Live While We're Young

Chapter 4

Chapter 4

“So...we have Krispy Kreme, AMT, Costa, Bite, Giraffe Juice,...” he said, glancing around at the storefronts.

“Giraffe Juice? I hope that isn’t what it sounds like,” she said, making a grossed-out face. Zayn laughed.

“Relax, it’s only milkshakes and smoothies.”

“Hmm...oh! Starbucks. Something familiar. Let’s go there.”

“Ah...Miss Adventurous, are we?”

“Don’t make fun, I just know what I like,” Charlotte said indignantly.

“Uh-huh,” Zayn said with one eyebrow raised. “I’m going over to Costa. You can go wherever you want.”

Charlotte huffed her bangs off of her forehead and reluctantly followed Zayn. He ordered, glanced over his shoulder at her, then said something else to the cashier. A few minutes later, she handed Zayn two mugs and he walked over and sat in a corner booth. He set them down and patted the space next to him.

“This is just a hot chocolate. But it’s really good. If you like hot cocoa,” he identified the steaming liquid.

“Yeah, and did you bother asking that question BEFORE you ordered for me?” she glared at him.

“I just assumed. I promise you’ll like it.”

“Alright...what’d you get?”

“I got a flat white.”

“Looks girly.”

“Hush.”

Charlotte stuck her tongue out at him.

“I may be girly, but you’re childish.”

“That reminds me. What is it with you guys? You’re 18, 19, 20 something MEN, and you act like little boys.”

“Way to be blunt."

“Sorry. I’m not trying to be mean, I’m just usually around guys my age who wish they were older than they are, and act like it, never that they’re little kids again.”

“I guess I have thought about it before. Part of it...is just our personalities. It’s who we are. Simon managed to put the 5 most immature boys together.” He pauses and laughs. “Maybe it’s that we’re away from our families so much, and sometimes we wonder what these years would’ve been like without Xfactor. Obviously we didn’t lose precious time as kids, but we missed something. And I know Harry, for one, didn’t have the best childhood. But in the end, we just like to enjoy ourselves. You know, live while we’re young.”

Charlotte stared blankly at him.

“You haven’t heard that song?” Zayn looked at her incredulously.

“What song?”

Zayn groaned and smacked his forehead. “You need some serious 1D time.”

“Whatever. Tell me about you. Your family. Childhood.”

“You first.”

Charlotte laughed quietly and played with the handle of her mug.

“What?” Zayn gave her a quizzical look.

“Nothing. Just, if someone, yesterday, had told me that I would be sitting with Zayn Malik, in a coffee shop, discussing my life with him, I would have said, ‘Zayn who?’.”

Zayn just smiled. “So, tell me about yourself. Crazy obnoxious habits, hobbies, hometown.”

“Hmm...the 3 Hs. I am ALWAYS doing something with my hands, drumming on tabletops, cracking my knuckles, anything. And stuff like sketching and photography. My fingers don’t stay still.” They both looked at her hands, which were twirling her hair around.“Art, like I said before, but not really any sports, I’m not very athletic. Maybe a bit of soccer now and then. I’m from Manhattan, the Upper East Side,” she continued.