I Don't Wanna Live Forever (A Zaylena fanfic)

Chapter 11 - What Are Friends For?

The following morning, Zayn sleeps peacefully, having managed to gain back what little hours of sleep he's lost from the endless nightmares he's had to endure for years. As bits and pieces of the dream flash through his head, Zayn wakes up and he hears her whisper to him again: "When you awaken, come and find me before it's too late". Zayn panics and gets ready for work early. Showering quickly letting the cold splashes of water wash the sweat off him from his dream last night, he dresses into his casual, comfy to go outfit, grabs his keys, his duffel bag, headphones and quick coffee and heads out. As he heads out to his car, he grabs out his phone and calls Louie who isn't bothered by his early phone calls as he's usually either up early morning or up all night partying from the night before. Whether it was work or party, Louie was a night owl and that's exactly what Zayn needed, a night owl's help. "Hey, Louie?" asks Zayn over the phone. "Yeah, Zayn? What's happinin'?" (there it is again ;) "Yeah, great. Hey, man. Listen, there's something I need to ask you for." says Zayn opening his car door. "Sure, man, what's up?" asks the enthusiastic Louie over the line. "I think we should get together with Selena today after work." "W-w-what? When?" asks Louie stuttering. "Probably after the studio. It's best if we get together anytime after -- as soon as possible." says Zayn as he tosses his duffel bag and headphones into the passenger seat. "Are you sure? I mean, we just saw her yesterday--" "I know! It's just--" Zayn sighs and rubs his temples with his index finger and thumb in tired frustration. Even in his business, Selena wasn't far from his mind. "Zayn, are you okay? You're scaring me, man. What's the matter?" asks a concerned Louie hearing his frustration. As Zayn gets into the driver's seat, he closes the door, locks in his seatbelt and heads the driveway with an ambition, a determination, something so driven from concern over another's safety. "It's Selena. I--I don't know how to explain it but I think she's in trouble." 

Louie's eyes widen with a shock, Zayn looks out the driver's window with worry and the camera pans out over the morning sky and the local cities the rest beneath.

Back at Selena's apartment, she maintained herself safe and far away from her abusive boyfriend by locking herself in the bathroom. After wiping tears with ruined mascara from her eyes, she looked at herself in the mirror and thinks, "Oh my God! What have I done to myself?" As her lips quivered into another whimper, she hears Justin bang on the walls of their apartment outside and covers herself to keep him from hearing her sobs. "Selena! Where are you?! I know you're in here! Baby! You can't hide from ME!!". Justin screams and Selena says to herself. "I can't deal with this. I have to escape!" Quickly cleansing her face, she changes from PJs to a casual outfit, grabs her purse and runs. But not before leaving an encrypting message on the mirror in mascara then smashing it into pieces, much like herself. As she heads out the door, she checks her phone and gets a missed call from Zayn and Louie. Meanwhile, Zayn finishes up another souful recording in the studio then heads out to the coffee spot with the bleachers after work with Louie. All the producers were impressed. "Geez, man! I don't what it is. You can hear it in his voice. Whatever it is, it's working!". After work, Zayn and Louie sat down in the bleachers drinking their coffees awaiting Selena. As they did, they chatted. 

"You sounded worried this morning. What happened?" "Well---" Zayn starts to speak but Louie could see the distress in his face. "The nightmares again?" asks Louie. "Yes. Now, I know it sounds crazy. But I have to see her! There was this dream, she was in danger!" says Zayn waving his hands. "Okay okay hold on. I don't understand. Selena has the perfect life. What makes you think she's in danger?" asks Louie.  "She's just-- I can feel that something was OFF, you know?"

 As they talk, Selena shows up as expected and both Zayn and Louie see her and she just stops. They watch her and they could both see how tormented she was. Selena tried but couldn't help it -- she couldn't keep a straight face. "Hey." "Hi." "Do you wanna talk?" "About?" "What's been bothering you" asks Zayn "Well, I have a great life. Justin loves me and--" "Selena. Please. It's okay. You can tell us anything." says Zayn. "Why are you doing this?" asks Selena. "Because I want to help you." says Zayn. "I-I don't know where to start." "It's okay. We got time." says Zayn. "Tell us what's wrong. We won't get mad. With Louie's reassurance, Selena speaks with them and her story goes on....