Tuning Heartstrings

Billie's new flat was starting to come together quite nicely. Over the past few days, she had been constantly creating a homey atmosphere, making it so she wouldn't feel quite as homesick as she knew she would be later on. Her room had some personality to it and her bed was made, her living room walls were lined with some memorabilia on a few shelves she had put up, and her kitchen was now smelling like the home cooking that her mom used to create back in the States. With each passing day, she was growing more and more comfortable in her new, foreign environment.

She also hadn't seen her neighbor during the past few days, which was something she was also glad about. Billie was still upset about meeting him, with both incidents having left her with a bad taste in her mouth, and she just didn't get how someone could be such a dick to someone he had never met before. She didn't think she had done him wrong when they first met, and so she was completely lost as to why he detested her so much.

Immediately she shook her head furiously, trying to shake any thoughts of him from her mind since she knew thinking of him wouldn't do much good.

Billie wandered into her kitchen, still in her morning pajamas when she noticed the time read nine-thirty exactly. Still feeling groggy, she walked to her Keurig coffee maker and went to load in a small cup of regular brew when she noticed she was out. She hadn't had that many left to begin with and she cursed herself for not ordering more. She'd do so later, but for now she was coffee-less and left craving that warm cup of life.

She made her mind up. I haven't really seen what Bradford has so far. I'll see about finding a coffee shop. With that conclusion, she hopped into her bathroom for a quick shower, dressed herself in some nice clothes, and left her apartment with a skip in her step.

Billie strolled aimlessly throughout the city, though only traveled a few blocks away from the apartment building so she wouldn't forget how to get back. As she headed down a small, cobblestone alleyway, the scent of a coffee beans met her nose and she stopped and sniffed the air for a moment. The aroma relaxed her to her bones and she found herself sauntering towards where the scent was emanating from, soon stopping before a small shop called Mrs. Fields'. Her hand took hold of the handle, opening up the door and walking in with a bell gently dinging to alert the owner of her presence.

Billie took in her surroundings, a few small tables on one side and a small sofa to the other, next to the register was an array of baked sweets and goodies to munch upon, and behind the counter were a few pots of brew that led her there to begin with. The décor was simple, but it was part of its charm, and it was all very inviting, just like the voice that soon fell upon her ears. “Hello, welcome to Mrs. Fields'.” A woman who appeared to be in her mid-fifties walked behind the counter from the back of the store, sending Billie a warm smile that reminded her of her mom's.

“Hello, you have a really lovely shop.” Billie greeted in return.

The woman's eyebrows rose and her eyes lit up with surprise. “Oh, thank you, and an American, are you?” She chuckled. “I don't believe I've ever had a foreigner in my shop before. What can I get you, dearie?”

“Um, can I just get a regular cup of coffee, please?”

“Of course. Cream and sugar?”

“Lots,” Billie smiled.

“Nothing to eat?”

“Now that you mention it, could I get that Blueberry muffin?”

The woman nodded her head and put the sweet into a small paper bag. “For here or to go?”

“Um, for here,” she decided, figuring that she'd like to enjoy both the coffee and the homey atmosphere. “How much?”

“On the house,” the woman smiled. “You're my first foreigner and you made me smile with that lovely compliment. It's no trouble, so please, don't fret over it.”

Billie figured she should accept the kind offer and nodded accordingly while flashing a quick smile. “Well, thank you. I appreciate it.” Taking her cup of coffee and sugary treat carefully, she decided to sit at one of the small round tables by the wall. As she dug in, she noticed a small magazine and news rack to the side and picked one out to read from, losing herself in the good food and some interesting articles from a newspaper that was a few days old to pass the time.

He felt like a zombie in search of brains to ease the craving inside, however, he wasn't one of the living dead, nor did he have a desire to ingest brains. He was just hungover – again, with his booming mind urging him onwards down the cobblestone alley and to his favorite little coffee shop.

He was dressed casually, perhaps even a little sloppily with his black pants being wrinkled and his white v-neck a little crooked, but after putting on a leather jacket, it seemed planned as he continued on with a somewhat grungy look about him. His hair, which was still askew even after attempting to pat it down with some water earlier, only added to his appearance, as did the dark tinted Aviator Ray-Bans he sported to shield his still sensitive eyes from the light and to also hide his identity. He didn't want to take any chances of being spotted by a photog from some sleazy tabloid. He was over being gossiped about like some object that was just there for their amusement.

Finally, the aroma of fresh coffee beans met his nose and he subconsciously picked up the pace, a familiar ding going off as he entered the tiny store not a minute later, taking off his glasses and looking about. He noticed one other person – a girl – by the wall, her dark locks of hair cascading over her shoulders and hiding her face from his sight. He was somewhat surprised. Not many younger people came around to Mrs. Fields'. It wasn't a hotspot by any means, and mostly her customers were elderly folks coming around to chit chat, exchange stories, and read newspapers.

He shrugged it off when Mrs. Fields came out from the back, a fresh pot of coffee in her aging hands and a small twinkle in her eyes when she spotted Zayn. “How've you been, dear?” She questioned, already pouring a cup of coffee for the boy. “Hungover, I presume?” A guilty smile from Zayn confirmed her suspicions. “Well, go on and drink up, boy. I've got more work to do.”

Zayn did as he was ordered and sat at the other available table, the warm cup in his hands seeping through his skin and giving off a sort of comfort that allowed him to relax. It was one of the reasons as to why he loved coming to Mrs. Fields'. Not only was she a family friend, but her cups of Joe always had that familiar feeling of home – a place that Zayn hadn't been to in quite some time.

He loved his family, but they had a falling out the last time they got together a few months ago. However, he wasn't mad at them, he was mad at himself. He was upset that they had to see him in such a pathetic state. He was irritated that they felt the need to voice their worry over his incessant drinking and smoking. He was frustrated that he had let them down as a brother and as a son.

Zayn was a derailed train-wreck.

He could still imagine the tears in his mother's eyes as she hugged him tightly, whispering, “We hate seeing you like this, honey. You don't have to drink yourself away. The end of the band doesn't mean the end of everything. It means the start of something new. Why don't you come home for a bit and start over fresh? Meet a nice girl. Fall in love. Settle down. Rely on us. We're here for you.”

His mother's love had sent him over the edge that day. He had cried in her arms, apologizing for his attitude and for the fact that he wasn't going to change. He couldn't. He didn't have the will to move on. He still felt responsible for the band breaking up and for letting the fans down. He still felt like he had to be miserable.

And when he thought he could count on her – one of the most important people in his life – to be there for him, Perrie walked away, continuing on her own path with Little Mix and growing farther away from him. And what was sad was that he still felt for her, he still loved her. He couldn't do what his mother wanted. He couldn't find some new bird, fall in love, and make a home with her. He was still harboring feelings for Perrie, and until he found some way to let go of them, he wouldn't deal with romance.

As he remembered all these negative thoughts, his emotions were churning with unease within him until they were rampant and hit a boiling point. His anger spiked and his eyes squeezed tightly together as he lifted up the cup of coffee into the air and slammed it right back down onto the table, cursing loudly, “Fuckin' hell!”

It was then he noticed that some warm liquid rested upon his jacket's sleeve and he realized it was the freshly brewed coffee. What really caught his attention was the fact that the girl at the next table was clutching onto her forearm and muttering curses left and right. Oh shit, he thought, realizing his tantrum had caused the scalding hot brew to splash onto her.

“I am so sorry!” He apologized loudly, gathering a few napkins and pressing them down onto her arm with care, the heat that the drink had left upon her skin was now seeping through the paper wipes and lightly burning his own fingertips. Shit, that coffee was hot. “Bloody hell, what a right mess this is. Are you alri—?”

He stopped mid-sentence as he looked up from the girl's arm, seeing her face and the same shocked expression he was sure that he was now wearing too. That girl – that bitch of a neighbor – sat before him with disbelief in her eyes.

Both of them thought the same exact thing. What rotten luck...

Billie wanted to shout at him, to curse him to hell and back, to punch him in his face and give him a black eye for not only being a dumbass with his coffee but for also being a jackass for the past few days. However, even if she did, she knew that it was an accident, even if every bone in her body just screamed that it wasn't. She settled for something else instead. “What the hell is wrong with you?” She muttered lowly, the distaste for him and the entire situation quite evident in her tone of voice.

Zayn had to bite his tongue and stop himself from calling her every name in the book. Even through his frustration, he knew he was the one at fault here and he had no right to really bite back. “Look, I'm sorry, it was an accident.” He bitterly replied, any sincerity left being hardly distinguishable from sarcasm as he handed her more napkins for her to clean herself up with, refusing to touch her any longer.

She scoffed lightly. “Well, if that isn't the saddest excuse for an apology I don't know what is.”

“Hey, I said I was sorry, alright?” He barked.

“Zayn, what are you saying?” Mrs. Fields appeared from the back with an upset expression on her face, having heard his tone of voice towards the girl she found so charming before his arrival. “What happened?”

Zayn's stomach dropped at the authority her voice carried. He hoped this incident and his attitude wouldn't reach his parents, but he had a strong feeling that it just might with how close Mrs. Fields and his mom were. “I spilled some coffee on accident and it got on her.”

Mrs. Fields' features softened and she rushed over quickly after grabbing a clean hand towel and drenching it with cool water. “You poor thing,” she cooed affectionately, gently placing it upon the burn that was quickly reddening. “I'm so sorry that this happened, dearie.”

Billie couldn't help but let an audible sigh of relief escape her lips when the wet cloth met her irritated skin. “It's not your fault, please don't worry about it.” She replied with a small smile to reassure her.

Zayn couldn't believe his eyes. The brunette had seemed like a venomous snake when it was just the two of them, but the way she smiled and replied to Mrs. Fields' made it appear that she was some kind of Fairy Princess. Was she two-faced?—Possibly bi-polar? He didn't get this girl one bit.

“Zayn, call a taxi service.” Mrs. Fields ordered.

He got out his phone and dialed one that he knew of from bars having to call a ride home for him. “Why do we need a cabbie?” He questioned.

“You're taking this young lady to urgent care. The way this burn looks makes me uneasy.”

Both Zayn and Billie were silently processing her words and Zayn was the first to break the silence, hanging up the phone right when an operator answered. “Mrs. Fields, it's just a burn. It'll heal in a few days.”

“I don't think it needs to be seen by a doctor either, Mrs. Fields. Thank you for worrying though.” Billie added.

“Please, dearie, go for me. I'm worried and I won't have it any other way.” She replied. “And Zayn, you're the one who accidentally hurt her, you have a responsibility to make sure that she's fine. Or are you no longer a gentleman?”

The way Mrs. Fields looked him over made him realize there was no getting out of this. “Yes, ma'am.” He silently sighed, redialing the cab service and asking for one to be sent over.

Zayn left the shop to wait for the cabbie to arrive while Mrs. Fields stayed with Billie and continuously kept her burn attended to. The taxi arrived shortly and Zayn returned to retrieve the brunette, both young adults making their way into the vehicle and heading for the nearest hospital in a steely silence. Once they arrived, Zayn paid the fare, much to Billie's dislike as she didn't want to feel like she owed him one, and they walked into the emergency room.

After registering and waiting for a minute or two, they were seen by a nurse who took vitals and were released back into the waiting room where they sat in more silence until the doctor called them. The pair explained how the burned was acquired and Doctor Hathaway began his diagnosis. “Depending on how hot the coffee was and for how long it was on your skin, it could very well be a second degree burn. Because of this, we'll go ahead and treat it in case blisters appear so there won't be a chance of infection. It's good that you treated it with cool water, this could have been much worse otherwise.” He explained. “I'll go ahead and let a nurse know and she'll be in shortly. I'll also have her give you a few pamphlets on how to care for it at home.”

“Thank you, Doctor Hathaway.” Billie smiled.

“You're quite welcome, Ms. James.” He replied, shaking her hand gently and doing the same with Zayn. “And young man, make sure to be more careful and not spill anymore coffee on your bird's arm.”

His quick statement caught them both off guard, their eyes widening as they both quickly corrected the doctor's misconception. “We're not together!” They firmly denied.

Hathaway laughed loudly. “Well, then, my mistake. Have a good day.”

More silence ensued and Zayn couldn't take it any longer. “I'm going to step outside and get another taxi back for us.” He sighed. “Just come out when you're done.”

“Fine,” Billie softly acknowledged with a tired sigh of her own.

Zayn felt it was easier to breathe as soon as he was out of the same room as that girl – Billie. It was weird knowing her name. Now he even knew that she was here as a student thanks to her explaining why she was in the U.K. in the first place to one of the nurses. He didn't want to know it - any of it. It made him realize that she was in fact a person and not just someone he knew as “that bitch of a neighbor.” He groaned aloud as she consumed his thoughts. Hadn't he left the room so that way he could be rid of her for a while?

Then a thought hit him. Was she going to pay for her medical expenses? Since she was apparently on a student exchange program, she could be left paying quite the sum of money if the insurance plan she had didn't cover much. Mrs. Fields would have a fit if she found out he didn't pay for her since it was him that caused the entire mess. Great... he moaned, and immediately he went to the receptionist desk to take care of that business.

After doing so, Billie arrived, her right forearm bandaged up with gauze and making it appear to be a more dire injury than he thought it was. “You ready to leave?” He grunted.

“Actually I was going to head to the ladies' room first, if you don't mind.” She muttered.

He held back the urge to roll his eyes and nodded his head instead, giving an annoyed sigh as he scratched the back of his head.

“Excuse me, sir?”

He turned and looked to see who it was. The nurse who had helped them before was next to him and he greeted her with a nod of the head. “Yes?”

“I'm sorry, I forgot to give your girlfriend the pamphlet on how to take care of the burn at home.”

“She's not my girlfriend.” He declared, his eyebrow twitching at the thought of them being mistaken for a couple twice. Nonetheless, he received the small brochure from her.

“Pardon me then,” she awkwardly fidgeted for her assumption. “She'll need to re-wrap the burn once daily and can leave it off once the burn's healed. To wrap it, she'll need gauze and not cotton as it sticks. You can buy some from the pharmacy we have here or from any store.”

“Thanks,” Zayn nodded, taking in all the information she relayed to him.

Once he was left alone, he ventured off towards the pharmacy to buy the gauze. He figured she wouldn't have some at home and it'd save him time from her having to go and buy it herself while they were there. When he left the store, she was standing where he once was, looking around with an eyebrow raised, most likely thinking that he had ditched her there.

“Behind you.”

She spun around and sure enough, he was there. “Oh...” was all she could mutter out.

He put the pamphlet into the bag and extended it out for her to take. “It's what you'll need to take care of it.”

“Oh...”

Zayn shook his head while she looked inside the bag and he started walking towards the exit. “The cab might be here so let's get outside.”

Sure enough, the car was there and they climbed into it, Zayn giving the address of their apartment complex. As soon as they arrived, Billie got off, but Zayn stayed inside. “You aren't getting off?” She questioned.

“No, Mrs. Fields is going to want an explanation of what happened.”

“Alright, then.” Billie sighed, swallowing her pride and looking Zayn straight in the eyes. “And the nurse told me that you paid my fees for the visit. So for that and also for the gauze... thank you.” She slammed the door suddenly and walked off towards the doors, not wanting to hear a smart reply from him or see a smug expression on his face.

Zayn could only watch her walk off in silence before giving Mrs. Fields' address. What a weird bird.

When Billie entered her apartment, she groaned loudly to relieve the stress that had accumulated over the past while and shook her head. “Why is it that whenever we bump into each other bad things happen? If I see him from now on, I'll just walk the other way. Being in his presence is just a bad omen.”