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practicingmedicine · 3 years

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Practicing Medicine: Chapter Three

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Day: 23 SEP. 2279

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“Oh, that’s terrible! I mean, I had known that Penny was sick, but I didn’t know that she had cancer !” said Mrs. McBain. She gave my hand a tight squeeze, and then released it. “If there’s anything we can do…”

“There’s one thing,” I said. Both Mrs. McBain and her recovering husband looked up at me. “Look after my momma. Make her nice meals, give her hugs, and send a letter to the followers if anything happens. I hope I won’t be gone for long, but if I don’t come back…” I thought for a moment. “Look for help. If you can’t find any, at least make her comfortable.”

Mr. and Mrs. McBain shared a look that suggested they were worried about me. “Of course, I’m sure that ain’t gonna happen. I just like to plan for the worst!” Mr. McBain smiled at me from his bed.

“I appreciate that kind of thinking, son. Things can go to hell in a handbasket pretty quick,” said the Sheriff. His wife glared at him.

“He’s not going to die, Kurt! Don’t you suggest that kind of thing!”

“I wasn’t suggesting nothin! Just saying that it’s good to have a plan- it’s a staple of being a good doctor, or so I hear,” said Mr. McBain, looking at me again. I forced a laugh.

“Yeah, I guess it is! Now, you two, can you do that? Can you look after my mom for a few weeks?” Immediately, Mrs. McBain nodded. Mr. McBain gave a thumbs up.

“Of course, Isaac! It’s the least we can do, really,” said Mrs. McBain. I smiled.

“Thank you,” I replied, and headed for the door. Mom might come looking for me soon, and this’d be one of the first places she’d check.

“Wait, Isaac- do you want to call your mom before you leave?” suggested Mrs. McBain, putting a hand on my shoulder. I shook my head.

“No. Well, yes, but I’m afraid that she’ll change my mind.” I hung my head. I didn’t want to pass up the opportunity, but I needed to do this. I suspected that I was going to have to make a lot of these kinds of choices in the near future. “Thank you though. I’ll try to repay you somehow when I get back.”

“Isaac, dear, you already have.”

I smiled at that. “If you say so.” A cloud of dust blew in around my legs as I opened the door. “See you folks soon- tell Mom I said goodbye, and that I love her!”

And just like that, I left behind everything I knew, and strode into unknown territory.

-Break-

Well, not really, “ Unknown territor y,” not yet. The next place I went was the town square, which was quiet and empty today. I was thankful for that. I strode past mom’s Casino, which was my next destination, and crouched down next to a little patch of brown grass and concrete between the sidewalk and Bison Steve’s. That was where Father had been shot. After that, he backpedaled for a while, and then ran into the side of the Casino, where he fell down and bled out.

I walked over to the wall. Me and mom had painted it together, before he died and after. I usually left him something; The first time it had been the snow globe he was going to give me, then it had been cactus flowers, and it kept changing after that. Whenever it stormed, the items got swept away, which I was okay with. He wasn’t even buried there, and it wasn’t like he was in any state to need the stuff. I would just start over, leaving something new every time.

But not this time. Not only was that in the past that I was trying to leave behind, but it was also kind of stupid, as I was starting to realize. Instead, I just crouched down next to the spot, put down my bag, and tried to make myself look presentable.

“Howdy, Father- I’m going on a little adventure, out in the wastes. I’d be real grateful if you could watch over Momma til I get back.” I didn’t know much about communing with spirits- still don’t, but it felt like a nice thing to do. After all, I was going to be gone for a while.

And after that, I stood up, wiped away the tears that had been gathering in my eyes, and walked into mom’s bustling Casino. The mysterious new city of New Vegas had taken a toll on business, but Primm still had the most convenient Casino on this side of the Mojave.

“Good evening, Mr. Saller! How you doing- I heard you saved the Sheriff’s life today!” said Johnson Nash, an old, wrinkly-skinned man and the overseer of the Mojave Express mail delivery here in Primm. I smiled as I approached him.

“Howdy Mr. Nash. My mom is dying of cancer. Are there any caravans passing through here?”

Mr. Nash looked surprised. His gaze shifted to the window. “Well, I… Really, Penny? I’m so sorry, boy, she’s always seemed so strong to me! I never would have guessed that she…” he turned his head to look at me again. “Sorry. I’m reminiscing. You just missed an NCR caravan heading up to Nipton. If the schedule keeps going like it has been, another caravan should show up next month…”

“Crud,” I muttered. I thought about saying something less polite, but Mr. Nash didn’t like me swearing.

“Sorry,” said Mr. Nash. Then, his expression changed. He glanced over his shoulder.

“Oh, I almost forgot! There’s an unsponsored one preparing to leave right now, bound straight for New Vegas. It’s a little caravan, three people, a couple of brahmin and a wagon. They’ve run the route a few times, but they don’t usually pass through here. The leader- Gram, I think it was, says he’s with the NCR. He’s got a ranger with him, so normally, I’d be inclined to believe him. But, the NCR never told me about them like they do with the rest of their caravans, and only the ranger wears a uniform.”

I started to walk away. “Thanks, Mr. Nash--where can I find them?”

“They’re out back behind the Casino, sort of over by the hitching posts, but I wouldn’t mess with them. They seem kind of shady to me,” he said. I turned my head to grin at him.

“Oh, I’ll be fine, Mr. Nash. I’m sure they’ll jump at the opportunity to get a doctor on board!”

-Break-

“Hands behind your head! That’s right, don’t move an inch!”

I shouted out in pain and surprise as the great-big person with the ranger uniform pushed their boot even harder against the small of my back, no doubt leaving a bruise. Without even registering it, I had moved both of my hands behind my head.

“Good. Hoplite, search him!”

A stout, bespectacled ghoul wearing a plaid three-piece suit with a tan cowboy-hat sauntered into my field of view. I hadn’t met many ghouls before, but I could tell by his demeanor that he was no spring chicken. Maybe pre war, maybe not, but definitely vintage. Maybe even antique. He stared at me for a while, then took off his hat, and tilted his head in my direction.

“He’s got nothin, Tandi. If he had a gat, he would have tried to reach for it when you spotted him,” said the ghoul. My ribcage felt like it was going to crack open as the ranger put even more weight onto their one foot.

“That’s not what I’m worried about. I bet he’s a legion slave, check his collar, look for brands on his skin!”

“I ain’t a slave,” I said, and instantly regretted speaking. The ranger laughed, a strange, hollow sound once it got passed through the helmet.

“Well, the kid ain’t a slave! What a goddamn relief!” The cheery Texan twang didn’t mesh with the deep, slavic voice. Every word that the ranger spoke sent chills down my spine.

“Look!” I shouted. I reached for my coat collar, and the ranger raised their foot and jammed their heel into my back again, harder than before. I screamed out something incomprehensible.

“Try it again, slave-boy-“ I could hear the ranger pull the bolt back on their submachine-gun, and I’m pretty sure I pissed my pants a little. “…And I put a round in your kidney! Maybe death don’t scare you, but pain like that’ll make a tough man cry. Ain’t that right Hoplite?”

The ghoul let out a tired sigh. “I’m not about to play good-cop bad-cop with you, Tandi. Let the poor kid go.” The Ranger kept their foot on my back for a few more seconds, pressing just hard enough to give me a sharp pain in my ribcage. Finally, they released me, leaving me aching in the sand.

As soon as I had recovered enough to breath, I flipped myself onto my back and started coughing. My whole goddamn chest was aching, which was an unfamiliar and unpleasant feeling. Of course, that wasn’t what I was thinking about. I was instead thinking about how I almost got shot, how I almost died less than an hour into my journey, how I almost failed my momma…

I started crying. I knew immediately that it was a bad idea, so I kept it silent, but I couldn’t help but let a few tears leak down my face. No one seemed to notice it, probably because they were still talking amongst themselves.

“…we do with him? Like, I’d feel kind of bad leaving him here…”

“Whoa, big friggin’ idea right here: why don’t we ask him what he was doing? He don’t look like a bad guy to me…”

“Leave him here. He’s a runt and a coward, and the only thing I-“

“Buzz off, Tandi! No one invited you to this conversation!”

“Yeah, shut up, the adults are talking!”

“What? I am thirty years your senior, Savvy! ”

“… Ladies, please. If we don’t make a decision soon, I think the suspense might kill him.”

“Still time for me to kill him.”

“Hush! I think he’s listening to us!”

All eyes turned to me. After a few seconds of feeling like a bug in a magnifying glass, I threw my arms into the air and craned my neck in what I can only describe as a full-body shrug. The ghoul laughed as my arms and legs thumped against the sand.

“Did that hurt? That looked like it hurt,” said the person who I hadn’t seen yet. I could hear her walking closer to me. I didn’t look up.

“Little bit,” I admitted. She was standing behind my head now, and, not wanting to lift my neck, I strained my eyes to look up at her. I couldn’t see her so well against the glare of the sun, but I could make out the general look; she was a young, heavy-ish woman with a bob of black hair and what I recognized to be some-kind-of-Asian features, wearing a faded floral sundress and a floppy hat. I smiled up at her, and she smiled back.

“Howdy there!” I said, and then regretted speaking so loud. My chest still ached.

“Hi! I’m sorry about our ranger. She’s kind of aggressive,” said the girl. I snorted. “Anyways, what’s your name? And, uh, would you like to stand?”

“Isaac, and no, not really,” I replied. Still smiling, she withdrew her hand.

“That’s okay. What were you doing back here? Was this just bad luck, or were you trying to find us?” I nodded absently.

“Both, I think.” I saw the ghoul cast a sidelong glance at the ranger.

“A wise guy? Oh, this’ll be fun. Maybe we should kill him after all,” said the ghoul, and I laughed a laugh that was really just a thinly veiled prayer to God that he was joking. The girl gave him a look.

“Gram, hush. Why were you looking for us? And don’t beat around the bush anymore, I hate it when people do that.”

Normally I would agree with her on that, but I felt like I had a little bit of a right to be insufferable. Given the circumstances.

Don’t push your luck, I thought to myself, you want to join up with these folks. You can still spin this to your advantage! Except, I didn’t really know how I was gonna do that. None of them were taking any sort of pity on me, so I doubted I could play the poor, innocent boy card, and I wouldn’t press the dying momma thing. Past that… well, I wasn’t really sure what to say.

First though, I decided to stand up. I couldn’t have looked very impressive, lying in the dirt like I was. Trying to appear as though I weren’t in incredible pain, I stood and dusted myself off. I turned to face the girl in the dress, who was looking awful unimpressed with me.

“Well, since you asked me so nice, I’ll keep it simple- I need to get to New Vegas as soon as possible. Someone at the casino told me about y’all, so I came to see if you might take me on.” I turned my head to look at the ghoul. “You’re Gram, right? Nash told me about you. Said you were kinda shady, but I trusted that I’d be alright.”

The Ghoul nodded. “Yeah, that’s me. Sorry, but we ain’t taking any new members. We run a taut ship here, and to be honest, I don’t think we need anyone else gumming up the works.” I started to talk, but the ghoul raised a hand to silence me. “And, forget about paying to come along, because this job here is paying enough for my retirement! Don’t think I didn’t see that look in your eyes, kid.”

There went that avenue. I tried not to look defeated.

“That’s alright! I don’t got much money anyways,” I said, which was technically true- I wasn’t very liquid right now. “I was thinking about offering my services. I’m a doctor, see!”

“Nah, see, I already told you, we don’t- wait!” I could see the look on his face change as he registered what I said. “Wait, a doctor? Ah, I should’ve guessed by the coat! You roll with the Followers?”

“No. I’m looking to see them, actually. My aunt Julie leads this here chapter, and my father was a big shot there. Taught me a thing or two, before he died.” I said. I showed him the badge on my coat, which was a little metal circle with a stenciled-on cross with forked ends and a circle at the point where the two lines crossed. He examined it for a moment, then nodded.

“Badge seems genuine, so I don’t think you’re lying about your pops. But, how do I know you’re any good as a doctor? We can’t exactly have you perform a demonstration.”

I had a solution to this one!

“That’s easy! I saved a man’s life this morning, and I can prove it! Name’s Kurt McBain- he’s the Sheriff of this town. Ask anyone in that Casino, and they’ll tell you that I’m not lying. Mrs. McBain shared the news with everyone , so there’s no shortage of people who know,” I said, grumbling the last part like I was disappointed. I was secretly thrilled that she’d told so many people, but I was pretending to be disappointed because it seemed more in-character.

“Cook, why don’t you go check up on that story? Tandi, go check the perimeter, make sure this isn’t some sort of distraction. I think I’d like to talk to the kid alone.”

The other two members of the group departed wordlessly, leaving me alone behind the Casino with Gram, the weird ghoul who spoke like a gangster from one of the pre-war crime novels that my father would read me sometimes. He scared me less than the ranger, but more than the other person- Cook, he had called her. I couldn’t really put a finger on why.

“So, Isaac, let’s assume you’re telling me the truth, for a moment. Just how good of a doctor are you?” asked Gram, walking past me to lean against the peeling Casino wall. I thought for a moment. That was a hard question.

“Well I’m more of a medic, really- general physician in a pinch, but I studied for trauma. Given enough supplies, I can patch up most folks who haven’t got irreversible organ damage,” I replied, thinking back to how I’d repaired the Sheriff’s leaky artery with a stimpack. I might’ve been able to fix it without one, too, if I knew going in what exactly I’d be doing, but I wasn’t sure if I trusted my emergency sutures to hold on their own just yet...

We talked for some time about what I’d done, and what I could do if I absolutely had to. I explained to him that if I set up a pip-boy profile for everyone in advance, I’d be able to get all sorts of information that I’d otherwise have to find out the old-fashioned way. All the while, Gram was scratching the back of his neck, looking over at the back door to the Casino like a deathclaw might come bursting out at any moment. He always kept one hand in his coat.

“Well, Cook’ll be getting back pretty soon, and I’ll call Tandi over the radio once Cook gets back. Assuming you ain’t lying or holding anything back, then you’re on. I’ll give you ten minutes to pack up, and then we’re leaving.”

Despite everything, I smiled- I just couldn’t help it! The sun hadn’t even set, and I was already starting my journey to save my mom. No one could tell me it was just an idea now, because I was taking actions- taking risks, I realized, and it was already paying off. I was elated!

Suddenly, the back door to the Casino opened up. Cook stepped out, her expression unreadable.

“Hey, Gram? So, I asked around, and I’m pretty sure that he’s for real. There were some people who hadn’t heard about the incident, but most of the people who I talked to confirmed that the story was true,” she said. Gram raised one of his bushy eyebrows.

“Hm. How many is, “most?” How was your sample size?”

“Eight out of the Ten people who I asked answered in the affirmative. No one actually denied the story, they just denied knowledge of it. The details didn’t deviate much between accounts, either.”

Gram turned his whole upper body to look at me. He whistled. “Damn, Isaac! Either you’re the fifth best conman I’ve ever met, or you ain’t kidding about the whole doctor thing. I’m gonna go with the latter, because I’ve usually got a pretty good eye for cons.”

“Are you sure, Gram? Not knowing about it is what makes a good con. What if you’ve been getting tricked all the time, and you’re so bad at spotting cons that you didn’t see most of them- even in retrospect!” suggested Cook. Gram scoffed.

“Please- when you’re alive for as long as me, you learn a thing or two about people and their tricks.” He sounded cross, but I could tell that he was smiling. Cook made a dramatic gesture.

“That’s what they want you to think! It’s how they’ve tricked you for so long!”

“Who’s tricked who?” asked the ranger, emerging around the corner with their barking-iron drawn. Every muscle in my body tensed as I tried not to jump out of my skin.

“Cook was telling me about all the cons I’ve apparently missed. I got a pretty good eye for cons, right, Tandi?”

“How do you know you can trust my answer?”

Cook grinned from ear to ear, and I found myself smiling too- her grin was infectious. “I told you! You’ve been blind this whole time, Gram! I guess living so long has given you some sort of complex…”

Could I wedge my way into this conversation? Did I even want to? The group seemed to run on an awful lot of unspoken rules and agreements, and I definitely didn’t get the impression that I had been invited to this particular conversation just yet.

“Et Tu, Isaac? Has this all been some sort of set up?” Gram asked, throwing his arms out and contriving to look betrayed. I took my invitation and tried real hard to look menacing.

“I’m sorry brother, but you shouldn’t have crossed the mob. You saw what happened to Sunny, didn’t you?” I said, making a little finger gun and calling desperately on my vague knowledge of “The Godfather.” Gram raised an eyebrow.

“First off, that’s not what Pacino sounds like and Michael didn’t kill Sonny. Second, you’ve seen The Godfather?” He sounded more intrigued than surprised. I shook my head.

“Read it, actually. My father read me a lot of books when I was younger. Are you from New York?” I stopped. That was a weird place to end the sentence, since they couldn’t understand the train of thought that led there. “Sorry. It’s just, we were talking about The Godfather, and you sound a lot like the voice my father would put on when he was playing New York mobsters.” Gram looked at me strangely, or at least I imagined he did, then nodded.

“Yeah, yeah I lived in Brooklyn before the war. I’ve been a lot of places since then…” He seemed to think for a moment. “Have you seen what New York looks like nowadays? It’s worse than the Capital Waste. If I hadn’t gotten outta there, I’m sure I would’ve gotten killed by now.”

“Well, I haven’t been, but-“ I started, getting ready to recount one of my many stories about father’s adventures with the Followers. Before I could finish, the ranger stepped between us.

“Beggin’ your pardon, Hoplite, but the sun’s setting, and I don’t want to spend another night in this shithole. Are we taking him or not?”

Gram shrugged. “Depends. Are you sure you wanna come…”

“Isaac,” I said. Gram nodded.

“Right. Now, Isaac, before you agree to anything, I feel like I’m obligated to warn you about the dangers of this run. There are raiders out there, there are legion assassins, mutants, and because of these things there will probably be death. We haven’t had a casualty in years, but you’re still probably going to watch someone die.” That last one hit me like a punch in the gut, but I think I managed to keep my reaction under wraps. I just nodded. “You ever seen someone die, Isaac? Are you gonna shut down on us as soon as someone gets shot?”

“Yes, I have,” I replied, and left it that. Gram looked satisfied.

“Good. Let’s get going. Isaac- as of this moment, you’re hired. I’ll give you ten minutes to pack. Be quick,” he said, shooing me away. I shook my head.

“Actually, I’m already packed.” In retrospect, I probably should have taken a few choice magazines with me, but those weren’t particularly vital. I had my jump bag with me, and I had the clothes on my back.

It was kind of sad, actually, to think that I didn’t own a single item worth taking with me that I wasn’t already carrying. Maybe I just wasn’t thinking hard enough.

“Well, in that case, we’ve got no time to waste- let’s hit the road!”

Under normal circumstances, I’d have felt awful sad, leaving home like this, not knowing if I was ever gonna return. But today, I was satisfied. I’d made a decision, and I was finding a way to carry it out!

“Cya soon, momma,” I mumbled, and loaded my bag onto the back of the wagon. I was leaving all-standing, and the journey ahead of me would surely be long, dangerous, and full of unpleasant surprises. I might even die a horrible death, end up face down in a pool of radioactive waste...

I’d never been more thrilled in my entire life!

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#fallout #fallout fanfic #fallout fanfiction #fallout fandom

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lunargrrrl · 6 years

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Life is Perfect - Life is Strange/Pitch Perfect AU

So, seeing as I’m currently waiting to register for both FanFic.net and AO3, I thought I’d post a quick preview of my first chapter (still some more to do) of the fic here. First fic I’ve written in MANY years so I am welcoming feedback with open arms!

Set in Acadia Bay (Aca-dia, get it?!), Beca Mitchell attends Barden Academy and longs for something more in life.

PP’s Beca Mitchell is essentially Chloe Price

PP’s Chloe Beale is essentially Rachel Amber

PP’s Aubrey Posen is essentially Victoria Chase

PP’s Jesse Swanson is essentially Eliot etc

I wrote this because both AmberPrice and Bechloe make me emotional. Plenty of fluff/angst/all the good stuff. This particular part is essentially Episode 1 from Life is Strange: Before the Storm, with some different takes on things/Beca Mitchell’s personality mixed with Chloe Price’s from Life is Strange etc. For PP fans not familiar with Life is Strange: Before the Storm, it is an incredible game and I cannot recommend it enough. 100% recommend for the gameplay, emotions, and all the gay feels. You can watch a playthrough of Episode 1 on YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r6uCVUC7XCE Hopefully/maybe you’ll see the Beca Mitchell in Chloe Price and the Chloe Beale in Rachel Amber etc just like I did. TW: Alcohol/violence

Chapter 1: “I once said I was better off just being dead/but I didn’t know you yet”

The cool evening air whipped its way through her hair as Beca Mitchell put her hands in her pockets and left her front yard. It was April in Acadia Bay, and the Oregon evenings still got pretty cold. She didn’t care though; all that she cared about right now was that she was finally going to get to see Firewalk live. The music, the crowd, the atmosphere; Beca lived for music; and live music was one of the best things in the world. Her mom had called after her from the kitchen as she left the house; something about curfew and not being back too late. Beca didn’t care about that either. She’d found out about this “secret” gig online last minute and there was no way in hell she was going to miss it. No good bands ever seemed to roll up to Acadia Bay; just one of the many reasons Beca was determined to get out of there as soon as she could. Acadia Bay didn’t have anything to offer, and she felt like she didn’t have anything else to give in return. She missed her best friend (who had left for greener, more northern pastures 2 years earlier) and most of all, she missed her dad. Beca Mitchell was done with this town. The people, the lack of anything to do, Barden Academy... The gig tonight was going to be a brief escape. Firewalk were playing at the Old Mill; an abandoned building a bit outside of town where the only real way to get there was to follow the train tracks. Twigs crunched beneath her scuffed boots as the sky grew darker and the buildings became fewer. Her phone buzzed in her pocket and she knew it was either one of two people; her mom asking her when she was going to be home or her friend/kind-of-ex Jesse who seemed to text her every hour of every day. Beca and Jesse both enjoyed the same music and that was around about where Beca’s interest in him came to an end. That, and he was probably one of the only guys in Acadia Bay that didn’t make her want to immediately projectile vomit. They had fooled around together in the past and there was no doubt that Jesse was definitely still into Beca. It had been fun at the time and it was a good way for Beca to “test the waters” as such. From now on though, she was determined to try to keep him out of her pants. The only problem was, he was the only one that ever seemed to talk to her or have time for her. She did enjoy talking to him at times, mostly jabbing fun at his nerdish ways or bonding over music. She longed for something more than that though. She longed for someone more. Beca spent lunchtimes at Barden alone with her music blasting through her headphones and she could easily go a whole day without speaking to another student. She made exceptions for calling people out on their bullshit though, and she had no trouble sticking up for herself when the popular students made her feel like a freak; namely, queen bee Aubrey Posen and her followers Jessica and Ashley who worshipped the ground she walked on. Beca tried not to think much of it though as she knew girls like Aubrey picked on other students for one reason only; everyone (including Aubrey) wanted to be Chloe Beale. Well, either be her or be with her. Chloe was beautiful, mysterious, and popular. She excelled in every class and above all, she was a genuinely nice human being who was kind to every single person. Not that she’d ever had a chance to be nice to Beca that is; Beca made sure to walk with her headphones in to avoid human interaction at any cost. Even if people were supposedly amazing and nice and friendly just like Chloe Beale, who’s to say that one day they won’t just abandon you? Or mistreat you? Or disappear without a reason? Just like her dad and her old best friend did. Her feet began to ache as she walked along the train tracks and the sky above her was fully dark now, but she could finally see some lights and hear the low hum of a hard and fast punk bass line which made Beca’s heart beat faster. She jogged forward and jumped over an old fence that definitely had some kind of “no trespassing” warning sign on it. She was finally there. There was a bonfire outside along with cars, bikes, and some rusty machinery. Two guys were fighting next to an RV and she heard glass smashing in the distance. Sketchy dudes hung around smoking outside and she saw a young drunk guy almost fall down the steps to the mill. “Shit...” Beca’s heart sunk. There was a bouncer by the door who had already seen her walking towards the place. “Isn’t it past your bedtime girl?” The towering bouncer called out to her and rolled his eyes. “Bedtime? There’s no bedtime when Firewalk are playing in my town. You’ve got to let me in, dude.” Beca tried to play it as cool as she possibly could, but she had no idea how she was going to make this work since she wasn’t 21 yet and she kind of looked like a teenage boy with long hair (Aubrey’s words) at the best of times. “Stop being cute and just split.” The bouncer crossed his arms and sighed at her. “I don’t do cute.” Being called cute was the last thing Beca needed right now; it added to her annoyance of not being able to see Firewalk. “I’ve been following this band for ages and I can handle myself. You’re an idiot for wasting your time guarding this place instead of seeing the band.”

“Look kid, I can’t protect you in there. Anything happens to you? It’s on me. I’m surprised the cops haven’t turned up to shut this thing down already.” The bouncer took a drag from his cigarette. “I don’t need looking after,” Beca started to square up to him; the situation right now probably looking ridiculous as the huge bouncer towered over her tiny self. “The only one that will need looking after is YOU if you don’t let me in there...like... right now.” She cringed at herself. Hard. But to her surprise, the bouncer stopped for a moment before laughing. Hard. “For real? Oh man, that’s the best thing I’ve heard all night.” He stepped back. “You’re alright kid. Go in. Knock yourself out... before you knock me out” He laughed and shook his head. Beca couldn’t believe her luck, but she wasn’t about to question it any time soon. She sauntered past him, impressed with herself and more pumped than ever. The air inside was hazy from cigarette smoke and the smell of beer engulfed her nostrils. Taking a beer from the ice bucket in the corner, she eyed up the place and saw the entrance to where the band was playing. Just as she was about to walk through the door to the main room, she was knocked backwards by a drunk guy moshing and she fell into someone behind her holding a beer. It spilt all over him. “Fuck...” Beca stepped back in surprise.

At first, the guy looked angry, looking at his friend and then back at Beca. He was tall, skinny, and stank of alcohol.

“Hey hey... looks like you bumped into me little lady.” The two guys sneered at her. “Yep. My bad dude.” “You don’t know who I am, do you?” The skeevy guy blew cigarette smoke in her face.

“Nope. Don’t care either.” Beca pushed past them and away from the moshing crowd. She had a feeling it was best to get away from these guys ASAP, and it wasn’t as if her short ass could see anything from the back of the crowd anyway.

“Let me know how that works out for you!” The mad dude with the beer called after her. She ignored him. “Bitch!”

She shrugged them off; there were more important matters at stake. She had a much better idea. She turned to walk up the wooden stairs in the corner of the building which led to the roof and rafters of the Old Mill above the crowd; she was about to get the best seat in the house. The previous song finished and the drum roll began of her favourite Firewalk song ever. She ran forward to the edge of the rotting floorboards on the top floor and looked down below at the stage. Lights flashed and the amplifiers were set to full; Beca was in heaven. She hung her legs over the edge and nodded her head to the music; letting it fill her ears and her veins with everything she loved. Beca cracked open the beer and savoured the taste as the cold liquid ran down her throat. She leant back and lay down to take it in the music fully. She closed her eyes.

“You spilled my beer, bitch.”

Beca frowned, seeing the two guys from downstairs standing over her demonically. Was this dude for real? There was no way her Firewalk experience was going to be interrupted for this. He followed her up here to start on her AGAIN about his stupid beer?

“You should be more careful, it’s a rough place.” Beca got up and crossed her arms at him. There was no way she had time for assholes like this. Not tonight.

“I don’t like your attitude.” The gross guy squared up to Beca, looking down at her.

“You don’t like my attitude?” Beca questioned him. “Then why don’t I show you how much it pisses me off when assholes like you get butthurt over a spilled beer...”

His friend nudged him. “I think she’s calling you out, dude.”

“She’s going to regret this. Every. Word.” He squared up closer to Beca, waving a skinny finger in her face. “I’m going to teach this little punk some manners.”

Beca started to panic; realising that behind her was the edge of the old wooden floorboards from where the top floor had fallen in. If he kept going, she’d fall down from quite a height and she could really do with that like, NOT happening right now. Her heart raced.

“I’m serious man.” Beca panicked. “I really don’t wanna get angry. It won’t be pretty either... it won’t...” She backed up further, glancing behind her; very aware of how quickly the ledge was approaching.

He lifted his beer bottle and smashed it on the pillar in front of her.

Her breath hitched.

He grabbed her arm.

He held the razor-sharp broken bottle in front of her.

“Hey! Dickhead!”

The guy looked behind at the unknown voice who had shouted at him. He was distracted and now was Beca’s chance. She remembered the beer she’d been drinking was still in her hand, and strengthened her grip around it. Taking a deep breath, she swung it hard enough to knock it to his head and for him to let go of her arm. He fell to the floor. Before she could run, his friend swung a punch at her and got her right in the eye. Pain seared to her face but she didn’t care. She ran for it, covering her eye and bumping into the voice which had caused the distraction in the first place.

Beca uncovered her eye to look at her saviour. Bright blue eyes were looking right back at her with concern; her eye make-up fierce and her red hair tied up into a quiff and high ponytail. She was wearing almost all black, except for a single bright blue feather earring in her left ear which matched her eyes uncannily. Her jacket was killer, with amazing boots to match. That’s when she realised.

“Chloe?!”

Chloe looked at Beca then back at the guys. The dude Beca had knocked to the floor had started to get up.

“Come on!” Chloe grabbed Beca’s hand and began leading her down the steps. Chloe blew a sarcastic kiss to the guys who started on Beca, pulling her away with a purpose. Beca also went to blow them a kiss; giving them the middle finger instead.

What was happening right now? Was this real? Had Beca actually been knocked out by the skeevy dude earlier? Did she have a concussion? Was Chloe Beale actually at a Firewalk concert? Was she really been saved and swept away by Chloe Beale right now?

Before she knew it, she was downstairs in the mill and being led through the crowd by Chloe; their hands entwined. Chloe manoeuvred in and out of people, finally stopping and pulling Beca forwards when she was right at the front of the crowd. The band were right there in front of them on stage; loud, heavy music filled her ears and the buzz was so intense that it was almost overwhelming. She looked at Chloe who was jumping up and down and shouting the lyrics.

She couldn’t take her eyes off her.

#bechloe #amberprice #life is strange: before the storm #pitch perfect #wlw #fanfic #fic #beca mitchell #chloe beale #chloe price #rachel amber

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