Postgrad Partners

Covers and Contemplation

-DEFEAT!-

The virtual announcer spoke that single word for the 4th match in a row, echoing throughout the living room. From the dining table, Tori let out a frustrated groan, grabbed the remote from the arm of the couch, and muted the TV before she had to hear it follow up with the "Play of the Game". She looked down at Jade, who was staring straight ahead, but at just blank space instead of the TV. Waving her hand in front of her girlfriend's face, she called out:

"Hellooo~ Earth to Jade?" Tori frowned and gently shook Jade's shoulders, causing her to double back into the cushions.

"Gah! What?!" Jade snapped back into a proper sitting position as Tori pointed irritably at the TV with a small flashing "muted" icon. "Oh, that. Yeah, sorry. I'm just off my game, today."

"Clearly!" Tori huffed, taking a seat next to Jade on the couch, "Something on your mind? You didn't seem all there for a second..."

Jade sighed and held down the power button on her controller, shutting off the console under the TV. "There was a new student in Sikowitz's class at the theater. Some girl, probably our age or younger, nailed the Bird Scene on her first try."

"The Bird Scene?" Tori raised her eyebrows, thinking she'd never hear of that crazy ordeal again, "He's still doing that scene? Those poor people...but, wait, you said she aced it on her first try? Seriously?"

"Yeah," Jade leaned forward, retracing that moment in her head, "She nailed the mannerisms, the tone, right up to the end, and she just dropped right back to being plain and indifferent about it. She didn't ask for feedback, and that was that. She aced it!"

"Wow...I can't think of anyone who caught the meaning of that assignment so quickly. Well, except you, maybe."

Jade shrugged, taking it as a compliment. "Okay, sure, but she didn't seem all that excited about passing the scene. I just wonder what she's even doing there in the first place..."

"I mean, it's a public theater, right? Maybe she just wanted to try it out and realized it wasn't for her?"

"If that's true, then she wouldn't have walked back up to the theater after my mom picked me up. After me, there wasn't anyone else except Sikowitz, who was probably locking the place for the night."

"You're really wrapped up in this, aren't you?" Tori rubbed Jade's arm and then leaned against it, "Why not ask her yourself when you see her there tomorrow?"

"I can try..." Jade made a doubtful face, "But she barely paid a glance at me when I tried talking to her today, so I doubt she'll be any different tomorrow."

"You never know until you try," Tori shrugged and got back up to her laptop on the dining table. "Anywho, I've still got a lot of brainstorming to do tonight..."

"Brainstorming, for what?" Jade joined her at the table, sneaking a peek at a long list of songs Tori typed down.

"Mason proposed I do a cover album to start my career off; give everyone a taste of music I like, my range, and maybe spark some ideas for original music later on down the line." Tori sat back down, looking at the list again with a sigh, "They said they'd take care of any licensing costs, but first I have to come up with 10 songs for it. It's tough narrowing it down, as you can see."

"Oh, I can see," Jade skimmed through the list, recognizing many hit songs from the earlier 2000s, late 90s, and more 80s pop than she cared for. "Is this gonna be a Millennial Mixtape or something? Wouldn't you want something more...eclectic?"

Groaning, Tori craned back in her chair, "I know! I don't want to come off as predictable with my song choices, but I like so many of these songs! In fact, I even professionally recorded a cover of 'A Thousand Miles' back in middle school!"

Jade's eyes briefly widened in surprise, "Seriously? Baby Tori Vega singing Vanessa Carlton? How'd you score that?"

"An old friend of Trina's had a home recording booth, and I may have snuck in and tried it out when we visited for a birthday party..." Tori grinned as she recalled the memory vividly, "It was just for fun, but then her parents said I should try covering the whole song and they loved it!"

"How come you've never showed it to any of us at Hollywood Arts, then?"

"...Trina might have destroyed every copy out of spite. Remember I said this was an 'old friend'?"

Jade laughed it off and propped a hand on Tori's shoulder, looking over the list again, "Well, you could cover the song again, now that you're miles away from Ms. No-Talent's claws. Or...maybe ask your hot, rock-and-roll girlfriend for some tips, too?"

"Oh, let me guess," Tori rolled her eyes, "You're gonna suggest some heavy metal and hard rock that'll probably kill my vocal cords?"

Jade looked down at her, almost genuinely offended, "Geez, Vega. Way to generalize my music tastes. I was going to suggest some power ballads with a bit of kick; a nice balance of the two like 'The Only Exception' by Paramore, 'I'm With You' by Avril?"

Tori looked at Jade with surprise, then typed those suggestions into her list. "Wow, those are...actually some good ideas." Jade leaned over and typed in a few more song titles herself, such as "Young Hearts" by Commuter and "The Warrior" by Scandal; both songs Tori didn't know off the top of her head. "Hm...Maybe I could ask them if I could include a bonus track; a duet with you, perhaps?"

"Were you thinking of that 'Take on Me' duet we sang at karaoke?" Jade smirked, "Because I'd be taking full credit and royalties for that idea."

Tori laughed and craned her head up to peck Jade on the cheek, "We'll see; still gotta narrow these down from two dozen to just ten, first."

Jade playfully ruffled Tori's hair as she stood back up and stretched a bit before heading to her bedroom. "Don't be up too long, now. We're low on coffee and we both know I'll need it more than you!"

Tori just stuck her tongue out in playful reply before turning back to her laptop.

Taking the gesture as another bit of affection and said quietly to herself, "Love you, too..." as she closed her bedroom door behind her.