A/N: This chapter is probably the shortest, but it's the most noteworthy one. And I wish you could see the chapter image I created for this story. Check it out on ao3 or on my Tumblr. :D
Chapter 9
When Chloe awakens the next day, she finds herself with nasal congestion. The clock above her bedroom door indicates that it is 4:46 a.m., so she has roughly two more hours of sleep before her alarm goes off at 7 a.m.
She's freezing and sweating at the same time. Tucking her duvet up to her chin, she turns onto her side and realizes that every muscle in her body aches as if she had just finished an intense workout. And not even after workouts does she have sore muscles. This is pretty bad.
"Oh no, please," she mutters and realizes how coarse her voice sounds, "not now! Not today!"
Additionally, Chloe is aware of a dull ache in her temples, a throbbing pain in the back of her head, and a dryness in her throat. For a split second, she wonders if her vocal nodules are to blame for the sore throat. However, it didn't hurt quite as much as it does now; considering her other symptoms, it's likely that she has the flu. She is suffering from agonizing pain across her entire body, along with extreme exhaustion and vertigo.
Yesterday evening after sunset, it got rather cold by the lake, and she laments now about not bringing an extra blanket. She tried to ensure that her picnic with Beca went off without a hitch, even though she had difficulty organizing activities.
Her heart was pounding so rapidly that she felt warm from the inside out, and Beca's body was squeezed against her, so she did not feel the cold.
As a result of Aubrey's impromptu attendance at a lesson in the evening, they had rehearsal very late when Chloe returned home. Since both captains were absent at the scheduled time for the rehearsal, they were urged to move it to a later time. However, only an hour of vocal warm-ups and choreography were required of the freshmen Bellas that late evening, which was a positive aspect.
Even after the rehearsal, Chloe remained with Stacie and Jessica on the patio and chatted about their respective activities during the afternoon.
Stacie and Jessica hung out together to get Jessica new reading material and Stacie new lingerie. After that, Stacie went on a "sex date" with a guy she had only met the previous weekend, while Jessica stayed at the Bellas House to read her book and hang out with Ashley and Cynthia Rose, who were playing board games, and later watching TV shows. And the quiet Lilly, well, in the past, she has referred to the people she was meeting with as "the boombox gang," and she went to meet them today by taking the bus. She never explained to the girls what they are or do, and the thought crossed Chloe that they might be some Jacuzzi gang—or is it Yakuza?
And, it would be best if Aubrey was kept in the dark regarding Amy's "liaison" with Bumper, the Treblemaker.
Under Chloe's leadership, the girls are not restricted regarding whom they can date. Because she is more of a lenient captain, there are no rules regarding dating. However, Aubrey does not share her standpoint, so the other girls sneak behind her.
Chloe had downplayed her meet-up with Beca and told her friends that they ate outside and chatted to avoid her friends from becoming jealous of the special treatment Beca receives from Chloe. That was basically the case: they ate and talked.
Chloe is reminiscing about the conversation she had with Stacie and Jessica last night…
They are gathered on the patio and seated on the bench around the table.
"Was it a date?" Stacie asks sheepishly.
"No," Chloe replies, "it was just catching up, not a date."
"Okay, but if you kissed, then it was a date," Stacie states. As the brunette offers her opinion based on her own dating experience, Chloe winces and looks down at her fingernails. Her eyes snap fleetingly at Stacie, and this very action gives her away. Because Chloe is usually not this reticent when talking about dates. "What?! No way!" the tallest Bella exclaims with a gasp.
Chloe drops her face into her hands and feels her cheeks go warm. She can't deny this now.
"You and Beca?" Jessica squeals, her mouth agape, eyes twinkling.
"Will you keep it down a notch?" Chloe groans and looks around while lowering her head as she scans the area. She isn't embarrassed or worried that anyone might overhear. She is worried that Beca might overhear. Even though her dormitory cannot be seen from the Bellas' House. "No, it wasn't like that. We're not... dating."
"But you kissed?" Stacie asks under her breath, mimicking Chloe by lowering her head. Her grin shows her set of perfectly white teeth.
Chloe doesn't answer. However, the fact that she remains silent while showing signs of having a warm head betrays her.
"Aww," her best friends swoon dreamily.
"Oh my God, stop it." As Chloe speaks, she's covering her mouth with her hand, and her eyes are fixed on the table. "But guys, really, it wasn't like that. It just happened. Again."
"That wasn't the first time?" Jessica giggles.
"Was it how we kissed?" Stacie muses and makes kissy sounds, as they both always share pecks as greetings and goodbyes. Chloe only does this with Stacie, as they are the ones who are pretty outgoing in that regard. And they are both equally affectionate. It had been Stacie who started it.
Chloe is still not making eye contact. She's drawing circles on the table as she speaks. "No, just like I'd kiss a dude, I mean a guy," she corrects. Where did this come from, she wonders. Her head feels so warm, and there's an aching feeling in her body, but she dismisses it, thinking it might be from rehearsal.
She senses Stacie and Jessica exchange a look since it has gone quiet. So, Chloe looks up.
"Aww, you like her..." Stacie comments, reaching a hand out to place on Chloe's.
"No, I mean, maybe, um, ah, I'm not sure," Chloe sighs and drops her head on her outstretched arm across the table. "She says she doesn't want anything to change between us. We're best friends, and feelings would only ruin that," she recaptures Beca's words and instantly feels her heart clam up as though a vast boulder is resting on her chest, preventing her from breathing, "I don't know what it is, but... I think I might be attracted to her. And I don't know where it's coming from. It was suddenly there. If it's even sexual attraction because I've never felt this way before... For another woman." She feels frustrated as she doesn't know how to explain without sounding this complicated, even though she never had difficulties expressing her emotions before, "you don't understand this. I don't even understand this."
"Like, she's suddenly the center of gravity?" Jessica offers, patting Chloe's arm.
"And like, your heart recognizes a long-lost part of yourself," Stacie provides as she's filing her nails, "like finding a missing piece?"
Chloe groans loudly and starts to whine. Both of her friends do understand how she feels. There is no judgment. No ridicule. No sarcastic remarks or poor bits of advice.
It's just their pure acceptance and unconditional love for Chloe.
"Have you ever felt this way before?" she asks them.
"No, but I wish that'd happen to me someday," Jessica says, eyes shining and staring into the distance.
"I have lots of sex, but that sort of connection with anyone never happened to me," Stacie says thoughtfully as she seems to be scanning each of her affairs. When she notices Chloe's curious gaze, she adds, "Jessica borrowed me some of her dirty books. And yeah, I read them."
"They aren't dirty," Jessica says while drawing quotation marks mid-air, "they are about finding true love."
"And about steamy sex," Stacie states.
"Don't be mean," Chloe tells her.
After a short pause, Jessica speaks up. "Chloe, I'd like to ask something, but–" she starts as she smiles uncertainly at Chloe, "–don't get this the wrong way or get mad?"
"Dummy, Chloe never gets mad," Stacie says. She retrieves turquoise blue nail polish from her pocket, unscrews the lid, and applies it to her nails.
Chloe nods and smiles encouragingly at her timid best friend.
"Was it, um…" Jessica drops her eyes to the table, seemingly embarrassed about the question she's about to ask, "…was it 'love at first sight' when you met Beca?"
Stacie throws Chloe a scrutinizing gaze before she looks at Jessica, waiting to see where this question is going.
"What?" Chloe asks, tucking a curl behind her ear. She watches as Stacie shrugs at her, but a knowing look glints behind her tall friend's sea-green eyes.
"Because I remember the first time you saw Beca–" Jessica grins widely, propping her elbows on the table and staring dreamily into the distance behind Chloe, "you remember? At my old dorm? And you saw her across the hallway." Jessica now wiggles her eyebrows at Chloe, squealing her excitement, "Eyes don't lie, Chloe." Her blonde friend heaves a long sigh and sits upright. "And suddenly, you befriended Beca Mitchell, and today, you kissed. Who knows where destiny will take you."
"Well, I wouldn't call it 'love at first sight.' I told you, she seems interesting to me, and I just wanted to befriend her," Chloe tells them truthfully. But she isn't being honest with herself.
"It must be romantic," Jessica says as she's nodding her head in approval of her own theory, disregarding Chloe's denials, "because if it's true love, you know, it doesn't matter if they are a girl or a boy, right?"
"Hey, I am Chloe's one true love, her soulmate," Stacie says indignantly, slamming her hand on the table with mock anger, "stupid Beca." Then she winks at Chloe.
"You may be her soulmate, but Beca could be her twin flame love at first sight," Jessica points out, sticking her tongue out petulantly at the brunette, "because you didn't see Chloe when she first saw Beca. I've read books about that."
Stacie blinks at that. "A what?" she asks dumbly. Chloe feels exactly the expression her brunette friend is displaying on her pretty face. Then she turns to Chloe. "Hey, wait a second. I did ask you if you have a thing for Beca, and you denied it. You lied to me."
"No, I didn't," Chloe says quickly in defense, dismissing the accusation with a wave of her hand, "I mean, I didn't know yet. When you first asked me..."
"And by the way," Stacie turns grumpily back at Jessica, disregarding Chloe, "I know the kind of look you mean Chloe gives Beca." Then she turns to Chloe, however, still talking to their timid friend, "When I saw them at the park. The look on Chloe's face screamed I want to bone this woman so bad, and that's just raw chemistry, I tell you."
Chloe's head feels suddenly hot. She tries smacking Stacie, but the brunette dodges the punches by leaning back, laughing. "Why are you like this?" Chloe squeals, covering her heated face, "I totes did not look like that."
"That's what you get for lying to me," Stacie tells her, indignant. She continues applying nail polish to her fingernails.
Chloe pulls at Stacie to kiss her on the cheek as a means of apologizing. "I didn't lie. I don't really know what this is, Stace." Then she looks back at Jessica, who is giggling as she watches their interaction. "So, what's this thing, this twin flame?"
"There may be more than one soulmate for you, but you can only have one twin flame," Jessica explains while pointing the tip of her index finger upward. This is her opportunity to shine by sharing with them the wisdom she has gained about love. She acquired the information by reading every book published on the subject. "Love at first sight with your twin flame is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Therefore, you can have the first encounter with a twin flame, which is exceedingly thrilling, energizing, and euphoric, and completely stands out in terms of how powerful and distinctive the experience is." Jessica sighs softly as she continues, looking directly at Chloe.
Chloe's heart begins to accelerate, and she experiences a chill traveling down her spine as a result of what Jessica says next, just as she describes:
"This sense of powerful belonging may be experienced across universes or other timelines. It's your soul telling you that the other person is The One and no one else. And you feel that throughout a lifetime. This person is your true destiny, and there's absolutely nothing you can do about it. The whole universe will point this out to you until you get together. You can't just run away from it. Run away from your twin flame."
Chloe realizes that her body is beginning to sag as if all her energy has just been sucked out of her, and she feels that she is tearing up. Her muscles feel so sore, and her body heat rises. She is so preoccupied with her own thoughts that she is oblivious to the expressions of concern that her friends are showing her.
Because she knows that Beca doesn't feel the same way about her.
What does that mean now, that Beca Mitchell could be her twin flame?
*,*,*
As Chloe is tucked up in bed, she shuts her eyes and tries to recall all the details of their picnic together. There have been lovely interactions, then the mind-blowing kiss, then Beca claiming she doesn't want their friendship ruined by feelings, then Beca holding her tight, them snuggled up together.
This is the quintessential definition of a bittersweet moment.
Beca's actions and behavior are quite contradictory, giving the impression that she constantly exerts a lot of effort to maintain self-control.
Beca's words echo in Chloe's head like an electric drill sound in a tunnel.
"Well, obviously, if I did these things with Jesse, he could get the impression that I'm into him, and doing this with you is different."
"Given that you're a quite attractive woman and you have a history of just dating men, it's quite unlikely that you'd fall in love with me."
"Am I right? We're best friends now. So, let's not ruin this with stupid feelings."
"...let's not ruin this with stupid feelings..."
"Stupid feelings," Chloe echoes in a mumble. Her forehead feels hot, and she's dizzy.
The shrill beep of her alarm startles her, and she realizes that she hasn't fallen asleep at all. She feels dizzy when she shuts it off and pulls herself up on her arm to get up, but she falls back on her pillow, eyes heavy and sleepiness overtaking her.
"Just five more minutes."
"Chloe, wake up..."
Chloe sees through her blurred vision a blonde figure hovering above her, unable to focus her eyes. Her voice is soft and caring, so she figures it can neither be Aubrey nor Amy. "It's almost 8. Why are you still in bed?"
Chloe tries to sit upright, her head swaying.
"Oh my God, you have a fever," Jessica states, and Chloe feels a cold hand on her forehead. Jessica leaves the room quickly.
Chloe uses this opportunity to rest and close her eyes. She's so exhausted.
Within a few seconds or minutes—Chloe isn't so sure—she notices the presence of other people in her room and hears a rumble of voices talking wildly, so she knows her timid blonde friend has returned with them. She can usually smell them apart by their various perfumes or shampoo, even if she has to close her eyes. But her stuffy nose is making that tricky, like trying to smell through a dampened fabric.
Chloe has her eyes closed when she feels a cheek on her forehead. And she's surprised that the person is Aubrey.
"Oh, sweetheart, you don't look good," Aubrey says softly, stroking her head. She then assigns the other Bellas tasks, like getting medicine, a wet cloth, making tea, or getting an extra blanket, and they disappear from the bedroom.
This is why Aubrey is the captain. Everybody listens to her. And she's a true friend.
Immediately, Aubrey receives everything that she has requested.
The clock reads 2:34 p.m. when Chloe stirs in her bed and stares at the clock above her bedroom door. And she's still feeling tired. She has barely registered that the Bellas have come alternately checking up on her, offering her food, and changing the wet cloth on her forehead.
Until around 4:45 p.m., Chloe went the whole day without eating, so Aubrey began to forcibly feed her unsalted instant noodles and let her sip water to keep her hydrated. At the very least, she could swallow a few spoonfuls.
After an hour, Stacie helped her freshen up and out of her soggy pajamas since she had been sweating excessively throughout the day. If she hadn't been feeling so dizzy and exhausted, she probably wouldn't have let Stacie remove her clothing, including her underwear and bra, because she was almost certain that the other girls would be gossiping about this situation. Chloe and Stacie getting it on again. In their bathroom. Holy! Actually, that's just OK. It's the emotional equivalent of getting stripped naked by your sister, not that Chloe knows what that's like. Maybe also weird.
And Jessica administered the prescribed treatment.
Which made Chloe feel sleepy again. She falls asleep until 7:23 p.m.
A wet cloth on her forehead falls off when she stirs. But she also notices that an arm is draped over her torso. A body is lying between her and the wall.
With a little tilt of her head, Chloe can see a trail of brown hair behind her and immediately considers it could be Stacie. Her face is pressing up on her back, just between her shoulder blades. Besides, only Stacie would get into bed with her to keep a close eye on her as she slept. That's the type of friendship she shares with her tall friend. Perhaps Jessica would do the same, but she seldom cuddles with Chloe quite so closely. She would have killed time by sitting in Chloe's chair and reading a book to keep herself occupied till Chloe woke up.
It's just a stupid cold. Maybe even the flu. Not a fatal disease. But still, they are all worried about her.
As she's absent-mindedly stroking Stacie's arm resting over her hip, she's thinking how lucky she is to be sharing a household with such wonderful people. She loves all of her friends. They are her family.
And she also realizes that it doesn't matter whether Beca reciprocates her feelings. Beca is under no obligation to return Chloe's feelings, no matter how powerful Chloe thinks they are. Maybe in this universe, they aren't destined to become a couple. They will be best friends until they meet again in the next lifetime.
Perhaps a different Chloe in another universe has feelings for their Beca Mitchell so powerful that it's bleeding through into this world. And she's just mixing things up.
Chloe almost laughs if the notion isn't so hurtful.
A knock at the door pulls her from her daydream, and the door cracks open. Stacie's face pops, smirking mischievously as she glances in Chloe's direction. "Ah, you're awake. You guys hungry?"
Chloe's heart skips a beat as she suddenly realizes...
If Stacie is at the door, then who is...
Chloe jumps up and sits suddenly upright. Her head turns.
The person in her bed is Beca.
*,*,*
"Hey, Sleepyhead," Beca greets her as she rubs her eyes. "How do you feel?"
"Wha–what are you doing here?"
Chloe can't believe Beca is here with her. At the Bellas' House. In her bedroom. With her in bed. She protects herself by pulling the duvet close to her body. Or she's merely trying to cover her sickly appearance.
A perplexed Beca looks at her for a moment before scratching her head and laughing. She seems to have dozed off while keeping an eye on Chloe. Beca apologizes, saying, "I fell asleep, sorry," before reaching out to climb over Chloe. Stacie, the taller of the two women, moves over to the bed as Beca rolls off to make way for her.
Stacie places a hand on Chloe's forehead, then feels her temperature with her lips. "Ah, you don't feel so hot anymore. Good." She collects the dirty dishes from the nightstand and the wet cloth that has fallen off Chloe's head.
Beca then leans down and kisses Chloe. On the lips. In front of Stacie. "Get up. We got takeout," Beca tells her, taking her hand. "If you refuse to eat, I'll let Flo force-feed you with her wooden Cuchara."
"She's still contagious, you know?" Stacie reminds her.
Chloe's ears perk up. Flo? Why does Beca know Flo? They never met. "You mean Florencia Fuentes?"
Beca raises a brow at her, speaking slowly. "Yeah. How many Flos do we got?"
Chloe's breath hitches, and she shakes her head.
"Wait..." She is at a loss for words as she stares at Beca and Stacie; something about them is unusual, different, but she cannot pinpoint it. This is very perplexing. "What's happening?" She looks around her, and she doesn't recognize this room.
"Huh? What's wrong?" Beca asks.
"Why am I here?" Chloe asks in a panic, her voice coarse and breaking, "Stacie? What happened to our lounge room?" Then she notices something odd about Stacie, whose hair is tied back into a loose bun as the ceiling light shines on her head. "When did you change your hair color?"
Stacie looks with genuine concern on her face. "Chloe, are you all right?"
Beca places a hand on her shoulder, and Chloe flinches at the touch. "Chlo…"
"No, no, what... oh, God…" Chloe, shaking Beca's hand off, drops her face in her hands, then stares back to where Beca is standing. From Beca to the framed photograph on her nightstand, then back to Beca. It's her. It's Beca. But still. What is going on?
Beca exchanges a confused look with Stacie. "Why is she looking at me like that?"
To which Stacie shrugs, saying, "Why do you ask me?" she deadpans, "she's your girlfriend."
"WHAT?!" she cries, but all that leaves her is a forced whistling sound. Her vocal cords aren't working. Her voice is gone.
Chloe's mind swirls. Her head is throbbing immensely at her temples like a jackhammer against concrete, and her heart is racing so fast that it hurts. It hurts to breathe.
This is not her room.
But at the same time, it is. Somehow.
Because there are her belongings everywhere.
She rubs her eyes as if to clear them and glances around. Along the purple-painted, cream-bordered wall are a few photo frames of herself with her Bella girls she's never seen before or can't remember taking. In this bedroom, there are fancier-looking ornaments and decorations. Okay, this is her bedroom's paint, though it might be diffused in the lighting. But who has swapped out all of her wall art? In addition, she realizes that her twin bed appears to be larger somehow and that it has been moved to the center of her bedroom rather than to the right side by the wall where it had been before. It's amazing how much room there is now beside her. And the room can accommodate two desks. A desk that has music mixing equipment on it, Chloe's sure she's seen somewhere else before...
Wait, hold on there. No, this is not her bedroom at all.
This is the studio located on the top floor.
Mainly because she can see the white-painted baluster that protrudes from the corner, leading downstairs to the next flight. Why did they bring her here in the first place? Is she in quarantine? Is she this contagious? Chloe must have been out of the loop for quite some time if the studio had been remodeled without her knowing.
The framed pictures next to her bed are unmistakably of her and the Barden Bellas, she realizes. Chloe doesn't know or recognize the other tall brunette girl standing next to Stacie in one of the pictures, both women being of almost the same height. In addition to that, there is Flo, her wonderful, beloved best friend Flo. If she planned to transfer college the following year, why is she in Atlanta, and appearing in those photos with these women she seems to be also close with? And she seems to be part of them, being a Bella. Aubrey doesn't appear in many of the Bellas' group photos, but in the first one, she's proudly beaming at a smaller brunette whose identity causes Chloe to gasp in surprise.
Her heart jumps to her throat.
Because that other woman is Beca.
And the fact that she is dressed just like them and wears the… Bella's yellow scarf on her right wrist just adds to the impression that Beca is one of them. Most of the pictures depict the same group of ladies, with either Fat Amy or Jessica or Stacie holding aloft the championship trophy; in one, Beca is shown clutching Chloe's face and running her tongue across her cheek; in another, Chloe is shown kissing Beca's temple and Beca is making the victory sign with two fingers; and in yet another, the two of them are shown hugging each other affectionately.
As Chloe leans back in growing panic, she bumps something beside her on the nightstand, and it falls over.
It's another picture frame, one that's sitting on her bedside table. She stares down at it, and her eyes grow wide as she recognizes that picture. It's one that features only her and Beca—where Chloe is lovingly kissing Beca on the cheek while she gives her a hug with her arms wrapped around Beca's waist from behind. The setting sun, which is painting the sky in shades of warm colors above the lake, serves as the backdrop for this image. It's the selfie that Beca took of them during their picnic. Chloe knows, because of the outfits they are wearing in this picture. It only happened yesterday, how can she have it already framed? But something else is off with this picture…
In this photograph, Beca appears to be leaning against the kiss rather than being caught off guard. In this photograph, Beca's cheeks are flushed and her left arm is reaching up to cup Chloe's face as she smiles happily.
They seem like… like a couple.
She stares back at the two other women in this bedroom. Stacie and Beca. Both familiar, but different people. It's uncanny. No. This isn't Stacie. And this isn't her Beca. They are strangers. They seem… slightly older. But how? Panic. Making Chloe pant heavily and her head swirl. Could they be other versions of them?
Yes.
This is another version of Beca. From that other Universe. But she's too scared to voice this out. Why should she? She'll seem like a nutcase.
How did she get here? Oh my God!
Her throat is hurting, scratching as she tries to speak. She can't get a word out. She can't breathe…
This Beca seems more affectionate with Chloe than Chloe is accustomed to from her. Beca… They look the same… but slightly older and even more beautiful—the same brunette wavy hair, the same steel blue mascara-lined eyes, the same wristbands, that visible Latin tattoo on her forearm, and almost the same set of piercings on her ears.
The only significant and most profound difference is that this Beca looks at her like Chloe is her whole world.
Beca pulls the duvet up and climbs in bed to cuddle with her, causing Chloe to stiffen. She calls back to Stacie,
"Stace, give us a sec. I got her, 'kay? I'll get the food later."
*,*,*
Chloe jerks up in the middle of the night and feels tears on her face. Beads of sweat drip from her forehead down her temple.
She's crying hard. Her emotions overwhelming her. And her lungs burn.
Her sudden movement, however, causes something to stir beside her. And in the dimly moonlit room, she sees the outline of an arm on her torso.
Without taking her eyes off the arm, she reaches behind her for the switch of her nightstand lamp. And then the light illuminates the room.
Chloe screams.
She covers her eyes in pure shock and yells till her voice fails. Her immediate roommates, Cynthia Rose, Stacie, and Jessica, heard it and burst into her room seconds later. Lilly quickly follows behind, a baseball bat slung over her shoulder, ready to strike at the presumed invader. Next in line are Ashley and Fat Amy. Finally, there's Aubrey.
"Chloe, what's wrong?" Stacie.
"Oh my god!" Jessica, worried.
"Girl, what happened?" Cynthia Rose.
After Aubrey reaches out to grab her, Chloe collapses onto her shoulder, sobbing and shuddering all over. She is clinging to Aubrey for dear life.
She hears Aubrey speaking to the person beside Chloe on her bed. "Damn it, why didn't you tell her you're here?"
"I'm so sorry."
Chloe flinches when she recognizes that voice.
It's Beca.
The feeling is similar to being run over by a bulldozer, just to be resurrected and be run over again. But you're still there in some way. This is how this feels, robbing Chloe of her energy. Is this another dream? Chloe can't get herself out of this one. That other dream. It felt so real, too.
Beca rolls sluggishly out of bed. And Chloe only sees her through a curtain of tears. She moves away from Aubrey and gives her bedroom a fleeting glance.
There are no picture frames of The Bellas and Beca in it. No picture frames of them with the championship trophy. And her nightstand doesn't have one of her and Beca. Because that picture, though a slightly different version of it, is still saved on her phone.
This is her bedroom. On the second floor.
She has a lot of her childhood stuffed animals, keepsakes from her parents and friends, and decorations from IKEA and different affordable shops that she has acquired over the past four years placed on mahogany-colored shelves. Paintings depicting breathtaking scenery, including the Grand Canyon, waterfalls, and several species of fauna. She has CDs stacked up everywhere that she still needs to sort through.
There is that last photograph of her and Tom that she hasn't thrown away, affixed to her corkboard with a thumbtack. There are also photographs of some of her and the freshmen Bellas. Just them.
Without Beca.
Since Chloe had already furnished her room in this fashion when she transferred from the girls' dormitories to The Bellas' sorority home in her second year, her belongings are placed exactly where she is accustomed to seeing them. Yes, this is her room. This is her room. She only had a nightmare.
"Maybe you should leave, Beca," Chloe hears Ashley telling Beca in a low voice. And Beca understandably nods.
"No, wait," Chloe croaks. She shakes her head in embarrassment, wiping at her tears. "I just had a nightmare. Sorry. I didn't mean to worry you all." She gives her Bella friends a beseeching look. "Will you all excuse us?"
"You feel much better now, Chlo, right?" Aubrey says, squeezing her on her shoulder, "so you need some rest."
"Yes, I will. Thank you."
When the Bellas leave and return to their respective bedrooms, Chloe barely notices their doors closing one after another. Only Beca stayed put. She's standing by the closed door, looking awkwardly around her. Chloe sees that Beca is wearing jogging pants that hang loosely at her hips and a black Rock'n'roll shirt. For some reason, she can't recall when Beca had come over to seek her. The length of time Beca's been here is evident from her casual attire since the Bellas didn't see her as an intruder. Because they wouldn't have let a stranger crawl with Chloe into her bed while she was fast asleep.
"You okay?" she asks Chloe, interrupting her reverie. Beca rubs at her right elbow.
"What were you even doing here? I mean, I'm happy. I'm just surprised." Chloe pulls her legs up and hugs them. "By the way, I didn't mean to startle you."
Beca waves her off. "Sleep is overrated." Then, Beca walks up to Chloe's chair and takes a book off of it—Jessica's book—before giving her a scandalized look and frowning at the provocative cover, on which an Adonis-type man is seen grabbing a naked lady from behind and squeezing her boobs. Beca blushes. "Hm, Stacie told me," she says, putting the book away.
"And then you just came over?" Chloe asks, feeling skeptical about the whole situation.
Beca chuckles and rubs her neck. She always does this when she's nervous. "Nah, she and Amy practically kidnapped me to get here. Seriously, how do they know me? They just kidnapped me; said you didn't feel well. That I had to come with them," she adds with another frown, "while I was getting out of the shower. Thank goodness I got already dressed." With a low mumble, eyebrows furrowed, she adds, "And remind me to murder Kimmy with a pillow because she revealed my whereabouts."
A smile forms on Chloe's lips. "And they just let you crash here?"
She still doesn't understand. Somehow they managed to talk Aubrey into letting Beca sleep in Chloe's room, which is a major feat in and of itself. Aubrey doesn't really know Beca. To Chloe's knowledge, they have never really met personally. Chloe wanted to introduce Beca to her other best friends, but she wanted Beca to be ready first.
When it comes to regulations around the house, Aubrey is very rigid. And quite selective about who she allows to drop by. Since it is a sorority house, the first rule is that no men are allowed to stay the night. Out of deference to the other women, even Cynthia Rose never once invited her lady over. Chloe had only managed to get Tom inside once before when Aubrey had gone out with Stacie, Jessica, and Ashley shopping. She stopped doing it after realizing she hadn't treated the girls fairly because the rules also extended to her.
But Beca is Chloe's friend. Not a lover. So maybe there lies the difference.
"Aubrey suggested I could crash here," Beca says with a half-shrug, surprising Chloe, "but you guys don't have a spare bed. And I didn't feel like crashing on the couch. She said I could sleep here with you."
Chloe smiles again. How could anyone possibly think Aubrey is a monster? She genuinely cares about her friends.
"She told me she doesn't care if I catch it," Beca quickly adds, raising her brow, "provided that someone stays with you during the night and watches over you."
Chloe laughs. She pats the side beside her, inviting Beca. Beca chuckles awkwardly as she seems reluctant now—yes, this one is definitely her Beca.
"Well, it's 1 a.m.," Chloe says, "so you might as well just sleep a bit."
*,*,*
When Chloe wakes up the following day, she feels a hand on her forehead and a gentle kiss. She opens her eyes and watches as Stacie and Jessica leave her bedroom, closing the door carefully behind them.
It must have all been just a dream, after all. Maybe even that Beca was here and stayed the night. What if none of it actually happened? And she even forgot the other dream she had. How weird. The prickling chill in her spine, however, is still lingering.
When she rolls in her bed, she's facing a peacefully sleeping Beca. Her mouth is slightly parted, and her long brunette hair is disheveled, hanging across her face.
Chloe smiles and brushes her hair away from her face, caressing Beca's cheek.
"Beca, it's 7 a.m.," she says softly, "when do you need to get up?"
Beca rolls towards the wall and pulls the duvet over her head, ignoring Chloe.
Chloe moves up closer and drapes an arm over Beca's waist. She buries her face between Beca's shoulders, feels her tense up, and then relaxes the tension. The brunette stirs a bit, but only to rest one arm on Chloe's.
"When do you have to get up, Beca?" she asks again.
"At 9," she mumbles, "now shut up."
*,*,*
It's Friday afternoon, and Fat Amy and Ashley are the last to return home from class. They quickly change into their training outfits and gather with the other Bellas in the living room, where Chloe is sitting on the L-shaped sofa with a blanket over her legs. Jessica made her tea and provided her with healthy snacks.
"I told you I'm fine already," Chloe whines, though her coarse voice tells them otherwise. She's trying to get up, "I can at least come with you and watch."
"Chloe, you stay here until you are completely well," Aubrey says sternly, pushing her down again.
"I volunteer as tribute, Captain." Fat Amy, stepping forward, lifts an arm, her gaze earnest as she stares ahead. "I'll stay for her instead." The other Bellas laugh, especially Chloe, as this was from the last movie they've recently watched in the theaters.
Aubrey rolls her eyes. When she gets up, she claps her hands for the Bellas to get ready. Then the doorbell rings.
"I get it," Jessica says and runs. "Ah, she's here," she calls seconds later from the entry hall.
It's Beca again.
And Chloe can't believe that her friends have looked for a babysitter. Or it's to keep Chloe company. Though she's somewhat excited, too, to see her. Beca has changed clothes and is wearing her dark attire and jeans. She's beaming awkwardly at Chloe as though she doesn't know why she's even here.
As the Bellas leave, Stacie leans toward Chloe and pecks her lips. Then she strokes her hair. "Be good," she tells her.
"If you keep kissing me, you'd be next to catch it," she calls after her.
"Then I'd be excused from rehearsal." Stacie pokes her tongue out and turns. Then the front door falls shut.
"You two are very close," Beca remarks from where she's standing by the archway. She moves over to Chloe and sits on the couch.
"That's what friends do, Beca." She throws Beca a coy grin and winks, knowing that Beca caught the implication. Beca drops her gaze to her lap, her ears turning red.
"You okay, though?" Beca looks around the living room and takes everything in. "So, this is the infamous Bellas' residence, huh?" She nods in approval as if it's exactly how she'd imagined. "Not my thing, though. Too colorful."
"Didn't you see it when you came over yesterday?" Chloe asks.
"No, I've been dragged straight upstairs to your room." Then her eyes move quickly around as if in thought. "And this morning, I was late, so I didn't have time to look." She leans against the backrest and folds her hands on her belly. "Because nobody woke me up," she says accusingly.
"What?" Chloe exclaims. Then she sees the smirk on Beca's face, so she tips her with her toe to the side. Beca jerks. "By the way, you don't have to stay, Beca, really." Chloe finishes her tea and holds it to her body, snacking on her veggies. "I mean, I'm a big girl. I can take care of myself."
"Yeah? That didn't look like it last night," Beca chuckles.
"Because I didn't expect anyone lying in my bed," Chloe groans and rolls her eyes, "you startled the living shit out of me."
"Hey!" Beca snaps her head at her and swats her foot, frowning, "watch your language, young lady! Where the fuck did you learn that?"
Chloe laughs and prods her with her foot.
They moved to Chloe's bedroom as Chloe wanted to rest in her bed. She's still not feeling well; her throat is sore, her lungs hurt from coughing, and her head spins.
"Do you want some rest now?" Beca asks from across the room, standing on the threshold.
"I'm fine, really, unless you don't want to stay."
"I don't mind. Just let me know." Beca walks inside, closes the door behind her, and sits at the foot of the bed, propping back on her arms.
"I don't want you to infect you, but... would you lie with me a bit?" Chloe asks, patting the mattress, "I mean, at least until I fall asleep."
Beca looks hesitant, but she says, "If I get sick," she warns, "I want an A-plus quality service. With all the benefits that come with friendships. And ice cream."
"What? You want us to be friends with benefits, Beca?" Chloe asks, trying to sound nonchalant. "Sure, I can give you some A-plus benefits as soon as I feel better."
"What? No, ugh!" Beca hides her face in her hands. "You can't be feeling this bad if you have the energy to tease me like that."
"Beca, now come here," Chloe says, stretching her arms out.
She rises from the foot of the bed but hesitatingly approaches Chloe before finally scooting closer. As she pulls the blanket up, Chloe shifts her position to make room for her. After that, Beca gets in and lies down next to Chloe. Chloe moves closer and nestles up against her, putting her head against Beca's collarbone while draping one arm over Beca's upper body and placing the other in the space between them.
Somehow, she has the uncanny feeling that she has been here before, perhaps not even that long ago—like a déjà-vu. Her tired brain, however, is unable to recall the relevant details. As if she'd dreamed about this, the memory of that dream is fading. Just like the more away you are from a dream, the less real it seems to you. The lack of depth, vibrancy, and coherence makes everything seem unreal. Reason being, it just isn't. Your sentimental attachment to that dream gradually dissipates.
The only thing that's real right now is having her Beca in her arms and feeling her warm body beside her.
Beca seems tense as if she isn't accustomed to snuggling with others, which is plausible. Seemingly uneasy in her own skin. Although she has the option to withdraw or walk away, she does neither. Chloe is too frail, both physically and mentally, to force the brunette to snuggle with her if she doesn't want this.
But Beca stays.
"I love you, Beca," she whispers, her eyes falling shut and sleep taking over.
She doesn't hear Beca's response.
