Double Act (A One Direction Fanfiction)

Chapter Forty Three: Results Time

Double Act - Chapter 43

~~ Louis' P.O.V ~~

How was I supposed to deal with this?

Simon told me that I would be judging on the X Factor, a chance to make people's dreams, dreams that I once had, come true. I wanted to make people happy. I wanted to either have an act that won, who I would help as much as I could, or an act that didn't win, who I would do my very best to reassure them that that wouldn't be the end for them.

I was not prepared to do both at the same time.

"Good luck, boys, I'm sure you guys will win,"

"Are you mental?"

"Yeah, Liv, you guys will win for sure!"

"You know that's not true,"

"Callum's right,"

"I'm so hungry..."

"Callum, not now!"

"Sorry..."

"But you guys are going to win, so congratulations!"

"Say that one more time, and I'll-"

"Guys!" I cried out. "Come on, stop it!" I pleaded firmly. I looked around at the 6 faces, completely baffled. "One of you are going to win the X Factor, and the other is going to be the act that got to the finals of the X Factor. Now. I have only been in one of those positions," I said, wincing at the memory. "But I survived. Just because you don't win, doesn't mean that your journey is over, okay?"

They sighed, nodding reluctantly.

"Look where One Direction got to, and we didn't even get to this stage," I shrugged, shaking my head slowly. "So stop arguing with each other and-"

I didn't get to finish my sentence, as the X Factor tune rang out and rapturous applause echoed inside of my head. They were like a drum roll, leading up to the inevitable mixture of sadness, pride and guilt that I was about to feel.

"Welcome back to the X Factor final, where we about to announce the winner of the public vote," Dermot said, his solemn gaze focused down the lense of the camera. I gulped.

I felt an hand on my arm, making me jump a little. I turned to find Lara's terrified face. She wasn't looking at me. Her gaze was set on something in the audience and, when I followed her stare, I found James waving reassuringly. But his wave didn't give a reassurance of winning. No. It gave the reassurance that whatever the result, he would still be proud. The reassurance that in his eyes it didn't matter. The reassurance that she needed.

I looked back at her face. It was constricted with an assortment of emotions; anger, anticipation, reluctance and, most obvious of all, mortal terror. I slipped my hand through hers, giving it a light squeeze to try and ease her nerves. I didn't think it worked, as she began to tremble.

"The results of your votes are..."

I snapped back in to reality at the sound of Dermot's voice, and waited.

I. Hate. Dramatic. Pauses. I'm not even lying when I say that I almost pounced on Dermot, ripped the cards from his hand and hit him over the head with them. I took a breath in to calm the anger burning in my lungs. That was not the time. I could murder Dermot later.

Dermot suddenly frowned, his fingers lifting and touching briefly on his earpiece as he received some apparently puzzling news. "I.. I don't believe this. It's a tie. A draw. Double Act and Four Life have received the exact same amount of votes each. I don't... this must be the first time in X Factor history," Dermot babbled in disbelief.