Hey guys, this chapter is a bit longer, but it's kind of just repeating what happened in last chapter, but through the eyes of Beca. Only some new information is given, but since it's in the perspective of Beca, it should explain some questions (although keep in mind that Chloe has no clue who Sam really is). Hope you guys enjoy it, the chapter name is from DJ Snake's Middle. Thank you amazing people for your reviews, they really help me get an input into what you guys think about my writing. I hope the repetition isn't too annoying, but it's kind of necessary I guess. Hope you like this one - IntenseFanGirl
Chapter 12: Middle (What's Going Through Your Head?)
A few hours earlier (In Beca's POV)
"Goddamit Chlo, can you at least try to keep it PG?" I rolled my eyes and trying to ignore my racing heart. Chloe laughed and lightly punched my shoulder, before she broke away towards the gym. Snow continued to gently fall from the sky, lightly coating everything in shimmering white.
"Oi, short stack! Wait up." Fat Amy half-heartedly jogged towards me as I slowed to a stop. The blonde Aussie originally came off as a bit of a weirdo to me, but after the flaming banana incident a few months back, we've grown a lot closer. We crunched through the ice side by side before I spoke up.
"So what's up dude?" I grinned as Amy enthusiastically rambled off various complaints about Aubrey's dictatorial insistence that we sing the same old songs over and over again.
"Anyway, enough 'bout Aubrey, you 'ave the hots for Chloe yeah? Heard that you guys were shagging all of last night." She shot me a sly wink and my throat choked out a suppressed yelp. I could feel a blush ignite my face, and I looked around for somewhere where I could possibly dig a hole to curl up and die.
"Fuck yeah I knew it. Cynthia owes me 20 bucks." Fat Amy whooped and pumped her fist before slapping her hand on my shoulder.
"I-I haven't even said anything yet." I whined and shuffled my feet awkwardly.
"You don't need to say anything, you two have basically been eye-fucking since forever." Fat Amy rolled her eyes and groaned, shaking her head. My skin heated up again, god I hope it wasn't that obvious and she's just kidding.
"Wait, did you bet with Cynthia over my sexuality?" Fat Amy screeched and immediately darted away from me as I raced after her. She's surprisingly fast when she wants to be. I picked up the pace as she disappeared around the corner with me right at her heels at a half-sprint. I nearly ran into Jesse when I rounded the bend. Fat Amy stood a few meters away. The blonde was hunched over and breathing heavily, raising one hand in surrender.
"Bloody hell, I should've taken Aubrey's cardio exercises seriously." She panted, I couldn't help but laugh before remembering why we were running. Just before I could chew Fat Amy out, Jesse chuckled and propped his elbow onto my shoulder, flashing his goofy grin at me. I rolled my eyes and tried to shake him off but he didn't budge.
"Nice to see you two lovely ladies, I thought I just saw you walking towards the gym though." Jesse looked at me with curiosity, perking an eyebrow up.
"Me? Going to the gym?" I scoffed, "Not every small brunette is me Jesse."
"Mhm, but I don't know many brunettes with fluffy tails and cat ears like yours. As a matter of fact, I only know one, and that's you." Jesse replied, ruffling my hair, his fingers lightly brushing against my ears.
"Wait a second, a brown haired neko with a fluffy tail. Did she have white tipped ears by any chance?" Jesse looked confused at my question, and shifted away from me.
"I thought it was just snow, but yeah, why?"
"I definitely don't have white tipped ears, but my sister does." Fat Amy and Jesse shared a look of confusion.
"You have a sister?" Amy and Jesse asked at the exact same time.
"I thought she was coming later this week. Amy, can you call construction and get them to fix my door?" She raised one eyebrow before nodding. Jesse still looked fairly baffled as I waved goodbye before racing towards the gym, a grin threatening to split my face. Jesse and Amy shrugged before walking off towards the dorms together. It's been ages since I've seen my little sister. Sam's considered a prodigy of sorts, with photographic memory and an insane talent for picking up instruments and singing. Although she is over a year younger than me, she moved up to my grade. In sophomore year she moved to a boarding school across the country. We were always close, and when she moved away it felt like a part of me was ripped away with her. We played the same sports and joined the same clubs, she stood up for me and I stood up for her, always having each others' backs. Damn, I hope she's been doing okay, why didn't she call? A small thread of worry wrapped itself around my heart and tightened. Sam has always been innocent and carefree, a bit naive too. She never really understood that there are bad people in the world, and I always try to shield her from danger. I picked up my pace, before bursting through the gym doors, finding Sam on the ground with somebody squirming underneath her.
"Sam?" What the fuck am I looking at? I lurched forward and wrapped my arms around her midriff, my muscles straining before I could lift her up a bit higher. Jeez, you should take Aubrey's workouts more seriously. Sam began thrashing around in my hold, protesting like a little kid. I grit my teeth and rolled my eyes, walking a couple of meters before dropping her without a word. She immediately rolled and popped straight up, earning another roll of my eyes.
"Show off." I huffed. Sam grinned and stuck out her tongue at me before poking my side. I hunched over and laughed, trying to evade her attempts at tickling me. She was wearing my basketball jersey from high school, its colours looked slightly faded but the shirt still looked well cared for. Warmth spread through my chest, and I smiled, happy that she tried so hard to preserve my memory. I missed every aspect of her, the way her eyes lit up when she beamed, the way her hyperactiveness kept her constantly in motion, and how she managed to maintain her innocent and cutesy side even now. Suddenly, she wrapped me into her arms, squeezing me tight.
"I missed you so much BB-Butt." She squealed, and I blushed, remembering the story behind my nickname. Oh god, I hope nobody hears her call me that. I quickly returned the hug, tightly wounding my tail around her. She always smells like strawberries, her favorite fruit, and I squeezed even tighter. Her head rested above mine, and I could feel her steady beating heart through the thin material of her jersey. After a moment, I pulled away just a tiny bit,
"I told you to stop calling me that Salmon." I shot back, she laughed and pulled my back into her warm embrace. I could feel eyes burning into the back of my head and I began to wiggle around, remembering that Sam had been lying on top of someone when I came in. Again, what the fuck was up with that? She slowly pulled back, and looked over my shoulder before I turned around to see Chloe staring intensly at us, an indecipherable look on her face.
Sam bounded towards Chloe and helped her up before wrapping her in a hug, basically lifting Chloe onto her toes. I blushed, Sam's effervescent and sometimes overly touchy nature could sometimes be misinterpreted, but I remembered that Chloe is basically identical to Sam in that way. Sam was always clueless when it came to flirting or relationships, and I would always have to patiently explain that guys and girls did not always just want to go to dates with her as "friends" as she frequently believed. Chloe, well, Chloe is Chloe. Most of the things she does are purposefully flirtatious, and even the things she does subconsciously can drive anyone crazy. Chloe looked shocked, her face almost as red as her hair, and I couldn't help but laugh. She slowly relaxed in Sam's hold before Sam dropped her back onto the ground. They exchanged some light-hearted words, and I prayed that they would get along well. Chloe didn't seem as excited to meet Sam as I expected, and I frowned slightly, maybe she's just not feeling well. The must have mentioned me at some point because Sam was excitedly gesturing towards me and grinning. I stepped in, worried that Sam would tell Chloe something embarrassing.
"Right, this is Samantha by the way, she usually goes by Sam or Sammy. She's a year younger than us but the little brainiac got to skip a year, so she just transferred." I walked up behind Sam and gently leaned my head onto her shoulder. Although Sam is younger, she still towered over me, so I guess that's just another person to add to the list of people taller than me. She was a blocker in our high school volleyball team, and I was always libero or setter. Most sports that I like rely on height, so I always had to make up for it in speed. Sam preferred strength training, although she is fast enough to give me a, excuse the pun, run for my money. Chloe commented on Sam's jersey and Sam beamed at her.
"Beca gave it to me when I broke my ankle and couldn't play for the whole season." She mussed my hair up, and I blushed.
"It was no big deal, she gave me those puppy dog eyes and her broken leg was kinda my fault anyway." The terrible memories of the story behind her broken leg must have darkened my expression because Sam frowned slightly in concern. She had broken her leg trying to defend me from the assholes that used to bully me. I had fallen over while they were beating me, and I desperately tried to shield myself with my arms. Sam swooped in like some goddamn hero and fought them off. When she turned to help me up, one of the cowardly dickwads smashed the back of her leg with a baseball bat. Sam gently flicked me on my nose and I flinched, shaking off the memory. Chloe mentioned something about basketball, and I frowned slightly.
"Yeah, uh, I haven't played since I was a sophomore in highschool." I tried not to think about that day, and ran my fingers through my hair and scratched my ears nervously. Sam must have sensed my unease and pulled at my shirt sleeve. She yawned, covering her mouth with one hand.
"I'm getting kind of sleepy, long flight and all. Can you guys please help me find my dorm?" I smiled at the change in topic, silently thanking her for the distraction, and looked at Chloe for approval. We both nodded, and as we walked side by side, Chloe slipped her hand into mine, squeezing to an almost aggressive degree. Her face slightly creased with concentration as she described the various twists and turns of the campus. Cold flakes of ice flitted through the air and melted once they landed on my clothes, chilling me to the core. Snowflakes landed on Chloe's hair, making it shimmer and sparkle. The bright red waves like fire, blazing bright in the frosty winter. My breath caught in my throat, and the reality that this girl, this amazing, bright, caring, and all around perfect woman is in love with me finally managed to connect in my mind. Someone as perfect as her is in love with someone as broken and hopeless as me.
The sound of Sam's laughter rang through the air and my gaze broke away from Chloe. I smiled as I watched Sam race around, catching snow on her tongue, seemingly unaffected by the cold even in a thin sleeveless jersey like that. I delicately extracted my hand from Chloe's grip and placed a finger over my mouth in the universal sign for silence. Sam was bent over and looking at something on the ground. Chloe smiled and nodded, watching silently as I crept towards an unexpecting Sam. I tried my best to make as little sound as possible while trekking through the snow, but the second I released a snowball from my hand my foot landed on a twig, the snap reverberating through the air. Sam ducked, my snowball missing by mere inches.
"Oh shit." I hissed in surprise, and sprinted away, praying that I was still faster than Sam. She constantly lunged forward, scaring the ever living shit out of me every time. I laughed at her attempts to lob snowballs at me while running, slowing down to give her a chance to catch up before sprinting away. I lost focus for a moment when I slipped on a wet patch of ice, Sam was basically snapping at my heels so I tore away around the corner. She hurled another chunk of ice at me and I whirled away, hearing a yelp nearby, presumably Sam's. My cheeks felt hot from running, and I panted, trying to catch my breath. When I looked up I noticed a brunette lying on the ground, her eyes shut and her breaths shallow. Sam and I crouched down next to her, and Sam looked close to tears.
"Fuck." I muttered, Sam didn't protest at my language, simply nodding as if in agreement. Flakes of ice lay scattered across her soft features, and Sam carefully wiped them away. The snowball must have hit her face when I dodged, damn, I hope she's okay. Chloe came around the edge, nearly tripping on the fallen girl. Worry creased her features, and she nervously rubbed at the necklace around her neck. The girl in Sam's arms began to stir, her eyes flickering behind her eyelids before they opened. Hazel eyes gazed up into our faces, her face twisted in confusion. She slowly lifted herself up, palming at her eyes.
"Oh my gosh are you okay? I'm so sorry." Sam delicately supported her weight and lifted her up into an upright position. I let out a breath of air, relief flooding through my chest. The girl's soft tawny eyes cleared a bit and flicked up to look into Sam's. A small smile wavered on her lips, and a light blush flared across her cheeks. She muttered something about being okay and ran her hand through her hair, grimacing as if the action had hurt somehow. I frowned slightly and I could see Sam's eyebrows knitting together with worry. Sam lifted herself off the ground before gently helping the girl up. I looked at Chloe, trying to read the various expressions flitting across her face, concern, worry, and a touch of panic. The girl was starting to stand up but suddenly collapsed, falling back down into the snow. I was about to suggest calling the nurse or something before Sam suddenly slipped her arms under the girl and lifted her up bridal style. I was a bit shocked to say the least, but it wasn't the first time I've seen Sam literally scoop injured people up into her arms. Once I was the one she had to carry when I sprained my ankle.
"Maybe your brain is still a little rattled. Let's get you to some place warmer." I smiled at how bold Sam was acting but felt a twinge of concern that it might have been too much for the poor girl, who was currently looking very confused and on the verge of freaking out. Sam introduced herself awkwardly, and I could easily see the blush rising on her cheeks. I smirked and shot a wink at Sam as the girl in her arms also blushed.
"Get in." I mouthed, grinning when Sam shot me a dirty look before turning her head away. We marched together like a weird ragtag group of misfits, three Nekos, one of which was holding a stunned girl. I hummed the tune of some melancholy song I heard on the radio before Chloe's hand brushed up against mine. She gently kissed me on the cheek, the small amount of contact was enough to ignite my face with heat. She giggled and trailed her finger up my arm before carefully tucking my hair back. I shivered at the contact and looked nervously at Sam who was currently humming while tapping her right foot. As we were stepping into the elevator, the brown-haired girl nervously spoke up.
"I'm Emily, Emily Junk. Uh, I think I can try walking now." Chloe looked deep in thought as if she had heard the name before, but I still had zero clue who this girl is. Must be a new transfer like Sam. Sam gently let Emily down, gently tucking her hair long brown hair behind her ear.
"Emily's a pretty name. It suits you." Her compliment left Emily flustered and blushing. I nudged Chloe, yet another obvious similarity between Sam and Chloe.
"Anyway, I'm in room 204, what about you guys?" Sam asked us, her head tilting to the side and her ears flicking forward in excitement.
"I'm in the exact same room. I can't believe we're roommates!" Emily basically squealed with happiness and they hugged as Chloe and I looked at each other before bursting into laughter.
"Oh yeah, I'm Chloe, and this is Beca. I think we forgot to introduce ourselves." Chloe spoke up, nudging my side when she mentioned my name. Sam giggled and whispered something into Emily's ear. I quirked an eyebrow at their quiet interactions before groaning.
"Ah crap, I just remembered that I can't stay in my dorm 'cause of the fucking door." Damn, Aubrey just had to bash down the door didn't she? That blonde and her crazy outbursts.
"Language." Sam narrowed her eyes and attempted to punch me. I smirked and crossed my arms over my chest. She always tried to convince me to stop swearing, but I still swear just to irritate her. Sam was never one to back down from a challenge, always willing to step up and fight. Before I could move out of the way, she leaped forward and squeezed my cheeks. I squeaked in surprise and placed my hands on her hips, trying desperately to make her lose her grip. God, I should have known she would do this. Ever since we reached our rebellious teen phase, Sam quickly realised that the quickest way to win a fight would be to absolutely mortify me in some way. Whether that was to tickle me, hug me, or in this case, pinch my cheeks until I cried out for mercy. She bit her lip in concentration as she squeezed and pressed my cheeks. I rolled my eyes and placed my hands over hers, trying desperately to push her away as she burst into laughter. Her playful actions were usually reciprocated, but here in Barden, I have a reputation to keep, and I could feel it quickly crumbling away.
"Dude, let go of me." I mumbled, the sound muffled by the squeezing of my face. I would never hear the end of it if the rest of the Bella's see this. I continued trying to screech or something to scare her away, but all my efforts were muffled as she continued to poke my face.
"Nobody wants to kiss someone with a potty mouth like that." Sam smirked and finally let go of my face before winking her awkward little wink. I huffed and rolled my eyes, feeling heat blossoming across my skin as I glanced at Chloe. I carefully pushed Sam back so I could have some breathing room, awkwardly coughing to clear my throat. I stumbled over something about staying with Chloe and grinned when she placed a light kiss on my cheek. Sam and Emily look like they're getting along well, so they should probably have some alone time. Sam flashed her signature lopsided grin and grabbed Emily's hand before enthusiastically tugging her into their room.
Chloe and I walked in a fairly uncomfortable silence, the air hanging heavy between us. Something was obviously bothering the redhead, but her lips remained firmly shut tight in an uncharacteristic scowl. A frown creased her features, and her fingers remained still in my hands. Usually, she would drum her fingers against my hand while humming, or trace soft, delicate patterns that sent shivers rippling up my spine. Instead, her hand lay motionless in mine, not really limp, but not really there, if that makes sense. Her sky blue eyes looked clouded, and her open and bright face was an enigma to me. I squeezed her hand, and stopped, pulling her back to face me.
"Chloe, what's wrong?" I looked up into her eyes, trying to unravel her hidden emotions. She smiled, a bright, blinding grin just like always, but not quite. Her smile didn't really reach her eyes, and I could feel worry etch itself deep inside my heart. She shook her head, saying that it it's nothing, and she's just tired, but I could easily see through her lies.
"Dude, c'mon, if something is wrong, please just tell me okay?" I went on my toes and lightly pressed my lips against hers. She stood still for a moment and I began to pull back before she pushed forward and tilted my head up with one finger, crashing her lips against mine. I ran a hand up through her red tresses as she gripped my hips and pulled me closer. Her lips pressed harder onto mine, hot, passionate, and demanding. Her tongue swept across the seam of my lips before she sucked in my bottom lip and gently bit down, sucking on the sensitive flesh. I moaned against her mouth before she pulled back. Her pupils looked slightly dilated and her skin radiated heat.
"Let's get back to my room before we go any further." Her voice came out slightly husky in my ears, and I nodded, quickly noticing the small group of fuckboys basically leering and ogling at us. I growled and glared at them, daring them to say a single word as my tail swished back and forth agitatedly. They all avoided eye contact and shuffled away, breaking into smaller pairs.
By the time we got to her dorm, we were stumbling around, our lips locked together and our bodies intertwined. We stopping briefly to let Chloe fumble around for her keys, I groaned in impatience. As we clumsily stumbled into her dorm, Chloe lifted me off the ground and pushed me against the wall, pressing harder into our kisses. For whatever reason, she was acting even more dominant than usual and I didn't protest, letting her take the lead. Her strong arms supported my weight as she pushed me harder into the wall. She slowly moved away from my lips and trailed searing kisses down my neck before stopping at my pulse point and sucking gently.
"Jesus Red." I moaned, I could already tell that she would be leaving a mark I'll have to hide for a few days. We staggered towards the bed before I fell backwards, pulling Chloe on top of me. She trailed a hand up into my shirt and I gasped at the warmth of her touch against my cold skin.
She placed a delicate kiss on the bruised flesh on my neck before lifting her head back up to look deep into my eyes.
"You're mine and only mine."
