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“I’m just saying, we are going to be around them a lot the rest of the year,” Stacie argued. “Maybe we should just put aside the whole ‘may wolves tear your throat out’ part and try to get along.”
Aubrey did not like the suggestion in the least. It was a time-honored tradition that the Treblemakers and the Bellas did NOT get along. They were supposed to be arch-enemies. True, up to this point, it was a one-sided rivalry. The Trebles routinely ranked nationally in the a cappella competitions; whereas the Bellas usually were non-players. At least until last year, when Aubrey’s projectile vomiting stood in the way of what could have been the first National Championship ever for the girls’ group. But that still didn’t mean that the groups had to get along. And it CERTAINLY did not mean they needed to fraternize.
“I disagree. A healthy level of competition keeps the fires burning,” the tall blonde argued. “Plus, how do I know your motivation is pure, and not … you know … carnal?”
“You don’t,” the tall brunette replied with a smirk and waggle of her eyebrows. “But I’m not wrong. We should at least TRY to get along with them.”
“How bad could it really be?” Ashley asked.
“It could be beneficial,” Jessica added. “And they did rescue us when we ran out of gas.”
The other Bellas contributed their agreement to the proposal. Aubrey felt the tide turning against her, so she looked over to Chloe - hoping that she would offer some support. Instead the redhead co-captain shrugged and said, “I never agreed with the whole feud. I’m good with hanging out with them. I mean, we have how many parties with them each year? How much worse would an actual get-together be?”
Aubrey sighed loudly and glared at Beca. “I blame you for this.”
“Me?!?” The short brunette looked around in shock. “What did I do? I didn’t say anything.”
“Yeah, but you are the one who started questioning everything. You corrupted everyone. And you’ve got a thing for Jesse.”
“You gotta be kidding me,” Beca grumbled. She then announced to the assembled group, “For the last time, people, I do NOT have a thing for Jesse!”
“Fine!” Aubrey yelled, throwing her hands in the air. “I’m not planning it, though.”
“We’ll take care of it,” Ashley and Jessica piped up. “How do y’all feel about baseball?”
So that was how the Bellas and Trebles found themselves sitting in the upper deck of Truist Park to take in an Atlanta Braves game. The two groups had mixed themselves among their assigned seats across two rows. On the lower of the rows, the students were seated in the following order: Brian, Lilly, Donald, Bumper, Amy, Stacie, Unicycle, and a few other Trebles. The upper row consisted of Denise, CR, Benji, Jesse, Beca, Chloe, Aubrey, Ashley, and Jessica.
It was a bright sunny Saturday afternoon. The group ticket prices were quite reasonable, which left money left over for some alcohol purchases - even at the inflated stadium prices. Of course, many of the Bellas and Trebles were underaged. So the older students were NOT running up to the concession stands. And they were NOT purchasing beers to share with the underclassmen. And so the group was NOT at all slightly inebriated. In the fifth inning, several of the Trebles made a beer run. They dragged Jesse and Benji with them to help carry cups back.
Jesse took the opportunity to talk with Benji away from the listening ears of the rest of the crew. “I think I’m going to ask Beca out today.”
“You think she’ll say yes?” Benji asked.
“Oh, yeah. Have you been watching during the game? She is definitely into me,” Jesse bragged.
“What makes you say that?”
“She was laughing hysterically at that joke I told her in the third inning,” Jesse pointed out. “It wasn’t even that funny.”
“I think she was laughing because Donald dropped his popcorn into his beer,” Benji countered.
“No she wasn’t!” Jesse argued. “She definitely is into me. She sat next to me, after all.”
“I thought you sat next to her.”
“Who’s side are you on after all, Benji?” Jesse asked pointedly.
“Um, yours, of course,” Benji demurred. “Go for it, man.” The two freshmen stood quietly for the rest of the time waiting for the beers.
After Jesse and Benji had left the row to get drinks, Beca stretched out and turned to Chloe. “Aaaahhh, finally some room.”
Chloe giggled at the comment. “Well, at least you get to cozy up to Jesse.”
“Oh, please,” Beca responded with an eye roll.
“What? He’s cute!” Chloe insisted.
“He’s a dork,” Beca grumbled. “I wish he would get the point. I’m not interested. He keeps telling me dumb stories and jokes.”
“I saw you laughing at one point,” Chloe observed.
“That was because Donald spilled his popcorn into his beer,” Beca countered while laughing. “These guys are pathetic. Maybe Aubrey was right about keeping us separated.”
“Seriously,” Chloe agreed with a grin. She wove her arms around Beca’s arm and leaned her head onto Beca’s shoulder. “At least it gives us a chance to hang out.”
“We hang out all the time,” Beca protested - but she didn’t bother to untangle herself.
“And now we get another chance to hang out!” Chloe added with a smile and a waggle of her eyebrows.
“You’re so weird,” Beca commented with a smile and a shake of her head .
At the end of the inning, the people running the stadium decided it was time for the Kiss Cam. The camera operators had been observing the crowd and had spotted several prime candidates to highlight. The giant electronic scoreboard flashed up shots of various couples, with the crowd cheering and hooting to get the couples to kiss. There was the usual mix of young and old couples. The camera also focused on a few couples that clearly were NOT together - two burly men in Carhartt shirts, a brother and sister, two little kids. One gag that happened at most games was that after every two couples, the camera operator would flash back to the same awkward looking couple. Today, the gag had a prime candidate.
Fat Amy and Bumper had been situated next to each other in the bottom of the two rows. The two of them had a strange relationship. They claimed to hate each other, and in public they definitely portrayed this dynamic. In private, though, the two had been partaking of a torrid affair. The more they hooked up in private, the more they overcompensated with their supposed hatred in public. When the cameraman flashed them up on screen the first time, Bumper made a disgusted face and pushed Amy away from him. The next time that they were displayed, Amy pretended to throw up at the sight of Bumper. The third time, they started slapping at each other. The crowd all laughed - until they observed what else was going on in the shot.
With the buzz that she had going on, Beca wasn’t seeing everything clearly. Once the Kiss Cam started roaming the field, she grimaced at the cringy behavior being reflected on screen. Then the camera focused on her and Chloe, cuddling in their seats. She scowled in displeasure at being the focus of the perverted cameraman who wanted to see two girls kiss. Another couple of icky gooey kissy faces later, the camera zoomed back in on Beca and Chloe. “You’ve got to be kidding me,” Beca mumbled to herself. “This guy just won’t stop. Perv.”
Chloe looked over at Beca and asked, “What’d you say?”
“This cameraman. He keeps focusing on us, trying to get us to kiss,” Beca complained, gesturing to the big screen.
“I don’t think…” Chloe started, but the camera had finished its trek and ended up back on the two Bellas.
This time, Beca couldn’t take it any more. “Fine! Is this what you want?” She turned and grabbed Chloe on both sides of her face and pulled her close. Then she planted a huge kiss on the redhead’s lips. The crowd whooped and hollered at the scene.
“What the hell?!?” Jesse yelled when he saw the liplock on the screen. “I thought she was into me!”
“What the hell?!?” Aubrey yelled as she watched her co-captain, best friend, and roommate connected to her nemesis by the mouth. “Why her?”
“What the hell?!?” Amy protested as the camera zoomed in closer on her fellow Bellas. “You stole my time on the big screen.
“What the hell?!?” Chloe gasped once Beca broke the kiss.
Beca sat staring at the redhead, trying to bring her pounding heart under control. “What the hell?” She whispered to herself.
Chloe stared at Beca. “Why did you do that?”
“They were egging us on! They kept putting us on screen trying to get us to kiss!” Beca protested.
Chloe looked confused. “No they didn’t. They kept focusing on Bumper and Amy. They are a row above us.”
Beca looked up at the squabbling duo, then back at Chloe. “Shit.” Then she tried to figure out how to make herself disappear. She prayed that someone fouled a ball off her head. She pled for a solar flare. “I’m sorry, Chlo,” she earnestly apologized.
“Are you?” Chloe asked with a smirk. “Cause I’m not.”
“Huh?” Beca blinked a few times, and looked at Chloe again. “Uh … huh?”
With a sly grin, Chloe continued, “Do you think that maaaaybe you were looking for a reason to kiss me?”
Beca spluttered and stammered, “What? Are you…? Why would you think that?”
Chloe shrugged, keeping a smile on her face. “I don’t know. I’m just saying … The first chance you get to kiss me, look what happens?”
“First chance?” Beca squawked. “I could have kissed you dozens of times.”
Chloe’s eyes widened. “Oh reeeaaally? Dozens of times? You’ve thought about kissing me dozens of times?”
“No, I mean,” Beca struggled. “I was saying that I COULD have … “ She frowned and mumbled, “That doesn’t really help my case.”
“Don’t worry, sweetie,” Chloe said as she patted Beca’s arm. “It’s okay. I’ve thought about it a bunch of times too.”
“Wait,” Beca squeaked. “You … have? You thought about kissing me?”
“Of course,” Chloe commented. “Who wouldn’t?”
“I wouldn’t,” Aubrey leaned over and interjected.
“Stay out of this, you,” Beca chastised. Chloe joined her in glaring at the blonde captain.
“It’s okay, Beca,” Chloe reassured her friend. “You may not be ready to admit it yet. I’m just more in touch with my feelings.”
“In touch with …?”
“I’m content to wait for you to come around,” Chloe smugly said.
“Wait, come around…?”
“Maybe we need to get the Kiss Cam guy to come back…”
Chloe didn’t finish her comment. Beca launched herself across the seat and planted another kiss on the redhead’s mouth. This time, they didn’t break apart as quickly. When they did, Chloe quirked her eyebrow up and grinned at Beca. The small brunette took several steadying breaths. “You wouldn’t shut up,” Beca whispered. With a bashful look, she continued, “Maybe, just maybe, I had thought about doing that … a few times.”
“Me too,” Chloe whispered back. “Now, are you really into this game? Or should we get an Uber and head back to the school?”
Beca’s eyes flew open, and her face turned even a deeper shade of red. “Ummm, I … There are … get an Uber,” she mumbled.
“Best game ever,” Chloe announced as she pulled Beca to her feet.