Smile *A Zayn Malik Love Story*

Goodbye

"Push!" The tensions rise as we get further and further up the mountain. Oliver zooms ahead of us with Liam and Anna hot on his tail.

"No, pull! You're the one with the biceps!" I yell at Zayn. Up ahead of us Tiffany stops to reapply her Baby Lips. Lou looks over in disgust, grabs the tube from her hand, and chucks it down the side of the mountain. Tiffany's mouth forms an O as Louis starts back on the strenuous hike.

"I can see the top!" Anna shouts. This motivates Zayn who pulls himself up once more. Finally after hours we reach the top and collapse onto the warm rock. We all finish off our bottles of water andd just sit there panting. When I look over, Cara and Harry are kissing again.

"I HAVE AN ANNOUNCEMENT TO MAKE!" Louis's voice echoes. "I HAVE A GIRLFRIEND." Tiffany's face flushes red. Great, I'm the only one without a boyfriend now. This is so awesome.

"How long've you been dating?" Anna asks.

"Louis asked me out the same day Liam asked you, we just didn't want to tell anybody." Tiff says. Harry and Cara don't even look up to congratulate the couple.

Honestly, there's something wrong with them. Finally Louis decides he wants pictures, so they all pull out their phones. Harry and Cara stop making out long enough to take a selfie with a gorgeous background.

"That one's for Twitter." Harry smiles. We all laugh and soon we start our descent down the mountain. Zayn's warm body feels good pressed against mine and I can't stop thinking about how cute the other couples are.

*****

"Where did you guys put the last sandwhich?" Cara asks lifting up the paper plates. Liam adds a log to the fire as Niall pulls out his guitar. He strums some chords and Keegan leans up against him. The fire casts an eerie glow over all of my friends. I shiver and Zayn scoots closer, smiling his megawatt smile. He puts his arm around me and pulls me closer.

"Is this it?" My voice can barely be heard over the crackling fire. Niall stops playing. It's our last night, spring break ends in three days, we're all going home. "Is this the end?" Cara lays her head against Harry's shoulder.

"It can't be the end." Liam says. He pulls the blanket tighter around himself and Anna.

"I love you guys. So so much." Cara bursts into tears at the thought. Harry pulls her close. My throat tightens as I look over at Zayn. A tear threatens to spill over onto his cheek. Harry swipes a tear from Cara's neck. Don't cry, Reagan. You're better than that.

"Guys, let's just be happy this one last time together." Anna says.

"Not last time." Niall corrects her, strumming a minor chord. Zayn looks over at me, a tear drips off of his chin. He holds out his hand for me to take and I grab it. We stand up as he leads me off into the woods.

"Where are we going?" I ask.

"Shhhh."

An owl hoots somewhere in the distance. The trees rustle around us. We end up on a trail I've never seen and Zayn leads me along. The moonlight lights our way as we head down the winding path. We end up in a clearing where Zayn plops down on a log. I sit next to him. I see Yosemite falls in the distance. Pops of red and blue suddenly explode in the air. 

"You got fireworks!" I exclaim. Zayn laughs as his hand reaches his pants pockets. He mumbles some choice words under his breath. 

"You stay here. I forgot something." He gets back up and dashes into the woods and I laugh, wrapping my sweater tightly around me. I watch the colors explode around me and realize this is it. This is what I've been waiting for. I'm suprised to find the tear dripping down my cheek. The brush behind me rustles. I try to wipe away the tear but another flows down, joining it. 

"Zayn?" He wraps his arms around me.

"Rea, I've been meaning to ask you something."

"No, Zayn... I can't... date you." I tell him. 

"What?" 

"I... Zayn, I really like you. I really do. I hope you can understand that. You're an amazing guy, but I'm not ready." Zayn takes my hand. 

"I totally get it, Rea." His deep brown eyes stare into my soul. I swear, he could see everything. 

"I love you, Zayn. I'm not ready, though."

"For what? The girls?"

"The hate."

"That's no problem Rea."

"They'd eat me alive Zayn." I throw myself into his jacket and inhale the scent of laundry detergent, pine, campfire, and cigarette smoke.

"It's okay, Rea. Will you wait for me?"

"Of course I will, Zayn." I smile up at him and he looks down at me. I lay my head on his chest. 

"Could it be a secret... I mean could we be a secret?"

"I'm not good at hiding, Zayn."

"I just feel it, Rea. I need you." 

"I need you too." I say. My heart lurches, and I know I'm saying what I feel.

"Will you be my secret girlfriend, Reagan?"

"I'd be honored, Mr. Malik." I smile. 

And then we kiss.