Kendall stared at the sprawling Victorian mansion that he was standing in front of with absolutely no clue how he'd gotten there. The last thing he remembered was climbing in to bed several hours earlier in his room at his aunt's house. Now it was almost three in the morning and he didn't even now where he was, even though he couldn't rid himself of the feeling that he'd been here before, that he should recognize it.
There were the remnants of a tree that seemingly had been burned down piled in the front yard and he couldn't explain why the longer he stared at the charred stump, the sadder he felt.
The rumbling sound of a motorcycle driving up and idling behind him caused Kendall to turn and watch as Motorcycle Dude from his school climbed off the bike, knocking the kickstand into place with the heel of his boot.
"You should really wear a helmet," Kendall observed out loud.
The guy spun around, quickly covering up the surprise on his face with a scowl.
"And you should really be home in bed, not spying on me," He growled in response, stalking towards Kendall.
"I'm not spying on you. I…I sleepwalked here. I think," Kendall mused, scrunching up his face in confusion.
"Maybe you should handcuff yourself to the bed," James replied suggestively, raising his eyebrow and smirking at the blond.
Kendall's cheeks heated and he stammered out a response.
"Relax, Blondie. You never could take a joke."
Kendall cocked his head, questioning James. "You say that like you know me."
Something unreadable flashed in the brunet's hazel eyes but disappeared before Kendall could make sense of it. "I just know your type is all."
"And what type is that?" Kendall huffed, planting his hands on his hips and glowering at James, unamused by the other boy trying to typecast him when he didn't even know him.
"The type that's out past curfew. Go home, Blondie," James sighed wearily.
"Stop calling me Blondie, that's not my name. My name is Kendall."
"Great story, and my name is James. Now if these heartfelt introductions are over, I'd like to go in and crash, please," He responded, sarcasm dripping from his voice. He didn't wait for a reply, just gave Kendall one last smirk before shouldering past him and heading across the lawn and up the steps, disappearing behind the door to the mansion Kendall had wandered to in his sleep.
It ended up taking Kendall a good two hours to finally find his way home in the dark on streets he was unfamiliar with. "Thanks for the help, James," He muttered under his breath when he arrived at his aunt's lakeside cabin. He trudged inside, apprehensive at first, but sighing with relief when he saw all was quiet, the house's inhabitants still sleeping away, unaware he'd gone for a unintentional midnight stroll.
He snuck back upstairs and into his bedroom, falling into his bed and into a fitful sleep, his dreams troubled by images of him and James together under a tree that no longer existed. His alarm clock blared incessantly only a short time later and he groggily slapped in its general direction until he managed to shut the damn thing off.
Kendall stumbled out of bed and into the bathroom across the hall that he shared with his younger cousin. Splashing water on his face he dried off then peered in the mirror, expecting the dark circles he found under his eyes. He finished getting ready on autopilot and before he knew it he was once again staring up the daunting steps to his new high school.
His eyes automatically strayed towards the wall where he'd first seen James the previous day, and he was uneasy with the way his heart sunk when he found the same spot tauntingly empty now.
"Looking for someone?" A voice asked in his ear.
Kendall turned to see James grinning at him like the Cheshire Cat, one eyebrow quirked as he walked past, heading up the steps, stopping and saying over his shoulder, "It's pretty flattering having my own personal stalker, Blondie." His grin grew into a smirk as he winked, then continued up the steps without another word.
"My name's not Blondie!" Kendall hollered at the infuriating boy's retreating figure, huffing in annoyance. He'd never wanted to punch someone in the face quite as badly before. "Asshole," He added under his breath in a mutter.
"That's a pretty popular opinion," an unfamiliar voice said behind Kendall.
"What the hell is it with people in this town sneaking up and talking to me?" Kendall asked turning and glaring at his unknown visitor.
"Well sorry for talking to you."
Kendall found himself looking at a female with black and red hair and way too much eye makeup. He frowned. "Sorry, it's just that James guy is such such a, he's just so…"
"Insufferable?" The girl supplied.
"Yes. Exactly," Kendall relaxed, smiling. "I'm Kendall," He introduced himself, extending a hand.
"I know. Small town. We don't get too many new people, so when there is one it's pretty big news. I'm Lucy," she took his outstretched hand in hers, giving it a firm shake.
"Lucy, James is going to slaughter you," another boy joined the pair, causally slinging an arm around Lucy's shoulders but giving her a pointed look.
Lucy rolled her eyes and shrugged the boys arm away. "Oh, grow a pair, Dak. James doesn't control us."
"He kinda does. And there's a difference between having balls and being suicidal. Tell your new friend goodbye and let's go before James get wind of this," Dak responded, steering Lucy away with a hand on the small of her back. Lucy shrugged her shoulders and smiled apologetically at Kendall before allowing herself to be led away.
What the fuck was that about? Kendall wondered, watching the two head up the stairs and then shaking his head in confusion.
James willed himself not to look over his shoulder at Kendall as he walked away from him and into the school. He was pretty sure if there was one thing he could alter about this curse, it would be the age he was stuck at. No one, no matter what sins they'd committed in the past, should be forced to go to high school for eternity. It had to go against the eighth amendment, because it was definitely cruel and unusual. He was over three hundred years old. He'd pretty much had his share of school by now, there wasn't a whole lot left to learn.
But in order not to draw unnecessary attention to himself, he had to act the age he looked, not the age he was, and blend in to society as best he could. Which meant going to high school. And also typically a few well placed memory spells when the dreaded parent teacher conference times arose.
James gave in and allowed himself one quick glance before the doors closed behind him and was taken aback to see Lucy chatting up Kendall.
He started to turn and head back to give the bitch a piece of his mind, but a hand landed on his shoulder, preventing him from moving.
"She's just trying to get under your skin and cause trouble, like always. Let it go for now," Carlos advised.
James was still tense, but he took Carlos' advice and walked down the hall with him. "If she fucks it up-"
Carlos cut him off. "She won't. Relax. Lucy's a bitch, she always has been. But she's also weak and scared, she won't cross you, she just wants to start shit. Stir the pot, so to speak," Carlos grinned, nudging James. "Get it?" He hurriedly continued on when all he got in response from James was a cold, unamused glare. "Don't let her get to you, if she knows she's getting to you it will only encourage her."
"Yeah. Ok," James agreed to appease Carlos. Carlos would see things more his way if he knew what James knew, but until James was convinced Lucy and Jett were the only two he needed to worry about he planned on keeping things quiet. For now it was best to just play dumb and act as if he didn't think there were any enemies within his coven.
Glancing back one last time he saw Kendall was alone again and Lucy was being herded off by Dak. At least that showed Dak probably wasn't anyone to worry about. Unless he was just trying to get her away from Kendall before she blew their cover. Okay all this paranoia definitely wasn't healthy.
James gave his head a vigorous shake to clear his thoughts, pasted a fake, tight-lipped smile on his face and waited for Dak and Lucy to join him and Carlos.
"Meet anyone interesting?" He asked, leveling them with a look and slinging an arm around Dak's shoulders.
"Not really. Same old, same old," Lucy replied smartly, smirking at their leader.
James dropped the fake grin, and shoved Dak and Carlos down the hallway, reaching out and grabbing the necklace Lucy wore around her neck and using it to yank her towards him, bending down and hissing a threat at her in a low voice. "I don't know what you and Jett are up to, but talk to him again and you won't be back next cycle. Got it?"
"Got it," Lucy muttered, pulling free and rubbing her neck, scurrying off down the hall.
"He knows Jett. He all but told me so before school started. We need to call this off. It's too dangerous now."
"You're being paranoid. All that James knows is that you disobeyed him and talked to Kendall. By the way, great job getting caught there," Jett whispered in response sarcastically. "We need to seem like we're still with the coven, still backing James. Which means doing what he commands and not talking to Kendall. So fall in line and play your part or you're right, we will get caught., but it will be your fault. Don't mess this up, Luce. We've worked too damn hard to get to this point and another chance won't arise for centuries. And I'm not doing James' bidding for another month, much less hundreds."
"Gee, I'm so glad to get out from under James' thumb just to be trapped under yours," Lucy rolled her eyes.
"It's not like that and you know it. But I'm sick of paying for their mistakes and then doing everything we can to help them get their happy ending. What about us? What about our happy ending? They aren't the only two people in love who keep getting separated every cycle. The only difference is the sins belong to them, not us. If we play our cards right, this ends. Here. Now. And then it's you and me. No James. No Blondie. No coven holding us back. Just you and just me, forever. We never disobeyed the elders; we never went against the laws. We deserve a happy ending, not them. So let's make it happen, okay?" Jett soothed Lucy, rubbing a hand up and down her back and kissing her on the cheek.
"Okay," Lucy relented, relaxing into his touch and smiling.
"So did you find anything out?" Camille slid into the empty desk next to James.
James shrugged. "Nothing for certain. And I can't take action unless I'm positive. They snuck off together last night, and I caught Lucy engaging him this morning, but none of that means anything for sure. It's all circumstantial. And I can't risk tearing the coven apart because of suspicion."
"Because you care about the coven so much, right?" Camille asked with a roll of her eyes.
"Don't fuckin' start. The only thing I care about is him. That's the end game. Always has been."
"And maybe that's part of the problem James. You've never cared about anyone aside from him and yourself. The rest of us are just pawns in your game, pieces to use in your war against the elders. You'd sacrifice every single one of us if it got you two together in the end. That's how we got in this mess to begin with. The two of you never stopped to consider whose lives you were destroying in the process. All you cared about was each other and the power. That's what really scares you about Jett and Lucy. They remind you of you and Blondie. Willing to do whatever necessary to be in control and together. We were loyal to you, we followed you, and in return we got cursed right alongside you. How is that okay? How many more years do you expect us to fight for a leader that doesn't give a shit about us?"
"That's not fair, Camille."
"No, James, what isn't fair is that we gave up everything for you two. And yet you would sacrifice each and every one of us in a fucking heartbeat if you feared we were getting in the way of your master plan. Maybe Jett and Lucy have the right idea. Our loyalty to you has never gotten us anything but cursed. And lately, you've done nothing to deserve that loyalty. Honestly, the only thing you deserve from us as of late is an uprising. Think about that before you make your next move, James. Or I can guaran-fucking-tee you that Jett and Lucy won't be the only ones working against you this cycle. You need to realize that being the leader of this coven is more than just ordering us around. You want our loyalty? Then fucking prove that you deserve it. You want our respect? Than fucking earn it." Camille scrapped her chair back, standing up abruptly and stomping out of the classroom, ignoring the teacher calling after her.
Kendall spent that night the same way he had the past few; tossing and turning, waking up every so often covered in a cold sweat from a nightmare he couldn't quite remember. The only detail that wasn't fuzzy was James' face, lurking in his dreams once again, haunting his nightmares. He just couldn't shake the feeling that he knew the brunet. When they spoke it wasn't as if he was getting to know him, more as if he was remembering him. He was confused, frustrated and he felt like he should know more than he did which only added to the confusion and frustration.
He wasn't surprised when, for the second night in a row, he found himself coming to in front of the other boy's house. At least tonight he'd know the way home.
Stifling a sigh, Kendall turned to leave, only to be stopped by a hand on his shoulder. A hand that burned where it touched yet sent shivers down his spine at the same time, overwhelming the blond with a prickly sense of déjà vu.
"Kendall," James spoke quietly behind him in a strained voice as the hand on his shoulder tightened.
Squeezing his eyes shut and grimacing, Kendall slowly turned around, counting to three in his head before opening his eyes, expecting the hard gaze that stared back.
"Even in my subconscious I'm drawn to you," Kendall said flatly. "Why?"
James dropped his gaze momentarily, glancing downwards and chewing on his bottom lip, finally huffing a sigh and bringing his eyes back up to Kendall's. "You've never been this persistent this early," he admitted.
Kendall gave him a blank look. "What are you talking about?"
James finally pulled his hand back, shoving it through his hair before hooking his thumb in a belt loop. "Nothing," he murmured shaking his head. "Forget I said anything."
"No!" Kendall surprised not only James, but himself with the anger and forcefulness he managed to convey with just one word. "I want to know what's going on! I feel like there's some big secret you're not letting me in on! I feel like I know you, like you know me. And you act like we have some history, but I can't remember you! Why is that? What don't I know?"
"You're not ready yet. When the time comes, I swear I'll tell you every detail, but for now I need you to just walk away and forget about me. Please," James pleaded.
"No," Kendall repeated, shaking his head and standing his ground. "I'm not leaving until you give me some godamn answers! Straightforward answers! Every single thing you've said to me sounds like some fucking riddle that try as I might, I can't fucking figure out!"
"All right, Blondie, I do have neighbors, take it down a notch, huh?" James chuckled, but even to his own ears it sounded forced. "Fuck. You're not gonna let me off the hook until you're satisfied, huh?" James sighed.
Kendall glared, still breathing heavy from his outburst and shook his head resolutely. "Nope," He replied, popping the last syllable.
James cursed, looking torn, and then kicked at the grass with the toe of his boot cursing under his breath again and turning around, motioning for Kendall to follow him. "It's gonna be a long godamn night, we might as well do this inside."
It took Kendall a minute to realize he'd actually gotten his way since he hadn't really been expecting the other boy to cave so easily, but after a moment's hesitation he hurried after the brunet, tripping up the steps behind him, and following him into his house.
James silently led him through the spacious living room, up the steps and down a long hallway, making a sudden left through an open doorway so that the pair ended up in what Kendall guessed was James' bedroom. James waved a hand towards the bed and Kendall hesitated before giving in and sitting gingerly on the edge, staring up at James expectantly.
James stared back at him silently for a moment, arguing with himself, shutting his eyes and then reaching up with his left hand and grasping the neck of his t-shirt, opening his eyes as he pulled it down revealing two identical scars over his heart. "You have the same marks, don't you." It wasn't really a question.
Kendall's hand unwittingly made its way up, rubbing over his matching scars that James had no possible way of knowing about. "So what if I do?" He whispered.
"It means something."
Kendall shook his head, standing up and making a move for the door, suddenly unsure he wanted to know where this was heading, but James blocked him. "You talk like you know me, you don't know me," Kendall insisted.
James gave a sad smile. "That's where you're wrong, Blondie. I know you. The problem is that you don't know yourself."
"You're not making sense." Kendall took a step back.
James advanced. "You don't need to be afraid of me. I'm not the enemy."
"I don't even know you." Another step back.
"Yes you do." Another step forward.
"Prove it."
James tilted his head, his jaw working overtime as he studied the blond, and gave a shrug. "You asked for this," He reminded him, reaching a hand out and placing his pointer and middle finger to the left side of Kendall's temple.
Kendall gasped and crumpled to the ground, suddenly overtaken by a slew of memories invading his mind, reminding him who he was and who James was as every single moment of their past played out for him like a movie, slamming into his brain and overpowering him.