Aubrey wouldn't say it out loud, but she had been a bit disappointed when she and Chloe woke up the next morning and their guests had chosen to leave early. They left a note on the counter, thanking them for the hospitality and mentioning coffee before practice, but it wasn't about that for Aubrey. She couldn't exactly describe it, but she liked how happy Chloe was around them. And she hated to see Chloe's disappointed face when she realized that Beca had left without so much of a word that morning. Aubrey told her they'd see them at practice anyway, but that didn't seem to help. Chloe was a snuggle in the morning and eat a big hangover breakfast kind of girl. And Aubrey would be lying if she said she would've liked to get breakfast and get to know the two new Bellas. There was a draw to Beca, despite her alternative look and infuriating attitude.
They didn't hang out with Beca much the week after that, though. There was Bellas practice and Chloe took every opportunity to help Beca with the choreography that she could, but there wasn't very much getting to know one another. It almost seemed like Beca and Stacie were avoiding them. Aubrey wondered what they did to deserve it and she hated the puppy eyes Chloe gave her every time they talked about it. The week after was mostly Aubrey making the Bellas more cardio than they wanted to do and suggesting that all of the Bellas join her and Chloe at the Barden gym for their early morning workouts. No one ever did. And by the end of the first week, they were only half way through the first song as a group. It wasn't great progress, but it was progress. Aubrey commended them on it at the end of the week, but the girls were too drained and exhausted to be proud of Aubrey's compliments. In light of that, Chloe offered that instead of practice on Saturday, the Bellas should come over to their apartment for a bonding night. Aubrey, as always when Chloe changed her schedule, was apprehensive about it. But she eventually caved and Chloe went shopping Saturday afternoon for food, snacks, and more booze than she could carry.
The Bellas staggered in over the course of the late afternoon and into the evening. Chloe was excited about it and mingled with them with ease. Aubrey mingled less but still made enough conversation to find some commonalities with the girls. As the evening turned to night and the sun started to set, Aubrey could see Chloe's face start to fall. Beca and Stacie were nowhere in sight. Aubrey couldn't remember if they'd said they would. She racked her memory over the Friday practice, but couldn't think it through. She poured herself another drink as the girls sat around to play Never Have I Ever - the ultimate bonding game. Finally, just before the game started, the last two Bellas showed. Aubrey took note of the way Chloe's face lit up when they did. "You're just in time! We're playing Never Have I Ever! Here, let me get you a drink!" She ran to the kitchen and returned with two red solo cups for each of the brunettes. They dropped their bags and took the cups. Chloe motioned them into the circle of girls on the living room floor, which opened to include them. Beca sat next to Chloe, Stacie next to Beca, and Aubrey was on the other side of Chloe.
"Okay, I'll go first." Jessica piped up once the dust settled. She was a shorter Bella and her face was already bright pink. "Never have I ever… had a threesome." Some girls drank, others didn't. Aubrey, Chloe, and Beca didn't. Stacie and Amy did.
"Never have I ever failed a class." Ashley followed up and the circle went around, statements ranging from dirty to everyday tasks. It was obvious that some girls were drinking more than others for the dirtier questions and vise versa for the simpler ones. A pattern continued a few times around the circle, slowly pushing the questions to be more out there. Especially after they determined that no one could target anyone as they got to know each other. Aubrey had to admit, she was having fun. And it seemed like they were finally getting somewhere as a group.
"Never have I ever met my soulmate," Amy said it and Jessica, Ashley, Chloe, And Aubrey all took their drinks without much hesitation. Then eyes were peering from side to side, looking to see who did and who didn't. Aubrey wasn't surprised that many of them hadn't - they were all pretty young. But her jaw dropped when she noticed that Beca was drinking. A Little more than necessary, really. She finished her second drink.
The group caught onto Aubrey's attention and soon many of the girls were staring at Beca. "You've met your soulmate?" Aubrey asked the question first, but everyone else eagerly anticipated her response.
"I… I guess." Beca got up to grab another drink, but the drinks were out of eyesight from the circle and everyone watched her as she did.
"What do you mean you guess?" Chloe asked and Aubrey noticed that Stacie was cringing under the heat of the questions.
Beca sighed when she returned to the circle with a new drink. "I don't really know if I believe in soulmates." The whole group was deftly silent. When she noticed everyone's eyes waiting for more, she continued. "I just don't think that a tattoo should control who you're with. I mean if it works for you, that's great. I just think that soulmates just… take away a lot of your choice in the matter and if you're with someone for so long and then you meet your soulmate, it just… It ruins it."
There was another long silence. Aubrey could hardly process it. She'd never heard someone in such disbelief. Aubrey could see a pain in Beca's eyes that made her heart hurt. Beca wouldn't look up from her lap. Maybe Chloe was right about the walls Beca had built around herself. There was a trauma there and anyone would be blind not to see it. Aubrey cleared her throat. "Never have I ever gotten blackout drunk." She said and everyone in the group laughed and half of them accused her of targeting. "It can't be targeting if it got the entire group. That doesn't make sense." Time started up again and the girls moved on from Beca's comment, leaving it in the dust of hazy drunk memories. Aubrey didn't forget though and she knew by the look in Chloe's eyes that she'd never forget Beca's words. The rest of the night carried on with board games, video games, movies, and dancing. Music was blasting for the second half of the night as the girls danced around and drank the second half the alcohol.
Chloe and Aubrey were sitting down for the first time in a few hours when Stacie came out of the crowd of dancing girls and approached them. She sat in between them, causing both Aubrey and Chloe to jump back to separate cushions on the couch. "Hey!" Stacie said.
"Hey Stacie," Chloe answered for Aubrey.
Stacie's face dropped almost immediately after sitting down and she gazed over her shoulder. Beca was being forced to dance by Amy, unable to get away. Stacie took a deep breath and Aubrey furrowed a brow. "Are you okay?"
Stacie looked between them. "Listen." She squeezed her eyes shut and opened them. Aubrey could tell whatever she was about to say was something that she wasn't supposed to. Stacie took their hands in each of hers. "Beca doesn't know it, but she's really lucky to have the two of you. She doesn't know that she needs love in her life." The look of pain that Aubrey saw in Beca's eyes was mirrored in Stacie's eyes now. "She hasn't had a lot of good models to show her love. Her parents got divorced when she was twelve because her dad met my mom and they were soulmates. The divorce was ugly." Aubrey's heart broke for a second time and she realized that the attitude Beca displayed was a hard shell she'd put up to lead people just like Aubrey away. "It took years to finalize. She grew up with her parents fighting constantly when she was a teenager. Then she had to move in with me and my mom and her dad and watch them day in and day out. She resents her dad for everything and well… I can't blame her for it." Aubrey squeezed the brunette's hand when Stacie looked over her shoulder again to make sure Beca wasn't watching. "Just… give her a chance okay? She'll come around. This is…" she motioned to the apartment and Aubrey knew she was referring to the Bellas and the environment. "Good for her, I just know it."
There was only a brief pause before Chloe piped up. "Thank you for telling us that, Stacie." Chloe rubbed a thumb over Stacie's hand and Aubrey could see that Stacie was holding back tears. "We'll always be here for Beca… for both of you."
Stacie nodded and Aubrey caught her eye on the brunette's forearm. "Is that… your soulmate tattoo?"
Stacie held it up to Aubrey and nodded. "Yeah." It said, I got all I need when I got you and I. She put it down when Aubrey was done looking and smiled at Beca, who was chugging a beer in competition with Amy. Aubrey was sure Beca hadn't signed up for that. "This will be good for her," Stacie said, less to Aubrey and Chloe and more to herself.
Aubrey put a hand on her shoulder. "It will be, I promise. For both of you."
