Switched | Zayn Malik

Chapter 1

"I-I'm a mermaid." I managed to utter out the words.

His eyes grazed my scale covered skin, mouth slightly ajar. I could hear the thoughts racing through his head as he eyed me from the corner of the room. I was waiting for him to scream. I was waiting for him to pull out his phone and post my secret for the whole world to see. I was waiting for my last ounce of hope to wither away under his horrified glances. Instead, he stuck out a hand and reached for my tail, a smile creeping onto his lips.

2 week earlier

The crowd roared as our school football team got into position. The blinding lights of the stadium buzzed above our heads, adding to the hum of the crowd's cheers. The cheerleaders faced the bleachers, shaking their pom poms to hype up their supporters.

"School chant, ladies! One, two, one, two, three, four!" Perrie, the head cheerleader, barked orders over the noise. The girls and I readied position and began to execute the routine.

You might be thinking, "Wow, she's a cheerleader." No, I was far from one.

A huge dolphin head bobbed on my shoulders as I danced my heart out. I was the mascot for school events. I lost a bet to my friend Hazel and was the only person that showed up to audition. My brown, wavy hair stuck to my sweaty face as the routine came to an end. This suit acted like an insulated winter coat and it wasn't compatible with the cry heat of California. The only thing that made this job worth it was getting to see him play. The ever so popular quarter back, Zayn Malik. He was your typical golden boy, the kind you wished could be yours for at least a day. This infatuation has been steadily growing since the early days of middle school. Back when he needed glasses to see and before the gym membership. The real kicker, Zayn was sweet and kind. A complete, unattainable package. Perrie shouted his name, blowing a good-luck kiss through the musty air. I still don't understand how he ended up with that monster. Despite her attitude, she was gorgeous. Her cropped blond hair was tied up in a ribbon, showing off her slim shoulders. Her cheeks were tinted pink with Zayn's jersey number painting neck to her eye. I wanted what she had.

"Alright, the dolphins are down by one point! Last play of the game, ladies and gentlemen!" The man's excited voice stated over the intercom. The crowd went quiet, waiting with nervous minds. I heard the teams collide as the ball was thrown to Zayn. He darted back and forth, looking for an open teammate; there wasn't one. He took a chance and raced through the bodies of teenage boys. He ducked and dived and soon his slender body was racing across the thick, white line. The crowd went wild and the cheerleaders ran onto the field, jumping into the arms of our players, "There you have it! Malik won the dolphins there seventh win in a  row!"

Zayn was raised above the crowd of players as people chanted his name. He smiled a charming smile and took off his helmet, raising it above his head.

"Champions party at my place! You already know, everybody's invited!" Harry yelled and jumped with glee. The stands began to empty out and the boys headed for the locker room. Zayn inched closer and something inside me just wanted him to notice me this year. I mustered up my courage and took my chance.

"Great game, Zayn!" I said with a huge smile. His eyes landed on me and he nodded

"Thanks, man."

I raise a hand to my face and felt the huge head of my costume still blocking my face. Great, I forgot to take off the head of my costume.

"Dammit." I muttered to myself, yanked off the dumb, oversized mammal head. My two best friends neared me with eager expressions.

"Avery!" Hazel and Faith waved frantically at me, "Was I dreaming or did Zayn Malik just talk to you?"

"I was trying to get notice  this year but I forgot to take off my stupid head." I angrily stated and pushed the door of the girl's locker room open with my shoulder.

The cheerleading team was undressing and touching up their makeup. Some headed for the showers, a towel wrapped around their bodies. I maneuvered my way to my locker in the back, my friends trailing me.

"Next time, just remember to take off your head." Faith giggled.

"Agreed. I think everyone's tired of looking at that train wreck of a face." Perrie chimed in, "You can't be in here unless you're on the team. Beat it."

"We'll meet you outside." Hazel said before quickly escaping. I peeled the costume from my skin, eager to get home and take a shower in the comfort of my own home. I changed into shorts and a sweatshirt before heading outside.

"You have no idea how excited I am to go home." I said to my friends, who sat quietly on a bench.

"What do you mean? Aren't we going to Harry's party tonight?" Hazel asked with a flip of her hair.

"Last time I checked, Harry doesn't know who we are." I gently said and watched their smiles fade.

"Why did he say that everyone's invited then?" Faith pestered and folded her arms.

"I'm pretty sure that didn't mean us. Come on, lets just go back to my place and watch a movie or something." I frustratingly replied as I walked backwards towards the parking lot. I bumped into what felt like a brick wall and landed on my side, sand scrapped my skin.

"Shit, I'm really sorry about that," A deep voice said and stretched out a hand to me. I glanced to see Zayn staring down at me. I could feel my heartbeat start to race and my cheeks grew hot. I hesitantly grabbed his hand and hoisted myself up, "Are you okay? I didn't see you there."

"I'm fine." I replied as my lips formed a soft smile. He met my gaze and I felt like he was staring into my soul. A boy patted Zayn on the back, interrupting the small moment we were having.

"Can I bum a ride off you, mate?" Liam asked before glancing over at me. He was very attractive. His brown hair was messy and he had some scruff on his face, "Sorry to interrupt. Are you one of Zayn's friends?"

"U-Um..." I stutter with my words.

"This is Avery." Zayn introduces me even thought I knew who Liam was. 

"You know my name?" I blurted out and immediately regretted it.

"We have Bio together." Zayn said with a chuckle.

"Right." I said and cursed myself for acting dumb.

"You coming to the party?" Liam asked, pointing a finger towards me and my friends.

"Actually, I gotta catch up on homework tonight." I said with a fake frown.

"Next time then." Liam said and flashed a perfectly white smile our way.

"See you Monday, Avery." Zayn said and jogged off.

"He knows your name." Faith said after a long pause of silence.

"And that Liam is a walking wet dream." Hazel added.

"I think we've had enough excitement for one night." I chuckled and headed to the parking lot.

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I couldn't stop smiling Monday morning as I walked through the front doors of the high school. Zayn knew my name. I wasn't invisible. He noticed me. I bounced down the hall, searching the sea of people for him. I spotted him leaning up against the lockers, the one next to him wide open. I was about to pass him and give him a little wave when the locker slammed shut to reveal Perrie. She grabbed the collar of his shirt and planted a kiss on his lips, an evil smile snaking on her face once she saw me staring. I rolled my eyes before ducking into my history class and taking a seat by the front.

"Avery!" Someone called my name from the back of the room. I swiveled in my seat to see Liam waving at me. I smiled and waved back, trying to hide the excitement bubbling over inside my chest.

This was going to be my  year.

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a/n

Life's not complete without a "tail" or two lol. Thank you for reading and voting!

xoxoxo, Leah.