Midnight • (Zayn Malik)

art alley

My stomach growled obnoxiously and I just really couldn't be bothered with bodily needs at the moment. But I felt like I was going to pass out so I went to the kitchen to find a piece of fruit that would be easily consumed while driving. I almost jumped when I saw my mom eating a bowl of oatmeal in the dark. Well, the sun did recently set so I didn't think too much of it.

"Where you off to kuu?" she asked while looking through a magazine.

"I uh," I took a deep breath, trying not to overthink what I was doing, "I'm going to see him."

She looked up at me, "You are? Did Louis talk you into it? Are you sure you're okay to see him?"

I smiled slightly at all of the questions. It was kind of nice that someone cared so much about me. I guess I knew that all along but I just didn't appreciate it until now. It made doing this not so scary.

"Sort've. I wanted to earlier today," I smiled a little more, "I'm okay mom."

She nodded and got up to wrap me in a hug, "I love you. Be safe."

I hesitantly hugged her back, "I- I love you too. I will."

She let me go and smiled. I was about to walk out of the door when she called my name.

"I uh... here. He dropped these off when he came the other day. I figured I'd wait until you were ready to read them and yeah," she walked over to me and handed me a pile of papers tied together with a black string.

"He-" I swallowed, "he dropped these off for me?"

She nodded, "Didn't really say what they were but asked me to give them to you."

I sucked in a breath, "Fuck."

My mom cracked a smile, "Yeah, that's kinda what I thought too."

I walked over to a chair in the living room and sat down, just staring at the poorly tied bow. They could be the poems he wrote, or songs, maybe with drawings in there too. But the stack was pretty thick and the papers and ink were weathered and they looked a little too long to be poems. I thought back to the time he told me he kept in touch with his friend Harry by writing letters back and forth. Then I wondered if he ever wrote letters to her. I hoped with everything left inside me that these weren't those letters.

My hands were trembling again as I untied the black bow and picked up the first letter. It was dated in March of this year, I assumed some time after we got back from the spring break trip. I closed my eyes and tried to prepare myself.

Zain,

Yes she was here for you, but as I've told you before she wants nothing but to drive you mad. She heard you were in town and went straight to my shop. Like I said while you were here, she just wanted to use you. Drag you into another one of her schemes while she pretends to love you just to get you to do what she wants. She's absolutely mental Zain, you know that. I thought you'd never be able to move on from her, even when you moved but then you met Luna. I haven't seen you look or write about a girl like that since A mate. She was pretty bloody pissed off when she saw her with you at the parlor. If it were me, I'd go for Luna. I really think there's something there. I don't know the bird personally but I know she's better for you than A. Pick up and move on mate, it's time.

Harry x

My hands were shaking even more now and my eyes were wide at the paper before me. Zain wrote about me to Harry. A was the girl in the picture. I had actually seen this girl in person. I couldn't believe I didn't figure that out until just now. I wondered if her name was A or if it was short for something. I picked up the next letter, trying to shove all of the questions I had to the back of my mind.