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Back to The Beginning

Chapter Five

Barbados was relaxing. At least, that’s what it felt like when I wasn’t rehearsing and working my butt off. So basically, it was relaxing at the moment, as I stretched out on the beach and soaked up the sun. It was quite nice.

Another reason Barbados was relaxing? I had turned off my cell service. Ever since the day of six-chair challenge, Drystan had been blowing my phone up with apologies. I’d called him a few times, and he’d tried to apologize, but I was keeping my distance from him. He was going to know what it felt like when he ghosted me.

“Hey Kayla,” Adley’s voice came from next to me.

‘Hey Adley,” I answered, rolling over to face her.

“Taking a break?”

“Yeah, I need it. It’s more than a little stressful being here,” I answered, causing both of us to laugh. “But yeah, it’s nice. My voice needs the break.”

“I get it, girl. This place is hell on the body and mind,” she answered. “What’s your song again?”

“Secret Love Song, Little Mix,” I answered. “I can barely hit the high notes and we’ve only been here two days.”

She winced. “Yikes. You do need a break.”

“That’s what I got told, so here I am,” I replied, waving my arm around. “Unable to work and being forced to relax and rest. I hate it.”

She shook her head. “Kayla, look, we may be competing, but you’re my friend too. You’re not going to permanently damage your voice because of this competition. You need the rest, whatever you think. Take it easy,” she told me.

I sighed, closing my eyes and laying my head on my hands. “I’m going to sleep. Wake me up for dinner,” I said.

“You got it,” she said, stretching out next to me.

I spent the rest of the week working, relaxing, and sleeping, and then the time came for me to perform for the people that counted. I took the mic from the assistant and walked out to the patio, where there was a small area that was designated for me to stand, a coffee table, and then a couch where Simon sat with Niall, who smiled when he saw me.

“Hi there, Kayla,” Simon greeted me.

“Hi Simon,” I responded.

“How are you doing today? Ready to sing?”

“I’m pretty good. Definitely ready to sing,” I answered, smiling.

“Then blow us away,” he told me, and I nodded at the pianist, who started to play the opening bars of the song.

I sang through the song, loving the arrangement I’d been given. My voice had healed over two days off, and the high notes came with ease. I let myself be transported back to when Drystan and I had first started dating and we didn’t tell anybody because I was 15 and he was 17. We wanted so badly to tell people, but we didn’t want to be judged.

The song finished, and I brought the mic down and bit my lip nervously, knowing that there was nothing else I could do to secure my fate. Three of us had to go home this week, and I really didn’t want it to be me.

Simon nodded and smiled at me. “Thank you,” he said, and I left, going back to my room and curling up on my bed before calling Drystan, suddenly needing him. He answered on the first ring.

“Kayla! Oh my god baby I’m so sorry please forgive me I love you so much,” he started, and I sniffled, tears running down my face because I missed him so much.

“I miss you,” I replied, burrowing into the blankets. “I’m having the time of my life but I miss you.”

I could almost feel him hug me and wipe my tears away. “I miss you too, Kayla. So much. I miss your hugs and your smile and our little dates in the gazebo in the woods and everything about you,” he whispered.

I sniffed again. “How about we FaceTime and I’ll go down to the beach? I mean, Simon’s house is great and all, but I spent two days on mandatory vocal rest. I’m sick of it.”

“Why were you on mandatory vocal rest for two days?”

“I was straining my voice too much and working too hard, so I got banned from singing. I hated it but I needed it,” I answered.

He laughed softly. “That’s my little fighter,” he said affectionately. “But she needs to take care of herself too.”

I wiped my tears and smiled slightly. “She is, I promise,” I assured him. “She’s just a bit of a nervous wreck right now because she now has to wait an entire day before finding out if she’s through to the live shows.”

“I’m sure you’ll make it, baby girl,” he told me. “You’re amazing.”

“Everyone here is amazing, though,” I countered. “We wouldn’t be here if we weren’t.”

“Kayla, baby, you’ll be fine. I believe in you,” he said. “Now I have to go, I’ll call you again soon. Enjoy Barbados for me.”

“I will baby. Bye,” I replied, hanging up and turning my service back off. I dropped my phone and quickly fell asleep, sleeping through dinner and the night, and missing six calls from Drystan.

When I woke up at ten the next morning, I rushed through getting ready, not even looking at my phone. Pulling on my shoes, I wolfed down my breakfast and ran to the waiting area. “You’re late,” a producer told me.

“Sorry I like to sleep,” I came back, and he rolled his eyes and walked off. When the next girl came back, someone pushed me toward the direction she came from, and I shrugged their hand away and walked in that direction.

A few minutes later, I came to an area next to a pool where two chairs were set up. Simon was sitting in one, and he gestured for me to have a seat in the other. I made my way over and sat down.

“Hi there,” he said, smiling slightly.

“Hi,” I replied with a nervous laugh.

“Nervous?” he smiled.

“Just a little,” I answered, with more nervous laughter, and he laughed too.

“Well, um, there’s no point in delaying the news. I just want you to know that no matter what I’m about to tell you, you’re absolutely an amazing singer. Even if I tell you you’re going home, I want you to keep working hard and come back, okay?” he questioned me, and I nodded, tears forming in my eyes. “With that said, I’m so sorry to tell you this, but...you have to do this all over again in the live shows!”

As soon as he said “again,” I started bawling. “Thank you much oh my god,” I cried, hugging him.

He smiled, laughing. “You’re a superstar, Kayla, and you’re a hard worker. I’m so excited to have you as one of my three finalists for the live shows.”

I nodded, wiping my tears. “Thank you so much,” I said, and he nodded as I walked back to the waiting area, tears streaming down my face. Adley, who had already gotten her news from Simon that she was in the live shows, rushed over to me.

“Shhh, Kayla, it’s gonna be okay,” she told me, thinking that I had been eliminated. “I’ll give you my phone number, get you tickets, everything. It’s gonna be okay.”

I shook my head, smiling wide through my tears. “I’m through,” I stammered. “We’re both through!”

She screamed and hugged me tight. “You scared me, you idiot! Don’t cry like that!” She pushed my shoulder playfully and I laughed.

“Um, these are tears of joy and gratefulness, they’re appropriate,” I said. “Now how about we celebrate by spending our last day in Barbados on the beach enjoying this glorious weather? We leave for London tomorrow.”

“That sounds awesome, let’s go,” she answered, dropping her arm from around my shoulders as we ran back to the house and pulled on our bathing suits before running back down to the beach and spending the rest of the day celebrating down on Simon’s private beach. We snapped a picture, and I posted it on instagram.

kaylapayne: here’s to having fun, amazing adventures, and friendship with you @adleyreid



Notes

i'm making Drystan into such a crappy person but i have no regrets because it sets up the love story starting later on and aghhhhhhh I'm just so excited about this story

Comments

@YouLoveWhoYouLove
awww thanks :) it's getting so much better soon

I’m intrigued