Beck Oliver was a guy who rarely showed emotions. He knew people call him "Beck Bot" behind his back, but he never paid attention to the insults. Beck was fine with who he was, and simply didn't feel the need to display much emotion.

That was why Jade West was shocked when she found Beck in the Blackbox Theater after school. Crying.

Jade stood in the doorway to the theater, her mouth open, staring at her ex-boyfriend. Beck sat on the floor against the wall. His legs were splayed out in front of him and his head was bowed. Jade could tell he was crying from the way his shoulders jerked up and down, and how he continually reached up to wipe his eyes.

Jade didn't know what to do. If she and Beck were still dating, she would've waltzed right up to him and demanded to know what was wrong. But everything was different now, and she didn't want to intrude.

Yet a tiny piece of her heart broke, watching Beck cry.

Jade shifted her feet and groaned inwardly. She stared at her coffee cup. What should I do? she thought, as if her coffee held all the answers. She leaned against the doorframe—or rather, intended to, because she missed the doorframe and stumbled backwards, her feet making loud stomping noises. Beck's head jerked up.

His eyes were red and bloodshot. He stared at Jade, who was frozen. Then she came to her senses.

"Stupid doorframe," Jade said, trying to play it off and act like she hadn't been watching Beck cry. She took a few steps forward. "Oh. I didn't know you were there."

Beck hastily stood up, gathering his books and backpack. "Yes you did," he mumbled. "Whatever. I'm fine."

Jade reached out, as if to stop him for leaving, but she paused. "Wait."

Beck ran his fingers through his hair and sighed. "What?"

"Why-why were you crying?"

"I wasn't-oh, just now? No, no I wasn't, uh, crying, just…rehearsing, for um, something, ya know. Some….thing."

"A play?" Jade raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah, yeah."

Now it was Jade's turn to sigh. "Beck, I saw you. Just tell me why you were crying."

Beck shook his head and started to push past Jade. "Why do you even care," he muttered.

Jade grabbed him. Beck stopped, and didn't turn around at first. When he did, he closely examined Jade's face. I know that look, he thought. She's trying to pull herself together. She's trying not to cry, he realized with surprise.

Jade swallowed. "Because." When Beck didn't respond, she took a step closer. "I…"

And then suddenly, there were no longer two people in the room. Beck and Jade were one, their arms entwined and faces pushed together. Beck let his backpack slide off and dropped his books. Jade let her coffee fall. She kept her hands near his face as they kissed, as if to make sure he never left.

When they stepped back, Jade was smiling a most un-Jade-like smile.

"I missed you," Beck said softly as he stroked Jade's hair.

"Me too." She kissed him again.

"I want you," said Beck. He leaned forward so that their foreheads were touching. They closed their eyes.

"Me too," Jade replied.

Beck smiled as he kissed her, three short kisses. "I love you."

Jade wrapped her arms around Beck's neck and kept her eyes closed. A peaceful look settled on her face, a smile playing at her lips. It made Beck's heart pound. He kept his hands around Jade's waist, pulling her as close as he could. He could feel her heartbeat, going just as fast as his.

They kissed again, Jade opening her mouth a bit more, allowing Beck's hands to roam. Her own hands eventually made their way to Beck's hair, as if holding him in place. She never wanted him to leave.

"You too?" Beck whispered, pausing.

Jade pulled him in again. "Me too."