Thanks for reading :) - C
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Zayn's POV
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Mrs. G calls out the list of names for the third time as we settle into our seats on the bus. She can't hide her enthusiasm very well as she calls out each name. Mrs. G finally got the "okay" from the school board to take her art class on a field trip to one of the local art museums and today is the day her dream is coming true.
Cora and I still haven't talked since the party and it's the first time I've seen her since when she hops up the steps onto the bus. I'm sitting in second row to the front and I have to pull out my phone to make it seem like I don't even notice her. She hesitates for a second in front of my seat but continues walking towards the back.
Marissa is last on the bus, being the newest student in the class, and promptly takes a seat in the row across from mine. I give her a friendly smile. I haven't seen her since the party either.
Mrs. G proudly speaks through the microphone about how exciting the day is going to be. A couple students from the back groan in response. I slide my feet into the row in the middle of the bus to face Marissa. This also allows me to take a quick peak to see where Cora sat. She's about 4 rows behind us with her eyes on me and Marissa. I pretend like I don't notice.
"I lost you at the party the other night, did you make it home okay?" I ask Marissa as she turns to the middle isle as well. "Yeah your friend Dylan kept me company and even got me a ride home. He's a pretty cool guy. Not as cool as you obviously," Marissa bats her eyes and pushes her hair behind her ears. I can tell she's trying to flirt and I'll have to be careful not to lead her on. I've got to make it clear to her somehow that I'm not actually interested but it's not like I can just say "hey I don't actually like you I'm just trying to make the girl I actually like feel jealous". I just smile and continue on about Dylan. Maybe I can focus her attention towards him instead.
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The museum is about 20 minutes away and as we arrive, Mrs. G bounces up from her seat and hands us each a map when we exit the bus. We gather in a circle outside the museum as Mrs. G explains some guidelines.
"Okay now students, you are going to be split into groups of four. Every person in your group has a map but one person will be given a scavenger hunt guide. On each guide there are lists of hints to different paintings, sculptures, or pieces of art you have to find. The first group to meet in the lobby with a picture of each painting wins 6 points of extra credit! Now split evenly in groups of four!" Mrs. G explains the rules and the students scatter around to find a group.
"You want to stick with me?" I ask Marissa and she silently nods. I'm surprised to see Cora and some sophomore guy I'm pretty sure I saw passed out at the party walk up to us. "You don't mind if we join you right?" Cora asks directly at me. I turn to Marissa who looks hesitant to accept but I answer anyway. "No we don't mind. As long as you can navigate yourself around the building pretty well," I cock a smile towards Cora and the guy standing next to her. He doesn't seem interested in any of this and pretends to be reading the map.
"I've been here plenty of times, this should be easy," Cora smirks and starts walking up the steps to the museum. The guy whose name I don't know follows behind her and Marissa and I close behind. There are only two other groups so our odds of winning are pretty good. I've been to the art museum several times before and if Cora has too, then she's right, this should be easy.
We regroup in the lobby and take a moment to read the first hint. This piece of art is the newest addition to the mode of art invented by Nicephore Niepce. Cora looks like she's in deep thought and the sophomore doesn't even read the hint at all. To be honest, I couldn't be more clueless. "Photography, Nicephore Niepce invented photography. The answer is probably whatever was most recently added to the photography room," Marissa speaks up.
I notice Cora look up at her in blatant aggravation. It's a bit funny to see how much she despises Marissa. "Awesome, then let's go!" I say and unfold my map to look for the photography room. Marissa and I share a look I can tell Cora is watching before I lead them in the direction of the first clue.
Cora's POV
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I briefly search for different objects in the room I could hit Marissa over the head with but the modern themed lobby has left me with no options besides a stack of flyers in a container or the small pole that ropes off the art - which I guess I could use if I really had to. Nicephore Niepce invented photography blah blah blah. Can he also invent a way to make her less annoying?
I roll my eyes and follow Zayn and Marissa to the photography room. Zayn has been pretty much ignoring me the whole trip so far and it's starting to get on my nerves. He looks really hot today - well he looks hot everyday - but today I'm noticing it more since most of his attention is focused elsewhere. He's got his usual black ripped skinny jeans on, a black shirt with a blue and red snake plastered on the front that looks like it could be one of his tattoos, and a dark gray leather jacket that can easily be mistaken for black.
We are apparently the first group to figure out the first clue when we get to the photography room. Not wanting to be useless in the first clue, I break away from the group to find one of the employee's. "Excuse me, what is the most recent addition to this collection?" I ask. The woman dressed in all black dress clothes points behind me. I turn around to see Kyle and Zayn standing next to Marissa as she takes a picture of it. Damnit.
I groan and join them by the photograph. It's of a girl sitting alone on a old beaten swing set while groups of kids around her play in the distance who are clearly ignoring her. Wow what a hilarious coincidence.
"Next clue...let's see..." Marissa starts to read the scavenger hunt guide with Zayn just inches behind her. I clench my fists together and eye Kyle who is doodling something on his map. Just after dusk and right before dawn, a painting full of light, a painting called ______. Marissa starts to tap her pencil on her bottom lip as she ponders the clue. My head is filled with angry thoughts and there's barely any room left for thinking about the clue itself.
"Twilight! A painting called Twilight!" Zayn finally says and Marissa turns to pat him on the back. "Nice! Now lead the way," Marissa smiles at him. I grind my back teeth together so hard the muscles in my jaw start to ache.
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After 6 clues answered and many frustrating witnesses of flirtatious banter, I have had about enough. There are two more clues left on the guide and two more nerves left in my body. It's only escalated since this morning, Marissa apparently can't keep her hands off Zayn now and everything he says is hilarious even when it's not meant to be funny at all. The worst part is Zayn is just eating it up!
The second to last clue involves painting a picture ourselves in the "Hands-On-Art" part of the museum. Marissa immediately votes Zayn to be the one to paint it since he "is a natural artist". Zayn happily obliges and picks up one of the provided water color trays and paintbrushes.
What happens next is a deliberate and cruel act of seduction viciously played out by Zayn Malik. I catch Zayn's eye as he slowly slides off his dark gray leather jacket, revealing the fact his shirt happens to be a tank top. The thing about tank tops is they do a good job of covering your torso, but not your arms. This is a problem since the tank top Zayn is currently wearing has made it it's job to efficiently broadcast the captivating and enticing tattoos that cover Zayn's right arm.
How do I know this is deliberate? The equally captivating and enticing seductive smirk Zayn flashes me gives me more than enough proof. My eyes shutter a bit in response to the ridiculous act Zayn is putting on. He then swipes his tongue across his bottom lip - the way he does it every time he's concentrating on something. I notice the muscles in his jaw clench, defining the alluring bone in his jawline. It is simply overwhelming.
He brushes his hand through his hair, making it a bit messier, just the way I love it. I attentively watch as Zayn bites his bottom lip when he paints the first line on the canvas. He continues to switch between lip biting and lip swiping for a while as he continues the painting. Instead of the picture being painted on the white canvas, I am more intrigued by the work of art painting the picture itself.
I have to remind myself to breathe. I consciously look around to make sure no one notices how I am unraveling beneath the dynamic actions of Zayn Malik. I clear my throat and I swear I hear Zayn chuckle from under his breath. I grab the guide to try and focus my mind somewhere else.
One of the other groups in our class has caught up to us. We all stop to see them rushing to start painting their canvas. "Shit, they're catching up to us," Zayn says between strokes. "Marissa, Kyle, start figuring out the last clue," Zayn orders before returning focus to his painting. Marissa does all the work and figures out the last clue in seconds. She lets us know her and Kyle are going to get a head start to find the last painting.
When they leave, Zayn and I are alone in our corner of the room. The silence between us is deafening. He continues to paint what I now notice is a concrete wall full of graffiti that reminds me of his room. I notice him swipe his tongue across his bottom lip for like the 700th time and take a deep breath to try and calm myself down.
"You alright? You seem a bit stressed or something," Zayn mocks, not breaking away from the canvas. He knows good and well what he's doing to me. "No, I'm perfectly fine," I smirk at him quite stubbornly.
"I didn't know Marissa was so knowledgeable about this stuff. She's a good addition to the class don't you think?" Zayn asks. I fold my arms across my chest and roll my eyes. "Yeah, she's the best," I sarcastically answer. I watch as the second group finishes their canvas almost twice as fast as Zayn and scurry out of the room, leaving Zayn and I alone.
"She's figured out almost every clue," Zayn continues. I shift my weight a bit when I notice Zayn lean over to reach the bottom of the canvas, causing his shirt to lift and giving me a fantastic view of his chest and the taunting tattoos hidden there. I start to grind my teeth. "Yeah, she's so awesome," I fake smile and start to tap my foot.
Zayn notices my foot tapping violently on the floor and stands straight up to look at me with a raised eyebrow. "Are you sure you're okay Cora?" I shake my head up and down bite the inside of my cheek. He sets the paint tray down on the side table. "Nothing bothering you? Making you feel anxious or uncomfortable?" Zayn asks as he slowly starts to step towards me. I avoid his eye contact and shake my head side to side.
"Oh, would you look at that? I got paint all over my arm," Zayn says, only inches away from me. I can't help but sneak a glance at his tattoo covered arm to see a small streak of red paint on his bicep. He did that on purpose. He knows how much his tattoos turn me on. But what is he trying to do? Zayn steps an inch closer holding his arm up for me to see.
He cocks his head in my direction and flashes the most alluring and seductive smolder that he can. And that is what causes me to lose control. I instantly grab Zayn by the collar, not bothering to check our surroundings, and kiss him. Everything that built up inside me today is contributing to my sudden burst of hormones. I feel Zayn's arms tightly grip around my back and pull me as close to him as he can, almost crushing me.
The kiss is rough and messy but I don't mind. I just want him to push every inch of his body against me until I can't tell between left and right. I slide my hands over his biceps and kiss the outline of his jaw which is covered in stubble. I feel completely out of control as my body takes over my mind and lusts for Zayn.
"Uh, Zayn, Cora?" An unfamiliar soft voice sounds from behind us. Zayn and I instantly break apart and Zayn wipes his bottom lip with his thumb while I awkwardly run my hand through my hair. Kyle is standing by the door with an uncomfortable look on his face. "We found the last painting and already took the picture. Now all we have to do is get to the lobby first with your canvas," Kyle shly says.
"Oh, right, okay," Zayn says and turns around to grab his unfinished canvas and leather jacket. He doesn't bother to finish the painting and just follows Kyle out of the room. I collect my thoughts and regain control of my emotions and follow him as well.
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When we get to the lobby, Marissa is deep in conversation with Mrs. G and waves to us as she notices us walk in. We're the first group back, which means we get 6 points extra credit, even though we didn't entirely finish the canvas. But I could care less. Zayn only stops to look at me once before we board the bus. I return to the seat I sat in on the way here and Zayn to his.
My mind is deep in thought about what happened back in the "Hands-On-Art" room. It was definitely hands-on. The way he made me feel was an entirely new feeling. I felt like I lost control, like my confidence had disappeared, like no matter how hard I tried, no part of me could overcome the enthralling seduction radiating of Zayn Malik. But what is even more conflicting to me than losing control itself, is how much I enjoyed it.
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Zayn got his wish! Haha
please comment what you think!!
hope you liked it! - C