For Alison fans: Yes, both Alison AND Courtney will be in this fanfic! (Sorry to spoil something, just thought you should know)
Hello! I hope you enjoy my brand new fanfic, Trapped. I decided that instead of having just a romance story between Emily and an OC of mine, I would write a romance story... with a twist! :P I hope you enjoy it! And this chapter is like a really long prologue(seriously im so sorry its so long). Its background info, about two incidents from a long time ago... *mysterious music plays*
Please enjoy! And PLEASE keep in mind that I have a lot of fanfics I am writing at the same time, because that's how I like to write them (I like to write a bunch of stories at one time) and school starts for me next tuesday september 3rd (I know, late :D) so if updates are ever slow I apologize and feel free to spam me for more! XD
I apologize once again about the length of the prologue. Hehe...
It was Katherine's 9th birthday, and she didn't feel excited at all.
This birthday was turning out to be the worst birthday ever. Her dad was getting drunk already when she woke up (no surprise) and she was sure he had totally forgotten. It was a Friday and her teachers kept piling on the homework, even though she was only in 4th grade and she felt that this was unfair.
'Note to self: Rosewood Elementary is not a fun place to be when you're turning 9,' she thought. And the only thing she had to look forward to today was to walk the short distance to the house of her two best friends ever.
Their names were Alison and Courtney DiLaurentis, and they just happened to be identical twins.
Alison was the most popular, and the most feared, girl at school. She controlled everything and everyone. Even teachers were wary of her. The only person that didn't truly fear her was Katherine, and that's why the Alison liked her so much. They had been friend since she Katherine was 5 and Alison was 6, and for a 9-year-old, 4 years felt like an eternity for a friendship to last. And even though Katherine just happened to be friends with the most popular girl at Rosewood Elementary, she didn't really have any other friends besides Alison or Courtney. On top of that, Alison was in 5th grade, a grade above her, so she had no friends in her own grade.
Back to Courtney and Alison being twins. These two girls seriously looked exactly like. The hair, the eyes, the smile, the voice. Everything. But there was something odd that Katherine never understood for a long time. Courtney never went to school with them. The only time she ever did go to school was a very long time ago. She always stayed at home, with a home school teacher. When Katherine first became friends with them, she was told by Mrs. DiLaurentis to never speak about Courtney to anyone besides the DiLaurentis family themselves (Jason, Alison, Mr. DiLaurentis and Mrs. Dilaurentis). Then, Alison decided to tell her about her sister's homeschooling in a conversation they had walking home from school just a couple months ago...
3 months ago...
The two friends made their way towards Alison's house. As they were walking, the blonde 10-year-old sighed, looking up at the cloudy sky. "I wonder what poor Courtney is doing now. Probably something horribly boring. Like math." Katherine laughed, and Alison gave her a look only Alison could ever make, where she would smirk in an evil, but almost flirty way, and she would flick her big, sapphire eyes up and down her body. It was a look Katherine was given incredibly often by Alison, and occasionally Courtney (who had learned it from her sister). Alison then took her hand and held it, intertwining her fingers with Katherine's. The two friends continued walking.
Katherine smiled. She liked when they held hands.
Katherine was quiet. She always was. But, unusually, Alison was too. She looked down, a look of sorrow filling her face.
"Katherine?" she said softly.
"Mm-hm?"
"Do you want to know why Courtney is rarely ever allowed outside the house?"
Katherine was so surprised to hear these words that she stopped walking. "What?"
Alison stopped too. She turned around to face her friend and squeezed her hand harder.
"Years ago, Courtney and I were watching TV. A friend of ours came over, and I wanted to play with her, and so did Courtney. But for some reason, our friend seemed to like me better than she liked Courtney, and Courtney hated it, because she practically worshipped this girl. And she always blamed me for her not liking Courtney as much, even though I had absolutely nothing to do with it." Alison paused. Katherine couldn't help but notice how mature Alison was. She had always been that way. Even though she was 10, she could pass off to be 13, or even 14, and the way she talked, and thought, and opinionated about things was definitely much more advanced than a 10 year old's brain. She also knew everything about everyone. She was the master of secrets. And even if you hadn't told her your secret, she would know. She had ways of figuring out.
"After our friend had left, I looked at Courtney, and I had never seen her so mad in my entire life. 'It's all your fault, Ali!' she screamed. 'It's all your fault that she doesn't like me as much as she likes you! You are ruining my life!' At first, I tried apologizing and telling her I never meant to cause any of this and it wasn't a big deal, but she just kept getting angrier. My apologies turned it to remarks, and e got into a fight. When I thought it was over, I was relieved. But the fight was far from over..." A tear rushed down Alison's cheek. "Courtney was so mad, that she... she went into the kitchen, took the biggest knife she could find, and..." More tears came. Katherine couldn't even believe her eyes or ears.
Alison lifted up a part of her green shirt to show a huge, white scar going up her right side. Katherine felt a tear fall down her cheek.
"My parents sent me to the hospital, and they were too afraid to call or tell anyone what had happened. They were afraid someone would say something to the police or Radley, and that they would take their daughter, my sister, away from us. They cried for days. It was so hard for them, because they knew there was something seriously wrong with their daughter, because no normal person would react to something they didn't like by stabbing their own twin sister. And now, there's always someone watching her, because we are afraid of what might happen. We can never talk about her to others, because we don't want anyone to know who she is now. We're afraid of what she might do to other people. And we keep her indoors, so she can't hurt anyone. Ever."
Katherine, now slightly trembling, frowned. "Ali...?"
Alison looked up. "What?" she said, fear filling her sky blue eyes.
"Who was the friend of yours that came over that day?"
Alison closed her eyes. Suddenly, Katherine realized the answer to her question. Her blue eyes opened.
"You. It was you."
It was Katherine's turn to close her eyes. "Oh my gosh," she said. "I..." She had no words.
Alison frowned. "Remember that summer a long time ago, just about 6 months after you became friends with us? Remember how my mom told you that I went to a camp for the whole summer? She lied. I spent it all recovering in the hospital."
Katherine suddenly felt dizzy. "I had no idea. I mean, yeah, when I was little, I did prefer you over Courtney but... I am so sorry. I feel like this is my fault."
"No! Of course not! It's not anyone's fault. We just have to accept that my sister has..." Alison took a deep breath before saying it. "...that my sister has a mental illness." Alison trembled. She then looked Katherine straight in the eyes. "K, now that I've told you that, I'd really love it you can NEVER tell anyone. EVER. Promise?" she pleaded. K was a nickname Ali and Courtney called her.
Katherine frantically nodded. "Of course. I promise. Let's change the subject."
Alison sighed and smiled. They started walking again.
There were many long minutes of silence as they made their way to Ali's house.
Katherine shuddered, thinking about that moment 3 months ago. She was sitting at her desk, waiting for last period to be over. She began to tap her pencil on her desk impatiently, twirling her long, chestnut brown hair around her fingers.
Finally, the bell rang. Kids packed up their stuff quickly. There was very high energy in the room, because it was Friday, and that meant no school for two days.
As she left the room, she spotted her blonde friend, who was quickly running up to her. "Katherine! I haven't seen you all day!" she yelled just before she wrapped her arms around her brunette friend and gave her the biggest hug she had ever received. "Happy birthday, sweetie," Alison said right into her ear as she was hugging her. Katherine hugged back for a few moments, and then they both released.
Alison was giggling and jumpy. "We made the best present for you! It's at home!" Katherine always immediately knew who Ali was talking about when she said 'we.'
"Really? You guys made me something? Thats so nice," she said, excited and happy for the first time today.
"Come on!" She grabbed her wrist and began running and giggling. Katherine was being pulled along. They ran through the school exit and started to run towards the DiLaurentis house, as they always did at the end of the day.
After they ran for a while, they stopped and walked instead. After catching their breath, Ali spoke up. "I talked to someone in my grade today. I haven't ever really talked to her before. She's someone I would really like to be friends with." Alison smiled and looked at her in a way Katherine was always fascinated by. It was a look that plainly said, 'I know you better than you know yourself.' This look always gave her the shivers.
"You would really like her," said Ali. "I know it."
Katherine raised an eyebrow. "Really? What's her name?"
Alison paused before answering.
"Emily. Her name is Emily Fields."
Katherine smiled. She knew exactly who that was. She was the girl in Alison's 5th grade class. Katherine liked her. She seemed so sweet.
She looked at her blonde friend and responded. "You mean that tall, dark-haired girl with olive skin? I've heard about her and seen her a few times. She's nice."
Katherine paused before adding, "And really pretty."
She saw her blonde friend smile. "I talked to some other girls, too. Aria Montgomery is..."
Alison cut herself off. They had arrived at her house. "Well, I'll tell you about it later. Come on!" The two ran up the stairs, through the unlocked front door and into the house. They ran into the living room, where two people sat at a mahogany table. One was the teacher, and the other was Courtney. The two looked up from the text book they were reading. Courtney grinned.
Katherine shivered every time she was with the two of them in the same room- they just looked so alike... they were the spitting image of each other.
"Excuse me, Ms. Brook?" she said sweetly to the pretty brunette homeschool teacher. "Do you mind if we steal Courtney for just a moment? We're terribly sorry to interrupt your studies." Katherine rolled her big, bright emerald eyes. Alison truly had a way with words. If she wanted something from adults, she'd use the sweetest voice she could and the biggest vocabulary words she knew how to use. She could get anything she wanted to from anyone, because she knew how to work with every single person with every ranging personality, age, and gender. Her sister had the exact same skill, and tended to use it more often than Alison did. They were so good at it. It was so evil. And Katherine absolutely loved it.
Ms. Brook laughed. "Of course, sweetie. Courtney and I were just finishing up anyways." She turned to her. "You may go be with your sister and your friend now. Remember your assignments due on Monday."
Courtney nodded quickly. "Thanks! I will!" she said, running towards them in a flash. She quickly hugged Katherine. "I can't believe you're turning 9 today! Come on, we have your present in our room!"
The three raced up the stairs, giggling the whole way. On the way to their room, Ali stopped to opened the door to their brother's room. Courtney and Katherine stopped in the hallway. Courtney looked over at Katherine, giving her a look that said, 'What the heck is she doing?' Katherine just shrugged.
Jason, the twins almost 16-year-old brother (he always made sure you said almost, because even thought he was still 15 his birthday was in a month, and he liked to make sure that people knew he was just a month a way from 16), had huge headphones on that flattened down his sandy blonde hair, and the music could be heard all the way from the hallway. He was on his computer. His room was overall dark blue, with scary posters covering the walls everywhere. It was so messy you couldn't even tell what color the carpet was. Or if he even had one.
"Jason!" Alison yelled. "Do you want to help give Katherine our present, or at least wish her a happy birthday?"
He didn't hear her. He just blankly continued to stare at his computer, slightly bobbing his head to the music.
Ali marched into his room. Courtney and Katherine ran to the doorway, observing the scene. Ali picked one headphone up from his ear.
"JASON!" Ali yelled right into his ear as loud as she could.
Jason jumped a mile into the air. Courtney and Katherine giggled hysterically. After their brother finished his mini-freakout, he looked at his sister, took off his headphones and said, "What the fuck?!"
Ali gave him a look. "Whoa, Jason! Language! I was trying to ask you to wish Katherine a happy birthday, or something, but your such a JERK that I bet you don't even care!"
Katherine and Courtney had stopped giggling after he swore. They were standing quietly, wide-eyed in the doorway now.
"Yeah, whatever," he said, putting his headphones on. "Happy birthday. Have fun being 8 years old."
Katherine looked down. "But... I'm turning 9..." she said softly.
Courtney looked at Katherine with sympathetic eyes. She could tell Jason had offended her. She took a hold of her hand and intertwined her fingers with Katherine's, just like Alison always did. It scared Katherine how much they were alike sometimes.
Courtney then began to yell at Jason. "I'm so telling Mom that you said the F word!" she yelled.
"Kay. See if I care." Jason un-paused his music. "And on your way out, turn the lights off and close the door!" he said loudly, obviously not able to hear himself. His eyes returned to his computer.
Ali let out a frustrated grunt, crossed her arms, and made her way towards her brunette friend and her twin. "Come on. We are leaving Jerk Central Station. Now."
They turned off the lights and closed the door, as Jason had told them to do. They took the few steps they needed to take to enter Ali and Courtney's room.
The twin's room was so incredibly different from Jason's. It was painted with light colors, like cream and pale pink. There were various pictures of them together around, along with posters and other things that Katherine didn't understand because they were in French. There were white leather chairs to the right. Their bed was big for one person, but the twins shared it. Sometimes, on sleepovers that the three had (which was incredibly often, given that Katherine hated spending time at home at night, because that meant her drunk dad would be there) they would all three sleep on the bed together. It was so much , the room was so clean, it shone with cleanliness 24/7, and it always smelled amazing. A complete opposite to Jason's room by far.
The girls were in a better mood now. Katherine watched as Courtney pulled a large piece of cardboard paper out from under their bed.
"Happy birthday," she said, handing it to her. "Sorry about our brother."
"It's okay," she said, taking the gift. The two girls had the exact same eager look on their faces, waiting for her to look at it. Katherine looked down, and grinned.
Ali and Courtney had made her a gorgeous collage of tons of different pictures of all three of them together, doing fun activities, having sleepovers, and more. In the middle was when all three of them got their picture taken professionally together, because Jessica DiLaurentis thought they should have a memorable photo together. The picture was of Katherine in the middle, with her thick, wavy, chestnut brown hair in clips, and her olive skin that glowed in the sunlight. on her right was Ali, and on her left Courtney. They also both looked beautiful, with blonde ringlets the color of honey, creamy skin, and matching blue dresses. Their icy blue eyes reflected the sunlight in their eyes.
Katherine just stared at it. She didn't even know what to say. It was the most wonderful present she had ever received.
And then she began to cry.
Ali immediately rushed to her side. "What's wrong?" she asked.
Katherine shook her head. "N-nothing," she stammered. "I... just love this so much..." She took a moment to inhale some air. "Your family has accepted me and loved me a million times more than my own... I just don't know how I am ever going to repay you." She continued to look down. "Courtney, I know you may have some mental instabilities, but we will get through this together. I love you both so much, thank you..."
Alison wrapped her arms around Katherine's neck as she stood on her right side. "We love you too." Then, Alison realized something. Her eyes flung open. "Wait. Katherine. What did you say about Courtney?"
Katherine sniffled. As she looked up, she talked. "I said that even though Cou-"
Katherine stopped. Her eyes were wide. She looked up.
Courtney wasn't standing in front of them anymore.
"Oh no." Ali shook her head. "Katherine, why did you say that? I told you to never mention her illness in front of her! She doesn't know that you know!"
"I-I forgot, I'm sorry!" Katherine looked around the room, now feeling terrified. "Where... where did she go?"
Ali and Katherine heard the noise right behind them at the exact same time. The two girls slowly turned around.
Katherine almost screamed.
Courtney was standing there, right behind them. She would've looked completely normal, if you counted out the creepy smile.
And the giant kitchen knife that she held in her right hand.
Ali made sure to be calm, but because they were holding hands now, she could feel her heart racing.
"Courtney," she said, acting completely calm and talking slowly. "I would really appreciate it if you put the knife down."
Courtney's face became angry. She pointed the knife right at Katherine. The brunette yelped.
"You!" the blonde with the knife said. "You hate me, don't you? You hate me for my illness! You hate me, and you love Alison!" Katherine tried to interrupt to tell her that wasn't true, but she was too afraid to. "How long have you known about my secret illness?" she growled.
"A... a few... months... I-I guess..." Her response came out in small squeaks. "But-"
"I bet the only reason you even come here is to spend time with my sister, not me! It's never me!" Courtney was losing it. Her voice started cracking. Her eyes were wide and crazy. She was a completely different person she was a moment before. Katherine felt so bad; she knew how bad Courtney's illness was. It was terrifying.
She pointed the knife at Ali. "You. You will pay for this. It's all YOUR fault. If you never existed, she would love ME, not YOU!" She began to get closer to Alison. "So, I promise you, I'm going to MAKE YOU EXIST NO MORE!"
Jessica DiLaurentis must have heard her daughter yelling, because just as Courtney was about to bring down the knife on her own twin's throat, Mrs. DiLaurentis grabbed her arm just in time. Courtney turned to her mother and began to scream.
"ITS NOT FAIR! I WANT TO BE LOVED TOO! WHY CAN'T YOU LOVE ME AS MUCH AS YOU LOVE ALI?!"
"Courtney!" Her mother screamed. She was crying now. They all were. The three of them knew how devastating this mental disease was. "Please, calm down! Put down the knife and calm down!"
But she wasn't. Her breathing only got heavier.
"Sweetie, we all love you very very much! Just as much as we love Ali, and everyone else in this family. You have to believe us! I don't even know where you got this silly idea that we don't love you, because it is not true at all!"
"You DON'T! You don't love me. None of you do! YOU NEVER DID! I know because Mia told me!" Her mother's eyes widened. Mia was an old imaginary friend Courtney used to obsess over. She hadn't talked about Mia in years. She assumed she had gotten over it. But that wasn't the case. Mia was still in her head, but Courtney chose not to talk about it. And Mia had been telling her to do things... And Jessica looked sympathetically on her schizophrenic and criminally insane daughter.
She tried to squirm free of her mother's grip. But she couldn't. Jessica plucked the knife from her hands and held her two wrists with one hand, while reaching for her cell phone. She had Radley on speed dial. Just in case.
And in this situation, she realized that although she loved her daughter very much, it was time to tell her goodbye.
1 hour later
"I promise, Mrs. DiLaurentis, that your daughter will be completely safe in our facilities, and you and your family will be able to visit her whenever you like."
Mrs. D had been crying for the past hour. Same with Ali and Katherine. Ali had even spotted Jason shed a tear or two.
And even the twin's dad was here for the unfortunate event.
Ali and Katherine hadn't stopped holding hands the entire time as the family watched the Radley employees dress a struggling Courtney into a straight jacket. Katherine could barely watch.
Just as they were about to take her away into the special car, Katherine let go of Ali's hand and ran up to her ill friend. Tears were flowing out of her eyes like a faucet.
"I-I love you Courtney. I always have. You are like a sister to me."
Courtney's face was scrunched angrily, and she wouldn't stop twitching. "No you don't," she managed to say. "You wouldn't be sending me away if you loved me."
Ali walked up. "No, Courtney. We're sending you away because we love you."
Courtney snarled. The Radley employees started to move her towards the car, but Courtney continued to yell at Alison. "I'm not done with you, Alison DiLaurentis! Remember the promise I made, and remember it for the rest of your life! Because I meant every word of it! I will END you someday! PERMANENTLY!"
And with that, they shut the doors. And it was the last time Katherine saw Courtney in a very, very long time. The two held hands together as they sobbed.
"Katherine. I will always be your best friend. And I will always protect you from everything I possiblly can. I promise. Okay?"
Katherine nodded. "Okay, Ali."
Katherine was right from the beginning of the day. This really was the worst birthday ever.
And she would remember this day for the rest of her entire life...