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Disclaimer: This story is a work of fiction. I do not know the celebrities mentioned nor does this story imply anything concerning their personal lives. This story was written for entertainment purposes only! This story was not meant to offend or mock any of the celebrities mentioned, nor their fans...Zac Efron and Jesse McCartney are two talented entertainers whose work I respect and love very much. If adult themed fiction involving celebrities might offend you I suggest you stop reading right now. This story contains mild adult contents, the relevant laws, concerning adult entertainment, of your home state or country apply. All responsibility rests with the reader. This story contains mild profanity, discression is advised. By reading this story you agree with the above. Enjoy the story!
Love, They Will B Done ( a Zac Efron story)
Previously in Chapter one:
· Zac Efron struggles with Vanessa breaking up with him, and
her apparent involvement with Corbin Bleu
· Zac runs in to old friend Jesse McCartney.
Chapter 2: with a little help from my friends
The silence was broken by Jesse's stomach quietly rumbling for a moment.
"Hungry?" Zac asked laughing a bit.
"hey, I haven't eaten since this morning..." Jesse apologized, although not really serious, "What do you expect?"
"We should probably get something to eat" Zac agreed, "you want to go out or order in?" He asked.
"Let's order in..." Jesse suggested, "I'm not really in the mood to head out right now"
"Me neither" Zac added, " Chinese sound good?"
"Yeah...sure" Jesse answered.
Zac got up from the couch and grabbed his phone. The number of his favourite Chinese take out was on his speed dial. In no time he had placed his order.
"So what did you get?, what did you get?" Jesse asked with exaggerated enthusiasm.
"The usual..." Zac informed him, smiling a bit at Jesse's goofy antics.
"the usual? What's that?" Jesse inquired.
"You'll see in a minute" Zac replied with a fake sternness to his voice. Deliberately avoiding answering Jesse's questions, just to mess with him a bit. On a good day they could keep this up for hours. Today however they quickly grew tired of it.
"Shouldn't we go pick it up?" Jesse asked.
"No dude, they deliver at home..." Zac replied.
"funny...don't think you gave them the address" Jesse said a bit confused.
"Oh they know..." Zac helped him out of his confusion, "believe me they know".
"Oh, You're no stranger to Chinese food, I gather" Jesse remarked.
"Hardly..." Zac laughed, "Think I give them a call about three times a week."
"Wow! That's a lot of Chinese" Jesse exclaimed surprised.
"well,...what can I say" Zac shrugged, " It's convenient and you don't have to leave the house."
About twenty minutes later their food was delivered. They exchanged some small talk in-between bites. Recalling the good times they had lived. Exchanging road stories from their respective careers. It would have been hard for anyone who could have seen them to believe they hadn't seen each other in almost a year. In no time they had fallen back in the old dynamics that existed between them before their careers took them in different directions. Their stars had risen fast in the past year and a half and the whole experience had been crazy...but it felt reassuring to both of them that apparently, despite their hectic lives, nothing much had changed at the ground level. It was good to know even a long time without contact hadn't changed their friendship in any significant way.
After they had finished eating and had cleared off the table they sat back down in the sofa, relaxing a bit, letting the food go down.
"want to watch a movie or something?" Zac suggested after they had run out of subjects to talk about.
"why not..." Jesse replied, "I'm too lazy to do anything else" he joked.
"any suggestions?" Zac asked him.
"hmm...high school musical?" Jesse suggested, not exactly serious.
"ANYTHING BUT THAT!" Zac murmured angrily.
- fuck * Jesse thought as he realised his mistake. "Sorry dude,...didn't mean to hit a nerve there" he apologised, "wasn't thinking straight"
"That's Ok Jess" Zac reassured his friend, "It's not your fault." He paused for a moment. "I think I have a better idea" he said as he walked to his DVD rack.
"How about this one?" he asked as he turned the DVD-cover to Jesse.
"dances with wolves?" Jesse read out loud, "cool...I used to love that movie, haven't seen it in ages!"
"I got it last month, " Zac explained, "haven't had a chance to watch it yet"
He popped the disc in the DVD-player, turned on the TV...then headed for the kitchen to get a drink before the movie started. "You want something?" he yelled to Jesse from the kitchen.
"Water would be nice" Jesse replied.
A moment later Zac returned carrying a glass of water for Jesse and a can of Red Bull for himself. As he was sitting down he pressed the play button, then let himself fall back in the couch. He had to admit he was actually having a bit of fun, and the movie did a great job taking his mind of of things for a few hours. During the movie they would from time to time get engaged in conversations about anything from other great movies to horseback riding (something they both enjoyed very much). At the same time they enjoyed watching a movie they both remembered seeing as a kid.
When the ending credits finally rolled over the screen, Zac reached for the remote control and turned of the television set.
"It's still is good as I remember..." Jesse said, referring to the movie.
"Yeah...I hadn't seen it in ages, but I can still remember seeing it for the first time" Zac agreed.
"so, You aren't working on anything right now?" Zac asked, changing the subject.
"No, I just finished touring...So I gave myself a couple of weeks to recuperate." Jesse informed him.
"Nice, Got any plans?" Zac wanted to know.
"as a matter of fact. I'm going hiking for a week or two" Jesse answered . "I'm leaving in three days."
"Hiking?" Zac asked with amused scepticism.
"Yeah, you know...where you abandon civilisation to go camp in the wilderness for a while." Jesse laughed, amused by Zac's response. "Used to do it all the time when I still had the time to."
"Besides,..." he continued, "you're not really a stranger to the outdoors yourself. Remember when you got kicked by your horse?" " I do " Zac laughed, as the memory came back to him. It happened in-between taping days of the first Summerland season.
"It must have taken those make-up ladies about an hour to camouflage the bruise on your chest. " Jesse grinned.
"yeah...I remember that" Zac recalled amused. "just when I was supposed to do a surfing scene."
"Please don't fall of the board Zac" Jesse burst into laughter, trying to mimic the voice of a panicky make-up lady.
"now that was pressure" Zac laughed along.
"How about you?" Jesse asked him, "what are you working on these days?"
"I've been promoting hairspray and HM2 for the past few weeks..." Zac answered, "but as of now I'm not scheduled or committed to participate in anything for at least 3 weeks."
"cool..." Jesse observed, "but what about HM3, aren't you supposed to be in that?"
"please..." Zac dismissed the thought, "they're still writing that one...besides, as if I'm going to be in that. Let em go find the next heartthrob' Zac Efron,...let's see how long he lasts." He thought out loud.
It was a cynical note that didn't go unnoticed by Jesse. His friend could put up a brave cover, but from time to time he'd give a little glimpse of what was really going on in his soul. The blonde singer remained concerned with his friend. It was obvious that, though the flames weren't raging like before, there was still anger and hurt smouldering inside. Ready to ignite again at any given moment.
"So what are you going to do with your free time then?" Jesse tried to take Zac of his current train of thoughts.
"Don't have any plans yet...Just took some time to recharge the batteries, you know?" He replied.
"I hear you...we all need that from time to time." Jesse understood.
"Especially with everything that's been going on lately..." Zac started, but he quickly interrupted himself, "sorry...don't mean to keep bringing that up, you must really feel I'm stupid or something."
"No, I don't" Jesse corrected him, "this is me your talking to, don't put yourself down for my supposed sake...you know better than that."
"thanks " zac smiled at Jesse's show of support, "so how about you? You've been seeing anyone lately?" He asked, changing the subject a bit to avoid another emotional episode. Something he really wasn't in the mood for. "Me?" Jesse asked innocently, "I've dated around a bit, but It's not easy finding someone who can cope with a guy that's basically married to his job, like I am. For some reason girls aren't looking for a guy they see once a month, if they're lucky." He tried to joke himself out of really answering Zac's question.
"So it's all quiet on the Jess-tern front then?" Zac laughed.
"that's one way of putting it" Jesse said, laughing out loud at Zac's stupid joke.
"Man, I've missed this..." Zac said, still not entirely out of laughter.
"What?" Jesse asked curiously.
"This!..." Zac answered, looking directly at Jesse, "Us hanging out, kidding around, having fun...just like old times"
"we did have some great times" Jesse sighed in agreement. "seems like yesterday."
"It does, doesn't it"...Zac could only agree.
"But hey,..." Jesse thought out loud, "here we are again...and seeing we're both on leave, we could probably hang out some more."
"Sounds cool, "Zac responded enthusiastically. The thought of spending some more time with his best friend seemed a welcome change from the hermits life he'd been living recently.
They spent some more times reminiscing about the good old days before Jesse finally realised the time.
"Boy, it's really gotten late fast..." He said as his eyes fell on the clock. "I think I'd better get going."
" wow, it is late" Zac said, who also noticed the time for the first time that evening.
"You mind if I use your phone?" Jesse asked, "I need to call a cab"
"It's right over there " Zac nodded toward the direction of the phone.
After Jesse had called his cab they both stood by the door waiting for the bell to ring. They exchanged a little more small talk while Jesse put his coat back on and made sure he had everything he needed with him.
"Hey...you wanna swing by tomorrow?" Zac asked
"sure...don't have anything planned for tomorrow" Jesse responded "what time?"
"say 2 O' clock in the afternoon. That way we can still get some decent sleep." Zac suggested.
"Ok, sounds good" Jesse agreed.
Than the doorbell rang, signifying the arrival of Jesse's cab. They said their goodbyes before Jesse finally left to head back home. After he had gone Zac quickly cleared the plates and glasses from the table. He grabbed another can of red bull before finally deciding to call it a night as well. He quickly made sure all doors where properly locked, undressed, turned of the lights and fell on his bed.
...
The hours pass slowly when you're counting every single minute. Zac had been lying on his bed for hours and even though he was dreadfully tired he couldn't manage to fall asleep. He tried every known trick to speed the process. He had count to 2564 before giving up, he had named a capital city for every letter of the alphabet (except `X' of course)... all to no avail. It was almost as if he was too exhausted to fall asleep. It had been a very eventful day and both the good and the bad replayed in his mind. It was long after daybreak he finally managed to doze off.
Way too soon, at least in his experience, he was awoken by the alarm clock. It was a Half past one already but it felt like he had only been asleep for a few minutes. He woke up feeling more tired then when he fell asleep. It took considerable effort to crawl out of bed, but he managed. He quickly changed clothes before heading into the kitchen, grabbing some coffee. The headache he felt when he woke up was slowly subsiding. He poured the remaining cold coffee in the sink and quickly had the machine making a new can of steamy hot coffee.
He put some rice crisps in a bowl to have at least some breakfast. As he was eating he was suddenly interrupted by a knock on the door. He put the bowl down on the kitchen counter, then went to open the door.
"hey Jess..." He greeted his friend as he stepped aside to allow him to enter the apartment.
"hey,..." Jesse greeted him back, "you just got out of bed?" he asked as he noticed Zac's appearance which was one of uncombed hair and a shadow of unshaven stubbles.
"Yeah,..." Zac sighed as he closed the door, "didn't sleep well last night."
"you look like crap, man" Jesse said with a hint of concern. Their friendship was one where this sort of candid remarks could be easily exchanged without being insulting.
"feel like it too" Zac said as he grabbed his bowl of rice crisps, "Mind if I finish these of?" He asked Jess out of some weird sense of politeness.
"not at all" the singer shrugged.
"By the way, there's some coffee in the can if you want some " Zac offered, "cups are over there" he directed Jesse at a cupboard over next to the fridge.
" Thanks " Jesse said as he poured himself a cup. "Got some milk somewhere?" he asked.
"Should be a carton in the fridge" Zac answered in-between two spoons of corn flakes.
"Wow" Jesse exclaimed as he opened the fridge. "looks like the museum of fast food" he said as he saw the packs of Chinese take-out, the wrappers with McDonalds and burger King logo's on them, that filled Zac's fridge.
"I know" Zac smiled a bit embarrassed, "Just haven't felt like cooking lately" He tried to explain.
" I got an idea" Jesse suddenly said.
Zac just looked at him with questioning eyes.
"Listen, you obviously need some time to shower and shave...I got to go get some stuff" he explained as he grabbed his jacket hanging over a chair. "I'll be back in an hour, don't go anywhere" he said as he closed the door behind him.
Zac just stood there for a minute trying to figure out what just happened. Jesse's spontaneity brought a faint smile to his face. It was just the kind of thing one could expect from Jesse, but he decided to take his advice and take a quick shower. He quickly finished his poor excuse for a breakfast then headed for the bathroom where he enjoyed a long hot shower. As he stepped out of the steamy shower cabin he felt a whole lot better than earlier. The streaming water had done a better job waking him up than the coffee did earlier. He slowly dried of his body, as if trying to wrench out the last remnants of grogginess. After he had put on some fresh clothes he took some time to shave and put some hair gel in his hair. When he left the bathroom he, for the first time in days, looked like the guy that graced the rolling stone cover again.
It wasn't long before Jesse once again knocked on his door.
With a bit of curiosity Zac opened the door to allow his friend entrance to his apartment.
"What's all that?" He asked referring to the two bags of groceries Jesse was carrying.
"After seeing the mausoleum of excessive fat that is you fridge...I think it's about time you had some decent food to eat...so I'm cooking tonight." Jesse said with a mix of faked sturdiness and humour.
"You really don't have to..." Zac tried to interject, but Jesse cut him off almost immediately.
"Listen Zac..." He said, his voice now showing a bit of concern, "From what I gather you've been living on a diet of take out food, coffee and red bull for god knows how long...and you're complaining from a lack of sleep. Just trust me on this, I promise it'll do you good. Besides,...you know you love my cooking."
There was no arguing with that. Zac did remember past occasions when he had enjoyed Jesse's cooking. As long as he had known the guy Jesse had been very careful and very strict about what he ate. In that way he was the opposite of Zac who wasn't as concerned about his nutrition habits.
"Ok..." Zac said as he playfully threw his hands up signifying Jesse's superior argument. "so what's on the menu?" he asked curiously.
"You'll see" Jesse kept him in the dark, "besides it's only 3 o' clock, we still got an afternoon to spend before we get to cooking dinner." He put the groceries in the fridge awaiting any suggestion from Zac as to what the plans were for the afternoon.
"I'm out of idea's" Zac submitted, "what do you want to do?"
"I'm a bit short of inspiration myself " Jesse had to admit.
"what did we used to do when we ran out of idea's?" Zac thought out loud.
Suddenly they looked at each other, both having the same idea. "the beach" they both said with a pearly white grin on their face.
"sounds like a plan" Zac said enthusiastically, "It's been ages since I've had a surf board under my feat."
"Yeah, you've probably forgotten how it's done!" Jesse joked.
"as if" his friend countered, "I'll be taming the waves before you even get in your wetsuit."
"sounds like a challenge to me" Jesse said, the fire of friendly competition beginning to smoulder. "But,..." he suddenly realised, "I don't have any gear with me".
"don't worry about it " Zac reassured him "I got an extra board and wetsuit you can borrow."
"great," Jesse said, "so what are we waiting for?"
"I don't know, let's go!" Zac said as he tapped Jesse playfully against the shoulder as he passed him.
They quickly grabbed the gear they needed, a couple of bottles of soda, sun screen and other small items before they headed downstairs to the garage. They decided to take Zac's car. After they had loaded their stuff into the trunk they sped of for the seashore.
The weather outside was perfect for an afternoon at the beach. The sun was quite generous with its golden rays. A light summer breeze was blowing countering the worst heat. To anyone who saw them speed by, Zac and Jesse certainly looked the part. Cruising in Zac's relatively new convertible across the sun soaked boulevards. Both wearing sunglasses, both singing along to the beach boys songs coming through the speakers. With the wind freely blowing through their hair the drove toward the ocean.
- to be continued -
Authors note: First of all thanks for reading the second chapter of the story. I would like to thank everyone for the encouraging comments I had the pleasure to receive after chapter 1, they're much appreciated. As always feel free to leave suggestions or comments @ beer4myhorses@hotmail.com
Again, I know this isn't the most action-packed story out there, but believe me...give it a chance, it will be worth it. Can't have lunch without setting the table first.
You may have noticed I've restrained from setting this story in a specific location. I'm not planning on doing that anytime soon since I used to get comments from readers of previous stories who lived in the city where the particular story was set, complaining about geographic inconsistencies. I'm sure you all have enough imagination to enjoy the story without it being placed in a specific city.
If you haven't had the chance to see `hairspray' yet...what are you waiting for? It is a great movie and I encourage everyone to go and enjoy it! (so far this shameless plug)