Chapter Seven-
It was Chloe who suggested going back to her apartment. Aubrey was out for the night, per Chloe's request.
"Wait, does she know you are on a date with me?" Beca asked surprised. Chloe shook her head.
"No." When Beca's face fell Chloe quickly added, "I'm not ashamed, honey. I just don't want her to be bugging us or whatever." Chloe looked at the ground. "In fact, I haven't even told her I was gay yet."
"You haven't?"
Chloe shook her head. "She's my best friend and stuff but I've read too many stories about people who tell their best friends they were gay and got left and I don't know if I could handle that. I mean, I'm sure she wouldn't care but…you never know and…I don't know, what if she kicked me out of the apartment or something?" Chloe laughed a little bit. "Not that I would ever be attracted to Aubrey."
"Ouch. That's something to say about your best friend." Beca teased.
"Not like that." Chloe pulled out her key and smiled. "Give me some credit! I just mean, she's not my type, ya know?"
"Well, than what is your type?" Beca asked as Chloe opened the door. Chloe grabbed a hold of Beca's hand and led her into the apartment complex. It was small, very clearly shared on two college-girl's budget, but that wasn't what Beca saw. Beca saw freedom and a world so separate from the shit in high school. She couldn't wait until she could get out of the dorm that she shared with Kimmy Jin.
"Make yourself comfortable." Chloe said coolly and sat next to Beca on the beat-up couch. "And my type? Hm…" Chloe started playing with Beca's necklace, fingers lightly touching Beca's collar bone. Beca was smiling in anticipation. "I've always enjoyed girls with dark hair. I don't know why. Maybe it's just because blondes have always seemed so…I don't know. Almost too weirdly perfect looking. I like the classy look I see from dark-haired girls. I like dark eyes. They seem mysterious. Girls with a passion for music, and girls that are different from everyone else." Chloe's fingers started trickling down. "Girls will always surprise me." Chloe whispered.
"Chloe…" Beca whispered back. With a smile Chloe leaned in and kissed Beca, her mouth slowly opening a bit as they got more and more comfortable. Beca kissed back without any hesitation, her hands moving down Chloe's body but stopping before the bikini line. Not wanting to push her, especially on the first date, Beca stuck to exploring the top half of her body. Chloe returned the favor.
"Is this too fast for you?" Chloe whispered to Beca. Beca laughed.
"Too slow, honestly. God, you are beautiful." Beca answered, earning her a kiss on the lips.
"Funny, I was just about to the same to you." Chloe told her, moving down towards her neck. Beca pulled away.
"What's wrong?" Chloe asked.
"If we go any longer I won't be able to stop." Beca told her, grinning.
"Ah, you're so mean to me!" Chloe teased but sat up and smoothed out her clothes.
"Want to watch ghetto parodies of Disney movies on Yotube?" Beca asked.
"Well obviously." Chloe replied and pulled out her laptop, cuddling Beca closer to her.
The text from Chloe came the next day; we are back in the finals!
Beca immediately called Chloe. "Are you for real?"
"Yeah! Apparently one of the guys in the winning group was in high school and they were disqualified. Actually it's kind of funny because I think that one kid you hang around with…his weird friend like pointed it out or something. I don't really know all the details."
"That's great." Beca paused. "You guys will be amazing."
"Bullshit, Beca. We are doing this together. You are in. Got it?"
"No. You all will be a lot better without me and you know it."
"Can it, Beca. You are my girlfriend. You are going to be in the group with us and we are going to kick serious ass in the finals, okay?"
Beca sighed anxiously, picking at the cuts at her arm. She wanted to go so badly it hurt. But the only one who wanted her there was Chloe. How could she face them after what she had done? All the things she had said…all the things they had said?
Beca hadn't even realized she was bleeding until glancing down at her hand. It was now stained with blood. Apparently she had opened a scab. She gasped before she could stop herself.
"Beca? What's wrong?" Chloe's voice, laced with concern, snapped Beca back to attention.
"Nothing, sorry." Beca reassured her.
"I smell bullshit."
"Are you at a zoo or something?" Beca attempted humor but Chloe's concern remained firm.
"Something's going on with you."
"Please drop it, okay Chloe?" Beca snapped, her voice harsh. Chloe hesitated.
"We need to talk. Can you come by my apartment in about ten minutes?"
"Did I do something?" Beca's voice grew small.
"Of course not, baby. I just need to talk to you."
"Are you mad?" Beca's worry continued.
"Please, I just need to talk to you. Come over. Ten minutes?"
"Okay." Beca tried to keep her voice from shaking.
"I'm really not mad." Chloe insisted.
"Okay. I'll see you in ten." Beca quickly hung up the phone and, without hesitation, gripped onto her tool.
"A fucking week and she already wants to leave you." Cut. "But why should you be surprised?" Cut. "You are fat." Cut. "Selfish and pointless." Cut. "Of course everyone leaves you." Cut. "No one will ever love you. And the sooner you realize that, the sooner you will be able to accept the meaningless black hole you call your life."
Beca was thirty minutes late. Normally, Chloe would just assume she was running a bit late or perhaps got lost or something, but with the way Beca had been acting lately…Chloe was not taking any chances.
She made it to Beca's dorm in a record time of six minutes, and quickly banged the door as hard as she could. It could have been nothing…but Chloe had a bad feeling. "Beca!"
Beca sat there for a second, contemplating her next move. If she didn't answer the door Chloe would overreact and get other people involved…but if she answered the door…
Beca yanked her black sweatshirt down her wrists and quickly wiped up some of the blood on the table with her sleeve, pushing the tool under her bed. "Coming!" She yelled, opening up the door and forcing a smile. "Hi, honey." Beca said brightly. Chloe smiled back.
"Are you okay, honey? You look…your eyes are red. Have you been crying?" Chloe asked.
"No…no…just a little tired I guess."
"Please don't lie to me." Chloe told Beca, grabbing onto her hands. "Do you want to sit down?"
"Okay." Beca agreed and they both sat down on her comforter, Chloe still holding on tightly to her hands.
"It's not anything bad, honey. Don't be stressed out."
"Well, you said you wanted to talk…that's usually the kiss of death." Beca admitted to Chloe. Chloe pulled Beca's hands to her lips and kissed them gently, Beca still focusing on Chloe's eyes.
"I wanted to talk because I was worried about you. You are isolated, looking thinner, saying all these negative things about yourself…" Chloe in one swift movement, pulled Beca's hands up to her eyes, her sleeves sliding down a bit to reveal the fresh cuts. Beca's heart sank.
"Also you have dried blood on your hands. Now, please tell me what is going on before I start crying. Okay, baby?"
