Chapter 11

A/N: I'd just like to point out that I've kept my word, and updated less frequently. I hope you all value my honesty ;-). Seriously though, you guys are awesome and patient, and in return I'm trying to write longer chapters to hopefully make it worth the wait. I also still do not own Pitch Perfect, or any of its characters.

**PLEASE READ** I feel like I should have put this in the last chapter, but I'd like to take a moment to address the song lyrics in this fic. Normally, I can't stand it when there are massive chunks of lyrics in the middle of the story, and hate myself a little bit for doing it. However, I want to note that when I put lyrics into this story, they are a direct reflection of Beca's feelings and/or emotions, which she can't always say out loud. I will only post lyrics if they add something to the story, so they're worth a read.

Lastly, the large section of italics is a flashback...for anyone who skipped over this note, got confused, and scrolled back up to see if it was explained.

Beca stepped out of the stairwell and into the sunshine, instantly spotting Stacie reading under a tree on the grassy lawn. She walked over to her friend, dropping down onto the grass beside her and closing her eyes. Stacie instantly shifted, laying down with her head on Beca's stomach and continued reading her book. It was moments like these that Beca praised her decision to drop choir for a free period in the middle of the morning.

Two months had passed since the start of the school year, and Beca had been true to her word to Stacie, staying away from their redheaded Biology teacher. It hadn't been easy, the two of them still exchanging lingering glances every once in a while. As far as Beca was concerned, their connection hadn't faded in the slightest, and her feelings for Chloe were only getting stronger. Thankfully, Stacie was almost always with her to act as a buffer, although her actions seemed to irritate Chloe for some reason. Stacie had jokingly tossed out the idea that "Ms. Beale is just jealous," however, the more Beca thought about it, the more she couldn't help but wonder if her friend was on to something.

She thought back to the Monday after her almost-date with Chloe, remembering the conversation she'd had with her teacher after school ended.

Stacie eyed her as the bell rang, asking, "You gonna talk to her, Becs?"

Beca nodded, responding, "Yep. Just to apologize and let her know I don't want to get her in trouble."

"Just get it over with, like ripping off a Band-Aid," Stacie said with a grin.

Beca scrunched up her nose. "Gross, dude. Don't leave without me?"

Stacie nodded and gave her a salute. "You got it." She chuckled and began making her way towards Chloe's desk as Stacie began fiddling with her notes and textbook, the last couple of students filing out of the room without a backwards glance.

Beca looked up at Chloe as she approached. The redhead's crystal clear gaze met hers, never failing to make her heart race. She stopped a few feet from the desk, leaving plenty of space between them, nervously locking her fingers together.

Chloe studied her, smiling cautiously before asking, "Hi Beca, did you need something?"

Beca took a deep breath, glancing quickly around the room making sure it was empty except for Stacie, before speaking softly. "I want to apologize to you. After you left, I thought a lot about what you said, and I would never intentionally put your career at risk. I shouldn't have said what I did, and you don't have to worry about anything happening again." She took a deep breath, somehow maintaining her train of thought while looking into Chloe's eyes. "You're a great teacher, and I hope you like it here," she finished, looking down at her hands and locking them tightly together to stop from fidgeting. She looked up at the sound of Chloe's voice saying her name, a little confused at the emotions she saw on her teacher's face.

"Beca," Chloe said, her voice also much lower than normal. "I'm sorry, too. I didn't get to apologize like I wanted to the next morning, but I didn't react well that evening." Beca bit back the 'no shit' comment that desperately tried to escape, and waited for Chloe to continue. "I meant what I said on Friday..."Chloe trailed off, her eyes burning with intensity, as if she was willing Beca to understand. Beca suddenly felt her body bump against the desk, not realizing she had been inching forward towards the redhead. She didn't break eye contact, feeling the pull inside her that always caused her to want to be closer to Chloe, like a weird sort of gravity that connected them.

Suddenly, Chloe's eyes glanced behind her, before softening as she took a step back. Beca felt a hand slide around her waist to rest on her hip as Stacie came up beside her, watching Chloe's eyes narrow for a split second before her face went blank with an easy smile.

Stacie broke the silence, trailing her fingers over Beca's back. "You ready to go, Becs? I believe I owe you a quarter or something since you somehow made it through the day without getting detention," she joked with a wink.

Beca nodded, a smirk forming across her face as she retorted, "I just didn't get caught today. Give me one sec, okay?"

"Sure thing," Stacie replied, moving towards the exit, pausing in the doorway to wait.

Beca watched her friend for a moment, before looking back at Chloe. "It's ok Beale, really," she said with a small smile. "This is your career. I get it. Nothing else will happen," Beca finished, not giving Chloe a chance to respond as she turned and made her way over to Stacie, rolling her eyes as Stacie looked her up and down.

"Keep it in your pants, Conrad," she quipped as she reached her in the doorway.

Stacie didn't hesitate, replying instantly. "I'd rather keep it in your pants, Mitchell," she said, slipping a hand inside the back pocket of Beca's jeans as they exited the room.

Beca snorted and shoved her friend away. "Now who's resorted to cheesy pickup lines," she shot back as she reached her locker, realizing she was empty-handed.

"Shit, I forgot my stuff in Biology," Beca groaned, leaning her forehead against the locker door. "I'll be right back," she called to Stacie, retracing her steps back down the hallway.

Upon entering the room, Beca immediately spotted her books sitting on the table where she'd left them. Making her way past the desks, she chanced a look toward the front of the room, spotting the redhead sitting behind her desk with her head in her hands. Beca picked her things up off the table, the rustling causing Chloe to snap her head up and jump to her feet, looking around the room.

"Sorry," Beca apologized sheepishly. "I left my stuff here on the table." She gestured to the books in her arms.

Chloe nodded, keeping silent, although her expression told another story. Beca felt a little guilty about the way she had cut her teacher off earlier, and decided to give her an opening. "Was there uh, anything else you wanted to say?" she asked awkwardly.

Beca waited uncomfortably under Chloe's hard stare, definitely getting the feeling the redhead had a few things she wanted to say. After a minute or two though, Chloe shook her head no and sat back down, turning her gaze to her computer screen.

Stacie's voice cut through the memory, jarring her back to the present. "Your thoughts are so loud, they're practically screaming at me right now. Whatcha thinking about, Mitchell?" she asked, closing her book.

Beca sighed, running her fingers through her hair. She didn't answer Stacie's question, instead glancing around the campus, as if looking for something to change the subject. It didn't matter. She decided that Stacie knew her too well when she heard the brunette's next words.

"You're thinking about her, aren't you?"

She looked down at her friend, who was returning her gaze with an almost sympathetic look on her face. "How'd you know?" Beca asked, not bothering to deny it.

Stacie huffed, responding, "Because I'm your best friend, and I know you better than anyone. Because you've been different this year, ever since all that shit went down between you two. Because you've been writing songs about her. Should I keep going?"

Beca flicked Stacie's ear, commenting lightly, "Fuck you." She grinned down at her friend, taking all the sting out of her words. "It's freaky sometimes how well you can read my mind, you know that right?"

Stacie chuckled nodding her head. "Yep, but don't pretend like you can't read me the same way," she accused. "Have you even spoken to her since that day?" Stacie asked, seamlessly switching back into their conversation.

Beca shook her head, not realizing Stacie had closed her eyes. "No, nothing beyond the occasional 'hello,'" she replied. She absentmindedly ran her fingers through Stacie's hair, her friend sighing happily.

"Talk to me, Becs. You've been different lately. Stop bullshitting me and just tell me what's going on?" Stacie asked, having had enough of Beca dancing around the question for months.

Beca closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Knowing she could trust Stacie didn't make it any easier. It was still hard to be vulnerable, even to her closest friend. Stacie's voice cut through the silence, reading her mind again. "You've gotta let someone in, Becs. Do you really want to go through this alone?"

"I like her." Beca said it out loud before she could change her mind, her voice soft. "Fuck, Stacie, I really like her and I barely even know her," she added with a short laugh, shaking her head.

"I know," Stacie said simply. Beca rolled her eyes at her friend as she continued, "I'm just glad you finally admitted it."

"Yeah, it's awesome. I like someone I can never be with," Beca replied, her voice heavy with sarcasm.

Stacie sat up and turned to face her. "You just need a distraction, Becs. You need to get her out of your head."

"Easier said than done," she retorted.

"True," Stacie replied. "How many songs have you written about her now?" she asked teasingly.

"Dude!" Beca exclaimed. "Low blow!" She shoved Stacie away and stood up, stretching.

Stacie rolled over in the grass, still grinning as she asked, "Are you gonna take Swanson up on that offer to sing one of your songs at the fall concert? Maybe one about a certain..."

Beca cut her off, snapping, "Do not finish that sentence, Conrad." She frowned, staring at her feet before answering, "I'm not sure if I'm ready for that."

"Well if you want my opinion, and obviously you should, you have to do it," Stacie said casually, getting to her feet.

Beca raised her eyebrows at her friend. "And why do I have to do it?"

Stacie shrugged, and began counting off reasons on her fingers. "One, your songs are amazing. Two, you'll have to play them at some point, so why not now? Three, she'll probably be at the concert. Four, I really can't handle how mopey you've been all year, and this could help you get over it. Five, if somehow she doesn't jump your bones afterwards, there's a great chance someone will help you...relieve some of that tension. Everyone loves a talented, tortured artist."

Beca crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes as Stacie finished counting. "You're the one who told me to stay away from her in the first place, or do you not remember that?"

"I remember it very clearly. But this isn't the hit it and quit it situation I thought it was. She got to you, dude. I've never seen anyone get to you before. I'm almost hurt that it wasn't me," Stacie said lightly, nudging Beca's shoulder.

"You got to me a long time ago, Conrad," Beca replied affectionately. The free period was almost over, and they began walking back inside the building. Stace wrapped her arms around Beca, hugging her tightly despite her muffled protests.

"Love you too, Mitchell," she heard from somewhere above her head, and Beca felt the grin spread across her face as for a moment, she stopped struggling and hugged Stacie back just as tightly.

Beca shut her locker, beyond thankful that the day was almost over. They were well into the school year now, and their teachers were beginning to say things like "how are your college applications coming along" and "think about possible majors" a little too often for Beca's liking. It's not that she didn't appreciate a college education, but she was determined to give her dream a real shot at the end of the year. College wasn't for everyone, and Beca felt she was just one of the lucky ones who already knew exactly what she wanted.

In a way, she was glad that her interactions with Chloe had declined. Beca wasn't sure how her feelings for the redhead kept growing stronger, but she knew that any type of relationship, even a growing friendship, would only make it harder to leave for LA at the end of the year. She just had to get through the rest of the year. How hard could it be?

Beca frowned as Stacie skipped up to her, looking way too cheerful after the amount of calculus homework they'd been given. "Why are you so happy? Did you not hear how many problem sets Harper just assigned? And they're all due Friday" she grumbled, grabbing her Biology textbook and shutting her locker door.

Stacie rolled her eyes, pretending to look offended, as she answered, "Why can't I just be happy that school is almost over. Besides, homework doesn't cause everyone physical pain, just you."

"It's going to take me all week to finish it," Beca complained, purposefully dragging her feet on the way to class.

"Oh my God, seriously Becs, how old are you?" Stacie snorted, wrapping her arm around the shorter girl's shoulders. "You'd think Harper just handed you a death sentence instead of a problem set or twenty."

Beca shot her friend a dirty look, retorting, "I'm a little stressed out, that's all. I've decided to take Swanson up on his offer. You guys are right, I've got to put my music out there at some point."

Stacie paused at the doorway for Beca to enter first, feeling hands settle on her shoulders from behind. Her friend didn't bother to keep her voice down as she said, "Shit, Becs! You're crazy tense. You know, I could help you out with that."

"Miss Conrad, please watch your language in my classroom."

Beca snapped her head around to look at Chloe, who was no longer looking at them, focused instead on writing something on the board. Her tone hadn't signaled any anger, in fact, it was almost light, but her mouth was set in a firm line instead of her usual easy smile.

She glanced behind at Stacie, who winked and replied, "Sorry, Ms. Beale." Beca bit down on her lip to avoid laughing at Stacie's tone and expression; the brunette was clearly not sorry at all.

They made their way to their table, greeting Benji as they sat down.

He nodded at them, asking, "Why can't you two ever make it to class on time? You know, CR and Fat Amy have a bet going that you hook up in the janitor's closet between classes."

Beca choked on air at that statement, whereas Stacie was looking at her fingernails with a bored expression.

Stacie responded casually, "Benji, I don't know why you guys are so obsessed with our sex life. And seriously, the janitor's closet? With the mops and dirty water? Gross."

Finally having recovered, Beca snorted at that comment. "Stace, are you actually suggesting there's a place that's too dirty for you to get it on?" she asked in disbelief.

"Have you seen the janitor's closet, Becs?" Stacie asked, glancing over and meeting her eyes.

Beca shook her head, answering, "No, why? Have you..." she trailed off as Stacie gave her a look, her mouth dropping into an 'O' shape. "You have no standards," she muttered, shaking her head at the grin on her friend's face.

"Jealousy is an ugly emotion, Beca," Stacie said, grinning at Benji, who looked like he deeply regretted starting the conversation.

Beca just shook her head again and looked up at the front of the room. Chloe was well into the lesson by this point, slowly pacing the front of the room and gesturing with her hands as she spoke. She looked gorgeous, as always, her hair loose over her shoulders as she brightly surveyed the class. Beca felt her pulse quicken when they locked eyes for a second, before Chloe continued shifting her gaze over the room, her speech never faltering.

She quickly looked down, grabbed her pencil, and began taking notes. This was her usual routine in Biology, and it was the only way she could retain anything Chloe was saying. Her eyes were locked on the notebook, refusing to look up even when she was sure Chloe was watching her. 'How am I supposed to move on when I have to see her every day,' Beca thought, frowning and running her fingers through her hair. She propped her chin up with one hand, and tried to focus on what Chloe was teaching them, thinking that the bell couldn't come fast enough.

When it finally rang, Beca let out a huge sigh of relief, snapping her notebook shut instantly and leaned back in her chair. She looked over at Benji as his voice cut through the noise of rustling books and papers.

"Did you decide whether you're going to perform at the concert on Friday?" he asked curiously.

Beca nodded, replying, "Yeah, I'm going to do it. I've gotta play my songs sometime. Can't keep them hidden away forever."

"That's awesome!" Benji said excitedly. "Have you decided what song to play?"

Beca shook her head no, immediately running through songs in her mind. "No, I haven't picked a song yet," she answered, frowning down at her hands.

Stacie interjected, "I think you should play us a mini concert of all the possibilities, and let us choose the best song."

Benji's face lit up at the idea, but Beca wasn't as enthusiastic. "You just want to see more of my stuff," she said absentmindedly, still thinking about song possibilities.

Stacie gave her a wicked grin as she replied, "I don't want to see more, I want to see ALL of your stuff." She emphasized the statement by purposefully lowering her gaze to Beca's chest and licking her lips. Benji gulped uncomfortably and quietly made his exit, leaving the two girls alone at the back of the classroom.

"Seriously, Stace?" Beca asked, an amused expression on her face. She stood up, slowly stretching her arms over her head, arching her back.

Stacie's eyes narrowed playfully. "Watch it, Mitchell. Keep playing with fire and you'll get burned," she threatened.

Beca winked back at her, retorting, "Promises, promises." She grabbed her books off the table and slowly walked towards the door, feeling Stacie's eyes on her from behind. Chuckling at her friend's antics, Beca looked over at the teacher's desk to tell Chloe goodbye, but was met with narrowed eyes and a hard stare. She froze, a low "whoa" escaping her lips as her teacher quickly looked down at something on her computer screen. The look on Chloe's face had been downright dangerous, eyes ice cold, missing the usual warmth Beca had grown accustomed to.

Stacie brushed past her, eyes focused on her phone, stopping a few steps into the hallway after realizing no one was behind her. Beca heard her name called, and turned to respond to her friend, "I'll catch up with you in a minute, Stace."

"Don't keep me waiting, Mitchell" floated through the doorway, causing Beca to automatically roll her eyes and smile.

Beca turned and walked over to Chloe's desk, dropping her books onto an empty table and crossing her arms over her chest. She waited until Chloe looked up at her, fixing her with a stare of her own and deciding not to waste time with small talk. "What's your deal? If looks could kill, I'd be six feet under right now."

Chloe's eyes flashed as she stood up from her chair. "Were you ever going to tell me you had a girlfriend?"

Beca automatically snapped, "Oh, answering a question with a question. Now I remember why we could never actually have a conversation. Why do..." she trailed off, as she processed what had just come out of Chloe's mouth. "What are you talking about anyways? I don't have a girlfriend," she said, her facial expression mimicking her confusion.

Chloe's mouth formed a tight line as she glared at Beca. "Don't lie to me. Anyone with eyes can see you two are more than friends."

"Who are you even talking about?" Beca said bewildered. "Stacie?" Chloe's expression confirmed it, even though she didn't speak. "She's not...we aren't...it's not like that," Beca stuttered, faltering under Chloe's harsh glare.

"Oh, well that was convincing," Chloe responded sarcastically, crossing her own arms.

Beca stayed silent, desperately trying to process what was happening. Why was Chloe so upset with her? They had barely spoken in two months, and definitely hadn't had a real conversation since Beca apologized. She was about to speak again when Stacie poked her head through the doorway.

"Becs, come on! You promised to babysit with me tonight. I promise I'll make it worth your while," she said with a wink.

Beca cringed. That was the worst possible thing Stacie could have said, and the look on Chloe's face confirmed it.

Stacie's smile slowly faded as she took in the situation. "You know what, I'll just wait for you at your car," she said quickly, disappearing instantly from the doorway.

Beca looked back at Chloe's face, opening her mouth to speak but the teacher cut her off.

"I believe you were about to try and convince me you two weren't a couple," Chloe said, her tone dangerously low.

Beca frowned and retorted, "Why do you care, anyways? You didn't want to be with me!" Beca's eyes widened at her own statement, not having a clue where that came from. The anger on Chloe's face disappeared instantly, replaced with something else that Beca couldn't quite place. Hurt? Or maybe regret?

"That's not true," her teacher said softly, looking down.

Beca opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out. That was the last thing she expected Chloe to say. "But...I thought..." she stuttered. "You left! And you kept saying you couldn't...and your job..." Beca kept spitting out bits and pieces of sentences, cursing her inability to form a coherent thought. She had an idea, and quickly pulled out her phone, sending a quick text to Stacie. The replies came instantly, and she held the phone up for Chloe to see.

Beca [3:41PM]: How will you make babysitting the twin terrors worth my while? ;-)

Stacie [3:42PM]: Duh...Milkshakes from In-N-Out. It's like you don't even know me.

Stacie [3:42PM]: And I'll buy you lunch Friday?

Stacie [3:42PM]: Please don't bail.

Chloe read through the texts, but didn't look convinced. "That doesn't prove anything, Beca," she replied.

Beca shoved her phone into her pocket. "I'm not dating Stacie, or anyone else for that matter," she insisted, hating the desperation in her tone. Irritated at herself, she continued on without thinking, "Anyways, how am I supposed to date someone else when I'm hung up on you."

They both froze, Beca's eyes wide with disbelief. 'Fuck, I did not just say that' flashed through her mind, as she fought the urge to bolt from the classroom. Instead, she met Chloe's eyes, begging her to say something...anything. When she remained silent, Beca quickly backtracked, words rapidly coming out of her mouth to fill the awkward silence.

"Um, I'm sorry. I'm an idiot. I didn't mean to say that out loud, and I...um...I'm sorry…I know you don't feel that way so I'm just gonna go. I'm really sorry," she said, grabbing her books and spinning around, walking quickly out of the room.

She made it to her locker, slamming her palm against it in frustration. "Damnit, Beca," she muttered, furious with herself. What was it about Chloe that caused her to word vomit her feelings all over the place? She quickly grabbed what she needed for the night's homework and left the building, spotting Stacie sitting on the hood of her car.

"What the hell just happened," Stacie said, recognizing how upset Beca was.

Beca shook her head. "I don't know Stacie, she was mad because she thought we were dating and that I didn't tell her. And then like a fucking idiot, I told her I wasn't dating anyone because I'm hung up on her," she finished with a deep breath, mentally dying from embarrassment a second time. "And she didn't say anything, she just stared at me and I apologized like five times and bolted. And now I'm just going to go live life as a hermit, away from any and all possible social interaction." She hopped up onto the hood next to Stacie and hid her face in her hands.

Stacie spoke up beside her. "Okay Becs, here's the deal. She's in denial about her feelings for you, and she's jealous because she thinks we're together." Stacie gently nudged her shoulder, playfully adding, "And if you live life as a recluse, I'll never get my hands on your sweet rack. And that, would be the greatest tragedy of all," she finished dramatically.

Beca lowered her hands to smirk at her friend. "That's what you're going with as the greatest tragedy of all?" she asked.

Stacie shrugged, replying casually, "I mean, your ass is nice too."

Beca rolled her eyes, her mouth breaking into a grin. Stacie could always get her to smile, at least until she spotted Chloe walk out the school's front door. She groaned and hid her face in her hands again, mumbling, "God, why does she have to be so fucking hot?"

Stacie responded, "Because she's a teacher and you can't have her. Kinda like Posen when she gets all bossy, or Swanson when you swear he's an 18-year old trapped in a teacher's body, or…"

"Yeah yeah, I get it. And if you call Posen hot one more time, we're gonna have a problem." Beca hopped off the car, turning to look at Stace instead of meeting Chloe's gaze. "Can we please go?"

"Sure, but we better hurry. She's staring at us, and if we wait she might come over to chat," Stacie replied, sliding off the car and walking towards her own. "Meet you at my house?"

Beca nodded. "See you in ten."

She quickly threw her backpack in the backseat, climbed into the car and started the engine. Before she could put it in gear, there was a rapping on the passenger side window. Suddenly, the door opened and Chloe was sitting in the seat beside her.

Beca stared at her for a few seconds before finding her voice. "What are you doing, Beale?" she asked shakily, thankful she at least got out a full sentence.

Chloe didn't respond. Instead, she leaned across the center console and pressed her lips firmly against Beca's. At four in the afternoon. In broad daylight. In the school parking lot, where anyone and everyone could see them. Chloe pulled away after a few seconds, her eyes blazing into Beca's as she said a single word.

"Drive."

A/N: As always, a huge thank you to my beta, Ravenclawsome33. She magically fixes all my mistakes, and still has time to write two stories of her own (shameless plug...read her stories!)

I've got 23 more days of freedom before being trapped to whatever the male equivalent of a ball and chain is. Thanks to everyone who's sticking with me through the busiest time of my life! It's gonna be few and far between with the updates through December, but then I'll hopefully get back into the twice per week groove.

Your comments/reviews make my day :-), so please R&R!