AN: Okay I finally have my motivation back, and I'm sorry for keeping you all waiting for the update of this story. I'll be getting back to my regular writing schedule as of now. This chapter opens differently focusing on another character in this story Kendall, the original focus of this fic. Now what I plan on doing is opening with a flashback of sorts for other characters in this story mostly involving James, Kendall, Logan, Carlos, and Alana. These flashbacks or dream sequences will be a gateway to understand the disorder that each of these characters have better. Also the relationship between Carlos and Alana will grow as this fic continues. Hope you all enjoy the chapter.
"Katie! Where are you? I got you some ice cream," Kendall called out to his baby sister letting the front door slam shut behind him.
Tossing his backpack and jacket to the floor in a pile he made his way to the kitchen still calling out the pre-teen girl's name.
"Katie…Noah where's Katie?" his green eyes were wide, his right hand clutching the plastic bag containing Katie's favorite ice cream.
"Who's Katie? Who are you?" the large man twitched his eyes bleary, the younger male noticed blood staining Noah's hands.
Panic rose in his chest like a roaring fire, dropping the plastic bag to the kitchen floor and raced up the stairs, his heart hammering with each step.
"Katie! Katie are you…" stumbling through the doorway the 10 year old's bedroom to find her tiny body sprawled on her bed, blood splattered everywhere. Bile rose in his throat as he took in the scene before him. "Oh my god, Katie! Oh my god! Oh… Jesus, please me alive. Katie!"
Taking her from the bed to the floor, the now shaking teen easily saw that his baby sister was dead. Tears fell from his jade eyes as a sob made his body convulse violently, through his bleary eyes he looked back to Katie's pale face, her entire body cold in his arms; a tiny fire of rage began to build in his gut.
"Noah, he did this to you, didn't he baby sister? Don't worry, he'll pay for what he did," his words heavy like lead on his tongue. "He'll be sorry."
The moments after flew in front of Kendall's eyes as if everything had be put on fast forward almost as if it were a VHS tape. By the time his mother got home from work, his hands were drenched in blood; Noah was on the kitchen floor his chest heaving slightly. His mother had screamed throttling him out of his daze as police sirens sounded in the distance.
"Kendall what did you do?" she'd shrieked, her brown eyes full of horror and confusion.
"He killed Katie, mommy, Katie's dead and it's my entire fault," tears fell from his eyes again as he looked down to the blood sticking to his flesh.
Carlos watched Kendall as they sat at their usual table in study hall, the blond was picking at an old scab on his arm desperately. The boy knew he should warn his friend that he could get an infection, but he knew the other wouldn't care.
"Hey Kendall, what'cha thinking about?" Carlos asked his eyes worriedly, and noticing how the other's nails kept on pecking at his skin.
"My mom came to visit me," he replied simply green eyes fixated on his pale arm. "She wanted to talk about Katie again."
The shorter boy twisted his hands together, unsure of how he should continue the conversation knowing how the blonde felt about talking about his deceased baby sister.
"Well, what about Katie did she want to talk to you about?" he flinched when Kendall's fingers became covered in blood, the scab tissue lifting off his arm slowly.
"Just the usual stuff, the police still want to know about... Noah," the taller boy's nails dug into his bleeding scab making the existing cut larger. "Ugh, Dammit!"
"Nurse! Kendall's bleeding, again," he ignored the glare that the slender boy gave him as he was encircled by nurses who were quickly working to stop the bleeding and disinfect the wound.
Before the blond could protest the nurses whisked him out of the library, Carlos guessed to the infirmary to increase the strength of his medication. He shivered at the thought of having his mouth forcibly held open and pills shoved down his esophagus.
Going back to his sketchbook the olive skinned boy failed to notice the tension floating heavily in the library like smog, his fingers trembled as the images of his friend thrashing on one of the thin white cots his voice going hoarse from screaming his protests against being sedated.
"Carlos, what happened to Kendall?" Logan questioned his voice soft as he sat next to the shivering pyromaniac.
"He was picking at a scab on his arm, then he started talking about Katie and his mom, he made the cut on his arm bleed more, it was…" his voice faltered with the image of the blond's blood flashing behind his eyes.
"Oh, I see. He's always trying to hurt himself," the fair skinned male commented while opening a book he'd brought with him.
"Do you think it's about Katie or Noah?" Carlos looked to the other with wide curious eyes since Logan was the more knowledgeable of the two.
"Honestly, I don't know, he won't ever talk to me."
A blanket of silence fell over the both of them; their eyes looked to the empty seats that the taller boys usually occupied.
"Where's James? He's usually here writing in the book of his," Logan looked to Carlos to see the shorter had gone back to drawing in his sketchbook.
"I think he's in food therapy or something," he shrugged since he hadn't paid the tall brunette much attention, his mind was more focused on things.
Making a smile noise of recognition, the sleep deprived teen looked to his novel not bothering to ask what the pyro was currently drawing.
'I bet he's drawing that Alana girl again,' Logan looked at the fire bug with tired calculating eyes before letting a soft sigh leave his lips. He knew that no matter what he said, the Latino would only get more consumed with the unstable girl.
Carlos breathed the warm air into his lungs as he walked around the Palm Woods park grounds. His mind felt foggy as he took the trail that lead him towards the back of the institution's building.
"Hey Carlos," Alana greeted the energetic artist softly from behind; she almost jumped at how quickly he turned around to face her.
"Oh, hi Aly, I didn't know you get to come outside," he smiled brightly at the green eyed girl. "Do you want to walk with me?"
"I'd love to," she smiled back, her heart fluttered like the wings of a humming bird when the boy took a gentle grasp of her hand. Her entire body felt warmed as she walked closely with the raven haired boy.
'You know what you should do? You should kiss him, right on that perfect little mouth of his,' Elektra suggested as she poked the timid girl in her side. 'I know you want to.'
'Shut up and leave me alone,' Alana thought desperately, wincing at the sudden throbbing pain behind her eyes, her fingers dug into the hand she was holding subconsciously as a soft pained whine left her mouth.
"Aly, is there something wrong? Does your head hurt?" he stopped walking to look her in the eyes intently, a worried expression took over his once happy face.
Alana looked to the caramel skinned boy nervously; the words she wanted to say were tangled and heavy against her throat. Her green eyes were wide and suddenly looked to her feet feeling ashamed for not being able to have the guts to say what she wanted to say.
'Why bother say it, just do it, he won't mind,' Elektra whispered to her and poked her back roughly. 'Don't be such a fraidy cat.'
"Aly, are you okay? You look like you could use a hug," Carlos softly said as he closed the gap between them, he bit his lip as he moved his hand to touch her chin and lift it up so her eyes were finally looking back into his.
"I'm fine Carlos, really I am," she felt her heart flutter from the contact, heat rose to her skin as the boy stepped closer his brown eyes piercing right through her.
"You don't look fine, please Aly, you can tell me," he pleaded resting his forehead again hers.
Their lips brushed against each other and a warm spark seemed to ignite between them. Carlos inhaled pleasantly surprised by the feeling, but he still wanted to know what had Alana so upset.
"Please Aly," he pressed his lips to hers softly, a roaring fire blazing in his gut as she kissed him back with a tiny bit more force.
Their lips parted and he gazed at her slightly dazed, chewing his lip he moved his hands down to hers engulfing them tightly in his own.
"I just… it's nothing, I'm fine now," she stumbled over her words still trying to understand what had just happened. "Why'd you kiss me?"
"Because I like you," he shrugged not fully sensing what the kiss implied to the small girl.
"Do you kiss all the girls you like?"
"No, just you… did I do something wrong?" nerves suddenly coiled against the muscles of his stomach beating against the organ like tiny fists.
"Of course not, I'm just surprised that's all," her words were half true, but she didn't want to go into her own muddled thoughts trying to decipher why her body didn't react the way it normally did.
"So, I can kiss you again?"
"Yes Carlos, you can kiss me again," she giggled at the wide childish grin that broke out on his face, it was breathtaking to watch any expression cross his face.
Without waiting for any other kind of conformation from Alana, the raven haired boy pulled the girl into his arms tightly burying his face deep into her thick hair and inhaled her smell. He moved some of the dark strands from her face, the warm LA air tousling her long locks.
"You're beautiful," he whispered pressing his lips to hers passionately before she could reply.
The kiss sent a fire blazing through their bodies that seemed to steal the oxygen in their lungs, not that either of them minded. Their lips moved against each other's easily as they clung together as if they'd be torn apart by some unseen force. When the need for air became an issue the pair separated taking in tiny gasps of air, their intense gaze never faltering.
"I- I think I love you," Alana gulped still trying to get her breathing back to normal.
"I love you too," Carlos breathed giving her a soft peck to her lips.
The both of them smiled at each other, the world seeming to burn to ashes around them.
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