Walking in the Wind One Direction EDITING

19. The Second Elimination

After all the duets are performed, Simon and Louis sit down for their deliberations, leaving us to wait anxiously in the backstage area for the results.

"I'm going crazy over here," Liam mutters, pacing the room like a caged lion.

"You'll be fine," Louis assures him, leaning back against the wall with his arms crossed. "Trust me."

The door creaks open, and a staff member steps inside, clipboard in hand. "Alright, folks," he begins, scanning the room. "You'll be happy to know that, for this round, you'll be judged individually rather than as a duet."

A ripple of relief sweeps through the room.

The staff member continues, "I'm going to call out a list of names Simon would like to see on stage now." He rattles off about ten names before leaving.

"See? We're good. None of us were on that list," I say, turning to Liam with a smile.

"You don't know that," he replies nervously, running a hand through his hair. "What if they call another list? What if they forgot me?"

"No, mate, think about it," Harry says. "The girl you were paired with is on that list, but you're not. That's a good sign. It means they're seeing her separately."

Liam doesn't look entirely convinced, but before we can reassure him further, the staff member returns.

"Simon would now like to see all of you on stage," he announces.

We exchange nervous glances, but there's a collective sense of cautious optimism.

"See, this is good news," I say, linking my arm through Liam's as we head toward the stage.

"Oh yeah, we're in the clear!" Daisy says enthusiastically, skipping ahead.

A small smile begins to form on Liam's face, and I nudge him playfully. "There's that smile. I was starting to think it disappeared for good."

He chuckles, the tension in his shoulders easing slightly.

Once we're on stage, Simon steps forward, greeting us with his signature smile. "Welcome, everyone. I'll get straight to the point: for all of you, it's good news."

The room erupts into cheers, and we all hug each other, the weight of uncertainty lifting off our shoulders.

"That was the good news," Simon continues, raising a hand for silence. "Now for the not-so-good news." He pauses for effect, his smile turning mischievous. "This afternoon, you're going to be taught how to dance."

The audience cheers again, and we glance at each other, unsure whether to feel excited or terrified.

Simon goes on, "This is not going to be a judged section of the show, but it's an opportunity for you to showcase your creativity and stage presence. Be daring. Be brave. Be unique."

He gestures toward the wings of the stage. "I am now going to introduce you to someone you've seen on the show, Brian Friedman."

The cheers grow louder as Brian strides onto the stage, dressed in a half-zipped hoodie with no shirt underneath. His signature confidence radiates from his every move.

Simon raises an eyebrow at him. "Uh, Brian... Wh-what are you wearing?"

Brian grins cheekily. "I thought I'd show a little skin—make a statement."

The audience laughs, and Simon shakes his head before gesturing for Brian to take over.

Brian steps forward, addressing us with a warm smile. "I don't want you to be scared because we're not doing a massive dance class. But what we are going to work on is your stage presence and choreography. Because if you do make it to the top 12, you'll have to be staging, and it's so important."

We all cheer in unison, the excitement palpable.

"Let's get started," Brian says. "We'll split into two groups. Boys, you're up first. Line up, please."

The boys shuffle to the center of the stage while the rest of us move off to the side to watch.

"We're going to dance to 'Smooth Criminal' by Michael Jackson," Brian announces. He climbs onto the stage, positioning himself at the front of the group. "Now, follow me. It's going to go like this..."

He demonstrates the first set of moves, his steps fluid and precise. The boys try to follow along, some more successfully than others.

"Louis looks like he's having fun," I whisper, chuckling as I watch him meticulously practice each move, his face scrunched in concentration.

"Look at that guy thats in front of him he's really nervous. Poor thing." Jade points to Zayn.

I glance at Zayn, who is awkwardly attempting the steps, his movements stiff and hesitant.

"Niall's doing pretty well," Laelynn observes, watching the blonde boy jump around with surprising ease.

"Or maybe he's just confident enough to make it look like he knows what he's doing," Daisy laughs.

I glance at Harry and Liam, who are both mid-step. "In a few minutes, this will be us," I say, shaking my head.

After a few minutes, Brian claps his hands. "Okay, that's the first sixteen steps. Boys, step aside and practice together while I work with the girls."

The boys shuffle off the stage, and Brian motions for us to line up.

"Okay, ladies, your turn. You'll be dancing to 'Beggin'' by Måneskin."

The music starts, and Brian demonstrates the first sixteen steps, his movements graceful and powerful. We mimic him, trying to keep up as he breaks down each step.

"Good, good," he says, encouraging us. "Let's try it again, a little faster this time."

We repeat the steps, slowly building confidence. Once we've run through it a few times, we swap places with the boys again. This back-and-forth continues until my legs ache and my feet feel like they might fall off.

"Again. And smile a little." Brian says through his microphone. "What I'm seeing is every mistake written all over your faces."

The track restarts, and I force a smile, determined to nail the routine.

Okay here we go.