A/N: And we're back!
I promised to have the first chapter out in April and here you go!
I will do my best to regularly update both this and Stuntwoman weekly. Once Stuntwoman is done, as it is shorter, I might be able to increase my output for this one. We shall see. Now that the weather is finally nice, I'm able to unwind with some outdoor activities.
This is a new story, so please like and follow; drop a review, send the link to this story to your friends and enemies!
Because of you guys this story was possible and I hope to live up to the hype. ENJOY!
Since it's been a little while, why not have a quick recap of our main players before we begin:
TORI VEGA - The principal of Hollywood Arts. After a brief music career that fizzled out as quick as is started, she went into education. Eventually, she supplanted Helen as the administrator of her old alma mater. Her reunion with Jade began a journey toward finally facing her depression spurred by her late husband's death.
JADE WEST - A celebrated horror novelist. The now gay divorcee moved back to L.A. to enjoy time with her only child in peace during the school year. All of that got turned on its head when her kid and Tori's kid became friends, forcing the two former classmates to confront their complicated feelings for each other.
MIA VEGA-LARSON - Daughter of Tori Vega. Once a hot-tempered rebel, she began to turn her life around when she enrolled in Hollywood Arts. Her love of dance and desire for human connections were all but severed by the sudden death of her father. But the good friends she's made helped bring out her best.
ALICE DOYLE - Daughter of Jade West. She is a scrappy little optimist who values the friends she has made. She is the spitting image of her mother, but couldn't be any more the polar opposite in terms of personality (at least at this age). The young teen was shy at first but has grown into a feisty girl who would stand up for anyone.
LAUREN JACKSON - Mia's first high school friend. She is the voice of reason in the friend group; the first to break up a fight or cut through a person's defenses. She's a gifted singer, which enticed the joining of forces with Chase in a song contest. The pair grew closer than friends as they spent more time together.
CHASE BROOKS - Snarky delinquent from Nashville, TN sent by his parents to live with his uncle. He was reluctant but stumbled on a talent he never knew he had when his uncle showed him how to play the guitar. Gets along with his friends but his connection with Mia is special as they bicker but also get each other's backs like siblings.
JENNA PARKER - Transfer student from Pitney High, the jock traded in her basketball jones for the acting bug. Being the tallest girl in school made her stand out from the other theater babies, but she proved she could hold her own on the stage. While quick with the quips like Chase, her athletic prowess usually make people back off.
RYAN SHAPIRO - Son of Robbie and Kate Shapiro. While his handsomeness and good nature endears him to most people, the apple doesn't fall too far as he is a real geek when it comes to tech and designing stuff. Plus, despite his rizz, he can be an awkward mess at times.
BILLY MOSIER - Aspiring actor and boyfriend of Jenna. Coming from a well-meaning, if not overbearing family, he has the ability to make others around him feel comfortable. That would often come from him taking the brunt of the embarrassment.
BECKY HOULT - Another student of acting. Ever since working under Alice's direction, she developed a crush on the freshman. Hampered by anxiety that only increased upon admitting to her own queerness, she is faced with the herculean task of trying to ask Alice out.
Alice felt a tickle on her nose and waved it away, trying to hold onto her sleep.
Mia grinned devilishly as she leaned over the back of the sofa. She then continued to gently assault her friend with the feather duster.
Now that the smaller girl shifted to her side, Mia switched strategies and went for her ear.
"GAH!"
Alice sat up so fast, she almost fell off.
Her eyes narrowed when she turned her head and saw Mia covering her mouth.
"Hey, knock it off!" she protested.
"Just trying to wake you up," Mia teased. "Not my fault you decided to stay up all night reading fan fiction."
She pointed to the older girl.
"I will not have fan fiction insulted in my presence!"
"Whatever, nerd!" she scoffed.
Alice stretched and planted her socked feet onto the floor.
"You try to use that word against me but I happen to wear the title of nerd with pride."
"Well, don't fill up on pride because breakfast is on!"
Mia chuckled as she pulled her partner in crime into the kitchen.
Tori's ears perked up at the sound of the two girls fussing their way to breakfast. It felt so good to have this home full of laughter and just...energy again.
"Hey! There she is!" grinned Tori, plating some sunny side up eggs. "Miss sleepy head still takes her eggs over easy?"
Alice shook her head.
"I can take it like this," she said, sitting down. "Thanks, Tori. Where's my mom?"
"In the shower," Tori sighed. "She should be out soon."
Jade and Alice had spent the night at Tori's to kick off the following Saturday. They were going to hang out for the day whilst helping around the store. These sleepovers have been happening a couple times a week. Alice had grown to see the Vega domicile as a second home. In the beginning, the weekends for Jade and her daughter had been rather lazy and uneventful. Now, they've become this kind of blended family unit, and they were doing a bunch of stuff together.
Mia and Alice grew closer as time went on in lieu of their moms dating. Having grown up without siblings all their lives, they saw so much of each other that it felt like they were sisters. It was easy for them to get used to the whole romance sparking between Tori and Jade, the former being so nice to Alice and the latter being so cool with Mia. While they both loved their fathers dearly, the girls also treasured what their mothers found in each other.
BUZZ...BUZZ...
"What the..."
BUZZ...BUZZ...
"Oh, come on!" Chase groaned.
BUZZ...BUZZ...
He grumbled as he rolled over to see who was calling him at this hour.
When he say who it was, he licked his lips and answered.
"Hey, mom."
"Chase, baby!" came Sheri Brooks' voice. "Good morning."
The boy yawned as he sat up, eyes still closed.
"How's everything going, mom?"
"You're still in bed?" she chuckled.
"Well, it is seven in the morning on a Saturday."
"No, it's not it's only te-OH NO! Oh, honey I'm so sorry! I forgot about the stupid time difference!"
Chase smiled. He loved his mom and she typically meant well. His dad on the other hand, would totally have not called him this early "on accident." Jim would have done the same thing just to fuck with him. But he knew in his heart that his mom would get excited that a detail like that would get past her, so he was quick to forgive and forget.
"It's cool, mom. If you think I can't go back to sleep, you underestimate me."
Sheri's infectious laugh overtook the other end.
"Never changed. Always sleeping in on the weekends! But you've earned it, Chase. I've seen those grades; you really picked them up this year."
"It's no big deal," Chase groaned.
"And modest, too. Who are you and what have you done with my son?"
He could hear the clanging on dishes but no running water, so he figured she must be drying and stacking.
"So...any plans for the day?"
"Some of my friends are working at the record shop and I was gonna stop over and say hi. Then...I dunno."
Chase could hear some activity going on, footsteps, zippers, keys, etc.
"What's going on?"
"Oh, just your father getting ready for work. He had to work today to make up for being late this week. He's in a rush so I'll just tell him you said hi."
The teen rolled his eyes and exhaled.
"Sure, whatever."
"Oh, I can tell from your voice that you're still tired. Hope you're not staying up too late. Sleep is important."
"I'll message you later, okay?"
"Looking forward to it! Still Can't believe you're past your third year of high school!"
Chase smirked and plugged his phone in.
"No matter how big you get, you're still my best baby!"
"Mom, please never say that again."
"Okay, mister man! Just remember next time I hug you, I'll be thinking it."
"Thanks, mom" he sighed.
"Go back to bed, sleepy!"
"Bye."
"I love..."
She hung up midway through her goodbye. Must have hit the button by mistake.
It was confirmed through an immediate text that said: "I LOVE YOU!"
He texted her back that he loved her, too.
Chase then nestled back under his blanket and shut his eyes. Fortunately, he wasn't a light sleeper and could easily go back to slumberland.
Steam filled the bathroom as Jade ended the hottest of showers.
The rest of the gang started taking their showers the night before, worried that Jade's desire for boiling hot aqua would deplete the building's supply. Nobody wanted to start their day with an arctic bath.
The writer was settled in Tori's place, more so than when she was going out with Beck. The girl spent the night there more than once, but it was never so serious that she kept a toothbrush and even a change of sleepwear handy. Tori was so loving and so warm, she was the one who insisted on having these things. It got to the point that either one of them spending the night at the other's place felt natural.
Only on those extra special nights at Jade's would the couple share a bed. And that was okay. It just made those times even more special.
But everyone over at Tori's was fun, too. It was like having a big family sleepover. They would watch movies, order out for dinner; it was just a cozy night in. One night they even played Monopoly, which was unheard of in their high school days. One such event happened at Cat's house:
[FLASHBACK]
"What kind of board games you have in this closet?" Tori asked.
"Let's see..." Jade studied the shelves. "Oooh, a Ouija board!"
"No, we're not playing that" protested Tori.
Cat poked her head in and spotted another flat white box.
"Hey, there' Monopoly!" the redhead suggested.
The Latina got right next to the goth's face in the cramped closet.
"Where the HELL is that Ouija board?"
[END OF FLASHBACK]
Jade grinned how she won Tori toward the dark side that night.
Apart from the scalding temperature of the water, another thing that made Jade's showers notorious was their length. Her mind had the tendency to wander, whether it was sorting her plans for the day or when she was frisky, imagining a certain tan beauty joining her.
But she didn't want to pressure her. They would get there when they get there.
Jade turned off the shower and wrapped the big dark blue towel around herself.
She gazed at her reflection in the mirror, practicing faces of seduction in preparation for the off-chance that Tori would surprise her.
"Tori, I'm not...decent," she whispered with a raised eyebrow.
(Okay, you have her. Now what?)
The question crawled up her back and sat on her head, refusing to leave. Looking back at herself, that knowing "come hither" smirk was replaced with a frown.
(I don't...really...know.)
Lauren stretched after sitting up in bed.
It was not a great sleep last night. Not that she had a nightmare. Her mind was just...busy.
She yawned as she reached for her phone and checked out Twitter.
There was an assortment of feeds she was shown, based on her previous searches and personalities she followed. A couple of news outlets, all independent and impartial. Rather than following a single source, Lauren made it a habit to vet a story by checking multiple bodies to ensure its validity. She did not want to be one of her relatives running to Facebook with the latest unchecked headline or doctored photo. Lauren also was given different entertainment news updates, mostly centered around music.
One hashtag grabbed her attention: #tundracover
This was in reference to acclaimed and inexplicable Broadway producer, Xavier Tundra. Rumors have been circulating about a new project he had been teasing. Just for fun, Lauren would click on that hashtag a couple times a week to see the latest info.
Lauren clicked on it and apparently it had been blowing up this week.
She read one tweet:
"It's HERE! IT'S HERE! Xavier is coming to Hollywood on June 16! He is holding auditions for actors. Singing is required! You know what that means! Xavier's new musical is coming and I'm going to try out. Hope I get it! #tundracover"
Lauren scanned through some more recent tweets, all harboring the same level of excitement.
The teen stood up at last and discarded her cell onto the bed.
She wandered to the vanity mirror and regarded her reflection closely. Lauren sighed at the bags under her eyes. They were the only blight against her flawless chestnut complexion. When she was eleven, Lauren was hit hard with acne but was able to clear it up during middle school. She tugged at the skin beneath her left eye with the tip of her finger.
Her eyes darted to the photo of her and Chase, hugging one another, Lauren's arm just out of frame as she was taking the selfie.
Lauren smiled warmly.
(I could have full luggage beneath my peepers AND a total breakout, and that boy would still think I was beautiful.)
The singer had a lot to be thankful for: good family, strong friend group, a boyfriend who is an absolute sweetheart.
It bothered her that there was still a lingering emptiness inside.
This past semester was exhausting with everything going on, not the least of which was the drama concerning Mia. Lauren thanked God that her best friend was feeling better and that she didn't lose her way. But these last few months have been confounded with a string of personal failures and disappointments.
You had her and Chase not winning the songwriting contest back in the spring, which wasn't a big deal at first. However, this was met with being turned down on that script her and Billy were working on. Not to mention how she scarcely found any tryouts at school that required a singer. And when they did, they were already filled. Lauren did attempt to move out of her comfort zone and try straight up acting, which admittedly wasn't her strong suit.
Lauren got a polite thank you and goodbye every time.
If it wasn't for the new friends she had made, Lauren would have written off her entire junior year as a bust.
Admittedly, Chase was her reason to sing during that time. Besides church.
(At least I've got that to look forward to.)
It was exhilarating just belting it out in the choir, feeding off the energy of the congregation.
(That's the plan!)
Lauren plopped back into bed and snuggled into her pillow.
(Gonna catch up on some sleep and feel fresh for tomorrow's service.)
She then clutched her throat.
(Water first. Then sleep.)
Knock, knock, knock...
"Jenna."
The tall girl rolled over, covering her head with the pillow.
KNOCK, KNOCK, KNOCK!
"JENNA! WAKE UP! YOU'VE GOT WORK!"
The former jock fell out of bed and shouted when she landed on the floor.
"Okay, mom, I'm up! Thanks!"
Jenna drug herself to her knees and leaned her upper body across the bed.
"What time is it?" she muttered to herself.
She checked her phone, which wasn't plugged into the charger like she intended before bed.
Her eyes bugged out.
"OH, FUCK!"
The door flew open.
"What was that word, young lady?" her mom demanded.
"Sorry!" Jenna contritely. "Just realized I overslept."
"Be that as it may," Miranda sighed. "We can express our displeasure without an F-bomb!"
Jenna rushed to get dressed as her mom turned around to close the door some to give her privacy.
"I just don't want you growing up using words like that as a crutch, sweetheart. Just because you want to be an actress doesn't mean you have to swear like a sailor."
"Not for nothing mom," Jenna huffed. "But you should've been a fly on the wall in the girls locker room after a game."
Miranda sighed as she saw her husband approach.
"Hey, what's up?" he asked.
Gary could hear the commotion behind his daughter's door.
"Ah, she overslept again?"
Miranda nodded.
"I was just explaining to your daughter how I'd rather not hear such foul language thrown all willy-nilly."
"Your mother's right, Jenna" he said through the door. "Save the really bad words for unexpected pain."
"Gary," she groaned.
"I mean...if you fell down the stairs, you can say anything you want."
Miranda pushed him away.
"Not. Helping. Dear."
Five minutes later, Jenna was like the Flash, snagging her Eggo waffles out of the toaster. No time for syrup or butter. They weren't even fully warmed; she had to take her plaid pancakes and bolt!
"You can do this. You can do this."
Becky laid on the floor of her bedroom since she got up.
She was coaching herself for coming clean to Alice with her feelings.
"I can't do this..." she huffed.
The blonde sat up cross-legged and tied her hair back into a ponytail with a black stretchy band.
Becky knew this wasn't going to be easy.
(Alright, this has to be done step by step.)
(You're already friends with Alice. Check.)
(She's totally down with the LGBT community. She has family there apparently.)
(So...the next logical step is to come out to Alice. Then once she's used to the idea of you liking girls, ease into the revelation that she's the one you like.)
The poor girl didn't know which was going to be more difficult. Obviously, this had to be the order of events. Going right into asking out Alice might be too much. Besides, once she's out...Becky can gauge if Alice sees her as a romantic prospect.
"There's too many 'ifs' in this game," Becky whispered. "What if I make a fool of myself?"
School was out and in the following fall, they were going to be a sophomore and a junior respectively. Becky wanted to resolve this before then. She just had to know what her and Alice were going to be: friends or something else?
"I'm not going to agonize over this for the next three months. I'm going to do something about this!"
Becky grabbed her phone and brought up her contacts and stared at Alice's number.
"Maybe tomorrow."
A/N: Special thanks to Quitting Time for the idea to insert those little character highlights to refresh y'all.
And yes, as I've state before, I will never call it "X"! It's Twitter and will always be Twitter in my heart.