Voices Numb: Zayn Malik

Chapter 9.

COLE'S POV

It had been 3 days since my little fight with Zayn. 3 days! That was the longest that we haden't talked in the 16 years that I had been neighbours with him.  Austin had left shortly after the fight with Zayn and I have been sitting in basically the same position since then. 

I'm not sure who exactly I was mad at, maybe myself; maybe Zayn; it might even be Austin. 

My mind was blank and I sure I looked like total crap. I laid down and placed my head on the floor. I watched the door open and shoes approach me. 

"How are we feeling today Cole?"

I looked at up Niall through my hair, "Not good."

He placed a new plate of food on the ground and took away the plate from breakfast. 

"Hey Cole, would you be up for making up with Zayn."

"I would love that, but I don't think he would like it too much, he seemed pretty upset when we last... well spoke."

He sat down next to me crossing his legs. "What if I could convince him?"

Tears started to form in the corners of my eyes as I looked at the boy beside me. "Niall.... That would be.... amazing." 

I pulled myself up and gave him a hug. "Thankyou Nialler... This means so much to me."

"I hate seeing you guys fight like this, you have been friends for so long I would hate to see a friendship break up over... well what exactly are you two fighting about?"

"I actually don't know. He has just been acting differently lately."

"Well, we will sort all of this out. How about we all meet down in the lounge room at 6 tonight for some, bonding time."

As Niall left the room I picked up the plate of food and moved it to my bedside table. There was an assortment of food on the plate and I could tell the boy was trying hard. He didn't have to do that to me, but it was nice to know that he was willing to. 

There were some 2 minute noodles on one side of the plate, a fredo frog and tto top it off, a pile of cheese. 

A couple of hours later I dragged myself downstairs to the living room. I was still wearing my favourite blue trackie pants, ugg boots and light pink jumper. My hair, usually my pride and joy was thrown into a messy bun and I didn't even want to start on the state of my makeup and face. 

All the boys were sitting on floor cushions in a circle around the living room. Harry and Niall gestured to a cushion between them and I took a seat. Liam handed me a blanket and I wrapped it around my shoulders.

"Where's Lou?"

"He went to fetch Zayn so that our trove circle can begin."

"Trove circle?"

"Trust and love circle, we were going to go with lust but... well you see what that makes." Harry responded laughing.

Louis and Zayn walked through the door and both took a seat on their separate cushions. 

"Ok guys here's the rules."

"1. You can't talk unless you have the Trove rope.

2. This is a trust circle and you can say whatever you want here.

3. No harmful words.

4. Last but not least: ALWAYS tell the truth."

After Liam laid out the ground rules we each wrote down a topic of discussion or something that had been bothering us on a piece of paper to be placed in a hat in the middle of the circle. 

Each topic was supposed to be anonymous but it wouldn't be hard to pick whose was whose. 

Liam went first and drew out a slip of paper. 

"We will start with something easy then." 

The paper read: Someone has been using all my special shampoo, so now my curls won't bounce when I walk anymore.

"Wow I wonder who that is?" Everyone looked towards Harry.

"Ok, now would anyone like to own up to using Harry's uh, special shampoo, or are we not going to abide by the Trove circle's rules."

Louis slowly raised his hand and Liam passed him the rope. "I've been using it Haz. I would like to say I'm sorry."

"That's ok Boo, we can share." The two boys got up from where they were sitting and hugged it out. 

"Ok now we can move on to the next issue."

"I want to pick" Harry whined.

He stuck in his hand and drew out a slightly more crumpled piece of paper.

I'm getting concerned that we are running out of food in the fridge and I had a dream last night that we all starved to death and I would really not like to see that happen.

"Niall, honey if it makes you feel any better I will go shopping for you guys more often." I stood up and hugged Niall.

He whispered a thankyou in my ear and we sat back down.

"Next one!" Louis through himself into the middle and snagged up his piece of paper and the Trove rope.

I think that we should have a rule of acknowledging when a visitor will visit at least 6 hours before arrival.

I knew immediatly that Zayn had written that "issue"

"Does everyone agree?"

Niall looked reluctant, "But what if it's a spur of the moment thing."

Zayn had been quiet up until now but broke his silence, "We don't want another Austin situation though Niall."

"What do you mean Austin situation."

"Come on Cole, a one night stand. He wasn't even that good looking."

"Austin was not a one night stand."

i stood up and dropped my blanket.

"Wait, wait. Cole you don't have the Trove rope." 

I reached over to Louis and he gave me the rope. "Maybe I don't want Austin to be a one night stand.  It hurts me that you don't approve of the people I like. But you know what hurts more... The fact that you think I'm the type of person that would have a one night stand."

I through the rope back down into the circle. 

"You have really showed me how little you think of me and I'm glad that it has finally surfaced now."

"Where are you going?" He stood up from his seat.

"Out!" 

I grabbed my keys off the door and ran outside. I caught the lift down to the car park and slowly walked through the freezing nights air to the mini.

I suddenly got  chills and had the feeling that i was being followed. I decided to shake it off but it only grew and grew until I found myself running towards the car. I was stopped just as I could get in and I realised what was happening to late.