All is Fair: Zayn Malik Fanfiction

Chapter 31

My forehead wrinkles. "What do you mean?"

"I leave you alone for one minute, and you get into trouble. Just, don't do that this time."

I can tell this subject weighs on him a lot. I'm not bothered by him asking me to be careful, although he said it in a really condescending tone. And I seem to remember him saying that he wants to forget everything that happened, and bringing it up, doesn't count as forgetting it. But I respond favorably anyway, because I am trying hard to keep everything between us peaceful. We don't need another fight. "I'm going to be with my family. I won't be able to. Plus, I promise I won't."

"Don't," he says. "Ok. I'll call you later. Bye."

"Bye," I say back. I hang up my phone and continue to drive.

************

I walk inside my old home for the first time in forever. The entire house is decked with Christmas decorations, and I know it is all my mother's work. She lives for this holiday.

"Hey, guys," I say loud enough to echo through the entire house. I put my heavy suitcase on the floor, put my keys in my pocket and pace around, waiting for someone to show themselves.

I look at the photos by the front door. They're sweet. Most of them were back from when we were all living together. Wow we were ugly.

"Ew, it's you," a deep voice says. I turn my face to the unexpected sound. Isaac.

Holy shit this boy has changed.

"Look who's talking," I answer with disgust.

He smiles wide, his gorgeous smile, and opens his arms for a hug. I walk quickly to him and throw my arms around him. I don't know why, but since we've been so far apart for this time, I feel like we've grown closer.

He wraps his arms around me and I rest my head on his chest. "You've changed so much," I say. "You're an adult! What did California do to you?"

He looks so different. He has grown a few inches. He's lost his teenage look to him, and has developed muscle everywhere, destroying any trace of chubby boy fat he had the last time I saw him. And he's tan. Californian sun colored him two shades darker.

He laughs at my comment. Oh my god, even his laugh is different. He sounds so mature.

"I'm serious Isaac! You're so different!"

He lets go of me. "Mom told me you missed Eve's birthday."

I scowl. "So did you."

"I live in California."

"Well I was sick."

He rolls his eyes. "At least I skyped her. I didn't just send her a crummy card of money for her birthday."

I narrow my eyes."Fuck you."

"What was that?" I hear a judging voice from around the corner.

"Mom," I say, as I see her come into the living room.

"Hey, baby," she says in her soft voice. I go to hug her. She is still short and still soft and still adorable as she has always been. Her voice turns harsher as she speaks into my ear. "Ok now listen. You do anything that your sister wants while you're here. You forgot her birthday, and she was so disappointed-"

I step back from her. "I didn't forget, I was sick!"

"Whatever. Just, make it up to her, okay?" She looks at me with hopeful green eyes that shame me into listening to her.

"Okay," I say. I go and sit on the couch and watch the TV play the movie Frozen. My mom loved the movie so much I think she wants to make it a new holiday tradition.