A Special Kind of Crazy
Chapter Sixteen
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters in this fic!
With regular classes, homework, and tests, as well as special projects and performances, the school week at Hollywood Arts always flew by fast. This week had been no exception. It was already Friday, the official start of the weekend, and the last bell had just cheerfully rung out throughout the school, celebrating yet another end of a school week. Tori and Andre walked down the hallway at the end of the school day, laughing quietly together. They'd just finished up listening to the song they'd recorded together for their advanced song writing class. As they went by the hallway that would lead them to the Black Box Theater, Tori did a comical double take and came to a sudden halt. Andre continued speaking, unaware that she was no longer paying attention. Confused, he stopped talking and turned back to her when she had a stranglehold on his arm. "What's going on, Tor?"
"Shh-shh," she shushed him both quickly and quietly, tugging him off to the side of the hallway. She successfully positioned them so that they were hidden from view. Or as hidden from view as one could get when eavesdropping on someone else in the next corridor over. Her eyes got wider as she craned her head around to look around the corner. Sure enough, they were there, exactly as she had suspected.
"What's going on?" he repeated in a much quieter and soothing tone of voice. It was one he used quite often with Tori. Her penchant for meddling in things that didn't involve her was notorious within their small circle of friends. He couldn't help but feel like she was getting them involved in something that they maybe shouldn't be. But, like usual, he couldn't help but get dragged into it. Whatever it was. She knew it, too. He could never refuse her.
"Shhhh," she ordered him again, pushing him up against the wall with more force than he thought she was capable of. Then, satisfied that they couldn't be seen…or, more accurately, that the two she wanted to spy upon weren't looking in their direction, she inclined her head towards the couple again and whispered, "Be quiet! Don't you see them, Andre?"
"See who…oh!" Finally understanding, Andre gave a small nod as his gaze fell upon the two. All one had to was look around corner and there they were, standing about eight feet from them. They could see them in profile. And, with the way Beck only had eyes for Jade and how Jade was looking back at him just as intently, he figured there was a pretty perfect chance that neither of them would notice that they were being spied on. At least, he hoped so. He knew Beck wouldn't mind; he wasn't so sure about Jade. He gave her a small nudge and chuckled. At least they weren't going to be getting involved in some type of a scheme, which was always a possibility when it involved one Tori Vega. He could take a little innocent eavesdropping. "Still interested in what's going on between Beck and Jade, I see."
"Are you kidding? You know that at least half the school is interested in what's going on between them!" she whispered yelled back at him before flinching at the indignant sound of her voice. What she said was true. Most people were genuinely interested in what was going between the two since no one had ever, ever, witnessed Beck initiate a relationship with a girl before. However, more than a few of the girls were more than devastated that their constant flirting and flocking towards Beck was not working. Flattening herself up against the wall, she was quiet for a moment to make sure they hadn't heard her. She grinned when she could hear their voices. Straining her ears, she could just make out what they were saying. "I think they're talking about the play they're in."
"That's not a surprise. You know, since they're on their way to rehearsal, what with it being the end of the school day and all," Andre noted drily, barely resisting the urge to roll his eyes. When he was shushed for a third time, he swallowed yet another chuckle. Tori was always entertaining when she was meddling.
"Listen! We can hear them!" Tori pressed him further back against the wall and unashamedly listened in as their voices carried back to them, her eyes glued on the couple.
Unaware that they were being watched (and completely unaware that the majority of the school was heavily invested in one way or another on the status of their budding relationship), Beck smiled down at Jade and scrubbed a hand over the back of his neck. As usual, he'd been waiting for her so that they could walk into the theater together. It was a habit of his he didn't want to break. "Rehearsal starts in a few minutes."
She arched her pierced eyebrow but couldn't help the tiny grin that tugged at her lips. Apparently, he was one for stating the obvious. She dropped her eyes from his for a moment. She couldn't help but admire the black and red flannel shirt he was wearing today. Her fingers itched to touch it. It looked really comfortable. "I know that. That's why I'm here."
"You finally get to join in the fight scene," he informed her, laughing at her small flight into sarcasm and finding her sarcastic sense of humor charming. He was looking forward to her inclusion in the scene. So far, she'd been kept out of it. Today was her first time joining in the scene. Their director, and the two stage fighting teachers, felt like they'd made enough progress on the scene to finally go full-out with it. Thank goodness. Doing the same thing day after day was boring him, quite frankly. He wanted to see progress on it.
"Looks like you guys finally know what's going on. Took you long enough," she teased him, tossing in an exaggerated eye roll for good measure. It hadn't been Beck's fault that practice for the fight scene was taking longer than anyone had expected. She knew that. Two of the actors kept getting a little wild in their movements. Apparently it was their first time ever being involved in an actual stage fight and they were unsure of their movements and the choreography required for it. She'd watched it happen during the past few days of rehearsals. No one wanted to get hit with a flying elbow or a loose punch.
"Better late than never." He settled for a little shrug, not blaming the other actors at all. And it was better to be safe than sorry. He didn't want anyone to get hurt, even if the constant practicing was starting to get on his nerves. Changing the subject, he brought up a topic of conversation they had had over the past few days just before rehearsal started. "There's a great taco restaurant close to school. If you like tacos."
"I'm more of a burrito girl," she countered smoothly, taking out her phone and putting it on silent for the upcoming rehearsal. She hid a smile. He'd been bringing up places to eat after rehearsal ever since the sandwich shop.
"They've got burritos, too," he spoke cajolingly, smiling a little at her and hoping she couldn't hear the nerves in his voice. He copied her, silencing his own phone before sliding it into his backpack. Somehow, they were making it a bit of a tradition of going out to eat after rehearsal together. They weren't dates; he knew it. She knew it. Nothing official; nothing anywhere remotely romantic. It was just two castmates…friends…whatever they were…meeting up somewhere and sharing a meal. So far, they'd eaten together at the sandwich shop (which she had grudgingly agreed made very good sandwiches…she wasn't sure if they were the best in California but she liked her sandwich nonetheless) and at a local diner that they both enjoyed going to. They hadn't been able to go anywhere Thursday evening, much to his disappointment. They'd both had tests to study for.
"Ohmygod. Ohmygod. Oh my god! Is he asking her out?" Tori whispered furiously to Andre, her expressive brown eyes the widest they'd ever been. She gripped his arm tightly as she started to jump up and down, wondering if they were going to be the ones to witness Beck actually asking Jade out. Her heart started to pound with excitement for them.
"I don't think so," Andre whispered back to her, using his hands to motion to her to quiet down. When she got excited, she could be as impulsive and erratic as Cat. He hated to burst her bubble. Beck had let it slip about eating dinner with Jade the other day. "It seems…I don't know…platonic or something. Just normal. You know, like you and I grabbing something to eat at Nozu's after working on a project. Or Cat and Robbie going out for frozen yogurt after planning a skit together. It's not a date. Not yet, anyway."
She scrunched her nose up, disappointed that there weren't witnessing the official start of Beck and Jade as a couple. Just as he expected, she deflated a little. A small frown settled on her face. "Yeah. I guess you're right."
"Sorry to disappoint you," Andre replied with a gentle smile and a consoling pat on the back. Then they turned their attention back on the two in front of them.
"You in?" Beck asked casually, refusing to admit that he was nervous. He played with the strap of his backpack. "We could meet up there after rehearsal." He didn't add like they've been doing most of the week. He didn't need to. If she agreed, it would be the third time they'd met up somewhere for dinner this week alone. Not a date, he knew that…but he couldn't help but wish that they were dates. Although there was something to be said about getting to know each other first. Or maybe it was more about getting her comfortable around him first. She wasn't one to let just anyone in. Or to rush into something. She was cautious with others. And, if he did this right, he would need to make sure that she actually enjoyed being around him first. He also had come to the conclusion that it wouldn't be a great idea to ask her out before the play was over. If she rejected him, it would make things super awkward between them.
"Sounds good," she said after considering him for a long moment of silence, the blue of her eyes drilling into his as if she could see all the way through to his soul. It unnerved him a little, exactly as she meant it to. She pointed a finger at him and tacked on playfully, "As long as they have burritos."
"They do." Relieved that she had agreed, he smirked down at her and offered, "You can critique my part in the fight while we're there."
"Oh. I don't need your permission. I was already planning on it," she told him airily while her eyes glinted with amusement.
"Ready to die?" Beck gestured forward with a hand, referencing her character's upcoming part in the scene. She responded with a regal incline of her head and an amused smile. Together, they walked away from Tori and Andre, their steps in perfect tandem and never aware that their whole conversation had been listened in on. While they weren't touching, their bodies were only a mere inch apart, showcasing the unconscious level of comfort they both had with each other.
"Ready to die?" Tori repeated the words under her breath, shaking her head in disbelief after watching the two of them walk away. She would hate it if a guy ever said something like that to her. "Man, Beck really sucks at flirting."
"I think he's better at flirting than you think," Andre disagreed as he came around the corner and watched the two of them enter the theater. Beck held the door open, which only made Jade snicker at him and then hit him on the side of his arm. They could hear their combined laughter as the door closed. "Whatever he's doing seems to be working with Jade."
A sudden idea came to her. She whipped out her cell and sent out a text, her fingers flying furiously across her screen. Seconds later, Andre's phone let out a little musical chime. Interested, he pulled out his phone and read the group text she'd sent to him and their circle of friends. Intrigued, he glanced at her. "Cards at your place tonight?"
"Yeah. It's Friday evening. Maybe Beck will bring Jade." She grinned, enjoying the thought. Then she shook her head. "But I can't count on that. Maybe I should text Cat and have her beg Jade to come instead." No one could resist Cat when she begged, not even the always intimidating Jade West.
"A girl with a plan." Andre shook his head, chuckling softly. He put his hand on her elbow and pulled her away from the wall. Since they didn't have any more work to complete at school, he led them down the hallway. "Let's head out. Looks like we need to pick up some snacks and set up a card game."
As Tori and Andre were leaving school to get things ready for an impromptu card game at the Vega household, Justin had Jade, Beck and the other three actors involved in the fight scene up on stage. The teachers helping with the scene were next to them, ready to intervene if necessary. Since it was the first time Jade was included in the scene, Justin was giving her the most directions.
"Okay. So, we're going to go through this scene slowly. This is what we need you to do." Justin knew better than to touch Jade. She had made it clear on day one that she was not to be touched by anyone, unless it was part of the scene. The lone exception seemed to be Beck. Somehow, he was able to touch her any time he wanted to with very little reaction from her. Usually, it was more of a hand on her arm or a light touch to her shoulder. Sometimes he even rested a hand on the small of her back. Nothing big. He motioned for her to come closer to him and pointed at the spot on the floor, very close to the left wing of the stage. She was out far enough for the audience to see her and her reaction to the scene. It would help set up the suspense for the scene. "This is where you will start. You'll notice the fight just after it starts. Once you get over your shock at seeing your cousin and his friends attacking your boyfriend, that's when you intervene in the fight. Before that happens, you'll come over here once the first few punches are thrown. Good?"
She barely resisted the urge to roll her eyes. From the way Beck was grinning at her, she knew that he was aware of her self-restraint and that he found it amusing. "Got it," she said with the least amount of sarcasm possible. So far, her part in the fight scene was miniscule. Mainly reacting. It would get more complicated once her character intervened in the fight. She studied her two marks, memorizing where she needed to be. The pace of the fight was going to be intentionally slow right now; just enough to walk her through it and also for all of the actors to get in the necessary dialogue at the appropriate times.
"Excellent. Places, everyone!" Justin called out, watching as the four actors on the stage got into place and Jade found her spot, just behind the curtains, hidden from view. "Remember, dialogue this time, guys!"
Jade listened for her cue. Once she heard Beck yell at the approaching actors to leave him alone, she rushed out onto the stage. She stopped at her first mark, far away from the action, her eyes wide and her face a picture perfect portrait of shock and terror. "Derek!" she called out, her voice loud enough to be heard in the auditorium but having no effect on the four actors in the scene, as it was planned. The fight continued on while she watched with the appropriate amount of horror on her face.
Everyone stopped when they heard Justin yell "Cut!" Two of the actors had been in mid-punch. When he pulled the two actors off to the side to talk with them about their part in the stage fight and how they were getting a little wild with their movements again and out of their assigned places, Beck walked over to Jade, his hair uncharacteristically mussed up from the fighting the scene required. He couldn't help but grin as he closed in on her. She was standing off to the side, looking bored and chipping away at some black nail polish on her fingernails. "How's it looking from your vantage point?"
"Like you're getting your ass handed to you," she shot back, a smug smirk on her face.
There was a mischievous twinkle to her eyes that he couldn't help but find endearing. Hell, she was adorable. Not in the same perky way Cat was adorable…more of a dark level of adorableness that he was quickly coming to realize that he craved. He doubted if anyone else recognized how adorable she really was. He let out a chuckle, taking no offense since he was only acting out the scene as he'd been directed to. And his character was losing…dreadfully so. Three against one were never good odds. He lightly knocked into her shoulder with his and whispered near her ear, speaking lowly while their director and the stage fighting teachers gave clear instructions to the actors they needed to talk to, "Then I'm doing my job. That's the way it's supposed to look."
"Yeah, yeah. Excuses, excuses." Sniggering lightly, she tossed an amused half grin his way. Her grin grew to twice its size when he laughed, making her eyes sparkle with delight. She didn't know; couldn't really fathom a guess, but she always seemed to enjoy being in his company now. What a difference from a few weeks ago, when she could hardly stand looking at him, let alone engaging in a conversation with him.
"We've been working on this scene for three days now," he said after his laughter died down, unaware of where her thoughts had gone. He shook his head slightly, feeling a little bored with the scene. He wanted to move on. Justin was a perfectionist, as were their stage fighting coaches. No one wanted to risk an accident so the entire fight scene had been rehearsed over and over and over again for the past few days. He felt that he could practically handle it in his sleep now; that's how often they had rehearsed it. "How are you feeling about the scene?"
She didn't have to do much at the beginning of it, mainly stand by and react to what was going on. "I think I've got the gist of it. My part is pretty simple. So far," she tacked on, knowing that it got more complicated as time went on.
"Yeah. Your part really starts as soon as you see Brad pull out the knife." It was a prop knife, of course, and Brad's character would be coming after him. Reaching out, he captured her hand with his and gave it a little squeeze before dropping it. "You get to save me."
"Not a good end for Mandy." She let out a sympathetic little sound, curious how they were going to act out the stabbing that would eventually kill her character.
"Hey. At least she dies saving the man she loves," Beck countered cheerfully, excited for the upcoming scene. She was going to blow the hell out of the end of the scene coming up; he just knew it. He was definitely looking forward to how she handled it, even if it was depressingly morbid. She also got to die in his arms. He'd never experienced something like that with a lead character before. Plus he got to hold her again, and closely, which he considered a bonus.
"When do you think we'll get to that part?" Jade wondered, watching as the stage fighting teachers reenacted exactly how the actors should be handling the scene. She caught a few words such as 'stay in control' and 'don't get wild with your movements' and 'be aware of the others around you' but then stopped listening. It wasn't that interesting.
Beck lifted a shoulder and sighed. The thought of eating tacos (or burritos) with her was really appealing. He couldn't help but wish rehearsal was over. "This rehearsal is going to be tedious. That's why it's just the people involved in the scene today. Justin wants us to go through it over and over again. It could be today. It could even be Monday if they aren't happy with the progress."
Jade's eyebrows lifted in surprise. She hadn't expected that. About to respond, she was interrupted by Justin who ordered everyone back to their places. He gave her a tiny wave before reclaiming his spot. Just as Beck had predicted, Justin took them through the scene countless times. He had the characters move through it carefully, stopping anytime he or one of the teachers noticed if someone was slightly off from their appointed mark or if their dialogue wasn't spoken at the correct times. Jade walked back to the side of the stage for what had to be the seventh or eighth or maybe ninth time since they'd started; she honestly didn't know any longer. She'd lost track counting. They hadn't made it to the point in the scene where she needed to intervene in the fight. She was still window dressing for the scene. At the rate they were going, she wasn't certain if they were ever going to make it that far. Beck had been right; it was tedious, extremely so.
"All right. I want full speed, full dialogue again. And…go!" Justin ordered forcefully, watching the actors closely on stage, looking for any possible mistakes as the scene unfolded.
After completing her first part of the scene, which merely consisted of her calling out "Derek!" in fright and looking scared for her boyfriend, Jade sprinted over to her second mark, closer to the group acting out the fight. She got into the correct position, about to yell out her next line for her cousin and his friends to leave Derek alone, when the two actors who'd overstepped their positions earlier unconsciously did it again. One of them brought back his arm, ready to throw his punch at Beck, forgetting that Jade was now behind him. Then, it happened. A sharp elbow to her face. Sudden pain flared right below her left eye at the impact. She felt the stinging pain before a sharp gasp escaped from her mouth. Then all she felt was the hard floor rushing up to meet her as she fell, unaware of exactly what had just happened to her. All she could do was stare at the ceiling above her. She closed her eyes, hoping to ward off the throbbing pain on her face, and tried to compose herself. Tears welled up in her eyes but she refused to allow them release. She despised crying, especially in front of others.
"Jade!" Beck called out hoarsely, seeing her collapse on the floor. Moving on automatic, he was the first one to reach her even though he'd been the furthest person from her. He went to his knees, his hands gently cradling her head as he looked down into her face, while the entire auditorium went silent and watched them together. It could almost have been a scene in the play; it was that intense. And the chemistry between them was that good. He saw the purpling bruise immediately, right underneath her left eye. There was no mistaking it. The mixture of purple and black looked so incongruous against the paleness of her skin. "Oh, babe," he murmured softly, unaware of the endearment that had just slipped unwittingly past his lips. He also didn't notice that his hands were trembling with concern for her.
Babe? Had she heard right? No, she hastily decided, there is no way he'd just called her babe. He must have said Jade again, she convinced herself, thinking that the pain had overshadowed her hearing. Slowly, she opened her eyes. Her left one wouldn't open as far as her right one would. It felt too swollen and painful. It seemed much better to just leave it alone and to not force it open much at all. She found herself looking up into a sea of concerned brown. The simple act of looking at him soothed her, more than she ever thought possible. Although others were gathered around her now, wanting to know if she was all right and how they could help, he was the only one she could see.
He ran a comforting thumb over her cheekbone, hoping to alleviate any pain that he possibly could. He saw the tears she was trying so hard not to let fall. When one trickled out anyway, he wiped it away before anyone else could see it, knowing she wouldn't want that. He heard Justin or one of the teachers saying something nearby but he didn't pay them a lick of attention. Judging by the way she was looking at him, and only at him, he correctly guessed she felt the same way. She didn't want to be on display, not like this. She was one who would rather lick her wounds in private. Realizing that she wanted to get away from all of the others, and as soon as possible, he asked her quietly, "Are you okay? Can I help you up?"
She gave a small nod, words for once escaping her. She didn't like showing weakness to anyone; always preferred to tend to her own wounds by herself. She couldn't believe that he recognized that about her. The sooner she stopped being the center of attention, the better. Blatantly ignoring what sounded like a sharp protest from one of the teachers, she started to sit up, appreciating how Beck guided her up into a sitting position. His hands felt oddly comforting on her back. When he looked at her again, silently asking her if she wanted to stand, she gave him another imperceptible nod and stood up with his help, brushing off her black leggings as she did so. He left his hand on her side, pulling her close to him in case she needed support.
"Jade," one of the teachers called her name quietly, rather astonished at how easily she was letting Beck help her. He waited until she glanced in his direction before continuing, "How are you feeling?"
"Just dandy," she shot back with a heavy dose of her characteristic sarcasm before Beck squeezed her lightly on the side of her waist. Immediately, she got his implied message. Releasing a little hum of impatience, she tried again. "It's just a black eye. I'll be fine."
"I think we should have the nurse check you out, just to be sure." The teachers shared a few pointed looks with each other while Justin nodded his head in agreement. Anytime there was a rehearsal for anything, one of the school nurses was required to be on hand, just in case something like this occurred. There was always a chance for accidents and injuries when it came to performing. It didn't happen often but there were cases, just like this one.
"I'll take Jade," Beck insisted, speaking up before she could refuse to go to the nurse or before one of the teachers offered to take her in his place. When she didn't object and the teachers didn't speak out against it, he led her off the stage. On the way out of the theater, he stopped long enough to pick up both of their bags. They wouldn't be coming back to rehearsal. Not today. He'd be taking her home after they saw the nurse.
"Seriously, Beck, I'm fine," she began as soon as they were in the deserted hallway, breathing a sigh of relief when the door closed behind them, shutting them away from the rest of the prying eyes. His arm was still wrapped around her waist. She was still pressed up next to him. She didn't want to admit it, not even to herself and certainly not to him, but she liked being in this position, so close to him. The smell of his cologne was oddly familiar to her now and very comforting. Because she wasn't used to depending on anyone, she insisted fiercely, trying to block out how much she enjoyed being held by him, "I don't need help. It's literally just a black eye. I've had one before. I can go to the nurse's office myself. And I can walk on my own."
"Humor me," he shot back, trying not to remember the way she had looked when she'd been accidentally elbowed. Or the way it sounded when she hit the floor. He definitely didn't want to remember the first time he'd seen her spread out on the floor of the stage, looking so pale and helpless, and in obvious pain. Coming to a stop, he turned to look down into her face. He brought his free hand up and cupped her cheek softly, unconsciously tucking her even further into him. All he wanted to do was hold her. He couldn't believe that she was letting him. He breathed out a single word, "Please."
The simple 'please' did it. She stopped the torrent of words that had been dying to be released. Standing there for a moment, her eyes searching his for what she did not know, she finally let out a small, almost wistful-sounding, "Okay." When he started walking again, she didn't object. She went with him. She even leaned against him, letting her head rest lightly against his chest. He must have liked that because he tightened his grip on her waist, pulling her even closer to him. All the while thoughts swirled through her mind. He'd looked worried about her, like he cared what happened to her. She wasn't used to that. No one ever seemed to care about her. Her parents certainly never showed any interest in what was going on in her life. The last time she had been sick, truly sick, as in she could barely leave her bed because of a high fever and no energy, her mother's personal assistant had been the one to serve as her nurse. She'd made her tea and soup and had given her medicine. But that was because it was her job, not because she actually cared. Beck was different. He did care; she could see it in the gentle smile on his face. She could feel it in the touch of his hand at her waist. And she definitely heard it in his voice. Her good eye widened while her mouth dropped open in surprise as a sudden realization struck her. She could let him care for her. She really could.
Author's Note:
Thank you, once again, to all who continue to read and to review the story! I appreciate it so much! I'm enjoying writing for Jade and Beck so very much! They are an extremely fun couple to write for. I truly appreciate everyone who reads/reviews/follows/favorites this story! Thank you from the very bottom of my heart!