Speak Up... (Sequel to Can't Say...)

Chapter 12

"People really want y'all to come back."

Esther told them as they were all sat in front of her in their studio. She had to call an emergency meeting after having her own meeting with management.

"And management needs you back too."

"So what? They want us to release a new video? People already know the gis. So do the fans we released a video giving them a vague explanation. There's no need for further explanation."

Scott, who was sat in the middle of all of them, spoke for the band since he knew what everyone was thinking and also being the bandleader.

"But management doesn't appreciate the long absence from the scene and since you guys are their most successful signing. They need you back and they don't care. So, next week Thursday..."

She passed Scott a flyer who held it for the rest of the group to see.

"You guys are performing at the LA Music Festival."

They all looked at the line up of artists and sure enough, there they were, Grammy-Award winning Pentatonix, right in between Tori Kelly and Bruno Mars. The group were hocked, Scott was mad, Kevin was infuriated and Avi...

was terrified.

"How do they expect all of us to be able to perform after what has happened? There's still tension in the band."

"Well... I don't know!"

"What songs?"

"Rose Gold and Say Something-"

"Say Something?! They really expect us to perform Say Something after we haven't been in the music scene for ages and after emotional trauma and losing or almost losing someone we love they want us to sing a song which is about losing someone you love?! DO THEY KNOW HOW PERSONAL THAT IS?!"

Kevin began screaming, Avi was on the verge of a flashback.

"Esther, THIS IS YOUR LITTLE BROTHER'S MENTAL HEALTH HERE! DID YOU NOT EVEN BOTHER TO DO ANYTHING?"

"Like what, Kevin?!"

Too many quick hand movements.

"STOP THEM!!"

Screaming.

"I TRIED!! YOU DON'T THINK I TRIED TO TALK?! TO REASON?!! I EVEN YELLED, KEVIN!! I SCREAMED!! I CURSED I NEARLY LOST THIS JOB TRYING TO PROTECT HIM SOMETHING YOU COULDN'T DO ALL THOSE MONTHS AGO!!"

Kevin stood. Knocked his chair over it fell to the floor with a crash. Fast.

"DON'T YOU TRY AND USE THAT AGAINST ME, ESTHER!"

"IT'S THE TRUTH!!"

Avi's breathing was rapid. He pulled his knee's up to his chest and held his head in his hands, covering his ears with his arms. Gripping at his hair. Tears filled his eyes as he tried not to sob.

"guys."

Visions of Daniel and how he treated him filled his head.

"YOU'RE NOT GOOD ENOUGH!"

He didn't hear Esther says that. He heard Daniel.

Avi's POV:

"you're not good enough for me. YOU'RE NOT GOOD ENOUGH FOR ANYONE AVRIEL!"

CRACK!

Daniel was having another go at me because i was too tired and weak and pained to please one of his friends for the fifth time that morning. I wasn't a sex-machine. I wasn't a sex slave, even though that's what I'd become. I didn't have the stamina to keep going, I needed rest and resisted to the other guy causing him to give up and storm out, complaining to Daniel on the way causing him to get mad and come in here and start whipping me like I was an animal screaming at me. He stopped and stared e in the eyes.

"do you know what this will do to my reputation? huh? it'll ruin it. i'm known to have slaves that can be easy to get to. non-resistant that take what's given to them. What you just did there was something completely inexcusable."

"i-i...i can't go on forever. don't you let others rest?"

"You have too many customers to rest. Don't make me whip you back into shape you worthless shit!"

He raised the whip one more time--

"Avi?"

It came back down with a loud--

"Avi?"

3rd Person:

Avi snapped out of his attack, looking up he saw everyone staring at him. Scott went to pull him into a hug and Avi broke down into his chest. Scott looked to Esther who looked like she could cry herself watching her little brother in such a state.

"he's not ready, esther. everything's still so raw."

Scott began to stroke and play with his hair. Esther watched tears in her eyes.

"i know but they won't do anything. they've made their decision and they won't change their minds so either y'all perform or... or Pentatonix is dropped from the label."

She left them all to think, giving Avi a peck on the head before she went home. Avi picked his head up and watched his sister.

"e-essie..."

"shh... it's ok. she's just going home."

"mm..."

He put his head back into Scott's chest and Scott looked at the rest of the group.

"We can't afford to be dropped from the label, guys."

"We can't afford one of our members to breakdown on stage because the song is a painful reminder of what's happened to them. Scott we need to be wise about this--"

"The wise thing would be to do it and get it done with."

"But--"

"Listen, I know that we as a band are not ready to perform after being off the scene for two whole months but can we really risk being dropped from our record label? What other label takes in A Capella groups? None. Avi, I know you are nowhere near ready but we have to do this. We have to. This is ou career on the line and if we don't do this... this could be the end of Pentatonix."

There was an uncomfortable silence occasionally broken by Avi's sniffling. Mitch spoke first.

"We really should do this."

Kirstie was next.

"This is our life here. I don't want this to end."

"Avi?"

He was the only one who hadn't given his point of view but stayed relatively silent the whole time.

"i-i'll do it."

Kevin's concerns grew.

"av, you sure?"

"mhm."

"Then it's unanimous. We'll perform. I should tell management."

"See you in the car."

"Later."

"See ya."

"bye."

Scott handed Avi over to Kevin after giving Mitch a kiss and he left to make the call. Mitch and Kirstie left to their cars, Kirstie leaving and Mitch waiting for Scott, Kevin carried Avi back to their car and they left. Kevin taking Avi to Esther and Darien's before he went to his home. Scott called the group chat.

"They're pleased. They said be there for three and we'll perform Rose Gold at four-thirty. Then Say Something at five-thirty. we'll go to the after-party which is at seven then leave after the after-party. (we're gonna keep it going). Sound good?"

"Yeah."

"Sure"

"Fine."

"mhm.."

"Avi, tell Esther will you?"

"sure thing."

"See y'all."

"Bye"

"See ya."

"bye."