PROLOGUE - -

"Look, I don't want to be your boyfriend if we're just going to fight all the time."

The only thing that you can find to say is, "So you want to break up?" It's automatic, a question you ask at least once a day, and the answer always brings the tiniest of smiles to your face. Now, though, he hesitates, and for a moment, you're worried.

"No, I - I didn't say that. I'm just saying -"

And then there's Trina, stepping forward excitedly. "You guys might break up?" You glare. She ignores you, fixes her gaze on him like she's hunting, like this is her chance to pounce and make a kill, get a boyfriend for once, whatever the proper end for that metaphor is. "Because I'm not dating anyone..." Big surprise there, you want to say, but the possessive side of you is emerging now, and you're rolling your eyes slightly as you turn to tug a pillow from the couch by its corner. "And I've always thought Beck and I would make the perf-"

She's cut off by the misplaced pillow hitting her in the face, muffling the end of her sentence. You would smile, normally, but all you say is, "Next time it's a hammer." Trina stares at you, shocked; you turn around and head for the door. "Come on, Beck, take me to get some food." It's an order, not a question. Everyone else in the room is eerily silent, which is strange, given that two of their number are Cat and (God forbid you pretend he's alive, even for just a moment) Rex.

There's a long pause. You keep walking. He'll follow you, you know he will. He always does.

The sigh is something different, something that's never been added into the mix before. It changes the scenario that's been repeated so many times you could recite it off by heart, and your heart skips a beat. And then he speaks, and he's improvising now, going off the script, changing everything. "I'm tired of fighting."

You've reached the door by now, but you spin around to face him, dark hair flying out around you for a moment before settling back around your shoulders. "Okay." You're strangely calm and collected. You're an actress. You can pretend that your whole world isn't spinning, that it's not difficult to focus. "I'm going to walk out that door," you say coolly, bitterly, like you have so many times before. Maybe if you pretend that he's not being difficult and rewriting this scene, it will happen the way it always does. "And I'm going to count to ten."

"Don't forget three," Cat interrupts from the table. It suddenly becomes evident to you just how seriously everyone else is taking this. Nobody says anything, not even Rex, who constantly abuses Cat for the stupid things she says. You tell yourself it's because they've never seen this happen before, never seen the point where everything almost comes to an end and the two of you bounce back stronger than ever. "Some people forget it."

You continue, ignoring her, which is something you can't lie and pretend you're new to. "If I get to ten and you're not out there, I'm going home, and we're over." You turn on your heel; the doorknob twists in your fingers. "One," you shout over one shoulder, slamming the door shut behind you.

He'll follow you. Last time this happened - a couple of weeks ago, was it? - he was by your side again by the time you got to four, wrapping his arms around you tightly. The time before that, he'd been with you almost as quickly. He won't be long, you think confidently. "Two." You cross your arms and glare at the door's handle. You're impatient by nature, and you wonder how far he has left before he reaches the door. "Three," you call, thinking of Cat, narrowing your eyes. Stupid, stupid Cat. She's been your friend for years, as much as you hate to admit it, but some of the things she say get on your nerves. Still, she's always there for you, there for anyone who needs it. In Cat's life, everything is innocent and perfect and everybody loves everybody else, forever and always. She's only been to your house once or twice, when you were the only one home; if she'd met your parents, she wouldn't believe in everybody loving everybody else anymore.

"Four." He should be out here by now. "Five." A strange noise from inside. "Six." A thump, yelling. You pause. You almost want to open the door, just to see what's going on, but you stop yourself from reaching out for the handle, imagining your entire body frozen into place, like you're a statue, to keep yourself from moving. You have to keep counting. "Seven." What could possibly be taking him so long? "Eight." Pause. Breathe. "Nine." One more second, he only has one more second, and then what? What if he's not out here with you, if he doesn't open the door? What are you supposed to do then?

You purposely give him a little longer of a lapse between numbers now. The idea that he could stay inside Vega's fancy house with its bright colours that make you almost want to be sick is unbearable.

"Ten."

There's a long silence. Nothing to hear on the other side of the door, nothing to hear on your side, except for loud music pumping from somewhere that must be a couple blocks away. You feel almost as though you're stumbling backwards. Something must be wrong, something must be keeping him from getting to the door.

I'll never leave you. I love you, Jade, forever.

You step forward, left hand shaking. Your fingers brush against the cool metal of the door handle. He didn't open the door. He didn't open it, so why should you? He's made his choice. You snatch your hand back as if the door's cold handle has burned you, turn and hurry away as fast as your legs can carry you. It's not very fast, not really. You're shaking, you realize that as you fumble for your keys in your jacket pocket, and it doesn't seem to just be contained to your fingers. Your legs, too, and it slows you down, but you reach your car somehow. You can't stop, you can't pause for even a moment to glance back at the house. If you do, maybe you'll never get away, and you need to escape. From this night, this situation, Vega's house, him. You turn your key in the ignition and slam your foot down on the gas pedal and you're off, racing away far too fast for a residential area, but you don't care.

The street lights throw bright pools of light down onto the cement and the stars sparkle overhead the way they did that one night when you were lying next to him in his front yard when his parents were out for their anniversary and they weren't around to narrow their eyes at you and make pointed comments about your constant presence there. You wait until you're home, upstairs in your room, to pause. Sink down onto the edge of your bed and bury your face in your hands and then, only then, you can be human, just for a moment.

AUTHOR'S NOTE | This is my first ever Victorious fanfic. I've been completely obsessed with this show for a while and Beck&Jade are my absolute favourite couple. I was legitimately crying when I watched this episode. Grr. They need an epic reunion. What do you guys think? Should I continue it?