Stumbling Upon This Thing Called Love

{Chapter 6} ~Annabelle~

"What's with the beanie," I ask, giving it a light tug as we pull out of the parking lot. "Bad hair day?"

Zayn grins. "Yeah. Ed woke us up bright and early this morning and I wasn't in the mood to take thirty minutes to fix it so I just slipped on this beanie,"

"Why did Ed call you guys?" Geez, nosy much? I scold myself.

"We had to re-record the chorus for one of our songs. It only took a few minutes, but Ed took forever to get there. i just got when I decided to come and visit you,"

The thought of him thinking about me in his free time makes me blush scarlet. Little does he know, he also fills my brain at night.

"So, where are we going?" I decide to change the subject.

"If I told you, it wouldn't be a surprise, now would it?" He replies with a Cheshire cat smile on his lips. I slump in my chair and pretend to pout. This gets a laugh out of him and my heart soars, knowing that I was the one who produced such a happy noise from him. I will strive to hear it more.

For the rest of the ride we talk about all types of subjects, from our favorite types of music (Zayn is hip hop and R&B and I'm more pop and rock alternative) to our favorite kinds of candy (I'm a Snickers girl, through and through, whereas Zayn prefers Butterfingers). We have as much in common as Kate Moss has with JLo, but we find each other's company intoxicating.

"How can you like Butterfingers? Those things are disgusting! All that crisp and peanut butter,"

Zayn scoffs. "Coming from the girl who likes a mix of peanuts, nougat, and caramel,"

I'm about to retort to him, but something catches my attention. Zayn is now parking into the parking lot of a small restaurant in a quiet street. It has a few patio tables outside and looks warm and inviting inside. The script on the double doors in form me that it's name is Talia's Fine Pizza and Cuisine.

"I wanted to go somewhere private for our first date, where we would be safe from the paparazzi," Zayn explains. He comes around to my side to open the door for me. Such a gentleman, I muse silently as he also holds the restaurant's doors open.

The place is dimly lit by strategically placed candles and long white ones on the tables. Zayn pulls out my chair for me before taking his own. A blond waitress comes to light our candles and take our orders. My eyes immediately scan the menu for the cheapest/most ladylike food to eat. Zayn must be able to read minds because he tells me to get whatever I like, money is not an issue.

I go the safe route and get chicken tenders with chili fries. Zayn orders a deep dish pizza and chili fries, too. When the waitress leaves, the table fills with the first awkward silence of the evening.

I fiddle with some of the rings on my finger and glance at him occasionally.

"Well this is awkward," Zayn states simply. This breaks the tension and we both burst out laughing. We start a whole conversation about how annoying awkward moments are and all too soon the waitress arrives with the food.

Steam comes off the fries like smoke and the chicken tenders are extra crispy, just the way I like them. I might have to return to this place.

"How do you manage to pass school wiith the treatments?" Zayn asks suddenly. My cancer is not one of my favorite subjects, but Zayn asks it with pure interest, so I answer honestly.

"I don't really know. Even though I sometimes miss weeks of school, Lasyannaga brings me the work and I manage to slip by every year. I hope I can make it to my graduation this spring,"

"Wow, you must be a genius, because I would never be able to finish all that work on my own. I'd need a pretty girl like you to tutor me," He adds softly.