Hope you enjoy!
Passing days turned into passing weeks and before the student population knew it, the play was upon them. Hollywood Arts often saw quick turnarounds for their productions, what with their performers already possessing so much talent that coaching was unnecessary, and with homework often consisting of practising lines.
Beck had worked harder than anyone, spending his spare hours scouring his script for any places where underlying emotions could be thrown into his performance. More than ever, he sought to hone his craft, so he could be one of the few to actually make it as an actor. God knows it had to work out for him.
The first night of Uptown Downton went well, with few mistakes other than the typical couple of opening night slips and minor technical hitches. His own performance, Beck would say, was pretty good, although he was determined to improve on it from one performance to another. The second night, in particular, was important to him, as family had flown in from out of state to see him perform. His grandmother and grandfather, who'd been staying with his Aunt Susan's family in Seattle for the week, had requested especially to come visit to watch him, with Susan and co. also eager to see him perform for what would be their first time in the live audience for years. Beck was overjoyed to see them all in the audience to support him, dimmed slightly by the presence of his least favourite aunt, Pam, also by their side, who he hadn't until that moment known was coming, in addition to the notable absence the empty chair next to them brought his attention to.
Nevertheless, the play's second night went without a hitch, and Beck was pleased to be able to say that his performance had increased a level from the previous night. Whether or not it was because of the added presences, he could not say, but he was content that his family were able to witness a showing that he was proud of.
"It's been so long since I've seen you perform, Beck, I'd forgotten how good you are!" Linda beamed, once the family had returned to Beck's house, looking over at her grandson.
"Thanks, grandma." Beck blushed, hugging the older woman.
"You were so good that I didn't even see my nephew on the stage... I could only see the poor, lovestruck bellhop." Added his aunt Susan, with a flashing grin.
"Ah, thanks guys." Beck replied, scratching the back of his neck in something of an embarrassed tic. "It means a lot that you came out to see it."
"It was our pleasure, young man." This was Ray, Beck's grandfather. "It was a fantastic performance." He added.
"I agree, I thought it was brilliant." Beck's aunt, Pam, added. "Very well executed. That girl was very good, too, I thought, and very beautiful."
"You know, I was just thinking that." Susan said, pointing at Pam. "The chemistry between you two was just palpable." She said, turning to Beck.
"Is she the one you're dating, Beck?" Asked Nicole, Susan's daughter who, a few years younger than Beck, was seemingly already bored of the conversation.
"Uh, no. She's my friend. She's called Tori."
"Well, she's very pretty, anyway." Pam spoke, failing to gauge Beck's discomfort. "You wouldn't be doing badly at all if she was your girlfriend."
"Beck already has a girlfriend." Linda spoke, taking the words right out of Beck's mouth. "She's called... Jade." She continued, looking at Beck for approval after a mental battle to remember the name. Beck smiled back appreciatively.
"Oh, yes, I thought you two had broken up though." Pam replied, sourly.
"No." Beck shook his head.
"They did, but they got back together." Beck's dad added, with an unspoken unfortunately made obvious by his tone. Beck shot him a dark look which the man failed to look up to acknowledge.
"Was she in the play?" Susan's husband, Brian, spoke up, seemingly aware that he had not yet involved himself in the conversation.
"Yes, she was one of the pretty girls in the background, wasn't she Beck?" Linda replied, cheerfully.
"No, she wasn't in the play." Beck replied.
"Oh." Linda said, and creases on her forehead began to appear as she contemplated the crossed wires of memory inside her brain.
"I suppose someone had to be looking after the baby." Susan remarked, looking up connivingly as though revelling in labelling herself the Pandora who had unleashed the evils of humanity, or more specifically Beck and Jade, into the room.
There was a short silence until Beck's mother intervened before it became noticeable. "Well, yes, they could only really have one of them, and you know how valued Beck is by the school. It was really a no-brainer for them."
Beck furrowed his brow but bit his tongue. His whole family were there, after all.
"The school is so prestigious, after all." Pam nodded, as if the two had planned this ambush. "If some, like Beck, are above average, then there must also be those who aren't quite at the level to get the parts."
"She does get parts." Interrupted an irked Beck. "She's just missed a few auditions because she hasn't been at school."
Pam and Beck's mother exchanged a look, and Beck had a feeling that anything he said was lost on them. Their minds were already made up on Jade, much to his irritation.
"So Beck," Linda began, oblivious to the tension of the previous conversation. "when am I going to meet my little great-grandson? I have to say, whilst your play was fantastic, a little ulterior motive of my visit was to get to see the new family member." She chuckled, warmly.
"He's with Jade right now, but I told her to come around with him for dinner if he's still awake, so she should hopefully be over quite soon."
"Oh, wonderful!" Linda exclaimed, clapping her hands.
"Yes, I'm sure it'll be as joyful as the last time she was here." Beck's dad said caustically, and Beck shot him a look.
Sometimes he really didn't understand what his family had against Jade. She was a sixteen year-old girl who liked dark humour and black clothes, but you'd think she was the antichrist itself from the way her parents treated her. He knew he'd certainly rather be around her than the current population of the room, whose favourite pastime was to comment on wallpaper colours or the lives of people he'd never even met.
By the time Jade knocked on the door, he'd already heard about his great uncle's new car, how his old neighbour Cathy had moved to Fresno, and that he should come by to see Linda's house renovations, something which he had absolutely no intention of doing.
"I think you've just saved me from a long, boring death." Beck said as he answered the door, giving Jade a peck as she stepped over the threshold.
"The lawnmower story again?" Jade asked, referring to a frequent Oliver tale about his grandfather Ray's lawnmower which miraculously started working again after being written off.
"Just wallpaper and renovations this time." Beck replied, taking the baby from Jade.
"Ah, play your cards right and you might get to hear a good flan recipe." She smirked.
"Beck, don't hang around by the door, come in!" His father called from the other room, so Beck gestured for Jade and her precious cargo to come through.
"Everyone, you remember Jade." Beck said, as the pair entered the room. "And this is Toby." He said, bouncing the baby on his hip and earning a giggle.
"He's beautiful, Beck." Linda beamed as she stared at her great-grandson.
"Thank you. You wanna hold him?" Beck asked, earning an eager nod.
Jade stiffened beside him as the baby was passed around like a present in a party game. He knew she still didn't love strangers holding her child even if these 'strangers' were his blood relatives.
"So this is the Jade we've heard so much about." Susan began, as Sanah dished up food on everyone's plates. "It's lovely to meet you, hon."
"Nice to meet you too." Jade replied.
"I'm Susan, Beck's favourite aunt." She continued, earning a humorous slap from her sister. "This is my husband Brian and my daughter Nicole."
Jade smiled at each one as they nodded at her.
"So we hear that you're also at this performing arts school?"
"Yeah, I've been there for two and a half years now. It's how we met." Jade replied, gesturing to Beck.
"How sweet." Susan commented, a sickly sweet smile plastering her face. "It's a shame you couldn't be in the play today. We thought it was fantastic."
"Yeah, I've heard it was pretty good." Jade nodded awkwardly.
"You didn't see it?"
"No, I had to look after Toby."
"Ah, yes, I forget that some can juggle both and some can't." Susan mused.
Jade furrowed her brow. Did the woman really want an irritable four month-old baby in the audience of her nephew's play?
"Jade's actually more of a writer, anyway." Beck said, stepping in before his girlfriend could say something he would really rather she didn't. "She writes a lot of plays as well as acting in them."
"Ah, some people are more suited to behind-the-scenes." Pam smiled, and Jade bit her tongue so hard she'd swear it started bleeding.
"What kind of plays have you written, dear?" Linda asked.
"I like tragedies." Jade replied, ignoring Beck's dad's snort. "There's a lot more ways that something can go wrong than go right, so I can be more creative with it."
"What a clever observation." Linda nodded, with genuine interest. "Well, if you ever have one of your plays put on, I'll certainly buy a ticket."
"Thanks." Jade replied genuinely. "I'll make sure that you get an invite."
"Any excuse to see my lovely great-grandson also." Linda added, smiling at Toby, who by this point had been placed in the highchair by Beck's side. "He looks just like you Beck."
"Really?" Beck laughed. "I think he's all Jade."
"Yeah, I'm not sure I see the resemblance either." Susan commented and Jade had to bite back a scathing remark. She'd already agreed to one paternity test, she wasn't going to do another just to convince more of Beck's unbearable family that the child he had fully taken responsibility for was in fact his.
"So Jade," Pam began and Beck almost winced, fearing another tirade. "how does homeschooling at a performing arts school work? Do they send you movies as homework?" She laughed.
Jade furrowed her brow. "I'm not homeschooled. I go in person every day, just like Beck."
"Oh, I would've thought you'd have to stay home to take care of the baby. I didn't realise they let you bring them to school these days." Pam furrowed her brow.
"They don't. He goes to daycare whilst we're at school." Jade explained, and there was an audible response as Beck's aunts murmured.
"Are you sure that's the best thing for him?" Susan enquired. "Y'know, this age is very important for babies' development."
"Well it's what we have to do. We both have to go to school." Jade replied, frustration further brewing.
"You could homeschool." Pam suggested.
"Or go to one of those schools especially for teen mothers." Susan added.
"Or I could go to Hollywood Arts like I have done for the past two years." Jade said through gritted teeth.
"If you think that's what's best." Pam replied, with judgement thick enough to spread on toast.
"So you must barely see the baby then, if he's always at daycare." Said Nicole, tuning back into the conversation.
"No, I have him all the time. He's only at daycare when I'm at school." Jade answered, tired of this interrogation.
"What about when you're at work?" Asked Susan.
"I don't work."
The aunts gasped.
"What? But Beck has a job." Complained Pam.
Jade's mouth gaped open and she looked to the boy in question for support. Sweat pricked at Beck's palms and the back of his neck as he searched for something placating to say.
"When Jade was pregnant we decided that I should get a job when he was born whilst she would probably take on more of the childcare stress." Beck explained. "Jade worked before."
The aunts nodded and Beck feared that his words had gone straight over their heads. It seemed as though their minds were already made up.
"I guess you'll be working full-time anyhow when Beck goes to college." Susan shrugged, unequivocally.
"Given that I'll also be at college, I don't imagine so." Jade responded, thickly.
"It's a discussion for the future." Jeff butted in hastily, as both Susan and Pam gawped, their forks hanging in mid-air before the gaping caverns of their mouths.
Jade remained staring straight forward. She didn't want to look at anyone on the table, but looking down at the sorry sight before her - a noticeably smaller portion than Sanah had dished out on everyone else's plates - or her black fingernails felt like weakness. She would be going to college, she would make sure of it, regardless of how Beck's parents thought their discussion would go.
Beck, meanwhile, felt a stab of guilt. He knew that Jade was firm in her desire to go to college, and he also knew how firmly his parents wanted to stop that from happening. With the decision-making period being over a year away, he had brushed off his parents' comments on the matter rather than insisting that Jade had just as much of a right to a further education as he did. Once more inside his head, he wondered why he could never voice these thoughts aloud.
As if sensing the tension in the air, Toby chose that moment to start to whine. In fairness, he had just sat through a dinner time in which he was fed nothing, and it was already past his bedtime. This fact had not been missed by his mother, who had been trying desperately for the past week to solidify his nighttime routine in the hopes of getting more than four hours sleep herself for once. All for nothing, now, it seemed.
In the blink of an eye, the whining turned into full-blown tears, and Jade didn't hesitate to choose that as her cue to leave. Lord knows, she would've taken anything at that point.
"I think I should go and get him to bed." She sighed, hauling the emotional baby out of his high chair as Beck's relatives tutted around her.
"Are you sure? I can take him tonight if you'd like. It's been a while since he's stayed over and you could catch up on some sleep." Beck suggested, placing a comforting hand on Jade's arm.
Jade had to admit - that was a tempting offer. She didn't like the thought of not being able to monitor Toby at night, but it wasn't as though Beck was incapable. And really she did need the sleep.
"Although," Andrea began, interrupting the moment. "remember you're performing tomorrow, Beck. It would be a shame for the audience to see a sub-par performance from you, especially when you're the only one in the play."
Beck's eyes shot from his aunt to his girlfriend, a glimmer of an apology present in them as he turned to Jade. But she'd already changed her mind.
"Yeah, no, it's fine. I'll take him. I'll see you tomorrow." She said, and Beck's heart sunk. The pair stared at each other for a moment, as though she was challenging his resolve.
He simply nodded in defeat. "I'll come see you out." He said, walking them towards the door.
"Good to know that your family's hatred for me extends beyond your parents." Jade joked caustically once they were out of earshot.
"Jade..."
"You know it's true Beck, don't argue with me on this one."
Beck sighed. She was right. "Well, my grandma likes you at least." He added hopefully.
Jade shrugged. "The sensible part of her brain has probably turned to mush by now."
Beck grimaced at the image. "Babe."
"Sorry." She pulled her car door open and carefully placed Toby in the seat. "I'll see you tomorrow."
"I'm sorry about them. I love you, you know that." Beck said apologetically, as she pulled the driver's side door open.
"I know." She replied, giving him a quick peck on the lips before swinging herself into the car.
Beck waved disheartenedly as she drove away. He seemed to be doing this pensive melancholy thing a lot these days.
Back inside, his relatives were still talking, acknowledging Beck as he returned.
"So that was your girlfriend." Susan nodded provocatively.
"That was her." Beck replied, not looking forward to what was coming next.
"I can't believe she was going to give him to you mid-tantrum, and when you have such a big performance tomorrow too." Pam said, shaking her head. And there it was.
"I offered. She deserves sleep too." Beck replied, to the shock of everyone in the room.
"Beck. There is no need for that tone." His dad snapped, shooting him a look.
For a moment, Beck opened his mouth, ready to protest. To argue against his parents' apparent hatred for the love of his life, to complain about the treatment the mother of his child received from people who were supposed to love him and his family. But it was only a fleeting moment, for he quickly closed his mouth and uttered a quick apology to his aunt.
And, yet again, he let Jade down.