AN:
Thank you to everyone who reviewed, faved and followed! I really appreciate it. Hope you guys like this next chapter :) Again, sorry for any mistakes! Please let me know what you think, Les x
CHAPTER TWO:
To Dear Mr. Titanium,
You are cordially invited to join an elite group of gentlemen in the adventure of life and finding themselves. Once a part of our exclusive group, dubbed 'The Treblemakers', you will be a member for life. We offer the best of the best for the best. You will have your choice of food, alcohol, entertainment but most importantly women. Over our 20 year experience in this industry, we have created a foolproof criterion that allows the benchmark of expectations to be anything and everything you could ever dream of and more. This is an open-end invitation that you can cash in at any time. While we offer life membership we also do not expect it. If you come to one party and wish to not return then we will accept this. So please feel no pressure. We hope you grace us with your superior presence.
Location:
Baker Hall, The old Barden University Campus, Atlanta, Georgia
Date:
22nd of September 2020
Time:
20:00 EST
Warmest regards,
Sir Willups Brightlysmore,
President and Founder of the Treblemakers
Sighing, Beca throws the invitation on the tray table in front of her.
"Not a fan already then?" Theo says a bit louder than usual as he pulls his AirPods from his ears.
"Dude, you can't make me go to this" the brunette picks up the invitation again and begins to read.
"'You will have your choice of food, alcohol, entertainment but most importantly women'. This sounds like some douchey, sexist, orgy. You know I won't be able to hold my tongue if they're being dicks towards women. Plus I don't even drink" Beca slumps back in her uncomfortable chair.
"You do love your food though..." Theo bites back a laugh as the Dj glares at him.
"Ok, ok I'll stop" he holds up his hands in surrender. "But c'mon Bec, when's the last time you socialized? You never know, you might meet some decent people there".
"It sounds like only 'elite' dicks are invited to become 'Treblemakers'. Seriously, what kind of douchey name is 'treblemaker'?" the small brunette uses her fingers for quotations.
"Well, you must be an 'elite' 'dick' if you were invited to become a 'douchey' 'treblemaker'" Theo mimics the Dj.
"I learn from the best" Beca snarks as she slaps her manager on the arm. "Are you seriously making me go?"
"Afraid so kid" Theo laughs as he dodges another hit from the small brunette. "As your manager, I think it'll be good for your reputation if you're seen socializing. Plus you never know, you might find yourself a nice girl while you're there" Theo winks.
"Yeah, going to an all-male, ego-driven, colt type thing is exactly the place where I'll find the girl of my dreams. Especially considering I'll be Titanium, the man, not Beca, the woman".
"Now, now Bec, no need to be a Debbie Downer. Look on the positive side, Titanium has way more game than boring, old Beca" the brave manager is met with yet another slap to the arm.
"Ladies and Gentlemen, this is your Captain speaking. We are beginning our descent into Atlanta so please fasten your seatbelts, return your seats to the upright position and place your tray tables away. For those of you on holidays may you enjoy your travels and for those of you who are returning, welcome home" came a deep, male voice over the speakers.
"Yeah, Bec, welcome home," Theo says sweetly as he adjusts his seat forwards.
"I can't believe you're one of those assholes that push back their seat. It seriously does shit-all" Beca rolls her eyes for the umpteen time in the past hour and glances out the window.
"Home" she sighs as she watches the cars and buildings below gradually get bigger and bigger.
The last time Beca walked down this exact pavement towards the red-bricked housing rooms of Baker Hall was when she first came to visit her Uncle Jesse at University. The pavement was a lot cleaner, the gardens were in pristine condition and the area was flooded with male students of all cultural backgrounds.
EXACTLY 9 YEARS EARLIER
Glancing at the address in her hand one more time Beca was certain she's in the right place. She walked a little closer to the 3 story building and squinted when she saw a plaque that read 'Baker Hall'.
"Finally!" She rejoiced.
The 12-year-old brunette walked through the open steel double doors and into the building. Her black, worn-out vans barely making any noise on the shiny cement floor of the hallway. It kind of creeped her out that there was no one else around but nothing was going to stop her from seeing her favorite person.
"Hey pretty little thing, are you lost?" A blond-haired, toned, young man called from a few meters away.
"Wow, aren't you a sight for sore eyes" he persisted as he walked towards Beca.
"Dude, I'm 12! And I also know that I look like I'm about 8. What the fuck is wrong with you?" the small brunette argued.
"You've got a big mouth for such a little girl" the stranger continued as he stood right in front of Beca.
"I've got a big foot too. Wanna see it? Bend over and I'll shove it right up your…"
"Beca?" an all too familiar voice came from the side of them causing both Beca and the young man to spin around.
"Is everything ok here?" Jesse asked the blond guy as he pushed past him and put his arm around Beca's shoulders.
"Is she yours Jess?" The blond question.
"Yeah, this little trouble maker is my niece so she's off-limits, okay?"
"Oh c'mon Jess, you can't have her like that so at least let me have some fun with her".
The taller brunette walked forward and fists the front of the jock's blue shirt which was two sizes too small.
"Wanna rephrase that Luke?" The protective Uncle snarled. The blond tried to pry his shirt out of Jesse's grip but to no prevail. Jesse, in turn, kept pushing the dumb jock until his back collided with the nearest wall.
"Did I stutter?" Jesse spat.
"Okay! Okay! She's off-limits. Got it" the taller of the two relented and Jesse released his grip. The blond wasted no time walking to the staircase to the right of them and disappeared out of view.
"What just happened? If you guys were dogs you'd be a Golden Retriever and he'd be a Rottweiler. How did you come out on top of that?" Beca laughed.
"Please, he's all bark and no bite, Becs. What are you doing here? And Happy Birthday!" Jesse excitedly picked up his niece and twirled her around.
"Dude put me down! You know I'm scared of heights" the sarcastic brunette quipped.
"Come on, my room's this way" he said leading them around the corner he appeared from. "What brings you here? I'm assuming that my good old big brother doesn't know you're here"
"Please" Beca huffs. "He doesn't even know it's my birthday!"
"Oh, I'm sorry Bec. He's a dick" Jesse pulled his niece in for a side hug which she eagerly returned. "What about your mum?"
"She's drunk… again. So I think she's forgotten as well. Although, she most likely doesn't know what day it is so is that really forgetting?" Beca shrugged, trying to not let her uncle see just how much it was affecting her.
"How about we have a fun day then, hey?" The college student pulled the smaller brunette in a little tighter.
"It's always a fun day with you, Jess"
And it was the best birthday Beca had ever had and it continues to be to this day. Jesse tried his hardest to make it as special as he could but he was a young, college student so he had limited options on what they could do. So they settled for spending most of the day in his dorm room playing board games while listening to music and eating take-out. He was always a welcome distraction for Beca to keep her mind off the reality she had to deal with back home. The two laughed and told scary stories while hiding under a makeshift fort in the middle of Jesse's dorm room. Beca was so short of breath she had to call a timeout. Which is when she discovered the mixing board that sat on her uncle's semi-tidy study desk. The rest of that afternoon was spent learning the ins and outs of each button and Jesse showing Beca how to make a beat from scratch. This is where Beca learned that music was the ultimate escape from life and where Jesse learned that Beca had a gift. That day he made a promise to himself that he would do everything in his power to make sure the world would see her for the incredibly talented person she was. And ideally, change the views on the world and society in which portrayed women to be useless unless it came to activities such as housework and sex.
PRESENT DAY
Beca continues along the path until she gets to the entrance of Baker Hall. With a sigh, she forces herself inside and follows the same hallway she has walked down more times than she can count. She forces herself to not even look in the direction of Jesse's old room as she made her way to the common room in the middle of the building. As she gets to the old, worn-out door frame she comes face to face with a tan man with curly, dark hair.
"Welcome to Treble Town," Beca resists the urge to roll her eyes, only barely though. "My name's Unicycle. Could you please tell me with your name and show me your invitation before I can let you inside"
"Titanium" the small brunette offers her invitation to the young man. He reads over it and then checks with the clipboard in his hand. With a nod, he moves aside for the Dj to pass him. Beca is overwhelmed by the number of men already gathered in the room.
"I thought this was an 'exclusive' group" she mumbles under her breath.
"I know right! I've spent the last 10 minutes trying to find someone half-decent to start a conversation with but no luck so far. All they want to talk about is the Stockmarket, baseball, or women. And not in a nice way, it frustrates me" comes an innocent voice belonging to a man that Beca hasn't seen in years but would remember anywhere. "Benjamin Applebaum" the young man extends his hand towards Beca.
"Titanium" the Dj accepts the handshake and looks around the room. "I don't know anything about baseball and the Stockmarket… or women for that matter" Beca chuckles.
"I think we might've just become friends. Should we exchange emails?"
"Easy Tiger, at least buy me a drink first"
"I don't drink but it's a free bar. Want me to show you where it is?"
"No it's okay, I was only joking. I don't drink either"
Benji's eyes light up like a child on Christmas morning.
"Maybe we really can be friends" he exclaims excitedly.
"Maybe. You seem like a nice dude" the brunette guesses. But in reality, she already knows this is true. Growing up in the same town the two have crossed paths many times and Benji was always someone who stuck up for women when they were treated poorly. Beca included but that's a memory for another day. For now, the Dj had to focus. What the hell was this place?
"So Benji, have you been here before or is this your first time too?"
"How do you know people call me Benji? You do look familiar; have we met before?" The curly-haired man asked skeptically. Beca froze. It had been 3 years and no one had ever caught her out. Surely this little slip up wasn't the be-all-end-all and by Benji Applebaum the most innocent and naive of all people.
"No, no, no. I know many Benjamins and they all go by Benji so I just assumed. Sorry" the brunette said confidently. Fake it till you make it was always her motto. I mean have you seen her wig? Just as Benji opened his mouth a bald man comes racing into the room on a Segway.
"Alright Gentlemen, gather round, gather round" the man announces in an almost feminine voice.
"We have some fresh blood tonight so all you OGs please take the chance to welcome the newbies and introduce yourselves. Hopefully, they will join us in our Treblemaking ways!" The small bald man holds up his crossed fingers.
"Now to the new, baby Trebles. Look at all your innocent faces. You're probably a little confused and maybe even scared" Beca rolls her eyes at the patronizing tone. "But there's no need to be! My name is Sir Willups Brightlysmore and I am the founder of this brotherhood. Feel free to call me Sir, King, Uncle, Brother, or even Daddy if you'd like" the older man says with a flirty wink.
"I'm not going to exchange emails with him" the shy man standing next to the Dj laughs quietly. Beca turns and smirks to the man.
"Now Gentlemen, take your time and relax. We have plenty of food and drinks wondering around the room" Sir Willups points to the female waitresses dressed in skimpy clothing. The brunette shudders just at the thought of all the crude comments they have to put up with here.
"When you have made yourself at home and have had plenty of liquid courage then feel free wander on down to the main event" he turns and points behind him towards the far end of the room. There are more women in skimpy outfits down there holding clipboards.
"What the fuck is this place?" Beca whispers loud enough for Benji to hear and is met with a confused shrug for an answer.
"Enjoy Gentlemen!" And with that, the bald man speeds off towards the bar still on his Segway.
All the other men return to their previous conversations and the room is filled with incoherent chatter. Curiosity gets the better of the tiny brunette and she heads towards the 'main event' with Benji following close behind her.
"What are you doing?" He whispers.
"Finding out what the fuck is going on" the Dj replies without even a glance towards the anxious man.
Beca comes to a halt just before she reaches a woman on the other side of the room. Blond hair and blue eyes catch her attention. She's seen this tall woman before too. Another person from her childhood catching up to her. Of course, her archnemesis Kommissar from middle school would be here. Fuck she hated small-towns. The almost too tall blond steps forwards and towers over the petite brunette.
"Ahh tiny mouse, you're an eager one I'll give you that. I can honestly say that new people are never the first to wander down. You must have a set on you" the blond looks down Beca's body suggestively.
"I…" the Dj clears her throat. "I wanted to see what all the fuss was about".
Kommissar pauses for a minute and takes a quizzical look at the brunette. "Very well, you can go take a look while I rest. My neck is sore from looking down on you" the blond smirks and walks away.
"And that lovely character would be Kommissar. I've had the privilege of meeting her around town before and that was surprisingly one of the more pleasant interactions I've witnessed her have" Benji joked from beside Beca. The brunette smiled at him politely then advanced cautiously. Hanging from the furthest back wall of the room were black lanyards with cards attached to them. Upon further inspection, Beca realized they were ID cards with all different women and a number at the bottom of each picture. The Dj slowly looked over every lanyard trying to grasp what was happening. There were blonds, brunettes, underweight, overweight. You name it and there was a card with a woman possessing those physical features there. Beca's eye kept drifting back to one in particular, a redhead with the lightest blue eyes she had ever seen. She seemed like she would be nice. Beca couldn't explain how she knew this but there was something about her picture that just made the brunette feel comfortable and at ease.
"Wow, you really are a feisty mouse!" Beca jumped at the sudden voice and dropped the lanyard in the process. "No one has ever picked the Sheriff's wife before. Aren't you brave… for someone so tiny"
"I…" Beca stumbled as she watched Kommissar bend and pick up the lanyard. She can't quite explain what her stomach did when Kommissar mentioned that the woman was married.
"It's okay little fairy, she's available. Her picture wouldn't be here if she wasn't. But, it is kind of an unspoken rule that she's off-limits" the childhood bully reaches for a calculator sat on top of a table to the right of them.
"Are you ready? Just enter the number at the bottom of her photo and wait" the blond extends the calculator and lanyard towards the small Dj. Beca holds the device in her hands but just stares at it. She feels Kommissar's eyes on her and she is instantly brought back to middle school. The blond would often peer-pressure her into doing something she didn't want to and all these years later it appears this is still true.
9567190
As Beca presses the last number the room goes dark and she can't see anything. Just as quickly as the lights go out they come back on and see is standing in front of the bluest eyes she has ever seen. Man, that photo didn't do her justice. And yet, Beca still finds herself screaming from the pure shock of it all; which in turn makes the beautiful redhead jump and scream too.
To Be Continued….