Making Headlines
Chapter 4: Cake
Emerson Gray
“Here we are,” Zayn said as he pulled up to a single family home. It wasn’t big, but it wasn’t small, it was the perfect size for a family. I could feel the warmth and coziness of the house in the car. I was at ease, I wasn’t nervous. Actually, I was extremely nervous, but I know that’s normal. “You coming?” Zayn prompted, raising an eyebrow. “Oh, yeah, coming,” I said quickly, unbuckling the seatbelt and jumping out of the car, meeting Zayn at the trunk, grabbing my bag.
“It a really nice house,” I commented. “Thanks, but just wait until you see the one I bought for my mom.” I smiled slightly, pausing half way up the stairs to the door, “You bought your mom a house?” Zayn looked back and nodded, “I mean, it’s for the whole family, but I always promised my mom that I’d get her a house, and now that I’m able to, I did. But don’t say anything, it’s her Christmas gift.”
“Damn, I wish I got a house every Christmas,” I joked. Zayn chuckled and rolled his eyes, “Come on, it’s too cold out here.” I followed him up to the porch and to the door. The second I stepped in the house, I was enveloped in the scent of Christmas. Pine tree, vanilla, a fireplace, and just a hint of cinnamon. The scent relaxed me, making me feel as if I was at home. “Mum! Dad! I’m home!” Zayn called out. He was greeted at the door but a black dog that somewhat resembled a burnt marshmallow. Zayn dropped his bags and kneeled to play with the dog, “Hi Boris, have you been a good boy? I miss you!” He spoke in a baby voice. “He misses you too, sweetie,” A warm, soft voice called out. “He still sits outside your door every morning, waiting for you to wake up,” The gentle voice grew closer and closer until a woman with excellent bone structure was standing in the foyer with us.
“Mummy! I’ve missed you so much,” Zayn gushed, near tears and running into his mother’s arms. I giggled quietly at his use of the word ‘mummy’ but found it sweet that he loved his mother so much. “I missed you to Zayn, I’m so happy you’re home,” She pulled away and grinned at him. It was crazy how much they looked alike when they both smiled. “And you must be Gray. It’s a pleasure to have you here, darling,” She looked over and smiled. “Hi Mrs. Malik, thank you so much for having me on such short notice,” I smiled in return and held out my hand. She scoffed and pulled me into a hug, “Nonsense. I love having people over. And please, call me Trish.”
She was small, smaller than me, but her hugs were warm and tight. They were…comforting. “Well, Trish, thank you again. You have a beautiful home. And I can see where Zayn gets his cheekbones.”
“Oh stop,” Trish gushed. “Come inside, your father’s downstairs watching the football game.” Zayn and I followed her down the hallway into a kitchen that opened up with a living room, “Where are the girls?” Zayn asked. “They went to the mall to get something for Gray.”
“Oh, no, that’s really not necessary. Just being invited here is good enough,” I said quickly and quietly. Trish shook her head, “Too late. They insisted. Zayn told us you bake,” She stated. I nodded, “I do.”
“Then you wouldn’t mind making a cake?” Zayn sharply turned towards his mother, “Mum, please.” I cut in, placing a hand on his arm, “It’s completely fine. I would love to make a cake.” Zayn looked at me with a raised eyebrow and I just smiled. It was only a cake, I didn’t have a problem making one for the family it was the least I could do.
“Let me introduce you to my dad,” Zayn said changing the subject. He led me to a door in the kitchen that lead to stairs going down into a nice finished basement. “Dad,” Zayn said with a smile. The man sitting on the reclining chair jumped up and turned, “Zayn!” I watched as the two men embraced. It was sweet, you could see the love that was there and it really made me happy. “Dad, this is Gray,” Zayn told him when they backed up. I smiled and waved, “Hi. Thank you so much for having me, really.”
He shook his head, “No need to thank me. Please call me Yaser, it’s a pleasure to have you,” He smiled. I let out a breath, relieved that no one here would be judging me. “I’m gonna show Gray to the room we’ll be back soon,” Zayn said, placing a hand on my shoulder and gently guiding to me to the stairs. “Hope you like football, Gray!” Yaser called. “Love it!” I replied. He laughed, “Good!” I smiled, walking up the stairs followed by Zayn.
“Where am I staying?” I asked Zayn as we walked down the upstairs hallway with our bags. “My room. I’ll stay on the couch.” I scrunched my eyebrows, “No. I’ll sleep on the couch. You take the bed.” Zayn shook his head, opening a door to what must have been his old room. It was a typical boy’s room. It was navy blue with a double bed in the corner, a window on the opposite corner and a desk on the other side of the room next to a closet. “Seriously, Zayn, it’s fine.”
“Why don’t we just share the bed, if you’re okay with that, it’s a double,” he explained. “Yeah, that’s cool with me. Look, thank you so much for bringing me with you. I don’t know what I’d have done if it weren’t for you.”
“I’m glad you came. I know my sisters will love you. And you don’t have to bake that cake if you don’t want to,” He said. I shook my head, “I want to. I love baking so I don’t even mind,” I replied.
“Emerson,” Zayn began, “I want you to know that I don’t care what anyone thinks or says. Not Harry, not the media, not anybody. You’re a great person and if no one takes the time to realize that then that’s their loss. I’m really happy you’re here and that you decided to trust me. If you have faith in me, I promise, Harry will come around. I know that it bothers you that he doesn’t like you and I agree that it’s not okay, but once he sees that you aren’t a bad person he’ll like you just as much as I do.”
I was taken aback by what he had said, I wasn’t expecting that, “Zayn, thank you. Really.” He just smiled and nodded, “Come on, let’s go watch football with dad.”
“Here we are,” Zayn said as he pulled up to a single family home. It wasn’t big, but it wasn’t small, it was the perfect size for a family. I could feel the warmth and coziness of the house in the car. I was at ease, I wasn’t nervous. Actually, I was extremely nervous, but I know that’s normal. “You coming?” Zayn prompted, raising an eyebrow. “Oh, yeah, coming,” I said quickly, unbuckling the seatbelt and jumping out of the car, meeting Zayn at the trunk, grabbing my bag.
“It a really nice house,” I commented. “Thanks, but just wait until you see the one I bought for my mom.” I smiled slightly, pausing half way up the stairs to the door, “You bought your mom a house?” Zayn looked back and nodded, “I mean, it’s for the whole family, but I always promised my mom that I’d get her a house, and now that I’m able to, I did. But don’t say anything, it’s her Christmas gift.”
“Damn, I wish I got a house every Christmas,” I joked. Zayn chuckled and rolled his eyes, “Come on, it’s too cold out here.” I followed him up to the porch and to the door. The second I stepped in the house, I was enveloped in the scent of Christmas. Pine tree, vanilla, a fireplace, and just a hint of cinnamon. The scent relaxed me, making me feel as if I was at home. “Mum! Dad! I’m home!” Zayn called out. He was greeted at the door but a black dog that somewhat resembled a burnt marshmallow. Zayn dropped his bags and kneeled to play with the dog, “Hi Boris, have you been a good boy? I miss you!” He spoke in a baby voice. “He misses you too, sweetie,” A warm, soft voice called out. “He still sits outside your door every morning, waiting for you to wake up,” The gentle voice grew closer and closer until a woman with excellent bone structure was standing in the foyer with us.
“Mummy! I’ve missed you so much,” Zayn gushed, near tears and running into his mother’s arms. I giggled quietly at his use of the word ‘mummy’ but found it sweet that he loved his mother so much. “I missed you to Zayn, I’m so happy you’re home,” She pulled away and grinned at him. It was crazy how much they looked alike when they both smiled. “And you must be Gray. It’s a pleasure to have you here, darling,” She looked over and smiled. “Hi Mrs. Malik, thank you so much for having me on such short notice,” I smiled in return and held out my hand. She scoffed and pulled me into a hug, “Nonsense. I love having people over. And please, call me Trish.”
She was small, smaller than me, but her hugs were warm and tight. They were…comforting. “Well, Trish, thank you again. You have a beautiful home. And I can see where Zayn gets his cheekbones.”
“Oh stop,” Trish gushed. “Come inside, your father’s downstairs watching the football game.” Zayn and I followed her down the hallway into a kitchen that opened up with a living room, “Where are the girls?” Zayn asked. “They went to the mall to get something for Gray.”
“Oh, no, that’s really not necessary. Just being invited here is good enough,” I said quickly and quietly. Trish shook her head, “Too late. They insisted. Zayn told us you bake,” She stated. I nodded, “I do.”
“Then you wouldn’t mind making a cake?” Zayn sharply turned towards his mother, “Mum, please.” I cut in, placing a hand on his arm, “It’s completely fine. I would love to make a cake.” Zayn looked at me with a raised eyebrow and I just smiled. It was only a cake, I didn’t have a problem making one for the family it was the least I could do.
“Let me introduce you to my dad,” Zayn said changing the subject. He led me to a door in the kitchen that lead to stairs going down into a nice finished basement. “Dad,” Zayn said with a smile. The man sitting on the reclining chair jumped up and turned, “Zayn!” I watched as the two men embraced. It was sweet, you could see the love that was there and it really made me happy. “Dad, this is Gray,” Zayn told him when they backed up. I smiled and waved, “Hi. Thank you so much for having me, really.”
He shook his head, “No need to thank me. Please call me Yaser, it’s a pleasure to have you,” He smiled. I let out a breath, relieved that no one here would be judging me. “I’m gonna show Gray to the room we’ll be back soon,” Zayn said, placing a hand on my shoulder and gently guiding to me to the stairs. “Hope you like football, Gray!” Yaser called. “Love it!” I replied. He laughed, “Good!” I smiled, walking up the stairs followed by Zayn.
“Where am I staying?” I asked Zayn as we walked down the upstairs hallway with our bags. “My room. I’ll stay on the couch.” I scrunched my eyebrows, “No. I’ll sleep on the couch. You take the bed.” Zayn shook his head, opening a door to what must have been his old room. It was a typical boy’s room. It was navy blue with a double bed in the corner, a window on the opposite corner and a desk on the other side of the room next to a closet. “Seriously, Zayn, it’s fine.”
“Why don’t we just share the bed, if you’re okay with that, it’s a double,” he explained. “Yeah, that’s cool with me. Look, thank you so much for bringing me with you. I don’t know what I’d have done if it weren’t for you.”
“I’m glad you came. I know my sisters will love you. And you don’t have to bake that cake if you don’t want to,” He said. I shook my head, “I want to. I love baking so I don’t even mind,” I replied.
“Emerson,” Zayn began, “I want you to know that I don’t care what anyone thinks or says. Not Harry, not the media, not anybody. You’re a great person and if no one takes the time to realize that then that’s their loss. I’m really happy you’re here and that you decided to trust me. If you have faith in me, I promise, Harry will come around. I know that it bothers you that he doesn’t like you and I agree that it’s not okay, but once he sees that you aren’t a bad person he’ll like you just as much as I do.”
I was taken aback by what he had said, I wasn’t expecting that, “Zayn, thank you. Really.” He just smiled and nodded, “Come on, let’s go watch football with dad.”
Notes
A/N: I AM SO SORRY IT TOOK SO LONG TO UPDATE I AM SO ASHAMED.Okay so feedback please and thanks.
Thank you so much for reading.
I love you all <3
10/9/13