A/N: Sorry for the delay! Life has been crazy lately! But please review and let me know what you think!
To TR- I'm so glad you liked it! and I hope you like this next chapter!
Beauty and a Beat - Justin Bieber ft. Nicki Minaj
Chloe wasn't exactly sure what had gotten into Beca. As far as she could tell, everything had been fine at five o'clock that morning when the brunette had woken her up from where she had been sleeping on the couch that was tucked away in the corner of the radio station. As they had stumbled home, Beca had seemed almost giddy, and while Chloe realized that at least part of that stemmed from lack of sleep, she thought that she saw an extra twinkle in the DJ's eyes. She couldn't help but hope that at least part of the reason for Beca's newfound happiness was due to their talk the night before.
They had only split up for a few hours - to shower and nap- but by the time they were corralling the Bellas onto the bus, something had drastically changed in the DJ's demeanor. There was a harsh frown line furrowed in her brow and she was being snappy with the girls, even Emily, who was usually off limits - something about not kicking puppies.
Once they were all actually on the bus, she waited for Beca to slide into their usual seat, but instead the brunette plopped down across the aisle. They always shared a seat, ALWAYS - and an iPod too for that matter. It was like an unspoken rule, Beca by the window, Chloe by the aisle.
It was just the way things were.
Except for today, apparently.
"Becs?"
The DJ glanced up from where she was pulling out her laptop.
"Oh, right. I just have stuff I need to work on. So I'm going to sit over here."
"Oh." Chloe didn't try too hard to keep the disappointment from her voice. "Yeah, yeah; that's cool." Beca already had her headphones on, but Chloe kept talking as if the younger girl could hear her - hands and face moving in exaggerated emotion.
"Just thought you might want to discuss the important, life changing stuff that we talked about last night, but whatever. I've waited four years, what's a little bit longer?" She huffed and sank back in her seat, ignoring the looks that the other Bellas were giving her.
At least if Beca wasn't going to sit with her, she could listen to whatever music she wanted. As a general rule, Beca would listen to whatever Chloe happened to be in the mood for, but the DJ's tolerance for 'sickly sweet pop' as she liked to call it, was much lower than Chloe's.
So that's exactly what she listened to, blaring her iPod until it almost hurt her ears.
She was three songs into her seething before the upbeat songs sent her fingers to tapping against the armrest. She slowly felt the anger seep out of her, and she turned her head to study her friend.
Beca's long brown hair was twisted up in a messy bun, strands falling in her face as she stared intently at whatever was pulled on her laptop. Her features were twisted in a scowl that was vastly different than her usual mixing expression, and Chloe found herself wondering what the DJ was working on. Her white tank top revealed hunched shoulders, and her black shorts ended sinfully high.
Chloe's tongue danced involuntarily across her lips and she averted her gaze. She was not going to creep on her best friend/ potential girlfriend, especially not her best friend/ potential girlfriend that she was supposed to be mad at.
But as her eyes drifted back up to Beca's adorable face, she felt her resolve wavering.
Why was she mad a Beca again?
Snippy, right. She was getting snippy for no reason and she was avoiding Chloe. That was it.
But Beca had been stressed lately, and she was obviously nervous about last night's almost confession - even though she had no reason to be. All of that, paired with lack of sleep must be the cause for Beca's short temper.
Maybe she needed a back rub.
Chloe made a mental note to offer her one once they got settled at camp.
A new song started and she grinned. Say what you want about Justin Bieber, but he definitely had a way with catchy love songs. She toned down the volume until she could hear herself sing over it and began belting out the lyrics in Beca's direction, hoping that the words would creep their way past the DJ's emotional defenses.
Show you off, tonight I wanna show you off
What you got, a billion could've never bought
Lily jumped right in, beatboxing.
We gonna party like it's thirty twelve tonight
I wanna show you all the finer things in life
So just forget about the world, be young tonight
I'm coming for ya, I'm coming for ya
Stacie joined at this point, and Chloe could see the taller girl's hands drifting suggestively over her body out of the corner of her eye.
'Cause all I need is a beauty and a beat
Who can make my life complete
It's all by you, when the music makes you move
Baby do it like you do
'Cause
CR and Amy started harmonizing and Chloe allowed her body to twist with the beat, eyes drifting over Beca, who was pointedly annoying the commotion around her.
Body rock
Body rock
Body rock, rock, rock
Body rock, girl, I can feel your body rock
Take a bow, you on the hottest ticket now
We gonna party like it's thirty twelve tonight
I wanna show you all the finer things in life
So just forget about the world, be young tonight
I'm coming for ya, I'm coming for ya
All of the girls had joined in at this point, and the bus was thrumming with energy.
'Cause all I need is a beauty and a beat
Who can make my life complete
It's all by you, when the music makes you move
Baby do it like you do
As if they had previously discussed it, all the voices ceased as the girls turned to stare at Beca. The silence lingered for so long that Chloe was beginning to think that she had misjudged and the younger girl wasn't paying attention at all. Just as she was about to give up and call the girls off, Beca slid her headphones around her neck and spit the beat.
In time, ink lines, bitches couldn't get on my incline
World tour, it's mine, ten little letters, in a big sign
Justin Bieber, you know I'ma hit 'em with the ether
Buns out, wiener, but I gotta keep my eye out for Selena
Beauty, beauty and the beast
Beauty from the east, beautiful confessions of the priest
Beast, beauty from the streets, we don't get deceased
Every time a beauty on the beats
They finished out the song all together, and she could see the corners of Beca's mouth twisting upwards in a half grin.
Body rock, girl, I wanna feel your body rock
'Cause all I need is a beauty and a beat
Who can make my life complete
It's all by you, when the music makes you move
Baby do it like you do
She felt the tension between her and Beca withering out across the isle. Maybe things were going to be ok after all.
Or not.
Everyone was ecstatic to see Aubrey but things quickly went downhill from there.
No one was happy about the fact that they were going to be sleeping in a tent; especially Beca, who couldn't go five minutes without griping about not having a plug for her laptop. Everyone else was manageable until the second tent fell, then Chloe could practically sense their morale dropping.
She forced herself to plaster a smile on her face as they filed into the tent. Faking it until she made it was Chloe's life motto. It had pulled her out of many a rough situation, and surely it could get her through the disaster that was rediscovering the Bella's sound.
As soon as they were all crammed into the tent, Amy excused herself to go the bathroom, and good god Chloe hoped that she was farther away from the tent than she sounded.
She turned to face Beca, reading the tension in other girls shoulders.
"What are we doing?" Beca demanded, arms crossing over her chest.
"We're bonding, you seem so tense!" As she brushed Beca's hair from her face, she was reminded of her earlier thought. "Do you need a back rub?"
The brunette shook her hand off.
"Several body parts are rubbing my back right now, thank you."
She fought to hide the disappointment from her face, Beca usually loved her back rubs; she hoped this refusal didn't have anything to do with the younger girl's fear that Chloe didn't reciprocate her feelings.
"You know, Beca, we've always been close but I feel like this retreat is really going to let us discover everything about each other."
"Is that right?"
Chloe nodded. Maybe Beca just needed a nudge.
"You know one of my biggest regrets is that I didn't do enough experimenting in college."
There it was, the door was wide open. Come on Becs, just step right through.
"You're so weird."
"Thanks." She could feel the balloon that was her never-ending enthusiasm pop.
"I wanna go home." Beca whispered vehemently as she turned away.
Frustration thundered in her ears and she could barely hear Stacie admonishing CR over her 'goodies', and Amy's groans echoing through the tent.
"Guys, I've got a little - it won't - I just need some help getting it out. Can you sing something? The pipes a bit blocked."
Music had always been Chloe's outlet to the world, and she found herself using it now to release the sadness that was building up.
I'm all out of faith,
This is how I feel,
I'm cold and I am shamed,
Lying naked on the floor.
"What kind of white shit is this?!" Cynthia Rose exclaimed as they began harmonizing.
Illusion never changed
Into something real
"Coming out like fro-yo." Amy informed them unnecessarily.
I'm wide awake and I can see
The perfect sky is torn
You're a little late, I'm already torn
The harmony dropped off as Amy re-entered the tent, and the only sound was the whispers of her fellow Bellas. She wasn't listening though, not really. She felt like there was a tiny bubble of tension surrounding her and the DJ, but she was done trying break through it. Now obviously wan't the time, and she realized that the place was definitely not surrounded by the rest of the Bellas in a crowded tent. She felt a flicker of hope at that, but as she drifted off to sleep she found herself wondering if things would ever be settled between her and Beca.
