𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐁𝐈𝐋𝐋𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐀𝐈𝐑𝐄 𝐂𝐎𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐈𝐄

** FORTY-TWO **

“A friend who understands your tears is much more valuable than a lot of friends who only know your smile.”
— Unknown

*****

ZAYN COULDN'T FIND it in him to sleep. After his confrontation with Chizaram, he just doesn't know what to think, and throughout the whole night, he couldn't sleep as he kept tossing around on the bed the whole night. When he got tired of turning around, he climbed down from the bed and put on his slippers. Quietly, he left the room after making sure he didn't wake Jedekaih up.

The house was quiet but brightly lit.

He went out of the beach house to the pool area. It was barely dawn. In the soft, early light of dawn, he stood at the edge of the vast swimming pool. The tranquil waters shimmered with a hint of golden reflection, mirroring the sky as it transitioned from inky darkness to delicate shades of pink and orange. The beach house behind him was nestled amidst the quietude of the morning, its windows still holding remnants of the night's slumber. Cricket chirped in the distance and waves crashed in the distance.

Clad in a cozy sweater and pajama bottoms, Zayn's presence seemed like a solitary meditation amidst the awakening world.

It was a perfect scenario to photograph, but he wasn't really in the mood for that. So he took a seat on one of the white pool chairs, staring at the pool before him. Small waves dance at the top of the water.

He was still in his thoughts when he heard the sound of footsteps and he turned around to see Jewel, coming out of the glass door. He was surprised and he was unsure what she would do if she found out that he was also out there.

Since the event of the previous day, he had not seen or talked to her. To avoid facing all of them, he stayed in the room the rest of the day after confronting Chizaram. He believed it was the best thing for everyone, also he didn't want to see Chizaram. Hence, Jedekaih had been the one to bring his dinner to the room.

He turned back to the pool and pretended he didn't know that Jewel was approaching him.

She finally appeared at his side and she was also surprised to see him.

"Hey," she chuckled. "I didn't know you were out here."

"Yeah, it's okay. Good morning," he greeted, looking away from her.

"It's barely dawn yet, but anyway Good morning," she responded. Then she moved to his side to take the pool chair next to him.

Zayn watched as she wrapped her night robe around her, staring at the pool.

"It's barely dawn, why are you up so early?" Jewel asked.

Glancing at her briefly, Zayn replied. "I can ask you the same. You're up early too."

She agreed with a nod, looking away at the water before them. "I couldn't sleep. I have a lot on my mind. A lot of things that I want to do in the new year."

"Like a New Year resolution?" Zayn asked, his tone holding a hint of curiosity and surprise.

"Yeah," Jewel asserted with a vehement nod. "Something like that. Every year ending, I write out things that I achieved that year, what I don't want to do in the year to come, and what I want to achieve that I never achieved in the year before the new year. Stuff like that..."

"Most of us do something similar, but we don't follow it."

"I do follow it. I have a journal for that since I was five. My mom made me do it then and since then, I have been doing it. I always mark out what I achieved that year and what I couldn't and I'll ask myself why. But most times, I do achieve most of it, because I am determined. I live with parents with standards. And they have boundaries, making use of emotional intelligence despite the huge difference between them." She chuckled, amused. The contrasting character of her parents always leaves her amazed and amused.