I'm back! My exams are over, so the updating shall begin. So glad you guys didn't break down or anything like that, and I promise to make up for my absence to thank you guys for being so patient.
Also, this is the second last chapter (meaning the next one's the last) that means I have a question for you guys: Should I do an epilogue? I'm not even sure what it'd consist of yet, and it'd be fairly short (well, maybe) but just putting the question out there? Is less really more, or do you guys want an extra chapter at the end?
BubblineFTW: This is so cute I'm going to die. And the fact that you inserted Mumford and sons and Coldplay is ... what's the word, "aca-mazing"?
I couldn't decide which song, so I went for both.
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"Spill!" It was the closest thing to an in key harmony the Bellas had given Aubrey all year (apparently gossip was what they'd needed to motivate them all along).
"Spill what?" Aubrey queried; her features cool and impartial as always.
"Nuh uh," Cynthia butted in before anyone else got the chance to strike up argument. "My gaydar just had an epileptic fit in there. Something's up," she stated, feeling no need to sugar coat her comment as there was a universal nodding of heads around her.
"I've no idea what you're talking about," Aubrey persisted, diverting eye contact only for the briefest of seconds to compose herself.
"Well then, we'll hazard a guess…" Fat Amy threatened, a coy grin slowly seeping across her face.
"It would be to no avail," Aubrey half pleaded (not that Aubrey Posen would ever plead). "I'm as in the dark as you all are."
"True as that may be, though we all know it's not," Fat Amy continued, still smiling like that cat that got the cream. "If I were to throw out the word lesbians and love into conversation… would it ring any bells perhaps?"
"I don't… I've no idea what…" Aubrey sighed, feeling seven pairs of eyes bore into her soul.
"Spill," Jessica pushed.
"You know you want to…" Cynthia added.
"I can read minds anyway," Lilly whispered, her stare becoming wider, causing Aubrey to recoil ever so slightly.
"She's my best friend," Aubrey cracked a little (god dammit, what was wrong with her?!). "I'm not just going to broadcast my best friend's dirty laundry."
"I do it all the time!" Fat Amy brushed off easily. "You know my best friend Janet once dated two guys at the same time… boom! Broadcasting dirty laundry. C'mon, try it."
"I will not!" Aubrey snapped, finally beginning to lose her cool. "And that really wasn't a cool move Amy, you shouldn't do that," she added; only half shocked.
"Needs must and all that," Amy shrugged off easily.
"Two guys at once?" All of a sudden Stacie seemed interested. "That's nothing... This one time I had three guys going at once and managed to make it last like almost two months."
"Yea, but the catch is, they knew about one another," Fat Amy nodded knowingly, her face lighting up at Stacie's instantaneously stunned expression.
"How…" The brunette breathed out in sincere admiration for this unknown woman.
"It's a pretty long story, but she had it working pretty well for her at one point," Amy began. "Basically…"
"Guys, guys!" Cynthia cut in, staring dumbfounded at her two friends. "The hell?"
"Oh come on," Stacie scoffed. "Like you don't want to know this story!"
"For another day maybe?" The other woman prompted. "Right now we've got juicer gossip on our hands," she reminded the group, pointing to Aubrey who'd begun edging away.
"Fair point," Fat Amy agreed, turning back to Aubrey.
"Whatever," Stacie rolled her eyes. "Back to Beca, Chloe and their problems."
"I was actually enjoying Amy's story…" Aubrey tried, gesturing clumsily at Amy as she stepped gingerly away.
"And we're more interested in you…" Amy retorted. "Now…" She tried to finish, being stopped mid-sentence however by a commotion behind them.
"You know what Beca? Screw you!" Chloe screamed, storming from the building. "Just fucking screw you!" She half screamed half growled, turning to face the brunette that was rushing out after her, continuing her exit walking backwards now.
"Oh that's rich. That's real fucking rich coming from you," Beca scoffed, arms flailing as she motioned wildly at the red head. "Real rich seeing as that's just what you wanted to do to me before you got all high and mighty," she sneered, keeping her pace steady as the two cut through the group of Bellas that parted easily for them.
"Oh like I'd lay a finger on you, hobbit!" Chloe snapped, turning again so she was facing forward.
"Like I'd let you anyway!" Beca retorted, just as much malice evident in her voice as both stormed away, their insults still audible until they walked through the archway that led to dorms.
"Fuck…" Aubrey whispered, running her pristinely manicured nails through her hair.
"What just happened?" Stacie questioned; her jaw hanging slack.
"I don't know…" Aubrey groaned, still looking in the direction the two had gone. "This time I really don't fucking know."
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"Can we talk?"
"After that performance? Yea, I think I've got five minutes for you."
"Well… I guess I… I'm sorry?" Beca tried, cringing at the lameness of her words even before the sound travelled back to her ears.
"You did all that…" Chloe scoffed, motioning to where the Bellas had stood moments ago performing. "To tell me you were sorry? You know texting can do that too, right?" She knew she was being cold, but to be honest Chloe was pretty pissed right now, so she didn't really care.
"No… I just wanted you to know that I am sorry for how much of a dick I was," Beca elaborated, already getting a distinct sinking feeling that this conversation was going to shit.
"I know you know you were a dick Beca…"Chloe sighed, softening somewhat at the fear she saw in the younger woman's eyes. "And I know you know you messed up… I need to know why though?"
"Why what?" Beca felt dumb asking, but also felt kind of obliged to, if for nothing else then to stall a little.
"Why you went to so much trouble to find everything out when I specifically told you not to," Chloe expanded. "I just…" she sighed. "I just want to know what possessed you to do that… cos to be honest, that's what's pissing me off the most."
"You're such an open person Chloe," Beca began awkwardly, hoping that she'd have another word vomit incident that'd finish this sentence for her because she sure as hell didn't know where it was going. "But the entire time we were in Tampa it was like… you basically tuned into me…"
"Hey now," Chloe half laughed at the insinuation.
"Okay, well you weren't quite that bad maybe," Beca agreed, smiling softly. "But still, it freaked me out. I just wanted to know why," she shrugged. "That really is it… I just wanted to know, and I guess I never gave much consideration to the consequences."
"No, I never had you down as the kind of person to think things through in all fairness," Chloe concurred, nodding in agreement to what Beca had just said. "I still wish you didn't know though…" She added after a moment.
"I know you do," Beca rolled her shoulders uncomfortably, taking a step towards the red head. "I can pretend I don't though?"
"No you can't," Chloe exhaled thoughtfully. "See the thing between me and my dad…"
"What thing?" Beca butt in, grinning triumphantly.
"Beca," Chloe half warned, rolling her eyes at the brunette's antics. "The thing that went on with my dad…" she tried again.
"What thing," Beca once again cut in, still finding herself hilarious.
"Beca!" Chloe snapped this time, her bemused expression telling the DJ to heed her tone.
"Sorry…" The brunette mumbled, looking almost bashful now.
"Anyway the thing between my dad and me… It's something I've never talked about, but I want to… with you," she finally finished.
"With me?" Beca seemed dumbfounded by the statement (actually no, correction, she was dumbfounded by the statement).
"Yea, you," Chloe laughed. "Though not here…" she added, looking around the rehearsal space, as if suddenly realizing where they were.
"Well pick a place then," Beca prompted, already looking like she was trying to curb her enthusiasm at being forgiven.
"My dorm," Chloe decided after a moment's thought. "We can go there now," she added, nodding in agreement to her own plan.
"We cannot," Beca snorted, instantly shooting the idea down.
"It's okay, Aubrey'll leave if we ask her to," Chloe reassured the brunette.
"That's the least of our worries," Beca shook her head. "You realize there's a mob of eight gossip hungry girls out there that're going to ambush us the second we walk through them doors?" She reminded the red head.
"Hm…" Chloe pondered Beca's statement for a second, her brain working overtime to get around the problem. "Not if we don't give them a chance to…?"
"I'd love to hear how you propose to do that?" Beca smirked, crossing her arms over her chest and daring Chloe to continue.
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"Oh like I'd lay a finger on you, hobbit!"
"Like I'd let you anyway!"
"Think it worked?" Beca was panting when they came to a stop in an alcove on the other side of the archway (okay so she didn't actually follow Aubrey's cardio rule, sue her!).
"Did you see their faces?" Chloe giggled, pressing herself in against Beca so they both fit in the confined corner. "Of course it worked."
"We should consider acting," Beca smirked, looking up into Chloe's eyes.
It was only then the pair realized how close they were. How their faces practically touched, and how the rest of them was touching, their knees knocking together as they stood pressed as one.
"We should…" Chloe started, clearing the intense fog that'd clouded in around them.
"Talk…" Beca finished, nodding her head a mile a minute. "Talk, we should… talk."