Jack Barakat had a strong head on his shoulders. His feelings for Alex had gone on overdrive, to such an extent that he was determined to make the older boy hurt just as deeply as he did. He knew from the moment he heard Alex's bedroom door close that he was going to do something extreme, something that would probably haunt him for the rest of his days, but it didn't matter anymore. Maybe it would open Alex's eyes, so he could finally see what had been right in front of him all along.

When Rian and Zack arrived, Jack suggested they leave the house for a while. It didn't take much to convince Rian- Just making a trip to pick up Kara along the way. Zack didn't mind so much, either. When he heard that Alex had Lisa over, he was almost thrilled to know he wouldn't have to listen to the two of them get their freak on all night.

Once they picked up Kara, the four of them agreed to give their fake I.D's a go at the local bar scene. It wasn't the first time they'd been there, and they all enjoyed the loud bass and flashly lights. All in all, it was the perfect night to everyone but Jack. At least he had a plan. Not a very good one, but it was a start.

When they made it to the club, they split up. Rian and Kara went on about their business, bumping and grinding on the dance floor. Dawson was a total fool for his girlfriend, if she asked him to jump off a bridge, he'd do it in a heartbeat just to see her smile. They made quiet a scene, but they were happy and in love, something that most people spend their whole lives fighting for but never end up having. It made Jack sick.

During his time alone with Zack, he decided to take total advantage of the stamp on his hand which read 'Over 21,' buying himself and Zack a round of shots. The liquor burned as it creeped down his throat, but the sting matched the pain in his heart. Jack threw the shot glass down and groaned, his alcohol face making Zack snicker. Jack gave a laugh back and signaled to the bar tender that they wanted another round.

"So what's been going on with you and Alex?" Zack called over the music, offering a small smile to the man filling up a new shot glass for him. "I mean, after the day he kicked you out, you guys have been up and down."

"Yeah, actually, that's something I wanted to talk to you about. But you have to swear it won't get back to Rian, or anyone else for that matter."

"Dude, you know once you tell me something it stays with me," Zack grinned, sliding a freshly filled shot glass over to his friend. "So spill. What's going on?"

"A lot that you probably won't understand," Jack sighed, staring down at the liquor in front of him. He wrapped his longer fingers around the glass and lifted it up to his face. He nodded to Zack, watching the boy mock his actions, and together they threw them back. "Fuck, that's good!"

"One more," Zack shook his head, his cheeks turning a deep shade of pink. The alcohol was starting to burn less, but his head was starting to swim more. "And then you have to tell me whatever is going on in that thick skull of yours."

Jack nodded, a goofy grin on his face. He considered not even talking to Zack about Alex tonight. Truthfully, just being out with his friends and drowing his sorrows was working pretty well. If it wasn't for the fact that he was sober enough to remember all the bad feelings would come back tomorrow, he'd probably say fuck Alex and have the time of his life.

The boys inhaled deeply and threw back the next round of shots. Jack let out a cry and laughed loudly, slinging his glass down on the bar. Zack squeezed his eyes shut, smiling in return to Jack's cry. Now that they both had pink cheeks, he felt more at ease.

"All right, man," Jack ran a hand over his face, which was hot. "Can we step outside for a minute? I could use a second to breathe, and I won't have to yell while I'm trying to talk to you."

Zack gave a slight nod of his head, sliding off the stool and following Jack through the crowd. There were sweaty bodies everywhere, it was almost impossible to get to through. They even passed Rian and Kara, who were now blending in with everyone else. Smiling and waving to each other, Jack picked up his pace. He didn't want Rian to decide to follow the pair. With more forceful shoves through the crowd, Jack made it to the back door with Zack still hanging close behind. He smiled to his friend and pushed the door open, the warm Summer air slapping him in the face. It was humid, and the light from the streets revealed a slightly wet road. Cars were passing by quickly, a splashing sound coming from under their tires. Jack sighed heavily.

"You got me all alone out there, Jack-O, what's up?"

"I can tell you anything, right, bro? You won't think I'm weird or whatever?"

"I thought you were weird when you told me you were hanging out with Tosh just because you wanted to. I thought you were weird when you left Alex's like a scolded puppy and came crawling back. Point being, I'm always gonna think you're weird, Jack, but that doesn't change anything."

"Right," Jack smiled slightly. He was feeling much more comfortable, knowing that Zack was going to love him regardless. Maybe that meant Rian would, too. "So about Alex.. That night, when I told you guys that there was something I needed to say, well I said, but only to Alex. It's part of the reason why he threw me out."

"Come on, dude, you've been pouring shots down my throat. Speak English."

Jack chuckled a little, stuffind his hands deep in his pockets. The humid air was making the blush on his face run deeper. He needed Zack's help, but the words still seemed so hard to force out. Maybe they should have had a few more shots.

"Okay, bro," Jack grinned to the best of his ability. "I'm not- I'm not into chicks the way I should be. For so many years, I've found myself consantly falling for the same person over and over again no matter how hard I try to fight it. Really, it's killing me, because I know it isn't right, but there's not a damn thing I can do about it. Do you see what I'm saying?"

"Whoa, Jack-O, are you saying you're... Like, you're gay?"

"No, not necessarily. I'm just gay for one person.. For Alex."

"Oh." Zack stared a his friend. His own face was turning a darker shade of pink. He'd been faced with a lot when it came to his friends, but nothing like this. It seemed a bit too serious for the goofy group of friends he'd managed to collect. He sighed, shaking his head. "I mean, I'm not surprised, but I'm really surprised. Does that make any sense?"

"About as much sense as I'm making," Jack laughed lightly. It felt good just to get that off of his chest. "But I told Alex, and he was okay with it, until I kissed him. See, Alex is more confusing than both of us, though. For a tiny little while, he got into it. He acted like there was some kind of hope for these crazy things I'm feeling, and then out of nowhere Lisa shows up! Suddenly, it's like, nothing ever happened between us and I really don't know what to do. I don't mean to unload all this crap on you, but next to Alex, you're my best friend. I could really use some support here."

Zack kept his head down. He was taking in every word that Jack said, trying to place it in a box in his mind so that he could find them when he needed them, but lock them away so no one else could ever hear them. Frankly, he didn't know what the right solution would be. Zack couldn't approach Alex with these things- He had sworn to Jack to stay silent, but he felt the only way he could be of any real use was if he heard Alex's side. Complicated, that was the only way to describe it. This is why Zack Merrick didn't date.

"All right, well. I think the only way I can help is if I talk to Alex, because you literally just blew my mind. Alex hooking up with a dude? Crazy shit, man. But on the other hand, if this were a girl problem, I'd tell you to make that bitch jealous. Make her crawl on her fucking knees with regret until she's back in your arms and you have the upper hand." Zack paused, tilting his head to the side as he considered his own words. "Then again, this is Gaskarth we're talking about. I think that him even going for it says a lot, even if he can't. Maybe there's more than bro-like feelings there. I'd like to tell you to not give up, but we've all seen over the years that Alex can be a lost cause..."

"Don't say that," Jack frowned, not wanting to feel the need to protect Alex. "I'm not going to give up on him. Hell, I even told him tonight I was going to find someone to hook up with since he was with Lisa. He told me he'd envy them, but I don't believe that."

"I do," Zack shurgged his shoulders and began pacing around Jack. "Maybe he's jsut scared of what everyone will think. You've got a bigger set of balls than he does, dude. I mean, if Alex had told me this, I probably would have laughed in his face. Not to be mean, but just because I wouldn't believe it. Still, the problem is at large, so let's consider this: Alex knows how you feel, and he's shown you that he feels it, too. But he's with Lisa tonight, probably for the reason I just stated. The question is, how do we get Alex to come off that high horse?"

"We shoot Alex and the horse he rode in on?"

"No," Zack stopped pacing just long enough to laugh at Jack's humor. That was one of his favorite things about his friend- He could always make light of a dark situation. "We let Alex know that if he doesn't step up, he's gonna lose you as a.. Lover, or whatever the fuck you are. We've known Alex for years, we know what stands a threat to him. Get inside his head till he's ripping his heart about, Barakat."

"There's only one way I can think to do that, and Zack please don't think I'm crazy but-"
"Dear God, what are you suggesting?"

"If you'd let me finish," Jack grumbled. He pulled his hands from his pockets and grabbed Zack by the shoulders, forcing his strong friend to stop and look him in the eyes. "Please, please, help me make Alex jealous."

"I don't know how I can help with that," Zack averted his gaze, praying from the bottom of his soul that Jack wouldn't ask what he thought he was going to.

"Come to his house with me tonight. We don't have to do anything, I just need you to act really drunk and let me kiss you in front of him."

"Bro, listen to yourself. You just dropped this freakin' bomb on me that you're in love with the lead singer of our band, and now you're telling me that he's also a little gay for you." Zack furrowed his brows, trying to find the best way to word his confusion without hurting Jack. "Then bam, Alex isn't a little gay anymore. What's that? Oh, another bomb just exploded on me! I'm not gay, Jack. I'm not even a little gay, why the fuck would I let you kiss me?"

"Because I am your friend and I am begging you for help! Wouldn't it totally suck if Alex really cares for me and never got to show it? Wouldn't it totally suck if I had to live the rest of my life in a lie because of that? Wouldn't it totally suck if All Time Low fell apart because this mess never got sorted out? Wouldn't it totally suck if-"

"If you stop with the 'wouldn't it totally suck' shit, you can kiss me!"

"Okay." Jack removed his hands and proudly smiled. "We'll never have to speak of this again when it's over."

Notes

I'm sorry if this is crappy, but I'm still not feeling very well.
I love you all. <3.