"Zayn, calm down." Niall said quietly, noticing how shaky he was.
Zayn glared at him. "Telling someone with crippling anxiety to calm down is like telling a fish not to swim."
"Sorry." Niall said quickly.
"I-I just want to help."
"Go up there for me." Zayn said, sinking down in his seat.
"I don't know your part, Zayn." Niall said.
"Here, read over it. I'm Cameron. Will you go up there for me?" Zayn asked desperately.
Niall never wanted to say no to him, but he knew Zayn needed to do this.
"Um, well maybe-"
"You nervous, babe?" Leeroy smiled as he walked by, stopping and looking at Zayn.
Niall frowned at him.
Babe?
"A little, I guess. What are we waiting for?" Zayn asked.
"Harry hasn't shown up yet." Leeroy said.
"Of course not. Why don't we just start without him before I pass out?" Zayn asked.
"He's Matthew. We can't start without him. If you need to go to the bathroom to scream or splash some water on your face go ahead." Leeroy said before he walked off.
Zayn sighed heavily, standing up. "Where the hell could he be? He was here at school today so where the fuck did he go? Did he get lost?"
"Maybe he had to go get something from his car." Niall shrugged.
"He parks where the teachers do! He doesn't have far to go!" Zayn yelled.
"If he can't show up on time he doesn't deserve to be in this fucking play. Let Niall read for Matthew and let's just do this!" Zayn snapped, irritated.
"I agree." One of the extras spoke up.
Leeroy bit his lip, looking at Niall.
"I wouldn't mind." Niall spoke up, blushing.
"Okay, let's start with...." Leeroy trailed off, everyone looking towards the doors when Harry came in.
"Fucking perfect." Zayn muttered.
Harry came in fixing his hair, his shirt on backwards.
"Please try to make it on time." Leeroy said.
"Sorry." Harry blushed, smiling.
"Let's get started." Leeroy sighed, hopping up on stage with ease.
Zayn gulped, flinching as Niall rested a hand on his shoulder. "You got this, okay?"
"Yeah." Zayn said shakily, getting his script.
Niall sat back down, watching closely as they all began.
He gave Zayn a thumbs up each time they made eye contact, which was often.
"Can we get a hug or something after the I love you?" Leeroy spoke up after one of Matthew and Cameron's scenes.
"No." Zayn said coldly.
"A hug won't kill you." Harry said, walking up to him.
"No, don't touch me." Zayn warned, stepping back.
Harry sighed, looking at Leeroy.
Zayn looked at Harry's neck, feeling disgusted by the amount of hickeys.
"Zayn, if not now can you stand a hug on the night we all preform for real?" Leeroy asked.
"I guess." Zayn said quietly, hating how everyone was looking at him.
"Okay. Take five then we finish up with the suicide and final message." Leeroy announced with a clap.
"What's wrong?" Harry asked Zayn.
"What?"
"What's wrong with you? I thought we were cool." Harry said.
"I don't like hugs. Especially not from people covered in hickeys with their shirts on backwards." Zayn said.
Harry looked down, blushing when he saw his shirt was indeed on backwards.
"Thanks for telling me after all this time." He complained, slipping it off over his head.
Zayn looked over his torso, wondering what was in his head when he got all of those stupid tattoos.
"But, I saw you hugging the blonde over there the other day." Harry decided to mention after he had his shirt on right.
Zayn frowned. "How? You always eat inside so you can be the center of attention."
Harry looked offended. "That's not why I..." He trailed off, realizing he didn't have to explain himself.
"You know what? Quit acting like you know me." Harry said angrily.
"How about you quit acting all together?" Zayn asked.
"Stop being so rude to me! I've never done anything to you!" Harry said loudly, getting upset.
"Not everyone has to like you, Mr.perfect. Get over it." Zayn said coldly.
"If you want me to quit acting like I know you, maybe stop talking to me? Perhaps, leave me the fuck alone? Just a suggestion." He continued.
"You're such an asshole! I'm trying to be nice-"
"Oh shut up! I'm so sick of hearing how nice you are and all that you try to do. Nobody cares!" Zayn yelled, shaking now.
"You're jealous of me." Harry realized.
"What?" Zayn scoffed.
"That's why you're such an ass to me, you're jealous!"
"Why the hell would I be jealous of you? Regardless of what you may think, you're nothing special. I'd rather die than be like you!" Zayn yelled.
"That's not saying much considering how much you talk about wanting to die anyway." Harry scoffed.
"The fuck are you talking about?"
"I hear you all the time in math talking to yourself about how much you want to die." Harry said.
"Really? I figured you were too busy listening to everyone else so you could find a way into their conversations, only to insult yourself in hopes of getting a compliment." Zayn spat.
"You're so desperate it's disgusting."
"You're disgusting!" Harry yelled at him, his face red now.
"At least I'm not fake!" Zayn yelled right back.
Harry stepped closer. "Shut up."
"You better get the fuck away from me." Zayn warned.
"Or what?" Harry challenged, stepping even closer.
"Or what?" Zayn echoed loudly.
"Yeah. Do something." Harry said, glaring into his eyes.
The two raised their fists at the same time, both getting torn away from each other before any hits could be landed.
"I will not have this filth on my stage!" Leeroy yelled at both of them.
"Keep all of your shit outside of the auditorium. In here, we're all mature people who want to put on a good performance." He continued.
"Got it?" He snapped.
"I'm sorry." Harry sighed, fixing his hair after he was let go.
Zayn jerked away from the two boys holding him back, storming off the stage and out of the auditorium.
"I guess that means we're done for today." Leeroy said, wanting to smack Zayn.
Regardless of how pretty he was.
Niall rushed after his friend, catching up to him in the bathroom.
He found him leaning over the sink, looking like he was going to be sick.
"Zayn-"
"I can't do this, Niall. Being up there gets me so keyed up and it tears me apart. I didn't want to say all that I did. Well- I mean I wanted to but not like that. Not then. I just...I can't control myself. And he certainly doesn't help. He's so irritating. God I just want to punch him in the face." Zayn ranted, gripping the sink.
"I hate all of this so much." He added, his voice breaking halfway through.
Niall bit his lip, wanting to help but he didn't know how.
"Let's just get out of here." He said quietly.
"I don't want to go home." Zayn said, knowing eventually when his mom got home she'd ask about rehearsal and he'd have to lie.
He hated lying to her, but he hated explaining even more.
"You can come to my house. I-I meant to tell you my parents are gone for the weekend. Plus you know my brother's away at college so his PlayStation is all mine. Ours if you come over." Niall said.
Zayn looked at him.
"Violent games and unhealthy snacks until three in the morning?" Niall suggested.
Zayn cracked a smile. "Okay."