-thanks to those of you who reviewed/followed/favourited. so i'm making it a multi-chapter story, though it still probably won't be too long in all. this is a kind of short chapter, all filler but essential filler. please let me know what you like AND what you don't like. and thanks for reading.
"God, Chloe. Where were you? I've been home for half an hour!" Aubrey huffed out upon Chloe finally entering their apartment, obviously in a better mood than she had been when the girl had left her.
"I was talking to Beca," Chloe told her, unable to hide the smile that threatened to creep onto her face.
"Why? I mean, I know you're friends with her. I just don't get it," Aubrey admitted, settling back onto the couch, textbook in her lap.
"I…we had something we had to clear up," Chloe decided her wording carefully, intentionally. Sure, she and Beca had decided to act the same way around the others as they did when they were alone, but did that mean that Chloe was ready to essentially 'out' herself to her very judgmental best friend? She wasn't sure.
"What were you two fighting about anyway?" Aubrey inquired, throwing her textbook to the side and suddenly giving her full attention to her friend.
"We…" Chloe stopped, confused. "How'd you know we were fighting?" she asked, sinking into the chair across from Aubrey, half terrified and half excited that Aubrey cared enough to even ask.
"It was aca-obvious!" Aubrey scoffed, as though Chloe should have known better than to ask. "All of the Bellas could tell."
"How?" Chloe had to know.
"You were acting like a sad little puppy the whole way through rehearsal," Aubrey chuckled despite the situation. "And Beca – I may not be the biggest fan of the girl, but usually she at least has her shit together. She was lost today. And she wasn't tethered to your side like she always is."
"Huh," Chloe said, more to herself than to Aubrey. She was surprised to find that anyone paid enough attention to her or to Beca to notice any change in them. What else had they noticed?
"So did you fix it?"
"What?" Chloe asked, Aubrey's question suddenly ripping her from her daze.
BLOOP
Chloe's phone rang out in a text alert and her senses became overwhelmed. There was too much to pay attention to: Aubrey's questions, her own thoughts and confusion, and now this text. She had to check it, even if she knew it wasn't socially kosher.
"You should come over " – Beca.
A huge smile spread across Chloe's features, regardless of her audience. She was completely unaware of just how closely Aubrey was watching.
"I'll take that as a yes," Aubrey laughed out loud.
"What? Yes to what?" Chloe asked, more confused than ever, her attention drawn instantly back to her best friend and the strange smirk that sat on her face.
"That you fixed it."
"Fixed what?" Chloe's brow furrowed, not sure what they were even talking about at all anymore.
"Oh, Chloe," Aubrey smiled. "Where even are you? You and Beca are cool now, right?" she decided that she would walk her very distracted friend through the process of opening up if it was required, and apparently it was.
"Yeah," Chloe smiled. "We're cool now."
"Good," Aubrey nodded. "Because as much as I dislike her, I dislike you when you're fighting with her even more."
"Really? Why?" Chloe asked, confused and self-conscious about her Aubrey's statement.
"It's like you weren't even you," she told her friend honestly.
"I like her," Chloe spat out before she could consciously stop herself, immediately flushing but trying like hell not to act like she had actually divulged anything.
"I know you do, Chlo. And honestly, I think I could like her someday too. It's just that we're so different and—"
"Aubrey—" Chloe interrupted, speaking as though her consciousness had relinquished all control upon seeing her friend's misunderstanding of the statement. "I like her," she said, looking at her own nervous, wringing hands.
"You like—oh!" Aubrey went wide-eyed suddenly, sinking further into the couch. "You like her…" she said quietly as the information finally sank in.
Chloe nodded nervously, looking up at Aubrey just barely.
"Wow…" Aubrey took a deep breath, and a minute to take it all in. On one hand she couldn't help but be slightly shocked, if even simply at the fact that Chloe had admitted it so readily. At the same time it was like a million tiny puzzle pieces had all just fallen into place, finally. "Does she like you back?" she asked, sincerely interested, almost seeming excited.
Chloe nodded again, faster this time and with an undeniably overjoyed smile on her anxious face.
"Are you two like, together?!" Aubrey exclaimed as she stood from the couch excitedly.
"I honestly don't know," Chloe sort of chuckled. "That's what we were fighting about, I think," she admitted.
"Oh my God, Chloe! Why didn't you tell me?! I want to know everything!" Aubrey practically yelled, falling back onto the couch.
Chloe couldn't help but glance at her phone. She hadn't yet responded to Beca's text and she still didn't know what she should say. It was nearly ten thirty already and they had to be up early in the morning for rehearsals, which implied the invite was a 'spend the night' invite. She knew herself, and Beca, well enough to not read too far into it (they hadn't even kissed yet) but it still caused her to question the intent. But the idea of spending time with Beca right now was more than appealing to Chloe, and they still had a lot to work out between them, and if the 'working it out' so happened to involve a lot of snuggling, so be it.
"What? What did she say?" Aubrey asked, seemingly reading Chloe's mind.
"She wants me to go over," Chloe said quietly, unsure what kind of reaction she would get.
"Like a booty call?!" Aubrey cracked up. That was the last reaction she had expected to get.
"No! Not like a booty call, Aubrey!" Chloe told her, mortified but laughing nonetheless. "Everything just happened today."
"What do you mean by 'everything'?" Aubrey waggled her eyebrows.
"I mean- obviously she and I had been close and getting closer, but we didn't admit that it was like that. And today it just… it got real. And we had to acknowledge it, I guess," Chloe sighed.
"When I walked in on you in the rehearsal room? So that's why she was avoiding you today! She was totally freaking out," Aubrey reasoned.
"Yeah, I guess she was," Chloe realized her friend was exactly right.
"Well I don't blame her, really. It's a big deal," Aubrey empathized.
Chloe beamed at Aubrey's understanding.
"So are you going over?"
"Should I?" she knew she wanted to, but she loved the idea of having her best friend supporting her enough to talk her through things. It was something she honestly hadn't expected.
"Yeah, I would," Aubrey smiled. "I mean, you trust her, right? And you obviously like her. You two have a lot to work out. And make out," she added with a laugh, just to see Chloe blush.
"Aubrey!" Chloe covered her face.
"Did she kiss you yet?"
"No!"
"Don't lie to me, Beale!"
"We haven't kissed yet!" Chloe swore, laughing uncontrollably at the idea of it all.
"Well go then!" Aubrey practically demanded. "And have fun. But if you two are late for rehearsals in the morning I swear to God I'll rip your eyes out."
