You're Perfect To Me *A Ziall AU*

PROLOGUE

Hey, I know I said I was gonna go on a break. But I literally can't not write! Anyways, I'll post as much as I can before I go on hiatus, but here you go for your reading pleasures!

You're Perfect To Me

PROLOGUE

<<Zayn's POV>>

I opened my sketchbook. I just got a new sketchbook for my eighth birthday yesterday. I was so excited. I loved to draw, and now, finally, I got my own sketchbook and pencils! No more of drawing on the back of mom's scrap paper. I flipped to the first page and sat on my desk, which was really my sister, Doniya's old desk. It had nicks and marks, but I loved it. I looked outside my small window and try to see some of the animals there. There wasn't anything in the dense snow. I looked around my room. I didn't really have much. Just my twin sized bed, some generic sheets, my little dresser and closet, my table lamp and a pile of homework, I had no stuff to draw!

I was getting cold, our house was old and it was hard to always keep warm in the weekends. Then I heard a knock on the door.

"Come in!" I chirped. The creaky door opened and my mother came in. She had dark hair and a simple, white house dress with a wool shawl. She came in with a cup of zhourat tea.

"Hey, I made you some tea, it's a bit cold, are you alright?" She asked.

"Oh, thanks!" I thanked. She set the teacup and saucer on my desk. I wrapped a blanket over myself and took a sip.

"Hey, I see you're about to draw." mom said. "What do you plan on drawing?" She asked, pulling her shawl tighter over herself and sat on my bed.

"I don't know, there's nothing beautiful to draw." I sighed. It was true, there was nothing really pretty here in my room.

"Aww, Zayn, there's always something beautiful in life, you just gotta look for it." She told me. She sipped some of my tea.

"Hmmm." I wondered. I tried to look all around.

"Just watch, and you'll see it hun." She smiled. What's something beautiful? I wondered. Then I got it. She was sitting right in front of me.

"Mom!" I gasped. "I'll draw you!" She was surprised. "You're the most beautiful thing in the world!" I said.

"Well, that's not quite what I meant." She chuckled. "But alright!" She chuckled. "Go ahead, Michelangelo! I know you'll make me proud!" I laughed and started on my drawing. She sat up straight, tied back her hair and put on some lip gloss.

"Okay, you ready?" I asked. I took a sip of the hot tea.

"Yep, ready when you are!" Mom replied. I opened my green box of the drawing pencils. I looked at my mother, who was almost as frozen as a stone. I tried to draw an oval, the overall shape of her face, very lightly, like in art class. I then outlined her jawline. Okay, no mistakes yet.

I continued to draw, the eyes, her lashes and the hair. Shoot! The hair was way to sloppy! I tried to erase it. Shoot! I drew too dark. I panicked.

"Relax, relax." Mom assured. I took a deep breath and relaxed. "Even Picasso and Manet made mistakes." She assured. "You can't be afraid of making mistakes."

"Okay, okay." I said to myself. I took another sip of tea and repositioned myself. I drew the rest of the hair as best as I could. I chose a softer pencil and filled it in. I used my finger and blended it all in. Okay, the hair was okay. I looked at my mother. Her eyes gave hope and life. I made sure to capture it in my drawing. She was so much better in real life. She's better than drawings, better than photographs, better than words.

After about a half an hour, my mother was still patient. The tea had gotten cold. She still sat as still as stone. Gosh, I wish I had as much patience as her. I was finally finished! I looked over my drawing and then back at my mom. My heart sank. How could I have turned a perfect angel into the hideous beast on my paper. Oh no! The crinkles by her eyes when she smiled. I panicked again. The lines by her eyes were way too dark. The hair looked so much lighter and thinner. She looks so old!

"Hey, what's wrong?" She asked, still still.

"Um, well, I finished." I said, faking a smile.

"Can I look at it?" She asked. She got up. I pulled the sketchbook towards my chest.

"Is everything alright?" She asked. I shook my head. She gently pried the sketchbook from me. Her eyebrows raised and I was so dissappointed.

"See, I did horrible!" I whined. "See, I tried my best, but look, your eyes look old, your hair looks old, you look like your neck is an elephant's, your lashes look like spider legs and eyes are lopsided!" I pointed out.

 I turned my beautiful mother into a work of the devil.  

"What was the first thing you said?" She asked. I was confused.

"See, I did horrible." I recited.

"No, after that." She asked.

"Umm, I did my best." I repeated.

"Yes darling, and you know what? That's all that matters." She assured.

"What? But if this is my best work, I'm doomed!" I wailed. "I'll never be like Rembrandt or Vermeer." I complained.

"Hey, hey, hey, all of them started out like this, honey." She said. "What matters is that you don't give up, you have to keep practicing, what comes easy doesn't last, but what lasts doesn't come easy." She advised. I listened.

"Yeah, I suppose you're right." I sighed. "But I'm still a failure!"

"What true failure is isn't falling down. It's refusing to get back up!" She told me. "Look Zayn, you're not going to be perfect over night, but with time, you'll rise above. True talent is hard work." She told me.

"I suppose." I said. "But this drawing still sucks."

"Aww, Zayn, your drawing is so full of talent! Especially with your age! Most kids don't even draw eyebrows or lashes or even shade." She pointed out all the things in my drawing she liked. "You always notice the little things, you're so full of attention and passion." She said. She cupped my chin.

"And that's gonna be helpful for you in life, honey." She added. "Just promise me something." She told me. Mom was so wise.

"What's that?" I asked.

"One, you;ll never give up on your dreams." She told me. "And second, someday you'll use your talent, not to make what's beautiful to the world, but to make the world beautiful." She said. "Promise me that, honey?" She asked. I looked in her eyes. She held my hand. I looked down at my artwork and thought of seven or eight years later, that picture will transform into a craft worthy of God himself.

I looked back up at my mother again and looked straight into her warm eyes. "Yes, I promise." I vowed.

"I knew you would, because you're champion, you've got a fire for a heart, you're not one to find the light of the world, you're going to be the light for the world." She hugged me. 

Hey! So how was the prologue? I know it might sound a lot like"Love Can Be Frightening", but don't worry, the plot lines are completely original and I hope you'll like it!

QOTD: Anybody out there multi/bi lingual and willing to translate my book(s)? (Fan art book and Hot or Not do not count) If you are, thank you so much, and please msg me. I'll do a shoutout to you and put your book in my reading list and maybe follow you! If you can't, perhaps ask/tag someone who can. Thanks!

(PS, if I asked you before, you know who you are)

Non-advertisement question of the day: What do you think is gonna happen in the book? You already know what you just read, plus it's gonna be ziall (duh), so what's your theory/theories?

Bye!