Tullahoma (Jachary AU)

three

Zach had taken off to the bathroom and he'd hid out in there for about five minutes. Then he told himself to grow up and get out there. He couldn't hide in here the whole night, so he took a deep breath and walked back out into the bustling dining area of the bar. He found Daniel and Gabriela sitting in the same place. To Zach's displeasure, they actually seemed to be getting along.

"That bartender is low key kinda cute." He heard Gabriela say and he heard Daniel laugh. He couldn't help but feel a stirring of anger deep in him. This girl was supposedly dating Jack and she had the audacity to call, Eben, the local bartender cute? He knew it wasn't any of his business but it still pissed him off. As much as hated to admit it, he still cared about Jack.

He got back to his seat and Gabriela smiled at him. "Hi! I'm Gabbie, you are?" Her expression was nothing but friendly but it still made him mad.

"Zach Herron, I'm guessing you already met Daniel?" He said, gesturing to Daniel. She nodded. He kept the conversation light. After all, small talk meant nothing right? She nodded and didn't seem to acknowledge the strange behavior that Zach had displayed earlier. That didn't make him feel any better though. Daniel gave him a strange look but continued sipping his beer.

Seeing as Gabbie wasn't going anywhere, Zach signaled Eben and got his drink, "A whiskey on the rocks, please." He muttered.

"You sure?" Eben asked confusedly, Zach knew it was because he wasn't the most experienced drinker and whiskey straight was not normal. He just nodded at Eben, who just shrugged and went back to fix Zach's drink. He turned himself out of the chatter that Gabbie and Zach had started.

Just as he was beginning to feel as if this night out was a bad idea, his drink came. He made the mistake of taking a guzzle, not a sip. He felt the burn down his throat and he gagged a bit. Daniel looked up, slightly alarmed."You good, that's a bit strong." He said as he sort of pounded Zach on the back, luckily it stopped his coughing.

"Mhm. I'm fine, and I just thought I'd try something different." His tone must've been sharper than he thought because Daniel dropped it and Gabbie looked up, her eyes widened. She quickly excused herself and went off somewhere. Making Zach feel like he could breathe again.

"You know who she is right?" Zach asked roughly as soon as he saw that she was gone. Daniel just shrugged,

"Yeah, Gabbie Gonzalez. Rumors were that she would be here and what? It shouldn't bother you anyway."

Zach didn't even know where to start really, "Okay, first of all, she called Eben cute, she has a boyfriend and-"

He got cut off because she was back. "Look, they're the people I wanted you to meet Corbyn. We might as well hang out with someone until he gets here."

The new guy, Corbyn, just looked at them with a slight disinterest. Zach was the first to speak.

"I'm guessing your Corbyn. I'm Zach." He looked over at Daniel who he had thought would speak but it didn't happen, Daniel was sort of looking at his drink and avoiding the new boy's gaze. 'Oh god', he thought. Zach knew this look and strongly suspected that he had totally lost any of Daniel's support. "That's Daniel. My best friend."

Corbyn just nodded and ordered a glass of wine. Personally, Zach thought it was a little high class and was even more surprised when Eben returned with a glass of expensive white wine. Apparently, this bar had everything. Soon Daniel had worked up enough courage to start talking to Corbyn and apparently Corbyn had warmed up to the younger boy. Gabbie had disappeared and Zach could see her playing with the jukebox in the corner. Apparently trying to request a song. Zach finished off his drink and decided to not order another one straight away. So he was sitting on his phone when he felt someone slide onto the barstool next to him.

He looked up and this time the sight was worse, it was Jack.

"What the fuck are you doing here?" Zach asked abruptly. Jack sort of eyed him with surprise, raising his brows. He kept his mouth shut about Zach's rudeness though. Instead, he replied with a calm, yet cool, question of his own.

"I could say the same about you."

Zach knew what he meant, this time a few years ago, he wouldn't be here. Well technically he couldn't be in here, it wouldn't have been legal but that was beside the point. The old Zach wouldn't have even considered letting alcohol pass his lips, but times had changed. "Well you see, I live here. You don't." He said, knowing exactly how much of a smartass he was being. Jack didn't let it ruffle him.

"I meant the drinking. You always seemed so like... morally against it." He told Zach with a shrug.

"Things change alright?" He told Jack coldly. Jack just shook his head and sipped the drink that Eben had placed before him. To make it worse, Gabbie returned.

"There you are, Jack! I was wondering when you'd get here?" She said brightly and launched herself into his arms. "By the way, can we leave... I don't think this is my scene?" She laughed while saying it but the look in her eye said hell would break loose if she didn't get her way. Personally, Zach was excited to see that. He got his wish because Jack said,

"In a bit, there are some people I want to catch up with."

She smiled but shot an accusatory look at Zach, who just looked away. She turned her attention to Eben and ordered another martini. Zach got up and went to the pool table, hoping to escape Jack. It didn't happen though and he was still there when Zach pulled a stick down.

"So why are you in here Zach? It isn't like you." He said low and quiet, in that tone that made Zach want to spill all his secrets.

"T-there's things I need to forget alright?" He said in a near whisper and took a shot at the pool table. He missed. By a long shot.

"You know I didn't mean to do that to you," Jack said, getting closer to Zach. Just barely keeping his composure, Zach turned to face Jack. What he saw honestly stopped him in his tracks, he hadn't been looking at the boy too closely but now, he was and it was different than the southern boy who had left. His curly hair was now straight and brown on the top of his head. There were tattoos on him now, something he had only joked about. Apparently, the city changed people.

"We're gonna head out, but we're having a bonfire tonight. So you should come, so can Daniel. That looks pretty sewed up though." He finished and nodded over towards Corbyn and Daniel. Zach looked and saw the two laughing. He was glad his best friend was so happy but, now there was probably absolutely no way he could avoid Jack now.

"I'll think about it." He told Jack reluctantly and the other boy smiled a bit. Zach hated it and he was sort of glad to see Jack walkout. Just as he had gotten a moment of silence, Daniel bounded up to him, his eyes bright.

"Can we go, can we go?" Daniel pleaded like a little kid, and who was Zach to mess with his happiness? Oh right, he wasn't, he was going to give in to Daniel.

"Yeah, we can go but remember, I don't want to be there." Daniel nodded excitedly and Zach had a feeling this wouldn't be a good night.