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A new girl – that’s what everyone is chatting about in first period chemistry. Liam’s been forced to sit at the back of the lab by Louis even though she knows full well Liam likes to sit in the front so she can listen clearly to what Mr Mead is explaining on the board without Louis’s fog horn voice disturbing her.
“I hear she was excluded from her last school” Louis says, leaning across the desk talking with excitement. Liam rolls her eyes; she’s not bothered with gossip what a waste of time. No wonder Louis, Niall and Harry are always asking to copy her work-their more interested rubbish than actually school work.
“And the one before that” Harry adds “for doing drugs in the girl’s” there’s a sense of awe in her voice. Harry had always been one of those girls who wanted to be bad. Do something like get caught getting high in the girls-but bless she just doesn’t have it in her. Harry had only ever been sent to the water cooler once, and that had been Louis’s fault. Her big mouth tends to get them into trouble more often than not.
“Well” Niall starts turning around on the stool. She’s sitting a row ahead of them, on the account she’d been the last in class because she was too busy buying a snack from the vending machine to care about being late. Josh Thomas had snuck the seat beside Liam and refused to move even when Louis threatened to tell everyone he was still a virgin. “I heard she’s gorgeous, like proper fit and all that.”
“Not you to Niall” Liam voices, with disapproval “we shouldn’t be talking about her because we don’t know anything about her for all you know all those rumour are false” Liam tacks on shaking her head.
Louis opens her mouth just as Mr Mead asks “girls anything you’d like to share with the class?” Liam groans because she hates being called out in class and glares at Louis as the other girl grins and replies with a “no sir” followed by a snigger.
She shows up in English and her names Zayn. Half way during fifth period as Mrs Butler drones on about a midsummer night’s dream by Shakespeare which Liam had already read during the summer in order to be head in her course work. Harry’s beside her, taking notes in that awful pink ball pen she carries around with her everywhere. Liam’s just doodling on her notepad, because frankly Mrs Butler is going slowly through the play (really slowly) for the students that need a little more time to understand what the plays about.
Nicolas is reading when there’s a knock the door. Half way through Hermia’s line, speaking at the speed that Liam would assume a turtle would speak at if turtles could speak because Mrs Butler keeps correcting him after every sentence because his not articulating the words right.
Liam’s first impression of the new girl is that Niall was right because she is well fit. With her tan skin and long raven black hair. There’s a single green streak in there, and Liam didn’t know green hair could ever look that good on someone.
Mrs Butler introduces her to the class and sends her over to sit next to Perrie who’s the only person who doesn’t have a partner due to jade being out sick.
“Earth to Li” Harry whispers tapping her shoulder twice for effect “you’ve been starting off into space for like five minutes.”
Liam looks at harry for a moment before she groans. She’s officially screwed.
Liam has accounts alone, while Louis has drama and Niall and Harry both of Home Economics. So when the class ends she gathers her stuff and heads towards the school gate. Zayn still very present in her mind. Perrie had clawed his hooks into her after English inviting her to sit at the ‘cool table.’ Liam didn’t have anything against him or Nathan- she wasn’t Louis. That girl made enemies with anyone who so much as looked at her funny.
It’s not like Liam actually thought Zayn and her could have been friends. She’s her and Zayn’s well out of her league so to speak. Liam messes with the sleeves of her jumper as she pushes through the crowd of people trying to find the girls.
As she surveys the area she notices Zayn leaning back against a wall a fag dangling from her lips. Liam stiffens because they’re not allowed to smoke on the school grounds. She uses that as an excuse to go over and speak to her to-she’s just being a good student. Maybe Zayn doesn’t know the rules yet, or she’d forgotten. Really Liam was just being a good student.
“Hi” Liam greets timidly as she walks over. Zayn doesn’t even look up from her phone.
“You’re not supposed to smoke on school grounds” Liam clears her throat.
“I know” Zayn says.
Liam stands there awkwardly for a moment before she hears Zayn sigh. Zayn lifts her head up and looks at her for a moment, it’s unnerving and Liam squirms slightly in her place.
“You’re not going to leave me alone are you?” Zayn asks.
“I don’t want you to get into trouble on your first day” Liam answers her biting her lip.
Zayn pulls the fag from her mouth and tucks in her pocket “Happy?” she asks disgruntled, but she’s smiling. Liam nods, there’s a flutter in her stomach at Zayn smiling directly at Liam and she tries to hide the blush she feels creeping onto her face.
Silence follows for a moment before Nathan’s calling Zayn from behind Liam. Zayn picks up her bag from the floor and makes to leave. She stops right next to Liam and leans forward whispering into the shell of Liam’s ear “your cute, you know that?” she doesn’t give Liam time to answer because she strides off towards Nathan and the others.
Liam pulls her sleeves down until they cover her fingers and heads towards the gate. She finds the girls their and Louis’s quick to complain, one hand on her hip “what time is this Payne?”
“Sorry got caught up with Mr Dermot about some extra credit.”
Niall rolls her eyes and pulls Liam to her, wrapping an arm around her shoulder “can we go now” she whinges “I’m starve, and if we wait too long all the booths will be taken.”
For the next week Liam watches Zayn from a distance. The hype of her ‘new girl’ status as died down but her popularity has not. She doesn’t seem to like the attention very much, or at least from what Liam can tell anyway. She always seems to find her alone, sitting on the steps outside the gym with her sketch pad.
Liam would be lying if she’d say she wasn’t at least a tad bit interested.
“What gives?” Harry asks on a Friday afternoon. She’s sitting with her legs crossed on Liam’s bed, pink pen in hand and notepad at her feet.
“Sorry?” Liam gives confused.
“You’ve been distracted and starting off into space lately. Even Niall’s noticed and she usually doesn’t notice anything she can’t eat. So what gives?”
“Nothing” Liam mumbles chewing the back of her pencil “let’s just continue the maths yeah?”
Harry looks as though she wants to say something but she doesn’t. She sighs and runs a hand through her curls and shakes her head “fine” but her tone suggests she isn’t done with this subject.
“There’s a party” Louis shouts as she shoves Harry so she can fit beside her in the booth “a proper party the first of the year and we have to go.”
“Who’s?” Niall asks with a mouth full of food.
“Can you not speak with a mouthful of food” Liam complains, scrunching her face in disgust.
“An excellent question Nialler” Louis grins “now before anyone says anything there’s going to be alcohol.”
“Get on with it Lou.”
“Its Nathans party” Louis lets out quickly. Harry scoffs beside her, and Niall just continues eating.
“I thought you hated Nathan” Liam says, and steals a chip from Niall who lets out a whine but doesn’t try and stop her when she goes back for a second. “Now you want to go to his party?”
“Okay let’s get on thing straight I still hate Nathan with a passion and hope he gets an STD from those chav’s he fucks but that doesn’t mean I can’t drink his booze and have a good time-and when I say I, I mean us.”
“Well I can’t I have to study that day” Liam voices.
Harry laughs “you don’t even know what day the party is Li.”
“I don’t need to I study everyday” parties are just not Liam’s thing. She feels uncomfortable, and hates drinking. What’s worse is to be sober in a room full of people who are off their faces- Liam ends up looking after the others, and enviably holds one of their hairs back as they puke they’re guts out.
“You never come out with us” Niall states “and Zayn will be there.”
Liam frowns “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
Louis grins “sure you don’t” she says in a sing song voice.
Liam seriously hates Louis, and Niall and Harry if she thinks about it too. They’d showed up on her door step at around five with grins on their faces and Liam had known she was screwed.
“It’s too short” Liam whines as she tries hopelessly to once again to pull at the bottom of Niall’s dress. Liam’s taller than Niall and defiantly not as skinny (which is totally unfair because Niall eats like a truck driver and still manages to be a size zero.) The materiel clings to her curves and Liam swears people can see her underwear even though they’d all just rolled their eyes.
“Would you stop” Louis snaps and slaps Liam’s hands away “you look hot, now stop being so Liam and just have fun for once.”
Liam scoffs, because that was so easy to not be herself. “Fine” she pouts.
This was going to be hell.
She loses them all about an hour into the party. She wants to leave, but it doesn’t feel right without letting at least one of them know. She heads out to the backyard and looks around.
“Liam Payne didn’t think you were the party type” Liam’s eyes widen and she turns around.
If Liam thought she was gorgeous at school she had no idea what she was thinking. Zayn looks like a vogue model. She’s wearing knee high boots and a leather jacket with a dark purple dress that’s short-way shorter than Liam’s. She gulps “I’m not, in fact I’m leaving.”
“Why?” Zayn asks, she flutters her eye flashes and the butterflies in Liam’s stomach is back but it’s stronger, much stronger.
“Well…parties aren’t my thing as I’m sure you know…and” Liam rambles on. Zayn laughs and leans forward to place her index finger to Liam’s lips. She’s close enough that Liam can smell the alcohol on her breath.
“Shhh” Zayn hushes “stop talking.” Liam feels Zayn’s hand slip to her waist and pull her closer “your cute when you bite your lip like that you know” Zayn says, and Liam hadn’t even known she wasn’t doing it.
“Oh” Liam doubts.
Zayn hums “it is” she insists with a slur her voice rough most probably from those cigarettes she smokes. “Stay a while yeah?” Zayn smirks and squeezes Liam’s hip in a way that makes her turn to jelly and she finds herself nodding.
“Spill Payne” Louis demands, on Monday morning before school starts. Liam’s sitting by herself by the entrance working on one of her assignments for next week. Niall and Harry trail behind her.
“I’m not talking about this” Liam makes clear and slams her laptop shut and begins to put it away.
“Wait I thought you’d be happy-when Amy fisher told us about seeing you and Zayn together…after all the pinning and all” Harry confesses.
Liam stands up and adjusts her jumper “I wasn’t pinning” she insist. Well maybe she was but that had been a mistake.
“She didn’t force you into doing anything right? Because if she did I’ll kill her” Louis threatens voice fierce. Liam sighs in fondness Louis may have an awful gob but Liam knows she’d do anything for her all Liam had to do was say the word.
“No” she shakes her head “it wasn’t like that. Now can we just drop it please?” Liam pleads.
“That’s enough” Niall interferes “come on I want to stop at the vending machine before chem.”
Thank god for Niall, is what Liam thinks-she always knows when to butt in for Liam’s sake and sanity.
Liam has a free period alone and instead of doing her physics assignment she escapes to the common room and thinks about the party. She’d being silly she knows, of course Zayn wouldn’t really be interested in her. She was just well plain Liam and she was Zayn, aloof and gorgeous Zayn. Liam shakes her head; it was a nice thought though.
“Are you ever going to tell us what happened?” Louis brings up the topic at their annually sleepover. They’ve had one every year since year 8, always a few weeks before exams to just relax and watch movies and be in each other’s company.
“That was ages ago Lou leave her be” Harry chides and passes the bowl of popcorn over to Niall.
“Exactly it’s been ages surely you can tell us now.”
Liam plays with her hair and lets out a deep breath “nothing happen really. We talked, she obviously found me boring and went over to snog Perrie. That’s all now can we please let this rest?”
“Fine” Louis concedes “but it’s her loss-and don’t let anyone else tell you otherwise.”
Liam gives her a smile. It’s a nice statement, too bad it doesn’t make her feel any better.
Liam hasn’t been avoiding Zayn per say, she just tries not to be in the same room with her alone or at all if she can help it. It works until she’s walking across the school grounds during her free and Zayn calls her out. Liam’s startled for a moment but walks over to where Zayn’s sitting on the grass having a smoke.
“Have a seat” Zayn offers patting the spot next to her.
Liam wants to bolt but by her better judgment she gingerly sits down. She winces when she feels her arse getting wet but doesn’t say anything.
“So” Liam says awkwardly staring at her hands in her lap.
Zayn sigh’s “Li look up” she does and her eyes meet Zayn’s “I’m sorry for the way I acted at that party, I lead you on than ditched you for Perrie.”
“It’s okay” Liam mumbles.
“Miss Malik and Miss Payne what on earth do you think you’re doing?” Mr Mead shouts from across the yard. And Liam’s eyes go large as she eyes the cigarette in Zayn’s hand.
“Shit” Zayn cruses and puts out the cigarette in the wet grass. They both stand up and Liam knows they’re screwed, especially by the pissed look on Mr Meads face right now.
Mr Mead takes one whiff and shakes his head in disappoint “smoking is against school rules and your both aware of it. I’m disappointed in both of you, especially you Miss Payne this isn’t like you to break the rules.”
“Liam didn’t have anything to do with this Sir” Zayn tries but Mr Mead doesn’t want to hear any of it and Liam feels a lump form in her throat because she’d not gotten into trouble before. She’s used to teachers shouting and Louis but not her and she doesn’t like the feeling not one bit.
“The water cooler both of you, no excuse just be lucky I’m not sending both of you to the head teacher.”
“I’m sorry again” Zayn whispers into Liam’s ear. They’re sitting next to each other in the water cooler and ‘meant’ to be studying. But Zayn’s doodling in her notepad and Liam’s to nervous about being sent to the water cooler and also because Zayn’s sitting right next to her, and that does things to her she doesn’t want to admit.
“I guess there’s a first time for everything” she jokes. Luckily for both of them Mrs Alison’s to busy on her laptop doing whatever to really care if they’re talking.
“I never finished earlier…what I meant to say was that like you, like really like you and I know that I fucked up but in my defence I was shitfaced and I know I screwed my chances, but is there any chance we can forget what happened and start fresh?”
“You like me?” Liam says blown away, because Zayn didn’t just say that. Fit, gorgeous could be on the cover of vogue Zayn didn’t just say she liked her.
She laughs “well yeah I can’t believe you don’t see it” Zayn places a hand on Liam’s thigh underneath the table and squeezes “your beautiful Li and i really hope you’ll give me a second chance to prove how much I like you.”
Liam blushes, it’s really hot in here and Zayn’s hands on her is only making it worse “yes” she manages to get out.
“Really?” and the hopefulness in Zayn’s voice makes her stomach jump and flip. Liam nods “yeah really.”
.
.
.
“Gorgeous” Zayn whispers as her lips brush across Liam’s collarbone. Liam will never get used to that, never get used to Zayn’s lips across her skin, Zayn’s lips everywhere. The touch is electric, like someone was setting her on fire. In the best possible way of course. Liam sighs and adjusts herself in Zayn’s arms “we’re meant to be studying you know” she giggles.
“But how am I meant to study when my fit girlfriend is in the room” and Liam knows she’s fake pouting even if she can’t see her face. “I think” Zayn starts and places a hand on Liam’s inner thigh caressing the delicate skin there. “We should forget studying.”
“Hmmm” Liam hums closing her eyes, giving into the feeling.
It’s been six months and Liam still can’t believe it. Because this right here is her favourite thing in the world, just lying on her bed cuddled up with Zayn. It’s perfect.