Disclaimer- There are some slight references to drug use and adult material in this chapter (Bellas gone WILD, am I right?!). Not explicit, but thought you should know just in case. Thanks!
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Bellas WhatsApp, Wednesday
Jessica: Don't forget to meet with your partners after class for your fundraising project! We'll talk later at the house :)
Fat Amy: FYI, all funds can be deposited in the international bank of Amy
Flo: Yeah that'll be a "no" from me, Amy
Beca: Nice try, Patricia.
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"Beca, come on! You're being such a party pooper," Stacie called from across the parking lot, clearly disappointed. Cars were lining up around the lot, waiting to be washed by four of the Barden Bellas. Business had been slow until Stacie had decided to take matters into her own hands, using whatever antics she could to draw a crowd. Beca was far less amused.
"This is degrading and tacky!" Beca protested, refusing to participate.
"You said no bikinis, there are no bikinis in sight!" Stacie argued stubbornly.
"Give me a sec and I'll fix that right quick," Amy cut in, preparing to strip off her outer layer of clothing.
"Amy! Not the time!" Beca and Stacie exclaimed in unison. The blonde made a disappointed noise and rejoined Flo, who had been working on the last few cars.
"I am not hosing you down, dude." Beca refused, crossing her arms in rebellion. "And this isn't me taking over- you can do whatever the hell you want. This is your circus, not mine, my friend-"
Beca let out a loud scream as she suddenly was drenched in cold water.
"DUDE!" Beca lunged towards Stacie.
"You said I could do whatever I wanted!" Stacie protested, holding the hose out to keep Beca safely away.
"Oh come on, I'm already wet, you think I'm scared of you NOW?" Beca exclaimed furiously, picking up an abandoned bucket and chasing Stacie around the cars.
Amy, not to be outdone, grabbed another bucket and joined the chase. Flo picked up a sponge and continued to work steadily, hoping in vain that the other groups were having less trouble than hers.
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"We've been out here for an hour and we've only sold two cupcakes," Jessica complained, pressing her fingers to her forehead. "There's got to be something we can do to get business moving."
Cynthia Rose sighed, sitting up from her fully reclined position at the bake sale table to survey their inventory. She and Jessica had been running their bake sale booth for an hour with little success. When they'd picked their stations earlier, Cynthia Rose had been sure that the bake sale was by far the easiest job, and that the student union was the perfect location. So many people went in and out of that building during the day, she was sure they could drum up some business. Jessica was hopeful to a fault, and tried to engage people in conversation or motivate them with compliments to stop at the table.
"Sir! I love your hat! It really, um, brightens your eyes!" Jessica called after a faculty member, who promptly ignored her and raced past the booth. CR collapsed into fits of laughter, much to Jessica's chagrin.
"We tryin' to sell some cookies or get you a date?" CR teased as she struggled to gather herself.
"I don't see you helping get us any customers." Jessica huffed defensively, sitting back in her chair.
Just then, Cynthia Rose spotted several members of the High Notes rounding the corner on the sidewalk. She knew they would probably have to pass their booth in order to get to the student union, and that was all she needed. Cynthia Rose grinned, her eyes sparkling with anticipation. It would be like shooting fish in a barrel.
"Well would you look at that, blondie?" CR said smugly, crossing her arms. "Look's like our luck is about to change."
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"Emily! Grab some rubber gloves from the sink, we need to get going!" Chloe yelled from the foyer of the Bella house. She held a bucket full of cleaning supplies in one hand and her house keys in the other. Moments later, Ashley came bounding down the stairs with a mop.
"Are we ready to go?" Ashley asked.
"Em's getting some gloves from the bathroom, she'll be out in a minute."
"Perfect." Ashley's face brightened. The brunette called towards the bathroom in a loud voice."Hey Legacy, do me a favor?"
A moment of silence passed, and the two seniors looked at each other uncertainly. They heard a loud sigh from down the hall.
"Yes?" Emily asked tentatively. She was getting a little tired of the older girls asking her for favors.
"Throw on some mascara before we go, ok?" Ashley replied, as her lips curled into a knowing smile.
"Why?" Emily called back, sounding confused.
"Just for, you know, professionalism." Ashley grinned, winking mischievously at Chloe. Chloe shook her head, stifling a giggle. Emily emerged from the bathroom, carrying the gloves Chloe suggested. To their surprise, she had followed Ashley's advice and applied mascara to her eyelashes. Emily studied the other two girls carefully, then frowned.
"Neither of you had to put makeup on. Why am I the only one that needs to be professional?"
Ashley swatted her playfully with the mop, avoiding her questions entirely.
"Less talking, more walking, Legacy! Get that cute butt to the car. Lilly's waiting," Ashley practically pushed her out the door. Emily scurried down the sidewalk, away from Ashley and her mop. Lilly was revving the engine enthusiastically in the driveway. Maybe it was a mistake to let her drive, Chloe thought. She went against her better judgement, picturing Beca's piercing please-dear-god-do-not-get-involved glare that she'd grown accustomed to since the bet began. Instead of chastising Lilly, Chloe turned to Ashley as they walked down the sidewalk.
"Ashley Jones, don't tell me you have some ulterior motives for our little outing?" Chloe asked, faking surprise, as a knowing smile plastered her face.
"Don't we all, Beale?" Ashley smirked as they climbed into the car. They barely had a moment to buckle their seatbelts before Lilly threw the car in reverse and backed out of the driveway. Emily prattled on with more questions as they drove, which Ashley and Chloe carefully avoided. Finally, they pulled up to their first destination: the Treble house.
"Wow, when you guys said we were gonna go clean dorms for money I didn't know you meant houses too," Emily said, still in disbelief. "How are we going to do all of this?"
"Let's just say that these particular tenants only needed some reinforcements," Chloe stated carefully, to Ashley's satisfaction.
The girls walked up to the front door, lugging all of the cleaning supplies alongside them. Lilly rung the doorbell repeatedly until it swung open, revealing a flustered looking Benji Applebaum. His eyes brightened at the sight of Emily, who he had not been expecting.
"Hi!" Benji greeted them so enthusiastically that his voice cracked, leaving his cheeks bright red with embarrassment. He settled himself and lowered his voice, trying to overcompensate for his eagerness moments before. "I mean, uh, hello. Welcome to our home."
He held the door wide open, using his other arm to make a grand sweeping motion. Lilly darted past him quickly and immediately began investigating the living area. Emily nodded bashfully and said hello as she entered. Ashley and Chloe exchanged amused glances, each giving Benji a quick hug as they passed.
"So I am forever, um, indebted to you Bellas," Benji explained appreciatively. He shifted his weight nervously between his feet. "I've been trying to get the guys to clean up the house for weeks, really. We're hosting a mixer for alums from the Treblemakers this weekend and we could definitely use a hand."
Ever since Jesse had graduated a semester early in December, Benji had less than gracefully assumed his new position as captain of the Treblemakers. He wanted to make an impression on the group apart from Jesse, much as he loved him, but it was proving more difficult than anticipated. When the Bellas had put out an ad about the cleaning service to raise money for Worlds, it felt like a miracle. Maybe now he could finally get the help he needed.
At Benji's recommendation, the girls split across common areas in the house. The rest of the Trebles would be responsible for yard work and their own personal spaces. Despite Ashley's insistence that Chloe was very comfortable spending time in bathrooms, it was Lilly who raced up the stairs, saying something about plumbing and blue prints that they couldn't quite catch.
Following Ashley's lead from earlier, Chloe was quick to volunteer both of them to organize the living room, leaving Emily and Benji alone to work in the kitchen. Emily and Benji's faces flushed, both not quite sure what to do. Emily opened a cupboard and started taking the items out one by one to keep herself from fixating on the silence. She usually had so much to say about everything, but something about Benji left her shy and uncertain of where to start. Finally, after a few moments, Benji spoke.
"So, uh, how are your classes?"
"They're kind of tricky this semester, but Stacie helps me a lot." Emily grinned, thinking of great lengths Stacie went through to try and help her friends appreciate science. It never really worked, but it was fun to watch her try. "What about you?"
"Oh they're good. I mean, only a few more weeks, right?" Benji smiled tentatively, then froze, feeling the melancholy of graduation overcome him. He fell silent once again, but then regained some courage. He had to keep trying. "How's life as a Bella?"
Emily turned from her cupboard, facing him with her full attention for the first time. Where to begin? She wondered briefly. But all of a sudden, it was like the floodgates in her mind had been unleashed. She had no shortage of things to say about the past week in the house. She told him everything about the bet and the great lengths all of the girls were going to in order to win. It felt good to be able to get it all off of her chest.
"Don't get me wrong, I love them all, but is it usually this-" Emily concluded after her rambling for several minutes.
"Crazy? Chaotic?" Benji filled in the blank for her, just happy to be included. He couldn't believe he'd made it this far in a conversation without messing it up.
"Yes."
"Yes." Benji echoed, affirming her original question. "With the Bellas, my thought has always been that if things are too calm, that's usually when you're really in trouble."
"Well you must understand some of it, right? You're a captain too. Is it all it's cracked up to be?" Emily asked curiously, unaware that she'd taken a step closer to him. Benji tried not to react as she was only an arms length away. He could smell her perfume and found it completely intoxicating. He willed himself to stay focused.
"It can be a lonely job sometimes," Benji nodded, feeling a pang of sadness. "Sometimes it's nice to talk to someone completely outside of all this. It helps me clear my head."
"Me too." Emily agreed seriously.
"Well, uh, if you ever need to clear your head and want to get a break from everything, you can always call me." Benji sputtered, taking his risk. Instantly he regretted it, worrying that he had somehow gone too far. To his surprise, Emily reached out and squeezed his hand, smiling softly.
"I'd like that. I'd like that a lot."
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At the end of the night, the Bellas gathered back at the house to pool their funds and talk about the day. Hopes of dinner had long since been abandoned since no one really wanted to cook, so the girls were snacking on an assortment of candy instead. Chloe glanced around the room, feeling overcome by an overwhelming pride that could only be triggered by a day full teamwork. She knew she couldn't show it, but she was so proud of the way the girls had worked together and hit the pavement to raise money. Looking around the room, she felt like her heart might burst. Bet or no bet, these idiots had her whole heart. If only that was enough to keep the peace.
"Amy, no! For the last time, you cannot sell a calendar of yourself as a fundraiser," Flo said, sounding frustrated but very deliberate, like arguing with a child.
"Why not?" Amy challenged, looking indignant.
"It's actually kind of a good idea, I think," Emily piped up. Amy looked genuinely shocked to have her support. "I always like using calendars to keep track of homework and other important things, I bet a lot of other people would too."
Beca nearly choked on the sucker she'd been eating, her eyes wide with horror and amusement.
"No Legacy," Beca stammered, trying to find a way to explain what the other girls meant. She quickly gave up. "Just trust me on this one. You don't want it."
"Nope, the squirt's on my side, you all heard it," Amy exclaimed triumphantly. She rose from her seat on the couch and grabbed a handful of Skittles.
"Something tells me that Dean Rockwell won't warm up to us any time soon if we start selling nudes," Ashley smirked, and continued chewing on her Twizzler.
"I never said anything about nudes, ya dirty bird!" Amy claimed, "I would never use those for profit! Not more than once."
"Gross," Emily wrinkled her nose in disgust.
"Maybe there's a less colorful way we can raise more money?" Chloe posed the question to the group. The girls took turns throwing out suggestions, but nothing seemed to stick. They knew they had to plan for their big fundraiser coming up over the weekend, but they knew they would need more than that to raise all of the funds needed for worlds.
"Let's just start by tallying what we've made so far- then we'll see what we need to do to get the rest." Stacie declared, absentmindedly picking a pack of Smarties from the pile. "We made $600 at the car wash. Who's next?"
"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Ashley remarked in disbelief, holding up her hands. "How many cars did you guys wash? That's insane."
"It was less about the washing, and more about the entertainment," Flo explained in a disgruntled tone, still slightly irritated by the lack of help she had earlier in the afternoon.
"Beca refused to hose me down so we could have a wet t-shirt contest, so I soaked her." Stacie shrugged, eating her candy.
"And then we had a water battle so EPIC that guys kept coming and giving us tips," Amy grinned, while Beca was as red as a tomato.
"Oh I would've definitely paid to see that," Chloe grinned, picturing the fiasco that had taken place.
"We know," Jessica and Ashley muttered under their breath, perfectly in sync. They looked at each other in disbelief, laughing quietly.
"How'd the bake sale go?" Emily asked Cynthia Rose and Jessica innocently.
"Got any left overs? I'm starving." Beca chimed in, feeling her stomach start to rumble. Candy could only satisfy her for so long, she might as well upgrade to dessert.
"No can do, shorty. We're completely sold out." Cynthia Rose said smugly, as she filed her nails nonchalantly.
"Damn! What did you put in those cupcakes?" Beca joked cheekily, until she saw the guilty look on Jessica's face. Beca sat up straight in her seat and leaned towards Cynthia Rose. "Dude, did you put something in those cupcakes?"
"No!" Cynthia Rose laughed, then settled once she saw looks on everyone's faces. "For real, no."
"Then how did you guys sell all of those cupcakes? We baked, like, a thousand of them." Ashley questioned, staring directly at Jessica, hoping she would crack.
"We maybe- possibly- okay, definitely told the High Notes that the cupcakes were edibles, so they bought the whole batch." Jessica confessed with a mix of guilt and victory on her face. Cynthia Rose shot her an annoyed look.
"Way to keep a secret," CR said disapprovingly.
"Who cares?" Jessica shot back. "We made $200, Stace."
"Okay," Stacie noted, adding the sums quickly in her head. "That leaves our resident housekeepers. Chlo, Lilly, Em, Ashley? How'd it go?"
"Benji paid us $150 to help clean the Treble house. We made another $100 from a couple of the dorms in Baker Hall, but we didn't have enough time to get to everyone on the list today. We've got more tomorrow." Chloe recounted dutifully.
"Well great, now we've got enough money for one of us to go to Copenhagen," Flo stated, flopping on to the couch. The girls sighed, feeling discouraged. They were all exhausted. In a lot of ways, they were back at square one. Even with the childcare fundraiser they had planned, they knew they would still have a sizable amount of money left to raise.
"What if we call some of the alumni from the Bellas and ask for donations." Emily proposed tentatively, waiting to be shot down.
"Oh, sure, we'll just call up a bunch of middle aged women and ask for money?" Flo countered.
"Why not? Benji said the Trebles are doing the same thing. My mom still talks to a bunch of her old Bellas. It might not be much, but it could help." Emily stuck to her guns, feeling bolstered by her conversation with Benji from earlier.
"Benji, huh?" Stacie said playfully. "Glad you two got to spend some quality time together today."
"Well, it's worth a shot." Chloe threw in her two cents. "I can go look for an alumni directory. I know Aubrey used to keep one around here somewhere!"
"Grab your phones, ladies, we've got some calls to make." Stacie nodded affirmatively.
The girls dispersed in search of their phones and a comfortable place to sit. Cynthia Rose, however, made a bee line straight to the kitchen with a particularly determined expression on her face.
"Where are you headed?" Beca inquired.
"Gonna make a rush order of cupcakes and drop 'em by the High Notes rehearsal tomorrow. I might even throw in brownies this time, but that might be too on the nose. Mo' money, mo' problems," CR cracked a smile as she busied herself in the kitchen. "Wanna help?"
Beca considered her options for a moment. Not wanting to sit through an evening of awkward cold calling, her choice was a no-brainer.
"Hold the fake weed, CR! I'm coming!" Beca called and hurried to the kitchen.
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Thanks for the continued feedback and support. Special thanks to Kimmania for catching a spelling error in the last chapter!
I wanted this chapter to be a bit lighter, since the next couple are going to be a bigger undertaking. The Bellas are so much fun to write as a group, but they can be a handful to wrangle all together. I liked the opportunity to split them into smaller scenes/groups.
Next chapter- Parents Night Out :)