Show Me The World

"So you'll be ready by 7?" Casper asks impatiently.

"Yes." Sky responds for what feels like the hundredth time. Cass has been pestering him since they got on the bus home.

"What if I'm a tiny bit early though?" Cass bounces on the balls of his feet and Sky knows there’s more to this than he’s letting on.

"I'll be ready, Cass. Don't worry about me,” Sky steps forward and places his hands on his nervous friends shoulders, “I'll be ready and you'll be perfect.” That’s it, Sky thinks, Cass is panicking. “I'll see you at 7, yeah?"

Cass nods gratefully and slips his arms around Sky’s torso. Sky hugs him back just as tightly, reassuring him the best he can. Loosening his hold until they break apart, Sky pats Cass' side and pushes him in the direction he needs to go. He walks forward, only to turn back before he disappears around the corner.

“7, yeah?” Cass calls.

“Go!” Sky laughs back, waving and then turns to leave.

As he walks, Sky looks at his watch. 16:14. With enough time, he decides to takes a leisurely stroll home, instead of the brutal pace he usually steps to. He passes the small green, stopping to watch two dogs run through the longest grass on the farthest edge from him. Looking again at the time, he moves on along the road, waving to the maintenance guy when he passes the care home he volunteers at on a Sunday.

Finally Sky reaches home. Uncaring, he kicks off his shoes and drops his bag by the front door, quickly collapsing onto the sofa with a heavy thunk. He sits with his head laid against the back of the sofa, his arms dead weight at his sides. For the first time in a long time, Sky sits and simply breathes. His mind has been so crowded and over worked, distracted, it’s lucky his body is functioned to breathe for him. He’d probably forget to do so otherwise.

Not to aggravate Casper later on, Skyler rises from the sofa and scuttles into the kitchen. He rummages through the cupboards, the refrigerator and the freezer, coming up empty on his hunt for something greasy and unhealthy. Pizza. I really want pizza. Seeing that the kitchen is bare of anything of the sort, he resorts to the leftover spaghetti bolognaise his sister brought over the day before last. Lifting the lid, he gives it a good sniff before deciding its edible and chucks it in the microwave to reheat it. Next he puts his mind to grating the almost complete block of cheese to give him the extra calories his body is desperately craves. Waiting for the ping, Skyler opens the door; he transfers the spaghetti into a new ceramic bowl and mixes in the cheese.

With his parents absent, probably still at work, Sky allows himself the luxury of eating in the living room. Turning on the TV, he grabs the remote and sinks onto the sofa. Flicking to the music channels — when did he last watch an entire TV show, never that’s when — he settles on Kerrang! TV. It’s a showcase of a rising band, Death Comes Screaming, in amongst videos of his long time favourites, Black Veil Brides. Being totally out of the loop, getting by on the gossip Casper drops him, it looks like Death Comes Screaming are supporting Black Veil Brides on their mammoth upcoming US tour that just happens to cross over to England. Probably won’t be able to go. He sits bobbing his head singing as much as his mouthful of spaghetti will allow to Black Veil Brides; the lyrics return to him like second nature, engrained into his brain deeper than anything from his chemistry textbooks. The song changes to Death Comes Screaming, the voices and music not as easy on the ear and the lyrics not as meaningful to him. The blonde singer also has a look in his eye that makes Sky feel uneasy.

Finishing his meal, Sky lumbers back into the kitchen with a full belly and deposits his bowl and cutlery in the sink. Later, he’ll do the dishes. He looks down at himself; he hasn’t been out in so long, he hardly knows what to do with himself. Deciding that a shower is the best course of action, Sky ascends the stairs into the bathroom turning on the shower, he leaves it to rise to temperature whilst running to his room. He shucks off his clothes and grabs his towels from the radiator. With the sound knowledge he’s alone in the house, he forgoes covering himself on his journey back across the hall. Locking the door out of habit, he jumps under the now hot spray of water from the shower head.

For the longest time, Skyler just stands under the spray, letting the warmth massage his tired body. He washes his hair and lathers his body with soap. Once finished, fresh and clean, he resumes standing under the water, his fingers and toes pruning in the prolonged exposure. Letting the water smother his face, a loud banging on the door shocks him back to reality.

“Skyler!” he hears his mother’s shrill voice yell through the door — mighty glad he locked the door after all, “How long have you been in there?”

He’s in the shower, how is he meant to know... “What time is it?”

“It’s 5.45pm, you know this is the time I get home form the hospital.”

Swearing under his breath, then apologising to his mother, he turns off the water. His skin pimples in the suddenly cold air and jumps out of the tub. He wraps one towel around his lithe hips and one over his shoulders to catch the water dropping from his hair.

Unhappy his peaceful solitude has been interrupted he’s dreading leaving the quiet of the bathroom. Sighing, he unlocks the door, only to be confronted by the stern face of his mother.

“You also need to do your washing up; I assume you’re forgoing a family meal tonight.” It's more of a statement than a question and she gives Sky no time to respond as she bustles past him into the bathroom. An audible click echoes as the lock closes.

Skyler is a rather sad sight stood in the hall in only a towel after being scolded by his mother rather than being asked how his day at college was. Shaking it off, he returns to his room, shutting the door carefully instead of slamming it like he really wants to behind him. To stop him crying over the tone in his mother’s voice, he rummages through his bedside drawer for his beat up old iPod — Casper had given it to him when he had upgraded after a particularly well paying gig. He plugs it into the equally beat up docking station, another hand me down from Cass. To get himself into the mood, he selects the play list Casper had put together for him. Apparently he was no fun and the music selected for him would make him so.

With the music humming around the room, Skyler decides he needs to get ready quick, he’s freezing stood just in a towel. He starts by drying himself and his hair, mussing it gently with a bit of product. Not sure of what to wear, he fires off a quick text to Casper asking him. He receives one back almost immediately, probably Cass had been expecting the text so had already thought about it.

Those uber tight skinnies and that cute BVB shirt I got you. Roll up the jeans, you know to the ankle, with your Vans, hot. And don’t worry about a jacket, you can wear my leather one.

Well, Casper has everything sorted it seems, so Skyler gets to work. He pulls out the clothes Cass suggested and gets dressed. Throwing his shoes on the bed to put on last, he grabs his school bag and pulls out his wallet to throw it beside the shoes. Over to the side, he catches his reflection in the full length mirror on the back of his door. It surprises him to see himself so well put together, usually he’s too tired to care about his appearance. He finds his phone and checks the time before putting it beside his wallet and shoes. 18:32.

With half an hour to kill, Skyler turns the music up and has a little dance around his room. It’s been ages since he last let himself do something other than school work and it feels so good! Interrupting him again is a loud banging on his door. Without permission his door opens, no lock to stop it, and his mother storms in.

“What is with this racket? I’ve had such a long day, all I want is some peace and quiet when I get home!” She stops ranting and takes in Skyler’s appearance. “Why are you so dressed up, where are you going on a school night? You should be studying.”

“Mum, I’ve been studying every day for weeks! Cass has this really important gig and I want to go and support him.” Sky ducks his head, already knowing she won't like his answer.

“I do not like that Casper boy and you know it." She huffs, "You never asked my permission to go either, Skyler.”

With his head still stooped, he whispers, “You weren’t home.”

She gawps, surprisingly flummoxed, “And why is that; because I was out partying with my friends? No, Skyler, I was at work saving lives!"

“I know that, Mum!" And he really does, she won't let him forget, "I just thought, I’ve worked so hard at college I could have a night off for once.”

Folding her arms across her chest stubbornly, she glares, “I work hard every day and never get a night off.”

He tries to stop himself from being a smartarse but his brain to mouth filter falters, "That’s because you’re probably working then too.”

“Pardon.” She snarls, her teeth gritted and jaw locked.

“Nothing.” Sky backtracks, hoping to avoid any further wrath.

“You’re not going, Skyler, and that's the last I will hear of it.” She turns to leave, her back to him as he cries out.

“No, Mum, you can't do that!”

She turns back furiously, “You are under my roof and therefore you will abide by my rules. You are not going.”

A beeping car horn ricochets through the wall from outside and they both look to the window. Skyler’s mother walks over to see Casper hanging out the car window waving. He stops when he realises it's her instead of Sky. She turns back to Skyler, “Get rid of him.”

“I’m going, Mum, I can study tomorrow,” he grabs his shoes, wallet and phone from his bed, “and the day after,” he leaves his room before she can follow, still shouting back to her, “and the day after that!”

He runs down the stairs, in just his socks, and out the house, this time purposely slamming the door behind him. He hears his mother calling out his now open bedroom window, but he ignores her as he slips into the waiting car. Cass takes Sky’s things from his hands and holds them as he finally puts his shoes on. Sky pulls across his seatbelt and sits deathly still staring forward.

"Wanna talk about it?" Casper asks carefully. Sky shakes his head, no.

Cass picks up his jacket from beside his feet and puts Sky's phone and wallet in the pocket, so he doesn't have to worry. He taps Ryan, the bands drummer and the only one that can actually drive so far, on the shoulder telling him to drive.

Notes

Second chapter within the month, that is gooooood for me!
I hope you enjoy this deeper in look into Skyler's life.
Comment my lovelies!