"Bec?" he asks in the darkness of their small bedroom in their first apartment in Los Angeles.
"Yeah?" she mumbles sleepily.
"My five year high school reunion is coming up next month, and it would really mean a lot to me if you'd go with me," he says.
"You graduated six years ago," she points out.
"Yeah I know, but the committee took forever to plan the reunion," he explains.
"Then it should be called a six year reunion," she argues.
He sighs, exasperated, "Yes, it should. But it isn't."
She exhales against her pillow, "Will Jason, Tom, and Mike be there at least?" They were the friends of his from home that she'd already met and liked.
"Yeah," he replies, "I just thought it could be fun. Plus, I want to show off my gorgeous fiancé."
"And who might that be?" she teases, and he lightly tickles her stomach. "Ok," she agrees finally, "Do I need to dress up?"
"It's a formal dinner, yes," he says, "I'm going to wear a suit and tie."
She groans into the mattress, "Alright, but remember I'm only doing this because I love you."
He grins, "Thanks Bec."
As the next few weeks pass, she's swamped at work. Her schedule at the radio station is erratic, as she's one of the newest hires, and her manager has her working odd hours. As the weekend of the reunion approaches, she's becoming increasingly afraid that her work schedule won't allow her to attend.
She ends up rearranging the schedule so that she can still go, but Jesse will have to fly to his hometown first, and then she'll follow him the next day, the day of the reunion. He isn't happy about this, but at least she'll still be able to go.
She goes dress shopping with Chloe, having no idea of what to buy to wear to such an event. She wants to look nice for Jesse and his friends.
On the day of her flight, nothing is going right. The weather in L. A. is awful, and there are a ton of flight delays. By the time she lands, she has just enough time to rent a car and drive to Jesse's house, get ready, and then leave for the reunion already in progress.
Jesse arrives early to the party, and is relieved when she texts him to let him know she's landed. He's having fun catching up with old friends and acquaintances, and is standing in a crowd of his buddies when one of them punches him in the shoulder, exclaiming, "Who is that? I think I would remember her from high school!"
He turns to where his friend is pointing and sees her, wearing a deep green form fitting dress that hugs her curves in all the right places. It reaches mid-calf and has a low cut v-neck and short sleeves. Her hair is in loose ringlets, and gone are all traces of her former alt-girl self. She's wearing very little eye makeup, no earrings except a pair of sparkly hoops, and a y-shaped necklace that trails down into her cleavage. The tattoos on her back and shoulders are covered by the fabric. She's exquisite.
"That," he replies, attempting to clear his throat, "Is my future wife."
"Yeah, mine too," his buddy says, not realizing that Jesse is serious. Jesse turns and walks away from the group to greet her.
"My God, Beca," he says when he gets closer to her, "You're stunning."
"You think?" she replies nervously, smoothing down her skirt. "Chloe picked it out. I wasn't sure about the dress."
"You're always beautiful, but wow," he manages, and she smiles as he leads her over to his friends to introduce her. His buddies are equally shocked as they make their introductions, especially when he calls her his fiancé. When she excuses herself to get a drink, Greg pulls him aside.
"Dude, you didn't tell me girls like that went to Barden. Maybe I would have tried harder in high school so I could have gotten in too. How the hell did you land her?"
"Gee, thanks man," Jesse laughs, "Actually we met interning at the campus radio station after I serenaded her from my parents' car on move in day."
"No way!" Greg laughs, and when Beca returns with her drink, Jesse's already launched into the story of their freshman year together.
"I heard her sing, and I was a goner," he tells Greg, "But it took her a little while longer to fall in love with my dorkiness."
She laughs, "He had juice pouches and Rocky! What girl could resist?" She drapes her arm around his waist as they stand there, talking and laughing with his friends. When a slow song starts playing he turns to her and asks, "Dance with me?"
She nods and he leads her to the dance floor. She wraps her arms around his neck as he places his hands on her hips, and they begin to sway. "Your friends are great," she tells him. "This is nice. I wouldn't be caught dead at my own high school reunion, but this is nice."
"Why not?" he wonders.
"I didn't exactly have what you'd call a normal high school experience. I was a loner. I only had a few acquaintances who were mostly guys. And when I graduated, I didn't keep in touch with anyone from back home. I was glad to be out of there," she explains.
"That's a shame," he says, "Because for me high school was a blast. I made some great friends here. Friends I'll probably have for life."
"You think they like me?" she asks.
"They love you," he responds assuredly, "What's not to love?"
"Chloe said I should dress more conservative, you know, not my usual style. I'm guessing you like it based on your reaction when I showed up here," she leans her head on his shoulder.
"I didn't even recognize you at first," he teases her, but he feels her tense in his arms.
"Oh," she says quietly.
"What's wrong?" his voice is full of concern at her sudden shift in mood.
"It's nothing," she shakes her head.
"Beca," he urges.
"It's just that, the day we met you said something about how I was one of those girls who acts all dark and mysterious, but that if I would just take off my scary ear spike you'd realize I was beautiful all along," she stops to take a breath. "And, I don't know, I kind of thought you were saying I would be beautiful if I didn't have the ear spike. Or maybe my tattoos. Or my dark eye shadow and alternative style."
"Beca," he says softly, but she cuts him off.
"And I just didn't know what your friends were like. Maybe they think tattoos and piercings are weird. I didn't want to embarrass you."
"You could never embarrass me," he tells her, stroking her cheek with his thumb, "You don't need to change a single thing about yourself for me, Beca. I think you're beautiful. I always have. When I said that I was actually flirting with you, poorly, I might add. You could get caught in a monsoon or wear a paper bag and I'd still think you were the most attractive woman I've ever seen in my life."
"You have to say that, because you're stuck with me," she answers.
"I mean it," he says, "And now my friends are all glaring at me with extreme jealousy because I'm here dancing with the hottest girl in the room, and they're all alone."
"Should I ask them to dance with me?" she smiles up at him, "Try and get to know them better?"
"You could try, but I'm not letting go of you tonight, not even for one second. It might be awkward trying to dance to a slow song. With you, me, and Greg," he smirks.
She's laughing now. "Besides," he adds, "One of them might steal you away from me."
"Not a chance," she quips. "I only fall for dorks and weirdos, and they seem way cooler than you."
And since it's the best way to get her to shut up, he kisses her. They forget that they're standing in the middle of a crowded dance floor as his tongue intertwines with hers as he deepens the kiss.
"Yo Swanson!" he hears Greg's voice shout, "Save some of that for later!"
They break apart suddenly, and he leans his forehead against hers as his friends whistle and yell insults from the sidelines.
"Do you think you would have noticed me, if we went to high school together?" she asks him.
"I would have fallen all over myself trying to get your attention," he replies.
"Wait, didn't you do that in college?" she deadpans, and he rolls his eyes at her.
"Totally worth it," he grins, fingering her engagement ring as it sparkles in the dim lighting of the banquet hall.
"So tell me, what kinds of things do normal high school couples do together?" she asks.
"Oh, you know. Catch a movie, get something to eat, go for a walk, make out," he answers.
She gets a wicked gleam in her eye, the one he loves, "Come with me," she says, pulling him by the hand out the door. When they reach the parking lot she says, "Where's your car?" and he points to it, parked a few rows away. He unlocks it as they approach and she opens the backseat door, sliding in and pulling him in next to her by the tie. Before he can ask her what they're doing, she's straddling his lap and kissing him, her tongue tangling with his. Her hands are in his hair, and as the kiss builds in intensity, he stops, breathing hard.
"Bec, if we don't stop soon, I'm not going to be able to," his voice is low and husky.
"Who says I want to stop?" she nibbles the shell of his ear.
"Because," he replies, "We're in my father's car at my high school reunion and someone might see us and—" he stops as she grinds her hips into his. "And shut up Swanson because you're talking instead of ravishing your drop-dead gorgeous fiancé who's incredibly sexy."
"Jesse?" she puts her fingers to his lips, silencing him.
"Stop being such a dork and ravish me already!"
He doesn't need to be told twice.
"Oww, my knee!"
"This car has a low roof you know!"
"Bec, your heel! My dad's going to notice a huge scuff on the back of his seat!"
They're laughing at first at the awkwardness of it all, but soon their laughter fades. This is hot, really hot. Inhibitions vanish, and soon the only things being said are their names, screamed in pleasure. They're both breathing hard when she whispers in his ear, "Now when you think of high school, you'll have a memory of me."
"Beca, every moment with you makes a memory," he says honestly, and she kisses him softly on the lips.
"You're way too sweet to me, you know that?" she says as they dress and head back inside. They look a little bit mussed, but otherwise decent as they rejoin the group on the dance floor.
And when a curvy blonde taps Jesse on the shoulder, he turns to Beca and says, "Beca, this is Lizzie. Lizzie, this is my fiancé Beca."
Beca knows who Lizzie is; she's his high school girlfriend. The one he took to prom and lost his virginity to, and Beca narrows her eyes a bit as the girl asks, "May I cut in?"
Noting Beca's expression Lizzie adds, "Oh, you can dance with my husband, Scott." She gestures over to a gangly looking guy standing awkwardly a few feet away. Beca nods and begrudgingly goes over to dance with Scott.
They make their introductions and are swaying to the music when Scott leans down and whispers, "You know you're really beautiful, I haven't been able to take my eyes off you all night."
"Aren't you married to Lizzie?" she asks, incredulously.
"Married, but not blind," Scott says smiling. "Maybe I could get your number? We could go out for drinks sometime?"
"Gee, Scott," Beca has to try not to laugh at the ridiculousness of this, "I'm flattered, but see that guy over there?" She points at Jesse, "I'm madly in love with him, so I'll have to pass."
"Worth a shot," Scott shrugs, and they are soon rejoined by Jesse and Lizzie. "That's quite a girl you've got there," Scott regards Jesse.
"Thanks man, you too," he says politely as they walk back to their table.
"He totally hit on me," Beca blurts out, "Poor Lizzie!"
"She hit on me, too," Jesse says, laughing.
"No!" they are hysterical.
"Swingers?" they say in unison, and now she's hunched over, her head on his shoulder, his face buried in her hair as they try to catch their breaths.
"Hey, I can't help it if we're the hottest couple here," Jesse says smugly, "And you know what the best part about tonight is?" he adds.
"What?" she's intrigued.
"I get to take you home with me," he grins at her and winks suggestively, and she laughs.
"You're such a nerd," she says, but her eyes are sparkling, "Thanks for tonight," she tells him.
Maybe, she thinks, just maybe, high school isn't that bad after all.