Forgotten

Chapter 1

"Hey, Ashley!" My dad calls from downstairs, breaking me from my flash back. "Yeah?" I yell back, somehow feeling that warm sensation on my cheek again. "Someone's here to see you!" I get up out of my bed and put on some slippers. I look like crap as I shuffle out of my room, yawning, but I don't really care.

"Ash!" I hear a familiar British accent say. "It's been months!" I look into my best friend's eyes and run up to to him. I hug him tightly, his leather jacket pressed against my face. I could feel his strong arms wrap around my hips. "Zayn! I missed you so much!" I exclaim, "Why didn't you text me?" I ask curiously, pulling away from the hug, and his welcoming arms. "Oh, well... You know... Management." He says hesitantly, as if he was lying. We never lie to each other. 'Something's up.' I think to myself as I watch his facial expressions with meticulous detail. After a minute I change the subject. "Oh okay. Well the important thing is that you're here now!" I say with a genuine smile, "You wanna hang out? We could go to a new frozen yogurt place." I suggest. I really want to spend time with him. We have so much catching up to do. "Of course! I would lo-" His sentence is interrupted by a vibration in his pocket. Zayn pulls out his phone and reads the words. I become agitated as he makes me wait. His face brightens for the quickest moment then goes back to his normal expression. "Hey, Ashley." He says, trying to be sincere. "It's been great seeing you again but I really have to go." He drops the phone in his pocket, gives me a quick hug, and starts walking down the steps. "Wait, why?" I ask, grabbing his arm. He must see the hurt expression on my face. "Well it's just that..." I get the hint when he glances down at a ring his girlfriend, Perrie, gave him. He's going to see Perrie. "Oh. Okay. Whatever." I say, cold metal behind my words. I spin around abruptly and storm off to my room without a backward glance at him. "Ashley!" He yells my name but I hear my dad say it's better for him to just leave. The front door shuts after I hear him let out a long sigh.

"Why does he do this to me?" I whimper to myself, tears blurring my vision. I know that he was with Perrie the entire tour and now he doesn't even want to hang our with his one friend who he hasn't seen for months. I flop onto my bed with the feeling of just wanting to die. I look at my bedside table where a picture of Zayn and I before the X-Factor stands, dust covering Zayn's youthful face. I pick it up and wipe the lingering dust bunnies off. A tear drops from my cheek onto the picture, blurring his frame. My phone vibrates in my hand and I look at it through watery eyes. 'Zayn: Ash im so sorry for what happened. i didnt mean to hurt ur feelings. can u plz meet me at the air port tomorrow? im leaving on vacation and i want to say good bye to you xx'. Once again he's asking me for a favor after toying with my feelings. He wasn't even man enough to call me. Besides, I don't want to go, especially if Perrie is there. He brings her around everywhere like she's a hand bag Chihuahua. I take one last look at the picture and set it back on the table. "I have to be there for him like I was for the audition. He's my friend no matter how many times he's made me cry." I whisper aloud.

I grab my phone and text him one word, 'fine' and shut it off, blocking out the drama, blocking out Zayn Malik from One Direction and wishing that the 17 year old boy from Bradford would come back to me, knock on my door, and tell me jokes while we giggle together. I want the Zayn Malik who came to me asking for strength to get him through his jumbled nerves for his audition. I want to feel his lips on my cheek again. But that Zayn is gone. He's never coming back.