another love || z.m.

Payton

"What the hell was all that, Payton?" Lena screamed as she dragged me out of the classroom.

"What are you talking about?" I asked, trying to pry my wrist from her claws.

"You were flirting!" She said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"With Zayn? Zayn Malik? No, I wasn't. I was being friendly." I shook my head rapidly as she pulled me into the bathroom with a scoff.

"Payton, really? I saw it. I need a tampon." She opened her hand and her palm was extended toward me. "Don't deny it." I huffed and set a tampon in her hand.

"You're just emotional because Mother Nature is invading you this week. Maybe she's made you delusional, too." I said from outside her stall.

"Shut up, Payton. I fucking saw you flip your hair and bite your lip." I heard the wrapper split open.

"I don't like him! Plus, he's got that one girl. What's her name, Callie? Carrie? Cathy?" I tapped my finger on my chin.

"Cassie." She said, flushing the toilet.

"Yep, her."

"No one has ever stood in your way before, Pay." She set her hand on my shoulder. I shrugged it off and glared.

"I. Don't. Like. Him." I grunted through closed teeth.

"Okay!" She threw her hands up in defeat.

I waited for her to wash her hands and then spoke when she turned around to me.

"Thanks, now let's go, don't wanna be late for Calculus. Ew." I shuddered and she laughed as I tugged her down the crowded hallway.

We stopped at our lockers to grab our books.

"Can't we just share a locker again? Please?" She whined at my locker.

"This will be the fourth year that has happened. You have a perfectly good locker. Beside, we aren't allowed to, anyways." I shrugged.

She threw her other books in my locker.

"I'll get the rest later."

I shut the locker and walked with her down the hall.

The day passed by awfully fast. We finally arrived at the last class of the day: American Literature.

We sauntered in, heads held high. I saw Zayn at the back of the room again. Apparently, so did Lena because she was dragging me to the desk in front of him in a matter of seconds. She pushed me down into the seat and I caught myself with a huff.

"Hey," I waved.

He raised his chin in my direction.

"Are you... are you okay? You seem kind of off." I asked.

"Fine."

"Really? Because you seem to fancy the rain," I giggled.

"No, I don't fancy the rain." He shook his head, biting back a smile.

"Okay, I could probably hook you guys up if you wanted." I thought. "I ship... oh my gosh it's still rain if you ship it. And it's still Zayn if you ship it the other way!" I was excited. "Rayn. Or... Zain?" He laughed and leaned in so that I could smell his minty breath.

"I don't think that relationship would work." He whispered.

"Because it can't speak?"

"No, dipshit. Because it is an inanimate object. Besides, I'm not ready for another relationship. Just got out of one last night." He backed away from me with the last sentence.

"Oh, I'm sorry. Is that the problem?" He nodded.

"Well, how about some emergency break-up medicine after school?" I asked and he looked at me with a confused puppy face. "Cookie dough, The Notebook, Titanic, pedicures, you know, the good stuff." I laughed as his nose scrunched up in disgust.

"Thanks, but I'm going to have to pass."

"I'm kidding!" I laughed quietly, class had started. "But really, you can come over. For company and all?"

"Gah, only if you stop trying so hard." He laughed.

"What?"

"You are trying way too hard to cheer up a guy you barely know." I blushed.

"Just being friendly." I winked and turned around.

"Meet you after school," he whispered. I smiled to myself.

American Lit passed slowly. I was anxious for Zayn to come over. I had never had anyone besides Lena over on a school day.

The bell finally rang and I stood up immediately, grabbing Lena's hand in the process. I pulled her out of the classroom and into the bathroom.

"Listen," I said, pointing a finger at her. "He's just coming over for some break-up medicine. He got dumped last night and I wanna help him feel better. Don't 'Awww' or anything, got it?" She nodded rapidly, smirking. "Good, let's go." I pulled her down the hallway and to our locker.

I ditched her there, heading down the hallway slowly. I had to walk home, so I absolutely couldn't leave the building until I met up with Zayn. I leaned against the wall beside the front doors, waiting for him to pass by. I pulled out my phone and scrolled through Twitter.

Suddenly, I felt two large hands pushing into my sides. I shrieked and squirmed away from the hands. I looked up and saw Zayn smirking at me.

I shook my head at him. "Let's go."

I looked outside. The rain had stopped. I looked up to the sky. The clouds were moving away fast.

We walked across the street, hip to hip, closer than I could imagine. Yet, we didn't bump into each other.

Soon, we arrived at the front door to my house and I took a big breath before unlocking the door and letting him in. I threw my books and bags down by the door and he followed suit.

"Get situated on the couch," I pointed. "We are going to talk through this." I grabbed the carton of cookie dough out of the refrigerator. I got two spoons and carried them to the couch. I sat cross-legged across from him.

"Talk." I ripped open the cookie dough, handed him a spoon, and waited.