*NEXT AFTERNOON*

I can't remember all the events from yesterday but I know that Zayn and I spent the entire night talking. It was nice, it even made me forget for a second about what I wanted to do. We had meaningful conversations and they weren't all about our families, as a matter of fact, Zayn was always pushing his side of the family away. I didn't understand why, but I'm guessing it's because he's having a hard time dealing with his father and stuff.

On the other hand, he had a point against mine. I'm going to talk to him, tell him how I feel just like I did to Zayn. It really helped a lot. I'm starting to think things are now getting better since we opened up to each other. I was never expecting this.

But anyways, we slept at around quarter to 3 which was completely horrible due to the idea that I had to wake up early to come to work.

Ugh. Now I have to deal with all the hatred from Nathan when he comes in for work. Only, he never did.

My shift at Charlie's seemed to have passed by quickly. It was a slow day today, and Eddie even let me out early from my shift.

This day couldn't get better.

"Paige!" I heard my name being called out from behind as I walked towards the front door, just about to leave.

"There's a phone call for you!" One of the chefs said holding up and old cable phone. "Says he knows you."

I gave him a confused look as my feet urgently walked up to him, curious to find out who it was.

My instincts told me it might be Zayn, but why would he call he at work? Maybe he just wants to make me smile, after all, I did admit to him last night that when a guy calls a girl at work just to find out how she's doing is really cute and an excellent time consumer.

"Thanks, Hal." I smiled taking the phone from his hand.

I waited for Hal to be a good distance away so I could start talking. Holding the phone up to my ear, I happily answered. "Hello?"

"So I see you're happy." A deep and raspy voice.

My mood took a sudden turn as I noticed it was no where near Zayn's voice. "Who is this?"

"Doesn't matter. I heard you'll be going to Queens with your little boyfriend?"

"Seriously, whoever this is, stop it!"

I begged, heart seemed to skip a beat as his words got deeper. Who could this be and how does he know about Queens?

"Too late. All I'm saying is that you better watch out, beautiful. Queens can be a very scary place if you go to the bad parts where I'm sure Zayn's going to take you." His voice sounded robotic, almost as if it was those people who smoked too much and ended up with that whole in their throat. I was terrified.

"Who are you and why are you doing this?!" I exclaimed, slowly moving my body around to see if there was anyone watching me.

I turned back around to notice a pen and a yellow notepad I left earlier from taking orders around the restaurant.

I was fast to hold the phone between my cheek and my shoulder as I grabbed the notepad and pen and immediately started writing down the number on the small green screen from the phone.

"Why, I'm your worst nightmare, honey."

My body fleshed with both great and anger. If I tell this to Zayn, he'll immediately freak. I can't tell this to him now. It's too important to keep this to myself and away from Zayn who might get out into jail again.

"Goodbye."

The call was ended from the other side. My hand came up to pull the phone away as my head raised and shoulders dropped. I remained silently looking at the number written on the sheet of paper.

This is not good.

***

The walk back to my house was fast. The stops I usually make towards some shops down the road to say hi to some old family friends didn't happen. All I wanted to do was get home as fast as possible, making no eye contact with anyone and before I knew it, I was already entering my neighborhood.

My phone couldn't stop ringing from my back pocket. I already knew who it was which is why I didn't pick it up. It was Zayn. I couldn't confront him right now, all I needed to do was get some rest. After all, that was the main thing I needed right now.

I made a turn down a slight curve, noticing my house from a few feet away. The urgency to get there grew much wider, making my passe go faster.

Finally in the front steps of my house I dug into my bag for my keys. I didn't even notice the two cars parked in the driveway until I entered the house. I closed the door with my foot and sprinted up to the stairs.

I had just made my first step when I heard my mother call my name.

"Yeah, Mom?"

"Come over here." She called back out.

A long sigh fell from my parted lips. Why does she want me now?

I hastily turned around, running down the few steps of stairs I just past by. My body swung by to the left, immediately stopping as I saw my Mom and two other figures facing their back to me.

"Aren't you going to say hi to your friends?" She smiled.

All at the same time, Allison and Claire turned around.

"Hi, Paige." They both smile.

"Oh, hey girls?" I furrowed my eyebrows. What could they possibly be doing here? They always call before...Wait, maybe they did call but it got mixed up with some of Zayn's calls!

"What brings you two here? And where's Ariana?" I asked walking deeper into the kitchen.

"Ariana's working a late shift tonight and we've been trying to call you but you never answered." Claire replied.

"Sorry, my phone turned off." I lied. I wasn't ready to tell them about it either.

"Paige, remember what happened last time your phone ran out of battery?" Allison warned, recalling the events from nights before.

"Yes, and I'm sorry. It won't happen again." I smiled.

"It better not." Mom warned in a joking manner.

"Would you girls like me to make you something to eat?" She asked glancing from each one of us.

I looked at my friends, they had something else planned because Allison would never turn down food, especially if it's my Mom's.

"Actually, Mrs. Hoffer, we were just about to ask Paige if she'd like to go with us to eat?" She answered my Mom.

"Oh." Mom looked a bit disappointed as she turned away from the fridge she she was going to start evacuating of food. "Well, that's okay."

Allison and Claire turned their heads around back to me, full of hope I'd say yes.

"So what do you say, Paige? Wanna join?" Claire asked.

I glanced at all three of them. I didn't really want to go. If I couldn't pick up the phone because all I wanted to do was get home, then what makes a difference to go out with my friends for lunch?

My eyes turned to my Mom. I was going to say it, I really was, but I just couldn't let my friends down.

"Let me just change." I smiled.

Allison and Claire got happy, nearly jumping out of their seats as they rushed up to me. Each grabbing one of my hands as they pulled me towards the stairs.

"Come on, we don't have a lot of time, we need to go to work soon!" Claire exclaimed.

"Be careful!" Mom shouted from the bottom of the stairs, "And charge your phone, Paige!"

We made it to the top, Allison taking a swing at my bedroom door and immediately walking over to my closet.

"What are you doing?" I asked.

Claire poked her head out, making sure the hallway was clear before closing the door behind me.

"Okay, spill it!" Claire slightly whispered as she took a seat at the edge of my bed.

"What are you talking about?" I asked looking at both, Claire and Allison.

"You're mother told us you spent the night at Zayn's." Allison stopped shuffling through my hangers to look at me.

Oh great, now they're not going to start asking me questions I'm not ready to answer. This is why I thought lunch with them was going to be good because it'd give me a chance to take in some fresh air to calm myself down.

"How was it?" Claire asked, "Is his house messy or is he like a clean freak?"

"Did you find any dead bodies?" Allison joked.

I walked up to my closet, calmly telling Allison I got it and to take a seat.

Not a second was lost as I started to shuffle through my hangers when they asked more ridiculous questions. I wouldn't blame them, if I didn't know Zayn but I knew someone who stayed in his house and everything, I'd like to know.

"Girls, he doesn't have any dead bodies!" I turned around, "And he most definitely doesn't live in the woods, Claire."

"Hey, it was just a thought." She defended.

I turned back around, pulling out a pair of light blue high waisted shorts and dropping them onto a nearby desk chair.

"He shares a home with his friend but he's never home because he likes spending time with his girlfriend." I told them looking back at my closet.

"Does his friend know about him?" Allison asked.

"Of course he does!" Claire blurted out, "Do you actually think he would live with him if he knew what he's done in the past!?"

I sighed, taking out a white blouse and throwing it over the shorts.

"So what did you do in his house?" Allison asked.

I didn't know how to put my words in a sentence that wouldn't kill them. I had to tell them, they're my best friends. And it's not like they don't know enough already, I told them everything so far so why should I stop there?

"It's a long story." I sighed turning around, my hand gripping a red plaid shirt and throwing it over with the rest of the clothes I picked out.

"Well," Claire glanced at Allison then back at me, "We have enough time?"

***

"No way!" Allison gasped.

"And you--"

"Yeah." I interrupted Claire a bit guilty.

We were sitting outside of a restaurant in the quiet part of the big city where not a lot goes on. There were multiple tables outside filled with people enjoying their lunch. The sun was up and shining, thankfully we had an umbrella providing shade for us.

We had already finished our lunch, now moving onto a small desert, as I explained to them everything from what happened with Ezra when they left, to where we had our moment in his bedroom. As I expected, they were shocked.

"And he personally invited you to Queens so you can meet his Mom!" Allison exclaimed disbelievingly.

"I think that's sweet." Claire commented taking a spoon into her cookie dough flavored ice cream and placing it into her mouth.

"Are you crazy, Claire! Queens is like one of the worst talked about places in New York!" Allison exclaimed, turning from Claire to me, "And you agreed to it!"

I looked down at my bowl of ice cream sundae, continuing to play around with the fruit. She's always been like this, always worrying about the little things. I'm going to be okay, and especially with Zayn if that's what she's worried about. She should know by now that I'm in good hands and I can take care of myself.

"Listen, Paige." Allison placed her hand over mine, "I can't stop you, that's up to you. But I just want you to know that if anything, and I mean anything goes on, I want you to give me a call."

I smiled, thankful she opened up. But just the thought of getting a call reminded me of what happened at Charlie's.

"What's wrong?" Claire asked.

I looked back down at my plate, suddenly losing my appetite as I fixed myself up in the chair to tell them.

"It's just that, today at Charlie's, when I was about to leave, Hal called me over saying I had a call." I paused to look up at them. "I didn't know who it was, for the voice was unfamiliar. The person talked about to be careful in Queens and hung up shortly."

Claire and Allison's attention went blank.

"Wait, you didn't know who it was?" Claire asked.

"Of course not!" I replied, hastily grabbing my bag to search for the number I wrote down.

"You see," I unwrapped the piece of paper and handed it to them, "I wrote down the number that appeared on the screen."

"And what are you going to do with it?" Allison asked looking at it from Claire's hand.

"I don't know yet. I figured it might come in handy at some point?" I answered.

Claire looked up with a serious look on her face, "Does Zayn know about this?"

The look on my face explained it all.

"Oh no, Paige!" She exclaimed. "Isn't he like freakishly obsessed with what goes on with you?"

"Don't say it like that." I defended.

"What do you think he's going to do when he finds out someone threatened you?" Allison asked handing me the paper.

I shoved it back in my bag, also taking the chance to pull out my wallet. "I'm going to tell him, I just don't know how?"

"Where are you going?" Claire asked.

I left my share of the meal paid on the table, swinging my bag over my shoulder as I stood up behind my chair and pushed it in.

"I'm going back home."

"You don't want me to drive you? I mean, you know I wouldn't mind?" Allison suggested as she too, along with Claire stood up and pushed their chairs in.

"That's okay, I need some fresh air anyways."

"You know, you really need a car already." Claire chuckled leaving her share of the meal over mine.

"Yeah." I smiled.

After all of us left our share on the table, we picked up our belongings and walked towards the front of the restaurant.

"Well be careful out there." Claire smiled holding her arms out.

"Thanks." I smiled back hugging her and then Allison.

"Bye." They waved, "And good luck. Have fun in Queens."

"Thanks again, bye girls."

And with that, we each drifted away in opposite directions.

Great, this is just what I needed. A nice and peaceful long walk. I was finally alone with my thoughts, only it didn't last as long as I wanted.

Around 15 minutes after I left the girls, I passed through a part of town that really didn't have much to offer but a bunch of flea markets.

My headphones were plugged in my ears, providing me with a sense of music other than the people around me.

Walking deeper into this part of town, I noticed a familiar black vehicle parked just a few blocks away.

I stopped, curiously turning to look at the junk yard right behind the car. It was all a mystery but I didn't have control over what my body seemed to do on its own. Walk towards it.