FAKE

eighteen.

(the one where he wants to make things right)

"So here you go" I spoke as I gave him some sheets to put on the bed. He would be staying in the guests' bedroom. To be honest, my house was quite big for just the three of us. Moreover, my parents were barely home, so I could have gotten along in just a small apartment. "Put the sheets on and there are many blankets in the closet. You can control the AC with the remote over here and, well, if you have any other doubt, my room is across the hallway."

Zayn just sat on the bed, smiling, as if I was telling a joke or a funny story.

"You don't have to do this, you know?" He finally spoke.

"I do know that." I responded. "And that's the reason why it is so much fun."

"Thank you for this -for everything. For letting me stay here and for...well, helping me to make things right with the guys. I don't want a friendship like ours to go just because of a stupid fight."

"I know, Zayn. I really do. I like to believe that I know you."

"You do" He interrupted me. "You really do. Actually, you know me better than...well, anyone else."

"Well, alright then." I smiled. "The point is that, no matter what pushed you to quit the band just like that or whatever...I'm sure that you don't want to lose the guys. They are way too important for you."

"They are. I've shared so many things with them that I wouldn't be able to imagine my life without them, you know?" As he pronounced those words, he sat on the undone bed. He looked so fragile that I was about to cave in and just hug him so tightly just to take all of his pain away.

"I do know, Zayn." I sat next to him. "I just...I can't believe all the things we've been through. Them and us and, well, just me and you...we've been through a lot."

"And, hopefully, we'll go through a lot more." As he said this, he laid his head on my shoulder. "I've missed you, you know?"

"I've missed you too, Zaynie."

"No, but I mean it. I mean, I've really, really missed you, like how people say they miss people in the movies."

"I get it, Zayn. We used to be thick as thieves."

"I don't know why it ended though."

Even though I wanted to respond, I didn't. I knew exactly why it ended: Perrie. It's not as if she was mean or anything, but, obviously, after they started dating and they eventually got engaged and stuff, I was not going to spend just as much time with Zayn. I'm sure that if he wasn't dating Perrie, he'd have come to Hadley at least a dozen times since I moved here. We were just as close.

"I wanna make things right now though." He sentenced. "I know I haven't been the best friend lately, but I want to fix it. I want us getting back to the way we were before".

"I'd love that." I smiled.

"This is why...I really don't know if I should stay here...in your house, I mean."

"Why is that?" I asked, seriously concerned.

"Your parents, they don't like me very much. Obviously, me staying here will give them ideas."

"My parents are out of town." I blurted out. "They went to different places. You know how they are...they travel all the time. I'll be home alone for a week or so."

He tried to hide his enthusiasm, but he just couldn't.

"Then I guess that this is it, right? I'll be staying here." He replied.