Estrangement

Disclaimer: Don't own Victorious

A/N:

Chapter 3 (The Real World is Knocking)

Tori pulled the strap of her purse on as she looked up to the giant building before her that Jade wanted to meet up at. Gold's Gym, surprisingly still going strong today. It was one of the most successful chains in 2013, and now, it was the most successful. Having beaten out the nationally renowned LA Fitness a couple years ago whenever the company hired their knew CEO. She didn't know who it was, but there had been a story in the newspaper about the new and shrewd CEO of Gold's Gym finally buying out LA Fitness. Either that, or the two converged.

"Ugh, why does she want to meet in a smelly old gym?" Jade often worked out, but Tori never went with her. This was one of the rare few times. Although, by that same regard, Tori did tell Jade it was urgent that they talk, and Jade was working out at the time. It had been Jade who showed her the newspaper clipping of Gold's Gym finally stomping out their greatest competitor. They didn't know who the new CEO was, since the paper only said 'New CEO of Gold's Gym buys out LA Fitness', but this CEO had to be one of the more powerful ones out there.

As Tori entered the gym, she was overcome with the toxic smell of sweat. She started to feel faint as she walked through the many weights and into a room where people were practicing martial arts. Jade had recently started taking classes at Gold's, but she said they were fierce.

Jade was in the back, wiping her face with a towel and drinking a bottle of water. Jade spotted her in the doorway and waved. "Tori! Hey! Let's go grab a smoothie." The woman popped up and hurried out. Tori followed close until they found the smoothie shack in the building. Jade immediately ordered her strawberry kiwi with a metabolism and energy tablet. Tori went for Peach Sunset and opted for no additional tablets. "So, what's the urgent news?"

"Hard to say." The two sat down at one of the tables. Tori sipped her smoothie and leaned back, sighing heavily. She spoke fast, hoping to avoid the eviction part. "Mom's out of medicine, her Parkinson's is getting worse, we're being evicted, mom's getting depressed and thinks she's dying." Jade raised an eyebrow at her, studying her carefully.

"What was that last part?"

"Mom thinks she's dying and becoming a drama queen?"

"No, the part about the eviction…" Jade tapped a fingernail on the table and sat straight as Tori shifted uncomfortably in her seat. "What is going on? I know your boss fired you, but the landlord issues?"

"I was behind rent and forgot to pay. So they're evicting me. I don't have money to handle this. I don't have a place to stay, I don't have anything at all."

"As that's too bad, and here I was going to convince you to get a membership at Gold's Gym." Jade smirked and wagged her eyebrows. "Who knows, you could get a real start here and start working. That might help earn some money." Tori coughed and shook her head.

"No thanks! If I wanted to work around smelly old men and women I'd go work in a sweat shop!"

"Hey, many people get their starts in places like these. You can't tear it down before you try it, but I guess it's not for everyone." Jade set her smoothie down and looked Tori in the eyes. "Sooner or later you're going to have to work to earn what you want. Did you know that the CEO of Gold's Gym started out a towel dispenser?"

"Seriously?"

"Yeah, part time while in college. The CEO worked their ass off and rose up, finally landing the spot about a year or two ago." Towels didn't sound too bad, but regardless, Tori couldn't stand the thought of it. "They eventually became a personal trainer, finished up college with a management degree and fitness degree. If someone like that can start out with nothing, I'm sure you can."

"Are you implying I could become CEO of a company?"

"It's always possible. Granted it's got to be hard work, and no offense, but you've not really done any hard work since Hollywood Arts." Tori narrowed her eyes and slowly sipped through her straw. She couldn't think of a comeback, besides, Jade was right. She became some sort of 'gets whatever she wants' princess when she went into Hollywood Arts. Now literally left with nothing, she hadn't the slightest clue of how to fix her problem. "But you have to get a job doing something. That might be the first main thing here. Then you need to find a place, but not many people rent to those who get served eviction papers…" Her heart sank and irritation started to grip her with an icy cold grip.

"That's great." She pushed her head onto her hand and stared absently at the cup. Her stomach was twisting even harder now, and it wasn't due to the smells around her. She was beginning to realize just how much of her life went to shambles because she was chasing an impossible dream. "This 'fantasy' of mine…gave me a load of problems and losses, like my jobs and my apartment. It's caused me to lose my sister by not appreciating her or spending time with her, caused me to horde all the attention from my parents so I could-"

"Get whatever you wanted?"

"I'm having a moment…You remember when we first met? You called me 'little miss princess' or something?"

"Yep." Jade sipped her drink and closed her eyes. "Still do." Tori scowled for a second and shook her head. "I mean it's no secret that everything you ever wanted, you got handed to you on a silver platter. But that was high school, Tori, this is the real world. Trina, your dad, your mom, your bosses even…they've all told you. Hell, even I've said it, this is the real world where you have to work to get what you want."

"Yes well, you'd say that because you're a guidance counselor." She straightened herself and brushed her hair back while Jade stared at her with one eyebrow slowly rising.

"I'm pretty sure that certifies me as knowing what I'm talking about. All this stuff, I've said to people for years. You're not the only person that thinks they're entitled to be handed a successful life."

"Well why not?! Andre became successful, so did Robbie and Beck! Granted Robbie's the only one that didn't fade away into obscurity, but…" It was another fear of hers, risking the possibility of fading away and never being heard of again. Where were half the singers and actors of old tat faded off? Even Justin Beiber faded away after a few years, and now no one knew what he was up to. Lady Gaga was a nanny last Tori checked, and Miley Cyrus died about five years ago from an STD. "So maybe I'm not famous yet, but there's still chance."

"For a thirty-four year old woman? Tori, talent scouts these days are rare enough, but people want to hear from someone in their late teens to early twenties. Talent Scouts that actually look are looking for a woman in her twenties!"

"Ugh-I know, I just…" She hunched over the table and let a closed fist slam down onto it. "Well what do you propose I do for a job? If you say working here, then no. No I will not."

"Come on, they'd probably treat you right here. Who's to say?"

"No."

"Well you have to start off small. Though, anyone that contacts one of your last bosses that let you go will probably wind up knowing about your issue with calling in sick, so I don't propose doing that again…You could take a job at the zoo."

"No thanks. I know they'd have me cleaning out crap from animal cages, and I want to be as far away from manure as possible." Jade flattened her gaze. Tori sat upright and glanced off at a man walking through the cafeteria. Sweat was glistening from the bare shoulders. A muscle shirt clung to his body through the clear sweat stains. She shivered in disgust as Jade followed her gaze with a slight laugh.

"Still I'm a regular here, I could vouch for you. Maybe the smoothie stand."

"Again. Thanks but no thanks."

"Yeah…You're too princess to work." She snapped her head back to Jade, taken aback by the woman's comment.

"I am not!"

"You're worried about sweat, getting dirty, doing too much work-like construction, and I'm pretty sure you'd be worried about working out in the sun. So what about a job as a pool cleaner?"

"Uh no, I don't want to go anywhere near strange people's homes."

"Okay so that narrows the field quite a bit-remind me not to suggest salesperson jobs. Walmart?"

"No, department stores are just…no thanks." She couldn't stand the thought of working at a department store. The employees were usually overworked and out of shape. "What else is there?" Jade was staring rather coldly at her. "Not to mention, Mom and I are going to need a place to stay."

"I can't really help you there, I only live in a one bedroom apartment." It was more like a studio apartment. Jade always said she didn't believe in buying a house or a bigger place when it was only herself. "As for jobs, it'd be a lot easier if you didn't shoot down everything I suggest."

"What? I'm picky…"

"Can't afford to be picky out here, Tori. You should know that better than anyone."

"But-"

"Tori…Hello, this is the real world, I can't help but notice you're a thirty four year old woman chasing a child's dream-it's good to mess with you-I mean meet you." Tori slumped as Jade's fiery smirk burned into her. She got what Jade was saying, she really did, but she didn't like it. "The real world doesn't suffer fools, they weed them out and bleed them dry. Now what other problems are there? You need a job, you need a place, your mom needs her medication…"

"Yeah do you think-"

"I can't buy your mother medication or set appointments-they only let immediate members of the family do that. I could get in trouble buying medicine for her." Tori groaned and let her head fall back. Jade looked apologetic and slowly crossed her arms. "What else?"

She thought about her mom's wish to see Trina again. It wasn't a problem, but it was stressful. "Nothing." She put her head into her hands and casually sipped her smoothie, delighting in the cold taste.

"Are you sure? You don't look like there's nothing else." Tori sighed and waved her hand through the air.

"Mom misses Trina and wants to see her. She's got this notion that she's dying and doesn't want to die before she sees her daughter again."

"Well, Tori, your mom isn't getting any younger, you know."

"I know that. It's just that Trina cut us off, how stupid would it look for me to try and go to her for help? Hell, I don't even know where she lives!"

"As I advise all my clients that have family problems…I think it could be in your benefit to reconnect. Maybe she'll help you out." Jade looked to the door of the gym and shrugged her shoulders. "I could do some research and find out where her address is, then we could fly out there with your mom and-"

"And then get the door slammed in our face. Yeah, cause that's going to work, Jade. I'm not going to my sister for help."

"Well what are your alternatives right now, Tori?"

"I…" She rubbed her left temple and clenched her eyes, groaning as she tried to think of a solution to any of problems. She needed a job, she needed money, she and she needed a place. Her heart clenched up as she saw a vicious cycle of things preventing her from getting all that she needed. A job would be difficult to find because they always called prior bosses to find out the conduct. Getting an apartment would be difficult without the money and with the eviction on her record. Getting her mother's medicine was impossible without money. "Shit."

"So you're what, up a creek without a paddle?"

Tori let out a loud moan and folded her arms on the table, dropping her forehead down onto them. "Fine we'll try to find Trina, and maybe she can help with something. I just don't know where to look first…" It was going to take a lot of pride swallowing for her to even come close to accepting this as something that needed to be done.

"Hey, maybe it'll work out and Trina will gladly accept you with open arms."

"That would be nice…if I was naïve enough to believe she'd do that after all these years." Jade chuckled softly as Tori lifted her head and narrowed her eyes onto Jade.

"Well, that's good, I mean you understand that part of life. You'll probably have to work for it."

"No shit?" She was frustrated enough and didn't want to think any more about the possibility that her sister would turn her away first thing. It was more of a glaring possibility than anything, but desperate times called for desperate measures. "I'll talk to mom, just…just figure out wherever Trina's living, if she's still in New York."

"Oh, I think she is…"

Ah Tori, soon you will be forced to get over that fear of smells, and get used to it. Heh, Gold's Gym is my favorite place to work out, I worked out there regularly a couple years ago before moving back home. Tell me your thoughts of the chapter, and any suspicions. Think Jade might know something of Trina?