Chapter 4- Helping Beca

Chloe and Beca made their way to the auditorium for the meeting. When they stepped in, everyone was already there, since it took them 15 to get there. Beca sat down while Chloe joined Aubrey in front of everyone. Beca was about to ask Amy if she knew what the hell this was for when Aubrey clapped her hands and started talking.

"Ok, so, I called you all here because we have a couple announcements to make, but also because I wanted to make sure everyone is on the same page about Beca's health. Does anyone have any questions for Beca?" Beca was not happy with what Aubrey had just done. Scratch that, she's fucking pissed. This is why I didn't tell them. I didn't want to make it a big deal. Beca stood up abruptly, knocking her chair over in the process, and stormed toward the door, but Chloe called after her.

"Beca? Where are you going?" Beca turned around, but continued walking backwards, it seemed that she had an air of don't come near me because Chloe stopped mid-step in Beca's direction, taking in her facial expression.

"Leaving." She left without another word, slamming the door for good measure. She stormed away from the building, cursing repeatedly. Apparently Beca was exuding an air of 'get-the-fuck-away,' because the people on the sidewalk parted for her to move by.

God damn it. This is why I don't tell people. Why do they have to make a big deal about it? I already talked to them once, how many fucking times do I have to go through it?! Beca continued walking, she didn't even stop when she felt the tears on her face, or when she heard Chloe call out from behind her. She just kept moving. Why do I have to keep talking about it? Why is that always what people want to talk about? Why is it never what I want, it's always what I have to do for the sickness. It always comes first. I'm just so fucking sick of this! Beca stopped in her tracks and looked up at the sky, willing the tears to stop cascading. She was able to hold it in for about 1 minute. Then she broke down. She sank to her knees, sobbing violently and loudly. I just want to be healthy. Why can't I just be healthy?! Beca heard approaching footsteps, several pairs, so she scrambled to her feet and took off toward her dorm, her tears falling fast and with no end in sight. Hell, Beca had nothing in sight, she couldn't see past her tears. She heard several people call her name, and they started chasing her. She just ran faster, she needed to get away, she needed to be alone! But… Beca has to work three times as hard as a healthy person to run at even close to the same speed.

If there was anything Beca was good at though, it was pushing herself too hard, so that's what she did. She made her legs move faster. All she could hear now was the blood rushing through her body, her own panting breaths. As she ran, she felt herself get slower, so she took a sharp turn. A couple of the Bellas who chasing her, namely Stacie and Aubrey, ran past where Beca had turned because they were right behind her and didn't expect the sharp turn. Beca pumped her legs faster, needing to get to her room.

She needed to do something, anything. Something she could do that would get her mind off of the Bellas and college for a little while. She wasn't sure if it would work, but she was prepared to do whatever it took to make it happen. Especially since this was something she wanted to do anyway. She got to her dorm and slammed the door closed and locked it. She went over to her computer and opened back up the pages she had found earlier that would make it happen. She scrolled through them, and found something she never thought she would be so lucky to stumble across. An address. In Atlanta. And a phone number. Holy shit. I… I can do it. She… has a family? She has two kids? Beca started crying before she realized it. Why would she have more kids? Was I really that bad? Beca was snapped from her thoughts by a soft, almost hesitant, knock at her door.

"Go away!" Beca choked out, her voice making it obvious she was crying.

"Becs? Please just let me in." Beca hung her head. She knew Chloe would wait in the hallway if she didn't answer the door; she's done it before. Sighing, Beca got out of her chair and made her way to the door.

"What do you want?" Beca's tears were still falling while she shouted through her door.

"I wanted to talk Becs. Please just… open the door."

"Talk about what?" Beca felt her hands start to shake, but she ignored it beyond any and all reasonable judgment.

"Becs, this isn't something I particularly want to shout from the hallway, and I know you're crying so let me in." Beca sighed once again before unlocking the door. Beca turned away from Chloe and went to her bag where she had left her meter. She knew what is was gonna be, but she checked anyway. Her hands were shaking so bad she almost dropped the meter.

"Chlo, juice."

"What?"

"Juice box!" That seemed to get it across that her sugar was low, and Chloe jumped to get the juice box. The number flashed onto the screen. 34.

Chloe handed Beca the juice box with the straw in it. Beca started drinking it while she sat down. Chloe sat next to her and ran her hand up and down Beca's arm. Beca did not felt her skin break out into goose bumps from the contact, as well as her stomach that was not filled with butterflies.

"You okay Becs?"

"34, I've been worse."

"34?! How are you even functioning?" Beca shrugged as she set the juice box down, if she had any more she would shoot her sugar sky high.

"Look, neither of us want to discuss how fucking stupid my body is right now. What is it you wanted to talk about?"

"I wanted to make sure you were okay. I see now that you aren't." Beca wiped at her still damp eyes once more.

"I'm fine."

"No, you're not. You were crying when I got here. You know you can always talk to me Becs." Beca nodded her head. But… this wasn't something she wanted to talk about with anyone. She wasn't going to tell anyone what she planned on doing. Especially not her dad or Chloe. Chloe seemed to know that Beca was thinking, and waited for Beca to speak first.

"I'm so sick of talking about it." Beca's voice was a whisper, but she continued before Chloe could respond.

"I'm tired of everyone asking about it. Of bringing it up. And I already had to explain it 3 separate times this week, then Aubrey brought it up again and I just couldn't do it. I-I want people to see me, not the disease. But they never do." Beca managed to hold her tears back until Chloe spoke, her voice equally as quiet.

"I see you. I see a talented music making DJ with brunette hair, stormy blue eyes, a killer smirk, sarcasm for days, a beautiful smile, and Diabetes. It's just an aspect of you Becs. To see you, we have to see the disease, but it doesn't define you. It isn't you." Beca started crying again, and Chloe wrapped her arms around her. She cried for a few minutes before she calmed down, Chloe's hand running through her hair definitely helped. She sat up and wiped at her eyes, laughing at herself.

"Sorry. It's so stupid, I should be used to it by now, right?"

"No. It's not stupid. You're allowed to be frustrated Beca."

"Thanks. So what did Aubrey want to tell us today, before I, ya know, stormed out."

"Well… the first was that… I'm… not graduating…" Beca blinked a couple times.

"What?"

"I failed Russian Lit."

"So you're gonna be here… for another year?"

"Yeah, you're kinda stuck with me." Beca launched forward and hugged Chloe tight. Chloe was taken back, but returned the hug nonetheless. Beca released a sigh. Thank god. At least I still get to have her in my life as a friend. When Beca pulled back, Chloe smiled at her. Beca returned it before Chloe continued speaking.

"Ok, aside from that, we were going to announce the new captain of the Bellas." Beca quirked an eyebrow.

"That's you, isn't it?"

"Yeah, but… I was asking for a co-captain. I can't do it alone."

"Oh. Who'd you ask?"

"Well, the person kinda left before I could ask so…"

"Wait, you're asking me?"

"Yeah. You're the most talented one out of all of us Becs. Don't tell Amy I said that."

"Are you serious? You want me as your co-captain?"

"Well, actually, you're the captain, I'm the co-captain."

"What? Chlo, no. I'm not taking that spot from you."

"Well, too bad. We all voted anyway. You're captain, and I'm co-captain. Unless… you're still going to go to LA?"

"Oh, no. I'm… staying here for college. I thought you guys knew that? I'm getting my degree to be a general physician before I leave." Chloe's megawatt smile was on her face.

"Yay! So we're both gonna be here!"

"Ok weirdo, calm down." Beca smiled anyway as she shoved Chloe playfully.

"Can I ask you something?" Beca was shocked at how serious Chloe suddenly turned. What could she possibly ask me?

"Uh, I guess."

"You said that you like someone, right?" Oh shit.

"Uh, yeah…" Beca ran a hand through her hair.

"And that she's a Bella."

"Yeah…"

"And that she's not gay, but she's not straight?" Fuck me.

"Uhm… yeah…"

"Is she me?" Well, now or never, right? Beca's eyes locked onto her knees as she pulled her legs into her chest. She nodded twice, then she heard an intake of breath.

"So… what you said… you meant that?" Beca's head snapped up. What I said?

"What did I say?"

"When I visited you in the hospital… right before you fell asleep… you uh…" Beca thought back to the hospital visit, trying to figure out what she said. Then it hit her. Like a ton of bricks. Her eyes widened almost comically.

"Oh fuck. Can we… can we like pretend I didn't say that? I'd really… can we?" Chloe looked at her sadly for a minute.

"Did you mean it?" Beca groaned as she smacked her head against her knees.

"Unfortunately."

"Unfortunately?" Chloe sounded hurt.

"Yeah, it's not really a great feeling, you know? Falling for your best friend… especially someone like you."

"Someone like me?"

"Yeah, you know… you. Beautiful, super smart, talented, super nice. You practically scream 'out of my league' Chlo."

"I think that's for me to decide."

"Well that's not a hard decision to make." Chloe suddenly pulled Beca's head off of her knees and forced eye contact.

"No. It's not. That's the easiest decision I've ever had to make." Beca's face remained as stoic as possible.

"It's the easiest decision because I've been thinking the same thing about you for a year."

"What?" Chloe leaned in until her lips were centimeters from Beca's.

"Will you go out with me Beca?" Instead of answering, Beca surged forward, kissing Chloe firmly. Beca could swear she felt herself melt into Chloe. Beca refuses to describe the kiss becauseshe refuses to be a cliché. (She felt the fireworks and shit, don't worry) When Chloe pulled back, she rested her forehead on Beca's.

"I'll take that as a yes, then?"

"I'd have to be stupid and blind to say no Beale." Chloe pulled back fully to smile brightly at Beca.

"So… I'll pick you up tomorrow at noon?"

"I can't tomorrow. I have plans." Chloe frowned. Beca wasn't lying, she did have plans. She just wasn't going to tell anyone what those plans were. She's also not sure how long she would be gone, or what kind of mood she would be in afterward, so she didn't want to make any plans.

"Fine. Sunday then?"

"Sure. When do I need to have pants on by?" Chloe giggled before she answered.

"Noon. What you regularly wear should be fine."

"You mean flannel and jeans?" Beca smirked.

"Yep. That would be great."

"Ooookay. If you say so weirdo."

"I do say so." Beca glanced at her clock and sighed.

"You have class to get to don't you?" Chloe pouted.

"But I don't wanna go! I would much rather stay here with you." Chloe slinked over to Beca and straddled her hips. Beca's breath caught in her throat, but Chloe really did need to go to class. It took all of Beca's will power to do this. She leaned up and ghosted her lips over Chloe's as her hands moved slowly up Chloe's thighs to her stomach.

"Oh, would you?"

"Yeah. Especially since I can do this now." Chloe kissed Beca again. Beca let her for few moments before her hands rested on Chloe's sides, under her shirt. Beca flexed her fingers and began relentlessly tickling Chloe.

"Bec, Bec, stop!"

"Only if you go to class!" Chloe flailed off of Beca and fell onto the floor on her ass.

"You okay?" Beca managed to keep herself from laughing by biting her lip. Chloe rubbed her butt as she stood up.

"Yeah I'm good. Ok, I'll see you Sunday then?"

"Yep." Chloe nodded with a smile as she turned to leave. Before she reached the door, Beca called out.

"Chlo wait!" She spun around just in time for Beca to kiss her.

"Bye." Chloe beamed at her.

"Bye Becs." With that Chloe left. Beca waited a few minutes before she went back to her laptop. She spent the remainder of the night mixing.

When Beca got up to the sound of her alarm, she slapped it hard before sitting up. She rubbed at her eyes as she stood up. She got dressed slowly before she opened her laptop. She got the address from the website she was on yesterday and plugged it into her phone. She grabbed her keys and was out the door, totally unprepared for the day ahead of her.