♫ Rory

♫ Present

I found Noah in our secret spot outside the arena near the lake and I embraced her from behind. "Hey shortie." She greeted me as I kissed her neck and she giggled.

"Hey nickle." I replied back and she turned around with a smile. "Look at you." I looked up and down at her outfit with a grin.

"Look at you!" She said as she pointed down at my outfit. "You look totally amazing." I blushed and she kissed me. "How are the nerves?"

"Holy donuts, Noah." I whispered as I walked over to the bench and sat down as she sat next to me too. "I am doing a duet with the person I have admired since I watched Camp Rock.. It's totally crazy."

"Well, baby.." Noah whispered as she took my hand into hers as we stared out into the lake. "I saw the preview and I think you will do so well.. You will." I smiled at her and she returned it.

"I am so lucky."

"That, you are." Noah agreed as she stroked my cheek with a grin. "Now.. We should get inside and get fixed up before it's showtime." I agreed and we walked slowly hand in hand to the secret entrance then found our backstage room that we shared with Cora.

"Oh it's you." Cora looked up from her magazine as we walked in.

"Who else would it be?" I questioned with a laugh as I hopped onto the make up chair as our make up artist got prepared and saw Noah roll her eyes. I started to really dislike Cora for her attitude during these past few weeks.

"Oh.. I don't know." Cora sighed as she flipped through the pages with a bored yawn. I looked over at Noah who was getting her hair touched up then the make up artist started to fix up my face.. Not like we needed it. We already looked bomb. "Tonight is going to be exciting." She sounded suspicious but I wasn't going to question it.

"Yeah.. It will." Noah answered softly and I sighed. "Especially this duet makes it so much more exciting."

"Still don't understand why Demi picked you, Rory." Cora replied with annoyance and heard her put the magazine back on the table.

"The fans wanted a duet with Demi and I so we are just fulfilling their wishes." I replied softly as the make up artist finished up and the hair stylist came over to do my hair.

"If they told you to jump off a bridge, would you?" Cora questioned with a laugh and I raised my eye brows in shock.

"What?" Noah laughed out loud and I looked over at her as the butterflies in my stomach worsen. "Are you jealous that Demi chose Rory over you, Cora?"

"I didn't say that." Cora argued back and I laughed at that.

"You are implying that by saying what you just said." I whispered softly with sass and the hair stylist giggled. I caught the hair stylist eye and smiled at her which she returned. Cora went silent and I sighed. I swung around to face Cora. "You have really surprised me, Cora."

"Oh.. Why?" Cora pouted and acted concerned.

"You are not the person you made yourself out to be when we were at the trials." I answered her and folded my arms. "You have become the biggest bi-"

"Rory.. Careful, babe." Noah interrupted me as she touched my arm with her hand. "You shouldn't step down to her level."

"Oh, don't worry." Cora looked at Noah with a wink. "Words don't hurt me."

"Oh, don't you worry." Noah answered back with a laugh. "Karma will." Cora looked away in defeat then looked back at us.

"Say that to my face when I win x factor." Noah and I both cracked up in laughter knowing she wasn't as good as us even though she wish she was.

"Hello lovelies." Demi walked in and we all embraced her in a hug forgetting the conversation we just had. "Showtime!"

♫

I sang my solo with proud but I accidentally messed up on one line but I hoped the judges didn't mind. I smiled at them once I finished and the judges smiled at me then I walked off. After everybody sang, we all stood in a line as group since we were the first to be nominated to leave. I saw Demi looked down with guilt at her piece of paper and I wondered why.. Simon was first to nominate and we looked at them as I held Noah's hand. "I nominate Cora.. Cora, sweetheart you just didn't blow me away tonight as Noah, Rory and Thomas. I am very sorry, Cora." We looked over to Britney who nodded to Simon.

"Yeah.. I have to agree with Simon." Britney spoke softly as she focused her attention to Cora and I could hide the small smile on my face as Noah gripped my hand tightly. "Cora, your voice is so beautiful but I am so disappointed by your performance tonight. I have to say it was like you didn't want to be here like everybody else."

"I do-"

"Please let Britney finish." Demi's voice interrupted Cora who was looking quite frustrated. Told you karma would hurt and it's doing its job.

"I am sorry, Cora." Britney spoke again and offered a sad smile on her face. "Your performance just does not beat Noah's, Rory's or Thomas' performances." I looked over at Cora who just nodded then we all looked at Demi.

♫ Demi

I knew what Cora did.. That friend of Simon's came back to us just before the show started to tell us it was Cora who was blackmailing Sophia and myself. I pretended to be sad when I announced that I was nominated Cora but I really wasn't. "I am sorry Cora.. I nominate you too especially for ignoring my advice and doing what you wanted in your song. Your performance was just poor and I am sad that you didn't listen to me." I looked over to Simon to let him I was finished then Simon stood up.

♫ Rory

"Cora.." Simon started and Cora looked at him then stood a bit in front of us. "You are now to step off this stage for this year. Thank you." She caught my gaze and glared at me then stormed off the stage. I looked at Demi who smiled at me and gave me the thumbs up then I returned it.

♫

"If that wasn't karma.. I don't know what was." Noah whispered as I got my hair and make up redone ready for the duet with Demi. I laughed softly and caught Noah's eye through the mirror.

"She ignored Demi's advice too." I whispered as Noah giggled as she got herself situated on the couch. "She must of been hell to work with." Noah shrugged as I turned around to face her as both the make up artist and hair stylist finished.

"She was hell to be around." Noah replied as she picked up her iPhone and started to take selfies. I rolled my eyes as one of the x factor crew walked in.

"Rory, we are nearly ready for your time to sing the duet with Demi." I nodded and Noah stood up too. We linked arms and followed the crew member back to the backstage area. Demi was standing there and we embraced in a hug with her.

"My Lovato squad minus Thomas." Demi greeted us with kisses on the top of our heads. "How exciting is this?"

"I know." I answered her as I got a mic connected to me and Demi took my hand into hers as the crowd screams. "I am quite nervous actually."

"Oh, darling." Demi laughed as she stroked my arm. "There is no need.. This will be easier then singing solo." I giggled then we looked up at Simon who was introducing us.

"Now for our Lovato team duet with our one and only Lovato and Stevens!" We walked onto stage holding hands as Simon patted our backs on his way back to the backstage area.

"Hello lovelies!" Demi greeted the crowd and they freaked out. "We heard you so now we are providing the duet. So, Rory what are we going to sing?"

"Really don't care!" I shouted and the crowd went crazy then the music started. We sang together and not together in harmony. We sounded so perfect and I smiled throughout the whole thing as we danced around.

"We really do not care!" We finished and the crowd went nuts. I held Demi's hand with a sweaty hand but she seemed to not mind. Suddenly a video played and we both turned around to face the screen since I knew whose voices they were. Mama's and Sophia's grandma.

"So, have you decided what you are going to do?"

I felt confused why this video was playing and I felt Demi's hand soften it's grip.

"I was just a surrogate mother for Taylor.. I have no birth rights to Sophia and I am already struggling enough with Rory." Mama whispered harshly and Andrea looked away annoyed.

Sophia was Mama's daughter? Her hand got softer slowly as the video played.

"Still the same immature teenager then.." Andrea harshly replied and Mama sighed as she looked back at Mama with annoyance.

"No, I am just trying to keep Sophia with the family she has known."

"No one lives down here to look after her and I'd rather she still lived here." Andrea stated as Mama sat on Taylor's bed.

"Then, you should move down here.. She is going to need her family, Andrea!" Mama whispered-shouted and Andrea sat down at Taylor's make up table.

"Gosh, why did Taylor choose you as a surrogate mother?" Andrea whispered as she let her fingers gently touch a photo of Taylor and Sophia.

"Because I needed the money.." Mama whispered with shame and Andrea turned around to stare at Mama. "I saw an opportunity and I jumped at it."

"You really have no maternal feelings for her?" Andrea whispered as Mama sighed then shook her head.

"Someone needs to turn this off." Demi spoke into her mic but we both knew it was too late for me and Sophia.

"I do."

"Then, why is it so hard to say yes to take Sophia into your care?" Andrea pointed to Sophia in the picture she was holding and Mama looked at the picture. "God, I love that girl but I know you should be the next of kin for her since she is your blood and not mine."

"I already have so much on my plate." Mama replied and Andrea looked so baffled as she stood up.

"Maybe you should stop playing pretend and do what is right for those girls." Andrea stated out gently and Mama looked down with guilt. "They don't deserve to be left out in the dark.. Why did you two have to lie?"

Her hand dropped out my grip and I looked at her face to see it pale quite quickly.

"We did what we thought was best and I am still doing it, okay!" Mama threw her arms out annoyed to be questioned about such a trivial thing. "I will lie every day to protect those girls and my little sister.."

"The truth will come out one day, won't you rather it be you who told them or would you rather them finding out about it from somewhere else?" Mama's mouth tried to open to argue back but Mama knew Andrea had a point. "Cat caught your tong? Grow up for once, Demi Lovato."

My body felt weak as I looked at the frozen picture of the video signaling it was finished. The crowd was silent and I looked at her again as she looked at me. Then the video re-winded a few seconds.

"Cat caught your tong? Grow up for once, Demi Lovato."

I shook my head as that repeated twice and suddenly the video was gone from the screen meaning the x factor crew got there.. Not soon enough. "Rory?" She whispered softly as she got close to me but I shook my head. "Let's go somewhere less-"

"You aren't my mama.. And she isn't you." I whispered as I shook my head and her face looked so guilty. I walked over to her then gripped her wig as she closed her eyes to prepare herself for the impact and so did I as I pulled hoping it wasn't a wig but very surprise to see the wig in my hand and not on her head.

And in one second, my world stopped as my mouth went wide open and her eyes slowly opened. The brown hair was now flowing on her shoulders instead of the blond wig and my heart sunk. It wasn't making any sense to me so I threw the wig hard at her face and ran off the stage. "Rory!" She screamed but I ran to my secret spot where Noah and I hung out before. I hid behind a bush and sat there shell shocked.

♫