A/N: Here's a longer than normal chapter to make up for my delay in updating. Forgive me?
I'm sorry I took so long updating but it's been hard for me to stay motivated lately.
Please please review, it really helps.
I do not own Pitch Perfect or any of its characters
Jasper was scratching at Beca's front door before she could even get the key in to open it.
"Dude, can you like, chill out for a second?" Beca said, struggling to hold his leash and fish the keys out of her pocket.
"Here, I can hold him," Chloe said, taking the leash out of Beca's hand, chuckling as he wrapped himself around Beca's legs.
"It's like he's determined to embarrass me," Beca said, stepping out of the leash trap Jasper had gotten her in and opening the door.
"Wow, he is really eager to get inside," Chloe said as Jasper took off running the second Beca unclipped the leash from his collar.
"Actually, he's just eager to get back outside. He thinks garden outside is different to woods outside. He's not the smartest," Beca said, flicking on a light switch and leading Chloe to her kitchen.
Jasper was already sitting at the back door, his tail wagging furiously.
Beca slid the door open and he ran out barking happily. She shook her head as she closed the door after him.
She then became acutely aware of the fact that Chloe Beale was standing in her kitchen.
"Uh, he'll get bored in a minute and come back in," Beca said. "Then he'll probably be your best friend."
"Can't wait," Chloe said. "So, I believe you had some mixes to let me listen to?"
"Oh yeah!" Beca said, clearly relieved that they weren't about to stand in silence while they waited for Jasper. "My laptop's just through here."
Beca lead Chloe from the kitchen into a second living room towards the back of the house.
Chloe glanced around her as they walked, and couldn't help notice how empty the house seemed. It was almost as if no one lived there. If it wasn't for the occasional dog toy, or pair of shoes, it would have looked like a show home.
There were no family pictures on the walls, or notes pinned to the notice board.
Chloe kept thinking about her own much smaller home and the constant noise and energy of the place. She often complained about never having her own space, but she quickly realised she wouldn't like to live like this. She felt bad for Beca having to spend so much time on her own here.
The den Beca lead them to looked like the only place that had been lived in. There was a couple of empty pizza boxes and soda cans, that Beca quickly tidied away, looking embarrassed.
Chloe spotted some photographs on one of the side tables and went to have a look. One was a group picture of Beca, Jesse, Benji and another girl that Chloe recognised but couldn't think of her name.
"I know her," Chloe said, pointing at the picture.
"That's Amy. She's in the year above us so she's in college now. She tends to go by Fat Amy, so maybe that's why you know her."
"Oh yeah!" Chloe said. "She's the one who poured Kool Aid into the pool on her last day and then did some kind of synchronized swimming thing in it."
"That's Amy," Beca said shaking her head and laughing.
Chloe's eyes fell to another photograph. It was of a little girl with long brown hair standing with her arms wrapped around an older woman.
"Is this your Mom?" Chloe asked.
"My Grandma," Beca said. "After my Mom left she was there for us a lot. But, she was old and stuff, so... you know..."
"Sorry," Chloe said, placing a hand on Beca's arm. "I feel like I keep bringing up subjects that make you uncomfortable."
"Don't worry about it," Beca said, smiling. "Sorry about the mess," she said, straightening the blanket on the back of the sofa and adjusting the cushions and pillows. "I basically live in this room." She gestured for Chloe to have a seat before going and grabbing her laptop from the coffee table. "My dad has his fancy 'fireplace, scotch and reading' living room, and I have this one. He got mad at me once for knocking over some coffee on his fancy carpet, so I just claimed this room."
"Man, I would kill for a room like this for myself. I'm lucky I have my own bedroom," Chloe said.
Beca sat beside her with the laptop balanced on her lap. "Yeah, guess I'm lucky like that," Beca said, although she didn't sound like she felt lucky. Beca clicked on a play-list in iTunes. "These are all the ones I've finished. I'm gonna go let Jasper in, just listen to whatever you like."
When Beca got back with Jasper in tow, Chloe was listening to her mash up of Just the Way You Are and Just a Dream.
"This is so good," Chloe said.
"Thanks," Beca said, sitting beside Chloe on the sofa. Jasper jumped up onto her lap.
"How long have you been able to do this?"
"Uh I dunno, since I was like 15? My dad got me a laptop for my 15th birthday and it came with a free trial of this really basic music editing software and it all just sort of clicked with me. My dad bought me some proper software and some other bits and pieces and it all went from there. I think he was just relieved I finally found something I enjoyed and was good at. There was a moment when I could have gone off the rails," Beca said, letting the next song play. They didn't speak for a while. Beca put the laptop back on the coffee table and let the play-list play through.
"It's so cool that you know how to do this," Chloe said eventually. "I mean, the most I can do is sing a bit, but this is like... You're making something."
"You sing?" Beca asked, turning to look at her.
"A little. I mean, I don't know how good I am, but I really enjoy it. It's kind of embarrassing but Aubrey and I trying to go to Barden University purely for their a Capella group," Chloe said, not sure why she was suddenly telling her all of this.
"Wow..." Beca said. "That's uh... really lame." Chloe laughed and playfully hit her in the arm.
"Shut up," she said, causing Beca to laugh too.
"No, I'm serious, I don't think I can be friends with someone this uncool," Beca said, trying to keep a straight face.
"Please, you wish you were cool enough to be friends with me," Chloe said.
"You know you're right," Beca said. "All this time I should have been focusing on a Capella. So much wasted time."
"Well if you come to Barden too, maybe Aubrey and I could show you the way," Chloe said.
"Listen, if I have it my way, I won't be going to college at all. But even if I did, my dad teaches at Barden, so I think my plan is to avoid it like the plague," Beca said.
"You're not going to college?" Chloe asked, surprised.
"My dad wants me to," Beca said. "But I honestly don't think it's for me. All this... academia and stuff just doesn't click in my head. All the tests and papers and shit stress me out. I'd rather try and get a job at a record label or something."
"I guess it's not for everyone," Chloe said. She had never even considered not going to college. She'd spent the majority of her time at school trying to get straight A's so she could get a scholarship to go, since her parents wouldn't be able to afford to send her.
"Thanks for not trying to tell me why I'm wrong," Beca said.
"Why would I do that?"
"It's just what people do, isn't it? You know the whole, 'DJing is a hobby, not a profession.' 'You've got to get an education first and then you can waste time after.'" Beca said.
"If making music is what you want to do then you should absolutely go for it," Chloe said. "I mean, I definitely think you're good enough."
"Thank you," Beca said, smiling almost shyly. "That's really nice of you to say."
Chloe smiled back at her.
They sat listening to the music for a little while longer until Beca's stomach rumbled.
"Well that's embarrassing," Beca said, picking up her laptop and going onto the Domino's website. "I should probably order the pizza. Is there a specific topping you'd like or are you cool with just a large pepperoni?"
"That sounds great," Chloe said her smile faltering slightly.
"Awesome," Beca said, ordering it in a few clicks. "I'll put these tracks on a USB for you if you still want one?"
"Oh definitely," Chloe said, watching as Beca rummaged around in a drawer in one of the side tables. She pulled a USB out and began copying the songs over.
Jasper had settled between the two with his head resting on Beca's leg. Every so often she would reach down and stroke his head, and he would nudge her hand with his head when she stopped.
"He is the cutest," Chloe said, stroking his back. "I think I'm in love."
"Well feel free to come over whenever," Beca said, smiling as Jasper moved so his front paws were now resting on Chloe's leg. "I'm sure he gets bored of my company."
"That can't be true," Chloe said, laughing as he yawned and climbed so he was sitting fully in her lap. "So, do you wanna watch a movie while we eat the pizza?"
"Um... Here's the thing... I kind of hate movies?" Beca said, laughing at the look of shock on Chloe's face.
"But... But how can you not like movies?!"
"They're just so predictable. For once I'd like to see a movie where the good guy doesn't win and doesn't get the girl," Beca said.
"Well now you've given me a task," Chloe said.
"I have?"
"Yes," Chloe said. "You've given me music, and I'm going to give you a movie you'll enjoy."
"Dude, trust me, Jesse has tried this with me like a million times. It never works," she said. "The only movie I can remember enjoying is Mean Girls and that's purely because I'm in love with Tina Fey."
"Oh my god, I love Tina Fey too!" Chloe said. "Did you like 30 Rock?"
"Did I like it?" Beca stood up and withdrew the DVD box set from the shelves beside her TV.
The doorbell rang and Jasper ran out of the room barking. "You put this on," she said, handing the box set to Chloe, "and I'll get the pizza."
They spent the next few hours watching 30 Rock and eating the enormous pizza Beca had ordered.
Although Beca couldn't help but notice the fact that Chloe had barely touched her first slice by the time Beca had gotten through her fourth.
"You don't have to eat it," she said, feeding Jasper her crust.
"Hmm?" Chloe asked, absentmindedly. She'd spent the last few minutes just staring at it, trying to force herself to take another bite.
"The pizza," Beca said. "You don't have to eat it if you aren't hungry. I won't get offended."
Chloe hesitated.
She could just put it down and apologise and no one would need to know.
Her mom would ask her what she'd had and she could say she had some pizza. She wouldn't have to say how much.
She went to put it down but something stopped her.
"Actually, I do need to eat it," she said. She felt Beca turn to look at her. "I had... have... I have trouble eating sometimes." Her voice was so quiet that Beca had to turn down the TV to hear her. "I'm in recovery now," she said, feeling tears begin to burn her eyes, "but every now and then I just... I still struggle with it."
Beca was quiet for a minute. "Okay," she said. "What do you normally do when you're having trouble?"
"Usually my Mom sits with me until I've eaten a normal amount. It can take hours sometimes, but she doesn't let me leave until it's done."
"Right," Beca said, nodding slightly. "I think I can do that."
"What do you mean?"
"Two slices would be a normal portion, right? I mean, I know I just ate four but that was just excessive," Beca said. "Do distractions help? Because I can put 30 Rock back on, or I can play some music or something."
"Beca, you don't have to-"
"I know I don't have to," Beca said. "But we're friends, right? And friends help each other out when they need them."
Chloe smiled and wiped her eyes on the back of her hand. "Thank you," she said softly.
"Uh, it's okay," Beca said, awkwardly patting Chloe on the shoulder, causing her to laugh. "Sorry, I'm not very good at this."
"You're a lot better than you think you are," Chloe said. She picked up the pizza slice again. "Two slices, right?"
"Right," Beca said. "Just, uh, tell me what you need and I'll help if I can."