Tone Deaf

Chapter Eleven

Author's Note: 

It's a short chapter, I know, but it's building up to something! 

Also, I tried the third person here, just testing it out a little. It's not an omniscient narrator, so you'll still get insight on each of the boys and their thoughts. Let me know what you think. :) Enjoy!

xx,

Q.

Devon:

Devon's really not sure what possessed him to decide this was a good idea, nor does he really remember how exactly Kyle managed to talk him into such a ridiculous plan, but he supposes there's not much he can do about it at this point.

It's been a decent four months since the first article about his and Kyle's "unlikely friendship" surfaced, but it was nowhere near the last. Kyle found the whole thing utterly ridiculous, which in turn, Devon found hilarious. J-Pow encouraged it, obviously smelling the publicity it would bring them. Within the span of only a few months, they went from avoiding each other on every red carpet to become the music industry's favorite best friend duo.

"Just you wait, soon we'll be inducted into Taylor Swift's squad." Devon jokes to Kyle, who's just knocked down his seventh shot.

He groans. "It's like you want to torture me."

"Do you not like Taylor?" Devon asks, grinning impishly. "She's so sweet."

"I have never met her. That is not the point and you know it." Kyle waves down one of the waitresses who immediately scampers to the bar.

"I cannot believe I'm out with you two right now." Hazel looks at them over a glass of orange juice with the most satisfied smile on her face.

"Tell me about it." says Tay from beside her, hunched over a bottle of beer and looking morose. Devon wonders to himself why she bothered to come at all if she was going to be a grump about it, but he keeps it to himself. He's been trying to get along better with Tay. He can't really deny that Kyle is basically his best friend now—alongside Hazel, of course—so he figures being friends with his friends is a part of that.

He hasn't had a single problem with Jax—who is looking mighty comfortable, leaned back into the leather booth and flirting with every waitress that happens by their table. In fact, they instantly bonded over their mutual immense pleasure at bothering Kyle.

Devon really likes Jax; he's charismatic and funny and somehow a genius on top of everything. College degree at eighteen? Athlete, scholar, and musician? Geez, at least let him be socially awkward or something, give other people a chance.

Tay, on the other hand; he just can't crack her. He can't get any sort of background out of her, she answers all of his questions with one-word answers or non-committal grunts. Any time he brings this up to Kyle, he just laughs and says she's "a woman of mystery," like that's helpful at all. Quite frankly, he doesn't understand her and Kyle's friendship either. Sometimes she'll mutter something to him and he'll smirk or else he'll say something to her and she'll snicker quietly, but that's as much as he's been able to gather in the months he's known her.

"You really not drinking, cowboy?" Jax says, tipping his head to gesture the glass of water in front of Devon.

"He's got an image to protect." Hazel supplies, happily sucking on her straw.

"And what 'bout your image, princess?" Jax turns to her with a sly smile, and even in the darkness of the bar, Devon recognizes the blush warming Hazel's face.