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Today was the day.

Beca slung her backpack over her shoulder, pushing her hair behind her ears so that the strands wouldn't get tangled in her headphones. With one last lingering look at the place she called home for the past ten years, Beca turned on her heel and made her way to the awaiting car.

She wasn't sure that she could bear the long car ride from New York City to Atlanta, Georgia with her father and the "step-monster". Beca couldn't deal with her father's attempts to talk to her about how she was, how living with her mother had been. She surely couldn't handle Shelia's comments about her dark makeup and protruding ear spike. It was going to be the beginning of a car ride from hell, Beca just knew it.

"Hi, Dad," Beca said as she opened the car door, pulling herself up and into the seat. Dr. Mitchell nodded hello, "Beca. It's been awhile. I've...we've...missed you." The next hours were mostly silent, except for the occasional comment about how much older Beca looked or if she wanted a snack. Sheila didn't say one word for the entirety of the ride. She sat erect in her seat, occasionally shooting looks of disapproval at her stepdaughter through the front mirror. It was okay though. It wasn't like she cared what Sheila thought anyway. It was actually better that way. No words meant no fighting, and she was so tired of fighting. Beca readjusted her headphones and melted into the seat, nodding off to the beat that flowed through her ears.

Soon enough, Beca's eyes opened ever so slightly. Awoken by the sporadic stopping and starting of the car, Beca glanced out the window, taking in the sights. Everything was like she had remembered. It was almost like the town was a time capsule, remaining exactly the same as it was ten years ago. The car slowed to a gradual stop, finally halting in front of a large, blue house. Beca pushed open the door with her foot, picking up a handful of the bags with her empty hands. As Dr. Mitchell got out of the car himself, Beca took in the house in front of her. It looked smaller than it looked when she was seven. The windows weren't as big, the fence wasn't as tall, and the steps on the front porch weren't as steep. Something did feel the same though; maybe it was the smell of the roses growing outside or even the smell of chlorine wafting over from the backyard pool.

Seeing her father and Sheila already making their way inside, she ambled towards the front door. Even though many years had passed since the last time she had stepped foot in the house, she retreated up the stairs and to her old bedroom without even having to think about it. Pushing the door open, she stepped inside and let her shoulders drop as she looked around the room. It was a good thing she had taste when she was a young girl, always making a fuss when Sheila wanted to paint her room pink. The walls were a nice shade of purple, just how she liked it. Beca laid her bag of mixing equipment on the desk and pulled her computer out of the larger suitcase. That was all she really needed, her equipment and her computer. Everything else held little value in Beca's mind.

Shoving her clothes into the various drawers of her dresser, Beca gazed upon the wall at all her old pictures. There was one with a young redhead, Chloe. The young girls both had smiles upon their faces, large chocolate cones in their sticky hands, and ice cream dripping down their chins. It had been so long since Beca had talked to Chloe, who used to be one of her best friends. They were inseparable. It was sort of strange, given Chloe's bubbly personality and Beca's allergy to doing anything social, but they always got along so well. Beca remembered the two of them chasing each other around Chloe's backyard for hours, pretending to be secret agents on a mission. She should go see her, Beca thought. That's what she should do. Visit Chloe. If only Beca remembered where she lived.

Other pictures around the room were of nameless friends and faces, acquaintances that never really meant anything to Beca. Another picture caught her eye, pushed into the shadows of the other frames on her desk, of a young Beca and a boy with shaggy brown curls and dimples.

Jesse.

How could she ever forget Jesse? He had been her best friend for seven years. They were like peanut butter and jelly, always together. His parents and her parents, before they got divorced, had been the closest of friends. Beca and Jesse were pretty much together since birth. Beca was the only girl Jesse thought didn't have cooties and Jesse was the only guy Beca didn't scare away with her death scare. Beca sighed and cracked a small smile as she brought the picture to the front of the others and moved along, continuing to unpack her stuff. Well, if you call throwing everything in a pile next to her bed unpacking. Ignoring her father calls for her to come to the dinner table, Beca pushed her headphones up on her head and sat down at her desk, leaning back into her chair and propping her feet up onto the desk corner. Within a few minutes, her eyes started to droop, and the room around her began to fade, allowing her to fall into a deep sleep.

…..

"BECA!" Dr. Mitchell called from downstairs, his voice echoing throughout the house, "Get ready! It's your first day!" Beca groaned, throwing a pillow over her ears and rolling to the other side of the bed. Within seconds she was on the cusp of returning back to her slumber, expect her father's constant yelling would not willingly give her a blink more of shut-eye.

Pulling a brush through her hair and throwing on whatever she could find in the top of the drawer (thank God plaid and jeans always match) Beca ran down the stairs, grabbing a half-burnt pancake on her way to the car her dad had gifted her. It was no doubt old, but it was at least somewhat presentable. All Beca cared about was the new sound system she had installed a few weeks prior. Turning the key and adjusting the seat to fit her comfortably, Beca drove off towards East Atlanta High School.

By the time she made it in the building, almost spilling the coffee her dad had picked her up on the way, she was positively late to her first class. Gazing over her schedule, she inwardly groaned as she made her way to the nearby classroom.

…..

Jesse was sure it was like one of those famous scenes out of his favorite high school romantic comedies. A girl, about his age, with a messy chestnut brown braid, stretching to a spot a few inches below her shoulders, glided into the room. Her gaze was strong, almost piercing. He had the feeling that she could freeze the nearest human with just a glance of her eyes. Somehow, despite her seemingly bland outfit (honestly, with her flannel shirt, dark hoodie and dark jeans, anyone else would have looked like a lumberjack) and messy hair, she had an unmatchable beauty as she walked into his homeroom with silent confidence. She was familiar, something about the smirk that grazed her face and the way she answered their teacher's prodding questions with a sarcastic remark.

It was hard for him to rack his mind until he remembered the memories he had with the one of a kind Beca Mitchell. It couldn't be her, right? The last he heard of her, she was living with her mom in New York, going to a specialized high school to study producing and sound editing. For awhile, after she moved, they were sure to stay in touch. Both of their moms tried their best to keep their children writing letters to one another, but soon Christmas cards were the only thing Beca sent to Jesse and Jesse couldn't even remember Beca's middle name anymore.

Just as Jesse went deeper into thought, the teacher gestured to the girl, looking down at his attendance sheet as he announced that the girl, in fact, was Beca Mitchell. With a slight intake of breath, Jesse smiled. He couldn't believe she had come back. She resembled the seven year old girl he had known years ago. Thinking back to when they were both kids, Jesse could still picture exactly what little Beca was like. Actually, she hadn't changed much. Seven year old Beca and now, seventeen year old Beca both never left the house without a pair of headphones in their ears, listening to music so loud that you could hear it ten feet away.

As of now, Beca had discreetly pushed her hood up over her head, hiding the earbuds in her ears. Young Beca and Old Beca both had a sense of confidence about them, something that made them stand out from among the crowd. The difference was, seven year old Beca rebelled by staying outside five minutes longer during recess and helping Jesse sneak another cookie from the kitchen table, but older Beca was more into walking down the hallway, ignoring the whispers coming from both girls and boys. Some people remembered her, some people questioned why she had come back. Jesse didn't care, he was just happy to see her again.

It was no doubt she was pretty, but it wasn't just pretty. There was something so Beca about her, something special...something distinct. She didn't care about the high waisted shorts and crop tops all the other girls were obsessed with. Beca had no idea who the most popular boy band at the time was. She wore whatever made her comfortable, and that made her look beautiful. Her hair, thrown in a messy braid, wasn't perfectly curled, but it looked better that way. The ear spike was, indeed, a little bit scary, but it made Beca, Beca.

Pushing past everyone at the exact second the bell sounded, Beca rushed out the door. She paid no attention to people trying to welcome her, girls staring at her, or guys glancing over her for a few, prolonged seconds. Jesse, trying to catch up, threw his book in his bag and dashed outside the classroom. He could make out her petite figure just a few classrooms ahead of him, disappearing into one of them. The bell rang, making Jesse run off to his next class. He couldn't be late to one of his first classes on the first day of school.

Taking a seat in the nearest desk, he noticed a red-head just a few seats up. He got up, discreetly making his way to her chair, covering her eyes with his hands.

"Guess who!" Jesse teasingly asked the girl.

The musical laugh of the girl rang out in the classroom. "I've missed you, Jesse," she turned around in her seat.

"How was your summer?"

Jesse smiled as he took a seat next to her, dragging it around until it was facing her, "It was actually pretty great. I had a summer job at that local radio station. You know the one? About a mile away from the school?" They fell into easy conversation, Chloe nodding and smiling as Jesse told her a story about his high strung boss and his weird co-workers.

Chloe and Jesse had gotten closer over the years since Beca had left. They would rush to each other's houses when they knew Beca was going to Skype them, grabbing a package of Oreos and munching on them. Together, they would put on plays for their parents, Chloe always going all out and making pretend tickets and making sure she would get her father to steady the spotlight throughout the shows. Jesse would always play the prince and Chloe would always take the role of the fairy godmother. Even though by that point Beca had been gone for more than a year, they still reserved the role of the princess for her.

In middle school, they sort of lost touch. Chloe worked hard to maintain A's in all her classes and Jesse started retreating to the local radio station daily. Most of the time he just spun around in his chair, playing dominos with all the CD's but he really started to enjoy it. High school was when they really started to connect again. Chloe was head of the select chorus, and Jesse joined in during his freshman year, giving them a chance to meet up again. Working with him daily, Chloe and Jesse began to hang out more and more. She would accompany him to the radio station, and they would pass the time by working on set lists together or stacking CDs. Other times, they went to the local theater to watch shows, singing along to every song. After all, they knew every lyric by heart.

It was strictly platonic though; Jesse thought of Chloe like a sister and Chloe felt the same. The teacher soon stood and called for their attention and began talking, motioning to the syllabus on the SMART board. Jesse could feel his eyes drooping as Mr. Andrews continued to drone on and on about grades and homework with his monotone voice.

"This is your junior year," Mr. Andrews said. "Make it count."

Trying hard not to draw attention to himself, Jesse ripped off the side of one of the sheets of paper in his notebook, scribbling a note on the lines about the one name and face that hadn't left his mind since his last class.

Chloe looked up, eyes wide, after she had taken the note that he slid to her. "Beca's back?" She whispered, "I can't believe it. We have to go find her! Did you say hi yet? Do you think she'll remember us?" Jesse chuckled at her enthusiasm. That was one thing he could always count on Chloe to have. Jesse smiled at her and explained how she was in his first period class.

At the second the bell started to ring, Chloe and Jesse grabbed their bags and headed off to find their long lost friend. The school was huge, filled with students clad with schedules and maps in their hands. Navigating the maze of people, the two friends made their way to the cafeteria. The masses of people were talking to their friends, trying to catch up after the long, summer break. Among the chatter, Jesse did hear the name, Beca Mitchell, come up a few times.

…..

When she was younger, she did make an impression. He could remember the day like it was yesterday, recalling almost everything from the plaid t-shirt she was wearing to how her hair would catch the light, making it appear a shade or two lighter. Jesse had been picked first to join the youth center's basketball league, and his eyes were glowing with pride when he told his best friend of his accomplishment. She had pulled him into a hug, her head resting on his shoulder. For the next few weeks, he practiced like crazy, always going to the gym.

Many times, Beca accompanied him, joking that he better up his game so he wouldn't be waterboy forever. The incident happened two weeks after, when Jesse was caught in the locker room singing to the Les Mis soundtrack. He had thought he was the only one in the room, packing his Spiderman duffle bag before heading home. As he continued singing along the lyrics he knew by heart, another one of the boys heard his voice as he entered the locker room. It was still hard for Jesse to even mention the name. Ryan Conners, an older boy on the basketball team, emerged from behind the row of lockers with his phone clearly recording a video. Taking Jesse's clothes against his will and shoving him into his locker, he delivered a sly smile to Jesse and called him a 'pansy' and a 'sissy' for singing musical soundtracks before promising that he would tell everyone in school of how lame he was by Monday.

Using the hall phone at the youth center, he called the one person that he could always count on. He only let out a choked sob before he heard her garage door opening and the sounds of her pulling out her bike through the receiver. It was a good thing the gym was only moments away from her house. Walking into the locker room, she saw him sitting on a bench dejectedly, still dress in his damp basketball shorts and t-shirt. She couldn't tell if the drops of water streaming down his face were from how much he had been sweating during his practice, or the tears that were still streaming from his eyes. Gently, offering him a hand, she sat with him as he wiped the tears from his eyes and then handed him some clean clothes. They sat there for awhile, not saying a word. His head was on her tiny shoulder as she kissed the top of his head, messing around his damp hair.

The next day he didn't go to school until recess time. He walked through the door, and clutched his backpack to his chest, awaiting the whispers and taunts that he had come to anticipate after his last encounter with Ryan. Then he saw her. Her anger twisted her face into a look that was downright deadly. Whenever Beca had that look across her face, he knew that someone was going down.

Making a beeline to Ryan, he saw her eyes flash with anger and her mouth move rapidly, her arms flailing around. He couldn't make out what she was saying, but he got a good look at Ryan just standing there, a smug look on his face. Though before Jesse could blink, his look of confidence was wiped right off of his face and replaced with a look of the utmost fear. Beca, no one could believe it, drew her tiny fist back and punched him right, square in the nose. Ryan ran off, his hands covering his face, probably to avoid the attention of the other kids who were crowding around the scene (though he suspected that it was because he didn't want anyone to see him crying), while Beca casually walked in the other direction, towards the nurse.

Jesse had looked for her that day, even going to the nurse himself. She told him that Beca had gone home with her mother, staying home for the remainder of the day. That was the last day Beca was in school, but that was not that last time Jesse saw her. He had gone to her house straight from his bus, knocking at her door until her mom and dad welcomed him in. She was sitting on the couch, organizing her CD collection, making sure they were all in the right order. When she saw him there, she made room for him on the couch, just giving him a smile. They never talked about what she had done for him, but it was needless to say he was grateful and she knew it.

They saw each other a couple more times before it was time for her to leave. Chloe and Jesse had made her a CD, filled with songs they had listened to together. Jessie gave her a bracelet, with small music notes hanging from the middle. When she asked what they meant, he just told her to look it up. She fingered the charms gingerly, thanking him graciously for the gift. Chloe had not left her side for the entirety of the day, hoping that if she never left Beca's sight she wouldn't leave without saying goodbye. With a final wave, Beca's car drove off. A tear rolled down seven year old Chloe's cheek as Jesse pulled her into a hug.

…..

She had been the talk of the school for many years to come. Maybe it was the enigma of her leaving school after the day of the incident or the fact that Ryan's parents had withdrawn him from the school later that year, but the name 'Beca Mitchell' was never forgotten. Not often were there fights in their school district, so news of this one spread like wildfire. Fellow students began to gossip that she was now in prison or that she had mental problems. The one person who had spread all the rumors was Aubrey Posen. Giggling to the other girls about how Beca was probably in a juvenile detention center where she belonged, Aubrey flipped her hair back and straightened her skirt.

It wasn't like Aubrey was just suddenly mean to Beca. It had all started last summer when Beca had auditioned for the musical (she needed something to get her parents off her back about. Aubrey was used to being the best. She was used to taking first place, used to playing the lead in the community theater productions. But that day, Aubrey Posen sat stunned in her seat as Beca's surprisingly pretty voice wowed the small group of auditioning six year olds, and the director, Mr. Crosby. When Beca secured the lead role, Aubrey never forgave her. Beca would get mean looks during their first grade class or girls laughing and pointing at her in the cafeteria. Beca Mitchell never again auditioned for a play, but Aubrey Posen certainly never made made her feel like she was welcome to do so. Beca would've usually given Aubrey a piece of her mind, but she had promised her family that she would be cordial. Noting that Aubrey's father was her mother's boss, she couldn't risk losing her mother's job just because of a stupid fight between six year olds.

Other students began to come to her defense after Aubrey's rumors flooded the school, talking about how cruel Ryan had been to everyone. Beca had just done what every other person wished the could've. Whatever side they were on, the discussion of Beca versus Ryan circulated the halls for much longer than anyone could have ever expected. That was why, when she returned ten years later, people remembered her name from back in grade school, as they tried to paint a clearer picture as to why she had left.

…..

As if by magic, the room got a few notches quieter, as many heads turned to the direction of the entrance. There stood Beca, unfazed by the attention. The pairs of eyes followed her as she took a seat at one of the tables, readjusting the headphones over her ears. People started to talk, trying to remember any time in their childhood they had come in contact with Beca Mitchell. Some people remembered her unruly hair, so curly that it resembled Shirley Temple's locks. She used to be the smallest student in school, but that didn't mean she wasn't tough. Beca was as good, if not better, as the boys during gym, sending them fearfully away after they got beaten to a pulp. She never really talked to many girls, but they sure had talked about her. When young, girls could be mean. They had talked about how she would always wear black, how she never seemed to talk to anyone besides Chloe and Jesse. Beca hadn't cared, she was happy with her two best friends.

Jesse, gazing at the girl at the lunch table, trying to compare her to the young girl he once knew, nudged Chloe, "So, do you recognize her?" Chloe smiled, "She looks so much older. I never thought she would grow out of her crazy hair. Can we go say hi?" Jesse nodded, motioning for Chloe to lead the way. All of a sudden, as if Beca knew they were coming over, she looked up from her lunch. Jesse smiled and waved. Beca placed her headphones onto the table and started to make her way towards Chloe and Jesse.

It was almost like she was coming over in a daze, a smile over her face. Just when Jesse was about to pull her into a hug, she walked right past him, picking up speed. Jesse, a little surprised, turned around to see another boy his age, although the boy looked more like a man. His golden hair was pushed up, in perfect position. His eyes were warm and his face was chiseled. The boy was clad with a white t-shirt and a pair of jeans. Somehow, Jesse already knew that girls would be throwing themselves at him, but there only seemed to be one girl for him. Beca ran to him, throwing her arms around the boy and jumping into his open arms. Her legs wrapped around his body as he chuckled, holding her up.

Beca hopped down, but didn't let go of the boy. One of his arms was slung around her shoulder and the other was grasping her hand. Now, they were definitely the center of attention of the entire lunch room. Girls were looking at Beca, jealousy in their eyes, while guys were looking at Beca with a sort of animalistic lust.

It was going to be an interesting year, Jesse knew that. But Jesse didn't worry. The chess match will continue. Jesse and Chloe continued to make their way to Beca and the boy attached to her side. With one swift motion, Jesse moved to Beca's side, "Hey weirdo, I heard you were back."

Beca was startled by the voice, it was much lower than she had remembered, but it still had a sort of charm to it. "Jesse," she exclaimed, a smile lighting up her face, "I've missed you." Not sure whether to go in for a hug or a handshake, she awkwardly stuck her hand out. He tried to give her a high-five, but her hand was already in a fist, trying to give him a fist bump. Their two hands collided together, resulting in a very embarrassing occurrance. He just let out a laugh and tried to pick up their conversation.

"Oh, so you do remember me," Jesse said, "Chloe here thought you forgot all the little people when you moved to the big city."

Beca only smiled. "Oh, of course not. How could I forget the two of you?"

Chloe emerged from behind Jesse, pulling Beca into a hug. Startled by the girl's forwardness, Beca was tense at first but then relaxed and hugged the red-head back.

"It's been awhile, hasn't it?" Beca asked, releasing Chloe.

"Only like forever!" Chloe responded, drawing out the word forever. All the while, the boy next to Beca hadn't said a word, just smiled at them. "I'm Luke." he finally said.

"He and I went to school together in New York, but he's a year older than us. His top school is Barden University, you know, the one just a few miles from here?" Beca explained when Chloe and Jesse remained silently confused at his introduction.

Luke interjected, "My parents decided to move here for my senior year to get familiar with the area before college next year. Plus, it is physically impossible for me to be more than a few hours away from Becs at all times." Beca smiled up at him, entwining her fingers with his own, causing Jesse's eyes to quickly flick towards their joined hands before sending them a tight smile.

Beca animatedly looked at Chloe and Jesse, trying to compare them to the younger versions of themselves she had etched in her mind. Chloe's hair looked almost more red than she remembered. When they were four or so, Beca took to calling her Annie, as a reference to the musical, because it was her favorite. She would spend hours, singing song after song and forced Beca and Jesse to sing along with her. The other reason she had gained her nickname was, of course, because of her fiery red hair. Jesse, on the other hand, looked very different. When he was younger, his ears would stick out and his hair would point in every different direction. Even if you tried to mess it around, it was no use. "Uh, hey man. It's nice to meet you," Jesse said, sticking out his hand to Luke. They shook on it as Beca turned to talk to Chloe.

The rest of lunch flew by as the former threesome reaquainted themselves. Jesse learned that Beca and Luke were the closest of friends, as the two told all about their adventures in New York. Chloe warmly told Beca about how nothing really had changed in Atlanta since Beca left. Jesse continued by gushing about how he couldn't wait to take Beca to meet his family, which had pretty much been her second family when she was living in Atlanta. He was convinced his mom loved her more than she loved him. At the end of the lunch period, they split ways, Beca and Luke going off to his English class while Jesse and Chloe walked towards the Science wing. Before parting, he made sure to get her number, promising to invite her over for dinner sometime.

Turning around as Chloe and he were about to leave, a smile lit up Jesse's face. She was back. And whatever it took, he was going to make sure that he got his best friend (and/or lover) back once again.