The Story of us

Chapter Eight: Unfathomable

"Look at all the valentines Ellie got at school today!"

I almost choked on my dinner as Mum waved around a bunch of red heart-shaped cardboard cut outs.

"Are you serious?" I gasped, grabbing the hearts to examine them myself, "It's not even close to February!"

Across the table, Dad had a similar expression of half-incredulity, half-shock on his face. "She's just in pre-school..." was all he could say, gazing at his youngest daughter with an odd look in his eyes. Almost like he wanted to grab her and hide her away in a corner until she was thirty. I could tell; I felt the same way about my baby sister at that moment.

Eleanor beamed. She was an adorable little thing; we looked nothing alike apart from our chocolate brown eyes.

"Mrs Carter wanted us to write nice things about each other and put the hearts in each other's boxes," she explained brightly, "It wasn't about liking each other and having crushes in that way, Daddy."

Apart from being a beautiful angel, Ellie was also very smart and discerning.

"Well then," mumbled Dad, "I guess that's... nice."

"After all," Mum said blithely, "El, will have plenty of that when she's older, isn't that right? Right now it's your older sister and brother we have to concentrate on." I swallowed a little haphazardly as Mum winked at my brother and me.

"You two better inform us when anyone steps into your life. You got that?"

"Yes, Mum," James and I said together; he absently and me rather meekly, hoping the mad pounding of my heart would not give me away.

Thankfully the magnified sound was all in my head and I managed to escape back into my bedroom after dinner.

With a little sigh, I fell back onto my bed and stared fretfully at the ceiling. I was anticipating the next day with mixed feelings; apprehension, fear, uncertainty... and a little excitement. I knew there would be some form of hell to pay tomorrow, whether it be suffering at the hands of my classmates or more outrageous presents from Malik, and I knew only something bad could result from my outburst this afternoon. I vaguely wondered what it would be. More snakes? Perhaps he'd find out about my hatred of the cold and transform the school into a winter wonderland.

But if I was being honest with myself, despite all the calamities that awaited me tomorrow, I was also looking forward to seeing Niall again.

And I knew that was very, very stupid.

Although it was not nearly as stupid as I felt around twelve hours later, when I unknowingly tried to force entry into 1D's private room in the school. Someone had put a notice on my chemistry classroom door saying my lab had been relocated there, thus why I was even there at all.

I was hammering on the door like a madwoman, anxious already about being late, when it swung open abruptly and I found myself face to face with Harry Styles. I froze and I imagined my stunned expression must have been a comical sight. His face split into a grin the instant he saw me.

"Hey, it's you!" he said jovially, "Come to see Zayn?"

"What?" I said, completely confused, then shot instinctively, "Why would I come to see him?" I looked at Harry, then at the door, then at the room behind him - it was definitely not a lab. I sighed, realising I'd been had. "Great," I muttered, "And I thought the prank fest was over,"

Stupid Kensington students. Just had to target me when my guard was down. Cunning. Ruthless. Mean, spiteful brats.

Liam Payne joined us in the doorway, his brown eyes surprised when he noticed me. "Oh, it's you," he said, "Zayn's not here - "