Princess (Ziam)

Oasis

Worked super hard for this update, so I hope you all enjoy it. 😊

C.O.F. is still a mystery, guys. You'll figure it out soon enough.

This is more of a happy chapter, but don't worry, the drama and pain will return soon enough. 😉 (I love doing this, tbh)

Enjoy ❤

Chapter 56:

I followed behind the rest of the guys, just thankful that Zayn stayed behind with me, holding my hand and not rushing me in the slightest. Truth be told, I was deathly nervous of spending the rest of the afternoon and the night just hanging out. I didn't know how to act or what to say. It wasn't a typical thing for me as it was for them.

We were walking through the mall, making our way to the arcade that Louis claimed was amazing. I don't think I've ever even been inside of an arcade. I've seen them in movies and heard all of the kids in elementary school talking about them, but I never had the money nor the friends to go with; not to mention my lack of freedom.

"This is going to be great," Louis gushed excitedly. His arm was wrapped around Harry's waist as they walked side by side, basically leading the group of us there. Drew and Niall were busy joking around with each other as well, and I was proud of how well we were all getting along.

"I heard they've got a new zombie game. You put on these headsets, and it feels like you're actually there and killing the zombies," Niall commented quickly. I could feel all of the boyish joy radiating off of them, but I couldn't feel the same at all.

"That's so sick! I bet I could kill more than you can," Drew challenged. Niall laughed while shaking his head before shaking his hand as a silent bet.

"How can you stand those games? I prefer the classic arcade ones if I'm honest," Harry spoke up, making Louis smile at him.

"Ah, yes. Pac-Man, Space Invaders, and Asteroids. All of the best graphics. What fun," Louis teased. Harry rolled his eyes, but I could tell he wasn't upset. It was refreshing to just see everyone having a good time. A little friendly teasing didn't hurt, and it seemed to be something that would come about more often.

"Alright, Mr. Mario Kart. They're classics. You race your little cars while I use actual skill," Harry replied, sticking his tongue out a bit, but shrieking and pulling out of his hold as Louis actually licked his cheek. I couldn't help but smile as he pushed Louis away a bit, having a playful argument about his actions.

"Are you excited?" I heard Zayn ask from beside me, pulling back all of my attention. The worry that was stored in the back of my mind immediately came alive at the question.

"I'm not sure, honestly," I replied. I didn't want to ruin everyone else's moods by completely bailing, and I didn't want to cheat myself out of having a potentially good time as well. "I guess I'm just a bit afraid. I'm not really one for public outings, and I've, um... never actually been to an arcade before," I confessed, immediately avoiding Zayn's eyes and staring down at the tiled flooring.

I felt Zayn lift my hand to his lips, pressing a kiss on the back of it and making me look up at him. He was smiling sweetly at me, and I relaxed a bit. I knew that he wasn't going to make fun of me or anything, but it made me feel so out of loop to not know what to expect when the others did.

"It's alright, Liam. Although, I do have to warn you that arcades can be pretty loud. They're nothing to worry about, though. It's just a bunch of people trying to have a good time. I think you'll quite enjoy it," He assured me, and I took a deep breath while nodding, deciding to trust him.