The festive season was ever approaching, and Chloe - being a die-hard Christmas fanatic - was insistent on making the trip to the various events Atlanta had to offer. The Bellas had opted out in favour of watching a movie and suggested that Chloe and Beca should go alone. Chloe was more than happy to take the opportunity; a date with Beca was long overdue.
Though Beca would've preferred staying in to bake some s'mores with Chloe and cuddle up in their warm bed with a beer to share, she knew how much getting out and about during holidays meant to her girlfriend. She was also trying not to be a Grinch this time around (not that she would even know what a Grinch was, but Chloe often used the phrase during Christmastime) and would attempt to into the holiday spirit.
Chloe used their outing as an opportunity to dress up. She had thrown on an oversized sweater topped with a long overcoat, and knitted jeans were tucked into her knee-high boots. She had a stylish scarf, mittens and a bobble hat all to coordinate with the rest of her outfit.
Such an adorable attire, alongside her reddened nose and infectious giggle, saw Beca in a trance. She found herself directing frequent glances at Chloe, wanting to consume all the beauty her girlfriend had to offer, but was unable to completely digest it in its entirety; there was an infinite supply, one that would never cease to exist. And that was overwhelming, even for somebody who had been in a long-term relationship with her.
Beca was also astounded by how much effort Chloe put in to look flawless, and how all she threw on were her tartan flannel, her usual skinny jeans and her trusty leather jacket. She left the 'cute winter outfits' to her girlfriend, never quite understanding the strange fascination most woman had with them. Thankfully, Chloe wasn't judgemental and often stole Beca's shirts to wear herself, so to know that a fashionista liked her clothes was fairly reassuring.
Their hands entwined, the couple took a magical evening stroll through the annual German-inspired markets. These were characterized by their quaint wooden huts, twinkling lights and an all around upbeat, optimistic atmosphere, which was perfect for Chloe. Different vendors gathered to sell their unique products to people near and far; no two stalls were quite the same.
"These are so cute." Chloe's free hand pointed to the handmade ornaments.
Beca nodded, but she felt that there was something - or rather, a someone - far cuter standing beside her. "Yeah, they're pretty neat, babe."
"How much are they?" Chloe smiled at the young man in the corner.
"$15 for six."
"Ooh, they'll look great on our tree, Becs. Can we get them?"
"Our tree is five inches tall. Do you you really need more decorations to weigh it down?" Beca wasn't too concerned about the price, but money had a tendency to flow through Chloe's fingertips on things that were sure to be wasted. Their tiny tree could only take so much.
"No, not for this tree." Chloe giggled. "For our tree in the future, when we're married and own our house. We'll be able to look back on this moment and think 'those are souvenirs from the Christmas markets in Atlanta.'"
"I highly doubt we'll think that-"
"Please can we get them? Please?" Chloe was on the verge of begging if it meant she could get her way.
Beca sighed. "They're just not necessary, Chlo."
Chloe jutted out her lower lip and pulled her infamous puppy dog eyes, tilting her head a little sideways to enhance its affect. She looked even more irresistible when she pouted like a child. It was narrowly impossible for anybody to deny her, and Beca in particular was often caught in that trap.
She rolled her eyes and quickly caved in to Chloe's wishes. "Fine."
"Yay!" Chloe squealed and pecked Beca's cheek.
The redhead unzipped her handbag, took out her purse and fumbled with the dollar bills until she whipped out a twenty and handed it to the man. He thanked her, provided the change and packaged up six varied ornaments, placing the box into a strong paper bag and presenting it to Chloe.
"Thank you." Chloe grinned as she clasped the handles. "Happy holidays."
He smiled and nodded. "You too."
Beca wanted to keep on investigating the area, but Chloe seemed to be drawn to every other stall they saw. She had a theoretical list on knick-knacks to buy for her family and friends and was determined to get them all something. Whenever she caught a glimpse of a potential gift, she would weigh out all the possible people in her mind before deciding if any any of them would be keen on her little purchase. And that had a tendency to take awhile.
Beca made the occasional quip at an obscure item to keep her amusement from running dry, as she always did when they shopped. But soon enough, she noticed Chloe was joining in on the fun while her searching commenced.
"Oh my god, are these what I think they are?" Chloe kept her voice low as she gaped at one of the batches of cookies laid out on display. Green frosting formed a basic tree shape, but that was a probable ploy to direct one's attention away from what the actual cookie seemed to be cut out as.
"Yeah, they look like dicks to me. Shall we compare?" Beca smirked as she gestured to her crotch.
Chloe returned the smirk. "So you're a flasher as well as an aspiring music producer?"
"A flasher to you, yes."
"Mmm, I'm honoured."
Beca wrapped an arm around Chloe's waist and pulled her in, pressing a short, sweet kiss against her lips. "You should be."
"Hello, ladies." A middle-aged woman hovered over the counter. "What can I get for you?"
"We're just browsing, thank you." Chloe said, fiddling with a loose thread on Beca's sleeve.
"Yeah, browsing your cock cookies." Beca murmured just loud enough for Chloe to successfully decipher her words. Chloe playfully nudged her.
The woman smiled at them, completely oblivious as to what had happened just moments before. "Well if you need any help, don't hesitate to ask. We do try to please."
"In more ways then one." Beca received another nudge from her girlfriend.
"We'll come back soon." Chloe led Beca away from the stall. When they immersed themselves in the crowd, she giggled and brushed her fingers through the ends of her hair. "You're unbelievable."
"Was she even aware of what they looked like?" Beca asked with a chuckle.
"I doubt it."
"We should've bought one and given it to Aubrey as a Christmas present. She'd finally get some."
"Don't be an asshole. Come on, I've gotta get stuff for my parents, my brothers, the girls-"
"How about the President?" Beca smirked when Chloe narrowed her eyes. "Perhaps the Pope? I assume you're getting for the Queen as well? Wow, Chlo. You sure know a lot of people. Must be your 'strictly oral' rule paying off."
"...shut up."
An hour had passed and Chloe had made next to no progress in the hunt for presents. It was beginning to irritate Beca as they had been to virtually every stall twice over, but all Chloe seemed satisfied with was the ornaments. And it certainly hadn't helped that neither of them had ate since lunchtime. All Beca wanted to do was take a break and tuck into some food. She was craving a decent burger from anywhere that offered one.
Nonetheless, in an unfortunate time like this Beca had gradually learned - for the most part - to keep her cool and not bite Chloe's head off. It just wasn't necessary. Things had been somewhat tense between them as it was.
"Becs, can you help me out?" Chloe tapped Beca's shoulder. "Do you think I should get this baby hat?" She picked up a hand knitted, red and green skull cap with tiny white pearls stitched in an orderly row along the top and bottom.
"Why would you want a baby hat?"
"For our baby, of course!" Chloe chirped.
"We...don't have a baby, Chlo. Are you trying to 'make memories' again?" Chloe nodded and grinned. "Oh, geez."
"Well we're gonna have a baby some day. We need to be prepared."
"And means getting the kid a hat? What if they don't like wearing it?"
"Mama will make sure they like wearing it, and mommy will force it on them if they complain."
Beca's stomach begun rumbling and growling. She sighed and clasped a hand over it. "I'm mommy, right?"
"Uh huh! You're mommy and I'm mama."
Chloe could get quite excitable and animated whenever she spoke about anything she loved, but there was a certain purity and innocence about her when it came to discussing their future children. Whether it was what clothes they would buy to what each child's name could be (their preferences often changed), Chloe always loved it whenever the subject was brought up.
"Yeah, you'd be the mama bear." Beca smirked. "Wrapping the kids up in a million layers whenever there's a chill. Insisting that they have a healthy, meat-free diet with just fruit to snack on. But you'll find every moment to smother them with kisses and cuddles."
"I don't think I'll be that bad."
"You say that now. I call it, you're gonna win 'the most overprotective mom of the year' award."
"Does that exist?"
"Beats me." Beca shrugged.
"I think you'd probably win the 'I spoil the kids to death' award."
"I won't spoil them."
"You can barely say no to me." Chloe smirked. "Do you think you'll be able to resist those little rascals pestering you to bring in junk food when mama's not looking?"
Beca saw this as the perfect opportunity to bring up her desires to eat. "Good point. And speaking of junk food, I'm kinda hungry." More like she was undeniably starving.
"Well why didn't you say so? C'mon, I saw this outdoor eating place as we arrived. It's a little shack but there's a couple of waitresses, so we don't have to worry about collecting our food."
"Hell yeah, I'm down for that. Sounds like a plan."
"What can I get for you, ladies?" The waitress approached the couple as they got themselves seated opposite each other on a wooden bench.
"I'll have a beer and a burger with fries." Beca said. "Warms you up in this shitty weather."
"Beer actually cools your core body temperature." Chloe pointed out.
"Okay, science geek." Beca teased. "Did Stacie tell you that?"
"I've been a major in biology for seven years. I think I know what I'm talking about."
"That...makes sense."
The waitress laughed. "So that's a beer and a burger for you, and..." She turned to Chloe.
"Just the beer, please." Chlo smiled politely.
"Okay, two beers and a burger. As you can see, we're quite busy tonight so your food may take up to an hour. The drinks will likely take around fifteen minutes or so."
Chloe handed their menus to the waitress. "That's fine by me."
"You're not eating anything. Of course it's fine by you." Beca grumbled as the waitress sped away to tend to another table.
"Surely you're gonna share some fries with me."
"Why? You could've ordered your own."
"Don't be greedy." Chloe said in a tone that sounded as if she were scolding petulant child. "Sharing is caring."
"Fine, whatever." Beca took out her phone from her pocket and held it up. "Smile."
Chloe propped her elbows up on the table, placed her hands underneath her jaw and flashed a dazzling grin. Beca snapped the picture and uploaded on to Instagram with the caption fucking stunner. Love her so much. #datenight #myprincess
Seconds later, Stacie liked the post and commented well well well, I see you aren't shagging yet. Give it time. You two fuck more than rabbits.
"Stacie, you actual cunt." Beca spat, eyes blazing at the screen. "And you say you're intelligent. Intelligent my fucking ass."
"Hey, what's Stacie done?" Chloe frowned at Beca's sudden harshness. Beca spun her phone around and showed Chloe the comment in question. Chloe's mouth dropped in the shape of an 'o' as she read the comment several times. "Maybe she shouldn't have said that publicly. Can't you delete it if you don't like it?"
Beca put her phone away and sighed. "I could, but she'll pick a fight with me if I do. I can't be asked for that."
"Oh. But at least it's a nice pic of me." Chloe meant well, but that wasn't quite the reassurance Beca waa looking for. "My hair actually doesn't look like shit for once."
"Dude, your hair never looks like shit. Every part of you - and that includes your hair - is a pretty piece that makes a gorgeous puzzle...oh my god, that was so corny, wasn't it?" Beca cringed.
"Cornier than a cob of corn, but sweet. Believe me, you've said worse things."
"Yeah, don't remind me."
Chloe reached for Beca's hand across the table. Beca took it and laced their fingers together. She fidgeted with Chloe's thumb ring and subtly compared it with her own, as she often did. Hers was a simple black band whereas Chloe's was slightly thicker, made from titanium (because really, what else would it be made from?) and had a silver shimmer. They had never been shy of showcasing their sexuality, and thumb rings were always a great indicator to those who noticed.
"Becs, what do you think is the best thing about Christmas?"
"The best thing about Christmas? Bit of a random question."
"Meanie. I just wanna know."
"Okay, I'm not gonna lie here. The best thing about Christmas - and this is totally my opinion - is the puns."
"So it's not spending time with family?" Beca's statement was highly debatable. Chloe would do everything in her power to challenge it.
"I try to avoid those assholes as much as possible during the rest of the year. I don't think Christmas will convince me otherwise."
"They're not that bad, Becs. And anyway, you get on with your dad now."
"Still. They're a literal clusterfuck. Especially Sheila, that woman's a cringefest."
"If you say so. What about spending time with friends?"
"Do you come under that bracket?" Chloe cocked an eyebrow, confused by what Beca had meant. "See, you're my girlfriend. When you take that into consideration, technically you're a friend of very...un-friendlike proportions."
"Right."
Beca realized she would have to explain herself further. At times she found it difficult to get her point across the first time around. "No, but like...you're my best friend and girlfriend all rolled into one."
"Sorry, babe. Aubrey's my best friend."
Beca's smile soon faded from sight. "Oh, uh...yeah, you're right-"
"Beca, you numpty, of course you're my best friend."
"One of them, because Posen's still living and breathing the last time I checked. Unless that's changed. Don't let her hear your deception, she'll eat you alive."
Chloe seemed slightly freaked out by Beca's last comment. "...okay?"
Beca snickered, resumed her smirk. "Damn, your reaction was priceless."
"Maybe because you're inferring Aubrey's a cannibal?"
"Amy said all Atheists are cannibals."
"You know, Aubrey really doesn't appreciate all those Atheist jokes."
"Was she deprived of all fun growing up?"
Chloe sighed. "Beca, it's the New Year in less than a month. Can't you try to forget about this silly rivalry with her and start afresh?"
"Pfft, no. And we're not rivals. I just happen to have an incredibly low tolerance of her. And she happens to have an even lower tolerance of me."
Chloe tutted and picked up her phone. Beca looked up to the starry sky and begun stringing together various beats in her head while Chloe scrolled through her social media, liking Beca's post in the process and typing her own comment. Minutes flew by until the waitress walked over to their table and placed down two large glasses of frothy beer. The couple thanked her and took short sips, the bitterness of the drink tickling their mouths.
"So," Chloe drank a little more before placing her glass on the coaster, "What are some of those puns did you have in mind that makes them 'the best part of Christmas?'"
"You're gonna love these. Dauschand through the snow." When Chloe only cracked a slight smile, Beca tried again. "We've got such great chemistree, don't cha' think? Because when I think about you, I touch my candy cane."
Chloe couldn't help but let out a giggle. "Oh my god, this is worse than that food porn."
"See, you're laughing. Just you wait, I've got plenty more where that came from."
"Like?"
"Hoe, hoe, hoe."
"Oh no."
"You're gonna Prancer on my Dancer, and I'm gonna Comet on your Vixen."
Chloe slapped a hand across her mouth in an attempt to stifle her chuckles. Beca snickered and touched Chloe's arm, shaking her head at her own filthiness. As soon as the couple made eye contact, they completely lost all control and dissolved into a roar of laughter.
"I am dying, this is too much!" Chloe said through her hysterics as she dabbed her eyes. "They're so bad!"
"And fucking hilarious!"
Their chests soon begun to ache from how hard they laughed. After a few glares were sent their way, the intensity of their begun to subside and devolved into a frequent snigger. Beca and Chloe cherished these times where they could unwind and be themselves.
Once the couple had completely calmed down from their high, Beca thought back to something that had occurred earlier in the week and realized she hadn't yet told Chloe about it.
"So you know that song?"
"There's a lot of songs, Beca."
"Yeah, obviously." Beca rolled her eyes. "But there's this song - it's a Christmas one - that's all 'fa, la, la, la' and comes on the radio like five times a day. It pisses me off. They're always playing it at Residual Heat, too."
"You're a mean one, Mr. Grinch-"
"I told you I don't know what a fucking Grinch is."
"Were you deprived of all fun growing up?"
"Ha, ha. Hilarious."
"And the song's called Deck the Halls, by the way."
"Right, so when I was forced to listen to it a few days back during my internship, I changed up a couple of words in my mind to make it sound less stupid." Before Beca could continue, Chloe cleared her throat and mumbled 'Grinch.' Beca rolled her eyes once again, not caring for an insult she didn't know the meaning of. "You wanna listen?"
"I don't have a choice, do I?"
"Not really, no."
"Okay, then sing."
Given the nature of her word swap, Beca kept her voice low. "Deck my balls with boughs of holly,
Fuck a la la la la la, la la la la..."
Tis' the season to be horny,
Fuck a la la la la la, la la la la..."
Chloe snorted. "As ridiculously immature as you are, I'd say you've actually made some improvement there."
"Me? Immature?" Beca clutched her chest in mock offense. "Chloe, have you looked at yourself in the mirror in - oh, I don't know - the last fifteen thousand years?"
"Have you?" Chloe quipped back.
"C'mon, tis' indeed the season to be horny. That's not immaturity. I'm just stating facts here, babe."
"I said you made some improvement, and in that respect I agree. Kind of."
"Why 'kind of?'"
"Because every season is the season to be horny."
"That...is very true."
"I know it is." Chloe smirked triumphantly.
"God, I hate it when you're smug. It's so frustrating."
"You think I like it when you're smug?"
"You totally get off on it."
"Hmm, maybe."
A few minutes passed until Beca's food was served. She scooped up a handful of fries and chomped on them. Chloe stole the occasional fry while she gulped down the last of her beer and asked for a refill. She shared her second glass with Beca, who took a hearty swig to wash down her starchy meal.
Once they had finished, Chloe's attention was caught by a small queue of people ordering from a stall opposite. "What's that they're queueing for, Becs?"
"Glühwein." Beca said. "How can you not read the sign?"
"I don't speak German, do I?"
"Well I thought you would've picked up on a few words by now."
"I know vader, but that's only because of Star Wars. And because of your ranting." Chloe added with a grin.
"Look, any German speaker could've guessed he was the guy's father. It's so stupid. Jesse still refuses to admit that I knew the so called 'biggest cinematic reveal in history' without watching a single movie to the end."
"But I made you watch The Fault in Our Stars last year. You saw that to the end."
"You cried for at least half an hour. I couldn't just ditch you." Beca shrugged, taking a large bite of her burger.
"Aww, you did that for me?" It wasn't as if Chloe didn't know the answer - because it was patently obvious Beca had done it for her - but she adored it whenever her girlfriend said it aloud.
"Course, babe." Beca got the words out through a mouthful of meat. She gulped it down and slid the back of her hand across her mouth. "You know I'd do anything for you."
Chloe bit her lip and nodded, blinking back tears of happiness. Never had anyone been so devoted to her as Beca. This alone had led her to believe that with every passing day, she and Beca continued to prove to the world that they were made to be together.
"I'd do anything for you, too."
The waitress walked over with a smile, realizing that the couple were having a moment. "Is there anything else you'd like to order?"
"Uh, no thanks." Beca replied, glancing up. "Can we pay?"
"Say 'please', Beca."
"Dude, I'm not five."
"I couldn't help but notice the conversations just flow with you two." The waitress said. "You haven't stopped nattering since you came in. I've seen lots of couples sitting and starting at each other with a strange contempt or too preoccupied with their phones to even bother talking. It's refreshing to see a young couple acting like they actually get along."
"My mom said the exact same thing." Beca chuckled. "She thinks a relationship like ours is hard to come by in this day and age. And I'm not blowing my own trumpet here, but it's true."
"Deffo." Chloe nodded. "We can talk for hours. That's something I'm pretty proud of considering my girlfriend was once an anti-social hermit."
"To be fair, I'm still like that."
"But you're not nearly as bad. Wasn't it Stacie that called you an 'edge lord?' once?"
"It was Jesse."
"She was all dark and broody and mysterious when I first met her." Chloe stood up and looked to the waitress. "But it turns out she's a big ol' softie."
"Yeah, yeah. I hear this all the time." Beca fished out her wallet. "I'll pay, babe."
As Beca ruffled through her notes and handed the waitress a twenty-dollar bill, the chorus of I Saw The Sign blared out of Chloe's phone. A lengthy text flashed up on the screen, and soon enough two others followed on. Chloe frowned and opened the messages, wondering what Aubrey could possibly want at nine-thirty in the evening. They hadn't spoke for a number of days.
Why on earth are you frolicking around Atlanta? It's pathetic. I knew you and Beca would be an absolute dismal for the Bellas. Yes, Emily's told me you've done absolutely nothing since what, October? Well, you've got no hope of winning now, have you?
You really are obsessed with her, Chloe. I saw what Stacie wrote and to be honest, I'm also surprised you two never went to some obscure sex club. It's disgusting. She's clearly sexualising you for her own personal gain and you're too idiotic to notice. You were just like this with Tom. It's unhealthy.
You better start your rehearsals otherwise I'll be coming down to make sure you do.
Chloe swallowed the dry lump forming in the back of her throat as she typed out a simple response.
OK.
What had she done for Aubrey to verbally attack her like that? It made absolutely no sense. There seemed to be no clashes between them in recent times, so surely Aubrey wouldn't have had any issues to bring to the surface. Over the years, Chloe would've liked to think she had developed a thick skin when it came to her best friend's bluntness and aggression, but it still felt like a sudden stab to her back when Aubrey was particularly cruel.
And to tell Beca would cause an eruption in the most dormant of people. She wasn't one to chain up her thoughts and imprison them from the world, but their date had been going so perfectly. Beca would see red in an instant and explode.
"You okay, hon?" Beca caught Chloe staring at her phone with an illegible expression.
"Yeah. I'm fine." Chloe scrambled to put her phone away and faked an uneasy smile.
"Uh...okay. You still want that Glühwein?"
"Sure, whatever."
"Are you sure you're okay?" Beca asked with an air of concern. "You seem...off."
"Why would you think I'm off?" Chloe laughed hesitantly. "I'm a-okay, Becs."
Beca narrowed her eyes. "Right."
"This is type of wine, right?" Beca said to the vendor. Of course, she knew that wein meant wine. But she wanted to make things crystal clear for Chloe.
"Yeah." He nodded. "It's a hot mulled wine spiced with cloves, star anise, cinnamon and lemon."
"Sounds good. Is there any allergens, only my girlfriend is a strict vegan."
"All of our recipes are vegan, gluten-free and dairy-free."
"That's great. We'll take two."
"That's $10."
Chloe nodded and placed her credit card into the machine. After keying in her four-digit code, the vendor took two thermal cups from the stack and poured in the strong smelling mixture. He lent over the counter and placed them into Beca's hands.
"Cheers, man."
The couple walked to the side of the stall and sipped their drinks. Beca, who had finished hers relatively quickly, tossed the empty cup in the trash. "That was pretty good.
"Yeah, it's okay. Can you finish it?"
"So it's 'okay' but you want me to finish it?"
"Yes, Beca." Chloe hissed with impatience.
"Fucking hell." Beca murmured, taking Chloe's cup and downing the wine in one go.
"I might get another beer. Will you have some with me?"
"No more drinking. One of us has to drive back to campus."
"We both know that's gonna end up being you."
"Yeah, you're pretty shit driver."
Chloe scoffed and retracted her hand. Beca being her irritating self was the last thing she was in the mood for. "Whatever."
"Whoa, I was just joking. Chill out." Beca raised her hands in defence. "Are you on your period or something? You've been moody as fuck the past hour."
"I had it last week." Chloe said shortly. "You always say I'm on my period if I'm snappy with you. It's so old."
"Aren't weekly periods a thing with you?"
"That's not how periods work."
"Then you coud be..." Beca hesitated. "Pregnant?" She winced when Chloe narrowed her eyes in annoyance. "W-Which I apologise in advance if you are, because we wanted kids after we getting married and-"
"You always say this as well!" Chloe exclaimed. A few passerbys looked to see what the commotion was about. "Why do I need some excuse to be mad at you while you're entitled to criticise me all you want?!"
"It was a fucking joke, Chloe!" Beca snapped back; if Chloe was going to have a go at her in front of a fair number of people, she wasn't going to stand around and take it. Especially since she had no idea what she'd done. "Do you know what a joke is?!"
"I know perfectly well what a joke is, Beca!"
"Then why are you going nuts over it?!"
"Because I didn't find it very funny!"
Neither Beca nor Chloe wished to argue. It wasn't anywhere on or near their agenda. They were visiting a lovely place, enjoying each other's company to the fullest. To fall out over something so ridiculously insignificant would inevitably ruin their evening, but they were too blinded by their anger to consider the consequences.
"You don't find anything funny!"
"What?!" Chloe said with a shrill. "I find tons of things funny! You're the one that's always moping around, having a go at the world for all your issues!"
"Fuck you! I do not mope! You know very well I went past that stage years ago!"
"Did you?! Did you really?! Because I don't think you did!"
When Chloe started to stomp off, Beca threw her arms up to the heavens and scoffed. "You fucking know I did, you overdramatic bitch!"
"Okay, you know what?!" Chloe spun around on her heels, nostrils flaring. "I'm getting a cab back to Barden while I leave you with your 'amazing' driving! And how fucking dare you call me an overdramatic bitch?! You're the overdramatic bitch!"
"How am I the overdramatic bitch when you're the overdramatic-"
"Ugh, goodbye!"
"Fine, bye!"
Chloe turned back and resumed her trek. "Bye!"
"For fuck's sake, if you wanna ditch me then go already!"
Chloe flipped her the middle finger as she walked, her back facing Beca. "Fuck you, I am going! Give me a second to order the fucking cab, why don't you?!" As Beca stuck two fingers up and stormed back to the car, Chloe managed to sneak in the last of their argument. "And I'm sleeping on the couch!"
Beca was hunched over her laptop as her finger smashed against the mouse pad. As Chloe had promised, she hadn't joined Beca in their room and was likely making her presence known upstairs in the living area. Beca was beyond infuriated; for some obscure reason Chloe had completely changed from her sweet, adorable self to somebody Beca wished she didn't know. Chloe was almost unrecognizable in her fit of rage.
"Beca, why is your girlfriend asleep on the couch?" Stacie strutted into the room, her arms folded. "I wanted to play some GTA, but she"s turned it into some mini shrine."
"We had a fight."
"Oh shit. Please tell me it wasn't over my comment, because Aubrey saw it and told me to delete it. She was all psycho-bitch and everything."
"It wasn't over your comment, but I was meaning to talk to you about that anyway. It pissed me off."
"Sorry. I thought you'd find it funny." Stacie sat down on a bean bag chair and slowly sunk into it.
"It's cool. I'm just more concerned about Chloe. It's so fucking frustrating that our date was going so well before that, and then all of a sudden things turned to shit."
"You guys don't argue often. Maybe it was just a build-up of tension?"
"We tend to bicker sometimes, so there isn't much tension between us."
"But irregardless of that, it can still blow out of proportion. What did you do?"
"Why does everyone go pointing that accusing finger at me?"
"Because most of the time, you're the instigator."
"You're generalising."
"I'm not. Either you're being dense, or you're acting like an asshole."
"Thanks for the support, Stace. You'll be pleased to know I didn't cause it. Though I did call her an 'overdramatic bitch' if that counts for anything." When Stacie rose an eyebrow, unsure as to whether Beca deserved to have her side, Beca groaned and rolled her eyes. "I know, I know, it was uncalled for and I regret saying it. But if you were there, you'd realize why. It was all in the heat of the moment. She took a joke and basically turned it on its head to make it seem like I was making a jab at her."
"What did you actually say that sparked all this off?"
"That her driving was shit."
"Are you serious?"
"Yeah, dude."
"So more asshole then dense-"
"Stacie!"
"My only guess is that Chloe has a lot of hidden insecurities and doesn't like it when somebody makes an offensive jab at her, and that's why she lost it with you."
"I'm not just 'somebody' though, am I?"
"No, you're not."
"We're always messing with each other. It's the great banter we have that makes our relationship all the more awesome. I don't see what the problem is." Beca sighed and ran her fingers through her hair. She thought about Stacie's suggestion and realized something she hadn't considered before. "But with that whole insecurity thing you were talking about, she was bullied at school in her teen years."
"Wait, really?"
"Yeah. It wasn't as bad as the shit I got - and you know about most of it, so I don't need to talk about it again - but she had a pretty rough time. So maybe that's got something to do with it."
"But she's so...perky. Is that a front?"
"No. I know her. I know when she's genuinely happy and when she's faking it, because she has a tendency to do that. Eighty percent of the time it's real."
"I wouldn't know that, but you guys can read each other like a book, so I trust your insight."
"I told her so much about me, more than I've ever told anyone in my life. And you know I find it difficult opening up to people. Of course, we got really close and now you know a lot, but with Chloe...I just can't keep it in. It's like I have to tell her."
"Because she's so important to you?"
"Yeah, I guess so. She's told me her entire life story a few times over. Damn, she sure could talk for America if she wanted to." Beca gave a weak chuckle and Stacie smiled at the remark. "But I wanna know what was going through her mind when she went all crazy on me."
"Talk to her tomorrow. You haven't got class in the morning, right?"
"No, but Chloe does. I'll see if I can catch her before she leaves."
"Beca effin' Mitchell is waking up early? It's a fucking miracle, ladies and gentlemen."
"It's for Chloe. You think I'd get up early for you? Or for Amy or Jesse?"
"Okay, I get it." Stacie chuckled. "Your future wife is more important than your friends."
"You know it, dude."
Beca was stretched out on the bed, her half-closed laptop resting on her thighs. Chloe tip-toed into the room and carefully picked the laptop up and placed it on the counter. She shook Beca's shoulder and kept her voice as quiet as possible.
"Becs?"
"Mmm...?"
"Becs?"
"Yeah, what...?" Beca rubbed her eyes as she propped herself up with one hand.
"I missed our cuddles..."
"So you woke me up at..." Beca picked up her phone and peered at the time. A flash of light blinded her for a split second. She blinked a couple of times in order to adjust to the sudden brightness. "Quarter past three in the morning just to get some cuddle time?"
"I couldn't sleep. The living room's scary in the dark."
Normally Beca would've teased Chloe about something along the lines of 'you watched way too much Monsters, Inc. when you were a kid' (which wasn't far from the truth), but there was still a lingering awkwardness that loomed in the shadows, one that prevented her from making her usual sarcastic comment.
"C'mere, Chlo." Beca lifted up the covers and patted the empty space beside her. Chloe clambered on the bed, allowed the covers to settle on her and snuggled into the anticipated warmth of her girlfriend. "I'm sorry for calling you an overdramatic bitch. And for you getting the cab back. I'm sure you didn't want to do that."
Chloe shook her head. "The cab was my decision, don't apologise for that. And I deserved what you said to me; I am an overdramatic bitch. She smiled sadly. "I'm sorry for being so horrible to you."
"Babe, I was just as horrible to you. I could see you were hurting and I did jack shit to help." Beca pecked Chloe's lips as a sign of forgiveness. They had a reconciliatory kiss for a few short moments before Beca pulled away and stroked Chloe's cheek. "But now I will. I wanna know what was up with you earlier. I was a bit worried I'd triggered something that...y'know, you were bullied about and stuff."
"Why would I be bullied about my shitty driving? Barely anyone at my high school could drive. I thought I told you that."
"During 'life stories with Chloe Beale?' Yeah, probably."
Chloe giggled. "Ass."
"You know it. But seriously, Chlo. What was wrong?"
"If I told you, you would've gone crazy there and then. I know what you're like with this...situation."
"Crazier than you?"
"Oh, totes."
"So...now that it's just us, do you wanna tell me?"
"Okay." Chloe drew in a long breath and exhaled. "I got a really mean text from Aubrey and-"
When the words 'mean text' and 'Aubrey' were in one sentence, Beca could already envision the disastrous scenario in her mind. Sometimes she compared Chloe and Aubrey's friendship like a one-way traffic system, with all the effort to go a distance from Chloe and none from Aubrey. The blonde seemed to forever remain stationary.
Even the notion of those three terms made Beca's blood boil and congeal with a hatred she knew was more than adequate when it came to Aubrey belittling her girlfriend. It was sickening.
"Of course it's Posen!" She barked. "Who else would it be?!"
"See, crazy-"
"What did that bitch say to you?!"
"If you let me talk, maybe you'll find out."
"...okay."
"So you know Stacie's comment on your post?" Beca nodded. "Basically, Aubrey saw it and sent me this whole rant on how you're using me for sex, how I'm too stupid to realize it and that we're obviously not allowed to go out because we're supposed to be rehearsing for the Bellas twenty-four seven."
"She called you stupid, huh?"
"Well she said I was idiotic, but I guess it's the same thing-"
"Give me your phone." Beca demanded.
"What?"
"Give. Me. Your. Phone."
"O-Okay." Chloe quickly handed Beca her phone.
Beca unlocked it with ease, silently thankful that there was enough trust between them to know each other's passwords by heart. She went on to Chloe's contacts and selected the first name, right at the very top of the extensive list of endless names and numbers. She pressed 'call' and let the dialling tone ring until the receiver finally picked up and spoke in a crackly, hoarse voice.
"What the hell do you want, Beca...? Do you know what time-"
"Don't you ever call Chloe stupid, do you hear me?!" Beca screamed into the phone, not caring if she awoke the others. "You can say whatever the fuck you want about me, because I don't give two shits about all this 'using Chloe for sex' you like to come out with on a daily fucking basis, but I care when you're upsetting my girlfriend! You're supposed to be her best friend! Act like it!"
Aubrey yawned loudly into the phone, which only fuelled Beca's rage. "For goodness sake, can't you allow me to come to? I barely took in a word of that-"
"No, I'm not waiting for you to 'come to!' You ruined our date, Aubrey! We hadn't been on a proper date in nearly two months - two motherfucking months - and you just had to fuck with us!"
"I ruined our date, baby." Chloe mumbled into Beca's shoulder.
"No you didn't, Chlo." But Beca knew Chloe was partly to blame, even if it was just by the smallest amount. Of course, she would stand by her girlfriend against any tyrant that came their way.
"How did I ruin your date?"
"Okay, let's think about it, shall we? Let's really analyse it, because I know you're good at all that. You spoke to Chloe like a piece of shit. Chloe didn't want to tell me, she knew exactly how I'd react, so she kept it from me. All her anger built up until she couldn't take it anymore-"
"And I assume you gave her that one final nudge?"
"Only because she wasn't in the mood for my jokes! And why wasn't she in the mood?! Oh, I don't know, maybe because you treated her like sh-"
"Would you quit saying I treated Chloe like shit? I get the message, Mitchell. For goodness sake, why do you overuse the same tiresome vocabulary over and over?"
"What the-do you even care?!"
"Yes, I do care. I just...I don't know what was going through my mind. I tend to act on impulse and-"
"That's not a fucking excuse."
"I know. I saw Stacie's comment and jumped to conclusions-"
"Conclusions of what? You've always seemed to have some weird issue with us being sexually active. Are you jealous of Chloe?"
"Why would I be jealous-"
"Stop avoiding the question! It's a 'yes' or a 'no' answer, doesn't require a brain surgeon to figure that one out! Are you jealous of Chloe or what?!"
"Would you stop interrupting me?!"
"No! Answer my fucking question!"
"I told you you, I'm not jealous! How many times do I have to say it?! Being harsh with Chloe is the only way I'd get it into her head that the Bellas are in serious turmoil and all she seems to be concerned about is prancing around half of Georgia with you!"
"Why do you even give a shit about the Bellas anymore?! You graduated three years ago! Grow the fuck up, Aubrey! That is the most pathetic excuse-"
"I've had just about enough of this! You have woken me up at this ridiculous hour to shatter my ear drums and I am not putting up with you for a minute longer! I'll speak to Chloe tomorrow! And in future, tell her to get on the phone instead of roping you in, because conversing with you is more difficult than attempting to communicate with a brick wall! You're impossible!"
"Well that makes two of us, doesn't it?!"
And with that, Aubrey hung up. Beca breathed slowly and heavily in an attempt to calm her racing heart. Chloe rose an eyebrow at her, still buried into Beca's side.
"I got a bit carried away, huh?"
"A bit?" Chloe giggled drowsily, her eyelids slightly hooded. "Everyone on campus probably heard you."
"I couldn't help it. She drives me fucking insane. And apparently she'll talk to you on 'her terms.'
"Did she say that?"
"You heard everything, Chlo. She was screaming pretty loud."
"Not really. I'm kinda sleepy, so I only picked up on bits and pieces."
"Just to summarise, your 'best friend,'" Beca air-quoted, "Is an obsessed freak who is still way too invested in some college singing group considering she's what, twenty-five or something? Doesn't she have adult shit to do?"
"It's not just 'some college singing group.'"
"I know, but...forget it." Disregarding the Bellas wasn't the way to go, especially in front of Chloe. "You sure do pick your friends, Chlo."
"I'll meet with her after class to settle things." Chloe sighed. "Then we'll sort out this rehearsal, okay?"
"Yeah, okay." Beca nodded. "And, uh...maybe we could go out again next week? Before you leave for New Year's?"
"I'd love to. Where did you have in mind?"
"Not sure. I'll think about it. But just...try not to let Aubrey stick her nose in again, yeah?"
"As long as we rehearse, I think she'll be okay."
"If you say so, babe. If you say so."