A/N: I love all of your reviews so far. Does anyone have a favorite yet? Maybe you'll like this one! Oh and I should have a new chapter for "Wish You Were Here" up soon.

Speaking of which; I hope with this anthology I didn't disappoint anyone by making you think I was now starting a series of shorts inspired by Pink Floyd lol

SONG:

"Waterloo" was written by Benny Andersson, Björn Ulvaeus and Stig Anderson

Beck looked around for Jade but was pretty sure where he would find her.

Opening the janitor's closet, there was the goth on the floor, hugging her knees.

"Good thing there's no bears in here," Beck said. "You're supposed to make yourself look bigger, not smaller."

Jade just shot him a classic death glare.

"I just got detention, didn't I?"

"Oh, shut up!" Jade spat. "I'm not the fucking teacher, okay?"

He sat beside her.

"Good thing, because that would make what Tori did very inappropriate."

"Are you trying to get murdered, Oliver?"

"If it helps, she's pretty humiliated."

Jade looked up at the ceiling, her face looking flushed.

(Had she been crying?)

Beck couldn't be so sure.

"I take it that news doesn't make you feel better."

Jade growled and stood up, pacing around the tiny room. She looked like one of those big cats at the zoo in her cage. Beck just watched his ex-girlfriend move back and forth.

He knew she had a lot of things on her plate and that was the reason for the split. But today made him think differently. Maybe it wasn't something but someone.

"Jade, I'm gonna get dizzy if you don't stop moving."

She paused and looked down at Beck.

"You're at prime kicking height. If you have anything useful to say, better say it now."

"Wow, I really miss that Jade West charm" he grinned. "But that isn't why I came here."

Jade folded her arms.

"Then what is it?" she asked.

"I've seen you during rehearsals, finals, bad reviews in the school paper. I know stressed Jade and she didn't look like this. What's bugging you?"

She turned away from him.

"Your desire to understand and be," she shuddered. "...compassionate can be really annoying."

He stood up to be at her level again.

"Alright, enough banter. Old Jade would have yelled at Tori for invading her personal space or drag her out of the classroom. But you didn't. You ran off like you couldn't stand the heat."

"Heat? What heat?"

"Do I have to spell it out?" he huffed. "You like Tori."

"No, I don't!" Jade protested.

Beck leaned in and studied her face.

"You're lying," he said.

"What?" her voice cracked.

"Your pupils dilated when I mentioned her name. That doesn't look like a girl who means nothing to you."

Jade was speechless.

(What is he, a witch?)

"Let's try something else."

He then did something unexpected. Beck took Jade's arms gently and overturned then, exposing the wrists. He held one in each hand, caressing the artery.

She didn't protest but she was on her guard.

"Close your eyes, Jade" Beck said.

He was acting strange, but he wasn't giving off any bad vibes so for morbid curiosity, she continued to allow this. Jade obligingly closed her eyes to get it over with.

"Tori Vega," he said.

Jade sighed and a slight smile formed on her lips.

"There it is!"

Jade quickly took her arms back and folded them back defensively.

"There what is?"

"Your pulse raced when I mentioned Tori."

"My pulse?" she asked, confused.

Beck's stint as a lifeguard this past summer forced him to be versed in CPR and other first aid techniques.

"Okay, so my heart beats faster when I think about Tori. Maybe I'm plotting her demise."

He gave her a look like he wasn't buying it.

Jade then began tapping her foot, which was new. Beck didn't see her this tightly wound up before.

"What are you afraid of?" he asked.

"Excuse me! I'm not afraid of anything!"

"So, it's no big deal to you if maybe you're gay or bi."

"Yeah!"

Beck added "And it's no big deal that Tori's your friend now?"

"Yeah," she shrugged.

"And if she really likes you?"

"Yeah?"

"Maybe you want to kiss her?"

"Yes."

Jade's face fell when the words left her mouth.

"I...no, wait...I..."

"It's not your fault, Jade" he smiled.

"What's not my fault?"

"You can't help who you fall in love with. But the chance that she might feel the same way scares you. Doesn't it?"

Jade's lips trembled. He never broke eye contact. She was confronted with this question. It had never been said out loud before. EVER. All the things that were swirling in her mind for months; Jade felt like her head was going to become Mount St. Helens.

"I want you to be honest with me. With yourself."

Jade was shaking.

"Say it out loud. Just get it out."

"I think I'm in love with Tori," came rolling out of her mouth like an avalanche of words.

He stepped back and relaxed his stance.

"How do you feel?" he asked.

"Like I'm gonna throw up."

Suddenly, the Canadian burst into a fit of laughter. He was so overcome he started holding his sides.

"What's so goddamn funny?"

"Nothing," he giggled. "Nothing. I just didn't expect that after we broke up I'd help you navigate toward your new crush."

Jade stood there, hopelessly embarrassed. She flashed back to that awkward night at the club. Was this what lay ahead? If she were to admit her feelings toward Tori. Or bigger yet, to be out. Would she be subject to ridicule? Hatred?

Beck sensed that she wasn't amused by how he was acting and promptly put himself together.

"Hey, I'm sorry" he said. "I know it wasn't easy to admit what you admitted."

Jade began to tear up and hug Beck. It wasn't romantic. It was familiar, like a dear friend.

He hugged her back and looked at her.

"If you're not ready that's fine. Your secret's safe with me. I just wanted you to come to grips with it. But sharing that with others, that's your decision. Okay?"

The goth let out the deepest of breaths. It was scary but also exhilarating. Even when she was by herself, Jade didn't mention these things aloud.

Going out with Beck was a slam dunk in the beginning. He was good-looking, popular, loyal, had a very chill demeanor. For a girl in high school he checked all of the boxes. But this new burning inside of her when Tori enters her headspace (which was increasing in frequency) is new. And it was frightening.

So much to gain from being honest with herself but there was also a lot to risk.

She didn't know what to do.

They both exited the closet together. The halls were empty as it was between classes.

"Hey."

"What?" asked Beck.

"Thanks," Jade said gesturing to the closet.

"For what?"

"For being an insufferable goober who should mind his own business."

He picked up his backpack and hung it over his shoulder.

"Well, you know me" he quipped. "So what now?"

Jade sighed and crossed her arms.

"Things are too raw right now. For both of us. Need to let that breathe for a minute."

"Don't be shocked if she avoids you for a while," he said.

Jade closed her eyes, cursing herself over having such a negative reaction. She was more caught off guard than anything else.

In all honesty, the kiss was sweet when she looked back on it.

She touched her cheek where Tori planted her lips.

The fire intensified.

(Okay, Vega. You win. You imprinted on me and now I'm in love. Well, shit.)