Took Me By Surprise [Zayn Malik] ✓

Chapter 13: Picnic À La Malik

   *Jenan*

   "What's your favourite colour?" Zayn's voice was carried by a soft breeze into my direction. Also a slight scent of smoke, but I tried to ignore it. We were lying on our backs on a dotted picnic blanket, holding our full up stomaches and enjoying each other's company. Our picnic was held in a far corner of the almost empty park so we were basically alone, but the story of the forgotten picnic basket still made me hesitate. He either totally overreacted or there was something else behind his reaction. And there it was again: the feeling as if there was something happening around me that I am somehow missing.
   "You can guess." I replied to Zayn's question and smiled.
    "Hmm.." he looked up the sky as if the clouds could give him a clue. "Pink?"
    I threw a look at him, as usual trying to disregard his earring. "Are you kidding me? Do I look like I'm into pink?"
    He chuckled. "Nope."
   "You have one last chance." I raised my eyebrows.
   "Brown?" he smiled.
   I grinned. "That's correct. How did you know?" I liked the warmness of the brown colour, and that although it was warm, at the same time it wasn't fiery like red or orange. It was a simple colour which was also found in nature. I don't know, but when I look at the trunk of the trees or just see a brown surface, I feel comfortable.
   He shrugged and turned to the clouds again. "I don't know. But now you guess my fav colour."
   "Blue." I said without hesitation. It was the first colour which came to my mind and I spoke it out.
  "Nice." He grinned. I just hid my smile behind one of the cookies Zayn had brought.
   "Let's play a game." Zayn said and leaned his head onto his arm. "I tell you one of my secrets, and you tell me one of yours."
   "Okay, you go first." I said defiantly.
   He sighed. "Well.. I suffer from Acrophobia, which is—"
   "..The fear of heights, I know." I continued his sentence in surprise. "But.. how did you enter the London Eye with me? It must have been torture!"
  "Ahh, I just focused on.. something else and then everything was fine. No biggie, really."
   I gave him a stern look. "You should have told me. You didn't have to do this."
   "But I wanted to." He smiled at my look. "It was a pleasure for me to make you happy with the ferries wheel."
   Rolling my eyes, I said: "Weirdo."
   He chuckled. "Now it's your turn."
   I hesitated for a second. Should I or should I not? Before I could change my mind, I quickly said: "I love the fact that you are Muslim." I didn't look at him but I could feel his gaze burning on my face. A few moments passed then he finally broke the silence.
   "You do?" this simple sentence came out of his mouth in whispers and sent shivers down my spine. I turned my face to him and nodded. Shyly, I tried to smile.
   "Well, I—" he began but I quickly interrupted him. This might turn into a too serious conversation and I was too tired at the moment to worry about it. "You don't have to say anything."
   "Hmm, uh, okay." He laid back onto the ground again.
   "Do you have any siblings?" I asked, trying to lead our conversation into a different direction.
   "Oh yes, three sisters."
   I smiled, imagining his sisters to be three adorable girls. "That sounds lovely."
  He chuckled. "What about you?"
  What about me? I sighed. "I don't have any siblings... but a ton of Egyptian cousins!"
  He raised his eyebrows but didn't comment and I was glad about that or else I might had to admit that I didn't even know half of them. For a few moments there was a silence between us, but not an awkward one. Instead, it was quite comfortable.
   Zayn beside me cleared his throat and said: "I'd love it if you told me about one thing you like in each of us five boys."
   I threw a quizzical look at him. "That's a strange question." Weren't we just playing the Tell Me A Secret game?
   "Yeah, not really." He replied and looked at me full of expectation.
   "Uh, well.." I said slowly to gain time. "I love Harry's dimples. Is this what you wanted to hear?"
   Zayn snickered. "Good enough."
   "I like Niall's passion for food. It makes him so.. lovable." I continued answering his question. "About Lou.. I can only agree with you all on the 'Peter Pan Complex' thing, he's funny and nice. And Liam," I sighed. "He is like the brother I never had." I paused because I knew it was supposed to be Zayn's turn. I could feel his look of expectancy on me. "And you.. you're my gentleman." Did I really just say that?! Gosh! Earth, open up widely and swallow me!
   "Should a boy let a girl know when her cheeks are as red as a clown's nose?" Zayn grinned at me.
   "Doofus." I mumbled and threw a cookie at him. My cheeks were really burning though.
   "Hey! That was a good cookie!" he looked at me accusingly. "I really don't feel like eating a cookie which tastes like grass."
   "Then don't eat it." I replied and stuck my tongue out.
   "But that would be a waste of precious cookies!"
   I rolled my eyes with a smile on my lips and turned to the lovely clouds in the sky. A butterfly flew overhead and I watched it till it disappeared. Strangely, it reminded me of my family. Where was my mother now? Was she thinking about me? What about my father? How was he doing? My thoughts turned to Kasatt. Yes, since the last time I saw her at the end of the exams I haven't heard anything from her. My heart hurt. Oh how I missed our crazy conversations and how she always calls me 'Jennnnnna'.
   "Zayn?" I asked quietly, snoozing in the sun and enjoying life.
   "Yes, Jenan?" he asked. A look at his face told me his eyes were closed. My heart hurt again. He was truly the most beautiful boy I've ever seen. Me and him are probably like Nanny McPhee and Mr. Universe  or 'Insert the name of any good looking famous person you know'.
  "You can call me Jenna."

**

   "Thank you for this amazing day." I said to Zayn for the almost 50th time after we had returned back to the flat. This day with him had been truly amazing and it left a warm comfortable feeling inside my heart.
   He just grinned at me with sparks in his eyes. "Pleasure."
   I sighed happily. "Okay, even the best days have to end so I'm gonna get some sleep now, boys."
   "Good night." Niall said while I stood up from the couch.
   "Thank you, N." It was the first time for me to call him by some sort of a nickname, it was like making a small pass to him. A small smile appeared on his innocent-looking face.
   "Night, J." Harry looked up at me and smiled cheekily, running with his hands through his curls. I stared at his dimples and for a moment wanted to have some too.
   "Good night, Little Thing." it came from Liam who was grinning at me.
    "Thanks, boys." I replied and slowly started walking towards the stairs. Finally, Zayn added: "Good night, Jenna. Have sweet dreams."
   Oh, I was sure I will.