Status: Complete
Taken Away
We're Gonna Show 'Em What We're Made Of
Zack sat at his kitchen table. John had left after an hour last night. Zack had been in a terrible mood and John had quickly made an excuse about having to be home at a certain time to escape from the grumpy Zack.
**
“Zack, what is up with you tonight?”
Zack just stared blankly at the video game they were playing.
“Nothing.”
“Come on, you’ve been acting weird since you came home.”
“I said nothing, so just fucking drop it!” Zack slammed his controller down. He was in a bad mood and all he could think about was Alex. Alex was home, Alex hadn’t spoken to him. He had at least expected a text but no, nothing.
“Look, Zack, I told my mom I would be home by 11 and it’s already 10:30.”
Zack looked back at his clock. He knew John’s mom didn’t give a shit when he came home. John had been spending every other night at Zack’s house since they’d started dating 3 weeks into the summer.
That had been an accident turned into a slight miracle for Zack. He and John had been going to the same school since John had moved from Arizona 2 years ago and they were friends, well they were mostly skateboarding buddies. Zack spent most of his time with Alex, Rian, and Jack but he still hung with some of the kids from his own school on some weekends.
Zack had taken to going to the skate park this summer to escape from his thoughts of Alex and John had found him there late one night crying. John had sat down next to him and put an arm around him and let Zack cry on his shoulder. John had never asked him about that night, they’d just started hanging out everyday after that and somehow it developed into something more; something that Zack treasured. John meant a lot to him but tonight he just was not in the mood. He couldn’t stop thinking about Alex. How his relationship with John was nothing like Alex. He was safe with John, he was comfortable with John but with Alex it was insane. They fought, screaming matches that lead to storm outs, but he was in love with Alex. They would break up to make up and Zack loved every second of it. They were perfect or they would have been if Alex could have left Jenna. Zack looked up to see John just sitting there staring at him.
“Fine, whatever.”
Zack crossed his arms and leaned back against the wall. John just shrugged and leaned forward wrapping his arms Zack and giving his a quick kiss to the temple.
“I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”
**
Zack glared at the wall and chewed on his lip.
He didn’t know what to think anymore. Alex coming home had messed everything up. A small part of him was happy Alex was back though, but the larger part was just angry. Angry that Alex had left him right when they were finally going to be together. And angry that it was messing up his relationship with John, he was hurting John and that was last thing he wanted to do.
“Zack?”
He looked up as his mother entered the kitchen. He raised his eyebrow in question.
“Will you run to the store for me?”
Zack just nodded and sighed, letting his mother hand him a list and money while he slipped his feet into shoes and headed out the door. It was the least he could do since he had basically ignored her and his father all summer, preferring to stay in his room or hang out at John’s.
He walked slowly, kicking rocks, as he made his way to the corner store. He pushed at the door gently and heard the bell ding to announce a new arrival, he smiled slightly as the older lady behind the counter greeted him and he picked up a basket. He strolled leisurely down the isles reading the list and tossing things into the basket. He had just reached the milk isle when he bumped into a shopping cart.
“…Oh sorry, I wasn’t …” Zack quickly shut his mouth as he started into the chocolate brown eyes in front of him.
Alex’s lips pulled down into a frown and he turned away. Zack felt like someone had stomped on his chest.
“Alex, dear, can you… Oh! Hello, Zack!” Alex’s mother, Isobel, greeted him as she rounded the corner, coming to a stop beside Alex and resting a hand on his shoulder.
“Doing some shopping for your mother?” Zack just nodded mutely not taking his eyes off of Alex, who was pointedly staring down at his own converse.
“That’s sweet of you; Alex hasn’t been out of the house much so I coerced him into coming here with me.” She laughed sweetly, squeezing Alex’s shoulder slightly.
“You guys should get together soon; I know Alex here has missed you, why don’t you come for dinner tomorrow night? Ask your parents too, I’ve missed seeing them as well.” Isobel smiled at Zack as Zack just nodded his head not being able to form words as he saw Alex glaring at the floor.
“Well, we have to get going, Alex has an …appointment. We’ll see you tomorrow, Zack.” Isobel called as she led Alex away down the isle. Zack was left standing dumbly staring after Alex and his mother. Alex had given him the cold shoulder, Alex was angry with him and Zack didn’t know why but he could only guess that he would find out tomorrow. He groaned out loud, maybe he could fake sick or something.
**
“Zack, what is up with you tonight?”
Zack just stared blankly at the video game they were playing.
“Nothing.”
“Come on, you’ve been acting weird since you came home.”
“I said nothing, so just fucking drop it!” Zack slammed his controller down. He was in a bad mood and all he could think about was Alex. Alex was home, Alex hadn’t spoken to him. He had at least expected a text but no, nothing.
“Look, Zack, I told my mom I would be home by 11 and it’s already 10:30.”
Zack looked back at his clock. He knew John’s mom didn’t give a shit when he came home. John had been spending every other night at Zack’s house since they’d started dating 3 weeks into the summer.
That had been an accident turned into a slight miracle for Zack. He and John had been going to the same school since John had moved from Arizona 2 years ago and they were friends, well they were mostly skateboarding buddies. Zack spent most of his time with Alex, Rian, and Jack but he still hung with some of the kids from his own school on some weekends.
Zack had taken to going to the skate park this summer to escape from his thoughts of Alex and John had found him there late one night crying. John had sat down next to him and put an arm around him and let Zack cry on his shoulder. John had never asked him about that night, they’d just started hanging out everyday after that and somehow it developed into something more; something that Zack treasured. John meant a lot to him but tonight he just was not in the mood. He couldn’t stop thinking about Alex. How his relationship with John was nothing like Alex. He was safe with John, he was comfortable with John but with Alex it was insane. They fought, screaming matches that lead to storm outs, but he was in love with Alex. They would break up to make up and Zack loved every second of it. They were perfect or they would have been if Alex could have left Jenna. Zack looked up to see John just sitting there staring at him.
“Fine, whatever.”
Zack crossed his arms and leaned back against the wall. John just shrugged and leaned forward wrapping his arms Zack and giving his a quick kiss to the temple.
“I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”
**
Zack glared at the wall and chewed on his lip.
He didn’t know what to think anymore. Alex coming home had messed everything up. A small part of him was happy Alex was back though, but the larger part was just angry. Angry that Alex had left him right when they were finally going to be together. And angry that it was messing up his relationship with John, he was hurting John and that was last thing he wanted to do.
“Zack?”
He looked up as his mother entered the kitchen. He raised his eyebrow in question.
“Will you run to the store for me?”
Zack just nodded and sighed, letting his mother hand him a list and money while he slipped his feet into shoes and headed out the door. It was the least he could do since he had basically ignored her and his father all summer, preferring to stay in his room or hang out at John’s.
He walked slowly, kicking rocks, as he made his way to the corner store. He pushed at the door gently and heard the bell ding to announce a new arrival, he smiled slightly as the older lady behind the counter greeted him and he picked up a basket. He strolled leisurely down the isles reading the list and tossing things into the basket. He had just reached the milk isle when he bumped into a shopping cart.
“…Oh sorry, I wasn’t …” Zack quickly shut his mouth as he started into the chocolate brown eyes in front of him.
Alex’s lips pulled down into a frown and he turned away. Zack felt like someone had stomped on his chest.
“Alex, dear, can you… Oh! Hello, Zack!” Alex’s mother, Isobel, greeted him as she rounded the corner, coming to a stop beside Alex and resting a hand on his shoulder.
“Doing some shopping for your mother?” Zack just nodded mutely not taking his eyes off of Alex, who was pointedly staring down at his own converse.
“That’s sweet of you; Alex hasn’t been out of the house much so I coerced him into coming here with me.” She laughed sweetly, squeezing Alex’s shoulder slightly.
“You guys should get together soon; I know Alex here has missed you, why don’t you come for dinner tomorrow night? Ask your parents too, I’ve missed seeing them as well.” Isobel smiled at Zack as Zack just nodded his head not being able to form words as he saw Alex glaring at the floor.
“Well, we have to get going, Alex has an …appointment. We’ll see you tomorrow, Zack.” Isobel called as she led Alex away down the isle. Zack was left standing dumbly staring after Alex and his mother. Alex had given him the cold shoulder, Alex was angry with him and Zack didn’t know why but he could only guess that he would find out tomorrow. He groaned out loud, maybe he could fake sick or something.
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I'm seeing All Time Low on Sunday :)