Welcome back to a rather long chapter!
Thank you to Boris Yeltsin, alicheriee, mrsdevil13 and AllAboutThatPotter for the lovely reviews to the last chapter.
Enjoy this one!
Beck and Jade need to hurry. Lunch is over and they just want to get themselves another coffee before going to rehearsal. It's study hall and they're both in a play of a classmate who asked them to rehearse during this study hall.
They kind of made out after lunch and with them now still getting coffee, they already cut it quite close. And they might not bother being punctual when meeting up with friends when they can make out instead. But they both take acting seriously enough that they do want to be on time. Also as they both know how it is to write and direct a play and having to count on the actors you casted...
At the moment, they're about to order their coffee to go, when they get interrupted by an all too familiar voice: "Jade, Beck!"
They turn around and notice not only Sikowitz but also a bunch of other students with cameras, quickly spreading a bit to each their sides to film them.
"Hey, Sikowitz," Beck says.
Jade meanwhile is quick to let their teacher know: "Listen, we really don't have time for a..."
"Drive-by acting challenge!" Sikowitz calls out.
Of course. Beck also gathered that that was what this was about. But: "No, seriously, we gotta go to a..."
Before he can say 'rehearsal', Sikowitz gives him his role: "Beck, you are a young man, trying to place an order at a fast food restaurant."
"Okay," Beck responds. He's sure they'll be much quicker to get to their rehearsal if they just do what Sikowitz wants instead of arguing.
"Jade," Sikowitz addresses her next.
"What?" she asks but... not that aggressive. Wait. She might think they don't have enough time but she's up for the challenge. That promises to be fun.
Jade always is a good actress but if she really doesn't want to do a challenge, she will do anything to make it bad for Sikowitz – to show him that he can suck it and she won't just do what he wants while still doing it enough that he could never punish her for it.
But when she's up for it... Beck can't wait for it, all of the sudden.
"You are working at the fast food restaurant," Sikowitz explains.
"Yeah?" Jade makes.
"And you're a weirdo," Sikowitz adds.
Okay, Beck doesn't know where Sikowitz wants the scene to go. But it's very possible that their teacher himself doesn't know.
"Any specific kind of weirdo?" Jade checks. Another proof that she wants to do it now.
"You're a weird man," Sikowitz says.
Which means she'll do a voice. Yes, maybe Beck is loving his life at the moment. He always enjoys Jade doing a voice because she's just so damn good at it.
Jade questions: "A weird man, okay. But what kind of...?"
"Action!" Sikowitz interrupts her.
Okay. Beck immediately concentrates on getting into his role. If they do it, he wants to do it right.
"Uh, excuse me," he makes, pretending to look ahead of Jade to the menus. "I'd like to order a number three turbo cumbo."
"Holy crapes!" Jade makes in a changed voice. "You're like ridiculously handsome."
Okay, that what she's going with? A man who is weird in that way that he finds him handsome? Or weird in a way that makes it express it in an uncomfortable way?
"Thanks," he only answers. "Uhm, but can I get a..."
Jade interrupts him in character: "I swear on my mother's face, you're like nine different kinds of attractive. Look at you!"
Beck tries to ignore what she's saying. "What comes on a double cheese burger?"
"You're better than a double cheese burger," Jade promptly claims. "I swear you're like so gorgeous, I can't even stand myself right now."
Beck takes a deep breath.
He loves when Jade acts this way. Because he loves seeing Jade's skills, but especially because it challenges him. It challenges him to be a better actor when he has to act opposite of her. It takes everything out of him to not grin at Jade's ridiculous display though he would call himself a good actor too, who usually easily stays in his role.
"I appreciate that but..." Beck starts again.
"Who are your parents?" Jade interrupts once more. "Is your father some kind of schmancy greek god and you mother, what is she? Some kind of exotic animal like a fantastic lady antilope that one might see in a safari somewhere?"
Okay, Jade knows what she's doing. She wants to challenge him. No, she doesn't want to crackhim up but she wants to almost make him crack up and pull himself together. She wants him to prove that he's a great actor too who can hold his own against her.
Talking about his parents of all people like this...
But Beck has this. He will keep it together. "Is there someone else that I can order from that...?"
Jade breaks him off another time with a noise, then: "Look at those abs!"
"My... my abs?" He doesn't have to act too surprised as he actually is indeed surprised by that. Will Jade pretend like he doesn't have a shirt on? Improvisation is all about going along with your castmates. He would act along with that though he's already trying to think of why his seemingly normal guy would go into a fast food restaurant half naked.
But Jade doesn't act like he's half naked. Instead she's just making her character even weirder: "I understand that you're wearing a shirt but if there's one thing I know for certain it's that you have some phenomenal, pardon me, some exquisite abs."
Well, he doesn't got that kind of abs. He's working out and everything but not as much as he probably could. Just yesterday he told Jade that he sometimes wished he had better abs. Which made her tell him that he's ridiculous which didn't really made it better for him. Heck, even Jade is insecure about her body every now and then – he is allowed to be too.
Jade realized her comment didn't help him at all and she went on to tell him that he should feel free to change things about himself if he doesn't like them. But that she for one loves his body. She then went on to prove that.
And now she's making her character claim he has awesome abs. It doesn't matter that she's playing a weirdo. He knows she still means it and maybe that means something to him.
But he concentrates back on what his character actually wants, why their characters are talking. "Okay. I'll have one cheese burger."
Jade again doesn't let him say any more, clearly dominating the scene. "One day, if I get married and have a child, I wanna take that baby, my own little baby child, I wanna let him take a nap on your gorgeous abs. That's how impressed I am with your abs, my friend."
She's going for it now. And he honestly loves everything about it.
But he's staying in character too and clearly continues his order: "One large fry."
As if Jade's character would take his order. "And even if you get fat one day, if you eat like a pig for nine years and gain, oh, I don't know, 14,000 pounds, I won't care! Cause I know those phenemonal abs are burried somewhere underneath all that fat!"
Her turns get weirder and weirder, which is obviously perfectly in character.
"I'm never coming here again," he meanwhile states, making his character give up, stepping away from Jade as if leaving the restaurant.
He only stops and turns back around when he's sure to be out of the view of the camera, so he can fall out of his role.
It's just in time to see Jade turn to Sikowitz, still in character, as if turning to another custumer: "Did you see his abs? Did you see that man's abs?"
"I did not," Sikowitz says.
"They're nice," Jade assures him in that weird voice. "Nice abs. Yeah."
And with that she also walks off camera.
"Cut! Great scene, you two!" Sikowitz yells out, stops recording with his own camcord but also makes a gesture that makes the other students stop recording.
Beck wants to thank Sikowitz for telling them they did a great scene, but Jade kind of walked straight into his arms and he has to kiss her, both of them smirking, satisfied with their own scene.
When they don't stop kissing, Sikowitz calls out: "Okay, okay, you can continue with that at home."
Beck and Jade break apart from each other and Beck knows by the look Jade gives their teacher that she wonders why he didn't just leave instead of interrupting them.
But that's when Sikowitz reminds them: "I thought you had somewhere to be."
"We do," Jade confirms. "And you owe each of us a coffee as we don't have enough time to still get one now." Which is true. They have to get to their rehearsal now.
"Aye, aye," Sikowitz makes.
And with that, everyone goes their own ways, Jade having intertwined her fingers with Beck's. Beck can't help but lean over as they walk to their rehearsal and kiss her.
.
.
Beck receives a mail with the video during a morning class the next day. Sikowitz always cuts the videos of this challenge and sends them to the participants. It's for them to learn by seeing themselves act. And they're free to share it on TheSlap or with their family or however they want.
He starts watching it as soon as break starts, while he throws all of his things in his bag and gets going to Jade's locker to meet up with her before their next class that they share.
He loves the video. It didn't just feel good but it also looks good in his opinion. Jade of course steals the show but he hasn't expected anything else. He is able to hold his own against her acting wise, but not with the roles they had to do.
By the time, he arrives at her locker where she's already standing, he has watched the whole video and after exchanging a short kiss with her, he asks: "Have you seen the vid?"
She knows what he's talking about. "I have. It's a good one."
He wonders if she watched it in class with earplugs in, or if she did it like he did just now, watching it on the way from the classroom to here.
"It is," he confirms. "How about we share it on TheSlap?"
He loves being an actor and sharing that with the world. He also loves sharing Jade's acting skills with everyone.
"Sure," she says with that sort of smile that tells him that she's really into an idea too.
He smiles too and kisses her another time, before he asks: "Let's film an introduction for it during lunch break, huh?"
"Sounds good."
.
.
They meet up in the Blackbox Theater at the beginning of their lunch break. Beck got one of the cameras of the school out their equipment room and they're now thinking about how to film the introduction for their challenge video. They're both not inclined to just randomly upload that video.
In the middle of the theater stand a few tables at the moment. The chairs are stacked up.
They bicker for a moment about where to place the camera – and themselves. Beck didn't bother to bring a stand for the camera, assuming that they could just put the camera on the table ot alike while sitting on some of the chairs.
But Jade isn't having it for some reason. She's fighting with him on purpose again, like she sometimes does. It irritates him every now and then. Today it does at least.
She tells him he's dumb for not bringing a stand for the camera though she also wouldn't have bothered carrying that through school. Her telling him he's dumb for one reason or another always triggers him. Because he doesn't want her to think of him as dumb.
After a bit of discussion which makes Beck more than wonder why Jade doesn't just agree to sit down on some chairs with him and film themselves that way, she says: "I don't feel like sitting. Can't we do it lying down?"
He doesn't get what's going on, but well... "Sure. We can put the camera on that table and lie down here."
There are a few tables standing in a row where they can somewhat comfortably lie down.
Jade looks at the tables for a minute without saying anything. Which means that she's generally okay with the idea, even if not totally satisfied.
He continues: "We can even take these pillows to lie down on."
There are a few pillows in the theater that are also on a pile on one of the chairs now. They are often used for some stupid exercises from some teachers, where the students are asked to lie down on the floor to... get in touch with themselves or whatever.
"You know I find those pillows disgusting," Jade says with a grimace and as if Beck deeply insulted her.
Okay, Beck does know that. She doesn't have a big thing with germs or anything, is instead extremely relaxed around things others might find disgusting. But she still regularly claims those pillows should all be burned with how many already lied their heads down on them – or that she should burn her own hair away after she put her head on one of them.
Still, she does use them every now and then. She also could do it now.
But Beck doesn't know why he should argue when he gets an idea which he suggests to Jade: "Why don't I lie my head down on the pillow and you put yours on mine?"
Jade nods and it's in that cute way, almost a pout on her lips, which weirdly shows him that she really likes the idea, even if she would never admit that loudly.
That's all he needs. He still moves one of the table a bit before he puts the camera down on it, then he grabs a pillow and lies down on his side, settling his head on said pillow, his face turned to the camera.
Jade also lies down and he feels how careful she is, as she lies her head on top of his, as to give him a chance to say if she's lying down in a way that hurts him or alike.
When they are both settled, Beck doesn't say another word and just stretches out his arm and pushes the button on the camera to start recording.
"We going?" Jade checks as soon as he did.
"We're going," he confirms.
They haven't talked exactly about what they're going to say. But they'll think of something. They just have to quickly introduce the video of their challenge to everyone.
"I don't see the thing blinking," Jade says.
"It's right there," Beck points out. "It's recording."
Jade's answer comes a bit unnerved, but quiet enough that it doesn't hurt Beck's ears even slightly though she's talking right by it. "I didn't say it wasn't recording. I said I didn't see the blinky thing."
Beck doesn't get what's up with Jade. Well, she sometimes is like that, fights him without reason. Her telling him off for... responding honestly to what she said, fits with that. Which doesn't mean that he likes it.
With a little undertone Beck answers: "Well, there is the blinky thing."
For a moment it's silent. Then: "Say you love me."
Oh, she got that she weirded Beck out and was a bit too short-tempered with him. This is her drawing back a bit.
"Magic word," he playfully says. Because that lets her know that he isn't seriously annoyed with her or anything.
This is how they talk, especially in front of other people – or a camera though they could just as well cut out anything serious. But yes, she wouldn't be caught dead, apologizing to him for being a bit harsher in her tone to him than she usually is. Instead she's telling him to tell her he loves her, as if telling him that she hopes he didn't fell out of love with her because of her behaviour. As if he could or would.
He therefore shows her with his responds that the thought of him falling out of love is a ridiculous one. He wouldn't make a joke out of it otherwise.
"Please," Jade makes in an actually sweet tone that Beck loves.
He tries to catch a look directly at her face which of course doesn't really work the way they're lying on top of each other.
"I love you," he says earnestly.
Jade sounds extremely satisfied as she answers: "Kay."
That's that. "Tell the people what happened yesterday."
Jade promptly does: "Oh, after lunch Sikowitz attacked us outside with one of his drive-by acting challenges."
"Tell them what that is."
"They know what that is," Jade says dismissively.
"Not everyone on TheSlap goes to Hollywood Arts," Beck points out and maybe he's gonna explain it himself. Jade doesn't have to do it.
But she already sighs and then: "Sikowitz is one of our acting teachers and sometimes he just runs up to you, shoves at camcord in your face, gives you a characters to play and makes you do a scene."
"It's fun," Beck says.
"Sometimes it's fun," Jade cuts in. "Like when I'm in the mood to do it."
"Which she was yesterday," Beck concludes.
"I kinda was."
"Watch this," Beck says full of glee and turns the camera off.
Beck is satisfied with that video and thinks they can use it, but he still checks with Jade: "Want to do it over?"
"No," she decides.
Which means they're done and can still get themselves something to eat.
But Jade doesn't move, her head still resting on his.
"Will you get up?" he asks after a moment, trying to look at her again.
"No," she says again.
"Okay," he responds. If she doesn't feel like it... They can also stay like this for a while. He always loves being close to her, no matter which way. He loves her scent and her warmth.
But she must've taken his 'okay' to mean 'I don't want to fight, so I'll draw back, but I want you to get up'. At least she suddenly says: "Ugh, fine."
And sits up.
"No, stay," he immediately says, turning onto his back and grabbing her by her arms before she can draw back too much. He pulls her down to him, maybe to make her scoot closer and rest her head on his shoulder or something.
Instead she also fully turns to him and kisses him upside down, a smile on her lips.
Her hair falls onto his face and tickles him but he kisses back fiercly.
"I love you," he whispers when they break apart again.
She whispers back: "I love you, too."