"You should perform at the Full Moon Jam," Cat suggested, standing next to Jade as she took out her books from her locker. "Sing a song. It'll be fun!"

Jade shut her locker, turning to the perky red head she called a best friend. "Oh please, Vega will probably perform and then all eyes will be on her, not me."

Cat shook her head. "Nope! Tori isn't performing this time. Not very many people are. So you can perform a song, and all eyes will be on you!"

Jade sighed, her nostrils flaring. "I don't know. I don't even have a song ready."

"Write one!" Cat giggled excitedly. "Ooh, maybe you can sing a song for Beck, and you two can get back together! How great would that be?"

"Impossible."

"Well, just write a song and perform it," Cat grinned. "It'll be a great opportunity for you since you have yet to sing a song by yourself."

Jade shrugged, slinging her Gears Of War bag over her shoulder. "I guess so. I'll think about it."

"Yay!"

"I gotta get to class now," the goth announced, already walking away. "See ya kitty."

"Bye!"

~•~•~

Beck kept his eyes on Zach all day.

He didn't have any classes with the guy, but he made sure to know exactly what he was doing.

He may have sounded like a stalker, but he couldn't help it. He was very protective of the people he loved.

And by people he loved, he meant Jade.

If anything happened to her, god knows what he would do.

She was everything to him.

"I suggest you stay away from Jade," a voice warned from being him.

Beck whipped around to face no other than Zach.

"Me?" Beck scoffed. "I suggest you stay away from Jade."

Zach chuckled lightly, taking a step towards him. "No can do, pretty boy. As I've told you before, I always get what I want. And you can't stop me."

Beck narrowed his eyes at the blonde boy, and they were both glaring intensely at each other. Beck was seconds away from punching his face in.

"By the way," Zach smirked before he walked away. "Her body is incredible."

Zach didn't get the chance to walk away.

A swift punch in the jaw made him buck over in pain, and soon the hallway was crowded with students watching the fight that had now started.

Beck grabbed Zach's collar, lifting him off the ground as he slammed him against a random locker. Zach was groaning in pain.

"If you ever talk about her like that again, I will do much worse," Beck growled, slamming the blonde harder against the lockers. "Stay the hell away from her, or I swear to god I will not hesitate to kill you. Got it?"

Zach didn't answer, just shot the tanned-skin Canadian a wicked glare.

Beck smiled. "Good. Glad we cleared things up."

He let go of Zach, walking away, everyone's eyes on him.

Even Jade's, who was watching from her place at her own locker.

~•~•~

"Beck Oliver, please make your way to the principal's office," the intercom blasted as Beck sat in class, causing him to groan.

He stood up and headed out of class and to the principal office unhappily.

"Good afternoon, Beckett," Principal Helen greeted the boy as he walked inside, gesturing for him to sit in the chair in front of her desk.

"It's Beck," he grumbled, slouching in the seat.

"Well, Beck," Helen quirked an eyebrow. "I've heard you've gotten into a fight with Mister Zach Grayson, correct?"

"Mhm."

"May I ask why, exactly?"

"He was insulting my girl... ex-girlfriend."

Helen nodded. "I see...care to tell me what exactly was he saying about your ex-girlfriend?"

"Inappropriate things," Beck replied, crossing his arms over his chest as he slouched further in his chair.

"More specific, please."

"He was talking about her body, alright?" Beck snapped, annoyed. "Can I go now?"

Helen placed her hands on the desk, lacing her fingers together. "I understand that you're upset about what things Zach might've said about your ex, but you also need to understand that violence is never the answer."

Beck rolled his eyes. "That's what she also told me."

"Who?"

"My ex."

"May I ask who your ex is?"

Beck sighed. "Jade."

"Jade who?"

"Jade West."

Helen nodded again. "Hmm, I see. Well, you do understand that I can't let you off the hook, right?"

Beck shrugged. "Give me detention, suspension, don't care. I did what I did and I do not regret it. He deserved that broken jaw and much more."

Helen let out a sigh. "Suspension for a week. And another week of detention when you get back. Understand?"

Beck nodded. "Sure."

"You may leave."

Beck didn't think twice as he immediately ran out the door, not bothering to shut it behind him.

~•~•~

"What the hell, Beck?!"

Beck's nostrils flared as he stopped in his tracks, turning around to face his ex-girlfriend.

"What?"

"I told you not to hurt him yet!"

"Do you think I give a chiz?" Beck let out an unamused chuckle, shaking his head. "If I hadn't done what I did, he would've gotten to you. He would've touched you. A little broken jaw is nothing."

"Beck, you don't understand- "

"No, I think I understand perfectly," he cut her off. "I protected you, and this is the thanks I get. You should know dang well that I would never let anything happen to you. And if I get killed for protecting you, then fine. So be it. You should understand that I would do anything and everything to keep you safe, Jade. I hope you know that."

Jade looked up at him, her eyes glossy. "Why?"

"Because you're my friend, for god's sake!" Beck yelled at her, making her practically flinch at the harsh tone of his voice.

"Beck," she whispered quietly, her eyes on the ground. "You know dang well that we could never be just friends."

"You're the one who said you wanted to be just friends!" Beck exclaimed, running a hand down his face in irritation.

Jade licked her lips, swallowing thickly. "Not anymore. We can either be together, or strangers. Nothing in between."

Beck gave her an annoyed look.

"Whatever, I don't care anymore," Beck sighed, running his fingers through his hair in exhaustion. "We can't be together, Jade. You know that."

Jade nodded, smiling weakly as tears blurred her vision. "Strangers it is, then."

---------