Sorry about the wait, my Lovlies. This chapter took forever to write. I think I wrote it three times before I found a draft that I actually liked. I hope you guys like this one. Let me know what you guys think!
"Wait, so you didn't really fuck him?" Benji clarified, grabbing three fries from the basket in the center of the table. Beca shook her head, not releasing the straw of her peach milkshake from between her lips.
"That's a shame," Benji sighed. "You definitely could have done worse."
"Benji!" Beca exclaimed.
"What? Chloe totally agrees with me. She says Hi, by the way," Benji continued.
"You talked to Chloe?" Beca asked, sounding a little jealous. Benji rolled his eyes. He grabbed for more fries.
"I called her last night after I saw you and Jesse leave. Some one had to let Red know what was happening." Beca stared at her milkshake. It was one of those rare days where Beca didn't have a shift at Big D's and the only house she had to clean was Jesse's, which wasn't for another two hours. So she had met Benji on his lunch break at the Burger Joint.
"God, I miss her," she groaned. Her heart ached when she realized that it had been almost twenty four hours since she and Benji had said their goodbyes to her at the airport. And so much happened after she left, Beca groaned.
"Do you ever think about going back to Boston?" Benji asked quietly? Beca looked up at him, noticing how he kept his face carefully impartial. This must be how Chloe and Benji felt when I left, she realized. Beca picked a French fry, looking at it with out really seeing it.
"Honestly...I try not to think about Boston at all," she admitted. "I miss it. I miss complaining about the cold, I miss complaining about the traffic. I miss the way people would laugh at my accent..." Beca trailed off, biting into the fry and glancing back at Benji.
Benjamin Applebaum was one of those rare people who's family moved to Clear Valley-from Austin, Texas when Benji was sixteen-on purpose, because his parents wanted the quaint, small town experience for their children. And the town had been accommodating to his parents and his two sisters, one older and one younger than Benji. But he had not really fit in. Small towns were good at sensing when some one was hiding something, even if they weren't sure what was being hidden, and high school children are cruel in any town.
Beca's first conversation with Benji was when she had found him hiding out in the empty music room, with a bruising eye and a bloodied nose.
"Are you okay?" Beca asked cautiously. Benji had stared at her suspiciously, wiping at the blood that dripped onto his chin.
"I'm fine," he'd replied tersely, turning away from her.
"I have some tissues in my backpack," she told him, earning her another suspicious once over. "I'm Beca," she introduced herself, digging into her back pack. "I'm the girl that everyone whispers about being a huge slut. Apparently, I've had sex with the entire basket ball team." She held the tissues out to him.
"I'm...Benjamin Applebaum," he said finally, reaching for the tissues. "I got beat up today because of my T shirt." Beca looked down to see that he wore a black shirt with yellow letters spelling "Star Wars" across the front. Beca shook her head, looking back up at Benji's ruined face.
"Are you sure you didn't get beat up because your name name is ridiculous?" Benji snorted, a smile tugging at his lips. "You wanna ditch class with me and go hang out at my house? No one is home, this time of day."
"Yes," he had said, his voice sounding watery. "Please take me out of this hell hole." They had been inseparable since.
"But do you ever think about going back?" He pressed, bringing her back to the present. She smiled at him softly.
"I'm home, Benjamin Applebaum. I'm not going anywhere. Besides, some one has to look after you." Benji pursed his lips, snatching her milkshake from her hands.
"Yes, but who is gonna take care of you?" He took a sip from her straw.
"I don't need any one to take care of me," she grumbled, watching to make sure he didn't drink too much of her milkshake.
"So far, I haven't had any one apply for the job," Beca muttered. Benji shook his head, sliding the cup across the table to Beca.
"Well, I suggest you hire Jesse for the job," Benji told her matter of factly. Beca snorted.
"Why?"
"He's hot, he's got money, and that boy's jeans are like milk." Beca stared at him in confusion.
"Like milk?"
"They do his body good," Benji elaborated, winking. Beca laughed.
"Jesus, Benji, you're ridiculous!"
"When are you gonna see him again?"
Suddenly, both Beca's and Benji's phones beeped. The both reached for their phones, seeing that they received a text from Bumper.
Got us a gig on May 21st. We will now be having two practices a week until then. Starting tonight.
"Guess that answers that question," Benji chuckled. Beca shook her head.
"I'll probably see him sooner than that," she sighed, reaching for her milkshake. "I clean his house at 2:30."
"You're not going to wear that over to clean his house, are you?" Benji asked, raising his eyebrows.
"Why? What's wrong with what I'm wearing?" Beca asked, looking down at herself.
"BecaLee, a ratty band t shirt and those homely boy shorts?"
"What about them?"
"Beca, I thought Chloe and I got you through your tomboy stage."
"Ugh, look he's already seen me totally hung over and half naked."
"So, let's wear something that doesn't remind him that you look like a drowned Papillion after an all night bender."
"I hate you."
Beca looked up at the sky as she pulled up in front of Jesse's house. The sky had started out clear that morning but was now filled with thick, broiling cumulus clouds. She turned and looked to the west, seeing the darker clouds that were rolling in.
"Well, that looks like one hell of a storm rolling in," she muttered. She opened her door, hopping out and, after shutting the door behind her, walked around to the rear passenger side of her jeep to get her cleaning supplies. As she shut the door with her hip she looked to see Jesse's car pull up behind her jeep. She started up the path to the house, not waiting for him to get out of the car.
"Beca, hey, wait, let me open the door for you," Jesse called as he jumped out of his car. Beca swiveled her head to watch him race up to her as she walked the steps to the porch. Beca took in his appearance as he jumped up the stairs to come stand behind her. She arched an eyebrow as she noted his crisp grey button down shirt with a thin black tie and dark jeans.
"And where have you been, all gussied up like that?" She asked him, teasing him to hide the fact that she had just been ogling him as he came to stand next to her. Jesse reached into his pocket, extracting his keys as he smiled at her.
"Oh, just a little meeting with the mayor," he answered, unlocking the door and holding it open for her. Beca shook her head as she stepped over the threshold.
"Does he wanna give you the keys to the city for managing to bring tourists into the city?" she joked as she headed for the kitchen.
"Something like that," she heard him say quietly. "I'm gonna take a shower and change really quick." She heard him start up the stairs as she walked into the kitchen, setting her supplies onto the table.
Beca clucked her tongue as she looked around the kitchen. Jesus, how does he live like this? There was a plate with his breakfast half eaten still on the table, as well as a week's worth of dishes in the sink. She picked up the plate on the table, walking over to the trashcan to scrape remnants of scrambled eggs and bacon into it before depositing the plate into the sink. She walked back over to the table reaching for her basket when she noticed the papers strewn all across the table.
A script? She looked more closely. It's a screenplay... She could see Notes scribbled all in the margins in Jesse's messy handwriting. She picked up a few pages, reading some of the hastily scrawled words. Blocking ideas, camera angle possibilities...filming locations? Beca saw that Jesse had written Big D's as a possible location. Wait, is Jesse going to be filming this...here? Is that why he came back? Why didn't he say anything?
As she continued looking through the pages on the table she heard Jesse walking down the stairs. She set the pages back down on the table, looking up as he walked into the kitchen. She opened her mouth to ask about the script but found the words stuck in her throat as she stared at him. Jesse stood before her in a green T shirt that simply said Brooklyn across the front and a pair of baggy sweat pants that hung low on his hips as he rubbed a towel over his wet hair. If Benji thought he looked good in jeans he would probably start drooling right about now... The cotton of his shirt and sweat pants clung to him in ways that had her heart racing, hinting at the muscle beneath. She'd seen him naked before, obviously, and she remembered what he looked like-and he'd looked good then, too-but he'd still been a boy at eighteen. Beca found herself longing to know what he looked like now that he was all grown up...
"Your mouth is open," Jesse told her, smiling at her. Beca shut her mouth immediately, still staring. "What?"
"Uh, your hair," she said quickly. He quirked an eyebrow at her.
"What about my hair?"
"It's still curly."
"What?"
"You...you've had product in your hair every time I've seen you. Do they have something against curly hair in Hollywood?"
"Oh. Well...I just...this is just the way my hair usually gets styled so..."
"I think you look better with those stupid Jew curls," Beca said, grabbing her rubber gloves and walking over to the sink. "What else do they make you change about yourself?"
"They don't make you change yourself," Jesse said pointedly.
"Sure about that?" She called over her shoulder as she turned on the faucet.
"What about you?" Jesse countered. Beca turned the faucet off and turned back to face Jesse and he walked over to a chair and sat down.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Beca asked him.
"What is it you're trying to prove with all of the tattoos and piercings?"
"Nothing. I'm simply decorating my temple," Beca answered, gesturing to herself.
"You're not afraid that you'll change your mind?" Jesse asked.
"No. Why don't you get a couple? Plenty of actors have them now."
"I can't be buried in a Jewish cemetery if I have tattoos," Jesse pointed out.
"I'm sorry, didn't you have bacon with your eggs this morning?" Beca countered.
"Do you ever get nervous walking outside if there is lightning?" Beca scoffed at his question.
"Do you ever regret your first kiss being with your third cousin?"
"Oh, what the fuck? I was seven! That doesn't even count!" Jesse cried.
"Oh, it counts!" Beca laughed.
"Oh yeah? Well, who was your first kiss?" Jesse shot back. Beca's face flushed bright red and she turned around to turn the faucet on once more. "Oh come on, you know about mine, it can't be worse than that."
"You were," Beca grumbled.
"Wait, what?"
"You were the only boy that Bumper ever let near me wit out threatening bodily harm. So...that night...was my first everything."
"Wow...I don't even-" Jesse's voice was drowned out by a deafening clap of thunder. Beca actually jumped, yelping at the sound. "Fuck, that was loud."
"Really? I hadn't noticed," Beca grouched. She looked back over at Jesse. He was watching her. Beca inhaled, turning the faucet off and turning herself around to lean back against the counter. "So, when were you going to mention that you came back here to film a movie?"
"How did you-" Beca pointed to the table. Jesse's eyes followed the direction of her pointed finger, seeing his note-scribbled screenplay strewn on the table top. "Oh. Well, I...I wasn't even sure it would happen until today," he admitted. Another clap of thunder sounded, this time not so loud, and Jesse heard the rain begin to fall outside. He cast his eyes over to the window above the sink, seeing that it was nearly dark as night outside, even though it was midday. The rain was coming down in sheets, soaking everything.
"So, when is this circus going to start?" Beca asked, calling his attention away from the window. Jesse drew in a breath before answering.
"In a month."
"Who's directing it?"
"I am."
"You?"
"Yes."
"Why?"
"I just...needed to try something different."
"Is that why you joined my band? To try something different?"
"No, that was all Bumper's idea. I just...went along with it."
"Why film here?"
"Because it takes place in a small town."
"Jesse, Clear Valley is not the only small town. I'm sure California has tons. Hell, I bet they could build a set for this inside a freaking studio." Jesse looked down at his hands.
"I...needed to get away from California for a while."
"You're still not answering my question; why here?"
"Why does it matter, Beca?" Beca stared at Jesse for a couple beats, her dark blue watching him as he studied his hands.
"It just does," she told him finally. "I mean, it's not like Jared and I thought you came back here because you missed us. Honestly, after your last two movies no one was really surprised that you would come here to hide out."
"Jesus, thanks, Beca," Jesse snapped, standing up from his chair to walk over to the fridge. He opened the white door and retrieved a bottle of water from within. He kept his back to her as he shut the fridge and opened the water bottle. Beca rolled her eyes.
"Oh for Christ's sakes, Jesse," Beca cried, as he drank from the bottle. "So you made two shitty movies. It's not the end of the world. I don't freak out when I write a bad song. I just write another one and get over it."
"Yeah, well, maybe it's not that easy," Jesse argued, turning and walking to stand in front of her.
"I think you make it not so easy," Beca muttered, rolling her eyes.
"Look-" Jesse began. As he opened his mouth to continue there was another boom of thunder. The house was suddenly plunged into darkness. "What the hell?"
"Great. Just great," Beca grumbled. "Do you have any candles?" She stared at Jesse, the only light coming from the window. He stared back at her.
"I have no clue," he told her.
"You didn't check when you got here?"
"Why the hell would I?" Jesse cried in defense.
Beca wasn't sure why she did it. There was no conscious decision, no process of thinking that lead to it. One moment she was rolling her eyes at Jesse's excuse and the next moment she was rolling up onto the balls of her feet, closing her eyes and pressing her lips to his. The kiss was chaste and over as soon as it started.
Jesse stepped back immediately, pulling away from her and staring at her in shock. And Beca suddenly felt like she was sixteen again, walking to third period history, and stumbling upon Jesse wrapped in the arms of Ava, just days after giving her virginity to him.
Beca bolted from the kitchen, her chuck taylors pounding on the hardwood floor as she ran through the house, pausing only to yank the front door open. She was soaked the second she jumped off the porch, running for her car. Beca hurriedly yanked her keys out of her pocket, throwing open the door of the jeep, jumping inside, and jammed them into the ignition. She turned the engine over, hearing it roar to life...before sputtering and dying.
"No!" She cried. "Nonono! Not right now!" Beca tried to start the car again but it didn't even start. "You have got to be fucking kidding me." She rested her forehead on the top rim of the steering wheel. Now what? She asked herself. I'm stuck. She glanced over at Jesse's house, it was barely visible through the pouring rain. She pulled her phone out, checking her weather app. The storm is just going to get worse, she realized, looking at the forecast. She pressed number three on her speed dial. Come on, Benji, pick up...but it went to voice mail. I can't just sit in my car...
"Ugh..." Beca glanced at her reflection in her rear view mirror. Her hair was drenched, hanging around her face in wet tangles, and her clothes clung to her like a second skin. I left my cleaning basket in there, she realized. "God damnit," she groaned. She threw her door open, taking a deep breath before hopping out. She slammed the door shut, shoving her keys back into her pocket.
The rain was freezing, she realized as she jogged back up to the porch. She paused when she got back on the porch, staring at the front door. Maybe this is a bad idea...It wouldn't be so bad to just sit in my car and hope Benji calls back. As she glanced back at her car, she heard the door open behind her.
"Beca," Jesse called her name in relief. She turned back to face him. He had a jacket on and his keys were in his hand. Was he coming after me? "I thought you left."
"My car just died," she muttered, defeated. She stared down at her sopping wet shoes. How pathetic I must look, she whined. She shook her head, sighing dejectedly. When she felt his hands on her shoulders she looked up in surprise. Jesse stood before her, staring down at her. His brown eyes were boring into her with lazer focus.
"Come on," he murmured, pulling her with him as he stepped back through the door. She let him lead her over the threshold, stepping back into the darkened house. He shut the door softly behind her.
"I can probably call Jared to come and get me," Beca said lamely, staring at her shoes once more. "I'll just-"
Jesse's hands cupping her face silenced her, tilting her head up to look at him. He kissed her then, claiming her lips with a kiss that seared her straight through to her soul.
