I don't own Pitch Perfect
8: Dress Rehearsals: Wherever this Goes
Thanks to the success of their first round of practice with act four, Fate decided to give the final piece of the script, which of course prompted a great number of questions, which mostly revolved around how the story will end.
The following two weeks were filled with intensive practice sessions for all the acts and separate rehearsals for the group performance, Beca's solos, Chloe's solo, and Jesse's solo.
And of course, Fate had to deal with Aubrey's interrogation. Fate had successfully avoided the blonde though, that is until their final practice, the dress rehearsals.
Stacie managed to get Aubrey calm enough throughout their run through of acts one and two. There will be an intermission before acts three to five and so Fate decided to give the acapella groups a break after act to.
Aubrey marched right out of the auditorium and followed Fate to the lobby during the break. Stacie followed her immediately, dragging Amy along. "I have been patient with all of this enigmatic nonsense, how will this story end? I believe we all warrant an explanation?"
"I thought the script was clear Posen." Fate replied sounding exasperated. "Beca will make her decision, and Chloe and Jesse would have to make theirs too. How the story ends depend on all three of them."
"Why do I have a feeling that the end of the story isn't just for the play?"
"Because" Fate started, addressing the blonde calmly, "It isn't just for the play. Come on now Aubrey, you've been harassing me about this since the start. It ought to be clear to you by now what this play is about."
"I thought the play was about the red string of fate that binds two people together." Amy said, cutting in on Aubrey who was about to say something. The fearless leader of the Bellas nodded at the Australian to acknowledge that she should go ahead. "So far this play's been about Beca's love life, and I guess about ours as well."
Fate nodded and smiled. "True. Amy, you realized Bumper was at the end of your string so you tried to win him back after you dismissed his feelings as something casual. Stacie, you've always known Aubrey was at the end of yours, the aca-nazi here needed a bit of a push but she knew it was you too. Benji's at the end of Emily's, and so on and so forth. We get to find out the answer to who is at the end of Beca's string too. Actually, we already know from the very beginning. But Beca's thread got tangled and stretched and she's been too in her head to realize what's right in front of her. So, we get to see if Beca chooses happiness, to be with the one at the end of her thread?"
"And what if the hobbit chooses wrong?" Aubrey sighed and Fate shrugged, she was about to answer Aubrey when Stacie jumped in.
"The thing is, there's only one person at the end of our respective strings. But we have freewill. So in the end, we may be destined to be with someone, and time and time and again we'll be brought together because it is inevitable, but we get to choose if our ending is happy or tragic. It's happy if we choose to be with the one meant to be with us, and it's tragic if we choose to keep running away."
"Stacie is right." Fate then said. "The thing is, not even death or a number of lifetimes can separate two people meant to be together. They'll always be bound by their red thread. But, the tragedy lies in never acknowledging it, you know, when love is right there, right in front of us, be we think we don't deserve it. Thing is, the pages of a one's story was written from the start, but one gets to choose which pages gets stitched into the binding."
Aubrey took a deep breath and nodded. "But how sure are you that Chloe is at the end of Beca's? What if you're wrong? How could you even know all of this? Who are you?"
"Oh come on now Aubrey, that too? Surely you know by now." Fate said before clapping her hands together and walking back into the theater leaving the three Bellas confused. "Time to get back."
Acts three and four went by fast and Fate had the Bellas and Trebles go over the first part of the last act. When the scene for Beca's decision was up, Fate had Luke drape black curtains between Beca who was standing on center stage, Chloe on stage right, and Jesse on stage left. Fate had the Trebles and Bellas stay backstage and she asked a confused Beca to sing her song. After that Fate called it a day and reminded everyone to get some rest, the following day was the big night after all.
About a week before
Beca had been getting more and more confident about how she felt for the redhead. Chloe was still acting a little bit off, but she knew, she could feel it, every time they practice act four and kiss, she could feel in the intensity of how Chloe would kiss her back that she felt the same way too.
Beca knew she still had to talk to Jesse, she knew what she had to do. Clarity was crashing down on her like a soothing wave of water, and it feels like she could breathe again.
She still has no idea what to with the play though.
So, as she went over blocking and what she was going to do in the different scenes with Fate, she decided to ask the director the question that's been bugging her since they started with their mysterious act five rehearsals. "Who exactly do I run to?"
Fate looked a little loss at Beca's question. "I though the answer to that question was clear Mitchell."
It was Beca's turn to look a little confused. "No. Well, I mean, I go after the person at the end of my thread right? But I don't know who it is."
"Sure you do." Fate quickly answers as she smiles sincerely at the DJ. "I could see as we progress with rehearsals that the answer to your question has been made clearer with each day. Beca, you know who it is that's at the end of your thread. The question is, do you go after the person you love, the one that makes you happy, and face every possible storm that gets thrown at your way. Choosing so could mean thousands of obstacles ahead of, it would mean that you would be at your most vulnerable, that you would be stripped raw in front of that person. It would mean that when you hurt, you will experience the greatest degrees of pain, but it will be worth it. All of it. Or do you choose the one who makes you feel safe, you'll never feel hurt again, but you won't ever feel that happiness that everyone else dreams off. You don't ever get to be with the one. It all depends on you Beca, it depends on your decision."
"Okay." the brunette says uncertainly. "But, how do I know if I'm making the right decision? I mean, what if end up hurting someone who loves me too. What if it ends up in disaster? What if the audience doesn't like my decision? I can choose whoever I want right? There's no right or wrong answer?"
Fate sighs, asking this question and going back and forth with this over and over again is why they were in this mess in the first place. She looks at Beca with understanding, she was, after all, only human. "Beca, just follow your heart. If you're looking for a right answer, then that's always the right one. Regardless what the audience, or the rest of the world would think, even if you unintentionally hurt some people, because honestly, they'll get over it eventually, just choose what makes you happy. The world can only see what's on the surface, what you want to them to think. You get to live with the decision you make, you know what's underneath the surface, and in the end – if you put what others may think or feel before your own – you will only be lying to yourself. In that case, you're not the only one who'll be hurting, you'll be hurting all involved."
Beca smirked. "Won't I be selfish if I do that?" she asked and Fate laughed.
"Yes, but sometimes we have to be, sometimes it's okay to be."
Beca nodded, and with that, finished up her private practice with Fate. She quickly gathered her things before jumping off the stage. The DJ placed her headphones on and started to absent-mindedly sing as she walked out.
I bought a ticket to the long way 'round
Two bottle whiskey for the way
And I sure would like some sweet company
And I'm leaving tomorrow. What'd you say?
She runs into Chloe as she leaves and Beca couldn't help but smile as the redhead knowingly beams at her.
…An hour later…
"That's a wrap Chloe. Great job!" Fate says as Chloe gets down from the stage.
The redhead was a little uncertain how to approach the director, her thoughts back to what Aubrey, Stacie, and Amy told her. Truth be told, it was a bit fishy that the story of the play pretty much revolved around her feelings for Beca, Beca choosing Jesse, and Beca possibly, maybe, just perhaps, having feelings for her too.
But Chloe didn't pay much attention to it, not until Fate had her to choose whatever song she felt was appropriate as a response to Beca's decision at the end of the play. Chloe somehow understood what it meant, and she wanted to voice it out to the director, just to make sure.
"You want me to make a decision to fight for Beca and fight for a chance to be with her regardless of her decision, right? Aubrey thinks it's because you want me to be at the end of Beca's red thread. But if you're wrong?"
Fate scoffed, that was the second time that day she was asked the same question. Why do these mortals keep questioning what I had intended to happen from the very start?
"Do you love Beca?" Fate asks and Chloe answers "yes" within a heartbeat. "Do you want to be with her?" another "yes". "So if she chooses you, will you push her away? If she chooses Jesse, will you just let her walk away? You've been kissing her for act four, do you honestly think that she's just a really good actress or could you feel how she actually feels for you through those kisses, by the way she touches you or hold your hand, or by the way she gazes in your eyes?" Chloe blushes, her face redder than her hair and Fate couldn't help but chuckle. "It's more than just chemistry. Anyone within a mile's radius around you could see it, even if they were blind. You've already let slip so many times because you were afraid that you would chase her away. Give her a little credit and just trust her with your heart Chloe. Trust what you feel, okay?"
Chloe nodded, a little touched by the sincerity of what Fate had said. She didn't care anymore, who Fate Valentine was or how she knew things about Beca and her, she decided she'll just have faith that things will work out fine, and that she should just be thankful for the chance she's getting now, a shot for fighting for Beca.
As Chloe leaves she couldn't help but start singing softly to herself.
but we can't
we can't tell
the future no
but that's just, the beauty of the world we know
so Imma say duuuduuu duuuduuu duuudu duuudu
baby, what if
we all can say duuuduuu duuuduuu duuudu duuudu
baby, what if
Chloe doesn't even notice Jesse making his way into the theater.
…Another hour passes by…
Jesse stands uncomfortably on stage as Fate congratulates him for a job well done. Fate quirks an eyebrow and before Jesse could even speak Fate decides to say what's on his mind for him. "Let me guess, you want to know how it ends… blah, blah… how sure am I with who's at the end of Beca's red string."
"No, I think I've realized that on my own." Jesse honestly replied. "I'm just, well, I can see who Beca will choose. I just don't know if it's because I should be blaming you and think you're just messing with her mind or if I actually am just standing in the way."
Fate stares back at the young man before him, unsure with how to answer that. "If love her and she chooses Chloe, what would you do? If she loves her, will you let her go? Or will you keep her in the prison of your love?"
"That's not what I meant." Jesse hastily replied. "I mean, I know, I guess I could always feel it. But it doesn't mean it doesn't hurt. That's I've been trying so hard. I love her so much."
"Jesse, love transforms. Maybe you do love her, but in your quest for your own movie magic romance you've tried so hard to force that love you feel for her to be the one you've wanted all your life. It's up to you. You get to make a decision too. How this story ends depends on all three of you." Fate said with a sad smile and Jesse nods.
He walks out of the auditorium, bumping into Luke who gives him a nod. Jesse makes his way to the Trebles flat as he silently sang.
Running back through the fire
When there's nothing left to save
It's like chasing the very last train
When it's too late, too late
Jesse only stopped singing when he heard a familiar voice call out to him, "Jess."
Jesse turned around and saw the familiar face his heart's been holding onto, desperately. "I think we need to talk Becs."
Back to present day
Luke watches as everyone made their way out of the auditorium. "Just like them, I'm a little bit confused about the ending Valentine." he said as he approached the director who wasted no time to make her way onto the stage, her back turned away from the seats. "I mean, all you keep saying is our three leads will decide the end, but how do you want to end it? I know you have an ending in mind."
Fate looks back at Luke and shrugs. "The world will see, regardless of the true meaning behind it, a happy ending, because most never bother to dig past the surface to see what's at the core. Beca makes two best friends and falls in love with one, the Boy Next Door may be the one at the end of her red string but Chloe comes to shake her ground, the Rival may be the one at the end of her red string but Jesse comes to distract her with warmth and safety. Love is messy, it hurts, it sucks sometimes, but even with all of that love is love. We don't choose who to love, who or what makes us happy, but we do get to choose if we want to live out our happiness, if we want to choose that love."
"You said that before." Luke said pointedly. "But that doesn't get to any answer."
"Oh but it does." Fate reaffirms. "That's what the play is about. It's about the DJ's red thread, who it's connected too, and how our decisions can affect it. I can force my ending onto them, and if I did that in the first place, I guess we wouldn't be here right now. In the end, I suppose I still want them to make the realization themselves."
Luke nodded, accepting Fate's answer. "Why me? I mean, why did you choose me to help you out in this?"
Fate smiled back. "I don't know. I figured you were a familiar face, a welcome presence."
"Right, well, I best make sure everything's set for tomorrow." Luke said, walking towards backstage.
Fate looks ahead at the empty seats before her. The end was near, the truth was clear, all she could do is hope that love triumphs.
With my eyes wide open
I've got my eyes wide open
I've been keeping my hopes unbroken
Yeah, yeah
Ooh, your love is a symphony
All around me, running through me
Ooh, your love is a melody
Underneath me, running to me
Your love is a song
Yeah, yeah
Your love is my remedy
Oh, your love is a song
Fate sings softly before she disappears.
NOTES:
**Chapter title inspired by Wherever This Goes by The Fray
** Songs in this chapter:
- Cups (When I'm Gone) by Anna Kendrick
- What If by Jason Derulo
- Broken Strings by James Morrison
- Your Love is a Song by Switchfoot