Rewound {PTX}

Slytherin

"Well? Did it fix everything?" Kirstie asks, pointing at my brownie.

"Yes, actually."

"Hah! I told you it was magical!" I'm beginning to think she actually doesn't know what a magic brownie is. Just as well.

"Your advice helped too."

"You're getting the roses!?!"

"No! Scott has someone else to get him roses."

"Oh. Right. Sorry."

"It was what you said about Scott being protective. I understood him a lot better because of that. I probably would have just made things worse if you hadn't explained."

"Are you going to talk to him now about whatever it is you won't tell me about?"

"What? I already talked to him. We worked it all out."

"I know you two communicate telepathically, but I didn't know it worked at a distance. Or did Scott teleport here for a quick chat while I was away grabbing a knife?"

"That hypothetical scenario wasn't hypothetical at all. I can go to the past. I was just there, and Scott apologized, and I apologized, and we're good now. Kevin talked some sense into him."

"Well, whatever it is, you certainly seem happier."

"While you're still giving out useful advice, Kirstie, what am I supposed to do without Pentatonix?"

"Write an album, sing it, drop it, and repeat. What else would you do? That's what I plan on. There'll be some touring involved too, and a band, and I'm going to get back to Azelle today about an audition."

"You make it sound so straightforward."

"It is. You work hard, you succeed."

"Not true. There are millions, probably billions, of people who work harder than me and barely have enough to eat."

"Let me rephrase, then: you work hard, you succeed more than you would have otherwise. You're talented, not to mention young, famous, beautiful, funny, well-connected, and financially stable. You'll make it. Get excited, Mitch. What do you want? You can achieve it. The sky's the limit."

"I want my friends."

"Oh. Well, you'll still have Scott. You two barely speak to the rest of us anyway."

"I was barely even speaking to him for a while. How long have I been an awful friend? Was I always this way?"

"I count myself lucky even to have met you. It's okay if you're not always talking. Your company is enough. I'm glad you're here talking now, though. It's been a while."

"If you could go back in time to the very beginning of Pentatonix, what would you do differently?"

"Nothing. Maybe I'd waste less time trying to arrange Taylor Swift songs, since they never work for us, but there's nothing I truly regret."

"Anything you'd try to make better?"

"Nothing important comes to mind. Why? What would you change?"

"You don't believe me, but I actually do know how to go back to 2011, and I'm trying to decide what to do there."

"Don't live in the past. You have an incredible future. I'm going to miss Pentatonix too, but can't you see how amazing it could be?"

"I don't have what it takes. I can sing, but I don't have the drive or the passion that keeps the rest of you going. I'm just along for the ride, trying to pull my weight but never really pushing us forward. It was Scott and Ben who made all this happen, and I was just fortunate enough to know someone really ambitious. He wants to step back, though, and it's not in my character to step up."

"Don't tell yourself what you can't do. There are enough people to hold you back without you limiting yourself."

"I know myself."

"You do? Then do you think you could deliver a message to yourself from me? Quit putting yourself down."

"I'll let me know, but I'm not sure it'll do much."

"I have an idea that might help."

"Yeah?"

"A little friendly competition. You, and Scott if he takes your side, against me. The winner gets to take over the loser's phone and social media for twenty-four hours."

I narrow my eyes. "You're on."

"I haven't even told you the challenge yet!"

"I want to mess with Jeremy."

"Too bad you're going to lose, then," she taunts.

"Don't be so sure."

"First person to win a Grammy outside of Pentatonix wins."

"And if we both win the same night? Should I be aiming for the Grammys they announce first?"

"That's the spirit! What you think you lack in ambition, you make up in competition. Don't try to deny your Slytherin roots. We'll get an impartial judge to mediate if there's any ambiguity."

"Like when you win Record of the Year, but I win Album of the Year, Best New Artist, and Song of the Year."

"Brag all you want about Best Single. I'm still happier with Best Couple."

"Low blow, Kirstie." She knows it'll only make the competition more fun. "And it's not even accurate. Scömìche has you beat, and we aren't even real! And Jirstie won't be real either once I get my hands on your Twitter and use it to flirt with every guy you've ever met."

"I'm going to spam your followers with glamour shots of Alicia Keys and link to all her music."

"I'm going to unfollow everyone on all your accounts."

"I'm going to block all your favorite people and delete your entire contact list."

"I'm going to miss you."

"I'm going to miss you too, but not enough to take it easy on you."

"Obviously. I'm going to pulverize you." I guess I have to figure out how to get a Grammy now.