Your gonna miss me when I'm gone

Chapter 4

Aubrey stopped turning the girl over. She knew who it was. Beca lay in her arms, broken. Aubrey had frozen, unsure of what to do next. She wanted to tell the other Bellas to leave but she knew that that would only rouse suspicion more. But she didn't want anyone to see the small brunette like this.

Aubrey's hesitation didn't go unnoticed. Chloe looked at her friend in confusion. Why had she stopped moving? Chloe looked closer and saw that Aubrey had paled considerably, her breathing had quickened and her eyes were darting around so quickly that Chloe knew the blonde girl was facing some inner turmoil. Chloe tentatively placed a hand on Aubrey's shoulder, forcing the other girl from her thoughts. "Bree?"

Aubrey met Chloe's concerned blue eyes. She knew the effect that this would have on the redhead. On all the girls really. Aubrey took a deep breath and continued to turn Beca the entire way round, never taking her eyes off Chloe. She watched as Chloe's eyes widened when she saw who was in her arms. For one moment, Aubrey feared that Chloe was going to faint. She couldn't deal with that too.

Chloe couldn't move. Her brain couldn't register what her eyes were seeing. That girl looked like Beca. That was strange. Why was Aubrey looking at her like that? Like she was expecting her to break at any moment?

"Chlo," Aubrey's voice sounded distant "Chloe. It's Beca."

Chloe shook her head. "No. Beca went back to Barden. She's there now!" Chloe started to panic. She refused to believe that this was the girl that she had been singing with a few hours ago.

Chloe let out an anguished cry and fell to her knees on Beca's other side. She lifted her shaking hands to Beca's throat, almost too scared to try to find a pulse. Her hand hovered an inch away from Beca's throat before Aubrey leant across and grabbed her other hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze. Chloe pressed her fingers down on Beca's pulse point and waited.

Her stomach turned when she felt nothing. Her breath hitched and her eyes glassed over with tears. She felt nothing beneath her fingertips. No small flutter of a pulse, nothing.

Aubrey watched as Chloe's resolve finally crumbled when she felt for the pulse. Shock ran through the blonde's body. The small alt-girl in her arms was dead. And it was her fault. If only she had loosened the reins a bit. Even if had just been for one rehearsal. It seemed so easy in hindsight. Why hadn't she done it then?

Aubrey transferred the body into Chloe's trembling arms before standing and walking back up and out of the ditch. She ignored the questioning looks from the other Bellas and walked a bit away. She was shaking. Her eyes stung with tears. Finally she couldn't hold it in any longer. She leant over to the side of the road and vomited; not her usual projectile vomiting, but shock had turned her insides. She was surprised when she felt a comforting hand on her back. She turned and saw Stacie behind her smiling weakly.

Chloe clutched Beca's body to her. It wasn't fair! Beca didn't deserve to die. The small brunette had so much to offer the world. She was going to be big. Be a star.

"Beca! Please don't die. Please! Don't leave me!" she cry-whispered into the brunette's neck. She was only faintly aware of the sirens.

The paramedics came over to her and tried to take Beca from her. She cried out and began to fight when somebody dragged her back away from the scene. She turned and saw Aubrey speaking to her. But she couldn't hear her.

Chloe looked all around her. The Bellas watched from the top of the ditch, obviously disturbed by the situation in front of them. Chloe turned back to the paramedics who had surrounded Beca. She could see that they had brought out the defibrillator and had cut open Beca's uniform for access to her chest.

Chloe couldn't watch this but she couldn't turn away either. Sensing her best friends panic, Aubrey turned Chloe around and hugged her. She felt Chloe flinch every time the paramedics shouted 'Clear!' and the sound of electricity running round Beca's body followed. Aubrey kept her eyes shut tightly as she held Chloe. She didn't want to watch this either.

There quickly came a steady pattern of 'Clear!' and then the electricity. However, when that stopped, a deathly silence followed. Aubrey opened her eyes and looked over to the paramedics. Chloe, too, turned to them, hoping for the best.

Her hopes were crushed in an instant as she watched one of the paramedics sit back on his heels and rub his hands over his face. He looked at his watch to call the time of death.

He stopped. He frowned and leant forward, placing his fingers to Beca's pulse point. His reaction was immediate. He called for equipment.

Chloe's knees nearly gave way with relief. Beca was alive.

For now, at least.