A/N:This is a long one guys, I hope you enjoy! Please review! And please make sure to check out stories by
- waterwicca
- RaquelSchmidt
- Starbucks3894
I don't own BTR, only Stella and the Treggers.
Keep reading and reviewing guys! :D I really hope you enjoy this chapter. You get ALOT of answers :) And its nearly 7,000 words *gasp*
Chapter Four: An Emotional, Ticking, Time Bomb
Kendall's entire body froze as he looked at Stella in her pretty, hypnotizing blue eyes. Time stopped, as his heart called out to her like always. Something didn't fit here. Why were they calling her Kacey? Why didn't Bryan know she lived next door? What was going on? Kendall's breathing got a bit heavier, and he blinked his eyes, trying to make sure that this was all real, and he wasn't just imagining it.
"Hey, Kacey," Stephen said again, resting on the counter slyly, his body leaning towards Stella as she backed away a bit. "Kacey?" Kendall thought again, very confused. Stella kept her eyes locked on Kendall the entire time, looking into those starry green eyes that captivated her so well. She seemed nervous, and a bit shameful, looking down immediately.
"Stephen, leave me alone," she said viciously and annoyed, not her usual flirty, playful self. Things had changed since Kendall Knight had come into her life. Things changed for the good. And now she wasn't too fond of other people trying to hit on her. Stephen looked taken aback, as he looked at her confused, Kendall feeling a bit proud, knowing what this was all about. He knew that he had something to do with the fact Stella was acting like this.
"I know you usually turn me down, but you don't have to be such a bitch about it," he mumbled annoyed, turning away from the counter. Kendall balled up his fist by his side, biting his lip as Stella locked her eyes on him again. Bryan noticed the looks exchanged between the two lovers and smiled a bit, Kendall trying his best to hide his anger towards the guy who just called the most amazing girl in the world a bitch.
"Hey baby," Alex stepped up, taking his shot, cocking an eyebrow at her, leaning in towards her with a smug smirk on his face. Kendall looked on at him furiously, wondering how Stella was going to shoot him down. Alex Callum seemed like the typical asshole of this group of friends, the one who sleeps with girls and doesn't remember their names. The thought of this idiot—while still very nice—kid anywhere near Stella made Kendall's lips thin, his eyes in a dead glare towards the tallest of the four. These kids were gonna be his friends this week, and he couldn't blow up on all of them for the littlest thing. It's not like they had any idea that Stella was his anyway. Stella looked at him a bit upset and nodded her head no.
"Nice try," Stella laughed with a scrunched up face, as Alex persisted.
"Come on, Kace. We've been coming in here for a few weeks now and all I want is one date," he said in a low, husky voice. Stella scoffed and laughed in his face, as Bryan and Jake chuckled behind Kendall.
"Again. Nice try," Stella said ignorantly, as her eyes locked on Kendall's again, smiling at him. Bryan, seeing some type of connection between the two, urged Kendall to go approach the counter.
"Go on," Bryan mumbled under his breath, giving the boy a slight nudge forward. Kendall looked at Stella in her beautiful blue eyes, puzzled and awkwardly helpless when he got an idea. He approached the counter with a crooked smile, Stella smiling widely at him, a bit nervously, leaning towards him over the counter. Kendall looked back at all the guys who were anticipating his doom. Kendall took his beanie off, and set it down on the counter, pushing his hand through his shaggy blondish hair, giving her an adorable smile.
"Can I have a kiss?" Kendall asked Stella, with a gleam in his eye. Alex, Stephen, Jake, and Bryan all looked at him in shock and started mumbling, wanting to watch 'Kacey' slap the boy in the face. Instead, Stella quietly came from behind the counter, and stood in front of Kendall as the boys watched intently. Stella slipped her arms around Kendall's neck, crashing her lips on his passionately, as all four boys' faces dropped to the ground. Stella arched her head, Kendall brushing his tongue against her lower lip, begging for the all too familiar entrance as her hands went to his jaw line, his hands going to the small of her back as they slowly and passionately kissed
The boys mumbled in awe, Bryan smiling, Alex and Stephen dumbfounded and Jake chuckling as Stella and Kendall parted with an audible smack, looking into each other's beautiful, starry eyes. While Kendall was still so confused about all of this, kissing Stella just made everything feel right. It was if his heart found the right beat, his lips found the right handshake, and his mind finally fell at peace.
"Thank you," Kendall said gentlemanly, as Stella simply went back behind the counter, her face a bit rigid at the loss of Kendall's hands, and more so at the fact that he was going to ask questions about all of this, like the fact that they were calling her Kacey.
"Jesus Christ, Knight," Stephen said in disbelief, as Kendall stared into Stella's beautiful eyes, getting lost all over again. Kendall turned to the guys with a grin on his face, his mind unsure, and his heart pumping fast as he slowly but surely fastened his hockey bag on his shoulder and walked out of the general store like nothing had happened.
Kendall burst outside into the cold, wintery air, leaning against the store window thinking. What was going on? There was definitely something Stella wasn't telling him, and he didn't like it one bit. She was lying to him, but he figured she must have a pretty good reason about it. Stella, if that even was her real name. The boys followed suit, filing out of the General Store with a soda in each of their hands, crowded around Kendall Knight in oblivion.
"Dude, what the fuck just happened?" Stephen asked incredulously. Kendall laughed and shrugged, as the other boys looked on.
"I don't know. I didn't think she was actually going to kiss me, but she did," Kendall said slyly, lying through his teeth. Bryan and Jake laughed, as Alex looked at Kendall jealously.
"Dude, she wouldn't even let me ask her out!" Alex exclaimed from the back, jealousy creeping up in his voice. Kendall shrugged again and cocked his eyebrow, looking back through the store window where Stella stared at him, a worried look on her face. Kendall frowned and turned back to the boys.
"Was she any good?" Stephen asked anxiously. Kendall nodded and raised his eyebrows, biting his lower lip.
"Oh yeah. She was great," Kendall said smiling smugly, secretly showing off just how good of a kisser Stella really was. It didn't matter if they didn't know the circumstances. He was the one who got to kiss her, and that's all the mattered to the boy.
"It was just so random, Dude," Jake said laughing, his eyes going over to Alex who was still pouting with jealousy. Alex threw his hands up in the air obviously annoyed he couldn't get anywhere with the beautiful blonde.
"I just don't understand," he cried to the heavens, as the other boys looked at him like he was crazy. Kendall shrugged and scratched the back of his head sheepishly and shrugged.
"I wish I did," Kendall said swallowing hard, channeling his misunderstanding of Stella's secrecy, the empty house next door and the impromptu name change. Bryan came up to Kendall and put a hand on his shoulder.
"Why don't you go in there and ask her for a date or something? I mean you're only here a week, but still. It could be fun. And she already kissed you, so I'm sure she'd say yes," Bryan said, looking into Kendall's eyes. Kendall smiled and nodded. It would give him time to talk to Stella, and address this whole thing.
"Yeah. That sounds like a good idea. I'll meet up with you back at the house, Bryan?" Kendall asked him. Bryan nodded, knowing the boy had enough of his crazy friends for one day, as he shuffled them along down the street, Alex still confused, Stephen still questioning, and Jake laughing at the idiots he called his best friends. Kendall immediately slipped back into the store, with the gentle ring of the bell, his face confused as Stella looked worried. She swallowed hard as he approached the counter with a soft smile that looked concerned. She knew that now, everything was going to start coming out.
"Why were they calling you Kacey?" he asked confused, leaning across from her. Stella looked down and away from Kendall, bracing herself.
"It's—it's just a nickname, Kendall Knight," she said nervously, stumbling over his first and last name. Kendall wasn't buying it at all. She was definitely hiding something.
"No it wasn't. I asked them if they knew a Stella, and they all said no. I asked Bryan if he knew you, and he'd never heard of you. He also says there is no one living in the house next door to him," Kendall said calmly, his hand reaching across to his lover's holding it tightly. Stella looked up at him ashamed, worried, and scared.
"What's going on?" he asked her with sad, heavy green eyes. Kendall was concerned by the way her face tensed up and looked nervous, how weak her voice got, and how her sarcasm had faded. It wasn't the Stella he knew…for all of 24 hours.
"Nothing," Stella said curtly, quickly detaching her hand from Kendall's and walking into the doorway behind her, into the stock room. Kendall arched his head to look through the doorway, but ultimately followed her, going behind the counter, into the room, looking through the aisles of their stock. For such a small store, there was a big inventory room. Shelves held tons of different boxes and goods, Stella lost in the maze somewhere.
"Is Stella even your real name?" Kendall asked out to the boxes. He heard her rustle and he began to get frustrated at her silence. They had shared so much last night, and all of yesterday with each other. They had hooked up on the deck a number of times, and cuddled together under a blanket, but yet, Stella wouldn't open up to him. It was then Kendall realized, he didn't know her last name, or what school she went to, or about her parents that much. Stella had some way of changing the subject from her to Kendall, or just shutting him up completely—usually with some sort of kiss. Kendall knew nothing of her, just how she wanted. He called out to her again.
"Well is it?" he asked more irritated this time, beginning to barrel through the stock room, lit dimly with fluorescents. He turned a corner and found Stella pushed up against the wall scared and confused. Kendall's heart nearly fell out of his chest as he saw a single warm tear roll down Stella's cheek. He approached her, as his insides crumbled up. She had seen him crying twice, and he didn't think anything of it, but if she felt the same way he did, seeing him cry should've killed her.
"No. It's not my real name, okay?" Stella whispered upset, leaning back against the shelf lazily. Kendall approached her slowly, meeting her at the shelf as she looked away from him, obviously ashamed about something. She couldn't look into those green eyes right now.
"What?" he asked her confused. Stella looked at Kendall and let out a small cry, as he moved closer, his hands touching hers gently. This was new for her, for she never cried. She didn't know if it was the fact that she was ashamed of her life, the fact that this could ruin and end things with Kendall, or the fact that she was lying to him.
"I don't have a name, Kendall Knight. I don't have a first name, I don't have a middle name, I don't have a last name," she frowned, looking down at her tattered. Kendall felt the world collapse on his shoulders as her tears got stronger and stronger, his eyes turning dark and upset. He was so baffled, his heart beating faster and faster as he swallowed the lump in his throat.
"What do you mean you don't have a name?" he asked her softly, touching her face gently. Stella looked away from him again, as he moved even closer, their bodies touching, his hot breath on her wet cheeks.
"What's going on?" Kendall whispered under his breath, his voice sincere and worried. Stella sighed and looked into Kendall's eyes. She was going to have to tell him the truth. She hadn't wanted a romance, but life didn't ask her what she wanted when she met Kendall upon the roof top she secretly graced to star gaze. It had just happened. And thank god it had.
"I don't have a name. I don't have parents. I don't know the Tregger's," Stella whispered softly. Kendall looked in her eyes confused. Stella swallowed hard and sighed deeply, knowing that as soon as she spoke the words she was about to say, she could lose all of him, and all of his heart. She was terrified of it, but she had to tell the truth.
"I'm a runaway, Kendall Knight," she spoke softly into his lips. Kendall's green eyes opened wide as the words muttered from her lips. A runaway? She had run away from home?
"W-what do you mean?" Kendall asked her softly, as she blinked, hot tears rolling down her cheeks. His face was a lost, surprised expression, which worried Stella. She turned away from Kendall abruptly, hitting his arm that touched her waist down and walked down the aisle filled with boxes.
"Stella, wait," Kendall called, walking after her. He grabbed her arm in the doorway, his heart beating rapidly as she turned to him angrily. Her blue eyes full of venom, and selfless love. She couldn't bring Kendall into her complicated, tragic life. It would be too hard. She had to stop now, before she got too ahead of herself, leading to more heartbreak than she had ever experienced.
Stella had never expected to fall as hard as she did for him.
"I have to quit you, Kendall Knight," she said wearily, her voice covered in tears as she shook that same, amazing, warm, beautiful hand off her arm. Stella walked towards the front of the general store with her head down, as Kendall followed her, his mind pacing, his heart racing, and his eyes full of heat.
"What do you mean you have to 'quit me'? You're a runaway? What does that mean?" he asked her with a worried, frustrated expression masking his face, his voice weakening. Stella turned around to look at him, trying her best to wipe her tears away.
"It means that I don't have parents. It means that I've been on my own since I was eleven. It means that I've been given so many different names by people, I don't know the name I was born with, alright?" she spat back in his face, her blue eyes similar to a scalding blue flame. Kendall was taken aback by her fierce attitude as Stella looked for something aimlessly around the counter, Kendall on the other side, his mouth open in shock.
"Bu-but, you live next door. You live with your parents, Gina and John who don't like stargazing, and you left me this morning to sneak in before they realized they were gone—" Kendall stumbled out, flawed and puzzled, as if repeating her lies would somehow make them less real. He moved around the counter feverishly to where she was, as Stella stopped her movements and looked into Kendall's green eyes, ablaze with fear and confusion, heavy with sadness. Stella swallowed hard and bit her lip, tears falling down her cheeks again.
"I live in that house by breaking into it through the storm cellar. It's abandoned. There is only cold water, there is no heat, or electricity, and there are no parents that tell me when to go to bed. I live there, by myself, alright? I live there because I don't have anywhere else to go," Stella cried incredulously, her lips quivering, her voice sounding desperate and angry. Kendall looked at the battered, torn, independent girl in front of him. He was silent.
"I'm sorry, Kendall Knight. I should've never kissed you on the deck," Stella said sadly, the lie burning her tongue painfully. Kendall's eyes got wide at her statement, as the blonde shakily cleaned up her spotless work station with fumbling hands. How could she possibly say that? While Kendall had this feeling for Stella he just couldn't explain, he knew it wasn't a one way street. It couldn't be. There was NO way. Not after that kiss, not after her appearance last night on the deck. Not after all the other kisses they shared under the blanket Stella had brought with her last night. Not after the twenty four hours, which seemed like years to Kendall, would she dare even slightly allude to that kiss not happening. They were meant to kiss on the deck. They were meant to fall into each other's lives. It was at that moment, Kendall realized Stella needed him, just as much as he needed her. Maybe even more.
"You're nothing more than a visitor, I'm nothing more but a runaway," Stella said, her voice breaking. It was hard to lie, but she had to. She could not draw Kendall to her anymore than she already had. It was selfish of her, and she figured it pointless. She had been through countless, heartless foster families where no one had loved her. Why would anyone start now?
"You don't mean that," Kendall said to her sternly, moving closer to her, his face full of worry, eyebrows knitted. Soft tears continued rolling down Stella's rosy cheeks as she bit her bottom lip white. Kendall took her hands in his easily, feeling that firework again, hoping it would put a bit of sense into the girl. "You don't mean that one bit," Kendall declared angrily with alive green eyes. Stella swatted his hands away and turned her back to him, busying herself with a small mess on the counter in front of her.
"Yes I do," Stella whispered coldly, closing her eyes, not wanting to see the impact of the ruthless lie she had told him. Here she was, telling the one boy who she hadn't gone a minute about thinking about since laying her eyes on him, that what they had shared was just some careless action of hers. "I've made a lot of mistakes in my life Kendall Knight, and you're one of them," she barely got out. Each lie seemed to come harder and harder from her lips, as Kendall's heart broke in half with each of them. He hadn't talked in a few seconds; Stella's back still turned to him. She was terrified to face him. Not because of his yelling, not because of his anger.
Stella didn't want to have to look in the eyes of the boy she felt could change everything, and see his heart slowly falling to pieces—all because of her.
"No, you don't, Stella. I'm not a mistake, and I know I am not a mistake," Kendall said confidently and frustrated, stepping forward, his jaw set still, his eyes shining green, his eyebrows rising with emphasis. Stella was silent, as she swallowed the large lump in her throat.
"You've known me for twenty-four fucking hours, Kendall Knight. Don't act like you've known me all along," she yelled at him softly, tears dripping out of her eyes, her voice strong with anger. Kendall looked at her with sad, defeated and horrified eyes. He was silent. He couldn't speak. He couldn't move. All he could do was tell her what he was feeling.
"I-I love you," he muttered out silently, his face softening. Stella swallowed hard and shook her head, tears dripping from her eyes. He had trapped her into a corner. She wanted to say 'I Love You Too, Kendall Knight' and fall into his arms, and kiss those beautiful, soft, wet lips she had so yearned for since departing from him on the deck last night. But she couldn't. No one could love her. Kendall had to be lying to her. There was no possible way someone could ever love her, never the less, fall for her in such a short time. Did she even really want love in the first place?
Her heart tried to control her lips, begging her not to say what she had to. Both teenagers' heartbeats picked up in their chests for different reasons. Stella licked her lips and looked down, biting her lip. She turned around and looked at Kendall's twisted expression, which nearly killed her.
"You don't love me, Kendall Knight. And I don't love you," she bit her lip, crying. Kendall took a sharp breath in, as if someone had just powerfully punched him in the stomach. He swallowed hard, his green eyes locked on her blue ones. Stella felt a knife go through her heart, as she shook her head shamefully. Kendall felt like in the moment she said she didn't love him, everything he knew was somehow gone. He had thought he'd been sure about both of their feelings. He was sure that Stella loved him, the way he loved her. It was true, it was real, and it was all Kendall had been thinking about. The boy had gotten a hard on from just thinking of her kisses for God's sakes. And now here she was, telling him it was a mistake, and that it wasn't true?
Kendall couldn't handle it.
He swallowed heavily and angrily, and quickly darted for the entrance of the General Store, violently and powerfully pushing the door wide open, and storming out onto the sidewalk. Kendall stuck his hands in his pockets, as he made his way back to the Tregger's, the cold wind the only thing stopping his tears.
It was near 5 o'clock when Kendall arrived home. He had immediately gone upstairs, without saying a word to his mother, Katie, Bryan or any of the Tregger's. He had gone up to their room, sat on the couch, and turned on the television, trying his best not to cry or throw a punch at the mirror that was in the corner. How could Stella say those things to him? He knew what he felt, and he knew that there something different about Stella. He didn't care if she was a runaway, or that she didn't have a name. What he had felt on the deck had been real, and while still surprised about her revelation, he didn't feel a bit different about her.
That's how he knew this was real. And he knew that she felt the same way. Why else would she be so upset about telling him that she was a runaway? Stella was lying to herself, and there was no way Kendall was going to leave without her knowing it.
It was around 6:15 when dinner was served, as Kendall lay upstairs on his couch, TV off, just going over and over in his head what had happened between him and Stella—or whatever her name was. He had been surprised that no one had been up to check on him, especially his worry wart of a mother. Kendall knew that when he walked into the kitchen for breakfast this morning, and she had seen the smile on his face, she had brightened up tenfold. He was having a good time, and she could finally relax about his depressed attitude since his father's death. But now—Kendall wasn't sure if that smile was going to come back. Not now. Not when he felt this wronged. He hadn't really believed much in fate over the course of his sixteen years, especially not when his father died. Was his father supposed to be taken away from him? Was this all some elaborate plan?
Kendall shifted on the couch and sat up, running his hands through his hair confused, leaning his elbows on his knees, closing his eyes, anticipating the monster headache that was about to arrive.
Maybe Stella was right. Maybe this whole "fate" thing and "having each other in each other's lives for a reason" was some type of fluke that Kendall just wanted to believe, after nearly getting to second base with a beautiful blonde angel only hours after meeting her. Thinking about all of this hurt his head, as he hung his head and rubbed his neck aggravated. He was thinking way too much about this. He had come here to hopefully enjoy himself, instead of sulking around his barren house during the depressing holidays, looking at his mother cry while sipping tea at their empty, fatherless, kitchen table.
It was then that Kendall really wished his father was here to help him with all of this. Kristopher Knight would definitely know what to do. Kendall and his father had always been open with each other about problems involving "guy stuff". Touchy topics such as girls, drinking, drugs, and sex were always addressed between the two Knight men with ease and comfort over a simple Wild game, or when the two went to shoot pucks down at the rink together. It made Kimberly Knight at peace knowing that even if her son wasn't telling her certain things, that her husband had control and knowledge of Kendall's actions. But now—since February, Kendall could've stolen cars, sold drugs and had a wife. She had no idea what her son was up to, and frankly—it killed her inside. She knew Kendall wasn't comfortable sharing certain things with her, but since Kris died, he had been a closed book, and it worried her to no end.
Kendall was broken from his distressed, upset position on the couch when his mother kneeled in front of him, with a concerned look on her face, touching his knee gently.
"Baby," she said softly, brining her hand to his chin. Kendall looked up at his mother and swallowed hard. He had been so lost in his own thoughts about Stella and then his father; he hadn't even noticed her calling him for dinner from the doorway of their room. Upon not answering and due to his position on the couch, he figured his mother was worried. Kendall swallowed hard and took a troubling breath, his green eyes uneasy. He looked sick and bothered. Kim gently ran her fingers through her sons' hair with a concerned look on her face.
"Are you alright, Kendall?" she asked him softly, her face twisted with nerves, bringing her hand from his face down to his forearm.
Kendall tried his best to buck up and took a deep breath in, his voice shaky from his hidden tears.
"I'm fine," he said coldly, getting up from the couch, leaving his mother kneeling on the floor upset. She had thought that maybe he would've opened up to her about everything, especially since the change from the way he had acted this morning to now. But no luck. Kendall stood in the middle of the room, pacing, looking down at his feet, trying his best to keep everything inside. He was an emotional, ticking, time bomb.
"Kendall, what's the matter?" she asked again, her voice tired and frustrated. Kendall stopped pacing and looked up at his mother, a tear falling down his face. He knitted his brows together in anger, his fists balled up at his sides. He was getting angrier and angrier by the second. This wasn't even about Stella anymore. This was about everything. This was about how his mother constantly tried to help him, and as much as he wanted her hugs, and her kisses on the forehead, he couldn't break down. He couldn't show feeling. He was afraid to let his mom know just how depressed he really was inside. She didn't need to worry about him anymore; little did he know that's all she had been doing the past few months.
"Nothing is wrong. I'm fine!" he barked at his mother. Kim looked taken aback at her son's angriness and hostile behavior towards her. This wasn't the first time this had happened, but she could tell something was eating away at her son, and she knew that this Christmas was going to be especially tough on both of her children, Kendall the most.
Kim neared her son in the middle of the room, watching the small tear fall down his cheek, to his jaw line, to the floor. "You are not fine, sweetheart. Look at you," she cried upset, her own eyes starting to get a bit moist.
She hated seeing him like this. She had been able to put up with it for months, praying each night that he would come around and talk to her, talk to someone. She knew that he missed his father, and she knew that she would never be able to replace him. But this—something was wrong here.
"Just leave me the fuck alone," Kendall yelled at her, his green eyes shining with more tears, and vivid images of anger. Kimberly Knight didn't expect her son to lash out this severely. Now, she had to take control. She didn't even care that he had basically just cursed her out. All she wanted him to do was fall into her arms, and show some emotion instead of denying it like he had been for so long.
"You've been like this for months, Kendall," she said shakily, nearing him with a crazed, upset look in her eyes. "I've been worried sick about you since your father died, and I'll be Goddamned if I am going to let you keep on holding everything inside until it eats you alive," she yelled, her last few words trailing off with her voice breaking from emotion.
Kendall stared at his mother, and swallowed the lump in his throat again. His lips thinned a bit and he looked down to the floor, ready to bawl. Everything was wrong right now. What a difference from this morning. This morning, he was at peace with his father's death, and he had talked to Stella all about it. He had a great day with Bryan and his friends playing hockey, and actually felt good for once.
But now, he was alone again. And it hit him more than he had ever imagined.
Kendall tried his best not to let his mother see him cry, his head down, his bangs covering his eyes. He took a seat on the bed next to him slowly, his head hung. Kim's breathing picked up as she quickly sat next to him, making sure her hand rested on his thigh for support, as one arm immediately went around him, and he coldly leaned into her. He hadn't really broken down in front of his mother since the accident. Heck, he hadn't even shown much of any emotion since then. He didn't want to make this any harder for her or Katie than it already was. Kendall was a pro at bottling up his feelings inside until they exploded.
"It's alright to cry, Baby," whispered his mother, her own voice wavering as tears began to fall from her eyes. Kendall closed his eyes and one tear trickled out. It seemed as that tear fell, it began to get easier and easier to cry.
"I-I miss him s-so m-much," Kendall cried out, his voice strained with every sad, heart wrenching emotion she could think of. Kimberly Knight was amazed at Kendall's reaction, as he broke down sobbing in her arms. It almost seemed as if he was more upset now, than he was upon finding out that his father had been killed. Kendall buried his face into her hair, as she pulled him closer, her hand rubbing soothingly on his back, as he cried violently into her.
"It's s-s-o hard with-without him, m-m-om. He-he was my b-b-est friend," Kendall cried, his voice clouded by his heavy sobs. He swallowed hard and shook in Kim's arms, as she hugged her son close to her as she possibly could, and kissed his dusty blonde hair.
"I know, sweetheart. I know it's hard, but it's alright to cry, and it's alright to miss him, Kendall," she said shakily, trying her best to keep somewhat strong for her son. "I miss him every single day." Kendall looked up at his mother like a little five year old boy, as she wiped his eyes and tried her best to smile.
"But you are growing up so fast into the man your father was, Baby. Looks and personality," she said in a whisper, swallowing the lump in her throat. Kendall smiled a bit through his tears as she bit her lip, a tear sneaking down her cheek. "And I know that if he was here, he'd be so proud of you, Kendall. Just like I am," Kim said in a broken voice, barely being able to finish. Kendall looked into his mothers wise, hurting and beautiful eyes and blinked, more tears falling out. Kendall said nothing as he leaned into his mother again, and she entrapped him in another hug. The mother and son stayed silent for a few minutes, the only sound heard was Kendall's sniffling.
"I love you, sweetheart," his mother said to him, softly whispering in his ear, stroking his blonde hair back. Kendall looked up at his mother with big, shining, green eyes.
"I love you too, mom," he said, his voice weakened.
The snow had begun falling even more heavily from last night to this morning. It was December 23rd, two days until Christmas, one day until Christmas Eve, and the preparations had begun. While Katie, Serena, Kim and Jenny were cooped up in the kitchen all day, baking—and eating—cookies, brownies, and other holiday treats, Bryan, his father and Kendall had taken to the cold, crisp air outside, to shovel the enormous driveway the Tregger's had. While this could be very easy by the use of the Tregger's snow blower, the men had decided to shovel, not caring much about the cold weather and doing everything possible to avoid having to be in the kitchen.
"Rybran, can you pass that shovel?" Mr. Dave Tregger asked of his platinum blonde son. Bryan handed the shovel over to his father and continued digging alongside Kendall.
"Rybran?" he asked, with a cocked eyebrow. Bryan sighed let out a small laugh.
"When I was like four, I couldn't spell my name, and I always spelled it R-Y-B-R-A-N, and my whole family started to call me Rybran—and it's kind of stuck with my dad all thirteen years," Bryan said rolling his eyes. Kendall chuckled and looked down, beginning to shovel again. Kendall's dad had always called him sport. He remembered his first day of freshmen year, his father had called him that before he had gotten out of the car, and Kendall told him now that he was in high school, it was a bit too childish for him to be called that. Kris understood of course, but still felt a bit upset as he watched Kendall meet up with Carlos, James and Logan slowly walk into the huge high school, growing up before his own very eyes.
Kendall would've done anything these days to hear his father call him Sport—or any nickname his heart desired.
After his talk with his mother last night, he had skipped dinner and taken comfort on the couch, snuggling up in the red and white blankets, trying to doze off to sleep, before his migraine arrived. It had worked luckily, and Kendall woke up this morning, not as chipper as the last morning of course, but somewhat happy, and at peace with himself. He had anxiously offered to help Bryan and Dave shovel the driveway, no questions asked.
He looked over at how Dave and Bryan were carbon copies of another. Same friendly smile, same platinum blonde hair, striking blue eyes. It was a bit scary how much they looked alike. They both seemed perfect in every sense of the word. They both had good personalities, were very kind, very competitive and caring. Heck, they were even shoveling snow in unison, as Kendall came to think of it. He stood up for a second, and stretched out his back and neck when he looked next door at the empty, vacant house. He wondered if Stella was inside, what she was doing, and if she was thinking about him. God knows that Kendall was thinking about her every second he wasn't thinking about his father.
Kendall turned back to Bryan and Dave who were laughing about something, all father son like. He needed a bit of break, so a fib would perhaps work.
"I'll be right back, I have to use the bathroom," Kendall said, as Dave and Bryan nodded, and continued their conversation. Kendall let the shovel fall in the snow and turned his back to the Tregger's. He went to the side of the house, where the side door was and noticed something strange.
He looked down and saw a trail of foot prints in the snow, leading up to the chest of deck furniture, where Stella would always hop up on to get to the deck. They were small, delicate and definitely hers. Kendall smiled to himself. Had she come on the deck last night, expecting him to be out there? Kendall's heart rate picked up a bit as he followed them with his eyes, through the fir trees, a few yards to the storm cellar. He looked both ways and slowly began to descent towards the house with a smile on his face. Stella had wanted to see him. He knew it.
He got to the storm cellar, making sure no one was around and quietly opened it. He looked down and saw mostly darkness, while the bright snow and sky from outside illuminated it the slightest bit.
"Stella?" he whispered into the darkness. There was no answer. He slowly creeped down the wooden stairs, into the dark basement. Kendall a bit scared, but knowing that no one lived in this house, except her, made it a bit less scary for him. He breathed into his hands, since the house had no heat it was basically just as cold as the outside.
"Stella?" he called to her again. He made his way through the empty basement, and found a staircase leading up the house. He made his way up it, looking around at where she lived. It wasn't dark out because of the light from the sky, but there were no lights. There was barely any furniture. The walls were painted a frosty, cold blue. This house looked more like a jail cell than anything else.
"Stella?" Kendall called out again, reaching what he thought to be the kitchen, due to the nice granite countertops and disconnected refrigerator. His voice echoed through the empty hallways, and bounced off the wood floors. He shuddered again and blew in his hands, as his heavy footsteps traveled down the hallway. He heard the small sniffles of a girl coming from the last room. It had to be her.
"Stella," Kendall called again, making his way to the last, huge room at the end of the hallway. As he looked into the room, he saw Stella under a pile of blankets, shivering in her jacket and scarf, looking out the window, which had a perfect view of the Tregger's deck. This is how she had seen him. It was true. She couldn't see any stars from the window or deck outside of her room. Stella turned around, her eyes red and puffy, tears streaking her face. Kendall looked at her in awe, as she stood up, clutching the blankets to her. He couldn't speak, his breaths heavy as he neared her.
"You weren't on the deck last night," she said softly, her voice cracking. Kendall swallowed hard and nodded.
"I know," he said regretfully, his eyes heavy. "But we need to talk," he said, to the beautiful, broken, crying girl in front of him.
Hm, this would be boring if Stella had only one secret. There is alot more to this :) Don't you worry. The fun isn't over yet.
Stay Tuned till next week! *which may or may not be rated M* ;)
P.S: Who do Stephen, Alex, Jake and Bryan remind you of..respectively? ;)