Dark Star

Chapter 8: Perfect

Lola Solemen

After an amazing meal and lots of laughter and stories told, Simon paid the check for us all and we bid him goodnight. We watched him drive off and we stood in the parking lot, trying to decide how we were going to get home.

"Okay, I can drop off whoever rides with me at the hotel room," Paul told the boys. "Unless you guys want to tag along while Zayn drops off Lola?"

I looked up at Zayn and smiled thankfully. He smiled back, and then he did the most unexpected thing ever: he put his arm around my shoulders.

I froze, completely stunned.

"No... I'll come with you," Louis said to Paul as he yawned. “Kevin’s tired.”

"I'm tired too," Niall said, patting his stomach. "And too full to ride in a car for more than half an hour."

We laughed. Me, a little uneasily because I was still freaked out by Zayn’s casual flirting.

"Then it's settled." Paul said. "Harry? You're coming with us?"

"No. It's too early to sleep anyway," Harry said smiling. "Don't want Zaynie to be alone on the car ride home either."

Zayn smirked.

"All right," Paul unlocked his car with a controller. "Let's go then."

Zayn pulled his arm off my shoulders and gave Paul a bear hug. Harry did the same.

"Thanks for dinner," they said.

Paul smiled at me, giving me a soft hug as well, and said, "I hope I'll be seeing you around...”

We all knew what he meant. But no one really knew the answer to it. So I just nodded and smiled.

Liam gave me a hug. So did Niall. Then Louis hugged me tight and made Kevin peck me on the cheek.

He whispered in my ear, "Oh, how Zayn wishes he were this pigeon."

I laughed with him and we bid them goodnight. They sat in Paul's car, but before they drove off, I suddenly remembered something.

"Louis!" I screamed.

A back window of Paul's car— the side that was facing us— rolled down and Louis stuck his head out.

"What is it?" He shouted back.

"My friend thinks you're sexy!" I yelled. "She wanted me to tell you."

I heard laughter emanating from inside the car as Louis screamed his response out of the window.

"Tell her she's sexy too!" He yelled back. "Oh, and I love you Harry! I’ll miss you!"

And they drove off.

"C'mon," Harry said to us, laughing a bit from what had just happened.

Zayn and I followed him to the van and hopped in, sitting exactly how we had on the trip to the restaurant, even though the two front seats were now empty of people.

It was a pretty long drive from Beverly Hills back to LA, considering all the traffic, so I leaned back in my seat and watched the dark streets before us. Since it was nearly midnight, there wasn't much noise outside. The constant droning of car motors was very relaxing and the wind blowing from Zayn's slightly opened window was calming. I had just shut my eyes when my phone vibrated.

I pulled it out of my bag and was shocked to see that I had over five missed calls from both Kris and my mother. I probably never heard it during our dinner. I quickly texted them both.