All is Fair: Zayn Malik Fanfiction

Chapter 16

I wake up at the sound of my phone buzzing on the ground. I was smart enough to leave that in my pocket instead of my purse yesterday. It is 9:30 am. Who would be up this early on a weekend? I pick up the phone and read the message.

From Harry:
So did you want me to take you to the coffee shop this morning?

I smile.

To Harry:
Yeah, thanks :)

He says he will be over in half an hour, which gives me barely enough time to get ready.

While I get dressed, I cannot help but think about everything that happened and did not happen yesterday. We had so much fun. I really am starting to like him. He has such a playful and gentle manner about him that is so cute. Not to mention how attractive he really is. Especially all of those tattoos. It was really surprising to see the butterfly on his stomach when he took off his shirt, though. Quite out of the ordinary.

I content in wearing a plaid flannel and dark skinny jeans with combat boots. I brush out my hair, but leave it in its natural, wavy state. I throw on some light make up, and quickly finish everything by the time I hear the doorbell ring.

"I'll get it," I call to Charlotte, who has been cooking something in the kitchen. I jog up to the door. Charlotte comes up closer from the kitchen, wanting to see who I am dressed up to meet.

I open the door. "Hi-" I can hardly get out.

He immediately attacks me with a kiss. Right there. At my front door. And I would not call it a sweet first kiss, exactly. It has more...Passion? Not rough, not dainty. Like a 'hey we really could be something' sort of kiss. Like it came straight out of a movie and struck me at my door.

I can imagine Charlotte's jaw dropping behind me.

He pulls away after a while. "Hi," he says.

"Well good morning to you, too," I joke. It's not normal that I am able to come up with something like that so easily. I start to mess with the ends of my hair quickly thereafter, probably blushing like crazy, marking the end of the short amount of confidence I was able to express.

He chuckles. "Are you all ready?"

"Yeah," I smile. "Bye Charlotte. He's taking me to get my purse."

She still looks in a daze. Harry and I walk to his car. "Is your friend alright?" he asks.

"Oh, yeah. She was just a bit shocked." We get in. "I was a bit shocked," I say under my breath.

Apparently he could hear me, though. "Sorry, I just thought it was way overdue," he says. So did I.

"Did you eat yet?" he asks me.

My heart actually starts to beat faster. "No," I say. Gosh. Another date like yesterday's would be magical.

"Alright. We can stop by a McDonald's on the way back."

I chuckle.

"What?" He asks, but he spreads out the word into two syllables.

"You're joking, right?" I say.

"No," he drags out also.

I furrow my brow, but just start to smile. I cannot even understand his brain half of the time.

We drive to the coffee shop and pick up my purse, and find that everything is still there, due to some miracle. Harry starts to drive to McDonald's. I secretly hope he was just pretending, that he will take me somewhere amazing. My hope dries out as the double arches get nearer and nearer.

He goes through the drive-thru. "What do you want?" He asks me.

"I don't know," I respond. I am slightly annoyed by the fact that he is taking me through a drive-thru, but I feel like he is planning something. That he would not just do something as cheap as this. Despite that, he never exactly did ask me on a formal date, so should I really be expecting one?

"I'll have a Big Mac meal, please, with a small coke," he says to the intercom. He turns to me. "What do you want?" he whispers.

"Uhh." The fricking menu is so long. The voice on the intercom asks if that is all. Harry raises his eyebrows expectantly.

"Choose something," he urges.

"It's not that simple," I retort.

He sighs. "Also, can I get a chicken nuggets mean with a small coke?"

Again with the ordering for me. The cashier tells us the price and Harry pulls up the car to the next window. We get our food that Harry pays for. He starts to drive off while eating his burger, which honestly makes me a little nervous.

This car is so silent. He does not turn on the radio, though. I have to say something.

"You know what is funny?" I say. "It is only 10:15 and we are eating cheeseburgers and chicken nuggets."

"Hey, can I take you somewhere?" He asks almost like he was in a hurry, totally disregarding my statement.

"Sure?" And I say it like a question. This boy confuses me so well.

"Great."

We still drive in silence until we get to a park. It is almost empty, except for a few children playing on the swings and monkey bars.

We get out of the car and bring our food with us. Harry leads me to a tree. "I'll hold your food," he says.

"So you want me to climb it?" I ask, still confused on everything that is happening.

"Yes." I hand him my drink and fries. Climbing. I have not climbed a tree since I was probably 16. That was years ago. Well I guess I better relearn now. I start to put my hands on the trunk and somehow lift myself up. I make it to the first branch and sit on it, pretty proud of my accomplishment.

"Don't fall," Harry says. "It looks like a good two foot drop from where you're at," he smirks.

I roll my eyes. "Higher," he orders.

I get up and start to climb some more. "If I fall and die it will be on your conscience."

"Sure," he says.

I make it to where I consider to be "higher" and refuse to move anymore. Harry quickly scales the tree while holding our food and drinks in half the time I did.

The branch can support both of our weight and sit us comfortably. So we sit on it, legs hanging down like we are kids. The two of us only have our fries and sodas left from McDonald's, so for a few minutes we are shoving the fries into our faces.

"You're not British, right?" He asks me.

"My dad was. He married my mom in the US and raised my brother and I there until I was almost 10. Then we moved back out here."

"That explains a lot," he laughs.

We start to talk. Under the shade of the tree, it is cool. Fresh air and a kind environment make talking easier. We share music. He shows me a couple of really cool bands I have never heard of, and basically all I show him is Ed Sheeran, and find out that Harry really likes him too. All Ed lovers are good people.

Music plays from my phone off Pandora. Harry sits next to the trunk, and he leans on it and crosses his arms. Wind comes and shakes the smaller branches above us, causes Harry's hair to fall over his eyes, makes me feel calm.

"So what is your problem?" Harry asks me with such a serious face there is no possibility that he is joking.

"What?" What is he trying to ask me?

"You're just so nice and pretty and seem to have your life in order. There has to be a problem, right? So what is it?"

He stares me down. I am very tight on money right now. My father's death causes excessive guilt for me. Because of one guy from high school, I have trust problems. My insecurities make me hide myself. I feel judged everywhere I go. I know you had a role in my past but I do not know from where or why you are so memorable. "Nothing, really."

"Yeah, okay."

"What's your problem?" I ask him.

"I- I don't really have any right now."

Psh. "Yeah, okay."

Bye Bye Bye starts to play by Nsync. "I love this song," I giggle, glad that it could interrupt our last words.

"You like a boy band?" he asks.

"They used to be so cute."

He looks at me with the same facial expression of disgust.

"Yes, I liked them," I answer hostilely.

He chuckles. "Maybe that is your problem."