Tiny Dancer

1.09 A Film By Dale Squires

They all sit in the Black Box Theater playing a this-or-that game as they wait for class to start. Jesse is turned sideways in his seat with his legs thrown across Beck's lap, idly moving his feet to the beat Beck is tapping against his thigh.

"Okay," Tori says on her turn for the game. "If you had to give up the internet or... one of your feet."

"Foot," Cat immediately replies.

"Foot," Andre agrees.

"Foot," Jade chimes in.

Beck takes a second to study his boot. "See ya, foot."

Jesse gives them all an amused look while Tori's brow furrows.

"Really?" she asks. "You'd all give up a foot to keep the internet?"

"Totally," Beck tells her.

"Wouldn't you?" Cat asks.

Andre nudges Tori in the arm. "You love the internet," he reminds her.

"I know," she says, "but my foot is a part of my body, and the internet is..." She looks at her foot where it's propped on the chair in front of her before she drops it to the floor. "Yeah. Bye, foot."

Jade smirks at her before she turns to Jesse. "What about you, Jesse?"

"Internet," he answers with no hesitation.

"Really?" Andre asks in surprise. "You'd give up the internet?"

"I'm a dancer," Jesse reminds them. "Do you know how important my feet are?"

They all stare at him for a second before they start to mutter in understanding.

"That's fair."

"Makes sense."

"Can't really blame you."

"For the best," Beck agrees. He taps Jesse's thigh where his hand still rests. "You're not losing any limbs on my watch anyway."

"Oh, is that right?" Jesse asks with a smile.

"Yeah."

"Say a bear comes in here right now and goes for my foot."

"I'll fight that bear."

Jesse raises his eyebrows. "You're gonna fight a bear?" he repeats.

"That's right," Beck says seriously. "How hard can it be? Just punch it in the nose, right?"

"Pretty sure that's sharks," Jesse says in amusement. He leans forward and gives him a kiss. "I appreciate you fighting a hypothetical bear for me anyway."

"Aww..."

They both turn at the noise to see Tori looking at them with a sappy smile, hands clasped over her heart.

"You guys are so cute," she coos. She pouts a little. "I want that."

Andre chuckles and shakes his head. "We all do," he tells her.

That's when the bell rings and their teacher comes into the theater. "Alright, future superstars," he calls. "Take your seats because at this point in your lives I am in charge of you."

Light laughter spreads across the room while everyone takes their seats and the teacher moves behind his podium at the front of the room.

"Come on. Hurry up!" he urges. "Let's not waste time. We've got some excitement today."

"Yay!" Cat exclaims with a happy clap. "I love excitement!"

"Who doesn't love excitement?" Tori asks rhetorically.