Warning: Spoilers!
Showers. 20 minutes.
Chloe smiled as she read the simple message from Tom. She quickly threw her rope and towel into a bag and headed for the door. "Where do you think you're going?"
Spinning around, Chloe's face got warm. "I was going to go shower."
"With Tom?"
"Yes. Is that okay?" she replied with a little sass. Aubrey huffed and turned back around to face her computer.
"Have fun, I guess."
Chloe's phone vibrated as she was leaving the lobby of her dorm building.
Freshman dorms.
Why?
They're too scared to go in there.
Chloe giggled to herself. It was true, your first few days of college were Hell when you had to use communal showers for the first time. She remembered her old friend showered at 1 am to avoid other people. Chloe had never had that problem; she had always been comfortable in her own skin, in front of others or not.
Scurrying into the mostly freshman dorm bathroom, there weren't any strictly "Freshman only" dormitories on campus, just dormitories which had most of its occupants recently graduate, she saw Tom at the very end of the showers wave her over. Joining him, she lost her clothes and latched onto him.
Not five minutes into their intense make out session someone else had decided then was a good time to shower. It wasn't the footsteps that make Chloe notice them, it was the voice. The girl was singing "Titanium," which was one of Chloe's favorite songs. Chloe kissed Tom's chest one last time before slipping out and investigating. Someone with that voice should have more of an audience than the empty showers.
A smile stretched across her face as Chloe slowly pulled back the shower curtain revealing the brunette from the Activities Fair. She couldn't help her eyes from wondering the small girl's body before speaking up. "You can sing!"
The small brunette spun around frozen in fear. She reached for the shower curtain after turning off the water, but it slipped right out of her wet hands.
"How high does your belt go?" Chloe asked.
"My what? Oh my god!"
Getting straight to the point Chloe said, "You have to audition for the Bellas."
The brunette grabbed the curtain again and managed to keep ahold of it this time, successfully covering herself. Cowering in the furthest corner, she mumbled, "I can't concentrate on anything you're saying until you cover your junk..."
The redhead found herself inching forward. "Just consider it. One time we sang backup for Prince! His butt is so tiny I can hold it with like one hand. It's probably half the size of yours." Chloe crept too close while demonstrating Price's butt size and hit a shampoo bottle out of the brunette's hands. "Oops."
Beca looked at it and didn't even try to reach that far down. "Oh my god. Seriously? I am nude." She readjusted herself, putting her tattooed back to the redhead and covering her ass with the curtain.
Changing the topic Chloe asked, "You were singing titanium, right?"
"You know David Guetta?" Beca replied smiling a bit, surprised that someone who was into a capella had a good taste in music.
"Of course, yeah. That song is my jam- my lady jam," Chloe added with a wink, obviously flustering the freshman further.
"That's nice..." Beca said quietly, hoping Chloe would get the impression she was putting off and leave.
"It is," she nodded, hands on her hips. "Song really builds," she added with another wink. She had to hold back a smirk as she saw the girl turn away yet again muttering how it was gross. "Could you sing it for me?"
"Dude, no! Get out!"
"Not for that reason. I'm not leaving here until you sing..." Chloe trailed off, feigning a yawn as she girl readjusted and turned around. She began on shaky ground, not as much confidence as she had when she was alone, as expected, but she seemed to build confidence once Chloe joined in. Chloe couldn't control her enthusiasm about how they sounded together; it was like magic. With their eyes locked on each other's, they finished the song strong. Chloe beamed with excitement. Beca cracked a rare smile, but found her eyes tailing down the redhead's neck to her collarbone to her breasts. She caught herself and looked away.
Breaking the silence, Chloe softly said, "Oh yeah, I'm pretty confident about...all this."
Beca had a goofy smile due to the awkwardness of the situation plastered to her face when she stated, "You should be." When Chloe turned to get Beca's towel, the brunette covered her face with her palm. Why did she do that?
She took the towel and covered herself with it. "Um...I still need to shower..."
Tom must have gotten bored all alone because the next thing the girls heard was "You have a lovely voice."
Chloe smiled up at him. She had trained him well. She looked back from Tom to a shocked Beca and back to Tom a few times before remembering what brought her to the showers in the first place. She flashed Beca one last smile before heading back with Tom. Instead of stepping into the shower with him, she grabbed her pants and started putting them on. Tom asked her what she was doing. "I have to head back. I forgot I have a thing with Aubrey tonight."
"But Chloe-"
"I promised her I'd go out tonight." Tom gave her a look that said this is unbelievable, but Chloe finished getting dress and headed back through the aisle of showers. She stopped at Beca's. She smacked the curtain to get the girl's attention. "What's your name?" She blurted out, scaring the brunette again.
"Beca."
Chloe smiled and said, "See you at auditions, Beca." Beca...that name felt right in Chloe's mouth.
Chloe returned to her dorm and Aubrey asked, "Back so soon?" Chloe shrugged as a smile spread across her face. Aubrey quirked an eyebrow. "What happened?" Chloe's smile grew wider as she shrugged again, putting her ear buds in and turning her iPod on.
A few days later, it was time for auditions. Aubrey and Chloe were the first to arrive, representing the Bellas, and the Treblemakers were second. Bumper was making loud, rude comments about how Aubrey threw up on stage during finals the year previous. "Don't let it get to you," Chloe whispered into her best friend's ear. "He's just a dick." Aubrey nodded, but stood up to make an announcement that nobody will stop the Bellas from winning finals this year, especially "egotistical big-headed garbage dirtballs."
Chloe watched all the auditions while keeping an open mind. She kept looking over at her captain to see how she was responding to the few people with talent who tried out. When a girl named Stacie came out, Aubrey's relief to see a girl who fit her bikini-body with semi-talent mold was evident on her face. A boy trying out for the Trebles was fantastic, Chloe remembered his name was Benji, and seemed to catch Aubrey's eye. He had a really strong and clear voice. Chloe nudged her friend and smiled when the boy walked off stage. Aubrey blushed a little but didn't say anything. There was one rule the Bellas had that could never be broken: no sexual relations with a Treblemaker.
Just as Chloe started to doubt if Beca was coming or not, she walked on stage. The redhead was so happy to see her convincing had worked. "I didn't know we had to prepare that song," the brunette said quietly.
"That's okay. Sing anything you'd like." And sing she did. Her talent was unmatched among the other students who auditioned that day. Chloe's eyes trailed along the small woman's body as she sat on the ground smacking and flipping around a cup, making a really catchy beat. Chloe had to peel her eyes off of the younger girl's deep blue eyes to check Aubrey's expression. She seemed to be a little shocked that the girl who claimed she couldn't sing was amazing. Aubrey didn't dare say how well the girl sang when Chloe asked, but the redhead knew her friend was impressed.
Aca-initiation night was upon her, the dreaded night of oaths, promises, and beer. Beca didn't even really want to be a Barden Bella, but it seemed like the least harmful activity she could do without wanting to shoot her brains out. Her father had made a deal with her; if she joined a club and survived her first year of college, she could quit and he'd pay to move her to LA. Of course Beca complied.
"Oh, yay...stone seats," Beca complained to the girl next to her. Her name was Fat Amy. The girl laughed and said she was just glad Aubrey let her fat ass in the group. Beca stayed towards the outside of the party area, up high in the seats watching everyone else have fun when all of a sudden the ginger was in her face. She said hi and pulled on Beca's arm, pulling her close. Chloe bent in and their lips were just inches apart. Beca could feel warm breath against her face. "Hi."
"I'm so glad that I met you. I think we're going to be really fast friends."
Beca couldn't tell if she was drunk yet or not. "Yeah, well you saw me naked so..." she trailed off and added a wink for effect. Chloe laughed and pulled away.
"I'm going to go get a drink. Do you want one?" She wasn't drunk yet?
"No thanks."
"Are you sure? Not even water?"
"Nope."
"Suit yourself! This ginger needs her jiggle juice!" the redhead exclaimed, shaking her butt. God help me, Beca thought.
Beca took a seat where she was and not long after a sober Fat Amy joined her. Aubrey followed. "You know, guys, there are like ten of us."
"Yeah?"
"That means that one of us is probably a lesbian."
"You think? Which one do you think it is?" Aubrey asked, her eyes washing over the pit in the center of the party.
Amy pointed over at Cynthia Rose, "My money's on black beauty. Don't tell her I said that." Beca choked a little, trying to conceal a laugh. It was obvious Cynthia Rose was gay, she was staring right at Stacie's rack. She probably didn't even consider it a secret. Aubrey made a motion with her hand as if she was locking her lips and throwing away the key. The three sat there for a while making small talk, but Beca was listening more than talking. She felt a little excluded by Aubrey. It didn't bother her, but this party was to get to know each other, wasn't it?
Once Amy and Aubrey's drinks settled into their bloodstream, they left to go grind on some pathetic aca-people in the pit. Beca stayed behind alone with her thoughts until the redhead returned. Yet again Beca couldn't tell if the girl was smashed or just insane. "Are you sure you don't want something to drink, Beca?"
"I'm fine, thanks."
"You're eyes are really blue, you know that? Not as blue as mine, but like...they're brighter when your eyeliner is on." Beca nodded smiling and knowing now the girl was most likely drunk.
"Is your friend coming?"
"Friend?"
"The guy from...the other day." Chloe looked a little confused. She seemed to have forgotten all about the boy, and hopefully the whole day.
"Oh, Tom? He's coming."
"Are you two..."
"Oh god no!" she laughed. "No. We're just buddies."
"Buddies who meet in showers...naked?"
"Yep," the redhead said like it was a normal thing. Just then her phone vibrated and she read the message. "That's Tom now. He'll be here in a minute."
"Fantastic," Beca replied sarcastically.
"Come dance with us," Chloe begged, "it'll be fun!"
"I don't drink."
"Fine, poopy head. Be that way," Chloe pouted while she stood up and left yet again. She grinned back at Beca as she walked down the concrete steps. Not five minutes later, Chloe was in Tom's arms with a drink in one hand and his hair in another.
Another freshman Bella named Jessica had found her way over to Beca. They made small talk. She wasn't into drinking either. Something she did mention was surprising. Her boyfriend was a Treblemaker. Beca asked if Aubrey knew and she said yes; her boyfriend and her had just talked to her about it and, since they've been dating for a few years, Aubrey decided to allow it. She also said she wasn't supposed to tell anyone and she giggled. Her boyfriend was named Bryan. She pointed him out in the crowd of boys at the far side of the party. Not too bad. Jessica continued to name the rest of the Trebles. Apparently there was a guy named Unicycle who carried a unicycle around with him all the time. Beca had no idea how stupid you'd have to be to carry a unicycle around.
Apparently very stupid, or just drunk 24/7. The said boy had arrived to the party two hours late and made his drunken way to Beca first. He had a bushy afro and, of course, a unicycle in hand. He sat down next to the girl. "Hi there." Beca didn't say anything. She turned her body away from him a little. The stench of beer coming from him was making her a little sick to her stomach. "Are you mute?" No response. "I can dig a mute girl with a hot tattoo." Beca turned away from him a little more. "Want a drink?" Beca shook her head. "Alright, whatever." He sat there in silence watching the party. He turned towards Beca once more. "So what's up with you? Are you one of those girls whose all dark and mysterious, then she takes off her glasses and that amazingly scary ear spike, and you realize that she was beautiful the whole time?"
"I don't wear glasses."
"Then you're half way there," he said with a cocky grin. "And you can speak."
"Go away, Unicycle Boy. Can't you see she isn't interested in drunks?"
"I'm not drunk! Here, push me. See if I fall." The boy stood up and Chloe pushed him lightly and he crashed to the ground. "Nevermind..." he mumbled as he brushed himself off and made his way down to his members.
"Thanks," Beca said with a sincere grin noticing Tom wasn't with the redhead. "Where's your toy?"
"He left."
"Oh." Chloe sat down next to Beca in the seat opposite of where Unicycle was.
"Having fun?" Chloe asked.
"You could say that."
"I could." The redhead received another text message from Tom. She was holding out the phone just enough for Beca to see what was on the screen if she turned her head a little to the left. What was up with you tonight? You weren't yourself.
Chloe typed back, but Beca couldn't read what she was saying. The girl sighed a little as she took a sip of her drink.
Another notification came quickly. It just was different. You felt distant. It's like you weren't even there. BTW the new bellas are wack.
Wack? Really? Wack? Chloe didn't reply this time, instead she grabbed Beca's arm and stood up. "Let's go dance."
"Dance? No. No dancing."
"Yes!"
"No!"
"Please?" This was the second time Beca actually looked the senior in the eyes all night. Her blue eyes were sparkling. Chloe's smile turned into a pout as she noticed Beca was actually thinking about getting up. "For me?"
Beca went limp. "I can't; I'm paralyzed from the neck down." Chloe pulled on the younger girl once more, flinging her onto her feet.
"I can carry you," she sat as she reached around Beca's back. The brunette moved away quickly, suddenly warm in the face.
"It's a miracle! I can walk! Hallelujah!" Beca let herself be dragged down to the sweaty group of drunks and escaped as soon as she was separated from Chloe's grip. She slipped away and made a break for her dorm. She found herself feeling a little bad for ditching Chloe, but she figured the girl wouldn't think much of it. Beca didn't know why she felt so bad about leaving. She shouldn't care. She promised herself no attachments.
Back at the party, Chloe found herself alone. She joined Aubrey who was sitting by the beer kegs. "Want some?" the blonde asked. Chloe shook her head and peered down at her red solo cup. There was still some water left in it. "Have you drank at all tonight?" Chloe shook her head once more. "That's not like you at all," the blonde said with a concerned tone. "Is everything okay?" Chloe smiled weakly, running her finger around the rim of her cup.