DAY 20 - WHO COULD ASK FOR MORE THIS CHRISTMAS?
Author's Prompt: Beca is making good money and moves out of the tiny New York apartment she shared with her best friends Chloe and Amy. Set after Pitch Perfect 3.
A/N: Sections in Italics are flashbacks.
It was the week before Thanksgiving, and Beca had completed her second full week working for DJ Khaled. She couldn't believe that just one short month ago, she had been singing with the Bellas and was chosen to get the contract to work with Khaled.
Beca was looking over some songs that Theo and Khaled had recommended she consider for her first album. She looked up when there was a knock on her door; Theo walked in.
"Here you go, Beca," Theo said as he handed her an envelope.
"What's this?" Beca asked, holding the envelope in her hand.
"Your first paycheck," Theo said. "Oh, our Payroll Office wanted me to tell you that you need to fill out direct deposit forms. Since it's your first one, they cut you a paper check. They usually do everything electronically."
"I'll take care of that this afternoon," Beca said, opening the envelope. She smiled when she saw the amount. "Wow! This should cover everything I need for rent and still leave quite a bit left. Two checks like this every month, and I'll have enough to move in no time."
"What? No," Theo said. "We get paid every week."
"What?" Beca said, sitting up straight in her chair. "But I've been here for two weeks. Isn't that what this check is for? Two weeks' pay?"
"What are you-?" Theo said, furrowing his brow. "No. This check is for your first week; the next check will be for this week, etc. You'll be one week behind with each check. That way, if you quit, you always have one week's pay still coming to you. It's all spelled out in your contract."
"Oh," Beca said. "I should probably read that. My lawyer said it was a good deal, and I had no reason to doubt him." She looked at the check again. "So, you're telling me I'll take home this much every week?" At Theo's nod, she added, "This is more than double what I made in one week as a junior producer."
"You're in the big leagues now, Beca," Theo said. He laughed and said, "Don't spend it all in one place."
Theo left Beca alone in her office. She continued to stare at the check.
"I can start looking for my own apartment," Beca muttered. "If I'm lucky, I can be moved out the first of the year."
Beca went to the Payroll Office and completed the direct deposit forms. She also asked for a copy of what her yearly salary would be. After getting everything done, Beca left so she could deposit her check at the bank. She kept some cash back and made her way to a realtor's office, whose sign she saw on a bench.
"Hi, may I help you?" a perky blonde asked as Beca entered the office.
"Um, yeah," Beca said. "I'm interested in renting an apartment closer to my job. Is there someone I can speak with who can help me?"
~ Day 20 of 2019's 25 Days of BeChloe Christmases ~
Beca woke early the next morning and quietly slipped out of bed. She had made an appointment with the realtor for nine a.m. She was going to check out four available apartments, and she didn't want Chloe or Amy to know anything until she had a place.
Slipping out of bed was easier now that Chloe stopped cuddling Beca. Beca was glad because now that Chloe was with Chicago, she felt it was inappropriate. Chloe was hurt when Beca kept pulling away from her when they were in bed together, but Beca was adamant about keeping her distance. Chloe didn't know she had broken Beca's heart by falling for the soldier, and it killed Beca a little more each time she'd hear Chloe gushing on the phone to him. She needed to move out, or she'd never get over Chloe.
Beca grabbed her keys and wallet before quietly exiting the apartment. She met the realtor and was impressed by the apartments she was shown. Based on the rents, she realized she might have to wait a few extra weeks to have enough money to move.
Beca fell in love with one of the apartments she looked at. It had two Master Bedrooms, each with its own full bath, a decent-sized kitchen with a separate dining room. And, it was being rented fully furnished.
"I like this one, but I'm sure it's out of my price range," Beca told Kayla, the realtor.
"Give me a minute," Kayla said and put her phone to her ear.
Beca continued to look around while Kayla was on the phone.
"Okay, see you in fifteen," Kayla said and ended the call. She turned to Beca. "The owner will be here shortly. He wants to meet with you."
"Um, okay," Beca said.
~ Day 20 of 2019's 25 Days of BeChloe Christmases ~
Chloe woke to her phone ringing and felt around with her hand until she found it.
"What?" she answered tersely, her voice gravelly from having just woken up.
"Good morning to you, too, Chloe," Aubrey said. "Did I wake you?"
"Yeah," Chloe mumbled.
"I didn't wake Beca and Amy, too, did I?" Aubrey asked, checking the time.
"Um," Chloe said, rubbing her eyes and sitting up. She looked around. "What the hell?"
"What's wrong?" Aubrey asked.
"Amy hasn't been home in a week, and Beca's not here," Chloe said. "How did I sleep through her getting up and leaving?"
"I don't know," Aubrey said. "But, I'm glad you're alone."
"Why?" Chloe asked as she got out of bed. "What's up?"
Chloe put a coffee pod into the coffee maker and pressed the button.
"I want to know what your plans are for Christmas," Aubrey said. "Are you going back to Spain to be with Chicago? Or is he coming to see you?"
"Neither," Chloe said. "That was a one and done thing."
"What?" Aubrey asked. "Then what was with you staying longer so you two could get to know each other?"
Chloe took the cream out of the refrigerator and added some to her coffee. She spooned in some sugar and stirred. The then took her cup and sat at the table.
"Chloe?" Aubrey said through the phone. "Are you still there?"
"Yeah, I'm here," Chloe said, running a hand through her hair. "I didn't stay with him. I flew out the next day and went to visit my folks for a few days."
"Why didn't you tell anyone?" Aubrey asked. "Why didn't you tell me?"
Chloe sighed and took a sip of her coffee before answering. "I was embarrassed. I went on and on about what a great guy he was and how he could be the one. And all I was to him was a booty call."
"I'm sorry, Chloe," Aubrey said. "But I'm also glad. I called to tell you the girls, and I have been talking, and we're going to do Christmas in New York. We already have flights and rooms booked."
"Why did I need to be alone for you to tell me that?" Chloe asked.
"We want to surprise Beca and take her out to celebrate her signing with DJ Khaled," Aubrey said. "We didn't really have much time with her in France once she signed. She was running around with that Theo guy getting ready to fly to New York to start working. We want to have our own celebration with just the Bellas and Beca. Plus, Stacie will be able to be there to celebrate with us. We'll need you to get her to the party without giving away the surprise."
"You should talk to Amy about that," Chloe said. "If you can find her. She left a week or so ago and said she had places to go. I haven't seen or heard from her since."
"Well, she has the money to do whatever she wants to do," Aubrey said. "But, the bigger issue is, why can't you make sure Beca gets to the party?"
"Beca and I haven't been talking," Chloe said. "I've been home for almost three weeks, and she's been pulling away from me. I don't even know how things are going at the studio."
"Have you asked her?" Aubrey asked.
"I have," Chloe said, a bit defensive. "The only answers I get are, things are fine, or sorry, I have to go. She hardly spends any time in the apartment. She hardly spends any time with me."
"She's probably busy," Aubrey said. "It's her big break, and you know how focused she gets, forgetting everything and everyone around her."
"She always made time for me," Chloe said sadly. "And, now, she's stopped cuddling with me when we sleep."
Aubrey could hear the sadness in Chloe's voice. "She's probably trying to respect what she thought was your new relationship status."
"That's what she said when I asked her about it," Chloe said with another sad sigh.
"Wait. Why does Beca still think you're with Chicago if you're not?" Aubrey paused a beat before saying, "You didn't tell her, did you?"
"No," Chloe said blushing. "She thinks we're still together because I've been pretending to talk to him on the phone. My mom and my sister think I'm insane because when I'm talking to them and Beca comes in, I start whispering and laughing as if I was talking to him. When I hang up, she asks if it was Chicago, and I tell her it was. That's usually when she puts her headphones on or leaves."
"Chloe, why don't you just tell her you aren't with him?" Aubrey asked. "You know Beca would never judge you. Why keep up the charade?"
"I don't know," Chloe said softly.
"Yes, you do," Aubrey said just as softly.
~ Day 20 of 2019's 25 Days of BeChloe Christmases ~
Beca was both excited and scared as she rode the train back to her shared apartment.
She was excited because the owner of the furnished apartment liked her and gave her a great rate on rent if she promised she would stay in the apartment for two years. The owner was moving to England while his boyfriend studied at Oxford. They didn't want to sell the apartment and decided to find the right tenant to rent and take care of the place. Beca fit all the criteria they were looking for.
Beca signed the lease and promised to have the first month's rent paid before she moved in on December 1.
Beca was scared because now she had to tell Chloe she was moving out in a couple of weeks. And she knew Chloe was going to ask her why.
~ Day 20 of 2019's 25 Days of BeChloe Christmases ~
Beca reached the top of the subway steps and stopped for a moment to think about what to tell Chloe. She slowly started walking the few blocks home when her phone started ringing. Almost afraid to see that it was Chloe calling, she pulled her phone out of her pocket and let out a sigh of relief when she saw Stacie's name on the caller ID.
"Hey, Stacie," Beca said, answering the call. "I was just thinking about calling you."
"Really?" Stacie asked. "Why were you going to call me?"
"I, um, I'm moving into a new apartment," Beca said. "And I have to tell Chloe and Amy. I know Chloe is going to ask why, but I can't tell her the truth, so I need to come up with something that sounds legit."
"Why can't you tell her the truth?" Stacie asked.
"Don't make me say it," Beca said quietly.
"Come on, Beca," Stacie said. "It's been years; you need to tell her how you feel."
"She has a boyfriend," Beca said. "One she's really into. One she stayed in Europe to get to know better, so I'm pretty sure me telling her how I feel about her is only going to end up hurting me more than I'm hurting now. It's better to distance myself from her and let her live her life with Chicago. And I'll try to move on with mine. I can't get over her if we're constantly around each other."
Beca had stopped walking and was leaning with her back against a building.
"I'm sorry, Beca," Stacie said. "I won't bring it up again. Just make sure you send me your new address."
"I will," Beca said.
"Good," Stacie said. "Now, tell me about the new place."
Beca chuckled and told Stacie about the apartment.
"And it's only two blocks from the studio," Beca said.
"That's it," Stacie said. "That's your answer when Chloe asks you why you're moving."
"That might work," Beca said. "Um, before I forget, you called me. Why?"
Beca pushed off of the building and started walking again.
"Oh, right," Stacie said. "Do you know where Amy is? Aubrey's been trying to reach her."
"Sorry, I don't," Beca said. "All I know is she left about a week ago and said she had places to go. I've tried texting and calling, but she's not answering."
"Is that why things are so tense between you and Chloe?" Stacie asked. "You don't have Amy there as a buffer?"
"I never thought of it that way," Beca said. "You might be right. I thought it was because I didn't want to hear Chloe gushing and being giddy over Chicago. If Amy were home, she would have made some inappropriate remarks which would have made things easier and less tense."
"What's Chloe going to do if Amy doesn't come back?" Stacie asked. "Can she afford to stay there by herself."
"Probably not," Beca answered, trying not to think about it.
"Beca, I-" Stacie started to say something but stopped. She thought about it for a moment before continuing, "I need to tell you something. Aubrey's going to kill me, but I think you should know."
"What is it?" Beca asked.
"Chloe and Chicago are not together," Stacie said.
"What?"
~ Day 20 of 2019's 25 Days of BeChloe Christmases ~
It was two days before Christmas, and Beca had been in her new apartment for three weeks. She was getting water from the refrigerator when there was a knock at the door. She was only wearing panties, so she grabbed her shirt from the floor and threw it on before opening the door.
She jumped when the Bellas yelled, "Surprise!"
"Stacie. Aubrey. CR!" Beca yelled out. "What are you guys doing here?"
"We came to surprise you," Jessica said.
"And to really celebrate you signing with DJ Khaled," CR said.
"And, also Christmas," Emily said.
Stacie smirked and said, "From what you're wearing, I'm guessing we really did surprise you."
"Oh, um, come in, come in," Beca said, hugging each girl as they came in. "This is quite a surprise."
"It's good to see you, Beca," Aubrey said. "Do you know where Chloe is? We stopped at your old place to pick her up, and she wasn't there. She's also not answering her phone."
Beca didn't answer and started walking backward toward the bedrooms.
"Um, I'm just going to go get-"
"Babe, what's taking so long?" Chloe asked as she came into the living room wrapped in a sheet. Beca blushed and looked at Chloe, noticing how the sheet was barely covering her boobs.
"Chloe!" the girls all squealed, shocking Chloe as they rushed over to hug the redhead.
"Um, hey," Chloe said, looking over at Beca, who gave her a shrug.
"Looking good, Chloe," Stacie said as she looked down at Chloe's chest.
Chloe pulled the sheet up more, and Stacie gave her a wink.
"Chloe, what are you doing here?" Aubrey asked.
"Hold up," CR said. "Did you just call Beca babe?"
Beca laughed and walked over to Chloe and took her hand. "My, um, girlfriend can call me anything she wants."
Chloe smiled and kissed Beca.
"Wait," Aubrey said, trying to wrap her head around what was happening. "I talked to you last week, and you never said anything about you two being together."
"We wanted to surprise everyone," Chloe said.
"Well, you did surprise us," Aubrey mumbled. "Could you two put something more on?"
Beca and Chloe looked down at what they were wearing. "Um,"
"How? When?" Ashley asked. "I'm happy for you, but last I heard you two were barely speaking to each other and Chloe was with Chicago."
"Everyone take a seat," Beca said. "We'll get changed and then tell you what happened."
The girls sat, and Beca and Chloe were back in a few minutes, fully clothed. Beca and Chloe sat between Stacie and Aubrey on the sofa. Beca took a deep breath and started talking.
"Just before Thanksgiving," Beca said and then looked at Stacie. "Can I tell them everything you said during our phone call?"
Stacie nodded, and Beca continued. "I was talking to Stacie."
"Beca, I-" Stacie started to say something but stopped. She thought about it for a moment before continuing, "I need to tell you something. Aubrey's going to kill me, but I think you should know."
"What is it?" Beca asked.
"Chloe and Chicago are not together," Stacie said.
"What?"
"Yeah," Stacie continued. "She thought he might be something special, and he only wanted to get in her pants."
"That can't be true," Beca said. "I've heard her talking to him on the phone. It certainly sounded like they were together."
"She wasn't talking to him," Stacie said. "She only pretended she was."
"Why didn't she tell me?" Beca asked. "Things would be so different if she had."
"She was embarrassed," Stacie said. "And what do you mean, things would be different?"
"I, um, was going to tell her how I felt about her," Beca said softly. "But, I saw her kissing Chicago and knew I lost my chance. I've been kind of a bitch to her since she came home. I didn't mean to, but the thought of her with him just...I don't know."
"I get it, Beca," Stacie said. "So, now that you know she's single, what are you going to do about it?"
"I don't know," Beca said. "I'll have to decide if I want to do anything about it."
"It took me about ten seconds after that call to decide I did want to do something about it," Beca said. "I had rented this apartment and was moving in on the first of December, so I called Amy to find out what her plans were. When she told me that she was moving out and taking a year to cruise around the world, I came up with a plan."
Beca stopped and smiled at Chloe. Chloe smiled back at her.
"So, what was the plan?" CR asked, causing Beca and Chloe to look at her.
"Well, I went to Tampa for Thanksgiving and came back to New York on December second," Chloe said, picking up the story. "I went to the apartment, and Beca was sitting on the sofa. She jumped up when she saw me."
"Hey," Beca said.
"Hey," Chloe said.
Chloe threw her suitcase on Amy's bed and let out a sigh. She ran a hand through her hair and looked around.
"Where's all your stuff?" Chloe asked, looking around more furrowing her brow. "Where's all my stuff?"
"Okay, so, um, hear me out," Beca said. "I, um, have something to tell you and I need you to listen. Can you give me five minutes? Please?"
Chloe sat on the end of Amy's bed and nodded her head. She felt the sting of tears; she had a feeling she knew what was coming.
"Okay, so, I got my first paycheck a couple of weeks ago," Beca said. "All I could think about was now I could move out and into my place."
Chloe scoffed; she knew it. Beca didn't want to live with her anymore. She crossed her arms over her chest and tried to appear as if her heart wasn't shattered.
"Things were weird between us, and I thought you were with Chicago," Beca said. She walked over to Choe and knelt in front of her, causing Chloe to look at her. "I called Amy to tell her I was moving out, and she told me that she wasn't coming back at least for a year. I, uh, paid the rent for December so you could stay while deciding what you wanted to do."
Chloe pushed Beca aside and stood. "I can't believe this," Chloe said, turning to Beca. "I can't believe I mean so little to you that you'd sneak away and move out like a coward."
"Wait, no!" Beca said, closing the distance between them. "I suck so bad at this!" She took Chloe's hands in hers. "I, um, I love you, Chloe. I do. That's why the thought of you being with Chicago was more than I could bear. I knew in order for us to be okay, I had to leave. But I found out you weren't with Chicago, and I knew what I wanted and needed to do."
Chloe looked at Beca, waiting for her to continue.
"When you left for Tampa, I started packing our stuff. I moved everything to the new place yesterday. I have been sitting here waiting for you since this morning."
Beca cleared her throat and looked up at Chloe. Chloe was silent as tears fell down her cheeks.
"I've been waiting here so I could tell you that I am in love with you, Chloe," Beca said. "And, if you don't feel the same way, that's fine. We can continue to be roommates, only in a bigger, better apartment. Or, you can stay here, and I'll help you with the rent until you find another place. The choice is yours."
"Does your new place have two real bedrooms?" Chloe asked. At Beca's nod, she said. "So, I could have my own room?"
"Yeah, you, uh, you can," Beca said with a hint of sadness, her eyes filling with tears. "If that's what you want."
"What if I wanted to share a room with you?" Chloe asked softly.
"What?" Beca asked. "Do you mean…?"
"Yes," Chloe said, smiling through her tears. "I'm in love with you, too, and I don't want to stay here by myself. I want to live with you. And just to be clear, I don't mean as roommates."
Beca let out a small sob as she pulled Chloe to her. Chloe hugged her back, and they stood like that for a few minutes.
Beca pulled back and looked at Chloe. She took Chloe's face in her hands and gently kissed her; Chloe deepened the kiss.
They pulled out of the kiss, smiling at each other. Chloe grabbed her suitcase and said, "Let's go home!"
"And, we came here," Chloe finished. "We talked some more, and now Beca's my girlfriend."
"And you share one bedroom?" Stacie asked with a grin.
"Yeah, we do!" Chloe said, enthusiastically, causing Beca to blush.
"Way to go, Beca!" Stacie said, laughing.
"Leave her alone," Chloe said, pulling Beca to her.
Beca stuck her tongue out at Stacie, causing Stacie to laugh.
"Aww," Emily said. "You guys are so cute together."
The rest of the girls chuckled, and Beca glared at them.
"Where's Fat Amy?" Aubrey said. "I never heard back from her about spending Christmas together."
"She'll be here tomorrow," Beca said, thankful for a change of subject.
The girls sat quietly for a moment until Jessica spoke.
"Can we get a tour of your fancy new apartment?" Jessica asked.
"Sure," Beca said as she stood. "Follow me."
Chloe went to stand, and Aubrey grabbed her arm, stopping her. Chloe sat back down; Beca looked back and saw that Aubrey and Chloe were still sitting.
"Let's, um, start with the bedrooms," Beca said, leading the Bellas down the hall to give the two best friends some privacy.
"Why didn't you tell me about you and Beca?" Aubrey asked, searching Chloe's face.
"It was all new," Chloe said, playing with her hands. "I wanted us to have some time in our private bubble before we told anyone."
Aubrey chuckled. "It's a good thing you two figured it out because we had started formulating a plan to have you two together by the time we all left New York. How's everything going so far?"
Chloe's face lit up. "It's better than I could have imagined. Beca is so sweet and very attentive. She's everything I want, Brey. And I swear I'm going to marry her one day."
"I'm happy for you, Chloe," Aubrey said, pulling her into a hug. Aubrey pulled back from Chloe and chewed her lip a bit. "Stacie and I are engaged."
"What?" Chloe asked.
Aubrey held up her hand and showed off her ring.
"OH, MY GOD!" Chloe squealed.
Beca came running into the living room. "What's wrong? What the hell happened?"
"Brey must have told her we're engaged," Stacie said, smiling.
"Seriously?" Beca asked.
Stacie nodded, and the Bellas grabbed Stacie and started squealing and jumping up and down.
"Oh, my gosh," Ashley said, once everyone settled down a bit. We have BeChloe together, and Staubrey engaged. What more could anyone ask for this Christmas?"