Switched | Zayn Malik

Chapter 4

I was trying to convince myself to stay calm. I sat on the bench in the locker room, leg shaking out of nerves, trying to take deep breaths. I couldn't escape driving with Zayn to the party but I could avoid him once I was there. Perrie would be fuming but if I left Zayn alone for the night, I could be safe. A loud knock sounded from the locker room door.

"Avery, you almost done?" Faith shouted in. I wet my lips and shook my head, trying to get situated. I slung my bag over my shoulder and made my way outside.

Zayn smiled once he saw me and waved for us to head to the parking lot . Liam tagged along, talking with Hazel about who knows what. Zayn's jeep was surprisingly clean, minus some change and straw wrappers on the floor. He opens the passenger door for me and I tried to hide the blush creeping onto my face.

"Where's Perrie?" I asked.

"She has a family thing tonight." Zayn said and started the engine. I was relieved.

The ride to the beach wasn't long, maybe twenty minutes at most. The sunset painted the sky different hues of oranges and pinks. I kept my glance outside the window, avoiding Zayn's occasional glances. Hazel and Liam filled the time with conversations about college and the upcoming summer. We soon pulled into a dirt parking lot, large logs marking the individual parking spots. I could see faint lights dancing on the beach as we exited the car.

"Wait until you guys see it. Niall went all out." Zayn said and ushered us down the wooden ramp.

A slight breeze whipped the flames of the tiki torches. A large white tent swayed in the breeze with lights circling it. Loud music flowed through the air and the smell of a bonfire and food on the grilled filled my lungs.

"Damn, I'm impressed" Faith gawked as we neared the tent.

Picnic tables were set up underneath the tent where people causally ate. Niall was at the grilled, flipping burgers and hotdogs, and smiled once he saw Zayn. Niall pointed the spatula at him and went in for a hug.

"Welcome to the best fucking beach party you'll ever go to." He shouted and everyone around us cheered.

Zayn chuckled and proceeded to set up a blanket close by. I awkwardly stood there, watching as a group of boys threw around a football. All the nerves I felt before washed away with the low tide. Perrie wasn't here and I could enjoy my time at the beach. I glanced over to see Zayn taking off his shirt, revealing a muscle sculpted body underneath.

"You're staring." Hazel whisper into my ear, teasing me with a few pokes at my side.

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The party ragged on as the sun disappeared beyond the horizon. Hazel was somewhere with Liam, probably talking his ear off. Faith and I sat on our towels, watching the game of catch in front of us. It had gotten slightly chilly out, I pulled on a sweatshirt and took in a breath of the salty air.

"Are you happy you came?" Faith asked, nudging my shoulder.

"Im happy Perrie's not here to torture me." I responded, watching Zayn throw the football to one of his friends.

"I know she's a bitch but you shouldn't let her get to you. She's just jealous that you're a better person than she'll ever be." Faith advised.

"You flatter me," I said and clutched my heart dramatically, "It's hard though. She gets all up in my business. I don't know what I ever did to her."

"She's just an evil person that need to be put down. No biggie." Faith chuckled.

We were interrupted by a ball being wedged into the ground in front of us. It kicked up sand onto out towels. The boys playing with the football shouted for us to throw it back. I picked it up and got to my feet.

"Sorry about that." Zayn said as he jogged over. He reached out a hand.

"Oh, you want this?" I said with a smirk on my face.

I've gone to all of their football practices. I've picks up a trick or two. I clutched the football tightly and my nails dug into the brown leather. I brought the ball to the side of my face and quickly moved my arm forward, the one without the brace, and chucked the football far into the distance. It soar through the air and landed a few yards away. Zayn and his friend's mouths dropped. All eyes were on me.

"Shoot, I didn't know it would go that far." I said, the crowd of boys huddled around us, staring off in the direction of the ball.

"We need her on the team." Harry said, eyes wide open.

"I'll get it." I awkwardly yelled and raced towards the direction of the ball.

I ran as fast as I could, the hum of the party becoming distant behind me. A collection of jagged rocks was scattered around the shore. I hope the ball didn't get lost in the rocks. I scanned the area before spotting it next to a tall rock with a divot on the side.

I picked it up and observed the surround area. A small pool of water reflected the moonlight in the divot of the huge rock. The light shimmered on the surface, pulling me closer to it. I let the football fall to my side as I glanced into the water bed. Gems were dug into the sides of the walls, the water looked like someone had taken and dropper and combined various blues and greens. Something about this way the moonlight sunk below the surface made me want to get a closer look. I leaned over the shallow pool, trying to get a better look of how deep it was. The water began to bubble and suddenly, I lost my balance, falling head first into the water.

"AVERY!"

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"Is she dead?"

"If not, she definitely has brain damage from that fall."

The voices seemed so loud, the throbbing in my head getting faster. I fluttered my eyes open, my vision was slightly blurred. I felt like I was half asleep, I couldn't understand what was going on around me. Was it a dream? Zayn's face appeared and inched closer before I felt his lips on mine. The kiss felt too real as I came to. A group of teenagers were staring down at me. I pushed Zayn off and abruptly sat up. My cheeks quickly grew hot from embarrassment.

"Move!" I heard Hazel shouted as she pushed through the crowed with Faith. The kneeled down and absorbed me into a hug. The pain in my head grew deeper, I groaned out loud. They pulled away and helped me to my feet. I swayed before I could find my balance.

"What happened?" I muttered, grabbing the side of my head. I winced and immediately pulled my hand back, blood dripping down it.

"You feel and hit your head on a rock." Zayn gently said and wrapped an arm around my shoulders to help keep me standing.

"Zayn gave you mouth to mouth. You weren't breathing" Hazel explained.

"I did lifeguard training over summer break," Zayn responded, "Let's get you home"

Zayn guided me through the crowd to he parking lot. He helped me get into the jeep, Hazel and Faith close behind.

"You want us to come?" Hazel asked.

"No, go enjoy the party." I said with a weak smile.

"Zayn kissed you." Hazel whispered as Zayn walked to the other side of the car, "Mouth to mouth still counts."

"Shh," I said, pushing her shoulder, "I'll text you guys once I'm home."

"You better and don't leave out any details about the ride back either." Faith said with a wink.

As, they headed back to the beach, I glanced out at the shore. Something weird happened at that wave pool. The last thing I remember is the water erupting into bubbles. I wanted to get to the bottom of this but my head was killing me. Zayn carefully pulled out of the parking lot and rubbed my shoulder, reassuring me everything would be alright. My hero.

a/n

Thanks for reading and voting!

xoxoxo, Leah