"I hate playing go fish with you, Liam. I feel like you cheat." Niall snaps, glaring at the man across from him who has a wide grin across his face.

"I'm not cheating Niall! Just go." Liam chuckles.

Zayn pulls on his shoes after coming out of the shower and dressing up into casual clothing. Niall is the first to notice him all dressed up.

"Zayn, aren't all your classes done today?" Niall questions, looking Zayn up and down.

"Yeah, and you don't work until tomorrow." Liam adds.

"I'm meeting someone at the coffee shop." Zayn says, standing up and grabbing his phone from his nightstand.

"Oh." Niall smirks. "Is it a date?"

"Meeting someone doesn't always mean a date Niall, it could be me meeting up with a friend, or doing business or studying." Zayn says.

"Well we're your only friends." Niall shrugs.

"How would you know that?" Zayn scoffs.

Niall gives him a knowing look, making Zayn roll his eyes. He is right.

"So it is business?" Liam asks. "Or studying."

"I'm gonna call it, meeting someone because you need help with what you want to do with the rest of your life." Zayn says, sticking his phone in his back pocket.

"So,...business?"

Zayn shrugs.

"Who is it? Do we know them?" Niall asks.

"Harry." Zayn mumbles as he walks towards the door. He opens it.

Niall and Liam burst out laughing, making Zayn roll his eyes again.

"Goodbye guys." Zayn says.

"Good luck." Liam chuckles.

"Try not to bite his head off." Niall says before Zayn slams the door shut.

He probably should've gotten Harry's number earlier so he can confirm that he'll be there. Zayn brushes it off. If he's not there by six fifteen then he'll leave. And he's being nice by doing that. But knowing Harry, he'll be there on the dot or before Zayn because Harry is just perfect. 

Zayn takes his car and when he gets there the place is packed. It usually is packed by the early evening, which is what Zayn hates. But he couldn't do it any earlier and it seemed innapropriate to do it any later since it would be too late.

So Zayn gets out the car with a heavy sigh, sticking his hands in his pockets as he walks to the front door. He enters, seeing multiple people from his classes, different classes of course, but mostly from his music class.

The man sees an empty booth at the back of the restuarant. He doesn't really feel for a coffee, hot chocolate or tea so he simply just sits and waits for Harry.

He waits and waits and waits and waits until it feels like it's not six anymore. So Zayn looks at the time and sees it's six fifteen.

He sighs heavily. Six thirty. He'll give him till six thirty. That's it. No where near longer than that.

Zayn watches in boredom people come and leave.

Even until six thirty the palm is packed, yet Zayn feels really alone. And at seven, somehow, there's even more people and Zayn's butt is Numb from sitting so long.

Why did Zayn ever think Harry would come? This is a joke. He's a joke to him. He's probably with his friends laughing at how Zayn actually thought he would meet up with him, a mediocre singer with stage fright.

Pathetic. That's what Zayn is. Pathetic.

Zayn gets up with an angry huff and walks quickly over to the door, exiting quickly and walking to his car. He sits in the driver's seat.

But before he can pull out, he hears a knock on his window, making him jump. Zayn takes his hands off the steering wheel and sees Harry. The man smiles slightly, looking as if he feels bad, but Zayn doubts it. Harry can't feel bad. He probably had more important things to do than see him.

Zayn rolls down his window.

"Hey um, I'm-"

"It's fine. We can do this next week or something." Zayn says dismissively, looking away.

"We can't do it now?" Harry questions.

"I've got to get back to the dorm and go to sleep. I have class tomorrow at seven." He responds, putting his hands back on the steering wheel.

"I'm really sorry Zayn." Harry says, stunning Zayn. But he doesn't show it, still not looking at the man. "Can I make it up to you?"

"I don't see how you can, but, this idea was stupid anyway. There's more important affairs that you have so I don't know why you agreed to this if you just wanted to-" Zayn stops speaking, scolding himself for being so sensitive.

"Zayn, I pro-"

"I don't care Harry. Please, just go home." Zayn says.

"Zayn." Harry says as Zayn winds up the window. "Zayn, I'm-"

But Zayn doesn't hear what Harry has to say before Zayn is pulling out of the parking spot and driving out of the complex to get back to his dorm.

MORNING

Zayn sits in the park on a bench along with Niall and Liam. It's a Thursday when they all have no classes so Niall and Liam decided to relax in the cold and play a bunch of games. By that they meant games like frisbee or football but Niall fell and hurt his ankle so now they're all sitting playing cards once again.

While they're having fun, Zayn is absolutely miserable. He really just wants to get out of the cold. At least it's not snowing. Zayn hates the snow no matter how pretty it looks.

Other people are in the park, but it's only just little kids in the playground or playing with left over snow from the night before. Zayn also doesn't like children.

It's too loud so it's hard to write. It doesn't make sense to try. Zayn likes the loudness, only sometimes. Only when he's not writing, then he needs some music or something to calm his nerves. Most of the time, Zayn hates the silence.

"Zayn." Liam says, making Zayn look at him.

He notices Niall is gone.

"Where's Niall?"

"Bathroom." Liam responds. "You okay?" He asks.

Zayn nods silently.

"I was thinking...we should hang out. Like old times." Liam suggests. "You haven't been yourself lately. Has anything happened?"

Zayn shakes his head. "But that sounds like a good idea."

"Are you sure? Family?"

Zayn shrugs and Liam quirks up an eyebrow, giving Zayn a knowing look.
He's been this kid's friend for seven years. What does he have to hide?

"Just been feeling kind of upset that since i've been up here, my parents don't call and when they do, its to ask if i'm keeping my grades up. They never ask how I am, you know?"

Liam nods.

"And they always go out for a holiday together and tell me to just focus on school, don't worry about coming back to England to visit for a week then leave. So I listen because they obviously won't be thrilled to see me." Zayn continues. And it feels good to get that off his chest.  Zayn sighs heavily. He doesn't even visit them during summertime. He stays in his dorm or goes with Liam with his family.

"That's why your always welcome at my house for the holidays." Liam says sincerely. 

"Thanks." Zayn smiles slightly.

"Liam!" a voice exclaims from close.

A girl with brown hair and big brown eyes and runs up to them. Zayn has never seen her in life his life. 

"Hey Sophie." Liam smiles.

"You know that party I was telling you about?" she asks, smirking slightly, her hands on her hips. 

Liam nods and Zayn just stares at her in confusion.

"Well it's tonight. I hope you have a costume."

"I do actually." Liam nods

"Great!" she exclaims. "See you there." She purrs before turning around and walking away.

"So, you were invited to a party and you didn't tell me?" Zayn asks.

"Well the party wasn't official." Liam smirks. "Do you want to come?"

"Not-"

"I knew you would say that, which is why I'm forcing you." Liam smiles. "I'm refusing to let you stay in the dorm by yourself."

Zayn furrows his brows. "Why?" He says. "I'll be perfectly fine." He shrugs.

"No you won't. I even bought a costume for you just in case." Liam says.

"What?" Zayn snaps.

Liam nods. "And Niall helped me."

"Liam, your crazy if you think-"

"Hey guys, look who I found." Niall says, making Liam look up and Zayn turn around.

Harry stands beside Niall, being the tall person he is and towering over him. He still looks his classy self, annoying Zayn more than ever.

Zayn looks away as Liam says a "hi, Harry."

"Hey, Zayn." Harry says and Zayn forces himself to look at him. "Can I talk to you?" He asks.

Zayn turns back and looks at Liam who makes a hand gestures for him to go. Zayn rolls his eyes before standing up and following Harry not too far from the table but a little too far for Zayn.

Zayn doesn't say anything when they stop.

"Hey, I'm sorry for not showing up on time last night."

"I'm over it Harry." Zayn says, shaking his head. "It happened twenty four hours ago." Zayn says, staring at the floor.

"Then why aren't you looking at me?" Harry says.

Zayn flickers his gaze up into the man's emerald eyes. Zayn swallows thickly, feeling nervous all of a sudden, not knowing why.

Harry grins. "Can we try again? I want to help." He says.

"You sure you have nothing else important to do?"

"I wasn't doing anything more important than you, so no." Harry says, crossing his arms over his own chest.

Zayn inspects his face.

"Why are you smiling?" Zayn asks.

"Why aren't you smiling?"

Zayn quirks up an eyebrow.

"There's nothing to smile about."

"If there's nothing to smile about now, I understand why I never see you smiling any time of any day." Harry says, chuckling lightly.

Zayn looks away again.

"I'm going to go back to my friends." Zayn says, turning around and walking away.

"Zayn, wait." Harry says.

Zayn stops and looks at him.

"When do you want to meet?"

"Friday, at six again. Is that a good time for you?" Zayn says.

"It's a great time." Harry nods, smiling.

Zayn nods once before turning around and walking away.

LATER

"A mummy? Are you serious?" Zayn says, holding up the costume in front of him after taking it out of the package.

"Would you prefer to be a vampire?" Niall asks.

"Any day of the week." Zayn responds.

"I told you!" Niall exclaims. Liam throws his hands in the air as an act of surrendering.

Zayn looks at Niall, seeing that he's Superman and Liam is a cowboy. They both look good.

He looks away and  takes off his shirt and pants before stepping into the mummy costume, pushing in his long arms and he asks Niall to zip up the back of it. He hopes he looks good.

"Thanks." Zayn sighs before looking in the mirror at himself.  He shrugs. He turns to his closet and pulls out black boots before slipping them on.

"Alright, you guys ready?" Liam questions.

"Yeah!" Niall exclaims as Zayn nods silently.

Really, Zayn isn't ready, even when they all pile into Niall's car and Niall's driving down the road with music blasting even though Zayn's ear drums are already going to be taken off by the music at the party.

Zayn really doesn't even want to go to this dumb party. It's just going to be stressed out college students trying to get drunk so they can wash all their worries away in this big stupid frat house filled with superficial jocks that smell like presperation and too much cologne to try and cover the disgusting smell up.

Zayn is one of those people that likes to stay by themselves, even if he gets lonely because he won't ever admit to that, and do things that people do by themeselves. Write songs, draw, sing to himself, watch the occasional episode of Prison Break on Netflix when he feels like it.

Zayn just hates the rowdy atmosphere, it intimidates him to say the most.

When the three of them get out of the car, Zayn internally groans at the sight of bodies on the front lawn of the house, dancing because of the loud vibrations from within the house.

Some people even lay on the grass, making out or dry humping each other. A girl in an angel costume with a guy in a devil costume grinds on each other scandalously. And Zayn wonders why the hell they're doing it out here when there's probably rooms inside the damn house. Like, the house is huge. Usually frat houses are, but this is one is probably the biggest on the block.

The three of them keep walking, Zayn making sure to keep close to Liam and Niall.

Zayn cringes as he walks past a guy allowing a girl to pour beer down his underwear.

The man sighs heavily and looks at Niall who he walks beside.

"Are we all staying together?" Zayn questions the blond man.

"Do you want to?" He asks as Zayn notices they're close to the door now, his anxiety spiking up.

"Sort of. I mean, me at least." Zayn says.

"Sure thing. You can hang around me." Niall smirks, putting an arm around Zayn's shoulders. Zayn nods gratefully and watches as Liam opens the door. They all walk inside and instantly Zayn takes notice to the strong smell of weed, presperation, vomit and alcohol.

Why the fuck do people go to these?

"Let's go get drinks." Niall says, pointing to the kitchen, leading Zayn by his back.

Zayn is not drinking tonight, that's for sure.

They all get into the kitchen. Zayn sits on a stool that sits in front of the island of the kitchen and Liam and Niall walk over to the red solo cups and grab large bottles of alcohol to pour in them.

"Want one?" Niall asks Zayn. And Zayn shakes his head. He looks at Liam and he smiles as he sits beside his friend and Zayn watches as Niall leaves the kitchen and into the chaos.

"Have fun tonight, alright?" He says. Zayn nods silently. "Or try." He adds. "You look good in your costume." He grins.

"So do you." Zayn smiles slightly.

"Guys! They're playing beer pong!" Niall exclaims, returning from the living room. "Let's go!" He yells when no one moves, grabbing Zayn's wrist and pulling him off the stool, an amused Liam following behind them quickly.

The living room is crazily packed, with the furniture pushed up against the wall to have room for people in the middle dancing.

Zayn feels cramped as they walk towards the wide table where a large group of students play beer pong. Zayn tries to pull away from Niall, wanting to go back into the kitchen and be alone but its too late and he's already there and he's handed a small white ball.

The man looks at in confusion. He watches as other people bounce it off the table and let it land in one of the red solo cups full of beer.

Someone suddenly pushes Zayn, making him the center of attention. Zayn looks around, intoxicated students cheering him on for...for what? This stupid game?

Zayn sighs heavily, ignoring two witches in front of him laughing and the two devils beside him breathing down his damn back. He doesn't even even know where Liam and Niall are at this point. They probably drowned in the crowd.

He bounces the ball off the table making it bounce up and land on the last cup filled with beer all the way on the other side of the table. Honestly, Zayn is impressed with himself because he's never played this game in his life, but he doesn't expect the loud eruption of cheers and rough pats on the back.

Zayn rolls his eyes before turning around, rushing away from the table and wanting to just go back into the kitchen. He doesn't care to be with his two friends anymore.

As he's walking back he trips on someone's foot and he's not able to stay up right considering there is no where to hold onto so he just falls straight forward, at the same time the lights turn out and he feels as if he landed on something softer than the floor, most likely it's a human because he hears a grunt close to him that isn't his.

Strobe lights turn on after that, making Zayn see emerald eyes staring back at him. Zayn's hand rest on both sides of the man's head and his body is over him. He's basically straddling and it's not right at all.

Zayn's eyes widen.

Harry smirks. "Hey Zayn." He chuckles lightly.

"Oh shit um." Zayn rambles, scrambling up quickly. He stands, brushing himself off, before watching Harry stand.

The man came as a prince with a white regal looking top and tight white pants with shiny black boots and a fake sword at his hip. It's probably his normal wear and he bought the sword at some toy store. At least, that's what it looks like. He looks good nonetheless.

"I'm sorry." Zayn says, running a hand through his hair.

Harry shrugs. "I don't mind." He says. "Are you enjoying the party?" He asks.

Zayn shrugs.

Harry furrows his brows. "Did your friends drag you here? What are their names? Liam and Niall?" He says.

Zayn nods silently.

"Want somewhere quiet to stay?" He asks.

Zayn shakes his head quickly. "No, I'm just going to be in the kitchen." Zayn says, loudly enough to be heard over the music.

Harry opens his mouth to say something else but Zayn passes him quickly, storming into the kitchen to see it surprisingly empty, besides when Zayn turns his head to see someone searching through the cupboards. He walks in regardless and sits on a stool. He sees bottles of water also set on the counter, so he takes one.

He didn't want to speak to Harry unless he had to.

"Hey Zayn." A voice says, making Zayn turn his head and look into two blue eyes. Zayn almost falls off his seat, he smiles slightly.

She's dressed as a nurse with a short white dress, high black heels with red lipstick to make everything else pop. She looks gorgeous.

"Hi Gigi." He says.

"What's up?" She says, grabbing a red solo cup and pouring a strong alcoholic beverage inside it.

"I was dragged to this awesome party, but nothing much." Zayn says,speaking sarcastically. She chuckles lightly before taking a sip.

"Want to go dance?" She asks.

"Oh, um, I'm not really-"

"Oh come on, Zayn. You look so stiff, let's just loosen up." She says,putting her hand on his shoulder gently.

Zayn purses his lips. He really doesn't want to go dance.

"Come." She says, putting down her cup before grabbing his hand and pulling him out of the kitchen and back into the dreaded living room.

"Hey Zayn, here's a drink, man." Someone says, shoving a drink in his hand. Before Zayn can even look up at the person who gave it to him they have dissapeared.

Zayn sighs and holds the cup in the air, head level, so it's not knocked out of his hands.

"You should have a drink, I hate seeing you so tense." Gigi smiles, putting her hands on both of his shoulders now.

Zayn swallows thickly before shaking his head.

"I'm not a drinker." He says.

"Not even one drink?" She urges.

Zayn shakes his head.

He's really uncomdortable. He thought being this close to Gigi would feel good but he doesn't like it. It may just be the atmosphere of the place. He feels cramped and kind of wants to leave.

"Come on Zayn," Gigi says, her lips ghosting over his. Zayn feels his cheeks heat up, not ever being so close to a girl. He's always been kind of shy.

So Zayn does put the cups to his lips, closing his eyes and feeling the liquid slide down his throat and slightly burn. He didn't really want to kiss her very much at this moment, especially because she's most likely drunk.

"Zayn." Zayn hears Liam say, the man grabbing Zayn's wrist. Zayn turns around to see Liam looking at him. "Ready to go?" He asks.

Zayn nods quickly and follows Liam through  the crowd.

When they make it outside, Zayn notices he either dropped his cup or it was taken from him because it's not in his hand anymore. Liam let's go of his hand and walks beside him, a serious expression on his face.

"You okay?" Liam asks.

Zayn nods silently.

"Seriously Zayn." Liam says, looking at him, searching his face.

"I just want to go back to the dorm." Zayn says.

Liam purses his lips and nods.

"Where's Niall?" Zayn asks.

"Still inside." Liam says. "Here are the keys." He hands the keys to Zayn. "Get in the car, I'll be right back." He says before turning around and rushing back inside of the chaotic house.