Hey beloved readers! Sorry for the long wait... it's been a really busy week, with school and stuff. But have no fear, I have the next chapter ready for you :D. I don't really know how much I like this one...

Disclaimer: I don't own Victorious.


Monday

Jade walked into Hollywood Arts with a steaming hot cup of black coffee in her hands, as usual. However, she had a new pep in her step.

After her walk with Beck on Saturday, she talked to him three times. Once on Saturday, and twice on Sunday. The Sunday conversations were cut short, though, because Beck had to attend Church service.

Jade wasn't much of a churchgoer. She hadn't actually been in one since her grandmother's funeral twelve years ago. Her parents used to go every Sunday, but then things changed, and church was a distant memory.

She still kind of stuck to her Christian ways. Jade occasionally prayed to god and Jesus, but at times, she felt that they weren't listening.

Jade walked over to her locker and was surprised to see Tori already there.

"Hey, Babe," Jade said. "You're here early."

Tori looked over at Jade and smiled her overly perky smile. "Hi, Jade! I'm only this early because I woke up really early, so I decided to come to school earlier than normal."

"Like over the weekend when you called me at ten o' clock in the morning?" Jade smiled, raising her eyebrow.

"Yeah," Tori laughed, sarcastically saying, "Just like Saturday."

Jade joined in the laughter, opening her locker. She grabbed her books and closed it quickly.

"Speaking of the weekend, how was yours?" Tori asked.

Jade smiled to herself. "It was interesting. Very interesting." She began walking around the halls with Tori.

"Well, tell me, Hon!"

"Guess who I saw on Saturday?" Jade smirked.

"You know I hate guessing," Tori groaned, rolling her eyes.

"C'mon, it's not that hard. You know this boy."

"So, it's a boy?" Jade nodded. "Is it Beck?"

"How'd you know?" Jade asked with a pleasantly surprised expression etched on her face.

Tori had a look on her face that Jade couldn't quite decipher. It was a mix between irritation, anger, and jealousy, but Tori tried to hide it with a smile. The smile didn't reach her eyes. "You saw Beck over the weekend?"

Jade nodded, completely ignoring Tori's undecipherable look. "Yeah, right after I got off of the phone with you." She went on to explain her interaction with Beck, form the meeting at food Mart to the exchanging of phone numbers. She kept back her crying episode and the story about her family, though. She felt that Tori would ask questions; questions that she honestly didn't have the heart to answer.

Tori smiled, but Jade saw the look in her eyes. It was written clear as day: jealousy.

Why would Tori be jealous?


Later That Day

The final bell of the school day rang and Jade scurried out of classroom and to her locker, eager to get out of the steaming pot of boredom called "school".

She walked up to her locker and opened it, taking the books she needed to bring home. Jade was putting the books in her bag, when she felt somebody tap her shoulder.

Jade turned, assuming it was Tori. "Tori, you know I hate when-" she cut herself off. Jade saw Beck looking down at her, an amused grin spread across his face. "Beck?"

"Are you always this surprised when you see me?" He smiled, his pearly whites contrasting with his tan skin.

Jade like his smile; she felt that it was sincere and genuine. "Shut up," she smiled. "I thought you were Tori."

Beck shook his head. "I'm pretty sure I'm a boy, Jade."

She smiled and playfully smacked his arm. "You know what I meant."

Beck laughed. She liked his laugh too, and kept a mental picture of it in her memory. "Anyway, I haven't seen you at all today."

Jade threw him a questioning glance. "What are you talking about? I saw you first period in Sikowitz's class."

"Yeah, I know that, but we haven't spoken to each other."

"We're talking right now, aren't we?"

Beck sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Yeah, but… like…" He sighed again. "I missed you today." He wrapped Jade up in a bear hug.

Jade hugged him back, enjoying the feeling of being in Beck's arms, but eventually her back pain overwhelmed her.

"Ow," she moaned.

Beck automatically dropped his arms, looking guilty. "Did I squeeze you too hard?"

Jade smiled at his childish choice of words. "Kind of. The gash in my back isn't fully healed."

Beck's mouth set into a line of worry. He turned her around and began to lift her shirt up, but she stopped him.

"What are you doing?" Jade slapped his hands away and pulled her shirt back down.

"I just wanted to examine your wound."

Jade thought it over. Should I let him see it?

Why not? Her mind answered. He's trustworthy, and he won't say anything to you about it.

At long last, she turned back around and quickly lifted her shirt up. "Beware, I have tons of bruises. And don't take too long to look; I don't want people to get the wrong idea."

He nodded, then saw her stab wound, surrounded by bruises that were still healing, but that left her skins three different colors. His face twisted in revulsion. "Your own mother caused this?"

"Yup," Jade answered after putting her shirt down and facing Beck. "She just hits me whenever she's in the mood. The stab was the cause of her hitting me across the back with a bottle of vodka."

Beck shook his head, upset that Jade's mother would abuse her like this. "That's… that's unforgivable."

"Tell me about it. I've had to deal with this for such a long time. It's completely unfair." Jade's hands balled up into fists, angry at the world for having the world's worst parents.

Beck noticed this, and held onto one her hands to try to calm her down. Jade looked up at him, somewhat shocked by his kind gesture. He looked into here eyes and smiled, and Jade's gaze softened, smiling despite herself. Beck squeezed her hand, and that was when the butterflies flew rapidly in the pit of her gut.

Jade knew that it was wrong to develop feelings for a person that was technically dating her best friend. She knew that Tori would literally kill her for thinking of Beck in a romantic way. But let's face it; Beck was hot, smart, and a good listener. He helped Jade through her familial issues, even though she was so mean to him before. What wasn't there to like?

"It's gonna be okay," Beck said after, seemingly, forever.

Jade snapped back into reality and looked down at her and Beck's joined hands. "Yeah, let's hope so."

He squeezed her hand once more, and then dropped it, leaving it to dangle at Jade's side. She immediately missed the feeling of his hand on hers and the warmth it brought.

Jade heavily sighed. Her mind was in a battle with her heart. Her brain, the rational part of her, was telling her to ignore the feelings she was developing for the handsome boy. Beck was Tori's man, and she couldn't just take him away from her.

On the other hand, her heart urged her to go for it. Beck could possibly be her first boyfriend, and Jade couldn't deny that he would probably be a worthy one.

"So…" Beck said, trying to get rid of the awkwardness in the air. "How are you getting home?"

Jade shrugged. "I'm not sure. I usually go with Tori, but she hasn't even come to her locker yet."

"She left already."

"Are you serious?" Jade groaned.

"Yeah. She said something about having to take care of her dog."

"Great, now I'm gonna have to walk home."

Beck playfully nudged her shoulder. "Oh, come on, Jade, it can't be that bad. A little exercise couldn't hurt."

"Oh yeah? Try walking for thirty minutes in these boots." She pointed to her feet and Beck looked at the black knee-length leather boots clad on her feet. "It has a two-inch heel! It's basically torture."

Beck chuckled at her overdramatic attitude.

"You think this is funny?" Jade asked, a new fire in her green eyes. "You try walking in these shoes, Pretty Boy."

"I thought you agreed not to be rude to me."

Jade nodded, a smirk finding its way onto her lips. "I did. You didn't say I couldn't give you a nickname."

Beck sighed, knowing that he lost this battle.

"C'mon," he said, starting towards the front door. "We've gotta get you home."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. Who said you could walk home with me?"

Beck pointed to himself. "I did."

"Well, I," she pointed to herself, "didn't."

"Which would you rather: walking by yourself or walking with me?" He raised an eyebrow in question.

Jade rolled her eyes and said, "Fine."

They walked out of the school and began on their trek to Jade's home.

All the while, the butterflies were still fluttering around in her stomach.


There you go! I hope you guys liked it... Please review :D

And has anyone else been watching the NBA Playoffs? OMG it is so good so far! I'm rooting for the Thunder but if the Clippers win I won't be mad...