Always
Judges’ Houses: Part 2
Harry’s POV
Sunday, 21st August
“Wake up, mate!” A loud voice shouted. I grumbled and curled my arms underneath the warm sheets. I didn’t want to get up. Who wanted to leave the warmth and the safety of their bed? If I had the time, I would stay in bed for as long as possible. Just as I drifted off back to sleep, someone hit me in the face with a pillow.
“Oi!” I grunted, reluctantly lifting my head from the pillows. My vision was blurry so I blinked a few times, moving my long hair out of my face. I looked up and saw a familiar Irishman standing beside my bed, dumping the pillow he held in his hands on the mattress near my legs.
“Why did you hit me with that, Niall?” I asked grumpily.
“Because it’s fucking quarter past ten and you need to get ready for your contestants. Plus, I wanted to hit you with a pillow anyway. It’s fun.” He answered with a cheeky tone.
“Are you ever going to grow up?” I shook my head, sitting up.
“Never.” Niall smiled. I sighed and rested my back against the headboard of the bed, ruffling my hair up, even though it was messy enough as it was. I noticed Niall was still in my room. I raised my eyebrow at me, silently asking him to leave. He pressed his lips together and walked to the open door. I narrowed my eyes when he stopped, looking over his shoulder.
“Have a sexy dream about Kaylie?”
I scowled and grabbed the pillow with my hands, lobbing it at Niall with as much force as I could muster. He ran out of the room before the pillow hit him, chuckling like a 10-year-old. I ran my hands over my face and let out a low sigh. I hated Niall sometimes. He was so fucking childish, it was ridiculous. I couldn’t believe he was older than me. It seemed like I was the older one when he was around. I had asked Niall if he wanted to be my guest judge as soon as the auditions started this year. I knew he would say yes because all he was doing was a few sporting things. Liam…he wanted to be with Cheryl and Louis…he was a father. He had no time. It was good to reunite with Niall though. I knew he could see talent if it was in front of him. He told the truth and hopefully, he would make my decision of picking three girls easier.
I had made the mistake of telling Niall the attraction I had towards Kaylie. She didn’t feel like my contestant. I was genuinely attracted to her as a beautiful young woman with her life ahead of her. I could be the person to start that life, the career she wanted, showcasing her talents to thousands of people. Niall had watched all of her performances and he thought the same as me, seeing how talented she was. But he would constantly tease me about how I felt about her. He would make dirty jokes and ask me all the time if I wanted to kiss her. Well, of course I want to kiss her! What sort of question is that? But this competition wasn’t the right place to develop feelings for my contestant, not when there were cameras everywhere. It would be a scandal. I will wait. I will wait until the time is right. I told myself.
I crawled out of my bed and dragged my feet to the bathroom, starting my daily morning routine of having a shower. I washed my hair so it looked good for the cameras today. I got dressed in my usual pair of black skinny jeans and a green floral button-down with the sleeves rolled up to my elbows. I pulled on some socks and grabbed my pair of black leather boots before heading downstairs.
Niall was sitting at the kitchen counter, drinking a cup of coffee while watching something on the large flatscreen TV. I moved my fingers through my hair, which was still damp, as I walked into the open kitchen, preparing myself a bullet coffee.
“All ready for today, Haz?” Niall asked.
“Yes, I am. Interested to see the girls’ performances.” I answered. All of their performances so far had been incredible so they can to step it up a notch if they wanted to receive even more praise and recognition. After all, they didn’t only have to impress me. They had to impress Niall too. I wondered what Kaylie was going to sing. I figured something slow and powerful, because that seemed like her style, especially from all her previous performances. She liked ballads and I was captivated every time she sung. Her voice was vulnerable but held so much emotion and power and I found that unique about her.
“Who are looking forward to hear sing the most?” I questioned, mixing my coffee with a small spoon.
“Obviously, Kaylie. I want to see why you’re so infatuated with her.” Niall said.
“I’m not infatuated with her.” I grumbled underneath my breath.
“Yes, you are.” Niall protested, obviously hearing me. I ignored him and dumped the spoon in the sink. I slid my fingers through the hook of the coffee cup and raised it to my lips, taking a sip as I turned around to face Niall.
“Who else?”
“Alicia. She’s really good. And what’s this thing about Melody?” Niall asked, turning around in his seat to look at him. I rolled my eyes and drank my coffee again, letting the hot liquid smooth the dryness of my throat.
“She kept on trying to touch me. Like in a flirty way.”
“You mean…?”
“Yes! Right in front of the other girls but I wasn’t having it. I’m not here to hook up with one of my contestants. I’m here to mentor them.” I said.
“Why don’t you just send Melody home?”
“That would look extremely suspicious on television. Everyone will think we hooked up.” I shook my head in disgust. Truthfully, I had nothing against Melody. She had a great voice and I could afford to just send her home without a reason. And I couldn’t make one up because Simon would interrogate me and then I would be booted off the show. And there’s no pissing off “Uncle’ Simon. Melody was a very attractive young woman and I would probably hook up with her if both of us weren’t on the show. But we were and things like that were off-limits. What made me feel uncomfortable was that she was flirting with me around the other girls yesterday. Trying to link arms with me, batting her eyelashes in my direction, attempting to put her hand on my thigh. Having Kaylie on my other side had kept me calm. Was it strange that she kept me calm but also sent my heart racing? I didn’t even know how to explain it. I sipped my coffee and took a deep breath.
“They’re coming at 1 o’clock, right?” I asked.
“You’re the judge. You should know.” Niall scoffed mockingly.
“Niall.”
“Yes, yes, they are.” He sighed and looked away from me with a smile.
“Hey, you try being in my position. It’s not easy.” I declared, gulping down my coffee again. Niall didn’t know what it felt like. To have crushed people’s dreams, to have sent people who have great talent home. It was stressful and I know today the stress would only get worse because I had to halve my category. It’s going to be hard.
0*0
The cameras were set up and the crew were getting ready to film. I paced up and down the front of my mansion, scratching my right forearm. My heart pounded and I ran my hand through my hair, waiting for my Top 6 Girls to arrive. The sun was out again today and white puffy clouds floated across the bright blue sky. Blissful weather. I sighed in content. I was just getting calm when the main director told me the girls were coming. I nodded and rolled my shoulders back, my eyes catching sight of two sleek black cars pulling up in front of my house.
Filming had started. I smiled when I saw the girls climb out of the cars, their hair gently blowing in the breeze. Alicia and Kaylie walked next to each other, grinning when they saw me. All the girls walked closer to me hurriedly, their eyes sparkling. I wasn’t going to lie, I loved being surrounded by six attractive young women. It was every man’s dream, really. But their looks are not what got them through to Judges’ Houses. It was their vocal talent and the way they held their own when they performed. I couldn’t believe I had to send three of them home. But first, they have to perform for Niall and I.
“Hello, ladies.” I said with a smile. They all said “hi” and “hello” back, standing about three or four feet away from me. My eyes scanned the women, thinking about how beautiful they looked today. Melody had taken full advantage of her looks, showing off her thin legs and curvy hips and breasts with her outfit. The five other girls looked more…appealing. Kaylie…I couldn’t even describe how stunning she looked.(http://www.polyvore.com/kaylie_judges_houses_part/set?id=204581308) The colour of her dress matched her skin and her make-up was done perfectly, accentuating her facial features. Kaylie, you have no idea what you do to me!
“Welcome to Judges’ Houses! Welcome to my humble abode!” I gestured with my hands to my house. The girls cheered and clapped their hands, the smiles never disappearing from their faces; although, Melody’s was more of a flirtatious smirk.
“Today is extremely important. This is the point in the competition where underdogs have arisen to take out the title. I know all of you are extremely talented and that’s why you’re here now but you’ve got to step it up. I am looking for self-confidence. You need to believe in yourself, believe you can win this.” I stated. The girls nodded and I saw Kaylie’s face flash with nervousness. I could tell she was scared but I knew she would be fine. She went into her own little world when she performed and wowed everyone. I hoped she would do that to Niall and I today.
“But…I am not going to be the only one judging you. So I’d like to introduce you to…” I smiled as the girls’ faces lit up. I turned around to face the open doors of my house as Niall walked out, his smile wide and his blue eyes sparkled through his glasses. The girls squealed and cheered when they saw Niall. I laughed at their reactions and gave Niall a one-armed brotherly hug, patting his back; he did the same to me.
“Hello, girls.” He said, facing my contestants. The look on Kaylie’s face was priceless. She was ecstatic to see Niall but her nerves had increased. It was written all over her face. She told me she was a fan of One Direction so performing in front of two of its members wouldn’t be the easiest thing for her to do. I just hoped I hadn’t made things worse for her.
“Remember, Harry and I have been in your very position. I know you all must be feeling excited, overwhelmed and nervous all at the same time but don’t let that detract from your performance. Use those emotions and feelings to your advantage. Let them motivate you.”
It was great advice from Niall. All the girls, except for Melody, were looking straight at him, listening to every word he said. Melody had her pale blue eyes locked onto me and I only glanced at her briefly, knowing we were on camera. I didn’t want either of us to look suspicious.
After Niall and I went down to have a small chat to the girls individually, we entered the house together, taking a seat on the couch in the main sitting room. The cameras were already filming and a couple of back-up singers stood next to the window, adjusting their microphones.
“For you, Niall, was this the most nervous you were during the competition? Being at Judges' Houses?” I asked.
“100%. I know you were too.” Niall answered and I nodded my head in agreement. Judges’ Houses was the first time we performed as a band. God, that was so long ago now… It seemed crazy. But we were proof that this show made dreams come true.
“They can’t stuff an opportunity like this up. It could literally change their lives, just like it did for us and the other two lads.” Niall added and got comfortable on the couch, resting his hands in his lap. I looked ahead and took a deep breath. What Niall said was true. Our lives had changed because of being on The X Factor. This show made people believe in themselves and showcased much talent in the U.K. Kaylie was one of those people. She needed to have self-belief otherwise everything would fall flat. She needed that push. I was that push. Kaylie needed to know how amazing she was. With a bit of luck, hopefully she would see the talent she had, now that I had Niall with me.
I asked for the crew to bring in the first contestant. We were ready now. Here we go. I said to myself as Niall and I awaited the first performance of Judges’ Houses.
Sunday, 21st August
“Wake up, mate!” A loud voice shouted. I grumbled and curled my arms underneath the warm sheets. I didn’t want to get up. Who wanted to leave the warmth and the safety of their bed? If I had the time, I would stay in bed for as long as possible. Just as I drifted off back to sleep, someone hit me in the face with a pillow.
“Oi!” I grunted, reluctantly lifting my head from the pillows. My vision was blurry so I blinked a few times, moving my long hair out of my face. I looked up and saw a familiar Irishman standing beside my bed, dumping the pillow he held in his hands on the mattress near my legs.
“Why did you hit me with that, Niall?” I asked grumpily.
“Because it’s fucking quarter past ten and you need to get ready for your contestants. Plus, I wanted to hit you with a pillow anyway. It’s fun.” He answered with a cheeky tone.
“Are you ever going to grow up?” I shook my head, sitting up.
“Never.” Niall smiled. I sighed and rested my back against the headboard of the bed, ruffling my hair up, even though it was messy enough as it was. I noticed Niall was still in my room. I raised my eyebrow at me, silently asking him to leave. He pressed his lips together and walked to the open door. I narrowed my eyes when he stopped, looking over his shoulder.
“Have a sexy dream about Kaylie?”
I scowled and grabbed the pillow with my hands, lobbing it at Niall with as much force as I could muster. He ran out of the room before the pillow hit him, chuckling like a 10-year-old. I ran my hands over my face and let out a low sigh. I hated Niall sometimes. He was so fucking childish, it was ridiculous. I couldn’t believe he was older than me. It seemed like I was the older one when he was around. I had asked Niall if he wanted to be my guest judge as soon as the auditions started this year. I knew he would say yes because all he was doing was a few sporting things. Liam…he wanted to be with Cheryl and Louis…he was a father. He had no time. It was good to reunite with Niall though. I knew he could see talent if it was in front of him. He told the truth and hopefully, he would make my decision of picking three girls easier.
I had made the mistake of telling Niall the attraction I had towards Kaylie. She didn’t feel like my contestant. I was genuinely attracted to her as a beautiful young woman with her life ahead of her. I could be the person to start that life, the career she wanted, showcasing her talents to thousands of people. Niall had watched all of her performances and he thought the same as me, seeing how talented she was. But he would constantly tease me about how I felt about her. He would make dirty jokes and ask me all the time if I wanted to kiss her. Well, of course I want to kiss her! What sort of question is that? But this competition wasn’t the right place to develop feelings for my contestant, not when there were cameras everywhere. It would be a scandal. I will wait. I will wait until the time is right. I told myself.
I crawled out of my bed and dragged my feet to the bathroom, starting my daily morning routine of having a shower. I washed my hair so it looked good for the cameras today. I got dressed in my usual pair of black skinny jeans and a green floral button-down with the sleeves rolled up to my elbows. I pulled on some socks and grabbed my pair of black leather boots before heading downstairs.
Niall was sitting at the kitchen counter, drinking a cup of coffee while watching something on the large flatscreen TV. I moved my fingers through my hair, which was still damp, as I walked into the open kitchen, preparing myself a bullet coffee.
“All ready for today, Haz?” Niall asked.
“Yes, I am. Interested to see the girls’ performances.” I answered. All of their performances so far had been incredible so they can to step it up a notch if they wanted to receive even more praise and recognition. After all, they didn’t only have to impress me. They had to impress Niall too. I wondered what Kaylie was going to sing. I figured something slow and powerful, because that seemed like her style, especially from all her previous performances. She liked ballads and I was captivated every time she sung. Her voice was vulnerable but held so much emotion and power and I found that unique about her.
“Who are looking forward to hear sing the most?” I questioned, mixing my coffee with a small spoon.
“Obviously, Kaylie. I want to see why you’re so infatuated with her.” Niall said.
“I’m not infatuated with her.” I grumbled underneath my breath.
“Yes, you are.” Niall protested, obviously hearing me. I ignored him and dumped the spoon in the sink. I slid my fingers through the hook of the coffee cup and raised it to my lips, taking a sip as I turned around to face Niall.
“Who else?”
“Alicia. She’s really good. And what’s this thing about Melody?” Niall asked, turning around in his seat to look at him. I rolled my eyes and drank my coffee again, letting the hot liquid smooth the dryness of my throat.
“She kept on trying to touch me. Like in a flirty way.”
“You mean…?”
“Yes! Right in front of the other girls but I wasn’t having it. I’m not here to hook up with one of my contestants. I’m here to mentor them.” I said.
“Why don’t you just send Melody home?”
“That would look extremely suspicious on television. Everyone will think we hooked up.” I shook my head in disgust. Truthfully, I had nothing against Melody. She had a great voice and I could afford to just send her home without a reason. And I couldn’t make one up because Simon would interrogate me and then I would be booted off the show. And there’s no pissing off “Uncle’ Simon. Melody was a very attractive young woman and I would probably hook up with her if both of us weren’t on the show. But we were and things like that were off-limits. What made me feel uncomfortable was that she was flirting with me around the other girls yesterday. Trying to link arms with me, batting her eyelashes in my direction, attempting to put her hand on my thigh. Having Kaylie on my other side had kept me calm. Was it strange that she kept me calm but also sent my heart racing? I didn’t even know how to explain it. I sipped my coffee and took a deep breath.
“They’re coming at 1 o’clock, right?” I asked.
“You’re the judge. You should know.” Niall scoffed mockingly.
“Niall.”
“Yes, yes, they are.” He sighed and looked away from me with a smile.
“Hey, you try being in my position. It’s not easy.” I declared, gulping down my coffee again. Niall didn’t know what it felt like. To have crushed people’s dreams, to have sent people who have great talent home. It was stressful and I know today the stress would only get worse because I had to halve my category. It’s going to be hard.
0*0
The cameras were set up and the crew were getting ready to film. I paced up and down the front of my mansion, scratching my right forearm. My heart pounded and I ran my hand through my hair, waiting for my Top 6 Girls to arrive. The sun was out again today and white puffy clouds floated across the bright blue sky. Blissful weather. I sighed in content. I was just getting calm when the main director told me the girls were coming. I nodded and rolled my shoulders back, my eyes catching sight of two sleek black cars pulling up in front of my house.
Filming had started. I smiled when I saw the girls climb out of the cars, their hair gently blowing in the breeze. Alicia and Kaylie walked next to each other, grinning when they saw me. All the girls walked closer to me hurriedly, their eyes sparkling. I wasn’t going to lie, I loved being surrounded by six attractive young women. It was every man’s dream, really. But their looks are not what got them through to Judges’ Houses. It was their vocal talent and the way they held their own when they performed. I couldn’t believe I had to send three of them home. But first, they have to perform for Niall and I.
“Hello, ladies.” I said with a smile. They all said “hi” and “hello” back, standing about three or four feet away from me. My eyes scanned the women, thinking about how beautiful they looked today. Melody had taken full advantage of her looks, showing off her thin legs and curvy hips and breasts with her outfit. The five other girls looked more…appealing. Kaylie…I couldn’t even describe how stunning she looked.(http://www.polyvore.com/kaylie_judges_houses_part/set?id=204581308) The colour of her dress matched her skin and her make-up was done perfectly, accentuating her facial features. Kaylie, you have no idea what you do to me!
“Welcome to Judges’ Houses! Welcome to my humble abode!” I gestured with my hands to my house. The girls cheered and clapped their hands, the smiles never disappearing from their faces; although, Melody’s was more of a flirtatious smirk.
“Today is extremely important. This is the point in the competition where underdogs have arisen to take out the title. I know all of you are extremely talented and that’s why you’re here now but you’ve got to step it up. I am looking for self-confidence. You need to believe in yourself, believe you can win this.” I stated. The girls nodded and I saw Kaylie’s face flash with nervousness. I could tell she was scared but I knew she would be fine. She went into her own little world when she performed and wowed everyone. I hoped she would do that to Niall and I today.
“But…I am not going to be the only one judging you. So I’d like to introduce you to…” I smiled as the girls’ faces lit up. I turned around to face the open doors of my house as Niall walked out, his smile wide and his blue eyes sparkled through his glasses. The girls squealed and cheered when they saw Niall. I laughed at their reactions and gave Niall a one-armed brotherly hug, patting his back; he did the same to me.
“Hello, girls.” He said, facing my contestants. The look on Kaylie’s face was priceless. She was ecstatic to see Niall but her nerves had increased. It was written all over her face. She told me she was a fan of One Direction so performing in front of two of its members wouldn’t be the easiest thing for her to do. I just hoped I hadn’t made things worse for her.
“Remember, Harry and I have been in your very position. I know you all must be feeling excited, overwhelmed and nervous all at the same time but don’t let that detract from your performance. Use those emotions and feelings to your advantage. Let them motivate you.”
It was great advice from Niall. All the girls, except for Melody, were looking straight at him, listening to every word he said. Melody had her pale blue eyes locked onto me and I only glanced at her briefly, knowing we were on camera. I didn’t want either of us to look suspicious.
After Niall and I went down to have a small chat to the girls individually, we entered the house together, taking a seat on the couch in the main sitting room. The cameras were already filming and a couple of back-up singers stood next to the window, adjusting their microphones.
“For you, Niall, was this the most nervous you were during the competition? Being at Judges' Houses?” I asked.
“100%. I know you were too.” Niall answered and I nodded my head in agreement. Judges’ Houses was the first time we performed as a band. God, that was so long ago now… It seemed crazy. But we were proof that this show made dreams come true.
“They can’t stuff an opportunity like this up. It could literally change their lives, just like it did for us and the other two lads.” Niall added and got comfortable on the couch, resting his hands in his lap. I looked ahead and took a deep breath. What Niall said was true. Our lives had changed because of being on The X Factor. This show made people believe in themselves and showcased much talent in the U.K. Kaylie was one of those people. She needed to have self-belief otherwise everything would fall flat. She needed that push. I was that push. Kaylie needed to know how amazing she was. With a bit of luck, hopefully she would see the talent she had, now that I had Niall with me.
I asked for the crew to bring in the first contestant. We were ready now. Here we go. I said to myself as Niall and I awaited the first performance of Judges’ Houses.
Notes
Happy 23rd Birthday, Liam! I love you so much and I sincerely hope you’re enjoying your time off! I had to update on his birthday, guys, OK? Don’t judge me! So what do you think of Niall being the guest judge? I think Narry is such a cute bromance and I live for moments/interviews with the two of them :) Also, could all of my subscribers please vote? It would mean the world to me!
blankspace1 xx
We’re dying for an update here. I love it. <3
11/19/17