SO BAD [MXM] [MAFIA] ✓

14: GUILTY UNTIL INNOCENT

"Shit," Skylar can't help but mumble under his breath. His dad is never home in the middle of the day, and he also never has two days off in a row. Something had to have made him come back. What, though? Skylar has no idea, all he knows is that it causes a sinking feeling in his gut. He has a bad feeling about this.

"What?" Ashton asks. Skylar can't help the fear that's visible on both his face and in his voice. Seriously, there is no way this is good.

"My dad," Skylar says absentmindedly, grabbing his bag and not even waiting for a response. He doesn't even thank Ashton for the ride, mostly because he doesn't deserve it. The guy basically threatened him into it, so whatever.

Skylar walks towards the door hastily, not wanting to draw this out any further than he needs to. He opens the door and enters the house with basically no hesitation, and as soon as he enters the building, is met with none other than the sight of Vince. The man is standing in the middle of the living room, and Danica is seated on the couch behind him.

There's only one thing that is immediately catching Skylar's attention, however, and it's the familiar shoebox in his father's hands.

This may be worse than Skylar thought.

"How long?" Is all Vince says, and his voice is eerily calm. It still has a punch to it, still sets Skylar on edge. He almost prefers it when his father is yelling at him. This is way worse, because it implies that he has already gone through every stage of anger. It means he's reached a conclusion, a peace.

It means he's already made up his mind.

"W-What, uh..." Skylar doesn't even know what to say. Should he just confess right now? He really doesn't want to, though. For some reason, he still doesn't want to face the fact that his father knows. He knows. He fucking— someone knows. "What to you mean?"

"How long have you been addicted to cytozine, Skylar?" He asks, and his voice sounds far more angry this time. Oh, Skylar is so fucked. How did it never cross his mind that someone could find his supply? Skylar feels really stupid for it now, but that seriously never crossed his mind. He hardly even tried to hide the box of his biggest secret.

"Uh, um, that... uh, that actually belongs to a friend—"

"Do not lie to me."

Oh, Skylar is in some deep shit. Seriously, he is not seeing a way out of this. Sure, Vince gave him two things that would mean immediate eviction: a hospital visit or a failed class. However, that by no means was specified to be the only things. No, there is definitely far more that Vince would kick him out for. Being addicted to such a serious drug could very well be enough.

"Since I was fifteen." Skylar finally admits, and Vince narrows his eyes on him. He watches the guy's gaze flick over Skylar's shoulder, towards the window that has a perfect view of the driveway. His eyebrows furrow slightly, and he looks back at his son.

"Where's your car?"

Oh, and Skylar didn't think it could get worse. He somehow forgot about his car theft for a minute there. He's beginning to lose more and more hope by the second.

"It got stolen."

"Stolen," Vince repeats plainly. Skylar begins to realize that he needs to choose his words carefully if he wants any hope of escaping this situation without being homeless.

"Yeah, uh, I had no idea. I mean, I was just... in the store. Yeah, and when I left it was gone. No idea who took it."

Unfortunately, Vince can see right through him. Skylar has gotten in a lot of trouble over the years. His mother used to say that he was not a 'beginner level child', and it only took a few years for him to grow old enough to realize what that actually meant. He knows he hasn't always been the easiest to deal with, but lately he really has been trying.