Expect the Unexpected (Zack Merrick/All Time Low)

Chapter Eighteen

here is a bit of a filler chapter. Enjoy and thank you so much for the awesome feedback on the last two updates :-)

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Waking up exactly where he had fallen asleep, Alex yawned and rubbed his hands over his dark eyes the smell of food made his stomach growl. He winced, feeling like someone was driving a semi through his head, damn hang over. Not too far from where he laid, still in his clothes and boots, Alex could hear voices. They were slightly hushed, probably so they wouldn't wake him. Distinctly he could hear a male voice, followed by a female's. Listening for a second or two, not able to move just yet he figured out that the male voice belonged to Rian. If Rian was there then it meant the other voice was Codi or Erika, maybe both.

Alex's heart sank a bit at the thought of Erika; she had been so upset when he came home. Lying on the couch with her, Alex had tried his best to hear everything she had been telling him but the alcohol had got the better of him and all he could manage to do was sleep. Sitting up a bit he peeked over the back of the sofa watching Erika and Rian in the kitchen, sitting at the counter while Codi stood at the counter next to the stove.

"There is this weird divide, three against Zack." Erika sighed stirring her straw around her glass of orange juice. "I feel bad, I do. I should have never even bothered."

"No way!" Rian shook his head. "Zack is the one causing his own problems. I still love him like a bother and I am not going to lie, we still talk as much as ever, but Alex refuses to speak to him right now. They'll work it out."

From where he laid on the couch, Alex snorted. It was going to take a lot for him to work things out with Zack.

"Yeah." Erika commented softly.

"And Zack will come around and see that he's being an asshole to you too and he has no reason to be." Rian reassured her with a smile.

"Even if he does, it doesn't matter. I think I've made up my mind and I really think it will be for the better if I just go home." Erika added.

Frowning, Alex managed to climb to his feet catching the attention of the other three. Smiling at their hung over friend, they greeted Alex. Waving off their sudden cheer, which hadn't been there before he stood up, Alex propped himself against the counter and yawned. His stomach growled again when he saw the French toast Codi was making.

"Have a good night?" Codi asked handing Alex a plate of food.

"I can't complain." Alex chuckled softly taking the food and sitting on top of the counter to eat.

He had arrived at Jack's after the show and from there; the rest of his evening seemed to be a blur. Alex remembered climbing into a cab and finally curling up on the sofa with a sobbing Erika.

"You were dead the world when we came in." Rian laughed, taking a drink of his coffee.

"I thought I was going to need a crane to move you this morning, you have a death grip when you sleep." Erika spoke, giggling at the mess that was Alex.

"You squirm too much; I almost fell off the couch." Alex shot back with a grin, taking a drink of his coffee that Codi had poured for him. "So, what's going on?"

"I uh..." Erika paused looking between Codi and Rian before turning back to Alex. "I'm going home, next week."

"Why? You know you're welcome to stay here as long as you want." Alex replied suddenly not wanting to finish his breakfast.

"I know, but I have a life I need to get back to and now that I know Zack doesn't..." Erika stopped. "My point is, before all of this I had a life that I was very comfortable in and I should probably get back to it before the baby is born."