Since We Broke Up (A Limelight Sequel)

Chapter 5

Things are progressing...! Next chapter is gonna be a pretty big one, btw. Also the song Don't Tell Me, I wrote the lyrics in random intervals over the full time I was in high school. I still haven't written music for it, though. But It's the first song I ever finished writing in terms of lyrics. And it's probably my favourite of any song I've ever written

Chapter 5 theme songs: Shit To Do by Bowling For Soup, Sucks To Be You by Emma Blackery and Spotlight from Everybody's Talking About Jamie

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~ You go and tell my friends that you want to make amends, but I don't have time for that, so I guess that it sucks to be you ~

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It took a moment for Zach to process that, yes, Alonzo had, in fact, picked up.

"Al?"

"What's up?"

... What the hell?

"What's up?" Zach echoed in disbelief, "I've been calling you every chance I get ever since you hung up on me that time and you never picked up before. What's up with you?"

Al was silent for a few seconds and Zach could imagine him dropping his head as he sighed, "Right, that," he muttered, "I dunno, I got over it, I guess."

That didn't sound too good. Zach sat back in his chair, "Like... you got over... Zephyr...?"

"Yeah," it was surreal to hear him say it, especially so casually, "I got over Zephyr," but then Zach could just sense the eyeroll, "Why, are you gonna keep trying to make excuses for him? You still believe him?"

"Al, it's not an excuse, I swear on my grave," although Al couldn't see it, Zach placed a hand over his heart, "He's still beating himself up over this. Roz walked in on him listening to Taylor Swift. Like, old Taylor Swift."

"If that's why you called, I'm hanging up," Al deadpanned and Zach sat up, holding out his hand as if he was actually there to stop him.

"No! That's not the only reason why I called. I've been worried about you. My best friend goes off to college right after a bad breakup and completely cuts me off? I'm gonna want some answers!"

"You took his side, Zach!"

Did this really have to be about taking sides? And even if it was, he wouldn't really consider himself to be on Zephyr's side. Or Alonzo's side. He was on his own side. He supposed it wasn't worth starting another argument over the small things, though, so he went along with it.

"If you'd listen, maybe you would too!"

"I'm hanging up."

"Alonzo-" but the line had already gone dead. Zach growled in frustration and called him back. No answer. He tried again, still nothing. We're talking about this, dammit...! He wasn't going to give in. When Al finally picked up again, he sounded angry, and close to tears. Zach was stunned. In all the years he had known Al, he had only ever heard him get this mad if his dad had said something to him, or to his mom.

"What do you want from me?!" he almost shouted, "I thought maybe after all this time, you'd have dropped the whole Zephyr thing and you'd just want to catch up, maybe you just missed me, but no, it's all about him!"

Now he felt bad. No matter what, he still saw Alonzo as his best friend, and he never wanted to hurt him like that. He instantly softened.

"Of course I miss you, Al! And I care about you. I don't want you to go on thinking he hates you or something."