Another World

I sipped the hot tea and placed it back on the kitchen table, the steam from the mug slowly making its way up to my face. As I closed my eyes, I actually felt relaxed since my break up with Zayn. I looked out the window which revealed a mild and wet London evening.

The doorbell rang, causing me to let out a curse at the sudden noise before slipping into my cozy slippers and opening the door. Outside was my coworker and close friend, Charlotte, holding a handful of items. Immediately I had a bad feeling of what was to come.

"Oh god, are you sure you don't need extra days off?" She teased, letting herself in.

"Very funny."

"So," She sat down on a seat across from my mug as I joined her. "How are you holding up?"

"What do you mean?"

She sighed before taking out one of the items and placing it on the table. A magazine.

"Charlotte..." I began, wishing it was just the latest fashion faux pas she wanted to show me, but I knew it wasn't something I wanted to see.

"Page 61."

When I turned to the page it was a massive low quality picture of Zayn angrily prying Liam's arm off of me in front of the club. In the article there was an accusation of Liam and I secretly having a "forbidden relationship" that, apparently, Zayn found out about which was why he got so upset. I surprised myself when I chuckled. Here I was in the same place with a different yet similar situation. Why was I reading bullshit once again and letting it get to me? Why care about what anyone thought of me as long as I knew the truth?

"Val?"

I looked up at Charlotte's worried expression, I hadn't realized how long I remained quiet until she called my name. I cleared my throat and closed the magazine.

"At least we weren't on the cover this time."

"But what actually happened between you two?"

I started to explain the clubbing fiasco as I served her a cup of tea.

"So you and Zayn are no longer together?" She frowned.

"You can't have a relationship without trust, am I right?"

"Of course you are."

"Which was exactly what I tried to get across to him. He failed to trust me so I didn't think I had a choice and, let me tell you, he was pretty eager to let things end."

"I'm sorry, love. You don't need him anyway."

"Thanks, I know." As I said those words, I couldn't help feel the tug in my heart. I didn't need him but I still wanted to be with him.

"What do you think he's doing right now?"

"Val, try to forget about him. How about I take you out for a proper meal?"

I shook my head, putting the mugs into the sink I absentmindedly looked at the red circled date on the calendar hung above. Two weeks from now was my big brother's 22nd birthday. I never missed a birthday in my family and it hit me that there would be countless times when I'd have no choice but to miss them. I made a note to self to call him later.

"Valarie are you listening!"

I spun around to face Charlotte, completely forgetting that she was there. "Yeah, something about bowling?"

"We could go bowling instead. It would be fun and definitely a way to forget for a while."

I might actually be able to keep my mind off of the whole situation. Eventually I agreed and got ready to go to the bowling alley. We got inside of Charlotte's car and headed to our destination. She didn't turn on the radio, just in case One Direction played on any of the stations.

"I hear them practically on every station when I go to work." She stated as she pulled into the parking lot.

As soon as I opened the entrance to the alley, Kiss You was playing on the loud speakers. I immediately reversed my direction but was stopped and forced into the room by Charlotte.

"The song is almost finishing anyway, come on." She assured with an encouraging smile.

But of course the song actually playing wasn't enough, on every isle was a tv at the end of them which showed the music video. I groaned but brushed it off, at least the song was close to its end.

BUT OF COURSE the playlist the bowling alley had set up was very short and was looped.

"If I stay here I might just go insane." I mumbled with a slight chuckle to Charlotte when she came back from making a strike.

"I didn't really think this through, sorry, love. Let's go--"

"Wait, I'm almost beating you. What's another twenty more loops?"

* * *

"The funniest part was when those young girls were giving you that death stare."

I opened the door to my flat and went inside. "You'd think they would be happy that we aren't together, I know I'd be if I were them."

"You can't please everyone."

"Yeah I learned that the hard way," I searched for the remote to the tv and hit the power button. I sat on the couch with a sigh. "I feel drained."

She sat down next to me with her legs crossed and placed her head back to rest with her eyes closed. She inhaled and exhaled deeply in reply. I was just going to do the same when I heard:

"Hi, we're One Direction. And--"

"How are you supposed to fucking get over someone when they're everywhere?!" I groaned as I shut off the tv and locked myself in my bedroom.

* * *

"Valarie stop being a drama queen and come out!" I heard Kate order from the other side of my bedroom door. She was back from LA and it was as if she never left.

"Not until the media gets over One Direction."

"Oi!" Harry called out.

"Okay just Zayn," I opened the door and stared at Harry apologetically. "Sorry."

"You have every right to be upset and if it makes you feel any better, Zayn isn't doing too well either."

"Good," I responded coldly, although it did make me feel better that he wasn't celebrating. "But if he asks, you tell him I couldn't be better." He nodded and I smiled. "And how was LA?" Harry began to grin uncontrollably and I suddenly didn't want to be near them anymore.

"We had fun." Harry explained.

"I'm sure you did." I chuckled, making my way towards the couch in the living room. I pulled out my phone to apologize to Charlotte for my rather dramatic episode. I didn't think it would bother me as much as it did and I felt like a fool.

"Are you okay?" Kate asked when Harry went to the bathroom.

"I'm fine, really," She sat down next to me with one leg folded under her. "I just had a moment earlier, but who wouldn't?" I avoided Kate's eyes as I messed with my phone's rubber case.

Harry's phone was heard ringing in the bathroom.

She shook her head as if she realized something. "Why aren't you at work?"

"I took some days off. Zayn's idea."

After a moment of silence between us, Harry's conversation unintentionally caught my attention.

"Well you caught me at a bad time... Yeah I arrived about ten minutes ago and now I'm in Kate's bathroom...I told you you caught me at a bad time..." His voice began to suspiciously get lower, "...She couldn't be better... Sorry, mate..."

I faced Kate who was too busy on Twitter to notice anything. He was talking to Zayn, telling him what I told him to say and I didn't know whether or not I should feel happy that Zayn was feeling a certain way. Even if I did miss him, was it a good idea to return to him? The trust was still broken, but it could be mended.

"You're going to break that." Kate said, unknowingly saving me from my mind. She stared at my hands that were still nervously playing with the case.

"It was only a pound." I shrugged.

Harry got out of the bathroom, still on the phone with Zayn, and gave me a look that I couldn't figure out. I furrowed my eyebrows and watched as he stepped out to talk.

"Something's going on and I'm getting an odd feeling about it." I admitted to Kate, explaining to her what I heard and the look he gave me but she diagnosed that I was just being paranoid and weird. I assured her that it wasn't what she thought when Harry returned, acting as if everything was good but in my fucked up mind it wasn't.

After a while of us chatting and Harry giving me what looked like hidden disapproving looks I had had enough. I knew damn well he wasn't going to speak up in order to avoid confrontation so I took the liberty to do it for him.

"What the fuck is your problem?" Perhaps I should have taken a different approach seeing that Harry literally was taken aback. "What did that dickhead say that you're acting all weird? And, to be quite honest, it's getting on my nerves."

He was at a loss for words which made me even more aggravated. "Kate, make him talk before I hurt him," She was just as useless and confused as he was. "I heard you talking to Zayn, Harry. Don't try to play it off like you don't know what I'm talking about."

"It's nothing." He stuttered.

"Harry."

He sighed before explaining. "He said something along the lines of you being unfaithful. He's really hurt, Val, and that's my mate so--"

"Are you kidding me?" Kate called out. "You're just going to take his side and believe everything that dumbass says?"

"That's my mate, babe. Please understand." Harry pleaded, trying not to cause any more confrontation.

"And that's my best friend right there. She didn't do anything wrong."

"But just like you believe her, I believe him." He turned to me, "No offense, Valarie."

"I didn't do anything wrong!"

"Zayn talked to the Edward fellow..." Harry trailed off when he saw my face. I was seeing red and I felt sorry for Harry witnessing hell.

"Obviously whatever Edward said is a lie!" Kate said for me, I took that opportunity to take deep breaths before I passed out. "He has a thing for her and he always did! It's jealousy, babe."

"But why did she continue talking to Edward if she knew Zayn didn't appreciate it."

"Edward is harmless, or was harmless at the time."

Harry shrugged. "That's what he told Zayn and he's really hurt."

I couldn't stay silent for too long. "But when there were allegations about him cheating, I stayed because I believed him and not what anyone else said. Whether it was true or not I stuck by his side, no matter how much it hurt to even think about him being with someone else, I stayed."

I tried to play off wiping the tears that were threatening to fall. I hated the fact that when I got angry I cried. I took another deep breath to calm down. "You can tell your mate to fuck off."

"I really didn't mean for any of this to happen. I really don't fancy confrontation at all, you know that."

"It would've been worst if he was here, trust me."

"But honestly, I feel like all of this was my fault." He began after an awkward silence. "When we first saw you two I convinced him to go up to you to help him rid his shyness. It wasn't that difficult for him since you were helpless on the floor." I couldn't help but chuckle at the thought. "Although I did meet my love, who I hope isn't too upset at me right now, I genuinely didn't want you and Zayn to end up this way. I'm tremendously sorry."

All I could do was nod in response. I was a mess of emotions, so vulnerable and I badly wanted to just go home to New York to forget it all. I didn't move here looking for relationships and to go through dramatic break ups. I stared at my phone through tears and noticed texts I recently ignored from Jason.

I miss you so much

I've changed babe I swear

Please come back to me baby