Drifting Apart- A Lander Fanfiction

Where am I?

Zander's POV

Ms. Clozy is teaching a lesson, but I can't focus. All I can think about is the song and Stacy, who was staring at Luke again. The sight of it makes me feel sick to my stomach. I raise my hand. 

"Yes, Zander?"

"May I go to the bathroom? I feel sick." 

She sighs. "Alright."

I gratefully stand up and leave the classroom. But instead of going to the bathroom, I head to the music room. After playing a few pieces on my keyboard to calm down, I start getting sleepy. I had trouble sleeping last night due to worries, and now my lack of sleep is catching up to me. 

I lay down on the floor. Just for a few minutes... I think as I feel my eyelids growing heavier. 

I fall asleep dreaming about Luke, Stacy and the music club. 

•    •    •

"Zander?" I open my eyes to find Hailey shaking me awake. "What are you doing in here? I thought you said this place has too many painful memories."

"What?" I sit up in confusion. "What do you-" then I gasp. 

The music room looks like it's been abandoned. There's dust everywhere, cobwebs in the corners, and all of the instruments are gone. The paint on the walls is chipping and the floor is grimy with dirt. I quickly get up. Finally finding my voice, I ask, "What happened?" 

Hailey raises an eyebrow and puts her hands on her hips. "That's what I would like you to tell me. Why were you sleeping in here? I can't imagine it'd be very comfortable." 

"No, I mean...what happened to the music room? Sean usually keeps it clean."

Hailey gives me a bewildered look. "Zander, Sean left for college. And the band's not even together anymore. We split up because of...complications."

I stare at her. My brain can't comprehend what she's saying, so instead I study her face. She looks...different. I can tell something has changed, but I can't put my finger on it.

Then my brain starts to process what she said, and I'm hit by a wave of shock. Am I dreaming? I must be dreaming. There's no way this is real. 

I pinch myself, then wince. Ow. So not a dream, then. But if it isn't a dream...then what is it? And WHAT HAPPENED TO THE MUSIC ROOM?! 

Is she playing a prank on me, pretending that the club split up? But no—she couldn't have made the music room look like this in that short amount of time. How long was I asleep anyway?

"C'mon," she says, grabbing my hand and pulling me out the door.  We stop at my locker to get my stuff, and inside I see a bunch of books on advanced subjects. Whoa! What the heck?! These are grade twelve level! 

I finish packing up my stuff and we leave. As we're walking in the hallway, I catch sight of a familiar face.

"Luke!" I exclaim, walking up to him. "Are you walking home with us today?" He just stares at me, a mixture of longing and hurt in his beautiful lemon-yellow eyes. 

"W-what do you mean?" He asks. "I never walk home with you."

"Huh? We always walk home together!"

"Luke! Are you coming?" A voice says from behind him. 

Luke turns around, giving her an easy smile. "Yes Stacy, I'm coming."

As I watch them walk away together, my heart screams at me to run after him—but I can't. I'm frozen in place with shock and hurt and confusion. 

What did he mean when he said that we never walk home together? I guess he walks home with Stacy instead. 

Why is everything different? Sean going off to college; the state of the music room; the club splitting up; Luke and Stacy walking together instead of me, him and Hailey?

I think about this the whole time me and Hailey are walking home together. Am I in some sort of alternate timeline?  I've never really believed in that stuff, but it seems like that's what's happening to me. 

When we get home, I go straight to my room, lock the door, and flop on my bed. What's happening? Why is everything so...wrong?

Hailey knocks on the door and I go to unlock it. She sits on my bed with me and asks, "Are you okay, Zander? You've been kinda...off ever since I woke you in the music room. Asking about the state it's in, just being there in the first place, and then going up to Luke..." she trails off, looking at me.

Now I can see what looks different about her. She looks...older. A possibility pops into my mind, and I decide to test it. 

"Hey, Hailey...what grade are we in?" I ask tentatively. 

She cocks her head at me. "What do you mean? We're in grade twelve, silly."

My eyes widen. So I was right. I'm not in some sort of alternate timeline...I'm in the future. And I gotta say, the future doesn't look too good for me right now.

"R-right. Of course," I say nervously. "Um...can I have some alone time, please? I need to think." 

"Suuure," Hailey says, squinting at me. 

As soon as she leaves, my brain goes on overdrive. Why am I in the future? How is that even possible? And...how do I get back?

I sigh. I wonder how the present club members are doing.

Luke's POV

I haven't seen Zander since math class, and I'm starting to get worried. Where could he be? We usually have science together in the afternoon after math, and he didn't show up. So I decide to look for him. 

As I look in the empty bathroom stalls, getting steadily more panicked by the second, I remember that he said he felt sick. So maybe he went to the music room to calm down? I look there, too. Nothing. I decide to find Hailey.

"Hey Luke, what's up?" She says as she sees me.

"I can't find Zander. Do you know where he is?"

"No, I haven't seen him since practice." 

"Do you know where he might be?"

"Try the music room."

"I did. I can't find him anywhere, and I'm getting really worried."

She frowns in confusion and worry. "Alright, I'll call my parents and see if they know where he is."

"Thanks, Hailey."

She gives me a sad, knowing smile. "No problem, Luke. You can try calling him, too, in case he picks up."

"Will do." 

I go to a quiet room to try calling him, but he doesn't pick up. So I try again, and again. After the sixth time, I finally accept that he isn't going to pick up. I lower to the ground in defeat, and tears spring to my eyes. Did something happen to him? Is he okay? Why did he just...disappear? 

After thoroughly searching the school, I have to walk home without him. The walk feels gloomy and dark without him walking beside me. When I get home, I shut myself in my room and cry for a bit, before realizing I have homework and dragging myself up to do it. 

My parents know something's up, I can tell, but they don't say anything. We eat dinner in silence. 

At night I toss and turn, but I can't get to sleep. All I can think about are his deep, beautiful lavender eyes, his dark purple hair, his stubbornness and his sweetness. I sigh, knowing that sleep is a long time coming for me.