Disclaimer: I do not own Victorious

Author's Note: It's almost The Hambone King, yeah? I can't wait. A head's up, this is going to be an emotional (I think) chapter. Blame me and my suddenly downcast emotions. Also, I wrote this while listening to "City" by Sara Bareilles, so I suggest you guys listen to it too while reading this.

\Broke/

I hug my knees to my chest, feeling my heart hammering with so much pain it's hard to bear. I choke on my own sobs, tears streaming down the sides of my face, and with a frustrated groan, I chuck one throw pillow all the way across the room.

"I love Beck."

I remember her saying those words to me, and everything just crashed. I was shot down, stepped on, and stabbed over and over again.

"I can't love you, Tori. I can't."

She said those words quietly, her eyes were blank, and I knew they were real.

"I hate you."

And that was the worst.

;

"Jade? Jade, are you there?"

I look up at Beck through my lashes, pushing his arm off of my shoulders with a grimace.

"I'm not a child, Beck," I say quietly, not really in the mood to even be angry.

"I didn't say you were." He sounds anxious, but I ignore him, shoving my books into my locker before closing it and heading over to Sikowitz's class, taking up my usual seat in the back. Beck sits down beside me with a sigh.

"What's wrong with you? You've been so different lately," Beck murmurs, moving closer to me and trying to take my hand, but I flinch away.

"I'm not in the mood, Beck, please." I can't even look him in the eye. "Just fuck off."

He shakes his head and sighs, moving away and ends up having a conversation with André, Robbie, and Cat. They all laugh at something Rex says, save Robbie, who's probably on the verge of tears. What a weakling.

My gaze moves to the empty seat near the front of the class.

I feel my heart shatter with both sorrow and regret.

I have to do something.

;

"What?!" I look at Jade incredulously. She puts her hands in her pockets, and I notice every little detail that points to something being very wrong: she's not standing straight, her hair is covering her face, and she lacks the pride she used to exude so powerfully, so magnificently.

"I'm sorry, Beck." She doesn't even look me in the eye. "I—I can't do this anymore."

"What are you talking about—?"

"I don't love you anymore," she says so abruptly that I drop my tool box to the ground, barely missing my foot. "Who are we kidding, Beck? It's not there anymore."

Jade suddenly crumples to the floor, and I kneel in front of her, hooking a lock of her raven hair behind her ear, but she swipes my hand away lightly. I see a tear trickling down her cheek.

"I'm so stupid! I can't do this anymore. I can't pretend." She wipes her tear away, only have another to appear on the other cheek. "I can't. I love someone else, Beck. Not you."

"Who, Jade?" I put my hands on her shoulders and shake her lightly, feeling my own tears falling. "Who? Who's so important that you're going to throw away our two-and-a-half years?"

"I've hurt her too much. I'm probably too late." She leans closer to me. "But I have to try. I love her, Beck. I love her."

I instantly know who she's talking about, but instead of walking away, like any guy would, I stay and hold her in my arms.

;

She's still in bed, her blanket pulled all the way up and over her head. She's barely moving, I know she's sick to the bone from all the crying, and I am to blame. Why did I have to be such a proud gank? What if I'm too late?

"Go. Follow your heart, Jade."

"I'm so sorry, Beck."

"I'm sorry too. I'm sorry I held you back when even God knows you're meant for her, not me."

I walk over to the bed and take a deep, shaky breath as I pull the blanket away from Vega's still form. Her eyes are blank and passive, the fire in them I used to adore so much completely extinguished.

I broke her.

I find myself falling beside her, tears falling much more than before. I touch her shoulder and she flinches.

"I'm sorry, Tori. I'm so sorry."

She doesn't respond. She doesn't even look at me. I wrap my arms around her body and I cry on her shoulder, but still nothing.

"I didn't want to hurt you. I was stupid. I was fucking scared. I—I…" I bite my lips together and hug her tighter. "I love you, Tori. I was so afraid to admit the fact that you got through all of my walls that I ended up hurting you. I love you."

I cup her chin and turn her head so that she's facing me. She blinks.

"I love you, Vega. Not anyone else."

She blinks again.

"I'm sorry."

She bites her lower lip.

"I love you."

I press my face to her neck, and for a few moments she doesn't move at all, but then she shifts, allowing me into her arms, finally accepting me in, before draping the blanket over both of us, and I know she forgives me. Not because her resolve is weak, Vega can be stubborn, I know for a fact, but because she loves me too.

She doesn't have to tell me. By the way she's finally pressing her mouth to mine, allowing our lips to move in sync to music only we can hear, only our hearts can understand, I already know.

;

They walk into the school together. Both their eyes are puffy and red, but I can see the love glinting in both brown and blue-green. They're happy together, walking through the halls, hands linked and shoulders touching.

They ignore everybody's stares. They ignore Rex's far-from-innocent comments, and laugh at Cat's squeals of delight. They accept André's friendly hug, their smiles complementing each other's.

"Beck?"

I cross my arms and nod at Jade and Tori.

"Yes, Jade?"

"Thank you, for letting me go." The two of them share a glance, and, as if sharing an unspoken joke, they giggle. Even Jade.

"You deserve to be with someone you love," I tell her.

"She did love you, you know," Tori points out, obviously trying to cheer me up. Why? I'm not even that down to begin with. Not as down as her when Jade lied about her feelings.

"She loves you more," I counter, patting her on the head. "I'm happy you two made up."

"And made out," comes Rex's snide comment, which causes Jade to grab the puppet by the 'do and slamming it against the nearby wall. Rex yells his protest, and Robbie yelps in surprise.

The bell rings and we head for our first class of the day, and I smile as Jade and Tori lags behind, enjoying each other's company, talking and laughing, even sharing several kisses as we walk all the way to our classroom.

It doesn't even hurt that much anymore. Seeing Jade happy and Tori no longer broken is worth all the pain in the world.

;

Just a quick, emotional chapter for you guys. I don't know why, but I really like how this came out. Do you agree or disagree? Please tell me what you think. :)