Meet Me at Stagedoor

Chapter 6

She could avoid him. It shouldn't be that hard, right? So far she might've had to go to some extreme measures to hide her presence from him, but all in all, she was doing a great job. Props to her. Beca for the win.

Well first, there was waiting on the breakfast line. After she had ran to her cabin last night, she avoided Chloe even though the redhead definitely knew something was up. Beca's cheeks were flushed and she didn't even regard Chloe as she walked into the cabin, letting the door swing shut behind her. Chloe left Beca to her own thoughts, just for that night because the next day Chloe was going to have to interrogate Beca to spill the juicy details. Instead, Chloe stuck to watching her movie, glancing over from time to time at the brunette curled up in a ball at the bottom of her bed.

Breakfast was interesting. Jesse was nonchalantly tossing an apple up and down in his hand, catching it each time, when he saw Beca grabbing a plate. Her hair was pulled up in a ponytail and she had thrown on a random t-shirt. She shouldn't look good in it; anyone else who wore the same outfit would look like they had just rolled out of bed, but Beca was somehow pulling it off.

Jesse knew that they two of them had to talk, even though he knew he was going to be at a loss for words when they did come in contact. That was step 2 and right now, Jesse was only on step 1. First, he had to get her to actually talk to him, and that was pretty hard considering she would hardly look at him.

Jesse pushed past the other people in the line, who had just woken up and moaned around like zombies, making a beeline towards Beca. She was clearly debating whether to grab the Fruit Loops or Honey Nut Cheerios, finally deciding on the colorful cereal. Looking up from the table, she made eye contact with Jesse, who was striding towards her quicker every second, freezing in her spot before ducking out of the line and walking towards the hidden back door in the kitchen, still while holding her package of cereal.

It wasn't going to be easy, he knew that for sure. When Beca didn't want to do something, she didn't do it. He could remember a few years back when she was told she had to attend at least one dance class to fill the requirements for the year. Dance, not her favorite subject, was not something she was looking forward to everyday. The studios were hot and the lights were too bright. Beca preferred lounging on a couch, listening to music as the soft lights illuminated her DJ board.

A few classes in, she asked the teacher if she was able to perform the dance correctly that was going to be showcased at the end of the summer, did she have to take the course everyday. With a scoff, the teacher had said yes, not realizing Beca was actually capable of going through with her plan. After a few short rehearsals with some of the other dance students and an hour here and there of some practice during her leisure time, Beca had been able to nail the dance, even securing a solo in the showcase. No one could believe her and sometimes she even doubted how she was able to pull it off.

That's one of the reasons Jesse knew that he had to outsmart her at her own game. Otherwise, he was never going to get her to sit down and talk with him. She was small, able to hide in tiny places and crouch down behind almost anything. Also, even though she was pint sized, she was fast. Beca was able to dash from one place to another quicker than most people. Jesse was up to the challenge.

She convinced herself that she didn't need milk in her cereal and she definitely didn't need a spoon, even if it was because she forgot both things in her effort to hide from Jesse. She grabbed a few of the pieces of cereal with her hand and popped them in her mouth, walking towards her first class. She was late on purpose. This might've been the first time she had actually tried to be late. Her other latenesses were because she just ended up late, the reasons always changing. It was a good thing latenesses don't count because otherwise she would be failing.

One time she slept through the alarm, but other times she had even better excuses. Jesse was being Jesse and forgot the soap for the dishwasher and another time there was a bug in her bathroom and she wasn't about risk her life by brushing her teeth. Even though Beca may act like a badass, her reputation completely falters when she is in proximity of a bug. What could she say? Every person has their weakness and Beca's was hairy legs and monstrous eyes.

The theater was filled with bustling teenagers, talking animately to their friends and checking the stage for the teacher ever so often. Craning her neck and standing on a chair to see if she could make out his face in the crowd, Beca found him in the front of the room, talking to Benji. Benji was showing him a new magic trick, shuffling the cards around in his hands, but Beca could tell Jesse was only half listening. From time to time, he would scan the room, looking for someone -her-.

Everytime he did that, she had to hide behind the person in front of her even though it wasn't that hard because with a stature of only five feet two, Beca could hide almost anywhere. Sometimes she wished she would grow just a little bit more but then she would risk her title of reigning champion of manhunt. Hold your applause.

Beca never thought she would be happy to see her, but she let out a sigh of relief when she saw Miss Keener approach the stage. Pushing the glasses up upon her face, Miss Keener cleared her throat to call all the students to attention. The room hushed down and the lights dimmed so the only light was centered on her. Pacing the floor, back and forth and back and forth, Miss Keener adjusted her glasses so she could read the folded piece of paper in her hands. Remaining still in the middle of the stage, she eyed everyone in the crowd, taking in every face and choosing her victims wisely.

"Today, we are going to have a non-traditional lesson. Some of you may have heard the saying, the best way to learn is to teach. Well, today, you all are doing just that," she scanned the room for any reactions, ready to call anyone out if they did so much as scrunch up their face. She did not tolerate amateurs. That wasn't what she signed up for. Those kids were going to listen to her and follow out her instructions without as much as a question. She expected a nod and a smile, even if it was forced, as they got to work.

"The younger campers are preparing for their first showcase and they need your help. The pairs are already matched up based on your last names so there is no changing or trading or whatever you call it with a partner. Part of the business is doing things you don't like. Suck it up and see it through," the house lights came back on, making people look down for a second to adjust to the brightness.

Miss Keener read off the list, sometimes squinting her eyes to see the print more clearly. With every name, a body rose from a seat and made their way towards the stage, where Miss Keener was passing out envelopes with instructions. It didn't take too long because the class wasn't too large.

"Rebecca Mitchell," Miss Keener called out as Beca stood up from her seat, "and Jesse Swanson." Her plan to avoid him was ruined but his plan was already in motion.