January,
"You guys know there's this germ called fecercillium that you can get from a spider crawling into your mouth when you're sleeping, then your uvula swells up really big so you can't breathe, and they have to cut a hole right here," Jade touches her throat, "to drain the pus from your throat."
Andre glances from her to his pudding cup, putting it down. "I'll just eat this pudding cup later."
"Suddenly, I'm not so hungry anymore.." I mumbled, pushing my food container away.
"So, does anyone want some candy?" Cat asked and I nodded.
"Sure." "Yeah." "Yeah."
She goes into her bra, "Gumdrop for you.." She says, handing Jade the candy. "Gumdrop for you..." She says again, after going into her bra again. "Gumdrop for you and gumdrop for you." She grinned, giving Beck and I, our gumdrops.
"Thanks kitty Cat." I smiled at her, putting the gumdrop in my mouth. I carry money in my bra.. Cat carries candy.
"Skiddily dat! Skiddily dot! Skiddily da! Skiddily dot, Skiddily dat!" Trina's loud, annoying voice rang, as she danced past tables, including ours, in her own little world. She stopped right behind Cat and Andre, raising her arms. "Da pa de pa loo la lee la mip mop boop! Wooh!"
I rolled my eyes, shaking my head. This could've all been avoided if I just... let Helen.. y'know, BOOT HER. Why did I have to fight so hard for her to stay?? Oh, that's right! Because I'm a caring person and I unfortunately love that freakshow!
"Woww," Beck uttered, as we watched her leave. "She is just awful." He shook his head in disbelief, looking at me.
"Awful isn't even the word.." I muttered, tiredly, rubbing my forehead.
"The worst thing I've ever heard." Jade remarked, shrugging.
"That's right." Andre agreed.
"Hey, I have a question." Cat said, looking at me mostly.
"What?" We murmured.
"Every kid has to audition to get into Hollywood Arts, right?" She asked.
"Mm-hmm." "Yup."
"And Trina has no talent, right?"
"None whatsoever." "No." "None."
"Cat.." I said softly, "But no." I shook my head.
"Then how did she pass her audition and get to go to school here?" Cat asked.
"You haven't heard the story?" Jade asked. The story?
Cat looked at her, "No, but I love stories!" She smiled.
"I'll tell it. Okay... It was about five years ago... and back then, Trina did have talent." Andre said, making me do a double take. Trina.. never— She's always had an interest in singing, acting, dancing but.. the girl never knew how to hold a note. But with her almost getting kicked out of Hollywood Arts, it did have me thinking... how did she get into Hollywood Arts!? "Oh yes. She could sing like an angel... There she was on that stage... Singin' like an angel..."
Standing in front of the 5 Hollywood Arts middle school auditions board was Trina Vega, singing quite beautifully. Her opera act had emersed the judges to the point where they hadn't taken their eyes off her the whole time she'd been singing.
When she finished the song, Principal Eikner was the first to applaud and rise to his feet. "Miraculous!" He said, flabbergasted.
"Brava! Brava!" The middle school's vice principal cheered on, grinning widely.
"Fantastic!" exclaimed Sikowitz. "Bravissimo!"
"Truly amazing, miss..." Lane trailed off.
"Vega." She said, grabbing onto the frilly ends of her skirt. "T-trina Vega." She stuttered, nervously.
"Well, Trina Vega," Principal Eikner began as Lane leaned over the table, putting a check by her name. "As Principal of Hollywood Arts, I can tell you right now, you're in!" He said, eagerly before the 4 judges beside him, and a boy with corn rolls on the catwalk above them clapped for her.
"Oh my gosh," She smiled, fidgeting with her hands. "Thank you. God bless you all."
"Come on everyone, let's take five." Principal Eikner said, placing his hands on Sikowitz and Lane's backs. They disbanded from the table, exiting through the curtained door. "Inspiring." He whispered, shaking his head in astonishment. At the same time, they were leaving, Trina was twirling towards her backpack, singing to herself.
"Hey!" The boy above her said, getting her attention. "You got some hot pipes." He said, standing behind the effects board.
"Aw, thank you." Trina grinned, messing with her backpack strap. "What's your name?" She asked.
"Sinjin. The school's cool, isn't it? My dad works here, and next year, I'll be going to school here."
"Wow! Cool."
"Yeah. I set up all this audio equipment! And I ran these cables that go to the light—" Sinjin revealed, jangling with the large spotlight's cable until it came swinging down, onto Trina's throat.
"Ouh!" She exclaimed, as the light came in contact with her throat, pushing her back. She fell to the floor, grunting and coughing violently.
"Are you okay?!" Sinjin asked, gripping the catwalk's railing as Trina held her throat, standing up.
"Yeah!" She replied hoarsely, hunching over. "I think so..." She cried, holding her throat as she gulped for air. "But that light just hit me right in the... throat."
"Oh no." Sinjin muttered, worriedly. "Can you still sing like an angel?" He asked.
Trina nodded, moving hair from her face. "Let me see."
And as Trina opened her mouth to sing, she and the boy with corn rolls quickly realized she could never sing like an angel like she once had.
"Really?" Cat said, as I shook my head. It was a great story, and even a greater legend. But it wasn't true. Trina has never been able to sing like that, or.. in general. My sister has never been able to sing, and that was okay. I just wish she realized it.
"Yup. That light hit Trina so hard, it knocked all the talent right out of her." Andre mused.
"Okay, that is not how Trina got into Hollywood Arts." Jade said.
"Yeah," I agreed, "And even if Trina got a gigantic spotlight swung into her throat, don't you think we would be hearing about it EVERYDAY?" I rhetorically asked, glancing at each of my friends.
"It's the story I always heard." Andre shrugged.
"Well, it's wrong." Beck said, zipping up his backpack.
"Then how did she get in?" Cat asked, right as the bell rang.
"We gotta get to class." Andre murmured, as we grabbed our bags and stood up from the bench.
"No, wait!" She said, still sitting at the table.
"I'll tell you later." Jade told her. I didn't even know how Trina got in, but I loved stories! So, I couldn't wait to hear everyone's so-called stories about how she got in.
"But I'm curious now!" She said, watching her walk past her. "Please tell me!" She exclaimed, now looking at Beck and I as I gave her an apologetic smile, before reaching for Beck's hand. "Please tell me now!" She repeated as his hand moved away. "I'll give you a gummy bear! Jellybean? A pinto Bean? What are you into?!"
"Kids... kids..." Sikowitz said, walking up to as we sat on the stairs, Beck following behind him.
"Hey." Jade said. "Hiiii." Cat greeted.
"Yea?" I asked as he stopped walking, and settled at the bottom of the staircase, digging into his bag.
"FYI, I'm gonna be late for class."
"Why?" "What's up?" "Again?" "Why?" We asked.
"I got a call from my housekeeper. Apparently, there's an odd smell coming from under my bed." He answered, adjusting his bag on his shoulder.
"Well, what do you think it is?" Jade asked.
"Oh, I know.. what it is." He remarked, staring down the door before walking away. My eyebrows knitted together as we watched him leave.
"Okay, looks like we got some time." Andre said, making Cat turn to him.
"Yay, so tell me how Trina really got into Hollywood Arts." She smiled, placing her hand on his shoulder.
"All right. Here's the real story... So—" Jade said, as Cat got a gumdrop from her bra, and bit into the piece of candy. She rolled her eyes, continuing with her story. "So, four years ago, Trina did her audition, and it was like torture... But not the good kind..."
Standing in front of the 5 Hollywood Arts middle school auditions board was Trina Vega, singing. Beautifully? No. As the judges sat through her audition, waiting for it to end, their faces couldn't help but show their cringe and discomfort. Sikowitz' face showed plain disgust as he watched Trina sing and twirl and dance.
"It's an all-night party that we're gettin' into, if you think it's all over then the joke is on you! It's a dream, it's a scene and it's all brand new! If you think you can't stop it, then the joke is on you!" Trina pointed at them, before backing up. She fidgeted with the sleeves of her long sleeve shirt, awaiting their feedback.
"Great northern beans, that was horrible!" Sikowitz exclaimed, crossing his arms.
"Uh, I'm sorry... But, you don't belong at Hollywood Arts." Principal Eikner said as he shook his head profusely, waving her away.
Trina glowered at them, nodding slowly as she turned around to the front of the room.
"All right," Sikowitz said, as she walked to her backpack. "Follow faculty members, for Trina Vega, let's all carefully check the NO boxes on our forms." He instructed, looking at his colleagues, rather than Trina, as she retrieved something from her pink and purple backpack, pulling the pin.
"Agreed." Lane said.
"Absolutely." Principal Eikner chimed as Trina pressed a button, making the device beep, before she casually tossed it down, the device landing in front of the table they sat behind.
"Interesting." Sikowitz said, after the device started to beep every second that went by. "She's tossed some sort of device onto the floor." As the beeping intensified, Trina turned around, revealing her malicious smile hiding beneath the gas mask she wore. Loudly, the vapor grenade went off, releasing smoke on either sides, making the judges jump to their feet.
"Hey... Hey, what's goin' on?" Lane asked, glancing at Eikner as he pointed at the gas filling out of the device.
"I don't know. There seems to be some sort of vapor.. coming out of...—" He answered, his words beginning to slur as they all started to feel woozy and tired. They dropped to the floor like flies, leaving Trina to walk up to the table and grab Sikowitz' pen.
"Trina Vega.. yes!" She said, checking off the YES box on his form. "Trina Vega... yes! Trina Vega... yes!" She repeated, marking the forms. "Trina Vega... yes!"
"And when they woke up, they had no memory of what happened." Jade said. "And that is how Trina got into Hollywood Arts."
"Well, that is a fantastic story..." Beck said, before looking up. "That never happened."
"That's how I heard it." She retorted, sending him a glare.
"Well, anyone want some licorice?" Cat asked.
"Sure." I shrugged.
"I'll take some." Said Andre as she began to pull red licorice strand out of from her bra.
"Jade?" She asked, holding the licorice strand out for her to cut. She rolled her eyes, going into her boot to get her scissors. She cut the first half, before Cat gave it to me.
"Thanks." I said as Jade cut Andre's, then Beck's.
"Thank you." Beck smiled, sending her a nod after she gave him his as Jade cut some of the licorice off for her. In silence, we ate on the steps, Cat eating from the licorice strand still in her bra.
Who were making these stories up?? I thought to myself as Beck and I made eye contact, before looking away from each other, sighing.
"Trina did not get into this school by using knock-out gas." Beck said to Jade. Because Sikowitz wasn't here, we had a free period to do pretty much whatever we wanted. So, as were waiting for him to come back, we sat in his classroom, our chairs in a circle in the middle of the room.
"That's the story I've always heard." Jade shrugged.
"I don't think it's true." Andre shook his head.
"Me either." I said, glancing at Andre.
"I dunnooo..." Cat chimed, making us look at her. "Trina is kinda kooky in the head..." She trailed, as I smiled to myself. "A little nutty in the ol' noggin... Some girls are like that, y'know." She nodded, getting a gumdrop from her bra.
"Oh, we know." "Yes." "Some girls are." "Oh, yeah.." We murmured, glancing at each other.
"Right?" She nodded, agreeing with us.
"Okay. Do you wanna know how Trina really got into Hollywood Arts?" Beck asked, making me roll my eyes.
"Yeah." "Mm-hmm." "Whatever." Cat, Andre and Jade answered.
"Oh, yes. Tell us, oh great Beck who knows everything except how to keep his girlfriend happy." Jade sneered, making me look at her.
"Jade!" I exclaimed, avoiding looking at Beck. I cannot believe she just said that! It was one fight; I was not unhappy. "I told you it was nothing."
Beck rubbed his forehead, before looking at me. "Did you really need to tell her?" He asked, gesturing to Jade.
"Would you have rather me tell the Northridge girls?!" I asked, getting defensive. I didn't tell Jade the entirety of the fight.. just what happened.. again. And I didn't even tell her, she just knew.
"Not this again, Y/n." He shook his head, letting out an annoyed laugh. "I told them to stop, what else would you like me to do?" He shouted.
I rolled my eyes, "Just tell the story!" I exclaimed, rolling my eyes. I did not want to revisit this.
"All right!" He said, "Four years ago," He looked at Andre and Cat. "Trina came here to audition..." He looked at Jade and I.
"What are you doing?" Cat asked Andre as he massaged his temples, his eyes closed.
"Oh, while Beck tells the story, I'm gonna try and visualize it, as it happened." He explained.
"Oooo, me too!" Cat replied, as Andre closed his eyes again and massaged his temples. She got up from her chair and stood behind his, placing her hands on his.
"Okay." Beck looked at the floor, furrowing his eyebrows. "So, Trina was auditioning..."
"It's a dream, it's a scene and it's all brand new. If you think you can't stop it, then the joke is on you!" Trina singed, as the 5 judges sat in front of her, trying to keep up with her audition as they all just wanted it to hurry up and end.
"So? How was that?" She asked, after none of them had said anything, only looking away awkwardly.
Sikowitz sighed, "Well... Trina, I would never use the word 'terrible'..." He paused, "Except in this case."
"Sikowitz, c'mon, she's a kid." Lane said, looking over Principal Eikner to see him.
Trina smiled, "You liked it?" She prodded, excitedly, making Lane look at her.
"Oh no, you're the worst."
"I'm sorry, but we can't accept you here at Hollywood Arts." Principal Eikner shook his head.
"Okay." Trina shrugged, "I guess I'll just leave, then." She murmured, turning around. The 5 judges looked at their forms, about to check the NO box on their form before Trina turned around, "Unless..." She paused, "You guys are up for a challenge." She said, making them look up from their forms, slowly.
"What kind... of challenge?" Sikowitz asked.
"I fight.. all five of you." Trina answered, walking closer. "If I win, you let me into Hollywood Arts." She posed, smirking.
"Ha!" Principal Eikner laughed pathetically, throwing his pen down before standing up from his chair. "Let's dance."
"Foolish child." Sikowitz remarked, squinting his eyes at her.
"Bring it on, boo!" Lane exclaimed, getting up as Trina got into stance.
"M'jiggy!" Sikowitz screamed, raising his arms. Principal Eikner then ran at Trina, and she hiked her leg up, sending him to the ground with a kick to the chest as Lane walked up behind her. She whipped around, punching him into the two women behind him, who threw him out of their way to get to Trina as Sikowitz held her arms down.
As the women approached her, she pushed off the ground, elevating herself as she kicked her legs out and hit both woman in their faces. They fell to the ground holding the side of their faces as Trina stomped on Sikowitz foot, making him loosen his grip on her and Trina get the upper hand. She elbowed him in his rib, and he fell back as she turned to Lane, who had been creeping up on her.
Trina kicked her leg up, making him fall into stack of boxes against the wall as she roundhouse kicked Sikowitz and one of the women got up. Groaning she kicked the lady in her stomach, sending the red head to the floor before throwing the other woman to the ground who had ran at her. The red headed woman stood up again, not managing to get a punch in before Trina sent her flying to the table with a kick, breaking the table in half.
"And that's what happened." Beck shrugged, looking at us as if we should've been on our knees, applauding him. Out of all of the stories I've heard today about how Trina got in, that was the stupidest one.. maybe the knockout gas too...
"Oh, and I'm crazy to think that the knock-out gas story is true." Jade said.
"You seriously think Trina got into this school by ninja-whackin' five teachers?" Andre asked.
"It's the story I heard." Beck shrugged again.
"Wait," Cat said, looking at all of us. "Sikowitz had hair?"
"So! Here's my bedroom at home," Sikowitz said, pointing at the drawing of his bedroom with a laser pointer. "And see, underneath the bed... That's where I keep the extra sandwiches!" He exclaimed, pointing to the middle of his bed. "So apparently, the smell was coming from a tuna melt that I made last—"
"I'm sorry! I'm so sorry I'm late." Tori exclaimed, busting into class.
"Hey," I said softly, "Calm down, it's okay." I said, smiling at her abruptness. We weren't even really doing anything.
"Yeah. We're just listenin' to a very long story about the smell coming from under Sikowitz's bed." Andre explained, as Sikowitz smiled and nodded.
"What?" Tori said, taking her seat.
"Not as long as Beck's long story about how Trina got into this school." Jade remarked, crossing her arms.
"Yeah, um, I guess we should've just asked you earlier," Andre said as he leant forward in his chair and looked at me. "How did your sister get into this school?"
"Uhhh," I furrowed my eyebrows, thinking back to when Trina and I auditioned. "I don't know. We auditioned, went home, waited for our letters and when they came, we both got accepted." I shrugged, "Mom even called the school to see if they made a mistake.." I trailed off, confused.
"But she's untalented." Cat pointed out.
"Cat," I scolded softly, giving her a look. "That's mean..." I reprimanded before coming to my senses. "And true. How did she get in?!" I asked, looking at Tori before the class erupted in murmurs and mini conversations about how Trina got in.
"Children! Kids..." Sikowitz said, before clearing his throat. "I can tell you how Trina got into Hollywood Arts." He said, after getting our attention, his arms crossed.
"You know?" Andre asked.
"Mmm-hmmm." He nodded. "I was at her audition, almost five years ago..." He said, walking on the stage before he stopped, looking at the ceiling. We followed his gaze, looking at the ceiling before looking at him, still look at the ceiling, all a bit lost.
"So, are you gonna tell us?" Tori asked.
He looked at her, before shaking his head. "Oh yeah!" He clapped his hands together. "So! Just before Trina's audition was about to begin, principal Eikner walked into the room..." He set the scene, getting down on one knee.
"Okay, who's auditioning next?" Sikowitz asked, as he and the other judges had been doing their own thing during their break.
"Hey, you guys," Principal Eikner opened the Blackbox's doors, coming into the room. "That weird kid, uhhh... Van Cleef's son?" He shook his head trying to remember the boy's name. "Ginseng?"
"Sinjin?" Lane said.
He nodded, "Yeah. He got his face stuck in the soda machine again. Can you come help me pull him out? " He asked, a bit distressed and annoyed.
"Of course." "Yeah," "Yes." Murmurs from the other 4 staff said, getting up to help.
"Sikowitz, you stay here and continue with the auditions." Eikner said, as Sikowitz was getting up.
"Right." He muttered, sitting back down at the table, grabbing his coconut.
"What's that?" Eikner asked, stepping closer.
Sikowitz glanced at him before looking at his coconut. "Oh, it's a special coconut my cousin sent me from Sri Lanka." He explained. "I'm gonna drink its milk." He smiled, inserting a straw into the coconut.
Principal Eikner leant forward, getting a whiff before backing up. "Uh, i-it smells kinda weird."
"Yes. It was delivered to my back door, so I didn't see it for three weeks." Sikowitz told him.
He leaned closer again, smelling it again before grimacing. "Maybe it's spoiled."
Sikowitz leaned down to smell it, before coughing from the sour smell. "Maybe," he said hoarse, rubbing his nose. "But I am still gonna drink its milk." He said determined, smiling as Sinjin's screams could be heard from the hallways.
"But...—Oh, I've gotta..." Principal Eikner mumbled, turning around to the doors. "Okay, Sinjin, I'm coming!"
"All right, next!" Sikowitz yelled, queuing in a 13-year-old girl wearing nothing but purple and fuchsia.
She walked in, dropping her backpack down before waving. "Hi. I'm Trina Vega." She said, walking to the middle of the room.
"Hello, Trina." Sikowitz greeted before drinking from his coconut. "Ooo, that's a funky taste!" He exclaimed, his eyes squinting as he shook his head. He cleared his throat, "All right, Trina. Take it away." He said, gripping the table as he continued to squint. The music turned on and as Trina started to dance, Sikowitz drunk more of his coconut.
"Ah!! Trina is in!" Sikowitz exclaimed, marking not only his form but Principal Eikners before moving onto Lane's. "Trina is in! Trina is in! Trina is in!" He said, marking the rest of their forms, before tossing his pen down to the floor. He looked at Trina, grinning ear to ear. "Haaaah!!" He clapped.
"And after seeing... that... I accepted Trina into Hollywood Arts." He explained as I closed my mouth from being appalled. Trina got in because of Sinjin... and some bad coconut milk?!
"You mean...Just 'cuz you drank a bad coconut?" Tori asked.
"And saw visions?" Andre added.
"I'm not proud of it." He deadpanned, looking at the wall.
"Hey... Does anyone smell Sushi?" Jade asked, after a beat of silence went by.
"Yeah... It smells kinda like salmon." Andre said, looking at her.
"Yeah.." I nodded, furrowing my eyebrows.
"No. No, I think it's... It's yellowtail." Beck said, making me sniff the air some more. I looked at Tori, smelling it more from where we sat.
"No. Wait, maybe it's...—"
"It's squid!" Tori shouted, cutting off Cat. "All right," She held out her arms, looking around the classroom. "It's squid!" She exclaimed, standing up and looking at Sikowitz. "It's squid! Come on..." She whispered, as we all stared at her.. confused. Yeah, today had been so.. weird.
"Yeah, squid." "Squid makes sense." "Totally squid." The class murmured as she sat down, sighing.
"Wait. Where's Robbie?" Sikowitz asked, making me realize I hadn't seen him since.. Oh, my God! 3rd period! Where was he!?
~
It's starting...
Shortest chapter I have ever wrote!! Don't forget to vote, I love you and see you next week!!