As promised, part two of what was continued! The plot thickens. As always, reviews are welcome, your thoughts are valued, or PM me if you'd like. Lyrics are You're My Best Friend by Queen again!

Tonight was about living in the present.

"You don't wear leather unless you're investing in the present," Beca thought to herself, wondering who bestowed the oddly true pearl of wisdom upon her.

Now a couple of pints deep, Beca looked outside of herself and to her goofy, beautiful, fun-loving friends. Fat Amy had her arms thrown around Flo and Stacie, Cynthia Rose was belting out Beyonce to the streets, Aubrey and Chloe were discussing Chanel, and Lilly took up the back.

They were headed to the karaoke party at the Bard House, which was the mixing ground for acapella and theater kids of Barden on the weekends. There were always an abundance of characters such as sexually confused guys and hipster-shit types around. There was never a dull moment. The group had decided to walk the few blocks girl-pack style, under the streetlights past the mix of student houses that were alive with raucous college crowds and past adult houses that had the misfortune to sag next to boisterous neighbors. Cars passed, men occasionally catcalled out their windows.

Beca, a sort-of feminist, scowled but didn't really blame them. In their various crop tops and pencil skirts, smoky eyes and tights, she knew they were a sexual flame burning through the neighborhood.

I've been wandering round

But I still come back to you

And then they saw the house. Or really, heard it. The growing din of rapping, singing, shouting, and howling of the rowdy house as they turned the corner. Cars lined the block, and people overflowed from the porch and onto the lawn. One of the theater guys was screaming some shit about getting off the lawn before the cops came, but the Bellas strolled past the "wait list," granted admission by the "bouncers."

They snaked their way through the dense crowd, even louder on the inside of the small house and against already wet walls (a mixture of spilled beer, hot breath, and well, sweat). They came out on the other side where there were not one but two kegs being serviced by the Treblemakers. Jesse, one of Beca's earliest friends at BU, was manning one.

"Becawww! How's the night?" Jesse shouted cheerily, filling her Red Solo Cup with the golden wonder liquid. (Beca was still amazed that happiness could be poured from a metal barrel, even in her second year of college.)

"Hey Jesse!" She hated touching people, but she threw him into a one-armed hug, the alcohol motivating her.

He grinned in surprise. "Just for that, you've got free beer for the night!" At Barden, the parties were exclusive enough that you had to pay cover charges if you wanted alcohol. Unless you knew the keg man, that is. They both looked around to make sure no one was looking, but everyone was already beginning to pass the point from tipsy to drunk.

They chatted a little bit about their upcoming agendas in acapella, classes, and their work at the campus radio station.

"Thanks again Jesse. I'm sure I'll see you again tonight!" Beca went back inside to her friends just in time to see Fat Amy, Stacie, and Aubrey taking a shot ski.

"YEEEAH BITCHES!" Amy shouted, pumping her fists enthusiastically, before plucking a bottle of tequila out of the hand of a nearby boy, taking a deep swig.

The others laughed at his shock. "What? I didn't come all the way from Melbourne to get scolded by an American boy!" She shouted. Good old Amy.

After a couple more rounds, the girls were really starting to feel it. Words were starting to slur, heads were starting to spin. Besides the complete lack of personal space, Beca was comfortable. She loved to move when she was drunk, shake her head around unnecessarily, dance, or run around. When she was drunk, she didn't feel the need to block out emotions. She grew actually quite affectionate with alcohol, cuddly even.

Hell, even she knew that was better than being a mean drunk. But as she was about to learn, her honesty could sometimes get her in trouble.

A few of the Bellas were moving to the beat in a close circle in the living room, enjoying the night and the deliciousness of being carefree. Beca was tipping her latest drink to her lips when-

Ooh, you make me live now honey

Ooh, you make me live

Beca nearly spit-took Busch all over Cynthia Rose. Her eyes widened.

You're the best friend

That I ever had

This wasn't in her head this time. She froze. She saw two High Notes at the karaoke machine, standing on a table and swaying to the lyrics that they were screeching. Before she had a second to process that the song had showed up again, she felt a tap on her shoulder.

Cynthia Rose, not Chloe. "Girl what are you thinking about? You look like- I mean, what the fuck do you have that disappointed look on your mug for?" Cynthia Rose asked.

Beca's processing speed was greatly reduced, given the circumstances, as well as her ability to craft a lie. "Um… Yeah totally nothing. Everything is A-okay…" Beca said, nodding to convince herself.

"No no no, girl, I asked you what you were thinking about."

"Just how great this party is, duh!" Beca cringed. It totally didn't sound like her.

"I'm not gonna ask you again, Nilla Wafer. What's going on?"

"What the hell, since when did Cynthia Rose become a detective," Beca thought.

"Come outside with me," Beca said, leading her to the backyard.

Beca took a deep breath, looking up to the starry sky for answers that weren't there.

"Well it's really hard to explain because I suck at feelings and I can't ever articulate normally much less now but I've had this song stuck in my head all day and it's the one by Queen about friends and love and I put the two together and realize that I think I love one of our friends too much and I'm about to be in so much fucking trouble for telling you this because I know you're going to remember tomorrow because jeez you can really hold your alcohol but I have feelings for Chloe and I am reminded of that every time I think of 'You're My Best Friend' and now they're singing it inside," Beca blurted out, sucking in a deep breath after she laid it all out.

Cynthia Rose's eyebrows shot sky high, and she grabbed for Beca's cup, chugging the rest of it. Beca studied the toes of her combat boots.

"Damn. You straight girls are always more curious than you seem."

"I guess you could say I'm a little wavy, recently." She laughed uncontrollably at her own lame joke.

Cynthia Rose looked at her with concern. "Wait did you only tell me this because I'm the token gay friend..?"

"No, you asked, remember? But come to think of it, you could probably give me some answers?" Beca asked hopefully.

The bigger girl nodded slowly. "You sure as shit got some things to sort out. Is this the first time that you've ever been attracted to women before?"

Beca laughed nervously, even though it wasn't a joke. Nobody had ever asked her this before. She looked around the backyard to make sure nobody she knew was listening.

"Not until recently. But it's just that I feel such a strong connection to her. She makes me feel like I can do anything. She makes me feel valued, that was the first enticing thing about her," she sighed. "And she is drop-dead gorgeous. I've always loved gingers, and those eyes. And every damn time she touches me, it feels like fire is shooting all throughout, and-"

"I get it. Does Chloe have any idea how you feel?"

Beca grit her teeth. "That's the thing. I don't want her to find out. As much as she's been the fire that keeps me going, I can't let her know about… How I feel." What would Chloe even think? "I- I think it would ruin our friendship. And also ruin the group dynamic of the Bellas."

It was Cynthia Rose's turn to sigh. "That's true. It could change the group forever. But Beca… I had no idea. That you weren't straight, that you've been keeping so much bottled up inside, that you have such strong feelings. But I really think that this is something that needs to be brought to light."

"No! Cynthia Rose, you can't tell anyone. Promise you won't tell anyone. This is something that has to stay between us." The small brunette panicked. "Nobody can know about this. I know that we aren't the closest friends in the crew, but I would never be able to look anyone in the face again if they knew."

"I won't tell. But I really think you should. And it's not something that you have to be embarrassed about. You're attracted to whoever you're attracted to. Remember that it's the person, not the gender. It took me a couple of years to realize that. But I can save you that time if you listen to me now."

Beca looked into her eyes. She could see that Cynthia Rose had been through some shit too. Just as she was about to thank her, someone hip-bumped her.

"Whatcha talking about there, Joan Jett?" Chloe said, winking as she looked Beca up and down. She did kind of resemble the rocker tonight.

Beca's mouth stood slightly agape and her eyes slid to meet Cynthia Rose's.

"Think about it home fry," the short-haired girl said, looking at both and then headed back into the house.

The redhead waited expectantly for an answer. Beca furrowed her brow. Perhaps it was the warmth that the alcohol brought, or the feeling that finally some of the weight of her secret was lifted. But she looked into Chloe's eyes and felt like she was irrevocably sinking.

"Beca is something wrong? Why are you looking at me like that?" A look of concern dusted over Chloe's bright features.

Beca's thoughts seemed to be coated with heavy molasses. She stuck her hands into her back pockets, pulling out her flask. She held it out to Chloe first, she was going to need it.

Chloe took a swig and grimaced at the acidic taste of the vodka, before handing it back to Beca, who double-chugged. The backyard seemed a little less active than a few songs prior. People were starting to pass out.

"You're the first one

When things turn out bad

You know I'll never be lonely

You're my only one

And I love the things

I really love the things that you do

You're my best friend."

Beca could see Chloe's shining blue eyes studying her. She could tell that she recognized the song. She couldn't get out of this one. Chloe took a step closer, lightly placing her hand into Beca's.

"Are you going to be sick?" The question barely made it through to the DJ's brain as a tumultuous wave of emotions and desire and need overtook her. Her body was flushed with heat from the contact, and then everything became slow motion.

She summoned the courage to look into Chloe's eyes, bridging the reduced distance between the two. Chloe still looked worried, but managed to look beautiful regardless. It was the last image Beca had of her before her own eyes fluttered shut and she leaned in, breaking the physical distance.

Beca's lips connected with Chloe's unbelievably soft, pillowy ones; her head angled up and slightly to the side, pushing gently. One hand cupped the side of Chloe's face, her fingertips barely touching ginger locks, but Chloe's hands remained at her own sides. For the briefest seconds, Chloe responded to the surprising kiss. Her eyes fell shut and her mouth shifted open slightly, her tongue along Beca's bottom lip, a shallow breath, and her hand travelled to Beca's side. Just as it seemed Chloe was about to get lost in the moment, Beca felt her body go rigid and the hand that the ginger had on the brunette's side pushed her away instead of drawing closer.

Chloe's eyes snapped open as she leaned back, taking a small step away. "Beca… I don't…" The look on her face was almost hurt, it was so confused and so lost in its shock.

Beca's worst fears were coming alive. This wasn't a daydream, this was actually happening. For the amount of times that Beca had dreamed about kissing Chloe Beale, there were just as many scenarios that she had imagined that ended as horribly as this one.

Beca heard a gasp. It came from her own lungs, her body betraying her yet again that night.

"I don't know what I was thinking. I'm so sorry, Chloe. I'm so sorry."

Beca turned abruptly and strode with conviction toward to house, leaving the ginger in her wake, who was still too stunned to move.

She rushed by the Bellas, the theater boys, the High Notes, that fucking horrible karaoke machine that had ruined everything, past Cynthia Rose's inquiry of "how it went" and out the front door of the house.

Whenever this world is cruel to me…

Ooh, you make me live.

It's not over yet, folks. Can Chloe salvage their friendship, can Beca patch things up? Stay tuned. xo