sixteen → jade west

the gorilla club

The tension between Beck and Jade had been palpable for weeks, ever since that night at Robbie's basement when Jade, under the influence, had mistakenly thought Beck had hurt her. Despite Beck's repeated assurances that he would never do such a thing, the incident had opened a Pandora's box of insecurities and misunderstandings that seemed to taint every interaction between them.

It was affecting their friends too. Cat would often cover her ears with her hands, trying to block out the noise of their arguments. Robbie, sensitive soul that he was, often ended up in tears. Andre and Tori were at a loss, unsure of how to mediate between their two friends.

On this particular day, the gang had gathered at the Vega household for a rehearsal. Cat, ever the optimist, greeted Jade cheerfully as she opened the door.

"Oooh, look it's Jade!" she exclaimed, but Jade, already in a foul mood, brushed past her without a word.

"Outta my way," she snapped, her eyes narrowing as she spotted Beck. "What are you doing here?"

Beck, clearly annoyed by her tone, replied tersely, "I'm just helping Tori rehearse for her audition."

Jade's eyes flashed with jealousy, and she couldn't help but throw a barbed comment in Tori's direction. "That's three nights in a row. I know she's bad, but does she really need this much help?"

Tori, not one to back down, responded with a smug smile. "He's teaching me about taking risks."

Jade's face twisted with anger, the words striking a chord deep within her. It was almost verbatim what her mother, Ellen, had said to her a few months ago when Beck had been helping her with her own audition.

FLASHBACK:

After Beck had left Jade's house one evening, Ellen had turned to Jade with a sneer. "What was that street urchin doing here?"

Jade, already on edge from the stress of the upcoming audition, snapped back, "Would you stop insulting my boyfriend? He was just helping me rehearse for my audition!"

Ellen, never one to miss an opportunity to belittle her daughter, retorted, "That's three nights in a row. I know you're bad, but do you really need this much help?"

Jade had felt a sting of hurt at her mother's words, but had pushed it down, refusing to give her the satisfaction of seeing her upset.

BACK TO PRESENT:

As the memory resurfaced, Jade felt a surge of anger. She turned on Beck, her voice rising. "So, what? Now you're giving Tori the same special treatment you used to give me?"

Beck, taken aback by the intensity of her reaction, responded defensively. "Jade, it's not like that. I'm just helping her out."

Jade's eyes flashed with hurt and anger. "Oh, so now I'm not worth helping out?"

Beck, growing frustrated, raised his voice. "That's not what I said!"

As their voices escalated, Tori and Cat exchanged uncomfortable glances. Tori, trying to defuse the situation, interjected, "Guys, can we please just calm down and talk about this?"

But Jade and Beck were beyond listening. They continued to argue, their words tumbling over each other in a cacophony of hurt feelings and misunderstandings. It was clear that this was about more than just a rehearsal. It was about the accumulation of weeks of pent-up frustration and unresolved issues.

As the argument continued, it was evident that neither Beck nor Jade were truly hearing each other. Their words, though not overtly insulting, were laced with hurt and frustration. It was a painful reminder of the chasm that had grown between them, a chasm that seemed to widen with every passing day.