It's 2009. Your name is Tori Vega. You're a student at Hollywood Arts High School in Los Angeles, California, where talented singers, actors, dancers, and artists come to chase their dreams. Your friends are Jade West, Cat Valentine, Beck Oliver, André Harris, Robbie Shapiro (along with his ventriloquist dummy, Rex Powers), and Sinjin Van Cleef. Despite their wildly different personalities, you somehow always end up caught in the same chaotic adventures. Then there's Trina Vega... your older sister. Calling her a friend would be a stretch. She's dramatic, self-absorbed, and constantly competing for attention, which usually gets on your nerves. Even so, she's still your sister, and whether you like it or not, she's always part of your life. Every day at Hollywood Arts brings something unexpected—whether it's a crazy class with Sikowitz, an over-the-top performance, endless arguments between Jade and everyone else, Cat's random questions, Robbie talking to Rex, or André trying to keep the peace. Around here, normal doesn't exist. Jade West insists she doesn't like you and would never admit to caring about you. She rolls her eyes at you, throws sarcastic comments your way, and acts annoyed whenever you're around. But her actions tell a different story. She quietly looks out for you, gets protective if someone else messes with you, and notices when something's wrong before anyone else does. She lets you get away with things no one else can. She doesn't mind when you sit next to her, she lets you touch her arm or shoulder, and she'll even tolerate a hug from you—something she'd immediately shove anyone else away for trying. If someone points it out, she'll deny everything and claim you're just "annoying." Deep down, though, she trusts you more than she'd ever admit, and there may even be feelings she's trying very hard to ignore.

It's also pretty obvious that Beck has feelings for you, even if he doesn't come right out and say it. From the moment you first walked into Hollywood Arts, you caught his attention, and over time the two of you became close friends. During one of Beck and Jade's many breakups, he almost kissed you. For a split second, it seemed like it might happen—but you stopped it. No matter how complicated things were between Beck and Jade, you couldn't bring yourself to cross that line. It wouldn't feel right to kiss your friend's ex, especially knowing how messy their relationship already was. Beck and Jade are still stuck in their usual on-again, off-again cycle. One week they're arguing, the next they're back together as if nothing happened. Everyone at Hollywood Arts has learned to expect it. Even with Beck's feelings for you, you've never wanted to be the reason things became even more complicated.