“If there's one thing I learned, it's that nobody is here forever. You have to live for the moment, each and every day . . . the here, the now.”-- Simone Elkeles, Perfect Chemistry.
~
“Hey! You’re already here!” Autumn exclaimed as she opened the door for Zayn.
“Ready to go?” he asked.
“Yeah. But, where exactly are we going?”
“I promise it’s not a club.”
She heaved a mental sigh of relief. “Good.” She said. “I’m in no mood to navigate through crowds of inappropriately dancing people.”
He smirked.
“What?” she snapped, looking at his expression.
“You’re such a child.”
She rolled her eyes. “I am not. I’m just sensible.”
He smirked harder. “You’re a wuss and you’re boring.”
She played along. “Why are you my friend then?”
“Because, Autumn,” he said grabbing her wrist and pulling her along with him, out of the flat “you can’t live without me.”
She wriggled her hand free and stopped in her tracks. So, he stopped too. “What happened?” he asked.
“I need to lock the door.” She said.
He sighed and let her do it.
Whilst in the car, Autumn stated. “For the record, I’m not boring.”
Zayn snorted and replied “Yes, ‘course not!”
“I’m not!” she defended.
“Really?”
She nodded, then realised he couldn’t see her nod, since he was driving. So, she said firmly “Really.”
“Okay, then, tell me. When was the last time you just let go of yourself and had some fun? When was the last time you got so drunk that you didn’t have a care in the world? When was the last time you forgot about the world and just ….i don’t know….danced the night away or whatever.”
She couldn’t think of the last time she did any of that.
“See my point?” he said.
“Fine. Okay. Alright. What do you want me to do?”
“Just do what makes you happy. Don’t give a rat’s arse about what anyone else thinks.”
She mulled over that for a while. “Fine. Let’s do that, then.”
“What?” he asked, confused.
“Stop the car, turn around and let’s just go to a bar or something.”
“I didn’t mean that you had to do it today!”
“Todays as good a day as any. Besides, I’d rather I was with you than Scarlett. She’s probably shaking her head with disapproval right now.”
He stopped the car to the side of the road. He looked at Autumn, gave her a mischievous smile and said “Screw her.”
He turned the car around, and kept driving. Autumn didn’t bother asking him where he was driving to. She was excited about the prospect of just having fun. The adrenaline of the thought took over her mind.
Once, Zayn stopped the car, Autumn opened the door to get out.
“I have to warn you. There may be cameras in everywhere.”
“Does it matter anymore? They already know me and hate me.”
Zayn was kind of surprised to see Autumn with this devil-may-care attitude.
“Are you already drunk? You’re being brave and badass. You must be drunk.”
“Shut up.” She laughed. “It’s just adrenaline, I guess.”
He smiled. “Ready?”
“Let’s go.”
#
“I shouldn’t be this okay.” Autumn said. “I’ve drank too much.”
Zayn laughed again. “Yes, you have. You said that, like three times already.”
“No. I didn’t!” she said. She looked at the dance floor and saw all the dancing people. She quickly looked away.
“Just, take me back home when I get mindlessly drunk.”
“How do you reckon I’ll know when that is?” he asked, taking a sip of his beer.
“You’ll know I’m gone when I decide to dance.” She said, with disgust on her face.
He smiled.
His phone vibrated in his pocket . He said “I’ll take this call. Will you be okay?”
“Yes! I’m not a little kid!” she yelled, with a high pitched voice.
“Alright!”
He walked out to the alley and received the call.
“Hello?”
“Hey, mate.”
“Harry?”
“Yeah. Just checking if you’re free tonight.”
“For?”
“We just thought we’d hang out.”
“Oh. I cant. I’m with Autumn.” He replied, running his palm through his hair.
“Will you be late?”
“I don’t know. Maybe.”
“Alright. No worries. Bye.”
“Bye.”
He cut the call and went back inside.
Autumn was speaking, or at least trying to speak through the loud music on her phone.
“I can’t hear you!” she yelled.
He smiled at her stupidity. ‘Man, she gets really lame, when she gets drunk!’ He thought.
“Who is it?” he asked her. “You didn’t drunk-dial someone, did you?”
“No.” she said. “It’s Nathan!” she extended the phone towards him, and yelled into it again. “Here, Nathan, speak to Zayn!”
She pressed the phone to his ear and waited, rather impatiently, pressing it harder to his ear. He winced and finally took the phone.
“Hello?” he said, walking to the alley again.
“Hello.” The male voice from the other end said, rather awkwardly.
“I’m sorry, mate. Autumn’s quite……tipsy right now.”
“Yeah, I figured.” The American accent was noticeable.
“Is this something really important?” Zayn asked.
“No. It can wait.”
“Alright. Cool.” After a few awkward moments of silence, Zayn said. “You’re Nathan right, the author?”
“Yeah. I take it you’re Zayn, the boyfriend?”
“No. I’m Zayn, the best friend.”
“Oh!” he replied. “Sorry.”
“That’s okay. I get that all the time.” Zayn replied.
“Listen…..” Nathan trailed off. “I just thought you were her boyfriend so, I didn’t want to ask, but now that I know you’re not, I do have a message for Autumn.”
“What is it?”
“It’s about this fundraiser day after. I think I’m going to need her help with a lot of things. Can you ask her to call me as soon as she’s sober?”
“Uh,sure” Zayn replied.
“She’s the only person I can bear right now, so….“ Nathan trailed off.
Zayn replied. “Yeah, alright. I’ll tell her.” He hung up.
Autumn was ordering another drink. He walked towards her and stood next to her. “Drunk yet?” he asked.
She replied, as thoughtfully as she could. “I think I’m getting close. The dance floor is actually looking quite appealing. I think we should go.”
Zayn laughed. “Fine! Where to?”
“I want to skydive!”
He chuckled. “Of course, you do! How about we keep that plan for when you’re sensible again?”
She pouted. “You’re no fun.”
He shook his head. “Let’s think about where to go once we’re in the car, ok?”
She nodded and leaped down the chair and almost fell face-down.
He caught her waist and steadied her. “Woah, easy there, boozy!”
She giggled.
They walked out and quickly got into the car.
#
“Maybe we can play dare or dare!” Autumn said.
“We could…..if we were sixteen!”
“Well, then you suggest something!” she said, looking out of the window.
He smiled and said “I’m enjoying this. The bickering, I mean. You’re absolutely no fun sober. Maybe you should consider getting drunk more often.” He teased.
She didn’t reply. She was too busy thinking of something super-fun. She gave a sly grin, as an idea popped into her head.
Now, if she was sober, she would never have even thought about doing this in a million years. But, that gave her all the more reason to just go through with it, before the sane part of her mind took over.
“Turn right here!” she said.
“What? Why?!” Zayn asked.
“Just do it! Please!!”
He sighed. “Fine.” He mumbled and listened to her instruction.
She gave him more instructions and he followed them, hesitantly. They drove for an hour straight with Zayn asking her what she was up to at every turn. At one point he refused to drive any further. But eventually did, when Autumn threatened to drive herself. Then, again when she said she’d walk on her own, if he didn’t shut up and drive.
“Stop!” she exclaimed and he hit the brakes, after some more driving.
“Autumn, where are-!” he couldn’t complete his question as Autumn was already out of the door running.
He got out quickly and ran behind her.
“What in the bloody hell?” he muttered as he followed her. There was no one around which under normal circumstances would have calmed him down, but in this situation, it didn’t help.
“Autumn, where are you going?! Wait up!” he yelled, but she didn’t oblige.
She had no intention of stopping until she reached her goal. The cool wind hit her face, exhilarating her.
When Zayn realised what she was up to, he was too late to stop her. She dived right into the beach that they had driven to.
She laughed as the water splashed. She played around with the incoming waves.
He stood on the shore, laughing. “Get out of there, you idiot!” he yelled.
She eventually came out. She was shivering, her teeth clattering.
“It’s cold.” She stated.
He laughed some more. “You don’t say?” he asked, sarcastically.
“It was totally worth it!” she said. “You should try!”
“No way in hell!” he stated.
She chuckled, then sneezed.
“You made me drive all the way out here, wherever we are, for that?” he asked her.
She nodded. “Oh! Come on! I love beaches! That’s the only thing we can’t find in London!”
“You could have just told me! Besides, do you know how long it’s going to take to get back?”
“I don’t care! I feel awesome!” she screamed.
He laughed. “What now?”
“We could just stay here for a while.” She suggested.
“If you can stop shivering.” He challenged her.
She tried as hard as she could, closing her eyes and flinching her shoulders. But, stopped, groaned and gave up when she couldn’t.
He smiled. He removed his jacket and gave it to her. She accepted it gratefully and placed it around her shoulder. Soon, she stopped shivering.
She plopped down on the sand. Zayn followed suit.
“Hey, give me your phone!” she demanded.
“No.” he stated, plainly.
“Why not?! I use it all the time!”
“Not when you’re drunk.”
“But, you don’t even know what I do with it!”
“Yeah, I do. I just never told you that I knew.”
She didn’t believe him. “You’re lying.” She narrowed her eyes at him and then said “Tell me, then, smartarse, what do I do with your phone when you give it me occasionally?”
He smiled. “You follow some fans from my account.”
Her eyes widened. “That was supposed to be my secret!” she pouted childishly.
“Well, you aren’t very clever, are you?” he said, then he added “It’s kind of sweet though, what you do.”
She smiled cheekily.
Then there was moment of silence before Autumn randomly asked “You know what I want?”
“What?”
“A fairy tale romance. Like Snow White!”
“Really?” He hadn’t heard that from her before.
“Yeah. I want to meet Prince Charming. I want the perfect romance. I want the perfect first date. I want that perfect kiss in the rain. But, I think I’ll pass on the evil step mother and the poisoned apple and all.”
He smiled. “How come you never told me all this before?”
“You’re a bloke!”
“So?”
“You wouldn’t understand!”
“Well, I do.”
“I doubt it! You’re all the same. Complete morons!” she said.
“Easy there!” he said, acting offended.
She ignored him and just looked at the water.
“Maybe we should leave.” He suggested after a few minutes.
She nodded vigorously. He stood up.
“Help me up!” she asked.
He did.
“I’m so drunk” she said, giggling, which brought another smile to Zayn’s face.
As they were walking to the car, she said “I want to sleep. I’m tired.”
“You can sleep in the car.”
She nodded. She passed out almost instantly, as soon as her body hit the seat.
She mumbled something, stopped and mumbled again.
Zayn tried to catch her words.
When he did, he wished he hadn’t.
“Be my Prince Charming.” Autumn had said.
~