I'll push you back ✄ bade

Coffee?

"You good?" she asked, having already emerged from the bathroom and was now putting on a black pair of DocMartens. He looked up from his phone, and his eye was drawn to the necklace dangling below her choker, with the washer tied to the thin rope. His hand shot up to his own matching one, the set of something he had made them both for their anniversary one year.

He nodded, and grabbed his keys from his dresser before making his way to the door where she was waiting for him. Due to it being early September in LA, it was hot enough for them to not need a jacket, so they got straight into his truck. It was routine; they'd even gotten to the point where Jade didn't even complain when Beck opened the car door for her anymore. She loved the beaten up red pick up, mostly because it smelled like him. But it was also a constant in her life, a kind of home she had grown attached to over the last year or so.

His mom and dad had already left for work by now, and their house was dim, like many of the houses around them, seen as though it was such an early hour. As he pulled out of the driveway and onto the not so busy street, Jade leaned over to plug her phone into the aux.

"What music are we in the mood for today?" Beck asked. He always let her pick the music. He liked what she liked and besides if she chose he it then maybe she'd sing along, and that he loved. Her voice was his favorite, raspy yet soft, kind of like her.

"Rihanna," she answered simply, before 'Consideration' came flooding through the speakers. He nodded in approval, tapping the steering wheel to the beat.

"I got to do things my own way, darling. Will you ever let me? Will you ever respect me? No," Jade sung along, her voice clear and smooth.

Beck grinned, singing along was a sign that today was going to be a good day. He leaned across to rub her thigh for a moment, and Jade frowned when he pulled away to make a turn. She loved when he was a randomly affectionate, a reminder that he was really hers. Sometimes she had a tendency to get scared that she wasn't good enough to him, and thought he'd leave her for someone nicer and more likeable, like Tori. But really, she knew he loved her. He could barely last a second with an indecisive self proclaimed 'nice' girl, as proved during their last breakup. They continued the drive like this, Jade singing along absentmindedly as Beck listened in admiration.

By the time they got to the Jet Brew, Jade practically ran through the door and to the counter, yelling "I need coffee!" This was a regular occurrence, and the café was practically empty at this time of day, so when Beck mouthed "sorry" to the barista, they just laughed and began working on Beck and Jade's regular orders. He decided to make himself useful by grabbing three sugar packets, one for him and two for her, and two stirrers, before making his way to their regular booth.

"Here," Jade said, sliding his coffee over to him as she sat down, and at the same time he slid over her sugar and stirrer.

"Thanks," they both said at the same time. Beck let out a short laugh, making Jade smile, a somewhat rare occurrence in public. They sat in silence for a few minutes drinking their coffee. Jade rolled her eyes at her phone.

"What's up?" Beck asked, sensing her irritation.

"Nothing, just Aiden drunk texting me a hundred times last night bitching about Dad," she sighed. Aiden was her older brother, who was currently at college out of state. Their dad had gone to visit him that weekend with his new wife Stefanie, and it was safe to say that like Jade, he wasn't a fan. "Apparently Dad went to the bathroom when they were at the restaurant last night, and someone confused Stefanie for Aiden's girlfriend."

"That's actually pretty funny," Beck chuckled. Jade looked up from her phone and glared at him, though she too was smirking.

"Why couldn't he have just bought a sports car like a normal person if he insists on having a mid-life crisis, instead of playing house with a twenty five year old." Beck felt bad, knowing that was exactly what his own dad had done. He knew her dad's current living arrangements always tended to put her in a bad mood, so he decided to change the subject.

"School starts in a bit and I wanna sort out my locker before class, take the rest of the coffee to go?" Beck suggested. Jade nodded, picking up her cup and slinging her bag over her shoulder. Beck gave a quick wave to the barista, an act of friendliness that ensured he would always remember their orders, before heading out to school.

It wasn't so early anymore, so it was no surprise that when they pulled up in the parking lot, some of their friends were already sat at their usual table, finishing some last minute homework.

"Beck and Jade are here!" Cat called out as they climbed out of the old pickup. Jade rolled her eyes at her friend's loud exclamation, but in truth she didn't really mind. In fact, she had even missed Cat's incessant positivity. Not that she would admit it out loud.

She was hesitant about going over there, having changed a bit since she last saw them. She got anxious when people mentioned her appearance, an unfriendly reminder that some people would judge her before she could judge them. She hated not being in control.

It was often that someone would remark to Beck about his girlfriend's lack of fear. And every time, he would scoff. He looked at her beside him and knew she felt sick. Of course she got scared, she was human. He was one "why do you date her anyway?" away from a full on outburst, but he knew that wasn't what she wanted. She liked her façade of a being a cold ruthless bitch, and he respected it, thankful he was one of the few fortunate enough to know otherwise. This wasn't to say that she didn't still get anxious, especially at times like then. Beck felt this, and so slung his arm over her shoulder in a show of solidarity.

They walked together, coffees in hand, to the bench. Cat and Andre were the only ones already there, Tori and Trina only lived five minutes away, so they leave late; and Robbie always cycled, which took forever. Cat was doing what looked like history homework, while Andre was listening to music, flipping through some flashcards.

"Hey guys, how was your summer?" Andre asked, taking out an earphone. They talked about their vacations for a while, doing their best to avoid stories about Cat's brother until the bell finally rang, signalling the beginning of their fourth and final year at HA.