Cate's POV:
"Sorry guys, it's bad news."
I couldn't believe it. My heart stopped and my stomach dropped. I covered my mouth, letting a rush of air out. I was going home. That was it. My X-Factor journey was done. I felt the tears gathering in my eyes and in desperation, I blinked rapidly, happy that I hadn't worn mascara just in case. I shook my head and looked at the stage floor, the tears soon spilling over and trailing down my cheeks. I felt myself shaking, and forced myself to keep on my feet instead of sinking down to the stage and completely falling apart. I was completely numb.
"Thanks for coming out. Best of luck to you in the future. You're free to go." Demi said, watching us all. I could see the tears gathering in her eyes too.
That was it. I hurried off the stage and ran through teh back halls, wiping tears from my eyes, taking gasping breaths. I had to get away from everyone. My phone rang in my pocket and I fished it out and answered it, biting my lip.
"Catie....god I'm so sorry." Jace said through the phone.
That's when I broke. I slid down against the wall and pulled my knees up to my chest, sobbing quietly.
"Where are you at?"he asked quietly.
"I-somewhere back in the halls."I managed through the tears.
"Close your eyes and picture me there okay? Imagine me there. Can you do that for me? I have to go but I'll talk to you really soon, okay?"
"O-okay." I hung up and burried my face in my knees, body racking with the shuddering sobs. The full reality hadn't hit. I still felt numb, like it was all a dream. I had wanted this for years. Them letting me go was like saying I wasn't good enough. I had always felt like I wasn't good enough and this just made me feel worse.
I felt strong, long arms wrap around me and I knew immeaditly who it was. Jace. Relief and happiness flooded over me even though I was devistated. I put my arms under his and my hands on his shoulders and burried my face into his chest. He pulled me onto his lap and rocked me back and forth slowly and gently, comforting me, just like he had done when he found me when I was fourteen, up in my room. The tears kept coming, more and more and I couldn't stop them. There was nothing I could do.
"Catie......god...Catie listen to me okay? You're better than they say you are. You should've made it. The judges are idoits."He said, rubbing my back.
"I-I just can't believe it....it's over. I'll be going back to Mullingar, and I'll be 'that girl' again. I can't do that. Jace I want to go home."
"Home?"he asked quizatically.
"Yes home,"I said, pulling back and looking at him. He wiped the tears from my cheeks. "Home, back in Manhattan. With you. I can't stand it in Mullingar. It's so small and you aren't there. My mum isn't ever home and I have no friends. I just.....now this...."the tears streamed down my face again and Jace helped me up and held me close to him again. I put my arms around his torso and he wrapped his arms around my waist.
"This is going to sound like I'm dead or something but you know I'm always with you right?"he asked me.
"I do but it's so hard. I don't know what I would be doing now if you weren't here. Actually, I would be still sitting there on the floor bawling, heart shattered, but nobody to tell me it's going to be okay."
"It is going to be okay. Someday you'll come back to Manhattan won't you? When you're 18 you can move back."he reasoned, smoothing down my hair.
"Yeah....."I said, the crying slowing down. Then I guess another wave of sadness hit. That true realization of it all smacked into me with the force of a train. But this time I comepletely, 100% fell apart at the seams. I gasped in a deep breath and then began to sob uncontrollably. My frame shook and I couldn't stop the tears. My head pounded and I bet that if Jace hadn't been holding onto me, my knees would've given out and I would have just crumpled to the floor.
"Shhhh....shhhhhh...."Jace said holding me tighter. "Shhh, you're okay...you're okay....shhhh...."
"I wanted this...so bad...this was so improtant. My dream....this was it and.....I guess it wasn't ment to happen...." I forced the words out.
"This isn't the end for you Catie, do you hear me?"
I nodded against his shoulder, my eyes closed. I played back all of the memories. My audition and the first session in the studio. Meeting Emelie. Emelie. I wondered how she was doing. Probably the same as me. I probably wasn't ever going to see her again. More tears came. (I sound like a wreck but I promise, I don't usually cry this much!)
"Cate Williams?"I heard a boy say in a familliar Irish accent. It couldn't be. Could it? I didn't trust myself to answer. I wiped my eyes, not turning around.
"Yeah, she is,"Jace answered for me. "Catie,'he whispered,"It's that Niall guy. Turn around, you're okay."
I took a deep breath, trying to calm down. My heart was racing from a mix of things. I wiped my eyes again and finally turned around to see bright blue eyes, looking into mine.
"Hi Cate! I'm Niall,"he said smiling a little. I swore I saw tears in the corner of his eyes but I didn't say anything.
"Hi Niall,"I said laughing mirthlessly. "I bet I look like a wreck."
"Nah, you look fine. I actually need you to come back out onto the stage with me for a few minutes and uhm... yeah, you'll be back soon." He looked at Jace as if sizing him up. Jace was a good four inches taller than Niall and had ten pounds of muscle more than Niall but Jace wasn't buff he was just.....broader?
Niall leaned in and whispered in my ear,"Is he your boyfriend?"
I laughed,"No."
"Ah,"Niall nodded.
"Go on Cate,"Jace said, the corner of his mouth tipping up slightly. "I'll see you in a few."
"O-okay..."Niall took my hand in his and I immeaditly felt better. Niall lead me through the hallways making small talk.
"I just want to say before you get out there that you've been my favourite from the start."
I felt my eyes widen and he laughed a little bit.
"Thanks...that means so much. I'm a huge fan and....wow."
"Thanks and I'm a huge fan of yours. How about we get out there."
I nodded and we walked back out onto the stage and I felt like I just wanted to cry again. No. Don't you flipping dare. The feeling vanished quickly. I saw the judges sitting in their chairs. Demi smiled at us, more at Niall I could tell. My heart sank. I knew he had a crush on her, the world knew it, and if Demi liked Niall then....my favourite 1D guy would be taken. I shook my head slightly, trying to clear the thought away and swallowed hard.
"So, tell me about yourself,"Niall said leading me to the ege of the stage where he sat down, feet dangling over the side. I sat down next to him. The judges had turned in their chairs and were whispering to each other.
"What do you want to know? I'm not all that interesting."I muttered, running my fingers over the tops of my jeans covered thighs, not meeting his eyes.
"Sure you are! How about this, tell me random things that you've done with any of your friends."
Hundreds of memories came flooding back. I laughed a little at one certain memory.
"Okay I have one. There as this one time a few years ago whenever I lived in Manhatta. I think I was 13 or 14. Anyway, Jace asked if I wanted to go to this movie at the theater-cinema-oh you know what I mean. So basically I didn't even ask my mum, I just waited until she was asleep because it was a late showing, and I climbed out onto the fire escape outside my window, climbed down the ladder to Jace's room, knocked on his window and together we walked to the theater and met some of our other friends. When the movie was over we all went home and Jace made sure I got in before he went back to his room, and when I got back, I just got into bed and fell asleep, not bothering about my window. When I woke up my mom had no idea I snuck out!" I recounted the story, grinning.
"Really?"he asked. "You don't look like someone that would do that."
"You'd be suprised what I've done. Nothing bad like....you know what I mean. Anyway! We've snuck out for midnight walks together and sometimes we would just sit on the roof and look at the stars. What my mum doesn't know won't killer her right?"
"So, tell me some other things about you."he said.
I cocked my head to one side and bit my lip in thought.
"I play volleyball, I play the flute, the piano, and a few things on guitar not a whole lot though."
"How about this. I've been wanting to learn piano. Louis' been trying to teach me but there really isn't a lot of time and he doesn't really have the teaching thing down. So maybe you could help me with piano and I could teach you some more guitar."
I looked at Niall and smiled, really smiled. "That sounds like fun. Give me a time and place, I'll do my best."
We both started laughing and I felt arms wrao around my neck.
"Em!"I exclaimed, jumping up and hugging Emelie.
"Oh god Cate! Thank god I'm not alone! What-why are we here!?"she hugged me then pulled back. Her cheeks were read and eyes were still a little red from crying. I could see traces of black under her eyes. She must have gone to wash her face.
"How am I supposed to know!" I retorted laughing. I was so happy that she was here also.
Maybe.....my mind started spinning, trying to form a theroy. Then it hit me like a sack of bricks. The last people to be pulled back after being cut were Niall Horan, Louis Tomlinson, Zayn Malik, Harry Styles and Liam Payne. They got put together in a group and formed One Direction.
I looked over my shoulder to see Louis and Niall talking together. Niall had his arms crossed, hands under his biceps like I had seen him doing in pictures. He kept looking over at me and then woul say something to Louis. Then Louis would look over at us and say something. It was unnerving.
"Em don't freak out on me,"I began, gathering the courage to tell her what I thought we were here for. Turns out I didn't have to say.
"Hello again girls,"Demi said, smiling.
My heart raced and a knot formed in my stomach. My hands began to shake again. Niall and Louis walked over and stood beside us. Soon, Niall's hand was holding mine, steadying me. I looked up at him quickly and he offered a small smile. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath and looked at the judges. Emelie took my other hand in hers. Whatever was going on, we were in it together. Crazy how fast we became friends, given the circumstances.
"So, it came to our attention that you two are very very talented girls. Do you understand that?"she asked us. I nodded, feeling nervous, panicked tears prick at the back of my eyes.
"And don't get us wrong, we all agreed that you are incredible singers individually, but you sound better......together. We have decided to put you into a group and send you through to the next round."
I just about died in that moment. I was going through.
"Oh my god!!!'Emelie and I screamed, hugging eachother tightly.
"Thank you so so much,"I told the judges.
"Don't make me regret this,"Simon said. Simon! Simon had put us together!
"We won't,"we said together.
"Hey, no hug for me?"Nialll asked laughing.
I hugged him, wrapping my arms around his neck, standing on my tip toes. I felt his arms wrap around me and I smiled and pulled back.
"Oh my go! I have to go tell Jace!" Emelie had left the stage, leaving Louis to go down to chat with Simon.
"Here wait,"Niall said quickly. He ran down to the judges' table and got a piece of paper and began to scribble something down on it. Then he quickly came back up to me and pressed it into my palm.
"Use this, and we can find a time for lessons." he winked at me.
I grinned and nodded. I was overwhelmed. I had just gotten Niall Horan's phone number! I hurried off the stage and found Jace. I ran to him and he picked me up. I hooked my legs around his back and he spun us around before setting me down.
"I'm so proud of you!"he said grinning.
"I just- I can't believe it!"I exclaimed quickly.
"I told you that you'd be fine."he said, kissing the top of my head.
"You did. You did." I answered.
I couldn't get over it. My body was still shaking. Things were getting better. My future was looking up. I had made it past bootcamp. I wasn't competing against Emelie anymore. We were working together. We had a fighting chance of winning this.