Counting Stars

Zayn just wanted to go, he was tired and annoyed about this entire morning. He also wanted to punch the smug smirk Harry had been sporting due to Ellis' complete lack of a soul. But he was stuck, he was stuck looking at that smug bastard, stuck watching her quietly prance along side them, and now stuck in the debate of where they were going to eat lunch.

"I don't care," Zayn grumbled, crossing his arms over his chest like a child.

"I think Zayn needs a nap," Louis teased, reaching out to pinch his cheeks.

He smacked his hand away, scowling at him without a word.

"Right," Liam clapped. "Let's go to that cafe because i'm starving and can't be bothered to argue with you lot anymore."

A round of shrugs and grumbles answered him, the entire entourage following his lead towards the cozy looking cafe.

The boys were ushered in quickly, seated at a private table. The bodyguards were placed at one in front of them, building a wall almost, and making it impossible for anybody to see them. Ellis stood for a moment, quickly trying to decide where she would sit.

Before she had the chance Harry spoke. "There's an extra seat here, you don't want to sit with them."

That extra seat was conveniently placed next to the curly headed boy as well as his best friend. Virtually, when Ellis finally rested in the luxurious chair, she was the meat to their so called "Larry Stylinson" sandwich.

Most girls would kill to be in her position, but she was not phased. She knew that was crazy, like she would make herself out to be a "special snowflake" for resisting their charms and seemingly flirty behaviour. She was aware that she wasn't however, at least not to these two.

"Thanks," she said quietly, picking up the menu to browse through it.

As they all looked through their own menus as well, a lot of chatter passed lowly around the table. It died down when their orders were taken, and never resurrecting even when they were served.

It was awkward, the complete silence encircling the table while everyone else outside of the bubble spoke freely. They could all feel it, Liam and Niall looking at Louis and Harry to get them speaking. When they all just shrugged, a gang of eyes shot to Zayn. He could feel them burning into him with such intensity, but ignored them, allowing the clang of cutlery against plates or bowls be the only noise.

Clearing his throat, Harry moved on to the next best person.

"Sounds like everyone is enjoying the food a little too much," he commented, directing it towards Ellis.

She looked up, her eyebrows raised to ask if he was talking to her. When she had deduced that he was, she smiled. "I guess so, this is the quietest that i've heard you guys."

"Well our mouths are occupied, and if my mum didn't teach me any manners i'm sure i'd just talk with my mouth full."

"Like me," Louis teased, predictably with his mouth full, taking the lead to help Harry's plot.

He wanted to rub it in Zayn's face even more, which was working. The childish humour had gotten her laughing, a laugh Zayn had only heard for the first time today.

It was annoying, getting his skin crawling. He was over it, everything that had to do with her. If she was going to speak freely to everyone but him, she could fall off a cliff for all he cared…or something.

Then she did the unexpected.

"Are you alright Mr. Malik, you're really quiet today."

"He broods, it's his thing," Harry jumped in, smirking at him.

"Oh," she nodded softly, taking a sip from her straw. "Well I would have never guessed, you seemed pretty chatty with that tattoo guy."

He raised an eyebrow at her, wondering if she was taking the piss.

"Right, well what can I say," he shrugged.

"Apparently, not all that much," Liam chuckled, laughing a little louder at Zayn's glare.

He needed to get out of there, finding their company suffocating.

"I need a cigarette," Zayn muttered, pushing his chair back without much thought.

He expected a bodyguard to shoot up and accompany him, not noticing Ellis seat them with a shake of her head.

"I'll come with you, we can go out back," she told him with a sweet smile.

He didn't know how to respond, so he chose not to, walking ahead of her towards the bathrooms. One thing was sure, an exit would conveniently be placed there probably leading to some kind of parking if not the garbage bins.

Once they were both outside, Zayn wasted no time in lighting a smoke, standing in complete silence.

As Ellis lit hers in silence as well, they looked at one another. The unspoken tension could be chopped by one of the kitchen knives from inside, and it made her wonder what had happened to make him so bitter.

She would get her answer soon enough.

He took a drag, exhaling it partially from his mouth but quickly feeding it into his nose in that exotic, sexy way, His eyes narrowed before he released all of the smoke into the air, licking over his lips.

"Do you hate me or something?" He asked, throwing her off completely.

"Excuse me?"

"You just seem so chatty with the other lads, yet every time I try to even say hello it's all 'I have to go Mr. Malik' or 'sorry Mr. Malik'. And what the fuck is with you refusing to use our first names? It's so weird."

Her mouth fell open in surprise, confused by his frustrated rant. But she thought about it for a moment, realizing that she had been a bit more friendly to them today, all of them she had assumed. Maybe it was the fact that she had no eyes on her, despite the warning her boss had given. Maybe it was the beautiful sun and a bit of fun allowing her to let loose. She couldn't place that part for him, let alone herself, and the reason she refused to call them by their first names would sound so silly out loud, she was almost embarrassed to reveal it.

"I don't hate you Za-I don't…hate you, at all. It's just that, well," she began to explain, only to be cut short by the door bursting open.

"There you two are!" Niall shouted almost breathlessly. "Took me forever to find the bloody back exit."

Swallowing hard, Ellis threw her cigarette to the ground, pointing towards the place Niall had just come out of.

"I'll leave you to it."

When she disappeared, Zayn punched the blonde in the arm.

"Thanks a lot Niall."

"Ow! What did I do?!"