Chapter Nine – Plot Twist
“You’ll never love yourself, half as much as I love you, and you’ll never treat yourself right darlin’ but I want you to, If I let you know that I am here for you, maybe you’ll love yourself like I love you,” Amee sang in the recording studio. It was ten in the morning and she was waiting for Savan to show up, she had two days to figure everything out and make sure she was on the right track. She started strumming on the guitar to the beautiful tune. She smiled as she imagined Niall sitting in front of her singing a duet. As usual she lost herself; it wasn’t until Savan tapped her on her shoulder that she floated back down to reality.
“Damn, maybe Ed should have saved that song for you,” Savan said with a laugh. He was standing in front of Amee, in white shorts, a Hawaiian flower shirt, and a hat with an attached blonde wig. Amee sat and looked back at him thinking, ‘What in the world is this man wearing?’
“Savan, did you pass any children on your way here,” Amee asked.
“Yes, why” Savan asked suspiciously.
“Did they start crying when they saw you,” Amee asked as she started laughing.
“Hey,” Savan protested when he finally understood what Amee was insinuating.
“Took you long enough,” Amee said as she doubled over in laughter.
“I’ll get you back for that,” Savan warned.
“So do you want to hear what I have for you,” Amee asked.
“Is it Little Things,” Savan asked.
“Yes,” Amee replied excitedly, “I’ve been here practicing for a while.”
“No,” Savan stated simply as he put his guitar down.
“What,” Amee said taken aback.
“Yes, you have been singing emotional and vulnerable songs all this time,” Savan said.
“Because they work for me,” Amee said.
“Amee, all I am saying is that you aren’t a one dimensional singer,” Savan said as he settled down and lifted his hands up in the air as if to say, ‘Just saying.’
“Then what would you propose, ‘Wild One’?” Amee asked.
“No, that song has rapping in it, and you need to have certain type music in the background, and it’s just not the song that you perform for an audition. I am thinking something a little more rocky and sexy,”
“Sexy,” Amee said, looking as Savan, “please tell me you are not serious.”
“You can do vulnerable Amee, we all know it,” Savan stated.
“Yes and I can do it well, so why not stick to it?” Amee asked innocently.
“This is a competition, you have to bring you’re a game every week,” Savan replied.
“Well I can bring my A-game during my slow vulnerable songs too,” Amee stated.
‘Oh god, please don’t make me do this,’ Amee thought while thinking about all the dance moves that would come with doing a song like this.
“You do a wonderful job when it comes to these songs, you have to show versatility as a singer. You have to show that you can perform anything they throw your way, and that you are open to anything. You have to do it now, in judges houses. It will be completely out of the ordinary and unexpected and you will knock Simon’s socks off,” Savan tried to convince Amee.
“Savan, I don’t know if I would be comfortable with this right now though, just the thought of it makes me feel awkward, I wear my emotions on my face. This isn’t going to work,” Amee retaliated.
“I didn’t want to play this card but I guess I am going to have to,” Savan said as he stood up to look at her.
“What card,” Amee asked suspiciously.
“The, I- know – more – about – music – than - you, card” Savan said matter of factly.
“What,” Amee asked confused.
“Who in this room has been in this industry the longest?” Savan asked.
“You,” Amee said realizing where this was going.
“Who has worked the most with the X-Factor,” Savan asked.
“You,” Amee answered getting annoyed and rolling her eyes.
“Who was…,” Savan started to say when Amee interrupted him and said, “YOU! Clearly I can’t convince you otherwise, so let’s get this thing started.”
“That the attitude I was looking for,” Savan said with a smile.
“What did you have in mind Savan,” Amee asked taking a sip of her tea.
“Guess,” Savan said with a playful smile.
“What, is it Paris?” Amee guessed sarcastically and rolled her eyes and then looked back up at him. Savan was looking back at her smiling.
“Savan no,” Amee said and repeated as Savan smiled and nodded.
“No, No, No, No, NO,” Amee repeated and looked back at a nodding Savan
*Five Hours Later*
“Ouu la la la la la la,” Amee ended her song. ‘I can’t believe he talked me into this.’ Amee thought of her ridiculous ending pose.
“Well that was good,” Savan said very uncertainly.
“Savan, I sucked and you know it,” Amee said sitting down on the stage.
“Kid, I know for a fact, that you can practice this and be amazing,” Savan said reassuring Amee of her talents.
“Yeah, I know,” Amee said as she looked at the ground.
“Alright, go to the practice room and practice your butt off, I have to meet with Mikey and Natalia and help them. As soon as I am done with that, we can go get some dinner,” Savan said as he pushed Amee towards the door.
“Yes sir,” Amee said as she walked through the door giving Savan a salute.
Amee was in the room next door practicing her song all the while thinking of the ridicule she would face as soon as she got home. All off a sudden there was a loud noise coming from the room next door. She ran over to see what all the commotion was about, to find Natalia on the ground yelling at Mikey.
“What happened, is everyone okay,” Amee asked as she rushed to help Natalia off the floor.
“Woah, Natalia relax, it was an accident,” Savan said looking at Mikey’s face that turned fifty shades of red.
“We’ve been practicing for a week, how do you still forget to catch me, HOW?!?! You idiot,” Natalia yelled at Mikey. She continued to swear her way out the room and to the medic.
“I am going to follow her,” Mikey said as he started walking out of the room
“I don’t think you are the one who she wants to see right now babe,” Amee stopped Mikey.
“I’ll go check on her,” Savan said to her.
“I’m such an idiot,” Mikey said as he sat down with a hand on his forehead.
“What? Of course you aren’t,” Amee comforted him.
“She’s right you know, we have been practicing for a week now and I still don’t seem to get that part right,” Mikey replied.
“Yes, well mistakes happen, you shouldn’t be doing anything that dramatic right now anyway,” Amee reasoned with him.
“She thinks this would be best, and Natalia is the reason we are here in this competition,” Mikey said looking down at the ground tears welling up in his eyes.
“What do you mean,” Amee asked.
“Natalia is the only reason we auditioned, she is the better singer you know, she is the only reason we got this far in this series,” Mikey replied to Amee.
“Who told you that she was a better singer than you, Savan,” Amee asked.
“No, Natalia, it is obvious anyway,” Mikey replied.
“Woah, babe, you got it all wrong here,” Amee said.
“What do you mean,” Mikey asked.
“Well, the judges look at both the people, if one of them doesn’t make the cut, then they don’t make it past them now do they,” Amee reasoned.
“I guess,” Mikey said uncertainly.
“You have an amazing voice Mikey, I love it, its dreamy and you can hear the passion in everything you sing, its mesmerizing,” Amee said.
“You, you really think so,” Mikey asked.
“Oh no babe I don’t just think so, I know so,” Amee replied with a smile.
“You are amazing Amee,” Mikey said as he stood up.
“And so are you, now all you have to do is believe it,” Amee said as she patted him on the back.
“Thank you, Amee,” Mikey said.
“Don’t mention it, now I have to get back to practicing, my ridiculous song,” Amee said as she started to walk out of the room.
“What’s the song Savan is having you sing,” Mikey asked.
“Paris by Grace Potter and the Nocturnals,” Amee replied.
“Ouu, can I have a listen,” Mikey said cheekily.
“Okay,” Amee said turning a little red, and thought, ‘well I have to do it in front of simon tomorrow anyway right might as well get some honest feedback!’
“Wow, that was hot,” Mikey said as soon as Amee finished.
“Thank you,” Amee replied with a bow.
“You really are amazing you know that, amazing, I mean I see it all the time. I always think damn that girl is even more hot when she sings,” Mikey said coming dangerously close to Amee, and before Amee could back away or stop him, Mikey grabbed her and swooped down to kiss her.
“What the hell was that,” Amee said as she pushed Mikey off of her.
“Something you clearly wanted to do since we’ve met,” Mikey replied edging closer to Amee again.
“I beg your pardon,” Amee said taking a huge step back and her hands outstretched in front of her to guard from Mikey kissing her again.
“Well I’ve seen it from the start, the cute longing looks, you slipped and fell so I could pick you up, and now you can’t stand to see me sad,” Mikey said coming close.
“What, no! I’ve never done any of that,” Amee Exclaimed.
“Well no need to play hard to get love, I already have you, and you already have me so come here,” Mikey said as he reached over and tucked a piece of hair behind Amee’s ear.
“You are insane, I do not like you like that, you were sad and I just wanted to help,” Amee replied as she swated away Mikey’s hand.
“Really, why,” Mickey challenged.
“I thought of you as a friend, and when my friends are hurt I help them,” Amee responded and turned to walk out of the door.
“Darlin’ eyes are the windows to your soul, play your games, but I know you will admit that you love me,” Mikey said after her as she walked out of the room.
‘What,’ Amee thought as she walked into the other practice room.
It was dinner time and everyone was having dinner and joking around, everyone except Mikey and Natalia.
“Do you think she believed it,” Natalia asked Mikey.
“I did what you told me to, and it seems like she bought it, do you have the picture,” Mikey asked.
“Yes! I do,” Natalia said excitedly, “this will come in handy,” she decided this as she flashed Mikey the picture of Mikey and Amee kissing.