A few days later, Beca smiled as Chloe's phone number from the rehab center came up on her caller ID.
"Hey, Chloe. I guess you got my little care package?"
"Totes. Thanks, Becs. I'm so glad I can call you now. I'm going to wear the pajamas tonight."
"That's great. They were a lucky find. How have things been going?"
"Oh, the same, I guess. I've been enjoying the art classes, and I love the adult coloring books you sent. The group sessions are still kind of weird. I think I'm doing well with my counselor, though."
"You sound much happier today."
"I couldn't wait to call you and thank you. I miss you so much."
"I miss you too."
"I think they're going to discharge me in a few weeks. I should be able to get back to Barden in time for the spring semester."
"That's great news. Is there anything I can do to help you?"
"Maybe just keep alcohol out of the apartment for now?"
"Sure thing. If there's anything else I can do, please tell me."
"I'm not sure what to do about Bellas parties."
"I don't know either, but I bet your counselor has some ideas."
They chatted for a few minutes before Chloe ended the call. Beca agreed that she'd be the one to initiate most phone calls so Chloe could save the minutes on her calling card.
Beca ended up staying at her dad's for most of the semester break. The apartment was lonely without Chloe.
She went to some more Al-Anon meetings during the break. She'd gotten a bit more comfortable, and she'd shared a few more snippets. She hadn't quite shared everything, maybe half of the story collectively, but nobody had pressed her for details. She found herself nodding and agreeing with a lot of things people said. She'd only really been dealing with Chloe's alcoholism for a few months, but she'd already done a lot of the same things as those who'd dealt with it for years.
Ashley had been at some of the meetings. She and Beca would talk occasionally after the meetings, but Ashley never asked Beca about what she'd shared. Ashley certainly knew Beca had been talking about Chloe, as she'd always mentioned that her qualifier was her best friend and roommate. She didn't have another roommate, and all of the Bellas, except maybe Amy, knew that Chloe was her best friend. Beca was pleasantly surprised that Ashley hadn't asked her any questions. She was sure a part of Ashley was dying to know more, but she appreciated the respect and distance she'd given her.
After Beca had attended her six meetings, she decided she'd stick with Al-Anon. She wasn't totally on board with leaving everything to a higher power, but she'd cracked the books she'd received a few times. She wasn't reading them daily as the program suggested, but she'd found it helpful.
Beca and Chloe talked on the phone nearly every day while Chloe was in treatment. Chloe seemed a little happier each day. Just as predicted, Chloe had completed the program and was back in the apartment a few days before the semester began.
Beca had been sitting in her bedroom in the apartment working on her music, looking out the window every so often (just about every 30 seconds) for Chloe's car. As soon as she saw the car pull into a parking space and her favorite redhead step out of it, she headed straight to the living room, rubbing her hands together in anticipation of seeing her best friend.
Chloe walked in, dropped her suitcase, and ran straight for Beca, wrapping her in a tight hug.
Both girls were crying happy tears. "I missed you so much, Chloe. It's so good to see you again."
"I missed you too, Beca," said Chloe, pulling back from the hug. "It's great to see your face again. I see you're all healed up, aren't you?" Chloe gently touched Beca's face where it had been bruised.
Beca said, "Yup. I saw the oral surgeon last week, and everything's healing nicely."
"I'm glad," said Chloe. "Let's do something together."
"Sure," said Beca. "What do you have in mind?"
"Can we make dinner together? The food at Turning Point was not very good."
"Okay."
The two girls decided they'd make something new together. Chloe found a few recipes on the internet, and they agreed on a recipe that didn't require the two of them going to the grocery store. They agreed on a casserole.
Beca wasn't a great cook, so she let Chloe take the lead. Chloe showed her a few things she'd learned. She'd taken a few cooking classes at the center.
The two of them talked a bit while the casserole was in the oven.
"So, you're back for good?" Beca asked.
"Yeah, for the most part. They set me up with a counselor here. I do have to go back to Florida for a few days next month."
"Why?"
"My court date."
"Right," said Beca. She'd been so focused on supporting Chloe that she'd temporarily forgotten that Chloe's arrest had been the impetus for her to go to rehab.
"My counselor is going to help me explain the situation to my professors. Since I'll be at my mom's for a little bit of that time, I can probably take time to make up the work since I'll have internet access and everything."
"That's a good plan, Chloe," said Beca. "What do you want to do after dinner?"
"Let's watch Enchanted."
"A singing Disney redhead movie?"
"Like you don't know the songs."
Beca said nothing. She and Chloe both knew she knew the songs.
"That's what I thought," said Chloe, with a wink.
"My only gripe with that movie is that Idina Menzel doesn't have a singing part."
"I think Disney more than made up for that with Frozen."
"Yeah, I'd say they did."
The casserole came out of the oven. Beca poured two glasses of water for them, and both girls were pleased with how it turned out.
After dinner, they sat on the couch and watched Enchanted.
When the Giselle character sang the "Happy Little Working Song", Beca commented, "It sure would be nice if singing would make adorable animals come up and help clean. With all the singing you do, this place would be spotless!"
Chloe laughed. She moved a little closer to Beca and wrapped her arms around her. "I missed cuddling on the couch with you."
"You know you're the only person I'd ever let do this."
"Why is that?"
"It's that whole knocking down the walls thing I told you about."
Chloe smiled and tightened her embrace.
"Chloe, oxygen."
Chloe pouted and then loosened her grip. As Giselle started singing "That's How You Know" Chloe stood up and sang along.
It's not enough to take the one you love for granted
You must remind her or she'll be inclined to say
How do I know he loves me?
How do I know he's mine?
Beca shook her head and laughed. "You're such a dork."
Beca woke up the next morning hearing Chloe singing "Ever After" in the kitchen. She padded into the room and saw her best friend happily making pancakes. That had only happened sporadically during the last semester.
"Mornin', Chlo," said Beca with a yawn.
"Oh my god, Beca!" exclaimed Chloe.
"What?" asked Beca, still sleepy.
"You didn't tell me you'd gotten the ladybug and grasshopper pajamas for yourself!"
"Oh, right. I meant to surprise you, but I guess I forgot." Beca yawned again.
Chloe handed her a cup. "Here's your coffee, and this is surprising."
"Thanks. By the way, one pic of me wearing these with or without you on Instagram and you're dead."
"Who, me?" Chloe asked, feigning innocence. "Pancakes are almost ready."
"Awesome. I missed pancake Saturdays with you. I'm serious about the Instagram post, though."
Chloe took the pancakes off the griddle and made plates for herself and Beca. "Okay, no Instagrams of you in the pajamas. I missed pancake Saturdays too. Here you go."
Chloe took a break from cooking the rest of the pancake batter to sit and eat with Beca.
"So, I guess you've been sleeping better?" asked Beca.
"Yeah. The center kept me on melatonin, and they added a mild prescription sleep aid I can use in case I have trouble. They encouraged me to try chamomile tea first, though. I've only taken the sleeping pills a few times. I didn't need any last night."
"You're always welcome to come to me."
"I know that, but I think I was using that as a crutch. My counselor suggested I get used to sleeping on my own again. It was rough at the center, but I think I have things under control now."
"I'm glad. I know I've told you like a hundred times, but I really am so proud of you for getting help. I'm sure it wasn't easy."
"Thanks," said Chloe as she got up from the table. "More pancakes?"
"Do you even have to ask?"
Chloe smiled as she poured more pancake batter on the griddle. Beca sighed happily to herself. She was so glad to have her friend back.
The following Saturday after they'd had their usual pancakes, Chloe opened up to Beca about her arrest.
"I really appreciate the fact that you haven't asked about my arrest. My counselor said I should tell you unless you really don't want to hear about it."
"I do want to know, but only if you're sure you're ready to tell me."
"I am." Chloe took a deep breath. "So, my mom told you that she and my brothers had an intervention about my drinking." Beca nodded. "I didn't take it well. At all. Okay, I flipped out. I didn't want to believe that my dad had been an alcoholic. Nobody had ever told me, and I got mad and accused everyone of making it up. I drove to the nearest bar and drowned my sorrows in whatever I could get. My bar tab was really high - worse than that time I drove home drunk from Barden Brewery. I don't really remember anything after I'd been at the bar for like an hour or two. I was at the bar, and then I woke up in jail. I've gotten pieces of the story from talking to my attorney. He thinks he can get the charges dropped. It was really scary. I checked myself into rehab after that. I was just so scared that I could do something I didn't even remember. My mom helped me find somewhere that took our insurance and everything."
Beca sat in shock for a few beats before responding. "Wow, Chloe. Thank you for telling me. I think you did the right thing by getting help. I'm here for you. You know that, right?"
Chloe nodded. "Anyway, I know now that my mom didn't make up what she told me about my dad. I just wish my parents had told me about his alcoholism when I was younger. I definitely would have approached the stuff more cautiously."
Beca said, "I'm sure he was just embarrassed. Everyone makes mistakes."
"Yeah," said Chloe.
"So, what was it like at Turning Point?" asked Beca. "If you're comfortable telling me."
"Well...it was weird, especially at first. There were so many people in much worse shape. They didn't separate the alcoholics from the others, like people addicted to heroin, meth, opiates – stuff like that. I hadn't been through what a lot of people had. I wasn't living on the streets. I still had my apartment, my best friend, my college classes, etc. The group sessions were not all that helpful. They just made me feel like I didn't belong. I think there may have only been one or two other people there for alcoholism. The days were kind of boring, too. I either did artwork, or I read recovery books in my downtime. I couldn't have any other kinds of books with me. I think it helped me focus, though. I miss my trashy romance novels, though."
"I'm sure you did," said Beca. "I'm sorry the days were tough, and you felt like you didn't belong."
"I think what really helped was my counselor. The individual sessions were great. She helped me understand how I'd been dealing with my dad's death in a really unhealthy manner. I believe my mom when she says my dad was an addict. I don't have any memory of my dad drinking because I was too young. I didn't believe my mom when she first told me, but I understand that she just hadn't told me. As you said, I think my dad was embarrassed. Maybe he and my mom had intended to tell me, but they just didn't. So, what's Al-Anon like?"
"I think I had some of the same feelings. I went to my first meeting and it seemed like everybody knew each other. Everyone was welcoming, but I felt like such an outsider. Then people talked, and I saw a lot of their behaviors in myself. The meeting for the newcomers was a little easier because everyone was as nervous as I was. I did the first step, though."
"What's that?"
"We admitted we were powerless over alcohol – that our lives had become unmanageable."
"Oh," said Chloe, turning a bit red.
"Chloe, it's okay. I'm as powerless over the alcohol as you are, just in a different way."
"I guess that makes me feel a little better."
"It should. Alcoholism is a disease, and it's not your fault. I'm so proud of you for getting help and sticking with it."
"You've told me that a ton of times."
"Well, it's important for you to hear."
The following Friday afternoon, the Bellas met at Sam's school. Beca had been able to work things out with his school at a time all of the Bellas were available.
As the group was doing some warm-ups and touching up hair and makeup, a woman walked backstage to introduce herself. "Hi! We're so glad you're here. Which one of you is Beca Mitchell?"
"That's me," said Beca, raising her hand.
"I'm Mrs. Marks. I'm the music teacher and choir director here. I hope you ladies don't mind, but we have the entire school here. I know we'd only planned to have the fourth and fifth-grade choir, but all of the teachers begged to come to the assembly when they found out you were national champions."
Beca's eyes widened in shock for a moment before she broke out into a grin. "Well, I'm sure it's no bigger an audience than it is at Lincoln Center."
"We're going to be aca-awesome," said Chloe.
"Great!" exclaimed Mrs. Marks. "I'll talk to the students. Will you be ready in five minutes?"
Beca and Chloe looked around at the other Bellas, all of whom nodded. "Certainly," said Beca.
After the choir director gave a brief description of a cappella, she introduced the group and opened the curtain.
The Bellas performed their routine from the previous semester. They did a great job, and the kids were enthusiastically cheering at the end.
After they left the stage, changed out of their costumes, and headed out of the auditorium, Beca spotted Sam in line with his class. He immediately left the line, ran straight for Beca, and wrapped her in a bear hug. Beca smiled and patted him on the back. "Hey, dude. Glad to see you too. But you should get back in line."
"Bye, Beca!" called Sam as he rejoined his class.
His teacher looked at Beca and said, "I'm guessing his mom is dating your dad?"
Beca nodded.
"He's been talking about you all morning," she said. She turned to Sam. "I'll let it slide this time, but you know better than to step out of the line."
"Sorry," said Sam.
Chloe did really well the next month. She wasn't drinking anymore. She was attending her classes, completing her work, helping Beca with the Bellas, etc. Pancakes happened on Saturdays, and she wasn't climbing into Beca's bed at night anymore. They hadn't had any Bellas parties, so they hadn't had to broach the subject of alcohol with the others. Beca knew their fellow Bellas would support Chloe, but she also knew Chloe was embarrassed about her problem.
Beca was occasionally going to Al-Anon meetings, but she'd scaled back her attendance. Chloe was doing really well, and Beca's stress level had dropped considerably.
Beca was still working on something original to give to her boss. She felt like she was spinning her wheels, though. She'd think she had a hook, but she'd end up hating it once she tried to add anything to it.
The night before she had to drive back to Florida to go to court, she was visibly shaken. Beca walked into the apartment after class to find Chloe just sitting on the couch, staring into space.
"Hey," said Beca. "You okay?"
"I don't know," said Chloe. "I'm scared. What if I end up in jail?"
"Chloe, I doubt that's going to happen. You'll probably get probation or something."
"I hope you're right," said Chloe. "God, I was so stupid. Why did I go and do that?"
"You were home for your first Christmas without your dad. You were upset. You handled it badly, but now you know how to handle things better, don't you?"
Chloe shrugged.
"You can't change the past. Just hope they don't throw the book at you."
"Okay," said Chloe in a small voice.
"I'll get you some mac and cheese. It always makes me feel better."
"Thanks."
The two of them ate their mac and cheese in silence. Beca didn't force Chloe to talk. It was unusual for her to be so quiet, but she knew her friend was really scared.
They watched some stand-up comedy on Netflix, glad to have something funny to distract Chloe from her upcoming trial. Chloe cuddled up to Beca, hanging on a little tighter than usual. Beca just gently rubbed Chloe's back to try and calm her.
Beca made Chloe a cup of chamomile tea before they headed to bed. "I thought you could use this."
"Thanks, Beca." Chloe sipped the tea, gave Beca a quick hug, and headed to bed.
Beca woke up the next morning, a little surprised that Chloe hadn't slipped into her bed. She really had expected Chloe to end up coming to her. She really hoped this meant that Chloe was getting better.
She headed to the kitchen for breakfast and spotted Chloe sitting at the table, picking at a piece of toast.
"Chlo, you've got this. Besides, all you have to do today is drive back to your mom's. Easy, right?"
Chloe's smile didn't reach her eyes. "Yeah. Sure."
Beca grabbed a pack of Pop-Tarts. "Chloe, I've got to head to class. Text me when you're safely at your mom's, okay?"
"Okay," said Chloe.
Beca ate her Pop-Tarts as she headed to campus. She had a bit of a hard time concentrating in class, but she tried really hard to pull it together. She had to go to her internship afterward. When she was there, she was too busy getting coffee and burritos to worry much about anything else. She welcomed the distraction.
She got back to the apartment and was eating dinner when Chloe texted that she was safely at her mom's. Beca texted her back and then tried to work on some homework. She ended up going to an Al-Anon meeting that night. Ashley was there. Beca shared what had happened with Chloe and that she was a bit stressed about the outcome of the court case. A few others had nodded along in understanding when she shared, and she felt less alone. Beca had never shared much at meetings when Ashley was in attendance, but she was so stressed about the situation with Chloe, she finally moved past that.
She and Ashley talked a bit after the meeting. "Beca, I didn't know it had gotten that bad," said Ashley.
"Yeah, well, we've been keeping things under wraps. I guess you figured it out, though?"
"I had my suspicions a while ago. Sheila told me back when she first sponsored me that she felt like she had a detector for people like herself. There's just a certain way those of us affected by someone's drinking behave."
Beca put a hand through her hair. "Yeah, she told me the same thing."
"So, how are you doing with the program?"
"I'm having a hard time getting through the second step. The higher power thing is tough to wrap my head around. I'm not religious."
Ashley smiled. "Neither was I. Well, I guess I'm still not. My first sponsor back in Alateen helped me a lot with that. She told me that the higher power could just be the group of people at the meeting who understand. I was pleased when I moved here that this group is just as helpful in restoring me to sanity. Having Sheila as a sponsor has really helped me a lot."
"When should I pick a sponsor?"
"When do you want to get better?"
Beca smiled. "I never thought of it that way." Beca fidgeted a bit before shyly asking, "Would you like to be my sponsor?"
Ashley's eyes widened. "Seriously?"
Beca nodded. "Yeah. I need help with the steps, and you obviously know what you're talking about."
Ashley broke into a face-splitting grin. "I'd be honored."
The next day was just as distracting for Beca. She knew Chloe had her trial that day. She really didn't think Chloe would end up with a jail sentence. As far as she knew, it was Chloe's first offense. That didn't mean that she wouldn't serve a jail sentence, but Beca hoped she had a lenient judge. She hoped the attorney Chloe's mom had hired knew what they were doing.
Beca got a call from Chloe late that afternoon after she'd finished her classes for the day. She was glad it wasn't a day that she had to work at her internship.
"Hi, Chloe."
"Hey, Beca, good news!"
"Oh?"
"My attorney got the charges dropped!"
"How?" Beca knew from talking to Chloe that she didn't remember the incident itself.
"I apparently was drunk and stumbling around the sidewalk. I admitted that I was too drunk to take the sobriety test. However, my attorney pointed out that I wasn't causing a public disturbance or endangering public safety. The judge agreed and dropped the charges."
"Wow."
"Yeah. I really lucked out. Anyway, I'll stay with my mom tonight, and then I'll head back to Barden tomorrow."
"Great. Text me when you're on your way."
Beca was relieved that Chloe wasn't going to go to jail. She hoped her resolve to stop drinking would continue. She called Ashley with the news. Ashley was quick to remind Beca that she still needed to work the program, especially if she was concerned Chloe might relapse after having the charges dropped. Beca promised she'd continue.
Chloe was at the apartment when Beca got back from her internship the next day. She was sitting in the living room looking wide-eyed at her laptop.
"Hey, Chlo! Welcome home!"
"Hey, Beca. Come and see this," said Chloe, motioning for Beca to come to her laptop. Chloe had a YouTube video of a German a cappella group up.
"What's this?" asked Beca.
"Das Sound Machine. It's a German a cappella group. They're the current world champions."
"There's a world championship?"
"Yeah. I was looking for ideas for the new set for the Bellas, and I came across this. Watch."
Chloe restarted the video. It started with the face of this blonde woman that Beca was trying to tell herself wasn't incredibly gorgeous on several different screens on the stage.
The blonde said, "We are Das Sound Machine, a German collective operating in concert with sonic mastery."
They began to sing "Uprising." They appeared to be perfectly in sync, making all kinds of formations. They used laser lights, fog machines, and all sorts of crazy tricks and special effects. Beca and Chloe had never seen anything like it.
After the video, Beca just looked at Chloe. "What the hell did we just watch? That group is fucking crazy."
"So, that's a 'no' on changing the setlist?"
"Chloe, we are not doing all of that. Besides, we have regionals next week. We can't make a huge change to the setlist so close to the competition."
"You're right."
"Do not show this to the Bellas. We already had to talk Amy out of aerial work. I don't even want to think about what kind of insane idea she'll have if she sees this video."
"Yeah, that's probably a good idea."
The Bellas were headed to Carolina University for the regional competition. They'd really taken the time to clean up the choreography for the setlist they'd started in the fall, and they were all feeling really confident.
The Bellas were up first. The performance went really well, and they were met with loud applause and shouts of "We love you, Bellas!"
"Introducing Carolina University's brand new team, Das Sound Machine!"
The team taking the stage was the same group of people in the YouTube video Beca and Chloe had watched the previous week.
Beca and Chloe's jaws dropped in shock. "Didn't the YouTube video say they were from Germany?" whispered Beca.
"It did."
"Then what are they doing here?"
Chloe shrugged.
Das Sound Machine did the routine they'd seen on the video. "How did they get the fog machines and lasers in here?" whispered Chloe.
"Got me," said Beca.
The other Bellas seemed just as shocked as their co-captains.
Cynthia Rose said, "Man, they're massive. How are we going to compete with a group that size?"
"They're so freakin' in sync," said Stacie.
They walked off the stage and the lead singers walked immediately to the Bellas, who were politely clapping.
"Barden Bellas. We've heard about you. Was that routine your best try at winning?" asked the blonde woman.
Beca paused for a beat before replying. "No, we're working on a new set list for Nationals where we're going to kick your ass." The other Bellas immediately backed her up. Jessica, Cynthia Rose, and Ashley saying "oooo" while Flo said, "That's right."
The blonde didn't appear to be intimidated at all. "You? You are the kicker of ass?"
"Yeah," said Beca, not as confidently as she'd intended.
The blonde moved in closer. She towered over Beca, and she couldn't help but find the gorgeous blonde intimidating. "You are so tiny. Like an elf, or is it a fairy? A sprite?" She asked the male lead singer something in German.
"Troll," he said.
"That's it," said the blonde. "You are like a troll."
"You...are physically flawless." Beca reddened. That was not what she'd planned to say. She wasn't sure what she'd actually intended to say, but she hadn't meant to compliment the woman.
"Thank you."
"But it doesn't mean I like you." Oops, thought Beca. Why is the woman making me so tongue-tied?
Chloe looked at Beca strangely and added, "We are not scared about Nationals because when the Bellas hit the stage, we're going to blow minds!"
The male lead asked, "What? With that routine? Your team is like a...how do you say that? A heated mess. You know, a mess where heat is applied to it, so what once was a little messy is now even messier."
What the hell does he mean? We had a clean routine. Just less of the tricks and the flare, thought Beca.
"Darling, please take my advice," said the blonde. "Don't try to beat us. You can't. We're the best. And now I really must go rest my neck. It's sore from looking down on you."
"Okay, just because you are making me very sexually confused, does not mean that you are intimidating," said Beca. Where did that come from? I know I like girls, she's obviously a girl, thought Beca. I'm losing my mind.
Chloe shot Beca a look before calling to the group as they were walking away. "Wait! Are you even students at Carolina University?"
"Of course," said the male. "We were recruited for a cappella. My name's Pieter, and that's Kommissar. You can check with the ICCA's. We're enrolled. You can do nothing to stop us."
Chloe shook her head. Beca called out, "Aca Wiedersehen, bitches." She then muttered, "Aw, what's happening to me? Why am I using my hands so much?"
"There's no way this group is legit. They've got to be violating some sort of rule," said Chloe.
When the emcee announced the awards, the Bellas were disappointed to have finished second behind Das Sound Machine.
"Chloe, it's going to be okay," said Beca. "We'll make a new set list and we'll kick their asses next time. At least we're going to the semifinals."
"Yeah," said Chloe, not sounding terribly confident. "Carolina University really has gone nuts trying to beat us this year." Ever since the Bellas had beaten the Sockapellas three years ago, the university was coming up with one crazy idea after another to win. This was usually a source of amusement – the year after the sock puppet routine, the group had tried using bigger puppets for their a cappella songs and had failed miserably. The previous year, they'd worn all white with white face paint and white hoods over their heads, calling themselves the Vocapellas. Fat Amy had sent all the Bellas into fits of laughter when she called them "singing condoms." The group had done better musically, but the effect had been distracting, to say the least, and the Bellas had won.
"Let's check once we're home and see if there's an obvious rule they broke. And I definitely think we should have the ICCA check and make sure they're all enrolled at the school," said Beca.
On the bus ride home, the Bellas were all fairly quiet. Beca and Chloe told them they'd meet the following Monday for practice so they could all come up with a new set list in time for semifinals.
A/N: The white face paint and hoods is inspired by a real a cappella group I found online, The Voca People. I mean no disrespect to the group. I could just see their kind of performance not going over well in the collegiate competition and Fat Amy making fun of them.
A/N 2: The Trebles don't exist in this universe.
