Emily Junk knew a lot about the Bellas before coming to Barden.
Her mom and godmom had brought her up with tales of their Barden Bella exploits and adventures. Katherine said she could sing before she could talk. Her dad was always ready to remind her of all the living room performances she had put on over the years, calling her act 'solo Bella'. Her mom taught her how to harmonize and booty shake alongside the alphabet and numbers. One of the items that little Emily used as a comforter was Katherine's Bella scarf.
So when it came time to consider colleges she didn't have to pause when her guidance counsellor asked her where she was considering applying. There had only ever been one thing at the top of her dream board:
BE A BARDEN BELLA
What made the Bellas even more appealing to Emily, despite how much she had already wanted to be one, was how successful they had become while she was in high school.
Her mom was always ready to preach about the wonders of sisterhood, but being an all-female group they were not exactly successful. Katherine had loved being a Bella, she still loved it in fact, but they had never won anything. And then the first year the group actually managed to get to Lincoln Center, well…. they blew chunks everywhere.
(Katherine and her friends had been having their yearly ICCA finals party, with extra alcohol that year due to the Bellas' success, and let's just say they got more than a little drunk post performance.)
But. The next year. Not only was there no vomit, they changed the face of acapella.
Suddenly the Bellas were winning everything. The close-knit, talented group of ladies had accomplished what they set out to do.
Through the wonders of Let's Talkapella, the former Bellas and Emily discovered these changes were down to the Bella's new captain, Beca Mitchell, who seemed to have a gift for mixing songs. The Bella's sets, melodies, choreography and originality were on point and stunning acapella followers all over America.
When Emily was accepted into Barden, Katherine and her celebrated with a choreographed victory duet. Her dreams were coming true.
And then muffgate happened…
It was through the aca-grapevine that Katherine, and therefore Emily, had discovered that the Bellas would be performing for the President on his birthday. It was another history making moment for the Bellas and thus the 1981 Bellas had organised a viewing party.
They therefore saw a lot more than they ever wanted to see.
A lot more.
With the Bellas now receiving national attention for the scandal (her dad had even seen it discussed on a late night talk show), Emily had a brief moment of doubt about her dream board. Katherine firmly shook it out of her, "once we got drunk before going on stage and your godmom Maggie tried to do the splits and ripped her skirt in half. We just didn't have the technology back then to record it. People have accidents, it will blow over."
So, Emily was off to Barden. And more important than signing up to classes, learning her way around, making friends; she was going to audition for the Bellas. And join the sisterhood.
She had an edge. She was a legacy. Her mom was adamant that she would be automatically accepted.
Oh, and she was a decent singer too.
But beyond that she already knew everything there was to know about being a Bella:
She knew the current Bellas from aca-gossip and a deal of social media stalking (Katherine loved instagram)…
Beca Mitchell, the captain, was intimidating as anything. She seemed focused as anything and was never a willing participant in funny videos or photos. Chloe, the redhead, was a bass singer after getting vocal nodes. She definitely appeared the friendliest, and Emily was looking forward to being her friend. She had seen Fat Amy intimately… surely that made them close? Cynthia Rose was super cool. Stacie seemed to like attention, she was always posing. Flo was a terrific gymnast. Lily was the beat-boxer but always quiet when not dropping beats. Jessica and Ashley friendly but happy to remain in the background, always attached to each other.
She knew the traditions of being a Bella…
The Bellas were founded in the 70's at Barden. They had a wild initiation night that involved sucking vodka from a maxi pad. The Bella scarf was sacred and must be treated with respect at all times.
And she knew the importance of the Bella sisterhood and vows…
It was a sisterhood that supported its members throughout their whole lives. Bellas were meant to uphold the traditions and dignity of being a Bella at all times. And, at risk of expulsion, to never associate with the Treblemakers.
Katherine explained once Emily was older that associating was fine, some of the Trebles were sometimes alright. But not sexually.
"The Trebles are gross, that's no problem" Emily had replied.
The Trebles had never respected the Bellas, Katherine had told her, and were always trying to mess with them. For the sake of the sisterhood, never be intimate with a Treble.
It was this in-depth Bella knowledge that carried Emily through the nerves of the first day at Barden, and gave her the strength to walk away from her mom and start the next stage of her life.
She got slightly lost and was one of the last in the hall for orientation, seated in time to hear the greeter announce "the Tre-blomeh-cars!"
The dark haired man, presumably the captain, corrected her, and Emily was face to face with the Treblemakers.
They were good. Gave off boy-next-door vibes, in an aca-nerd kind of way.
The group owned the stage and had everyone clapping and cheering at the end of their performance.
It was the friendliness that they gave off that made Emily approach the captain after they were allowed to leave the building. She was simultaneously invited to a party and threatened to be chopped in half.
College, huh?
Her mom reminded her later that the chopping in half was probably a stunt because she'd told them she was interested in the enemy. Emily sighed, she had thought he was nervous cute. But her mom was no doubt correct.
The first few days of college flew by; dorms, schedules, activities fair (she hadn't managed to find the Bella's booth but had briefly spoken to the BU Harmonics) and learning her way round. But, circled on her calendar was the acapella auditions, the highlight of her first week.
Turning up at the auditorium was nerve-wracking. What if they didn't like her? What if she forgot the words?
But the Bellas never showed.
Maybe they had exclusive auditions? But the Treblemaker captain confirmed to the room that the Bellas were not holding auditions this year.
Any.
Emily snuck away, disappointed.
When Katherine phoned later, Emily explained what had happened, "I can always try next year I suppose…" she said, trying to keep positive.
Her mom was having none of that, "You go to the Bellas' house right now and ask to audition. You are a Junk. You are a legacy. They can't turn you down."
Following a bit more motivation, and a lot of singing, Emily felt ready to do this.
She knew where the Bellas' house was on campus because her mom had insisted on driving past it. The Bellas had only been rewarded a house a few years ago following their rise in popularity and success. Katherine was jealous. She, and the rest of her Bellas, had had to put up with dorms.
Turns out her mom's advice was right. After an intense audition ('right here, right now, sing something'), she was in. A Bella. With a nickname.
Legacy.
Okay, she could work with that.
Although, was she really in the group if the captain wasn't there to accept her?
Emily was ready to experience initiation, but the rest of the Bellas just walked away. Oh, was initiation not a thing anymore?
Apparently not. They were just going to the Treblemakers' party, who lived next door.
After an awkward encounter with Benji (was he really asking her out, or was this to mess with the Bellas?) She was ready to party. Her first college party.
It was aca-amazing.
Well, apart from that not-so-amazing encounter with Beca Mitchell. Emily could admit to herself that she possibly fangirled a bit too much and creeped Beca out. Beca had been quick to shut down conversation and leave. Emily tried to avoid her for the rest of the night.
She was sure she had tried to stay sober but apparently not because at one point she could have sworn Beca Mitchell was grinding with the Treble captain (his name was Jesse she had learned).
The thought didn't last long though because Emily was delighted to find out that the Bellas were competing at Worlds. In Copenhagen. They were going to Europe!
[She wouldn't find out until later that this would determine whether it would be her only year of being a Bella, and that her dream of soloing at Lincoln Center would not become a reality until Sophomore year.]
Following an uncomfortable Saturday spent at a car show, Emily managed to ask Fat Amy about the Trebles.
"So, what are the Trebles like?"
"They're alright, some are real douchebags though," Fat Amy had replied distracted by her phone, "our sworn enemies."
"Really?"
"Yes!" She had exclaimed, "We don't like them one bit!"
That was disappointing.
[Emily would find out later that Amy had been talking about one particular former-Treble. In blatant denial.]
Nothing was more disappointing though than the lack of ceremony when Beca handed her a Bella scarf at her first rehearsal with a "try not to lose it" and not even a passing glance.
The Bellas were focused. That much was certain.
Having looked up to them in awe her whole life, and particularly the last few years, they were even more intimidating in person. The way they coordinated as a group was flawless. All their attention was on Beca and Chloe. They seemed so tight knit. How could she fit in with girls that already worked so well together?
It was hard work.
Emily tried to hang out with them as much as possible outside of rehearsal time. As a freshman, she lived in a dorm, while the rest of the Bellas lived in the house, but she tried to spend as much time there as possible. Emily noticed that Beca was absent for most of the time.
Katherine called excitedly the first time she saw Emily on one of the Bella's instagrams. "You made pancakes with them. I told you, sisters for life!"
That gave Emily a confidence boost. They wouldn't have invited her for pancakes if they didn't like her.
The confidence she had was deflated following Beca interrupting a pillow fight looking distinctly unimpressed with them. She had never felt more like a silly little girl when Beca questioned why they were doing what they were doing. Even though the whole group had been involved, Emily was still trying to impress the captain.
Later that night, Emily was not concerned about her confidence. She just wanted the floor to open up and swallow her whole. Beca hated her.
First, Benji sang to her. That was embarrassing, she never wanted to be the reason someone changed the words to a song (really badly). The Bellas were all looking at her questioningly. How could she prove that nothing had been happening? They couldn't kick her out?! Could they?
Then. Well. She lost them $42,000. The Bellas had been a wall of song and synchronicity while she bobbed in the background. How did they do this? Then the host pointed at her.
Complete blank filled her mind.
"I got all I need when I got you and I…."
Please swallow her whole.
She couldn't even look at Beca, who had been nice enough to try and harmonize briefly.
Emily left before the rest of the Bellas that night, thoroughly demoralised and just wanting to curl up in bed.
The next rehearsal surprised her.
"So, Benji really likes you…"
Wait, what? Beca wasn't demanding that she hand the scarf back and leave?
"You're not kicking me out?" Emily said in shock.
"That would be rather hypocritical of me. My first riff off, I matched it with it's and the Treblemakers won." Beca explained, before prodding back to the topic, "Benji."
"Oh, we brought the place down though," Stacie interrupted, "You killed that rap."
Beca laughed, "I so did not."
"Anyway, the hunter is hungry. He must be fed. I won't be back until late," Stacie said, walking away.
Emily turned to ask, but Beca's look of disgust made the question die on her lips.
"Benji?" Beca prompted again.
What should she say? She couldn't get kicked out. Nothing had happened.
"Nothing's happened," Emily burst out.
"He's a nice guy Ems," Beca smiled, looking protective.
Wait? What?
"He gets really awkward sometimes, but he's a good guy. Even with the magic," Beca continued. "He doesn't need someone that won't understand that."
Wait, was Beca concerned about Benji? What was happening? Emily's confusion must have shown on her face.
"I know you may not mean to, but you can't lead him on," Beca said gently, "he deserves better than that."
Oh. Beca was protective of Benji because he was a nice guy. But because of the oath Emily couldn't ever go out with Benji.
"I understand," Emily agreed, slightly sadly. She really did think Benji was awkwardly cute. "Don't worry, I know what I need to do."
Beca did not look convinced, "I just don't want him to get hurt."
Emily nodded as she walked away. She avoided all encounters with the treblemaker for the next while.
[Beca would later tell Emily, once they were properly friends, that she always had sucked at girl talk.]
Around a month later she was interrupted from sitting on the quad while writing, by the flop of a body next to her. Turning, she found herself face to face with the Treble captain.
"Emily, hey," he said, moving into a comfortable position before she could even blink the confusion away.
"Jesse?" Apart from dragging Beca and Chloe away the night of the riff off before they could kick her out, she had not had any encounters with him.
"What are you up to?" He apparently did not feel any of her confusion.
"Just, you know," she replied, gesturing at her notebook.
Jesse nodded, but did not seem interested in pressing for more information, "I saw you over here by yourself and thought I should join you."
"Okay…"
"And I have an ulterior motive…"
Ah, here it was. Typical treblemaker mess. And clearly the Bellas thought Jesse was one of the good guys. She'd definitely seen him over at the Bellas' house on more than a few occasions and the girls seemed to get on with him.
"…Benji?"
Wait, what?
"He's a really nice guy Emily, and he really likes you." Jesse was explaining.
Oh, this was aca-awkward. She really did think he was nice. That wasn't the issue.
Emily cut him off, "I like him too."
Jesse seemed shocked to have gotten a positive response, "then what's the problem? He says you've been avoiding him and so he's been holed up in our basement practicing magic tricks with the pig. It's getting ridiculous."
"Beca said not to lead him on anymore," Emily informed him.
Now Jesse had the same look of confusion on his face as she did. "Wait. What did Beca say?" He was already digging out his phone.
"Nevermind," Emily waved off, "it doesn't matter. I never meant to hurt him."
"No, no," Jesse was not letting this go, "why would you hurt him?"
Was she allowed to tell a treblemaker about the oath? Or was it a secret of sisterhood? Either way she was not going to risk it.
"I'm sorry, I've got to get going. I'm sorry," Emily hastily gathered her things and left, almost fleeing across the quad to escape.
The escape lasted until pizza at the Bellas' that night.
"Why are you blaming me for avoiding Benji? I said be nice to him, not to drop him like a hot pocket," Beca began with, ignoring pleasantries.
All the Bellas turned to stare, clearly Beca had brought them into the loop before she had arrived. And Jesse had obviously blamed Beca earlier.
"I'm sorry, I didn't know what else to say. Are we allowed to discuss the oath?" Emily pleaded.
A pause descended over the rest of the Bellas, each looking at each other in confusion, before Beca turned back to Emily, "oath?"
"You know, you can't have sexual relations with a treblemaker as they are the enemy and don't respect us…" Emily rushed to explain.
Beca threw her hands up in despair, "I didn't go say have sexual relations with Benji! I thought you might start with a date? Goodness knows he's never even kissed a girl before!"
"Wait? We can date trebles? We just can't-" Emily paused, trying to find the right word.
"Treble-bone?" Fat Amy unhelpfully provided as the rest of the Bellas giggled away.
Emily nodded, staring wide eyed back at Beca awaiting a response.
Beca stared back, "how do you know about the oath?"
"My mom told me all about it. I know it's dixie chick serious."
Beca seemed to be gesturing round the room for someone else to talk. Anyone.
"Emily, we don't have that oath anymore-" Chloe began.
"Yeah, no one can tell the hunter what to do-" Stacie continued, gesturing to her crotch. The hunter? Oh….
"Legacy you're so dumb-" Fat Amy cut in, "Beca's been trebleboning Jesse the whole time."
"You've got such a toner for him-" Ashley laughed from the floor.
"That's my dick-" Beca replied smirking. Clearly it was an in-joke.
"Sometimes I like to stuff tootsie rolls in my underwear and stroke them." Everyone turned to stare at Lily before deciding it didn't need a response.
Wait. Hold the phone. Beca and Jesse?
"You're sleeping with Jesse?" Emily asked excitedly. Well, that would definitely explain why Jesse was able to manhandle Beca away from her at that party.
Beca seemed less excited, "yes."
"They've been together forever," Chloe gushed.
"Okay, don't exaggerate Chlo!" Beca pointed out.
"Okay, they've been together for three years now. They're so cute together," she received a kick for that.
"I'm not cute!"
"How did you not know they were together?" Cynthia Rose asked, "Beca's like never here without Jesse."
Beca seemed to not appreciate that statement, gesturing around her as if to say 'he's not here now is he?'
Were they messing with her? She had never really seen Beca and Jesse together. Was this just a hazing? Trying to get her to break the oath? Emily had forgotten that these Bellas had not actually made her do any form of oath.
After more denial from Emily, more inappropriate jokes from Fat Amy, and cat-calling from Stacie, somehow Beca ended up dragging Emily by the wrist out the door towards the Trebles' house, the rest of the Bellas following.
"Hey! Weirdo!" Beca called as she let herself, and by extension the Bellas in.
The trebles that were in the hot tub scattered, clearly scared of Beca's wrath.
Jesse appeared from upstairs, smiling widely, "To what do I owe this honor? I thought it was pizza night?"
As Jesse hit the bottom of the stairs, Beca let go of Emily's wrist and launched herself on him. Her arms encircled his neck while one of his hands slid round her waist, the other cupping her face as they made out.
"Wooo, get it Shawshank!" Fat Amy screamed.
As Jesse's hands trailed to grip Beca's ass as he pulled her closer to him, Emily turned away, not really comfortable with watching excessive PDA, "Okay, I believe you now!" she called out.
They clearly had broken apart because the next thing she heard was Jesse, "Wow. What was that for?"
Emily turned back round to see Beca standing comfortable in Jesse's embrace, he was now hugging her from behind, head resting on top of hers. Beca's cheeks were flushed, and Emily knew hers were just as red. The rest of the Bellas seemed to have no qualms though.
"Do you remember Aubrey's oath?" Beca explained quietly. It was only because Emily was focused on them that she heard. Jesse nudged her head in response. "Well, apparently it's actually a Bella thing because Emily's been following it all year."
Jesse simultaneously tightened his hold on Beca and burst out laughing.
Beca nudged his side, irritated. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry. It's just, she thought you were going to kick her out the Bellas for dating Benji?" Jesse tried to hold in his remaining laughter.
"So when did the Bellas get rid of the oath?" Emily asked.
The Bellas whooped at that question, and Beca turned to bury her face in Jesse's chest.
"It was like forbidden love-" Chloe
"Shawshank had such a toner for him-" Amy
"You can't stop the hunter-" Stacie
All replied simultaneously.
Jesse gripped Beca, "she just couldn't resist all this."
Beca huffed from within his embrace but did not make any move to detach.
[Later, she would tell Emily that after knowing all these nerds for four years there was just no point in reacting to embarrassment.]
It took a bit of time for Benji to get back to awkward cute with Emily again. Apparently ignoring someone for over a month was not a great esteem boost.
It would take longer for Emily to feel accepted into the current Bellas. The use of 'legacy' and the amount of yelling that occurred had her feeling left out and at fault 90% of the time.
They really did come together on the retreat. Emily also got her dream of collaborating with Beca on something.
Having Beca Mitchell complimenting her song was just the best feeling. She couldn't care less about the music producer. Emily Junk wouldn't know who he was if he came up to her in a grocery store. Beca Mitchell though, she'd been following her for years.
Suddenly everything was coming together. Her mom really was right, it did feel like a sisterhood.
Kissing Benji in Copenhagen was worth it. Even if it was monitored by Beca wearing a 'proud mom' smile, while simultaneously warning them not to hurt each other. Beca felt protective of her; awesome!
[Later, when Beca spotted Jesse in the crowd, and jumped him the second she was off stage, Emily wondered how she had ever thought they weren't together. There was just something so comfortable about how much more relaxed Beca looked when she was with him.]
The highlight of her year was not even winning Worlds with all her sisters (old & new, after all, her mom and godmom were on stage with her), but rather the last night of semester. The Bellas summoned her over and when she arrived the house was full of candles.
Standing in a semi circle around her, smiling (only slightly creepily) at her, as Beca handed her a cup of 'poison', she had never felt more like a Bella.
"I, Emilyyyy, promise to uphold the ideals of a Bella woman forever-"
[And if Beca interrupted before the old oath could be inacted Emily could only smile. After all, Benji had asked if she wanted to go to the movies over the weekend.]
Emily Junk knew a lot about the Barden Bellas before coming to Barden.
But a year in, a year wiser, everything she knew was still true…
The girls were crazy talented. It was a sisterhood. They had traditions and vows.
But…
The girls were also just crazy. And sisterhoods could fight and scrap like siblings while still having each others' backs. And while traditions and vows were important, it was vital to remember that the Bellas had only won because they moved forward and some things were better left in the past.
Her dream board still had BE A BARDEN BELLA at the top of it.
It just now had FRIENDS, LOVE and PSYCHOLOGY on it too.