Disclaimer: I don't own Victorious, or Glee, or any of their characters. I did borrow a few, and promise to give them back, if I can just get a forwarding address…

:}

Jade walked through the halls, not sure why she'd agreed to this school. 'Beck insisted, but god, why? I mean, I was gonna go to CalArts, major in film, but he insisted I attend this school, and do a double major.' The pale girl reminded herself. 'Beck's going to school in the actors studio, taking extra classes here, so I agreed, cause why the hell not. Besides, Julliard is so over done...'

The truth was, NYADA (The New York Academy of the Dramatic Arts) was an exclusive school, kinda like CalArts, in that it was founded by members of the industry to compete with NYU as the best school for musical theater, with extra majors added to help draw in students. The whole school only had a few dozed students, taking maybe forty total per year, plus another five special cases. The real draw was, of course, that the students could double major in musical theater and just about everything they wanted, using resources from neighboring schools to gather the class material they needed. It's alumni wasn't that impressive, but the school's goal wasn't producing major stars, just the best. They believed, for whatever reason, that just being the best, being prepared, would guarantee success.

Jade wasn't so sure.

'I only applied because there was no way I was getting in.' Jade reminded herself. 'Yea, this school has way to many contacts in the profession, but it doesn't really produce that many stars. Just people who can fill any roll. Maybe that's what they really wanted, making sure you can work, cause yep, the graduates from this school work. They fill chorus lines, play supporting characters, always working in some aspect of theater or another, but only rarely do they become the main focus. That's not what NAYADA does. NAYADA produces working actors, which I suppose is why they only charge half of what every other private university in New York charges. This school is for those serious about being a performer. My job, then, is to be one of the few success stories from this school. I need to be a star, and this lame ass school is my next step.'

"Miss West?" Carmen Tibideaux drew the girl out of her own self. "So glad you could make it. I have high hopes for your abilities as a singer. Now, I've had high talent singers before, and I appreciate the difficulties you'll face in remembering that, while we encourage you to express yourself, when we ask for an assignment, the parameters we give you are the limits you'll be allowed."

"Had a bad seed before?" Jade asked, trying to sound amused.

"Just had the most promising student make what I felt was a bad decision." The singing dean stated. "You're one of mine, and I don't wanna see you make the same mistakes."

"I probably won't." Jade tossed out, somehow sounding like she didn't really care. 'I'm only here because of Beck, and because, like the myth of Stanford, there's money here, once you get in. I got a full ride, all because Beck got my audition to the right woman. Don't know who this June Dollaway is, but if she's willing to pay for my education, my dorm, food, books, everything school related, then I'm all in for this experience. Besides, this way, I'm no longer competing with Vega.'

"I just want to make sure." Madam Tibideaux said. "Miss Dollaway is very particular about who she patronizes, and she chose you. This is a major contribution to the school. We wouldn't want her to think less of us for not doing everything we could to encourage you to be the best you possible. Miss West, quite simply, you've been endorsed by someone with a lot of friends on Broadway, and it's up to me, as one of the deans you'll be answering to, to make sure she gets a return on her investment."

The goth was honestly flattened by that admission. "I… I'm only here because you offered me the full ride." She confessed. "I'm gonna be a filmmaker, a writer. I wanna create, and this, it's a means to an end. If I had a choice, if I could have afforded it, I'd have stayed in Los Angeles, at CalArts, cause..."

"I'm sure Disney would have been happy to know that the school they helped found is maturing talent like yours." Miss Tibideaux stated, sounding way more patient then she had at the required audition. "And yes, as a filmmaker, that school would probably been one of the best choices. But for you, my dear, this is the school for you. The Brooklyn film school, New York Academy of Film, and similar schools work with us to help you get the classes you need to really understand the subject mater. But the real treat is that there are several schools on the east coast that will help you develop your talents as a writer. When you're done, you'll be able to write for just about any format, any genre. Film, television, theater, musicals, drama's, comedy, you'll have the basics down, and would be able to produce the kinds of materials you've always wanted to, but just lacked the resources. Miss West, we at NAYADA build connections, contacts, just so we can provide our students those opportunities to study whatever they like, as long as they are studying dramatic arts, and are also taking one of our majors. You study voice, and we'll produce the rest."

"Thanks, but why the pep talk?" Jade asked. "Doesn't your waiting list have a waiting list?"

"It would, if we accepted that many students." The theater Diva said. "We can take upwards of fifty students per year, with my major being able to absorb ten. However, I rarely fill more then eight slots, sometimes nudging upwards of nine if someone who'd applied impresses me during the school year. Rarely happens. We don't rely on the students to pay the bills, but the donations from our patrons and alumni. We're not interested in filling seats so much as accepting those who have the talent, ability, and drive to make it in this industry."

"Then why haven't I heard of more of your graduates?" Jade felt the need to fight, and lashed out with that question as a result.

"Because most of our graduates don't seek out the kinds of starring roles that build fame in the public eyes." Madam Tibideaux said. "They work behind the scenes, or work steadily, building a career. The kind like you, like the girl I recently lost, those students are hard enough to hold onto, because talent often is discovered, made famous, before the student is close to ready. No, I expect you to hold out for the full education, become a filmmaker, but do the school proud and make a name for yourself. Frankly, we need the addition to our brochure."

:}

Just something I wrote a while ago to mix to shows, and I felt it better explained nayada then anything anyone else has said.

Thoughts?