Disclaimer: Don't own Victorious
It was a hot day in Hollywood. Beck groaned when he saw Jade wearing a long sweatshirt.
"Babe," he said, "You're gonna be really hot"
"I thought I was already hot," Jade said with a smile.
He grinned a little bit when she said that.
"You are but I meant temperature wise you're gonna be really hot."
"Ah," she said, "Well we should get going. It's already 9 o'clock. We're gonna be late"
"Jade," he said, "What's going on?"
"Not much," she said, "Oh next week I'm having a little gathering with some friends"
Something was obviously going on with Jade and he wasn't about to let this slide.
"Jade take off the shirt," he said gently but firmly.
"Why?"
"Take off the shirt," he repeated.
"Ugh. Do I have to?"
"No. I could do it for you"
She sighed. She took off the shirt. There were cut marks all up and down her arms. He even saw some on her stomach.
He gasped as he saw that. It terrified him.
"Jade what the hell-"
"Accident," she tried to shrug it off.
"Those are no accidents. They're not all at the same time either. These ones seem to be healing right now and the pink ones are fairly new and there's one you just got yesterday or today. What-"
"Fine... if you want to know I'll tell you. I've been cutting."
"Why," he asked.
"Cause," she said, "It's my way to release my feelings when I had a bad day or when I have an argument with you or when I'm hurting"
"Jade that isn't the way to release your feelings. That is dangerous. Honey you could have died."
"So what," Jade said, "I didn't care at that time. This one," she said pointing to a fading scar, "was right after the time that you kissed Vega-"
"Jade that kiss... if I had known how it would have affected you I never would have done that"
"The one you're looking at was two days old," Jade interrupted, "It was after what happened on Tuesday. I made that cut to stop hurting. It didn't work the first time so I made a deeper one. That one took the pain away."
Beck could not believe it. He should have been more aware. He should have realized something was wrong. He should have seen the signs. If he had known he NEVER would have acted the way that he did. He had assumed that Jade was just being ornery and inconsiderate. He never in his wildest dreams would have imagined that Jade actually was putting herself in harms way. How could he miss the signs? More to the point how could he have been so insensitive to her knowing her past. He thought he was doing what was right. Now he had to do what was right.
"Jade," he said firmly, "You have a problem and I am not going to let you continue doing this. You could really hurt yourself or worse"
"I'm sorry," she said, "Don't get mad"
Beck felt like he was fighting a huge headache.
"Jade," he said, "I am not going to get mad. I'm never going to repeat that. My GOD I can't believe this. How long have you been doing this?"
She sighed.
"Cutting makes me forget," she said, "I can't handle the pain... the emotional pain. Cutting takes it away"
"YES BUT IT COULD TAKE YOUR LIFE AWAY! Jade you're checking into a treatment center"
"I can't," she said, "If I stop cutting I have to face the pain again and I CAN'T face that pain again"
He lifted her chin gently to force her to look him in the eye.
"Jade this is important. I know it hurts. I've felt that pain before," he pointed out, "and I know the desire to avoid it but you can't do that by running away from your feelings. It's not healthy and it's not the answer. You need to get help"
In their relationship Jade had always been the strong one. She had always been the one in control but that had changed. Jade wasn't in control for a long time. Beck saw that now. Now he realized her meanness and cruel behavior was just signs of her breaking down. He would hold her together.
"Jade," he said, "I'm NOT giving up on you and I'm NOT going to let you get by with not getting the help you need."
"But Beck I-"
"Jade that's final," he said, "We're going to the clinic"
"I dunno"
"It wasn't a question," he said, "This is important to me"
"Fine. I'll do it for you," she said