Drowning In The Crowd~ A short Drander Fanfic~

Chapter 1

tw: mentions and references of depression and suicide

~Drander~

~Bit of Lander Angst~

...
Friday, 5:16AM

"You're.. breaking up with me?" The short purple-haired boy lifts his gaze from the ground. His taller lover, or previous lover, determinedly keeps his eyes fixed on the ground, his hands clenched at his side. He was trying not to cry, Zander could tell. But he couldn't hold it in.

Jesus.... He isn't kidding... Zander thought to himself. Luke was standing outside of the periwinkle's house, hiding his face with his hair. Zander was at a loss for words. After a minute of processing Luke's words, he blinks back tears.

"I thought... I thought you loved me."

"I do!" Luke waves his arms in the slightest as he finally meets Zander's eyes, "I just.. I don't know.. I don't feel like- like..."

"Say it."

"I don't feel like I can be myself around you anymore."

Zander was taken aback. He couldn't believe this was happening. Not here. Not now. Not ever. Not ever. What did he do? What did he do that would ever give his lover the impression that he can't be himself around him? Zander lets out a shaky and crackled sigh, beginning to cry.

Luke steps closer to him and shakes his head.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, Zander." He says, tears streaming down his face. "I really am, I just.. don't feel like this is us anymore. Maybe we were better off as friends."

Zander felt his heart break. Maybe we were better off as friends. This isn't happening. There's no way this was happening. The wind blows against his face, as gentle as a snowflake but as hard as a slap at the same time.

A waste. That's what it was. The time they spent together as a couple. For him to have the confidence in his boyfriend, to think that he could ever finally be seen with his best friend as something more. But no. That can't happen now. Both in tears. Both distraught. Both confused, both stressed, both depressed, both devastated. But one felt more pain than the other. One felt the hurt sink deeper than the other. One felt the arrow pierce his heart further than the other. One felt drowned in the noise. One felt drowned in the crowd. One felt drowned. One felt drowned. That one boy was the first to speak after the deafening silence between the two.

"Leave."

"...What?"

Two hearts have been broken, Zander thought. One, belonging to me. The other, belonging to my heart. You took out two birds with one stone. Me, and my heart.

"I need time to think. Just leave."

Luke nods. He turns around with no more than a small wave, and walks away.

...

"Wait, what!?" Drew exclaims, staring into his father's eyes almost as if his own were demanding for him to look at them.

"The company, Andrew, it's dropping. We're losing money. Fast."

Drew scoffs, and shakes his head. "Are you kidding me? Weren't we skyrocketing two weeks ago?"

"Yes, we were. But things change. We need to save the money we have carefully, so I can't lend you any."

Zoey's birthday's tomorrow, and I didn't get a gift yet because I was saving enough of my dad's money to get her a good one. Drew thinks to himself. Now what?

...

Saturday, 10:39AM

Drew POV:

I'm at the mall and I see Zoey chatting away to Lia in front of Heather's Sweaters when I realise that I hadn't been thinking this through. How am I going to tell her I don't have money for her? On Monday, I said to her to look forward to her gift for her birthday. I would have never imagined this situation happening right now. I should just break it to her, right? Tell her quick and easy. She would still love me no matter what, right? She'll stay by my side and be there for me no matter what, right? She's got my back just like I have her's always and forever just how she deadpanned "Yeah, sure" when I asked her that question several times before, right?-

"Drewey-Bear!"

My thoughts are interrupted by the blonde wrapping her arms around me into a hug.

"You have a gift for me, don't you?" She unwraps her arms and giggles with Lia next to her. "Well, let's see it!"

I close my eyes and sigh, hoping what I was about to say next wouldn't affect my relationship.
"Zoey...I'm sorry.."

"What?" Zoey says, her smile melting into a frown. I decide to just get it over with.

"I can't afford to get you a gift right now." I blurt out, wincing for her reaction.

Instead, she laughs.

"Alright, and Lia's married to Henry with children living on Jupiter." She jokes, whilst Lia nudges her. "Come on, seriously babe. Where is it?"

I don't reply, and she sees I'm not kidding.

"You're joking, right?" Zoey slowly begins.

"My dad's business isn't doing to well, so we're a bit low on money. You don't mind though, do you?"

"Aren't you supposed to be rich anyway!?" She scoffs, "You promised me a gift! Why would you break that promise so cruelly!?"

Lia puts a hand on Zoey's shoulder whilst she rages at me.

"How are you going to afford these new shoes I just bought then, broke boy!?" She glares at me, showing off maroon platform boots.

My eyes widen with realisation.

Wait, I gave her my dad's credit card yesterday at school, didn't I?!

I sigh as I look back at Zoey's ticked off expression.

"Zoey, how much were those?"

"Only $500, but they were on sale for 5% less so you can't get mad at me!"

I suddenly feel a rush of anger.

"Zoey! You can't buy things over $300 without me there too!"

"Excuse me!? I'm supposed to be the angry one here!"

She continues to ramble on and on until people start to stare. Soon enough, everyone was whispering to each other about Zoey being so loud, one person even filming. That's when it hit me. Why am I putting up with this? I chuckle a bit. If she's mad at me for running out of money SHE was using in the first place, then she's out of line herself. She's a gold digger. She used me for my money. I suddenly start to laugh.

"What's so funny?" Zoey demands angrily.

"I don't need you." I say, surprisingly calm. "I don't need any of this. You don't even like me, do you?"

"I was in the middle of telling you about that new fur coat on sale and how you're suddenly so broke to afford it!"

She's avoiding the question.

"You're avoiding my question." I say.

Zoey doesn't reply.

"I don't deserve any of this. I'm sick and tired of you, Zoey, get it? You only want me for my money." I stare straight into her eyes, daring her to even begin talking.

"We're done." I finally say, pushing through the crowd of strangers and exiting the mall.