Chapter 10

MITCHELL MANSION, ATLANTA, GEORGIA

Feeling relieved that it was Chloe Beale all along, Beca thought of inviting the red head out that night. She figured that she might need someone to talk to with all the thoughts going on in her head, and by talking to Chloe, even for a short while, Beca knew that Chloe is someone she could really trust.

After the redhead agreed to meet her, Beca immediately hopped out of bed and rummaged through her closet to find something nice to wear. Not that she wanted to really dress up to get ice cream, she just wanted to look nice. And there's nothing wrong with wanting to look nice even just for a simple drive.

Prepping up was not difficult for Beca, so it took her a short while to get dressed.

On her way downstairs, she was able to hear her father, and Beca hoped that the latter would allow her to leave on a school night. She tried to think of the best excuse that she could think of, but there was none. With her fingers crossed, Beca greeted the Senator and kissed him on the cheeks, the latter returning the act.

"Hello, honey. Were you leaving or did you just arrive?" Senator Warren asked.

"Uhm… No. I arrived early." Beca replied. "But. Uh…"

"Hm? What's that, Rebecca?" The Senator clarified, since he couldn't really understand what his daughter wanted to say.

"Uh, Dad… You see, uhm.." Beca couldn't tell her father that she has plans to go out that night. "There's…"

"Do you need anything?" Warren directly asked. "Is there something wrong?"

"No, dad. Nothing's wrong." Beca denied, shaking her head as she did. "I was going to ask permission. Uh, I actually want to go out, and I was wondering if I could borrow one of the cars? Pretty please?"

"It's a school night, Rebecca. You have work, too. I don't think it's a good time. You can go out on the weekend." Warren stated.

"But, Dad. I promise I won't be long!" Beca immediately countered. "I'll be back around 11. Is that fine? And I swear, I won't be late for work. And, I'll drive safely. There won't be any scratch on the cars! I can assure you."

"Looks really important huh?" Warren chuckled. "Okay. Be back before 11. I'll let my driver wait up for you. Take any car you want."

"Thanks, Dad!" Beca exclaimed and kissed her father on the cheeks once again.

"Just drive safely, honey. Okay? This isn't London!" Warren advised.

"Yes, Dad!" Beca replied with a huge grin.

Beca couldn't believe that her father allowed her to leave, granting that it was a school night, and the fact that Beca didn't really drive around Atlanta yet. But since Beca was good with directions, causing her to remember things easily, driving to Barden wouldn't be a difficulty.

UNIVERSITY APARTMENTS, BARDEN, ATLANTA

"So, who's coming over? Beca? Does she even know the way to school on her own?" Aubrey asked her best friend who was already waiting for the brunette.

"Uh huh. She said that she might have someone to drive her here. So, I don't know." Chloe replied while peeking through the curtains. "I do hope she won't cancel on me."

"She won't." Aubrey stated. "She was raised in a decent family, Chlo. If ever she'll cancel, she was taught to inform you as soon as possible, or maybe send someone over here, or whatever works with her. She won't keep someone waiting."

"You think so?" Chloe asked.

"Someone looks nervous." Aubrey giggled. "Yeah. That's how they do it, right? Jesse and Stacie do those things, too. So, I assume it also applies to her. It's a protocol or something."

Before Chloe could speak, both girls heard a car arriving. Chloe stood still, and secretly hoped that it was already Beca when Aubrey stood up and volunteered to peek.

"There's a Lexus parked outside. I wonder who else owns a Lexus around here." Aubrey stated as she peeked through the curtains.

"Is that Beca?" Chloe asked.

"Looks like it. Duh, Chlo." Aubrey snickered. "Let's wait, though. But, I really think it's her, or her Dad, perhaps?"

"Bree!" Chloe pushed Aubrey to the side so she could also take a peek. "Well, it really is fancy. Might be Beca or Jesse?"

"Jesse never borrows his dad's car, Chlo. He has his own." Aubrey stated as she closed the curtains.

While the girls were debating, they didn't notice that someone was already knocking on their door.

Chloe managed to beat Aubrey to it, and was indeed surprised to see her favorite brunette on their front door.

"Hi." Beca smiled and gave a shy wave.

"Beca. Wow. Hi." Chloe greeted in response, while eyeing the brunette's outfit that night.

Beca wore a loose black shirt, with The Beatles printed on it. It was obviously loose since Chloe noticed that Beca tied it at the back. Of course, Beca was in her usual skinny denim jeans, she wore black Vans, and her hair was down, and it fell perfectly on her shoulders. Beca looked simply beautiful.

"Uh, so. I drove all the way here, and I managed to find the right apartment. Good job for me, right?" Beca stated to avoid the awkward tension brewing between them.

"Yeah. I was worried that you won't be able to find it. Congratulations." Chloe winked back.

"Hi, Beca!" Aubrey called from behind. "You look good!"

"Thanks, Aubrey. I didn't know you share the apartment, and I invited Chloe out for ice cream. Maybe you want to come with?" Beca offered.

Aubrey knew that Chloe wanted time with Beca, and as much as she wanted ice cream at that moment, she declined.

"So, uh, are you ready?" Beca asked.

"Yeah. Let's go." Chloe replied and followed the brunette to the car.

Chloe couldn't help but admire the way Beca looked that night. She was so used to seeing the brunette formally dressed in school, and the way Beca dressed that night revealed a laid-back Beca. It was a different kind of Beca, one which no one really gets to see.

"You're quiet. That's weird." Beca noticed that Chloe was quiet during the drive. "Are you sure you're up for it, because I could just turn us around."

"No. No. It's just, I can't imagine you drive…"

"You mean, you thought that I can't drive?" Beca laughed.

"Technically, yes? I'm so sorry." Chloe replied. "Well, Jesse drives you. Your family, I assume has family drivers and, you know…"

"Ah, the typical sterotype." Beca continued to laugh. "Well, Madam, I can drive. But, I don't own a car, this is one of my dad's cars."

"Wow. So, I'm sitting where Senator Mitchell sits? Awesome." Chloe joked.

"He usually stays at the back, but yeah, kind of." Beca grinned. "I have a feeling it's not just about the driving."

"There's one more. Yes." Chloe agreed. "It's the way you dressed up tonight."

"Why? Does it look bad?" Beca curiously asked.

"No, you look good. Really. It's just that, I'm not used to seeing you like this." Chloe pointed to Beca's outfit. "You're always in blazers and dresses, you know, neatly dressed? Prim and proper? But now."

Beca laughed at Chloe's observation, and Chloe didn't know if it would be a good sign, because she thought that she might have offended Beca, and the latter was only being typically polite.

"You're funny. But, yeah, I'm allowed to dress up like this. Rarely, though. I don't know, sometimes when I just feel like it." Beca shrugged.

"And tonight is just one of those nights?" Chloe asked.

"Yeah, you could say that." Beca smiled in response. "I don't know, but, yeah, looks like it."

Currently, Chloe's heart was kind of beating fast due to her thoughts. She was thinking that Beca really felt comfortable with her, that's why Beca managed to pull off a laid back attire. Just the thought of Beca being comfortable around her, increased the butterflies in her stomach that night.

"So, where are we headed to?" Chloe asked, when she noticed that Beca just drove by Morelli's and other ice cream shops in the area.

Beca didn't respond and continued to keep her eyes on the road. Sensing that Beca might have something on her mind, Chloe chose to keep quiet.

"Wait here." Beca instructed the red head as she parked the sedan.

"Where are you going?" Chloe asked as she saw that Beca parked the car in a convenience store.

"Just wait, Chloe." Beca grinned. "I won't take long."

Chloe nodded and watched Beca go, still puzzled as to why Beca chose to stop in a convenience store at the side of the road, when they could've gone to Morelli's.

As she promised, Beca came back with two pints of ice cream in hand and a box of ice cream cones. Chloe was surprised to see what Beca bought.

"You bought ice cream?" Chloe took the ice cream and cones from Beca.

"Yeah." Beca replied. "You thought we were going to Morelli's?"

"Yes?" Chloe shyly replied.

"Sorry, but, I prefer Ben and Jerry's." Beca grinned.

"How are we going to eat this?" Chloe wondered and looked really confused.

"We eat it here." Beca said, as she got out of the car once again. Chloe, followed behind.

"Are you serious?"

Beca nodded in reply, and took the ice cream from Chloe's hand. She handed Chloe a spoon, the redhead still looking confused. Beca got the cones, and crushed them, pouring it on the pints of ice cream.

"You're weird." Chloe stated as she watched Beca spread the cones as toppings on their ice cream.

"I'll take that as a compliment. The cones will still get crushed when we eat them anyway." Beca giggled. "Here you go. I do hope you like Chunky Monkey."

"I do. Thank you."

The girls leaned back on the car, and stood while eating their ice cream. Beca looked like a kid eating her ice cream, it was adorable. Chloe watched her subtly, and surely, Beca had a weird way of eating a pint of ice cream, but it made sense. The crushed cones really served as topping, and Beca had a point no matter how silly it looked like.

"So, tell me more about you, Beca." Chloe initiated the conversation.

"Enough about me, Chloe. Let me know things about you too." Beca replied. "I barely know stuff about you."

"I don't have anything interesting to share, unlike you." Chloe giggled. "Your life is way more interesting compared to mine."

"I don't believe that." Beca stated while pointing her spoon at Chloe. "Everyone has something interesting to say. You just have to find someone who would listen to the things you say."

"Okay. You ask, and I'll answer." Chloe managed to give in. "Take it easy, okay?"

"How many brothers or sisters do you have?"

"I have an older brother, Chris. We're just two. How about you?" Chloe returned the question to Beca.

"Only child." Beca stated. "That looks like fun, growing up with an older brother."

"Partly yes, and partly no. But, yeah, it is." Chloe replied. "We're close, so I have no problem with him."

"So, where is he?"

"He's in Los Angeles. He works in his own restaurant. He's a chef." Chloe answered.

"Lucky, he's in LA." Beca sighed. "I would want to go there."

"You haven't been to LA?"

"I have. But I actually want to stay there." Beca stated, without actually giving Chloe the chance to ask her about LA. "What do you really want to do, Chloe? Are you happy with your major? With Art? Or is there something else you want to do?" Beca added.

"Ohhh. That's a huge one." Chloe giggled. "I like doing art, I loved drawing ever since I was a kid. My dad taught me how to paint, and do artsy stuff. It was my comfort zone, and it still is now. I don't have any regrets with choosing Art as my major, since I would like to put up my own gallery someday. You know? Display it for everyone to see. But, if ever that won't materialize, I do have a back-up plan."

"Really? And what is that?"

"I would love to teach. I love kids. Teach them Art, Dance, Music. All the works." Chloe confidently answered.

"You can do both. Have your own gallery, and teach." Beca replied. "I know you can, and you will."

"Wow. That's a lot coming from you."

"No. I see your potential, Chloe. Your talent can pave ways for you. And, I know a talented person when I see one." Beca smirked.

"What about you? Tell me something that I don't know about you." Chloe offered.

"I don't have anything to share, I guess… Oh, wait. I have a tattoo." Beca exclaimed. "Don't tell Jesse, 'cause he'll tell my dad."

"Where? I don't see it."Chloe reached out for Beca's arm to examine it for any tattoos, but nothing can be seen.

"It's somewhere." Beca replied. "I won't tell you where it is. That's a secret." Beca grinned. "Going back to you, Chloe. Second question, if you had a pencil and paper right now, what would you draw?"

"What kind of question is that, smart ass?" Chloe laughed.

"It's a serious question, so you better answer it." Beca giggled.

"Hmmm… Maybe this." Chloe gestured to her and Beca. "You and me, talking to each other while standing in a parking lot, eating Ben and Jerry's with crushed cones as toppings."

"What? Why?" Beca laughed. "This isn't a frame-worthy incident."

"It is for me. I've never done this before. And I never expected something like this from you. So, it's a first." Chloe replied. "I'd rather put this on paper."

"That's awesome. I'd wait for that drawing. Well, if ever you'd really draw this." Beca grinned. "It's so easy to talk to you, Chloe. Why is that?"

"I don't know. Maybe it's my personality, I guess? Why?" Chloe asked.

"Nothing. It's just that, it feels good to have someone like you to talk about random stuff. Or anything else under the moon." Beca looked up at the moon and smiled at Chloe. "Thank you for agreeing to have ice cream with crushed cones with me."

"No need to thank me, Beca." Chloe replied. "It's not a big deal."

"It is. For me. This is something I used to do way back in London. When I had no things to take care of." Beca sighed. "I missed this."

"Well, we can do this once in a while. You know where I live." Chloe offered. "I'd be willing to do this all over again."

"You sure?" Beca clarified.

"Uh huh." Chloe nodded. "And since we'll be doing this, I assume. I believe that we're going to be close." Beca laughed at Chloe's comment, and the red head also did.

"I'm so glad I met you, Chloe." Beca gave the redhead a sweet smile.

"Oh, Beca. If you only know." Chloe smiled in response. "It's the other way around."

UNIVERSITY APARTMENTS, BARDEN, ATLANTA

Chloe returned home, and Aubrey stayed up waiting for her. As soon as Chloe entered their front door, she was bombarded by questions, but as usual, Chloe kept mum about it. She didn't want to take the privacy out of the moment she shared with Beca.

"Okay, so you won't really tell me. But, when are you telling Beca that you saw her already before? That you previously met her?" Aubrey managed to ask her best friend who currently stopped in her tracks upon hearing Aubrey's question. "Because it seems like she doesn't remember."

"Do I have to?" Chloe asked.

"Of course! If you won't, she might think that you would be taking advantage of the opportunity." Aubrey replied.

"I'll tell her. Just not right now."

"There you go again, Beale." Aubrey warned.

"One at a time, Bree." Chloe replied. "I'll tell Beca. Don't worry."

MITCHELL MANSION, ATLANTA, GEORGIA

Beca drove home as fast as she could after dropping Chloe off. She completely lost track of time, and she hoped that her father and mother didn't wait up for her. It was her first night out in Atlanta, and there might be a really big chance that they would be waiting for her to come home.

However, as Beca silently entered their house, she was thankful that everyone else was asleep. Or so she thought.

Senator Warren and Cynthia Mitchell were in her room waiting for her. They didn't bother to call their daughter since they knew that she had a sense of responsibility. Seeing her parents in her room, Beca froze.

"Where have you been? It's past 12." Warren asked in a stern voice.

"Dad… I was out with a friend." Beca replied.

"Honey, your father allowed you to leave, as long as you'd be back by 11. Isn't that right?" Cynthia asked, this time.

"Yes, Mom." Beca sighed. "I'm sorry, it won't happen again. I completely lost track of time, and I know it's my fault."

"You have to be responsible, Rebecca. And you should start with managing your time." Warren stated as he left the brunette's room. "I raised you with the notion that time is very important. If you don't want to waste yours, don't waste someone else's."

"He was just worried, honey." Cynthia stated. "Next time, be wary of your time."

"Yes, Mom. I'm sorry." Beca apologized once again.

"Go to sleep, Rebecca. Your father checked on you awhile back to remind you of the filing of your application tomorrow with the USAID. Tomorrow's the last day. Be there before 8. Don't miss that. Good Night, honey."

"Goodnight, Mom." Beca sighed as soon as the door to her room closed. She almost forgot the appointment she had with USAID, if not for her mother's reminder.

Beca lay in bed, thinking of what transpired with Chloe earlier. Despite being scolded by her parents, it was a good night after all.

She knew that she could really trust Chloe. And, she hoped that what Chloe said was true-that maybe, they'd be close friends, because with Chloe, she's free to show her real self. With Chloe, Beca could be unpredictable.

With Chloe, Beca felt like there's life outside business and politics.

She found a good friend in Chloe, and Beca hoped that nothing else could go wrong.

A/N: Tadaaa! Chapter 10!

Thank you to those who have been giving me constant feed backs, and those who would send me messages regarding their opinions and story suggestions. I really appreciate it. And I will try, as much as possible to put everything in the story, I'll just see how to incorporate it in the story line.

Especially to RJRMovieFan, who I have been sharing thoughts with. It really meant a lot to get a message from you. x

Let me know your thoughts on this, please?