AN - hey :) thanks to all who favorited and reviewed.

I'm having a hard time keeping up with schoolwork (yes, summer work :/), updating this story, and maintaining the rest of my drafts, so I think I'll go up until Sleepover at Sikowitz's and end it.

this chapter takes us back a little - how did Beck get the role in the first place?

The seventh time Jade and Beck go on a date, he takes her to a movie.

It's a romantic comedy, something she despises, but a good place to make out for an hour or two.

"What'd you think?" Beck slung his arm around his girlfriend.

"The movie? It sucked."

He smiled knowingly. "It wasn't that bad. I like Ryan Reynolds."

"Are you trying to subtly tell me something?"

Beck chuckled softly, and ran his fingers through his short, choppy hair.

"Yeah, I always wait 'til the seventh date to break the news."

This actually brought a small smile to Jade's face, making him swell with pride that he was able to humor her successfully.

"Why did you cut your hair again?" she asks.

"My parents said I had to do it if I wanted the RV. It was worth it; it'll grow back."

He nods in agreement. "Hopefully soon, the dude at the hair salon cut it off unevenly."

She snorted. "I can see that. But you can probably pull if off than Melinda Murray's pigtails."

He laughs. "She, on the other hand, is a terrible actress. Like, she did some pretty stupid things to worm her way into the business."

"Eh, she's a brat," Jade shrugs uncaringly. "Can we walk to your house? I don't want to get a ride from my mom."

"Why not?" he grabs her hand and they start down the sidewalk. Silver, grey, green, and red whip past them in a blurry streak as they pass the Los Angeles traffic. She keeps her eyes focused on the ground, kicking a pebble with her toe as she goes.

"She has a new boyfriend. James... something. Don't like him."

Distracted because she's kicked the pebble too far, she doesn't elaborate.

He prods her along. "And you don't like him because...?"

"He's a wannabe director. Annoying, nasal voice, eats string cheese, unfunny, uses Aloe Vera-" he cuts off what would've been a furious, lengthy diatribe.

"I'm sure he's not that bad."

Beck ends up walking home by himself.

"Hey, Jaaaade!" Sophia West giggles uncontrollably. She lies on her back, lazily draped on the couch like a curtain. She blinks a few times to look at her daughter with more focus.

"Where's James?" Jade questions sullenly, settling on the couch adjacent to her mother.

"Bathroom, sweetie."

"He can't pee somewhere else?" Jade seethed.

"Darling, I know you don't like him, but I think he's gooood for meee!" she nods in all seriousness.

"Sure, whatever," Jade gives her mom the teenager trademark rolling of the eyes, and stretches out on the couch.

"Is Beck coming over?" Sophia asks.

"Yeah, in a few minutes. We'll be in my room." Sophia nods, lacking the mother's sense to keep boys out of her teenage daughter's room.

James appears underneath the doorframe, busily chatting up someone on the phone. "Really?" he's excited about whatever the person on the other line is saying. "Seriously?"

"Whaat?" Sophia asks curiously, but James shushes her.

"That's great, thank you! Thank you!" James cries jubilantly, and hangs up. "Babe, I got a gig!"

Jade ignores his success, though she's thoroughly impressed, and leaves the room because she knows she's going to be witnessing a whole lot of PDA.

"Aw, that's awesome, sweetie!" Sophia rises from the couch to praise her boyfriend laconically. She grabs him by the collar and kisses him deeply.

They break apart as the doorbell rings. Jade reenters to open the door. She doesn't even greet Beck, but grabs his hand and drags him to the staircase.

"Awww, is this your boyfriend?" James teases her. Jade scowls; he talked to her as though he were above her. Or as if he was cool. Which he was not.

"Beck Oliver," he sticks out his hand, and affirms, "yeah, I'm her boyfriend."

James nods, and scans Beck over - from his misaligned haircut to his plaid button-up. "Nice to meet you. You go to Hollywood Arts too?"

"Yup," Beck confirms.

"Well, I'll bet you'll land a job, once you grow out your hair." Beck's hand instinctively reaches up to touch his hair. Still a sore subject for him, the only one allowed to make snide remarks about his hair was Jade.

He laughs it off. "I've heard that one before," he says, glancing at Jade. "So, I hear you're a director?"

"Yeah!" James grins, "A director who's just landed the job as assistant director to the new Jennifer Aniston flick!"

Beck looks very impressed, Sophia hangs onto James' arm blissfully, and Jade just scowls in the background, her bright eyes burning into the back of James' head.

"Would you want to be a film or television actor?" Jade murmurs one day in the middle of history class.

"Film," Beck answers immediately.

He's so straight and confident and impregnable in his reply that she doesn't even question why.

"Mom," Jade calls out to her mother. "Mom!"

"Yeah, sweetie?"

Jade approaches her mother in the kitchen.

"Where's James?" she asks bluntly.

"Oh, I broke up with him," Sophia explains, as though they were they were discussing the weather.

"What?" Jade is shocked; how did she not tell her something as important as that? "And you were just stupid enough to not mention this to me?"

Sophia disregards the 'stupid' comment; instead, she explains herself, "Sorrrrry, sweetie, he just didn't have the time any more."

"Besides, you didn't even like him."

"What makes you think that?"

"Well, when we went to the park, you threw a rock at him."

Jade dismisses the comment, as though throwing rocks at people was a daily habit. "I wanted to ask him if Beck could audition for the movie. For his birthday, I thought I could surprise him."

Sophia's eyebrows leap up; her daughter was being so uncharacteristically nice.

"Well, I'm sure you can get him something else."

"It's tomorrow! What else am I supposed to get him?"

"A rock?"

"Be serious," Jade snaps bitterly.

Sophia sighed; she couldn't deal with this right now, she needed a drink (set aside the fact she'd been drinking all day). Opening the freezer, reached in to pull out a beer. Instead, she wound up with -

"How about a can of lemonade?"

"'Cause he likes lemonade!" Jade defends herself, but she knows that it's as crappy as a present can get.

It's two years later; Jade has just broken up with a longer-haired Beck, and was regretting every moment of it.

"Yeah, but out of a can?" Tori asks disdainfully. She packs her things for next period and explains to Jade exactly why Beck doesn't want her back.

It dawns on Jade that her ex really thinks that she did nothing for him during their two year relationship.

The improv class has just been dismissed from first period.

Beck and Jade were back together, yeah, but Jade was, inwardly, still stuck on that bump in their relationship about the lemonade can. The dog thing didn't work (it's been four months, but Mr. Oliver still throws skeptical looks her way) and she still needs to step it up. She was trying to do a nice thing; was it her fault her stupid mother broke up with James a day before Beck's birthday.

"Beck!" Sikowitz calls out as the bell rings. Beck and Jade both turn around to look at their barefooted teacher.

"Yeah?"

"I have something for you," Sikowitz jumps up and down delightedly, like a child who has just been granted a lollipop.

"What?" Beck asks blandly, because he and Jade are both aware this could really end up being a pointless waste of five minutes.

"Patience, my dear pineapples!"

Jade rolls her eyes. Definitely a waste of five minutes.

"Guess what I have!" he dances around the stage, giddy with excitement.

"A ticket to the Coconut Parade?" Jade asks dispassionately.

"Well, that too, but no!" Sikowitz continues dancing; Jade is taken aback, she had no idea there was such thing as a Coconut Parade.

"I have... an audition for you!"

"Hey," Beck greets his friends at their usual lunch table, dumping his tray of pizza and a soda between Jade and Andre's space.

"Hi," they all mumble, but Jade greets him with a kiss.

"So, Cat. How's that tango class you're taking working out?" Tori takes up their previous conversation.

"Good," Cat says, "my partner's Taylor. He's so cute," she gushes.

Robbie looks a little disgruntled at this, but he doesn't speak up.

"How'd your audition go, Beck?" Andre, sensing Robbie's dismay, digresses.

Tori looks admiringly at Beck. "You got an audition?"

"That's not a reason to get all star-eyed and flirty, Tori," Jade snaps.

Beck rolls his eyes, and answers Tori, "Yeah, Sikowitz actually recommended me to a part."

"Woah," Tori breathes, transparently amazed.

"Wow, Beck, you're so handsome and pretty and you're going to be in a movie! Will you marry me?" Jade imitates Tori in a thick 1940's accent.

"I don't talk like that!" Tori said through gritted teeth.

Robbie swung the conversation back to Beck's career. "So, how'd it go, Beck?"

"Good. I got a callback," he states proudly, "I'm going in again today."

The whole table gives their warm congratulations (though Tori noticeably holds back from giving too much praise), and Jade grabs his hand underneath the table to show him how delighted she is for him.

"It's the reason I love you!" Beck shouts, an intense anger drawn upon his face.

"And, scene," he finishes his audition, and looks to the casting director expectantly.

"Er... can you add a little to the character?" she asks, not looking up. "Just... think about what he's feeling at the moment. He lost his job. His friends hate him. This girl is all he has left," she lists.

She glances up at him distastefully, then jots down a few more notes.

Beck nods and complies.

"And so kids, there you have it."

Sikowitz had just managed to draw a spectacularly awful mustache on Robbie's face.

"The audience can always tell when you draw a mustache on your face. I suggest growing one yourself," Sikowitz looked pointedly at Robbie.

Jade, legs tucked neatly under her seat, sat in the corner of the classroom alongside Beck. She scrolled down the website she was browsing on her phone. WHO WILL BE JAMES TOLLER'S 'MISS FIRE' LEAD? the title screamed.

She scowled to herself; of course, he was a big name now and would never be able to get her what she needed. Beck blew his chance with the part that Sikowitz had recommended, and was thoroughly depressed about it.

Another title blared in huge block letters, A LACK OF LADIES IN TOLLER'S LIFE, and gave a brief preview of an interview done with the director himself.

A bulb lit in Jade's head. Sure, her boyfriend lost his chance with one movie. Could she maybe get him another with this one?

Robbie huffed over to his seat, displeased that his teacher chose him of all people to be a human doodle.

"Ha!" Rex chuckled, "he couldn't grow a mustache if he wanted."

Robbie frowned, and brought two fingers to his philtrum.

"What kind of marker did you use? Because I'm allergic to-"

"Very well, Robbie, take your seat," Sikowitz motioned to the plastic empty chair.

The class stared at their teacher, flummoxed. Cat applauded enthusiastically, as though the information was vital to her and would definitely come in handy in the future.

"Beck, do you want to tell us how your audition went?" Sikowitz diverts his attention to a somewhat mopey Beck, sitting in the corner of the room.

He cringes a little. "Uh, they picked someone else."

"Oh," Sikowitz frowns for a moment, then changes the topic once more. "My neighbor, Tommy something, he has the cutest little golf cart!"

The intern scrambles into his sit hurriedly, murmuring incoherent apologies under his breath.

"You're late, Tony," I said with deliberate pique.

"Sorry, sorry, sorry, sir!" he stammered, frantically pulling out his pad and paper. "My girlfriend, sir, she-"

"I don't care. Sit your ass on this chair, we're almost done anyways."

Nah, I'm not really one of those film-esque mean kind of boss, that everyone wonders how they ever made it to the top. And this kid, he's talented - hand-picked him myself from USC, he has an eye for film-making and deserved some experience. But an award-winning director like me has a reputation to keep. Every wuss under me will fall to his knees.

The intern nods vigorously, eager to get back on my good side. "So, you've narrowed it down to two actresses, then?"

"No, I think we've picked our person. The media's been focusing on Melinda Murray's attitude for the past couple months, we don't need that clouding the press of this movie."

"So, you're going with Natalie Portman?"

"Correct. You catch on quick, Togi."

"Actually, it's Toby, sir."

"I don't care."

Toby shrugged, and jotted down a note.

My phone rings (Batman theme song, no less) from my back pocket.

Toby, Topher, Tori, whatever his name is, looks at me questioningly.

"Do you want me to get that?"

"No!" I cry, and reach back myself to pick it up.

The intern shrugs, then asks yet another stupid question.

"Girlfriend?"

I sighed. Nope, the last girlfriend I had was Sophia. Ah, Sophia.

Since then, not many girls have ever really been interested.

But Toadi over here didn't need to know that.

"Yeah, now get out."

"Er, shall I contact the media?"

"Well, what am I paying you for?"

"You don't pay me. This is an internship."

"Just go, Topee."

He gallops off, desperate to complete my bidding.

Bringing the phone up to my ear, I greet the caller with a, "You got James Toller."

"Shut up and listen for a minute."

God, I knew that voice. The voice that sent chills up my spine. The commanding, ice-cold voice I hadn't heard in over two years.

"What, Jade?"

"I need to ask you for a favor."

"Listening."

"My boyfriend, Beck - I need to get him an audition," she explains, cutting to the point straightaway. The steel tone to her voice told me she seriously wasn't joking around.

I frowned in confusion, "Beck? The short-haired, Indian kid."

"He grew out his hair," she defends him quickly. "Can you?"

"I don't know, Jade, this is an actual movie here. Miss Fire is an important story about-"

"I'll get you another date with my mom."

Damn, she knows how to bargain. Still, I can't give in that easy.

"What if I say no?"

"Toller, I'm not joking here. And I know you probably haven't been on a date since 2009."

Ouch, that hurt; mainly because it was true. But the lady makes a good point.

"Ah, Mr. Toller?"

I drop the phone from my ear for a second.

"What, Toki?"

"Natalie Portman's not available. Says she'd rather do another flick."

Two blows in one day. Well, I've got nothing to lose.

I bring the phone back up to my ear.

"I have a one-liner part I haven't cast yet."

"I have a present for you," Jade shoved a small piece of paper into my hand.

I looked down; on it, an address was sloppily scrawled across.

"Is this supposed to be some scavenger hunt?"

"I got you an audition," she announces.

"What?" Beck jumps up, shocked.

"For this new flick, Miss Fire. Go, hurry, it starts at four," Jade yanks him by the shirt and shoves him towards his truck.

He shakes his head, his mind in a whirl. "Wha- how?"

"Don't say I don't do things for you."

He nods and heads towards his truck. Halfway, he stops and turns around, running back.

"What?"

"I love you."

"Go, you idiot!"

"Right!"

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