Gone
"Beck!" Jade sobbed running after him in the hallway. She grabbed his arm and he sighed a clearly audible sigh.
"Jade," he said obviously annoyed "get off I'm not changing my mind."
She shook her head viciously she was holding back tears since they were in the middle of the hall.
"Jade I'm really not changing my mind about this you're too mean. You aren't nice to anyone except me and I'm just not ok with that Jade."
"I, I can change!" she said.
Whispers started around them. "No Jade you can't because you don't want to and we all know when you don't want to do something it won't get done."
"But I'll do it for you Beck, I'll change for you."
Then something happened that silenced the whispers and changed Beck's mind. Jade cried, a tear slipped out. Just one tiny little tear slid from her eye to her chin. Beck sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. He pulled her to his chest and held her tightly. Shutting his eyes to the hallway around him and thinking about the issue a little more.
"You have one week to change Jadelyn," he said using her full name for emphasis. "One week to be nicer to everyone, if I don't see a change I will leave you."
Jade nodded fast in his arms and sobbed a few more times into his chest before she was ready to let go.
Over the next week Jade would have sworn on her life, her friend's lives, even Beck's life (which she swore never to do) that everyone was trying to be stupid. But she was good and even though her tongue bled twice she bit her tongue and said nothing.
Jade sat in his trailer nervously awaiting his ruling. Would he have heard about the one time this week that she yelled at Tori? Would he hold that one action against her? God she hoped not.
"Calm down Jade," he said smiling at her, he rubbed her knee "you did wonderfully. Tori did mention that you yelled at her once but I'll let it go. One time is really good for you, but we'll try for zero by the end of the week ok?"
Jade's face went from relieved to horror "we're doing this again next week?"
"Yes Jade," Beck's face was serious "otherwise it doesn't matter how nice you can be if you aren't nice."
Jade sighed and felt a twinge in her heart. She ignored it though not wanting to ruin her date night with Beck.
The next week was harder it was so ingrained in her, her meanness. Not because she'd never been nice but it had just become part of who she was. She had gone already one week without it, this was her second. On Tuesday the group collectively noticed that they found themselves laughing less, not that laughter was completely gone it was just scarce. No one knew why. On Wednesday Andre mentioned to Tori that Jade's witty comments, or lack thereof, are what had left the group starving for comedy. On Thursday Andre had sent Robbie to talk to Beck about maybe giving Jade that little freedom. On Friday Beck had halfheartedly agreed. On Saturday Beck had informed Jade she's passed this week and deserved a little break so she could be humorous at lunch times. On Saturday Jade had known the instant he'd brought up the "break" she wouldn't take it. On Sunday Beck and Jade went out to the movies and Jade didn't say one mean thing about it.
On Monday Jade got ready for school, hair extensions, make up, black. She walked in and kissed Beck of course. Then her day went in a blur, nothing mattering.
At the end of the week Beck took Jade over to his trailer for her weekly evaluation. "You're doing great!" he said encouragingly. "As a reward I bought you something." Beck pulled out a hideous lime green shirt. "I thought it might add some color to your wardrobe." Beck told her smiling happily.
Jade didn't smile but she did say "thank you," because that's what nice girls do. They thank people for the good presents and the horribly awful ones.
"Will you try it on?" Beck asked.
"Sure," Jade said disappearing into Beck's tiny bathroom. She changed and forced a smile when she came out, because that's what nice girls do.
"Will you wear it on our date tonight?" Beck asked her looking hopeful.
She was torn but she didn't have a good reason not to wear it since mean was no longer an option. She conceited and wore the hideously green shirt on their date.
The next weekend was her birthday so they skipped evaluation and went to the beach with all of their friends. That's when Jade realized something else Beck must want. Tori gave her two pink tub top shirts, a baby blue sun dress, and a white pair of ripped jeans. Andre gave her white and gray flats and two pairs of dark wash and light wash jeans. Cat gave her some pink make up along with some blues and greens and a yellow halter top shirt. Robbie gave her a some tank tops in baby blue, navy blue, orange, yellow, light green, and pink. Rex gave her a pink bikini. Beck though had been the worst by far, he got her three pink shirts, five baby blue shirts, four orange shirts, and two more green shirts. Then to top it off he had given her a beautiful prom dress, but it wasn't black like she wanted it was pink, like apparently he wanted.
Jade got home with an entirely new wardrobe. She set everything down on her bed and thought. First she went to her desk and wrote everyone a thank you note, the card had pink and yellow flowers on the front. She took out most of her black clothes and put them in a box that she then shoved under her bed. She hung up all of the new colorful items and stared at them. Her closet was still half empty but, she'd fix it. She put on Tori's baby blue sundress and went to the mall. Jade felt something prick in her eyes, but she ignored it.
On the Monday of the next weekend Jade walked into school with Beck wearing a yellow sundress and white flats. She went to her locker and didn't care when everyone stared. "You look lovely," a male voice said.
Jade slammed her scissor locker shut and stared at the boy "thank you," she said in a voice softer than it used to be.
He stared at the scissors obviously scared and nodded leaving. "Jade," Beck said coming up behind her "that wasn't very nice."
"I said thank you," she told him in her same soft voice.
"Hm," he pondered for a moment. "If you aren't lying then it must be you're locker. We'll redo it this week babe," he said kissing her forehead. Maybe Beck didn't notice and maybe no one else did, but Jade did. He hadn't asked her he had told her what they'd be doing. Jade said nothing as he gently led her to class by her hand.
Jade did what she was told. She followed Beck around and, and even smiled at someone. Jade didn't fight with Beck any more, she didn't fight with anyone any more. Beck didn't give her weekend evaluations anymore because she didn't need them, she didn't do anything he didn't "allow" her to do.
Beck actually took her to meet his parents and they liked her.
Jade was getting ready for school on Monday morning, she'd spent Sunday night at Beck's. At Beck's command of course. She put in her blue and red extensions and walked out in her blue tube top and long white skirt. "Hey," Beck said walking over to her. "You look great," he smiled widely. "Why don't we just change one, well two things," he said slowly taking her extensions out. Jade watched him throw them away slowly. She stared as they disappeared into the trashcan.
Jade woke up one morning, nothing was special about it, not really. She went to her closet and took out the pink dress Beck bought her. She slipped into it and went into the bathroom. She took out the pink makeup that Cat had given her and went to apply it. She stared at herself in the mirror. Her hand stopped just before it applied the pink eye shadow. She stared she looked at herself, Jade West. But she didn't see Jade West. Tears came to her eyes, they came to easy now she didn't fight them like she used to.
She wiped her tears away and put on the pink makeup. Then a stranger walked to her new jewelry box and put on some bracelets and necklaces. The girl walked out of Jade West's house and got into Beck's car. A stranger got into Beck's car but he kissed her and held her. He didn't notice the stranger in his car. And that's how it happened. On one morning, no morning in particular nothing special about it, Jade West was gone.