Notes: Important - Discount the prom altogether. Never happened in my little twisted world. If Miguel and Charity ever said I loved you, erase that too. Pretend that Whitney can drive. I'm not sure if she got her license or not, forgive me. Anything else will be explained and all will be revealed.
This is mainly a Miguel/Kay fic. Sorry, don't like Charity & Miguel. Boring. Don't shoot me. I love Kay so I like to write her. The possibilities.....
Where: Unknown
Time: 1:08 am - Tuesday, June 13, 2000
It was humid that night. The pitch blackness did not cool the heat that was radiating off of the earth. The small, barren area was covered in fog making it even harder to see anything. It was perfect. The perfect place to meet in secret, not for fun or pleasure. Which brings us to a man and he was waiting. For someone for something to happen.
'Where the hell is she?' he thought with distaste.
"She's late, the damn bitch," he said outloud, hating the quietness, infact he hated everything about the place. He was a stocky man at a stance was 5' 10. His body was covered in dark wool, covering any other features he had. The wool clothing made the heat even more unbearable than necessary.
He paced back and forth nervously, sweating, though he did not notice it. He had other important things on his mind. He once again looked around the area, checking for her. This was not the kind of place to be alone. No one ever seemed to show up there. Maybe that's why she picked it. Still, as smart as she was, she knew he hated being alone. Especially in the dark.
"Glad you think so highly of me." cackled a reply. It was low pitch, her voice. Her naturally soothing voice did not seem to effect the man. It was just the opposite.
The man jumped, suprized at the sudden noise. Quickly gathering his bearings, he stood erect, forgetting that he could not be seen. Old habits die hard.
"You know that I hate it here." he said still slightly frazzled.
"That's why I picked it," she laughed.
The man snickered. "I know. I'm not dumb." The man inwardly groaned, hearing his mistake. He set himself for that one.
"Could have fooled me." she responded laughing at the old joke.
About to retort, the man stopped himself. They could be here all night doing this. He didn't like that possibility at all. No, they came here for a reason. A very important reason. Too important to exchange barbs with one another.
"Did you find her?" the man asked his tone turning serious.
She immediately sensed the change of pace. "Yes," the woman responded, knowing that this to, was important too important, "She's in this little town in America. Harmony in Maine I believe."
The man scrunched his face in disbelief. He resumed his pacing, once again growing more nervous with each step. Tabitha, could really make this more messier than necessary, that's a fact. "Where Tabitha resides? Because we will have more of a problem than we do now."
The woman nodded in affirmation sadly. She remembered her own reaction. This was going to blow up big. "Yes," she paused, "Faithe is not going to like this." stating the obvious, between the two of them anyway.
"You're telling me. At least your not her chief adviser." he responded grimly. He could hear her yelling already.
"Well, Lankos, what's done is done. We only have three weeks until all hell breaks loose." She seemed to shrug it off, but inside, she just couldn't help it but be worried.
Lankos, who was pacing back and forth, became angry. All the pressures that were building up inside him for the past year was exploding in him like a volcanoe."I KNOW that!" he shouted.
"Tsk-Tsk, no need to shout," the woman was still calm, might have even expected it, was left unbothered by his show of anger. She was used to it by now. "Everything will turn out for the best."
Lankos gave out a bitter laugh. " And how do you know this?" he cried,"Everything will turn out for the best, she says", he mimicked.
It was a good thing Lankos couldn't see her, her mouth opened and shut quickly, unable to think of anything of comfort. 'Where's Stasha when you need her?' she thought, right now exasperated.
"You'll see. Until next time," she finally decided.
Then she was gone.
For the second time that evening, Lankos looked up startled.
"Hey, don't leave yet! We didn't finish our plan!"
He waited for an answer, but it never came.
Sighing, and having the excuse he needed to leave the dark, dank place, he vanished. And all was silent once again.
But not for long.
~*~
Where: Harmony, Maine - The Bennett's
Time: 6:12 PM June 14, 2000
The bedroom was dark. The light from the moon and stars seem to illuminate the room, giving the place more of a spooky look in the middle of the night in June. The slight breeze was felt from the open window, as the start of Harmony's summer was a scorcher. However, you could never find the example from the room. It's normal brightness that showed that two young, teenage girls lived here, was gone. A figure was lying on one of the two beds there. The figure was huddled up into a ball it was trying to seek shelter in its own warmth, than for something. Well, rather someone in this person's scenario. The person to witness this from the sliver of the opened door quickly shuts the door, but doing it softly behind her. Simone frowned at the image that was forever to engraved in her mind. The look of the place and the person in it. Blinking hard, she turned to the occupant's sister and shakes her head.
Finally after a few moments, she asked the question that was burning in her mind when Jessica first called her over. Jessica never calls Simone unless something was up with Kay. Although they did hung out together, with the connection of Kay, they weren't really close buddies. "What's wrong with Kay?" Simone asked Jessica.
Jessica hesitated slightly. At first, she was relieved that she finally got share her burden that she had been carrying for a week. She didn't know what to do anymore. Kay wasn't eating, never went out, saying that she was sick. They weren't even fighting at all, which was a first. To top it all off, Sam and Grace, Kay and Jessica's parents, were out of town at a convention with Eve and TC, Whitney's and Simone's parents. Simone and Whitney were with an aunt who lived in Boston for the week. Simone and Whitney just arrived since both of their parents were coming home tomorrow afternoon, when Simone received the message. Jessica, Kay, and Charity, had Luis and Tabitha checking on them. Their parents trusted them enough, especially since Charity would be there with them, making sure that they didn't get into any trouble. Pushing the thoughts out of her head, she went into the matter at hand.
Simone was her last hope. She didn't want Mom and Dad to come home early from their convention for something that she didn't know. Besides, she thought Kay was in one of her mood swings. "I don't know," she finally said, "she has been acting like this for the past week. Ever since our parents went to that convention. Maybe even before that. I wasn't really paying attention with the last day of school and all." Jessica whispered, "And keep it down to a dull roar, I don't want her to here this."
"Ever since school let out." Simone asked a little too loudly. She was her best friend! Simone didn't notice anything wrong during the last days of school. However, looking back on it, Kay was more quiet than she usually is. This was starting to get to her too. Kay wasn't supposed to be like this. Kay is never like this. She was bossy, mischievous, scheming to no end. Infact, she didn't even mention Miguel in a while. Now that was definitely not Kay.
"Shhh!" Jessica looked at Simone harshly.
"Uh, sorry," Simone whispered sheepishly, "Ever since school let out?"
"Yeah. I asked Kay what was wrong, and she said nothing. She has been acting out of character lately." Jessica said. Looking around, she motioned Simone to Charity's room. Charity was out with Miguel. They weren't coming back until later on. Locking the door, she faced Simone once again.
"Jessica, why are you doing this?" Simone asked in confusion. This was getting too weird. Something big is going to happen. And Simone didn't need no psychic, namely Charity, to tell her that.
"What I am about to say cannot leave this room. I mean it Simone." she replied furiously.
Simone looked at her shocked. She thought, weighed out all her options. For all they knew, Kay was in a bad mood, like Jessica said earlier. Simone nodded wanting to know what was wrong with her best friend.
Hesitating once again, Jessica reached in her jean's pocket and pulled out the little bottle. The brown bottle was filled with pills, as if someone had just gotten them.
"Pills?" Simone inquired, sneaking a peak at Jessica. She nodded her head, and Simone checked the label, quickly thanking God that her Mom was a doctor. "Prozac? Depression? Who is-" she stopped.
Her heart seemed to miss a beat. She sat down on Charity's bed before she could faint. Her own best friend. She didn't know and she was her best friend.
"Oh my God, Kay." she whispered. Jessica just stood there transfixed at the bottle.
~*~
~*~ That I would be good even if I did nothing
~*~ That I would be good even if I got the thumbs down
The darkness seemed to fit her mood perfectly. The emptiness darkness of the room seemed to comfort her. She heard the door open and close and whisperings. Something about school. But she didn't care. Kay couldn't stand it anymore. No matter how hard she tried, no matter how hard she fought, Miguel was not her's. He belonged to Charity, the girl she had lost the battle to, her cousin. Her flesh and blood.
'Jealousy is a poisonous drug that just consumes one self into oblivion,' Kay quoted from a book that she had just read. Squinting her head in thought, she shook her head in the negative.
'No, that's not right. Jealousy is a monster that consumes... God, I can't even think straight. Now I'm really getting fucked up.' she thought bitterly.
~*~ That I would be good if I got and stayed sick
~*~ That I would be good even if I gained ten pounds
She closes her eyes trying to fight the tears that seemed to sting the back of her eyes. She was really losing her mind. Losing another battle. Another loss to add on to the already long, list. Breathing deeply she turned over on her bed trying to forget.
But you can't forget what doesn't want to be forgotten. That's another thing she has learnt this year. Suddenly the memories come again.
'Why can't you be more like Charity, Kay?' Mom.
Mom, was supposed to be her Mom. Not Charity's, hers. She was supposed to love her no matter what. No matter what she did. Now it seems that she spends less time with Kay than she did her. Kay knew it was because Charity's Mom died. She could understand that. But it seemed to her that her own Mom was already dead to her.
~*~ That I would be good fine even if I went bankrupt
~*~ That I would be good if I lost my hair and my youth
'Why do hate her so much, Kay?' Simone.
Simone. Her best friend. Her only friend for that matter. She stood through with her for everything. But even she was turning against her. Everyone is.
~*~ That I would be great I if was no longer queen
~*~ That I would be grand if I was not all knowing
'What did she do to YOU, Kay?' Jessica.
Jessica..... Well, Kay didn't mind her a bit. Not unless she got into her plans. But she was her sister. And she loved Charity even more than her. Charity was her cousin!
~*~ That I would be loved even when I numb myself
~*~ That I would be good even when I am overwhelmed
'She's sweet, beautiful, and I think I'm in love with her.' Miguel.
Last, but not least. Infact, his name is on the top list of absolutely miserable failures. Miguel Lopez-Fitzgerald, her best friend for life. Or at least he was to her. Before Simone, before Charity, she can even go before Jessica. And yet he abandoned her. For her. He was suppose to love her. But he didn't.
~*~ That I would be loved even when I was fuming
~*~ That I would be good even if I was clingy
Her fists balled up at the haunting thoughts, and the tears that she had cried every night for the past six days, was making it's way again. Charity, Charity, Charity. The perfect angel, the girl who had done nothing to Kay except for taking over her world. Why should she be jealous.
Staring at the open window, she remembered everything that she had did to *her* this past year. It was wrong, but she thought that she did have a chance! Maybe that was why she was so desperate to have Charity gone. Kay could reclaim her life, and become something more to Miguel. It was foolish really. Even Kay was suprized at the extremes she had gone to get rid of Charity. It was as if her mind thought nothing else.
Kay was obsessed. She sighed, knowing that she was becoming on of those jaded, cynical, old hags, who have nothing to do but whine about men and those who left them. She didn't want to turn into that. But one question still remained, burning like a flame in the complete darkness.
'What does she have that I don't have?' Kay thought miserably.
Then the answer came to her.
'Miguel'.
~*~ That I would be good even if I lost sanity
~*~ That I would be good
To that, the tears that she fighting a losing battle with, won.
~*~ Whether with or without you
~*~
Miguel and Charity slowly walked up to the Bennett's porch coming home from the ice cream parlor after the movies. Laughing about a joke Miguel just told, they finally say goodnight. Hands in his pockets, Miguel waits for Charity to make the first move. It's a tradition, but if felt like a routine.
"Miguel, I really had a great time tonight." Charity said. She smiled up at him. Even though the past year had been a rough one, they still were together. That was the only thing that kept her sane through out it all.
"Me too." Miguel said and smiled. He just wished that everything was this ordinary. He knew that this year was rough on her too.
"Well,-," Charity began, she looking at Miguel in his eyes, "Nevermind." She looked down stairing at the new welcome mat the Bennett's just bought. It was suddenly interesting. 'I wonder how they made it at those carpet shops,' she thought. Anything to get her mind off of what she wanted to tell Miguel.
Gently using his hand, he forced Charity to look at him. "What's wrong?" Miguel asked. There was this thing that they couldn't communicate. Miguel knew that, and Charity did too. As he stared into her eyes, trying to find out what was going on.
Immediately, Charity was having second thoughts. 'What if he doesn't feel the same way?' she thought, 'I couldn't handle that. I know he loves me, but something is missing...'
Shaking from her thoughts, she kissed him quickly and gave a tight smile. "Nothing, goodnight Miguel. I'll call you tomorrow."
"Count on it." Miguel responded.
He watched her go inside and lock the door. Miguel let out a frustrated sigh, running his fingers roughly through his hair, glaring at the door. For the past few weeks, things were getting strained with Charity and him. He couldn't pin point what it was though. It was as if she wanted something more, and he wanted to give it, but something was holding him back.
'Why does everything get complicated?' he whispered fiercely. Shaking his head, he went on his path home. Just as he was crossing the street, he felt a pair of eyes on him. He stopped, turned around, and looked everywhere but couldn't see anyone. 'That's weird.' he thought, still a bit wary. Starting to walk again, he couldn't shake the feeling off. Strange as it sounded, the eyes felt familiar. He turned around again, and looked at the Bennett home. Soon as he turned, a figure moved away from the window. Then it dawned on him.
It was coming Kay's room.
Kay. Why would Kay watch him?
Canceling that option out, Miguel finally went home. 'I really need to see a doctor. I'm starting to see things.' His figure slowly disappearing from the Bennett's house's view.
~*~
She heard the front door slam. Charity came home from her date with Miguel. Still feeling the bit of sadness over her last cry, she peered out the window, watching for him.
'There he is!' her mind practically shouted. Kay smiled a ghost of a smile, remembering him and the way things use to be. It was perfection. Nothing could stop them. She silently shook herself out of the reverie, ' I don't want to go down that path again,' she thought with self-disgust.
Continuing looking at Miguel, Kay felt her heart stop when he turned around. It was as if he knew she was watching.
Kay hid from his view, praying that Miguel didn't see her. Breathing deeply, trying to calm down. 'Why should I calm down? I mean what does it matter if Miguel sees me?' Kay asked to herself. She peaked through the window again. Miguel seemed to have brushed it off. Part of Kay was jumping with glee, while the other seemed disappointed. Once his silhouette was gone, she leaned onto the window sill. Welcoming the cool breeze, she finally came to a decision. She was going to get over Miguel, even if it killed her. 'If Miguel wants Charity, that's his choosing. I can't force him to love me, even though I tried. Heaven knows I tried.' she thought, still trying to convince herself.
Walking back to bed, her resolution became firmer. 'I gotta let go. He's where he wants to be. I can't do this anymore, anyway.' her last thought claimed to her as sleep overcame her emotion torn body.
"Goodbye Miguel." she finally whispered.
And she slept into a dreamless dream. Not knowing what the future held for her
*That I would be good whether with or without you.*
~*~
"Do you know how long she had this?" Simone asked Jessica. Simone started to pace back and forth rapidly trying to clear her mind. One thing you could respect about Kay is that she got guts and never gives up. Which was why it didn't fit
Jessica who was staring at the carpet thinking, was startled by Simone's voice. Remembering the question, she answered. "Um, to tell you the truth Simone, I'm not sure even if she had it." Jessica stated.
Simone stopped her pacing and looked Jessica incredulously. She felt like doing a leap of joy when she heard this. There was a possibility that Kay wasn't taking these pills! "Where did you find it?" she asked, her eyes shining brightly.
She closes her eyes and remembers. "It was about the last day of school, in the Girl's bathroom. We were once again arguing about Miguel and Charity. Kay stormed out, and this fell out of her book bag."
The light in Simone's eyes dimmed a bit. Now there was a chance that these pills were really Kay's. She was getting really angry. More herself than anything else. "This cannot be happening," Simone said, angrily, "Why did you keep it for so long, anyway Jessica?" she almost yelled.
Jessica is about ready to cry. "Who could I turn to, Simone? Mom and Dad were gone. I couldn't tell Miguel, he would ask why, and you were in Boston." she said tears forming in her eyes.
Simone sighed. She was right. Still, Jessica was too young to handle this, and Simone knew she wasn't any better. But, now wasn't the time to find the blame. "I'm sorry Jessica, but this just too much."
Charity walked in, hearing the last line. "What's too much?"
Simone and Jessica just looked at each other. Together they looked back at Charity.
What are they going to do?