Ashes- Zayn Malik AU

Chapter 3

My mind was a whirlwind. And I didn't know how to stop it. How obnoxious could this guy be? As the class went by I felt myself get more and more irritated.

After what seemed like an eternity, the bell rang and I quickly gathered my things together and headed to my locker. I put my belonging in and grabbed some notebooks. I started walking to my next class.

"Val! Wait up!" I turn around to see Kenzie and Tristan walking towards me. Tristan is my other friend her auburn hair flies as they lightly jog towards me.

"Hey" I slow down and start to walk with them.

"What in the world was that?" Kenzie stares at me accusingly.

I knit my eyebrows together. "What was what?"

Tristan collects her butt length wavy auburn hair in a high pony tail and bumps my hip with hers. "You know what we're talking about Val. With the exotic piece of something in Pre-Cal."

Oh...that. It was odd. I hated when they pressed on about these things. They always wanted me to date guys and I never wanted to be set up on a blind date. I've had a few crappy relationships in my time and I'm not in the mood to relive them.

Kenzie snapped her manicured hands in front of my face. "Hello?"

I sighed. "Yeah, I met him at the party. He's arrogant and thinks he's bad boy because he wears black and leather jackets." I rolled my eyes.

"And you think you're so amazing yourself?" Zayn says as he bumps into me his cigarette between his lips.

Can't you get suspended for smoking on school grounds? He walks away into the bathroom.

Kenzie stares at me wide-eyed. I roll my eyes. "I told you, arrogant." And with that I leave my friends with their mouths hanging open as I walk to my next class.

The rest of the day is a blur and I can't wait to get back home.

                     ~~~~~~~

I wait for my mom in the car line. I'm eighteen and I still don't have my license. Driving scares me and I suck at it.

"Valerie!" My mom rolls down the window and ushers me to come in.

I get in and close the door. I yawn as I place my seat belt on.

"How was your first day?" My mom taps her nails to the steering wheel as she waits for the light to turn green.

"It was good. Not much to tell." I stare out the window. Things have been awkward between my mom and I since my dad left. It was like we wanted to bring up what happened but we were too scared to.

The light turns green and she starts driving once again. The next 10 minutes we're silent. Unsure of what to say. The silence is getting louder everyday and I don't know how to stop it. I don't think my mom knows how either.

We pull in the driveway and I unlock the door and walk inside.

"Valerie, I have to head to the station to get some paperwork done." She sighs. "There was another robbery a couple blocks away from here."

I stop to look at her. "Another one?" In the past month there's been 5 robberies in Tutane, Arizona.

She nods taking a banana as she walks out the door. "With the same gang symbol enscribed on the front door too. Lock the doors and windows. Keep your phone on you at all times. Love you!"

I nod and head upstairs. What the heck? More robberies? Two months ago a girl was kidnapped from her home. They left her phone which on the back inscribed their gang sign a burning bird with 4 arrows sticking through it down the middle, side, bottom and front. Thinking about it gave me chills. They still hadn't found her.