Love at the X Factor (on hold) :(

Chapter 18

"Hey, Bells." He smiled, pulling me into a hug. I cringed when he called me that. I kept my arms by my sides while he hugged me.

"What are you doin' here?" I asked when he finally let me go.

"Summer job. I graduated this year, remember?" He explained, but I could just look in his eyes and see it was something else.

"I didn't see you last week. Or the week before." I watched him closely. He began to squirm.

"Uh, I just came in today." I just nodded, dropping it.

"Well, gotta go. I'm on." I grinned, grabbing the microphone, running out onto the stage as the music began. 

After my performance, I was still pumped. I ran around backstage, messing around with everyone when I ran into Emblem 3.

"Hey guys!" I hugged Keaton and Drew, dismissing Wes completely when he went in for a hug.

"You did great!" Drew said, sipping a water bottle.

"Thanks! When do y'all go on?"

"About twenty minutes." Keaton said. Wes looked up at me with a sneer that I ignored.

"Well, good luck!" I said somewhat distractedly when I looked up to see Niall talking to Dan. Crap. I started walking over to him when someone covered my eyes.

"Guess who, Bella-boo." A deep voice whispered into my ear. Only one person called me that.

"Joshy!" I cried out enthusiastically. I jerked around to hug him, wrappings arms around his neck.

"No hello for me!?" My best friend back in Arizona popped out from behind him.

"Of course, Al!" I grabbed Aly, hugging her tight. "You dyed your hair!" I took a look, realizing her hair was blonde.

"Yeah, duh." She laughed. She was always dying her hair.

"Who's this, babe?" Niall walked up, snaking his arm around my waist protectively. His eyes were stone as he stared at Josh. Aly smirked at me, knowing everything from my obsession with the boys to the current situation. I blushed.

"This is Josh and Aly, my best friends from Arizona." I smiled up at him and I felt him relax. Josh shook his hand and Aly waved sweetly.

"Nice to meet you guys." Niall smiled.

"How'd y'all get here?" I asked.

"I drove them." My stepbrother appeared, a girl holding onto his hand. I smiled until I recognized her. It was Shay. Aly and Josh both looked at me as they walked up, watching me for a reaction. Niall gave me a look and I whispered in his ear who she was and he nodded, remembering when I told him about her.

"Why don't I take you guys to where the boys and Jenna and Maggie are?" Niall suggested to Josh and Aly. They followed him back into the audience reluctantly.

"So, y'all are back together?" I asked as Shay gave me a look over. She popped her gum, flicking her blonde hair over her shoulder. We didn't like each other and it was obvious.

"Yep." She giggled rather creepily and kissed my brother's cheek. 

"Hey Blake?" He looked up at me, biting his lip. "A word." I dragged him over to the exit door as Shay began walking around backstage. "Why the hell is she here!?" I whisper-yelled at him.

"She flew to Phoenix and apologized." 

"Do you remember what she did to you last summer?" I raised an eyebrow at him and he looked at the ground.

"She's changed." He argued.

"Yeah, okay." I walked off, going to go wait for the results.

"I knew you'd make it to the next round." Niall said, hugging me into his chest, kissing the top of my head. All of my friends began congratulating me. I had the biggest smile on my face; so big, my cheeks were beginning to hurt.

"Thank y'all so much. I wouldn't be anywhere without y'all." The camera came up to me right when I said that and I looked over at it, smiling. "And same goes to you Mom and John, and you little Jakey! I love y'all so much." I blew a kiss to the camera and waved. The camera went on its way, as did we, heading back for a well deserved sleep, before having to take Maggie and Jenna to the aiport in the morning..