Epic Promportions

Bechloe Week Theme: AU (Day 5)

Chapter Summary: It's prom season, and Beca struggles to find the perfect way to ask her girlfriend, Chloe, to the dance. High school AU.

It's May in Atlanta, and that can only mean one thing.

It's prom season.

And I, Beca Mitchell, senior at Barden Performing Arts High School, am expected to attend.

The whole practice always seemed rather strange to me, spending a bunch of money on an outfit, a limo, and dinner just to spend 4 hours in a crowded dance hall with people you won't remember a month after graduation, and my plan had been to avoid the entire thing. But that was before I met Chloe. My sweet, pretty, totally-obsessed-with-prom girlfriend, who I know is expecting a perfect experience, starting with an elaborate invitation (mostly because Aubrey told me last week). I'm not typically such a people-pleaser, but this is my girlfriend, and I like making her happy. Plus, if I fuck up prom, I'm pretty sure Aubrey will kill me for making her best friend sad, and that's not a risk I'm willing to take. So unforgettable, romantic invitation it is.

Now I've just got to figure out how to do it.

X

"Becaw! How're you doing this fine day?" I whipped around to see my best friend, Jesse, approaching my locker quickly, his backpack bouncing as he went.

"I saw you two hours ago at lunch, Jesse," I remarked, slamming my locker and grinning at him. "But the rest of my day was decent- Peter asked Allie to prom during math with a mariachi band." At a performing arts high school, musical invitations are big, but that was out there even for us.

"Yeah? Strange, but I'm assuming Allie said yes, so it got the job done. What'd Chloe think of it?" Jesse asked, making his way out of the school. We sat on the bench out front, waiting for our girlfriends to meet us there.

"Of course, Allie loved it, and Chloe leaned over to whisper to me about how sweet it was that Peter used music to ask her." I said, trying not to roll my eyes at the ridiculousness of it all.

"Well that's one thing to add to your checklist, then," he laughed, punching me in the shoulder.

"Checklist?"

"Prom-asking checklist. Dude, are you kidding me? I've been keeping one for Aubrey since the beginning of the school year. Every 'sweet' prom thing she talks about, I take note of. I'm dating Aubrey Posen, do you really think I could get away with a mediocre invitation?" He smiled at me, a dopey look taking over his face as he talked about his lovely girlfriend. "I mean, I wouldn't put it past Aubrey to tell me no if I didn't ask her in a way she thought was adequate."

"I don't think Chloe would ever tell me no," I sighed, "but you're probably right. Chloe's the kind of girl who's been dreaming of the perfect prom since middle school, and I sure as hell don't want to be the one who screws that up for her." Jesse nodded, pulling out a piece of notebook paper and scrawling Beca's Prom-Posal Ideas/Checklist at the top.

"Prom-posal? You've got to be fucking with me."

"Just shut up and take the list, will you?" he rolled his eyes, handing me the piece of paper. The only thing under "checklist" was musical proposal, with plenty of room to add other items.

Awesome.

X

That same day, Chloe and I were in my room, her head on my chest as we lay in bed, some crappy movie playing in the background. I twirled some of her hair around my fingers, watching as the curls bounced back into place when I released it. She looked up at me and smiled, leaning up to plant a kiss on my jaw.

"So, baby, are you excited for the last month of school?" I asked her, pulling her closer to me.

"I am," she said, her head going back to its spot on my chest. "I'm so ready for graduation, our senior party, all of it," I felt her bounce a little, sitting up excitedly and looked at me.

"Yeah, it's all pretty unreal," I agreed, tracing a pattern on her thigh. "What have you thought of all the prom proposals?"

"They've all been so cute," she gushed, "and all so original. And I think it's crazy romantic how people are asking their significant others in front of everyone. It's like they're telling the entire school, 'hey, I really care about this person, so much that I want everyone to know that I'm taking them!'"

"Mmm, those are sweet." I replied. So, no private scavenger hunts or romantic dinner dates to ask Chloe- two of my previous ideas.

Well, shit.

X

A week later (and three weeks before prom), Jesse was in my living room, sprawled out on the floor as I worked on a mix. We were waiting for Chloe and Aubrey to join us, a double date at the Italian restaurant downtown planned for the evening.

"So, how's your list going?" he asked curiously, tossing a hair tie he found on the floor at me.

"Ugh, decent, I suppose," I told him, grabbing the list from my backpack. "So far I've got musical, public, original, not too expensive, and involving something that she loves."

"Sounds a lot like Aubrey's list," Jesse remarked, sitting up and smiling at me, "except she wants something private and romantic."

"Ugh, I'm jealous. I'd ask to trade girlfriends, but then I would have to take Aubrey out on a date, and that doesn't sound very fun." Jesse was about to comment when Aubrey and Chloe walked in, Chloe plopping next to me onto the couch.

"What about you taking Aubrey on a date?" Chloe asked, poking me in the side.

"I, um, oh. We were just talking about how strange it would be if Jesse and I switched girlfriends for a day," I laughed awkwardly, chanting don't mention anything about prom silently to myself.

"Because you couldn't imagine being with anyone other than me?" Chloe laughed, fluttering her eyelashes at me.

"Something like that," I agreed, leaning over to give her a kiss.

I vaguely heard Aubrey mention something about PDA being "so unladylike," but I was only half-listening.

X

I sat at Bellas practice, exactly 18 days before prom, grumbling silently to myself. We were supposed to be doing individual choreography work, but I already had the routine down (dating a co-captain had its perks), so I sat off to the side, my prom list in my lap.

"Bored without Chloe here to keep you company?" Aubrey asked, coming to stand in front of me.

"Huh? Oh, yeah, I suppose. I'm just trying to figure out how to ask her to prom," I cut to the chase, hoping Aubrey would sit down to help me. She took the bait, grabbing a chair and pulling it beside me.

"Amy, keep working on that turn!" she shouted as she took the list out of my hands. "'Prom-posal,' Mitchell?"

"Be quiet, I didn't come up with it. Has Chloe mentioned wanting anything that isn't on that list?"

"No," she said, handing the piece of paper back to me, "but I can't believe you haven't figured out how to ask her yet."

"I know! I just want it to be per-"

"No, Beca, like I really can't believe you haven't figured out how to ask her yet."

"What do you mean?" I picked up my pen, raising an eyebrow at Aubrey and motioning for her to go on.

"Christ, do I really have to spell it out for you? Beca, what is the name of the a capella group we sing in?"

"Um, the Barden Bellas?" She nodded slowly at me.

"Right, and where are the Bellas performing next week?"

"The spring mixer…"

"Yes. And who just so happens to be absent from practice this week, giving you lots of time to come up with a romantic way to ask her to prom at the spring mixer using the Bellas, a group that said someone holds very close to her heart?"

"Chloe! Oh my God, I can ask Chloe to prom at the spring mixer!" I shouted, reaching out to give Aubrey a hug. She accepted it gingerly, patting me on the arm before pulling away.

"Aubrey, you're a genius." She scoffed at me, standing up and straightening out a wrinkle in her shirt.

"God knows someone has to be."

X

"Are you ready for today?" Jesse asked me just before we were set to perform at the mixer.

"Yes I'm ready, it's just a prom proposal," I laughed, hoping my nerves weren't obvious.

"Mhm, just a prom proposal. Remember, I'll be off to the side, and I'll hand the flowers to you once you guys are done singing to her."

"And you'll make sure the chair is there for her to sit and watch us?"

"I'll make sure the chair is there," he reassured me, "now go, you guys are on stage in two minutes."

"You're the best, Jess, thank you!" I smiled at him, giving him a high five before going to meet up with the Bellas.

The spring mixer was a huge event at Barden, open to all of the honor roll students. There was food, performances from Barden's various singing and acting groups, raffles, the works. Chloe had been looking forward to it for the entire school year, and I sincerely hoped that this would be the perfect place to ask her. We went through our set without a hitch, and before Chloe could walk off the stage, Jesse came up, pulling her to her seat.

"What's going on?" she asked, looking at all of us quizzically.

"I've got a bit of a surprise for you," I smiled, pulling a pitch pipe out of my pocket. "Ready, ladies?"

The Bellas nodded, and I gave pitch, the nine of us launching into a prom mix I had arranged especially for my girlfriend. She smiled through the entire thing, swooning and pulling her phone out, Jesse taking it out of her hand to record us for her. I noticed that he wasn't the only one, several other members of the student body holding their own recording devices and smiling at me. By the end of the mix, I was standing in front of Chloe, a bouquet of daisies (her favorite) in my hand.

"Chloe Beale, will you go to prom with me?"

She shot out of her seat, launching herself towards me for a hug. I pulled her in, kissing the top of her hair and laughing.

"Is that a yes?" I asked when I pulled back, handing her the flowers. She smiled at me, pecking me on the lips.

"Of course that's a yes, you dork."

The students in the courtyard started cheering, and Chloe laughed at them, pulling me in for another kiss. When we broke apart, she leaned her forehead against mine, whispering, "that was perfect, baby, thank you."

Nailed it.