Hello!
Here's finally a new one shot by me, I've luckily felt able to review and edit though I'm having a weird headache today. But yeah, really happy to finally get this out there!
The user alicheriee gave me the idea for this two months ago already. Thank you so much for that again and I hope it's even remotely close to what you wanted!
Okay, what else needs to be said? Oh. I define being exclusive and being a couple the same way though I can see why many people think of it as two different things. But yeah... This whole dating stuff is already always slightly confusing to me as it's so different where I come from. xD
Now, I hope you'll have a good read. Would be happy about some feedback. :)
He met Ramona at his audition for Hollywood Arts. They both waited in the same room for their turn, both auditioned on the same day. They exchanged phone numbers after a good talk, texted a little afterwards and met up after they both got accepted into Hollywood Arts.
And somehow, they started dating. She is a great girl who has a good passion for art which he can understand so well and which he hasn't found in any of the girls he has dated before.
They have dated for one and a half months now and finally attend Hollywood Arts for two weeks.
And he considers being exclusive with her. He has never had a girlfriend before. But maybe Ramona will be his first girlfriend. They already spend a lot of time together and Beck likes having her around. Other girls at Hollywood Arts are also pretty, sure, and are certainly lovely and some flirt with him but he isn't too interested in dating around.
He asks himself if they will eat lunch together again while he stands at his locker at the start of their lunch break and waits for his friend.
They are only at Hollywood Arts for two weeks now but he has easily befriended Andre whose locker is almost above his. They have realized on their first day that they share quite a few classes and have started talking and Andre is just one of those guys you have to like.
So, although he has still friends from middle school, he would already call Andre one of his closest friends.
And there he is. "Mr. Todd is the worst," he directly says.
Beck has to smile. Mr. Todd is Andre's English teacher. With what Andre has told him up until now, he's already glad he has another English teacher. "What has he done?"
Andre throws his books in his locker that's still not decorated but only because he's still talking to the school about how to install a keyboard on which to play certain notes to open the locker which Beck considers brilliant.
"He has given us enough homework to last for the whole semester but we have to turn them in the day after tomorrow. Seriously!"
Beck considers telling him that he hasn't gotten any homework up until now today when he sees her walking by. A girl he hasn't seen before.
He notices many other heads also turning, as she confidently walks up to a locker on the other side of the hall, apparently not noticing any of the stares.
She has green streaks in her brown hair, wears a black top, black skirt and boots. He has never seen a girl like that and can't help but ask: "Who is she?"
Andre has also looked after her and obviously knows Beck is talking about her: "Her name is Jade. She's in my English class."
"I haven't seen her before," Beck says and he's sure he should have. This Jade isn't someone you just wouldn't notice, especially if she is in the same year and you have to share at least one class.
"Noone has," Andre says and shrugs, turns back to his locker. "She's new."
But who's new two weeks into the school year?
He walks up to her before he knows it and an older guy already has apporached her at that point and he may have said something but he already hears her saying: "No."
And it's said harshly enough that that other boy promptly hurries away.
Beck has to smile as he stops next to Jade. She has already looked back into her locker but now rolls her eyes and looks back: "I said..."
But that's the moment she catches his eye and doesn't say another word.
He's fully captured by her green-blue eyes as he says almost breathless and with a smile: "Hi."
She takes a moment before she answers in a casual tone: "Yeah, hey. What do you want?"
But it doesn't even closely sound like the "no" to that other guy. It doesn't sound harsh or something.
But what does he want? He shrugs, still with a smile on his face that he possibly won't be able to loose for the rest of the day: "Just wanted to welcome you to Hollywood Arts. What makes you two weeks late?"
Jade smirks and puts one of her books out of the bag into her locker in which there aren't too many things yet. "I had to have my appendix taken out." She cocks her head without looking around. "At least, everyone noticed me because of it." Yes, of course she has realized everyone was staring at her.
And surely, a normal girl wouldn't have gotten noticed on everyone's first day at Hollywood Arts, but everyone would've wondered about her if she would come in two weeks late. But Jade isn't a normal girl.
"Everyone would have noticed you either way," he therefore says. He surely would have.
Her smirk gets wider. "But I wouldn't have been able to make such a dramatic entrance."
"Beck," they suddenly get interrupted. It's Ramona who is suddenly with them. "I'm ready for lunch."
She grabs his arm uncertainly, glancing to Jade and back to him.
"Uhm... Yeah, sure," he answers because he kind of has wanted to get lunch with her. Possibly together with Andre but he isn't at his locker or anywhere to be seen anymore.
He looks back to Jade who has raised her eyebrows at Ramona. Beck notices that he almost wishes Jade would be the one grabbing his arm though he doesn't know Jade at all and has already known Ramona for a few months.
"See you later," he says and Jade just nods before Beck leaves for Ramona for lunch.
.
They sit in the Asphalt Café when Ramona speaks again: "So, what was that?"
"What?" he asks confused. He's still thinking about Jade if he has to be honest and waits for her to also come to eat lunch but he doesn't see her anywhere yet.
"You flirted with that new girl," Ramona says.
Beck draws his eyebrows together. "I didn't." Because he didn't. He has just talked to her. But... "And even if I would have... we're just dating and not exclusively."
If he wants to, he can date Jade. He and Ramona aren't exclusive. So, why is Ramona apparently jealous?
"What?" Ramona asks and the way she looks at him, almost shocked...
"Well, we aren't together, are we?" he makes sure, feeling like this is ridiculous. They haven't had a talk like that. He would know if they had.
"Seriously?" Ramona asks. "Are you still dating other girls next to me or what?"
"Well, no but..." Not at the moment but he has thought he still could. He wouldn't be offended if Ramona would still date other people. They aren't a couple after all.
Ramona stands up, grabs her stuff and almost dramatically sighs: "I have to think about this, Beck." And she runs off.
He's sure he's supposed to go after her but... he doesn't even understand what's going on. They are just dating, even if she recently has probably acted more like a girlfriend to him than anything else.
The thing is... he has just this morning thought about making her his exclusive girlfriend. He has thought about it even half an hour ago. Possibly, he would've even asked her right at this lunch. But suddenly, he doesn't want to anymore. He wants to date Jade.
.
.
Her first day at Hollywood Arts and she already has a crush on some guy. A guy with a girlfriend apparently. Great.
His name seems to be Beck and he is ridiculously handsome with a great smile.
She doesn't like having a crush on anyone. She hates it instead. And she usually also isn't a girl to crush so easily. She doesn't trust other people on first sight and if she doesn't trust someone, she can't feel a crush on them or anything. Well... But today, she turned aronud, saw Beck and just fell for him somehow.
It's different and it scares her a little but she can't help to feel that way. And he actually has looked at her as if he felt the same way. So, why not go for it and see what happens?
But there's this girl that has interrupted them and has grabbed his arm. She has to be his girlfriend. And if there's one thing she will never do is going for a guy with a girlfriend. That's just low in her opinion.
When he sits next to her in their writing class on the next day and greets her, she considers not even answering him because he still looks at her in that way and he shouldn't if he has a girlfriend. Well... Maybe, that's just the way he looks at any girl or any person at all. She knows some boys are like that. They have that look in their eye and can't help but flirt with anyone.
She looks Beck up and down and is sure he's a boy like that.
He now smiles at her. "How do you find your way around here?"
She looks in his eyes and damn. She has never believed in love at first sight but maybe, that has happaned. She has just thought he could be one of those flirts and she still feels an unrealistic trusting feeling inside of her as their eyes meet.
"Fine," she answers.
"People are still staring, I see," he continues and of course he's right. Neither he nor she have to look around to notice the others still looking at her. Idiots.
"They are. It pisses me off," she honestly says. She's used to people staring but come on. Get over it. She may like attention from time to time but it's almost as if everyone has turned the whole day to take a look at her although it's already her second day and everybody must have seen her at least once by now.
Beck seems amused. "So, you're not happy about your dramatic entrance anymore."
"No, the entrance was fine," she claims though it's also not like she has done anything special anyway. She has just walked into school like everybody else. But she knew before that they would notice her because it's not the start of the school year and she may even attract attention at a school like this. Still. "They just should finally get over it. You guys also only know each other for two weeks." It's not like she has come months after everyone else in freshmen year has gotten comfortable at school and with each other.
"That's true," Beck says and then smile. "But you're different."
And it sounds somehow like a compliment and with that smile... It makes her heart flutter and she hates it. Gosh, who is this guy?
She's glad that the teacher comes that very second. But she also knows she will keep an eye on this Beck guy. She can't help it anyway.
.
.
It's only her second day at Hollywood Arts but he already wants to aks her for a date. He knows he has to ask soon before someone else does. He doesn't want her to date anyone else, to maybe get a boyfriend. Well... Possibly, she already has a boyfriend but there's nothing he could do about that. He can only get to her before anyone else at this school.
But she has just come here, still needs to find her way and he guesses he should at least give her a week here before he asks her on a date. Better two weeks. That's how long he has attended this school now and he finally feels familiar.
He thinks it's weird to start dating directly on your second day at a new school when you don't even really know your way around or anything. He should give her time.
He could still invite her to lunch in the asphalt café, he thinks. He can invite her to come along with him and Andre.
He puts a book in his locker while he considers that and suddenly gets interrupted: "Hey, Beck."
"Hey, Ramona," he answers without having to look up. They haven't talked since yesterday at lunch but now she stands next to him with a bright smile.
He closes his locker as she says: "You know... about yesterday and that new girl... I decided to trust you."
She... What?
"We're not together," he tells her, pulling his eyebrows together. If they were together, she of course could trust him about not dating Jade or something. But they aren't together. What does she trust him to do or not to do?
Ramona still smiles. "I'm fine with that."
And she pulls him into a kiss he returns. Well, if she knows they aren't together and she's fine with them just dating... then everything is alright, isn't it? He still thinks she is a nice girl. He likes going on dates with her. He likes how she talks about art.
So, when she asks him now if he's coming to lunch with her, he agrees.
.
.
They talk briefly a few times over the next few days. And she can't shake the feeling he's trying to flirt with her. But maybe he does do that with every girl. That smile doesn't go out of her head in any case.
She likes him. She really does. She likes the few words they exchange and she likes how relaxed and at ease he always seems to be. She likes the look in his eye.
But he apparently has a girlfriend. She has found out by now that the girl's name is Ramona and she often is around Beck. She has to be his girlfriend and that makes Beck awful. He can't flirt while he's still together with someone else. Jade doesn't want to date a guy like that.
At the same time however she can't really see Beck as a guy like that. She still can't help trusting him in some way when their eyes meet and she can't imagine him being such an asshole. Though that truly is how it usually goes. These perfect guys are always the biggest assholes. And maybe her feeling is wrong for the first time.
Still...
There is this girl named Cat that has followed her around for some reason, also pretty much since she has arrived. She has introduced herself before her very first lesson here as she has noticed her and since then has showed up as randomly as Beck to talk to her. Cat is weird and loud and noisy and Jade doesn't know why she's around but she also knows that this girl is a genuinely good person which rarely anyone every is. She isn't sure what Cat wants from her but she's somehow sure it isn't anything bad which is why she has started to accept her around.
Today, almost two weeks after her first day here, is the first time, she herself asks Cat something though.
Cat has just told her about her last class – which Jade hasn't asked about – when Jade closes her locker, looks through the hallway and notices how Ramona approaches Beck at his locker. He somehow doesn't look all that happy to see her. Not like he should look when his girlfriend would come to him. He doesn't even go in for a kiss.
"So, are they together?" Jade asks Cat without looking away from Beck.
Cat follows her eyes and answers: "I don't think so. They're just dating, though Ramona definitely wants to be together with him."
So, she isn't his girlfriend. He's still open to date other girls as well. He would be open to date her.
"Why?" Cat asks, almost giggling. "Do you like him?"
Jade glares at her.
Cat doesn't react the way she should, doesn't get silent or hurries away. She still smiles as she says: "He's cute. Nothing for me but I think you would look good together."
Jade looks at her for a moment, then back to Beck. If they truly aren't exclusive...
Maybe, it's time for her to take a risk. Her instinct has never deceived her. She likes Beck. She wants him. And maybe, she should just go for it. She obviously already has at least some of his attention as he keeps coming back to talk to her. It's time to get his attention all for herself. Push Ramona away and take him in.
.
Ramona has acted even more like a girlfriend over the last few days. Every time he turns from talking to Jade, she is suddenly there and drags him away. He can't do it anymore. He should tell her to back off and that he won't go on another date with her because this is not what he imagined it to be. He definitely doesn't want to be together with her.
He isn't sure where and when to do it but she just asks him for a joined lunch again and why not do it then?
Therefore, he wants to agree when suddenly, Jade is with them. She has come out of nowhere and he can't help but smile when she stands directly in front of him. And she looks into his eyes for a second, then down to his lips, into his eyes again, before she lies one of her hands in his neck and pulls him in for a kiss.
He thought his very first kiss would be the kiss he would definitely remember forever. Because as bad as it was, it has been his first kiss and therefore has been special. Well... Maybe, he actually hasn't truly kissed before now. He feels warmth spreading inside of his whole body as Jade's and his lips meet and he knows he will never forget this moment.
When they break apart, they obviously both need a second. Then, Jade asks, quickly: "Wanna go on a date?"
"Definitely," he answers with a hopeless smile.
Out of the pocket of her black jeans, she pulls a small paper with a phone number on it. He takes it as she says: "Call me."
And with that, she's gone again, just like that. He looks after her as she walks away, Cat giggling running after her from he rlocker.
He gets pulled out of his trance from an angry voice: "Are you serious, Beck? You will call her?"
Ramona pulls a face as if he has just cheated on her or something.
"We're not together," he reminds her because they just aren't.
That doesn't change anything about her face, instead she seems even more disappointed and angry and this is stupid. He has to finally say it: "And I don't think I wanna go on another date with you."
"Because of her?" Ramona asks in a way as if just the idea of that would be disgusting.
And yes, he would probably be a couple with Ramona now if Jade didn't come around. But he shouldn't be. Because he just now realized that he had never felt for Ramona or any girl before her the same as he felt for Jade at first sight. Not even close which is crazy.
And he has to say it: "Because I don't like you the way I should."
Ramona stomps off and he's sorry that he has certainly hurt her but otherwise he doesn't care much about her being out of his life.
.
.
He dates two different other girls at first while he's already dating Jade because they ask him and he thinks he should still look around but they also don't come even close to Jade in anything.
Jade doesn't talk about it and he knows she also dates someone else somewhere along the line. As soon as they get together on the other hand, she starts getting extremely possessive, way more than Ramona ever has been in their short time together. But she has a right to be that way as they actually are a couple at that point and he finds that he even likes it because he actually loves Jade and want to be hers and just hers and likes that Jade also wants him in that way.
And Jade forever openly denies it because she says it's too cheesy and that that isn't how it works, but he knows they both have fallen in love at first sight. And they both will fall in love with each all over again every now and then when they look at each other over the next few years and decades.
He knows that isn't how it works for everyone. He's more then glad that that's how it has happened for him and Jade, his first and only love.