Rewound {PTX}

Cheat

Contrary to popular belief, Scott and I don't actually communicate telepathically. Consequently, it's hard for me to show him his mistake while both our parents are here. He said, "I want to go to 2011," and no doubt they're now thinking just what everyone seems to think about me: that he's feeling sorry for himself and trying to cling to the past. Obviously that's not what's going on at all, but now everyone's staring at him and trying to think of tactful ways to tell him to get on with his life instead of being a crybaby about it.

"Keep it in the cuts, sis," I say. "We'll post-mortem it to bits, m'kay?" It may not be telepathy, but it's almost as good. I'm pretty sure he's the only one here who has any idea what I'm saying. Hopefully they'll think "2011" is code too.

"Okay, Mary-Kate," he sighs. "You're right."

"You two are an island into yourselves," Nel teases. "An island complete with its own language. I could have sworn we taught you English, Mitch."

"Mm-hm," I nod. "You done teached me real good." Between Scott and me, "Keep it in the cuts" means this isn't a conversation I want to have in front of an audience, much like two thirds of all the footage we record for Superfruit and he cuts out. I think he figured out what I meant pretty easily. A "post-mortem" is when we review a show afterward like Beyoncé always does. It means we'll come back to this when dinner's over.

I carry on joking lightheartedly for the rest of the meal, trying not to dwell on what Scott said. The moment we finish dessert and put away our dishes, though, Scott and I go to his old bedroom. "You want to go to 2011?" I've learned to hear Scott out before I disagree with him. Usually it turns out we actually totally agree, and if not, he listens to me more if I know where he's coming from.

"Actually, I've gone." So has everyone older than four. "I took some pills and I went back."

"NO!"

"Shhhh."

"They aren't safe," I hiss. "Why would you do that?"

"What? They're not... what do you mean?"

"The pills. You should go to the hospital right now."

"Why didn't you tell me? Mitch, are you okay?"

"I'm fine. Don't worry about me. Do you have any idea what you've done? How much have you been there?"

"Just once, just for a minute."

"Scott, why?" I pace and press my palms against my eyes.

"Mitch, calm down. You do this all the time. It can't be so bad."

"He's going to be distraught."

"What?"

"Mitch! He's going to be so confused. It's going to be too fast. You're wrong. He needs you and you're wrong. What's he going to do?" The Mitch in Scott's 2011 isn't from 2015. He isn't me. He doesn't share my memories. He's the Mitch I overwrote in my own 2011.

"Slow down."

"Don't you remember when I told you the other Scott was mad at me for not being his Mitch? For taking him away and pretending to be him? Now you've done the very same thing to me, to 2011 Mitch. What's he supposed to even do about it? You didn't tell him yet, did you? You have to. But have you won the Sing-Off yet?"

"Mitch, relax. It's going to be okay."

"Was this not enough for you?"

"What?"

"Don't do that to him, Scott. Don't you dare."

"Do what? To whom?"

"To Mitch... to Alex! To me!"

He groans and squeezes his eyes shut. "I shouldn't have told you I went back. This really isn't helping."

Wrong answer. "I won't let you do this," I say quietly. I pause for a moment to consider. "I'm telling Alex."

"Mitch, have a little faith! Didn't I just release a song about fidelity?"

"You think that just because you have two bodies it's not cheating? You still only have one soul, Scott. If it were okay, you would have talked to me about it before. You wouldn't be scared of telling Alex. What if you get in too deep and want to swap one of us out in one of your lives? What if you met Alex in your 2011 life?"

"Why are you assuming the worst of me? You know me too well for this!"

"Why else would you go back? To be part of Pentatonix again? If that were the case, you wouldn't have hidden it from me. Don't lie to yourself, Scott."

"This is ridiculous. Mitch, you're wrong about me. I wouldn't do that to either of you... any of you."

"Why did you go back? Why didn't you talk to me about it before? Did you even talk to Kevin?"

"No. Can you try to take this in stride?"

"You said you needed a break. You said you were burned out. And then you went back to the most stressful, intense period of your entire life."

"You know what? Forget it. This isn't working at all. I'm lying. I didn't go back. You're right. I don't need that in my life right now, and of course I would talk to you first before making that kind of decision, even if you weren't an expert. I didn't go back. I don't even know where the pills are. I just... This is really hard to explain."

"Gather your thoughts and explain when you know how. I'm leaving."