Jade was sitting in the janitor's closet, scissors furiously working at the large plastic trashcan in her hands. She had been at it for the past hour, and so far no one had the audacity to approach her besides the fat janitor whom she had snapped at. When she finally worked the trashcan down to a pile of small squares, she pushed her scissors away from her, and then lay on top of the pile of plastic.
"Ok, now." Ordered Tori, and Andre banged the door open. They had gone looking for Jade and found her half an hour earlier, but both realized the state she was in, and who wanted to be caught by an emotional Jade when she was wielding her needle-nosed scissors? Jade hardly even flinched at the noise, not rolling over to even see who had entered her sanctuary. "Jade, you have to come out and go to class. This is not the way to spend the first day of your senior year." Tori pleaded.
"God Vega, no one made you come look for me. So just leave me here, ok? I don't want to do it, and I can't do it, so I won't do it. And you of all people cannot make me, got it? Now go away." She never moved from her fetal position. She never wanted to, ever again.
Tori looked hurt that Jade called her Vega, that didn't happen much anymore. She thought Jade was her friend and weren't friends supposed to be able to care about one another? Andre placed a comforting arm around her. "It's ok Tor, she's just mad right now. She just needs time." He said in hushed tones. Jade heard all of it, but couldn't bring herself to say anything. She wasn't mad at Tori specifically, well ok a little part of her was, she was the one who had suggested make up sex after all. And that was what had gotten her into this horrible mess. She wasn't mad at Beck either, but did he really have to take a movie in New Zealand right after junior year? Was being with her regularly actually that horrible? But she couldn't be selfish and tell him about everything because he would come home because he was a good loyal kid. She couldn't ruin his career so early on. She was angry at the universe though, because it had landed her pregnant. Not that she didn't want to have the baby; she had always wanted to have a baby. Until she found out she was clinically depressed. And how high the chances of any child of hers being depressed would be. And she had no desire to put any person through what she had been through. And now she was going to.
"Jade, tell me what's wrong." Said Cat as she lay on the floor next to Jade. So wrapped up in her own thoughts, she hadn't heard Tori suggest getting Cat, or her and Andre leaving the room. "You can tell me anything, and I love you no matter what, k?" Jade stiffened. Not Cat, she couldn't tell Cat. Cat and Beck were too close and Beck was not going to find out until the movie wrapped. "Jadelyn West you are going to tell me what is wrong right this instant or I will steal your box of scissors. Even the green ones." Jade turned over in shock.
"Caterina Valentine, is that blackmail?"
"Yes it was, now will you please tell me what's wrong? I'm so worried Jade. I was worried before but seeing you like this is so hard. I knew you weren't going to do well despite what you said, but Jade you're scaring me, and not the usual way." Jade could feel the tears welling up in her eyes. People always wondered why Cat was friends with a girl like Jade, and vice versa. Only Beck had ever really grasped the dynamic between the two, how they balanced each other. How Cat let her see the pretty things, and how Jade made all the images of real life clearer. They needed each other and both knew it, even if no one else did.
"Promise you won't tell anyone, not even Beck or Robbie or Andre or Tori?" Cat could keep her secrets, she always had. And if Jade didn't tell someone soon, she might as well take up residence in this closet.
"I promise. Whatever it is I won't tell anyone. I just don't want you to be this sad anymore. I need my Jade back." Jade smiled slightly and Cat lit up. "I knew I was a good thing!" she cried, "But Jadey stop stalling."
"I'm pregnant."