Hotwired Freedom - ZM (Title Change)

Chapter 10

~Taivy's P.O.V.~
After Zayn left, the rest of my day was a living nightmare till my mom came home. The Devil left me alone in my room when my mom came home and told her I wasn't feeling well when I couldn't come down for supper.

Getting up for school the next day was hell. I could hardly move. I had to drag myself to the bathroom to get ready and all the bruises left stung every time I moved.

Cooking class that morning at school was especially hard. I had to roll my sleeves up to wash plates and bowls and had to lie to the people who asked about the bruises, including the teacher.

"I fell down the stairs," I told them shyly. I decided that day that didn't want to make anymore friends. I couldn't take that chance for more people to ask to come to my house. I tried thinking of an excuse to tell Zayn that he couldn't come to my house anymore. Maybe I could tell him my house was getting renovation. Or maybe my mom was having a get-together and didn't want my friends over.

I thought going to his house would be a good idea, but that also meant meeting his family. They would probably be a lot nicer and it would be safe for me. But then again my stepdad always wanted me home right after school. Was there no way out of this?

I jumped slightly when something hit my head. I turned just in time to see Ciara look away and act like she didn't throw a wire whisk at me. I sighed, picked it off the floor before washing it off then sat down at my desk.

The teacher, Mrs. Freest, was teaching us how to make home made salad dressing. Ciara was giggling and talking to her friends the whole time, it was driving me crazy. She obviously didn't care about respect for the teachers.

"I wonder why Zayn hangs around that slag. She's such a slut."

"I know. Like look at her, she looks anorexic. If she were any skinnier, those clothes would fall off," Ciara and her friends giggled, just loud enough so I could here them. I frowned at their words and stared down at my desk. They were at the desk directly behind me and all I could here was their "hurtful" words. I put hurtful in quotations because what they were saying was worse than hurtful, they were down right degrading and I wanted to leave class so bad. But I knew I would see Zayn soon. Every time I was around him, I always felt better.

I couldn't tell what it was when I was with him, but I always felt safe. Ever since he found me crying outside the school by the dumpsters, the way he carried me to the nurses office; I felt safe in his arms. I still wouldn't tell him what happened though. I don't know why.

Mrs. Freest gave us each a list of the ingredients to find and instructions on how to make the salad dressing. Since I was in the front where there were less people, she handed me the stack to pass on. I took the sheet on top and passes the stack behind me.

"I'm not touching that, the freak touched it!" Ciara complained.

"Neither am I! I could get infected with the disease that makes her mute!" I rolled my eyes as almost everyone in the class laughed at Ciara.

"Shut up Ciara!" Someone in the back hollard, but I didn't turn back to see who said it, though he sounded so familiar.

"Enough!" Mrs. Freest scolded.

"Yes ma'am. Sorry." Suddenly I realized who was talking and spun around. Liam was at the back of the class.

How did I not know he was in this class?

Liam smiled at me when he caught me staring and I shyly smiled back. He was wearing his Chicago Bulls SnapBack and usual dirty white T-shirt. I blushed as I turned back in my seat and heard Ciara scoff at me.

Mrs. Freest set us to our stations and put us in groups. I couldn't be happier when I heard Liam's name said with mine, but frowned when I heard another girls name.

"Liam, Taivy, and Cleo, you're together." As soon as I heard that I wanted to scream. I didn't want another person pestering me with questions and trying to know me.

"Hey Taivy," Liam greeted. I sighed.

"When did you start this class? I don't remember seeing you here last week, or even Monday."

"Well maybe you didn't see me. I've been here since I started school."

"Can we just start already? I wanna get this over with," Cleo demanded. I sighed at Liam and we started looking for the supplies.

During that whole hour, Cleo wouldn't stop talking. She was talking about this and that and the next thing on her mind. Liam seemed very amused, I just wanted to tell her to shut her trap. Liam tried to get her to calm down, but she only started flirting with him. He seemed to have no clue what she was trying to do.

Soon as we finished the salad dressing the bell rang and began cleaning up. Cleo helped me wash the supplies as she talked. That was when I actually started listening to what she was saying. She was actually funny. She would talk about the most random things and I couldn't help but laugh.

"So, do you really hang with Zayn and his friends? Or does he make you?" Cleo asked as she followed me to my locker.

"No, he didn't make me. Why do you ask?" I stopped in front of my locker and turned the combination to open it.

"Well, I don't know. He seems like if he wants someone, he makes them do whatever he wants without question." I pulled out my math book and binder then closed the locker.

"He's not at all like that. He's nice."

Cleo laughed, "Nice to you maybe." I stared at her.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean he's the top guy here. He's the meanest person I know and every girl wants him. I know all the cheerleaders-including Ciara-have said they've slept with him, but he acts like it's nothing."

I thought about what she said for a moment. What if Zayn does sleep around? I wondered. He didn't seen like someone who would do that. Or be mean to anyone. I've heard people talking but I didn't want to think it was true.

"You're crazy," I said shaking my head.

"I'm not. Ask anyone. You've only been here a few weeks; do you really know the true Zayn Malik?"

"I know Zayn, probably more than you. He's not like that," I defended gently.

"Well, believe what you will. I'd better get to class." Just as Cleo was about to leave Rae showed up behind Cleo and made her jump. Cleo looked scared... of Rae? She quickly went to the side and ran off as Rae stared after her.

"What was that?" Rae asked.

"I think she's scared of you." Rae gave me the 'seriously' look before she followed me to math.

"Why the hell would she be scared of me? I didn't do anything to her."

"Maybe because you're friends with Zayn..."

"Yeah? Ok. But that doesn't explain why she was talking to you. You're friends with Zayn too." I chuckled slightly, remembering what Cleo told me about Zayn.

"She was telling me all the things she thinks she knows about Zayn." We turned into math and took a seat next to each other.

"What?" She said bluntly, almost bored. Like she's heard it so many times before.

"Yeah, like she kept telling me he's mean and sleeps around and stuff-" I was cut off by Rae's sudden burst of laughter. "What?"

"People are so stupid. Don't listen to her, Taivy. She just wasn't the Malik goods just as much as the next girl," she chuckled making me relieved a bit.

"Does that mean you want Zayn's goodies too?" I laughed. Rae chuckled shaking her head and my dumb joke as the bell rang and everyone became silent as Mr. Gingmuth stood up to start the lesson. I only wished Zayn was there sooner and I kept wondering, where could he be half the day of school?