A/N: Hi! Sorry it took me the whole week to post a new chapter, but as you can see it is a pretty long one and I had to do my research. Hope you enjoy it, as always R&R :)
I don't own any of the songs, bands, singers and movies mentioned in this chapter.
"Okay, so that would be all for the day." Beca told her fellow teammates after finishing the rehearsal on Wednesday night. She was only with the girls, as the guys had gone rehearsing somewhere else. "Have a great evening and we'll see each other on Saturday, okay?" They nodded and began gathering their things. In that moment, Beca remembered she had some news for them. "Oh and guys? We are having a Riff-Off on Friday at 8:00 p.m. at the empty pool." Most of the girls were surprised but also exited with the news.
"A Riff-Off? Really?" Asked Aubrey.
"Yeah, an old-school Bellas vs Trebles vs BUs vs High Notes Riff-Off. There has to be 10 people in each team, which means Bellas are already covered."
"What about the rest of us? How do we get to 10?" Asked Bologna Barb.
"You can ask current BUs to join you. The same will apply to Trebles and High Notes." Barb nodded, satisfied with her answer. Then Beca continued. "Just be prepared, you all know what Riff-Offs are about, it's very fun but also quite hard. Anyway, can you all make it?" Everybody said yes. "Okay, then we'll see each other on Friday."
Everybody started leaving and Beca was about to do it too, but then Hannah (one of the new Bellas) approached her.
"Excuse me, what is a Riff-Off?"
Beca looked at her, surprised.
"You don't know? What, you didn't have a Riff-Off this year?" She asked Emily, who was talking with Chloe.
"No. I don't know why, really." She answered her.
"But it's a tradition! Anyone who has been a member of an a Capella group must had participated in at least one!" Aubrey said, displeased.
"Aubrey, relax. It's not a big deal." Said Chloe, trying to comfort her. She then turned to Hannah. "A Riff-Off is a little singing competition in which all teams from Barden get together and sing songs that belong to a category previously chosen. By turns."
"Uh?" Hannah asked, a little confused. Then Beca intervened.
"Let's say the chosen category is «Songs about sex». A member the Bellas starts singing "S&M", and if a member of any other team wants to interrupt her, then he/she has to do it with a song that also belongs to the category, say "Let's talk about sex". But there's a catch: you have to do it matching the last word he/she sang. If the last word was "sex" then you must start your own song with the same word. Got it?"
Hannah weighed her words.
"What if you don't start it with the same word or you just don't know any song about sex?"
"You get cut off." Answered Chloe.
"Disqualified." Clarified Beca.
"And then a new category is chosen for the remaining teams to keep on competing until a sole team is left to be proclaimed winner." Concluded Chloe.
"I get it. Sounds fun." Hannah said, with a smile.
"It's very fun but also quite difficult." Said Emily. "You have to be very concentrated so you don't end up singing a song from other category or not matching the words."
"Both things have happened to us." Said Beca. "When I was a freshman we lost because the word I had to match was "it" and I sang "it's". The next year I wasn't there because I got sick, and we lost to the BUs. Then when I was a junior we lost to the BUs again because Fat Amy forgot the lyrics of "Love the Way you Lie"."
"And last year we lost because I dared to sing a song I wrote, which broke the unwritten rule of "never perform an original song" and, naturally, didn't belong to any category." Said Emily, ashamed.
"No kidding! So you have never won a Riff-Off?" Hannah said, talking directly to Beca. She shook her head. "Well, hopefully you do it this year."
"It's her life ambition." Said Chloe, joking. Jokes aside, since Beca's first Riff-Off she had always wished of winning it, especially since she felt that particular one was stolen from the Bellas in favor of the Trebles. She thought that, given the fact that it was going to be her very last Riff-Off, it would be really nice to finally win it.
"Let's hope." She simply said.
On Friday night, they all gathered in the empty pool. Many students and teachers had gone to the pool to watch the Riff-Off, and they seemed pretty excited. Beca was with the Bellas (who were wearing their yellow scarfs) while Jesse was with the Trebles (who were wearing their purple sweatshirts). The apathetic High Notes and the talented BUs were there, too, and also Fred Higgins, a tall and very handsome guy who was the new host of the Riff-Off. Stacie immediately set her eyes on him, and he smiled at her. Beca and the girls preferred to ignore it and let nature take its course.
"Okay people," Fred said, "it's 8:00 p.m. so it's time to start. Welcome to the Riff-Off!" Everybody cheered. "Tonight we have with us some of the best a Capella performers Barden has ever seen, so this is no ordinary event. Because of this, we are making some adjustments to make it more interesting."
"Bring it." Said Bumper, as competitive as always. Fred then went to a laptop that was connected to a projector, and after a few clicks a text was projected on the wall.
"During the first round," he read, "all teams will compete by singing songs based off the category previously chosen. The host will randomly pick who sings next, because of this every team needs to have a song prepared. If the chosen team fails to do so, then they will be cut-off."
"Like the Riff-Off vs Das Sound Machine." Said Cynthia-Rose.
"During the second round, the remaining teams will keep on competing under the same format until only two remain. If a sole team wins the next two rounds, then they will be declared winners. If they tie, both teams' captains will face each other in a sudden dead round, in which they will be able to interrupt the other by matching their song with the last word the other one sang. If one of them misses the matching word or is simply unable to interrupt the other by the time he/she finishes his/her song, then his/her team will be cut-off and the other one will automatically become winner." He then stopped reading. "Any questions?"
"Sounds pretty confusing." Said Hannah. Her affirmation was met with people nodding their heads. Aubrey shook hers, exasperated.
"First round, four teams get in and one gets out; Fred picks which team gets to sing, same thing happens with second round." Explained Chloe. "Third round, two teams compete by the same format, one wins. Fourth round, the same teams do the exact same thing. If a team wins both rounds, then it's over. If it goes one-and-one, there's a fifth round in which the captains from both teams compete by the traditional format until only one remains."
"Thank God someone understood." Said Greg Marley from his place.
"Couldn't you have made it sound easier, dude?" Donald asked Fred. However, he didn't answer.
"Well, that would be all." He said instead. "Any doubts? No? Well then, let's start with our first category!" With another click, a virtual spinning wheel appeared on the wall.
"Good luck!" Yelled Jesse. Then, the wheel stopped in «Michael Jackson from the eighties». That shouldn't be hard. Beca thought. Fred gave the teams a few seconds to organize themselves.
"Okay, let's start with the BU Harmonics!" He said, pointing at them. Some of them started beatboxing and Beca immediately recognized the characteristic tones from "Thriller".
John Levinson took the lead.
It's close to midnight
Something evil's lurkin' in the dark
Under the moonlight
You see a sight that almost stops your heart
Then he started dancing and all of his teammates began doing the same as they did background sounds.
You try to scream
But terror takes the sound before you make it
You start to freeze
As horror looks you right between the eyes
You're paralyzed…
Suddenly, Fred cut them off right before the chorus and pointed at the Trebles. Mike Hanson started singing with the other Trebles doing background voices.
I'm starting with the man in the mirror
I'm asking him to change his ways
And no message could have been any clearer
If you want to make the world a better place
Take a look at yourself, and then make a change
He had a lovely voice and sang with such feeling that he gave Beca shivers.
I've been a victim of a selfish kind of love
It's time that I realize
That there are some with no home, not a nickel to loan
Could it be really…
Then, Fred cut him off and pointed at the High Notes. A young man called Richie James started singing.
But my friend you have seen nothin'
Just wait 'til I get through
Because I'm bad, I'm bad come on
You know I'm bad, I'm bad come on, you know
You know I'm bad, I'm bad come on, you know
Beca thought they did it pretty good, but they were just trying to imitate Michael Jackson's voice.
And the whole world has to
Answer right now
Just to tell you once again
Who's bad?
Then it was the Bellas turn, and Cynthia-Rose took the lead.
And don't go around breaking young girls' hearts
And mother always told me be careful of who you love
And be careful of what you do 'cause the lie becomes the truth
Then they all started dancing and singing. Fat Amy tried to moonwalk, without success.
Billie Jean is not my lover
She's just a girl who claims that I am the one
But the kid is not my son
She says I am the one, but the kid is not my son…
Just when they were starting to get their groove on, Fred went back to the BUs. They didn't expect to be the first ones to sing again as they had started the round, and that made them nervous. A girl called Andrea Mayer started singing the first song that came to her mind.
All I want to say is that
They don't really care about us
All I want to say is that
They don't really care about us
"Whoa, whoa, whoa, stop right there!" Fred yelled, and they went quiet. He approached Andrea and Beca immediately knew they were out. "Dear girl, I'm gonna ask you something. Do you know what album does that song belong to?" She seemed freaked out, but still managed to answer.
"I think it's from HIStory."
"Oh." Said Fred. "And you know in which year it was released?"
"I…" she mumbled. 1995. Thought Beca.
"It was released in 1995, which means your song doesn't belong to the category, which also means that you are…"
"Cut off!" Everyone yelled. It was always embarrassing to be the first team to get off from the Riff-Off, especially for such a stupid reason. The BUs started yelling at the young girl and Beca felt sorry for her.
"Poor girl." Said Chloe.
"She messed up." Said Aubrey.
"She just got nervous, she didn't know they were going to the first ones again and just sang the first thing that came to her mind." Answered Emily, and Beca knew she understood the girl's shame as she had gone through a similar situation a year ago.
After the BUs took a step back, Fred made the wheel spin again. It landed in «Break-up songs». This time, it was The High Notes turn to open the round. Jenny Hartman, a blond girl started singing.
He says she's been unfaithful
She says her love for him has gone
And the brother shrugs to his sister and says
"Looks like it's just us from now on"
We always need to hear both sides of the story…
Immediately Fred cut them off and pointed at the Trebles. They were caught off their guard but Benji jumped in.
Hmmm... It's not too late
'Cause you are not alone
I'm always there with you
And we'll get lost together
'Til the light comes pouring through
His voice had always been very soft and full of emotion, and it was a delight to hear him perform.
'Cause when you feel like you're done
And the darkness has won
Babe, you're not lost
When your world's crashing down
And you can't bear the thought
I said, babe, you're not lost…
Then it was the Bellas' turn. Stacie had a song prepared, but Alice anticipated her and started singing on her own.
So I'll go sit on the floor
Wearing your clothes
All that I know is that
I don't know how to be something you miss
Never thought we'd have a last kiss
Never imagined we'd end like this
All of the Bellas accompanied her with the choirs, although no one liked her. Stacie seemed mad Alice had stolen the moment from her.
Your name, forever the name on my lips
Just like our last kiss…
Then Fred went back to The High Notes, and a man named Charlie Cross took the lead although his friends tried to stop him, as he didn't seem completely sober.
Look at the stars
Look how they shine for you
And everything you do
Yeah they were all yellow…
"Goodbye." Aubrey whispered behind Beca. Fred interrupted him.
"Hey guys," he said to the crowd, "did you know "Yellow" is a break-up song? Because I didn't and I've been a Coldplay fan for years." Some people laughed. He then turned to look at Charlie. "I'm sorry man, but because of your little mistake you and all of your friends are…"
"Cut-off!" The audience yelled again.
"So it's us against the Trebles again!" Said Fat Amy.
"So that means we have our two finalists, the Bellas and the Trebles!" Fred announced, and the crowd went crazy. "Let's be honest, who wasn't expecting it? Anyway, let's proceed."
He then made the wheel spin once again and it stopped at «Famous one-hit wonders». Fred chose the Bellas to start this time around, and Stacie and Fat Amy started singing.
I get knocked down, but I get up again
You're never going to keep me down
I get knocked down, but I get up again
You're never going to keep me down
Some of them started dancing, a couple of them preferred to jump and others kept on singing.
Pissing the night away
Pissing the night away
He drinks a whiskey drink
He drinks a vodka drink
He drinks a lager drink
He drinks a cider drink
He sings the songs that remind him
Of the good times
He sings the songs that remind him
Of the better times…
Then, it was the Trebles turn. Bumper and Donald knew it was their chance to shine.
One, two, three, four, five
Everybody in the car, so come on let's ride
To the liquor store around the corner
The boys say they want some gin and juice
But I really don't wanna
Some of the guys were terrible dancers, but their enthusiasm was evident when the chorus arrived and they started dancing to it.
A little bit of Monica in my life
A little bit of Erica by my side
A little bit of Rita is all I need
A little bit of Tina is what I see
A little bit of Sandra in the sun
A little bit of Mary all night long
A little bit of Jessica here I am
A little bit of you makes me your man…
The Bellas were trapped on the Trebles' rhythm, so when Fred pointed at them they were caught off-guard. However, Aubrey came to the rescue.
Turn the beat around
Love to hear percussion
All the Bellas joined her and they even started dancing the old choreography. Even Beca did it with a smile, although she hated it.
Turn it upside down
Love to hear percussion
Turn the beat around
Love to hear percussion
Turn it upside down
Love to hear percussion
Turn the beat around
Love to hear percussion
Turn it upside down
Love to hear percussion!
In that moment, Fred cut them off.
"Girls, girls, stop." He said, and Beca didn't understand why. "Although that was a great performance, unfortunately "Turn the Beat Around" is not a one-hit wonder."
"Excuse me?" Said Aubrey, shocked. "The fact that it later became a famous song thanks to another artist doesn't stop it from being a one-hit wonder!"
"It does, actually."
"Dude, you need to look up for the meaning of one-hit wonder on the internet." Beca said, and all the girls laughed except for Aubrey, who was furious.
"I'm sorry girls, but the Trebles win this round!" They all cheered, while the Bellas angrily protested.
"Don't worry." Said Chloe. "There's still another round."
"Hope it's a good one." Said Cynthia-Rose.
"Now remember you all, if the Trebles win the next round then they will be proclaimed winners. However, if the Bellas win then we will have an extra round. Let's see what our category is!" And he actioned the wheel one more time.
"Not Christian Rock, not Christian Rock." Beca heard Fat Amy mumbling beside her. The wheel landed on «Broadway».
"Jesus!" Donald exclaimed. The Trebles sang first and Benji took the lead.
When I'm stuck with a day that's grey and lonely
I just stick up my chin and grin and say, oh
The sun will come out tomorrow
So you gotta hang on
'til tomorrow, come what may!
Then the guys rose their arms into the sky and it turned into a very funny picture.
Tomorrow, tomorrow, I love ya, tomorrow
You're always a day away!
When I'm stuck with a day that's grey and lonely
I just stick up my chin and grin and say oh…
Then it was the Bellas' turn, and Chloe sang solo for the first time in the whole evening.
So if you care to find me
Look to the Western sky!
As someone told me lately
Everyone deserves the chance to fly
And if I'm flying solo
At least I'm flying free
To those who ground me
Take a message back from me!
Tell them how I am defying gravity
I'm flying high, defying gravity
And soon I'll match them in renown…
Then it was the Trebles' turn again, and Mike Hanson stepped forward.
Softly, deftly, music shall caress you
hear it, feel it, secretly possess you,
Beca thought he could become a Broadway actor if he wanted to. She then thought in what Aubrey would say if she were aware of Beca's constant compliments of Mike's musical abilities. I can see your toner through those jeans! She would yell at her.
Open up your mind, let your fantasies unwind
In this darkness that you know you cannot fight
The darkness of the music of the night
Fred pointed at the Bellas, and Beca realized she hadn't sung through all the Riff-Off. She quickly though of a Broadway song and remembered a movie she had watched with Jesse on Sunday. She then took the lead.
People make mistakes! Fathers! Mothers!
People make mistakes!
Holding to their own.
Thinking their alone.
Honor their mistakes! Fight for their mistakes!
One another's terrible mistakes!
Witches can be right. Giants can be good.
You decide what's right. You decide what's good.
Just remember…
She stopped, as Fred had pointed at the Trebles once again. However, none of them sang a single word. He then asked Beca to continue, and all the Bellas joined her. She was thrilled.
Someone is on your side (our side)
And Chloe helped her with the second voice.
Our side
Someone else is not
While we're seeing our side (Our side)
Our side
Maybe we forgot, they are not alone
No one is alone
Someone is on your side
No one is alone
She finished her song and everybody cheered her, even the Trebles. She made a small bow and couldn't help but remember her first Riff-Off after she sang "No Diggity", believing it would lead the Bellas into victory when as a matter of fact it got them disqualified. She hoped this was not the case.
"Well, what a showdown!" Fred said, clapping. "Thanks to Ms. Beca Mitchell we have a tie! You all know what happens next, don't you?"
Damn. Beca said to herself. She had forgotten the final round was going to be a sudden death match between the Trebles and the Bellas' captain, who happened to be Jesse and Beca herself.
"This shit is about to get real." Fat Amy said.
"Beca, Jesse, come to the front." Fred asked them. Jesse hadn't sung anything through the night, and Beca was starting to believe he had been saving himself for that round. They both walked towards each other, and when they were about 10 inches apart they stopped. Fred stood up in the middle.
"Okay, so you know the rules. If any of you wants to interrupt the other, you must do it by matching your song with the last word he/she sang. If one of you misses the matching word or you are simply unable to interrupt the other by the time he/she finishes his/her song, you will be cut-off and the other team will be declared winner."
"You know? You don't need to repeat the same thing you told us before." Jesse said and Beca laughed.
"Well then, let's see what our final category is!" And the wheel started spinning one last time. After a few extra seconds, it stopped in «Songs made famous by movies». Jesse smiled, triumphant and Beca couldn't believe it.
"Are you kidding me?" She asked, incredulous. "He is the movies freak!"
"Come on, Beca! You can do this!" She heard Aubrey cheering her from behind. The other Bellas started doing the same thing and Beca felt a little less bad.
"Okay, so let's do this! Who will take the lead?" Fred asked.
"Let him do it." Beca said, with her hands in her forehead. Immediately, Jesse started singing and the other Trebles joined with their beatboxing sounds.
Risin' up, back on the street
Did my time, took my chances
Went the distance
Now I'm back on my feet
Just a man and his will to survive
Then, Beca found a song that she could link with one of the following words.
So many times…
And then she knew it was her turn.
…times the wire must tense for the note
Caught in the fire, say oh
We're about to explode
Carry your world, I'll carry your world
Carry your world, I'll carry your world
Some far…
But then, Jesse backfired.
…far, wherever you are
I believe that the heart does go on
"Come on, you hate that song!" She mocked him.
Once more you open the door
And you're here in my heart
And my heart will go on and on
Love…
But she found the way to strike again.
…love when I'm afraid
To fall
But watching you stand alone
All of my doubt
Suddenly goes away somehow
One step closer
"And you hate that movie!" Jesse protested. It was true, but she kept on singing anyway.
I have died every day
waiting for you
Darlin' don't be afraid
I have loved you for a
Thousand years
I'll love you for a
Thousand more
Time…
He went back at it one more time.
…time's just holding me down
I'll hit the ceiling or else I'll tear up this town
Tonight I gotta cut
Now I gotta cut loose, footloose
Kick off the Sunday shoes
Please, Louise, pull me off of my knees
Jack, get Mack, come on before we crack
Shit, now what? She said to herself. She had listened the song but didn't know the lyrics very well. She knew she had to come up with a song of her own quickly, or everything would be lost by the time Jesse finished the chorus.
Lose your blues, everybody cut footloose
You're playing so cool
Obeying every rule
I dig a way down in your heart
You're burning, yearning for
And then, she remember a word she could match with a new song. And it was a damn special one, the kind of song that would keep quiet Jesse until she finished it. It was a low punch, but she had to take her chances.
Somebody to tell you…
She interrupted him.
…you come see about me?
I'll be alone, dancing, you know it baby
Tell me your troubles and doubts
Giving me everything inside and out
Jesse was left speechless. Now it's my turn. She turned to the Bellas and asked them to help her with the musical background, as they had done years before at the ICCA's Finals.
And love's strange so real in the dark
Think of the tender things that we were working on
Slow change may pull us apart
When the light gets into your heart, baby
All of them remember the lyrics and the choreography, and the whole thing soon turned into a complete party.
Don't you forget about me
Don't, don't, don't, don't
Don't you forget about me
The crowd started singing along and Beca knew the Bellas' triumph was sealed.
As you walk on by
Will you call my name?
As you walk on by
Will you call my name?
When you walk away
Or will you walk away?
Will you walk on by?
Come on, call my name
Will you call my name?
When she realized the last verse from the song was coming up, she rose her right fist as a sign of victory.
I say, la!
"Yes!" Chloe yelled. The other Bellas started screaming and cheering, and so did The High Notes, the BUs and the whole audience. Jesse and the Trebles did it, too, although some of them had long faces.
"I mean, you're welcome!" Beca yelled at Jesse, mirroring their first Riff-Off. He clapped at her, although the surprised expression hadn't abandoned his face.
"What a showdown!" Fred said, visibly satisfied. "Well ladies and gentlemen, this Riff-Off will definitely go down in history as the best one Barden University has ever seen! Beca, girls, congratulations. You did everything right today and that's why I pronounce you…" He kept a moment of silence to add drama. "Winners of this special Riff-Off!" The girls hugged each other. "And now, we have a surprise for you. Gents, please." And then a bunch of waiters arrived carrying tables and they started serving drinks and snacks. The after party had begun, and soon everybody was talking with everybody. It was a very pleasant atmosphere, and Stacie and Fred were giggling in a corner of the pool. Beca, Aubrey and Chloe were staring at them with discretion. Then, Jesse appeared out of nowhere.
"Girls, would you give us a second?" He politely asked Aubrey and Chloe. They nodded and he took Beca by the arm.
"Did you like my little homage to The Breakfast Club?" She asked, mischievously. He didn't say anything, just stared at her. "What?"
"I can't believe you beat me with our song." He finally said.
"Our song?" She asked, surprised. "Since when is "Don't you forget about me" our song?"
"Since you sang it to me at the Finals. It was a low punch, Beca." He seemed a little hurt, but also pretty satisfied.
"I know. Right after I started singing I felt bad about it, but it was already too late and you didn't interrupt me, so…"
"I didn't interrupt you because it would have been rude."
"So what are you trying to say? That you let me win?"
"No! I'm just saying I couldn't interrupt you if you were singing our song. It's a special thing for me to hear you sing it, and I just couldn't do it."
She smiled at him and they kept looking at each other for a moment.
"Still," she said after a while, "you can't deny I kicked your ass."
He laughed and kissed her on the cheek.
"You know what? I'm going for a beer. You go back to your friends and we'll discuss this later." He went away and she returned to Aubrey and Chloe. She noticed Stacie and Fred had disappeared.
"Hey, where's Stacie?" She asked Chloe.
Her friend simply winked at her.