A/N If you don't know the song "Take Me or Leave Me" from Rent, you might want to listen before you read Thanks for all of the support. Hope you enjoy this one!
For the sake of Aubrey's sanity, the girls were all ready to leave promptly at 6:15, as instructed. They arrived at the auditorium to find Katherine ready to take charge.
"Hi mom," Emily said giving her mother a hug.
"I missed you. It's been too long," Katherine said dramatically. Emily rolled her eyes. They hadn't seen each other since Christmas but they had been chatting on the phone weekly.
After the brief, emotional moment, Katherine snapped back into leadership mode. "We have soloists from the class of 2005 and 1995, but we need one more. We also have one duet team set, but we need one more, as well. And five of you can participate in our group number."
"Okay let's huddle up!" Aubrey announced.
Emily jumped in immediately. "Someone here needs to take the duet ASAP before my mom decides that a mother daughter duo would wow the judges." The Bellas laughed. "Seriously, I cannot handle that today."
"Alright Em," Chloe said, "why don't you take the solo then. "Beca and I will do the duet?" She looked to Beca for approval.
Beca did her best to hide how nervous that made her. "Sure, sounds good," she said with a smile.
"Perfect. Then Cynthia Rose, Lilly, Jessica and Ashley and Stacie can do our group number." Aubrey said.
"What about you?" Beca asked.
"I've had my turn," Aubrey replied.
"You sure?" Chloe asked, impressed but a little surprised by her selflessness.
"Just think of me as your coach."
"Awesome," Emily said. "I'll go tell my mom."
"I'm still bummed Amy couldn't make it," Chloe said, "but it did make choosing our team easier."
"She'll be back for the party," Stacie said. "Clearly, she has her priorities in order."
"Let's grab seats," Jessica said. "The soloists are going on soon." They found spots in the front and eagerly waited for the start of the show.
"Welcome to the 2020 Alumni Aca-tournament," the announcer began. He introduced the groups, 6 in total and declared it time to get started. "The category for soloists is... Songs sung by characters under the age of 21! If you're unsure of a character's age, you're welcome to use smartphones," he added with a laugh. "You now have two minutes to consult with your team about a song choice. Please also come ready with a back up song if yours has been taken."
Chloe nodded. Starting to get the idea of how this was going to work.
"How about Annie?" Katherine suggested excitedly. "You were so cute singing 'Tomorrow' in your 5th grade production."
"No," Emily ruled it out quickly.
"Oooh what about a Disney character... They're all young." Chloe offered.
"Mulan!" Beca shouted with excitement. "Is she young enough? You'd kill it with 'Reflection'"
"Looking it up!" Aubrey shouted, whipping out her phone.
"Hairspray could be good too," Ashley chimed in.
"Yeah, what about 'You Can't Stop the Beat'?
"30 seconds to lock in your choices. First come, first serve." The announcer boomed.
"Mulan is 16!" Aubrey reported.
"Okay I'm going up!" Emily said, already jogging back to the stage.
Emily did kill it up there, as Beca had said she would. A guy singing Corner of the Sky certainly gave her a run for her money, but she was undoubtedly one of the best.
Two rounds later, after Katherine had finished belting out 'Before He Cheats' for the American Idol winner songs category, she returned to her seat. "They don't tabulate the scores until the end," Katherine explained. "Get on up there," she said, giving Beca a nudge.
"The category is... Duets sung in Broadway plays that were also made into movies. Doesn't matter if it was a movie first or a play first but both must exist!"
"'16 going on 17' could be cute!" Emily proposed.
Beca nodded, okay with that idea.
"Oooh what about 'A Whole New World.' They put Aladdin on Broadway!" Cynthia Rose suggested.
Chloe was being unusually quiet. She had an idea in mind but she was keeping it to herself. Thankfully, that's what best friends are for.
Aubrey chimed in, "I know! They should sing 'Take Me or Leave Me'!" Chloe smiled.
"Perfect," Beca said, surprising just about everyone. She knew how much Chloe loved Rent. And they'd watched the movie together enough times that they knew it by heart. "Let's go lock in our answers. The Aladdin one can be our back up."
Chloe and Beca were almost at the stage but still within earshot when Cynthia Rose added, "you know you really should end that song with a kiss..."
Chloe glared back at them. "We really don't need to," Chloe said to Beca. "It's kind of an angry song. In the song in the movie they don't kiss."
Beca nodded. "Could be a crowd pleaser though..." she commented, raising an eyebrow. She tried to gage Chloe's reaction, but could only see surprise.
Once Chloe regained control of her facial expressions, she smiled. "Okay," she said cheerfully, "I'll give you a peck on the lips at the end then."
"I assume you'd like to sing Maureen's part?" Beca asked, though she didn't need to.
Chloe nodded excitedly. "Can I?"
"Of course," Beca agreed. "Ready?" She asked. "We're up first."
The music began to play and the Bellas were already cheering.
"Every single day, I walk down the street. I hear people say 'Baby' so sweet. Ever since puberty, everybody stares at me boys, girls, I can't help it baby," Chloe sang.
Beca knew that she didn't come in for a while. For a duet, it was pretty uneven, but she didn't mind. She was watching Chloe intently. She knew that if she were playing the character, she ought to look angry or at least displeased, but she couldn't help but look at Chloe with awe and adoration in her eyes.
"So be kind and don't lose your mind, just remember that I'm your baby," Chloe continued. "Take me for what I am, who I was meant to be… and if you give a damn take me baby or leave me."
The Bellas stared, captivated by the scene unfolding before their eyes. Aubrey beamed like a proud mother. Cynthia Rose, knowing the words to this song better than any other Bella still in the audience, eagerly awaited the later verse. She nudged Aubrey and smiled. "It's coming up."
"Take me for what I am, who I was meant to be… and if you give a damn take me baby or leave me." Chloe looked at the Bellas, smiled and kept going. "No way, can I be what I'm not, but hey don't you want your girl hot?" Chloe slowly ran her hands down her entire body at that line. Beca's breath caught in her throat.
"Don't fight, don't lose your head, because every night who's in your bed?" Chloe sang. The Bellas exploded in a mixture of laughter and cheers.
Beca turned bright red. Of course that line was right before it was her part. She hoped her voice wouldn't be too shaky. "It won't work. I look before I leap. I love margins and discipline. I make lists in my sleep, baby what's my sin?"
The first line did in fact come out shaky. But when Chloe's eyes caught hers, everyone else in the room disappeared and she regained her confidence.
"Never quit, I follow through, I hate mess but I love you," Beca sang, inching closer to Chloe as she did. "What to do with my impromptu baby?"
Beca took both of Chloe's hands in hers as she began the next verse. Although it was rare for Chloe to be nervous, especially on stage, she felt her stomach jump, her mind already trying to decipher if Beca was doing this for show or... something else.
"So be wise because this girl satisfies. You've got a prize don't compromise. You're one lucky baby." Chloe was entranced, eyes wide. It was the side of Beca she'd always longed to see.
Chloe joined in on the final chorus. "Take me for what I am," they sang. Then alternated, Beca singing out "who I was meant to be..." first, followed by Chloe. Beca's voice was confident at this point but now, Chloe was getting shaky, as Beca's face inched closer and closer.
"And if you give a damn, take me baby or leave me," Beca sang. They were practically in each other's faces at this point. Chloe continued,"take me baby or la-la-la-leave me."
And although the plan was for Chloe to lean in for a peck, before she could act, Beca's lips were on hers. Chloe was ready to pull away and finish the remaining two lines, when Beca pulled her in closer. Suddenly, she felt the warmth of Beca's tongue and this peck had become a 1...2...3...4 second kiss. The crowd was roaring, Bellas loudest of all.
Chloe, feeling uncertain and shaken, decided the song did need its proper end. "Guess I'm leaving, I'm gone." She sang, and ran off the stage.
While they would've all liked to chalk it up to a dramatic exit, the look on Chloe's face as she left made it clear it was something else. The audience was still cheering. The next pair was getting ready for their number. And Beca was standing off to the side, confused and uncertain of her next move.
She saw Aubrey quickly walking in the direction Chloe had headed. Beca ran to catch up with her. "It's okay, Aub. Let me."
Aubrey looked back at her, fire in her eyes, but a smile beginning to form on her face. "Good. If you didn't go after her, I was going to kill you."
And Beca believed it.