's nose scrunched in thought before she frowned, "Wait, your daughter beat mine up."
Beck chuckled and ran a hand through his hair, "Well it doesn't matter, does it? Our kid won, definitely." he turned to Jade who nodded in agreement.
Tori's jaw dropped in offense, putting her hands on her hips. "What? Hey, my daughter is tough, she could so take yours!"
Beck took a step towards her, looking down on the petite girl, reminiscent of their daughters only a few hours earlier. "I'd like to see her try."
Tori didn't hesitate in taking a step closer to him, glaring at him and raised her voice an octave. "Oh yeah? Just pick the time and place!"
"No fighting in the halls!" A loud voice boomed and the two adults sprang apart, forgetting they weren't students anymore and couldn't be served detention.
Jade smirked and crossed her arms, "Weird hearing that when its not directed towards me."
The three turned and came face to face with their old favorite teacher, Mr. Erwin Sikowitz.
"Sorry, we were just talking-" Tori began but then stopped when she realized who she was speaking to and she smiled brightly. "Sikowitz!"
Sikowitz smiled at his three former students. "Hello, students," He paused for a moment and crossed his arms, looking pointedly at Jade and Tori, "You two, your daughters have given me so much nostalgia. They're recreations of you!" he exclaimed, then looked up at the ceiling thoughtfully. "Except without the sexual tension,"
Jade and Tori looked at each other, surprised but then quickly looked away from each other, one blushing and one scowling while Beck snorted at the comment.
Xx
"Vega, I'm already here, where the hell are you?" Jade impatiently spat into her phone as she pushed the door for JetBrew open and stepped into the chain coffee shop. "We left the school at the exact same time."
"I'm almost there, two minutes. I got stopped at the red light."
"Yeah yeah, whatever, see you soon." Jade hung up and shoved the pearphone into her back pocket. She stood in line behind a teenage girl with dark chocolate hair and pink highlights. She studied the girl from the back for a moment, approving her hair style choice.
"Black coffee with two sugars. If it has more then two I will pour it down your shirt."
Jade's eyebrows shot to her hairline listening to the girls order. She didn't know anyone who enjoyed their coffee the same way she did. Well, anyone but.. She shook her head, pushing the thought away and smirked to herself, speaking up. "I would love to film that."
The teenager turned around and raised an eyebrow at Jade, glaring, "Excuse me?" Usually her patented death glare drove people away from speaking to her, but it didn't have that effect on the woman behind her.
"I need new, funny videos to watch. The old lady falling is not doing its job anymore." Jade commented dryly and ordered her own coffee.
The teen cracked a small smirk as she leaned against the counter. "I love that video. And there aren't very many things that I love."
Their eyes locked and Jade almost grinned at her. "What's your name, kid?"
"Hazel." the fifteen year old replied simply but paused, continuing. "Its actually Amber, but thats way too girly for me so I go by my middle name, Hazel."
"I used to hate my name, too," Jade nodded, walking towards the pick up counter with her new 'friend', "Until I thought at least its not pink, or a stupid name like Tori,"
Hearing that, Hazel's demeanor changed instantly and she glared at Jade. "That's my mom's name, gank."
Jade paused for a moment, absorbing that fact. Before she could respond, the barista placed down the cardboard cup and called out Hazel's order.
"Vega, black coffee with two sugars."
It was as if a bus slammed into Jade when she realized the situation. No, there was no way. She couldn't move, frozen in shock as she stared at the teenage girl across from her. "No, there's no way you're Tori Vega's daughter."
As if by magic or some weird coincidence, Tori walked in at that very moment, scurrying up to Jade. "Hey, I'm sorry it took me so long, I—" she stopped in her tracks when she saw her daughter watching them. "Hazel?!"
Hazel smiled at her innocently as she held her coffee, cocking her head to the side. "Hey mom," she gave Jade a smirk that said, does that answer your question?
Tori stared at her in bewilderment, wondering how on earth her daughter managed to get here. "How are you here?"
"I drove here."
"You dr- how did you- you don't have a ca- you don't even have your license!" Tori sputtered indignantly, trying desperately to make sense of what her daughter was saying.
"Uncle Andre let me borrow his car." Hazel replied simply, sipping her coffee.
"Andre let you WHAT?"
Hazel smirked and repeated herself more slowly, as if speaking to a child. "Let me borrow his car."
The half Latina felt a horrible headache setting in and she groaned. "Okay, just.. Go wait for me in our car." She watched as her daughter moved to leave the shop but grabbed her arm quickly. "Give me his keys."
Hazel's eyebrows raised and she rolled her eyes. "He needs his car, mom. Are you gonna leave your BEST friend without his car, really?"
Tori glared at her heatedly, holding out her hand. "Give. Me. The. Keys."
Her daughter stayed silent and stayed quiet for a moment, pulling the keys out of her pocket to hand them to her. "Only cause I want to." she murmured, took a sip of her coffee and walked out of the coffee shop.
Tori sighed and gripped the car keys in her hand, turning back to Jade with an apologetic look. "I'm sorry Jade, I should really get home. Wait, here," She pulled a pen from her purse and grabbed Jade's hand, scribbling her number down on it. She gave her a smile once she finished but didn't let go of her.
"We can talk about the girls tonight over dinner, call me, ok?" she paused for a moment and leaned up, kissing her cheek softly. "See you later." She quickly went off after her daughter, leaving a very shocked Jade behind her, talking to herself.
"What the fuck?"