Near To You (One Direction Fan Fiction)

Chapter Sixteen

            I thought back to the moment I watched her beg her father to buy her an expensive DSLR camera as an early birthday gift the moment the opportunity arose for her to take yearbook pictures. In our senior year you could never find her without her camera, it practically became her second limb.

            "I haven't picked up a camera in years," Savannah denied. "I'm not even sure I know how to take proper pictures anymore. I wasn't very good anyway."

            "You were amazing," I insisted. "And I'm not just saying this as your best friend. I mean it."

            I knew that she was still slightly doubtful so I decided to make her an offer she wouldn't refuse.

            "How about this," I started. "You take a picture of me, one of those 'meet the author' ones where I'm smiling all cheerily. I'll show it to Jules, and not tell her it was you. If she likes it, then you'll know you've got talent."

            "Jules is kind of picky," Savannah conceded.

            "Kind of?" I chuckled. "Try monumentally."

            "Fine."

            I felt overjoyed. I ran up to my room quickly, searching for my camera which I had gotten soon after Savannah. She had helped me pick it out herself so I knew that it was at least of a fairly decent quality.

            Once I found it hidden in one of my drawers I came back down, passing it to her. In no time she had it on and was cruising through the settings like a pro. I honestly couldn't believe she didn't realize how much of a natural she was.

            She cocked the lens my way and captured an image before I could even prepare myself.

            “What was that about?”

            “The best photos are always the natural ones,” she told me, passing the camera my way. “See?”

            I accepted the camera from her and once I saw the photo, I knew what she meant. Although I was looking slightly away from the camera, I had a genuine smile on my face. The light cast a shadow across my face and my hair hung loose around my shoulders covered in my bright red sweater. It was an amazing picture, and I definitely wanted it to be the one everyone saw when they bought my books.

            “I love it.”

            She smiled and took the camera back from me, taking a few pictures this time of the surrounding houses and the snow. I knew she would be occupied for a while now, so when my phone rang I did not hesitate to answer it.

            “Hello?”

            “Michelle?”

            “This is she.” I grinned, knowing exactly who it was. “What are you doing calling me, Zayn? It’s almost midnight there, isn’t it?”

            I glanced toward the phone on my clock, realizing that it was indeed nearing seven o’clock. The time difference had been troublesome the first few days, but by now my body had adjusted. I could only imagine what it would be like after I returned.

            “I just wanted to see how you were.” There was a lot of noise behind him. It sounded as if he were at a party, but if that was the case, then why was he on the phone with me? He should have been finding a girl to pucker up to. Being Zayn Malik, finding one would hardly be a problem. I, of course, didn’t want that to happen, but I knew better than to think otherwise.

            “I’m fine.” I ducked inside the quiet living room for a moment. My mother had gone across the street to borrow some flutes for our champagne and had yet to return. With Savannah outside I had complete privacy.

            “Are you busy?” he questioned. “I don’t want to be interrupting anything.”

            “No, I’m not.” I glanced back at Savannah who had yet to realize I had gone inside. “Savannah’s over, we’re going to bring in the New Year with my mother.”

            “Classy,” he joked. Over the past few days we had called each other a bit, even on Christmas day itself, and once again it caused me to question everything. I would definitely demand an answer once I returned, I decided. Good or bad, at least I would know where we stood.

            “Very,” I agreed. “Not as lush as the party you’re at, I’m sure.”

            “It’s sort of boring, to be honest.” He sighed. The noise cut off suddenly, and I knew he had gone somewhere quieter, maybe outside. “If you were here then we could make fun of everyone who’s pissed.”

            “As enticing as that sounds,” I giggled. “I think I prefer my low key plans.”

            “Low key sounds lovely,” he murmured. We fell silent for a few moments but I knew he was still there because I could hear his breathing on the other end of the line. Chanting began. Ten, nine, eight, seven. He would be in a New Year before me, and I wondered if it was symbolic, that he was leaving me in the past somehow.

            “Go find a girl right now,” I demanded. “We can’t have you not ring it in the proper way.”

            “I don’t think I want to.”

Three, two, one.

            “Happy New Year,” he told me.

            “Happy New Year,” I murmured in response. “You wasted the perfect opportunity.”

“I’d much rather be speaking with you, Michelle.”

            I swore that for a moment I forgot how to breathe. He had a way with words that could still my entire system in an instant.