A one-shot series about Chloe and Aubrey's friendship and later on, Beca and Chloe's relationship.
Chapter 1
Chloe Beale is fourteen when she first meets Aubrey Posen.
Aubrey doesn't look like she wants company, but Chloe doesn't care because Chloe loves everyone and everything and thinks that she could get along really well with Aubrey because the first thing she notices about Aubrey is that Aubrey is wearing a dark red cashmere sweater, and Chloe loves dark red and cashmere.
Aubrey is sitting alone at one of the tables in the crowded cafeteria when Chloe notices her. Chloe puts her lunch down on the table and sits next to Aubrey. Aubrey thinks Chloe is way too close for comfort, so she shuffles away a little bit. Chloe waits for Aubrey to say hi orsomething, but Aubrey sits there with her lips slightly pursed.
"Hi! I'm Chloe. Beale. Chloe Beale." Chloe says.
Aubrey's eyes flicker towards Chloe, making eye contact with eyes that are almost too blue and seeing hair that is such a bright red that, with the right lighting, could seriously hurt someone's eyes, and mumbles, "Hello."
"You must be new here. Where are you from?"
"Washington."
"I have an uncle who lives there!"
Aubrey doesn't respond, but Chloe keeps going, because Chloe's uncle is from Washington and Aubrey is from Washington and what are the odds?
"So, why'd you move here?"
"My dad's job involves a lot of moving." And stress, and fights, and pressure, and high standards, Aubrey adds in her head.
Chloe is practically bouncing in her seat, though. "That's awesome! You must have been to a lot of different places. I think that's really cool. I want to travel when I grow up, but it looks like you've already got a head start! I think I definitely want to go to Belgium, which is weird, I guess, since not a lot of people want to go to Belgium usually. Have you been to Belgium? I heard the chocolate there was great. Have you moved lots?"
Aubrey stares at the redhead for a minute, because she cannot believe that one person could talk so much about absolutely nothing of importance before she nods curtly.
"What electives are you taking? I mean, I know there aren't too many to choose from right now considering we're only in grade nine, but you know..."
"Choir and dance."
Chloe lets out this little squeal. "Oh my God! Me too!"
Aubrey loosens her stoic posture momentarily as her eyes dart from Chloe's face and back to her sandwich. This girl doesn't seem like she's so bad at all. And I never make friends whenever I move...
Chloe clears her throat, feeling the awkward silence press against her a little bit, and opens her mouth as if to say something before closing it and pulling out her lunch instead, accepting that Aubrey just doesn't seem to want to talk to her.
She doesn't leave, though. She knows she'll get through to her eventually.
She always does.