Defying-Gravy: Thank you!
SeaSpray79: I honestly can't even give you an estimate. But the entire story is planned out. And, well, from looking at that, I would say...a lot.
Calelucas: Welcome to the story!
EnvyTheEnding (1, 2, 3, 4): Nice to finally have you on board! As a friend who has your best interest in mind (I mean, I do share my pumpkin foods with you after all), I will make sure you are obsessed with Aubrey in no time.
Arrhythmia
Talking like we used to do,
It was always me and you.
Shaping up and shipping out,
Check me in and check me out.
-Vance Joy
"So, we're good friends, right?" Chloe asked.
"We're moving in together next semester, Chloe," Aubrey reminded her, focused on untying her shoe to remove a rock that had been jabbing her heel for close to a mile. "We're something." The rest of the Outdoors Club had settled down for a break a few feet ahead, chattering about the casualties during The Battle of Kennesaw Mountain, commenting how someone could have bled out right where they were standing. She tugged off her sneaker and patted the heel to dislodge the pebble. It was hard to believe they were hiking where roughly 4,000 people had died during The Civil War. She wondered what the deceased would think if they knew the world was not much better now than it was then – and that their death site was not used to teach, but as a place to walk dogs and host family picnics.
Chloe sat down beside her with her knees bent and her arms draped over her legs. She tapped her water bottle against her leg and leaned over, nudging Aubrey's shoulder with her own.
Aubrey dropped her shoe. She frowned and shot Chloe a glare then picked it back up again. "You're my best friend, Chloe," she admitted, but began to doubt her words as she was forced to shake more dirt out of her shoe. She grit her teeth and slid her shoe back on before anything else could get inside, focusing on double knotting the laces. Sighing, she folded her arms across her knees, mimicking Chloe's position. "Why?"
"I have something for you." Chloe shrugged. She reached in her pocket and dug out a heart-folded sheet of lined paper with Aubrey's name scribbled on it in fancy cursive. She smiled and held it up between her thumb and forefinger.
Aubrey straightened her back and looked at the letter. Why would someone give a letter to Chloe to give to her rather than just approach her and speak to her? "Who's it from?" she asked as she reached for it.
Chloe pulled it back before Aubrey could grab it and let out a laugh. "It's from me, Sily." She placed her free hand on her chest. "Your best friend, soon to be roomie, Chloe."
Aubrey dropped her arm uselessly down by her side, her knuckles hitting the dirt. At least, judging by Chloe's words, it wasn't a letter saying that she had found a different roommate. "Chloe, why would you write me a letter when I'm right here?"
"It's not a letter," Chloe answered. "If it was a letter, I would have mailed it to you." She beamed. "It's a note." She leaned in closer to Aubrey, keeping the paper out of her reach. "And don't worry; it's a good note." She paused. "Didn't you ever pass notes with anyone before?"
"In third grade," Aubrey said, not taking her eyes off the note. She had passed a note to David Reynolds, informing him that his head was too big and she couldn't see the blackboard. Her father had not been nearly as angry as she had expected him to be after she was caught and had to call home to tell her parents what she had done. According to him, someone had to tell David that his head was big, and it just happened to be Aubrey who was sitting behind him. She had gotten off light with her father that day, making her mother's disapproving glances when she returned home easy to ignore.
"Hey!" Chad, leader of the Outdoors Club, called at them. "Earth to Aubrey and Chloe!"
Aubrey turned her head and Chloe leaned forward to see around her.
"You two lovebirds coming or what?" Chad asked and motioned to the rest of the group, who had started walking down the trail.
Aubrey took once last look at the note. Chloe could give it to her as they were walking. She pressed her hands flat against the ground to push herself to her feet, but Chloe immediately grabbed her upper arm and pulled her back down. On the other hand, they knew the trail well enough that they could stand to wait a few minutes while the rest of the group forged on ahead. Aubrey blinked and rubbed her hands together to brush off the dirt. "We can talk as we walk," she reminded her, though her feet could use some more rest.
"We'll catch up," Chloe told Chad.
Chad shrugged and turned to walk with the group. "Suit yourselves!" He gave them a one-handed wave.
"Here." Chloe grabbed Aubrey's hand and pressed the note into her palm, closing Aubrey's fingers over it. "Don't read it right now. I just had a hard time waiting to give it to you." She squeezed Aubrey's fist. "You don't have to answer it right away."
Aubrey looked down at a corner of the paper sticking out between two of her fingers and nodded. "Okay." She smiled at Chloe then pulled her hand away and unzipped the fanny-pack she was wearing. She placed the note safely inside a mesh pocket in the main pouch then re-zipped the bag. It practically started to burn a hole through the bag and begged to be taken out and read. Aubrey clasped her hands together to avoid pulling it back out.
"We should catch up before they assume we've been eaten by a bear," Chloe pointed out. She got to her feet and brushed off the back of her shorts.
Aubrey furrowed her brows. "Are there bears here?" She looked around, but realized quickly there would be no way to tell if there were. She hadn't seen any signs regarding bears during any of their trips – but they were in the woods. She shook her head to herself. "We're more likely to get attacked by unleashed dogs." At least two of those had passed since she and Chloe had sat down.
"Unleashed dogs then," Chloe corrected herself, reaching down to help Aubrey up.
Aubrey grabbed her hands and let Chloe pull her to her feet. She glanced down at her shorts then pulled her hands away and tried to brush off the dirt. She craned her neck, trying to make sure she wiped it all off.
Chloe circled around behind her and tilted her head to the side. "Your butt is fine," she told her. She smirked and winked at her.
Aubrey's face flushed red and she quickly crossed her arms behind her, covering her rear end with her hands. She stifled a smile and spun around, swinging one arm out and smacking Chloe in the thigh.
"Ow!" Chloe covered her thigh with one hand, an indignant pout forming on her face. "I was being nice!" She placed her hands on her hips. "I could have said your butt was flabby."
"Flabby?" Aubrey mouthed, making sure she heard her correctly. Her mouth fell open and she folded her arms across her chest. "You wouldn't dare."
Chloe arched her eyebrows and tilted her head to the side.
"Well, your butt is still dirty," Aubrey pointed out.
"Really?" Chloe lifted her arm and did a half spin as she turned her head in an attempt to see the back of her pants. "No, it's not, Aubrey. You're such a liar."
"Keep looking; the dirt is there," Aubrey insisted, trying to keep the amusement out of her tone. She reached down once Chloe's back was to her and grabbed a handful of dry dirt. "I'm not lying, Chloe." She smacked her hand against Chloe's butt, rubbing the dirt against her shorts.
"Aubrey!" Chloe gasped and spun around, grabbing Aubrey by the wrists. She gaped at her for a few moments before fighting to hold back a smirk. "You are not a nice person!"
Aubrey raised her brows. "You're the one who said my butt was flabby," she pointed out, lowering her voice as a group of people walked past them on the trail.
Chloe leaned in closer to her, also lowering her voice. "Only because you got mad that I said it was fine," she defended herself.
"You were objectifying it," Aubrey retorted.
One of the men walking by did a double take at Chloe's shorts. "Nice," he commented with a nod and kept walking.
Aubrey clamped her lips together to keep from laughing. She quickly regained her composure. "Someone likes your butt, too," she did her best to deadpan, her lips twitching as she spoke.
Chloe glared at the back of his head. She let go of one of Aubrey's wrists and covered her rear end. "Aubrey!" she whined in a whisper. She forcefully brushed the back of her shorts with her hand. "People are staring at me."
Aubrey shrugged and lifted one hand, Chloe's hand still attached to her wrist. "Well, you have dirt all over," she reminded her casually.
Chloe let go of Aubrey's other wrist and crossed her arms. She leaned in, her face a few centimeters away from Aubrey's. "Will you please help me brush it off?" she asked. She stuck out her lower lip. "Please?"
That face would never be fair. Aubrey lifted her hand and made a twirling motion with her finger, directing Chloe to turn around. She placed one hand on Chloe's shoulder once Chloe was facing away from her then used her free hand to brush the rest of the dirt and gravel off her shorts. "You're good." She patted Chloe's shoulder.
"Good." Chloe turned back around to face her. "I thought I was going to have to go ask that guy to help me." She grabbed Aubrey's hand off her shoulder and laced their fingers. It didn't matter how many times she touched Aubrey, it still always caused electric shocks to shoot through Aubrey's nerve endings.
Aubrey flexed her fingers then closed them around Chloe's hand, her entire arm tingling. "We should try to catch up to everyone," she said. She would have to walk slow. If they remained several feet behind their group, she could continue to hold Chloe's hand throughout the rest of the hike. She glanced at their hands, feeling suddenly warm.
Chloe followed Aubrey's gaze to their hands then looked up at Aubrey and winked. She nodded toward the trail and took a few steps, pulling Aubrey along with her.
Anxiety about the note forgotten, Aubrey trailed along beside her, eager to discover what it said.
xxxxx
"So, what are we, Aubrey?" Chloe asks.
Aubrey picks at a loose string on the blanket that she pulled down off the back of her couch and dwells on the question. She stretches the string out across Chloe's bare chest then absently nudges it with her fingertips, trying to create symmetrical shapes. The string refuses to make straight edges and she sighs against Chloe's neck. "We're something." It sounded less vague in her head. But whatever they are doesn't exactly have a word. She rolls onto her stomach with her arms folded across Chloe's chest, her chin resting on her wrist. She taps her fingers on her arm and lifts her gaze to meet Chloe's eyes. "Chloe?"
Chloe looks up, absently twirling a few strands of Aubrey's hair around her fingers. "I guess something is better than nothing." She presses her lips together to form a tight smile.
Aubrey ignores her comment. "Will you go on a date with me?"
"You mean like a real date?" Chloe blinks and shifts back against the cushions, getting more comfortable.
Aubrey nods. There had to be somewhere elegant on this island where she could take Chloe. "Dinner," she suggests. She'll have to find time to tolerate the inn keeper long enough to ask her about restaurants in the area. She realizes she's still tapping her fingers when Chloe covers them with her hand and she stops. "If we're going to be girlfriends," she pauses, "again...I want to do this right."
"Right?" Chloe repeats her. She smirks and leans forward until their foreheads are almost touching. "Aubrey Posen, are you trying to court me?"
"You couldn't handle courtship, Chloe." Aubrey props herself up more. "You'd have to give up sex."
Chloe cringes and drops back down against the pillow behind her. "How do people even do that?" she asks. She shrugs and shakes her head. "We'll just overlook that rule."
Aubrey nods in agreement. "Okay." She leans forward and gently presses her lips against Chloe's mouth.
Chloe closes her eyes and crosses her arms over Aubrey's mid-back, pulling her in closer. She sighs and tilts her head, directing Aubrey's mouth toward her jaw.
xxxxx
Aubrey kicked off her shoes and tossed her bag onto her bed. She crawled up onto her mattress alongside her pillows, situating herself in the corner of the bed before grabbing her bag and pulling the zipper open. The note was still in the pocket where she left it. She pulled it out, careful not to ruin the fold, and ran her fingers around the edges of the paper. She stared at her name, admiring Chloe's perfect handwriting. For someone who was always so messy, Chloe's handwriting was remarkably legible – and much fancier than Aubrey could ever get hers to be. She shifted so she was sitting crisscross and held the note against her lap, almost not wanting to ruin it by opening it.
But, no doubt, Chloe would soon be texting her something along the lines of, 'omg did u open it yet?!'
Aubrey took a breath and peeled the paper apart slowly, avoiding making any tears. It unfolded into a square smaller than she expected. It wasn't even a full sheet of paper, only just bigger than the palm of her hand. She placed it flat on the bed, name-side up, and smoothed out the folds. Aubrey was certain that she could just stare at her name for forever and be content. She squinted her eyes, attempting to see if she could see the words on the other side of the paper, but they were just faint lines. She could almost hear Chloe in the back of her head saying, 'You know, you're going to have to flip it over eventually, right?' and feel her nudging her shoulder.
Gathering up her courage, Aubrey held her breath and flipped the sheet over in one swift moment. For a moment, the letters didn't make sense as she tried to read them, expecting words. It looked like Chloe had just shoved the alphabet together into one long not-a-word. It quickly registered that Chloe had written down a youtube link, followed by the words, 'You don't have to answer right away. - Love, Chloe'
Aubrey leaned forward and grabbed her laptop and earphones off the desk beside her bed, already impatient for the computer to turn on and be ready to use.
xxxxx
Someone's fist bangs against the door.
Aubrey tries to ignore it. It's not as though it can be anyone important. The only important person is naked and underneath her. She sighs and continues trailing kisses across Chloe's neck.
Chloe shifts slightly away from Aubrey and turns her face in the direction of the door, opening her eyes. She looks up at Aubrey, waiting for her to address the intruder.
Aubrey groans and sits up, picking the blanket up with her to cover her chest. She looks toward the door. "Who is it?" she snaps. Her breath catches momentarily as she considers that Beca might be stupid enough to show up at her room in broad daylight while Chloe is around. Clenching her teeth, she leans back against the couch.
"It's Cynthia-Rose!"
Aubrey lets out a breath and rolls her eyes. "I'm sorry, Cynthia-Rose," she calls, "but I'm busy with something." She folds her arms, knowing that it would be pointless to trust that Cynthia-Rose would simply leave.
"Something?" Chloe murmurs. "Hey!"
Aubrey looks down at her. "Well, I wasn't going to say someone," she hisses. She presses her lips together and looks at the door again.
"It's Stacie and Fat Amy out here too," Cynthia-Rose yells through the door. "You two been in there all morning!"
"I told you they're having sex," Stacie states.
"Ehhh," Amy contradicts her, "Pretty sure they're still fighting."
"Angry sex then," Stacie corrects herself.
"We're not having sex!" Aubrey argues with them. At least not now they're not. "Or fighting!" She slouches backward. "Go away!"
"Aubrey," Chloe scolds her, laughing as she lightly slaps Aubrey's side. "Those are our friends."
"Clearly, they're not my friends, Chloe." Aubrey narrows her eyes. "If they were, they would leave." She nods confidently. "Make them leave." She tightens her arms across her chest, holding the blanket up with them.
"Hey!" Stacie bangs on the door. "I don't have all day."
Chloe draws in a deep breath and rests a hand on Aubrey's shoulder. "Do you really want me to make them go away?" she asks. "Like you really want me to?" She squeezes Aubrey's shoulder. "More than anything?"
Aubrey grinds her teeth together, aware that Chloe is just joining them in irritating her now. She thrusts her hand out in the direction of the door, gripping the blanket with the other hand to keep it from falling. "Yes, Chloe," she states, clearly, "I want you to tell them to go away." She inhales then exhales a slow, composed breath. It's not that she doesn't want to be around them. It's just that she wants to be around Chloe.
"Ouch, Aubrey," Amy says and knocks on the door. "Look, I'm sorry I told Chloe about you and Beca, but she just looked really pathetic when she asked why I was sleeping on the couch."
Chloe scoffs.
"And I'm sorry that I called you pathetic, Chloe," Amy adds, "But you were naked and hungover."
"You're not helping," Stacie cuts in.
Aubrey lets her hand fall to her side. "Really, Chloe? Naked?" On second thought, she isn't shocked at all by that.
"Hey, you put me to bed naked," Chloe reminds her. "And you didn't tell me Amy was going to be here."
"I told you they're saving sex," Stacie comments. "Five dollars, please."
Aubrey decides that she's requesting a thicker door, or only remaining friends with Lilly.
Chloe frowns. "Only five dollars on that bet?" she mumbles.
Aubrey folds her arms again and looks back and forth between Chloe and the door.
There are small taps on the door that increase in speed and volume until they're practically an off-beat drumroll. "A Bee!" Sophia yells. "Come out!"
"Aubrey, this kid's been yellin' for you all damn morning," Cynthia-Rose says. "Either you come out or Imma break this door down."
"Oh my god," Chloe gushes. She overlaps her hands on her chest. "Aubrey."
Aubrey stares hard at the door. She's willing to bet that Stacie's five dollars went straight towards bribing Sophia to start knocking on the door.
"A Bee, we go swim!" Sophia yells. "You come too!"
Aubrey slouches back further, not taking her eyes off the door. She does need to get up and get dressed, even if she would prefer it be to go jogging.
"A Beeeeee," Sophia whines, "Come on! Swim in da pool!"
Chloe grins and playfully shoves Aubrey's arm. "How can you resist that?" She lightly trails her fingers up and down Aubrey's elbow. "At least we'll be swimming in the pool," she tries to help convince her, "...and with clothes, this time."
As if Sophia begging wasn't enough. Aubrey turns to look at Chloe. "Fine," says, giving in. She inches over Chloe then gets to her feet, wrapping the blanket tightly around herself as she does so. Holding the blanket up against her chest with one hand, she leans over and gathers their clothes from the floor and the couch. She turns and debates handing Chloe her clothes, holding them out of her reach. "Are you going to put these away where they belong?" She arches her brows, not looking forward to picking up after Chloe before they leave to return home.
Chloe sits up and runs her fingers through her hair. "I'm going to wear the shirt to the pool." She holds out her hand.
"Don't leave your bra on the couch." Aubrey hands Chloe her clothes.
Chloe nods. "Okay, Mom." She drapes her shirt and bra over her shoulder and leans forward to slide her underwear on. "I promise I'll put it away."
"What are you doing?" Aubrey looks at her and shakes her head. "We're putting our bathing suits on."
Chloe tosses her bra on the coffee table and wrestles her shirt on. "I'm going to open the door so the girls can wait inside," she explains. She stands and grabs her bra again, using it to lightly whip Aubrey's rear. "Go get ready."
Aubrey uses her pajamas to cover her bottom. "They can wait outside, Chloe." She knows her words will hold no meaning though. She frowns at the door then turns and walks back to the bedroom, determined to hold a grudge against Fat Amy for telling Chloe who she was with last night. She would have never ratted Amy out to anyone. She shuts the bedroom door as The Bellas' voices fill the suite and sets to work on straightening up the room quickly before she has to change.
xxxxx
Aubrey adjusted the laptop comfortably on her lap then typed in the url. She grabbed a pillow and stuffed it between her back and the wall then leaned back and stared at the screen. Why did the Internet at Barden have to be so fucking slow? She picked up the note and held it on her lap, staring at her name until the video loaded. Upon hearing Chloe's voice, she immediately lowered the note down to the keyboard and looked at the screen.
Chloe adjusted the camera on her end then walked backward and sat down on the edge of her bed in her dorm room. "I'm going to jump right to the point," she said, "because I know that you're already two seconds away from calling me to ask why I sent you a video instead of talking to you in person. And because my roommate is going to be back soon and I'm using her camera." She bit her lower lip. "Anyway..."
Aubrey glanced down at the note again, biting back a smile. She looked at the screen again, her cheeks feeling suddenly warm. Chloe was beginning to know her too well, and she couldn't exactly say that she minded as much as she originally thought she would.
"I was nervous," Chloe said and leaned closer to the camera. "I know you think I don't get nervous, but I really do. I had to talk to my mom for like five hours last night before making this video." She placed her hands on her lap and leaned back again. "It's just that you intimidate me."
Aubrey's smile began to fade, but Chloe didn't miss a beat.
"In a good way." Chloe smiled at the camera. "I like it."
That was a first – not being called 'intimidating', but someone saying that they enjoyed it. Aubrey picked at the corner of the sheet of paper, waiting for Chloe to jump to the actual point.
Chloe drew in a deep breath and curled one of her legs up on the bed in front of her. "Okay." She sighed. "This is really cheesy." She glanced around then leaned over and picked up her guitar, balancing it on her lap. "Like movie-moment cheesy," she said as she took a moment to tune the strings. "But I guess not as cheesy as it would be if I did this in person like I wanted to." She smiled to herself and looked up. "I'm still nervous," she admitted. "There are butterflies."
Aubrey furrowed her brows and crossed her arms, holding the paper against her stomach. She considered pausing the video and going back to see if she had missed something – like the reason Chloe would be nervous. Clearly it wasn't because she talked to Aubrey, because, if Aubrey had a say in anything, Chloe already talked too much. Aubrey was surprised Chloe wasn't messaging her at that very moment, asking her to hurry up and watch the video and then come over. Before she had a chance to continue analyzing Chloe, Chloe cut off her thoughts by strumming a few cords on her guitar. She was certain Chloe had passed a handful of butterflies to her as she began to sing.
She said, "I've got to be got to be honest,
You're wasting your time if you're fishin' around here."
And I said, "You must be mistaken.
I'm not foolin'. This feelin' is real."
She said, "You've gotta be crazy. What do you take me for?
Some kind of easy mark?"
You've got wits, you've got looks, you've got passion,
But I swear that you've got me all wrong.
All wrong.
All wrong.
Aubrey's head felt light, and she realized that somewhere between listening to Chloe's voice and staring at her eyes, she had forgotten to breathe.
But you've got me.
Chloe looked down at the strings on her guitar, her voice shaky but not losing key.
I'll be true, I'll be useful,
I'll be cavalier,
I'll be yours, my dear.
And I'll belong to you,
If you just let me through.
This is easy as lovers go,
So, don't complicate it by hesitating.
And this is wonderful as loving goes.
This is tailor-made.
What's the sense in waiting?
There was a permanent frown etched on Aubrey's face, but she couldn't identify with feeling unhappy. Did this mean that Chloe liked her? That was impossible. Not only were they both girls, but because not even guys liked Aubrey – at least not once they got to know her. Why her when Chloe could have anyone on campus – man or woman? A more pressing question asserted itself. Did she have feelings for Chloe? The sinking feeling in her stomach when she realized that if she didn't, she wouldn't be wondering what it was like to walk over to her dorm room and kiss her right then and there, was enough of an answer. She tried to censor her thoughts, because maybe Chloe didn't like her. It was entirely possible she was just showing Aubrey the song. It's not as though Aubrey could date anyway; it'd get in the way of her school work. Had she really just jumped to the conclusion that Chloe wanted to date her?
And I said, "I've got to be honest.
I've been waiting for you all my life."
For so long, I thought I was asylum bound,
But just seeing you makes me think twice.
And being with you here makes me sane.
I fear I'll go crazy if you leave me side.
You've got wits, you've got looks, you've got passion,
But are you brave enough to leave with me tonight?
Tonight...
Tonight...
Chloe looked up at the camera again as she made use of her soprano voice on that last note.
Aubrey, you've got me.
Aubrey tried to swallow but her throat was suddenly dry. What would her father say if he knew she was dating a girl? But they weren't dating. But if they were, it wasn't as though he had to know. It wasn't like he ever visited her – not like Chloe's parents did. She updated him on campus life once per week by phone and emailed him copies of her grades, and that was that. She was putting too much thought into this – reading too far into things, just like she always did. The song went on and she realized she was crinkling the note, unaware of how tightly she had started holding it against her body.
I'll be true, I'll be useful,
I'll be cavalier,
I'll be yours, my dear.
And I'll belong to you,
If you just let me through.
Aubrey pulled back the note and focused on smoothing it out, no longer looking at the screen outside of fleeting glances. It wasn't as though she and Chloe hadn't already passed the line of friendship. They had kissed during Aca-Initiation night this year after a few too many shots of Tequila. Aubrey barely remembered anything aside from how soft Chloe's lips were, but Chloe must have remembered because she had apologized the next morning when they were both curled up on Chloe's bed, miserably hungover. The apology had stung, and Aubrey couldn't figure out why. Now she knew. She had enjoyed Chloe's advances. The song ended and Aubrey reached forward and shut her laptop. The air in the room suddenly felt thicker.
Even though Aubrey had never dated before, she knew the responsibility she would be taking on by saying yes. She risked not being good at it. She risked disappointing Chloe. She stared at the paper, folding it back into the shape of a heart like Chloe had taught her toward the end of their Freshman year. Her instinct told her to go straight to Chloe's dorm, at that very moment, and tell her she wanted to take her to dinner – but this required thought and consideration. She couldn't be like Chloe who just jumped into situations with both feet. The paper heart was growing flimsy and Aubrey folded it in half then tucked it back in the pocket of her bag before slouching back against her pillow again.
Even if she did say yes, she would never be able to figure out the perfect way to do it.
xxxxx
Aubrey glances toward the door, hearing Chloe's voice in the living room as she takes a moment to talk to the girls. She considers taking the opportunity to hide Beca's ring somewhere safe from Chloe's prying eyes, but decides that the dirty laundry is actually her safest bet. She's reminded that she still needs to find time to wash Chloe's sweatshirt and sighs. That's what she should be doing right now. Not swimming. She folds the blanket and places it at the bottom of the bed, setting her pajamas on top of it. "Chloe, let's go!" she hollers, glancing at the door again, not about to wait an hour for Chloe to talk when she can do that at the pool. The longer it takes them to get ready, the later they'll have to stay at the pool. She pulls out a dresser drawer and grabs her bathing suit, a watercolor, floral bikini she bought from Anthropologie just for this trip. The tags are still on it. She could claim it doesn't fit and use it as an excuse not to go to the pool.
Chloe would never buy that. Aubrey is too well-versed in Anthropologie's clothing.
She rips the tags off and tosses them in the paper can then slides the bottoms on first. Of course, they fit perfectly. She glances up and admires them in the mirror then ties the halter top around her neck. She reaches around her back and attempts to tie the other half of it, getting distracted as Chloe walks through the door, swinging her bra around by the strap. She looks at the mirror again, watching Chloe through the reflection, waiting to see what she chooses to do with her clothing.
Chloe lets go of her bra mid-swing and it ends up on the middle of the bed. She shuts the door behind her and looks at Aubrey with a smile. "Need help?"
Aubrey blinks then stares at her.
Chloe glances around the room. "What?" She approaches Aubrey and takes her bathing suit from her hands, tying the knot behind her back. She reaches up and unties the neck, brushing Aubrey's hair out of the way before retying it for her.
"Do you listen to anything I say?" Aubrey asks, truly curious. Sometimes it concerns her that Chloe may have a real, actual problem that needs medical attention. Then she realizes that Chloe has more than likely just learned to accurately respond to the words people say without actually paying attention to them.
"Everything," Chloe answers, confirming Aubrey's suspicion, and kisses her shoulder. "Why?"
Aubrey turns and motions to the bed with her hand.
Chloe turns her head to look at her discarded bra. Her grin turns sheepish and she rubs the back of her neck. "I wasn't gonna leave it there." She walks back over to the bed to retrieve it.
Aubrey rolls her eyes and picks up her hairbrush. She sits down on the corner of the bed as she runs it through her hair, doing her best to work out all of the tangles. The air conditioning in the room is beginning to create goosebumps on her bare skin, and she's starting to feel sick again – this time from hunger. She pulls her legs up onto the bed and keeps brushing, absently staring at her suitcase as she waits for Chloe to finish changing. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she becomes aware that she should probably check her phone for messages from Beca, but she'd rather not see her missed calls.
"Hey." Chloe steps in front of her and rests her hands on her shoulders. She tilts her head. "You good?"
Aubrey lowers her brush to her lap and nods. She keeps her gaze level with Chloe's bathing suit, a black, cherry patterned tankini, and gets to her feet, moving around Chloe to put her brush on the dresser again. She realizes that she didn't see her beach bag at the end of the couch where Beca had placed it the night before. She glances around the room, trying to remember if she had moved it into the bedroom. "Where's the beach bag?"
"It's next to the couch, on the floor." Chloe pulls her shirt on over her bathing suit then fishes through her drawer for shorts. "Do you want me to take out the stuff from last night?"
Aubrey nods her head. She grabs a pink, crocheted bathing suit cover up and pulls it on over her head. "We need our towels and sunscreen." She glances at her pants from the previous night then pulls her phone out of the pocket and folds her arms, looking at Chloe.
Chloe glances around for a moment then grabs two towels and the sunscreen from their things. "I'll bring the other stuff back here." She drapes one of the towels over her shoulder and playfully whips the other one at Aubrey's side.
Aubrey nods and forces a smile, waiting for her to leave.
Chloe's smile becomes forced as well and she flings the second towel over her shoulder with the first. "Things'll get better when we go home." She squeezes Aubrey's elbow then turns and leaves the room.
Aubrey stares at her back for a moment then unfolds her arms and looks at her phone. Three missed calls from her Unknown Caller from various times throughout the morning and a more recent text from Beca. She ignores the calls and opens the text.
'where r u?'
Aubrey grits her teeth at the text speak. 'I'm going to the pool with Chloe, Amy, Cynthia-Rose, and Stacie. Where are you?' She hits send. She glances back up at the door, waiting anxiously for Beca to reply. It only takes a few seconds. She opens the new text, absently placing her hand on her growling stomach as she reads it.
'pool'
The rest of The Bellas, possibly even the entire wedding party, must be swimming as well. Aubrey closes the text and folds her arms again as Chloe re-enters the room, carrying the blanket and extra jacket from the previous night. She watches Chloe place them neatly on top of the blanket she had brought in from the living room and wonders if she should find a way to warn her that Beca is at the pool, and maybe get out of going swimming. She walks over to the bed and adjusts the corner of the blanket from the beach bag, watching Chloe out of the corner of her eye. "What if Beca's there?" It feels as though she's warning Chloe that Beca is at her own wedding.
"Then Beca's there, Aubrey," Chloe answers, "We just talked about this." She grabs Aubrey's hand to stop her from folding the blanket. "I'm not going to talk to her." She gives Aubrey a light tug toward the door. "We're going to have a good time."
Aubrey follows her toward the living room, bracing herself to pretend she's having a good time.