"Hayley, this needs to stop. It was one night—"
"But it was such a great night and there could be many more great nights! And great days! Beca, just give us a chance. We have such amazing chemistry. I really think I'm falling in—"
"No. Stop! Please, Hayley, just stop."
Beca Mitchell was many things but cruel was not a trait she liked to associate herself with. She liked women. She liked having sex with women. But she wasn't a heartbreaker. She tried to make sure that the women she slept with understood she wasn't interested in anything serious. Most got it and appreciated it. Not Hayley.
She and Hayley had met after one of Beca's sets. Hayley said she was a big fan and that she had been watching the brunette perform for several weeks now. The two had a few drinks and talked about their mutual love for Dashboard Confessional and pretzels. By last call, Beca was drunk and becoming more and more receptive of Hayley's flirtations. The two shared an enjoyable night but Beca thought the girl understood that this was a one-time deal. Nope. Since that night, Hayley trailed Beca like a lovesick puppy. The morning after was so awkward and uncomfortable that Beca sincerely questioned what it was she saw in Hayley to bring that girl into her apartment. She usually had a better crazy radar. She must have been really fucking drunk. Sigh. Let's just say Beca learned the hard way that it was time to stop sleeping around.
Three weeks ago…
Beca woke with a pounding in her head. Beca glanced down. Okay. She was naked. She stretched her arms and turned around. Bright, hazel eyes were staring back at her. Shit. What's her name? Rachel? No, that was last week… Allie? No, that doesn't seem quite right. Oh, Hayley! Yes, it's Hayley. Beca internally cheered, happy for that little victory. But then, the panic came back. This girl was staring at her, grinning almost maniacally. Fuck. Beca schooled her features and slowly smiled.
"Uhh… hi. Good morning." Beca
"Hi lover." The blonde slowly trailed her finger up and down Beca's arm. "Mmm last night was soooo good. Didn't know you would be such a beast in the sheets. Ready for another round? I'm very ready, if you catch my drift." Hayley looked down and back up, winking in what she thought was a sultry manner. No, not sultry. Just creepy. Very, very creepy.
"Umm… thanks. Uhh… you were quite beastly too. But I think I'm good… I have to get ready for work," Beca quickly said. She pulled the sheet against her as she got out of bed.
Beca felt a tug on her sheet. "Aww, come on, baby. You don't need to be shy. You certainly weren't shy last night. Why don't you call in sick and play hookey? I already did. We can spend all day in bed together."
"Hah… yeah. Well, daytime Beca is not a big fan of nudity. Don't think I can skip work today…. so, I'm just going to hop in the shower."
"Want some help?" Another wink.
Wow. This girl was persistent. "No. I shower fine on my own. Thanks. Plus, I really need to get to work so…" Beca rushed into her bathroom, desperately hoping that Hayley would take a hint. With any luck, Hayley might be gone by the time Beca finished. Oh, who was she kidding?
Beca may have gotten lucky last night but luck was certainly not on her side when she returned to her bedroom. Hayley was not only still in her bed, still naked but she was also looking through Beca's phone.
"Oh hey, I went ahead and put my number into your phone. Took a nice picture to remind you of all this too." There she goes again with the creepy winking and now she's gesturing at her assets. "I texted myself from your phone so I have your number too. You want to take a sexy picture for me?" Hayley reached for her phone.
"No. I'd rather not. Look, Hayley, we need to talk— "
"Well, too bad, babe just took a candid." Hayley smiled mischievously and looked down at her screen. Her eyes were gleaming. "You're so photogenic. I love it. You should consider modeling, have you ever modeled before?"
Beca sighed. Of all the crazies she's encountered, this one really took the cake. "Hayley, we need to talk. You're a great girl. Last night was fun. But I'm really not looking for a relationship right now. I'm just not in that place and I don't think I will be for a while."
"Oh, yeah silly, I'm not looking to get married right away or anything." Hayley chuckled. She continued leering at the brunette as Beca awkwardly got dressed as quickly as she could.
Married? What? Did she just say the 'm' word? Beca felt her blood pressure rising. "Hayley, I just want to make sure you understand. I am not looking for a girlfriend. I know this sounds cliché as hell. But it's not you, it's me. They're my issues, not yours. You deserve someone who can and wants to be there for you." She nervously smiled, hoping to take the sting out of her words.
Hayley giggled. "Beca, breathe. I get it. Last night was fun for me too. If you want a repeat performance, you have my number."
Phew. "Okay, thanks, Hayley. Anyway, I really have to get going. You can help yourself to food in the fridge. I think there are some bagels or whatever. Just lock up when you leave. Bye."
Present day
"Hayley, you are in love with the idea of me. Not me. I'm horrible. I eat twinkies and donuts for sustenance. If I was one of Snow White's dwarves, I'd be Grumpy. Like hands down, despite how much I love to sleep, I'd definitely be Grumpy. No denying it. I'm weird. I hate any and all movies. That's almost like hating puppies and nutella. I'm pretty sure I'm allergic to commitment. I'm the poster child for emotionally unavailable. The list goes on."
"But Beca, I don't care, I really do love— "
"No, Hayley, please, you don't. You barely know me. Look, I've tried being nice. But I don't know how I can make this any clearer. I'm not interested. I'm not interested in a relationship. I am not looking a girlfriend. My set's about to start. Please stop calling, stop texting and stop following me to work."
And with that, Beca walked towards the stage with her guitar. She had a set to perform. She didn't want to hurt the girl's feelings, but it had really gotten out of hand. For three weeks, Hayley constantly texted and called Beca. Hoping to get lunch. Hoping to get dinner. Hoping to hang out. Hoping to come over. On two occasions, she came home and found Hayley waiting for her in front of her apartment building. She thanked the almighty spirits that Hayley didn't see Beca and she was able to make a detour to stay at a friend's apartment for the night. Beca performed at the Bellas bar in downtown Barden every Thursday and Saturday. Sure enough, Hayley would be waiting, front and center, at each of Beca's performances. But tonight, Beca had finally had enough. She hoped it was enough to convince Hayley to move on.
Beca finished her set and walked over to the bar. She was relieved that Hayley decided to leave the bar a few minutes into Beca's performance. Before she even sat down, a whiskey on the rocks was placed in front of her.
"What's up, heartbreaker?"
"Hah, I assume you saw that little show before my show?" Beca settled into her seat and smiled gratefully at the blonde bartender. She took a sip of her drink.
"Can I say I told you so? I warned you that your player ways would land you a stalker at some point." The blonde grinned playfully at Beca while wiping down the counter.
"Hardy har har." Beca rolled her eyes and smirked. "You really wound me with your words, Britt. I'm not a player. The girls I'm with know upfront that I'm not interested in something serious. Hayley just has selective hearing or something. That and she's nuts. I just hope she finally got the message. I'm so done with random hook-ups. I've been scared straight with this experience." Beca took a large gulp of her whiskey and swirled the ice around in the tumbler.
Brittany Beale was an interesting girl. Beca had only known the tenacious blonde for two months. But she had learned the basics. Brittany Beale graduated from Barden University with a finance degree at the age of twenty. Then, she moved to New York City to work in investment banking. After two years of crunching numbers and brokering deals, Brittany found that she was unsatisfied with her life. She was constantly stuck in the office, making money that she didn't have the time or energy to spend. She missed her friends and family in Georgia.
So one day, she bit the bullet and resigned. She moved back to Barden, nostalgic of her college days. She bought a bar and named it Bellas, hoping the bar would become an exciting venue for local music artists and a bi-weekly karaoke night. Now, 26, Brittany was happy. Very happy. Sure, there were some tough days with owning her business. But she enjoyed her work. She got to meet interesting people every night. She loved her regulars. She was happy that she could provide a place of comfort and familiarity to her patrons. Musicians of all types sought to perform at her bar. Bellas had truly developed a reputation of being a hot spot for college students and Barden locals alike.
And that's how Beca found herself at Bellas two months ago. She had heard great things about this bar. It was charming but edgy with a diverse crowd who loved and appreciated authentic music. None of the auto-tuned, drop the bass stuff. Beca was surprised that the owner was so young and so friendly. She handed Brittany a sample CD and the very next morning, Brittany called Beca, asking when she'd like to perform.
Brittany was floored by Beca's talent. The girl had such a powerful and unique voice. She backed that soulful voice with a certain, prodigy-like creative genius. Most of her stuff consisted of acoustic mash-ups and covers with out-of-this-world arrangements. Though sometimes, Brittany suspected that Beca conspicuously slipped in some of her own songs too. The crowd definitely loved her. The bar was always packed when Beca headlined. And as Beca's string of hook-ups proved, sometimes the crowd appreciated Beca for more than her music too.
Britt looked at Beca, feeling pity for the petite brunette. She knew that Beca meant no harm with how she was. And admittedly, that Hayley girl was quite frightening with her relentless pursuit of Beca.
"Beca, how about this, if Hayley continues to give you trouble, I'll pretend to be your girlfriend and get her to back off."
Beca looked up from her drink, eyes wide and eyebrows raised. "You'd really do that for me? Because that would be great! I think Hayley keeps coming around because she thinks she can change my mind about having a girlfriend, but if I'm already taken, maybe she'll finally realize that I'm just not into her. Maybe she'll finally leave me alone." Beca became more and more excited at the prospect of this new plan of deterrence.
Britt chuckled at the brunette's enthusiasm. "Haha, of course, Becs! We're homies. Got to protect you from the crazy groupies."
Two weeks later
Beca knew it was too good to be true. For a whole twelve days, she didn't hear from Hayley. Didn't see her. No texts. No calls. She thought she was finally free. But as Beca walked out of her apartment building to head to work, she found Hayley waiting out front. Beca gritted her teeth and approached her.
Hayley saw Beca walking her way and her eyes lit up in excitement. She started walking towards the brunette, eager for a hug. Beca held her hand up, stopping Hayley from leaning in.
"Hayley, what are you doing here?"
"Beca, I've been thinking. Maybe you're not interested in a girlfriend because you're scared or because you think you haven't met the right girl. But I'm here. I'm here for you and I can show you how great a relationship can be. Just give me a chance. Give us a chance—"
"I have a girlfriend!" Beca blurted out. Short of a restraining order, Beca didn't know what else she could do. She had tried to let the girl down gently. She had been firm. She had been considerate of the girl's feelings. But Beca was starting to worry for her sanity.
Hayley's eyes starting tearing up, confusion and pain evident on her face. "What? What do you mean you have a girlfriend? How could you have found someone already?"
"I met her a while ago. I'm in love with her. I just didn't know how to tell her. But I finally did it and she loves me back. Please respect that. Hayley, please respect the fact that I am in love and I am happy. This girl makes me happy."
"I don't believe you. Who is this girl? Beca, don't hide or avoid what we have. You don't need to make up a girlfriend to run away from what we have. Don't be scared of this. We can really have something magical."
Oh my gawd… Beca was exasperated, this girl just didn't know when to quit. "It's Britt at Bellas, okay? It's her. You can come tomorrow and ask her yourself. We're in love. We're happy. Hayley, you have to move on."
That afternoon
Beca rushed into Bellas. She had texted the blonde earlier that morning after being ambushed by Hayley. Britt told her to come by a bit earlier so that they can plan what to do. Britt wanted to help Beca but she also didn't want there to be a huge scene. She was also worried because she wasn't a very good actress and was horrible at lying.
The bar had just opened and the staff was setting up for Bella's famous karaoke night. Titanium was playing in the background. Beca frantically scanned the bar. She spotted Britt on stage in the back. Beca paused. It appeared that Britt had dyed her hair red. Beca had to admit that she looked great with red hair. Really brought out her bright, blue, Disney princess eyes. Beca also thought that she seemed more vibrant too. There was just an aura about her today that drew Beca in.
Just as she was about to call out to Britt, Beca realized that Titanium was not just playing in the background. Britt was singing it. And her voice was gorgeous. It was doing things to Beca's insides. Memorized, Beca mindlessly walked towards the stage and before she knew it, she had joined in and harmonized with Britt's voice. It was effortless the way their voices blended together. The redhead looked at Beca, surprised and intrigued, and continued to sing. She grinned wildly and stepped down from the stage, approaching Beca. Something about her smile made Beca's knees tingle. Beca didn't know what was going on but her heart was beating rapidly and erratically. The two finished the song and gazed in awe at each other, silent, taking in the ethereal musical connection the two had just shared.
Suddenly, the door was thrown open. Hayley charged towards them. Beca stepped closer to the redhead and pulled her in, resting her hand against the small of Britt's back. The redhead looked alarmed and confused. Beca quickly whispered, "Don't be nervous, just keep your answers short and she'll get the message. Thank you so much for doing this." Starting their rouse, Beca pecked Britt on the cheek. She smiled when she saw Hayley fuming. Hopefully, this wouldn't take long.
"So this is who you'd rather be with? Her?"
"Hayley, please be civil about this. Yes, I love her. I want to spend the rest of my life with her. I am happy with her. She makes me happy."
"I don't believe you. With everything you were telling me about your commitment and emotional issues, I don't believe that you're just so easily and quickly in love with someone else."
Beca felt Britt tense up and cross her arms next to her. She also saw the redhead narrow her eyes with a predatory and almost vicious glare. For someone who claims she's horrible at acting, Britt was certainly portraying the jealous and angry girlfriend well.
"Hayley, I've been more than understanding with you. I don't know what else you expect. I can't—"
"Prove it."
"What?"
"Prove it. Kiss her."
"Hayley, we don't have to prove anything to you. This is ridiculous and immature—"
Britt suddenly grabbed Beca and before Beca could process what was happening, she felt fireworks. Fireworks of all colors and sensations. Colors and sensations she hadn't seen or felt before. Euphoria and warmth shot through her. Whatever this amazing feeling was, Beca wanted more of it. She realized that Britt's lips were against hers. She eagerly kissed her back, gently placing her hands on the sides of Britt's waist. The redhead parted her lips to allow the brunette's tongue to slide against her own. The two got lost in the kiss and didn't even notice Hayley leave the bar in tears and defeat.
"Chloe, what are you doing?"
The two broke apart from their kiss when they heard someone yell. Beca glanced behind her and saw Britt. She saw surprise flash across the blonde's face before Britt smirked at the two. Wait, what? How was that possible? Why was Britt standing over there when clearly Britt was standing in front of her? And how is she blonde again?
"Damn, Becs, I knew you worked fast but I didn't know you worked this fast," the blonde said, grinning mischievously.
Bewildered, Beca looked back and forth between the blonde who had just come out of the kitchen, holding a box of wine and the redhead in front of her. "Chloe?" she asked.
"Umm.. hi. I'm Chloe," the redhead nervously said.
"Beca, this is my twin sister, Chloe Beale."