Before midnight.

•23•

[Show day.]

'I think I'm gonna be sick.'
'No, you won't. Stop it!' Leigh-Anne said to Jade whilst doing her make-up.
'We're going to be just fine. We're going to be great!' Perrie smiled looking at her friends in the mirror whilst brushing her hair.
'I'm so glad you decided to do this with us, Pez. It would've never be the same without you.' Jesy said.
'Me too. I just hope everything will go smoothly tonight.'
'It will, Jade. Stop worrying about it. This is our moment.'
The girls helped each other, doing each other's hair and make-up. Apart from being nervous, they all were gleaming. The four best friends had never performed together as a group. In fact, none of them had ever performed at all.
The show has just started and the girls were supposed to get on stage in about half and hour.
They decided to stay backstage instead of watching other people perform.
'C'mon, I want to go and check out the competition!' Leigh-Anne tugged on Jesy's arm.
'I'm not leaving this room!' Jesy said looking at Jade, who agreed with her.
'Pez?' Leigh-Anne turned to Perrie instead, who smiled and sighed.
'Okay then. Just for five minutes.'
The girls put on a jacket ready to leave the dressing room when a sudden knock on the door made them all jump.
'Who is it now?'
'I really don't want to see anyone right now!' Leigh-Anne, who was already up, went to open the door.
'Oh, hi Jonnie! Pez, it's for you.'
Perrie immediately run to hug her brother. 'I thought you said you couldn't come!'
'I'm full of surprises!' He said kissing his sister on the head. 'And talking of surprises...'
'What?' The girl smiled.
'Well, someone else wanted to see you.'
'Oh my god...' Jonnie moved out of the way so that Perrie could else who else was there. '...mum!'
Perrie froze for a moment, before throwing herself in her mum's arms. 'What are you doing here?!'
'I missed you too much. Both of you!' Perrie's mum said pulling Jonnie into their hug.
'Plus, I wouldn't have missed you singing for anything in the world!'
'I'm just so happy to see you, you have no idea mum! I've got so many things to tell you.' Perrie said struggling to hold back the tears.
'Oh, c'mon now, don't cry. You don't want to ruin your make-up.' Perrie's mum smiled. 'We'll let you get ready now, we've got all week to talk. Good luck girls!'

'Right, that's it. We're next.' Jade said nervously.
''We've got this, girls. We can do it. Together.' Perrie looked at each one of her friends before one last hug.
As soon as they heard their names, the girl timidly stepped on the stage waiting for the music to start. Once the lights dimmed and their song began to play, all that shyness and feeling nervous left space to four fierce performers, who managed to astonish every single person in the audience with their dance skills and their amazing vocals.
When, at the end of their performance, everyone stood up to applaud the group of friends, they knew they did it: they made every single person in the audience happy through their singing, and that was all that mattered to the girls.
Perrie, Jesy, Jade and Leigh-Anne had to wait for the show to be over before changing and going to meet their family members, who were all very proud of them.
Perrie immediately went off to look for her brother and her mum in the tumultuous crowd.
'You were so good, kid.'
'Jonnie's right. You were incredible! I'm so proud of you, my baby girl.'
Perrie heard her name being called suddenly.
'Jane! You came!'
'We wouldn't have missed it for anything in the world.' Jane moved a bit, to clear the way for someone else.
'Dad...?' Perrie hesitated. 'Dad, I'm so sorry I lied to you... I...'
Alexander smiled and hugged his daughter tight. 'Don't apologise. I'm glad you did what you did. You were amazing.' He broke the hug, then continued. 'I spoke to Jane. She told me everything, about tonight and all. I'm sorry I made your life rather difficult in the past six months: no one teaches you how to be a dad, especially a good dad to a teenager daughter. I've been trying to protect you. Little did I know you don't need me to tell you what to do. You're a brilliant girl and I trust you and your judgment, it just took me a while to realise it. I just want you to be happy.'
'It's okay dad. No one teaches you how be a good daughter either. I guess we both have our faults. I'm glad we got to spend so much time together this year. You're really not as bad as I thought.'
The both smiled and hugged each other again.
'You're perfect as you are.'
Perrie spent a few more minutes talking and laughing with her dad and Jane, until someone else's footsteps approached her.
'Hey...'
Perrie almost jumped. 'Oh, it's you... hey...'
The girl looked at Jane, who grabbed Alexander's hand and slowly started to pull him away.
'I get it, that's the cue. We need to leave. We'll see you in a minute, P.'
Perrie laughed and turned around to speak to Alex.
'I didn't know you were coming.'
'I was forced to come by my dad.'
'I should've known.' Perrie smiled.
'Nah... I would've come anyway. I love hearing you singing, you know it.'
'Thank you.'
'Really, you were amazing.'
Perrie felt slightly embarrassed and didn't really know what to say.
'Listening to you tonight reminded me of that first time you sang for me. Perrie, I...'
'There you are! I've been looking everywhere for you!' Jade arrived from behind Perrie's back and immediately dragged her away. 'Quick! Someone wants to talk to us!'
'I'm sorry, I...' Perrie didn't have time to finish her sentence, leaving Alex standing there, by himself.
'No worries.'

[Hello everyone :) how are you all doing?
I was supposed to have a week off work but some of my colleagues are in self-isolation so have to fill in for them... I guess I'll rest next week lol
It's show time! And last chapter will be the last... sorry I am too tired to check the chapter so I hope there's no mistakes lol
Let me know what you think ;)
Peace and love and keep safe xxx]