Disclaimer: I do not own Victorious, credit to Dan Schneider. Rated T for the themes and sensitive topics.

I know I've been starting too many stories lately, but this idea popped into my head and I knew that I had to write it. It was just one of those moments, those... wow moments. So, enjoy the prologue. More to come soon.

I knew something had to be seriously wrong when Jade showed up to school pregnant, and Beck wasn't with her.

My first thoughts were of shock, then confusion, and then worry. I watched from my locker across the hall as Jade walked into Hollywood Arts for the first time in over four months. She had been on vacation, sure, but she told us that she would only be gone for two weeks, maybe one if her grandparents got annoyed with her. But after about three weeks, people were starting to ask questions. The teachers didn't know any more than we did, except that she was being excused for the extra days. Those days quickly turned into four and a half straight months.

When she did return, it was the end of January. She had left for her vacation a week into the school year, claiming that her grandparents had been planning it for years and they refused to reschedule for her school attendance. We had all shrugged and gone back to eating lunch.

I had a burning desire to go up to her and ask just what had happened since she left, because one, she had been gone four months longer than she told us she would be. Two, she was obviously pregnant. And three, Beck was no where to be seen. That also led to four, and the fact that Beck hadn't been in school for the past two weeks. The main reason I didn't go up and ask the second I saw her was simply because of who I was.

Jade and I both knew that we could never have a real friendship since I kissed her boyfriend on my second day at Hollywood Arts. That had been a long time ago, and I dearly regretted it, but despite my apologies she wouldn't listen, and I could hardly blame her. She wasn't my favourite person in the world either, but I still considered her a distant friend.

The reason that I did go up and ask when she closed her locker was because Jade West did not look like herself.

"Hey Jade!" I called to her as I shut my own locker and made my way across to her, offering her a wave and a friendly smile. "Long time no see!"

She didn't glance up at first, staring at her locker until I stopped next to her.

"What do you want Vega?" she asked heartlessly, eyes flicking up to my face and features hardening. I had to hold in my shock. Sure, I was used to her hard glares, but this was different. This wasn't angry or annoyed, it was just... defeated. Jade never looked like she had given up, but lo and behold, she looked the part to me on that day.

"I just wanted to see how you were doing," I explained, now on my guard and taking a precautionary step back. "I mean you haven't been in school for so long so I thought-"

"You thought what?" she snapped, turning to face me fully and give me a real Jade-style glare. "Thought I needed your help cause I missed some class? Just remember that I've still been here longer than you."

With that, she scowled and stormed right past me, and past a group of girls standing in the middle of the hall. I'm sure Jade would have stormed at the way to first period had one of the girls not snickered as Jade passed them and whispered a word unheard to me that made her stop in her tracks and give that girl the same glare I had received.

For a few endless seconds I thought Jade was going to bitch-slap that girl, the way her face was painted with a look of bloody murder. But then to my immense surprise, her shoulders sagged and she resumed her walk, much faster and more urgent. That was the moment I truly realized that things could never be the same.

I did not speak with Jade through first period, and I did not see Beck once. It wasn't as if I still had a crush on him, but he was a good friend and I was honestly worried about his girlfriend. If there was ever a time that Jade West looked like she needed support, it was that time.

After class I ignored Cat when she called to me and followed Jade to the far side of the school. She didn't see or hear me at first as was planned, and I felt a slight tinge of guilt as I was pursuing her, but I waved it off and reminded myself that whether she liked it or not, she obviously needed someone.

"Jade!" I finally called as I saw her slowing. She froze mid-stride at my voice and spun around lightning fast, her face only showing surprise. She said nothing, only hurrying back to me to grab my wrist and drag me through the halls into a janitors closet.

"How obvious is it?" she hissed to me after the door was slammed shut. She was facing me, a look similar to desperation on her face, and grumbled when I showed confusion.

"How noticeable is my stomach," she growled through clenched teeth, her words bringing realization to my face.

"Oh, ummm, it's... noticeable," I admitted carefully, not wishing to anger a pregnant Jade. She huffed and glanced down at herself with a face that almost looked like... disgust?

"Wonderful," she mumbled, her expression telling me that she was thinking very intently. After another half minute, my curiosity got the better of me and I had to ask.

"So is Beck the father?"

...I had only seen Jade cry once in the entire year and a half I had known her. That day in the janitor's closet, she did not cry, but she looked pretty darn close to it.