The A-hole Next Door (completed)

TWENTY FOUR

"Kid, are you okay?"

Stanley's nudge pulled Zayn back to earth. "What?"

"You're fucked up, Malik." Stanley laughed, patting the bloke hard on the shoulder. "You're so fucked up. You officially lost your sanity over a girl."

Zayn took a puff from his cigarette, his sight staring at the smoke. "I never thought falling in love can make you whole and shatter you to pieces the next day." He mumbled, not realizing his own voice. He never talked like that in his whole life.

Stanley eyed him seriously as he fixed the guitar amps that Zayn purchased. "Like what my old pal Plato said, love is a grave mental disease, son. Look at you." He said, slightly snickering. "You look like you just came out from a fucking asylum. You look miserable."

Zayn sighed deeply, followed by a big yawn. He spent his whole night knocking on Lauren's door, but the girl didn't even bother to open it. He almost climbed the walls to reach her balcony but the sudden midnight rain made it impossible. If only the walls weren't slippery, he had unleashed his inner Spiderman just to talk and clear things with Lauren.

"Alright, kid. Here's your new amps. Sweet and ready to rock." Stanley said, handing him his new baby. Zayn gave him his credit card, his mind still swimming to the argument he had with Lauren last night.

He turned to an angry volcano when he saw Liam hugging his girl, and the lava erupted when his former friend planted a kiss on Lauren's hair. His vision went dark and he failed to control his temper.

He didn't regret throwing that punch, though. Liam got what he deserved, now he knew that it wasn't wise to mess with his girlfriend.

If there was something he regretted, it was the fact that he yelled at Lauren. His jealousy took his sanity away, and he knew that what he said to her were too much. He called her shallow, even accused her of accepting watercolors in exchange of steamy hugs. It wasn't Lauren's fault that Liam fancied her a lot, it clearly wasn't her fault if guys like Liam were still hovering around even if she was already taken. Lauren is undeniably beautiful and interesting in her own way, even if she isn't trying to be.

After paying and giving Stanley a quick wave of goodbye, Zayn left the music shop. He was about to start his car's engine when his eyes caught the bunch of sunflowers outside the grocery store beside Stanley's shop.

He stared at the flowers. Lauren's voice suddenly echoed in his mind. He remembered the day when he first had a full sight of how her apartment looked like in the inside. He immediately saw the hanging jars with sunflowers in her windows, and when he asked why she liked sunflowers, she simply said:

"I like them because they follow the sunlight and when the night comes, they just hang in there and wait for the sun again. It's like, they don't mind if the light leaves for a while, because they know that it will come soon. It reminds me to always stay positive whatever happens."

He went out from his car and walked straight to the bunch of sunflowers being sold outside the grocery store. He took the three prettiest ones, then paid for it. The flowers' lively colors seemed to affect his mood, because he couldn't help his silly grins when he went back inside his car to drive.

It was nearly noon, and almost time for lunch. He bought some lasagna and sandwiches before pulling over in front of Zap Building.

He considered calling Lauren before making his way inside the premises but her phone was still with him. Their fight last night made him forget about it, and he was expecting her to knock on his door this morning for her phone but she didn't.

When he reached her office, he found her right away on her desk, all alone in the middle of the deserted floor. Lauren's colleagues were all out for lunch, and she wasn't in the mood to join them. She chose to ignore Luigi's sullen looks and frowns when she told him that she wanted to be alone.