scrawny & broken | zalex 13rw

3

I walk into Monet's, immediately locking eyes with Jess who's across the building at our usual table. She smiles and gives a little wave, then proceeds to look confused as she spots Zach next to me.

Zach and I walk over to her table and I sit down on the chair across from her. "I didn't know you were tagging along?" Jess says looking at Zach a bit surprised. He laughs, "Yeah me either. So what's up with Tyler?" He says, cutting straight to the point. I haven't said anything. The fact that she's going to act like nothing happened with Justin is insane.

"Alright so, Tony drove off with Tyler and Clay was left with Tyler's gun. The cops showed up and saw Clay with the gun and fucking surrounded him— it was crazy. I mean, I really thought they were gonna shoot him." She says, taking a bite of her muffin and then proceeding to talk.

"The whole situation was explained to the cops and they took the gun as evidence. They eventually found Tyler and have him in custody, they're thinking about charging him with attempted assault or murder or some crazy shit. And even worse? They're thinking about charging Clay and Tony for helping him escape the scene." She says, leaving me speechless.

"What? That's such shit. If it wasn't for Clay and Tony to stop him, who knows how many people could have died?" I say, feeling mad all over. They seriously can't put the blame on Clay and Tony. Tyler... well, he did try to shoot up the school. There's some major consequences to that my friend. God this all so screwed up.

"Exactly. Nobody knows what they're gonna do, I just hope Clay and Tony don't get fucked over for doing the right thing." Jess says and then takes a sip of her coffee. I haven't eaten anything and should be hungry right now, but it's like all the events destroyed my appetite.

"I really wonder why Tyler tried to do it. I mean, we always knew he was.. pretty fucked up I guess. But to go that far?" Zach says, running his hands through his hair.

"Rumor has it that some guys that were mad about the whole football field shit fucked with him in some pretty.. messed up ways." Jess says as she slightly bites her lip with a serious tone of voice and facial expression.

"Like what?" I say, curious. "They sexually harassed him with.. the end of a mop I think it was. It's so fucked." Jess says, her voice slightly breaking. I can tell she genuinely feels bad about it. I mean, I genuinely feel for the kid. That's messed up.

"Who the hell would do something like that?" Zach says with scrunched eyebrows, looking confused and slightly angered at the same time. Jess gives a small shrug as she takes another bite of her muffin.

Suddenly I feel a certain urge to be straightforward with how I'm feeling. "So, how's Justin?" I say, catching Jess offgaurd. I can see Zach looking concerned for what I'm about to start from the corner of my eye.

"Why would I know? He's Clay's problem, not mine." She says, not making eye contact with me. It's funny how she can just so easily lie to me. Without even thinking I spit something out that I'll probably regret.

"Really? Last time I checked, Clay wasn't the one fucking around with Justin in locker rooms." I say, venom laced in my words, immediately shocking Jess and leaving her speechless, Zach pursing his lips and scratching the back of his neck.

"What the hell are you trying to say Alex?" Jess says, looking like if she's genuinely confused. "Oh cut the bull, you know exactly what I'm talking about." I say as I roll my eyes. This went bad so fast but I couldn't keep it in any longer. I'm like a ticking time bomb that explodes in five minutes.

"I— I'm not dealing with this right now." Jess says, flustered as she gets up from her chair, grabbing her bag and remnants of her muffin. I give a dry laugh at that, watching as she storms out of Monet's.

"Well uh, damn." Zach says as he raises his eyebrows for a moment, then looking at me. I laugh at that and we sit in silence for a moment. I have to admit, I was hurt at first. But now it feels like a weight has been lifted off of my shoulders. Like what I was afraid would happen happened, so now I don't really have to be afraid of it anymore if it makes sense?

I guess I'm glad that Jess's true colors were shown to me. "Did I just make a mistake?" I say as I lock eyes with Zach. "No uh, it's her loss man." He says, as he glances down and unlocks his gaze with me. He's kinda cute when he does that. Where's the classic one direction when you need it? I'm starting to sound so gay, but hey, straight guys can think their friends are cute. Girls do it all the time am I right.

It's like my appetite suddenly sparked up. "I'm actually starving, wanna actually eat something while we're here?" I say, getting ready to go up to the counter to get some food. "Yeah definitely." He says with a smile and raised eyebrows, showing he had the same exact thoughts that I do.

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kinda a short update whoops ! i'll try to make chapters longer & trust me the story will get better, first i gotta tie it in with the 13rw events ya know ;) thanks for all the good feedback so far!