Hey guys! I'm not done with Operation- Not Expected, and this story is nowhere near done. I just thought I'd give y'all a sneak peak, and build up some suspense! Love ya awesome nerds!
Chapter 1
"Beca! Come on, you have to go to work!" I groan as Chloe's bubbly voice hits my ears.
"Five more minutes." I mumble and turn over, and she rips the blankets off me. "What the hell? Chlo, we talked about that."
I glare up at her, just to see a wide grin plastered on her face. "I know, but still. Come on, up. Before I get Jesse." She winks at the horrified look on my face. I quickly scramble out of bed and grab a pair of sweatpants, the memory of the last time Jesse woke me up energizing my motions. "Yeah, thought so." She laughs and leaves the room.
"Bitch!" I call after her, and she laughs. I pull on my sweatpants and a purple t-shirt before groggily walking downstairs and into the kitchen. Chloe's sitting on the couch, watching some TV show (I think it might be 'Almost Family,' but I can't tell), and Jesse's standing at the stove, flipping pancakes. "Jesse, I love you." I mutter when I see the food, and he turns to smile at me.
"I know you do. Although you're the one who broke up with me."
"Oh my gosh, this again?" I exclaim, throwing my hands up in the air in exasperation. "It's not my fault I'm-" I cut off and glare at him when I realize he's laughing. "I hate you."
"No, you don't." He shakes his head, but stops laughing. "So, got any plans for today?"
"Other than work, of course not." I roll my eyes and grab a cup of coffee. "You know that." My eyes narrow when I take in his thoughtful expression. "What are you planning?"
"It was Chloe's idea."
"It was not, liar!" Chloe pauses her show and walks in, both hands on her hips and sporting a playful glare. "It was your idea, I just said I thought it was a good one. Other than the whole, 'Beca might slap you, then kick you out of the apartment' part. But I'm assuming you missed that?"
Jesse's jaw drops open, and Beca lets out an amazed laugh. "Oh my gosh Beale, you're amazing. How did you get Jesse Swanson speechless?" She pulls out her phone and takes a picture before he can rearrange his features.
Chloe simply shrugs, a small smirk spreading across her face at the compliment. "He's easy."
"Oh my God, she's ruthless! Where did she come from?" Jesse cries out, turning to flip the pancake on the stove. Suddenly, my phone starts ringing, and I groan when I see it's Aubrey, my manager.
"Shh, guys, it's Aubrey." They nod, and I answer the phone. "Hello?"
"Where the hell are you?"
"What are you talking about, Posen?" I do my best to keep the bite out of my voice, but it doesn't entirely work. Aubrey Posen has been my manager for five years now, but we still manage to get under each other's skin. The only reason why I keep her around is because she knows how to actually do her job, unlike some other managers I and some of my celebrity friends have had in the past. Also, Chloe suggested her, and getting on Chloe's bad side is the last thing I want to do.
"You were supposed to be at The Morning Show twenty minutes ago! You're on in half an hour!"
"Shit!" I scramble out my chair and rush upstairs, throwing on a pair of jeans. "My pantsuit is there, right?"
"Yes, everything is here. Now hurry the fuck up!" With that, Aubrey hangs up. Once my pants are on, I rush back downstairs and snatch a pancake from the growing pile on the counter.
"I have to go guys, I forgot about The Morning Show with Kelly and Ryan." Chloe's eyes widen, and Jesse almost chokes on a piece of his pancake.
"Go!" Chloe finally yells after a second, and they both usher me out the door (not that I need ushering). It isn't until after I'm already out the door and in my car that I realize I still don't know what my two best friends are planning.
Thankfully, it doesn't take me long to get to the studio, and I see Posen waiting outside with a scowl on her face. I take a deep sigh, preparing myself for the scolding I'm about to get, before getting out of the car and walking up to her. "Sorry."
"Damn right you are." The blonde levels her glare at me. "Now come on. We need to get you ready."
With another sigh,I follow her into the building. As we pass, several people look away from Aubrey, glancing down as fast as they can. I can't help but chuckle, because I know people think she's scary- and she is, usually. Only select people get to see her soft side. Somehow, I'm one of those people.
"Here." Posen shoves a bag that I know contains my pantsuit into my hands. "Get dressed, and please hurry."
"Yes sir." I mutter, then run into my room and close the door before she can whack me.
It doesn't take me long to get dressed, even without my helpers. Once I'm dressed, I usher them all in, and Posen immediately gets set on brushing through my hair. "This shouldn't take long." She informs me as she does so. I nod along, pretending to listen- she says the same thing every time. "Be you, don't get flustered, answer the questions." When I don't answer, she pokes me in the head with a comb rather harshly. "Did you get that?"
"Got it." I mutter with a scowl that I make sure she can see.
Suddenly, she smirks and pushes me off the chair. "Time to get out there."
"Alright." We walk backstage, and Posen pulls me aside one last time before I walk out.
"Do not fuck this up." She whispers as harshly as she can. All I can do is nod at her, because I'm suddenly being waved onstage.
"Here she is, Beca Mitchell!" Kelly announces, and I wave out at the crowd before sitting in a chair between both Kelly and Ryan.
"Hi guys, thanks so much for having me." I lean over to shake both of their hands.
"No, thank you for finally saying yes!" Ryan jokes, and I force a fake laugh along with everyone else. "Seriously though, it's an honor to have you here."
"Thank you Ryan." I see Posen nod appreciatively at me from backstage.
"So Beca, as we all know, 'A Simple Favor' premiered last night."
I laugh. "Yes. That was a fun night."
"I bet it was!" The crowd, along with Kelly and Ryan, laugh. "Tell me, what was it like kissing Blake Lively?"
"It was interesting, actually." I lean forward for emphasis. "Normally in filming, guys don't worry about their breath, but both Blake and I did. It was the mintiest kiss in history. Someone call Guinness."
Everyone laughs again. "Did you see what Ryan Reynolds had to say to you?" Ryan asks me, and I shake my head in slight confusion. "He said he's not going to share his wife."
I let out a more genuine laugh at this. "He's just threatened!"
Kelly chuckles. "Speaking of which, the fans have been wondering. Would you consider yourself more of an Emily or a Stephanie?"
I lean back into the chair with a nod. "I'm more of an Emily. I've never felt a romantic love for a woman, but I'm not opposed to it." As soon as the words leave my mouth, it feels wrong, but it's the lie I was told to say.
Ryan nods slowly. "It definitely could happen." With a mischievous smirk, he adds, "people really seem to ship you and that redhead friend of yours."
Immediately, I start to panic. I glance over at Posen, who gives a sharp shake of her head with a scowl. Seeing her distressed is enough for me to say, "we're just friends, really."
"So you're confirming that you do not have feelings for Miss Chloe Beale?"
I shake my head, trying to ignore how hard my heart is pounding. "We've been best friends since middle school. She's like a sister."
Ryan and Kelly nod, although several people in the audience look disappointed. "I see. Well, Beca, we're out of time, but it was really nice having you here."
I stand along with the two hosts and shake both of their hands as I respond, "It was really great being here." Turning to the crowd, I say, "Go watch 'A Simple Favor!'" Once the crowd starts cheering again, I walk backstage, closely followed by my team. It isn't until we're back in my dressing room that Posen says something.
"Nice save there, Mitchell."
I nod absent-mindedly to her, choosing not to say anything- because if I do, I might explode.
Truth is, I've been in love with Chloe since our sophomore year of high school. We have been best friends since sixth grade, but I realized when I turned sixteen that my feelings went farther than that.
I dated Jesse, who we met our junior year of high school, for about a year. I did love him, but not in the way he loved me. I just thought that maybe I could grow into falling in love with him, but every time we kissed, I saw bright blue eyes behind my closed eyelids.
Over Christmas break of our senior year, we had sex for the first time. That was when I realized I was gay- if there was one guy I would enjoy it with, it would've been Jesse. The day after, I told him I wasn't in love with him, and we broke up. I told him about Chloe, too, and he said he understood. He quickly became the big brother I never had, and even encouraged me to tell Chloe how I felt about her. He argued that, since she was already out as bi, nothing terrible could happen. He made a point by saying the worst that could happen would be that she didn't feel the same, and I knew he had a point.
Our freshman year of college at Barden University, I finally gathered up the courage to tell Chloe how I felt about her. She said she was flattered, but her heart already belonged to someone else. Of course, I was furious and heartbroken. While we were still as close as ever, I made myself crazy by wondering who it was she was so in love with.
A month later, I learned it was Aubrey Posen who stole her heart. She was the leader of the Barden Bellas at the time, an a cappella group Chloe begged me to do with her. Naturally, I did everything in my power to be as much of a dick to Posen as I could, and naturally, she returned the favor happily.
It took four years of Posen and Chloe dating for me to act slightly civil to the blonde. Although I knew I made her upset, Chloe never once left my side. We graduated, and Chloe, Jesse and I decided to get an apartment together in New York City. That's where we are now. Chloe and Jesse are both teachers at Stuyvesant high school. Jesse teachers sophomore English and digital theatre, and Chloe teaches choir. While they worked right away and started paying rent and bills, I was playing gigs and trying to promote my music.
All my life, music has been my passion. It started with my mom when I was just two years old- she would chase me around the house, singing Disney songs, and I would run from her. It's the best memory I have of her, actually. Anyway, when I was in eight grade, she passed away. I dedicated my time solely to music, and it really helped me. My music teacher at the time showed me how to make mixes.
To say I was consumed with music would be an understatement. It became the one thing I lived for. I knew at that point that I wanted to be a music producer when I grew up, no matter how much my dad disagreed with me.
One day while DJing in a club, a guy named Theo Burnett found me. He told me he really liked my music and wanted to know what else I could do. The next day, I called him, although I was almost one hundred percent certain it wasn't true, but he answered. I was signed to the label the next week after he found out I could sing. I ended up asking Posen to be my manager, because I knew she could get the job done and because Chloe begged me to.
Five years into making music, I got asked to be a part of the movie 'A Simple Favor.' I really liked the director, so I said yes. The filming was fine, but I knew it wasn't what I wanted to be doing. It's this that leads me to say the next thing that leaves my mouth.
"I'm not doing another movie."
Posen glances over at me from the corner of my dressing room in confusion and shock. "But Beca, this could really help-"
"Aubrey, you and I both know music is where I belong." I cross my arms for added effect.
"Fine. No more movies."
"Good."
"Hey guys, I'm home!" I call out about three hours later. It's June, so I know they're most likely here.
"In here!" I hear Jesse call from the kitchen, and I walk in to see him typing away at his laptop, a pair of reading glasses on his face. He looks up at me with a goofy grin and says, "how was the interview?"
Laughing bitterly, I sit down on the stool next to him at the table. "You're saying you didn't watch it?"
He shakes his head, turning to type away on his laptop again. His brow furrows in concentration as he says "I was working."
I'll never understand why, but Jesse likes to get his next year's curriculums done in advance. "Well, it was fine."
The look on his face tells me he doesn't believe me. "Mhm."
Sighing, because I know I can't hide anything from him if I wanted to, I say, "they asked me about Chloe."
"What did you say?"
Another pathetic laugh makes itself known. "The lie Posen told me to feed them."
"Oh." He looks back down at his computer again.
Suddenly noticing how quiet the rest of the apartment is, I ask, "where even is Chloe anyway?"
This time around, Jesse completely shuts the laptop, pushes it away from him, and takes his glasses off. "Aubrey didn't tell you?"
My heart drips at the soft, yet surprised, tone of his voice. "No… Jesse, what happened?"
"Chloe went to meet Aubrey, that's why she's not here." After a beat, he adds, "she's proposing, Becs."
"Posen is proposing to Chloe?" I finally whisper, and he nods. "And she never even told me about it."
"I'm surprised she didn't." Jesse still looks slightly shocked. "Are you ok?"
All I can do is grunt before he has his arms wrapped around me comfortingly. He's whispering words of comfort in my ear, I just know it, but all I can hear is the voice in my head screaming, Chloe's getting married, and it isn't to you. Deep down, I knew it would never happen between us even if she and Posen broke up, but I still hoped, and it still hurts.
Suddenly, Jesse pulls away with a twinkle in his eye. "Let's go do something destructive."
I blink at him. "What do you have in mind?"
His only answer to my question is grabbing my hand and dragging me outside, grabbing the keys to his Toyota on the way out.
"So this is what you had in mind." I laugh bitterly, looking around at the glass in the room. Everything in here is breakable, which is perfect. Jesse can read me better than I can myself, and sometimes it's scary, but other times- like now- I love him for it.
He hands me a bat, gloves, and a pair of goggles. "Just go for it. Imagine that mirror-" he points to a tall, skinny mirror with a black frame- "is Aubrey."
"Fucking bitch." I mutter under my breath, then whack at the mirror with the baseball bat as hard as I can. Immediately, it shatters, and Jesse and I have to duck to stay out of the shards' range. Once it all falls to the ground, I burst out laughing. "That felt amazing!"
"Hell yeah it did!" He exclaims next to me, then reaches out for the bat. Reluctantly, I hand it to him, and he uses it to throw a case into the wall. Once again, we have to move out of the way, and we lose ourselves to another fit of laughter.
"How are you a teacher?" I ask him, and he shrugs.
"It's not like I've brought one of my students here before." As he speaks, I kick a bowl off a podium and watch it break into a thousand tiny pieces. With every crack, it feels like a little bit of my anger subsides.
"How do you even know about this place?" I ask after a particularly loud crack from a porcelain swan.
"You know how I was born here in New York? Before Atlanta?" He asks, and I nod. "Well, I had anger issues as a child. My dad used to bring me here and we would let out our anger together." I never got to meet Jesse's dad, because he passed away before he moved to Atlanta.
"That's so sweet." I give Jesse a soft smile, and he smiles back nostalgically.
"He was the best dad anyone could ask for."
I look around at the room, sighing when I realize my anger is gone. "Let's go back home."
"Are you feeling better now?"
I give him a soft smile and nod, allowing him to pull me a little closer to him. "A little." But now that the anger is gone, the sadness has taken over.
"Alright." He chuckles. "Tonight might be good for you, especially now."
I raise my eyebrows at him, having totally forgotten that he and Chloe had something planned. "What did you do?"
He chuckles again and opens the passenger side of his car for me. "I may have invited someone to come over."
"Are you hooking me up with someone?" I hiss, and he gives me a hesitant smile.
"Yes…?"
As I glare at him, I try to think of a reason to say no, but he's kind of right. Tonight is the perfect night for this, especially if it'll keep my thoughts away from Chloe…
"What time is she coming over?"
A wide grin appears on his face when he realizes I'm agreeing. "Stacie Conrad. She's an up and coming model for Victoria Secret. She'll be here around eight, and by then, I will be gone."
"And of course, Chloe will probably be fucking Posen." I add bitterly.
Jesse slowly nods as he pulls out of the parking lot. "I mean, possibly."
"Because that makes me feel better." I respond sarcastically, and he gives me an apologetic grimace.
"Maybe it's time you just, I don't know, move on?"
I sigh, because I've had the same thought a million times. "I've tried, Jess. You know that."
"Well then, maybe it's time you get a place of your own? Chloe will most likely be moving out soon."
At this, I laugh. "You know perfectly well that, if I wanted to move out, I would have a long time ago."
This time, he sighs. "I know that." We pull into the parking lot of the apartment complex, and he turns the car off. "Are you sure you're ok?" By the tone of his voice, I know he means in general, and not about the hookup.
"I'm ok." I lie through my teeth. He stares at me for a second, and I'm scared he's about to call me out for not telling the truth before he shrugs and gets out of the car. I follow after him, and we walk up to the apartment in silence.
As soon as Jesse opens the door, I see Chloe standing in the entryway, biting her nails with a nervous expression. Her eyes meet mine for a second before something else catches my attention- a shiny ring on her hand. It feels like a punch in the gut, and all I can do is push myself past her and go straight to my room.
I only get to my desk when there's a hesitant knock on my door. Sighing, because I already know who it is, I say, "what?" My voice comes out sharper than I intend, but I hope she'll understand.
"Can we please talk about this?" Even after all these years, her voice still makes my stomach churn with butterflies. Of course, I can't say no to her.
I slowly open the door, then sit down on my bed. When she doesn't immediately sit down next to me, I look up and see her leaning against the door frame. "Are you ok?"
Shrugging, I respond, "Honestly Chlo, I don't know."
"Beca." She makes her way over to my side when my voice cracks. Her arms wrap around me, and I can't help but lean into her. "I'm so sorry."
"Don't be." I pull away so I can look at her, my heart breaking a little when I see the tears on her face. "You're allowed to be happy." When she doesn't say anything, I add, "she makes you happy, right?"
She smiles a small smile. "She makes me really happy, Becs."
"Then that's all that matters." I try my best to return the smile, but it falls flat. She bites her lip and looks away.
"There's something I need to ask you, and I totally understand if you say no."
"What's up?" Gently, I turn her face so she's looking at me again.
"Will you be my maid of honor?"
The only way I can describe how I feel right now; I can't breathe, as it feels as if all the air has been pushed brutally out of my lungs. My mouth opens and closes like a guppy as I try to answer, but nothing comes out. Immediately, her smile falls, and that's when I get my bearings back.
"Of course."
"Really?" She sits up, and I see that she's trying to hold back a smile.
With a smile of my own- small, but actually genuine- I respond, "you're my best friend. How could I say no?"
Next thing I know, I'm being pulled into a bone-crushing hug. "Thank you, you're the best!"
Before I can respond, Jesse pops up at the door. "Stacie's here, Beca."
I sigh. "This should be interesting." I get up and walk into the living room, and I see a tall brunette with light blue eyes standing against the couch. I can't deny she's hot, but she's not really my type.
"Hi." She smiles sexily at me and walks over, grabbing my hand and running her fingers across the inside of my wrist. "I'm going to have fun with you."
"Bye, Beca!" Jesse says, and he and Chloe give me identical grins before leaving the apartment.
Next thing I know, her lips are against mine, and I'm being pushed into my room. This is going to be a long night…
