When The Stars Align

Chapter 5: Turn Of Events

When Beca was still in Elementary School, she was unlike any other kid. In only one way.

She plays with them: tag, house, hid and seek. She lines up fast. Even joined a gang-like girl group 'KKK' which stood for the Cool Kids Club, but last she knew 'cool' and 'club' doesn't start with a K, but she wasn't the alpha to actually say that straight on, so she kept quiet bout the error less she be cut off the team. And she always had Chloe, Aubrey and Sophia with her.

There's just one thing Beca doesn't think about when she was little. Boys.

All the girls in her class would babble about boys and cooties and boast about their mommies and daddies jobs and Beca could barely care about that as she reads her book at the corner, being entirely different than everyone else.

Now, Beca could still say, that she is entirely different than everyone else. And sometimes, she's happy bout that fact. Most of the time? She feels lonely. Because no one seems to understand her silence and no one seems to value her words when she's speaking her heart out.

Until Chloe.

Chloe was everything that Beca could ask for from a friend. Loyal, truthful, generous and patient. That was only a few, but that's what she valued most in the redhead. Chloe was the one friend she had who really did her best to understand Beca and that's why Beca let her under her guard; would look for her in a crowd; would cheer her on when she feels down and would make sure that she returned whatever favor the redhead gave her.

She knew Chloe like the back of her hand. The redhead would tap her fingers in a beat while she waits, never looking impatient but seeming in a hurry too. Chloe would bit her lip when she feels like laughing, the edges of her lips lifting up. Beca would notice how Chloe tilts her head to the side while she listens carefully, a sign that she was indeed interested in whatever you were saying.

And Beca knew for sure that Chloe knows her like the back of her hand. But Beca, for her part, had been reserved lately, a thing she tries to be subtle about when with Chloe. It started the same time she felt her feelings grow for the redhead and the fact that after the rejection she felt on their kiss, she became more guarded and aware of her feelings.

So it was pretty hard seeing Chloe with her new boy toy, Jacob, who to Beca's unfortunate life, was someone sweet and thoughtful. He was adored by both Aubrey and Sophia and Beca couldn't even be angry with him when he approaches them at the halls with his adorable smile and shy forwardness. Beca can't even bring herself to hate him.

That was the worst, because Beca had realized, that Chloe had finally found someone who deserved the redhead and who's making sure to let the redhead know his feelings. It was the worst feeling.

To see them happy and sweet together at lunch, feeling the bitter taste of her lunch, the hard swallow of her bite and the slow crack of her heart. To see them walking at the halls or the quad joking around and being all over each other was just too much.

That's why, whenever they're together, Beca keeps her distance from Chloe. She would put on her headphone during lunch just so she'd escape how Aubrey would gush about Chloe's new guy. The brunette would subtly ignore the guy whenever he tries to talk to her and Beca would sketch on a little black book she bought for the purpose of avoiding the redhead's want to gossip with her about her new boyfriend.

Beca can feel walls starting to build around her heart as slowly but surely she started to withdraw from her friends. Beca knew that she was because she kept more of her feelings in, she never shares anything too close to personal and she was starting to keep everyone at arms length.

And she knew they noticed, because Sophia would ask after school if she was having trouble of the guys that were teasing her and pushing her around; Aubrey would ask if she needs help on her academia; and Chloe... Chloe was herself, as usual. Cheerful, lively and precious. It was like she didn't notice, and somehow that hurt Beca.