Thanks for the support last chapter!

Chapter 14

Beca wipes her sweaty palms on her jeans as she watches the entrance of Barden, waiting patiently for her little sister to appear after school on Monday. Like she was expecting, Macy wanted nothing to do with going to class today and had fought tooth and nail out in the hallway before Beca had to practically pry the girl off of her. She ended up making it to third period before she went to find her older sister, and then again during sixth. Not that Beca cares, but it's just frustrating that she had been doing so well and are now facing this major setback. Beca just hopes she overcomes it quickly.

"No sign of her yet?"

The voice calls Beca out of her concentration. She looks up, only to see Chloe standing in front of her, backlit by the afternoon sun. The brunette brings a hand up to shield away some of the light before answering. "Not yet. She should be out soon, though."

Chloe had been with her the second time that Macy came looking for her, and when Beca had returned to the classroom, she was simply met with a mutually-shared concern for her younger sister. Never once did Chloe make a comment about Macy needing her halfway through the day, or about how strange it was. It was almost as though Chloe has accepted this part of Beca's life and is doing everything in her power to be supportive of it. "Do you know if she was hanging out with Benji today?"

Beca shakes her head, the same question having crossed her mind on more than one occasion throughout the school day. "I didn't see him this morning and she didn't say anything about him when I saw her during class. I just hope she doesn't start pushing him away."

The redhead takes a seat on the bench beside her, keeping her own attention on the doors, too.

"Don't you have plans with Aubrey and Stacie?" The entire day has been awkward on that front for both Beca and Chloe. It was blatantly obvious to Beca that something had happened between the three of them; they barely talked to each other during class, and Aubrey made up an excuse to get out of eating lunch. Chloe had assured her that there was nothing wrong, but Beca wasn't born yesterday.

Chloe, on the other hand, tried to do everything in her power to keep the truth about what happened with Aubrey and Stacie, from Beca. She achieved it yesterday, spending the first half of her time with Beca talking about Macy and her family, and spending the second half just talking about school and whatever other topics Chloe could come up with to prolong her visit. But this morning, when all three of them decided it would be best not to speak (well, Stacie greeted both Chloe and Beca, but Aubrey remained silent), it grew increasingly harder. "No. I'm just going to go home and do some homework."

Beca turns away from the entrance of the school, making it so she is completely facing the redhead. "What happened between the three of you?" Chloe averts her gaze, not being able to lie straight to Beca's face, but the brunette notices immediately. "Chloe, seriously. What happened?"

Sighing, Chloe runs her hands over her face and then through her curls in exasperation. "We got into a fight on Sunday morning."

Beca raises an eyebrow, already knowing where this conversation is heading. "A fight? About what?"

"It's stupid…"

"Not if it's making you upset, it isn't." Beca knocks her knee against Chloe's trying to lighten the mood – even if it's only by a little. "Didn't you once tell me that being friends means opening up?"

Chloe resists the urge to roll her eyes. Those are two very different situations, especially considering the fight was about Beca. "It's not a big deal, Bec. We get in fights all the time. We always make up."

"Okay, if it's not a big deal, why don't you just tell me what it was about?"

The redhead groans, closing her eyes and tipping her head back so as not to meet Beca's knowing gaze. Of course, when she reopens them, they're sitting there waiting for her. "It was about you."

Beca nods in acknowledgment, already figuring that that might have been the case. "Okay. What about me?" Chloe turns away from her, trying desperately to find a way out of the conversation. "Chloe, I don't care. I just want to know how I can help."

Chloe shakes her head. "It's not your fault and you shouldn't be expected to help. They're being stupid and selfish and sticking their noses in places that they don't belong. They'll get over it."

Beca purses her lips, instantly putting the pieces of the puzzle together. "So, they were asking questions and you didn't give them answers."

Stacie and Aubrey are fine. Beca really doesn't mind them (well, Stacie more so than Aubrey) and she appreciates how welcoming they've been to her, even if it has been under Chloe's pressure. But she knew that the whole 'keeping-the-foster-care-thing-a-secret-from-the-two-best-friends', wasn't going to end well.

"How did you know?"

Beca smirks. "It's not my first time in a foster home." She shrugs, trying to come to a decision fast enough for Chloe not to turn the conversation back on her. She quickly weighs her options – not wanting to make Chloe's life any more difficult than she already has – before saying, "You should tell them."

Chloe turns to her with furrowed eyebrows. "What? Why would I do that?"

"You trust them, don't you?"

The redhead nods slowly, still confused, but not letting her protectiveness of Beca fade away with that. "I mean, yeah, but you shouldn't have to tell them just because they're being petty and annoying. I already told you – they'll get over it."

Beca offers Chloe a small, grateful smile. All of this newfound courage is coming solely from the fact that she basically had the same speech with Macy less than a week ago. As much as she doesn't want more people to find out, she also doesn't want to be a burden to the people who didn't hesitate to welcome her into their group. "I appreciate that, but I also don't want it to come in the way of your friendship. If you trust them enough and think they won't say anything, then I'll trust them, too."

Chloe falls silent, taking in everything that Beca's saying, as well as searching her face for any sign that this isn't what she wants. While keeping it a secret from Stacie and Aubrey isn't her favorite thing to do, Chloe will continue to do it in a heartbeat if it means that Beca trusts her. And, clearly, she made the right decision, because the amount of trust that Beca is placing in her now, is immense. "Are you sure? Because if you aren't one-thousand percent positive, then I won't."

"I'm sure. Thank you for keeping it a secret for as long as you did."

The corners of Chloe's mouth turn upward, "Of course. I'd –" Before she can finish her statement, Chloe's attention is pulled back towards the entrance of the school when she sees a flash of chestnut curls. A bigger grin stretches onto her face as she notices a young boy walking beside Macy, too. She points to the pair, Beca following her finger in search of whatever distracted her. "Look."

Beca, too, can't help but grin, a wave of relief washing over her. She turns back to Chloe, sharing in her excitement, before standing from the bench. She waves at Macy, who quickly separates from Benji after saying goodbye, before she comes over to the two senior girls.

There isn't any hesitation in her actions as Macy wraps her arms around Beca's waist, the pounding heart in the younger girl's chest not going unnoticed by her older sister. Beca holds her close, pressing a kiss into the top of her head and running her hand over Macy's curls. She only loosens her embrace when Macy starts to pull away. "How was the rest of your day, kiddo?"

Macy shrugs, moving to take Beca's hand hers, and proceeds to press herself up against her sister's side. "Long. Hi, Chloe."

Chloe seems just as surprised as Beca is at being addressed by the younger Mitchell sister, but that doesn't stop her from replying instantly, all the while doing her best to keep her excitement at a minimum. "Hi, Macy." She smiles as Beca winks at her, clearly satisfied with the interaction, before asking, "You ladies have any big plans for the afternoon?"

Beca gives Macy's hand a tight squeeze, looking down at her as she answers. "Just a riveting shift at Fig's. Although, Macy will probably have a much more exciting time… what do you think, Mace? Is today a milkshake or fries type of day?"

Again, Macy shrugs, keeping her gaze on the ground in front of them, no longer feeling like talking.

Chloe smiles sadly down at the little girl, trying to keep the mood light. "Milkshake? I'm jealous. I would kill for a strawberry milkshake right about now."

Slowly, Macy lifts her head, just as Beca watches in amazement. When she doesn't say anything, Beca takes over. "Macy's favorite is strawberry, too."

Chloe's eyes widen with even more excitement. "Really? No way!"

Macy watches the redhead carefully. She hasn't had much interaction with her, but she knows that Beca is getting closer to Chloe. The few times that she has actually talked to Chloe, the other senior hasn't been anything but nice. And, while she was slightly out of it on Saturday night she does vaguely remember Chloe being there – and, most importantly, she didn't run away. Plus, when Beca told her that Chloe came to check on her on Sunday, that made her feel even more grateful for the girl that Beca has been becoming such good friends with.

"You should come with us." Her voice is tentative, and she doesn't quite look into Chloe's piercing blue eyes, but she knows that both Chloe and her sister are shocked as soon as the words leave her mouth.

Beca glances wearily down at Macy. As much as she is happy that Macy is talking to Chloe, this is completely uncharacteristic of her sister. Especially now. "Are you sure, munch?"

Macy nods. Chloe is happy, and she could use a little happiness in her life right now. Plus, it'll give her someone to sit with, so she isn't constantly worrying what Beca is doing.

Chloe looks to Beca for confirmation, and, upon receiving her approval, Chloe grins once more. "Okay! I'd love to!"

The trio makes their way to the student parking lot, Macy never moving very far from Beca's side. She returns to her position as soon as they are out of the car at Fig's, slipping her hand back into her sister's.

Beca and Macy lead Chloe into the diner, the redhead not being able to stop thinking about how a few weeks ago, she was here uninvited, and unwanted. Now, both Mitchell sisters seem to be perfectly content with her presence. She follows their lead, not wanting to overstep, and certainly not wanting Macy to regret her decision to ask Chloe to come with them.

"Red! What're you doing here?" Cynthia Rose's voice carries easily through the dining room from her position at the cash register. She can't even stop herself from saying it, her surprise getting the best of her as she sees Chloe with Beca and Macy.

Beca glares at her as they approach, Chloe looking to her with a questioning expression. "CR, this is Chloe. Chloe, this is my friend – and my boss – Cynthia Rose."

Chloe reaches out a hesitant hand, still unsure about the 'Red' comment. "Hi, it's nice to meet you."

CR abandons the receipt tape that she's holding, before returning the handshake, all the while eyeing both Beca and Macy. "You too." She turns her attention to Macy. Beca had texted her late Saturday night – well, it was actually Sunday morning – to let her know that she wouldn't be able to come in for her shift. She didn't go into detail, but CR knows it has something to do with her sister, especially now seeing how Macy is acting. "How's it going, Mace?"

When Macy doesn't respond, simply shrugging in Beca's side, CR comes around from the counter. She puts her hands on her hips, Macy watching her carefully, as Beca watches her sister, and Chloe watches all three of them. "What's going on? Why are we back to sad Macy?" The younger of the Mitchell sisters had started to go back to the Macy both Beca and CR know and love. It kills her to see Macy so down again.

The smallest sliver of a smile appears on Macy's face. If she's being honest with herself, she's surprised that Beca hasn't told CR about what happened yet. But, then again, Beca is probably waiting to tell her when they are hidden away in CR's office.

CR holds her arms open, using her hands to wave Macy over to her. She has the ultimate soft spot for this kid. "Get in here."

It takes a slight nudge from Beca, and a small moment of hesitation, before Macy can bring herself to walk over and into CR's embrace. Once she's there, though, with CR's arms wrapped tightly around her, Macy allows herself to exhale, nuzzling deeper into her hold.

Chloe observes silently from the side, wondering just how much CR knows about Beca's entire situation. From the way Macy is practically clinging to her – not in the same way she clings to Beca, but the two are very similar – Beca's friend must know something about what they've been through, or else, she doesn't think Macy would trust her as much as she does. Especially with the way CR is holding on to her as well, it's clear that there is some sort of connection there.

When Macy eventually pulls away, she immediately returns to Beca's side, the older brunette wrapping her arm around her sister.

"Macy was thinking about a strawberry milkshake today, huh, munch?"

CR nods, "You got it, kid. Red, you want anything?" She grins at the second glare she receives from Beca.

Chloe laughs slightly noticing Beca's expression. "I'll actually have a strawberry milkshake, too, if you don't mind."

"Coming right up." CR disappears into the kitchen, leaving Beca alone with her sister and Chloe, needing to make her exit as well.

She motions for Macy to hop up on her stool, but the younger girl doesn't move. Chloe seems to disappear from beside them as Beca turns all of her focus onto her sister. "Mace, I'm just going to be working. Same as I always do. Okay?" A small, but barely noticeable nod, comes from her. "You can sit here with Chloe and work on your homework, and drink your milkshakes, and I'll come over as often as I can."

Macy takes a shaky breath but steps back towards the stool after receiving a kiss on the head from Beca.

"Okay. I'm going to go check in with CR and then I'll be back out. Chloe, you're sure you're fine sitting out here with her?"

Chloe immediately waves her off. "Of course."

Beca shoots her a grateful smile, running her hand through Macy's curls one last time, before following CR's path into the kitchen.

The manager is still at the computer station when she gets in there and automatically turns around at the sound of the kitchen door opening. "Girl, you have a lot to explain."

Beca quickly launches into a summary of their weekend, trying to be as succinct as possible, but she ends up telling CR all the details anyways. It doesn't take long, maybe three minutes at most, but by the end, CR is looking at her with wide eyes as she tries to wrap her head around everything Beca just told her. "Wow."

"I know."

CR covers her mouth with her hand. "How did it even get that bad? She was doing so well… didn't you say that she was finally sleeping through the night?"

Beca leans up against the counter, standing beside her. She had been wondering the same thing until the answer came in the form of a text message Sunday afternoon. "Well, she never called to say goodnight, which I had found surprising. But I guess Macy had told Benji that she didn't want to call because she wanted me to think she could make it through the night? Benji's mom texted me yesterday afternoon to check in and to tell me that."

She shakes her head. "Why would she do that to herself?"

"I have no idea… I never said anything to her because she's been so out of it."

CR continues to stare off in disbelief. That kid is sometimes her worst enemy. "So, do you think it was about Tyler?"

Beca involuntarily gulps at the sound of his name, her mouth running dry. "By the way she's acting, probably. And, if it was, that nightmare combined with the fact that she was at Benji's, it was probably like reliving that day all over again."

"Jesus, Bec."

Beca runs a hand over her face, saying for the second time, "I know." She sighs, "The good thing is that she was walking out of school with Benji today. I haven't gotten a chance to talk to her about her actual day, but I was glad to she was at least with him. Whether or not they actually talked is another story."

"Good." CR waits another moment before addressing the other topic that she wants Beca to explain. "And, speaking of leaving school with someone… are we bringing Red to work now?"

"Dude, I swear to God if you don't start calling her Chloe, I'm going to tell Luke that you were the one that broke the coffee machine last month."

"Hm… a little protective, are we?" CR muses, grinning as she gets the desired reaction from her friend. "But seriously, how did we go from hating the fact that she was here, to bringing her around when Macy clearly isn't doing to hot?"

Beca raises her hands in a gesture full of uncertainty. "I honestly don't know. Mace was the one that invited her to come."

CR scoffs, "Yeah, okay."

"Seriously! She was!" Beca involuntarily reaches for her earring, rotating the stud a few times. "Chloe was actually pretty amazing this weekend. She drove me to Benji's without any hesitation; she waited in the background and then grabbed all of Macy's stuff without anyone asking her to. Then, she came by Sunday morning to check to see how she was doing. When Macy asked her to come today, she said yes without even thinking about it."

CR's mouth drops open, her grin widening as she listens to her friend. "You like her!"

Beca grows serious, trying to keep the heat from rising to her cheeks. "I do not."

"Yes! Yes, you do!" She pushes herself off the counter, pointing a finger accusatorily at the brunette. "You were twisting your earring the same way you used to when you talked about Tara."

A momentary flash of anger washes over Beca as she narrows her eyes in CR's direction. "Chloe is not Tara. She is twenty times the person that Tara will ever be."

CR holds her hands up in surrender, internally chastising herself for bringing the girl up. What can she say? Sometimes her mouth starts moving before her brain can stop it. "I never said she was. All I'm saying is that there are definitely some vibes that you give off when you're talking about Chloe, and they all are saying that you like her far more than a friend."

Has she really been that obvious? Beca knew from the first moment she laid eyes on the effervescent redhead that there was something different about her. Little did Beca know back then that she would make such an impression on her life. Now, Beca can't imagine not seeing Chloe almost every day, especially after she was so amazing with her little sister.

"I'm not looking to start anything, CR, you know that."

CR barks out a short laugh. "Just because you're not looking to start anything, doesn't mean it's not going to happen."

Beca shakes her head, any ounce of a smile that was once on her face, long gone. "No, CR, I'm serious. I can't."

One look at Beca is enough to make CR stop teasing her. The brunette almost looks scared, her wide eyes and the slight tremor in her voice giving her away. She shouldn't have even brought Chloe back into the conversation. "Okay. I'm sorry."

Beca forces out a tight-lipped smile, wiping her palms on her jeans. "I should probably go check on Macy."

CR nods, letting her friend push past her, not knowing what else there is to say.

Much to Chloe's dismay, her afternoon at Fig's went by quickly. All she did was sit next to Macy and work on her homework while the younger girl did her own, only occasionally trying to start a conversation with her (mostly when Beca came over). But there was something so right about just sitting there in silence with Macy, that she found herself getting sad when Beca came out around seven and said that it was time to go.

After dropping the Mitchell girls off at their house, Chloe starts to head in the direction of her own home, before her conversation with Beca in the courtyard that afternoon comes drifting back to her. She makes a quick right, heading in the opposite direction towards Stacie's house instead.

Chloe is still very much upset with Aubrey. What she said was not okay, and, quite frankly, it hurt Chloe to hear her be so rude and inconsiderate. Whether or not she knows something is going on with Beca is beside the point; she should be kind to people regardless. Stacie, on the other hand, has been supportive of her friendship with Beca since the beginning and has worked much harder at maintaining her own friendship with Beca than Aubrey ever has. She'll take Beca's advice and talk to Stacie, but she still isn't ready to talk to Aubrey.

Or, at least, so she thinks.

Unfortunately, the universe must have other plans for the redhead, because when she pulls into the driveway, she sees Aubrey's car.

As soon as her car is in park, she starts to reconsider her decision to come. Just the thought of talking to the two of them together seems like a challenge, and not one that Chloe wants to embark on at this point. But she also knows that she can't avoid them forever and that dragging this argument out longer than necessary, is pointless. Chloe shuts off her car and climbs out of the vehicle, walking past the garage (which is the way she normally enters the Conrad house), and to the front door, pressing the doorbell once she gets there.

After what feels like forever standing outside on the porch, the front door swings open to reveal Stacie's little brother, Daniel. His eyebrows furrow in confusion at the sight of Chloe. "Since when do you ring the doorbell?"

Chloe offers the boy a small smile. He and Stacie definitely share some of the same features, but they aren't identical in any sense. She has always loved talking with Stacie and Aubrey's younger siblings. It can get pretty lonely when you're the only kid living at home. "Since your sister and I got in a fight on Sunday. Can I come in?"

Daniel nods, not hesitating to let the familiar girl into the house. He can't remember the last time either she or Aubrey asked to be let into the house. Both girls typically just come in through the garage and greet the members of the family like they are their own. It's been that way ever since they were kids. "She's upstairs in her room with Aubrey. Are you fighting with her, too?"

Chloe glances up the stairs, ignoring the thirteen-year-old's question. "How long have they been up there?"

"I don't know… they were here when I got home from soccer practice a little while ago." He gives her a mischievous smirk. "So, what did you do?"

Rolling her eyes, Chloe reaches out to ruffles the boy's chocolate locks. "Thanks for your help, Danny."

Daniel swats her away, grimacing as the senior – who is basically his second older sister – teases him like he's still six years old. "Yeah, yeah…"

When he finally escapes Chloe's reach, he continues on his path to the living room where his gaming console is waiting for him, leaving Chloe to continue to stare down the threatening stairs. After taking one more deep breath, Chloe starts her ascent, the redhead not being able to remember the last time she felt so nervous walking to Stacie's room.

The lights in Stacie's room are on, the brightness from the lamps spilling out into the hallway. What surprises her, is the fact that she can't hear them talking. Even when they do homework together, it's hard to keep all three of them quiet for very long. Silence is almost unnerving when they are in each other's presence.

When she reaches the bedroom, Chloe takes a tentative step over the threshold. Stacie is on her bed, focused on what looks like her physics textbook, while Aubrey is at her desk, her back to the door. Just like it normally is, the bedroom is cluttered with clothes – both clean and dirty – her dresser is littered with makeup and other supplies she uses to get ready in the morning, but Chloe can still pick out the various picture frames that hold memories of the girls' many adventures together.

Sensing the presence of someone else in the room, Stacie looks up from the book, her face twisting in surprise. "Chloe?"

Aubrey, too, turns around from her seat at the desk, and, despite the anger that passes over her face, she continues to watch the redhead out of pure curiosity.

Chloe offers the pair a nervous wave, stepping further into the bedroom. "Can we talk?"

Stacie doesn't hesitate to close her book. She hates when she fights with her friends, especially when there seem to be sides. That's one of the downsides of being a friend group of three, but as much as Stacie hates it, she wouldn't trade her girls for the world. "Of course." She pushes her homework off to the side, shoots Aubrey a look laced with a warning, and sits up straighter. "Is everything okay?"

Chloe takes a hesitant seat on the edge of Stacie's bed, tapping her phone slightly against her open palm. "I want to talk about what happened yesterday."

Aubrey lets out a small scoff but doesn't say anything, simply crossing her arms over her chest. Stacie glares at her once more, before turning back to Chloe. "We all said things we probably shouldn't have."

Chloe nods, trying to figure out what she wants to say. "I'm sorry for how distant I've been lately. It wasn't fair to you guys for me to be acting like that." Aubrey gives Chloe an icy stare, confirming that no, it wasn't fair, but Chloe doesn't back down from her plan. "But that doesn't mean that it was any more fair to say the things you said about Beca."

Aubrey rolls her eyes, "Seriously? You come over to apologize and you still want to talk about Beca?"

Chloe raises an eyebrow, her voice threateningly calm. "I didn't say I came here to apologize. I said I wanted to talk. If you don't want to sit here and have an adult conversation, then I'd be more than happy to just talk to Stacie."

Stacie's head falls back against the wall. Chloe and Aubrey are normally great together, but sometimes, their personalities clash like two bulls. "Guys, come on… we're not going to accomplish anything if you two can't be civil."

After Aubrey remains silent for a few moments, leaning back in the chair and eyeing her redheaded best friend, Chloe starts again. "I know I sort of forced Beca onto you two, but that doesn't negate the fact that she needed a friend. She was in a new school; she didn't know anyone… it would have been rude to have her fend for herself. Now, it may not be the most perfect situation, but you can't act like you don't at least mildly tolerate her. I saw how you guys were acting on Saturday. You were having fun with her. There's no denying that."

Aubrey's gaze shifts down to her perfectly manicured nails. Saturday had been fun, but that doesn't stop the fact that Chloe has still been lying to them for weeks.

"I'm not asking you to be best friends. What I will ask you to do, is be nice to her, because I like her and she's my friend." She softens her voice, "I am in no way, shape, or form, trying to replace you guys. I love you both with all my heart, and nothing is ever going to change that. You should know that by now."

Stacie nods in agreement. She never wanted to make Chloe feel like she didn't like the smaller brunette. She really does enjoy having Beca around, and she never thought of Chloe's relationship with Beca – whether it be a friendship or something more – as a possible replacement for the relationship she has with Stacie and Aubrey. All Stacie wishes, and all she was trying to get across to Chloe on Sunday, is that she wants to know more about Beca before Chloe ends up getting hurt. "That's fair."

Aubrey, on the other hand, shakes her head. "No. I'm not going to agree to that. She's changing you, Chloe, and I don't like it. You're sneaking around, you're keeping secrets… that's not you."

"She's not changing me, Bree." Chloe's eyes flutter closed as she tries to remain calm, figuring there's only one way that she is going to convince Aubrey that Beca is not a bad influence. "I'm going to tell you what's been going on, but you need to understand two things. One, the only reason why I'm telling you this, is because I have explicit permission from Beca. Two, this does not leave this room. Because, not only could this hurt Beca, but it could also hurt her twelve-year-old little sister, and if it does, I will never be able to forgive myself."

Both Aubrey and Stacie grow serious, watching as Chloe lays out the terms and conditions of this disclosure. They tell each other everything, and while Aubrey and Stacie knew that Chloe wasn't sharing something, they didn't know that it is something big.

When they both agree, Chloe takes a deep breath, meeting first Stacie's eyes, then Aubrey's, and suddenly wondering how the hell Beca remained so calm when Chloe had confronted her about this same subject. "Beca and her sister are in foster care."

As soon as the words leave her mouth, Chloe feels a weight practically fall off her shoulders, not quite realizing how much it was impacting her to keep this a secret from the girls. Meanwhile, as she begins to settle into a state of relief, Stacie and Aubrey battle with their own confusion.

"What?" Stacie watches Chloe carefully, looking for any sign that what she's saying isn't true. "How? Why?"

Chloe takes a deep breath, not sure how much she is allowed to reveal. "Their parents died when Beca was ten. They've been in the system ever since."

Aubrey tries to snap out of her stunned state, not being able to get the picture of Beca and her little sister out of her mind. "When did she tell you?"

"At the football game. The guy that came up to her was – is – her foster father."

Stacie slowly shakes her head in disbelief. She knew that there was something going on with the girl, but she wasn't expecting it to be this. "So that's why she looked so uncomfortable. She didn't want us to find out who it was."

Chloe nods, remembering the fear that was so evident on Beca's face that afternoon. "The only other people at school that know are some teachers, and Macy's friend Benji. That's it. Apparently, she's had some bad experiences in the past with telling people, and I promised her that it was not going to be our fault if it gets out."

"No, of course we won't say anything." Stacie practically turns her nose up at the idea, knowing that this is not something to joke about. "Are they okay?" She's read some of the horror stories about kids in the foster care system, with some of them falling through the cracks and ending up missing or dead. Then there are the cases of abuse that permeate the limited information that she has about the system. She can't help but feel worried about the two Mitchell girls.

"I think so… she doesn't really like talking about it, so I try not to ask too many questions."

Stacie seems to accept this answer, going quiet as Aubrey starts to come back into the conversation. She's still trying to wrap her mind around the whole thing. "So, was Macy at their foster home this weekend when you left? Did something happen?"

Chloe shakes her head, trying to ignore the ball of nerves that's starting to settle into the pit of her stomach. For some reason, talking about Macy without Beca there makes Chloe feel as though she's betraying both girls. She keeps her answer as short as possible. "She has really bad anxiety. She was spending the night at a friend's house and something happened that made her need Beca." Chloe knows that the answer that she gives them is basically the same one that she gave them yesterday, but she hopes that the added information is enough to satisfy their curiosity. As an afterthought, she adds, "They're pretty much all each other has."

Aubrey lets out a small laugh, "Well, now I feel like a bitch."

Neither Stacie nor Chloe disputes her statement – both of them knowing that it holds a little bit of truth – but Chloe does work to lighten the mood, happy to have her best friends back. "How do you think I felt after I practically forced her to tell me who the guy at the game was?"

That question gets a few smiles from the girls, each of them starting to wrestle with their own guilt. It isn't until Aubrey speaks again, that a new line of thought presents itself to all three of them. "So, why'd they have to transfer to Barden?"

Flashback: Last December

Beca plops down on the couch beside her friend, settling into the deep leather cushions and letting out a sigh of relief. She hates midterm season when every single teacher that she has feels the need to pile on the work and make her school life a living hell. She's been studying for weeks, trying to cram as much information into her brain as possible in order to prepare for the onslaught of tests that are scheduled to begin next week.

Tara laughs, tossing a blanket onto the lap of the unsuspecting brunette as she points the remote in the direction of the television, smiling to herself as Beca settles against her side, their legs touching. Beca wouldn't let them start the movie until after they reviewed for an hour. "I still don't understand why you felt the need to study on a Friday night."

"Because, unlike you, I have multiple people that will be on my case if I don't get halfway decent grades," Beca grumbles, remembering the countless warnings that she has received, not just from Meghan, but from her foster parents (both past and present) as well. She doesn't know why they're always so insistent on reminding her about the importance of getting good marks – Beca is smart enough to get them on her own. The added pressure doesn't do anything except for stress her out. "Do we have to watch a movie? Can't we do something else?"

Tara rolls her eyes at her friend's whines. Beca had put up quite the fight before coming over her house tonight, just like she always does when there's mention of a movie. But when Macy caught wind of the fact that Tara wanted them to watch The Goonies (which Tara admits is her nerdy-pleasure), she begged Beca enough to make her agree.

That kid has her sister wrapped around her little finger.

"Oh, boo-who." Tara sticks her bottom lip out in a faux-pout. "I think you'll be okay for the two hours that it's on. And maybe –" she gasps " – you might actually enjoy it."

Macy grins from the other side of the room where she sits curled up in one of Tara's armchairs with a copy of, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, on her lap. They've been coming over to Tara's house more and more often, with Beca becoming closer and closer to her classmate. Even though Macy is only eleven, she can still see the way her sister looks at the supposed 'friend,' along with the fact that half of their conversations are based on inside jokes. It's funny, but Macy just enjoys the fact that Beca is happy. "Don't get your hopes up, Tara. I've been trying to get her to like movies since I was a kid."

Beca sticks a thumb in her little sister's direction. "What she said."

Tara groans, saying wistfully, "Well, a girl can dream." As the television screen switches from the movie promos to the menu, the raven-haired junior (now with purple waves instead of blue) turns her attention back to Macy. "You coming over here, Einstein?"

Macy closes her book in a flash when she's summoned by Tara's nickname for her, leaving it abandoned on the armchair, and launching herself on the couch beside Beca. Both girls chuckle, her spirited energy enough to improve the atmosphere in any room. She shimmies under the blanket beside her sister, curling into Beca's side.

Tara presses play on the remote, before pushing herself up to turn off the lamp on the end table. When she sits back down, she casually lays her hand on top of Beca's, keeping her focus on the television as she does so.

Beca, in contrast, almost snaps her hand back in surprise. Sure, there's been some signs here and there, but this is the first – blatantly obvious – move that either one of them has initiated. She looks to Tara, who, even in the darkness of the room, is clearly biting back a smirk.

With her heart pounding in her chest, she leans back into her seat, flipping her hand around so that their fingers can interlace.

Thanks for reading! See you Thursday!