The Moon, The Sun, and Everything Else

Just For Now - Full Length

Full length oneshot from the excerpt, "Just For Now"

Based on real events and real people ❤

Circa SingOff Era

"Have any of you seen Ben?" Scott asked, looking for their manager.

"Um, no. I haven't for a while." Kirstie said.

"Me either." Kevin added, sitting down. Mitch just shrugged and sat beside Kevin, but he quickly stood back up when he saw something on the side table.

"What's this?" Mitch asked, picking up the card.

"You tell me. Read it." Scott replied.

Dear Mitchell, Scott, Avriel, Kevin, and Kirstin,

I wanted you five to hear it first that I am resigning my role as manager for your group. You've been left in very trustworthy hands back in Arlington, and they will be making their way to L.A. as soon as possible.

Please know that this decision wasn't at fault of any one of you. I just had to do what I felt was best for me at this time.

Please don't let this get you down, I'll be cheering you all on. You'll go far, kids.

Best of luck and all of my love,
Ben Bram

"What?!" Scott exclaimed. "Let me see this." He tore the note from his friend's hands and skimmed through it once more. "Best of luck and all of my love, signed Ben Bram." Scott said aloud, throwing the note down as he put his head in his hands.

And it was in that exact moment that for the first time in their lives, all five members of Pentatonix felt undeniably stranded.

~~~~~

At the drop of the news, everyone just fell silent. Nobody spoke, nobody even dared to look at one another. After five minutes of just sitting there in silence, everyone scrambled off, not being able to take the tension anymore.

"I need a drink." Scott mumbled, crossing over to the mini fridge and grabbing the bottle of orange juice. Everyone gave Scott a look when he started taking orange juice shots from the lid of his empty water bottle.

"I second this." Mitch announced, joining Scott at the small table, acquiring another cap to take orange juice shots from. Kevin just rolled his eyes, as he sat down across from Avi. Right as Avi sat down, he scanned the room, and realized that they haven't seen Kirstie since Mitch first read the letter. At this, he stood up and went searching in the only place where she could be.

"Hey, you alright?" Avi asked, pulling the curtain to Kirstie's bunk aside. He frowned when he saw Kirstie all curled up in mountains of blankets, her back to the curtain. He heard Kirstie sniffle a few times before she turned to face him. Her eyes were red, and her cheeks were flushed. Makeup was smeared down her cheeks, and even soaking into her pillow.

"Y-Yeah." Kirstie's voice cracked, and immediately after telling her lie, she shook her head. Avi nodded and wrapped her in his arms.

"I know, I know." Avi continued to nod as he hugged Kirstie tighter.

"I'm not dealing with this right now." Kirstie pulled away from the hug. She buried herself back under her blankets.

"Princess, you can't just act like it didn't happen." Avi kissed the tip of her nose.

"But we have so much to work on, that this...I can't handle it right now." She covered her face up with her hands.

"I know, Babe, I know, but we can't ignore it." He rubbed her knee.

"The first show is in 48 hours, Avi! With judges and the World watching! It's too much to focus on! Can we ignore it just for now?" Kirstie peeked her head out from her hands.

"Alright, Kirst. I'll tell you this. Come outside with the rest of us, and yes, we can ignore it just for now." Avi half smiled and took Kirstie's hand, leading her out to where the rest of the group was. Needless to say, they were equally as bad condition as Kirstie was, and equally as distraught as Avi was hiding.

Scott and Mitch were already a third of the way through the bottle of juice, while Kevin hadn't moved. Avi wasn't sure if he'd even blinked. Kirstie, she was just in a blurry state of emotional shock. She didn't know what to say or what to think about the situation at hand. Someone they trusted with their lives completely let them down.

"What are you two doing?" Kirstie asked, her voice still an octave or so higher from all her crying. "Are you taking orange juice...shots?" She asked, and Scott looked up after throwing his head back from yet another non-alcoholic shot.

"Yeah." Scott nodded.

"That's a lot of orange juice to be drinking at once." Kirstie told them. Like, if this is what they're doing now, she couldn't begin to imagine what would've been happening if they were both of legal drinking age.

"And?" Scott asked. Mitch looked up too.

"And you're going to make yourselves sick, stop."

"Okay, okay, she has a point." Mitch said, looking over to Scott.

"Fine." Scott mumbled, closing the bottle of juice and joining the others on the couches.

The group was still silent. Even over dinner - which was from a takeout place right down the street - nobody really spoke. Sure the occasional, "excited for show?" was dropped, but nothing that would be considered a real conversation.

"I'm headed to sleep now. Goodnight, you all." Kirstie said, waving.

"Wait, Kirst." Avi called, running after her.

"Yeah?"

Avi gave her a kiss before speaking. "You still seem like you need to talk to someone about this whole thing. It's killing you, I can tell."

Kirstie half smiled at the amount of care that Avi had for her. "What happened to ignoring it 'just for now'?"

"Kirst, I know you. You're going to think yourself sick over this, I know you will."

"Alright, Avi, listen, can we extend this whole "just for now" time range? Just until post first show, then we can stop ignoring it." Kirstie posed her idea.

"Kirstin, that's not healthy, that's not okay. It's going to eat you up before then." Avi explained.

"Please?"

Avi knew there was no fighting back. "Alright, Kirst. We can ignore it just for now."