Disclaimer: Don't own.
:}
Jade closed her eyes to once again curse her one time frenitmy for what she'd done. 'I was all set to work on becoming a film maker. An actress and director and producer, and she goes and flips the script. And now, now I'm…' Her mind reeled at the thought of how much one Latina had changed everything. She didn't have the time to do more then reflect on what had changed. What, and who.
Jade had found herself on the outside when her plan, a collage scholarship, was shattered by a series of events, including her father first telling the schools he could pay, then telling her she was on her own. Only, it was Tori Vega, good natured, always lucky Tori Vega, who got the scholarship she wanted, heading off to school at Cal Arts, while Jade was left to find another way to make some money.
Tori wasn't the kind of filmmaker Jade was. She studied music, and acting, and would have been just fine at NYU, where they have a killer theater arts program. Still, the singer started at Cal Arts, only to pull some miraculous bait and switch, getting her no talent sister in instead. The older girl transferred, somehow taking not only Tori's spot, but her scholarship.
Trina had finished her degree, and was showing the world she had a vision, one that, once she calmed the chiz down, was something the world wanted to see. Trina's first film Michael Bay'd it, winning no critical approval whatsoever, but made a bucket load of money. The girl understood people, so her stories, often relatively simple tales told with overly complicated, action filled plots, were finding audiences. 'It's just, explosions are no substitute for a plot twist.' The goth thought to herself.
Tori had then, in her ongoing push to ruin Jade's plan, found herself working for Neutronium. The singer wanted to expand beyond her limited success as a singer and performer, heading off to find herself another degree to peruse. 'She couldn't wait for the ink to dry on her own contract before she founded her own sub-label under the Neutronium umbrella. Of course, it was at Trina's recommendation, to help Andre. But does she sign Dre? No, not Dre, cause he had his own contract, at RPX. Not Dre, not Cat, not even Rob. Trina wanted to be the first artist signed, but Tori got her into Cal Arts instead. No, it was me, struggling, going to Northridge Community Collage while I worked two jobs me, who she came to. Told me she needed a chizzing success, right out the door, and her own contract had another album on it.'
For that moment, Jade's rage faltered, as memories, other memories, surfaced. "Course, Cat didn't wanna sign, having decided, after some indecent in Arizona, she wanted a more quiet life. No, Cat went and made herself a babysitting business, where they license and monitor babysitters. Her whole business is based on hiring a bunch of kids, teens, to work for her. Cat's "Empire" isn't that big, just a safe, secure business of babysitters who pay a percentage of their income to he company in return for the training, the benefits, and the protection of knowing the company is watching out for them. Must have been Sam's idea, cause Cat isn't the kind to think of something like that. Only Sam, she goes and finds herself some other way of making a living, leaving Cat in the very unfamiliar territory of running a business. And of course, Beck HAS to save the damsel in distress.'
That brought up the very uncomfortable thought of what had happened to her ex. 'Beck, you never gave up, just decided the level you wanted to work at. Even when Trina offered you rolls, you red lined it, never took a role larger then background, a few lines. Instead, you focus on community theater, along side Cat, and spend time helping her run her business. And of course, that kind of relationship leads to complications, like you and Sam, SAM, hooking up. You and Sam…' For a second, a tear, regret, slid down her face. Only, it was over before it began.
'I fucked up, cause I let you seduce me.' She exhaled, even as a man knocked on her door, letting her know she had five minutes. "You came to me, speaking of a recording contract, all the while knowing you were gonna fuck me, one way or another. Either I let you have my body, or my heart, and you went and took both." She'd shifted, speaking out loud, secure in the knowledge she had this room to herself. "And why? Cause you needed someone on this fucking sub-label, someone who could succeed, and so you came to me. Rob was an option. Fuck, he's signed to your label, except he does comedy music, and as such, isn't the kind of hit-maker you'd wanted. No, I had to get you to sign him even as I started editing his music, so his songs didn't tell people to do stupid things. Boy has far to much interest in broken glass….."
Calming down, she recalled the long nights she'd spent, first working with the boy to make his music appropriate, then laying in bed next to her lover, to convince the girl that Robbie would make the label money. 'He does, as long as I'm his producer. Makes us enough that right now he's the labels number two draw. Only, how the holy fuck did I become number one?'
"Miss West, your on." Came through the door, and Jade let go of her ritual reality check, and headed off to live her rival turned lovers dream, as a major musical attraction. Jade sang rock music, often with heart, always with a deeper meaning then the pop trite she'd been exposed to for far to long. And while the singer had been promised acting jobs, cause Trina had wanted to turn her into an actions star, she just didn't have the time yet. 'Rob and me, always working on new music, often Skyping just to workshop something new, cause we're it. The label needs us to keep churning out hit albums until Tori can find herself a few new acts. It like, how the holy hell did I wind up here?' She wondered once last time, before the looked out at thirty thousand people anxious for her show. "Showtime…"
:}
Thought I'd give you a positive to counterbalance the darker short story I just gave you. Something fun…
Thoughts?
