Chapter 1: Market Runs

"Beca? Beca Mitchell?"

Beca turned around, shifting her gaze from the box of cereal she was holding to the all to familiar voice of the girl behind her. Chloe Beale. She couldn't forget her childhood best friend even if she wanted to, which she didn't. With her fiery red hair and sky blue eyes, she is easily detectable within the brunette's memories. Not to mention the redhead was by her side through the worst part of her life- her parent's divorce. They were practically inseparable since the day they met, which was the day Chloe became her next door neighbor. Beca was four at the time, and Chloe five, but they were instant friends... even if their first encounter resulted in Chloe crying because Beca stole her doll, the small brunette claiming 'It liked her better.'

Even though they were only a year apart in age, they were two years apart in grade due to Beca's birthday falling past the requirement date to begin school. However, that in no way hurt their friendship. In fact, they would have most likely remained best friends all the way through to their current ages- being 20 and 21- if it weren't for Warren and Sarah Mitchell' divorce. The separation resulted in Beca being forced to move to Seattle with her mother. With some desperate pleading, Beca had managed to persuade her parents into pushing moving day back to the day after Chloe's eighth grade graduation. Her argument was that she 'needed to be at her best friend's graduation.' Which was completely understandable. So that was that. They said their goodbyes that night with teary eyes and promises to write one another since neither had phones yet.

And they did write each other, for the first couple of months at least. After a while, they realized it just wasn't the same. Neither remembers who stopped sending first but they both would bet it was probably Beca- Chloe being too nice to possibly stop first. Speaking of, the redhead was now standing in front of her, in the flesh, in the middle of isle seven at the supermarket. Something Beca thought would never happen again let alone in the center on the cereal isle at the market.

"Chloe?" Beca asks, still frozen in shock of seeing her old friend.

"Yes! I thought I recognized you." The redhead says while going in for a hug. If Beca had any doubts, this hug just verifies that this is surely her Chloe- the older girl being known to be anti- personal space and all.

"Oh my god, Chloe," the brunette comes to her senses and gives a tight hug back, "I haven't seen you in forever!"

"I know!" The redhead keeps her hands on Beca's upper arms but takes a step back to get a good look at the brunette. "I almost didn't recognize you with all your curves. You've really grown up, Becs."

A light tint of pink appears on Beca's cheeks before she quickly covers it up with her signature smirk. "I could say the same for you, Beale." She pointedly checks Chloe out, looking her up and down.

Suddenly the redhead's smile is replaced with a smirk of her own, "Yeah? Well, I could say you've grown up but it looks like you only grew about an inch since I last saw you," Beca playfully glares at her for the 'short' joke, "But aside from that Becs, you've really...," she looks the brunette up and down again before staring into her deep blue eyes, "matured." She husks.

They stare into one another's eyes for some long seconds before bursting into laughter. Beca sighs after calming down, "I've really missed our flirty talks, Chlo. That was a good one apart from the short joke- which I don't think you can make considering you're only about an inch or two taller than me."

Chloe giggles, "When you catch up, I'll be sure to stop the short jokes. But until then, I can't make any promises. As for our flirty banter, I really missed it too. I tried it with Bree and Stace, but Bree just doesn't get it and Stace only plays along sometimes."

"Who?"

"Oh! Aubrey and Stacie, they're some friends of mine. They're actually around here somewhere..." She trails off looking at both ends of the isle to try and spot one of the subjects of topic. She comes up empty handed.

"Oh." Beca helps look at both ends of the isle though she has no clue what either looks like.

"Yeah, we're all part of an acapella group called the Bellas at Barden U- which is where I go now."

"No way! Acapella?"

"Nope! Don't you dare make acapella jokes, Mitchell." Chloe cuts in before Beca can continue.

"Aww, come on," the brunette fake whines, "You get to make short jokes!"

"Okay then, let's have an agreement."

"Deal. No short jokes from you and no acapella jokes from me."

"Deal." Chloe then raises her pinky to which Beca immediately instinctively latches onto with her own. A habit formed during their childhood. Letting go, Chloe continues, "But you really should meet Aubrey and Stacie- along with the rest of the Bellas. We're all vacationing out here for the summer. Wait, how did you end up out here in LA? I thought you were up in Seattle?"

"Oh, yeah, I moved out here last year. I started interning at a record label along with working a real job to keep some money rolling in."

"Oh, that's great Becs! I'm glad to see you're finally pursuing a career in music. I know you'll do great. Wh-"

"Hey, Gingah!" Chloe is cut off by a seemingly large blonde woman with a thick Australian accent walking towards them. "I was thinking we should get- oh- hello." The blonde says once realizing the redhead isn't alone. "Are you trying to pick her up Chloe? Because I can be your wing woman. After all, I was the best wing woman in Tazmania- with toes." The blonde not so subtly whispers to Chloe.

"No, Fat Amy, this is actually a very good old friend of mine, Beca Mitchell."

"Woah, Chloe, did you just call her 'Fat' Amy?"

"Oh! Yeah- she prefers to be called that so twig bitches like us don't do it behind her back. It's totes alright." Amy nods along with Chloe's words.

"Okay then," Beca draws while turning to the blonde and extending her hand, "It's nice to meet you, Fat Amy."

"You too, shortstack, I mean, Beca." Amy gives a loose handshake. Beca looks to Chloe for help after hearing this.

The redhead just shrugs, "You said I couldn't make short jokes, nothing about everyone else."

Before saying a retort with a witty comeback, the brunette checks the time on her phone. Knowing she has to be at work by four, she quickly unlocks her phone and hands it to Chloe. "Shit! I'm going to be late. Can you put your number in here, Chlo, so I can text you and we can hang out sometime?"

"Oh, totes!" She texts herself from Beca's phone so she has her number too before handing it back. "Call me." The redhead once again husks.

"For sure." The brunette promises while slowly walking backwards out of the isle. She then winks and blows a sarcastic kiss towards Chloe before turning around and rushing to leave. The redhead just giggles at her old friend. Forgetting about the blonde there, she is startled when she speaks.

"What was that about?"

"What was what about?" They turn around as Aubrey' voice enters from behind them, also taking notice to some of the other Bellas behind her.

"Nothing, I-" Chloe is cut off again.

"Chloe was totally just flirting with some brunette chick named Beca." Amy states to her fellow Bellas.

"Was it that one who just left while we came?" Stacie asks from next to Aubrey. Amy nods in confirmation. "Ooh, she was hot."

Chloe rolls her eyes in amusement- something she actually picked up from Beca when they were young- and rejoins the conversation. "It wasn't real flirting, we were just messing around. That was my friend that I told you guys about, Beca Mitchell."

"The 'music genius' who moved to Seattle?" Stacie tries to remember.

"Yeah, that's her."

"You forgot to mention how short she was." Aubrey joins the conversation which earns her a slap to the arm.

"Hey! I'm only an inch or two taller than her!" Chloe fakes offense while Aubrey just laughs and shrugs.

"Or how hot." The tall brunette chimes in again. Chloe laughs.

"I'll be sure to give more info on her appearance next time."

"Run! Run!" They all turn around to see Jessica, Ashley, Lily, and Emily running towards them with an angry manager on their trail. Without question, they all sprint out of the store.

They stop when they think they lost the manager. "Huh, this was a great way to start out our vacation." Aubrey pants, hunched over with her hands on her knees trying to catch her breath. The girls groan in tiredness around her.

Thank you guys for taking the time to read this. I am actually fairly new to writing, let alone fanfiiction. So, obviously this is my first story and I would really appreciate it you guys leave a review. I am really planning on this being a Mitchsen story, but there is a slim possibility that I can be persuaded to change it. If you liked it, please favorite and fallow along with leaving a review of your thoughts and what you would like to see happen in the story. I will be taking every suggestion into consideration.

-Nessa