Since We Broke Up (A Limelight Sequel)

Chapter 3

I've sort of split up the story into 3 "acts/arcs", I guess, and with this chapter, we close out the first act~ Al's off to college and Zephyr is still in Seabrook...

Chapter 3 theme songs: Goodbye Friend by Bowling For Soup, Get Happy by Bowling For Soup, He's My Boy from Everybody's Talking About Jamie and White Horse by Taylor Swift

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~ This is a big world, that was a small town, there in my rear-view mirror disappearing now ~

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"I don't get it. I don't get it. It doesn't make any sense!"

As promised, Zach had shown up on Al's doorstep bright and early the following morning, and now he was standing in his almost-empty bedroom, looking like he could lose his band at any moment. Alonzo sat back and watched him, strangely apathetic. It was hard for Zach to see him like this, so quiet and dejected. What had happened for him to end up like this?

"Run this by me again."

Alonzo shook his head and shrugged, completely lost, "He dumped me. Hard. Like, he just said 'it's over' and that was it. He didn't even say anything else after that."

That wasn't good enough. That was not good enough.

"What about before?" Zach asked, "How'd it get to that? I mean, you were at his place, right?""Yeah. He was still acting weird, though, like at the power plant," Al explained, "He was upset about me leaving and I get that, but then I was kissing him and it was like he didn't care. I'm basically all over him and he's totally distracted, like I'm not even there!"

"I thought you guys talked about the long-distance thing?"

"We did! We had it figured out, and he was gonna come with me today to help me move and actually say goodbye but I guess that's not gonna happen."

"OK, so back to the story. You're trying to make out and he doesn't care?"

"Yeah, so, I asked him what was wrong and out of nowhere, he called me selfish!" Al continued, "And he starts going on about how I'm leaving him and I'm not gonna have time for him and how there won't be any room for him in my life anymore 'cause I don't care enough...!"

Zach rolled his eyes, "There's been plenty of room for him for the past ten years," he paused and looked away, seething. Alonzo sat up.

"He hasn't tried to call or text or anything since then. And he obviously didn't show up here. No apology, no explanation, nothing...!"

Zach was chewing on his lip, then he turned to Al with a serious expression, "I swear to Z, when I see him, I'm gonna-"

"Hey!" Al cut him off quickly, "Zach, don't. It's not gonna help. Don't even try to talk to him."

"But...!" Zach started to protest but stopped when Al shut him down again.

"If he doesn't think I'm worth his time then..." he let out a shaky breath, "I guess he's not worth mine."

This was so wrong.

"Maybe he's not worth your time, but that doesn't stop me!"

"Don't," the sharpness in Alonzo's tone was enough to make Zach falter, "Can this just be, like... just a clean break? I'm leaving anyway. I'm moving on with my life. I might as well let him go."

There was a pause and Zach gave him a disbelieving look, "You don't sound like you want to..."

"Of course I don't want to!" Al snapped, a little out of nowhere, "But I don't really have a choice."