From the time she woke up, Beca had a feeling that today would be a bad day.
She was supposed to open up to Chloe today, something she felt queasy about already but she was more concerned that her girlfriend would break up with her once she realized how damaged she was.
Sure enough, Beca was right, today was a very bad day. And it all stared at a capella practice...
"Jesus Christ Beca, that's why you wouldn't go out with me? Her?" Jesse yelled, pacing around the auditorium.
Jesse and Beca were currently standing in the middle of the audience of the auditorium audience while the rest of the Bellas were on stage pretending to continue rehearsal when Beca knew that they were all watching the development between her and Jesse.
"Jesse I didn't want to hurt you and I-" Beca tried to explain. She could feel herself shaking and her palms were sweating. She knew that Chloe was all the way across the stage and was slightly hurt that her girlfriend didn't come over and intervene when she was obviously struggling.
Jesse laughed.
It was completely unlike any other laugh Beca had ever heard from him, this laugh was dark and bitter.
"It's a little too late for that now don't you think?" He questioned her sarcastically.
Beca didn't know what to do; she genuinely liked having Jesse in her life and wanted to salvage the friendship if possible. He was her very first friend at Barden and he was a really great guy; he was charming and funny and musical and he'd be perfect for her…if she hadn't already been in love with Chloe.
In hindsight, Beca realized that not telling Jesse about her relationship with Chloe had been a huge mistake. Maybe if he hadn't walked into their practice to drop off the sheet music the trebles had borrowed for a warm up and seen them kissing, he would have taken it better.
"Jesse please…" Beca begged. She wasn't entirely sure what she was begging him to do, forgive her? For what? She had every right to fall in love. But she also didn't want to hurt him the way that she obviously already had.
Jesse just scoffed.
"I just never thought you'd do something like this to me," Jesse griped, looking down at the floor, anger still very visible in his eyes.
His arms were shaking at his sides and he looked over to the stage with bitterness in his eyes. He loved Beca. Granted, he'd only known her 6 months, but he could feel the connection and now he couldn't have her because of some girl. He had been there for Beca, he'd been patient when Beca refused to open up to him and he was sure that he was in love with the beautiful alternative brunette.
Chloe whimpered, making eye contact with Aubrey.
"I need go over there Aubrey, he's being an ass," Chloe explained, she really wanted to go over to where her girlfriend and girlfriend's jerk friend were but she didn't want to seem overbearing. Besides, Jesse was Beca's friend and she could handle him.
"No Chlo, then you'll be her babysitter that thinks she can't handle herself." Aubrey denied, wrapping her hand around Chloe's wrist, as if trying to keep her in place.
"You know what? Screw you Jesse. I don't need your permission to fall in love with someone and I sure as hell didn't ask for your opinion on my relationship," Beca responded angrily. She was getting mad now; Jesse came into her Bellas rehearsal and made a scene in front of all her friends and her girlfriend who were all gawking like they were watching some hit reality show instead of just telling Jesse to get lost.
"God how can you even call it a relationship? She's a girl! This is just wrong Bec," Jesse argued, still not understanding just how angry he was making Beca.
"Okay Jesse that's enough, I think you need to go," Aubrey finally stepped in. Her arms were crossed and her signature bitch face was on. Who the hell was Jesse to come into her Bellas rehearsal and mess with her two of her best singers? She honestly should have intervened a long time ago but she didn't want to come off as controlling.
"Yeah so you guys can go back to lesbian club," Jesse remarked sarcastically, taking a shot at Beca.
"Screw you Jesse. Even if I wasn't into girls, I still wouldn't date a pathetic jackass like you," Beca snarked. Normally, she didn't really think he was a bad guy but right now he was just being such an asshole and Beca wanted to hurt him.
The anger in Jesse just bubbled up and took over his whole body. He turned around has fast as he could and slapped Beca right across the face. The loud smack sound echoed off the walls of the auditorium and all the whispering Bellas were dead silent. Everyone was in shock.
Jesse had just slapped Beca.
Chloe was off the stage and at Beca's side in an instant.
"You son of a bitch! Get the hell out of this auditorium before I beat the shit out of you." Chloe yelled at him, her voice dangerous and cutting. She wrapped a protective arm around her shaking girlfriend's waist.
It was like Jesse didn't hear her.
"OH-oh my God Beca…I'm s so sorry. I d-didn't mean to do that." Jesse stammered. He eyes kept darting his hand to the shocked girl's red face.
"Did you not hear Chloe? Get the hell out!" Aubrey shouted. She pushed the boy away, knocking him out of his daze. Shaking his head, he took off running.
The rest of the Bellas came rushing over to Beca bombarding her with questions.
"Are you okay?" Fat Amy asked frantically.
"Does it hurt? Do you need some ice?" Stacie asked quickly, panic was obvious in her voice.
Lily whispered something that no one heard.
"Okay enough! Thank you for being concerned about Beca but you all need to back off. Rehearsal is over for today, get your shit and go home," Aubrey barked at the Bellas, her business, no bullshit voice was firmly in place.
Chloe was trying to get any kind reaction of out Beca. The younger girl was still frozen. Chloe could feel the shorter girl shaking and her face was still pressed up against her cheek right where Jesse had slapped her. Chloe had tried to guide her down into one of the seats but Beca refused to move anywhere; she just continued to stand there and stare off into the distance. Unable to find anything that would get her to respond, Chloe desperately pulled Beca's face to her own and kissed the younger girl gently keeping her arms gently around her girlfriend's waist securely. Almost immediately Beca snapped out of her trance and flinched away. Her eyes were wide with fear and panic. She rapidly became aware of her surroundings and how she, Chloe and Aubrey were the only people left in the auditorium.
Aubrey was leaning against the stage, waiting for an appropriate time to join the couple.
"G-get away from me." Beca stammered out. Tears were brimming in a pool of blue eyes that Chloe just got a glimpse of before Beca turned away. Before Chloe could get a grip on the younger girl she scampered away, running as fast as she could out of the auditorium doors. Chloe turned to run after her but she could get anywhere she felt Aubrey holding her back.
"Aubrey don't you dare tell me that she needs space." Chloe warned.
"I wasn't going to. Chlo, I'm just going to be honest with you. I think someone abused Beca when she was younger. That was not a normal reaction to just getting slapped. I mean I'm sure it hurt and she was shocked but I could see it in her eyes, she was a million miles away from here. Like she was trapped in a memory." Aubrey explained.
"That's all the more reason for her to need me. I have to go find her." Chloe argued, getting frustrated.
"Just…let me talk to her okay?" Aubrey pleaded.
Chloe let out a sigh; she ran a hand through her long red hair.
"Look I know she's fragile and we don't have the best track record but I swear Chlo I just want to help her," Aubrey swore.
"Okay okay, just call me as soon as you find her, she needs me," Chloe chocked out, tears forming in her eyes.
"Hey, hey it's okay Chlo don't cry," Aubrey comforted, pulling her best friend into a tight hug.
"It's just t-today she was supposed to open up and talk about all the things she was scared of and I was supposed to help her through all the skeletons in her closet and protect her and instead I just stood there let her get slapped," Chloe cried, tightening her hold on the blonde.
"Chloe you couldn't have known he was going to do that. Don't you dare blame yourself. I'll meet you back at our place with Beca in an hour. Go take a shower and relax, Beca is going to need you calm if you're going to be there for her," Aubrey instructed softly.
Giving her ginger friend one last squeeze, she set off to find the alternative young girl.
Aubrey sat in the younger girl's dorm room for close to an hour before the blue-eyed brunette stumbled in. Her eyes were red and tear marks were dried on her face. The girl looked broken, her posture was slumped over and her hands were still shaking. She hadn't even noticed Aubrey's presence yet. Finally Beca looked up to throw herself on her bed and nearly jumped out of her skin upon noticing the older girl sitting there.
"Jesus Christ Aubrey! You nearly gave me a heart attack!" Beca yelled. She cleared her throat awkwardly and tried to dry off the tears marks on her cheeks. Aubrey smiled faintly. "I'm sorry; I didn't mean to startle you. Chloe is just really worried about you."
Beca said nothing. She just walked over to bed and sat down next to Aubrey. After taking a few calming breaths the freshman girl spoke up.
"So what are you doing here?" she asked, not rudely, just curiously.
"When I was 14, my parents got into an argument. My mom left to stay that night with a friend and left me alone with my father. Ironically, the fight was over my dad's drinking habit. And when she left, he downed an entire bottle of scotch by himself. He was so drunk that he came up into my room and started to scream at me. I told him he was drunk and to sleep it off, being the smartass teenager I was, and he hit me. I was so shocked that I didn't or couldn't do anything. The next morning he came upstairs and begged me not to tell my mother and that he was terribly sorry and it would never happen again," Aubrey said evenly. She even surprised herself by how comfortable she felt telling Beca this.
When Beca said nothing she continued. "Of course it did happen again, a few more times but I was still too terrified of my father to do anything to stop him. Then, one day when I was 18, just before I left for college I told my mom. I figured I was leaving in just a short summer and there really wasn't a lot my father could do to me once I was gone. She was appalled and divorced him as soon as she could. Their marriage was on the ropes anyways and my secret just set my mom over the edge. I went to see a counselor to deal with the aftermath and I haven't spoken to my father since." Aubrey finished.
Beca was still frozen in shock but she recovered quickly when she realized the older girl was done.
"Why would you tell me that?" Beca asked, her voice wavered and shook, as if she was afraid of the answer she'd get.
Aubrey let out a small sigh. "Other than my therapist, my mom and Chloe, you're the only other person that knows. I think that's why I have such a need for control, because I didn't have any when I was younger," Aubrey said softly.
The older girl looked over to meet the younger girl's eyes. "I told you because I can see a lot of myself in you. You were terrified when Jesse slapped you; I saw it on your face. You were living in the past. I've been talking to Chloe; don't be angry with her, she was just trying to help but I know physical contact is hard for you and trusting people, I was like that too." Aubrey informed her carefully.
She knew that Chloe breaking her trust and telling her might upset Beca.
"She told you that?" Beca asked, anger filling up her eyes. She couldn't really be mad at Chloe for seeking her best friend's advice but she couldn't help but feel a little betrayed. "She was trying to help you." Aubrey assured her.
"Look no offense but if I wanted you to know that I would have told you myself," Beca said angrily.
"Listen, Beca, you don't owe me an explanation or any answers but you do owe some to Chloe. She really cares about you and she wants to help you and I think you need to let her," Aubrey said honestly.
"H-how long was it? Before you could trust again?" Beca asked quietly. She began to twirl her long brunette hair around her finger and bite her lip, both nervous habits of hers.
"It took a long time." Aubrey admitted. "But it gets easier. You already have Chloe and she won't let you push her away. Neither will I, when you're ready to talk about it with me."
"Thank you Aubrey, I know we don't always get along but you're actually kind of cool and I'm glad we're friends." Beca confessed.
Aubrey smiled, "Me too. Now I promised Chloe I'd bring you back to our apartment to talk so we better get going."
The older girl got up off of Beca's bed and grabbed her keys to her own dorm. The younger girl followed her out and they walked the short distance between housing buildings. The walk was silent but Beca felt a million times better now that she knew that she wasn't alone. When they reached Aubrey and Chloe's apartment, Beca stopped walking.
"Hey Aubrey?" Beca asked suddenly. "After I tell Chloe about…me can I- can we?" Beca trailed off, not entirely sure how to phrase it.
"You can always come to talk to me about anything. Like you said, we're friends now and I know what you're going through. Maybe when you feel up to it, you can come talk to me about you. Just remember you aren't alone, Chloe and I will help you through this," Aubrey promised.
She gave the younger girl an awkward one-armed hug before opening the door to her shared living room. The opened door revealed Chloe, who was standing up and pacing. She was worried sick about Beca. The beautiful senior had cleaned their entire apartment and showered while waiting for her two best friends to arrive. She saw the door open to reveal her best friend and her girlfriend. She raced over to them and wrapped the younger girl up in her arms.
"Thank God, I was worried sick," The ginger mumbled into her girlfriend's shoulder.
Aubrey cleared her throat and Chloe pulled away and noticed just how tense Beca was. "I'm going to go to my room; you two talk and come get me if you need me." Aubrey said slowly, giving Beca a pointed look.
The younger girl nodded at the blonde and allowed herself to be pulled into Chloe's room.
Chloe closed the door to give them privacy and sat down on her bed, pulling her girlfriend with her.
"I don't know where to start." Beca answered honestly.
"How about the beginning?" Chloe suggested with a small smirk.
Beca laughed lightly, appreciating her girlfriend's attempt to ease the tension. And she began her story.
So I guess it's actually next chapter that you find out what exactly happened to Beca but at least now you have a really good idea of it. I really like Aubrey/Beca friendship and I can totally see Aubrey being abused as a child so I just thought it worked. I don't hate Jesse but he'd such an appropriate villain. I personally like Jesse a lot; he just seems like the best friend type to me. Anyways, thank you so much for reading and I love constructive criticism!