Not Thinkin' Bout You

Chapter 45

PREVIOUSLY: Ellody decided to take them, purely because she didn't want to leave a trace of Kay in this house. It was stupid, but something in Ellody's gut was urging her to take them.

"If you're sure," she sighed, tucking them in her suitcase. 

ZACH'S POV:

It was like leaving her at the airport all over again, but the other way around. She was flying back home with Christina and Tatum, so it was Zach's turn to watch his best friend walk through the gates and not come back.

"What are you thinking about?" Ellody asked, interrupting his train of thought. Zach blinked and ran a hand through his hair.

"Oh, nothing. Do you have your Airpods with you? Mine are flat, I didn't realise what day it was," Zach asked. She nodded, leaning over to rifle through her bag and find them. Her hair fell in her face, and he wanted to tuck it behind her ear, but that wasn't for him to do. It wasn't his place, as a best friend, and he knew that. God, what am I thinking?

"Here," she smiled, handing him one. He took it and put it in his ear, glancing at the long line ahead of them. Daniel, Jonah and Jack had stayed behind so that there wasn't a huge security risk, and Corbyn and Zach were keeping low profiles. The airport was absolutely packed with people, and a big group of girls wearing the same jacket were a few rows behind them. It would only take one of them to recognise Zach, Corbyn, Christina, Tate or even Ellody to cause a riot, and Zach would have to leave Ellody here. "What song?" she asked, tugging him out of his thoughts again.

"Um, I don't mind. Khalid?" he suggested. Ellody nodded and turned on her phone, scrolling through her music. Zach watched her carefully as her nose scrunched up. He felt the urge to kiss her, but he pushed it away. Kay. Remember Kay. She's mine. Not Ellody.

"Ooh, this one," Ellody grinned, pressing her screen. Khalid's Better began to play, and Zach smiled.

"What a bop," he grinned. The line moved forward, and Zach grabbed Ellody's suitcase and dragged it a few feet. Ellody smiled appreciatively at him as they came to a stop.

"I hope none of those girls are limelights," Ellody said suddenly, her eyes landing on the big group of girls in jackets.

"I was having the same thought earlier," Zach admitted. He pulled his hoodie up a little more to cover more of his hair while Ellody slid her sunglasses out of her hair and back on her face.

"Don't worry about them, I'm pretty sure one got a good look at Christina earlier and nothing happened," Corbyn muttered in Zach's ear. He shrugged, knowing that there was still a chance a couple of fans could ruin their goodbyes in three seconds.

Finally, it was the girl's turn to drop their bags at the check in and prove their identity before walking into security. Zach walked through the buzzer and was asked to take off his hoodie, and they wouldn't listen to him when he tried to explain how he couldn't really afford to.

"This process will be a lot faster if you could just take off the hoodie, sir," explained a muscular guy wearing all black and a bullet-proof vest. Everyone else was waiting behind Zach, and he turned to ask Ellody what to do. She nodded slightly, and Zach sighed, pulling off his hoodie.

"Look, man, I'm not even getting on the plane. I'm dropping these girls off, and... we can't really be spotted. I'm Zach Herron," he explained, slightly muffled as he pulled his hoodie over his head. Ellody made a sputtering noise behind him, and he guessed she was trying not to laugh at him.

"It's my job to make sure you don't possess anything you shouldn't, you can put it back on when you're done here," the man said, gesturing to the machinery. Zach nodded and stood upright, tossing his jumper on the conveyor belt. The man waved his buzzer-thing over Zach slowly, trying to pick up anything he shouldn't have, but there was nothing. The guy nodded at him and he walked through, taking his hoodie from the other side of the X-ray machine.