Wow! I'm so, so sorry about mean Chloe.
Aubrey walks around looking for Beca. She had Beca's phone so there was no use trying to text and call her. Every minute that passed without finding Beca got Aubrey more worried. She didn't know how Beca was going to get home since she didn't have her purse or phone.
It was after midnight when Stacie called to tell her that Beca's friend Jesse from the Treblemakers had let them know they had picked up Beca and dropped her at Barden. She also told her that Beca had not returned to the house yet.
Aubrey was relieved to hear Beca was at least back at Barden. She asked if Stacie could come back and pick her up. Stacie told her that she and Fat Amy were already on their way and were close. Aubrey told them she'd wait in an all night diner near the theater where the competition was held. It was almost 1:00 am when they got to Aubrey. She didn't waste any time jumping in the car and asking them to get her home. It was about 3:30 when they arrived and an uneasy feeling came over Aubrey when she didn't see Beca's car in the driveway. Aubrey opened the front door and found Chloe and the Bellas sleeping in the living room. The girls all jumped when they heard the front door close.
Aubrey walked over and sat down on the sofa putting her head in her hands. She looked up at Chloe with tears in her eyes. Chloe sat next to Aubrey and pulled her into a hug.
"Since we know Beca made it back to Barden," Stacie says, "we should go look for her around campus."
"Aubrey," CR says. "You know her best. Where do you think she might be?"
"I don't know," Aubrey tells her wiping away her tears. "If she's not here, the only places she ever goes are the radio station, the auditorium, and her classes."
"Okay," Stacie says taking charge. "Fat Amy, Aubrey, and I will go to the station. CR, you take Ashley and Jessica and check the auditorium. Lily. Chloe, and Denise, you stay here in case she comes back. We'll text everyone if we find her."
"Text us if you find her," Chloe says.
Aubrey gets up and walks out the door. Stacey and Amy quickly follow her. Chloe sits down on the sofa and puts her head in her hands. CR gives her a pat on her shoulder as she leaves.
"Don't worry, Chloe," Jessica says. "We'll find her. Everything will be okay."
Chloe thanks Jessica. Jessica and Ashley hurry to catch up with CR. Chloe sits there and Denise and Lily are just looking at her.
"I guess you guys hate me, too," Chloe says.
"Nobody hates you, Chloe," Denise tells her. "We're upset with the way you've been acting toward Beca. What's up with you two anyway? We all thought the two of you would be a thing by now."
"What?," Chloe yells. "Why would you think that?"
"Oh, come on, Chloe," Denise says. "We see the way you two look at each other. We know you like her and she likes you. What we don't understand is why you treat her the way you do."
Chloe thinks about what Denise said. She wasn't totally wrong. She did like Beca. If she was honest with herself, she like likes her.
"I don't know," Chloe says. "It's just, when she and Aubrey are together, they laugh and Aubrey is so relaxed. I feel so left out. I mean, Aubrey is supposed to be my best friend, too, but she is never as easygoing as she is when she's with Beca. It's stupid I know, but I guess I'm jealous."
"So, what are you going to do to change that?," Denise asked.
"I don't know," Chloe said. "I do know that I need to apologize to Beca."
"That's a good start," Denise told her.
They sit there in silence for a bit.
"I think I'll get breakfast for everyone," Chloe says standing up. "Would you text and let them know in case they have the same idea. I should be back by the time they get here."
"Okay," Denise says and grabs her phone.
Chloe leaves and heads to the diner closest to the house. She thinks about how she's been acting and feels stupid and embarrassed. How could she let her jealousy turn into such anger. She pulls into the diner's parking lot and sees a familiar Mustang.
"No way," she says out loud.
She parks and looks in the window of the diner and sees Beca. She sends a quick text to all the Bellas.
I found Beca. I'll bring her home as soon as I can. Meet us there.
Chloe takes a deep breath and heads into the diner. "Don't mess this up," she says to herself.
Beca's back is to her and it takes everything in her not to run over and grab the girl and kiss her. She sighs and goes over and sits down across from the brunette causing her to jump a bit. They both just look at each other.
"Come here to tell me much of a Bella I'm not?," Beca asks. "I got the message the first time."
Chloe looks down at the table. "This is not going to be easy," she thinks.
"Everyone is worried about you, Beca," Chloe says. "Aubrey and everyone is out looking for you."
"And lucky me," Beca says sarcastically, "you're the one who found me."
Chloe takes a breath and looks around the diner.
"Beca, I am truly sorry about what happened," Chloe says looking at Beca. "I know you hate me but I really am sorry about everything. I was. . .I am jealous of the relationship you have with Aubrey. She acts so differently around you and I kind of hated you for it because I never got to see that side of her before."
Beca sighs and looks at Chloe. She can see that Chloe is really sorry.
"For the record, I don't hate you," Beca said. "In a weird way I guess I can understand why you feel the way you do. You met and became friends with Aubrey 2.0. The one who was trying to be Major General Benjamin Posen's perfect daughter. She knows I see through her bullshit when she tries to pull that 2.0 shit on me so she doesn't even try it."
"For the record, I don't hate you either," Chloe said. "I really like you. I know, I know," she says holding up her hand to keep Beca from saying anything, "I have a strange way of showing it. I was just so stupidly jealous of you and Aubrey. I mean, when you two are together you're always laughing and carrying on with her. I wanted that with her, and with you. But I when I saw you together I turned into someone I'm not proud of you. And then when we found out that you guys had sex, I was even more jealous of Aubrey."
Beca laughs at Chloe. "You're jealous of Aubrey? Because she and I had sex? That happened, like, 5 years ago," Beca says. "And only once, cause apparently once was all it took to make her realize that she was oh so straight. Why would you be jealous of that?"
Chloe felt her cheeks heat up. "Because I really like you and it made me think about us, um, you know."
"Wait. You like like me?," Beca asks.
"Yes," Chloe says her cheeks turning pink.
"And you think about us, as in, you and me, having sex?." Beca asks trying to hide her smile.
"Yes," Chloe says quietly looking down as her faced burned bright red with embarrassment.
"Do you think about us often?," Beca says teasingly. "Maybe, while listening to your ladyjam?"
Chloe gasps and slaps at Beca's arm across the table.
"I can't believe you'd bring that up," Chloe says.
"Sorry, sorry," Beca says laughing. "It was too easy."
"I really am sorry about yelling at you," Chloe said. "What you did really was cool and the audience did like it. But, when I heard Aubrey compliment you on it, I guess I became stupid Chloe and let my jealousy cloud my better judgement, again."
"That's okay," Beca said. "The yelling at me wasn't a big deal. It was saying I wasn't a real Bella that hurt the most. I thought I'd shown you that I was really invested in helping us win ICCAs."
"You did," Chloe said. "And, I didn't mean it. You really are a true Bella."
"Thanks for that," Beca said.
She sat quietly for a few minutes thinking about what Chloe said. She couldn't help but smile because Chloe told her she likes her.
"So, what happens now?," Beca asks, breaking the silence. "Do you go back to the Chloe who yells at me, or are you going to stay the nice Chloe who likes me?"
"Well, since you obviously like me and all," Chloe says, "I'll be the nice Chloe. And I think you should ask me out on a date."
"I don't recall saying I liked you," Beca says with a smile.
"You never said you didn't," Chloe retorts with a smile.
"And why should I ask you out?." Beca asked. "Why don't you ask me out?"
Grinning at Beca, Chloe moves to sit next to her.
"Because, when we tell this story, and we will," Chloe says with a grin. "You asked me out after kissing me."
"Okay," Beca said. "Wait. I didn't kiss you."
"So, what are you waiting for?," Chloe asks her.
Beca narrows her eyes looking at Chloe. Chloe bites on her bottom lip knowing what it does to Beca. It works and Beca lets out a low moan and pulls Chloe into a kiss. Chloe kisses her back.
Aubrey is pacing back and forth, running her hand though her hair.
"Where the hell are they?," she asks no one in particular.
At that moment she hears their cars pull into the driveway and stops pacing. They all wait and watch the front door.
Everyone looks on in shock when Beca and Chloe walk in laughing and holding on to each other and several bags from the diner.
"What the hell, Beca?," Aubrey yells.
She walks over and slaps Beca on the arm. She then grabs Beca into a hug.
"I was worried about you," she tells Beca.
"I'm sorry," Beca said. "After I ran off, I realized I was being stupid and went back to find you. Jesse found me first and said he thought you guys had already left. He offered me a ride with the Trebles and here I am. Once I got back, I drove around for a bit to think and ended up at the diner where this one found me."
Chloe stood there smiling at Beca while she talked. She turned to Aubrey and Aubrey was just staring at her.
"So, what is all this?," Aubrey asks using her hand to point between the two.
"This," Beca says pointing between herself and Chloe, "is us realizing that we are finally on the same page and actually like each other. A lot."
"I apologized for the way I've been acting and for yelling at Beca," Chloe said. "Mean Chloe is gone."
"That's it?," Aubrey asked.
"Then she kissed me," she added with a cheeky grin.
Several jaws dropped. "You finally kissed Chloe?," came from several voices, including Aubrey's.
"That is not quite what happened," Beca said.
"That's the way I recall it," Chloe says with a smirk.
"You did the lip thing," Beca said. "Brey, you know what that does to me."
"Lip thing?," Chloe asks teasingly biting on her bottom lip. "What lip thing?"
Beca laughs and pulls her into a kiss. Chloe deepens the kiss.
"Ahem," Aubrey says clearing her throat. "We need the whole story please."
The couple break apart with smiles on their faces.
"Let's have breakfast and we'll tell you all about it," Beca said leading the way into the kitchen.
True to Chloe's prediction they did indeed tell the story - two slightly different versions with the same outcome.
Aubrey still couldn't fathom how Chloe could be so mean to Beca when she liked her so much. She was glad that her two best friends had finally talked and figured things out. They really are good together.
The girls learned they were going to Nationals because one of the other teams' lead singer was still in High School. They were all excited and eager to get started.
"Okay, girls," Aubrey said getting their attention. "We only have 3 weeks to perfect our set and get ready for Nationals. Line up and let's start."
"Brey," Chloe says interrupting. "Beca and I have been working on a new set list to use for Nationals."
"What?," Aubrey said. "What happened to tradition and all that?"
"I've had a change of heart," Chloe said with a smile. She gave Beca a kiss on the cheek.
Aubrey smiled and said, "Okay, then. Beca, let's hear what you got."
Beca pressed a few keys on her laptop and the music started. Everyone was crowded around listening. The girls were smiling and bopping their heads. Beca held Chloe by the waist and smiled.
"We are so going to win Nationals," Chloe told Beca.
Once the song finished, the girls were exclaiming how great it sounded. Aubrey and Chloe worked out who would get what solo, and then Chloe showed them the choreography she had put together.
The girls spent the next 3 weeks eating, breathing, and living Bellas rehearsals. They were all ready and excited to be at Lincoln Center for the ICCA Nationals.
They were backstage and Beca wished Jesse luck. The Treblemakers had a great set and the audience loved them. The Trebles finished their set and the Bellas were waiting to be announced. Beca turned to the girls.
"I love you awesome nerds," Beca tells them.
"Even though you are all skinny," Fat Amy says. "You've all got fat hearts. Let's crush this!"
"And now ladies and gentleman," they hear the announcer say. "Welcome the Barden Bellas!"
The girls walk onto the stage and take their places. By the end of their set the audience is on their feet clapping along and cheering. It was no surprise to anyone when the Bellas were crowned as ICCA Nationals Champions! They had done it.