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Broken but Beating, Chapter 3
Hey! Remember this story? I know I only posted two chapters so far, and the last one was over a month ago, but life happened. But here's the third chapter, and things start happening in this one. I'm really glad to be getting back to writing, but I feel so rusty (even though it hasn't been all that long). But I'm easing back into it; and I actually have the first six chapters of this written. I want to polish them before posting, though; I hope to get this one published eventually (after changing the names of course), and so you guys get to be my ginuea pigs, lol! You don't mind, right? Okay, enough yapping. On with the show!
PS: HUGE thank-you to shewasred for the banner! You rock!
Chapter 3
"Thank you! We're gonna take a break but we'll be back in a bit." Taylor stepped away from the mic, and Bobby and Sean slipped off their instruments and followed him towards the kitchen. Zac sat behind his drums for a minute, searching the crowd and scowling; the party had been going on for almost two hours, and he hadn't seen Alex yet. Sighing, he got up and headed over to the keg, filling a cup for himself and sipping it slowly.
"Having fun?" Taylor walked over, a slight sway in his step; Zac shrugged, eying the older boy. He was looking good, dressed in a snug black tank top and impossibly tight jeans; Zac looked down at his own baggy jeans and faded Pink Floyd tee and frowned a bit, feeling underdressed. He hadn't put much thought into his outfit, but now he wished he'd at least considered how he looked.
"You look good tonight." The words tumbled from Zac's lips, honest but a bit surprising to both boys. Taylor blinked, but smiled shyly, playing with his necklaces; it was a habit Zac had noticed, usually when Taylor didn't know what to say. Zac knew he must've been used to being complimented, but probably not from other guys.
"Thanks. So do you."
"Yeah right," Zac scoffed, but smiled anyway. "I don't think I even looked at what shirt this was when I threw it on." They fell into a not-quite-awkward silence as they sipped their drinks. Zac grimaced as he shook a stray lock of hair out of his face; he'd meant to put it back, but he'd been running late, and forgotten.
"You should leave your hair down more often. It looks nice." Taylor looked down as he sipped his beer, his cheeks a bit pink; Zac tilted his head and smirked, pleasantly surprised by the compliment.
"Yeah, it's such a pain in the ass though. I've been thinking of cutting it."
"No way, man. You've got this whole... grunge rock thing going. It's hot." Tay's eyes widened, his cheeks turning a brighter shade of red. "I mean, you know. Chicks dig it."
Zac nodded, smirking wider. He hadn't thought Taylor swung that way, but straight guys didn't usually make a habit of calling other guys hot. He took a step closer, looking Taylor up and down briefly; he was looking better and better, and if Alex was going to stand him up, maybe Zac could still find a way to make the night worth it.
"You think I'm hot?"
"Um, I didn't... I mean, I guess?" Taylor finished his beer, his eyes shifting nervously, and Zac had to bite back a chuckle; Taylor was definitely cute when he was embarassed.
"You're not so bad yourself. But you already know that, don't you?" Zac wasn't blind; he'd seen the way Taylor worked the crowd like a pro. He knew just how hot he was, and he knew exactly how to use it. It was very effective, and Zac was feeling the effect more acutely now that he was paying attention. Taylor just shrugged, smiling coyly.
"Maybe."
"Maybe my ass." Zac took another step closer, lowering his voice. "You know exactly what you're doing. You know how hot you are, and you know how to use it to get what you want. Am I right?" Taylor's eyes widened, looking down briefly at how close they were; he swallowed hard, looking nervous, but he didn't back away.
"I don't think I'm the only one who knows how to get what he wants." Tay's voice just barely trembled; anyone else would've missed it, but Zac didn't. He opened his mouth to speak, but was cut off when someone called his and Taylor's names.
"Hey guys, last set." Bobby was waving them over from across the room. Zac looked back at Taylor, who'd taken a step back. Zac just smiled as he headed towards the stage; he knew the conversation was far from over, but the gig came first, and so a minute later they were back at their instruments, pounding away.
Zac let his mind wander as he played; the night had taken an unexpected turn, but not an unpleasant one. Had he really just been flirting with the singer? And had he been flirting back? Taylor was definitely hot; Zac would've been an idiot to deny that. And he wasn't a bad guy, either; nice, level-headed, a little spoiled maybe, but not stuck up. Zac didn't really think of him as a friend, but it wasn't such a bad thought; maybe he'd been a little hasty in brushing him off before.
But all thoughts of Taylor went out the window when Zac spied a certain tall brunette making his way to the front of the crowd. Alex was beaming at Zac proudly, dancing along with the crowd. Zac grinned back at him, throwing him a wink and putting more energy and flair into his playing; Taylor looked back, sensing the change, but Zac barely noticed. He didn't care that Alex was late; it only mattered that he'd shown up.
The rest of the set passed by in a blur; Zac's eyes were on Alex the whole time, managing to flirt without saying a word. Alex just laughed, cheering along after every number. The band played their last song, Taylor's velvet voice crooning out a seductive melody as he glanced back at Zac once more; Zac noticed that time, smirking a bit. Was he making Taylor jealous? It wasn't his intention, and he didn't really care, but it was an amusing surprise.
"You're late, jackass," Zac laughed, rushing over to give Alex a hug as soon as the band had said goodnight.
"Sorry bout that; had to take care of some stuff, took longer than I thought it would. You guys sounded great, though; I'm glad I didn't miss it."
"Yeah, not a bad night. But c'mon, I need a drink."
"Perfect timing then," Taylor said, suddenly next to Zac and handing him a beer. He smiled politely at Alex, then back at Zac.
"Taylor, this is my friend Alex; Alex, Taylor."
"How's it goin?" Alex held his hand out to Taylor, who hesitated before extending his own; Zac looked between them, amused at the way they seemed to be sizing each other up.
"So Zac," Taylor started, lowering his voice a bit. "I was thinking maybe we could talk some more?"
"Yeah, sure. Later though, okay? Alex just got here."
"Oh... okay." Tay smiled, but it seemed forced. Zac felt a little bad, but he'd been waiting for Alex all night, so Taylor would just have to wait.
"So where are they keeping the booze?" Alex laughed as he threw an arm around Zac's shoulders, heading in the direction of the keg. Zac glanced over his shoulder at Taylor, staring down at his beer and disappearing into the crowd. Zac shrugged, turning back to his friend; whatever had happened between him and Taylor was done for now, and he had better things to focus on.
After a few drinks, Zac and Alex were both feeling loose, dancing to the music flowing from the stereo. Their hands were on each other's hips, caught in a loop of Zac pulling closer, Alex giving in, Zac pulling some more, and Alex pushing back. As a slower groove came on, Zac gave one last pull, his hips grinding against Alex's; the older boy gasped lightly, immediately stepping back.
"Zac... how bout we get some air?" Alex's voice was a bit thin, his smile a bit forced, but only enough for Zac to notice.
"Sounds good to me." Zac smirked, giving Alex's belt loops a tug and turning towards the door. They were halfway across the room when Zac heard his name, and turned on reflex; Bobby and Sean were heading over, both looking sufficiently hammered.
"Hey Zac, saw you on the dancefloor. You got moves." Sean chuckled, wiggling his eyebrows, and Bobby giggled; Zac just shrugged, glancing at Alex.
"Yeah... thanks, I guess."
"So you gonna introduce us or what?" Sean asked, smirking at Alex. Zac sighed heavily; he just wanted to spend some alone time with his friend, but the universe seemed determined to get in his way.
"Guys, Alex. Alex, guys." Zac turned to go again, but Sean's voice, or rather his words, stopped him.
"So you two looked pretty cozy." Sean's tone was teasing, but with an accusing edge to it that Zac didn't like. He turned slowly, taking in his band mate's smirk, his criticizing look. "That why you didn't wanna talk about your love life?"
"Sean..." Bobby warned, placing a hand on his friend's shoulder. "Don't listen to him, he's wasted."
"No offense man, but aren't you a little old to be hitting on a high schooler?" Sean spoke again, this time addressing Alex.
"Sean!" Bobby hissed; Alex had his hand on Zac's chest quick enough to hold the boy back, but he looked almost as upset himself.
"First off, it's none of your business. Second, I'm younger than the guy throwing this party. And I'm not even gonna dignify the rest with a response."
"You got my seventy-five?" Zac held his hand out when Bobby nodded, stuffing the bills in his pocket and turning around without another word. He heard his name being called again, but ignored it as he led Alex out of the house, all the way to his friend's car. As he shut the door and watched Alex light a fresh joint, he breathed a sigh of relief.
"Sorry about that; Bobby's cool, but Sean's kind of a dick."
"It's cool." Alex shrugged as he passed the jay to Zac, who inhaled deeply. "He had a point, though." Alex took another hit, his brow furrowed.
"Dude, don't say that. We were just dancing, no big deal."
"Zac... Someone like you shouldn't be dancing like that with someone like me. It's not... right."
"It's just dancing." Zac took the joint back impatiently, tapping his foot. He hated this argument; it wasn't the first time they'd had it. The words were sometimes different, but the meaning was always the same. Alex turned to stare at Zac, his eyes sad.
"It's not, though," he said softly. "It's not, and you know it. Zac, you think I'm stupid? I know what you... What you think you want."
"What I know I want," Zac insisted. "And don't tell me you don't want it too; I've seen you look at me. You flirt right back. You were dancing with me; takes two to tango, right?"
Alex sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. Zac didn't want to piss him off, but he was getting tired of fighting for what he knew Alex wanted. He placed a hand on his friend's knee, silently pleading. The older boy looked at Zac's hand, his own hand hesitating before covering it. Zac smiled, relieved, until Alex lifted his hand and placed it back on his own knee.
"I think I should go."
"Alex... c'mon. I'm sorry, okay?"
"I know. But still... I gotta go." Alex met Zac's eyes, both pairs filled with longing, sorrow, and regret. Zac nodded slowly, pouting and looking away. "I'll call you, okay?"
Zac nodded, not looking over; he got out of the car quietly, not looking back until he stood on the grass, leaning through the open window.
"Alex, I... I'm sorry, okay?"
"I know. Me too." Alex gave a sad smile, starting the car; Zac stepped back, watching his friend drive away. Inwardly, he was berating and kicking himself for pushing things too far. Sure, Alex had played along; but maybe he was just humoring him, keeping the 'kid' happy. Zac trudged back to the house, dropping onto the steps; the party was winding down, people stumbling out to their cars. Someone was retching over the side of the porch, and Zac thought he heard Bobby's voice saying soothing words.
"Where's your friend?" Taylor asked as he sat next to Zac, passing him a bottle of water.
"Took off; he had some stuff to do." Zac took the cool bottle, gulping half of it down.
"Ah. So, not a bad night, huh?"
"S'alright," Zac mumbled, shrugging. He wasn't really in the mood for company, the alcohol and weed catching up with him; but for some reason he didn't mind Taylor sitting there. They sat in silence for a while, sipping their waters and listening to the sounds of the dwindling party. Zac finished his first, tossing the empty bottle into the garden bed; he answered Taylor's reproachful scowl with a sheepish smirk, reaching down to retrieve the plastic bottle.
"So, when we were talking earlier. What was that all about?" Taylor looked at Zac curiously; the younger boy smirked, shrugging.
"We were talking. Not sure what else there is to know."
Taylor eyed Zac, not seeming entirely convinced, but he didn't press the issue.
"Right, of course. Just... talking. Um, anyway... I was thinking maybe I could come over tomorrow?"
"Why?" Zac eyed Taylor, but the older boy just stared back, his lips curling into a tiny smirk.
"To hang out? You know, that thing that friends do?"
"Oh... right. Sure, I guess." Zac still wasn't sure if he could trust Taylor, but the fact that he wanted to get together outside of practice was a good start. Taylor smiled, a wide grin that showed off his perfect teeth, and for a moment Zac felt the power Taylor possessed to charm anyone into anything.
"Okay, awesome. Well, I better get going. You need a ride home?"
"I'm good. But... thanks."
"No problem. Friends don't leave friends stranded at a party." Taylor's tone suggested a dig at Alex, and again Zac got the impression that Taylor was jealous. He chuckled as he watched the older boy leave; no one had ever been jealous over him before, if that's what was really happening. It wasn't a bad feeling, Zac decided.
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As for this story. Zac is a little devil :). I'm surprised Taylor doesn't have whiplash from Zac's change in affections all night long.
Also what's up with Sean? Closet case gay maybe?
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Can't wait to see where this goes :)
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This is definitely getting more interesting. And the fact that Zac is not in ponytail is killing me! The banner, his stare! Damn, I love teenage Zac, more of this soon please....!
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p.s. that BB zaylor story you wrote was also amazing and really adorable!