Use Somebody

Zayn shoved his hands in his jeans pockets as he strolled up the familiar neighborhood street, stopping in front of his parents house. It had been so long since he’d been there; ever since he and his band mates skyrocketed to fame, he didn’t have time for his family. And even though they had called him on numerous occasions trying to meet up and just catch up on life, it never seemed to work out -- until now. This time when they phoned, they sounded urgent, and Zayn couldn’t find it in his heart to ignore them again. If it weren’t for them, he wouldn’t have even gotten his big break at the X Factor.

He pushed the hedge gate open and walked into the courtyard, jumping up the few steps that lead to the porch and finally to the door. He rang the doorbell, standing back and staring straight ahead. There was some commotion inside, as if something had been knocked over and then there was shouting. The door opened to reveal his mother, looking a little flustered. He raised his eyebrow at her. “Hey mum...is this a bad time?”

“No. Never for you, my baby. Now come inside, I want to hear all about what’s going on in your life.” She moved aside to let him in, stopping him for a moment to give him a hug. “Mum,” Zayn laughed, trapped in her tight embrace. “You’re strangling me. I know you miss me but come on, don’t kill me!” She laughed with him, rolling her eyes at her son playfully before letting him go. “What? Is it not cool to hug your nineteen year old son?” He played along. “Yeh. That’d be right, mum.” She hit him on the arm lightly to which he feigned pain, and they walked into the living room where his father sat on the sofa with the newspaper in his hands.

“There you are, my boy. Took you long enough to come visit!” Zayn held his arms out and they hugged, manly style. He moved back from his father, grinning at him. “I’ve been busy, dad. You know how it is.” His mother ushered him to sit down already, asking if anyone wanted tea. “No thanks. I’m good, dad?” His father shook his head and they all sat down together, discussing news. “...So it sounds like you’re having good fun with all your new mates under one roof. Not too much trouble, I hope? No fights?”

Zayn laughed, recalling a few incidents that took place with Harry and Louis. It wasn’t exactly PG rated so he decided to not say anything. He didn’t want his parents thinking he was living with a bunch of barbarians but it wasn’t like he was all that far off from them. He got a few tattoos his parents didn’t know about not to mention started smoking. He was definitely not letting them in on that news; not if he could help it.

“No, nothin’ like that...” He saw his parents share a look, his mother nodding importantly before turning back to him. Were they in on something he wasn’t aware of. “Baby,” she started, giving him the meaningful gaze he knew so well from his adolescence. He hadn’t been the most cooperative teenager. “Yeh, mum?” He asked cautiously. “What is it? You’re scarin’ me with that look on your face.” She sighed, looking to his father, willing him to speak. “Son,” his father spoke sternly. “I recently got an email from the Hussein family. Do you remember them? When you were five you used to play a lot with their daughter, Eesha.”

Zayn blinked. “That was ages ago, dad.” His father sighed. “I know, Zayn. It doesn’t matter if you can’t remember her or her family, the point is that they are very good friends of your mother and I’s and as such, we offered to give her a home for when she comes to England.” Zayn didn’t like where this was going. All of a sudden, he had the sneaking suspicion that her returning to England had something to do with him. “So that’s what this get together is about,” Zayn said with a frown. “You just invited me here to free you of your burden...”

His father stood up, angry. “Eesha is not a burden! She is like another child to us! And you will do as we ask or else!” Zayn groaned, falling back into the plush couch with his hands over his head. “Why the hell is she even here? Doesn’t she like her life in Pakistan enough?” He felt his mother put a comforting hand on his knee. “There’s nothing wrong with where she’s living, her parents just want her to experience new things and new places. They were delighted when she was accepted into London’s school of Economics!”

“Still no reason to ruin mylife...” Zayn murmured to himself, low enough for neither of his parents to hear. What were they thinking? This Eesha girl was their problem to sort, not his. Besides, they lived all the way out in Bradford and since she would be attending a university in London then that meant...NO. “You’re not serious?” He shouted at his unsuspecting parents. “I’ve got a busy schedule enough as it is without adding her into the mix! There’s no fucking way I’m babysitting some girl I can’t even remember from my childhood!”

Zayn’s mother, chancing a glance at her enraged husband, decided it was better if she dealt with her son and his giant meltdown. Having two angry men shouting into each other’s faces, that wouldn’t do anyone any good. “Dear, I know this is inconvenient--” Zayn cut in, snorting. “You’re bloody right it is.” His mother frowned, upset with her son’s cursing but let it be. “As I said, I know it’s inconvenient and I know it’s a lot to handle but it’s not like you’ll be babysitting her or anything. She’s only two years younger than you and for the most part she’ll be at the university. It’s just every now and then, perhaps a few evenings or afternoons a few days in the week that you’ll have to be around. Show her around the city and what not. It’s really not as bad as you’re making it seem...”

“Says the woman who doesn’t have to take care of her,” Zayn said to himself again, but this time it was loud enough for them both to catch. “That’s it!” His father shouted, gripping his son’s arm tightly in his hand. “I am sick and tired of you insulting a family friend! The poor girl has done nothing to bother you, nor has she even come into your life yet, and you are already being so disrespectful! I will not stand for it any longer!” Zayn glared heatedly at his father.

Did he hear what he was saying? He had every right to be mad -- she was ruining his life and even if he wouldn’t have to be there twenty-four-seven she’d still manage to take up a good chunk of his days with the boys, not to mention all the other hot girls he wanted to spend his time with. Having another seventeen year old girl whom he had no attraction to and whom was probably not pretty in the slightest hanging around him wasn’t exactly a chick magnet or a fun way to spend his time. There was no way his parents were getting with this without a fight.

“You can’t stand it any longer? What about me? Your son. The bloke who was forced to spend time with some random girl who probably can’t even make a single sentence without using the word ‘generally’? If you think for even one second that I’m taking on your mistake than you’re fucking mental! Now I’m leaving, don’t really feel like anymore chit chat, you know?” Zayn stormed out despite his mother’s pleads and his father’s threats of how he was going to murder him if he didn’t get back inside right now.

So much for quality time with the family, he thought bitterly to himself. If he couldn’t manage to free up his schedule before, he certainly wasn’t going to be doing so anytime soon after their last encounter. As Zayn slammed the door behind him and walked past the gate, he pulled out the cig and lighter from his jeans pocket, lighting it up. “Man, I need a smoke...”



Meanwhile, on the other side of London...

Everything was so much brighter and livelier than I remembered it. Granted, I was eleven years younger so that was to be expected. It’s just I never imagined how free it would feel to be here. No more people telling me what to do, hitting me if I did something wrong. That life, my former life in Pakistan, was left behind, ready to make room for a new one in London.

“Hey, you!” A loud voice beckoned me over, seemingly speaking to me. I looked behind me to check if it was in fact the person behind me but there was nobody there. I turned back around, embarrassed. Nice going, I chided myself. Already making an idiot out of yourself in a foreign country in under first five minutes. Perfect! “Yes, you!” The boy with a mess of curly hair on top of his head and a cheerful grin jogged over to me, panting slightly. “You must be Eesha. I’m Harry, pleasure to meet you. Zayn sent me here to pick you up?”

Zayn, the boy I had fuzzy memories with from childhood and whom my parents told me was meant to be showing me around couldn’t even be bothered to pick me up at the airport. Maybe he was more of a dick than I remembered him as. They say your mind blocks out the unpleasant things from life. Either way, as I stared into those warm green eyes, I knew I could trust him. He might even turn out to be more friendly than the one person I had a connection with, being Zayn.

I shook his outstretched hand, smiling back.“You seem friendly enough, not a serial killer at all. So here’s my bags. Did the car come round?” Harry laughed, bending down to get my bags for me. “You’re not shy at all, are you? Zayn made you seem like a total wimp. You shouldn’t take him seriously though. He can be an arse when he wants to be but he can also be the coolest mate ever.” I shrugged, not really knowing what to say to that. From what I could tell Zayn didn’t like me much at all, which made me not want to care about what he thought of me anymore. If he couldn’t have the simple decency to pick me up, let alone say ‘hello’, then I didn’t want anything to do with him. We walked outside, Harry bending down again to call the driver over.

That cheeky smile was on his face again as he looked at me. I had a feeling it hardly ever left his face, and if it did, it wasn’t for very long. “This good enough for you, m’lady?” He said in a proper english accent as a I stared at the vehicle in awe. “A limo? You got me a freaking limo? Oh my god! I love you!” I threw my arms around his torso, my head only coming up to his chest. He laughed again, a deep rumbling in his chest that I felt against my ear as he wrapped his arms around me too.

“If I knew you were going to react that way I would have gotten you ten million limos!” I looked up at his face, narrowing my eyes at him playfully before shoving him away. “You and I are definitely going to be friends. I can feel it.” Harry cracked a smile, shaking his head at me. “I can too. Now get your arse in that car, missy! We’re going to explore the town!”

I hopped in as the driver got out to put my bags in the trunk, Harry supplying him with a twenty pound note and then getting in beside me. “Have you ever been to London? I asked Zayn but he said he didn’t know.” I sighed, looking out the window. “No, I haven’t. I’ve been to Bradford loads of times when my family and I were visiting Zayn and his family. It was a long time ago, though. I don’t remember much. I just know I can’t wait to see all the sights in London. And meet new people, too! Especially if they’re half as good looking as you are.” Harry raised his eyebrows so high I thought they’d fall off. “Again, I say you aren’t shy at all, are you?” I burst out laughing and he with me. “Nope again, Harry boy. Why? Don’t like it?”

I was teasing him, getting him to say what I already knew he would say. “Are you mental, woman? I bloody love it! But don’t tell my girlfriend, yeah? She’d be mega pissed...” I looked to him in shock. I wasn’t surprised he had a girlfriend, I mean look at him! He was gorgeous. I just didn’t think I’d be so irritated by it. “I’m just messin’ with you, love,” he smirked, ruffling my hair up a bit playfully. “You should have seen your face!” I narrowed my eyes at him in a glare, turning my back to him. “You are an arsehole! I mean it!”

He laughed melodically again, putting his chin on my shoulder and gazing up at me hopefully. “You don’t mean it. I’m too good-looking to be mad at, remember?” I kicked myself mentally. Why had I said that again? But he was right. A smile was creeping up on my lips and there was nothing I could do to stop it. “See!” Harry shouted in my ear victoriously. “I told you! I’m sexy and I know it!” As soon as those words left his mouth he started doing a dance LMFAO would be proud of and he wasn’t even able to stand up properly to do it.

“Oh my god, Harry,” I giggled, slapping his leg. “Get down, right now! You’re going to be sick and then you’ll throw up all over me.” Harry grinned, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively. “Well I have a solution for you then, m’lady. Why don’t we both dance, then we’ll both be sick?” I rolled my eyes. “As tempting as you make that sound, I don’t think so. Now I want some peace and quiet while I look out at the scenery. The only time you’re allowed to talk is if you’re giving me a guided tour, right?”

Harry did a comical salute, nodding robotically. “Yes, m’lady. As you wish.” I hit him on the arm again, playfully but a lot harder to get his attention. “What the hell was that for, bitch?” I only smiled. “Nothing. I just wanted to get your attention...” He moved closer, looking into my eyes. “Well you have it.”