Andre bowed his head as he passed through the halls of Hollywood Arts High School, avoiding the eyes of everyone. They all knew. They all had heard what had happened the night before. They all knew of his love confession and how he had been turned down. And, now, all he could do was try to live life as if it had never happened.

But it did, and nobody would ever let him live it down.

He was a nice boy. He was a musical prodigy; he could play just about any instrument, piano preferably, and sing like an angel. He was the brown skinned boy who was destined to be an amazing musical artist and would soon sign a record deal.

She was the sadistic bitch with the amazing voice that would star as the mass murderer in a horror movie someday. She had those hypnotizing blue eyes and the streaks that made her look like one of those girls that you didn't want to mess with.

They were completely opposite, from their looks to their personalities.

"Jade, I love you," the boy had told her the night before.

The two were both in the school's parking lot in the late evening, both tired of the day and what it had brought.

While Andre had been sitting on the hood of his car, staring at the stars and thinking, Jade had pulled into the lot, tears and mascara running down her face. She had slid on the hood of Andre's car and allowed him to comfort the girl in her state of weakness. The two were alone and Jade was feeling lonely, having broken up with Beck not two hours before.

"What?" Jade said, looking at him.

"I love you."

"No," she said, firmly, still crying. "No you don't."

"I do, Jade."

"No you don't. You love Tori and I loved Beck. It was how it was supposed to be. And then Beck and I broke up. You need to love Tori, not me." She gave him a sad frown.

"I don't love Tori, Jade. I love you."

"No you don't, Andre! No you don't!" She hopped off of the hood and ran for her car, driving out of the lot with great haste. Andre had finally spilled his guts and had been left in the gutter.

Sinjin had heard some of the conversation and had posted on The Slap not two minutes later.

"So, Andre, I heard about your little stunt last night. Is it true?" a boy from his piano class, Erik, asked. Erik was a very social person, a gossiper who would spread the dirtiest rumors around the school, when given the chance. There was no way that he wasn't involved.

"None of your business, Erik," Andre muttered, walking past him and his group of friends.

Andre didn't know why he loved Jade West. It wasn't something that he could understand on his own. He tried talking to Tori, but she hadn't been much help. Cat was clueless. Robbie knew nothing about relationships.

Andre was trapped.

The dark skinned boy hadn't seen the West girl all day. She didn't show up to any of the classes they shared. She wasn't seen in the halls. She was nowhere to be found. Perhaps that was best, Andre thought. She didn't like him anyways.

After an excruciating day of torture, he was finally allowed to leave. But, he didn't go home. No, he drove out of town and to a small little place on the side of the highway where nobody would look for him. He texted his mother and grandmother, telling them that he would be home late and that he was at Tori's. He texted Tori to cover for him. She didn't question her friend.

It wasn't until night had fallen that Andre turned his car back on and drove back into LA. He drove to the school parking lot, which was now vacant of any car.

After about an hour of sitting on the hood of his car, staring up at the stars, Andre heard her voice.

"You're out here again? Two nights in a row doesn't seem like you." The boy turned his head and his brown eyes met blue and tear filled. Jade stood there, hands in her jacket pockets. Her face remained expressionless, but her eyes still sad. She had been crying again, but had no makeup on, unlike the night before.

"Well, it's not like you either, Jade," Andre sighed, turning back to the stars. Jade slid onto the hood beside him, doing the same. "What brings you back here? I thought you didn't want to talk to me."

"They all know."

Andre's heart took another stab of pain, but he pretended as if it hadn't happened. "Yeah, so?"

"That doesn't affect you?"

He shrugged.

Jade sighed. "I've been thinking. That's why I didn't show up at school today. I, instead, took a walk around the city and thought about our situation." Andre didn't answer. "How long have you loved me?"

He shrugged. "I guess the first time I realized was when we were working on that song a few months ago."

Jade raised an eyebrow. "That long, huh? How long have you actually loved me, then?"

"Since the day we first met."

Jade remained silent, not offering up a reply.

After another hour, Andre asked, "Would you like me to give you a ride home?" Jade accepted the offer.

When the two had arrived at the girl's home, she leaned across the car and planted a kiss on the dark skinned boy's cheek before getting out and leaving him with a sad smile.

The two started to become closer and closer. In the months to come, Jade had begun to love Andre. They shared songs and became a tightly knit pair.

But, since you're wondering, it wasn't until months later when they had their first real kiss. Not a stage kiss that was choreographed, but a real kiss. It was just after Andre's eighteenth birthday, alone in his backyard on a Saturday night. Nether had expected or rejected the kiss.

Andre would hold his head high as he entered Hollywood Arts, Jade under his arm, smiling. Some, like Sinjin, would stare with complete and utter shocked. Beck would nod and smile at the couple, happy that Jade was off of his back and that Andre had found himself a girl. Tori would smile and congratulate Andre. Robbie and Cat were both shocked when they heard the news about Andre and Jade. Rex claimed that he knew it was going to happen all along. Trina just raised an eyebrow and asked who Andre was.

Nothing was ever the same after that. Sure the group hadn't changed all that much. Jade was still the jealous girlfriend that everyone was scared of. Andre was still the musically talented boy that everyone liked. Beck was still the hot guy who most every girl wanted. Tori was still the pretty girl with the amazing voice. Cat was still the strangely innocent girl with the red hair. Robbie was still that geek with the puppet. Rex was still that strange little puppet Robbie carried around. Trina was still Trina.

But, things had started to change. After Andre and Jade had gotten together so did Cat and Robbie. Beck started dating a pretty blond from his acting class. Rex grew louder about hating relationships. Tori was approached by more and more guys who were usually turned down without her even knowing. She remained mostly, and very happily, single for high school. Yet, Trina stayed the same old Trina.

None of them knew what to expect in the years to come after high school other than record deals, movie roles and the struggle of trying to become something in modern society, just like everyone else.

But, even if Andre didn't get his record deal, he felt find, just as long as Jade was at his side the entire time.