Tiny Dancer

1.02 The Bird Scene

Jesse pulls into his parking spot at Hollywood Arts with Beck in the passenger seat complaining about his music like usual.

"Give it up," he tells him as he cuts the car off and pulls his keys from the ignition. "I'm not switching over."

"Babe," Beck says flatly. He reaches into the glovebox and pulls out a tape of Weezer's Make Believe album. "I am holding a tape. A cassette tape."

Jesse gives him a look. "That's because I'm driving a jeep. A 1985 jeep."

Beck sighs and puts the tape back in the glovebox. "You've gotta update."

They both climb out of the car and Jesse shakes his head as he shoves his keys into a pocket and slings his bag over his shoulder, walking around the vehicle to meet up with Beck.

"I'm not getting rid of this car until I have to," he declares. "I will drive it until the day it dies on me."

"That's what worries me," Beck says with another sigh. Jesse gives him an innocent smile as they start across the parking lot and into the school.

He hears a yelp somewhere off to the side and turns his head to see Tori on the ground with books all around her. He wants to stop and help her, but he sees her sister is with her and assumes she'll be okay. Still...

Beck tosses one arm around his shoulders. "She'll be fine," he says, knowing exactly what Jesse's thinking.

"Maybe I should-"

"She'll be fine," he repeats. "Come on. We're gonna be late if we stop."

"We have plenty of time," Jesse protests. Beck just presses a kiss to his hair as they keep walking.

Later, they sit in Sikowitz' class watching Jade and Cat run through a scene on stage.

"Betsy," Jade says in a thick southern accent, "that animal's delicious flesh can keep us all alive for another week!"

"I don't wanna be alive without Poncy," Cat declares in an equally thick accent. She gestures at the huge stuffed pig under her arm. "This pig is everything to me that my daddy never was and I'll be ding-danged-"

She cuts off with a squeal of pain as a blue ball hits her in the face and knocks her to the ground.

"Sikowitz!" Jade yells in disbelief while everybody else looks at their teacher in shock. Jesse jumps up without a second thought and goes to help Cat.

"What?" Sikowitz asks like nothing out of the ordinary just happened.

"You hit me in the face with a ball," Cat tells him as Jesse helps her stand up.

"Oh, come on!" Sikowtiz cries. "A truly great actor can stay in the scene no matter what's happening around her."

Jesse gently cups Cat's face in his hands, tilting her head and looking for any possible bruising. "Yeah, well, most actors don't get assaulted on set by their director," he points out.

"That really hurt!" Cat pouts. The bell rings and her attitude does a complete turn. "Ooh, lunch! Yay!" she cheers as she hurries to leave the room.

Jade rolls her eyes as she goes to gather her stuff. Jesse shakes his head and climbs down from the stage, taking his bag when Beck holds it out for him with a smile.

"Learn your lines!" Sikowitz calls to his leaving students. "I want everyone off book tomorrow!"

"Hey, you wanna come to lunch with us?" Beck asks Tori as they head for the door.