"You don't get it, do you? You used me and didn't even have the balls to tell me yourself." She jabs his chest, "You used me and then went and told other people about it! So I don't want to hear your apologies, or excuses, or anything really!" She turned swiftly and began to walk away.
"I'm sorry! I'm sorry about everything I did, how many times do I have to apologize?" He called after her, but she continues to walk away. "Tell me what was I supposed to do?" She stops and stares at him, "Tell you that you were my key, that you were nothing more than a solo? A prize? Because I know you wouldn't have stuck around if I did, and I didn't want to lose you!"
"So then why'd you do it?" Beca's gaze hardened with her ice cold words.
"There he is. I'm Benji, you must be Jesse." Benji sticks out his hand hoping to make a good impression on his new roommate.
"And you must be kidding. Wow!" Said roommate's eyes travel to Benji's side of the room.
"Looking at it now, I can see it's a bit much. I can take it down." He offers.
"No, no way. I mean, it took a second for my eyes to adjust, but I can roll with this." Jesse nods his head taking in the Star Wars memorabilia.
"Look, just so you know, I'm not a total nerd. I also happen to be super into close-up magic." Benji proceeds to pull a hamster out from somewhere only he knows.
"Dude, that's awesome. How long was that little guy in there?"
"Several days." Benji smiles brightly at Jesse, "Listen, I'm already done unpacking," motioning to his side of the room, "and I was going to go to the activities fair with my friend. Do you want to come with after I find her?"
Jesse looked around the room, "Uhh, yeah. Let me just put some of my stuff away."
"Okay," Benji nodded, "I'll be right back."
Benji walked to the neighboring building to where Beca's dorm room was. As he neared he could hear auguring coming from inside. Just as he was about to knock the door swung open and a girl brushed past him.
"Me too, I'm going to the activities fair with my super good friend Kimm- oh, Benji!"
Benji stilled had his hand raised when Beca ran into him, "Uh, hey Beca."
Beca turned around, "With my super good friend Benji." Benji peered into to the room.
"Hey Mr. Mitchell." Benji waved.
"Hello Benji," He nodded, "now Beca-"
"We're going!" Beca yelled behind her before pulling Benji down the hallway. "God I hate him." Beca exasperated when they were out of ear shot.
"He's just trying to help you Beca."
"If he wanted to help, he'd let me go to California." She replies bitterly.
"You'll get there one day, I know it."
Beca turned and looked at her friend she had known the past couple years of high school. "Thanks Benji."
They hadn't been friends at first, not by a long shot. She had just been the only one to stand up to the meat heads that would torment him everyday, and supposedly the whole alternative look scared them off.
But not Benji. He was grateful for her kindness and eventually he wormed a little place in her heart, and the two had been friends ever since.
Both their dynamic personalities balanced each other out, Beca threatening anyone who looked sideways at Benji, and he just being there for her when she was about to lose it.
"And trust me, you're going to have a great time at college," Beca snorted, "when have I ever been wrong?"
Beca hummed to herself, "Well there was the sawing incident. Oh! And the time you lost all those snakes-"
"Something non magic related!" Benji cut her off, "Didn't think so." He smugly crossed his arms.
"Whatever." Beca muttered. "So are we really going to that activities fair?"
"Of course we are!" He looked at her in all seriousness, "Beca. The Trebles are there."
She held up her hands, "I know, I know. Just don't pee yourself when we see them."
Benji narrowed his eyes when Beca gave him a smirk, "I'll try my best." He retorted, "But first we have to go back to my room to get my roommate."
"I'm sure he's a big boy and can manage on his own." Beca said sarcastically.
Benji just rolled his eyes and continued forward.
"And you know they won the ICCA last year, right?"
"Yes Benji. I remember, we watched it together. And every other competition they've been in."
Beca looked at Benji who gave her a small smile, "I'm sorry, I'm just so excited."
"I know," Beca smiled, "Now which dorm is yours?"
"Right here!" They walked up to a door, "Wait till you see my side." Benji slowly opened the door so Beca could peer inside.
Her eyes widened at the sight, "Huh." She walked into the room, "Not as bad as your room back home."
She looked around the space, seeing exactly where each roommate's side ended and begun.
"And this is my roommate Jesse." Beca turned, and her stomach dropped a little. "Jesse, this is Beca."
"Hey!" The idiot pointed at her, "I know you!"
"You do?" Benji asked.
"No you don't." She turned to Benji, "He doesn't."
Jesse took a step forward, "Yes I do, I remember, because I sang to you."
Beca rolled her eyes, "Come on Benji, let's go see your nerd singing."
Benji looked between the two, a confused expression on his face, he was about to speak up before Beca pulled him out of the room.
Jesse followed.
The trio made their way to the quad just as a group of frat boys passed chanting a song.
Beca rolled her eyes at the group.
"That's a double negative!" Benji called out.
"That's a lot of negatives." Jesse muttered.
"Follow me." Benji began,"There's only one group on this campus worth joining. As far as Barden goes, that's what being a man is all about."
Just as they three were walking over the group burst out into their rendition of 'Let It Whip'. Beca tried her best to stifle her laughter.
"The Treblemakers." Benji continued, "The rock stars of a cappella, the messiah of Barden. Well, you know, not including athletes, frat guys or actual cool people."
"Organized nerd singing. This is great." Jesse nodded his head listening to the song.
Beca rolled her eyes, they were both a couple of dorks.
"Yeah, it makes so much sense. How's your voice?"
Jesse sung out a verse, and Beca was surprised to see he wasn't half bad.
"Woah, nice!" Benji turned to Beca, who looked back at him, "This is going to be awesome!"
He reminded her of a little kid on Christmas, "Just remember what I told you earlier. No peeing yourself."
Jesse scoffed behind the two, Beca gave him a look.
"Come on Beca! Let's go!" Benji grabbed her hand and dragged her closer to the group of Trebles.
"I'm comin', I'm comin'!" She trailed after him.
For being a whole bunch of nerds singing, they weren't too bad. Maybe better if they chose a different song.
"They're so amazing." Benji murmured to himself.
"When you came in and you were just strumming the guitar and it was like totally off key, I wanted to choke you!" A shorter Treble was screaming at a team member.
Beca raised an eyebrow looking at Benji, he really wanted to join this group of guys?
"Bumper." Some hipster Indian commented.
"I wanted to choke you out!" The Treble continued to scream.
"Okay, it's just a normal day."
"Hey," Beca grabbed his hand, she could see he was stressing out, "You got this." Benji smiled and squeezed her hand.
"Hi. Hi. Benjamin Applebaum." Benji let go of Beca and extended a hand, which was rejected, "I saw you guys perform at a Mall of America three years ago. Totally changed my life. I have not stopped thinking about you since."
"Thank you." The angry Treble replied.
"And Bumper, huge fan. Your arrangement of Lovin' Spoonful's 'Do You Believe In Magic' inspired me," Benji did a little magic trick, "to become a certified illusionist."
"Wow." Jesse laughed, Beca met his eyes and gave him a dirty look.
"The smell of your weird is actually affecting my vocal cords so I'm gonna need you to scoot. Skedaddle."
"But why don't we just exchange emails, and then totally hang out right now, together?" Benji was rambling, Beca thought, he did that when he was nervous.
"No. Hard pass. Hard pass. What a nerd alert." The fellow Trebles laughed along with their leader.
"Hey!" Beca stepped forward, "Why don't you back off?"
"Excuse me?" Bumper turned back to her.
"You heard me." she crossed her arms.
"Beca, really, it's fine." He laid a hand on her shoulder which she shrugged off. Beca had been sticking up for Benji for years, she wasn't going to stop now.
"You heard him emo girl, run along."
Beca narrowed her eyes, "He's just trying to be your friend, you don't have to be such a dick."
"What are you, his girlfriend?"
"Bitch, what if I am?" She could hear a few Trebles snicker, "Come on Benji let's go." She grabbed his hand and dragged him away.
"Beca you didn't have to do that."
"What was I supposed to do?" Beca asked, "Just let him bully you?"
"All I'm saying is that this isn't high school anymore." Benji mumbled.
"Oh so you don't want to be my friend anymore?" Beca retorted.
"Beca,"
"No it's fine." She held up her hands, "Don't worry about me, I'll see you around."
"Beca, that's not what I meant!" Benji called after her, but she was already gone.
"Hey," Jesse spoke up, "She'll be fine, just give her some time."
"You don't know Beca like I do, it'll be awhile." Benji mumbled dejectedly.
Benji was too nice for his own good, Beca thought. He would let those guys treat him like dirt and not even bat an eyelash.
Beca sighed, she had no idea where she was either.
"Shalom!" Beca turned to see a DJ table.
Walking over she was confronted with a rather large girl, "Ah yeah, DJs. Deaf Jews, oh." She proceeded to play a little turn table.
"Shalom!"
"That's not a real word but keep trying. You will get there!"
"Not many Jewish people where you're from?" Beca asked bemused.
"No. I did do Fiddler on the Roof though in high school. It was like me and some Aboriginals. It was really Jewish. It was full-on Jew." Beca nodded before slowly making an exit, "Hey guys. Alright, I'll give you my number."
Shaking her head Beca walked down the path of booths and clubs, coming across an internship table.
Grabbing a flyer she scanned the list and saw an opening for a radio station. Not too bad, she thought, at least it's music related.
Waiting for the person in front of her to finish, Beca picked up a pen and signed her name.
"Look at that." Beca turned to see Benji's roommate, "We'll be working together." He gave her a smile.
"Yeah," she said sarcastically, "in your dreams."
"Well pinch me," Jesse leaned closer, "because I'm dreaming." She followed his arm pointing to where he had signed up a couple space above hers.
Beca rolled her eyes, "You're such a weirdo." Maneuvering around Jesse, she began to walk away.
"And so are you." He said, catching up to her.
A beat.
"Where'd Benji go?" Beca asked, still trying to get this kid to leave her alone.
"He saw some magic club and got all caught up in that."
"That does sound like him." Beca mused to herself.
They walked in silence.
"So are you guys like a thing or,"
Beca stopped in her tracks, "What? Aha, no." Beca laughed a little, "Why would you think that?"
"Well back there you had said-"
"Hi, any interest in joining our a cappella group?" They turned to see some red head holding out a flyer.
"So this is like, a thing now?" Beca asked thinking about the other group she saw already.
"Oh totes. We sing covers of songs but we do it without any instruments. It's all from our mouths."
"Yikes." Beca mumbled looking at this girl.
"There's four groups on campus. The Belles. That's us. We're the tits. The BU Harmonics." She gestured to a group dressed like the 90s, "They sing a lot of Madonna. The high notes. They're not particularly motivated. And then there's-" Beca looked over to see the Trebles singing another song, "So are you interested?"
"Sorry, its just, it's pretty lame."
"Aca-scuse me? Synchronized lady dancing to Mariah Carey chart topper is not lame." The blonde one spoke up, Beca tried to hold back her laughter.
"We sing all over the world and we compete in national championships." The red head continued selling it.
"On purpose?" Jesse let a snort escape.
"We played the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre, you bitch." Beca raised her eyebrows, taken aback.
"What Aubrey means to say is that we are a close-knit, talented group of ladies whose dream is to return to the national finals at Lincoln Centre this year. Help us turn our dreams into a reality?" She held out a flyer.
"You should do it Bec! It'd be fun." Jesse said, "You a Bella, me a Treble."
Beca gave Jesse a look, "Don't call me that." She turned back to the girls, "Sorry, I don't even sing, but it was really nice to meet you guys."
Jesse smiled politely and grabbed a flyer, but Beca had already turned and walked away from the three.
"Hey!" Jesse called after her, "I got you this." He said handing her a flyer.
"Oh, you're still here?" Ignoring the flyer.
"You know," Jesse began offhandedly, "you should probably get all of this while you can." Beca rolled her eyes while he gestured to his body, "Because when I become a Treble I probably won't have time for you."
"Oh no. How sad." Beca sighed sarcastically.
"Ya know, I think we're going to be best friends," Beca scoffed, "and or lovers."
"Don't say lovers." Beca's lip curled in disgust.
Jesse laughed, "What's your deal?" She turned, "Are you one of those girls who's all dark and mysterious then she takes of her glasses and that amazingly scary ear spike and you realize that, you know she was beautiful the whole time?"
"I don't wear glasses."
"Well then you're half way there." Beca met his gaze, what a weirdo.
"Listen, I'm gonna go now." Beca slowly walked away.
"I'll see you around!" He said waving.
"Let's hope not." She muttered to herself, waving back and putting on a very fake smile.
And Beca couldn't help but roll her eyes when she found the Bellas flyer some how stuck in her back pocket.
A/N: Well, there's the first chapter. As you might have been able to tell, it is AU. Oh and for all future references, I do not own Pitch Perfect, and probably never will.
Hope you like it! More to come soon.
-4minute