The Tip of the Tongue (Put Me Back Together)

Act 1: Part 2: The Meeting

Avoiding Beck Oliver is much easier than one would expect, especially since he's never alone. Either Jade is around him, which is quite often, or girls are circling around him, which easily gives away his location.

The girls who follow him in Jade's absence are bold, you are not. You would rather be partnered with someone like Sinjin Van Cleef who sticks chowed food to his locker and calls it art. At least if you were partnered with him, your life wouldn't be in any danger.

The more you watch out for Beck to avoid him, the more you start to understand and you actually feel bad for both Beck and Jade. Beck, who never gets an ounce of time to himself since girls are always pouncing on him when Jade is away, and Jade, who undoubtedly deserves the right to be protective of Beck since most girls ignore the fact that Beck is in a relationship. Maybe Jade goes a little overboard, but do the girls at this school understand boundaries?

It shouldn't matter, it's not your place. Yet, you empathize with them both. Despite this eye-opening understanding of one of the most gossiped couples of the school, you still avoid Beck. You know your place, you aren't popular nor are you bullied. You are forgotten, a background character in everyone's story at Hollywood Arts. You like it this way and having Jade West on your radar is the opposite of that.

When the bell signals the end of the fourth period, you begin your habitual routine for lunch. You make your way to the science wing and enter the restrooms. After making sure it's clear, you enter the stall near the door. You make sure to lock the stall before setting your backpack on the stall door hook. You settle onto the toilet and pull your legs to your chest. From the crack of the stall door, you see two girls walk in.

"Gross, it reeks of weed! We should have used the restrooms by the art room."

The girl next to her popped a stick of gum into her mouth. "Just hurry up, I heard Festus is having a special on tostadas today."

Bang!

You jump from your spot on the toilet, just balancing right enough to not get a shoe filled with toilet water, and silently curse the person who slammed the restroom door so loudly.

"OUT!"

The girls waste no time, they grab their stuff and book it. You can't tell who the instigator is, only a pair of black doc martens is your only clue.

"I know you're in here!"

Your heart begins to race, you're more than sure you know who it is. You press your hand across your mouth to stop your harsh breathing. A single thought presses into your mind, I should have gone with those girls.

The voice turns sickly sweet. "Come out, come out, wherever you are."

You tremble as you think of the cherry cough drop medicine your mother would shove down your throat. It never tasted like cherry. The doc martens stop in front of your stall. The person sighs, "Come out now Alejo before I drag you out myself."

You place one foot down and then the next before grabbing your backpack. Your knees wobble as you open the door and plea, "I didn't do anything I swear-"

Jade West rolls her eyes and grips onto the sleeve of your jacket. "Come on, I don't have time for this."

Your hair, your curly birdnest of a hair. It's messy, but it's yours. "Please don't cut my hair! I didn't do anything, I promise-"

She ignores your pleas and pulls you out at a harsh pace as you trip your shoes over the other. She stops at the janitor's closet and throws open the door with one hand and hurls you inside with the other. You face-plant into a solid object and push off it. Even in the dim lighting, you recognize the face of Beck Oliver. You scoot back quickly, but as soon as you do, Jade is closing the door and suddenly your back is to her. You rectify the situation by leaning against the wall adjacent to the door to face both of them.