A/N: So I want to try my best to do this thing where I update this story every day until Friday, of which will be the last chapter. It's like a bit of a challenge for me, and it'll be good because I'm back to tech now so my schedule might go out the window pretty soon. But the first couple of weeks back are more about settling down and getting into it, so I should have time for this task of mine. Wish me luck :)

Chapter 29

Pentatonix and Acoustikats are stood on stage in front of the judges and the audience. They were ready to find out who was getting the third spot in the final round.
     Kirstie took Scott's hand in her left and reached out for Avi with her right. She looks up at him shyly while they wait. After a moment, and only a slight glance at her, Avi takes a hold of her hand and interlaces their fingers. Just as the judges call out to say they ready to announce the results.
    The rest of Pentatonix all link hands down the line, their usual order, Avi, Kirstie and Scott already connected, then Mitch and Kevin link on.
     "I'm no fan of making you all wait so let's just come right out and congratulate PENTATONIX for making it to the finals!" The judge announces and starts clapping along with the cheering audience.
       "We're in the final round!!" Scott yells, pulling the group in closer for a big group hug.
       "Do you guys want to hear your song or not?" One of the judges laughs as she tries to get their attention. "The more time the better right?"
       The group pull apart but not completely, Scott and Mitch still had their hands connected, and Avi and Kirstie still each had an arm around each other. Without hesitation, Kirstie wraps her other arm around him too, but keeps her gaze on the judges, and luckily Avi doesn't pull away from her. They're all too happy, with giant smiles on their faces. They never thought they'd make it to the finals and yet here they were, waiting for their judge's choice song.
       "Pentatonix for you we've picked 'Dog Days Are Over' by Florence and The Machine," one of the two male judges speaks up. "Do you know it?"
       The group collectively nod.
       "Alright, then good luck, we'll see you tomorrow night at eight for your final performance."

...qdq...dqd...

Scott bursts through the hotel room door first, followed closely by Mitch, then Kevin and the still linked Kirstie and Avi.
       "I love this song!" Scott starts out, spinning around to talk to the group, then dropping onto his bed with a flop, and finally sitting up to stare at the rest of them.
       "It is a good song," Kirstie nods, sitting down as closely as she possibly can to Avi without actually sitting on him, on their bed.
Mitch sits down on his own bed and Kevin pulls up a chair from the corner so that they were sitting in a circle formation. "Why don't we try and get the skeleton down tonight then we could flesh it out tomorrow?" Kevin suggests.
      "No we need to full on give birth to it today, practice into the night then revisit tomorrow," Scott says urgently, standing up with a look of determination on his face.
      "Sit down," Kirstie tells him, holding her hand out in a gesture, the hand that wasn't still linked to Avi's. "So firstly, do any of you actually know who the other two teams we're facing are?" she raises an eyebrow.
      "New Directions," Avi answers quickly.
      "Oh!," Mitch exclaims, "Well good for them, if we don't win I want them to," he nods surely. The rest of the group nod or speak in agreement.
      "They're nice people," Kirstie adds with a smile. "And who's the other one?"
      "Dartmouth Aires, I think," Kevin speaks slowly.
Scott nods along slowly, "I think that's right. Dartmouth Aires and New Directions."
       "Wow, try saying that fast!" Mitch tips his head back laughing.
       "What? New Directions?" Scott frowns then a smug smile appears, "No I heard it that time, wow."
Kirstie shakes her head with a hint of laughter, "Immature guys," she says and can't help but snicker just slightly.
      "I think we're all too tired to just not laugh," Avi chuckles.
      "There is no okay way to say that name now," Kevin laughs breaking into his special way in no time at all, which starts everyone else laughing harder until it's just a continuous circle of they can't stop laughing.
       "Okay, okay!" Avi tries his best to gain composure, "Guys we need to sort this out," he says with a small chuckle. "Dog Days."
Kirstie nods in slow motion as she tips back with silent laughter consuming her breath and making her red in the face. Avi smiles down at her, his own laughter starting again as he then looks across the others. Mitch had tears in eyes, Scott had his hands over his face and Kevin had his head tipped back. It really seemed liked they weren't about to get much done.
      Composing himself once more, Avi sits Kirstie up then standing up he claps. "This is serious now guys," he says hiding all traces of laughter in his voice very well. "We had a good laugh, now it ought to keep us awake for an extra couple of hours. And we need them because we have less than 24 to get this song performance ready."
       "Yep, you're right," Scott nods as he wipes some tears from his eyes. "I still think we need coffee though, or maybe a shorter trip to the vending machine for red bull?"
Avi claps his hands once nodding then steps over to his bags and pulls out his wallet, "Go and get all the red bull they've got we're gonna need it to pull off this performance."

10:34 pm.
19 hours and 26 minutes remaining. 

Scott walks up to the vending machine in the lobby. He waits in line behind a girl loading cans into her bag, luckily not red bull though he thought.

      He notes she's humming a tune that he knows, not as in recognises, but it's familiar. She stands up and vends another can, a sprite zero.
      "That's so going to keep you awake," Scott jokes, pointing at the can.
The tall brunette girl spins around, "Oh so you guys had the same idea as us," she smiles brightly.
       "I like your bag?" he nods towards it, pointing at the very identifiable bag.
       The girl stares down at it, her smile growing, "Yeah I love owls," she snaps the clasp on her backpack shut and pulls it onto her back.
      "I probably should have brought a bag," Scott shrugs. "So what song did you guys get? I mean it's not a thing to tell since we've all been assigned one right?"
       She nods, "I don't think it'd be a problem, Kitty would probably be mad at me, but I'll just hide behind Ryder and she won't attack," she jokes. "We got 'For the longest Time' by Billy Joel," she shrugs. "None of us really knew it, well Sam did, and then we realised we all did once we heard it."
      "Is that what you were humming before?"
       "Yeah, it's absolutely so stuck in my head right now," she nods with wide eyes. "And what did you guys get?"
      "Dog Days are Over."
      "Oh lucky! We've actually done a cover of that song before, we couldn't get the beats right though. But I'm sure Kevin will have better luck than Sugar did."
      "I'm sure Sugar did fine, but thanks, I'll tell him that," Scott smiles at the girl.
      "Well I better get going or I'm going to have a Kitty hot on my heels. Good luck tomorrow Scott!" she calls as she starts to walk away.
      "Break a leg Marley!"
       She points a knowing finger at him and leaves with a goofy grin, skipping off down the hall.

A/N: Ha, wee cameo there that I'm not sure how many of you will get the gravity of ;) pssst cobras...

I hope you all enjoyed that and the next one should be up tomorrow, I hope :D