Esoteric.

"You done?" Shiloh questioned bringing to back from the continuos stream of thoughts containing Zayn that had refused to leave.
"Oh. Uh, yeah." I mumbled pulling a twenty from my purse, dropping it on to the table.
"You're meal was only ten."
"What about a tip?"
"You're leaving her a ten dollar tip. She was a shitty waitress." She stated pulling out the exact amount of her dinner.
"Well seeing as you're not leaving her anything."
"She doesn't deserve it."
Is she serious? Why does it even matter how much I left the poor waitress for a tip? She wasn't even a bad waitress, Shiloh was a horrible customer. She was never happy. Irregardless of whether her order was just how she liked it. "Well I think she does."
"Well you're wrong."
"I'm not wrong."
"Yes, you are."
"No I'm not. In my opinion she deserves it."
"Well your opinions wrong."
"No ones opinion can be wrong. It's how they view things. I thought we already went over this?"
"Whatever."
"Okay?" I honestly didn't understand why she felt the need to start an argument over a damn tip. I mean really it's ten dollars. It's not like I dropped a hundred on the table.
"Don't start with this shit. We were having a great time."
"What are you even talking about? I haven't done anything, except disagree with you which is apparently a sin."
"No one ever said that you had to agree with me."
"You're right. No one did but if someone doesn't, you act like a five year old and start immature and completely irrelevant arguments."
"No I don't. You've been over exaggerating everything lately and I'm getting sick of it."
"Yup." There was so much more than I wanted to say but I knew it was pointless. She'd sit here and argue you with me for days until I gave up and agreed with her so she'd shut her mouth.
"You can walk home." She spat as we approached her car.
I knew she expecting me to beg and plead but I honestly didn't even want to be in the car with her anyway. "K."
I could feel her stare burning through my back as I turned around starting to make my way down the street. I could've given in and apologized but I was tired of always having to apologize for things I didn't even do. She needed to get her attitude in check and stop controlling everything and everyone. This is why she didn't have any other friends beside me and at the moment I wasn't even sure I wanted to be her friend anymore.
My phone buzzed in my pocket making me jump slightly. At least no one was around to see that. My breath caught in my throat the second I saw the caller ID. Why was he calling?
'Hello?'
'Hey. Um, I was wondering if I could stop by. I needed to talk to you.'
He needed to talk to me? About what? 'Uh. I'd say yes, but I'm not at home' Wait. Why did you just tell him that? He already knew you were with Shiloh.
'Oh. Shiloh came home so I thought you'd be too.' He explained.
'Oh. Mm. Yeah, she didn't give me a ride home. We kind of got into an argument again.'
'Wait, where are you?'
'Uh. I don't know actually. I can find the name of the street.'
'You're walking?'
'Yeah.'
'Do you know how dangerous that is?' He asked seeming frustrated.
'I'll be fine.' I have to admit it was a bit creepy walking by yourself in LA alone, at night.
'Just find the name of the street and I'll come get you.'
'No really, Zayn. I'm fine.'
'Emerson, I'm not letting you walk around at night by yourself. Just tell me.'
'Oh wait. Someone's pulling up.' I noted get a bit nervous. I probably should've turned around and walked the other direction but seeing as they were in a car and could easily catch up to me, I didn't see the point.
'Wait! Emerson don't talk to them. They could be a rapist.'
'I kind of have no choice.'
'Yes you do! Ignore them.'
'I would but they just pulled right in front of me.'
'Back up and turn the other way.'
I peered through the window as it rolled down. "Oh hey." I smiled at the familiar face.
"What are you doing out here?"
'Emerson stop talking to the stranger and turn around.' I heard Zayn rush out through the phone which I ignored.
"I was walking home."
"Don't you have a car?"
"I do but I was out with Shiloh and we got into an argument and she told me I had to walk, so here I am."
"Hop in. I can give you a ride."
"Oh no. You really don't have to."
"I insist."
I smiled opening the door. 'Hey Zayn. I got to go, I'll text you when I get home.'
'Emerson you can't just get in the car with a complete stranger!' He shouted through the other end.
'Calm down. It's Louis. I'll talk to you later, bye.'
'Wait! Louis? Why are you....'
I hung up. I know I shouldn't have but I can always talk to him later.
"So what were you girls out doing?"
"We went out to eat."
"Ah. I see."
I nodded giving him a small smile. The car fell silent, but unlike with Zayn most of the time it wasn't uncomfortable. Before I knew it we were pulling into my driveway. I looked out the window seeing a tall figure with an all too familiar jet black quiff. What was he doing here? I watched for a few second as he paced back an forth biting his finger nails.
"Well um, thanks for the ride." I said turning back to Louis who had been looking out the window at Zayn as well.
"Oh no problem. You shouldn't be waking around by yourself anyway, especially at night."
"So I've been told" I mumbled glancing at Zayn from the corner of my eye. "Well I'll see you later, thanks again."
"No problem." He said giving me an adorable smile causing me to automatically smile back.
I stepped out shutting the door behind me making Zayn look up instantly. He let out a sigh of relief the second he saw me.
"Zayn."
"Emerson do you understand how worried I was."
"Uh...I...I mean...I um." I didn't even know what too say. "I was with Louis." Why was he even freaking out?
-------
Zayn's Point of View.
"What the hell was going on earlier?" Shiloh snapped the second she entered the house.
"Nothing?"
"Don't you play stupid with me. I swear if I catch you doing anything remotely intimate with her, I'll say it. I'll tell her everything."
"Nothing was going on." I lied. I knew it was pathetic of me to be so afraid of my sister but she knew things that I didn't particularly want Emerson to know. Not any time soon anyway.
I waited a good ten minutes after she walked upstairs before pulling out my phone and tapping on her name. Please answer.
"Hello?" Her voice itself made my stomach tie in knots.
"Hey. Um, I was wondering if I could stop by. I needed to talk to you."
"Uh. I'm not home right now."
Wait. Why wasn't she home. Did she meet some guy while she was out with Shiloh or something. "Oh. Shiloh came home so I figured you'd be too." I mumbled trying to play it off.
"Oh. Yeah? Mm. We got into a fight again."
"Wait. Where are you?"
"Mm. I can't find the street name."
"You're walking?"
"Yeah."
Is she fucking kidding me? A young girl should not be walking around LA alone, especially at night. Especially one that looked like Emerson. She could get kidnapped or mugged or raped. Oh god. I started to panic. "Do you know how dangerous that is?" I did my best to hide the frustration in my voice, though I didn't do very well.
"I'll be fine."
"Just find the street name and I'll come pick you up."
"No really, Zayn. I'm fine." She said attempting to reassure me. Like it would actually work. I was practically having a panic attack just thinking about her being out there, alone.
"Emerson, I'm not letting you walk around alone at night. Just tell me."
"Oh wait. Someone's pulling up."
Is she mental? Was she actually going to talk to this random stranger pulling up to her in the middle of the night. I instantly felt sick. "Wait Emerson! Don't talk to them they could be a rapist."
"I kind of have no choice."
"Yes you do. Ignore them."
"I would but they just pulled up in front of me."
"Turn around and walk the other way."
I listened waiting for an answer that never came. All I could hear is her talking to someone. Was she seriously conversing with this complete stranger. I faintly heard, 'Get in. I'll give you a ride home.' She's not stupid enough to say yes, right? And I spoke too Soon.
"Emerson! You can't get in the car with a complete stranger." I felt like I was talking to a five year old. You'd think at eighteen she'd know this.
"Calm down, it's Louis. I'll talk you later, bye."
Wait what? Louis! She was getting in the car with Louis.
"Wait! Louis? Why are you..." And she hung up. Just fucking great. Now Louis was my best friend, but he was also known to take advantage of girls. Especially of sweet, innocent ones like Emerson. The very thought of his touching her the other night made me want to punch his face. I almost had. I stormed out of the house walking hastily to hers.
I couldn't stop myself from pacing back and forth while biting my fingernails. What was taking do long? Were they doing something. Were they kissing again or worse? No. Emerson's not like that but then again Louis can be very persuasive when it comes to girls. Oh my god. What if they were. What if he was taking advantage of her at this very moment and I'm just standing here letting it happen. Fuck.
The slamming of a car door caused my head to snap up in the direction it had come from.
Emerson.
I felt a huge sigh of relief wash over me. Thank god .
"Zayn."
"Emerson do you understand how worried I was?" I hadn't even meant to say it. The words just flew out before I could stop them.
"Uh...I...I mean...um. I was with Louis."
Yes and that's exactly why I was worried but it's not like I could tell her that.
"Emerson." I whispered looking into her big green eyes.
"Yeah." She said barely audible.
"I want you."
"Yyyy...you what?"
"I mean, I like you and... I trailed off not being able to finish.
"You can't."
"What do you mean I can't?" Was she seriously telling me that I wasn't 'allowed' to like her.
"I mean, Shiloh said you didn't and that you never would so I mean, I...how could you. Also it's not like there's anything special about me and you have so many more girls out there that want you and..."
"I don't want any of them."
"Why?"
"What do you mean why?"
"I mean why now? Why'd you tell me now?"
"If you don't like me you can tell me. It's not like I expected you too. I just wanted you too know and..."
I stopped speaking the second she started laughing. Why was she laughing?
"You think... You think I don't like you." She asked in between laughs.
"I mean..."
"Zayn I've had a crush on you since the ninth grade."
"You what?"
"I like you."
There is no way in fucking hell this was happening. She couldn't.
"Seriously?"
She nodded a bright pink gracing her cheeks. I grabbed her hand pulling her to my chest. I wrapped my arms around her encircling her. Only this time she wrapped her arms back around me.

Notes