As Jade West made her way into Hollywood Arts for the third year in a row, she tried not to look at Beck & Tori talking. As a pang of jealousy hit Jade's heart, she reminded herself that crying wasn't worth anything, & it couldn't solve anything. She turned to her locker, & tried her best to tune their conversation out. As she dug into her purse for her laminated student ID, she pricked her finger on the switchblade she always carried, just in case emotional tradgedy attempted to strike.

"Ow!" Jade cursed, wiping the fresh blood on her black skinnies. Jade looked out of the corner of her eye, through the curtain of her hair; Tori Vega was approaching. Jade tried to make her leave, but the mental pleading worked none.

"Hey, Jade." Tori smirked, slamming Jade's locker door closed, almost catching Jade's fingers. Jade clenched a fist, & mumbled darkly,

"What do you want?"

"Oh, nothing! Just wanted to catch up." Tori smiled, enjoying watching Jade flinch at unwanted memories, probably flashbacks. Finally, thought Tori coldly. She is finally feeling pain for once in her pathetic life.

"Really?" Jade asked, a little too hopefully. She mentally cursed herself, making a note to harm herself for that stupid reaction later on in the day. Tori's stupid voice snapped Jade out of her thoughts, as usual.

"Ha-ha! Jade, how funny. No." Tori slammed Jade into her locker, nose-to-nose. Jade could feel Tori's breath on her face. Ew, thought Jade, making yet another mental note to dis-infect her cheek with hand sanitizer before class.

"I hope your year is crap!" Tori whisper-hissed. "Just like mine was when I was new."

Jade hissed back, like that of a feline. "Tori! Your year wasn't all that bad. I never treated you like this!"

"Did you even think to realize what your actions really done to me?" Tori's voice cracked. "I'd go home every day & cry, because I thought you hated me. You even told me you did on numerous occasions, West. So, this summer was a little revenge, & this year will just add onto the crap. Don't you even think about getting me back, because I know your secret."

. . . . . . . .

With those words, Tori Vega left Jade alone, to think about everything.

"Ah, Jade!" Sikowitz waltzed into the main hallway, making Jade scared.

"What?" she snapped. Her teacher jumped, & asked,

"Just wanted to see how your summer went. What's wrong?"

Jade wanted to curl up in a ball, on the floor, next to Sikowitz and cry her eyes out. She wanted to tell him about cutting, about Beck & Tori's "revenge sex," & how bad that made her feel. She wanted to tell him everything her father said to her, every day, & how much it hurt. But, instead, she apologized for scaring him, & lied,

"Fine! And, nothing. Why?"

Sikowitz knew Jade too well to leave with fine. He took her into the teacher's lounge, & they sat down. Jade suddenly felt too bottled up, too depressed, but strangely, too safe. She wasn't used to feeling safe, except for being with Beck, but that was long gone.

"Really, Jade. How was your summer?"

Suddenly, the raven-haired beauty burst into tears, cursing, & blubbering, trying to get everything that happened into one sentence. Sikowitz stopped her, handing her a tissue. When she finally calmed, she sighed.

"Tori & Beck got back at me by having sex. I cut myself for the first time since eighth grade. My father came out to us; he is an alchoholic. I became depressed, obviously. So, here I am. Gonna have the worst year of my life." Jade rolled up her shirt sleeve, showing Sikowitz her past & present scars. Sikowitz almost gasped. The word 'slut' was carved in Jade's right arm.

"Jade." Sikowitz rolled up his sleeve, & let Jade see his scars. "I've been in your shoes before." That was all it took for Jade to begin crying again. She was a bawling loser, but oddly, Sikowitz wasn't judging her. He placed his hand on her shoulder, & made her look up.

"You aren't alone. Could you stay after class fifth period? I'll even write you a pass."

Jade wiped her nose with her sleeve, nodding. Then, the bell rang. Sikowitz looked out the window of the lounge and shook his head as Tori & Beck held hands. And as Tori called Jade obscene names.

This generation, he thought sadly.