Ladies First (Zayn Malik) Book 4

Chapter 6

The next day was a much more somber day. Miah had been cut so I didn’t have the usual perkiness in my room. I almost started crying when we were saying goodbye.

“Aww don’t be sad,” she’d said with a smile, hugging me. “It just wasn’t my time. I’ll be back next year.” She added with her usual optimism. “This is your year. I expect you to win ok?” she says. I’d let out a choked laugh, nodding my head. She gave me one last hug before she headed out the door.

Today was mostly for practice. Tomorrow we’d be performing for an actual audience. There was about 60 acts left and tomorrow we’d all perform for an audience like we had during the auditions, and then the judges would select the final 32 who’d go to the judges’ house. Needless to say, there hadn’t been any partying last night or today. Everyone was down to business. The judges had said to pick a song worth a 5 million dollar contract. No pressure or anything right? It took me probably half the day to finally decide on a song. I kept switching, or rethinking, or going back to a previously selected song. It wasn’t until lunch when I was talking with Will and Chris and they told me that I needed to pick a song, that I finally picked one. Around 3, I went to the stylist who helped me pick out what I’d be wearing and decided on hair and makeup and then I was rushed to the choreographer for how I’d act on stage. He decided, since I wasn’t the best dancer and I had heeled boots, I’d be better off standing front and center with a mic stand doing small movements rather than traipsing around the stage. This was fine with me because I didn’t want to embarrass myself by falling on my face in front of a live audience. By dinnertime, my throat is beginning to feel sore so I figure it’s time to stop. I can’t throw out my voice before tomorrow. I have to be perfect. I decide to take dinner in my room so I don’t have to deal with the mind games some of the other contestants were trying to pull, and instead, Skype my sister. I log onto my computer and pull up Skype, seeing that my mom is signed in. I quickly type up a message asking if Maddie was there.

‘Just a minute’ she replies. A couple seconds later, it starts ringing. I quickly push answer and see my mom hovering over the computer. When she see’s me appear, she hops out of the chair, allowing Maddie to have the seat.

“Hey” I say a smile appearing on my face. “How’ve you been?”

“Good!” she chirps. “When are you coming home?” she asks quickly. My smile falters slightly. I was afraid this was going to happen. She didn’t quiet understand what was going on. She didn’t realize that this wasn’t like going to school when I’d be back every night. That this could pull me away for months at a time if I managed to make it. It was something I’d been worrying about happening with college if this hadn’t happened.

“I’ll be home in a few days,” I promise her. One way or another, I’d be going home in 2 days. Either I’d be going home for a month until the judge’s houses, or I’d be going home for good. “So tell me about summer school” I prompt, trying to change the subject. She smiles, and immediately launches into what they did in class today. I felt a sense of peace wash over me as I listened to her jabber on about her classmates. I loved being here don’t get me wrong. This was a chance of a lifetime, but at the same time, there was no place like home and even just talking with Maddie brought a smile to my face.

The next day we are all up early to start preparing for the show. Since there were about 60 acts left, each act lasting around 5 minutes, the show was going to be a while. The plan was for the show to start at 12, and then there’d be a 15-minute break ever 2 hours so the judges and audience can have a break. My expected performance time was around 4 which wasn’t exactly prime. People would be getting tired and there’d still be a ton of acts after me so they wouldn’t necessarily remember mine. There was nothing I could do though. I’d have to grin and bare it. Next Generation had gotten lucky and pulled the last spot. They’d be able to go out with a bang and be the show that everyone remembered. Might not be like, I think ruefully, glancing over at the boys, who were joking around with their stylist as she tried to get them to sit in the chair so she could get them ready. They’d had cameras following them all week. They were going to be a crowd favorite and the producers knew it.  As the show progressed, I grew more and more nervous. Some people were doing phenomenal; just blowing it out of the park. A sinking feeling in my gut started forming as I listened to all these girls that were so much better than me. Carmen is one of the first to perform and she sings Stereo Hearts and gets the crowd pumped and on their feet during the singing rap. She didn’t have the biggest voice, but what she lacked vocally she more than made up for in stage presence. After the first break, I saw the girl from outside, Hannah, perform Safe and Sound. She performed beautifully, putting such raw emotion into the song that Demi was brought to tears. By the time it was 4, they were running late. There were still 5 acts in front of me, which gave me half an hour of impatient nervousness. I looked around at the people backstage who still had to perform.