One of the truisms of the world is that no matter how good or nice you are there are going to be some people who will not like you. Even if you are Tori Vega, and are talented and beautiful and pleasant to everyone, someone is going to be rubbed the wrong way.
Tori antagonized Jade West on her first day at Hollywood Arts by kissing Beck, her boyfriend and humbling her in front of the entire class. Even though Jade had started things by dumping coffee on Tori's head, her warped mind would never accept the fact that she had done anything wrong. Her mind just continuously processed plans in the background for Tori's downfall.
Ryder Daniels had a reputation as a ladies' man. He also had a reputation for using girls to help him get better grades in certain classes, and then dump them as soon as he got what he wanted. Most of the girls had the decency to slink off in and keep quiet about what happened to them. Ryder's last class though required him to sing in front of the entire school, something he was not at all comfortable with. He had the fortune to be in the same class as Tori, however, and managed to manipulate her into thinking he cared about her. By pretending to be interested in her as a date he was able to con her into agreeing to perform a duet with him, thus ensuring his getting an A for the course. What he did not anticipate was that Tori would find him out and not only embarrass him in front of the entire school, but cause him to receive his first and only failing grade. He was not going to forget that very soon.
Robbie Shapiro was a friend of Tori's but even he was harboring some ill feelings towards her. Robbie would never act on them, but his alter ego Rex kept track of everything. He remembered how Tori ruined Robbie's great blog Robbarazzi. She seemed to be so concerned about Robbie losing his blog and made suggestions to him as to what would make it a success. Then when he acted on those suggestions and it involved her, she got upset and conspired with Beck and the others to steal his clothes and coerce him into stopping the program. Robbie soon acted as if he forgot about that, but Rex remembered. Rex also remembered the time before the sleepover at Sikowitz, when he made his usual innocent remark about Tori and she retaliated by kissing him full on the mouth in front of everyone humiliating him so much that Robbie had to take him home to recover.
Last but not least in the list of enemies that Tori had made was her loving sister Trina. Trina had been going to Hollywood Arts before Tori, and was considered to be the one with talent in the family. Things were going great for her, until the evening of the Big Showcase, when her passion for excellence caused her to gargle with an herbal remedy that caused her harm rather than helped her. Tori filled in for her, then and has not looked back since. Trina can still remember as if it were yesterday, Lane looking at Tori after her performance and asking her if she was really Trina's sister. The implication, of course was that she was far more talented. From that day on, Trina went through the motions of being a caring sibling, but her heart was filled with darkness.
It is possible to store dynamite for years, and barring a spark or some source of ignition, nothing will ever happen. In this case the spark was the breakup of Beck and Jade. Whatever ill feelings Jade had towards Tori, were muted by the constant presence in Jade's life of Beck. Beck was always the buffer, between the two, calming Jade by words or touch or even lovemaking. With Beck out of the picture, Jade had nothing to do but think, about her situation and about how it would be so much better if there were no Tori Vega...
Jade was sitting by herself at a table at the asphalt café when Ryder Daniels approached her.
Ryder: Mind if I join you?
Jade: Does it matter?
Ryder: Look you probably don't like me, but I have never done anything to you.
Jade: So that means I should like you?
Ryder: No, it means that we can work together against a common enemy.
Jade: What enemy could you and I have in common?
Ryder: Tori Vega. She has come between you and Beck, and she made me fail my first course, plus humiliating me in front of the entire school.
Jade: Like I should care about your humiliation?
Ryder: You mean you don't feel humiliated? You and Beck are together for almost two years and along comes Tori Vega and it is over. I bet Beck is with her right now, laughing and joking while you are sitting here.
Jade: If we kill her she will get sympathy as a martyr and we will get locked up. What's the point?
Ryder: We don't kill her; we humiliate her so badly that she has to leave Hollywood Arts. Then everything goes back to normal.
Jade: You have a plan?
Ryder: Not yet, I am thinking we might need some extra help. Do you think Trina would help us?
Jade: Why would Trina go against her own sister?
Ryder: Think about it. Trina was on top until Tori came. Now, Tori gets all the attention, all of the parts and all the accolade. That has to be killing Trina.
Jade: So how do we get Trina on board?
Ryder: I will take care of that. She is still without a boyfriend; I think I can work that aspect.
Jade: She is not going to be suspicious of you?
Ryder: Why? I have nothing coming up that requires help. I managed to pull up that "F" and the rest of my grades a good. She has no reason to think I am up to something. I am just the hottest guy in school wanting to take her on a date.
Jade: Nice to see you are so modest.
Ryder: Ok, next to Beck. But we all know he is not going to try to date Trina, Tori maybe.
Jade looked up at Ryder with daggers in her eyes.
Ryder: What; oh tell me that isn't true!
Jade: It's probably true.
Ryder: So I will work on Trina and try to get her to date me, and then use her to find a way to get at Tori.
Jade: Sounds like a plan.