Life As We Know It

Chapter 3

The crowds were cheering as Jennel walk back up on stage after Paige's performance. It felt like a nightmare. She had never imagined being in the bottom two with her category mate, one of the contestants she had grown close to. Paige's arm was around her shoulder when she reached the center stage, with the host Mario on her left and Khloe on Paige's right.

"Now, it's all up to the judges." Mario was saying.

Jennel couldn't focus. Her heart was racing, her head was throbbing and her fingers shook. What if she was sent home? Will her parents be disappointed she only made it to Top12? She looked up at the judges' panel and saw that her mentor, Demi, had her eyes closed, a frown etched at the center of her forehead. Jennel wondered who she would be sending home.

And then it was time for the judges to choose. LA mentioned her name, and she tried to keep her hopes up, breathing in and out slowly, keeping her smile. But then Britney, too, sent her home. Her smile began to waver, she could feel Paige's hand squeezing hers, both of them afraid for whats to come.

There was a commotion between Simon and Demi, arguing on who should go first. At last Demi sent Paige home, which boosted up a little of Jennel's hope, thinking that if it be a tie, they would have to base on how many votes they got. But then it was Simon's turn, and her heart pumped faster.

"The act I'm sending home tonight..."

She squeezed her eyes tight at Simon's dramatic pause.

"... Is Jennel Garcia."

Drew's POV

"The act I'm sending home tonight..."

At that moment, Drew was silently praying, focusing on each and every word that was coming from his mentor's mouth.

"...Is Jennel Garcia."

Pause. Silence.

He couldn't hear his bandmates, Wes or Keaton beside him. He couldn't hear CeCe's reaction to her best friend's elimination. He couldn't even hear his heart beating. His breathing was suddenly shallow, his mind wondering why he was reacting this way, trying to figure out how to speak again. But that normal daily thing, as simple as talking, was suddenly an impossibly hard task to do. He leaned against the wall, the TV screen still showing Jennel's times with X-Factor.

Wow, he realized then. I am so going to miss that girl.

Without waiting any longer as Mario announced the break, he rushed backstage, in hopes to see Jennel. She was there, with Demi comforting her, and her shoulders shook as she wept. Right after Demi let goe Drew practically ran towards the upset girl who was trying to smile. He engulfed her petite frame into his arms. In his embrace, she cried again.

They hugged for a few minutes, which only felt like seconds to Drew. When she pulled away, her eyes were red and her lips were beginning to swell, but she smiled anyway. It took him all his strength to not pull her to him once again, this time with a kiss on her swollen lips.

"I know I'm going far. I am not giving up." She flashed him a grin, and patted his cheek, "Don't tear up, Chadwick. Remember: 'Joy be the only reason I get teary-eyed'."

He didn't know he was starting to tear up until she quoted a line from the song he wrote. And as she smiled, he smiled too, and nodded at her. She looked beautiful, more beautiful than she already was somehow, if that's even possible. She grinned againe pecked his cheek and headed towards the other side, where Tracy Behr from Young Hollywood stood with a friendly smile, ready for an interview with Jennel.

At the same time, Wes called him up, telling him that it's time to get back on stage. They were going to find out where they stand in the rankings.

Jennel's POV

It sucks at first. But then Drew was hugging her and she remembered how he was always around spreading positivity with that brain of his, and decided that why don't I tell him I'm positive about this? So she told him that, and found that she really believed it, not just to impress him. The fact that he almost cried for her, was breathtaking.

She was going to miss these people. CeCe, her best friend and everyone else. She certainly will miss the cute, flirty conversations with Drew. But it was time to get back to Rochester, her home where her family is waiting. She realized now that her parents had always been proud of her. She was only afraid of being eliminated because she thought it might end her dream, plus, she didn't want to go home yet.

She sighed, her elimination interview with Tracy was over. From way back stage, she could hear Marion announcing the surviving contestants' rankings. She had to leave now and pack her bags, but her legs felt heavy. She wanted to see Drew for the last time in a long time, but oh well. Smiling, she headed back to the mansion.

She hopes Drew won't forget her just yet.