Moving Forward

Eight- Wrong Part of Town

After he was dressed in some clean clothes, we headed out to the sidewalk, and began to walk.

"Where are we going?" I asked.

"Where ever the world takes us." He winked, and started walking, pulling out a pack of smokes.

"Those will kill you, ya know." I said... since my mom died of cancer I've been trying to avoid anything that could cause it.

"Too late, I'm already dead inside. Besides, they ease the stress." He grinned at me, holding the pack up to me, "Want one?"

"Are you fucking serious!?!" I never mean to flip out... but I took my moms death really hard. "I just told you they can kill you, so you offer me one? What, were you born yesterday?" I snapped.

"What the hell? I was just joking... what's your problem?" He frowned obviously irritated and confused.

"Well dying of cancer isn't funny. It's- just forget this." I turned to leave. My face was hot, and I could feel the tears stinging in my eyes, threatening to fall. He grabbed my arm gently turning me to face him, his face set into a look of realization.

"That's how your mom died, isn't it?" He asked. I nodded, unable to speak. "I'm sorry, I didn't know. Com'mere." He pulled me into his warm embrace.

I couldn't hold myself back. I began to cry. No. I began to sob. Hiccups and all. He held me tight and whispered calmly in my ear to sooth me. "There there. Shhhhh it's ok..." he pet my hair with one hand and rubbed my back with the other.

We stayed like this for awhile, paused on the side walk, even after I stopped crying. Once we pulled away, I bit my lip and looked down, slightly embarrassed by my outburst. He put his first finger under my chin, tilting my head up, to meet his gaze.

"Has anyone told you how pretty your eyes are?"

"Just my dad... he says they remind him of my mother." I smiled sheepishly.

"He's right. I don't know about how they compare to your mother, but they are beautiful." I bit my lip again, feeling the heat of blush creeping up my neck. "Can I kiss you?"

"W-what?" His question caught me off guard... a guy has never asked to kiss me, they just did it.

"Would it be okay if I kissed you?" He asked again, just as gentle as last time.

"I-i... y-yes..." I whispered, stumbling over my words. He grinned, he moved my hair back with one hand and cupped my face with the other. After pushing my hair back and getting a good grip around my neck just under my ear, he brought our lips together. I timidly kissed him back, unsure of where this passion was coming from. The next thing I know, he tells me to jump. So I do, and he lifts my legs, wrapping them around his waist. I have no idea why I'm doing this... I made myself a promise.

"Want to come back to my place?" He asked after pulling away slightly.

"N-No, can we just... c-continue walking?" I didn't want him to get mad, but I didn't want this to go any farther. I don't want to make the same mistake I did before...

"Yeah, here," he helped me down, and let me go, stepping back to give me some space.

"Thanks... sorry." I looked at the ground, not sure what to say or do.

"Why? I kissed you, and that's as far as you wanted to go. Why should you be sorry?"

"I... I don't know, I just... y-you wouldn't understand. My past, it effects everything I do every day. And yet I tell myself that I need to keep my promise."

"What promise?" He asked, and then I realized that without noticing we had already absentmindedly started walking while chatting.

"My mom... she always used to say 'Never dwell on the past, because the only thing that should matter at the present is your future.' and so I made myself a promise, that I would keep moving forward. You know, not worry about my past, and just live each day to the fullest. But ever since... ever since my... my incident, I have a hard time just moving forward."

"Hey, all of us have something bad that has happened to us. But I have a saying that I like, and I think it's worth sharing. What doesn't kill you makes you stronger, and even if you aren't physically strong, you are mentally. No matter how dead inside you are." He smiled down at me. After a while we ended up in a part of town I didn't recognize.

"Hey, Zayn? Where are we?" I asked, this place gave me the creeps.

"Shit" he muttered under his breath. "Let's move." We went to turn around but there were a good sized group of guys headed our direction. So Zayn pulled me the other way, but another group of guys turned a corner and appeared in our path. "Don't move, just let me do the talking." He whispered.

"Hey, Z! What brings you to the neighborhood? Haven't seen you in a while." One tall dark haired man spoke, he was black (I'm not being racist, I'm being descriptive) and wore a red bandana around his head.

"I​ honestly was jus' passin' through, walkin' round absentmindedly, ya feel?" His whole speech changed when he spoke to them... as if they were old friends.

"Yeah? And who have you got with you, is she yours?" Another guy asked, he was short, but had bulging muscles and green hair styled in a quiff.

"No, just a friend from school."

"Man, I don't even know why you kept goin? I mean after loosing your parents, bruh? We could be your whole family now?"

"Well, education can get me a good job at that tattoo parlor that I want."

"Yeah man! You still giving em free? I been lookin to get a knew one."

"Nah, you know I quit workin wit dirty needles... y'all forget I have t'have a good rep at this God-forsaken school. I already receive hate from all dem teacha's." Zayn was acting really off... was this the real him? Or was the real him the guy who slept on my couch last night?

"Hey girl, you ight?" One guy said to me, his eyes were blue and he had dark brown hair.

I opened my mouth to speak but Zayn beat me to it. "No, Louis. She ain't like that. Take it easy with her, k?" After Zayn said that I breathed out heavily.

"Aww come on man, I'm just askin. She be lookin fine! You takin, baby?"

"Taking what?" I asked, my brain was foggy and confused. Truth be told, they kinda scared me. They all burst out laughing. Well except Zayn.

"Aww man, he's got a purity!" That same black man howled. "Man, come on... you sure she ain't yours? Man if I had a purity for a friend, I sure as hell wouldn't bring her around these parts." The group laughed and Zayn seemed to have steam coming out of his ears. I honestly didn't know what to feel at this moment.

"Yo, zip it." Zayn snapped. Obviously irritated with the group. They all quieted down, and Zayn seemed to relax abit. He still seemed like he was acting different though.

"Aye, Zayn... come on." The man called Louis gestured his head and Zayn pulled me to follow him. I reeeally have a bad feeling about this...