A/N: This is a work of complete fiction, based on absolutely nothing real, minus the names of the characters and the fact that two of them are dating in real life. The idea for this simply wouldn't leave my mind, so I'm writing it. If there's interest, I'll keep going. Let me know.
When she first meets him during his audition to see if they have chemistry together, he doesn't leave much of an impression on her.
He asks if he can touch her while they're reading their lines, "You know, because I'm supposed to be madly in love with you," he quips, a twinkle in his eyes, and she manages a smile.
Anna Kendrick takes acting seriously, and she's very passionate about the roles she plays. She finds that they have natural chemistry on screen together, and it's even more obvious when she actually sees the finished movie for the first time. She normally finds it hard to fake loving someone as an actor, since how charming can one line be after a guy has said it to you twenty times in a row? But with him, it's easier somehow.
He tries mercilessly to get her to laugh in between takes, acting goofy and making dorky jokes just to get her to crack a smile. He's sometimes very much like the character he's playing.
She's still with Edgar while they're filming. Edgar is older than her by a bit, while this guy is a few years younger. She knows he's from Broadway, just like she is. His voice is amazing; the kind of voice that you hear and just know it's coming from someone with real, natural talent. And while she has to work harder at her singing, he makes it seem easy.
Along with the rest of the cast, they endure a month long a cappella camp together to train for the film, and then film in the fall of 2011. The movie is set to come on in the Fall of 2012. Her career is just taking off, with an Academy Award nomination for her role in Up in the Air, and the critical acclaim 50/50 is getting. It's a crazy time in her life, and she attributes her rising fame to the feelings of uncertainty and unrest she can't seem to shake.
When he first meets her, he's nervous as hell. He's seen her in a few movies, and knows about her awards and accolades. She's far more famous and well known than he is, taking Broadway on at the age of 12. He's impressed by her before they even lay eyes on each other.
When they ask him back after his initial audition to read with her, the butterflies won't leave his stomach. He knows if he gets the role it could launch his career. She's shorter than he imagined, so unbelievably cute and petite. She keeps a very professional demeanor while they read together, and she switches in and out of character every time someone yells "action!" She's easy going, and kind, and makes him feel comfortable right away.
He knows she has a long time boyfriend, but he's a naturally flirty guy, and he goes with it. She smiles and laughs at his jokes, and his heart swells with pride.
When he first hears her sing in person, he's amazed at how pure and innocent her voice sounds, almost as if she sings without confidence. In fact, she never really seems self-assured, always putting herself down, saying she's not talented or pretty. They kind of play down her looks a bit for the movie, trying to make her seem dark and mysterious, but it doesn't conceal the fact that she's gorgeous. And he notices. He'd be a fool not to.
She first realizes that there's something going on between him and Anna Camp about halfway through filming. She thought Skylar was just a natural ladies man and didn't pay any attention to it in the beginning, but it soon becomes impossible to ignore.
"Hey, isn't Camp married?" she asks Brittany Snow one day. The Anna's are called by their last names on set because there are two of them.
"Yeah, since 2010," Brittany answers.
Anna tells herself that she's only bothered by Skylar and Camp's flirting because Camp is married. And let's face it, that's just wrong. There's also an age difference between them. Glass houses, she knows, since Edgar is eleven years her senior, but in this moment that isn't a factor.
Every day on set he turns on the charm for their scenes together, and it's electric. She almost feels like Beca Mitchell when the film wraps. And she has to admit, Skylar can kiss. That was a scene for which she didn't mind doing multiple takes.
She tells herself she's just getting confused with her character, and that when the movie is over things will go back to normal.
Filming ends and the cast goes their separate ways. She stays in touch with some of them through the occasional text message or tweet, but her schedule is crazy, and it's hard to keep track. Before she knows it, Pitch Perfect is premiering, and they're thrown back together again.
He looks handsome as always at the premiere, and everyone is really excited about how well the film turned out and how people seem to like it.
She never expected it to get as popular as it did.
More people are recognizing her, younger people. She has more Twitter followers than ever. And when they ask her to record a music video for Cups, she's in shock.
She and Edgar break up in early Spring, and soon after that she hears rumors about the sequel. Skylar and Rebel say they've been approached, and not long after, so is she. "I need time to think about it," she says to her agent.
And then the news reaches her, Skylar and Camp are dating. Camp apparently divorced her husband and quickly started going with Skylar. And for some reason, this irks her to no end.
She immerses herself in work, filming one movie after the next, finally ending up in London to film Into the Woods. She's playing Cinderella, and it is hard work. It's a singing role, and she's thrilled with the opportunity. She's relieved to be too busy to make it to the MTV Movie Awards and the Teen Choice Awards, so she doesn't have to see them together.
She hears that Skylar's only going to do the movie if Camp is in it, and the thought makes her sick. What about her? Isn't she the main character? Isn't she supposed to be the one he's in love with? In the movie, she corrects herself mentally.
When her agent calls in the fall of 2013 and asks her, "So are you going to do the sequel?" she hesitates. Her agent adds, "They're willing to throw a bunch of money at you if you'll agree."
"It's not about the money," Anna says, and it's the truth.
She doesn't know if she can handle seeing them together.