Trina drove home as quickly as she could. She had to get home before Jade showed up. Only the difficulty of running in her customary heels, a necessity of anyone who wanted to be remembered as the big sister while being over two inches shorter than her, slowed her down. Tori wore heels, so Trina's had to be bigger just to keep up the appearances. Trina didn't want to spend too much time thinking about it as she ran into her home. She didn't know how long she had, and there was coffee to make.

"So whats so important that you needed to talk to me off schedule?" Jade sounded wazzed. The black belt was sitting on one of the couch pieces, watching the door.

"How did you get in here?" Trina asked. "Is someone home?"

"You really need to start locking your front door. It's just embarrassing sometimes." Jade said, smirking. The anger was gone, for the moment. "So why the need to talk to me now? And why the desperate call? I was going to be here anyway in about half an hour."

"I need to talk about something, something not related to martial arts. I need to talk about my talents." Trina said, sounding a bit nervous.

"You have talent?" Jade shot back.

"Jade, I need you to be the mentor I was supposed to get with my black belt trainer. I've had a crises of confidence, and I need something real from you." Trina kept her tones under control, so she didn't sound like she was whining. She'd started pacing, but not too much.

"So what exactly do you want from me?" Jade said, sounding just a bit unsure of herself.

"I need honestly. What I'm about to tell you may shock you, but I know I'm not the chiz. I also know that as long as I act like I am, people will treat me like I am." Trina said. "What I need to know is, if I can fight, why can't I seem to do the dance routines in class? I don't synchronize well." Trina looked hurt, almost devastated. It must have been incredibly hard for her to say it, possibly the first time in her life she admitted it to herself.

"..." Jade couldn't form words. She wanted to say something snarky, but Adam kept showing up in her mind. She had no idea how he'd handle this. It was a crisis of faith, and Jade was going to shape Trina's future with whatever she said. Every part of her dark, twisted heart wanted to tear into Trina, but the part of her that limited bullying, even to the point where she restricted herself from saying thing she later regretted when Tori was feeling down, screamed for her to be supportive.

Trina just watched as Jade fought with herself. If the goth had known how lost Trina had been all day, how a humorous thought had turned against her and forced this moment out, Jade would still be in the same situation. It was outside her comfort level, and the one skill she'd need to be a great teacher.

"You just need to stop trying to force the world to meet you on your terms." Jade heard. It took a second to realize she's said it. "You can dance, and probably damn well. Even if you're not a talented dancer, you're plenty talented as a martial artist, and the two things are related. As for the singing, I can't help you there. I fear you might be tone deaf. But acting, I think I know whats wrong with you there, as well." Jade shifted to look more clearly at Trina, patting the seat next to herself. It was time for a long heart to heart with Trina Vega.

"Okay, tell me how I can get better rolls." Trina said, slowly moving to sit next to Jade. They looked at each other, and both were nervous. Honesty was something most people didn't get, too many social rules keeping people from sharing it except in confrontational ways. Today, their relationship was that of teacher and student, and as the teacher Jade was expected to give feedback.

"Simple. Tone it down. You work so hard to get across whatever emotion you want to convey, but understated works so much better. I can help. I'm not saying you'll be in lead rolls, ever. I'm saying that Sikowitz believed in you enough to give you a role in 'Steamboat Susie', and he had a LOT of choices. Also, you can cry on demand." Jade sighed, running her hand through her hair. "It's gonna take a lot of work, basically retraining you to act. I have to believe, since Sikowitz saw something in you, that you can do it. When were done, maybe you could do action movies. A lot of the acting in those is beyond cringworthy. I mean, they have wrestlers who star in that chiz."

Trina smiled. It had never occurred to her that there was competition for that bit part she'd had in that stupid play. Of course there was. If nothing else, there were dozens of freshmen who'd have loved to have had that part.

"Do you think I'm that bad?" Trina said, smiling.

"I think you don't know how to be natural. You're always acting, kinda like me. I'm dark and dangerous, while your... You're the diva in training. Now it's time to step back and change both our lives, and the first step is to get you a boyfriend." Jade smiled.

Trina looked at the younger girl, not sure what to think. "Not that I mind, but how is this going to help me be a better actress?'

"You're like this with everything. Take Beck, for example. You don't win someone like him by telling him how hot you are and then expecting him to jump at the chance to date you. There has to be a dance of flirting, interest. You have to learn to act natural when you insides are screaming to do something to win his affections." Jade said.

"I know that. I just get carried away when I see something I want. Didn't you go gaga over Moose?" Trina said.

"Never bring that guy up again. I was attracted to him until I won him. How do I respect someone who lets me boss them around. I need what Beck brought to the table, someone who challenges me. Someone who won't be a doormat in the relationship." Jade smiled.

"Someone like Tori?" Trina said. Jade's smile slipped from her face.

"I-I don't know, what? I-I mean, I'm not interested in your sister." Jade stammered.

"Just her rump." Trina said. Then she decided to give Jade an out. "So you used this dance of seduction to get Back? Tell me the story."

"Okay, I didn't quite do that. I kinda threw his previous girlfriend into the duck pond at the local park. Then I introduced myself. He took it from there." Jade looked down. "Maybe I'm a bad example. What I meant to say was guys want the pretty girls, and your prettier than a lot of the girls who go to our school. The problem is, your competition for the guys is the other pretty girls. You need to bring something else to the table."

"And what do you bring?" Trina asked.

"I'm really hard to get. If they want to be with me, they need to prove they can take it. Believe it or not, that challenge draws some guys to me." Jade's smile faded so fast it hurt.

"Jade, I think you need to step back and think about something. Tori's desperate to be your friend. And she challenges you. I can talk to her, find out if she's interested. Maybe then, you could have something with my sister." Trina said.

"Stop distracting me. Bottom line, you stink of desperation, and that turns people off. You want something, you hafta be okay with not getting it. That way, the guys won't see anything more than the flirting, and the directors will see you being more open, relaxed and natural. From there, we work on getting you comfortable in other peoples skin." Jade smiled at the weird thought. Method acting was a mind trip, but it might work for Trina. "Common, lets go out back and work on your form."

The two girls were still working two hours later when Trina's friend Amber called, to remind her that they were going to hang out at the mall. "Jade, I totally forgot, I'm hanging out with Amber Hannagan today. Wanna come with?"

"Not my thing, but you go have fun." Jade said. They'd made some progress today, and Trina was starting to make the moves a little more natural. Jade walked the older Vega sister out, and went to her own car. This new relationship with Trina was a lot more intensive than she thought it would be. She had a lot to think about.

:}

Bonding. It's a wonderful thing.