While the rest of her coven rushed forward to greet the boys, Taylor stayed behind. She walked to where Kim was sitting on the sand, and sat down next to her.
They sat silently for a moment, watching the joyous reunion from afar. The witches and the boys shouting and laughing and hugging. It was nice, Taylor thought, to see everyone so happy, after so long.
But she also kept stealing small, curious glances at Kim. Not wanting to spoil the moment, but not quite able to read the mask of Kim's face, and not quite sure what, exactly, had just happened.
"So..." Taylor said, finally.
"So there was this man," Kim said, as if reading Taylor's mind. She didn't look at look at Taylor while she spoke, but kept her eyes trained on the distant scene of witches and celebrity boys. "Because it always seems to begin with a man. He wasn't even an important man. Just some rando. Just some guy with too much money and free time. Maybe that was part of the problem--his life experience not lining up with his ego's expectations. Anyways. He enslaved some witches from KKHollywood. Friends of mine. Mentors, really. He used them to create a spell that stole the boys from this world and held them captive in that one. He hoped to take their powers from them and use them for himself. He wanted to create an army of men. He wanted to create a world where men ruled, where women's lives were dictated entirely by men. Where selfies were illegal and women weren't allowed to think for themselves, at all."
"omg," Taylor whispered, astonished. "That sounds like such complete garbage." She paused, considering it. "I mean it also kind of sounds like this world, in some ways."
Kim nodded. "But I defeated him. I stopped him and destroyed his army and freed everyone he had enslaved. I set my world back on the right path, a better path. And we'll do the same here. I know this world has been harmed by the events that transpired in KKHollywood, but we will put things back the way they were."
Their attention was drawn to Selena, who was bouncing up and down, clinging with one hand to Oscar Isaac's perfect arm and waving wildly for Taylor's attention with the other. "Kim saved the boys!" she called across the sand. "Some jerk was using them for nefarious purposes and Kim rescued everyone!"
Oscar smiled broadly and waved goofily at Kim. Kim smiled and half-heartedly waved back. "Oh sure, they believe the men," Kim said, only kind of joking.
Taylor looked at Kim, watching her face, seeing all the emotions concealed just beneath Kim's perfect, glossy skin.
"I'm so sorry," Taylor said. "None of this was your fault at all."
Kim returned Taylor's stare. "Wasn't it?" Kim said. "KKHollywood is my world. I'm responsible for what happens there. It's because of me, and because of things I said and did in that world, that the boys of this world were placed in danger. Was I directly responsible? Maybe not. But the blame is there if you want to place it." Kim turned her eyes back towards the orb. There were still boys emerging, each one sending the growing crowd into renewed shouts of joy.
"But like, how did you defeat him?" Taylor asked. "It sounds awful. How did you get the boys back?"
Kim's mind raced back across everything she'd been through. Being torn away from Kanye, and later betraying him when he tried to help. Being taken from Nori just when their relationship was finally starting to repair itself. Losing Calum Woof and Tiny Monkey in her misguided haste to keep Kanye away from Cassio. Everything she had done to try to win Willow back, and having been rejected by her ultimately anyway. All the trusts she had betrayed, all the loves she had lost. It was too much to try and explain.
"I just did what I needed to do," Kim said. "I fixed the things I needed to fix, even if it meant having to break other things in the process." Her eyelids fluttered against something, a piece of sand, a tear, that she refused to let take hold there.
"Oh my gosh, Kim," Taylor said, feeling the hurt coming off Kim in waves. "I am like so sorry. You shouldn't have had to go through this alone. We could have helped."
"I went to you for help," Kim said pointedly. "You all turned on me, attacked me. You would have held me captive just like the boys."
Taylor blinked. "I just--". She shook her head, put her face in her hands. "This keeps happening to me," she said, crying. I get so caught up in the drama of the moment. I'm so worried about not being liked that I trust the wrong people. I believe what people need me to believe instead of seeing the truth for myself. I'm so sorry, Kim. We were so focused on finding someone to blame that we just latched on to the easiest answer. If I had listened, if I had kept an open heart and mind I could have been your ally instead of your enemy."
"You are not my enemy, Taylor. You fight for what you believe in, and you fight to protect the things you love, just as I have. We're not perfect, but we're not our mistakes."
Taylor nodded, sniffling. "But it's not right. Women need to trust and believe each other. Men are always going to find ways to pit us against each other. We have to be so careful to never let that happen."
"Maybe. But it's always going to be different for you. I don't have what you have, Taylor. I don't have a squad coven. I don't have legions of young celebrities rushing to be my friend the way you do. I don't even know if my family will still be waiting for me when I get home. If someone wants to hang out with you and be part of your crew it means they're fun and cool. If someone wants to hang out with me it means they want something and they don't care what they have to do to get it. An association with me is dangerous, in a way that it never will be for you."
Kim paused, picking an opalescent oyster shell out of the sand by her feet. She began dragging it through the sand, creating a small trench around her legs. "I have done terrible things, because it was all I could do. I learned very early on that I cannot trust anyone. That I will only have myself to blame or thank, for whatever happens to befall me. I have gotten very used to the idea that no one has my back except me. But I don't want to live my life like that, Taylor. I don't want to enter every situation suspicious of everyone else's motives, worried about protecting my own back first and everyone else's second. And clinging to negativity in my past will only foster negativity in my future."
Kim looked at Taylor's squad, who were all listening rapturously as Rami Malek told a story about the time he pet a dog in KKHollywood and a wad of money shot directly into his mouth.
"You have a really great crew, Taylor, and I hope that you never have to learn what it is to truly stand alone. And I swear, by sand and sea and by Water Wave emoji , that you never will. Whatever happens, if you need me, I will listen. I will be on your team."
Taylor smiled. "Same, OK? Same."
Kim smiled. It was not a lasting peace and a lifetime friendship, perhaps, but it was an understanding. An acceptance.
"omg!" Taylor said. "We should commemorate this moment!!!" Taylor stood, shaking the sand from her flowy peasant dress. Then she knelt before Kim and bowed, holding her phone out as an offering.
"Kim of House Kardashian," Taylor said, solemnly. "Will you grant House Swift the privilege of taking a selfie with you?"
"I would like that very much," Kim said, standing and bowing in return.
They turned and Kim held the camera out so that you could just barely see the other witches in the background, fawning over the boys by the glowy orb. Taylor put her arm around Kim's shoulders and they leaned their heads in together. Kim felt Taylor's hair delicately brushing her face and briefly caught a familiar combination of scents - freesia and ocean spray. Neither of the women smiled but they were united in their fierceness.
As they found their angles Kim's mind briefly flashed on her other newfound power, the one she'd used to defeat the men: The Dark Selfie. One click and Taylor would be gone, erased from the world. But there was no need for anyone to know she'd unlocked that power, yet. It would only make people fear and hate her more than they already did. Someday, perhaps, it was a skill that would come in handy. But not today.
Kim took the selfie in one perfect shot. But she took a few more, just in case. Maybe not wanting to look like a show-off, maybe not wanting the moment to be over so soon.
"omg YAY," Taylor said afterwards, scrolling through the pictures, deciding which one to post.
Kim thought maybe she should walk over and see about actually getting the boys home. She noticed Tom Hiddleston kind of checking Taylor out. Then she noticed Karlie looking meaningfully at Taylor. Perhaps sensing her stare, Taylor looked up, her eyes locking directly with Karlie's. Kim watched as something silent and magical passed between them. Only one in a million people would have recognized the interaction for what it was.
"How's Calvin?" Kim asked. "You're so lucky he didn't get taken."
A complicated series of emotions quickly passed over Taylor's face. It couldn't possibly be easy for Taylor, Kim thought. Balancing her public-facing relationship with Calvin with the open secret of her relationship with Karlie. And yet, she was doing it. "Yeah, totally," she said, after a beat. "He's fine. It's..." Taylor looked from Kim to Karlie and back. "It's complicated, you know?"
Kim nodded, her heart aching for what might have been. "Oh, I know," she said. "I know."
The moment was interrupted by a blood-curdling scream. It was Gigi, crying out in horror. There was a commotion and frantic shouting coming from around the orb. Taylor and Kim raced over to see what was happening.
It was the last two celebrities emerging from the orb, just as it disappeared. Michael Clifford, walking slowly with a very wan, limping Zayn Malik. It was clear there was something very wrong with Zayn. He could barely walk, even with Michael's help. His eyes were barely sparkling, and his hair was kind of flat and not that amazing looking.
Michael urged everyone to step back, to give Zayn room and air.
"i'M fiN3 I sw3Ar, iM Fin3," Zayn said, before collapsing into the sand.
"omg what's wrong with him?" Lorde said. "He's got anxiety."
"He's been through so much," Kim said, kneeling and putting her hand to his face. "I thought his weird talking would have cleared up by now. It's like he's becoming less and less himself."
"He's been separated from his boys for so long," Taylor said. "Like in a coven, the energy that binds and sustains them, he's missing that. It's like being hungry or thirsty, but for his soul."
"So all we have to do is reunite him with his friends and he'll be fine," Kim said.
"But we can't," Gigi said. "It's today. It's right now."
Everyone turned at looked at Gigi. "What's today," Kim asked, afraid of what the answer would be.
"It's just that he's been gone so long," Gigi continued. "They didn't think he'd be back."
"What is today, Gigi?" Kim said.
"Modest Management. They're dissolving the sacred directional bond that unites the group. They're doing a formal releasing of energies."
"One Direction is breaking up???" Kim asked.
"In layman's terms, yes."
"Not on my fucking watch it's not," Kim said.
"There'll be no one to reunite Zayn with," Gigi said. "He'll be like this forever."
"That is not fucking happening, Gigi! Mikey, let's go, now. You're riding bitch on this one."
Michael nodded, shouldering Zayn's arm and helping him to his feet.
Kim took out her phone and without another word, just a look and a nod at Taylor, she swiped the Rocket emoji and they were gone.
The moment Zayn disappeared, Gigi began sobbing uncontrollably. Martha and Lily draped themselves around her, consoling her and rubbing her back.
Everyone else just kind of stood around, not sure what to do.
"They're going to be fine, you guys, I swear," Taylor said, going into Mom mode. "Kim is like, amazing at fixing things. Like..." she waved, indicating all the handsome boys standing nearby.
"Yeah Kim's awesome, don't worry! We should be celebrating!" Carter Reynolds said.
"I mean hello, beach party much???" Taylor said.
"Yeah, let's dance!" Channing said, tearing off his shirt for some reason.
Selena conjured up her most recent single and it began blasting all around them. Karlie conjured up a batch of her famous Karlie's Kookies. Everyone started laughing and dancing.
Channing was like:
And Selena was like:
And Oscar Isaac was like:
And Karlie was like:
And Tom Hiddleston was like:
And Lorde was like:
And Idris Elba was like:
And Taylor was like:
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I hope everyone liked this chapter, it might be one of my favorites in the whole book. (Also this chapter carries us over the 100k word threshold which is INSANE THANK YOU TO EVERYONE STILL PARTICIPATING IN THIS INSANITY).
I didn't want to make it super lame and obvious but hopefully the part where Kim is thinking about the Karlie-Taylor-Calvin triangle and comparing it to her failure to achieve something similar with Willow and Kanye came through and wasn't overdone. Let me know what you think.
This book is almost done, and I'm so sad about it, I'm not ready for it to be over! But it's not over yet. First Kim has to save One Direction.