The Other Side (Scomiche)

IV

The post show buzz was still coursing through Mitch's veins as they stepped off stage. Avi was extra bouncy as he squeezed the petite man into a hug and the moment their in-ears were removed a burst of conversation and laughter hit the quintet and their tour manager. He'd nearly forgotten about the big Scott shaped problem waiting for him down the hallway, but then his best friend turned to him with a luminescent smile, a string of compliments rolling off of his tongue, and all of the questions and weirdness came crashing back down.

His face fell and it was only a beat later that Scott's joined it.

What now? What do you do with a strange man who looks just like your best friend and somehow claims he IS him. Call the police? No. He didn't do anything...yet.

"Um, we should change." Scott was tugging him down the hall by his arm before he could even respond. The others barely gave them a second glance.

"Easy. I don't need a leash, y'know." He pulled his arm away and took a deep breath as he followed Scott towards one of the changing rooms. The door had barely clicked shut before Scott was collapsing into a chair, his fingers ruining his perfectly styled coif. 

Mitch stood in front of him trying to figure out what to do with nervous hands and settled on crossing his arms over his chest. 

"What are we going to do with him. It's not like we can sneak him onto the bus."  

Scott just looked at him through worried eyes. "Why is he here? What does he want?" 

"I don't know, but we'll figure it out. We always do." He put a hand on Scott's shoulder, but the tension didn't abate in the least.

"Mitch if he does something... people would think it's me. Even you thought he was me at first."

"For like a microsecond and it was only at a glance. It's obvious when you really look at him."

"What do we do?" Scott looked young and vulnerable as he stared up at him, and Mitch switched to protecto mode.

"We should tell someone. The more people that know there is another you walking around the better. It'll keep people from mistaking him for you without thinking twice."

"No. First I want to know why he's here and why the hell he thinks he's 'me'. There has to be a reason and I just can't seem to come up with anything harmless."

"Maybe you should let me talk to him alone." 

"NO. Hell no! There is NO way I'm leaving you alone with him even for a second."

"Easy, Turbo. You keep freaking out before we get anywhere. I don't know why but I think he trusts me."

"I don't care. I don't trust him, especially not with you."

Mitch shook his head, but he couldn't fight the fond smile that crept up his lips. "Alright. We don't have a lot of time to figure this out so we should just rip off the bandaid and get it over with. Lets go get some answers." He turned to head out the door, but Scott wrapped his arms around him from behind and squeezed him tight.

"I know it's stupid, but I'm scared, Mitch."

The whispered words against his hair hit him in the chest and he put his hands over Scott's arms. "It's not stupid. I would have lost my mind by now. God, could you imagine if another ME showed up."

Scott chuckled and finally released him. "That wouldn't be so bad, but there could only ever be one Queen. Alright, let's go... and pray he disappeared or that I'm still asleep at the hotel and this is all a dream."