The Story Begins Here: NYU School Campus

Seth seriously hoped so. "Yeah...." he muttered. "You know, I was thinking we need a change of scenery. I say we hit Vegas for a couple days over winter break."

***

Evelyn bit her lip raw red and looked away from him, guilty all over again. "I'm sorry."

"Dude that sounds so awesome! We really should go!" Antonio lit up, that sounded like much needed fun to a hectic semester.

***

James realized she wasn't lying James shook his head slowly, "No..." He muttered. Then looked up at Evelyn with wide blue eyes, "It can't... its not possible its just..." James froze "So its not just me though? Connor and Seth they've been acting the same way are they? I mean did they?" James' words were jumbled but he just really couldn't believe this!

"Why? Why would you guys do this?!" He asked, wondering just what the hell they were thinking!

"Yeah, right after Jake gets out of hospital. Maybe for New Year's?" Seth suggested, excited.

***

Evelyn was starting to realize the weight of what she'd done. She lifted her eyes back up to James' face and felt even sicker. But it was right to tell him, she decided. Her conscience felt better. "We didn't think it was gonna work, okay? That shit normally never works and the recipe was bogus. And you were never a target!" she exclaimed, pausing to catch her breath. She wheezed a little and sat back against the bench.

"Yeah! That would be so fun! You think Jake will be well enough by then though? I mean no offense to him, but if we're getting trashed its gonna get hard for us to cart him around in a wheelchair." Antonio snorted because he could see them pushing Jake into walls drunkenly all while Seth offends security guards.

***

James couldn't believe this was happening! But it was it really was! He should have known better than to take that drink from Ashlee!

"I can't, I just! How long are we gonna be this way? I mean despite you telling me that this is a potion. I still really wanna go and talk to Alexis right now!" James yelled.

"We'll cart him along even if he's dying," Seth vowed virtuously. "We're not leaving the whiny bitch to rot in there on New Year's alone!" He paused and smirked at Antonio. "besides, someone has ot get our drunk asses out of jail and if Jake's injured, he'll play babysitter."

***

Evelyn flinched. She felt terrible but at least now he knew! She sighed, not sure what the hell to do anymore. "I...I'm looking for a Wiccan coven," she said quietly in contrast to his yelling. She felt too drained to yell anyways. "I'll find a cure.. In the meantime, remember that this isn't real and that you need to reign in what you feel." She looked up at him as she stood up shakily. "Can you?"

Antonio snickered punching Seth in the arm, "You're terrible but right. We do need someone to bail us out."

***

James looked doen at Evelyn, he wanted to say yes. But how could he just stop these unwanted feelings for Alexis. Hell most of the time she was all he thought about! He was even thinking about her now.

If he failed his finals this term it would be because instead of studying he had been thinking of ways to ask Alexis out!

James took a deep breath and looked Evelyn in the eye, "I'm gonna try, I really am. But its gonna be hard. But you better find those damn witches and snap us out of this!" James ordered Evelyn.

Seth entered the lobby of the dorm building. "In the meantime, let's get past exams."

[[Seth and Antonio to [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]]]

Evelyn ran her fingers through her hair in frustration, unfurling it from its knotted tangles. "I'll try," she said honestly. She tugged her hair back and readjusted the clip where it had fallen during their little scuffle. "Just.." She paused and gave him a pleading look. "Can you maybe not spread this around? A lot of people will get in trouble. I'll find a way to fix this. But I can't do it if I'm gonna have to keep looking over my shoulder in fear."

"Who would believe me? Anyone I tell will just think I'm crazy. Even Luke! So don't worry I won't be spreading it around." James sighed, scratching his head agaib while yawning.

Evelyn winced and then after a moment, muttered, "I seed to get going. I figured I'd hit the library and go see Jake-" She froze. And then remembered James was under the influence of the love potion so he wouldn't care. Evelyn blinked at him uncertainly and then stepped away in the direction of the street. "I mean. I'll....I'll see you around, James."

James didn't even look at her, he just shoved his hands in his pockets and stormed off back to the dorms.

[[James to [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]]]

If that wasn't an icy dismissal, Evelyn didn't know what was. She felt like she should have said something but she couldn't think of anything to remotely cool him down. He had every right to be pissed at her.

If James was this pissed, when he only had to deal with emotional betrayal, then Seth would be horrified when he woke up and realized that he'd been in a relationship with some girl he DESPISED, had been her lapdog, had bought her thousands of dollars worth of things and had been led on knowingly.

I'll be taking the blame for that, she realized, turning and walking down the sidewalk with her hands in her pockets. Rose hadn't made the potion. Technically, Ashlee hadn't either.

But then, making the potion was ALL Evelyn had done. She hadn't given it to James, or Seth or Connor. Hell, she'd lost motivation and left the stupid bonfire after her altercation with Jake.

The old resentment that was always just beneath the surface began to bubble up again.Seth would wake up, Connor would come around, like James had, and they'd resent her for being the one who made the thing. The fact that she'd told both Rose and Ashlee not ot lead the boys on would be forgotten because she'd just be seen as the evil bitch who made the damn potion that caused all the problems. Resentment began to turn to fury and Evelyn clenched her fists inside her pocket.

So she'd broken and told James. Sure, he would never speak to her again, but she was used to that and honestly, it was better he didn't. Evelyn's boots kicked up snow as she walked and it began to float down from the sky, settling in her dark hair like powder. The snowfall thickened by the time she reached the subway stairs.

She was out, she decided. She'd warned Rose and Ashlee and they'd both accepted the boys as formal dates. Sure it was cute, but maybe Alexis' rejection had been, overall, the best and kindest decision. When James woke, he wouldn't feel cheated and led on, unlike Connor and Seth.

Evelyn suddenly realized her eyes were burning hot and she blinked furiously, feeling suddenly overwhelmed. So she wasn't going to be the scapegoat. But she wasn't going to get out of it so easily either. Everyone still blamed her for the potion backfiring. And that had been her fault, definitely, but the rest of it? That wasn't.

[[Evelyn to [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]]]

[[Evelyn, James, Lola and Seth from [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]]]

"Okay I'm sorry this isn't something special, I wanted it to be a little more nicer when I asked you. But I was wondering if you would like to go to the formal with me, you know? Just as friends?" James asked a bit nervously, he knew that he wanted it to be a little nicer than just asking her like this, but he figured formal wasn't that far away and someone was bound to ask her, or she was probably going to accept that invitation from the guy in her class.

Evelyn's head swung around and she tripped over her feet, she was so shocked she wasn't focusing. She squealed and grabbed James' arm to hold herself from meeting the ground face-first. "Shit!"

James held onto her arm to stable her, "Whoa! You okay?" James asked her helping her back up onto her feet.

"Yes," she muttered, red-faced. She straightened up and continued trudging thorough the snow.

A few meters behind them, Seth stifled a laugh. "So what do we do?" he asked Lola. "I mean, okay, so she dumps Jake. But...." He frowned and then his eyes twinkled in devilish inspiration.

Evelyn bit her lower lip, realizing her smokey makeup was still all over her face. Whatever. She glanced at James and swallowed. "James? Asking me won't make Alexis jealous."

"What? Do what? Seth what are you gonna do?" Lola asked raising a dark eyebrow up at him. If there was one thing about Seth and Jake she hated is when they would get ideas and not say anything about it.

"Ev I'm not trying to make Alexis jealous. I just thought that it would be fun you know? To go together. Honestly I'd rather go with a friend then some stranger anyway." He confessed to her shoving his hands into his pockets.

Evelyn opened her mouth to tell him she couldn't go with him even if she wanted to - which she didn't - because she already had a date.

And then a huge snowball hit the back of her head, the force of it making her topple and fall to her knees. "Owww!"

Seth dusted his wet hands off, turning to Lola with sparkling eyes. "That."

Lola put her glove covered hand over her mouth and stifled a laugh nudging Seth, "Hey I wanna help too!" Lola bent down to make a snowball.

"What the hell?" James got down to help Evelyn, "Hey Ev are you-- SON OF A BITCH!" James cursed, a huge snowball had smacked him in the back of his head and he fell down on his knees too.

Lola dusted off her hands and she looked up at Seth, "This is fun you know." She grinned.

"What the hell?" Evelyn asked, bemused, and then staggered up, helping James ot his feet. She spun around and her eyes narrowed at Seth and Lola. "Oh. I see." She glanced up at James. "Feel like a little double-team game?" She didn't wait fo rhis answer, kneeling and scooping up a chunk of ice. She hastily rolled it into a ball and pulling back her arm, let it fly.

All over Lola's hair. Evelyn stifled her laughter.

"Oh, this is war!" Seth informed her.

"You bet bitch! She got in my hair!" Lola frowned picking up snow and tossing it at Evelyn so it hit her in the face.


James didn't have time to think, so he just grabbed a snowball and threw it at Seth. "ITS ON!" He yelled.

Evelyn squeaked through a faceful of snow and started laughing. Seth's returning snowball burst on James' shoulder, spraying her hair and his face.

"DOUBLE-STRIKE!" Seth howled victoriously.

Evelyn growled and flung two snowballs one after the other at his shiny head.

"Gah!" Seth stumbled and toppled into Lola.

Evelyn turned and smirked at James.

Lola squeaked, as Seth fell on top of her, his weight crushing her tiny frame, "Seth!" She yelled trying to push her off of him.

"Nice shot Ev." James grinned, high-fiving her.

Evelyn returned James' high-five with a smile and then turned and continued walking.

Seth rolled off Lola and glanced up, groaning as he spotted Evelyn turn and walk off. "Well, at least we tried."

Evelyn pulled her fingerless gloves out of her bag and pulled them on as she walked. She glanced at James hesitantly and then her lips twitched. "Your head looks like a a bag of sugar exploded on a cupcake."

Lola sighed grabbing a hold of Seth, she pulled herself off the ground and looked down at Seth, "It was a brave effort my blond friend, the Spaniard would be proud."

James shook the snow out of his hair and then looked at Evelyn, "Oh yeah? At least I don't look like one of those sugar coated strawberries." James snorted.