During The X Factor (One Direction)

Chapter 13 - Simplicity

Don’t you just hate it when every single adult you see when you’re out-and-about in town thinks that you’re a no-good teenager? That, at any moment, you will pull a knife from your pocket and demand they buy you some cigarettes? Even if you look completely trustworthy, kind and helpful, most old ladies on the street will still cross the road, just to avoid you.

Obviously, being little Chaz Hill who rarely ever puts her toe out of line, I wouldn’t personally know what any of that is like. The elderly ladies I meet on the streets sometimes stop to have a little chat with me, and however odd it may be I always stop and answer.

However, I’m pretty sure that after today, every old woman in England will avoid me and my crazy friends.

I blame Gregg. He’s the one who chose the most boring film available for us to watch here at the cinema in town. There are only four other people in here with us, and they seem to be enjoying the movie just as much as we are.

“Gregg! You nearly hit that man!” Lola hisses down Gregg’s ear.

We bought a large carton of popcorn between the four of us, and Gregg’s been using it as miniature missiles, aiming for the people on the rows below us.

“Er…Lola, I think that’s a woman…” I whisper, nearly sliding off of my chair from laughing.

“Ooops…” she giggles, “Sorry, miss!” she says, but only loud enough for Gregg, Elvie and myself to hear.

Last week’s trip to the cinema wasn’t nearly as fun as today. Elvie couldn’t come with us, so it was just me with Gregg and Lola (who had recently become a couple). I just sat through the film, feeling like a gooseberry.

During the past week of college I made Elvie promise to come with us the week after, and I had to drag her away from her homework this morning so I wouldn’t be Mrs Miss Gooseberry again.

“Three is definitely a crowd!” I had said to Elvie one dinnertime, sat our table waiting for the lovebirds to arrive.

“I’m sure it wasn’t that bad…” Elvie told me. I think she was trying to make up for her guilt over ditching me, and I felt bad that I wasn’t telling her everything was fine. She can get a little paranoid.

“Trust me, I didn’t want to know how bad it was.” I said to her, at which we both laughed. We had to quickly hide our grins as the lovebirds approached us, hand in hand.

I was very glad Elvie was here, too, today, because ‘the couple’ were a lot crazier than normal. I think it was because Gregg always feels he has to entertain others, he wants to be a television presenter someday.

When he first told me this, I couldn’t control my reaction, “Oh, you mean like Dermot O’Leary?” I had stupidly blurted during Geography.

“The guy from the X Factor?” even him saying that had me panicking, “Yeah, he’s great!” Gregg had exclaimed. Luckily, he then went on about some other presenters, so that conversation quickly changed track.

I had prayed that he would forget I had even mentioned the show by dinnertime, because as I said, I’m not planning on talking about that for a while.

Thankfully, my prayers were answered. He didn’t even bring it up again when Lola was flicking through the TV guide, quickly reading the names of the programmes aloud, and it she announced it, followed by an annoyed grunt.

“You don’t like it?” Elvie had asked timidly.

“Nah, it’s always full of those stuck-up people who think they’re the best damn thing ever.” Lola answered casually. Gregg and Elvie fell silent, but I’m sure you can hear my panicked breathing from a mile away.

It’s actually taking all of my energy to not reply, shouting that that can’t be true because I know someone on that show, and he isn’t at all like that.

Then again, after the way he treated you…

I thought my brain had stopped doing that. I’d gone a few weeks without any unneeded interruptions from that stupid voice at the back of my mind. I ignore it anyway, and direct everyone’s thoughts to the article about Coronation Street on the next page.

Back in my scratchy cinema seat, a piece of salted popcorn falls right past my face and disappearing on the floor. I know it’s Gregg, he’s trying to throw his food high enough so that it passes through the projection beam just about our heads.

We all fall about laughing again, and one of the people nearer the front turns his head to shush us. That only makes us laugh more.

-

“Mum, I’m home!” I shout into the house, closing the front door behind me.

She wanders down the stairs a few minutes later, when I’m already lying on the couch and flicking through the channels on the telly.

“Hiya, love, did you have a nice time?” she’s carrying a basket full of washing, but I’m a bit more concerned about the outfit she’s wearing.

“Oh my…” I say when I see the whole thing, in all of its tie-dye glory. “What are you wearing?”

It’s worse than the summer dress. An oversized tie-dye jumper and her favourite long blue skirt, complete with oodles of beaded jewellery decorating her neck and arms. I’m only letting her off (a little) because she’s splattered with paint, which actually makes the ensemble look more deliberate.

She shrugs, “I just threw it on. I was painting before, so didn’t want to get dressed up, did I?” she laughs, walking through to the kitchen and dumping the clothes in the washer.

Mum finishes in the kitchen whilst I’m still looking for something to watch, so she drops into the armchair beside my couch, “How was the film, then?”

“Good,” I lie.

She’s unable to press me further on the (unknown to me) details of the film, because a message comes through on my phone, playing one of the new songs introduced to me by Gregg.

I pull it from my pocket and check the screen name.

“Who’s that from? Lola? You saw each other about five minutes ago!” mum jokes, but I have to shake my head.

“No, it’s not Lola,”

“Oh, is it that quiet girl…Elvie?”

“Not her either,” I tell my mum.

I look at her and see her confused expression.

“It’s nobody.” I lie again, when it’s clearly the most important somebody ever.

Why now? Obviously, I want this stupid argument end, seeing as I couldn’t think about him without feeling like my stomach had just given birth to an army of angry butterflies...

But my life has been brilliant these past few weeks. I was happy, and I have a brand new set of brilliant friends. I feel like I’m actually wanted somewhere.

I just wish my normal, happy life could have lasted a bit longer.