A Special Kind of Crazy
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters in this fic!
Chapter Nineteen
Mornings were not her favorite. Never had been, never would be. Monday mornings were the absolute worst. For the longest time, a cup of coffee was the only thing that made them tolerable. Over the past few weeks something, or, more accurately, someone, had been added to her extremely short list of things that made mornings enjoyable. That particular addition to her list was the reason why she was currently feeling perplexed. Absolutely despising the feeling, Jade slid yet another glance towards the locker across the hallway from hers. The sight that met her eyes didn't change. It was one she wasn't used to. He wasn't there. How could he not be there? He was always there. Always. Where the hell was he? She hadn't realized how much she'd become accustomed to him being there or how much she looked forward to him insinuating himself into her space, like he belonged there. A tiny frown settled on her face. This was unusual. He hadn't mentioned anything about missing school on Saturday afternoon when he'd driven her back to school so she could retrieve her car. Not that he had to share his plans with her or anything, she reminded herself with a disgruntled grimace, barely stopping herself from kicking the locker below hers.
Releasing a deep sigh of discontentment, she leaned her forehead against the side of her open locker door and scowled. The hustle and bustle of the hallways announced the time as well as any clock could have. There was no need to check her phone. It was nearing homeroom. School was about to start. Where the hell was Beck? As much as she'd vocally denied it to him on more than a few occasions over the past few weeks, she actually liked having him walk with her to her homeroom. Like, it was something that she looked forward to each day. He hadn't missed a single morning, not since he'd dogged her steps that one day she'd shown up to school early in hopes of avoiding him, the day of her audition. Somehow, between that morning and now, it had become a routine for them. Swallowing back a disappointed groan since he wasn't materializing out of thin air, she slammed her locker shut and turned to go, her eyes focused on the uninteresting floor and not looking where she was going.
"Whoa, there," a chill voice filled with cheer and good morning vibes called out seconds before hands settled momentarily on her shoulders, stopping her gently before she ran him over. He dropped his hands immediately after hearing her low growl of warning and held his hands up in a defensive gesture, to show that he meant nothing by it.
The growl died as soon as he took his hands off her. She didn't say anything in greeting, only crossed her arms over her chest and continued to glare down at the innocent floor. She hated being touched by others, especially by people she didn't know very well. And she didn't know Andre Harris well at all, only that he was a talented musician, a song-writing genius, and Beck's best friend. It crossed her mind that she could ask him about Beck's whereabouts. But she decided against it at the last moment, no matter how tempted she was. She was not going to turn herself into some kind of a high school cliché, the loner girl searching out the popular handsome guy. That was simply not her.
Andre dropped his hands to his sides, already knowing she wasn't one for small talk. His smile was more nervous than happy as he offered, "Sorry about that, Jade. Didn't mean to sneak up on you. I was just dropping off a book I borrowed from Robbie in his locker. He needs it for one of his later morning classes."
"It's fine," she answered shortly, still looking down at the floor. She didn't apologize for nearly running him over. A stray strand of hair fell in her face, annoying her. Everything seemed to be annoying her this morning. Looking up, she flicked it back.
It was the first time he'd seen her face since he'd heard about the accident during rehearsal. Andre couldn't quiet the gasp of concern from escaping his lips. Judging from the immediate scowl that scrawled across her face, he correctly guessed that she didn't appreciate it. "Dang, girl," he exclaimed without thinking, letting out a low whistle that was one-half impressed and one-half concerned. "That's some black eye you've got there."
It wasn't even homeroom yet and she'd already felt the curious looks of others on her. It would only get worse as the morning wore on. She hoped by the afternoon that the population of Hollywood Arts would have gotten their overwhelming curiosity about her black eye out of their system. The school was seriously interested in everyone's business, all of the time. At least she was feared enough, or respected enough, or maybe a mixture of both, so that no one had actually asked her about it yet. Before Andre, that is. "Really? I hadn't noticed," was her sarcastic reply. She paired it with a dramatic roll of her eyes.
He felt an amused grin tug at his lips. Seeing the impressive bruise on her face helped him understand why Beck had insisted on taking care of her on Friday evening. He didn't even know Jade all that well and he was tempted to offer her assistance right now. Coffee, gum…seriously, whatever she wanted. He'd be glad to go and get it for her. Sympathy wasn't something she would appreciate, though, so he didn't make the offer. "Stage fighting sure can suck, huh?"
His comment surprised an actual smile out of her. "True that," she replied, laughing a little. "It's definitely not one of my favorite things in the world."
Oh, he was finally starting to see what Beck saw in her. He would have been hard-pressed to understand before but, with the way the smile briefly lit up her face and the light little laugh that followed it, he was starting to understand the appeal. She was gorgeous, he already knew that. But there was more to her than just a terrifying girl in black. Good for Beck for seeing it, he thought with a genuine smile. He pointed at her eye and inquired, "Does it still hurt?"
"Not so bad now," she said with a shrug, slightly astonished that she was voluntarily conversing with Andre Harris. The only other times she had spoken to him were the few times she'd been with the entire group. Those times either involved homework, game night, or Cat Valentine. "It only hurts now if I touch it." They both turned when they heard someone call out her name. Andre used the distraction to open Robbie's locker and drop off the textbook. He slammed it shut as Justin made his way over to them.
"Hey, Jade," Justin said, slightly out of breath from rushing through the crowded hallway to get to her before the warning bell rang. As director of the play, he wanted to check in on her and make sure she was okay.
"Justin," she greeted him as warmly as she could greet someone on a Monday morning. She glanced to her left, surprised by the fact that Andre didn't leave her when Justin stopped next to them. He stayed with her, as if he was her friend. When Justin opened his mouth to ask about her eye, she put her hand up, stopping him with a regal inclination of her head. "I'm going to stop you right there. I'm fine. Don't even ask."
"Ok, well, huh." Justin quickly swallowed back the question he was about to ask her. Seeing as how she didn't want it, he went straight to the next topic he wanted to cover with her. "I'm so sorry about what happened. I feel awful that you got hurt. I take full responsibility for it. I know it's my fault. I'm a terrible director. I should have…"
"Justin," she interrupted him, pointing an authoritative finger at him. She waited until he was staring at her. Infusing her voice with more force than she usually used, she ordered him, "I don't want to hear another word. Stop it. It just happened. It's nobody's fault. Let it go."
Justin's eyebrows shot up. He had been mentally preparing himself all weekend long for how Jade would respond to him when he talked to her about the accident. Somehow, he had never thought she would be okay with it at all. He figured she would be upset, unhappy, most likely even scorching mad. Apparently, he was quite wrong. She wasn't furious. She hadn't pulled out a pair of scissors from her boots to threaten him. And she was merely looking at him over the rim of her container of morning coffee, like she was impatiently waiting for him to get on with whatever he had to say to her. It appeared that Jade West was full of surprises. "You know the actor who elbowed you? Bruce?" he supplied the name in case she didn't know it when she continued to stare at him. After she gave a barely imperceptible nod, he added, "He feels terrible about what happened. I know he wants to apologize to you at rehearsal today, if he doesn't see you beforehand."
She let out an annoyed huff and aimed a fierce frown at him. "I should have taken the day off," she grumbled to herself, hating being the center of attention. Only Andre heard her. Sucking in a deep breath, she declared, speaking louder, "Listen, Justin, tell him that it's fine. I don't want an apology. I don't need one. I just want everyone to move on and for rehearsal to continue on as normal. In fact…" she stopped, mulling over a sudden idea that popped into her head.
Justin watched curiously as she tilted her head to the side. "What?"
"Why don't you tell him I was the one who was in the wrong place in the scene?" she suggested, liking the idea more and more. "Then he won't feel bad about it any longer and he'll still give the scene everything it needs. I'll just stay further back from my original mark. No one needs to know he was the one out of position."
Justin opened his mouth, closed it, and then thought more about her suggestion. Bruce had been a basket case after realizing he had hurt her. He'd texted him numerous times over the weekend, trying to find out about Jade and what he could do to make it up to her. Hearing that the accident hadn't been his fault, even if really had been, would definitely improve his emotional state. It was definitely an intriguing idea. Before he agreed to it, he wanted to make sure she was okay with it. "Wait a minute, Jade. Are you certain about this?"
"I wouldn't have suggested it if I wasn't," she shot back with an impatient sigh. "Seriously, tell him I was too close to the action. He won't be worried to act out the rest of the fight if he thinks that it wasn't his fault. I'll just keep my distance."
Andre unabashedly listened in on the conversation. Jade somehow had managed to surprise him even further. Never would he have thought that she would be suggesting a way to smooth over the accident. It was a good suggestion; a solid one. It made him remember how the other actor who'd accidentally punched him during a stage fight scene they'd been practicing hadn't been able to fully recover from the pressure of the scene. In fact, their finished fight had come across as wooden and too choreographed and had earned him a lower grade than he was used to receiving. Jade was right. Letting this Bruce guy know he hadn't been in the wrong space would only help the play. Okay, he was definitely starting to see why his friend was crazy about her. He was definitely telling Beck what Jade had suggested. He just knew his friend would approve of it, too.
"Are you sure?" Justin asked one more time, wanting to be certain before he went in search of the actor who'd elbowed her.
"Ugh," she sighed in exasperation, rolling her eyes as dramatically as ever. "Am I speaking English here or what? Of course! Just tell him I was too close and that I'll be placed further back from here on out. Trust me, it will make everything go smoother."
"Okay," Justin agreed after a long considering moment, amazed that Jade West, who the majority of the students at Hollywood Arts feared, had come up with a completely peaceful solution to a potential problem he, and their entire crew, had been facing. He really wanted his play to do well. In order for that to happen, everything had to be authentic and every cast and crew member needed to give it their all. He didn't want a boring stage fight. He wanted it to be raw and real. Grateful for her suggestion, he smiled widely in appreciation at her. "Thanks, Jade. I think your suggestion will help a lot."
She nodded once in acknowledgement before he left. When she noticed Andre looking at her with an expression she couldn't quite interpret, she frowned at him. "What?"
"That was a good thing you did there, Jade," Andre told her, looking at her warmly.
Now she rolled her eyes at him. "Whatever," she muttered, taking another sip of her coffee. She couldn't help it and let her gaze slide one more time towards Beck's locker. Still not there.
"You're right, you know. He'll be able to act out the scene now without having to worry about the fact that he hurt you." Andre grinned at her, already eager to share this newest information with Tori. The saga of Beck and Jade become more and more interesting each day.
"Bruises heal," was her short answer. She didn't like anyone seeing her being considerate of others. She wasn't really worried about the emotional state of Bruce, the actor, though. She was more concerned with the success of the show, especially since it was her first show here.
Just then, the warning bell let out its cheerful peal, telling them it was time to get moving. They only had a few minutes before school officially started. Andre sent a friendly wave of farewell her way. Jade gave him her normal smirk in response before he left and, for the first time in a few weeks, walked alone to her homeroom. She stopped at the end of the hallway, just before she turned the corner. Tossing one last glance towards Beck's locker, she couldn't help but wonder where he was. He hadn't made it in before the bell rang. She almost fished out her phone, to send him a text, but decided at the last minute not to. She didn't want to appear needy, clingy, or desperate. They were only…friends, she figured with a small frown, not exactly liking that term to describe them. He wasn't obligated to tell her where he was, even if it was bothering the absolute hell out of her. Taking another sip of her coffee, she trudged her way towards her homeroom. For the first time in a long time, the morning wasn't all that interesting. Hating to admit it, even to herself, she knew that the person who made her mornings so much better was him. Hell, he seemed to make everything better.
Lunchtime
The morning dragged on, making each minute feel as long an hour. Even the coffee didn't help as much as it normally did. Time seemed to be stuck, moving as slowly as possible. She didn't focus like she usually did her in her classes. While she constantly scanned the hallways during the switch between periods, she didn't see him in the hallways. When she got her salad and a bottle of water from the grub truck, she gave what she hoped was a casual glance towards his normal table. She saw most of the usual suspects: Vega, Shapiro and Harris. No Oliver. He wasn't there with his circle of friends. "Damn it," she grumbled to herself harshly, ignoring the terrified looks a handful of freshmen shared with her after she turned on her heel and stalked past them in a streak of black, gripping her salad in one hand and a bottle of water in the other.
Deciding the only two places she could eat since she did not want to sit outside and look at the table where he wasn't at were either the janitor's closet or the Black Box Theater, she ended up choosing the theater. Glancing around after impatiently pushing her way through the door, she was relieved to see that no one else was there. Grateful to be alone, she leaned back up against the wall and slowly sank down to the floor. The morning had felt dreadfully long, even for a Monday. She'd taken two bites of her salad when the door was opened again. Her heart sped up for a moment, wondering if it was him, only to be met with disappointment.
"Jade!" Cat exclaimed cheerfully, skipping over towards her, her big brown eyes sparkling with happiness at seeing her friend. Her hands were full with her lunch. "There you are! It's Monday!"
"I know that," Jade replied, somewhat grumpily, wondering why her friend was sitting down next to her in the theater.
"We started eating together on Mondays two weeks ago, remember?" Cat continued blithely on, taking the top off of her lunch container. It had been her idea to set up a rotating schedule so that she could eat with Jade on some days and the rest of her friends on the other days. Although, if she really thought about it, it would be better if they all ate together as a great big group every day. Then she could spend time with all of her friends. That would be the best. She tore a small piece off from her turkey and cheese sandwich and pointed it at her. "I saw you leave the Asphalt Café after you got your lunch so I followed you here."
Jade took a sip of her water, wondering how the hell someone could be as happy and perky as Cat Valentine generally was. It still shocked her that they were friends but she had learned pretty quickly her first week at the school that Cat wasn't an easy one to shake off. If she liked you, she latched on, and tightly. There was no getting rid of her. Truth to tell, she didn't want to. She genuinely liked Cat. In fact, she considered Cat her best friend. "Well, happy lunch to us, then."
"Happy lunch to you!" Cat didn't catch onto the little bite of sarcasm to Jade's words. She held up her soda and clinked it against Jade's water bottle in celebration of sharing lunchtime together. Looking around the room as if she had never seen it before, she added thoughtfully, "It's pretty nice eating in here. I like this theater. It's big, comfortable, and the air is very cool in here. It's so…theatery, if you know what I mean!" she finished with a charming little giggle.
Theatery. Yeah, that was just like Cat Valentine, her best friend, to create a word that didn't exist. Jade swallowed back a sarcastic retort and nodded along. At least she had someone to talk to now, she thought with a small nod. She stretched out her legs, getting as comfortable as the hard floor would allow, and crossed one ankle over the other before she started eating her salad.
"What made you come in here?" Cat wondered aloud, curious about the change in their lunchtime spot. She had a theory but she wanted to see what Jade said first. She popped a potato chip in her mouth and offered the bag to Jade, staring at Jade with a look of wide-eyed innocence. "We usually eat at your table in the back of the café."
Jade accepted a chip and tried to brush off the question. She didn't want Cat to know why she'd decided to eat in here. Cat could be pretty damn insightful at times. She did not want to participate in a discussion about Beck and his absence from school. She definitely did not want anyone to realize just how much she liked the Canadian. That knowledge was for her, and for her alone. No one else needed to know. She settled for a shrug and said, "Just felt like a change of scenery."
"I hear ya, girl," Cat gave another series of giggles. She pushed against Jade's shoulder playfully before bringing up the subject Jade did not want to discuss. "There wasn't someone for you to look at, huh?"
Jade nearly choked on her latest bite of salad. "What?" she screeched, staring in open-mouthed shock at Cat. How the hell did she figure that out?
Cat's giggles filled the theater. Smiling beautifully, her big brown eyes twinkling, she shared, "I know you like looking at Beck."
"What?" she screeched again, even louder this time. She nearly dropped her salad on the floor.
Cat's giggles turned into full-blown laughter. She laughed so hard she had to put her lunch down so she didn't spill her sandwich or her chips out onto the floor. When her laughter died down, she declared softly, "Oh, you are so silly, Jade!"
"I don't…look at Beck," Jade denied hotly, glaring at her friend and ignoring the red flush that was now staining her cheeks, a sure sign that she was lying.
"You do so," Cat disagreed immediately, daintily breaking off a small piece of her sandwich before eating it, and overlooking the fact that Jade was borderline furious with her for bringing up this subject. "It's okay, though," she hastened to assure her. "You don't have to worry about anything with me. We both know Beck loves looking at you just as much as you like looking at him, so it's all even."
She dropped her salad container on the floor with a loud plop, her appetite long gone. "I don't even know what to say to that," she grumbled lowly, growling a little at Cat.
"Plus you two like to spend a lot of time together, right?" Cat continued blithely on, unaware that she was poking at a very private subject for Jade. Jade had only recently come to terms with her feelings about him. She wasn't ready yet for others to know about it or to discuss it. "Like when he took care of you this weekend. Your eye still looks really painful, by the way. I bet Beck hated seeing you like that. I think it's so sweet that he watched over you and helped you with it. He even drove you back here to get your car the next day."
"He was just being nice," Jade muttered disconsolately, suddenly finding the black nail polish on her nails very interesting. Her eyebrows snapped together as she glared down at her nails.
"Beck is very nice," Cat agreed immediately before taking a swallow of her soda. "But he's never come to my house and looked after me when I was hurt or sick. He's never gone to Tori's house to take care of her, either." Outright laughing now, she reached over and nudged Jade's arm, pointing out the obvious. "You should feel special. He only does that for you."
Jade frowned at her friend, hoping to put an end to the conversation, although she couldn't help but be pleased with what Cat had just said to her. "Stop. That's enough, Cat."
Twirling a piece of her red hair around her finger, Cat blinked and intentionally ignored the waves of fury rolling off her friend. She'd gotten pretty good at that since they'd become friends at the start of the school year. Jade didn't scare her. "I don't know why you don't want to talk about Beck. You're crazy about him, just like he's crazy about you. It's so simple."
Her mouth practically hit the floor. Jade shot up from her spot, her hands on her hips and her mouth in an annoyed line. "Cat! Seriously! I don't know what the hell you're talking about."
Cat giggled again, ignoring the curse word. Jade's anger didn't faze her. After all, she had to put up with her brother and his mercurial mood swings at home. She was well-equipped on how to handle an annoyed Jade. "You should just admit it," she suggested helpfully, smiling in encouragement at her friend. She took a deep breath before adding, "Just say 'I like Beck'. It'll make you feel so much better. Do it."
"I…don't…Cat!" Frustrated, Jade turned and kicked a nearby chair, sneering angrily as she did so. "Come on! Enough with this already!"
"You'd feel better if you'd finally admit it," she suggested serenely as she lifted her shoulders, looking at her as innocently as possible. She even fluttered her eyelashes. "You can tell me. I won't tell anyone."
"You can't keep a secret," Jade shot back stiffly, sitting back down in a huff and glaring at her friend.
"I can keep your secrets," Cat replied truthfully, smiling again. She wouldn't tell anyone anything Jade told her. Ever. "Cross my heart."
Jade narrowed her eyes as Cat actually crossed her heart with her finger. Then she let out a small groan. "You're impossible."
"No, I'm very possible. I'm sitting right next to you," Cat replied with yet another series of giggles. She put down her sandwich and leaned towards Jade, crowding her space. "Come on, Jadey," she spoke cajolingly, using the nickname Jade rarely let her call her. Jade was so focused on the subject at hand she didn't even react to the nickname. "Just say it. Three simple words. It'll make you feel better. It'll make you happier, too. I promise. And I won't tell anyone. You have my word."
Her glare should have reduced Cat into a pile of ashes. It didn't. Not that it mattered. Cat seemed to be immune to it. She merely smiled back at Jade, perfectly composed and waiting patiently for her friend to respond. Jade opened her mouth, about to give her a resounding set-down, when something unexpected came out instead. "Okay. Fine."
Cat's eyes grew even bigger while she smiled the biggest, brightest smile possible. She went on her knees in anticipation. "Jade! Say it!"
Jade fisted her hands. She hated talking about her feelings, she really did, no matter what they were or who she was talking to. She preferred so much more keeping everything to herself. It was one of the many reasons why she didn't seek out friends. But Cat wasn't going to allow it; not with her happy, perky, interfering, insufferable yet somehow lovable, ways. It still took her a long moment before she admitted it. "I like Beck," she said, her voice as soft as a whisper, staring down at the floor.
Leaning forward, Cat tapped first one ear and then the next one. She hadn't heard a word Jade had said. "You're going to have to speak up. I didn't hear you, Jade. What did you say?"
"Cat!" Jade lifted her head. There wasn't anything calm about her. Her eyes were fierce, narrowed slits of cool blue ice. Her mouth was pulled down into a deep frown. Her body was held rigidly. And her hands were tightly fisted in her lap. It was obvious she wasn't comfortable admitting it out loud or to someone else. But admit it she did. Her voice sounded harsh as she declared a little louder, "I like Beck."
Cat's smile turned absolutely beautiful. She bounced up and down, so excited for her friend. "Oh! Oh! I knew it! I knew it!" she called out over and over again, so happy for Jade and also for Beck. She reached out and grabbed Jade's hands, holding onto them before Jade pulled back from her. Then she launched herself at Jade, hugging her tightly. "I'm so happy for you! I can be a bridesmaid, right?"
"Bridesmaid?" Jade replied, dumbfounded, shaking her head slightly and laughing shortly as she carefully disentangled herself from Cat. "I think you're getting a little bit ahead of yourself there, Cat."
"Maybe," Cat giggled again, so happy for her friend. But, then again, maybe not. They would make the best couple, she just knew it. Beck with his cool calmness and Jade with her fiery spirit. They were an absolutely perfect match. She couldn't wait for it to happen.
"I don't even know if he likes me like that," Jade continued on softly, hating the unknown and despising the fact that admitting it made her vulnerable. She couldn't stand being vulnerable, especially in front of someone else. She sat back against the wall, her face showing an unconventional amount of feelings for once.
"Trust me. He likes you even more than 'like that'," Cat insisted strongly, using her fingers to make air quotes. "He only has eyes for you. Like, only you. It's so obvious. He's never looked at anyone the way he looks at you. You've got to trust me on this even if you don't believe me. I've known him for a very long time."
Jade couldn't help but hope Cat was right. She didn't ask for further clarification, only stared at her friend. Cat had been right, she realized with a small flash of insight. Saying it aloud did make her feel better. She wouldn't go so far to say that admitting it made her happy but it definitely made her feel better about the entire situation. But she didn't want to become fodder for the Hollywood Arts rumor mill. People here at this school seriously spent a lot of time gossiping about others. They were not going to be talking about her. "This stays between us. Right, Cat?"
Cat nodded sagely, feeling very important. Jade had trusted her with something very personal and private. She wasn't going to let her friend down. "I promised you already, Jade. And I crossed my heart. Only between you and me. I won't let you down. Ever. I swear."
Jade smiled her thanks, believing her. About to say something else, she was interrupted by the door opening yet again. Both girls looked up in time to see the subject of their conversation stride into the room and then come to an abrupt stop when he noticed the two of them there, an astonished expression on his face. He clearly hadn't expected to see either of them in the theater.
"Hey, Beck!" Cat called out happily, waving him over. She gave Jade a broad wink, which Jade correctly guessed was her attempt at being subtle, before stating the obvious, "You finally made it to school!"
Beck came over to them, a small smile replacing the look of surprise on his face. It seemed that coming to the theater had been a spectacular idea. Finding Jade here was an unexpected plus. He grinned in welcome as he neared the two of them. Since Cat was sitting on one side of Jade, he walked past them and sat down on the other side of her, sandwiching Jade between them. "I should have been back to school a long time ago," he told the girls, putting his backpack on the other side of him and resting his arm on it. "But I got stuck in traffic."
She was not going to ask him where he had been. She was absolutely not going to ask him where he had been. Jade opened her mouth, intent to say something about annoying LA traffic jams or hating Mondays, but what came out was, "Where were you?" She mentally wanted to slap herself after the question slipped past her lips. His knowing grin didn't make her feel any better.
"Dentist," Beck answered quickly, pointing to his mouth. "I had an appointment this morning. I had two cavities that needed filled."
Cat shuddered in sympathy, feeling for him. "I hate going to the dentist. My mom always says that it's going to be fun but it never is."
Beck nodded once in agreement. Then he reached out and snuck a finger underneath Jade's chin. He'd been dying to see how her bruise was looking all day. He tilted her face towards him before she could object and got a good look at her eye. He let out a small hum as he studied her. It wasn't looking much better than it had on Saturday. Still sore, still bruised, and still black mixed with purple. At least it wasn't swollen anymore. That was a bit of an improvement. And it would heal. He just didn't like seeing the evidence of pain on her face. "How are you feeling?" he asked her quietly, trailing a finger along the edge of her cheek, hoping to soothe away any remaining hurt that she may be feeling.
Cat watched them with interested eyes, feeling as if they'd both forgotten that she was there. She couldn't prevent the joyful smile from spreading across her face. She had to swallow back the matching laugh, not wanting to interrupt them. It was beyond obvious that they liked each other; as in, seriously liked each other. Even though she wanted to bounce with joy, she forced herself to stay completely still and to stay silent to not ruin the moment. Plus she wanted to observe the two of them together. She was so right, she inwardly congratulated herself. They both liked each other so much.
"Just fine," Jade replied shortly, a thread of impatience to her voice, tired of people asking her the same question. She barely resisted the urge to close her eyes. His touch was that calming; that soothing. It reminded her of how she'd felt when she slept on him at her house. Safe, protected, and cherished.
"You've been getting a lot of attention from everyone today, haven't you?" Beck murmured quietly, nodding in immediate understanding. He could imagine the scene. Students staring at her all morning long, maybe even a few of them mustering up enough courage to ask her about it. Probably even more of them talking about her behind her back. She would hate that. She hated having others prying into her personal life.
"Tell me about it," she grumbled lowly, unable to tear her eyes away from him. Already, she was starting to feel better, as if his mere presence had a calming presence on her. Wow, she really had it bad, she realized with a start of surprise. After recently coming to terms on how she felt about him, she'd never expected those feelings to continue to grow and flourish. But, damn it all, that's exactly what they were doing. She couldn't possibly be falling in love with him…could she? She hitched in a sharp breath, looking back at him with something akin to wonder in her eyes before she hastily blinked it away.
"Is that why you're eating lunch in here?" Beck wondered aloud, now cupping her cheek in his hand. It was an odd place to be eating.
"Might be," Jade said, reaching behind to hit Cat on her knee so that she didn't tell him why, exactly, they'd been eating in the Black Box Theater. She didn't want him to know that she'd actually been concerned about him and his lack of presence at school and that she hated not being able to see him from across the café at lunch.
"I was stuck in that traffic jam for so long. I knew I wasn't going to be able to make it back before lunch so I just went through a drive-thru and got lunch there," Beck shared, finally dropping his hand from her cheek. He glanced at the clock in the corner, noting they still had a few minutes before their next class. "So I by-passed the Asphalt Café and came here to kill some time before our next class. I didn't know you'd be in here."
"You didn't miss much at school," Jade informed him, fighting the urge to touch the cheek he'd just caressed. She curled her hands into fists to keep from doing that. It had felt so nice. "It's been a pretty boring Monday so far."
"Hopefully it'll be better now." It already was better for him. He was with her.
"Yeah. Hopefully." She rubbed her hands along the smooth silk of her black stockings, in an attempt to not touch him. There was no 'hopefully' about it. It was already better. Because of him. She allowed a small smile to grace her face.
I missed you. I thought about you all morning. He thought it, really wanted to say it, but pushed the words back down. He wasn't certain how she would take such a confession from him. After all, they were friends. That was all, he kept telling himself, no matter how much he kept hoping for more. Friends. "It's good to be back at school," was what he said instead.
"It's good to have you back," was her automatic reply. Her eyes widened when she realized what she'd said. It was too late to take it back so she settled for a nonchalant shrug of a shoulder and placed her normal smirk on her face, not wanting him to see that she'd just given far too much away.
A pleased smile crossed his face before he resolutely smoothed it away. Maybe she'd missed him just as much as he'd missed her. He didn't ask her though, only looked at her out of the corner of his eyes. Damn, she was beautiful. Breathtakingly so. He swallowed deeply, feeling that familiar ball of need back in his throat once again, and drummed his fingers along the coolness of the floor.
She turned her head to look at him. Their eyes met and held, his warm brown to her cool blue. She allowed a small smile to lift the corners of her mouth. His answering one was much bigger. Unconsciously, her hand sought his out. About to take his hand in hers, they were interrupted by the warning bell. In a move reminiscent of Sikowitz, she actually jumped at its loud intrusion and then she swallowed back a loud groan. Time finally seemed to start moving again, just when she wished it wouldn't. Judging from the expression on his face, he was as disappointed as she was that class was about to begin. "Looks like lunch is over."
"We should eat in here more. It's like an indoor picnic!" Cat chirped out excitedly, jumping up from her spot and gathering her things together in a flurry of movement, her sudden announcement reminding them of her presence. She tossed a jaunty smile their way over her shoulder and practically bounded out the door, her ponytail swishing, before either of them had even stood up. As always, she was an endless ball of energy. "'Bye, guys! See you both in class!"
Beck stood up first. He reached a hand down, noting that she only hesitated for a moment before taking his hand and letting him to help her up. That was definitely progress. Even better, she didn't take her hand out of his, allowing him to hold on to her loosely. He didn't look down at their joined hands, knowing better than to call attention to it. He didn't want to give her an opportunity to pull away. He focused on her face instead, although he was one hundred percent focused on the feel of her hand within his. Playing it cool, he suggested casually, "How about we walk together to class? You know, since I wasn't here this morning to walk with you to homeroom."
"Like I even noticed you weren't here," Jade countered with an exaggerated eye roll, unwilling to admit that she'd searched him out all morning long. He didn't need to know that. He definitely didn't need to know that she actually looked forward to seeing him in the mornings or that she placed him as high as coffee on her extremely short list of things that made mornings better. That was the highest compliment she could give to anyone. In fact, no one had ever received that particular status before.
He gave her a playful nudge and spoke in a teasing voice, still holding her hand, close enough to her now that he could smell the light, lingering scent of vanilla, "You missed me. Admit it."
"I don't know what you're talking about." Smirking at him, Jade finally dropped his hand and picked up her things from the floor. She tossed out the remains of her lunch in a nearby trash can and led the way to the door. Since she got there first, she opened it and shared a triumphant grin at him, pleased that she beat him to the door for once. Then she blatantly lied, proving how good of an actress she really was, "I didn't even notice you weren't here."
"Be like that, then," he said with a mock sigh. Then he laughed at her, glad he'd found her right away. He really had missed her this morning. He'd almost texted her to tell her that he wasn't coming into school until later but had backed out of doing it at the last moment. They were friends. Friends, he kept reminding himself. And he wasn't sure if that kind of an unsolicited text could be considered friendly or more than friendly. He'd decided to err on the side of caution and had hoped throughout the morning that maybe she would text him. He motioned for her to go through the doorway first. "Hey, let's get going. We don't want to be late."
"I don't know if you should be the one to be lecturing anyone about being late," she teased him as she walked out into the hallway.
He came to a stop just outside of the doorway, shaking his head at her. "One day," he muttered under his breath, cocking a single eyebrow at her. "I was late one day."
"Still late," she shot back smoothly, not missing a beat. She sent an arched look over her shoulder at him. Then she left, her booted feet eating up the hallway as she strode off.
Amused, he watched her as she walked away, cataloguing everything he possibly could about her. Her dark hair was shot through with blue once again. Her shirt was black, sheer, and edged with a soft-looking lace with a matching camisole underneath it. Her short black skirt flared out with each movement she took, hitting halfway down her thighs. She wasn't trying to be flirty, he knew that, but he couldn't help but think how flirty she looked with each flip of her skirt. Black stockings led to equally black boots. She was literally dressed from head to toe in black, minus the strands of blue in her hair. Hell, when did black become his favorite color? An appreciative gleam entered his eyes. He was in so deep.
When she reached the corner of the hallway, she turned and looked back at him impatiently. She gave a small gesture with her hand, as if to order him to catch up to her. His grin lit up his face, making him look ridiculously happy, and he hurried to her without a moment's hesitation. When he reached her, she shared her normal little smirk with him which was more of a smile this time around. It grew a little bit more when he smiled back at her. They were caught like that for a long, extended moment, simply content to gaze at each other, until the bell rang out again, telling them they were most definitely late for class. Immediately, they turned as one and walked to the single class they shared, neither wondering what the others would think when they walked through the door together.
Author's Note:
Thank you again to all who continue to read and who continue to review the story! I appreciate it so incredibly much! I am having so much fun with this story! Thank you, once again!
I broke this chapter up into two sections instead of making it two separate chapters…the beginning part with Jade and Andre and then the lunch part. I hope it flowed together well and didn't appear disjointed. Since the last chapter of the story focused on Beck and his friends, I really wanted to show a bit of Jade interacting with some of the other characters in this one!