One // Leigh-Anne Pinnock

Chapter Nine

"It doesn't fit." Leigh said quietly, coming out of the bathroom with her costume in hand.

"What?!" Their stylist exclaimed.

"I tried, it won't go on!" She repeated. She fumbled with her fingers, a nervous habit she was developing.

The Little Mix girls were getting ready for their debut performance of their brand new single 'Shout Out To My Ex' on The X Factor. Leigh-Anne was the first out of hair and makeup so she went to put on her stage outfit.

She was a bit self-conscious about the baby weight she gained so instead of changing in the dressing room itself like the other girls, she dressed in the bathroom. As a result of her slight weight gain her costume couldn't fit her.

"Don't worry we'll find something else that fits and matches the other girls." She kept her voice steady and calm. The last thing they needed was for Leigh to get worked up over a costume right before a performance especially one as big as this one.

"Okay." She sat on the couch and waited. She unconsciously began to pick at her nail polish. She caught herself before she chipped it.

"Why aren't you dressed?" Perrie asked plopping down beside her.

"My costume won't fit. Alison had to go look for something else." She said uncomfortably. Her unfocused eyes looked at anything but Perrie. Perrie thought her unusual behavior was caused by pre-performance nerves so she didn't question it.

Instead she suggested that they warm up their vocals since they weren't occupied.

"Oh. Well in the mean time we should do vocal warm ups yeah?"

"Okay." Leigh replied softly.

They went in front of the portion of the mirror that was vacant. They began the vocal exercises that their vocal coach taught them. Perrie began snapchatting it. She made silly faces in attempt to make her brown skinned friend laugh. She mentally hi-fived herself when Leigh giggled. Ten minutes later their stylist rushed into the room with a white, thigh length shirt and a black belt.

"This is the only thing I could find. It has an elastic band so it will fit. Go change quick." She said handing it to her.

Leigh returned to the bathroom and changed into the shirt. It fit her comfortably and she sighed in relief. She fixed the belt then pulled on the black thigh high boots. She checked herself in the mirror. Her makeup needed touching up but other than that she was contented with her appearance. Until she took a good look at herself.

Her face looked a little puffy. Her boobs and stomach looked bigger. The rings on her fingers felt tight. She didn't like what she was seeing at all.

Suddenly there was a loud knock on the door. Startled, she accidentally knocked her hand against the sink. She winced. She gently massaged it to ease the pain.

"Leigh we're on in ten minutes. Are you ready? Are you okay?" Jesy called through the door.

"Yeah. I'll uh..I'll be out in a sec."

"Okay." She said.

She dried her hands then lightly ran them over her face. She took a deep breath then exited the bathroom.

The quiet chatter that buzzed around the room died down as she came out. All eyes were on her. She suddenly became really shy and stared at her shoes hoping they'd stop staring at her. She looked up to see they had returned to what ever they were doing. She walked over to Adam and bashfully asked him if he could touch up her makeup. He willingly obliged.

Shortly after one of the producers came to get them. Their manager Paul walked behind them. They walked down the familiar corridors leading towards backstage. While they were walking Jesy grabbed Leigh's arm to catch her attention.