A/N: Over a hundred reads! That's pretty exciting :) Thank you, hope you enjoy.
We've decided that we're going to do ET. It should show off the sound that we're starting to develop as a group as well as our individual talents. We were rehearsing in a small studio type room. Kevin and I were working on a small percussion break that we were going to fit in towards the end of the song and the others were working on their solos. "I'm just going to get a drink, anyone want anything?" Kirstie asks. "Nope."
"I'm fine, Katherine."
"No thanks Kirstie."
"Ok." She walks over to the door, opens it and walks straight into someone.
"Sorry." He says as he reaches out his hand to help steady her. "It's fine." She smiles shyly at him. "I'm Matt." "Kirstie." They shake hands as everyone looks on curiously. "Are you rehearsing in here?" Matt asks. Kirstie nods. "Ah okay. My group were looking for somewhere to practice but obviously this room is taken."
"Sorry."
"No apology necessary, hopefully see you again soon Kirstie."
He leaves the room with a smile and a wave to the rest of us and Kirstie just stands there blushing for a moment. "Oh my God. Kirstie he was totally flirting with you." Mitch exclaims as he runs over to her. "Really?"
"He definitely was Kirst." Kevin answers. Scott looks at me with his head tilted to the side and his eyebrows raised. I shake my head at him slightly and he shrugs. I effectively turned her down, she can flirt with whoever she likes.
That doesn't mean though, that I enjoy watching her laugh at his jokes or blush whenever he compliments her. We've started hanging out with the other groups more and that means her spending more time with him. He seems like a good guy and I know that I have no right to be jealous but I can't help it. I need to get over it or it's going to affect the group. The other groups are nice though and it's cool to hang out with them, I'm learning a lot about music and competition and it is fun even though it's hard work. We've got pretty close with a group called Sonos and Kevin keeps insisting that their Soprano Jess likes me but I don't see it.
It's time for our first performance and we're waiting back stage nervously. The Dartmouth Aires have just finished performing. We're going to be the second to perform tonight so we know we need to make an impression so that the judges remember us. Scott, Kirstie and Mitch are holding hands and sitting in silence, Kevin's pacing up and down and I'm just trying my best to stay calm. "Pentatonix. Time to go on."
We walk onto the stage and take up our positions. "Here's Pentatonix." The host, Nick Lachey announces. It's time.
"I thought it was really great and a lot of fun." Ben Folds says to us and it's hard for me to try and keep my cool. They liked it, they really liked it. "Do you know how hard it is to be on key being a bass and standing still? Let alone doing this." Shawn says as he does an impression of our choreography. The audience laugh and applaud and I feel my cheeks going red as Kirstie turns to smile up at me. The applause from the crowd and those comments from the judges have us all on a high and when we go backstage to tell the camera how we feel I can barely string a sentence together. We manage a couple of phrases before we just start screaming and hugging each other.
Waiting to find out whether we've made it through is horrible. Listening to the cheers for the other two groups slowly destroys our post-performance confidence and Mitch is saying what we're all thinking when he makes us promise that if we go home we'll stay in touch. We walk out onto the stage with the other groups and wait for the verdict. It's us against the Messiah's men, the Dartmouth Aires and the Sonos and even though they're our friends now all I care about is Pentatonix. One of the groups has to go home and it can't be us.
"And the first group who will be continuing to the next round is..." There's a long pause during which I swear I can hear the breathing of the other four and then Nick announces loudly "Pentatonix! Congratulations." I don't hear whatever it is that he says next, I'm too busy hugging everyone and trying not to cry.
