Chapter Two
A dull thud surrounds Becas forehead. Her mouth clamps shut as she feels an acrid taste begin to seep into her taste buds. The sidewalk seems to be moving away from her as she walks along. Her eyes can't decipher the cement from the road; she stumbles a bit, before losing her balance and landing on the curb. Huffing, Beca shifts her legs out from under her and then lays them flat on the ground while setting her head in her hands.
In this very moment Beca deeply regrets convincing her aunt and uncle that she is able to walk home from school every day.
She palms her forehead while trying to stop the aching. She notices that her nose seems to be bent and she can feel a weird residue coming out, but rather than gushing with blood, it's coming out in chunks. She wipes her mouth free of the remnants and then presses on her temples with her palms and squeezes her eyes shut.
Oh, by the way, Beca's positive that today was the worst first day of schools shes ever experienced.
Beca knows she should at least try to make it home but she can't seem to garner enough power to stand. There's a few passing cars while no passing pedestrians. Although she is pretty sure she would decline help anyway if possibly asked. Beca covers her face, not necessarily minding the dampness she can eerily feel against her skin but gross- there's a few chunks rubbing against her cheeks, she figures it's better than sitting with pounding eyes.
She sits with her head buried into her hands and her legs tucked into her body. She's pretty sure if anyone actually has passed - which a few noticeably have, she has heard small voices murmur as they walk by - that they think must think she's crazy.
The weather is thankfully a little better than yesterdays, meaning there is little to no chance of rain. Beca isn't too fond of it. After a while of sitting in the same position, she lifts her head and cracks one eye open. It's a little later, but not dark outside. Her head is pain free and she feels slightly more stable, she takes rugged breaths before lifting herself off the ground. She successfully sustains her balance and takes a few weary steps, afraid she might fall and succumb to step one all over again.
Beca trudges up the street until she finally makes it onto the long sidewalk leading to the forest green front door. Part of her is worried that she will get in trouble for being somewhere around two hours late, yet part of her does not care one bit; she just wants to wash her face, change into yet another hoodie and crawl into the comfort of her warm bed so she can sleep off her dreadful day.
Her current aspirations don't seem to be a possibility as she opens the door and is met with a flustered looking Chloe making her way out as she is trying to walk in.
"You're here." Chloe says while looking relieved.
Beca nods and her eyebrows furrow as Chloe looks at her with a clear disgusted glint in her eyes and wow Beca hadn't realized Chloes cerulean eyes were so memorizing until she was staring directly into her own.
"I... live... here." Beca slowly says as she drops her backpack by the door.
Chloe shakes her head almost looking like she just had an epiphany that duh- Beca lives here.
"They were worried." Chloe points behind her even though directly behind her are the stairs, not the kitchen or where ever "they" may be. She raises her hand and gently touches Becas nose. "What did you do?"
Beca gulps as Chloe practically strokes her aching nose. The feeling is definitely weird. Chloes touch is so gentle, soothing, and almost loving - but not love, loving, it's like she's petting a puppy or something along the lines of fur - and Becas unsure why she doesn't mind that this still basically stranger is caressing her nose.
"I fell."
Chloe nods.
"Go upstairs and I'll tell them you're home."
Chloe drops her hand and nudges her head towards the stairs. Beca actually complies and keeps her eyes on Chloes back as they part ways. As she is stumbling up the stairs, she is pretty sure she can hear something along the lines of Chloes voice, then a few unfamiliar voices, mixed with familiar ones.
Why was Chloe there anyways? And who were the unfamiliar voices? She knew Stacie and Aubrey had left for school earlier this morning, so it couldn't have been them.
She walks into the hall bath and flicks the light switch on after she closes the door. She winces as she looks at herself in the mirror. Her nose is worse than she assumed. It's barely bent, but very, very purple.
As she examines her nose, the door opens, revealing Chloe. The redhead smiles softly and leans her back against the two sink width counter and crosses her arms.
"They're relived you're semi okay."
Beca nods and she gently touches her nose with her index finger and winces.
"Did you tell them that I fell?"
Chloe laughs.
"Why are you laughing?"
Chloe turns her body so her hip is adjacent to the counter and she keeps her arms crossed.
"Because you most certainly didn't fall, Beca, you look like you've taken a beating."
Beca averts her gaze to the mirror and drops her hands onto the sink handles. She had never been good with lying. It started out when she was around five and had lied to her kindergarten teacher about not slapping one of the stupid little boys who "threw sand" at her and her blatant lie about slapping him for "self-defense" got her sent to time out. She still hasn't quite gotten the hang of fibbing.
"I did fall." Beca states. "Why are you here, anyway?" she then realizes how rude that sounded and opens her mouth to apologize, but Chloe begins to speak anyway.
"My parents are very close with Ben and Cara. They drag me here a lot. I used to not mind because I had Stacie to pass the time with, but for the last few months since her and Aubrey left its been terrible to sit around with them as they talk, and talk, and talk."
Beca slightly laughs, and then hisses as her nose scrunches.
"Here, let me help you with that." Chloe offers. She opens up a drawer and begins to rummage through as Beca waits patiently.
"Wash the blood off." Chloe directs.
Beca turns the sink on and grabs a spare washcloth. She runs in under the water and then dabs it on her nose.
"What do they talk about?" Beca asks after a while.
Chloe shrugs as she picks up some gauze, and then drops it. "Recently it's about how much they admire Stacie and Aubrey. Even more recently it's how I should be going to school with them instead of here."
The redhead seems to find what she has been searching for as she picks up a small packet of medicine.
"Relax your face."
"You don't have to-"
"-I do." Chloe berates. "Relax."
Beca does so the best she can.
Chloe tears open the medicine after she rinses her hands. "And what's even better is that now that I've come out just last year, they make subtle remarks such as I just need to wait for "Mr. Right" to come along."
Chloe lathers the clear substance on the tips of her fingers and parts her lips as she gently pats the medicine over the cut up crevices of Becas bruised nose.
"But you know the best part?" Chloe asks while she finishes. She turns as Beca wiggles her nose around - she realizes this is a big mistake as pain runs through - and washes her hands again.
"What?"
"They get together three times a week. And it's only Tuesday."
Beca does not know what to say. Not to the coming out, the weird talks Chloes parents and her aunt and uncle take part in, or the fact that Chloe doesn't seem too fazed by her own words.
"I'm sorry." Beca offers.
Chloe shrugs. "No big deal."
Beca looks at herself in the mirror but soon her attention is on Chloe. She subtly examines Chloes rosy red cheeks until Chloe turns her body so she too is looking at herself in the mirror. Beca's eyes jolt away and she crosses her arms.
"Thanks for this, the medicine." Beca motions to her nose.
Chloe smiles.
After a moment Chloe turns her head towards Beca. "What really happened?"
And Beca's sure if she tells Chloe that she got into a small fight - seriously it's nothing to even worry about, Beca would like to think - the redhead will laugh and only make fun of her. There will be no chance of any redemption in her slight bad-ass facade that she is hoping Chloe still thinks of her. Becas fingers tap against the dip of the sink as she averts her eyes down from those of Chloes reflection.
"You don't have to tell me." Chloe reassures. "But I'm assuming you got into a fight, because this is surely not from falling."
Beca stills her motions; she's positive she gave herself away; she nods and continues to look down.
"Girls are stupid." Beca mumbles.
Chloe laughs. "This is true."
"Apparently there is no such thing as fast walking in this damn town." Beca mutters. "Seriously, these girls were walking so slowly and all I did was move around then. And bam, I get punched."
"High school girls are crazy."
Beca looks up and smirks at the redheads crooning.
"But I'll have you know, I did her worse."
Chloe smiles triumphantly and Beca can't help but as to feel confident seeing Chloe look proud of her - even though they both are aware this isn't something to be proud of.
"Well I would hope so, bad-ass, Beca."
Beca laughs breathily and joins her fingers together to crack her knuckles absently. She mentally pats herself on the back due to Chloes comment.
Chloe turns and lifts herself on to the counter; similar to how she sat on the sill yesterday.
"What brings you here anyway?"
Becas face flushes. She knew this was coming. She knew she would eventually have to explain the reasons behind her impromptu move and why she couldn't have spent the last few months of her senior year at her old school. She knew that someone would ask, and she knew that she would have to tell.
She just isn't ready yet.
"I don't want to talk about that."
Chloe nods. "That's fair enough."
Beca feels her whole body relax at the revelation.
"Thanks."
"You can tell me whenever you're ready." Chloe says.
Beca nods. She isn't sure if she ever will be ready.
"How was the first day, anyway?"
Beca laughs incredulously. "Oh, it was great, Chloe. Punched a girl after she socked me in the nose, the food sucks just as bad as my old school, and I'm pretty sure my Spanish teacher is going to fail me just because I told her that I hate Spanish."
Chloe laughs. "Why in the world would you tell her that?"
Beca shrugs. "Honesty is the best policy."
Chloe laughs again and Beca suddenly feels her stomach flutter similarly to the previous day. She then notices Chloe lift her arms and cross them while she plays with the seemingly same hair tie on her wrist. And she wants to comment, but figures it's unfair of her to question Chloe, when Beca herself wouldn't answer Chloe just moments ago.
"I'm going to go back down stairs." Chloe says. "Do you want to come?"
Beca shakes her head as she watches Chloe snap the loose band promptly three times, one more than yesterday.
"I uh, I have some homework to take care of, actually."
Chloe nods and she reaches for the door handle. She opens it and lets Beca walk through before following and shutting the door behind her. The two stand by the door, inches away from each other.
"Well, good luck down there." Beca mumbles.
"Thanks. And don't get killed tomorrow, all right?"
Beca nods. "I'll try."
She realizes just how close they are, even though the hall is spacious.
Beca notices Chloe has freckles. They aren't jumbled. They're perfectly placed on her nose and they are... cute. Cute? Yeah. Beca thinks. They are cute.
Chloes eyes linger on Becas. Beca then wonders why Chloe seems calmer. She doesn't seem conscious of her words. And she hadn't pointed out that she was "blabbing". But Beca didn't necessarily think she was blabbing yesterday anyway. Beca decides she evidently doesn't like how close they are so she steps back and awkwardly waves, trying not to read too much into the slight pout on Chloes perfectly pink lips.
"I'll see you later?" Beca asks.
"Later." Chloe confirms.
Chloe turns and begins to walk towards the stairs, Beca stands locked in her same position. She wants to say something, maybe ask Chloe if she wanted to hang out for a while as the elders chat. But as Chloe hits the stairs and slightly turns back to Beca and smiles at her again, Becas brain malfunctions and she's positive she has never seen someone as attractive as Chloe. She isn't totally sure why she has just come to the realization.
"By the way," Chloe begins, "I never did that line of coke."