Disclaimer: Don't own.
Warning, had to squeeze some Jori into this.
:}
Trina wasn't so sure about things, even as she sat in her advisors office, waiting to speak with her collage advisor. 'He's gonna tell me I don't have any talent, that I'm a waste, and should just drop out. I know he will, cause that's what they all tell me. But I'll show him. I'll show them all. I put in the work, made myself a star, even if it's just as lady cheese boobs on some lame ass Spanish language show that is only watched by slow children and seriously demented perves. Regardless, It's my name up in lights, or at least somewhere in the credits. It's my ass they look at, touching themselves, and now I'm thanking god that the costume covers just enough, cause that is one dark thought, even if I'd hoped it would cheer me up.'
The door opened, and her advisor entered, smiling that fake smile he'd somehow mastered. 'It's so obvious he'd rather be anywhere, like the beach, or maybe a bookstore, cause I don't know him. He could even be waiting for late night foreign language shows featuring girls in odd, uncomfortable costumes so he can get off. I don't really know…' Her smirk gave her the look of confidence, even if she had trouble remembering the last time her feelings matched the display she offered to the world.
"Miss Vega, so glad you were able to make it." He chirped. "Sorry about the delay, but I really wanted to get these results, cause who knows, right? Only, they were late in coming, and it turns out, with good reason. I mean, it's not often we get results like these…"
"I'm not giving up." Trina blurted, not happy about his attitude. 'I mean, god, you're supposed to be on my side, yet here you are, fake ass smile in place, cheering on what, I don't know, cause you won't get to the point….'
"We're not asking you to." The man said, and suddenly Trina wished she'd bothered to learn his name. "I mean, theater is such a bad fit for you, but we think you could potentially use it as part of a double major. I mean, sure, normally, the path best suited for you would require excellent grades going back to diapers, except with a score like this…"
"Sorry, what now?" The girl asked, feeling confused.
"As a joke, one of the guys had you take a couple of the GRE tests, just to see if maybe you had a hidden talent. We had a bet that maybe, just maybe, you'd do well in the LSAT. No such luck. Never gonna be a lawyer." He chuckled. "And before you ask, yes, these can be expensive tests, often used to help secure placement in graduate school. Only, get this, we apparently had a fundraiser, from your current department, raised enough for the whole battery of tests we wanted, and more. That's why we had you take the six GRE like tests…"
"Not feeling the love." Trina tossed out. 'My god! I mean, man, I get it, I'm not their dream student. I hear it enough, from all of them. But I'm gonna make it, cause…"
"You're not good enough." Mister Graystone said, cutting her off. "Honestly, you're not even good enough to be in the department. We only placed you there because we needed an opening filled, and everyone, everyone was so sure you'd either drop out or change majors. I mean, you try. You try harder then anyone I've seen. Only, you don't succeed. And yes, you're on that lame ass late night Spanish Language show, and I've seen a few episodes. Use it to help me remember there are worse things out there then the middle school rendition of Rent I was forced to sit through. They tried to clean it up. The whole play is about hope in the face of death and disease, and they cleaned it up. How do you clean up Rent, and I mean enough for a middle school, and still get parental permission? I ask you, how? And sure, Hollywood Arts could, except they like to put on their own plays, with safe topics, cause no one needs that much controversy. You have no idea how many of their faculty have been investigated for inappropriate relationships with students. Nothing proven yet, cause those people are professionals, but it can be scary sometimes…."
"The point!?" Trina snapped, tired of this rant, the first the man seemed to be able to have in what she assumed was his whole pathetic life.
"You have a talent for medicine." He said. "And no, not just, maybe she'd make a good nurse talent. No, the tests say you should be a doctor. Hell, the score you got, it's enough that we have two medical schools making offers already." Somehow he'd launched himself into pacing, only to stop, address her. "Not he best schools, I'll admit, but other are others as well. Stanford claims they can give you a full ride, while UCLA is also in the running. Stanford isn't a guarantee, which is why I was not lumping them in. It's just, they just have loads of money, and they've noticed you. However, You could go to school, study at Sacred hearts, and be a doctor in as little as six years, assuming you take a heavy course load. Normally, we'd recommend against it, except my god, it's like you have a talent for this. You could make loads of money, be respected, and be called doctor. THEN, if you insist on being in show business, there are so many shows that want a doctor to give advice, you'd be on television as much as you wanted."
His eyes were almost wild as he met hers. "Miss Vega, you have no idea how much this would mean to me…." He started to stammer, but calmed himself, forcing his mind to calm down just long enough. "An honest prodigy, someone I know will make it, that's more then most guidance counselors ever get. Miss Vega, Katrina, please, finish up in pre-med, and then go to medical school. Take as heavy a load as you can handle, and then face the real world experience, and become a doctor. I need this…"
Trina slammed the door as she stomped her way into her families home. The girl was fuming. "They told me I was untalented. They wanted me to change majors, or double major, cause they don't believe in me….. I swear, I'm gonna make it. I…" Her mind reeled, looking for the next complaint. The hurt, it was expected, but didn't change the reaction. Trina honestly believed she just had to work hard enough and she'd succeed.
"Problem?" Andre asked.
"Why are you here?" Trina snapped.
"I was hoping to see my girl." The boy said. "Only, you know, she didn't go to collage so much as distance learning while on tour, so I need to find ways to contact her when her new boyfriend is taking up to much of her time."
"Boy's using her." Trina tossed out. "I've told her as much. But does she ever listen to me? Nooo, and it's not like I'm Jade or Cat or something. I'm her sister, and I do care. I just, I need to be selfish for now, cause my advisor just told me I should change my major. They don't think I can make it in entertainment." She sat down hard, not happy that no one was home except her sisters best friend.
Andre sat down, jumping into the problem. "Change? As in what? Did they have any ideas, or they just want you out of that program? I mean, I know how dangerous it can be to get dragged into a Vega girl problem, but my friends not here, so I best be picking up her slack." He slid closer, pulling his most sympathetic smile. "So, what exactly did they say?"
"Something about being a doctor." The older girl moaned.
"Wait, what?" The musician asked, suddenly feeling like he just stepped off the ledge and fell into the deep end. "Doctor, as in MD? Healing the sick and chiz?"
"Yea." Trina groaned. "Here, look." She handed him the paper she'd brought back, including the offers she'd been getting from several schools.
"Lets see… says here you got a near perfect score from the Medical GRE, and…" his eyes opened as he realized what the tests she'd shown him were saying. "You could be a doctor!"
"Yea, I said as much." She huffed. "I have solid offers from several medical schools, with scholarships from several of the smaller one's, no idea why, as well as the possibility of one from UCSF."
"No, really?" Dre asked. "Wait, I didn't know there WAS a UC in San Francisco."
"It's graduate only, specializing in medical research and training." She mimicked the explanation her advisor had given her. "They said the only way I can stay in the acting program is if I double major, and then go to medical school."
"And why wouldn't you?" The boy asked. "Me, I'd jump if I got this offer. Hell, they're saying, if these tests are right, you could easily be one of the most prolific or in demand doctors in years. Why not take the schooling, become a doctor, and then do the acting and performing on the side? I know of several doctors who've done the exact same, and used the safety of the medical degree to allow them to peruse their passions."
"It'd take years." Trina moaned.
"Yea, and in the end, you'd be a doctor." Dre explained. "Look, I'm in school, taking classes in music, music theory, and musical theater. Only, and this is hella important, I understand this is my safety net, cause the odds of me being huge is pretty small. Sides, a songwriter I can have go to collage, learned that chiz there, and still have a very successful career. A musician, sure, plenty of guys and gals started their bands in collage, except plenty more started without, and made the music their lives. And for every one that makes it, plenty don't." He stopped to let his thoughts catch up. "Point is, I'm reaching the point where I may have to accept that being a pop star isn't happening. But I can be a songwriter, and I can make my money that way. I just have to broaden my horizons, and lookie, collage does that. I've been studying music I have little to no interest in, because it'll give me the opportunity to use that music to make the kinds of music, write the kinds of songs I wanna write."
"So you're saying I should do this?" Trina asked.
"I'm saying, if I got that offer, I'd be off to medical school so fast my grandma wouldn't know I was gone for days." Dre joked.
"Does she know when you're gone as is?" Trina asked, feeling like maybe she needed to show a bit of caring.
"Yea, she does." He insisted. "I still live with her, but we're in the process of moving her to elderly acres, cause she can be involved there, grow stronger, more stable. Plus, they can deal with her crazy."
"I'm glad." Trina sighed. "Thanks."
"What? For the advice? Nahh, just a guy telling someone his own fears, and letting her know the best course of action for her." He smirked.
"For being here to help me when my own parents almost never are." Trina sighed.
"In their defense, you've been living near the school for a while now." He said. "I was just here to find out, and maybe borrow some food."
"Yea, I get that." Trina nodded. "I'll spring for a pizza if you agree to help be break the news to my parents."
"So, um, we telling them you can go to medical school, or are you going." He hemmed.
"I'll go." She sighed, deflating a bit. "It'll be nice, cause a full ride means I get to live off the school for a while."
"Then hell yea." He agreed, knowing there was almost no down side in telling someone's parents that they were going to medical school on scholarship. "Just, let me be the one to tell Tori. I think she could use some good news."
"Sure, but you have to do something else for me." Trina said, seeming to give in a bit. "You convinced me that sometimes, you have to do what you may not want to, cause it's the best thing. That includes tough love for my sister."
"You mean telling her she's dating a user?" Andre asked, not sure if he wanted to run or not.
"No, you help me figure out how to set her up with someone who may be a monster, but would be a good person for her to be with." Trina said, getting very serious.
"My god, we're doing it?" The boy asked. "W-we're actually gonna try setting her up with… HER!"
"I've heard she's broken up with Beck again." Trina shrugged. "Why not take advantage. Besides, maybe he'll want a serious girl who can go to medical school?"
Trina wasn't thrilled as she sat, waiting for her parents. The fact that she had good news, the best they'd likely ever hear from her, somehow didn't mitigate the fact that she was settling. Choosing eight years of medical school, Internship and residency in return for being supported enough to peruse her dream of being a star. 'There are some pretty sweet deals being offered, plus I can make some serious bank on the other side. I just need to, I don't know. I wanna be the star, loved and respected and very very rich. I can do that, I still can. I just, I have no idea how I'm gonna balance the two, the schooling, one of the hardest graduate degrees out there, along with what it takes to build a career in entertainment. Man, what have I set myself up for…'
"Okay, we're home." Mister Vega announced as he walked in the door. "What did you advisor say that was so important that you couldn't tell us over the phone?"
"Where's mom?" Trina questioned.
"I'm here." A voice rang out, from the mans hand. "On the phone. I was gonna be there, listen, but then I had a chance to go talk to an old friend, and it's not like I'll be able to see them again for at least a week, so I took the chance, and I'm doing this over the phone."
"Look, Treen, I know it looks like you're mother is just phoning it in, but you have to understand." He begged with his eyes for his eldest to understand. "You and Tori reached a certain point, and your mother was lost. We both were. It's like, you embraced this whole new world, something we have no references for, and we were lost. Heck, the last time your mom really felt needed was when she got my partner to help Tori deal with that psycho who'd been stalking her."
"Yea, I wish I could remember kicking her ass from one side of Hollywood to the other." The girl bemoaned. "Man, I was so out of it. I only knew I was protecting my sister, and me, from some threat that was pretending to be a cop. Took her gun, and then went to town."
"Yea, you were a good sister." David smiled. "Can you do more of that? Like, when you're not so sick that you're basically a zombie?"
"Anyways…" Trina gathered her courage, only to have her phone ring. "Sorry, that's Tori's ringtone." Instinctively, she pulled her phone out accepted the video call. "Hi sista?"
"OH MY GOD!" Tori's response showed loads of excitement. "MEDICAL SCHOOL. MY SISTERS GONNA BE A DOCTOR!"
"Tori, quiet." Trina tried to shush her younger sister. "We don't need the whole world to know."
"And why not?" The singer asked, still vibrating with excitement. "Dre says you have multiple scholarship offers. Multiple! And some very attractive. As in, you could have them pay for everything. The apartment, the books, a little extra to treat your sister to a celebratory dinner. Everything."
"Tor, I get your excited." The elder girl sighed. "But you could have waited a few minutes, let me at least tell dad."
"And mom." Holly's voice rang from her place over his phone. "I'm here too, even if just in spirit, cause I needed my girl time."
"Speaking of…" Tori said, only to hesitate. "Hi mom, glad you were able to make time in your schedule for Trina's good news. Dad, the best part is, according to Andre, there are multiple, and I do mean multiple schools that have offered her scholarships. She takes the best of those, and it'll cover everything. Even a nice place to live while going through the hellish parts of the first couple of years. Isn't that great news?"
"It is." Holly emphasized. "So, how'd it happen?"
"The stupid tests they had me take, seems they included everything they could find." Trina explained. "A medical aptitude test, which said I was likely to succeed. In fact, I have one of the highest scores ever. Given I really didn't study for it, that says something. It's just, I don't know why, but that chiz just comes naturally to me. I just, I learned that chiz someplace, and it never leaves. I've always been good at the whole, oh, you're hurt, lets figure out how to make you better chiz. Ever since the whole Pooka fish incident, I've kinda needed to know. THEN, we have what Lendal taught me, and lord knows neither of us intended for him to teach me any of that. I never wanted him to teach me anything…"
"And yet, you got so wazzed when he was ready to move on." Tori teased.
"You'd just told him I was dead." The older girl groaned. "And he went and hit on you, while my body was still warm. What kind of a guy does that?"
"Trina, you're mother hung up." The police officer informed the girls. "She does want you to know how proud of you she is, and can't wait for you to complete school, so she can go around telling her friends one of her children is a doctor. Me, I just want you to be happy, and understand the whole dreams dying hard part. Only, this could be good for you. I mean, sure, it's eight years. But you can build, have both careers, if you figure out how to balance everything. In the meantime, talk about a backup plan." He let out a whistle, proud of his first born.
"Speaking of…" Tori said, anger starting to bleed through. "Okay, horrible segue, but, you put him up to that, didn't you?"
"Gonna need more information?" The Vega patriarch said, moving around to see his youngest.
"I may have suggested you need an alternative romantic interest." Trina hemmed.
"You too?" Dave wondered.
"Wait, what?" Trina's head spun so quickly, she almost lost balance, and given her heels, that could be dangerous.
"Tori's friend had mentioned her current problems, and suggested that maybe this pale girl who used to bully her, odd choice, mind you, but he'd suggested they had some chemistry." Dave explained. "I figured, sure, anythings better then the stream of users that parade through my girls life. And you have to understand, as a parent and a police officer, I'm embarrassed because I wasn't able to detect the users and losers who dated either of my daughters."
"So you told him to set me up with Jade?" Tori seethed. "But seriously, Treen, congrats on the medical school bit. Be sure to let me know which school so I can come by and visit. But, I won't be accompanied by any pale goths."
"Sure, whatever you say." Trina agreed, then as her phone went dead, she turned to her father. "Andre?"
"Beck." he told her. "I think he just wanted the best for Tori, but to offer his own ex…"
"Look, I'm going to be a doctor." Trina admitted. "I think, maybe, we're all ready for some drastic changes. So, I promised Dre pizza, and then I'm gonna call Beck, see if he'd be willing to date a nice safe pre-med student."
"Yep, the more things change." David said as he made his way to the table. "Let me order the Pizza, and have Andre come on over. Holly may be visiting her friend, but tonight, we celebrate."
"Great, he's due any minute." Trina agreed, sitting down to just relax. 'This may just work out. Man, what have I gotten myself into.'
:}
I know, this could be the beginning of something much longer. Only, I have no idea where to take it, so I'm posting it here.