"Happy birthday bug!" Ronald Beale exclaims, bursting into his daughter's bedroom.
The redhead groans beneath her covers, muttering nonsensical replies to the older man. Ronald rolls his eyes with a playful smile on his face and strides over to his sleeping daughter. With a firm grip on the blankets, Ronald swiftly rips the covers off of Chloe's sleeping form.
Chloe groans louder and rolls over to face her father. She runs a hand through her messy curly hair and yawns. "Hi," she mutters softly.
"Please, don't be so enthused about turning 20," Ronald replied playfully.
"I will be more enthused when the sun is higher in the sky."
"You mean when the guests start arriving or after the party is already over?"
Chloe perked up at this. "Dad?" Hope was evident on Chloe's face.
"I may have been able to convince your mother last week to allow us to throw you that mascaraed ball," Ronald proudly stated.
Chloe squealed and leapt out of her bed to hug her father who laughed at his daughter's childish antics. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!" Chloe screeched. She had begged for this party for months, in spite of her mother's persistent arguments against the idea.
"I hope you plan on containing yourself a little bit more when the guests arrive tonight," Cynthia Beale stated, a hint of playfulness in her tone. Though the relationship between mother and daughter wasn't as strong as the bond between Chloe and her father, the two still loved each other.
Chloe's smile faded a little and she felt heat rush to her cheeks from embarrassment, but walked over to lightly hug her mother as well.
"Happy birthday Chloe," Cynthia stated softly, embracing her daughter.
"Thank you mother," Chloe responded politely, smiling at her mom.
"The guests will be arriving at seven and the party will start at eight o'clock. There will be plenty to do and plenty of fine young gentlemen to meet!" Cynthia stated, Ronald walking next to her and smiling slightly at his daughter.
Chloe lit up brightly, excited with the prospects of what the night may hold. "I will be ready and well behaved, I promise!"
Ronald smiled. "Well, take a few minutes to wake up a little bit more and then come down for breakfast – we can discuss more details then."
Chloe nodded her head enthusiastically. "I'll be down in just a moment." The elder Beale's exited Chloe's room and the redhead ran over to her closet to pick out an outfit for breakfast.
"I wonder if tonight is the night I will finally meet him," Chloe whispered to herself unconsciously. Chloe had never fallen in love with someone else. She had been on a few dates, sure, and kissed a few gentlemen who she thought she may love, but had been disappointed every time. Her mother had made it clear her want for Chloe to find a husband, and even the redhead's father was beginning to grow concerned that his daughter would not find someone to love.
Images of dancing, long strolls, and falling in love fill Chloe's imagination as she hopes in this time of fast life and living she may somehow find someone to live a quiet and easy life with: someone to enchant her. As Chloe changes and looks herself in the mirror she stares down her own reflection. "I will find the love of my life tonight; my prince. I swear I will."
With a smile, Chloe heads downstairs, counting the very seconds until the guests arrive.
Later that day…
"Come on Beca! It's 7:50 – we're going to be late!" Jesse Swanson hissed at his counterpart.
"I'm coming!" Beca gruffly responded, irritated as she adjusted her hat once more to be absolutely positive her long hair was not able to be seen. She picked up her trombone case and shoved through the crowd accumulating outside of the Beale mansion. As Beca caught up to Jesse, she lowly muttered in the boy's ear, "And it's Bryan tonight, remember, stupid?"
Jesse rolled his eyes at his best friend. "Whatever you say, Bryan," Jesse muttered sarcastically in reply as the two finally reached the gates from the sea of people trying to get in without an invitation.
"Names," a tall, burly man gruffly stated at the gates.
"Jesse Swanson and Bryan Mitchell. I'm the saxophone player, he's the trombone player. We're here to perform for the Beale's party tonight." Jesse unflinchingly waited with his prized saxophone by his side as the guard confirmed these two were indeed on the list as entertainment members.
He glanced at the two, his eyes lingering on Beca's body slightly longer. Shrugging it off, the man allowed the two in. "Quickly hurry to the main ball room – the rest of the band is already here."
Jesse nodded his head and the two rushed inside to find the rest of the hired band inside. The two were extremely excited and nervous for the night – both were aspiring players from Harlem who had been hired a week ago. Ronald Beale had drifted into a bar in Harlem for some business when the duo's music had grasped his attention. He immediately offered the duo $200 each to play for his daughter's party. The two had practically fainted from the relatively large sum of money offered and immediately agreed.
As they began setting up, another player – the clarinetist from the City – leaned over to Beca. "Impressive trombone, sir! What model is it?"
Beca felt a slight panic fill her body, but quickly gestured to the model brand on the case. Jesse quickly intervened, "He can't speak. His vocal cords got injured when he was younger and they worsened until they stopped working."
The clarinetist muttered a soft "oh," and looked sympathetically at Beca. He placed a shoulder on her back and stated, "At least you weren't a singer!" Some other members of the band laughed and Beca smiled slightly, setting up her music.
As the different members left to go warm up in separate rooms, provided for by the Beale family, Jesse quickly snuck into Beca's room after warming himself up. "Are you going to be okay?" He questioned, watching as Beca adjusted her suit once more.
She turned to face him and shrugged. "Can you tell I have boobs?"
"No, but you can show me them if you'd like."
Beca smirked and rolled her eyes at the boy. "In your dreams." The brunette sighed and moved her hand to the back of her neck, checking no stray hairs fell.
"I don't understand why you don't just cut your hair if you insist on doing this," Jesse stated.
Beca scoffed. "I like having long hair when I don't have to pretend to be a man." A brief silence settled between the two friends.
"You know, if they knew you were a woman, they probably would have still hired you," Jesse stated weakly.
Beca raised an eyebrow at him. "We're two 21 year olds from Harlem, Jesse. The fact we got hired to such a luxurious gig is a miracle in itself with those odds. The only women performers that make money are singers. You know that."
"And you know you could be a singer, if you wanted."
"But I don't," Beca replied sharply. "I like my instrument; I don't need to sing to be happy. And if I have to be 'Bryan' to do it – then so be it."
Jesse sighed. Checking his watch, he looked up at the brunette. "Well, come on then. Time to start the show."
Three hours later…
"Come on baby, I know there must be a room somewhere in this house where you and I can be alone," a tall man with blonde hair said cockily to Chloe Beale.
The redhead rolled her eyes. "Goodbye, Maxwell." As she went to walk away, the blonde roughly grabbed Chloe's wrist.
"Don't turn away from me like I'm nothing," Maxwell hissed, gripping Chloe's wrist even tighter. However, out of the shadows a large man appeared by Chloe's side. He grabbed Maxwell by the shoulders and the boy yelped as he was pinned to the nearest wall.
"Is this boy giving you trouble, Ms. Beale?" The large guard asked in his deep voice, not taking his eyes off of Maxwell's frightened face.
Chloe smiled at Vladimir. He had worked for her father for six years after emigrating from Russia, and he was truly a nice man…when the company was pleasant, that is. "Why yes, he is, Vladimir."
"Maxwell! Are you okay?" Cynthia Beale asked frantically as she ran over to the scene. Chloe rolled her eyes at her mother's actions. "Vladimir, release him!"
The large man glanced at Chloe and reluctantly let go of the boy, who still was shaken by the encounter. "He was bothering Miss Beale, Mrs. Beale," Vladimir said quietly.
Cynthia turned around to face her daughter. "I'm sure she was just overreacting, isn't that right, Chloe?"
Chloe crossed her arms and said nothing. Cynthia huffed in frustration and turned around. "I apologize, Maxwell."
Maxwell scoffed and sauntered away, clearly not wanting to deal with Chloe and the body guard any longer. Cynthia spun around and glared at her daughter as Vladimir walked away to continue keeping watch at the large party. "Why would you cause trouble with him, Chloe? Maxwell's family is very influential and he is a handsome young man!"
"Mother, he is the scum of earth and I would never commit to being with him," Chloe retorted defiantly.
Cynthia shook her head. "How about you go outside in the back garden for a few minutes? The band is taking their break so there will be dancing, and you need to collect yourself, Chloe."
Chloe sighed as her mother left, dismissing any plea the younger redhead had attempted to make. Heading out back, the redhead felt a surreal peace envelope her at the isolation on the warm June night.
The redhead was dressed in a beautiful white dress, with a matching mask of high fashion. Everything about the night was perfect, except for the biggest thing that Chloe searched for. Every man she talked to that night had been rude, boring, conceited, or all of the above. She had been so sure this would be the night…
The doors behind her opened and a small figure walked out. Chloe looked curiously at the man as he took off his hat, long brunette hair falling out.
"Oh, my apologies," Beca stated absentmindedly. "I didn't realize anyone else would be out here." Chloe raised an eyebrow at the person's voice. Okay, a woman in a man's suit.
"It's quite alright," Chloe responded. She hesitated. "I don't mean to be rude, but why are you in a suit?"
Beca stretched her limbs, not registering who was talking to her. "I play trombone in the band here tonight, and I didn't want Mr. Beale realizing I am female. Think you can keep a secret?" Beca joked.
Chloe shrugged. "I've kept secrets from my father before."
Beca froze. She closed the doors behind her and walked closer to the woman, finally registering the white dress and red hair that Beca had seen presented at the beginning of the party. Oh shit. "Miss Beale, I-I, I'm so very, very sorry. I'm from Harlem and I desperately needed the money. I had no intent to deceive-"
Chloe placed a hand on the panicked woman's arm. "Relax, miss. I won't tell my father."
Beca looked at Chloe's masked face. "Really?"
Chloe nodded and smiled. "You are, after all, very good at your trade. I wouldn't want to ruin the rest of the night."
Beca sighed in relief and felt her body relax. "Thank you so, so very much Miss Beale."
Chloe waved her hand offhandedly. "You may call me Chloe. And your name is..?"
Beca stuck out her hand. "Beca. Beca Mitchell. But, it's Bryan, if we're inside and I'm performing," Beca added with a small laugh.
Chloe giggled lightly at the girl's behavior. "Nice to meet you, Beca." She shook Beca's hand, slightly enjoying the odd yet interesting situation that Beca had introduced to her.
The two looked at each other and smiled. Beca coughed and looked down, feeling a bit like dirt in front of what was basically royalty. "So, Chloe, why aren't you inside?"
Chloe sighed. "I'm just a bit too frustrated to deal with grotesque male company at the moment, and this party seems to be well equipped with them."
Beca chuckled, a bit surprised at Chloe's attitude. "Well, I hope I'm better company."
Chloe quickly glanced over Beca and offered a small smile. "You're certainly proving to be."
Beca smiled wide, biting her lip and glancing at the ground, feeling butterflies begin to attack her stomach. Oh please no, not with her, Beca thought to herself. However, her fearful inner voice was so faint, the thought barely registered. Beca knew she preferred girls and, despite the irregularity of such attraction, she had accepted the fact long ago. But to become attracted to a Beale? That could be disastrous.
The two stood in silence near each other for a moment, enjoying the breeze of the night. Suddenly, the faint chatter from the large house shifted to soft music that began to play. Chloe looked at the building and then back at Beca. "Shouldn't you be performing in there?"
"It's the strings and woodwinds playing," Beca explained. "They're playing waltzing music and brass isn't necessary for that type of sound." Beca looked at the ground and rubbed her neck. "Brass isn't the most romantic sounding group of instruments."
Chloe glanced at the girl nudged her with her shoulder. "Or maybe people don't realize what is truly romantic and beautiful in the world."
Beca slowly lifted her head up and looked at Chloe's masked face. The redhead found herself being mesmerized by the dark blue hue of Beca's eyes.
"Are you going to head back inside?" Beca asked softly.
I should. "No, I do not think so."
Beca had to fight the wide grin that threatened to take over. "Then, Chloe Beale, would you like to dance?"
The redhead had to admit, it was a strange situation. This stranger wanted to dance with her, a female no less, outside hidden in the dark rather than in the luxurious and glamorous building only a few feet away. However, there was something so inexplicably tempting and romantic about the situation that the reply that came out of Chloe's mouth was, "Of course."
Beca could not stop the wide toothy smile that spread across her face, causing Chloe to smile widely in return. As Beca put her hat down on the ground, Chloe pulled her mask off and placed it on top of the hat. As Chloe stood up straight to face Beca, Beca almost gasped. With the mask on, the brunette had been unable to see Chloe's eyes clearly with the mix of the darkness and the shadow from the mask. Now, however, the bright blue shined so clearly that Beca figured she could get lost in the sea they must have been created from.
The two begin to move slowly, Beca assuming the male role in the slow waltzing. The two stared at each other, adjusting to the unfamiliar feelings of waltzing with another woman. This thought, however, began to fade as the two moved together.
"You have beautiful eyes," Beca husked out quietly.
Chloe blushed and broke eye contact briefly to giggle slightly. Beca gave a small smile in response. "What is it?"
The redhead looked up. "I was just thinking the same thing. About you."
Beca blushed and unconsciously pulled Chloe slightly closer to her. Chloe's heart skipped a beat at the gesture.
"Do you find it strange? Dancing with me? A-a girl?" Chloe asked, the questions blurting out before she could process it.
Beca shrugged, enjoying the feeling of Chloe's hand on her shoulder and the other hand intertwined with her own. "No. I don't really think about it that way. I'm not thinking 'I'm dancing with a pretty woman', but rather I'm continuously finding myself thinking 'I'm dancing with a beautiful person named Chloe'."
The redhead tilted her head slightly as she felt sparks begin to flutter in her body. All these new, fantastic, feelings that were emerging in Beca's presence were thrilling the redhead. Even though Chloe knew things could not be as simple as Beca had explained, she chose to listen to every word and believe it could truly be that simple, if just for tonight. Chloe moved her hands to intertwine behind Beca's neck, moving the two closer.
Beca took her now free hand to settle on Chloe's hip. The two swayed back and forth to the muffled music that came from the mansion. The brunette had never been happier to have a break in a performance.
"Will I ever see you again?" Beca whispered, the realization that this may be the only time the two would see each other creating knots in the brunette's stomach.
Chloe pursed her lips. "I should certainly hope so." A diplomatic answer; an answer her mother would have been proud of.
Beca's face barely moved, but the disappointment could not be hidden in her dark blue eyes. "Actually," Chloe mused, "I will make sure that I see you again after tonight."
The brunette smiled softly, touched by the redhead's words. "Am I that special?" the brunette asked teasingly.
Chloe offered a crooked smile. "I think you might be, Beca."
Suddenly feeling bold, the brunette swayed even closer to the taller redhead. "May I have the opportunity to prove that I could be special for you?" Beca's eyes glanced at Chloe's lips.
The redhead's breath hitched. Beca noticed. Chloe knew to pick her next words carefully, aware of what may result. "You may," Chloe answered quietly.
Determined, Beca's eyes fell to the redhead's lips. The brunette licked her own subconsciously. Chloe's eyes finally gave into temptation and fell on the brunette's lips as well. I'm going to kiss her.
Beca leaned forward when Chloe did. Tentatively, the two moved closer until Beca's lips were on Chloe's. The two were extremely gentle, moving their lips carefully against one another's. Chloe's arms enveloped Beca's neck as the petite brunette's arms wrapped possessively around the redhead's waist. The passion began to grow between the two, flames igniting in both of them. Beca's tongue ran over Chloe's lip, the redhead granting access. The two molded together, tasting each other and enjoying every sensation buzzing through their bodies.
The two broke apart for air and leaned their foreheads against one another's. After catching their breath, the two made eye contact once more. Chloe smiled and Beca felt relief flood her body as she smiled back. The redhead leaned in and pecked Beca's lips sweetly.
The two stood in silence, covered in the warm night's darkness, only a dim light from the mansion casting over them. A voice began to rise from the inside however. It was female.
"My mother!" Chloe whispered frantically as the voice registered in Chloe's mind. The two broke apart and ran into a nearby tree surrounded by a few recently cut bushes. Beca quickly grabbed her hat and Chloe's mask as the two hid behind the greenery.
"Did I prove I was special enough for you?" Beca whispered from behind Chloe, the two watching the doors open from the mansion to the back patio.
Chloe let out a quiet huff of laughter. "You are the most amazing person I have ever met. And I barely know you." Sure enough, Cynthia Beale came storming out onto the patio, looking around the large back yard, unable to notice the two girls.
Beca moved Chloe's bright red hair carefully and leaned forward to place gentle kisses on Chloe's neck. Chloe adjusted so that the brunette had more access. The redhead's eyes began to close, wanting to focus more on the kisses she was receiving than her overbearing mother.
"Chloe! Chloe Amelia Beale!" Cynthia Beale shouted, infuriated with her daughter's disappearance. She needed the younger Beale to go mingle with the plentiful amount of single, wealthy, bachelors, and she was nowhere to be found. After a minute of silence, the older woman groaned and turned around, walking back into the mansion and closing the door.
"Amelia, huh?" Beca muttered against the redhead's neck.
Chloe turned around quickly, facing the shorter girl with a playful gleam in her bright blue eyes. "Oh, hush you." Beca chuckled at the response.
The two stared at each other when Beca grabbed Chloe's hands with her own. "Maybe that's part of the magic," Beca whispered, looking down at their hands. Chloe's eyebrows furrowed together in confusion and Beca looked up. "Maybe two strangers can meet and have a connection unlike any others. And you're the most amazing person I know, too."
Chloe smiled brightly and kissed the brunette. The two enjoyed each other's embrace for a few moments before Beca pulled back. "You should get back. I don't want you getting into trouble with your mother – especially if you're to visit me in Harlem."
The redhead offered a sad smile. "I suppose you are right. I will visit you, I promise."
Beca released the redhead's hand and smiled. "I trust you." The words sounded foreign from the brunette's mouth, but also were completely accurate being directed at Chloe. "Happy birthday, Chloe."
The redhead smiled, gave Beca one final peck, and then began to walk toward the building, the two deciding it best not to enter together.
As Beca began to put back on her hat, she realized she still had Chloe's mask in her possession. "Miss Beale!" Beca shouted, using a more formal name in case someone was to hear the shout.
Chloe turned around to see Beca walking out of their hiding spot. "Your mask," Beca explained, holding the decorative white mask.
The redhead smiled and walked briskly toward the brunette. "Keep it," the redhead whispered and pecked Beca's lips. "A simple piece of me for you to keep."
Beca smiled brightly as Chloe left to reenter the building. The redhead replayed the past half hour in her mind as her mother began to scold her for her "poor behavior". Chloe could not be bothered by such petty things, however, when she had Beca on her mind.
So maybe not a prince…but I believe I have found my princess.
A/N: THE END! This was a sappy, fluffy, one shot of Bechloe goodness that I imagined when I watched Cinderella and Snow White earlier. Cynthia Beale is not supposed to be Cynthia Rose from PP – Total coincidence! I hope you guys enjoyed it, and I apologize for any inaccuracies to the time period or anything of the sort. But hey, this is my longest update ever, so that's cool. Review if you would like, and thank you for reading!
Until Next Time!
P.S I will update Perfect Timing and a Perky Redhead relatively soonish.
P.P.S I play trombone. Trombone players are the best. Thank you.