Chapter Three
"Holy shit." A tired voice mumbled from behind Beca. Beca chuckled.
"Good morning, sunshine." Beca teased, turning around to face a very dead-looking Chloe.
"What…the…what?" Chloe muttered and tried to sit up. "Oh God, my fucking head."
"Yeah, hangovers are a bitch, huh?" Beca asked, handing Chloe the water she had gotten from the kitchen over an hour ago when she had woken up herself.
"You are the best." Chloe sighed and started chugging the water. "God, is there any Advil?"
"This is your room, baby. You tell me." Beca laughed. Chloe nodded and reluctantly stood up. Slowly she made her way her closet and started fishing through a box.
"So, I thought you, me and Aubrey could go out for breakfast." Beca said, trying to sound casual. Chloe stopped digging.
"You want to hang out with Aubrey?" She asked suspiciously.
"Well, yeah. She's your best friend and she's leaving this afternoon and I thought we could get some breakfast."
"I mean…yeah. Sure. I'm going to probably look like garbage but whatever." Chloe found a container of pain killers and quickly washed two down with her water. "When did you want to leave?"
"I told Aubrey I would wake her when you got up, how fast can you get ready?"
Chloe thought for a second. "Fuck it. I could have two hours and still look like death. Give me twenty minutes to attempt 'normal'."
"For the record, you always look beautiful to me." Beca reassured her. Chloe smiled.
"Thanks baby."
Beca started towards the door. "Hey Chloe?"
"Yes?"
"Out of curiosity, how much do you remember from last night?"
Chloe thought for a second. "Um…shit, did I try to let some guy take a picture of us making out?"
Beca laughed. "Yes, indeed you did."
"Wow. Um, I don't remember much beyond that, honestly."
"Okay." Beca nodded and made her way out the door.
"Rise and shine Aubrey-oh my god!" Beca took a step back when she saw Aubrey was literally on top of Stacie.
"Calm down, alternative." Aubrey said peacefully. "Believe it or not we are just cuddling."
"We're tired from all the hot sex we had last night." Stacie said proudly.
"I'm not even going to deny that, I'm proud too." Aubrey grinned at Beca. "Is ginger awake?"
"Awake? Yes. Functioning like a human being? Nope."
"Yeah, Red was a wreck last night. I saw her peeing on the pavement. Her stream got on one of the Treble's phones." Stacie shared.
"Good for her." Aubrey said proudly.
"How long do you need to get ready? Chloe said she can be ready in 20." Beca said.
"Yeah…I think I can do that too, if I hurry." Aubrey reluctantly got off of Stacie.
"Am I invited?" Stacie asked.
"Um…" Beca attempted a response.
"No, baby. Sorry but this is kind of an intervention ish activity. I think it would be best if it was just Beca and me. I'm sorry, hun. I'll bring you back something though, okay?" Aubrey leaned over and gave Stacie a kiss.
"Is this about the eating disorder?" Stacie asked.
"You know?" Beca asked without thinking.
"It's kind of an open secret in the house. Everyone is really worried but…we weren't sure what to do. We assumed you knew too."
"Shit. We really should have done something earlier." Beca muttered.
"You're right, this should be a you three thing. I'll stay here but let me know if I can do anything, okay?" Stacie said, grabbing her cell phone from her nightstand. "Aubrey, can you get me pancakes? As good as you taste it's a bit overwhelming in my mouth-"
"Nope, nope, nope, nope." Beca turned around a practically ran out of the room. "Twenty minutes."
"You guys are quiet." Chloe commented as they walked into their local college diner. "Is everything okay?"
"Of course, baby." Beca reassured her and gave her a quick kiss. "Just a little tired from last night."
The hostess stuck them in a booth in the back, which Beca thought was perfect. She wasn't sure how Chloe was going to react to being confronted by her girlfriend and best friend. All three girls picked up their menus.
"Oh yes, they brought back the blueberry pancakes." Aubrey gushed. "Remember? We used to get those all the time junior year."
"I'm just the tiniest bit hungover so I'm not sure if I can stomach pancakes." Chloe laughed. Beca and Aubrey quickly exchanged looks.
When the waiter came to the table, Beca and Aubrey both ordered the blueberry pancake meal while Chloe ordered the fruit cup. All three girls ordered coffee and told him to keep them coming. Once all the menus were taken from the girls, Beca decided it was time to speak up.
"So, listen, Chloe…" Beca started. Chloe's face fell.
"What?"
"We have been noticing lately that, when it comes to eating…" Beca continued.
"You're anorexic." Aubrey blurted out.
"Subtle." Beca rolled her eyes.
"Sorry, I panicked."
"You think I'm anorexic?" Chloe forced a laugh. "Is that what this is all about?"
"We're worried about you, babe." Beca reached out and grabbed Chloe's hand. "You've lost so much weight…"
"I'm on a diet, a perfectly healthy diet!" Chloe insisted.
"You told us last night you were eating, at the most, like five hundred calories a day." Aubrey said. Chloe's face went white.
"I say lots of shit while I'm drunk." Chloe argued.
"Chloe, it's not just us. Stacie said that everyone-" Beca began.
"Oh, so now I'm the center of fucking gossip?" Chloe snapped.
"No, we are just worried." Beca said and squeezed Chloe's hand. Chloe yanked it back.
"I can't believe the two most important people in my life are believing some gossip about me."
"You need help!" Aubrey snapped.
"So, this isn't 'good cop, bad cop', this is 'good cop, psychotic cop'." Beca sighed.
"This is bullshit." Chloe said and scooted out of the booth. "Absolute bullshit."
"Chloe, please." Beca begged.
"Fuck off." Chloe snapped and speed-walked out of the restaurant. Beca and Aubrey watched her disappear.
"What was that?" Beca asked.
"Pardon?"
"Seriously have you never seen Intervention?" Beca shook her head. "What are we going to do?"
"Well, it's out in the open. At least we accomplished that." Aubrey pointed out.
"Well, I guess we are onto phase two." Beca said.
"And that is?"
"Consequences."
Aubrey and Beca finally finished up their plan on the walk home from the restaurant. They decided it was a bad idea for two of them to approach Chloe, she might have interpreted this as being ganged up on. They both agreed Beca should try to approach her with the consequences if she didn't work on getting better.
"I'll check in with you before I leave." Aubrey told Beca outside of Stacie's room.
"Wish me luck." Beca forced a grin.
"It'll be fine." Aubrey reassured her then turned into the doorway. "Baby! I got chocolate chip pancakes!"
"Yas! Take your shirt off, I'm going to eat them off you!" Stacie yelled back. Beca groaned and quickly headed up the stairs. She stopped in front of Chloe's closed door. She could hear sobs from inside the door.
"Chlo." Beca knocked. "Hey Chloe."
"Go away." A muffled voice said back.
"I know you, Chloe. I know you don't want to be alone when you're this sad." Beca said.
There was a pause. "Fine." A moment later the door opened. "You can come in and hug me but I'm mad at you."
"I know, baby." Beca said. Chloe sat back down on her bed and Beca sat down next to her. Beca wrapped her arms around the redhead and Chloe softened a bit. "Chloe?"
"Yeah?"
"You need help."
Chloe stiffened but made no attempt to get up. "I'm fine."
"Have you eaten anything today?" Beca asked.
"Yes, I came home, and I had a bagel." Chloe said.
"We're out of bagels." Beca chuckled despite herself. I ate the last one yesterday. Nice try, honey."
Chloe sat silent on the bed. Beca could tell she was debating what to do. Finally, Chloe broke down. The poor girl started sobbing and Beca gripped on tighter to her.
"I hate this so much." Chloe cried. "But I can't stop."
"Why?"
"I'm still fat."
Beca snorted. "Are you serious?"
"Yes, Beca." Chloe snapped.
"That's just your brain playing tricks on you, baby. The eating disorder is fucking with you. You're too skinny." Beca shook her head. "But I know you can't see that."
"And I can't get help. They'll throw me in the psych ward or something and then I won't graduate." Chloe cried.
"Aubrey and I have thought about that and I think we have a plan." Beca said. "If we can get you to start eating and make it look like you are making an effort to get better, when we take you to a therapist you won't seem high risk. Then you can do outpatient work with your therapist."
"Oh, easy, I'll just start eating." Chloe rolled her eyes.
"No, I know it won't be that easy." Beca explained. "But you'll have me by your side, and Aubrey can help virtually, and if you want, I'm sure the rest of the Bella's can help. We just have to get you started and then the therapist can really help you."
"What if I refuse?"
"What?"
"What. If. I. Refuse?" Chloe said darkly. Beca sighed. She was hoping it wouldn't get to that.
"We will go to your parents." Beca said. "And they probably will stop funding your tuition and will stop helping with your bills and alert your doctor that you are a danger to yourself."
"Are you fucking serious?" Chloe snapped.
"No, but Remus is."
Chloe stared at the wall for a moment then burst out laughing despite herself. "Did you just make a Harry Potter sex joke?"
"Yes, I did." Beca said proudly, laughing along with her girlfriend. The two girls smiled at each other before Chloe sighed.
"I…I'm really tired of doing this Beca. I'm so fucking tired." She bit her lip. "And…I guess I don't really have a choice, do I?"
"I'm sorry, babes. We don't want to force you, but we aren't just going to sit around and watch you kill yourself." Beca pulled the redhead in closer, and Chloe put her head on Beca's shoulder.
"I hate this so much. I can't fucking do schoolwork or focus on the Bellas and I'm hungry all the time and…and…no matter what I do it's never enough! It's just never good enough no matter what I do!" Chloe started crying again, shaking a bit as she did so.
"We're going to get you better." Beca promised. "You'll be okay."
Just wanted to include some more hotlines so I know you all are taking care of yourself.
NEDA 800-931-2237 (Text or call)
ANAD 888-375-7767
Hopeline Network 1-800-442-4673
National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders 1-630-577-1330
Multi-Service Eating Disorder Association 1-617-558-1881