Walking in the Wind One Direction EDITING

4. Cry me a River

After watching Liam leave and regroup with his mom to head backstage, I get up and walk back to the waiting area with the TV screen. My nerves buzz under my skin, but for now, it's all about him.

"Liam! Are you alright?" Simon asks on the screen.

Hell yeah this is gonna be so good.

"You look a little bit like Justin Bieber." Nicole says, and the crowd chuckles.

I sink into a chair, anticipation prickling through me. Most of the people around me are too busy with their own nerves to realize they're about to witness something incredible.

"Uh, well, I was here in 2008, and I made it through to Simon's house in Barbados, which was wonderful," Liam explains, his voice steady but modest.

The track begins to play. For a second, he looks nervous. Then he opens his mouth, and his strong vocals take over, transforming the room.

"And nooooow you say you're lonely."

The crowd cheers as his voice glides effortlessly over the notes.

"You cried, the whole night through."

He's so in his element, leaning into the drama of the song with small theatrical gestures.

"Well you can cry me a river. Cry me a river."

I suddenly realize I'm on the edge of my seat, my pulse quickening with every note.

"I cried a river over you."

Yasss babe put Simon in his place. You let him know.

"There you are!" My mother's voice startles me, and I jump, snapping back to the present. She and Jade are standing behind me. Jade's contestant number is stuck crookedly on her shirt. She'll be performing just before me.

"Shhh I wanna watch this." I whisper, turning back to the screen.

"And nooooow you say you love me." Liam sings, his voice soaring.

He's so dramatic.

"Dude he's killing it." Jade says, plopping into the seat beside me.

"Well, just to prove that you do." Liam smiles mid-verse, and it's dazzling.

Man I love that smile.

"That smile..." I mutter under my breath, caught in the moment.

"Who is he?" my mother asks, leaning closer.

"As if I should know, but he's hot," Jade adds. "Kind of looks like Justin Bieber."

"His name's Liam," I say quickly, trying not to sound too eager. "I just met him before he went on stage."

My mom raises an eyebrow. "Really? Good for you, making new friends."

Liam finishes his performance to a thunderous round of applause, and my heart swells with pride.

Backstage, Jade sits on one of the big black trolleys, staring down at her feet. Her hands tremble slightly, and her foot taps a rapid rhythm on the floor.

"Are you nervous?" I ask my sister.

"Obviously a little bit yeah." Jade says as she looks up at me.

Damn she's nervous. I totally forgot to ask her what song she's singing. Well, too late for that now. She'll totally think I was uninterested in her, I imagine I must have been hearing her rehearse the last couple of months.

"You're gonna do great," I say softly, crouching beside her. "I've heard you rehearse a million times. You're amazing."

She looks up, giving me a weak smile. "Thanks, babe. You'll be great too."

I pull her into a hug, trying to ease her nerves—and mine.

"I'm glad I don't have to follow up that Liam guy though." She remarks and we both chuckle.

"You're up," a stagehand says, beckoning her toward the curtain.

Jade chats briefly with the jury as my mom and I watch from the side of the stage, her every movement magnified in my mind.

The track starts playing: Take a Bow by Rihanna.

"You look so dumb right now..."

Of course, she picked this song. It used to be her absolute favorite.

"Standing outside my house..."

Her voice is steady at first, then grows stronger, bolder.

"Don't tell me you're sorry 'cause you're not..."

Wait she's actually kind of good.

"But you put on quite a show, really had me going."

"But you put on quite a show..."

I catch myself singing along quietly, glancing at my mom, who's swaying proudly beside me. Jade's voice fills the room, and she owns the stage in a way I didn't think she could.

I should go on and sing my favorite from back in the day too.

When she finishes, the crowd cheers loudly. Simon gives some harsh critiques—he's Simon, after all—but she makes it through to the next round. Relief floods through me, easing some of the tension in my chest.

Thank god, now I don't have to pass to end up in this studio again to potentially meet one of the boys. And also, I'm a better singer and slightly competitive towards my sister so this gets me in the right mood.

As Jade leaves the stage, I manage to hug her for just a moment before the stagehand signals me forward.

"Good luck!" she whispers, squeezing my hand.

Now it's my turn. I step toward the stage, my heart pounding in my ears, a mix of nerves and determination surging through me.

If Liam could own that stage, maybe I can too.