The World On Their Shoulders
A/N: This is a collab with nweeks3. It's a follow up to "Through Her Eyes". Hope you enjoy.
CHAPTER 1:
In the Kennedy Center aftermath when the Bellas left the Dean's Office, they were not in a good place. Their incident made them famous, and not in a good way. The whole event ended up costing them their chance to compete in the ICCAs, and has possibly cost them their future. No one was sure what they were going to do now. Beca saw that Sarah has just arrived on the campus after her orchestra rehearsal, and ran to talk to her.
"Hey, Beca." Sarah said prepared to hug her.
"Hey, Sarah." Beca said reluctantly accepting the hug.
"Is something wrong?" Sarah asked.
Sarah could always tell when Beca had something on her mind that was bothering her. Reading one another came naturally to these two friends so there was no hiding what happened as Beca prepared Sarah for the bad news.
"You missed a very important Bellas meeting with the dean. Trust me, you did NOT want to be in that room." Beca said.
"Does this have anything to do with what happened at Kennedy Center a few months ago?" Sarah asked uneasily.
"I'm afraid so." Beca said.
"Well, fill me in. What happened?" Sarah asked.
The two made their way in the Bella's house and sat in the kitchen as Beca prepared to explain what was going on.
"The Bellas are suspended. We lost our right to compete, our right to tour, and we can't hold auditions." Beca recapped.
"Wow, they took it that far?"
"Yeah." Beca answered.
"So, are things over then?" Sarah asked.
"Well not necessarily. There may still be a chance to redeem ourselves. We still have our national title, so we are able to compete in the world championships in 's only one shot at this, and we HAVE to win the worlds next Spring." Beca told her.
"Well, we'll see what happens, right?" Sarah said.
"Yep. But on a happier note, I just got an internship at a recording studio." Beca said.
"Wow, Beca. That's really exciting. I'm so happy for you." Sarah said.
"Thanks, but don't tell anyone okay. Not just yet."
"I won't, I promise."
"So anything exciting on your end?" Beca asked.
"Not sure, yet. All I know is the orchestra's playing at the commencement next Spring." Sarah said.
"That'll be great. I've heard you guys play. You're amazing." Beca said.
"Thanks. Want to help me unpack my stuff upstairs?" Sarah asked.
"Sure. I don't leave for my first day at the studio for another few hours, so I've got time." Beca said.
"Great, let's go." Sarah said.
Beca grabbed some of Sarah's luggage, and carried it up to her bedroom in the house. They stayed, and unpacked before Beca went to her job at the studio, which no one else knew about, but Beca was glad Sarah would keep her secret.
So the acapella groups of Barden are enjoying this year's hood night party at the house of Treble. The Bellas have a new member due to a convenient loophole, and they were looking to the future, hoping for the best when competing at the Worlds competition. Beca soon arrived to join her fellow Bellas, while she and Sarah talked privately.
" Hey, so how was your first day on the job?" Sarah asked.
"Eye opening. They do not mess around."
"So, Chloe asked where you were. Why didn't you tell her?" Sarah asked.
"I don't know, she's just...she's really locked in on the worlds right now. I'll tell her later."
"I think she should know, Becs. It's not good to keep secrets from your girlfriend." Sarah told her.
"I know, I know. I just need to find the right time."
Suddenly Emily appeared before them to introduce herself to the Bellas leader, and gush over her many accomplishments.
"Oh Beca I almost forgot, this is our newest member, Emily Junk. She came to us to audition so we're good there." Sarah explained.
"Oh yeah, hi. Chloe texted me we added a legacy. I didn't even know that was a thing."
Everyone at the party continued to drink and dance the night away. Chloe tried to turn it into an impromptu pool party, but alas couldn't get the others to join her. Later as the party was a bit quieter, Sarah found Beca seated on the couch after listening to her voice-mail.
"Who was that?" Sarah asked.
"My dad. He wants to talk over dinner this weekend. He and Sheila have something to tell me."
"Hmm... that makes two of us. My dad wants ton talk to me too."
"Really, do you know what about?" Beca asked.
"I have no idea. I don't even know what to expect."
"So, I guess we're both in for a surprise this weekend." Beca said.
"Well good luck with yours."
"Yeah, you too."
The party ended, and the two made their way back to the house with the rest of the group, both with a lot to think about. A few days later, the Bellas are all at the Atlanta Car Show. Their opponents who took over their tour, Das Sound Machine would be here, and the Bellas have yet to see what they are competing against.
"Remind me again why we're at a car show." Flo said.
"We're here to stake out the competition." Chloe explained. "Now where are those tour thieves?" She asked as the Bellas got off an escalator, heading into the auditorium.
"Why do I have a feeling we may be in for more than we've bargained for?" Sarah whispered.
"Relax Sarah, I'm sure it's no big deal. How good could they be?" Beca asked as the cars began to move.
"So the cars moved, that means nothing...yet." Chloe said as two jumbotrons turned on behind the cars, with a commanding voice echoing through the room.
"We are Das Sound Machine. Enjoy us." Komissar said as DSM began their rendition of "Uprising."
The German acapella ensemble was a massive group with lots of variety in their sound, lots of impressive dance moves that wowed the audience, and was certainly a force to be reckoned with. The Bellas were definitely feeling the pressure. When the performance was over, the crowd cheered, and the Bellas politely showed appreciation in order to not let DSM see them sweat.
After the song..."Barden Bellas, you come to see us? Is it because you are...how do the Americans say...jelly?" Komissar asked.
"We are so not jelly." Chloe fired back.
"We didn't come to start something with you guys. We just wanted to check you out before Worlds where we are prepared to kick your ass." Beca said.
"You...you are the kicker of ass?" Komissar asked.
"Yes." Beca said.
"You're so tiny...like an elf." Komissar said.
"Well, maybe you might be prepared to take that back after we..." Beca was cut off by Chloe trying not to make a scene.
"Okay, let's just go. We'll hit 'em where it hurts later." Chloe said confidently.
They left them ready to gear up for what they were going to do to beat DSM, and redeem their reputation in the acapella community. Meanwhile Beca comes up to Sarah who is standing at the top of the stairs looking deep in thought.
"Hey, whatcha thinking about?" Beca asked her friend.
"A lot." Sarah sighs.
"Are you worried about what your dad has to say?"
"Well yeah that, and...and this whole Worlds thing has become so much bigger than I thought it was going to be. I mean it was fine when we were competing within our own community, but this is the whole world. Can we really beat everyone, and be reinstated?"
Beca draped an arm around Sarah, understanding the pressure she was feeling. After all, the internship she was involved with was certainly adding to her own pressure.
"I think anything is possible. Maybe we'll blow them all away or maybe we won't. We're all in this together, and all I can promise is that we'll give them the best show we can." Beca said encouragingly.
"Okay." Sarah smiled.
With that they headed back to campus, and met back at rehearsal to formulate a plan.
Beca has come home after her recording session with Snoop Dogg. It was really cool to get to work with a rap legend, and Beca was happy she impressed her boss. Perhaps her future as a producer would work out after all, and Beca was excited to see where this would lead her. She enters the house, and is met by Sarah who is eager to hear how her day went.
"Hey, so how'd it go?" Sarah asked.
"It was pretty good. I was nervous, but I think my boss really liked my ideas. He offered to listen to some of my demos."
"Right on." Sarah told her with a high five. " So is your boss still calling you 'Reggie'?"
"Yup." Beca confirmed.
"Well, hang in there." Sarah told Beca nudging her elbow. "You'll impress him big-time, and then he'll definitely know who you are."
"I hope so." Beca chuckled.
"So did you manage to get a picture of Snoop?" Sarah asked.
"Oh yeah, I managed to sneek one in." Beca said.
She scrolled through her phone to show Sarah a snapshot of Snoop Dogg in all his glory in the recording booth.
"Wow, that's so cool. You know if he ever needs a violin section, you know where to find me, right?"
"Sure." Beca laughed.
"So...you didn't tell Chloe yet; did you?"
"no, not yet." Beca shakes her head.
"Beca, I really think you should be honest with her. What's she gonna think if she finds out you've been keeping this from her?"
"I don't know."Beca sighs. "I'm just afraid she'd loose her mind if she thought I wasn't focused on the Worlds. I know how important this is to her, and that leaving school scares her."
"Beca, I know being in a serious relationship is new for you, but you have to let her in too. I really like Chloe, and I think you two are great together."
Beca nodded knowing Sarah was right. She had to find away to tell Chloe about the internship, and open up to her. Opening up has never been easy for Beca. While she's always had Sarah, she still never had the strength to put herself out there with anyone else. Chloe is really important to her, and one way or another she had to finally get brave, and be honest with her.
"Well, I have to head off." Beca said. "I have to get to dinner with my dad."
"Yeah, me too. Good luck."
"You too."
Beca sat in the car outside her father's house wondering what this dinner could possibly be about. Anytime Beca was over here, she felt like she had to be on her best behavior. The tattoos, and her funky mash ups never seemed to be good enough for Dr. and Mrs. Mitchell. Beca knew of course her dad loved her, but with Sheila she always felt like a part of the contingency plan. Like she merely put up with Beca to be married to her father. Sheila always acted embarrassed of Beca, and wanted to polish her up in front of her colleagues. Beca took a breath, bracing herself to play her best perfect daughter. She came to the door, and was met by her father, Dave.
He gave his daughter a hug while leading Beca in the kitchen where Sheila and her stepbrother Daniel were. Daniel was Sheila's eleven year old son who was a soccer star at school. He and Beca never really got to know each other, but that's because Beca was heading off to college by the time they moved in, and they never really had a chance to hang out. He was a nice enough kid, and Beca had no problems with him, but again they didn't really know each other that well. Beca greeted Sheila still trying to be cordial.
"Hi Sheila."
"Beca hi. How is school going?"
"Good." Beca nodded.
"Your father tells me you've landed an internship. Some sort of DJing thing?"
"It's with a record label, actually. My boss was really impressed with what i showed him today." Beca explained.
"That's wonderful, Dear. It's important to have fun while you're still young."
Beca kept up the smile, but still bit her tounge. Clearly her dream was still seen as a hobby.
"Oh Dave honey, did you tell Beca about Daniel's soccer tournament?"'
"Uh yes. Daniel here scored the winning goal for his team. Right, Bud?"
"It was no big deal." Daniel shrugged.
"Of course it was, Honey. You're the star of that team, and you should be proud of yourself." Sheila gloated.
Beca could tell Daniel liked playing soccer, but didn't like being fussed over. She could relate to that a little bit of that herself. As impressed as people were with her work, Beca never wanted to come off as conceided. Sheila was certainly proud of her little champion. In the interest of shifting focus, Beca opted to change the subject to the issue at hand.
"So what's this evening all about?" Beca asked.
"Well Beca, Sheila and I have some rather exciting news for you." Dave told her.
Sheila comes back towards the table placing down a bowl of rice, and standing behind Dave placing a hand on his shoulder.
"We're expecting." Sheila says touching her stomach.
"Oh." Beca nodded. She wasn't sure what to say.
"Yeah, she's three months along already, and we have our first ultrasound appointment in two weeks." Dave explained.
"Great." Beca said.
She was trying to remain positive, but she wasn't sure how she should feel. She didn't know if this is something her father wanted or if they planned this. He seemed to be in high spirits at dinner. It was all a lot for Beca to think about, and she was determined to keep her mouth full of food to avoid talking more about it.
Meanwhile Sarah arrives at her father's house to see an unfamiliar car in the driveway. She makes her way up to the door waiting to see who would be joining them for dinner. Sarah goes inside, and sees her dad, John come from the kitchen to greet her.
"Hey Dad."
"Hey Kiddo, great to see ya." John says greeting her with a hug.
The two enter the kitchen, and Sarah sees a woman she's never met stiring a pot of pasta. She was puzzled by the stranger cooking in their house, while the woman faced her and smiled. John soon introduced them.
"Sarah Honey, this is Sandi. Remember I mentioned her before? She wanted to meet you, and she's offered to cook dinner for us."
"Hi Sarah, it's so nice to finally meet you. Your dad talks about you all the time." Sandi said shaking her hand.
Sarah thought for a minute. Yes, she has a vague memory of her dad mentioning a woman he's had lunch with a few times. She didn't think it was getting serious. She didn't know what this was.
"It's nice to meet you, too."
"Well dinner is almost ready." John told her. "Why don't we sit, and catch up. Tell me all about school."
Sarah sits with her father at the table, while Sandi puts the rolls out, and drains the pasta. Everything smells really good, and Sarah was looking forward to dinner, but she still had more questions about Sandi on her mind. None of which she wanted to ask right now.
"Uh well, orchestra rehearsal is pretty much the same." Sarah explained. "The Bellas and I are supposed to go to Copenhagen after graduation."
"Oh wow, what are you doing there?" John asked.
"We're competing in a World Acapella Championship."
"That's great, Honey. This will be such a good experience for you." John said excitedly.
"Yeah, I don't know If I'd get my hopes up though. No American team has ever won."
"Well there's a first time for everything; right?" John said.
Sarah appreciated that her father was so encouraging, but between the Worlds, and meeting this new woman in her dad's life, this was all overwhelming. She just tried to keep from jumping to conclusions yet, and enjoy dinner. The pasta was served, and everyone dug in. Sarah was amazed at how good dinner was, and the sauce tasted homemade. Probably the best she's ever had.
"Sandi, this sauce is amazing." Sarah said still with a mouth full of food.
Sandi explained how it was a family recipe made from locally sourced tomatoes, stewed then spiced accordingly to get the right flavor. The spicing wasn't an exact science, but each family member put their own spin on it. Whatever it was, Sarah was certainly enjoying it.
Sandi talked about how she is an interior designer, and has two boys who are thirteen and ten. She and John have been seeing each other for two months now, and are still taking things slow. Sarah feels a little awkward, but Sandi seems really nice. It's been four years since Sarah's mother passed away, and she didn't expect her father to remain alone forever. She just didn't think she'd have to be ready for this change so soon. On a more positive note, John and Sandi talked to Sarah about other things they've been doing together.
"So did your dad tell you he caught two fish out on my dad's boat when we visited my parents in Savanah?" Sandi asked.
"You got him on a boat?" Sarah replied grinning at her father.
"Hey, I like the water." John rebutted.
"Daddy, you get sea sick on a pool raft."
Both women laughed as they enjoyed teasing him.
"Well, he was a little wobbly at first, but then I think he did fine once he got used to it."
It was nice for Sarah to see her dad smile again, and she was having a good time. Strangely part of that bothered her, and she didn't know exactly why. Dinner has been cleaned up, and John offered t do the dishes while Sarah wonders into the living room, sitting at her mother's grand piano. She sat there idly tinkering on the keys. It was hard for Sarah to wrap her mind around how she was feeling. This was the first time she's had fun in her home since her mother died. It didn't seem possible, but here they were after having the best dinner they've had in a long time. Was it that easy to move on? had her father moved on or was he perhaps feeling the same way. John soon came in to join Sarah, sitting next to her on the bench.
"Hey, how's it going, kid?"
"Good." Sarah nodded. "This was really nice, Dad. I'm glad we could get together."
"I'm glad you had fun. Listen I didn't mean to spring this on you. She was finally off this week, and I thought is was finally time to let you two meet." John explained.
"It's fine, Dad. Sandi seems nice. She really seems to like you."
"Ya know Honey, you don't have to be okay with this immediately. Sandi and I are still taking things slow, and seeing how we go."
"Dad, you don't need my permission to date again. If you're happy, then i'm happy for you."
John drew Sarah in close, kissing the top of her head.
"I love you, kiddo."
"I love you, too."
The next night as the Bellas were invited to sing at some kind of underground riff off, they competed along with the Treblemakers, and their current rivals, Das Sound Machine. It was a good match, but they ended up losing to DSM, much to the Bellas dismay, especially Chloe. She was really hoping to pull out at victory at Worlds, but so far their chances looked bleak. At any rate, they decided to try and enjoy the rest of the party, while Beca and Sarah talk about what's been going on thus far.
"So how was dinner at your dad's?" Beca asked Sarah.
"It wasn't too bad. How was yours?"
"Oh it was an experience. I'll have to tell you about it in more detail later. Too much going on here." Beca explained.
"Did you ever get around to talking to Chloe?"
"No. I know I'm being chicken, but I'm just afraid of how she'll react. Especially now with how tough things are going right now. I don't know when I'm going to tell her." Beca lamented.
"Time's running out to tell her, Becs. It's best to tell her before she ends up finding out on her own. "
"I know." Beca nodded.
Why was this so hard, Beca thought? She wanted to believe Chloe would be understanding. She has been with everything else up to this point. Still Sarah was right about needing to let her in too. Maybe Beca would tell her tonight, if she could catch her in a good mood. She hoped for things to start looking up, and that the Bellas would have a rock solid routine for worlds. All they could do now was hope for a stellar performance at the Convention Center later this week. They needed all the positive exposure they could get.