365 days of Darkness (pt. 2) // Z.M.

Day 365

July 22th, 2010

At eleven AM that day, three buses left the hotel, full of the x-Factor concurrent. No one knew where the fuck they were taking us until we stopped in front of a huge arena. The place where all the x-Factor performances would be. As we stepped inside, I looked all around and couldn't helped but felt impressed and scared. The place was huge, I couldn't believed that I would sing there the next day. It was freaking me out a bit, I need to say. 

Once we were all inside, they divided us by categories. The first ones to pass were the over twenty-five. The rest of us, we went backstage and just talked to each other for a while. At some point, Louis and that Harry guy I told you about started a football game in the middle of an hallway. I just looked and smiled, staying on the side. Both boys and girls were playing. There was other side-liners like me, small groups of people chatting with each other. 

The day went by like that. The over twenty-five came back and it was the groups' turn. Then it was the girls' and finally... The boys'. My turn.

We were all standing on the stage, just waiting for the judges to tell us what to do. I couldn't even saw the people around me, I was too focused on what would happened next. 

- Okay guys, Louis said. We're going to play a song and all you have to do is dance along.

Said like that, it seemed so easy. But I just couldn't do it. It freaked me out way too much. I was in the backro, it only took me a few steps to disappear backstage. I went in a room where there was no one and I sat on a chair, holding my head in both hands. I had messed everything up. If I really had a change, it was gone. I called myself so many names while sitting there. And I apologized to Safaa, because I'm a shitty brother, you know.

- What are you doing here Zayn ?

I looked up to see Simon Fucking Cowell coming to me. I mean, he's huge in the musical industry, quite a big name, and he was directly talking to me. He sat on the chair right next to me, his eyes never leaving my face. I opened my mouth but couldn't say a damn thing. Why ? Because I couldn't just say to the huge Simon Cowell that I was a coward. But still, I'm stupid, so I did it.

- I can't dance.

- Of course you can. It doesn't need to be perfect, we just want to see what you've got.

I wanted to tell him that I had fucking nothing, that I was just a bunch of crap anyway but I bit my tongue and only looked down. Simon put his hand on my shoulder and slightly pressed it.

- Come on kiddo. It's a once in a lifetime chance. You need to take it.

I nodded and he smiled, before leaving. "A once in a lifetime chance." I stood up and left the room I was in to go back on the stage. The song had changed, it had more rhythm in it. I closed my eyes and tried not to think that I couldn't dance, except from when I was drunk as hell. I counted up to four and I did it.

For the following few minutes, I danced. It surely asn't pretty. I was sure as hell shy, but I did it. And, while I was doing it, I kept on thinking about Safaa. "I'm doing this for you, Princess." I thought that every time I wanted to stop. And, at the end of the song, I opened back my eyes and looked to the judges, Simon was smiling right at me.

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Okay, guys, I'm getting emotional. There's only one entry left, then it's going to be the epilogue... Omg ! ;o