The next week in school is a strange one for Beca. She's not used to having people talk to her in school. Her normal practice for surviving the school week is sticking to herself and slipping under the radar. Dating one of the most popular girls in the school doesn't really allow you the liberty of anonymity.

But at least Aubrey is adjusting to her rather than forcing her into a role she just can't make herself fit.

In first period, Beca takes her normal seat in the back corner of the room. She sticks her ear buds in and turns up her music in preparation for another class period of ignoring the teacher.

It's not that she doesn't care about school. She actually does. But moving around so much, she doesn't understand the curriculum from school to school. She has always either already learned this or they are speaking about topics no teacher of hers has ever taught before. The whole thing just seems kind of pointless to her. If she pays too much attention she just starts feeling kind of hopeless from the lack of understanding, so why even bother listening at all?

She gets startled when she feels someone pull one of her ear buds out. She gets ready to tell the person off but stops when she sees Aubrey standing in front of her.

"Hey, baby," Aubrey leans down and pecks her on the lips before sitting in the desk next to her. In the weeks that Beca has known her, the blonde has never sat anywhere other than the same desk in the front row.

"What are you doing?"

"Um…sitting next to my girlfriend. I would think she would be a bit happier to see me."

"I'm thrilled to see you," Beca grins. She really is. It's just strange to see someone do something for her instead of the other way around.

The same thing happens at lunch. She buys her food and walks out into the table filled room to see the blonde sitting at Beca's usual table. She goes over to the table and sits next to her.

"What are you doing over here, babe?"

"Why do you keep asking me that? Do you not want to sit next to me?"

"What…no…I mean…of course I want to sit with you. But wouldn't you rather sit with Chloe and Jesse?"

"Do you want to sit with them?"

"Not particularly. But if you want to you can. I don't mind."

"I want to sit with you."

"Well, okay then."

When she finishes eating and tells Aubrey she is going to the library, she expects the blonde to go sit with Chloe and Jesse. This is why she is completely surprised when the blonde stands as well and laces their fingers together. "Lead the way," she says with that adorable smile of hers.

They exit the lunchroom and head to the library. Beca leads the way to the secluded corner and they both sit at the table. Not much is said during the lunch period and but they both revel in having the other sitting next to them as they read. That's how Beca came to consider it as "their corner" rather than "her corner."

The same pattern continues for a couple weeks. Aubrey constantly finding ways to show the brunette she cared. Finding ways to show the brunette that she wanted to spend time with her and get to know her. They would spend lunch together and head to the library to sit in silence and hold hands under the table.

Beca is adjusting to having someone constantly with her. She's found that she rather likes having someone to talk to. She has never really been the relationship type or even the friend making type, so she's pleasantly surprised to find that she likes the normalcy of it. She likes having the blonde next to her. In fact she loves it. Or maybe it's the blonde that she loves…

Beca can already tell it's going to be a horrible day. Her alarm clock failed to go off this morning forcing her to rush through most of her morning routine. Couple this with the fact that she had spent the night tossing and turning with a headache and the brunette's face is practically a billboard advertising her desire to murder.

In first block she takes her regular seat and just lays her head down on the top of the desk. She doesn't even lift her head as Aubrey comes in. The blonde kneels next to her desk.

"Hey, baby. What's wrong?"

She still doesn't lift her head as she responds. "My head is throbbing."

Aubrey's brow furrows and the corners of her lips quirk in concern. She makes Beca lift her head so she can feel her forehead. "I don't think you have a fever. But if it hurts that bad, why don't you just go home baby? I can give you a ride."

"Because listening to those idiots yelling and clanking bottles all day will just make it worse."

Aubrey sighed as she stood and placed a kiss on the back of Beca's head. She sat in her seat but continued to rub a hand up and down the brunette's back until the bell rings and the teacher begins the class.

By lunch time her head feels no better. She doesn't eat and not long after entering the lunchroom, she is desperate to escape it. The cacophonous roar of everyone talking is too much for her pounding head. As soon as Aubrey arrives, she grabs the blonde's hand and begins to lead her to the quiet of the library.

They are almost to the door before they get stopped.

Wood Lake High School is full of jerks. Beca knew this. She's been to plenty of schools that were full of jerks. She just has never had any personal encounters with them. That just changed.

Richard Stowe, one of the basketball jocks, has just intentionally slammed himself into the brunette's front. Unfortunately for Beca, he had been carrying an open bottle of Coke which he had just crushed against the front of her shirt. Richard just took a step back before smirking down at the brunette. "Watch where you're going, dyke," he sneers before going back to his group of friends and high-fiving a few of them.

Aubrey stood in shock. Beca quickly dropped the blonde's hand as she ran out of the cafeteria. She snapped out of it as she shoved past the jock to chase after her girlfriend. The last thing she notices as she exits the cafeteria is Jesse making his way over to the jock with a furious glint in his eyes.

She makes a quick stop at her locker to grab her sweatshirt that has the school's logo on the front. She sends Chloe a text asking her to get their things and meet them. She finds the brunette in the bathroom across the hall from the library.

Beca leans against the counter, her palms pressed flat against the surface. She has tears streaking down her face.

Aubrey doesn't say a word as she comes to stand next to the brunette. She gently grabs her wrist and pulls the smaller girl to face her. She pulls the girl into her arms, not caring that her own shirt is getting stained. "It's okay. You're okay," she murmurs as Beca presses her forehead against the blonde's neck.

She feels the feverish heat coming off of Beca's forehead. "Come on, baby. Let's get you changed and get out of here."

She leads the shorter girl into a stall and helps her take the soiled shirt off and swap it for the sweatshirt. She places a hand on the small of her back and leads her out of the stall and out of the restroom.

Chloe meets them in the hallway. "Thanks Chlo. Beca isn't feeling well so I'm gonna take her home. Can you cover our shifts tonight? I'll send Brandon to help out."

Chloe smile at the duo. "Yeah, of course. Go ahead. I hope you feel better, Beca."

Beca simply nods without lifting her gaze from the floor. Chloe gives Aubrey a reassuring wink and watches the pair as they walk away.

After stopping at the front office and signing them both out to avoid getting in trouble, Aubrey leads them to the truck and opens the door for her girlfriend. She waits as Beca climbs into the truck and buckles. She gently closes the door mindful of Beca's aching head. She walks around the truck and hops up into the driver's seat.

Before pulling out of the parking space, she sends a quick text to her mother: Beca doesn't feel well. I'm taking her back to the house. Neither one of us is coming in to work today. Chloe knows and I'll text Brandon. She sends another text to Brandon asking him to cover their shifts at the diner before dropping her phone into the cup holder and glancing at Beca. The brunette has her head tilted back against the headrest, eyes closed. Aubrey sighs as she pulls out of the parking lot and heads home.

She leads the brunette into the house and to her bedroom. She goes to her dresser and pulls out a pair of running shorts and an old oversized t-shirt before turning back to the brunette and holding them out. "Here, sweetie, let's get comfortable and we'll lay down for a bit."

They both change and Aubrey leaves the room as Beca lies down on the full sized bed. She snuggles down under the black sheets. When Aubrey comes back into the room she sets something on the nightstand and tells her to sit up, Beca gives her an 'are-you-fucking-serious' look. Aubrey just laughs and looks back at her expectantly. Beca finally caves and sits up, leaning back tiredly against the headboard. Aubrey sticks a digital thermometer in her mouth and sits on the side of the bed, next to her. When it beeps, she takes it from the brunette's mouth and checks it. "100.8"

She hands her the glass of water from the nightstand and two ibuprofen tablets.

When Beca concedes and takes the medicine, Aubrey walks around the bed and climbs in on the other side. They meet in the middle, turning to face each other. Aubrey slides her left arm under Beca's head and drapes her right over her waist, pulling the smaller girl's body flush against her own.

She closes her eyes and revels in the closeness. Even as Beca's breath evens out in sleep, she tightens her grip on the girl. She eventually lets the pull of sleep claim her.

The slam of the front door wakes Aubrey. Beca is still snoring lightly. She gently kisses the tip of the brunette's nose before carefully sliding her arm out from underneath her head and rising from the bed. She glances at the clock as she exits her bedroom and heads downstairs. 3:30.

She stretches her arms over her head as she enters the living room. She finds her mother in the kitchen.

"Hey, sweetie."

"Hey, mama. What are you doing home?"

"The diner wasn't very busy and I wanted to come and check on you. Is Beca feeling any better?"

"I don't really know. She's asleep in my room."

"You brought her here?" Elaine is clearly shocked.

"Uh, yeah. I told you I was bringing her to the house."

"I thought you meant her house. I don't know how I feel about you two being in your room when no one else is here."

"Mama she's sick! I brought her here because I didn't want to leave her. We aren't going to do anything!"

"Still. From now on if you two are alone, keep it in the living room and the kitchen, okay?"

Aubrey sighed. "Yes, ma'am."

"Thank you. Anyway, what's wrong with her? Does she have a fever?"

"Yeah. I checked it before we fell asleep. It was almost 101 so I gave her some ibuprofen. She just has a headache and a fever."

"Hmm, it's probably just a cold. Are you two hungry? I can make something real quick."

"I'm starving. We didn't get to eat lunch today."

"Why not?"

Aubrey sits at the bar and sighs. "Some jerk poured an entire bottle of coke down the front of Beca's shirt and called her a 'dyke'. That's part of why we left. She was really upset."

Elaine pulls out a can of tomato soup and pours it into a pot on the stove to heat. She turns to Aubrey. "That's horrible. He got in trouble, right?"

"I don't even know. I was too worried about Beca. Let me text Chloe."

Aubrey picks up her phone to text the redhead as Elaine turns back to the stove and goes about making grilled cheese sandwiches for the girls.

Just as she sets a plate and a bowl in front of the blonde, Beca shuffles into the kitchen. Aubrey pulls out the stool next to her and Beca climbs onto it. Aubrey puts her arm around the girl's shoulders and gently urges her to lean into her side. "Hey, baby. Feeling any better?"

Beca leans gratefully against the blonde and lets her head fall against her shoulder. "A bit. My head isn't pounding anymore at least."

"Well, you should know that Chloe just told me Jesse got suspended."

Beca's head snapped up. "What? Why?"

Aubrey smirked. "He punched Richard, who also got suspended."

Beca was wide eyed. "Why the heck would Jesse do that?"

"Because as anti-social as you are, they're your friends just as much as they are mine," Aubrey teases the brunette in an attempt to cheer her up.

Elaine leans back against the counter as she watches the two interact. She honestly amazed at the level of caring she sees between the two girls. It's obvious they both care about each other more than she could have imagined was possible in such a short time.