Freedom (Pitch Perfect One-Shots)

Definitions

"Can I buy an 'E'?" she asked with her face concentrated in a pot of macaroni.

Chloe briskly flipped through the pages with her thumb, "This isn't hangman, Becs."

Putting the lid back to let the noodles cook, Beca scanned the condensed apartment. Chloe's boots lay dripping melted slush on the mat next to the front door, streamers still scattered everywhere, a half drank bottle of champagne next to Chloe's side of the bed. It's been a couple of weeks, and the brim of the alcohol had molded over from the over-exposure.

"Do dictionary roulette or something," Beca suggested, "or maybe look on your phone?"

"You know the rule." Chloe scolded.

On the kitchen table sat the brand spanking new dictionary they had bought. Chloe was big when it came to resolutions at the kick start of January. She forced Beca and Fat Amy to pick three aspects of their life that they want to work on. Chloe stuck to her words that come December, they would have accomplished all three for each girl. Beca's was originally to "stop making resolutions", but when she saw Chloe's dismay, she opted for an easier pick. Beca decided that every single day, she would learn a new word.

"Okay that's fine. You buy Siri and all she's doing is going to waste." Beca played, turning her attention back to the food.

A sigh sounded from Chloe as she fanned the pages once more. All of these words seemed so difficult to use in a sentence that even she couldn't learn them with one go. She was starting to think that maybe these "New Year's resolutions" just weren't going to happen this time around.

"Dinner's almost ready, why don't you give it a rest until after we eat?" Beca said.

"Not until we find you a word for today." Chloe responded, eyes glued to the book.

Beca groaned while dumping the shredded cheese into the pot. "Look, I love you. I really do. But are you saying we can't even feed ourselves until I learn a stupid 'word of the day'?"

"Not stupid. It's enlightening." Chloe flatly responded.

Like Beca, Chloe was hungry. Starving, even. She hadn't eaten since breakfast at 9 o'clock this morning. Upon getting Beca and Amy to begin their resolutions, she pressed herself to do the same. Since the clock struck midnight on January 1st, Chloe vowed that she would stop mindlessly snacking throughout the day. Which, for her, meant skipping lunch because Beca only would pack her snacks to take to work. The pang of hunger hung in Chloe's stomach all day long and sitting at the dinner table, the aroma of food hanging in the air, she had reached her peak. But she was determined. Chloe Beale was not a quitter.

"C'mon, Chlo. I can hear your stomach. Let's just eat and we'll come back to it later." Beca pleaded, setting the pot of finished food aside.

"Remember last week when you said you'd take the trash out to the back 'later'?" Chloe asked.

Beca bit down on her bottom lip and popped it back out, "Yeah."

Chloe looked up, eyebrow cocked, "How full is the garbage can?"

Beca threw her shoulders down and shuffled over to Chloe, "Alright, fine. Let's give this Dictionary some help."

They were searching through the "S" section, desperately trying to find any word that wasn't over-the-top and would never be said in casual conversation. Chloe's finger harshly traced vertically amongst the rows of definitions. For the past couple of days, the two girls had been chosen seemingly simple terms that most already knew. Of course, Chloe didn't want Beca's resolution to be too easy to complete. So, she urged for words that were more intricate.

"What about this one?" Beca pointed towards the bottom of the page.

Chloe furrowed her eyebrows, "Superluminal?"

"Why not?" Beca said, "It says it's an astronomy term meaning 'to travel faster than the speed of light'."

"But Bec, when would you ever use that in a sentence?" Chloe snickered, "Let's choose something else."

"No, no, no!" Beca stopped Chloe from turning the page, "I can use it in plenty of sentences!"

With a hand on her head trying to piece together something to say, she paced the room. "Uh, it is said that some space ships are built to be superluminal." she tried, "Or how about when a car races past you on the interstate and you say 'Jesus, is that guy using his car to be superluminal or something?'."

Chloe's face was marked with a grin as she giggled seeing her friend really press on this word. As soon as Beca saw Chloe's reaction, her face fell flat. Her voice, riddled with hunger, grew deep as she spoke, "I really hope that this resolution is really SUPERLUMINAL because Beca is very hungry and would like to EAT now."

Chloe's eyebrows rose "Good enough for me."

Beca threw back her head and sighed with relief. Although Chloe wouldn't admit it, she's more happy to finally eat than to be searching for words.Saying nothing, Beca focused all of her attention putting the macaroni and cheese into bowls for the both of them. Meanwhile, Chloe continued to skim the dictionary, this time towards the back of the book.

"I'm really proud of you, Becs." she smirked, "But don't get too comfortable because we've got lots more words to go and 342 days left in the year."

Beca grabbed forks from the drawer and walked back over to the table, "At least we get to eat first."

Chloe's eyes caught one particular word as she scrambled through the "Y" section. Her stomach rumbled at the sight and smell of the food Beca was holding, but the Dictionary casted out its line and reeled her in.

"Yearn." Chloe said, grinning.

"What?" Beca asked.

"Yearn." Chloe repeated,this time with more passion.

Beca stood next to her and set the bowl she had made right in front of her, "Don't we all know what yearn means? Isn't that something we learn in like, middle school?"

Chloe's gaze traveled to Beca. Then she tenderly took Beca's face and pulled her down to her level, planting a soft kiss onto her cheek. Chloe looked into her eyes, beaming. Beca was taken back, but the corner of her mouth curved upright.

"I've been yearning to do that." Chloe giggled, "One resolution down, two more to go."

"Funny you should mention that because uh," Beca nervously laughed, "since you did that my, resolutions are uh..."

She paused for a moment to recollect her thoughts, Chloe's attention sitting on the edge of her seat.

Beca held a finger up, "They are commensurated to yours now."

Impressed by Beca's use of what she learned, she guided her to sit down. Both girl's cheeks flushed with rose as they enjoyed their dinner together. To the start of a new year, and what they desire to be a new relationship.