"Chloe! Chl-Chloe, wait up!" Tom shouted down the hallway, making Chloe stop dead in her tracks and find the voice. She turned around to see a tall, brown-haired man running at her with a goofy smile and a small box.

"Oh, hey Tom. How's it going?" Chloe's school had just gotten back from break; first period didn't start for another fifteen minutes and Chloe, being the oh-so-nice person she is, stopped to talk to Tom.

"You look beautiful today." Chloe smiled and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "You look great everyday."

Matching Tom's smile, Chloe said thank you for the-what she deemed-"friendly" compliment. "How was your break, Tom?"

"Good, good. How was yours? I tried texting you but you never replied."

"Oh, sorry. I was just busy." Truth is, Chloe saw all of Tom's texts. But she was too preoccupied with fawning over her new boyfriend to be bothered to text anyone else. Unless it was to brag about said boyfriend.

"That's cool. Don't leave me on read next time." Tom let out a small chuckle with a wink, hoping Chloe really would text him more often. "Anyways, I was just trying to reach you because I got you a present for Christmas and I wanted to give it to you."

"Tom! You didn't have to do that!" Chloe took the small box from him, opening it slowly. Inside the purple box, a color Chloe wasn't particularly fond of, was a locket. It was gold, a color Chloe hardly ever wore, and was in the shape of a circle. Upon opening the locket, Chloe found one side to be a picture of Tom, while the other side held a picture of Tom's dog.

One side of the locket was much cuter than the other.

"I can put it on for you, if you'd like." Before Chloe could even answer, the locket was swiped from her hand and Tom was standing behind her, pushing her hair to one side and clipping the locket around her neck. "There, just like when Troy gave Gabriella the T necklace."

Chloe couldn't help but compare Luke to Tom. Luke, with his constant references to Hannah Montana and High School Musical, while Tom did just the same. But for some reason, Chloe found it rather lame when Tom made that reference.

"I'm sorry, that was gay. I'll never say anything like that again." Tom rubbed his hand on the back of his neck, cringing slightly at his own simile to High School Musical.

"That was a little gay, I'll forever tease you about it." Chloe winked. "I feel bad though, I didn't get you anything!"

Tom put one hand on Chloe's shoulder. "That's okay, you didn't have to. You could make it up to me some time though by inviting me to go swimming with you?" Tom raised his eyebrows, looking hopeful.

Chloe's aunt lived a few cities away, but she had her own house with a private pool in the backyard. Chloe hated public pools; sharing DNA in a box of water that probably held other people washed-off Band-Aids, pee, and spit. She preferred her aunt's much more private, much cleaner, pool.

"I always forget to invite you whenever I go!" Tom was about to beg Chloe to take him swimming next time she went, but he was abruptly cut off by the bell, then Chloe yelling back and thanking him for the gift as she ran to class.

When she got to class, she settled into her seat and took out her phone. Snapping a picture of her new locket, around her neck as well as the inside, she sent it to Luke.

Chloe: Check out what Tom got me for Christmas!

Knowing Luke was driving to school at this time, she didn't expect a response for at least ten more minutes. She was extremely surprised to see a text come through straight away.

Luke: who's tom?

Chloe: This guy in my class. He's so funny, he referenced Troy and Gabriella when he put the necklace on me. Then he got really embarrassed and was like, "oh sorry that was gay" and it was pretty gay.

Luke: dude, seriously, chloe?

Chloe frowned. Why does Luke seem so mad all of a sudden?

Chloe: What?

Luke: oh my god he's totally hitting on you. not only that but i can't believe you would use gay as an insult.

Chloe was starting to get upset now. It was just a present from a boy in her class, and gay isn't even the worst thing she could've said. She really didn't understand why Luke was getting so riled up.

Chloe: Gay isn't the worst thing I could've said. Besides, Tom is just a friend. He was NOT hitting on me!

Luke: don't give me that bullshit, beale. the guy likes you and from what i saw in that locket he gave you, he's attractive. so honestly i would appreciate you not talking to him anymore. also, i would appreciate it even more if you didn't use gay as an insult. seriously speaking, people who struggle with their sexual orientation already have enough shit as it is, there's no need for straight people to throw around that word like it's a bad thing. seriously, beale. i thought you were smarter than that.

Chloe felt her jaw drop through the floor as she read Luke's message. She knows the guy curses a lot; whenever he rants about something that happened during his day or when he's yelling at somebody or even just in his casual vocabulary, there are bad words being thrown around all over. Chloe actually has grown to love his explicit vocabulary.

But this was the first time he's ever yelled at her.

Ever cursed at her.

This was the first time Luke didn't seem completely infatuated with Chloe.

She suddenly felt very defensive. Tom really was just a friend and Luke needed to trust that. She understands that there are some people struggling with their sexual orientation and it was wrong of her to use gay as a slur, but she thought it was uncalled for Luke to say she wasn't smart because of it.

Chloe: What the heck, Luke? First of all, Tom is just a friend and you need to trust me on that. He's barely a friend, if anything, and if it seriously would make you feel better, I'll just give it back. Second, stop yelling at me! I know it was wrong to use gay as an insult but you didn't have to call me stupid because of it.

Luke: do you still have the necklace on?

Chloe: Of course I do, it was a GIFT! I'm grateful for it.

Luke: wow. ok. txt me when u come 2 ur senses.

Chloe: Luke, stop being so dramatic.

Chloe: Luke, seriously. Let's just talk this out.

Chloe: You are so childish

Chloe: Fine. You text me when you grow up.

Chloe was especially appalled by the texting style in Luke's last message. He's usually so perfect with his grammar when he texts, and he never abbreviates unless he's making a point or unless he's upset.

She's just never been on the receiving end of his anger before.

Chloe was in a bad mood for the rest of the school day. She avoided everyone, including Tom, and remained quiet. She did, however, continuously check her phone to see if there was a text from Luke.

There wasn't.

It was nearing ten that night and there was still no text from Luke. She knew he could be stubborn but she didn't think he'd hold out on her for this long.

Sighing, she put her ego aside and texted Luke.

Chloe: Luke, I'm sorry. I missed you all day and I feel bad that we fought. How can I make it up to you?

She thought she would have to wait hours for a response and she was well-prepared to stay up until the early hours of the next day waiting. But when Luke's message popped up less than two minutes later, she was relieved to see he wasn't still ignoring her.

Luke: u still have the necklace on?

Chloe: No.

Yes. She did. But it's only because she forgot to take it off. And she was too lazy to take it off now. She was all ready for bed and there was no energy in her body to sit up and put it away.

She could take it off in the morning.

Luke: i'm an insecure person. i don't like tom. ion want u to talk 2 him anymore.

Chloe: Okay, I understand. I won't talk to him anymore, but I go to a small school and if I run into him I can't just run away. You know what I'm like; I can't stand people not liking me.

Luke: ya well some1 likes u a lil 2 much so

Chloe: Can you please text like you normally do? I don't like this.

Luke: k.

Chloe: Luke please, I'm sorry. Just talk to me.

Luke: beale, do u understand how upsetting it is 2 hear u use gay as an insult? like it physically appalls me that u would stoop to that level of stupidity. ur so much better than that & yet u would align urself w tom's vocab like that. i'm so disappointed in u.

Chloe couldn't fathom why Luke was so passionate about the use of the word "gay" as a slur. She knows it's wrong and she feels bad about it, she just couldn't understand why Luke was getting so worked up about it. It's not like it offended him, right? He wasn't struggling with his sexuality, was he? He is-a straight man-dating Chloe-a straight woman-after all.

Chloe: I'm sorry. It won't happen again, I promise. Can you please tell me why this matters so much to you though?

Chloe didn't know why, but her heart was beating fast. Somewhere in the back of her mind, something was telling her that Luke was passionate about it because he struggles with his sexuality; which is totally cool because it happens to everyone, but the thought of it makes her uneasy that Luke might like guys or that Luke might only be using Chloe to seem straight.

She quickly pushed that thought to the back of her mind and tried not to draw her own conclusions as she waited for Luke's response.

Luke: i just have a friend who has serious trouble figuring out who she is and she doesn't know what to make of it.

Chloe: Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't know. Who is it?

Luke: this girl who works in my studio. beca. beca mitchell.

Beca walked through the halls at her school; black and blue flannel opened over a dark gray tank top and black skinny jeans paired with her signature black, high-tops, Converse. Her backpack hung off one shoulder and her headphones were draped around her neck, ready to be pulled over her ears in case of an emergency.

Like, if someone were to start talking to her.

She made her way to math and sat down in the back of the classroom, opening up her notebook and sitting silently, waiting for the teacher. As she was minding her own business, stupid Unicycle had to come and try to talk to her.

Who names their kid Unicycle, anyways?

"Hey, Mitchell. Looking extra lesbian today." He smiled and cocked his head in a way that caused all the curls on his head to bounce, winking when Beca finally looked up and made eye contact.

"You too, Uni. Always a pleasure." Beca shook her head and looked back down at her phone, about to start texting when she felt Unicycle still looming over her. "Can I help you?"

"Just want to talk to my les-bestie." He pulled a chair over and sat on it backwards, leaning his weight forward to make proper eye contact with the small brunette.

"Right. Well, when you see her, tell her I said hi." Beca deadpanned, clearly not impressed with the guy.

He wasn't ugly, that's for sure. And Beca knew he had a nice body. She couldn't help it if she was confused by her sexuality if she didn't find Unicycle attractive. Yet, someone like gorgeous Brittany Snow pops up on TV and she's suddenly dripping with desire.

But then again, she sees someone like Skylar Astin on her Twitter dash and she can't help but feel attracted to him, too. Does she think girls are beautiful? Absolutely. Did she think guys were beautiful? Without a doubt. Did she have any idea if she was gay, straight, bi, whatever? Not a clue.

The comments people make around school bother her, because they're probably just as confused with her sexuality as she is. Though she never lets anyone know it. She has too many walls up to let anyone know when something's hit her hard; she keeps quiet and lets the teasing continue because no matter what she says, she'll either be an in-denial dyke or a too-proud lesbian. There's no winning with her sexuality and school.

So she lets people think what they want to think; it bothers her more than it should but she knows she's only got five more months of this hell-hole, then she's off to LA to pursue her dreams of making music.

Hopefully only staying behind the scenes and being the mastermind producer to it all, rather than being forced into the spotlight as a new up-and-coming artist.

"Don't play so hard to get, we used to be best friends, Beca!" Unicycle shoved Beca's arm playfully, only earning a side-eyed glare from her.

"Yeah, until you literally threw my laptop into your pool." At a party two years ago, Beca's freshman year, Unicycle was a good friend of hers. She was DJ-ing the party and was so engrossed with the music, she forgot to socialize with anyone at all.

So, Unicycle took matters into his own hands and did all he could to get Beca to hang out or jump in the pool. Even six shots in and Beca still didn't budge from her laptop, Unicycle took it and threw it in the pool.

Beca shrieked and jumped in after it. She climbed out as quickly as she could, her dark clothes sticking tightly to her body as the music immediately stopped and the party was officially dead.

Beca screamed and yelled at Unicycle, calling him every curse word in the dictionary from the customary "stupid bitch" to the ever graphic "thunder cunt." Since then, Beca had to get her job at the radio station to rack up money for a new laptop, which she got after two months, but stayed ever since Luke let her take over the night shift at the station.

Luke was her boss. Hot, tall, blonde and British, Luke was the total package. Ranging from his six-pack to his incredible taste in music and ability to reach out to small companies all over the country, trying to get Beca a gig, he was essentially the nicest man she's ever had the pleasure of meeting.

She also had the pleasure of saying that she even dated Luke for a year when she first started working. They realized though, that they only were attracted to each other sexually. Which only added more onto Beca's incredible journey with her incapability to figure out what her sexuality was.

So they've had an on-and-off friends with benefits type situation, but completely lacking the emotional connection to ever spark a real relationship between the two. She's still good friends with Luke, but ever since he got a girlfriend, their friends with benefits relationship vanished.

"Look, I said I was sorry. I even bought you these headphones as an apology. Just hang out with me again, for old time's sake." Unicycle pouted slightly, hoping that puppy-dog eyes would do the trick.

But Beca was stone cold. She stared at him, dead in the eye, while she took her hand and pretended to drag a string around her neck, then yanking her hand upwards as she dropped her head. This gave Unicycle a clear message that she'd never hang out with him.

He was about to speak again, when the teacher called his name and reprimanded him for not being properly sat in his seat. Beca was glad for the interruption because she could not stand another minute of talking to that boy.

So instead, she took out her phone and began texting.

Beca: hey ;) been missing you today.

Chloe glanced at her phone and smiled.

Luke: hey ;) been missing you today.

Chloe: I've missed you too.