The girl behind her smile

- 34 -

Chemistry had dragged on as usual, the only thing keeping me awake was the fact that it was Friday, and this was my last lesson. Not to mention that mum had been discharged from the hospital for a full week now, with no signs of a relapse. Things between Zayn and I had returned to some sort of normalcy but it certainly was not the way it used to be between us. I think that would require more time.

The bell rings, and everyone hurries to pack their bag, as I tuck my chair and say goodbye to the people around me, Zayn's hand clasps my wrist. 

"I'm leaving." He says.

"What do you mean?" I ask, my eyebrows pinched.

He swallows, and lets go of my wrist, leaning back on th desk behind him, "I'm leaving to Chicago in a few days, this is the last time I'll be here."

"Wait, I don't understand, I thought you and Jasper made up?" I ask, my voice exasperated. 

"We did, in fact we talked about everything between us and our family." He pauses, and looks down, "I realised that everything I did, always revolved around him, the way I acted, the friends I made, the places I lived. And moving here wasn't really my choice, but his father's, and I'm so tired of living as someone whose entire personality is based on the hatred for their family. In the end, no matter how much I please his dad, I will never be considered his true son, his true heir, so, I'm done hating Jasper, and I'm done being his dad's little minion. I'm going to live for myself, and I think the first step is to go back to my home."

A heavy blanket of silence engulfs the air around us for a few split seconds.

I understood him in all honesty, living with a mask on becomes tiring, and even more so when nobody will ever understand who you are as a person, nor your feelings. 

"You gonna tell Riya?" I break the silence.

His voice was just above a whisper, "I already did, at lunch."

"I'm happy for you. Really, I am." I hold his hand, "But I'm going to miss you."

He smiles, moving his hand from mine and places it on my head instead, "Well you're going to have to come visit me then."

"I'm going to have to think about it." I smirk playfully, earning a light punch to my arm.

-

Watching Jasper cook in his apartment was certainly not what I had in mind when he had invited me over to stay. My mind was running more along the themes of a movie and some takeaway. But watching his arms flex as he tosses the food in the pan and his eyebrows pinch from concentration is definitely better than what I had in mind.

I've always appreciated his good looks and his sharp mind, but when I think about how he is just mine, it turns me into a giggling thirteen year old who can't stop thinking about their crush.

From the brown tufts of hair that fall just past the top of his ears, to those pink lips that lie below his nose.

It was all mine.

I was currently sat opposite him on the island, eating some ice cream he had prepared earlier and trying not to be obvious as I stare at him.

"I just really didn't see this coming from you." I say, licking the last remains on my spoon.

He sets a plate before me, "Why? Because you thought I was some spoilt rich kid who had everything done for him?"

I divert my eyes and place the spoon in my mouth, I did in fact.

He scoffs as he makes his way around the table and  stands in front of me, his hand holds my jaw and removes the spoon from my mouth, so my eyes are no longer lingering on the white of his apron, nor the muscles that were emerging through his back top.