Skylar can't even remember how he got out of there.

The only things he's sure of is that he wasn't seen. Still, the escape is a blur. The walk back to his car takes about two hours, and the entire time his mind is running a mile a minute. He doesn't know what to think of what he just saw, let alone how to process it.

Skylar wants to think that maybe he was seeing things. Ashton has been on his mind so much lately, maybe that wasn't even him. However, there's no way Skylar could've mistaken both the voice and the face to be the same person. No, that was Ashton. Ashton is an accorder, whatever the fuck that even means.

It doesn't sound like a very negative title. However, Skylar is pretty sure it is. He had no idea what that word even meant, so he looked it up, and it has something to do with granting people status. As in, having a lot of control over not only his own power, but the power others possess. Again, whatever that means.

It does answer one question, though. Skylar remembers, before The Event, when he'd first arrived at Ashton's fucking penthouse. He remembers exactly what crossed his mind, how the hell Ashton could afford it off the money he makes at Brandy's. What kind of side job would bring in that kind of cash, since he works like two days a week at most bartending.

Skylar wants to tell someone, wants to talk about this. He doesn't want to keep it to himself, because he's just so confused. He has so many questions. Hell, he wants to ask Ashton himself about what the fuck he just saw. However, there's not a way for him to do that without also spilling secrets of his own. No doubt he'd have to come clean about his addiction, about why he was even there in the first place. Skylar can't do that. Everyone already thinks he's enough of a mess.

Skylar spends both his two hour walk to his car and his half hour drive home trying to put the pieces together, and yet, even after all that time to think... he still comes up blank. The only thing he knows is that Ashton is involved in crime, has some serious connections, and is widely regarded as powerful. Also, Skylar's pretty sure the accorders are a group. Is it a family thing? A gang? Is he in the fucking mafia or something?

By the time Skylar reaches his house, he genuinely feels like he's about to lose his fucking mind. It's made even worse when he spots a familiar truck parked in the driveway, and Skylar briefly contemplates climbing through the window. However, he doesn't want to risk breaking any of the glass or cracking the bottles in his bag.

Skylar sighs, hoping that Ashton and Jessie are in his room or something. He grabs his bag and steps out of the car, slamming the door shut behind him and dragging his feet all the way to the door. He can't wait to go to his room and get fucked up so that he can forget about all this shit.

Unfortunately when Skylar enters his house he is met with a worst case scenario. Not only is Ashton literally the first person he sees, but the guy is in the living room with Jessie, eating Skylar's chips. As in, he's quite literally in the room that the front door opens into, and he's eating Skylar's goddamn motherfucking chips.

Skylar is pissed off immediately, especially since he knows Ashton's doing it on purpose. He knows that those are Skylar's favorite chips, and he buys them with his own money specifically for himself. The only reason he could be doing so is to get a rise out of him.

Normally Skylar would be yelling at him immediately, but he can't find it within himself. Ashton is looking at him in expectation and Jessie appears nervous at the likely oncoming fight. However, Skylar can't. When he looks at Ashton, all he can see is the hooded figure. The accorder, participating in a business deal in an abandoned parking lot in a back alley.

He can't help it, he looks at Ashton like he's just seen a ghost.

"Uh, you good, Sky?"

Skylar only has enough time to see Ashton's face start to turn confused before Jessie is asking him that. He flicks his gaze over to the guy, who looks just as confused and a little concerned. Skylar smiles at him, nervously, and that doesn't help. Skylar never smiles, so Jessie's concern only increases.

"Yup. Mm-hm, I'm just gonna– yeah." Skylar points at the stairs before hastily walking up them, making his escape as quickly as possible. He sees Jessie and Ashton exchange looks out of the corner of his eye, but he doesn't care. He just hurries to his room and locks the door.

Skylar spends the rest of his night using his new supply and trying to forget.

-

Oh, if Skylar wasn't avoiding Ashton before.

He hardly even sees Jessie, something he knows he will regret. However, Jessie doesn't seem to mind. Every once in a while Jessie orders food and asks if Skylar wants some, and Skylar does, and then they eat together. So, they don't hang out per se, but they do eat several meals together in the coming weeks.

Skylar just stays in his room. Ashton begins spending a lot of time at his house again, but Skylar keeps his door locked and does not leave. He only leaves his house to participate in Wes' stunts and occasionally go to work—only when Ashton isn't scheduled. This is because he really doesn't want to run into Crimson. He does not have the money to pay back what he stole, and that guy will definitely kill him if they meet again. So, Skylar will simply keep that from ever happening.

It is a Friday, going on about 6 PM, when Skylar gets a knock at his bedroom door. His addiction is progressively getting worse and worse, and he's about halfway through his supply now. He'd been just about to take some, but at the noise of knocking he decides to put it off. It's likely just Jessie wanting to order food with him again.

Skylar sighs, and he'd previously been lying on the floor, painting every notebook and pen, as well as most of his other school supplies, blue. He has no idea why, but his last dose is starting to wear off, and he tends to do weird shit when that happens. He grabs onto his dresser and pulls himself up so he's standing, momentarily losing his balance but able to regain it pretty quick.

Skylar walks to the door, rubbing at his eyes and ignoring the blue paint all over him. Rubbing at his face results in his getting paint on it, but he doesn't care. It's just Jessie.

Except, when he opens the door, it is not Jessie.

Skylar freezes when he's met with the sight of Ashton, carrying a grocery bag and looking down at him. Whatever his expression was before Skylar opened the door is lost and replaced with confusion upon seeing his appearance.

"Why are you covered in paint?" Ashton goes straight to questioning. Skylar rolls his eyes, turning back around and walking into his room. He tries to shut the door but Ashton stops it, Skylar doesn't care that much though. He just walks back to his setup and begins taking apart a pencil sharpener so he can paint it as well.

"Skylar?"

"What?"

"I brought you something."

Skylar frowns, turning back around and finding Ashton standing in his room, a few feet away. Skylar starts getting up again so he can see it, pulling himself up again and stumbling. Again. He walks over to Ashton, who hands him a grocery bag.

Inside, there are two bags of chips. Skylar's chips. He can't help but frown, and now it's his turn to be confused.

"Chips?"

"I couldn't think of another reason you'd start avoiding me."

Skylar looks up from the chips to meet Ashton's eyes, who is looking down at him in expectation. Skylar has no idea what to say, though. Ashton thinks Skylar started avoiding him because he was just that pissed off about the guy eating his chips? Skylar doesn't know how to respond to that, but it has him sobering up quicker.

Skylar wants to ask why it even matters to him. He wants to know why Ashton would even care, that guy has always enjoyed getting a rise out of him. However, the only thing going through his head is that it's kind of... endearing. Ugh.

"I'm not avoiding you," Skylar denies, and Ashton gives him a deadpanned expression.

"I've seen you once all summer."

Skylar starts to kind of tip over, and wow it's difficult to keep his balance right now. Just because the cytozine is wearing off doesn't mean that he's completely back to normal. In fact, if he doesn't have more soon, he's about to feel really shitty and probably be in the worst mood ever.

The thought of the drug has the image of a hooded Ashton flashing through Skylar's mind. He winces, feeling the overwhelming urge to question the guy about it. He won't, though. Not until he's ready to come clean about his own shit.

"That's one time too many," Skylar says, preparing to turn around and go back to painting, but then he falls.

Ashton catches him, grabbing him under the arms to pull him up when his feet start to drag, Skylar's strength beginning to leave him. He really needs another hit, but he can't get that until Ashton leaves. Unfortunately, now Skylar's arms are kind of wrapped around him, and he knows he should pull away. However, Ashton is really comfy, and he smells good.

Skylar is happy where he is, so he just wraps his arms around Ashton, resting the side of his face against the guy's abdomen and closing his eyes. Ashton doesn't do anything, and Skylar is really happy like this. He doesn't know why, but it's conflicting. Unfortunately he is not in the state of mind to care.

"...are you okay?"

"Missed you," Skylar mumbles. Ashton tenses.

"What?"

This is the moment Skylar finally comes back to himself.

Skylar jumps away, eyes wide as he looks up at Ashton, who still looks mostly confused. However, there's a half smile on his face that wasn't there before. Skylar shakes his head, running a hand down his face as he realizes he is now completely sober.

"I mean," Skylar says, eyebrows furrowed and feeling horrified. No way he just said that. No fucking way. Note to self: make sure he is always sober around Ashton, because what the hell? "I mean, fuck you. Get out. Uh..."

Ashton examines his face for a moment, and Skylar's face is red, and he's trying to figure out what the hell to do. He wants to go lock himself in his bathroom until Ashton leaves, but that's a little too childish for him. He notices that Ashton also now has blue paint on his shirt, though he doesn't seem to mind.

"I'm gonna go back to Jessie."

"Good," Skylar snaps, now glaring at him. "Don't ever talk to me again."

Ashton gives him a lingering look, something almost knowing about it, which only has Skylar's face flushing more. He has no idea what the fuck to do, feeling way too exposed and also very stupid.

"See you around," Ashton says, and Skylar clenches his jaw.

"No thank you."

"Right," Ashton says, but it's so obvious he doesn't believe him. He leaves after that, and Skylar goes back to what he'd been doing, and the entire time he feels embarrassed and stupid. No fucking way he told Ashton he missed him. Where did that even come from? Skylar doesn't miss him! Sure, it seems like the more he distances himself from the guy, the more he plagues his mind, but still! Skylar doesn't fucking miss him. He must've gotten possessed or something.

-

Before Skylar knows it, it's the end of July and Jessie is going to school. It's the worst day ever, and Skylar helps him pack and put everything into his car. Vince and Danica are actually present, as is Ashton, which Skylar chooses to ignore.

The entire thing really fucking sucks. Skylar hates getting emotional and sentimental and shit, but he can't help it. He and Jessie have always been close. Not only is he going to miss this guy, but he's also going to be stuck alone in a house with Vince and Danica. That guy does not make empty threats, and Skylar cannot afford to live on his own. He can't even afford to pay for his addiction!

"You gonna be okay?" Jessie asks Skylar, looking down at him with a smile. There's a concern to the look in his eye that would go unnoticed to most people, but Skylar could tell from a mile away. There's definitely a part of Jessie that feels guilty, but Skylar doesn't want that.

Skylar glances at Vince, who is standing by his car on the phone. The guy is dressed like he's about to go to work, which he probably will as soon as he sees his favorite son off. Skylar gulps, because he'd be lying if he were to say he wasn't stressed. Skylar has awful luck, and staying out of trouble is going to be really fucking hard. He already knows he's going to mess it up, it's just a matter of when.

"I'll be fine," Skylar tells him, and even he can hear the doubt in his voice. He really is so fucked, and Vince is beyond fed up with him. Skylar does not stand a chance of improving, no matter how hard he tries, because the bullshit just comes back and finds him again.

"Okay," Jessie says, and he probably doesn't actually believe Skylar. However, he's set to depart in the next ten minutes, so it's not like there's much that can be done at this point. Honestly, Skylar is just doing everything he can to not show how emotional and stressed he truly is. Not only does the fact that his brother is leaving feel like a death sentence, but they've never really gone that long without each other.

Skylar is going to really miss him.

Jessie goes around and says bye to everyone, but Skylar is by far the one taking it the hardest. When Jessie pulls out of the driveway Skylar is barely keeping it together, and Ashton is supposed to be getting in his truck and following him. They're going to stop by and see some friends or get food or something before Jessie actually heads down there.

However, after Jessie pulls out of the driveway, Ashton lingers for a moment. Skylar doesn't know why, and is hardly paying attention as Jessie's car rounds the corner of the neighborhood and he's gone until December.

Skylar's body is shaking, and his breathing is kind of unsteady. He decides the best thing to do is get away from everyone, because if he breaks down in front of people he will probably have to change his name and flee the country.

Skylar can feel Ashton's eyes on him, but Skylar doesn't care. He just turns around and heads straight for the house, rubbing at his face with his arm when he enters through the garage. He does everything he can to hold it together, and mostly succeeds.

Unfortunately he ends up minorly overdosing and making himself sick that night, but he still thinks it's better than confronting how much worse his life is about to be.