CHAPTER 58
Despite Finn's determination, in 6 months of trying, he hadn't been able to crack into the music business. He had done everything: made a demo tape, sent it to every major record label, played every gig in Ohio, but still, no luck. Finn was running out of money… fast! He wasn't about to ask Carole and Burt for money - he was done with them - and he felt like his back was to a wall. Unless a miracle occurred, he would have to give up, find a real job. Bar gigs weren't paying nearly enough for even his studio apartment in the cheapest, roughest part of Lima.
One night, Finn was walking home from a gig in Lima when suddenly, a clap of thunder and lightning erupted across the midnight sky and the heavens opened up, pouring rain unexpectedly onto the city. Finn, who hadn't brought an umbrella as they weren't expecting rain that night, groaned in annoyance. He started running down the street as the rain and wind picked up, but shortly after, he accidentally slipped over the edge of the sidewalk and fell face-first into a massive puddle, soaking his only formal clothes with dirty water. Finn shouted in annoyance as he stumbled to his feet. He scowled up at the sky.
"SERIOUSLY?! WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH YOU?!" He bellowed at the Gods above. "After everything I've done, after everything I've been through?! I have tried… I have tried hard to be a good person! This is what I get in return?! This is what I deserve?! You know what? I'm done trying to be a good person! I'm just done!"
Finn just sat on the sidewalk, getting soaked in the rain, sobbing into his hands. He hated his life. Every turn had brought on a new horror. He felt like he was helpless and trapped in a room, the water level of the room slowly rising as he drowned. Around ten minutes later, the wind blew a sopping piece of paper straight onto Finn's face. Finn groaned in annoyance and ripped the page off his forehead. Just as he was about to crumble the paper into a ball, his eyes scanned it. It was a brochure for the TV Show "X-Factor". It was the biggest, most competitive singing show in the world, the show boasting former members such as Leona Lewis, Olly Murs and many others. If Finn managed to get onto the show, it could be his ticket to finally getting that elusive record deal. Hundreds of thousands of people applied for the competition every year, but but only 12 acts would make the live shows, and only about 6 of those would get a record deal. The first step to enter the X Factor competition would be to apply with the mobile auditions. The way of entering the X Factor was to audition in front of the show's producers in one of the hundreds of X Factor vans scattered around every state in the country. There were vans even in the most small, irrelevant cities in the U.S. Like Lima for example.
HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
The next morning, Finn queued up outside the X Factor van. The line was at least an hour and a half long, and it contains people of all genders, races, sexualities, but all of them looked a lot more qualified than Finn did. He came extremely close to turning back so many times along the way. He had watched the competition every year in the past. He had seen the people who competed. They all had proper vocal training their whole lives. Compare them to him, he thought. Between his past and his lack of training, he was NOT what the competition would want. He didn't need someone else telling him that he was 'not the right material,' or that he was 'playing for the wrong audience.' He wanted nothing more than to become a megastar. But he wasn't good enough. Simple as that.
This audition had the potential to change his life, if a miracle occurred. A lot of the people around him were doing technical warmups, and were standing next to their respective vocal coaches. Finn didn't have any of that. He just had him and his guitar. Finally, after an excruciatingly long wait in the freezing cold February air, Finn made it to the front of the van and was called into the van.
When Finn walked inside, he was greeted by the blissfully cool AC. In the corner of the room was an X Factor producer. Finn walked over and held out his hand to shake.
"Nice to meet you, sir. My name's Finn Hudson." He said.
"Eric Dalton." He replied, shaking his hand. "It says here on your registration forms that you're singing Fallin' by Alicia Keys. Do you need an accompaniment?"
Finn shook his head.
"I'm good, thank you sir. I've got my guitar."
He nodded and sat back in his chair, gesturing to Finn to start. Finn closed his eyes and took a deep breath. This was it. He began to sing…
I keep on fallin´
In and out of love
With you
Sometimes I love ya´ (you)
Sometimes I feel blue
Sometimes I feel good
Sometimes I feel blue
But I keep on fallin´
Back in Love with you
And I keep on falling
In and out of love
With you
I..
I never loved someone the way that I
Love you
I..
I never felt this way
How do you give me so much pleasure
This show me so much pain
Oh I..
I keep on falling
In and out of Love
With you
I never Loved someone the way that I
I love you
Ohh, I love you (7x), Oh
To hear the actual song, click:
watch?v=5jJdo5wA2zA&ab_channel=TheXFactorUK
Or search, 'Falling James Arthur X Factor"
At the end of the song, Finn fell silent. He felt that he had performed his best, no matter if he qualified for the next stage - arena auditions in front of the 4 judges - or not. Mr. Dalton wrote down notes for what seemed like an eternity, but finally, he looked up.
"Um… Mr Hudson. I honestly don't know what to say. That was…"
Oh boy! Here it goes again, Finn thought. What would the word be this time? Awful? Pitiful? Dreadful?
But the word Mr. Dalton used Finn couldn't have predicted in a million years
"Incredible! That was absolutely incredible! You have potential practically bursting out of you. You sing with so much emotion, so much soul, it's like I'm right there with you. And that guitar playing! Wow! I think I might be looking at the next Grammy winner!"
Finn was flabbergasted. This was going better than he could have possibly imagined.
"Yeah, um… I think that there's only one thing to do. Congratulations, Mr Hudson. I'm fast tracking you to Arena Auditions in New York!"
Finn was overwhelmed. He was still partly in disbelief. He had made it to the next stages of the competition. And with the way Mr Dalton was complimenting him, he may actually make it even further than that! He couldn't let it get to his head though. After he had finally gotten over his sudden rush of emotions, he looked at Mr Dalton and replied.
"Thank you so much Mr. Dalton for having faith in me. I swear I won't let you down."
"I know you won't, son. But if you don't mind me asking, what would doing well in this competition mean to you?"
Finn thought for a moment before responding.
"Um… I want it more than anything. I've had a very, very rough past, and you know, singing songs is my life. It's my purpose to do this. I feel like it's why I'm here on this earth, to sing and write songs."
"Well good luck. And congratulations."
HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
As soon as Finn left the van, he erupted in celebration. He jumped up and down like a maniac. The others who were still in line looked at him like he was crazy, but Finn didn't care. He immediately took out his phone and called his friends in South Africa. He hadn't told anyone about him auditioning for the competition, as he didn't expect it to go anywhere, but now that he had qualified for the next stages, he decided to call his friends. Cisco answered the phone moments later.
"Hey, Finn. How's it going?" Cisco asked. Him, Barry and Caitlin were all on the phone and they were greeted by an extremely loud, incomprehensible stream of shouting from Finn.
"Um… buddy? You okay?" Barry asked, cautiously.
"I am." He replied. "Have you ever heard of the X Factor?" Finn asked them.
"Yeah, duh." Caitlin laughed. "It's the biggest singing competition in the world."
"Well, you know how it's coming to the U.S this year?"
There was a short silence before Cisco spoke.
"Finn…" He started quietly. "Did you…?"
"Yeah. I did my first audition for one of the producers."
"Well, how did you do?" They all asked, excitedly.
"They loved me! I'm through to arena auditions!" He exclaimed, his voice bursting with pride.
The three of them almost deafened Finn with their scream of happiness. They knew more than anyone how much Finn had been through, and how much he deserved a breakthrough into the music business.
"Congratulations!" You're going to New York?!" Caitlin asked in a frenzy. Finn laughed.
"Yeah. I am. And I was wondering if you guys would be able to come and support me?" He asked, tentatively.
"Yeah, of course we're coming! FINN! We're so proud of you!" Barry exclaimed.
"Thanks, man." He smiled. "Anyways, I've gotta go. I'm literally still outside the X Factor van."
"I'm so proud of you, Finn. You truly deserve this." Caitlin said.
"Thanks, Cait. Love you guys, bye."
Finn hung up the phone and smiled. It still hadn't truly hit him yet. He was going to perform a song for a crowd of 10,000 people, and four judges. The judges may well send him straight back home, but they also had the potential to change his life forever. Finn walked away from the X Factor mobile van and entered a rough bar. He drink until the dawn of the next way but for the first time, not in sadness but in celebration.
Okay, I know this sounds like another story I wrote but trust me… it goes in a whole, completely different direction. Just keep reading and reviewing!