​The Big Smoke

Colton, like his sister, was born on October 20th, 1991 to Cullen and Daruka Hayes, the product of a planned, yet spontaneous marriage that would survive far longer than anyone had anticipated. Had it not, the Hayes twins wouldn’t have become the people they were. Blair, privileged and successful, Colton, inquisitive and rebellious. They were spitting images of both of their parents though Blair was much more a Daddy’s Girl and Colton much more of a Momma’s Boy. As close as he was to his mother, however, nothing could deter him from following along the darker path that picked at his curiosity. As Colton grew older and fell into who he was and the things that he couldn’t change, he realized that, in his father’s eyes, he’d never be the perfectly studious child that they had wanted for him. His sister fit into those shoes perfectly, whereas he ventured off down dark alleys, finding trouble before trouble found him.

 

Colton led a pretty little privileged life with pretty little things that only little pretty privileged people had, only Colton had no interest in being pretty, little or privileged. At 5'5" he couldn't help being little, and with his Father's cheekbones he couldn't help being pretty, but privileged? He had made sure, conscious or not, to destroy that lifestyle the older he grew and more rebellious he became. Instead of following in his Father's footsteps and attending Harvard, Colton barely wedged his way through high school, not so much because he didn't understand the material, but rather that he didn't care. He made sure to nose his way into the wrong crowds, and more or less be his Mother's son rather than his Father's. His twin sister, however, was everything a perfect child could be, and while they were like glue, he never did understand his sisters obsession with perfection. Instead, Colton followed a different path that led him down a few dark alleyways until he found Skylar.

 

Skylar was a skinny, lanky boy with wild red hair, piercings, tattoos, and a voice that, literally, made Colton weak in the knees. He'd never paid much attention to the opposite sex, or even the same sex for that matter, much more interested in his bad habits and reckless behavior, though when his twin introduced him to the aspiring artist, Colton was his. Skylar was his savior. Not only did he help him realize who he was and who he wanted to be, but he pulled him out from that dark hole that he had found himself creeping closer and closer towards. The red head had managed to get Colton clean from the deadly drugs he had turned to and focused on him. It was all he needed to get him back on track, lovesick and determined not to loose him, he focused on getting himself enrolled back in school and not to let himself slip. He knew if he did, he would lose everything that he’d worked so very hard for.

 

While it hadn’t been easy to convince his father of his happiness, as he was still reeling from his sons coming out in enough time the man could see all that Skylar had done, and had given Skylar his blessing when he decided after just a short year, to propose. Colton didn’t even need to think about it. For him, it was either Skylar, or nothing at all, so Colton had quickly and happily agreed. Perhaps the couple moved fast, but it didn’t take long for them to start thinking of children. Colton wanted the cookie cutter life that he hadn’t originally thought possible for himself, and while the pair were unconventional, they still had all the opportunities that other people had. It’d taken some convincing and even more planning, but they’d taken the opportunity and with his soon to be sister-in-law’s help, they’d begun planning for their first child. The marriage came shortly after and a life changing move shortly after that. Their life was clearly always moving, but Colton hadn’t been happier. They’d moved to London for Skylar’s career, and so Colton could continue school with the hopes and dreams of becoming a cinematographer.