Pez
"Perrie, wrong foot!" For the fourth time Claud calls me out again. We have been rehearsing for the past hour and I just keep on messing up my step. I mutter a 'sorry' and went back to position to start over again. We were in the middle of our last minute practice for our performance at the X-Factor Finals tonight and for some odd reason my head is out of its game today.
I took a deep breath and tried to recall the steps of the complexity of this dance routine. I'm not normally like this though, I'm quite quick to pick up, not as fast as Jade, but I'm definitely not slow. I exhaled as we began to start again, biting my lip as we got to the part I kept messing up. And for the fifth time, I missed it again. I closed my eyes as I anticipated Claud's voice to fill the silence.
"Perrie!" Claud now had his hands covering his face and I can sense the frustration in his voice. "Perrie, I swear to God!" Jesy screams from across the room. "What's gone into you, Pez? You've already mastered this routine when we were practicing last week. " Claud asked as he came up to me. "I really don't know." I can feel my frustration dawning in on me.
"How about we take a break? 30 minutes." I nodded and walked into our lounge. I sat down on the couch with my elbows propped on my knees, palms on my face. I just seriously don't know what has got into me right now.
"Pez?" Jade places her hand on my back as she sits beside me and hands me a water bottle. "You alright, babe?" Jesy and Leigh Anne ask as they went inside the room. "I'm sorry, really." I shake my head, sinking it down to my knees. "Hey, it's okay." Jesy rubbed my back.
I sat up and slumped on the couch. "I swear I don't know what's happening to me. I haven't been focused since this morning. I even almost fed Hatchi the cat food for breakfast. I swear, I'm an idiot."
I've been so distracted lately, I haven't been focusing and I've been so grumpy and irritable about everything. Am I going mental? I took in a deep breath and exhaled a long sigh. The girls look at me, worry transfixed on their faces.
"Is something wrong? Is it Alex? Is he being shit? We're going to beat him up, I swear." Leigh being Leigh started being dramatic as she moved to the chair in front of me.
"No, no, no. It's not Alex. He's amazing. He made me breakfast this morning and he drove me here. He's just the loveliest thing in the world, bless him. We were working out together before I came here, and by the way did I mention that he has really nice sculpted arms and his shoulders its---" I managed to look up to the girls and they were grinning at me.
"What?" They looked at each other and laughed. I was suddenly rendered unaware of the situation. "Would somebody tell me what's going on?" The three of them continued to snicker, stealing glances with each other.
Confusion dawned over my face as I looked at them. Are these idiots really not going to tell me what's happening? I feel like a deer with headlights right now.
"Oh, Perrie darling." Jesy wrapped her arm around my shoulder and pulled me close. "I think we know why you're acting that way." Jade and Leigh started to giggle again, moving closer to me.
"What?" Jesy chuckled and swallowed a lump in her throat. "You see, you're in dire need of some Oxlade-Chamberlain action." I looked at the three of them, trying to find a clear answer. "What do you mean?" They started to laugh again, amusement on their faces. "Perrie, seriously?" Jesy stared at me in disbelief.
"What?" I swear why cant these women just straight up tell me. "Jesy, the woman hasn't been in a relationship for two years, give her a break." Leigh took my hand and enveloped it in hers. "Perrie honey, you need to get laid."The words very bluntly came out of Leigh and Jade started laughing at the revelation of the oldest members of the band. "Aww Pezza, still our little baby." Jade said as she nudged me on the side.
I was astounded at what they said. It can't possibly be that. I felt the heat creep up my cheeks while the girls continued to laugh at my unawareness. "No I don't!" I defended, my cheeks turning into crimson.
"Oh babe, yes you do." Jade tapped my shoulder. "But, don't worry we understand. We all go through that." I have been so used to being single in a such a long time that I have forgotten all about those. I had kept my focus directed only to our music that stuff like that rarely crosses my mind. But now that I have myself a new boyfriend, I think my system has finally had enough with the halt and is now acting up, looking for some action.
"I can't believe this is what's happening to me." I covered my face with my palms and slumped back on the couch. I just wanted the ground to swallow me up. The girls continued to snicker when Claud went in the room asking if I was alright.
"Perrie, you okay?" Claud inquired, leaning on the frame of the door. My eyes grew wide and the girls suddenly stopped laughing and went silent, looking at me. They were trying to hold their laughters and Jade was already inaudibly laughing. I glared at Leigh and Jesy, threatening them to shut their mouths. "Oh nothing, Pez just has a situation." Jesy told Claud, trying to mask her amusement.
"Oh okay. By the way, you've got 10 minutes left on your break. And Perrie? Get your act together, please. The performance is tonight." Claud reminded us before he left. The second the door closed we went into fits of laughter. I couldn't bear the weight of the embarrassment if Claud finds out the reason why I'm acting out.
Just as our laughter had started to die down, my phone vibrated and went off in the coffee table. "Oooh, look who it is." Leigh handed me the phone and smirked. It was Alex, facetiming me. "Oh, we better leave them alone. Come on, Jeed!" Jesy said pulling Jade up and walked to the door with Leigh Anne following them. "Enjoy!" Jade managed to tease before she shut the door.
"Oh shut up, you dirty little minxes!" I answered Alex's call and immediately I saw a very handsome, sweaty and shirtless Alex on my screen. I gulped. Oh my. "Hey baby!" He greeted me with that wonderful smile of his. "Hey! How's training?" I asked as I slumped back on the couch. "Oh, we've just finished. I'm just drying up. I just wanted to wish you luck for tonight."
I don't know how he did it but somehow he managed to put on a shirt while he held the phone to his face. "Aw, thanks!" I smiled at his antics, but I was actually just looking at his biceps as he held the phone up. "Are you alright? You look rather red." I snapped out of the trance and faced him. "What? Ugh, no, uhm our practice was just really intense." I managed to make up a reason. I am so not telling him that I'm on edge and that the sight of his arms are is making me act up.
The door suddenly creaked open and I see one of the assistants signing me that it was time to go back and rehearse. I nodded at her and looked back into my phone. "Oh, baby I have to go now. We need to go back to rehearsing. You drive safe, okay? I love you." I told him as I stood up, walking to the door. "Okay, baby. Bye, I love you. Good luck, see you later." He smirked and I blew him a kiss before I ended the call.
I see the girls grinning like madmen when I got back down to the studio. I just glared at each of them as I passed by each on the way to my spot. "Okay, let's begin. Perrie, let's not make any more mistakes please." Claud looked at me, raising his brow. "Oh, she won't" I hear Jesy snickered at the back. "Shut up! I won't, I promise." I looked at Claud and gave him a thumbs up. He clearly wasn't one of my best friends at this time, he was our dance captain, and he took his job very seriously.
A few hours later, we were finally ready to go to X-Factor, since we still needed to rehearse one more time at the actual stage. And true to my words, I haven't made any mistakes anymore, making Claud a happy dance captain. I was actually pretty excited to perform back there, each year was definitely a whole different experience.
Performing at the X-Factor stage has always been very important to us. Our each performance should always be better than the other, that's why we always put a tremendous amount of effort and creativity in our concepts. We make sure that our routines and set ups would always top last year's. But as always, every performance each year is as nerve wracking as the other, we literally are shitting ourselves as of the moment.
As usual, our dressing room was filled so much people. We have quite a large team with us that we take anywhere we go, which consists of our makeup artists, hairstylists, stylists, assistants and our vocal coach along with our manager. I was dressed and had just finished with hair and makeup when I had one of our trusty assistants take a photo of me.
I was caught up with editing my photo on the couch when I hear our manager call out for me at the door. When I got to the door, I was stopped in my tracks and marvelled at the sight of my handsome beau. "Alex!" I jumped on him and clung my arms on his neck, his hands on my waist. "What are you doing here?" I pulled back and took in his image, smiling widely at me.
"I came to surprise and support my girlfriend, of course." He leaned in and gave me a kiss on the lips and then to my cheeks. On cue I hear Jesy and Leigh Anne snicker at the back. I turned around to glare at them, before they decide to say something to Alex.
"By the way, these are for you." He called for someone and a man with four bouquets of flowers on his arms showed up, it was Bradley, one of friends. Alex took one of them and gave it to me, and gave the other to Leigh Anne, kissing her on the cheek after.
Bradley placed the other on the couch since Jade wasn't around at the time and he handed the other to Jesy. I saw them shaking hands and I laugh to myself as I saw Jesy batting her lashes at Brad. Their interaction was cut short when Alex went over to Jesy to kiss her cheek. I look at Alex greeting the rest of the teams, giving them high fives and pats on the shoulders. I smiled at the fact that I had given my heart to a kind gentleman like him.
He walked over to me and wrapped his hands around my waist pulling me closer. I snaked my arms around his neck and smiled at him. "How are you?" He asked me, tilting his head. I laughed and threw my head back. "I'm literally shitting myself right now." He laughed at my comment and pulled me even closer. "I know you'll do great. You always are." I smiled at him, a blush making its way on my cheeks. I kiss him and he smiles, breaking off the hug.
"I'll be at the audience, watching. Love you." He kissed my forehead and he pulled Bradley up from the couch, possibly interrupting a conversation him and Jesy were having. "Come on, loverboy." He said as he dragged him out of the room. He looked back one last time and smiled at me.
Okay, so I'm above the moon happy that he was here, but I think I just got more nervous at the thought that he was watching me perform for the first time. I feel like the nerves had just doubled.
I sat next to Jesy, who was still cradling the flowers Brad had given her. I nudged her and tried to tease her and Brad. "So, Bradley huh?" I grinned. She hit me on the arm laughed. "Shut up. I'm single, help your sister out here." I threw my head and laughed. "He's a good guy."
"Little Mix, you're on in five." One of the organizers peeked in and informed us we had to go. "Okay, ladies. Let's do this!" Our manager said as we walked to the door, earning a few 'good lucks' and 'break a legs'from our team. We were halfway out the door when our manager noticed that we were missing a fourth member. "Hold up, where is Jade?" She asked.
We looked at each other and laughed, making our way to the bathroom and banged on the door. "COME ON OUT, POOPY! ENOUGH WITH THE PANIC POO!" We said in unison. Jade came running out, her head hanging low and laughing.
My heart was violently pounding inside my chest as we stood by the stage, getting ready to go in. The fact that Alex was watching me perform for the first time was a huge factor on why this is probably the most nervous that I have been. I was trying to keep my cool but I could feel the mic shaking under my touch.
"Okay, Little Mix in 3, 2, 1 go!" We went on the stage and smiled at the crowd as we walked to our mic stands, their screams and chants filling my ears. My heart felt like it was about to burst out of my chest I couldn't help but think that this right here--the people shouting our names with smiles on their faces---is the reason why we do what we do.
As I hear the music starting, I studied the crowd and immediately spotted Alex in the front row, smiling at me. I smiled at him and started the song with confidence. From time to time while we performed, I would find time to glance at where Alex was and every time I did, I would always find him smiling.
It warmed my heart that he enjoyed our performance and that he drove all the way here just to surprise me and support our band after a tiring training session. I found comfort in the fact that he would go the extra mile for me.
"YAAAS!" The girls and I ran to each other and huddled in a group hug. Another successful X-Factor performance. Performing in front of all those people always felt so surreal and being in front of Simon was also adding to the nerves, especially after the Jade mishap at his place.
We have been doing this for five years, and still it seems like we haven't got used to all of this. We still get so nervous before each performance and we still get so moved by audience's response to us. It's like we're reliving a dream over and over again. Everyday I keep on thanking my lucky stars for giving me these girls, for allowing me to do the thing I love the most everyday and for paving a way for me to meet Alex and let him break down the walls and come in my heart.
I looked at Alex as he walked towards me, Bradley following him from behind. I ran to him and jumped on his arms that immediately wrapped itself around me, twirling me around. "Congratulations, baby! I told you you'd be great." He said as he set me down. "Aww, thanks!" I leaned in and gave him a peck on the lips.
"Move along yah filthy animals." Jesy said, pushing us out of the backstage to the hall leading to our dressing room. Alex and I laughed at the sudden intrusion. As we walked back, he turned around to the girls and congratulated them as well. "Congratulations, girls! You guys were phenomenal." I smiled at his gesture towards my friends, as he gave Claud a big high five.
"Thanks, Alex!" Jade and Leigh said in unison. They then looked at me and grinned. I glared at them, shades of pink blossoming on my cheeks. "Aww, you sweet little kiss ass." Jesy said. Alex threw his head back and laughed at her comment. "Any time, Jesy. By the way, I think Bradley has a few words for you. Ain't that right, Brad?" He looked at Brad and raised his brows at him.
I grinned as I saw Jesy and Brad's cheeks slowly turn red. "Alex!" I slapped his chest and we laughed as we walked inside the dressing room.
I sat on the couch with him, while our team started to clean up and keep our stuff. The usual costumes stuffed back in the luggages, wigs back on boxes and make up back in the kits. "Dinner with us?" He offered me. I nodded, feeling my stomach grumble at the sound of dinner.
I left him on the couch chatting with the mixmen, as I changed and had my extensions pulled out and some of my make up removed. I passed by Jesy and Brad talking while Jesy had her hair done. "I have a feeling Jesy will be joining us for dinner." I told Alex as I approached him, sitting on his lap. "I know." He grinned as we focused our attention to the pair in front of us.
I hugged and kissed Leigh and Jade on the cheeks before I went out. "Bye, girls! See you next week." I yelled for them as I made my way out of the door. Jade was changing and Leigh was having her hair fixed when I left. "Good job today, Pez!" Claud said as I said goodbye to him in the hall. He kissed my cheek and waved goodbye to Jes and I.
"Jes has a date tonight." I nudged her arm as we followed the boys out of the exit, our security opening it for us. Alex had offered to carry my things and for some odd reason, Bradley also offered Jesy. "Shut up, Pez! I'm having dinner with my best friend and her boyfriend along with her boyfriend's friend." I laughed at her and poked her side.
"Nope, I don't see it that way. I'm looking at it as a double date." She rolled his eyes at me and laughed. " Oh Cmon, I know you like him." I wrapped my arm over her shoulder. "Okay, fine!" She threw her hands up and laughed.
"Perrie, take shotgun." Brad offered me as we got outside. I winked at Jesy as Alex opened the car door for me. Bradley was obviously trying to get more time with Jesy as much as he can.
The car ride to the restaurant was pretty quiet actually, except for Jesy's quiet giggles from time to time. She was having a very private conversation in the back with Brad. I looked at Alex and we would smile at the fact that they had thought that we couldn't hear their conversation, when we in fact we heard everything.
I smiled at the sight of the restaurant. It was beautifully decorated with colorful christmas ornaments. There were garlands amd sparkly christmas balls hanging on the windows and the walls were covered with vibrant fairy lights that flickered
I snapped out of the trance when I felt Alex's hand on the small of my back, guiding me through the doors. I looked back and saw Jesy and Brad following us, but in a world of their own.
Alex---being the gentleman that he is---pulled my chair for me and helped me into my seat. I was seated next to him while Jesy was in front of me, Bradley beside her. The food was scrumptious and the drinks were divine. We had great conversations but mostly between Jes and Bradley, since Alex and I decided to give them the time to at least get to know each other.
He was holding my hand under the table while we listened to their flirtatious banter of words.
I was halfway through with my dinner---I need to eat at a moderated pace as to properly swallow my food---when the waiter came up to us bringing a weird looking bottle. "Good evening Sir, Ma'am." He started. "Would you care to try our new drink? We call it K.O" He paraded the drink around the table.
"Well, I really don't feel like drinking tonight. How about you guys?" I looked at Alex and then to the rest. "Well, I'm down for it." Bradley stated, he was obviously trying to impress Jesy at this point. "How about you?" I asked Alex. "Yeah, I guess."
"Yeah, I'll give it a try, but I need to go to the ladies room first. Pez, would you come with me?" I wiped my mouth with the table napkin and stood up. "Sure, babe. Come on." I accompanied to the ladies room and waited for her by the sink. I didn't feel the need to go so I just fixed my lippie and tried to comb out some stray hairs with my hand.
It's funny how women always go the restroom in groups, it always leaves the men baffled. I mean, it's not like we need to go together, we just want to. It's just an excuse to talk about our date, actually. Nothing serious. Also, it's nice to have someone to ask if you think you've reapplied too much lipstick.
"So, how's Brad?" I asked Jesy when she got out of the stall. "Well, he's really cool." She said as she washed her hands. I pushed her a little and faced her. "Really? That's all you're going to tell me?" I told her, grinning. "Oh come on, Perrie. Don't act like you haven't heard our whole conversation." She raised her eyebrows at me and smiled. "Okay, okay. Not going to ask any more questions." I said, raising my hands. "But, I'm happy for you, though." I added.
It took us a good 10 minutes before we went back out. I was fixing my top when I bumped on Jesy. "Woah, why'd you stop?" I stepped to her side and looked at the direction she was looking at. I felt my eyes grew wider as I got stopped in my tracks, I staggered at the scene before us.
Alex and Brad had their heads on the table, grinning like actual madmen. Both of them were limping like all their energy was sucked out of them. They were just looking at each other, laughing. Jesy and I rushed to them and helped them sit up properly.
"Are they drunk?" I asked as I picked the special wine bottle. It was empty. "We were gone ten minutes, and they've already managed to make a fool of themselves." She said as she tried to keep Brad seated upright. "Alex, Alex?" I tapped the side of his face with my hand but the only response I got was a low groan and a giggle.
Good thing there were only a few people left in the restaurant since it was pretty late. The one's left were seated at the tables far from us, so they couldn't possibly see the scene playing out. We were in a private booth after all. I'm pretty sure the tabloids would be blowing up in the morning if someone had seen us trying to tend to our drunken men. I decided to call for the waiter who had offered us the drinks a while ago.
"What was in that drink?" Jesy yelled at him the minute he arrived. He was clearly surprised at what he saw when he got to our table. "Oh my, what happened?" He asked. I accidentally let go of Alex's head when I looked at the waiter, placing my hands on my hips, causing it to come crashing to the table.
"What do you mean 'what happened'? You gave them the drink." I said and passed him the empty bottle. His face was covered with surprise as he took the bottle from me, examining it. Shock on his face. "What? They finished it all? They were meant to get just one shot each. There's a reason the drink is called K.O."He said, his both scared and apologetic. "The drink is called knockout." I said and looked at Jesy. "Well, I think you missed that part, because these two clearly thought that the bottle was for their taking." She said as he let go of Brad's face letting it smack down on the table.
"Well, what are we gonna do now?" I looked the two men, sprawled on the table. The waiter was called in for an order and he left after apologizing. We didn't want to make him feel as guilty as he already is, and the boy was obviously very tired with his job, so we let him go. "Well, as much as I just want to leave him here, we can't. We better get them to the car." Jesy said as she slowly dragged Brad up.
I was dragging Alex out the back door to his car, his arm over my shoulder and my arm around his torso. The deadly hours at the gym was actually coming in handy now. Good thing he parked his car near the back door, because the paps would have seen us dragging our drunk men on the streets, and it would've definitely been a great scoop for them.
When we got closer to the car, I felt my knees starting to shake and I can feel myself starting to go down, his body starting to drag my small form. I won't deny, I'm quite strong, with all the lifts I do at the gym, but have you seen him? He's an athlete for the sake of everything holy. He's probably ten times heavier than Brad just by how muscular he is.
"Come on, Pez. Don't fail me now." i say to myself as I drove out another round of strength from within me. I can feel my sweat dripping from my forehead and some trickling down my back. "Hurry up, Pez! My back is killing me." Jesy rushes me as she stands by the door. Bradly hanging on to her shoulders. "Shut up, mine weighs like fifteen sacks of cement compared to yours."
I immediately unlock the car door when I got there, unlocking the other side also for Jesy. We both tried to push them in the back seat. "Alex, you heavy cow." i muttered as I used all my remaining strength to jam Alex up the car. "Oh hey there. You're pretty." He said as I strapped him with the seat belt, since he almost fell on me after I had shoved him in. "You idiot." I said as he looked at me with a stupid drunken smile on his face.
I joined Jesy leaning on the car after I closed the car door, making sure that both of the men were secured. "This is one hell of a first date." Jesy said, obviously out of breath. "This was definitely not the action I was hoping for." I laughed, catching my breath as well.
And then, right before I was about to open the front seat, I realized something. "Ehm, Jes?" I looked at Jes. "None of us know how to drive."
"Oh no. I think we forgot about that tiny detail." She looked at me before she placed her palm on her forehead. "What on earth are we going to do? Because nowhere in hell am I dragging those two back out." I said pointing to the inside of the car. "I think I have an idea, but I don't like it." She said as she fished out her phone.
"Leigh Anne, we need your help." Jesy said into the phone. "Oh no." I muttered, covering my face with my palms.
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HEEEY! SORRY FOR THE LATE UPDATE. CHRISTMAS TOOK OVER ME, BUT HERE IT IS. I HOPE YOU GUYS LIKE THIS! PLEASE VOTE AND COMMENT! THANKS