Hello there. Interesting to see so many different reads of Chloe in this- even if you don't love her, I hope you are finding this version of her interesting, at the very least. I love to hear the feedback. With that being said, I've seen that there is some feeling of 'false advertising' in the story up to this point. I want to clarify that Bechloe is guaranteed to happen in this story, and there will be more of Beca coming more, and more, even if it is a Chloe-centric story. In my writing, I find it very important (and personally the most compelling) to explore the organic beginnings of relationships. Clearly, Chloe and Beca are both living insane lives, and up until this point, most of their interaction has been through technology- because that is what's accessible to them.
On another note, a theme I've been enjoying exploring in this piece is how difficult it is to truly be happy when you don't know what will make you happy, how addictive fortune and fame can be, and what a bad combination those two things create. If you wish to continue with me- which, I hope you do, but if it's not your thing, that's fine- I hope y'all are ready for a shitshow of two girls in their early twenties making bad, bad decisions.
Much love, Phlesh


Chloe had woken up the following Friday morning with a text from Beca that had been sent at exactly midnight, and it was a link to the Youtube video of the uploaded, finished product. It was too early in the morning for her to really comprehend it, but her breath had hitched in her throat, and she certainly didn't lounge in her bed. She wanted to be in a coherent headspace to watch it, so she immediately pushed herself to her feet, heading towards the kitchen to brew herself a coffee and make herself breakfast. All the while, staring at the open Youtube browser on her phone.

Even after she'd sat down at her island with her coffee and toast, she felt as if she needed to steel herself to press play. Her heart was thumping in her chest, and she wasn't even sure why.

Finally, though, she pressed the play button and settled in with her cup of coffee. As the first few chords played, there was a montage of the car, Beca, and herself. By the time the first chorus was playing, she was watching as Beca was shot walking along the road and within the warehouse where she had heard that they were going to be filming more, blue lights shining behind her as she danced in some kind of catatonic bliss to the first verse. She couldn't imagine how uncomfortable Beca must've been filming- but it turned out good. It looked entirely natural.

As the second chorus came, that's when it cut abruptly to Chloe hanging out the window of the Camaro, as it did doughnuts and stunts around the desert- she was beaming.

She don't wanna tell lies
She don't wanna tell lies
She just wanna feel alive
She just wanted more time
I'm looking for a long ride
She just wanna test drive
Dying on the west-side
I'll see you in the next life

As the second verse came in, the video slowed down again, back to Beca in the warehouse- and then, the third chorus was much the same, though this time, it was cut short by Beca looking sad, sitting in the driver's seat of the Camaro as the camera panned out.

The last few piano chords struck and the put the scene of Chloe hitchhiking on the road as the final shot.

The whole thing had turned out beautifully, and it made Chloe's jaw drop. She sort of wanted to watch it again, but, carefully, she first scrolled down to look at the first comments. Mostly, people actually didn't have much to berate her about.

And then, she flooded Beca with compliments about it.

The bliss from that carried her through the next twenty-four hours, as she received compliments, too, from Gail and Stacie alike after they'd seen the video. While it remained a happiness in the back of her mind for several days longer- boosted initially, again, as a few days after that, Beca announced the date she would be dropping the EP.

In her free time, Chloe had decided upon Cabo as a vacation destination, and hammered out the dates they would be gone with Beca and her manager, but the bill made her stomach drop.

Seventeen thousand dollars.

All inclusive, six days, staying in some of the best rooms the hotel had to offer.

She'd tried not to spiral about it- tried to be excited, but that didn't last all that long.

It was what brought her here; one week to the day that they were set to depart. Chloe stood in the full-length mirror, examining her body. She looked good. Wore an adorable, lilac lace bra and panty set that she was particularly fond of.

On the chair next to her, three, stapled together pieces of paper of a script.

The usual regret breathing down the base of her neck like a phantom.

The clock on the wall told her it was T-minus ten minutes.

Chloe turned in the mirror, examining her backside closely. It looked good, too. She was trying to make herself feel better, but it wasn't really working.

And then came a knock on the door.

"Come in," She said, knowing already that it was Gail.

Looking blissful, the woman entered the dressing room and shut the door behind her; a Starbucks latte in one hand, a clipboard in the other. "How're you doing?" She asked, setting the coffee down against the vanity and beginning to rifle through the clipboard.

Truthfully, Chloe knew she was 'doing' far below average. Instead of saying so, she shrugged, and pulled on the robe to cover up to avoid saying anything at all.

Gail took a seat, and wordlessly, she sat down across from the woman. But- she wasn't entirely thick all the time; the blonde looked at her inquiringly from under her brows, seeming to find whatever she was looking for on the clipboard. "Be honest, Chloe,"

"I don't know," She groaned, throwing her head back, but not before catching her own reflection in the mirror of the vanity. The glittery makeup they had gone for today glinted perfectly in this lighting. "I feel… like I'm selling myself out, everything I've worked for,"

The woman clicked her tongue, reprimanding. "You are too hard on yourself," She lowered the clipboard to her lap, reaching out and squeezing the younger girl on the knee, trying to be reassuring. But it felt a little bit like dead weight. "This is work, Chloe. You need to stop feeling so ashamed of yourself- it just gives people the permission to treat you the way that you're afraid they will," Gazing down at Gail's hand on her knee, Chloe tried to let her words sink in without feeling too emotional about it. "With that being said-" The woman sighed, removing the hand and reaching for the clipboard again. "I want you to think carefully about this. We can make this work, though, to what you're most comfortable with. Stacie isn't going anywhere anytime soon," She patted the stack of papers on the clipboard like it was a loyal pet. "I don't think the people would mind, either- you two are kind of a dream team, and it certainly helps when the actors have chemistry with each other," She pinned Chloe with a knowing wink that made her want to sink six feet into the earth.

Sighing, she pinched the bridge of her nose as carefully as she could without destroying her makeup. "Just- proceed, Gail,"

"You're sure you want to do this?"

"Yes." Though- she wasn't.

But, she told Gail to negotiate the shortest contract possible. Which was six months with Hot House, with a minimum of one scene a month. A bonus if exceeded twenty scenes in that time.

Keeping her mouth a thin line- the woman obviously sensed the resign from the girl sitting across from her- she directed Chloe to every place she needed to sign or initial. Which was nearly eighty spots in the small novella of a contract- which, she didn't read- Gail gave her the highlights, and besides, at this point, she trusted Gail with her life when it came to putting her in safe situations. The woman was a lot of things- but she was particularly protective when it came to her girls.

"Spectacular," The woman breathed as Chloe handed the pen back to the woman, who then flipped the booklet back to the front and performed her own elaborate signature on several lines of the witness statements. Satisfied as she clicked the pen shut again, she smiled. "Welcome back, Maria,"

Chloe grumbled her thanks. At that very moment, there was a knocking on the door as one of the studio assistants poked her head in, Stacie hovering behind her with a wide grin as she saw the two of them. "Director wants everyone on location now,"

"Just finishing up in here," Gail rose from her chair, tucking the clipboard under her arm and grabbing her coffee. Pushing herself to her feet- her legs, suddenly acquiring a stability similar to that of Jell-O, and her stomach suddenly feeling more nauseous than it had been before- she followed the woman out of the room. Hoping that the smile she sends back Stacie's way doesn't look as pained as it feels spreading across her cheeks.

She had a plan this time.

She was going to use the money from this contract to hire another songwriter, take more classes, and learn anything she could. Take her dream into her own hands.

She was going to make this count.

Four pairs of heels clacked their way down the studio hallway, Stacie periodically sending her a concerned look over her shoulder as they went. Though Chloe can't recall actually ever saying so much- she was pretty sure the girl knew that she wasn't interested in signing any other contracts, and here she was, signing away. When Gail had approached Stacie about the scene, the younger girl had contacted her and inquired about it herself. Chloe had given her the same speech she'd been giving everyone- including herself- about how ready she was for this return. But Stacie was far from stupid enough to buy it.

As they entered the studio, the director turned in his chair to greet them, and immediately began conversing with Gail. Stacie took the opportunity to lean in closer to her. "You good, Red?"

"Good, yeah," She responded, trying her very best to look nonchalant. "Ready to work again."

The other girl lifted her eyebrows, giving the impression that she did not entirely believe what Chloe was saying. "Well," She said after a moment, readjusting the strap of her bra. She wore an identical set as Chloe, but hers was a deep crimson. "Onwards, then,"

At that same moment, the door swung open behind them again, their other co-star robed over his boxers. He smiled at them as he entered, with a very friendly, "Ladies," He placed a gentle hand on either of their shoulders as he passed. Chloe knew him. Had worked with a few times before, actually. He had been another request of hers.

Onwards, then, she thought, watching as he walked over to the director himself.


The shoot finally came to a close around four-thirty that evening, and Stacie had suggested that the two of them get some big ass burritos together afterwards, but Chloe felt an overwhelming urge to be alone. She was trying incredibly hard not to feel dirty.

She called ahead at some sushi place that was on her route home and ordered an entire spread for herself instead, picking it up, eating it at home until she felt sick, and then she ran herself a shower. She sat on the linoleum for a long time; it simultaneously felt like she was mulling her whole life over, while at the same time, she felt silent. Empty. She was going to make this right.

She signed that contract because she had a plan.

She did this shoot because it alone nearly paid off her trip.

There was a point in time where she heard her phone ring as she sat there, letting the hot water wash over her- feeling a little bit sick from the amount of sushi she had consumed- but she just let it go. She had no desire to speak with anyone tonight.

When she finally pulled herself out of the shower, she, predictably, saw the missed call from Gail- followed by a voice message. She didn't bother listening to it at the moment, either. Chloe wasn't entirely sure what she wanted to do with herself this evening; sulking in bed didn't seem like a healthy way to lift her spirits, yet, it was all she wanted to do. She was halfway through her moisturizing routine when her phone lit up again; this time as a text, but when she saw the name on her screen the resolve for wanting to be left alone began to thaw.

Beca.

Hey what are you doing tonight?

And that was odd, she thought, before she remembered that she had offered to come with the girl to the club if she ever went again. Now- that felt like the last place she wanted to be, but, she would bite.

Just finished a shoot so nothing. Why?

She tapped her fingers along the counter as she waited for the response, hesitantly beginning her moisturizing again, but keeping a close eye for the girls answer.

So super weird and last minute I know, but, I'm going to do a surprise show at some little club called Moon Floor. Wanted to know if you would be interested in coming?

When Beca says 'little club', she has to wonder if it would be somewhere like The Vine, where they first met.

Can I call you?

Sure.

Chloe hits dial and the other girl picks up almost immediately. "A surprise show, hey?" She says in place of a greeting, wandering out of the bathroom in her towel. It was nearly seven o'clock by now. If they were going out somewhere, Chloe ought to start getting ready.

On the other end of the line, Beca chuckles. "Well- I caught wind that this place is doing a night dedicated to my music. I did my research and apparently they do this a lot with underground artists- but- well, I don't feel like I'm that underground anymore, honestly,"

"And you want me to come with you?" Chloe asked, a bit in disbelief, reminding herself of Beca during their conversation in which she invited the other girl to go on vacation together.

"Yes," She draws out the word, sounding amused. "So what do you say?"

She thought about her bed, almost in a yearning way, but remembered what Gail had told her not too long ago about making appearances. She figured this was a good way to do so. "I'm in," Gliding over to her closet, Chloe shut the curtains and dropped her towel. "Text me the details and I'll meet you there."


She texted Bumper to get him to give her a lift, but didn't mention to Gail what she was up to for the night. She actually wanted to enjoy this night without any interference. Moon Floor was a little bit out of the way, about an hour, and it was a similar place to The Vine, aside from the fact that it was about three times the size.

Chloe made sure Beca was already in the building and could usher her in safely before getting out of the car. The girl met her outside the back door, the security bouncer and Luke chatting in the frame as they greeted each other.

"Glad you could make it," Beca said, smiling up at her. She wore a nice, black bodysuit and tight jeans, bangles covering her wrists. She'd made the smart decision to not flex all of her expensive jewellery- something that Chloe only thought to mention by the time she was already on the road.

"Thrilled," Chloe pulled the girl into a quick hug, happy to see that this act of affection still made Beca's ears blush. "Have you made your appearance yet?"

"Not yet," They turned to head into the building. "I've been thanking the owner and chatting with them for a bit- been here about twenty minutes," Chloe nodded along.

"Chloe," Luke greeted as they stepped through the back door, the bouncer shutting the door behind them. "Nice to see you,"

"And you," Similarly, she gave the boy a quick hug, too. She also said her polite 'hello' to the bouncer, who just sort of smiled at her, completely oblivious, and then guided the three of them towards the back again. Chloe could hear the pounding of the music through the walls.

She met the owner of the club, as well- a man who was probably barely thirty, with bright red hair slicked back making him look a little bit like the Joker. But, he was kind and nowhere near as murderous as the cartoon character he resembled. They chatted politely for about fifteen minutes, Beca lent her a drink from the minifridge in the backroom, and before long, the owner was rubbing his hands together.

"I'm going to go check the crowd," Rising from his seat, he whisked out of the room, checking his watch as he went.

Now that it was just the three of them, she turned to Beca, smiling imploringly at her. "Are you excited?"

Beca shrugged. "A little nervous," She admitted, draining the dregs from her own drink.

"But you've performed so many times," She hoped she was coming across encouraging, but Beca didn't exactly look all that reassured.

"About a dozen times," The brunette rose, as well, grabbing another drink from the minifridge and placing her empty can in the recycling. "And I'm nervous every time,"

She nodded her understanding. As much as she dreamed about her music career, the idea of performing for a large audience was daunting. Sidling closer to Beca, she placed a hand on the girl's knee and gave it a firm squeeze. "You're going to kill it out there, Becs. I saw you at The Vine- and you know what Gail said?" Beca looked up at her, dark blue eyes taking on an earnest gleam. "She said you were 'lightning in a bottle'."

The girl seemed to consider this for a moment- Chloe could see it, behind her eyes, the gears and cogs turning. And, for a moment, her body seemed to open up. But it was only a split second- before she was scoffing off the sentiment and bringing her new drink to her mouth. "That's mushy," She complained, scratching the back of her neck. "But thank you, I guess,"

She was modest to a fault. Chloe sat back, retracting her hand, and shrugging as well. "Well, you blew me away," She made sure not to look at Beca too closely, because even in her periphery, she saw the violent shade of red Beca's cheeks were turning. Instead, she turned to Luke, who had been sitting in the loveseat across from them. "What do you think?"

"About what?" He raised his eyebrows, pointing at the small girl across from him. "Beca?" She nodded, catching onto the joke in his tone. He blew air out of his lips, making some sort of vague hand gesture. "Nothing special if you ask me," He cracked a half-smile. "But, I do believe the crowd's gonna love her,"

At that moment, the club owner walked back through the door, still grinning. He was clearly thrilled to have someone of this profile in his establishment. "I'm going to say fifteen more minutes. There's still quite a line out front."

Beca inhaled sharply, smiling with all her teeth, looking strained. "Awesome," She said, before taking another generous swig. When she caught Chloe's gaze from around the can, she shot the girl a wink for a good measure of her faith.

Twenty minutes later, they're waiting in the hall behind the DJ booth as the owner went to go inform the DJ of their guest. Beca was tapping her foot absently, craning her neck around the corner to get a glimpse at the crowd. The place wasn't packed- but there was quite the crowd. Chloe had a feeling this would soon change as soon as word got out on Twitter that Beca was here. On the other side of her. Luke was carrying a laptop under his arm, ready to hook up to the booth. Chloe was to stand here, as she was before, and watch the show from the sidelines.

It was a small price to pay.

She saw the DJ nod, and then the owner was waving Luke over. He shot Beca one more grin and wished her good luck, before he hurried along to the setup, trying to transition as smoothly as they could between the two DJ's. The owner was pacing behind him, anxious to showcase this extravaganza.

Once Luke was ready to go, he gave the man a thumbs up, and the man brought a microphone to his mouth, announcing. "Hello, everyone," The crowd murmured a bit, clearly irritated that the music had been stopped. "It is my great pleasure to welcome an amazing guest tonight," The crowd looked to each other, back and forth, buzzing. Chloe had a feeling that they could guess what was about to happen. Why else would a club stop its music?

With that short explanation, the sweet, piano opening chords of one of Beca's songs rang through the speakers as the owner crossed the threshold towards them. He handed the microphone off to Beca, and Chloe made sure to give the girl a firm squeeze of encouragement on the shoulder as she took another deep breath and started, emerging from around the corner, "I'mma fuck up my life,"

The crowd roared. The owner, who had come to stand next to her, beaming, arms crossed over his chest, looked like he could have popped a boner at the reaction.

Beca's set went just as well as last time. After four songs, Chloe could already tell that the club was beginning to fill more. She'd been happily swaying and humming along, especially as Beca began to sing one of the songs that Chloe had recently pinned as one of her favourites. The other girl cast a look in her direction, grinning and waving as she caught Chloe singing along.

As the instrumental came to an end, Beca promised she would be back for more songs after a ten minute break. Luke spun happily at the turntables with the other DJ, the two of them keeping the energy up while Beca replenished.

Panting, she came over to where Chloe still stood, reaching for the drink she'd set on a stool before she went on.

"It's going awesome, Beca!" She exclaimed, finishing the drink she herself had been nursing over the course of her set.

"Come sing with me," She said abruptly, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand. But she was beaming even wider than the club owner had been.

Chloe baulked. "Sing with you?" Feverishly, Beca nodded. She felt her heart begin to beat against her ribs a little bit harder at the thought of it. Peeking around the corner at the crowd again, her stomach did a few somersaults as she saw the size of the crowd. "Oh, I don't know-"

"They'll love it," Beca egged, tucking a stray lock of dark brown hair behind her ear. "Plus- when people see it's you, they'll put two-and-two together about your music,"

Chloe had to admit that she had a point. Her mind travelled to Gail once she caught wind about her performing out of nowhere, wondering what her reaction would be. "Let me think about it for a minute," She said, her mind whirring very fast. "And let me get another drink,"

"Okay,"

Beca stayed where she was as Chloe navigated the back of the club towards the room they were in before with the minifridge, trying to convince herself that it was a good idea. She tried to think about herself this morning; she'd woken up nearly on the verge of tears when she thought about what she was going to do that day. But then she reminded herself why she was doing it.

This was a good idea.

Cracking open the cooler, she took a huge gulp and cringed at the heavy taste of alcohol, before observing herself in the mirror. She'd made sure she looked cute, so she had no insecurity about her appearance going on stage.

Yes. She would do it.

With purpose, she made her way back to Beca, who was nearly bouncing in place. "I'll do it," She announced, enunciating her decision with a single curt nod.

"Yes!" She grabbed Chloe's free hand and squeezed, tight. "I'll do one more song first, and then I'll start ours- oh! I have to find Kai, make sure there's another microphone," And then she was off, leaving Chloe in her thoughts.

She's going to perform for an audience for the first time in her life.

Chloe made her way through that cooler in an alarming amount of time- it was a blur as she spoke with Kai- the club owner- who made sure there was a second working microphone, and showed her how to turn it on when the time was right, and even as she watched as the crowd burst into cheers again when Beca started the next song, singing along.

And then it was over, and Chloe's heart leapt into her throat.

Beca shot her a meaningful look, the kind that silently asked her, 'are you ready?'.

She couldn't recall when her palms had started sweating, and she was gripping the microphone so tightly that her knuckles turned white, but she nodded. Beca signalled Luke, who nodded as well.

And then the song started.

Chloe willed herself not to clam up.

"A dark night," She started, her shaking legs carrying her onto the stage. The crowd roared, but it suddenly felt far, far away.

The good news was that she didn't have much to sing. And Beca's microphone was louder to authentically layer their voices like she had in the song. But still, this endeavour was far more daunting than even porn- she felt more vulnerable now than she thinks she may have ever felt before; keeping her eyes low so as to not think too hard about the dozens of white pin-points of video cameras aimed at her.

Beca gave her an encouraging grin halfway throughout the song, and it helped her resolve, some- every time her part came up again, she felt her voice become a little bit more confident. It was the longest three minutes of her life.

But before she knew it, it was over. She was strangely relieved and disappointed at the same time.

"I'd like to thank my friend," Beca said over the applauding crowd, moving towards her and looping an arm over her shoulders. "Who overcame her stagefright to help me here tonight,"

There was more applause. Chloe felt her cheeks go pink.

Beca pulled the mic away from her face, "You want to stay up here or do you want to go back and watch?"

The answer was obvious. "One was enough for me," She laughed, feeling the adrenaline buzzing through her veins alongside the alcohol. Beca nodded, and showed her how to turn the microphone off.

As she exited the stage, she waved to the crowd with the widest smile she could muster- though the sight of them still made her stomach clench unpleasantly when she thought about the fact that she had just sung in front of all those people.

Out of sight now, Chloe took a shaky seat on the single stool that sat back there. She needed a drink, as soon as possible. She now understood thoroughly Beca's usage of liquid courage.

Well, she thought, watching her fingers tremble, at least it's a start.