not meant to be - TMF

v - meant to be

Zander's POV 

- 

Hailey describes what she aims for us to do for today's practice, her being club president and all. 

"Does anyone know where Luke and Jake are?" She questions with slight annoyance. 

She's right. Luke and Jake aren't here yet. 

'Don't you want to know what they're up to? ' My subconscious asks me. 

I push the thought deep into the caverns of my mind. 

Thankfully, Jake bolts through the entrance of the club room, pumping a fist into the air. "I made it! I made it on time!" He exclaims, slightly out of breath. 

Sean gives a chuckle, and voices my thoughts. "Congrats, but where's Luke?" 

Jake replies with a "He'll be here soon". 

They were up to something. You can't even deny that at this point. 

I clench my fists, with the urge to punch something and confront Jake. Maybe I'll punch him; two birds with one stone. 

Milly stands beside me, and suddenly darts toward the keyboard. 

"Hey, you better not be-" 

"Chill, Zander. I'm not going to hurt him." Milly jokes at my overprotective reaction. "I just saw some paper. Had you found it instead, you'd probably get mad because someone dared to litter on your precious keyboard." 

I flush and look towards the other direction, where Jake stands. He suddenly goes up to Milly with the same amount of energy she had when she saw the paper. Was it that special? 

"Hey, uh- that's mine!" Jake reaches toward the paper she's currently holding and scanning, but Milly quickly swerves in retaliation. 

"Says Luke's name on it." She counters. 

Luke? He's not the forgetful type. "You're kidding." 

"I'd say I wish I was, but this seems to be more interesting than just some paper," she says in scrutiny. Jake gives up trying to take back the paper that apparently doesn't belong to him. Instead, he takes out his phone and starts furiously typing. 

Her eyes widen, and she question-shouts, "He wrote a LOVE SONG?!"

Hailey, having said nothing about the situation, states in wonder, "Wait, what? Really? That's so unlike him!" 

"I didn't know he was interested in song writing," is all I can say. 

He's keeping something from you... even Jake seems to know more about it than you do. 

Milly hands the paper to Hailey, who reads the title out loud. "Meant to be." 

He fancies someone. You doubt it's yourself, don't you? 

Luke finally arrives, breaking my internal argument. 

"Jake, did you really find-" He stops short, as he realizes his secret lyrics are in Hailey's hands, and the entire club knows about the hype for the paper. 

"You..." I make eye contact with Luke. 

"and you, have some explaining to do." I say as I move my gaze towards Jake. 

- 

Luke's POV 

- 

As Zander utters those words, the same hint of melancholy is heard in his voice. Is he... jealous? 

I brush off the irrational thought and answer his question, walking toward Hailey to retrieve the lyrics that never even left the room I was in yesterday. 

"Well, I was talking with Jake yesterday, and showed him those lyrics I've been writing." 

"We don't care about that, who's your love song for?" Milly eagerly questions with curiosity and excitement. 

"Ah, well... that's for me to know." I can't just confess in front of everyone, even if they're my closest friends. Now's not the time. 

"And for us to find out?" Milly interrogates further, hoping to get a confession. 

"Probably not." 

The lyrics return to the safety of my pocket. "Jake." I look at him, narrowing my eyes in annoyance and slowly pivoting my head toward him. 

"Ahaha, yes?" 

"You better not be seen with these again." 

"I wouldn't be caught dead with it, I swear." He puts his hands up in surrender. 

Hailey chimes in. "Now, can we start practice?" 

- 

Zander's POV 

- 

We get quite a bit done today, despite the incident with Luke's lyrics taking up a few minutes. Frankly, I'm glad I didn't get the chance to read them. It seems to me that they're eating Luke up more than me, and it would likely crush me if I were to have read them myself. 

... 

I know what I have to do. 

I approach Luke, with one goal in mind. 

I had to know if he liked me back. 

- 

Luke's POV 

- 

"Luke?" Zander calls my name as I place my drumsticks down. 

"Hm? What is it?" 

He closes his eyes for a brief moment, reopening them and then looking straight at me with sheer desperation. 

"Who... are the lyrics for?" He pauses. "If you can't answer that, I just want to know, why didn't you tell me?" 

I how exactly to answer his question. But I can't. 

"I'm, sorry-" 

"I meant your lyrics. Why didn't you tell me you wanted to try out song writing?" 

Thank goodness. I try arranging my words in a way as to not give away any information. 

"Hearing Jake sing... it made me want to put my own feelings into a song." 

His eyes widen. "Your... own feelings?" 

"Uh, yeah..." 

It's now or never. 

"Zander, the truth is-" 

The bell rings. 

a/n - no, Hailey does not sing in this au :( it wouldn't have worked in the way I had planned this chapter out, but I hope that's fine.