Hey guys, this is a short one-shot, because it's stuck in my head and the only way it's going to leave is if I actually write it. It's inspired by the song Human by Christina Perri. I hope you guys will enjoy this. Peace out.
Disclaimer: I own nothing, sadly. Not the song, or the movie, or any of the characters, besides Mikayla. But she's the only one.
Chloe POV-
When I woke up, I felt safe. Content, even. And that had never happened after a one night stand, not once. Honestly? It scared the shit out of me. So imagine my surprise when I rolled over and came face to face with a sleeping woman. And not just any woman, I soon realized. Not just any woman. Beca. Internally, I cursed myself for letting this happen. I'd had sex with Beca. My best friend. I observed her for a minute, smiling softly at the soft expression on her face. Feeling a pang in my gut, I slid out of the bed- which was hers, thank god- and searched the room for my haphazardly scattered clothing items. Finding them, I put them on quickly, not bothering to leave a note as I rushed towards the door. Maybe Beca wouldn't remember that it was me, I convinced myself. But then her voice stopped me in my tracks. "Never thought you'd be the type to leave without a word." She said, and there was a note of sadness in her voice that I'd never seen before. It was faint, but still enough to make me flinch at the pain in it.
"Beca," I started, turning away from the door, my hand falling from the handle.
She shook her head, a calm, articulate mask in place. It almost fooled me, but I knew it was a mask. I know her too well. "Save it." She said, and her tone should be harsh -hell, her words were- but instead it was soft. Too soft. "I just thought that you might want your phone, is all." I nodded, overcome with sadness, and held out my hand. Beca just tossed it, as if she was afraid or unwilling to touch me. Probably both.
"Beca," I repeated, and this time she didn't say anything, just stared at me. I felt like her eyes were boring into my soul. "This was a huge mistake." I told her, and she rolled her eyes before putting that mask up again. She didn't say anything, and then I made it worse. "You won't tell anyone?"
Her face didn't move, giving me no sign of whether or not she was being sarcastic as she said "Of course I am. I'm going to brag to everyone that I fucked Chloe Beale, that I had a meaningless fling with the prettiest girl on campus."
I flinched. "I'm serious, Beca." I half expected her to tell me she was too, but she didn't.
Instead, she looked at me. The look she gave was sharp enough to cut glass, full of incredulousness and rage. "No, Chloe, I won't tell anyone." She spat. Her voice was acid, burning me with every word. "I won't ruin your fucking goody two shoes rep." She growled.
"Beca-." But she cut me off.
"Like I said, Chloe, save it." She growls. "Now get out."
"Beca-!" She cut me off again, but this time the anguish and pain were in her voice, and her mask was down, her eyes welling with tears.
"Get out, Chloe!" She shouted, the comforter still around her naked form. "I won't tell anyone about your mistake. You can leave and be happy." She said, her tone lower. Tears began to spill down her cheeks, and she wiped them away. "Get out." She insisted, more firmly now. "Please."
I had been frozen, shocked that I had made Beca cry. But at those words, I suddenly had to get out of there. And so I did. I left, leaving Beca behind as she cried, but the sound still haunts me.
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0
It's been weeks, but she still hasn't talked to me. She comes into practice and participates as she used to, but she is careful not to make mistakes, so as to avoid me further. As Aubrey calls break, I watch Fat Amy and Cynthia Rose corner her, literally. They back her into a corner, saying something to her. Whatever they're saying, it's not something she wants to hear. Her face is angry, and she spits something at them that I can't hear, but both of them flinch. Amy throws her hands up and walks off, pissed, but CR doesn't. She says something equally as harsh to Beca, because Beca flinches, and gestures to Fat Amy. Beca, looking regretful, nods at CR and walks off to Fat Amy, who is close enough to me that I can hear their conversation. "Look, Amy, I'm sorry." Beca says, sounding genuine.
Fat Amy, her voice sounding smaller than I've ever heard it before, says "I was just trying to help, shawshank." She says, her voice wavering slightly.
"I know." Beca sighs. "I've just had… an issue." She admits. "I'll pull it together, I swear."
Fat Amy nods. "Good. We need sarcastic and temperamental Beca back."
Beca finally cracks a smile at that. "Thanks for caring about me, Amy." She says seriously. Fat Amy nods.
"I wish you'd just tell me and Cynthia." Fat Amy responds, and Beca nods slowly, a thoughtful look on her face.
"I wish I could tell you." She offers, and Fat Amy smiles a little. Just then, Aubrey calls the group together to go over choreography. In the middle of a turn, Beca gets off balance and Aubrey's elbow catches her in the eye as Aubrey spins.
"Beca!" She shouts, angry, but then she catches sight of her. "Oh my god, are you alright?" She asks.
Beca nods, wiping the little blood that comes off of a small cut away. "I'm fine." She assures her, pushing on to her feet. "It was an accident, and I've had worse fights." She jokes.
Aubrey lets out a slight sigh of relief, and then lets out an order. "Chloe, help Beca get the moves down." She tells me, and no one but me, Cynthia Rose and Fat Amy notice Beca freeze.
At least, not until she spits out harshly "No."
Aubrey turns to her, raising an eyebrow. "What did you just say?" She asks incredulously.
Beca meets her eyes unflinchingly. "I said no, Aubrey." She states clearly, but Aubrey is at a loss for words.
"You'll do what I tell you, Beca. I'm the captain of this team." Aubrey all but growls.
Beca shakes her head again, repeating the word. "No."
Aubrey steps forward, her gaze filled with such rage that it would make anyone but Beca flinch. But Beca holds her ground, even as Aubrey spits "If you don't listen to me, I'll have no choice but to cut you from the Bellas." She informs her, her voice grave. I don't think anyone could've anticipated Beca's response, but after she said it I immediately knew it was serious.
"Then I guess I'm out." She says, walking over to her stuff. She picks it up, slinging her bag over her shoulder and putting her headphones around her neck, pulling out her phone. "I'll see you guys around, I guess." With that, she walks out of the room, leaving us all in shock. No arguments, no harsh words. Just resignation.
Beca POV-
After practice, I just wallowed in self-pity. I had actually come to enjoy the Bellas, and now they were ripped out of my life. All because of Chloe. Yet I couldn't stop loving her. And that was the problem. Jesse had shown up at my dorm a half an hour ago, insisting that I go to the karaoke night at the bar that everyone was going to tonight. And by everyone, I mean the Bellas and the Trebles. Which is exactly why I can't go. Snapping out of my thoughts, I groan. Jesse grins at me as I open the door, followed closely by Stacie. She walks into my room, suddenly whipping open my closet. She pulls out black skinny jeans –my favorite, although I won't admit that to her –and a black tank top. She throws them at me, merely saying "These." She walks out and grabs my converse, which are sitting by the door, and thrusting them at me. "These." Jesse walks out, allowing me to change, which I do quickly. Stacie studies me for a second before saying "I have a white half jacket you can wear on top of that." She informs me, and then she calls Jesse back in. He leans against the door and flashes me a victorious smile. "We're ready, but we have to stop by my house real quick to get Beca a jacket."
Jesse grins lazily at her. "No problemo." He says cockily, and then we're in his car. The drive to the bar doesn't take long, maybe an hour, including the stop at Stacie's house.
When we walk inside, Stacie walks off towards the Bellas, who are close by. I hear Aubrey say "What the hell is Beca doing here? With Jesse Swanson, of all people?" She sounds pissed.
I watch Stacie shrug. "He wanted her to come, and I helped her get ready. Although the make-up was all her." She turns and grins at me. "Huh, Beca?" She teases, and I flash her a smile.
"You know it, comrade." I state, before whipping around and walking after Jesse. Before I reach him, though, someone taps me on the shoulder. Turning, I recognize Luke, my close friend and radio station manager. "Hey!" I exclaim, and he hugs me. "I didn't know you were coming."
"Apparently neither did Jesse." He says lazily, his charming British accent coming out. I turn, following his gaze, to Jesse. He's walking towards us, a pleased and surprised smile on his face.
"Luke!" He says, and they bro hug like the guys they are. "What are you doing here, man?" He asks.
Luke laughs. "I do have a life outside of the radio station, you know." He informs him.
I roll my eyes jokingly. "Yeah, right." I kid, and Luke elbows me playfully.
"I'm bartending tonight." He tells us, and my face falls.
"Aw, damn." I say, pouting. "No illegal drinks tonight?" I ask, and Luke rolls his eyes.
"I am afraid not, little one." He tells me, still teasing, but I glower at him.
"So not funny, dude." I tell him, and he blushes.
"I've gotta work now, kids." He says. Then he turns and focuses on me. "You should totally sing tonight." He states, and then he stands up. "Oh, and by the way, Becs, that girl is totally staring at you."
I spin around, scanning the crowd. "Which one?" I ask him over my shoulder.
"That one." He says. I roll my eyes. Like that helps at all.
"A little more specific, Luke." I tease.
He lets out a little laugh. "The tall redhead with the blue eyes. She looks a little jealous of me, right about now." He informs me. He walks off, and then I see her. Chloe. And while she is totally staring at me, I scowl at her, spinning around.
I stalk over to Luke, pissed now. "Can I please have one drink, Luke?" I plead, and he glares at me sternly.
"Beca Mitchell, no. I'm not breaking the law for anyone, even you." He says firmly.
I beg him with my eyes and my words. "Just one, Luke. Please." Again, he shakes his head.
"Go sign up for karaoke." He orders. "It'll get your mind off of whatever you want to get your mind off of." He promises, but I'm not so sure.
"Fine." I sigh eventually. "I'll let you get back to work."
He leans over and places a kiss on my forehead, surprising me. "It'll all work out, little sister." He says gruffly. "I promise. Whatever it is, it won't get the best of you, little DJ."
Trying to lighten the mood, I joke "Can you only insult my height anymore, Luke? You running low on material?"
He laughs then, moving to a customer. "I'll see you later, Becs." He promises, and then I slip into the crowd. Walking up to the DJ booth, I sign up for karaoke, figuring I don't have anything left to lose.
The DJ on shift looks at me, smiling down. "Hey," She says, grinning. "Do you want me to show you the ropes?" She asks.
I shake my head, smiling back. "I know the ropes." I inform her, and her grin spreads.
"Do you have any mixes on you?" She asks eagerly. I nod, fishing a flash drive out of my pocket.
"Always." I say in mock seriousness, and she rolls her eyes. As the song fades, she plugs the drive in.
"Are any of them off limits?" She asks, her eyes scanning the track titles. She looks at her laptop screen, dragging the mouse to one. I nod at it, giving her permission. Another song fades out, and she pauses the next one. She hits a button and speaks into her microphone. "I can't vouch for this next song, but it's a mix of Beca Mitchell's. So if it's crap, you can't blame me." She laughs, and then she hits play on my song. The crowd immediately starts dancing and singing with the song, but then it merges into a completely different one. It sounds like they are warring with each other, but if you listen, it blends perfectly and it makes it seem like the two artists are having a rap battle. As it ends, the DJ pulls out the drive, handing it back to me with a smile. "That was really good." She tells me, and she sends another sincere smile at me as she hits play on her own tracks.
"How'd you know my name?" I ask, actually interested. She grins.
"It's on the drive." She tells me. "To be fair, my name's Mikayla. Mikayla Sillya." She grins again. "It was nice to meet you, Beca Mitchell." She adds.
"Likewise, Mikayla Sillya." I return, and then I walk away. About an hour later, someone calls my name for karaoke. I walk over to the stage, and whisper the song I want to the DJ. It's not Mikayla, sadly, although I spot her in the crowd when I get up. The music starts, and the lyrics roll on the screen, but I don't need to look at them. Instead, my eyes seek Chloe's, finally seeing them as I start to sing. "I can hold my breath. I can bite my tongue. I can stay awake for days, if that's what you want, be your number one. I can fake a smile. I can force a laugh. I can dance and play the part, if that's what you ask, give you all I am." I sing to her, and I know that she knows that I'm singing it to her. She doesn't recognize the song, though, so she's just surprised. For now.
"I can do it. I can do it. I can do it." I sing, a pause in between each one, and then I brace myself for the pain that no doubt is going to pop up in her eyes. "But I'm only human and I bleed when I fall down. I'm only human and I crash and I break down. Your words in my head... knives in my heart. You build me up and then I fall apart, 'cuz I'm only human." I'm surprised to see tears fill her eyes as understanding dawns on her, but it's too late to regret anything. Not that I would.
"I can turn it on, be a good machine. I can hold the weight of worlds, if that's what you need, be your everything." I take a sharp breath. "I can do it. I can do it. I'll get through it." I sing to her, my soul bared. "But I'm only human, and I bleed when I fall down. I'm only human and I crash and I break down. Your words in my head… knives in my heart. You build me up and then I fall apart, 'cuz I'm only human." She's frozen in place, and Aubrey is glaring at me, not realizing exactly what is going on.
"I'm only human. I'm only human. Just a little human." I carry the last word. "I can take so much… 'til I've had enough… 'Cuz I'm only human, and I bleed when I fall down. I'm only human, and I crash and I break down. Your words in my head… knives in my heart. You build me up and then I fall apart, 'cuz I'm only human." As that last word ends, Chloe storms up to me.
"What the fucking hell, Beca?" She yells, grabbing my arm. Before I can react, she's pulling me away, outside. "What the hell were you thinking, Beca?" She spits, and she shoves me.
I crash into the wall, her attack unexpected, but I recover quickly. "What the hell was I thinking?" I repeat incredulously. "What the hell are you thinking?" I cry, outraged. My outrage only increases when I realize that tears are spilling down my cheeks. "Did you listen to the song at all?" I accuse, and that's when Chloe's eyes widen.
"Beca, I didn't mean to-." She starts, but I cut her off, both by raising my voice and holding up my hand.
"Don't start." I growl, and then I walk off. Or, at least I try to. Chloe catches my arm, making me hold still.
"Can we talk?" She asks, and part of her is pleading desperately. I sigh, knowing I'm giving in. After a moment, I nod quickly. "Now?" She clarifies, and I nod again. "You've been pissed at me, ever since that night." She tells me.
I'm overwhelmed with pain and sadness. "You can't even label it, Chlo." I tell her desperately. "And that's exactly what I needed you to do." She doesn't say anything, only watches me cautiously, and I walk closer to her. For every step I take forward, she takes another back, until she's pressed against the wall. Pressed against me. My breath catches slightly as I lean my forehead against hers, staring into her eyes. "I'm in love with you," I admit, tears falling. "But you'll never feel the same."
There are plenty of emotions in Chloe's eyes now, but none of them prepare me for what she does next. So when she latches her lips on to mine, I hesitate for a couple of seconds before I pull her into me. She pulls away after a couple of minutes, her eyes wary. "You actually want a serious, committed relationship?" She prods. "With me?"
"Of course." I whisper harshly, harsher than I intended. "I've always wanted that, Chlo."
She doesn't answer, instead pressing her lips against mine again, involuntarily drugging me with herself. But I hear the unspoken words, the ones she isn't ready to say yet. Me too and I love you. As she presses closer to me, I realize that I don't need to hear them to know that they're true. Unexplainably, unquestionably, true. And that's all I need.
Sorry if this is crap. Whatever, I liked it. :) Don't forget to R&R!
Love you awesome nerds