Stumbling Upon This Thing Called Love

{Chapter 4} ~Annabelle~

"Hey girl!" A a shrill voice rang out the day after One Direction had visited. Only one person greeted me like that.

Lasyannaga.

She burst through the door, a whirlwind of colorful clothing and long brown hair. Lasyannaga (pronounced Lah-see-anna-ga) was what people would call ghetto hispanic. She had tofee colored skin, almond shaped eyes, and full lips that never seemed to rest together for a second. You could always hear her before you see her which was my only warning that she was even here. Dispite sterotypes, Lasyannaga was my best friend and she was the only one who hadn't gotten selective amnesia when they found out about the cancer.

"Hey Lasy," I say, She gives her hair a flip and grabs a chair to be seated in. 

"Okay, I want all the details and if you leave anything out, I'll cut you," She threatens jokingly. At least i hope she's joking.

I tell her everything, just as she instructed, but omit the parts about how Zayn was staring at me. I'm sure it was nothing

"Damn, this is the one time I wish I had cancer," She sees the serious look on my face and pats me on the shoulder reassuringly. "I was just kidding, Belle. I see what you go through with this disease and know you don't wish it upon anyone,"

I only nod. Lasyannaga and I have had this discussion many times.

She catches me up on the school gossip, who's sleeping with who, and who cheated on who, and it feels good to feel like a normal teen for once.

"And just the other day, Seara was at lunch, right? And she came up to me talkin' 'bout some--" A short knock on the door interrupts her speech. 

"Man, they kickin' me out already?" she whines.

I chuckle. Lsyannaga has gotten kicked out a few times for talking too loudly or disrupting the peace.

"Come in," I call. Nothing could've prepared me for the person who walked through the door.

"Hey Annabelle," says Zayn Malik quietly. He notices that I have company and moves to go back outside. "Should I come back later. . .?"

"No Of course not! Sit your fine behind in this chair," Says Lasyannaga. Zayn grabs a chair and we sit in an awkward silence before anyone says anything.

"You don't mind stepping out for a few minutes? I need to talk to Annabelle about something," Zayn says.

Lasyannaga agrees even before he's finish with his sentence. "No problem. As long as I get a picture," 

Zayn grins at her and they take a few pictures together before she leaves and we're finally alone.

"What is it you wanted to tell me?" I ask. His brow is slightly furrowed and his eyes look slightly red, as if he'd been crying. I could tell it wasn't going to be good news.

Zayn sighs and covers his face with his hands for a few moments before answering. "Perrie broke up with me today,"

A small gasp escapes me. He and Perrie have been together for so long, I never thought they'd ever break up! They were practically made for each other. I can't even begin to imagine how hard that must've been for Perrie, or how much it hurt Zayn.

"She said she didn't want to waste my time with someone who didn't love me," He continues. "And I guess I don't want to waste her's"

"Perrie is clearly an idiot," I say, "Anyone who would leave you is," I speak the truth. Zayn seems like such a good person, if I had the chance to date him, I'd never give him up.

Zayn gives me a grateful smile. "Thanks,"

"Were you guys in love?" I ask. I have to know just how much he's hurting right now, if he's hurting at all.

"That's the thing. I thought I was in love with perrie, but when we broke up, I barely felt anything. I still felt the hurt of being dumped and would always care for her, but it didn't feel like my heart had been rippeed out of my body and put in a blender," 

I nod. the same thing had happened to me when my ex-boyfriend found out I had cancer. But that's a whole other story.

"Are you going to be okay?" I ask, genuinly concerned about his well being. I know there's not point in developing feelings for him, though, because, let's face it, who wants to date a skeletal girl with cancer? But, i still find myself worrying and thinking about him, day and night.

"Yeah. i think I'm going to be alright," He says. By the slight smile on his face and the twinkle in his eye, I can tell he's telling the truth.

He shifts a bit closer to me and I catch a whiff of something that makes me freeze. i lift my nose up, like a rabbit, and sniff the air again to make sure I'm not mistaken. I smell smoke on Zayn. It is then that I notice the box of cigarettes sticking out of his back pocket.

Zayn sees the strcken look on my face and asks what's wrong. 

I point a shaky finger at his pocket where the death-on-a-stick lay. 

"What is that?" I ask quietly. I am not about to raise my voice as if he were a child, but he still bows hsi head in shame as if he were one.

"Cigarettes," He says.

I close my eyes and lay my head back on the pillow, the feeling of dread over powering me. "Why Zayn?"

He says nothing and I ask my question again, this time on the verge of tears. "Why?!"

"Because."

I wait for him to comtinue.

"I- I can't help it, Annabelle. I'm addicted to them and after our break up, I needed something to calm me down," He explains. He grabs my hands in his and looks into my eyes, pleading for me to understand.

I rip my hands away from his and advert my gaze.

"You know what that stuff does to you, right?" I don't let him answer. "They could give you cancer, Zayn. Cancer. The same thing that I have right now, but in your lungs. And you know what would happen then? You would be in and out of a hospital, never having a normal life, never touring again, never making another album, because of freaking cancer!" I practically scream that last part; I'jm so pissed.

Zayn is slack jawed with shock. 

"Give them to me,"I say, gesturing towards the box.

"What?" He finally sputters.

"You heard me,"

Reluctantly, he hands me the box of cigarettes.

"If I ever catch even a whiff of smoke coming off you ever again, I will banish you from this hospital room and tell the paparazzi you were smoking near a cancer patient," I threaten, i know that that may seem like going overboard, but i didn't want anyone to suffer through what i was going through rite now and if this was the way to do it, then so it shall be.

Zayn just stares at me in disbelief for a moment. I glare at him to let him know I'm as serious as a heart attack-- or in this case, cancer.

"Okay. i'll quit. for real this time. I throw away all the cigarettes and try those nicotine gun thingies," He says finally.

I let my expression soften to a pleading one. "Promise?"

"Promise," He says firmly. I chose to belive him and bring him in for an awkward but comforting hug. He stiffens for a moment before melting into my embrace. We hold each other like that before pulling away reluctantly, knowing that Lasyannaga or a nurse could burst in at any moment.

"Girl, you done, yet?" Speak of the devil. Lasyannaga barges in again and stops short when she sees how close Zayn and I are.

"I'm sorry, was I interuppting something?" She smiles teasingly at me.

"No, actually, I have to go now," Zayn says, blushing a deep red. "But, it was nice meeting you and i'll see you later Annabelle," He stares into my eyes for a few moments before pulling away. In them I can see sorrow and pain, but happiness because of my visit.

"Bye Zayn," I say and he disappears through the door once again.

I prepare myself for the shower of questions that Lasyannaga is going to rain down upon me, all the while thinking about Zayn's promise. I truly hope he keeps it.