The X- Factor. It took so much courage to finally come. I practiced my heart out and I am so nervous. It is about an hour before auditions. I run into a really sweet guy named Liam. He said that this is his second time auditioning for the show. He told me to not be worried; I told him “Good luck!”

The next person I saw was named Louis. He was such a funny person. He seemed so nervous though. I told him that I know how he feels. We high-fived and moved on.

I was trying to find where I was supposed to be when I bumped into Zayn. He was quiet, but cute and made me smile. That was the last I saw of him, for now.

I could tell that the next person I met, Niall, wasn’t from England as soon as he walked up to me and started talking. Irish. He was adorable and his sparkling smile said it all. I wished him the best.

I was ready to go on stage when someone caught my eye. A boy with curly brown hair and a nice smile. He said that his name was Harry. Apparently, he was auditioning right after me. We wished each other good luck. I sang my heart and soul out; trying to hit all the notes. I could feel the tears in my eyes as I sang the last word of the song. The judges said that I was “cute”, “amazing”, and “a good singer”. I got four “yeses!” I was so ecstatic! I stayed backstage for a few minutes to see Harry’s audition. He sang like an angel! I could not believe it! As soon as he got backstage, he yelled “I’m in!” He got the same results as I. Even though I really didn’t know him, I hugged him. He hugged back with the same amount of joy and pure gratefulness.
Now a few weeks have passed and it’s time for some eliminations. I stayed. I was so happy that I cried. I cried even harder when Harry got eliminated. I slowly started to remember those five random boys that I met before our first auditions. Liam, Louis, Zayn, Niall, and Harry. They have the most beautiful personalities of anyone in this competition. Not to mention flawless faces and angelic voices. Their faces said it all. To see them cry was the saddest thing that I have ever seen in my young life. I ran backstage after them. I gave them hugs. That experience was a few days before their second chance.
Simon called four girls and five boys back. He wanted to put them in groups to compete on the show. They felt that they would go farther that way. We would all come to find out that that statement was more than true. What a coincidence. Those five guys that he called back were the exact same boys that I had met before auditions that I had become do fond of. They came barreling of the stage shouting and hugging. They all looked at me. They didn’t know each other but they all knew me. I had so much fun with them. We were best friends.
The next week, the unexpected and unimaginable happened. I was eliminated. I wasn’t as lucky as them. I didn’t get another chance. I packed up my things and went home. We had a tearful goodbye and that was the last I saw of them in person, for a while.
I was on YouTube a couple days later and saw a video of Harry, Niall, Zayn, Louis, and Liam sitting on a staircase answering fans questions and talking about their experiences. Then I was hooked. One Direction had a special place in my heart. We never talked in person; I was just another hopeless Directioner. Those “video diaries” were a part of my weekly routine. I would watch them and they would make me feel like they hadn’t forgotten me.
One Direction ended up finishing in third place on the X- Factor. They had an army of fan girls. Every country was filled with girls who wanted to meet them. They were big stars with an album, tour, merchandise, posters, books, magazine interviews, and so many other things with their names and faces on them. Soon, those X- Factor memories faded and I was lost and felt forgotten.
Their next tour was coming up. “Take Me Home 2013 World Tour” was sold out in nearly every show. Luckily, I jumped on the opportunity to get tickets. So, the day of the concert finally arrived and I was so excited. I was hoping that I got to see them again. I wondered if they would remember me. By the way, I knew all of the Directioner protocol. Posters plastered my walls and I had an Instagram account that was about them and I gladly dedicated most of my time to. I tweeted them daily, hoping they would see them, but they never did. I had many books, DVDs, and clothing with the “One Direction” name proudly displayed on them.
I sang along to every song. In between I looked on stage and Harry had a shocked expression on his face. He quietly got the attention of his fellow band mates and pointed in my direction. All of the girls around me screamed. Obviously. They thought that they had caught the eye of One Direction. Wrong. I had a feeling that they remembered me. They all glanced at me several times during their performance. After the concert, I was ready to leave, trying to get around all of the screaming and emotional girls, when I bumped into a tall, curly-haired boy with piercing green eyes. It was dark outside so I couldn’t really tell who it was. He looked into my eyes and asked, “Madaline?”

Once I realized who it was I yelled with tears in my eyes, “Harry!” I gave him a huge, warm hug. “Niall, Louis, Liam, Zayn! I missed you so much!” They all looked so grown up. They were so cute, with their hair all done up, and their joyous smiles. They did seem so different. But when I looked into their sparkling eyes, hugged them, and caught up with them on our lives, I knew those five strangers that I met before auditions were still there.