Chapter 17- Finding Our Sound

1.8K 33 5
                                    

We laid in the tent silently, practically crammed together by the shelter. Some girls whispered to each other. Amy left to go to the bathroom after a while.

"Can you sing something? The pipes are a bit clogged," Amy said outside.

The girls started singing. I joined in, smiling as Cynthia-Rose said, "What kind of white shit is this?"

We sang until Fat Amy came back. Most of us fell asleep after that, including me. I was tired, warm, and comfortable in my sleeping bag.

"Up and at'em, Bellas! Come on! Let's go, let's go, let's wake up! Let's do this! Come on, pick up the pace, girls. Come on! Today, we are going back to the basics to relearn how to sing as a group. While also enduring death-defying team-building trust exercises," Aubrey explained the next morning.

"That sounds like a great idea," Chloe agreed.

"Okay, so, let's begin."

We began with old classics, practicing moving around in sync. We also did trust exercises, one of them including swinging from tire swings. I remained enthusiastic, listening to the group as we slowly gained our harmony back. We did the same thing after the exercises, a little tired.

"And done," I said, taking deep breaths.

"Okay, that was two steps away from being almost fine," Aubrey assured us.

"I'm sorry, what are we doing?" Beca asked.

"We're rediscovering our sound," Chloe said with a smile.

"Are we? Because it feels like we're just singing songs that would never go in our set," Beca snapped.

"Beca, come on. That's not the point-" I reasoned.

"No. None of us know how to beat Das Sound Machine, but I know it's not gonna be by doing this," Beca cut me off.

"This is just an exercise in finding harmony, Beca. Sometimes, you have to break things down before you can build them back up again," Aubrey said calmly.

"I've got more important things to do!" Beca exclaimed frustratedly.

"What could be more important than this?" Chloe questioned.

"Nothing. Forget it," Beca sighed.

"No. You don't think we haven't all realized you've been a little checked out lately?" Chloe asked.

"Come on, Beca, just tell her," Amy said encouragingly.

"I heard that. Tell me what?" Chloe said.

"Oh, you misunderstand me. I clearly said..." Amy muttered gibberish. "Listen, I don't want you guys to fight. You're Beca and Chloe. Together, you're Bloe. And everyone loves a good Bloe. So..."

"Okay. I've been interning at a recording studio and a legit music producer wants to hear my work. God forbid I have something going on outside the group," Beca explained.

"Okay? So why would you keep something like that from us?" Chloe questioned.

"Because you're obsessed! You all are! We're graduating, and the only person thinking about life after the Bellas is me," Beca snapped.

"What is so wrong about being focused on the Bellas?! This has been my family for seven years," Chloe said.

"Yeah, 'cause you're too scared to leave! Sack up, dude!" Beca said heatedly.

"Girl fight!" Cynthia-Rose announced.

"Okay, so you've been lying to us for the entire year, and now you're just gonna flake out? Now you're gonna flake when the Worlds is like, right after graduation?" Chloe questioned.

AcapellaWhere stories live. Discover now