Amanda: Lorde (The Singer)
Warden Westmore: Candice Bergen
Jordan: Helen Hunt
Chapter 1: Arrival
"Good morning Atlanta! That was Simply Red with "If You Don't Know Be by Now." It's 70 degrees and—
Beca's hand slammed down hard on her alarm clock, effectively silencing the radio with her thumb pressing the snooze button. Sighing contently, she turned over in her bed, allowing her body to return to its slumbered state.
"Rebecca."
This couldn't be happening. It was Saturday morning; the first Saturday morning of her summer break following her final year of high school. With that being said, she was more than expecting to be able to sleep in. So, to hear her stepfather, whom she hated, calling her name did nothing more than piss her off.
"Leave me alone!" she murmured, pulling her pillow over her head to drown out his voice.
"Rebecca, get up now!" he yelled, his voice much closer than it was before. Grumbling in disapproval, she sat up abruptly, and threw a pillow at where he stood in the door. Grabbing her blanket, she pulled it up further over her body not wanting him to see her in her pajamas. She could have sworn she locked her door the night before.
"How many times do I have to tell you to call me Beca? BE-CA. It's not that damn hard."
"Watch your language, honey. Liam just wants you to get up so that we can all go out." Her mother, Jennifer, reprimanded, stepping from behind her husband into Beca's makeshift room in the attic.
"Well, tell him to get the fuck out of my room! He's not my father so he can't tell me shit!" She complained, not even bothering to address the fact that the man she despised stood so close to her bed. There were many reasons why she didn't want him in her room and his attitude wasn't the only one. His arms were crossed in front of him as he eyed her with disdain and disapproval.
"Listen here you little bitch, get the hell up and get dressed!" He demanded. When Beca looked as if she wasn't prepared to move any time sooner, he stormed over to her, grabbing her by the arm and pulling her out of the bed, forcefully throwing her to the carpeted floor below them.
"Liam—" her mother began only to be stopped by the older man pushing her to the side.
"Pack your stuff, now! You're out of this house."
"You can't kick me out! This was my grandmother's house, you bastard! I can—" she was cut off by the hard impact of his palm against her face. Her hand immediately flew up to her mouth, already taking note of the copper taste of blood that began to pool into her mouth.
Jennifer immediately put herself between the two, pleading with her husband to wait outside and cool off.
"Please, Liam. I'll talk to her. Just wait outside."
Glaring at the small musician, he stomped away, slamming the door behind him.
"Take a seat, Beca." Jennifer instructed, searching through Beca's dresser for a towel.
"What in the hell, mom?"
"It's ok, Beca. He didn't mean it." She whispered, reaching out to place the small towel at the bruise on her daughter's lip.
"Why do you always do that?" Beca cried out, snatching the towel from her mother's hand.
"Do what?" Jennifer asked, feigning ignorance despite knowing exactly what it was her daughter was referring to.
"Defend him. He's constantly hitting me and beating the shit out of you and yet, you keep making excuses for him."
"I don't expect you to understand. It's—it's complicated."
"There's nothing complicated about it mom. He's abusing you—he's abusing us, and you refuse to deal with it."
"That's not true—"
"Ahh!" Beca cried out in frustration. "I can't stand here and listen to this bullshit anymore."
"Where are you going?" Jennifer asked the moment she saw Beca reach over to pull on a pair of jeans that lay discarded on the floor near her bed.
"To Chloe's." Beca answered tying the laces of her right Converse before reaching over to tie the left.
She hadn't been to her girlfriend's house in over a week, but it was due to redhead's mother always being the one to answer the door, quickly shutting it when she saw Beca on her porch. She knew Chloe's parents went to bible study on Saturday's so she was hoping she could see her without the interference of the annoying Elaine Beale.
"Honey, that's what Liam and I came in here to talk to you about."
"What are you talking about?"
"We—"
"Is it really 'We' or is it Liam?"
Stunned for a moment, Jennifer remained quiet and ran a hand over her skirt to try and smooth out a wrinkle.
"We thought it'd be best if you went away for the summer."
Beca scoffed at the information. Of course they would try to get rid of her after she'd become the hot topic of the neighborhood's gossip.
"Where am I going to go? It's not like your family still talks to you."
"We considered several options and we thought the best place for you is a camp in South Georgia."
"South Georgia! What the hell is in South Georgia besides peach trees and a Walmart?"
"Beca, please try and be reasonable."
"Does this have to do with Chloe?" Beca asked angrily.
"Beca, we just think it's best if you spend some time away until the rumors die down." Jennifer said, reaching out to grab her daughter's hand. Beca snatched it away.
"They aren't going to go away, Mom. I'm gay. That isn't going to change next week, next month, or next year. C'mon, I told you this when I first started dating Chloe, and you were ok with it. What's changed?"
"I—Liam has just made me realize that this lifestyle you've chosen for yourself isn't healthy. Ever since you met that girl you've been nothing but trouble with the tattoos, the piercings, the cursing, the marijuana—you're becoming too much to handle."
Beca stood up, trying to fight back the tears that were threatening to spill. She refused to let her see how much this was affecting her. She was tired of everyone in her life abandoning her.
"You do realize I met Chloe the month after you married Liam, right?"
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"It means that maybe you're mistaking Chloe as the catalyst for my behavior."
Sighing deeply, Jennifer stood up and walked over to Beca's closet, grabbing one of her suitcases.
"I don't know what clothes you want to take and what clothes you want to leave behind, but we should start packing. Liam wants to be on the interstate by 12."
Beca accepted the cigarette Unicycle passed to her as he rolled his skateboard back and forth with the heel of his foot. They both sat on the curb in front of her house waiting until it was time for her to leave. Beca took a deep drag and stared at the blue house across the street hoping that she would be able to see Chloe at least one more time. She held the smoke in her lungs, letting but a wisp curl out of her mouth and trickle up along her nose.
"So they're really sending you away?" the curly haired boy asking gesturing to where Liam was loading her suitcase into the trunk of his car behind them.
"Yup. They think it's best that I leave town until the rumors go away."
"Shit, the people in this town feed on gossip. You'll be gone forever." He stated, taking back the cigarette to take a drag.
Watching where Beca's stepfather stood, he sneered, "And how's he been?" he questioned.
"Who? Liam? He's been the asshole he usually is."
"Yeah, but apart from that, he hasn't tried anything with you, has he?"
"No. Aside from the usual, he hasn't done anything. I still lock my door and sleep with my pocket knife under my pillow just in case."
"Good, because I wouldn't have hesitated to grab my bike and roll over his throat if he had." He explained, flicking the remaining filter of the cigarette into the road in front of them.
"Hey, where's your unicycle anyway?" she asked pointing to the skateboard at her friend's feet.
"Sherif Woodard ran over it in his cruiser."
"That sucks." She said, sighing lightly. She reached into her jacket pocket to pull out another cigarette. She held the tobacco stick between her lips as she lit a match, lighting the cigarette quickly before the wind extinguished the flame.
"Yeah it does. That fucking racist prick. Now I'm stuck with this board I found in the basement."
"Sorry man, you know I would have gone with you to see if we could lift one from the bike shop but…"
"No, I understand…are you going to go say goodbye to her?" He questioned, taking the cigarette from the small musician.
"I already tried. No one's home. I guess they dragged her along to their bible study." She said sadly, taking back the cigarette.
"Did you—"
"Beca, it's time to go" both teenagers looked back at where her mother stood by the car next to a very impatient Liam.
Sighing, she took one last drag of the cigarette before reaching between her knees to snub it out on the asphalt at her feet.
Both teenagers stood and Beca placed the cigarette in her ear, swinging her green JanSport over her shoulder.
"Well this is it." She said, extending her hand out to her friend. Smirking at her, he slapped it, their hands transforming to fist before their knuckles connected in a soft bump.
Beca walked over to the car, hating that she had to leave because of her stepfather.
"Hey, Beca?"
She turned around to where Unicycle stood.
"Don't worry, I'll keep an eye on your girl—you're mom too." He whispered.
She nodded her head once in appreciation before making her way across the front lawn to the garage.
"Did you get everything you needed?" Jennifer asked as she made her way to the passenger side of the car.
Ignoring her mother, Beca opened the back seat door and threw her book bag inside before climbing in.
She reached inside her book bag and pulled out her Walkman, not wanting to hear anymore of her mother's useless spiel about how much sending her away would help her. Stealing one last glance at Unicycle, whose retreating form waved at her, she inserted her new mixtape into the player. Placing her headphones over her ears, she allowed the sultry voice of Janis Joplin to drown out the surrounding world, and soon enough she was asleep.
"I never knew I could be so in love with one person." Chloe whispered, her hand lying gently on her girlfriend's cheek. The two teenagers were in Chloe's bed, enjoying the time they had alone while her parents were away at church.
"Me either." Beca returned. She leaned over, connecting her lips with the redhead next to her. Moaning in content, Beca rolled over so that she was on top of Chloe.
"I love you so much." She whispered, and when she saw Chloe's eyes light up she leaned down and their lips reconnected.
"Chloe!" both girls shot up abruptly at the angry voice in the doorway.
"Mom!"
Beca's eyes fluttered open at the brash yelling of Liam at the car in front of him.
"Liam, calm down." Jennifer chastised.
"No! The motherfucker is going like two miles an hour!" he screamed, slapping his hand down hard on the car horn.
Beca yawned soundly before reaching down to hit stop and rewind on her cassette player.
"Well, hello sleepyhead."
Beca looked up and rolled her eyes at her mom's cheerful face staring back at her.
"What time is it?"
"A little past 3:00."
"3 o'clock! We've been on this interstate for 3 hours? Where in the hell are you taking me?"
"To Pearson. Now shut the hell up." Liam seethed with his eyes boring into hers through the rearview mirror.
"But why? I haven't done anything wrong."
"Listen you little shit. If you wanna be a pervert that's your business but I WILL NOT have the boys down at the factory laughing at me because I have a 'muff diver' for a step child."
"Liam—"
"Don't, Jennifer! It's your fault she's like this."
Jennifer turned to look at her husband, offended by his accusation.
"My fault? How is it—"
"If you hadn't been a whore when she was little she might not be so damn scared of men."
Beca sat up straighter. "What are you talking about? No one made me afraid of men. What don't you get? I like girls. That has nothing to do with my father or any other guy."
Jennifer sighed and meekly reached into her purse and fished out the pamphlet she'd been up all night reading. She handed it to her daughter.
Beca skeptically accepted the pamphlet from her mother, her eyes bulging at the front cover.
"What in the fuck is the Westmore Institute?" she screamed.
"Honey, just read it."
"Saving Sodom: leading teens down the spiritual path to Christ. You're sending me to a straight camp?"
"It's going to help you honey—help make you better." Jennifer explained softly.
Beca threw the pamphlet to the side and hit play on her Walkman. Turning the volume to max, she drowned out the arguing of her mother and Liam and stared out the window for the rest of the ride until the car came to a complete stop.
"We're here." Liam announced grumpily, putting the car in park. Beca sighed, still not believing the situation her mother allowed her husband to force her in to. She grabbed her book back and exited the car waiting. All three were made their way to the front entrance of the building.
"Good afternoon. You must be the Mitchells." an older woman greeted them at the door. As she led them inside she began her introduction.
"I am Mrs. Westmore and welcome to 'The Westmore Institute' where our mission is to help lead the lost back to the correct path of Christ."
"Hello Mrs. Westmore, I am Liam and this is my wife, Jennifer. We called this morning about my step daughter, Rebecca." Liam said, extending his hand to the blonde woman in front of them.
Beca scoffed at the use of her full name, "Beca, dammit!"
Jennifer, sensing an argument between her husband and daughter, stepped between them.
"Don't be rude, Beca. Say hello to her."
"No! This is all bullshit and I refuse to pretend like I want to be here."
Her stern demeanor faltering for a split second before sliding back into place, Mrs. Westmore turned on her heels and walked out of the main foyer.
"If you'll follow me, I will show you to your dorm where you'll meet your roommate. The two of you are accountable for the actions of the other. It is further explained in the rulebook which you will find in your room as well as a provided bible, and itinerary detailing the events of each day that you are here with us."
As they walked down the long corridor, Beca caught sight of a group of kids, maybe 6 or so, sitting in a circle. A blonde woman, whom she noticed resembled Mrs. Westmore, sat asking questions. She followed them further down the hallway, successfully tuning out Mrs. Westmore who continued to drone on about the history of the institution.
"And here we are: room 107B." Mrs. Westmore announced, opening the door. Liam followed her inside, rolling Beca's suitcase into the room with Jennifer and Beca trailing not far behind.
Inside was a girl around Beca's age sitting at her desk on the opposite side of the room.
"Miss Posen, your new roommate has arrived. Mr. and Mrs. Mitchell, this is Aubrey Posen. She is one of our most prized patients and I am certain that she is well on her way to full recovery. Her dedication to overcoming her illness is commendable and I hope that her influence will help your daughter recover as well."
Aubrey stood up from where she sat at her desk and smiled brightly at the headmaster.
"Hello, I am Aubrey Posen." She said going over to shake Jennifer and Liam's hand.
Mrs. Westmore looked at Aubrey expectantly.
"This is Rebecca Mitchell. I expect that you will help her get acclimated to how things are done here." Westmore instructed, eyeing Aubrey sternly.
"Yes, ma'am." She looked over at the teenager standing in the doorway and her smile faltered at the sight of the tattoos and piercings that littered the girl's body. Despite her uncomfortableness, she walked over to the alt girl and extended her hand.
Beca watched the blonde go over to her parents and shake their hands, and although she was smiling, Beca could tell from where she stood that her smile was as fake as the pearls around Mrs. Westmore's neck.
"Hello, Rebecca, I'm Aubrey."
Beca stared at the hand in front of her for a few seconds before scoffing and pushing past the blonde.
"Mom, why are you doing this to me? I know that he's the reason why you agreed to this."
Jennifer looked over at her husband, trying to mask the fear on her face from the anger she saw brewing in his.
"Beca, we just want what's best for you. And this lifestyle, we don't think it's what's good for you."
"You've got to be fucking kidding me! So you're going to just dump me here? He's only doing this so he can now beat the shit out of you without restraint."
"That's enough! Jennifer, I think it's time we go." Liam demanded, grabbing the hand of his wife.
"We'll pay for you to finish this camp but we refuse to support you any longer. After this, you have to find somewhere else to go." He said before pulling Jennifer out of the room without giving her the opportunity to say goodbye. Beca watched them leave and turned around, successfully hiding the pain at the departure of her mother.
"Well Miss Mitchell, you are in group four with Miss Posen as well as Mr. Benjamin Applebaum, and Miss Cynthia Rose Adams." Mrs. Westmore looked at the clipboard in her hand for confirmation before continuing.
"You're assigned therapist is Jordan Ramsey. Now Miss Mitchell, I expect you to become well acclimated with the handbook which includes the rules and regulations of this institution. You are forbidden from interacting with anyone outside of the members of your group as well as those in your group therapy sessions until Unification which occurs in week 4." Mrs. Westmore said and extended her hand.
"Welcome Miss Mitchell to the Westmore Institute and I hope that in the next 12 weeks you will find the correct path and leave behind the ill-fated, treacherous ways of homosexuality."
Beca once again scoffed and walked away from her, not bothering to shake her hand. Mrs. Westmore sneered at her before dropping her hand to her side and exiting the room.
Beca walked over to her suitcase by the door and rolled it over to her bed. Placing her headphones back over her head and onto her ears, she quietly unpacked her clothes. Every so often, she stole a quick glance at her roommate who had returned to her desk where she appeared to be writing in a red journal that she realized wasn't there when they first arrived. For the first time Beca noticed that she wore a black turtleneck despite it being the beginning of summer. She didn't really care enough to ask about it though, so she dropped it. Once she managed to put away the last shirt in her dresser drawer she dropped her suitcase on the floor and kicked it under her bed.
She reached for her JanSport and pulled out her radio, setting it up on the nightstand next to her bed. It was a brand new Sony CFS- 45L; a gift from Unicycle for her birthday. She knew he probably lifted it from Radio Shack but she didn't care. It wasn't like she could ask her mother to get it for her since she made next to nothing at the diner where she worked and she would never ask Liam to get it for her. She never felt comfortable asking that man for anything. She didn't want to owe him anything because she had a terrible feeling he would use it against her to get what he wanted from her. All of her clothes she bought were with money she made from selling mixtapes and anything else was usually a gift. Even the Walkman she had come to love and cherish was a gift from Chloe.
Chloe.
She hated how the two had been separated so abruptly by her parents without even the chance to say goodbye. She wondered if the redhead missed her the way she missed the redhead. Of course she did. Beca knew the love that her girlfriend has expressed for her was genuine. Ever since the two began dating two years ago, they never spent more than a day apart. It had been two weeks since they've seen each other, and the distance was really beginning to affect her.
She sighed and ran a hand through her hair; she couldn't allow her situation to get her down. She knew it would be a matter of time before she got of here and found her way back to Atlanta where she'd find Chloe and they'd run off to L.A. liked they always planned. She would make music while Chloe would go to school for photography. Barden University in particular; it was her dream school.
Flopping down on her bed, she sorted through the rest of the stuff in her book bag including her favorite cassettes, mostly all Janis Joplin, her song book, and another pack of cigarettes.
"Was all that she said true? Do you really want to be here?"
Aubrey looked up from her book, thrown off that Beca was speaking to her.
"Yes, I do want to be here, Rebecca."
"It's Beca." She corrected.
"What?"
"Beca. Call me Beca."
"Ok Beca. I had my father bring here so that I could be cured of this—this sickness." Aubrey explained, closing her journal and returning it to its place in her nightstand drawer. She sat on her bed and watched as Beca hung up a poster. She read the words on the poster silently to herself.
"Who is Janis Joplin?" Aubrey questioned, not realizing she said it out loud.
Beca turned to her raising an eye brow.
"Only the greatest female singer of all time." Beca responded. She reached out on her bed and picked up a tape.
"Here, I have a recording her last concert." She said, leaning over to load it into her radio only to be stopped by Aubrey.
"That isn't allowed, Rebecca." She stated.
"Radios, aside from alarm clocks are not allowed. "
Beca smirked at her as she continued to load the cassette. "You're not going to narc on me are you?"
"I am obligated to report any infractions." was her response, as she stood, prepared to go and find a counselor.
Beca looked at her and hit play on her radio mockingly.
"Well then I guess they're going to have to kick me out."