𝑺𝐈𝐗, One Direction Sixth Member

1, fourteen

She didn't know what to expect when she lowered the mic from her face. Her other hand, which had been resting over her stomach for the latter part of the song also fell against her side, limp.

The time she stood until one of the judges started commenting felt like forever. She was sweating although the AC in the auditorium was on full blast. Her clothes had started to itch from irritation, and she wanted nothing more than to dash down from the stage till she was maybe out of Simon's sight, out of the venue and possibly out of London. But no, she wasn't exactly capable of running off in seek of ease since she was actually standing in front of Simon, Louis and even Nicole Scherzinger, who joined as the third judge for the Bootcamp.

It took Simon to pick up the microphone after staring at what she could only assume was her contestants' file sprawled across the judges' table.

"Aviana Rae" Simon rather sighed into the mic, opening the file in front of her. Aviana shuddered from the stage as she watched Simon rake her eyes over the file in a sweep before looking up at the stage with a complex expression.

"I think...I think it's been a good while since we've had someone like you in the show, Aviana. Am I right?" Aviana couldn't grasp if Simon's voice was pure genuine or condescending as he turned back to the two judges next to him. She could only hold her breath as she watched Louis and Nicole nod towards Simon before he turned back towards the stage.

"I remember, for your first audition you sang an original song. It had a very, you know, pop, bedroom pop genre to it. You performed it in a very ballad way and you were excellent. I'd seen your interview where you mentioned you had made the track yourself which is so impressive on its own, let me tell you"

"Then, for Bootcamp, you did If I were a Boy, yeah?" Simon raised his eyebrows his way and Aviana's head bobbed up and down on autopilot. "Which is another pop song leaning heavily on R&B. Although your performance wasn't up to my expectations, you really were impressive in comparison to other contestants. And today..."

Simon took a break from his monologue much to Aviana's dismay. Unlike other days, he was beating around the bush too much to Aviana's liking. Simon was notorious for his straightforward comments which lacked both empathy and kindness - a tiny amount of pity even. But today, he seemed to be dragging this for whatever motive, giving Aviana one more reason to remember how she loathed the human that is Simon Cowell.

"Gaga is pop that leans a lot on electronic and dance aspects of music. And- and I have to say Aviana, you nailed this performance. I'm sure, Nicole and Louis would agree with me. Everything about it was just hands down amazing" Simon's voice rang through the empty venue like a scream in a liminal space. He was speaking with his head down, eyes fixated on Aviana's trembling figure on the stage over the frame of his glasses. Aviana could make out Simon's mouth moving and his hands moving even faster through the fog in front of her mind.

"When I say we haven't had someone like you in the show, I mean someone who isn't afraid to try new genres. Take on new challenges like you. I have a feeling that if I ask you to sing Kendrick on this stage right now, you would look at me and say 'Give me five minutes, Simon' I think you've managed to create an image of yourself just with these three auditions, Aviana"

"I think..." Simon stopped himself before fixing his posture, his hand halting mid-air as his speech came to a brief halt. "I see you as someone who has insane potential to become a star, a sensation, a-"

"An icon" Aviana can't see if it's Simon or if someone's interrupted him through the tears that well up in her eyes. "You're gonna become an icon, Aviana Rae"