Learn to Love You Like I Love You.
Ch.1
It was a bright and sunny day just outside the Barden campus. Beca was leisurely walking back from her classes for the day to the house that all the Bella's shared. Once each member found themselves on the team they were made to move into the big sorority-like house so that the girls could bond better (so everyone was told) but they all knew it was because Aubrey wanted to be in charge of everything the girls did and could constantly critique the girls when they were practicing. Beca walked up the steps and crossing the porch to the door, her back pack weighing her down. As she stepped into the cool air of the huge house Beca sighed. She took her ear buds out that she had been listening to since class let out and headed towards the stairs to venture off to her room before she came into contact with anyone. Half way up the stairs she heard dishes breaking on the floor and an exhausted voice "Fuck!" Shortly after that Beca heard a small scream and then a loud thud. Quickly dropping her backpack she ran down the stairs into the kitchen where the chaos was happening. "Oh my god! Chloe are you ok?!" Beca ran to the side of the red head that was on the floor who was slowly pushing herself up into a sitting position. Chloe wiped a few stray tears from her face with a sniffle. "Yea..yea..I'm…I'll be fine." Beca crouched down in front of her holding onto Chloe's right forearm waiting to see if the red head wanted help up off the floor. "What happened?" Beca asked wide eyed looking around the scene around them. "Is your foot ok?" The brunette asked quickly remembering Chloe's previous injury. Chloe nodded sniffling again as she used Beca to help her get up off the floor. She pushed her long red hair out of her face as she fought to catch her balance with her air cast. Beca moved her hands to Chloe's shoulders to help her out and make sure she was good. "I was trying to reach for the sugar, because I needed it for my coffee and whoever used the last of it didn't refill it and no one was home so I grabbed the step stool and I went to get it myself. I started to lose my balance and went catch myself and knocked over the dish rack and tried to get out of the way of that.. And the next I know I'm on the floor." Chloe sighed heavily and put her hand to her head. She had been in her air cast for about a month now after breaking her foot at her kick-boxing class. She was becoming exhausted and stir crazy. She was under strict orders to not be on her foot, as little use as possible so that her foot could heal properly. After the first two weeks Chloe was already using her foot more than she should. Which caused the other Bella's to constantly be on her, especially Aubrey and Beca. "We need you for nationals." Aubrey would always say to her. Beca's was just out of pure concern for the red head. There was something there between the two. They had a close bond like Chloe and Aubrey except more intense than a friendship. Both new this but neither acknowledge it afraid of how the other felt and how all their friends would react. It wasn't something either of them talked about. The two had never crossed over the friendship line. They caught themselves sleeping in the same bed every now and then but it wasn't an uncommon thing to happen with any of the girls in the house. They were all really close so no one thought anything of it.
Chloe sighed once again and moved towards the kitchen closet where they kept the cleaning supplies. "What are you doing?" Beca questioned as she grabbed the broom from Chloe. "I'm cleaning up my mess, what does it look like I'm doing" she stated coming out more aggravated than she meant it to. She didn't apologize though, she was so tired of being pitied and babied by everyone. She'd always been an independent- on the go- help everyone else kind of girl and this person she had to be right now for the time being, she hated. Beca pulled the broom completely from Chloe's grasp. "Go sit down I'll clean this up and bring you some coffee." Chloe took in a deep breath. She knew Beca meant well but she just wanted to do something for herself for a change. She bit her cheek and looked to the mess on the floor. "Well…can you at least get the sugar down for me, and I'll get my own coffee so I can at least do something for myself?" Beca smiled at the image in front of her. Chloe looked like a defeated child not getting their way in the candy store. She turned and stepped on the stool reaching the sugar and setting it down on the counter. Beca turned around to face Chloe who was biting her other cheek now. "Thank you" she whispered quietly. Slowly she wobbled to the counter her boot clunking against the tiled floor the entire time, to put some sugar into her already creamed coffee. Beca watched her intently as she stirred her coffee leaning against the broom. Chloe set down the spoon she had used and slowly turned to Beca. "Are you sure, I can clean this up myself I really can." Beca took her weight off of the broom and walked over to the red head. "Yes I'm sure, now go sit down, lay down, something, I've got this." Chloe took a step forward and wrapped her arms around Beca giving her a hug. "Thank you" she whispered as she pulled away. Chloe grabbed her coffee went off to her room. Becca listen to her clunk all the way to the Den; where they had moved all of Chloe's belongings to since stairs were a slight problem for her now. Beca started to clean the kitchen once she heard the den doors close. She couldn't help but laugh at the situation a bit. She felt bad for Chloe because she knew how much all this dependence was killing her but she thought it was a nice change for Chloe. She would wear herself out in all aspects trying to please everyone and always being on the go. Even though Chloe hated it and wouldn't see it, Beca knew this was a good vacation for her mind, body, and soul. Well maybe not her mind because she knew how Chloe can get when she has too much time to think but her body needed the break. "What the hell happened in here!" Fat Amy exclaimed as she walked in the back door to the fridge to pull out a bottle of water. "Hey hand me one of those please" Beca asked " and Chloe happened." Fat Amy looked at the mess of broken dishes and scattered silver on the floor handing Beca a water. "Well, was she angry or something?" Beca took a swig of her water and set it down on the counter. "No she was trying to reach the sugar because whoever used it last didn't refill it." Fat Amy bent down and picked up all the silverware off of the floor and tossed them into the sink leaving Beca to finish sweeping the floor.
Later that evening, Beca had just finished a new mix she had been working on. It wasn't anything she was used to putting together but she couldn't help but put it together thinking of Chloe. It was calling to her and made her feel different inside as she mixed it. She took off her headphones as soon as she could smell dinner being prepared downstairs. Tonight was Cynthia Rose's turn to cook for whoever was eating at home and it was Beca's favorite night to eat at home. She always made sure she didn't have plans because being that Cynthia Rose was born and raised here in Georgia; she made the best soul food she had ever tasted. Shutting her laptop she descended down the stairs to a crowded kitchen. Everyone loved this day just like she did. She had seen everyone but Chloe in the big kitchen. Everyone started to sit down at the table to start their delicious feast of homemade fried chicken, greens, black eyed peas, mashed potatoes, and corn on the cob; a meal that no one could pass up, not even Chloe. "I'll be right back I'm going to get Chloe." Beca stated as she turned out of the kitchen to head for the den. When she reached the door she gave a slight knock, but received no answer. "Chloe" Beca yelled. She still heard nothing. She made her way into the den slowly walking towards the bed that cradled a frail red head fast asleep. The night stand occupied an empty coffee mug and a few prescription pill bottles. Beca knew what all of them were for pain killers, anxiety, depression, and sleeping pills. Beca and Chloe had gotten much closer lately since she broke her foot, but even before the incident Chloe hadn't been doing to great emotionally and she had accompanied Chloe to her doctors to up her medications, but no one else knew, not even Aubrey. Before coming to Barden Chloe had struggled with eating disorders and self-harm alongside of her anxiety and depression; which Chloe had poured out to her on a drunken Bella's night. Becca sat down on the edge of the bed and brought her hand to Chloe's shoulder and gently nudged the girl. Chloe was on her side facing the window away from Beca. She nudged her again. "Chloe." The red head grunted lightly and shifted a little bit trying to get out of reach of whoever was touching her. Beca laughed. "Chloe, Cynthia Rose made dinner tonight come join everyone" nudging her softly again. "No." Beca heard quietly. "Sleep." Chloe moved again getting closer to the other edge of the bed. "If you keep scooting away from me you're going to end up on the floor like earlier." Chloe sighed heavily and rolled over towards Beca. As she landed comfortably in a position her hands fell to Beca's waist. "Lay with me." Beca looked at the red head at smiled. Chloe's hair laid a mess covering her face, the covers were dangerously low on her hips and her white tank top was mid torso. Chloe's skin was mesmerizing; so soft and perfectly tanned. Her sofie red shorts folded once at her hips showing the white elastic band. Beca couldn't help but stare. "I'm starving Chlo, let's go eat and then we can pop in a movie and I'll lie with you." Chloe moved her hand from Beca's hips. "Not hungry" she stated and reached for the blankets pulled them over her body. Beca was starting to worry about Chloe more than usual. "Come on Chloe just eat a little bit that's all I'm asking." Beca missed her perky friend; the red head she had met the day of the activities fair. Chloe quickly fell back to sleep and Beca new that there was no use in trying to get her out of bed anymore. Carefully she rose from the bed and headed back to the kitchen. As she sat down Aubrey set her fork down next to her plate. "Where's Chloe?" Beca sat now completely and for a second just stared into Aubrey's eyes before she answered. She instantly knew it was a concerned look with a hint of sadness. "She doesn't feel well, really exhausted." Beca explained to everyone who was chowing down on their meal. Beca reached for a piece of chicken and set it on her plate. "Aubrey, can we talk later?" Aubrey nodded her head "Of course." Everyone fell silent knowing something was up. Beca was the worst person to hide her emotions so if she knew something was wrong everyone knew something was wrong. "Anything we can help with?" Cynthia Rose chimed in. Beca looked to Aubrey and slightly shook her head no so no one else would notice. "I'm not sure" Beca stated. "I need to talk to Aubrey first and then I'll let everyone know." Everyone went back to conversations that they were previously having. Beca finished filling her plate and started to eat with nothing but Chloe on her mind.