Tuning Heartstrings

Billie's previous enthusiasm for her life changing trip was long depleted, her giddiness being lost somewhere between her arrival at London Heathrow Airport and boarding her first train of the night from King's Cross. She was weary and completely exhausted from lack of sleep over the past few days, and while she was usually good at keeping up with a busy schedule, the jetlag and the constant traveling were taking their toll on the young adult's body.

“At least I'm finally here,” she huffed out as she disembarked the train with her two suitcases in tow, following a small crowd of people to the exits and hailing a cab. With it being near one in the morning, it was easy to catch one and start the final leg of her journey to her flat.

Being driven through Bradford, her new home away from home, was nothing short of a breath of fresh air. It was nice to be moving about on her own now, not being cramped by other weary travelers in tight train compartments or an even more suffocating plane cabin, and most importantly, it was nice to know that she would finally be getting to her new apartment.

The student exchange program she was taking part in, thanks to her university, was opening a whole new door for her. This was the first time that she had been out of the country and even out of her state of Kansas. It was intimidating beyond belief, but she just knew that it was all going to be rewarding in one way or another. As she thought about what might happen during the course of the next few months, she drew a blank and realized she had no idea what she might experience. Maybe I'll have some kind of romantic encounter that will make me a bestseller if I put it to paper? She kidded with herself.

Soon arriving at a decent sized building, she noted how up-kept and modern the outside looked with well trimmed hedges and with what appeared to be a shiny new call box besides the two double front doors. Both Billie and the driver disembarked the vehicle, the cabbie getting her suitcases from the back and setting them down for her while she dug into her wallet and pulled out the appropriate fare money, along with a nice tip for him helping her with her baggage, and made her way towards the call box.

After looking through her phone's notes, she entered in the code on the dial pad and a soft buzz hummed while an audible click rang through her ears, and she quickly reached for the door and pulled it open before it automatically locked. Dragging her bags behind her, she found the building manager's office and, when she introduced herself as the newest tenant, was handed her key to her already furnished flat. As she left and headed towards the elevators, butterflies floated about in her insides that contorted themselves in nervous knots.

As she grew nearer, she heard a soft ding and she picked up her pace as she realized a lift was opening up down the hall. Sticking her hand between the now closing doors, they smoothly glided open and she noticed that there was already one person inside – a male, with dark brown locks that were styled to his right side and even darker eyes that seemed dull and apathetic, the man holding a cigarette between his lips with a vague expression upon his features as he looked at Billie with little interest.

Stepping inside with her belongings, she noticed that the button for the fourth floor was already pressed and simply waited for the doors to close on their own. When they did, the lift started its slow ascension to their level.

The man blew out smoke through his nostrils constantly, as if he weren't human but a machine that lived off that fag between his lips. The aroma of the tobacco was starting to become overpowering and uncomfortable, and when she noticed the “No Smoking” sign placed in the corner of the metal box, she spoke up quietly and hesitantly. “Um, excuse me, but could you put your cigarette out? You're not supposed to smoke in the elevator and it's a little hard to breathe in here.”

He turned to her silently and his brown pools seemed to glare at her for even speaking to him. He didn't reply, didn't comply. He took the cigarette between his fingers and blew out the smoke from his mouth, the cloud hovering around her face until she waved it away frantically with her hand, becoming aggravated by his reaction.

Before she could tell him off, the doors slid open and he walked out without a care, leaving her slightly dumbfounded. Realizing that this was her floor, she finally stepped out and walked down the hallway towards her apartment, the guy from the lift only a few paces ahead of her. “Asshole,” she mumbled.

The few numbers on the apartment doors she was passing began to lead up to her own and she could soon see her door only a few feet away. Finally she'd be able to get some sleep and put all of this – her never ending trip and the guy from the elevator – behind her.

Or so she thought.

Suddenly the guy stopped walking, spinning around on a dime and glaring cruelly at her. “What do you think you're doing, huh?” He questioned, his slightly raspy voice and accent not quite fitting her impression of him. “Go home, will you? I don't know who you are or how you got in here, and to be honest, I don't really care, but just because you used to be a fan doesn't mean that I'm going to tolerate you following me. Leave now while I'm being nice about it or I'll get the authorities involved.”

Billie's brow furrowed together in confusion while her insides started to boil and bubble with frustration. It must have been either from a lack of sleep, the tiring traveling, the fact that he had rudely blew smoke upon her, or a combination of all three, but she wasn't in the mood for his ridiculous assumptions. “Excuse you, jackass, but I don't know what the hell you're talking about. I'm not a fan and I'm not following you. I don't even know who you are and why a douche bag like you would have a fan in the first place.” Billie strode past him furiously and opened up her apartment door, shoving in her luggage without a care for where it went before her head snapped back towards him. “Oh, and even if I were following you, why the hell would I have two large suitcases, huh? Do the world a favor and think before you open that large gob of yours next time, asshole.”

The door slammed shut and the floor slightly trembled from the amount of force the brunette had used when closing it, leaving Zayn stunned in silence. What had just happened? The more he replayed and relived the past moment in his mind, the more furious he grew. What a bitch, he concluded, thought he knew he probably had it coming due to his attitude and it was then his turn to face his door and slam it shut.

Billie didn't care about anything anymore as she opened up her suitcase right by the front door and began undressing to change into her pajamas. She threw them on sloppily and trudged into the only bedroom, flopping down onto the mattress that the already furnished apartment had to offer. Within a second, she was knocked out for the count, her last thought before she drifted irking her to her very core.

Who does that asshole think he is?