off its hinges
a/n: inspired by a combination of Wet Gold by my paper teeth and flowers of a broken angel by coffee-stained lips. I suggest you read both of their amazing fics before you read this crack fic. Seriously. I have no idea what I was on when I wrote this. I just, kind of end up liking it, crackyness and all. Review are appreciative, send em my way.
He finds her sitting cross-legged in the ballet room at Hollywood arts staring absently at the mirrors in front of her, her hands rest in her lap clutching something he cant really tell what it is.
He stares at his reflection behind hers and while her eyes seem focused on the mirror, he can tell she hasn't seen his reflection yet- she's off in her own little world again, so he takes a seat beside her waiting for her to snap out of it.
"Andre." She says quietly, turning to face him- red hair covering sparkly wet eyes.
"What's wrong little Red?" he questions his eyes drifting towards the clock- their friends probably were waiting at the lunch table for them by now.
He watches as she shows him the text message with trembling hands.
He broke up with me.
-Jade, Monday, January 24,2012 11:33am
He raises an eyebrow towards the unsettled red head. "Beck and Jade broke up? I'm sure they'll be fine- you shouldn't worry yourself with it."
Cat shakes her head left to right, locks of red swirling from side to side. "She's my best friend." she says as if that explains everything, big wide eyes staring into his. "She'll die without him."
He'd be lying if he said her words didn't trouble him, but acknowledging them would more than likely just blow things out of proportion. So instead he wraps an arm around her pulling her close, his cell phone buzzing in his pocket. "She'll be fine little red, stop worrying so much"
He reaches into his pocket, a smile brimming across his face. "Text from Tori" he explains slowly unwrapping himself from the fragile girl beside him. She watches his smile disappear and turn into a frown as his eyes skim across his phone. She furrows her brow and waits, before finally asking "What did she say?"
Silently, he turns the phone towards her.
I did something awful.
-Tori, Monday, January 24,2012 12:01pm
.
Cat tells Andre she read that January is the most depressing month. She tells him
6 out of 10 couples split up. Beck and Jade splitting up just supports that fact.
Andre didn't know Cat read anything.
.
Jades disappeared. It's like she just dropped off the face of the world and everybody's pretending everything's A-okay. Beck wraps his arms around Tori, and Tori smiles and kisses his cheek. Its so perfect, its kind of sickening.
Robbie lets Rex do most of the talking sending congratulatory comments to Beck on nailing such another hot girl in less than 2hrs after his break up. Cat's staring at the empty space where Jade should be sitting, her eyes going father and father away.
"Shut up Rex." she says quietly and despite how quiet she is- the whole table stops and stares at her until she gets up and leaves.
"Cat" Tori calls weakly, leaning up about of Beck's grip- but making no farther movement than that.
Andre follows her because nobody else is moving and (Cat's not suppose to be like this) He catches up to her at her locker where he gently grabs her arm.
"Hey, what was that back there?"
Cat sniffs. "I miss Jade."
(and than its all down hill from there.)
"She'll be back." he tries, gently wiping a stream of tears off of her face.
Cat just shakes her head openly defiant.
"How can you just come back after your hearts been broken? Hearts have to be complete to work right."
Andre doesn't have the answer. That scares him too.
.
Jade comes back the next day, black eyes and pale faced and Cat is completely ecstatic.
"I've missed you" she coos, tucking a piece of Jade's blue extensions behind Jades ear. Andre smiles. He cant remember a time he's been so happy to see Jade, or a time he's been so happy to see Cat smile.
(It use to always be about Tori didn't it?)
"Yeah yeah, personal space Cat." Jade scowls, as the little red head bounces backwards rambling about her brother and a pair of scissors.
Andre thinks the world may not spin off its hinges after all.
.
He catches Robbie listening outside the girl's bathroom door (for what, who knows- but its kind of creepy) so he goes over to him
"Hey dude, I don't think you.."
Robbie shushes him grabbing him by the bicep and pulling him over to the door beside him.
"Listen." Robbie instructs. He's Rex-less.
Andre shrugs as he strains to hear the noise from inside the bathroom. He thinks he can hear someone crying, and cat is shrieking something about black and red stains. Robbie turns towards him eyes wide with something like fear.
"I think its Jade." Robbie says quietly. "She hasn't been herself lately. Ive been following her and…"
"You've been stalking Jade." Andre says his eyes widening "Dude, she's going to fucking kill you."
"Listen would you! I think Jade's-" Robbie doesn't get to answer the door swinging to reveal a wide eyed Cat and a very angry Jade.
"You think Jade's what?" Jade hisses her eyes glaring daggers into Robbie.
Andre's not sure why he does it, but he takes Cat hand and leads her way from the scene that's about to unfold outside the bathroom doors. He's not sure if he's protecting her or himself, but he likes how her hand feels against his.
(Wait, what?)
.
Tori comes up to Cat's locker where Andre's waiting for her- just as the bells about to ring. It feels like its been forever since they've talked, but really- its only been since lunch.
"Hey Andre, are you still coming over tonight to help me with that song for Beck?"
Andre wonders what it was about that smile that he thought was so damn special. He can feel Cat staring at him wide eyed, ears open- awaiting his answer.
He wants to say no but yes comes out instead.
"Ill see you tomorrow, ok?" he says and Cat watches him go, books clutched to her chest as Jade approaches her and slaps a hand on her shoulder, and Andre's not 100% sure what she says but he thinks he catches a "love sucks" as he walks out the glass doors.
.
Andre thinks he must be crazy- but whenever they eat lunch only Rex talks to Tori and Beck. Robbie doesn't say a damn word.
Jade sits there picking at her fingernails and killing Beck&Tori with her eyes. Tori squirms under her glare, but it bounces off Beck as if she can no longer reach him. He thinks that must piss her off the most, at least they don't suck face as much as they did. You know, when it was Beck&Jade and not Beck&Tori.
Cat's mostly the same though besides a few nervous glances at Jade now and than, and Andre's cant help but feel a little relieved, even if she is klutzy and scatterbrained at least she's consistent (who would of thought?)
He slides his hand under the table and grabs hers. She blinks and stares at him for a moment before smiling.
There's nothing wrong with holding hands.
.
It's a week later when Jade snaps at Tori and Beck sucking face against hers and Robbie's locker. She's seething and Becks holding her by the arm trying to keep her away from Tori by the time Cat and Andre walk up. Robbie's already there standing on the side lines (always on the sidelines), mouth agape, surprisingly Rex-less.
"Im going to kill her" Jade spits as Andre comes around to the other side of her and forces Jade against her locker, Beck cautiously lets go after exchanging a couple glances with Andre.
"You've got to let it go Jade!" Tori yells back at her, Beck lightly tugging at her arm.
"Tori, babe, let's go- its fine."
"No Beck, she needs to accept the fact that we're dating." Tori said letting out a breath as if she was the one who was all riled up and not Jade. She takes a step closer to Jade and Andre can feel Tori's breath on the back of his neck (to close)
"Look, I know you hate my guts Jade, and Id be lying if I said you didn't have the right too. But, as of now, nothings changing. Okay? No matter what you do."
"Use the fucking janitors closet instead of my locker next time you two wanna suck face!" Jade hisses over Andre's shoulder as the couple begins to walk away, waiting at least to turn the corner before lacing their hands together. (the way it should be.)
"I hate you." she says through clenched teeth still seething as she shoves past Andre and Cat.
Robbie stares helplessly at her back as she walks farther and farther away.
.
She collapses on her way up to the stage in Sikowitz's class, her legs just give out from underneath her and she falls down in a slump of black. In all two seconds it took her to hit the floor, everyone is around her.
Beck kneels down and briefly cradles her body to his chest, his eyes glaring daggers at Cat as he rises to a stand. There's something like hatred in his eyes as he moves towards her- his voice calm and thick with spite.
"You knew." Beck whispered harshly "You knew and you didn't do anything."
"I- I" and the words are lodged in her throat. "I-"
"This is all your fault!"
(Somebody call the fucking ambulance)
Andre steps in front of her a look of disgust written across his face. "Cat didn't do anything Beck. You're the one who couldn't decide who to fuck." Go ahead, try me pretty boy.
Than Tori's here to save the day, stepping between the two "Guys, we're all friends here right? We don't even know what's wrong with her- she needs medical attention."
"Are you blind?" Robbie sputters staring at Tori like she had eight heads, sitting Rex down in an empty desk "She's…so thin."
"And there's so much red…" Cat says eyes blurring with tears reaching out to Jade's porcelain colored arms stained with blood. Tori gasps, her face losing color as she slaps her hands loudly across her mouth in horror, tears as if on cue blurring her vision.
"Fuck" Beck says running a hand through his hair, tears sliding unwillingly out of closed eye lids "FUCK!"
Robbie's glaring at him before turning his eyes down towards Jade. guess I don't have to keep my mouth shut now
The ambulance arrive pushing through the crowd of students, thrusting Jade's limp body onto the stretcher and hurrying out of holly wood arts.
(And in that one simple movement- the room feels very hollow)
.
"I should have known." Andre tells Tori out in the lobby, its dark outside but the fluorescent lights are just to god damn bright. "She never ate with us. She just sat there picking her nails."
"And glaring at me." Tori finishes weakly. "It- me and Beck…my intention wasn't…"
"Tori, just, lets not ok?" Andre says, because the line between excuses and truths seem very, very thin.
"I didn't mean too." She whispers. "I didn't mean for any of this to happen."
"I know." Andre says, and he's trying really hard to be compassionate, so instead of adding 'but it doesn't matter' he just leaves it at "I know."
Robbie stares towards them listening intently and he wonders if he should feel guilty, because he knew or guessed rather. He finally knew something Rex didn't. He finally knew something they all didn't, well, beside Jade and Cat.
He thinks he may feel more accomplished than guilty.
.
Cat hates all the wires that are coming out and off of Jade's body. She hates even more that they haven't put any bandages on her arms- Jade hated people seeing her cuts. She'd hate to have Beck sitting with her staring at them. His head is folded in his hands, and he cant really look at her, Cat notices. But he cant really leave her either.
"I'm sorry." Beck says looking up from his hands to face Cat. "for accusing you- this- this wasn't your fault."
"No." Cat says quietly, her hands gently tracing Jades red wounds. "I did know, at least, about this part. I…should have known she wasn't eating. She never ate lunch with us, why would she eat at home?" She doesn't mean to, but she giggles- its more out of hysteria than anything and tears are blurring her vision again- and she just hates this.
Beck looks towards her and than towards Jade and than back to his hands.
"I'm an idiot. I dated the girl for two fucking years Cat and I didn't notice, I didn't notice her falling apart right in front of me."
"Glitter burns the eyes you know. It's almost impossible to see anything."
It takes him a minute to realize the metaphors about Tori.
"That…and Jade is a phenomenal actress ya know." Cat adds sounding thoughtful, as if she had just realized this.
"So…Andre?" Beck says forcing a smile that looks a little more like a grimace.
Cat beams, her smile glowing and lighting up the room, "doesn't really like glitter either."
.
The doctors tell her that she's in bad shape- but she seems stable enough to pull through. They all go home, except for Robbie, who insists he's going to stay with her, just incase something goes wrong (just incase she dies, he doesn't want her to be alone). He nestles into a ratty green chair in the corner a few feet away from her bed next to the window.
Robbie dreams Jade's in front of him, black nails gripping onto his t-shirt and pulling him forward. She doesn't look tragically thin anymore and her arms are flawless- he gulps because just because she's fixed- doesn't mean she's any less intimidating.
"You stayed with me."
"Y-yeah."
"Why?"
"I-I just…"
"Robbie?"
"what?"
"Thank you."
He wakes up to a long drawn out beep, doctors and crash carts scrambling around the room. Robbie doesn't bother to look at her body bounce with electricity. He knows they are to late. He removes his glasses, sits back in the ratty green chair in the corner, and begins to cry.
.
Beck breaks up with Tori at Jade's funeral.
Andre whispers something to Cat like "it was a little to late for that don't you think?"
Cat insists Jade's still smiling in her coffin.
Robbie doesn't come, nobody notices though.
.
Tori texts Cat a week after Jade's funeral.
I need you to meet me somewhere
-Tori April 17,2012 1:59pm
Cat deletes the message (she only keeps text messages from Jade) and responds with a very simple, very forced…
kk
-Cat April 17,2012 2:00pm
.
Cat meets Tori outside a health clinic.
"It was a one night stand accident kind of thing." Tori explains through blurry eyes. "We were both wasted. I didn't mean to get pregnant."
And suddenly it makes sense as why Beck broke up with Jade.
"I cant do this alone." Tori says holding out her hand to Cat, tears running down her face. "Please."
"You don't even look…" Cat begins her voice trembling.
"Im…only 3 months." Tori says quietly. 'That's not…to awful. You have to understand Cat…I cant do this without Beck…I just…I thought- but I cant. I just cant."
Cat takes her hand.
She wonders if this will make her a murderer too, ya know, if she wasn't one already.
(Jade)
.
"Your super warm and soft." Cat coos cuddling father into Andre's chest, and he cant help but smile. She's so freaking adorable, even if she's and the rest of the world are kind of off their hinges.
"Yeah?" Andre says "Glad to be of assistance my lady."
Cat giggles before kissing him on the cheek and rambling on about how it's so strange how fast this year has gone by and how things different are. Andre listens, if only half heartedly, as the rain begins to beat against the window.
"I miss her." Cat says randomly, twirling a piece of red hair between her fingers. "I miss how things use to be."
Andre has nothing to say- but Cat does. Cat always does, so she continues.
"But…if things hadn't happened how they did- we wouldn't have ended up together would we? You would never have been mine."
Andre frowns and wrinkles his brow, he wants to disagree- but he's not 100% sure. He thinks somewhere in an alternate universe- everybody's ending had to be less tragic than this one. Everything somewhere should make more sense than here.
He forces a smile and kisses her on the crown of her forehead.
"Its okay. I kind of like the world being off it's hinges."
"me too."
.
End.