Seconds, Minutes, Hours

Chapter 1- Zayn Malik

Zayn Malik was sitting alone. This wasn't a suprise, everyone knew he didn't have any friends. He didn't mind it either, he enjoyed sitting there and showing himself off to the girls at other tables. He kicked his feet up on the table and leaned back in his chair, crossing his arm over his chest. He looked like a proper bad boy and he knew it full well. It was kind of his intention.

57...58...59...60 Zayn counted of the seconds, standing up at exatly 12:59 pm. He did this every day, throwing his trash away and arriving back at his table roughly 4 seconds before the bell rang. Today, he was quicker than usual and had 6 seconds to stand at his table. He didn't fail to recognize that fact, but it only caused him minor discomfort. It didn't so much matter how much time throwing away his trash took him, as long as he knew how much time it took. 

Zayn wandered the hallways for the next 6 minutes and 23 seconds. That, unlike his lunch, was not a routine action. He just happened to have been counting the seconds as he walked. He was supposed to be in class 1 minute and 47 seconds ago, he knew that full well. He also had calculated that it had taken him exactly 24 seconds from the time he stopped wandering aimlessly. But nobody knew that he knew that. He gave off the air of having lost track of the time. Zayn knows that would never happen, not to him, but the teacher didn't. And to the other students, this was typical Zayn Malik- showing up late without a care in the world.

"Mr. Malik, this is the third time you have been late to my class this week. Care to explain?" The teachers repremind was quick, six seconds. Zayn had counted.

Zayn shrugged. "Not really." Two words. Only one second.

"This behavior is unacceptable Mr. Malik." The teacher glares at Zayn who doesn't seem to notice. "I'm sure the principle wouldn't hesitate to call your parents about your behavior." Seven seconds.

Zayn laughs bitterly for 2 seconds before responding. "Like my parents would care." 2 seconds.

The teacher glared at Zayn as the rest of the room sat in silence. "Mr. Malik, if you are not going to respect my decisions, you may leave." Five seconds.

"So if I were to respect your decisions I wouldn't be allowed to go? Seems a bit backwards to punish the kids who care, but I'm not gonna complain." 8 seconds. Zayn pulled a cigarette from his backpack and lit it. Everyone stared at him as the smoke began to fill the room. It had taken 9 seconds to light the thing and it took another 15 seconds for enough smoke to surrond Zayn for him to be comfortable.

"Report to the office Zayn. Smoking isn't allowed on school grounds." The teacher commanded. 4 seconds.

Zayn shrugged. "Whatever," Barely even a second. He inhaled the smoke, resisting the urge to cough. He walked out of the classroom and down the hallway a bit before stomping out the cigarette and letting himself cough. The coughing fit lasted 24 seconds and left him a bit light-headed. He ignored the sensation as he snuck out the back of the school building. He didn't leave the school campus, just leaned against the back wall of the school building and lit another cigarette. He wasn't supposed to smoke anymore, and while that would never stop him, his coughing fit earlier made him hesitant to place the peice of paper in his mouth. So Zayn just stood there, lit cigarette in one hand, and thought about nothing. He did that a lot, typically as a defense mechanism. Thinking was dangerous. Not to mention pointless. Thinking things through could only lead to pain. Not that pain was any stranger to Zayn.

Zayn stood there quietly. No one would notice him, his black clothes blended well into the dark gray of the school building behind him. He watched as two people snuck out the same way he had, helping each other over the fences and hiding their faces from the security cameras. Of course, their turning away from the camera gave Zayn a perfect veiw of their faces. He wasn't entirely suprised to Harry and Louis, the schools gay couple that basically any girl in the school would do anything to keep from breaking up. They were notorious for skipping class and making out behind the school building.