The Basketcase and The Princess

CHAPTER 7

Aubrey plopped down onto Chloe's bed, melding into it, feeling the room above her, around her, spin a little every time she closed her eyes. They never used to knock but when Chloe had walked in on Aubrey and Unicycle more than once the previous year Aubrey had established the rule that "if it was alright to enter the room, the door was to be left open ajar".

Aubrey liked boundaries. Chloe was a boundary pusher. Mostly unaware they existed. Aubrey helped her with that.

Chloe had left her door open when she returned from Beca's. She always left it open, like her heart, inviting.

Trusting.

Chloe was hoping for Aubrey to turn up so she could share in her happiness. Maybe process a little, talk a little, check in with how her best friends own thing with Stacie was going a little, but she'd spent the last few hours alone as she had drifted off with a smile dancing on her features as instrumental versions of her favourite ska tunes played quietly from her speakers.

Happy.

She would've been happier having seen Aubrey before bed but thoughts of how cute Beca had been, without realising it, which made her all the cuter because clearly Beca thought she was some tough badass, coaxed her into a comfortable slumber.

"You still awake?"

"I am now." Chloe said with actual cheeriness that nobody just having been woken up abruptly should be. "How was the night with the girls?" She sat up stretching her arms high in the air above her head in the process. She let out a light sigh.

"Are we just going to ignore that you were meant to be there?" Aubrey tried to swat at Chloe's leg, but Chloe moved a little to the left and Aubrey missed. "Hey..."

"Apparently not." Chloe smiled. "I spent the night with Beca."

"Oh Chloe... I knew it... Did you...?"

"Oh! Hmmm..." Chloe's eyebrows raised and she bit her lip to suppress a smile. "No not like that Bree." Chloe sighed, a distant look on her face as she pushed herself to sit further up in bed.

"You're into her." Aubrey stated rather than questioned. Her mind told her not to even mention it but her mouth did whatever it wanted when she'd been drinking.

"Is it that obvious?"

"Well I am set in super protective," Aubrey motioned with her arms like she was gearing up to turn into a Power Ranger, Chloe chuckled at her awkward movements. "best friend mode..." Aubrey lay back as she curled at the bottom of the bed. She tried propping her head up so she could face and look at Chloe but failed, her head drooping back upon the bed spread. She shook her head trying to even her gaze with Chloe, feeling the alcohol make her head swim, then plopped her head back against Chloe's bed again.

Defeated.

Aubrey stretched and sighed. Feeling heat radiating off her body into the night, hoping some of that heat was alcohol vapours, because otherwise she may hurl.

"Thank you, but you don't need to be Bree, I think she likes-"

"-But Jessica or Ashley said she's with that Treble, Chloe, I'm not going to let you get hurt."

"You can't-" Chloe stopped herself, not wanting to argue. She appreciated protective mode Aubrey. Maybe her heart wouldn't have been broken by Lana, tall blonde beautiful Lana if Aubrey had stepped in. Chloe shook her head to get the thoughts of her out her mind, she'd done good, not even really thought about her much since returning to Barden and meeting Beca. "...There's nothing going on there Bree."

"It doesn't mean she's into you, she'd be stupid not to be but still... and we can't have any distractions from winning."

"Distractions like Stacie?" Chloe watched as a smile spread over Aubrey's face, small. Vulnerable. "Bree, I'm your best friend... I've never seen you undone the way you are around her."