Jake (A TMF AU)

PROLOGUE: A beginning.

I didn't kill Jake Sterling.

No matter how many times people accuse me, I won't say it-- I didn't kill him! Or at least.. I didnt.. I didn't mean to.

No-- No, I did not kill him! I gave that man everything he could've wanted. A stage, a shot at stardom, freedom-- I gave him a chance at fame and he took it! I wouldn't-- I wouldn't kill my business partner like that..

Everyone likes to treat me like i'm some sort of villain, like I was responsible for his death; but I'm not, damn you! I'm not! Thanks to you-- thanks to those who adored him with all their heart, i'm ruined!

That man loved everyone who loved him so with all his heart, and so he gave them everything. He did anything they asked, even with the constant harassment he received from people who supposedly "liked" him.

And the harassment he received from everyone in the company I created for him-- oh, it was horrible.. people ask why I didn't do anything, people ask why I didn't try hard enough. I tried, damn you, I tried!

Anytime I see anything with him on it, anytime I see his dumb face on some random persons TV screen.. i-- I just wanna fucking break it! They came to love him, yet they berate and boo me; his long life pal, his business partner, his former manager!

...

I'll tell you why I didn't kill that man.

I'll tell you his entire story, right here, right now.

...

My name is Alexander Austin, but for the mean time, you can call me Zander.

And this.. this is my account of everything that had happened to that poor man.

-

It had all began on a evening on a Saturday night, in the year of 1999. I was a man who had worked my ass off at a silly little karaoke place. Successful was a man such as I, yet for a time being, I had to work at this goddamn place.

I, a bartender, poured a close friend of mine a glass of Tequila. Well, another glass. That night, she had been having a lot to drink. Millicent was her name, but I like to call her Millie. She was sitting with another friend of hers, Sean, who had come in company.

She rambled on and on as a song on her radio she had installed in a long time ago, over and over again. It was a cover of some song I had heard long ago, but couldn't exactly remember who it was by.

It was being covered by a man who I'd come to regret ever meeting; Jake Sterling. The high and mighty man who everyone worships like a deity today. Some say his fate came too soon, but I say his success is what came too soon.

Millie rambled on and on, and enough exhaustion from the repetition of the song that was being played over and over belted out of me. I groaned, "Okay, Millie-- are you gonna keep playing that song or what? This is totally killing my mood right now."

Millie simply rolled her eyes at me, she tended to give me so much sass it was almost unbearable. "Can't, Zander, people all over seem to be playing this guy's cover, heh!" She giggled, while lazily setting her drink down. She looked woozy from the shot she took.

I took in a listen to the song for a moment while fixing up a brand new shot for my beloved pink haired friend. He had a smooth, charming voice, yet I couldn't seem to understand why on earth people would love him.

"Well, he sounds like a total loser to me.." I mumbled. "Oh, buzz off, Zander! You think anything that isn't classical music sucks!" Millie rolled her eyes again, pushing back her cap as she tried to hold up her drink in a stable manner.

"Hey, don't argue now, you two.. now if I'm correct, that very man on that radio--" Sean pointed to the radio, "--is gonna be showing up around here sometime soon."

"Woah-- really! Dude, that's so cool! Maybe I can impress him with my sick guitar skills." Millie smirked. "Not while your drunk you wont." Sean smiled softly, putting a hand on her shoulder. Millie pouted at this like an ignorant child.

I sighed, "Ever since you turned 18, Millie, you've been coming here nonstop. Maybe consider you might have a bit of a drinking problem before bursting in here like a moron everyday?"

"Maybe consider you have a.. have a problem with your music taste! Hah!" Millie laughed, satisfied at her weak comeback. I rolled my eyes back at her smug face, and put down a shot of Tequila once more in front of her.

"So.. is Hailey gonna come around soon? Luke too?" Sean asked. "Oh-- ye-- yeah, they will.. been a long time since they flew over to Paris. But they'll show up to visit soon. Wonder why they never took me.." I mumbled that last part to myself.

"Man, it's been for-- *hic* forever since we hung out with those two! Maybe-- maybe I should give-- show-- show them my guitar skills sometime again!" Millies voice began to sound slurred, a sign that the alcohol was getting to her.

"Okay, miss, I think that's enough for you." Sean took the shot out of her hand, and set it down out of her reach. Millie pouted again; "No.. no fair!.."

"So.. uh, Zander.. ya might wanna lay down on makin' the alcohol for a bit." Sean smiled awkwardly, while still holding the shot out of reach from Millies grabby hands.

"Yeah, I know-- I'll be sure she doesn't have any more shots tomorrow." I dismissively said, setting down the bottle of Tequila that was nearly empty from her constant requests of it. "Ah-- ah.. no, i meant.." Sean trailed off.

"I meant.. that kid-- that kid on that radio there, he might be comin' in this here bar, very soon."

"..He.. he is?!"

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Hey how ya like it so far dudes?