It Was Inevitable

Chapter 22.

Red [10:49am]: Come over? We need to talk.

Beca had been staring at the text for about 10 minutes. Eyebrows knotted in confusion, pen flicking between her hands as she read it over and over. 'Talk?' She thought, 'talk about what?' Her head fell in her hands, she already almost knew what was happening inside Chloe's mind, what the 'talk' would be about. But Beca couldn't decide what would make her change her mind so suddenly. They hadn't spoken much since Christmas Day, but before everything had been fine, 'hell I slept with the woman!' Beca thought as her hands came up to grip her hair. She was almost angry, but she stayed positive when she began to get dressed, thinking that maybe this was about a Christmas gift that didn't come... or something else.

Still, Beca trudged to Chloe's house, headphones hung around her neck, mind reeling until she eventually knocked on the door. Chloe opened it with a brief smile, but one that Beca could see didn't reach her eyes, almost looking forced.
"Hey," she spoke.
"Hey," Beca nodded back as she walked into Chloe's apartment.
"Coffee?" Chloe offered and Beca politely declined, instead taking a seat at Chloe's messily organised kitchen island.
"Good Christmas break?" Beca asked, Chloe sighed,
"Lovely, yours?"
"Fine thanks," the mood was different and both were avoiding the awkwardness it brought with it. Beca could tell that the redhead was thinking, debating something internally, being unusually quiet, and not even greeting her with an ounce of affection like they usually would. Beca knew what was coming.
"I know what you're going to say," Beca chuckled lightly and Chloe looked at her with sympathetic eyes, "it's fine, let's get it over with,"
"Five years," Chloe sighed as she sat opposite the brunette, "five years and losing his job. That's what a teacher got for around here for apparently dating a student Beca. My dad, he told me about it. Told me how it was disgusting and how he couldn't believe people would do things like that. It shocked me in a way. Yeah I know there's a risk in seeing you, in dating you whatever, it's obvious. But all it takes it one slip, one misinterpreted look or touch for someone to see, one stolen kiss and I lose all that I've ever worked for." She paused for a while. Stopping to glance up at Beca who was listening intently, a troubled look in her eyes. "It sounds selfish, believe me I'm aware. But think of your family too, would they be okay with this? With us? What if everyone at school found out, I don't know what would happened exactly but I would never want anything to happen to you because of a... a silly mistake that either of us make." She paused again, "You graduate in what... 6 and a half months or whatever?" Beca simply nodded as she watched Chloe's eyes slowly glass over as she spoke. Inside, Beca's heart was breaking slightly. Although this is what she'd expected all along, it didn't mean that it didn't hurt a bit. She'd really started to develop deep feeling for Chloe, deep enough to tell the woman that she was falling hard for her. And to have all that ripped away almost overnight was still heart shattering.
"So, we wait? Until after I graduate?" Beca asked slowly.
"Do you not think it's best Beca? Seriously?" Chloe questioned.
"I guess so," Beca shrugged as she kept her gaze low. Chloe reached across and squeezed Beca's hand lightly.
"I'm not expecting this to be easy or anything. I really enjoyed spending time together and I still really like you, the timing is just wrong right now Becs,"
"Yeah, I get it I do." Beca nodded hastily, "I suppose I better go,"
"You don-" Chloe stopped herself, "yeah I suppose," she gave a light smile.
"I'll.. see you at school," Beca nodded awkwardly as she hovered by the door, easing it open.
"See you then,"

Beca watched the door close and stood in Chloe's hallway for a few minutes, processing. Her feeling were all over the place. She wasn't angry at Chloe because she was well aware of what the redhead could lose. But on the other hand she was a bit angry, because it had been so sudden, she didn't have a say in what happened to their relationship and Beca was almost annoyed that Chloe went into whatever the pair had and said she wouldn't leave and yet she was doing the complete opposite. She wasn't exactly sad about the whole situation, more confused. Beca dropped the feelings to the back of her mind as she pulled her headphones over her ears and got lost in her music.
She eventually made it home and dropped to her bed, fishing the small USB out of her pocket and spinning it between her fingers. It's name tag read clearly as it turned, 'Chloe x'. Beca tossed it on the side and text Stacie, telling her to come over to her house.

"A lot can change in six and a half months," Stacie commented.
"Your telling me," Beca sighed, rubbing her neck.
"What're you thinking?" Stacie asked.
"I don't know Stace, I don't know how I feel, what I should feel or what I should do," she shrugged.
"D'ya wanna know what I think? What I'd do?"
"Do inform me,"
"I'd forget her. Forget whatever's happened this past month for the next 6 and just live your life how you would normally if all this shit hadn't happened. And then, when the time comes, see how you feel, she may feel differently, so might you," Stacie shrugged, "but you won't know if you stay hung up on her for so long. Plus, you'd be hella boring as an upset puppy," Stacie smirked as she nudged a chuckling Beca.
"Wise words Conrad," Beca nodded, "I actually think you're right. I mean yeah I liked her, more than I think I've liked someone before, but if it's over for now then it's over, and there's not much I can do to change it. So I might as well do whatever I want as usual, and so should she. I'll get over her, she'll get over me and y'know if fate wants us to be together, than we shall," Beca chuckled lightly.
"Damn Mitchell, some deep shit there," Stacie smiled, "do you know what we need?" She finished with a smirk.
"Nope,"
"We need to party. Simple." Stacie grinned, "and I know when I can have one,"
"When's that?" Beca asked, interested spiked.
"Mid January, my mum's away for some show or something with her mates and I'm sure I can organise a 'play date' for Rex," Stacie shrugged, "we'd have the whole house,"
"And you know a lot of people," Beca nodded.
"A lot of hot people," Stacie corrected.
"Don't I know it,"
"But.."
"What?"
"Well I have no music," Stacie smirked, "looks like I might need a miniature DJ to spin some tracks for me,"
"Woahhhh, nope you know I don't do that," Beca shook her head.
"C'monnnn, all you have to do is stand up there for like half an hour and then I'll just set some tracks up for the rest of the night, it'll be fun and you know it,"
"I'll see what I can dig up, let's be real - a party sucks without the right music,"
"Uh, have you ever partied with me? I don't need music to make a party good," Stacie smirked.
"Good for you maybe," Beca rolled her eyes, "the amount of time that you've left me because your grinding against some stranger is unreal," Beca laughed. 
"It's tactics! I go, leaves you alone and vulnerable - brings in the hot lesbian chicks and you are satisfied," Stacie smiled.
"Mmm it does work quite well," Beca laughed.

As Beca waved Stacie off she decided to take her advice, to live her life as she usually would, it's what Chloe would be doing. Although she really liked the redhead, she understood their relationship wasn't ideal and that waiting was probably the best option. But then Stacie was also correct - 'a lot can change in 6 months' Beca thought as she stared at Chloe's contact number in her phone before sighing and tossing it aside.