Chapter 14: Stacie's Birthday

That weekend, Stacie was hosting a small get-together for their friend group to celebrate her 19th birthday. The tall brunette was the oldest out of the group because she had been born slightly past the deadline for the grade level above them. Since Stacie's house was only a few blocks from her own, Beca decided to walk there instead of drive.

As excited as she was to celebrate Stacie's birthday, Beca wasn't really looking forward to the party because she knew that Chicago was going to be there. He hadn't tried to contact her since she visited his house earlier that week, so the brunette assumed that he was done with her. Because of this, Beca was going to have to stay away from Chloe for the foreseeable future, as she didn't want to put any strain on the redhead's relationship with Chicago or her own relationship with the boy.

Beca was one of the first people to get to the birthday party, so she sat with Stacie in the living room as they waited for everyone else to get there. Benji and Emily arrived shortly after Beca did, so the four of them started a conversation while they were waiting. "How does it feel to be nineteen, Conrad?" Beca asked, leaning back against the couch.

"Well, I'm one year closer to being able to drink legally, so you could say it feels pretty good," Stacie chuckled with a smirk on her face.

"That is one positive to turning nineteen. You can buy everyone drinks when we go out," Benji joked before the doorbell rang.

Beca stood up from her seat on the couch. "I'll get that," she said, walking over towards the door to open it for whoever was waiting outside.

Chicago and Chloe were waiting at the door, wearing coats and hats to keep warm. The temperature had been dropping steadily as winter approached, so everyone was dressed nice and cozy for the occasion. "I hope I don't have to remind you to apologize to Beca," Chloe said, her arm linked in Chicago's.

Chicago shook his head. "You don't and won't have to remind me. I'll apologize to her if I get the chance to," he said, smiling and leaning in to give Chloe a quick kiss on the cheek.

That's when Beca opened up the door, doing a double take when she saw the two people she had been avoiding. "Oh, uh, hi," Beca said awkwardly, holding the door open. "Come on in," The brunette looked down at the floor, avoiding eye contact as they walked inside.

Chloe smiled. "Hey, Beca," She then nudged Chicago and whispered, "Now's the perfect time, I'll be in the other room," She then kissed his cheek and left.

Chicago and Beca were left in the front room by themselves. The silence between them grew, neither one of them knowing what to say. Beca continued to stare down at her feet, her hands in her pockets. I'm not going to be the one to talk first. He's the one who has to apologize, the brunette told herself.

"Ummm," Chicago started, trying to find the right words to say. "I just wanted to start off by saying I'm sorry for being a jackass to you for the last couple weeks," He then bit his lip and made eye contact with Beca for the first time in a long time. "I guess the whole situation overwhelmed me, and I was scared that you were going to swoop in and steal Chloe from me," the boy said, looking down again as a feeling of shame swept over him. "Which I know deep down is something you'd never do," he added. After a few moments of silence, he spoke again. "I hope that you'll forgive me and that we can be friends again, because you're my best friend and I don't want to lose you."

"I don't want to lose you either, Chic," Beca said, looking into Chicago's eyes. "But I can't be your friend if you don't trust me. Yes, I have feelings for Chloe, but I'd never do anything to break you two apart. I don't want to jeopardize your relationship, and I don't want to jeopardize ours either."

"I know, and I'm grateful for that," Chicago said. He stepped forward and opened his arms for a hug, smiling when Beca embraced him back. "I'm glad that we're on good terms again, best friend."

"Yeah, me too. I hate fighting with people. It's so stressful and exhausting," Beca said, smiling and chuckling. "Let's go join the rest of the group. We don't want them to get the party started without us," the brunette said when the hug ended.

The two of them went into the living room to join the rest of the group. "The only people we have to wait for are Cynthia Rose, Jesse, and Aubrey," Stacie told them all.

Chicago sat down next to Chloe and kissed her cheek. "Did you guys sort it out?" Chloe whispered.

Chicago nodded his head. "Yeah, we did. We're back on good terms again," he replied, smiling at Chloe. "I didn't realize how much I missed my best friend until now. I'm glad that we worked things out."

"Good," Chloe said with a smile before turning her attention back to the conversation that everyone else was having.

Once the remaining guests got to the party, Stacie called for everyone's attention. "Alright, fellas and ladies, we're gonna make tonight a night to remember, and what's a better way to start off the night than with an extreme game of Truth or Dare?"

Beca groaned as soon as Stacie said this. She was not a fan of Truth or Dare, and she had never played the extreme version before. "Well, you can count me out. I'll sit back and watch you guys play."

"No, you can't do that. You have to play, Beca," Chloe said, making puppy eyes at the girl. "It's not going to be as fun if one of us sits out."

"Yeah, come on Beca, play with us," Chicago said, nodding his head along with everyone else.

Despite their pleas, Beca wouldn't budge on her stance. "Nope, I'm not playing. I'll play a different game, but I'm not gonna play Truth or Dare," the brunette said.

Stacie raised her eyebrows at these words, then turned to Chloe. "Chloe, I'd try those puppy eyes on her one last time. If it doesn't work, then we'll give up and play another game."

Chloe shook her head. "Guys, if she doesn't want to play, she doesn't have to. Let's just do a game that everyone will feel comfortable playing," She said, smiling softly at Beca.

Beca smiled back at Chloe before looking down. "I mean, I don't want to inconvenience the people that do want to play truth or dare. You guys can play without me. It won't bother me or anything."

"No, let's do something that we all want to do," Stacie said, standing up from her seat on the couch. "You all brought your swimsuits like I asked, right? Why don't we all go for a dip in the pool then?" The suggestion was met with a resounding yes from everyone in the group, and they all grabbed their swimsuits before heading to the indoor pool, which was in the basement of the house.

The pool was at least thirty-five yards long, so there was plenty of space for them. Beca changed into her black bikini, which showed off all her tattoos. The brunette smirked when she caught Chloe looking at her while they walked towards the pool. "You didn't know that I had tattoos, did you?" She asked with a chuckle. "Knowing me, are you even that surprised?" She added, chuckling more.

"No, not really," Chloe replied, smiling and chuckling along with Beca. "I've seen the headphones tattoo on your wrist before, but I've never seen the rose bush on your shoulder. I like it a lot," the redhead said with a genuine smile. "I've been trying to convince my parents to let me get one, but they told me that I have to wait until I can afford it myself."

"I didn't really ask my parents' permission to get my tattoos, I just got them," Beca said, shrugging her shoulders. "I figured that if they really didn't want me to get them, they'd stop me from getting them. They're fun to get in my opinion, even though they do hurt."

"I've always thought tattoos were cool. I might get one for my eighteenth birthday, if I have enough money by then," Chloe said, dropping her towel and setting it on one of the poolside chairs. When she did so, she revealed her purple bikini which perfectly highlighted her figure. When Beca saw how incredible Chloe looked, she struggled but somehow managed to keep her jaw from dropping. The bikini really showed off the redhead's body, an added bonus being that purple was one of the brunette's favorite colors, not to mention that the brunette also could now see Chloe's toned abs.

Everyone else joined them a few minutes later and they all got in the pool. Beca jumped in the water before everyone else, laughing as they all got splashed. "Come on in, guys!" She called out to them, waving for them to join her.

Chicago jumped into the pool after Beca, and then Chloe got in after him. Soon everyone was in the pool, splashing each other and swimming around. Beca and Chicago got in a splash battle, both of them laughing as they tried to avoid each other's attacks. The splash battle slowly started getting out-of-control, and after awhile the whole group was involved

After the splash battle, the group switched from the pool to the hot tub, which was also indoors. Beca sat in one of the corners of the hot tub, Stacie to her right and Emily to her left. "This has been a really fun party, Stace. Thanks for having us over," she said with a smile.

"Of course, you guys are my besties," Stacie said, smiling and nudging Beca. "This is the best night I could ask for, just relaxing with my friends, no drama, no outside worries," She smiled.

Beca smiled back and then looked around at her group of friends, how they were all smiling and enjoying themselves. She truly was lucky to have such an amazing group of friends. "You guys are my second family," Beca stated. "I don't know what I'd do if I didn't have you guys."She then looked over at Chloe. "Even though we had a rough start, Red, I consider you to be one of my best friends," the brunette said, trying to keep herself from blushing.

Chloe smiled back at Beca and blushed a little, biting her lip as well. "Thanks, Becs. The same goes from me to you. I'm glad that we got through our rough patch in the beginning, because you're now one of my best friends too," the redhead told the brunette.

"I'm glad you guys worked it out, too," Chicago said, leaning over and kissing Chloe's cheek. "I love our little group. It's like Beca said, you guys are my family."

"It's crazy that we're about halfway through our senior year, guys," Jesse said. "In another few months or so, we're all going to go our separate ways."

"Ugh, don't remind me," Emily said with a groan. "Sure, I'm not graduating with you guys, but I'm not going to have any friends once you all leave."

"Hey, you'll still have me," Stacie said. "I'm doing the pre-med program as the University of Washington, so I'll be around if you ever wanna hang out."

"And we're all going to come back and visit you whenever we can," Benji added, kissing his girlfriend's cheek and making her blush.

"I know, but it's just not going to be the same without you guys here," Emily said, smiling sadly. "I hope you all know how much I'm going to miss you."

"We're gonna miss you too," Cynthia Rose said, smiling at Emily.

"We'd all hug you right now, but we're all squeezed pretty tightly in this hot tub," Beca said, making everyone laugh. After the hot tub, everyone was getting changed back into their clothes. Beca put her hair up in a messy side braid after she got dressed in the bathroom by Stacie's bedroom. Once she was finished, she left the bathroom and headed for the staircase to go back down to the living room.

Chloe used one of the guest bedrooms to change out of her swimsuit, but she was having trouble zipping up her dress. She heard footsteps walking down the hall and opened the door, seeing Beca going over to the stairs. "Hey! Beca!" She called out to get the brunette's attention.

Beca turned when she heard her name called, and she saw Chloe standing in the doorway of one of the guest bedrooms. "Yeah? What's up?" She asked, walking over towards her.

"Can you zip up my dress for me? I'm having trouble getting it myself," Chloe explained, turning around when Beca walked over to her.

"Yeah, of course," Beca said. The brunette couldn't help but gaze at Chloe's body—the redhead was absolutely gorgeous. She didn't let that distract her for too long though, and quickly zipped up the redhead's dress. "Alright, there you go. Is there anything else you need?"

"No, that's it. Thank you," Chloe said, smiling gratefully at Beca once she turned to face the brunette.

"Okay then, I'll see you in the living room," Beca said, turning and starting to walk away. She started going down the stairs stopped by Chloe again.

"Thank you for what you said earlier in the hot tub," Chloe stated, smiling and looking down at the ground for a moment. "I'm happy with how close you and I have gotten," she added.

A small smile spread across Beca's face and she nodded, looking down as well. "Yeah, you and I have gotten really close this year. I'm glad that we did, because you're a great person, Chlo. I'm lucky to have you as a friend," she replied.

"Just know that if you ever need to talk to anyone about anything, I'll always be here for you," Chloe said, reaching for Beca's hand. "You deserve to be happy more than anyone in our friend group, Becs."

Beca smiled at Chloe's words and looked down at their hands. "Thanks, Chlo. It means a lot to hear you say that," the brunette said, feeling her face begin to heat up as she blushed a little.

"Well, it's the truth," Chloe said, softly running her thumb over the back of Beca's hand. "I've never seen anyone who deserves the world more than you do," This made Beca chuckle and look at the ground again. "What?" Chloe asked.

The brunette looked back up at the redhead and their eyes met. Beca shook her head and shrugged her shoulders. "You're something else, Chloe Beale," She said in a soft voice. "Chicago is very lucky to have you, and I hope he knows that," After she said that, the brunette pulled her hands away from Chloe's and turned to go down the stairs, leaving the redhead alone.

Chloe watched as Beca made her way down the stairs, leaving her standing there by herself and thinking about the interaction they just had. She had to admit that Beca's words made her insides turn to mush. "You're something else, Chloe Beale...Chicago is very lucky to have you, and I hope he knows that," Chloe replayed those words in her head a couple times, trying to figure out what Beca meant by saying them. Don't read into it too much, Chloe, the redhead told herself, but she couldn't help but wonder if there was another meaning to Beca's words, a meaning that was subtle but would answer the many questions that she had.

The young redhead made her way up to the room where everyone was, sitting next to Chicago. For awhile all Chloe could do was gaze back and forth from Beca to her boyfriend. Thankfully, neither of them noticed that she was doing this, but Stacie and Cynthia Rose did. The two girls watched Chloe for a few moments then exchanged a look, Stacie smirking slightly while Cynthia Rose raised an eyebrow. They didn't say anything, however, instead letting their facial expressions do all the talking.

A few minutes later, Stacie got up to get drinks for everyone, Cynthia Rose going with her. "Did you see that?" Cynthia Rose asked as she poured some shots of vodka. "Has something happened between the two of them?"

"I don't know, but I'd totally ship it if Chloe wasn't with Chicago," Stacie said, a smirk still on her face.

Cynthia Rose nodded her head, then looked back over into the living room, where Chloe was still looking back and forth between Chicago and Beca. "Do you think we should ask her about it?"

"I don't think so. If Chloe has something to talk about with us, she'll come to us," Stacie replied, grabbing some beers for the Beca and the guys. "I think I know a game we can play that everyone loves, even Beca," She grabbed an empty beer bottle and then walked in the room where everyone else was. "Let's play Spin the Bottle!"

Everyone cheered at this suggestion, some laughing as well since they were all tipsy by now. "Yes! I love this game!" Beca exclaimed giddily. "And I have a bigger chance of getting to kiss a girl than a guy. This is awesome!" The rest of the group, even Chicago, chuckled at Beca's antics and got ready to play the game.

Once they were all sitting on the floor in a circle, Stacie put the empty beer bottle in the middle. "So we all know the rules of the game, right?" She asked, speaking again after everyone nodded their heads. "Alright then, let's start. Who wants to go first?"

To everyone's surprise, Aubrey was the first person to raise their hand. "I'll go first!" She said with a drunken giggle, moving into the center of the circle before spinning the bottle. The bottle spun around a few times before landing on Chicago, making everyone else whistle and cheer.

"Remember that it can't just be a peck on the lips!" Stacie called out with a smirk. "According to the rules, you have to make out for at least ten seconds."

"Come here, Captain Walp," Aubrey said, smiling at Chicago as he moved into the center of the circle to meet her. The blonde didn't waste any time, grabbing him and smashing their lips together, everyone whistling and cheering as they kissed.

"Alright you two, it's been ten seconds. Don't make us have to pull you apart," Beca said with a chuckle. "Who's gonna go next?" She asked once Chicago and Aubrey had left the middle of the circle and returned to their spots.

Stacie, who was sitting next to Aubrey, raised her hand. "It's my birthday, so I'll go next. Then we'll just go in a circle," she said, moving into the middle of the circle. The tall brunette picked up the bottle and then spun it, Jesse doing a drumroll as the bottle spun around the circle before landing on Emily. Stacie smirked and then motioned for Emily to join her in the circle. They leaned in, Stacie turning and saying "Sorry Benji" before they kissed, making everyone both laugh and cheer.

After Stacie went, it was Cynthia Rose's turn to spin the bottle, and it landed on Benji when she did. Cynthia Rose turned to look at Emily and said "Sorry Em," before she and Benji shared a kiss, making the rest of the group chuckle again.

Before she knew it, it was Chloe's turn. Beca had had to kiss Jesse, Chicago had kissed Aubrey again, and Jesse had kissed Chloe. Now it was Chloe's turn to spin. She spun the bottle fast on the wooden floor and everyone waited for it to stop. Then it stopped right where Stacie and Cynthia wanted it to stop. Right in front of Beca, making the girl's eyes go wide. This cannot be happening right now, was the only coherent thought going through the brunette's mind. She looked over at Stacie and Cynthia Rose, who smirked back at her and gestured for her to join Chloe in the middle of the circle. The brunette moved into the middle and sat there, looking away from Chloe so the redhead didn't see how nervous she was.

For a moment, Chicago's heart stopped. But he quickly got over it, knowing it was just a silly game and that the kiss wouldn't mean anything. He watched as Chloe moved into the center towards Beca, the brunette doing the same thing.

Chloe was just at anxious as Beca, knowing that this would be an interesting and new experience. She'd never kissed a girl before, but she was glad that the first one she kissed would be Beca. "You ready?" The redhead asked.

Beca gulped and then nodded her head. "I'm ready when you are," she said, moving closer to Chloe. She looked up from the floor, her eyes meeting Chloe's instantly. Beca smiled a little and bit her lip, still gazing into Chloe's eyes.

The two of them stayed there for a moment, nervous and excited for what was to come. Chloe didn't know why she was so nervous to kiss Beca; maybe it was because this would be her chance to give Beca the kiss she'd always wanted from the redhead. A few moments later, Chloe knew it was time, time seemed to slow down once her hand was cupping Beca's cheek.

"Remember, no pecks," Stacie said with that same smug expression on her face. "You have to makeout for at least ten seconds."

"Got it," Beca said, her eyes still on Chloe. She then began to lean in and close the gap once more. Before she knew it, her lips were on Chloe's. The kiss was absolutely magical—Chloe's lips were softer and sweeter than Beca could have ever imagined. The two girls got into it slowly and surely, Beca sliding her tongue across Chloe's bottom lip to ask for entrance so their tongues could dance around for awhile. As the kissing continued, Beca wondered if Chloe was enjoying it as much as she was.

The two girls pulled away from the kiss to catch their breath a few moments later. Beca could feel a blush creeping up onto her face, and she looked down at the floor so Chloe didn't see that. "You two really took to heart what I said about no pecks," Stacie commented with a chuckle, making everyone else laugh as well.

Beca took a deep breath and then shrugged her shoulders. "I've never been a person to do half-ass things," she stated, trying to avoid eye contact with the redheaded girl sitting across from her.

"Well, you certainly didn't half-ass that," Jesse added with a smirk spreading across his face, making Beca blush even more.

After Spin the Bottle ended, it was time for presents. Beca's present to Stacie was a song, so it was decided that she would go last. In the meantime, everyone else gave their gifts to Stacie. The tall brunette smiled as she looked at all the different bags and boxes, unsure which one to open first. "Guys, can you help me here?" She asked with a laugh. "I'm not sure where to start."

"Here, open mine," Cynthia Rose said, handing her a small purple envelope.

Stacie opened it and her jaw dropped. "No way!" She exclaimed, squealing excitedly when she saw what was in the envelope.

"What is it?" Jesse asked curiously.

"Cynthia Rose and I are going to see Khalid in March!" Stacie said, taking the two concert tickets out of the envelope before leaning over to hug Cynthia Rose. "Thank you! Thank you so much!" She said happily.

"That's an awesome present, but now it's going to be hard for the rest of us to top that," Jesse said with a chuckle, the rest of the group nodding their heads in agreement. "Here, you can open my present next," he said, handing a gift bag to Stacie.

Stacie opened up Jesse's gift and smiled. "Aw, Jesse," She said, taking out the gift, which was a beautiful necklace with a sun emblem. "This is beautiful. Thank you."

"It's from my grandma's jewelry store. I told her that I needed a necklace that embodied you," Jesse said, smiling his charming smile. "This is what she came up with and it's made of real bronze."

"Wow, that's so cool. Thank you so much, Jesse," Stacie said, smiling and hugging her friend before putting on the necklace. She then grabbed one of the other gift bags and looked at the tag on it, seeing it was from Emily. "I'm going to open yours now, Em, if that's okay with you," she said to the girl.

"Of course," Emily said, smiling at her friend. Once everyone else had given their presents to Stacie, it was Beca's turn. "Alright. This was a really tough song to write, because Stacie, you are so strong and confident. I think we can all say that you are the most confident out of our group. So I thought I'd write you a song to listen to whenever you feel like you need a little confidence boost," Beca stated with a big smile on her face before nodding for Jesse and Benji to grab their instruments from the other room. "CR, Emily, are you ready?" She asked, both girls nodding and coming over to sing with Beca. "This is called 'Put Your Records On,' and I hope you like it."

"Put Your Records On"- Corinne Bailey Rae

CR: "Three little birds sat on my window

And they told me I don't need to worry.

Summer cake like cinnamon, so sweet.

Little girls, double-dutch on the concrete."

Emily: "Maybe sometimes we got it wrong, but it's all right.

The more things seem to change, the more they stay the same.

Ooh, don't you hesitate."

By now, everyone watching the performance was nodding along to the beat of the music as the five continued to perform. Beca took the lead for the chorus, with Emily and Cynthia Rose backing her up with harmonies.

Beca: "Girl, put your records on,

Tell me your favorite song.

You go ahead, let your hair down.

So far in faded jeans,

I hope you get your dreams.

Just go ahead let your hair down."

Beca, Emily, CR: "You're gonna find yourself somewhere, somehow."

While this was going on, Chloe couldn't help but watch Beca as she played the guitar and sang. Usually, Chloe would get lost in the music, but her eyes and her mind were on Beca this time. The redhead didn't know why this was; maybe it was because the song was so beautifully written, or the incredible kiss they had shared during Spin the Bottle. Either way, all Chloe knew was that she couldn't get Beca out of her head.

Beca: "Blue as the sky, sunburnt and lonely

Sipping tea in the bar by the roadside."

Emily: "Just relax, just relax."

CR and Emily: "Don't you let those other boys fool you,

Gotta love that Afro hairdo."

Beca: "Maybe sometimes we feel afraid, but it's all right.

The more you stay the same, the more they seem to change.

Don't you think it's strange?"

It was safe to say that Stacie was enjoying the performance more than anyone else, as the tall brunette was now on her feet at this point and dancing along to the song. "Come on, guys!" She said to everyone else, trying to get them to join her as the song reached its chorus again.

Beca, Emily, CR: "Girl, put your records on,

Tell me your favorite song.

You go ahead, let your hair down.

So far in faded jeans,

I hope you get your dreams.

Just go ahead let your hair down.

You're gonna find yourself somewhere, somehow."

Everyone was up and dancing by the bridge of the song. Chicago had his arm wrapped around Chloe's shoulder as they all swayed back and forth to the groove.

Beca: "Just more than I could take,
Pity for pity's sake.
Some nights kept me awake.
I thought that I was stronger.
When you gonna realize that you don't even have to try any longer?
Do what you want to."

Beca, Emily, CR: "Girl, put your records on,

Tell me your favorite song.

You go ahead, let your hair down.

Sapphire and faded jeans,

I hope you get your dreams.

You go ahead, let your hair down.

Girl, put your records on,

Tell me your favorite song.

You go ahead, let your hair down.

Sapphire and faded jeans,

I hope you get your dreams.

Just go ahead, let your hair down.

Ooh, you're gonna find yourself somewhere, somehow."

After the song ended, everyone started clapping and cheering wildly. "That was so incredible, Beca! Thank you!" Stacie said, smiling widely and hugging her friend.

Beca smiled back at Stacie and shrugged her shoulders. "It's the least I could do to repay you for being an amazing friend," she replied. "Now, if you're ever feeling down, you have a song that was written just for you to pick you up and make you smile."

"I couldn't have asked for a more amazing song Beca. Thank you," Stacie said before hugging Beca again.

"Happy birthday, Conrad," Beca chuckled as they pulled back from the hug.

Stacie smiled and then looked at all of her friends. "Thank you guys for celebrating my birthday with me tonight. I wouldn't have wanted to celebrate it with anyone else."

A little while later, the party ended and it was time to head home. Beca and Chloe decided to ride in an Uber together, since they lived next door to each other. while Chicago caught an Uber with Jesse, since they lived near each other as well. Beca was quiet for the first couple minutes of the ride. She looked over at Chloe for a moment and then looked away. The truth was she couldn't get the kiss out of her head, and being along with Chloe wasn't helping. The girl looked as beautiful as ever, and she was wearing a pretty tight party dress that fit her body like a glove.

Beca then decided to speak up, wanting to make the situation less awkward. "So, what did you think of the song?" She asked, slurring her words a little since she was still buzzed from the alcohol.

Chloe was a little surprised when Beca started talking, as she hadn't said a word to her since their kiss during Spin the Bottle, but she quickly recovered and answered the brunette's question. "I loved the song, Beca, just like I love every song of yours. It's crazy how talented of a songwriter and performer you are."

"Thanks, I just wanted to make sure that everyone liked it," Beca said, smiling and running her hand through her hair absentmindedly. Another silence fell over the two of them. "Chicago told me that your Juilliard audition is coming up. Are you nervous?" She asked, trying to talk about anything that could get her mind off of the kiss.

"How can I not be?" Chloe asked, laughing and then sighing. She ran her fingers through her hair, looking away from Beca. "Hundreds and hundreds, maybe even thousands, of people like me apply to Juilliard. A miracle would have to happen for me to get in," she said glumly. "I know there's a lot of factors that determine whether or not you get accepted, but I'm probably not as talented or as experienced as some of the other people who are going to be auditioning."

"Well, you'll never get in if you keep thinking like that," Beca stated, which made the redhead turn and look at her. "Chlo, you don't realize how incredible you are when you play piano. Listening to you play is like being in another world. I've never heard someone play the piano like you," She said genuinely. "You're going to get in. You know how I know that?"

"How do you know?" Chloe asked curiously, waiting for an answer.

"I know that you're going to get in because you share the same passion for music that I do. You won't let anything stop you from reaching your dream, not to mention that you make the whole world disappear around you when you play a melody," Beca said in an honest tone. "Even if there were a million students who applied this year to Juilliard, you'd be among the few they select to come study with them. You have a gift, Chloe, a gift that not many people possess."

Chloe couldn't help but blush at Beca's words. "Thank you," she said in a soft voice, looking down at her hands. "If you applied to Juilliard, you'd definitely get in. I mean, I know you're going to LA after graduation, but you definitely have the talent to make it into Juilliard," the redhead added a few moments later.

"If I have the talent to get into a place as prestigious as Juilliard, then you do too, Redc" Beca stated, nodding her head to assure Chloe. "You're the most talented person I know, besides me," the brunette said in a joking tone.

This made Chloe smile and giggle a little. She turned her head and looked at Beca, making eye contact with the brunette. "Thank you for cheering me up, Becs. You're always there for me when I need a friend, and I appreciate it."

"I care about you, Chlo," Beca said as the Uber pulled up to their houses. "I meant what I said earlier at Stacie's party," They thanked their Uber driver and then got out of the car, walking to the steps of Beca's porch and sitting down.

The two of them sat on the steps for a while, looking up at the stars illuminated in the night sky. "I'm so glad that I met you," Chloe said, breaking the silence that had been brewing between them. "We didn't start off on the right foot, but I'm so glad that we're friends now."

Beca smiled at Chloe's words and then leaned back against the step behind her, bringing one knee up and rest her arm on it while she looked up at the beautiful Seattle night sky. "When we first met, I made snap judgements about you. I thought you were some snobby, rich girl who got everything she wanted. I thought you were someone who never had to work for anything before, and I couldn't have been more wrong. You're one of the coolest people I've ever met Chloe, and you're kind to everyone, no matter what. I wish I could be like that."

"You are like that, Beca, even if you don't think you are," Chloe said, looking over at the brunette. "You're really cool, and you're really kind. Sure, it took awhile to get you to like me, but that doesn't mean that you're not kind. You're an incredible person and you should know that."

Beca looked down for a moment, sighing to herself as she thought about Chloe's words. If I'm so incredible, why did you choose Chicago and not me? She thought to herself for a moment. "Eh, I'm not incredible. I'm average," She chuckled.

"Oh, stop that. You know you're not just average," Chloe said, chuckling along with Beca and playfully slapping her arm. "You don't give yourself enough credit for how talented you are and how awesome you are," the redhead added.

"If you say so," Beca said with a small smile that quickly began to fade. She turned her attention back up to the sky, trying to figure out the constellations.

Just then, Chloe's phone buzzed in her pocket, and she took it out to see a text from Chicago. The message read:

Chicago: Hey babe, I'm home safe. I hope you are too. Love you and sleep well.

Beca watched as Chloe typed out a quick reply, saying she had gotten home with an "I love you" at the end of the message as well. "This is a completely hypothetical question, but what do you look for in someone?"

Beca's question came at Chloe out of nowhere, so the redhead was definitely a little surprised by it. "Who? Me? What do I look for in someone?" She asked for clarification.

Beca chuckled and nodded her head. "Yeah, I'm talking to you. There's nobody else who I could be talking to."

"I don't really know," Chloe started, biting her lip as she thought about it for a moment. "I guess I look for someone who's kind, with a good sense of humor. I like it when they have a good smile, and if they can make me smile and laugh. Someone who's honest," she finished. "Why do you ask?"

"No reason," Beca said, smiling softly before staring at her hands. "Chicago's all of those things?" She said, looking back over at Chloe.

Chloe smiled and then nodded her head. "Yeah, he's the whole package," she said, biting down on her lip again.

"Well, he's got the whole package too. I mean, he's got the whole package with you," Beca said, feeling herself get choked up. "And if he doesn't know that by now, then he's a dumbass," Beca said before closing her eyes and laying her head back against the railing of the stairs.

Chloe noticed the change in Beca's tone and how she seemed to be trying not to cry. "Beca?" She said in a gentle voice, getting the brunette's attention. "How are you? We're around each other a lot, but I don't always get to ask you how you're doing."

"If I'm being completely honest, I've been feeling somewhere in the middle," Beca said, shaking her head for a second. "For the most part, my life is great and I wouldn't change a thing. There are just somethings that I wish were different, if that makes any sense."

"Yeah, I get what you mean," Chloe said. "If you need someone to talk to, or if you need help with anything, I'm here for you. You know that, right?"

"I do know that, I just-" Beca started, then stopped herself as she couldn't figure out what to say next. "I just feel like there are things about me that if I told you, you'd run away or think I was some-" she trailed off, still struggling to find the words.

Chloe raised an eyebrow in confusion at this response. "What? I wouldn't run away or judge you, Beca," the redhead told the brunette genuinely. "What makes you think I'd do those things?" She asked.

"If I tell you something, you have to promise not to tell anyone else." Beca said, trying to process what she was about to say to Chloe.

Chloe blinked a few times as her brain processed Beca's words. She quickly figured out what the "something" that Beca was talking about, but she didn't let on to the fact that she knew. "Okay," she said slowly, looking into Beca's eyes. "If it's that personal, you don't have to tell me. I don't want you to feel like you have to tell me anything."

"I think it would be better if I did this through a song. Is that okay?" Beca asked.

"Yeah, of course. Whatever is most comfortable for you," Chloe replied, wondering what song Beca was about to sing.

"Okay, cool," Beca then grabbed her guitar case and opened it up, taking out her guitar. She made sure it was tuned up before starting to play a soft melody she'd learned a while ago that she recently wrote lyrics for.

"I Wish"- One Direction

"He takes your hand, I die a little.

I watch your eyes, and I'm in riddles.

Why can't you look at me like that?

When you walk by, I try to say it.

But then I freeze, and never do it.

My tongue gets tied, the words get trapped.

I hear the beat of my heart getting louder

Whenever I'm near you.

But I see you with him,

Slow dancing.

Tearing me apart 'cause you don't see.

Whenever you kiss him,

I'm breaking.

Oh, how I wish that was me."

As she continued to sing, Chloe felt her throat tighten and tears well up in her eyes. This was it: Beca was confessing her feelings for her in one of the most beautiful yet heartbreaking ways. The redhead tried to hold the tears in but couldn't keep a few of them from falling as the brunette continued to sing.

"He looks at you the way that I would,

Does all the things I know that I could.

If only time could just turn back.

'Cause I've got three little words that I've always been dying to tell you.

But I see you with him,

Slow dancing.

Tearing me apart 'cause you don't see.

Whenever you kiss him,

I'm breaking.

Oh, how I wish that was me."

Beca's eyes were on Chloe as she moved to the bridge of the song, and she noticed the tears in Chloe's eyes. She didn't know what to think of Chloe's tears, making a mental note of it and continuing to sing.

"With my hands on your waist,

While we dance in the moonlight.

I wish it was me that you'll call

Later on 'cause you wanna say goodnight.

'Cause I see you with him,

Slow dancing.

Tearing me apart 'cause you don't see.

And I see you with him,

Slow dancing.

Tearing me apart 'cause you don't see.

Whenever you kiss him,

I'm breaking.

Oh, how I wish,

Oh, how I wish,

Oh, how I wish that was me."

As she finished the song, silence dropped on them like a thousand pounds of concrete being dropped on the ground. Beca waited, hoping Chloe would say something. The silence between the two only grew, however, and Beca's heart dropped with each second that passed. She looked down at the ground, shuffling her feet awkwardly. "God, just say something, Chlo. Anything at all. Please."

"I-I..." Chloe stuttered, her lips trembling and her heart racing as she tried to think of what to say.

The brunette just shook her head and put her guitar back in her case, closing it up and shaking her head. "I shouldn't have said anything," She muttered under her breath, closing her eyes and wiping a couple tears with her thumbs. "I knew this was going to happen," The brunette then turned away from Chloe, walking towards the front door of her house when the redhead stopped her.

"Beca! Wait!" Chloe stood up and followed Beca, grabbing her arm and turning her so they were facing each other.

"What, Chloe? Are you just going to stutter and then not say anything like you did before? Or are you going to lie to me to make me feel better?" Beca snapped, pulling her arm away. "I don't need you to try to soften the blow. That's not going to do any good."

"What do you want me to say then?" Chloe asked, trying to get Beca to look in her eyes.

"I don't fucking know, Chloe! If you say what I want you to say, it won't be true! You're with Chicago, not me! You're in love with my best friend, and I have to sit and watch you two every day. I've tried so hard to get you out of my head. I've written song after song about you, because that's how I got over Olivia. Nothing I do is working this time, though, and it fucking sucks because you're never going to love me like I love you!" She said, tears streaming down her face.

"Why is it my fault that you fell in love with me?" Chloe asked, a hint of anger in her voice. "I didn't do anything to hurt you, Beca, so don't act like I did. I'm sorry if you're hurt by me dating Chicago, but I'm not dating him because I want to make you miserable. I'm dating him because he's a great guy and I care about him."

"Don't twist my words. I never said you did this to hurt me. Not once did I say that! Falling for someone who can't love you back is one of the worst feelings in the world, but how would you know that? Every single guy here has probably thought about asking you out, and Chicago was practically your boyfriend before you even broke up with Tom. All I want is to love someone who loves me back!" She yelled, opening the front door and slamming it behind her. Once she got inside, the girl slid down to the floor, holding her head in her hands and trying to forget what just happened.

Chloe stood there at Beca's door, not knowing what to do next. She walked up and grabbed the door handle of the Mitchells' front door, almost beginning to turn the knob. The redhead's hand rested on the doorknob for awhile as she debated what to do in her head. Eventually, she decided that trying to continue the conversation wasn't worth it, so she turned around and started walking back to her own house. Chloe sighed, running her fingers through her hair and blinking away a few tears that were threatening to fall. Well, I don't think that could've gone much worse, she thought to herself.

Sorry for the dramatic end! But Beca's finally told Chloe she loves her, and they had a pretty 'steamy' kiss during spin the bottle. How do you think Chloe felt about it? And how do you think that they're going to resolve it after their Christmas break? Stay tuned!

Until Next Time!