radio

corner of broke and starving

1485 words

zayn stood on the side walk, singing his heart out, earning at least $4 an hour. people stood around him as he sang, cheering him on and smiling at him. and at the end of the day, he would take all the money he had earned for the day, go to the supermarket and buy groceries for him and his mum. but tonight was different.

"excuse me?" a man asked, he wore a black suit, with batman cufflinks. "your voice is quite lovely."

"oh thank you." zayn smiled, and blushed.

"may i ask your name?" the stranger asked.

"zayn." zayn answered as he counted the coins and dollars he had. "20.34"

"can we take a walk, zayn?" the man asked and zayn nodded.

"i've come to watch you for a few weeks now, zayn. and your voice is nothing i've ever heard before. i'm liam, from payne producing. my father told me to go find new talent. and i think it's you." liam smiled at zayn and zayn looked up at him.

"me? oh i'm nothing special." zayn said and liam shook his head.

"you're special. you've got the voice, you definitely got the beauty." liam smiled again and zayn blushed.

"you're just saying that." zayn tried to hide his smile.

"no. really. i wanna make you the next best thing. have my card. think about it and call me when you've made your decision, okay?" liam handed zayn his business card, smiling and walked to the black car parked by a meter. zayn looked down at the card, put it in his pocket, and walked to the grocery store.

_

"mum! i'm home!" zayn called out. the small apartment was dark and quiet. "mum?"

"in here!" she called out from their bedroom.

"i bought groceries." zayn showed his mum the bags.

"such a good boy." trisha stood up and hugged her son.

"and today, a producer came watch me, and he gave me his card." zayn pulled the card out of his pocket. "can i, mum?"

"i always knew you had a talent zayn. do what ever you need to do. i believe in you darling." trisha kissed zayn's forehead.

"thanks mum."

"i love you sweetheart."

"i love you too."

_

"payne producing this is liam."

"i'll do it." zayn said, playing with the wire of the payphone.

"zayn?" liam asked and zayn bit his lip.

"yes." zayn smiled and he heard liam chuckle on the other line.

"i'll meet you where you usually sing?" liam asked.

_

"do you really think you have a shot in the music industry?" mr. payne, liam's dad asked.

"yes, sir." zayn said and bit the inside of his cheek.

"let me see what you've got." mr. payne said and zayn looked all around the room, seeing a piano.

"may i?" he asked, gesturing to the piano. mr. payne nodded.

he walked over to the piano, sat on the bench and started playing.

"i cried enough tears to see my own reflection in them. and then it was clear i can't deny, i really miss him. to think that i was wrong.
i guess you don't know what you got 'til it's gone. pain is just a consequence of love. i'm sayin' sorry for the sake of us. he wasn't my everything 'til we were nothing. and it's taking me a lot to say. but now that he's gone, my heart is missing something. so it's time i push my pride away. cause you are. you are. you are my everything. you are. you are. you are my everything." zayn sang and stopped to look at mr. payne, who had tears in his eyes.