My Beautiful King

Chapter Five Part 2

It was break and I was going to sit in the in-crowd bench area for the first time. It was a massive change from the place I'd been hanging out with Bridget and Maria for the past couple years. I hadn't spoken to Bridget since our argument, but judging by the looks she kept shooting me, I didn't think she wanted us to ever communicate again.

"Oi Ash, I'm fucking talking to you!" Zayn slapped my arm lightly, shaking me from my daydream. "And undo your top button, it looks stupid."

"S-sorry Zayn," I stammered, as I moved my hands to undo the pearly white fastening underneath my scarf. "I'll um, listen next time."

He smiled at my feeble whimper of an answer. It seemed to amuse Zayn that I was so pathetic when it came to him. I didn't blame him for laughing. I was so pitiful.

We approached the bench area. It was conveniently located in a place with a cover so that the populars could be protected from rain, sleet, snow and wind. They were honestly like the elite of William Morrison.

Zayn greeted some of his friends, and introduced me after. Strange how Zayn, who'd only arrived at this school a couple weeks ago, was introducing me, a girl who'd been at this school since the beginning. Not everyone was there; within the group were only one boy and about seven girls. To my surprise, nobody protested that I shouldn't be there and that I didn't belong. They must all worship Zayn that much.

"Hey Zayn," a dark skinned boy named Tyler said. "Come to the canteen with me."

"Only if you're buying me food." Zayn said lazily. Tyler laughed while muttering a "Whatever man, yeah" which caused Zayn to beam a gorgeous smile.

"Alright you lots, I'm off," Zayn sighed. He looked at me with his eyebrows furrowed. "Bloody Hell, you can move y'kno, Ash. Go sit down or something."

I nodded and gave him a small smile as he left. I made to sit down on the bench next to Becca but she gave me glare.

"Don't even fucking try it." She said coarsely. "Zayn may like you but I sure as fuck don't."

Most of the several people at the benches laughed. Horrified, I turned to leave but a girl called Hayley (who had recently become platinum blonde) grabbed my blazer sleeve.

"Becca, stop being a little bitch!" She said lightly to her best friend. "If Zayn's cool with her, I'm cool with her. We all are. I like your scarf by the way!"

What this scarf? The scarf I distinctly heard you call a scraggly piece of magenta shit last week? Funny what a friend in a good crowd can do for you.

"Thanks Hayley." I mumbled. She offered me a seat next to her, which I warily accepted. As I looked at all the heavily make-up'd girls wearing short skirts and hair extensions, it occurred to me that becoming one of these 'leading ladies' of the year, would have a lot more complications that I'd thought.

-x-x-x-x-

"So, how did you find school today?" Zayn questioned, as he (to my great surprise) walked me home.

"It was good, really good." I admitted. "Fun, but I didn't get much work done."

"You weren't supposed to!" Zayn laughed. "Ash, I think you've done enough work to last you till Uni!"

I loved the fact that he called me Ash. It made me feel so close to him. I laughed along. "I need to go shopping" I said, making fresh conversation. "I need a new scarf."

"What's wrong with the one you have now?" He said, stretching his arm so he could toy with its woollen tassels. I don't think he realised how hard it got for me to breathe when we were that close. Oh God, he was so perfect...

"Um," I mumbled. "I just don't... It um... It looks like a scraggly piece of magenta shit." I almost felt bad for swearing.

Zayn smirked. "Yeah it does." He admitted. "How about we go shopping together? Judging by what you wore at Balfow Park, you need a lot of new clothes."

"There's nothing wrong with my clothes!"

"You dress like a seven year old!"

He was right. I reluctantly agreed, and we set a date to go shopping after school on next week Wednesday. I was to use the excuse of going to the library. Just another white lie in my little collection...

"See ya tomorrow then, yeah?" Zayn said as we stopped outside my house.

"Yeah." I fiddled with my nails not knowing what to do. Do I lean in for a hug or what? The atmosphere we'd just had between us was really light and friendly, but how much of a friend did Zayn consider me to be? I looked at him blankly.

"C'mon babes!" Zayn laughed, holding his arms open for a hug. Babes. I felt lightheaded as I walked forward and let him wrap his muscled arms around me. I couldn't get over the way that he smelt, I wanted to bury my nose into his chest and just inhale his scent all day. Even his thick shiny dark hair had an essence of lemon to it.

Too soon, he pulled away and began to stroll down the street singing. Singing. Zayn could actually sing. It felt like my whole body was burning with fervent love for him.

Honestly. One of these days, that boy would be the death of me.