Bad Teacher (Discontinued)

Chapter 9: Fool's Gold

The room felt like it was finally still after spinning the whole while Niall's father had been speaking to Zayn. "So... The headmaster sure expects a lot from us in the next few minutes." Niall says after the door of the office has been quietly shut. His go at lighting the mood wasn't very effective with Zayn. Looking at the older man just brought a chill down Niall's spine. Zayn's eyes were narrowed, glaring at him.

Niall's father had left the two young men to schedule the tutoring lessons. Instead however Niall found himself in a room filled with fury. "Is that really all you have to say? If that's the case bring your father back in here because i'm done Niall." Zayn spitefully shouts. He had lowered his voice by the end realizing people were still outside the office and a screaming match with his lover wasn't appropriate for school.

The way Zayn had spit out the word father made Niall cringe. He knew that Zayn now held the knowledge that he was indeed the headmaster's son. If the goodbye his father had just bid wasn't obvious enough the pictures Zayn was now seeing on his father's desk confirmed it.

"Zayn? Listen I know this might seem like a lot to take in, but-" He starts, but is interrupted by a manic laugh.

"But? But what Niall? There isn't one. The headmaster is your father. Please don't tell me you're stupid enough to believe we can keep this thing between us going. I know you need a tutor, but this is just common sense." Zayn says bitterly laughing at the blond's denial.

"Did you just call me stupid, Malik?" Niall asks trying to hide the hurt with a sneer of the older man's last name. The doubt and pain was clearly heard in the boy's voice though.

"If the shoe fits." Zayn says without thinking and quickly regrets the words that have slipped out. His eyes had gone comically wide and in other circumstance Niall might have laughed. "I didn't mean that. I swear I didn't." He steps towards Niall, but the boy is already turning to leave.

"You don't mean anything you say." A wavering voice replies. Niall is walking swiftly out the door in seconds and running down the hall to find Harry and Louis.

"He doesn't love me. He doesn't want to be with me. I mean nothing to him. We're nothing. He's right, I am stupid. Clueless this whole time."

Niall had always felt like he got things handed to him. He never felt as smart as Harry or Louis, just mediocrely intelligent. Zayn's words hurt, but it hadn't been the first time Niall had felt belittled or called stupid. His classmates when he was younger had made sure Niall knew how stupid he was. Zayn adding on to those past comments hurt like hell though.

As he's running down the hall trying to figure out where Harry or Louis could be he bumps into a hard figure.

"Niall!" A strong and friendly british accent shouts. He had grabbed the boy just in time to miss an unfortunate fall.

Looking up Niall saw David Soutar.

David Soutar was a long time friend of Niall's. He was actually two years older so he had graduated two years previous. He had gone to a university in the States, so it was to Niall's shock the the man was now standing in front of him.

Their history rushes through Niall's head as he looks up at David. The long time friendship was actually all thanks to his father. David's father was a dear friend to Mr.Gallagher. They had met in uni after their wives (girlfriends at the time) had introduced the two gentlemen.

Niall had spent many memorable moments in the presence of David and they had bonded through the fact they both routed for Derby County F.C.

Niall had been quite heartbroken when he found out that one of his closest friends would not be staying in his hometown, but instead would be leaving to enhance his education over in the States.