At First {ZM}

Chapter 15

I hold onto Chen's hand as she sizes me. Every year she makes me a dress for my birthday. She's been at this since I finished my homework.

"So Chen what's the plan?"

"We say you had to leave for a late night study session. With a girl named Cassidy. I tell her that I met her. She is very nice. Black hair and grey eyes very beautiful."

I try to look at Chen but she sticks me with a needle, "No moving!"

I stifle a laugh, "Okay well thank you Chen. I swear I'll let you meet him."

"Yea yea. I pray he is a good boy this time." She looks up at me holding the pin in her fingers. "Nothing like the other boy. I told you he was no good."

"I know. Can we not talk about him?"

My phone buzzes and I try to bend but the pins start to stick me. I try to reach it without bending but the pins still stick me. I sit up and Kibble takes my phone in his teeth. He jumps up to reach my hand and I take it.

"Thank you Kibble."

Zayn is calling, "Hello." He says.

"Hi." I say as Chen tries to listen and take measurements. Chen mouths the words 'speaker'. So I put it on speaker.

"I'm on my way are you ready?"

I hesitate, "Well I'm sort of ready." he chuckles into the phone, "But I can be ready in a matter of seconds."

"Don't rush. I'll wait."

"Okay."

"Alright I'll text you when I'm in the lobby." With that he ends the call. I look to Chen for any sign in her expression.

"Very nice voice." She mutters. "Go on take off the dress. Go get changed." I come out of the dress with a few points and scratches. I hurry to my room to be ready when he gets here. I button up my flannel shirt and play with my curls a bit. I pull the pants up above my hips rolling them up at the bottom. My height leaves me with long jeans. Sometimes too long. I lace up my high tops and hurry back into the living room. Chen attentively looks over my overall outfit.

"Avery you need more lipstick." I grab out my make up bag and slide the lipstick on. I am very fond of makeup. Not to the point where I'm being compared to a clown but I won't pretend this is my natural look. I sure as hell don't wake up this way.

"Good?" I ask my voice little shaky.

"Good." She nods.

My phone buzzes and I scurry out the door not bothering to check it. "Bye Chen, bye Kibble!" I shout. Eager, I'm slamming the down button of the elevator. I step into the elevator and talk to myself on the way down. Tonight would be the night I will kiss him or let him kiss me. The metal doors open. I am greeted by Bryan.

"Hello Ms. Harper...sorry. Hello Ms. Avery are you heading out?"

I nod, "Hi Bryan." I clench my hands and smile, "Yup. Don't tell my mom." He raises his finger to his lips. Zayn comes to the glass doors. I was going to approach him but he is holding it for someone. I see her high heels before I actually see her. I hide behind the desk. Bryan positions himself by the elevator. Carla from behind the desk stays in her seat and she watches me as I kneel beside her.

My mother's heel tap against the marble. "Thank you for holding the door for me." She says to Zayn. I peeked over the desk to see. She clears her throat, "Mr. Bryan have I gotten any mail?"

Bryan nods, "Hello Ms. Harper, your daughter Avery has already taken it." I watch as Zayn's eyes grow big. He tries to get another look at my mom.

"Thank you." She steps into the elevator. She's completely oblivious to us all looking at her. Or maybe she wasn't but chose to ignore it. Zayn pulls out his phone I figure to text me. I come from behind the desk.

"Hey."

He looks at me confused. A smile plays on his lips, "Hey uh were you here the whole time?" I nod he chuckles, "Well then let's go." I had thought he'd ask why I was hiding. Maybe he didn't care why. Either way I'm glad he didn't.

I remember earlier today he had said he was tired. From the bags under his eyes he hadn't gotten much more sleep. He was dressed in a black button up and dark blue jeans hung at his waist. He pushes the sleeves up revealing the dark ink etched in his skin.

"You never told me how much you have." He jerks his head up.

"I don't know how much it is." He chuckles lightly. He rubs at the nape and smiles from the corner of his mouth. He looks exhausted and I kind of want to put him out of his misery.

"Have you gotten any sleep since this morning?" I ask.

He shakes his head, "No. I took something for the headache I'm fine."

He says he's fine but I can hardly say that his body is a agreeing with him. His eyelids hang low over his eyes.

"You can go home and get some sleep. We can have this date another day."

"Like tomorrow?" He asks.

"No not tomorrow I'm busy tomorrow."

"Well then no." He stops at the light. "I don't want to leave if I can't have my date with you tomorrow." I bite on my lip trying to keep from smiling so big. "I'll be fine okay. This is a date. You shouldn't be trying to end it before it even starts."

Then his eyebrows pinch to the center and he looks at me. "Unless you want to end it now then I can walk you ba-"

I interrupt, "No. I want to go on this date. I want to be here."

The light switches and we start to walk again. I scurry behind to try and keep up. His legs move so quickly for someone who looks as warn out as him.