On Tour with Pentatonix

Surprise Encounters

Victoire's PoV

"Yeah,  mom, I've got it," I said as I carried three drinks back to our table. I gently set the drinks on the table. 

"Victoire, dear, can you get some ketchup, too?" Mom asked. 

"Yeah," I said as I headed to the bar at the front of the restaurant. I got three little tub things of ketchup and carefully walked back to the table. 

Well, I tried to be careful. I turned around and ran into someone. 

"I'm so sorry!" I said as I rushed to get some napkins.
The man I ran into chuckled. "All is forgiven. I know a few klutzes myself." 
The voice was familiar. I turned around and saw Avi Kaplan. I quickly handed him the napkins and stood in awe. 

"You're Avi, right?" I asked quietly. 

"Yeah, I am. And you are?" he asked kindly. 

"I'm Victoire," I said. 

"Victoire, that's a lovely name." He seemed to have gotten all the ketchup off of his shirt and went to pick up his order from the register. 

"So why are you still here and not in Missouri for your tour?" I asked. 

"It would be rather rude to yell across the restaurant. Would you like to sit with me?" he asked politely. 
"Yeah, let me get my stuff." 

"Who was that, hun?" Mom asked. 

"I'll explain later. But, I swear, he's safe. If he pulls a knife on me I give you my permission to attack." I picked up my food and went over to sit with Avi. 

"We're all still here because we wanted to recruit someone to be a kind of intern for us while we go on tour. We want to provide some experience to someone who was looking to one day be in the same kind of field as we are," Avi says. 

"That sounds like a really good idea. Do you have anyone in mind?" I asked. 
"Well, I was wondering if you'd like to do it?" 

My heart jumped out of my chest. This must be a dream. Avi Kaplan had just invited me to go on tour with Pentatonix. 

"Yes!" I exclaimed. 
"Well, the five of us and your parents will have to talk to your school administration and do some legal stuff. When's a good day for you to leave?" he asked. 

"Um, I'll need to talk to my teachers and also my dance instructor. I help her with the younger kid's classes. So, is it okay if I stay until Thursday?"

"Yeah, that sounds good. I'll go over everything with your parents and get stuff set in stone."

"When are you going to find time to do all of this?" I asked. 

"Well, I could talk to your parents after this. How about over coffee?"

I looked down at the table. "We're literally eating right now."

He shrugged. "What do you suggest?"

"Fine, coffee," I said. We dumped our trash and walked over to my parents and brother, Andrew. 

"Hello, Mrs. and Mr. Scott, I was wondering if I could speak to you over coffee. My treat," Avi said formally. 

Dad shrugged and Mom nodded. Andrew stood up and sent a quizzical look at me. I shrugged and smiled. 

We drove over to a small coffee shop and got a table for 5.

"So, I'm with an A Capella group called Pentatonix. We're going on tour in about a week and we'd love for Victoire to come and intern with us. She would be able to get on-the-job experience and we'd have one of our members home-school her. His name is Kevin and he graduated from Yale."
Dad and Mom exchanged a look. "I just don't know if we have the money to feed her or fly her out there," Dad said. My face got red and I stared at my lap. 

"The trip and everything coming with it will be fully paid for. All expenses will be covered. She won't even need a passport unless she decides to come with us on our world tour."
"I guess that'll be fine," Mom said. 

"Okay, we'll need to go over things with the school board, as well," Mom said. 

"I can set up a meeting for next Tuesday," Dad said. 

"Great. Would it be okay for you to meet me at the airport Friday at 6 in the morning?" Avi asked. 
"Yes, that'll work fine. We can take the morning off work."

"Thank you so much," Avi said after we all had finished our coffees. And with that we went our separate ways.