"And here are the Barden Trebles, who despite the loss of their ICCA championship last year, I still get tingly in my girly parts when they are on stage."
John laughed. "Don't we all, Gail? Don't we all? What makes them even more capable of winning this year, is their former leader, Bumper Allen is back."
"I heard he sung back up vocals for the sexual John Mayer," Gail said gingerly.
"Yes, and we would have all loved to hear the recordings, had the studio that housed them not catch on fire, burn to the ground, and with it, three of the record techs perished while trying to rescue John Mayer's iPhone."
"Tragic. Was it an iPhone4S, John?"
"No. Just an iPhone4, which makes the story even more sad, the fact that John Mayer only had the iPhone4."
Beca stood off to the side, just right behind the curtain, watching Jesse take his spot. It amazed her how calm he was before each performance, as if it was just a thing he does, it just happens to be in front of a hundred or so people. He rocked a dark gray sweater with the burgundy dress shirt and gray tie underneath. She had to say, he could certainly make a sweater look good.
They were slowly making their way back to normal, or what was normal for them. Jesse was trying to give her the space she required, and Beca was trying to remember her emotions weren't the only ones that matter. She knew the distance she had driven between them would take awhile to close, but she was willing to take on the challenge, because in the end she had Jesse.
Everything was all smiles and sweet gazes at her boyfriend's back, until...
"Ohhh ohhh ohhh oh oh oh ohhhhhhhh..." It echoed off the rafters and the crowd went instantly into cheers.
"Please tell me that's not what I think it is?" Cynthia Rose approached Beca, and beside her, Amy nodded silently.
It was Kolio's voice that make the Bellas jerk back to reality. "Trying to tell you no, but my body keeps on telling you yes...Trying to tell you stop, but your lipstick got me so out of breath..."
Beca narrowed her eyes."Seriously?! Maroon 5 ruins my life."
"I'll go get the van," Jessica offered, but Beca stopped her and shook her head.
"What's going on?" Marty asked, her eyes widening like a baby. "Why is everyone freaking out?"
Kolio skipped across the stage smoothly, gyrating his hips and pointing at the swooning college chicks in the crowd. The bass was perfect, Unicycle's beat boxing was on Donald's level at this point.
And then of course Jesse and Benji with the back up vocals, "I'd be waking up, in the morning probably hating myself...And I'd be waking up, feeling satisfied but guilty as hell..."
Beca loved Jesse and adored Benji but right now, competitively, she wanted to kick them in the face. "I have never hated anyone as much as I hate Adam Levine."
"Kim Kardashian," Fat Amy reminded her.
"Yeah but everyone hates her."
"We can still win this, right?" Stacie said, fanning the sudden heat of seduction that hit her. "Wow, his hips, move so...rapidly."
"Focus," Lily nudged.
Stacie smirked as Kolio turned around towards the Bellas for a quick Fuck you guys dance move. "Oh, trust, I am focusing."
"And...we've lost Stacie," Cynthia Rose replied as she glared at the mesmerized girl. Her resigned question to Beca was, "You think we can still win?"
Marty looked so confused on the freak out of her team mates. "Of course, why wouldn't we?"
"It's Adam Levine," Reagan answered and the girls looked somber.
"So?"
Amy's explanation was even simpler. "Adam Fucking Levine. "
"I don't get-" Marty just couldn't understand.
Jessica held up her phone with a picture of Adam Levine on a magazine cover, naked and holding his junk.
"Oh shit, we're gonna lose," Marty sighed.
"Look, stop. We're going to win this thing," Beca said resolutely, trying to pull it together. She swatted Jessica's phone away.
"So I cross my heart and I hope to die...that I only stay with you one more night...And I know i've said it a million times...But I'll only stay with you one more nighttttttttttt..."
When Benji hit that note, the audience jumped out of their seats and the groans behind Beca got even worse. Beca should have known. The last week, Jesse had been tossing out lyrics at her from random Maroon 5 songs, but she just thought he was doing that to annoy the hell out of her. He does that sometimes. But no, it was a subtle way of letting her know her ass kicking would come in the form of the band she hated and revered most, Maroon 5.
Then the beat switched, and suddenly, from nowhere, Bumper runs to the front of the stage, causing screams and cheers as he belted out The Wanted's I Found You.
"She wants me to come over...I can tell her eyes don't lie...She's calling me in the dark...She moves us around the room where the lights turn like the sky...Confidence like a rock star..."
He then swiveled and pointed at Fat Amy before doing a very unnecessary hip thrust that no one else would see or care for in the audience.
"Holy fucking baby easter bunny," Amy wheezed, gripping the side of the stage.
"What's wrong?"
"Bumper...he...and then...he did," Fat Amy simulated the thrust to her confused team mates.
"Was that supposed to be sexy?" Ashley asked, genuinely confused.
Jessica fanned Fat Amy. "To some people."
Lily and Cynthia Rose shook their heads in disagreement.
"It's okay guys, get her some water," Beca rolled her eyes, and then she turned back around to zone in on the back of stupid Bumper's head. She wished she had a rock to throw at him. The boys finished their set, thankfully. Then they walked off stage to the sound of a roaring applause, with a smug swagger as they walked past the Bellas. Jesse smiled at a salty Beca, who only nodded her head to say, Well played.
Beca turned back to her girls. "We got this. You hear me? We are the reigning champions of the ICCAs. We're the baddest bitches in here. Screw Adam Levine."
Everyone perked up at Beca's blunt and nonsense speech, and she continued. "We own this. Got it ladies?"
The group nodded and hugged as the Bellas were called to stage. Beca pulled out her pitch pipe, breathed deeply and...
She unlocked her door after a tiring day of classes, with nothing on her mind but the opportunity to sit down and work on her mixes. Swinging the door open, Beca stopped suddenly at the sight of Bumper laying nonchalantly across Amy's bed, fully clothed thankfully, holding the ICCA Semi Finals Trophy. The Trebles had won, and the Bellas were strong enough to land in a close second place. Despite the setback, Beca was working hard at their new set list for the Finals.
She rolled her eyes, not wanting to relive that crappy night and entered her room, saying nothing to Bumper. She was not in the mood for whatever the hell he was doing.
Beca shrugged off her jacket and dropped her bag unceremoniously on her bed before plopping down in her chair. Her back was to Amy's side of the room, and she silently prayed where ever Amy was, she would come back and retrieve Bumper soon.
"Well hello..." he said in an over exaggerated fashion, but she kept her focus on starting her computer and preparing to slip on her headphones. After a moment, Bumper finally said, "You're going to act like I'm not here?"
"That was the plan," Beca sighed.
"That's rude. Are you always this mean to your guests?"
"You're not my guest."
"Well...Amy's in the bathroom. Freshening up. I figured, since she's a big old loser now, I'd take her out to dinner to cheer her up. Well...she's paying, but I'm driving so...same thing."
Beca tossed a look over her shoulder. "Why are you talking?"
"We can't talk Beca? You're interesting to me."
"Get out."
"No, I'm serious. Not like, in a me-and-you thing, because you couldn't handle all this...but more like a...science experiment. I just want to see your reactions."
She grimaced. "You're weird. And annoying."
"I have a proposition for you."
Beca turned around fully and crossed her arms. "No."
"Wow. That's...does Jesse have to deal with this all the time? Is there like an off switch?"
Beca held up her middle finger and wagged it.
"Ok...well...I'll just tell them you don't deejay for parties," he looked down at his trophy as he rubbed it.
Despite herself, Beca's interests were piqued. Besides the mixes she did for Luke, she never actually deejayed a party at Barden. Despite every cell screaming not to, she asked, "What are you talking about?"
"Ahhh...see...that gets you going. I might know of a party at this fraternity off campus. But...I don't think the Trebles are right to do it. Plus we're busy. And...I only travel ten minutes away from campus, so anything farther...not worth my time."
"Is there a point in there somewhere?"
"This frat, Nu Alpha, they want us to do their party. I just...the schedule won't fit. So I wanted to offer him an alternative, a deejay. In good faith. But you're the only deejay I know...so..."
Beca stared hard at him for a few moments, trying to reconcile in her brain if she should believe him. "Are they paying?"
"Of course, I don't work for free. Volunteerism is killing America," Bumper snorted. "Two hundred."
"When is it?"
"This weekend. You're free right, other than your silly little practices? I'll let them know you said yes. You said yes right?"
"Why can't I talk to them myself?"
"They know me. I mean, let me just tell them you said yes and then hell, you can facebook friend them or whatever. I don't care. But you get half now, and half after."
Beca dealt with the internal struggle in her mind. She had no reason to believe anything that came out of Bumper's mouth, but this was an opportunity she wanted to have since she got here. She had every reason to turn it down and kick Bumper in the hall, and she would have too, but the pull to this deejaying gig was strong.
She crossed her arms and leveled her eyes on him. "Everything you say out of your mouth is suspect. You lie to me, I punch you in the crotch."
Bumper grimaced and reached down to adjust his crotch. "Ouch."
"Got it?"
"Yes. I'll call them, and get your deposit. It's on the up and up. I figured, it'd be a nice gesture, since you know...this happened," he lifted the trophy in the air.
"Wanna keep that? Put it away, now," Beca grumbled, turning back to her computer.
Just then Amy walked in, and Beca smiled at how pretty her roommate looked, even for a troll like Bumper. "Hey sexy roomie, we're off to dinner. You in for the night?"
"Just me and my mixes."
"How sad," Bumper remarked.
"Your face is sad," Beca snapped back.
As Amy grabbed her purse, Bumper stood up and gave Beca a creepy smile. "So...it's a deal?"
He reached out his hand and Beca glared at it before he yanked it back. "You're like a pitbull that's been trained to dogfight. No mercy."
Beca stood up and walked over to the door as the couple exited. She grabbed Bumper. "I want my money by tomorrow. And you will pay for her dinner tonight...and dessert...and if she wants to stop and get ice cream after that...you'll pay for that too. Got it?"
"You're wrinkling my shirt," he pried her hands off. Beca stepped out in the hall way and saw the couple retreating down the hall. Beca delivered on last glare at Bumper before she shut the door.
Jesse looked the GPS and smiled over at his girlfriend as they drove further into Atlanta. "You sure about this? I wouldn't trust Bumper."
"No one trusts him. But a job is a job, is a job," Beca sighed. "Plus, money is nice. I like money. You can spend it."
"Yeah, I heard with this money stuff, you can buy things."
"You can take some of it, and make more of it."
Jesse looked at her, and jokingly asked, "Do you have a gambling problem, Beca?"
"Gambling is not a problem, it's a hobby," Cynthia Rose said bitterly from the backseat. Beca was told by her contact to bring friends with her. These were her options for tonight.
"Are we there yet? I have to pee," Ashley asked.
"Almost. Lily, you have anything you want to say?" Jesse asked, adjusting his mirror to look at the three occupants in the back seat.
Lily just shook her head and looked out of the window.
"Okay..." Jesse turned and they went into a neighborhood in the deeper part of Atlanta. "Do you know where we are?"
"Haven't a clue. I'm supposed to ask for a guy name Ralph."
"Is that after or before we realize he's a serial killer?"
Beca glared over at her driving boyfriend. "Movies. You watch too much."
"His name is Ralph. I've never met a Ralph I trusted," Jesse proclaimed.
They pulled in front of a older house, and Beca jumped out to grab her bag. The other three occupants got out as well. Cynthia Rose looked at the house.
"Beca, are we at a HBCU?"
"I guess," Beca shrugged.
Ashley looked shockingly over to Cynthia. "What's that?"
"Historically Black College and University."
Ashley frowned. "So politically incorrect. It's African American."
Jesse shoved his hands in his pockets, "I should go in and check it out first."
"Jesse, calm down. I talked to Ralph twice, he seemed like a nice guy."
"Beca, I don't care who's here or where we are, but if I don't know anyone, I don't trust them with you," Jesse frowned as he followed his fearless girlfriend up to the patio.
"Whoa there, Terminator, I'm fine. It'll be fine. The party starts in forty five minutes. I'm going to set up, and you'll be here, and it'll be fun."
"Okay," he sighed as the door opened and a guy who resembled the large guy on the Green Mile opened the door.
He eyed them suspiciously. "Who are you?"
"I'm Beca, the DJ."
"You're a DJ?" he asked, disbelieving. "You?"
"I'm also an X-Man, but I DJ on the side. Is Ralph here?" Beca snarked.
He snorted and opened the door to reveal a smaller man, that was dressed impeccably for a college party. "Beca?"
"Ralph?"
"Yeah, come in," he opened the door and Beca and Jesse stepped into the house. They looked around at the various guys stopping and staring at them.
Ashley leaned over, "Um...this is a black frat."
"Yeah, so?" Cynthia Rose hissed.
"Nothing. I'm color blind," Ashley replied.
"I am too, I can't see anything but the color gray...and aqua green," Lily said softly. "...and yellow. Sometimes purple. And red. I love red."
They followed Ralph into the living room, where the DJ set up would be.
Beca seemed to go with the flow, which surprised Jesse. Jesse wasn't worried much, it wasn't a set up for them to be trapped by a serial killer, but he'd heard Beca's music and she does alot of House, Dubstep, and Pop, mixed with a little Indie and some R&B. He wasn't quite sure what kind of music this party called for, but he hoped Beca could play it. But she didn't seemed fazed so, he figured he shouldn't be either.
"Over there is your space, plugs, surge protector. No one will be near the perimeter, I hope, but we usually have a packed house during homecoming."
"Homecoming? What school?" Jesse asked.
"Clark Atlanta," Ralph replied and waited to see if Jesse knew anything about the school.
Jesse was cool about it though. "Awesome. Did you win?"
"Naw, stupid quarterback fumbled the entire game away," Ralph replied and turned to Beca. "Need anything? A drink?"
Beca was already setting up. "Water?"
Ralph looked at her, narrowing his eyes. "Did Bumper tell you this was a Hip Hop party?"
Beca shook her head. So many people under estimate her skills. Ralph, Bumper, even Jesse probably didn't think she could rock this party. She'd show them. "No, but it's weird you wanted an a capella group at first."
"Huh? No, we wanted to call Donald, because Donald knows a deejay. But he graduated, and Bumper said he had someone and for a small fee, he'd give me the name. Our usual deejay got sick."
Beca's eyes grew dark. "Wait, you paid Bumper a fee? Bumper's such an asshole. But forget that. I can do this. It'll be fine."
Ralph looked amused at Beca's rant, then asked the trio of girls did they want anything. After getting their orders, he walked out the room. Jesse watched Beca set up with pure concentration.
"You need me to do anything?" Jesse asked genuinely.
She hooked up her laptop and iPod, and without skipping a step, "Just sit back and prepare to be amazed."
He smiled at her and watched as she hooked herself in. She felt him watching her like she was mystical creature or something. She was finally all connected when she stood up straight and breathed.
"Why are you staring at me like that?" she asked, slipping her headphones around her neck.
"Because you look really hot right now," he shrugged as Beca blushed.
Ralph walked by to pass her the water. "You ready?"
Beca took a sip of the bottled water, capped it, and then put her headphones up on her ears. "Are you?"
Before Ralph could come back with a reply, the speakers started blaring with a Dancehall/Reggae mix Beca had done. Behind Ralph, some of the house occupants started bobbing their heads and nodding in approval.
Ralph smiled. "Let's do this."
As the night went on, the house became crowded. The crowd's response to Beca's mixes were strong. They cheered and danced, the darkness of the room, only adding to the atmosphere. Beca was in her zone, unshakable. She felt in her element at this point, totally in control of the music, of the emotions in the room. Jesse stood nearby; watching her face as she switched the flow of the song again and riled the crowd up. He had danced briefly with Lily, who was now grinding on some guy with an intensity he'd never seen in Lily. Ashley was beside him earlier on, straight and awkward, but after some persuading and shots, she was conversing very happily with a group of girls. Cynthia Rose was dancing with guys, girls, anyone.
Everyone was having a good time. Beca glanced over to see Jesse watching her with a proud look on his face. He knew about her music, and her mixing. But he had no idea how Beca liked any and all music. She was music. Watching her now, the smirk on her face as she scratched her turntables and manipulated flows of her songs for the crowd, Beca felt exposed to him now. While he'd seen her completely naked or in tears, Beca had always hid a part of herself from him. But here, seeing her do what she lived and breathed doing, she looked even happier than when she did a set for the Bellas.
She had felt like she failed them at Semi Finals, but the Trebles truly had the better set. But next time, the time that counted, Beca would let them underestimate her, before she did just what she did here- make them all move to her music. The Bellas would win again, and tonight, despite her crappy week, and Bumper probably setting her up, thinking she couldn't mix hip hop, Beca is on her game.
Ralph walked up to Jesse and tapped a red solo cup at him. Jesse took a sip, knowing he had to drive later. He didn't want to get drunk. He'd nurse it to be polite until they had to leave.
"She's a beast, man," Ralph admired.
"Yeah, she definitely is."
Ralph laughed. "I underestimated her when she first got here. Can't judge a book by it's cover, that's for sure."
"Nope, not that book at least."
They stood looking around the room at the dancing people.
"What is she doing?" Ralph pointed to Ashley who was grinding on a stand up lamp.
"She's in love with it, I think," Jesse sighed. He'd watch her, make sure she doesn't get hurt or pass out. Right now, she was really into the lamp and in his eyesight.
He turned back to Beca who looked up and smiled at him. Jesse tilted his cup at her in response. The song switched again and Beca crooked her finger for Jesse to come over to her.
"Having fun?"
"I'm amazed. You're amazing. This is amazing," he smiled.
Beca felt a heady feeling she gets when Jesse says things like that to her. "How much have you had to drink? We're almost done. In like thirty minutes, then...we pack up and head back."
"If we can peel Ashley off the floor," Jesse gestured to Ashley hugging the wall.
Beca looked at her concerned but she knew Jesse was watching out for her, "Back to work."
Jesse leaned in and kissed her shoulder as she began to mix the next song and the crowd went wild. When it was over, it was so late, almost two in the morning. Jesse drove with everyone in the back seat passed out and Beca even closed her eyes. They pulled into Barden and Jesse walked a sleepy Beca back to her room.
At her door, she smiled tiredly, but accomplished. "I rocked that shit. And tomorrow, I plan to punch Bumper in the larynx."
"That's assault, and as funny as it might be, I'm not going to let you do that," he said, kissing her nose. "Because we've had enough of the prison life, DJ Beca Mitchell."
"DJ Mitch," she corrected. "So people think I'm a guy and then when they see me, I'm like the petite ninja of jams."
"I see that."
"I'm so sleepy," she yawned. Jesse nodded, stepping back to let her go in her room. "Where are you going?"
"You're tired. I'm letting you go to bed."
"We can both go," she smiled and pulled at his arm. Jesse chuckled and obliged, because after all, no one says no to a petite ninja.
Maroon 5 "One More Night"
The Wanted "I Found You"
Adam Levine's nude photo (in case you are interested) clubs/adam-levine/images/26320691/title/adam-levin e-naked-photo
Something's coming down the pike before finals. Uh oh...