A/N: And here's chapter three! We get to meet Jesse and Beca's step-bro. Also, we have a bit of Chloe and Aubrey in this chapter.
For the most part, this will be like my most fics that have a special focus on a character or two (like a chapter dedicated to Amy or Stacie) but in a different way form how I did it before, by getting a glimpse or shift in the narration (like the last chapter). I hope that works out well.
PS: Songs in this chapter include 'All She Wrote' by Ross Copperman and 'The Only Exception' by Paramore.
Reviews and comments are always welcomed. If there's something you want to see happen, just let me know. I'm always open to suggestions ;)
I don't own pitch perfect.
Chloe!
Her name was Chloe Beale.
The name sounded perfect, like music to her very own ears.
And yep, that's something Beca was going to deny for the rest of her life.
The redhead caught up to her after her audition, thankfully just before Stacie and Amy tried to drag her out for some celebratory lunch.
"That was really aca-amazing!" Chloe squealed, breaking Beca's unspoken personal boundaries as she practically jumped onto her for the tightest embrace she's ever been given. Not that people didn't try, they just know to back the hell off. The only ones who never quite gave up were Beca's mom and her step-brother, but even he knew that a two second light hug was all he was ever going to get if he wanted to keep his arms and have his perfect washboard abs be kept intact by choosing not to eviscerate him. But no, Chloe Beale had broken that rule and Beca's barely even known her for a week.
"Uh, thanks." was Beca's awkward reply before the redhead went on rambling about how she'd be perfect for the Bellas and how talented she was. She looked like a child discovering that Santa was in fact real on Christmas morning, all wide-eyed and excited and smiling and chatty and handsy… and...
…and it was actually nice.
The hug took her guard for a second and Chloe Beale came crashing down on her like a heaven sent angel making Beca think of warmth and happiness and for some reason butterflies that she actually allowed herself to smile for a brief moment before she remembered that Beca Mitchell doesn't smile.
She scowls if not smirks on the rare occasion she finds something amusing.
She did catch Chloe's name somewhere along the ramblings and Beca managed to briefly introduce herself before the blonde – she learned her name was Aubrey – came storming out of the auditorium calling out for Chloe. The redhead was quick to turn around and wave at her before parting ways with Beca. "You'll be perfect for the Bellas, I know it." Chloe said before leaving. Beca nodded, a tightlipped smile on her face. She really consider how she'd feel about becoming a Bella. It was against her plan on hating the whole college experience.
Mostly because she had a feeling she couldn't hate anything that Chloe was a part of.
Her eyes were still on Chloe when Amy and Stacie approached her. She was a little thankful that the Australian had somewhat already sensed her boundary issues and, even though she offered a high five – something that Beca thought was her attempts at slowly getting the her more comfortable with their interactions – Amy refrained from invading her personal space the same was Chloe did.
"So I guess I we have a common interest in things?" Stacie teased and Beca simply scowled.
"I have no idea what you mean." she replied before Amy sparked up the thought of a lunch for their little group. "I can't." was Beca's quick reply.
"Oh come on shorty, we need to celebrate. Did you hear yourself? That was awesome!"
"Thanks." Beca replied shyly, but whether or not she actually wanted to join the two for lunch she had places to be. "I really can't though."
"We shared dinner last night Mitchell, you have to come with us!" Stacie insisted.
"I can't. I have plans, well, sort of, with family." Beca reasoned. That was her best attempt at explaining where she was going without letting the other two where she was heading.
She wasn't really planning to let them know anything about her other gig.
Not that she had two or anything, just, that was sort of her safe space.
No invasion.
Okay, maybe a little invasion, her step-brother was going to be there after all.
Beca had accepted that as her truth as she made her way to the campus radio station. Amy and Stacie thankfully let-up with a promise of lunch some other time. That and somehow Beca had the impression that Amy and Stacie thought she was meeting her dad and they didn't want to keep Dr. Mitchell waiting. Beca fumbled for an old set of earbuds in her pockets as she turned on an old pocket radio. She wasn't the sentimental type, but that was something her step-brother gave her their first Christmas they were a family. He made an effort to know her, and Beca was thankful for that. She thought it would only be fitting to start her internship at the radio station with that old gift in hand.
She wanders all alone
This is all she's ever really known
A stranger in her skin
Nothing more, it's all she's ever been
She spills these words across the page
It helps to ease the pain, and she cries
Beca buried the thoughts of Chloe and the Bellas for now as she tried to focus on what was ahead. AN opportunity she could actually use when she makes her move to LA. Focus on why she was here in the first place.
Music was her reason for living. It was her one constant friend, the one that never left. If she had to, she'd consider her step-brother as one other friend she unwittingly made, but Beca knew. It was her old friend music she had to thank for it.
Their initial meeting was rough. He was the 'cool kid', the one everyone wanted to be friends with. The guy every girl wanted to date.
And then he got a rather gloomy closed off step-sister.
Not exactly the ideal gift.
Nobody out there
Wants to understand
Nobody out there
Takes me as I am
I'm feeling alone here
I know there's got to be
Somebody somewhere
That's all she wrote
But one rainy day, they got stuck in the house thanks to an incredibly strong storm. Their parents stuck at work with people being advised to stay indoors. That was the first time they hung out. He started playing songs on his Walkman, connecting them to his speakers, and Beca appreciating his taste in music.
Beca made recommendations and impressed him. Soon they started talking a lot about music, how the lyrics, the beats, the rhythm – everything that made up a song – would tend to be the perfect way of expressing emotions when their own words failed them.
They got closer after that.
He was still annoying as hell sometimes, but if Beca had to just admit it, he was the closest thing she had to a best friend.
She always feels so small
Pushed aside, a flower on the wall
They never ask her name
No one sees, the girl without a face
She spills these words across the page
It helps to ease the pain, and she cries
The song filled the whole station as Beca made her way inside, standing outside the booth where her brother was currently masterfully handling the afternoon program. It was her first day and she was actually partly excited about what's to come from it.
"Hey! I know you!" she heard some guy say. Beca turned and there he was, a tall, seemingly friendly guy she swore she saw at the auditorium too.
"This must be Fate!" he said rather cheerily. "My name's Jesse. You know, the guy who sang to you…" he started saying before the DJ booth opened.
And out came Beca's prince charming of a step-brother with her most hated nickname ever. "Becky!"
"I don't call you Luke-y, so stop calling me that." was Beca's quick reply as Luke placed an arm around her for a quick side hug.
"And you must be Swanson our other new intern." Luke said.
"Yep, just call me Jesse." he replied. "And hey, you know each other? Did you go to the auditions too?"
"Auditions?" Luke asked, a wide grin on his face.
A grin that meant trouble if he knew…
"Yeah, for the acapella teams. Uh, Becky…" Jesse said, earning him a death glare from Beca. "Uh, Beca?" Jesse guessed and when the death glare softened up a little, he realized he hit the right name. "Right, Beca auditioned for the Bellas I believe."
"Beca did what?" Luke retorted with an amused laugh. "Oh that's just perfect Becky. But I hope your dreams of acapella world supremacy won't impede on your free time. This internship is a very demanding."
"Shut up Luke." Beca groaned making Luke snigger some more.
Luke tried to recompose himself before he got down to business. He explained the rules, gave them a quick breakdown of their responsibilities as interns – which mostly consisted of stacking up records and doing inventory and all the boring stuff Beca really didn't plan on doing, something she expressed with the scowl on her face – and of course their schedules.
"Won't we even get the chance to…" Beca started to ask before Luke shook his head.
"No first years in the booth. It's the rule Becky." Luke said. "Now that we have that sorted, what are you two still standing here, there's work to be done."
"No warning? I've met the other interns earlier saying you told them to not have sex on the desk since we'd be working a lot together?" Jesse asked And Luke scoffed.
Beca met the quick glance Luke threw her face with an unimpressed look. Luke shrugged. "I have a feeling I have nothing to worry about. Besides, pull anything on my sister" – to which point Beca tried to correct him by saying step-sister – "and getting burned is the worst thing you'll have to worry about."
And with that brotherly threat Luke disappeared back into the booth.
For the next hour or so Beca had no choice but to listen to Jesse drone on and on about music, movies and scoring. But while she was physically held as a captive audience to Jesse Swanson's rambling, her thoughts drifted elsewhere. She convinced herself this was her grunt work. This was her paying her dues.
This is all for LA.
If only LA was the dream truly stuck in her mind for most of that day.
"Did you really have to convince the alt-girl to come to audition?" Aubrey huffed as she entered her shared apartment with Chloe. The redhead perked up her head a bit from her rather comfortable position in the couch, watching a movie she accidentally caught on TV while mindlessly changing channels about half an hour earlier. It was late in the afternoon. Classes had just finished for both her and Aubrey, but from the looks of it, the day didn't have much of an effect on Aubrey's thoughts about Beca Mitchell.
Chloe smiled to herself, she couldn't help it. She was one of those people with good – no, good is an understatement, it was excellent, topnotch even – instincts. And Chloe knew, with all of her being too, there was something about Beca Mitchell. A bright light, a sparkle, hiding behind all the clouds and walls she seemed to be hiding herself in.
Her instincts also told her that Beca was right for the Bellas, and as much as she loved her best friend, she was going to fight through hell to make sure she sees that the Bellas need Beca too.
"She's pretty good Bree, and you know it."
"Are you saying this as my co-captain or as my best friend?" Aubrey huffed for what was the nth time that day as she slumped down the couch next to Chloe.
"Why would it matter which one?" Chloe asked innocently.
"Because I know you Chloe Beale."
"Don't get what you mean."
Aubrey groaned. "Fine, if you want to play it that way. Your professional opinion?"
"Beca's a really good singer." Chloe said, direct to the point.
"That was one performance Chlo. We need to consider a lot of other things too. Like how she fits with the Bella sound. And…"
"Well, she fits with my sound." Chloe mumbled absent-mindedly. At the back of her head, Aubrey was just holding a grudge on Beca. Her dismissive attitude when they met at the quad for the first time and all. Aubrey was all about the first impressions sometimes. And in a bad way too.
But despite seeming distant and dismissive, she thinks there was more to Beca than being the alt-girl Aubrey just didn't like.
And Chloe once again smiled at the thought of it. She didn't know what it was, but she told herself she'll find out Beca Mitchell's secrets, what makes her tick, what makes her special, because once Chloe sets her sight on one thing, nothing could ever stop her.
"Wait, back up Chlo. Did you just say she fits with your sound? How do you know she fits with your sound? She's never… when on earth would an occasion arise for the two of you to even harmonize and sing together?"
"We just clicked." was the first thing out of Chloe's mind as she racked her brains for a way to change the topic.
"And when on earth was this? We spent the whole week together making advance preparations and plans for the Bellas, the only time you were gone was…" Aubrey started to say before looking at Chloe with the most curious look she ever had. "Chlo, the only time you weren't with me you were supposedly with Tom…"
"It's not what you think Bree!" she explained feeling her cheeks starting to burn at the thought of the most seemingly innocent first interaction she had with Beca.
"How on earth did whatever it was that happened happened? I need answers Beale." Aubrey said rather cautiously and uncertainly.
Chloe sighed.
She really didn't want Aubrey to know about it.
Sadly the look on her best friend's face said it all, she won't let Chloe get away without an explanation of how Beca Mitchell showed up in the auditorium that day.
Beca was still all sorts of grumpy with how the day went. She really wanted to run her own program at the station and all, but Luke kept ignoring her attempts to talk for the chance of that happening all throughout the day.
Her only consolation was finally knowing Chloe's name.
Her dorm room was empty for most of the night, Amy didn't return at all. She did send Beca a text that she won't be coming in at all that night. Beca at least had the decency to send a quick reply. A simple message. "Be safe"
Her phone buzzed again and Beca looked up from the screen of her computer. She was just at the process of creating a new playlist. She wanted to ignore it but her phone buzzed a second time.
Luke [11:32]: Becky! Up for a late night misadventure?
Luke [11:33]: Here's a hint, it involves music and the radio station 0:)
Beca [11:34]: I can't imagine you with a halo Luke
Luke [11:35]: Oh come on, I'm a saint 0:D
Luke [11:36]: Just meet me outside the radio station Mitchell, you won't regret it
Luke [11:37]: I won't stop bugging you until you say yes 0:3
Beca [11:40]: FINE!
The campus was actually quite pretty in the night. It was peaceful other than the few frat houses or so that where you can hear music blasting through the roof courtesy of whatever party was being thrown. But Beca couldn't really let her mind wonder anywhere else, her thoughts were only on what her step-brother was up to.
Luke was, sure enough standing outside the station with a beanie on, and a stupid copycat of her own trademark Mitchell smirk wiped across his face. "Here is your copy of the key. I managed to talk to and convince the right people for our new program for the station." he said as he ushered Beca in.
"Please don't tell me I have to organize and clean this place during the haunting hour too."
"Oh shush, Beca." Luke said, heading to the DJ booth and opening the door for her. "I used to run the late night shifts, now is, I think, the right time to pass it on." he said with a huge smile on his face.
Beca quirked an eyebrow at him. Smirk forming. "Are you saying what you think you're saying?"
"Oh, just admit that I'm the best brother out there will you. I have a pre-recorded intro for you as the DJ. I thought it'd be fun to have that too, keep your identity a mystery from our listeners for now since the other interns don't know." her step-brother started to say. "Inters aren't really supposed to run their own show, but they're not Beca Mitchell, so…" Luke shrugged. "Have fun Becky!"
"Enough with the nickname, you're ruining the moment."
"Yeah, yeah! Seriously though, have fun kiddo!"
Beca smiled as soon as Luke disappeared and immediately started to get to work, playing the first song on her mind – the one she was planning to work on earlier.
Her own program.
Luke really knows how to be sly.
Again, maybe life at Barden wouldn't be so bad.
She had Luke.
She even had Amy and Stacie, which she was slowly trying to accept wasn't a bad thing at having roommate-neighbor-acquaintances.
And then there was Chloe…
Maybe I know, somewhere
Deep in my soul
That love never lasts
And we've got to find other ways
To make it alone
But keep a straight face
And I've always lived like this
Keeping a comfortable, distance
And up until now
I had sworn to myself that I'm content
With loneliness
Because none of it was ever worth the risk
But you are the only exception
You are the only exception
You are the only exception
You are the only exception
Beca's thoughts drifted away as song after song played.
For now, at least she had all she needed.