Postgrad Partners

The New Talent

"One day, I said to him, 'Oh, bird, you can fly. You can soar miles from this lonely place, yet you stay. Why?' And apparently, my question rang true, for that afternoon, the bird...left. And so went...my spirit."

Her last lines were delivered softly and delicately until her final pause, punctuated by a reviled scoff and her staring down at her stage marker for a beat until she looked back up at Sikowitz with a shrug to indicate she was done.

He clapped generously, nodding with approval and encouraging the rest of the class to join in the praise. "Excellent, Tara! Probably the best I've seen all day! You've all got some work to do tomorrow if you want to join!" He was met with a few groans, but more positives and agreements from the students in response. His eyes briefly met Jade's from backstage and he clapped one more time. "That's all for today, everyone! I'll see you bright and early tomorrow for more Bird Scene assessments!" Once the students filed out of the auditorium, Jade stepped out from her spot backstage to join Sikowitz. "So, did you enjoy the little trip down memory lane, Jade?"

"I'm just surprised people older than we were can't figure out that they're not supposed to ask for your approval on the scene," Jade chuckled, watching some grown adults scratching their heads over the exercise. "But don't worry. Most of the paperwork's done, so I thought I'd check out your class for once."

Sikowitz quickly scanned behind him at all the students nearing the entrance. "Yes, well, it helps to remember that we all grow up and learn a little differently; some...much more than others." Shrugging it off, he pointed backward to the entrance with his thumb, "Anyhows, you're free to go, Jade! Give my regards to Tori!" Jade flashed a quick smile and a pat on her former teacher's shoulder as she eagerly dashed to the theater's front entrance.

Most of the students were already in their cars, driving on out of the block, while Jade stood just outside the entrance steps, stretching her stiff arms. In the corner of her eye, she spotted Tara sitting at the bottom step, sliding her ponytail from her hair to her wrist and letting her long curls fall over her back. Taking a better look at her face than back during class, especially her large, dark-colored eyes, Jade stared for a moment before calling out to her.

"Hey! You waiting for your ride, too?"

Tara's head poked up immediately and she looked at Jade unsurprised with the same neutral manner as before. Her reply was just a short, silent nod before turning back to her previous view of nothing in particular.

Jade hummed inquisitively, but decided not to pursue it. After all, she would have probably answered the same way if asked by a total stranger. After a minute, she could see her mom driving in on the black coupe Neutronium loaned out to her, prompting her to walk up to the passenger's window curiously.

Nora rolled down the window and waved to her, "Hi! Tori's working late at the office, so she asked me to pick you up! You don't mind that, right?"

Jade scoffed and promptly opened the passenger door, sliding her bag in before entering herself, "Like I'd willingly walk all the way back home? No, I don't mind." She looked ahead, catching Tara in her vision again, still in the same spot looking at nothing in front of her. A part of her wanted to ask if she wanted a ride, but the young girl had already stood up, slung her bag over her shoulder and walked back into the theater without a word.

Nora noticed her as well and turned to Jade, "Is that one of Sikowitz's students? You two friends?"

Jade just shook her head, still watching Tara climb the steps, "Nope, not one for words, that one."

"Sounds like someone I know all too well," Nora chuckled and put the car into gear, "Come on, then. Piper's meeting us at Nichijou, so let's get some dinner to bring to Tori, too."

Jade shrugged and settled back in her seat as her mother started to turn back out of the block and toward the restaurant district.

As she reached the top of the entrance steps, Tara took one long look back as Nora's car turned out of sight. She turned back to the entrance, catching Sikowitz as he locked every door except one.

"Alright, see ya tomorrow, Tara," he flashed another thumbs-up as he sipped the straw in a coconut in his other hand.

"Thanks." Tara returned the thumbs-up as she walked back inside the theater, turning the lock shut behind her as it closed.

Finally giving some insight to Jade's theater work with Sikowitz, and introducing another original character to the mix.

OC face-claim actors for your visualizing purposes:

Tara - Yasmine Al-Bustami (from The Chosen, I Ship It, and NCIS Hawai'i)

As always, thank you for reading, hope you can give whatever feedback you can, and continue to enjoy!

Until next chapter~