The Basketcase and The Princess

CHAPTER 3

Stacie was so happy to be chosen to be a Bella, not that she had any doubt she'd get in. She just knew for her own sanity that she needed one fun activity to be a part of during her time at Barden. Her classes took up nearly all of her time and energy, and were honestly just really stressful.

The Bellas, the whole a cappella thing looked like a chill fun time where she could forget for a while. Where she could take up her old love of music again. Plus Aubrey. So yeah.

Stacie swears she's there for her love of music, which she never gets to express any more. Her parents had her invest time in music when she was young, based on studies linking musical ability to better grades all round, but then somewhere along the way it all fell to the way side. Sadly.

Happily she'd been essentially cat called over by Chloe. A plus.

She had been looking for the Bellas booth at the activities fair that day when Chloe had called her over. She had seen that video from the year before, had found it hilarious, and kinda wanted to say she'd met them. And maybe, she'd try out. Maybe. She had been in two minds about that.

Then she had met Aubrey.

Aubrey, who happened to be the barfing woman from that video.

Aubrey, who she had never noticed when watching that unfortunate performance, in that video, was absolutely stunning.

Aubrey, whose hair, make-up, smile, whole entire presentation of herself was just so poised and perfect.

Aubrey, whose perfect hair, perfect make-up, perfect smile, whose whole entire presentation of perfection she wanted to crack and dig and scratch at the surface at and see what was lying below.

Aubrey seemed to take this whole a cappella thing a little too serious. Just like Stacie took her college work. Dead. Fucking. Serious.

And Stacie liked that.

A lot.

Her mind had been made up there and then. She would be a Bella. She would have Aubrey.

Stacie liked things her own way. About as much as she reckoned Aubrey liked things her own way. She wasn't going to have Aubrey make what she wanted to be the one fun thing in her life be another chore. She wanted this time they would inevitably be spending together as part of the Bellas to be something they could look back upon with fondness. She just wanted to have a good time. Before the rest of life inevitably got in the way.

Stacie wanted to lighten and loosen Aubrey up. See a wilder side to Aubrey. She really wanted that. Not that she wasn't immediately attracted to the Aubrey that Aubrey presented to the world, but she knew there had to be more to this woman. And she wanted to see more.

How? She would start with that ridiculous rule she overheard Aubrey preaching at Beca and some guy.

"Your rules about The Trebles? Just them or-?"

"Oh all the groups, they're totes off limits." Aubrey took a sip of her drink, her eyes harsh and serious as she scanned the other groups, wondering who Stacie had her eye on, wondering who her competition was. Only she didn't notice Stacie's eyes never leaving her.

"Even fellow Bellas?"

"Oh you and Cynthia? I've seen the way she's been looking at you."

"And I've seen the way you've been looking at me."

"Acca-scuse me!" Aubrey's eyes widened, snapping to look in shock at Stacie. Stacie purposely let the silence build between them, drawing her lip between her teeth as she tried, and mostly failed, to suppress a smile.