Hey guys. Here's a new chapter of Calling Home. I hope you like it.

Enjoy.

The Activities Fair

"This is going to be fine," Aubrey says to herself as she and Chloe set up their booth. "We're going to be fine. We'll find eight girls who look fabulous and can sing their asses off and we'll be fine. We'll go to finals and beat those asshats into the ground. We'll be fine."

"Exactly," Chloe reassures. "Positive thoughts."

Chloe's positive thoughts ran out with the twelfth rejection the two lone Barden Bellas received. That's not to say they didn't have a few interested parties; they did. But three girls that took the audition flyer with genuine interest and not just because it was in their face only to throw it into the nearest trash can,and a mermaid dancer that matched pitch well, did not the traditional Barden Bellas make.

Chloe and Aubrey had been taking turns calming each other's anxiety-ridden freak outs throughout the Activites Fair. Aubrey was on the brink of starting a new one when Chloe cut her off

"What about her?" Chloe says pointing to a girl that was heading their way. The girl stood out as she ambled lazily past booths without a second glance or even a first one really, Chloe noticed.

Aubrey says something that Chloe completely misses because she is focused on the mysteriously cute and attractive girl coming their way.

"Hi, any interest in joining our a cappella group?" Chloe holds out a flyer to the girl.

The conversation could have gone better. And truthfully, Chloe couldn't remember what she had said. She just wanted to keep the attractive brunette in front of her. And she was selling the Bella's hard. Unfortunately, she wasn't interested and had riled Aubrey up pretty well. And she didn't sing.

Chloe's cellphone rings as she walks through the hall to her and Aubrey's apartment.

Aubrey had taken to extra cardio work as one of her coping mechanisms for stress and the underwhelming outcome of the Activities Fair had definitely caused her a bit of stress, so as Aubrey was in their building's gym on the treadmill, Chloe was heading to make them dinner.

Chloe pulls her phone from her purse and clicks to accept the call without looking.

"Hello?" Chloe answers as she unlocked the apartment door.

"Hi, honey. Are you busy?"

"Hey, Mom. No, I just got in. And about to make dinner for Bree and myself."

"How is Aubrey? How was the fair?"

"Well, Aubrey is doing extra cardio, so that's about how well the fair went. We didn't get much interest." Chloe says as she takes out ingredients for a chicken quinoa salad.

"Because of the finals last year?"

"Partly." Chloe sighs. "The girls who'd auditioned before wanted nothing to do with us and others just weren't interested."

"Don't give up sweetie. You'll pull this together."

"Thanks. Where's Aunt Jane?"

"Getting into trouble with Frankie. There was a basketball challenge involved. I didn't get all the details because they both rushed out."

"Oh god." Chloe shakes her head. "First aid and suture kit on the table?"

"Of course, Honey," Maura answers. "It shouldn't be too bad. Barry is acting as referee."

"Mhm." Chloe sighs into the phone as she moves around the kitchen preparing the salad.

"What's wrong, Chlo?"

"Nothing. Just Bellas stuff."

"That wasn't a 'Bellas stuff' sigh. Try again?" Chloe really should have known her mother wouldn't buy that.

"I'm just thinking," Chloe says, purposefully being vague. She's not sure if she wants to voice what she's thinking.

"I know," Maura says, feeling there's something Chloe isn't telling her. Chloe wasn't often vague or apprehensive about talking about anything. When she was, it usually meant that she was really thinking on something.

"I met someone and I've just been thinking about them, I guess."

"What about Tom?"

"I don't know. I haven't heard from him nor seen him." Chloe tosses the salad.

"So tell me about her. Why's she on your mind?"

"There's not much to tell. She was at the Activities Fair, I tried to get her to join, she thought it was lame, and she doesn't sing. It was a short conversation."

"And you're wondering why you're still thinking about her?"

"Yeah."

Maura is quiet on the other line for a moment. "Sometimes people enter your life and you just know they are going to be important."

Chloe shakes the thought from her head. "I probably won't even see her again."

"You never know."

"Maura!" Chloe hears on the other end. "A little help." She hears Maura rustling with something.

"Mom?"

"Yes, Sweetie?"

"Should I call back?"

"No, continue."

"Hey, Chlo!" Jane's voice says through the phone. "Ow, dammit, Maura."

"Stay still, Jane," Maura chides. "Were you going to say something, Chloe?"

Chloe hesitates before deciding to just blurt out what she was wondering. "How'd you know I was talking about a 'her'?"

"You said them, non-gender specific. I simply used deductive reasoning."

"Is Tom gone?" Jane shouts to make sure Chloe hears her.

"Is that—is that okay?" Chloe asks.

They've never had this conversation before. There was never anyone for them to have this talk about. Chloe knew she was attracted to both women and men, but it wasn't a thing. Sure, she had crushes, but no woman she had considered really dating. Not that she was thinking of this girl in that way. She couldn't be. She doesn't even know her. She doesn't even know her name, she realizes.

"Of course it is, Chloe. Whomever makes you happy is who I want you to be with."

"Is there finally a girl in the picture!"

"Jane!" Maura chides again.

Chloe chuckles as Aubrey enters the apartment.

"Hey, Mom, I'm gonna go. Bree's back."

"Okay. I have to take care of Jane."

"Is it bad?"

"Not as bad as it could be with Jane."

"Hey!" Jane says.

Chloe laughs. "Okay. Bye, Mom. Bye, Aunt Jane.

Chloe ends the call after getting goodbyes from her mother and aunt. She and Aubrey sit at the kitchen counter and have their salad. And Chloe tries to get the "alternative" girl out of her head.

You've reached the end of this chapter. Yay.

Tell me what you think of this in a review. I'm not sure how I feel about it so I'd love to hear what you guys think.

Next Chapter: The Shower Scene

Thanks for reading.

-TVCrazed.