Every Day [Bechloe Fan Fiction]

38) The One Where There's A Damsel In Distress

Beca drove Beatrice silently to school. She tried hard to keep her focus on the road. It was an almost impossible task.

In the backseat, Beatrice was singing along to her Disney CD - completely unaware of the emotional trauma her mother was going through.

Chloe was sitting in Beca's home.

In Beca's kitchen.

Waiting for Beca.

That thought alone was enough to make Beca feel unstable. She could already feel her breathing getting faster and faster. Her hands shook too violently to properly hold the wheel.

Suddenly she felt like she wasn't in control of her own car. Her own body. Her own mind.

"Kiddo?" She called out, glancing in the mirror at her daughter. "I need to stop the car? Okay, Bee?"

"Okay, Momma," Beatrice said shakily. "Are you alright?"

"I-I'm fine. I just need to pull over. Right now." Beca said, her voice desperate.

She could feel her vision blurring as she stopped the car by the side of the road. She couldn't tell if it was from anxiety or tears. With her bottom lip wobbling, she pulled out her mobile phone.

The dialing went on and on.

"For god's sake, Amy," she cursed under her breath. "Where are you?"

No answer.

Fat Amy's phone was apparently turned off for whatever adventure the woman was having.

Beca felt completely lost. She didn't know what to do.

"Momma?" A soft voice said from behind her. "I'm gonna be late for school."

"No. You're not." Beca said, trying to sound confident. "I-I can take you."

Beatrice looked tearfully at at Beca. The same look she had given the woman countless times before. No she couldn't.

The first time it had happened, Beca had called Susan and had spent hours crying in the car while Susan held her. Beatrice had been crying too - she had missed school that day - Beca had eventually called in, putting it down to illness; a frequently used lie.

The very last time it happened, it had been ages before Beca had felt well enough to drive again. By the time Beca had composed herself enough to even start the car again it was too late to go to school. They ended up just going home again. Beca hadn't left her room for a week.

Beatrice liked school. She liked her friends. She liked her teacher. She liked feeling normal. She wanted to go to school.

"Where's Aunt Susan?" Bea asked worriedly. "Can she pick us up?"

Beca looked up hopefully, grabbing her phone again.

"Yeah, yeah, good idea, Bea," she said in a rush. "Sue will get us."

Susan picked up almost immediately, her voice anxious at the unexpected call. But there was something else in her voice. It sounded rough. Croaky. Sick.

"Beca? What's up?" She asked for a third time. Beca snapped into action.

"Susan, are you okay?" Beca asked worriedly.

"I'm a little sick..." Susan said, her voice barely audible down the phone. "I've been feeling off for a couple of weeks now and it's finally caught up with me. Alice has it too - she's not in school today."

Beca felt her heart sink.

Susan couldn't come out sounding like that. Even if she did come, she couldn't leave Alice come alone, and it wasn't fair to bring out Alice if she was sick too.