Bellas Whatsapp, Tuesday afternoon
Ashley: Rehearsal tonight at 5:30, don't be late!
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Beca's phone lit up on the corner of her small desk at Residual Heat, diverting her attention from the coffee orders and filing that had been consuming her afternoon. Only a few months before, she'd been ecstatic to finally dip her feet into the world of the music business. It was only what she'd been waiting for her entire career at Barden, no, her whole life. But like everything else, she was quickly discovering that this internship wasn't quite what she'd expected.
"Crap," Beca muttered under her breath as she read Ashley's message. Her boss had just given her a stack of papers to file that would take easily the whole afternoon. It took at least 30 minutes to get back to campus from Residual Heat, not counting traffic. There was no way she would make it to practice on time.
Beca played restlessly with her hair, trying to collect her thoughts and come up with a plan. She didn't want to know what would happen if she was late to practice, but she could only imagine what Stacie and the girls would come up with if given the opportunity. She began drafting a text to Chloe, but quickly deleted it. Even though they weren't currently calling the shots for the Bellas, Beca knew better than to stress Chloe out about being late to practice. Finally, Beca settled on someone she knew would help her without question and immediately picked up her phone.
"Legacy? It's Beca. I need you to do me a favor- and you can't tell anyone. I'm serious."
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Later that afternoon, Lilly slowly put away her materials and collected her belongings as the other students trickled out of their advanced drawing class. She surveyed the work of her classmates, studying it carefully. They had been instructed to free draw for the last 10 minutes of the session. It was a rare opportunity at the collegiate level to truly let their imaginations run wild. Some students had drawn sprawling landscapes, others resorted to geometric patterns or varying textures that made Lilly feel a little dizzy. Lilly returned to her own station, where she glanced at the hasty caricature she'd done of Fat Amy trying to cook breakfast the previous morning. She'd given her a comically large chef hat, with ingredients flying in the air every which way. In the background of the sketch, the other girls shrunk away from the carnage, ducking behind counters and objects they could find in the kitchen. It may not have been her best work, but it certainly had kept her entertained while she waited for the other students to leave.
She slung her messenger bag over her shoulder and noticed that another student was busy chatting away with Professor Wright, an adjunct professor in the art department. Lilly cursed her miscalculations and her inability to speak up, she hated feeling so powerless. She had always had a hard time being the center of attention. It was so much easier to just blend in, especially in the classroom. She'd gotten so good at it that people often didn't notice when she entered or exited a room, which was great until she needed to be noticed.
Lilly pulled an envelope out of her bag and turned it over in her hands. The World Art Internship logo was blazoned across the envelope in bold, professional looking letters. The internship was something she'd discovered online late one night during the fall semester. The Bellas had returned from another disastrous riff-off, and the tension had been palpable in the house. Lilly couldn't sleep knowing everyone was disgruntled, so she lay awake googling and drawing aimlessly. When she'd discovered this program that would allow her to complete a post-undergraduate internship abroad, she knew she had to apply. Only one problem: she needed a recommendation letter.
"Lilly, you're still here," Professor Wright stated quizzically, causing Lilly to tense. Lilly willed herself to speak up, but felt trapped inside her own body. "Great work today. I especially liked your free sketch, it was so vibrant and humorous."
"I wanted to ask-" Lilly began, murmuring softly.
"Do you need something?" Professor Wright strained, trying to understand what she was saying. She smiled earnestly, making Lilly feel slightly more at ease.
"I want to ask a favor." Lilly spoke a little louder, capturing the professor's attention.
"Of course! I'd be more than happy to help with whatever you need." The young professor nodded, her smile intact. All of a sudden, a phone began to ring and Professor Wright was once again distracted. "I'm so sorry, hold on a second, I need to take this-"
Lilly nodded congenially, but felt slighted. She busied herself by looking at posters and flyers around the room, not wanting Professor Wright to feel as though she was eavesdropping.
"What do you mean, you can't get him from school? I thought you said you were free today? Fine, no, its fine, I'll go get him now." Professor Wright hung up the phone, looking flustered. She turned to Lilly apologetically. "Lilly, I'm sorry but I have to step out. My babysitter canceled on me last minute. If you're free tomorrow, feel free to stop by during my office hours and we can talk about that favor. I should be there, childcare permitting."
Hastily collecting her own papers and belongings, Professor Wright rushed from the room to pick up her son, leaving Lilly alone once again. Lilly pulled out her own cell phone and saw Ashley's message about the evening rehearsal schedule. She sighed, turning the lights off and closing the door to the studio behind her. The recommendation letter would have to wait.
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Soon the Bellas were assembled in their rehearsal space for the first time since the bet began. The girls spread out, setting aside their belongings and stretching to prepare for rehearsal. Soon, CR sidled up to Jessica and Stacie, who had been talking discreetly in the corner.
"So, this may not be the best time to bring this up," CR whispered as she stretched her shoulder muscles, "But how the hell do you plan on pulling this rehearsal off with no plan?"
"What do you mean, no plan? The plan is we keep doing things our way until Beca can't take it anymore- and I would say we're well on our way," Stacie said confidently. "We're in it for the long haul, remember?"
"But what's the point of getting to pick songs at Worlds if we keep wasting all of this time in a standoff? We definitely won't be ready then and the setlist won't even matter," Jessica claimed, shrugging passively.
"Agreed," Cynthia Rose nodded, continuing to stretch her core. "I love messing with Beca and Chloe, but why can't we do that and show them we can handle everything? We can mix, we can choreograph, let's show 'em what we've got."
"I like the way you two think. Let's take it to the group," Stacie agreed, observing each of the girls one by one. Ashley and Emily were warming up, laughing uncontrollably over a joke Fat Amy had just cracked. Lilly seemed a little off, staring aimlessly around the room. Something didn't seem right, but it was never easy to tell with her. Chloe and Flo were talking happily as they both were practically in splits on the floor, warming up their quads and leg muscles. Stacie glanced around the room once more and immediately recognized they were missing one person: Beca. Her face contorted into a frown.
Across the room, Emily glanced at her watch and gulped when she noticed the time blaring across the screen, 5:35 p.m. She knew the other girls would want to start rehearsal, and if she didn't do something soon, Beca could be in trouble. She didn't know why Beca needed help, but it didn't matter. She desperately wanted to be on the senior's good side and glean all of the musical knowledge she could from her. So if this was a way to earn her trust and respect, then so be it. Emily took a breath and surveyed her audience- all of the girls were beginning to gather near the piano. It was now or never.
"So, uh, I need some advice-" Emily asked Ashley, just loud enough for the other girls to hear. Ashley's head perked up- she wasn't used to being a sounding board for anyone, but she gladly welcomed the change and attention. Emily could see she had peaked the interest of the other Bellas in her peripheral vision, but continued to speak only to Ashley. They were hooked- but she had to keep going. The only problem was, she had no idea what to do once all eyes were on her. She hadn't planned this far ahead, how was she supposed to know it would actually work!
"What kind of advice?" Ashley asked curiously, stepping closer to the freshman. Emily gulped, willing her brain to come up with something on the fly, but instead was consumed by a rush of anxious thoughts. Everyone is staring, this is so embarrassing and I'm going to FAIL and Beca is going to be SO disappointed-
"Is it about a boy?" Ashley pressed knowingly, raising her eyebrows conspiratorially.
"Or a girl, we don't discriminate," Stacie winked cheekily. Cynthia Rose nodded enthusiastically as she rejoined the group.
"It's Benji," Emily heard herself blurt out, and caught herself by surprise. Sure, Benji was friendly and cute and he always made her feel so at ease, but she'd never considered feelings for him, let alone verbalized them. Son of a nutcracker, she cursed inwardly, feeling flustered. Maybe I'm not pretending after all. Emily was absolutely certain that her cheeks were flushed bright red and there was nothing she could do to hide it.
"Boring," Cynthia Rose yawned, clearly disappointed. The other girls, however, were still completely enthused at this newly revealed information.
"The truth comes out," Stacie grinned, affectionately slinging an arm around Emily.
"I KNEW it-" Jessica crowed, "I knew they were making puppy dog eyes at each other for a whole semester and none of you listened to me!"
"Someone ignored something you said? What a shocking change of pace," Ashley rolled her eyes.
"So you like Benji," Chloe spoke up, refocusing the conversation. Emily fidgeted with a loose string on her jacket, not wanting to make eye contact with any of the girls.
"I mean, I think so? Yes? But we've only ever talked at a cappella parties and riff offs and-"
"What you need to do is go on a date," Fat Amy declared authoritatively, earning surprised glances from the rest of the group. "That way, you can actually talk and scope out the situation. Because Legacy, trust me, life is too short to hitch your wagon to the wrong bloke. You've gotta be free!"
"Are we talking about Emily or you?" Flo muttered sarcastically.
"Both," Fat Amy admitted.
"Amy's got a point- it wouldn't hurt to go on a date and get to know each other a little better," Jessica coached her.
"But like, how? I can't ask him- and he can't ask me- and he shouldn't, since he's a Treble," Emily emphasized their rival group like it was a dirty word.
"Dude, it's not the dark ages. We don't care who anyone dates anymore," Beca cut in, seeming to appear out of thin air between CR and Ashley. Emily let out a small sigh of relief. "Do whatever you want, just don't be stupid."
"When did you get here?" Flo asked incredulously.
"I was in the bathroom," Beca stated coolly, hoping they bought the ruse.
"Oi, that's on me. The milk I put in the pancakes this morning expired last week. I too was in intestinal distress not long ago," Amy patted her stomach sympathetically.
The other girls wrinkled their noses in various levels of disgust. The shared responsibilities in the kitchen were starting to take a toll on everyone. Between Amy's spoiled pancakes, the burnt to a crisp grilled cheese Emily had served for last night's dinner, and spaghetti extra al dente Cynthia Rose had assembled a few days before, the girls were definitely starting to miss Chloe's cooking. Not that they would let her know that.
"Don't worry, we'll get you on that date." Ashley nodded seriously. Emily gulped- what had she just unleashed?
"Anyway, now that everyone is here and not suffering from gastrointestinal problems, we've got some business to take care of." Stacie cleared her throat loudly, calling the group to order. The other girls nodded and got ready to work.
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The rest of rehearsal got off to a bumpy start, as the other girls could not agree on the group's number one priority. Jessica and Flo felt that the group needed to focus on fundraising instead, since they had found themselves saddled with a several thousand dollar debt following the run in with Dean Rockwell. In spite of the warnings from Dean Rockwell, Stacie and Cynthia Rose both felt that the Bellas needed to schedule and work towards a public performance. Beca frowned, truly apprehensive about the prospect of performing in public so soon. It had been years since any other Bella had assembled a set list for the entire group. Will they try to do a mashup? Beca wondered uncertainly as the girls argued around her. She shuddered, envisioning sloppy transitions and songs that didn't mesh lyrically or melodically. Please, for the love of God, keep it simple, she begged internally.
"Shouldn't we be trying to do like a million fundraisers since we have to pay our own way to Copenhagen? Money isn't going to just come falling from the sky," Flo argued.
"I had a dream like that once," Fat Amy mused as she lowered herself to the floor. Emily looked at her curiously.
"That sounds amazing," Emily agreed, smiling genuinely at the Australian. "I wish it was real."
"Not exactly, Legacy. Lots of paper cuts…. in delicate places."
"Oh. OH." Emily's eyes widened, drawing a chuckle from the senior.
"I agree with Flo," Beca motioned to the other petite girl in the group. "But how are we gonna come up with $10,000?"
The girls stopped, contemplating for the first time the price tag on their mistakes this year. Stacie gulped, looking overwhelmed. She needed to be going for interviews at potential graduate programs, she didn't have time for this.
"Please no one say bikini car wash." Beca filled the silence in the room uncertainly as her teammates pondered their options. "You guys?"
"I have an idea." Lilly spoke clearly and at full volume, as all eyes turned to her. Emily nearly fell out of her chair- she'd never really heard the girl's actual voice before and the sound of it, while pleasant, was alarming. Lilly cleared her throat and outlined her plan in a soft, soothing tone. She'd been discouraged by her setback earlier in the day, but in the time since had not been able to stop picturing Professor Wright's panic and frustration about her son's lack of childcare. There had to be plenty of other staff on campus in the same situation, needing a break. She proposed hosting an event on a weekend that they would call Parents Night Out. They could invite all Barden University staff and faculty for an evening of childcare at a reasonable price.
"So it's like two wallabies with one stone," Amy thought aloud, tapping a finger on her chin pensively. "We entertain the little rugrats for an evening, make some quick cash, AND look like Mother Theresa for helping out in the process? I like it."
"It's great, Lilly. I mean it." Chloe smiled warmly at the typically aloof girl. Lilly offered a small smile in return.
"We've kept Emily alive for this long, how hard could it be?" Stacie joked, earning a playful glare from the freshman.
"Only one problem, y'all." Cynthia Rose dragged the whiteboard Chloe was so fond of during rehearsals to the center of the room. She uncapped a marker and wrote Parents Night Out on it in bold, clear letters. She turned to the group. "Look at this like gambling. We put money into snacks, stuff to keep them busy, etc. How do we know the payout is gonna be worth it?"
"I can borrow some craft supplies and activities from the education department so we don't have to put in much money upfront," Chloe offered.
"I can think of plenty of low cost ways to keep the midgets busy," Amy grinned, her eyes sparkling with mischief.
"And in the meantime, we can do a lot of little things around campus to make some more money. I like Lilly's idea, but it's not gonna bring in $10,000 alone." Flo said.
"Call me crazy, but did we actually just agree on a plan?" Ashley pointed out, an amused smile plastered on her face.
"I think so," Jessica said in a mix of awe and disbelief.
"So when should we throw this little event?" Chloe asked, trying to evaluate what would be the most practical decision. Stacie proposed waiting a few weeks, still wanting to discuss a set list and performance.
"Let's do it this weekend." Beca stated, trying to sound more confident than she felt. She caught Chloe's eye from across the room, but didn't acknowledge her. She didn't need the other Bellas immediately on her tail. "I'm not gonna tell you guys what to do, because technically I'm not allowed to do that right now. I can ask um, my Dad to help spread the word about it and make sure we get enough people to come. But like, only if that's what everyone wants to do."
"There's no time like the present," Emily joined Beca's cause enthusiastically. "The longer we wait, the more complicated we'll make it. Let's just do it. C'mon, there's so many of us, I know we can pull it off!"
Stacie's eyes widened. Was this just a coincidence, or was Emily switching sides on them again? She made a mental note to find out.
"Well, I'm actually free this weekend, so let's go for it," Fat Amy agreed easily.
"You're free every weekend," Flo quipped, but also agreed that the sooner they could get one fundraiser in, the better. Eventually all of the girls came to the same conclusion: they had a fundraiser to prepare for.
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Hello and welcome back! It's been awhile, so I hope everyone is doing well and still enjoying this story. Thanks for all of your feedback, I really do read each review and take your thoughts into account, so thanks for taking the time!
Good news… I have another update in the works THIS WEEK! This chapter works as a set up for many more things to come.
Stay tuned to find out where the Bellas and their bet are headed next :)