A/N: Before I continue, I would like to announce the results. Y'all reviewers got it...right! The pairings for this story are Rade, Bat, and Tandre! Y'all make me so happy. :)

So, as I promised, here's Chapter 10, with another update on the way soon. Hope you don't mind that I moved the story along a bit, given that the first nine chapters occurred in the space of a few days (imagine that, huh? lol), and I felt the story would drag on a bit if I wrote about every day of the week.

With that...enjoy the chapter!

(Oh, one more thing. In this chapter, Beck an- *is shot*)

Chapter Ten: Friends?

"Ask her out! What are you waiting for?"

Robbie sighed as he looked at Rex with an exasperated expression on his face. "Rex, I'm not going to do that...at least not yet. She's still dating Beck."

"So break them up!"

"No, Rex! I could never do that!"

"That's why you're a wuss."

"Rex!"

"What? It's true, I'm only calling them the way I see them."

Robbie shook his head as he walked across the parking lot to Hollywood Arts. As he did so, his mind took him back to the last seven days. When he had...started hanging out with Jade.

It had been a week since Robbie first set out to figure Trina and Cat's feelings for him. A week since Jade gave him advice in that hallway. A week since Tori and Jade 'fought' over him in the stage play.

Since then, any feelings Robbie have had for Trina and Cat had all but disappeared (or to be more precise, diminished), mainly because he found he had become attracted to Jade - of which would only grow more stronger every day. Since the day Robbie had opted to take things slowly in figuring out Jade's feelings, he found himself growing closer to Jade as time drew on.

For starters, Robbie found himself spending more time together with Jade, be it in the hallway and the cafeteria (and one time at the Jet Brew coffee shop alone with her) with his usual friends (no, not Sinjin and his crew). He slowly came to realize that he had begun to sit next to Jade - or at least very near her - and she to him, in classes and the cafeteria. A few times he felt his hand (or arm or leg) brush up against hers - and every time he felt something of a...spark. He wondered if she felt the same.

Little did he know, she did.

As he thought about it, Robbie had sworn that on several occasions when he was sitting next to Jade, her body seemed to be aligned toward him. It was probably his imagination, but he had noticed that Jade appeared to be mirroring some of his movements (for instance, when he shifted his seat a bit in Sikowitz's class, she did the same). He had caught Jade looking at him several times, of which she either looked away or continued to look back at him with a small smile. There was that one time when he had dared to poke her in the side (playfully, of course), she had surprised him by poking him back.

Robbie found himself chuckling silently to himself as he remembered the time he had invited, actually invited, Jade to go to his house once. It was on Tuesday that he had blurted out a "Do you want to visit my house and meet my parents?" Bracing himself for probable rejection, he was actually surprised when Jade accepted his invitation.

At first, it had been slightly awkward as Robbie was unsure of what to say, and he never had a girl come in his room before. (And what Robbie didn't know was that Jade had never been to any of her friends' house before, except Beck, if you count his RV as a 'house.') It soon became comfortable as he chatted with her for hours. Since then, she went over there two times.

The blood began to steam into his face as Robbie remembered introducing Jade to his mother, who had to his utmost embarrassment indicated her approval. "Jade seems like a nice lady," Mrs. Shapiro had once whispered to Robbie, or at least attempted to whisper as Jade could still hear her, "If you want to date her, you have my approval. I'm sure your father would approve."

Robbie had never blushed so much before in his life. When he glanced over at Jade, she was blushing too. Rex could never have enough of it. He - whenever Jade wasn't over - mercilessly teased Robbie to no end, to Robbie's exasperation. (Although one time Rex said something to Jade that irked her and she promptly threw him out his bedroom window. To his surprise, Robbie didn't protest.)

As he walked through the front doors, and traversed through the increasingly crowded halls, Robbie thought about how he had felt comfortable around Jade. This was opposed to the past where he felt somewhat intimidated when he was in Jade's vicinity, due to her dark persona and penchant for sharp things. When one looked past her somehow rough attitude (especially toward Tori), she was actually fun to talk with. In fact, it was such to an extent that he didn't have to use Rex as an 'outlet' to say things he normally would not tell her directly.

If there was something Robbie learned from the last seven days, it was that - despite his occasional discouraging thoughts and his cautiousness in approaching his feelings for Jade - he was falling harder for Jade every day.

And not to mention, the Hollywood Arts Danceathon was coming up in two weeks. For some time, Robbie had been hoping that Jade would ask him to the dance - even although it was a practical impossibility, not at least the fact that she was with Beck and would surely ask him out.

Robbie sighed as he looked at all the pretty girls chatting excitedly with their friends, and asking out the guys they liked.

Why couldn't he have that luck?

Why won't he ask her to the dance? Or, rather, why won't she ask him to the dance? That was what Jade thought to herself before she answered her supposed rhetorical question. 'Because I'm with Beck', she sighed to herself, feeling a bit dejected.

Jade glanced at Beck, who was driving. She was sitting in the passenger seat with her boyfriend, who had his eyes trained on the road before him. They were heading to school.

The H.A. Danceathon was coming up in a couple of weeks, and Jade knew that if she wasn't with Beck, she would have asked Robbie a long time ago. But, alas, this was not to happen.

All week, she had been trying to muster up the courage to break up with Beck, and yet she did, she backed away. It seems breaking up was officially the most difficult, and daunting, proposition that she would have to go through. She wasn't sure how Beck would react to it. Surely, she had been dating Beck for two years (a few months if one wanted to be specific), and should have known (or at least gotten an inkling) of how Beck would react. But her long-haired boyfriend was an enigmatic character, and she still didn't know much about him (heck, she didn't know he was a Canadian until well a year and a half into their relationship!)

But however Beck's reaction might be, Jade didn't want to go up to Beck and say, 'hey, you know what? I want to break up with you because I lost interest in you' or something like that. But at the same time, she didn't want to go behind Beck's back with Robbie. Despite her...dark persona, Jade definitely knew better.

As she stared idly out the window, feeling the wind blow through her hair, Jade thought about the past week, when she had increasingly spent time with her Robbie.

Her lips began to curl up into a smile as she remember hanging out with Robbie in his room (no, they didn't do that stuff, you perverts!). She remembered how easy it was to have a conversation with Robbie about all sorts of things (despite the awkwardness the first time she came into his room). She remembered them chatting until ten o'clock in the night, and Jade had been reluctant to leave Robbie when she was enjoying herself with him.

She blushed a little as memories of Robbie's mother's approval ("Jade seems like a nice lady. If you want to date her, you have my approval. I'm sure your father would approve") went through her mind; she blushed even more when she kissed him on the cheek when she left for the night. She giggled at the memory of the slightly-dazed expression on Robbie's face.

Her mind went further to wonder what would have happened if Jade had stayed at Robbie's for the rest of the night? Would they continue to chat, or would they do...physical things? Like, in, Robbie pouncing on her and roaming her body with kis-

'Jade! Robbie is your friend! You can't think like that about him!' Jade berated herself mentally as she tried to fight off her expanding blush. She then sighed.

She would have to muster the courage to break up with Beck, preferably sooner than later, and pray that Tori doesn't ask Robbie out.

As he walked toward his locker, Robbie noticed Andre standing by his locker off in the distance, seemingly deep in thought.

Raising his eyebrows, Robbie turned to Rex. "It seems that something's bothering Andre. Should we check if he's okay?"

Rex stared back. "Man, you're worse than Cat." Robbie sighed.

"Come on, Rex."

"...fine. He still has beautiful skin, though." Robbie rolled his eyes and shook his head while he walked over to Andre. Andre was leaning back on his locker, his arms crossed, a far-away look in his eyes.

Clearing his throat, Robbie opened his mouth. "Hey Andre. You okay?" When he received no reply, Robbie decided to try again, this time placing a hand on his friend's shoulder and shaking it slightly.

"Hey Andre, you there? You ok?" Robbie asked as he shook Andre harder. Finally, Andre seemed to snap out of it with a slight jolt. "What? Wha-oh hey Robbie. What's up?" He said as he pasted on a smile.

"Yo, you forgot someone." Rex piped up. Andre rolled his eyes. "Hey Rex." He said simply as he turned to his locker, played a bit on the keyboard attached to his locker, and opened it.

Robbie glanced at the dummy before turning to Andre. "You ok? You seemed out of it there."

Andre chuckled. "Just got something on my head, man." He shrugged as he got some books out of his lockers and crammed them into his backpack. Robbie nodded slowly.

"Uh, any girls ask you to the dance yet?"

Andre gave him a weird stare before he shrugged. "No, not yet. I hope I will have a date for the dance, though. I'm gonna go to class now, so see ya later man." Andre walked off.

"Allright." Robbie shrugged as he made his way to his locker.

"Hey, do you think Andre likes someone?" Rex piped up. Robbie raised an eyebrow.

"Uh, it may be a possibility...why?"

"Well, the Danceathon is two weeks away, and no girl has asked Andre out yet, so there must be someone he's hoping will ask him! Not like it would happen to you, though."

Ignoring the last remark, Robbie nodded. "You have a point there...perhaps Andre likes someone. But who?"

"That's the question, Sherlock." Came the sarcastic reply.

Before Robbie could open his mouth to retort, he felt something poke him in his side. Jolting a bit, he turned around to find himself staring at Jade West, who smirked as she opened her locker.

Immediately, the usual feelings (heart beating, adrenaline coursing through his body, that stuff) flooded into him. Jade looked beautiful as usual. However, he noticed Beck near her. The taller man smiled. "Hey man." He said as he clapped Robbie on the shoulder.

"I'm gonna go to my locker, so see you in a bit." Beck said. Robbie could see Jade nod as she watched Beck walk away.

Beck Oliver walked through the hallway. He took a quick glance behind to see Jade and Robbie chatting at their lockers.

Turning back, he sighed as he grasped his backpack strap. Yep.

His girlfriend seemed to be getting closer to Robbie, and her actions over the past seven days confirmed it that Robbie, indeed, was the object of his Jade's affections.

...wait, should he even think of Jade as his? Considering the way things were going, Beck surmised that he indeed would think of Jade as his-that is, his friend.

As he reached his 'transparent' locker and opened it, Beck thought more about his relationship with Jade.

So...Jade liked Robbie. He could see it, in the way she acted around him and spoke to him. As a very famous saying went, actions speak louder than words, and this was certainly true in this case. The way he had been discreetly observing Jade, he saw the way she giggled at his jokes (even if they were unfunny), the way she sat close to him (one time, she didn't sit with him in Sikowitz's class), and the way she seemed to speak to him more...animatedly than she did with him.

In short, Beck could see that Jade was acting toward Robbie the same way she used to when they first began dating. Although they behaved, or tried to behave, as if nothing much had changed, Beck knew better. He simply could see it. Once again, Beck's mind went back to how he felt about that. He...he...didn't really feel much, actually. He didn't get mad or even feel jealous, or anything like that. He saw it, but that was it.

Nothing else.

But then there was something, or rather someone, else...

"Hi Beck!"

Snapping out of his thoughts, Beck felt his heart skip a beat or two as that...familiar, cheerful voice wafted through his ear and grasped his mind, and refuse to let go. The familiar sensation that coursed through his body felt inherently...familiar, almost like the way he used to feel around Jade.

Good thing he was a talented actor, Beck thought to himself as he pasted on a cool, detached expression on his face before turning to the voice.

Cat Valentine.

He had never saw anything - anyone - look so beautiful as the red-haired girl (no, young woman) standing front of him with a wide smile. Beck swore he could feel himself get lost while he looked into her sparkling eyes...these brown orbs that seemed to radiate with joy and innocence.

'Get a hold of yourself, Beck!' He mentally berated himself as he blinked and smiled. "Hey Cat. How are you?" He greeted casually. She had no idea of how she caused these...feelings deep inside, he thought to himself.

"I'm pretty good! Thanks for asking." Cat chirped, grinning. "Actually, I'm pretty excited for the danceathon, it looks fun!" She said as she did that 'dance' (A/N: Remember that 'dance' Cat did in front of Andre in iParty with Victorious, when he asked about where the giant panda was? Yeah that).

Beck swore he had melted right there and then. She was so...adorable, so beautiful...

"Yeah, it does look fun." He found himself speak, a grin appearing on his face.

Cat nodded in agreement, her magenta hair bopping slightly. "That's why I can't wait!" She then got a curious expression on her face. "Hey, you gonna go to the dance? Jade ask you yet?"

Beck paused a bit as he thought about it. Given the way Jade had been acting the past week, there was probably a higher chance she would ask Robbie out instead of him...so, the answer would be no. There was someone he wished would ask him out...and that person was standing right in front of him.

In his 'observant' mood, Beck couldn't help but notice that Cat's voice had a...certain twinge to it, that she seemed to frown when she asked about Jade asking him out. Was she...jealous?

"Not yet, she hasn't asked me to the dance." Beck found himself speaking. Cat smiled and nodded as she fidgeted a bit.

"Oh, I see." Cat seemed to pause for a bit. "Um, I-about the dance, I was wo-"

BRRRRRING!

The loud bell reverberated through the hallway, catching Cat off guard as she blushed.

"Um...nevermind! See you later, Beck!" She smiled as she walked away, her hair flying behind her.

As he stood at his locker, Beck felt...something stir in him. Was it disappointment? Or was it...longing? Or something? He didn't know.

But one thing for sure, he never hated bells as much as he did right now.

Beck sighed heavily to himself as he grabbed a book from his locker and slammed it shut. There was one thing he had to do now, sooner or later.

Break up with Jade.

Later on that night, Jade found herself in Beck's RV, sitting on a chair instead of his bed. When school had let out for the day, Beck had stated that he wanted to talk with her about something.

She had been wondering about that, although she had...this feeling that she somewhat knew what it was about.

And interestingly, she felt something of a pang of hope when she mulled over it, about the possibility of them-

"Hey Jade. Sorry it took a while. You know how parents can be." Beck's voice called out, interrupting Jade's thought. She looked over to see Beck entering the RV, and smiled at him.

Beck walked over to the bed and sat down. He looked...preoccupied about something, as if he had been wanting to talk about something but had yet to get it off his chest.

Was it about his trip to Canada that he had told her about before? Or...was it something other? That was what Jade wondered to herself as she watched Beck. She felt like she wanted to say something, like it was just on the tip of her tongue, but at the same time, she didn't know what to say.

The silence in the RV was...deafening.

Finally, Beck spoke. "Uh, as I told you before, I, uh, wanted to talk with you about something." His tone was slightly hesitant as he linked his hands together and leaned slightly.

He paused for a moment before continuing. "Well...you know about my trip to Canada?" Jade raised an eyebrow before she nodded. "Yes, you told me about that a while ago."

"Ok, um...well, I'm going to Canada to visit my relatives. Don't worry, it won't take long than a few days...and uh-" He trailed off as he sighed. Turning to Jade, Beck looked at her with a thoughtful face.

"Jade, do you like Robbie?"

To say Jade was completely and utterly caught off-guard by this unexpected question was a vast understatement of the century.

Her eyes widened as her throat felt like it was constricting. Her heart was beating in her chest in panic as she sputtered, opening and closing her mouth to try to say something.

"W-wh-hat?" She managed to get out, not over the shock.

Beck sighed as he looked around the RV for a few seconds before turning around to look at Jade.

"Do you like Robbie, Jade?" He asked again.

Jade blinked, unable to say anything, as she felt her heart beat. Beck nodded once. It was as if Jade's reaction confirmed it for him.

"Jade...I know about this, your attraction to Robbie." He began. "I see the way you look at him, the way you talk to him...the way you act around him...around Robbie. It was the same you did when we began dating."

"I-I-" Jade opened her mouth to bring up a weak denial.

"If you like Robbie, Jade...just say it. You don't have to hide it. I would understand that...because...because...well, I have been feeling that this relationship hadn't been going anywhere since we got back together."

"Y-you did?" Jade inquired quietly, finding herself able to speak.

Beck nodded.

"This is going to sound clichéd, but...it's not you, it's me. It's just that my feelings toward you have...changed, and that this relationship had been dragging on for some time now. And you know it."

Jade remained silent. Beck was right, both that she liked Robbie and that the relationship had been going nowhere.

She sighed as she braced herself for what she was going to say. They were rapidly approaching the point of no return, and she knew it. As soon she opened her mouth, the words simply...spilled out. She confessed everything to Beck, about her crush on Robbie Shapiro, about her feelings...all that.

Beck remained silent throughout all that. By the time Jade finished, she had tears running down her face. Beck pulled her into a hug.

"There, there, don't cry-" Beck tried to soothe her, patting her on the back. When he pulled back, Jade was wiping her eyes. He gave her a reassuring smile. "Don't worry, I'm not mad. If anything, I understand how you feel, because..."

He went on to confess about his growing attraction to a Cat Valentine. When he'd finished, Jade was staring at him. She certainly didn't expect that. Cat? Tori, she could understand, but Cat? That was surprising. But then, her attraction to Robbie was surprising too.

Time seemed to slow down as Jade looked at Beck, and he back, unsure of what to do next. If his expression told him, it seems that Beck was equally as unsure.

In short, it felt awkward.

"So..." He began as he looked at Jade. "I think we should-"

"Break up." Jade finished for him. Beck remained silent for a few seconds before he nodded.

The silence that followed spoke volumes for both Jade and Beck.

Jade nodded.

At that moment, Jade felt a mix of emotions course through her, of which they felt conflicting. On one side, she felt...relieved, now that she wasn't in a relationship anymore and could now pursue anyone, including the object of her affections. On the other hand, she still felt a pang of hurt. She had been with Beck for so long, that it now felt weird to not be with him anymore.

Breakups, even mutual, weren't easy. This was certainly the hardest Jade has had to do, but it was done.

"Friends?" Beck's hopeful voice broke the silence, a small smile on his face. Jade looked at him for a moment before she mustered a small smile and nodded.

"Friends." She confirmed.

She and Beck were still friends, yes, but that didn't mean she wasn't going to feel awkward around Beck. This would fade over time, but...still.

But one thing for sure, Jade West and Beck Oliver was no longer dating.

Robbie was turning over in his bed, trying to sleep. For some reason, he felt restless, like he couldn't sleep. Rex was grumbling besides him.

He sighed as he shut his eyes and tried to let sleep overtake him. However, he felt awake. "Oh, who am I kidding? I can't go to sleep." He muttered to himself as he sat up on his bed.

"Tell me about it." Rex's voice grumbled. "Now shut up and let me sleep!" Robbie rolled his eyes as he left his room and walked downstairs to the darkened kitchen, clutching an empty glass of water.

When Robbie came back to his room, he nearly dropped his glass in shock.

Jade West was in his room.

A/N: So concludes Chapter 10! Phew, that was officially the longest chapter I have had to write for a story, lol. I'm not sure if I did this 'mutual break up' thingy right, because I had never experienced that...so do pardon me if I did it wrong or something :x Anyways, hope you like.

So...Beck and Jade has broken up. Jade's in Robbie's room in the middle of the night. You wanna know what happens next? Huh? Huh? Well, you know what to do.

Clicky on that pretty review button! :3