West & Vega: The Untold Jori

Fear & Fury

I love theater.

It was my first love, even before I got into film production. The first thing I ever wrote was a stage play, which I got to direct myself before I went to Hollywood Arts. It's part of the reason I got in. Two of my three biggest projects were stage plays, and both of them featured Cat.

The show was an original off-broadway production called Ginger in July. Crane wrote the play and the music and served as director for this debut run. It opened at some theater called 59E59. I'd never even heard of the place before, and if it weren't for the drab white and blue sign in front I probably wouldn't have known the building was a theater at all. There was no flashy sign or marquee, no colorful lights, just a typical New York office building that derived its name from its address at 59 East 59th Street.

The lack of originality in the name and design of the building was made up for by the classy, modern interior. When I think of theaters, I think of sweeping arches and neo-gothic architecture. This place had none of that, but it worked for what it was. Besides, this was an off-Broadway show. Gotta have room to grow, loftier goals, nicer theaters to shoot for.

Cat's show was in Theater A, the largest of the three auditoriums with just under 200 seats. And every single one of them was full. I was so excited for Cat, I couldn't stand it. And the anticipation helped soften the ache in my chest over the break-up.

I knew it was for the best. Beck knew, too. It was kind of annoying how well he took it. But he had always a patient guy. You'd have to be, to put up with my crap for almost six years. He didn't want to trade seats for the show, either. I thought it might be weird still sitting together, but he was cool with it. We talked and laughed and joked. It was the most fun we'd had together in a long time. I felt lighter with him than I did earlier in the day, maybe because the weight of expectation had been lifted.

The one bizarre thing he did was try to get me to go sit by Tori. She was a row ahead of us and a few seats down. Robbie had drawn the ticket next to her. Even over the murmur of the pre-show crowd, I could hear him still talking about his job in Vegas. Tori was gracious as always, smiling and nodding while mostly burying her boredom.

"You know, I'd understand if you wanted to switch seats with Robbie," Beck whispered.

"What? I'm not doing that. Why would I do that?"

He smirked. "I don't know. To save your princess from boredom?"

I punched his arm. Hard.

He winced and grabbed it. "Okay. I might have deserved that. I'm just trying to help."

"I don't need help."

"Help with what?"

Samantha Puckett sat down on my left.

"Hey, Sam," I said.

"Hey. Help with what?"

"Nothing."

The pretty blond raised a skeptical eyebrow. I would have, too. I wasn't the best liar, sadly, and my powers of anger and intimidation did not affect Sam. She and I were too much alike to be rattled by each others' threats of violence. Hell, she'd probably enjoy it. I probably would too.

Beck leaned over. "I'm trying to encourage Jade to be honest and confess her feelings to a certain someone she happens to be madly in love with."

Sam's brow furrowed in confusion. "I thought you two were dating?"

I covered Beck's mouth before he could say anything else. "First of all, I never said I was 'madly in love' so let's not overstate things. Second, we recently broke up. And third, Beck, if you lick my hand again I'm going to strangle you with your tongue."