Scars (Ziam)

A Complex Emotion

Hellllllllloooooooo!

It's been a good while since I have updated, but I have my creative juices flowing, and I FINALLY have some free time to get writing.

I'm not actually sure if anybody is still reading this, or any of my stories for that matter, but if someone is I would just like to say thank you for your patience and for sticking around. It means the world to me, and I hope you enjoy this update and are excited to really jump back into things!

Thank you so much! <3

Chapter 48:

"You should have seen him!" Zayn's mum chuckled out as his dad slapped his hand on the table with laughter. "His whole face was a bright red, and he was shivering so terribly. My poor baby! We set him down in front of the fireplace with warm clothes and a blanket and made him finish a whole cup of hot cocoa before doing anything else."

"I think I still have a picture on my phone!" His sister exclaimed, excitedly pulling out her phone to scroll through her gallery.

"I don't think it's necessary to show him-" Zayn tried to divert the conversation, but then his sister was thrusting her phone in my face to reveal a picture of Zayn as a kid with his face red from the cold, gloved hands out in front of him, and a sled laying at his feet upside down. The expression on his face was mixed with disbelief at what had happened, regret at attempting what he did, and pure agony at the cold he endured moments before.

"We told him not to try and sled down it, but he was convinced he was a pro after watching some winter Olympics," his mum added to the story.

"You wanted to be an Olympic athlete?"

"No," Zayn immediately responded, pushing his sister's phone out of my face. "I just... I thought it looked easy. All of the snow sports."

I couldn't contain my laughter at the way he mumbled out the truth, but Zayn didn't seem to mind. The pout that was on his lips slowly turned into a smile as he watched me laugh at his expense.

"Oh, that's funny to you?" He grinned, raising an eyebrow. "Laugh it up. I'm going to ask Ruth for all of your embarrassing stories next time I get the chance."

"If it makes you feel better," I said with my laughter finally dying down.

"Is that your sister's name?" Zayn's mum wondered.

"Uh, yes. One of them, anyway. My other sister is actually away at uni."

"Do you plan on going to uni?" His dad asked. My grip on my utensil tightened for a moment.

"I don't... um, I'm not actually sure. I want to write, I guess, but... I just...." I trailed off, suddenly ashamed of my lack of direction in life. I wasn't even sure if I could get my grades high enough to pass before the end of the year. Ruth wasn't even in uni. I figured I would just get a basic job to help my family first before even thinking about my future.

"Writing sounds like a wonderful goal to have. I advocate for anything artistic," Zayn's mum smiled. "Of course, it's also alright to take your time and think about it. Not everybody needs to go to uni to be successful or even happy in life."

"That's very true. I never went to uni myself. Think my life turned out pretty great." His dad sent a loving smile to his mum, making one of his sister's roll their eyes while another wrinkled her nose in playful disgust.

"We get it. You love each other," his sister groaned, making their parents chuckle.

"You'll find someone you love one day, then you'll understand."