The Salvation

-Boys' Bathroom-

When Val walks away, a door opens and a voice appears, "Dude, what the heck? What does being a girl or a boy have anything to do with being a guitarist? We are struggling to be a professional band and your words were just mocking us! You basically said that we choose someone based on genders, not skills. Well, shame on you for being so negative with a girl playing guitar, dammit!" It seems like Peter, the guitarist, defended Val, or the idea of his band being treated cheaply.

"Are you going to pick her? Then I'm sorry, you just lost a fan, here," the guy says confidently.

"Well, great! Cause we don't need a stupid fan like you who cannot appreciate music without being a stupid misogynist," Peter says sarcastically to those guys.

Little did she know that someone believed in her without complaining about her gender.

-Cheer Tryout-

"That's the best you can do?! You are so off the list! Next!" the captain shouts.

"Does she think that our team is some kind of joke?" she gets mad.

"You can't even do a split? Well, you can rot on the bench, then! There better be a decent one after that!" she bellows to a girl.

Her screaming and shouting kind of make Beca tremble and startle, but she is fired up. "The next one is... Rebecca Farrell. Impress us!" The cheer captain screams with a serious pitch.

Beca enters the stage while tumbling and lands perfectly. The jury is starting to see her more seriously after her perfect tumble.

"Hello, I am Rebecca Farrell and I am here for the tryout," she speaks confidently.

"Show us what you got," the cheer captain says.

She starts to jump on the air and tumbles around. She dances with the typical cheer moves while shouting some cheer stuff. She does a one-hand cartwheel and the flash kick layout. Lastly, she does a back handspring step out and finishes off with a split.

"Hmph... pretty impressive... You're in!" The cheer captain throws a pair of pom-poms to Beca.

She catches them and does a split jump while smiling widely. "Told ya I was gonna ace this..." Beca whispers proudly.

-Basketball Tryout-

"I heard that the son of Bryan Olsen is coming..." someone says.

"You mean one of the top basketball players around? Oh my god! he must be good then," another says.

"Well, if he doesn't live up to the expectation then it'll be a huge disappointment, bro!" the previous one gossips.

Without knowing which one is Olsen's son, they have been gossiping about Felix in front of him.

Felix, who's been living his whole life under his father's shadow, just watches them silently.

"Don't worry, man. You're gonna be awesome!" Kai encourages Felix.

"Yeah! We all know that you are the ace! Don't hear those bastards. They don't know what they're talking about" Caleb also comforts him.

The three of them stare at those gossipers for a second and sigh.

"Let's do this..." Felix mutters with an assured tone while nodding his head to them. Felix's confidence just brings the proud smiles from Kai and Caleb who also nod their heads.

-Days After, After School, Seaside High Cafeteria-

"Urgh, I'm so pissed!" Val yells and hits the table.

"What happened?" Kai asks her while rubbing her back.

"You could never do badly on playing guitar, so what happened?" Joanne asks her.

"I aced my performance but some jerks in boys' bathroom said that I could never make it to the list because I'm a freakin' girl and they didn't wanna see a girl as the new guitarist! Urgh, bastards!" Val swears to express her anger.

"Ooh, that ain't cool..." Felix says while shaking his head to express disagreement.

"I also experienced some people calling me Asian and said that Asians should just make a new club because apparently, 'Asians' have been stealing their spots." Joanne also reveals the thing that upset her.

"Stupid asses, that's disgusting!" Beca also reveals her disgust toward the stereotypes that have gotten way more annoying than ever.

"Well, this dude also got some! People kept saying because he's the son of Olsen he has to be great! Urgh, talk about pressures!" Caleb yells while referring to Felix.

"People are so annoying saying that we have to be this or that! Why can't we just live peacefully the way we want to?" Kai adds.

"You know what? Let's get some ice cream!" Caleb shouts.

"Good idea, I'm so pissed!" Val agrees on and stands with him.

"Anyone, ice cream?" Val asks them.

"Yeah!",

"Duh!",

"Yes!",

"Please!", they all answer at the same time with anger and excitement mixed.

After Val and Caleb went to buy ice cream, some girls start to hit on Kai, in front of the rest of them... "Hey! You're Kai, right? Can we sit here?" a brunette girl asks him flirtatiously.

"I'm sorry... but the seats are taken..." Kai rejects them softly.

"But I don't see anyone sitting here, though..." another girl insists.

"They searchin' for ice cream, so you both can get lost," Felix, who suddenly gets brave, says coldly to those girls.

"Geesh, you can at least say it politely. This is what happens when you talk to an ugly black guy..." the brunette whispers while rolling her eyes.

They gasp at the same time because her words immediately disgust all of them. She got them speechless for her racist attitude.

"Dude, she is so off your list! You are so not allowed to date her!!!" Beca yells to Kai with a disgusted look on her face.

"Duh!" Kai agrees on her with disgust in his tone.

"What a bitch..." Val, who's back from getting ice cream, mumbles with an unpleasant look.

"Dude, what happened here?!" Caleb shouts to ask for the story.

"Some girl was hitting on Kai, but she turned out to be one racist bitch!" Joanne swears with fury in her tone.

Joanne, who is normally polite, just cannot tolerate ignorance.

"Well, we heard the last part! Urgh, let's just forget about this and eat ice cream y'all!" Val hollers while handing the ice cream to them.

"Oh, I'm so craving ice cream after screaming so much!" Beca screams, again, while spooning her ice cream.

"I told ya, the first day sucks!" Felix shouts while getting the ice cream into his mouth.

"Oh, my mood is very lightened up by this ice cream!" Caleb shouts in delight.

"I'd be surprised if it didn't..." Val says sarcastically to him while sipping on her ice cream.

Hearing Val's sarcastic, but hilarious, response, they all just stare at Caleb, who's having a disbelieving look. Then they start to stare at each other and laugh at his soft spot for food.

"Oh yeah, you got brave for saying that to those bitches, Felix!" Beca compliments Felix, who is usually quiet in front of strangers.

"You did? Way to go, bro!" Val shouts in delight, with slight fire and surprise in her tone.

"Well, now that you mention it... I guess someone possessed me!" Felix jokes.

They just crack up at his ridiculous answer and start to eat their ice cream again.

"What about you, Beca? Something weird or annoying happened during tryout?" Kai asks her.

"Well... I think... the captain's just crazy! She was shouting the whole time. I was genuinely worried that she was gonna break her vocal cords. I think they're already broken by now!" Beca explains with a disbelieving expression and exaggerated hand gestures.

Her exaggerating yet hilarious reaction automatically put them to laugh.

While they are laughing, two guys are approaching their table, holding their food trays.

"Hey, Valentina, 'Val' for short right?" asks a guy who turns out to be Peter, the guitarist.

"Oh, yeah! It's Val! Hi!" Val says while sitting nicely after crouching lazily while eating her ice cream.

"Your performance was dope... I hope to work with you in the future." Peter says.

"Well, thanks. I hope so too..." says Val who's flustered about his sudden compliment.

"Oh, these are my friends... Guys, these are the official band members."

Val introduces them to each other. They all greet each other simply with some chill attitudes.

"Well, we'll see you around then..." Peter says goodbye to Val with a sweet and cool smile. Both Peter and Mike go for some other table to eat.

"What the- You didn't mention that the members are cuties- or hotties! Dude, I can't even decide!" Beca fangirls over the two of them.

"Well, that wasn't important..." Kai responds while being sulky.

"Bro, you ain't jealous, right?" Felix teases Kai.

"Tch! J-jealous? Why would I?!" Kai scoffs while looking at the other way.

"If you aren't then just say it, dude. Your reaction seemed suspicious..." Caleb also teases him with his suspicious eyes.

"Yeah, now that you mention it..." Beca also teases him as if something was fishy there.

"Hey, it's not like that! Geez!" Val denies them while giggling nervously.

"Y'all are crazy... the sugar is definitely affecting very hard!" Kai just shakes his head to them while giggling.

They all just laugh after hearing his response.

Well, Kai and Val have been dealing with those rumors and teases about them dating when they are not dating. So, it's not even news to them.

"Well if you guys ain't really dating, just hook up with them, Val!" Beca encourages her jokingly.

"That's... not entirely stupid, coming out of your mouth, Beca..." Val answers sarcastically.

They crack up again after hearing them both, but Kai struggles to laugh naturally when he doesn't genuinely agree with that idea.

Will Val actually hook up with one of the band members or will it only be in Beca's imagination? If that does happen, will Kai be stuck between them or will one of the members be stuck between Val and Kai?

It seems like, not all of them spent some pleasant time on their first day.

Some were facing expectations, some were facing racist stereotypes, some were facing sexist comments, and some were facing a captain with issues.

No matter how annoying things get, they can always meet each other and laugh at it all. As if they're going back home, laughing with each other is the best way to heal and release their anger and insecurities.

Without they realize it, they are the salvation that they need for each other after a long and tiring day. As long as they're together, they can overcome every hard day ahead of them. They are the salvation that they need for each other. They are the salvation that they long after a long and tiring day.

Preview for next chapter:

The seniors or the official members are standing in front of them with serious expressions.

"There is a pledge that you have to take. The first one is never-"