The school bell rang at Sherwood High School, signaling the start of lunch, and crowds of students exited their classrooms and started their paths towards the cafeteria.

A beautiful brunette strutted down the dingy, crowded hallway, her long, chestnut mane flowing down her back in soft waves. She walked alongside a pretty, straight-haired blonde with baby blue dip dye tips. The brunette beauty went by one name and one name only: Tori Vega.

"I'm not kidding," Tori's friend, Kelsey, said as they walked down the hall, passing by a herd of hungry teenagers. "There's scientific proof."

"Kelsey," Tori giggled. "I'm pretty sure there's no scientific proof that Mrs. Stevens is a man."

"Well, what else could explain that mustache on her face," Kelsey mentioned, her crystal eyes staring up at Tori. Tori let out a soft chuckle, shaking her head at her friend's theory about their Physics teacher. Sure the woman had a better mustache than most of the guys in the class, but that didn't make her a man... hopefully. Tori opened her mouth to reply, but was interrupted when someone knocked into her shoulder.

She whipped her head around to apologize but froze when she looked into the familiar eyes of her ex-boyfriend, Danny.

"Uh, sorry," Danny said, dazed, his cheeks reddened with embarrassment.

"It's fine," Tori shrugged, smiling slightly as she gazed into Danny's dark eyes. It was silence as two stared awkwardly at each other. Their brown eyes bore holes into each other and Tori could see the hurt in Danny's eyes. Danny suddenly broke eye contact, clearing his throat, and gave Tori a small nod goodbye before speeding away.

Kelsey gave a low whistle, raising her ligtht brown eyebrows, as she watched the dark-haired boy disappear within the crowd.

"Things still awkward between you two?" she pondered, glancing at her friend. Tori let out a sigh, shutting her eyes, and continued her path down the hallway.

"You have no idea."

"I thought the break up went well," Kelsey mentioned as she almost knocked into a skinny cheerleader. The two stepped to the side, both trying to move out of each other's way, but ended up standing in front of one another yet again. The two girls continued their dance until an impatient Kelsey stopped and let the cheerleader pass by first. Noticing Tori was now a few feet ahead, she ran and caught up to her.

"It did..." Tori said as she approach a long row dark blue lockers. She stopped in front of a locker labeled 108. "Kinda."

"Kinda?" Kelsey raised an eyebrow as Tori dialed her combination.

"Yeah..." Tori drifted off as she swung the locker door open. "Like it wasn't good, but it went better than I thought it would."

"That guy is really in love with you," Kelsey stated softly as she leaned against the row of lockers, hugging her books to her chest.

"Yeah," Tori agreed, setting a textbook on the top shelf. "I wish... I just wish I felt the same way about him," Tori said sadly, dropping her hand to her side, "but I don't. At least not fully. I care about him, but I didn't think he deserved to be strung along." Kelsey nodded, her golden brown eyes gazing up at her friend.

"I get it," she said. "And I think deep down he does, too." Tori gave her friend a tiny smile before shoving her history textbook into her locker.

"But on another note," Kelsey said brightly, brightening up the mood. "Guess what I found out last night? My mom's coworker's friend's sister's neighbor knows the guidance counselor at Hollywood Arts."

"And this is relevant to me how...?" Tori stared at her petite friend, her eyebrows furrowed.

"He can set you up an audition!" Kelsey exclaimed, beaming.

"Um, Kels," Tori began. "I don't know if you know this or not, but the school year has already started."

Kelsey scoffed, rolling her eyes. "Yeah, like three weeks ago. Come on, Tor. It's not like their going to reject you because of late entry. Okay, they can," Kelsay added, seeing the look on Tori's face. "but my point is you should go for it."

"How am I going to audition anyway?" Tori wondered, shutting her locker before leaning against it. "Auditions were held at the end of last school year."

"Good question," Kelsey smiled, knowingly. "V-mail."

"V-mail?" Tori repeated. Her blonde friend nodded excitedly. "As in send them a video through email?"

"I'm pretty sure that's the definition of V-mail," Kelsey mentioned, twirling a strand of her blue and blonde hair. Tori exhaled slowly, gently throwing her head back.

"Kelsey-"

"All you have to do is audition," Kelsey interrupted before Tori could finish her thought. "And it's not like it's in front of people. Just your webcam."

"Kels," Tori said, her brown eyes staring intently into Kelsey's blue ones. "Hollywood Arts? It's-"

"A great school!"

"But also expensive," Tori explained.

"Trina goes there," Kelsey pointed out.

"Exactly," Tori stated. "So I would know how much it costs my parents a year."

"Oh, please. Your family makes twice as much as mine makes a year." Tori groaned, throwing her head back and roughly raked her fingers through her hair in frustration.

"You're missing the point!" Tori exclaimed, her voice echoing throughout the vacant hallway.

"The point is," Kelsey hissed glancing at the glaring teacher across the hall. Tori gave him a sheepish smile and waved shyly before turning back to her friend. "Audition. There's no guarantee that you'll make it, but at least try. For me," she added.

"Kels-" Kelsey pouted, giving Tori her puppy dog look. Tori stared into the girl's big, glistening eyes before sighing in defeat.

"Fine," she exasperated," I'll audition." Kelsey beamed and threw her arms around Tori's neck in happiness.

"Love you," she said. Tori rolled her eyes, a smile tugging at her lips, and stepped out of the hug.

"You know, most friends would respect my decision of not wanting to audition."

"I respect it," Kelsey said, "I just don't care for it." Tori shut her eyes, shaking her head.

"Let's just go to lunch," she stated.

Tori gently set her electric blue Pearbook on top the grand piano in her living room. She tampered with the laptop, making sure everything was set correctly, and adjusted her webcam.

The front door of the Vega household swung open and a tan, dark haired teenager stormed angrily into the house.

"I am so upset!" the girl, Trina Vega, shouted, slamming the door behind her. Tori froze and looked over at her fuming sister.

"What's wrong?" Tori asked as Trina threw her bags on one of the two red couches and stomped into the kitchen.

"Guess who I got paired up with for the Big Showcase?" Trina questioned as she snatched a glass out of a cabinet and slammed it on the island.

"Who?" Tori questioned.

"Andrew Harris," Trina answered, walking towards the refrigerator. "A tenth grader!" The angry girl threw her hands up as she huffed before roughly grabbing the pitcher of pink lemonade of of the fridge.

"And get this!" she continued, pouring the cool beverage into her glass. "Today, we were suppose to meet up to rehearse and he ditched!" The glass began to overflow as Trina carelessly continued to pour her drink.

"Uhh..." Tori raised an eyebrow and made a gesture towards Trina's hands. Trina glanced down to see pink lemonade flowing out of the glass and drip off the counter top.

"Ugh," she scrunched up her nose as she gently set the pitcher down. Juice dripped from Trina's hand and was beginning to feel sticky.

"Why did he ditch?" Tori asked over the running pipe that Trina was washing her hands under.

"Apparently, the football players are throwing a party tonight and he had to 'reschedule.'" Tori remained silent as she thought over what her sister had just told her.

"When is the Big Showcase?" Tori asked, suddenly.

"One month from Friday," Trina replied, gently drying her hands with a striped dishcloth.

"Then, what's the big deal?" Tori furrowed her eyebrows, confused. "You have plenty of time."

"They didn't invite me!" Trina whined, stomping her heeled foot. Tori raised an eyebrow as she eyed her older sister whom stood pouting in a puddle of pink lemonade. Trina, suddenly, gasped, a mischievous glint in her eye.

"I'll just crash the party!" she said more to herself than Tori. "Well, it's not like it's a party without me anyways." Trina scurried out of the kitchen, not bothering to clean up her mess, and raced up the staircase, ignoring Tori, who called after her, yelling, "I don't think you should show up there uninvited!"

"Can't hear you!" Trina called back from the top of the stairs, "Gotta go put on your purple dress!" Tori rolled her eyes as the sound of a door slamming echoed through the house. She took a seat on the bench and clicked "Record" on her laptop.

A small white light shone as the webcam turned on, its focus on the nervous brunette.

"Hi, I'm Tori Vega," Tori smiled to the rolling webcam. "And I am going to be performing a song that I had written recently. It's called 'Ready or Not.'" Tori's gaze fell down to piano as her fingers hovered over the keys. She gently pressed on the keys, playing the notes, a slight smile playing on her lips. Tori's eyes glanced up at her camera as she began singing.

"Hey-ey-ey. Hey-ey-ey. Ooooh.

I'm the kind girl

Who doesn't say a word

Who sits at the curb

And waits for the world

But I'm about to break out, about to break out

I'm like a crook tonight

I caught you staring at me

And I was thinking clearly

Now I'm like a bee

And I'm hunting for the honey

And I'm kinda shy but you super fly yeah

I could be your kryptonite

Like Oooooh

Light my heart up baby, like a matchstick

Ohhhhh

And hit the gas quick

Ready or Not , here i come

Where you at? The night is young

In the crowd the music's loud

But I will find you..."

Tori continuously flipped her chestnut locks back as she looked up at the camera. Her eyes occasionally fell to the piano as she fingers danced gracefully on top the keys.

"Ready or Not, here I come

I like your face, do you like my song?

Just sing it la la la la la la la

And I find you

Ready or Not

Ready or Not

Ready or not, here I come, here I come

You're like a breath of fresh air in my lungs

You and me dance from the night to the dawn

Ready or no, here I come boy

It's onnnn...

Ready or Not, here I come

Where you at? The night is young yeah

In the crowd the music's loud

But i will find you

Ready or Not, here I come

I like your face, do you like my song ?

Just sing it la la la la la la la

And I find you

Ready or Not

Ready or not

(You're like a breath of fresh air in my lungs)

Ready Or not (ooooooh)

Ready or Not (ready or not, whoa)

Ready or Not (ready or not, ready or not. Bum ba da dum ba da dum ba da dum)

Ready or Not."

Tori sighed, breathlessly, at the end of the song, her brown eyes glistening with happiness. She grinned towards the camera for a brief moment before lifiting her hand and ending the recording.

oOo

"...Ready or Not." The video faded to black after Tori sang the last lyric. A group of adults sat around a black table in a large room. Three of the four walls were painted white, while the fourth was painted a bright red, a black Hollywood Arts logo designed in the middle. On the opposite wall, hung a 40-in plasma screen TV, a black Pearbook was hooked up it it.

"So what do you think?" A tanned, curly haired man questioned his colleagues as he rubbed lotion into his hands.

"Eh..." A young, dark-skinned, African American man commented.

"What do you mean 'Eh?'" A blonde woman asked as she set down her pen. " She was great."

"She's average," The man, Anthony, explained. "To be at Hollywood Arts you can't be average."

"How is she average?" The lotioner and guidance counselor, Lane, pondered.

"There's nothing special about her voice. It's obvious she can't sing in many different ranges-"

"That doesn't mean she's average," the blonde woman interrupted. "Tons of people can't sing in different ranges, doesn't mean they're not incredibly talented."

"She's has a unique sound," A frayed-haired man, Sikowitz, spoke up. He lifted his bare feet on top of the table as he sipped his coconut.

"And a lot of potential," the woman agreed. "A few classes and some practice, she'll be amazing."

"What do you think Helen?" Anthony asked his boss. A short, African American woman sat at the head of the conference table, her black, culry hair pulled into a high bun. She glanced up from her notes and said, "I agree," much to Anthony's dismay. "She may not have an extraordinary voice, but it's different and different is not average."

"Let's put it to a vote," Lane said. "All for Tori Vega attending Hollywood Arts for singing..." Lane, Sikowitz, Helen, and the blonde teacher raised their hand. "All opposed." Only Anthony's hand was raised.

"Well, Tori Vega," Helen said to herself. "Welcome to Hollywood Arts." She stamped Tori's resume and "APPROVED," was imprinted on the paper.

*The song is Ready or Not (Acoustic) by Bridget Mendler. It's my shortened version of it. I did it cause in the show they cut out parts of songs (cause of the limit on episode length) and I wanted to try it out.

**If you don't remember Anthony, he's the music teacher that gave Andre's Christmas song a D in 'A Christmas Tori' episode.

*** There were a few Victorious quotes in the story, if you can guess them all then I'll give you a shoutout in the next chapter. Bonus if you can include the episode name.