Chapter Text
After sprinting a block and a half, Felix determines that he is far enough from the Conte’s house that he can slow to a walk. He's out of breath already, and his legs ache. His heart is racing, but he's not completely positive that it's an effect of all the running.
He saw me-- He could see me--
His right hip hurts from where his bag has repeatedly slammed against it, but Felix doesn't think he'll end up with a bruise. Indeed, he's escaped the situation unscathed, but it doesn't feel like it.
How-- How did Sam--? No one could, but he-- he--
His thoughts are all over the place, bouncing around his skull and tripping over themselves in the process until all that's left is a giant mess of tangles. He stumbles when his foot slips into a pothole on the road and his ankle twists, but he barely notices the twinge of pain that shoots up his leg. He keep walking, destination unclear and probably looking like someone just died but it doesn't really matter anyways because no one can see him--
But that's a lie. Because somehow, against all odds, Sam can see him.
Sam can see me.
Felix feels almost lightheaded at the realization. He stumbles again, and jerks to a stop. He nearly crumples, tumbling down to rest on the curb. The sleeve of Jake’s shirt pokes out of his bag, and the sight of it makes him sick to his stomach.
He didn't get what he needed.
He'll have to go back.
He'll have to see Sam again.
Felix rips off his bag, accidentally scraping the strap against his cheek in his haste, and throws it away from him. He pulls his knees up to his chest, burying his face into his hands. His heart is still racing, body burning up from the inside.
Felix takes in a deep, shaking breath, holds the air for two seconds, then lets it out slowly. He repeats the action again; in for five seconds, hold for two, out for five. It's a trick that Ellen taught him after Oscar's accident, and has helped him more than once.
As his breathing settles and regulates, Felix attempts to assess what just happened. Somehow, he's not as invisible as he believed he was, because there is no doubt in his mind that Sam had seen him back there.
But why Sam?
For the life of him, that's something that Felix can't figure out. Why can Sam see him? No one else can, not even his family.
That sparks another train of thought. If Sam can see him , then does that nullify Felix’s theory of there being another him in this universe? Surely even magic couldn't bend the laws of the universe enough to allow two of the same person to exist within the same reality.
Could it?
But, if that's the case, then Felix has no plausible explanation for why no one else can see him.
He groans into the palms of his hands, the beginnings of a headache forming. Now that he's somewhat calmed down, he can also feel that ankle is throbbing painfully. He's in no mood to get up, much less go anywhere, but he doesn't want to stick around in case Sam decides to come looking for him.
With a great sigh Felix pushes himself to his feet, slightly off-balance as he favors his left leg. He walks carefully over to where his bag landed, picking it back up and scanning the ground for any fallen items before placing it on his shoulder. He tucks the exposed plaid sleeve back into his bag, frowning at the thought of going back to Sam's.
It'll be fine, he tells himself. I'll go when he isn't home.
But, a small voice in the back of his head tells him, he'll have to face the other boy eventually.
¤
In the end, Felix decides to just get it over with and talk to Sam directly.
Really, Felix wishes he could say he came to this conclusion after a lot of rational thinking and weighing of various other factors, but the truth of the matter is a lot simpler than that.
He doesn't know what to take from Sam.
He ended up spending most of the previous night trying to think of what object could be used in the spell, but came up empty-handed. There was always his hat or skateboard, both things that the other boy kept in the other universe, but Sam usually had those items with him at all times.
Meaning, he'd only have a chance to get them when Sam was sleeping, most likely. Unfortunately, the back door would already be locked by that point, and the Contes had much better security than the Riles did. Waiting in the house before then was out of the question, since Sam would see him and cause a lot of problems that he was not prepared to deal with at the moment.
Thus, Felix had decided catching Sam before he went home, when he was alone, would be the best course of action.
Felix waits for school to end, and watches from a safe distance as the crowd of students rush out of the building. He scans them carefully, looking for a glimpse of Sam. When he sees him, he's not alone. Mia is with him, pressed up against his side with his arm around her shoulders, along with a few other skaters that Sam sometimes hangs out with.
But that's okay, because Felix expected this. He tails them at length, keeping out of their sight -- not that any of them are looking behind them anyways.
The group ends up at the skate park, and Felix sits down on the grass several feet away under the shade of a tree to wait. He's removed his jacket to make himself look somewhat less suspicious, but no one even spares him a single glance.
And, even if they did, they wouldn't see him anyways.
He keeps his eyes on Sam, until he sees him skate over to Mia and take off his helmet. Sam picks up his skateboard in one hand, taking his girlfriend's hand into his other one, and the two say their goodbyes.
Felix stands, and walks away from the couple. Time to put his plan into action.
¤
Sam is skateboarding back to his house after walking Mia home when he turns onto another street and suddenly stops. The sole of his sneaker scrapes against the ground as he slows, coming to rest just in front of someone sitting on the side of the street.
But it's not just anyone--
“I-It's you!” Sam can feel his jaw drop as his brain catches up with what his eyes are seeing. “You're the guy from yesterday!”
Said guy doesn't even looked surprised to see him. All the fear he showed yesterday is gone from his face, replaced by a collected calm. Sam notices that his fingers are repeatedly clenching around the black fabric of the jacket in his lap, however, and thinks that maybe the other boy isn't as fearless as he's trying to appear right now.
“I am,” the other boy agrees. “What of it?”
Sam is so flabbergasted he is actually speechless for a moment. “‘W-What of it’?” He repeats incredulously. “Y-You broke into my house!”
The other boy nods. “Yup, that was me,” he lets go of his jacket, instead reaching up to fiddle with his necklace.
Definitely nervous, Sam thinks.
He's torn between trying to calm this strange person down or getting angry. But that's a ridiculous thought in itself, because of course Sam should be getting angry -- why would he try to reassure a criminal ?
But then he thinks back to yesterday, and the scared look in this boy’s eyes, and the way his voice sounded as he apologized. He was terrified .
So, even though he really should be reporting this guy to the police right now, Sam finds himself relaxing. He's not exactly comfortable right now, but he also doesn't want to scare the other boy off again. After all, who knows when he'd see him again? It was just a coincidence that they were even meeting right now--
Hang on.
“Are you stalking me?” Sam blurts out, before he even really knows what he's saying.
To his surprise, the other boy laughs . Sam doesn't understand what's so funny.
“No, seriously, are you?” He asks. “I mean, you obviously know where I live, and you're here now-- And, you actually seem kinda familiar? Do you go to Bremin High?”
The boy looks away, teeth sinking into his lower lip. “That's.. a little complicated.”
“Dude, that makes it sound like you are definitely stalking me.”
“No, not that!” He snaps, then lets out a sigh. “I meant about Bremin-- you know what, forget it. That's not why I'm here.”
Sam is immediately suspicious, and eyes the other boy warily. “Then why are you here?”
The other boy meets his gaze steadily. “We have a lot to talk about, Sam.”