The Last Of Us Book 2: The Leaders

Chapter 11

"Wakey wakey."  Zayn groaned, turning over and pulling the sheets over his head.  "WAKE UP!!!!"  Zayn's eyes snapped open.

"AAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!"

"Nice to know you're so happy to see me."

"Niall?!", Zayn asked, pushing the blonde boy off of him.  "What gave you the bright idea to put your face right in front of mine before waking me up!?"  Niall fell to the floor, his face turning red from laughing so much.  "I haven't missed you one bit, you jerk."

"Sorry about him, he had sugar."

Zayn knew that voice.  God, he hasn't heard that voice in so long...he's missed it more than anything.  "Liam?  Is that you?"

Liam pushes up off the wall he was leaning on, making his way over to the previously sleeping boy, a smile present on his face.  "Sup Malik.  Long time no see, eh?"

"Much too long.", Zayn mutters, smiling at the way Liam's face turns a bright red (almost like Niall's face).  Liam clears his throat to try and take the attention off his blush.  "Wait a sec...you guys are from Support, right?  How are you here?  We're locked off from each-"

"GET OFF OF ME!"  Zayn and Liam look over to find Niall laughing once again, Harry breathing heavy as he sits up in his bead.  He looks around, surprised to see Liam and Niall.  "What's going on?  Why are they here?"

"I actually have no clue.  Care to explain, boys?", Zayn says, peering up at Liam who's standing next to his bed.

"It's a bit much to explain.  Why don't you guys go wake up the girls, and go meet Simon and Agent K in the meeting room.", Liam says.

"Agent K?", Harry asks, and Zayn just shrugs before hopping out of the bed, Harry soon copying his actions.

Before they start to walk out of the room, Zayn stops, turning back to Liam.  It's silent for a while, then the raven-haired boy wraps his arms around Liam's, squeezing him tightly.  "I missed you, Li."

"Missed you too."

Zayn took a step back, giving one last smile at Liam before he and Harry exited the room.  Niall came up behind his friend, patting him on the shoulder.

"He likes ya, mate."

Liam sure hoped so.

***

"Are you freaking kidding me?!", Jade exclaimed.

"See!  I told you guys you were worrying for nothing!", Harry shouted across the table.

"What was the point of locking us in regions!?", Zayn asks, angry that he wasted so much time trying to figure out a way to escape the locked doors blocking them from the others, when instead he could've just waited for Simon and Agent K to retrieve them.

"It was to give us better results, Mr. Malik.", Normani states, trying to calm everyone down.  She didn't think explaining things to them would be this difficult, or would result in this much yelling.  "No, we are not kidding you, Ms. Thirlwall.  We're sorry for causing you so much trouble, but we had to do it to see who wouldn't break under pressure.  Harry...nice job, I guess."

"Do you understand how much pain we all had to go through because of this?  Jade was going suicidal, Zayn was stressing himself out, I was losing my mind, and Harry was irritating the crap out of all of us-"

"HEY!"

"What I'm trying to say is, with all do respect Mr. Cowell...this entire thing was stupid, and it should've never happened!", Jesy said, ignoring Harry's pout when she said he was irritating.