Ch. 5 (The scheme):
Beca slowly wakes up and as her eyes adjust to the brightness of the sunlight gazing through the blinds, she inspects the room around her.
When she starts to get all her senses back, she feels something in her left hand. Chloe had fallen asleep holding it and was now resting her head on the hospital bed.
She strokes the redhead's wrist with her thumb and quietly whispers her name, "Chloe? Hey Chloe, wake up.", the ginger groans and looks up. when she sees who woke her, she seems to be wide awake immediately.
"Beca! Are you okay? How do you feel? Wait let me alarm a doctor.", she presses the button and turns to ask more questions, but Beca just lays a hand on her cheek.
"I'm fine and ehm…", she drops her hand realizing how it may come across after their 'inconvenience', "it's nice of you to stay here.".
"Well of course. We're still best friends.", Chloe sits back down. Beca feels a sting in her stomach from hearing that, but is glad they're friendship at least is doing better.
The awkward silence disappears when a nurse comes in to check on the brunette.
"So, Beca Mitchell. How are you doing today?", she says as she checks the board stuck to the bed and makes some notes in her notebook after doing physical check-ups.
"I'm okay. Nothing weird in specific.", Beca sits up straight in her bed.
"Well we didn't find anything.", the nurse goes on, "Which is what worries us a bit. We'll keep looking, but as long as there's nothing found and no explanation of what happened, we'll have to let you go home soon. We think it may have something to do with stress or sleep. If you had some challenging events happen to you recently, it can become like an overdose to your mind and eventually body in ways it just can't handle. If you don't sleep much or at all and you have stressful things happening around you, it can attack your health. You'll have to rest when you get home. Sleep a lot, eat well and healthy, get fresh air and have someone keep an eye on you every day.", the nurse checks a few more things and then leaves.
"I know we're not in the best place right now, but I would be honored to take care of you.", Chloe smiles at Beca and the brunette nods.
When they get informed they can leave, Chloe helps pack Beca's stuff and they head back to Barden.
A few days go by and all injuries seem to have healed. Beca is allowed to get up and do stuff again which is just in time for the acapella party tonight.
They dress as slutty as they can and warm up their voices since they're going to a karaoke bar.
Chloe is wearing a blue summer dress with her hair down in waves and Beca has black jeans on with a white blouse that has the top buttons open and her hair is up in a loose bun.
Beca feels uneasy most of the evening seeing a dark-haired dude lurking at Chloe.
"Hey Chlo, there's this guy staring at you. Do you know him?", Beca tries not to sound jealous or interested but fails and Chloe smiles wide.
"Oh, he's just my ex. We dated for two months when I found out he had cheated. Now he comes to every party I go to, to get me back.", she says in an irritated voice which makes Beca a little happier.
"Normally I just make out with the first person I see so that he has to go away eventually, but now he just thinks I'm a slut and that I have too many one-night-stands with rando's.", Beca feels devious for even thinking of this, but it is a good plan.
She takes Chloe away from the group to talk: "I know this is gonna sound weird, but believe me when I say I've moved on and I don't want that anymore. If you want him gone for good, we can do a little something I used to do with my former friends. We make him crazy enough so he never comes back for more.", the redhead shoots up an eyebrow in anticipation.
"We act like we're in a relationship and make him super jealous. We'll make him leave and if he tries to get you again you can just say you're not straight anymore. It's the perfect way to push him out of your life.", Chloe smiles and agrees.
"And we don't have to kiss or go any further than just a little bit of playful flirting I promise. I just wanna be sure you don't get bothered.", Beca says with a caring face and Chloe pulls her into a hug.
"Let's go nuts!", Chloe pulls Beca by the arm and drags her to the bar.
"Alright, so what is our strategy?", Chloe seems way too into this, but Beca likes it and she chuckles.
"Well, I feel like you should choose. I have two options.", Chloe nods signaling that she's curious.
"1: the protective bitch. In this case, I would be the bitch and you would be my date. Every guy you smile at and every small flirty thing you do, I will yell about and beat up anyone that gets in the way. We pay some big man here to help us. He will make a move on you, you will not turn his offer down and I will come in and beat him up. we pay him to fake being hurt really bad and then when we get to Tom and he tries to do anything, I will just stare him down and he will run like a puppy dog.", Chloe is impressed but does think it's a little much for a mission like this.
"But what if the bar owner calls the cops?", Chloe asks and Beca looks back to the bartender serving their drinks.
"This is Rob. He's an old friend of mine and the owner of this club. He knows my little schemes when he sees them.", Chloe gives Rob a hand and takes a sip of her drink.
"And what if Tom fights back?", Chloe takes another sip of her drink.
"Well yeah there is a chance that might happen, but I guess we'll be fine as long as Rob watches. I guess it's not a perfect scheme, so maybe I should tell you about 2?", Chloe nods excessively completely loving this new side of Beca.
"2: the flirty fuckgirl. This one is a lot easier and a lot safer. I basically just become very flirty and try to 'get in your pants'… not really though.", she quickly adds and then rolls her eyes at herself, "I'll be so clingy and flirty that Tom has to notice at some point. When he does, we can drop the bomb on him and he'll stay away from you.", they decide to do option 2 just for the higher safety level.
After they've downed a few more drinks, they're both ready to get started.
"So, I guess after tonight I will know how it feels to be mingled by none other than Beca effin Mitchell.", Chloe chuckles after saying it and Beca blushes.
"Let's begin.", Beca says getting back on the scheme, "First I'll need your consent for anything. I won't go too far I promise, but I just wanna be sure you're 100% okay with this.", Chloe nods and they start.
Since they're both on barstools, it's easy to turn to each other and immediately be very close.
Beca sees that Chloe laid her left arm on the bar which is perfect for her to make the first move.
She waits till she sees Tom watching and then gently strokes the redhead's arm with the back of her hand. She traces her fingers all the way up to Chloe's hair and plays with it a little. Not one moment breaking eye contact both staring into each other's blue eyes.
Chloe is surprised at how she's already feeling it and that Beca is way better at this than she imagined.
"I'm just gonna talk about nothing to make it look like we're in a conversation.", Beca says and Chloe nods not getting any words out.
The brunette now leans in putting Chloe's hair to the side and whispering in her ear: "Sorry if I'm making you uncomfortable.", she says quietly.
"No, no you're fine. I-I kinda like it.", Chloe whispers back and Beca smirks.
"Act like I said something funny.", Beca says and Chloe (surprising the smaller girl this time) immediately chuckles softly in a very seductive way.
Beca leans back and they both smile at each other with puppy dog eyes.
"I guess we're both very good at this.", Beca says and they laugh.
Tom has definitely been watching and is feeling some anger boiling up.
He walks up to them and they both turn to him grinning.
"What's up Tom? Come here to try and get me back again like you do every year?", the redhead is playing it very well and Tom looks really angry.
"Who's this Chloe?", he asks in a keen voice, "One of your many hand-me-downs?", the brunette wants to get up and punch him, but Chloe stops her.
"Beca.", the ginger says pausing for a second to look at the brunette and grabs her hands, "My girlfriend.", just hearing her crush say those words makes Beca melt into her hands.
"You're what!", the guy shouts in whispers while looking around if anyone else is listening.
"You heard me. After dating lots of assholes like you, I thought I'd try something new and turns out I'm into girls.", Tom loses it now and starts rambling about how he doesn't believe a thing they're saying. The DJ is not having it anymore.
"Alright that's enough Douchebag. She doesn't want you. You gave the best thing you could have in your life up for a night with some skank. You don't deserve her now. Hell, you never did. You're just a basic asshole who thinks he owns the world. If you would've opened your eyes sooner you would've seen how precious this amazing woman is and you would treat her with some fucking respect. You hurt her, you still do and I can't just watch and see it happening, so if you don't mind I'd like to get back to my lovely date instead of wasting any more time arguing with you.", Beca sits back down.
Chloe looks at her with her mouth and eyes wide open and so is Tom.
"I still don't believe you.", he says knowing just how to push the right buttons, so to prove him, Chloe grabs Beca at the collar of her blouse and pulls her into an intense kiss. When they both let go, with loss of all words, Tom is already gone. Chloe feels weird and for a second she realizes something, but her thoughts get interrupted by a yell.
"Oh-m-aca-gee!", they hear behind them and see all the Bella's with drinks gasping and cheering.
"No no no, guys it's not what it looks like!", Beca starts and explains what they were doing.
"Yeah right.", Stacie says nonchalantly, "That snogging was way more intense than my casual hook-ups.", she feels Aubrey's eyes burn in the back of her head, "That are now in the past!", she adds.
"Seriously guys, don't be weird about it. This was just to make a stupid ex go away and that kiss was to make it look more real. It didn't mean anything.", Beca disappoints all the Bella's with this news and they go back to the dance floor.
The brunette goes back to Chloe who looks really sad.
"Hey, what's going on? Why are you so sad all of the sudden?", she asks her, but Chloe just smiles again and hides the fact that this time it was the other way around. This time, she felt something and it meant nothing to Beca.
Chloe is fairly drunk and Beca is just about sober enough to know what's going on. They're rambling on about bullshit subjects.
"You know I love you right?", Chloe says out of nowhere and Beca giggles.
"Yeah, of course, and I you too.", the brunette takes a sip from her drink.
"No, you don't get it. I looove you.", the redhead says exaggerative and uses her arms to show how much.
Beca almost spits out her drink laughing and takes the one in Chloe's hand, "Alright I think you've had enough for tonight.", when she reaches to take the booze out of the ginger's hand, the girl pulls her arm away and moves her head forward quickly enough to place a kiss on Beca's lips.
The kiss deepens for a second until Beca lets go and Chloe looks really shocked at her own action.
"Omg. I- I have to go.", the taller girl says with tears in her eyes and stumbles off.
"Wait Chlo!", Beca kicks herself for kissing back. She really fucked their friendship up now.