-.-.-.-.-.-.- = beginning or end of flashback
OoOoOo = more than one day passes
... = later in the day
Chapter 1
It's kinda screwed up isn't it?
How all if the sudden, someone just wakes up and decides never to talk to you again. No reason. No explanation. No words said. They just leave you hanging like you never meant shit to them.
Well, that's my dad for you. He just up and left one day. Just grabbed a suitcase and walked out the door. He left my mom and me to fend for ourselves when I was eleven years old. I have hated him ever since.
The last time I talked to him was at college. He gave me an ultimatum- join a club, make friends, and if I still wanted to go to LA at the end of the year, he'd help me move there. That didn't work out. Obviously. I had made a friend, and I had joined a club. Sure, all we did was run around in circles, but it was a club. I should have known he wouldn't keep his promise.
But that's beside the point.
You see, I don't trust people, and I don't open up to them easily. I have my own personal space, and I don't want anyone getting in it. I'm afraid that I'll end up doing what he did to me. I'm afraid that if I let someone fall for me or if I fall for someone that we'll both get hurt. So I distance myself from people. If you're lucky enough to be my friend, then kudos to you because doesn't happen often.
But, again, that's not the point.
The point is that, even though what I just said is true, there was one person who just didn't give two shits. I trusted her, I opened up to her, she got in my space, and I didn't mind. She literally climbed up my walls, jumped over on my side, and tore them down from the inside. But I didn't care.
I think it's because we had a connection- that's what she liked to call it. In fact, she once told me that the universe brought us together. Those weren't her exact words, but if I was to tell you exactly what she said, you'd be confused. Don't fret, though, we'll get there soon.
Like I said earlier, I'm afraid of being in love, but this girl, this girl with these amazing blue eyes and these fiery waves of hair that just cascade perfectly down her neck changed that for me.
It's funny because I didn't even think we'd be friends at first. I didn't think a lot of things at first, but I was wrong. She was right, and I was wrong. She would probably tell me that the important thing was that I changed my mind. And, once again, she'd be right.
She changed everything for me, and I fell in love with her. I was afraid to tell her because of her condition, but now, if she makes it out okay, I'll tell her. I'll tell her everything because she is worth it. Her love is worth anything and everything.
If she makes it out okay.
That word, if, scares the shit out if me.
You see, she didn't have that much time anyway, and she decided to do the only thing that could cure her forever. About thirty percent of the people that make the choice to take that cure die from its procedure.
Thirty percent.
That's a lot.
But, like I said, she didn't have much time left. Her five years were almost up, and she would die. No if, and, or buts about it.
So, that's why I'm here, at this hospital scared shitless about what may or may not happen.
-.-.-.-.-.-.-
Take the package out of the box, slap the price sticker on it, stack it on the shelf, and start all over again. Take it, slap it, stack it. That is what I do for a living. On the side, I like to make mixes and sell them to club owners. It pays well, but I still have to have this stupid job.
I've made one friend here. His name is Jesse, and he has this weird idea that he and I are going to fall in love one day. It's idiotic really. I heard footsteps coming my way, so I turned my head, to see Jesse walking my way.
"Hey, short stuff. Whatcha doing tonight?" He asked. I rolled my eyes at him. He's so persistent in his quest for love.
"Nothing that involves you." I said as I continued stacking packages. He dramatically grabbed his chest and staggered backward.
"You wound me will your cruel words."
"Playing a lot of Assassins Creed lately?"
"How'd you know?"
"I've played that game before. I don't spend all making mixes or stacking cans y'know." I said.
"Well, tonight's your lucky night!"
"And why is that?"
"I'm taking you for drinks." He said confidently.
"I don't drink." I deadpanned. Then, I took the price sticker slapper thing and pressed it to my forehead. I think I did that to show him I was getting bored, but to be honest, I'm not really so sure.
"Then I'll take you to dinner." He said. Seriously, this guy never gives up.
"Jesse, we're friends. Just friends. Give it up, it's not gonna happen." I said as I stacked the last package in this aisle. I gave him a small, apologetic smile for my rudeness before I moved on to the next aisle. Thankfully he didn't follow.
I began stacking the cans when two girls in their pre-teens came up to me.
"Where are the bathrooms?" One of them asked in a bratty cheerleader voice. Girls like that annoy the shit out of me. They think they're cooler than me because they have the latest fashion and their parents are rich, and I have earspikes and wear dark makeup. I'm twice their age, they should be bowing down to the glory of my earspikes.
"In the back." I said.
"Where's the back?" One of them asked while the other sniggered. I narrowed my eyes at the kid and angrily pointed behind me. The two girls giggled before walking away. I sighed angrily and continued stacking.
Take it, slap it, stack it. Take it, slap it, stack it. Take it, slap it, stack it.
BANG!
I jumped at the noise and looked around me. I looked up at one of the mirrors and saw a girl lying on the floor. I cautiously made my around the corner. Once I saw the girl, I ran to her side. I put my head to her chest to see if she was breathing- check. I looked around me.
"HELP! SOMEBODY CALL AN AMBULANCE!" I screamed as loud as possible. I could hear people running toward me, and it took everything in me not to panic. They don't teach you how to deal with this at orientation.
People crowded around me as I stared helplessly at the woman before me. People were calling 911, but I was pretty much oblivious to everything around me, and I was about to panic. I had never seen someone die before, and if this girl did... I don't know what I would have done.
It seemed to take forever, and once the paramedics arrived, I was on the brink of tears. Jesse tried to comfort me by putting his arm around me as I followed them to the ambulance. The girl still hadn't opened her eyes, and I was getting extremely worried. As the paramedics were putting her into the truck, she opened her eyes. She had the most beautiful baby blues I had ever seen in my life. She looked at me weirdly.
"You have a price sticker on your forehead." She said before she passed back out and the paramedics shut the doors. I put my hand to my forehead and pulled off the sticker- I had forgotten it was there. Jesse turned to me.
"Let me take you home." He said. I agreed and drove me to my one-story home that I shared with my only other friend, Fat Amy. Yeah, Fat Amy. She adds the fat part so that "Twig bitches like you don't do it behind my back.".
OoOoOo
I was jerked awake by the sound of my phone ringing. I groaned and looked at the screen.
Jesse.
What could he want at this hour?! I angrily pressed the accept button.
"Jesus Christ, Jesse! It's eight in the morning on a Saturday! What do you want?!" I yelled into the phone.
"The girl from the store made it! She's alive." He exclaimed.
"She did?"
"Yeah."
"How do you know?"
"The boss called me. He said he tried to call you, but you didn't answer."
"Oh. Well, thanks for telling me."
"No problem, Beca." There was an awkward silence.
"I'm going to hang up now." I said.
"Okay, bye." Jesse said. I pressed the 'end' button and sat up. Sure I was excited the girl had made it, but he could've at least waited until later in the day.
I sighed; I wouldn't be able to sleep, so I might as well work on my mixes.
...
I loved Saturdays. They were one of my days off, and I could work on my mixes. This Saturday was a very special Saturday though because I was expecting a package. A package that held a very nice pair of headphones that cost me a great deal of money to get.
I heard the doorbell ring, so I jumped up from my desk and ran to the door. I opened it and gasped at who I saw. It had been almost a week, but it was hard to forget that fiery red hair and those strikingly blue eyes. She looked different though, like she was full of life. She was... beautiful.
"Hi!" She said. I looked over her and saw that she was holding a package in her hands. "I think I got your package. They must've gotten confused because you're at 07121 and I'm 07212." I stared at her.
"You're the girl who fainted." I said.
"And you're the girl who had the sticker on her forehead." I nodded. "And you were the one who found me, right?" I nodded again. "Thank you for that." She smiled at me.
"Uh, please, come in." I said while gesturing behind me. She stepped inside and I led her to the living room. She handed me the package and I set it on the coffee table. "So, I never got a chance to ask you your name." I said.
"I'm Chloe. Chloe Beale." She said while sticking out her hand. I took it and we shook.
"Beca Mitchell." I said.
"So, Beca Mitchell, if it wasn't for you, I might be dead. I think I owe you a dinner for that." She said.
There was something about this girl, I felt... connected. I went through the pros and cons in my head. It was just one dinner, it wouldn't amount to anything. Why not?
"I'd like that." I said.
...
"And so we're sitting there, and the principal is going off on us, and I look at Aubrey- she looked like she was about to blow chunks. And the principal is giving her this weird look and I'm thinking 'Oh, shit, not again.' Then, she grabs her throat and I'm trying to get the principals attention, but he's too angry, and then, the flood gates opened and she starts puking all over the place! The principal is just sitting there as she's blowing chunks all over him and I jumped under the table and just waited it out." Chloe said as she laughed hysterically. At this point we were both in tears.
"So what happened next?" I asked.
"After she stopped, the principal stood up, gave us detention, and then walked out of the office. He was completely disgusted, it was hilarious." She said. We both started laughing again. A waitress from the diner walked up to our table.
"I'm sorry, but we're closing soon." She said. Chloe and I both nodded and then stood to leave. As we exited the diner, Chloe snaked her arm through mine. Normally, I would have shaken it off, but with Chloe it was different. I hadn't even known her for a day, but it was like we just clicked. I felt like I could trust her with just about anything, and that wasn't something I was used to. And for some uncanny reason, I wanted to spend as much time with her as possible.
"I'm definitely going to have to meet this Aubrey." I found myself saying. Chloe gave me this weird look. "I mean, if that's okay with you of course." I added hastily.
"No, it's fine. We can do that." Chloe said.
"You sure?" I asked unconvinced.
"Yeah, it's just... I've never really... I feel like we're connected somehow. Like, the universe made sure it was me who fainted in the store and that it was you who found me and that it was your package that came to my house. If that makes any sense at all." She said.
"It makes sense." Because I feel the same.
Chloe gave me directions to her house, and we were there a little sooner than I would have liked. I pulled into her driveway, and she stepped out of the car. Before she shut the door, however, she turned back to me.
"In a few days, a couple friends and I are going to a karaoke bar. I want you to come." She said. Before I even had time to think about it, my mouth was open, and I was giving her an answer.
"I'd love to." I said. She gave me a bright smile.
"Great, I'll pick you up on Tuesday night." She said. She was about to close the door before I realized I wanted her number.
"Wait!" I said. She stopped what she was doing, and I scrambled around in my car to find something to write on. I found an unused napkin in a side compartment, but I couldn't find a pen. "Do you have a pen?" I asked.
"Yeah." Chloe said as she searched her purse for a pen. Once she found it, she handed it to me, and I quickly scribbled my number down on the napkin.
"Here, in case you can't wait till Tuesday." I said. She smiled at me as she took the napkin.
"I think you and me are going to be fast friends." She said. I winked at her as she closed the door. I watched her walk inside, and then backed out of her driveway and headed home with a dopey smile.
-.-.-.-.-.-.-
And so that's how I met Chloe Beale.
I haven't seen a lot of movies, but I did see Titanic, and I never understood why Jack said he wouldn't have changed anything that happened because he got to meet Rose. But, sitting here in this hospital thinking about the girl with the beautiful blue eyes and fiery red hair, I finally get it. And, if I knew then that falling for her would put me through all this, I wouldn't have changed meeting her for the world. I wouldn't change a damn thing because everything that's happened to me since the moment she rang my doorbell has brought me closer to her.
I finally get it, and I'll be damned if I lose her now.
XXXXX
A/N: I realize that I should be working on I Get This Feeling, but this idea just wouldn't leave me alone. I will tell you that IGTF is my top priority right now. I'm probably going to switch stories every chapter (i.e. write one of this, then one of IGTF). So, yeah, let me know if you think this fic is worth it!