"Madi, listen to me carefully," I nodded my head slowly, showing I was trying my best to focus.

"You just ate nine weed brownies.."

I blinked once.

Twice.

I didn't taste any drugs in those brownies.

I began to laugh an ugly laugh, a terribly concerning one, probably quite scary to watch. I laughed and laughed, my sides twisting up in anguish but still didn't stop.

I didn't stop laughing, in fact, until I began to cry! Once the crying started, I knew there would be no recovery. Full on sobs racked through my body with breaks of laughter every few moments. The scene had gone from scary to a nightmare now.

It was official,

I had to try and leave the premises before things got uglier.

(if possible)

I made a start for the door, silencing my sobs enough so that I could see. Ashton stepped in front of me, however, blocking my glorious view of the red door. I had expected him to ask me where I was going, as usual, and tell me why I wasn't. but instead, he directed his angry glare towards Marco.

He let out a low growl, and pulled me along side him back over to where his brother stood.

"I told you to watch her Marco, instead you follow me up to interferire con il mio lavoro ." His gaze was stern and I was sure I didn't want to know what his sentence implied. Or did I?

"Goin' out on a limb here but I'm just gonna say you're both a little bit angry," I pouted,

"So If you need to talk to someone, I'm here." I decided, nodding off all the weird events of the day.

He let out a cold laugh, mocking me in a way, before he shifted his glare back to Ashton.

"Do not place your blame on me, Scar. I will not babysit your innocent piccola puttana!"

Marco's complete serious face sent chills down the wrong spinal cord or perhaps the way Ashton lunged at him, claiming his airway as his own.

"I have to go! Actually Ash. I have somewhere I promised to be and I wouldn't want to break a promise." I spat out, digging my hands in my hair. "You guys be safe." I added quickly, making a beeline for the door.

"Where?" His gaze snapped to mine and I quickly debated over telling him it was a family issue, school, or the truth.

Eenie Meenie miney m-

"Nash is having a dinner party," I swallowed hard trying to think of why. "Announcing something important." I covered my face, frustrated with my lack of ability to form a sentence.

His gaze softened and he finally stepped away from his brother, dropping his grip. He looked as if he was formulating a great plan to somehow detoxify my body in the next hour. Without even uttering so much as a word, he grabbed me by my hand and dragged me up the stairs with Marco not far behind.

We took a couple turns through the vast hallway I'd never seen, and arrived at a bathroom.

Incredible!

"Eyedrops."

Ashton instructed, reaching over me to grab them from Marco.

"Look up little one."

Happy to oblige, he quickly dropped the liquid into each eye, causing me to jump both times from the cold splash.

Studying my eyes for a moment, he let out a sigh and slid his hands down his face.

Hot

"Do we have sunglasses?" He spoke with great hope in his tone as he turned to his brother.

"It's night-time!" Marco chuckled, stopping abruptly when he noticed Ashton's not so joking expression.

Only to be DISAPPOINTED.

why is there a dramatized play going on in my head again?

"Look at her eyes, fratello!"

Marco turned to me, assessing my eyes the careful way Ashton had before.

They are no pearly blue, but they'll do.

Am I a rapper? Call me Snoop?

He shook his head the entire way as he left the bathroom, head hanging lowly.

Had I said that aloud?

$

"Okay, are you sure you're ready for this? No more random, outbursts." He lazily drug his thumb along my bottom lip, "Just try really hard to focus on what sober you would say." Ashton whispered into my lips.

Oh I'm focused alright.

I licked my lips, only removing my gaze as he slowly backed away with a knowing smirk.

Oh, right, I mean lets be completely honest here, I'm never really sober--I'm high on life. It's a trip you know, living everyday for a seemingly meaningless purpose. Where does motivation come in? How do you expect-

"Do you remember how to greet people?" Ashton's voice snapped me back into reality and I realized we were now walking up the steps to Nash's house.

How did I not know that?

"Hello, I'm Madison." I smiled brightly, giving my best Ms. America cup-shell hand wave.

"Right.. except everyone here already knows who you are.." He looked over at me with his best worried-not-trying-to-worry-you-face.

"Right." I shot him the same look in return.

Hopefully they have brownies!

Kidding.

unless..