Gone [Zouis]

Chapter 4

Louis' POV

I turned the key in ignition and drove away, still feeling amazed. I started to push the cigarette lighter back into the console, but then stopped and put it in my pocket. I might need it again. I had been afraid that the boy might try to shove my hand away when I threatened to shoot him. Instead he had been frozen with fear.

The fact that he really believed the car's lighter was a gun made me feel oddly powerful. Like I could just wish and make it so.

When music started playing behind me, I almost drove off the road. Then I realized it was a cell phone playing the first few notes to a popular song. After pulling over, I reached back for the boy's front pocket. I found the phone and looked at the caller ID. "It says Madeline Wilder," I said. "Who's that?"

"My aunt." He gave me what I guessed he thought was a friendly smile. It was more like a dog baring its teeth. "Let me talk to her and it will buy you some time. I'll tell her she parked in a different row than she thinks. She was in a hurry when she went into the drugstore. It will keep her looking for a few more minutes."

"I don't think so." I said, and watched the fake smile fall from his face like a plate from a shelf. I pressed the power button on the phone until the display dwindled and went black. But even with the power off, could the police somehow trace the phone? I slid the window down and threw the cell phone as far as I could, where it landed in a tangle of blackberry bushes. Too late, I remembered my fingerprints would be on it. I swore under my breath. Stupid, stupid, stupid. I was as dumb as Garrett always said. Why couldn't I ever think things through? I tried to reassure myself, no one would find that phone for years.

I pulled back onto the road. When I came to a fork, I took the back way that wound between fields. Here the houses were miles apart. I got a cigarette out of my shirt pocket and flicked my lighter.

"You are not going to smoke in my aunt's car!"

"What?" I was half amused, half angry. Didn't he realize who was in charge now?

"First of all, I'm sick. I can barely breathe as it is. Second, my aunt will kill you if you stink up her car."

I snorted, but took the cigarette out of my mouth and put it and the lighter back in my pocket shirt.

For a long time, the car was absolutely silent except for the ragged sound of the boy's breathing. After about 15 minutes, I saw a car approaching us. As it got closer, I tensed. Would he try to signal somehow, maybe heave himself up so his face appeared through the window? I angled the rearview mirror so I could look at him. I watched his face tense and could tell he was weighing his options. But there weren't many. The car passed without incident.

His voice, coming from under the blanket, made me jump. "What's your name?"

"What? Are you serious? Do you really think I would tell you that?" I countered with, "What's your name?"

"It's Zayn," he said softly. "Zayn Malik."

"Why did your parents name you Zayn?" I asked as we drove past two horses- one brown and one black- running free. My eyes followed them for a moment.

"Isn't that Arabic?"

"My dad was Pakistani and my mum was British. So I'm half Paki."

High cheekbones, dark hair, dark eyes-- I could see it. "How old are you?" I asked. It was hard to tell. Fourteen? Eighteen? He was smaller than me, maybe five four.

"Sixteen"

"How come your blind?"

Instead of answering, Zayn shifted and changed the subject. "Where are you taking me?"

I shook my head, forgetting again that he couldn't see me. Then I said, "I can't tell you that."

"Well, then, how long until we get there?"

"When we do "

I looked back at Zayn again. His eyes were open but unfocused, which was kind of freaky. It reminded me of parties I had been to, people so drugged or drunk they were lost in their own world. It was weird that I could look at him and he wouldn't know.

As I watched, Zayn began to cough again, explosions that jerked his body around on the seat. Finally, he choked out, "Can you get me a cough drop from the glove compartment"

I pulled off on a gravel turnout but left the engine running. After rummaging through the compartment, I found a pack of cough drops. "Here you go," I said. He opened his mouth. As I gave Zayn the cough drop, my fingertips grazed his lips.

"Look," I said, "I'm going to need to cover your face for a second. And when we stop, I'll need you to stay quiet, okay?"

For a moment, the only sound was him sucking on the lozenge. Then finally he nodded.

I pulled the blanket loosely over his face, then put the car in gear and drove on. As I did, I unconsciously rubbed my fingertips together, the ones that had touched his lips.