misfits // z.m

ch. 3 || dread

a.n - i am so so so so sorry for not updating for almost a month!

i've been ill most of this month and i spent a lot of this month doing maths tests, which i suck at.

again, sorry.

hopefully this update will /somewhat/ calm your need to throw knives at me.

ok.

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III. dread

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Admittedly, running around after little kids with Zayn Malik was almost fun.

The beginning of September brought chilly air and red noses, but racing Zayn in an attempt to rescue the children from falling in the fountain left me warm and exhilarated.

Once I had Pippa in my arms, and Tommy was over Zayn's shoulder, we shared a smile of relief.

"Thank you." I said honestly.

He shrugged, picking Tommy up and putting him back on the ground carefully, "It's fine."

I immediately grabbed Tommy by the hand, knowing fine well that he was preparing himself to run away.

I sighed and grinned at Zayn, "I ought to go, anyway. Thanks."

I turned away and began walking when I heard Zayn say, "So that's just it? I help you out and you walk away?"

Turning to face him, I perked an eyebrow. "Yeah, why?"

I was surprised by how disheartened he seemed.

"Forget it." He took a step towards me, only a small one - enough to make my breath catch in my throat.

"I'll see you around."

It wasn't until he was completely out of sight that I realised I'd been stood here, with Tommy tugging on my hand urgently.

"Thalia?" He asked innocently.

"Y-yes?"

Tommy let go of my hand, "I really need to pee."

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After Zayn's abrupt exit, I felt bored.
My roommate was at work and our laptop was currently broken, meaning there was nothing I could do.

I returned home and fed the kids, then awaited the arrival of their father.
"Thank you, Thalia. You really are a life saver." He gave me a warm smile and absent-mindedly scratched his beard.
He then slid his hand into his pocket and extracted his wallet.

My heart stopped as he handed me a wad of cash; almost double what he owed me.
"Keep it," he noticed my surprise and smiled, adding, "I know they're a handful, so thank you."
He waved me goodbye and I gladly shut the door, closing my eyes and then letting them flutter open.
I began wafting my face with the notes in my hand, grinning widely.

Midway through an instalment of the latest Heat magazine, I heard the microwave ding.
My pasta was ready, and I danced my way to the kitchen happily.

I sauntered across the tiled kitchen floor and opened the top drawer, grabbing a fork and my bowl, then retreated to the living room.
There was no sound apart from the monotonous ticking of the grandfather clock my roommate Dana had insisted on buying.
My eyes became glued to a page in the magazine.
I mean, I'd notice that face anywhere: Zayn Malik.

I skimmed over the title: Malik having second thoughts?
Noticing there was a picture on the side of him and a girl named Perrie, I already felt like an intruder.
However, I was intrigued as to what it meant by 'second thoughts', so I foolishly read on.

The article began:
The past week has been rather hectic for the One Direction boys, following the release of their perfume, jet-setting around America...and coming back to their loving girlfriends, or fiancés.

In her latest interview, we noticed Miss Edwards was without her engagement ring, which naturally raised some eyebrows.
What really surprised us was her response to, "So how is your fiancé?"
"How is Zayn? I don't know anymore." She then showed us her blank ring finger.

So what do you guys think?
Sad for Perrie's sake, or Zayn's?
All we know for now is that the A-list couple have gone their separate ways.

I felt really bad for Zayn. It seemed to me that he wasn't the type to dump a girl so heartlessly, but I could sympathise with Perrie. I knew too much about having a heart broken.

The door opened and I heard Dana's footsteps. I knew by now that she would be taking off her shoes, her coat, her hat, and then she'd greet me, rubbing her hands as though she was perpetually cold.

One thing about me was that I mostly ever went outside at night, or when it was cold.
The warm weather didn't appeal to me, and I was pale as anything.
I was now 20, with all the wisdom of a woman who'd seen too much in her time. No one but Dana seemed to understand that.

From the age of fourteen till eighteen, I'd lived with my uncle.
My parents had died in an unfortunate fire when I was fourteen; I missed much of my education and learned through books. Many, many books.
Books and words conveyed meaning; meaning of love and promises and everything reality never was.

I hated commitment; I feared it, because I was always disappointed in the end.