The auditorium was empty when Chloe walked in slowly, taking in the peace and quite of the empty performance space. The pressure of the new school was already begging to suffocate her and on top of that there was also Bella's practice and her own personal problems that she only kept to herself. All Chloe wanted right now was somewhere quite to be for an hour or so she did think twice about going to her dorm room but really wanted to avoid a run in with Aubrey.
The redhead sunk down onto the wooden piano bench ogling the white and black keys, trying to remember the last time she even touched a piano. Her fingertips lightly grazed across the cool ivory remembering the time when she was a little girl she would sit upon her mothers lap and watched as her mother would teach Chloe how to play nursery songs on the families baby grand piano.
The memories helped Chloe become a better performer and got her to where she needed to be and learning how to play the piano helped find the passion for her singing. Chloe, than began to play a couple of scales slowly at first before she knew it she was singing softly.
"And now I'm all alone again with nowhere to turn, no one to go to. Without a home, without a friend, without a face to say hello to… And now the night is near and I can make belief she's here…"
Meanwhile, outside Beca was walking along the same side street as the auditorium with a camera dangling down around her neck when she got to the steps she could hear the sound of a piano playing being carried by a voice. She climbed up the steeps to scope it out then open door and quietly flowed the voice that became familiar to her and Beca smiled when she knew whom it was.
"On my own pretending she's beside me, all alone, I walk with her 'till morning. Without her, I feel her arms around me and when I lose my way I close my eyes… And she has found me…"
Beca leaned against a row of up row of seats watching Chloe; she had no idea that the older girl had an instrumental talent. The song that Chloe was playing was secretly hidden as one of Beca's little guilty pleasures. She took her camera and held it steady in both hands looking right into the viewfinder zooming in on the redhead from afar and snapped a couple of pictures of Chloe in action.
Chloe continued out the song, not even looking up once watching her proper finger placement for each keynote being played. Sudden emotion began to take over Chloe's voice when singing, "I love her… but when the night is over. She is gone; the river's just a river. Without her, the world around me changes..."
Looking through the camera the brunette could feel the emotion and with the desire to capture it, she sat low not wanting to be heard by the sounds of the rapid clicking of the shutter and casually refocused on Chloe tiling the camera in funny artistic
Ways and got caught up listing to her sing such an emotional song. She has never seen this side of Chloe before it actually felt a little heart breaking while hiding in the corridor.
Chloe's voice rose to another level, it wasn't her typical high pitch sound it was more projected and strong, "The trees are bear and everywhere the streets are full on strangers… I love her but everyday I'm learning. All my life, I've only been pretending…"
"Without me, her world would go on turning… A world that's full of happiness that I have never known…" The hairs on Beca's arms stand up while she held her camera close to her chest as she moved into direct eyesight of the older girl hoping to see if she would look up.
Chloe closed her eyes her red locks fell around her face feeling the keys by memory. "I love her… I love her… I love her… But only on my own…" Her fingers gravitated away from the ivory down on to her lap when she opened up her eyes looking up to the sound of Beca applauding her with a slow clap. Chloe's face felt hot with embarrassment.
"Beca… how long have you been standing?" asked Chloe with her eyes wide. "Better yet, what are you doing here?" She eyed the camera around the shorter girls neck.
"Taking pictures around campus for my photography assignment. That's when I heard a piano and I wanted to check it out… I didn't mean to impose." Beca said standing in front of the piano. "You're really good."
Chloe smiled lightly, "I didn't know that you had an interest in photography and it's okay you didn't." She slid over a little on the bench and motion over for the younger girl to sit down beside her.
"Trust me, I don't know how to work thing but it's better than taking a stupid physical fitness course." She laughed then sat down beside Chloe. "What are you doing here? Bella rehearsals don't start for another hour."
"I needed somewhere to go to clear my head." She shrugged. "There's just a lot put on my plate…"
"Chloe, you know that you can talk to me."
"I know."
Beca turned around on the bench so that she was facing the keys and sat the camera on top of the piano. "You know it's he and not she, right?" Chloe blushed and raised an eyebrow. Beca mimic the same tune on the piano and sung. "On my own pretending he's beside me, all alone, I'll walk with him 'till morning."
Chloe's face had brightened up a little when the small girl had carried out her favorite tune. "You now Les Mis?" She tired not to sound too surprised. When it came to musicals Chloe had a broad knowledge on them.
"Have I been living under a rock? Yeah, I know it." Beca laughed and continued to key away. "Musicals are a guilty pleasure of mine… Just don't tell anyone because it would really hurt my street cred." She said jokingly.
The redhead hit Beca playfully on the arm and both girls just sat there for a moment listing to Beca playing a random song by heart, the song was low and slow the type of song that would make you feel empty inside. Chloe's eyes weld up as her mind raced in thought of her troubles. She buried her face into her hands to catch her from sobbing.
The music coming from the piano had stop when Beca faced Chloe and lightly placed a hand on her shoulder. Chloe began to sob not wanting for the other girl to see her like this but it was only a matter of time when all the pressure she kept inside for weeks would catch up to her.
"Chloe, please just talk to me. You have been acting a lot differently in the past couple of weeks I just didn't know how to confront you on it." The younger had noticed a change in attitude of her co-caption whenever they were together Beca would pick up a strange vibe.
Warm tears rolled down Chloe's cheeks when she uncovered her face from her hands and wiped them off on the sides of her pant leg. "This is pathetic… I'm pathetic…" whispered Chloe.
Beca sighed. "You're not pathetic. Everyone cries."
Chloe shook her head "I feel like I am Bec, it's my last year and then I'll end up god knows where… My family has been going through hard times leading up to my parents divorce… and then there's Aubrey, she's too controlling of you guys and always pushes me off to the side…"
Beca pulled one her legs over the bench then faced Chloe. "Aubrey's a bitch, we all said it and I know what you're going through, divorce is messy but take it from me don't push yourself away. You know I'll always be there for you." She said as she reached out to take Chloe's hands. "Why do I get the feeling that something else is upsetting you more?"
Chloe took in a sharp breath when tears threaten to spill over her eyes again. "I don't know if I can tell you this, when I can't even tell my best friend because I'm so confused…" Beca was being so caring that Chloe didn't feel on her own anymore. On the day of the activity's fair Chloe have never felt feelings for any girl until she set her sights on Beca and they soon became best friends.
She didn't want to risk losing they're friendship because of a silly schoolgirl crush, or was it? Everyday Chloe would see Beca and she would feel all the butterflies and all of that other romantic crap you feel when liking somebody. This was the first feeling like that towards a girl. It was not something she ever felt when dating guys.
Beca simply nodded. "Okay," she said raising herself up from off the bench. "I wont push you into saying something that you don't wanna say, but when you're ready to talk I'm there." The small girl left it at that when she reached out of her camera she wanted to give Chloe some time alone.
Chloe caught her bottom lip between her teeth as the tears she tried to hold back the tears slipping down her cheeks watching Beca leave then said softly. "You're Marius and I'm Eponine."
Beca looked back over shoulder. "What?"
"You're Marius and I'm Eponine."
"Chloe, I don't under…."
The older girl cut her off. "I never felt so strongly about someone in the way that I do right now and I have never felt so alone at the same time when I'm looking at you right in the eye, and you don't know what I'm feeling."
Beca didn't move, she felt legs turn stiff and her palms felt sweaty when the camera she was holding felt like a hundred pounds. "Go on…"
"I… I think I'm in love with you." Chloe closed her eyes, tears continued to roll her blotchy color complexion.
Tears formed in Beca's eyes, she has never heard that anyone before, not even family members. She sat the camera on the ground and worked her way over around the piano, placing her hands on Chloe's hipbone.
"I love you too, you idiot…" Said Beca, both of their mouths parted slightly and they hesitated for a brief moment before their lips contacted a long, sweet kiss.