The Truth Comes Out

Chapter 12: Fresh Air

Aubrey decided Chloe needed some fresh air. She had been hanging around the hospital since three in the morning. She wasn't allowed to see Beca yet, so she was sort of just pacing the halls like a lost dog.

After finally agreeing to actually leave the hospital, Chloe insisted they go to the closest restaurant, in case they got the call that Beca woke up.

So there they were, sitting at a booth in Denny's: Aubrey looking over the menu, Chloe pretending to look over the menu.

Aubrey lowers hers. "Chlo. What are you thinking?"

"I'm thinking about how unfair this is," she mumbles from behind her menu.

"I mean for food, Chlo."

"I'm not hungry."

Aubrey sighs. "I don't blame you. But you have to eat. Here, we'll split an omelette."

Their waiter comes around the corner.

"Fine," Chloe hisses.

"Hello ladies! Just checking in. Have we decided what we're gonna have today?" Both girls raise their eyebrows. His energy is a lot to take in so early in the morning.

"Um...yeah, we'll just have a cheese omelette." Aubrey closes her menu and hands it to the waiter.

"Alright! Easy enough!" He takes their menus.

"Thanks," Chloe half-heartedly says.

He walks away, making long strides towards the kitchen.

Chloe turns to Aubrey and attempts to shift the mood. "Aubrey, I feel like I haven't seen you in weeks...we need to catch up."

"Yeah! Yeah, I guess."

She sips her drink.

"So...? What's been going on in your life? How's your Dad? Any love interests? Anything, Aubrey. I just need to take my mind off of Beca or I'll go mad."

Aubrey blinks. "Uhm..." she sighs. "My Dad is still overseas. He's doing a special project that he's not supposed to tell anyone about. Like, before it was fine or whatever, but now I'm starting to get mad at him for being away so long."

Chloe purses her lips. "That must be hard. I can't imagine my parents not being here to support me. Hell, they even moved to Georgia to be there while I went through college." She smiles. "They were the ones who convinced me to join the Bella's."

Aubrey smiles at Chloe, grateful to get some happiness out of her. She takes it upon herself to keep it lasting as long as she can.

"As for love interests..."

Chloe's face brightens up. "Aubrey! Who??"

Aubrey flashes a cheeky smile and sips her drink.

Chloe laughs. "Come on Aubrey, tell me!"

"His name is Boston Reighs."

Chloe chokes on her water. "Who names their kid after a city? That's ridiculous!" She starts snickering then quickly stops when she sees Aubrey's face. "I mean. He sounds dreamy. Continue."

Aubrey rolls her eyes.

"Annnnywayy. He goes to Barden. Met him at the library where I was studying. We've been going out for like two weeks."

Chloe gasps. "Have you guys had sex yet??" she teases.

"You're such a child, Chloe," Aubrey teases back. "No, actually. He hasn't made the move, and I'm in no hurry to either. It's one of those rare occurrences where the guy you're dating doesn't feel the need to sleep with you on the so called 'naughty third date'."

"Hah, yeahh..."

"How's Tom? Wait-- shit, Chloe! What you did with Beca..."

Chloe gets quiet.

"I guess it was a drunken night and you guys were just messing around is... is that still cheating, Chlo?"

"I...hadn't thought about that." She clears her throat. "It is cheating though, especially because it was intentional."

Aubrey stares at Chloe."Intentional...? We were all pretty drunk, Chlo, I thought you were out of it when you told me you loved her. You were...right? I mean, you just have a little thing for her."

Chloe sighs in defeat and pushes her water away from her. "Not a thing, Aubrey, I do love her."

"Wh..."

Their waiter is back with their omelette. He sets the steaming plate in front of them.

"There you go, girls. Anything else you need?"

"No, thank you," Aubrey murmurs, her eyes fixed on Chloe.

He walks away.

Steam whisps up between them. Aubrey looks intently at Chloe as if trying to figure her out.

"Stop looking at me like that," she grabs a fork. "I told you in the bathroom. Were you that hammered, Aubs?"

Aubrey's voice is hoarse. "I didn't even know you like girls, Chlo."

"I still like dudes. Girls are my weakness though," she winks.

Aubrey sits up straight and flashes a wide grin. "Well... I'm happy for you. This is great."

Chloe looks up from her omelette and smiles at her. "Thanks Aubrey, but it's not that big a deal."

"Well, so you're in love with Beca. That's a pretty huge deal."

Chloe smiles to herself. "I guess it is."

"So have you guys...done anything? Before the party, I mean," she blows on a piece of cheesy omelette.

"No, that was our first kiss. We weren't that drunk," Chloe recalls. "I think we each had one cup of beer. It wore off in the next hour or so anyway, so Beca was able to drive me home. We talked a lot. We talked about us. It was nice."

Her face turns solemn and she clears her throat, remembering what had happened next. She shovels a piece of cheese onto her fork, growing silent.

"We should go back to the hospital and check on Beca. Maybe she's awake," Chloe begins to stand up. "Maybe she's awake and alone because I left and scared and she'll need me and..."

Aubrey grabs her arm and pulls her back into the booth. "Chloe."

"Aubrey..." Chloe looks hopelessly at her, a single tear running down her cheek.

She almost breaks down too, but instead Aubrey tells herself to pull it together. "We can go back to the hospital, but you need to eat more. Come on, Chlo. Help me out."

Chloe sniffs and nods.

They finish the omelette together. Aubrey puts down a twenty and they leave their booth, hastily heading back to the hospital with Chloe in the lead.