Beca's POV
The next four weeks go by incredibly fast. A dozen Bella practices through and we've finally got a handle on our set for Sectionals. Amy and Cynthia Rose are taking the leads for the set this time while Stacie and I are going to take the lead for Regionals. After the first practice, which had mostly consisted of us talking and getting to know one another, I had asked all of the girls who wanted a solo and who wanted to take the lead in choreography.
To no one's surprise, Amy's hand had shot in the air for a solo. Cynthia Rose and Stacie volunteered for taking a solo, while Ashley and Jessica opted for choreography. Despite the delegation, Stacie was still very much involved in the dancing. She had been tutoring all of the girls in sensuous dancing for the routine.
Katie and Arden proved to be fast learners, Arden more so than Katie. Arden's practicing with her sister was very helpful as she was able to catch on to the dancing faster. She also was having an easier time learning how to sing on pitch with all of the girls.
Neither Arden nor I had brought up Buchan Records since the night after our first practice. I still had a nagging feeling that there was more to the story than Arden was telling but I was simply too busy to confront her. Between Bella practices, Jesse, the radio station and school I had no extra time to talk to her.
"So all we just chose a song, match one word and then go with it?" Arden asks from her side of the room. We are in the process of getting ready for the Riff-Off. Well, Arden is. I'm relaxing on my bed, flipping through my IPod while she digs around in her closet for something to wear. Amy had threatened to rip her blouse off her and make her go topless if she wore another one to the Riff-Off.
"Yeah, be careful about the word matching thing. We were robbed last year by the Trebles because I said it's instead of it." I say.
"So how's this?" I turn and look at Arden. Instead of her usual blouse and jeans attire she is dressed in a red tank-top and fashionable cropped blazer.
"Oh my god, I honestly thought you didn't own anything remotely sexy!" Stacie says as she lets herself into our room. I laugh as Arden glares at Stacie.
"I live in Vegas; of course I own sexy clothes." Arden says.
"Come on guys, Amy will kill all three of us if we're late." I say getting off my bed. Arden and Stacie continue to bicker about Arden's wardrobe and general sex appeal for the entire 20 minute walk to the emptied out pool where the Riff-Off is being held again this year.
"Beer?" Amy asks once we reach where she and the rest of the Bellas have been waiting. I accept the beer and do a quick scan of the pool. Despite my worries, we seem to have beaten most of the High Notes and BU Harmonics here. Jesse spots me from where he is standing with the other Trebles. He smiles and walks over to us.
"So are you ready?" Jesse asks. I raise an eyebrow at him.
"Are you here to spy on us?" I ask.
"No, no. I'm here to offer a peaceful and heartfelt good luck." I open my mouth to reply but at that moment the rest of the High Notes and BU Harmonics wander over to their respective groups. Well the High Notes wander, the BU Harmonics march quite purposely and glare at us. Seems they haven't forgotten being basically forgotten at the end of last years Riff-Off.
"All right acca-ballers, let's get this thing started!" Justin calls out from the center of the pool. He seems annoyed to be starting late. He pulls out the remote and points it at the wall where the spinning wheel is now projected.
"Our first category is… for the second year in a row, songs about sex!" Justin yells out to the crowd. There is a sudden buzzing before…
"Alright!" Ollie runs forward as he belts out the opening of Buckcherry's Crazy Bitch.
"Break me down, you got a lovely face. We're going to your place. And now you got to freak me out." The rest of the Trebles now move up and stand behind Ollie. Donald is making the guitar sounds while the rest back Ollie up with the singing.
"Scream so loud, getting fuckin' laid! You want me to stay, but I got to make my way." Ollie points at Arden now and out of the corner of my eye I see her roll her eyes. I just shake my head, glad that the awkwardness between them is gone.
"Hey! You're crazy bitch. But you fuck so good, I'm on top of it. When I dream, I'm doing you all night. Scratches all down my back to keep me right on. Hey, you're crazy bitch. But you fuck so good, I'm on top of it. When I –"
"I been really trying, baby." Stacie walks over to the boys and cuts them off with Marvin Gaye's Let's Get It On. The crowd cheers her on and I motion to the rest of the girls to follow her. We all walk up behind her, singing the instrumental for the song.
"Tryin to hold back these feelings for so long. And if you feel, like I feel baby. Come on, oh, come on." I blow a kiss at Jesse who pretends to catch it.
"Let's get it on. Let's get it on. Let's get it on. Let's get it on. We're all sensitive people. With so much love to give, understand me sugar. Since we got to be, let's say –"
"Say hey-o. Can you hear me?" Donald walks up and cuts us off.
"Uh, can you hear me? One more time, say hey-o. Can you hear me? I can make it rain, make it soaked all night. You just give me the jam, making it feel alright." Donald grins and nods at Lily, who blushed slightly.
"That ass makes me wanna oooh. You know exactly what you do-ooh. I would really like to take that home. Everybody here knows." The rest of the Trebles have once again come forward, accompanying Donald in Mike Posner's Looks like Sex.
"She looks like sex, sex, sex, sex. She looks like sex, sex, sex, sex. She looks like sex, sex, sex, sex. She looks like –"
"Like to put you in a trance." One of the girls for the BU Harmonics comes forward and cuts Donald off.
"If I take you from behind, push myself into your mind. When you least expect it, will you try and reject it. If I'm in charge and I treat you like a child. Will you let yourself go wild? Let my mouth go where it wants to." The girl from the BU Harmonics sings Madonna's Erotica while the rest of her groups back her up.
"Give it up, do as I say. Give it up and let me have my way. I'll give you love; I'll hit you like a truck. I'll give you love –"
"Love your sushi roll, hotter than wasabi. I race for your love, shake and bake, Ricky Bobby." Cynthia Rose goes up and cuts the BU Harmonics off with Drake's verse from Bedrock.
"I'm at the W but I can't meet you in the lobby. Girl I gotta watch my back 'cause I'm not just anybody. I see them standing in line, just to get beside her. I let her see the Aston and let the rest surprise her. That's when we disappear; you need GPS to find her. Oh that was your girl, I thought I recognized her." The crowd laughs and ohhs at the burn Cynthia Rose raps to the rejected looking BU Harmonics. I don't have to give the girls any signals this time, we all walk forward and join in singing the course.
"Ooh baby. I be stuck to you like glue, baby. Wanna spend it all on you, baby. My room is the g-spot. Call me Mr. Flintstone. I can make your bedrock. I can make your bedrock. I can make your bedrock girl. I can make your bedrock. I can make your bedrock." I make a cut off motion from beside Cynthia Rose and we all fall silent.
"The laughter from the crowd has decided it." Justin says as he walks to the middle of the pool. He turns to the BU Harmonics. "You are…"
Everyone claps and yells "Cut off!" The girl from the BU Harmonics shoots us a glare as she and the rest of her group walk off the invisible stage.
I turn and grin at Jesse. With the BU Harmonics out, this has basically become a competition between the Trebles and the Bellas. Jesse raises an eyebrow at me and returns my grin.
"And our next category is… hits from the 90's!" Justin calls out to the crowd.
Arden's POV.
"What is love?" Bumper doesn't miss a beat, he immediately runs forward and starts singing Haddaway's one hit wonder.
"Baby, don't hurt me. Don't hurt me no more. Baby, don't hurt me. Don't hurt me no more."
"Oh, hell no." Amy says under her breath. She swings around and glares at Beca. "Wannbe, Spice Girls." Beca raises her eyebrows at Amy's anger, but wisely doesn't comment.
"What is love?" Bumper has continued to sing, the Trebles now backing him up.
"Yeah, I don't know why you're not there. I give you my love but you don't care. So –"
"So tell me what you want, what you really, really want." Amy cuts off a bemused looking Bumper.
"I'll tell you what I want, what I really, really want." Beca sings back to Amy, acting much more theatrical then I've ever seen her. I glance at my beer and wonder what the hell they out in it to make Beca act part cheerleader.
"So tell me what you want, what you really, really want." Amy sings back.
"I wanna, I wanna, I wanna, I wanna." All of the Bellas start singing now so I join in.
"I wanna really, really, really, wanna zigazig ha." Lily scratches out the last part, shooting Donald a look.
"If you want my future, forget my past." Amy sings.
"If you wanna get with me, better make it fast." Stacie sings.
"Now don't go wasting, my precious time." Beca sings.
"Get your act together, we could be just fine." Cynthia Rose sings.
"I'll tell you –"
"You gotta get your groove on, before you go get paid." Jesse comes forward, cutting Amy off. She groans and we all walk back.
"So tip up your cup and throw your hands up. And let me hear the party say. I'm kinda buzzed and it's all because." Jesse sings.
"This is how we do it." The rest of the Trebles back Jesse up for this part.
"South Central does it like nobody does."
"This is how we do it."
"To all my neighbours you got much flavour."
"That doesn't impress me." I say under my breath as I watch Ollie and the rest of the Trebles sing the chorus of Montell Jordan's This Is How We Do It.
"I know. This song wasn't really even a hit." Stacie says beside me.
"Wait." I can literally hear the light bulb click in my head as I turn and look at the rest of the girls. "That Don't Impress Me Much, Shania Twain. You guys know the song?"
"We got you girl." Cynthia Rose says with a grin.
"We'll follow your lead." Beca says, giving me an encouraging smile. I turn back to the Trebles and wait for the right word.
"This is how we do it. All hands are in the air. And wave them from here to there. If you're an O.G. Mack or a wanna-be player. You see the hood's been good to me. Ever since I–" I run forward and cut Jesse and the Trebles off.
Here goes nothing.
"I never knew a guy who carried a mirror in his pocket. And a comb up his sleeve, just in case." I'm trying to hold back a smile as Ollie rolls his eyes at my song choice. The crowd gives a cheer so I don't really care whet he thinks.
"And all that extra hold gel in your hair outta lock it.' Cause Heaven forbid. It should fall outta place."
"Oh-oo-oh, you think you're special." The Bellas walk up beside me and back me up.
"Oh-oo-oh, you think you're something else."
"Okay, so you're Brad Pitt." I say as I raise my eyebrows at Ollie. The crowd just laughs and ohhs again as Ollie mimes being shot in the heart.
"That don't impress me much. So you got the looks but have you got the touch? Don't get me wrong, yeah I think you're alright. But that won't keep me warm in the middle of the night." I pause as Lily sings out the guitar.
"That don't impress me much." I say grinning at Ollie. The crowd cheers louder as Beca motions for us to stop.
"Very good job ladies, very impressive." Justin says to us as he walks to the middle of the pool again. "Ladies and gentlemen, we have a new winner!"
Beca is beaming as Amy runs forward to take the mic from Justin. She walks over to Bumper and starts teasing him, waving the mic at him.
"Shania Twain, really?" Ollie says, drawing my attention away from Amy, who is now tapping the mic on Bumper's chest. "I didn't take you for a country girl."
"Shania Twain was really more pop then country." I say, smiling at Ollie. I can't stop smiling, the camaraderie I feel from both our winning and general awesomeness is too much.
"You are practically glowing." Ollie says, chuckling at me. I just roll my eyes. "And to think, a month ago you were thinking of quitting."
Okay, that killed my mood. I don't even ask how Ollie knew that I had been thinking of quitting, he knows me too well at this point.
I had been considering quitting, but I knew if I quit Beca and the rest of the girls would start asking questions. Especially Beca, she would have been demanding answers from me. And if she didn't get them she would start asking around and find out anyways. No, I knew it was pointless to quit at that point.
Besides, it has been a month and Beca hasn't mentioned Buchan records at all. Ollie could be right; Lennon may not know I'm here.
I shake my head slightly, trying to get rid of my negative thoughts. I shouldn't be feeling anything but happy right now.
"Come on, let's go get a beer." I say as I turn and walk over to where the cooler is.
"Fine but no dancing on the bar tonight."
A/N: I updated this one quicker then normal because I won't be able to post anything new until the New Year. I'm trying to think of ways to differentiate between normal dialogue and singing so if anyone has a good idea please let me know.
