Perfection IS Skinny!! {L.T} [Larry Stylinson]

.CHAPTER FIVE.

// I may have tried to keep this a little too realistic, in the sense of performances! I wasn't really sure on how to work the X-Factor history of One Direction into this story. //

~~~
It had been over a year since Louis had been forced to see that he had a problem, and ultimately admit it to himself. Finally the day he had been working towards had arrived, the day that he hoped would shape the rest of his life: Louis Tomlinson was auditioning for X-Factor, and getting through to the next stage of the competition would mean the absolute world to him.

Getting himself better had been extremely hard, and not always a straight uphill battle, but he had managed it, with his psychiatrist, Jenny's advice. Louis had written up the goals and rewards chart that she had spoken to him about, setting the final reward as auditioning for X-Factor, provided that he was able to stabilise his weight at, sixty five kilos. (143 Pounds) It had taken him fourteen months, and he was now eighteen, but he could also pass a mirror without having to stop and stare at all his 'flaws', or to pinch his 'fat'.

Louis could now also sit at a table and eat a meal, without having to run off and exercise afterwards. He still liked to exercise, but it was no longer a compulsion. Louis now had a healthy exercise schedule of one hour a day, and more often than not he would snack afterwards to replenish his energy, the best part of all being that he didn't feel the least bit guilty about it.

He was bouncing with both energy, and pride, as he waited for his turn to audition. He was unreservedly giddy that he had finally gotten well and reached his final goal. After singing his audition song 'Hey There Delilah', Louis could not shake the elation that he felt at getting through, even if the judge's hadn't necessarily been bubbling over with great feedback. 

Of course commencing through the competition things had changed slightly, and before he knew what exactly was happening, he had found himself with four new friends. Unfortunately, or fortunately, depending on how you looked at the situation, there had not been enough places for all five of the boys, so they had been placed together. At first when Louis had met the other boys he had felt intimidated: Liam Payne, Zayn Malik, Niall Horan, and Harry Styles, had all come across to him as completely, and utterly, perfect!

It didn't take long for all five of the boys to click, and start to vibe well together; even if Louis didn't quite feel as if he was on the same level.

He had immediately felt inferior to the other members of the band, [that they had chosen to name One Direction], and as the rehearsal for the first live show rolled around nothing changed. At first finding out that he did not have a solo part in the song, Louis had felt a certain discouragement; however upon realising he wasn't alone, he had pushed it aside.

After their first live performance together, singing the song 'Viva La Vida' most of the boys had left the stage feeling energised, pumped, and gloating over the encouragement of the judge's words; but Louis? He had left the stage feeling as if he was the reason that the judge's words had not been better, and going to bed in the room he shared with the other boys, all he had been able to think about was how he needed to do better.

By the time the band had finished with their third live performance, having sung 'Nobody Knows', Louis was starting to wonder if there was a particular reason that he was still yet to get a solo in the live shows. Sometimes he felt as if nobody even really wanted him around, and he knew it was a stretch, but he often considered whether or not his microphone was even turned on during performances.

It was during one of the bands quieter moments, when he was lying in their shared room with Harry, that Louis decided to outwardly express his concerns, "Harry, do you actually think that I can sing?" He asked, turning to face the sixteen year old, who was lying on his own bed, across from him. The longer Harry took to respond, the more he wished he could take the question back.