Chapter 14
Such Dramatics
Walking as swiftly as my little legs allowed, I tried my best to ignore Stacie's calls. It seemed as if she was right behind me so with that thought, I looked back. To my dismay, she was right at my heels.
"Damn." I swore under my breath and forced myself not to pull at my hair in aggravation.
"Beca! Wait up!"
"Not now, Stacie." I shouted over my shoulder and witnessed the determination flash in her eyes. Great. Doubling my pace, I immediately walked towards the courtyard that was strangely filled with students. I couldn't believe my luck.
I brushed and dodged past people, even managing to elbow someone in my haste. "Sorry, dude!" I threw out half-heartedly before rushing towards the single tree the three of us spent last Monday. Swiftly, I sneakily avoided Stacie's line of sight by circling a burly guy and hid behind the bark of said tree.
And for the first time in my life, I was thankful for my height and since the tree's body was wide enough, I was pretty much hidden from view… I think.
Inhaling deep gulps of air to steady my breathing, I anxiously listened for Stacie to be near or pass by my hiding spot. Knowing her, the girl was probably cursing out loud. I took out my phone to know what time it was already.
Forty minutes after three in the afternoon and at least eight minutes since I left my friends behind. Huh, never knew the first half took so long. Then again, I know nothing about football.
Anyways, Stacie should be where I am right about now since she has ridiculously long legs with the added bonus of a fast pace when she's determined about catching something.
Five.
Four.
What's taking her so long? I couldn't get out from this hiding spot without the assurance of her not finding me going to my designated spot. The place that calms me so much—the auditorium.
Three.
Two.
"That damn midget. Where'd she go?"
Ah, right on time.
I would've grinned at my lucky accuracy if it hadn't been for my heart that was thundering loudly inside my chest. Damn, I'm more nervous than I thought.
C'mon, Stacie. Get out of here already!
I heard my brunette friend sigh heavily before stomping towards somewhere, probably to where she thought I would be. Though, I'm sure she'll be able to figure out where exactly I would be after she checks the schoolyard, the library and finally the rooftop. So with all my might, I sprinted across the yard and went straight to the auditorium where I could find the piano and be able to pour my hurt, surprise and anger out. But mostly, hurt.
Pushing one of the double doors slightly, I peeked in to survey the area. Satisfied that not a single soul was around, I slipped in the small slit of the door and went straight to the stage where the slick black piano was situated.
Opening up the lid, I sat down at the small chair and pressed some keys for some warm up. And before I knew it, my hands began gliding across the keys producing a soft melancholic yet unknown melody.
This sure was fitting.
"I was thinking 'bout you, thinking 'bout me, thinking 'bout us, what we gon' be? Open my eyes; it was only just a dream…" My eyes stung all of a sudden. "So I travel back down that road. Will you say 'yes'? No one knows. I realize, yeah it was only just a dream."
I wonder, Chloe, what would your answer be?
With my heart starting to ache, I miserably tried to bite back the hurt the song inexplicably inflicted on me. "I was at the top and now it's like I'm in the basement. Number one spot 'till he came and replaced me."
Stupid Tom! God, why was even he born into this world? Oh that's right, to break me. "I swear now I can't take it, knowing somebody's got my baby. And now you ain't around, baby, I can't think. It's hard to leave the ground with these broken wings."
I mentally sighed. Why did I have to fall for a girl that's so out of my league? Am I really that frowned upon by the universe that they'd do anything to crush my already fragile self? "'Cuz I can still feel it in the air! I'm falling hard for you and I'm getting scared."
Still, I couldn't help but think… Did I do the right thing by running away? Psh, of course it was! But even with the tone my inner self spoke in, I couldn't contain the frown that formed on my lips. "My love of my life; my darling, goodbye. I ran, now I'm tied 'cause I knew that it just ain't right."
"I was thinking 'bout you, thinking 'bout me, thinking 'bout us, what we gon' be?" Would I ever get my girl? "Open my eyes; it was only just a dream… So I travel back down that road. Will you say 'yes'? No one knows. I realize, yeah it was only just a dream."
Come to think of it, Chloe's voice is a melodious one that could easily turn me into mush. I wonder; would she still talk to me if Tom and she start dating after prom? "When I was runnin' I swear; I hear her voice with every turn. A spark is there and it'll always burn." What I would give to have the courage to tell her how I feel. "And I just hope she knows that she's the only one I yearn for. Oh how I crave her, just wish she knows." Damn.
"Didn't show her all my love, I guess now I got my payback. Now, I'm all alone thinkin' all about my baby. Hey! She is so easy to love. But wait, I guess love wasn't enough. I'm going through it every time that I would think. And now I'm wishin' I knocked that guy cold." Without meaning to, I grinned at my choice of words. If only I were able to punch Tom, he wouldn't have been able to ask Chloe out. A big mistake on my part. "But if that is my decision, I'm sure I'd get kicked out 'cause… I'm in the wrong." Then again…
After repeating the chorus, I changed keys and asked softly to the large, empty auditorium. "If you ever love somebody, put your hands up. Now they're gone and you wish you gave them everything. If you ever love somebody, put your hands up. Now they're gone and you wish you gave them everything."
A lump formed in my throat and all of a sudden, I was fighting to keep my composure. Even though I knew nobody was here, one could never be too sure and I just couldn't risk somebody seeing me breakdown. I am a badass, after all.
As the last note rung throughout the closed building, a voice spoke from somewhere near the entrance, I presume. The sudden noise, though, effectively scared the shit out of me.
"That was beautiful, Beca."
I jumped a good foot in the air.
"Crap," I murmured to myself.
Still, I couldn't help but crack a small smile upon hearing my best friend's words and the fact that my decision to hold it in was right. Trying to act nonchalant about the given compliment, I shrugged my shoulders and cockily retorted—at least I hope it was cocky, "Well what do you expect, Stace?"
She chuckled as the sound of her steps grew in volume until I felt her commanding presence behind me. I sighed deeply when I felt her hand on my shoulder before giving me an encouraging squeeze.
"But you didn't have to play it so miserably, you know? The song's original tune is quite catchy even if the lyrics speak otherwise," she joked and I shrugged again in return.
A sigh was heard in the silence that lapsed between us. But this time, it wasn't mine.
The clicks of her heels were heard once more and I could make out Stacie's form from my peripherals.
"Scoot over," she demanded before she playfully nudged my shoulder. But to be honest, it was more of a bump than a nudge.
Her hand encircled my forearm and she gave it a slight squeeze. "Hey," she cooed as she tried to make me face her.
"How'd it go?" I whispered brokenly. I wasn't sure if she understood what I was implying but apparently she did, judging by how her smile fell a bit.
"Well… She didn't answer him directly…" She trailed off. Ah, got to hand it to her. She perfectly understands me.
"Yet." And I finished the sentence for her, my voice filled with so much disdain for the guy that it seemed to shock Stacie.
"Hey, come on now, Beca. Chloe didn't give him an answer so technically, you still have a chance to ask her—"
"Ask her out?" I cut her off as I shot up from my chair, the anger and hurt hit me with an intense vengeance that my voice was two times higher in pitch when I spoke. "Are you seriously giving me that don't-give-up piece of crap, Stace?!"
"Calm down, Becs…" She reached out to get a hold of my arm but I pushed her advances away. I almost apologized when I saw the hurt on Stacie's face but I was too far gone on my anger to really think about the consequences of my actions and words.
"Calm down? You're telling me to calm down? Ha! That's a good one! But you don't need to tell me to calm down, Stace, that's because I am calm!"
"Beca…"
"No, no, no, no. No! No, okay?! You don't get to just barge in here and tell me that I still have a chance to ask Chloe out to prom. 'Cause guess what?"
"What?" She whispered; her voice cracking up at the end as tears started to form at the corner of her eyes. I was vaguely aware my own tears sliding down my cheeks.
"The person who just did that is Barden's freaking quarterback! Girls would kill to be in Chloe's place right now. And who's to say just because she didn't give him an answer now, she won't agree tomorrow or maybe even later tonight?"
"You don't know that."
Hearing her words, I paused and tried in vain to reign in my negative emotions. "Sorry," I started out as I hung my head low in shame, "I shouldn't have taken it all out on you. I'm so sorry, Stacie." My legs gave out and my rear hit the hard surface of the piano bench, all the while my face craned to the left and hidden from her sight through my brown tresses.
"Hey," she cooed as she cautiously cupped my chin in between her thumb and forefinger then slowly lifted my face up for me to meet her gaze, understanding and acceptance shone in her eyes. "It's fine, Beca."
A tear slipped down my cheeks, followed by another then another. Once again, I was crying. And before I knew it, I was pouring my eyes out into Stacie's shirt as she held me as I cried.
It was approximately ten minutes later that my tears slowed down before effectively stopping a good two minutes later.
I pulled away immediately, not quite meeting Stacie's eyes.
"Charming," she stated. Sarcasm oozing in every sense of the word.
I smirked despite my embarrassment. "Ass," I retorted with a small glare at her slightly smug grin.
She shrugged. "Hey, no need to get all green-eyed monster on me. I mean, yeah, just because my ass is that perfect doesn't give you—"
"Oh god… Stacie, just shut up!" I intercepted her slightly narcissistic rant as I covered my face with my hands. Really, twice in a row, I'm losing my touch.
My eyes widened at the thought.
Oh god, oh god, oh god!—was all my mind could pull out of my vocabulary, really.
I'm losing my badass-ness-ish! Whatever! This was not happening to me! I do not cry! Especially in front of Stacie. Great, just when I thought my eyes could not get any wider. And I definitely do not get embarrassed! Now, I'm absolutely positive that my face—without a doubt, like at all—looked horrified. Mortified, even. Or whichever adjective suits your tastes.
Just then, Stacie's concerned face came into view, "Beca?" she asked with a slightly shaky voice, "Are you alright? You look paler than usual."
Gulping loudly, and simultaneously stomping down the frantic thoughts of my traumatic discovery, I nodded stiffly. "Sure."
She looked at me funny but I couldn't care less. I'm certain that once she knows what my thoughts were about, the teasing—heed my words: Would. Not. Stop.
She stared at me for a while before shrugging her shoulders making me internally release a sigh of relief. At least, she dropped the subject and I'm safe. For now.
Just then, as if a light bulb clicked inside her head, she beamed at me. Wow, this was the second time I got to see my friend grin manically.
I looked at her warily, my guts going wild upon seeing the grin getting impossibly wider by the minute. "Uh Sta…" I coughed—surely my voice couldn't get that high?—before speaking once more, "Stace…" Ah, much better. "Are you alright?"
"Splendid!" was her immediate reply. Which, of course, did not soothe my worries at all.
"You sure?"
A nod.
Twice.
Thrice… and counting.
Surprised she was not getting any whiplash from how fast she was nodding while being tempted to stop it altogether, I opted to stare incredulously with a hint of wariness at her instead.
Soon enough, she stopped and looked as if she was about to do an Aubrey on me. I gulped in apprehension. "Stacie? Are you alright?"
She held out a hand and I nodded in acknowledgement. A few deep breaths, some unwelcomed thoughts and a good five minutes later, Stacie's face finally returned to its normal color.
I almost cheered in delight. I would prefer her goofy, natural tone look rather than the slightly uncomfortable, green-ish, scrunched up face she wore earlier.
"Remind me to never do that in my lifetime ever again," she said shakily, but the serious almost manic look on her eyes got me nodding immediately.
But because of my sarcastic nature, I couldn't help but ask, "You think?"
She glared at me briefly before that creepy smile from earlier formed on her lips.
Great. What ingenious, full proof, fun plan had she thought of now? 'Cause if she suggests serenading a certain redhead, I wouldn't hesitate to strangle her here in the empty auditorium and bury her body where absolutely no one could find her.
Whoah, now that's what you call a flawless plan.
Oh crap, her lips were moving. I'm pretty certain she just asked me something, what with her eyebrow raised and all.
"Uhh…" I said dumbly, because really? What else could I say?
She rolled her eyes before fixing me a pointed stare, let out an exasperated sigh then reiterated, "I said…" she paused for dramatic effect, "we should hit the club tonight."
I blinked, three times, for me to process what my best friend just suggested. And when finally it did, a full blown grin spread on my face.
Bring on the booze! And music!
Stacie looked momentarily disturbed, probably from seeing me grinning like a serial killer right now, but no one could blame me for my reaction.
"Stace, that's brilliant! Pure genius! I could just kiss you right now!" I exclaimed, unable to contain the excitement within me. I faltered a bit though when I saw Stacie's mortified look and my words registered in my consciousness. So I backtracked, seeing that it's the most logical thing to do.
And because my nerves were all over the place at the moment, I did what I was known best in such situations.
Rambling.
"I mean, not that I would kiss you because I got somebody else on my mind. But I'm sure somebody else would love to do you, kiss you, I mean! Like a... a blondie best friend of my desired redhead. Yeah! No wait, did I just say that? Ohgodohgodohgod! This is not happening, not happening at all. Please tell me I did not just say that?! No, don't answer that…" I cut myself off and was now bordering to hysterical when my gaze fell upon a highly amused—is that a cell phone on her hand?—Stacie.
Curiosity peeked in after a few moments of silence when Stacie was still clutching the phone on her hand. "Uh, Stace?"
She hummed in reply.
"Why's there a phone on your hand?"
She grinned big, her eyes alight with mischief. She stood up and slowly made her way to the double doors while I watched her like a hawk and thought of the possibilities. Realization hit me like a ton of bricks when I remembered Stacie's phone has a recorder in it.
I sprang from my seat just as Stacie made a hasty exit.
"Stacie Conrad, you are a dead woman, woman!"
With that, I ran after her.
~;~
My phone rang as soon as I plumped down on the bed to tie the laces of my comfortable sneakers. Kimmy Jin shot me a glare from where she sat, silently telling me to answer the damn thing before she reaches for it herself and throws it straight to the wall to meet its doom.
Yeah, not happening.
Grumbling under my breath while quickly finishing the task, I lunged for my phone and miraculously yet narrowly avoided the collision of my head with the table.
Not even bothering to look who was calling, I answered with a passive, "Yeah?"
"Open sesame."
"Lame." Was that Jesse just now?
"You're one to talk, movie boy!"
Confused beyond belief, I retracted the phone from my ears to stare at the caller's I.D, only to roll my eyes upon seeing Stacie's grinning face.
Huffing, I pressed the phone back near my ears before asking, "Really?"
Then I heard a rather neat beat on our door.
Biting my lip to prevent my smile, I walked towards the door, shook my head in exasperation at my friends' childish antics, and then opened the door. What I wasn't expecting however was for my bum to meet the floor.
A grunt of pain escaped from my lips before I looked up and encountered the two grinning faces of one Stacie Conrad and Jesse Swanson. Now that's a horrific sight.
"I always knew you were short, Becs, but damn! How'd you get way down there?" teased Jesse as his face splitting grin kept on getting wider along with his amusement.
"Now, now, Jess, that's no way to treat a lady," piped Stacie from beside him.
"Treat a lady, my ass!" I grumbled grumpily as I slowly stood up and brushed the invisible dirt on my jeans.
"I'm sorry," Stacie said while leaning towards me with a hand on her ear, "I didn't catch that, Becs. Could you please repeat it?" she asked with exaggerated sweetness.
Finally standing on my own two feet, I rolled my eyes at her tone before scowling at their mischievous expressions. "What?"
Stacie shrugged while Jesse placed his hands on the pocket of his jeans, rocking back and forth on the balls of his feet. And then Stacie's face broke out into another one of her manic grins. "So, are going to the club now or what?"
I stared at her blankly before sarcastically saying, "Or what."
She playfully glared at me before stalking out of my room. A few seconds after her form disappeared, her head popped out. She looked at me then at Jesse and jokingly said, "Oh come on, Jesse! You're supposed to back me out on my storm out, remember? You're my long-lost twin for Pete's sake!" With another eye roll, she was lost.
Jesse and I shared a look before my friend shrugged and took off after his—pseudo—twin. Shaking my head in amusement, I grabbed my jacket, wallet and keys before following them.
Halfway from closing the door, Kimmy Jin spoke, "Hey, Beca? If you think Chloe doesn't like you then you're a bigger idiot than I thought."
I gaped at her and she gave me a pensive stare in return.
"Uh…"
It might have been my imagination, but I could have sworn I saw a barely there smile before it disappeared completely.
"Have fun," she said before focusing back on her laptop.
"T-thanks," I managed to squeak out before hightailing it out of there. This was starting to be one weird night, and I didn't even have any drinks yet!
xxx
Hey guys. Again, I'm sorry for not updating in quite a while. Just, busy with life and whatnot. But I'm really thankful for the reviews I got last chapter and I'm glad you enjoyed it. Except the Tom part, of course. Which, I had originally planned to happen in the story when I first started it so sorry if you aren't happy about it. But hey, every story's got to have a little drama to make it interesting, yeah?
Right.
Did I thank you guys for the reviews and alerts already? Yep, I did. But I'm sorry if I'm not able to respond to any of them recently. I'm just really tired right now but I'll try answering them in the next update. I'm not really sure when the next update will be, but rest assured, I will update.
Ah yes, before I forget, I may have changed some parts of the song that I borrowed—Nelly's Just A Dream. That part is actually the reason why this chapter took so long. I had to adjust some words to let it be appropriate for what Beca's feeling… so yeah.
Mistakes are all mine, please excuse them. If not, tell me in a review or something.
Again, thanks for reading… and for being patient with me. :D
P.S Pitch Perfect is not mine… That is a dream come true if it were the case.