authors note: i should probably have uploaded this as a one-shot because it was meant to just be a beca-and-chloe-meet-and-it's-cute-and-funny type scene, but i think i'm gonna have it go a little longer than that. i'm just publishing half the original one-shot at the moment; i wanted to get this going while i edit the second half and work on the extension.

this is my first time publishing on here, so sorry for the subpar writing and awkward formatting.

thanks for reading!

chapter one/ the first part of a longer not-so-one one-shot

….

The cool autumn air fluttered around her ankles, her hair bouncing around her shoulders with each step she took. Out of breath, Chloe collapsed onto the bench in front of the science building. She leaned her head on her hands and squeezed her eyes shut.

"Chloe!" a taller girl jogged down the steps and jumped onto the bench beside her friend. The redhead looked up and smiled, pushing her hair out of her eyes.

"Hey, Aubrey. What's up?"

"I was heading out of class and- Well, check it out," she pulled a crumpled paper out of her back pocket. "'The Barden University Science Department will elect a student or group of students to study under Professor Jackson over a summer trip to Mexico. Applications must include the results of an original experiment determining pollution rates in water.'"

"Brey, that's awesome! Are you gonna enter?"

The blonde was beaming. "Of course! Professor Jackson is, like, the most famous scientist working at a university. There's gonna be a lot of competition, of course, but I already have an idea..."

"That's great, Aubrey."

"Only problem is," she ran a hand through her hair, "I'm gonna be really busy working on this. And I wanna get a head start, 'cause the labs are gonna be packed once news of the internship gets around."

"So?"

"So I might have to skip our pizza and movie nights. Just for a few weeks, until I finish my application."

Chloe wrinkled her nose in a fake-disappointed scowl. "And to think I had the perfect plan for tonight. All three 'Men in Black' movies, with popcorn and the biggest bowl of good-and-plenty's you've ever seen."

"Aw, Chlo. You know I love 'Men in Black', but this is important." Aubrey tilted his head in a apologetic smile.

"I'm just messing with you," she laughed, "I can sacrifice a few movies for your future career. Plus, I need to make other friends anyway."

"Thanks for understanding." Aubrey stood up and reached out a hand. Her friend grabbed it and Aubrey pulled her off the bench. "Lunch?"

"Always."

The pair walked in thoughtful silence as they headed across the green towards the diner.

"You're gonna do great." Chloe flung an arm around her best friends shoulder and grinned. "I'm so proud of you."

….

Beca was leaning back, her headphones blaring music in her ears loud enough for the whole diner to hear.

"Beca Mitchell, turn that down or I will throw this damn pot at you." Jesse threatened, lifting the hot water above his head.

"Look," the brown haired girl said matter-of-factly, pulling her headphones off, "when a new Portugal. The Man album comes out, you don't 'turn it down.'"

He rolled his eyes. "You should be studying anyway."

"I can't study under these conditions." Beca shrugged and sarcastically pushed her empty coffee mug towards the boy.

"That's your fourth one today."

"And?"

Jesse rolled his eyes and took the cup.

The man returned minutes later and groaned when he found Beca had her headphones pulled back on, the music playing even louder.

"Beca, turn it down." The girl made a show of hitting the volume button a singular time. "Fine. I'm taking the coffee back."

"No!" Beca cried, reaching for the cup. "Please, I'll die without it!" The two jokingly fought over the drink until there was a ring, signalling a customer coming into the diner.

Jesse handed the drink back and pointed a warning finger at his friend. "Fine, you win. But keep the volume down or I will put you on the no-eat-list."

"That's not a thing." Beca stuck out her tongue and turned back to her laptop while Jesse went to seat the pair who had walked into the diner.

….

"Aubrey I think I'm in love."

"Oh, not this again."

"Look at her."

"Chloe."

"C'mon. We have room!"

"No we don't."

"She'll sleep in my room."

"We live in an apartment."

"So?"

"We live in an apartment that doesn't allow dogs."

"But look at her little nose!" the redhead waved her phone in Aubrey's face, a video of a husky puppy jumping around on the screen. Aubrey rolled her eyes as the two sat down at a booth.

"Hi, my name's Jesse. Can I get you any drinks to start off with today?"

"Oh, coffee for me. Medium. Actually, make that a large. I've been up since, like, six. Usually I'm fine, but I was up studying last night-" Chloe realized she was rambling and quickly apologized.

"Ha, that's all right. I'm just gonna hope Beca over there," Jesse motioned to the girl seated at the counter, "hasn't finished the whole pot while I was getting your menus."

That was when Chloe noticed the brown haired woman. Her dark waves tumbled across her back, slightly-too-large headphones covering her ears. Her nose was buried in her computer, tapping away at the keyboard. Chloe wondered what she was working on and what she was listening too. What had so thoroughly grasped the attention of this mysterious girl?

"Chloe!" Aubrey's voice made the redhead jump.

"Hm?"

"Do you want cream?"

"Cream?"

"In your coffee."

"Oh, uh, yeah. Thanks." She sent another apologetic look to Jesse, who just chuckled as he left for their drinks.

"Getting a little distracted, were we?" Aubrey rested her head on her hand and raised her eyebrows.

"No."

"You were totally staring at coffee girl."

"You're right. I was." Chloe leaned back and smirked. "I was thinking about how she'd let me get a puppy."

"Hey, if you come across a couple thousand dollars so we can move, you are welcome to buy as many puppies as you want."

"But, Brey..." Chloe whined. She pulled out her phone again and swiped through the photos. "Look at his little paws!"

….

Jesse slid a grilled cheese in front of Beca, who glanced up from her work with a grateful smile.

"Thanks, Jess. You forget how hungry you are when your working on a masterpiece."

"You're supposed to be doing your homework."

Beca shrugged and took a bite out of the sandwich, turning her focus back to the screen.

"The redhead was totally checking you out."

"What?"

"Look behind you." Jesse titled his head towards the pair seated at the other end of the diner. Beca turned to look. The older girl was laughing at something her companion had said. Jesse smirked at Beca's staring. "Well? Go talk to her."

"Uh, yeah, not happening."

"Why? You too scared?" the boy teased.

"No." Beca scowled, turning away from the girls behind her. She stared at her computer for a moment and then glanced back at her admirer. "What would I say?"

"Just…" Jesse thought for a moment. "Go tell her you're sorry for drinking the whole pot of coffee."

"I did not drink a whole pot."

"Yeah, actually, you did."

"I've only been here two hours."

"Now you see why I worry about you."

Beca grinned, completely ignoring her male counterpart. "That's gotta be some sort of world record."

"Yeah, not something to be proud of." Jesse left himself a mental note to start monitoring this girl's caffeine intake. "Now go talk to her!"

Beca, suddenly indifferent towards this possible relationship, groaned. "Talking to you is socially draining enough."

"C'mon, Beca. Do it for me."

"For you?"

"I let you sit here everyday, blasting your music, drinking my coffee. Now here's your chance to find someone else who you can annoy with your Portugal-The-Whatever and your high caffeine levels."

Beca didn't look up from her work. "I'm not looking for any more friends. You're a perfectly good annoyee."

"Beca." Receiving no response, Jesse leaned forward and closed the computer on her.

"You are so, so lucky that was on auto-save otherwise your nose would be on the other side of your head by now."

"You need friends."

"You're my friend." Beca glared at the man, whose was pulling his best begging face. "Ugh, fine."

"That's my girl."

She pushed her mug back across the counter. "One more cup before I go."