Expect the Unexpected (Zack Merrick/All Time Low)

Chapter Twelve

yay update! yay! just a bit of a filler.

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Alex had finished his yard work and retired to the house, calling both dogs to follow him. Passing into the house through the big glass patio door, he kicked off his dirty boots and stood for a second listening to the silence. The only noise was that of the dog's nails clicking on the hardwood floors. It had been a while since Alex's house had been that quiet.

Not that he minded his company, it was just strange not having the noise of a radio, television or something. Trudging to the bathroom, he pulled his dirty clothes off and tossed them in the laundry basket. Turning the water on he waited for it to heat up before stepping in and closing the frosted glass shower door. Alex sighed in relief as the hot water hit his body, relaxing him as much as he could relax right now anyway. Standing under the steady beat of the water, he let it soak his hair before deciding maybe it was time to actually clean himself off, since that is what he had set out to do.

The shower was a place Alex truly enjoyed, as silly as it sounded; it gave him time to think and a place to be alone, most of the time. Left in his thoughts as he went through the motions of taking his shower, Alex closed his eyes and took a deep breath right before turning the water off and stepping out, grabbing his towel and slinging it around his waist.

Why was he such an idiot?

The question had played on his mind since he had kissed Erika, again, in the drive way. Why did he have to act on impulse? Damn it, Alex cursed to himself, slamming his bedroom door which caused the walls to vibrate. Wincing at the noise, Alex stopped in the middle of his room and took a quick look around. Since he had moved Erika in here, he was rarely in here. Everything looked the same, still smelled the same really nothing was different than the suit case that she had in the corner with a few clothes laying on top of it.

Alex loved her tiny obsession to keep everything in order and tidy. He found it so cute when Jack would rearrange things and mess stuff up just to get Erika going. The way she'd blush and start scolding him for being a pain in the ass.

Was it too much to ask for some of that same attention?

Maybe, if he kept trying to get it in the ways he had been. Pulling out clean clothes, Alex set to work on getting dressed. He had a lot of sorting out to do.

Pulling into Alex's drive way, Rian shoved his shiny BMW into park and got out slamming the door with more force than he had intended. After dinner with his mother, step-father and brother he had stopped by Zack's house. There was no real reason, other than to be nosey and see if Zack would tell him anything about Jack's confrontation the previous evening. It didn't matter to Rian if Zack was being a dick; he was still one of his best friends. Rian groaned, okay so it mattered a lot but it hadn't stopped him from hanging out with Zack when he wasn't trying to win Codi over completely.

Rian didn't like the way Zack had been acting toward the whole situation and when he had first voiced that opinion, Zack seemed to be okay with the fact everybody was entitled to say what they felt. Today Nicole had been there and Rian should have known better than to stay, when he saw her. Being the friendly nice guy he was, he didn't go with his instinct and now he was paying for it.

Not bothering to knock, he opened the front door and walked into Alex's house. Being greeted by the wagging tails of Peyton and Sebastian, Rian greeted the dogs and headed for the living room where he could hear the television. Finding Alex flopped down on his favourite bean bag chair, Rian dropped onto the large sectional sofa and gave Alex a nod.

"You look pissed." Alex commented looking away from the television long enough to notice Rian wasn't his usual smiling self.

"Zack." Rian grumbled. "Has he been this big of a dick all a long?" he asked.

Alex scrunched up his face in thought for a second, before nodded. "Yep." He said popping the "p".

Naturally, Alex wanted to know what had happened. Rian filled him in, replaying the entire scene in his mind.

He had stopped, to be a friend, when Zack had asked him about Codi. Rian wasn't going to lie about his feelings, he liked her a lot and secretly he really hoped she liked him just as much. Could he see something coming out of this? Yes! Did he want something out of this friendship with Codi? Yes!

Zack had encouraged Rian to go for what he wanted, to let Codi know he wanted something a little more. They had been in a conversation about Rian's intentions when Nicole had slinked in. Rian had no idea why Zack would want her, after what she had put Alex through but each to their own. The second she heard Codi's name she started on Alex and Erika.

"You know, it's none of your business what Alex does. You left him remember?" Rian had stated, not too thrilled.

"So he is seeing Erika?" Zack had spoke up.

"No, he is letting her and Codi stay there. Erika isn't seeing anybody." Rian answered truthfully. "Erika is so fucking confused and messed up, because of you."

"I don't see why. Anybody could claim some guy knocked them up, without proof it's just a statement."

Glaring at Zack, Rian shook his head and scoffed. "You asshole! You know it's the truth, don't even bother to deny it. I really hope that at some point, you'll see where you fucked up."

"It'd be a lot fucking different if it were you!" Zack snapped.

Rian nodded his head. "I expected you to be a lot classier, Merrick. If it were me? I'd at least try to help and see if there is anything I could do for her and once that baby was born..." Rian trailed off, a small smile crossing his face. "I'd fucking do everything I could to be the best and greatest fucking dad known to man, now and after the baby is here."

Shaking his head as Rian finished his story, Alex groaned loudly and stomped his foot hard on the floor, cussing under his breath. "God damn it!" he cried out. "Fuck, Rian, I did it again!" he confessed, maybe a little too quickly.

Rian's eyes went wide staring at Alex.

"Again?" Rian asked wide eyed, in disbelief.

When was Alex going to learn? He couldn't just go around making out with the poor girl, when he felt like it! Erika had enough on her mind without having Alex Gaskarth trying to get in her pants too. Rian sighed and rubbed his hands over his face. Seriously, Alex needed to control himself a little better.

"I can't help it. She gets close and it's like every part of my brain loses function and my hormones take over." Alex replied with a groan. "You think at my age, I'd be able to control hormones."

"Apparently not." Rian chuckled softly, kicking his feet up onto the coffee table.

"What am I going to do?" Alex whined, moving his hands nervously and placing them on top of his head, moving his grey beanie back and forth over his head as he tried to think.

"Apologize, it may help." Rian suggested.

"What do I say? Hey, Erika I'm sorry for molesting you not once but twice in the last week. Yeah that'll go over huge!" Alex glared at Rian.

Rian shrugged. He had no idea what Alex was supposed to tell the girl. This was Alex's problem, not Rian's. Seeing Alex sitting on the over sized bean bag chair, staring at the ceiling, Rian felt slightly sorry for him. The boy was as mixed up as they came.

"I like her, a lot but I know it won't work, I still have to try ya know." Alex rambled, looking at the ceiling still. "I really want her, seriously and this isn't helping any because she thinks I'm some kind of crazy sex addict of something who just goes around hitting on women."

"First you need to calm down." Rian instructed with a chuckle at the rambling. "I don't know what to tell you, other than stop fucking attacking her face with your lips!"

"Yeah, no shit." Alex scoffed glaring at Rian.

"Look, I'll talk to Codi or something and maybe she'll have an idea, she knows Erika pretty well. In the mean time, don't kiss her!" Rian replied, getting hit with an empty soda can courtesy of Alex.