Author's note: Well here's the second chapter. I will post them, as I write them, so for the reviewer who asked for more, please be patient. I am writing as quickly as I can.
Also, the text messages in this chapter are intentionally written out in real words. This is because my wife is a grammer nazi and she would kill me if I texted her without using proper English, so I've never learned any of the ridiculous shortcuts, and while Chloe would probably use them, Aubrey definitely wouldn't. And no, I don't want to learn. (In case any of you were wondering)
Chapter 2
Beca POV
Knock, knock, knock…knock, knock, knock
I was pulled from sleep by the sound of incessant knocking on the door. I groaned and tried to roll over, hoping Kimmie Jin would answer the door. My eyes flew open when I realized that I couldn't move because I was surrounded by warm, naked skin. "Oh, my God!" I gasped when I saw Chloe and Aubrey's bodies sprawled across my own.
My voice woke the other two girls. Aubrey stiffened for a moment, before relaxing again against me. Chloe just grinned up at me as she opened her eyes. She stretched to reach my cheek for a sloppy kiss, pressing herself more fully against me. "Morning," she said sleepily.
The sensation caused heat to flood through my body, even as panic started creeping in. I couldn't move as I tried to wrack my brain for something to say. Luckily, I was saved by another round of knocks on the door to the hotel room. Aubrey groaned and rolled onto her back, finally releasing my shoulder.
"God, if that's one of the Bellas, I'm going to kill them." Aubrey said as she scrubbed her palms over her face.
"I'll get it, " Chloe announced as she rolled quickly out of the bed and almost skipped over to the door, not bothering to cover herself. I was stunned and could only stare after her. As she opened the door, I sat up, pulling the blanket up to cover my exposed body. I could feel Aubrey chuckling beside me and I glared down at her.
"Hey we're not up—" Chloe began as she swung the door open. Her voice cut off as she saw who was on the other side of the door. "What are you doing here?"
My eyes shot back to Chloe, I'd never heard her voice sound that venomous before. I couldn't see who was standing in the hallway. I had no idea who could produce such anger in the redhead until I heard his voice.
"Uh, hey, Chloe," Jesse said awkwardly. "Um, I'm sorry to wake you, but I was looking for Beca and Stacie said that she stayed with you guys last night. Is she still here?"
Instantly, my heart hit the floor and I felt nauseous as guilt and shame washed over me. Before I could react, Chloe replied, "Sorry, Jesse. She's still in bed."
I could hear the hope in his voice fall as he said, "Oh, okay. Um, will you give her this coffee? It's her favorite, a mocha."
This time I could hear the smirk in Chloe's voice as she took the cup and answered. "Sure, thing. See ya later." Chloe took the coffee and shut the door in Jesse's face.
I felt awful. I wished that a hole would open up beneath me and swallow me whole. I couldn't watch as Chloe turned back to the bed, with my coffee in hand. I pulled my knees up to my chest and buried my face in my hands. My mind was racing, trying to come to terms with the fact that I had kissed Jesse yesterday, and today I woke up in bed with Aubrey and Chloe. I mean, on the short walk back to the hotel, Jesse had walked with me, holding my hand and asking me out on a date once we got back to Barden. I had said yes and then completely forgotten him the second Aubrey had pinned me to the wall. I had to be the worst person ever. Why the fuck did I do this?
I stiffened as I felt Aubrey's arm wrap around my shoulder. "It's alright, Beca."
I exploded. "What?! Nothing's alright. I just cheated on Jesse. And for what? A one-night stand with the two of you? How could that possibly be ok?" My voice rose in pitch as I scrambled out of bed to put more distance between myself and the blonde.
Chloe's shocked voice drew my gaze to her. "No, that's not it at all."
"Then what, Chloe? What could you possibly say that could make up for what I did to Jesse?" I screeched at her.
Her eyes shot to Aubrey, silently pleading for her to help.
I heard Aubrey take a deep breath behind me, but I didn't wait to hear her placating words. I just rolled over right over her soft, "Beca—"
"No. Fuck this. I'm out." I said racing to pull my clothes from the pile near the door. I refused to look at either girl as I pulled up my pants and slid on my shirt. I stuffed my bra and underwear into my pocket and heard a soft sob from behind me. I ignored it, slamming out into the hallway. The door rattled from the force with which I closed it, but I didn't care. I glanced down the hallway and allowed myself a quick moment of relief that Jesse was nowhere to be seen. That's when I remembered that I had forgotten my room key in the suite last night. I let out a frustrated growl as I crossed the hall and knocked sharply on the door to the room I was supposed to be sharing with Fat Amy, Stacie, Jessica and Denise. I heard the door behind me open at the same time that Fat Amy opened my suite door.
"Hey, Short Stack," She said with a huge grin on her face. The grin fell as she took in my scowl and glanced over to see who was now standing in the hallway behind me. I ignored them both and shoved past Amy to get into the room. Most of the other girls in the room were still sleeping, for which I was grateful.
Jessica was sitting on the couch reading when I walked in. She just took one look at my face and turned back to her book, darting glances in my direction as I rushed to my suitcase and grabbed it before heading into the bathroom. As I shut the door behind me, I heard Amy's low voice still talking to whoever was in the hallway. I was grateful to the Aussie that she didn't let whoever it was in. I quickly changed clothes and freshened myself for the day. I really wanted a shower, but I had to get away and didn't want to take the extra time. I'd shower when I got home. As I got ready, I refused to let myself think about any of the events of the last 24 hours.
When I had finished applying my thick eyeliner, I felt a little steadier as I looked myself over in the mirror. It was a good mask for the turmoil I was feeling. I indulged myself in a quick sigh before squaring my shoulders and picking up my suitcase. I threw open the door, expecting to have to barrel my way past Amy and the senior in the hallway. But, the door was closed and Amy was perched on the couch waiting for me when I left the bathroom.
"Beca—" she began, but I cut her off.
"No, Amy. I can't talk about this now. Just give me some time." I snapped at her.
Her eyebrows shot up into her bangs. After the briefest hesitation, she nodded. "Alright, Short Stack. Just be careful, ok?"
"I will," I said and turned and left. Again, I sighed in relief when I saw that the hallway was empty. Not willing to press my luck, I rushed down the hallway to the elevator. I jabbed a finger into the button and waited anxiously for it to arrive. I knew that every second it took was another second that Aubrey or Chloe could appear and try to stop me. When the doors finally did open, I was nearly vibrating with tension. I didn't wait for the doors to fully open before I rushed into the blessedly empty car. As soon as I was inside, I pressed the button for the ground floor and repeatedly jabbed the button to close the door. After an eternity, the doors closed and I let out a short pant of relief.
I was halfway through the lobby when I heard Jesse's voice from behind me. "Beca! Becaw! Becaw!"
I wanted to ignore him, but I couldn't. I stopped and turned to face him. I owed him at least this much. I saw his laughing smile as he moved across the lobby towards me. "Hey! Where are you going?" He asked when he reached me. The smiled dying on his face as he saw my suitcase.
"I'm going home." I said simply, hoping he wouldn't push it, even though I knew he would.
"What? Why? Did you have a fight with Aubrey or Chloe or something?" He looked genuinely concerned as he wrapped an arm around my shoulders.
I quickly shrugged him off. I didn't deserve his compassion. "No, I just have to go."
"Why? Beca, come on. Talk to me."
"I—I can't." I stuttered feeling a lump gather in my throat and tears sting my eyes.
"Yes, you can," He said patiently. "Come on, Becs. I'm your boyfriend now. You can tell me anything."
"No!" I said sharply, fighting against the sob trying to break free. "Jesse, I can't do this."
He froze. "What do you mean?" He said each word carefully as though he couldn't believe what was happening.
That overly careful tone snapped something in me. My tears dried up and were replaced by anger. I wasn't his fucking Hollywood ending. He was too good and I didn't deserve him. "I can't be with you. You're not my boyfriend, so just back off!"
Instantly his eyes blazed with anger. "What the fuck, Beca?" He snapped. "You know what? Fuck this. I'm done with you. I'm fucking sick of this. You wanna push me away. Then fine, because you've succeeded. Don't come running back to me!"
"Fine." I said and spun on my heel and rushed out the door.
I managed to keep myself together until I was a block away. Feeling the first tears spill down my cheek, I veered into a small park and collapsed onto a bench. I curled up into myself and clutched my suitcase tightly as the first sob escaped my lips.
What did I do? Did I really just break up with Jesse less than a day after we started dating? Fuck, fuck, fuck. Wasn't he what I wanted? Then why did I sleep with Aubrey and Chloe? Aubrey gave me a chance to say no. But I couldn't. Why couldn't I? Am I gay? Oh, my God. I went down on Chloe! I must be gay! Why didn't I realize before? If I'm gay then why did I want to kiss Jesse? What the fuck is wrong with me? Why did Aubrey and Chloe sleep with me? Aren't they together? Did it mean anything to them? Or did they just want a meaningless night of sex? If it didn't mean anything, then why was Aubrey so angry that I kissed Jesse? Why do I care? Fuck, what am I going to do? Shit, why don't I have an answer to that? What is wrong with me? Oh, fuck. How am I going to face the other Bellas, now? They all saw me leave with Aubrey and Chloe last night. What are they going to think? Why do I care? I can just leave. Dad was so proud of our win last night, surely he'll help me move to LA now. That's it. I just have to make it through the next month at school. Avoid all of the Bellas and Jesse and then I'll be free. I won't have to face any of them.
With this last thought, the last of my tears dried up, and a smile began to spread across my face. I knew what to do. I hastily rubbed the tears from my cheeks and scowled when I noticed the black smears on my hands. I hastily pulled out my makeup bag and fished out a mirror and my eyeliner. In seconds I had myself looking better. At least the eyeliner helped to hide my red puffy eyes. I sighed and stuffed my makeup back into my suitcase. I glanced around and saw another entrance to the park on the opposite side. I hastily started walking; wanting to be further from the hotel in case anyone came looking for me. I flagged down a cab once I hit the sidewalk and told the cabbie to take me to JFK airport.
As he weaved his way through traffic, I let myself relax. I hadn't seen any of the other Bellas and with their flight not leaving until this evening, I had plenty of time to find a new flight and get home before they even got to the airport. Faintly, I heard my phone buzzing and I looked at it. Chloe was calling me. I quickly hit the ignore button. I waited a minute before unlocking my phone. I was surprised to see 20 missed calls from the redhead and 10 missed calls from Aubrey. I also had a slew of text messages from the girls. I hadn't even heard the phone go off before now. I glanced out the window and when I saw that we were still in the middle of the city, I decided I had the time to read them. I looked at Chloe's messages first.
Chloe: Beca, please answer your phone.
Chloe: Please, I really need to talk to you.
Chloe: Beca, come on!
Chloe: Just pick up!
Chloe: Becs, please. It's urgent.
Chloe: Don't leave. I have to talk to you!
Chloe: Don't do this. Just let me explain.
Chloe: Please.
Chloe: I know you're mad. Just answer
Chloe: Talk to me!
Chloe: Don't ignore me!
Chloe: Fine, just call me when you're ready. I'll be here.
I could almost hear the sorrow in Chloe's voice as I read the last of her messages. I felt a little guilty about making her sad, but then I remembered what happened last night and the fact that it couldn't happen again because she and Aubrey were leaving in a few short weeks and I'd never see them again. Anger flooded back into my system as I thought about the way they were toying with me. I switched over to read Aubrey's messages. She had only sent two texts.
Aubrey: Please, answer your phone, Beca. I just want to talk to you about what happened last night and this morning.
Aubrey: Damn it, Beca. Just answer your fucking phone!
As I stared down at her texts, another one came through.
Aubrey: Chloe told me to give you some time. You have one week to call me. If you don't call me by then, I will hunt you down and make you listen to what I have to say.
'Fuck!' was all I could think as I reread her words. I took a deep breath and let it out slowly. I knew that Aubrey would do just what she threatened. Well, at least I have a week to figure out what was going on.
I was pulled from my thoughts as the cabby pulled to a stop outside the terminal. I thanked him and handed money up to him before stepping out of the car. I hurried through the crowded airport to the American Airlines counter.
"Hi, I need to change my flight." I told the guy behind the counter.
He gave me a bored look. "Do you have your ID?"
I nodded, fishing it out of my bag. I handed it over. "I'm currently booked on the 7:15 flight to Atlanta."
He just took my ID with a nod and started typing. After a long pause, he said, "Ok, I can get you on the 1:45 flight."
I looked down at my phone and saw that I had two hours before it left. I smiled. "Sounds great."
He ignored my smile and just started typing again. After a few minutes, he looked back at me. "Do you have any luggage to check?"
I shook my head; my suitcase was small enough to fit in the overhead.
"OK, you're checked in. Here's your boarding pass. Enjoy your flight." He said handing over the pass and my ID. I took them relieved that it had been easier to change my flight than I anticipated.
When I finally got through security, I checked the time again. I still had an hour to find my gate and grab something to eat. Thirty minutes of waiting in line had made me realize how hungry I was becoming. I headed deeper into the airport. The Starbucks sent a wave of guilt shooting through me. It reminded me of the mocha Jesse had brought me that morning. I shoved the feeling aside and forced my feet to walk away. I knew that it would be a very long time before I could drink a mocha without thinking of the hurt look in Jesse's eyes. I grinned when I saw a Chipotle near my gate. I checked the time again. I still had 45 minutes before they started boarding, so I had time. I got my food and sat at one of the tables in the miniature restaurant. I pulled out my laptop and pulled my headphones over my ears, hoping I could get lost in my mixes while I ate and not think about Aubrey, Chloe or Jesse. It didn't work as every one of my mixes reminded me of at least one of them. I sighed, losing my appetite. I closed my computer and carefully packed it back in my bag before getting up and heading over to the gate to wait for my plane.
As I sat down, I pulled my laptop back out and opened my mixing program. If I couldn't forget them, maybe I could use the music to help me sort through my feelings. I knew that there wasn't anything I could do about Jesse, so I focused on the girls. I loaded up a couple of songs and let myself get lost in the music as my tumultuous thoughts swirled through my mind. Nothing was settled when I noticed the other people start getting to their feet around me. I paused the music and pulled my headphones off. I heard my flight get called, so I quickly packed up my laptop again and hurried to catch my flight.
