{ON HOLD} Melt|Zauren

M.18

Zayn and I had been talking but I knew and I'm sure he knew that it just was not the same as it was before. I still had feelings for Zayn. I knew as long as he was him, they weren't going anywhere, anytime soon.

"Are you busy?" my mom asked walking out of the kitchen and into the living room where I was reading a book. I closed the book and sat up. "Never busy for you mother, what's up?" I asked.

"I really hate to do this but I need some groceries for when Taylor has her sleepover this weekend, and I have a phone meeting in half an hour. Do you think you can run out for me? I'll give you gas money."

"You say gas money. I say of course." I held my hand out to my mom and she placed her credit card in my palm.

When I got in my car I called up Camila. "What's up?" she answered.

"Are you home?"

"You should know if I'm not with you and I'm not with Harry than I'm home, and I'm not with you and I'm not with Harry."

"So, you're home. Awesome. I want you to come to Pacheco's with me. I'm in my car."

"I'll be right out," she said.

And right out she was. It felt like as soon as I hung up the phone Camila was running out and toward my car. "So are we stalking or actually grocery shopping?" she asked struggling to buckle her seatbelt.

"We're actually shopping. If I see Zayn, we'll share a hello, but that's it. Taylor's having her annual Summer sleepover."

"Ahhh, her annual sleepovers. They've always been the coolest."
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"So what do you need? We can like split up," Camila said once we got inside.

"True. That won't be too difficult for you, having one accessible hand and all?" I questioned. Canila shook her head. "Then I'll text you half the list."

"Got it," Camila took a shopping cart and ventured off on her own.

I texted Camila half the list and then went searching for the other half. "Hey man, you have a date to the grocers ball?" I recognized that voice as Harry's. He was in the aisle next to the chip aisle. I casually stopped in placed and tried to tune everything out but the conversation in the aisle over. I thought he was talking to Zayn but he wasn't. "No," the person laughed. "I've never had a date to these things. I didn't even have a date for prom. I still went though." Suddenly, my heart grew heavy for whoever Harry was talking with.

I grabbed a bag of potato chips and tossed them in the cart, making my way over to the aisle beside it where the boys were. "Harry, hey, fancy seeing you here."

"At my job?" Harry laughed.

"Yeah," I said. I cleared my throat and looked between the two boys. I recognized the dateless boy as Steven, who ran to get the manager the day Camila tripped me. "What's up?" I asked trying to make conversation, a plan already brewing in my mind. "I'm just chatting with Steven here trying to figure out why a swell fellow like himself has no date to the grocers ball," he said patting Steven roughly on the shoulder. Steven looked down in the dumps about the subject. You could see it in his eyes, but he smiled through it. "No date? I'd be honored be your plus one."

"Really?" Steven perked up.

"Really?" Harry was confused.

"Really," I confirmed. "I've never been to a ball."

"It's not your typical fairytale ball," Harry said. "It's a ball... for grocers."

"I'm aware of what it is Harry," I said.

"Okay, I'm just making sure." I held my hand out to Steven.

"Let's exchange numbers," I said. Steven fumbled in his pocket for his phone and handed it to me.

"Lauren, can I chat with you for a second?" Harry asked already grabbing my arm. I followed him a little ways down the aisle.

"What are you doing?" he asked. I raised an eyebrow and shrugged. "What do you mean, what am I doing?" I typed my number into Steven's phone.

"I mean randomly deciding on being Steven's date to a grocers ball. You don't even know the kid," Harry said. "He's weird."

"That's your impression of him. I may think he's an awesome guy. I overheard him saying how he never had a prom date and it honestly made me feel bad because no one deserves to go to something as magical as prom and be dateless," I explained. Harry nodded seeing that my explanation was believable, and it was.

I turned around and held Stevens phone out toward him. He scurried over and grabbed it. "Thanks so much. You aren't going to back out last minute, right?" he asked.

"Of course I'm not," I smiled. "I'm Lauren, by the way, I don't know if you got that or not."

"I know who you are. Zayn used to mention you all the time." Steven walked away and I smiled a little hearing that.

"Aha, I get it now." I turned around to face Harry.

"Get what?" I asked.

"This is some plot to get back at Zayn."

"A plot to get back at Zayn? How immature do you think I am? I can't believe you think I'm that shallow."

"No, no, I'm not saying that at all.. I just think this situation is a bit strange."

"I'm doing a favor. Zayn and I never dated or anything. I never even kissed the guy. I don't need to get "back" at anyone for anything. If Zayn is happy with Elle, who am I to try and get back at that? And please don't tell him I'm going to this grocers ball at all. If you think I'm plotting than he most definitely is, and I don't want that."