Chapter 10
Winter Forest.
Guess some of the rumours were actually true.
It really wasn't called Winter Forest for nothing. The climate in this forest was always chilly and as Beca looks up, light snow falls down gently from above. It wasn't even winter season yet. However, in spite of the much negative rumours surrounding it, it looked beautiful for such a place people deemed one should not enter. It had always been this terrifying, mythical place that has been the center of every Victor Barden student's horror stories, especially amongst the freshmen. The highlight of these stories naturally heighten every Halloween, Beca's favourite holiday. And it's not because vampires are among ones of the most celebrated 'fantasy' creatures around the world in this special season but because she doesn't have to clean herself up after drinking someone's blood, hide her fangs or her blood red irises. Plus, it's basically a time of gloominess. Oh how she loves to soak in all that dark gloomy gooey mess. It's also a time when everything that screams horrible and wrong is basically considered okay—at least for her.
Unconsciously, a tune starts playing in her head. A relaxing piano piece, slowly drifting in the background.
A year ago, she spent Halloween in Austria, sitting in a fancy hotel bar while she lazily swirls her alcohol. With her hair styled for the night, her sexy little black dress hugging her form and that look in her eyes that makes people want to throw themselves at her, she was bound to be offered drinks and some intimate company. But she was having none of that. She already knows who she wants to be up close and personal with tonight.
She glances subtly behind the bartender where a long glass mirror stretches across both ends of the bar. Red hair, dark brown eyes in an elegant velvet dress, talking seductively to a gentleman in a black suit. She notes the security surrounding the booth they were in. Twirling her ring around her ring finger, Beca counts two men near the exit, one sitting by the bar—and it's pretty obvious because his scotch has been untouched for like an hour now, and finally two other men beside the booth they were seated in. Amateurs. She sighs, this night is turning to be a bore.
She can't wait for the fun to start.
The fun starts twenty minutes later. Soon, she's up in her feet, her glass now empty as she checks herself in the mirror one last time, dark eyeliner, dark eye shadow and dark red lipstick, perfect for the night of the dead. The seductress is already on her way out the door, a silver suitcase in hand while her security file out one by one. Beca follows them, adjusting her coat as she does.
She takes the other elevator but as the doors open at the fifth floor to let three guys in, Beca starts to stretch her neck left and right. The first two were the same guys at the booth next to the target, the third guy was the one sitting by the bar. Well, unlike the last five days, she wasn't really playing subtle this time. She'd been waiting for them all night.
The door starts to close and the second it does, gunshots, cracking of bones, groans and screams of pain are heard. The clean-up crew are certainly going to have a busy night tonight. The bell rings and the doors open to the 31st floor. This time Beca stands in the middle of unconscious bodies which she steps over as she walks out of the elevator. Humans, how pathetic.
Taking out her wireless earphones from her coat pocket, she drowns herself in the music. Tonight's sound choice, 'Under Pressure' by Queen and David Bowie, because why not? Fun song.
As soon as she steps out into the hallway, the rest of the security was poised and waiting for her. The sight makes her stop midway and sigh for the second time. Time to work.
And work she does, her high heels clacking on the floor as she leaves a trail of dead bodies and broken property swinging behind her. The clean-up crew is certainly going to hate her even more for this but she can't do anything about that anymore, she just can't help it. She plays messily.
When she reaches the door number she's had memorized, she knocks twice before speaking out the infamous greeting that can only be used in this particular night.
"Trick or treat,"
A minute passes as silence ensues and the door remains locked so, she nods in understanding. "Trick it is then," she mumbles before taking out a small French dagger, and breaking down the door to enter.
"Valerie Petrovic," she starts. "You've been doing some pretty bad deals lately with bad humans. You also happen to murder about…" she pauses to grab a piece of paper from her pocket. "Thirty-two humans for the past five years," she continues.
"Which makes you a threat, according to the people upstairs, so, will you please just come out that I may rip your heart," she asks before exhaling heavily.
"You're pretty," a low seductive voice echoes as the red headed female walks out her room, a glass of wine in her hand. "Young but already as skilled as a seasoned assassin in the business," she simply says, looking over at her up and down appreciatively.
"What's your story, honey?" Valerie asks as she sits gracefully on one of the cushioned chairs, crossing her legs and watching Beca amusedly. She remains silent though, only arching up an eyebrow in reply.
"Let me guess, orphan? But then your posture is perfect, your skin so soft and you have good taste in food and alcohol. No orphaned teen would have been brought up with such sophistication. Yes, I've noticed you since two days ago, if you haven't realized," she points out and Beca replies by changing the song she was listening to 'Killer Queen' by Queen.
She hates this part the most. They're always chatty before they die. But then, she does have a lot of time in her hands and there's really nothing else to do before travelling back to Victor Barden to complete her freshman year. Bummer.
"Hmm, you look very familiar though," she muses. "Your eyes" she then smiles, fangs showing, as she finally figures it out. "You have Darius' eyes,"
She then takes a sip of her wine before standing up, finally putting down the glass on to a table, "What a pleasure this is to be in the presence of the daughter of the most respected vampire in the world. I'm surprised that he sent his only daughter, his direct heir, of all people to do the dirty work," she shakes her head, laughing lightly before she takes a step closer. The movement finally makes Beca's eyes flicker up her way.
Another song switch and this time, it's an original club mix entitled 'number 33', her own creation.
"You got everything right except two things," Beca finally speaks. "I wasn't just sent here. He put me in a box, shipped me here and dumped me like a cat in front of this hotel because I am being punished for driving a car into a restaurant which really isn't my fault. Some cheating asshole thought he could win the race by trying to sabotage my ride. Said cheating asshole is currently in a coma which again isn't my fault," she exhales, shaking her head at the thought. "He was a crappy driver and he pissed me off,"
Valerie looks at her with a mixture of amusement and disbelief, "And what's the second one?" she asks, making Beca smirk.
"I've been following you for a week. I'm not just as skilled as a seasoned assassin. I'm the best in the business, a business I've been in for six years now, sweetheart,"
With that she closes the door behind her and does what she was thrown here to do.
Finish the job.
Twenty minutes later, she slips out the room, wiping off the blood stains in the blade of her dagger. She walks back to the elevator to press the 'down' button, eyeing her reflection on a display mirror just across its doors. A small cut on her lower lip, blood dripping from the side of her face down to her neck, a bruise forming underneath her left eye and bloody knuckles. Even her clothes were stained with blood, not that anybody would notice easily because of the black colour.
The bell sounds the arrival of the elevator and just before it opens, she closes her eyes before opening them, her irises now deep red. Inside it, a mother with her two kids who were all dressed up in their Halloween costumes. The little girl was dressed as a witch while the little boy, who looked up at her excitedly, was dressed up as a vampire, his fake fangs showing.
"Are you also a vampire?" the little one asks excitedly as she steps in.
"Yup," she answers, smiling to show her fangs before looking up at the mother who eyes her suspiciously, probably thinking she was some high class call girl who has a client with a very specific kink.
"You are Dracula too!" the little boy says, pulling her attention back down at him.
"Uhm, no, I'm not," she answers back with a slight shake of the head. "I'm Carmilla," she clarifies, a small smile forming in her lips when the little boy goes to ask who that is.
"She is the vampire that inspired Dracula. She's way, way cooler," she explains as the boy nods before turning to his mother and says. "I want to be Carmilla next Halloween," while his sister chimes in, "Me too!"
They reach the ground floor as Beca walks straight out the elevator but stops when she hears a happy, "Bye, Carmilla!"
She gives out a small wave before continuing on towards the exit. As soon as she steps outside she notices snow slowly beginning to fall down from the sky and into her outstretched palm. She looks up to watch the sky filled with what looks like white cotton bathing everyone. When she pulls her focus back down she sees a black limousine in front, its door opened for her. There were two black SUVs parked on the front and rear end, the Du Pont symbol carved in all the cars. Her father's men, pile out for the typical security measures—also to ensure that she doesn't run off to Portugal to dance Fandango with some chica—before greeting her with a light bow. Waving them off, she enters without a word.
"To the airport, Miss Mitchell?" her driver asks as she rests her head back the cushions, humming in response, like she has any other choice.
She switches to the next song for the third time, 'Easy' by the Commodores, as she looks out the window, wishing that—
Wake up
Wake up.
Wake up, Beca.
"Beca!" a voice snaps her out of the year old memory as she holds on to a tree for support, her world starting to spin a bit as she finds herself back in the middle of the forest instead of Austria. A worried pair of sky blue eyes immediately come in her line of sight.
"I'm fine," she dismisses, pushing forward and away from those warm hands that are trying to hold her steady.
"You don't look fine," Chloe says. "Maybe we should stop—"
"No, we can't. More are coming. The further we go, the better our chances," she argues. She hears the Vanderbilt seemingly rubbing her own arms and she's currently aware of the decreasing temperature, the earth slowly being covered with snow.
She's been through worse. This isn't worse. If she made it out of Russia, she'll make it out here. She just has to keep moving, keep her eyes open and keep her focus steady.
Keep avoiding getting sucked into those baby blue eyes and warm arms.
"Shit," she hisses under her breath.
So, here's the problem, there's this thing that always happens when her body starts to weaken or collapse. She starts getting delirious and memories of the past start piling down on her like hollow blocks falling on top of her and crushing her to death. It's like losing control and falling into a pit of memories, memories she had shoved down into said pit, a dark, damp, very horrible memory pit.
"I don't hear anything or anyone following us right now. You really should rest, maybe even just sit down for a couple of minutes," Chloe resumes and there goes that warm touch on her arm again. She quickly moves away from it like it burns.
"I said I'm fine!" she snaps and it easily silences the redhead. She doesn't stop to even look at the Vanderbilt, afraid that the look on her face might evoke feelings Beca is not ready to deal with.
They continue walking for a couple of minutes and she internally sighs in relief having put enough distance between them. Preferably, eight years worth of distance.
But of course it doesn't last long. The world starts turning again, her vision blurring. She feels warm arms catching her. A familiar sweet scent of flowers fills her lungs while she hears a soft voice calling to her in a distance. There was music increasing in volume the more her world dissipates into a blur, playing a French song that she had last listened to eleven years ago, 'La Vie En Rose' by Édith Piaf, and if she were to base it from the music playing, it's obvious which memory is coming next.
No, please don't. Not that memory. Please don't—
11 years ago
Soft music plays in the background of Beca's family mansion, their temporary home while her father conducts business in America. When she walks to the source of the sound, Beca looks up to find her mother next to the record player. She smiles warmly down at her the second she notices her standing from behind. Without missing a beat, her mother, Robbyn, takes her hand and twirls her around to the slow music. They waltz around the room to the lovely French song as Beca grins happily, giggling at every twist and turn. She gazes up in amazement when her mother does a perfect spin with such grace and gentleness. It had her hoping that when she grows up she'd be able to dance as gracefully as her mother.
When Robbyn completes one turn she gasps as Beca's father, dressed handsomely in a formal black suit to match her mother's red gown, catches her in perfect timing. Her smile widens as she watches her parents dancing, their eyes lovingly gazing into each other while their lips break into smiles.
"Mr. and Mrs. Du Pont," a voice breaks their little moment and Beca sees her father straighten up to look at his assistant, James. "I'm sorry to intrude but I'm afraid it's time. The car is ready," he explains in such a formal tone before lowering his head to bow.
Robbyn smiles and assures it's alright before facing her husband to smoothen his suit. When that's done, Beca's father starts to walk but pauses in front of her, giving her a small loving pat on top of her head and a caress to her cheek. "We will be meeting with other elite families and other envoys from other countries to strengthen relations and talk politics. When the time comes, it'll be your turn, my little rose," he says before Beca's mother comes to his side, smiling as she shakes her head.
"Your daughter is only eight years old, Darius. It's too early to teach her politics," she scolds lightly. "Besides, Beca can choose to become whatever she wants to be when she grows up," she says with a warm smile, bending down to fix the red ribbon tied to her hair and brush her bangs to the side.
"Yes, I know, my love, but Rebecca is my heir. She's destined for great, great things," he says proudly before leaning down a bit. "She'll be no princess. She'll be a queen, a strong and smart queen. Am I right, my little rose?" he smiles as he holds her face with his hand while she nods her head enthusiastically.
"Oh that part, I can agree with, heir or not, our Beca is a queen," Robbyn says before swatting Darius' hand away when he again begins to measure the size of Beca's head for what seems to be a crown.
"It's better to prepare for the future," he defends with a light chuckle, his hands formed in a shape of circle when he turns away from his wife, as if putting to memory the exact measurement.
"Come, we'll be late," Beca's mother says, taking her hand as she eyes her father sharply. Darius quickly lowers his hands and clears his throat, immediately agreeing with his wife.
The travel only takes about five minutes, much to Beca's dismay. She always loved travelling, going places to see the colourful sights. When they get out of the car, she looks up at another huge mansion. It's almost as big as their own here, in Maryland, but smaller than their home in Neuilly-sur-Seine. She hops up happily on the steps in between her parents, who were both holding her hands as she does, leading up to the door where they are greeted by the servants.
They've reached another set of stairs but this time instead of cement, it's made of marble and a beautiful lady with red hair greets them.
"Alessandra," her mother says fondly as she and Alessandra brush cheeks. Her father opts for a handshake and there's a little bit of tension between the two for some reason Beca has yet to understand.
"Darius," a man with blonde hair comes, standing next to Alessandra before offering a handshake to both her parents.
"Markus," her father greets back and compared to Alessandra, the tension leaps up a few notches between both men. It only breaks when Robbyn's voice comes through.
"Oh and is this the lovely birthday celebrant?" she asks, her eyes brightening up as Beca finally notices the little girl right next to Alessandra. She also has the same red hair and the brightest bluest eyes Beca has ever seen.
"Yes, she is, our little princess, Chloe," Alessandra proudly says as she brings the little girl in front where Beca can see her even better.
"Happy Birthday, Chloe!" Robbyn greets while Beca's father hands out the gift, Beca had helped wrap up this morning.
She had kept asking who it was for and why there is a gift to be given when it's not even Christmas. Her mother explained that it was for another little girl's birthday, a little girl she was positive will become Beca's friend. And if there is one thing Beca would love to have in this world it's a friend. Being an only child can be lonely sometimes which is why she was so excited to meet this 'friend'. Sadly, even though she kept begging, her mother says that she cannot take this 'friend' home with her.
Tonight, being in front of another child her age, Beca's excitement turns into nervousness as she hides behind her mother, peeking every now and then. She may have wanted a new friend for so long but to be faced with one now, she doesn't exactly know what to do or how to talk.
"This is my daughter, Rebecca, you can call her Beca. She's the same age as Chloe,"
At the mention of her name, Beca takes another peek only this time, she is greeted with big baby blue eyes staring back at her with a smile and a very energetic, "Hello, Beca!" Surprised at the close proximity, Beca quickly hides behind her mother in embarrassment.
She hears her mother's laugh and wonders why. "I'm sorry, Beca's a very shy child. She has always been in the presence of people way older than she is. Her cousins are actually the only friends she's ever had. It's funny how she can face diplomats confidently and then hide in the presence of a girl her age," her mother says with a sigh.
"Oh, I'm sure she'll get used to it now that you'll be having trips here frequently. Chloe, on the other hand, is such a friendly child. She befriends anything that breathes, and maybe the ones that don't as well," Alessandra comments with a laugh.
The adults continue to make small chat with each other before they all head to the main room where the event was being held. Beca and her parents were naturally introduced to everyone in a grand manner, immediately the center of attention. Such reception is already a familiar thing in the Mitchell-Du Pont household and Beca is used to it, watching her father being given respect and bowed down by everyone around the room. Her mother always says that her father holds the highest position in the community. Usually, she'd walk as she was taught, head held up, shoulders straight, hand in both sides and eyes straight ahead. But then, tonight was different as her deep ocean blues keep wandering towards a certain redhead.
Maybe she hasn't realized yet that time just how mesmerized she was with Markus and Alessandra's princess but perhaps, it was already telling that at that exact moment Chloe was going to be someone very special in her life.
She wished to play with Chloe, to talk to her about all the amazing things her mother reads to her every night and maybe invite her to their house. Which is probably why she spent the whole night peeking from behind chairs and tables, quietly watching wherever the little redhead went, following her with her eyes. However, every time she is caught looking—Chloe smiling at her every time it happens—she runs to her mother and hides bashfully.
Maybe it would've been easier if Chloe wasn't surrounded by her cousins all the time, cousins who would all look at her whenever Chloe does. So, the only thing Beca resorts to is to follow her quietly everywhere and occasionally run back to her mother when caught.
She never gets to talk to Chloe that night.
Beca starts to follow her parents out the door feeling sad at this fact, feet dragging heavily on the floor. But then as she looks at the window of their car she catches red hair outside the Beale residence in the corner of her eye. When she sees those bright blues she's been following all night, she perks up once more. Chloe waves at her and shyly, she waves back. She smiles to herself all the way home.
That was first time she's ever met Chloe Sofia Beale, a Vanderbilt.
She doesn't forget about that night. A night that evolves into a few more unforgettable nights as their paths start to cross regularly. Every occasion and event her family attended was always a sure way to meet Chloe again. But not once did they ever get to talk as she doesn't get rid of her tendency to run and hide whenever facing the little redhead.
But then the universe already has plans for both of them, aligning their stars in order for them to head to that one path they will finally walk together. Unfortunately, the methods of the universe can also be cruel. Beca finds that it destroys so it can create that very road she was destined to walk through.
Beca's mother dies.
As Robbyn's soul fades so does the love in her father's heart and with that, Beca's world starts to lose colour for the first time.
Her death was no accident nor was it of natural causes either. Robbyn was murdered in an attempt to assassinate Darius Du Pont. Beca had unfortunately been there that night, carried in her father's arms as he fiercely protects all that he has left.
The funeral service was long and attended by so many people from different parts of the globe, people she barely recognizes. So, she ends up hiding in the garden her mother always tended to. Dressed in a black dress, she sits on the swing underneath a tree, staring down on her feet. Her mother used to read to her underneath this very tree. Now nobody will and Beca's vision starts to blur at the thought.
She hears a sound and when she looks up with watery eyes, she finds Chloe standing a few feet away from her. The little redhead takes a few tentative steps towards her while Beca tries to stop her tears from falling. She doesn't hide it this time.
She thought of it at the last second though.
But when Chloe slowly reaches in her pocket to offer her a lollipop, she doesn't run. She accepts it timidly, a lone tear finally rolling down her cheek. As she stares longer at the candy in her hand, she begins to sob, tears now pouring down freely. The little Vanderbilt touches the top of her head softly, in a manner that Beca would've to a baby rabbit or a puppy and it makes her cry even harder. She hears a small sniff and when she looks up, she finds the redhead in tears as well.
"Don't cry," Beca mumbles in between sobs while Chloe wipes her own tears with the back of her hand.
"I'll stop crying if you stop crying," the sobbing redhead answers back.
Beca tries to stop crying. She tried really hard and somehow it was getting funny. It's funny and sad at the same time. The more she tries to stop it the harder the tears keep coming. So they just kept crying while Chloe just kept patting her softly on the head.
It wasn't until Beca's aunt Katherine comes looking for her—perhaps surprised at the scene of two crying little girls—that they both finally stop, sobs decreasing into small sniffs. Chloe stood quietly behind her all throughout the whole process.
The funeral service comes to an end. Beca's father remains passive all throughout, refusing to even eat or get some rest while he stands next to Robbyn's casket, even long after it was sealed in the Du Pont family crypt. Even until this moment, not once had he even looked at his daughter. The daughter that bore so much resemblance to his deceased wife that seeing her only brings him unimaginable pain. It was only her aunt Katherine, Robbyn's younger sister, and her husband Ivan that held her close, taking care of her all night.
As the sun rises without her mother to hold her to sleep, Beca's tears start to fall once more. But when she digs into her pockets to find a small lollipop, she clutches it tight, finding a new source of comfort in it.
But then again the universe destroys to create a new path which she is destined to walk through. It may have taken away something Beca holds dear in order to replace it with something just as precious. And it came in the form of sky blue eyes, curly auburn hair and a huge toothy grin.
It was only after a year that Beca finds out that maybe the universe intentionally gave her Chloe Beale as some sort of apology and maybe perhaps, in order for her world to bathe in colour once more.
She also finds out that quiet and awkward little kids don't exactly survive well in school, especially if it's your first time in this kind of educational setting. Beca was nine years old when she first experiences bullying. Being home schooled since she was six and basically, a foreigner with a French accent in her English, she finds adjusting hard. It was overwhelming and all Beca wanted was to go back home, back to France with her cousins.
The kids laugh at her when she tries to speak in front of class, they make a joke about her accent, how lousily done the ribbon on her hair tie was, how she keeps tripping at the playground, how bad she was at games, her height and how weak her body strength was.
But then every time the kids roll over in laughter while pointing fingers at her only one pair of eyes looks at her differently. Chloe doesn't laugh, not even once. She even yelled at the bullies for her and Beca learns that nobody dares to go against the most popular girl in class.
She was like an angel and Beca always stupidly looked at her in awe. But unfortunately, Beca also learns that a Vanderbilt and a Du Pont are never supposed to be seen together. It's as clear as the purest waters, especially when her biggest bullies are none other than the Vanderbilts themselves, Chloe's older cousins. There was Claire Vanderbilt, Lauren and Xander Hearst, Ethan Walton and Lucy Forbes. It also doesn't help that she is Darius Du Pont's daughter, the only heir to the Du Pont bloodline and possibly the future heir of the royal crown. This is where she starts to recognize jealousy for the first time. Thus, her suffering begins.
Her only consolation?
Getting a smile from Chloe Beale herself. It's always the highlight of her day to watch the charming little redhead comically chat with her group of friends, sing and dance energetically in class. And even though there were so many opportunities for Beca to come close to the popular redhead, her shyness always overcomes that desire to talk to the Vanderbilt again. So, she sadly resorts to just secretly watching over her, peeking from behind trees, walls and even from behind the book she was pretending to be busy with.
Well, the little Vanderbilt has had a knack for being a bit careless sometimes and Beca was just making sure that nothing bad happens to her. Like that one time, she lost her favourite pen—'It was my favourite teddy bear pen and it had glitter in it!' Chloe had cried when she couldn't find it and Beca was quick to scour every inch of the school in an attempt to get it back. Even if she had to get her skirt covered in dirt crawling around the ground during her search.
She finds it underneath one of the tables of the cafeteria.
Chloe's dazzling smile was worth all that trouble as she spots the pen on her desk where Beca had secretly placed it. She made sure no one was looking—and boy was she getting good in all the stealthy moves.
Beca may have felt that watching from a far was enough but if she thought that she was completely invisible to the little redhead by now, she was in for a surprise.
What started with a simple, "Hi, Beca!" slowly turns into, "What's your favourite colour?" and "Where do you eat lunch?" Chloe also suddenly happens to be everywhere near her and Beca does her best to avoid it. Not because she doesn't want to be near the Vanderbilt but because of her unfortunate habit of hiding away from her, a habit only triggered whenever Chloe is near. She also knows that Chloe's friends give her that wary look and if the redhead is trying to make her join their group, Beca knows perfectly well that she wouldn't fit in or be comfortable around them. It's such a stretch for someone so popular to befriend the outcast. Moreover, Beca couldn't bear to stand underneath the spotlight either, the very spotlight that always shines down on Chloe.
But of course her avoiding tactics were bound to fail.
She was hurrying to the bathroom one time, only to stop and check if any of those bullies are inside. She just doesn't want to be cornered against a wall and give up her homework for them to copy again or other things she is being harassed with. She got locked inside the bathroom stall when she refused so, being careful is a must. Sighing in relief when she finds it empty, she quickly enters.
She was almost leaving when she turns to find the very person she was painfully avoiding standing in her way.
"Beca!" Chloe greets her in that usual enthusiastic manner and Beca freezes instantly. She just knows at this point that she's about to make a fool out of herself.
"Do you like chocolate chip cookies?" she asks eagerly.
Now, before any of that, it's best to note that Beca loves music. Always have, always will. Her own little world is filled with it, fuelling her imaginations and dreams. It's one of the many things she got from her mother which was why her aunt Katherine gave her a pair of headphones as a gift for her ninth birthday, that very pair of headphones which is currently covering her ears. And at that moment, it just so happens that the music playing happens to be, 'You are my sunshine' by Johnny Cash, one of her mother's favourites.
She also taught Beca that the sunshine, despite being harmful to them is such a beautiful thing to see. She says it's one of the things she loves the most before she met Beca's father. But despite never getting to bask in it anymore, she says she doesn't need to look further because to her, Beca and her father will always be her sunshine.
"Sunshine,"
It takes only a second and the puzzled look on Chloe's face for Beca to realize that she had actually blurted the word out loud. Her eyes widen and her cheeks heat up immediately. She even thought of entering back in to one the stalls again to lock herself in it when the little redhead blurts out "Midnight!" in reply. It confuses her for a second until more strange words are being thrown around by the Vanderbilt.
Nevertheless, it was cute and Beca would have sputtered out a word of her own—Blueberry—because this definitely what she's good at, speaking weird words and gibberish, if it wasn't for the other girls coming in to steal Chloe's attention away.
It's another missed opportunity and Beca's hopes crash down yet again. She just can't do anything right, can't even act and talk like normal people do. It's frustrating and disappointing at the same time. Silently, she leaves, aware of the hostile looks from the other girls.
She may have thought it was the end of that but it seems Chloe Beale is actually hard to get rid of. Not when the little redhead finds her in the library the next day. That totally went so well too and now, she's a certified walking embarrassment.
But despite that she gains a nickname, courtesy of Chloe herself, and something to smile about like say, how Chloe also dreams of travelling one day.
By now Beca feels that maybe these little interactions, despite being awkward and surreal, are something she can look forward to everyday. Maybe she can be friends with the popular Chloe. However, as she musters all the confidence she has to try and walk towards the playground where the Vanderbilt is chatting with her friends, her resolve quickly crumbles at the sight of the large number of children, all screaming, playing and running around. Instead, she gulps hard and turns back around swiftly to run back towards her secret spot, heart hammering in her chest.
No, she can't be friends with Chloe.
Vanderbilts aren't supposed to mingle with a Du Pont and vice versa.
Sadly, she sits down on her spot to drown herself in music and let her imagination run wild as she looks at the pictures of places she dreams of visiting one day. It takes a while for her father's assistant to arrive and pick her up so she busies herself with reading for the meantime.
It had only been about a couple of minutes when she feels something soft and warm on her shoulder. That by itself is already enough to give her a shock, but when she turns to see red curls and baby blue eyes, Beca almost gets a serious heart attack. That small squeak she makes is surely going to take one of the top spots on her 'most embarrassing experiences' list.
Having her secret place finally discovered, Beca realizes she's out of places to hide to. But when she is offered delicious cookies and a title that reads, 'Chloe's best friend', she finds that she actually has a choice to make.
She doesn't have to give up her secret place after all. Maybe she just has to share it with someone else now and maybe she doesn't mind that.
In the end, she takes the cookies and the friendship she mentally promises to protect. Chloe is her best friend now and Beca swears this is something she would cherish dearly. And this time, she won't let it be taken away from her again. If anything, she'd fight for it until the end. It was at that point that she decides, she's going to protect Chloe.
Always and forever.
You should've known better. Nothing is forever.
Wake up
Wake up
Wake up, Beca
The first thing she notices is the sound of chirping birds followed by the earthy smell of nature. When she opens her eyes, vision slowly clearing up with every blink, the forest isn't as dark as it was as she last remembered it. There was sunlight spilling up ahead, breaking through the thick trees. She also realizes that she was inside a small cave and frankly, it's a fortunate thing. There was snow covering the ground outside and Beca would've been pissed at waking up to a damp snow covered ground again —like that time in Russia.
When she slowly turns her neck from the side to face straight up, her head is throbbing and she blames the intrusion of dream like memories she's fallen into while unconscious. She begins to move only to pause abruptly. It's unbelievable how she never even quickly realized how comfortably warm she is at the moment. How couldn't it feel so? Lying next to her, a warm body pressed against her side, an arm draped around her middle, legs tangled around her own and warm breathe tickling her neck, creating goose bumps across her skin.
It's even more ridiculous to see how her whole body is practically as straight as a log while the idiot next to her is clinging to her like a koala. It's also comparable to being strapped down on a medical table—also Russia—with the way she was firmly being held in place by arms and legs.
Looking at the sleeping Vanderbilt, she notices the long eyelashes, the curve of her nose, down to those slightly parted lips. Unconsciously, her hand slowly travels upwards, seemingly magnetized, towards the sleeping Vanderbilt's face. But when the second her fingers make contact with smooth soft skin, she pulls away instantly, finally making sense of what she had just done. She slowly slips away from the limbs tangled around her, pushing away the warmth, before quickly walking out of the cave to welcome the icy air outside.
Leaning against the rocky formation nearby, she places a hand against her chest, her heart beating hard and fast. Her breathing fast and shallow as she tries to calm the emotions threatening to spill out.
This has to stop
She hates it. She hates how she can still feel these things. She hates how many times she's been careless. She hates how she can still feel the pain when she should be used to it by now, used to it enough for her to feel numb. She hates how she still remembers everything so vividly well. She hates how the wounds of the past still ache and bleed.
She can't allow herself to be weak now, not at a time like this.
Minutes passed by, her breathing normalizes after a while and her heartbeat starts to return to its steady beating, her gaze turning cold, as cold as the winter winds biting sharply at her face. She quickly rebuilds her walls back up, even higher than before, spikes perfectly sharpened and aimed unto anything that threatens to come near her, near the single piece left of her heart. It's the only way she can protect herself. She has to, it's the only thing left to protect.
She's learned her lesson. This world is harsh and all she can truly depend on is herself. She's been alone even from the very beginning. She'll always be until the end.
She can't let the past bother her anymore.
No more slips this time
A/N:
More flashbacks. We are getting to the point where we start finding out more on Beca's point of view. Also just how adorable Bechloe was a billion years ago and just how much I'm building up the hate or angst that will come gushing out of all... one, two...four... eight of you. All eight of you-totes not urging other secretly lurking cuties to come out, nope, this isn't a reverse psychology tactic. So, eight people who are going to stab me in my sleep once I write the next few dark chapters. So, there's that. What else? Uhm. Uhh. Please don't... stab me. Love me, yeah, love me and my angst filled heart instead! :)
Also, excuse me Dracula but... We can live forever and suffer. Die as one together as lovers. Love will be cruel to who it entices. Love will have it's sacrifices.
Sa0621: Because I am a walking bunch of feels! Just kidding. I doubt you'd love my fic more than your own. I mean your puppy might be the ugliest puppy in the world but you'd still love them more than the cute little fluffy puppies out there-wait. no, scratch the ugly part. You're puppy is cute. All puppies are cute. And sure! Yes to more alien language in the future! Yes to more cool fighting scenes too! Aww. Thank you. I'm glad that my fic is like a motivation for you to write and that's very sweet to hear. Type away then my friend. Make 'em feel all the feels! sHAKE THEIR WORLD!
RJRMovieFan: The fight scenes actually stress me out, because I personally am not confident with it. I love action movies so for me, the bar is very high when it comes to that genre. I'm happy you liked it though. Yeah, Chloe represents someone who has no choice but to fight back. It's so complicated and distressing, I mean just imagining it is horrible. It's like finding yourself in a life or death situation where somebody you care about is the center of all that and it's either you do something to save them or let them die. And if you do save them in expense of taking somebody else's life that's just like such a very traumatic experience to be in. I may have added a bit of a joke in some parts of it to lighten the fic but this is actually a very dark story. Tune in next week! Haha.
Yuzu-chi01: "Goddess of all things badass!" Yup, framing and hanging that one up too. Well, we all need rainbows in our lives. Ever since I was young, I've actually always wished to have someone to speak alien language with, pull them into my craziness/weirdness and all that. This thought clearly inspired the alien talk scenes and there will be more of it in the future chapters because I love it! Yes, Beca uniting clans/bloodlines is a very good thought too. Ooh Staubrey~ I have plans, yes there are plans that might... not be subtle. Oh no, I don't want to take Anna Kendrick's title away from her! I'll just be like the 2nd in command of the Bechloe ship! Like the assistant of the captain! Well, Deadpool is like my brother so breaking the fourth wall already runs in the blood :)
Abs: Oh... wow.. that is... that is just... that's... well, I'm pretty awesome I know... no I'm not. I'm kidding. But oh god, that's the sweetest thing somebody's ever said to me (other than that time when somebody told me that I was fun to be with or that time someone said that my drunk self is cute). Also, I think I'm in love with that comment.
Kasia143: Russian aristocrats? Really? That's a very interesting fact! Funny 'cause most of Beca's darkest memories happened in Russia (And no I don't think Russians are evil. I just happened to pick Russia out of all the countries in the world. No offense to Russian readers-if there are any). I love that plot! I like all your ideas and that dialogue is gold. Stacie would definitely say that and Beca would look at her lazily and then go like, "Well, got no choice. Besides, I die either way. Just gonna go suffocate myself with her nasty perfume then," before running after her precious idiot Chloe who has heard the conversation and has now taken a samurai sword, is dressed up in all attack mode and is currently angrily storming off to kill the bitch because she needs to save her otter. Yeah, it's probably gonna go like that. Thanks, glad you liked all the flashbacks and the fight scenes. Haha it's okay everybody hates Tom at this point. Understandable.
Comiiksde: Thank you! I really wanted a badass Beca, badass in a way that is not like too much (too bad or too much of an ass haha) but you know, just right, just cool enough like there's always a reason why she does this and that but underneath she still somehow cares? Cares for her family, cares with what is right and cares about people in general despite all of what she's been through or the reputation built around her. She's going to be a badass leader for sure. Well, I've got so much angst and heart breaking feels inside me I guess. Just kidding! I like it when a story moves me, you know, makes me feel that twist in my stomach and that pinch right at the heart. I like that sort of feeling a lot so I just wanted to recreate feelings like that through writing (god, I'm getting emotional now ehem ehem). Yes to STAUBREY! Aww, thanks. Now, excuse me while I go advertise myself on Tumblr. :)
Guest: Tom's pee pee wants to apologize for upsetting this guest. Tom's pee pee wants to make it right by asking the offended guest out for some netflix and chill or JUST CHILL. Yeah, just chill. Chill. Chillin' Right. Chill. Just some snacks and chill. Ice-cream is probably included in the offer. Chill.
Parziwolf: Otters are very badass. They build their very fancy homes with slides using their small little rock tools, were worshiped by some cult, they are okay with adoption, they have very thick warm furs, some tribe said that they are a symbol loyalty and honesty (although they are also known for 'dread, the undead and drowning' so yeah a bit contradicting but anyways), they love eating and sleeping and they hold hands or hug while they sleep! Okay now let's talk about red pandas... they're adorable, sweet and one of them might be secretly in love with a badass otter (ehem ehem) and that's all you need to know.
Oh I'd love to make a movie with this and we all know who I'm going to cast~
Nope, it's okay. You can read my replies first. Do whatever you want. I'm cool with anything (except drugs, cigarettes and people abusing animals). Thanks for the appreciation. I used to not reply back actually but I've realized communicating with readers is good. All of you are smart and funny and cool and really supportive (excuse me while I cry in a corner)
Yeah! I like puns. I'm so bad at them though. Oh yeah the harp, definitely. It's a must! Gotta' play the harp right ;) See you next week wolf!
Thank you to everyone who favorited, followed and commented/reviewed Midnight Sunshine! I love and appreciate all of it. See ya next week. Until then just eat lots, sleep like pandas and sing in the shower! Always sing in the shower. You might actually find your soulmate through shower singing.