It was like she was drowning. Seeing the two together, such polar opposites, yet they looked rather...happy.
The whole feeling that resulted from her seeing her ex-boyfriend and one of her high school friends together felt like that of drowning. Water filling her lungs, preventing her from screaming out (oh, how she wanted to scream out!), or else it would ruin her life. And actually yelling out to Zayn in jealousy and hurt would give the bastard a smug sense of satisfaction, she knew, and that in itself was worse than dying.
Lauren had to ignore the tug at the edges of her heart as Zayn's toned arm wrapped around Gigi's waist as the two entered the restaurant. His liquid onyx depths cut toward the green-eyed girl, as if mocking her, and he gave a smirk as he turned back to brush his lips onto the crown of the shorter girl.
He used to treat her in the same way.
Those loving glances, the slight caress of his lips against her head, the arm around her...so many things that she knew she wasn't going to get back.
Despite the hurt it caused her, she had resolved firmly in her mind that she would never, ever give the bastard another chance after what he had done to her.
"Lauren...there's something wrong..." Y/n's voice finally broke into her thoughts, ringing out like a clear bell through her mind.
Her emerald orbs flew up to meet his face, "Oh, no, Y/n. I'm fine." She closed them in a bright, albeit fake smile, as he opened the door for her to go in.
"That's good." Y/n said, although he knew she was lying through her teeth. She had just seen something that bothered her greatly. Y/n himself might have missed it, but something had caused her to go into a daze, her usually sparkling green eyes had taken a dull appearance. It made him realize that there was something underneath her kind, cheery exterior that she was hiding.
Not that he had expected her to tell him everything about what was wrong. It was none of his business, after all. They had only actually interacted with each other for a few days. And he respected her privacy by not prying too much more into the subject as to why she was so shaken up by whatever the hell she had seen.
Those thoughts were dissolved by a woman coming up to them. Her blonde hair was pulled back into a high ponytail, and her chocolate brown orbs immediately softened once she saw Lauren standing there with a man she didn't recognize, "Hey, Lauren, it's been a while since we saw you here." She said in a friendly manner, giving her a toothy grin.
"Yes, it has, Ally!" Lauren said, giving the woman a smile. Unlike the one before, this one did not seem forced and fake. "Hopefully your food has gotten good." She said playfully.
"Oh, better than it was before." Ally said, giving her a confident, friendly wink in reassurance. "Since I came into the picture, of course..."
Lauren smiled, "Knowing you, you probably bossed everyone into submission."
Ally lightly tapped the crown of the dark haired girl's head with her fist, "I could just skip out on giving you and your..." She paused for a moment, taking in Y/n's appearance with a renewed smile, "...friend a table."
"Aw, now that wouldn't be good, Ally. You know I am one of your best customers." Lauren said with a chuckle.
"Oh, best customer as in to not show around here for a two week period." The sandy blonde quirked an eyebrow whilst smirking, looking at her with a friendliness that Y/n admired, for he had no really close friends other than his girlfriend, and a couple of other choice people.
"Ah, you know I have work at my restaurant. Waitressing..." Lauren returned the wink Ally gave her just a few moments before.
"Yes, yes, excuses, excuses..." Ally clapped a hand on each of the twosome's shoulders and showed Lauren and Y/n to a table. A beautiful, scenic one beside the window, overlooking the street and the bustling city. Once the two were seated, the blonde took out her order book and a pen and asked, "What would you like to drink?"
"Tea, please." Lauren said, meeting her emerald orbs with Ally's brown ones.
Ally looked to Y/n, waiting for his reply.
"I'll have the same." Y/n said, also looking at her. At this time, Ally noted what an intense stare this guy had for his age. She estimated that he was just one year older than Lauren at the least. Those eyes...something within them seemed...guilty that he was here.
"Alright," Ally said, taking out two menus and setting them on the table in front of each customer, "I'll be back with your drinks and until then, you can look at which of our great dishes to order."
And, with one of her trademark winks, she was off to fix their drinks.
Lauren sighed whilst running a hand through her strands, "That Ally..." She chuckled, "She's always full energy."
Y/n laughed along with her, "Yes...but you two seem very close."
Closing her eyes in a bright smile, she nodded happily, "Yes, we were best friends in high school. It was me, Ally, Normani, Kendall, Gigi- " She felt a sudden pang in her heart, Zayn is with Gigi. Right there. Across the room from you. She shook her head slightly.
Y/n chuckled at her recollection of her high school friends, before asking, "Gigi...Gigi Hadid?"
"Yes, why do you ask?"
"She's my cousin." Y/n stated proudly, "It's a coincidence that you were friends with her in high school."
"Yeah..." Lauren smiled at him, connecting her emerald orbs with his. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the new couple begin to stir...and, it looked like they were...
Walking toward us?! Why the hell are they walking over here?! Asshole Zayn!
Y/n noticed that Lauren's eyes took on a startled, yet sad look, "Is there anything wrong?"
Lauren didn't have time to answer that, for in a matter of seconds, a strong, tan hand was slammed onto the table in between both of the diners. Lauren didn't have to look up to know who it was; actually, she didn't want to look up and see him face to face. His cheating face...
"Hey, Lauren," Zayn spoke with that same arrogant tone he used back during childhood and teenage years, the voice that made all the adolescent girls shiver and quake with excitement.
It was at this time that Lauren knew that she and Normani had been damn fools to fall for this one.
Breaking her pact of not looking at the bastard, Lauren turned her head and met fiery emerald with cool obsidian, "What do you want?"
"Just to say hey, is all," Zayn replied, his smirk widening, "Wow, you've moved on fast. He must just be a- "
"Don't talk about him like that," Lauren almost shouted at him. "We're just friends. And if you think you are ever going to intimidate me with that sad old routine, you're mistaken."
Zayn looked at the girl, his gaze not wavering, "Sorry for the intrusion. I'll leave..."
"Zayn." Her voice was curt, sharp, and no nonsense.
He stopped for a moment, turning to look at the woman who he once had feelings for, "Hm."
"If you hurt Gigi, I swear, I'll– "
"Oh, I won't. She's not you."
After that, he turned and walked off. Lauren felt good that she had resisted the urge to jump across the table and hit him, but still, she'd love to hear the sound of his nose cracking... And no matter how much she felt glad he was gone, his searing commentary still had its place in Lauren's subconscious. She still had no idea why she got so worked up when he began to attack Y/n...or her reasons for being here with him.
She was here with him because he was nice, kind, and a very understanding individual. Lauren thought they could become good friends, and she already thought they were on the way to that.
She wasn't here for romantic reasons...
That dream she had about him last night did not count, though.
Lauren saw Y/n's curious gaze and sighed exasperatedly, her temper having cooled off somewhat. Just as she was about to open her mouth to say something, Ally came back with their drinks and sat them down in front of them. Out of curiosity, the blonde woman prodded, "Did Malik just talk to you? Did he say something mean? Because if he did, I'll ask him to leave, if you want."
"No, because then he'll think he won." Lauren said defiantly. And no matter how childish it sounded, it was the truth. Because in her eyes, Zayn was childish.
Ally chuckled, "Same old Lauren... Have you decided on what you want?"
Lauren smiled despite her angrily beating heart. She always knew what she wanted at this burger joint, "Yeah. Cheeseburger with the works and Cajun fries."
"Ah, the usual for you then..." Ally scribbled something on her notebook before turning to Y/n, "And for the hot guy."
"Ally!"
"It's the truth, honey."
Y/n could feel his cheeks heat up, "Uh...yeah, I want a hamburger with everything except ketchup...and regular fries."
The blonde scribbled something else in her notebook and smiled, "Alright, I'll be back." And she was off.
"You don't like ketchup, Y/n?"
"Ah...no, no, no, I don't..." Y/n replied, "Oh, I'm sorry if it's weird or anything."
"No, it's actually cool!"
"That I don't like ketchup?"
"Oh...I mean that I got to know something else about you." Lauren smiled brightly, "See, normally, I would have no idea what you like and dislike, so I would probably end up cooking something and putting lots of ketchup on it."
Y/n chuckled, "So you're saying you'd cook for me?"
The green-eyed girl couldn't help but blush. She didn't even know why. But the tone in which he asked that...it made her just...happy and feel like she was a kid again, on a first date with a new–
No! She couldn't start to think that way! Y/n had a girlfriend. And judging by what a great guy he is, he must have a really amazing girlfriend... She thought, dismissing everything she previously thought.
Lauren laughed and connected her eyes with Y/n's, a blush faint on her cheeks, "I dunno about that. I don't really have any cooking experience."
"That's alright. If you can't, I'll cook for you."
Wow...he's so kind. Oh, crap! I'm blushing again! C'mon, Lauren, get yourself together!
"If you can."
"Oh, I will."
Lauren missed such playful banter. Now she knew why Dinah and Normani carelessly joked like that so much.
"Here's your food!" Ally announced cheerfully, laying down two plates full of steaming food in front of each respective order. "Enjoy!" Before she walked away, she added, "It's on the house, this one, Lauren. So next time I'm at the Cafe, tell Dinah to give me a discount!"
Lauren laughed, "Thanks, Ally, I'll make sure to mention it."
Ally walked off, leaving the two with their meals and their thoughts.
"Lauren..." Y/n asked between bites of hamburger, "Do you mind if I ask about that guy that was here earlier?"
Lauren took a bite of fry and swallowed before answering, "Nah, I don't mind."
"So..." Y/n searched for the right words to say, "...what is your relationship to– "
"Zayn." Lauren gave him his name, "He's an ex of mine. We dated for two years...right after we got out of high school."
Y/n listened intently, eyes searching for the reason as to why Lauren was so hurt, so seemingly broken by this man, yet she lashed out at him as if he hurt her. He concluded that their relationship must not have ended on a very happy note.
"We went to a party a while back. Neither of us had a drink, but he had the absolute nerve to take advantage of a girl who had way too many," Lauren swirled her straw in her drink as she spoke, looking solemnly into her drink, seeing the reflection of her emerald pools in the caramel brown of the tea, "I...heard people talking about it. I had only took my eyes off him for a split second. Then I heard people talking and Normani ended up coming to me...and she told me where he was...along with this drunken chick he had only met an hour ago."
Y/n looked at her with consideration. He now knew what kind of person that man was, if you could even call him that.
"So I walked back to the room people told me they were in and there they were...naked and in the bed. Caught them in the act." Lauren's usually gentle orbs took on a hurt and angry look, "I broke it off with him the same night."
"I'm sorry..." Y/n consoled, being so bold as to place his hand on top of hers.
She looked up, confused forest green meeting his, "Y/n..."
"Oh, it's not like that," Y/n explained, "Trying to make you feel better, is all..."
"Well, thanks," Lauren said, giving a smile and feeling her face heat up for what seemed like the millionth time that day. "But I should be the one trying to help you..."
"Why's that?"
"Well, from the looks of it, Zayn's has moved on to your cousin."
"Gigi?" Y/n suddenly felt a protective urge come over him, "He's with Gigi...my cousin."
Lauren closed her eyes and moved her hand from underneath his large palm. Giving him a light smile, she said with a soft tone, "She's right over there."
Opening her eyes, she moved the emerald irises to the side, as if to point them out without them actually seeing her. Y/n turned his head, ever so slightly to see what Lauren had so obviously noticed since the moment they entered the restaurant. Of course, he should've noticed that she was talking about his Gigi when she had said those fighting words to him...
"If he hurts Gigi, I swear, I'll– "
"You must be close with Gigi." Lauren interrupted his thought process, looking back in his direction.
"When we were little, I was." Y/n admitted with a bitter smile, "Now, we hardly speak. I could hardly recognize her over there...she's grown her hair out." He said that last part as a compliment.
"Ah, well maybe you should call her up next time...ask her how she is." Lauren suggested, "Or you could go over there now and speak."
"No..." Y/n shook his head, "Not after how that guy treated you. I don't even want to be in the same space with him. I'll call Gigi later, though. Thanks for the suggestion, Lauren." He gave her a welcoming smile.
"No problem." The girl opposite him smiled brightly, a welcome sight that Y/n found himself also smiling to. She motioned to the burgers and fries, "Now, let's eat before this food gets cold."
Y/n nodded with a toothy grin and with that, both of them bit into the hamburgers at once.
As Lauren ate, she also had a smile. Despite the drama with seeing Zayn for the first time since their break up, she felt at peace with her situation at the moment. She enjoyed Y/n's company. And, even though she couldn't be with him– not that she had thoughts about that, no– she felt like they were on the start to a wonderful friendship, as cliche as that sounded in her mind.
And...
And, something about this...just being with him. Being in his company. Being around him. Having something as simple as a lunch together...
...it felt right.