Standing By-an Avi Kaplan fanfic

Epilogue

It's been 3 years since I met Avi Kaplan that fateful February day and since I joined PTX and left Prince George.
I'm sitting in my dressing room, staring at myself in the mirror. My hair is up in a high ponytail, the tied hair curled in large ringlets and newly highlighted. My eyes are darkly lined, my eyelashes curled and coated with mascara, my cheekbones accentuated, and my lips a beautiful light pink color. I pat my sweaty hands dry on my new dark black jeans, smooth out the wrinkles of my flowy mint-green shirt, and tie up the laces on my brown boots.
My phone vibrates with a text from Lorraine. "Gran and I say hi and good luck! <3" the texts reads.
I smile and text back. "Thanks Lor! xx New York is crazy―people EVERYWHERE all the time!! We're performing @ Radio City Music Hall with a full house...OMG!"
I take a deep breath, closing my eyes, and start reviewing the show layout in my head when somebody walks in and places their large hands on my shoulders. I jump, twist around, and look up, meeting Avi's green eyes, those eyes that I so deeply fell in love with.
"Hey," he says with a smile and gives me a kiss.
I return it. "Hi."
"Nervous?" he asks.
I nod. "A little. Are you sure that the rest of PTX is okay with this?" I ask, wringing my hands anxiously.
He laughs and sits down next to me. "Why wouldn't they be?"
I shrug.
"C'mon, Ruby, you've already recorded two albums with us, and we all performed together at that one venue in San Diego plus on The Late Show. Of course they're okay with this. You're one of us now," he reassures me. He pulls a dark black iPhone-shaped box out of his pocket. "This is for you."
I take the box and open it, curious. Inside are metallic gold earpieces with the letters RM on them and a sparkly gold monitor. "They're lovely," I breathe. "Thank you."

"Ready?" Avi whispers, taking my hand.
I look up at him, feeling my pace quicken and I shiver. "As ready as I'll ever be," I respond softly.
Pentatonix gathers in a prayer circle before we go onstage.
"For Ruby," Kevin says and I smile at him gratefully.
Scott gives me a reassuring hug and says, "You'll do amazing."
Kirstie hugs me too, and Mitch gives me a light kiss on the cheek before retreating to the side, giving Avi some space.
  "You'll be outstanding, as always; I'll see you onstage," Avi says, giving my hand a squeeze before letting go.
The lights go off, and I hear the cheering and the screams from the audience. Mitch and Scott take their mics, hum a little tune and prance out and the crowd screams in delight. I take a deep breath, grab my microphone, and follow Kirstie out from the side and onto the stage, Kevin and Avi close behind me.
We get positioned on the ramps, heads down, and the lights start to flash. My heart is beating so fast and loud that I can hear it in my ears.
I hear Esther's smooth voice in my monitor. "All right everyone, good luck! Starting in three, two, one..."
The spotlights come on, the audience cheers, and I crack a small smile as Avi's voice booms through the speakers, starting the song.
Mitch, Kirstie, and Scott add in the background parts, Kevin and I join in, and I'm surrounded by our voices, carrying Avi's, blending perfectly.
I feel the rush of adrenaline as the song goes on and I meet Avi's eyes during the chorus.

"And so we'll ho-o-o-o-old each other clo-o-o-o-o-o-ose," Avi sings, approaching me and extending his hand.
I take it and harmonize to the last bit of the song with him, and we walk to the edge of the stage hand in hand. "And then we'll kno-o-o-o-ow we're standing by..."
The audience goes wild and I'm ecstatic that my first concert is going so well. I acknowledge them, still clinging onto Avi's hand. "Heeeeeeey, New Yooooorrrrrrk!" I say into my microphone, the same way Scott did in Prince George, and they respond with screams and catcalls.
The rest of Pentatonix joins us, and Kevin introduces me and the song we just sang―Standing By―to New York.

I look around, seeing the thousands of faces out in the crowd and hearing them all call out and scream, chanting "PTX! PTX!", the bright lights, the immense stage, and my best friends and the love of my life standing next to me. Happiness blossoms inside me.
Mom, Dad, Dylan, I dedicate this show to you three. If only you could've seen it, if only you could've met PTX, if only you could meet the people who've so drastically changed who I am, and how I live. I love my life now, I followed my heart, and I didn't give up. Are you proud of me?
We reposition ourselves and Mitch starts us off with the first line of Cheerleader. I follow suite, along with Scott and Kirstie, and Kevin and Avi are amazing as always as the rhythm section.

This is my dream, this is my life, this is where I want to be... Finally, I'm happy.

-END-