I do not own Victorious.
Pulling into the airport pick up lane, Jade started to call her friend to come out before she got a ticket. Her phone rang twice before she spotted him rolling a huge suitcase towards her trunk. She popped the trunk and waited right as the airport police started to pull out. She kept her eyes on the road as her friend Frankie turned towards her. "I missed you! New York's boring with you gone" he said fake pouting. Jade smirked
"I bet it is."
"Then come back with me when I leave" he said, turning on the radio.
Jade sighed "Don't tempt me."
.
.
It's not like she didn't love Hollywood, she was an actress of course, but lately it hadn't held the same excitement for her like it used to. She sat at her locker contemplating why when he stepped down the short steps to his locker.
Oh that's right. Him. He's the reason Hollywood isn't as bright and shiny as it used to seem.
Flanked by his usual crew Tori and Andre, Jade watched as they posted themselves against the wall, laughing at the latest crazy situation they'd managed to get themselves in and out of. Not too long ago it would've been her, Beck, and Andre together, laughing. Beck's hand would be resting on her hip, her arm around him.
But things changed. She couldn't quite figure out the timeline of when her small group had shifted, leaving her feeling like an outsider intruding in their lives.
Cat plopped down next to her, pulling her from her thoughts. She pulled a gum drop from her bra and offered it to Jade. At least I have Cat to always be there she thought chewing her candy. She almost lost her somewhere along with her other "friends", but Cat held out. Always going back to Jade like a loyal pet. Jade allowed her ramblings at the moment because of that fact. Only because of that fact.
She's lightly snipping the blue ends of her hair when three pair of legs stop in front of her. She can tell from the sneakers, boots, and combat boots who they belong to without looking up.
"Hey guys!" Cat says from beside her.
"Hi guys!" Tori says cheerfully, though she knows only Cat will be responding to her.
"Cat you still coming to the movies with us tonight?" Tori asked.
"Yes! Can we see Brave? It's a new Disney movie?" she asked batting her eyes at the group. They all show their disdain at her choice.
"It's still up for debate" Tori says. Jade doesn't see the girl fix her gaze on her.
"Jade, would you like to come to the movies with us?" Tori asks.
Looking up, Jade sees the flash of apprehension on both Andre and Beck's faces before they relax back into fake friendly smiles. Jade pushes herself up eyeing the three. Her mind automatically goes into her encyclopedia of insults reserved especially for Tori. She's tired of thinking before she really begins.
"No" she answers simply. She sees relief flash on their faces before they pull their masks back on.
"Aw Jade come on, it'll be fun!" Cat says tugging on her skirt. Knowing the weary looks they have on their faces, she knows she wouldn't be able to hold in a retort this time. Not wanting to put in the effort she simply says no without looking back and walks away.
She lied when she said she didn't know when everything started to shift. When she stopped being the unofficial leader of her little group. It began the day after she caught the new girl rubbing against her then boyfriend. He'd chosen her side over Jade's, even sealed it with a kiss.
That was the beginning of her slow shift from group leader to nuisance. This wasn't limited to her group though. The school unanimously decided Jade West needed to be taken down a peg or two.
Sikowitz led the charge. Two and a half years as the leading star in every play? Surely the new student who came to the school on a whim deserved starting roles now! You wrote a play? Tori wants a Prome this weekend, Hollywood Arts has never had one of those. No, nobody cares how much money and work you put in, Tori just decided we should have a party instead Jade, stop being a gank.
Her body couldn't decide if it was more angry or tired by now of her slow fall from the top. Tired. Definitely tired.
Tori Vega wasn't her friend so she could hate her for her behavior. It was the natural order of things: The more Jade fell, the higher Tori rose. She accepted that's how things would be until...she didn't know what would curb the descent, but it had to stop eventually.
Beck Oliver had been her friend though, more importantly her boyfriend. As much as they fought believe it or not they were friends long before she decided one toned hair was boring and he grew into his looks. Hell their entire group went through their awkward phases together.
Beck and Jade were special though.
They clicked automatically. Their relationship was stronger than most adult's they knew. Everyone decided they wouldn't last though. "That boy, with that girl!" They gave them an expiration date of a week.
"They've been dating a month? I give them another two weeks. A year! He'll come to his senses soon. Two years? He's too nice to dump her, poor kid."
Jade got tired of hearing the whispers. Was he tired too?
"Ten!" she shouted at Tori's door. She waited a heartbeat before she started to reach for the doorknob before she pulled back. He said he was tired of fighting. In all honesty, she was exhausted.
He changed after they dated for so long. Did he grow up? Not unless growing up meant becoming a jerk. That's how she felt looking back.
They teased each other. It was fun, it's what couples did. She'd make fun of Canada, he'd flirt with girls to make her jealous. When she got so pissed to the point where he got pissed, he told her he wouldn't talk to her for a day. She apologized, rinse and repeat.
She figured he'd gotten tired too, stopped caring long before the queries for couples fiasco.
When she burned her hand while at their teacher's house, he didn't call to ask about it till the next afternoon. When she was mean to Tori and he put her in a timeout. She made a pouty face and sat on the stairs, not caring he was punishing her for being mean to Tori again, but giddy at the thought of what a "time out" meant.
He knew what pain did to her. She imagined he'd keep up with this game and put her over his knee. Or take her upstairs and leave hickeys on her until she begged him to stop.
When he only glanced at her, then back to the piano where their friends were coming up with lyrics, she thought they all looked a little tired of her too.
She gave up her spot singing at the Platinum Awards for Tori. No one saw it as Jade getting the opportunity to sing anyway, but as Tori being fired and Jade stealing her spot. It didn't matter the job was free game, Jade was the villain and Princess Tori deserved her happy ending. Prince Charming soon to come.
Jade wasn't tired anymore.
Sitting down next to her ex he grinned at her. She returned the smile and watched Tori serenade the crowd, she even danced in her seat.
Everyone congratulated her for giving Tori her spot back. Told her how proud they were of her for doing the right thing. She held her tongue and gave them a fake smile of her own. She didn't mind no one (excluding Cat) asking how she felt having given up that opportunity. She didn't mind when he hugged her right after Tori.
She felt lighter than she had in a long time. Her joy mingled in with theirs for different reasons though. They all applauded Tori's performance and Jade's generosity.
Jade silently celebrated the fact she would no longer be surrounded by the fake smiles and tired eyes.
She recalled a saying she'd heard, put your past into a book, burn the pages, let them cook.
They all sit in Sikowitz class minus Cat who was late, and Jade who still hadn't come back from New York even though spring break had ended two weeks ago. Sikowitz was assigning roles in his next play when the door opened. Cat entered crying.
Beck put an arm around her and looked to their friends rolling his eyes. They were used to Cat's emotional outbursts by now.
"What's the matter?" Beck asked patting her shoulder. She wiped her sleeve across her face before turning her watery eyes up at him.
"Jade is gone" she said. Her friends shared a look.
"Yeah, she's in New York taking an extended spring break" Beck said. Cat shook her head no.
"She's isn't coming back" she said sobbing "I went to her house and her mom told me she moved back to New York for good."
The class was silent. Even Sikowitz looks dumbstruck.
"Cat" Beck stammered out. "Jade loves Hollywood, she...she wouldn't..." Beck ran a hand through his hair and pulled out his phone.
Checking her Slap page her home location is set to New York, New York. She's in photos with people he doesn't know.
A friend of hers he met once –My new roommate Frankie!, her partying in unfamiliar clubs, the last picture makes his heart drop. Jade was standing in her now empty bedroom with the caption Later Hollywood.
"It's true, she's gone" Beck said.
To Be Continued...
The only payment I get from this is in reviews!