SO BAD [MXM] [MAFIA]

16: MYSTERIOUS WOMAN

The first morning waking up in Ashton's house, Skylar is quite disoriented. It takes a solid minute for everything to come back to him, but when it does, he really just wants to go back to sleep.

Yesterday has to have been one of the unluckiest days of Skylar's life, and that's saying something. How the hell did he not only lose his car, but also his house, in the span of a day? How on earth is he going to go anywhere? Is he going to have to quit his job? He might, because he refuses to rely on Ashton for anything more than he strictly has to.

He should probably just call his manager or something, right? Apologize for being so unreliable and ask for more hours? It's the only way he could possibly save money to get another car, but then there's the problem of getting to work. He has no idea how he would be able to deal with that. Maybe he could just take the bus, but that would get expensive after a while. At least, for a ride so far out of the city. He does not have that kind of money, and would rather not spend any unnecessary cash since he's saving.

Skylar sighs, pulling out his phone and deciding to just text his manager that he's able to be put back on the schedule. He also adds that he can work full time, despite school starting soon. It's not like he plans on actually showing up to school all that much, since he won't even have a car and the buses don't go out this far. Also, it's not like he has any reason to anymore. He doesn't have to deal with his father's wrath, and he never planned on going to college anyway. It's not like his dad would've paid for it, despite being fully capable. He sure paid for Jessie's, though.

Skylar was pretty bad about going to work there for a while, but now he has motivation, so hopefully his manager doesn't hold it against him. They've always gotten along really well, despite all Skylar's problems. The people who like him stand out, since most don't.

Skylar pockets his phone after that, stretching before swinging his legs over the side of the bed. He blinks a few times, trying to figure out what he's going to do today. Well, right now he's hungry, and Ashton did tell him yesterday that there's food in the fridge if he wants any, so... anything to save money.

Skylar exits the room in his pajamas, which basically consists of flannel pants and a t-shirt. He walks down the hallway and begins to make his way down the stairs, but then he hears voices. One is obviously Ashton, but the other is a female voice that Skylar has never heard in his life.

"I don't care, we're not doing it," Skylar hears the woman say, and she sounds irritated. Skylar takes a seat on the steps so he can eavesdrop, not minding his business because that would be stupid.

"I'm not disobeying direct orders."

"Who gives a shit about orders when there will be this kind of fallout?" The lady asks, and she sounds deeply frustrated and upset. "Do you have no moral compass? This just isn't ethical."

Ashton's voice sounds really strange when he talks. It sounds entirely devoid of emotion, the warmth that Skylar is used to hearing—that he didn't even realize was there—completely gone. He sounds kind of... scary. Intimidating. "There is no room for ethics in the work of an accorder."