Anywhere Else but Here (chapter one)
Title: Anywhere Else but Here (1/?)
Author: badenoughforyou Ashley
Rating: PG-13
Pairing: Jalex
Summary: Jack has grown up in a world where music is a felony. It was believed to influence kids too much. Jack had never known the beautiful world of music. That is, until the day the beautiful Alex Gaskarth walked into his life and showed him the truth behind music. The beauty everyone had been hiding from him for so long.
Disclaimer: I do not own All Time Low. The title is Simple Plan's song Anywhere Else but Here.
Master Post
"This is unforgivable Jack! How could you?" The sentence ran through Jack like a knife. He couldn't stop hearing it. It was insistent on making him feel like fucking scum. He was so stupid. So stupid.
His mother had said that to him when she found a CD lying on the floor of his room. He'd gotten it from some kid who insisted it was amazing and that he had to listen to it. Bad mistake. Jack didn't even have anything to play it on.
"Mom, I can explain!" He sputtered, trying not to hyperventilate. He was terrified. He knew his own mother would even turn him in for something like this. His own fucking mother.
"You can't explain anything because this..." She struggled for the words. "This... monstrosity should never be anywhere near... anyone. Ever." She said, her voice venomous.
She turned to walk out and suddenly turned back.
"I'm ashamed to call you my son." She said and walked out, not batting an eyelash. He was stunned. He knew his mom practically hated him already, but she had never put it into words. His heart felt as if it had been ripped from his chest cavity, smashed with a hammer and shoved back in.
He could never be her perfect son. That was what Joe was for. He couldn't even compete with his equally perfect sister, May.
He sat back on his bed, his head spinning. He just needed his dad. But he knew he would never come back.
Jack's father was a Resistor. One of many, in fact. At the beginning of this whole music banning, many people were devestated and one of them was Jack's father. Jack had been so young when it happened, he could barely remember his father, but he did remember that he loved Jack. More than anything.
Jack's father was a musician and when he refused to give up what he loved so much, they exiled him to God knows where. Jack had always dreamt of the day his father would swoop in to rescue him from this awful world. He distinctly remembered his father playing his guitar every night before Jack would fall asleep. Of course, that all ended.
Now Jack was seventeen. He wished he could escape this, but no matter where he went, he would never be able to listen to music freely without sound proof walls in the most secluded areas of the world.
And now it didn't matter because he'd blown it.
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Jack had to get out of the house. He couldn't even stand being in the presence of his mother. Even though it was pouring, Jack couldn't muster enough feeling to care at all. In fact, he loved rain. He loved the feel of the rain pattering over his hoodie. It was the closest thing to music Jack would ever find.
He looked up at the sky, the light fading slowly. Soon it would be dark. Jack knew Baltimore was not the best place to be caught at night, even in his neighborhood. He sloshed around in the street, not caring that he was soaked up to his knee in water.
He looked up suddenly when he saw a car pulling up beside him. Zack poked his head out of the window and smiled.
"Need a ride, babe?" He asked, grinning. Jack rolled his eyes and laughed softly, unable to resist Zack's charm.
"Thanks, Merrick." He said, walking around to the passenger side and happily climbing in. He was hit with the warmth of the car. He hadn't realized how cold he really was until now.
"What are you doing walking around in this anyway?" Zack asked as he started driving again.
Jack felt his heart sink, all the events of the day coming back to him.
"My mom found that CD you lent me..." Jack choked, hysteria building up again.
"Dude, it'll be fine. Your mom wouldn't rat you out." Zack said, giving Jack a reassuring look. Obviously Zack didn't know Mrs. Barakat.
"My mom fucking hates me, Zack. Hates me. She would give me up for... well anything if she could." Jack said, his tone laced with fear and a hint of bitterness towards his mom.
Zack's grip tightened on the steering wheel. It was silent for what seemed like hours.
"I'm... I'm really sorry, Jack." Zack finally said, his voice wavering a bit.
"Dude, it's not your fault my mom is a fucking pyscho..." Jack said, his voice breaking near the end.
Jack's eyes suddenly widened as he saw someone standing in the middle of the road.
"Zack!" He yelled, feeling strangled. This couldn't be happening. This was not the way to finish this already shitty day. Zack slammed on the brakes and stopped only inches from the being in the middle of the street. Zack stuck his head out of the window, anger boiling up.
"Dude! What the fuck are you doing in the middle of the road, asshole?" He yelled. Jack could barely tell what the person looked like through the pouring rain. The person made their way to Jack's window. The person was close enough now that he could tell it was a boy about his age, if not older. Jack's breath caught in his throat. The boy's large chocolate eyes stared back at him pleadingly, his hand pressed against the window. His brunette hair fell almost over his eyes and he looked soaked to the bone, his jet black hoodie dripping.
"Zack, I think... I think he needs help." Jack said, rolling down the window. Zack's expression softened and he looked over at the drenched boy.
"C-can I get a ride?" The boy asked, looking afraid. His state tugged at Jack's heart strings. He looked over at Zack, pleading to help out this boy.
"Sure, get in." Zack said, his tone a lot more gentle compared to the voice he'd used just seconds earlier. The brunette gave a sigh of relief. Jack moved closer to Zack to the center seat and let the boy squeeze in beside him.
He looked so cold and lonely. Jack couldn't help but wonder where this boy had come from. Where was he going? Zack must have had the same thing in mind.
"So, where to?" Zack asked, turning the heat on. The boy's face seemed to lose all of its pigment.
"I-I.... Don't know." He said, biting his lip. Jack felt his heart breaking for this boy whom he didn't even know the name of.
"What do you mean?" Zack pressed, stealing glances at them as he drove. The boy shivered and looked down at the ground.
"I don't have anywhere to go." He said, his body racking in shivers. Jack unzipped his hoodie and put it over the drenched boy who looked up at him gratefully.
"You can... come to my house and call someone." Jack said, hoping his suggestion was sufficient. The boy looked up with surprise, his eyes widening.
"Really?" He asked breathlessly.
"Yeah. My mom won't mind." Jack said, unable to keep his eyes off the boy beside him. In truth, his mom would probably be screaming at him about dragging in random people off the street, but, honestly, Jack couldn't have given a fuck.