Walking in the Wind One Direction

20. Are you InZayn?

After five long hours of non stop practice we finally get a break. We gathered backstage to sit down before we have to perform for the judges.

"I can't feel my legs." I throw myself on the chair next to Louis.

"At least you don't feel them, my back is killing me." Liam stretches.

"Anyone's got a bandaid?" Jade limps over on one leg before sitting down on the nearest chair. "I've got a massive blister."

"I think I've got something in my bag." Daisy sips on her water. "Hold on let me get it for you." She says before walking away to get her purse.

"One for me too!" Harry yells after her. "Look at this."

I turn around to face him, he's sitting on the ground with one of his feet pointing at my face. The back of his foot is bleeding a little.

"Ew gross, get that foot away from me." I turn away hiding in Louis chest.

"Mate that's disgusting." Louis says. "I can smell it from here." He holds his nose.

Jade begins to laugh loudly. Everybody looks at her. "What?" Liam asks her.

"Amber is scared of feet." She laughs. "All feet. Even her own. You should go get a pedicure with her it's hilarious."

Harry immediately tries to hide his feet. Liam and Louis look at me confused. "Feet shouldn't be a thing they're like weird hands with tiny fingers." I try to explain myself.

"Uhhh I mean yeah. I guess I get it. They're kind of weird." Liam shrugs.

"I'm not scared of feet. But I am definitely scared of the smell coming off of Harry's." Louis jokes.

"Oh I bet yours smell the same right now." Harry laughs.

"Here you guys go." Daisy returns holding some bandaids. She hands one to Harry and one to Jade. Then she sits down newt to Jade.

"Have you guys seen Laelynn?" She asks.

"I think she's over there somewhere getting her interview taken." Louis points over to the back of the hall. "She'll be back."

The door opens and it's the guy with the schedule again.

"No way mate already?" Louis sighs.

"They're starting off with the boys. You're all expected on stage!" He yells.

"Jesus that was quick." Harry stands up from the floor.

"Guess they want us in bed by eight." Liam grabs a bottle of water and stretches one last time. "Tire out the kids they'll have a good night's sleep."

We laugh at his joke and we all walk back together to the stage. On stage we wait for the judges to arrive.

"Hello." Laelynn is suddenly standing with us, "I'm back. Did I miss anything?"

"Apart from Ambers fear of feet and Harrys smelly ones, not much." Liam jokes.

"Judges have arrived!" Brian cheerfully says as the judges take their seats. "I believe it's time to show them what you got."

"Brian, Louis and I will be this afternoon's judges." Simon says, "The challenge here is not to judge if you can dance or not. It's to get you experienced in performing. We'd like you to stand out from the crowd, because to be a performer you've got to be able to do everything."

"Can we have all the boys? All the boys category on the floor." Brian calls out and the boys start to form their lines. "Okay here we go, music." Brian says and takes a seat.

The boys start dancing as us girls watch from the side. I watch Niall in the front line, he's well, being Niall. Harry and Liam are doing their thing too. Louis is dancing like he's alone in his room and no one sees him.

Wait where's Zayn? Oh my god Zayn's supposed to be in the line in front of Harry and Louis. He's not there.

"Girls I gotta go pee." I quickly say and turn around to walk away.

"Hurry though." Leanlynn says. "We'll be next."

"They still have to switch lines, I'll be quick." I smile at her and run off.

I run backstage and slow down when I find Zayn sitting in a chair with his arms crossed.

"Hey you." I kindly say stopping in front of him.

"Oh hey, it's you." He looks up. "I saw you at the auditions."

"Why aren't you on?" I ask.

"I seriously don't want to do it. I just hate dancing." He shrugs.

Luckily for him all members of one direction are terrible, terrible dancers.

"It's hard. I get it." I sit down next to him. "But you gotta at least show them that you're willing to learn."

"But I just feel like an idiot." He says defensively, "I tried learning all afternoon and when I'm on the stage I see all these people that are better than me and I just feel not good enough."

"But you are good enough. You can do it." I try to encourage him.

"No I just know I'm gonna go it wrong. Because I don't know it." He says.

In the distance the music stops.

"That might be your cue to go on." He says dismissively.

"Well, I don't care. If you're not doing it, neither am I." I cross my arms like he has and slope down in the chair like him.

"Are you insane? You have to! I saw you, you're a great dancer." He says, "Don't throw away your shot at this."

"Aha. See." I sit up and smile at him. "Now give yourself the same advice."

Zayn wants to respond but is interrupted by the door opening. It's Simon and the camera crew.

"Zayn? Why aren't you out there?" Simon asks him as he walks towards us.

"I can't dance." Zayn answers.

I rub Zayns back, "I'll leave you two to talk." I stand up smile at Simon and walk back to the stage.

"Zayn, you can't just hide behind here." I hear Simon as I walk away. "You're ruining this for yourself."

I really hope Simon isn't too hard on him. He's just scared to make a mistake, like all of us.

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