Note: Oh darn I missed Monday again. Sorry! I had all of this down already, but I couldn't think of a way to make it work. I don't know how this is, but I hope you all like it. Review so I know how it is. Okay? :)
I sit in the huge conference room fidgeting. A woman led me in and told me to make myself comfortable as the people who called me in are still on the road over. With scary, black chairs that look professional in a threatening way, comfortable is the last thing I could be.
I stand up and stretch for the third time in a span of ten minutes. I drag a chair to the wall made of glass from floor to ceiling and look out to the busy streets. The sun is already on its way down, bathing the city in a drowsy kind of lighting. From the window, the late afternoon traffic looks pretty; A long conga line of honking cars. Pretty.
Just when I start to relax, the door swings open and a woman steps in, followed by a man. I immediately stand up and push the chair back to the conference table like a guilty child.
"Hello again, Coleen." The man smiles at me. I start to wonder where I've met him and get even more confused when I realize I haven't yet. "I was at the meeting Zayn decided to make you two 'official'. We haven't been properly introduced though. I'm Mason, assistant vice president of public relations of One Direction. The VP is running late so we'll have to wait a little bit." He flashes another smile my way, and I conclusively decide that he's one of the good guys.
I take a deep breath, relieved that they're being pleasant to me. I know I'm not the one at fault here, but being in official meetings isn't really my thing. It always sends me on edge, that's why I try to steer clear from them.
"How are you and Zayn?" I realize he's only making conversation, but for a moment, I think he senses something is up between us.
"I saw him yesterday…he's fine. I think." I say with a quick shrug of my shoulders.
Mason carries on making small talk and successfully kills time. Before we know it, everybody expected is already in. They thank me for coming and explain everything at once. I was right, they needed a good plan to salvage Zayn's reputation.
I came in with apprehensions because I was so sure they would leave it all up to me to clear up his name, but after they explain their side, I realize they want nothing. They called me in to make sure I don't respond to the press; Never. But that's about where my role ends in the story.
After I assure them that they shouldn't worry about me adding anything, they wrap things up with me and tell me that I'm free to go as they had already consumed much of my time. Before I exit the room, I hear their exchange about reversing Zayn's actions.
"I've got another intern work at the children's hospital tomorrow. Zayn could stop by if you like." I offer, stopping short of the door. The room is still as they all look at me from the conference table.
"That would be lovely." Mason breaks the silence, shooting one of his smiles again. "We'll talk it out and we'll be in touch." With that, I give him a small nod and I quickly step out of the room.
Early the next day, they set everything up. Zayn is coming in around lunch and I am babysitting for him. They mean it. They warn me that some paparazzi would be tipped off, but that it shouldn't be a problem since they wouldn't be able to get into the hospital anyway.
My mum drops me off at the hospital and I start out the day getting to know the patients' records; Who's who and what's up with them. The children's hospital is a nice place to be when there's no emergency because the children offer a fun and innocent atmosphere. I like working with them, but by lunch, I'm a little fretful.
Zayn steps through the hospital doors around 1 in the afternoon. He looks clean and neat, more than usual. He greets me with a small wave and I tell him to follow me. He helps me with my tasks, arranging beds in the ward and changing sheets. He does this in total silence that even I start to get uncomfortable.
"How are you?" I say quietly as I change the pillowcases.
"You know how screwed up everything is, but I'm okay." He mumbles as he passes me a clean pillowcase.
We go on like that for another hour, but one of the hospital heads come and tell us to watch the kids in the small playroom. I'm not sure if my loud sigh of relief is hidden well, but I'm sure Zayn hears it anyway.
In the playroom, I sit in the middle helping the kids that come up to me with anything. One asks me to make her a clay elephant and I teach her how to. From the corner of my eye, I see Zayn sit next to a little girl. He tries talking to her, but she ignores him. I see him glance warily at me, but stay with her anyway.
More kids come up to me and ask me to make them clay animals. I put my heart and soul into the colored clay, but they all look nothing like animals. Nevertheless, the kids enjoy it.
The next time I trail my eyes over where Zayn is seated, I see him with the little girl sitting on his lap and two other kids sitting in front of him. He's singing to them softly and they are entranced by his voice. The little girl on his lap keeps poking his face as he tries to swat her hands away without coming across as mean.
I smile to myself and walk up to them. I take the little girl into my arms and announce loudly, "Would you like to sing along with Zayn?" The kids all gather around him. He looks at me with a doe-eyed look and I mouth, 'it's okay' to him.
The kids spent the rest of playtime with Zayn. It's actually very adorable. He let them do whatever they want to him, mess his hair up even, and he takes orders from the six year-olds like his life depends on it. The kids love having him around, and they don't even realize they are playing hide-and-seek with one of the country's famous singers.
A little after four, the head comes for the kids. Playtime is over and it is time to get back to their wards. One little girl boldly holds her hand up to Zayn and asks him to tuck her in. I pick her up for him and we bring her to her room.
"Why don't you come around more often?" She asks Zayn as she crawls to her bed.
"I'm a little busy with work, really. I'll come by again soon if you like." He chuckles.
After saying goodbye to her, Zayn accompanies me to the staff room where I start to gather my things. Personally, I think the afternoon is a success. Zayn spent an afternoon out of trouble and I'd like to think he actually enjoyed it.
When we step out of the hospital, a crowd of people with cameras and recorders gathers around us. Zayn walks ahead of me, but glances back every now and then.
I don't really fully understand what happens next, but the whole crowd closes on us and suddenly it dawns on me that there are more of them than I realize. I lose Zayn somewhere as some people pull him for comments. Others take me on and I just feel myself frantically sticking out my hand looking for Zayn's.
Somehow, I find him and he pulls me back in the hospital. He grabs his phone and calls someone. I hear him say, "Wait for me on the side entrance in five. I'll be out."
"Stay here until they go away. I'll get your mum to pick you up." He starts to walk away before he finishes his sentence. He finds his way to the side entrance where I see his car is waiting with the engine running. The window rolls down and I see that Becca is behind the wheel.
"Don't. Don't go with her. This is all going to waste if you do." I say as I look from her to him.
"I can take care of myself." He mumbles as he scans the exit. Some of the paparazzi are near, but I reckon he would make it out fine if he ran fast enough. "I promise not to do anything stupid with her."
With that, he made a run for it and the car pulls away amidst the flashes.
Continued.