Once in a lifetime

Chapter 36 Jokes

They all had dinner and although the jetlag was killing them, Gemma and Trisha were not able to sleep. Anne, Rob, and Yaser were dozing off. Harry was trying to prevent his sister telling Trisha some of his most embarrassing childhood memories, like how when he was seven, she convinced him sharks could get into water pipes and eat you when you were taking a bath, so he started taking only showers until he turned nine and asked Anne if that was possible. When he was twelve, she told him black cats could possess your body if they stared at you long enough, so Harry started avoiding eye contact with every cat he would see, because, you know, cats were cats, didn't matter the colour.

Zayn would laugh amused by the stories Gemma was telling them, Harry would pout, and Trish would comfort him by rubbing his back, like saying, I understand your pain. It was all fun until it was Trisha's turn to share. Harry started grinning and Zayn turned serious. She told them about the time Doniya, Zayn's older sister, made him believe he was going to grow a honeycomb inside his belly when he was six and was crying because a bee stung him. She was trying to make him laugh, instead he just cried harder. He didn't want to be pregnant with bees. She also told them about his Michael Jackson era, he would sing Thriller from dawn until dusk, practicing the whole choreograph whenever he had a free second. When realisation hit and he figured he wouldn't be able to get it right, he decided cool kids didn't dance, but he would keep singing it, well, it was a classic after all.

"Thriller scared the shit outta me, baby. I was not able for the life of me, to watch that video. The end? Where MJ turns? Shit on my pants, right away. The song is a jam for sure, but I wouldn't watch that vid."

"Yeah? It was so cool for me, though. You know, the whole zombie vibe, how he's a zombie and then he ain't and the evil laugh at the end? The best part of the whole thing." Zayn replied to Harry.

"No fucking way. The laugh was the worst part. Once you hear that, you can't unhear it. I had nightmares with it for a week after I saw that video the first time."

"So, you watched it more times?"

"'Course, when I was older and mentally capable of handling the mental stress it would cause me."

"No wonder why we haven't watched a single horror movie since we started dating, babe."

"I'd die. I hate them, honestly."

"I figure. Don't worry, I still love you, yeah? I'll protect you from the big, mean clowns and zombies and vampires. I got you."

"Shuddup, stop making fun of me in front of your mother, Javadd."

"I just figure, us big sis are the best. I need to meet Doniya, sounds like we would be great friends. The honeycomb was good." Gemma piped in.

"Wouldn't that be charming?" Harry said, rolling his eyes. His sister was mean when she wanted.

"Hella fun, yeah?" Zayn agreed, sarcasm dripping from all over his body. Trisha laughed at both and told Gemma they should arrange a visit once they were back in the UK. Zayn and Harry won't be able to stop us, she said. They both complained at that, but after few minutes understood there was no way of winning that one.

After a couple more of stories, Trisha asked Zayn if they could get going, Yaser was almost gone on the couch, and she was starting to feel the need of a bed. Zayn made puppy eyes, he didn't want to leave Harry, but he understood coming days they won't be able to spend nights together.

"I'll walk you to your car." Harry said, watching the Maliks grab their belongings and saying good night to his family. He beamed, content they all seemed to like each other.

"We were thinking to go tomorrow to this nice place where we can play paintball. Would you like to?" Zayn asked to their families. They all agreed, saying it would be fun. "Great, Li, Lou and Ni would be joining too. Ele can't play, but she will have lunch with us, so she will be there."