Tiny Dancer

1.03 Stage Fighting

Jesse walks down the staircase with Andre and Cat while she tries to explain the conversation she'd had with some guy.

"So, I'm smiling like this, right?" she says, gesturing at her face as she demonstrates. "And then he-" She cuts off as they all see Tori struggling to shove something in her locker.

"Tori!" Andre calls as they walk over.

"What's up?" Cat asks.

Tori gives up on her locker, turning to them in frustration. "I'm having a horn problem," she tells them, holding up the horn in question. "Why do I have to learn to play an instrument anyway?"

"Everyone at Hollywood Arts has to play an instrument," Cat explains.

"Okay, well, I sing," Tori says. She brings one hand up to touch her neck. "My throat is my instrument. I'm a throat player."

"Doesn't count," Andre tells her with a shrug.

"And it sounds kinda gross," Cat adds.

Jesse crinkles his nose. "It sounds really gross."

"Why'd you pick the French horn?" Andre asks curiously.

Tori holds the instrument up. "I don't know. I like French fries. I like French toast."

"You do realize that the French horn is one of the hardest instruments to learn, especially if you can't already play the horn," Jesse points out, one eyebrow raised.

Tori sighs. "I do now that you said that."

Cat gasps as she suddenly remembers something. "One time, when I was eating French toast at a restaurant, I started laughing and then I started choking so the lady that ran the restaurant made me leave," she tells them.

Tori and Andre stare blankly at Cat while Jesse sighs and pulls her into a side hug. "Well, I'm glad you're okay, Kit-Cat."

"Aw, thanks!" she chirps before turning to Tori. "So, let's hear your horn," she tells her.

"Yeah," Andre agrees. "Play that funky music, white girl."

Tori gives him a look as she adjusts her horn. "You know I'm half Latina."

"Then hit it, muchacha."

She puts the horn to her mouth and starts to... play. All three of them cringe slightly as she goes on.

Tori slowly moves the instrument away from her mouth and gives them a strained smile. "I think it's broken," she claims.

"Yeah," Jesse says slowly. "I'm sure that's it."

"Here, let me fix it," Andre says. He grabs the horn and moves to a clear area a few feet away. He starts to play, and Tori rolls her eyes as someone else quickly joins in on keyboard and the other people in the hall start dancing.

Cat claps her hands together and turns to Tori with a grin. "It's not broken," she informs her.

Jesse laughs and offers Cat a hand, twirling her around as they start to dance.

Later that day, they all sit in the Black Box Theater for a class on stage fighting. Jesse stands in the front of the room with Russ, their stage fighting instructor, to demonstrate for the class.

"Now, if I throw a punch at Jesse like this," he throws an obviously fake punch past his face and he doesn't even flinch, "then it's obvious to see that my fist didn't connect with his face."

"I appreciate that," Jesse tells him, and Russ sends him an amused look.

"But if we stage it from a different angle..." Russ shifts them around, so his back is to the class with Jesse facing them. "Like I showed you?"