Alex Zimmerman

**Alex Zimmerman** is a major character of the *ABND* series. He was introduced in *To The Next Level* as a sophomore at William McKinley High School. He is the best friend of John Brown and Julie Vasquez. He joins the New Directions early in his sophomore year and begins as a reclusive, bad boy but begins opening up and participates in several school events. In the adult years, Alex joins Crystal Army and becomes the primary drummer in the band, developing a talent for songwriting. He marries Julie and has a daughter, Rosie Zimmerman, with her, but they divorce after two years of marriage.

## Series Overview

Alex is initially introduced in *To The Next Level.* When Julie and Jake get detention, Alex is there smoking. Later, a few New Directions members spot him talking to Marley Rose and begins hanging out with her, making Jake Puckerman very jealous. He joins the New Directions and becomes a constant annoyance for Jake, Ryder Lynn, and Dan Roberts. He develops feelings for Amity Hills and despite disapproval from some of her friends, the two begin to date. In Book 3, Alex is revealed to be very different than what everyone first assumed, befriending most of the glee club members, especially the graduated John Brown. He is apathetic to most of the drama in New Directions until he becomes a part of it when he and Amity break up, though they soon get back together.. That year, he plays the lead in both school musicals and is an important part of the glee club. It is revealed that he and a Cheerio named Peyton Carson were childhood friends and that Alex dated their mutual friend, Kara, who broke his heart and led him to hate all cheerleaders. During the second half of his junior year, he grows close to Julie, the two occasionally sharing secrets and expressing their troubles to each other. At the end of the book, when she is heartbroken, she turns to Alex for comfort and the two become best friends during the missing years. Alex later graduates McKinley and attends MIT. After graduation, he immediately returns to Lima and is asked to replace the drummer in Crystal Army in Book 4. Alex easily adjusts to the band and stardom and Julie becomes his roommate. It is also revealed that Alex has an older sister, Tabitha whom he is not close to and thus does not admit to having. He ends his long-term relationship with Amity to date Kara, but they eventually break up. Later he and Julie begin a fake relationship with her, which ends when Sebastian forces her to date Andy Winters for publicity. When Crystal Army threatens to break up, Alex accepts to go on tour with country star Tracy Moore as lead guitarist, a tour which Julie, Dan and Amity also go on board for. In Race to the Finish, it is revealed that he has started a romantic relationship, which ends after the two realize they do not want to be committed to a long distance relationship. Alex focuses on writing music and becomes a primary writer. Kara returns when her life is in danger and he becomes close to her again, until she is kidnapped. Alex focuses all of his attention on finding her and ends up being captured, too. He, along with Bree and Kara and though they do, Kara is fatally injured and dies. Alex returns to Lima brokenhearted, which leads to troubles with John, worsened when he discovers that John and Amity have feelings for each other. The three make up and Alex meets Ruby Garcia, whom he starts dating and takes on tour with him.They break up, however, when Ruby decides to go back home, unable to stay with Alex while he has still not moved on from Kara. In Push to the Limit, Crystal Army finish their album and go on tour to promote it and its lead single. Alex meets a beautiful, older woman, Vanessa, and sleeps with her, only to discover that she is Ruby's mother. Though he decides that he wants to be with Vanessa, he eventually moves on without either of them, choosing to remain single until the right girl comes along. It is during this time that he becomes a shoulder to cry on for Julie in her relationship woes. When Julie attempts suicide, Alex is the one most there for her and breaks her out of prison. The two grow even closer and after constant denial, he realizes his feelings for her. Julie begins dating Caleb Bennett so Alex turns his attention instead to Haley Braxton, but both couples break up due to Alex and Julie's feelings for each other. The two later begin dating and not long after decide to get engaged. The news shocks the world and some friends and family members aren't initially supportive, but the two elope anyway while on a cruise to Bermuda. In It's Not Over Yet, Alex and Julie go on their separate tours but maintain a happy marriage. Julie ends up getting pregnant and cancels her tour, so Alex decides to cancel his two and ends up leaving Crystal Army altogether, leading to the band breaking up. This news comes as a shock to a lot of people. As he gets used to the idea of being a solo artist, he begins to neglect pregnant Julie and is out a lot. After the Grammys ceremony, a woman speaks out claiming to also be pregnant with Alex's baby. This comes after Tracy and Amity release a song together that implies Alex is a liar and a cheater. The world turns against him and a week later the woman is found murdered in her apartment. Alex is accused and arrested. Wrongfully imprisoned, Alex faces trial for the murder and much of the world thinks he is guilty, but he is later found innocent when a crazed fan of Julie's confesses to the crimes, attacks her and tries to kill her and her unborn baby. This leads to the premature birth of their daughter, Rosalie Zimmerman. Her birth brings Alex some peace but he feels a lot of anger towards the fan, who is now in prison. Alex makes a deal with inmates he befriended during his time in the prison; if they kill him, he will officially join their gang. When news breaks of the fan's death, Alex is finally more at peace, but the slight guilt forces him to tell Julie the truth. Julie has been having a hard time adjusting to life after the attack and turned to drugs. The two fight and he decides to break off their marriage, which he had previously discovered wasn't legally official. Heartbroken, Julie leaves, but he tries to reconcile throughout the next days. She takes him back as he prepares for a farewell concert with Crystal Army. It is there that he finds out Julie went to John the night of their breakup and slept with him. Alex is heartbroken but ultimately forgives her, though their relationship never recovers. A year later, the two are still married but their relationship is fragile. After some meddling from John, Julie asks Alex for a divorce. In Part 2, he is the sole caretaker for their daughter, Julie. Now a solo artist, he has released his first hit single and has to face Julie again when she begins releasing music, revealing much about their life together and their breakup.

## Personality

Initially, Alex is very closed off and considered to be a rude person. This doesn't change until he starts dating Amity and he is notably friendlier and kinder. He insists that people never change, but that they show their true colors. Throughout the series, Alex shows to be a very loyal friend. He is bold, opinionated, and outspoken. He also tends to be a bit clownish, especially when with John and Julie. He is witty and extremely intelligent, constantly referred to as the smartest of all the characters.

## Relationships

### Alex and Amity (Amex)

*Main Article: Alex-Amity Relationship (Amex)*

Alex officially meets Amity in Friend or Foe, when they are paired together for a duet challenge. They get to know a lot about each other during this and it is the first time that Alex opens up to anyone. He begins displaying a soft side for her and is extremely generous during her fundraising at Christmas. He declares his feelings for her in front of everyone during Sam's 'Guilty Pleasures' assignment and serenades her in front of everyone. They attend the Decades Dance together but he later skips out on her birthday party, causing her to believe her friends when they tell her he is bad news. He apologizes however and they begin to date. Though their relationship is initially uncomplicated, Amity takes up a big issue with his smoking habits, as her father died of lung cancer. He agrees to stop smoking but secretly continues to do so behind the school bleachers. In Back to the Top, Harmony maliciously chooses him during the boyfriend draft and he and Amity are forced to be apart. Though Harmony gives up her claim on him, Amity officially breaks up with him when she discovers that he hasn't quit smoking and lied to her. He works hard to get her back and they resume their relationship, which lasts for many years. The only obstacle they face to their romance is the appearance of Kara, which eventually leads to their final break up in World of Chances. Though they seem to be getting back together on many occasions, they eventually move on and become friends. Alex is seen to be upset when John and Amity become close and is very angry that they kiss, but he reveals that this is because his friends didn't tell him and not because he is jealous. Since then, he and Amity have been good friends and have not faced any problems.

### Alex and Kara (Kalex)

*Main Article: Alex-Kara Relationship (Kalex)*

Kara was Alex's best friend in middle school, along with Peyton, and the two became very close. Alex admired Kara and tried to be just like her, becoming like her clone and doing everything she asked. When she was shipped to boarding school he followed her there and Kara had sex with him, only to have him expelled right after. Though Alex believed she just used him for years, Kara was actually saving him by forcing him back to Lima where he could be truly happy, though she never revealed this to her. In To The Next Level, Alex is very closed off about this romantic history and never mentions it, but in Back to the Top, Peyton reveals everything to Amity. Later, Alex tells the New Directions about his regrets over his first time being with Kara and holds a deep resentment over her. When she returns to Lima in World of Chances, he is very affected and initially pushes her away. They start spending time together, however, and he breaks up with Amity to be with her. Throughout their relationship, they become intimate again and it appears that Alex has forgiven her for everything that happened in the past. Alex's roommate, Julie, however, takes up issue with her and the two struggle to get along. When Kara starts displaying animosity towards Amity, Alex has enough and leaves them only to get involved in a street mugging and end up in the hospital. After checking out, he decides to break up with Kara. He doesn't see her again until the following Fall, when Kara returns due to her life being in danger. He refuses to let her out of his sight and she witnesses his growth in the music industry and his songwriting abilities, while he realizes that he still cares about her deeply. At New Year's the two seem to be close to getting back together but Kara is kidnapped by the same mobsters that threatened Jake's career and Sam's life. He works endlessly to find her, attempting to hack the criminals, but they track him down and take him, too. While held captive, Alex is reunited with Kara and Bree and tries to help them escape. During this, they are caught and Kara is shot, so he murders the shooter as revenge. They escape but Kara dies in his arms. Alex takes a long time to grieve and still thinks about Kara very often.

### Alex and Tracy

*Main Article: Alex-Tracy Relationship (Tralex)*

Alex meet Tracy during a Crystal Army concert, when she shows up to meet Sam and John. She is very taken with him, though he initially refuses her advances and gifts due to Stefan having a huge crush on her. Eventually, however, she breaks him down and takes advantage of rumors that Crystal Army will be breaking up to convince him to go on her summer tour with her as lead guitarist. He does so and by the time the tour ends in Race to the Finish, they are officially dating and the world is aware of their relationship. His friends are mostly apathetic towards it, with Julie disliking Tracy for the most part. Alex doesn't see much of Tracy in the next few weeks due to him going back to Lima to work on his next album, but she comes by on Halloween and is jealous that he is living with Kara and Julie, though she is very relaxed about the situation. Later, he and Julie write a song inspired by his relationship with Kara and he starts to rethink his relationship with Tracy. He goes to see her during a promo tour in Portland and after a conversation they decide to part ways amicably.

### Alex and Ruby (Rulex)

*Main Article: Alex-Ruby Relationship (Rulex)*

When Alex meets Ruby while on tour, she is initially interested in John, a relationship which Alex encourages due to the boiling feelings between John and Amity. Later, however, he becomes interested in her at Julie and Ryder's Murder Mystery Mystery party after bonding over losing loved ones. Alex invites Ruby to travel on the road with him, which she accepts, and they eventually begin dating. Though they are happy together, Ruby wishes to return home and spend some time with her family. He insists that they continue dating but she does not wish to do so due to it being obvious that he has not moved on from Kara. She stands him up for Bree and Stefan's wedding and does not reappear until Push to the Limit in Shirley's when he discovers that she is his date Vanessa's daughter. He is conflicted about who to date at first and chooses Ruby but later changes his mind and wants to choose Vanessa instead. Knowing either way it will be complicated, he ends up deciding to date neither and doesn't see them again.

### Alex and Vanessa (Alessa/Vanex)

*Main Article: Alex-Vanessa Relationship (Alessa/Vanex)*

Alex meets Vanessa at Shirley's, when he is snowed in with her and others inside the diner. He is very interested in her and spends the day convincing her to be his date to Ryder's Christmas party. She initially refuses, their obvious age difference being a big issue. He lies about his age and serenades her, eventually seducing her and sleeping with her. She shows up at the party with her daughter, who turns out to be his ex-girlfriend Ruby, which causes him to struggle with the relationship. He keeps his sexual encounter with Vanessa a secret from everyone but Julie and decides to date Ruby again but before he can tell her this he runs into Vanessa in California on New Year's Eve and takes her to a party. There, they bond and flirt, eventually having sex again. As he is changing his mind and decides he wants to choose Vanessa instead, he realizes that either girl will be complicated to date because of their relationship to each other and does not want Ruby to be hurt. He returns to Lima alone and doesn't see either of them again.

### Alex and Julie (Julex/Jalex)

*Main Article: Alex-Julie Relationship (Julex/Jalex)*

Alex meets Julie in Britney x3 when they both get detention and he smokes behind her. She asks him to stop but he is very rude and leaves a poor impression. Since then Julie had a low opinion of Alex and this doesn't immediately change when he joins the glee club. In the duet film competition, neither of them has a partner and they end up being paired together. At first, Alex makes flirtatious comments to annoy her and she does not like him very much, but she notes that he starts to change when he dates Amity and the two become somewhat friends, though Alex sides against her during Harmony's revolt against Julie. Alex becomes a place for comfort, however, and the two become close friends, especially during the college years. Later in Book 4, Alex and Julie move in together and though many suspect that they will date, they remain only friends. They butt heads a lot and Julie ends up moving out, but Alex apologizes to her and asks her to move back in, kissing her afterward to convince Sebastian that she has moved on. They have a short-lived, fake relationship which ends when Sebastian forces Julie to date Andy for publicity. Later when Julie is on drugs, Alex takes her to his parents' home and pushes her into pool, almost causing her to drown. He saves her and she kisses him while hallucinating that Sam is there instead. After Sam's wedding, Julie asks Alex to run away with him and he accepts but takes her to Sam instead. Alex expresses the most concern over Julie's drug use and later is the first to discover that she is pregnant. In Race to the Finish they write together a lot and help each other work on new music. When Julie gives birth, she names one of her daughters Gabriella Alexandra after him and chooses him as her godfather. In *Push to the Limit* Alex moves into Julie's house to become her roommate again and when she and Ryder break up, becomes her loyal place of comfort once again.

### Alex and Harmony

Alex and Harmony have been at odds for most of the series and Alex expressed immense repulsion towards her. She chooses his name during the boyfriend draft and they go on a date to Breadstix, during which he treats her poorly until it's time to go home. Later, he ignores her as much as possible but is visibly grateful when he agrees to switch draft picks and give him to Amity.

### Alex and Brenda

Brenda was a girl that Alex slept with after breaking up with Tracy. She was a one-night stand.

### Alex and Gwen

Julie walks into her apartment one day to find a strange girl, who tells her that her name is Gwen and she was there with Alex, though she doesn't get his name right. She was a one-night stand.

## Songs

**Total:**

* B2
* B3
* B4
* B5
* B6
* B7

To The Next Level

Solos

Duets

Solos (in a group number)

Back to the Top

Solos

Duets

Solos (in a group number)

World of Chances

Solos

Duets

Solos (in a group number)

Race to the Finish

Solos

Duets

Solos (in a group number)

Push to the Limit

Solos

Duets

Solos (in a group number)

It's Not Over Yet

Solos

Duets

Solos (in a group number)

## Trivia

* Alex is an original character.
* Alex was created by a reader for the Book 2 new character submissions but was originally a girl.
	+ Arias3 liked the submission but did not see a place for her in the story, so she changed Alex's gender and several personality traits, though the rocker punk and smoker stereotypes remained.
* Alex had many face claims, such as Dominic Sherwood, Milo Ventimiglia, Joshua Anthony Brand and Drew Roy, before ultimately settling on Colton Haynes.
* His penis is eight inches long.