So I have exams from the 5th until the 13th. So if I don't update next week it's because I've a maths paper, two Irish paper, a biology paper, a history paper, a French paper and a business paper to study for. (trust me, I'd rather be doing this). Also, I know I could try and update before they start... but I've two English papers, another maths paper and a geography paper to study for as well... so it probably won't happen (sorry).
FHC: Askabaixioaoskzicjabhavajxkjsj... why?! Chloe running away like that... Beca fully wasted... gosh this is not... This is not OK...T_T
The face at the end of this really killed me. I don't even know why, but I laughed fro a good five minutes at it (it's pretty late here).
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Barden seemed forever away after that.
You'd think that'd be a good thing as well. It'd give Beca time to mull over her options or something, maybe even come up with a plan. Oh boy you'd have thought wrong though.
If anything, the most productive thought Beca had on the remainder of her journey was "oh fuck, I should really be planning something" (which really does just sum up her entire situation).
Not that that mattered much. Not that she'd have been given a change to put into action any plans anyway.
The door to her dorm room was barely closed (like really, it didn't even get time to properly click shut) before it was thrown open again with violent force that even made Kimmy Jin look up from her laptop, which her eyes had probably been glued for the entire five days.
"Kimmy Jin, five minutes please?" Beca's roommate didn't even consider arguing with the figure standing in the doorway (it was actually somewhat akin to a rampant axe murderer giving the Asian a free pass to life before brutally murdering Beca).
"You uh… you want me to go too?" Beca mumbled hopefully (very hopefully actually), watching as Kimmy scurried from the room, not even throwing a menacing glare (probably because anger was wasted on the dead).
"Sit." Was the only word Aubrey said as she snapped the door shut and took an authoritative step into the room. "Sit," she repeated when Beca stayed rooted to the spot in fear.
"Aubrey what…" Beca knew her sentence was never going to be finished, but she figured it was worth a try.
"I had a DMC with Chloe last night…" Aubrey began, already pacing up and down the narrow floor space between the two beds in the room.
"A DMC?" She knew it was a dumb idea to ask questions, but Beca really had no clue what the abbreviation meant, and she was almost certain it was a vital element of the conversation.
"Jesus Christ Beca, a DMC! It's a deep meaningful conversation!" Aubrey snapped, as Beca merely nodded her understanding (it was just a hunch, but Beca was more or less 110% certain that interrupting again would cost her life). "And she told me that you knew about her dad. You told her you knew about her father and what happened. I mean… I just… do you want me to hate you? Is that what this is really about?" The blonde cried, her words morphing to one shrill noise of frustration.
"I…" Beca opened and closed her mouth like a fish, but no more words came out.
"I what Beca?" Aubrey genuinely seemed like she wanted an answer, and for a split second Beca's mind went into meltdown until the blonde decided to continue her shit storm of hate. "I mean I can't believe you. I genuinely can't believe that you'd go ahead and confess your feelings for her and then hurt her like that. Like really, are you brain dead or something?"
"She wanted… she wanted us to be honest with each other…" Beca defended weakly, not daring to make eye contact.
"SO TELL HER YOU SMOKED WEED IN HIGHSCHOOL OR SOMETHING!" Aubrey lost her shit altogether. "Don't fucking tell her you went snooping in her past and found out her deepest and darkest secret when she asked you specifically not to do that."
"I wasn't… I wasn't thinking," Beca mumbled, knotting her fingers together so violently she was sure one would snap.
"No fucking shit Sherlock," Aubrey dead panned. "I figured that one out for myself."
"It's not like… I didn't mean to… I just…" Beca stumbled, praying for the floor to swallow her whole.
"I know… I know it was a mistake, I know." Aubrey groaned, covering her face in her hands for a second before running her fingers through her hair and sitting right on the edge of Kimmy Jins bed, staring intently at Beca. "That's why contrary to what my head is screaming at me, I believe you deserve a second chance," she sighed, each syllable seeming to cause her physical pain.
"You do?" Beca tried not to sound too shocked (though she failed).
"Don't test me on the matter," Aubrey warned. "I changed my mind eight times on the way over here already."
"Oh…" Beca nodded, waiting for a moment for Aubrey to cut in with more ranting before she continued. "I don't know what to do…" she confessed awkwardly.
"And you want me to be your guiding star or some shit?" Aubrey was not amused by Beca's confession.
"Well I…" Beca could unfortunately see where the blonde was coming from with her refusal to help.
"You have until Bellas practice tomorrow to come up with something. I'm not having it disrupted by your lovers tiff," Aubrey explained, standing again from the bed. "So think fast," she demanded, striding towards the door.
"Aubrey… hold on a sec," Beca called, stopping the other woman before she had a chance to make her grand and dramatic exit (that she'd probably had planned since the offset). "You owe me a Bellas rehearsal," she reminded the blonde.
"You really think I'll give it to you now?" Aubrey scoffed, turning to quirk her eyebrow at the DJ.
"I need it…" Beca tried to explain (not that explanations were her strong suit). "I might have an idea."
"I am not wasting an entire rehearsal on this Mitchell," Aubrey snapped, seeming angrier at the notion of time wasting than she had at the idea of Beca screwing over her best friend.
"Not an entire practice!" Beca insisted quickly. "Just ask the girls to come early to practice something… all I'll need is the last five minutes to show Chloe… please?"
Aubrey looked reluctant. In fact Aubrey looked to be waging an internal war with herself: a battle between her desire to make her best friend happy again and her desire to maintain her death grip control on her Bellas.
"Fine." It took a minute, but apparently even with Aubrey friendship tended to win out. "Half an hour before the start of practice, and ten minutes at the end." Was all she said before storming from the room (probably engrossed in a bubble of self-loathing at the fact she'd caved to none other than Beca Mitchell).
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The half hour pre-Bellas session had gone to plan and everyone knew their "part". Which was just as well really, because Beca was fairly sure the awkwardness of the actually Bellas practice would eat her alive and kill her, meaning her friends would have to do what she'd asked without any help from her.
Chloe wasn't talking to her at all. Actually, scratch that, the red head wasn't even looking at her. She even skipped her when she was helping people with their choreography.
In a weird way Beca was actually kind of glad she'd had to explain to her fellow Bellas that her and Chloe had had a falling out (obviously avoiding the actual cause of the fall out), because otherwise she'd have put money on Fat Amy making at least once "aca-awkward" reference to their behaviour.
It's not like her and Chloe hung off one another usually. They were just never this… cold. Yea, that's exactly the word Beca would use. Cold.
In fact it was so cold there was actually fifteen minutes until practice ended when Aubrey suddenly called for the girls to stop what they're doing (which was trying to master a sidestep crossover for all those interested in the boring parts of choreography).
"Okay I need… I need everyone to circle around me!" She demanded; the pressure the tension in the room was causing her beginning to show in her tight smile. "Uh Beca… Beca's going to be closing the practice today," she explained before stepping aside for the brunette to take her place.
The group feigned surprise (it was part of the routine they'd been told to follow), but it was only Chloe that looked genuinely confused as Beca cleared her throat to speak.
"As uh… as many, if not all, of you know… I'm a real dick head sometimes," Beca began awkwardly, trying to ignore the slow ripple of head nods in the crowd around her. "Though recently I um… I fucked up more than usual… so uh… Cynthia Rose if you'd get Chloe one of those seats at the back and uh… everyone take their places?"
Chloe was extremely hesitant, but when Cynthia all but pushed her back into the fold out chair she had no option but to comply. Aubrey stood beside her (having refused to become personally involved in the shenanigans), and Beca took a moment to make sure everyone was in their places before she turned back to face the red head.
Jessica began to hum the first chords of "Little Lion Man", with Cynthia and Amy coming in after her on different keys. Soon Lily too washed in, dropping a soft drum beat.
Weep for yourself, my man,
You'll never be what is in your heart
Weep Little Lion Man,
You're not as brave as you were at the start
Beca looked straight at Chloe when she sang the softened melody, her eyes strong and determine for the red head to listen to every syllable and understand just how sorry she was.
Rate yourself and rake yourself,
Take all the courage you have left
Wasted on fixing all the problems
That you made in your own head
As the beat picked up just a little Beca even dared to take a step closer, her eyes still glued firmly on Chloe as her voice ceased to waver and
But it was not your fault but mine
And it was your heart on the line
I really fucked it up this time
Didn't I, my dear?
Didn't I, my...
As Beca sung the last few lines the melody began to change, Ashley, Stacie and Denise coming in with a much slower tune, that Chloe couldn't quite make out until the beat to Little Lion Man faded out completely and Beca picked up the new verse.
And high up above or down below
When you're too in love to let it go
But if you never try you'll never know
Just what you're worth
Beca took another step closer now, the entire group behind her taking up the slow harmonic backing music that seemed to fill the rehearsal space to the brim with sound.
Lights will guide you home
And ignite your bones
And I will try to fix you
She was right beside Chloe now (Aubrey having taken a step back quite a while ago). The music tapered out again, the Bellas apparently being done with their part as they, along with Aubrey, began to retreat towards the door silently.
I really fucked it up this time
Didn't I, my dear?
Didn't I…?
She didn't even really sing the last part. It was more of a question. Maybe even a statement.
"Yea…" Chloe nodded. "You did fuck up," she clarified, though when she stood from her seat she didn't immediately walk away (something Beca took as being a good thing).
"Can we talk?" Beca requested, feeling brave (in a very passive sense mind you).
"After that performance?" Chloe half smiled. "Yea, I think I've got five minutes for you."