Mixtape {TABLE 14}
Side/Past Pairings: Alex/Lisa; Rian/Kara; Jack/Chelsea
Summary: Alex gave Jack a mixtape when they were seventeen. { table}
Disclaimer: I own; Travis Clark's real name is also Trevor.
“Jack, Jack, Jack!” This was one of those rare days where Alex was in a better mood than Jack was.
“Yea, Alex?” Jack yawned. He hadn’t slept well.
“Guess what?” Alex smiled proudly.
“What?”
“I made you a mix tape.”
Jack didn’t understand why this had Alex so excited, but still extracted himself from the beanbag to take it from Alex’s hand.
“Th- That’s cool, bro. Thanks,” he said, tucking the cassette into his back pocket. “Come on, we’ve got school,” and they left.
That cassette tape stayed in Jack’s back pocket all day and it got washed that weekend when he did his laundry. He placed the tape on his dresser, among the fifty others he’d made and been given in the last seventeen years and that’s where it stayed. It stayed there while Alex and Jack started their band. It stayed there through every tour and holiday.
It stayed there while Jack fell in love. It stayed there when he fell out of it. It was there when he realized who he really loved. It was there when he realized it was too late.
That’s when he finally remembered it.
Jack yanked himself off his bed and lunged at the stacks of tapes, digging for the one Alex had given him so many years ago - seven years ago, actually. Now, Alex is engaged, Rian is married, and Zack has been dating the same girl for almost three years. Finally pulling the black cassette from the pile, he searched frantically for his old cassette player. Where the hell was it?
Under the bed, shoved it the back. Jack slipped the tape in & jabbed the play button. He sat on the edge of his bed, dropping his face in his hands to listen; sad songs, happy songs, a funny one, and eight love songs.
Jack only felt regret; regret and guilt. Alex had been trying to tell Jack he loved him. Seven years ago, Alex loved him and Jack didn’t even take the time to listen to the damn tape. It’s too late now. Jack just knows it. The wedding is in less than a month. Rian’s the best man. Jack doesn’t even think he’ll be able to stand going. The last song ends and Jack doesn’t move as the tape clicks and whirs.
Then, Alex’s voice fills the room, “Jack, I almost don’t think you’ll listen to this. I guess you did, since you’re hearing me now. Um, if you didn’t already catch it, I- I love you.” Jack knew Alex would have been biting his lip right then. “If- If you love me too . . . tell me? I mean, I jus- I don’t know. I love you, Jack,” Alex sighed and the tape clicked off.
Alex wanted Jack to tell him. Then, damn it he would. Twenty minutes later and Jack’s speeding down the highway towards Alex and Lisa’s house. He pulls up and goes straight to the door, slamming his fist against it.
Lisa answers the door.
“I- I need to talk . . . to Alex,” Jack gasps.
“He’s not here.”
“Why not?!”
“He went out-“ Jack doesn’t hear her finish because he’s already in his car, phone in hand, and backing out of the driveway.
“Alex! Alex, pick up your phone! I need to talk to you! It- It’s about the mix tape.”
“Alex, where are you?! I checked Joe’s and Harley’s already. Apparently you aren’t drinking in the same places anymore.”
“Alexander, if you don’t pick up your phone soon- I don’t even kno- Fuck! I need to talk to you!”
“I love you, Alex. That’s what I need to tell you. I love you too. Now, would you mother fucking answer your phone?”
Jack spots Alex’s car in the parking lot to his right and swerves, doing a massive - not to mention, illegal - u-turn over the median and cutting off a row of cars. It’s a miracle he got into the parking lot alive.
It’s a strip club and Jack catches on. Alex is at his bachelor party. Well, this could be a better time to do this. Jack doesn’t let himself hesitate and he slams the car door behind him, not caring that his car’s taking up about three spaces.
“Alex!” he shouts, pushing through the doors.
“Whoa, buddy; you got to pay a cover charge,” the bouncer stopped him.
“No, no- I’m here for Alex! The- The- The Gaskarth thing!“ Bouncer guy checks his list and nods, letting Jack in.
“Don’t you need change?!” The girl at the bar calls after him. Jack ignores her and fumbles his way to the back of the club, searching madly for Alex’s blonde hair. He see’s Rian and jumps clear over a table to get to him. Finally, finally he spots Alex. His hair’s darker now, not even blonde. He’s over in the corner, not even looking at the girls. Rian, Zack, and a few guys Jack doesn’t even know are having a grand time at the table labeled Gaskarth, but Alex sure isn’t.
“A- Alex?” Jack whimpers, kneeling in front of his old best friend.
“Jack?!” Alex gasps, looking up. Jack bites his lip and nods.
“I- Uh, I tried to call you.”
Alex’s jaw dropped slightly, “My- My phone’s d- dead.”
Jack didn’t like Alex’s stuttering. He only stuttered when he was nervous.
“A- Alex, I never listened to that mix tape,” he had to explain first why he had never said anything about the tape. “I never listened to it, until today an- and- Alex, I’ve been in love with you since Chelsea left. She made me realize that I loved you, but you were with Lisa and, now here you are, fucking engaged, and I just can’t- I can’t let you marry her, Alex; not without telling you first that I love you too.”
“Jack,” Alex sighed, wrapping his arms around Jack’s shoulders and pulling him into a hug. Jack pulled back and caught Alex’s lips in his own, twisting his hands in Alex’s dark hair, pulling him as close as he could. “I love you.”
Summary: Alex gave Jack a mixtape when they were seventeen. { table}
Disclaimer: I own; Travis Clark's real name is also Trevor.
“Jack, Jack, Jack!” This was one of those rare days where Alex was in a better mood than Jack was.
“Yea, Alex?” Jack yawned. He hadn’t slept well.
“Guess what?” Alex smiled proudly.
“What?”
“I made you a mix tape.”
Jack didn’t understand why this had Alex so excited, but still extracted himself from the beanbag to take it from Alex’s hand.
“Th- That’s cool, bro. Thanks,” he said, tucking the cassette into his back pocket. “Come on, we’ve got school,” and they left.
That cassette tape stayed in Jack’s back pocket all day and it got washed that weekend when he did his laundry. He placed the tape on his dresser, among the fifty others he’d made and been given in the last seventeen years and that’s where it stayed. It stayed there while Alex and Jack started their band. It stayed there through every tour and holiday.
It stayed there while Jack fell in love. It stayed there when he fell out of it. It was there when he realized who he really loved. It was there when he realized it was too late.
That’s when he finally remembered it.
Jack yanked himself off his bed and lunged at the stacks of tapes, digging for the one Alex had given him so many years ago - seven years ago, actually. Now, Alex is engaged, Rian is married, and Zack has been dating the same girl for almost three years. Finally pulling the black cassette from the pile, he searched frantically for his old cassette player. Where the hell was it?
Under the bed, shoved it the back. Jack slipped the tape in & jabbed the play button. He sat on the edge of his bed, dropping his face in his hands to listen; sad songs, happy songs, a funny one, and eight love songs.
Jack only felt regret; regret and guilt. Alex had been trying to tell Jack he loved him. Seven years ago, Alex loved him and Jack didn’t even take the time to listen to the damn tape. It’s too late now. Jack just knows it. The wedding is in less than a month. Rian’s the best man. Jack doesn’t even think he’ll be able to stand going. The last song ends and Jack doesn’t move as the tape clicks and whirs.
Then, Alex’s voice fills the room, “Jack, I almost don’t think you’ll listen to this. I guess you did, since you’re hearing me now. Um, if you didn’t already catch it, I- I love you.” Jack knew Alex would have been biting his lip right then. “If- If you love me too . . . tell me? I mean, I jus- I don’t know. I love you, Jack,” Alex sighed and the tape clicked off.
Alex wanted Jack to tell him. Then, damn it he would. Twenty minutes later and Jack’s speeding down the highway towards Alex and Lisa’s house. He pulls up and goes straight to the door, slamming his fist against it.
Lisa answers the door.
“I- I need to talk . . . to Alex,” Jack gasps.
“He’s not here.”
“Why not?!”
“He went out-“ Jack doesn’t hear her finish because he’s already in his car, phone in hand, and backing out of the driveway.
“Alex! Alex, pick up your phone! I need to talk to you! It- It’s about the mix tape.”
“Alex, where are you?! I checked Joe’s and Harley’s already. Apparently you aren’t drinking in the same places anymore.”
“Alexander, if you don’t pick up your phone soon- I don’t even kno- Fuck! I need to talk to you!”
“I love you, Alex. That’s what I need to tell you. I love you too. Now, would you mother fucking answer your phone?”
Jack spots Alex’s car in the parking lot to his right and swerves, doing a massive - not to mention, illegal - u-turn over the median and cutting off a row of cars. It’s a miracle he got into the parking lot alive.
It’s a strip club and Jack catches on. Alex is at his bachelor party. Well, this could be a better time to do this. Jack doesn’t let himself hesitate and he slams the car door behind him, not caring that his car’s taking up about three spaces.
“Alex!” he shouts, pushing through the doors.
“Whoa, buddy; you got to pay a cover charge,” the bouncer stopped him.
“No, no- I’m here for Alex! The- The- The Gaskarth thing!“ Bouncer guy checks his list and nods, letting Jack in.
“Don’t you need change?!” The girl at the bar calls after him. Jack ignores her and fumbles his way to the back of the club, searching madly for Alex’s blonde hair. He see’s Rian and jumps clear over a table to get to him. Finally, finally he spots Alex. His hair’s darker now, not even blonde. He’s over in the corner, not even looking at the girls. Rian, Zack, and a few guys Jack doesn’t even know are having a grand time at the table labeled Gaskarth, but Alex sure isn’t.
“A- Alex?” Jack whimpers, kneeling in front of his old best friend.
“Jack?!” Alex gasps, looking up. Jack bites his lip and nods.
“I- Uh, I tried to call you.”
Alex’s jaw dropped slightly, “My- My phone’s d- dead.”
Jack didn’t like Alex’s stuttering. He only stuttered when he was nervous.
“A- Alex, I never listened to that mix tape,” he had to explain first why he had never said anything about the tape. “I never listened to it, until today an- and- Alex, I’ve been in love with you since Chelsea left. She made me realize that I loved you, but you were with Lisa and, now here you are, fucking engaged, and I just can’t- I can’t let you marry her, Alex; not without telling you first that I love you too.”
“Jack,” Alex sighed, wrapping his arms around Jack’s shoulders and pulling him into a hug. Jack pulled back and caught Alex’s lips in his own, twisting his hands in Alex’s dark hair, pulling him as close as he could. “I love you.”