misfits // z.m

ch. 27 || the art of scraping through

a/n - thank you for waiting for like a month(!!)
I've had 8 exams this week and I kind of fell out w my friends and i know theyre not good enough reasons but i havent been very inspired lately

if you enjoyed this, i'd love it if you commented or voted <3

also pic on the side of zayn and theres a song on the side bc ida maria has been a guilty pleasure of mine since '09

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XXVII. the art of scraping through

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[Zayn's POV]

I called her twelve times: why wouldn't she pick up?

After the tenth time, I wondered if I'd done something wrong, which was usually the case, even if I was absolutely certain I had done nothing.

It kind of really, really pissed me off that Thalia never responded to me when she was angry, never even giving me an inkling of what she could possibly be angry about. Well, it's not like she knew about my meal with Perrie, right?

After a while, I decided it would be useful to go for a coffee and clear my mind. Bradford had a nice little caff called Whitman's, and I really fancied one of those carrot cakes they made.

I tucked my phone into my pocket and slid on a jacket, tousling my hair till it looked at least slightly presentable. It was sometimes a struggle going out without bodyguards, but it was nice to have a bit of freedom.

So, as I was making my way to the cafe, it occurred to me that I hadn't actually brought money with me. Before I knew it, I was turning around and making my way back to mum's house.

When I got there, I heard mum talking to someone.

"Yeah, I'll beat his arse for you when he comes back, alright. Yeah, yeah, see you later my love. Yeah, bye."

"Mum?" I asked, walking into the kitchen as she ended the call. Something told me she wasn't too pleased  with me.

She folded her arms over her chest and glowered at me. "What's it with you and girls these days, Zayn? And why am I always the one the girls come crying to?"

Pulling out a seat, I sat down and frowned. "What do you mean? Who've you been talking to, mam?"

She shrugged and tilted her head slightly. "It's Thalia. And Perrie. Both, actually. Thalia is angry with you, and Perrie's upset with you. What have you done now?"

"Er, I don't know. I don't know, mam." I'd noticed that whenever I was back home, my Yorkshire accent grew a little stronger.

"Well, I'd go figure it out, right now actually." Mum walked closer to me and gave me a small hug. "Son, you've conquered the world, but you haven't yet mastered the art of communication. You need to learn, and fast."

"Thanks, mam. Mum. I've fucked up, big time."

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Okay, so maybe I lied when I said I didn't know what I did wrong, because I did.

I did something which I had insofar managed to avoid confronting, but I knew it would arise again. Just, I did not expect it to be this soon.

So, not last night but the night before, I went out for a meal with Perrie. It was a mutual decision: even after the letter to her, she wanted a proper goodbye. Like, with candles and shit.