Throw It All Away [Zayn Malik]

Epilogue: Save It All

THREE MONTHS LATER

Dana

            “Ben, get up!” I call up the stairs, praying that I’m loud and obnoxious enough to actually wake him. “You’re going to be late for school!”

            “I’m up, I’m up!” He calls back, voice sleepy and agitated. I can practically see him groaning as he rolls out of bed as I return to the kitchen, just like the teenager he is. I swear, that boy would sleep until he’s old and dying if he could.

          It’s a usual morning, but I start by checking every food item again to make sure nothing is overcooking. Once I’m finally assured, I sigh and turn around, leaning against the counter as I take in the house that’s practically a living dream.

             It looks like a typical family home with a kitchen, living room, bedrooms, bathrooms, etc, but it’s come to be so much more, especially after everything that came before in our lives. It’s home, and it’s not even a cramped and tiny flat; it’s a real house.

            I know that I shouldn’t be so amazed by it all, but after only living in a real house with One Direction and my mother, months ago, it’s weird to have one to actually call my own.

             Of course, it’s also Ben’s too, but it’s not as if he’s the one that pays the bills. And of course, Zayn offers to help out a bit, what with his being a millionaire pop-star, but we both refuse to let it become too much.

              “Dana? Ben?”

             I can’t help smiling to myself when I hear the voice I’ve come to know so well. The sound of the door clicking shut faintly reaches my ears before I turn to find Zayn stepping through the doorway, looking around before his eyes lock on mine.

          “Hey there,” I smile, walking over and stretching up to give him a quick peck on the lips. “What’re you doing over here so early?”

             He smiles, and when I look him over again, I notice that he looks well beyond ready for the day. It’s a stretch for him, considering I’ve never known him to be an early riser, but there must be something going on for the band for him to be up so early.

           “Interview on the Early Show,” he explains, before moving past me to sit at the little dining table to the side of the room. “It was close so I thought I’d stop by. See Ben off to school and you off to work.”

              I smile gratefully as Ben bounds down the stairs, dressed and with his school bag over his shoulder. “Well I hope you’re hungry,” I inform Zayn. “Breakfast is ready just about now.”

               “Zayn!” Ben suddenly exclaims, both in surprise and excitement, as he drops his bag and walks over to sit next to the older lad at the table. “You’re here!”

                 “Hey Ben! What’s up? How’s school going?”

               I have to smile to myself as I serve up breakfast. It’s just nice to see how close Ben and Zayn have become since all the drama was solved and we moved back to England.

               I mean, though Ben is my brother, I think he almost sees Zayn as a father figure or the older brother he never had. It’s not like Dad was ever a huge inspiration for him to look up to, and with Zayn being the first, older male figure in his life… it’s pretty close for him.

                “Same old, same old.” I faintly hear him answer.

              Now that Zayn and I are actually dating, officially, that is, everything has changed. It’s a really good change too.