"I'm spending so much fucking money," Lennon whines as the girls change their clothes and ready for their night tour through La Paz. "Like, honestly everything I have is going to food and alcohol and clothes--"
"Well," Mari begins, "only five more cities..."
"And we haven't even been to Rio," she whines. "My Brazilian model boyfriend is going to have to love me for me 'cause I'll be broke af."
Mari laughs aloud. "Well, as long as you look good...I'm the one who needs to be beach ready in Brazil," she peers down at the bathing suits in her suitcase.
"Ha! For what?" Lennon exclaims. "I'm the only one without a man, here."
"Are you joking? I'm just as single as you are."
"Single? You're only technically single, Mari."
"You're not making sense, Lenn," Mari rolls her eyes. "So yeah, I'm gonna have to catch."
"No," Lennon laughs. "No you're not."
"Um, what?"
"Girl," Lennon smacks her teeth, "You've got Zayn."
"Zayn!?" Mari exclaims, choking on his name and her spit. She wipes her mouth, coughing. "What about him?"
Lennon is standing across the room, lip pursed. "Dude," she says, "are you serious?"
Mari points to her face. "Does it look like I'm not serious?!"
"Okay, okay," Lennon laughs, and she crosses the room to sit on Mari's bed. "You actually look confused."
"Yeah," Mari states, "because I am."
Lennon cocks her head, pushing up her glasses. "You really don't see how he looks at you, Mari? How he goes out of his way to find you, to sit next to you?"
"I didn't...I don't..." She shakes her head. "We're friends, Lennon."
"Okay," she laughs. "Right, Mari."
Now, Mari was thinking.
Like, really thinking.
Did Zayn maybe...?
Nah.
Mari could barely focus on the night tour. She could barely focus on Denise and Marisol as they led their group through the darkened city, because she was thinking all about Zayn.
He was so attractive. Like, painfully so. And he was sweet. And funny. And his accent and his tattooed body and his little smile and--
"Marjani?"
She looks up. "Huh?"
"You coming?" Zayn asks, as the group begins to walk on through the city. She's staring off into the city, her phone raised for a picture.
"Yeah," she hops from the bench she's standing on. "I'm coming."
"Y'alright?" He asks slinging his arm around her shoulder and leading her after the group. "You've been kind of out of it today."
"Yeah..." She chuckles nervously, tucked beneath Zayn's arm. "I'm fine."
He grins, teeth biting at his bottom lip. "You sure, babe?"
Babe? Since when did he start calling her babe?
"I promise," she grins. "I'm fine."
Mari is far from fine when she wakes up the next morning.
It's about five AM when she runs to the toilet; startling Lennon from her sleep.
"Mari?"
She's practically heaving her guts when she hears her roommate behind her in the bathroom.
She reaches weakly to flush her vomit. "Yeah?"
"Aw, babe," Lennon strokes her back, "I'll be right back, okay? I'm just gonna go get you some water."
She nods silently, laying on the floor in fear of throwing up in bed. She can tell she's not quite done, her stomach turning and gurgling loudly.
Lennon returns with bottles of water not too much longer afterwards.
"Damn, Mari," she exclaims, rushing into the bathroom.
Mari coughs over the toilet bowl, "Sorry for waking you."
"No, no. Don't apologize," Lennon says. She grabs a towel and wets it with cold water. "Feel better, babe," she sighs, pulling her hair back and placing the towel against her neck. "Looks like you came down with something. Maybe it was something you ate..."
"Maybe," she chokes, feeling the onset of more throw-up.
Lennon rubs her back. "Mari...?" She begins. "You alright?"
She grabs the toilet bowl. "Umm..."
And she heaves again.
By about eight, Mari's thrown up and fallen asleep and thrown up again.
This cycle continues until about ten, when finally, with her stomach completely empty, she begins sipping water and eating a few crackers room service had brought at Lennon's request. So, Mari sits groggily in bed, watching as Lennon gets ready to meet Oasis for their activities for the day.
"So, we've got a break at like, three," Lennon says as she sprays sunscreen and steps into her clothes. "And I'll be back before we have some other shit to go to at like, five-ish," she says, "But you've got the itinerary, and you've got my number, so of course call me if you need anything and I'll be back before if you--"
"Lennon," Mari begins, "I'm fine."
"But, seriously. If you need anything--"
"I'll call."
"Okay, but--"
"Go, Lenn," she smiles. "I feel better, I promise."
"You're sure...?"
"Positive," she raises her thumbs-up into the air. "I can make it by myself," and she motions to the crackers and water bottles around her bed, "I have everything I need right here."
And hesitantly, Lennon nods, "Okay," she says, adding, "but you'll tell me if you need anything, right--?"
"Go!" Mari exclaims with a laugh. "Leo will leave you, girl. I don't want you to miss the bus."
"Okay, okay, I'm going, I'm going...just let me know if--"
"Lennon."
"Alright," she throws up her hands. "I'm gone."
And the door clicks shut behind her.
And Mari is alone.
And while it'a probably a good thing that she's resting, it sucks that she's missing her second and last day in Bolivia.
Tomorrow morning, she'd be on a flight to Argentina.
They were in Santa Cruz today, and she was kind of really upset because the city was supposed to have a vibrant nightlife, and she loved going out to party.
Clubbing was the one thing she'd started to miss from home.
She searches for her iPad, because at the very least she'll be able to sleep and eat and Netflix to pass the time and wait until Lennon got back so she could tell her all about the things she'd miss that day.
And Lennon comes back at three, catches her up, takes a nap and leaves again for dinner around five.
By the time Mari is alone again, she's gone through a few seasons of Friends and has started onto movies, flipping through different romantic comedies and eating crackers and sipping water until it's nearly nine.
And she finishes When In Rome and starts flipping through new movies, waiting for something interesting to jump out at her when there's a knock on the door.
At first, Mari ignores it. She stays beneath her covers and sips her water.
And then the knocking continues.
And then there's a voice.
"Marjani, I know you're in there. Open up, love."
"Damn it," she hurries to her feet, pushing her things aside and moving as quickly as she can. She clutches her stomach, walking towards the door and hating that Zayn had to be so damn sweet because she could have really used this alone time to get herself together so he didn't see her like...well, like this.
"Coming!" She calls, stopping in the bathroom to brush her teeth and tie up her messy hair and say "fuck it" to the fact that she's wearing Addidas sweats and a cutoff Padres sweatshirt...and it's just not going to get better than that.
She opens the door to reveal Zayn, who's leaning against his raised arm against the door. He looks up, and his eyes are bright despite his smirk.
"Took you long enough."
"What're you doing here?" She asks, her throat raspy from all the vomiting she'd done that morning.
"Wow," he chuckles. "You're not gonna invite me in?"
"I'm sick, Zayn."
"Right," he rolls his eyes. "That's why I'm here."
And Mari can't argue with him, so she steps aside and watches as he enters her room.
She shuts the door behind him.
"How've you been, love?"
"Sick," she replies, and he stops, narrowing his eyes as she chuckles raspily behind him. She slides past him and tucks her knees on her bed. "I've been feeling better, though."
"Yeah?" He asks.
She nods.
"'Cause Lennon had me scared, yeah?" He asks, stepping to stand beside her in bed. "Said you weren't feeling good, so..." And he reaches out, lifting the back of his hand to her forehead. "I had to see if you were alright for myself, y'know?"
"Thanks," she grins, and as Zayn's hand rests against her forehead she giggles. "But, I don't have a fever, Mom."
"Ha ha," he chuckles, sliding his knuckles down the side of her face. "You're not warm..."
"Because I really don't have a fever," she laughs, kind of missing the feel of his hand as it falls from her face. "It was just a stomach bug. I already feel better."
He nods. "Okay."
And his eyes fall on her iPad and water bottles and bags of crackers. "Looks like someone's been having fun by herself."
She laughs, "I was gonna find a movie," and as Lennon's voice rings in her head, she decides to be bold. She slides over, opening the covers to him, "Wanna watch?"
He lifts a brow, sliding onto the bed beside her. "Are you asking me to Netflix and chill?"
"Well, if you mean what I think you mean, then probably not," she laughs. "But, if you just want to watch a movie...?" She hands him the iPad, "Go for it."
"You know," he begins, "once you give this to me, there's no turning back--"
"Just pick the damn movie, Zayn," she snorts. "You're so extra."
He shoves her, and she falls back against the pillows, chuckling to herself as the boy beside her flips through the selection of online movies.
And all at once, Mari feels kind of self-conscious with Zayn so close, squeezed on the twin bed beside her beneath the covers.
"These movies fucking suck."
She turns, surprised. He was always the one to break their silence.
Mari purses her lips. "I bet I could find something?"
"Too late you asked me."
She groans, burying herself beneath the covers. "Make it good, Zayn. You've got a lot riding on this right now, alright? I been doing this all day without you."
"Nope, see, you gave this to me so you watch what I watch," he smiles cheekily at the sight of her scowl. "No turning back now, love. I thought you knew what you were getting into."
"You're taking forever," she whines. "Hurry up."
"You can't rush greatness, Mari. Chill."
"By the time you pick something, I'll have fallen asleep," and in response, he only slides closer to her, opening his arms and motioning towards his free shoulder.
"Figures."
Mari beams, cuddling against him. "Yay," she says softly, as he hooks his arm around her waist and she lays her head in the crook of his neck and shoulder.
"Guess what, again?" She asks, peering up at him, staring as his eyes turn back to the movies.
He hums, as Mari notices just how long his lashes are and feels his fingers on the exposed skin of her hip. "What?"
"You called me Mari, again," she sings.
He laughs a full laugh, flinching a bit against her. "Your breath fucking tickles," and before Mari can reply, he's shaken his head, "And I still like Marjani better."
"Tell that to the people who can't pronounce it right," she mutters, "And Jesus, Zayn, I'm getting old waiting on you here."
"Fine," he settles on something. "How 'bout this, since you're impatient as fuck."
Her voice is little. "Is it scary?"
"I--" Zayn nods. "Yeah," he frowns, "You don't like scary movies?"
"I hate them, kinda."
He lets out a long breath of air, "Okay..."
Mari giggles sleepily, not realizing that she scoots closer, curling under Zayn as if she were used to doing that like, a lot. She can't tell that her hair is tickling his chin and her nose keeps brushing his neck.
"You're awfully cuddly, you know that?"
"Me? Really?"
He nods.
"Sorry," she says quickly, pushing herself up. "I didn't notice," she laughs awkwardly, sliding as far from him as possible in the little bed. "I like to cuddle. I should've warned you."
"Too late," he replies, and he does a double take, looking from her to the iPad and back to her. He frowns, "Wait, Mari, I was joking--"
"You did it again!"
"Wait. Okay," he shakes his head as she smiles to herself, "No, come back," he whines, tapping her thigh.
"I'm not trying to smother you, boy."
"I don't mind it , just," he taps her again. "Come back. Honestly I don't mind."
Mari lowers herself slowly, ignoring the urge she's had to kiss him since he came over. She hasn't though, because after her morning, that'd just be gross, "You're sure?" She teases, "Because I'm not a stranger to rejection..."
"Somehow I don't believe that," he replies, squeezing her gently as she lays back against him. He smiles. "You're warm."
"It's the sweats," she jokes, and she shakes her head against him, catching sight of the darkened city through the window. "Man, I wish I was out right now."
"Lennon said you were upset," he agrees. "Said you didn't want to miss the night out."
"Live music?" She exclaims, "Dinner? Dancing? Oasis couldn't have planned me a better day, seriously."
"Yeah..." He shrugs. "M'not much of a dancer, so--"
"So...?" Mari gasps. "So, you came to South America and don't like to dance?"
He purses his lips and Mari really really could kiss him.
"Guess not."
"Zayn," she states.
"Yes, ma'am?"
"We're gonna change that."
He chokes on a laugh. "Change what?"
"You," she says. "You not dancing."
"Okay, sure," he grins. "Good luck."
"Oh, I'm serious," she replies, elbowing him lightly beneath the blankets. "Before this trip is over, you're dancing," and she looks up, meeting his gaze. "You're dancing with me."
That half-grin of his grows. "Is that a promise, Marjani?"
"That, Zayn, is a promise."
They settle on a Marvel film. Mari hadn't seen the second or third Iron Man movies so Zayn turned the second on. He'd seen all of them, but he admitted that it was like watching the movie for the first time with Mari talking at the screen the entire time. Zayn laughed at things he probably shouldn't have -- "If Iron Man was black I promise you none of this shit would've happened" -- and found himself talking to no one after Mari fell asleep exactly thirty-two minutes into the movie.
He fell asleep, too, though.
With his head on top of hers, arm around her, he was out shortly after he started the third film.
Lennon found them like this, curled up in the dark.
She got home from the club around three, and she hoped Mari was awake because she was dying to tell her about their night out.
Lennon got back to the room, opening the floor softly.
"Mari?" She whispers, tiptoeing in darkness. "Mari, you still up--Oh."
Zayn stirs at the sounds. He blinks, shifting at the sight of Lennon while trying not to wake the girl beside him.
"Hey, Lenn. You just get in?"
"Yep," she whispers, "but, don't mind me," she kneels at her suitcase, grabbing clothes and toiletries, "I'll just be going..."
"Wait," Zayn whispers back, wary eyes on Mari, "you don't have to go. This is your room, and--"
"Zayn," Lennon interjects. "Seriously, it's no big deal. Luke and Calum have two queens. I can sleep with them, tonight. Besides," she motions to Mari, "she really should just rest. I don't want to wake her and," Lennon stares knowingly at him, "you and I both know that you don't really want to leave."
"I mean--" Zayn runs his hand across his face. "I don't wanna intrude, Lenn--"
"Zayn," she grins, clothes in hand, "Zayn. See you tomorrow."
And Lennon closes the door behind her, leaving him with Mari in the dark.
word count: 2592
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No lie, Zayn's recent tweets made this chapter hard to write y'all...damn.
anyway I still love this story. Mari watching movies is meeee.
Comment and vote!