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Why Beca agreed to go out and shop was a mystery in itself. Never have the words fun and Bella’s and shopping coincided, especially at big malls in larger cities they don’t seem to understand. Sure they had been to the Atlanta mall a few times; does that help them? No not really.
She should’ve stayed home where the house was free to blare mixes all day. Sitting in a decent air conditioned house. Instead she’s eating out of Chloe's Auntie Annie’s pretzel bucket and looking for the nearest exit.
“Let's go in here.” Chloe pulls her down a different hallway toward a good chunk of where the clothing stores are.
Somehow they had separated from the rest of the group, not sure how. One second they were walking together and the next it was just the two of them. Not like Beca is complaining
A crowded clothing store is fine when you're window shopping, but when in need of something new it’s challenging. Especially since the clothing store of choice is a robber in itself.
“What do you think?” Chloe holds up a long sleeve ribbed Henley top, covered in black and gray strips. Beca lets out a happy hum.
“I kinda like this.” Beca wraps it around her arm. She looks toward another pile of clothes, then sees the line for the dressed room. “I’ll go line up,”
Chloe disappears, looking around at other clothing items while Beca is sure to hold their place. She doesn’t have much to blow so not much of a point sitting in a pit of jealousy.
“You just disappeared.” Chloe whines, “Are you trying that on?”
“Yeah I think I want it. Did you find anything?”
“No,” Chloe frowns. “I mean I did already get a few things from here but, whatever.”
“Go shop while I'm in line, it will be a second any ways.”
Chloe shakes her head. “Then like we’ll lose the spot.”
Beca raises her eyebrow. “I won't leave, you are leaving.”
“I know but, I can check later.” Chloe is very serious about sticking by her side, and while it keeps her feeling safe it’s also a little funny. The loops she jumps in and out of to act like she's not sticking by her side.
Beca rolls her eyes and just goes along with it. Shockingly the changing rooms move quick, and not before is she shoved into a stall.
Throwing off her top she puts on the Henley, pulling it over her shoulder and throwing her hair out that gets stuck underneath it. She lets out a satisfied hum, leaning over in the mirror to see how accentuated her boobs become.
It fits nicely, and is warm. It it worth the money? No but it’s one item, she hasn't bough anything out in a long time.
Removing the top she feels a pain run through her head, like a tug on her hair. She tries to fully take it off again but to no avail. Beca moved back toward the mirror, looking at what it could be and sees that the security tag is stuck in her hair.
“Oh my god.” Beca tugs it, and nothing happens. She tries to pull the strand out and nothing happens. “Holy shit.”
She walks back over to throw on her shirt, holding the top in her hand like you would any other top, and just throws more hair over the caught part. The door opens and closes without her noticing, and her eyes move from Chloe’s face to the first worker she can find.
“Hi uhm, I don't know if you can help me but,” Beca holds up the top, showing that it is physically attached to her hair. Cheeks growing hot as the worker exclaims loudly and the line of people waiting to use a changing room turn to look.
He signals her toward the front desk, asking the two girls working what they could do. Beca smiles nervously. “We can cut that patch if we need, I’m due for a haircut any ways.” Nobody laughs beside herself.
The two girls look deeply puzzled, looking between each other for an answer before moving to find someone else. Beca frowns.
“Here let me.” A girl pops up behind her. “We won’t have to cut it today.” She says, reassuring and slowly running her fingers through the ends of her hair to take it out. It’s a harsh tug, and Beca whimpers around the feeling.
She apologizes, and that’s when one of the workers also appears, scissors and tag remover in hand.
Chloe is no help here, not like she can be when Beca is so crowded but bright blue eyes appear in her vision at the sight of scissors. Wide and concerned.
The girl still has her hands in the tag, and she isn’t sure how the process is going but nobody seems more panicked. Which has to be good.
“Never have I seen this, but you probably aren’t be the only one.” One of the workers says, and Beca slightly recognizes her as a graduate of Barden. She was from one of the first classes Beca did, only recognizable by her hair color.
So blonde it's basically white.
“Any pain?” The woman asks, a small tug on the top but Beca doesn’t feel anything. She shakes her head. “You’re all free.”
Beca beams with thankfulness. “Thank you so so much, you are truly a life saver.”
She shrugs it off, walking away and Chloe looks amused as the crowd around her dissipates. “Going to get the top?” She asks, “It’s covered in your DNA now.”
Beca hits her shoulder and Chloe giggles.
“I mean I guess I should.” Beca walks to an empty till, watching the price of the shirt not lower from what is had said when she first walked over. Thinking it was an older item scanned.
“They sold it to me for half price .” Beca says, whipping the clothing bag in her hand from side to side. Chloe thinks it's the funniest thing in the world, the second they step out of the clothing store she’s in tears.
“See I told you the Atlanta mall is fun.”