A Jori Story: We're Just Acting, Right?

Do You HEAR Yourself?

The smallest decisions and actions can change the whole course of your life.

Tori never believed that. She knew that the course of your life alters accordingly as you accomplish and achieve things.

She didn't know that reaching her hand into a slightly beat up box for a role in a play would turn her whole life upside down and make her question everything she believed in with one of the most unexpected people in her life, at that.

But she was going to have to believe it because it was happening, as you will see...

"Sikowitz, do you hear  yourself?"

"Yes, I'm not deaf Jade. Whatever character you get, you stay with."

The rest of the class was sitting in silence as Tori and Jade argued with Sikowitz at the front of the room about the characters they had so unfortunately chosen from that cursed, beaten up box that the teacher was passing around the class for the school play.

"I can't play her wife!," Jade exclaimed, shooting a dirty look at Tori.

"Like I'd be sooo glad to play your husband!," the brunette yelled back, making a fake puking face.

Sikowitz massaged his temples. "Girls-"

"No, Sikowitz. I won't do it."

Jade turned away from him and walked back to her seat at the back of the class.

"Then I guess you won't mind failing?"

Jade threw her head back and groaned.

Sikowitz grinned and walked away, leaving Tori alone and frustrated. She glared one last time at Jade and left to take her own seat in a huff.

When class ended, Sikowitz instructed everyone who was acting in the play to stay behind.

"So, rehearsals will begin on Wednesday after school in the Black Box. That's two days from now so you guys have plenty of time to memorize acts 1 and 2. Dismissed."

"Don't worry, Tori. You'll be fine. It's just a few rehearsals and a performance. Don't worry about it."

Tori sighed as Andre pulled her into a one-armed embrace. Just as she was reassuring herself, Jade strutted past her flashing a middle finger with an evil grin on her face. Tori turned to face her locker and rested her head on it, praying a little in her heart.

She read her lines at home over the course of the two days and reappeared at the Black Box after school on Wednesday.

"Got everything memorized, Walter?," she heard and turned around to see Sikowitz strolling up to her with a coconut and straw. She smiled.

"Indeed I do."

She walked up to the stage and put her bag down on one of the chairs. She hoisted herself up on the stage and read through her script once more. When everyone had gathered in the theater, rehearsals began.

Everything seemed to be going smoothly until it got to Jade and Tori's scene and Sikowitz stopped them.

"Cut!"

Everyone stopped to look at Sikowitz.

"Tori and Jade, go again."

So they did. And the second time was no different. They had done the scene probably 6 times before Sikowitz called cut yet again and Jade turned to glare at him.

"WHAT?"

Sikowitz sighed and called the two of them off the stage and to the side.

"Have you guys been running your lines?"