Operation: Good Girl // Horan // Discontinued

Chapter Six

~*~ARI~*~

Knowing Mr. Zain Javaad Malik for about 12 years until he was 16 and spending most of my time with him, it was totally easy for me to find him in a mall. Being away from him for 3 years doesn't even make it any harder, since he told me just about everything. And even though he didn't, it was easy to read him.

So where am I now?

In the hospital. Sitting on the cold chair in the waiting room. Waiting for Zayn to bring me the news for Nicole. Yeah, sure, I don't exactly think much of her, and yeah, I'm trying to steal Zayn from her, but you know, I'm here for my best friend.

The problem why I can't get him is that she's just too...perfect.

"She says she wants to see you." Zayn has this huge smile on his face that tells me it's not fake. Suspicious. She made him smile...10,010 points for me, 10,009 for Nicole. "Really? And why me?" I asked him, which made his smile even wider. 

"She says she trusts you. And if you're wondering why my smile got so real and big, it's because she's better." He replied. "Better...how?" "She's getting color, and her eyes sparkle again, and she can laugh her real laugh now, and..." He drifted off, telling me the perfection of his perfect girlfriend. It makes me want to puke perfectly.

"Zayn, you can stop telling me what your girlfriend has and I don't. She's perfect, I get it, okay?!" So I got mad. I admit. But wouldn't you be mad? I mean, come on, the guy of your dreams is there, talking about his girlfriend, making you feel insecure. Being even more mad that the guy is Zayn Malik is totally fair.

"Jeez, Ari. What's got you in a bunch? Are you...jealous?" Oh, sorry Zayn. I am. I'm totally sorry that you didn't see it coming. I should've freaking acted more like it when you were away for X-Factor and my parents rejected me. Yeah, Zayn, I'm sorry I'm so insecure. So let's just ride off into the sunset and live happily ever after!  HAHAHAHA--no.

"Nothing, dude. I'm going in." I fake-smiled. "Uh-huh, right. I know that nothing, it's not nothing, it's something." His smile disappears. "C'mon, spill." "Really, Zayn, I'm good. I'm seeing Nicole, okay? I'm fine." I said. Oh my, that sounded totally lesbian, didn't it? Ew.

"Right, right." He rolls his eyes. And I entered the room.

~*~*NICOLE~*~*

What am I gonna do? What am I gonna do? I thought over and over again. Not knowing what my future is right now and being aware that I just lied to the only man I ever loved is truly heartbreaking. I am not getting better. Not at all.

I've lied to Zayn. I knew he would notice if I looked any better, because he always does and that's just how he judges my sickness. But I tricked him and boy, did he believe it.

Being an artist comes with its perks, of course. I used make-up for me to cover my face with my usual skin color. Then I used contacts to make my eyes kinda sparkly again. And I did all that with the last amount of energy I had. 

"Hey Nicole. You look better." She smiles at me, seeing how much I've changed with my new make-up caked face. Don't get me wrong, I'm totally thankful to cosmetics, and she doesn't know, of course, so I can't actually blame her for it. Still, isn't it hard to believe that some complexed Crayola made my little white lie bigger?

"Hey." I say plainly, as my smile disappears. "Do you really think I do?" I ask her, on the verge on tears. Why? Obviously, it's painful to bring in your love's best friend to your own lie because you don't know if you'll survive.

She  looks at me as if I'm crazy and asks me "What do you mean?" I sigh and sniff and tell her the truth. "I'm gonna die, Ari. I'm gonna die." I say with a small smile of courage that just blasted through me. She shakes her head and laughs at me.

"No, you're not. You look normal, Nicole. For all I know, you can slip in normal clothes and just pretend that you were visiting a sick cousin and sneak out." She giggles, sitting down next to me.

I shake my head again and let out a small cry, with one teardrop dropping and runs through the make-up I have and shows the pale skin underneath the foundation. She looks shocked and taken back. But who wouldn't? Who would've thought I was such a good liar?

"You lied. You lied to Zayn. He's going to be heartbroken. He's going to be crushed. What have you done?" She mumbles, putting two and two together. I bury my face in my hands and nod, letting them fall. Letting the tears fall.

"Yeah. Yeah, he is going to be heartbroken, isn't he?" I say. "What have you done? Who do you think you are?" She asks, probably despising me. "I'm a person who doesn't want Zayn to get hurt." I admit. "Well, you already have." She replies like it's a matter of facts.

"No, I don't think I have. I'm going to die, Ari. I know it. And it'll be heartbreaking for Zayn. And the only way to counter that is...is if..." 

"If?" She asks, daring me to continue.

"Is if you make him fall iin love with you."

~*~ARI~*~

"What do you mean?" I ask me. It was unbelievable, it was surreal. The perfect girlfriend of the guy I fell in love with was offering him to me. I wanted to accept, though there was something inside me that told me it was selfish. That it was not right.

"Ari? Are you okay?"

"How do you suppose I make Zayn fall in love with me? He adores you! I'll be a bit of dust compared to you. Why can't you just see that? Why can't you just see that you're perfect?" I say angrily. "I'm not perfect, Ari. Everyone has imperfections. Yours is you can't understand and you refuse to."

"What can't I understand?"

"How he's so hopelessly in love with you." 

"He's not. And you didn't answer my question. How do I make him?" I repeat. "Do you mean you accept?" She questions, showing a small glimmer of hope mixed with guilt in her eyes.

You never really know if I can.