A/N: Running a little late on Hooked tonight, but here it is! :D This has a BUNCH of Stella in it, so be prepared :D I think y'all like it.
Please read and review! Anonymous reviews are enabled, so don't be shy! Really :D I've gotten some awesome anon reviews that I love lately :D
***IS ANYONE ELSE HAVING PROBLEMS PERSERVING THEIR ITALICS AND BOLDS IN THEIR STORY ON THIS SITE? I AM AND ITS PISSING ME OFF BEYOND BELIEF. THATS WHY THIS IS SO LATE AND I APOLOGIZE :(
This chapter is dedicated to waterwicca, and you GOTTA check out her story, Past The Sorrow. Here is a little snippet from Chapter 5. Go ahead, read and enjoy, I know you wanna ;D
"Is that you?" she asked with a smile, turning to point at a frame hanging on the wall beside his dresser.
It was a large picture of four young boys huddling close together on the ground and smiling for the camera. They were all dressed warmly and the richly colored leaves of autumn lay in a pile beneath them. Sage's finger landed on the blonde child positioned second in the line of boys.
Kendall jumped off of the bed with a grin and moved to stand beside her with his arm around her waist as they looked over the photograph.
"Yup! Aren't I adorable?" Kendall joked with a cheeky smile as he squeezed the girl he held close.
"Who are the others?" Sage questioned, leaning into Kendall's embrace.
"They were my best friends when I lived in Minnesota. This one…" he began by pointing to the boy on the far left who had short raven colored hair and dark eyes. He wore a small, happy grin just like young Kendall. "This is Logan Mitchell. He was the sensible brainiac of the group. He tried to be the voice of reason when we ended up in crazy situations, but you could always tell he secretly loved the chaos. He was a great friend… loyal no matter what."
Kendall stopped, smiling softly, before moving his finger to the boy on the other side of him. This one had an adorable, perfect smile and soft brown hair. His hazel eyes looked right into the camera.
"That's James Diamond. He was born for Hollywood. He did it all: singing, dancing, and acting. James was made to perform, and he'd let you know it every chance he got. He was full of passion. I only started getting interested in music because of him," Kendall explained with a small laugh.
He picked up his finger and put it on the final and fourth boy with a wide smile, brown eyes, and short dark hair.
"This is Carlos Garcia. He was our crazy, hilarious dare devil. Logan tried his best to keep him out of trouble, James egged him on, and I would always be in the middle depending on my mood and how outlandish the stunt was," Kendall chuckled, shaking his head from side to side, "Carlos would try anything twice."
"Don't you mean once?" Sage interjected with a smirk, turning her head to look up at him.
"No, Carlos lives by his own rules," Kendall laughed while looking at the photo once more. Sage watched him as his smile softened into a small grin. His green eyes glazed over as he ran through memories of his friends.
"You miss them a lot, don't you?" Sage inquired, leaning her head against his chest and wrapping both arms around his torso while they both looked at the picture.
"Yeah, I do. They were my best friends. I haven't seen them since I was Katie's age and we had to leave Minnesota. I grew up with them, but then my dad died. Mom struggled to pay the bills with only her income. We ended up moving in with a relative, trying to stay in the town we loved… It was only a few years though before my mom found a better job here in North Dakota. That's when we really started moving around here every couple of years," Kendall explained, laying his own head on top of Sage's, feeling less gloomy at the contact. She always heated him up; she even smelled warm. It invaded his senses, making every muscle relax.
"Maybe you'll see them again someday. I don't think that they were part of your life for no reason," Sage reassured him with a soft smile and she leaned up to kiss him gently on the cheek. She let her lips linger for a moment before taking a step back.
"You're right," Kendall nodded, his wide smile returning. He felt real optimism. Even if he weren't with them, he knew he loved his best friends, and he already started thinking about making a trip back to Minnesota even if he had to wait until after senior year.
"So, what kind of reckless things would your ten-year-old self and your friends do?" Sage asked in excitement, almost as if she could feed off of his happy, fun childhood to make her own memories seem less dark.
"Well, one time, Carlos wanted to jump off of James' second story balcony and into the pool," Kendall laughed.
"And how did that end up?" Sage asked with a giggle.
"Logan told him the trajectory was all wrong and he wouldn't make the landing. James wanted him to do it, but warned him he may have permanent blemishes from scars if he needed stitches," Kendall explained.
"And you?" Sage crossed her arms with a smirk, raising an eyebrow.
"I told him to go for it because I knew that the splash would be epic," Kendall smiled brightly. "So, I covered Logan's eyes so he wouldn't hyperventilate while Carlos climbed to the edge with James cheering him on. Carlos took a big leap and landed dead center in the pool. Even Logan ended up cheering because it was so awesome. He didn't think he would make it, but Carlos defies most logic," Kendall laughed along with Sage as he moved to stand in front of the large window. "I think the jump was even higher than this, and the pool was a few feet further out than where the roof ends," he pointed out the window absentmindedly. Just beneath it, there was a stretch of roof that didn't have much of a slant and was about three yards deep.
"You have a nice view," Sage commented as they observed the world outside. You could see the tops of a few trees that were scattered across the yard and the top of the wooden fence at the end of the property. Beyond that, there were only more trees and the clear blue sky. You couldn't even see any of the neighbors' houses.
"Yeah, I got lucky. The last place we were in, there wasn't a single window in my room," Kendall frowned, then took Sage's hand and opened the window. "Let's get a better look," he smiled as he waved his hand, "Ladies first."
"What a gentleman," Sage smirked as she swung one leg over the windowsill, then the other. She stood on the roof while Kendall climbed out behind her, their hands still intertwined.
After gaining his footing, Kendall lowered himself to the roof, pulling Sage with him. They lay down together, both on their backs with their shoulders touching. The slight incline of the roof angled the two just enough so that they had a view of not only the sky overhead, but also the horizon above the trees. From the sun's weakening strength, they could tell the evening would settle upon them in only a couple of hours.
"Now that you're my girlfriend, we should get to know each other better," Kendall smiled, turning his head to look at Sage.
"Shouldn't it have been the other way around?" she joked about their unusual beginnings.
"Whatever," he sighed and nudged her playfully with their clasped hands, "You love how crazy we are."
So yeah. You GOTTA read Past The Sorrow. It's such an absolutely, excellent, perfect creation of EVERYTHING you could EVER want in a fanfiction :D You must read now!
I don't own anything except my OC's.
Chapter Thirteen: I'm Not Okay
Nightmares. They hadn't happened in a while for her.
A while.
But now they just seemed to reappear as always.
"Hey, blondie. You didn't finish your lunch?" the tall, burly man asked menacingly, his eyebrows furrowed, his blonde hair peeking out from under a clean, pristine, uniform hat.
The tiny blonde five year old girl, with striking blue eyes looked down at the horrible mush of oatmeal she had been served, her body shaking with fear. This had been the longest, most horrible young day of her life. She tugged at her lower lip, as the man neared closer to her with his crooked teeth, stubbly unkempt face, and horrible breath.
"You listenin' blondie?" he said, his lips curled up into a deceiving smile, a smile that the little girl had never seen in her life. Usually the smiles she saw were full of love and laughter.
He put his face near hers, as the blonde girl nodded her head no, not wanting to have the disgusting mush slide down her throat. The guard snickered and sucked his teeth disapprovingly; the girl's beautiful, cornflower silk golden locks falling over her face.
"Eat it," the guard demanded harshly. "Now."
The little girl looked down at the disgusting, atrocious food in front of her and didn't move, barely passing breaths from her pink lips. The guard waited about five seconds, before coming around from behind her, as the blonde closed her eyes. The sound of his every step on the cold, tiled floor was something that would never leave her, not even to this day.
"Have it your way," the guard snickered, as he yanked the blonde girl off the decrepit, wooden bench from the collar of her pale pink shirt, as she let out a small soft breath, the other dirty children and teens eating their lunches fearfully and quickly.
The blonde girl kicked and screamed as he dragged her down the hallway, her face red, tears falling from her blue eyes, no one bothering to help, or even look in her direction.
She felt her collar choking her.
Her breaths getting shorter.
Her head feeling light.
Stella shot up in her sleep, a mild, sticky sweat on her brow as she heaved heavily. Her breaths came in short, tight, sharp intervals. It had to have been below ten degrees here in Cumberland, as she swallowed hard and small puffs of air blew past her bluish lips.
Stella shivered in the heavy cold air, thanking God she had not bought that burger at Shackles on New Year's several days back, and opted for a blanket from one of the camping stores instead. Stella shivered furiously, the warm, salty tears beginning to spill on her cheeks the only source of comfort on her red, cold face. Her canvas bag lay beside her, as with shaking hands, she began to tear through it.
Even though she had two blankets, all her clothes and her boots on, the girl still felt like she was frozen. She rummaged through the few other necessities she had bought with the last of her pay, some she had stolen from the General Store before she left, as she reached the bottom of her canvas bag.
Her fingers touched something heavenly and painstakingly soft, as she gripped it with frozen hands, pulling it up out of the bag. Her watery blue eyes locked on the dark blue cardigan of Kendall Knight's as it seemingly wrapped itself around her shaking fingers. Stella hadn't even looked at it since the night on the bus.
She brought it to her lips, and deeply inhaled the hypnotizing scent of the boy she hadn't even fully realized she'd missed so much. The scent of his musky cologne and his own natural scent seemed to travel into Stella's brain, triggering a series of on switches that alit her senses and memories. She closed her blue eyes, tears leaking out the sides down her face as she rubbed her cold face into the cardigan, her body feeling instantly warmed.
Stella felt his soft lips on her neck, suckling at her pale, cold skin as she let out a small sigh. Her hands gently went up to tangle in Kendall's soft hair, her eyes still closed, Kendall slowly grinding his naked body into hers.
She let out a soft moan, as he captured his lips with hers in a simple, tender lip lock, one hand cupping her cold cheek. Stella satisfied him by grinding her hips back into him, as Kendall let out a small sound of pleasure, music to the blonde girl's ears.
He went to her ear, kissing her neck tenderly, a genuine smile appearing on her face. He slowly brushed the blonde hair from her face, kissing her cheek as she arched her back off the bed, the friction between their bodies becoming more and more intense.
"You're so cold, Stella," Kendall spoke gently, his whispers sending shivers up and down her spine.
Stella swallowed hard and nodded, as he planted wet kisses up and down her jaw line, nipping and sucking to his absolute desire. His touch felt like fire on her cold skin, her body a pasty white.
"Why are you so cold, gorgeous?" Kendall asked softly, his voice starting to become concerned.
Stella tried to speak, but it was if she had no voice. She licked her lips and opened them trying to get out words, but Kendall caught her blue lips in a kiss, his touch moving down to her waist, their bodies still separate, moving against each other.
"Don't be cold. Get warm again," Kendall spoke in an alluring voice, his hips against hers.
Stella felt the all too familiar feeling of an orgasm in between her legs as she threaded her ice cold fingers through his soft hair. Kendall moved softly against her, the feeling of his length against her absolutely intoxicating for the girl as she raised her back from the ground again.
She wanted nothing more than to moan his name, but she couldn't. Her throat wouldn't let her speak, her head got hot, and her heart beat against her chest.
She was getting closer, fathomed by the fact that Kendall wasn't even inside of her, as she tipped her head back and let out a small growl, his warm hands and chest on top of her, his bangs tickling her forehead as she gasped for air.
She felt a rush come over a body, a small chill.
"K-Ken-," she muttered out, licking her chilly blue lips, as her mind wandered off. Kendall's body seemed to get more and more distant, as the tingly, pleasuring sensation faded away, her body involuntarily bucking up to meet his, her breaths sharp and rough.
But he was gone."Kendall," she whispered out between parted blue lips, as her blue eyes shot open and warm tears immediately and involuntarily spilled down her cheeks.
She swallowed hard, a bit of sweat collecting on her neck, as she sighed, swallowing hard, feeling a slight tingle between her legs. Stella's breaths were sharp, and hitched, the cold making it horribly hard to breathe.
She looked down at the blue cardigan, which was beginning to get soaked with her tears, the scent wafting up into her nose as she laid her head back down. Her entire body shivered again, and without even looking, she hurriedly stuffed the cardigan into her canvas bag, pulling the drawstring to shut it.
She closed her eyes tightly, her head spinning, as she tried her best to forget about the two nightmares she had just experienced.
James Diamond wasn't one to easily get mad. James was an understanding type of guy. He figured he had gotten it from his parents, who seemed to never get angry at him, or anyone for that matter, even though he knew it was just because they were so oblivious to the world around them.
Lucie and Jason Diamond seemed to be in their own little world at times, so dangerously and infatuatedly in love with another that nothing else seemed to matter. They really had given up everything for their love, and at times while James was happy to have a loving, together family, he felt it was unnecessary for his parents love to be shown all the time.
Just last month, James had walked in on them in bed together, and nearly fell backwards down the stairs upon opening the door and seeing his mother under his father. He hadn't had sex for two weeks after that, telling the boys he was indeed "emotionally and sexually scarred".
Anger was really not one of James Diamond's favored emotions, and while he didn't try to hide it, he certainly didn't embrace it.
It was Monday afternoon, and James stood on a snowy knoll of grass outside Duluth High. With a single book in his hand, and his car keys in his other, he scoped the outsides of the front of the school that was littered with freshmen, sophomores, juniors and seniors. He was trying to find Amy, the girl "really didn't like that much", to drive her home, and possibly make-out for a bit in front of her house.
He sighed as he walked through groups of people waiting for the bus, gallivanting with snowballs until in the distance, he saw Amy talking to a crying Stephanie, in the small space between two buildings of the high school. James walked fast towards them, trying not to be seen as he rested against the corner of another building, being able to hear them perfectly.
"I j-just don't understand, Amy. He seemed interested…before w-we left for break, and in the matter of a week, he—he falls in love with s-someone else?" Stephanie cried out, her voice wavering as James furrowed his brows. Was she talking about Kendall?
"I don't know, Steph. I mean you are right, he did seem interested. He was the one who suggested a date, wasn't he?" Amy asked, her hand on Stephanie's sobbing shoulders as the brunette cried.
"Yeah. I don't know. I mean, I j-just…I don't get how he could fall in love with s-someone in a week. And that must mean he was obviously with this girl beforehand, so why was he even…trying with me?" Stephanie sobbed, tears streaming down her beautiful face.
James sighed and leaned against the wall, his heart breaking a bit. He had always liked Stephanie. And now, Kendall had made her cry because of this stupid Stella shit. James bit his bottom lip in anger, getting more and more frustrated with his blonde friend.
"Maybe he's just an idiot, Steph. Come on, you don't need Kendall Knight to make you happy," she said angry, mocking the boys name. "And if you want, I'll ask James what's up with Kendall, because truthfully, that's really a dick thing to do, especially after what happened on the date," Amy said angrily. Stephanie nodded no and wiped her face of tears, sniffling.
"No. Don't bring James into this, please? I don't want to screw up anything you guys have," she asked Amy. Amy sighed and smiled.
"Please, Steph. It's James Diamond. We don't have anything but making out to do," Amy joked, Stephanie looking at her with big brown eyes. She sighed deeply and smiled. "Alright. Listen, James is probably looking for me…" Amy said, but before James could hear the rest, he ran away quickly, hoping that neither Stephanie nor Amy would see him. He ran back past the snowy knoll of grass, and turned around taking a deep breath, approaching the now emerging Amy and Stephanie with a smile.
Amy's face lit up when she saw James walking towards them, and she smiled coyly, Stephanie wiping her eyes. James looked at the brunette with sad eyes as Amy came next to him, James immediately sliding an arm around the girl's thin waist.
"Stephanie, do you need a ride home?" James asked with a smile. Stephanie looked up at him with a sad face, sniffling and running her hand back through her hair.
"No. I think I'm going to walk, clear my head," she said in a soft whisper. James frowned.
"Are you sure?" he asked her. Stephanie nodded, and bid the two a quiet wave good-bye as she clutched her books to her chest, turned around and began to walk home.
James looked down at Amy and then back at Stephanie, who got further and further away as he clutched Amy closer to him.
"Is she alright?" James asked softly. Amy sighed deeply, debating whether or not to distrust Stephanie and tell James what Kendall had said at the door, wondering if he already knew. She decided against it.
"She's fine," Amy said unsure. "Let's go, my parents get home soon," she said turning to James with a coy smile, James raising an eyebrow at her with a smile. The couple turned and began to descent back to James' car in the underclassmen parking lot, leaning against each other for support.
"Here," Kendall said softly, gently easing the tickets toward Logan across the boy's kitchen table. Logan looked down at the two huge tickets for the Los Angeles Kings vs. Minnesota Wild game Kendall was offering him. Logan looked up at his blonde friend and licked his lips, as Kendall's green eyes seemed to glaze over with sadness, stuck on the tickets.
Logan was afraid to touch them. Mr. Knight had touched these tickets before he died. He didn't want to dirty them with his own fingerprints, even if the boy was handing them over.
"Kendall, are you sure? I mean, you might not be able to go, but why don't you keep the tickets? I mean, I'm sure me and my dad will find plenty of other things to do in California," Logan said with a sad smirk. He knew his best friend had been looking forward to these when his father was alive, and he had no idea he'd be receiving them for Christmas. He also had no idea his father would be gone.
Kendall had decided after long thought to give the tickets he'd received from his father for Christmas to Logan. During the last three days of testing and midterms for Duluth High students, which was all senior/junior tests, Logan's father had a business trip in Los Angeles, and decided to take his son with him, seeing as he was always busy at the office and the two hadn't really spent time together. Logan had planned to spend the three days he had off, and that Saturday and Sunday just staying at home with the guys, maybe shooting some pucks and getting pizza, but now Logan was excited about going to California.
He had only learned of the trip this morning at breakfast, spending all lunch period telling the boys about where he and his father were going to go, what they were going to do. James was a bit jealous, and telling Logan where to go to see all the hottest celebrity women, Carlos was enthusing about a small little place he had gone to once in California that served the best rice and beans, and Kendall just sat there upset and quiet. All he could think of was how he and his father were supposed to go to this game in California, stay up late in the hotel watching slasher movies, talking about how Kendall was becoming a man, what colleges he had been looking at and what girls in his school he thought were a ten.
But that wouldn't be happening.
So when Kendall got home, and took his Christmas present from their original box in his sock drawer, he stared at them and sighed deeply, sitting on his bed with them in his hand, careful not to fold them, or bend them in anyway. He looked at them with confused, conflicted, teary eyes.
An hour later, he decided to go to Logan's.
"They're just going to go to waste if I don't give them to you. You're already going to be in California, so why not? Just take 'em Logie," Kendall said hastily, pushing the tickets towards his best friend even more, creasing one of the edges. Kendall sighed and closed his eyes, trying to block out any tears that threatened to come. He wanted the tickets to go to good use. His dad wouldn't be happy if he just wasted them, and Kendall was glad to give them to Logan if he couldn't go.
"Thanks, Kendall. It means a lot," Logan said sadly, touching the tickets gently. Kendall nodded and stood up from the table of the Mitchell's kitchen and sighed, getting his car keys from his pocket.
"I should get going," Kendall said rushedly. Logan looked at his friend awkwardly, the tickets still on the kitchen table.
"You sure? I can ask my mom if you can stay for dinner," Logan said with a smile. Kendall smiled back feebly, pulling on his coat from where it hung on his chair, his keys jingling.
"No thanks, man. My mom is already cooking at home," Kendall lied, just wanting to get out of the house as soon as possible. Logan nodded understanding, as they walked to the front door of his house, and Logan let his best friend out the door.
Kendall stood on the porch and turned to his best friend with a small smile. "You promise you'll take pictures of Bouchard for me, alright? He's playing my future position," Kendall spoke with a chuckle about the Wild's center starter. Logan nodded, leaning against the door frame with a smile.
"Of course, buddy," Logan said. Kendall gave him a goofy salute, Logan returning it, as he walked back to where his car was parked in front of Logan's with his hands in his pockets. Logan closed the door and sighed deeply, walking into the kitchen eyeing the tickets.
He picked them up with a swift hand and immediately walked down the wood floored hallway to the last door on the right, his dad's office. Logan knocked on the door, looking down at the tickets as he heard his father's confident voice.
"One minute," he said rather loudly. Logan heard some shuffling from within the office, a phone being hung up violently, and heard his father's footsteps coming to the door. John Mitchell opened the door and smiled down at his son.
"Hey, Loag. What's up?" he asked his son, wiping a bit of sweat from his brow. Logan looked up at his father with sad, confused eyes. He knew that he could talk to his father about this, and anything else that came his way. His dad was always there for him, even if it didn't seem like he was.
"Can I talk to you about something?" he asked. John nodded, and opened the door for his son. Logan walked into his father's office and smiled a bit. It always seemed like such a quaint little place. He had a wall of bookshelves, some old football trophies, certificates and diplomas everywhere, and the office had a musty, but manly smell. Logan sat down at his usual place on the plush tan couch, his father sitting next to him with a sigh.
"What's up?" his dad asked him, his eyes going down to the tickets in his son's hand. Logan looked up at his dad and smiled a bit, then looking back down at the tickets for the umpteenth time.
"Uh, Kendall gave me these. The Wild are gonna be playing the Kings when we are in California, and since Kendall can't go, he gave them to me," Logan said, still amazed that the exchange had taken place.
"Lemme see," John said, gently taking one of the tickets out of his son's hand and examining it. His brow furrowed and his eyes lit up.
"Wow. These are excellent seats. How'd Kendall get these?" John asked, looking over the rest of the words on the ticket. Logan shifted in his seat a bit, biting his lower lip and sighing.
"They were a Christmas present…from Mr. Knight," Logan said, speaking the name of his second father softly. John looked directly into Logan's eyes with sadness, as the boy scratched the back of his neck awkwardly. Just the mention of his best friend's fallen father created an awkward, mournful silence between the father and son.
"And you sure it's alright that he gave you these?" John asked his son cautiously. Logan shrugged.
"He wouldn't take them back. Said they'd go to waste if he did," Logan spoke softly. John looked down at the tickets, and sighed, seeing how this had affected his son. If these circumstances were different, Logan would be bouncing around the house talking about how he was going to see a Wild game in California.
But he couldn't.
Not when it was Kendall who was supposed to be going.
John smiled and chuckled. "You know what, what do you think Mrs. Knight would say if I told her we could have Kendall join us in California?" John said softly. Logan shot a look up at his father with an already wide smirk, trying to cover it up. His face then again sagged as his mind began ticking about all the logical ways that would never happen.
"How would we do that, dad? Kendall's money situation hasn't exactly been the best since Mr. Knight died. He might even have to go get a job to help Mrs. Knight out," Logan said sadly, feeling horrible for his best friend.
"I'm sure we could spare a few hundred dollars for a plane ticket, Logan. You and Kendall would just have to share a bed in the hotel room," John said with a smile. Logan smiled up at his father brightly like he was the best thing in the world.
"Really? You'd do that?" Logan asked. John nodded, and rested his hand on his son's back with a smile.
"Let me just talk it over with your mother, and then once we get everything sorted out, tell Kendall we'd be happy to have him join us in sunny LA," John said. Logan smiled, and instantly chuckled, leaning into his father and sighing.
"Thanks a lot, dad. It means a lot to me," Logan said softly, a weight from his shoulders lifting a bit. John hit his son's arm playfully and smiled at him.
"I know, kid. Anything for you," he said with a bright smile.
Stella had been reminded of Kendall effortlessly the past few days. Ever since deciding that she didn't need him, and couldn't love him, he seemed to always pop up in her mind. Whether it was on New Year's standing alone in the back of a crowded room thinking of him, or whether it was sleeping on a cold, hard park bench having sexual fantasies about him, Kendall Knight was always there, and Stella wanted to change it so badly.
She strolled the downtown streets of Cumberland again, trying to find something to do with her time. Since leaving the house had come about so abruptly, and she had to leave the General Store so suddenly, Stella truthfully had no idea what she was going to, where she was going to go. The fact that she had ended up here was merely the decision of the bus driver who had left her carelessly on the bus some nights ago.
She clutched her jacket to her, the weather being extra cold today, as her barely there boots scuffed against the asphalt, wet from the slippery ice and slush. She sighed, her messy blonde hair blowing behind her, her cheeks red from the harsh wind.
She swallowed hard as people passed her on the street. She saw a happy couple, holding a raven haired child's hand in between both of them, as they hoisted the small little girl over the cracks in the sidewalk, each of them laughing gleefully as if they had no other care in the world. Stella stared the couple and child down with a slight, sad smile as they passed her by, her heart tearing a bit.
She kept on walking forward, as a blonde couple seemed to just appear in front of her, the man slinging his arm around his blonde counterpart's waist and holding her tightly. The man kissed the girl on the temple, and chuckled, holding her tight as they walked together in the chilly cold. Stella locked her eyes on them, intrigued as she continued to follow them down the street.
All she could think about was Kendall Knight.
Stella passed a nearby alleyway, and after realizing she had followed the happy couple all the way down the street, made a left into it, her breathing hitched her brow sweaty. She leaned against the wall clutching her jacket, tears threatening to come to her eyes, as she breathed heavily, and let out small sobs. The cold brick against her back and the chill that ravished through the dirty alleyway made Stella cringe, but not as much as it did when she heard a deep voice ring through the small, dark space.
"H-hello?" the voice asked unsurely.
Stella immediately tensed up at the sound, as she heard a bit of rustling, the fall of something metal, and a small cough before she saw a tall, skinny, dirty boy emerge from the darkness. Stella looked at him oddly, catching her breath, clutching the brick wall with everything she had. She didn't know if she was more startled that he had appeared out of nowhere, or the fact that he was talking to her like she was…normal.
"Hi," Stella said softly, between barely parted pink lips, blue eyes wide. She studied the boy more and more, who had ripped and tattered clothes. A brown t-shirt hung around his thin frame, a small military jacket over that, his jeans full of rips and tears, black Converse on his feet with the front rubber coming off. He looked dirty, thin, and tired.
"Hi. I'm Cooper," the boy said with a half-quirky smile that looked sorta comforting. Stella licked her lips and looked at the boy with a curious gaze, still backed up against the wall.
"I'm…Amanda," Stella said, citing the use of another fake name she had used.
She wouldn't dare tell someone she just met her special name in secret with the stars.
"You 'kay?" Cooper asked her with alive, big blue eyes. Stella swallowed hard and licked her lips.
She was far from okay.
"I'm fine," she lied easily, standing up straight from the wall as the boy came in front of her with a smirk.
"You goin' somewhere?" he asked with a bit of an accent she hadn't noticed until now, his eyes motioning to the bag on her back. Stella looked back at her torn and tattered canvas bag and then back at Cooper with a defeated expression.
"Am I going somewhere?" she asked, correcting him with a bit of attitude in her voice. Cooper chuckled and shook his head at her.
"Yep. Ain't that what I was askin' you?" he chuckled out loud sticking his hands in his pockets, taking one hand out to wipe the back of it across his forehead, pushing his brown bangs from his head.
"Uh. Yeah," she said nervously. Cooper chuckled.
"Where ya headed?" he asked her, leaning against the opposite brick wall, crossing his arms across his chest. Stella didn't feel relaxed with the boy, but she had to admit, it was the first time she had even truly interacted with someone since…Kendall.
Yup. There he was. Again."I don't know. I'm kind of on my own," Stella said softly, her eyes wandering out to the street where more people bundled up in scarves and hats passed. It was true. She was on her own, in every sense of the word. She then smiled proudly, the false sense of pride easily seen through Coopers eyes.
"You too, huh? Seems like there's more kids out on these streets every day," Cooper said shaking his head in what seemed like disgust. Stella looked up at him and smiled a bit at the boy's funny pronunciation of certain words due to his accent, and how his hair swept across his brow.
"Where are you staying?" Stella asked him.
Cooper chuckled and pointed up, Stella's eyes following his finger to a rickety old fire escape with a broken window entrance to the adjacent, abandoned apartment building. Stella curled her lower lip out impressed by his find and chuckled.
"What 'bout you?" Cooper asked her. Stella sighed and shrugged.
"Park benches, places like that," Stella said shamefully. Cooper chuckled and stuck his hands in his pockets again and sighed, the steam puffing from his mouth menacingly.
"Well, I guess I could be more gentlemanly 'bout this, but I mean, you could stay with me if you'd like. It's not the warmest up here, but must be better than a park bench in the snow and ice," he chuckled out, looking down at the floor and then back in Stella's eyes.
She smiled at the boy, instantly feeling more comfortable with him. In her heart, she knew she shouldn't go with him, seeing as that even though he was a runaway, she had no idea who he was. But then again, she had no idea who Kendall was when she first met him.
"Alright. I'll come," Stella said with a smile, as the boy smiled back at her with a toothy grin, his teeth oddly straight.
"Well alright then, let's get," he said laughing. He turned his back to Stella and jumped up, pulling down the ladder to the fire escape quite quietly. He turned to Stella and saw her face look confused by the fact there was no sound and he laughed again.
"I've gots lot of practice, darlin'," he said with an adorable smirk. Stella smile coyly and blushed a bit, biting her lower lip as the steel ladder hit the snowy pavement. She looked at him clueless and he motioned his arms out to her.
"Ladies first," he said, allowing Stella to climb up the fire escape.
She did so, her bag fastened on her back as Cooper followed her. As she got to the level, climbed in the broken window covered with a heavy comforter, she looked around the open apartment and saw that while abandoned, old, and dusty, it wasn't half bad. She saw that Cooper had set up house in the living room, with an old mattress and some sheets, papers scattered around everywhere.
"This is a lot nicer than where I have been sleeping lately," Stella chuckled out, putting her bag down on the floor and walking around with a smile, hands in her coat pockets. Cooper followed her inside and chuckled looking around.
"Yeah, it does me good. Shouldn't be no one sleeping out on park benches in this weather," he said, raising his body on his toes and looking around his apartment with a small smile. Cooper smiled at Stella and began to walk towards her on the creaky floorboards.
"So Amanda," he said with a smile, looking down at Stella with soulful, horribly hypnotizing blue eyes. "What brought you to my alley?"
"Hey mom, could you get us more sodas?" Carlos asked loudly from the basement downstairs.
"Carlitos, I'm busy. Go get them yourself, you have two legs!" Marta Garcia shouted from the upstairs level, washing dishes in the kitchen.
Carlos sighed and looked at his friends who were all greatly engrossed in the Wild game. Even though it was a Monday night, and the boys had school tomorrow, they would definitely not pass up a chance to all witness the Wild beat the pants off the Vancouver Canucks.
"Oh, come on, Nystrom! Look alive!" James shouted at the television, slumping back in his seat as the Canucks center passed the player on the ice easily.
Luckily the play was recovered as Carlos looked around at his friends. Logan sat against the black leather couch of the Garcia's basement with his legs folded looking anxiously up at the screen with a smile on his face, James was totally, angrily, engrossed in the game, and Kendall slumped against the other end of the couch with a glazed look over his green eyes.
"Hey, Logie. You gonna get me some Wild gear back from Los Angeles when you go?" James asked his friend, as a loud buzzer on the television signaled the end of the second period. Logan looked back at James and shot the boy a look as his heart dropped into the depths of his stomach. Hoping.
He hadn't gotten the final word yet, but he was hoping that when he returned home tonight, he'd be able to come into school the next day and tell Kendall that he was invited to Los Angeles with him and his dad, and that the two boys would be enjoying watching the Wild play the Kings together.
All was silent, Carlos trekking up the stairs to get soda for his friends as James turned to look at Kendall, who had barely said anything all night. The conversation he had heard between Amy and Stephanie still was in the boy's mind, angering him that Kendall was making himself so upset about this stupid girl he was probably never going to see again.
"What's the matter dude?" James asked his best friend, with a hint of attitude in his voice. Kendall didn't seem to notice.
"Nothing," the boy muttered out miserably, his eyes watching the television as all the players began to descend off the ice and into the locker rooms, something the boys themselves were used to.
James swallowed hard and angrily. He had bit his tongue too many times. This new, depressed, psychosomatic Kendall was just not working for him, Carlos or Logan, and knowing they wouldn't have the guts to say it, James had to. It was eating him up inside. All he wanted to do was shake Kendall by the shoulders and tell him to wake up from this lovesick nightmare he was in.
This just proved his opinion so much more right.
"Is it because you haven't gotten a letter back from Stella yet?" Logan asked his friend softly, gearing his head up towards the boy. Kendall sighed deeply and closed his eyes, which was basically a yes, as James let out a purposely, audible grumble. The boy's green eyes shot open, and Logan's neck craned to James with a stern look.
"What?" Kendall asked confused at James. James looked at Kendall, crossing his arms across his chest angrily and chuckling in disbelief.
"You really think you're going to get a letter back from her, don't you?" James asked the boy honestly. Logan's face dropped and he bit his lower lip, glaring at James as Kendall sat up a bit on the couch, more alert and he nodded.
"Yes. She's my girlfriend. I love her. Why wouldn't I get a letter back?" Kendall asked James with a hint of anger in his voice. James sighed deeply, laughing and mocking the boy.
"You've been sitting around here since you've got back, taking up all your time thinking of this stupid girl, who hasn't sent you a letter back, probably because she didn't "fall in love with you" like you think she did, Kendall. You're wasting your life away waiting for a stupid letter, from a stupid girl that you are never going to see again, and it's—it's just so sad watching you be so goddamn miserable all the time," James ranted out after a short breath.
Logan watched James with his mouth slightly agape, as Kendall stared daggers into the pretty boy's hazel eyes. James had to admit, that glare from anyone was never good news, and especially not from Kendall Knight.
"You're jealous, aren't you?" Kendall spoke out calmly. James' eyes got wide with surprise. He hadn't expected that. Neither had Kendall.
"J-jealous? You think I'm jealous that you went on vacation, finally got laid, and now you think you're in love with some runaway girl who you knew for a week?" James scoffed at Kendall from the other side of the couch, his breaths getting heavier.
"You're jealous that I'm in love. You're jealous that no matter how many girls you sleep with, you're never going to find love, and you know itJames," Kendall said at his face with menacing green eyes. It was something the boy had kept near and dear to him at all times about James. He had noticed it through the years with all of James' sexual conquests. But if James was saying the things he wanted to say, Kendall would do the same.
"Pah! You gotta be kidding me if you reallythink I'm jealous that you are in 'love'," James scoffed gleefully. "Why do you want to be in 'love' anyway? Why want something so awful? Love ruins dreams, Kendall. You think you're gonna get on that TV screen," he said pointing to the Wild game, "with the love and support of some woman you're screwing just so you don't have to jerk off anymore?" James exclaimed angrily, Logan with wide eyes shifting away from the feuding bunch, not being able to say a thing. Kendall's thick eyebrows were furrowed down in a menacing expression.
"Fuck you, James. You're jealous and you know it! Don't even try to deny it!," Kendall yelled out at the brown haired boy. "You want love that you're never going to get because you push people away cause you're so goddamned scared all the time! You do it with all the girls you actually like. You fuck them senseless, and tell them to get out of your room because you're scared you might actually have feelings for one! God forbid!" Kendall yelled throwing his hands up in the air, raising his voice.
James was silent as he licked his lips, breaths coming from his tightly closed lips in sharp, straight streams. He was angry as a bull.
"She doesn't love you, and you're making yourself miserable over this stupid goddamned letter that is never going to come!" James screamed, his face red. Kendall's green eyes seemed to light up with fire as his fists clenched at his sides. "Look at what you did to Stephanie! The girl has been in love with you for two years, you take her out on the worst date in history, and then tell her you—you're in love with some girl you met over vacation?" James said angrily, his entire face beet red. "You picked some floozy, blonde headed, fucked up mental case to "fall in love with"," he added in with a mocking tone, "and you totally ignore everyone else around you. This bitch is messing you up beyond belief," James screamed at his friend. "She's probably up there fucking someone else right now, Kendall!" he yelled with fire in his hazel eyes.
Kendall Knight had had it. Suddenly, he was in Thief River Falls again, standing up to Alex Callum.
Kendall lunged across the couch angrily, taking an immediate swing at James' face as Logan sprang into action, watching the scene unfold before him, as if he were expecting it.
"Don't you ever talk about her like that!" Kendall screamed at James, causing a racket in the basement. The boy delivered one swift right hook to his nose, straddling his best friend, as Logan did his best to pull Kendall off of James. Luckily, Kendall had only gotten that one swing in, giving James' a bloody nose, as Logan pushed roughly Kendall against the wall of the Garcia's basement, the boy hitting the wall with a loud thud, his fist bloodied and raised, his breaths ragged and sharp.
"Fuck!" James exclaimed, holding his nose, which was pouring blood. Logan ran to the downstairs bathroom just a few yards away and grabbed a towel, as Kendall looked on in hopeless misery. Logan stared at Kendall with disapproving, confused eyes. Marta and Carlos rushed downstairs, confused.
"What happened here?" she asked nervously, running over to James, seeing the dark, red blood drip down his chin, falling on his light purple v-neck.
"I got towels," Logan said softly, sitting James down on the couch gently, tipping his head back and aiding to him. Marta ran over and sat next to James, touching his shoulders affectionately as the boy winced from the pain. Carlos, who had a bottle of soda in his hand looked at Kendall confused. Kendall was sitting on the carpet, up against the wall, his bloodied fist still raised, the Latino giving him a confused, upset look.
Kendall watched as Carlos came next to him, and gently sat down with him, Kendall's eyes watering, tugging at his bottom lip, his hand shaking.
"You alright, buddy?" Carlos asked him softly. Kendall turned to Carlos with the saddest green eye the boy had ever seen and swallowed hard before speaking.
"No."