Authors Note: I do not own Pitch Perfect or it's amazing characters
I hope you'll be satisfied with yet another chapter *Boom! Bechloe is endgame people don't ever worry!
colourmemine you are awesome, i mean it :P
And to all you other awesome people, thanks for sticking with this...on with the show...
You wake up with a start with your beddings all over you. Sweet, sweet Aubrey had tucked you in. You reach for your night lamp and get up to walk around the quiet apartment.
That's odd. Its late where could Aubrey be?
You find a note attached to the microwave and some food prepared inside it, what a sweetheart. You definitely owe her.
You missed dinner. Hopefully you'll wake up and eat this-I've gone out for some coffee and to finish some paperwork. I can't seem to concentrate at home. Your snoring is definitely getting worse, earplugs won't cut it anymore, get checked out. There may be something wrong with you.
Never mind.
"What a bitch," you say aloud, the sound echoing in your empty apartment. You feel so exhausted, even though you've been asleep for several hours. You turn on the television set and re-watch your episode. You watch in silence eating your newly heated food, every second filled with watching Beca, knowing that she still had a choice and she hadn't chosen you, no matter how much she might've wanted to.
The bad mood lasts for the rest of the week. Aubrey has been cooped up at work as usual, but you think she's also been avoiding confrontation, since as she said you guys were so synched up that she too was feeling PMS. But it seems not only Aubrey had picked up on this. Even Benji, who claimed to be oblivious to normal social cues, notices when you remember to bring Beca's keys to him.
"Hey what's wrong Chloe?"
"What do you mean?"
"It's probably nothing, it's just that you usually have this lightness about you."
"I guess I just haven't been feeling so hot lately"
"Are you feeling like the force is no longer with you?"
"I guess… you could say that Benji"
"Don't worry Chlo, if it's the battle rounds you're worried about, I've heard you a couple of times I know you'll do great."
"Thanks Benji that's really sweet."
And so on the days that follow you have been pouring your heart and soul into this piece Adam chose for you and Kori, Alone by Heart.
"Okay Kori and Chloe. Okay, the reason I picked the both of you to face off the other, not because both your names have a 'c' sound and are two syllables, but because it's an interesting contrast that I think will play out really well if executed properly.
"Kori's tone, its warmth-those riffs you do will sit interestingly against Chloe's lighter, wider range. The song I chose, it just came to me out of nowhere...Alone by Heart. Are you both familiar?"
He asks the instrumentalist to play a few notes "For the moment, it's just a piano, but I imagine a whole string quartet thing working for you guys."
"Yeah, I know it," Kori says while you just nod. You've never really sung it before but you can make it work. It usually takes you about two listens to get the tune as well as lyrics down.
Adam continues from where he's gotten comfortable sitting behind some equipment, an ear bud in his one ear.
"I think it's the perfect thing to belt out with, but doesn't mean belting's gonna win it. You need to be able to have excess within control. The strength has to be there, but you can't over-sing it or make it sound too stagey that it almost sounds Karaoke. "
"Kori, I want you to take the first line. You need to start out strong and steady. Chloe, take the second
then the bridge. You can give way to the other but in the chorus you guys have to be able to blend. After that, you can freestyle. You can put your own twist if need be. Okay let's do a run through of the whole song. I'll give comments here and there but don't let it distract you-"
I hear the ticking of the clock
I'm lying here the room's pitch dark
"Okay, Kori that was good. More emotion behind it though. You want to make it sound believable."
I wonder where you are tonight
No answer on the telephone
"More control there Chloe!"
And the night goes by so very slow
Oh I hope that it won't end though
Alone
By the millionth take, at the end of a very long day, the two of you have started messing it up a bit...
I hear the cicking of tlock
"Watch your words Kori!"
"Sorry" she giggles which sets you off as well.
"You aren't taking this seriously again, from the top!"
Kori's a really good singer, her voice is stronger than yours you think, but you can work the high notes and on a good day your voice can ring clearly. But sometimes, more often as of late, the stress is really eating at you, wearing you thin. Your voice feels strained, which just makes you push yourself even harder. You already have one foot in, you just have to keep going. You're so close, you just have to keep strong, keep your eyes on the prize.
You can be Adam's girl-even though you'd much rather be Beca's. But, whatever she doesn't even want to be friends, well, it's her loss.
You don't know why, maybe its nerves or something, but as the last few days approach before your battle round with Kori, Beca seems to pop up wherever you go.
It's because she works there too dummy.
But c'mon she ended up right outside your dressing room that one time after they shot your coverage, walking in to the stage with the rest of Adam's team.
Coincidence, you hope not.
Okay, you are willing to admit that maybe you are being a tad dramatic maybe a bit paranoid as well.
It's the end of another exhausting day of practice and all you want is to get home and relax.
"Bye Chloe, take it easy girl!" Kori hugs you on the way out. She can sense that you're once again not in a good mood. Your voice was cracking again.
You hope that session wasn't the one they used for the show.
"Sure thing, Kori…Our battle round's filming is the day after tomorrow, so you gotta practice. I don't want you to go messing up the lyrics now…"
"You work on that last high note Beale... I'll bring my best so you better do too." Kori comes to abrupt stop when she sees Beca casually standing there. You continue to gather your things not minding Beca at all.
"Okay Kori. You've got a ride home already?
Kori's looking between the two of you.
"What?"
"Are you leaving with somebody?"
"Um, yeah…No, I got my car with me… Bye Chloe." She gives one last wave over her shoulder and an awkward "Uh hi Beca" as she passes by her.
See it wasn't just you who gets flustered by her presence but no more. No more.
You are really pissed off at yourself, and her showing up, reminding you that you weren't even good enough for her and her being right, isn't helping, so it's not your fault what happens because of it.
"Chloe I-" You quickly gather your things and exit the room advancing upon Beca.
"Now you want to talk to me? Seriously, it almost feels like you are following me. Do you happen to just camp out outside my rehearsals? I better tell Adam on you." Your voice is hard. Before you know it, you've push her until her back is against the wall. You don't know what you are doing and you're not thinking. It just feels good to do something.
"What?!" Okay she looks so surprised. Okay your voice did sound really angry-you wonder why?
"Hey no…I-I left… something when I was rehearsing with one of my girls the other day."
"Okay." you say backing up allowing her space," -What was it?" you say playing along.
"A folder..."
"You don't sound so sure..." You really do sound royally pissed. It's no wonder she's not her usual suave, hot, in-control self.
You are supposed to hate her, but you can't manage it now that she's talking to you. How she looks all made-up together with what she's wearing, this tight yet tastefully designed navy blue dress that matches her eyes, and hello there cleavage, tasteful, more like tasty.
Okay don't be perv, don't stare... But you can't deny her hotness-that would be lying. And you don't want to go to hell or something. Okay, keep on track here.
Damn Beca, making you forget you were pissed at her. Wait where were you?
"Yes it's a folder... Its black has my name on it with a couple of stickers."
You head back into the room not missing the chance to send a disbelieving glare her way. You are pretty confident it's not in there, I mean you have been practicing in there for the last half hour-"Ha! It's not there-"
You're almost disappointed when you do actually find it inside the room and how you do so is much worse than disappointing... You manage to, with all your stomping around, trip and fall on your face.
"Chloe! Are you okay?"
Ah your head hurts but your pride hurts so much more. Can't you ever not embarrass yourself in front of this girl?
"No I'm not freaking okay." You want to cry and you turn your face away from hers and your eyes land on something black under the piano, something that looked awfully like…a folder.
"There it is under the freaking piano." You finally do get up, pushing her helping hands out of the way. You bend to retrieve it. "I must've pushed it off without noticing it. Here." You hand it over. She walks over to you, takes the folder, and proceeds to flip through it as she sits by the piano. She plays a few scales. She doesn't rub it in, but that's what makes it worse.
You want to bury yourself underneath something, but you are so tired with being pissed off. No you're just really, really tired, so you just ask her upfront what's been floating around in your mind.
"Did you just come over for the folder or-?"
Her playing of this particular tune you've never heard before comes to an abrupt halt.
"Well yes, but since I am already here might as well talk to you. Do you feel like grabbing lunch? And to be safe we can talk about anything, anything at all besides the competition..."
"No, I already ate-"...If some cookies and a carton of juice counted as lunch. You don't get what she's doing, you don't really get why you're turning her down, but it's all confusing and you don't want to have to think about every little detail concerning Beca anymore.
"-And don't you have other people to talk to, maybe the people on your team?" Your boyfriend? Oh no, he's your fiancée already."
"Well you are my favourite redhead."
She's not making any sense, "I'm the only redhead in this competition, do you know a lot of redheads outside the competition?"
"Yeah, but you're the only one I know who has a soul " Beca says her smile growing each second like she can sense that she's thawing at you for every moment you're standing within the proximity of the other.
"Oh, ha ha-" You roll your eyes playfully at that one.
"Well I know a lot of people who have dyed their hair red-Emma Stone, Kristen Dunst, Rihanna amongst many, haven't you heard people pay lots of money for it here in Hollywood- it's all about constantly updating your looks and what do the redheads do, change it to blonde or something."
"Who like Lindsay Lohan?"
"Yeah, shame she really pulled it off well-blonde just makes her look, well you know how she looks these days. I know it's not just the hair color but..." Beca looks at you thoughtfully, "You know what? I think you'd look amazing blonde, not that I'm telling you to try it but seriously, it'd make your eyes pop out even more-not that it needs it anyway."
"Me blonde huh..."
"I do have an eye for these kinds of things... being so fashion forward and updated in the latest trends-and putting up fronts for appearances sake."
Self-depreciating and wry, sarcastic humor really was her thing.
Okay, Beca is once again in the zone. All adorably charming, humorous, thinking you've let go of everything.
Well, think again Beca Mitchell. She doesn't get off that easy, not this time.
"So what you're saying is that you don't like how I normally look?" Your icy tone is back. It's said all innocently but she heard the potential bomb in the question if she answers it wrongly.
You're sure it's making her second guess herself, because she suddenly gets all jittery again, and it makes you feel oddly powerful, not really a good thing...but it's a new feeling.
"No I was saying you could pull anything off, but you're right no, red-it's you...and I like it."
What was she saying...she liked the color red, or you? You don't have a reply for that. You're actually working hard to stop the smile threatening to grace your face. You're not sure if it's a compliment but you're taking it as such.
A few more seconds of silence passes and it seems like Beca can't really take it anymore as she suddenly blurts out;
"Sorry Chlo, I realized I've…I wasn't exactly the most gracious person when I turned your friendship down. I mean, I don't know what I was thinking in the first place...if it's all right with you I'd love for us to be more than friendly. I'd love for you to be my..."
Girlfriend, fiancée you're getting ahead of yourself but who cares.
"- Best friend, wait, that sounds lame…" Beca finishes. Oh well, Beca's taking back everything she said...That's enough for you.
But you don't want to give in so easily or at least make it look like you gave in so easily... you wait a few more moments...till the pause behind that offer is stretching really really long.
You take in her wringing hands, her nervous smile, but her eyes are set steadily on yours...her eyes show everything communicating her genuine apology, she's nervous, she's scared and yet she's putting herself out there, offering up an olive branch. She did her part might as well do yours.
"Well, all you had to do was ask nicely...Okay yes, I mean… Fine, whatever." Smooth Chloe, smooth.
"So yeah?"-She has this small smile and when you nod in response to her question it grows exponentially larger. "Good. gotta go, plenty to do...Well I really came here to apologise."
"I thought you said you came for the folder?"
"Oh that, yeah I meant the folder...the apology was just a spur of the moment thing," Beca says rolling her eyes but laughing at herself none-the-less.
"Good Luck with Kori by the way. She's tough. Technically, I'm not supposed to lean either way, but I believe in you, Chloe, that's all I'm saying."
You can't help it when you rush into her and give her a big hug. She seems too shocked to hug back, but you'd like to think you hugged her enough for the both of you.
"Whoa-you are quite the hugger!" See she agrees now put Beca down, there's a good girl. You release her begrudgingly while she rubs her sides. Okay, maybe you were a tad over enthusiastic.
"Well, as my friend you'll sort of need to get used to it." you give your own smirk and throw in a wink in there, hopefully it was as as effective a kryptonite as hers was to you.
"What did I get myself into?" Beca says jokingly, fear lacing her tone.
"Oh you have no idea, Beca."
No idea at all the plans you have in store for her… Somebody cue the evil villain laugh.
Stop staring you might've spaced out for a millisecond there, but Beca is also looking back at you, her darker blue connecting with your own. You wonder what wonderful thoughts are floating around in that wonderful head of hers.
The spell is broken when her phone goes off.
"Ah It's my assistant Kimmy Jin. I have to take this. If not, she'll subject me to her death glare the whole meeting, which is freaking scary. Trust me, it's worse than her ever saying anything to me. Which is funny 'cos she doesn't say a lot to begin with. I have a feeling she sort of hates my guts.
Silent scary Asians are just everywhere.
"Anywho-Hello? Yes, yes I know-" Beca is making exaggerated faces while talking on the phone. You know it's for your amusement.
"Right now? Okay I'll see you. Did you grab me some lunch, no, fine I was about to get some myself anyway. Okay, I was going to get it after the meeting and just starve for the time being anyway...sure Bye-She hung up on me."
"She seems delightful."
"Oh you have no idea," she says, giving you a smirk reusing your line. "I'll have to see you around friend-can't let the boss wait."
"Then you better be going Coach Mitchell."
"Yeah-save your hug, I'll just leave, wouldn't want another set of bruised ribs"
"Ha-ha…" She gives you a little pat on the shoulder on her way out. It's not a hug, but it's enough. That's already a lot coming from her.
You should be emotionally exhausted with this back and forth between Beca and you. And your relationship isn't even a romantic one...yet.
But, everything worth staying for, worth fighting for isn't always the easiest road to tread upon. But, ultimately the end goal is getting to know Beca Mitchell and everything that comes between with it. And if somewhere along the way you get her to fall for you, it'd be totally worth it.
You do have your work cut out for you though. But you never were one to back off from a fight.
Just wait and see you'll come on top, or bottom you weren't picky either way as long as you end up with her in your arms.
Everyday, every moment you're sure your one more step closer to achieving it.
