>> Skating <<
Angel's P.O.V.
"You make me feel like! I've been locked out of heaveenn! For too loohhoong! For too loooohoouuooohhngg!" I sang on top of my voice as I wring my dripping hair, letting it fall messily over my shoulders.
I took a step out and banged my head up and down like an insane rockstar until I noticed five unexpected guests laying comfortably on my bed.
"AAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!! What are you guys doing here!?" I crossed my arms over my chest, holding onto the tiny piece of clothing that makes me feel at least still a little bit decent. But still, that doesn't make the situation less uncomfortable! My shit of a towel barely covers my butt for goodness sake!
"Uhm..uh.. Just hanging out?" Harry stuttered, five pairs of eyes immediately travelling endlessly up and down my body.
THIS IS A 5 STAR HOTEL! WHERE IS PRIVACY WHEN I NEEDED IT!!?
"GET OUT YOU GUYS!!" I squealed, dragging them forcefully out of my bed.
"But we're going-"
"Get out! We'll talk later!" I slammed the door on their faces, hitting Niall's butt in the instant.
"We don't mind if you wouldn't!"
"Don't worry you look hot!"
"And we like your singing too!"
"You make us feel liikke. We've been locked out of heavveeenn.. For too shoohhhooort!!" They shouted against the door, mocking the way I sang like dying rats.
"Hormonal teenagers!" I yelled back, making them roar in laughter.
God, why didn't they make me collaborate with a bunch of church dudes instead?
—
"What were you guys doing in my room?" I gave all of them a sterned look, placing a hand on my now fully clothed hip.
"Um.. we thought it was our room. We were walking through the hallway and we happen to forgot which is left and which is right so we mistakenly entered your room. And apparently it's not ours because it's pink and has all of these glittery stuffs hanging around." Harry blabbered playfully, doing his best I'm-Harry-freakin-Styles-you-have-no-right-to-doubt face.
"My room isn't even pink! You are a horrible liar Sytles, I hate you."
"What? You didn't mean that, did you Wifey? Tell me not!" He dramatically buried his face in his palms. For sure he's biting his lip under those huge hands to contain his hysterics.
3...2...1.."Hahahahahaha!!" There, told you. The chimpanzee cracked up together with three of his baboon pals.
Zayn's P.O.V.
Sytles? Wifey? Seriously? When did they get THIS close that they already have pet names for each other?
I felt my left eyebrow curved down a little while the right one uncontrollably towered up. Seeing that I was the only one who's not enjoying their annoying streak, Angel passed a glance on me which she immediately broke off when I looked back.
"Why are you guys here?" She took a seat beside Harry. Of course it would be beside Harry. She doesn't even want to have eye contact with me for fuck's sake.
"You made that sound like we're not welcome here." Louis lets out a chuckle.
"What I mean is, is there something to talk about? Like projects and stuffs?"
"Very professional of you my dear. Can we not hangout with you like normal friends?" he questioned.
"We thought that it would be a good idea if all of us bond for the day since we'll be working together for a month. It's good if we get to know each other more, you know. So we decided, we'll go skating!!" Liam added cheerfully.
"Sounds good. But..." Her doubting tone makes it clear that she doesn't want to, and the most probable reason behind that... taaddaahh!! No other than yours truly of course.
I'm one hundred percent sure that she wouldn't enjoy the trip if I'm around so I guess I have to pass on.
"Guys, I think I'll just stay behin-" I started but they cut me off, not seeming to recognize my presence at all.
"Come on Angel. " They all pleaded in unison, doing their best puppy dog faces.
"Uhm..uh..."
"Please. Look we've got tickets already and they'll get wasted if you won't come. Please say yes, say yes."
"Okay fine, yes."
That's a go for me then.
—
"Come on guys, hurry up, hurry up!" Liam rushed towards the hotel's parking lot, opening the van's door for all of us.
I scooted to the back row beside him, while Niall, Harry and Angel squeezed in the row in front of us. Louis on the other hand took the driving task.
"Are you sure we won't get recognize with this? Why are we even disguising? We've never done this before." Niall whined, fixing his fake baby bump.
"Niall, shut up. You're waking the baby. He's not meant to get out before the 9th month." Harry leaned his ears towards the forsaken fetus, stroking it affectionately.
"Oh, look how sweet of a daddy you are." The two idiots cuddled, pinching each other's cheeks lovingly. The fact that I get along with these guys is still a mystery for me to be honest.
20 minutes later...
Everyone started to dooze off except for me. Niall already has his legs on top of Harry's and Angel's laps who too were blowing soft snores.
She had her head on top of his shoulder while his was laid comfortably on top of her head. Reminds me of how close we were back then.
That night when she, Louis, El and I watched a movie together. That was an unforgettable one. Everything started because of a broken bulb.
We started off fighting during our trip to the hardware but I ended up giving her a piggy back ride on our way home. It's crazy how I remember small details like these especially that bit when she said 'I'm sorry Zayn. Sorry for judging you.'
I can still picture everything clearly. I wish I could turn back time and still freely mess her hair whenever I want to. She gets grumpy and chases to hit me every time I do that, but we always get okay and have a good laugh afterwards. Unfortunately, our situation now is a different case.
Everything between us have changed.
The conversation earlier suggests how deeply she doesn't want to be in the same room as me. I badly want to talk to her right now but I'm resisting myself from doing so because I know that it would hurt her even more. Making her uncomfortable with my mere presence is already too much. I don't want to add more to that.
Her smile means a lot to me and I'll do all means to make her happy. If it takes for me to wait longer, though it hurts, then so be it.
My phone vibrated, interrupting my train of thoughts. I looked at the screen and saw that it was from Liam. What's with him texting me when we're just beside each other?
From: Liam
Stop smiling. You look like an idiot.
From: Zayn
I don't know what you're talking about.
From: Liam
You seriously don't think I've noticed? The way you look at her. It's different. Special to be exact.
From: Zayn
You're ridiculous.
I typed but quickly deleted, deciding on not to reply just to avoid any more teasing. I shoved my phone into my pocket but it vibrated once again a few seconds later.
From: Liam
Staring at her huh. That's very sneaky. You have to tell me what's going on sooner or later ;)
I can feel him smirking from my side.
From: Zayn
You are out of your mind.
From: Liam
Same as you are, mate. Same as you are.
"We're here!" Louis stopped the van roughly which made all of us involuntarily flew forward.
"What the hell?! Are you trying to kill us?" Niall blurted, waking from his deep slumber.
"No, I was trying to wake you up."
"Well, thanks."
"You 're welcome." He retorted.
"Okay everyone, we have to walk in pairs so as to be less suspicious. I'll take Tommo." Liam started.
"I'll take whoever is not taken. Lady's got to choose first." Niall let her.
She looked at Harry then me then to the ground. "I'll go with Harry." I should definitely get use to this.
"That means it's gonna be you and me, buddy." Niall wrapped his arm around my shoulder, all of us walking inside the mall.
"Yeah." I simply replied.
Louis' P.O.V.
"Ma'am, I'm sorry but we do not allow pregnant women to skate. It's a safety regulation." The lady attendant informed Niall.
She's got a point. Why did we even consider dressing him up as a preggy in the first place?
"No worries, miss. I'm going to be hella fine. My husband's here to assist me. Right beau?" he caressed Zayn's face, who in return gave him a what-the-fuck look.
"I..Yeah..Sure." He shrugged, all of us biting the sides of our cheeks to prevent us from breaking down due to the hilarious skit.
"I'm sorry ma'am but we're afraid you still can't."
"Okay, wait a minute." He dragged Zayn to who knows where then came back a moment later.
"Is this fine now?" He pointed to his now flat tummy and slammed six tickets on the desk.
"How?"
"I take that as a yes, darling." He ran hurriedly towards the skating shoes section, leaving the lady attendant with her mouth agape.
"Good day miss. What size of shoes does a beautiful lady like you need?" the shoe booth dude flirted with Angel. Clearly, he doesn't have a single clue who she is with her blonde wig on. Except for her, all of us look negatively out of this world.
"Medium please."
"Okay. Let me see. here...here..." he rummaged through the cabinet filled with shoes and reached for the black ones with white fur on each tip. "Here. A medium-sized shoes for the gorgeous skater girl." he handed the footwear to her and gave her a wink.
"Hey, you ready?" Harry popped out of nowhere, approaching her.
"Yeah."
"Boyfriend?" The flirty dude pointed towards Harry.
At the mention, being the resident flirt, he wrapped his arm around her shoulders and gave it a demonstrative caress.
"Yup." Uh oh.. I can feel the drama coming. I looked over to 'Niall's husband' and saw the look of disapproval written all over his face. Although he had denied it many times, it's crystal clear that he still likes her. He's probably just clouded over by the goal of winning the friendship back. More than anything else, he thinks that her trust is all that matters to him right now.
Zayn's P.O.V.
"You do that a lot." She tilted her head up to Harry's height as they walked towards the ice rink. I'm not eavesdropping, They're just too loud that I can hear them even if they're 3 meters away.
"What?" He smiled innocently at her.
"You know what I mean Sytles."
He began laughing as they sat on a bench on the corner of the rink to put their skating shoes on.
"Hey, I was kindly saving the dude you know. You were about to kick him as given by the smug on your face."
"People are meant to get what they deserve." She stated and they chuckled together.
Moments later, she stood up and stretched, simultaneously reaching for her toes while popping her knuckles. "Come on." She signaled Harry to stand up while doing twirls with her blades.
"Uhh... Go skate around, I'll just watch you here I guess." He replied, not bothering to lift his butt from the bench.
"What? That's no fun! Let's skate, come on." She grabbed his hand and pulled him. He basically crawled to find his balance.
"Wait, wait. Oh my gosh! I'm gonna crack my head! Slow down, slow dooowwn!!" He fell on his butt, leaving her the only one standing up and laughing uncontrollably at the exhibition he did.
"You don't know how to skate?" She tittered even more, eyes squinting in delight.
"Is that a question or an insult? As embarassing as it seems, I do not." He attempted to stand but fell on his butt again which made her laugh louder.
In between her chortles, she managed to say "Come on Harry. I'll help you through." She extended her hand for him to take and he gladly took it. They went circles around the rink, laughing and wrapping their arms around each other's waist to help him balance.
I never learned how to skate all my life. But now, is the first and only time I feel sad about it.
"Are you done yet, mate? " Niall asked, referring to putting my shoes on. I almost forgot he's here.
"Yeah, come on."
"You say that like you know how to skate. Come on, hold on me. I'll help you through." He offered his arm for me to grab on. Having no other option, I took it.
40 minutes later...
"I'm never doing this again." I grabbed onto the metal handle surrounding the ice arena, still teaching myself how to walk on the bloody frozen water. My feet here is just as bad as it is on the dance floor. I don't even know why I agreed to be here.
Niall joyfully glide around the area like a ballerina, along with Louis and Liam who slide like professional skaters. Angel and Harry on the other hand, pass occasionally in front of me, laughing at whatever they're talking about as usual.
Twenty more minutes and I can finally rest these legs peacefully. Who am I kidding? I can't wait for 20 minutes more.
I headed to the entrance and switched back to my normal and more comfy shoes. So much better.
I watched them form a circle in the middle of the rink at one point, spinning everyone around. They were dancing and singing loudly which made the other skaters look at them in distraction. They asked me to join the fun twice but I just waved my hand sideways, signaling that I'm fine with just sitting. They all seem to be having a good time especially her.
Not long after, the rest of them stepped out and made their way towards the bench area where I was sitting.
"That was fun. I've never had a laugh like that for so long." She clutched her stomach, grabbing onto Liam's and Louis' arm for support.
"Well we're glad you enjoyed." Louis responded, giving her a smile.
Angel's P.O.V.
"Where are we headed to next?" I asked them, stomping my shoes on the floor to shake my sneaker's lace as they all still struggle to remove their bladed shoes.
"We're gonna have lunch!!" Niall cheered. "But before that, lets have a group picture first. I have to have something to post in instagram. And by the way, I followed you on twitter already." He continued, stretching his hand out to take a group selfie.
"Okay everyone say cheese. 3...2...1.. "
"Cheee-"
"Look! It's One Direction and Angel Briarband!!" A girl from not so distant pointed towards us, along with paps who I assume could have been snapping pictures since a while ago.
"Shit." Niall mumbled.
"What are we going to do? I can't run with these shoes on." Louis pointed to his toes.
"Me neither." Liam agreed. "But these two can." He pointed to Za- him and I. "Quick, drive the van to the back entrance, we'll meet both of you there once we're done here."
"But-" Before I could protest, a hand already pulled me by my wrist to get us away from their batallions of fans.
I've had some people crowd me too every now and then, but not this many.
"Stay behind." He pulled me behind a huge One Direction poster. How ridiculous could that get?
He peeped carefully from behind the huge item and put on his beanie and shades and handed me his extra ones.
"Wear this." He instructed, catching his breath because of the long distance we've just ran.
I look at him like another head sprouted from his neck and he responded with an equal scrunch of eyebrows as he extended the Ray Bans nearer.
Why would I wear that?
"Come on, Angel. This is no time to be stubborn. This is serious. Just wear this." Okay now I feel like an official criminal.
We ran here and there and as much as I don't like it, I have no other choice but to let him drag me away because I honestly do not know how to get out of this place by myself.
Next, he pulled us behind a wall that leads to the ladies restroom - a not so smart move, I can tell as early as now.
We're definitely trapped. He obviously shouldn't let himself enter the ladies toilet either because he'll surely get raped. And I'm not even exagerrating. Who knows what goes through the minds of teenage girls these days?
The sound of stomping feet became more audible, together with the chuckle coming from the ladies restroom growing louder. His grip on my hand suddenly became tighter, accompanied by colorful words errupting from his mouth.
All of a sudden, he slammed his forearm on the wall beside my head making his body directly in front of mine. He slowly leant onto a space that was too close for comfort, his brown eyes becoming too dissolving than a while ago. The moment he took a step forward, I felt the beating of my heart becoming faster than normal. I moved a step back to create a space between us but he just moved closer than previously, making our noses basically brushing each other. His arm suddenly found its way around my waist, preventing my back from bumping the cold wall. I couldn't distance my body away from him any farther because the negligible space behind makes it impossible for me to do so. For a second, he flicked his gaze from my eyes then to my lips then to my eyes again with it becoming more focused as he inches forward. He slightly bit his lower lip, tucking it with his front teeth before finally letting his eyelids cover his intense gaze gradually.
What the hell is he doing?!?
I wanted to punch him square in the face and knock him to reality that this is not a romantic movie. We're on a horror one and the zombies are near to eating our corpse. Wake up dude, wake up!
"Wha...What are you doing?" I stuttered, making his eyes flutter open when our lips were just a millimeter apart. He then leant towards my ears, whispering something creepily. "Don't scream."
Next thing I knew, both his arms are already around my waist as he swooped us inside a room filled with brooms, mops and other cleaning stuffs around.
"What the hell are you doi-" I screamed, but then he twirled me around and covered my mouth with his hand. My back rested tensedly on his muscular chest.
"Shhh.. Keep quiet." He whispered again. "They're still here... Shhh.. Don't sream...Don't scream.." He continued in a soothing voice which is actually not soothing me at all because it makes me feel like a hostage victim instead.
The sound of footsteps became less audible the longer we stayed inside, allowing me to finally wriggle free from his embrace.
"Why the hell did you do that?!" I snapped at him, knowing that no one is already going to hear us. Like, can't we run towards the guards instead and ask for help?"
"Obviously to keep us safe. Thank you Zayn, Thank you." He did the mouth puppet with his hand.
"Open the door." I commanded him.
"Not until you say thank you." Grrr...
"Does that really matter?! You are such a spoiled brat."
"I'm waiting, i'm waiting.."
"Why am I going to do that, huh?!"
"Same goes with why am I going to open this door as well? Huh?"
"Okay fine, THANK YOU!! Happy now? Now, open the damn door!"
"Fine m'lady." He stretched his arms like a royal guard and grabbed the door knob.
"Uh oh.."
"What??" I snapped impatiently.
"It's locked." Shit.