Finding My Voice

~31~

//A/N//: hello hello, if you cannot tell i am really trying my hardest to finish up this story, so i apologize if it is starting to feel a bit rushed or if there are plot holes. i can not find it in me to care lol

to be honest, this chapter is more focused on a little romance. what? i got bored. also oooooooohhhhhhhh romanceeeeeeee ;)

okay bye! mwah!   x   -   s

...

The stage lights were so bright I felt like I might evaporate.

"Five minutes!"Chad shouted, rushing past us with a clipboard and an aura of caffeine-induced chaos. Claire was adjusting her mic pack. Alex was pacing. Anthony was humming his harmony under his breath. Jamie - well, Jamie was doing dramatic lunges like he was preparing for a Broadway debut. 

And me?

I was trying very hard not to throw up.

"Breathe," Claire whispered, squeezing my hand. "We've done this a million times."

"Not this. Not semi-finals on live television this."

She gave me a wink. "Exactly. This is the cool kind of terrifying."

Across the stage, I caught Niall watching us from the coach's area, arms folded, smiling with that familiar mix of pride and amusement. He gave me a thumbs-up and a little "you've got this" nod that somehow made my legs slightly less jelly-like.

"Alright, Almighty," Chad called. "Let's go."

We moved into position, and the second the lights dimmed, my heart synced to the beat that pulsed through the floor. The curtain rose. The roar of the crowd hit like a tidal wave.

Game on.

The opening Notes of Some Nights started with Alex on lead. His voice rang clear and confident through the arena, and the second the crowd recognized the song, they went nuts. 

Jamie jumped in next, voice strong, unmistakable, and - annoyingly - perfect. He threw me a grin mid-line, and I hated how it made my stomach flutter.

By the time it was my turn to sing, my nerves had given up and surrendered to adrenaline. We hit our harmonies, we hit our steps, we hit every beat like we were born to do this. 

Claire spun dramatically on the chorus, belting out like she had been possessed by Freddie Mercury himself. Anthony jumped off a riser in sync with a beat drop. Jamie grabbed my hand during a verse and yanked me toward center stage like it was the most natural thing in the world. 

And yeah. The crowd screamed. 

After the final chord hit and the lights cut, we stood panting in the dark, hearts pounding, sweat dripping, the echo of the audience still buzzing in our ears.

We'd done it.

We'd crushed it.

We hadn't just sung a song - we set the stage on fire. 

Backstage, chaos resumed.

Screaming producers. Rushing assistants. Kelly Clarkson power-walking past us with her heels in her hands. Chance giving us a dramatic salute. Blake yelling, "Hell yeah!", from across the sound stage. Carson Daly rushing about for his microphone.

Then there was Niall, running to meet us with a grin so wide it could've powered Los Angeles.

"THAT," he said, practically tackling us into a group hug, "WAS BLOODY BRILLIANT!"