Summary

"Don't call me 'babe' or 'baby' or 'Jay' anymore. You can call me Jade. Or West. I'd prefer the latter."

"Jade. What do you mean...?" No. This wasn't happening. She couldn't be doing this. It was a stupid silly mistake. Just...a stupid mistake that meant nothing. This didn't feel like any of our 'half a day long at most' break ups in the past.

"I mean; congratulations. You're now free to give a good dicking to any girl that crosses your path."

Set During S1E1 'Pilot'. After Beck kisses Tori in the Alphabet Improv Game, Jade doesn't just forgive and forget. Beck's going to have to work for it.

Chapter Summary

It's been a week since Jade dumped Beck and he finds nothing makes sense anymore.

Authors Note

I know, I know, time skip, gaaah! I just got a little stuck and can feel my muses running out for this story so I had to push through it! I may do a few scenes from the missing week at some point, but for now you get this :P It's technically the second half of chapter two, and was written before the Jade and Cat chapters.

Also, please check out 'Hope Is Our Four Letter Word'. It's a tie in one-shot to this story with Andre's POV, explaining why he's sided with Tori, and just giving him some background.

It had been a week. A week and Jade refused to talk to me unless she 100% had too. She spoke to me if needed in class. The day after I spoke with her in the halls, she brought in a bag filled with shirts that had originally been mine, my spare phone charger, my PSP and a leather jacket I had once left at hers and never thought to get back. She had a lot more stuff of hers at mine than I did at hers, because she hated spending time at her house. She allowed idiots to chat her up at her locker if they were brave enough; not many were but one of the frequent idiots I had to see hit on her was Ryder Daniels, an asshole in the grade above us; he and Jade had known each other since they were tweens, him living next door to her father and he'd always had a crush on her. It boiled my blood that she actually allowed him to pick her up and drop her off at school now, which was once my job.

Her and Cat sat away from us at lunch and breaks, blatantly ignoring my existence. Robbie joined them occasionally, due to his obvious crush on Cat and a torn sense of loyalty between me and Jade. Andre stuck with me the whole time. It was like kids in a divorce. I got custody of Andre, Jade got custody of Cat and Robbie shuttled between the two of us.

The issue (other than the fact I can't eat, sleep or think without missing Jade every second of the day. At this point, I think I can easily say I'm 'mooning' over her. I've actually written a monologue about her) is that, with Andre comes Tori. Tori with her bambi eyes and fluttering lashes. And every time she sits down at our table, I swear I see Jade flinch minutely, so small that unless you really knew her, it wouldn't be seen. How was I meant to get Jade back if Tori was always around me?

"Beck? What do you think?" Tori asked, reaching out to touch my hand, which I pulled away like she had burned me. Oh right. She'd been talking.

"Sorry...think about what?" I asked, looking back down at my quesadilla that I was picking at half-heartedly. The edges were extra toasted and brown. Jade always used to pick off those bits for herself, because she loved them and knew I wasn't a fan.

"The short play we need to write out together! For script writing?"

Shit, right. Script Writing. We'd be partnered up, while Jade was partnered with Andre. I had spoken with the teacher after class to see about swapping partners but was straight up denied. I wasn't too surprised. Jade had always been Mr Jacobs favourite student. And if Jade had specifically asked not to be partnered with me, he wouldn't change it for my sake.

"We can do it tonight I guess." I told her bluntly with a shrug, going back to my staring routine - my quesadilla to Jade to my soda back to Jade and then back to my quesadilla. Rinse and repeat all of lunch. However, at some point between looking at my soda and back to her, Jade stood up, seemingly annoyed with something (Ah! Sinjin was at the table now. That'll be why.) and turned to storm off, grabbing her bag as she left.

Perfect. This was the first time in a week she'd gone somewhere alone, without Cat. I hopped to my feet and ignored Tori and Andre's protests, following at a quick pace, eager to catch up with her. "Jade! C'mon, can we please talk?" I called after her in the fairly empty hallway. She sighed and I saw her grip tighten on the strap of her bag.

"Fine. Janitor's closet. Now." She snapped, heading straight towards the large closet that had been the backdrop for a fair few of our arguments; but even more of our make ups and make outs. She shoved the door open and practically threw herself into the farthest corner of the closet, as if to stay as far away from me as possible. "What?"

"Jade I...I'm sorry OK? I know I shouldn't have done it...I didn't do it to cheat on you or because I like Tori; I just...I wanted to show you that you went too far with the coffee thing the day before but I know I went way further than that. I never should have done it and I never wanted to hurt you; I hate myself for it. I can't eat or sleep or concentrate on anything because I miss you so fucking much and I know I fucked up but I promise I'll never do anything like it again if you just take me back-"

My run on 'Word-Vomit' as Jade used to call it (because I only 'word-vomited' around her; I never had to put up any fronts around her. I didn't have to be the cool guy or the chilled-out guy. I could just be myself with her and I took that for granted) was cut off by Jade grabbing a handful of my shirt and pulling me towards her, planting her lips on mine and for the first time in a week, I felt at ease and like I could actually breath freely again.

"Fine." She told me breathlessly, her tongue flicking out to sweep across her lower lip, as if she was savouring the taste of my lips on hers again, and maybe she missed me as much as I missed her. "I shouldn't because...I fucking warned you. But I miss you too. I don't like not speaking to you just before I fall asleep and then again when I wake up, and I miss you touching me all the time and your little stupid smiles across the room when we're in class." She bit down on her lower lip as one of her thin fingers with chipped black nail polish played with the ring necklace I hadn't taken off once since she dumped me, feeling like it gave me still just a tiny connection to her. "But there's going to be rules."

"Anything." At this point, I'm pretty sure if she told me one of the rules was to go emotionally scar the little kids at the elementary next door, I'd do it in a heartbeat.

"Firstly; Never. Do. That. Again. If you want to kiss another girl, you better fucking dump me first. I refuse to be some simpering twit who you walk over."

"Never again. Ever." I promise. That rule was a given to be honest. I'd never dream of making the same mistake again.

"Secondly; you stop letting anything with tits and a pulse flirt with you without making it clear you have a girlfriend. I know you can't control the girls who flirt, but you can make it clear you're uninterested. None of that stupid hair ruffling and smiling you do now. And if I get jealous? You're not allowed to act all pissy and treat me like a kid who needs a time out."

Also, kind of a given; that one may take work. I've got a naturally flirtatious personality, apparently. But I'd walk around with a 'JADE WESTS BOYFRIEND' neon light up placard if she wanted.

"Thirdly; you never hang out with Vega. I know that she's friends with Andre and the others. And that's fine. You can hang out with her when we're all together. But you're not to hang out with her alone. And if I'm not there, Cat or Robbie have to be."

"What about Andre?" She shot me an impatient look, but to be fair, it was the first time I'd questioned any of the rules she was giving me. "I can't hang out with her even if he's there?"

"No. Because I don't trust Andre to tell me if that flat-chested troll tries anything." She gave me a piercing look. "Or if you try anything."

"I wouldn't try anything-" I cut myself off this time, although it was due to her glare.

"Cat will tell me straight away. Robbie would blurt it out or tell Cat, who would tell me. Andre's your 'best bro' and for some reason likes that Troll doll, so he wouldn't tell me."

"OK. They're reasonable." I mean, the first two were. I wasn't sure if the last one was reasonable but it made sense; of course she wouldn't want me to be around the girl she saw me kiss, especially not alone or with someone who she doesn't trust to be truthful with her. "But what about school work? I have a script writing project with her, you know that. I'm meant to be meeting with her tonight."

"You can hang with her for studying or school work. But only during study periods in the library or at your RV. With me there. You don't go to her house, no late-night study sessions in the library when no one else is around."

"So...you'll be coming over tonight too? Do...you want to stay?" I asked, hopeful. I didn't even just want her to stay so we could have sex. I just wanted to be with her, like an addict with a fix after a week without.

She paused in thought before nodding slowly. "Fine. I'll stay tonight...I haven't been having the best sleep this past week." She admitted, pushing her hair out of her face.

"I don't think I've had more than 30 minutes sleep a night." I admitted back, giving her a lopsided smile. "And all 30 minutes are restless."

"There's another rule." She told me, chewing her lip and I could tell this one was one she was set on. "I want you to beg for me back. In Sikowitz class. On stage."

"Jade..." That made me uncomfortable. I don't really like showing my more romantic side publicly - sure I'm affectionate and touchy-feely in public, but actually expressing my feelings for all of the class... "I...I mean...is that necessary?"

Her lips twisted downwards and her eyes hardened. "Yes. You humiliated me in front of all of that class and then it got spread around the entire school. I had to face people laughing at me, girls telling me you'd finally realised I wasn't good enough for you. I was mocked and ridiculed because of what you did. So yeah. You humiliated me; you can lower yourself to embarrass yourself a little bit."

I never knew that. No wonder she wanted me to beg for her back publicly. I had no clue our classmates would be so cruel to her, but I should have known. Everyone always made comments about our relationship, about how she was lucky to have me; but no one ever said I was the lucky one. They all looked at me like I was a saint for putting up with her and I know there was rumours that I was only with her because she was crazy, and being crazy apparently meant freaky sex (which I mean...was kind of true, but it wasn't even close to the reason I was with her). It made me clench my fists in anger and I knew the second I heard anyone mention her negatively to me again, I'd lose it. It was worse because I had caused it this time.

"Look, if you can't do it, I evidentially don't mean as much to you as you claim-"

"No!" I burst out, grabbing her shoulders as she tried to push past me. "I'll do it. I swear. Tomorrow, in class. I'll get on the stage and beg for you back. I'll make sure they all know that you're the one who's too good for me." I promised emphatically and breathed a sigh of relief as she nodded.

"OK. We're not going to be official until after you've begged for me back tomorrow." She told me, and I don't know why and I don't care. She was still coming over tonight. We were going to be together tomorrow. "Pick me up tonight at 5pm. Then we go to your RV and have dinner. Then Tiny Tits can come over; but..." A playfully devious smile touched her lips. "Don't tell her I'll be there. I want it to be a surprise." She smirked up at me and then, slipped passed me with ease. I reached for her, to pull her into a kiss, but she smirked again. "Nope. Not until tomorrow." She told me, pushing her way out of the janitor's closet, me following like a lost puppy.