Always
Bootcamp: Part 5 – Six-seat challenge
Kaylie’s POV
Wednesday, 20th July
I was about to burst into tears. If I didn’t hold back, there would be a puddle of my tears on the stage. Harry had just told me he would give me a seat. But that meant, he had to swap me with one of the other girls who were already sitting on said seat. I was so nervous about who he was going to send home. If he sent home Alicia, I would go home too. I wanted to get further into the competition so badly but I would feel terrible if I took Alicia’s place. We were such close friends and I couldn’t be the contestant to knock her out. There was no way.
I lowered my hands from my mouth, keeping my left fist balled up against my chest, as I watched Harry looked at the six girls, trying to make a decision. I could see that he felt horrible in having to send one girl home. Personally, I hoped he would send Melody home. She was, OK, I’m saying it, a bitch. She didn’t appreciate where she was right now. I didn’t like her and I had no respect for her. She was the one girl on those seats that didn’t deserve to be there.
But Harry didn’t see that because he suddenly swapped me with Kristen.
No! My mouth dropped open. Not Kristen! We too had gotten close during the Bootcamp stage and she was such a kind girl. She had more talent than Melody and she had a better attitude than Melody. Why doesn’t Harry see that? I asked myself. The crowd was a mixture of emotions. Some people cheered and others booed. I didn’t look at Harry as I walked over to Kristen, giving her a hug.
“I’m so so sorry, Kristen. I’m so sorry.” I whispered as I hear her sob.
“It’s OK.” Her voice was very shaky.
“No, it’s not. It’s not. But I want to let you know that you have an amazing voice and we will definitely hang out soon.” I said to her when I let her go. We had all exchanged numbers when we had rehearsed for our group performance. I never got Melody’s number because I simply didn’t want it. She was a pain in my ass and a disrespectful person. I didn’t have time for her shit. Why couldn’t Harry just send her home? But it was too late for him to change his decision.
“Bye, Kaylie.” Kristen squeezed my hands and gave me a sad smile, her eyes shining with tears.
“Bye, Kristen.” I said as she let go of my hands and proceeded to walk off the stage, the tears falling down her cheeks. I slowly sunk down into the seat and another hand touched mine. I looked to my left and saw Alicia’s blue eyes looking into my brown ones.
“Are you OK?” She asked.
“I’m…happy because I got through but I feel terrible taking Kristen’s place. She was amazing.” I said and shook my head, crossing my right leg over my left, keeping my hand in Alicia’s. I looked over her shoulder and briefly saw a flash of anger burn in Melody’s eyes but did I care? No, not this time. I wasn’t going to let her get to me. Not now. Not ever.
0*0
“Congratulations, my girl!” My mother squealed, embracing me so tightly I thought I was about to lose my breath. I rubbed her back and chuckled. My whole family gathered with me backstage after the taping for today finished.
“I knew you could do it, darling. And as always, you looked beautiful.” My father smiled as I wrapped my arms around him, giving him a squeeze as he kissed my head. My three brothers approached me all at once and I was engulfed in a big bear hug by them, their arms wrapped around me. They were so protective of me, even Reece, but otherwise, he was a pain in my arse yet I loved him.
“So what do you think it’s going to be like working with Harry?” Michael asked me.
“I don’t know. I’m excited though. I can’t wait to see what he’s like as a mentor.” I smiled. Even just hearing the word “working with Harry” made me ecstatic. I was going to work with my idol, the artist I looked up to, my inspiration. It was so surreal. I had made him cry and that to me alone was incredible, that my singing could affect him in that way. It made me a little bit more confident in myself.
“Speaking of Harry …” But Michael wasn’t looking at me. He was looking past me over my shoulder. I narrowed my eyes at him and suddenly, I heard a familiar English accent.
“Kaylie.”
The way he said my name, it was perfection. It just rolled off his tongue beautifully. I turned around and saw Harry standing at the other end of the large backstage area, about 15 feet away from me, right next to long black curtains which concealed the stage from us. He camouflaged into the curtains because of his attire being completely black. Black skinny jeans, black boots and a causal black dress shirt with the buttons undone to reveal the very tip of his butterfly tattoo. Strands of his brown hair turned gold underneath the bright light and he seemed like he was waiting for me.
“Can I talk to you?”
I was shocked. He wants to talk to me? We had never had any interaction privately before. I hadn’t even had a proper conversation with him. My heart hammered against my ribcage, the beat increasing with each second. I turned back to my family who told me they’d be waiting for me outside at the car. I nodded and watched them leave, promising them I would join them soon.
I turned back to Harry and walked over to him, rubbing my sweaty palms on the back of my black jeans. (http://www.polyvore.com/kaylie_bootcamp_parts/set?id=204581040) To be so close to him was amazing. I could smell his cologne and I could sense his star quality radiating off him as well as a sweetness, which was probably his personality.
“Hi.” That was the first thing that came into my head. What else can I say? I asked myself. I knew my cheeks were pink because I could feel them heating up as blood rushed to the surface of my skin.
“How are you feeling?” Harry asked me, tucking his hands into the back pockets of his jeans.
“Um…I am really happy about getting a seat but I am going to miss Kristen. I feel bad.” I said.
“Don’t blame yourself. It was me who sent her home. I do believe she has great talent but you have something that I’m immediately drawn to every time you perform. I can’t take my eyes off you when you sing.”
What? I was overwhelmed by what he had said. To hear those words come from him, from Harry Styles, the person I admired so much, was so amazing. I didn’t know how to react. I didn’t know what to think. I rubbed my clammy hands together and looked up at him kindly. I was a great shorter than him which made me feel inferior but his gaze was gentle, his eyes a piercing green that had been captivated from the first second.
“Uh…thank you. That means so much to me, especially since you’re my inspiration.” I said, giving him a nervous smile.
“I am?” Harry looked surprised. I nodded.
“Yeah. I wanted to be like you if I ever got into the music industry. Have a kind personality and a good head on my shoulders. And I’m a fan of One Direction so I was extremely nervous to audition in front of you.”
“Speaking of your audition, what made you choose Just A Little Bit Of Your Heart?”
“I didn’t choose it just because you wrote it. I am a fan of Ariana and that song is one of my favourites from her. It’s more emotionally powerful than just showcasing vocal talent. I love singing it.”
“And I loved hearing it.” Harry added, adjusting the rolled-up sleeves of his dress shirt. I blushed again and folded my arms, clutching my black jacket with my fingers. There was an awkward silence between the two of us and I shuffled my feet, not knowing what else to say. Fortunately, it was Harry who cracked the silence.
“Well, I look forward to working with you.”
“Me too. I’m excited.” I smiled. I saw Harry shift anxiously before stepping that little bit closer to me. He leaned down and before I knew it, I was wrapped up in a hug, my cheek pressed against his chest. Shit, he’s hugging me! Harry Styles is hugging me! I had to contain my inner fangirl, not wanting to burst out into tears or something. That would be so embarrassing. Instead, I willed myself to move my arms and I placed them around his back, returning his embrace. Harry didn’t move and only hugged me tighter. I felt his warm breath ruffle my hair and ghost over my forehead. It felt wonderful. To be this close to him, to be in his arms. It was everything I had dreamed of.
Harry slowly released his hold on me and dropped his arms back to his sides. He licked his lips and I looked down at the black floor. I had to process the fact that Harry Styles had just hugged me. And not just for two seconds. It was well over 20 seconds. His arms were strong and made me feel safe. His body was warm and only made me crave more of his tender touch.
“Well, I’ll see you at Judges’ Houses.”
“Yes. Bye, Harry.”
“See you, Kaylie.”
I stepped back and with an awkward wave, I turned my back to him and walked away. My arms folded again and my feet carried me quickly towards the exit. I briefly looked over my shoulder and saw Harry talking to Simon, his hands making gestures as he spoke. I looked away and walked out the exit.
I found my family a minute or two later, standing around our seven-seat car. They all looked at me when they saw me walking in their direction.
“What did Harry want?” Connor asked.
“He just wanted to talk. He asked me about my audition and then, he hugged me.” I blushed when I spoke.
“Oooh, Kaylie’s in love! Did you kiss him?” Reece teased.
“No!” I glared at him and he and Connor sniggered. I asked my father to unlock the car which he did. I hopped into the front passenger seat while the rest of my family poured in after me, my mother coming to sit beside me in the driver’s seat.
“Let’s go home and celebrate, sweetie.” She smiled at me as we all clicked in our seatbelts. I agreed with her idea and she turned on the engine with the car keys. We pulled out of our parking spot on the street and joined the traffic on the road.
And throughout the drive home, I remembered the feeling of being in Harry’s arms, his breath on my skin and his smooth English drawl saying my name. Judges’ Houses, here we come!
Wednesday, 20th July
I was about to burst into tears. If I didn’t hold back, there would be a puddle of my tears on the stage. Harry had just told me he would give me a seat. But that meant, he had to swap me with one of the other girls who were already sitting on said seat. I was so nervous about who he was going to send home. If he sent home Alicia, I would go home too. I wanted to get further into the competition so badly but I would feel terrible if I took Alicia’s place. We were such close friends and I couldn’t be the contestant to knock her out. There was no way.
I lowered my hands from my mouth, keeping my left fist balled up against my chest, as I watched Harry looked at the six girls, trying to make a decision. I could see that he felt horrible in having to send one girl home. Personally, I hoped he would send Melody home. She was, OK, I’m saying it, a bitch. She didn’t appreciate where she was right now. I didn’t like her and I had no respect for her. She was the one girl on those seats that didn’t deserve to be there.
But Harry didn’t see that because he suddenly swapped me with Kristen.
No! My mouth dropped open. Not Kristen! We too had gotten close during the Bootcamp stage and she was such a kind girl. She had more talent than Melody and she had a better attitude than Melody. Why doesn’t Harry see that? I asked myself. The crowd was a mixture of emotions. Some people cheered and others booed. I didn’t look at Harry as I walked over to Kristen, giving her a hug.
“I’m so so sorry, Kristen. I’m so sorry.” I whispered as I hear her sob.
“It’s OK.” Her voice was very shaky.
“No, it’s not. It’s not. But I want to let you know that you have an amazing voice and we will definitely hang out soon.” I said to her when I let her go. We had all exchanged numbers when we had rehearsed for our group performance. I never got Melody’s number because I simply didn’t want it. She was a pain in my ass and a disrespectful person. I didn’t have time for her shit. Why couldn’t Harry just send her home? But it was too late for him to change his decision.
“Bye, Kaylie.” Kristen squeezed my hands and gave me a sad smile, her eyes shining with tears.
“Bye, Kristen.” I said as she let go of my hands and proceeded to walk off the stage, the tears falling down her cheeks. I slowly sunk down into the seat and another hand touched mine. I looked to my left and saw Alicia’s blue eyes looking into my brown ones.
“Are you OK?” She asked.
“I’m…happy because I got through but I feel terrible taking Kristen’s place. She was amazing.” I said and shook my head, crossing my right leg over my left, keeping my hand in Alicia’s. I looked over her shoulder and briefly saw a flash of anger burn in Melody’s eyes but did I care? No, not this time. I wasn’t going to let her get to me. Not now. Not ever.
0*0
“Congratulations, my girl!” My mother squealed, embracing me so tightly I thought I was about to lose my breath. I rubbed her back and chuckled. My whole family gathered with me backstage after the taping for today finished.
“I knew you could do it, darling. And as always, you looked beautiful.” My father smiled as I wrapped my arms around him, giving him a squeeze as he kissed my head. My three brothers approached me all at once and I was engulfed in a big bear hug by them, their arms wrapped around me. They were so protective of me, even Reece, but otherwise, he was a pain in my arse yet I loved him.
“So what do you think it’s going to be like working with Harry?” Michael asked me.
“I don’t know. I’m excited though. I can’t wait to see what he’s like as a mentor.” I smiled. Even just hearing the word “working with Harry” made me ecstatic. I was going to work with my idol, the artist I looked up to, my inspiration. It was so surreal. I had made him cry and that to me alone was incredible, that my singing could affect him in that way. It made me a little bit more confident in myself.
“Speaking of Harry …” But Michael wasn’t looking at me. He was looking past me over my shoulder. I narrowed my eyes at him and suddenly, I heard a familiar English accent.
“Kaylie.”
The way he said my name, it was perfection. It just rolled off his tongue beautifully. I turned around and saw Harry standing at the other end of the large backstage area, about 15 feet away from me, right next to long black curtains which concealed the stage from us. He camouflaged into the curtains because of his attire being completely black. Black skinny jeans, black boots and a causal black dress shirt with the buttons undone to reveal the very tip of his butterfly tattoo. Strands of his brown hair turned gold underneath the bright light and he seemed like he was waiting for me.
“Can I talk to you?”
I was shocked. He wants to talk to me? We had never had any interaction privately before. I hadn’t even had a proper conversation with him. My heart hammered against my ribcage, the beat increasing with each second. I turned back to my family who told me they’d be waiting for me outside at the car. I nodded and watched them leave, promising them I would join them soon.
I turned back to Harry and walked over to him, rubbing my sweaty palms on the back of my black jeans. (http://www.polyvore.com/kaylie_bootcamp_parts/set?id=204581040) To be so close to him was amazing. I could smell his cologne and I could sense his star quality radiating off him as well as a sweetness, which was probably his personality.
“Hi.” That was the first thing that came into my head. What else can I say? I asked myself. I knew my cheeks were pink because I could feel them heating up as blood rushed to the surface of my skin.
“How are you feeling?” Harry asked me, tucking his hands into the back pockets of his jeans.
“Um…I am really happy about getting a seat but I am going to miss Kristen. I feel bad.” I said.
“Don’t blame yourself. It was me who sent her home. I do believe she has great talent but you have something that I’m immediately drawn to every time you perform. I can’t take my eyes off you when you sing.”
What? I was overwhelmed by what he had said. To hear those words come from him, from Harry Styles, the person I admired so much, was so amazing. I didn’t know how to react. I didn’t know what to think. I rubbed my clammy hands together and looked up at him kindly. I was a great shorter than him which made me feel inferior but his gaze was gentle, his eyes a piercing green that had been captivated from the first second.
“Uh…thank you. That means so much to me, especially since you’re my inspiration.” I said, giving him a nervous smile.
“I am?” Harry looked surprised. I nodded.
“Yeah. I wanted to be like you if I ever got into the music industry. Have a kind personality and a good head on my shoulders. And I’m a fan of One Direction so I was extremely nervous to audition in front of you.”
“Speaking of your audition, what made you choose Just A Little Bit Of Your Heart?”
“I didn’t choose it just because you wrote it. I am a fan of Ariana and that song is one of my favourites from her. It’s more emotionally powerful than just showcasing vocal talent. I love singing it.”
“And I loved hearing it.” Harry added, adjusting the rolled-up sleeves of his dress shirt. I blushed again and folded my arms, clutching my black jacket with my fingers. There was an awkward silence between the two of us and I shuffled my feet, not knowing what else to say. Fortunately, it was Harry who cracked the silence.
“Well, I look forward to working with you.”
“Me too. I’m excited.” I smiled. I saw Harry shift anxiously before stepping that little bit closer to me. He leaned down and before I knew it, I was wrapped up in a hug, my cheek pressed against his chest. Shit, he’s hugging me! Harry Styles is hugging me! I had to contain my inner fangirl, not wanting to burst out into tears or something. That would be so embarrassing. Instead, I willed myself to move my arms and I placed them around his back, returning his embrace. Harry didn’t move and only hugged me tighter. I felt his warm breath ruffle my hair and ghost over my forehead. It felt wonderful. To be this close to him, to be in his arms. It was everything I had dreamed of.
Harry slowly released his hold on me and dropped his arms back to his sides. He licked his lips and I looked down at the black floor. I had to process the fact that Harry Styles had just hugged me. And not just for two seconds. It was well over 20 seconds. His arms were strong and made me feel safe. His body was warm and only made me crave more of his tender touch.
“Well, I’ll see you at Judges’ Houses.”
“Yes. Bye, Harry.”
“See you, Kaylie.”
I stepped back and with an awkward wave, I turned my back to him and walked away. My arms folded again and my feet carried me quickly towards the exit. I briefly looked over my shoulder and saw Harry talking to Simon, his hands making gestures as he spoke. I looked away and walked out the exit.
I found my family a minute or two later, standing around our seven-seat car. They all looked at me when they saw me walking in their direction.
“What did Harry want?” Connor asked.
“He just wanted to talk. He asked me about my audition and then, he hugged me.” I blushed when I spoke.
“Oooh, Kaylie’s in love! Did you kiss him?” Reece teased.
“No!” I glared at him and he and Connor sniggered. I asked my father to unlock the car which he did. I hopped into the front passenger seat while the rest of my family poured in after me, my mother coming to sit beside me in the driver’s seat.
“Let’s go home and celebrate, sweetie.” She smiled at me as we all clicked in our seatbelts. I agreed with her idea and she turned on the engine with the car keys. We pulled out of our parking spot on the street and joined the traffic on the road.
And throughout the drive home, I remembered the feeling of being in Harry’s arms, his breath on my skin and his smooth English drawl saying my name. Judges’ Houses, here we come!
Notes
OMG, I’m so sorry for not updating for a goddamn week! Things have been so stressful lately with university *groans* But the good news is I only have one more week to go! Six days left actually, to be precise then I’m free as a bird and I can update more often! The next chapter (which is from Kaylie’s POV again and will be set at Judges’ Houses) will be up early next week, I promise! Remember, I love you all!
blankspace1 xx
We’re dying for an update here. I love it. <3
11/19/17