Written in the Stars

04: Code Breakers

❝i know your love's not real / that's not the way it feels❞

- fool's gold : one direction

Kendall seethed with rage, fueled by a sense of betrayal. The Code was simple, it was clear, and all that he asked of the other boys, yet James flagrantly disregarded their pact. Even worse, it soured his relationship with his sister.

He and Kit didn't fight like this; Kendall couldn't remember a time when they went this long without speaking to each other. He missed his twin, even if he was mad at her.

James knew Kendall would be angry with him. This wasn't like the time that Logan borrowed his underwear; it wasn't like he could exactly buy a new pair. Kit was Kendall's Achilles Heel and he wanted his friends nowhere near her. He swore that it would kill him if one of them broke her fragile heart. Matty did a real number on her and, after the day their father left, Kit had never been quick to fall. James wouldn't mean to, but Kendall felt that he would inevitably hurt her and that it would be even worse this time. That was precisely why Kendall so furtively pushed the Rule of Twins.

After another day at the studio, Kendall pulled James aside. The taller boy had a bad feeling about where this conversation was headed. He frowned and shook himself free from Kendall's death grip.

"James," Kendall's voice dripped with venom. "We gotta talk"

"About...?"

"You broke the Code!"

Brushing his hair from his face, he chuckled nervously. "Right, that"

Kendall raised his eyebrows expectantly. The more rules that the boys added on to their Code, the more ridiculous it became. The Kit Code, though, was born out of necessity. Had he forgotten what happened in middle school?

"You took Kit to the dance, you're kissing her in public, and now, Logan tells me that my sister is... your girlfriend?"

James shrugged: "Yes."

"Did you forget about the Rule of Twins? Because, according to the Best Friend Code, when you wrong a friend you have to make it right," Kendall reminded him.

James's frown deepened. He knew the Code inside and out, but there was no easy way to make this up to Kendall. Sure, he could always just break up with Kit, but that wasn't what James wanted.

"What am I supposed to do, Kendall?"

As he began to walk away, Kendall simply shrugged and turned his palms upwards. "You'll figure it out"

While he watched the other boys leave, his promise to Kit replayed in James's mind. It was up to him to prove that some rules were meant to be broken. As he made his way back to the Palm Woods, James concocted a plan. He thought back to the day that they created the Twin Code.

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* 　　 *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

February 14, 2006 ✧ Shakopee Middle School

Valentine's Day loomed over the school like a dark cloud. Lovesick preteens rushed to confess their crushes left and right. Kit Knight could only imagine what it might be like to receive a rose from the Student Council Cupid Gram. Every year, students could send each other flowers and a note- anonymous or otherwise- for just $1. Only the really popular kids ever actually got a rose or groups of girl friends would send each other one in an attempt to make their oblivious crushes jealous.

At the ripe age of thirteen years old, Kit didn't think she quite understood why Valentine's Day made everyone so crazy. She longed for the days when the Hallmark holiday meant nothing more than sweet, cheap cards and candy for every student in the class.