Standing By

Home Free, Live From New York!

(Tim)

"All second act performers to the green room, please," the backstage PA buzzed.

I glanced up and over at Pentatonix, who were now down to three. Glancing at the clock, Avi was one minute late, according to his ten-minute promise. Mitch, Scott, and Kirstie looked at each other, then the door, and finally the clock.

Scott stood up slowly. "Shiiit."

"I am never letting any of you out of my sight ever again," Kirstie grumbled. "Damn it, Avi. Damn it, Kevin."

"Can't trust anyone any more," Mitch complained.

"Avi is my fault," Scott muttered, kicking at the floor. "I really hurt his feelings. I shouldn't have lost my cool with him."

"That's neither here nor there," I pointed out as the eight of us walked slowly over to the door. "No use blaming yourself now."

"I think Avi will be back," Rob said optimistically. "I really don't think he'd actually shirk on all of you."

"If there's any way we can help," Austin volunteered us. "You saved our asses earlier. We're more than willing to return the favor."

"Absolutely," Adam immediately agreed, the others speaking and nodding their agreement. I let my head bob up and down but for once in my life, kept my mouth shut. Surely Avi would show up. He wouldn't really leave the entire group in the cold, negate his role, on the basis of one person's actions. Would he? He wasn't mad at Mitch or Kirstie, after all. He had to show up. I could easily cover for him on O Come All Ye Faithful. I could probably make my way through Hallelujah; I was familiar enough with the song to improv a bass line to it. But their other song was an original. That's Christmas to Me, I think? I'd heard them rehearse it some around here, but that was about it. Hadn't really paid that much attention to their individual rehearsals. I tried to think if I'd ever heard it on the radio. Probably not—I tended to gravitate towards country stations, and they're not really country. Much more pop, more top 40.

I was beyond relieved when, walking down the hall to the green room, Avi was walking from the opposite direction.

He glanced up at the clock above the green room. "Oops. Sorry about that, guys. Guess I took twelve instead of ten."

Scott held both hands out to him. "Avi, I am so sorry. I was way out of line yelling at you like that and being so awful to you."

Avi looked at him and gave him a small nod. "OK. Thank you. Apology accepted."

"We're—good?" Kirstie asked nervously, all four of them huddling in the back of the room. The five of us quickly joined them, leaving the seats for the others.

"Other than the fact that Kevin has officially disappeared off the face of the earth," Avi mumbled.

Mitch sighed, looking pained. "I can't believe he just pulled this. I'm so pissed at him right now."

Scott touched Adam's elbow. "Can you help us? Please? 'Cause unless he appears in the next half hour, we're totally screwed."

"I can definitely help you on O Come All Ye Faithful and with Hallelujah. I don't know your other song though."

"Are we all here?" Myesha asked loudly, then clapped her hands when absolutely no one even acknowledged that she'd spoken. "Hey! Listen! Is everyone here?"

"Yes, Myesha, we're here. Can't you see us?" Justin answered her.

"Everyone except Kevin," Chance muttered next to me.