Perfect Timing and a Perky Redhead

Chapter 9

Chloe felt her heart sink as Jesse stormed out to the sound of vicious comments from the rest of the Bella's, defending their redheaded leader. She's gone? Chloe thought, barely able to register it had actually happened. She could hardly believe that the brunette would abandon Barden like this especially over what had happened between the two. I really liked her, too, Chloe realized suddenly, feeling a weight begin to sink in her stomach at the epiphany. She sincerely thought Beca might have become a permanent thing. Maybe it's for the best…

"Do you want to skip practice today, Chlo?" Aubrey asked softly, placing an arm comfortingly on her best friend's arm.

Chloe pursed her lips together. "No," Chloe decided after a moment, "I'm okay, Bree."

The tall blonde looked sympathetically at her friend, but nodded. "Okay." Aubrey turned around to the other Bella's all staring at the two captains. "Well? Let's go aca-bitches!"

Three years, four months, thirteen days later…

"Don't be stupid, don't kill people, and never talk back to any other doctor here, got it?" Dr. Schultz said, narrowing his eyes at the fresh interns who gathered in the lobby of the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center. "Being here is a privilege: do not abuse it." With that, the man walked away, leaving the interns frozen stiff from nerves. He turned slightly, "Follow me," he shouted, and turned his head forward as he heard the instant scuffle of shoes against the ground. "Idiots," he muttered to himself.

"I can't believe we were selected to be here," a perky redhead stated among the interns.

The blonde next to her smiled, "I guess that's the benefit of being top ten in our class for the past two years."

Chloe Beale nodded, still in awe of their situation. "I'm never going to want this summer to end, Kelley." She was finally allowed to have a part time internship at the hospital of her dreams. She wasn't able to have a full internship, having not completed med school, but the college offered her a part time summer internship so she can observe general work, the ER, and possibly, observe surgeries.

The redhead was extremely happy to be in the position that she was in, especially with her kind roommate Kelley. Chloe had an overall successful senior year at Barden, even with the unfortunate loss at the ICCA's, but she moved forward. She occasionally kept in touch with the Bella's, but talked to Aubrey almost every day, who was getting her law degree at Harvard.

Of course, she was occasionally haunted by the girl who left her behind at Barden, even still. Obviously, Chloe had wondered if she would run into Beca around because, last she heard, Beca should be in the area. Some days, Chloe would even look out her window, and wonder if she would see the small alt girl walking through the streets and Chloe would spot her, just like she did at the Barden University activities fair.

The redhead realized how ridiculous this notion was, and made the effort to forget the girl. Some days, it was effortless, but others…not so much.

After a long first day at the hospital, the two girls headed back to Kelley's car to drive to their small apartment. Chloe went to check the time and groaned in aggravation when she remembered she owns a watch that doesn't tell time.

Kelley heard this and laughed softly. "I still don't know why you keep that thing," she commented, entering her car.

Chloe shrugged as she jumped into the passenger seat. "I don't know really. I found it at Barden and I liked it a lot. Plus, it has this weird countdown thing, and I'm kind of curious when it goes to."

The blonde looked over to sneak a peek at the time remaining on the watch. "Well, whatever it is, it's happening tomorrow."

The redhead smiled tiredly and nodded. "I hope it's worth it," she replied, and then rested her head on the window to look out into the warm Los Angeles night. As Kelley turned the music on, the redhead willed herself not to look for a sarcastic brunette that could be anywhere…

Beca Mitchell woke up the next morning at about eleven to find herself tangled in a naked and taller brunette's embrace. The small brunette stretched, effectively waking her roommate. "Come on Kristen, I have that meeting with that record label downtown today," Beca muttered, her voice husky from sleep.

"I don't wanna," Kristen whined, digging her head farther into Beca's naked chest, willing there to be more time for sleep.

The shorter girl decided to hell with it, and shoved the taller girl off her and onto the ground. Kristen landed with an "oomf," as Beca chuckled at the naked body on the floor.

"I'm going to kill you," the taller girl muttered, standing up and picking up her clothes scattered across the room.

Beca smiled extra wide as she stood finding her shirt and replied, "No you won't because I pay half the bills and I am awesome."

The taller girl ran a hand through her hair and walked over to quickly kiss the shorter girl. "I think it might just be for the sex."

"Either way, I am safe!" Beca smirked, winning the argument and leaving the room to go make her and her girlfriend breakfast.

Beca had been living comfortably these past few years. After leaving Barden, she found an apartment with the help of her father near Los Angeles and quickly found a job working nights at a small club. Her mixes even made the radio occasionally, on some of the more alternative stations. She made a decent wage, but Beca didn't complain – she was never the luxurious type anyways.

She even completed some community college classes and got her associates in business, much to her father's approval. Her and her father were getting along better now, Professor Mitchell even occasionally visiting Beca, but it had been a while since his last visit, so he had never met or talked to, nor heard of Kristen.

Beca met Kristen while she was at work, on a busy Saturday night, when the green eyed beauty walked up to the DJ during her break and asked her awkwardly to dance with her. Beca found the awkwardness a positive trait, accepted, and actually formed a strong relationship out of it. They had been dating for a year and a half now, moving in together after a year, and it was a healthy change for the shorter girl. When Beca had first arrived to Los Angeles, heartbroken, she would play up her charm and attractive looks to fuck whoever was available at the time and good looking.

As Beca turned on the stove and cracked eggs into the pan, her mind vaguely traveled to what could have been with the redhead from Barden University almost four years ago…

The brunette shook her head slightly. Beca had accepted that she and Chloe weren't meant to be, and that the watch was a fluke. Instead of blaming her grandfather, she figured the man must have just had a coincidental match with the countdown and meeting his future wife, and then it had happened again with Beca and Chloe. Despite her little conviction in this answer, Beca realized her and the perky redhead couldn't be together; Chloe could be anywhere in the world by now.

As Beca mused while cooking the eggs, she felt long arms wrap around her waist and lips on her neck. "You know," Kristen whispered, letting her hand turn off the stove in front of Beca, "I have something better you can eat before your interview today."

Beca spun around a her dark blue eyes made contact with bright blue eyes. Quickly, Beca smashed her lips against the taller girl, reminding herself those damn blue eyes were the product of her over imagination, and that this was what she was meant to be doing. She pulled back to find dark green eyes staring at her with lust.

"I like your idea much better," Beca whispered, and dragged the taller girl back to bed. She willed herself to pull her thoughts away from Chloe Beale, and focus on the girl who she might, eventually, be able to love.