Hi!

Don't own "Victorious" - just playing in that universe, just like any other stories that I have or will write in honour of it. :)

Note specifically pertaining to this story: This story is told focusing on the perspective of early-season-one Jade. That means that she is still struggling to accept Tori at Hollywood Arts. Thus, this chapter may seem anti-Tori. It isn't meant to be! It is just more of a "Jade's pro-self" view and seeks to figure out a reason why Jade might have been particularly against Tori more than any other person who admired Beck. There is also some good-natured chuckle moments about how the pilot was written. You might be able to hear some of my laughter in the part commenting on how Tori went from screaming her head off while being pushed on stage to instantly knowing rather complicated group choreography. I enjoy this show very much, so it is all tongue-in-cheek. ;)

Enjoy!

...

Jade West was not in a particularly good mood. Some people might think that was customary for her. It was not, quite. She often appeared like she was having a bad day - there was a difference. Drama at home before she was able to escape to Beck and a drive to school had soured her expectations for the rest of the day. The only bright spot so far had been watching Tori Vega fail the bird scene - again!

Ha! Serves her right for always wanting the spotlight! Now she has it - and I hope it burns! Jade had thought vindictively.

To understand some of her vindictive anger, it would be helpful to remember what happened at the showcase. Tori's breakout performance was not the only thing that night that sparked emotional responses.

...

At the showcase it was supposed to have been her song - written, choreographed, and performed all by J. West - that was to have stolen the show, placed in the very last slot of the night, even after the older students'. This was her first time being taken so seriously, and it felt good. Everyone had agreed - teachers, her mentor, the organizers - that she had the best piece of the evening created by a sophomore. Instead, what had happened was that the song right before her had been turned from hardly bearable (Trina) to a showstopper (Tori). How a girl with no experience performing who had literally been dragging onto stage kicking and screaming had morphed instantly, under intense pressure and unreasonable demands, into a pop star-wannabee was beyond Jade's comprehension, but she did not necessarily care that the song before her had been jazzed up a bit. It would get the audience excited and ready for what was next - her performance, practiced and honed for months instead of minutes.

But instead of clearing the stage and talking backstage or on the car ride home like normal performances, after "Let It Shine" there was a conclave of excited teachers and the principal and two clueless parents who were somehow as surprised by their younger daughter's talent as they were supportive of their older daughter's non-existent skills. Instead of simply accepting that she was good and moving out of the way - like Jade herself would have done - the girl protested and insisted that she wasn't any good, while still hogging the stage. Okaaay ... so she didn't want credit. Her choice. People who did not believe in themselves were not to be pitied in Jade's book. Performing in any discipline was a demanding job and there was no room for people who waffled around on their own beliefs. But instead of letting the girl's protests that she wasn't any good indicate that perhaps she wasn't yet ready for really performing, everyone was convinced that the young singer needed to convinced. It became a spectacle of it's own, ending with the audience seemingly thinking that was the end of the show. People began to stand up and leave, all talking about how wonderful the show had been, especially the last girl who seemed so surprised with her success.

"Probably the fighting to get her on stage was all a trick to make the show that much better. Very talented," Jade overheard one grandma character-type chattering as she waddled away with a cane.

"I still haven't performed!" she kept trying to tell the stage hands, the directors, everyone. Her intensity rose with each disregard for her turn being next. Finally she ended up screaming "IT'S MY TURN! WON'T YOU BRAINLESS SEA SLUGS MOVE OFF THE STAGE SO I CAN DO MY PART?!"

Directly at the principal.

To be fair, she did not realize that it was the principal until after her screamed it. Although she did know him well enough from a ... significant number of run-ins that she knew instantly that he was not going to let that just slide.

"I think the show is finished, Miss West," he said tartly. "The audience seems happy to end on a high, and we don't need that kind of attitude being used to illustrate our school. Maybe detention next week will help you remember how a real performer is supposed to act."

Jade did not have a lot of self-control - that was part of why dating Beck, who acted like an outer conscience and restraint at times, was such a good idea. However, she did have some self-preservation. She did not punch the principal.

She just glared. A lot. And managed to choke out, "That's so ..." - she struggled to hold back any number of expletives and decided to use a less-offensive "f" word - "It's freaking unfair. It's not my fault no one in the last act could follow proper procedure for changing over. I worked on my song for three..."

"The show is DONE," the principal said before storming away. Despite her being very talented - as adjudicated by sources external as well as internal - Jade was, likely thanks to a very healthy detention record, not one of the principal's favourites.

And as much as she wanted to yell out curses of coming revenge, Jade was unable to do so in that moment. It took a lot to make Jade feel broken - or at least more broken than she already apparently was - but this was devastating. She could hardly breath for what felt like shards of glass stabbing her in her chest with each desperate pant for air.

"Jade? What happened?" she heard Beck ask from behind her. "Why aren't you going on? People are leaving. They think it's the end."

She felt tears prickle at the backs of her eyes. She could not - would not - cry here in the wings. Tears were for losers ... although people who got downgraded from star to unworthy to go on stage within a few minutes might be classified as losers ...

"Jade? Babe, talk to me!"

She tried to savagely elbow her way past him. Maybe if she poked Beck in the ribs with her sharp elbow enough, he'd get peeved at her too and not try to chase her down. It was not the kindest strategy imaginable, but she did not have energy to hash it out with him. She did not believe in apologies, but she could always make it up to him later. She had a plan, despite the oppressive and stifling tightening in her throat.

Too bad Beck did not follow the plan. Despite her intensified attempts to elbow him and shove him aside so she could escape to hostile solitude, he collected her into his arms protectively - perhaps from what he sensed of her being unjustly pushed to the side, perhaps from what he knew she would be likely to do if he let her out of his sight like she wanted. He quietly lead her outside using a back exit, then lead her around the outside of the circumference where everyone else was leaving - performers in triumph, family members in awe.

There were no family members in the crowd for Jade that night - for the first time, something that she was grateful for.

"What will I tell my family?" she mumbled against Beck's chest as he found a quiet place, out of the way of the dazzling stream of visitors and young performers. He located a bench to sit on and gently pulled her down onto his lap.

Beck knew the code for that question - How will I describe it so that my dad feels like he is missing out by not supporting me? How do I get his attention? How do I prove I'm important?

"Tell them you were perfect. Because you are," he comforted softly.

Jade would have rolled her eyes if they had not been so full of tears and threatening to overflow. She wanted to protest that she was not perfect if even the principal had not thought it worthwhile to let her perform after the "show stopper", but the crumbs of comfort helped a tiny bit. She stayed there, curled up on her boyfriend's lap, until the campus was quiet and they were chased away by a security guard.

...

Lane, the guidance counsellor, had taken Jade's side post-showcase and convinced the principal that missing out on her performance was far more than a fair punishment, no matter what she had been screaming at people. At least he seemed to care that Jade's hopes had been dashed when the Vega "miracle" took over. Although she might hate Lane most of the time - Jade had a dislike for most so-called "authority figures" in life - she was grateful to have someone advocating for her. She was promised that in the next show, she would be able to perform with full support, guaranteed.

She was counting on it. That promise was the only reason that she was holding back from some revenge plans. She would save them though, just in case the administration flaked on her again.

She did have a lighter, after all. And more than one zombie mask. She even had a make up palette specifically for creating stage wounds. Oh, the possibilities... Because no matter the promises the future, she had still had to put up with one humiliating night, and Jade West did not forget humiliation easily.

"Easily" meaning "never".

Of course.

...

And, ironically, this story is not actually a one-shot, so be looking for another chapter to come soon, probably by Saturday if not sooner.

Also, if anyone has prompts (specifically those related to Beck and Jade or them with Cat [cutest interactions on the show, in my opinion!]), leave them in the comments. I don't promise to write up prompts in case they aren't in my style or I can't work up personal inspiration to pair with it, but I generally do try to connect with my readers by incorporating what they want to read into what I want to write. :)