It's Always You

Chapter 6

“Come on, he totally likes me..” Mia announced too proudly as she walked through the corridor with Alana and Audrey on both her sides. “He even agreed to be my lab partner in electrical engineering class..” She flashed a smug look at both of them.

Alana turned away and rolled her eyes secretively while saying dryly, “As far as I got to know about Zayn from all your chattering, he sounds like a very polite person and he obviously wouldn’t have said no to anyone in your place, Mia”

“I agree with Alana, you are trying to make something out of nothing..” Audrey chuckled with amusement. “He is good with almost everybody around him. So, don’t think it’s just you who is gaining all his attention..”

“Bullshit. You wouldn’t have said this if you were there with me..” She shot back at him friskily. “Oh and that lovely smile on his face when he said ‘Okay, I will be your partner’.” She exhaled dreamily with a satisfying smile on her face.

“I was there, Mia and his facial expressions were nothing special like you claim.. Let me also remind you that he agreed to be just your lab partner not your life partner..” Judging from the look on Audrey’s face, he was frustrated with all the build ups that Mia was making at that moment.

“That day isn’t too far buddy and admit it, you are jealous that it was me instead of you..” She retorted when Alana interrupted them both.

“Stop whining both of you. You two are really getting into my nerves..” She chided quite rudely.

Alana observed their voices immediately died down their throats, not because she scolded them but Zayn was making his way through the crowded corridor towards them.

“There he comes!!” Mia squealed in pure excitement.

“Zayn..” She shouted out loud so that he could hear her from where he was even though the place was noisy as hell. Alana saw how his eyes lit up brightly when his eyes caught attention of them.

‘Does he like her back?’ Alana wondered

“Hey Mia..” He addressed her with a tight nod and right when he was about to say ‘hi’ to Alana, she swiftly looked down avoiding all eye contacts with Zayn, as if she didn’t want her friends to find out that they both knew each other.

Since Zayn’s hand was almost mid-way trying to wave at Alana, he couldn’t bring it down without raising suspicion in other two people’s mind. Somehow he managed to turn away from Alana just in time and instead waved at Audrey, “Hey man..”

“Hi Zayn..” Audrey blushed with the tips of his ears darkened like beetroot, for which he got a sharp glare from Mia. Whatsoever, he couldn’t stop blushing from the roots of his hair even after a full minute. He never imagined that Zayn would someday willingly talk to him.

Just to divert Zayn from Audrey’s weird actions, Mia went closer to him and placed her palm on his back, “Zayn meet Alana, my bestie..” She cooed and Alana watched her friend standing closer to Zayn than ever, which for some unfamiliar reason pissed her off. She thought it was because Mia was becoming too clingy to him like she was too desperate to become his girlfriend when he was just being friendly with her.

“Hello Alana..” His voice was extremely cold towards her, an exact opposite to how he was a moment ago with Audrey and Mia.

“Hi Zayn!!” She replied, expressing no emotions in her face. She was glad that he was good at putting things together and didn’t reveal to her friends that they knew each other. Much to her relief, he quickly averted his attention back to Mia.  

“Don’t you have Animation class with me now?” He asked Mia which made her face turn into a million watts bulb.

“Oh my God, you know my routine?” She over reacted while biting on her lips, trying to look cute when she actually was making a fool out of herself.

Alana crossed her arms and huffed in exasperation.

“You and I have the same class right now..” He answered straight forwardly

“Whatever but you still remembered..” Mia responded which caused Alana to scoff inwardly at her friend who was clearly trying to exaggerate everything that Zayn was saying.

“Would you like to come with me?” He asked her politely to which Mia immediately responded, “Of course..”

“See you guys..” He said before he began to go on his way.

Just before leaving the place Mia almost jumped on her feet while mouthing ‘Oh my God! Oh my God! Oh my God!’ repeatedly. Thankfully Zayn did not witness her craziness or else he would have surely thought she was mentally ill.

“She’s gone crazy..” Alana muttered.

“..But we have to agree that they look cute together..” Audrey remarked watching them walk together into their class. Alana felt a series of patter in her heart when she heard him say that but she tried to ignore it and entered straight into her class.

They continued with their classes for the rest of the day, not meeting until lunch break. Alana and Audrey were at the lunch hall waiting for Mia to join them before she was spotted with none other than, Zayn. He said something to her to which she giggled like a hopeless twelve year old. After what seemed like forever she bid her farewell to Zayn and finally noticed her friends who were waiting for her. 

“We have been waiting for ages now.. Where the hell have you been, Mia Smith?” Audrey demanded as she rolled her eyes.

“As you had seen, I was with my darling Zayn..” She said expanding the ‘dar’ in darling. “Do you guys now believe what I said earlier about him being interested in me?”

“Yeah, yeah we believe you now..” He added uninterestedly.

While they both were bickering childishly Alana’s phone chimed inside her pocket. When she picked it up she noticed it was a w******p message from an unknown number.

Reading further into the message which read:

Unknown number: At what time do you want to go to the supplies store today?

She right away recognized who it was but began to contemplate of all the ways he could have gotten her number from and immediately guessed it had to be Mrs.Dawson who might have given him her number.

Without delaying any further she texted him back.

Me: My classes get over at three. We can go any time after that..

Unknown: K

His curt reply kind of gave her an impression that he was off about something.

“Hey bestie, why are you being extremely quiet today?” Before Alana could process Mia’s words her phone was snatched away from her grip. Both her friends leaned forward to peek into her phone, all their manners flying out of the window.

“Are you going out on a date without bothering to tell us?” Mia questioned, attempting to sound furious.  

“Guys! Where are your manners?” Alana growled accompanied by a deep frown on her eyebrows.

“You haven’t answered us yet..” Audrey didn’t seem to let her live in peace until she answered them.

“What word in this text message gives you the notion that I’m going on a date? And who in the damn world goes on a date to the supply store?”

“May be ‘supply store’ is the code word between you two?” Mia suggested while wiggling her eyebrows at Alana. “By the way, whom are you texting?”

“Glad that you decided to ask that question before jumping into all sorts of conclusions..” Alana rolled her eyes with sarcasm.

“Come on, tell us before my head explodes with anticipation..”

“He works with me at the book store. Mrs.Dawson wants us to help her with painting and renovating the store. So, we need to go to the supplies store before beginning with the job..”

“Hmm if he can paint and do the restoration work then he must really be all arms and muscles..”

“You are being stereotypic, Audrey..” Alana responded with a shake of her head.

“Mia, the next time we go to the book store we need to check the guy out for ourselves. I don’t believe this girl..”

Alana’s heart began to thump wildly at what she was getting herself into. What would happen if they really come to the book store and see for themselves who the guy who was?

Shit! Why didn’t I tell them about Zayn when I still had a chance. Now no way in hell I can tell them.

She was interrupted from drowning herself in her own scary thoughts by Mia’s retaliation.

“Audrey, I don’t want to check out anyone else when I have got the most handsome guy all to myself..” She shrugged proudly.

“You don’t have him yet, Mia..”

“Very soon I will.. Now let’s get back to our darling Al before she thinks we have forgotten her. So, tell us babes, is he hot?”

“I don’t know..” Alana shrugged.

“Please Alana, tell us..” She literally began to beg which Alana obviously couldn’t ignore.

“May be..” Alana muttered.

“Come on, Alz. You can be more specific..” Mia pried suggestively.

“If being six feet tall with deep blue eyes, dark brown hair and a well-toned body is what you guys call hot, then yes he is to some extent hot..”

“Then we really want to see that living Greek god..” Audrey squealed causing their ear drums to hurt.

‘Why didn’t you tell them that he was nowhere near hot, you i***t?’ She asked herself angrily. Alana desperately wanted to smack herself for saying that.

“Okay buddies, I need to get going now..” She got up hurriedly throwing her bag on her shoulder. “Need to go to the library..”

“Me too..” Mia joined her.

“You are coming to the library with me?”

“No, No. I meant I have a class too..”

Alana sighed in relief. She couldn’t handle these guys any longer than she had already done.

“Okay then, see you guys around soon..” Not looking back at any of them Alana vanished from the spot trying to look as if she was in a hurry.

She headed straight to the library where she thought she could be at peace for a while without any interruption. She nodded at the librarian and since Alana spent almost all her free time there, the woman recognized her well enough to smile back at her.

She was looking for Designs of Machinery book in the Engineering mechanics section when her eyes landed on Zayn, who sat there with his head buried into a huge book. She watched him as he sat upright, stretched his limbs and yawned deeply, indicating he had been there for a long while now.

She scanned her eyes on him unintentionally, admiring his rippling muscles which was toned to perfection.

‘To some extent hot? Really? He is freaking hot!!’ Her brain screamed at her.

Right on cue, he lifted his head knocking out all the air from Alana’s lungs. He too looked a bit surprised to see Alana there or in hindsight, he was shocked to see her staring back at him. She didn’t realize the fact that she was still standing there staring at him intently until he winged his right brow at her questioningly.

Fluttering her eyes from embarrassment, she made her way to the large table where Zayn sat, taking notes.

“HI!!” She placed her books on the table and took a seat opposite to him.

“Hey!!” He turned back to his book once again. She observed him carefully and understood that something was definitely wrong with him.

“You look like you are in a mood for brooding over someone..”  She said as a matter of fact. “What happened?”

“It’s nothing..” He replied with his eyes fixed on his book. She noticed how quite he sounded in comparison to how he usually acted with her.

Her brows furrowed slightly in confusion when she realized it was her who was the reason for the sudden sourness in his mood. “Are you mad at me?"

He lifted his head up and threw her a stern glare which said, ‘Seriously, you don’t know why I am mad?’

“You are mad at me for not telling my friends that I know you already?” It was more like a question than a statement.

“Yes.. I still don’t think of a reason for you to do that, Alana..” He spoke in a stonecold deadpan monologue.

“I didn’t think it was such a great deal to discuss with them at first and now if I suddenly act like we two knew each other, they would surely have bombarded me with so many unwanted questions. I didn’t want that for myself..”

“I don’t understand you, Alana..” He concluded, finally slumping his stiff shoulder muscles as he leaned back against the chair.

“Well, I don’t expect it from you when I myself don’t understand me..” She shrugged, looking down at the books that she had kept in front of her.

“Designs of Machinery?” He continued. It was clear that he wanted to lighten the seriousness of their conversation.

“Yup, anything wrong with that?”

“Nothing, you just don’t look like you are good with machines..”

“What do you think I am good at then?” She asked curiously.

His right eye narrowed and his lips curved up in a half smile as he began to think deeply. For the first time from the beginning of their conversation, Alana got to see a genuine smile on his face.

“I thought you are associated with music or something..”

“What are you? A shrink?”

He chuckled, “I told you. I love to take guesses and..”

“It’s creepy that your guesses always turn right..” She interrupted him before she suddenly fell silent, “Zayn, I am sorry..”

“For what?”

“For acting like I didn’t know you out there..” She apologized sincerely.

“I understand, you had your reasons. So, don’t worry about it..” He threw an assuring nod at her.

“Thanks..”

“I’ll be waiting for you on the next street at three..” He said softly while closing his book shut.

“On the next street?” Alana asked looking a bit jumbled.

“We don’t want your friends to find out, right?” He smirked and she couldn’t help but watch how well-proportioned his facial features were.

“You are such a smartypants..” She said with a tender smile lingering on her lips.

“I have been told so..” He grinned back at her. His eyes were intense as they met hers and sent a sudden shiver down her spine.

She somehow managed to avert her eyes from him before nodding in agreement, “Thanks for understanding..”  She mumbled and just then she sensed a humorous smirk displayed on his lips before he went on his way to wherever he was supposed to.

After her last class Alana had to make sure that she was not spotted by any of her friends because she knew how they wouldn’t let her go that easily without prying her to tell them about the mysterious guy more. She was glad that she hadn’t saved Zayn’s number or else she would have been in grave danger. Mia would have surely thrown a b***h fit at her if she found out that she was keeping a secret from her and not to mention, that it had something to do with her crush.

She luckily reached the street where Zayn said he would meet her without getting caught by either Mia or Audrey. And before anyone saw them together, they made out of the place swiftly.

“We will have to park the car over there. The store doesn’t have a decent parking lot..” Alana said parking it across the street, deciding to walk there instead. While crossing the road, her hand absentmindedly reached out to hold Zayn’s forearm.

Right from childhood her greatest fear was to cross the roads and whenever she did she always depended on someone. Everyone close to her knew that and most often they teased her about it.

Though Zayn was taken aback at first and had the urge to look down at their hands, he didn’t do it since he didn’t want to make it a big deal. Moreover, looking down would make her conscious and cause her to withdraw her hand from his, which he did not fancy much.

Concealing his small smile, he kept moving forward towards the store. Much to his dismay, Alana took her hands off the moment they were done crossing the road. They entered the store which looked small from the outside but was actually like a huge tunnel from the inside with almost everything that they would need.

“How did you find out this place?” Zayn asked looking around the store in awe.

“My dad brought me here when we had to buy some stuff for the new apartment he gifted me..”

“Cool..” He walked in further inside and began to grab the things they required.

After about an hour they were done and stood at the billing section.

“Mrs.Dawson is going to freak out on seeing the bill..” Zayn muttered staring at the amount on the bill.

“We don’t have to tell her..”

“She wouldn’t reimburse the money unless you show her the bill, you know?”

“We don’t have to show her this one..” With that she paid the amount and handed some extra cash to the store owner, “Can you please provide me with another bill mentioning a lesser amount? We are trying to help someone..”

The owner seemed to observe them closely before he huffed, “I wouldn’t have done it if you had asked for the opposite. I hope you are really helping someone..” Another few minutes went by as they waited for him to type a fresh bill and all the while Zayn gazed at Alana covertly.

“Here you go..” The store owner’s voice snapped him out of his admiration for Alana.

“Thanks a lot..”

They walked out of the store, Zayn carrying the large bag in his hand while Alana held the roller extension pole. When they reached the road, just like Zayn had anticipated Alana grabbed his arm causing him to grin inwardly. However, this time he failed to fight his desire to look at their joined hands.

Sensing his eyes on their hands, Alana quickly retreated her hand back but Zayn was faster and right when her grip loosened, his palm tightened around her wrist, “You are scared of crossing roads and it is okay to be scared sometimes..”

 A/N: 

Hey Readers!! 

I apologize for the very late update but this chapter took too long. I really hope you liked the update. Please leave your comments of what you think about the main characters and who is your favorite? 

Mine is Alana. 

Thanks to my darling readers who motivate me after every chapter. You don't know how much your words help me. Love you all.

~SwaRam~