You don't really think about what the picture means. To be honest, you barely remember having it taken. You were a little distracted with something else at the time.
Then it disappeared, both in its digital and print forms, and you forgot about it.
You never really thought about how weird it was that it vanished from all the Bellas' computers at about the same time. In fact, you would never even have noticed it if Ashley hadn't brought it to your attention.
So when you found it underneath your bed, you immediately called for Beca who was packing your books in a box. It is an exciting thought — you are the one who finally found the lost picture — so you don't think about the forlorn look you have in the picture.
You only remember when you follow Beca's eyes to your face. You weren't looking at the camera. You were looking somewhere else. Then all of it came back to you like it happened yesterday.
You were looking at Beca who was stuck to Jesse's side. You could have sworn that those two were superglued together because when Benji offered to commemorate the Bellas' victory, Beca didn't appear until his third snap.
But that should be your problem, not Beca's. You are the one who is supposed to be looking at the picture like it is a picture of a pet you lost some time ago.
You're pretty sure you are but the weird thing is, Beca is too.
"I broke up with Jesse," she says.
That must be it. It reminded her of their first kiss and now she is missing him.
You apologize. "I know it was an important day for the two of you," you say as you take the picture away from her. You look around the room for a while. Then you tell her, "There's not much left to do. I can finish up on my own."
It's a lie, for her benefit and yours. You know she's not very fond of showing emotions in front of another person. And you can't be in the same room as her while she pines over someone else.
But Beca doesn't rise from your bed. She continues staring at her hands like the picture is still in them.
"I broke up with Jesse," she says again.
It hurts you to see how much she is hurting. So you forget about kicking her out of the room and you take her hands in yours. That's the only way you know how to make people feel better.
You know it doesn't always work with her. So it doesn't surprise you when she flinches.
But when you take your hands away, she takes them back.
"I broke up with Jesse," she repeats. This time, she looks at you. She only takes her eyes off you to glance at the picture which you have tossed on top of the pile of clothes you're thinking of donating. "It could never work. I was only with him because I was afraid."
"What…" the rest of that sentence is stuck somewhere in your throat because you're starting to feel hope growing inside you and you don't want that. You take a deep breath before you try again, "What are you afraid of?"
She is having as hard a time as you to voice out simple words.
When she finally does, you simultaneously want to hug her and smack her head.
Hug her because you're one of the most harmless creatures on Earth, at least according to Aubrey. So there is no reason to fear you. And smack her because she let her fear made you wait this long.
But you end up kissing her instead.
