DT Serum, Primary Testing In Progress

Ashton shook his head. "Don't really watch TV, other than the cooking channel with my brother."

"You watch cooking channels with your brother?" she asked, curious.

Ashton nodded. "Yeah." That was all he said to that. Ashton saw no need to elaborate.

"So... what does he like to cook?" Maralyn tried to push.  "Or does he just watch and is actually a terrible cook?"

Ashton frowned. "He's an amazing cook! And why do you wanna know? It's not like you'll ever meet him, or get to taste his awesome cooking." He said defensively.

Maralyn glared at him and said tightly, "I'm trying to help you, you jerk!  I'm trying to find a topic you'll talk about instead of sitting there like a bump on log!"

Ashton was already a bit worked up, and calling him a jerk didn't help. "Well maybe it's your fault for making me feel like that!" He snapped back, scowling at her. "Maybe if you got off your damn high horse, you could be a halfway acceptable human being!"

It was right about then that the waitress returned with their orders.  Maralyn stood, took the tray, and dumped the whole lot over Ashton's head.  "I can't believe I ever let that little scumbag talk me into going out with a boring, inexperienced, unfeeling, uncaring sack of crap like YOU!"  She turned and stalked off.

Ashton stared at Maralyn in startled shock as she left, covered in food. Numbly, he hastily paid the bill, muttering an apology to the waitress before he headed straight home, managing to hold back his tears until he was almost there. He went straight upstairs and into his room, crying. Ashton tore the soiled shirt off and threw it onto the wall before he sank onto his bed, sobbing.

Lex heard the commotion and came out of his room, heading into Ashton's.  He didn't knock, just walked in.  "Ashton, what's wrong?"  He sat on the bed next to Ashton.  Was he.... Oh, Crap!  Ashton was crying!  Lex had never seen Ashton cry.  He frantically tried to look him over for injuries without manhandling him too much.  "Ash, what happened?  Who did it?  What did they do?"

Through his sobs, Ashton told Lex what had happened, from asking Tramp for advice to the practice date to how uneasy he felt the whole time, to finally Maralyn calling him an uncaring and unfeeling sack of crap and throwing food at him. There was no physical injury, but rather an emotional one that was not visible.

Lex wasn't normally sentimental, but... this was Ashton.  He pulled Ashton around and hugged him, nearly pulling him into his lap.  "I'm sorry," he said simply.

Ashton leaned into his best friend and continued to sob. He never really took insults well, but this felt the worst yet. "What's wrong with me?" He whimpered. "I can't even talk to anyone besides you without slipping up or making a damn fool or myself."

Lex patted his back gently.  "I know what you mean," he admitted.  "I think it's just... us.  We're... we're freakin' Fort Knox when it comes to outsiders.  I don't know what to tell you, except that she's a fat w-hor.  Want me to pin her down and shave her head?"

Ashton sniffled but said nothing to that. Lex could do whatever he wanted. "I just.... I feel done. All I wanted was to be happy like how Layla makes you happy, or Kat and True, or even Geena and Doctor Dad. I just.... I just feel like I'm the odd man out in this house sometimes."

Lex paused, frowning as he pulled Ashton back enough to look at his face.  "You really feal that way?"

Ashton looked down guiltily. "Sometimes, yeah." He said softly but honestly.

Lex gripped the back of Ashton's neck and drew him close so their foreheads touched.  "Dude.  That's a load of crap.  You don't need a girl to be happy.  I was happy long before I ever met Layla.  I was happy because you and me were safe and had a place to be.  I was happy because I could change and be better.  I was happy... because I had you.  You're my second, Ash.  I'd rather lose Layla than you, not that I want to lose her, but if I had to chose.  You get my drift?"

Ashton closed his eyes and hugged Lex close. "Lex... you my best friend. You're like a brother to me. No joke, I would probably be long dead without you." He said quietly, but it seemed Lex did make him feel a bit better.

"You saved my life, Ash," Lex said quietly, holding Ashton close.  "I was giving up before I found you.  Then making you live gave me purpose.  I can't ever thank you for that, and I'd sound like an ars if I tried.  You are my brother."

Ashton held Lex a little tighter, silently saying he needed Lex as much, and that he too was his brother.

Finally, Lex gently shoved Ashton away.  "And if you tell anyone about this, I will deny it to my last breath!"  He glared at Ashton, the faintest of smiles lurking on his face.

Ashton smiled a little and laughed softly. "I won't say anything. You know that by now." He wiped the remaining dampness from his face. "I... I should take a shower, huh?" He sighed a little. "I just... I don't want everyone else to know how badly I f-ed up just yet..."

"From what I hear, dating takes practice, just like anything else," Lex shrugged, "but what I think is... When you meet the right one, you're still going to f-k it up, but it's going to be different.  They might get upset, but they'll forgive you, maybe just laugh it off."

Ashton sighed. "I hope so. That.... that felt awful, and humiliating."