Afterwards: An "After" Fanfiction

Chapter 5: Change My Mind (Part 1)

'Hey Hardin, it's Tessa. What are you up to tonight?'

The text came through around eight. A smirk came to his face then; Hardin hadn't heard from Tessa since the decidedly failed dinner a few days ago. Yet, he hadn't been able to shake the headstrong girl from his mind. 'Playing a gig at Echo Lounge. Come watch?'

"15 minutes to set," Nate slapped Hardin lightly on the back, approaching him from the bar with two tall glasses of beer. "What are you grinning about?"

Accepting the free drink, Hardin shoved his phone into his tight pants pockets. "Just excited to perform." He settled in against a chair, propping his boot up on the table.

"I call bullshit on that one." Picking a seat beside his bandmate, the lead guitarist gestured towards Hardin's pocket. "Could it have something to do with Molly? You two have been talking quite a bit lately."

Hardin opened his mouth to object, but as Zed and Logan came to join them, he reconsidered. With Zed lurking around, there was no way he would let on that Tessa was anything more than a friend. "Yea," he lied, averting his eyes. "Molly and I want to give it another go."

Zed and Logan exchanged looks, both noting that Nate seemed less than pleased. "Congrats." Reaching for Hardin's beer and taking a sip, Zed ruffled the singer's hair. "Guess that means that Tessa chick is up for grabs."

In the next instant, Hardin was lunging over the table at Zed, his fists wrapped around the other's throat. Glasses shattered against the floor, and as spilled beer pooled around the table, the other band members jumped in to separate the two.

"What the actual FUCK, Hardin?" The two were ripped apart and Nate swiftly shoved the singer against a wall. "We're supposed to be on stage in a few minutes, and you want to fuck this up for us over a girl?"

"Nothing to see here, folks." Logan yelled out into the bar as people craned their necks to watch the fight play out. He shook his head, twirling two drum sticks nimbly between his fingers. "He's right. Focus now, fight later. I'm gonna go set up the gear. Zed, I could use your help."

The latter trailed a trembling hand across his own reddening neck, cursing Hardin wordlessly as he nodded and followed Logan to the other room.

"Take a walk with me." With shoulders hunched in irritation, Nate led his best friend outside. The two walked wordlessly, side by side, until Nate came to rest against the brick wall of an adjacent building. "Look," he began, not bothering to look at Hardin as he lit a cigarette. "We've all been friends for our whole lives. I remember going to fucking first grade with you boys in England, okay?" He paused, his blue eyes distant as smoke rose high into the night air. "My point is, we're supposed to be close. Brothers, even. I know Zed gets on our last nerves sometimes, but he means well."

Hardin stood unmoving, his hands shoved into the pockets of his leather jacket as he inhaled the residual smoke. He considered asking the other what his point was, but the answer was clear. "You want me to apologize to him."

"I want you to bury this resentment you have towards him and move on with your life."

"But he--"

A hand flew out to stop Hardin's as he attempted to jab a finger into Nate's chest. Nate's eyes were stern, his mouth drawn into a thin line. Though Hardin happened to be the frontman, it was really Nate's band. He was the one that called all the shots, and in effect, kept the peace. "I know what you're going to say, but that was five years ago. Zed sleeping with Molly wasn't exactly cool, but at the same time, you guys weren't officially together so he had every right." Before the other could lash out, he softened. Placing a comforting hand on Hardin's shoulder, Nate offered his cigarette. "I know that's hard to hear, and I'm sorry about what I said back there...you had a right to get mad at his comment about Tessa. But now that you and Molly are back together I'm sure Zed won't be a problem."