Ready to go back to 2010 with me?
Amber wakes up in her childhood bedroom with a massive headache. She looks at the date and it says; April 11 2010. This can't be right, because only yesterday it was October 16 2024. But it is right, it is real. So...
"Good morning and welcome to your first vocal lesson," the instructor begins, his voice cutting through the excited chatter. "My name is John Modi. Now take a good look around you—one of these people will be your first duet partner."
The room falls silent. There are twenty-five boys and twenty-five girls present. My eyes scan the room. Louis and Daisy Mae are here. Harry stands near the back, looking relaxed. Liam, however, is missing—his schedule placed him in the solo class.
What a shame I would have loved to duet with Liam.
"Your pairing won't be left to chance," Modi continues. "I will decide who sings with whom. This will only be your first duet. Should you progress, your next partner will be selected from another group."
Still a chance of a duet with Liam, or Zayn maybe even Niall. I bet duetting with Harry or Louis would be fun, if we could.
"Before I assign pairs," Modi says, his piercing gaze sweeping the room, "I want to hear you all sing."
The boys are instructed to sing Man in the Mirror, while the girls perform If I Were a Boy. It's nerve-wracking as Modi strolls among us, listening intently. His expression is unreadable, giving no hint of approval or critique.
Once we're done, he begins forming pairs. "You and you," he says, pointing at random pairs of boys and girls. My heart pounds each time his finger moves. Daisy is paired with a tall boy whose face I don't recognize, while Louis is assigned to an equally unfamiliar girl.
Finally, his finger lands on me. "You," he says, his sharp gaze holding mine. "And him." He gestures toward Harry, who grins and strides over to me, his hand raised for a high-five.
"Nice," Harry says with a wink.
Modi claps his hands to regain the room's attention. "The group must choose their duet song, subject to my approval. Remember, you're in this group because your voices complement each other. Your duets will also serve as a backup. If one of you is eliminated before tomorrow, the other can duet with someone else from the group."
"Any song ideas?" a girl from another pair asks, glancing around.
I hesitate. "Maybe a classic?"
"How about You're the One That I Want?" Louis suggests, his voice confident.
Harry's face lights up. "Perfect!"
Modi nods. "Good choice. That song suits the group's vocal dynamics well, and the choreography from the film will add extra flair."
For the next four hours, Harry and I dive into rehearsals, perfecting the harmonies and tackling the choreography. By the time we're dismissed for lunch, my legs ache, and my voice feels hoarse.
"This is crazy," I say, collapsing into a cafeteria chair.
"The guy I'm paired with can't sing to save his life," Daisy groans, setting her tray down beside me.
"I'm not surviving the week." Laelynn says and then chugs her orange juice straight down. "I've got a headache." Jade sits with her fingers pressing her temples.
Soon, Louis, Harry, and Liam join us. Liam takes the seat next to me, looking relaxed despite the day's intensity.
"Rough day already?" Louis teases as he sits, tossing a grape into his mouth.
"Exhausting," I say, leaning back in my chair. "I need a nap on Liam's shoulder just to recover from the choreography." I tease while I lay my head jokingly on his shoulder.
"You should've seen her," Harry says with a mischievous grin. "I wore her out completely."
I roll my eyes. "My god. That song has such intense choreography." I slap myself on the forehead.
"What song are you guys doing?" Liam asks while eating his sandwich.
"You're the one that I want." Louis tells him.
"Such a good song!" Jade says.
"I can't wait to see that." Laelynn laughs enthusiastically.
"You're doing 'You're the one that I want'?" Liam asks surprised, "Together?"
"Yeah they paired Amber with Harry, which is good for them." Daisy says. "You should see the guy I'm paired with." Her facial expression turns to disgust.
"How did you even come up with that song Louis?" I complain, still thinking back at the whole ordeal I just went through.
"Grease is actually my all time favorite movie. It just made sense to me to suggest that song." Louis says.
As the conversation flows, I feel myself relaxing, laughing at Louis's jokes and bantering with Harry. Even Liam chimes in, nudging me when I tease him about being too calm.
After lunch, we head outside for some fresh air before the afternoon solo class. Obviously Louis and I smoked a cigarette together, we don't need fresh air, we need nicotine. In solo class Daisy and I practice If I Were a Boy until our voices are raw. Simon Cowell makes an appearance, silently observing. His presence is unnerving, but I focus on the music, determined to make an impression.
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
