A Dream, a Song, and Some Awkward Moments: X Factor Fanfiction

Chapter 2: Ready or Not

They're all grinning wildly. Is this real? Do they really like me?

Everything is running through my head at a mile a minute, and my heart's palpitations are quickening in my chest. My hand clenches and unclenches at my side, a habit of mine when I'm nervous.

"That was... I'm just... speechless, " Demi manages to speak when the crowd calms down. I break into a wide grin. "This is why we do this, isn't it? You were just amazing, honey. THE best audition I've heard in the whole of this year's auditions. I loved it. I love you, and I KNOW you're gonna go far in this competition. I can feel it, Cassidy."

I smile more, and I'm sure my face is at its final point of stretching into this large grin.

Kelly and Paulina both say they are in love with my voice, and my heart almost stops when Simon asks, "Where have you been?"

Then the tears begin to fall. They're happy tears of course, but they're also tears of shock. These people, some of my idols, are telling me they love my voice. They love my voice. Me, Cassidy Lynn, a plain girl from Marco, Missouri.

I smile through the tears, showing that I'm okay. I am MORE than okay.

"Let's vote," Simon says. I cross my fingers tightly, praying for the best.

"I say yes, definitely yes," Paulina says.

"Sweetie, you're going far, I say yes," Kelly says.

"Yes, Cassidy, a well-deserved 100 percent yes." From Demi.

I have my three yeses, and I'm officially going onto the next round, but one more would mean the world- "You have four very very well-deserved yeses," SImon tells me.

For a moment I can't move; I'm in extreme shock, but when the shock turns to ecstasy I smile and thank them, probably making a fool of myself with my level of excitement. I run off the stage with joyful tears streaming down my face.

When I exit the stage area, my family and Nate are waiting there for me. My mother is the first to run to me and crash me into her embrace. She's crying too, and her makeup's running. Mine probably is too, but I don't care. She pulls back and looks at me and puts her hands on my face, cradling my head in her hands. "My baby's done so well, and she's gonna do even more." She plants a motherly kiss on my forehead before my Dad takes me from her and gives me a hug of his own.

"Congratulations, Sweetie."

When my dad lets me go, Nate comes over and wraps me in his arms. He leans down and whispers into my ear: "I knew you could do it, babe. I knew you could. I had no doubt in my mind."

I smile and look up at him. He leans down and leaves a soft, chaste kiss on my lips. My parents are watching us, and I see that my father has his arm around my mother's waist. Her head is on his shoulder, and he's holding her, comforting her tears.

I feel a tear of my own fall down my face once more, and Nate wipes it away and then trails his finger back behind my ear, taking care of a loose strand of hair. He kisses my head again, and I smile like an idiot.

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The car ride is silent, because we've no idea what to say anymore. My mind is racing as well as my heart for many reasons. I am so excited that my life will change, but the change will possibly be so drastic and insane. If this all works out I'll be on tours and making albums and traveling everywhere and my privacy will be gone. This is my dream though, and everyone's known it for the longest time. Everything will change, but deep down I know I'm ready. I don't want to be known as that little girl from Marco anymore.