The ride home is tense, silent except for Jesse's iPod playing over the stereo, and Beca spends it staring out the window, her night with Chloe on a loop in her head. Even when they stop for the waffles she promised Jesse, all she does is stare at her coffee cup and push her fruit around the plate. She checks her phone what feels like once a minute, unsure if she wants Chloe to reach out or not. They're an hour outside of Savannah when the word vomit starts.

"I slept with Chloe last night," Beca says, as if Jesse hasn't probably already figured that out. As if her neck weren't covered in a barrage of hickeys that definitely weren't there when Jesse went to bed. But still, Jesse says nothing. "We got pizza and we were talking and we did talk about the artwork but it just went from there. We talked about everything and nothing and then before I realized it, it was 4:30 and I thought you were going to freak out if I woke you up, so Chloe told me to stay. And I tried to fight it, I did, but she was there looking at me with those eyes and it was like I couldn't say no. So I changed into the clothes she gave me and then it just... happened. I don't know how. One minute we were standing there and the next we were naked and..."

"Hey," Jesse whispers, placing a hand on Beca's arm and effectively stopping her rant. "We don't have to talk about it if you don't want."

So they didn't.

-xxx-

Beca spends the next 2 weeks as busy as she can possibly be. She writes new material for This New Thing, alphabetizes Jesse's vinyl, reorganizes the apartment they moved into during the beginning of the year, and gets as far ahead on school work as she can. She doesn't think about Chloe at all, except for those rare moments when she's still. When she's falling asleep, when she first wakes up, when she stops for lunch... the only thing she can think of is Chloe.

She doesn't talk to Jesse about what happened that night, which she kind of feels bad about because he wants to know so bad that she can practically see it dancing on the tip of his tongue. Chloe doesn't call or text, and that suits Beca just fine because she's not entirely sure what she'd say anyway. She doesn't mind it, except that it cuts her deeper than she even wants to think about.

On the sixteenth day, during one of those slow times - when she's sitting Indian style on the floor of her and Jesse's practice space, pen tapping rhythmically against the notebook in her lap as she waits on Jesse to show up - Beca's phone rings. She doesn't recognize the number, but she knows 212 is a New York area code and her heart leaps into her throat. She toys with the idea of not answering until it's almost too late, but she finally hits the little green button. "Hello?"

It's silent for a moment, and Beca starts to internally berate herself for getting so worked up over a call that is obviously a wrong number and not Chloe. But then it happens. "Hey. It's me... uh... Chloe."

"H... hi," Beca says, swallowing hard past the lump in her throat.

There's an awkward silence before Chloe continues, "Listen, I know that... What I mean is..." Chloe sighs deeply. "Is that artwork offer still on the table?"

Beca hesitates for a moment, debating if it would be a good idea, before she answers. "Yeah. Yeah it is," she says, as if there was any chance at all that she would have said no.

"Good."

The door to the practice space opens and she looks up to smile at Jesse, only the person standing just inside the door frame isn't Jesse, it's Chloe. Beca drops her phone, staring slackjawed at the other woman. She feels her chest clench tightly and the butterflies start up again. "What are..."

"Jesse told me you'd be here."

"Oh."

An uncomfortable silence settles in around them, constricting around Beca in the most awful ways, and they both stay rooted to their spots. Beca wants to get up and go to Chloe. She wants to touch Chloe's silky smooth skin and make sure she's real. She wants to... she pushes that thought out of her head, because it doesn't matter, anyway. She settles for watching Chloe, studying her as the other girl's eyes flick about the room, taking it in.

"I like this place," Chloe says, breaking the silence. "It's..."

"Inspiring?"

"Inspiring," Chloe finishes at the same time, and they share a small smile that makes Beca's heart rate go wild.

"That's what I told Jesse the first time we walked in. It's just got that vibe."

Chloe nods in agreement. "So - uh - you wanna discuss this here? Or maybe grab a cup of coffee or something?"

"There's a cafe down the street that you might like. It's where This New Thing got their start," Beca says. It's not really a straight answer, but Chloe's face lights up even more at the mention, so Beca know what the choice will be.

"Then I'd love to check it out," Chloe responds, offering her hand to Beca to help her up.

Beca shoves her notebook in her messenger bag and slings it over her shoulder before she takes Chloe's hand, standing and stretching. It isn't until they're out of the practice space and onto the street before she realizes she hasn't let go of Chloe's hand and immediately drops it.

The walk to Sentient Bean is silent, Beca half a step ahead, leading the way. She wants to ask what Chloe's doing there in Savannah (because really, they both know the whole artwork thing could have been worked out long distance because of great technological advances called computers), but she's more than a little afraid of the answer she'll get, so she stays quiet. When they reach the cafe, Beca holds the door for Chloe, smiling at the way the other girl's eyes sparkle when she says thank you, and then mentally chastising herself for it. That is not where her mind needs to be right now.

"Hey! It's my favorite rock star!"

Beca looks over to see Cynthia Rose sitting at the counter, smiling brightly. "Hey Cyn," Beca replies with a wave. "Where's your section?"

"Go 'head and take your favorite, lady," Cynthia Rose says, touching Beca's arm lightly. "I'll swap a table with Tommy."

"You're the best!" Beca says, before turning and leading Chloe to a table by the window.

"Well... she seems... nice," Chloe says as she takes a seat, looking over the menu.

"Cynthia rose? Yeah she's awesome. Jesse and I are in here pretty much all the time since it's so close to the space. She got us our first show; I'll introduce you when she comes over."

Chloe just nods, continuing to look at the menu. "So what do you recommend?"

Beca leans in a little closer over the table, looking over the top of Chloe's menu. "Everything I've ever tried here is good. Panini's are killer," she says, pointing to the list. "And I love their Italian sodas."

Chloe nods and puts her menu down just as Cynthia Rose walks over. "Decide what you want? Well... I know this one has," she says gesturing at Beca. "The usual?"

"You know it," Beca replies, not missing Chloe's questioning glance.

"And for you?"

"I'll have the Greek Isles Panini and an orange Italian soda, please," Chloe says.

"I'll get these right in."

"By the way," Beca says, getting Cynthia Rose's attention before she walks away. "This is my, uh, my friend Chloe," Beca says, looking to Chloe for approval on the word friend and getting a small nod of encouragement. "She's the lead singer of the band we went up to Atlanta to open for."

"Oh!" Cynthia Rosa shakes Chloe's hand and smiles. "It's so great to meet you finally. Jesse an Beca yammered on about you for days after they got that gig."

Beca blushes, ducking her head, but she doesn't miss the grin on Chloe's face. "Nice to meet you, too."

Once Cynthia Rose walks away, Beca looks up shyly. "So now that I've been adequately embarrassed..."

"You two wouldn't shut up about me, huh?" Chloe teases.

Thankful for the significantly lightened mood, even if it was due to her own embarrassment, Beca nods. "Not to go all fangirl or anything, but you've heard your voice, right?"

Chloe laughs. "Stop. Changing the subject... what's 'the usual'?"

"Barbecue tofu wrap; it's killer. I was attempting to try everything on the menu, but about half way through I tried that and haven't gone back."

"Hmmm... must be really good then."

"You won't be disappointed with yours either," Beca assures her.

They idly chat while waiting on their food, the awkward tension mostly gone, but still very obvious - to Beca at least - that there is something hanging between them being ignored. Chloe is telling Beca about the rest of tour, giving out suggestions on clubs to completely avoid if at all possible, when their food arrives.

"You guys should come with us next time," Chloe offers.

"Yeah, I'd love to. We'd love to," Beca corrects, watching as Chloe opens her sandwich and pulls off the olives. "What are you doing?"

"Don't like olives," Chloe says with a shrug.

"You could have ordered it without."

"I know. Just easier this way."

"Whatever you say," Beca laughs, reaching across the table and spearing a few olives with her fork. As she puts them in her mouth, the weirdness of the action, of stealing food off Chloe's plate without even asking, dawns on her, and she smiles apologetically at Chloe as she chews. "Sorry," she says after swallowing. "Best part."

"No big," Chloe remarks, reaching across and stealing a stray piece of barbecue tofu from Beca's plate. "Now we're even. And wow... that is good."

"Told you."

As they finish up their lunch, Beca's phone buzzes with a text from Jesse.

did you guys make up yet?

Beca smiles and writes back, wanting to kill him and hug him at the same time.

we weren't arguing. so we didn't need to make up. you totally owe me for bailing on practice & conspiring against me though

you were miserable. don't tell me you weren't... you were doin that "beca on speed" thing you always do when your upset

whatever. jerk.

love you too, beca. now go kiss & make up with your lady love

Beca finally puts her phone away and apologizes to Chloe. "Sorry, that was Jesse. Wanted to see if we made up."

"Were we arguing?" Chloe asks with a smile.

"That's what I said!"

"So do you want to work on this art thing here?"

"Sure," Beca says, pulling a sketchpad and pencil from her messenger bag.

Chloe laughs. "You're just prepared for everything, aren't you? What else do you have hiding in there?"

"Oh nothing," Beca says, pretending to rifle through it all. "Just prepared in event of the zombie apocalypse."

Chloe's eyebrows knit together as she stares at Beca with - what Beca assumes is - an are you serious?! expression. "Are you going to sketch them to death?"

"Hey, I might be locked up in the mall a long time. I'll need something to do besides stock up at the army surplus store."

"Oh my God," Chloe says, shaking her head. "You've really thought about this, haven't you?"

"My best friend back home, Luke, is obsessed with zombies," Beca explains. "Over the summer before I moved here, we tried to spend as much time together as possible, and since I was the one leaving, I usually got suckered into doing the things that he likes. So we read The Zombie Survival Guide and World War Z and he forced me into this huge zombie movie marathon the whole week leading up to me leaving, so it's kind of a running joke between us."

Chloe chuckles. "That's so sweet. You guys sound really close."

"We are. He's like my brother," Beca says, flipping her sketchbook open to the first blank page. "So what are you looking for?"

"We need new shirts," Chloe explains. "We've been printing the same one for two years now, and I think it's time for something new."

"Okay," Beca starts sketching as Chloe talks, discussing themes and emotions behind The Flyaways' music. By time she finishes talking, Beca has three pages of ideas sketched out. She hands the book over to Chloe for input, and her jaw drops.

"How do you do that?" Chloe asks, astounded as she flips slowly through the few pages. "It's like you just sketched out my words into pictures. Which do everything way more justice than my words. I can't even... you're amazing, Beca."

Beca blushes and looks away. She's usually better at taking compliments, but from Chloe, it's like they're something different. Like she actually means it instead of just placating her.

Chloe reaches out, brushings her fingers under Beca's chin so their eyes meet. "Don't be shy about it. You're amazingly talented, and I'm insanely jealous."

"Thank you," Beca says, smiling as she tries to ignore the fact that her skin is still tingling from where Chloe touched her.

"So... what's going on around here tonight?" Chloe asks, lightening the mood. "I think I need the full Savannah college experience."