The gang showed up to school early in the morning and reunited in Sikowitz's classroom to discuss what they would do. "So now what? We have to convince everyone else too?" Tori asked.
"I guess…" Andre responded.
"I can't take this anymore, what we are doing to Jade is so low" Beck said and sighed.
"It's for her own safety" Robbie said.
"But she doesn't know that! She thinks that we hate her and that I used her all this time" Beck responded upset. "I honestly just hope that she is okay, I don't care if she hates me for the rest of her life… I just don't want her to suffer anymore"
"If we want her to have a life, we have to keep going" Tori said sadly.
"Yes, I don't want Jade's head to explode" Cat added and then Jade stepped into the classroom so Beck put his arm around Tori's waist and kissed her sweetly.
Jade simply stared at them with an emotionless expression and sat down in the corner of the classroom; the gang continued talking and chuckling like they usually did and she just looked down as a terrible sadness invaded her body. Jade remembered all the times she'd be in that group, talking and enjoying their company and she couldn't believe it would never happen again because in the end, it had never been real. She felt incredibly alone.
"Hello everyone! I'm glad to see you again" Sikowitz said to the gang.
"Hey!" They all responded but then he noticed Tori was with Beck, in the same way Jade usually was while she remained quiet in the other side of the classroom.
"Ummm….we're gonna do improv" Sikowitz commented. "Jade, Beck…come on stage" He said and Jade closed her eyes in frustration but she did it anyway. "Pretend to be a couple, it should be easy"
"I don't wanna do it" Jade informed and Beck chuckled.
"Why not?" He asked. "We've done it for three years"
"Go to hell" She responded.
"What's going on?" Sikowitz asked.
"Nothing, it's just that Jade can't act…she needs to believe things are real to keep going, it's fine, babe, we can pretend" Beck said smiling and the gang laughed so she stared at him full of rage.
"The truth is; I'm not nearly as good as you are" Jade commented coldly.
"What are you talking about, Jade?" Sikowitz questioned.
"Oh you don't know? Beck and Tori are dating now, nobody in this classroom likes me and this jerk has lied to me for the past three years" Jade informed angrily and his mouth dropped.
"Just let it go, Jade, it's not that important…Jesus" Tori said annoyed.
"You should thank me for making you live a less miserable life for a while" Beck added. "Without me and my friends, you would've killed yourself long ago" He said and she stared at him trying to hold the tears back because she did not want to break in front of them.
"By the way, Jade, did you end up leaving your dad's house or not? Did he even notice you came back?" Tori asked and chuckled so Jade looked down; Sikowitz was just watching the argument completely disconcerted.
"Probably not" Cat said.
"It must be sad to be such a bitch that no one likes you, not even your own dad" Tori added. "Did your mom like you when she was alive or not?" she asked, Jade just wanted to break out crying and they could see it but she was trying to stay strong.
"Come on, Tori, don't be mean" Beck said. "Her mother did like her, i'm sure...she was the only person who could, too bad she's gone, now you're alone" he commented as he turned to Jade and she looked down.
"Yeah…" Jade whispered because she knew they were all right. "I have to go, Sikowitz" she informed and left the classroom so the gang looked at each other mortified.
"Oh god" Tori said sadly and covered her face. "We are monsters"
"What the hell did just happen?" Sikowitz questioned clearly upset. "You should be ashamed"
"We are" Tori responded.
"We have to do this, it's for her own good" Andre added.
"What?" He questioned confused.
"If we don't make her think we hate her, she is gonna die...literally" Beck informed. "Some psychos are doing a test and they're making us do this"
"What are you talking about? Why don't you just go to the police?" Sikowitz asked.
"We can't, they're watching us…and if something happens, or if Jade realizes we are lying, she will die" Beck affirmed mortified. "Do you understand?"
"Yes…I think so but…I'm not so sure this is going to end well" He responded. "I'd never seen Jade like this, she is so changed"
"I just want her to stay alive"
The rest of the week went by normally, and as the days passed Jade was getting more used to her new usual life. She would go to school, see Beck and Tori making out in the hallways and together at lunch, she would stay alone and then go back home; her father would tell his wife how much he loved her and simply greet Jade like he would greet any stranger. She would lock herself in her room and listen to music, she would stare at the ceiling just thinking about everything and at night, she would take sleeping pills to be able to rest, always deep inside hoping not to wake up the next day because she would face to face her sad and empty life again.
The day to go back to the facility finally arrived and everyone showed up there, the gang stayed together and Jade was a couple of meters away. "Hey everyone" Marilyn said.
"Hi" They said emotionlessly.
"Don't worry, this is the final part…" She informed. "Now, one of you will have to stay here and the rest will leave so whom do you choose?" She questioned and they looked at each other confused; Jade was just looking into space waiting for the answer because she knew she would be the one and Marilyn raised an eyebrow at the gang to make sure they chose her.
"Jade" Beck said and Jade took a breath.
"Good, so my staff will take your bracelets off and give you your part of the money; and Jade, you have to come with me" Marilyn informed and tried to reach her arm but Jade quickly turned to the other side to face her friends.
"Why?" She asked Beck.
"Because someone has to stay" He simply said and she shook her head.
"No! Why did you decide to be with me? I need to know I wasn't just part of some bet, you couldn't have acted all our moments together, I know you couldn't have! Please tell me, tell me before I leave" Jade affirmed with tears in her eyes; they'd never seen her so vulnerable and desperate to give her life a meaning.
"Jade, the truth is…" Beck started with a mortified and sincere face but then Alex put a gun to the back of Jade's head so he took a small breath. "The truth is, I never even looked at you until Andre mentioned you, and then I just tried to go with it but I already told you why…I've never felt anything else, if that's what you're asking" He affirmed as a tear streamed down her pale cheek and she nodded slowly.
"Bye…" Jade simply said as she wiped the tear off her face and left along with Marilyn.
"You son of a bitch" Beck said to Alex madly.
"You can go" He responded.
"What are you gonna do to her?" Tori questioned worriedly but he ignored her and left. Jade was put in the apartment again and she spent the following two days just watching movies and when Monday came, she was set free.
"Okay, Jade, you may go now…But you'll keep the bracelet for a while" Marilyn informed and Jade simply nodded. "Aren't you happy to go back?"
"Bye" Jade responded emotionlessly and walked out so Marilyn and Alex looked at each other smiling.
"It worked, she's gonna lose it" Alex affirmed.
"Oh she already did, another successful test…We'll be able to prove our theory" Marilyn responded. "Let's just give it time"
On Monday the gang was desperately waiting to see Jade at school because they'd been told she'd only be in the apartment for the weekend but they didn't trust those people. They waited for hours but she never appeared and the same thing happened the following four days.
"It's been way too long, where is she?" Beck questioned worriedly.
"I don't know, what if they hurt her?" Tori asked mortified. "They are crazy"
"But why would they do that? Why did they make her stay?" Andre asked.
"We should go face them, make them tell us the truth" Robbie suggested.
"Yes" Cat agreed.
"Yes, yes…we'll do that and they better have an answer" Beck said and drove everyone to the facility; they didn't have to wait too long before Marilyn let them into her office.
"Guys, nice to see you again" She said politely.
"Where is Jade?" Beck questioned upset.
"How could I know that? We set her free on Monday" Marilyn informed.
"You're lying" Tori affirmed and she rolled her eyes.
"No, I'm not…we did set her free and we haven't been tracking her but she is still wearing the bracelet so I could tell you where she is, of course…that would require better manners" Marilyn commented and they sighed upset.
"Tell us…please" Beck said trying to control his anger but he needed to know where she was.
"Fine, let's see what your ex has been up to…"
I hope you guys liked the chapter! What do you think Jade's been doing?
What happened to those reviews? Please review more, i love seeing your thoughts!
