Disclaimer: I wish I did.
A/N: So I'm sitting here in the library at school between classes, discussing fanfiction with a friend and I decided I would give you guys a morning update (because someone mentioned a morning update and I have the next 10 minutes free...), since I usually don't have a chance to until after classes. People might not like Andre soon, but toward the end of this chapter is pretty important. Some things just don't happen randomly...
So while I get over the feeling that I failed my test this morning, please enjoy the following chapter. (I have the next two written, so whenever I feel like updating I will.)
Chapter 6
"What do you think they're talking about?"
"Does it really matter?"
I roll my eyes and glance at Jade. "Yeah, it sort of does, especially since I may have snapped at Andre on Friday." She raises her brow. "He was getting on my case about us. He thinks it's messed up that you and I have been nicer to each other since the attack, considering we figured out that you and I have been talking about dating or whatever since then, and that was right after you and Beck broke up, so naturally I was after you." I shake my head. I don't want to tell her how he said I was becoming like her.
"Damn, Vega, I never thought I'd ever hear that you snapped at your best friend." She smirks and glances toward our friends in the food court. "So do you want to go over there and sit with them and apologize to Andre?" Before I can respond, she threads her fingers between mine and pulls me toward the table that was currently seating four, plus Rex. She pushes me into the chair next to Andre, her hand still in mine. Without looking at me, Andre wipes his hands free of pizza sauce, stands and grabs his tray, walking away from us without a word. I frown and glance at Beck, who shrugs before turning back to Cat and engaging her in some conversation she probably won't hold. Jade squeezes my fingers and sighs. "I guess that's not going to work. Maybe he'll be better on Monday."
I nod and pull my hand from hers. "Do you want anything to eat?" She nods and I leave her with the rest of the group, heading over to the pizzeria. The line is so long, but I know Jade won't eat anything else in this place, and our friends are mad at me, maybe at her, so I can't go back just yet. Why did I have to snap at Andre? I wish he hadn't been so judgmental, acting as though Jade and I planned this, but I couldn't help it.
He acted like one of those friends who absolutely hates the boyfriend or girlfriend of his best friend, which I don't get because Jade's one of his friends too. And I know Beck's been his best friend forever, so he's probably chosen Beck's side over the breakup between Beck and Jade, but Beck's cool with his ex-girlfriend dating me, so why can't Andre? Hell, even Trina, in her weird protective sisterly way, is okay with my relationship with Jade. She even encourages it almost, which is definitely strange for her because she usually only cares about her or trying to hook up with someone I date. I doubt that she would ever go for Jade, considering one, Jade's a girl and two, Jade hates her and she hates Jade.
None of this really makes any sense. I like Jade a lot, and yes, I know she and Beck broke up the same night that we went and got ourselves into that mess, and I kissed her two days after that, but it's not like we just jumped into a relationship and said "Fuck you" to everyone else. We've considered everyone else, as well as ourselves. And I'm glad we didn't start dating back then. That would have been one hundred times worse and I don't think we would have been ready to be together before we even figured anything out.
Slender arms slip around my waist and I lean back into the familiar body that I recognize as Jade, even though this is the first time we've even been like this. She rests her chin on my shoulder, and I remember that we're standing in the middle of a crowded food court, and I'm still in line for our pizza. I need to stop thinking sometimes or I'm going to lose my mind. "You know we could skip the food and just go," she suggests in a whisper and there's something in her voice that tells me she didn't have a very nice chat with Beck.
"Is everything alright?" I ask. I can see Beck and Cat with Robbie at the same table, Beck and Cat still lost in their conversation and Robbie trying to get their attention.
She shrugs. "That depends. Do you really want to stand here forever and wait for pizza or do you want to go eat a proper dinner?" I smile and she kisses my cheek, fingers slipping through mine as she pulls me toward the mall entrance. "Beck and I talked for a few minutes," she says, completely randomly once we're in the car, but I'm interested. "There's something that you and Andre need to discuss, something I do know about, but you need to hear it straight from his mouth. And I just want you to know that whatever you do is your decision."
"Jade…you're not…We just started dating." She frowns at this. "You're not breaking up with me, are you? Just because I snapped at Andre doesn't mean that I'm mad at him or anything for butting into our relationship, but I need…"
"Be quiet for a minute, Vega. I don't know where that 'breaking up with you' idea came from, but that's not even close. I just…I called Andre. He's going to meet us, but he isn't staying long. He only agreed to meet us so that you could talk to him, even though he doesn't want to." She pulls into the Chinese restaurant parking lot and I notice Andre leaning against his car. "Go on, talk to him. I'll meet you at the door."
I nod and climb out of the car, and she heads for the front door of the restaurant. Andre nods in my direction and I lean against Jade's car. "Look, Tori…about what I said to you earlier, I'm not cool with you dating Jade, simply because she's Beck's ex-girlfriend and friends don't date friend's exes. I was going to ask you out. I wanted to go out with you, but you yelled at me because I was trying to explain why it was a bad idea for you to date. If this is how you're going to act when you're barely dating her, how's it going to be when you're with her for a month? She's a bad influence on you."
"I don't need you to be my parent, Andre. I think I can handle myself. And I already told you, this whole thing with Jade wasn't on purpose. We talked about this more than anything, I promise you, and I don't think you're the one to say I don't belong with her. I only see you as a friend, Andre…nothing more. You're like my best friend."
He sighs and rubs the back of his neck. "Yeah, alright, I get it. Have fun with Jade, enjoy her or whatever. But the second she hurts you, I'm not going to be there. I warned you."
Andre turns to open his car door and I hold it closed. "Did she ever hurt Beck? They were together for two years, and he wouldn't stay with her if she hurt him, Andre. Why are you so worried she's going to hurt me?"
He slams his hand on the door. "You don't fucking get it, do you? Jade hurts anyone and everyone. She has hurt Beck, but he was so in love with her that he stayed with her. The only reason he broke up with her was because…You know what, their relationship is none of your business. It's not even mine. So just go."
I watch as he leaves and turn to find Jade standing outside the double doors. She's frowning, as if she heard our conversation, and I can't help but think that she did. How did she hurt Beck? Would she really hurt me in the same way?
BREAK
Jade drives home, to the house I've only been to twice in my life, and we head inside. It's late Sunday night and we have school in the morning, but my parents thought it would be okay if I stayed over at Jade's, thanks to Jade convincing them that she didn't want to be home alone, but she needed to be home instead of at my house. So here we were, climbing the stairs to the second floor, and I follow her into a bedroom, walls black as expected, but it wasn't the typical bedroom of a Goth girl. As much as she enjoys death and gore, there was nothing in her room that revealed that about her. There were, however, posters of Metal bands on her walls, which I did expect.
"Jade, can I ask you a question about what Andre told me?" She shrugs and nods once. "He said you hurt Beck when you were dating him. If you hurt him, why did he stay with you? Usually when someone hurts someone else, that person leaves them."
She frowns. "Well, I didn't hurt Beck like you probably think I did. I didn't cheat on him, and I didn't hurt him physically. I didn't intend for it to happen, but there was this guy, a gang member, and he wanted me to do things for him…things that I'm not going to tell you, but they were enough that when I refused, the guy threatened to kill Beck if I didn't do them. That same day, the guy was arrested, along with most of the gang. Beck had found out and tipped the cops and one of the guys escaped and attacked him. Obviously he wasn't killed, but he was beaten. And it was my fault. Andre's only been sticking around for Beck…he doesn't exactly enjoy my company." She shrugs. "Beck stayed with me because he loved me."
"So Andre thinks the same thing's going to happen to me?"
She sighs. "It sort of already did, Vega…except we weren't together. And you were supposed to be home and out of harm's way." She turns away from me. "I'll be damned if it ever happens again and if anyone even comes close to you, they'll regret it."