Chapter 30 - The Live Shows (Part 2)
The next day, Finn woke up and went downstairs to the breakfast buffet. He was the first person awake, but by the time he had made a plate at the buffet, Dalton had woken up. Dalton was probably Finn's closest friend in this competition. They had spent a lot of time together, touring New York and L.A, jamming to random songs and many other activities. They started talking about sports. Dalton didn't really have football in Jamaica: they mainly played soccer, so Dalton had become obsessed with the sport. In their free time, Finn taught Dalton how to play.
"Hey Finn," Dalton started.
"Yeah, man what's up?
"I wanted to talk to you alone about what happened in L.A with your ex-girlfriend."
"Oh yeah, about that. I swear I'm not that much of a jerk normally. I was just so angry."
"How do you feel now?"
"Honestly, a lot better. Like I finally have closure."
"Look, I mean to overstep, but if I had been in a 3 year relationship with someone, and they said that to me, even if I had cheated, I would be really upset. I think you should apologise."
Finn thought for a moment and nodded. "You're right. I'll call her tonight."
By the end of breakfast, the other guys had woken up and were eating with them. After they all finished, they went to the recording studio, where Louis was waiting.
"Hey guys, so I just received the theme for Round 3. It's Nightclub Music." Finn inhaled deeply. This was not good news. Finn hated everything about nightclubs, including their music. So Nightclub music was not his forte.
"Ooh Finn looks annoyed. This not your strong suit mate?" Jahmene asked.
"Yeah, I hate nightclubs, and their music."
"Will Finn finally be eliminated?" Dalton asked, amused.
"You wish," Finn rolled his eyes. "And Louis, I've got my song," he said, with a huge smirk on his face.
"Sure, what is it, man?"
"I'm going to do Sexy and I Know It by LMFAO." The guys erupted in laughter. Once the laughter had died down, Louis started to talk.
"Well, that's actually not a bad idea. I think you have exactly the right personality to pull it off, without it sounding offensive or objectifying. Based on your last performances, I'm guessing you're going to make it completely your own. Like your own cover."
"Yup, exactly."
"Then by all means, go with that song. We can even hire some female dancers to dance around you, giving your performance a desirable and passionate look."
"That sounds great," Finn smiled and began to work on his song. Finn spent most of the day in the recording studio, composing his own cover of the song that sounded nothing like the original. That evening, he went for dinner with the guys, and then retired to his hotel room at 8 pm. He managed to pluck up the courage and dial Quinn's number on his phone. She answered the phone relatively quickly.
"Hello?" she asked.
"Quinn, it's me."
"Finn…" she breathed.
"Look, I wanted to apologise for what went down in L.A a couple weeks ago. Yeah, I was really hurt by what you did, but I shouldn't have been petty and what I said was unnecessary."
"Finn, it wasn't your fault. I don't blame you."
"Quinn, over the past few months, hell, ever since I became a SEAL, I learnt that life is short, I shouldn't waste time holding grudges. I'm not asking to get together, but would you be willing to be friends?"
"Friends? Finn I would love to be friends, but I'm always going to want more."
"Look Quinn, I'm not saying that I'm never going to want to get back together, but you shouldn't have to wait for me. You need to move on with your life."
"OK, Finn. But know, if you ever want to, I'd love nothing more than to get back together."
"Quinn, I need time. What you did really hurt. Especially because of what I was going through at the same time."
"I understand. And, for what it's worth, I really am sorry."
"Thanks Quinn. I gotta go, but I'll hopefully talk to you soon?"
"I'd love that. Bye Finn! And good luck with the next round of the competition! You're doing great so far. You'd better get everyone in Glee a ticket to the final if you make it."
Finn laughed. "Still a long way away. And it's really unlikely that I actually make it that far."
"Don't sell yourself short Finn Hudson. So what song are you playing?"
"You'll have to wait and see, Quinn Fabray! Anyways, let's talk soon."
"Sure, bye Finn."
Finn hung up the phone with a smile on his face. Even though he knew he didn't want to get back together with her just yet, he was glad that they had made up. He slept really early that night, as he planned to wake up early and go to the hotel gym. He usually went to the gym in the late afternoon, when they had a break, but he knew he would be working for all of the next day. The next morning, he woke up at 5 am and went down to the gym. He started working out and half an hour later, to his huge surprise, the other guys came down the stairs to the basement, where the gym was.
"What are you guys doing here?" Finn asked, shocked.
"Well, I think, I think, we're here to work out." Dalton said.
"Gee thanks for clearing that up," Finn remarked, rolling his eyes. "I meant what are you doing awake so early?"
"Well we knew you were waking up early to go to the gym, and we wanted to try your workout."
"Are you sure? I don't want to kill you."
Jahmene glared at him. "Try me, gordito."
"OK, you asked for it." Finn said, and started the workout. Less than a half hour later, the two guys were heaving and panting for breath.
"We give up!" Dalton cried and sat down on the cold floor.
"You guys are pathetic. In SEAL training, we did a harder workout for a continuous 20 hours, every day, 7 days a week. For a year."
"Jesus Christ. I take back my gordito comment," Jahmene heaved, and gulped down water gratefully. They went upstairs to showers, but Finn stayed behind and worked out for another hour. He then went back to his room and showered, before heading down for breakfast. The guys were already there and were guzzling down food. Finn went and sat at their table.
"Finn, you killed us. I'm going to be eating triple for the rest of the day," Dalton said. Finn laughed.
"Careful, you don't want to be sick," Finn watched as his friends gobbled down bacon, eggs, pancakes and other food.
Finn spent the whole week working hard on his cover. It was his most controversial performance yet, and he needed it to go well. About halfway through the week, he was introduced to the dancers who would be on stage with him. They were absolutely excellent, and they didn't negatively interfere with his singing. Soon, he was back on stage and his nerves were building. What if the female audience members didn't appreciate his song choice? What if he lost votes for that reason? It was too late now, so he just prepared to sing. He started strumming on his guitar, and put on a confident smile for the cameras, despite the fact that his insides were in turmoil.
*Sings Sexy and I Know It by LMFAO - James Arthur X Factor Version*
After the song, he took a deep breath and looked at the judges, trying to gauge how the judges felt about that song. Nicole was the first to give her feedback.
"Finn Hudson, that was a brilliant interpretation of the LMFAO song. I mean you are a real professional, you had a really tough theme, but when you get on that stage, you own it. You're what the show's all about, Finn. You're somebody with talent, who's going to get a recording deal. You deserve a record deal."
"Thank you." Finn smiled. Maybe the judges hadn't hated it after all. Tulisa went next.
"Finn, what a great rendition of that song. Absolutely amazing. Do you know what I loved about tonight? It's that even though I love the fact that you're usually really passionate and have this pain in your voice, tonight you had fun, and I really liked seeing that side of you. You should do it more often. I loved it. Well done."
Simon went third.
"Finn, amazing, amazing, amazing. You absolutely turned that song on its head. And you know what, it's kind of a silly dance song. I reckon those guys probably took about 5 minutes to write those stupid lyrics, and you know what? You gave those lyrics meaning tonight. Finn, i gotta say this, this wasn't only the performance of the night, it was the performance of the series so far. Well done."
Finn smiled widely. It was just Louis left.
"Wow! He has passion in his pants, and he ain't afraid to show it! Who am I talking to? Simon is the last person I'd expect to hear that from! First of all, you are a revelation Finn. You took I'm Sexy and I Know it and you made a soulful, bluesy. You had meaning to it. You're a revelation, with swag, if that makes sense. That was just brilliant. Everyone should be voting for Finn Hudson."
Finn beamed widely and thanked the judges. He walked off stage and was amazed. He had actually pulled it off. His family and friends met him in the lobby of the building and they left the Concert Hall. Sure enough, Finn had made it to the next round. The week 4 theme was Halloween, and Finn knew exactly what he wanted to do for the week. The performance would be in a week's time, on October 28th, just in time for Halloween. The week flew by for Finn. Between spending time with Taylor, Kurt, his parents, as well as working on his performance, he had little to no time free. Faster than he could even blink. His name was announced by the host. Rather than walking on from the side of the stage like he normally did, Finn had asked for the back of the stage to be covered by a smoke machine, and Finn walked through the smoke and to the mic. There were guys on either side of him, dressed as spooky monks, and holding flaming torches. Finn had gone all out on the special effects for his song, and now needed to deliver on the singing part.
*Sings Sweet Dreams by Eurythmics - James Arthur X Factor Cover*
At the end of the song, the audience was screaming and cheering for him. The clapping was so loud that Finn was sure he was going to be partially deaf the next day. The judges were all on their feet and when they finally sat down, they began their feedback. Nicole started again.
"Finn, every week you bring something new to this show. I love what you were able to do with the Eurythmics' song. I love what you did last week. You're a very dark, intense performer. That is a good thing. We haven't had anybody like you on the X Factor before. That record deal cannot be too far away."
Once again, Tulisa went next.
"Finn, that is how you take an old-school classic and make it modern. I think that you are one of the most current, relevant performers in this competition. And for me I love that you have a real urban edge to you, and I want to see even more of that week by week, because I'm loving that with you. Even bring back the guitar. Everything about you, I just think you could go so far in this competition, I really do. I think I can see you in the Finals."
Simon went third.
"Finn, wow again. It wasn't just the performance of a great singer. It wasn't just the performance of a great artist. It was the performance of someone who wants to win this competition. Incredible. Great artistry. I can't come up with any more to say. It was just brilliant. Well done!"
And finally, Louis.
"Finn Hudson, you are the difference. You are an international recording artist, and that is the difference. And I hope people call up and vote for you and just recognise you for the great artist that you are. You brought soul, you brought blues, to halloween week, you made it your own. And I'm sure girls are going to be having Sweet Dreams about you tonight!"
The women in the crowd all cheered.
Shortly after, Finn left the concert hall. Once again, he had received the most votes of any of the competitors. He had absolutely crushed it. Unfortunately, Jahmene hadn't made it through. Rather than two performances being eliminated like in the previous rounds, there was a Final Showdown the next day. Both Jahmene and a group had to perform one song each, and the judges voted on who would advance. If there was a majority (3-1) vote, then the contestant would advance, but if it was split 2-2, the audience would vote. The group won, and Jahmene was eliminated from the competition. There were only 9 people left at this point. Finn was starting to get excited. He may actually get a record deal out of the competition. But it wasn't over yet. There were still 10 rounds, and then the Finals. The 9 people currently in the competition would soon be cut down to just 2. The theme for Round 5 was Number-ones. This opened up a whole realm of opportunities for him. There were so many options for him to choose from. Finn and Dalton - the only male competitors left - spent the whole night in Louis' recording studio jamming to No. 1 songs, trying to find the perfect audition song. Eventually, he had a great idea and Taylor helped him make it into a unique cover. On the 3rd November, it was finally the day of his performance. Finn was announced by the host. Louis was right: the nerves did go away eventually. He was actually excited for the performance. He was just going to have fun and sing his heart out.
*Sings Don't Speak by No Doubt - James Arthur version*
His performance was out of this world. His voice had a haunting quality to it, and it added to his performance. It was time for the judges' feedback. As always, Nicole started.
"Finn Hudson, I love the way you take a chance every single week. You take a gamble. You take a really well-known song, but you give it a whole new Finn Hudson interpretation. That's a real talent. That's a real skill for you to be able to do. I think you have a lot of talent. You deserve a record deal. I want people to lift the phones and vote for you because you deserve to be on the stage."
"You know what Finn?" Tulisa said. "That performance was actually really kind of stripped back and relaxed from your usual stuff which at this point in the competition, you think people want to up their game more, do something more out there but you know what? I feel like because you've established yourself so much as a contender in this competition, it doesn't matter. I felt like I was watching Finn Hudson at his own concert, doing an album track, but that doesn't matter because I love Finn's album. And that's the only way I describe your performance. It was really good, and I loved it."
"Well Finn, another brilliant performance tonight. I mean I think you're your own worst enemy in some ways because the performances get better and better and I think what's he going to come back with next week? You just seem to pull it out of the bag every week, you split the song up, you make it your own. It's absolutely wonderful. I loved it. I always look forward to listening to you." Simon said.
Louis smiled at him. "Finn, even though I'm your mentor, I watch you up there and I'm so in awe of you. You just bring so much authenticity to the show, to that stage, to every moment. I just, I've seen you do this a million times, but every time is like the first time, and I know when you sing it, it's like the first time. And I just, I respect you so much. People don't realise how hard you work on the things that we go through, and you listen to all of my feedback, and you just blow my mind, man."
"Thanks, judges." Finn said. Finn had drawn first spot to perform so he watched everyone else perform, before the audience voted and the host announced who had to proceed to the Final Showdown. Thankfully, both Finn and Dalton were safe from elimination. They celebrated that night by going to a karaoke bar. By this point in the competition, a fair bit of people knew who they were, so they started to take cabs more than the subway. They had also invited the two girls left in the competition - other than Dalton and Finn, there were 2 girls, 1 over-28 year old, and 3 groups. The girls' names were Ella and Gracie. Dalton and Finn had met them briefly at the beginning of the live shows, but never really got a chance to spend time with them. They were both excellent singers, especially Ella. Finn knew that him and Ella were two of the favourites to win the competition. But more importantly, both girls were really nice, funny and interesting people. At the end of the night, they received a text from their respective mentors.
Hey Guys, the next theme is Best of British. Good luck
All 4 of the contestants looked at each other.
"So, best of British, huh? That kinda puts Jamaican me and Canadian Finn at a disadvantage. You guys are both British so you should take it easy on us." Dalton said.
"Not a chance," Ella laughed.
"Yeah, I agree with Ella." Finn said. Dalton turned to him confused. "I mean that we don't need you two to take it easy. We already know that the finals are going to be me against Dalton."
"You're dreaming Hudson," Ella replied, smiling. "Me and Gracie are going to wipe the floor with you two."
"Really, Ms. Henderson? Care to wager? You and Gracie pay us 50 dollars if the finals are me vs Dalton. And we'll pay you two 50 dollars each if the finals are you and Gracie. If it's none of the two, then nobody pays anything."
Ella thought for a moment. "You're on," she said, shaking his hand. "OK, let's pay and get out of here." Everyone nodded. They paid the bar tab and walked onto the street. They - mainly Finn and Ella - were stopped by a few people for photographs. They weren't too drunk so they agreed. They made it back to the hotel. It turned out that on the 4 story hotel, the groups were on the first, over 28s on the second, girls on the third, and guys on the forth. They said goodnight to each other and went to sleep.
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