Demons

Chapter 10

Zayn and I walked up the stairs to Jack's house when we heard screaming and dubstep music. Instinctively, Zayn protectively clutched my hand. I gasped, but did not jerk away. Jack opened the door and smiled. 

"Hey Lacey! Oh I see you brought a hottie with you!" Jack joked and gestured for the two of us to come in. 

"Hey Josh, this is Zayn. And we are just friends." I introduced them to each other. Zayn showed a pain expression, as if upset by the fact that I called us friends. Wow, my mind really needs to stop deceiving me like this. Jack showed us to some of his friends, I knew less than half of them but they all seemed to know me. I decided to leave that group dragging Zayn along with me. They all seemed so sketchy and I did not think Zayn was enjoying himself. Where is Ava? She told me she was coming. 

"Hey is that Lacey?" I heard a male's voice say through the blasting music but I did not recognize it. Zayn must have noticed that I was confused and searching all over to find the voice and heard the voice as well because his grip on my hand tightened. Finally, I spotted a pixie cut. 

"Ava! Come here!" I called to her. She was hand-in-hand with a guy. He must be Louis. Yeah, she wasn't lying when she said that he was attractive. Hmm he is not your type - no tattoos, my conscience stated and she was right. Ava skipped down the stairs to greet us, Louis attempting to keep up. 

"Hey Lace, and it is nice to see you again Zayn." Ava smiled. "Oh, where are my manners? Lacey, Zayn, this is Louis, my boyfriend. Louis, this is Lacey and Zayn." 

"It is a pleasure to meet you both." Louis said. He does dress preppy and looks about two years older than everyone here, except Zayn.  

"Well, I am going to get us drinks, do you guys want anything?" Ava offered Zayn and me. We both shook our heads no, and she left. Louis was about to go after her but then stopped himself. 

"So, how long have you two been dating?" Louis tried to make conversation. 

"We are not dating, we came as friends." I abruptly shut him down and looked at Zayn, trying to find any emotion from his face. And all I could find was a blank stare into the distance. Great, is he mad at me? I cannot tell everyone that I am dating him. First of all, I am not. Secondly, he has a girlfriend - who he would not talk about. And third, I cannot have people think that Zayn and I are a couple, especially now that I agreed to go out with Harry. This is a small town so gossip travels fast, and I do like Harry. Speaking of small town, in walked - of 'course - Harry Styles. Immediately removing my hand from Zayn's, I fixed up my shirt to hide my nervousness.  

"Are you okay?" Zayn asked, my sudden jerk away from his hand causing a confused reaction. 

"What? Uh - yeah, um I guess," I stuttered, avoiding eye contact. "You know what, I am really thirsty. I am going to get us drinks, so do not go anywhere." I was speaking so fast that I could hardly understand myself. 

"Wait!" Zayn shouted after me, no wanting to be alone with Louis, and I turned around sharply. "Um, I do not drink." My heart fluttered at his genuine statement. It is a different feeling than when Harry makes my heart flutter yet I do not know which I like better. Wait, am I stringing Zayn along and friend-zoning him simultaneously? He has a girlfriend, remember? I actually thank my conscience this time for clearing any guilt inside of me. She can be helpful at sometimes, though a bitch at most. 

"I don't either. I am just getting a soda. You want one?" I smiled and Zayn nodded. "Louis, can I get you anything?" Louis turned around from searching for Ava and shouted: 

"No thanks, Ava is getting me one. Where the hell is she?" He asked Zayn and Zayn shrugged. As I was walking away, I heard the two talking about sports and chuckled to myself. Wait till they get to the music topic. I walked into the kitchen and poured two red solo cups of Coca-Cola to the rims. I shouldn't have done that... As I picked the cups into my hands carefully, I instantly regretted my foolish decision about the soda when I bumped into a hard figure and one of the soda cups splashed all over my stomach. Sure enough, I had bumped into Harry. I had never realized how tall he actually was, being that I only ever interacted with him whilst sitting down.