Age Is Just a Number

Chapter 10: We have a problem

The first soccer game of the season was always tough, especially for Beca who wasn't even in the starting 11.

"Coach why are you playing Jennifer instead of me?" Beca was sitting on the bench next to coach Corcoran and the other subs whilst the rest of the girls got into their positions. Jennifer was the one of the other strikers on the team but she was also the sophomore that was calling Beca a dyke behind her back that day in the locker room.

"You're our secret weapon, I'll put you on when we need you." He replied and the referee blew the whistle so coach Corcoran got up and stood at the sideline. Beca turned around and looked up at the bleachers, she spotted Benji, Jesse and Emily sitting beside her dad, Kat and of course Chloe. Beca wasn't the first to invite Chloe to the game, it was actually Kat that convinced the redhead to come. She smiled and waved to her friends and family and of course her secret girlfriend.

"Hey dude, did you watch Beca's Bieber cover?" Jesse tapped Benji on the arm as he whispered to him.

"Yeah, why?"

"Did you hear her cutting herself off when she was saying who it was dedicated to? Do you think she has a girlfriend?" He asked and Benji shrugged but instantly became interested. Jesse turned to his left instead and got Emily's attention. "Hey Em, is Beca seeing anyone at the moment?"

"Oh please, she never tells me anything like that but she is out like all the time. But I just thought she was out with you guys?" Emily furrowed her brow and pointed between the two boys who just looked at each other and shook their heads.

"She actually hasn't been out with us as much as she usually does since we went back to school." Benji added and the three just looked at each other.

"She gave me her phone to look after." The girl pulled Beca's iPhone out of her jacket pocket and held it out in front of the boys with a devious look on her face. "I mean surely she has this mysterious girl in her texts huh?" She giggled and handed the device to Jesse, who pressed the home button.

"Damn she has a password." Jesse cursed before trying a couple of different number combinations but didn't have any luck.

"Try her birthday." Benji suggested.

"Dude really? Nobody's password is their birthday." Jesse tried 0809 anyway and just as he suspected, it didn't work.

"Try the full thing then, August 9th 1997. 8997." Emily suggested and Jesse typed it in and to his surprise, it unlocked.

"Wow she's so lame." He laughed, going into her texts, Benji and Emily huddled close to him on either side to get a look.

"Do you know a Chloe?" Benji whispered to the other two teenagers, reaching forward and tapping on the said name in Beca's text conversations.

"Uh no, do you?" Jesse said before turning to Emily, who just shook her head.

They all read the last text message in the conversation. It was sent last night from Chloe.

[From: Chloe]

Goodnight babe.

[Sent Saturday at: 22:47]

"Well she's obviously got a girl then." Jesse whispered, scrolling up in the conversation to see if they could find anything more helpful.

"Wait, wait, wait. You've scrolled past a picture she sent to Beca." Emily reached forward and scrolled back down.

"No way..." Jesse stared at the photo in disbelief. The picture was of Miss Beale and a little girl sitting on her lap.

"Oh god." Emily covered her mouth and remembered what Beca told her about that night she spent at the bar.