Jared had already made quite the impression, even though he had been inside of the residence for only a few minutes. He was happy with himself outwardly but internally, he was unhappy with the person that he have become after being away for so long. His gaze bounced over toward Sutton, who sat there rather quietly, not that he wanted her to talk or anything because he did not really know her all that well but still, wonders why she was so silent. His eyes flashed back over toward Trinity, who had answered his question in typical Trinity fashion. Jared rolled his eyes, still leaned back in his seat with his hands clasped over his lap.

Rin had gotten up to leave once the doorbell rang again and he just scoffed and shrugged his shoulders while leaning up and grasped the champagne bottle around its neck then leaned back again. ”Whatever.” He’d mutter under his breath and took a big swig from the bottle of champagne then dropped it from his lips and wiped his mouth with his sleeve. People were coming in and going out repeatedly and some he recognized and others he didn’t. Jared just continued to stay in his seat and drink directly from the bottle until someone he knew would enter the premises. Of course, as the old saying goes, be careful what you wish for because Jared got it.

It was his brother from another mother that had greeted him upon his entry and his question made Jared raise a slight brow. He stood up so that he didn’t feel so towered over by Nas and walked over toward him, still with the champagne bottle in his hand. ”Yeah, it’s me. What’s up?” He’d ask whenever he went over to stand beside the person that he was the closest with, well besides Shailene, and the person that almost damaged him by continuously giving him drugs. Though, Jared had to share the blame because he did keep going to Nas to feel some type of way besides the way that he was feeling at the time.

”You sounded surprise to see me here. Didn’t think that I’d come or something?” He’d ask, recalling his greeting from a few moments ago as he had a brow raised up slightly toward him. An assortment of emotions swept through Nas all at once: elation that he was seeing a face he had honestly not anticipated though wanted to see, a rush of anger he had never known he had felt until the second Jared spoke, and hurt that he knew for a fact he’d buried damn near four years ago. Still, though Nas was Nas, and though he felt such torrent feelings, he ultimately stuck to the first: elation.

”Um, yeah,” he exhaled on a chuckle, taking the last step that separated them to give his old friend - no, his brother - a side hug, followed by a sharp clap on the back as he took in this new...really new version of Jared. ”Last I checked, you were - shit, where the hell have you been, man? Didn’t even think you’d know about what happened to Matthew, let alone actually come all the way out.” There was that hurt again, this irrational surge of it because after all these years, Jared just finally showed up. The one person he’d been missing - the second person to just abandon him after he was supposed to have been family - and the guy shows up, and it’s not even really to see him. Not to explain why he ran away, not to see Nas. It was for a dead guy neither of them liked. How the hell else did one feel when they came to such a conclusion?

Jared made a small facial expression at the side hug, which he did not return. All that mushy-gushy stuff did not sit right with him anymore. He lost those feelings long ago. He nearly took a small step forward with the clap on his back then looked up toward Nas, composing himself once they broke apart from each other. ”I’ve been here. I’ve been there. Never really stayed anywhere for too long.” He lied through his teeth before he’d shrug at his last statement. Of course, he heard, it posted on everyone’s social media, which he occasionally took sneak peeks of because of nostalgia feels. ”Yeah. Heard it through the grapevines. Why wouldn’t I have come, Nas? I am not that terrible of a person.”

Jared fully responded then just thought about how close him and Nas really could’ve been before he had disappeared without a trace a few years back. He did not really like Matthew after Shailene was taken from him right underneath his nose. That might’ve been Matthew’s plan all along, or so he thought. Speaking of Shailene, he had wondered where she was and if she was going to make an appearance. Jared cannot imagine what she must be going through right about now but felt for her a little bit. Only a little bit, not much.

Here and there? That’s what Jared decided to stick with. Nas wasn’t the most emotive guy on the block; he knew that about himself. On most days, people assumed that he only had one emotion and that was growly. He didn’t think that was the case, but it was whatever. You can’t change people’s minds. But Jared’s blase attitude about literally being probably everywhere but where Nas would have wanted him had him shoot the other guy an incredulous look. Nas didn’t bother mentioning how empty the hug they shared had felt. ”No...nah, man, I wouldn’t say you are,” he said slowly, carefully, unsure about how to navigate this new territory he found himself in with someone he thought would feel a bit more familiar. This didn’t feel familiar; he might as well have been talking to a complete stranger.

”So, what have you been up to? Still in the drug dealing biz?” Jared asked almost a little too loud for anyone that was around them to hear. He had chugged back a few gulps from the champagne bottle again after he had asked. Jared partaking in alcohol reminded Nas of the shots he swore he was having while stuck in this house, but the question made him long for the burn even more. ”No, actually,” he replied, shifting on his feet, composing himself better at the dark cloud that seemed to descend over his thoughts.

Nas had been doing well, he supposed. Being back in Oakhedge had not been exactly pleasant in terms of where his mind had gone, but it was nothing like Jared bringing it up and to the forefront of his mind. He could still picture pale skin in the moonlight, ghostly pale with lips tinged blue and eyes rolled to the back of her head so far that he mostly saw white. Nas blinked back the shudder that threatened to overtake him, gritted his teeth before continuing, ”No, I gave that up a long time ago. Actually, I stopped some time after you left, to be honest. Wasn’t making as much as I was before.” The last part was a bold-faced lie. Seeing Jared giving in to his own needs for the drugs Nas provided had made him take a second look at what he was doing; seeing the way Michelle died scarred him for life. ”Well, that’s a shame. I could really use a buzz right about now.” Jared responded because he wanted to, no he needed to, feel a little bit numb within this moment. He honestly felt some type of way with the way the atmosphere was surrounding him. ”Trust me, no it’s not,” Nas said immediately, hands back in his pockets again. He refused to go back to drugs, at least the hard ones. Never again. With that thought in mind, from his left pocket, he pulled out a pre-wrapped joint, his supply having come in just before he returned to Oakhedge. He liked it better from outside their small town; more possibilities - more healthier, and less you-could-probably-die-cuz-you-don’t-know-what’s-mixed-in-your-weed-like-I-do possibilities. ”There ain’t nothing I sold you back then that this can’t get you just as numb over. I can promise you that.” He told the other guy, extending the stick to him. Nas had a pretty big stash; he had prepared for the trip and knew that some part of him was going to need more than his usual. It was probably a splurge he was going to feel when it was time to go back home, a loss of a random sandwich craving near his job, but it was worth it for this shit town and its shit memories.

Jared’s eyes flashed down toward the pre-wrapped joint and nearly went ballistic. He knew that he could always count on Nas to distribute the good stuff and he hung on to his words before he replied. ”We should go ahead and light it up then, Nas.” He would’ve said bro there normally but right now, things weren’t so normal between them or anybody else for that matter. Too bad that it seems like he was officially done with the drugs. Jared could’ve used it while he was in town. ”You see anything stronger than champagne over there, man?” Nas asked, nodding over to where the rest of the drinks were. ”Never saw you as much of a champagne guy before.” Jared eyes fell upon the bottle of champagne in his hands at his statement then eyed the beverage area to respond toward Nas. ”Uh.. I don’t know, man. I just grabbed the largest thing I saw.” He said then commented on his previous statement. Nas was already chuckling over his words. That sounded about right, about Jared enough for his shoulders to lose a bit of the tension it developed. ”Well, gotta change it up every now and then. Plus, I do not think little Miss Trinity over there would appreciate me getting drunk at her…” His eyes scanned the room before they fell upon Nas again. ”Whatever this is because it damn sure isn’t a party or else, someone would have a lamp shade over their head and dancing on top of the coffee table.”

Jared had managed to get a laugh out over his lips, shaking his head as it felt good to be around Nas. Even though, he wasn’t showing it right now, he did miss Nas but not for just the drugs but for the brotherhood that they had established together. ”Maaaaannn...I don’t - I don’t know what this is either, to be honest,” he admitted and glanced about the room. ”Just looks like a bunch of bored people wanting to see what’ll happen next. Pretty sure they’ve all got a running bet over which one of us gonna keel over and die next.” Even before, when Nas did attend a Davenport party, things had been livelier, worth the awe and admiration that Rin managed to derive from their peers. This...this was a completely different thing entirely. And though he felt a little bit more at ease at the moment, there was still something nigging him at the back of his neck, as if something could happen at any minute.

Jared laughed a bit too hard at his comment about the people that was around them. Rin was usually a good hostess but today, it seemed like she wasn’t up for the task, given the circumstances. Jared looked around before he had leaned over and rested his face on Nas’ shoulder before he tapped him on the shoulder in the process. ”You know, I don’t think there’s anyone in the back. We could go ahead and smoke that joint that was mentioned earlier.” His words were almost teasing like but he really did mean it. This place was dead, for sure, along with some of the people that were there too. If it had been a few years earlier, the party and house would be lit but now, crickets would have a parade in this place. It sucked. He lifted his head up just a little then rested the palm of his hand on Nas’ shoulder and looked at him. ”Come on, it’d be like old times.” Jared was practically begging and pleading at this point. It was his usual act way back whenever he used to do the hard drugs, which he received from Nas.

Nas chuckled again, tucking the joint between a few of his fingers to hide it from unwanted eyes. He probably should have recognized better Jared’s need to be supplied for what it is, but it was that familiarity he had been looking for that Nas ultimately succumbed to. He’d never go back to anything harder, anything stronger and more liable to kill. He didn’t have the heart. But this right here - and with an old friend, at that? Sign him the fuck up. ”Yeah, sure,” he exclaimed. ”Lead the way, man.” It did not take Jared a second to lift his foot up off of the ground and head towards the back, his free hand waving for Nas to follow him.