AN: Hello my dear readers and thank you for clicking on the latest chapter of this story; I hope that you are all well.
Thank you very much to everyone who read and, especially, reviewed the last chapter; as usual I'd like to take a few moments to address some of the points that were raised.
Pinkcrazyness – thank you; I'm glad that you liked it.
Challenge King – yes, they talked it out. Time will tell how much it does help Freddie but, certainly in the immediate aftermath, he seemed happier.
The No-name guy – good spot; when Beck said "Come on" to Freddie they were supposed to head to the edge of the stage, that line disappeared somewhere in editing.
Fanfic-Reader-88 – yes Ryder paid for what he did to his 'girlfriends' and they all got a little pay-back on him. As for Robbie, being himself hasn't worked for him so he tried something different; sadly for him that didn't work either.
Martial Arts Student – thank you; I'm glad that you thought the conversation worked well for them and that you felt for the characters in it.
Darck Ben – thanks, I'm glad you liked the chapter.
Agent-M-0167 – I'm glad you found it interesting.
SeddieHeartLand – the Freddie/Lindsey talk happened and he did get to tell her how he felt about everything. It hasn't undone the past, or the damage (even if he may be a little more at peace with it) but as for the excuses she gave... whether you accept them or not, that's what she said and how she felt. As for his last sentence, right there and then he thought of Cat and felt that maybe he'd put things behind him enough for them to move their relationship on. Whether he still feels that way after sleeping on it, I guess we'll find out in the coming chapter, however ...
Guest – you may well have a point. There's often a little anxiety when you want to take that step with a new girl and, given Freddie's history, maybe a little more. I'm sure he and Cat will talk more about it before it gets to that point though.
Mkpunk – yes, whether or not it's closure and whether the whole weight is off his back, both of those remain to be seen but maybe Freddie can indeed be Freddie again.
Some good points on Jade as well. Maybe she could use her art as an outlet for her pain in some way; we'll see how that works out but I'm glad you feel it's been tastefully done.
That's everyone so here's the next chapter.
Chapter 41: Beck Falls for Tori
Swordplay Fencing studio, 416 S Victory Blvd, Burbank, CA
Thursday, 2nd June 2011.
Freddie took a long draught from his water bottle; the brown-haired teen had just finished a long fencing class and had taken on a number of other students, much to the surprise of his two friends. He now watched as André and Beck sparred together, but the two had earlier been discussing his mood, particularly after the gusto with which he had thrown himself into everything at school today.
"I've not seen him like this… well, ever," the dreadlocked musician had noted.
"I know. He's been like a whole new person all day."
"Any idea why? Not that I'm complaining; in fact I'll try it myself if he has this much energy to throw into finals."
"Well," Beck pondered, "he went off last night right after Tori's song, with Cat, Jade and his ex-, you know, Lindsey?"
"Oh yeah," André confirmed, "we all know Lindsey." The two thought back to the dark days their friend had endured because of what happened with him and the blonde (or at least, what they knew of it).
"Well, whatever happened between them, it looks like it's done him some good."
West residence, Hollywood Hills
They weren't the only ones to notice Freddie's dramatic upswing in mood and energy; Cat and Jade sat in the gothic teen's den, discussing the redhead's boyfriend.
"So has he said much to you today?" the taller girl pried.
"He hasn't really said anything," the cupcake addict replied, "I asked him about it, of course, and I know how happy his mood's been all day but… he just said that he felt better after the talk and that it felt good to finally confront her about it all."
"So he hasn't said anything about…" Jade suddenly looked a little awkward, a sight that caused her best friend to start giggling uncontrollably, "you and him."
The question shut the other girl up; her face became serious in an instant. "No," she shook her head, "I haven't asked and he hasn't said anything. I think it might be too soon, y'know, to spring it on him again right after talking to her; I want him to have time to figure out where he is with it all before I ask again."
Jade nodded, a little surprised at her friend's perceptiveness; she was half-expecting Cat to admit that she had gone straight up to him first thing that morning and asked about it all.
"Well anyway, he looks a lot happier than he has done so hopefully what we did has done him some good."
"And how about you?" Cat asked. "How are you dealing with your arms?"
Jade pulled up her sleeve, revealing the faded marks. "Better," she displayed the forearm to the other teen, "I think, with a little make-up," Cat's eyes lit up, "I might even be able to wear short sleeves again."
"Shall we try?" the red velvet-haired girl dove eagerly into her bag and retrieved a bottle of make-up. Jade smirked at her enthusiasm and willingness to help her; she proffered the arm, flinching slightly as the cold liquid was applied but holding still until her friend was done.
"Yeah," she complimented, "another application in the morning and I don't think anyone would notice if they weren't really looking for them."
"Are you still seeing the counsellor?" Cat asked.
"Yeah," she confirmed, "once a week. I think I'm well over the worst of it but… she still helps."
Swordplay Fencing studio, 416 S Victory Blvd, Burbank, CA
"So Freddie," Beck asked jovially as the trio headed for the locker room, "I never did ask but, what's behind the good mood today?"
"Oh, you noticed?" he grinned; he figured that it had been obvious for everyone really, "well you know Cat and Jade 'persuaded'," the others nodded, having watched the quartet leave and how reluctantly the male member of the group had been to be a part of it, "me to talk with Lindsey last night – it went well; we talked about some of the stuff that went on, how hurt I was, things like that and it's like a weight coming off my shoulders after a long, long time."
"Well I'm glad," André told him, "it's great to see. And, if you have some spare energy, can I have it?" he joked; Freddie laughed.
Benson residence, Hollywood Hills
Marissa had wanted to spend a little quality time with her son when he got home, so he had held off on informing Sam of developments, knowing that she'd want to talk about it rather than just trading a few texts (and even that would have drawn his mother's disapproval). Consequently it was approaching eleven p.m. before he headed for his room, still smiling (something his mother had incorrectly attributed to Cat; he hadn't contradicted her, simply saying that things were going well between them) and finally firing off a text to the Seattle-based blonde. He was a little surprised when she called him almost immediately.
"Hey Sam, I thought you'd be asleep by now," he observed.
"Nah, Carly had some movie on – not enough blood and guts for me in it though."
"Is she annoyed? That you're ducking out to talk to me again without her?"
"I told her I had a guy to talk to. I guess you're close enough that it's not a big lie," she chuckled.
"I love you too, Puckett," he quipped back.
"So you really talked to her? I wouldn't have thought you'd ever want to."
"I didn't," he agreed, "but she got involved in a performance at school that Tori put on – since it was trying to get revenge on a guy they'd both dated, though not simultaneously this time," he clarified. "Anyway, afterwards Jade and Cat practically dragged the two of us to Jet Brew and insisted that we talk, that I tell her everything about what had troubled me since… well, since that night. And it really did help," he sounded happy.
"Then I'm glad. So, what does it mean for you and Cat?"
"Good question. Last night I started to think that I might be ready. Today, well I've been in a great mood all day and I still feel like it's all behind me at long, long last but…"
"Until you try you won't know for sure?" she guessed.
"Yeah, and trying and failing again – I don't know what that would do to Cat."
"Then ask her," the blonde suggested simply.
"Just like that?"
"Can you think of a better way to handle it?" she challenged.
"Not really," he accepted. "So anyway, tell me about you – how are things with your guy?"
A thousand miles to the north, Sam smiled as broadly as he did. "Well," she began.
Hollywood Arts High School
Friday, 3rd June 2011.
"Jade?" Freddie immediately noticed the change of attire of his confidant; she turned to him, smiling happily.
"Hey Freddie, you still in a good mood?"
"Yeah, and you're in short sleeves," he observed.
"Well, like you said, I love to show off my tattoo," she laughed. "And," she held out her other arm; he caught it and peered closely, "see, even you can't really see them without looking closely."
"That's great Jade, really great," he smiled at her.
"Yeah, it looks like everything's coming together for us both now," she agreed. "I carry a sweater just in case something happens and I need to hide them but… it's all good for now."
"Hi-iii," Cat announced her arrival by her friend's locker.
"Hey kittie," he smiled, giving his girl a quick kiss.
"Hey Cat, how are you?"
"Great, really good," she confirmed with a smile. "And I can't wait until Monday!"
"Wishing the weekend away already?" he asked, slightly surprised.
"Yes, because I get to do my costume design class. It's the one I really want to do; I just wish it wasn't so short."
"Well, just enjoy it while it lasts," Jade encouraged her.
"Maybe you can do something with it outside of school?" Freddie suggested. "Once you've finished the course perhaps over the summer see if any of the theatres or studios are looking for some help in the costume department."
"I could totally do that," she smiled, eyes shining.
"But don't we have that Summer in Film that the school's running?" Jade saw a flaw in the plan and Cat's face dropped a little.
"Only during the day – and only for a couple of weeks. It's not taking all summer," he clarified. "I think a whole summer of Sam staying with us would wind up with her and mom killing one another," he finished with a laugh.
"And Carly's staying with you?" Jade sought, and received, Cat's confirmation through a nod of her head. "Well, it should be a great opportunity," she noted.
"And a lot of fun," Freddie smiled in anticipation. "So," he asked his girl as they started walking, "what do you have planned for the weekend? Since you want to get it over with so badly," he teased.
"Well, I'm out of cupcakes so I could do with going to the mall to get some more." Jade rolled her eyes a little at the unsurprising news. "Maybe we could go there on Sunday?" she suggested.
"Sounds good. I'll give you a call, now that Northstar have fixed the glitch with your phone."
"Yeah, it's great that you can call me again but I do miss answering all those calls and getting help for people," she observed.
Sikowitz's classroom
"Hold up, hold up," the teacher called as the bell signalled the end of the day's class; Freddie triumphantly ticked off another box counting down to the end of his time being taught by the balding hippy. "Make sure you finish your scenes; I want you all to perform them on stage during Monday's class."
"So we need to rehearse it a little over the weekend?" Freddie asked his colleagues, Jade and Tori.
"I think we're pretty good with it really," Jade spoke up; Tori frowned a little as she was hoping to hang out with her friends – it was either them or her sister.
"You just have other plans," he teased gently; she grinned guiltily and a faint blush forced its way on to her cheeks.
"The guy you brought to the Prome?" Tori pried.
"Yeah," the black-haired girl confirmed, "we'll be hanging a little on Sunday – and I might just go and say hello while he's at work tomorrow."
"Some people will do anything for free coffee," Freddie elbowed his friend gently in the ribs; she tried her best to glare at him but gave up as it really didn't intimidate him and he just smiled back. Cat, meanwhile, suggested that they go together so she could get her cupcakes, leaving Sunday free for her and Freddie to do something else.
"Will you be rehearsing much this weekend?" he asked Cat as the group made their way from the classroom.
"Uh?" she looked towards Beck and André, who she was partnered with, for confirmation.
"I think we're good," the longer-haired male spoke up eagerly.
"I guess we're good then," the songsmith shrugged.
"Hot date?" Jade challenged her former boyfriend with a smile.
"Yes, I'm seeing Alyssa," he confirmed evenly.
"How's it going for you two?"
"Oh, it's… good," he seemed slightly evasive, something that wasn't lost on any of the others.
Beck Oliver's RV
"Freddie? Come in," Beck greeted his friend and moved aside.
"Thanks, I just thought I'd call in after work and see how things are," he remarked casually as he passed the taller boy at the door.
"No you didn't," the longer-haired teen closed the door and followed Freddie towards the couches. He smiled at the look on the other boy's face and observed, "Freddie – you suck at lying. Misleading? Bending the truth? Yeah you can do that – but outright lies? Not your specialty."
"I blame my mom," he complained, albeit with a grin.
"So what's the real reason for the visit?" he drew two Peppy Colas from the fridge and lobbed one to his guest.
"Thanks. I guess it's because of how you were after class when talking about things with Alyssa. I got the impression that all wasn't exactly well."
"She… she's starting to act like Jade," Beck ran a hand through his hair. "I don't mean that as an insult," he added hurriedly at the look on Freddie's face, "it's just that she's doing some of the same things in complaining about me, about other girls talking to me – which is kind of ironic since that was what led to Jade dumping me and the two of us getting together in the first place," he took a sip of his soda.
"Does she have a point?" Freddie questioned. "I'm just saying," he added as Beck turned to him, a frown building on his face, "Jade complained it, now Alyssa is. Two very different girls have the same issue with you – maybe there's something in it?"
"Girls talk to me; that's not my fault," he raised his voice a little in annoyance.
"No, it's not but… look, Jade always suggested that you maybe… encouraged their attention a little more than a guy in a relationship should. I get it," he added, "I'd have encouraged a lot of attention from Carly back in Seattle and it is always nice when a pretty girl smiles at us, makes us feel good," Beck sniggered and nodded his agreement, "but there's a line and… crossing it just isn't a good idea. Do you shoot these girls down when they start flirting?"
"No," he admitted.
"Maybe you should," he suggested, "tell them you're flattered but you're taken." Then he grinned wickedly. "Tell them you'll keep their number on speed dial in case it changes."
"Yeah," Beck laughed, "Cat would love it if you had a list of interested girls on speed dial."
The master fencer conceded his point with a nod and a grin.
Valentine residence, Hollywood Hills
Sunday, 5th June 2011.
The Valentines had invited Freddie and Marissa over for lunch. On arrival the Head Nurse immediately offered her assistance in the kitchen only to be turned down as her counterpart in the hosting household felt her presence could prove counter-productive; instead she sat with Mr Valentine in the living area. Their offspring had immediately headed for Cat's room for a little privacy and alone time before lunch.
"I know that face," Mr Valentine observed as his guest took frequent glances upstairs. "It's probably the one I wear when Caterina drags your son up there. She does keep the door open though and I trust her not to go that far – especially knowing that we're down here and could go up there at any moment."
"I'm sure Freddie's responsible enough not to do anything either," Marissa replied confidently; it did nothing to stop the two continuing to look upstairs and listen carefully for any suggestion of what might be taking place.
"Did you and Jade have a good day?" Freddie asked.
"Yeah, we saw her boyfriend on his coffee stand, he made sure Jade got an extra large and extra strong coffee so she was happy while I went cupcake shopping," the redhead giggled happily at the memory. "How about you?"
"Oh, work was fine," he disclosed, "people are still breaking their new pear phones so there was plenty to do. I don't think that I'll be out of a job any time soon."
"Well that's good to hear but it's not what I meant," she told him, trying to meet his eyes. With a trace of reluctance he held her stare. "We haven't really talked that much since Wednesday night – and talked about how you feel after talking to Lindsey."
"I'm not really sure what to tell you, Cat," he began. "I do think it helped me – you probably noticed that I've been in a better mood these last few days," she eagerly nodded her confirmation, "and Wednesday night, right after talking to her, something seemed to have fallen into place for me and I started to feel that I might be ready… for more," he elaborated awkwardly.
His girlfriend smiled happily. "But then…" her face began to fall a little again, "as time's worn on, I've started to worry about it. What if we try and I'm still not ready? What would that do to you? To us? I know how much I hurt you the first time and I don't want to do that again Cat," he finished seriously.
"I know you'd never intentionally hurt me," she tried to reassure her boy, "and we don't need to be in a hurry. We can just carry on taking things as they go and, when the time seems right for us, see what happens," she suggested.
"You are too good to me," he praised.
"I know," she grinned back, leaning in for a kiss, which swiftly evolved into another little make-out session; it was one that Mr Valentine, having finally been driven by Marissa's borderline paranoia into checking on them, spotted from the doorway. He studied his daughter and her boyfriend for a few moments before, feeling that he was prying, he turned and headed back downstairs.
Lunch was a successful event for the two families; the teenagers spoke animatedly about their classes and school life while the parents discussed their respective jobs (the issue of the Valentines' legal action against the hospital was skirted around, given that Cat still treated the incident as little more than an adventure). The Bensons eventually left in the middle of the afternoon, promising to return the hospitality soon.
Sikowitz's Classroom, Hollywood Arts High School,
Monday, 6th June 2011.
To Jade's slight disappointment the weather was a little cooler than expected; she still wore a short-sleeved shirt (and nobody had noticed any marks on her arms, thanks in part to Cat's make-up skills) but she also wore her sweater while outside, though she draped over the back of her chair in class. The girl glanced hurriedly at her arm as she removed the article, checking that she had not smeared or rubbed off the make-up in the process; to her relief it was still intact.
Class was almost over; the scene that Freddie, Jade and Tori had put together had been very well received by their peers, though Sikowitz had claimed to be a little disappointed by it, saying that it wasn't exciting enough. André, Beck and Cat hoped that their scene would provide a little more entertainment with Beck playing a criminal being interviewed and the other two posing as good cop/bad cop.
"Just tell us where the girl is," the musician demanded.
"I told you I don't know," the long-haired actor insisted vehemently.
Cat shrugged. "Okay, if you don't know, you don't know." She turned her back on him and took a step away before suddenly spinning around and delivering a sharp slap to the boy's cheek.
"Ahhh!" he yelped; Cat grabbed the front of his shirt and got right in his face.
"Now, do you know?!" she pressed.
"Hey man, get your partner off of me!" he pleaded with André.
"You better tell her what she wants to know," the dreadlocked teen replied casually.
"You got three seconds to talk," the redhead threatened.
"I... I don't... I..." he began before she slapped him again. "Ahhh!" he broke down. "She's in my basement," he sobbed, "she's in my basement."
"Boring!" Sikowitz heckled.
"That was boring?" André challenged.
"Yeah, it was all too predictable. There were no, ahhh, surprises."
"I enjoyed the slapping," Jade supplied; her ex- frowned at her.
"See, entertainment is so much more entertaining, when the characters do things the audience doesn't expect," the teacher tried to explain his viewpoint.
"I don't get what you're trying to say here," Robbie complained.
"You've bewildered everybody," his puppet spoke up.
"All right, okay, maybe I'm wrong," Sikowitz surrendered. "Let's move on to something else." The trio left the stage; Cat slid back into her seat next to Freddie and leant against his shoulder. "Let's talk about our hopes and dreams." He pointed at his favourite student. "Tori."
She pointed back. "Sikowitz."
"What's your biggest hope and/or dream?" he asked her.
She paused for a minute. "Uh... probably to be a pop star, a really successful singer."
Sikowitz burst out laughing at her; Tori looked bewildered and Freddie furious.
"What?" she asked awkwardly.
"Oh, well, maybe you could sing at weddings... for the hearing impaired."
"Okay, this is the craziest class ever," Jade observed; she hadn't enjoyed the unfavourable critique of her own performance or the one that had just taken place and now her teacher was openly ripping his students' abilities. Freddie, meanwhile, was only still in his seat because of the fact that Cat was leaning into him.
"You really don't think I can make it as a singer?" Tori asked in concern, fearing her dreams starting to crumble from the negative feedback.
"Nope," the hippy replied simply; Cat turned to look at Jade in shock; her best friend mirrored the expression.
"You really ARE crazy then!" Freddie fired furiously; the rest of the class sat in stunned silence.
"Ha!" he declared suddenly, smiling at them. "You see? You're all staring at me with rapt attention... apart from Freddie who looks ready to kill me. Why? Because as a teacher, you expect me to encourage my students," he patted Tori's head playfully, "not puke on their dreams. Right?"
The others began to mutter, "Right. Uh-huh."
"This is what I was trying to explain. When characters do the unexpected... oof..." he stumbled a little as he walked onto the stage; the students sat up a touch more in response, "audiences pay attention," he finished triumphantly as he saw their reaction.
"Oh, I have a headache," Tori complained.
"That's lunchtime, get out," their teacher informed them as the bell rang.
"Hey, Jade," Rex called to the gothic teen, "that's a nice new sweater."
"Thanks," she retorted, "it's made out of puppet hair," and she left with a broad smile on her face.
"Dang, woman!" the dummy complained.
"Tori, hang back a sec," her teacher called.
"No," she complained, "I'm scared." Freddie, and Cat as she was holding his hand, paused in the doorway.
"Just listen," he urged her.
"It's ok, you two go on," she told her friends; Freddie nodded suspiciously but allowed his girlfriend to lead him from the classroom.
"How would you like to do something exciting?" Sikowitz asked once the two were alone.
"Uh... could I have more details?" she requested.
"My friend Jenny is a casting director. She's working on a new movie," he explained.
"Movie?"
"Yes, and they need a spunky teenage girl to play the best friend of the lead. Would you like to audition?"
"Wow," she was flattered by the opportunity, "I mean, I know Freddie had that bit part in Miss Fire and I was background scenery in a couple of scenes there but I've never auditioned for, like, a real movie before."
"And I've never done a standing backflip, but watch this. Yeaa!" he attempted the stunt; it didn't go well and he wound up in a heap on the floor. "Oof," he grumbled.
"Are you okay?" Tori checked.
"Uh, not really," he muttered in pain.
Asphalt Café,
Tuesday, 7th June 2011.
André, Beck, Freddie and Tori had all been in the same class (advanced set design) before lunch and so headed to lunch together; they reached their usual table, a little surprised that nobody else was there.
"No Cat?"
"Maybe her costume class over-ran," Freddie suggested, "or she's loving it so much she doesn't want to leave," he grinned as he thought back on the excitement with which she'd described the first lesson she'd had and how much she loved it; she told him that in today's class she would actually be able to start making costumes, having done some sketches and gathered pictures. When asked what she planned to make, she gave a coy smile and told him to wait and see. "And Jade and Robbie are in music?" he looked to the others for confirmation.
"I think so," Beck nodded.
Freddie cocked his head as he heard what was playing through the speakers; it was Beggin' on Your Knees.
"The day you told me, told me you want me…"
"I didn't realise you'd recorded this," he told the singer.
"I didn't. Maybe Anthony recorded all of them and just decided he liked this one," she suggested.
"I don't think Ryder will be happy to have it playing and reminding him of that night," the boy observed.
"It serves him right!" she protested.
"I'm not saying it didn't but… was he really a player?" The others looked confused at the question. "Don't get me wrong, the guy is a jerk and deserved to get called out on what he'd done to you and the others," he might have added even Lindsey but didn't particularly want to talk about his ex-girlfriend, even if things were getting better for him. "But he didn't exactly play you, did he? Used you, which isn't any better, but… Steven played you and Carly…"
"Yeah, thanks for the reminder, Freddie," Tori huffed.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to dredge it up but… the song just seems to fit him more than Ryder."
"It worked with the tune," André shrugged, "and anyway, it is a pretty cool song."
"Not that you're biased at all," Beck smirked; the songsmith just laughed.
Cat ended the discussion of the song as she raced over to them, wearing a costume that she had made in class; she wore a bonnet, a cute dress and carried a crook. "Hi-iii."
To the amusement of his lunch buddies, Freddie's jaw dropped visibly at sight of her.
"Look at the new costume I made. Can you guess who I am?"
Beck spared her an idle glance. "No," he turned back to his lunch as the redhead pouted.
"You're little boy poop," André suggested.
"Little Bo Peep," she corrected grumpily.
"You are and you look absolutely ADORABLE in it," her man praised; she furnished him with a broad smile and patted his arm as she sat down next to him.
"Aww," she simpered. "All right, can I just tell you guys how much I'm loving my new costume design class?" André, Beck and Tori all groaned involuntarily. "And my teacher says I have a gift for knowing people's exact measurements."
Their class concluded, Robbie and Jade joined the gathering. "Hey, peoplese," the ventriloquist greeted them.
"I'm not with him," Jade snapped.
"Hey, Robbie, want me to tell you what size your pants are?" Cat asked him.
"I already know," he replied confidently. "They're a size four."
"Size four?" Jade thought she had misheard.
"Mm-hmm," he confirmed.
"Uh, Rob – that's how they measure girls' pants," Freddie informed him.
"What?" He turned accusingly to his puppet. "Rex, you promised me these were boys' jeans."
"Heh-heh-heh, you've been Rexed," he laughed at his handler.
Tori delved into her bag. "Hey, now we're all here, will you guys take a look at my headshot and resume?"
"Sure," Freddie agreed.
"What for?" Jade asked her.
"I told you yesterday," she complained, before brightening, "Sikowitz got me an audition for a movie," she declared happily.
"Wow," they all encouraged, though Jade looked a little annoyed at what she saw as yet another opportunity going the half-Latina's way.
"You look twelve in this pic," André glanced at the head shot.
"Well, that was the last time I was shot by a professional photographer," she explained.
"My brother got shot by a clown," Cat piped up.
Freddie frowned. "Why?"
"Because my brother kept poking him and saying, 'whatcha gonna do about it, clown, huh?' It happened on the bus."
The teens looked uncomfortably at one another, knowing the stories and woes of the elder Valentine child. "Well, he's getting a little better now," the redhead's boyfriend noted in an encouraging tone; Cat smiled happily at him.
"Great, now I have to find a professional photographer," the would-be movie actress complained.
"It shouldn't be that hard in Hollywood," Jade smirked.
Sinjin, who was walking by, overheard. "Did someone say she needs a professional photographer?"
"Yeah," Tori brightened. "Do you know one?"
"No," he walked off, causing the students at the table to look from one to another.
"Yeah, I don't seem so weird anymore, do I?" Robbie defended himself.
"What did you say, girl pants?" Rex taunted.
"All right, you gotta work on this resume," André came back to the topic at hand.
"What?" the would-be movie star asked. "What's wrong with it?"
"You only have three plays on here," he pointed out.
"Well, that's all I've been in," she reminded him.
"Not really," Freddie countered, "you've done a couple of others, like for finals last year. So mention them and say you've acted in more stuff."
"But isn't that a bit of a lie?" she protested.
"So?" Jade laughed at her naïveté, "everybody lies on their resume!"
"It's not really lying," her ex- mildly contradicted her.
"It's exaggerating," Rex spoke up.
"Did I mention the clown was my cousin Jesse?" Cat asked suddenly; Freddie grinned.
"So, back to my resume," Tori prompted.
"You gotta add more things under special skills," was André's next critique.
"Yeah, you put bike riding as a special skill," Freddie noted.
"Who can't ride a bike?" Jade asked.
"Take a guess," Rex piped up.
"Can you keep any secret?" the ventriloquist demanded.
Freddie gave him a confused look. "If you can't ride a bike - why did you buy Sinjin's after Spring Break?"
"It was a REALLY cool bike!"
Freddie just shook his head and said nothing.
"So, what special skills should I add?" Tori really wanted to get through this before the end of lunch, seeing as her audition was after school.
"Gymnastics?" the songsmith suggested.
"Martial arts?" Beck offered.
"Skydiving?" Robbie volunteered.
"Flirtatious hair flipping," Jade grinned.
"Okay, I do not flip my hair flirtatiously," she defended herself; her friends looked disbelievingly at her.
"Oh, really?" Jade challenged. "This doesn't look familiar?" She adopted her southern belle voice. "'Why, hello boys, my name is Tori Vega. Buy me some liquorice, and I'll give you a kiss."
"I talk nothing like that," she argued. "Seriously," she looked to the others at the table for support, "do I talk anything like that?"
The others leapt on the opportunity to tease their friend a little; they all began to imitate Jade's 1940s voice and flip their hair. "Why no. Not at all." Tori grimaced and held her head shot up in front of her face, trying to ignore them.
"Freddie, can I ask a favour?" the singer asked as they left the lunch table.
"What do you need?" he smiled at his friend.
"Well, I need a ride to the studio for my audition," she informed him.
"When and where?"
"Paramore, after school tonight."
"I think we can arrange that," he confirmed.
"Yay," she gave him a broad, grateful smile.
The Slap Mobile
ToriVega: Yikes! I'm about to audition for a real movie! Ahhh!
Feeling: Terrified.
Paramore Studios.
"So, what was the idea behind this one?" Freddie asked as he eyed his girl. She had changed after lunch from her Little Bo Peep costume but, instead of wearing her usual clothes, she now showed off another of her costumes.
"I'm Supercat," she informed him, striking a pose with hands on hips; she wore a mostly black costume though she wore boots, gloves, a cape and Superman-style briefs all in fluorescent pink – as was the 'C' insignia on her chest, "righter of wrongs and defender of… uh… people who need defending," she finished weakly. "I need to work on that."
"Well the costume is fantastic."
"Do you want me to make you one?" she asked enthusiastically.
"Maybe for Halloween," he suggested, "I don't think they'd like me wearing something like this at the Pear Store," she began to laugh at the thought of him as Technoman or something similar, "and I couldn't wear it along with my fencing uniform," he remarked with a hint of disappointment.
"Maybe I should see how Tori's getting on," Cat suggested.
"Sweetie, I don't think you need to. She'll be out when she's done," he tried to restrain her. She pouted a little but he placated her with a kiss. The couple received a confused look, though, from one member of the studio staff as he did interrupt Tori's audition.
"Go do it," the girl had enthused.
"No," the female studio employee, who was reading the other part of the script, declined firmly.
"Tell him you love him before you lose him," the high schooler insisted.
"But I'm afraid to tell him!"
"Look," she took a step towards the desk that the girl, and the director, were sitting behind, "it's been a really, really long time since I've seen you be happy. But ever since you and Keith..."
The gentleman who had passed the kissing teens in the waiting area entered the room. "Sorry to interrupt," he sounded genuine, particularly as Tori glared at him, fearing that the opportunity could be snatched from her by the break in proceedings. The man then had a few words with the director before turning to leave. "By the way," he added as an afterthought as he approached the door, "did you know that there's a superhero in the waiting room?"
"She's my friend, Cat," Tori explained.
"You brought a superhero?" The director was bewildered.
"Not exactly," she tried to explain, "you see, she and her boyfriend gave me a ride and she, well she loves her costume class at school." She tried to laugh things off.
Having seen someone else invade the room, Cat had decided that it wouldn't hurt if she did the same, despite her boyfriend's misgivings and attempts to stop her. "How's your audition going?" she asked. A slightly worried and slightly more embarrassed Freddie followed her in, intending on apologising to anyone and everyone for their intrusion.
"I'm in the middle of it!" the girl hissed.
"That's so exciting!" she enthused, before turning to the director. "I bet your left arm is thirty-four inches long."
"It is," he confirmed, albeit in confusion at the turn of events.
"Get out, Cat," Tori demanded through gritted teeth; the girl giggled.
"Whoosh," she struck a pose and let her boyfriend lead her out of the door.
"I'm so sorry... uh... where were we?" Tori tried to salvage things once they were alone again.
"I really don't need to see anymore," he declined.
"Oh, you don't?" she commented sadly, fearing the worst.
"You're a fantastic actor," he praised.
"Really?" she asked excitedly. "So, I got the part?"
"No," he responded flatly.
"Oh," Tori was surprised and crushed by the rejection despite his earlier praise.
"But only because you look too much like the star," he clarified.
"I was just thinking that," the girl who had read the other part added immediately.
"Ah, okay, that's... I totally get it," Tori nodded sadly.
"But..." he called as she turned to leave.
"But? But what?" she asked hopefully before trying to calm herself. "I am sorry, I seem too eager, don't I?" and she tried to adopt a faux casual voice. "But what?"
"How would you like to be a stunt double?" the director offered.
"I was just thinking that," his assistant added.
"A st... a stunt double?"
"And you said yes?" Freddie asked incredulously.
"They offered me a job and I took it," the singer almost babbled.
"But you don't do stunts," Cat pointed out.
"I know but they turned me down for the role and then offered me something and I said yes almost before I thought about it."
"Are you sure you want to do this?" Freddie asked; Tori bit her lip, feeling less and less sure by the second.
Sikowitz's Classroom, Hollywood Arts High School
Wednesday, 8th June 2011.
Tori arrived early for class, intending to talk to her teacher. Having slept on the situation she now really didn't want to do the stunt and was hoping that Sikowitz would get her out of it. The man in question was busy drilling holes in coconuts before class as she explained the situation; most of her classmates had, by now, arrived.
"So, I said okay," she concluded setting out the problem.
"Really?" he was surprised to hear that. "I had no idea you did stunt work."
"I don't," she confirmed, "I'm not a stunt double."
"Then why did you accept the job?"
"I don't know," she sighed, thinking that it made less and less sense by the second. "Because I'm stupid."
"Called it on day 1!" Jade declared proudly, performing a double fist-pump as she did. Beck gave her a chiding look, which she ignored, while Freddie tried to keep his face straight as he didn't entirely approve of the girl's comment either.
"All right, wait. Why'd they even offer you a job as a stunt double?" the teacher thought of another reason why she shouldn't be doing it.
"'Cause of my resume," she explained. "Under special skills, I put gymnastics and karate and that made them think that I could do stunts."
"See? You should never lie on your resume..." Jade's voice was full of mock disapproval; Tori glared at her. "Well, that's not a pretty face," she smiled.
"Will you please just call your casting director friend and get me out of this?" Tori begged her teacher.
"You might not want to do that," Freddie cautioned.
"Why not?" she asked.
"You wanna get blackballed in Hollywood?" Jade asked.
"What do you mean blackballed?"
"In this town," Freddie began, "everybody knows everybody."
"You make people mad, word gets around," Sikowitz added.
"And then, no one will hire you," Beck finished.
"I was hoping to get more work after my little appearance," Freddie commented thoughtfully, "hoping that word would get around in a positive way after that."
"There's still plenty of time," Cat hugged his arm gently, "once it hits the theatres next month."
He smiled gratefully while Tori tried to bring the conversation back around to her problem. "So what do I do? Get blackballed or do a stunt and get my face smashed?"
"You know... Stunt doubles rarely get injured," Jade, done with antagonising the other girl, tried to support her.
"Yeah, but..." Tori began.
"And you told them you'd do it..." André reminded her.
"Which is a commitment," Sikowitz piled on the pressure. "And making a commitment is like... Well, take this coconut, for example... brown, spherical, covered with short, fibrous hairs that... What were we talking about?"
Freddie palmed his forehead. "A couple more weeks, Freddie, a couple more weeks," he muttered; Sikowitz overheard him and scowled. The brown-haired boy just stared back challengingly.
"So, what's the stunt you're supposed to do anyway?" Beck enquired, breaking the slightly tense stand-off.
"Fall off a chair," the girl revealed.
"Fall off a chair?" André thought he must have misheard.
"That's the big stunt you're buggin' about?" Jade almost laughed.
"Hah, you big baby," Sikowitz did laugh.
"Well, it could be dangerous," Freddie forced himself to keep a straight face and try to defend his friend, despite finding it every bit as ridiculous that they did; Tori gave him a grateful smile.
"Yeah," she agreed, "I'm not a professional stunt girl. I don't know how to fall off a chair and make it look real. And what if..." Jade gave her a not-too-gentle shove with her boot and sent her to the floor. "Aah!"
"Looked good to me," the black-haired girl smirked.
"So when do you have to do the stunt?" Freddie asked, helping her to her feet and shooting Jade a look that wasn't quite a smile.
"Tonight," she revealed. The others looked surprised at the speed of events. "I guess they just want it doing as quickly as possible."
"Do you need a ride again? I might be able to get you there before work."
"No, I'm good thanks; they're sending a car for me," she explained, rubbing her right hand side. The thought of why she was doing that led her to glare again at a still-grinning Jade.
The Slap Mobile
ToriVega: Well, I now have boot print on my right kidney. Thank you, Jade.
Feeling: Sore.
JadeWest: You're welcome
FreddieB: Play nicely girls
Thursday, 9th June 2011.
"Uh Cat?" Freddie asked as he spotted his girl; he was standing by his locker, getting ready for the first class of the day and spotted her.
"Hi," she walked up to him and embraced him.
"You made another costume?" He eyed her attire.
"I had to, I was inspired!" She clutched his arms and stared into his eyes. "Inspired!" she repeated earnestly.
"What exactly inspired you to dress as Sikowitz?" he asked in confusion.
"He's unique," she argued, "none of our other teachers really have a thing but you could tell at once who I was meant to be."
"Well I can't argue with that," he conceded, "I'd just rather you'd dressed as someone else given how I feel about him."
"Right," she pondered his words, then smiled wickedly. "Maybe some day I can dress up just for you," she purred suggestively, thoroughly enjoying him beginning to stumble over his words while his cheeks turned a fetching shade of crimson. She elevated to her tiptoes and placed a peck on the searing flesh. "Will you wait here while I get my things? Then we can head to class together."
"Sure," he confirmed, "I think I can hear Tori; I'll go and see how she got on with the stunt."
"'kay 'kay, I'll be there soon," the girl skipped off; Freddie shook his head and walked over to see his friend. To his surprise she still wore her dress from the previous day. She also seemed very worked up as she babbled animatedly at André, Beck, Jade and Robbie.
"Hey Tor, how did the stunt go?" he asked without preamble.
"It didn't," she informed him.
"How come? What happened?"
"Well…"
Paramore Studios
Previous day
"You need to head up to the balcony," one of the crew told Tori; she looked up at the elevated part of the set, around forty feet above them.
"Ok," she acknowledged. "I can do this, I can do this," she muttered over and over as she ascended, finding the director sat at a table with the star. Tori wore a pretty, although short, black dress with dark blue, flowery patterns on it.
"The last one was the best," the director told his assistant.
"I know," she nodded.
"Ah, there she is," he spotted the stunt girl, "uh..." momentarily fishing for her name.
"Tori," she supplied.
"Tori, right," he shook her right hand with his and wiped his face with his left.
"I'm sorry, I spat on you," she apologised, wondering what her nerves would make her do next.
"That's okay," he assured her. "Patrice, this is your stunt double," he turned to the star.
"Hi," the two girls shook hands.
"I'm gonna fall off your chair," Tori awkwardly tried to make conversation.
"I appreciate it," the star returned.
"Okay, is this our girl?" a male newcomer asked as he walked up to them.
"Yeah," the director confirmed. "Tori, this is our stunt coordinator, Gene."
"Good to meet you," she had found someone else to shake hands with, trying to keep a brave face and make a good impression on the studio people.
"Really simple stunt," Gene began.
"Right, simple stunt," she repeated.
"Got your chair right here..." he gestured.
"My chair right there?" she echoed.
"… which you're gonna sit on."
"I sit on it," she confirmed happily.
"When the director calls action, you just fall off the chair."
"I fall off the chair," suddenly it didn't sound so bad.
"And through that railing, drop forty feet and hit the ground down there."
That part didn't sound so good to the brunette.
"Through the... and drop, and hit the... whoa, through..." she peered over the balcony. "I have to fall all the way down there?" she asked in horror.
"Onto the air sack," he hoped to make it sound better.
"Now, just don't miss the sack, like the last stunt double," the director urged.
"Get outta here," Gene could see the girl was already terrified.
"Wait, wait, wait. The last stunt double missed the sack?"
"Just by a few feet." Gene called down to a few of the studio grunts. "Hey, put the air sack in the right place this time, would ya?"
"Get that dried blood off the floor," the director added.
"Roger," they confirmed indifferently.
"No, no, no, you don't understand," she shot out in fear. "See, I was told I would just be falling off a chair."
"Exactly," Gene agreed, "off the chair, through the railing, plummeting forty feet."
In anxiety her eyes fell on the director; he was talking on his cell phone. "Honey, I am in the middle of shooting."
A piercing voice could just be heard at the other end. "I don't care. Your son's been bitten by monkeys!"
"All right, all right, I'll meet you in the emergency room."
"Hurry up! I have a hair appointment," the woman replied.
"Hey, hey, everybody!" He raised his voice after ringing off; the stagehands turned to listen to him. "Uh... that was my 'wife' on the phone. She took my son to the zoo, and apparently, he was bitten by several monkeys. I gotta get to the hospital so, that's a wrap for the day."
"All right, everybody," Gene called in mild disappointment. "We'll just do the stunt later in the week."
He may have been disappointed; Tori, on the other hand, was elated. "Bye. Thank you, monkeys! Whoo, Whoo," she cried as she raced from the set.
"We have names," one of the grunts called after her.
"Wait, who got bit by monkeys?" Rex asked, not fully following the girl's tale.
"The director's kid," she repeated. "Oh, that reminds me…" she tapped on her phone.
The Slap Mobile
ToriVega: OMG! I was saved by mean monkeys I don't even know! Thank you monkeys!
Feeling: Relieved.
Freddie chuckled as he glanced at his own phone and saw his friend's new update.
"Did he taunt the monkeys?" the puppet asked as he 'looked' at Robbie's phone.
"I don't think you should do the stunt," André observed.
"I have to," she protested. "I'll get blackballed in Hollywood if I back out. I don't wanna get blackballed."
"Then just do it," Freddie shrugged. "It will be safe with the air sack there."
"But what if it isn't?" she turned on him. "What if I end up in the hospital?"
Jade adopted her southern belle voice again. "Well, maybe you'll meet a handsome young doctor, get married and share a soda pop." The others grinned at her suggestion.
"I don't talk like a movie star from the nineteen-forties," Tori snapped; Jade mock-gasped in fake-affront.
Cat, books organised, joined them. "Oh my God, I love your dress," she told the would-be stunt girl, produced her phone and took a picture of it.
"Thanks. It's what I wear in the movie," she told the girl before turning to their friends and finishing, "when I die."
"Um, Cat, what up with the crazy costume?" André asked the redhead.
"I'm Sikowitz," she told him happily.
"I really wish she'd dressed as someone else," Freddie added.
"It's a great costume. Maybe you can dress me for my funeral," Tori suggested.
Cat's eyes shone a little at the idea. "I could so do that." Tori looked scandalised.
"Uh, sweetie," Freddie prompted.
"Not that I want you to die, of course Tori," the cupcake lover added hurriedly, suddenly appreciating the neccesary prerequisite.
"You'll be fine. We're all gonna come down to the set after school, keep ya cool, watch you land safe and sound, right on that air sack... Unless you miss it," he added with a snort. Freddie, Tori and Jade all glared at him. "I don't think you'll miss it," he added hurriedly.
Sikowitz walked past the group and spotted Cat's attire; he stopped suddenly and stared at the girl, who turned to him and began to mirror his movements.
After a few moments of this, the teacher turned and ran off, yelling, "No, no, no!"
"Hey, free period," Freddie cuddled his girl. "It was a good call with the costume after all." She laughed as he nuzzled her neck; Jade smiled warmly at their little PDA.
"Where are you going?" she called as the couple began to walk off.
"The library," he informed them, "we can get a little study done since we won't have Sikowitz's class now."
"Ok, I'm going to get some coffee instead but whatever floats your boat," the gothic girl smiled.
The others stood talking for a few moments before, seeing Tori's mounting apprehension, an idea occurred to Beck; he mumbled an excuse and set off in pursuit of Freddie and Cat.
Library
Cat had just opened her maths book and begun to pore over the latest part that was causing her problems; Freddie would, of course, be helping her with it if asked but she wanted to try and figure it out for herself while he did some of his own work. Beck's arrival interrupted their plans.
"Hey guys," he greeted them in a low voice as he took a seat at the table with them.
"Hi-iii," the redhead smiled.
"Hey Beck," Freddie added.
"Tori's still freaking out," he began without preamble, "she really doesn't want to do it so… I was thinking," the couple looked at him waiting for him to continue, "Cat, you got a picture of the dress right?"
"Uh huh, I have it right here," she smiled, thumbing through her phone until she found the correct snap.
"Can you make a copy of the dress?"
"Yeah, no problem, I can do that easily," she assured him.
"Good, because I'm going to wear it and I'll take Tori's place."
"What?" they asked him in unison, struggling to keep their voices to library level.
"Tori's terrified of the stunt, so I'll do it for her," he explained.
"Really?" Cat asked.
"It's the only way. Otherwise she's going to end up backing out and risk being blackballed."
"I'll do it," Freddie offered; Beck shook his head.
"Dude, for one – your hair is way too short and a wig could come off during the fall. For another… you'd never pass for Tori, you just don't have the physique."
Cat giggled and began squeezing her boyfriend's muscles playfully, signalling her agreement with Beck's second point.
"I guess so then," Freddie conceded defeat.
"I'll get started on it right now," the redhead gathered her things together and gave her boy a kiss as she stood up. "The room should be free; I'll have it finished for you by the end of class."
"Thanks Cat," Beck smiled as she left.
"This is quite a thing you're proposing to do," Freddie observed when the boys were alone.
"Like I say, what other options are there? I have to help my friend."
The Slap Mobile
ToriVega: I'm about to fall off a chair then DROP 40 FEET. I'll miss you, life
Feeling: DOOMFUL
Paramore studios
The teenagers, having arrived with Tori, had received passes, allowing them to be on set and support their friend as she performed the stunt. They watched expectantly as the stage was set on the balcony above them, while other stagehands prepared and inflated the airbag, ready for Tori to land on it.
"I've never been treated so disrespectfully," Rex complained.
"Will you just calm down?" His ventriloquist handler asked.
"No, I'm outraged!"
"You don't need a visitor's pass," André informed him.
"You, Freddie and Robbie got visitors' passes," the puppet explained. "The wicked witch here got a visitor's pass."
"Here," Jade grinned, removing her own pass and pinning it to the puppet's groin; Rex yelped in agony.
"Where's Cat?" she asked Freddie.
"Oh, she's around," he shrugged evenly; so far only the three teens from the library knew about the proposed switch.
"And where's Beck?" Robbie asked, having extricated Rex from his predicament.
"I'm sure he's around somewhere too." Jade narrowed her eyes slightly at the sound of his evasive replies.
Up on the balcony, Tori had just arrived and surveyed the scene; she turned to flee only to be intercepted by a stagehand.
"No, let me go, no," she protested before being bundled over to the table where the movie's star was waiting.
"Hey, you look great," Patrice told her.
"Okay," she thanked her weakly.
"Let's put these on," the director removed Patrice's sunglasses and slipped them over Tori's eyes instead. "Clear the set please."
Downstairs, Cat bounded over to her friends from backstage; she was now dressed as a James Bond-style character. "Hi-iii."
"Yay," Jade was as sarcastic as ever, "Cat made another costume."
"Look, I'm Cat, international spy." The childlike girl used her hands as a gun and made mock-firing sounds. "Pew! Pew! Pew! So, when does Tori do her fall?"
"All right, let's do one," the director had moved to his position close by the teens.
"Oh, here we go," Freddie noted.
"Positions, everyone. Time for work, people. Quiet on set, please. Dan has notes. Last looks, everyone," the director set everything in motion; a still-panicked Tori made one, last-ditch phone call.
"Hey, Tori," André answered.
"I don't care what you do, just get me out of this," she begged desperately.
"Don't worry," her friend tried to calm her. "You're gonna land right on that big comfy sack."
"Cellphones off, please," the director addressed him.
"I've been reprimanded. Gotta go."
"No. No, no, no, don't go," she pleaded. "Don't go... aw, you went," she finished in resignation.
"Rolling," a cameraman called.
"Scene twenty-one apple, take one. Ready, Tori?"
"Yeah," she confirmed in a small voice.
"All right. And... Action!"
Tori yelped in fear.
"Now read the note and spill the coffee and fall," was her direction; she fell the other way, landing on the floor still on the balcony.
"Cut!" the director yelled. "Tori, what happened?"
"I fell the other way," she explained. "I think it worked pretty well."
"No, it didn't," he countered. "You need to fall this way, through the railing."
In a resigned voice, she agreed. "Right. Okay."
"Resetting," a stagehand called.
"Rolling," the cameraman declared.
"Scene twenty-one a, take two. And action."
Tori's phone beeped. "One sec," she called down.
"Uh... what's goin' on up there?" the confused director asked.
"I-uh... I got a text message: I have to pee," she declared.
"You got a text message that you have to pee?" he asked in bewilderment.
"It's a new app called… 'Pee Minder'," she adlibbed. "Back in a sec."
"Pee minder?" Robbie asked.
"You should download that," Freddie suggested.
"Yeah, you should," Jade agreed.
Cat intercepted Tori as she rushed towards the group. "By the... Tori, he's over there," she whispered, directing the girl backstage.
Tori followed her direction. "Beck, Beck," she called in a low voice.
"Yes?" he answered in a falsetto voice, emerging from the back of the room; Tori was stunned to see him wearing the same dress as her. "Beck?" she asked in utter perplexion.
"I'm not Beck," he told her. "I'm you."
"Wait, wait, but how did you... where'd..." she floundered. "Where'd you get that dress?"
"Cat made it," he explained before wiping a hand over her brow. "Are you sweating?"
"Yeah," she admitted, "I think I'm having an anxiety attack. I don't wanna do the stunt. I'm scared."
"It's okay, I got this," he told her calmly before taking her sunglasses.
"Wait, what are you...?" she asked.
"Shh. Wait here."
Tori watched as he ran off. "Wow, do I look that good running away?" she wondered, trying to look behind her as she ran.
Beck, as Tori, ran past his friends as they scoured their phones' app stores.
"Just search the app store," Rex insisted.
"They don't have 'Pee minder'. All I can find is 'Tinkle Time'," Robbie explained.
"I've got 'Squirt Alert'," André offered.
Freddie grinned at his girlfriend. "There goes Tori," he told her; she smiled back.
"Yeah, she's so cute when she's running away," Robbie sighed.
"Yeah," the redhead giggled, "'she' is." Jade looked confused at the smiles that the couple were sharing.
"All right, we're back. Tori, you set?"
In his falsetto voice, Beck confirmed, "Ready." Cat giggled again and Jade eyed the duo suspiciously. "Rolling," the cameraman called.
"Speed," the assistant added.
"Scene twenty-one apple, take three. Action! Pick up your coffee," he directed Beck, "read the note, and spill the coffee and fall!"
Beck fell, crashing through the railings and landing on the sack with a groan.
"And cut!" the director cried euphorically. The Hollywood Arts kids applauded the successful completion of the stunt. "Perfect."
"Thanks everyone. Be right back," Beck called in the same high voice, keeping his face hidden as best as he could; he fled backstage and, a few moments later, Tori returned to take her acclaim.
"Wooo! Uh-huh. Did everyone enjoy my stunt? I know I did," she declared.
"See, it wasn't so bad, was it?" the director asked.
"No, it was fun," she brushed it off.
"You wanna do another take?" he offered.
"No, I do not," she declined forcefully.
Parking Lot
Tori had left in André's car, Beck had taken Robbie home, meaning that just Cat, Freddie and Jade remained of the teenage friendship group.
"Y'know," the gothic girl began thoughtfully, "a lot of strange things went on there. You and Beck disappearing," she eyed Cat carefully, "Beck being nowhere to be seen all afternoon, Tori going from terrified to doing the stunt after her pee, having a voice that was nothing like her own," she adopted the oft-used nineteen-forties actress voice for emphasis, "and then once the stunts done she races off and then back?" She folded her arms in front of her chest and turned to Freddie, "anyone would think that she didn't actually do the stunt."
The couple turned guiltily to one another.
"It does seem that way when you put it like that doesn't it," Freddie volunteered as casually as he could.
"Well, I just hope Tori remembers to thank him," the black-haired girl observed with a smirk.
Swordplay Fencing studio, 416 S Victory Blvd, Burbank, CA
"So how did you find the stunt?" Freddie asked Beck as they sat watching André fence.
"It was good fun," he smiled. "Walking in heels was tough – I don't know how girls do it – but the actual stunt, the fall? Piece of cake."
"So you're thinking of a career as a stuntman?"
"God, no," he laughed, "I still want to act, be a 'proper'," he air-quoted, "actor – though I guess, like we said, a bit of networking, name recognition, word-of-mouth, maybe it will help."
"Yeah," Freddie agreed, "so it's a shame none of them know that you actually did the stunt."
The taller boy nodded as the point occurred to him.
The Slap Mobile
Wooo! I did my stunt. Kinda. Sorta. Well... ah, shut up.
Feeling: Guilty.
Hollywood Arts High School,
Friday, 10th June 2011.
"Freddie!" Tori called breathlessly as she finally found him; he was stood talking to Cat and Jade by his locker as they prepared to leave for the weekend.
"Hey Tori," he smiled back at her.
"I've been looking for you because… we're going back to the studio."
"Why?"
"I asked Sikowitz. I wanna do the stunt for real."
"Why?" Jade asked.
"Well…"
Sikowitz's classroom,
"Pleeeease?" the girl had begged the teacher who, for reasons known only to himself, was hanging upside down in his room, like a bat.
"Why?"
"'Cause I'm mad at myself for chickening out. I feel like a weenie," she explained.
"The world needs weenies. Without weenies, who'd wear turtlenecks?"
"I gotta do the stunt," she insisted.
"Look, why don't you just..." he began.
"Come on, just call your casting director friend and get us on the set. Please?"
"Very well," he acquiesced.
"Yay, thanks. Hey, why are you upside down?"
"Why are you right side up?"
"He really is messed up, isn't he?" Freddie shook his head.
Paramore Studios
"You ready for this?" the director asked; Tori stood on the balcony, air sack beneath her and her friends watching expectantly.
"You can do it, Tori," Freddie encouraged her.
"Come on, Tori," Cat echoed.
"It's a long fall," Jade called, albeit with a broad smile on her face.
"Okay, here I go. Here I go. Here I go. I can't do it," she surrendered.
"I've got to get to work soon," Freddie complained, glancing at his watch; Jade rolled her eyes impatiently at her friend's attempts to back out again and headed for the stairs to the balcony.
"Don't be a weenie," Sikowitz urged her.
"Okay, I'm gonna count to three. No, no, ten. I'm gonna count to ten and then I'm go..." she was interrupted and began screaming as Jade appeared behind her and pushed her off the balcony; she plummeted to the air sack. Her friends cheered wildly as she landed on it. Tori struggled to her feet and turned in annoyance to the confident-looking girl on the balcony.
"You're ever so welcome," Jade adopted her southern belle voice again.
"I don't talk like that!" she snapped back.
"You made it," Freddie praised.
"Whoo," Cat cheered; Jade returned to ground level and joined them. The two girls, slightly reluctantly, hugged one another.
"So, do you feel better now?" Jade asked as the students left the studio; Freddie had already left, needing to rush to work but the others were lingering in the parking lot, aside from Beck who was still chatting to the director.
"You mean after you pushed me off a balcony for a forty foot fall?" Tori glowered.
"Admit it," the other girl retorted calmly, "you'd never have gone through with it if I hadn't."
"You did seem reluctant," Cat added.
"I was getting myself ready for it," the brunette insisted.
"Yeah, counting to three, then ten, " her black-haired rival countered, still smirking, "what next? Give it five minutes and try again?"
Tori frowned for a few seconds; to nobody's surprise it didn't trouble Jade at all. Finally she relented, "thank you," she mumbled.
"Any time," the girl smiled, "I enjoyed it."
Tori glared anew while Cat and Jade laughed.
AN: That's it for this chapter. Thanks for reading and I hope to see you soon for the next chapter. In the meantime, feel free to let me know what you thought of it. PD.