Lost in Hollywood

Disgusting Crap

I'm in Sky's room. I'm here. I'm really here—

For a couple of heartbeats, Eli was almost crushed by the enormity of that thought. He hadn't been here in months, not since before their date at the Tattoo Parlor - which had effectively ruined everything - and now every fucking memory of every fucking time he'd been in this room, swarmed his mind overriding every other thought.

He walked in, barely even noticing the people gathered in the room - Yas, Sam, and Devon. The only thing he had eyes for, was Sky's bed— the fucking enormous four-poster bed that still looked like it was ripped out of the cover of a romance novel or teleported from a Queen's bedroom.

That fucking bed—

His throat grew tight and he had to look away. Too many memories there, memories that pierced his chest like daggers. Sky dying, lying in her own vomit. Sky crying her eyes out, her clothes, her hands, her sheets covered in Cody's blood—

But other kinds of memories too, memories that slipped into his mind all too easily, turning the tightness of his chest into something hot and restless. He had spent nights in that bed, Sky's soft, hot skin melting against his, her arms snaking around his neck, her breathless sighs like heavenly music in his ears, and— and God, I can't start thinking about that now, fucking hell, I have things to do.

"That's the laptop," Sky said, pointing at the black MacBook on her desk. Eli tore himself back into the moment, blocking the stream of memories before it could carry him with it. He cleared his throat, which still felt too thick. The laptop. Right.

Sky had placed it on her desk, and as Eli took a look at it, it was impossible not to notice all the little things around it, the things that made this Sky's room, all so painfully familiar to him. The statue of David that Sky used as a jewelry rack. Necklaces and bracelets hang from David's neck - making him look more than a bit gay - and among them the one Cody had given her, the one that said Fearless and therefore powerful. The piles of books around the laptop, pushed aside to make room for it - Cloud Atlas, The Name of the Rose, Anna Karenina - and Sky's green, leather-covered notebook Eli knew she used as a diary, the one she'd poured her soul into, on the days and weeks after Cody's death. He still didn't know what she had written on it, and half wanted to, but then again, maybe it was better if he never found out. There were photos and postcards stuck on the wall behind the desk - Kat and Sky in many pictures; laughing in front of Fontana di Trevi, holding a capoeira trophy together, eating ice cream sundaes at a cafe, posing with Sky's Dad and what must have been Kat's family (Eli recognized Paulo in the picture), all wearing matching Christmas sweaters. And next to that one, was a polaroid of a boy with neon yellow hair, piercings on his face, and a wide, wolfish grin, whom Eli knew to be Luke, even if they had never met.

And Cody— of course, Cody. There were several pictures of him too, that looked like they were from a professional photo shoot. He stared through the camera into Eli's soul, his delicate face all serious, his eyes wide and dark, as if he was looking into the last minutes of his life, as if he knew what end awaited him. As if he was already holding the gun in one hand, and Sky's heart in the other—

Suddenly choked up, Eli drew his eyes off the photos, and turned his attention back to the laptop. That's what he was here for. Not this, this sickening mess of emotions that being back in this room caused him.

"So, what's the problem?" Eli asked, his voice a bit dry and hoarse, as he tapped softly on the touchpad so that the screen lit up. "Can't get in?"

"I mean—" Sky cleared her throat, and pointed at a piece of paper on the desk next to the laptop. "We thought we had his password, but I guess he changed it."

Eli had almost forgotten about Demetri, and was only now reminded of his presence as Demetri picked up the small piece of paper and said: "Oh, so PussyFister69 did not work? I'm shocked."

"PussyFister69?" Eli frowned, slightly disgusted. "That— sounds like Kyler. You sure you typed it right?"

"Yes, I'm sure I typed it right," Sky snapped. "And I tried the other ones too. None of them worked."

Demetri's brows shot up on his high forehead as he took another look at the list. "VaginalWizard? 4nalDevastator? That's—"

"Please stop saying them out loud. You sound disgusting," Sighed Yasmine, making Demetri shut up mid-sentence.

Eli turned to glance at Yasmine, only now truly noticing her presence. Yas was sitting on Sky's bed - next to Devon and Sam, that weird group of friends that only now started to make sense to Eli. Her long, denim-covered legs were crossed at the ankles as she was leaning her back on the headrest and observing her sharp, blood-red nails as if they were more interesting than anything that was happening in the room - Demetri included.

So Yasmine was in this conspiracy too? Eli hadn't been that surprised to hear that Sky had wanted to take the justice into her own hands, and Sam was fiercely righteous too - annoyingly so sometimes. But Yas? Just the fact that she had been able to keep a thing like this a secret from Demetri, was more than Eli had thought she was capable of.

But what the fuck did he know? This whole conspiracy was fucking impressive and badass and he couldn't help but feel like a complete loser in comparison. While he'd been busy sitting on his ass and feeling sorry for himself, these girls had come up with a plan to make Kyler pay for all the shit he had put them through.

Because that's what this no doubt was about. Sky wanted to find dirt on Kyler, and what better way to do it, than to steal his laptop? Eli had no doubt that all kinds of disgusting crap was hidden in it - disgusting crap that could be very useful for someone who hated his guts.

"Do you actually know how to break into a computer?" Sky asked, taking a seat on the edge of her bed, next to Sam. "Like... is it even possible, without a password?"

"Sure, it's possible," Eli said, turning his eyes back to the laptop. He pulled himself a chair and took a seat, laying his fingers on the keyboard. "Might take some time, though."

Some time— that was probably an understatement. More likely, it would take a lot of time, and he wondered how much they had. His mind was already going through the options of how it could be done, and something like excitement stirred in his gut in front of the puzzle.

He was vaguely aware of the fact that his whole future with Sky might depend on how this night went, but he tried not to let himself think about that. What this came down to, was simple problem-solving. And he was pretty fucking good at problem-solving. This was just another puzzle to crack, just like any other they'd thrown at him and Demetri at Computer Camp all those summers.

And when had the Binary Brothers ever lost a challenge?

Never.

Eli had never thought the nerd skills that had granted him and Demetri the first prize at the Computer Camp so many times, could get him anywhere with girls, but hey, what the Hell, maybe there was a first time for everything?

With that thought in his mind, Eli got to work.

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A short one, but just because I decided to cut the chapter in two. The next half is almost ready too, so I hope it won't be another month before my next update.

Thanks for being here, and for not giving up on me or this fic. It does mean everything to me. Thank you for your kind words and for your support.