Right Up My Street

Final

I can't sleep.
After tossing and turning for a little longer, I sit up and turn the light on my bedside table on.
The X Factor finals are tomorrow, but no contestants of my group are still in - so that can't be the reason for my restlessness. Maybe it's Janet. Since the day Louis and Dannii found out about her and Simon she just seems even more determined to be with him. Even though he has tried his best to ignore her ...
Suddenly my phone buzzes. It's 1 a.m ... who would be awake at this time?
A message from Simon appears on my home screen.
Cheryl, I need to tell you something ... He writes.
I decide to let it be though and put my phone away again. He's probably drunk or something. Why else would he text me in the middle of the night if he'll see me all of tomorrow? Or maybe it's really important ... I'll have to see tomorrow.
Eventually I drift off into an uneasy sleep - filled with dreams of Janet and Simon.

"Cheryl, hun!" Dannii beams at me as I arrive backstage "How are you?"
I smile back at her "Kind of sad that this is the last day. What about you?"
"Psyched!" she giggles. Of course, Dannii's contestant, Hugo, made it through to today.
"Tell Hugo best of luck from me." I nod as she leaves to the stage, then I make my way to my dressing room.

I kind of understand the contestants' nervousness as I step onto the huge stage myself to perform my new single.
What a rush - the dancers, the music, the crowd. But I lose my footing for a split second when I see the look on Simon's face, his eyes never leaving me.

"You were brilliant!" he tells me later on, while we sit in the catering area - waiting for the results.
"Oh, thanks." I reply, feeling the colour rushing to my cheeks "But ... Can I ask you somethin'?"
He nods "Sure."
"Why were you textin' me in the middle of the night?"
Now Simon is the one to blush "Oh, I just ... - I don't know ... I guess, I was a little drunk from an event last night ..."
"Well, well" I laugh "So, what do you need to tell me?"
He seems to be thinking very carefully about what he is going to say next.
"Cheryl ..." he finally starts "You know, my - my 'relationship' with Janet?"
I raise an eyebrow. Is he making fun of me now? "How could I forget? What about it?"
"Well, ..." he scratches his neck nervously "You were kind of the cause ..."
"Me?" He is making fun of me "You need to explain this."
"I - I needed a distraction from you. Not because you're a bad person - not at all. Just because ..." Simon stammers "Because I love you Cheryl."
What ...?
"There," he sighs "I said it: I love you. But I was never sure if you loved me back, so I needed to get rid of my feelings somehow."
"Oh my god ..." I whisper, one hand clapped in front of my mouth. But, of course, now that I think about it, it all makes sense. The way he carried me when I hurt my ankle, how he never really got mad at me for yelling at him, how he was always there to comfort me ...
He doesn't say more, but just gets up and leaves.
I jump up from my chair and follow him, rushing down the corridor in pursuit "Simon, wait!" I yell - but to no use.
He leaves me standing there like a penny in the rain, lost for words.
After I digested what had just happened, another worry comes to my mind. What will he do about Janet now? What if she wins?

I feel like I'm about to be sick of nerves as the winner is about to be announced.
I can hear my own heartbeat while the silence is threatening to deafen us. But then the crowd jumps up, screaming and shouting, Dannii is in tears of joy, Janet in tears of anger - it's Hugo.
I laugh out loud, relieved to let go of the nerves, and look around.
Louis and Simon are both standing up and applauding with big smiles on their faces, although Simon looks slightly uncomfortable.
I get up to join them - but instead of clapping, I carefully link my arm with Simon's.
He stares at me in a mixture of surprise and amazement, before laying his other arm around my waist.
Before I know it our lips meet to more screaming and applauding of the audience. I really don't know anything anymore, but I like it. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Janet running off the stage. I can't help but feel a bit sorry for her. A broken heart and a lost competition in one day. Ouch.
"I think, this is better than winning the X Factor, huh?" Louis chuckles as we finally pull apart again.
"Definitely." Simon grins.

Backstage, the interviewers already await us expectantly and within taking pictures and giving opinions on Hugo's performance, Simon gets bombarded with questions about our kiss. Was it staged or real? Is there something going on?
He catches my eye before answering "It wasn't planned, that's for sure ... About the seriousness of it - ask Cheryl, it's up to her. But I assure you, I love her and I'm glad I don't have to keep it a secret anynore."
And as he says that, I realize why I couldn't sleep, why I constantly cried, why I didn't understand myself anymore - I am in love. I have been for a long time.

A/n: So. This was my little X Factor project. I enjoyed writing this so much, I think I'm going to start another Chimon fic. Maybe a sequel? :D Thanks for reading and getting this to over 100 reads in only a few days!