Skylar's heart nearly dropped when he heard the sound of his phone buzzing. He moved quickly to pick it up. He clenched his jaw slightly when he read the message. Sky really hoped that stuff was alright with them. "Suit yourself." Sky didn't press send straight away, though he couldn't get himself to type any more words. He was afraid he would say the wrong thing, so he kept it as that. He wanted to know if anything was wrong so badly but was afraid of what Alex would say.

.

After a few minutes of sitting around, thinking. Sky picked his phone back up. "Is anything wrong with us?" Once Sky sent the message he was in a pool of emotions, mainly relief and slight regret. He was all mixed up. He was so worried about the answer Alex would give him but relieved that he would know. That's when it hit him, he had stuff in his dresser that he knew would make him relaxed. He got up and walked to his dresser, opening the first drawer. With his heart pounding he grabbed the bag and opened it, grabbing 2 white ones. He put the bag back and brought the stuff to his desk. He stared at them for a bit before he did what he does best.

.

The effects hit him pretty fast, with how he consumed them. He slummed to the ground, his legs weak, feeling like jello. But he felt so relaxed and euphoric. Anything that was bothering him before left. With him in this state it caused him to grab his phone again, and text Alex. "really want to be there you know I'm here." None of what Sky was typing made sense, but it made sense to him as he typed it. Without much thought at all he sent it. He set his phone down, closing his eyes.

.

He consumed what he was feeling, not wanting it to end. He knew before he did it that he would regret it so badly once his high was over. But all that seemed to fade away as he sat down on the ground, leaning against the wall. He moved to lie on the ground, feeling himself sinking. He swallowed thickly, his vision began to blur in and out so he kept his eyes shut.

Locking the door and then shedding his clothes, Alex stepped beneath the warm water of the shower. There he remained for nearly an hour, focusing on nothing but the sound of the water spraying from the shower head, and the feeling of it as it met his skin. Nothing, he didn't want to think about his father, or Skylar, or even his own mixed up and messy emotions. It was only when the water began to cool, chilling his body rather than warming it that he moved to step out. Grabbing a towel he dried himself off before wrapping it around his waist.

`

With a sigh he moved them, grabbing his clothes from where they rested on the tiled floor of the bathroom. Throwing one, mildly disgusted glance at the reflection of himself in the mirror, Alex then moved to leave the bathroom. He moved swiftly back toward his room, and once inside tossed his clothes into the laundry basket before making his way over to his dresser. While he normally put a great deal of focus on what he was wearing, he grabbed the first comfortable clothes that he could find. Checkered red and black pajama pants that were comfortable and fit fairly loosely. The pajama shirt he'd grabbed matched his pants, and swiftly putting it on and buttoning it up he sighed.

`

Though he suspected that there might be another message from Skylar on his phone, Alex didn't go to look. Instead, he ran a hand through his damp hair, pulling it back and away from his face as he did so. Then, he flicked off the lights and made his way over to the bed. Grabbing his phone he set it down on the nightstand before he crawled onto the mattress and flopped down onto his back. His blue hues rested on the dark void of his ceiling above him as his eyes adjusted to the dark. Just when he'd started to make out the outline of where the walls of his room met the ceiling, he turned onto his side, tucking an arm under his head as he did so. Then, with a sigh escaping him he closed his eyes, hoping to get to sleep and forget about what had happened, the concerns, worries, and hurts that had been brought up, and of his conflicting emotions regarding Skylar and their... relationship.

It didn't take long before Sky was passed out on his bedroom floor. It felt pretty comfy to him, but he also just couldn't be bothered to move to his bed. All the thoughts erased his mind for the night, as he dreamed of nothing but a black hole.

.

The one and only thought that came back in the morning was, "do more." Sky slowly raised his head from the floor, before picking himself up, equally as slow. He then took a glance at his dresser before shaking his head. If he was going to do this again, he didn't want anybody to know, although many people would probably notice. He took a quick shower, making sure to wash all parts of him. Once he went to his dresser he threw on random things, such as a smile grey t-shirt and some black shorts. After he was dressed he grabbed his bag, picking 1 instead of 2 since 2 made him pass out last night. As much as he wanted to do 2, he had some self-control. From the moment he woke up to now, he had the choice to not do it again.... but he wanted to. This is what he was afraid of, one time could get you hooked and that's why he shouldn't have gone to the party. Since the party, it's always been a thought in the back of his mind and last night really got him. Before making his way to school, he quickly did it, sniffing every last bit of it. The effects hit him quickly again, but this time they were less strong, making him somewhat capable of school. He didn't stumble, but he walked a little slower than normal. He had also packed another one, just incase he would need it.

The night was a restless one for Alex, though his eyes were closed he lay awake for what felt like hours. He tossed and he turned, shifting from one position to another as he tried to sleep, and when sleep finally did find him, it wasn't a peaceful one. Instead, of dreaming or even having a dreamless sleep, he found himself trapped in the grips of a nightmare.

`

The kiss was warm, tender, and everything Alex had dreamed it would be. In that fleeting moment, the noisy chaos of the party faded into an indistinct blur. It was just him and Skylar, their lips locked in a world of their own making. The room seemed to shimmer with an otherworldly glow, the walls fading to a comforting white as if acknowledging the magic of their connection. Alex felt like he was floating, caught up in the euphoria of finally sharing this intimate moment with the guy he liked so much. But then, a faint cracking sound began to intrude, growing louder and more insistent. Alex tried to ignore it, clinging to the warmth of Skylar's kiss, but it was no use. The walls of the room started to tremble and shatter, pieces breaking away and falling into a void of darkness. The light dimmed, and a cold breeze swept through, carrying with it a chilling sense of foreboding.

`

Alex pulled back from the kiss, his heart pounding in confusion and fear. He opened his eyes, expecting to see Skylar's kind face, but instead found himself seated at a long, cold dining table. The air was thick with a musty, oppressive silence that seemed to press down on him from all sides. He looked around disoriented and his gaze landed on the figure at the other end of the table. His father sat there, rigid and unyielding, his eyes burning with a hatred that pierced through Alex's very soul. The room was stark and dimly lit, the shadows stretching and writhing as if alive, creeping closer with each passing second. The walls, now a sickly shade of gray, seemed to pulse and groan as if the house itself was alive and angry. "How could you?" His father spat, his voice low and venomous. The words echoed through the room, bouncing off the walls and stabbing into Alex's heart like icy daggers. "How could you do this to us? To this family? To me?" Alex wanted to speak, to explain, to plead for understanding but his throat was dry and his voice was lost in the thick, suffocating air. The room felt like it was closing in on him, the walls creeping closer, the shadows deepening, and the darkness threatening to swallow him whole.

`

The dining table began to splinter and crack, the wood groaning under some unseen pressure. His father's face twisted into a mask of fury and disgust, and he stood, the chair scraping across the floor with a jarring screech. He took a step towards Alex, and the room seemed to sharing, the walls closing in tighter and tighter. "You're a disgrace." His father hissed, his voice growing louder and more distorted as if coming from a great distance. "You don't belong here. You never did." The floor beneath Alex's feet started to crumble, the tiles falling away into an abyss that yawned open, ready to swallow him. He tried to move, to get away, but his legs were rooted to the spot, paralyzed with fear and despair. The shadows wrapped around him, cold and suffocating, pulling him down, down into the darkness.

`

With a final, desperate gasp, he woke up, drenched in sweat and shivering with fear. The memory of his father's hateful gaze lingered in his mind even as the rest of the nightmare began to fall away from him, retreating into the farthest recesses of his mind. With heart still thundering, and breathing still camping in hurried pants, Alex nearly jumped when the alarm of his phone went off. Slowly he turned his gaze toward it, a flash of disdain crossing his features before he grabbed it, and swiftly silenced the alarm.

`

Not wanting to stick around in the house any longer than necessary, Alex rushed to take another shower, before getting ready for school. Once dressed, he grabbed his phone from the nightstand, and swiftly descended the stairs, and started toward the front door. He could smell breakfast in the air and could hear the sound of gentle conversation as his parents and younger sister spoke. A flash of his father's expression from the nightmare, and any thought of even popping in to grab a slice of toast and offer greetings left. He didn't want to look at his father, his mother, or even his little sister.

`

Pausing at the door he slipped on his shoes and grabbed his back before making a hasty retreat outside and then down the steps. He doubted his parents had noticed he was up, if they had surely they would have called out to him, or even demanded he come back inside. The absence of their voices was a relief and comfort to Alex as he started down the sidewalk and toward the school.

((Okay sorry this one's so long, and how the last couple of paragraphs are absolute trash... >.>))

Sky breathed in the cool, but slightly warm morning air, feeling it go through him. Any sound whether that be birds or cars passing by sounded drowned out, he could mainly hear his breathing and his heart beating slowly. He felt himself walking slow so he picked up the pace. He felt himself start to sweat and become a bit anxious to see Alex. He never checked his phone in the morning to see if he had messaged him back, but he didn't care. Sky also began to worry a bit about Chris seeing him, Chris would definitely know the second he sees him. Sky told him that the party was a one-time thing since he was clean for a while before that. Chris would be so disappointed in him. The thought made him shake his head, being slightly disappointed in himself.

.

He arrived at school, not making eye contact with anyone but he kept his head up. He clenched his jaw as he made his way through the halls. When he passed a bathroom, he thought for just a second to go in there and take the second pill. He took a deep breath and walked past it, making his way to his first period. Growing a little more nervous he slumped down in his chair, leaning his head back slightly. He still breathed slowly, but his heart sped up just the tiniest bit. He then checked his pockets, making sure he had everything. Okay thank god. He had both his phone and the pill. He pulled out his phone and went on Pinterest just to scroll on it to pass some time by.

The morning sun cast long, slanting shadows across the school courtyard as Alex made his way through the throng of students. The echoes of his nightmare still clung to him, lingering like a dark cloud over his thoughts. The vivid image of his father's hateful glare was difficult to shake off, and it left a gnawing unease in the pit of his stomach. He hadn't eaten breakfast, the idea of food revolting to him after the fitful night.

`

As he entered the school hallway, the buzz of conversations and laughter of his peers seemed distant, muffled, as though he were moving through a dream. The walls of the school felt strangely narrow, pressing in on him, and amplifying his anxiety with each step he took. His gaze fell to the floor, avoiding the curious glances and friendly greetings that he felt too drained to acknowledge. Art class was his first stop of the day, a subject he usually found solace in, a place where he could lose himself in creativity and forget the troubles that haunted him. But today, even the thought of art couldn't lift his spirits. The familiar comfort of drawing and painting seemed hollow, an empty promise of distraction that he couldn't bring himself to believe in.

`

As he neared the art room, his steps slowed, weighed down by an uncomfortable mix of dread and apprehension. Skylar would be there. The same Skylar whose invitation to hang out he'd rejected, the same Skylar who had sent him texts that he'd ignored and still hadn't bothered to look at. Alex's heart clenched at the thought of seeing him, of facing the awkwardness and the unspoken tension that would undoubtedly hang between them.

`

He reached the door of the art room and hesitated, the hand hovering over the handle. The chatter from inside drifted out, mingling with the scent of paint and paper, a sensory reminder of the normalcy he desperately craved but couldn't find. Taking a deep breath, he steeled himself and pushed open the door. The room was a burst of colors and creativity, with students already settled at their easels and desks, absorbed in their work. Alex's eyes darted around, searching for Skylar, and he spotted him at the far end of the room, his phone in hand and his eyes fixed on whatever was on the screen. The sight sent a pang through Alex's chest, a sharp reminder of the connection he longed for but now felt slipping away because of the decisions he'd set in motion the night before.

`

Tearing his eyes from the male who he'd so quickly come to like, Alex made his way to his usual seat, avoiding eye contact with anyone, and set his bag down with a heavy sigh. He pulled out his sketchbook, but the blank page seemed to mock him, an expanse of emptiness that mirrored the hollow ache inside of him. He tried to focus, to lose himself in the act of drawing, but his thoughts kept drifting back to Skylar, the kiss, and the nightmare he'd only just had. The familiar rhythm of the art class felt distant and unattainable, a world that he couldn't quite reach today.

For a couple of minutes, Sky got lost into his phone. He scrolled endlessly, just scrolling for no reason. He wasn't even thinking of anything until he looked up to see Alex. His heart surprisingly didn't jump out of his chest, a pain ran through it instead. He looked at him with dilated pupils, not being aware of how his state was clearly noticeable. He stared for a while, thinking about everything that happened between them. From the kiss to the texts from last night, it was a lot for Sky. He shook his head and got up, stumbling a bit. The teacher was in the middle of talking to the class, so almost everybody looked at him. Though that was the least of his concerns, it still made him a bit nervous as he made his way to the door quickly. He went to the bathroom and didn't hesitate. Before he knew it the effects hit him even harder. He wiped his nose but didn't fully wipe it, leaving some residue. He made his way back to class slowly, using the wall as support so he wouldn't fall over. When he entered the room again, luckily everyone was doing their work but he still kept his eyes and head down. Once he sat down he slowly pulled out his phone and checked himself using his phone camera. His eyes drifted to the residue and he found himself quickly wiping it off. He then felt himself being sunken into his seat, and he leaned his head slightly back before giving Alex a quick glance.

No true vision presented itself to Alex as he continuously stared at the blank sheet of paper in front of him. He frowned and would have groaned aloud for all of the frustration he felt if the room wasn't full with his peers. After what seemed like ages, Alex finally settled on doing little more than doodles and very simple sketches. When a relative silence fell over the classroom, Alex looked up from his sketchbook. Following the gazes of several of the other students, he looked over his shoulder. Pausing he watched as Skylar stumbled while hastily trying to leave the room.

`

There was a knot of concern that settled in his chest and wouldn't leave, even after Skylar had left the room. It made it all the more difficult to focus on drawing, though Alex forced his hand to continue to move over the paper. His gaze remained there, on the parchment in front of him, only parting from it when he noticed Skylar reentering the room. The concern he felt upon seeing him stumble only seemed to grow, manifesting into something more, as he watched him move back over to his desk. Something was very obviously wrong, but what, exactly, that was, Alex wasn't sure. Even if he did know what was up, did he even have the right to go over and talk to him about it? Shaking his head he forced his gaze back to the paper and continued to sketch and doodle, lazily and half-heartedly drawing a variety of different things.

(this reply is not going to be good oh my)

Sky tried his best to keep his composure. He just wanted to go back to sleep and be alone, but he couldn't do that. Sky rested an elbow on his desk before resting his head in his hand. He looked at Alex, slightly wanting to go over to him, but he knew he shouldn't. Sky knew how this was going to end and he was just going to get himself hurt. But he wanted to try, he had a bit of hope this would work out. He turned his gaze to his desk and just stared at it. He brought his free hand up to rub his face. Sky couldn't keep a single thought in his brain, he didn't know how he was going to get through the school day being this high, he could barely walk. The class was almost over by now, which only made Sky's anxiety rise. He didn't know what to think, or what to do. Once he heard that bell ring, he stumbled up from his seat. "Oh fuck." He quietly muttered to himself. He bit his lip slightly before looking around the class. You got this, just try to act normal. He began to walk, starting off well. But as soon as he made it to the door he had to hold the door extra hard so he didn't fall. Once he got fully into the halls it was much worse, but when he thought about it he didn't really care if any of the students noticed. Sky was more worried about the teachers, and then his mom knowing, he didn't want to get sent to rehab. As he walked through the halls he made sure to stick to the wall, basically hugging it so he wouldn't fall. He then made a quick decision and went into the bathroom to sit down for a moment.

Alex forced himself to focus on what he was drawing, each line and stroke of his pencil. The sound of the lead on the parchment, the image's, however fleeting, in his mind. Nothing else mattered nothing else could matter, not if he wanted to have at least an hour of relative peace and serenity. Aside from a few occasions where his thoughts wandered back to Skylar, the majority of the time he spent in the class, was enjoyable. So when the sound of the bell rang, the faint smile of concentration he'd had on his lips disappeared. He set his pencil down and leaned back in his seat, momentarily watching as the other students gathered their things together.

`

If he were being honest, he would have loved to remain there seated at that desk, in the quiet and peaceful confines of the art room for the remainder of the day. Unfortunately, he had a handful of other classes to attend, none he liked quite as much as art. So, albeit with some reluctance, he closed his sketchbook and set it in his bag before dropping the pencil in alongside it. With a sigh, he pushed himself to his feet and slipped his backpack over his shoulder before turning and stepping toward the door of the classroom. It was then that he paused, his blue eyes landing on the retreating form of Skylar who had just stepped out of the room and into the hallway.

`

Again, his chest clenched at the sight of the male, and again he wondered if maybe he shouldn't at least try talking to him. Wouldn't it be better if he gave the guy some kind of explanation rather than just ghost and cut him off? With a shake of his head, he drew in a breath and looked down. He'd have to give that more thought, and if he did decide to do it, then he'd wait until they were at work, or alone. The last place he'd want to have that conversation was anywhere on the school grounds.

`

Forcing his feet to move, Alex headed toward the door and out into the hallway. He cast his gaze down and toward the tiled floor as he walked, expertly slipping through the crowd as he did so. Because his gaze was rooted to the ground beneath his feet, he missed the sight of Skylar leaning up against the wall of the hallway, as if using it as some kind of crutch, as he walked. Nor had he seen him slip into the bathroom, if he had he likely would have talked himself into going to check in on him, to ensure he was alright.