Date: Tue, 7 Nov 2006 12:42:20 -0800 (PST) From: Charmed Ones Subject: The Covenant Pt. 1b The Covenant: Before Ascension by Andy Darko, JT Willow and Stephen Knight <> ------------------------------------------------------------- The Covenant: Before Ascension Chapter 1b by Stephen Knight ------------------------------------------------------------- ~Ya Motha.~ Another minute. Another message. At least it was keeping me preoccupied for the time being. Kit hates to be disturbed when he smokes and that often leaves all bystanding parties out in the cold. He sat there on his blanket off in his own world. "Where are they?" I inquired trying to link him to reality for a second. "They'll be here soon enough," Kit reported from his sandy lookout. "I can feel them near by." This was one of those rare moments in my life that didn't mean anything. A normal party at the Dells. A normal night of music, dancing, drugs, and maybe even the chance of normal teenage pregnancy. All normal... I stood in the sand embracing my inner techie as I typed away on my Sidekick. If my life was a movie, I would definitely be that random black kid who had money. And you look at him and go, "One of these things is not like the other." But nonetheless, I was there on the beach. Complete with sand and gloomy Kit. He must be bored. Damn, he should get some dick. "Where is Kaelin?" he asked. It was clear he was just going through the motions. At least he attempts to appease me. "Down by the water where he always is," I answered distracted by the new message that flashed across my screen. "Do you want me to go get him?" It was another message from Pogue. ~Not my mom. It should be you.~ ~Fuck you...~ I replied speedily. Damn that boy. "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." Good shot. Another text from Pouge. ~If only you'd fuck me.~ "Fuck you," I said with a smile directed more at my text message than Kit. "I got you...I got you on candid camera." Kit dropped his jaw and shook his head as if to say touche. "Don't forget that. And no, I'll get him." I closed my eyes. ::Grumpy-butt beckons:: ::I'm coming:: "Never mind, he's on his way. While we wait, would you like to see some pictures of Tyler and I?" I scrolled through my phone for my pictures. I have to admit that Tyler and I do look good together. But, Pogue... "Ugh," Kit protested. I turned my gaze toward Kit. "You have no right to say anything, Kit. I've seen some of the pictures you and Reid take," He sat up to challenge me. "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." My heart sank a bit. One of the many reason why my life isn't normal. Though, I suppose most people don't consider the art of fornication with another man "normal", let alone two. To each his own. "We've been over this. I am dating Tyler. But, Pogue and I are just friends... in the bedroom..." I retorted unctuously, swallowing the fumble I just had. "It's not like it's a big secret," He 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 patted him on the back. I loved when he came out of nowhere with retorts for me. "She's bright, but Streak is a sneaky bastard," That I am. "Not to mention a manipulative, magical ho." An attempt at the last word. Kaelin shot Kit a harsh look. "Keep it down, Kit. We don't need our secrets getting around." I gave Kaelin a look for failing to shield me from Kit's last attack. "Why not? Our friends do," Kit turned his eyes to me which was enough to send me lunging at him, kicking sand everywhere. Aggression was our masculine way of showing affection. Especially for Kit and I. We instantly bonded freshman year and have been attached at the attitude problem ever since. Kaelin assimilated himself into our group sophmore year and the three of us have been inseparable. Kaelin being the logical, sometimes anal force of our group, Kit the bad boy (who lives up to it I'll have you know), and myself the "free spirit" for lack of a better term. "They're here," Kaelin announced. I stood, dusted myself off and tucked my Sidekick away. It was like watchin celebrites fake their way through a crowd in a music video. Girls swooning. Guys covering up the fact that they are obviously swooning too. The Ipswich boys. There's Caleb...all around leader of the pack and attached to Kaelin. A match made in moral heaven. And then there is Reid the resident bad boy of the Ipswich boys. And if it wasn't for the fact that they were fucking, I'm sure he and Kit would be rivals. And there's soft spoken Tyler. There's a cool air about him, but he's not a cold person. He's very kind In fact. And last but not least there's Pogue. Shit. "Its like we're watching the mating rituals of the American baboon," Kaelin said waking me out of my trance. Kit and Reid were tounging. And I had to agree with him. "Fuck off, Kaelin," We begin our hello's before breaking off into our separate groups. Pogue passed me as he made his way towards Kate. ::Have fun:: He smiles. ::Shut up:: I grin. "Sorry it took us so long," Tyler places his arms around my shoulder. "Its fine baby." I sank deeper into his arms. His body was warm. His grip was soothing. "You alright?" "Yeah, just lost in my thoughts." My mind found itself two years ago. Back to yet another time where my life grew farther and farther away from normal.... -------------------------------------------------------------------- "You're spacing again." I focused my eyes onto Pogue. His long sandy blonde hair was hiding his laser blue eyes. His face was defined yet his skin was so soft. His slender body ran down into the tangled mess of sheets and blankets around us. Tiny beads of sweat made his body shine in the scarce sunlight that crept into the room. It was as if the sun itself was trying to steal a glance at this god-like creature laying next to me. We had been together since my freshman year. Our first encounter happened our first weekend at Spenser, a product of too much alcohol. We commenced our sexual escapades for some time before finally consecrating ourselves in a relationship. "Sorry." "Don't worry. you can make it up to me." He rolled on top of me and pressed his lips and his pelvis against mine. My body filled with fire. He ran his hand up my bare leg. I knew exactly what he was reaching for. "Don't." I grinned and pushed him over. "We have to get to class soon and I don't know about you, but I'd like to show up NOT smelling like man sex." Pogue licked his lips. "I guess you're right." He advanced again. I leaned in until the words I spoke made my lips brush across his. "I'm always right." And with that I slid from under his warm body and leaped out of bed. The sun was cutting through the blinds making my dark body look like a silhouette. "You're amazing," I heard him say. "Don't you just know how to make a guy feel good." If there was one thing Pogue was good at, it was making someone feel good. He has a big heart. A little too big though. He had found himself a new "friend" if you will. By the name of Kate. And if you can imagine it, I didn't like Kate very much. Pogue swore that they were just friends. However, he and I were just friends for a really long time. I wrapped a clean towel around my body and headed for the bathroom. As I turned on the shower I could hear the rustling of sheets. Not long after Pogue wandered in eyeing me. His eyes asking to join me. "Only if you behave yourself," I replied to his silent request. "Oh, I'll be a good boy sir," He mocked me. "Really I will." I punched him. He laughed and together we enjoyed the heat of a warm shower. It was hard to enjoy such a wonderful thing like showering with such a distraction standing there with you. But none the less, we made it through, dressed and were on our way to Spenser via motorcycle. I lived on campus with my best friend Kit, though I opted to stay the night with my lover Pogue. Kit and I had instantly bonded freshman year. Kaelin was absorbed into our group the night we all went to Taran's. It helped that we both shared an interesting gift. We were endowed with powers, both of us at the age of 13. Unlike the Ipswich boys, who had their destinies and heritage layed out for them so clearly, we were not so lucky. The origins of our powers were shrouded in secret and for that reason we kept our powers a secret. All we knew is that our families originated from Europe escaping the witch trails by hiding as opposed to running to the new world. We arrived at Spencer about 20 minutes earlier than expected. I hopped off the back of his bike and matched some of the stares I received. It wasn't that Pogue and I were a secret, we just weren't exposed. As Pogue put away his bike, I heard a familiarly irritating voice calling my name. "Hey Kate." I replied with a ferocious smile. Kate is a pretty girl if you liked her type. Tall for a girl, slender, tan skin, dark hair and eyes. And she was always all over Pogue. And he allowed her to be. "Kate, how are you?" Pogue called as he walked toward us. Her eyes lit up. "I'm fine. I missed you last night. The Dells aren't much fun without you." "Yeah... I was busy." So he wasn't going to acknowledge he was with me. "Busy doing what?" I asked with a smile. He gave me an empty smile back. "Well, if you're not doing anything maybe you and I can get together tonight. Maybe grab a bite and study for our history test coming up." Study? Bitch gotta go. "Yeah. That would be cool." My heart sank. I saw the way they were looking at each other. And without understanding why or really comprehending what I was feeling, the only thing that became clear to me was that Pogue had lied to me about her. "Well I'm gonna go and find Kit," I smiled at the two of them. "I'll see you in class." I hate being dramatic. I don't like dramatics or tears and or thing like that. I've always considered myself to be a strong person. My family didn't always have money. I grew up in the slums of Detroit. My mom worked twelve hour shifts at a hospital while trying to get her degree and my dad worked third shift at GM. That left me home to take care of my little brother Justice and my little sister Raven. I've always been the mature one. The one to say dust yourself off and don't cry. Crying is not going to solve anything. When I turned 12 my dad finally got a better job and we had to move to New England. But even with this new job, my parents were never there. There was always some business meeting, always some patient. Always something that didn't have to do with us. Then I turned thirteen and my powers surfaced and I felt even more alone until I met Kit. I was even strong when my parents decided that we were to much for them and they shipped us off to boarding school. But through out this time I had been the strong, resilient one. So I didn't understand why was crying right then. Kit sat on his bad watching me as I paced back and forth across the room. Kaelin was leaning against the wall arms folded looking at the floor. I screamed. "Will you calm down?" Kit's words made me cringe. "Would you be calm if Reid was fucking some beasty lookin' skank?" "Well what do you plan to do?" Kaelin chimed from his perch. I stopped pacing to think about this. "Honestly," I turned to face the window. "I want the last thing that Kate sees to be my eyes turning blacker than a moonless night." Kit grabbed my shoulders and spun me around. "He won't do it," Kaelin said cooly. "He's just upset." "The hell I won't do it." I wasn't going to do it. As much as I would have loved to, the price was too high. Even in my blind rage the only thing clear was that I could not jeopardize the secrets of my two friends. Whoever said friends didn't keep you grounded lied. They ground you like really big chains. I sank down on my bed. "So now that we've defused bomber man..." Kit stood in front of me. "What do you plan on doing with Pogue the Poke Buddy?" My mind turned the situation over and over again. His facial expression, the way the looked at each other all pointed to one conclusion. Maybe I should have trusted Pogue. He said nothing was going on. And who was to say that they were going to do more than study? Though only a fool would have mistaken it for anything else. There was nothing for me to do. Pogue was going to live his life as he saw fit. And I wasn't about to let some boy destroy many years of being alright. "I'm going to smile." Kaelin and Kit just looked at one another. After a long pause, Kit finally spoke. "Well there's no point in us going to class now. Especially with Streak acting like a love-sick wildebeast. I'll sign us in." And before Kaelin or I could object, Kits eyes transformed into that mystical shade of darkness that was a sign of us using our powers. "Any excuse will do." Kaelin commented. We all shared an uncomfortable smile. It was a start. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ The next day the entire school was buzzing about the latest hook up which was expected from such a small school like Spenser. Apparently, Kate had found herself in the arms of some supposedly lucky guy the night before. It didn't take a rocket scientist to figure out who the bastard was. All day, there had been knocks at the door to deliver this news to me. Thank God the first was Kaelin who overheard it directly from Kate. Each and every knock drove things deeper and deeper inside of my head. At one point, I received a knock at the door that was a teacher informing that my parents would not be coming up to visit as expected. Kate even found her way into my room to gloat about her triumphant night. Kit sensed my rage and convinced her that I had a headache and that is why I was being so rude to her. Towards the middle of the evening there was yet another expected knock at the door. Kit moved himself from his desk deciding to act as a catalyst. "Hello Pogue." Kit took a step back enough for the Pogue to enter. "Hey Kit," Pogue took a cautious step inside the room. "Hey Streak." I didn't turn to face him. "Hi." "Well... this is extremely awkward, so I'm just gonna step outside for cigarette." Kit really knows how to make an exit. Pogue sat on the edge of my bed. I could feel his breath on my neck. I shook a bit. "I don't know what to say." "Good. Me either. Because 'I'm sorry' really isn't gonna cut it." "I am sorry." He adjusted himself more towards my direction. "I was just frustrated. I didn't know what to do. We happened so fast before I could ever experience anything else here. I'm sorry." "Not sorry enough to stop fucking her. I knew you'd been fucking. I KNEW it." I turned to face him. His face remained strong and unmoved, but his eyes betrayed him. It was almost enough to make me break as well. Almost. "You know damn well I care about you." He moved closer still. "Well not enough obviously." I stood up. "Look, I'm not going to sit here and pretend like this doesn't hurt me, but it'll all be fine. There's nothing that you can say that will change anything. If you feel the need to take your frustrations out on some skank's pussy that's your business. Enjoy. Congradu-fucking-lations. You go your way and I'll go mine." I turned back to my desk. I had become aware that my eyes were burning. After a moment, he rose to meet me. "I lo-" "Don't start with me," I snapped. "Okay. Okay. I just want things be somewhat alright you know. I want it to be kinda okay." "As of right now, it can't be." I turned to face him again. Tears were running down my face. "But I'll let you know." He nodded and then he turned and he left. I looked around my room. It seemed so small. There was so much hanging in the air. My parents ditching me again. Pogue fucking Kate. Kate breathing. I couldn't stand to be in that kind of place anymore, so I turned to leave. As I opened the door I bashed my face against another human skull. I cursed. "Nice to see you too." Tyler entered my room clutching his forehead and grinning. He was a very handsome boy. One of the sons of Ipswich. He was far more low key than the other boys but his presence was always uplifting. He and I were very good friends. He had helped me out on more than one occasion. "Hey, what brings you to my face?" He sat me down the bed running his hands through his hair. His demeanor changed slightly. "I heard about Pogue." "I see," I recoiled. "I'm not here to talk about him honestly." He looked me directly in the eyes and I felt a feeling I had never gotten from him before. My heart began to race. "I know you're going through a lot. And I know this is so much to throw on you today, but I honestly can't wait any longer and that sounds very stupid and probably extremely cliche." "You are correct sir. And who ever wrote your lines should probably seek another job." He smiled at me. "Give me a chance and I'll show you what its like to never have to worry about trusting someone. I waited too late, and Pogue got you before I could. That was my loss. But now his loss is my gain." I was shocked honestly. "But we're-" "Don't think of it as losing a friend. Think of it as... taking our friendship further." I tried to interject but he wouldn't let me."And I don't want you to answer me now. I want you to take all the time you'll need. All I ask is you give me a fair chance." And with that he leaned in and placed his lips gently on my forehead, smiled, and darted out of the room. I sat stunned on my bed. This was not happening to me. I refused to believe that this was happening to me. Pogue, Tyler, Kate (that bitch). Too many thoughts. Why couldn't things just be normal? I sat on my bed looking at the door waiting for another wave of attacks. I swore fate was going through menopause. The door opened and Kit sprung in startling me to my feet. I was shaking violently. He noticed the obvious terror across my face. "What the hell is wrong with you?" "I hate my life." Kit rolled his eyes. Weeeeeeeeeell, how will Streak handle this new development? What will Pogue's reaction be? Will Streak really try to kill Kate?!? Only time (and you continuing to read) will tell! Let us know how much ya love it! halliwellboys@yahoo.com