CHAPTER 17

POV- Jesse

I can't say it's been easy, but me and Beca are finally back to normal.

Hanging out in the lawns… joking around at the station… watching movies… It's not exactly the kind of relationship I WANTED to have with her, but I guess it's better than nothing.

And it still bothers me that she spends so much time with Chloe. I've had a strange feeling about Chloe from the moment Beca auditioned for the Bellas last year. From the curtains, I had a pretty good view of her. I couldn't help but notice how her head dropped and her how her breathing sped up as her eyes locked on Beca. It was almost predatory…

And now that I'm out of the picture, she's probably trying her hardest to sweep Beca off her feet

And onto her back…

I shake the thought out of my head.

Don't think like that. If Beca hasn't given in yet, she probably won't.

Me and the Trebles unload the bus and head towards the Carolina University Auditorium for the ICCA Regionals. The crowd is so crazy, we can hear them from outside.

Donald throws his arm around my shoulder, playfully,"We got this, man. We gotta throw down and take back what's ours. Know what I'm sayin'?"

We take the stage and I can already feel my heart pumping.

I've never been the competitive type, but there's just something about being on stage that fires me up. It's like I become a different person. I've noticed the same thing happens to Benji. It's like all of a sudden he becomes a panty-dropping womanizer, but as soon as the set is over, he flashes a dorky grin my way.

Once our performance is over, we take a seat in the audience to support the Bellas. It really hurts to watch Beca perform. She always looks so much prettier when she performs. I don't know if it's because she's smiling or because she does her make up differently, but whatever the reason…it makes it about ten times harder for me to pretend everything's okay.

Beca brings the pitchpipe to her lips and blows, identifying the tonic pitch for the Bellas. I'm not surprised when I hear the first four bars of the set. The mezzo-sopranos come in with the guitar riff of "Smells Like Teen Spirit" then the altos join in two bars later with a modulated version of the bassline from "Sweet Dreams". Lily pumps out some complicated dub-step drum and bass line.

I smile to myself.

Nirvana and Eurythhmics? Only Beca…

Chloe:"Sweet dreams are made of this… " "Who am I to disagree?"

Beca: "Where have you been?" "Hello… Hello…"

Cynthia Rose: "I travelled the world and the seven seas." "Everybody's looking for something."

Fat Amy: "Where have you been?" "'Cuz I haven't seen you around."

I was surprised at the addition of the Rihanna song. The Bellas really outdid their selves this time…

I let out a sigh, unsure how to deal with all the emotions I'm experiencing right now.

The toner, for one (which is a natural response to Beca's voice, especially in the low register)… being happy for Beca and the girls… sadness… heartbreak… jealousy and uneasiness over the way Chloe keeps glancing at Beca…

Unicycle leans over in his seat so I can hear him over the crowd, "I see ya' hurtin', man. Let her go. I heard she was hooking up with that ginger, anyway. You can do better…"

WHAT?!

"WHAT?!" I don't even try to keep my voice down. People around us turn to see what's going on.

"Whoa... dude… " Unicyle jumps back at my outburst, then immediately realizes his mistake and backpedals as he tries to calm me." I mean, it's just a rumor. Maybe it's not true…"

But, it's too late. It's already been said. I stand and start down the aisles to the double doors blocking off the backstage area. I push it open a little harder than I mean to, causing it to slam against the wall behind it.

It all makes sense now… The looks… the cuddling… the fact that she wouldn't kiss me…

But, maybe it really IS just a rumor. Maybe others are seeing what I see and just jumping to conclusions.

I'm going to stand back here and wait for them to finish, because I REALLY don't want to believe this. I just need her to tell me it's not true. That's it's a rumor and that she would never do that to me.

The crowd goes wild as the Bellas sing the final strains of their performance. They file off the stage excitedly.

"Hey, Jess." Beca jabs me playfully, her smirk dropping the moment she notices my expression. The rest of the Bellas stop to watch.

"Beca," I greet her, cutting to the chase,"I need you to be honest with me. "

She noddes, reluctantly.

"How long have you been sleeping with her?" I point to Chloe. I see a few of the Bellas' jaws drop as they watch.

"Whoa… Jesse! We haven't-" Chloe chimes in, defensively.

"That… was just a one-time thing, okay? It's not like it meant anything…" Beca clarifies, her eyebrows and voice raising. (A nervous habit of hers. It only happens when she's lying.)

My jaw drops at the admission. I really don't know what to say. That wasn't the answer I was expecting, "Wow, Beca…"

"Ladies, let's…give them some privacy…," Chloe nudges the Bellas towards the exit, her shoulders have drooped and I can't ignore the slight quiver in her voice.

It must've meant SOMETHING. And not just for Chloe…

If it didn't mean anything, Beca wouldn't have had to say it. Like, seriously? Who's she trying to convince here?

"You need to figure out what you want, Beca… Don't even bother calling until you do." I turn and head towards the bus, ignoring her calls after me.