Work Text:
Genie in a bottle
Chloe was tired. Tired of everything.
Nobody took a second to ask if she was okay. Nobody cared to make sure she was willing to help them with anything. It was just expected of her now. She had spent the last three years bending over backwards to do everything and anything for the Bellas. They got what they wanted. And she didn't mind, at first. Then the absurd demands started to come in; from being in charge of Stacie's cuticle care to Fat Amy's Alcoholism, it was her that was left to deal with everything.
Not her 'co-leader', who, in her own way, was checked out. The only thing that Beca did for them now was a set list. Which is fine, that was why she was made co-leader, but when there were fights it was Chloe who had to break things up. Tears? Chloe. Boy/girl trouble? Chloe. Helping the legacy? Chloe. Deciphering Lily's whispers? Chloe – not that she could get any therapy for half of them.
It was soon becoming a full time job. Which she still had to maintain. She didn't make a lot in the café but it was enough to afford groceries, plus there was a discount on food. Not that anyone noticed. Bring home free muffins and the girls complained they were stale. Coffees for practice was met with some stigma for not being a big named chain. Then there was criticism for not making it out to some lunches because of work. Not that they cared enough to know she worked. No-one even mentions it. It would shock her if they thought that everything came with the Bella house.
She put up with it though. No-one else would. But even her patience could break. Fireworks setting the yard on fire? That would do it.
"Fuck! Everyone inside now!" The circus of people stood frozen. The amber glow blurred into Chloe's hair, absorbing her into the blaze. Her voice held enough rage within it to keep their attention enough for the music to become a dull hum. "Now." It was a statement in of itself that she didn't need to shout her last demand.
Even Amy, who was known for her rebellion, stayed quiet. Chloe was sure she was brewing a complaint but CR dragged her away before they could be expressed. The redhead kept her gaze on the fire while she waited for the last set of feet to shuffle into the house before she moved. Despite her anger she did have to admit, when the green sparkles started to emerge in the flames, it was pretty. Scary, but pretty none the less.
The lone Bella wondered into the house, door slamming behind her. She didn't look into the eyes of any of the girls as she walked towards Beca. Her eyes burning with frustration to the point that the brunette had to take a few steps back. Hitting the wall in the process. Chloe didn't stop. Not when a stuttered excuse came out. Not when shouting was heard trying to reason with her. Not even when Beca withdrew in herself. She didn't stop her hand from reaching eye level and forced itself forward.
*Smack*
Everyone flinched at the sound. Everyone but Chloe. She just continued to stare forward, her eyes focusing on nothing. Beca stared at her worried. She was expecting to be hit, rightfully so, but Chloe hadn't touched her. It was close, inching to the side she could see the inch between her head and the redhead's hand. The palm of which laid upon the one technical piece of equipment – non-music related- in the house. The sprinklers. Beca's head whipped towards the window to see the copious amounts of smoke.
Despite her rage, the redhead wouldn't hurt them. She had avoided her to turn on the sprinklers.
"Why?"
The question was spoken so quietly only Beca could hear it. She wasn't sure if it was due to the redhead attempts at keeping calm or if her jaw was clenched to the point that no other sound could come out. Either way it was scary. No-one had seen Chloe like this. There was no smile, no warmth in her eyes and no humour to be found in the situation.
"I don't know." It was the safe answer. No necessarily the truth but it was all she could squeak out. And, judging by the way Chloe locked onto her, it was the wrong answer.
"You don't know?" Her voice grew stronger with disbelief. Her head swivelled around, glancing at each girl for someone brave enough to stare back at her. Only Amy could. "Amy?"
"Um… yeah, Cap, well, there was this bet." Amy stopped speaking, as if that was enough to explain.
"A bet?"
"Well yeah, it was pretty cool. Bumper got us these rockets and you know how it is."
"How do the rockets set the yard on fire?" Chloe never broke eye contact as she slowly crept towards the blonde.
"Kappa Omega Zeta managed to strap 2 of these rockets to a bottle of coke before beer ponging a mento into it. I was there with the cabbage patch kid when I saw it. He managed to bring them onto campus and well one thing led to another…" Chloe didn't make a sound throughout the story. She just kept her focus on her prey. She believed her, it was Amy after all, but that didn't mean she liked the lack of remorse about it.
The blonde looked more upset she got caught than having done it in the first place. "And the marshmallows?"
"Wanted to see if they would taste like coke." The Aussie punctuated with a shrug.
"Did it?"
"No." Amy pouted. "Just like marshmallow but they were extra smokey. We need to do it again." Chloe let the girl laugh at that. Her eager eyes shifting towards CR and Denise for support of the idea. Neither responded. They were aware that they were getting into trouble.
"Oh, totes!" Her voice was too bubbly. "Maybe we could try it on a chair instead. How many would it take to lift a person do you think?"
"Aw, yeah! Dibs!" Chloe forced herself to laugh at the excitement in the blonde's voice before going cold.
"No!" That shut the girl up. "Amy, you just burned the yard down. You did not try to stop it. I come back from work to find you roasting marshmallows on the remains of our Bella sign."
"But-"
"No buts! You could have hurt someone! Could have burned this place down! Did you even think about that?" Silence. "Any of you?" Nobody utters a word, only Lily's head wasn't aimed towards the floor. "What would have happened if Lily didn't contact me to come back early?"
"We would've put it out?" Stacie mumbled. The confident girl looked almost five-foot with the amount she collapsed in on herself.
"How? We don't have any buckets and Amy used the fire-extinguisher to propel herself on a wheely chair."
"The sprinklers."
"What's the code?" That threw them. They had just watched Chloe place her palm on the panel. There was a code?
"The code?"
"Yes, the code. It was in the moving in pack I made when everyone moved in. In case you needed them turned on or off depending on the day. So what is the code?" Nobody could answer. Not even her 'co-leader'. "Seriously? Not one of you read it. I put hours, days even, into those and you don't even look at them." Looking at Beca just broke her. Her crush had started to dwindle throughout the year they were living together but this was the last straw. Gone was the awe she felt at the talent and passion the girl had, all she could feel was disgust at the self-centred perspective the girl lived in.
"Sorry." The girl meant it, or at least the girl believed she meant it but Chloe knew better. Knew that the brunette had a reflex to avoid shouting. She could be in fights if she started them but as soon as she was in the wrong the girl would buckle under the noise.
"That's not good enough." They all flinched. They stopped nodding in agreement with Beca's 'apology' and looked at her. She had always forgiven them before, and that was her fault. They didn't know she had limits. "I have done everything for you and you don't even give my things five minutes of consideration. I'm done. No more special shopping for Stacie's beauty care, I won't be hosting anymore bake sales to raise funds so Amy can spend it on booze. CR can arrange her own nights out with her other clubs." Everyone looked at her with heartbreak in their eyes, only two did not. Lily was indifferent, she wasn't in trouble she had sensed that the redhead was near breaking point and had tried to help. Beca, on the other hand, looked terrified. "And you, you have left me with everything. I have done costumes, venues, transport and sleeping arrangements on top of filling the cupboards with food, that I paid for out of my own pocket."
Chloe took a deep breath, eyes clenched shut as she tried to centre herself. "1130, that's the code for the sprinklers." She moved towards the stairs, eyes cast downwards. She missed the tears running down Beca's face when her mind figured out that the code was the same as her birthday. "Please make sure that the fire is out." She didn't turn back as she left towards her room, now thankful she had one to herself.
The others said nothing as they went to their own rooms. Lily walking outside towards the ash pile. Their minds plagued by the events of the last few years. No rose tinted glasses in sight. Most were feeling sick with themselves, others were just confused – Amy – and an odd few were worried for the future.
What happened to them?
Chloe didn't speak for the next week. No-one in the house did. Only Ashley and Jessica would whisper together but they were still ignored like usual. It was just more difficult to do so, but they helped drown out the sound of chewing when they would gather for breakfast.
Amy was the first to realise the difference. The cupboards were empty of her snacks, and they weren't refilling in the Friday shop. In fact, nothing was renewed in the Friday shop. The whiteboard list was wiped off meaning it was done but nothing changed for her cupboard. She had even searched the other drawers to try and find something but the only thing that was had been given a lock. It was on Chloe's cupboard. The one place that had always got food was now forbidden.
She had shouted her way through the house, trying to find Chloe. She had no right to stop them from their basic needs. She had never complained before so why was she hoarding now? She had searched the house top to bottom three times before said girl walked through the front door. Uniform stained in coffee.
She was sent home 20 minutes early due to a spillage accident. So, when she was immediately bombarded with the outraged face of Amy, all she could do was sigh. The Aussie never listens.
"I did my shopping on the way back yesterday. You have to do your own." With that she went towards the shower. Ignoring the cries of 'unfair' targeted at her back.
It would take a while before it would sink in.
The next was CR who's weekly meeting for the Rights Club was later that day. She had attempted to find the trays of cake for people to pick at but there was nothing. The threat, no, promise, from the redhead came back in flashes. She was quiet enough to know not to ask her for it now. She had heard Amy's attempt previously.
A quick google search, as well as the slightly out-dated cupboard list and she was set to make tiffin. Not the usual set up but it was quick enough to make beforehand, while be simple and delicious.
It was surprisingly soothing. The most stressful moment was trying not to burn the chocolate but the stress relief of beating the biscuits was too therapeutic to pass up. Toss in some background music and it helped with any cravings she had. Although it would be difficult not to be tempted to eat the trays.
If they even had trays. Paper plates were not a good looking mould.
CR soon started to make two different types of cakes for an event. Chloe had even walked in on her preparing one and smiled. The redhead still wasn't as vibrant as she once was but she was getting warmer to them. Warm enough to offer the Bella the use of her baking trays. So long as she washed and returned them.
CR took it as a start.
Lily, Ashley and Jessica with Denise, for the most part was exempt from the punishments. They were too quiet to be problematic in Chloe's world and they picked up the occasional bag of groceries here and there. They soon became the voice pieces between the rift. Lily and Chloe becoming close: both eccentricities, while on other ends of the spectrum, worked well together. Neither missed the glares that Beca would send their way when Chloe's laughter would reach them at something the silent girl had mumbled.
Jessica and Ashley were like the middle children. Forgotten but deeply loved. Chloe would consider them family. They had held her that night she cried. Didn't make promises towards her that the others will change but they provided comfort that she had done the right thing. It was refreshing to be supported rather than dragged down like Aubrey had done, or used like Beca was doing.
Denise… Denise was quiet. She was Switzerland. She never stepped out of line but she didn't make an impact either. She did act as a buffer when needed which Chloe was thankful for. Even helped Stacie set up/narrow down her beauty routine. No longer was she needing 3 to 5 book subscriptions.
Beca was the wildcard. She remained quiet and alone for the longest. Moping, Chloe presumed. The redhead didn't try to talk to her until she was ready. They would slide things to each other concerning Bella practices but nothing more. She would never be seen outside of her classes or practices, Amy even claiming she was hardly in their room without going on her laptop.
Chloe got worried. She had known that Beca wasn't going to react well, but to mope and give the silent treatment for this long, it was more than she expected. Despite everything she missed her best friend.
It was during the second month that things changed. Things changed for the better. All the girls were able to get along again, except Beca. They had started to eat together as a group which was fortunate, but the DJ never spoke unless spoken to. The shopping was now put onto a rota so nobody was put out of pocket for anything. It was for the better most agreed. It even managed to bring them closer, one person would cook while the others finished their tasks – whether personal or for school.
It had been Stacie's turn to cook when the DJ emerged towards the group. "Can I speak with you Chloe?"
"Yeah." She follows the brunette's lead, ignoring the eyes she could feel on them.
Beca leads them towards her and Amy's room. Never uttering a word. The girl instantly makes her way towards the desk while gesturing for the other girl to sit down on the bed.
"I, um, I've been doing my research and it's not been fair for you." Beca turns around. The vibrant blue of the folder draws Chloe's eyes. Beca shuffles minutely closer holding it outwards for her to take. She does so hesitantly. Flipping the cover open she is met with information, so much information that it drowns out the images. Chloe looks up.
"They're venue ideas. Along with a possible theme for each one." Chloe looks back down. A tear glistening in her eyes. It was more than she expected but everything she hoped for. There was at least 10 venues, carefully chosen.
"Thank you." Beca doesn't say anything else for a while.
"I'm sorry. I was a real dick towards you. I promise to do better."
And despite her better judgement, Chloe believed her.