Choke on Your Misery

Zack just moved from Towson High School to Dulaney High School for reasons unknown to anyone but his family and his best friend, Rian Dawson. When Alex Gaskarth meets his new neighbor, he knows right away that he needs to get to know this boy. He's determined to become friends with Zack. Zack, however, is afraid to trust anyone. He's keeping a secret from Alex that he never wanted to tell anyone.

This story contains Zalex slash.

Disclaimer: I do NOT own the boys of All Time Low, their families, or their crew members. Any song lyrics present within the chapters are credited to the band they belong to. Story title credit goes to Therapy by All Time Low.

I Wanna Know You
I don't know what it was, but something drew me to this boy. He was gorgeous.
A Second Chance
Rian looked back and forth between us, clearly confused. "How do you know Gaskarth?"
Nothing to Lose
“Yeah, right. And maybe you’ll become president of the United States."
In a City of Fools
“Well there are lots of nice people here, so don’t worry! I’ll be your new best friend!”
All I've Tried to Hide
“If he wants to keep his hoodie on, he can keep it on. It’s not a big deal."
Dodging Words
"Do you really want to know why I moved?"
Do you know what it feels like, being alone?
I wasn't sure why I was even sharing this with him.
Hanging Out This Afternoon
"Is Rian drumming or having a seizure?"
I’ve Walked This Line a Thousand Times Before
“Dude! You have scars all over your arm!”
I Must Be Dreaming
"Zack, you have to promise to not freak out over what I'm about to do, okay?"
Tongue Tied
“What’s going on between you and Alex?”
New Friends
"Yeah buddy; get some!"
Heat Things Up
"I just argued with Jack and Rian over the toaster, and you don't like blueberry bagels?!"
All Time Low
"ZACK! Jack's smushing me!"
Better Days
“I actually think I’ll squish you.”
Hearts Beat inside our Chests
“I know. You always stare at me when I sing at practice.”
I Should Have Known
“***. Zack, I can explain-”
It was an Honest Mistake
“I’m about two seconds away from punching the shit out of you for hurting him.”
I Don't Really Care at All
“I’m just everyone’s ***ing charity case. If people cared about me, I’d have more friends than just you!”
You're Better Than This
“Or you could just let me ***ing bleed out.”
Bruised and Scarred
"I might be a ***ing asshole, but you’re perfect.”
Move Along
“I want to stop cutting.”
Tonight Our Dreams Come True
"I have wood! Literally!"
My Lungs Gave Out
“Is that what you do? No wonder you get boners so often."
Cause a Scene
"You and Dad seriously need to stop being ***ing homophobes."
Don't Listen to the World
“And if he doesn’t... well, you can always live with me. I’ll let Alex come too.”
Let's Make This Last Forever
“So in other words, you two are gonna ***?”
Like I’m Intoxicated
“Oh, that’s fine; you can practice on me all you want.”
Sick and Tired
“Jack, we want him to get home and feel better. If you drive him home, he’ll be dead.”
Where'd You Go?
“Missing?! What the *** are you talking about, Rian?”
Mr. Pushover
“Do you understand what happens when you piss us off?”
No One Has to Know
"You're just a little pervert today, aren't you?"
The Tension's Like a Fire
"No. Just stay out of it!”
I'm Sorry
“I was only being pushy because I want to keep you safe, you know. I don’t like seeing you hurt."
Next Best Thing
“My mom says I sing like an angel!”
Chance to Shine
“I want ice cream!” Jack whined. “Just eat some ice cream, Alex. Be a man!”
We'll Shine Together
“I hear cheering – does that mean you’ve agreed to sign this contract?”
My Name in Shining Lights
“Good. That leads me to ask the next question; would you boys be interested in doing a tour this summer?”
Reckless Dream
“Shut it, skunk hair.”
Big City Dreams
“Our first tour is official!”
Keep My Friends Close
“The band never would have even been created, had Zack stayed in Towson.”