Having secretly kept some of the soulmate ring compound, Stacie heads off to Barden University. She meets her awesome roommate, joins some super fun clubs, and lets the hunter go wild. But can she truly let loose once she knows she's met her soulmate?
"You are seriously going to Barden, Stacie?" Sam lay on her friend's bed and watched her pack. "You could have gone anywhere you want; hell, you got into MIT, for crying out loud. But Barden?"
Stacie rolled her eyes. "Look, ever since I was seven, I've thrown myself into school. I have enough college credits to be classified as a junior. I thought Barden might be easy for a change. Branch out into some different sciences, take some electives other than dance. I don't know, be just a college student and not an overachiever." Stacie held a skimpy shirt to her chest before tossing it on her bed to pack.
"Why haven't I seen half these clothes, Stace? Have you been holding out on me? Secret boyfriend?" Sam started pressing Stacie since she had indeed never heard Stacie talking about as much as even going on a date before.
Stacie frowned. "And that's another thing. You haven't seen half these clothes because I was always so busy studying that I never had time to go out!" She scrunched her face up. "The clothes all came from my grandma. She tried to be hip, helping me shop for college."
"Back to the boyfriend question. Don't think I didn't notice you deflected that question. How many boys have you gone out with?" Stacie kept quiet as she kept tossing clothes over her shoulder.
Sam wouldn't relent until Stacie finally admitted that she'd never had a boyfriend. She'd kissed a few guys but never 'went back for seconds.' "So going to Barden will be another way to let loose. Explore the world, if you will." Stacie laughed.
All of a sudden, Sam got serious. "Stacie! High school is supposed to be when you sow your oats - a protected group of people you've known most of your life. What happens if you step foot on campus, into a larger population group and meet your soulmate? You won't ever get to know life except with one person."
Stacie turned around and thoughtfully looked at Sam. "But isn't that the point of meeting your soulmate? Life with one person?"
"I suppose so," Sam admitted.
"Well, I have a plan." Stacie pulled out a bottle of the coating from the project they'd worked on during the Fall semester, the cornerstone of Stacie's high school senior project.
Sam gasped. "How did you get that?"
"I might have kept some for just the reason you've been talking about." Stacie chuckled.
After Stacie's successful experiment with Amber and Mike's rings, she returned to her research group with her findings. Each group member pledged to find at least two soulmate couples to run their experiment on. Many asked their parents or who had close friends and other relatives who had met their soulmate.
Eventually, the group collected enough data to complete the project. They found that the substance would restrict the connection between the soulmate rings, tamp down the platinum, and cause odd colors to appear. The coating had to be reapplied every seven days to remain in effect or removed with acetone.
A corporation caught wind of the project and purchased all rights to the research. While the university retained a great deal of the money, each research group member was rewarded with a post-project stipend for their time and efforts. Needless to say, Stacie earned top marks for her senior project.
That Stacie had kept some of the substance might have violated the non-disclosure, non-compete statements everyone had signed. Still, she'd chosen Barden University for undergrad so she could have some fun and let her hair down. And she wasn't about to let finding her soulmate put a damper on that.
Stacie moved her things into her room in Baker Hall. She carefully painted the ring compound on all surfaces of her ring and made a note in her calendar on her phone. Stacie then went to wander around the quad. She'd seen flyers for an Activities Fair, and she wanted to see what types of things she could get involved in outside of her classes.
The clubs were varied and spanned from academic to artistic to plain right outrageous. Stacie grabbed a few flyers for the math and science clubs so she could meet some like-minded people. She saw a few musical groups she might be interested in as well. She'd stuck to mostly dance in school, but she always loved singing, too.
After the Activities Fair, she headed to the dining hall for dinner. She filled her tray and then found a relatively empty table. Growing up, she'd seemed like an out-going person on the outside, but she really felt like a tall, awkward person with no social skills. Soon a petite brunette returned to the table carrying a soft drink. She had a wife-beater tank top and a flannel shirt over a casted arm with a dour look on her face.
"Hi, I'm Stacie. Hope you don't mind me sitting here." The other woman grumbled as she concentrated on getting the paper off her straw. Stacie reached over and grabbed the straw, pulling the paper off for the girl and stuck it in her drink. The other girl mumbled a thanks and then introduced herself.
Stacie was so nervous about being at Barden that she couldn't stop herself from talking to Beca. They both finished eating at about the same time, so Stacie naturally reached for Beca's tray to help her out. She was working with only one arm, so Stacie was just being friendly, right? The girl got a little miffed, then let Stacie have her tray.
"You aren't one to take help much, are you?" Stacie grinned down at the girl as they headed to the exit. "Where you headed?" Stacie discovered they were staying in the same dorm. As they walked, she apologized for talking so much. "This is my first time away from home, and I don't know anyone. Hell, I haven't even met my roommate yet."
When they went their separate ways at the front of the dorm, Stacie figured she'd probably never see Beca again. Imagine Stacie's surprise to learn that Beca was actually her roommate. That night lying in bed, Stacie rolled over onto her stomach and checked her e-mails. She caught a glimpse of her ring from the glow of her screen and quickly sat up. She flipped on her lamp so she could examine her ring.
"Ahhh, fuck."
Stacie tossed and turned all night but decided to do her best to push thoughts of her soulmate ring out of her head. When she finally decided to get up for the day, her new roommate was already up and moving around.
"Morning!" Beca cheerfully said.
"Ugh," Stacie grumbled, rubbing her eyes.
"Not a morning person?" Beca asked. Stacie just grunted.
Beca caught herself laughing. "Me either, normally, but today will be a great day." She asked Stacie if she'd like to go pick up some electronics with her and her dad. She explained the tense situation between them and that she was only attending Barden for a year to appease him. Stacie agreed to go but only after a good breakfast.
As they were eating in the chow hall, Stacie's mind snapped back to her soulmate ring when she saw that Beca's ring was platinum. As they were finishing up eating, Stacie said to Beca, "Okay, I know we aren't really supposed to ask about this. But I'm about to meet your dad." She reached over and tapped Beca's platinum soulmate ring. "I want to hear all about this."
"What's there to say?" Beca rolled her eyes. "I don't believe in soulmates."
"WHAT?" Stacie's shock rang out through the cafeteria. "Beca, your ring is platinum, and you don't care? You've met your soulmate, Shortstack. Celebrate." Stacie's stomach was rolling as she glanced at her ring.
Stunned, Beca looked at her ring like she was seeing the silver color for the first time. "Well, that's new. Fuuuuuuck," she hissed.
"Wait! Your ring turned platinum, and you didn't notice?" Stacie's grin spread from one ear to the other. At least she wasn't alone in this. Her ring was now the weird brown color that her research group had identified as the color a coated ring turns for someone who has met their soulmate. She could now deflect onto her roommate.
"I don't believe in soulmates," Beca mumbled.
"That can't be," Stacie retorted
Beca got up and grabbed her tray before repeating herself. "I said, I don't believe in soulmates." She dumped her tray and then swiftly headed back to the dorm, staring at her ring the entire time.
"Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck," Beca kept muttering. Stacie ran to catch up to Beca who was almost running back to their dorm room.
"Easy there, tiger. What do you have against soulmates?"
"My parents' rings turned platinum when they met, and they only managed to stay married seventeen years," Beca said. "What kind of soulmate is that? Seventeen years certainly isn't forever. And soulmates are supposed to be… forever."
Stacie spun her ring around on her finger. "I doubt I'll find my soulmate for a while. He's a hunter," she said, motioning to her crotch. "He and I will go on many adventures through my college career."
"You call it a he," Beca smirked. "At least your ring isn't platinum, and you don't know who caused it to turn."
"Little do you know, my friend. Little do you know," Stacie thought to herself.
Stacie was amazed at the amount of equipment that Beca and her dad bought. Beca had even gotten her a fabulous pair of noise-canceling earbuds. The more she got to know her roommate, the more convinced Stacie was that she'd made the right choice in coming to Barden. She'd already been on two dates in as many days and had a few guys lined up for the weekend.
She did, however, have a hard time keeping her mind off her ugly brown soulmate ring. But she knew if she kept up with the reapplication schedule, she could keep anyone from finding out her ring had changed and asking questions. This way, she could concentrate on helping Beca find her soulmate.
There were tryouts for one of the singing groups she'd been interested in on Friday afternoon. She'd heard of a capella and was intrigued by the concept. When she found the flyer in the stack of booths Beca had visited during the Activity Fair, she convinced her roommate to drop by to see if anyone caught her attention. "You don't have to audition; just drop by to check out rings."
Before Stacie left for auditions, she drew Beca a map on the back of the flyer and left her a note, hoping she'd show up.
Stacie decided to wear a white lace top her grandma had given her and skinny red jeans tucked into boots for her audition. She was quite nervous about her audition which made her even more nervous since she rarely got nervous about anything. So she decided to have fun with the whole thing and just be silly with it. When she peeked out and saw a few good-looking guys sitting off to the right of the small auditorium, she decided to play up some of her better aspects.
When her time came, Stacie made sure her boobs were situated just right and walked on stage. "Hi, my name is Stacie. My hobbies include cuticle care and E Network." As she belted out her bars of Since U Been Gone by Kelly Clarkson, she squinted her eyes. She ran her hands over her body, peeking out occasionally to see if any of the guys were watching. Maybe she could get a few more dates out of this, if nothing else. College was definitely turning out to be fun.
Imagine her surprise when her roommate not only showed up but also auditioned. While Beca didn't have the correct song prepared, she did a rendition of the Cups song and stellar performance with one of the judge's yellow pen cup.
"B! That was awesome," Stacie ran out the stage backdoor with Beca and wrapped one arm around her shoulder. She challenged her roommate on her ability to sing. Beca tried to skirt around the question, saying that she had claimed that she didn't sing, not that she couldn't.
When Stacie questioned her roommate about seeing her soulmate at the audition, Beca seemed to be a bit cagey with her answers. Still, she had no reason to not believe her when she said she didn't see anyone who fit the bill to be her soulmate. "Well, tonight, the hunter is on the prowl. He has a conquest."
"I still can't believe you call it a he," Beca chuckled.
The following evening, both Stacie and Beca were inducted into the Bellas. The ceremony was a little strange, but she was glad to be a part of this seeming misfit group of girls. Some of them were actually hot.
Stacie had learned during her short foray into college life that the hunter didn't seem to discriminate between the male and female variety of students. Another thing was that there was never a shortage of alcohol at student gatherings. She sometimes wondered what her high school life would have been like if she had not pushed herself so hard to be an overachiever.
Stacie glanced around the outdoor amphitheater filled with other a capella geeks and found her roommate staring after one of the co-captains of their new group. She grabbed a couple of fresh solo cups full of the nasty punch someone had provided. "So, Becs, tell me about the redhead. I happened to catch a glimpse of her soulmate ring, and don't think I missed how you were looking at her." Despite the smaller girl's continued insistence on her disbelief in soulmates, she sure did seem attracted to the redhead.
"Let's talk about you, Stace. You are so worried about my soulmate. But what about your ring? You tell me that you honestly want to spend the rest of your life with someone whose emotions are flat and well," Beca chuckled, "kinda ugly." She tapped on Stacie's ring.
"What do you mean, Shortstack?" Stacie's nerves kicked up a notch as she realized Beca had noticed the color of her band.
"I mean, your ring is always that weird brown color. What kind of emotion is that?"
Stacie had been making a conscious effort to not check out the color of anyone's soulmate ring. She feared she'd find out who her soulmate ring was before she was ready. Stacie had chosen to come to Barden to have some fun during her undergraduate years, let loose a little bit. Thus far, that's precisely what she'd been doing.
At the first Bellas' practice, the group lost two recruits to breaking the oath they'd taken against sleeping with one of the campus rival a capella group, The Treblemakers. Stacie made sure to make it well known that she wasn't in charge of what the hunter did. But secretly, she knew she didn't want to be ousted from this group of women since she felt a strange connection with all of them.
Jessica and Ashley were an absolutely adorable couple who were obviously already together. Lilly spoke so softly you could barely hear her, and when you did, you wished you hadn't. Fat Amy seemed to be the class clown, providing comedic relief for everything. Cynthia Rose didn't mind being touchy-feely with Stacie. There was herself and Beca. And of course, the co-captains were Chloe and Aubrey.
If she had to put money on her roommate's soulmate, Stacie would bet on it being Chloe. The redhead was effervescent and bubbly, perpetually cheerful, which would explain what Beca had told her about her ring being a constant yellow until she got to Barden. Stacie also couldn't miss the hilarity of Beca being paired with Chloe for life since Beca was quite the opposite of a ball of sunshine. She was more like a storm cloud – a tiny thunderstorm waiting to burst out in lightning bolts and rain.
And then there was Aubrey, whose leadership style was quite the opposite of Chloe's. Her type A personality made her a perfectionist and quite competitive, which wasn't a bad thing in terms of preparing for competition. But the near aggressive, hostile way Aubrey sometimes ran their practices was occasionally off-putting. Perhaps that is what drew Stacie towards Aubrey, like a moth to a bare lightbulb in the darkest of nights.
One afternoon during practice, Aubrey wanted to show a particular movement in their choreography. She called Stacie up to demonstrate. Of course, she did; Stacie was the best dancer there for a good reason. She'd been dancing since she could walk. Stacie took her position with Aubrey behind her.
The demonstration was going great until Aubrey wrapped her arms around Stacie. Stacie's eyes dropped and landed on what she'd been avoiding on all people she'd come into contact with – Aubrey's soulmate ring. The co-captain's ring wasn't platinum, nor was it any of the vivid, bright colors which indicated her soulmate's mood. Instead, the ring was oddly colored, muted, with no specific pattern, Just like in the research studies she'd completed in high school. Aubrey was her soulmate.
Stacie's heart felt like a train racing through a tunnel as her thoughts began to tumble through her mind. A band constricted around her throat, cutting off her oxygen. She quickly made up an excuse about being sick and fled the rehearsal room with Beca on her heels. It's not that she didn't want Aubrey to be her soulmate. She genuinely liked the girl; Stacie wasn't ready for her fun to stop.
"Dude, what's going on?" Beca had to jog to keep up with Stacie's long strides. "Come on, Stace. Slow down." Finally, Beca planted herself in front of her roommate, blocking her way. "Talk to me; what's wrong?"
"Nothing," Stacie growled through gritted teeth. "I'm not stupid, you know. I could have gone to any university I wanted. I chose Barden, not for the academics but so I could have the experience, you know. Enjoy life as an irresponsible young adult. I don't have time for uptight co-captains and trivial things like a capella." She knew she was taking out her frustration on her roommate but couldn't stop.
"Whoa, Stace. Trivial things like a capella are what make college fun. Yeah, Aubrey is a wound a bit tight. But don't let her run you off from doing something you are obviously good at. Besides, who else would C.R. feel up if you quit?"
Practices were a bit different from there on out. Stacie started trying to do things to throw Aubrey off her game, such as singing more sexually and rubbing her hands all over herself. Beca and Cynthia Rose got a kick out of it, but Aubrey wouldn't even give her the time of day.
She tasked Chloe with the responsibility of getting Stacie to keep her hands off herself when she sang. When Beca asked her why she was making everything so sexual. Stacie said singing that way was more fun. In truth, she was trying to gauge Aubrey's reaction, see how far the captain could be pushed before she broke.
When Aubrey announced a Bellas' bonding night, Stacie wasn't sure if she was up to being in such close quarters with the co-captain now that she knew she was her soulmate. Stacie told Chloe to not expect her, that the hunter had a prior engagement.
"But Bella bonding nights are mandatory," the sweet redheaded co-captain chirped.
"Then let us know ahead of time." Stacie crossed her arms.
"You heard her," Aubrey's voice came from right beside them causing them both to jump. "It's mandatory. Period." She huffed and walked away.
When Beca and Stacie walked back to their room after the bonding night, Stacie began to tease Beca about Chloe being her soulmate. Their connection was apparent, especially since they'd sat snuggled under a blanket, and Stacie knew that her roommate was not the type to snuggle.
Then Beca flipped the tables on Stacie and asked about her ring. She'd noticed that Stacie's ring was still always the odd brown color caused by the coating Stacie diligently reapplied every week. Stacie blew it off by saying, "meh, it's a work in progress."
"I heard Aubrey talking to Chloe in the kitchen between movies." Beca began to feel out her roommate.
"Mmm," Stacie stared straight ahead, not saying much.
"You drive her crazy, you know," Beca continued. "You always push things to the edge, like you are flirting but not flirting all at the same time. How do you do that?"
Stacie shrugged. "I can't help who the hunter chooses. He has a mind of his own." Her voice was a little quieter this time. "He doesn't discriminate between genders."
"Maybe the hunter should ask Aubrey out," Beca teased.
"Maybe Aubrey should chill and not be such a dictator during practice. I wonder if she's this way all the time or if it's just with us?"
"What does that have to do with you flirting with her? I mean, if you don't like her then why flirt?" Beca couldn't quite understand her roommate's line of thinking.
"Anyway," Stacie said, "back to you." She told Beca that all the Bellas noticed the connection between her and Chloe. "There's even a pool on when you two will get together."
Beca rolled her eyes. "And what's your take?"
"That what happens between the two of you is none of their business."
After about a week, Stacie convinced Beca to ask Chloe out to talk to her and see how things went. When they found that Aubrey canceled Bellas' practice, Beca hinted that maybe Stacie should show up at Chloe and Aubrey's house after she and Chloe were gone.
"It's your chance, dude. Just ask her out."
They finally decided on an outfit for Beca, and Stacie schooled her on what flowers to show off with. Stacie kicked her roommate out of the dorm before her feet got colder than they already were. She thought about what Beca had said about showing up at Chloe and Aubrey's house.
The draw was enticing, but she didn't feel ready to be tied down. Unlike Beca, Stacie did believe in soulmates. She just didn't understand why the universe chose Aubrey for her. Finally, Stacie just gave in.
Stacie sucked in her breath when Aubrey answered the door. "Umm, hi." She held a bunch of white tulips down by her side. "I'm looking for Beca," she stammered.
Aubrey tilted her head sideways. "You missed her and Chloe by about fifteen minutes," Aubrey answered as she looked down at the flowers Stacie was holding.
"Oh, she left these in the room," Stacie lied, holding out the bouquet.
"Hmm," Aubrey pondered, looking over her shoulder. "That's funny since she brought Chloe wildflowers." Stacie stood there like an idiot. "Would you like to come in?"
"Sure," Stacie said and handed the flowers to Aubrey. "Then let's pretend these are for you."
Aubrey screwed her eyebrows together, confused, but took them anyway. "Thank you?"
"So why the flowers?" Stacie had handed them to Aubrey after she walked into the house.
"Beca left them in the dorm room, and I tried to catch her. So you might as well enjoy them," Stacie shrugged.
Aubrey began arranging the tulips in a vase. She motioned to the wildflowers Chloe had put in water. "Those seem much more her style," Aubrey mentioned in an off-handed manner. "I mean, these are pretty. I just don't see them as something Beca could bring."
"Guess that's what I get for suggesting them," Stacie chuckled nervously. She was trying to be nonchalant but not quite sure if she could pull it off. The tulips, of course, had been chosen specifically for Aubrey.
"I just made some tea," Aubrey started. "And Chloe made some cookies yesterday. Would you like to stay? I'm not quite sure what to do with myself with Chloe not here."
The two Bellas settled on the couch with tea and a plate of cookies. Despite having chosen Barden to let the hunter do his thing, Stacie wanted nothing more than to spend some time around Aubrey. Now that she knew who her soulmate was, she had to tread carefully.
"So you are taking some pretty advanced classes for a freshman." When Stacie looked strangely at her Aubrey, the captain back-pedaled a bit. "Your class schedule. Remember I had to make a practice schedule to fit around everyone's classes."
"Oh. Yeah. Well, actually, I'm a junior." Stacie told Aubrey about her high school career. The classes she'd taken for dual credit at the community college that had transferred over and all.
"So why Barden," Aubrey asked. "Seems like you could have chosen a more prestigious university."
"What," Stacie teased. "You don't want me here? I can transfer out, you know."
"N-n-no," Aubrey stammered. "It's just that you're so… intelligent. I…"
"It's okay, Aubrey. I'm teasing." Stacie put her hand on Aubrey's knee before quickly pulling it away. "High school was intense with all my advanced classes. I wanted the rest of undergrad to be fun."
"So you'll only be with the Bellas for two years?"
"No. I have planned on doing masters' work here. Then moving somewhere else for a doctorate possibly. Or skip my masters altogether. But Barden has excellent post-graduate programs."
"Hmmm," Aubrey pondered. "So, are you having fun?" Stacie nodded. "And the hunter? What about him?" Aubrey raised her eyebrows as Stacie blushed.
"The hunter is enjoying the wide variety of experiences."
"I see."
Aubrey and Stacie continued to visit for quite a while, both losing track of time. Somehow, the captain and the younger woman had migrated closer and closer on the couch as they talked. When they heard Chloe's key in the door, Aubrey jumped. They both turned to the door as they heard Chloe's distinct giggling.
Chloe pushed the door open with her back, and Beca was kissing her neck as they made their way into the house. The two didn't even notice Aubrey and Stacie in the living room as they kissed their way toward Chloe's bedroom.
"God," Stacie said. "Finally."
Aubrey laughed. "I suppose that means they came to their senses even though I have my doubts about the little hobbit."
"Hey," Stacie protested. "She's a good egg and has been through a lot."
"She irritates the heck out of me. She's just so antagonistic."
"With good reason, Aubrey. But now that they've accepted they are each other's soulmates, you'll see more of Beca."
Aubrey rolled her eyes. "Don't remind me. And less of Chloe."
Stacie took a deep breath and decided this was a perfect segue. "Since they will probably be gaga over each other for a while, why don't you let me take you out tomorrow night? Give them some time alone?"
Aubrey looked surprised. "Oh. Well. Sure. I suppose I can do that."
Stacie virtually bounced back to the dorm. She'd thoroughly enjoyed her time with Aubrey, which was a relief. The captain was always so hardcore and rigid at practice. But this Aubrey was more natural. Softer. And taking her out under the guise of giving Chloe and Beca alone time was perfect. This opportunity would allow her to feel out how Aubrey felt about her as a romantic interest – since Aubrey didn't know they were soulmates and all.
Beca didn't show up back in the dorm room until after one am. She dramatically fell backward on her bed and exclaimed okay. Say it. You told me so. She flipped over and looked at her roommate, then proceeded to tell her all about the date.
"And then we went back to her house …."
"I know," Stacie interrupted.
"Huh?"
"I was there," Stacie chuckled. "I was at Aubrey and Chloe's." She told Beca how she and Aubrey were sitting on the couch when they came in and made their way back to Chloe's room.
"Dude. Guess I had tunnel vision. What were you doing there?"
Stacie couldn't come clean with Beca about the soulmate ring compound, so she told her she'd gone over just to visit. "But after seeing you two had finally connected, I decided you needed some more alone time tomorrow. So I asked Aubrey out, just as you said I should."
"Ahhh, so the hunter does go both ways."
"The hunter doesn't discriminate when it comes to fineness. Aubrey is hot!"
Beca scrunched up her nose. "Ewww."
