Author's Note: Blame Liz Gillies amazing cover of Adele's "One and Only" for this. I watched it on youtube and I fell in love with it, and I've had it on repeat, like, all day. I just recently got into Victorious and while my pairing of choice (despite knowing they'll never happen" is Beck and Cat, I kind of dig the idea of Jade and Andre` too.
And even though, I don't really like them, Beck and Tori are featured in this story. Sadly, without them it wouldn't work.
Constructive criticism is great; flames are not. This is my first time writing this show, so I hope I got the characters right. Thanks for reading.
- so come on and give me a chance -
jade and andre` -
to prove that i'm the one who can/walk that mile until the end starts
"one and only" - as covered by liz gillies
It's not hard to figure out what he's doing. Any idiot with half a brain could figure it out. God, she thinks rolling her eyes. Does he really think she's still obsessing over Beck and Vega? Please.
"Take another step and I will end you." She threatens and any sensible person would have shrank and turned and ran as fast as their feet could carry them; not him, though. He laughs. He fucking laughs and her blood starts to seethe. Cause, really, he's laughing? At her?
She's fucking Jade West. HBIC at Hollywood Arts. The girl who thinks industrial scissors are fun. Who can glare at the fucking teachers in this school (minus Skiowitz, of course) and make them cower in fear, and he's laughing.
Her eyes narrow and it's like she's trying to set him on fire with her mind. Either that or she's imagining ways to cut him with her scissors (that he knows she's got stashed somewhere) without anyone noticing, but he doesn't care. He's on a mission, and yeah he should be scoping out the fine honeys that are dressed to the nines for senior prom, but whatever; they're not important. What's important is making sure his boy dances with his girl and his ex doesn't cause a scene.
The things I do for you, man, he thinks. The things I do for you.
"I thought Jade West didn't do lame school dances." He teases, elbowing her gently.
"And I thought I told you that if you took another step, I'd end you?" She remarks, casting him a side-long glance. "Don't tell me," She bats her eyelashes and puts on her Sally Sweet Peaches voice. "You don't believe me?"
"Nah, girl, I believe you. I just don't care. Look," He tries levelling with her, moving so they're face to face. "Beck's my boy and Tori, she's my girl, a'ight? Which means I'm not letting you go all evil witch on 'em."
"Is that supposed to make me feel all warm and fuzzy inside? Look at you, Harris, all noble; trying to keep your boy's," She spits out the word, face contorting bitterly. "Ex from ruining his fairytale dance under the strobe lights of a cheap disco ball with his perfect, pretty princess of a girlfriend. What a good friend you are. So what do you win for that? A ribbon? A trophy?"
When she tries to leave, he blocks her path, shaking his head. Scowling, she pushes at him and keeps pushing, thinking he'll eventually get tired of fighting her (like Beck did, that son of a bitch), but he's stock still, like a brick building and she's getting angrier and angrier.
"Ugh!" She screams, pushing at his chest with all of her might and he actually does stumble back. "If I tell you that I'll leave Beck and Vega alone, will you fucking go away?"
"Yeah." He snorts. "Like I'm gonna fall for that; who do you think I am, Cat?"
"Damn it, Harris, just go away! I want to stand here and silently mock all of these freaks who think dancing in a room with these stupid fucking streamers and that ridiculous disco ball is the best night of their lives, okay?"
Andre` doesn't respond because suddenly Cat's airy voice joins the fray. "Oooh, look!" She claps, jumping up and down. "Sikowitz is going to announce prom king and prom queen! Yay!"
Jade rolls her eyes; raspberry lips set in a firm frown. "Oh, joy." She deadpans. "I've been waiting my whole life for this moment. The anticipation is killing me. I mean, really, it's not like we don't already know who won..."
"No!" Cat shrieks, covering her eyes with her hands. "Don't tell me! Don't tell me! I want it to be a surprise!"
"Cat, you're covering your...Ugh, never mind."
To the surprise of no one, Beck is named prom king and Tori is prom queen. Everyone claps and cheers and the perfect couple with their plastic crowns takes center stage, the spotlight shining down on them and it makes Jade's skin crawl. Her stomach twists violently, her fists are clenched tightly at her sides, fingernails digging into her skin (they'll be marks later, for sure) and if she could shoot daggers from her eyes, her ex and mortal enemy would be dead on the spot.
She jerks from the feeling of Andre`'s hands on her shoulders. Whirling to face him, she's ready to go off when he's pulling on her wrists, gently, trying to get them to loosen. He sighs heavily and one by one releases her fingers and then he takes her hands in his, bringing them up to wind around his neck, where they hang loosely. She pulls one back to slap his hand when he tries to put it on her hip, and he rolls his eyes.
He tries again and she slaps again and this goes on for at least a minute, until she finally relents and lets him put his hands on her hips.
They sway, awkwardly, not in perfect sync like Beck and Tori, and though she doesn't want to, she can't help but glance to her left. He's got that charming (not that she'd admit it's charming now, even though secretly it still is to her) half grin, half smirk going and Vega's looking at him with that ridiculously dopey smile of hers, the one that looks like it's going to split her face in half and her big stupid Bambi eyes are shimmering and looking at him like he's the only thing ever, and she's going to throw up.
Watching them steal a kiss, makes her want to grab her scissors and stab out her eyes. Ugh.
"That is the most disgusting thing I've ever seen. Hey, you animals!" She calls out, not caring that she's ruining their perfect Kodak moment, but her heart soars as a thrill rushes through her when they break apart, Beck's dark, dark eyes narrowing questioningly and Vega looking like some petrified bunny, fear etched all over her prissy little face, and yeah that's awesome. "Get a room! It's not mating season!"
For a brief moment she sees a familiar look flash across Beck's equine features; the one that says he's going to give her some smart ass remark, then his lips will bloom into that half grin, half smirk just before he leans in to stop her from saying something else, but instead he just shakes his head, sadly and turns back to Vega; drawing her into a kiss.
Swallowing thickly, she turns away. She feels Andre`'s eyes on her and it's unnerving. "What?" She snaps angrily, glowering at him from behind narrowed eyes.
"I get it." He shrugs simply. "You don't have to act like it doesn't hurt, seeing them together. Ya'll were together for a long time."
"You... Oh," She says, pieces of the puzzle coming together. And God, what the fuck was it about Vega that made all the guys want her? Did she have an X-Box in her panties or something? Cause, just, gross.
Backing out of his embrace, she shakes her head sharply. "Yeah, this dance is over. I don't play second best to anyone; let alone fucking Vega."
He catches her before she can take another step, and yeah, she totally doesn't feel anything from seeing the contrast of her pale, pale, pale skin against his rich chocolate, chocolate, chocolate. Those flips or what-the-fuck-ever her stomach is doing, is because of the so-obviously cliched` spiked punch she drank earlier. Yeah, that's totally it. Uh-uh. Yep. Spiked punch. And definitely not Andre` Harris.
Cause only Beck Oliver could make her feel anything remotely girly and stupid. Only Beck.
"Who said you were playing second best to Tori?" He challenges.
"Yeah," She scoffs. "Cause you really want to dance with me? You don't fool me, And..." She stops herself, schools her features and is back to glaring at him. "Harris. I know exactly what you're up to. Fuck, you told me you were doing this for Beck, so he'd get his perfect moment with his perfect pretty little princess and she wouldn't run home crying like the last prom when I put shrimp in her bra. God, what a fucking baby."
"Okay, you're right I am doing this for Beck, but that don't mean I'm not into it. Cause I am. You got some moves, girl. And maybe," He's invading her space, making her take a step back and then another and another, until he's got her backed up against one of the gym's walls. "This whole I'm doin' it for Beck think is just a cover; you think about that?"
"A cover?" She arches a perfectly shaped brow, raspberry lips twisting curiously. "A cover for what?"
"To get you to dance with me." He whispers in her ear, and yeah she's not shivering from the low tone of his voice. No way in hell. Nope. She's t totally not.
"Like I believe you." It's meant to come out harsh, sarcastic and wrought with the bitterness of iron, but her voice is shaky and she sounds nothing like herself, and inside she's cursing him. Cause only Beck was supposed to be able to do this to her. Him and no one else.
"Dance with me. For real this time. No junior high awkward swaying shit. You feel me?"
This wasn't supposed to happen. She was supposed to come to this stupid dance, scowling and angry; seething in the corner, silently mocking and ruining Vega's perfect moment, to get her revenge on the girl who took everything from her.
She was not – I repeat not – supposed to end up in the arms of Andre` Harris, pressed up against his well-built frame, his big hands settled firmly on her hips, her head on his chest and swaying.
But that's what happened.
And God help her, it felt good. No, it felt fucking great. There was his smell; something crisp, clean, like the ocean (not like Beck's heavy smell of motor oil and leather) that tickled her nose, his hold on her – secure but not suffocating – like she was rare and precious, like he could break her. Beck never held her like that; he always assumed she was impossible to break, so he was never secure with his arms, and yeah she'd never admit it, but she wanted him to hold her like Andre` was, like she could break, like she was rare and precious and not this angry, bitter, strong girl.
Sighing, she can't help but nuzzle against the starchy fabric of his purple dress shirt and the chuckle that rumbles through his chest feels nice.
"Tell anyone I just did that, Harris, and I will end you. For real." She mutters, but the content smile on her face says otherwise.
"Tell anyone you did what?" He says and her smile grows.
They don't kiss at senior prom; he just takes her home and the smile – a real, honest, genuine smile – on her raspberry lips is enough. At graduation, they do kiss. It's warm and heady, hot and wild but tender and soft, and it's like coming home.
She doesn't say that. Cause she's Jade fucking West. And Jade West doesn't do sappy girly chick filck bull shit.
But the smile – a real, honest, genuine smile – on her raspberry lips is enough.
It'll always be enough. Cause it's just for him.