Curtain Call: The Characters (Pt. 3 Continued) Sebastian the Harlequin

Show Me

For the rest of the night, Kathryn could not stop thinking about the almost "I love you." She tried to get it out of her head. Through all the socializing and fake good cheer about the upcoming addition to the family, Kathryn toyed with the idea about having her own happy family someday. She hoped it would be with Sebastian, but she had no desire to end up like their parents.

"Care to dance?" Blaine walked up behind her casually. It had been weeks since they spoken, or since she thrown him out- whichever way you wanted to interpret it.

Some love is just a lie of the heart
The cold remains of what began with a passionate start
And they may not want it to end
But it will it's just a question of when

"No, but thank you. Actually I owe you an apology for yelling at you and being mad at you all these weeks."

"No, it's all right. We've been friends for quite a while. I can take a little abuse."

She looked away and chuckled softly. After a while she said, "I wish things were different."

"Oh? In what way?"

"You know…" She let the words hang thickly in the air. "I've been thinking about my dad, and—Did you ever want to be able to do things differently? To be able to go back in time and with the knowledge you have now, I don't know, not exactly change things- because I would never want to change who I am today. But…I don't know. Am I making any sense?"

"Kathryn, don't do this to yourself. You made the best choice you could at the time."

"I feel like I sold him though."

"Well, you didn't have many options. Keep him, lose all your fortune, and live in the foster care system or live with your mother in the custom you were used to but without him."

"Yes, I remember my mother giving me those two choices. I wish-"

"Kathryn! Just let it be. Make the most of the opportunities you have now. Allow yourself to be happy."

"And what exactly do you think would make me happy? Cause I don't know."

"Why don't you start by talking to your family." He nodded his head toward the three people headed her way: her mother, her stepfather, and Sebastian.


I've lived long enough to have learned
The closer you get to the fire the more you get burned
But that won't happen to us
Because it's always been a matter of trust

"It seems the Mother of the Year is going to address the masses," Sebastian leaned in and said low enough for only Blaine and her to hear.

"Well this is a family matter, so I'll just blend into the crowd."

"Like that would ever happen," Sebastian teased Blaine as he left.

She felt him look at her, and hoped he wouldn't stare. She felt uncharacteristicly shy and uncomfortable. She knew there was no way he knew what she had just been talking about, but- all the same- she felt guilty for not trusting him enough to tell him everything. But he doesn't seem like a person she could trust. Afterall, all he simply had to do was wait for her to be ready to tell him her secret, but he had betrayed her trust. He would never change.

I know you're an emotional girl
It took a lot for you to not lose your faith in this world
I can't offer you proof
But you're going to face a moment of truth
It's hard when you're always afraid

"Kathryn, Sebastian. I would like you guys to say a few things about your mother. Some warm wishes, happy thoughts, that sort of thing." Edward quickly glanced at the pair of teenagers, saw how close they were, but dismissed it as siblings sharing their dislike of parental rules. He lead his wife away to tend to their guests, and didn't give them another thought.


You just recover when another belief is betrayed
So break my heart of you must
It's a matter of trust

Kathryn was surprised when Sebastian took both of her hands in his and stared deeply into her eyes. "Kathryn, you trust me, right?"

She shook her head no, but she said "Yeah, sure."

You can't go the distance
With too much resistance
I know you have doubts
But for God's sake don't shut me out

He pulled her toward the front of the room, where their parents were. She looked at him, and noticed the determined, defiant look on his face. Oh, God, she was not going to like this. She took a deep breath to calm her racing heart. Ok, it couldn't be that bad, just keep smiling.

Tiffany had just told some joke that may or may not have been funny. People had laughed anyway.

Kathryn really wasn't paying too much attention. She was too distracted with trying to figure out what Sebastian was up to. Something was not right; goose bumps ran up and down her arm. Pulling her hand free from his, she said, "Sebastian, whatever-"

"I would like to make a toast," Sebastian said ignoring her, and raising his glass of non-alcoholic, sparkling juice to the crowd. "I would first like to say a few words to my dad." Pivoting to his dad, "Dad, you provided a roof over my head, food in my belly, a enormous supply of money that would make Grandfather roll over in his grave, and a number of other things, but let us not forget the most important-" He smiled condescendingly at the crowd, and waited for his backhanded compliment to sink in.

Just let the axe fall, already. Kathryn rolled her eyes, she hated all the posturing and when Sebastian acted all supreme and above everyone.

This time you've got nothing to lose
You can take it, you can leave it
Whatever you choose
I won't hold back anything
And I'll walk away a fool or a king

He turned toward his stepsister and took her hand in his. "Kathryn…" Then he looked back at the crowd and then to his left, at his dad. He smirked. "Thank you, Dad. I think your job is done. I think there is nothing more you can teach me. I've already learned how to seduce-"

Kathryn pulled her hand out of as if she had been zapped. He smiled at her and mouthed, trust me.


Some love is just a lie of the mind
It's make believe until its only a matter of time
And some might have learned to adjust
But then it never was a matter of trust

"to seduce countless women. And I have learned my charming ways from dear old dad, but one thing I do not plan on following in the Valmont tradition is cheating on any wife I marry."

"Now wait a minute!" Edward interjected. He tried to grab a hold of Sebastian, but Sebastian backed up quickly knocking into Kathryn, who fell down in a flurry of tulle and blue satin. She scowled at Sebastian. He offered to help her up, but she angrily got up quite quickly for a person dressed in a full skirted ballgown (which her mother had picked out).

It was pretty much chaos. People were breaking up in small groups gossiping and chuckling, and some were even leaving the room, no doubt to spread the gossip as soon as possible.

Edward was yelling obscenities while trying to deny any philandering to his wife. But she was ignoring him like she did his indiscretions that she had always known about. Instead of talking with him, Tiffany was talking to her friends trying to quell the damage.

I'm sure you're aware love
We've both had our share of
Believing too long
When the whole situation was wrong

And all the while Kathryn stood there like a deer caught in the headlights unsure of whether to run away or laugh her head off. She was so relieved that Sebastian hadn't gone and revealed their relationship to everyone like she was afraid he might.

Some love is just a lie of the soul
A constant battle for the ultimate state of control

"Kathryn!" She heard her name, turned and smiled at Sebastian, amused at how he managed to turn the façade of the family's happy baby shower into a melodrama.

"I have something else to say!" Sebastian shouted over the melee. "First off," turning to his dad, "I would like to divorce from the family. I've already gone over it with some lawyers and I can do it. I'm eighteen, and I can still have my trust fund when I'm 25. So there is nothing you can do. I'm free from this crazy family."


After you've heard lie upon lie
There can hardly be a question of why
Some love is just a lie of the heart
The cold remains of what began with a passionate start

Kathryn couldn't believe what she just heard. Maybe it was wrong, Maybe it was just a dream. He said he loved her…Well he never said it per se. But he did love her, didn't he? Did he see her as part of the crazy family he wanted to get away from? She shouldn't care, they weren't even together anymore. He didn't matter, there were other guys.

And there were many other people in her life, like her friends at school, Blaine, Matthew, her mother, and even her stepfather if she ever did want to get to know him better than just the guy her mother married. Yes, she had a full life filled people. There was no way she would be lonely or mope around missing him. It was no big deal; she had practically lived the past month without him.

Kathryn watched as Sebastian and his father talked in the corner in urgent and hushed tones. The way the were arguing, she thought that one of them would storm off, but was surprised when Edward patted Sebastian's shoulder in a fatherly way. They continued to whisper as if they were trying to negotiate a world peace treaty. She gave up on trying to figure out what odd glamour had caused them to act uncharacteristically.

Instead she focused on Sebastian. She was going to miss the way his blonde hair curled around her finger, and how nice it was to run her hands through it when she got lost in his kisses. And then there was his unique scent, waking up next to him in the morning, and the way the stubble from his 5'o clock shadow would leave rashes in the most interesting places. Well, actually she wouldn't miss that.

Ok, one more moment to think about the past, then she would take Blaine's advice and not dwell on the past. She allowed one tear to escape but wiped it away quickly. She had only let Sebastian see her cry that one time, and that was enough. She wasn't going to revert to some scared little child. The thing was, she didn't think she could hold back the emotions any longer. The up and down of the stress of the day had tired her out. She headed toward the exit.

"Kathryn, wait!" Sebastian raced up to her, ran his hand through his hair, and nervously adjusted his suit jacket.
"I-I-I-Iiii"

"What? Just get it out. Look, I've got things to do. I don't have all-"

"I-Iloveyou."

"What!"

"I love you," he said slower. "I love you! I love you! I love Kathryn Marie Merteuil."

"What do you think you're doing?"

Some love is just a lie of the heart
The cold remains of what began with a passionate start

But that can't happen to us
Because it's always been a matter of trust

"I've been thinking about it, and I know how we can be together." By now everybody in the room was riveted by the two teens by the doorway. Practically everyone from Manchester Prep and their prominent families were there.

"Sebastian, are you crazy? There is no 'we.'"

"But, I love you!"

"I'm sorry, I don't feel that way about you." She tried to leave once again, but Sebastian gripped her shoulders and kissed her hard. She shoved him away. "You're my brother. Get it in your head, I don't love you!"

He stared at her and angled his head to get a better look at her face. "I don't believe you."

"Urghh! I am so glad you are not going to be my brother anymore."

"That's the point. I love you, and-"

"Look Sebastian you're causing a scene. You can't always get what you want. It's not all about sex and good looks."

"That's not what said you two nights ago in my bed."

Blaine tried to diffuse the tense situation. "Hey, I don't think this is the way to go about this."

"Why are you making up these lies?" Kathryn said trying to pretend that this was a simple case of unrequited, twisted love.

"Kathryn, here it is. I've been trying to tell you this all night. I love you, and I want to-"

Now it was Edward's turn to interupt. "Son, I don't think this is such a good idea."

"Marry me Kathryn!"

"What!"

"Marry me, I love you and I would do everything to make you happy."

"Sebastian, you're really crazy." The last thing she expected was him to propose.

"Alright, fine, I'm crazy! Now tell me, will you marry me?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"I'm sorry, Sebastian. You're only a brother to me."

"Stepbrother! And, anyway, soon to be ex-stepbrother. What is the real reason that you don't want to be my wife?"

"I need another reason besides that?" Sebastian nods his head determinedly. "Well, for one thing, I don't love you. And for another, I can't trust you. And a third reason is…our parents are having a baby, if you haven't noticed!"

Softly he said, "You do love me. You're just afraid to love me, afraid to depend on me too much. You may want to runaway from what we have, but I won't let you."

"Sebastian," Kathryn looked around anxiously at the very interested crowd. "This is not the place to discuss this." Louder, she said, "I know you have an obsession with me, but to make up these delusions of an imaginery love affair is beyond pathetic." With a florish, she tried to leave again.

"Damn it! Don't walk away from me."

She stopped.

"All those times together, was it just sex to you?"

She turned around slowly. "What!"

"You heard me! What did it mean to you?"

"Sebastian, why do you insist on carry on with this charade? I thought we had enough actors in our family, and by that I mean our parents."

"Well, we both know what the truth is. I love you, and I'm willing to live like a pauper until I'm 25 and get my trust fund. Or I'll even get a job. I'd do anything to make you choose me. Show me you love me: Stand by me or continue to pretend to the world that all I said were lies. That the way I just kissed you didn't curl your toes. That you don't like it when I kiss the back of y-"

"Urgh. Enough! I really don't feel anything for you. How many times do I have to say that?"

"I guess you made your choice." He brushed his shoulder past her roughly as he walked out of the room.

"Sebastian, wait," she said softly. But he had already left. She said even softer, "I love you too."

Her mother rushed up to her and gathered her up in a hug. She accepted it, and let it remind her of another time when her mother had meant everything to her. It was before her mother had betrayed her.