My Beautiful King

Chapter Fourteen

"It probably wasn't the smartest idea for you to run away from home a couple days before Christmas." Alex laughed.

"Yeah," Tyler agreed, teasingly. "Your parents are probably returning all your gifts, right now."

I laughed sarcastically as Hayley and Zayn began to chuckle. Becca looked over at us darkly. "Maybe you should just go back home?" She suggested, straining to keep her voice light and friendly.

Maybe you should just piss off and back the fuck off my man?

"I was already planning on going back home tonight." I replied, giving Becca an extremely faux smile. Not that it's any of your business, bitch.

We were all standing in a cramped corner shop, nearby Hayley's house. I'd been staying at her house for two days, straight after leaving Zayn's. The first couple days of the holiday had been like no other school break I'd ever experienced; brimmed with countless bottles of alcopop, late night smokes at street corners and a whole lot of trouble making. It was like we couldn't, I couldn't, live life without it.

"Well, I know we had a real good time chilling at my house, but what did you get up to when you stayed at Zayn's?" Hayley asked slyly. Zayn and I looked at each other smirking, and he snaked his arm around my waist so that his hand was situated on my arse.

"Stuff." Zayn replied casually.

Translation: A whole lotta sex.

Everyone groaned knowingly, it was obvious; Zayn and I could barely keep our hands off each other. Everywhere gave an opportunity for a little touch there, and a little kiss here...

"Can you hurry up please?" The shopkeeper pushed, his voice laced with a heavy Indian accent. All of us looked at each other and burst out laughing. Alex mimicked the shopkeeper's voice softly under his breath, causing us to giggle even harder.

"No, come on, guys!" Zayn said suddenly. "Let's hurry up and leave. I don't want anything here anyway." Just as he said it, I saw his hand sneakily snatch a couple packets of Skittles from the shop shelve and stuff it into the pocket of his varsity jacket. He winked at me. Getting the message, I grabbed a handful of chocolate and shoved it into my handbag. Everyone followed suit, and we quickly sped out of the shop.

The second we hit the pavement we all erupted into peals of giggles again.

"The twat didn't even notice!" Tyler sighed as he ripped open his pack of stolen M&Ms.

"What did you get?" Zayn asked me. I showed him my load of Milky Way Stars but he looked unimpressed. "You should've got Skittles." He frowned. "You know they're my favourite sweet."

"I didn't realise I was shoplifting for you."

"Do you not remember all the jewellery I got you?"

"Lovers' tiff?" Becca questioned innocently. "Ooh, how sad."

I grabbed Zayn's hand and placed it firmly onto my backside. "Actually, we're just fine, Becca." I quickly planted a wet kiss on Zayn's lips. But Zayn being Zayn turned that small peck into a massive snog. I didn't particularly care; I just needed Becca to know that Zayn was mine and no one else's.

"Aw!" Hayley cried. "You two are so fucking adorable it hurts. You got each other Christmas presents?"

"Yeah," I beamed. "I got you something really special." I nudged Zayn playfully. "You've bought me a gift, right?"

Zayn looked at me briefly. "Yeah, of course." He replied as he turned away.

"Oh," I said smiling slightly. "Can I get a hint?"

"Um, no."

"Oh, Zayn, please!" I begged as I held onto his arm. He looked at me uncertainly before shaking his head.

"No, Ash. No hints... Just um, wait till Christmas, yeah?"

I pouted and sighed. "Fine..."

"Can we get going?" Alex asked impatiently. "If we're gonna go meet all the people at Teasway High, we have to get to Cheshicks Park by four o'clock."

We all nodded and set out for our gathering in the park; a group of teenagers partaking in underage activities until the sky shifted into a stretch of dark evening chill.

-x-x-x-x-

"Mum... Dad?" I called out as I stepped into the hallway of my house. "Mother and Father Dearest, where art thou?" I chuckled at my own lame joke. "I'm home now, if you hadn't noticed." There was still no reply. Dad was probably visiting his parents like he did every Thursday evening, but as for Mum... She should be home. "Well, it's great to know you care..."

"It's great to know you care!" My mum suddenly yelled, marching out of the kitchen, close to tears. Her skin looked drawn and there were heavy bags, actually forget bags, heavy luggage under her eyes. "Ashley, you have no idea what your father and I have been going through these past couple days. Why didn't you reply to any of our calls?"

I raised an eyebrow. "How was I supposed to reply back to 227 missed calls? I sent you a text."

"Yeah!" My mum scoffed, as she brought out her phone from her cardigan pocket. "You did text!  'At a friend's house, I'm fine, can you stop calling me please?'"

"And you couldn't even do that..."

"Don't you dare be so condescending towards me?" My mother hissed. "I won't take it, I won't. Ashley..."

I groaned. "Can you stop calling me Ashley? Everyone calls me Ash now."

My mother looked exasperated. "Ashley is the name I gave to you when I first held you in my arms, and it's what I'll continue to call you."

"No need to get all soppy on me Mum, jheeze." I said while rolling my eyes. "Why can't you just change and adapt to what I wanna be?"

Her face changed from exasperation to outrage. "Adapt to what you wanna be? Child, I barely recognise you! You've taken to dressing like a prostitute-"

"Are you trying to insinuate that I'm some sort of whore?"

"I'M TRYING TO GET MY DAUGHTER BACK-"

"I AM YOUR DAUGHTER-"

"No!" My mum shook her head furiously. "I don't want to hear that crap. You're no daughter of mine... Not anymore... I've had enough. You can stay in this house; you can eat this food... But don't try convincing me that you're the girl I gave birth to."

And with that, she stormed back into the kitchen, slamming the wooden door so hard I thought it would fall off the hinges. She began to blast her 80's music as loud as she could for a way to drown me out.

I blinked back my approaching waterworks and rubbed my burning eyes. It was fine, whatever, I didn't care. I refused to care. I'd become nothing more than a lodger in the house that breathed all of my memories. At least I still had Zayn.