A Twist of Fate SERIES (Pentatonix)

(4) Say Something

( SCOTT )

I walk into work later that morning, feeling like I'm dragging a ten-ton brick behind me. The bell above the door jingles as I enter, immediately drawing unwanted attention to myself from people scattered around the lobby. I just need to tell Colin that I'm taking the day off for personal reasons, call my students, and grab a few things.

About a half hour after I saw Mitch, his parents showed up, and I fled. I couldn't make myself look at them or talk to them; I didn't know how much Mitch had told them, and wouldn't want to make their day even worse.

Kevin then drove me back to Arlington Medical Center, where I finally checked my phone and answered the fiftieth call from Lauren. After she yelled at me and I weakly half-explained what happened and where I was,—keeping out the part about who, exactly, had been involved in the accident—she came to pick me up and made me stay the night at her house...although it was probably more to assure Landon that Uncle Scott was okay than to assure herself.

I pull the hood further up on my head, and make my way towards the back room, to my office, where all of my lessons take place. When I push through the door, though, I step on a piece of paper, and then notice the explosion of sheet music, guitar picks, and pencils everywhere.

I groan, knowing that my OCD would force me to help pick everything up later, but, in my current state, that's the last thing I want to do. I step over it all, then make my way over towards my office.

"Shit," I mutter, remembering that I wasn't at home last night, and so I don't have my keys. As I'm haphazardly looking around for something to pick the lock with, simply because I'm too tired to go down to Colin's office to get the spare, I hear somebody else around the corner, and my heart starts pounding against my ribcage. I self-consciously pull my hood even further over my head, and stuff my hands into the hoodie's pocket.

"Oh, Scott, hi." It's Colin. I instinctively look towards him; he's hoisting a cardboard box off the floor. He groans from the weight, then turns towards me, his smile quickly faltering. "Dear God, Hoying. You look like you haven't slept in days."

I stifle a small laugh, muttering, "I haven't," but Colin probably doesn't hear me. He's putting the cardboard box back on the floor, and then wipes his forehead with the back of his hand.

"Is everything all right?" he asks me, his voice completely laced with concern.

I scratch the back of my head, looking at him through my bloodshot eyes. "Not really," I admit quietly. "But I, uh, I don't have my key, and I need to get in..." I subtly gesture to my office door.

Colin seems confused for a moment, but then he gives an epiphanic nod and sprints off down the hall towards his office. I sigh as I watch him leave, so void of emotion that I don't even know what I'm supposed to do. My Saturdays are always spent teaching from ten in the morning to five in the afternoon, only leaving forty-five minutes free for myself. Except I usually have something to do.

Today? All I want to do is go see Mitch and Kirstie, but what scares me just as much as their dying is their parents hating me, too. There's no doubt in my mind that Mitch has told his parents at least some of what happened—and there's no doubt in my mind Nel and Mike hate me. As for Angelica...I'm not exactly sure what Kirstie could have told her, but I just don't want to find myself in the middle of anything I shouldn't be involved with.

Kevin still pulled some strings, though, and put my name on both of their visitation lists. And as much as I want to use that to my advantage, I'm terrified of doing so.

Colin comes back with my spare key before I have anymore time to let my thoughts take over my mind. I gratefully take the key from him and wordlessly unlock the door.