Gosh. There were sooooo many things I could do with this episode. Firstly, look at the title. But I didn't want it to be too similar to Chapter 1. And this one quote really inspired me.

This is their 9th grade year;; kind of a continuation of The Bird Scene chapter. It was hard, and I still feel like this chapter isn't So... just read it :)

&& thank you reviewers :) you make me so happy to know that people liked my story.

Disclaimer: I'm not smart enough to create something as awesome as Victorious.

"Okay. It was kind of my idea, but I didn't think the dog would bug out like that, I just wanted you to have a dog because, I know you talked about getting one ever since I met you, and I thought that maybe-"

"We are hanging out in your RV from now on to do projects," Beck and I stumbled out from the porch light in front of Cat's front door, and into the darkness of the pre-midnight air. "Or over video chat. No one can get distracted there." After tedious hours of prying Cat away from her idiotic giraffe stuffed animal, so she could actually help us with our project, I was just attempting to relieve my severe headache.

"Why?" he looked at me quizzically. "According to her, brother's still in the hospital, so there's not much besides that giraffe that takes away from Cat's attention span."

I shook my head no. Ah, Cat's mentally deranged brother, the one only mentioned but never seen.

Well, he wouldn't get it. Only being at Hollywood Arts for a couple weeks, he didn't know me like everyone else did yet.

And besides the chair-coffee incident, he didn't bother me as much as anyone else. Much more calm, neutral, tranquil, than anyone else that goes to our insane school. A nice break for once.

And now he buys me my coffee all the time, so it's all good.

I shook my head, and looked down. Immediately, I spotted more and more hairs, small little golden wisps, standing out against the black coloring of my shirt.

"The golden retriever," I explained to him, the disgust in my voice obvious. Ugh. My headache was back, and raging. Of all the things I hate...

"What's wrong with Mr. Fluffles?" he asked, and paused to replay what he had just uttered in his head. "I mean, besides the name."

I'm sorry, Cat (well, no, I'm not), but Mr. Fluffles is a stupid name for a dog, is what I wanted to say all evening, but goodie-goodie André kept interrupting me. And after he was dragged away by his grandmother, Robbie took his place instead.

I swear, if they want Cat to get over her metal bipolarness, they need to let her hear the damn truth and move on with life.

A slight smile graced my lips for the barest moment at his words, but I quickly turned it back into my casually annoyed expression before he could see.

"I just hate it when dogs come up and jump on you," I paused to brush off more dog hair that I found, "and the owner says, 'Oh, don't worry, he's friendly,'" I imitated Cat's high-pitched voice.

Beck stopped walking. "Oh. Well, I actually like dogs."

I raised my eyebrows, and turned around to look at him, so that we were standing face-to-face.

"C'mon, man's best friend? Most loyal animal ever?" he tried to sway me.

I shook my head, not convinced. The streetlight above us shone, illuminating the pavement, as well as the disbelief on my face.

"Why not?" he asked. "Dogs can be fun. I always wanted to get one as a kid. Thought it'd be pretty cool. It's just that my 'working-overtime parents'," he put quotations around the words, "said they didn't have the time to take care of it.

"But now I'm older... and I'm an only child... and I really don't have anyone else. Plus, I can take care of him in my RV."

His RV, despite being a useless trailer parked in a driveway, was actually a pretty cool place to hangout. Not that I would admit that to him. I hate boosting people's self-esteem.

I guess they can be a stand-in for the lonely. But Beck's definitely not lonely. He hangs out with our group all the time, from Day 1 of his experience at Hollywood Arts. He always seems to be around Robbie (and that stupid puppet of his), André (who he has seemed to become best friends with), Cat (who he can tolerate the best out of all of us), and me.

"Get a girlfriend," I pointed out the better, much easier (but not necessarily less expensive) option.

He cocked his head sideways. "Yeah... I would. If there were less over-the-top, crazy girls to choose from at Hollywood Arts. I just need someone to be here for me all the time. To support what I do."

We reached the RV, and stopped right in front of it to continue our conversation.

"I'm here," I pointed out. In fact, we seem to always be together a lot, with Robbie trying to update his Slap blog every other hour and Cat and André working on the upcoming, prestigious Talent Showcase. "And you think a dog can compensate for all that?"

He sighed. "Well, yeah. They're smart animals. And you're great to hang out with too, because, you know... you're a very witty person. Plus, I've never met someone who drinks as much coffee as I do."

I allowed him to see a smirk play my lips for a fraction of a second this time. But, what was he getting at?

"But, I dunno. Hanging out in an RV by yourself every day gets boring."

Well, then I was about to help him with that little situation.

"Then I'll spend the night with you," I declared.

He looked taken aback. "What? What do you mean?"

I rolled my eyes. "I'll stay here with you. Keep you company."

He didn't know what to say. Watching him trying to make sense of words, I cut in.

"Look. I honestly don't want to go home anyways. My mom is either high and in the middle of making deals with her stoner boyfriends or drunk and already in bed with them; and I don't want to walk in on either. Plus, you said, you needed the company."

"Just sleeping, right?" he asked, trying to make sense of what I was saying.

I groaned inwardly. Of course, he'd jump to that conclusion.

But if a guy I'd barely known had made me the same offer, I guess I'd be really suspicious. And my proposal was kinda abrupt and out of nowhere.

"Um... sure, then," he opened the door and let me in first.

I'd only been in his little 'home' a few times, but this looked more disorganized than the few other times I'd seen it.

"Sorry, it's a little messy," he muttered, moving past me and shutting the door. "Didn't really know anyone was going to be in here tonight."

"Whatever," I shrugged it off. It was better than home. And it looked a lot more comfortable than the lame ass bed my mom bought me and (never replaced) when I was ten.

I noticed there was an empty tank on the side, left there like it was just forgotten.

"Why don't you just get fish instead?" I asked him. It made more sense, didn't it? They barely needed anything... just a little cleaning and feeding. And they don't get hair all over you.

He shrugged apathetically. "I don't really know how to take care of fish. Besides... all they do is swim around. You can do hundreds of other things with a dog," he explained.

"Yeah. But you can come home and find out your dog is a psychotic mass murderer who's just mauled your dad. Would you like that?"

"There is a thing called friendliness, Jade." I rolled my eyes. Well, if there was, I hadn't been exposed to it enough.

"Just get a dog with a nice personality and you're good to go."

"But fish don't have fur. Shedding fur," I countered.

"I still don't believe that anyone would ever want a fish over a dog. They're so much more lively, they actually do stuff... what can you do with a fish that you can't do with a dog?"

"Well, for one thing: you can peel the guts off the fish's dead body when they 'expire,'" I argued.

That shut him up.

For a while.

Then he realized the situation we were still in. "Here. I'll take the ground, you take the couch." He grabbed two blankets and plopped down on the ground, then tossed one to me.

I settled down on his surprisingly comfortable bed. "You know, I kinda understand why you like living here." It made sense. Away from parents, away from the world, away from everything. Perfect.

"Yeah. It's comfy here. Like it better than the awkward tension in there," he nodded towards the house lights shining from outside the window. He sighed, and I wondered if there was a lot more to that story.

Instead of asking him, I just nodded, and didn't say anything. Although snug, it was somewhat cold in here; I imagined staying in here alone, with no one else.

Which technically was no different from life at home, where my mother was on 'business trips' half the time.

And I guess... having something in here... would be... okay.

He must've been watching me, because he shed his jacket and tossed it over to me.

"You look cold."

Hmph. No one has ever been this nice to me. I'm fairly sure if I had demanded to stay at someone else's place, they would've turned me down. And no one would've ever given me their jacket for comfort.

I was feeling something new, all of a sudden. I think it was called guilt. Dammit.

It made me feel obligated to do something nice back.

So I settled for a small compliment, which ended our long, never-ending debate.

But before I could say anything, he switched the lights off.

"Good night."

I sat there in silence, not sure how fast he was able to fall asleep. Probably would take a while, considering he's wearing a T-shirt and is on the floor with the tiniest blanket I've ever laid eyes on.

Three minutes later and the guilt was still hounding me. How do people deal with this? This is stupid, I should just say something, and the stupid weight will be lifted off my shoulders, and then I will never have to do anything nice again for him.

"You know... I guess... maybe... dogs... would be a better pet than... gut-able fish," I admitted slowly.

And now, I may return to the normal, mean, spiteful Jade.

I couldn't see his expression, but he sounded like he was expecting me to concur with his own opinion.

"I knew you would agree."

I scoffed, and turned over in my little couch area to attempt making eye contact with him through the darkness.

"Don't think it'll happen again," I warned him.

"Maybe it will. Maybe it won't," he said in a sing-songy voice. Don't sound so smug, Becky boy.

But he actually made me think a little. No one has ever stood up to me. And no one, absolutely no one, in my entire life has been this offering and kind.

It was a new feeling.

"Fine," I finally said.

"But, if you get a dog, it's gotta have black fur."

I heard him chuckle.

"And I get to name him Scissors."

So, no, they weren't actually dating in this one (I think you'd probably get that at this point).

And yes, there were so many other things I could do, but I was rewatching the episode, and this quote kinda really stood out for me. & it was a reference to one I 'THINGS I HATE' videos Jade has made on theSlap (yea, I do research :P). I have nothing against dogs though - I have one myself.

I think Jade was a little less mean in this one; mainly 'cause she's just with Beck, and second, they're in the 9th grade at this point. I wanted to write her as a little nicer for back then.

Hope you liked it :) Thanks for reading!