AN: Hey! This is very short. It's just a filler, really. Mainly because I was typing on my iPod in the Notes and I was almost done today when I did something (I still have no idea what I did) and it erased, so I rewrote what I could. This chapter is for my best friend, A.J., a.k.a. thecurlingiron. You are awesome! Anyway, you know the drill. AN at the bottom that I beg of you to read, so some things can be cleared up.
Previously:
Benji looks to Beca and smiles. "You get Beca finding devious pranks for you involving Kit-Kats in the prank war!" She laughs.
Not quite understanding the Kit-Kat part, Chloe still enthusiastically replies, "Yeah! Alright! But Beca, you are definitely telling your stories!" She warns the petite brunette with a stern expression.
Jesse tries to come to Beca's aid and fails miserably. "But-"
Chloe, however, is still focused on Beca. "I'll pay for the all the beer you want and four new scary ear spikes," the redhead almost demands.
". . . Fine."
Donald, Stacie, Chloe, Bumper, Fat Amy, a very reluctant Beca, and a drug-here-by-tiny-brunette-force-Benji get out of Donald's car and walk toward the door of 7-Eleven.
Donald pulls on the handle. "Shit! Guys, it's closed!"
"What gave you that idea," Fat Amy strolls up behind him. "The turned-off lights or the 'closed' sign?"
"Well, seeing as we seem to fuck everything up when we are together, one person should walk down two blocks that way," Beca points west, "to the 24 hour 7-Eleven and get some beers. Who's going?"
"Why didn't we go there in the first place?" mutters Chloe.
"Not me," Fat Amy rushes to say. "Too much vertical walking."
Benji raises his hand just above his shoulder. "I'll do it."
"No way, freak. You'll just fuck it up. I vote that Jesse's girlfriend does it." Bumper looks to Beca.
The group gets quiet. Bumper, not realizing what he did, asks, "What?"
Beca's voice is deadly calm. "What," she bites out, "did you just say to him?"
The group is surprised, thinking she was mad at being called 'Jesse's girlfriend' instead of her name. Benji looks at Beca. "Bec, it's okay. Really, I don't care."
"Seriously, calm down. It's not like the little shit is good for anything anyway."
"Who the fuck do you think you are?"
Bumper hesitates. Not for long, but enough for the group to notice. "I'm Bumper, the amazing and awesome. You know why they call me Bumper?" He doesn't wait for anyone to answer, not that they would anyway. "'Cause when she comes to me, I'll bump her all night long!" He finishes a bit nervously.
Beca chuckles. The empty parking lot makes it echo down the street, reverberating off of the dirty dumpsters and chilling the group's bones, none more so than Bumper's. "You little fucker. Before I go on, let me just say: who the fuck decided that was a good pick-up line? Now, where was I? Oh, yeah. You little fucker. Do you know why no one wants to hang out with you? Because you're an arrogant little bitch who, if she were here, would run to your mommy ever night to get false reassurances for your talent." Beca takes a step forward as Bumper takes one step back. The group is getting worried now, even though Bumper deserves it.
Fat Amy starts, "Beca, maybe you should-"
Beca ignores her. "No one fucks with my friends. I make sure of it. Benji is a better singer and all around better person than you will ever be. You want to mess with him now?" Bumper has run out of space to go and is backed up against their car. He shakes his head 'no' as Beca stalks forward still.
"So, either you can go get us some beer and never mess with Benji again, or stay here and have me personally make you see what my shoe tastes like after it's been shoved up your ass."
Bumper starts jogging down the street as soon as 'shoved' leaves her mouth. "He's pretty good at vertical running," Fat Amy says, and then there is silence. It isn't awkward, just sort of there.
Beca takes a deep breath before moving to sit on the curb. Chloe is the first to join her, sitting on her right and taking her hand and squeezing it. Beca looks at her and squeezes back. Fat Amy sits next to Chloe, and Stacie and Donald sit next to Amy. Benji bites his lip before plopping down on Beca's other side. A few more minutes pass by.
"Thanks, by the way," Benji whispers. The atmosphere seemed to beg you to be gentle, whisper kind words and just be. Just relax.
"Anyone else would have done the same thing. Albeit maybe a bit nicer, but still," she murmurs back, not looking at him but at the gas station across the street. The others keep silent, knowing it's none of their business, but not moving away because they want to hear.
"But that's the thing," Benji stresses. His voice gets more forceful while still whispering, "no one else would've. Even Jesse didn't say anything last year until we got back to the dorm, and all he said was 'Don't listen to him, Benji.'" He glances at Beca before looking at his hands. "Everyone wants me to change. Last year, when he offered me Bumper's spot, he said 'Just one condition. Promise me you won't get all weird. If you get weird, they will definitely not let you stay.' I just. . ." Benji sighs. "You are always nice to me, even when I can tell you are getting exasperated with everything. And you try to understand my obsessions even though I know you don't like them. But you still sit through Star Wars with me every time I ask you to, though I do bribe you with Kit-Kats. There are very few people who have ever been kind to me without trying to change me or hide part of me along the way. So, thank you. Not only for what you did and said tonight, but all the nights prior. You truly are my best friend, Beca."
They still aren't looking at each other. Silence falls again. No one can see Beca's face, as her hair covers it, but she quickly gives Benji's side a hug. Just long enough for him to hug her back and squeeze her once, then she slips her hand back into Chloe's. The redhead looks at her, truly looks at her, and sees something is bothering the girl.
Chloe leans in, next to Beca's ear. "We'll talk later, yeah?"
Beca barely nods. Five minutes later, Bumper comes back with a cart full of beers. No one even questions the cart. The alcohol is loaded into Donald's car and the ride back to Barden is silent.
AN: Okay, this disappointed me. But I promise next week's will have some humour for you all!
Anyway, I've gotten a couple of PMs that seemed kind of angry. Now, some people were very respectful and simply asked, but others demanded. So here is a bit of news: I have a life. No, I'm not just a robot that churns out chapters. I'm all for criticism on my writing. Just please, if you're going to get angry at me and say harsh words, let it be for my writing, not my updating punctuality. I'm truly sorry that I've been busy for the last month, but I tried to make up for it with an extra-long one for chapter 8.
And, one more thing: this is rated T for a reason. So, just don't get disappointed. It may or may not be implied at some point. If it is you will definitely know they had sex, but it won't go into detail or anything, just clearly implied. So, please, please don't be expecting it, I would hate for anyone to get disappointed.
