All This History We've Written

Part I: Origins


The Lackey & the Weirdo

"Sebastian? Sebastian where are you?"

Nestled comfortably amongst the silk pillows in the antique sleigh bed, Sebastian pulled his attention away from his book for a moment. He didn't respond to the anxious, hushed whisper of his only friend. Turning back to his novel he counted down silently in his head.

5...4...3...2...

He didn't even flinch when the door was thrown open and Kathryn came strutting in, hands on hips, her pretty face pinched in anger. "What the hell are you doing?"

"Well in appears I'm reading," he replied in his best dead panned voice.

"No you're hiding. It's my birthday and you promised! You promised you'd act normal for one day and come to my party, but no instead you're up here hiding like that Anne Frost person-

"Anne Frank," he corrected

"Who gives a fuck? Will you please just come down stairs?"

Sebastian pretended to think about it. "Hmm…no. I'm going to have to pass. I agreed to come to my aunt's house. I never agreed to attend your little soirée with the Manchester sheep. Now if all you're going to do is throw a hissy fit and stomp around like your crazy mother, feel free to rejoin the flock."

"Fine I will."

"Bah, Bah, Bah"

"You know I really despise you sometimes Valmont"

"Boo hoo"

Kathryn turned on her heels fully intending to stomp out and ignore him for the rest of the evening when he called her back. "Oh Kathryn?"

"What is it?"

He gave her his most charmingly obnoxious grin. "Bring me back some cake?"

The birthday girl let out a exasperated shriek as she stomped back over to him, grabbed the pillow out from under him and proceeded to beat him with it. "GOD! Why are you such a fucking freak?!"

Sebastian blocked her assault with his hands before yanking the pillow out of her hand and pulling her down on the bed beside him. He laughed at the frustrated expression on her face as she did her best to straighten out her perfect hair and fix her skirt. Some times he thought he never liked her more than when she was angry. "Better a freak than a lackey," he taunted knowing how that certain word would set her off.

"I am NOT a lackey!"

"Oh I bet Rebecca Carlyle who beg to differ"

"She's my mentor," she hissed through gritted teeth annoyed at having this discussion for the umpteenth time, "there's a difference."

Sebastian shook his head as he picked up his book and tried to find where he left off. "Dress it up however you like princess. You might be her favorite right now but you're just another minion."

The anger seemed to seep out of her face and a calm, almost serene smile appeared as she replied mysteriously, "not for long."

He looked up at her curiously but she didn't offer an explanation. Instead she looked back at her oldest friend dissatisfied grimace, annoyed that he let the Armani pants she picked out for him get wrinkled already. "Seriously Valmont, would it kill you to act normal once in awhile?"

"Yes it would," he replied firmly. "Unlike you Kathryn, I have no desire to make everyone love me."

And there it was. The fundamental difference between them. They were so similar is so many ways except for that. Kathryn had an overwhelming ambition to be loved by not just one person, but by everyone. Sebastian on the other hand was fine with just being loved by one. Her.

At twelve years old they had, by appearances, emerged as two very different people. Kathryn was the beautiful, up coming debutante. She was the most popular girl in her grade and was currently working at the feet of the most desired girl in the entire school. She used sweetness and phony naiveté, to mask her deep seated quest for power and everything that came with it. She didn't know what she wanted, in truth, she just knew she wanted more.

Then there was Sebastian who at twelve did everything in his power to be as anti-social as possible. He let is blond curly hair grow out at odd angles, he wore boring black kakis (except when Kathryn insisted on dressing him), and he refused contacts instead opting for his thick black rimmed glasses. He also carried a book wherever he went and sneered at anyone who tried to pull him away. Valmont didn't care about fitting it or being loved. He didn't give a shit about what anyone thought about him. He just didn't care. Of course he had always been jaded, even before his mother's suicide but it seemed to grow exponentially as he grew older. Something inside him hardened.

However, one thing remained the same and that was his devotion to his oldest playmate. No matter how different they became that never wavered. The same went for Kathryn though she would never admit that to a living soul. Yes, she was part of the popular crowd and growing more adored by the minute but he was still the only person who really mattered to her.

Her friends, of course, found this odd that she still insisted on hanging out with the weird Valmont boy. Kathryn always shrugged off their questions or played if off like she was doing charity when she sometimes skipped lunch with Rebecca and the girls to go and sit with Sebastian under that ancient oak tree he always ate lunch under. Sometimes it seemed this insistence on always having Sebastian around just made her more of a mystery and therefore all the more interesting for it. Rebecca even told her it was one of the first things that made her take an interest in her.

Valmont would never have been invited to a party like this had anyone else been throwing it and it didn't bother him in the least. Kathryn had demanded he come and of course he balked even though it was being held at his own aunt's house. The Merteuil girls had all there birthday parties at the Rosemond estate. It was tradition. Sebastian had yet to miss one much to his chagrin.

Reaching behind him, Sebastian pulled out a cigarette from his hidden pack and lit one up. Kathryn eyed him wearily. "Aunt Helen will have a fit if she finds you smoking in here again."

He looked at her pointedly over the top of his book. "You mean Tiffany will have a fit if she smells smoke of her again. Tsk, tsk. I remember the days when you weren't so afraid of your mother."

"I am NOT afraid of her!"

"Oh yeah?"

Kathryn, recognizing the challenge in his voice, reached over and grabbed the cigarette out of his hands. She brought it to her mouth and stupidly inhaled rather quickly. As she started to sputter and cough, Sebastian laughed and took the cigarette back. "Easy birthday girl, it's not a lollipop."

"Screw you," she managed somewhat pitifully through her coughs.

Regaining her composure she stretched out across the bed, resting her head on her hand. "So I've decided what you should get me for my birthday. Besides black lungs."

"Oh?" He already had her gift, wrapped up in a little blue box, hidden under the bed. He wasn't going to give it to her until the end of the party though.

Kathryn nodded, "Yes I've decided I want you to help me take down Rebecca."

Sebastian rolled his eyes in irritation. "Why would I do that?"

"Because I want it," she responded bluntly. "With Becca out of the way I can move up the social pyramid at Manchester. Besides, do you really need a reason? I thought you hated her?"

"I don't believe hate is a strong enough word. No, I loathe, detest and despise her very existence."

"Then you'll help me"

"No"

"Oh, come on Sebastian! Why not?"

He sighed fixing his glasses, "I have no desire to help you turn into Rebecca Carlyle, the sequel. A two faced, binge drinking , head case." In a slighter softer tone he added, "You're better than that Kathryn. Better than her. Besides," he mocked in a high pitched tone, "I thought she was your mentor?"

"Please," Kathryn huffed. "I'm sick to death of living under her reign. Ordering me around and dictating what I wear and who I socialize with. It's getting old. Fast."

Sebastian studied her curiously. "What brought this on?"

Kathryn avoided his gaze as she thought back to the conversation she had with the older girl just yesterday.

"I want you to dis-invite Valmont"

Kathryn's head shot up in surprise at the request. "Why?"

Shrugging her elegant shoulders she replied, "Because he's a loser and he's totally bringing down your rep."

"But I always-"

"People are starting to talk." Gliding around her powder blue bedroom she explained, "you're always hanging around him. Letting him tag along with us. It's becoming tres tiresome darling. Not to mention the other day when he dumped his juice all over Mel's brand new Channel bag."

"She was asking for it," Kathryn muttered under her breath.

"What was that?"

"Nothing. Look I can't not invite Sebastian. He's my oldest friend"

Tossing her blond locks over her shoulder she gave Kathryn her best condescending stare. "Well as one of your newest friends I'm telling you he better not be there."

"Or what?"

Rebecca grinned back menacingly at her, clearly relishing the question. "Would you like to find out?"

Kathryn's tiny fist clenched in her hand as she remembered that taunting look on her supposed mentor's face. Of course she didn't dis-invite Sebastian. She couldn't, not that it mattered anyway as he stayed hidden upstairs the whole time. Still, Rebecca was bound to find out he was here, thanks to her half wit sister and there would be consequences come Monday morning.

Well she was sick of consequences. She was sick of taking orders. She was sick of Rebecca Carlyle.

"Look you can help me or not. Either way Becca is going down."

Sebastian eyed her curiously. Even though he was always so critical of it, he always admired Kathryn's ambition. He might be fine with being an outcast but he knew Kathryn never would. There was a part of him that was fearful that if she did achieve her ultimate goal, if she did usurp Rebecca, she would eventually leave him behind. That was the real reason he was so reluctant to lend a hand. However he knew Kathryn and he knew it was entirely out of his hands. If she wanted Rebecca gone she would make it happen. One way or another.

Waving his hand dismissively he sighed, "Fine. Okay, I'll help you destroy frosty the ice bitch."

Kathryn's face broke out into a huge grin as she threw herself down on top of Sebastian and hugged him. "Thank you!" She laughed in his ear, "You never say no to me for long."

"That seems to be my curse," he sighed as he patted her shoulder.

The bedroom door was suddenly thrown open and Bianca came rushing in breathlessly, having just dashed up the long staircase. "Kathryn! Kathryn, we're cutting the cake. Mother wants you to come downstairs."

Bolting upright she stared poisonous daggers at her twin, "Don't you knock fuck wit?"

She flinched at her sisters harsh words, which was ridiculous because at this point she should have been use to it. Bianca noticed the slight flush in Kathryn's cheeks and wondered what had caused it. Had she been with any other boy than Sebastian she might have suspected something was going on. Like a few weeks ago when she walked in on her kissing Jeffery Randall in the study. But it was only Sebastian, a boy who Bianca believed to be completely asexual.

Refusing for once to be intimidated she held her head up and spat back, "This is MY party too Kathryn and I don't want to keep our guests waiting because you can't be bothered to come down stairs."

"I'll go down when I'm ready," she hissed back.

"Fine," Bianca replied casually as she turned towards the door, "I'll just go tell Rebecca you're up here with Sebastian."

She stopped abruptly when a pillows hit her in the head. Kneeling at the edge of the bed Kathryn warned, "You better not breath a word of this to anyone."

"Give me one good reason not to"

She expected her sister to issue another threat or blackmail of some sort. Instead she shocked her by offering, "I'll give you those pearl earrings Daddy sent me."

Both Bianca and Sebastian's eyebrows shot up. "D-don't you want them?"

"No they're tacky," Kathryn replied coolly, before adding with a vicious smirk, "they're perfect for you."

Bianca's eyes narrowed in anger but she didn't fire back an insult, wanting instead to get back to the party. "Fine. I'll tell mother you're on the phone with grandmother…or something."

As he watched the other Merteuil sister exit Sebastian asked, "Why'd you do that?"

"I don't want anything for him," she muttered. "Gives me an excuse to get rid of them."

Just as she had predicted, Kathryn's father left two weeks after Annabelle Valmont died. During the whole time Sebastian never saw her shed one tear over it. Instead she treated the whole situation the same as she would losing an old pair of shoes. Sebastian often wondered how much of it was an act. He sometimes thought about asking her if she missed him but always stopped himself. She didn't want to talk about him anymore than he wanted to discuss his mother.

"So," he sighed breezily, "Are you really that ashamed of me you're willing to bribe Binks?"

"Of course," she replied simply causing Sebastian to smile. Straightening her hair back into place she sighed, "I better get back down there before mother sends a search party."

Reaching out he grabbed her wrist and held her down. "Stay"

Kathryn looked down at him and that slight twitter in her stomach, the one that had been happening lately whenever he looked at her a certain way, stopped her from moving. Once again she willed it away, as she always did and didn't think about what it meant.

Laying down beside him she rested her head on his shoulder. "Fine, but only for ten minutes."

- to be continued (Please Review)