I'm The Boyfriend

Something Is Wrong

Jade sat in Sikowitz' class alone. No one was there yet, she got to school early and went to the classroom first thing after a quick stop at her locker. She didn't even get a coffee from the Asphalt Cafe for fear of running into Beck.

"Jade?"

Great. Out of everyone to be first to the classroom it had to be her ex-boyfriend.

"What?" She snapped.

"I didn't expect you to be here so early. Where's your coffee?" Beck frowned when he didn't see a styrofoam cup in her hand. "You didn't get coffee?"

Jade shrugged.

Beck held out the cup in his hand. "Do you want the rest of mine? It's black, two sugars." He smiled at her.

Jade wasn't about to refuse free coffee even if she wasn't in the mood to deal with Beck. She reached out her arm to take the cup and her black sleeve slipped down her arm enough to reveal some new scars with her old ones.

Beck gasped. "Are those new?" He asked with concern. "Jade, why did you-"

Jade noticed what he was staring at and quickly switched hands to grab the coffee with other hand. "No. They're old. Don't worry about it." She snapped, pulling her arm closer to her.

Beck frowned. "Jade-"

"I said don't worry about it!" Jade yelled at him then she turned her head sharply away from him to ignore him.

"And what the hell is that?!" Beck gasped again when he saw a bruise on her neck. He reached towards her and brushed back her black hair to get a better look at the bruise on her neck.

"It's none of your business!" Jade yelled slapping his hand away. "We're not together anymore so leave me alone!"

Beck frowned. "That doesn't mean I stopped caring about you." He pulled his hand back as he took a step back.

Jade huffed. "If you cared about me you would have opened the door." She said in a bitter, biting tone. "Go away."

"Jade, I-"

"Beck!" She snapped again, then she sighed. "I'm serious. Just go away." She stated in a defeated tone. He never herd her sound so despondent before.

Beck sighed. He ran a hand through his hair then he went to sit down on the other side of the room. The room filled with awkward tension as Beck tried to steal glances and Jade tried to avoid his gaze. It felt like a century had passed before the rest of the class filed into the room. Their friends were chatting about some song Cat heard in a store and then Ethan plopped down beside Jade and put his arm around her just like Beck used to when they were dating.

"This spot taken?" He asked in a cocky tone of voice. "Did you show off my branding?" He said planting a sloppy kiss on her pale cheek. "Did the ex get all jealous?" He whispered in her ear.

Jade sighed. "No. Forget about him." She turned to face Ethan. "Are we hanging out tonight?" She said loud enough for Beck to hear her.

"Maybe, I gotta see what the guys are up to first." Ethan shrugged. "But you can come hang if you want." He leaned closer to her. "If you play nice."

"Fine." Jade sighed.

"Good girl."

Beck watched Jade and Ethan interacting with each other, there was something off about it, Jade wasn't arguing. She wasn't snapping at him or starting a fight, not even one little disagreement. She just sighed and gave in. She was very agreeable, which was very unlike the Jade he knew and loved.

After class when his friends were all gathered by Beck's locker chatting he decided to ask them if they noticed too.

"Hey, did Jade seem a little off today?" Beck asked his friends.

"Umm No. She seemed just as unpleasant as usual." Tori said.

"Yeah, she seemed the same to me." Robbie stated. Thankfully he didn't have Rex with him to make a joke about Jade.

"Me too." Andre shrugged.

"She kinda seemed a little less fighty." Cat answered. "But maybe she doesn't fight with her new boyfriend as much as she used to fight with you?"

Beck frowned.

"Sorry." Cat whispered.

"I think something is wrong." Beck ran his hand through his hair. "There is something about that guy I don't like."

"Could it be that he is dating your ex?" Andre offered.

"And you're a little.. ya know.. jealous?" Tori suggested.

Beck huffed. "I'm not jealous. I just don't trust him and I don't want him around Jade." Beck snapped then he slammed his locker making Cat and Robbie jump. "Let's go to our next class." He muttered then he walked off, leaving his friends.

"Why won't he admit he's jealous?" Andre sighed.

"Pride?" Tori shrugged.

"Wow. I've never seen Beck jealous before." Robbie stated. "It's kinda scary. He's almost as bad as Jade." He shuddered. "Speaking of Jade.. Did she ever come out of the janitors closet? We have to get to class soon. The bell just rang and I haven't seen her since."

"I didn't see her, but I am not going in to get her." Tori said as she adjusted her monster sized tote bag. "Let's just get to class. If she's late that's on her."

Andre nodded and walked off with Tori. "Jade can skip class if she wants to, I ain't saying nuthin." He shook his head.

Cat glanced over at the door to the janitor's  closet with a pout on her face. She wondered if Jade was doing okay. She went in there after Sikowitz class and she had yet to come out.

"Come on, Cat." Robbie said stopping to wait for her. "We don't wanna be late to class." He waved her to follow him.

"Robbie, I'm a little worried."

Robbie gave her a reassuring smile. "Beck will be okay, Cat. I know it's weird to see him acting jealous, but ya know what I think? I think Jade is gonna see Beck acting jealous and get back together with him then she'll stop dating that scary guy and everything will be back to normal soon."

"I hope so, but I'm actually more worried about Jade. I thought she'd be happy dating someone else, but I don't think she is, and I know Beck isn't happy that she's dating someone else and that Ethan guy is not a nice guy." Cat rambled. "Sure Jade isn't nice either, but sometimes she is, she at least likes me, but Ethan doesn't  and what if Jade stops liking me because he doesn't."

"That won't happen, Cat. I know it doesn't always seem like it because of Jade's harsh personality, but you have to remember that you are her best friend. You've been her friend since elementary school. Way longer than any of the rest of us have known each other. I think that means a lot to Jade even if she doesn't say it." He said as they walked past the janitor's closet and down the hall to go to their next class.

The door to the janitor's closet was slightly cracked and Jade was standing on the other side. She sighed. "It does mean a lot to me, Cat. You were my only friend for so long." She looked down at the dried blood on her wrist. "You were the only one who never left me behind." Jade pulled down her sleeve and wiped the tears from her eyes. "Even Beck left me when he promised he never would."

She opened the door and walked out to go to her next class, not caring if she was late or if she even went there at all.

"Interesting." Ethan smirked. "So that's what she does in that closet."