Chapter 3

OMG I know… (Jade's mock Tori voice) Two updates in one day, you say?! Well, I finished my algebra homework faster than expected, and I JUST BOUGHT THE NEW VICTORIOUS ALBUM, so I thought I'd sprinkle my little reader's minds :)

Jade's POV

This isn't happening. This just isn't happening. Nope. I'm in my room, having another nightmare. But when Beck protectively wraps his arms around me, I know it's real. And the sad thing is the rest of the gang will find out. I hear him walking up the steps, still talking on the phone.

"Why is everything so quiet?" Tori suddenly blurts out. Beck and I shush her.

"I'm gonna say this once and no questions: run and hide in a smart place!" I run upstairs, Beck following behind me. I see Cat hide in the coat closet, squirming behind a big box that covers her little body. I reach my room and Beck gets in my clothes hamper and stuffs himself in there. I roll my eyes but freeze when I hear the front door open. I frantically slide under my bed, feeling like Cat. I hear my dad slam his stuff down on the table and curse loudly. Great, he's in a bad mood. My heart pounds in my chest when I hear the creak of the coat closet opening. Oh God Cat, please don't make a sound.

"Why are you hiding in my closet?!" I figure my wish didn't come true. I try to keep quiet, but I hear Cat's cry for help and jump from under my bed.

"Cat!" I scream as I run down the stairs. I see my father holding Cat up by her hair, a Swiss army knife in his hand.

"Since when the hell did you get a Swiss army knife?" I ask my dad.

"Jade!" Beck yells, running down the stairs.

"Beck!" Tori screeches, coming from her hiding spot under the staircase.

"Cat!" she giggles. Everyone turns to her. "I thought we were just calling each other's names." My dad shoves her on the ground. She yelps.

"Don't you dare touch her again," I growl at him. Andre and Robbie join us from their hidden spots in the house. My dad walks up to me and I reach for my scissors. Except I don't have my boots on.

"Crap," I mumble as look back up at him. He throws the knife at me, but I duck and dives into the wall behind me. He grabs me by my promise ring necklace and chokes me.

"I thought I told you not to wear this," he says through gritted teeth. My hands reach to my neck as I gasp for air.

"You thought… wrong," I say in hoarse voice.

"She can wear whatever she wants." Beck kicks him off of me. I crawl away from them and cough, trying to get some air. When I gain my strength back, I turn around and see my dad and Beck wrestling on the ground.

"Do something!" I yell at Andre, my voice still gone. "Their killing each other!"

"Call 911!" Cat says.

"No! We can't call them or else we'll get eaten alive by him!" I point to my father. He throws a punch to Beck's face and I begin to panic. Andre runs over to the other side of the living room and unplugs a lamp. He slams it on my dad's head, causing him to pass out.

"So… your dad's a cannibal?" Cat questions my statement from earlier.

"It was a figure of speech!" I roll my eyes. I hear Beck cough and I instantly turn my attention to him. He turns on his side and just lies there. I run to him and sit beside him.

"Beck, baby? Can you hear me?" I whisper softly just loud enough for him to hear. His broken face is fixed when a big grin appears in his face, but his eyes are still closed. His hand reaches for mine and I rub over his hand with my thumb.

"Do you have a first aid kit?" Robbie asks me.

"My dad threw all of them away," I shake my head. "Just drive me to his RV. I'll take care of him. You guys came in a separate car, right?"

"Yeah. Tori, Robbie and Cat can drive my car over to her house since we were planning on going over there, anyways. I'll drive you Beck," Andre says. I nod and look back down at Beck. He has a bleeding nose, his jaw looks like it hurts, and a deep cut across his neck.

"Jade, maybe we should call-"

"No. You don't understand. If we call for help, then we have to tell them. And explain why there's a man knocked out in my house with a knife stuck in the wall," I ramble. But how did Beck get that huge gash on his neck. I look at my father and see something glimmering in the light next to him. I look more closely and see a pocket knife. I walk upstairs and grab my jacket and purse, feeling so guilty for no getting help for my own boyfriend. I walk back downstairs and see Beck being carried out by Andre. I walk in my kitchen, throw some ice in a zip lock bag and walk out to Beck's car. I notice Robbie and Tori driving away and Andre and Cat sitting in the front of Beck's car. I crawl in the backseat, placing Beck's head in my lap since he's sprawled out in the back. I take the ice out of my purse and gently hold onto Beck's jaw. Cat and Andre are having their own conversation in the front. I grab Beck's hand and use my other hand to stroke his hair.

"Thanks babe," Beck whispers from under me, opening his eyes. I should be thanking him. He just got his ass kicked for me. And I did nothing. I feel really guilty now because I didn't take him to the hospital or help him earlier. The guilt becomes harder to bear.

"Drive to the hospital," I snap at Andre.

"But you said-"

"I know what I said. Now shut up and haul ass to the hospital," I cut him off. He makes a U-turn and drives straight to the hospital. Within five minutes we reach the hospital and I climb out. Beck slowly gets out of the car and Andre helps him walk in the building. Crap. He's limping too? Cat and I walk up to the front desk.

"How may I help you?" A perky brunette smiles behind the counter. God, this is a hospital, not a jump castle! Quit smiling! I decide to keep my comments to myself for Beck's sake.

"Yeah my boyfriend… fell down the stairs and hurt himself. He has a bloody nose, a sore jaw, a gash on his neck and a hurt ankle," I say. She looks a little lost.

"He got all that from falling down the stairs?" She questions.

"Uh, there was a vase sitting on the stairs and when he fell, it broke." Cat compromises. This is when I love Cat the most as a best friend. Lying for her best friend. The lady nods in understanding.

"Okay. Sit down and a doctor will be out shortly. What's his name?" She asks.

"Beck Oliver," I answer. She nods and Cat and I got to sit by Andre and Beck.

"So, what'd you tell her?" Beck asks.

"I said you fell down some stairs and then Cat said you got the cut on your neck by falling on a vase on your way down," I tell him simply. He nods and wraps an arm around my shoulders. A few minutes later, a doctor comes out calling Beck's name. Only one person could come back with him, so I immediately stand up and walk with Beck to the hospital room. When we get there, I roll my eyes at the boring white walls.

"How did this happen?" The doctor asks. I didn't even pay attention enough to catch his name.

"I fell down some stairs and as I was falling, I hit a vase, which shattered and cut my neck," Beck explains. Good thing he got the story right.

"Alright," the doctor says. "Let's take you to the back to get some x-rays. Miss, please stay back here." I begin to protest, but Beck gives me a look so I keep quiet. They walk out the room and I check my phone. Six messages from Cat and two from Robbie and Tori. I open Cat's first.

Oh my God, is Beck ok?

Hello?!

I would like to know about my friend!

1 time, my brother fell down the stairs. He got a broken ankle.

Answer me!

Fine. B that way :'(

I sigh and just ignore her texts. We just got here and she's already blowing up my phone. I don't even bother to open Tori and Robbie's. Suddenly, I get a text from Beck.

Hey babe, wanted to let u know my jaw, nose and ankle are bruised. I have to wrap my ankle and put 1 of those stupid butterfly band-aids over my nose. I'm getting dissolvable stiches in my neck. B bac in abt 20. Love u.

I sigh and just stare down the text message. Stiches? I didn't know it was that bad. Now I feel really guilty. I got everyone in this mess and look what happened. I decide to text him back.

Ok, love u 2.

I lean my head against the wall behind me and just sit there, waiting on Beck to come back looking even worse. About 15 minutes later, they return. Beck has one of those band-aids over his nose and an ice pack on his jaw. His cut is stitched up but I can't see his ankle.

"You'll need to do all of this for him since he'll probably forget," the doctor tells me. I stand up. "Clean his cut with peroxide every night and rub this ointment on it for a week. Make sure he wraps his ankle for eight days. Got it?" He hands me the ointment and I nod.

"You're free to go, Beck." The doctor opens the door and we walk out to the waiting room, seeing Cat playing with the toys in the corner.

"I'm fine," Beck says to Andre and Cat.

"Fine? He has a bruised jaw, nose and ankle and he had to get stiches. Therefore, you are not fine," I tell Beck. He holds his hands up defensively. Andre and Cat drop us off at Beck's RV. As we settle into his bed, he wraps his arms around me and pulls me close. I rest my head on his chest.

"You okay?" Beck asks.

"Yeah. I'm fine," I lie.