A/N: So, wow. I can't believe how many followers I've gotten for this! I had originally planned for this to just be a quick, cute, small fic, but then an idea for a plot came in. And then an even more dramatic, detailed plot came to me. And now I have this intricate web of ideas strung through my head for this fic; I'm just trying to sort these ideas out. Sorry if I took so long by the way, but the school year's coming to a close and things are speeding up. You know how it is:3
I'm not really fond of this chapter, it's more of a filler to show Beca's family situation. I don't really like how I've put this one together, but I had no idea how else I could do it, so... Sorry if it sucks.
Review responses:
LeeShaw: I'm glad you like it so far! I appreciate you telling me:)
Michikame: Sorry, she is xD I'm glad you're enjoying it so far! Hopefully this chapter doesn't disappoint, even if it is just a filler chapter:3
mbj2323: Aww, thank you! It's nice to hear my writing is good and easy to understand. I appreciate it:) Here's the next chapter! May not be the best, but it's a filler chapter.
BG-13: I'm glad I've caught your interest! Hopefully I continue to hold your interest:)
To the two anonymous guest reviewers: Thanks for taking the time to review! I'm glad I've interested you! Hopefully I'm able to keep your interest:3
DISCLAIMER: Still no.
"I'm home," Beca called out, pushing through the front door and slipping off her shoes.
"In the kitchen, honey," Beca heard her mom's voice respond. Striding into the small familiar kitchen, the brunette tossed her backpack by the stairs before silently joining her mom in making supper. The two worked effortlessly into a wordless synchronization, shuffling within the small area and around each other with ease. However, Beca could tell her mother wanted to say something, and she had a feeling she knew what.
"So how come I got a call from the school saying you skipped your last two classes?" Danielle, her mom, asked after a few seconds. Yep, there it was. Beca bit her lip, shrugging nonchalantly.
"It's nothing," Beca brushed the question off, not wanting to tell her mom about the bullies that had chased her off the school grounds, or the ghost that she had met because of the incident. Danielle glanced up at her daughter with concern and disappointment.
"This can't become a habit, it's the third time this month," she said, pausing in her vegetable slicing.
"It's nothing," the brunette said again, staring intently at the stew she was stirring. "I'm working on it."
Danielle pursed her lips, choosing to let the subject drop for now as she threw the celery into the pot. A few moments of silence passed before the older woman decided to address a different issue. "Your dad phoned for you again."
Beca stiffened slightly before she hummed dismissively, grabbing the salt shaker.
"Honey, you can't shut him out forever just because things between us didn't wor-"
"It's not just that, mom," Beca said with a hint of force, her hand tightening around the spoon she was holding. "It's a lot of other things too okay? It goes beyond the divorce."
There was a tense silence, and Danielle looked at her daughter in concern and confusion. Beca set her jaw at this, ducking her head and narrowing her eyes. Her mom didn't know what had happened between father and daughter to destroy their relationship, as neither one of them had been willing to share. And Beca wasn't about to share now.
As a teacher at Barden High, Ryan, her dad, had seen Beca's everyday struggles at school. But unlike most fathers, he turned a blind eye to everything happening to his daughter, choosing to ignore the issues as if they weren't happening at all instead of putting a stop to them as a teacher or father should. One incident stuck out painfully in her brain, shooting through her mind every time her dad was ever mentioned.
It had been a regular school day, a few years ago, and her dad had been on supervision at lunch hour. He had been walking along the school grounds casually, hands in his pockets and head held high, but when he rounded the corner of the school he was just in time to see Bumper Allen and his goons menacingly attack Beca, throwing tormenting insults and violent punches. It was the first time her tormentors had physically attacked her, and all she could do was desperately scream and cry, hoping someone would stop them. Through the violence, Beca's eyes had caught sight of her dad, and relief flooded over her knowing he would stop the assault. She distinctly remembered how she had called out to him, voice raw with pain and emotion as she begged him to help her. His observing eyes had locked with her terror-filled ones, and she knew, she just knew he would save her, just like fathers were supposed to. However, to her complete surprise and devastation she watched as he turned his head away like he had seen nothing, casually walked back around the corner and leaving Beca to the ruthless bullies that plagued her.
The flashback caused a pang of anger and hurt in her chest, and she shook her head to rid herself of the awful memory. Her pleading voice, his cold uncaring eyes, all of it had been seared into her brain, and she knew she wouldn't be able to forget it anytime soon, nor would she ever be able to forgive her dad. He had failed at being both a teacher and a father that day; he had chosen to leave his own daughter in her time of need simply because the boys' families were rich and influential. Boys who were now her daily tormentors. When the two had arrived home that day, Danielle had noticed the drastic change in their relationship, but both refused to speak of it, and the strain between them remained strong ever since.
"I wish you would tell me what this was all about. You two became so distant after that day and you never told me what happened," Danielle pressured gently.
"It doesn't matter. What's done is done, and I'm not talking to him after what he did," Beca said curtly, wanting this conversation to come to an end. She didn't want to think about her dad anymore.
"After what he..." Danielle said questioningly, sounding hesitant. Beca glanced up inquisitively at this, taking in her mom's worried look.
"Why do I always feel like you're not telling me something?" Beca asked accusingly. Danielle sighed.
"Beca, he just went through a dark time, that's why he cheated on me and quit his teaching job. And maybe that's why he was so neglectful to you."
Beca shook her head angrily. "Don't make excuses for him. And he was 'neglectful' long before his 'dark time,' so he earns no sympathy from me."
Danielle sighed, knowing she would get no further tonight. "Okay baby, it's your decision."
Beca walked slowly down the school's empty hallways, carrying her paper bag lunch in her hands. The lunch room had been filled, no surprise there, and Beca was headed toward the drama room where she usually ate. However, as she neared the door her eyes caught sight of a neon blue poster, and she was reminded of vibrant blue eyes that shone with acceptance and friendliness. Not having to think twice, Beca walked straight past the empty drama room and out the exit door, making her way across the football field.
"Chloe?" Beca called into the open window, peering inside the old shack. After a few seconds of silence she hesitated, beginning to wonder if she had imagined the whole thing. However, a glowing figure soon floated down from the rafters, and Chloe beamed as she saw the small brunette standing outside the window.
"You came back!" she exclaimed excitedly as Beca began to climb through the window.
"Of course I came back," the brunette said, sliding in and stumbling as she landed unsteadily on a garbage bag. Narrowing her eyes at the offending black bag, she kicked it off to the side. "I promised I would."
"I'm so happy you came back! I was worried you wouldn't!" Chloe admitted, literally floating with joy.
"You're not getting rid of me that easily," Beca chuckled, glancing back a the window she entered through. She analyzed her surroundings thoughtfully before spotting half a mattress shoved in the back corner. Setting her lunch on the window sill, Beca maneuvered around the junk and heaved at the old half mattress. After a few struggled seconds the brunette was able to shove it forward and placed it under the window to serve as both a landing mat and a sitting spot. Though neither girl said anything, Chloe grinned even wider, knowing this implied Beca would be visiting again. Grabbing her lunch, the brunette sat down on the edge of the mattress, and Chloe floated down to hover cross-legged next to Beca.
"So what've you been up to? Is that your lunch?" Chloe asked, nodding toward the bag in the brunette's hands. Beca nodded, and as if to prove her point she reached in, pulling out a bacon sandwich.
"I hope you don't mind if I eat. I just wanted to come by," Beca said, hesitating with unwrapping her meal. It hadn't occurred to her that maybe Chloe wouldn't want to just sit there and watch her eat. Chloe easily waved her off.
"Of course not, dig in. I'm just glad you're here," Chloe gushed, and a shy smile flashed across Beca's face as she began unwrapping her sandwich. "Um, don't take this the wrong way," the ghost began hesitantly, "but how come you're not having lunch with your friends?" When Chloe was alive, she remembered lunch was her favourite part of the day. Her big group of friends would always find something to gossip, joke, and laugh about as they ate, and the redhead grinned fondly at the memory.
Beca took a big bite, shrugging nonchalantly at the phantom's question. "I am having lunch with my friend."
Chloe giggled, hardly understanding the brunette through her full mouth. Though she felt quite touched at Beca's words, it once again made her question the girl's social life, but she decided not to press any further. "You need to learn not to speak with your mouth full," Chloe said teasingly, jabbing at Beca with a ghostly finger. Her finger went right through the teenager's arm, and Beca jumped in surprise.
"Whoa, that feels weird," Beca said with intriguement, staring at Chloe's hand in fascination. The red head pulled her hand away.
"I'm sorry," she said quickly, worried she may have freaked out the brunette. Beca only shook her head with reassurance, grinning at Chloe.
"No, it's okay. It was a cool weird," Beca said, and Chloe relaxed, smiling at the girl's choice of wording. She moved slightly closer to the brunette, gauging Beca's reaction before she reached out and put her see-through hand over the teenager's existing one.
"What does it feel like?" Chloe asked curiously, watching as Beca involuntarily shivered and goosebumps spread down her arm.
"Kind of like being touched by cold water," Beca said thoughtfully after a moment's pause. "Shocking, but kinda refreshing." Chloe nodded, processing the information interestedly. Beca pressed her lips together, curiosity running wild. "So you can't move or touch anything?" the brunette asked after a few moments hesitation. Chloe smiled sadly at the question, shaking her head.
"No. I know it's possible. I've tried so many times to touch things, really concentrate on what I'm trying to move or touch, but it never works. See?" To prove her point, the redhead reached her hand out to a small stick on the floor. A look of concentration crossed the ghost's face, but to her disappointment her hand phased right through the stick.
"How do you know it's possible?" Beca questioned.
"I've heard of other ghosts doing it before. Poltergeist ghosts, we call them," Chloe explained. Beca narrowed her eyes in thought, biting her lip.
"Do you think maybe only certain kinds of ghosts can do it?"
Chloe shook her head. "No, I'm pretty sure any ghost can learn to do it. Which is why it frustrates me so much that I can't figure it out."
Beca, sensing the ghost's aggravation at the topic, felt sympathy for her. She couldn't imagine how frustrating a situation like that must be. "It'll be okay Chlo," she said reassuringly. "You'll figure it out eventually, and I'll try to help you as much as I can."
The ghost gave Beca an odd look. "You called me Chlo," she stated slowly.
The brunette faltered, eyes widening. "Um, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to. It just kinda-"
"No, it's okay," Chloe cut off the babbling girl with a goofy smile. "I like it."
Beca let out a breath, giving the redhead an adorably dorky grin. "You do?"
Chloe nodded her head, smiling enthusiastically at Beca's awkwardness. "It makes me feel like you've accepted me as a friend. And you treat me like I'm a regular person instead of a ghost, you know? It's comforting."
The brunette nodded at the admittance. "Well, that's because you are my friend," Beca said bashfully. "Though in my opinion, you're too amazing to be considered a regular person."
Chloe blushed, grinning. "What do you mean by that?"
Beca squirmed awkwardly, pressing her lips together as she played with her hands. "Well, you know. You're really nice and friendly, more so than anyone else I've ever met, and you're really beautiful, and you seem so confident." The teenager covered her reddening face with her hands, not noticing the adoring look Chloe was giving her. "I'm sorry, I'm being really weird right now. I should just stop talking."
"No, it's okay," Chloe said again, moving closer to the embarrassed girl. "That's the most sweetest thing anyone has ever said to me. Do you really mean all of it?"
Beca peeked out between her fingers, nodding nervously. The ghost touched Beca's hands with hers, encouraging her to move them away from her face. She did so hesitantly, her shy steely blue eyes connecting with Chloe's warm glowing ones. The ghost gave the girl a soft reassuring smile.
"I'm so glad I met you, Beca," the redhead admitted, her face close to Beca's. The brunette slowly returned the smile with one of her own.
"I'm glad I met you too, Chlo."
A/N: Still don't really like this chapter. What do you think? Hopefully I don't lose everyone's interest over it.
Random question: What would you do if you found a friendly ghost in your school's shed?