Reality

Breakfast Banter

a/n: i've already posted this manip on my instagram, zayn & brooke ^^ sorry for the long wait! i wanted to finish my other story Royalty and i've been working on the teen fiction version of Road Trip. hopefully now that my main story is done, i can spend more time writing this one :)

Zayn

"What do you guys think about Liam?" Louis asks us as we walk into an IHOP.

He was fairly quiet the entire ride here, sitting in the back seat with Harry but kind of ignoring everyone. All he did was stare out the window and occasionally join in the conversation if we directed a question at him. 

So far, all I know about him is that he's from Seattle, he's a year older than me, and he definitely hates my driving. He didn't have to tell me that last part, I could just see it on his face after every turn I made.

"He's not too bad," Brooke shrugs as she walks through the second set of doors, thanking Harry for holding them open. "He's pretty cool when he's not trying to impress people."

"Or make fun of them," Louis replies under his breath. I don't think he meant for any of us to hear him, but the three of us definitely heard him loud and clear.

"Does he make fun of you?" Brooke steps next to Louis as she looks at him curiously, and suddenly he becomes really shy.

"Well no. I mean, not really. He just calls me this nickname that I don't quite like and is kind of annoying, but it's no big deal, honestly."

"You'll get over it soon enough," Harry nonchalantly says as he comes back from the hostess table. "I've had plenty of nicknames in high school, most of which kind of stuck. But you get used to them."

Both Brooke and Harry sit down on the cushioned bench as we all wait to be seated at a table. Louis awkwardly shifts his weight between his feet, while simultaneously rocking back and forth on his heels. I don't know if he's just a naturally socially inept human being or if he's just uncomfortable in a new situation like ours. It could be both for all I know. It'll probably take a while for all of us to get to know him better, that is if he's willing to open up to us.

If I have any advice for him, I'd say that he should just let loose a little. We're all living with each other for the next three months, so why not get comfortable? There's absolutely no use in keeping a wall up. I'm predicting that we'll be around each other almost twenty-four-seven, and eventually whatever walls we each have will come crashing down.

There's eight people in the house. That's a key indication that none of us are going to have any privacy, so we might as well not bother on keeping secrets.

"What nicknames did you have?" I ask Harry as I lean against the wall with my arms crossed.

He looks up at me, and for a brief moment, I can see a sad look flash through his eyes, "Four Eyes, Dweeb, Geek, Brace Face, anything else along those lines."

"Wait, were you bullied in high school?" Brooke looks over to Harry in concern, shifting her body so that she's facing him on the bench.

"Yeah, I'm a nerd," Harry halfheartedly laughs. I can tell by the look on his face that even though the bullying happened a long time ago, it remains a sensitive subject. "It's against the jock and popular kids handbook to not bully the school nerds. Everybody knows that."

"I hate high school kids," Brooke shakes her head and rolls her eyes. "They're mean and horrible to each other and-"

"Harry, party of four?" The hostess shouts, interrupting Brooke as she scans the room. Her eyes land on me once I raise my hand, beginning to walk towards her with everyone else following me. The smile on the hostess' face isn't as genuine as I thought it would be, maybe she's been here all morning and is starting to feel tired already. "Right this way."