"I hate the way you drive my car."

It was cold. Well, cold for Los Angeles. The sun still attempted to show its strength as the early morning drudged on, but the clouds won out in the end, coloring the vast blue atmosphere with deep shades of grey. They threatened rain, a chilling rain at that- one that wouldn't ease up until it washed away the waste of the previous day. Obviously, this was Jade West's favorite weather.

Her black combat boots sounded loudly on the gravel of her driveway as she made her way to her car, coffee cup in hand, and her old beat-up leather jacket folded over her arm. When she'd emerged from her house, she immediately winced at the frigid air; however, as the cold grew more soothing than biting, she'd decided against shielding herself from its welcome comfort. The crunching of the gravel beneath her brought Jade back to reality as she pulled out the keys to unlock her jeep. A few more steps and she was free. Safe. Opening the door, Jade began to slide her body into its cool interior, enjoying the peace that the morning brought to her.

She heard it before she saw it. The sound of tires over crunching gravel, creeping quietly up her driveway.

It was her father's car. She hadn't even noticed that it was gone. His little blue sports car drove straight past her black jeep, the garage door welcoming its resident as Jade looked on. She sat, somewhat mesmerized as she watched her father climb out of the car and walk to the trunk to pick up his forgotten briefcase. Normally, Jade wouldn't watch so closely, she didn't pay much attention to her father or his profession. In fact, she'd grown accustomed to his late-night and sometimes overnight emergencies at work. It required him to disappear and return in the early morning, a quiet shadow in the twilight. When she was younger, sometimes he wasn't as quiet in the mornings and the stress of his meetings forced him to brew a particularly strong cup of coffee and cook eggs and toast. He'd sit at their kitchen island and sip his coffee, just staring off into the distance until an awoken Jade would creep into the kitchen and snap him out of his reverie. He would give his little daughter a small smile and pull her into his lap, feed her his toast and let her sip on his cooling coffee. They would stay like that for a long time, his hand always coming up to rest on top of her head and stroke her dark brown locks. After years of mornings like that, Jade grew used to the disheveled look that her father wore after nights like these. The wrinkled shirts that had once been pressed to perfection. She grew used to the coffee or ink-pen stains that she'd see on his shirt after a late night. On occasion, if his firm did particularly well, she'd catch a few wine stains adorning his look, as well. However, it was the red lipstick stain on the collar of her father's shirt that caught Jade's eye now. She'd learned that those type of stains carried a different meaning. Those were the stains that led her mother to days of curling up in her parents' bed, tears streaming down her face when her father disappeared, the endless fights that would rage on downstairs as Jade covered her ears, attempting to block out the shattering bottles and relationship. Those stains led to Cassie, Rosa, and eventually Mona. They led to a "shared" custody, which really proved to be her father's way of proving that he was still in power because he held the most money. They led Jade back to sitting in her jeep, staring at her father. He seemed to sense someone watching him. Turning, his eyes met Jade's through the glass of her jeep and he stared back. For a second, it seemed as if her father could read Jade's thoughts, could replay those very same memories in his head, as well. Could see what it all did to her. Instead, he turned on his heel, his face stoic, and walked into the house through the garage's entrance. Jade started the engine and crept out of her driveway. This was nothing new.

Beck smiled when he saw Jade making her way across the parking lot towards him. She knew that he wouldn't be surprised to see her without her jacket on and enjoying the weather, while he, on the other hand had on his heavier flannel and an old army jacket on top of that. She gave him a half smile has he reached his hand out for her, his finger lightly entwining with hers as he drew her body closer. Beck pressed his lips against hers, giving her a warmth that completely wiped out the cold she was enjoying before; but as she kissed him back, she didn't care. This was her happy place.

Breaking apart, Beck now grabbed her hand entirely and began their walk to the school building. He noticed how quiet Jade was, but he was used to it on mornings like this. Jade was her most peaceful in the stillness of the day. Still, he pressed her for at least a grunt.

"So, are you ready for your Vocal Performance exam? How late did you stay up practicing last night after I fell asleep?"

"'Till 3."

"Jade, it's 7:30. That's like no time at all to rest your voice."

"I'll be fine."

"Do you want me to go over it with you one time before the class?" Jade shot him a look for that one, to which he immediately held up his hands in defense until she held out her hand for his again and they continued their walk, reverting back to their original silence.

The day went on as usual, Robbie was having a meltdown over something or another, Tori wouldn't stop complaining about Trina, and Cat and Andre were unsuccessfully quizzing each other for their Art History exam. The only abnormal part of the day was Jade, and she knew it. Not once had she made an attempt to mock Tori or Robbie, until one of them pointed it out and she half-heartedly shot back with a stream of insults. They both accepted this as normal and continued on their way. Beck and Cat knew better. Cat, someone that'd Jade had known since those early mornings of sipping her dad's coffee on his lap, followed Jade to her locker before lunch to make sure that her best friend was okay. When Jade simply shrugged her friend's worry off, Cat decided to drop the issue until Jade inevitably brought it up one night when she stormed into Cat's room and announced that she was sleeping over, as she tended to do. Instead, she decided to inform Jade of her brother's latest adventures.

Beck was a different story. He didn't let Jade just shrug things off with him. So, at the end of the day, when she was headed back to her jeep without even waiting for him at his locker, he ran up to her and stopped her in her path.

"Babe, what's going on?"

"I'm trying to get to my jeep and you're standing in my way."

"Seriously, Jade. What's up?"

"Seriously, Beck. Move."

"Did something happen? Did you and your dad get into a fight? Did Mona do something?"

"Did you not hear me? Get out of my way."

"Jade, what happened with your Dad?"

"Beck, get the fuck out of my way!" He saw the tears forming in her eyes before Jade even realized she was crying, and though Beck tried one last attempt to get her to open up to him by throwing his arms around her and pulling her into a hug, she shoved him and his affection away, running to her car with him finally out of her path.

Fumbling with her keys, Jade flung herself into her car and her shoved key in her ignition. She was fuming, not with anger towards Beck, but towards herself. Why did this bother her so much? What was so different about this versus all of the other times that she'd caught her dad cheating? She didn't even like Mona. Why did it make her feel like she was breaking, being hollowed out? Jade put the jeep into drive and began to speed out of Hollywood Arts' parking lot, tears clouding her vision. She halted to a stop when she finally saw the car pulling out of its spot in front of her. She was only a few feet from the entrance, if she floored it once this stupid car was gone she could be free and go…where?

And then she heard it, the rapping on her window. So frantic and desperate to get her attention. It was Beck, his face broken out into one of panic and fear. His eyes pleading. Jade closed her eyes and tried to block everything out. This was not happening. Not here. She took a deep breath, her hands clutching the steering will so tightly she was sure that her knuckles had turned an even paler white than usual.

"Jade!" Beck's voice called. Jade opened her eyes, letting out another breath as she finally turned and looked at the boy standing at her window, begging her to let him in. She opened the door and leapt out and into his arms, burying her face in his shoulder, for a second forgetting about where she was. However, the sound of a nearby car beeping and unlocking brought her back to the present and she quickly turned and ran into the passenger side of her car. Beck understood, seeing the keys still in the ignition, and jumped into the driver's seat. He glanced over at Jade, his face one of calm understanding, and they drove.

It'd been hours, in fact, Jade would've lost time if it wasn't for the clock on her jeep's radio. She and Beck had driven out of the city, only now making their way back through Hollywood's hills towards a more familiar part of California. Jade hadn't said anything at first. She'd just cried, and Beck gently rested his hand on her knee. Squeezing occasionally to remind her that he was still there. Finally, she told him. Beck already knew the story of Jade and her father's relationship. He could practically recall those mornings with her father as if they were memories of his own; yet he still listened as Jade recounted the story, as interested in what he already knew as he was in the new information. They talked and drove like that for hours, stopping for gas once or twice. Beck reached into Jade's bag at one point to retrieve her favorite pair of scissors. She surprised him when, after playing with them for a few seconds and snipping the still cold air, she set them aside and snuggled up to him, her arms wrapping around his frame as he pumped the gas. Driving back now, Jade felt at peace once again: her hand resting on Beck's thigh, his eyes on the road, one hand on the steering wheel, the other arm resting on the window's edge. Jade twirled her scissors in her other hand and stared at him, her eyes crinkling with mischief.

"Did you adjust my seat?"

"We've been driving for hours, babe. I needed to be comfortable."

"Ugh, it'll take me forever to get it back to the way that I like it now."

"I'm sure you can figure it out, babe."

"Gee, thanks, ass."

"No problem." Jade simply rolled her eyes at that, which Beck caught out of the corner of his eye and laughed.

"I hate the way you drive my car," she muttered, bringing her legs up so that her feet rested on the dashboard. She smiled in spite of herself as she saw a small smile playing at the corners of Beck's mouth. God, she loved him.

"You still staying the night?" Beck asked.

"Yeah, I guess we should head back to Hollywood Arts. Take the exit here."

"Nah, I'll just head straight home."

"What about your truck?" Beck glanced over to her and flashed her that smile.

"I'll get it in the morning. You really think I'm going to pass up an opportunity to drive you crazy in this thing?"

"You suck."

"I love you, Jade," he chuckled.

Snip, snip, snip. Jade glanced down at her scissors and then back over at her boyfriend.

"You, too."