Date: Thu, 12 Oct 2006 00:11:21 -0700 (PDT) From: Charmed Ones Subject: The Covenant pt 1a The Covenant: Before Ascension by Andy Darko, JT Willow and Stephen Knight <> -------------------------------------------------------------- "Where are they?" I flicked a cigarette ash into the sand beside me and took a puff. "They'll be here soon enough," I said tolerantly. "I can feel them nearby," The party that was going on around us raged, but I found myself bored. Spenser's opening party at the Dells, though illegal, was the same trite crap that went on at every adolescent party: alcohol, drugs, groping. I, on the other hand, was laying back on a blanket switching my gaze between the moon and my friend Streak swiftly typing on his phone, sending text after text. I glanced around looking for the last of our little trio. But he was no where to be seen. "Where is Kaelin?" I asked with with a small sigh, already knowing the answer to my question. "Down by the water where he always is," Streak replied without even looking up from the glowing tablet. "Do you want me to get him?" "No, don't want to break your concentration. We all know how hard it is for you to do two people at once. Wait...oops...I mean two THINGS. Freudian slip, my bad," I shot back. "Fuck you," he said with a smile. "I got you...I got you on candid camera." He lifted up the phone to his face, the white text screen illuminating his brown eyes. "Don't forget that. And no, I'll get him." With that Streak closed his eyes for no more than a second. "Never mind, he's on his way. While we wait, would you like to see some pictures of Tyler and I?" "Ugh," I grunted. Streak finally turned his gaze on me. "You have no right to say anything, Kit. I've seen some of the pictures you and Reid take," He chuckled, making me sit up. "Just because Kaelin wants to be Johnny Goodie Goodie doesn't mean I have to be. And, as for you, Streak, you have no room to talk. You're the one sleeping with not one but two sons of Ipswich." "We've been over this. I am dating Tyler. But, Pogue and I are just friends... in the bedroom..." he replied smarmily. "It's not like it's a big secret," I scoffed. "It is to Kate. That poor girl doesn't know that you and Pogue are poke buddies," "How could she not?" Kaelin queried walking out of the dark. I gave him a quick smirk then shrugged. "She's bright, but Streak is a sneaky bastard," He beamed with pride. "Not to mention a manipulative, magical ho." Kaelin shot me a harsh look. "Keep it down, Kit. We don't need our secrets getting around." "Why not? Our friends do," I asked with a glance at Streak. He lunged at me as I cackled maniacally. Picking on each other was just our way of showing our love. Streak and I had been friends since our freshman year and remained together all the way through Spencer. Kaelin had transfered in during our sophmore year and we've been together ever since. There was a connection between the three of us. A connection that most people wouldn't understand and one that we ourselves were still learning the extent of. From the start we had a strange dynamic together. Kaelin was pretty much the only one of us that had common sense. Streak, who had been named that since before I can remember, was a free spirit, constantly cracking jokes. And as for me, I was pretty much the trouble maker. If it weren't for the other two, I'd have been incarcerated long ago. "They're here," Kaelin announced. I stood, rearranging my hoodie and blazer, as I caught sight of four figures heading towards the party. They strode in quietly though they captured everyone's interest, as usual. I caught eyes with the only boy in the group without dark hair, my boy Reid. As they strolled up, I stepped up to him, saying nothing as I latched onto his lips. He wrapped his arms around me, pulling me into him. Our tongues lashed into each other's mouths, exploring every bit of space we could. He clutched me by a handful of auburn hair making me groan. "Its like we're watching the mating rituals of the American baboon," "Fuck off, Kaelin," I shot. Then, to Reid, "What trouble have you been causing?" He smiled deviously and shrugged. "Nothing much. Yet. But, you and I could always go make some." I locked my fingers in his gloved hands, contemplating his offer. I felt Reid subtly grinding against my side, a certain obvious bulge poking into my hip. 'Fucking horny bastard,' I thought to myself, laughing. I turned around, holding his hands in mine, resting my back against his torso. "Caleb, Tyler, Pogue," "Hey, Kit," they greeted simultaneously. Our group began to pair off: Reid and myself, Streak with Tyler and Kaelin with Caleb. Pogue shuffled off towards Kate, his real lover, but not before shooting a meaningful glance in Streak's direction. I felt Reid's lips on the back of my neck, nipping incesantly. The goosebumps that spread over my skin made me think of the first time our little group had run into each other almost two years earlier... ---------------------------------------------------------------------- "Fuck class, baby," Reid moaned between kisses. "Let's cut." I felt his hands sliding under my uniform jacket, grabbing at my back wantingly. We were sitting in the second highest row of our circular stadium-stlye class. Well, rather, Reid was sitting. I was on his lap, stuck to his face. "Babe, we can't." Reid continued groping me obscenely, making some of our classmates chuckle. I was so close to yanking him onto the floor and doing things that shouldn't be done in a classroom when our teacher walked in, clearing his throat loudly. I slid off of Reid's lap, adjusting my clothes and fixing my hair. "Good morning, good morning. Before we start with our exciting and thrilling adventure into early Marxism/Communism during the 50's and how it relates to the Salem Witch Trials-," Reid snorted at the mentioning of anything dealing with America's view on witchcraft...and with good reason. I elbowed him in the ribs to keep him quiet. "We have a new student joining us today." I looked up from my half-done zipper and caught sight of our new addition. He was about my height, maybe taller, with a slightly larger, very nice swimmer's build. He had shaggy, but neat, brown hair, light blue eyes and a nicely trimmed five o'clock shadow. "I'd do him," Reid whispered, making me snicker. The teacher continued oblivious of our conversation, reading from the notecard the guy had handed to him. Our new classmate looked directly into my eyes, sending a ripple over my body. Goosebumps spread over me, but I didn't have time to think about it. "This is Kaelin Stratford. He is transfering in from Provincetown. And... Reid Garwin and Kit McGuire, report to Provost Higgins' office. Take your things with you." I turned to Reid just in time to see his eyes go from solid black back their normal state. I squared my jaw at him, as if I was actually upset. Two rows down, Caleb turned, looking actually upset. From across the room, Streak shook his head and rolled his eyes. Unbeknownst to Reid, Caleb, Pogue and Tyler, they weren't the only ones with special abilities. Streak and I had found a common thread in the fact that both he and I had manifested unique abilities around the age of thirteen. Ours were seemingly identical to the Ipswich boys, but with no information of where they came from we had chosen to keep it a secret for now. As we headed down the stairs, the new boy headed up. I felt like I should leave the class on a high note, and who better to humiliate than the new boy. I intended to make him stumble, but I felt my power kick up harder than I intended as his foot shot out from under him. He hit the stairs, barely catching himself before knocking out his front teeth. The entire contents of his backpack spilled out across the stairs. The class roared with laughter as I turned to Reid. "That wasn't nice of you," I said coyly. "I didn't-," "Yeah. Whatever." I looked at Kaelin. "Welcome to Spenser." "Thanks," he said. Not sensing any sarcasm in his voice, I gave him a small smile and continued with Reid out the door. ::Asshole:: I quickly turned back looking for the voice that dare call me that, but there was no one. The teacher was already discussing the Red Scare and everyone was taking notes, except for the new guy, who was still picking up his books. Once outside the room I asked Reid if he had heard it. He just looked at me with those beautiful eyes. "I'll call you an asshole if you want." "Go fuck yourself," I said with a smile. Reid perked an eyebrow. "Why? That's what you're for," "Oh, is that what your plan is?" I quieried. "Get us out of class, take me back to your room and fuck me?" Reid looked around as if thinking it over then nodded. "Yeah, pretty much." I punched him in his shoulder, rolling my eyes. Reid retaliated by slamming me up against the nearest wall as he pressed his lips against mine. I allowed it for a split second, then pushed him back. "Not in the hall. Let's get out of here," It was a hop, skip and a jump to the dorms, but Reid made it last. He kissed me every chance he could get, tackling me at one point in the middle of a hallway. By the time we actually got into his room, my jacket was around my shoulders and my belt was hanging halfway off my hips. Thank god Reid had a single. "You need a cold shower," I laughed as he pinned me to his bed. He shrugged. "I kinda do stink anyway. You promise not to go anywhere?" "Where the fuck would I go? Back to class?" Reid shot me a look, then, in a rare moment of tenderness, leaned over and kissed me on the forehead. He shucked off his clothes, wrapped a towel around his waist and headed off to the shower. I rested back on his bed and closed my eyes. I found myself thinking about my past. I had lived in New England all of my life. Up until the age of thirteen, I had lived at home with my parents and my little brother, Tristan. At that point, I was enrolled in a private school that fed into Spencer. It was my freshman year when I had ran into Streak, one of the only people I had ever made a connection with in my entire life. We had become immediate friends and soon found out about our shared abilites. We later discovered that both of our families had originated in Europe, narrowly escaping persecution in the witch trials by laying low instead of escaping to the new world. Over the past year or so, Streak and I had spent a lot of time trying to dig up our history to learn the extent of our powers, but it was shrouded in mystery. Almost all of the books we had come across dealt soley with the five families of Ipswich. But, there were clues here and there. Pieces were missing, insinuations were made about other families, but nothing was confirmed. Yet and still, we knew that our powers somehow rivaled that of the Ipswich boys'. And that is exactly why we had to kept it a secret. I shook myself out of my thoughts and slid off of the bed, pulling off my uniform and sliding into a pair of Reid's sweatpants. They hung off of my hips, but it didn't matter to me. As I began to feel boredom setting in, Reid walked in, dripping wet. "Dry yourself," I commented. He looked down as his eyes darkened and he instantly became dry. "Are those my pants?" he asked, dropping his towel and sliding into a pair of boxers. I nodded. "Get out of my clothes," he snipped. "Hey, fuck you," I retorted. "All mine are in my room," "How about I fuck YOU?" Reid lunged at me, tackling me to the bed. I burst into a fit of laughter and we thrashed around, play wrestling. As entertaining as it was, I couldn't help but yawn in the middle of our tiff. Reid ceased his attack and cocked his head to the side. "Sleepy?" "A little," "Good. Me, too," He rolled off of me and plopped down, resting his head next to mine. I stared into his vibrant eyes until I fell asleep, his arms draped over my torso and his legs tangled in mine. I felt like I had only been asleep for two seconds when I began to see... things. They were flashes, indistinct and blurry. I saw eight people together and then only three. The three all had black eyes, like when Streak and I or the boys used our powers. A group of people being chased into the woods by others with torches. There were other images I couldn't necesarily hold onto: a book, a starburst and a strange room lit only by half melted candles. Just as I was starting to focus on the images, a series of loud knocks stirred me from my sleep. Reid grunted in protest before clumsily flinging his body over mine and stumbling to the door. I cracked my eyes just enough to see Caleb storm the door as soon as Reid opened it. "What the hell were you thinking?" Reid stared at him through squinty eyes, rustling his messy hair. "Um... what?" "Using your powers to get you out of class?!" Caleb growled. "Is that your idea of a good way to keep our secret?" Reid was fully awake and obviously annoyed. "Dude, it wasn't that big of a deal," "Yes, it was," Caleb pressed, glancing at me for a second. "And, tripping the new kid? That's just sad," "I didn't-," "Don't lie to me, Reid," Caleb cut in. "I felt it. We ALL felt it," "I think I'm going to go outside for a second," I interjected, sliding out of bed. I pulled on a t-shirt and moved past the two boys, pecking Reid on the lips as I left. As I shifted past Caleb he eyed me curiously, so I gave him a small smile. I padded down the hallway, the tiles cold on my bare feet as I made my way outside. As I opened the door, I realized it was late afternoon. The sun was dropping in the sky and there were plenty of people outside. I figured it was about five or six. I found a secluded area and pulled a pack of cigarettes out of my pocket. As I lit up, I used my power to trap the smoke in a sphere so no one would smell it. Smoking was not allowed on campus. Plus, I was underage. "You know, smoking isn't allowed," a voice said. The sphere of smoke dissapated immediately as I turned my head to see the new kid standing beside me. I pursed my lips. "Thanks. I'll keep that in mind," He held out his hand, despite my comment. "Kaelin Stratford," "Kit McGuire," I replied, not taking his hand. "Nice fall earlier. I give it a seven. Dismount was a little rough." Kaelin seemed to take the insult in stride, merely shrugging. "It happens. So, you and Reid are an item I'm assuming?" "Yes, we are. So, don't bother hitting on me. We're not looking for a third or threesomes and we don't do pity fucks," I replied silkily. He smiled tolerantly. "Just making conversation," I turned to him, blowing a puff of smoke out of my nose. This boy was pissing me off for some reason. I don't care to talk to people while I smoke and this kid just couldn't take a hint. "Look. I don't particularly have any desire to talk to you nor do I care anything about you. So, why don't you just go fuck off?" There was a brief flash of anger that disappeared instantly. "Well, so much for that. Have fun being a delinquent," he said. "I'm going to go do something constructive with my life." He started to walk off when I heard, ::Goddamn loser:: I whipped around. "What the fuck did you just call me?" Kaelin looked mildly shocked. "What?" "You just called me a goddamn loser!" I yelled. "Don't think I'm stupid!" Already feeling my power being to rage, I reached out and grabed his arm. Immediately images began to flash through my mind. Eight figures standing in a circle. Then fire erupted and only three remained clad in dark hoods, completely hiding their faces. "This will be their destiny..." One of the three pulled down the hood and I was surprised to see... me. And as soon as they had appeared the visions were gone and I was once again standing outside with Kaelin looking back at me. We stared at each other, both of our faces in a state of bewilderment, for what felt like hours before I realized it had begun to rain. "I have to go," We said the words simultaneously and took off in opposite directions. I ran back to Reid's room and flew through the door, surprising the arguing boys into silence. I said nothing to them as I reached into my pants and whipped out my cellphone. I began to dress, changing back into my school uniform. As I left the room, I dialed Streak. "What's up?" he answered on the first ring. "I just felt something major." "We have to talk. Now. Meet me in the cafeteria." -------------------------------------------------------- Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeell, what did Kit feel? And what's up with that new kid Kaelin? Will Streak be able to shed some light on this new development? Only time (and you continuing to read) will tell! Let us know how much ya love it! halliwellboys@yahoo.com