Meet Me at Stagedoor

Chapter 7

If only the class was larger, she wouldn't have been paired with Jesse. What was the chance there would be no other last name that alphabetically fit between Mitchell and Swanson? It was just her luck. I mean...c'mon.

While all the other students grouped together, talking to their friends animatedly whilst passing around the assignments, Beca, on the other hand, tried her hardest to blend into her seat, sinking lower and lower with every possible second. Even though it was no use trying to hide her face behind her hair or pretend to be furiously looking for something in her bag, it didn't hurt to try. Jesse was already scanning the room for her.Maybe he wouldn't see her. Maybe she would just be able to slip right out of the...her sentence was cut off when he saw her, ceasing any thoughts of escape routes.

"Becs," he called, his hand raised in greeting, "We're partners." She resisted the urge to roll her eyes, choosing, instead, to stare intently at the assignment. In pairs the older students were assigned to help some of the younger students in the junior showcase prepare for their opening night. It seemed easy enough, a break from their normal mountainous workload. The one problem was...well...Beca wasn't known to be exactly 'good' with kids.

When she was babysitting the little girl next door a few months ago, cooking pasta and quelling the girl's requests to play dress up, she almost, by accident, set the entire house on fire. It was on accident, promise. It all started because Beca had no desire to put that itchy, Elsa wig back on. She would've died right then and there if anyone saw her, pushing the white, wiry hair away from her face. So, she was able to get the little girl to sit still for a few minutes while she put on the water for some pasta. Beca never really liked to babysit, but it was for a good cause because after hours of babysitting and countless hours of listening to Frozen, she would have enough money saved up to buy a new piece of software. And even if she would never admit it to anyone, dead or alive, Beca Mitchell was pretty proud that she was able to hit all the notes in "Let It Go." Given, she would never tell anyone she knew the words by heart.

Despite how she was sometimes able to tame the girl, Maddie, as she was called, other times she didn't do so great of a job. Back to the story...she was cooking pasta, and back at home, Beca never really cooked. Her microwave saved her countless times from pulling out an ice pop and calling it dinner. The chinese food take out place near her house was the only number she had on speed dial. As you could tell, Beca couldn't cook to save her life. How would she know gas stoves were different from the electric stove she had at home. It wasn't like she was the type of person to study up on the ins and outs of kitchen appliances.

She didn't know the tissue box was right next to the stove. A recipe for disaster, a tissue, blowing from the ceiling fan contacted the fire, caused a slight commotion. It was a good thing Maddie was so engrossed in the movie that she hardly realized Beca had just thrown a burning tissue into the sink, dousing it with water before sighing heavily.

All she could say was, it was a good thing Maddie didn't see the incident or else Maddie's mother would've given her the death stare every time she went out to get the mail or take out the trash.

She doubted Jesse would be any better with children. He was egotistical and altogether quite obnoxious. Sure, she might take a peek everytime he took off his shirt by the lake or catch herself staring at him while he was humming to himself in one of the practice rooms, but that didn't mean he wasn't a pompous ass.

"Beca, earth to Beca," Jesse waved his hand in front of her face, realizing she had completely been consumed by her daydreams, "I know you're excited to be paired with me, but will you cool it down a little, you're starting to draw attention."

"Swanson, really? Do I look excited," Beca put on a poker face, her eyes narrowed and she pressed her lips together. The signature death stare. Beca should really get that patented. With a twinkle in his eyes, Jesse reached out and tickled her side, causing her to bite the insides of her mouth to keep a laugh from escaping.