What's happened to us... | A The Music Freaks Backstory AU

The Final part (PLOT)

So, all that I've been talking about in the past few chapters basically becomes a cycle of things:

- Hailey feels bad for Zander, but doesnt want to get involved anymore.      

-Luke is worried but waits patiently for Zander to read his e-mail and hopefully reach out to him.   

-Zander is now hanging out with Nick and his friends every day, seeminlgy very happy to be there, but at the same time, looking more and more tired as time goes on.

As this all happens, Nick actively starts using what he knows about Zander ( that he's sensitive, and easy to shut down if you are in any way agressive towards him), against him. Nick knows how to make Zander cry, he knows what makes him uncomfortable, and since Zander isn't really placing any boundaries, Nicholas starts speaking for him, labeling him a crybaby. Zander reailzes this, but doesnt know if he should stop Nicholas from doing this, after all, he likes  being next to him, and this is just how he acts towards other people, hes just putting on an act, he doesn't mean to say all of this, Nick is his friend.

But soon, this isn't limited to whenever they're around other people. As Zander becomes more stressed with his life, he gets triggered more easily, and at some point, Nick starts calling him  weak and a crybaby even when they're all alone, hanging at the park. Nick often questions what is wrong with him, and even when Zander doesnt reply, deep down, he thinks to himself: I dont know what is wrong with me. This is just how I am: weak, and a crybaby. 

And Nicholas hates crybabies.

Hearing all these things from the "true" Nick, his only friend, is what hurts Zander the most, because now he knows all of this is true.

=== === === === === === ===

Winter break gets closer and closer. 

Zander feels more numb than sad, now that even Nicholas can't tolerate him. He feels like an ornament, a christmas one to fit the season!  Just standing next to Nick, trying not to be a bother and to comply with the rest of the group.

Since it's now December, Shannon decides to give Zander his phone back! Zander realizes he doesn't  really have much to look at on the phone, and isn't even exited to listen to music again, since its just become a reminder of the nerd he is, and how pathetic it is that he likes piano music. Either way, once he scrolls through it a little bit, he sees something unexpected:

He has recieved an e-mail.

An e-mail from Luke!

Luke... at this point, Zander hasn't talked to Luke in months. So he opens the email, not knowing what to expect.

>> Dear Zander: 

I write to you today to talk to you about something that worries me.

 I know you are probably overwhelmed with the many changes going on, but I've been thinking a lot about you and Hailey. I know you feel like you can't trust her, and maybe you feel like her and Michael are gonna do nothing but mess things up. But that's not how I see it. Even though Hailey may have caused Nick to see you playing the piano today, I dont think she tried to cause you this kind of harm on purpose. In a way, you're both going to very similar situations.

All I'm asking is that you listen to what she has to say, allow yourself to listen. Who knows, maybe she can be a friend!

With all my support,

Your best friend Luke :) <<

Once he's done reading, Zander feels a tightness around his neck. Anguish. Guilt, maybe.

"...may have caused Nick to see you playing the piano today..." This email is from a while ago. 

Back before Nick told everyone how horrible he was. Back when Luke actually cared about him. Back when his mother, and Michael, and Hailey still tried to talk to him. 

But now it was too late. Nobody was gonna be there if he tried to listen now. 

Having read this email, Zander realizes that this is all nothing but his fault. He's the one that drifted away, he put himself here, and he deserved to be seen the way he was. As a creepy stalker, as a gay nerd who plays piano, and as a crybaby.

Being at school, following Nick, knowing that Luke is still there, feels like torture. For the first time in a while, Zander looks up, and notices that Luke still looks at him, after all this time, he still thinks Zander is worth saving.

All the numbness he felt before gets replaced with guilt, true guilt. 

And the cycle continues, seemingly as if nothing had happened, but something had definitley happened in Zander 's mind. 

Now, he felt like he wasa ticking time bomb, and one of things could happen: 

Either he was going to blow up and everything would be over.

Or, he was going to run out of power, and everything would be over.