Same Mistakes

Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Boot camp was the worst three days of my life! I learned something though. I am a terrible dancer. I just ended up standing behind this cute guy who kind of looked like Justin Bieber. It made me laugh just thinking about it and it made me think of Niall. He said his name was Liam. He was really cute and seemed like quite the gentleman.

He showed me how to do the dance moves because sometimes I couldn’t see the choreographer’s feet. I think that if it weren’t for Liam I wouldn’t be alive. I would be dead in a ditch somewhere because I can’t dance.

On the last day of boot camp I introduced Liam to Niall and Harry. The three of them seemed to get along pretty well and Niall and Harry seemed to be normal again. Thank goodness! That was starting to get weird.

I walked away to get a drink and let the boys talk and accidentally bumped into a girl.

“I’m so sorry.” I said

She turned around, “Oh it’s fine! Hi, I’m Cher Lloyd. What’s your name?”

“I’m Emily Hennigan.”

“Wel,l it’s nice to meet you Emily. I saw you standing by those boys over there. Do you know them?” I followed her gaze and she was staring right at Harry. I giggled a little to myself and I was pleased to see that she hadn’t heard.

“Yeah, blondie over there is like, my best friend, he’s pretty much my brother. Curly I met on my first day here. He’s nice but seems like he plays the field a little bit. I saw him eyeing the dancers earlier and then Caroline Flack. He must have a thing for cougars. Or just cats in general, if you know what I mean. And Bieber fever I met at the beginning of boot camp and he taught me how to dance. I’m a terrible dancer and he is quite the gentleman.” I said staring longingly at the back of his head. I looked like a total idiot

“Sounds to me like someone has a bit of a crush.” She said, comfirming my idiot theory. “Would you mind introducing me?”

“Oh, yeah sure. No problem.” We walked back over to the guys and as soon as we got over there Harry started flirting with Cher. Niall was right, he is a player.

“Hey guys, this is Cher. Cher this is Harry, Liam, and Niall,” I pointed to the boys as I said their names. Niall was almost literally drooling and I started laughing at him and I slapped him and he gave me a giant bear hug. I just kept laughing.

Liam didn’t seem very interested though so as Niall and Harry flirted with Cher we went for a walk. We used it as time to talk and get to know each other.

“So you and Niall?” He asked.

“No, we’re just really good friends. We’ve known each other since grade 6 and he’s pretty much like my brother.”

“Oh,” he said. His voice a little higher and happier, “that’s cool.”

“Yeah. So do you have a special someone?” I elbowed him trying to detract some of the awkwardness from the topic. I was kind of hoping he would say no so I crossed my fingers behind my back.

“Nope, there was this one girl I dated for a while, but we broke up. It was a mutual thing. We’re still really good friends which is nice.”

“Yeah,” I said nodding my agreement then smiling at the ground. “That would be cool.”

A breeze came and I shivered and Liam offered me his jacket. I told him that he would be cold then, but he insisted, so I took it. It smelled really nice. Not like an Axe bomb or something. Just the simple smell of Old Spice and Liam. It was nice.

We walked in silence for a while and then we decided we should probably head back. When we got back we turned down the wrong corridor and saw Harry and Cher snogging. Liam and I giggled as we walked and both agreed that it was only a matter of time. We found Niall and I realized I still had Liam’s jacket on so I gave it back to him and he smiled.

Since it was the last day of boot camp, it was also time for the eliminations. They called my name first and I went to stand with a group of five other girls including Cher. We stood next to each other and held each others’ hand. Cheryl said she was calling three names, which meant two of us were going home. Cher squeezed my hand.

“Cher, please step forward.” Cheryl said, “Rebecca please step forward.” And after what seemed like ages, “and Emily would you please step forward. Congratulations girls you’re moving on!” We ran in and hugged each other. Rebecca went out into the hall to call her mum and Cher and I stayed in the wings because the boys were next.

“Would Matt Cardle and Aiden please step forward?” Said Simon. “Congratulations, you two are moving on. I’m sorry Liam, Niall and Harry, but you are not.”

The three boys slowly walked over towards us. Liam got to me first. I opened my arms and he came. I wrapped my arms around his neck and felt a little wet spot forming on my shoulder. I heard him sniffle. I rubbed his back because I knew how much this had meant to him. He had tried out two years earlier and had gotten farther. He stepped back and I looked into his eyes.

“Congratulations,” he sniffled and I melted. I gave him another hug and told him that I was sorry. I told him not to give up and that this was what he was meant to do. I wiped away his tears and kissed his streaked cheeks. He managed a weak smile and so did I. When I let go he stepped aside and Niall took his place.

My brother, my best friend, my Niall wasn’t going to be able to go on this journey with me. As we embraced my eyes filled with tears as well since we had always dreamed of doing this together. I rubbed his back and he stayed there for a little while. We walked out and I heard a voice.

“Would Niall Horan, Liam Payne, Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson and Zayn Malik please return to the stage?” The boys left and Cher and I waited in silence for them to return. When they did they were ecstatic.

“Em! They’re making us a group and letting us stay in the competition!” Niall said as he hugged me with all his might picking me up and swinging me around in the process.

“Oh my gosh that’s great! Oh, I can’t wait! This is so perfect!”

I gave Liam and great big hug and electricity flew through me as he whispered, “Thank you,” in my ear.

“For what?” I whispered back

“For everything. You comforted me and you told me never to give up. No one has ever done that for me before.” He pulled back. His face was red and I knew what was coming.

“Emily, I know I don’t know you that well, but I’d really like to get to know you more. You’re such good friends with Niall and I thought we could be really good friends too.” He spoke most of that to the ground, but the last bit was entirely to me. I bit my bottom lip, smiled at the ground then looked into his eyes and said, “I’d like that.”

“And one more thing,” he added. “I was wondering if maybe you’d want to go to see a movie tonight. We could talk some, maybe grab something to eat?” I smiled at the ground again and nodded my agreement. He smiled. “I’ll pick you up at 7.” He said and he walked away. I call me crazy, but I think have feelings for Liam.