We're Okay

Chapter 4

Liam

He’d played so well during the first half of the game. Even his father had taken a moment to come up behind him on the bench and whisper a, “Good start,” in his ear. He could see Harry, on the top of one of the bleachers, sitting beside a pretty girl with red hair and cheering him on, too. He’d explained that Niall wasn’t able to make it, but Liam didn’t mind. He didn’t expect them to actually come to all of his games, and it was more than enough that Harry was there.

He didn’t expect him to be at his game, either. He hadn’t noticed him until the ten minute break, when he was sitting on the bench, chugging back a bottle of Gatorade. He was in the same spot he’d been last time but now he was leaning against the fence, his face, from what Liam could see, an expression of casual indifference. Liam watched as he brought his hand to his mouth and took a drag of his cigarette, holding in the smoke for a beat, and then letting it out so that it clouded around him.

He remembered Zayn asking when his next game was, and telling Liam that he’d see him then. He hadn’t actually thought he meant it, though. In fact, he’d done his best to just forget that whole conversation, because he didn’t know what to think of Zayn.

Zayn, with his leather jacket and constant cloud of cigarette smoke. With his high-styled hair, and dark eyes. And the reputation that preceded him. Who Niall had told him to stay away from.

Liam could do that, stay away from Zayn. If Zayn would just stay away from him. Except he kept turning up, when Liam least expected it, after that first time in front of the police station.

Then, he’d disliked Zayn instantly. Had labelled him ‘the boy who sold Harry the weed’ and that was that. He didn’t really fit in with people like that. He’d never smoked a joint in his life, or tried anything stronger, either. And he definitely wasn’t looking to befriend a drug dealer.

And yet, the more Zayn turned up, the less Liam felt like telling him to go away. The issue was that Zayn confused him. If Liam had been Harry, or even Niall, it would have made sense. He was used to seeing people -- male and female-- flock to his best friend. Harry just had one of those personalities that drew people in, made them want to get to know him. Liam was not like that. It wasn’t that he didn’t like people, he just knew that, the more they got to knew him, the less they’d like him. It was easier to keep everyone at a distance. Keep his nose down, get his scholarship, and move on with his life.

Zayn Malik paying attention to him didn’t make any sense at all.

Just as he thought that, he thought that he caught Zayn smirking at him. He had half a mind to get up and walk over to him, to demand to know what he was even doing there, like he had when he’d caught Zayn watching him at practise.

Coach ended up blowing his whistle before Liam could talk himself into getting up.

He got back onto the field and played. This time, though, he was distracted. He wished he hadn’t noticed Zayn standing there, ,because after that, it was all he could pay attention to. Whenever he’d run to the side of the field closest to the fence, his eyes would meet Zayn’s. Twice, he fumbled the ball and missed a toss.