Long Lost and Refound - A Zayn Malik Story

Chapter 11

Chapter 11 - Long Lost and Refound

Saturday, January 28, 2009

Zayn's POV

Waliyha did tell me that Avery had come over, and that she was crying. Apparently the neigbour's dog had attacked her again.

I told her I was feeling sick.

Technically, I was.

There was no way I would be able to face Avery after what happened in the alley yesterday. I was absolutely horrifying. My timing was perfect, too. Right when she was starting to trust me, I had to go ahead and tell her outright that she was mistaken.

I think I knew exactly why I did it.

Ever since that night on the back porch, I couldn't get the kiss that happened out of my mind. I couldn't get her out of my mind, and that was what terrified me. What I said yesterday about everything I touched ending up broken, I believed in that with my whole heart. I wanted something so much more with her, but the piece of me that wanted to keep her safe was just a little bigger. As soon as those words left my mouth yesterday, though, regret washed over me like the nicotine spreading through my system. I probably ruined our friendship forever.

Now, I wanted to get out of bed, but I was too afraid of what I would have to face if I left my room. I just lay in my bed, staring out the window at the sky. A pair of doves sprung into the air, twirling and spiralling around each other. They looked so at peace with each other, with themselves. I groaned and turned away, facing my wall. How would me and Avery function with each other when we couldn't even function with ourselves.

I heard a timid knock on my door, and it slowly opened. I lifted my head slightly to see Waliyha peeking around my door. "Zayn bhai?"

"Hmm?"

"Why are you still in bed?"

I dropped my head back to the pillow. "I didn't feel like getting up. Where's, um... where's Avery bhaji?"

Waliyha walked into the room. "She went to her job. Isn't she too young to have a job?" That's right, Avery had work today.

"How long ago did she leave, Waliyha?"

"An hour?" Waliyha said, coming to stand beside my bed. "Why don't you want to talk to her?"

I looked over at her, sitting up. "What makes you think I don't?"

"I can tell."

* * *

"Mark? Want to do something today?" I asked into my phone, grabbing a banana off the basket. Mum was in the shower - thank God. I didn't need to face her.

"Um, yeah sure, chap. Where's Avery?"

"She... has work today."

"What did you do to her?" Mark asked panicked.

"I didn't do anything!" I protested, bending to kiss Waliyha on the cheek. Safaa was over at her friend Melanie's house, and I'm pretty sure Doniya was still in bed. "Look, just meet me... where do you want to go?"

"The skate park?"

"Sure."

"See you." The call disconnected and I pulled my phone from my ear, looking down at it. My fingers itched to text Avery, to wish her "good morning" and to make sure she was okay. I sighed and pocketed my phone, pulling my hood up. It was freezing cold, the snow from the day before covering every inch of everything visible. It was beautiful, the mostly untouched snow blanketed over everything. I walked across the street, almost slipping and falling on my face because of the snow packed down from tires and feet.