Painting the Pains

Chapter 5

I stirred the yellow noodles in the giant pot in front of me. "Harry!" I screamed in frustration.

"Yeah, love?" Harry peeked his head up in a scared way.

"Your tamales." I groaned and he jumped up running to the oven. I heard my door open and heard some commotion in the other room. "I think that's her! Behave Harry!" I yelled as I turned off the heat on my spaghetti and left the room.

"Ow, ow! Hot tamale!" Harry shouted tossing around a tamale.

I laughed loudly an heard Bree laughing too, so I ran to greet her. "Hey, sis!" She side hugged me when I replied in the same way.

"So how have you been holding up without your band... Boys?" Zayn said awkwardly at the end. The boys and I laughed but Bree actually replied.

"Well, after you guys left I kept picturing Niall's head on all my guy customers!" She laughed and I 'awe'd. "What?"

"You like Niall!" I was giggling and Niall blushed, a strange smile spreading across his lips.

"Rosy! Not now!" Bree blushed and slapped my arm. I just smirked at her and she gave me an angry look before sitting on the couch. "What's on the menu tonight?" She questioned.

"Spaghetti and burnt tamales!" She made a disgusted face and scrunched up her nose.

"So that's the odd smell... I think I'll pass on the tamales, I don't like to eat meat too much." She explained.

"You a vegetarian now? Don't like the thought of eating animals?" I was suddenly interested in my sister's story.

"Oh, no, no! I just don't like the taste that much anymore, I guess..." She shrugged and me all got situated on the couch, talking while we waited for Harry.

Soon he came out to us and said, "Food is ready," then did an awkward bow. I chuckled and walked to kitchen with Bree close at my heels. Once we'd gotten spaghetti and all skipped the tamales we sat at the couch again, munching on the pasta.

"So how's the food?" I asked and everybody 'yum'ed or just hummed because their mouths were stuffed. "Glad you like it!" I giggled and ate some as well. It was okay but a little dry. "I'm gonna go put butter on mine, anybody want some?" Zayn got up with his bowl and joined me.

"Do you have parmesan, too? I love to put it on my noodles!" Zayn asked when we were in the kitchen.

"Yeah, I always put it on mine. It's like a law to put Parmesan on every noodle for me," I was getting the Parmesan and butter out as I said that.

"Haha! We have a lot in common, you know." Zayn smiled at me.

I thought about it, realizing that it was very true. We both didn't have a lot self confidence in high school, until our talents showed through and we met great people because of them. "You're right, it's like we lived the same life until now..." I sighed in memory.

"I wanted to tell you something, it's kind of personal..." He looked sad at the mention of the mystery thing. "It's about Perrie... You see, earlier today when I was in the changing rooms she called me. She was crying and all she was doing was saying 'sorry.' I asked her what's wrong and... And she said there was someone else. She had been cheating on me, and,and I-" he started stuttering and looked like he was about to cry.

Without knowing what to do, I pulled him in for a hug. "Zayn, I'm so sorry. I had no idea, I thought you guys were the picture perfect couple... It's okay."

I felt him wrap his arms around me when he whispered, "I thought we were perfect, too." I then got mad at myself for smiling at how cute that was.

We separated our hug and I feel like I missed his warmth a little too much. "So are you going to try to get her back, or..." I trailed off not knowing how to say it.

"Well, I want to... But my dignity won't let me. She cheated on me, I just think that she's not worth anymore. And when she called me, she said she'd been with all last night an this morning. She promised him that she'd break up with me and he made her do it right then." I sighed. That's even worse!

Then I thought about it. Keaton never came back from wherever he disappeared to yesterday. I didn't care much, though. I mean it's not like I'm his mom or something.

Right when I thought that I heard my dorm's door open and Keaton's voice saying hello.

"Zayn, I know it's bad... Really bad, but just act like she was never even in your life.now I think we should go back out there because they'll get suspicious." He nodded and we stepped out with the butter and Parmesan in hand.

"Who's this lovely lady?" Keaton asked gesturing to Bree.

"Oh that's Bree, she's my sister. I haven't seen her in a while and we needed to catch up." I explained smiling at Bree, who was blushing at Keaton's comment.

"I didn't know that beauty ran in the family!" Keaton smiled at Bree and I. I joined in her blushing while the boys just continued to eat, not caring much. "So what are we eating?" Keaton asked, and I led him to the kitchen.

After I showed him what we were having and he started getting food I asked, "So, uh... Where were you? I missed you."

He stopped what he was doing and looked at me. "I was- wait! Why are you so suspicious?" He eyed me strangely and I knew he wouldn't like my answer.

"Well, it's not that I thought you were out with a girl or anything-" he rose his eyebrows, and I could tell he was tensing up, "-but... Zayn's girlfriend, Perrie, was cheating on him and it made me think-"

I was interrupted when Keaton pulled me into a hug. "I would never do that, and I'm sorry how you had to stress over that. Don't worry, babe!" I tensed at his words. He knew I didn't like to be called a stupid name like that when I dated a guy.

"I didn't really stress about it, I just... I don't know." He pulled away from the hug I never returned before walking out of the kitchen.

I didn't miss the hug as much as I missed the cozy warmth of Zayn... And his cute half smile, and the way his eyes sparkled, and-

Uh-oh...

A/N: Oooh! A lot happened in this chapter and we now know about Rosy and Zayn.... Hmm, I'd ship them as Rayn or Zosy. Comment which you like best, vote, follow, and please continue to read! Love you guys!!!

XX<3

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