Thanks so much for the support last chapter!

Chapter 9

Chloe lives for things like the Barden vs. Milton High football game. Events that bring so many people together, a chance to show off some school spirit, and a healthy dose of competition. She's been coming to this game since she was in elementary school, and each year it just seems to get bigger and better. More alumni attend, more students (from both schools) are there, and there's just an undeniable sense of community that settles over the football field.

To make it even better, this year, the sun is shining brightly in the sky, the temperature rising as late morning turns to early afternoon. Last year, it was pouring rain and the football game turned more into a mud bath than anything else. So, the sun and the shorts and Barden t-shirts are a great change from the jackets and umbrellas of the 2019 game.

With more and more people coming in through the gates of Barden's football field – Milton hosted last year – Chloe can't help but let her eyes search each individual face to find Beca amongst the crowd. The brunette had declined Aubrey's offer for a ride and had just about promised Chloe that her and Macy would be at the game before kick-off, but Chloe's been at the field for the last half-hour with Aubrey and Stacie, and she can't help but wonder if Beca will even show.

For the remainder of the week leading up to Sunday's game, Chloe couldn't help but notice how Beca was gradually becoming more comfortable around her, Aubrey, and Stacie. She's been more willing to join in on conversations and has even started a few on her own. And, while Chloe still doesn't really know anything about Beca, she can't help but feel as though they're getting closer with each passing day.

Stacie lets out a groan beside her, dramatically wiping the back of her hand across her forehead. "It's so freakin' hot out here."

Both Aubrey and Chloe roll their eyes, laughing slightly at the dramatics of their best friend. The sweat is glistening on all three of their foreheads, and Chloe is glad they decided against the face paint that all of the freshmen running around the field seem to be wearing.

Aubrey hands her the black rubber band that was previously around her wrist. "Put your hair up, Stace. You'd be a whole lot cooler." They had fought with Stacey for about twenty minutes before they left, trying to convince her that wearing her hair down – her curls almost reaching the middle of her back – was a horrible idea. Aubrey has her own blonde locks pulled up in a pony on top of her head, and Chloe decided on two French braids.

"No. I look like an egg with my hair pulled back." Chloe chuckles slightly, not even bothering to try and tell her otherwise. If Stacie thinks she looks like an egg, there is no convincing her that she doesn't. Not when she's trying to gain the attention of some boy on the football team.

With Aubrey going back to mildly chastising Stacie about not listening to the countless warnings that had given to her prior to leaving the house, Chloe allows her gaze to drift back towards the gate to the field. The crowd flowing in has started to thin, with the time ticking closer to the beginning of the game, but there's still no sign of Beca or her sister.

"I don't know why you're still watching. It's not like Beca had any interest in coming to begin with."

Aubrey's comment pulls Chloe's attention back to her, a slight frown on the redhead's face. "She promised that she would be here."

Aubrey snorts, her mind drifting to the brunette that she's been forced to spend more and more time with. "Something tells me that this wouldn't be the first time she broke a promise." Chloe tries not to let her friend's words mean anything to her, but in reality, they cut deeper than any could expect. Beca had promised that she would be there. Why would she say that if she didn't mean it?

"Don't worry, Chlo," Stacie glares at Aubrey, silently telling her to cut the crap. "She'll come. She could just be running late. We were super early anyway."

Chloe gives Stacie a small smile, thanking her for the reassurance. She doesn't know why she's so anxious for Beca to get there, except for the fact that she wants to spend more time with her and she's hoping the game is a fun way to do it. It's one of the best things about going to Barden, and she just wants to share it with her new friend.

Beca glances out the window of her cab, watching as Barden's football field comes into sight. Even from further away, she can see the massive amount of people gathering around the ropes that will eventually separate the spectators from the game. Beca's heart is already pounding in her chest, just imagining herself being stuck in the middle of the crowd, and her mouth runs dry when the cab pulls up to the entrance of the field.

Mumbling a quiet 'thanks' and handing over a few crumpled bills that she pulls from her backpack, Beca climbs out of the cab with Macy following closely behind. The heat of the early afternoon hits the two of them like a brick wall, the older of the two Mitchell sisters instantly groaning in protest. Neither one of them have any sort of Barden apparel like every other person at the field, so they had settled for normal clothes. But, much to Beca's dismay, she went with jeans – a big mistake.

Macy snickers at her sister's expression, walking closely beside her and taking in the scene in front of them. "I told you that you were going to be hot."

Beca places her hand on Macy's head, pushing her away slightly as the twelve-year-old grins. Macy has been gradually getting more comfortable in their new placement, and every so often Beca will see a glimpse of the way her sister acted before coming to live with Jack. Apparently, she has Macy's new friend Benji to credit, because as soon as Macy starts talking about him, her entire body shines with excitement.

"Hey, there are obviously a lot of people here, so I want you to be careful, okay?"

Macy nods, already knowing that she won't be straying very far from her sister's side. It would be just her luck that she would walk a few steps away and then turn around to find that Beca is on the other side of the field or something.

When Beca had first told her about the football game, she was originally excited. She had heard some of her other classmates talking about it and figured it wouldn't be a bad thing to have experienced something that everyone else would be talking about on Monday. But now, looking at the number of people that actually showed up, it's making her a little more nervous.

Beca must notice this, because she playfully bumps into Macy's side, searching her face for any sort of reaction. "And, if for some reason you want to leave, just let me know and we'll go, alright?"

"Okay." Macy gives her sister a small smile, trying to show her that she can handle it. "I think it's going to be fun."

"Yeah, me –"

"Beca!"

Beca turns her head in the direction of the familiar voice, Chloe being loud enough to grab her attention over the music blaring from multiple speakers set up around the field. Sure enough, the redhead is jogging over to them, her two braids bouncing up and down on her shoulders as she does so, her hand waving in their direction.

Chloe stops just short of giving Beca a hug, keeping Stacie's warning from almost two weeks ago in the back of her mind. Her grin shows just how happy she is to see the pair as she stands in front of them. "Hey! Hi, Macy!"

Beca can't help but let her own smile grow, Chloe's reaction becoming contagious. "Hey, Chloe."

Macy, too, responds with slightly more cheer than usual. She's seen Chloe on a few other occasions following the time she walked the sisters to class. Her constant state of happiness confuses Macy slightly, but sometimes, Chloe's cheer is refreshing. "Hi, Chloe."

Satisfied with both of their responses, Chloe practically jumps up and down on the balls of her feet as she points to the field behind her. "Stacie and Aubrey are already down there; the game isn't supposed to start for another ten minutes but we got a spot up at the front."

Beca doesn't bother telling Chloe that she doesn't really care where they stand because she can't remember the last time she saw a football game – if ever. But, regardless, she just smiles and nods. "Okay. Cool."

"Great! Come on!" Chloe doesn't wait for their response, simply turning in the grass and heading back down the hill towards the field, only stopping briefly to make sure that the sisters are following.

Macy and Beca do their best to keep up with the redhead, both of them trying not to laugh at Chloe's giddiness. When they get to where Stacie and Aubrey are standing with their backs towards the other girls, the sisters hang back until Chloe waves them up to their spot along the border of the field. "Stace, Bree, look who made it!"

Stacie and Aubrey, who both watched Chloe run up to greet the girls and then turned around while they came back over to them so that no one would catch them spying, act surprised when they see Beca and Macy standing in front of them.

Beca tries not to look away from the other two seniors as Macy sneaks her hand into her own. She had warned her little sister about having to meet two of Chloe's friends prior to their arrival, and Macy had seemed okay with it at that point, but with all of the other people around, the prospect just got a whole lot scarier for the younger girl.

Not hesitating to give Macy's hand a tight squeeze, Beca greets the other girls before saying, "Stacie, Aubrey, this is my little sister, Macy. Mace, this is Stacie and Aubrey. They're in some of my classes."

Stacie, who has already briefly met the younger girl, offers her a slight wave. Honestly, she's surprised that Beca even agreed to come to the game with her little sister. Even if Beca is becoming more comfortable around them, Stacie still remembers what happened when her and Chloe went to Fig's and saw how Beca didn't hesitate to bring Macy out back, as far away from them as possible. "Hey, Macy."

Macy gives Stacie a small smile, knowing that they're both thinking back to the incident in the hallway. "Hi."

After greeting her, Aubrey, too, takes the time to look Beca's sister up and down. She's even smaller than Stacie and Chloe had described her. "What grade are you in, Macy?"

"Seventh." She isn't really sure why Aubrey is asking, but she doesn't have a way out either, with everyone watching her and waiting for an answer.

Aubrey tries to hide her surprise, still not believing that she's old enough to be in middle school. "How are you liking Barden so far?"

Macy shrugs, subconsciously shifting closer to her sister. "It's good, I guess."

Chloe snorts, "You sound just like Beca." She loves the fact that Beca brought Macy over to them, a true sign that she is slowly starting to get more comfortable around the redhead.

Stacie agrees, "Yeah, and you guys could be twins." Besides the obvious similarities in their physical appearance, the way each girl holds themselves, and their facial reactions, as well as the various inflections of their voices, are almost identical.

Macy can't help but smile at the comment. She loves when people compare her to Beca. "Thank you."

"Macy?"

Neither Macy nor Beca hesitates to turn around at the sound of someone addressing the younger Mitchell sister. Beca's mind is instantly put on high alert, wondering who could be talking to them, while a wave of confusion passes over Macy. But, sure enough, when they turn around to see a young boy standing behind them, both girls relax.

Benji stands in front of the group of girls, a giant grin on his face as he recognizes his new friend. If he's confused as to why she's standing with a bunch of seniors, he doesn't say anything. Instead, he waits until Macy's face lights up in recognition, his smile never once wavering.

"Benji! What are you doing here?" Any nerves in Macy's voice almost instantly disappear, feeling extreme comfort from both her sister's presence, and the newfound presence of the boy that has made her feel more welcome in the past week than anyone ever has in all of the other schools she's attended.

The boy points in the general direction of the bleachers where a growing number of adults have claimed seats. "I'm here with my parents. My dad used to play on the football team, and he graduated a long time ago, but we come every year."

"That's cool." Macy glances away from Benji and up to Beca, who has been watching the interaction with a small smile on her face. She's heard a lot about the Star Wars-reading-boy from the library (even if she did have to tell Macy that the series is totally predictable), but it's nice to finally put a name to a face. "Bec, this is Benji, my friend from school. Benji, this is my sister, Beca."

Benji sticks his hand out to Beca, who quickly extends her own in surprise. "Nice to meet you, Beca. Macy talks a lot about you."

Beca, trying her best to hold back any laughter surrounding the fact that this is the most mature twelve-year-old she has ever met, tilts her head in his direction. She can feel the stares of Chloe, Stacie, and Aubrey behind her, but all she can focus on is how happy her little sister looks. "Right back at ya, kid."

Benji, who seems incredibly thrilled at the fact that Macy has talked about him, turns his attention back to the younger girl. "Do you want to come hang out for a little while? I was just going to the concession stand to get some popcorn."

Macy's smile wavers slightly, both at the mention of money and at the fact that hanging out with Benji would require her to leave Beca in a place where they can easily get separated for hours on end.

Of course, Beca can already feel the nerves radiating off of her sister as Macy hesitantly looks up at her, questioning whether or not she should. Beca simply nods, understanding everything that Macy is trying to convey to her without saying anything in the presence of their slowly growing group of friends. "It's okay." When Macy still doesn't seem convinced, Beca releases her hand, pulling it slightly out of Macy's grasp, and reaches into the front pocket of her bag to retrieve another crumpled five-dollar bill. She gives it to her sister, "Go have fun."

Macy looks at the five with wide eyes, raising her eyebrows at Beca as if to say, are you sure? They don't spend money 'just because.' Any money that Beca makes at Fig's is supposed to go towards their savings for when Beca ages out of the system. The few expenses that they do have – whether it be bus passes, or cab fare, or the phone bill – are all carefully calculated out and accounted for prior to spending. This five-dollar bill might as well be a Ben Franklin.

She starts to protest, hesitating between keeping the money and handing it back to Beca, before settling on vocalizing the statement she had just thought in her head. "Are you sure?"

Beca waves her off, knowing she's talking about both the money and going with Benji in general. "Positive. If you need anything, I'll be here, okay?"

She nods slowly, glancing briefly at Benji and the other senior girls who have been silently watching the entire exchange, before wrapping her arms around Beca. Her sister holds her tightly for the few seconds that they're in the embrace, before Macy pulls away, "Thanks, Bec."

"Of course." Beca ruffles her hair slightly, smirking when Macy tries to dodge it. "Have fun. Love you."

"Love you, too." She turns to Benji, who has been waiting patiently for Macy to be ready, before they head off in the direction of the concession stand, a slight pep in both of their steps.

It feels as though it's been forever since she's seen a genuine smile on her sister's face, and the fact that she looks so happy going off with Benji, just makes her heart swell even more. She watches the two seventh-graders fondly as they get further and further away, and Beca only looks away when someone lightly touches her wrist.

Turning back around, Chloe is the first one she notices. The redhead drops her hand back down to her own side, the culprit behind the touching, her eyes even bluer in the sun. In all honesty, Beca had kind of forgotten they were there. "She is the cutest thing that I have ever seen."

Beca nervously scratches at the base of her neck, shrugging slightly and not really knowing what to say. She loves her sister more than anything in the world, but there's a reason that she acts the way she does, and it makes Beca's heart hurt to even think about it, let alone justify her actions with simply calling her cute. It's different when Macy is dancing around like a maniac when she hears a good, Beca-approved, song on the radio, or when she hums to herself while she's doing homework. Or, there's the way that she wraps her finger around the bridge of her nose while she's sleeping, and how she giggles when Beca manages to crack a joke that's mildly inappropriate and she actually understands it. That's when Beca can admit that Macy is 'the cutest thing.' When she's happy and actually living her life like a kid.

But, of course, none of the other girls know that there's a difference, so Beca just agrees.

Aubrey, on the other hand, is focusing on the entire interaction, puzzled at what she has just encountered. "Did she seriously ask you for permission to go off on her own?" Her question is laced with more confusion than judgment, but she still receives a glare from Stacie before Beca even gets a chance to respond. Aubrey just looks to Stacie for a reason behind her reaction, "What? If my sister ever felt the need to ask me to do something, I'd have to endure an hour-long conversation with my mom and dad about how I'm not the parent."

This, surprisingly, gets Beca to let out a small laugh. Whether it's at the irony of Aubrey's statement or if it's because both Chloe and Stacie are clearly trying to get her to stop talking, Beca isn't sure, but it makes her laugh, nonetheless. She waits a few seconds before answering, keeping it brief by saying, "Sometimes she just needs a little reassurance." It's not exactly a lie, but it certainly isn't the whole truth.

Apparently, all three girls are satisfied with the answer, as the conversation eventually turns back to the game. While they were talking with Benji, the game quickly approached its start time, causing everyone to become more packed in than they previously were. The four girls, standing side by side just behind the rope, watch as the two football teams run out onto the field, with Chloe cheering so loudly that Beca is pretty sure she bursts one of her eardrums.

Yet, even with all of the screaming, Beca can't help but feel content with her current situation. There's a collective happiness that has fallen over the entire football field, everyone just pleased to be spending a Sunday afternoon at the local high school. Even though she doesn't really know what's happening on the field, Beca finds herself laughing as Chloe tries explaining the difference between a touchdown and a field goal and is equally as pleased when Chloe encourages her to cheer along with her and her friends. It's clear that this day, like Chloe had told her, is truly important to the Barden community, and it's something that Beca hasn't felt in quite some time.

She turns to look at Chloe, who has her gaze focused on the brunette. Beca smirks, knowing that she hasn't been paying attention to the game, even after chastising Beca on multiple occasions for doing the same thing. "What?"

Chloe's eyes almost sparkle as she shrugs her shoulders, getting closer to Beca as the Barden crowd erupts into another round of cheers. "I'm really happy you came."

Beca nods in agreement, the answer coming quickly and without any second-guessing on her part. "Me, too."

With both Barden and Milton High putting up quite the fight, the numbers on the scoreboard show the winning team changing frequently. Even if Beca isn't familiar with the rules and logistics of the game, she can figure out pretty quickly that if Barden doesn't come out on top, there are going to be a lot of angry fans standing around her.

When the whistle for half-time blows, Barden is winning 41-33. Both teams run off in the direction of the locker rooms back at the school, no doubt in search of reprieve from the sweltering heat. Beca is sweating just standing there; she has no idea how the members of the team are still functioning in all of the equipment and the running back and forth.

She watches as the Barden marching band starts to move onto the field for some sort of performance, before Chloe pulls her attention away. "I'm hungry. Anyone up for a concession stand run?" Aubrey and Stacie immediately agree, which, by default, means that Beca has to go with them or risk the chance of having to fight someone to keep their spot by the field.

The four of them seem to follow the crowd in the direction of the concession stand, everyone having the same idea as Chloe does about getting a snack while the marching band plays. They're actually not half bad, but Beca can understand why now would be a good time to get something to eat, especially when, as Stacie puts it, "the game is so stressful."

Standing in line with the other girls, conversation flowing easily between Stacie, Aubrey, and Chloe, Beca lets her gaze wander to the other attendants of the game. As Chloe had warned her, there are a lot of adults here – many of them far past their high school years. There are certainly parents, but Beca swears she can see a few grandparents as well. All of them are decked out in Barden or Milton gear – making Beca wish she had thought to wear at least something green – and they all wear almost identical smiles on their faces.

Then, there are the other high schoolers. Beca recognizes a few people from her classes, but she doesn't say anything to them, and they don't say anything to her. There are also a few kids that she vaguely remembers passing on her way to drop Macy off at class, but those younger kids are fewer in quantity than the high schoolers. If they are there, more often than not, Beca has seen them accompanied by parents.

A boisterous laugh breaks Beca out of her reverie, the sound standing out amongst the marching band – which is quieter all the way over by the concession stand – and the other conversations happening in the line. Apparently, she isn't the only one that notices it, because as she starts looking around for the source of the noise, so does Chloe, Stacie, and Aubrey, each one of them wearing an amused expression. The same person laughs again, the four senior girls still searching for the culprit, and this time, Beca's eyes land on the one person she never expected to see this afternoon.

Beca's face pales as she watches a group of older men making their way towards the concession stand, carrying cans of unidentifiable drinks in their hands. As they walk closer, Beca can't peel her eyes away from them – well, one person in particular, who just so happens to be standing at the very front of the group. Her heart pounds in her chest while the world around her goes silent.

This cannot be happening.

"Beca? You okay?" Chloe looks back from where she had previously been straining to read some of the prices on the signs in front of them, having just noticed that Beca has gone incredibly quiet. The redhead has been pleasantly surprised by how much Beca seems to be enjoying the afternoon. She actually seemed to be having fun. Well, until now. Now, her face is even paler than it normally is – which Chloe didn't think was possible – and she looks as though she's seen a ghost.

Beca, who tries to reassure Chloe with a fake smile, can't look away from the man that isn't more than ten feet away from her. That is, until they both make eye contact. "Shit, shit, shit." She tries to turn around, desperately wishing that she could wriggle her way out of the line, but it's too late, because the man calls out to her, approaching the group of girls with a confused expression on his face.

"Beca?"

The call causes Chloe, Aubrey, and Stacie to eye the man suspiciously as Beca slowly turns back around, knowing full well she's been caught. She forces a tight-lipped smile on her face, "Hey, Jack."

He sticks one hand in the pocket of his shorts, the other one still holding the can. Figures. The one time he actually wants to carry on a conversation with her, it's when he's been drinking and they're in the middle of a public high school event. "What are you doing here? You didn't tell me that you were coming."

Beca gulps, fully aware of Chloe's watchful gaze on the back of her skull. "Oh, yeah, the plans were made sort of last minute." In all actuality, she just didn't want to get into where her and Macy were going this afternoon. She just told him that they had somewhere they needed to be.

Jack bobs his head up and down, acting the most personable that he has since they moved in. Must be the alcohol. "That's cool. Where's Macy?"

Chloe can feel Beca tense beside her. She has no idea who this man is or why he's talking to her, but Beca obviously is at least a little familiar with him. But, at the mention of her sister, Beca seems to grow more serious. It takes everything in Chloe not to grab the brunette's hand and pull her away. Instead, she just exchanges a brief glance of concern with Stacie and Aubrey, who both seem to be equally alert, and turns back to Beca as she answers.

"She's around here somewhere. One of her friends is here, so…" So please do not try and go to find her.

Jack shifts uneasily from foot to foot, the mild bought of courage that he had to go and talk to his foster daughter slowly ebbing. "And are these your friends?"

Again, Beca stiffens. She can't even imagine what is going through their heads right now. To Beca, she knows who Jack is, but to Chloe, and Stacie, and Aubrey, all they can see is a strange man asking about Macy and talking to a bunch of teenage girls. "Um, yeah. They are."

"Cool." Jack glances towards the back of the line, where his own group is still waiting for him to join them. "Well, uh, do you need a ride home? I can come find you after the game."

This time, Aubrey doesn't even give Beca the opportunity to answer. She may not be the brunette's biggest fan, but she sure as hell isn't going to leave her alone with some fifty-something-year-old man. "No, that's okay. She's riding home with us."

Both Chloe and Stacie nod in agreement, seeming to lessen the distance that used to separate them and Beca. Beca also does the same, anything to get this conversation to end and for Jack to leave without saying something that seriously screws up Beca's entire school situation and her situation with Chloe and the other girls.

"Okay, well, I guess I'll see you later." Beca gives him a stiff wave, watching as he returns to his friends, leaving her alone with the other girls.

When she turns to face the seniors, her face sinks at how terrified Chloe looks. She keeps flicking her eyes to look back to where Jack rejoined his group, playing with the rings on her fingers. Stacie seems more confused than anything, her eyebrows furrowed as she focuses on Beca, while Aubrey just looks straight up pissed. The blonde lowers her voice so that only the four of them can hear the conversation. "Beca, who was that?"

Beca shakes her head, already starting to twist the bracelets around her wrist. She is not having this conversation here. Luckily, it doesn't seem like anyone else had a problem with Jack talking to the girls, but Beca knows that these girls are not going to let her off that hook that easily. "No one."

Aubrey gives her an incredulous glare, narrowing her eyes in Beca's direction. "No one? Really? He seemed to know who you were."

Chloe, trying to keep her racing heart from beating out of her chest, finally meets Beca's gaze. Her voice is quieter and has nowhere near the same amount of cheer that she's had for the last couple of hours. "You know him, don't you? It's okay, you can tell us."

Beca's heart practically shatters at how sad Chloe's eyes look. As much as she wants to tell them that Jack is not who they think he is, the alternative of having to tell them about her and Macy's current living situation isn't something that Beca can even fathom doing at the moment. And, for some reason, under the three – incredibly watchful – gazes of all three of the seniors, any lie that Beca can possibly conjure up to provide some sort of explanation, seems to slip her mind. So, Beca does what she does best, and brushes it off with a wave of her hand and a slight, albeit uneasy, laugh. "Guys, it's fine. You don't have to worry about it."

"Why are you lying?" Stacie, who was previously keeping quiet, can't help herself anymore. When she watches Beca – which she has been doing since Chloe brought her into Mr. Harrington's class – she isn't blinded by dislike for the brunette like Aubrey, or by whatever crush that Chloe is.

Instead, she likes to think that she can see just about everything.

The way that Beca barely makes eye contact when she talks about anything remotely personal, or how she is constantly playing with the collection of leather bands on her wrist. How she really only starts a conversation with Chloe or when Chloe is around, and she is at the school earlier but leaves as soon as the final bell rings and is then nowhere to be seen. She isn't on any social media – Stacie checked – and they know hardly anything about where Beca was before coming to Barden. Stacie's noticed all of this, and has been growing more and more concerned, especially now that some random guy who can't be any younger than fifty, came up to talk to her and she couldn't have acted more uncomfortable.

While waiting for her answer, Stacie watches as Beca flicks her eyes to Chloe, first and foremost. Stacie, knowing first-hand how guilty one can feel when Chloe's piercing blue eyes aren't sparkling with her normal personality and vibrancy, hopes that they can use this to their advantage. She prods the brunette a little more. "Beca?"

Beca tears herself away from looking at Chloe, trying to ignore the tears that may or may not be collecting in her eyes, before addressing Stacie. "I'm not."

Stacie, though, isn't stupid. She isn't as soft as Chloe, and she isn't as bitchy as Aubrey can be, but Stacie is direct, which is exactly what the group needs right now. She asks Beca for a second time. "Beca, why are you lying?"

Again, Beca glances at Chloe before even thinking of addressing Stacie. Why, Beca isn't really sure. Maybe it's because she feels guilty about lying to the one person who has made her feel normal and has never once made her feel like anything less than, in the four weeks that she's known her. Maybe it's because lying to Chloe and making her upset, can be seen as the equivalent of kicking a puppy. Beca isn't exactly sure, but when Stacie asks her flat out why's she's lying, it makes Beca's stomach hurt to actually acknowledge the fact that her entire existence, her entire life up until this point, has been a lie to Chloe and her friends.

Stacie watches as Beca starts to crumble, knowing – or, at least, hoping – that an answer is coming soon. But, she can still see the brunette wrestling with her own thoughts, so she thinks of the next best possibility. "Bree, come to the bathroom with me."

"What?" Aubrey turns to face Stacie after staring Beca down, which doesn't really have her desired effect. "Seriously?"

Stacie gives a pointed look at Beca, who is currently running a hand down the side of her face in exasperation and shifting nervously from foot to foot. Beca has Chloe's full attention, the redhead waiting patiently for Beca's answer, which is exactly what Stacie sees, and what she hopes Aubrey will see as well. Chloe has always been there for them – and, clearly, she's willing to be there for Beca, too.

Luckily, Aubrey realizes what Stacie is trying to get at, because, with another roll of her eyes, lets Stacie drag her away in the direction of the bathrooms, leaving Chloe alone with Beca.

Beca sighs, her eyes practically pleading with the redhead. If there's one reasonable person out of that friend group, it's her. "Chloe, please just drop it. It's not what you think it is, and I'm fine, I promise."

"I don't believe you." She says it quietly, like she's afraid to say the words, but it's there, punctuated with a slight shake of her head. "What's going on, Beca?"

"Chloe…"

"Hey," Chloe reaches out, taking Beca's hand softly in hers. "Remember how you said you weren't very good at the 'whole friends thing'? Well, this is part of it. Opening up, I mean. You can trust me. I promise."

Jesus Christ. Beca runs her hands over her head, matting down her curls more than they already are. She lets out an exaggerated breath of air, closing her eyes and trying to be anywhere other than here. If she can't see Chloe, she can convince herself that continuing on with this charade can still be possible, even after it's basically blown up in her face. But, of course, she can't stand in the middle of the concession line with her eyes closed forever, so she opens them up, internally cursing once more when she sees Chloe still staring at her expectantly.

With her stomach in knots, her heart pounding out of her chest, and her palms sweaty, Beca groans. She looks around once more, searching for any viable way out of the conversation, and, upon coming up empty, she wraps her hand around Chloe's wrist, practically dragging the poor girl away from the crowd. Beca doesn't stop until they are out of earshot from any wandering spectators, sitting them on the hill where they can still see the perfect view of the game for when it finally decides to resume.

Beca has never messed up this badly in terms of telling people what's going on in her life. In all of her years in foster care, she has always managed to keep her situation a secret until she wanted to tell it. She's even been able to get through an entire placement with only her teachers knowing - multiple times. She knows Macy hasn't always been so lucky; when she was younger, she had a tendency to trust people too easily and tell them almost immediately, which typically scared a lot of her classmates away. But not Beca. Beca has always waited until she was 100% certain that it wouldn't come back to bite her in the ass. Of course, that hasn't always worked, but it hasn't deterred her from doing otherwise either.

Now, sitting next to Chloe, with the girl having every single bad situation running through her mind, Beca can't help but feel terrified of what this will do to their friendship. Because, even if they've only known each other for four weeks, Beca knows her life at Barden would be hell without Chloe.

How could it not?

"Beca, you're kind of scaring me." Chloe tries to keep her statement light-hearted, but she knows that the slight raspy-ness in her voice that comes along with heavy emotions, gives her away.

Beca places her feet flat on the ground, balancing her elbows on her bent knees, and interlocking her hands in the air in front of her face. She lets her arms fall straight out, never once releasing her hands from each other. Well, here goes nothing. "That was Jack."

Despite the situation, Chloe lets out a slight laugh, "Yeah, I got that far, thanks."

But, even with Chloe's quip, Beca can't bring herself to smile back at the girl. There really isn't any good way to say this, and the fact that Beca can't see into the future and figure out what the residual fallout will be of telling Chloe the truth makes it even worse. She takes a deep breath, ignoring every warning bell that is going off in her mind, and rips the band-aid off. "Jack's my foster father."

Chloe hasn't taken her eyes off of Beca since Jack had gone to the back of the line down by the concession stand. Since then, she has seen Beca's tough exterior start to crumble like a brick wall, and as soon as her statement leaves her mouth, it crumbles even further. The brunette stares off into the field, refusing to look at Chloe, and for once, Chloe herself is speechless.

Sure, Chloe has heard of foster care, but, to her knowledge, she has never met someone who has actually experienced the foster care system first-hand. She grew up in a relatively sheltered home, and it's not like her family has ever really talked about it – they didn't have a reason to. But here Beca is, a person who has occupied Chloe's thoughts pretty much since she met her in Mrs. Abernathy's office, and Chloe barely knows one thing about this pretty giant part of her life.

And, realizing that she hasn't said anything since Beca identified Jack, Chloe realizes why she was so afraid to tell her the truth.

Chloe lays a tentative hand on Beca's shoulder, her spirit plummeting when Beca shrugs it off. "Beca..."

Beca scoffs, already feeling the look of pity that Chloe is giving her – the one look that she hates more than anything else in the world. She can take the confusion, she can take the judgment, but pity? She can't stand it. She's pretty damn proud of how far her and Macy have come on their own, and she isn't going to let anyone take that away from them. "It's fine, Chloe."

Chloe tries to bite back the tears swelling in her eyes. "No, it's not, Beca. We shouldn't have forced you to say anything. You should've been able to tell us when you were ready and –"

Beca cuts off the beginning of Chloe's rambling, saying, in a slightly bitter tone, "Chloe, it's fine, really. You would've found out eventually." Beca just wishes that she had been the one to decide when.

Forcing some of her emotions out of the way, Chloe focuses on forming a coherent line of thought about all of this and finally settles on, "So, when you started at Barden…"

"Macy and I had just moved in with Jack."

Chloe nods slowly, trying to get the brunette to at least look in her general direction. Beca's gaze has been fixed solely on the patch of grass in front of her, and she can't help but feel that forcing her to tell her about Jack, is going to erase all of the progress they've made over the last few weeks. But she's also not willing to let the conversation end on this note. "And you were at another foster home before moving in with him?"

Beca looks up to the sun, the pain that the heat and the brightness cause, bringing her a way to distract herself from where this conversation is going. "Yup."

It takes everything in Chloe not to wrap the smaller girl in her arms. Her mind is racing through all of the conversations she's had with Beca regarding her family. Sure enough, the only person she's ever truly talked about is Macy, and Chloe can't remember a time where she outwardly discussed her mom or dad. As usual, with her mouth moving before her brain can stop it, the question slips out. "What happened to your parents?"

Beca bites at the corner of her lip, the amount of pressure that she puts on it threatening to draw blood. This is part of the reason why she doesn't like telling people the truth. She always has to broach these difficult subjects – it's not exactly her favorite thing to do. And, it is even less enjoyable when she's backed into a corner regarding the question, with people asking her before she can even wrap her mind around the fact that yet another person knows at least part of what's going on in her life.

Digging her nails into the palm of her hand to try and calm herself down, Beca still refuses to look at Chloe, reciting the same monotonous speech that she always gives when asked about her parents. "They died in a car accident. I was ten, Macy was five. It was the first time they had gone out in a while, so they were coming home late. A drunk driver ended up driving them off the road." Her stomach churns at the thought of that night (which is part of the reason why she hardly brings it up). It was one of the first times that Beca was allowed to stay home with Macy all by herself. Imagine her surprise when it was a pair of police officers that showed up at her door at one in the morning instead of her parents.

Chloe didn't think it was possible, but her heart shatters even more. Whether it be at the situation in general, or the fact that Beca just seems so numb to the circumstances that brought her to Barden, Chloe isn't sure, but it is making it even harder to hold back tears. "Beca, I am so sorry."

Beca just shrugs, starting to pick at the grass in between her legs. "Not your fault."

The pair falls into an uncomfortable silence that seems to last for ages; Chloe trying to wrap her mind around everything that she's heard, and Beca trying not to completely freak out about the fact that this is the quietest that she's ever seen Chloe. That, sure enough, Beca's certain that her revelation is making Chloe question ever agreeing to let Beca shadow her on that first day.

It's pretty obvious, at least to Beca. Chloe couldn't even come up with any words to say once Beca told her. She asked the same questions that everyone else does, the same questions that typically turn people away from ever wanting to be friends with the damaged kid that grew up without parents. The same questions that give people just enough information to satisfy their curiosity, before completely forgetting about Beca. As much as she wishes that Chloe had been different, the redhead's silence is speaking volumes.

Clearing her throat, Beca brings Chloe's attention back to the brunette. "I'm uh… I think I'm going to go find Macy and head out. Sorry for bringing the mood of the day down."

"What? Beca, you have nothing to apologize for." Chloe stands with Beca, physically restraining herself from reaching out and stopping Beca from leaving. "Please don't leave. We can talk about this. I don't want you to leave when you're upset."

Beca forces a smile on her face, "I'm fine, Chloe. I'm used to at this point."

"Used to what? Beca!" Chloe protests once more as Beca starts to walk away, her hands shoved deep into her jean pockets.

The brunette turns around briefly, far enough away from her that Chloe can't see the beginning of tears starting to gather in her eyes. "I'll see you around, Chloe."

Chloe's head is pounding. It has been for a while now, what with having been staring at her computer screen for well over an hour. She doesn't care, though. She doesn't care that her eyes are burning with both exhaustion and the fact that she's been straining to read the information in front of her. She doesn't care about the pain – all she wants to do is absorb anything and everything there is to read about foster care on the internet.

"Approximately 400,000 children are in foster care at any given time. More than 100,000 of them are available to be adopted." 400,000? How is that even possible?

"Children and youth enter foster care through no fault of their own, because they have been abused, neglected, or abandoned by the people who were supposed to care for them." Abused? Neglected?

"While the majority of children come into care due to neglect, all children in foster care have experienced loss and trauma." Chloe's stomach churns at the thought of Beca and her little sister being hurt and any trauma they may or may not have experienced. If their parents died when Beca was ten, they've been in foster care for at least seven years. A lot can happen in seven years.

Chloe sighs, leaning her head up against the wall, and suddenly wishing that she had agreed to go to the party at Tom's house with Stacie and Aubrey just so she could get her hands on some alcohol to dull the thoughts that have been raging in her head since that afternoon. But, after talking – if you could call it that – with Beca, Chloe wasn't in the mood to celebrate, even after Barden won the game. All she wanted to do was chase after Beca and hold her close, yet the brunette clearly wanted the exact opposite.

Beca had disappeared into the crowd almost instantly when she left Chloe on the hill, leaving Chloe with little room to argue. She had watched Beca's heartbroken face avoid looking at her for the entire conversation, and then she was gone in a flash, making Chloe even more confused than she already was.

She did her best to answer Stacie and Aubrey's questions when she eventually met up with them following Beca's departure. Chloe knows that she had looked horrible – Aubrey had made that very clear when she demanded to know what had happened. And, while Chloe had wanted to reassure them that they had nothing to worry about, all she could muster was that Jack was a friend of Beca's family. She still hadn't wrapped her mind around what Beca had told her, and she sure as hell was not going to completely betray Beca's trust by telling Stacie and Aubrey, not without talking to her first.

But, that meant that the rest of Chloe's afternoon was incredibly lonely, trapped in her own mind with the only company being Beca's broken posture and the despondent way she had muttered out the truth about why she was at Barden. So, knowing she wasn't going to be able to escape it, Chloe had asked the girls to drop her off at home instead of going to Tom's so that she could figure out what to do next.

Chloe had considered texting Beca. In fact, it was one of the first things she had wanted to do once Beca had disappeared into the crowd. Then Chloe realized that she still had no idea what to say. Was she supposed to ask questions? Was she supposed to drop it all together? Did Beca need comforting or did she just want to forget the conversation altogether? She didn't – and still doesn't - know. Hence, the research.

There's a light tap on her door that makes her pry her eyes away from the website she is reading, a small smile appearing on her face when she sees her Mom waiting for permission to enter. Her greeting comes out as barely a whisper, Chloe's emotions clear in the statement. "Hi."

At the sound of her daughter's voice, Lisa Beale automatically approaches her daughter's bed. She's still in her scrubs from her weekend shift at the hospital's Emergency Department, but after seeing the light on in her daughter's room when she should've been at Tom's, Lisa knew she had to check in first, before doing anything else. "Hi, sweetie. What are you doing home?"

Chloe averts her eyes, knowing that if she looks at her mom anymore, she's going to crumble into a puddle of tears. "I wasn't in much of a partying mood."

Lisa perches herself on the corner of Chloe's mattress, taking in her daughter's exhausted appearance. Her hair has started coming loose from the braids, and her skin looks slightly pink from the hours in the sun. But, there's something about the slouch in her shoulders, and the way she keeps glancing at the computer in front of her, that truly shows Lisa that her daughter is not acting like her normal self. "Why not? Did something happen?"

At her daughter's silence, Lisa tries again. "Did you get in a fight with the girls?"

Chloe slowly shakes her head, pulling her knees into her chest and balancing her chin on the new perch. She didn't get in a fight with Stacie and Aubrey – who are the girls that her mom is referencing – but she basically got into a fight with Beca, and for some reason, that seems a lot worse to Chloe right now.

"What's going on, sweets?" Lisa lays a gentle hand on the top of Chloe's bare foot, "Talk to me."

Chloe takes a shaky breath, starting to fiddle with one of the rings at the base of her finger. "Beca was at the football game."

Lisa slowly nods. Her daughter has told her quite a bit about the mysterious brunette, including the fact that Chloe isn't really sure what her story is. She knows that Chloe's been trying to get closer to her – as Chloe does – and suddenly she's left thinking that Beca said something to hurt her daughter's feelings. "Okay. Did something happen with Beca?"

No. Yes. Maybe. Chloe really isn't sure. She shrugs, struggling to figure out how she should phrase it, before giving up and meeting her mom's gaze. "I met her foster dad."

The words don't catch Lisa off guard as much as they did her daughter. She's at least had some experience with the foster care system, having had to call DCF a few times on suspicions of child abuse and neglect while working in the ER. But that being said, she is still surprised that Beca, the girl who was standing in her doorway only a few weeks ago, could've been one of the kids that she met at work.

Lisa sits up straighter, tucking her legs underneath her and focusing on Chloe. "Okay. Did you know that she's in the system?"

Chloe shakes her head. "No. She never said anything about it."

Slowly, the older woman can start to imagine what happened at the football game. "So how did you end up meeting her foster father?"

Sighing, Chloe's mind drifts back to the happenings of that afternoon. In her defense, there was something off about the guy. It's not really normal for some old man – who had been drinking – to come up and talk to a bunch of teenage girls. Beca was clearly uncomfortable (but, realizing that she was probably uncomfortable because she knew the truth about who he was and Chloe didn't, that kind of makes sense), and Jack had just given her all-around bad vibes. Sue her. "He came up to talk to Beca, but it was kind of creepy. He was asking her about Macy, Beca's little sister, and then asked if she wanted him to give her a ride home, and Beca was visibly uncomfortable. After he left, Stacie, Aubrey, and I wanted to know who he was to make sure that Beca was okay."

"I see." She knows her daughter's heart was in the right place – it almost always is – but Lisa can understand why that would be upsetting to Beca. "So, she told you guys who he was after he left?"

Again, Chloe returns her focus to her ring, trying not to remember how they had practically forced Beca to answer their questions. "Just me. Stacie and Aubrey went to the bathroom to give her some space. We went up on the hill by the field and she told me."

"Did you tell the girls?"

Chloe's voice softens. "No, of course not." She knows that Stacie and Aubrey didn't really believe her explanation of who Jack was or where Beca went off to, but at this point, Chloe doesn't really care. She just brushed off their concerns and kept to herself until she was in the safety of her bedroom. "But Beca was really upset."

"Well, that's understandable. She just moved to a new place, and as much as you guys have been hanging out, it was probably still pretty scary for her to talk to you about something that big. It wasn't really fair to her to have to say something before she was ready to talk about it."

The truth of her mom's statement breaks Chloe's heart. Sure, Chloe had briefly addressed this with Beca, but that didn't stop the redhead from asking more questions. God, she's such an idiot.

Lisa searches her daughter's face for any sort of emotion, but she just seems to be lost in her own world. "Did Beca say anything else?"

Chloe gulps. "She said her parents were in a car accident; that's why they're in foster care. But, other than that, she didn't say much besides confirming that she was in another foster home before moving here."

"Okay, and what did you say?"

Thinking back to her conversation, Chloe can't really remember. All she can remember is being thoroughly confused – and surprised – and trying to wrap her mind around all the information that she was getting about her friend. She vaguely remembers asking Beca a few questions and apologizing for the death of her parents, but, other than that, all Chloe can remember is silence leading up to when Beca left. Had she really not said anything else?

"I…I don't know."

Lisa tilts her head to the side. "You don't know?"

Chloe's expression quickly turns from depressed to downright petrified. "Mom, I don't think I said anything," Chloe's jaw drops slightly before she buries her face in her hands, not believing what she has done. "I didn't say anything, Mom. Beca told me this huge thing and I didn't say anything of substance."

"Okay, okay…" Lisa scoots further up the bed, wrapping her arms around her daughter's slightly-shaking body. "How did you leave things with her?"

Her mom's question just makes her more upset, thinking back to Beca's expression following their brief conversation. The way she had just left, the way she had said she was 'used to it' and wouldn't even look at Chloe. "Oh god."

Chloe's response is enough for Lisa to know that the two girls didn't leave things on a positive note. "Honey, it's okay…"

"No! No, it's not okay!" Chloe lifts her head from her hands, her skin already marked with hot tear streaks. "She probably thinks that I hate her now or something! Or that I don't want anything to do with her! God, I'm so stupid."

Lisa pulls her daughter into her chest, rubbing circles on her back. "You're not stupid, Chloe, you were caught off guard, that's it." She presses a kiss into the top of Chloe's head, "This is something that is totally fixable." Chloe sniffles slightly, angrily wiping away a few fallen tears, and trying to figure out if Beca will see it the same way.

I did not come up with the facts and statistics that Chloe was reading - the quotes were pulled from the AdoptUsKids website in the "About the Children" tab.