Sorry for any mistakes in this, I wasn't really up for checking before I reposted this :/


Contrary to what most people would think, Jade West hates the rain. She's a sunshine kind of gal.

That doesn't stop her from running head first into the downpour the night Beck leaves her, alone, counting to ten behind Tori's front door. She manages to get soaked in the short walk down the Vega's driveway to her car.

Jade's drive home was silent. No radio. She took the long way so she wouldn't even have to see any other cars. It was just Jade and the sound of her breathing and the windshield wipers rhythmically squeaking. Beck would have to find his own way home.


When Jade arrived at her (not surprisingly) empty house, the first thing she did was trudge up the big, elegant staircase and to her room. Her bag was tossed to the floor. Leather jacket discarded on her desk chair. Dress, gone. Shoes left strewn beside the door. She climbed into her bed and lied on her side, just staring blankly at the walls of her gloomy bedroom. That's when she finally allowed herself to cry. It was a silent cry, with desperate sniffles and tear tracks following the curves of her anguished face. It stopped raining.

Beck walked home. He loves the rain.


Jade doesn't hate him. Not even a little bit.


She didn't know what time it was when she woke up. With cloudy skies it could be eleven, or three, or five fucking PM. She didn't know, and frankly she didn't care. It was Saturday. She had nothing to do. On Saturdays, Jade is supposed to be with Beck.


Cat comes first. Jade was downstairs making hot cocoa (her comfort food, and only Beck knows that) when the doorbell rang. She answered it in her huge t-shirt and underwear. Cat, holding a DVD copy of Mrs. Doubtfire and a tub of mint & chip ice cream, didn't bat an eyelash. This isn't exactly a new look to her. Despite what Jade says, they are best friends. She's seen Jade like this more times than she could count, and that's the only reason Jade didn't slam the door right in her sympathetic face.

Jade gave her a what do you want from me look and Cat started to look conflicted. Cat had never gone through a breakup. That time Tori squirted hot cheese on her barely counted considering Cat was over the guy in a week. Jade assumed that she didn't really think about what to say when she got here.

Maybe it was the weird weather, or the emotional stress she'd been going through that past week, but something in Jade possessed her to step closer to Cat and actually give her a hug. A real hug, not a bullshit hug like she usually gives, but a real one, with Cat's head on her shoulder and arms around her waist and everything.

"I'm sorry," whispered Cat, "He's an idiot."

Jade used all her willpower not to cry.


Andre and Robbie came next. Cat paused Mrs. Doubtfire and answered the door before Jade even asked her to. She wasn't worried about her choice of attire. Robbie was, though, and he turned tomato red as his eyes registered Jade's bare legs. Andre gulped but didn't move. Jade actually had in herself to smirk.

Her and Andre were friends. Real friends, like her and Cat. In fact, sometimes Jade felt closer to Andre then she did to Cat. But Andre is Beck's best friend, and suddenly he was standing in Jade's living room telling her stories about his grandmother to cheer her up which confused Jade to no end.

And forget Andre, but Robbie? Jade is nothing but horrible to him.

"Why are you guys here?" she asked after about half an hour of dancing around the reason.

"You may be a bitch, West, but we are your friends," answered Andre.

"Even if you aren't ours," added Robbie.

She smiled a real, genuine, Jade West smile.


They all left around five in the afternoon. Mrs. Doubtfire has long since ended, the ice cream discarded, and now Jade was left alone in the house with an odd urge to listen to Taylor Swift (which she will never admit she actually went through with) (it's very therapeutic).

Into the final, miserable chorus of "Dear John" the doorbell rang again. Jade groaned and went to answer it. She didn't know what she expected, but it wasn't what she saw.

Tori's eyes went wide at Jade's outfit (or lack there of). Jade's eyes went wide because Tori Vega was at her door. Jade almost slammed the door right then. She didn't, without knowing why.

"So, are you here to rub it in my face, Vega?" Jade asked after a few moments of silence. This seemed to take Tori aback.

"What are you talking about?" She asked, her dark eyebrows furrowed above her nose.

"You're probably here to ask me for permission to date Beck."

"I'm not."

"Go fuck yourself… Wait what?"

"I'm not here to ask for your permission to be with Beck," Tori said slowly, like Jade needed help with comprehension. "I don't want Beck, and even if I did, you guys are Beck & Jade. I can't come in between that."

Jade paused for a moment, biting her tongue from agreeing. "I… I think it's over for real this time, Tori."

Tori seemed surprised. "Oh… well, I still wouldn't do that. Not to a friend. Not to you. And don't say we aren't friends Jade, otherwise I wouldn't be here." Jade just blinked at her, arms crossed over her chest. "I've seen the way he treats you. He never deserved you. I knew it from the moment we met."

"You hated me."

"No, Jade, you hated me."

"Still do."

"So are you going to let me in or not?"

Jade rolled her eyes and stepped out of the way.

"Lead the way."


Tori had never been inside Jade's house before. Tori never asked what her parents do, or who she lived with, or what color her bedroom is, or if she has any pets, because she never expected an answer. And now, Tori Vega, Jade's accidental rival, was walking through the gigantic white house, ooo'ing and ahh'ing at art and furniture that have grown bland to Jade's tired eyes. Three years ago, it was Beck's sound effects. It took Jade three months to finally let him in past the den.

Tori loved the painting in the hall by Jade's bedroom (which Beck bought with Jade at an art fair in Calabasas), and she ran her hand along the surface of their baby grand piano (where Beck would play classics that Jade taught him and the latter would lay across the top), and she dropped onto the leather couch with a giggle (and, oh god, it's like Beck's name is written all over it).

The walls in Jade's except for one, which is behind her headboard, and is painted startlingly black. Tori observes her room carefully. It's meticulously organized, everything having it's ow place. On the walls are few horror movie posters Tori recognized, with some playbills from shows Jade saw or put on. She doesn't ignore the odd-looking jars that sit on Jade's desk. The room is uncharacteristically normal. Tori didn't hide her content surprise at the sight. She probably thought Jade lived a coffin. She picked up Jade's pearpod from it's dock.

"You were listening to Taylor Swift?" the Latina smirked.

"Vega, I am going to kill you."


"So what now?"

"What do you mean?"

"I let you into my house, we've changed into pajamas and I made you cocoa. What do we do now?" For a moment, Jade looked genuinely confused. "I'm not an expert at this whole 'friends' thing."

Tori smirked. "Tell me about your mom."

"What?" Jade gave her the usual I'd rather slam my tongue in a car door look.

"It'll take your mind off of things. Just tell me about her. I don't know anything about you other than your creepy obsession with scissors and we've been friends for like, a year. C'mon Jade. That's a bit weird."

"Fine. My mom gave birth to me."

"Jade."

The raven haired girl rolled her eyes. "I'm going to sleep."

Tori sighed, giving up. "Can I stay the night? I promise not to piss you off."

Tori smiled at her and it's contagious, Jade can't help but smile back. "Don't make promises you can't keep." She chucked a pillow at Tori's face, which Tori caught, and for a minute, Beck didn't exist.


When Jade woke, there was a hand draped across her waist. Beck doesn't paint his nails baby pink. Beck doesn't wear a charm bracelet. Jade counted the charms on the silver chain. A music note. A jeweled 'T'. A cherry stem that caught the light filtering through Jade's window from the angry, gray skies. Blue eyes fluttered closed again. Tori shifted in her sleep and pulled Jade closer. Jade pretended she didn't notice.