Unforgettable

Shaken awake

Dec grabbed his arm, completely taken aback and worried. "Ant! What's wrong?"

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It was only thanks to Dec's quick reaction that Ant didn't fall down to the floor. He used his left hand to steady himself at the wall. "Ant, are you okay?" Dec's voice was filled with worry. It took a few seconds for Ant until he responded: "I don't know, I kinda feel dizzy. Not sick or something, just... dizzy." Dec tilted his head sideways and bit his lip. "You think you can go on with the show?", he asked. Ant nodded. "Of course, I'm sure that's just the stress and all." Dec didn't seem to be too happy with that answer, but he knew that they had only a few moments left before they were back live so they had to decide quickly. Ant, seeing the insecurity in Dec's eyes, squeezed his shoulder. "That's alright, really. Don't worry." One of their teammates came over with a waterbottle. "Take a sip and then you have to head back to the stage, come on", he said. Ant accepted the bottle gladly, drank a few gulps and handed it back. "Thanks a lot. Come on", he added, nodding towards the stage.

Not a minute later, they were standing on their spots in front of the camera again, the autocue started to roll slowly and the ten second countdown over their earpieces started. Along with the theme track of BGT, Ant welcomed the nation back: "Welcome back to the first live show of BGT 2020! Amazing acts have played, amazing acts are waiting to come." Nodding and smiling along with Ant's words, Dec overtook: "Next up to wow our judges and most importantly you guys at home is a group of children and two Mams who have simply fun singing. Please give a big round of applause to-" "-The Voices of Hearts!", they concluded in unison.

With the studio audience and the judges clapping and cheering, two women and about ten kids entered the stage. The youngest children started to wave at the audience where they knew their parents were sitting and waiting impatiently for their performance. Ant and Dec could see how Alesha and Amanda looked at each other, saying "Awww". They were right, though. The whole group was simply adorable. They sat up as they had rehearsed it, the smallest kids in the front, the taller ones behind them and the Mams with their backs to the audience, facing the children. They grinned in excitement, some still waving, until the track started. It was a soft, yet lively rhythm which caused everyone in the room to start swaying with it automatically. A girl about ten years stepped forward, smiling as if there was no bigger pleasure on earth when she started singing: Friday night beneath the starts, in a field behind your yard. You and I are painting pictures in the sky. A wave of applause went through the audience as a boy around the same age stepped forward and took over: Sometimes we don't say a thing, just listen to the crickets sing, everything I need is right here by my side.

Dec felt something stir inside him by the sound of the lyrics. He felt strangely touched when all the other kids now also took a step forward. And I know everything about you. I don't wanna live without you, they sang, voices harmonizing perfectly, pointing at the audience when the lyrics said you. The music grew louder when the refrain started: I'm only up when you're not down, don't wanna fly if you're still on the ground. It's like no matter what do, well, you drive me crazy half the time, the other half I'm only trying to let you know that what I feel is true. And I'm only me when I'm with you.

On the big screen behind them appeared pictures of them and their friends. It seemed that, even though the song was written for lovers, they just took it as a friendship song. And the lyrics fitted perfectly. Dec could feel emotions welling up inside him when he realized how true this song was - I'm only me when I'm with you. Ant was like his home, his safe place where he was nobody but himself. Ant took him as who he was, he never made the attempt to change anything about him. He knew that Ant liked all his specialities that someone else would maybe find annoying. He had never told him that he didn't like something about him. Dec knew that he was geniuely himself when he was with Ant. He was himself most the time to be fair, he had never seen a sense in masking up who one really was. But there would maybe be something that he hid in public whilst he had no problem with showing it when he was with Ant.