nebula :: [malik]

[ xliii :: peanut gallery ]

No one else can believe we're breaking,

We're breaking.

Lonely --

As ever before, I can shake it,

Shake it.

'Cause we've got too much to let go,

I said I want you to stay.

-"Stay" || Coasts

___

"So? How'd it go? How's Anais?"

Zayn doesn't answer that. Instead, he lifts his head, staring over the refrigerator door at Niall, who's also staring expectantly back at him.

"Like, how'd you think it went?" Zayn asks, a bit more harshly than intended. He's just gotten back from Astronomy, and he's kind of just not in the mood to talk about Anais, especially since he somehow feels worse than he had about her before he stepped into class.

Louis enters the kitchen, hopping onto the counter while also jumping into the conversation.

"She actually came to class, today?" He asks.

"Yeah," Zayn nods. "She was there."

Liam looks up, because Liam and Harry have come over today. "She's been skipping class? Didn't think she was one to skip class..."

Zayn can't seem to focus on food long enough to find anything he wants to eat.

"She's not," he says.

"Been avoiding that one," replies Louis, with a head nod towards Zayn. "So, Soo says she's been skipping, lately."

And now, Liam's forehead creases with his frown. He says nothing, but he's watching his friend rifle through the refrigerator wordlessly and thinks to himself that it's been three weeks since Zayn and Anais broke up and he definitely expected the two of them to be back together by now.

"Well, in other news," Harry begins, dimple popping as he fights a smile, "Magdalena and Jesse might be back together, eh?" He shrugs. "Eh?"

Zayn honestly does not understand sometimes how he's friends with his friends.

"Good for them," he states blankly, because while he's happy that Jesse and Magdalena are talking, all he can think is that the two of them are friends of his who he and Anais have set up, and here they are all finding lasting relationships while his own relationship with Ana was unable to do just that, last.

God, Zayn just wants to go to sleep.

This day needs to be over, already.

"Yeah," Liam nods, "I think I'm missing the point too, Haz."

"Come on," Harry scoffs, as if he can't imagine how and why his friends could be so daft, sometimes. "If they can get back together, then y'know there's hope for you and Anais," and as Niall nods with a, "True," and Liam pouts, "He's right" and Zayn's frown dissolves a bit, Harry sighs and shakes his head because, "Sheesh."
___

"Well, someone's home early!"

Anais sighs, shrugging out of her coats and falling upon the couch.

She scowls, staring at Magdalena and Cara and Jourdan all in her little apartment that she shares with only Soo. "What are you all doing here?"

"Wow."

"Hello to you too, Ana."

"Love you too, babe."