"How many more sheets of paper are you going to cut up before I ask you to stop?" Beck looked down at Jade, laying on the floor, strips falling into her hair as she sliced sheet after sheet of printer paper.
"As many as I want," she replied, smirking at him. He was sitting at his computer, tapping his finger against the keys of the keyboard, trying to think of the next line to type for his play. "Why? Does it bother you?"
"It's just that I bought that pack of paper yesterday, and you know that I have a few projects to print out, and I don't exactly write short projects, or have a lot of money to go buy another pack of paper." He glared at her, barely showing any emotion. She sighed loudly.
"What if I don't want to stop, Beck?" She sat up, crossing her arms across her chest and glaring right back at him.
"Stop that." He laughed quietly.
"Why? Because it turns you on when I say no?" She tilted her head to the side, "and you'd rather do your school work than fuck me?"
"It's not that I'd rather do my school work, I kind of have to do my school work." He snatched the pack of printer paper away from her before she could cut up any more.
"Well maybe I wouldn't be cutting up your paper if you paid more attention to me." She stood up and messed up his hair. "I'm bored sitting here while you do your work."
"Babe, I told you to stay home and practice for your audition-"
"But I said no." She kissed his neck lightly, "and I came over here, because I like fucking you more than doing school work, unlike you."
"Jade," he moved away from her, feeling himself begin to give in, "babe, you know this play is due tomorrow."
"Yeah, I do." She kissed his neck again. She could see the desperation in his eyes. "But you never say no to me."
"...I know." He grabbed her quickly and pulled her onto his lap.
The next day, Beck sat against his locker, typing furiously on his laptop. Word after word flowed from his fingers, each less brilliant than the last.
"Whatcha doing?" Jade sat next to him, resting her head on his shoulder. "Oooh. Is that the play that's due today?"
"Yes, Jade." He looked over at her, a small smile tugging at her lips. "The one you made me not finish last night."
"It's not my fault you can't say no." She shrugged. "You dug your own grave, sweetie."
"You know, I think it's sexy when you say no to me, and when you get defensive. It shows you're independant. Have you ever even thought to look at me that way?" He sighed, gently pushing her off of him.
She giggled quietly. "No, because you never say no anyway!"
The bell rang suddenly, and Beck got up. "I have to go print this in the library. I'll see you later. I love you!" He forced a smile at her before walking down the hall.
She sat against his locker, looking at all the passing people. She tried to imagine herself laying in bed with him, completely naked.
"Take me," she said in her head, but he was staring back at her, silent.
She kept begging and begging, but then the word came out. "No."
It sent shivers down her spine, and she didn't know why. She imagined him teasing every inch of her body, hitting all her weak spots. But each time she told him to do something, he said no.
"Jade, are you okay?" Tori was staring down at her. Her mouth was hung open and her fingers were tangled in her own hair.
"Oh. Yeah." She snapped back to reality, looking up at Tori. "Thanks for interrupting my daydream, Vega."
"Well, sorry, I just thought you might want to get to class on time." Tori rolled her eyes, "Whatever." She walked away from Jade, the bell ringing just seconds later.
Jade knew that she always got what she wanted. She knew that if she asked Beck for something, he would say yes. But now she had something new that she wanted, and that was for him to say no.
At lunch, Jade and Beck walked to their usual table silently. Tori was sitting with Andre, and they were talking.
"So how did your play go?" Jade asked as they sat down.
"Fine," he shrugged, "it wasn't my best work, but at least I finished it."
"Why don't you think it was good?" Tori asked, shoving a few fries into her mouth at once.
"Slow down, tiger." Andre laughed, wiping the grease from around her mouth.
"Because Jade-"
"I fucked his brains out last night." Jade shrugged. "Something that you're not too familiar with, tiger."
"Jade, don't talk like that." Beck nudged her shoulder lightly, biting his lip at the thought of the previous night.
"You know you love it." She kissed him on the cheek, then smiled. "Go buy me a salad, babe?"
"Sure." He stood up and walked over to the food truck. At that moment, she decided that it was time to attempt to make Beck say no to her. When he sat back down and handed her a tray of salad, she looked at it, then at him.
"I don't want tomatoes on my salad."
He got up, brought the salad to the trash can, and picked out the tomatoes. He sat back down and handed her the tray.
"...I don't want cucumbers on my salad!" She shoved the tray at him and crossed her arms. Again, he walked to the trash can and picked out the cucumbers. He sat back down and handed her the tray.
She felt a growl erupt from her lips, slamming her fists on the table, "God dammit, Beck! I don't want any lettuce on my salad, either!"
"Jade, there won't be anything else left on the tray." He laughed.
She shoved the tray away from her, stood up, and walked away. She kept walking, she didn't know where she was going, but she had to get away. She found herself in the janitor's closet, as usual, sitting against the wall, looking up at the ceiling.
She heard a knock at the door before it opened. Beck stood before her, with an empty tray.
"Here's your salad, love." He handed it to her, smiling. "Tell me what's going on in your head."
"No, okay?" She looked away. "I can't believe you just brought me an empty tray."
"That's what you wanted, isn't it?" He sat down in front of her. "Are you mad at me because I was concerned about my school work last night?"
"No." She sighed loudly. "Can't you just go away?"
"Do you really want me to go away?" He asked, rubbing his fingers against the top of her hand.
"Yes."
"Then sure, I will leave. Talk to me about it when you're ready." He started to stand up but she grabbed his arm.
"Why didn't you say 'no, I'll stay'?" She pulled at his arm.
"You told me not to stay, and you know I'd rather do what you want me to do than make you more upset-"
"Just get out of here, Beck." She let go of his arm, and watched him walk out of the janitor's closet.
Outside, Beck sat down next to Tori and Andre at the table.
"What's going on with her?" Tori asked, but Beck just shrugged.
"I don't know. She wouldn't tell me. I think it has to do with a little argument we got in last night and earlier today." He ran his fingers through his hair, "She's such a handful. I wish I could get her to open up without her breaking something first."
"Maybe I should go try to talk to her." Tori stood up, beginning to walk toward the school. "Wish me luck!"
When Tori got to the janitor's closet, she knocked a couple times before walking inside. She sat down in front of Jade the same way that Beck had been sitting just minutes ago.
"What's up, buttercup?" Tori asked playfully, hugging her knees to her chest.
"Get out of here, Vega." Jade sent her a look that made her tense up. "I don't feel like talking to you."
"Who do you feel like talking to, then?"
"Nobody." Jade was playing with the laces in her boots, unlacing and relacing them.
"Look, you have to open up to someone sooner or later-"
"I don't fucking want to talk to you, get out!" Jade kicked Tori's leg lightly, then just stared at her. "Just get out."
"No. You're troubled, and I care about you, no matter how much you don't care about me. I'm not going to leave." Tori kicked Jade's leg back.
"What did you just say to me?" Jade laughed quietly, looking down at the dusty ground.
"I said no."
