Chapter 5

Beca POV

'How do I get myself into this shit? This is so lame!' I thought as I looked around the pool. Not only were all four of the on campus acapella groups present, there we a bunch of specators sitting in the shallow end of the abandoned pool as well as people sitting all along the rim of the deep end. I looked over at Aubrey and Chloe, Aubrey looked to be stressing out and Chloe seemed to be trying to calm her down. A part of me wanted to go over and rub Aubrey's back to help calm her down. But the other half of me was screaming that it was a very bad idea. I'd only end up hurt if I let myself get too invested in either of them. The screaming half won and I stayed where I was. I turned to face away from the two seniors and caught sight of Jesse watching me. I smirked at him. I did enjoy hanging out with him and he and I had become friends over the past few weeks. Aside from his movie addiction, he was a nice guy. After the second time we hung out and he asked me out on a date, I told him I was into girls, and he stopped flirting so much. He didn't stop completely, but from what I can tell, he doesn't even realize he's doing it.

When Jesse saw me look at him, he stage whispered, "You're going down!"

I rolled my eyes at him, and replied. "I don't care."

Jesse laughed and nodded, "Fair enough."

I smiled and turned back to the Bellas and Aubrey caught my eye with a disapproving look. I smirked at her, and purposely turned to Justin who was starting the spin for song category. I still didn't really know what to expect, so I hovered at the back of the group, figuring I'd just follow Aubrey's lead until I could go back to my dorm.

So, the riff-off was actually cooler than I thought. After the first round, where the High Notes got themselves disqualified, I turned to Chloe. "So you just pick any song that works? And you just go with it?"

She grinned. "Yeah."

"Nice" I smiled and positioned myself so I could jump in if I thought of any. This time the category was "songs about sex". I started thinking of songs, but Cynthia Rose had jumped in. I joined in, supporting her with the rest of the Bellas. But the Trebles cut us off. Stacie jumped back in and cut them off. But, Jesse didn't let her get all the way through the first verse when he cut her off. He started singing to me, and I rolled my eyes and smirked at him.

He was intentionally flirting this time, so I blew a sarcastic kiss at him. A movement to my right caught my eye and I glanced over to see Aubrey frowning at me. Without warning a song popped into my head and I was standing in front of Jesse rapping before I could stop myself. Jesse looked really impressed with my white girl rapping skills. When I didn't hear the Bellas start backing me up, I got a little self-conscious and turned to look at them. What caught my eye were Aubrey and Chloe staring at me with their mouths hanging open. I couldn't dwell on it, and quickly turned back around. I paused when I got to the end of the rapping part of the song.

"Go on" Jesse said with a smile.

I took a deep breath, and turned back to the Bellas.

Shorty get down, good lord…

Cheers rang out around the pool as my voice filled the space, and I grinned. I kept going and Fat Amy came to my rescue finally jumping in to sing with me. Gradually, the rest of the girls joined in. I couldn't help myself, but I found myself singing the line "I can't get her out of my mind. I think about the girl all the time" to first Aubrey and then to Chloe. I saw their eyes go dark with desire and I forced myself to move away before I did something I'd regret. More voices joined in and I was amazed to see the Harmonics joining in and then the spectators started singing and dancing to my song. I was completely blown away by the response and circled around the Bellas so I could take in everything happening. I moved back into the middle of the Bellas to finish the song. I couldn't help myself, I threw the 'suck-it' sign at Jesse.

"I mean, you're welcome." I said and grinned. Then my breath caught, Chloe was pressing into my back. She was almost vibrating against me. I leaned back into her before I could stop myself. I didn't even want to move. I was on such a high from the success of my song that all of my reservations evaporated. Chloe was so close that I could hear her breath catch. I grinned when I felt her hand tentatively reach out and wrap around my waist, holding me against her. It felt so fucking good that I closed my eyes and just enjoyed the sensation. Everything else disappeared around us for that one moment.

Then Justin stepped forward and spoke, breaking the perfection of that moment. "Tough blow, ladies. The word you needed to match was 'it', and you sang 'its'."

My eyes shot open and I stepped away from Chloe, feeling her hand reluctantly slide away from me. "What?"

Justin and the Trebles all shouted. "You are cut off!"

Justin then announced "The Trebles win!" To which the trebles all started shouting and jumping around.

I was dumbfounded. Aubrey's voice rose from behind me. "What?! I've never heard that rule! Come on ladies."

I stood just staring at the Trebles in shock until I felt a comforting hand squeeze my shoulder. I turned and saw the hand belonged to Chloe. I smiled at her. The ruling was ridiculous, but at least we did an amazing song and were actually listening to each other. I followed Chloe over to the Bella huddle and shook off the disappointment at the loss.

When we joined the huddle, Aubrey was saying, "Before everybody goes to bed tonight, I need you to make a list of everything we did wrong."

"You guys, what we just did was great right?" I asked, deliberately not looking at Aubrey. What she was saying was ridiculous.

Aubrey huffed. "Calm your pits, Beca. We still lost."

"Yeah, but it was spontaneous. It was awesome. We were actually listening to each other." I insisted, trying to get through to Aubrey that the night wasn't a failure.

Deliberately, Aubrey stared at me, but refused to comment further. "All right guys, hands in." She said thrusting her hand into the center of the circle. I rolled my eyes at her and put my hand in. I didn't say anything in the ensuing debate on whether we sang on three or after three. Eventually, Aubrey gave up and stomped off. The rest of the Bellas started scattering, and I turned away from the group, wandering back toward the deep end of the pool.

The abandoned pool was nearly empty and I took a minute to replay that incredible moment when I heard everyone join into the song. I closed my eyes, shutting out everything else around me and thought about how I could use that in my next mix. As I got to the end of the song I thought it was just the memory of Chloe's touch that I was feeling. I sighed deeply and let myself enjoy the feeling of her behind me, until I felt hot breath on my neck. I froze. I had assumed that everyone else had left and I didn't know who was holding me. Then I heard a low chuckle and I relaxed and turned to face Chloe. She didn't loosen her grip and I found myself was too close to the redhead with one of her arms around my waist. I cleared my suddenly dry throat and took a step back, finally breaking her hold on me.

"I didn't realize anyone was still here." I said awkwardly shuffling me feet.

She grinned. "I know, but you looked so adorable over here, that I couldn't resist coming over to join you."

"I'm not adorable. Puppies are adorable." I said dryly.

Chloe rolled her eyes. "So what were you doing?"

I felt the blush creeping up my cheeks and I looked away from her curious eyes. "I, uh…I was thinking about the song I sang. I was just enjoying the high of having everyone join in."

Chloe stepped back up to me and pulled me into a hug. Her voice was low and husky as she spoke into my ear, sending shivers through my body. "It was an incredible song. You did an amazing job."

"Thanks." My voice was breathy and I couldn't move away from her.

"I don't think anyone has ever rapped in a riff off before. It was so, so sexy." She breathed.

I swallowed hard. Unconsciously, I tilted my face into her neck, breathing in the clean scent of her skin and shampoo. The desire to close the distance and taste her skin made me pull back. I couldn't do this. Whatever feelings I was developing for this redhead needed to go away. I couldn't open myself up to the kind of pain I was starting to believe she would be able to inflict when she inevitably left.

"Chloe, I can't—" I said, letting the sentence linger in the air.

"Why, Beca?" She asked sadly, still not letting me go.

"I—I just can't. Just let it go Chloe. Let me go." I said pulling back from her as much as I could without breaking her hold on me. I couldn't yet bring myself to lose the feel of her arms around me.

Chloe studied me for a long time, before nodding reluctantly and letting her hands drop. "Alright, Becs. If that's really what you want."

Hearing the nickname fall so easily from her lips made my heart jump and my breath caught in my throat. "Thanks" I said weakly.

Chloe turned away from me, looking around the pool area. "You know, this is my favorite place to come and think. Anytime I need to figure something out, I come down here and sing until everything just seems to settle in my mind and I know what I need to do."

I was curious why she was telling me this. "That sounds nice."

She grinned and turned back to me. "Totes. I've been meaning to come down here for the last week, and just haven't had time."

"Oh, ok. I'll just go then. You know, give you some privacy to do your thing." I said hurriedly.

She giggled. "Actually, I was hoping you might be willing to stay and sing with me." Her voice was hopeful and I couldn't resist it.

"Um, ok. What do you want to sing?" I asked, more excited to sing with her than I knew I should be. "Anything but Titanium." I added hastily.

Chloe laughed. "Aww, Becs, you don't want to sing my lady jam with me again?" She asked teasingly as she moved closer and ran a finger down my cheek.

I shuddered under her touch, both wanting it to continue and wanting to just leave. Trying to cover my reaction, I said "Dude, no!" and studied me feet.

Chloe stopped the caress but she didn't move back. I glanced up and saw her smirking at me. I cleared my throat. "So, what are we singing?"

She thought about it. "Hm…Do you know Galileo by the Indigo Girls?"

I grinned. "Yeah. I know it. You start this time and I'll join in."

"Ok" She said grinning. She took a deep breath and started singing, filling the whole building with her incredible voice.

Galileo's head was on the block
The crime was looking up for truth

I joined in, adding my alto voice to Chloe's clear soprano.

And as the bombshells of my daily fears explode
I try to trace them to my youth

And then you had to bring up reincarnation
Over a couple of beers the other night
And now I'm serving time for mistakes
Made by another in another lifetime

How long till my soul gets it right
Can any human being ever reach that kind of light
I call on the resting soul of Galileo
King of night vision, king of insight

And then I think about my fear of motion
Which I never could explain
Some other fool across the ocean years ago
Must have crashed his little airplane

How long till my soul gets it right
Can any human being ever reach that kind of light
I call on the resting soul of Galileo
King of night vision, king of insight

I'm not making a joke, you know me
I take everything so seriously
If we wait for the time till all souls get it right
Then at least I know there'll be no nuclear annihilation
In my lifetime I'm still not right

I started laughing, which made Chloe stop and look at me. "What?" She asked.

"I'm sorry. I love this song, but that is the most ridiculous line ever written in a song." I said trying to regain my composure.

Chloe started giggling. "I know, right?" I grinned at her and she smiled back. I got lost in her eyes and didn't even notice that I had closed the distance between us until I felt her warm breath on my face. I glanced down at her lips. I wanted to close the distance between us and kiss them, but I managed, just barely to hold myself back. I looked back into her eyes and saw desire reflected in them. I licked my lips and did the only thing I could, I continued the song. After a surprised moment, Chloe joined me, and she lifted her hands to rest lightly on my hips, holding me against her as we sang, gazing into each other's eyes.

I offer thanks to those before me
That's all I've got to say
'Cause maybe you squandered big bucks in your lifetime
Now I have to pay
But then again it feels like some sort of inspiration
To let the next life off the hook
But she'll say "look what I had to overcome from my last life
I think I'll write a book"

How long till my soul gets it right
Can any human being ever reach the highest light
Except for Galileo God rest his soul
(Except for the resting soul of Galileo)
King of night vision, king of insight

How long
(Till my soul gets it right)
[Til we reach the highest light]
How long
(Till my soul gets it right)
[Til we reach the highest light]
How long

As the last note faded into silence, I came back to my senses. I wanted to kiss her. God, I wanted it so badly, but I stepped back, pulling the shreds of my self-control back together. I forced a smirk and asked, "Did that help?"

"Oh, yeah. It helped a lot." Chloe said in a voice that was nearly a moan. The sound sent shivers through my body.

"Good." I said breathily. I stared at her, seeing the flush of her skin and the way her eyes filled with desire as she gazed back at me. I swallowed hard. "Um, I should probably go. It's—um…it's getting pretty late."

She smiled the sexiest smile I have ever seen in my life. "Alright, Beca. I'll walk you back to your dorm. I don't want anything to happen to you."

"Oh, um…that's ok. You don't have to worry about me. I'll be fine."

Chloe closed the distance and threw one of her arms around my shoulders. "But I do worry about you." She said into my ear, sending another wave of shivers through me.

I tried to shrug out of her embrace, but she wouldn't let go. "Ok, then. Um, let's go." I replied when I realized I was trapped in her grasp.

She laughed and let go. We walked in silence back to my dorm. I was so lost in thought that I didn't even realize we had arrived until Chloe stopped and turned to face me. I met her gaze.

"Well, good night. Be safe getting home." I said, unsure of what she was going to do.

"I will. I promise." She said with a smile, before she pulled me into a hug. "Dream about me, Becs." She whispered into my ear. When I shuddered, she pulled back, kissed my cheek and walked away. I stood staring after her until she turned to look back at me. When she noticed me watching her, she smirked and waved before continuing on her way. I hastily turned and walked into my dorm, knowing that I indeed would dream about her that night.