Long Live ~A Louis Tomlinson Fanfiction~

Part 3

~Arabella~

I take a moment to soak it all in. But once I do I start congratulating my best friend. I know he's going to be great.

'Wait-you only have THREE weeks before you audition?' I ask. He nods nonchalantly. 'Well fill me in on everything! Where's the audition, when are we leaving, what's the date exactly, and more importantly-what are you singing?' I interrogate.

'Okay, um, the X-Factor Stage? Early like four or five am, July tenth, and Hey There Delilah by The Plain White T's,' he impressively answers.

We get to rehersals right away. I know he'll be fine, but I need to make sure he makes it through. Who knows where this might take him? I just need to give him a little boost to get there.

~Louis~

Arabella needs to relax, I love this girl to death, and I appreciate her coaching, but this is crazy. But when you find someone who cares about you that much, you just have to love them.

Two and a half of the three weeks go by quickly. Arabella spends the first week checking the forums where I asked if anyone wants to audition in a group, since I want to be in a boy band rather than a soloist, but no one repsonds. We start rehearsing right after a week of no replies.

'Alright now for choreography,' Ara starts.

'Arabella, slow down! It's a minute audition,' I remind her.

She sighs, 'I know. I'm sorry I'm being so bossy I really just want this to go perfectly.'

'And I appreciate that, but just take it down like one or two or a thousand notches?' I joke. She giggles, I've always been quite fond of that adorable laugh, but then she gets serious again.

'Alright, the audition is in three days. Lou, you're golden, let's just practice your singing a couple more times,' Ari demands, pointing to the spot in her living room we've been using for a stage.

'Alright,' I sigh, 'But if I lose my voice I'm blaming it on you.' Her expression goes blank, then worried. 'Kidding! Really, chill,' I say, starting to get concerned. Arabella always knows when I'm joking and when I'm not. This must be really getting her.

So, for her sake more than mine, I sing as perfectly and loudly as I can, just like she instructed me. The next two days I behave better than I had been for the past three weeks so she doesn't kill herself before the actual thing.

Finally those three weeks are up. Its the morning we're going. My eyes shoot to the clock, its 2:36 am. I got up an hour early. My nerves are going crazy, I don't even trust I can hold the microphone properly.

I sneak downstairs, trying not to wake my mum or sisters, and find Arabella asleep on the couch. I shake her awake with trembling hands, hoping she'll know how to calm me. But I see that sparkle in her huge hazel eyes and I immediately feel almost all the tension leave my body. I sigh with relief, close my eyes, and lay on the table I'm sitting on.

'Louis? Is it time to go?' she asks.

'Nope, I just woke up. Nerves were kicking in, so thanks for helping me calm down,' I smirk, sitting up to look at her.

'Calm you down? I just woke up,' Ara objects.

'Yeah, but, I don't know, something about your eyes made me feel better. There's just this familiar twinkle to them,' I try to explain.

'Oh, well in that case...' she puts her face close to mine and widens her eye. We both laugh, but she quiets me quickly, remembering about the rest of my family.