TEXT: Babe?

TEXT: ...Yes, Beck?

Beck looked up from his seat in the drama room as soon as he had completed reading the text message from Jade. She'd been unusually inverted all day, quiet, more soft, slow with her normally quick and witty insults...something was wrong. He noticed it last night, she came to his house unexpectedly. He didn't mind of course, it was Jade, if he had his way, she'd be living in that RV with him. She arrived at his house, late in the evening, and...simply laid there, wrapped up in his embrace, fingers laced together, his face buried in her pale neck, cradled by her thick, dark hair. He didn't question her, just willingly held her, all night. Every now and then, he'd bring his lips to her ear and whisper "I love you, Jade." his lips brushing her skin, his breath caressing gently. But she would just squeeze his hand lightly in response, tears lingering in her eyes as she willed them to remain there, not wanting to ruin this moment. There was one moment, Beck remembered it significantly, she squirmed in his arms, turning herself around to face him, her eyes locked on to his. It was late, the room was dark, but he could still regsiter the hurt on her face. She tilted her chin upwards, crushing her lips to his. Those lips he could recognise any time, any place. But this time, the kiss was different. She murmered into this kiss, lingering there for a while..as if...as if she needed to savour the moment, that maybe...she wouldn't get to kiss him like this again. He embedded his hands into her hair, soothing her quietly until she slipped into sleep, huddled into his chest.

TEXT: Jade, please talk to me...what's going on?

Beck hadn't asked, not once. He just complied with her behaviour, like it was normal. Jade was one of those people, that in her rare moments of sadness, she needed to just..take a time out. Breathe. Without having to explain herself. Beck knew her inside out, he knew how she worked.

TEXT: ...Not now.

TEXT: I'm worried...I'm so worried about you.

TEXT: Just..don't be mad at me...please?

Beck frowned at his phone, a series on lines crowding on his forehead. He snapped his head up, attempting to make eye contact with his girlfriend across the room. However, she refused, keeping her eye fixed on the teacher that roamed around the classroom. Before Beck could begin typing his reply, another text was welcomed with a subtle vibrate. He opened it rapidly.

TEXT: You're going to hate me.

The shock was clearly portrayed on Beck's face. Hate her? He felt a pang of sadness at the reality of Jade thinking he could ever hate her. He caught her eye, tears had began to form thin, ghostly tracks on her cheeks. She was crying. In public. Beck's face crumpled as he looked from a crumbling Jade to the text message, still open. He thrust his phone into his pocket in one swift movement, pushed his chair back, and launched himself forwards, across the classroom, towards Jade. She was so vulnerable, childlike, appearing suddenly so small in the room full of people. She furiously wipped her tears, angry and frustrated at herself for crying. Crying. JadeWest breaking down in her Drama class. She was disgusted.

Sikowitz turned to notice Beck absent from his chair, scanning the class room urgently before his eyes fell on the boy, crouched at Jade's feet, one hand resting on her thigh, the other reaching up to cup her face, skin smooth underneath his fingers. He looked up at her, trying to catch her eyes, stroking his thumb across her cheek, wiping away her tears. The fragility that had replaced the hard exterior of Jade, it was tearing him apart.

"Hey, hey.." He whispered softly, moving his other hand up from her thigh to her hair, brushing it back from her face. "Sssh...it's okay, baby, I got you, I'm here-."

"Beck!" Sikowitz called, his voice ringing around the classroom from his position behind Beck's previous chair. "Back to your seat, please." he ordered.

Beck ignored his demands.

"Jade, come on, come on, we'll go now, get out of school, go back to my RV and we can talk, okay? I'll fix all this, please, don't cry. You're too beautiful to cry." he whispered soothingly, as if they were the only two people in the room. That was partly true. Right now, she was the only person that mattered to him in this room. And whenever he looked at Jade, it was like everyone else simply faded into the background. Jade's eyes were now fixed on him, her expression troubled and coloured with upset. The fact that someone cared about her as much as Beck did, it almost hurt her as she listened to his comforting words. He was perfect. Whatever could Jade have done to deserve something so perfect? Though she hated to question it, in fear that one day Beck would realise how much better he could do, how much happier he'd be without her, and he'd walk away. Or someone, a supposed god, or dictator of these type of things, realised what a mistake he had made, giving a girl so brash and rude, a guy like Beck, and just like that, he'd be taken from her. That was her worst fear, her only fear. Jade hung her head in shame, aware that every pair of eyes in the class were burning into her, as if branding her weak. But Beck's eyes were the only pair she noticed.

"Babe, come on, I'll make it okay, I promise." Beck continued, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, still failing to respond to Sikowitz's barking from behind. "I love you." Beck mouthed to her, smiling sadly up at Jade. She watched through tear stained eyes as Beck took her hand carefully, standing above her again, waiting for her to raise from her chair too. She nodded, tears flying from her eyes as she did so, biting down on her lip while she stood, clinging to Beck's hand, almost like she needed support. She stood so close to him, feeling herself moving closer as he wrapped a protective arm around her shoulder, shielding her from her class mates.

Without another word, Beck ushered her outside, hand clasped in hers, her head buried in his shoulder. He kissed her head lightly, holding her close as they left behind the indistinct chatter and the shouts of their acting coach, screaching something about a detention if they didn't return back here this instant. Beck didn't care about detentions. All he cared about was Jade. They rushed through the school, past the library, the janitors closets, Jade remaining huddled in Beck's neck, her tears staining his skin, dampening his shirt. They were moving so quickly, it was a shock when they came to an abrupbt halt at the bottom of the stair case. Beck used his index finger to tilt Jade's chin upward ever so carefully, their eyes fixing on each other in a split second, tears forcing their way out of Jade's bright blue ones.

Beck cradled her in his arms, one resting on the small of her back, the other tangling itself in her lucious locks. He brought his lips to hers, kissing her with force and passion, feeling her muffled sobs begin to calm as she relaxed into his touch, her tears falling onto Beck's face as he calmed her.

"It's going to be okay, I promise. You just gotta' let me help you."