About Time // Larry Stylinson

Chapter Ten

"Yeah, babe... No, I just... Yeah... Okay... Okay, yeah, love you."

I'm walking past the bedrooms when I hear someone on the phone. Zayn. Pushing the door open, I look inside. I can't see him, but I know he's there somewhere. I go to the bathroom and there he is. The dark-haired boy looks small and vunerable, hunched on the floor. A tear escapes his eye, which he quickly wipes away. 

"Zayn?" 

He looks up. "Shit. How much did you hear?"

"Not a lot. I only came in because you sounded upset," I slide down the tiled wall to sit next to him, my arm falls around his shoulders. "What's going on?"

"I called Gigi, saying I wanted her to come and get me," He looks down. "I can't do this anymore, Harry."

I pull the boy into my side. "Oh, Zayn. When is she coming?"

"Two week's time," He explains, his hair falling towards onto his forehead. "I can manage the recording, but I really don't want to go on tour."

I nod. I was the first person that he told he was leaving the band, and, even though I was really upset, I understood. You could tell that he wasn't in it anymore; he was almost silent in interviews, and I could see him loosing weight. 

"I don't want to disappoint the fans, though."

"I'm sure they'll understand. Plus, you'll be on the album, so you'll still be involved." I reassure him. 

"Yeah, I guess."

"I think you should tell the guys," I suggest. "It's only fair on them."

"Yeah, you're probably right."

-

I look around the room. Luckily, just my bandmates were there. Louis looks up and smiles at me, patting the empty space on the couch next to him, but Liam and Niall's heads don't lift from their phones. I look back and see Zayn stood behind me.

"You have to do it," I practically mouth at him. 

He takes a few steps forward and clasps his hand together. "Lads, I need to talk to you."

His serious tone must have shocked the boys, as they're now all looking at him, eyebrows knitted together, phones dropped onto their laps.

"You okay, man?" Liam looks up at me and Zayn.

"I just - " His eyes fill with tears. "I can't do this whole thing anymore - the tour I mean. Gigi's coming to get me in two weeks, so I can be in the album, but I really would appreciate if you didn't tell management; I'm just going to leave."

I watch the boys' mouths fall open. They obviously didn't see it coming the way I did. They all run over to him and arms wrap around him. I join them. Pushing myself in between Zayn and Niall, I lean into their bodies. Niall presses his head into my shoulder, his glasses coming off his nose, and I can feel his tears through my shirt. Louis' hand is rested on Zayn's back, and I grab it and give it a squeeze.

The boys break away, Niall moving forward towards Liam. Louis and I are left with our fingers intertwined. Turning around, the boys' gaze flicks between us.

"Oh, yeah. We're - "

"Just don't tell mangagement," Louis interrupts me. 

Niall laughs. "We won't, don't worry. I think I speak for all of us when I say we aren't surprised."

"We've seen the way you look at each other." Liam adds. 

"We're happy for you, bros," Zayn says.