The New Manager (Pentatonix)

19.

After the late night interview, Scott went home.

It was late, so he tried to be quiet when walking into his house. Apparently, he was too quiet, however, as he walked in on two people that were getting rather... physical.

He didn't look too closely, trying to ignore them, before he heard a moan that was unmistakably his boyfriend's.

"Alex?!" He cried out. 

The two on the floor looked up.

"Jake?! How could you...?" He cried.

Alex looked ashamed.

Jake, however, wasn't ashamed in the slightest.

"What? You abandoned him for over two months, chasing after that new manager chick that you've got the hots for. Did you really expect him to wait for you?" Jake sneered.

Alex looked over to his lover, and then to his boyfriend.

"While Jake may have put it a little too bluntly, he's right. You're only chasing after Michelle because she reminds you of Mitch. Be honest. You've only ever loved him." Alex slurred. Intoxication was making him bold.

Scott stood, his gaping mouth trying to find words.

The disgust he felt, the shame he felt, the 'aha' moment when Alex voiced Scott's inner thoughts... his emotions could never be described by mere verbal characters.

Giving up, he walked back out the door.

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Michelle was a... special case.

Most people had temporary memory loss after a concussion... but it should have been back by now.

And how could she forget her true identity?

It had befuddled all of the doctors on her case. No one could figure it out.

Esther could, however... and it wasn't a very complicated reason either.

Mitch had truly hated himself.

Even after he left the band, he didn't really get better.

So, when he had the reason to make a new identity, he ran with it.

He had people make legal documents. He had information on the internet inputted to look old. He created a new person.

As for why she forgot Mitch... she wanted to.

"It's funny," Esther mused aloud, "how Michelle can be so happy as something that she's not. I don't think that I've seen her this happy in at least four years."

"Well... why I may not know her reasons... she's finally happy. She might remember Mitch one day. Who knows..." Kevin said in a dry reply.

Esther looked up. "But what if...?"

Kevin smiled sadly. "Would you rather live a happy lie, or an unhappy truth?"

Esther paused to think about that.

"Well... she would choose the former, no doubt about it. I, however, would choose the latter. I would come to terms with it. But... who are we to judge? She's content. And in the end, that's all that matters."

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Kirstie picked up her phone, hearing it ring loudly. She was in the middle of making puppy-safe cupcakes for Olaf and Pascal.

"Hello?" She asked.

"Kit. I need you to see something. I'll text you an address. Can you get here? Now? Thanks!" Esther blurted, before hanging up.

A chirping sound from her phone announced that she had received the address.

She groaned. "Jer? I need to step out for a bit!" She called out to her fiancé.

Jeremy called the dogs over to him, leaving the lovely Alto to get cleaned up.

"Why would they call me now? I just want to make some treats for my little babies," she murmured to herself.

Sighing, she got in her car, and drove to the destination.

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A doorbell ring sounded through Mitch... Er... Michelle's apartment, and Kevin ran to get the door.

A confused Kirstin stood there.

"Okay... everyone but Scott knows this. You need to know." Kevin said, leading the alto to the living room.

"Oh, hey Michelle. What's up?" She asked, sweetly, not realizing that Michelle was asleep.

Avi sat beside Kirstie, just in case the alto had a negative reaction.

"Kit... she's not really Michelle. Have you never noticed how familiar she looks? How her name is a play on the name of someone else we know? How her hair is clearly fake?" Esther asked, calmly.

Looking closer, she did in fact see some things.

Michelle Coby... Mitchell Coby Michael Grassi?!

"Please say you're kidding." She muttered.

Avi shook his head no, gesturing for Kevin to remove Michelle's wig.

The mostly shaved head told everything.

"Well... shït." She said.

And then passed out, shock getting the best of her.

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When Kirstie came to once again, Michelle was finally awake.

"Oh, are you alright? You had quite the fall," Michelle blubbered.

Kirstie looked at the others.

"How are you all so calm about this?!" She shrieked.

Kevin looked down. Esther looked away. Avi met Kirstie's eyes with a look of desperation.

"Because... she doesn't remember him. At all."

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After a while, everyone was calm. Avi and Kevin had explained everything to her, and they all exchanged theories.

"What do we even do?" Kirstie asked, the lack of hope in her voice bearing down on the group.

Esther looked up. "I don't know. I mean, Mitch is gone... but we made Michelle a real person. She could be a manager somewhere else, if she desired. Right now... we just coast it out."

They all sat in silence, and Michelle's small apartment was filled with the sounds of pencil on paper.

Michelle was in a corner, scribbling her way through a sheet of paper.

"What's that?" Kevin asked, honest curiosity tinting his voice.

Michelle looked up, puzzled. "A song... what else?"

"Can... can you sing it for me?" Kirstie asked, her scared voice coming as a shock to everyone.

Michelle looked up at everyone- and sighed, reassignment evident in her eyes.

"Yah, I guess. I'm not that good, though..."

She looked up at Avi's shining eyes, and took a deep breath.

With that, she started to sing.