nebula :: [malik]

[ xlv :: cheers ]

The faces in the crowd are thinning out,

And I'm not saying stick around, but stick around,

And we may never have another like today,

Tomorrow is brand new start away,

And we'll never be as young as we are now, as we are now.

- "As We Are Now" || Saint Raymond

__

"How're you liking the view, eh? In light of your current, y'know, 'situation,' Jesse and I got you the hottest seat in the house: back here with us. That's real. That's some friendship, dude."

Zayn grins as Zach leads him backstage in the tiny nightclub. The place is packed, the black floor and black walls and black stage and black bar all illuminated beneath multicolored lights all changing tempo and all changing hue with each song change and thumping beat. There are twenty minutes until the boys go on for their set, and people are dancing in the crowds and they're pushing to be served at an even more crowded bar and this - all of these people in this tiny, two-story club - has got to make up one of the biggest shows Jesse and Zach and their band will have played all semester.

They're excited.

And because they're excited, Zayn's trying. He's trying to find reason to stay and support his friends and he's trying to find reason to smile and laugh at jokes being tossed around as the boys ready themselves for their set. He's trying not to look around the club for any familiar faces and he's trying even harder to remember why he's angry with Anais.

He's trying to remember that she wants Lucky, instead.

And when Anais enters the club, she lets out a small sigh of disappointment because she's there for around twenty minutes and still hasn't caught sight of Zayn. She's seen Louis, of course, and Liam and Niall and she's standing between Harry and Magdalena as they wait for The NBHD to finally start their set.

"Y'alright, Ana?" Magdalena asks, nudging her as they check coats and filter into the crowds forming in front of the stage.

Anais nods, "Yeah. Fine, why?"

"You're quiet," Magdalena says. And, she cocks her head. "Too quiet. You're never quiet, Anais."

She grins. "Just looking for Zayn, y'know?" She scans the faces around her. "I thought he'd be here."

"Ah, ah, ah," Magdalena grins. "Looking for your man?" She folds her arms. "Looking for your boyfriend, Anais?"

She rolls her eyes with a flip of her hair. "He's not my boyfriend."

"Yeah, yeah," Magdalena snorts. "How long are you gonna tell me that lie?"

Anais laughs, again. Magdalena has a way of always making her laugh and making her feel better. "Whatever, Mags. I thought we'd been over this."

"Uh, yeah. At the beginning of the semester?" She snorts, "Yeah. And I thought you'd understood by now that absolutely no one believes you."

And Anais has nothing to say to that as Magdalena laughs beside her, taking her hand and dragging her closer to the stage.

Anais is still scanning the faces in the crowd.

"I'm sure he'll be here," Magdalena says, with a reassuring squeeze of her hand. "I mean, c'mon," she adds upon Anais look of hesitation, "It's Zach and Jesse. I doubt they'd let him stay home and miss this."

And Anais nods. "True," she replies, because there's no way the boys would let Zayn of all people skip out on them playing this club.

So, Anais stops searching. Well, she tries, as the deejay continues to play music as the band sets up.