The Heartbreak Factor - Part One

Chapter Sixteen.

Making my way from the dressing room to the stage door, butterflies began to flutter around in my stomach. My silver dress was dancing behind me as I walked down the corridor; my hands were playing with my belt as the nerves began to get the better of me. This could have been the last time I was walking down this corridor - I couldn’t bare the thought of going home so soon in the competition and I couldn’t bare the thought of not performing on the stage every week. I’d fallen in love with performing and I couldn’t see myself doing anything else with my life - I was born to do this. 

Tulisa grabbed hold of my hand as she walked out of her dressing room before we got called back to the stage area as the guest performers were about to finish their performances and the show would run to the advertisement break. 

“You’ll be okay,” she smiled, reassuringly squeezing onto my hand as we continued to make our way down the corridor.

“I hope so,” I said to her with a smile on the corner of my face. “I don’t want to let anyone down.”

“Whatever happens tonight, just remember that you haven’t let anyone down,” she smiled as we walked into the backstage area to get our microphone packs fitted. 

*

“It’s Tulisa and the girls,” Dermot announced as the doors in front of us opened and Tulisa began to walk down the steps as me, Jade and Lucy followed her. 

Once all acts had come onto the stage and were stood in some sort of a line formation across the stage, the lighting in the studio changed. I looked out at the audience in a blur. Nerves had over taken my entire body and I felt physically sick.

"And the first act returning next week is..." Dermot said without any warning, creating tension in the studio. 

Tulisa hugged us all tightly. All the acts stood on the stage to find out which acts were going through and which acts were going through and which acts were going to have to sing against each other, fighting for their survival in the competition.

"District 3," Dermot called out.

As District 3 celebrated, the rest of us stood on stage awaiting our fate. The pause between each name being called out seemed to get longer and longer. 

"Jahmene Douglas."

"MK1."

"Jade Ellis."

Even though both me and Lucy congratulated Jade, we all still were concentrating on who's name was going to be the next one to be read out by Dermot. 

“Please be me,” I whispered silently to myself as I awaited the next name to be called out.

"James Arthur."

"Sammy Jones."

My heart pounded. Did Dermot really just read my name out? Tulisa and Lucy both hugged me as I hugged them back, grinning over getting through to next week's live show. Walking over to meet District 3, Jahmene, MK1, Jade and James, George grinned at me. "Good luck," I mouthed silently to him as he stood with JJ, Josh and Jaymi nervously waiting for their name to be read out. 

Standing inbetween Charlie from MK1 and Dan from District 3, I stood watching Dermot, praying that he'd call out Union J next. I was pleased that I had managed to get through but I wanted, no, I needed Union J to be through too - they were my best friends and made the whole X Factor experience amazing.

"Christopher Maloney."

The boys looked over at me, then back at Dermot. My heart dropped.

"Lucy Spraggan."