Their breakup had come in a calm moment after a very heavy storm. Two people were able to recognize the pain that they were causing one another and decided it was best to part ways before they hurt each other more...but that doesn't mean that their choice was easy to accept.

In the days that follow they both consider calling the other, just to check in or say hi, but neither of them ever do. They're not together anymore, they can't rely on each other the same way that they once did. After a few weeks, they stop thinking of each other as often...and after a few months...they feel close to nothing towards each other at all.

Being around one another at school is strange, and they both knew that it would be. That's definitely a very obvious downside to dating within the friend group...when a couple breaks up, they can't really cut each other off entirely. It doesn't take long for their friends to notice the awkwardness that hangs heavy between Beck and Jade now. They don't sit next to each other anymore. They barely speak and when they do it seems forced. Every once and a while one of them will say something that the other disagrees with, and either a short burst of bickering or an uninvited snide comment will follow.

The more time they spend broken up, the further apart they drift. They're no longer 'Beck and Jade', they're separately Beck and Jade...two people with people with a long history that act like strangers. By the end of their senior year, they barely interact with each other at all...until one day towards the end of April.

Beck is on his way from study hall to grab something from his locker as Jade is leaving the bathroom to return to her English class. Both of them are in the hallway in the middle of the period, no one else is around, it's impossible to pretend that neither one of them notices the other. She would have no problem ignoring him, but Beck ends up being the one to speak.

"Hey." He says as he turns the dial on his locker

"Oh...hey." She replies "How...how've you been?"

It's a forced attempt at small talk. They saw each other the previous weekend at Andre's, but they barely spoke. Jade stays closer to Cat now when their whole group meets up, and no one really forces her to do otherwise.

"Good." Beck nods "I've been good. You?"

"Good." She answers "Uh, congrats on Northwestern by the way. Cat told me..."

"Thanks." Beck can't help but grin

For a brief moment when they first had to start thinking about college, the two of them had contemplated going to New York together. Either NYU or Julliard, maybe even Rutgers...but they had broken up before they really had the chance to map anything out. Once they were separated Beck decided to explore his options a bit more and with the help of one of Hollywood Arts' college advisors, he discovered that Northwestern had one of the best, if not the top, Drama programs in the country. He was serious about becoming an actor, so he wanted to attend the very best school that he could. Northwestern was that school, and much to his relief his application was accepted.

"I've heard Chicago has great pizza." Jade tells him

"I've also heard that." Beck chuckles a bit, reaching inside his locker for his textbook "Have you decided where you're going yet?"

"USC." Jade answers quickly

"What happened to New York?"

"The more I looked into it, the more I realized it wasn't really what I wanted." She shrugs "Professionally at least. USC will let me get my undergrad in film and a master's in dramatic writing. I think that's the path I want to be on."

"Oh...well, that's really cool for you." Beck closes his locker "Are you, uh...going to Prom?"

"You know how I feel about school dances."

Beck can't help but laugh at her response, he does in fact know exactly how she feels. The idea of getting all dressed up for basically no reason had never been that appealing to her. He convinced her to go to the homecoming dance with him their sophomore year and they never went to another dance again after that, opting to stay home and watch movies on those nights instead.

"Are you going?" She asks him

"Uh, yeah. I am." He nods "I'm taking Meredith. As friends."

He feels the need to add 'as friends' because he knows Meredith has always made Jade feel insecure. She did pursue him for a short time during a summer workshop, but quickly backed off once she realized how serious of a couple he and Jade were. But Jade never forgot, and even after being broken up for close to a year he can see in her face that the whole ordeal still bothers her.

It really bothers her. Of all the girls in the school...he's taking Meredith? The only girl she ever really expressed having a problem with? Jade thinks she would honestly prefer he took Tori...only Tori is dating Andre now and is without a doubt going to Prom with him. All of her friends will have pictures of their group minus her and plus...Meredith. The thought makes her want to either cry or scream, she hasn't decided yet.

It's not your place to be upset. She reminds herself You've been broken up for almost a year.

"I hope you have fun." She lies "I..uh...I should be getting back to class. Mrs. Synder is probably wondering where I am."

"Oh shit, yeah." Beck agrees "Well, see ya."

"See ya."

"Cat..." Tori groans "Don't cry!"

"I can't help it!" Cat exclaims "What if this is the last time we ever see each other?"

"It won't be." Andre assures her

"But what if it is?"

"It won't be!" The entire group responds in unison

The summer after graduation had flown by faster than any of them had thought possible. Between summer jobs and preparing to go away to school, August arrived in the blink of an eye.

It had been Tori's idea for them to all get together one last time before everyone started to leave. The group had been a bit distant as of late, not out of fault to anyone really just because of differing schedules, and she didn't want to leave high school behind without one last hurrah. So now the group of six, Andre, Beck, Cat, Jade, Robbie and her, all sit around the fire pit in her backyard. The fire is dying out after burning for close to four hours, and empty boxes of marshmallows and graham crackers lay discarded on the ground. In the morning, Robbie will be off to the University of Michigan, and everyone else will start to depart in the following days.

"It's different for people our age." Andre assures her "We have cell phones and social media, our parents didn't. Everyone is just a quick text or call away, we'll stay in touch."

"And there's always school breaks too." Jade adds

"Assuming they line up." Beck says

"You're not helping." Jade sighs

She shoots Beck an angry look and for a moment, their friends fear that they might start an argument. But Cat has been Jade's best friend for the better part of a decade, and she doesn't want to do anything to upset the redhead more, so she decides she'll let Beck's comment slide.

"Thanksgiving will be here before you know it, Cat." Jade says quietly to her friend "Then we'll all see each other again."

But they won't...not all of them at least.

Beck and Jade's breakup will unintentionally cause a break in the friend group. Andre and Tori will stay closer with Beck, while Cat and Robbie will stay closer with Jade. There's no bad blood between anyone, not at all. Tori and Andre will still seek Cat and Robbie out at various events an invite them to holiday parties, invite them to weddings and share pictures of their children when they are born...but Beck and Jade will be kept out of it. That night will be the last night all six of them are together for quite a while...

In fact, it's the last time that Jade and Beck will see or speak to one another for close to twelve years.