The Boy From Italy (Pentatonix)

Ch 18. Suprise!

Low key want to rewrite this again.
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It was Monday, week eight of the first quarter of Scott's senior year. Only two more weeks before a short break and a new class. Scott didn't work today, but he hadn't told anyone but Avi that. His relationship with Kirstie seemed to be going strong again, but Scott wasn't going to let it start slipping down the drain again. That's why he has a plan.

It starts with going to her favorite restaurant. She's always loved Italian food which is ironic since she never seems to want to spend any time with Mitch. Scott's been trying not to focus on that part of things. Scott orders her favorite pasta dish, paying a little extra for a fresh salad and two containers of hot breadsticks. He's not sparing any expenses tonight. Scott wants everything to be perfect.

He pulls his phone out to call Avi while heading to his car with the food. Avi picks up after a few rings. "Hey, man! I'm sorry, I really don't want to be rude right now by not asking how you are, I'm just stressing out about this surprise thing."

"Don't worry about it, Scott." Avi's deep voice comes over the line and immediately gives Scott some amount of comfort. "What can I do to help, man?"

"I don't even know. I just needed to talk to someone before I drive myself crazy and you're the only person who knows about this. I really like Mitch, but I don't know how he is with secrets. Especially since he lives with Kirstie. I didn't want to force him into a situation he might not be comfortable with."

"I get it, Scott. I really do. You know that I'll always be on your side. Just remember to breathe and that you two love each other. Even if you made a fool of yourself, which you won't, Kirstie would laugh it off because that's what girlfriends do when their boyfriends are doofuses."

Scott smiles, setting the food in his passenger seat and starting his car. "Thanks, Av. I needed to hear that. Okay, I need to pick up the flowers and her favorite kind of chocolate. Then I'm ready."

"You brought your guitar right, man?"

Scott grins. "You know it!"

"In that case, I have no idea what you're worried about! Hell, I could fall in love with you when you play your guitar. You really need to do it more often."

"I know, there's just so much other shit that has to be done." Scott sighs. "But I'm going to start making more time for myself, if I can."

Avi chuckles. "Well, at least that's a start."

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Scott barely manages to reach the front door with everything that's in his hands. One hand holds the brown paper bag of food with the other holds a heart-shaped box of chocolates and in the crook of Scott's elbow is a bouquet of a dozen long-stemmed roses. On his back is the guitar case that Scott's most excited for.

He had asked Mitch to make sure the door was unlocked but hadn't told him the reason why it needed to be kept unlocked. Scott quietly slips into the house, shutting the door with his foot as he surveys the empty living room. Mitch must be in his room or out of the house, either way, the coast seems completely clear. Scott doesn't see a single trace of anyone. Perfect.

Scott grins happily and makes his way through the house. He moves slowly, not wanting to alert anyone to the fact that he's in the house. Even just alerting Mitch could ruin his plans and that was not what Scott wants right now. Scott somehow manages to grab his phone and type out a one-handed text to Avi.

Scott: I'm doing it, dude! Wish me luck.

Scott slips his phone into his back pocket without waiting for a reply. He's both too nervous and too excited to wait any longer than what's necessary. Scott grins again and opens the door to Kirstie's room. And just as easily as he found the smile, he losses it.

"What the fuck?" Scott means to shout the words, at least he really wants to shout them. Instead, they're quiet, almost a whisper but not loud enough even for that. The box of chocolate falls out of Scott's hand as well as the brown paper bog of Italian food. It falls with a loud thud and that's when the kissing finally stops.

Kirstie jumps away from the boy she had been on top of moments before, holding a sheet close to her chest. She wasn't wearing a shirt. Scott's girlfriend was shirtless and kissing another man. "Scott... It's not what it looks like."

That one sentence is all it takes for Scott to lose it. He grips the flowers like a vice, looking from them to Kirstie with venom in his eyes. "Fuck you. You're not even wearing a God damn shirt! What else could this be?"

"Scott-"

"No. Don't speak. Don't you ever fucking speak to me again."

"Dude, chill." It's the first words the guy speaks and that's when Scott finally takes in who it is.

"Jeremy. You two were never studying, were you?"

"It started that way! Jeremy's my lab partner in Chemistry. We kind of tutor each other when we don't understand something. Come on, you have a tutor too, Scott!" Kirstie's voice sounds strained almost like she's holding back tears. And for the first time in the history of their relationship, Scott doesn't care.

"I don't fuck my tutor!" Now Scott's yelling. The room falls silent after that. It wouldn't matter of all the sound in the world was in that room, because Scott can't hear any of it. He doesn't hear the soft pleas coming from Kirstie's mouth or how the door across the hall opens. "You just broke my heart, Kirstin Taylor Maldonado. And that isn't something I can forgive or forget."

"Please."

Scott's hard stare stays on her. "Please what, Kirstin? You've been cheating on me for God knows how long. I can't and I won't ever forgive you. You've known what you've been doing this entire time. And when you're old and alone, don't try to talk to me. Don't even think about me again. I'm through with you. Forever."