Chapter One:

"-Stronger, by Kelly Clarkson," Jesse looked at me and smiled. Jesus Christ that movie nerd really got to me.

**Flashback**

As we slowly broke apart, I couldn't help but stare into Jesse's eyes. His chocolate brown eyes.

"Beca Mitchell, will you do me the honour of going out to dinner with me?"

"Formality, of course. Where are we going?" I said.

"It's a surprise. Meet me at the door in ten minutes!" He said smiling. I couldn't help but laugh at his affection. He gave me a quick peck on the lips and walked over to Benji.

"Ooh, Shawshank's got herself a treble.." Fat Amy said walking up to me.

"Oh shut up. He's taking me to dinner tonight."

"Aubrey's going to be pissed when she finds out!"

"Oh, Amy, if only I cared what she said about Jesse. Plus, she'll be fine with it."

"Who'll be fine with what?" Aubrey walked up to us with Chloe. "I saw that whole thing with Jesse… I'm fine with it.." She stammered a bit at those last words.

"Great, because he's taking me to dinner." I definitely said that with a little too much pride.

"Aww! You guys are so cute together!" Chloe said, breaking the intense stare-down between Aubrey and I.

"I'm sure you'll have.. a great.. time.." Aubrey looked at Chloe and then quickly pulled her away.

"Well I'm gonna get going," I quickly said as I walked off towards the exit.

Jesse stood waiting at the door with a rose he took from the flowers by the seats. "I'll drive you back to your dorm so we can get ready. Put on something nice."

"Oh, is this not formal enough for wherever we're going?"

"I didn't mean that! I meant… I mean-"

"It's fine Jess, I know what you meant." He smiled and then took my hand and left towards the cars. His parents allowed him to use their car since his 24-year-old brother agreed to take his parents home. Jesse came from a big family. He had two younger sisters, who were twins, both looked around 13 or 14, an older brother, and a younger brother probably not far from Jesse's age. He'll tell me all about his family on our date, I can tell. He's that kind of person.

Jesse dropped me off at my dorm so I could get ready. Kimmi Jin had a friend over and they were in deep conversation. I looked at my clothes. I through on a blue dress that came down a little lower than my butt and looked at myself in the mirror. "Hey Kim, is this okay for a date?" She just glared at me, as usual.

"You look really pretty," said her friend. Okay, she should come over more. Just then I heard a knock on the door.

"Ready?" Jesse asked after a long stare at me.

"This is okay right? I am now unsure… you just looked at me for 10 seconds."

"You look beautiful, I was admiring it," he's such a sap. I loved it.

"Shut up, nerd. Let's go."

He put a blind fold on me. "Let's get in the car!" he said in the most jokingly voice ever.

"You just put a blind fold on me and now you're asking me to get in the car. Really Jesse."

"Fine, your carriage awaits ma'am."

"That's better." He just laughed at his own witty complexion. As we were walking to the car, he muttered something. "What?"

"Oh just saying I have a very nicely planned soundtrack to listen to on our way there." I think he was smiling but I couldn't tell… I was blindfolded.

"Oh boy.." Just then he put The Breakfast Club CD into his car and blasted it while singing along. "I just sang this song!"

"I know, I just love hearing your voice. The auditions, when you started singing, I was amazed."

"Sap! You're the one with the hip thrust."

"I know, I'm proud of it." We started singing along to the songs as he drove to the unknown place.

About ten minutes later, I noticed we came to a stop. "Are we here?"

"Yep. You can take your blindfold off." The sign read The Rotunda, this place? Really?

"Jesse… this place is really expensive!"

"My parents have good jobs, I can afford it."

"You sure? I can pay for mine-"

"Beca, I'm taking you out to dinner. I'm paying." I stared at him and smiled. "Come on!"

We walked into the restaurant and asked for a table. The waitress led us to a booth and we sat down. "Italian is my favorite. But I've only been here once," I said.

"Try page four. I get the lasagna with garlic bread and it's really good."

"I don't like garlic," I said smiling.

"Don't like movies… or garlic… really pale… scary ear spike… dark makeup.." I looked at him as he finished, "Vampire!" I laughed as the ladies in the booth across the aisle stared at his accusation.

"Right, of course Jesse." He laughed and stared at me again. "Why do you keep looking at me like that?" I demanded.

"You're just so… I'm speechless." I couldn't help it. My walls I spent so many years building were breaking down for this guy.

I looked at him for a while, "Lasagna, huh?"

"Yeah. It's really good. You could always get the sampler." He was right, the sampler came with, well, samples that had a few bites in each. It included eggplant parmesan, lasagna, and fettuccine Alfredo.

"Or, I could have a bite of your lasagna and get the Alfredo."

"Fair enough."

After we ordered our food came about 20 minutes later. "Hey, Becs, I know you don't like to talk about this kind of stuff, but, where is your mom?"

I knew it. I couldn't hide it forever. "She's probably somewhere in America."

"You mean she didn't tell you?"

"She doesn't even wish me happy birthday, let alone tell me where she goes."

"Oh, Beca, I didn't know I'm sorry I-"

"It's okay, Jesse, I don't mind that she left me to live with my aunt while she went on careless adventures with her boyfriend that I despise. I preferred my aunt. She wasn't home a lot so it gave me time to connect with music."

"And you never watched a movie?"

"No, no, I did, like I said, I just got bored and never made it to the end. And then you said-" He cut me off.

"The endings are the best part. I know. I'm glad I already made an impression on you!"

"Shut up, nerd. I swear you are the weirdest boyfriend I've had."

"And yet, I'm your favourite."

"Definitely my favourite."

"And Luke said I was crazy for trying to talk to you. I can't wait to go back to Barden this year and rub it in his face that I got the Beca Mitchell to go out with me."

"Well, the Beca Mitchell actually went on a date with Luke first. It was really awkward. You have no competition though, trust me."

"Always." I stared at him, he said it like it was something from…

"Are you quoting a movie?"

"Don't tell me you've never seen Harry Potter." I kept my mouth shut. "Oh lord. Do you want to fly back to New York with my family? We're going to Universal Studios in a couple weeks and I need to make you watch all the movies. Get ready for the longest movication of your life."

"Jesus Jesse, I don't want to intrude on a family vacation…"

"You aren't intruding. My mother pulled me over when I was talking to Benji and invited you."

"What if they don't like me?"

"Becs, I like you and that's all that matters. Plus my family is just like me so they will love you." I thought for a moment. Summer vacation with Jesse? This was happening so fast. "I have a brother that's a year younger than me, his name is David, and an older brother named Michael who is 24. Then there's the twins, Kate and Kiley, and they're both 13 turning 14 in August. Kate and Kiley are really friendly and will love you when they see you. I promise."

"Right, well uh, sure Jesse. I'd love to go." I smiled when he made the biggest grin on his face, like a child opening their first present on Christmas.

"You can come back to my dorm? Benji is going back to Ohio with his parents so we'll be alone."

"Okay. Sure." He smiled and we continued eating our food. "I have a fear of heights though.."

"I'll be in the seat next to you the whole time. Don't worry," he reassured me. I could feel myself falling in love with this nerd.