25 Days of BeChloe Christmases - 2020
Day 21 - Santa's Workshop
Prompt from FanFiction User nweeks3: HS AU: Beca and Chloe get holiday temp jobs working as elves for a department store Santa. I kind of did my own thing with this one; I hope you like it.
"Come on, Beca," Chloe said. "I think you look adorable."
"Why did I agree to this?" Beca whined.
"Because you wanted to earn some extra money to buy your mom a nice Christmas gift."
"But an elf? Seriously?" Beca said. "Could my day get any worse?"
"Hey, Mitchell," Stacie said. "Looking hot."
"I just told her the same thing," Chloe said.
"I look stupid," Beca said. "At least Chloe is covered up as Mrs. Claus. These elf costumes make us look like we should be dancing on a pole out front."
"Oh, that sounds great," Stacie said. "I can use the practice for my job when I go to college."
"You're planning to be a pole dancer after graduation?" Beca asked.
"I have to make money some way," Stacie said. "Not all of us have rich parents or a daddy who works at a college and can get you free tuition, plus room and board."
"Sorry, Stacie," Beca said. "I didn't mean anything by it."
"Meh, don't worry about it. It's forgotten," Stacie said. "We'd better hurry. Santa's Workshop opens in like twenty minutes."
"I know," Chloe said. "The kids are already lined up."
"Is Santa here yet?" Aubrey asked.
"I haven't seen him," Beca said.
"Neither have I," Chloe said. "I'll go find Mr. Comstock and see if he knows where Santa is."
"I'll go with you, Mrs. Claus," Aubrey said, as she followed Chloe out.
"Dammit," Stacie as she dug through her bag.
"What's wrong?"
"I forgot my tights," Stacie said. "Do you have an extra pair?"
"No, sorry. Check Aubrey's bag," Beca said. "She might have an extra pair in there."
"I'm not just going to go through Brey's stuff," Stacie said. "You know how uptight she is about people messing with her stuff. I'm going to find her and ask her if she has an extra pair."
"Okay," Beca said.
Stacie left and Beca was adjusting her elf costume when the guy playing Santa came staggering in.
"Hey, cutie," Santa said, ogling Beca. "Want to sit on Santa's lap."
"Gross," Beca mumbled. "Dude, you're drunk. And you need to sober up. The kids and their parents will know something's up if you stagger out there like that."
"Here, catch," Santa said and threw a candy cane at Beca.
Beca missed it and it fell behind her, breaking when it hit the floor. She turned and bent over to pick it up and, much to Beca's surprise, Santa grabbed her ass.
Beca didn't even think, she just came up swinging. Her fist landed on Santa's cheek, and he fell back, unconscious by the time he hit the floor. Beca ran over and knelt next to him.
That's where Beca was when Mr. Comstock, the store manager, came in.
"What the hell happened in here?" Mr. Comstock asked Beca.
"He came in drunk," Beca said. "And then he grabbed my ass so I punched him."
"Are you okay?" Mr. Comstock asked.
"Um, yeah," Beca said, surprised Mr. Comstock hadn't started yelling at her.
"I'm glad," Mr. Comstock said, bending down to look at Santa. "He's out cold, so I'm going to need you to be Santa."
Beca looked at him and shook her head. "No, uh-uh. No way!"
"You're the one who knocked out Santa," Mr. Comstock said.
"Because he grabbed my ass," Beca said. "You're lucky I don't sue the store for attempted sexual assault by one of your employees."
"If you play Santa, it pays an extra five bucks an hour," Mr. Comstock said. "And he won't be an employee here anymore. Once he wakes up, he's fired. And, until I can find a replacement, I'll need you to take over at least for today. We have an extra Santa costume that should fit you."
"Ask Stacie to do it," Beca said. "She can use the money."
"No offense," Mr. Comstock said. "But she's too sexy and I'll have bigger problems on my hands if she goes all Stacie on any of the dads or older guys who visit Santa. I really need your help on this, Beca. Please? I'm begging here."
"I'll do it," Beca said. "But you have to give Stacie the extra five bucks an hour and don't tell her why."
"It's done," Mr. Comstock said. "You need to get changed. Santa's Workshop opens in five minutes."
Beca took the Santa costume Mr. Comstock handed to her. She changed and was unrecognizable when Chloe, Aubrey, and Stacie came back in.
"There you are, Santa," Chloe said, looking around as she came in. "Where's Beca?"
Santa smile and shrugged; Chloe frowned. "She must be in the bathroom. We can't wait for her." Chloe grabbed Santa's sleeve. "Come on, it's time for Santa to start meeting all the boys and girls."
Beca didn't say anything. Aubrey and Stacie went out first to announce Santa and Mrs. Claus' arrival. As soon as the kids starting cheering, Beca and Chloe walked out. Chloe took her place next to Santa's chair and Beca sat down.
"Ho, Ho, Ho," Beca said, lowering her voice.
"Beca?" Chloe whispered, looking down at Santa.
Beca put a finger to her lips and smiled at Chloe. Chloe smiled back as Beca said, "Who wants to tell Santa what they want for Christmas?"
The kids started yelling, "Me! Me! Me!"
Chloe looked over at Stacie.
"Elf Stacie," Chloe said. "Could you bring Santa's first guest over to see him?"
Stacie led the first little girl over to Santa. Aubrey got behind the camera to take the photos.
There were so many kids in line to see Santa, that the girls worked continuously until almost one before they could take a short break.
Mrs. Claus announced that there would be a break while Santa fed the reindeer. The kids and adults groaned when Beca stood and said, "Stay where you are in line and I'll be back in no time. Okay?"
"Okay!" several kids called out.
Beca smiled and led Chloe, Stacie, and Aubrey behind Santa's Workshop.
"I'm starving," Beca said. "Do we have time to eat before we have to get back out there?"
"I got you covered, Santa," Chloe said, opening her locker. "Having done this last year, I came prepared."
Chloe pulled out a small cooler-type bag and pulled out some sandwiches and drinks. She handed one to each of the girls and kept one for herself.
"I have to say, Beca," Aubrey said. "I honestly didn't realize you were Santa until about an hour after we started. You're really convincing."
"She's right, Beca," Stacie said. "How did you become Santa in the short time we left you alone?'
Beca told them about Santa being drunk and handsy and her knocking him out.
"Are you okay?" Chloe asked, pulling Beca into a hug.
"I'm fine," Beca said. "I just have to be Santa until they find a decent replacement."
"You're doing great, Becs," Chloe said. "Plus, Santa gets paid more. You should ask if you can keep the job."
"I'll have to think about that," Beca said. "Thanks for the food. We should probably get back out there. We still have like two more hours before the next shift starts."
The next two hours flew by and the next group of Santa and his elves took over Santa's Workshop.
~~ Day 21 of the 25 Days of BeChloe Christmases - 2020 ~~
The following weekend, Beca was driving Chloe home from the mall after their shift as Santa and Mrs. Claus.
"I can't believe you told Mr. Comstock to give Stacie the extra five dollars an hour you get as Santa," Chloe said.
"I consider it an investment in her future," Beca said. "Plus, now that everyone knows, she owes me big. I just need to figure out what she owes me."
"I knew there was an ulterior motive," Chloe said with a laugh.
"Maybe I should ask her to help me find a date for the Winter Dance," Beca said. "She's a cheerleader and knows all the pretty girls."
Chloe stopped laughing and scoffed as she stared out the front window. She started fidgeting and became anxious, and kept stealing glances over at Beca.
"Are you okay, Chlo?" Beca finally asked.
"What?" Chloe asked, somewhat startled. "Oh, yeah. I'm fine."
"Are you sure?" Beca asked, glancing over at Chloe.
"Yeah," Chloe said and sighed. "I want to ask you something, but I'm afraid of how you'll react."
"Chloe," Beca said, glancing over at her. "We've been friends forever. You know you can ask or tell me anything, right?"
"I know," Chloe said, quietly.
Beca continued to drive, waiting for Chloe to tell her what was on Chloe's mind. Beca pulled up to Chloe's house and turned off the car. She unbuckled her seat belt and turned to face Chloe.
"Come on, Chlo, talk to me," Beca said. "What's going on? You seem really anxious and that's so unlike you."
"I'm sorry," Chloe said, reaching for the door handle. "I should probably get inside. I'm already late and my mom probably has dinner ready."
Before Beca can figure out what's happening, Chloe was out of the car and hurrying up the steps to her front door. Beca sighed and started the car. As soon as Chloe disappeared inside, Beca drove off.
~~ Day 21 of the 25 Days of BeChloe Christmases - 2020 ~~
At school on Monday, Beca was talking to Stacie before Homeroom.
"And she just got out of the car and went inside?" Stacie asked.
"Yep," Beca responded.
"What were you talking about just before she got anxious?" Stacie asked, leaning her shoulder against her locker.
"You, actually," Beca said with a chuckle.
"Me?"
"Yes, you," Beca said. "She said something about me having Mr. Comstock give you the extra five dollars an hour that I would have gotten by playing Santa."
"Thank you again for that, by the way," Stacie said.
"You deserve it, Stace," Beca said. "If anyone should go to college, it's you. I consider it an investment. Although, it might only pay for one of your application fees."
"Yeah, maybe," Stacie said. "It's still a nice gesture."
"I would have done the same for Chloe or Aubrey," Beca said. "If they needed it."
"I really do appreciate it," Stacie said. "And I owe you for being so nice. Tell me how I can repay you?"
"Wellllll," Beca said, laughing. "I jokingly told Chloe I was going to ask you to help me get a date for the Winter Formal. Because you know all the pretty girls."
"Did you say that to Chloe before or after she started getting anxious?"
"Before, I think," Beca said, furrowing her brow. "Yeah, it was definitely before."
"It all makes sense now," Stacie said.
"It does?" Beca asked. "How?"
"Chloe wants to be your date to the Winter Formal," Stacie said.
"What?!" Beca practically yelled, causing several students to look at her.
"Everything okay, Beca?" Chloe asked, startling Beca, as she and Aubrey joined Beca and Stacie.
"What?" Beca asked. "Oh, yeah. Everything's fine. Are you okay? I mean you seemed a little off last night."
"Um, yeah, I'm okay," Chloe said. "Can I talk to-"
The first bell rang, cutting off what Chloe was saying.
"Sorry, Chlo," Beca said, slamming her locker. "Maybe we can finish this at lunch. Come on, Aubrey, we don't want to be late for Homeroom."
Beca and Aubrey rushed off, leaving Chloe and Stacie together.
"Sure, Becs," Chloe said, nodding her head just before she banged her forehead against Beca's locker.
"Come on, Chloe," Stacie said. "We're going to be late for Homeroom. And I can help you figure out how to ask Beca to the Winter Formal."
Chloe stared at Stacie. "How did you know I was going to ask her?"
"She told me about your conversation yesterday," Stacie said, grabbing Chloe's arm and leading her to their class. "I put two and two together and it's the only thing that made sense."
"I just hope she says yes," Chloe said, hurrying to Homeroom before the final bell.
Later that day at lunch, Beca went to the library to return a book. Chloe looked for her in the cafeteria but didn't see her.
"Beca did say we could talk at lunch, right?" Chloe asked Stacie and Aubrey.
"Yes," Aubrey said.
"Wait, there she is," Stacie said, pointing toward the cafeteria entrance.
Chloe looked where Stacie was pointing and her face fell. Beca was entering the cafeteria with Jesse Swanson and they looked cozy, too cozy for Chloe's liking. Chloe turned back around and stared down at the table.
"Hey, Beca," Stacie said. "Hey, Jesse."
"Hey," Jesse said as he sat across from Stacie.
"Hey," Beca said, sitting next to Chloe and looking at her. "Hey, Chloe. You said you wanted to talk to me. So, what's up?"
Chloe looked at Beca and saw Jesse looking at her over Beca's head.
"Never mind, it's really nothing," Chloe said.
Beca shrugged and began eating her lunch.
~~ Day 21 of the 25 Days of BeChloe Christmases - 2020 ~~
The rest of the week went the same way and Chloe could never get Beca alone long enough to ask her to the dance. Stacie tried to help but every plan she came up with for Chloe was thwarted. By Friday Chloe was really frustrated and ready to give up on asking Beca.
"Why don't you just call her?" Stacie asked.
"I want to ask her in person," Chloe said. "So I can keep her from running away before answering me. If I call her she'll freak out and go into hiding of something."
"Ask her when we're at work tomorrow," Aubrey suggested.
"Yeah, Chloe," Stacie said. "I know she doesn't have a date for the dance yet."
"I thought Jesse was going to ask her," Chloe said. "He's been hanging around with her a lot more."
"Well, if he did ask her, she turned him down," Stacie said. "I think she's waiting for a certain redhead to ask her. Or she's trying to get up the nerve to ask a certain redhead herself."
"You really think she wants to go with me?" Chloe asked hesitantly.
"Yes!" Aubrey and Stacie answered.
"Alright," Chloe said, smiling. "I'll ask her tomorrow at Santa's Workshop."
That night, Chloe slept better than she had all week. When she woke on Saturday morning, she was feeling confident and ready to ask Beca to be hers, um, her date.
At nine o'clock, Aubrey picked up Chloe and drove to the mall. They were changing into their costumes when Santa walked in.
"Hey, Becs," Chloe said as Beca entered the changing area.
"Hey, Chlo," Beca said. "Um, do you think I can drive you home after our shift? I'd like to talk to you about something."
"Sure, Beca," Chloe said, before turning to Aubrey. "Brey, I'm going to ride home with Beca tonight, okay?"
"Okay," Aubrey said.
"That will be a great opportunity to ask her," Stacie whispered to Chloe.
"That's the plan," Chloe said with a smile.
After their shift, the girls were changed and Beca grabbed her bag.
"You ready to go, Chlo?" Beca asked.
"Yep," Chloe said.
"Let us know how it goes," Aubrey said.
"I will," Chloe responded.
Beca and Choe had been riding in silence for about ten minutes when Chloe looked over at Beca.
"So," Chloe said, breaking the silence and startling Beca. "You wanted to talk to me about something."
"Yeah," Beca said. "Um, I was wondering if you, you know, had a date for the Winter Formal?"
"Nope," Chloe said. "Do you?"
"Well, Jesse asked me," Beca said.
"He did?" Chloe asked, her heart falling into her stomach.
"Yeah," Beca said with a shrug. "But, I told him no."
"You did?" Chloe asked surprised. "Why?"
"Because he's not the one I want to go with," Beca said, looking over at Chloe.
"Who, um," Chloe started and cleared her throat. "Who do you want to go with?"
Beca didn't immediately respond and kept driving. Chloe fidgeted in her seat, her knee bouncing up and down.
Beca pulled up in front of Chloe's house and turned off the car. She unhooked her seatbelt and turned her body toward Chloe.
"To answer your question," Beca said. "You're the one I want to go with. Would you want to go with me?"
Chloe smiled and nodded. "Yes, Beca. I would love to go to the dance with you."
"Really?" Beca asked, smiling at Chloe.
"Of course," Chloe said, unhooking her seatbelt so she could face Beca. "To be honest, I've been trying to ask you all week, but something always got in the way."
"To be honest with you," Beca said. "It took me all week to get up the nerve to ask you. I mean, I've had a crush on you for like forever."
"Me, too," Chloe said. "I mean, I've had a crush on you for forever, too."
Beca laughed. "Aren't we quite the pair?"
"I think we're made for each other," Chloe said, leaning toward Beca. She turned serious as she asked, "Can I kiss you?"
Beca didn't respond. Instead, she closed the distance between them and gently placed her lips on Chloe's, applying slight pressure.
Chloe hummed and brought her hand up to Beca's cheek, holding Beca's head in place.
The kiss broke naturally and Chloe put her forehead to Beca's.
"Best first kiss ever!" Chloe exclaimed with a smile.
"Christmas came early and I am not disappointed," Beca said, leaning in for another kiss.