Next Day.

I wake up and walk into the choir room. My cell rings and I answer it. "Hey Mum." I say and tears well up in my eyes. "Hey sweetie, whats wrong?" I laugh at myself. "I miss you." She laughs a little. "Baby, we're all rooting for you at home." Tears drip down my cheeks. "I'm in a weird country, with weird people and I feel stupid. They are all better than me. They have better ranges and I'm just the mean girl that wants to get in a scuffle. I started a fight with Alex, I went off in tears and they came after me. They shouldn't have to come after me." I start crying and she tries to calm me down. "Listen. You are just as good as the rest of them, or else you would not be there. The people you are with are probably feeling the same. Alex probably had it coming, and the people that came after you care about you." I keep crying. "It's all getting on top of me and we are starting shooting today. We haven't even started and I am already freaking out." She takes a deep breath. "Your not going to freak out, your just letting out feelings. Sweetie I know you. You're not used to being around other people. You've thrown yourself into this and you're scared you'll fall. You won't. Now get off the phone, go throw on thirty layers of make up and plaster a smile on your face. Even if it hurts. We are all rooting for you and we'll all be here. I love You." I laugh. "I Love You To mum." I say and hang up. I set my cell beside me and hold my head in my hands. I look up and Marissa. I laugh at myself. So stupid. So god damn stupid. Now they have seen you cry, you freak. How do you expect them to get on with you if you are going to cry to your mum?

Marissa walks over to me and sits beside me. "We heard everything." She whispers and I hold my head to my hands again. she puts her arm on my back. "Who is we?" I ask her. "Samuel, Me, Cameron and Damien." I nod. "Great." I say and smile. "It's getting to me, and we haven't even started yet." I say. "It's easier for us, we are from America. For you, Matheus and Damien this is completely different to what you are used to." I nod. "Pretty lame, aren't I." I say and she laughs. "You think you shouldn't be here, but you should. You are a good singer. You keep putting yourself down." I nod. "Now, go pretty yourself up." I smile and hug her. I walk out and see Samuel with Damien and Cameron. "Are you ok?" Damien says to me and I nod. "Yep." Samuel winks at me and I smile. I walk back into the girls dorm and pick out my Guns N Roses T-Shirt, along with my skinny jeans and red converse. I take out my mouse and make my hair curly. I put on some grey eyeshadow and red lipstick. I walk back out to everyone. "You ready?" I nod at Cameron. "Course." I say and sit down with Samuel and Damien. Samuel nods. "You ok?" I nod. "Yeah, Better now." I say with a smile. "Talk later?" I nod. "That would be great." He nods and Robert Ulrich walks in with a camera crew and we sit up. "Good morning guys." We smile. "Morning." We say, like a group of excited kids. "So, today is the beginning of our journey. It is individuality week, so we want to see you. Now, without further adeu. This weeks special guest." We all look around the corner and watch him walk in. Darren Criss.

"Oh My Gosh." Lindsay says. "Hi!" I say and Samuel turns to me. "Nerd." I smile and everyone says hi to him. "So this is individuality week. So I want you all to be yourselves up on that stage and show me what you got. I will also be looking at what you are wearing, which of you shows off your individuality?" He says and we walk over to the stage and perform. "Sign, sealed delivered i'm yours." The lights go back up and he nods. "Well that was awesome." He says and we smile. "Nicola? Is that your name?" I nod. "Yeah." I say. "I really like your style." I smile. "Thank you." I say. "Is this normal for you, or?" I nod. "Yeah, I mean, I like rock music and I am a metal head, so." He nods. "If I seen you walking down the street, I honestly would not have guessed that." I smile. "So your irish, and so is Damien?" He says, looking to Damien. "yep." He says. "Well, you all did really well. Although, today, the winner is Matheus." He smiles. "Thank you." He nods. "This weeks video is Firework, so we will have some one on one time and good luck." He says and walks out. "Congratulations Matheus." Robert Ulrich says and the camera crew walk back out. "Ao you will get to meet with Darren tomorrow Matheus. You start learning your choreography on wednesday and then shoot the video on wednesday and thursday, final call backs with Ryan are on friday, and that will be how it will work each week." We nod and he walks out. "Well Done Matheus." I say and he nods. "Thanks." We sit and wait for all the crew to leave and Samuel turns to me. "Come on." I smile and we walk out and into the living area- first time i've been in here.

I sit on the sofa and he sits up beside me, with his feet up, as if he was half sitting-half standing. "What's going on?" He says to me and I play with one of my bracelets. "My mum called and I just dropped the gun. I told her everything and started panicking." He nods. "Why do you think your lame?" He asks me and I stop playing with my bracelet and look at him. "I'm not as good as the rest of you guys. I am crying in front of you and I feel like you guys think I am attention seeking and I hate that, when I genuinely do not think I am good enough to be here." He nods and sits up on his knees right in front of me. "You are good enough to be here and your home sick. Don't think everyone else is better than you, because you are just as good as them. You don't need to hide away and then when someone rings you from home you cry. I don't mind if you cry, heck by the time this competition is over, you'll probably see me cry too." I smile and look up at him. "I want you to stop right now, and think. Ok? Believe in yourself. You can do this, ok?" he says, putting his arm on my shoulder. "You can." I smile. "You are a really good friend Samuel." I say and he nods. "Thats what I am here for." He smiles. "Is there anything, maybe, you want to talk about?" He shrugs and drops his hand from my shoulder. "I miss my mom and Skip, my best friend." I nod. "It's weird, right?" He nods. "I miss seeing them everyday." I nod. "It's 11 weeks." I say and he nods. "Maybe less." I add in and he laughs. "Come here." He says and holds out his arms to hug me and I lean forward. He wraps his arms around my back and I smile, wrapping my arms around his neck. We break away and I look into his eyes. "You have really nice eyes." I say and he smiles. "So do you." I smile and he takes his bracelet off his arm, and takes one of my bracelets off my arm, He puts his on me and mine on his. "Never to far away." He winks and we get up and sit together to watch Friends. I lift my cell. "You were right. Filming is over for today. All is sorted. Feeling alot better. Love You. X." I write and send it to mum. I smile at Samuel and watch TV. I turn to him. "Why did you call me a nerd in front of Darren Criss?" He laughs. "You were like, Hi!" I laugh. "Yeah, that was very nerdy of me." I say and he nods. "Play it smooth." I nod. "Sure." I say and he takes out his Iphone. "Hey guys. It's Samuel Larsen here." He says and I move out of shot. "Where are you going?" I shrug. "Camera shy, really?" I laugh. "And Nicola, If you can find her." He says, pointing the camera at me. "So we just finished today's filming, and I want to remind you guys to always be yourselves. Ok? Don't be like really nerdy and be like Hi!" I laugh at him. "Shut up!" I say and He laughs. "No, but be yourselves. Don't change to fit in, don't hide away and bottle things up. Anyway. I love You, and I love hearing from you, so keep your messages coming and who knows, I might post a new song I have been working on up here in a few days. That sound good?" He says to the camera. "Ok, I gotta go." He says and shuts it off.

"Yeah, thanks." I smile and he nods and turns to me. "Why don't you trust people easily?" I shrug. "My dad left before I was born, he didn't want me, he then came into my life, saying he wanted to be part of my life and all of a sudden, when I let him in. He left me again." He nods. "I see." I nod. "So tell me about this song you have been writing." He smiles. "I started it about 10minutes before you entered the house." I nod. "So, what is it about?" He nods. "Being different." I chuckle to myself. "How come I haven't seen you writing it?" He nods. "I do it when I am in bed or when I wake up." I nod. "Can I hear some?" He nods and takes a notepad from his back pocket and sings some of it. I nod. "That is really good Samuel." He smiles. "Thanks." We sit and he plays with my hand while I watch TV. "Do you have any tattoos?" I shake my head. "I want one though." He smiles. "Really?" I nod. "Yeah." He nods. "After this is all over. We will go and you can get your first tattoo." I nod. "Ok." He nods. "If, you promise to talk to me when something is bugging you." I smile. "You want me to cry again, don't you." He smiles. "No. but do we have a deal?" I nod. "Sure." I say and we shake hands, which he pulls in for a hug. "You like hugs, don't you?" He laughs. "Only from certain people." I smile. and we watch some more TV- in this half hug, half-cuddle. We get up and walk out to the rest of the guys.

"Hey guys." We say and they smile. "Nice cuddle guys?" Damien says, turning around in his seat and eating a bag of crisps. "What?" I say, looking up at Samuel. "Oh, we seen you." Marissa holds up her cell. "I'm sure twitter would too!" I run after her and grab her cell. "I send the picture to me and delete it off her cell. "Here you go." I say smiling, her not knowing I took a copy of the picture.

"I was cold." Samuel says. "I don't know what you guys' problem is." MyKynleigh says. "We have blankets and scarves in America." I smile and sit by myself, going over the song choice. "You ok over there?" Cameron shouts over to me. "Yeah!" I shout and keep going over it.

Marissa starts singing and we all join in. We all get up and start dancing. "just hold your own, like its the fourth of July." I sing. "Baby your a firework. Gonna let your colours burst." Samuel sings and twirls me around. I smile and we all run around each other. "Boom. Boom Boom." We all fall into our seats. "Wow." Cameron says.