Take a Shot in the Dark

by IceGirl2772

Summary:

She was always along for the ride. The twin sister. The best friend. But now, Kaelyn Knight was about to become the heart and soul of Big Time Rush as Gustavo takes her under his wing.

Going to Hollywood is certain to change the boys. But how will it change Kaelyn?

Notes:

Okay. So, this is an idea that's been floating around for years. Different iterations of it. And even though I know this idea has been done to death by other writers, some people on Tumblr and Discord have encouraged me to go ahead and post it anyway. So, here I am. Bearing it all out.

Song lyrics are going to appear throughout my story. Obviously, I don't own the rights to them. That goes to their respective owners.

And yes. I'm naming the story (might be stories) and chapters after Big Time Rush lyrics. Wish me luck on actually maintaining that the whole way through. :/

ENJOY!

Chapter 1: Make It Count, Play It Straight

A young girl of sixteen approached her locker, entering the combination she had been entering for the entirety of her school year up to this point. It was the end of the school day. Everyone should be preparing to go home or moving on to their extracurricular activity.

She sighed as she swapped out some of her books in her backpack for others, the books she needed to complete her homework that evening. Some days felt longer than others and she was even more exhausted than usual. Even if fatigue was a constant companion for her nowadays, a leftover of what she had to survive.

The thought of what she had to survive made her reach for the scar on her neck, a leftover of that time she always kept hidden. But it also served as a reminder that she was here. She was here to tell her story. She was here to write her songs.

The thought of her songs made her reach into her bag, looking for her songbook. It was filled with songs she had written. Various genres, various themes… she never stuck to just one. She wrote whatever came to her.

Tucking a strand of brown hair behind her ear, the girl stopped briefly to put her jacket on before walking outside. It was cold in Minnesota. The snow had fallen. And with her still being considered vulnerable, she had to protect herself where possible.

If only to save herself from four overbearing teenage boys who mean well, but can be a bit suffocating.

Speaking of those four teenage boys, the girl’s green eyes scanned the front yard of the school for her companions. She could sneak off and try to get home on her own, but she knew she would never hear the end of it. And she wasn’t just necessarily talking about from those four boys.

She found them by the sprinkler valve, where a janitor had left the t-bar behind. The girls field hockey team was setting up for their afternoon practice.

Oh no.

“Opportunities like this come once in a lifetime, and when they do, you gotta grab it and turn that thing big time!” one of the teenagers declared. This teenager, clearly the ringleader of the group, stood tall at 5’11” with blonde hair and green eyes that portrayed mischief. Massive eyebrows adorned his face, often described as one of Kendall Knight’s most notable features.

Another teenager, shorter than the ringleader with black hair and dark brown eyes and named Logan Mitchell, cut in to voice his objections, “Turn it and I predict a 90% chance of bodily harm, and I’m talking about us. Not them!”

“Wimp!” a third teenager taunted his friend. This teenager, Carlos Garcia, was the shortest in the group, with black hair and brown eyes and clearly of Hispanic descent. He always wore a helmet on his head, especially when he was about to do something reckless, something he was prone to do. After tapping on the side of his helmet twice for good luck, he leapt forward and gripped the t-bar, expressing his dismay, “It’s stuck!”

There was a fourth teenager in the group. James Diamond. He was the tallest of the bunch, standing at over six feet. The image conscious boy had been standing off to the side, running his lucky comb through his short-mid-length brown hair while practicing what appeared to be his smoulder, which made the girl roll her eyes fondly.

He had not been paying attention to what was happening around him, as demonstrated by his next statement: “I had my pop star dream again last night and this time, I was wearing my lucky white V-neck, and I sang a Smokey Robinson song.” He then launched into a rendition of the song, one that the girl was able to quickly identify as Tracks of My Tears. He then turned to see his friend struggling with the t-bar and finally asked, “What are we doing?”

Kendall took pity on him, explaining, “A janitor left the t-bar in the sprinkler valve and do you wanna help us soak the girls field hockey team?”

“Yeah!” James nodded eagerly.

James and Kendall immediately moved to help Carlos before turning to Logan, the lone dissenter of the group. The one who had voiced his objections. They were clearly looking at him to join them.

He did, but not before throwing his bag down while muttering, “I’ve gotta get new friends.”

That was when the girl stepped forward and made her presence known to the group.

“Oh. Hey, Kaelyn,” Carlos greeted her with a fond smile.

“Do I wanna know what you’re doing?” Kaelyn asked the group with a sigh.

“It might be better for you to have plausible deniability,” Kendall answered with a disarming tone.

“Okay,” Kaelyn shrugged casually. “I’ll just start heading home then.”

Predictably, all four of them snapped, “Don’t you dare!”

Kaelyn turned around, rolling her eyes at their overprotectiveness. “Well, what am I meant to do when my twin brother and his three best friends are too busy acting like idiots?”

“You know, she’s got a point,” Logan pointed out.

“I’ve got this,” James cut in. He signalled a friend of his over, “Hey, Robbie!”

Kaelyn laughed slightly as Robbie came over and immediately moved to take her bag from her to lighten her load.

“I can carry my own bag,” Kaelyn voiced her objections.

“You look more fatigued than usual,” Kendall pointed out.

Kaelyn relented; but before she left, she walked over to Logan and quietly asked, “Ice packs, Logan?”

“Might be wise,” Logan immediately nodded.

“Lynnie,” Kendall began. “For your own safety, I would get clear.”

Kaelyn shot her brother a look before muttering, “Okay, Kenny,” using her childhood nickname for her twin before kissing his cheek and making off with her friend. But she quickly rushed back and made sure to tell her twin, “Make sure James gets the helmet.”

Kaelyn barely made it down the block before she heard the screams.

**

A limousine pulled up outside the local Paramount performing centre to the cheers of the crowd that had gathered. A young African American woman rushed forward to meet the limousine’s occupant. An overweight man presumed to be in his forties stepped out of the limousine, clearly unhappy to be here.

The man was the ‘great’ Gustavo Rocque, and the young woman who was rushing to meet him was his talent scout, Kelly Wainwright.

“Where am I and why am I freezing?!” he barked impatiently at his assistant.

“You’re in Minnesota,” Kelly answered dutifully.

“What’s up, Minnesota?!” Gustavo shouted an excited greeting to the excited crowd, eliciting even more cheers. He grumbled to his assistant, “I hate all of them.”

“Yes, I know,” she nodded.

“And the state for freezing my latte!” he snapped, pouring the frozen coffee out of the cup and placing it in Kelly’s hand hand. “Also, I need a bigger coat.”

“It’s our last stop, so just focus and try not to make everybody cry. Somewhere here is your next big star. I can feel it!” Kelly told him.

“I’m the star!” Gustavo retorted. “What I need is a canvas with great hair that I can paint my pomp on! I need a singing block of wood that I can set on fire! So please tell me where in, uh…”

“Minnesota,” she supplied for him.

“Where in Minnesota is my fire?!” he finished his question impatiently.

**

That ‘fire’ Gustavo was alluding to was currently resting on the couch, nursing their injuries. As Kaelyn had predicted, the girls field hockey team was not happy with the boys turning the sprinklers on them. From what the young girl had gathered, the boys were chased around the school and the surrounding streets until they were cornered in an alleyway. Much to Kaelyn’s surprise, the girls had allowed a timeout long enough for Carlos to give James his helmet. They needed to protect the face, after all.

Kaelyn couldn’t help but roll her eyes when James recalled what he had said during the chase. He had proclaimed that this is what it will be like for James when he is famous; only, the girls wouldn’t be trying to kill him.

Well, she supposed he was partially right.

But either way, Kaelyn was well prepared by the time the four boys managed to stumble home. She guided them to the couch in the living room and gave them all icepacks to ice their injuries. Given their love of hockey (and overall talent for causing chaos), they were well-stocked.

But there was another essential part of their aftercare: music. So, Kaelyn had made sure MTV was switched on, and it was conveniently playing the music video for When I Grow Up by The Pussycat Dolls.

“Pussycat Dolls make the pain go away,” Kendall groaned.

“I’m gonna marry her someday,” James proclaimed.

“You’re gonna marry Nicole Scherzinger? How?” Logan scoffed.

Kendall, Carlos and Kaelyn groaned at Logan’s question. They knew what was coming, and they wondered why Logan even took the bait.

James jumped up on the coffee table, proclaiming, “I’m gonna be famous! Sing to sold out arenas, have like five houses…” James performed a spin on the table, treating it as his personal stage as he sung the next item on his agenda, “Make the girls go crazy!” He then finished his list, “And then, marry Nicole.”

“Are you done? Please be done,” Logan pleaded.

“Why did you even say it?” Kaelyn moaned, knowing full well what James was about to do next.

“No, ‘cause here’s the part where I shake the booty!” Predictably, James jumped back on the couch, shaking his booty in Logan’s face as he sung about his dreams.

And Kaelyn was totally not staring.

“Carlos,” Kendall sighed.

“Got it,” Carlos responded, already putting on his helmet.

“No, no, no, no, no,” Kaelyn objected, getting between them.

“Kaelyn!” Carlos whined.

“Aren’t you guys beat up enough?” Kaelyn demanded.

Carlos gently guided Kaelyn out of the way before moving to tackle James. Kendall and Logan were amused by the commotion unfolding behind the couch.

“How does he think he can marry Nicole Scherzinger when he can’t even get you to go on a date with him?” Logan asked Kaelyn.

The girl only shrugged, “Stranger things have happened.” She then looked at the TV, turning up the volume and yelling, “Hey! MTV News is on!”

“Now, do you wanna be a popstar?”

“Yes!” James answered eagerly, popping up from behind the couch.

“Well, today’s your chance if you’re in Minnesota! Are you ready?”

“I’m in Minnesota,” James murmured, standing up.

Kendall watched as a girl appeared on the TV screaming about being the next Gwen Stefani, pointing out, “That’s Jenny Tinkler from homeroom.”

Kaelyn couldn’t help but make a mental list of all the classes they’ve had with Jenny Tinkler… and all the accidents she’s caused along the way.

“Gustavo Rocque, ‘90s mega producer of bands like Boyquake, Boyz in the Attic, and Boycity, is looking for his next pop superstar. But he’s even more famous for his quote in Rolling Stone, where he said, ‘I can turn a dog into a popstar.’”

“I sing better than a dog!” James stammered excitedly.

“Signups are until 5pm…”

Kaelyn did not hear the rest of the report, as the group immediately turned to the clock in the living room. It was 4:45. They only had fifteen minutes left.

“Call all mums now!” Kendall ordered.

All five of them picked up their phones and called their respective mothers, leaving the same message, “Mum, call when you get this message! We need a ride real bad!”

They then put their phones on the coffee table and sat impatiently on the couch.

“RING!” James screamed impatiently.

One phone started ringing, and they all scrambled to answer it, thinking it was theirs. It turned out to be Carlos’ phone.

“Hello? Yeah? Uh-huh? Okay! Get here as fast as you can!” Carlos told the person on the other end excitedly.

“Your mum’s coming!” James cheered.

With an excited tone in his voice, Carlos shook his head, “No, but this nice lady is sending her crew over to give us a free estimate on aluminum siding!”

Seeing the murderous look on James’ face, Kaelyn immediately moved between them, “James, no!”

James managed to dodge Kaelyn’s advances, tackling Carlos behind the couch. Logan was barely able to dodge a vase being thrown around in the chaos.

“Kendall!” Logan pleaded.

“Logan has a learner’s permit!” Kendall quickly pointed out.

That had the desired effect. James immediately popped up from behind the couch, holding a vase that Kaelyn immediately moved to take away from him.

“But I need an adult in the car with me and a car!” Logan pointed out.

“Kendall, do something!” James pleaded, dropping Carlos.

“What are you looking at me for? Logan’s the genius!” Kendall retorted.

“I panic under pressure and then you always come up with the answer!” Logan stated.

“What? That is so not true!” Kendall began objecting. Then the next sentence out of his mouth was, “I know how to get there.”

“Kaelyn, you have to come with us!” James immediately declared.

“No. No way,” Kaelyn immediately objected.

“Come on, bunny. You’ve been wanting to be a songwriter since I’ve known you!” James pushed. “This could be the chance to make it happen.”

“Really? You’re pulling the bunny card, fox?” was Kaelyn’s retort.

“I want you there. Please,” James pleaded.

“Fine,” Kaelyn sighed, grabbing her songbook. “But we’re not showing Gustavo my stuff. We’re just going there to get you famous. That’s it.”

The look on James’ face told her that he had other ideas. But Kaelyn wasn’t going to argue that now.

**

Besides, they had to convince Mrs. Magicowski.

“All you have to do is sit in the car, Logan will drive, and we’ll shovel your walkway. For free. All winter long,” was the bargain Kendall offered his elderly neighbour.

“And I’ll help you with anything you need around the house,” Kaelyn piped in.

“Within reason,” Kendall quickly cut in, shooting his twin a look. “Someone is still recovering.”

Kaelyn didn’t even bother to hide her eyeroll.

But whatever they did, it worked. Because the guys were now carrying Mrs. Magicowski over the frozen walkway while Kaelyn raced ahead to get the door for her. Never before had Kaelyn been so thankful to see that Mrs. Magicowski had a car that could fit all of them, because Kaelyn was about to use it as a reason to stay behind.

Well, she knew it wouldn’t work, but it was worth a try.

**

At the auditions, things were not going well for Gustavo or Kelly. Several people were eager to audition. Several people were hoping for their chance of fame and fortune.

Several people who were… not talented.

Kelly winced as Gustavo yelled various types of insults at the brave souls who were auditioning before the producer, who was known for his temper. At one point, Kelly had to quickly intervene when Gustavo pulled out a rocket launcher, reading to fire at the contestant. (She made a mental note to interrogate her boss about where he even got his hands on one.)

When a dog sat on the stool barking into the microphone, Gustavo couldn’t help but remark to Kelly, “That’s actually the best singing we’ve heard all day.” He then roared, “NEXT!”

After having to sit through several more untalented singers, Gustavo and Kelly were at the end of their rope.

“Listen here, sister! That’s the worst singing I’ve ever heard in my life!” Gustavo snapped.

The latest person to audition, an actual nun, was shooting Gustavo dirty looks and undoubtedly thinking some unholy thoughts that would require a lengthy confession to repent as she walked off the stage.

“You know these people have feelings, right?” Kelly couldn’t help but say to her boss.

“Oh, neat. Guess what I have: 29 platinum records!” Gustavo snapped back. “I don’t need feelings! What I need is the guy the record company paid me a million dollars to find to make my fire! And if you and I do not find him or her, we’re fired!” Gustavo didn’t even turn to look at the guy who just walked onto the stage as he roared, “Keep walking! Don’t stop at the microphone! Just keep walking! And goodbye!”

Kelly tried to reassure her boss, “Don’t worry. Signups are until five and it’s…” Kelly’s attempts at reassurance immediately failed when she saw the time on her phone, “…one minute till five.”

Kelly calmly got up and walked away as Gustavo stamped his fists into the desk and roared in dismay.

What he did not know was the salvation he was not expecting, but so desperately needed, was about to come barrelling into the amphitheatre.

**

Logan barely got the time to park before the others began climbing out of the car. James rushed inside, hoping to get his name down to audition before the deadline hit. The others lingered to help Mrs. Magicowski out of her car. They weren’t going to just let her sit in the car the entire time.

James was panting as he approached the sign-in desk, “My name is James Diamond! I wanna be famous!” He then began demonstrating his vocal abilities to the exasperated, but relieved, Kelly Wainwright.

Kelly did not acknowledge James’ vocal display. Instead, she slapped a number on him and handed him a clipboard. “Fill out the rest of this sheet and wait for your number to be called.”

Kendall, Kaelyn, Carlos and Logan ran up, taking their jackets off along the way. They all began cheering when they saw that they had arrived in time, as demonstrated by James having a number stuck to his vest and a form to fill out.

Their celebration stopped when they saw a familiar girl being carried out of the audition area by two security guards.

“This is madness! I’m a star! I could be the next Gwen Stefani!” Jenny Tinkler screeched. She stopped momentarily when she saw the group, “Oh, hey, guys.”

“Hey, Jenny,” they greeted her awkwardly.

“He’s evil!” Jenny then continued her tirade as she was carried away. “I’m a star! I’m a star!”

“I’m just surprised the amphitheatre’s still intact,” Kaelyn muttered to the boys, earning murmurs in agreement.

“You. Name.”

Logan was surprised when Kelly approached him with an audition number. With a laugh, he politely declined her, “Me? Oh, no thank you. I’m gonna be a doctor.”

“Yeah, well, I’m a desperate talent scout and you have a cute smile and Justin Timberlake made $44 million last year,” Kelly retorted.

“Hit me,” Logan relented, allowing Kelly to slap an audition number on his jumper.

Having heard Kelly’s statement to Logan, Carlos was eager to jump in, “I wanna be famous too!” He then launched into his own vocal renditions before Kelly slapped an audition number on his shirt.

“Not bad,” Kaelyn couldn’t help but praise her longtime friend.

Kelly then moved on to Kendall. “You. Tall, blonde and eyebrows.” Everyone disregarded the snort that came from Kaelyn. “You want your dreams to come true today?”

“Sorry. My dream is to play centre for the Minnesota Wild,” Kendall declined. “But I’ll also consider the Maple Leafs.”

Kelly did not care. She still slapped an audition number on Kendall’s shirt. To Kaelyn, this highlighted how desperate the talent scout really was if she was giving auditions to people who didn’t even want them in the first place.

“What about you?” Kelly turned to Kaelyn. “You want the chance to be famous?”

Kaelyn immediately shook her head, objecting, “I don’t sing.”

Looking disappointed, Kelly turned to James, pressed the clipboard he was still writing on into his chest and declared, “810 is next.”

Suddenly overcome with nerves, James quickly switched numbers with Logan, who looked up at him in confusion.

“Oh look. You’re next,” James stammered.

‘Just go with it,’ Kaelyn mouthed to Logan. Clearly, James was going to need time to build the courage to go for his dream.

“Dude, you don’t sing,” Carlos decided to say to Logan.

“Carlos, that was the worst pep talk in history. Luckily, I’m a genius. I’ll think of something,” Logan scoffed. “Kendall?”

“Beatbox,” Kendall immediately suggested.

“Got it,” Logan nodded.

“Break a leg!” Kaelyn called after him.

**

Kelly was confused when she saw Logan walk into the audition in place of James. But when Logan started beatboxing instead of singing, her confusion was mostly replaced by concern.

Concern for how Gustavo was going to react.

Gustavo did some beatboxing of his own before snapping, “Stop! Stop it forever!”

“But I just started,” Logan stammered his objection.

“And now, you’re finished! But I’m not! Because I wanna tell you what else you are!” Gustavo pressed on, rising from his seat.

**

The group watched in concern as a shellshocked Logan emerged from the audition room. He wordlessly took a seat next to Kaelyn, turned to the guys, and whimpered, “Don’t go in there. He-he-he-he’s Satan! He’s Satan with bug-eye sunglasses!”

He then practically threw himself at Kaelyn, burying his face into her shoulder and maintaining a tight grip on his friend. She was barely able to move a hand to his arm and pat it in a comforting manner.

Kelly stuck her head out the door and called, “811? 811’s up.”

Predictably, James quickly moved to switch numbers with Carlos, telling him, “All you, buddy. Got get them!”

Kendall and Kaelyn wordlessly communicated to one another, using a series of looks and the subtle hand gesture.

‘You gonna do something?’ Kendall gestured to his sister.

‘My hands are full,’ Kaelyn gestured in response, referring to the still traumatized Logan.

Carlos seemed to catch on to what the twins were talking about. So, he rose from his seat, put on his signature helmet, tapped the side of it two times, and headed inside.

**

Kelly watched with a smile as Carlos raced up to the stage. There was something endearing about him. If he had a good voice, he was definitely someone they could work with. Someone they could polish. Someone they could mold into the ideal popstar.

Then, Carlos grabbed the microphone.

At first, Kelly was confused when Carlos didn’t start singing. He moved the microphone from one side to another, making a noise she couldn’t decipher…

Then held it to his butt, magnifying the fart he had released.

As Carlos bowed, Kelly quickly moved to restrain the irate Gustavo.

**

Four confused teenagers faced the happy Carlos as he walked out.

“Not going to Hollywood!” Carlos proclaimed.

Kaelyn shook her head, deciding she didn’t want to think of what her wild best friend did during the audition. Especially with the yelling she heard.

Kelly, now frustrated, came out and announced, “812. 812’s up.”

Knowing what was going to happen, Kaelyn discreetly nodded to Kendall. James needed one of his pep talks.

Predictably, James went to take Kendall’s number, but Kendall covered it.

“James,” Kendall began, “this is your dream. Not mine.” He helped James to his feet and rested both hands on his shoulders. He was going all in with his pep talk. “Now, remember. Opportunities like this come once in a lifetime. Now, grab onto that dream with both hands, and go big time!” Kendall then turned James in the direction of the doors and pushed him towards it.

Before going in, he looked down towards Kaelyn, who was still trapped in Logan’s embrace. She gave him a reassuring smile. One that told him that she believed in him.

Feeling confident, James walked in.

**

Kelly was pleasantly surprised to see that James was walking up to the microphone this time.

“Well, he’s not hideous,” Gustavo grumbled.

Moving his fringe out of his face, James started singing.

People say I’m the life of the party
Because I tell a joke or two

Kendall, Kaelyn, Carlos, Logan and Mrs. Magicowski had snuck into the auditorium. Their heads peaked out from behind the seats as James launched into the song.

It was like James’ dream. He was standing on a stage, microphone in hand, wearing his lucky white V-neck, singing a Smokey Robinson song. His friends smiling at him from the audience, silently cheering him on.

“Not bad,” Mrs. Magicowski shrugged.

Although I might be laughing loud and hearty
Deep inside, I’m blue…

But there was one thing that James’ dream didn’t have. A mega producer known for anger management issues scrutinizing his every note. His every move. His every word. The stare caused James to choke on the final word.

“Stop. Stop,” Gustavo ordered.

“I-I’m sorry. I got a little nervous. Can I start over?” James asked hopefully.

“Oh yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Start over,” Gustavo nodded. “Why don’t you go outside and then just don’t come back in. Okay? Next!”

Kendall and Kaelyn looked at each other in disbelief. Logan, meanwhile, was mimicking devil horns to the group, referring to his earlier declarations of Gustavo being Satan.

“But I’m good,” James began objecting.

“I don’t need good! I need the fire, okay?! I need somebody to knock me out of my seat – and as you can tell, I’m still in it! Because you have no talent!” Gustavo roared.

Okay. That was it for Kendall.

“No talent?! No talent?!” Kendall repeated in disbelief as he charged up the aisle, ignoring his sister’s attempts to restrain him. “You’re the one with no talent! You haven’t had a hit in ten years!”

“Hey! Girl to My Heart by Boyquake was a hit nine years ago!” Gustavo retorted.

“Oh, Girl to My Heart. Uh, let me see if I can remember that rock classic,” Kendall scoffed. He then launched into a rendition of the song.

Girl, my eyes
And girl, my mind

Kelly looked up in interest. This could be what they were looking for.

Kendall jumped up onto the table, continuing his performance. James looked on in approval from the stage.

It never stops after it starts
‘Cause you’re a girl, girl
A girl to my heart, heart, heart!

Well, Gustavo was just saying he wanted someone to knock him out of his seat – and Kendall did just that. Literally.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa! Security!” Kelly called for the guards to come over.

Kendall pressed on, “Hey! Here’s a new hit for ya!”

Oh, you’re such a turd!
Oh yeah, a giant turd!
And you look like a turd
And you smell like a turd!

In the midst of his mocking performance, the security guards came and grabbed Kendall, pulling him off the table. His song done, Kendall then started struggling against the guards.

“Hey!” Kaelyn snapped, leaping over the chairs. “Nobody messes with my brother but me!”

Carlos quickly turned to Logan, “Quick. What’s the worse that can happen if I try to break him free?”

Logan stumbled over his thoughts, “Juvenile. One prior for mooning. Twenty hours community service.”

“I can live with that,” Carlos decided, already running to join the fray.

James was pissed. Crushing his dream was one thing. But going after his friends? That caused James to put the microphone back on the stand and take a swan dive at the guards.

Defeated, Logan turned to Mrs. Magicowski and remarked, “I’ve gotta get new friends,” before rushing to help his friends.

He was soon joined by Mrs. Magicowski, who was taking to a security guard with her walking stick.

**

Jennifer Knight was enjoying a quiet night at home when she heard a knock on the door. Knowing the teenagers she was raising and the teenagers they were friends with, she was prepared for anything.

Except for the sight of her teenage twins, their friends and their elderly neighbour at her doorstep escorted by police.

“Mum!” Kendall greeted his mother sheepishly. “Remember that time I saved you from choking? That was close! And I love you!”

“I feel so alive!” Mrs. Magicowski declared excitedly.

**

With the police officers gone, the five teenagers were marched into the living room, prepared for the riot act to be read to them.

“Dude, how did you know those songs?” Carlos quietly asked Kendall.

“They play Boyquake on the ‘90s Channel all day at work,” Kendall answered. “And Kaelyn and I made up the Giant Turd Song when we were five.”

“It was catchy,” Logan praised.

“What happened?” Jennifer requested. “The truth. Now.”

She was joined by the youngest member of the Knight family – Kendall and Kaelyn’s younger sister, Katie. She was watching the scene unfold in front of her with peculiar interest. Her long brown hair fell over her shoulders. But unlike her mother and older sister, who had curly hair, her hair was straight. Her bangs fell above her brown eyes, a throwback to a grandparent.

“Mrs. Magicowski tried to help us make James famous,” Logan began the explanation.

“But this producer guy was super mean to everyone,” Carlos chimed in.

“So, I sang him the Giant Turd song and there was a tiny fight,” Kendall admitted.

“But nobody got hurt!” Kaelyn quickly cut in.

“And now, I’m really sad,” James finished the story with a pout.

Satisfied with the explanation, Jennifer asked, “Okay. Who wants a sandwich?”

Five hands belonging to five hungry teenagers shot up excitedly, moving to the kitchen.

“Wait. That’s it?” Everyone froze as Katie began voicing her objections. “That’s your interrogation? You didn’t put the screws to them or hit them with the hard cheese!”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about, but you’re not allowed to watch Fox anymore,” was Jennifer’s response.

“Well, can I at least hear the Giant Turd Song?” Katie requested.

The four boys shared a smile, deciding they could humour the nine-year-old.

Oh, you’re such a turd!
Oh yeah, a giant turd!
And you look like a turd
And you smell like a turd!

The doorbell rang and the boys danced to the front door, blissfully unaware of what they were about to find.

They all screamed when they saw Gustavo and Kelly standing at their doorstep!

“Yes!” James cheered, rushing forward to hug Gustavo. “I knew you’d come back for me!”

“I’m not here for you!” Gustavo objected, shoving James away from him. He then pointed at Kendall, “I’m here for him.”

“What?!” they all cried out in surprise at various times.

Hearing the commotion, Jennifer called out, “I’ll make some tea!”

**

With the group gathered in the living room, Gustavo began his pitch.

“Mrs. Knight, I wanna take your family to Los Angeles and produce some demo tracks with Kendall,” Gustavo announced.

“You can’t be serious,” Kendall scoffed.

“It’ll take three months. We’ll take care of all your expenses,” Kelly promised.

“Kendall, you have a gift. You have the fire. You also have anger management issues. Some people say I have anger management issues,” Gustavo continued on.

“I think the paparazzi would agree to that,” Kaelyn drawled.

Ignoring the teenage girl, Gustavo pressed on, “But I also have five houses!”

Dejected that Kendall was getting the opportunity he wanted, James decided to try to let Gustavo know that he was still available. That he was willing to go if Kendall wasn’t. So, he once again launched into a rendition of Tracks of My Tears.

Gustavo was as happy with this as he was at the amphitheatre, “Stop it. Please. Don’t ever do that again.”

“Yeah,” James muttered sheepishly.

“Thank you,” Gustavo responded rudely.

“Kendall, we’ve travelled to 22 cities. We’ve auditioned over 20,000 people and Gustavo’s picked you,” Kelly pointed out.

“But I’m not a singer!” Kendall objected.

“You sing all the time!” Katie pointed out. “In the car, at the table; you sing to me when I can’t sleep at night.”

“No, I don’t!” Kendall tried to deny it.

“Yes, you do, honey,” Jennifer nodded.

“When you shovel the driveway, when you answered the door two minutes ago!” Katie continued listing examples.

“But that’s not singing!” Kendall continued trying to deny.

“Yes, it is, honey,” Jennifer nodded.

“And you always sing along to the ‘90s channel,” Kaelyn decided to chime in.

“Hey!” Kendall hissed at his sister. “My twin, my side!”

Kaelyn made an apology gesture that she clearly didn’t mean.

“So, what do you say, kiddo? Huh? You wanna go up to LA and be moulded and shaped into a big ol’ star by the Gustavo Rocque?” Gustavo asked Kendall.

Everyone looked at him with baited breath. They wanted to hear what he had to say. They wanted to hear him decide on this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, as he had told James in his peptalk not long ago.

But nothing prepared them for the answer that did come out.

“No.”

Gustavo gripped his teacup so tightly that it shattered in his grasp. Carlos was laughing, thinking Kendall was pulling Gustavo’s leg until he realized he was serious. James was looking at Kendall in disbelief. Kaelyn was wishing she had a camera to capture the moment.

Well, she would be if she wasn’t thinking of the millions of ways she could call her twin brother an idiot.

“I’m gonna need to take a minute. I’m gonna need to take a minute right now,” Gustavo decided, already moving out the front door.

Kelly had already taken out a wad of cash, laying some on the table as she explained sheepishly, “This is for the teacup.” Then, she heard the sound of crashing outside and Gustavo’s angry rants. Sighing, she placed more money on the table. “And for the planter outside.” Giving up, she left the entire wad of cash on the table, figuring her boss was causing a significant amount of damage. She then gave Kendall her card, “Here’s my card. You change your mind, call. You should think about this, Kendall. We leave tomorrow at two.”

When Kelly left, Katie slapped her brother up the head. “Idiot,” she rebuked him. She went to storm out of the living room, but stopped at the money pile, declaring, “I’m taking a twenty,” as she walked out.

Kaelyn shot her brother an incredulous look, but she had other things on her mind.

Like finding out where her songbook went.

**

The next day, the group had gathered at the local supermarket Kendall worked at for extra cash. His mother being a single parent with three kids, his father skipping out on child support, his hockey dreams, and Kaelyn’s recent medical troubles had left the family struggling to stay afloat. So, Kendall took a part-time job to help where he could. His job was to find shopping carts that were left in the parking lot and return them to their designated area near the store’s entrance.

But the air was tense, the group still reeling over Kendall’s decision.

“So, I, uh, did the math last night on this whole singing thing and Katie was right. You’re an idiot,” Logan declared. He then pushed the shopping cart away from him, hoping to return it to its bay. But instead, it hit a nearby parked car. “It’s breaking right.”

“Guys, I don’t wanna go to LA with that jerk,” Kendall continued voicing his objections. “I wanna be here with you jerks and play hockey for our team.”

“I better not count in the jerk group,” Kaelyn shot her twin brother a dangerous look.

Kendall gave his twin a fond smile and pulled her into his side, kissing the top of her head. “You’re my partner in crime.”

“I’ll take that,” Kaelyn decided happily.

“But this is just like hockey! Only, instead of crashing the boards and rushing the net, you’re singing and dancing!” Carlos decided to take his chance.

“What have you got to lose?” Logan asked.

“Dude!” Carlos decided to list LA’s benefits. “California. The girls. The beach. The stars. The girls.”

Of course, the girls would be what Carlos stressed amongst that list. The boys, being sixteen and hormonal teenagers, definitely had girls on their mind. So, to Carlos, that alone was a selling point.

“Yeah, but none of that matters if it’s minus my best friends. Add those numbers up, professor!” Kendall challenged his friend.

Logan took out a calculator and pretended to add it up, “Okay. Carry the two. Uh, nope. Still an idiot.”

Kaelyn then turned to James, who was standing off to the side silently. “James, you gonna say something?”

“Yeah. You’ve haven’t said anything to me all day,” Kendall pointed out.

“I’m not talking to you,” James declared.

“You just did!” Carlos and Logan were quick to point out.

“You know what?!” James finally snapped, approaching Kendall. “Dude, part of me hates you right now. No. All of me hates you.” He then said something that surprised the group, “But call that guy back.”

Kendall came up with his own list this time, “That guy said you have no talent,” he turned to Logan, “made you cry,” and finished his list with, “and broke my mum’s teacup.”

“But he wants to make you famous!” James pointed out.

He then aggressively pushed a shopping cart towards his target. But just like Logan, he missed. Only, this time, a parked car wasn’t the casualty.

It was an innocent customer.

“Sorry,” the group apologized sheepishly as the man scurried away with his shopping.

James then looked at Kaelyn and immediately moved to wrap his scarf around her neck. “Okay. You…” He stopped for a moment as he focused on tying the scarf in a way that protected Kaelyn’s neck and decolletage. “..need to not get pneumonia.”

Kaelyn decided this wasn’t worth the argument. She just let James put his scarf on her and even adjusted it slightly.

“What I also need is my songbook back,” Kaelyn added. “I haven’t seen it since before the audition.”

“Okay. If I make a hole-in-one, you have to call that guy back!” Carlos challenged.

Kaelyn watched nervously as Carlos grabbed a trolley from Kendall. He then yelled as he jumped in the trolley as it gained momentum. And he would have more than likely made it… if it weren’t for the car that hit him as it drove through the parking lot.

“You should still call him,” Logan winced.

James pulled out a copy of Gustavo’s Rolling Stone cover from his pockets, pointing out, “He’s been on the cover of Rolling Stone!”

“What other odd things do you carry in your pockets?” Kendall asked with a fond smile.

As though it was obvious, James pulled out, “My lucky comb,” and then a series of headshots, “and 8x10 personalized headshots. One boy next door. One bad boy.”

Appraising the two different photos, Kaelyn hummed, “Should’ve smoothed your hair down in the bad boy one.”

“We just want what’s best for you, man!” The group watched in concern as a dazed Carlos stumbled towards Logan, thinking he was Kendall.

“I’m Logan,” Logan pointed out.

“Oh. You.” Carlos then fell to the ground.

“He got hit by a car for you,” Logan told Kendall.

“Opportunities like this come once in a lifetime!” James did not hesitate to throw Kendall’s own words back at him.

Kaelyn saw the look that briefly flashed across Kendall’s face. She knew her twin brother well. He was planning something. Even if the others didn’t quite catch on.

“Now, let me get this straight,” Kendall began. “You’re saying that if you all had the chance to go to LA with a giant turd producer to record demos, you’d go?”

“Yes!” the boys nodded, holding out a phone and Kelly’s card.

With a smile, Kendall grabbed Kaelyn’s hands and placed them on the handle of the shopping cart. Together, the twins pushed it towards the bay near the store entrance. Unlike the boys’ previous attempts, this one was successful.

That alone told Kendall it was meant to be. So, he made the call.

**

Kaelyn wasn’t sure how long she expected to wait for the limo to show up in the store parking lot, but she wasn’t expecting it to be this quick. She strongly suspected traffic laws were broken.

But she didn’t question it, as both sides moved to converge in the middle of the parking lot.

“Don’t think about him. Think millions of dollars,” Logan encouraged Kendall.

“Think millions of girls,” Carlos chimed in.

James’ pep talk consisted of, “Think of me as the backup singer who could spin off into his own solo career. You know, after your second album.”

Kaelyn had nothing to offer. Just a comforting squeeze of Kendall’s hand that her twin valued more than his friends’ encouraging words.

“Well?” Gustavo pressed.

“Okay. I’ll go to LA with you and record some demos,” Kendall relented. Gustavo looked satisfied, but that satisfaction quickly dissipated when Kendall added, “If you take my buds and make us a singing group.” Logan choked on the water he was drinking, and Carlos and James had their own startled reaction. Kendall just responded innocently, “Well, you guys said you would go.”

“I’m sorry,” Gustavo stammered in surprise. “Are you trying to make a deal with me? I make the deals!”

“If you want me, you have to take all of us,” Kendall declared. “And you have to help my sister become a successful songwriter.”

“I’m sorry. What?” Kaelyn stammered in confusion.

Gustavo was laughing hysterically, “Have you even heard your friends sing? Oh, that’s right! They can’t!”

“Well, I’m no mega producer like you, but I know they sing better than dogs,” Kendall smirked, holding up the Rolling Stone cover James pulled out earlier, “and you can turn them into stars, right?”

“Is this supposed to sway me?” Gustavo asked, throwing the cover to the side. “I’m Gustavo Rocque! I’m amazing! I’m amazing!”

“Hey!” Kaelyn cut into Gustavo’s rant, noticing the book Kelly was holding. “That’s my songbook! Where’d you get that?”

“This is yours?” Kelly pressed. “Someone slipped it into my bag. We’ve been up all night reading through them.”

Kaelyn made a point to shoot the four boys glares, but none of them were about to own up to being the culprit.

“These songs have amazing potential, Kaelyn,” Kelly praised.

Gustavo acquiesced, “They just need a little refining. Someone who has been in the business for decades.” Then, he resumed his rant, “But if you think for one second that I’m so desperate because of two or 22 cities that I haven’t been able to find anybody, you can think again! Because there is no way – no way – Gustavo Rocque is taking the four dogs from Minnesota to Los Angeles to make them stars! It’s never gonna happen! Never!”

Kendall just responded kindly, “So, we have a deal.”

“Yep,” Gustavo immediately nodded.

And just like that, the path was laid.

Chapter 2: Do You Want to Ride in a Big Limousine?

Notes:

I just want to thank everyone for all the love that I have received so far. I hope you will continue to enjoy this story.

Even sitting in the limousine, cruising her way through the streets of Hollywood, Kaelyn still could not believe it. She was so convinced she was dreaming.

But here she was. Sitting in a limousine with her twin brother and their best friends. Making their way through Hollywood to their accommodation.

Kelly had hyped up their accommodation on the way to the airport. They were staying in a place called the Palm Woods. The home of the future famous. Anyone who wants to become anyone in Hollywood stays there first. It was in a convenient location to acting auditions, recording studios… Any location an aspiring star would need to make their dreams come true.

Kaelyn was getting her turn standing up through the roof of the limousine. Holding her hands up in the air, she felt as though she was touching the sky. The air rushed between her fingers. It already felt so different compared to the air in Minnesota.

She saw all the billboards advertising movies and TV shows, including Private Practice, the Grey’s Anatomy spin-off focusing on Dr. Addison Montgomery. It was one of Kaelyn’s guilty pleasures.

James and Kendall were sat in the limousine on either side of her, helping to keep her stable.

“You enjoying yourself up there?!” Kendall asked with a teasing tone in her voice.

“Oh yeah!” Kaelyn nodded eagerly, a brilliant smile gracing her features

As she sat back in the limo and they closed the roof, she couldn’t help but think, ‘I could get used to this.’

**

That feeling did not go away when they finally arrived at the Palm Woods. If anything, the feeling only intensified.

“Welcome to the Palm Woods, home of the future famous!” Kelly introduced the group as they walked through.

Jennifer immediately rushed over to touch a palm tree on their path, gasping, “That’s the first palm tree I’ve ever touched!”

Continuing down the path, Kelly continued her explanation, “Every year, kids and parents from all over the world come here looking for fame in TV, movies and music.”

“Oh, hey!” Kendall cut in, seeing one of those families approaching. “That’s the funny kid from the juice box commercials!”

The aforementioned kid, however, was not happy to be dragged away for what was clearly another audition or booked job, because he screamed at his mother, “I just want my childhood back!”

“Let’s go!” the mother growled back at him, struggling to drag her kid up the stairs as he resisted her efforts.

“Okay,” was all Kelly said, unable to say anything else as she led the group into the lobby. “You guys are gonna love it here. The rooms are clean, it’s close to the studio… Oh, and there’s an amazing pool.”

That was all the five teenagers needed to hear before they unceremoniously dumped their belongings in the lobby and took off in the direction of the pool. Jennifer just shrugged at Kelly, used to their antics.

**

The pool was definitely the place to be in the Palm Woods. At least, it was where the majority of the teenage residents seemed to be. They were either swimming or diving into the pool, laying on the sun loungers in the area, hanging out in a bungalow or sitting at other areas of the pool area.

“We are so not in Minnesota anymore,” James proclaimed.

“Uh, Minne-who now?” was Logan’s response.

“What can I say? You guys were right,” Kendall proclaimed.

Kaelyn couldn’t help but snort, “How did those words taste coming out of your mouth?”

Kendall returned in kind, “Since I’m not admitting you were right, just fine.”

SMACK!

The group was surprised when a girl in a sequined dress seemingly appeared from thin air, tugged on Kendall’s arm to get his attention, and then slapped him across the face when he turned to face her. The woman had brown hair and brown eyes and looked to be a few centimetres shorter than Kaelyn (not that they could tell for sure, with the other girl wearing heels).

The unidentified girl screeched, “How dare you?! What we had was real! But you threw it all away for Trish! Trish, my sworn enemy! I never wanna see you again, Troy! Never!”

The group’s confusion did not abate when the girl stormed off as quickly as she appeared, her shrieking sobs being heard all around the pool area. Another teenage boy looked just as lost when the girl knocked the beach ball he was holding out of his hands as she stormed away from the pool area.

“What just happened?!” Kendall asked, clearly shellshocked.

“You new guys just met Camille, the Palm Woods Method Actress Queen.”

Kaelyn immediately recognized the voice to be coming from the bin that was next to Kendall’s sun lounge. When she reached over Kendall to open it, the same kid they saw before popped up.

“The name’s Tyler,” the young redheaded boy introduced himself. “You may have seen me acting on various juice box commercials. Only, I don’t wanna be an actor. I wanna be a kid.”

The boys were too busy being amazed at meeting someone they were vaguely familiar with in their new home. Kaelyn, meanwhile, was too busy feeling sorry for him. They have all heard the stories, some dating back to the Golden Age of Hollywood. Children who were forced into acting by their parents and never given the opportunity to be a kid. There were a variety of reasons for this happening, including the parents’ desire to live vicariously through their children.

“Tyler!”

“Oh! Hide me!” Tyler pleaded Kendall.

Without hesitation, Kendall placed the lid back on the bin and the five teenagers put in a calm persona as Tyler’s mother approached them. The redhaired overweight woman was searching frantically for her son, who had obviously managed to escape her grasp between the group’s arrival at the Palm Woods and settling at the pool.

“Have you seen my son?!” the woman panted. “Red hair, adorable, born to be a star? We’ve got an audition!”

The five teenagers immediately responded, “He went that way,” pointing back towards the lobby. When the woman took off in that direction, they all turned to the garbage bin and proclaimed, “She’s gone.”

“Thanks,” Tyler responded, popping out of the bin once more. He seemed genuinely surprised that the group were happy to help him.

“So, Tyler, we’ve already met Camille. Who else is here?” Kaelyn asked curiously.

“Is everyone here an actor?” Logan elaborated.

“No, that’s Guitar Dude. He’s a ‘songwriter’,” Tyler answered.

He pointed to a teenage boy with two girls flanked on either side of him. He was sitting in a chair by the table in a chill fashion, with long brown hair, sunglasses, and a guitar draped across his lap.

“What’s up?” Guitar Dude greeted the group. Seemingly struck with inspiration, he stood up, began strumming a series of chords and sang, “What’s up? What’s up? What’s up?”

“Not bad,” Kaelyn hummed while James made his own gesture of approval. Kaelyn made a mental note to meet up with him later, hoping the two could learn off each other.

At the sound of barking, Tyler turned their attention to the dog that was sitting on a sun lounger on the other side of the pool. “Oh, that’s Lighting the TV Wonder Dog.”

Lighting waved at the group with his paw, clearly happy to see new arrivals.

“He’s good,” Kendall remarked.

Tyler continued the introductions, “Oh, and then, there’s the Jennifers. Three girls. All have the same name, who sing, dance and act.”

Tyler then turned to the fan that was conveniently nearby, turning it on and pointing it in the direction of the three girls who were now making their way to the pool area. Clearly, the group of triple threats liked to make an entrance.

Kaelyn couldn’t help but appraise the girls as they walked in. A blonde girl led the group, flanked by two brunettes, one with long straight hair and one with short curly hair. They all wore sunglasses, sandals and cute dresses (although, Kaelyn suspected the floral outfit one Jennifer wore was actually a romper), an outfit designed for lounging by the pool. They were definitely beautiful, and they knew it. She couldn’t help but admire the confidence they had, wishing she had some herself.

She also was not surprised to see the boys were immediately starstruck.

“Hey!” James called to them as they walked past.

Kaelyn couldn’t help but hear a record scratch to the imagined music she heard in the background as the girls stopped at the sound of James’ voice. They turned around to face the newcomers to the Palm Woods, removing their sunglasses as they did.

Undeterred, James pressed on, “We’re in a band.”

“Really? Oh my gosh!” The Jennifers gushed excitedly.

At least, that’s what Kaelyn thought they were doing, until Jennifer 1, the girl with the straight brown hair wearing a white dress, scoffed, “And we’re actresses who don’t care.”

“Ouch,” Kaelyn winced under her breath. She saw the way James’ face fell. As someone who always got the girl back home (except for the girl who regularly hung out with them), he was shellshocked to see girls rejecting him.

Carlos didn’t get the hint, asking with an eager smile, “Wanna go to the movies tonight?”

“Are you guys starring in the movie?” Jennifer 2, the only blonde girl in the group, inquired.

“No,” Carlos shook his head, a fraction of the hopeful tone in his voice disappearing.

“Then no,” Jennifer 3, the curly-haired brunette in the floral romper, issued the final rejection.

“That was a bit harsh,” Kaelyn couldn’t help but remark.

“So is this town,” Jennifer 1 informed the lone girl in the group. “So…”

The Jennifers slid their sunglasses back on and said, “Later!” before walking away. Jennifer 3 lingered behind to hand Tyler his payment for operating the fan before joining her friends.

‘Well, at least they pay Tyler for his services,’ Kaelyn grumbled to himself.

Carlos seemed undeterred by the rejection, sliding down his lounger and sighing to himself, “I’m so in love.”

Kaelyn couldn’t help but pity Carlos. If there was one thing the duo had in common, it was their lack of experience in relationships. Although, their reasons were different. Carlos was just unlucky in love. Kaelyn, meanwhile, had an overprotective twin brother along with three overprotective best friends who seem determined to ensure her love life remained non-existent.

“Okay. Reality check,” Kendall cut in. “We have to promise ourselves now that we’re not gonna let this singing thing or this town change us. We are four hockey players from Minnesota, and we can never forget that.” As Kaelyn cleared her throat and shot her twin a look, Kendall amended his statement, “We are four hockey players and a girl from Minnesota, and we can never forget that. Do we all agree?”

“Yes,” Carlos, Logan and James voiced their agreement.

“Girl from Minnesota? Really?” Kaelyn looked pointedly at her brother.

“I blanked,” was Kendall’s defence. To seemingly highlight his commitment to stay true to himself, he handed Kaelyn a sunscreen with a high SPF rating with a pointed look.

“I put sunscreen on at the airport,” Kaelyn retorted.

“Reapply,” Kendall told her firmly.

Logan, the aspiring doctor of the group, chimed in, “You heard what the doctor said about photosensitivity after your treatment.”

Rolling her eyes, Kaelyn took the sunscreen and reapplied as per Kendall’s instructions.

She was amused when, not even ten minutes after their promise to not let the town change them, the boys were changed into their swim gear, wearing sunglasses and floating in the pool while sipping their drinks out of coconuts.

“Once you’ve sipped from a real coconut, there’s no going back,” Kendall smiled.

“So true,” James, Logan and Carlos readily agreed.

Kaelyn decided to tease them later as she sat at the edge of the pool, her feet dangling in the water as she sipped from her own coconut.

**

Knowing that Kelly would be coming by to take the boys to the studio after making sure her mother and younger sister settled in okay, Kaelyn decided to pat her feet dry with the towel that was nearby and slip her shoes back on. She went over to top up her drink, deciding she needed more of the refreshing substance before she would undoubtedly be confined to the recording studio for hours on end.

Waiting for Kelly and the boys to be ready, Kaelyn took out her songbook and continued working on two songs she had started coming up with after Kendall made the deal with Gustavo. She alternated between the two, but her inspiration favoured one song over the other, so that’s where her focus predominantly lied.

Looking up briefly, she saw the Jennifers sitting at a table with their pink smoothies reading a script. She couldn’t help but wonder if the Jennifers always acted together, or if there were times where one Jennifer would book a role separate from the others.

Jennifer 1 looked up to see Kaelyn nearby and, much to Kaelyn’s surprise, smiled, “Hi.”

“Uh… hi?” Kaelyn responded, clearly thrown off-guard by the nice greeting compared to how she treated the boys earlier.

“What’s your name?” Jennifer 2 asked.

“Kaelyn,” Kaelyn answered.

“What brings you to LA?” Jennifer 3 inquired. “Singing?”

“Songwriting,” Kaelyn corrected her, holding up her songbook.

“Maybe if your friends survive Gustavo’s bootcamp, you can write some songs for us,” Jennifer 1 suggested.

“Bootcamp?” Kaelyn repeated in confusion. She approached the table when the girls beckoned her over.

Resting a hand on her arm, Jennifer 2 explained, “Gustavo puts his new talent through a bootcamp to see if they have what it takes.”

“Even if you’re not part of the band, you’ll be put to the test, too,” Jennifer 3 warned her. “Gustavo doesn’t work with just anyone.”

“Thanks for the heads up,” was all Kaelyn could say.

“Don’t mention it,” the three Jennifers responded.

Kaelyn decided to lean in and warn them, “In the name of fairness, my brother and his friends are probably gonna try asking you out again.”

The girls didn’t seem to acknowledge the warning, so Kaelyn took her leave. Sure enough, she bumped into the four boys as they planned to approach the Jennifers once more.

“Okay. We do realize there are three of them and four of us?” Kendall asked.

“And they blew us off,” Logan chimed in.

“No,” James shook his head. “They said later.”

“And it’s later,” Carlos added.

“Trust me. When they said later, they mean never,” Kaelyn warned them.

Kelly walked over at this point, as Kaelyn predicted she would. “Okay. Mum’s all checked in. Your sister complained again that she has no friends, so your mum let her watch Shark Cage on Fox. And now, it’s time to start Gustavo’s boyband bootcamp.” Kelly’s voice trailed off when she noticed the boys were preoccupied with the Jennifers.

“Kelly, we’re a little busy here,” Kendall told her.

“So am I,” was Kelly’s retort. “And they won’t go for you until you’re famous. So, let’s roll.”

“Kelly, Kelly,” James laughed. “Clearly, you don’t understand the power of the…”

He then demonstrated a move well-known to the group as ‘The Face’, where he does the Spirit Fingers going down his face while he grooves his head in a circle. His three friends pointed at James while nodding to signify their agreement that James’ patented move would not fail.

Well, if it worked in Minnesota…

Kaelyn murmured to Kelly, “They’ll only learn the hard way.”

Nodding in agreement, Kelly decided it was best to leave the boys to their devices.

As Kaelyn predicted, James couldn’t even get a sentence out before the Jennifers threw their smoothies at them.

“Okay. Let’s go to bootcamp,” Kendall acquiesced.

James glowered at Kaelyn as he took the towel she offered, “You could at least pretend not to enjoy this.”

“Now why would I do that?” Kaelyn asked innocently. She took a bit of the towel James was holding and wiped at the part of his face he missed.

“You know, if you wanted to kiss it off, I wouldn’t have said no,” James winked at her.

Kaelyn gave James a sweet smile, leaned in close and whispered, “Keep dreaming.”

James’ smirk quickly disappeared as Kaelyn walked off to give Kendall, Logan and Carlos their towels. Kelly hid her face behind her binder to conceal her laughter. The Jennifers, having witnessed the way Kaelyn shot down James (but not knowing the context behind it), gave her gestures of approval.

Kendall being in earshot was the only reason James didn’t mutter his signature phrase:

You will be mine.

**

Much like the boys, Kaelyn gaped at the sights surrounding her at Rocque Records. It was only the hallway, but posters were displaying the numerous acts Gustavo had worked with in the past along with the vintage guitars. Kaelyn had to grab Carlos’ hand to make sure he didn’t touch them.

“Welcome to Rocque Records,” Kelly began the tour. “Where you are gonna sing, dance and sweat your butts off if you wanna end up on these walls.”

The group slowed to a stop when they saw the poster for Boyquake, one of Gustavo’s previous boybands. They winced at the outfits, the poses… Actually, the entire poster was cringeworthy.

“Do we want to end up on these walls?” Kendall asked uncertainly.

“Yes!” was James’ quick response.

Kaelyn didn’t even notice that Kelly had disappeared until she rounded the corner once more with someone following behind her. She gaped when she immediately recognized who it was.

“Guys, say hi to Nicole Scherzinger from the Pussycat Dolls,” Kelly introduced the group.

“Hey, guys. What’s up?” Nicole greeted them politely.

It took a moment for the group to say something, because they were so starstruck. They did not think they would be meeting a celebrity so soon.

Carlos decided to break the silence by remembering James’ declaration back in Minnesota, “He’s gonna marry you!”

“Where’s my ring?” Nicole teased, shooting James a look.

Kaelyn wished she had her camera on her to capture the way James gulped and stammered, nerves overtaking the teenage boy. It was not a sight one saw often.

Deciding to take pity on his friend, Kendall cut in, “We’re recording some demos with Gustavo.”

“Gustavo,” Nicole repeated the name, the fond tone in her voice now gone.

“Yeah, have you worked with him?” Kendall asked her.

“Yes, actually. On my first album. Let’s just say we had some creative differences,” Nicole answered carefully.

Kaelyn winced at Nicole’s answer. She had a feeling that Nicole’s answer was a polite way of saying what really went down between her and Gustavo. Everyone had heard the stories about Gustavo being hard to work with. He certainly delivered results, but it looked like the scowl Gustavo was almost always seen with in media appearances wasn’t an act. It was actually him.

“Nicole, baby!” Gustavo greeted with a smile as he opened the door to his office. He then quickly shut it when Nicole threw a telephone at him. Clearly, she hadn’t moved past their ‘creative differences’.

Turning back to the group, Nicole gave them a sweet smile, said, “Good luck, guys,” and then walked out of Rocque Records.

“Was that really Nicole Scherzinger?” Kaelyn asked in amazement.

“All clear!” Kelly called to Gustavo.

Gustavo groaned quietly to himself as he walked out of his office. He then began barking at the boys, “Okay! So, you guys ready to be stars?”

“Yeah!” the four boys nodded eagerly.

“Good,” was all Gustavo said. He reached forward to remove Carlos’ helmet. “Then, prove to me you can be stars! We have three days to prove to this record company that there’s something, anything here!”

Kaelyn noticed the look on Kelly’s face when Gustavo mentioned the suddenly shorter timeline. Clearly, she was not aware of this new development.

“I thought they had three months,” Kaelyn began voicing her objections.

“Uh, the CEO of all of our butts wants to see you guys on Friday,” Gustavo revealed.

“We have to be a band in three days?!” Logan asked in disbelief.

“No. You have to be a great band in three days!” Gustavo corrected Logan. He then approached Kendall, challenging him, “Unless you don’t think you can do it, Mr. Make Us a Pop Group.”

“Oh, we can do it. No problem,” Kendall shrugged, edging closer to Gustavo. “Bring it.”

“Oh, I will bring it. I’ll bring everything I’ve got,” Gustavo vowed, edging even closer to Kendall.

The two stared each other down for a moment until Kendall broke the moment by saying, “This is a little too close for me.”

“Yeah, me too,” Gustavo readily agreed.

**

The group then moved into the rehearsal space, where the boys were ordered to change into outfits that resembled what you would wear at a military bootcamp. Gustavo was now dressed as a drill sergeant.

“To be a great pop group, you need four things. Great dancing, a great look, a great song, and great singing,” Gustavo listed.

With a smirk, Kelly then pressed the button on the airhorn, causing the sound to ring out in the rehearsal space. At the signal, three groups appeared and struck a dramatic pose, an invisible wind blowing their hair.

“And by the end of today, me and my team will transform the four dogs from Minnesota into Gustavo Rocque’s new pop explosion!” Gustavo proclaimed.

A group of three women Kaelyn recognized to be the stylists struck a dramatic pose, two holding hair dryers and one holding a tape measurer. Clearly, they were in charge of the great look Gustavo wanted. The man dressed in gold performed a small dance, telling Kaelyn that he was the choreographer who would make the boys into great dancers.

When it was their turn, the businesswoman stammered, “We’re the marketing team. We don’t really have a move.”

“Well, we could try something,” the businessman shrugged.

“Oh dear God,” Kaelyn muttered under her breath when she saw them attempt to do the robot.

“Stop it. Stop it now,” Gustavo ordered them. “Thank you.” Turning back to the boys, he proclaimed, “First up in bootcamp: great dancing!”

So, it was clear that they would be left in the care of the choreographer in the gold tracksuit first.

Before Kaelyn could blink, they were in the dance studio, and Gustavo was no longer dressed in his military style uniform. Instead, he was dressed back in his regular gear. The boys were also no longer in their bootcamp training uniforms. Instead, they were dressed in outfits appropriate for rehearsing in a dance studio.

Logan was dressed in a blue t-shirt and black tracksuit pants with his sneakers. Carlos wore faded black tracksuit pants with white stripes up the sides and a grey singlet under a black vest with white trim. James wore a pair of dark green tracksuit pants with a black singlet and sneakers. Kendall wore a red t-shirt with tracksuit pants that resembled Carlos’ and sneakers.

“Mr. X has choreographed for Boyquake, Boyz in the Attic, Madonna, Beyonce and Yo Gabba Gabba,” Gustavo introduced their choreographer. As he made the introductions and listed the stars he choreographed for, Mr. X performed dance moves that were commonly associated with the aforementioned stars. Including the well-known dance move from Beyonce’s Single Ladies music video.

“And now, I will make you x-plode with the dance!” Mr. X vowed.

‘Clearly, he likes the letter X,’ Kaelyn thought to herself wryly. Anything to distract herself from the way the black singlet James chose to wore seemed to accentuate his muscles.

Mr. X’s proclamation made Carlos put his helmet back on his head. Kaelyn wondered when Carlos managed to get the helmet back from Gustavo, since the producer seemed to be against Carlos wearing it.

“We will start with an x-amination,” Mr. X proclaimed. “Cross leg, spin, pose.”

He then demonstrated the dance sequence. Wearily, the four hockey players went to do just that. But it appeared that their coordination on the ice didn’t translate to coordination on the dance floor. Kendall and James were able to perform the sequence, while Carlos’ performance was shaky and Logan… Logan actually ended up smacking Carlos in the face, knocking him to the ground.

Logan and James were quick to help Carlos back to his feet, with James giving Carlos a couple of encouraging taps on his helmet.

“I’m good,” Carlos panted.

Mr. X then moved towards each individual band member to make his appraisals. When he reached Kendall, he said, “He is great, but not serious.” Kendal only smirked in response.

James stood there with a smile, clearly expecting praise. But the smile disappeared when Mr. X proclaimed, “He is serious, but not great.”

When Mr. X reached Carlos, he observed, “He lost a pet when he was young, and he is still sad.”

“Sparky,” Carlos whimpered, confirming Mr. X’s observations to be correct.

When Mr. X reached Logan, he didn’t even try to mince his words (not that he was before) and outright proclaimed, “And he is just plain awful.”

“Yep,” Logan didn’t even bother arguing.

“They are x-cruciating and cannot be ready by Friday,” Mr. X told Gustavo.

“I’ll x-double your salary,” Gustavo offered.

“X-done,” Mr. X readily agreed.

“Alright. I’m gonna be back in one hour, and I wanna see dancers, not dogs!” Gustavo proclaimed to the four teenage boys. He then turned to Kaelyn, “You! Come with me!”

Kaelyn, though confused as to what Gustavo would want with her, went with him obediently. Before leaving the studio, she gave the boys an encouraging thumbs up and smile. She followed Gustavo to his office, taking a seat when ordered you.

“You, uh…,” Gustavo trailed off, clicking his fingers as he struggled to recall her name.

“Kaelyn,” Kelly supplied for him dutifully.

“Kaelyn, do you have your songbook with you?” Gustavo asked. When Kaelyn handed it over to him, Gustavo told her, “Like I said in Minnesota, these songs are good. They just need a little refining that only someone who has been in this business for decades can give you. And access to state-of-the-art studios and equipment to help you produce them.”

“Thank you,” Kaelyn responded, suddenly feeling shy.

“Now, what I would like to offer you is an internship of sorts,” Gustavo revealed. “You become my protégé. I teach you everything there is to know about songwriting and producing. And you help me manage those dogs.”

“You mean keep them out of trouble?” Kaelyn surmised. When Gustavo nodded, Kaelyn shook her head, “I can’t even keep them out of trouble back home. Hollywood’s not gonna be much different.”

“We’ll circle back to that,” Gustavo acquiesced. “But as long as the boys are here, you work alongside me. Write a couple of songs together. Do the odd acting gig.”

“Acting?” Kaelyn repeated in surprise. “Why would I need to do acting?”

“It will allow us to put you into a good flexible school program here,” Kelly pointed out. “A lot of these programs are mandated by the Actors Singers and Performers Association, which means you are only allowed into those programs if you’re an active performer in film, music or television.”

“But why does it have to be acting?” Kaelyn asked.

“You said in Minnesota you don’t sing,” Kelly pointed out.

“I don’t believe that,” Gustavo mumbled. Slamming his hands on the desk, he pointed at Kaelyn and barked, “Sing!”

Stammering for a few moments, Kaelyn decided to sing a line from one of the songs she was working on, “Do you wanna be famous?” Noticing Kelly’s amazed look, Kaelyn defended herself, “I said I don’t sing, not that I can’t sing.”

“On second thought, we can get you work as a backing vocalist,” Gustavo decided. “With the odd commercial thrown in.”

“Gustavo, I don’t want to be a performer,” Kaelyn objected.

Kelly cut in at this point, “What do you say we give Kaelyn a tour of the rest of the studio and time to decide on the terms of the internship?”

“I can live with that,” Gustavo grumbled.

They took Kaelyn around to the recording booth, displaying all the panels and introducing Kaelyn to the sound technician. They even took her inside the booth so she could see both sides, so to speak.

It turned out Rocque Records had two types of recording studios. One where they focused exclusively on vocals (such as when the artist is singing to a prerecorded track) and a larger area where the artist was able to record the song accompanied a live in-house band.

The detailed tour, and trying to iron out the terms of Kaelyn’s internship, took the hour Gustavo said it would. So, when that was done, they went back to the dance studio.

“Okay. So, it’s been an hour, and…” Gustavo trailed off when he noticed four sweaty teenagers sitting on the floor.

“What happened to Mr. X?” Kelly asked, noticing the choreographer’s absence.

“Well, first, he banged his head into the wall a few times,” Logan began the explanation.

“Then we got really dizzy,” Carlos piped in. Kaelyn’s brows furrowed in confusion when she noticed Carlos was upside down, practically resting on his head (wearing his signature helmet, thankfully), hanging off the dance bar.

“Then, he said a bunch of bad words that started with X,” James panted.

Kendall finished the story with a casual shrug, “Then he x-quit.”

Noticing what was coming, Kelly was barely able to put headphones on to protect her hearing as Gustavo screamed into the void. Kaelyn wasn’t as lucky.

Legend had it that Gustavo’s yell could be heard all the way at the Palm Woods a few blocks away. But Kaelyn was sure that had to be an exaggeration.

**

Gustavo decided to move the group into the meeting room.

“Part 2 of my great pop group bootcamp: the great look!” Gustavo introduced the second part. The marketing team walked in at this point.

Flicking through the papers containing potential look ideas, James asked, “When do we sing?”

“When I tell you to sing!” Gustavo snapped back.

“Guys, we have some exciting looks that will literally transform you,” the unnamed businessman proclaimed.

“Can’t we just be ourselves?” Kendall asked, throwing his booklet onto the table.

The marketing team laughed at Kendall’s question before answering with a deadpan, “No.”

The businesswoman began their presentation, “Boys, we researched and electroshocked focus groups to determine the exact look and name that will sell millions of names.”

“Then, we turn you over to the stylists…,” the businessman paused as the aforementioned stylists walked into the room, “…to change all your looks and possibly shave your heads.”

James cried as he immediately moved his hands towards his hair. James was very image conscious, but the one thing he focused on was his hair. It was why he carried his lucky comb in his pocket, so he could fix his hair anytime on the go. Kaelyn also knew for a fact that James had a strict haircare and skincare regimen that he followed to a tee.

“Now, Griffin wants a tasty dish on Friday,” the businesswoman pointed out. “That’s why we’re giving him…”

Following a flurry of stylists working their magic on the boys (which included James proclaiming they were not allowed to cut his hair), they were being presented in the first look.

“Boy-Licious!” the marketing team introduced the group.

This look was… Kaelyn didn’t have the words for it. Carlos was dressed in a red tracksuit with the occasional striped pattern, purple sneakers and a red-and-black sweatband, Kendall was wearing an overall and nothing else save for the green converse on his feet and a weird hat on his head, James was wearing green pants and a shirt that only had the lower couple buttons done up to expose his washboard abs (those were James’ words and definitely not Kaelyn’s) along with a tiger-patterned bandana, and Logan was wearing a dorky suit, complete with a yellow bow tie and a blue suit jacket with piano key lapels as well as the dorky glasses.

“The beach, girls, the shirtless overalls,” Kendall drawled, shooting each of his three friends a look.

“I think we look good,” James proclaimed.

“Not bad,” Gustavo finally decided, “but I need options. What else you got?”

“Change it!” the marketing team cried.

Following another flurry with the stylists attacking the boys, they were presented in their second look.

“Red, White & Boy!” the marketing team introduced.

“You have got to be kidding,” Kaelyn said. She wasn’t even going to try and describe the outfits the boys wore.

“This look does great with war veterans who own Buicks,” the businessman boasted proudly.

“We look good,” James smiled.

“We look like Uncle Sam threw up on us!” Kendall snapped.

“You, silent!” Gustavo snapped at Kendall. He turned to the marketing team, “You, more options!”

“Change them!” the marketing team cried once more.

Kaelyn decided that the latest look had to be the worst of the three.

Danger Boy consisted of the boys wearing goth makeup (Kendall even had a red streak in his hair), black clothing and dangerously tight leather pants.

“Danger Boy is danger. Parents will forbid their kids to buy the dangerous music,” the businesswoman explained.

“And that is exactly why they will,” the businessman smirked, exchanging a fist bump and ‘boo-yah’ with his partner.

“I, uh, can’t feel my legs!” Logan cried.

“That’s because the pants are dangerously tight,” the businesswoman revealed.

“I hate it,” Gustavo proclaimed.

“So do we,” the marketing team immediately nodded in agreement.

“I need five new looks for tomorrow,” Gustavo instructed the marketing team. He then turned to the boys, “Alright. Now, follow me to hear your first hit single that’s gonna put me back on top! Move out!”

Kaelyn lingered behind as Gustavo left, watching in concern as the boys struggled to move in their dangerously tight pants. Eventually, the boys lost their balance and fell to the ground.

“I think we look good,” James still proclaimed.

**

Kaelyn did not think things could get any worse, but she was about to find out that they were as Gustavo handed the boys the song he wanted them to learn.

Peeking over, Kaelyn could see that this song was called Girl Time. She noticed that this seemed to be a recurring theme with Gustavo. When anyone looked at his discography, they would immediately notice that the majority of Gustavo’s songs had the world ‘girl’ in it.

Well, at least they were no longer in the dangerously tight pants from their Danger Boy look. Although, Kaelyn couldn’t help but wonder if those dangerously tight pants would be less painful than this song.

“Okay! Part three of the great pop group boot campapalooza: the great song!” Gustavo introduced before moving over to the piano.

Flicking over the sheet containing the lyrics with a smile, Kelly introduced the song, “It’s called Girl Time.”

As Gustavo began playing the chords on the piano, Kelly was handing the boys the lyrics to the song, complete with the parts they were assigned to sing. Kaelyn, meanwhile, was standing by the piano, studying a more extensive version of the sheet music. But what Kaelyn was actually doing was making her own notes on how the song should be improved (even if she had half a mind to scrap the whole thing and start from scratch).

“It’s a song about no matter what time of day it is,” Gustavo began before singing a line from the song, “Don’t you know it’s girl time?” He then pretended to yawn, “I just woke up. What time is it? It’s girl time.” He then pretended to look at his watch, “Excuse me, sir. Do you know what time it is? Yeah. It’s girl time.”

James looked over at the piano and saw Kaelyn was writing furiously. He knew the look on the girl’s face. She was working hard on her own song. The way she tilted her head as she reflected on a potential melody or lyric. The way her eyes would light up when she was struck with inspiration. The way she bit her lip in concentration.

James decided at this point, he needed to look away and focus on the music in front of him before daydreaming about the song his childhood best friend was writing or the girl writing the song.

At least, until her overprotective twin brother was no longer in killing distance.

“What if you have a sinus infection? Isn’t that doctor time?” Logan asked.

‘Of course Logan would take this literally,’ Kaelyn thought to herself, half listening to the exchange.

“No, no, no! It’s still girl time!” Gustavo snapped, pushing the hood of his jacket off his balding head.

“Right,” Logan muttered, appropriately chastised.

“Do any of your songs not have the world girl in them?” Kendall asked.

“Heh. Let’s find out, Mr. Question Everything That I Do. Let’s take a look at my wall of platinum records!” Gustavo snapped. “Let’s see.” He pushed past the boys to get to the aforementioned wall of platinum records, a sight that impressed Kaelyn. “There’s, uh, Girl Like You, Girl, You Are My Girl, Hot Girl, Cold Girl, Girl to My Heart, Yard Squirrel Christmas…” Seeing that he did, indeed, have a song that didn’t have the word ‘girl’ in it, Gustavo briefly interrupted his tirade to remark, “I forgot that one was there.” He then continued his tirade, “Uh, Girl Zone, Girl Zone Remix, Girl Cake, and Girl, Girl, Girl – which sold three million copies and was number one for five weeks!”

“Wow,” Kaelyn murmured under her breath. She wisely decided to not make a comment about Yard Squirrel Christmas being one of her all-time favourite songs, seeing that the irate producer was not in the mood to receive any kind of praise.

Gustavo then stormed over to Kendall, getting in his face as he challenged him, “Any other questions, dog?” He then patted Kendall’s cheek.

“You might wanna get the headphones ready,” Kaelyn murmured a warning to Kelly, sensing her twin was about to hit Gustavo with a smartass comeback.

Sure enough, Kendall fired back with, “Are any of those songs from this girl-ennium?”

Gustavo’s teeth chattered as his whole body began rumbling in response to Kendall’s retort. Carlos nervously put his helmet back on while Kelly headed Kaelyn’s warnings and placed headphones over her ears. Kaelyn was luckier this time, as Kelly had a spare set of headphones to give to the younger girl.

**

A news report was reporting an odd occurrence. The reporter read from the teleprompter, “And finally, a small downtown earthquake has seismologists baffled. Just a modest 3.1 on the Richter scale, but it’s still a mystery because the epicentre was not on any previously known fault line.” As he read the report, a photo of Rocque Records flashed next to him on the screen.

**

In the recording studio, Gustavo was hooked up to a heart monitor as Kelly read the readout that was printed on a small piece of paper. Kaelyn watched on in amazement. Apparently, Gustavo had been ordered by doctors to not produce if his vitals exceeded a certain level. So, when Gustavo got particularly irate, he had to be monitored until his blood pressure and heartrate were back to an acceptable level.

“Okay. Your heartrate is back to normal, and your blood pressure is 120/80. You can produce now,” Kelly informed Gustavo, who wasted no time in ripping all the attachments off his body.

Kaelyn decided to chime in, “I should warn you that the boys are getting a little punchy.”

The aforementioned boys were inside the sound booth, taking in their surroundings. James was putting his headphones on, taking this seriously. Carlos and Kendall were checking out the walls of their little booth. Logan, meanwhile, was checking out the microphone that stood in the middle of the room. Kaelyn also noticed that Kelly had put in pillows on the ground and bottles of fruit water on small tables on either side of the booth. Knowing the boys as well as she did, Kaelyn could already see that this was a recipe for disaster.

“Yeah. They haven’t had a break all day,” Kelly reminded Gustavo.

“I don’t care,” was Gustavo’s response. He pressed a button to allow him to speak to the boys inside the booth. “Okay, and now, it’s time for the final phase of Gustavo Rocque’s most awesomest pop group bootcamp: the singing!” Gustavo had a delighted smile on his face when the boys winced at the feedback from the sudden increase of volume into their headphones.

“What is this place?” Kendall asked nervously.

Kelly answered on Gustavo’s behalf, “It’s a sound booth, guys. It just isolates the vocals so we can edit or enhance them later.”

Carlos picked up one of the pillows on the floor, asking, “Why are there pillows on the floor?”

Gustavo didn’t even bother to hide his frustration. Especially when James piped in, “Do you want us to nap? ‘Cause we will.”

“They just absorb any extra echo or treble, just like those big foam mic covers,” Kelly answered patiently. Kaelyn winced as Kendall took the aforementioned microphone and whacked himself in the head with it, sensing what was coming. Kelly didn’t seem to read the warning signs, as she continued, “And I put some fruit water in there in case your mouths get dry, okay?”

Gustavo took over, not noticing the smirk on Kendall’s face, “Okay, great. And…”

Gustavo was cut short when Kendall bopped Carlos in the head with the big microphone, clearly enjoying the fact that Carlos wasn’t allowed to wear his signature helmet inside.

“Funny. Do it again,” Carlos challenged.

Never one to shy away from a challenge, Kendall did it again, laughing, “Not so tough without your helmet, are you?”

“Oh no,” Kaelyn muttered under her breath, knowing what was about to happen next.

Carlos picked up one of the bottles of fruit water, the one that contained a blue liquid, and went to squirt Kendall with it. Unfortunately for him, Kendall moved out of the way and Logan took the impact instead.

“Knock it off!” Logan whined.

When Carlos didn’t, he grabbed a bottle containing a red liquid. However, just like Carlos missed Kendall and got Logan instead, Logan missed Carlos and got James instead. His white t-shirt was now stained with the red liquid. Kaelyn winced, knowing the significance of the shirt James was wearing.

“You just ruined my lucky white v-neck!” James cried.

From there, it dissolved into chaos. The boys began attacking each other with the fruit water that was there to serve as a means of hydration.

“Maybe the fruit water was a bad idea,” Kelly winced.

“So were the pillows,” Kaelyn deadpanned, knowing what was coming.

“Please get them to stop,” Gustavo pleaded.

“Guys! Guys!” Kelly called into the sound booth.

The boys did not hear her, as they were now in the midst of a pillow fight. As Kaelyn had predicted, having the pillows inside the sound booth was a bad idea. Feathers quickly filled the small space, sticking to the boys and other surfaces in the sound booth that had been hit with the fruit water in their water fight.

“I told you they were tired,” Kelly reminded her boss as he stood up.

In an eerily calm voice, Gustavo told his assistant, “Just have the boys meet me in the studio when they’re finished,” before walking out.

Kelly and Kaelyn winced as Carlos was suddenly smooshed against the window that separated the sound booth from the engineering room, sliding down the window with a squeak as the pillow fight raged on inside.

“How long will this go on?” Kelly asked Kaelyn.

“Knowing the boys, a while,” was Kaelyn’s answer.

**

It certainly did take a while for the boys to stop their pillow fight, but they eventually met Gustavo in the studio, covered in feathers. Gustavo was flanked with Mr. X, the stylists and the marketing team as he went down the line reproaching the boys.

Gustavo first approached Carlos, proclaiming, “You can’t sing!” Ignoring Carlos’ dejected face, he moved down to Logan, proclaiming, “You can’t sing or dance!”

“I can backflip,” Logan chimed in.

“Stop it!” Gustavo snapped.

“Okay,” Logan muttered.

“Forever,” Gustavo added, earning a nod from Logan.

He then moved on to James, who stood there with a hopeful smile that Kaelyn couldn’t help but find adorable, especially taking into account the amount of feathers that stuck to his body. However, that smile quickly disappeared when Gustavo walked away without even saying anything to him, clearly demonstrating that he had a seemingly irrational hatred from James.

Gustavo finally landed on Kendall, “And worst of all, you don’t even seem to want this!” Kendall only responded by coughing some feathers out of his mouth.

“What about me? I can sing, dance and I want this!” James told Gustavo.

“You remind me a lot of Matthew McConaughey,” Gustavo revealed.

Mistaking this for a compliment, James replied, “Awesome!”

“I can’t stand Matthew McConaughey!” Gustavo seethed. He then launched into another tirade, “This group can’t sing, can’t dance, you don’t have a song or a look, and they’re covered in feathers! And I would rather quit right now than commit pop suicide on Friday in front of the record company!” Kaelyn gaped at Gustavo’s proclamation, but didn’t get the chance to say anything as Gustavo continued, “However, there is one song I would love to play for you.”

He then stormed over to the piano, where Kaelyn had previously been standing to stay out of Gustavo’s line of fire. Seeing the irate producer approaching, the young girl quickly moved to stand next to her twin, clutching her songbook to her chest.

Gustavo then began performing a song he had come up with on the spot.

Ooh, now that I’m through
Bangin’ my head,
This band of dogs
Is officially… DEAD!

He then ended the song with a flourish on the piano, finishing with a dramatic chord.

Kaelyn looked at all the new songs she had already begun to write. Now, they were never going to see the light of day. As Gustavo had proclaimed, this band of dogs is officially dead.

One set of lyrics contained the words, “You wanna be famous. You wanna be the one who’s living the life. You wanna be the one who’s taking a free ride.”

Well, that free ride seems to have come to an end.

Chapter 3: Welcome to the Big Time

Notes:

I'm doing things a little differently at the end here. I wanted to do my own spin on it and include some extra moments. Especially since there's gonna be an extra character.

Well... that, and the bridge before the final chorus is my favourite part of the song and I wanted to squeeze it in. (I'm still cutting the outro, though. Sorry.)

Before we continue on, I just wanted to add in something about how I want things to work. I'm not gonna write each episode verbatim. Unless it's actually relevant to the storyline. Each chapter will be based on a BTR episode and only focused on the main parts relevant to the storyline. For example, while I'll be referencing some side stories that will have taken place, I won't be full-on writing them out. And if I feel it's getting too long, some episodes may be split across a couple of chapters.

And, obviously, I don't own the lyrics or the music.

With that out of the way, enjoy the chapter. (Well, I hope you'll enjoy it.)

Kaelyn may have been a dreamer, but she was also a realist where it mattered. She knew that getting to Hollywood was a long shot. She knew that there was every chance that they would face rejection at some point.

But she still couldn’t help but wish her dream at least had the chance to get off the ground first.

The boys had showered and changed out of their clothes, which were stained with feathers and coloured water. James was still dismayed at the prospect of his lucky white V-neck potentially being beyond saving, but the dismay he felt over that was nothing compared to the dismay he felt over his dreams of stardom being dashed. He paced by the pool in front of where the others had claimed some pool lounges.

Logan broke the silence that had fallen over the group, musing, “He’s a really good piano player.”

“And I’m so depressed,” Carlos moaned. He couldn’t even sit upright. He was laying flat on his lounge.

“It’s the music,” Kendall decided. He turned to the source and pleaded, “Guitar Dude, please.”

Guitar Dude immediately stopped playing the depressing tune he was playing on his guitar, whispering an apology to the group. Kaelyn gave him a thumbs up and a small smile, silently thanking him for his consideration of their feelings while also giving him praise. He really is talented.

Katie approached the group, asking them, “So, has Gustavo dork made you guys famous yet?”

Kaelyn tried her best to word a polite answer, “There were some… issues. Some differences we can’t seem to work through.”

Katie immediately caught on to what Kaelyn was trying to say, “You got fired, didn’t you?”

“All he did was yell and scream at us and make us wear dangerously type pants,” Kendall defended himself.

Kaelyn had been wondering when James was finally going to snap. He had been dangerously quiet since Gustavo’s musical dismissal of them. He didn’t say a word to anyone on their way back to the Palm Woods. Or when they changed out of their stained clothes. Or when they went to the pool. Knowing James as well as she did, Kaelyn knew he could be like a pressure cooker at times.

And the steam had to come out sometime.

“Yeah! You’re right. He wanted to turn us into rich and famous pop stars. What an idiot!” James finally snapped.

“He wanted to turn us into his trained dancing dogs!” Kendall retorted.

“Rich and famous dancing dogs!” James shot back, jumping on the spot like a dog to prove his point.

“He’s got a point,” Logan couldn’t help but acquiesce.

“Oh, so you’re siding with James now?” Kendall scoffed.

Logan stammered a denial before reluctantly admitting, “Maybe. Kinda. Yes.”

“You guys blew it! You blew my shot! You could have tried harder, but you didn’t!” James ranted.

Kaelyn knew what was about to happen next, especially as Carlos shot up onto his feet. So, she wisely decided to stand by Katie. Out of the line and fire.

“Okay. Let’s all just calm down and think nice, happy thoughts about kittens!” Carlos suggested, a bright smile gracing his features.

James wasn’t in the mood for Carlos’ attempts to ease the tension, and made sure he knew it, “You think about kittens with your bad singing and that stupid helmet!” He then shoved Carlos back into his pool lounger.

“Guys, no,” Kaelyn pleaded, trying to get between them. (A horrible decision, really, her younger sister couldn’t help but think.)

Logan chimed in, “Remember our pact about not letting this town tear us apart?”

Carlos decided that pact didn’t mean anything, because he charged at James. The two of them were wrestling dangerously close to the pool.

“Great! Now, we’re all fighting! I didn’t even wanna do this!” Kendall cried, rushing to pull Carlos from James. Logan, meanwhile, tried to pull James away from Carlos.

“Everybody in the world wants to do this, Kendall!” was Carlos’ retort.

“I know, but it’s all happening so fast!” was Kendall’s defence.

Now, rather than trying to break up the fight, Kendall and Logan were primed to join it themselves. They didn’t even realize that poor Kaelyn was getting caught in the middle, having been inadvertently pulled in when she tried to help break it up.

They didn’t realize what was happening until they all found themselves in the pool. When they broke the surface, they turned to look at Katie, who was standing there by the edge looking rather proud of herself.

“Katie! What’d you do that for?!” Kendall whined.

“Looked like you guys needed to cool off,” Katie shrugged with a smirk.

“Did you really have to push me in with them?” Kaelyn spluttered. She had inadvertently swallowed some water when she was pushed in.

“Sorry, sissy,” Katie winced. Like the boys, she hadn’t realized that Kaelyn had been pulled into the chaos.

“She’s right,” James sighed. “I’m sorry.”

That still didn’t stop them from trying to push James under.

**

Night has now fallen over Hollywood. The group eventually emerged from the pool and curled up around the fire pit that was nearby. A Californian winter may be considerably warmer than a Minnesotan winter, but there was still a wind chill factor. Especially at night. And especially when they were still soaked from their dip in the pool.

Kaelyn sat between Kendall and James, writing in her songbook. Occasionally, she would stop to wipe a tear from her eyes before it had the chance to fall.

“I could stay here and be a model,” James mused. “I’m still great-looking.”

“Reality shows are becoming a claim to fame now,” Kaelyn piped in, not looking up from her songbook.

“Which one? Project Idiot?” Carlos sniped, clearly still bitter.

James was unperturbed, simply sighing, “That’s just your jealousy talking.” He then draped an arm around Kaelyn’s shoulders, having noticed the sadness radiating off of her.

“You know what’s funny?” Kendall finally voiced. “We didn’t even get a chance to sing together.”

Kaelyn looked at Kendall shyly, “I’d like to hear it.”

Giving his twin a comforting smile, Kendall launched into a song that he knew would cheer his sister up.

Oh, you’re such a turd
Oh yeah, a giant turd
And you look like a turd
And you smell like a turd

Carlos had joined Kendall in the second line, harmonizing with him effortlessly. Logan joined in towards the end of the verse, providing a beat with his beatboxing. James performed vocal embellishments over the top of Kendall and Carlos’ harmonies, adding another layer to the song. Kaelyn noticed that they were starting to get more attention from their fellow Palm Woods residents that were chilling by the pool. They were watching in amazement.

James jumped up on top of the lounge space he occupied, dramatically singing the final line with a vocal flourish.

And you smell like a turd

It was only when they finished their song that they noticed the attention they were getting. Everyone around the pool ruptured in applause. Guitar Dude flashed them a ‘rock on’ sign. Lighting the TV Wonder Dog barked his approval as he gave them his own version of an applause with his paws. Camille, now dressed in an astronaut suit (obviously from one of her auditions), looked in in amazement. As did Tyler, who popped up from a nearby bush wearing a tree hat. Obviously, he had been hiding from his mother as she attempted to drag him to yet another audition.

Even the Jennifers were impressed with what they saw, as they rose to their feet in the VIP Lounge Katie had set up to extort money from the Palm Woods residents. (Kaelyn was quick to recognize it for what it was.) They gave the boys a standing ovation, showing their appreciation of the boys’ talents. (Even if they weren’t about to go on a date with them anytime soon.)

“We should do this,” Kendall suddenly decided. He then stood up so he can face the entire group as he talked, “You guys were right. I really think we should do this.”

“How? We got fired, remember?” Logan reminded him.

“We didn’t get fired!” Kendall scoffed.

“Yes you did, bro,” Kaelyn chimed in.

“Okay, we got fired,” Kendall acquiesced. “But the problem is we didn’t try out best.”

“I tried my best,” James objected.

“We know, James. We know,” Kendall reassured his best friend.

“Hey, Guitar Dude!” Kaelyn called to one of her new friends. “Can you play something inspirational to back Kendall up?”

“You got it,” Guitar Dude nodded, immediately playing an inspirational melody on his guitar.

With the appropriate background music now playing, Kendall launched into his inspirational speech, “We are hockey players, brothers of the ice, and we do not quit. Now, are we gonna dump the puck and scramble back to the bench? Or are we gonna grab that puck, pull the goalie, and rush the net big time?”

Kaelyn gasped, having suddenly been struck with a bolt of inspiration as she hurriedly wrote a title for the song she was working on and began working in some additional lines in the lyrics.

“You really think we can make it as a boy band?” Carlos asked incredulously.

“No,” Kendall objected. But the boys did not remain deflated for long as Kendall hurriedly continued, “But I’ve realized four things since we got here. One – I love singing. Two – I love singing with you guys. And opportunities like this come once in a lifetime.” He then turned to his sister, “Three – I wanna help my amazing twin have her time to shine and help her songs see the light of day.”

Kaelyn gave her twin a watery smile as she allowed him to pull her into his arms and press a kiss to her temple. James reached across and grasped her hand as Carlos and Logan voiced their own ascent.

Remembering how her twin had said he realized four things since they arrived in Hollywood, Kaelyn voiced knowingly, “Number four is you’re in love with the pool, isn’t it?”

“It’s -8 in Minnesota right now. What do you think?” was Kendall’s response. Kaelyn threw her head back as she laughed at his response. The boys snickered as Kendall didn’t even try to defend himself. Although, they agreed – they were in love with that pool too. Knowing that he now had them, Kendall asked them, “So, what’s the play? Dump the puck or Big Time Rush?”

James was the first to spring to his feet, exclaiming, “Big Time Rush!”

Carlos was the next to rise to his feet, tapping his helmet and voicing his answer, “Big Time Rush.”

Logan rose and voiced his answer, “Big Time Rush.”

Kaelyn rose, turning her song book to face the group as she showed them her latest track and title, wordlessly giving them her answer.

Kendall smiled as he read what she wrote and proclaimed, “Big Time Rush.”

**

The next day, the five of them made their way back to Rocque Records. Looking down the end of the hallway, they saw Gustavo standing there with a scowl, flanked by Kelly, Mr. X, the stylists and the marketing team they had encountered during the previous day’s bootcamp session. They all walked down the hall until they met in the middle. Kendall and Gustavo, decidedly the ringleaders of their respective groups, stood toe to toe.

“Well?” Gustavo asked impatiently.

“Okay. We’ll do it your way. No goofing off, no pillow fights, and no questions for the next two days,” Kendall promised.

Gustavo remained silent for a moment before smiling and declaring, “Okay. Girl Time from the top!”

“No,” Kaelyn immediately shook her head. Gustavo whirled around to face her in surprise. Undeterred, Kaelyn pressed on, “Girl Time is not going to be their debut song.”

“Oh, let me guess! You have a better idea!” Gustavo drawled. “Well, let’s… Let’s hear it! Let’s hear the dogs’ better song title!”

“Big Time Rush,” the boys answered proudly.

Handing them copies of the lyrics and music she had started writing for them, Kaelyn explained, “It’s about four hockey players from Minnesota who have an amazing opportunity in front of them. And they’re gonna take their best shot.”

Flicking through the lyrics and the music, Kelly was quick to jump in and declare, “I like it!” She then added, “And you’ve got to stop using the word ‘girl’ in all of your song titles.”

“I…,” Gustavo trailed off as he continued looking at his copy and admitted, “like it also.” He then proclaimed, “We’re gonna be working all night because Friday is two days away, and we are in a big time rush!” He then turned to Kaelyn, “You! Your song, your chance to prove yourself! I’ll help you refine it, but you have to prove you’re worthy to take on as my protégé!”

“She is,” the boys immediately cut in.

“I am,” Kaelyn nodded resolutely.

**

Gustavo determined that the lyrics were excellent, It was just the accompanying music that needed refining as well as working out some more of the harmonies and who sang what. Before long, the boys were in the sound booth once more.

“Okay! Big Time Rush from the top! Only, this time, let’s try to not make me wanna choke you!” Gustavo ordered them.

After hearing the four counts on the metronome to ease them into it, the group sang the first part of their debut song.

Oh, Oh, oh-oh, oh…

Gustavo made a so-so gesture with his hand. They were good, but he knew they could do better. And it was something that was demonstrated as they got into the swing of things.

Make it count, play it straight
Don’t look back, don’t hesitate
When you go big time!

When they weren’t recording and refining their vocals, they were in the dance studio learning their choreography from Mr. X. They were more receptive to their dance lessons this time around, and were actually picking up the choreography rather well. Mr. X was forced to admit that his first impressions of the group were wrong.

What you want, what you feel
Never quit, and make it real
When you roll big time!

Kaelyn smiled as she watched the boys continue their rehearsals by the pool. It showed how seriously they were taking this opportunity now. Any spare moment they had to fit in an extra rehearsal, they took it. There was always one thing they insisted on.

Kaelyn had to be their audience at all times. They were doing this for her as much as they were doing it for themselves.

Hey! (Oh!) Hey! (Oh!)
Listen to your heart now!
Hey! (Oh!) Hey! (Oh!)
Don’t you feel the rush!
Hey! (Oh!) Hey! (Oh!)
Better take your shot now!

Kaelyn jumped in excitement as the song built into the chorus. This was the moment she was most excited for. The moment she was proudest of so far. Especially when Gustavo stood up and even joined in the jubilation. They had been recording on and off for the last couple of days, their vocals improving every time.

Go and shake it up! What you gotta lose?

Go and make your luck with the life you choose!

If you want it all, lay it on the line!

It’s the only life you’ve got,

So you gotta live it big time!

During one of their rehearsals by the pool, Kaelyn had to intervene when the boys got distracted by the Jennifers walking by.

“Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey!” Kaelyn began voicing her objections, physically blocking their path.

“But girls!” Carlos whined in objection.

“Think of it as motivation,” Kaelyn suggested. “They won’t go out with you until you’re famous, and you won’t get famous unless you impress Griffin on Friday. So, back at it!”

Carlos was happy to accept that. Logan was quick to join Carlos in the line up once more. He was realizing he wanted this as much as he wanted to be a doctor. Admittedly, he was also won over during that fateful audition back in Minnesota, when Kelly made that comment about how much Justin Timberlake made in a year.

James stood before Kaelyn with a flirtatious smile as he began to ask, “Hey, uh, if we are successful on Friday, do you wanna…”

“No, she is not going out with you,” Kendall cut in, an exasperated tone in his voice as he dragged James back to his position. “You know the rules.”

Kaelyn rolled her eyes at her twin’s overprotectiveness before encouraging them back into rehearsal.

Step it up, get in gear
Go for broke, make it clear
Gotta go big time! (Hey!)

The day before the performance for Arthur Griffin, when the song and choreography was done to Gustavo’s begrudging satisfaction, the boys met with the stylists once more to choose their look. This time, Kaelyn took the lead, the marketing team stepping back as she helped the stylists choose something that complemented the boys and the message they wanted to get across.

She did laugh as Carlos objected to having his helmet taken away. But they were able to calm him down by convincing him it was just for the performance. Once they made it, he could wear his helmet anytime he wanted during rehearsals.

For Logan, she picked black pants, a red button-up shirt with a black tie and a matching suit jacket. Kendall’s outfit consisted of black jeans with a studded belt, a black shirt and a grey vest with a matching grey fedora adorned with a black band. She convinced Mr. X that it would look cool if Kendall found a moment to throw his hat to the side during their performance. Carlos wore black cargo pants with a blue shirt under a black vest.

James’ look was one Kaelyn admittedly spent the most time on. Especially because she knew how picky he could get with his fashion. They ended up going for pants that were a lighter black wash with a white patterned shirt under a purple velvety jacket. His hair was free to be styled in its usual fashion. Even if Kaelyn did suggest that it be a bit neater than normal. And out of his eyes, especially considering the choreography he would have to do alongside the boys.

Make it work, get it right
Change the world overnight
Gotta dream big time!

Now, Gustavo and Kaelyn were watching nervously as Arthur Griffin watched their performance. The moment Kaelyn met the CEO of RCM/CBT Globalnet/Sanyoid was a nervous one for the young teenage girl. Especially since Griffin never gave anything away.

“Who’s this?” Griffin asked.

“I’m Kaelyn Knight,” Kaelyn introduced herself nervously, holding out her hand to shake.

“She’s my new protégé,” Gustavo clarified. “Pending on the outcome of the dogs’ performance.”

Griffin hummed, shaking Kaelyn’s hand and declaring, “I can’t wait to see what you’ve got.” He then took his seat and requested for the performance to start.

Hey! (Oh!) Hey! (Oh!)
Give it all you got now!
Hey! (Oh!) Hey! (Oh!)
Isn’t it a rush?
Hey! (Oh!) Hey! (Oh!)
Finish what you start now!

Griffin never gave anything away. Given how powerful he had become over the years, the reputation he had gained as a businessman, he had mastered the art of the poker face. He never gave away whether he was pleased or displeased with what he was being presented with. It was what made him such an astute businessman.

It was also what made Gustavo and Kaelyn nervous beyond belief, as their futures (much like the band’s) hinged on this moment.

Go and shake it up! What you gotta lose?
Go and make your luck with the life you choose!
If you want it all, lay it on the line!
It’s the only life you got,
So you gotta live it big time!

**

1.5 Days Before…

Kaelyn remembered a time when the boys were still learning the song. While they were away with the choreography, Kaelyn was refining the bridge. Something she was still stuck on.

“Hey,” James panted as he walked into the music room. “It’s time for lunch.”

“I almost have this,” Kaelyn began voicing her objections.

“Well, you definitely won’t get it on an empty stomach,” James retorted, already moving to lift her away from the piano. Frowning when he saw what she was working on, he said, “I thought the song was finished.”

“I’m stuck on the bridge,” Kaelyn admitted.

“You’ll get it,” James shrugged. “You always do.”

“James,” Kaelyn continued struggling against his grasp. “Nothing we’ve ever done has ever been… you know, like this.”

“Bunny,” James turned his best friend around so he faced her. “You survived cancer. I think you can survive a performance in front of the country’s biggest CEO.”

“One of the country’s biggest CEOs,” Kaelyn corrected him with a smile. She recalled the brief background Katie had given her when she heard who they would be performing for.

“Doesn’t matter,” James shook his head. “We’ve got this.” He then grabbed her hands, “You and I are gonna make a brand new sound.”

“Like we own this town,” Kaelyn mused. She gasped, “I got it!”

James let her go as she rushed back to the piano, picking up a pen and rewriting the part of the bridge she was the most stuck on. He smiled as he watched her work. The way her smile lit up the room. The way her eyes sparkled in excitement. She looked over her shoulder at him, seemingly catching the way he was looking at her.

“What?” she asked with a slight laugh.

“Nothing,” James shrugged, the smile on his own face never disappearing. He approached her taking her hands in his once more. “We are going to nail this. For you.”

There seemed to be a moment between them. A moment where everything stopped. Everything around them disappeared, melting into nothing and leaving only the two of them standing there. Staring into each other’s eyes. Daring each other to make the first move.

But reality encroached on the moment, destroying it as they heard the sound of the others approaching.

“Hey, guys! Come on! There’s food!” Carlos called into the room. James and Kaelyn were barely able to break away before anyone figured out what they were interrupting. (Although, Kendall would have been delighted if he knew.)

“Before we go,” Kaelyn began, “I got the bridge.”

Kendall, Carlos and Logan immediately rushed over excitedly as James helped Kaelyn set up the music once more. Logan pressed play on the prerecorded backing track, which was set up to start playing just before the bridge. (Kaelyn was listening to it on repeat as she worked on the lyrics.) Looking at the music over Kaelyn’s shoulder for their assigned parts, they started singing

Look around
Every light is shining now
It’s brighter somehow
Look around
Nothing’s really as it seems
Nothing but dreams

Kaelyn’s smile seemed to grow brighter, something James didn’t think was possible, as they reached the part she just wrote

You and I
Gonna make a brand new sound
Like we own this town (we own this town)
We can fly
Now our feet are off the ground
We’ll never look down

Gustavo and Kelly walked in as they sang the final part of the bridge.

Welcome to the big time

Kaelyn pointed at Kendall to sing the next line, which he did.

All the pretty people see you walking in the sunshine

Everyone sang the next line together – Welcome to the good times – before James finished off the bridge at Kaelyn’s gesture.

Life will never be the same!

**

Present Day…

Smiling, Kaelyn watched as the boys sang the final chorus to finish the performance.

Go and shake it up! What you gotta lose?
Go and make your luck with the life you choose!
If you want it all, lay it on the line!
It’s the only life you got,
So you gotta live it big time!

When the boys struck the pose to finish their performance, everyone waited with bated breath. The sound engineer was all smiles as he finished the recording.

Griffin then turned to face Gustavo and Kaelyn, not giving anything away about his true feelings.

Then, he said, “I like them, and the board’s gonna love them.” Griffin then rose from his chair, telling Gustavo, “You’ve got three months to make your demos. I told you the boy band was back.” He then patted Gustavo’s cheek in a patronizing manner before turning to Kaelyn, “You did well. Gustavo is very lucky to have you as his protégé.” He turned to Kelly, “Make sure she has a contract. Treat her like a proper intern with opportunities for advancement.” He then declared, “I have to go. My pants are cold.”

That was a random statement, the shellshocked Kaelyn couldn’t help but think as Griffin left the room, flanked by his two associates on either side. But reality quickly caught up with her as she realized what this meant.

The boys, meanwhile, were still confused, watching everything unfold from the rehearsal space. Kaelyn went to join them for the upcoming celebrations, but Gustavo placed a hand on her arm to stop her.

Pressing the button to allow him to speak to the group, he proclaimed with a smile, “Guess who’s staying in L.A.!” He allowed the boys a moment to relish in their victory before snapping, “Stop cheering! If you thought the last three days were hard, wait till you see the next three months!” He then listed his grievances, “Carlos still can’t sing, Logan still can’t dance, and I still can’t stand James!”

Kaelyn saw the way James was annoyed at Gustavo’s declaration that he still didn’t like him.

“We’ll work on it!” Kendall promised.

“Okay. Now, you can celebrate,” Gustavo acquiesced.

Kaelyn ran into the performance space, jumping gleefully into Kendall’s waiting arms. She soon found herself surrounded by all the boys in a group hug. The five of them losing themselves in the euphoria they were now allowed to feel.

Their musical journey was now beginning.

Chapter 4: Every One of Us on a Mission

Summary:

The group is hit with big time reality as they learn they still have to go to school while in L.A.

Notes:

This was so hard to write, by the way.

ENJOY!

Kaelyn was quickly learning that if she wanted to find her twin brother and their three best friends, the pool should be the first place to look. If they weren’t at the studio being worked to death by Gustavo, they were chilling by the pool.

Or causing chaos. It really depended on their mood.

And their mood, today, apparently leaned more towards causing chaos.

Kaelyn saw that Kendall, Logan and Carlos were standing by the pool’s edge. But there was no sign of James.

Then, she looked in the pool itself, and had to do a double take as she took in what she saw.

James was sleeping on one of the sun loungers. In the pool.

“How did you…?” Kaelyn began to ask. But she was shushed by Kendall, who did not want James disturbed.

“Is it time?” Logan asked.

“It’s time,” Kendall smirked. “Carlos, do the honours.”

Carlos rubbed his hands together before yelling, “WHOA! FREE HAIR GEL!”

That startled James awake. “Where?!” he screamed. He was scrambling to get up, but ended up rolling off the sun lounger and into the pool. James glared at his three best friends when he surfaced, clearly not impressed. “Yeah, funny. Real funny. Now, where’s the free hair gel?!”

“Really? That’s your first question?” Kaelyn couldn’t help but ask incredulously.

“How sweet is this? It’s like a vacation, with singing! It’s a sing-cation!” Carlos decreed.

Kaelyn had to wonder about Carlos’ mind sometimes. But she loved Carlos’ view on life, and she would be one of the first to ensure that it stayed that way.

As Kaelyn handed James a towel to dry off, she could see Kelly approaching them, and it confused her. What did Kelly want with them today?”

“Okay, guys. Dry off and get dressed. It’s time to hit the studio,” Kelly requested.

“Kelly! What does the great Gustavo Rocque have in store for us today?” Kendall inquired.

“Harmonies?” Logan guessed.

“Breaking down some new dance moves?” Carlos voiced his own guess as he demonstrated some dance moves. Kaelyn couldn’t help but think the lessons were paying off, as Carlos was starting to find his rhythm.

“A big Hollywood party to get us some red-carpet exposure?” James asked hopefully.

“Another day of songwriting bootcamp?” Kaelyn guessed with a sigh, holding up her songbook. Since the boys started recording their demos, Gustavo had roped Kaelyn into an intensive bootcamp to learn the ins and outs of the songwriting industry. She truly enjoyed the experience and appreciated the opportunity to learn, but it was exhausting.

“Close. You’re going to school,” Kelly revealed.

Kaelyn blocked her ears in preparation for the scream she knew was coming. But that did nothing to dampen the noise.

‘Next time, move away,’ Kaelyn chastised herself.

It took a couple of minutes for the ringing in Kaelyn’s ears to stop. When she did, she heard Carlos say to Kelly, “School? You’re kidding, right?”

“Carlos!” Kelly snapped. “For the eleventh time, I’m not kidding!” She asked the group incredulously, “You all thought you were gonna get three months off from school?”

“It was more hope than thought,” Kendall admitted.

Kelly held up a blue pamphlet, explaining, “According to the Actors, Singers and Performers Association, kids under eighteen in the entertainment industry must attend four hours of school a day.” Noticing the blank look on the boys’ faces, she asked, “Did you even look at the pamphlets I gave you?”

The sheepish looks on the boys’ faces told her that no, they had not looked at the pamphlets they gave her. In their minds, they recalled what they had done with the pamphlet.

Kendall turned his pamphlet into a makeshift hockey puck as he played some solo hockey behind Rocque Records. He fired the makeshift hockey puck into the trash can he had ‘appropriated’ as his hockey net and cheered when he made his goal. Logan decided his copy of the pamphlet would better serve as a paper people chain. James had used his copy to squash a bug before disposing of it. And Carlos… let’s just say he ran out of toilet paper.

But none of the boys voiced that to Kelly as they stammered lies about how they quickly perused the pamphlet.

“Wait,” Kaelyn cut in. “Is this why you and Gustavo suddenly got so insistent on me doing a commercial?”

“Commercial?” the boys repeated in shock. Kaelyn is notorious for being camera shy. They had a hard time getting her to do family photos.

“Just a piano player in the background. Enough for me to get into the ASPA,” Kaelyn clarified. “Which I still don’t get why I have to. I’m a songwriter. I work behind the scenes.”

“It’s so we can get you into a good school with flexible hours for your internship,” Kelly reminded her.

Any further arguments were quietened by the sound of a school bell, which confused the group of teenagers. A school bell? In the Palm Woods? Their confusion only grew when they saw a huge flock of kids and teenagers of varying ages rushing to a specific room.

Spotting Tyler in the crowd, Kendall asked him, “Tyler, where’s everyone going?”

“To school at the Palm Woods!” Tyler answered excitedly.

The boys’ curiosity was further piqued when they saw the Jennifers walk past them arm-in-arm with their backpacks in the direction of the designated classroom. Along the way, they stopped to give a kind wave to Kaelyn.

She had to wonder if the girls heard the rush of the boys trying to follow them to the classroom

The classroom at the Palm Woods looked just like a normal classroom she saw in Minnesota. Desks. Blackboards. Bookshelves lined with various books. The teacher standing at the front of the classroom.

Well, Kaelyn did decide this school was decidedly different than her school in Minnesota. For one thing, her school back home didn’t have kids of different age groups mixing together like this.

And she definitely did not have a teacher that was as blonde and cheerful as Miss Collins.

After listening to the class greet her, Miss Collins introduced the day’s lesson. “Today, class, we’re gonna learn about fractions. And I thought a fun way to do this would be if we divided up some… pies!”

The class chattered with excitement when Miss Collins retrieved two pies from her desk.

“I love fractions!” Logan admitted.

“I love pie!” Carlos gasped excitedly.

“And after we cut them, I guess we’ll have to eat them,” Miss Collins mused. Her students cheered at the news. A fun way to learn maths that gives them free food?

“I think we’re gonna like it here,” Kendall smiled.

But before the five of them could step into the classroom, Kelly stopped them, declaring, “Oh no. You guys aren’t going to school here.”

“Well, what school are we going to?” James asked.

**

The school they were going to was the School of Rocque. It was simply a supply closet Gustavo had repurposed at the recording studio. The only items in the supply closet that gave the space some semblance of a classroom was the blackboard and the desks. Yeah, there were shelves behind them. But they didn’t have books. They had musical instruments.

And this makeshift classroom barely had enough room for everyone. In fact, Kaelyn had to share desks with Kendall. Which didn’t phase her. They were twins. What does sharing a desk compare to other things they have shared in their lifetime?

“Welcome to the School of Rocque!” Gustavo declared.

“I don’t like this school!” James objected.

“Quiet! You love it!” Gustavo snapped. “Because by studying here, you won’t miss out on rehearsal time and recording sessions. Instead of lunch breaks, the School of Rocque has harmony breaks! And every field trip is to the dance studio down the hall!”

“And you’re our teacher?” Kaelyn asked nervously.

“No,” Gustavo answered in the negative, much to the relief of the five teenagers.

But that relief quickly disappeared when Kelly walked in with their teacher, “Guys, say hi to Mr. Smitty.”

The glasses-wearing, bow tie-wearing teacher chuckled and said, “But you all can call me Mr. Smitty.”

The three adults laughed, while the five teenagers just stared at them in confusion. Was there a joke in there? And if so, was it meant to be funny?

Mr. Smitty took the wooden pointer stick from Gustavo, saying, “Thank you so much. I can take it from here. Okay, then. Oh. Excuse me.” Mr. Smitty made his way past Gustavo and Kelly as they made their exit. “First up, we have probabilities.” But as soon as Kelly shut the door, his whole demeanour change as he hit James’ desk with the stick and snapped, “As in the probability that this band will fail before its first single is ever released!”

The five teenagers were certainly unnerved by their teacher’s sudden shift in demeanour. But even then, Carlos still had his priorities straight.

“I don’t think we’re getting pie,” Carlos said.

**

Meanwhile, back at the Palm Woods, Katie was experiencing a similar dilemma to the five teenagers. One concern that Jennifer Knight had was how her daughter was going to continue her schooling, so she decided to try to take it up herself.

When her mother slammed three thick textbooks on the table they had occupied by the pool, Katie started voicing her objections. “Mum, I don’t need homeschooling. I can go to the Palm Woods school. Tyler says the teacher is really cool.”

“Hey, I’m cool! And this is a chance for us to spend some time together in the fresh air,” was Jennifer’s response. “So, let’s start with math.” However, when Jennifer opened the math textbook to a random page, she hummed uncomfortably, “Negative integers. Find the absolute value of X with respect to…” Jennifer quickly slammed the math textbook shut, deciding instead to move to the history textbook, “Let’s start with history, where today, we’ll talk about… the Peloponnesian War?”

It was at this point that Jennifer conceded defeat. If she didn’t understand what she was meant to be teaching, how would she be able to teach her daughter effectively? Her kids would be the first to admit that she was an amazing mother; and to Jennifer, one of the things that made her an amazing mother was recognizing her strengths and weaknesses.

So, it was in recognition of her newfound weakness that she and Katie walked up to the manager’s desk in the lobby.

Mr. Bitters was… an interesting character, to say the least. Something the group quickly learned upon their arrival to Los Angeles was the hotel manager quickly lived up to his surname. He was a bitter man, but also very money hungry.

“Hi,” Jennifer greeted the cantankerous manager. “I understand you have a school at the Palm Woods.”

“Good, then we’re done,” Mr. Bitters sneered, already moving to shift his focus to his computer.

“Uh, no. What I mean is I’d like to enrol Katie in the school,” Jennifer told him.

“Does she work in TV?” Mr. Bitters asked.

“She watches TV,” Jennifer answered uncertainly, thrown off by the question.

“In accordance with our ASPA mandate, in order to attend our school, a student must be a member of the union. To get into the union, she’ll need to get a job in TV, film or music,” Mr. Bitters informed her. “And for that, she’ll need a talent manager.” Mr. Bitters then pulled another name plate seemingly out of thin air that displayed the word ‘Talent’, placing it next to the name plate on the desk that listed his occupation as manager. Switching his everyday glasses out for a pair of sunglasses, Mr. Bitters laid out his terms, “Now, I get 15% of all her earnings.”

“5% or we walk!” Katie challenged.

“Deal,” Mr. Bitters conceded defeat. He then handed the mother-daughter duo a list that was two pages long, “Here’s a list of open casting calls. If she lands a commercial, she gets into the school, and daddy gets some walking around money.”

Jennifer just grabbed the list he gave her and walked away. It looked like her day was going to be spent driving Katie around to various auditions until she landed a commercial.

The things she does for her kids…

**

“The answer is X equals nine,” Logan boasted to the teacher. He was the smartest member of the group, and he was certainly highlighting that at the moment.

The five teenagers were having an interesting experience with Mr. Smitty. He would alternate between actually being a competent teacher and teaching them in accordance to the curriculum he was required to teach. Then, he would snap and go on and on about how Big Time Rush was doomed to fail, and the band would never get off the ground. The shift between these two moods was unpredictable. Neither of them could predict when he would snap or what would trigger an outburst.

Apparently, Logan correctly guessing the answer to the math equation served as a trigger for Mr. Smitty, as he crouched before Logan’s desk and leaned into his personal space in an uncomfortable manner (as if having someone intruding your personal space was ever a comfortable experience).

“You know, I used to be in a boy band once,” Mr. Smitty admitted.

“Explains a lot,” Kaelyn muttered to Kendall, earning a hum in agreement from her twin.

Mr. Smitty did not hear the twins’ private conversation with each other, as he pressed on, “Oh, and we thought we had it made. Hot songs, flying business class, drinking milk from the carton…” It was clear he was nostalgic for his boy band days. With an exasperated groan, he rose and declared, “But let me tell you guys that that milk goes sour pretty fast.”

“I never thought I’d say this, but can we get back to math?” James requested.

“I never thought I’d say this, but I’m with him,” Kaelyn couldn’t help but tease lightly.

“Since you’re so agreeable…,” James couldn’t help but smirk as he leaned over his desk. But he was immediately deterred by the glare Kendall was shooting at him.

“Yes, yes. Let’s get back to math,” Mr. Smitty agreed tersely. Then, he opened the door and pulled in another blackboard with a math problem written on it. “So, if four boys are in a band and make ten thousand dollars, their manager takes 15%, their record sales plummet 80%, what part of their dream is crushed? Anyone? Anyone? Anyone? All of it!”

Kaelyn couldn’t help but think this was exactly what happened to Mr. Smitty. He was in a boy band, and the band got dropped when their record sales plummeted considerably. Unable to find a way to continue his career in another boy band or even as a solo artist, he resorted to teaching as his fallback career.

Hitting Logan’s desk with his pointer stick, he said, “Let’s turn to page 562 in our textbooks.”

With the teacher’s back to them, the five teenagers leaned in to have a quiet conversation with one another.

“What do you guys suppose is going on at the Palm Woods school right now?” Kendall asked.

The five couldn’t help but be lost in their fantasy.

**

In their fantasy, there was a giant disco ball hanging from the ceiling and the slogan, “Today is Monkey Day!” was written on the blackboard.

Miss Collins stood in front of her class, holding a textbook on American History as she informed her class, “Okay, class, your math homework tonight is to play video games.”

“What’s our English assignment?” the Jennifers asked excitedly.

“To throw away your textbooks!” Miss Collins answered, throwing away her textbook. As her class shoved their books off their desks, she continued, “And if you reach into your desks, you’ll find today’s science project, which is…” She pulled out her own water blaster and sang excitedly, “Water fight!”

Pulling their water blaster out of their desks, the class cheered as they immediately started spraying water around the classroom. Two of the students opted to sit at their desks eating pie instead.

**

The five teenagers were brought out of their fantasy by Mr. Smitty spraying them with a spray bottle, snapping, “Pay attention to the board!”

He turned his back to them once more, but the group, once they recovered from the shock of having their fantasy disrupted by the spray of water, immediately began talking to each other once more.

“Did we just have the same Palm Woods fantasy?” Kaelyn asked the boys. It was something that happened often with the group.

“Was the history assignment bungee jumping?” Carlos asked excitedly.

“Close enough,” Kendall nodded.

“We have got to get out of here and into that school!” James declared.

“Follow my lead,” Kendall smirked.

“Hey, hey, hey!” Mr. Smitty snapped. “No talking! All eyes on the board! The board! The board!” While pointing to the board, Mr. Smitty couldn’t help but perform a dance move he had clearly learned from his boy band days.

“Mr. Smitty, do that again,” Kendall requested.

“What? This?” Mr. Smitty said in confusion, but performing the move once more.

“Did you guys see that?” Kaelyn asked the boys excitedly.

“The passion, the snap; you can’t teach that,” Logan immediately followed along.

“Really? Well, I have to admit, I was pretty good,” Mr. Smitty admitted sheepishly.

“Which is why you can’t give up on your dream!” James told him.

“Yeah!” Kaelyn immediately agreed. “You might be too old for a boy band, but you are perfect for…” She then started stammering.

Following his twin’s train of thought, Kendall finished the sentence for her: “A man band!” The others started voicing their agreement. “Which is all the rage these days, right?”

“In Germany!” Carlos added. His smile completely disappeared when he noticed the looks his friends were giving him.

Undeterred, James pressed on, “You got a demo? I bet it’s hot!”

“No, no, no,” Mr. Smitty shook his head. “I flung all those into the ocean.”

“Then we got to record you one right now!” Kendall decided.

“We have the perfect song for you to sing!” Kaelyn piped in.

“No, no, no,” Mr. Smitty continued objecting. “It was a long time ago. I’ve put this all behind me.”

**

Mr. Smitty’s objections proved to be rather half-hearted, as he did not need further convincing to relocate the class to the recording studio. He was now dressed in jeans, a black shirt with a red leather jacket and an orange bandana tied around his head. It was clearly the look he wore in his boy band days way back when.

The song Kaelyn had arranged for him to sing for his demo was Big Time Rush. She and the boys operated the soundboard, having learned a lot from watching the sound technicians – as well as the songwriting intensives Gustavo keeps giving Kaelyn.

They had to give this to Mr. Smitty: he certainly had the enthusiasm. It was just a shame that his enthusiasm wasn’t matched by his talent. But the group did not let this deter them from their goal. Sending their teacher away meant that Gustavo didn’t have an in-house teacher. With no in-house teacher, he couldn’t run the School of Rocque. If he couldn’t run the School of Rocque, he would be faced with no choice but to send the group to the Palm Woods school to keep in compliance with ASPA mandates.

The boys cheered as they raced into the sound booth to congratulate Mr. Smitty while Kaelyn burned his demo onto a CD.

“They’re gonna love you in Germany!” James encouraged him.

“Here’s your super hot demo,” Kaelyn delivered the CD with a bright smile, which Mr. Smitty immediately kissed.

“Here’s your briefcase,” Carlos handed over his briefcase.

“Yes!” Mr. Smitty cheered.

Logan then handed him a piece of paper that had just come out of the printer, “And here’s one travelmoose.net one-way ticket to Dusseldorf.”

With everything he needed in hand, Mr. Smitty said to the group, “Oh, what can I say, guys, except…” He then picked up his suitcases excitedly and said cheerfully, “Auf wiedersehen!” With a final cheer, he raced out of the building.

“Okay,” Kendall smirked. “Now to tell Gustavo our teacher bailed and we need to go to the Palm Woods school and…”

The group screamed when they turned around and saw that Gustavo and Kelly were standing behind them. Clearly, they had been there long enough to know that Mr. Smitty’s departure was something they engineered.

“Oh, of course you can go there,” Gustavo drawled. “Now that your teacher is off to Germany, there’s really no other option except… Kelly, get them another teacher! Someone untrickable!”

 “Man, we were so close!” Carlos moaned.

“No, you weren’t,” Kelly shook her head. She then walked off to get them another teacher.

“I’ve got this one,” Kaelyn smirked.

**

The next teacher Gustavo and Kelly got for them was a middle-aged woman named Mrs. Chisdak. She wore professional attire and certainly fit the bill for the stereotypical old-school teacher. Someone who was probably dismayed when California banned the use of corporal punishment in public schools in 1986. (However, the ban on corporal punishment did not extend to private schools.)

“So… you didn’t like your first teacher?” Mrs. Chisdak began. “Well, I didn’t like him either! The moment he felt the heat, he ran for cover. But me? I’m battle-tested. I have a black belt and I’m not afraid to hit you with it.”

Yep. Definitely a teacher who favours corporal punishment.

Then, she threw down the gauntlet, “And there’s nothing you can say or do to get me to leave!”

‘Challenge accepted,’ Kaelyn smirked to herself. To the boys’ astonishment, she held up the keys she swiped from Gustavo’s desk, offering her a deal: “Here’s the keys to the Porsche out front. Leave now and it’s yours.”

Gustavo emerged from his office searching his pockets, asking, “Kelly, have you seen the keys to my…” His question was answered when he heard the chirp of his car being unlocked and the squealing tires as the teacher raced away.

His scream could be heard echoing around the building.

“How did you do that?” Kendall asked in worry and amazement.

“I’ve learned from the best,” Kaelyn smirked.

Kelly opened the door and said in exasperation, “You know he’s not gonna give up.”

“Kelly, a proper education is very important to us,” Kendall said. “And this is a supply closet!”

Gustavo’s voice could then be heard over the PA system, “Attention, students. Please report to Principal Rocque’s office. All students to Principal Rocque’s office.”

“When did he get a PA system installed?” Kaelyn couldn’t help but ask.

**

Gustavo had done up his office to look just like a stereotypical principal’s office. …well, as stereotypical as he could make it, when one considered he was still running a record company. He had the name plate that identified him as Principal Rocque, an apple and all kinds of stationary on his desk. Behind him, he had the American flag on display and, for some reason, a portrait of Dwight D. Eisenhower.

Deciding that he was spending too much time sharpening his pencil, Kelly took the initiative to confiscate the pencil sharpener from his person. Undeterred, Gustavo simply threw the pencil in a random direction behind him.

“Dogs, I care about you. I do. And I would like to tell you a story from my youth,” Gustavo began. “My principal was a jerk. And I vowed that someday, I would be a principal. A good one – fair, pleasant…”

“But you’re none of those things,” Carlos cut in.

“Hey! Things don’t always work out!” Gustavo snapped. “Bottom line is: you all are staying in the School of Rocque. End of story.”

“But, Gustavo…,” Kendall began voicing his objections. But he was interrupted by Gustavo tapping the name plate on his desk with his ruler, indicating how he wanted to be addressed. “Principal Rocque,” Kendall amended. “It’s just… this school isn’t meeting our social and educational needs.”

“We need a school that actually feels like a… well, a school,” Kaelyn added.

“With girls,” James chimed in. When Kaelyn cleared her throat, James amended his request: “Girls I can date.”

“And field trips,” Logan added his request.

“And pie!” Carlos voiced his.

“You go to my school; you play by my rules!” Gustavo declared. “And I will find a teacher that will enforce those rules! A WWE Superstar super teacher!”

Kendall snorted, “Who are you gonna get? Chris ‘The Masterpiece’ Masters?”

**

The second the teenagers found themselves back in their makeshift classroom, Kaelyn made a mental note to find some way to punish her twin for putting that thought into the universe.

Because their new teacher did, in fact, turn out to be Chris ‘The Masterpiece’ Masters.

After writing his name on the board as Mr. Masterpiece, he turned around, ripped his shirt open and roared at the five teenagers.

“I did not see this coming,” was all Kendall could say.

After taking a minute to flex his muscles, Chris said to the group eagerly, “Okay, class, let’s get started!”

“Is that really Chris Masters?” Carlos whispered quietly to the group.

As though he had heard them, Gustavo’s voice could be heard over the PA system, “That’s right! W.W.E. Champion and the only certified ASPA teacher trained to use the Master Lock!”

“That’s right. And I believe that the key to a sound mind is a healthy body. So, throw your books away,” Chris ordered. When the five teenagers looked at him in confusion, he repeated his instruction with more force, “Throw your books away!”

The boys decided they liked him so far. Kaelyn had already decided to herself that they needed to find a way to get rid of their new teacher. Making her throw her books away was just wrong.

“Alright. Now, I want you guys to lift your desks,” Chris instructed.

“Excuse me?” the group stammered in confusion.

“LIFT YOUR DESKS!” Chris snapped. The group quickly stammered their compliance as they moved to lift their desk. When he noticed that Kendall and Kaelyn were sharing a desk, he changed tactics, pointing at Kaelyn, “You. Get up here.” Kaelyn’s confusion was visible as she followed his instruction. Turning back to the boys, he screamed at them, “Now, give me five hundred desk presses! Count them out! Up! Up!”

The boys were screaming as they did their desk presses and counted them out as per instruction. Turning to Kaelyn, he struggled to think of an alternative exercise for her. Particularly when he noticed that scar on her neck.

“Get on the floor and give me fifty push-ups,” Chris requested.

Kaelyn was quick to obey.

**

The five teenagers emerged from the elevator into the lobby of the Palm Woods with none of the enthusiasm they usually had. All five of them were struggling to move, their muscles aching in protest.

The boys only had to do the five hundred desk presses. Kaelyn, after doing her fifty push-ups, had to do fifty sit-ups, fifty squats, and finish with an exercise somewhat similar to what the boys were doing. He handed her a heavy bag and told her to treat it like a kettlebell, doing fifty reps of what is known as a Romanian Deadlift.

Needless to say, Kaelyn was just as dead as the boys were when they returned to their apartment after school finished for the day.

“I can’t take another day at the School of Rocque!” Kendall moaned.

“I can’t move my arms!” Logan whined.

Kaelyn, meanwhile, was struggling to walk, having to rely on James and Carlos for help, even though their own pain.

“Hey, guys! High five!” Tyler greeted the group eagerly. But his eagerness turned into confusion when the group moaned in pain as they tried to reciprocate.

“Tyler, what are you so excited about?” James asked.

“Miss Collins says we’re having class outside today!” Tyler answered excitedly.

As Tyler and the Jennifers walked past them, the group sighed dreamily, “Class outside…”

And thus, another fantasy started.

**

In this fantasy, the class outside took place in the pool. Complete with a floating desk for Miss Collins to stand behind. The message on the blackboard in this fantasy was, ‘Today’s lesson: have fun!’ complete with a drawing of a sun with a smiley face.

“Alright, class, it’s time for geography, and you know what that means. Have fun!” Miss Collins beamed. She then patted the giant beach ball that resembled the planet Earth around to the students.

The students, who were floating in the pool on their pool rings, cheered as they based beach balls all around the joint. Miss Collins decided to help herself to some pie, and Tyler did the same. Some other students pulled out the water blasters.

The Jennifers stood outside the pool, beckoning the group like sirens.

“Come on! Come on!”

**

That last bit came from Kelly standing in front of them snapping her fingers to break them out of their fantasy.

“Come on!” Kelly snapped, her request lacking the pleasant tone of the Jennifers held in their fantasy. “You’re gonna be late for school.”

“Mine had globe beach balls,” Kendall sighed dreamily.

“Mine had pool pie,” Carlos smiled happily.

“Mine had a low student-teacher ratio,” was Logan’s dreamy statement.

“But how are we gonna get rid of Mr. Masterpiece?” James asked. He already knew getting rid of him wasn’t going to be like getting rid of Mr. Smitty and Mrs. Chisdak.

Kaelyn opened her brown paper bag to see what her mother had packed her for lunch and gagged. “I think I picked up the wrong bag. Do you guys have a lunch that’s not corn chowder?”

The boys immediately looked into their bags to see what their lunch was. Seeing his lunch wasn’t corn chowder, Kendall swapped bags with Kaelyn, understanding why she had developed a reason aversion to the food.

Then, he smirked. It gave him an idea.

**

“Now, let me jot down something on how fitness and body oil helps build a strong immune system!” Chris told them excitedly.

When his back was turned, the boys put their plan into action. While James sprayed his face with enough water to make him look clammy, Kendall took the thermos of corn chowder Logan had passed him and dumped it on James’ desk. James then dabbed some of the corn chowder around his mouth to make it look like he had just vomited.

Once everything was in place, he then pretended to gag to make the appearance more effective.

Hearing the sound, Chris turned around in alarm and, completely believing that James had thrown up on his desk, went, “Whoa! Whoa!”

“Awesome! Chunky vomit!” Carlos cheered.

Clearly, their plan was to completely gross out a W.W.E. superstar by making him think they were eating vomit.

“Hey, don’t touch that!” Chris pleaded them. “No, don’t touch that! Germs!”

But the continued actions – and the joy on the boys’ faces as they pretended to eat vomit (but what was actually corn chowder) – was wearing him down. But what finally broke him was Kaelyn grabbing a bucket that just so happened to be nearby (something Carlos had discreetly slipped her) and started vomiting herself.

He fled the classroom screaming. When Gustavo emerged in confusion, Chris screamed, “Those kids are animals!” With one final flex, he left the building.

When Kelly walked into the supply closet to escort the teenagers to Gustavo’s office, she was confused to find three of the four boys were appearing to be eating vomit. Kendall had moved over to help his twin, rubbing soothing circles on her back.

“Please tell me that’s not…,” Kelly pleaded.

“Corn chowder,” Logan quickly reassured her.

“What’s wrong with Kaelyn?” Kelly asked worriedly.

“Corn chowder, bad day at chemo,” was all Kendall offered for explanation.

Kelly decided she was better off not knowing.

**

Before long, the group was back in Gustavo’s office, where this time, he held up the ASPA Official Scholastic Registry, a very, very, very thick book.

“The ASPA Official School Registry?” Kendall read the title.

“And it’s filled with every ASPA-licensed teacher that I can and will call!” Gustavo revealed. “Every time you chase one off, I have ten thousand waiting in the wings.”

He then threw the book at Logan. Logan did manage to catch the book, but the shock of the action and the significant weight of the book caused him to fall off his chair with a grunt.

“It’s a big book, guys. Your next teacher will be here in thirty minutes,” Kelly informed them.

“You play by my rules! I win!” Gustavo cheered as he stood up. “I’m going to laugh and leave victoriously now.” And Gustavo did just that, with Kelly following along behind him.

Kaelyn, exhausted from her bout of nausea, was resting her head on Kendall’s shoulder. She asked, “Anyone got a mint?” It was no surprise that James was quick to offer her one. She accepted it with a grateful smile before sticking it in her mouth.

“Well, I guess we can kiss the Palm Woods school goodbye,” James remarked.

“Maybe not,” Logan shook his head. As Gustavo finished his rant, Logan had decided to start going through the book. “This isn’t just a list of teachers. It also has the rules every ASPA school needs to follow.”

“I smell brain!” Kendall cheered.

The group then moved to gather around Logan. Kendall and Kaelyn stood in front of the seated Logan, leaning against Gustavo’s desk, while James and Carlos peered over his shoulder.

“Okay. According to this, we’re entitled to hot lunches, outdoor breaks and interscholastic sports programs,” Logan read.

“We didn’t get any of that!” Carlos objected.

“Exactly,” Logan nodded, standing up to stand with Logan and Kaelyn.

“So, if Gustavo wants to operate a school,” Kaelyn began.

“He’s got to play by these rules,” Kendall finished with a smirk.

“I smell plan!” James said cheerfully.

“Kaelyn, you’re the best at malicious compliance,” Kendall revealed. “Would you like to pick some of the rules?”

Kaelyn did not need further prompting.

**

Kelly was in the recording studio listening to the song that Gustavo and Kaelyn had worked up during their latest songwriting intensive. It was called The City Was Ours, and Kelly could already tell the song had potential.

She was interrupted when Gustavo walked in behind her, holding up two ties, “Kelly, which tie makes me look more principally?”

“The ugly one,” was Kelly’s response.

Gustavo couldn’t say anything about her response because they were surprised to see James and Kendall walk into the room with their backpacks. Their confusion only increased when the two boys started dumping the contents of their backpacks into the drawers of the small tables on either side of the couch.

“Oh, hey, Principal Rocque,” Kendall smirked as he and James left.

Ties forgotten, he was quick to chase after them. The boys were now standing in the lobby area next to Kaelyn, who was holding the ASPA Official School Registry.

“Hey!” Gustavo snapped. “I hope there’s a good reason my control room is filled with your sweaty socks!”

“Kendall, would you like to inform Gustavo of ASPA rule 209?” Kaelyn asked with a smirk.

“I would love to, Kaelyn,” Kendall smirked in turn as he began reading the rule over her shoulder, “ASPA rule 209 states that all students must have adequate storage for personal belongings.”

“Which the School of Rocque hasn’t provided,” James chimed in.

“Oh, I don’t like the sound of this,” Kelly sighed. She knew where this was heading.

Kelly’s suspicions were only confirmed when Carlos and Logan walked by them with a smile and a wink before disappearing into Gustavo’s office. Gustavo was quick to barge in to see that Logan and Carlos were unpacking their backpacks and leaving their own belongings – including underwear – all over the shelves behind Gustavo’s desk.

“Hey! That shelf is for my awards!” Gustavo voiced his objections.

“You wouldn’t want to be in violation of ASPA rules, would you?” Logan asked coyly.

“You could lose your business,” Carlos revealed.

Kelly was quick to take the book from Kaelyn so she could review it for herself. But even she had to admit, “They’re right.”

Seeing he had no choice but to concede defeat on this matter, Gustavo instructed Kelly, “Find a place for the dogs to keep their smelly stuff, which is not in my office!” He then demanded, “And where is your teacher?”

“Yeah, we told him ASPA ensures teachers five sick days and two personal days a year,” James answered cheerfully.

“They should get more, but what can you do?” Kaelyn shrugged.

They then heard the sound of cheering. When Gustavo raced out to find the source, he saw the teacher all decked out for a day at the beach, carrying a surfboard as he called to them, “So long, suckers!”

“Sounds like a personal day to me,” Kendall shrugged.

Gustavo could only whimper in dismay.

**

Katie’s round of auditions wasn’t faring any better. First, Jennifer didn’t really look at the list Mr. Bitters had given her that closely and had just taken her to the first casting call she had heard was open that day. That casting call turned out to be more geared towards the elderly population, as they were looking to film a commercial for laxatives. One of the ladies in the waiting room kindly informed the duo of a potato chip commercial that was holding a casting call the following day.

While Katie got into the room with the camera, she did everything she was supposed to do… then, proceeded to tell the casting director everything that was wrong with the product she was meant to be selling. So, it was fair to say she wasn’t going to get the part.

So now, they were in the waiting room for another commercial, this one for laundry detergent.

“All laundry detergents fight stains. But for Suds-O, it’s personal,” Katie read the line. She then glowered at her mother, “I’m not saying this.”

“Say it!” Jennifer snapped at her. “We need to get you into the Palm Woods school.”

A nearby kid said derisively, “Why would they cast her? She couldn’t sell bacon to a dog!”

“What if I kick your bacon?!” was Katie’s fiery response.

“Don’t stoop to his level, honey,” Jennifer chided her. She then chuckled and shrugged to the boy’s mother, “Kids.”

“Well, I think she’s just adorable,” the mother responded. But then she said, “the way she thinks she has a chance against my Elliot. I mean, look at her.”

Anything Jennifer had told her daughter about not stooping to Elliot’s level had now gone out the window.

“Oh, it’s on!” Katie proclaimed.

With a roar, Jennifer charged at Elliot’s mother, tackling her off the seat. The sound of cats yowling could be heard as the catfight commenced.

“Your mum is a freak!” Elliot proclaimed to Katie.

Not taking an insult against her mother lightly, Katie wasted no time in gripping Elliot by the shirt and throwing him to the floor.

“PILE DRIVER!” Katie screamed before performing said move on the helpless boy. It was clear that she had learned a lot from her older brother and his friends growing up. “Take it back!”

“Uncle!” Elliot cried helplessly.

The other parents were trying their best to shield their kids from the two fights and not getting caught in the crossfire.

The casting director emerged from the audition room with a clipboard calling, “Okay, next up is Katie Knight! Katie?” She stopped in her tracks when she saw the fight that had broken out… and the fact that one of the people involved in the fight was the very person she was calling for.

Noticing the casting director’s presence, Jennifer briefly paused her scuffle with Elliot’s mother, but still kept her in a headlock. “She’s not getting the part is she?”

The casting director could only stammer. That was all both Jennifer and Katie needed to resume their respective fights.

What they didn’t know was the scene unfolding in front of her had given the casting director a new idea for the commercial.

**

Meanwhile, Gustavo and Kelly had taken the ASPA book off of Kaelyn and were desperately flicking through the pages, trying to find something that would give them the upper hand.

“Keep looking! There’s got to be something in this book that will make me win!” Gustavo whined.

“I’m reading through it for the fourth time!” Kelly defended herself.

“Read harder!” Gustavo roared.

“Just let them go to school at the Palm Woods!” Kelly finally snapped at him.

“The day I let them beat me is the day I- is that a goat?” Gustavo suddenly asked.

Kelly looked over to see that a live goat had indeed wandered his way into Gustavo’s office. Draped across his torso was an emblem for the School of Rocque. He wandered around the office, but seeing nothing to interest him, he walked out with a final bleat.

Incredulously, Kelly looked at the page she was on and coincidentally found the rule the teenagers decided to call upon. She read, “Every ASPA school has the right to a school mascot.”

Then, they heard the buzzer. That made them race out of the office, where they saw the boys dressed in basketball gear crowding around a water cooler.

“You are familiar with ASPA’s stance on interscholastic athletics, right?” Kendall asked coyly. Gustavo could only stammer in response.

“Did you see our goat?” Logan asked cheerfully. He gestured to the goat, which was now standing with Kaelyn, who was giving it all kinds of affection.

“Meet Gus,” Kaelyn said cheerfully. “Gus Tavo!”

“Get it?” Carlos giggled.

The buzzer drew Gustavo’s attention to the dance studio. There, he saw a small crowd had gathered, and included cheerleaders dressed in green cheering, “Win, Tigers, win!”

James appeared beside Gustavo, informing him cheerfully, “We’re playing the cast of Hopeless Housewives!” The aforementioned cast broke from their huddle briefly to give Gustavo a polite wave.

“Oh, don’t be fooled by the score,” Kendall panted, gesturing to the scoreboard. “We’re playing great!”

The ref then signalled the boys to come back onto the makeshift court. They had to finish the game. Kaelyn had moved to the crowd, holding Gus Tavo the Goat on a lead so he didn’t wander onto the court and get hurt. But what surprised Gustavo was that Kelly was now standing next to Kaelyn, wearing a shirt that fans often wore to sporting games and cheering on the Goats.

When Gustavo looked at her in disbelief, she just shrugged, “Hey! If you can’t beat them, join them!”

Well, Gustavo decided that he was not beat yet, so he wasn’t going to join them. Instead, he decided to get in the middle of the basketball game, which was now in its final quarter. He was screaming at everyone to get out of his studio, but he was ignored as both teams pressed on with the game. Gustavo was knocked over in the chaos.

The School of Rocque Goats ended up losing to the Hopeless Housewives Tigers as they made the final shot. Gustavo screamed when the actress who made the final score ended up knocking over the basketball net into the drum set that had only been pushed into the corner. The final score was 64-5, and Kaelyn couldn’t help but suspect those five points were given to the boys out of sympathy.

Why they didn’t choose to have a hockey team instead of a basketball team, she didn’t understand. Although, she supposed they were going for what caused the most chaos possible, and she wasn’t about to argue against that. (Although, they could’ve caused just as much chaos and, dare she say, destruction playing hockey; especially with the way they play.)

After helping Gustavo to his feet, Kendall panted, “Sorry, Gustavo. We’ll get them next time.”

“Principal’s office! NOW!” was all Gustavo said in response.

**

So, the group was back in his office. Complete with the Dwight D. Eisenhower portrait. And it was only now that Gustavo had put up a world map on the wall behind them.

‘Was that always there?’ Kaelyn wondered to herself.

Slamming his hands against his desk, Gustavo snapped, “I am the principal of this school, and I don’t give into demands, and holliganistic tactics don’t scare me! Sabotage? Shmoobotage! You! Can! Not! Beat! Me!” In a suddenly calm voice, Gustavo decided, “Now, what you’ve done here cannot and will not go unpunished. Which is why I hereby… expel you!”

“What? What does that mean?” James asked.

“It means… you are hereby kicked out of the School of Rocque!” Gustavo declared, rising to his feet. “Now, get out! Go on! Move it!” After they stared at him in a moment of confusion, the five teenagers were quick to leave the office. Once they were on the other side of the door, Gustavo sighed dramatically as he sunk into his chair. “It wasn’t easy, but they needed to be disciplined.”

“So, from now on, I’ll pick them up from the Palm Woods School and bring them here by 12:30,” Kelly surmised.

“Yep,” Gustavo immediately nodded.

They could hear the group of teenagers cheering outside the office. They had won after all.

**

But on their first day at the Palm Woods school, they found that Katie was also successfully enrolled. They were watching the fruits of her labours to get into this school. When the casting director for that laundry detergent commercial saw the fight that had broken out in the waiting room, she had indeed been struck with inspiration and was able to rework the commercial around the storyline. Both Katie and Elliot were cast.

But so was Jennifer Knight.

As Katie and Elliot fought in the background, covered with mud and various stains, at what was set up to look like a kids’ birthday party, Jennifer’s voice could be heard reciting the line:

“Kids don’t always get along, but they do always get dirty! So, if yours are mud magnets like mine, be sure to use Suds-O Laundry Detergent. The only detergent that knocks out stains!” Jennifer then emerged in the shot holding the box of laundry detergent.

“Nice job,” Kendall and Kaelyn praised their younger sister.

“I am loving this town!” Katie declared.

Mr. Bitters emerged from around the corner, wearing a fur coat and sunglasses while counting his money. “So am I,” he agreed.

But the group paid him no mind because the bell rang. It was time for school, and for the first time since arriving in Hollywood, they were eager to go.

“Okay. Time to do school Palm Woods style,” James said happily.

“Hello, ladies,” Carlos greeted the Jennifers as he sat behind them.

“Okay, class,” Miss Collins began. “Let’s start with science, where we’re gonna talk about water displacement.”

Kaelyn buried her head under her books as the boys predictably stood up with their water blasters and began spraying water all around the classroom, wishing the ground would open up and swallow her whole. She normally didn’t have a problem with the boys’ schemes. In fact, she often took part in them. But there was still a line she didn’t cross.

Disrupting her class time crosses that line.

She heard Carlos ask, mouth full of pie, “This school was much more fun in our fantasies, wasn’t it?”

“Yep,” she heard Kendall, Logan and James quickly voice their agreement.

So, when the boys were assigned detention that afternoon, Kaelyn decided they were on their own.

Chapter 5: Make It Work, Get It Right

There were many things Kaelyn enjoyed about her new life in Hollywood. The sunshine. The beach. The music. The new friends she was making at the Palm Woods.

But there was one aspect of her new life in Hollywood she did not enjoy: her apartment.

It could only be described as a dump.

The group had a tough day. Alongside Kaelyn’s songwriting intensives (again), the boys had to go through five hours of dance rehearsals and seven hours of harmonies. It was so intensive that James ended up sweating through fourteen bandanas, as he was quick to remind the group when they finally got back to the Palm Woods late that night.

All they wanted to do was chill out, and they wanted to chill out anywhere beside their apartment. Unfortunately, they couldn’t hang out by the pool because Lightning the TV Wonder Dog was filming a commercial and the director didn’t want any human extras; and they couldn’t hang out in the lobby because Mr. Bitters had a strict rule against loitering in the lobby after 9pm, and he was very gleeful in pointing out it was now after 9pm – even if it was only one minute past nine.

Sitting on the couch in the apartment, Kendall expressed with the lack of excitement he had before, “Then, there’s the gracious interior of our very own apartment, 2J.”

“This place is horrible!” Carlos and Logan proclaimed.

Kaelyn gasped as the couch’s support collapsed (again) and she lost her balance (again) and she was forced into James’ chest (again).

Now, Kaelyn definitely wasn’t deliberately feeling James up, but since she had put her hands on his torso to steady herself, she couldn’t help but notice that the intensive dance rehearsals the boys were being subjected to allowed for more definition in James’ muscles – and he was already the muscular one in the group.

When Kendall cleared his throat in annoyance, Kaelyn sheepishly righted herself.

It was at this point the five teenagers collectively decided they had enough, so they marched down to the lobby and demanded Mr. Bitters’ attention.

“What? I’m busy!” Mr. Bitters snapped, appearing from his office with his mouth full of food.

“We’d like a nicer apartment please,” Kendall requested politely.

“How come everyone else gets one of those cool apartments?” James asked, pointing to the advertisement displaying one of the nicer apartments in the building.

“And ours is a big time dump,” Carlos piped in.

“2J a dump?!” Mr. Bitters repeated in disbelief. In the process, he spat out part of a chip he was eating, which unfortunately hit Logan in the face. “If by dump, you mean really cool!”

“No, I’m pretty sure he means a literal dump,” Kaelyn deadpanned, moving to follow Mr. Bitters.

Mr. Bitters escorted the five teenagers back to their apartment, trying desperately to highlight why Apartment 2J was so special.

“As you know, the Palm Woods is home of the future famous,” Mr. Bitters reminded the group of the classic pitch. “Do you know how many showbiz legends have stayed in this very room?”

“Do you know how many stains and smells there are in this very room?” Kendall was quick to retort.

“If you spill, it’s a stain. When Lindsay Lohan throws up chocolate milk, it’s history,” Mr. Bitters corrected. He then gestured to that stain by his feet. He then gestured to a dent in the wall from an impact of some kind. “And this blemish – the result of a Shia LaBeouf indoor soccer game.” He was then quick to rebuke the teenagers, “No soccer in the rooms.” He then continued, “And are you telling me that you are too good for the TV enjoyed by Kanye West when he was known around here as Lil’ Kanye West?”

“Surely, we can at least paint the place. You know, freshen it up a bit,” Kaelyn tried to compromise.

“No, ‘cause your lease specifically states that there will be no painting,” Mr. Bitters read from the copy of the lease he so conveniently had on him. Looking behind them, he quickly moved to the family picture that was hanging up. “No hanging of personal pictures…” However, when Mr. Bitters removed the picture to see the sizeable hole it was covering up, he acquiesced, “I’ll allow this one.” He then continued reading the rules, “No construction of any kind, and there is no way I am putting four hockey-playing hooligans and their cheerleader into one of my finer apartments!”

“So, installing an indoor swirly slide is completely out of the question?” Carlos couldn’t help but ask.

“This matter, like this door, is closed,” Mr. Bitters proclaimed, slamming the door shut. The impact caused the family picture to fall to the ground.

“I’m surprised the pipe didn’t burst,” Carlos remarked.

Then the pipe burst.

“Pipe just burst,” James said.

“Yep. We need a new crib,” Kendall declared.

“Yeah. Right, like that’s just gonna fall from the sky,” Logan scoffed.

**

Well, Logan learned the following day that the chance for a new crib was going to fall from the sky. They were called into Rocque Studios the following day. But instead of heading to a rehearsal space or a recording studio, they were taken to the meeting room. There, they saw a layout of what they immediately knew they wanted as their new crib.

With a plasma screen TV, a dome hockey table, an arcade game, colourful furniture – and the most important feature: a swirly slide.

“We call it the Ultimate Teen Crib,” the set designer introduced the concept, “filled with amazing home electronics, arcade games…”

“A swirly slide!” Carlos gasped excitedly.

“Cool, right?” Griffin smiled. He then turned to his assistant Abdul, “Put a swirly slide in my office.”

“Griffin, I don’t know what this is, but I need to work with the dogs on harmonies today, and get Kaelyn to do some backing vocals for other artists,” Gustavo voiced his objections.

“Change your plans,” Griffin ordered. “Our ancient Japanese founder, Mr. Fujizaki, wants to dump our music division. But you boys are going to change his mind.”

“And we get to live in there?” Kendall asked hopefully.

“Yes,” Griffin nodded. “For two hours, while you shoot a promotional video surrounded by RCM/CBT/Global Net/Sanyoid products, which will show Fujizaki why our future rock stars are perfect for selling his blenders, plasma TVs, and missile defence systems.”

“Hello!” Kaelyn remarked at the product listing. Missile defence systems?!

“Oh. And do some interviews. You know, why they love to sing, why they wear that helmet, and why they love RCM/CBT/Global Net/Sanyoid arcade games, industrial-strength playground slides, and the new XZ5 Micro Laptop,” Griffin requested, showing off the aforementioned laptop. “Look how tiny!”

“And we could all wear bandanas!” James was quick to suggest. “It could be our thing! Bandanas…”

“Griffin, you can’t keep coming into my studio every day and interrupting my training sessions!” Gustavo snapped. Kaelyn did think he was being a bit quiet.

“Yes. I can,” Griffin retorted. “And do the interviews by the water. Fujizaki thinks water is lucky. It’s weird.”

“Actually, in Japanese culture, water symbolizes purification and life. Waterfalls, for example, are considered sacred and it is believed that standing under a waterfall is purifying,” Kaelyn piped in. Noticing the looks the others were giving her, she shrugged, “What? I like reading.”

“But you want a performance in this teen hangout crib thing,” Kelly sought clarification.

“Exactly,” Griffin nodded. He then dropped the bomb, “And I need it in two days, or the music division will be gone.” He then added cheerfully before leaving, “But have fun with it!”

Kelly was quick to get to work, “Okay. We’ll build the teenage crib here in Studio A, I’ll find a beach location for the interviews, and put in some calls for a hot director.”

“I’m a hot director!” Gustavo rose from his seat. “And we’re doing everything here because it’s easier, quicker and cheaper.” He then turned to the set designer, “You! I want to show you where you’re gonna build this thing.”

What Gustavo had no way of knowing was that the five teenagers had started scheming already.

**

“No! No way! It’s impossible!” Logan was quick to begin objecting. They were now back in their apartment with the designs for the Ultimate Crib Hangout.

“A week ago, we were a hockey team in Minnesota. And today, we’re a band in L.A. Anything is possible!” Kendall declared.

“Okay, you have a point,” Logan conceded. “But how are we gonna get all this in here?”

James sighed as he held up a bunch of bandanas he was holding, “Take any colour you want.”

“We’re not wearing bandanas in the video, okay?” Kendall quickly objected.

“You know what? You guys never support my risky fashion choices!” James sighed in exasperation.

“Wearing a colourful bandana on your head is a risky fashion choice?” Kaelyn asked in confusion. She then asked hopefully, “Can I take the purple one?” Kaelyn smiled as James wordlessly handed the purple bandana to her and she quickly began tying it around her wrist like a bracelet.

“Now, the first step is to get the set designer to build the Ultra-Teen Crib here and not Rocque Records,” Kendall pondered.

“Yeah. That’s simple. And how are we gonna do that?” Logan asked incredulously.

“Logan, are you forgetting that the Palm Woods is home of the future famous?” Kendall smirked.

**

Sensing what Kendall had planned, all five teenagers quickly raced down to the lobby. Kendall held his arms out to halt their path, as he said, “Wait for it…”

Camille then appeared, storming in from the pool area and slapping Kendall across the face.

‘Right on schedule,’ Kaelyn thought to herself with a smirk.

“Trevor, I trusted you with my heart, my soul, my money!” Camille sobbed.

“Camille!” Kendall cut in.

“What?” Camille inquired, immediately breaking character.

“We need to borrow your acting,” the five teenagers informed her.

“Sure,” Camille shrugged.

**

It turned out, the acting job they needed Camille for involved her dressing in a business suit talking to the set designer. She was pretending to be one of Griffin’s associates, something that was easy to do because Griffin had several associates he delegated various responsibilities to. It was common for Griffin to send one of his associates – sometimes randomly – to dictate orders on his behalf.

“I need this installed by 3pm tomorrow at the Palm Woods, not Rocque Records,” Camille informed the designer. “Can you do it? Because if you can’t, Mr. Griffin will find somebody who can.”

“Yeah, it’s all prebuilt here, and the paint will be dry by three,” the set designer responded.

“Good!” Camille smiled in approval. She then handed the set designer a business card, “Call Mr. Griffin on this number only if you have anymore questions or run into any problems.” She then walked away, calling over her shoulder, “Back to work, everybody!”

The five teenagers lingered nearby, obviously having heard the exchange. They were prepared for the fact that the first thing the set designer would do is call the number Camille gave her to verify her new instructions with the CEO director.

Predictably, the phone rang and Kaelyn answered the call, since she had a better secretary voice than the others.

“Arthur Griffin’s office,” she answered the phone. “One moment please.”

As Kaelyn handed the phone to Logan, Kendall hissed, “Do your Griffin impression now!”

Logan was able to do it after Carlos stomped on his foot. “Hello? Uh-huh. Yes. Move that set to the Palm Woods. Now. Okay. I need to touch my llama now. Bye.” When Logan hung up, Carlos was quick to cheer.

“I owned them in there!” Camille boasted, having joined the group while Logan was on the phone with the set designer.

“All you’ve done is set us up for big-time trouble!” Logan objected.

“Oh, our little Logey, so pessimistic,” Kendall teased.

“So scared of everything!” Carlos chimed in.

“And so hot,” Camille sighed dreamily.

“So creepy,” Kaelyn snarked.

Logan, once he got over his shock caused by Camille’s declaration, began voicing his objections, “I’m not scared. I’m realistic. As in, what are you gonna tell your mum about the crew that’ll be invading your apartment tomorrow from eleven to three?”

Kaelyn winced, “He does have a point.”

**

The matter Logan mentioned rectified itself that night at dinner. Jennifer was serving hot dogs to the five teenagers while informing them of her plans for the following day.

“Hey, I almost forgot. I’m gonna go look for a job tomorrow, so I’ll be gone from about eleven to three,” Jennifer revealed.

Carlos gasped excitedly as he immediately began digging into the hot dogs that were served before him. Kendall, meanwhile, was busy shooting Logan a knowing look. James was preoccupied with tying another bandana to his wrist. Kaelyn was sipping from her bottle of fruit water.

“Okay. That happened,” Logan acquiesced. “But what now?”

“I have no idea,” Kendall admitted. “Frankly, I can’t believe we got this far.”

“Hey, look!” James cut in, holding up his wrists. “Wrist-danas.”

“Well, our next problem is going to be Gustavo,” Kaelyn pointed out.

Nodding in agreement, Kendall declared, “We need to find someone who can think like him, someone who can get inside his head. Where are we gonna find someone that devious?”

That someone turned out to be living in the apartment with them. They were all gathered in the living room, the four boys and Kaelyn sitting down being lectured by Katie, who had set up a whiteboard presentation for the group to follow.

“First, you’re gonna need more future stars from the Palm Woods,” Katie declared. Turning to the whiteboard, she continued, “I recommend the Jennifers for their lack of fear. Next, you’ll need cordless power tools, sawdust, cool code phrases, and…”

“Wait, Katie,” Kendall cut in. “Where did you get the whiteboard?”

Kaelyn said knowingly, “You got it from the lobby, didn’t you?”

“Yep,” Katie nodded. “Speaking of Bitters, you have to keep him in his cage all day. But the key to this whole Ultra 2J Makeover is convincing Gustavo to shoot the interviews by the pool like that dog food commercial last night.”

“Right. And once our teen dream remodelling is complete, he’ll have no time and no choice but to shoot our rocking performance right here,” Kendall declared.

“Wait.” Kaelyn turned to her younger sister. “What are your terms?”

“I get the first turn on the swirly slide,” Katie requested.

“I get first turn on the swirly slide!” Carlos quickly objected.

Before the two could dissolve into a fight, Kendall and Kaelyn snapped, “You can go together!”

Tying the bandana around his forehead, James rose from his seat dramatically and declared, “Let’s do this.” He then held up a bunch of bandanas with a wide grin on his face.

“We’re not wearing bandanas!” Kendall, Carlos and Logan declared in exasperation.

“Bandanas are cool!” James snapped before storming off dramatically.

**

Kelly gaped when she walked onto the makeshift set that Gustavo had constructed in the studio. Gustavo certainly took Griffin’s instructions about shooting the interviews by the water seriously. However, he went the cheap route and decided to just use a clearly fake backdrop – complete with an obviously fake seagull hanging from the ceiling.

“You cannot shoot against this!” Kelly gaped.

“Yes, I can,” Gustavo retorted.

“Fujizaki is gonna know that water is fake,” Kelly warned him.

“Fujizaki is two hundred years old! All he knows is what yogurt he likes,” Gustavo scoffed. He then screamed, “Oh, yeah, and I say so!”

Sensing the impending storm, Logan tried to warn, “He’s in a bad mood. Abort mission!”

“Just stay cool. If we fail, we fail,” Kendall dismissed the warnings.

Sensing the boys approaching him, Gustavo held up his hand and gave instructions commonly given to actual dogs, “Heel. Sit. Speak.”

Kaelyn began the presentation while Kendall held up the pictures, “We got some pictures by the Palm Woods Pool. It’s bright. Spacious. Filled with very lucky water. It’s a great location for the interviews.”

“Hot directors shoot there all the time!” Carlos chimed in. He then cried impulsively, “Swirly slide!” before wincing as James clipped him up the head.

“Oh, the dogs are directing my video now!” Gustavo drawled.

“Hold on. You told me I’m not one of your dogs,” Kaelyn reminded him.

Gustavo ignored her, pressing on, “Well, let me tell you how it works here. You are the dogs, and I am the trainer. Now, sit!” When the group of teenagers did not move to sit, he altered his instruction, “Don’t sit!” like he meant that all along. Predictably, that got all of them to sit.

Kelly began reasoning with Gustavo, “This pool looks great. And it’s close enough that we could be back here by three to shoot the performance at the Ultra Teen Hangout place.”

The boys were quick to voice their agreement with Kelly’s idea.

“No yeah!” Gustavo snapped. “You do what I say, and I say no, no, no!” Gustavo jumped like a toddler chucking a temper tantrum with his final no. His actions caused the hastily put-together set to crumble altogether. Seeing his cheap set crumble the way it did, and recognizing Kelly’s warnings for what they were, he acquiesced, “Hey, let’s do the interviews at the Palm Woods.”

**

They were able to get the filming setup established quickly by the Palm Woods pool. Something everyone quickly learned upon their arrival to Hollywood: Mr. Bitters can be easily bribed. Send a bit of cash his way and he will be inclined to do what you want.

As demonstrated by Kelly writing him a cheque on Gustavo’s behalf for agreeing to let them film at the pool at such short notice.

“Here’s the cheque for the location fees,” Kelly said as she handed it to him. “And thanks for making this happen.”

“There’s also a ‘making this happen’ fee for me making this happen,” Mr. Bitters said, clearly angling for more money.

“Five hundred?” Kelly offered knowingly.

Mr. Bitters happily took the cheque and declared, “I’ll be in my office if you need me.”

The boys watched with interest from their makeup chairs as Mr. Bitters walked happily into his office. They had the Jennifers staking out his office from a nearby table and chair setup in the lobby. Their features hidden by overly large newspapers they were reading so no red flags emerged in Mr. Bitters’ mind. Jennifer 3 would text Katie when they were in the clear.

And sure enough, she did. Katie popped up between James and Kendall reporting, “The bird is in the cage, and the Jennifers are in place.”

Kendall nodded at his baby sister before turning to the group, “Okay, team. Remember your missions.” When they rose, Kendall started reminding everyone of their respective missions, “James, you stall Gustavo.” James nodded with a thumbs up, indicating that he was taking this mission seriously. “Kaelyn, Carlos, Katie and Camille, you head to Rocque Records and fake build the Ultra Teen Crib. While Logan and I install the swirly slide and all those other electronic goodies.”

“Okay!” Gustavo called to them. “James is up first! I’ll shoot the rest of you dogs later.”

With a smirk, after putting war paint under his eyes, Kendall told the group, “Move out.”

Before Kaelyn could walk away, James slipped a bandana into her hand. Looking down in confusion, Kaelyn then looked at him in amazement when she recognized the bandana he had just given her. But they couldn’t discuss it because they were being dragged in separate directions. Kaelyn was going with Camille, Katie and Carlos to Rocque Records while James was being dragged to the camera so he can film his interviews.

“Okay. I’m headed over to Rocque Records. They should be building the crib now,” Kelly told Gustavo. “And be nice to the boys and stop calling them dogs.”

“Kelly, here’s a secret that you need to learn,” Gustavo began. “All talent are dogs! And dogs need to know who’s in charge, or they will not listen to commands and poop on your carpet.”

Not dignifying that last comment with a response, she simply instructed Gustavo, “Just be back at the studio with the boys at three.”

**

Kaelyn couldn’t help but giggle to herself when she heard Gustavo’s yell echo all the way from the Palm Woods to Rocque Records. And she knew exactly why he was yelling. James was wearing multiple bandanas on his forehead. One over the other. So, when Gustavo would inevitably tell James to take off the bandana, having already said he wasn’t allowed to wear one during the interview, he would take off that bandana, only to reveal another bandana of a different colour underneath. It was part of his plan to stall Gustavo.

Whatever works, right?

She then heard Kelly approaching and, predicably, Camille rushed out to intervene.

“Whoa, whoa-whoa!” Camille cried out. She was dressed in a business suit similar to the one she wore when talking to the set designer the previous day, but was now stained with sawdust. She was also decked out with safety goggles and a hard hat. “Where do you think you’re going, little lady?”

“I’m Kelly Wainwright! I need to check on the Ultra Teen Crib!” Kelly shouted over the ‘construction noise’.

“Sorry! Can’t come in! No hard hat! Liability!” Camille objected.

Behind her, Carlos and Kaelyn were playing around with wooden planks and some construction tools. Carlos activated the cordless drill at various intervals, enough for what one expected to hear at a construction site, while Kaelyn hit at the wooden planks with a hammer, pretending to be hammering a nail into the wooden structure. Katie stood on a ladder by the doorway with a bucket of sawdust. She was throwing it into the air, pretending that sawdust was flying due to the construction work inside.

Satisfied with the explanation, Kelly nodded, “Oh. Well, I’ll just get some coffee! Come back later!”

With a final thumbs up exchange with Camille, Kelly walked away. Once Kelly was out of earshot, Camille turned to exchange thumbs up with Katie, Carlos and Kaelyn.

“Hey. You wanna swap?” Kaelyn asked Carlos.

“Yeah. Sure,” Carlos nodded. The two swapped tools so he was now handling the hammer while she handled the cordless drill. He then noticed what was tied around her wrist, “James gave you the lucky bandana?”

“Yeah,” Kaelyn nodded.

“You haven’t worn that since your treatment,” Carlos pointed out.

“Guess he thinks we need the same type of luck,” Kaelyn shrugged.

Camille, having heard the exchange, was quick to ask, “Wait. What treatment? Were you sick?”

Kaelyn never denied having been through cancer, but she wasn’t overly open about it either. She only talked about her experiences when prompted – and even then, always with a slight bit of hesitation. She was also always very sparse with the information she gave.

“Yeah,” Kaelyn nodded with a sigh. “I had Classic Hodgkin’s Lymphoma a couple years ago. It’s why I have this scar on my neck and why I can get tired easily.” She then hurriedly added, “I don’t always like talking about it, though.”

Even then, Camille couldn’t help but ask, “Are you okay now?”

“Yeah. I’m in remission,” Kaelyn revealed. “I’m still under specialists and whatnot, but I’m not in treatment.”

Camille couldn’t help but look at Kaelyn in amazement. It was a welcome change for Kaelyn, as people usually looked at her with pity when they found out about her previous battle with cancer. It contributed significantly to her hesitancy to talk about it with anyone. She hated the fact they looked at her with pity, even if she always tells them that she was fine now.

Another reason it was hard for her to tell anyone was because of the looks of sadness on her family’s faces. As demonstrated by Kaelyn rushing to hug her younger sister on the ladder. When people talked about cancer, they focused on the patient. They didn’t always think about how the cancer impacted the people around the patient as well. It hit Katie pretty hard, seeing her older sister being gradually worn down by both the disease and the treatment.

But anytime she had those sad thoughts, the insightful nine-year-old (who is actually not far off her tenth birthday) would look at her sister and remind herself that her sister was here. She was alive. She survived. She still curls up next to Katie to read her a bedtime story when she asked her to. She helped her with her homework.

Camille watched the exchange before exchanging a brief look with Carlos. She wasn’t going to press, sensing the people in the room didn’t want to talk about it, but she had a pretty strong idea about the story behind the bandana beyond the fact it was lucky.

The only thing Carlos and Kaelyn would say about it was the fact that it was their most daring scheme to date, so they needed the type of luck that bandana provided to pull it off.

Nobody knows how long they were pretending to build the set in Studio A. Something that was agreed upon was the fact that the teenagers would only text each other in extreme emergencies or when Carlos was needed to film his portion of the interviews. It would reduce the likelihood of getting busted.

So, they had no idea how things were unfolding in the Palm Woods. They didn’t know if James was successful in driving Gustavo mad with his stall tactics. They had no idea if the Jennifers were successful in fooling the construction crew. They had no idea if Mr. Bitters was staying in his cage. They didn’t know if Bandana Man – an alter ego James came up with some time ago – would be making an appearance.

But there was one thing they knew for sure: they were about to run into trouble when the cordless drill stopped working.

“No, no, no, no, no!” Carlos gasped, panicking as he tried to use all the cordless power tools at his disposal. “Oh, the batteries died out!”

Kelly’s voice could be heard outside, “Hey, is the set done?”

Camille quickly peaked her head through the coverings they put up, but still did not open the door, “Uh, sorry, lady! Just a minute!”

“I need to see the set now, please!” Kelly ordered.

“NO!”

Camille froze as she had been hammering planks of wood on the door to keep Kelly out, while Carlos exchanged a look of horror with his childhood friend.

“Carlos?” Kelly said in surprise.

“No! This is not Carlos! Please go away!” was Carlos’ attempts at deflecting with a high-pitch voice. He was quick in helping Camille barricade the door.

“I am getting security!” Kelly declared, storming away.

“And you really think this is gonna work?” Katie asked incredulously.

“It works in cartoons,” Carlos shrugged.

**

The boys were about to run into problems of their own, as Kendall and Logan rode down the elevator to the lobby.

“Okay. Bitters is gone, and we just have to keep Gustavo occupied for one more hour,” Kendall revealed.

“I can’t believe it. I think we’re actually gonna make it. I’m not even scared,” Logan responded.

The fear quickly appeared when the elevator doors opened and the boys were greeted by both Gustavo and Mr. Bitters.

“Why are the Jennifers dripping ketchup all over my Palm Woods?” Mr. Bitters demanded. He cried, “Hey!” when Gustavo took the chip he was holding up.

“Dogs, interview now!” Gustavo barked. Putting the chip into his mouth, he then grabbed Kendall and Logan by their shirts and began pulling them along.

Looks like Mr. Bitters saw through the Jennifers’ plan to pretend they were going to sue over a fridge falling on them. And, to their dismay, he was heading into the elevator.

“All done with my long interview,” James trailed off when he saw Kendall and Logan being dragged past him.

Kendall managed to stall long enough to grab James’ arm and hiss a warning, “Bitters. Code red. Code red!”

Throwing away the towel he had been using, James held up a purple bandana, staring at it with a determined look. Before long, he had a series of purple bandanas tied around his body. This included a makeshift belt, bandanas tied around his knees, tied around his ankles, one tied over his head like a mask, bandanas tied at his wrists and elbows, and a series of bandanas tied together into a makeshift cape.

Pausing to do a dramatic superhero pose, Bandana Man took off into the lobby.

Bandana Man was going to save the day.

**

Mr. Bitters walked the hallways oblivious to the trouble he was about to face. He was hearing the construction noise as he got closer and closer to Apartment 2J.

“This is my house! You play by my rules!” Mr. Bitters fumed.

But his path was soon blocked by an unidentified figure. Bandana Man blocked Mr. Bitters’ path, striking a superhero pose as he did. They exchanged a silent look, cocking their heads, almost daring each other to make a move. Then, Bandana Man lifted himself up onto one leg with his arms up in the air, pulling a classic martial arts pose, and screamed. Mr. Bitters screamed in fear of the masked individual, moving to shield himself in the supply closet nearby.

Cackling, Bandana Man raced forward to secure the locks on the door, ensuring that Mr. Bitters would stay inside. Once the locks were put in place, he tucked a purple bandana into the door handle. It was his signature. His way of letting people know he was there.

Sighing as he took off his mask, his hair tussled as a result of the action, James scoffed, “And they said bandanas weren’t cool?”

He then walked away.

**

Carlos, Camille, Kaelyn and Katie sat against the wall in Studio A, patiently waiting for Kelly to break through their barricade with the two security guards she had collected. It didn’t take that long for the two burly men to burst their way through. The makeshift barricade Carlos constructed may have bought them time, but it didn’t buy them enough.

And it only served to increase Kelly’s already significant annoyance at the situation.

Kelly gasped in horror when she saw the four young adults sitting against the wall waving casually at her… and an empty set.

“Oh no,” Kelly said.

She now knew what the group had done.

**

Kendall, meanwhile, was completing his interview, reading off the cue cards a production assistant was holding up for him off-screen.

“I love all RCM/CBT/Global Net/Sanyoid products. And I hope to fill my room with them someday… soon,” Kendall finished with a smile and a thumbs up.

“And cut!” Gustavo ordered, rising from his director’s chair. “That was amazing!” Gustavo’s jovial mood disappeared as quickly as it appeared (however briefly) when his phone rang. “What?”

**

The scream Gustavo emitted followed him all the way from the pool to Apartment 2J, where the Ultra Teen Hangout had been built. Everyone under eighteen was pleased with the development. Kendall and Kaelyn immediately moved to the dome hockey table, where they were playing a game against one another. James was jumping on the orange couch which was much nicer (and sturdier) than the old one that came with the apartment. Logan was sitting at the breakfast bar. Katie and Carlos were preparing to go down the swirly slide.

“Yeah, it came out really good, huh?” the set designer boasted proudly. Gustavo could only whimper in response.

“It came out amazing!” Kendall declared.

“Swirly slide!” Carlos cheered.

With happy yells, Carlos and Katie were quick to christen the yellow swirly slide in the corner of the apartment. Katie emerged first, with Carlos hot on her heels. Gustavo could only continue to whimper in horror at the sight before him.

“There’s no time to move the set back to the studio,” Kelly informed him in dismay. Seeing Gustavo still moaning and whimpering, having been stunned into silence, Kelly quickly reminded him, “And the video has to be great for Fujizaki, or we are out of a job.”

Grunting as he grabbed Kendall by the arms, he ended up growling, “Light it and shoot it!”

**

The boys quickly changed into more suitable attire for the performance. Wanting it all to be filmed in one take after the disastrous interviews, and considerably pressed for time, Gustavo wasn’t in the mood to fight the boys on their attire. It was the only reason why he didn’t object to James’ insistence on wearing a bandana.

Fortunately for him, the boys have proved themselves to be seasoned professionals when the situation called for it. So, the boys turned out a perfect performance of their titular song, the only song they had in their repertoire that was past the demo stage and ready for something like this. Besides, the lyrics (and the music) suited what they were going for.

“Cut! Print!” Gustavo quickly ordered. Then he said four words that shocked the teenagers, “And strike the set!”

The boys voiced their objections as the crew began dismantling the set.

“Where are you going with that?” Kendall asked.

“Back to the warehouse,” the set designer revealed casually.

Seeing the boys object to the set being dismantled, and catching on to what they had been trying to do, Gustavo asked mockingly, “Oh, I’m sorry. Did you dogs think you were gonna get to keep this stuff?” He then cackled in amusement. He cackled so loudly that Carlos’ cries in dismay at the swirly slide being dismantled were almost drowned out.

Keyword: almost.

“Oh, that’s really, really good. The little dogs thought they outsmarted the big dog.” He then began barking at them.

Kaelyn watched in dismay as the set painters began painting over the lovely green colour with the ugly brown colour the apartment once was. Gustavo, meanwhile, was taking a lot of pleasure in encouraging the set crew to completely dismantle the set and restore the apartment to its former hideous state. Right down to the couch with legs that collapsed when the teenagers sat on it.

Once again, Kaelyn ended up falling back against James. Only, this time, with how they were positioned, her back was pressed into his front. James’ arms ended up falling across Kaelyn’s torso as a result of the movement. So, to an outsider, it appeared that James and Kaelyn were snuggling on the couch.

“But I have to admit. We did get some pretty great stuff today,” Gustavo acquiesced. “Let’s just hope Fujizaki thinks so tomorrow.”

The five teenagers only looked deflated.

**

Either way, it did not stop the five teenagers from making sure they were presentable for the virtual meeting with Mr. Fujizaki. They did want to make a good impression for the elderly man as he was shown the promotional video they had pot together.

Spliced between shots of the boys performing their song in the Ultra Teen Hangout that had been decked with the latest in RCM/CBT/Global Net/Sanyoid technologies was footage from the boys’ interviews. They all watched nervously as Mr. Fujizaki appeared to be asleep at his desk, having to be awoken and held upright by his assistants.

Kendall’s voice could be heard in the video saying, “We love hockey, we love singing, and we have a blast together.”

Everyone in the meeting room watched worriedly as Mr. Fujizaki began coughing. It was unknown if he was choking or if his throat was dry or whatever. It was hard to tell what he was thinking.

“Why do I wear the helmet?” Carlos asked in the video. As if it was cued (which it definitely was behind the scenes), a rock fell from above and hit Carlos in the head. It was also spliced with Carlos walking into a wall and spinning on his head. “That was a rock.”

James’ role in the video ended up consisting of sitting there and looking pretty. Apparently, when looking back on what they had filmed, James didn’t really give them anything they could use. Even though he would say what was written on the cue cards perfectly, he wasn’t afraid to express his true opinions on the products he was supposed to be advertising. Particularly where their hair dryers were concerned.

As James had proclaimed, RCM/CBT/Global Net/Sanyoid completely ignored ionized technology when designing their hair dryers. And with the way he obsessed over his looks, he would know.

Logan’s section of the video had him say, “I’m the smart one of the group. But don’t be fooled. I’m not afraid to take a risk… much like RCM’s 64-Bit Core Risc Processor.” He then added a wink to the end of his sentence, which made Mr. Fujizaki laugh.

Kaelyn was surprised to see the Jennifers appear in the video. Then, she remembered what Kendall and Logan had told her, James and Carlos the night before. Apparently, in response to needing to do more than what was previously agreed, the Jennifers requested to have a role in the video and the opportunity to sing backup for them. They were happy to help the boys, but also unafraid to take advantage of their desperation.

When the video came to an end, everyone stared at Mr. Fujizaki nervously, waiting for his reaction. He may have expressed moments of pleasure during the video, but did it mean they had done enough to save their jobs? To secure their future?

“I like the boys,” Mr. Fujizaki proclaimed, much to their relief.

While the teenagers celebrated, Griffin couldn’t help but remark to Gustavo and Kelly, “I’ve never seen Fujizaki so excited. Frankly, I think it’s the first time I’ve seen him move.” He then patted Gustavo’s shoulder, “You were a good boy today, Gustavo.” He then punched Gustavo’s cheeks and cooed, “Good boy!” like he was talking to a dog.

When Griffin walked off with his assistants and the set designer, Gustavo turned his attention to his band.

“So, we learned a lot here today, didn’t we? You did some things. We did some things,” Kendall began saying.

Gustavo cut in by yelling his orders at the boys, “Ten hours of harmonies! No breaks! Move out!”

Dejected, the boys moved to the recording studio.

Gustavo then whirled around to Kaelyn and, softening his tone, said to her, “No songwriting intensive today. You’re helping them with harmonies.”

“Aren’t we still working on City is Ours?” Kaelyn asked in surprise.

The look Gustavo gave her had Kaelyn dejectedly following the group.

**

The group’s dejection lasted for the entire ten hours and all the way back to the Palm Woods. Except, their dejection was also combined with exhaustion. Ten hours of harmonies was no joke. And they were certainly not looking forward to going back to their crummy apartment, since they already knew they would not be allowed to hang out by the pool or in the lobby this evening.

But when they opened the door and walked in, they gaped in amazement by what they saw.

Gustavo had arranged for the Ultra Teen Hangout set design to be rebuilt in the apartment. And it wasn’t a temporary setup this time. It was done as a total renovation to the apartment. As their permanent home.

“Hey!” Katie greeted the teenagers happily as she emerged from the swirly slide.

From her position on the couch, Jennifer praised the group, “Well, I love what you’ve done with the place.”

The group quickly raced to the dome hockey table, but were stopped by the appearance of Gustavo and Kelly behind them.

“Uh… good job today,” Gustavo praised them with a halting tone. Clearly, he wasn’t used to giving out praise.

“This is awesome!” Kendall smiled happily.

“This is a bone,” Gustavo clarified, taking off his sunglasses.

“Come again?” Logan requested kindly.

“I realized today, sort of, that if you really want to train dogs properly, you need to throw them a treat now and then. So, enjoy your treat,” Gustavo told them. He was quick to warn them, however, “You’re not getting anymore.”

“And we lost a day of rehearsal because of the shoot, so it’s at the studio 7:30am,” Kelly chimed in.

“We’ll be there. No problem,” Kendall quickly reassured her.

“We promise,” Carlos chimed in. “No more surprises.”

Well, it turned out there was at least one more surprise for the group. They heard the sound of the drywall cracking before turning to see Mr. Bitters emerge. Turns out their apartment was linked to the supply closet Bandana Man had trapped Mr. Bitters in earlier. They had been wondering what happened to the grumpy hotel manager. They watched as he scrambled to his feet, covered in dust, gaping in horror at the makeover the apartment had been given.

“You’ve altered this room! You’ve completely devastated this apartment!” Mr. Bitters gasped in horror.

“You locked him in the supply closet?!” Logan asked James, an incredulous tone in his voice.

“No!” James cried. He then held up his bandana, “Bandana Man did.”

“This is a total lease violation!” Mr. Bitters proclaimed. His tirade was briefly interrupted when he noticed the swirly slide in the corner. “Man, cool swirly slide.” But it was quick to resume as he began declaring, “I want all of you out of here tomorrow!”

Kelly was quick to intervene, holding up a cheque for Mr. Bitters, “What if I add another grand to your ‘making it happen’ fee?”

Pacified, Mr. Bitters accepted the cheque and bade farewell to the group, “Have a Palm Woods day, everyone. Enjoy your stay.”

When the group quickly moved back to the dome hockey table, Kelly said quietly to Gustavo, “You like them. They’re not like other bands you’ve produced, are they?”

“They’re dogs, and I’m training them,” was Gustavo’s response. He then slid his shades back on and walked away, shouting defiantly behind him, “I don’t like them!”

Kelly only smiled. She knew better. Why else would Gustavo have done this for the boys? Alongside what he had done for Kaelyn.

Kaelyn moved towards her bedroom, intending to put her songbook away safely. Flicking on the light, she gaped in surprise at the sight that greeted her.

Her bedroom had been subjected to a makeover as well, with dusty blue walls, a larger bed than one she had before, and white furniture, including bedside tables, a chest of drawers, and a wardrobe. The bed was adorned with a white floral quilt bedding set.

But that wasn’t what amazed Kaelyn. What amazed her resided in the corner of her new bedroom.

Gustavo had gifted her a basic recording setup for songwriting, along with an electric keyboard. There was a note attached to the monitor. To her surprise, it was also from Gustavo.

“City of Ours is perfect the way it is. – G”

With a smile, Kaelyn sat at the electric keyboard, ready to get right to work and test her new equipment by working on some new songs.

Chapter 6: Nothing's Really As It Seems

Rollin’ past graffiti walls
Billboards lighting up the block
Everyone of us on a mission

It started out as another typical day in Hollywood. They were recording a new song for the band’s demo CD. It was the song that Gustavo had Kaelyn slave over for several of their songwriting intensives before ultimately deciding it was ready to give to the boys. It was called The City is Ours.

Because the night is young
The line is out the door
Today was crazy
But tonight, the city’s ours

Watching the boys recording her music was something Kaelyn didn’t think she would ever get used to. Watching her songs come to life with the help of her new mentor, who sat in the engineering room with a poker face that could easily double as a scowl. When the boys were recording music, Gustavo never gave anything away. He preferred to save the critiques for after – unless it was something major that needed to be addressed straightaway.

And it was more often than not a critique. Gustavo rarely (if ever) gave compliments to the boys. The only person he ever came close to praising in the group was Kaelyn. And even then, he was gentler with her critiques than he was with the boys.

In fact, the last time Gustavo did anything nice for the group (which also happened to be the only time if you didn’t count whisking them out to Los Angeles) was when he had their apartment renovated.

Live it up
Until the morning comes
Today was crazy, but tonight
The city is ours

Logan cheered when they finished recording the song, raising his arms in jubilation. Regretfully, the coordination Logan demonstrated on the ice didn’t always follow him off the ice, and he ended up hitting Carlos in the head, knocking him off-balance.

As the instruments faded out, having played the final chord of the song, Gustavo threw off his headphones and joined his dogs in the studio, with Kaelyn and Kelly hot on his heels.

“The song is great!” Kendall proclaimed.

“Of course it’s great! I masterminded it!” Gustavo scoffed.

Something else that Gustavo had to learn – especially now that he had an intern working alongside him – was sharing credit. It was something that happened gradually and proved to be surprisingly easy. While he was not afraid to admit that Kaelyn provided significant contributions to the songs for the band, he was still the one ultimately putting everything together with his years of experience.

Kaelyn would provide the lyrics (which Gustavo would help her rewrite on occasion) and her vision for the song, but Gustavo would be the one to put it all together. He created the sound. He mixed the vocals. He composed the backing instruments.

The best way to describe Gustavo and Kaelyn’s blossoming partnership was to compare it to building a house. Kaelyn would give him the design, and Gustavo would build off of that, making his own adjustments along the way with an insight that can only be gained through experience.

“But the band isn’t great!” Gustavo snapped. “What’s missing is the secret rock and roll ingredient.”

The boys were quick to offer up their guesses as to what they thought the missing ingredient was.

“Hair mousse,” James smirked, flipping his hair along the way.

“Chocolate mousse!” Carlos offered up excitedly.

“Spandex? Please don’t say spandex,” Logan pleaded.

Kaelyn had to agree with Logan’s pleas. Spandex does not look good on anyone. Even James – who could arguably make anything look good – would not be able to pull off a spandex look.

Gustavo pulled Logan into his side as he revealed what was missing: “The bad boy!”

“Of course,” Kaelyn muttered under her breath.

There were quite a few stereotypes you could break down each boyband into. But one of the best-known stereotypes was the bad boy. The bad boy was the boy parents wouldn’t want their daughters to date. They typically wore black clothing, had tattoos or piercings, and were typically a rebel without a cause.

And girls were attracted to bad boys.

“The ill-tempered rebel with a flair for synchronized dance!” Gustavo elaborated, moving between Logan and Carlos. Moving between Carlos and James, Gustavo stated, “One of you has to be it.”

Kaelyn could see the smirk James was wearing as he pointed to himself. Of course he thought of himself as the bad boy. But Kaelyn would be the first to disagree. She had James firmly put in the Heartthrob category.

Not that she would admit to that out loud, or that she was thinking of that in any way that wasn’t boyband logic.

Besides, she had also put the others in their roles too. Carlos was the Cute One with a bit of a wild side. Logan was the Smart Guy. Kendall was the Older Brother. The leader of the band. (Well, they wouldn’t be here without him, so it fit.)

But everyone was surprised when Gustavo popped up next to Kendall and declared, “My money’s on Kendall!”

Kelly pointed at Kendall and flashed a wink. James looked offended. Kaelyn could only stare at the scene unfolding before her in shock.

She’d like to think she knew Kendall better than anyone (she shared a womb with him after all), and she knew that Kendall was not the bad boy type.

Actually, none of the boys were the bad boy type.

And it was something they were quick to start arguing.

“Gustavo, why do we need a bad boy?” Kendall demanded.

Gustavo signalled for Kelly to show them exactly why he had decided the band needed a bad boy. Kelly held up a picture of Griffin and a phone to play the latest voicemail Gustavo had received from his boss.

“Gustavo, it’s Griffin. The band needs a bad boy. Bye.”

“He’s driving me crazy!” Gustavo yelled, pulling off his sunglasses. “But he’s also right. Because the bad boy is a rock and roll tradition.”

“But they’re not rock and roll,” Kaelyn pointed out. “They’re a pop group.”

“Hey!” the boys cried out.

“Doesn’t matter,” Gustavo retorted. “Every boyband has a bad boy.”

**

To further highlight his point, Gustavo took the group out to the hall, where he had posters of nearly every artist he worked with displayed.

First, he took them to the poster for one of his earlier boybands, Boyquake. The four boys were dressed in different clothes. One wore a black outfit, one wore a white vest with a red cross, one looked like a fireman without the bulky jacket, and one was dressed in an orange jumpsuit. The boy in the orange jumpsuit stood tall with his arms crossed and his back to the rest of the band.

“Notice the back turned to the rest of the band. Bad boy,” Gustavo proclaimed.

He then moved to the poster of another band he worked with: Boy Blast. This photo was taken in an alleyway rather than the rooftop of a city building. It was a lot easier to pick out this band’s bad boy compared to picking Boyquake’s.

“Notice the back turned, the dark clothing, and the scowl,” Gustavo instructed them, gesturing to the band member wearing a leather jacket with his back to the band.

“Bad boy?” Kaelyn supplied knowingly.

“Bad boy,” Gustavo nodded in approval.

Kelly stepped forward, offering a warning to the group, “But there can only be one bad boy per group. As learned from the bad boys experiment of ’95.”

Kelly then took down the poster for Boy Blast to unveil a hidden poster behind it. This band was called Bad Boyz (with the Z replacing the S). All four members wore dark clothing and had their backs to the camera. But Kaelyn knew that they had their scowls on, glaring at the wall they posed in front of.

“Didn’t sell a single CD,” Gustavo lamented.

It was certainly a hard way to learn the lesson.

“But we’re best friends. We never turn our backs on each other,” Kendall continued his objections.

This time, James, Carlos and Logan backed him up. That was one thing they were quick to agree on. They would never turn their backs on each other. They never have before.

So, Gustavo decided to throw in some additional information that was sure to entice them:

“Then, let me let you in on another rock and roll secret. The bad boy is also the most popular member of the band, makes the most money, and dates the hottest models.”

Kendall and Kaelyn exchanged knowing looks as James, Carlos and Logan immediately started arguing over their ability to be the bad boy of the group. They started declaring they can be bad and even showed Gustavo their backs, since he had mentioned the bad boy often had his back turned to the rest of the band.

Even then, Kaelyn couldn’t help but tease Kendall, “You sure you don’t wanna get in on that?”

“I’m good,” Kendall nodded with a slight laugh.

**

“Bow to the queen, boys,” Katie smirked to the group.

Katie was sitting by the pool, occupying a table with the housekeeping staff who were on their breaks. They were playing a round of poker with the young girl. And much to their dismay, she was winning. A little girl was schooling them on the finer points of poker. It was shown by one player moving to take off his watch, having run out of money to bet with.

Jennifer was quick to intercede, telling the adults at the table, “No watch! And please take back the money. Katie.” Shooting her daughter a stern look, she grabbed her hand and led her away from the table. Taking off her daughter’s sunglasses, Jennifer declared to her, “You need a friend.”

“Why? I have you, Kaelyn, the guys, and the housekeeping staff,” Katie stated.

“You need a girl-type friend. Someone to play dolls with,” Jennifer proclaimed, ignoring the look Katie gave her when she mentioned playing with dolls – something she hasn’t done since she was four. But things got even worse when Jennifer pulled a girl over to them, “Someone like that new girl Molly.”

Katie was rendered speechless by the appearance of the girl. Blonde hair up in pigtails. Complete with ribbons. Holding a giant lollipop. Wearing a red outfit with the big wide skirt.

And the high-pitched voice.

“Hi, I’m Molly!” Molly introduced herself. “I saw you earlier, right? Well, I just moved in and I would love to play with you?”

“How about tonight after homework?” Jennifer suggested.

Katie looked horrified as she immediately started shaking her head in objection.

“Sounds swell! See you there! Bye!” Molly said happily before skipping away.

Once Molly was out of earshot, Katie was quick to tell her mother, “I don’t like her.”

“Sweetheart, you can’t judge people without getting to know them first. You can really hurt people that way,” Jennifer gently rebuked her.

Jennifer soon found herself forgetting the sage advice when she heard a scream. Turning around to the firepit area, she saw a man dressed like an overweight lumberjack wielding an axe, its blade stained with red. She also the seemingly prone body of a man lying on the ground as the axe-wielding man laughed like a maniac before proceeding to lick the red substance off the blade. She screamed in horror as she quickly scooped her daughter up in her arms and racing back into the lobby.

If she had stuck around long enough, she would have seen Mr. Bitters rising to his feet and ask his employee incredulously, “Who cuts a jelly donut with an axe?!”

“You said you wanted half,” the man named Buddha Bob shrugged. As though it justified everything.

**

It shouldn’t have been a surprise to Katie that her mother immediately called the police once they were in the safety of her apartment. So, she was fully expecting two police officers to be knocking on her door.

Noticing the door was answered by a child, one cop bent down and asked in a patronizing tone, “Hi, little one. Is your mummy here?”

“She’s in the can. Talk to me,” Katie requested.

Seeing that Katie wasn’t like any other children they had dealt with during their careers, the two cops decided to talk to her like an adult. They had correctly guessed that doing anything else would serve to offend her.

The second cop informed Katie, “Well, we just checked the grounds, and tell her the guy with the axe was the groundskeeper, and the blood was jelly… from a donut.”

Katie gaped at the news and was quick to ask, “Okay. So, you’re saying my mum busts me for judging people, then she goes and judges some guy as an axe maniac when he’s really a plant-cutting donut eater?”

“Yeah, your mum was way off,” the first cop nodded.

“Thanks, coppers,” Katie said before shutting the door in their faces.

The moment the front door was shut, Jennifer emerged from her bathroom, asking her daughter urgently, “Was that the police? What’d they say?”

Now, Katie did ponder telling her mother the truth. But that moment was brief, as she decided her mother still needed a lesson here.

So, she responded with a menacing tone, “That axe boy is still on the loose!”

Jennifer gasped in fear, not noticing that her youngest daughter had walked away with a smirk on her face. She then screamed in surprise as the door burst open and the boys made their nosy entrance.

“Wussup, Mama Knight?” Logan greeted her.

Carlos, James and Logan were dressed in dark clothing and wearing sunglasses. Kendall and Kaelyn trailed along behind them, clearly exasperated by what they had to put up with. Jennifer watched the boys with a peculiar expression, wondering what had suddenly brought on their behaviour.

Even if Carlos mooning the window wasn’t exactly a peculiar sight.

James squashed an empty plastic water bottle against his forehead and asked challenging, “You like that?”

“No. I don’t,” was Kaelyn’s retort.

Kendall took pity on his mother and elaborated, “Gustavo says one of us has to be a bad boy.”

“But you’re all nice boys,” Jennifer declared. Even as the three other boys struck a pose before her. But Jennifer quickly changed the subject, standing in front of her twins and warning them fearfully, “Oh, I’m so glad you’re here! There’s an axe maniac on the loose!”

Kendall and Kaelyn were bewildered by their mother’s sudden outburst. Then, they looked over their mother’s shoulder to see Katie pointing to a sign she was holding up to tell them that no – there was no axe maniac on the loose.

“Okay. We’ll be extra careful, mum,” Kaelyn reassured her.

“Yeah. We promise,” Kendall nodded.

Even if they were both confused, they went along with Katie’s silent message. They decided they would get the full story from their younger sister later. Preferably when their mother wasn’t in earshot.

“We want pizza! Now!”

Kaelyn gaped at how her friends had just addressed her mother. They had never dared spoken to her like that before.

But the look Mama Knight shot them in response quickly snapped them out of their actions and they all started spluttering their apologies while taking off their sunglasses. The sight made Kaelyn laugh.

Even bad boys love their mamas.

**

The relief was short-lived. Because the next day, they had to go through it all over again. Gustavo was literally holding auditions amongst the band to decide who should be the designated bad boy. Having gotten to know the boys (specifically, how they can be), Kelly questioned the wisdom of Gustavo’s scheme.

“You really think having a bad boy is a good idea?” Kelly asked her boss.

“Quiet. Here they come,” was his response.

Kaelyn thought the boys were bad yesterday. Well, today, they were even worse. She and Kendall trailed behind them in the hallway, looking equal parts exasperated and confused. She and Kendall sat in the chairs nearby, watching as Kelly gaped at the sight before her as well.

Carlos was up first in the ‘Bad Boy Off’, as they had dubbed it amongst themselves. He was holding a plank of wood. Holding it up, he smashed it on his face. The smile on his face was frozen as he ended up falling to the floor, having knocked himself out. Kaelyn immediately raced over to see if she could revive him.

Unfazed, Gustavo called, “Next!”

James had his back turned to Gustavo before jumping up and turning around, throwing off his hood as he did. He sang, “B to the A to the D! That’s me! A bad… boy!” He finished the song uncertainly, but still made the point of showing off his black and gold bandanna… and a grill he had put in his mouth.

“Really? A grill?” Gustavo was clearly not impressed.

When James walked off sulking, Gustavo called for Logan to do his bit. Logan’s was… Kaelyn wasn’t going to try to put it into words. But she did quickly move back to sit with James and Kendall to get out of the line of fire.

Logan’s dancing, while getting better all the time, still lacked finesse and precision, and it’s resulted in some accidents.

But one thing was clear to Gustavo and Kelly: the awkward nerdy boy does not make a good bad boy.

“No!” Gustavo declared. He rose from his desk and told the boys, “Okay! So, Kendall is the bad boy! You’re gonna need to start wearing black clothing and start talking deeper and slower.”

Gustavo then clapped his hands and went to walk away, expecting the teenagers to follow behind him obediently. But he clearly hadn’t learned by now that it didn’t work that way with them. All five teenagers have questioned Gustavo at some point in the past, Kendall more than the rest.

“You mean be fake. I can’t,” Kendall objected.

“No, seriously. He can’t,” Kaelyn shook her head. “He’s terrible at faking.”

Normally, Kendall would’ve been offended, but he knew his twin was right. Besides, he’d be the first to admit it. James nodded along in agreement before stopping and taking out his grill following a silent gesture and glare from Kaelyn.

“No. Kelly is terrible at faking,” Gustavo corrected, pointing to his longtime assistant. “I can always tell when she lies to me.”

Immediately, Kelly started doing the nervous laugh people did when they were getting caught out in a lie as she tried to stammer nervously, “I have never… lied… to you.”

This only served to prove Gustavo’s point, as demonstrated when he pointed at her and said, “See?”

“Gustavo,” Kaelyn decided to try and utilise a different approach with Gustavo, “there shouldn’t be anything fake about our band.”

And it ended up backfiring.

“Your band? Your band?! This is my band!” Gustavo was quick to correct Kaelyn. He then rounded to Kendall and asked, “Are you telling me that you’re gonna ignore me and Griffin and the record company and not be our bad boy?!”

“Yeah, pretty much,” Kendall nodded.

“Bad boy!” Gustavo declared cheerfully.

‘Well, that backfired,’ Kaelyn thought to herself.

Gustavo then turned to Kelly and instructed her to, “Get Griffin over here.”

**

But as Gustavo soon found out for himself, Griffin wasn’t impressed with the solution Gustavo had presented him. Clearly, the two had a different opinion on who qualified as the bad boy.

“Why isn’t his back turned to the rest of them?” Griffin asked, referring to Kendall.

“Because he won’t do as I say!” Gustavo snapped. “Which makes him the bad boy.”

“And I don’t turn my back on my friends,” Kendall shrugged.

Griffin walked forward until he was toe-to-toe with Kendall.

“That’s good. I respect that,” Griffin acquiesced. “But I said I wanted bad.”

Somehow, Kaelyn was still surprised when the three remaining members of Big Time Rush were quick to volunteer their services as the band’s bad boy. James was putting his grill back into his mouth and turning his back on Logan. Logan was putting his sunglasses back on and striking all sorts of poses. Carlos yelled like a mad man before smashing a plank of wood on his face and knocking himself out once more.

This time, Kaelyn didn’t race forward in worry. She just facepalmed.

“A bad boy is someone parents would never let their daughters date, and I would let my daughter date any one of these boys. Which is bad,” Griffin told Gustavo.

Kaelyn was surprised to hear that Griffin not only had a daughter, but clearly thought highly enough of the boys that he would feel comfortable allowing him to date her. She was touched by the surprising compliment he had just given them, and she knew the boys would be to. Once they got over this bad boy drama. She was happy to see that James and Logan were quick to remove their grill and sunglasses, at least.

“Do something about this, or I will,” Griffin challenged Gustavo. “Wait. I already did.”

“Excuse me?” Kaelyn stammered in shock.

Ignoring her, Griffin told the room to, “Say hello to WayneWayne.”

The man of the hour bounced into the room, pushing his way past Gustavo and Abdul. He was dressed like the stereotypical bad boy. The black and gold clothing. The shades. The jewellery. He carried himself like a bad boy too, and made his entrance with a rap.

Yo, Yo I’m WayneWayne from the streets of Detroit!
I’m bad-bad as my bling-bling and it’s rapping grooves I exploit!

While Kaelyn had to give WayneWayne props for his demeanour, and rhyming Detroit with exploit, she couldn’t help but think of him as a show pony.

“Give him the contract,” Griffin instructed Abdul.

Gustavo winced as he was hit in the midsection (literally) with the contract Abdul passed him. Immediately, he began flicking through the pages, looking for any kind of loophole he could exploit. But knowing Griffin as well as he did, he knew deep down he wouldn’t find it.

Draping his arm across WayneWayne’s shoulders, Griffin asked with a smile on his face, “Isn’t he bad?”

“Bad,” Kaelyn drawled.

Noticing the looks the teenage girl was getting, Kelly quickly rushed to her defence, “But great! I mean, really, really bad. But, like, in a good way.” When Gustavo signalled for her to stop talking, Kelly mustered a, “Wow.”

“Thanks,” Kaelyn muttered to her.

“Don’t mention it,” Kelly responded.

“WayneWayne, blow it up!” Griffin requested.

“Later later, Griff-Griff,” WayneWayne bid farewell to the CEO with a fist-bump.

But once Griffin and the two assistants who always accompanied him were out of earshot, WayneWayne’s demeanour changed as he turned around to face Kendall, James and Logan. Carlos was still unconscious on the ground.

James decided to take the first step and try the nice approach with the band member that was now being forced onto them, “Yo, WayneWayne, I’m…”

“Wasting your time-time!” WayneWayne declared, slapping away James’ offered hand. “Look, I ain’t here to make friends, okay? I’m here to take Big Time Rush to the next level. The WayneWayne Express is leaving the station. So, you fools step on… or step off. WayneWayne out-out!”

When WayneWayne went to make his dramatic exit, but ended up skidding like tires when he noticed Kaelyn’s presence. She was standing next to Gustavo and Kelly. Gustavo was still obsessively studying the contract Griffin had given him. It was clear that it was the contract WayneWayne signed with Griffin for a record deal.

Taking off his sunglasses, WayneWayne swaggered his way over to Kaelyn with a smirk that came across more like a leer. His eyes raked her body approvingly. It was something that would’ve annoyed Kaelyn if she didn’t feel so uncomfortable.

“I may not go down in history, but I will definitely go down on you,” WayneWayne winked at her before walking away.

Kaelyn gaped at WayneWayne’s words. She may not be as experienced in relationships as the boys (partly because the boys scared away any guy who showed interest in her), but she wasn’t a naïve, sheltered girl. She definitely understood what WayneWayne was implying, and it made her shudder in disgust.

The boys were all disgusted, but James’ disgust was more murderous. And it wasn’t just because of the fact it was directed at Kaelyn. James may have more experience in dating than the rest of the guys, but he was a ladies man. Not a womaniser. He was popular with the ladies and never had a problem getting the girl (as his friends would bitterly point out to him), but he never treated them like a piece of meat. In fact, he was able to stay on friendly terms with most of the girls he previously dated back in Minnesota (and the odd couple of girls he’s managed to date since arriving at the Palm Woods).

To see his best friend get treated that way – the way he would never treat a girl – made his blood boil.

“We don’t like him!” Kendall, Logan and James quickly declared.

“Yes, you do! You all do!” Gustavo snapped back, having finished flicking through the contract. By this point, Carlos was back on his feet, having regained consciousness. But he only caught the tail end of Gustavo’s rant. “He’s the bad boy, and he’s staying at the Palm Woods!” Gustavo ignored the way Kaelyn winced at the news before he ordered the boys, “So, be good boys and make friends-friends with WayneWayne!”

“Who’s WayneWayne?” Carlos asked in confusion.

“Just don’t make me repeat what he said to me,” Kaelyn pleaded.

“We don’t even wanna repeat it,” James reassured her, a dangerous edge to his voice that was rarely heard.

Yeah. His blood was still boiling.

**

The five teenagers went back to the Palm Woods. Kaelyn briefly thought about her younger sister and what she had said about their mother trying to make her be friends with a new kid that moved into the Palm Woods (even though Molly gave Katie a bad vibe) and her overprotectiveness over the supposed axe maniac being on the loose.

But Kaelyn put those thoughts to one side for the time being. She had her own problems to deal with.

Like WayneWayne.

Even though he was flexing his muscles by doing a bench press with a sun lounge with the Jennifers sitting on it, WayneWayne still made sure Kaelyn was in his line of sight. It was clear that he was trying to impress her, seemingly ignorant to the fact that the vulgar pickup line he had used on her killed any chances he had (not that he had any to begin with).

“First, he joins our band without our permission,” James begins the rant.

“Now, he steals our girls – who have no interest in us – but it’s still not fair!” Carlos pouted.

“And that’s why we’re gonna get rid of them,” Logan reassured his two friends. He then turned to Kendall and requested, “Kendall, get rid of him.”

“Why me?” Kendall demanded.

“Because he scares us!” was James’ response.

“And he did that horrible pickup line to your twin,” Kaelyn piped in.

Kendall rose to his feet and faced his friends, “We are a band. And we’re gonna do this together, because we are not afraid of some loudmouth, backwards-hatted, droopy-pants wearing…” Noticing the way the group was trying to wave him off, Kendall asked, “He’s right behind me, isn’t he?”

“Unfortunately,” Kaelyn grumbled.

Kendall rounded to face WayneWayne.

“You want trouble-trouble, Kendork? Bring it, bring it,” WayneWayne challenged.

“Yeah. We’ve decided that there’s only room for four members in Big Time Rush,” Kendall proclaimed.

“Great-great!” WayneWayne scoffed. Then, he took out his phone and dialled a number. “Yo, Griff-Griff. The guys agree with me. Five in the band is too many.” With a smirk, he then put the phone on speaker so they could hear Griffin’s response.

“Sounds fresh, WayneWayne. I’ll stop by the studio tomorrow to see which one goes. Griff-Griff out.”

James yelped in horror at Griffin’s words. He certainly did not expect things to go like that.

“You see…,” WayneWayne began as he held up his contract, “my contracts says that I’m guaranteed to front a band – and I picked this band.”

“Ooh, a contract! We’re so scared!” Kendall jeered.

“My contract also states that I get a posse,” WayneWayne revealed.

He then clicked his fingers and three men dressed in white and gold outfits similar to WayneWayne’s black and gold outfit appeared next to him. They were bigger and bulkier than WayneWayne, and definitely looked to be the type to handle any problems WayneWayne wanted handled. Including troublesome band members (well, troublesome by his standards, at least).

“Scared now?” WayneWayne smirked to the group.

The boys were quick to stammer responses that did indeed showcase their newfound fear. They recognized they were outmatched.

While the boys were stammering their responses, WayneWayne winked to Kaelyn, “My contract also states that I get to have a hot girl on my arm. And I choose you. Later.”

Kaelyn did nothing to supress her shudder as WayneWayne walked away.

**

Several moments later (after Kaelyn had to talk the guys down from committing murder), the five teenagers were hiding behind the bushes, wearing tree hats so they blended in with the foliage. They watched on nervously as WayneWayne approached an innocent teenage boy sitting by the pool, who committed the unfortunate crime of occupying a sunlounge WayneWayne decided was his. So, he signalled for his posse to toss the unfortunate teenager in the pool. WayneWayne then claimed the chair for himself, along with the magazine the teenager was reading, and relaxed sipping from a coconut while being fanned with palm leaves.

Kaelyn was just glad he didn’t decide to invoke that part of the contract he mentioned about having a hot girl on his arm just yet. She wanted to put off being treated like a piece of meet as long as possible (preferably permanently).

“Man, he even makes sipping out of a coconut look tough!” Logan winced.

Carlos whacked Logan up the head, “Focus! One of us is gonna get kicked out of the band.”

“My money’s on Logan,” James remarked.

“Mean!” Logan chided him.

“Nobody’s breaking us up. We’re a team,” Kendall declared. He then scoffed, “We’re not afraid of WayneWayne or anybody else.”

“Hey, guys!”

The four boys screamed when Camille suddenly appeared before them. Kaelyn noticed that today, Camille was wearing something that resembled a Lucha Libre outfit. Complete with the black and pink mask to match her black and pink outfit.

“Oh, relax, I didn’t get the part,” Camille reassured them. She then pondered, “Maybe throwing the casting director in a flying headlock was a bad idea.”

‘Maybe?!’ Kaelyn thought to herself incredulously.

“Camille, we’re in an urgent save our band mission right now,” Kendall told her.

Camille followed the group’s line of sight as they pointed to WayneWayne by the pool.

“Hey. When did Wally Dooley move to the Palm Woods?” Camme asked.

“Wally who-ley?” Logan and Kaelyn repeated, the confusion laced in their voices matching the confusion etched on everyone’s faces.

“Wally Dooley,” Camille repeated. Turning to check out WayneWayne’s attire, she said casually, “Yeah, he must be up for a bad boy role.”

‘And playing it a little too well,’ Kaelyn thought to herself irritably.

Camille then revealed how she knew Wally Dooley: “We worked together on The Magic Middle School. Yeah, he played Towel Boy.”

“What?!” the five teenagers cried out in surprise.

**

Camille wasted no time in taking the group to the lobby – specifically, to the computer that was free for use to all Palm Woods residents. With a quick online search, she was pulling up an excerpt from the episode of The Magic Middle School Wally Dooley – aka WayneWayne – had a brief, but significant role in.

He played Towel Boy, per Camille’s words. He looked like a clean-cut teenage boy, wearing red pants, a white t-shirt and glasses. He favoured a nerd more than a bad boy.

They watched the scene unfold in amusement. The scene consisted of Towel Boy gathering towels in the locker room before being cornered by three basketball players. They decided that Towel Boy looked hot and they would do him the ‘kindness’ of cooling them off. Using their magical powers (it was The Magic Middle School, after all), they summoned hoses in Towel Boy’s direction, spraying him with water until he was soaked through the skin.

Towel Boy then laughed off the incident, reciting the line that got laughs from the studio audience (or someone to activate the laugh track), “I guess I’m the one that needs the towel!”

Kaelyn’s body shook with suppressed laughter. WayneWayne is a total poser.

“So, WayneWayne didn’t grow up on the mean streets of Detroit,” Logan recalled WayneWayne’s introductory rap.

“He grew up in a mansion in Dallas. His dad invented Toast on a Rope,” Camille revealed.

All this video did was incite Kendall into a further fit of rage.

“And he’s gonna kick one of us out of the band? He’s gonna make moves on my sister? No. We’re gonna kick him out of the band! ‘Cause we don’t need no fakey-fakey, poser-poser-- he’s behind me again, isn’t he?”

When Kaelyn winced and gave him a thumbs up to confirm what the boys were trying to subtly warn him about, Kendall winced in turn as he turned around to face WayneWayne once more. As always, his posse trailed behind him.

Camille popped up behind Kendall and greeted her former co-star, “Hey, Wally.”

“Hey, Camille,” WayneWayne returned the polite greeting. He then rounded on Kendall, reverting to his bad boy persona. “Oh, and newsflash: this town is full of phoneys, and nobody cares! Contract!” One of his posse held up his record contract once more. “Hey, what do you guys think of the name WayneWayne Rush?”

“Absolutely not!” Kaelyn quickly voiced her objections.

Carlos stepped forward, declaring, “Dude, once Gustavo finds out that you’re a phoney-phoney…”

“You are out-out,” James finished for his friend.

“You guys, Gustavo is a joke, okay? Griffin has the power and he’ll get rid of whoever I say!” WayneWayne declared. “And I say…” he slid his sunglasses back on and invaded Kendall’s personal space, “it’s you.”

“Oh hell no!” Kaelyn had enough. She stepped between Kendall and WayneWayne. “You’re not kicking my brother out of the band, Wally.”

WayneWayne chuckled, “Oh, you’re a little firecracker.” He then leered, “But I have a contract that states I can kick him out of the band and make you my arm candy. And there’s nothing you can do about it. Because you can’t stop the WayneWayne train.”

He then began backing away like a chain, complete with singing train sounds.

“That’s not cool!” Kaelyn scoffed.

“Yeah, you’re right,” WayneWayne sighed. He stopped the actions and walked away.

“Are all bad boys like this?” Kaelyn asked.

“Yes,” all four boys quickly nodded.

“Camille?” Kaelyn sought a second opinion.

“Not all, but quite a few,” Camille pondered.

“Hey!” the four boys whined.

“You don’t want me dating any kind of guy!” Kaelyn reminded them. “You’re not exactly impartial.”

“True,” the four boys acquiesced.

Kaelyn suddenly took out her songbook, clearly having been struck with inspiration for a song title. Gustavo had been looking for something to write a love song about. Maybe this would work.

Speaking of Gustavo, the five teenagers decided they needed to see him. Urgently.

**

“What?!” Gustavo demanded impatiently, wondering why the five teenagers dragged him into his office.

“WayneWayne is a total fraud!” Logan revealed.

“He wants to kick Kendall out of the band and turn Kaelyn into his arm candy!” James piped in.

“Really? I would’ve bet on Logan,” Gustavo remarked.

Logan pretended to laugh before declaring defiantly, “Well, you would have lost!”

“Wait. Whoa,” Kelly cut in. “We can’t let WayneWayne kick Kendall out of the band.”

“Or treat my sister like a piece of meat!” Kendall added.

“Gustavo, what are you gonna do?” Kelly asked her boss.

They hoped that Gustavo would say he was going to step up. That he was going to override Griffin and declare that WayneWayne had no place in Big Time Rush. He couldn’t kick Kendall out of the band or reduce his intern to nothing more than a piece of arm candy to show off on the red carpet.

But instead, Gustavo responded,

“Nothing.”

Gustavo then moved out into the hallway, barely listening to the group following him voicing their objections.

Then Kaelyn said to him, “Gustavo, are you really gonna let some poser decide what happens to your band?”

Gustavo turned around and faced the group and confessed, “It’s not my band, okay? It’s Griffin’s. Look. I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but I haven’t had a hit in a while. This band is my ticket back to the top. And until I get back there… what he says goes.”

Kaelyn looked at her twin brother and friends worriedly. Gustavo still had some status because of his past success, but clearly not enough to be free to make his own decisions. So, it meant that Griffin could swoop in and do whatever he wanted with Big Time Rush – even break them up – and Gustavo was powerless to stop him. He could even insist Gustavo get rid of Kaelyn on a whim.

But the boys weren’t going to let that stop them.

“We’ll team up,” Kendall immediately offered.

“No,” Gustavo immediately objected.

“We’ll need cool codenames. I’ll be the Falcon,” James decided.

“I’ll be the Snowman,” Logan smirked.

“And you’ll need a tree hat!” Carlos offered, skipping over to put a tree hat on Gustavo’s head.

“No tree hats!” Gustavo snapped as he threw the tree hat off his head and onto the ground.

“Gustavo, we can come up with a plan,” Kendall promised.

“Ooh, they are really good at plans,” Kelly pointed out.

“No plans!” Gustavo snapped. “I don’t want your hockey heads pulling any of your schemes or schenanigans that are gonna get me in trouble with Griffin and the record company!” He then snatched the sheets Kelly was holding for him out of her grip, along with a marker. “Now, here are your lyric sheets for the song you’re gonna sing for Griffin in one hour.” He then scribbled something on each sheet before handing it to the boys. “James. Logan. Kendall. Carlos. Study them. Learn them. Got it?”

Looking down at the sheets, the boys nodded, “Got it.”

“Kaelyn, help them,” Gustavo added. “You know how the boys can be with their lyrics.”

Kaelyn nodded in agreement before moving to follow the boys to the rehearsal space. She was a bit unnerved by the smirk all four of them developed.

“What’s…?” Kaelyn trailed off nervously.

Then, they showed her the message Gustavo had written on their lyric sheets.

Let’s get rid of WayneWayne

**

“Why can’t they make sweater holes for plus-size heads?!” Mr. Bitters whined to Budda Bob before walking away.

Buddha Bob then noticed Katie approach him. Her steps were filled with the annoyance she felt over her current situation. Her mother refused to believe that Buddha Bob wasn’t anything but a deranged serial killer, so she always screamed and carried Katie away whenever she saw Buddha Bob in… admittedly concerning circumstances that turned out to be actually innocent. Like getting rid of mannequins in the dumpster and helping Mr. Bitters with a sweater with a small neck hole.

But what really did it in for Katie was when her mother declared that she was going to play with Molly everyday until he was caught. So, Katie confessed everything to her mother, but Jennifer didn’t believe her. So, Katie was resolved to handle everything herself. She made out to her mother that she was going to play tag with Molly in the hallway when, in reality, she was going to the pool to confront Buddha Bob.

“Dude, my mum thinks you’re a chainsaw freak!” Katie told him.

“Oh, that’s why she always screams when she sees me,” Buddha Bob said in realization.

“You’re gonna help me fix this!” Katie decreed.

“Okay,” Buddha Bob shrugged.

“I’m gonna unplug our TV cable. Mum will call maintenance. That’s you. You’ll come up without your chainshaw and show her you’re normal-ish,” Katie told Buddha Bob her plan.

“Alright,” Buddha Bob nodded. He even gave Katie a thumbs up to signify his approval.

Katie suddenly found herself losing her balance as she felt herself being pushed.

“Tag! You’re it!” Molly told her, having caught up with her. “This is fun!” She then skipped away from the pool.

“Is it just me, or is she kind of creepy?” Buddha Bob asked Katie.

“I know, right?!” Katie cried.

**

“I can’t believe I’m doing this,” Kaelyn grumbled to herself. She then looked at the little black dress she was wearing. “I don’t know if I should pull this up or pull it down.”

Even though the neckline of the dress was still relatively modest, she wasn’t used to wearing this type of neckline that exposed her collarbones, so she felt exposed. The hem of the dress stopped at her midthigh. But still, to Kaelyn, it felt too short.

Although, it could also have something to do with the fact that the dress clung to her like a second skin.

“I can’t believe we let you talk us into this,” James drawled, trying to look anywhere that wasn’t at his best friend.

This annoyed Kaelyn, so she snapped, “Oh, for God’s sake, James!” She then grabbed his head and turned it towards her. “You know we have to make WayneWayne think he’s won for this to work. Unfortunately, that includes this.”

James nodded reluctantly. He didn’t know what infuriated him more. The fact that Kaelyn was being put in a position where she was clearly uncomfortable, or the fact that she was going to be hanging off the arm of another guy. His hands moved to push some of Kaelyn’s hair out of her face. With a quiet reassuring smile, Kaelyn moved towards WayneWayne.

WayneWayne whistled low as he made a big show of checking her out. “I approve.” He then wrapped an arm around Kaelyn’s waist and pulled her against him, murmuring, “I’m glad you’re seeing things my way.”

Kaelyn tried to escape WayneWayne’s grasp before asking, “You want me in the engineering booth with the rest of your posse?”

“Oh no,” WayneWayne shook his head with a smirk. “You’re my good luck charm. You’re standing right next to me.”

So, that was how Kaelyn found herself standing next to WayneWayne in the space. His back was to the rest of the group, fulfilling the stereotypes of a bad boy. He had Kaelyn sit next to him, always within his reach.

Gustavo and Kelly’s jaws hit the floor when they took note of Kaelyn’s outfit. They had never known her to wear anything like that. Not even by the pool. Actually, they didn’t even know they had an outfit like that available in the studio.

Griffin asked Gustavo and Kelly impatiently, “What are we waiting for? I’m antsy.”

“We’re missing Kendall,” Kelly informed him.

“So, you got rid of Kendall?” Griffin asked. He then pressed the button to allow him to speak into the recording space, remarking, “My money was on Logan!”

“Why does everyone keep saying that?!” Logan whined, throwing off his headphones.

“Let’s hear my new bad boy band,” Griffin smirked.

But there was about to be a wrinkle in that plan. And that wrinkle came in the form of Kendall Knight. He was dressed in black, wearing eyeliner and carried himself like the stereotypical bad boy.

“Yeah. Let’s hear it,” Kendall challenged.

WayneWayne gaped at the challenger, particularly when Kendall struck the classic pose.

“Oh no,” Kelly whimpered. Her fears only grew when WayneWayne and Kendall stood toe to toe, daring one another to make the first move.

“Ooh, it’s a bad boy off!” Carlos cheered excitedly.

“A Bad Boy Off? That sounds interesting,” Griffin mused. He completely ignored Gustavo and Kelly shaking their heads and doing everything they could to silently discourage the boys. “Doesn’t that sound interesting?”

Kaelyn smirked as she strutted over to Kendall and handed him a mic stand.

“You know, one thing I know about bad boys is… they like breaking stuff,” Kendall stated.

He then swung the mic stand into one of Gustavo’s platinum records. He smashed the glass on one frame and the resulting impact sent another platinum record crashing to the ground. Even in the soundproofed booth, Gustavo’s screams could be heard clear as day.

“He’s right. Bad boys do like breaking stuff,” Griffin remarked.

Gustavo raced into the rehearsal space, asking, “What was that?! You smashed one of my platinum records?!”

“Oh yeah?” WayneWayne challenged. “Well…”

He then snatched the mic stand from Kendall and smashed three of the remaining platinum records on the wall. Each impact was punctuated by a scream of dismay from Gustavo. Kaelyn certainly had a hard time keeping a straight face as she watched Gustavo’s platinum records get destroyed. She also had a hard time holding back the grimace as WayneWayne pulled her into his side when he was done.

Gustavo roared as he went to charge at WayneWayne. Kelly was practically jumping on Gustavo’s back in her efforts to restrain the irate producer.

“Ooh, round one of the Bad Boy Off goes to WayneWayne,” Griffin decided. “Someone ring a bell.” Abdul pulled a bell from seemingly nowhere and rung it, much like one would in a boxing match. “What’s next?”

**

It was decided that the next round of the Bad Boy Off would be a rapping contest. Since Kendall went first in the first round, it was decided in the name of fairness that WayneWayne went first this time. Kaelyn slipped some lyrics to Kendall before he went in.

WayneWayne rapped his vocals with his posse cheering him on and Carlos, James and Logan were shaking their heads in disapproval.

I said I’m WayneWayne on the mic-mic
I’m badder than bad!
I said the city is ours!
We’re gonna take it like we’re mad!

WayneWayne screamed as he found himself knocked into the wall. Kendall had swooped in like a diving attack plane and shoved WayneWayne away from the microphone.

Hey! Your rhymes are weak! Mine fit like a glove!
Gustavo’s got a face only a mother could love!

“WHAT?!” Gustavo roared, already throwing off his headphones. Kelly was quickly moving to restrain her boss. Again. Not that she was effective. Again.

“Round two goes to Kendall,” Griffin decided. Abdul rang the bell behind him. Griffin then declared cheerfully, “I can’t wait for round three!”

**

Round three consisted of the group waiting outside nervously as Kendall locked himself in Gustavo’s office. They heard all kinds of noises coming from the enclosed space, including cats yowling and even a jackhammer.

“That does not sound good,” Griffin remarked to Gustavo after he rushed over.

Gustavo could only whimper in response. He was torn. Did he want to know what was happening in his office? Or did he not want to know?

Ultimately, he decided he had to know. So, he raced forward and went to open the door.

“He locked it,” Kelly informed her boss.

Gustavo made an indeterminate noise as he dug through his pocket for the key to his office. He quickly slid the key into the keyhole and turned it until he heard the lock click. (Or rather, he felt the lock click, since he wasn’t able to hear it over the carnage in his office.)

When he opened the door, he gaped in horror for several moments. Electricity crackled from wires and broken overhead lights. His chairs were tipped over. His shelves were destroyed, along with some of his music awards. Papers were strewn all over the place. The only aspect of his office that appeared to be intact was his desk.

Gustavo raced into his office to further survey the damage, screaming as Kendall casually walked out carrying a sledgehammer. With a smirk, he threw the sledgehammer back into the office before striking a pose. Kaelyn immediately moved to stand by her twin, propping her hand on his shoulder with a matching smirk.

Gustavo raced out of his office, whimpering, “He destroyed my office, my music awards…” He then roared, “And he used my drawer as a bathroom!”

“Bad boys go where they want,” Kendall decreed, flicking the collar of his jacket.

“That’s a new one,” Griffin hummed. “Original. And very, very bad.”

WayneWayne had been on the verge of losing it the entire time Kendall was locked in Gustavo’s office. He had come closer to losing it when Kaelyn broke free of his grasp and moved to stand by her fraternal twin, solidifying her allegiance and who she thought the true bad boy of Big Time Rush was.

But Griffin declaring that he thought Kendall was the bad boy was what pushed WayneWayne over the precipice. He pushed his way through the crowd, muttering his objections as he moved to survey the damage to Gustavo’s office for himself.

Turning around, he declared defiantly, “I’m the bad boy! Me!”

“Dude, he went in his desk,” Carlos reminded him.

“I’ll show you, and I’ll show you, and I’ll show all of you!” WayneWayne vowed. “I’ll… I’ll…”

WayneWayne was desperate for something – anything – to show Kendall up. To solidify his place in Big Time Rush and to get rid of Kendall for good.

And for some reason, he thought kicking Griffin in the nuts would be the move that did it for him.

“Kumbaya!” Griffin winced as he fell to the floor.

Gustavo and Kaelyn exchanged shocked looks. Bad boys may be… well, bad, but they usually had their limits. The unspoken lines they never dared to cross. It had become clear to them that WayneWayne had zoomed so fast past that line, he wouldn’t be able to see it anymore if he had dared to look back.

Griffin seemed to agree with Kaelyn’s silent conversation, as he raised his arm and pointed at his two assistants to grab WayneWayne.

“Too far?” WayneWayne asked as he struggled against their grip.

WayneWayne’s posse decided at this point that WayneWayne was on his own. They sped away, not wanting any part of what was about to unfold next. They had their own future careers to think about, after all. Griffin rose to his feet, straightening his tie as he did.

He sighed and voiced his decision, “You’re right, WayneWayne. Big Time Rush should be only four.”

“You can’t fire me!” WayneWayne declared defiantly. “You know what? ‘Cause I have…” WayneWayne struggled against the grip of Griffin’s assistants as he pulled out his record contract. “a contract! You have to put me in the band!”

“I have to put you in a band,” Griffin corrected. “Just not this one. They already have a bad boy.”

WayneWayne continued stammering his objections as Abdul and Griffin’s second unnamed assistant began pulling WayneWayne away. Kendall maintained his persona for long enough to allow WayneWayne to be dragged into the hallway. He then visibly deflated and offered his own terms to Griffin.

“But I don’t want to wear these clothes all the time, and I won’t turn my back on my friends!” Kendall declared.

“Fine,” Griffin acquiesced. But he had some terms of his own. “And you can still date my daughter. But I want you nowhere near my desk. Griff-Griff out.”

Griffin and Kendall exchanged an exploding fist bump with matching smirks. Griffin then proceeded to walk away, having WayneWayne dragged to his office to come up with a new plan for him. Along the way, WayneWayne continued screaming his objections. His screams included reminding everyone that he had a contract and trying to maintain his fake persona of a bad boy – something he failed at miserably. The five teenagers took great pleasure in waving WayneWayne off.

“YOU!”

They then turned around nervously to face the irate Gustavo. But then he smirked and said, “Nice work.”

Kelly was confused when Gustavo exchanged a celebratory… actually, she didn’t know what Gustavo was doing with his band and intern. That thought was pushed to the back of her mind for the time being. She was most concerned about why he wasn’t exploding mad at the state of his office and recording studio.

“Wha? But he… he smashed and you…” She then moved to the entrance of Gustavo’s office and pointed at his desk, “He went in…”

“I teamed up with the hockey heads!” Gustavo admitted. “Because they do have good plans.”

“I was here the whole time! When did you plan this?!” Kelly demanded. She watched as the boys took the lyric sheets Gustavo had given them out of their pockets and showed the secret message he had written on them. “Let’s get rid of WayneWayne? Hey, I could’ve helped! I’m part of this team too, you know!”

“Yes. You are,” Gustavo agreed. “But you’re still a horrible faker liar actress.”

The five teenagers had to voice their agreement. After all, Kaelyn was barely able to play her role. Kelly definitely wouldn’t have been able to maintain the lie long enough for the group to enact their plan.

The objections quietened when Kelly started sobbing hysterically. But then, Gustavo looked at her in a way that told her she had just proven his point, because she just sighed and admitted, “Yeah, you’re right.”

“Would anyone have any objection to me burning this?” Kaelyn asked, referring to the dress she was wearing.

“Nope!” the four teenage boys immediately voiced their opinion.

They then took the moment to celebrate their victory.

**

Kattie skipped to the door when she heard the knock, “I got it! Must be the maintenance man to fix the cable!”

Buddha Bob began to walk into the apartment when Katie opened the door, “Hello! I am here to fix your…”

Katie’s plan ended up backfiring when Jennifer took to Buddha Bob with a frying pan. She hit him twice. The first hit disoriented him, while the second hit sent him crashing to the ground.

“Yeah, that didn’t work,” Katie muttered before she walked away.

“Hey, mum! I’m a bad boy!” Kendall proclaimed as he walked through the door.

Kaelyn, now dressed in her usual attire rather than the black dress she had to wear for their scheme, quickly stopped to kiss her mother on the check before moving towards the couch.

James noticed Buddha Bob on the floor and asked Jennifer in confusion, “What’s the maintenance guy doing on the floor?”

“Maintenance guy?” Jennifer repeated. Everything was now starting to make sense to her.

Kendall walked over to the TV setup, noticing the TV cable Katie had unplugged earlier. He quickly moved to reconnect it in the right place. Carlos, Logan, James and Kaelyn were already excitedly sitting on the couch, waiting for Kendall to turn on the TV. One of James’ arms was draped across the back of the headrest behind Kaelyn.

“Let’s check out WayneWayne’s new band!” Kendall suggested.

He pressed the button to turn on the TV and raced to sit next to Kaelyn as the picture came to life. They watched in amusement as it turned onto a program known as the Ziggle Zaggles, a children’s band.

WayneWayne stood at the front, dressed in a vibrant orange outfit against a white background with falling bananas. Kaelyn could’ve sworn she also recognized the other members of WayneWayne’s posse as the other members of the Ziggle Zaggles, but she couldn’t tell for certain. The focus was on WayneWayne, who had reverted to his birthname of Wally Dolley and was the frontman for this children’s band. He was singing a song about the importance of eating bananas.

The five teenagers were laughing as Kendall and James exchanged a fist bump, leaving over Kaelyn as they did.

“He is really bad!” James drawled over the laughter.

But the laughter ceased when a breaking news bulletin appeared on the screen. Buddha Bob, having risen from the floor, moved to stand next to Katie behind the couch. He had helped himself to a mug of coffee at Jennifer’s urging. It was the least she could do after she mistook him for an axe maniac.

“Tonight, a warning for anyone on the 210 Freeway. A police chase is in progress. The car is believed to be driven by Molly Finster…”

The camera then moved closer to get a shot of the woman driving the car. She might be dressed differently to how Katie had seen her around the Palm Woods, but she was able to recognize her anywhere.

“That’s Molly!” Katie cried.

Everyone was now paying attention to the story with a more focused interest. Katie had told all of them about Molly before.

“…a twenty-year-old con actress who passes herself off as an eleven-year-old trying to land jobs in Hollywood.”

“I told you she was weird!” Katie declared to her mother.

“Yeah, you got that right,” Buddha Bob voiced his agreement.

Kendall, however, was struck by another point of interest in the unfolding news story.

“Mum, is that your rental car?” Kendall asked.

“Yep,” Jennifer nodded.

Kaelyn winced. She thought the car looked familiar. But then, she smiled to herself. Before returning to the apartment, Kaelyn had presented her love song idea to Gustavo, recalling Griffin’s rather strong suggestions (more like requests) that there should be at least one love song in the band’s demo.

So, to sum it up, the boys had to deal with a poser trying to break up the band and make inappropriate remarks to Kaelyn, her mother thought the maintenance guy was a serial killer, and Katie was determined to prove to her mother that there was something off about the young girl she was being forced to befriend.

‘Yep,’ Kaelyn thought to herself. ‘Hollywood is weird.’

Chapter 7: Any Kind of Guy

Kaelyn was surprised when she collided into a body when she stepped off the elevator in the lobby. She was meant to have gone down to the pool with the boys, but she forgot her towel and sunscreen, so she went back to their apartment to get them and told the boys to meet her down there.

“I’m so sorry,” Kaelyn stammered.

“No apologies necessary.”

It was then that Kaelyn got a good look at the very handsome teenage boy she just collided into. Mahogany hair. Chocolate brown eyes. Tanned skin. Muscular. (Not as muscular as James, but definitely muscular in his own right.

“I don’t think I’ve seen you around here before,” Kaelyn mused.

“That’s because I’m just moving here today,” the boy clarified. He then held his hand out, “I’m Neil. Neil Waters.”

“Kaelyn Knight,” Kaelyn introduced herself as she shook his offered hand. “You looking to break into music, film or TV?”

“TV,” Neil answered. “What about you?”

“Songwriting,” Kaelyn revealed. “I’m actually working under Gustavo Rocque at the moment.”

“That’s great. Hey. I need to find out where my apartment is, but maybe you can give me a little tour later?” Neil asked in a hopeful tone.

“Sure thing,” Kaelyn nodded.

“How about I get your number so we can organize it?” Neil suggested.

Kaelyn was stunned, but still exchanged phones with Neil so they could give each other their contact information. While she was comfortable talking to boys, she never had one express an interest in her like this. Or, rather, one where it could actually lead somewhere. (Especially since James keeps flirting with her, but Kendall always squishes a potential romance in the bud.)

“Great. I’ll text you later,” Neil winked at Kaelyn before walking away.

“Wow,” Kaelyn whispered to herself. She was surprised to hear her phone chime with a text. Looking down, she saw it was from Neil.

‘Look forward to seeing you again.’

She hid her phone in her bag and tried to make her expression as neutral as possible. The last thing she wanted was to tip the boys off to anything happening. Otherwise, they’d likely scare him away.

Although, when Kaelyn finally joined the boys at the pool, she could see they had other things in mind.

“What time is it?” Kendall asked his friends with a smirk.

James, Logan and Carlos were quick to rise to their feet and slide on their sunglasses as they all proclaimed, “It’s girl time!”

“Oh boy,” Kaelyn muttered under her breath. Especially when she saw the Jennifers approaching.

Predictably, when Carlos went to talk to them, Jennifer 1 held her hand up and told him, “Talk to us when you get in the Top 10.”

“But not before!” Jennifer 3 added.

That was something the boys were finding in L.A.: girl trouble. They were clearly not used to dating in Hollywood. Even James, who never had a problem with girls, found his relationships not lasting as long as they did back in Minnesota. (Not that they lasted that long either, with one or two exceptions.)

The next girl the boys interacted with was Camille. Today, she was dressed in a cheerleader uniform. And, predictably, she was lost in her preparations for her latest audition. Which was further demonstrated by her slapping Kendall across the face and launching into a monologue.

“How could you?! With my mum in the hospital and my huge fight with my best friend and my zit?!”

“Degrassi audition?” the boys asked her knowingly.

“Wish me luck,” Camille said cheerfully. She then slapped Kendall one more time before walking away. But when she saw Kaelyn, she stopped briefly and asked, “Hang out tonight?”

Not wanting to reveal in front of the boys her potential plans, she muttered to Camille, “I’ll text you.”

Camille smirked when she read between the lines of Kaelyn’s answer. Something that quickly became famous around the Palm Woods: the boys’ overprotectiveness of Kaelyn. Accepting that answer, Camille walked away.

“Simms Twins!” Carlos gasped excitedly.

James was quick to block Carlos’ path. “Too risky,” he warned. “They get pretty upset if you get their names wrong.”

Kaelyn popped up behind James and drawled, “You know he’s gonna go for it anyway, right?”

“Yep,” James deadpanned.

Predictably, Carlos put on his helmet, tapped on it twice for good luck, and slid across the Simms Twins’ path and greeted them with a, “Hello, ladies.”

The Simms Twins were identical twins who lived in the Palm Woods. Their names were Mandy and Sandy, with Sandy carrying a blue tote bag and Mandy carrying a light purple bag. And, as James said, they got upset whenever someone mixed up their names; and they weren’t afraid to make their displeasure known in a more… violent manner.

Sandy immediately asked Carlos, “What’s my name?”

Carlos stammered briefly before he settled with, “Mandy?”

Carlos learned the hard way that he had guessed incorrectly. Because the twins grabbed him with a growl and pushed him into the pull as he screamed. They then walked away with a smirk.

“Hey, Sandy,” Kaelyn waved as the twins walked past. “Mandy, that’s a nice purple.”

“Thanks, Kaelyn,” the Simms Twins responded with a smile. They then headed over to their own table.

“Are you friends with everyone in the Palm Woods?” Kendall asked his twin incredulously.

“Just about,” Kaelyn shrugged. “I’m closer with some than others.” Sensing what they were about to ask, Kaelyn beat them to the punch. “And you’ve all tried to ask them out already.”

Kendall sighed in dismay, “Why can’t there be a nice, sweet, nice girl at the Palm Woods?”

“You said nice twice,” Kaelyn pointed out.

“Somebody not crazy or stuck-up that’s still really hot,” James added his contributions. His eyes immediately wandered to Kaelyn, but Kendall grabbed his head and forced him to look away.

“No dating my sister,” Kendall chided him.

Ignoring the exchange, Logan suggested, “From North Carolina?”

“North Carolina?” Kaelyn repeated incredulously.

“It just popped into my head,” Logan grumbled.

“Well, it’s not North Carolina, but I’m sure you’ll enjoy your stay here. Let me show you your apartment.”

The boys’ interests were immediately piqued when they heard Mr. Bitters mention a new arrival from North Carolina. They watched as Mr. Bitters moved out of their line of sight, giving them a good look at the Palm Woods’ newest resident.

It was a young girl. She looked to be around the boys’ age. She had long blonde hair that was tied back in a ponytail. Her brown eyes took in the sights around her with amazement. She wore a white flowy top under a green short-sleeved jacket and a pair of jeans. She carried two bags on her shoulder, which further illustrated to the established teens that she was a new arrival at the Palm Woods.

Kaelyn was not surprised to see the boys immediately stand up and try to look cool as she walked past. Even Carlos stared at her dreamily from the pool.

“Hi,” the new girl greeted them shyly as she walked past.

Kaelyn wisely decided to get clear because, as soon as the new girl was out of earshot, the boys started squabbling amongst themselves, shouting, “She’s mine!” as they moved to block each other’s path. She already knew this was not going to end well.

**

Kaelyn was thankful they were scheduled to work at Rocque Records not long after the new girl’s arrival at the Palm Woods.

“Today, we are gonna sing a love song,” Gustavo proclaimed as Kelly handed out the lyric music. “It’s a slow song, about love.”

“The record company wants one of your demo songs to be a ballad,” Kelly clarified.

The boys were only half listening to Gustavo and Kelly, as they were all distracted by the presence of a very, very large man standing in the corner. The man’s intimidating presence matched his height.

“Okay. Does anybody else notice the huge guy in the corner?” Kendall finally asked. His three friends quickly nodded in agreement.

“That is Freight Train, my new executive in charge of making people do what I say,” Gustavo made the introductions.

Freight Train decided punching a hole in the wall would be a good idea to showcase his formidable strength. He then casually moved to dust his arm off with a smirk. Logan and Kaelyn, meanwhile, were hiding behind James, peeking over his shoulders.

“Hello!” Kendall cried, offended. “I’m right here!”

“He’s got washboard abs!” Kaelyn pointed out. “Have you seen him in the hockey ring?”

“He’s not a crazy overprotective brother!” Kendall retorted. “And I’ve been ejected more than he has!”

James smirked at Kaelyn, “So, you’ve noticed my abs?”

“You flash them at any given opportunity,” Kaelyn deadpanned. She then moved to keep James’ shirt down when he did move to show off those abs.

A stern look from Freight Train silenced any further squabbling among the group.

“Now, this is a song about when you see a girl for the first time, and you know she’s the one,” Gustavo continued. “Do you guys know what I’m talking about?”

Kaelyn didn’t even look up from her own copy of the sheet music she was studying. She knew all four boys were fantasizing about the new girl at the Palm Woods, all decked out in hockey gear and blowing them kisses.

And the squabbling started once more.

“Freight Train!” Gustavo signalled his new bodyguard.

Sensing what was about to happen, Kaelyn immediately moved to stand near Kelly, wanting to get out of the line of fire. Freight Train appeared behind the group, picking Carlos and James up by the back of their shirts, pulling them off Kendall and Logan and swinging them up in the air for them to land on their feet. It successfully stopped the argument.

“That was kind of fun!” Carlos gasped.

Gustavo then sniffed the air asking, “What is that smell?”

Kaelyn didn’t even bother trying to suppress her eyeroll when James revealed himself to be the source behind the smell. Or, more rather, a product he was applying. Very liberally.

“It’s Barracuda Man Spray,” James answered. “We’re in love with a girl at the Palm Woods, and this is my edge.” He then sprayed himself with more of the stuff and pretended to advertise the product, reciting the slogan, “Better wear your ‘Cuda.”

“You need an edge?” Kendall asked his best friend incredulously.

“You always get the girl!” Carlos pointed out.

“Not all of them,” Kaelyn smirked to herself, referring to James’ numerous unsuccessful attempts at asking her out.

“Yeah, give us a chance for once!” Logan pleaded.

“She will be mine!” James proclaimed.

“No, she’s gonna be mine!” Kendall argued.

“Oh, for the love of!” Kaelyn cried out in exasperation as the four boys began arguing once more.

“Dogs! Booth! Now!” Gustavo ordered Freight Train.

Watching as Freight Train guided the boys into the sound booth, Gustavo remarked to Kelly and Kaelyn, “He is really good.”

“Hold up,” Kaelyn stopped Gustavo in his tracks. “This is Any Kind of Guy.”

“What can I say? You gave me a good concept,” Gustavo shrugged.

**

But the concept wasn’t being executed well. While the lyrical content of the song was good, having it presented as a ballad… it was a mismatch.

Any kind of guy you want
That’s the guy I’ll be

Kaelyn watched in concern when James had suddenly started scratching at herself before wincing as James sneezed into the microphone. The feedback the action created was unpleasant to the eardrum. The mood destroyed, the boys were quick to stop singing, and Gustavo took off his own headphones.

Gustavo pressed the button to allow him to speak to the boys in the booth, “This is a song about love, not sneezing!” The boys winced at the feedback from their boss’s loud voice in their headphones.

“But the pollen count is really high today,” Kelly offered as an explanation.

Gustavo then turned to face Kelly and told her calmly, “Then, get him to a doctor and fix him. While I fix the song, because it’s horrible.”

“I’d better go with you,” Kaelyn muttered to Kelly.

Sensing that Kaelyn knew something about James she didn’t, Kelly was quick to voice her agreement. Something told her she was going to need the younger girl’s help wrangling a reluctant James.

“Freight Train, take the dogs home!” Gustavo ordered.

“No, I don’t want to go to the doctor! I’m in love!” James tried to argue, but his argument was killed with a sneeze.

While Kaelyn and Kelly dragged James out of the sound booth, Freight Train appeared through the other door. Kendall was only too happy to jump into the man’s waiting arms to be carried bridal style.

“Oh, hi, Freight Train,” Kendall greeted happily. “Sorry, James! But we have to go back to the Palm Woods now!”

James quickly zoomed to the microphone and snapped, “You are not allowed to talk to her until I’m back! I mean it!”

“Come on!” Kaelyn grunted as she pulled James away, shooting an apologetic glance to the sound engineer when James sneezed on his equipment.

**

It went without saying that the second they returned to the Palm Woods, Kendall, Carlos and Logan donned tree hats and moved to observe the new girl behind one of the bushes at the pool.

“Logan, what’s the intel?” Kendall asked the genius of the group.

“Well, according to your mum’s Cosmopilan magazine,” Logan paused as he held up the aforementioned magazine, “75% of the female population is attracted to the bad boy type.”

“I call the bad boy type!” Carlos immediately gasped. He then quickly changed into the typical all-black outfit, complete with the black bandana, sunglasses and leather jacket.

“But it won’t matter, because 100% of the female population is attracted to men with British accents,” Logan smirked.

“But none of us are British,” Kendall pointed out.

“Speak for yourself, governor!” Logan scoffed, quickly adopting an English accent.

“What are you gonna go with, Kendall?” Carlos asked excitedly.

“60% like the steamy fireman, 40% like the brooding loner, and 0.7% like the jolly pastry chef,” Logan offered.

The ‘jolly pastry chef’ idea was quickly squashed when they saw that Mr. Bitters had donned that particular persona trying to flirt with one of the newest guests at the Palm Woods. Nobody knew if it was the ‘jolly pastry chef’ idea itself or the man executing the idea, but it was clear to them that Mr. Bitters was having no success.

Well, the magazine did say only 0.7% like the jolly pastry chef persona.

“I’m gonna be myself,” Kendall decided.

Logan and Carlos cackled before saying to Kendall, “That never works!”

They watched as the new girl laughed at something one of her new friends said to her by the pool.

**

Dr. Hollywood was someone Kaelyn could never form an opinion on. He didn’t seem to be a bad guy, but his competency as a doctor was highly questionable.

“Now, this should make it all better,” Dr. Hollywood mused at the solution he just prepared… and he just drank himself. He then asked the trio, “Okay. What seems to be the problem?”

“The problem is that I’m here when I need to be at the Palm Woods impressing the girl of my dreams!” James answered.

“You say that about every pretty girl you meet,” Kaelyn stated.

“Just the ones I can pursue,” James mumbled.

“It sounds serious. I’m prescribing one dose of black bolero jacket and 100 ccs of tight pants,” Dr. Hollywood proclaimed. He then wrote out the script and handed it to James.

“Awesome!” James cheered. Then, he sneezed once more.

“He needs to stop sneezing so that he can sing,” Kelly clarified.

“It sounds like Roseanne Barr Syndrome. The irreversible deterioration of the glands resulting in pain so severe, it can only be relieved by the sweet mercy of death,” Dr. Hollywood pondered.

James was quick to wrap his arms (and even one leg) around Kaelyn as he clung to her in fear. Kaelyn did her best to console her best friend while wincing when he sneezed into her shoulder. He mumbled an apology amidst his sniffles.

“Or it could be pollen,” Kaelyn offered as an alternative solution.

Dr. Hollywood snapped his fingers, “Pollen, of course!” He then pulled up a syringe and asked, “James, are you afraid of receiving giant shots?”

James let out a high-pitched shriek at the sight of the long needle and was quick to race out of the exam room. Kaelyn was hot on his heels, trying to chase after him and calm him down. It was then that Kelly understood why Kaelyn had been so insistent on coming along.

James is afraid of needles.

**

Gustavo, meanwhile, was working on the song.

Here I am, there you are
Why does it seem so far?
Next to you is where I should be

“Sounds nice.”

He slammed his hands into the piano when he heard the sound of a voice behind him. Turning around, he saw Jennifer and Katie standing in the doorway to his office.

“Why are you here?” Gustavo demanded rudely.

“Katie has a report for school,” Jennifer revealed.

“I’m supposed to do it on somebody I admire and I picked you,” Katie elaborated.

“Oh, that is so sweet!” Gustavo pretended to swoon before snapping, “I’m busy!” He then turned back to the piano.

“Hey, she admires you!” Jennifer rebuked him. “And would it kill you to be nice for once?”

Appropriately chastised, Gustavo turned around and relented, “She can stay and ask four questions.”

“Go easy on him,” Jennifer muttered to Katie before kissing the top of her head and walking away.

Katie was quick to take a seat and pull out her pen and workbook. As soon as Jennifer was out of earshot, Gustavo had a question of his own to ask the youngest Knight sibling.

“Do you really admire me?” Gustavo asked knowingly.

“No!” Katie scoffed. “But if I picked Eleanor Roosevelt, I’d have to read a bunch of stuff.”

“Smart,” Gustavo praised her. “First question.”

“Your song is lame,” Katie proclaimed.

“That is not a question!” Gustavo snapped.

**

The new girl shifted to the lobby, so that was where Logan, Kendall and Carlos moved their stakeout. But this time, rather than observing her, they were going to approach her. They hid in a corner near the vending machine.

“Okay,” Logan began, continuing his English accent as he held up three palm leaves in his hand. “We’ll draw palm leaves to see who asks her out first. Short one wins.”

Kendall was the first to draw his palm leaf, and Logan did nothing to suppress his taunting smirk when Kendall drew the wrong one. Carlos gleefully went to draw his palm leaf, but Logan tightened his grip on them when he realized that Carlos was going to draw the shortest one.

“Logan, give it!” Carlos grunted. When his friend shook his head, Carlos cried, “I’ve never had a girlfriend!” He then cheered in delight when he ultimately drew the shortest palm leaf. “Stand back, boys, and watch the bad boy get the pretty girl.”

Logan and Kendall peaked from behind Mr. Bitter’s desk as they watched Carlos approach her. He was rather calm, cool and collected. He took a seat next to her, waiting for her to look up from her script and notice him.

“Hi. I’m Jo,” she introduced herself. “Cool jacket.” When Carlos didn’t respond, maintaining his persona, she asked, “Oh, are you going out for the bad boy role in Magic Middle School? I mean, it’s a strong role, but I hate bad boys in real life. I mean, why so angry all the time?”

“Yeah,” Carlos weakly voiced his agreement.

“Poor old chap. He’s in a bit of a sticky wicket,” Logan snickered.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t get your name,” Jo said.

Carlos mumbled before removing his sunglasses and answering in an English accent, “Reginald Salisbury from England.”

Kendall had to tackle and stifle Logan when he went to voice his outrage.

“How exciting! Oh, my family visits there every year!” Jo gasped excitedly. “What part of England are you from?”

“Uh… Cheerio! Put another shrimp on the barbie! Danke shon!” Carlos stammered before retreating.

When Carlos came back, the first thing Logan did was whack him and snap, “You stole my bit!”

Carlos stammered his justification, “She smells so nice, and I panicked!”

“She will be mine!” Logan growled.

But Logan’s attempts to woo Jo were going to go a lot worse than Carlos’. Because Carlos at least got to have a conversation with Jo (a small conversation, but a conversation nonetheless). Logan wouldn’t get the chance. Because his path was interceded by Camille, now dressed in a light pink tracksuit attire.

Logan gasped as she slapped him across the face. “Oh! Camille, not now! Please, not now!” Logan pleaded.

“Of course I’ll take you back!” Camille gasped excitedly. She then grabbed his face, planting multiple kisses across his face and lips until he was covered in lipstick marks. “I’m gonna tell Rachel we’re back together and that I will destroy anybody…” she paused to point at Joe, “who tries to come between us.”

She then walked away after pressing a final kiss to Logan’s lips. Logan could only gape and whimper as Jo looked at him incredulously.

Carlos and Kendall had been doing nothing to suppress their amusement as the situation unfolded. As Camille walked past, Kendall asked, “One Tree Hill?”

“Yeah, let’s go with that,” Camille answered sheepishly before walking away.

Mr. Bitters shook his head in amusement as Logan tried and failed to come up with an explanation for what Jo just saw. In the end, Logan walked away to chat with his friends, who were also his opponents in the battle for Jo’s affections.

“I get a do-over,” Logan declared.

“No, you don’t!” Kendall snorted.

“Was Camille a good kisser?” Carlos asked.

“I was… pleasantly surprised,” Logan admitted.

“Okay, boys. Now, it’s my turn,” Kendall smirked. But his cockiness quickly disappeared when he saw Jo had left. “Ah, hockey pucks!”

Logan and Carlos were quick to celebrate their friend’s failure, however.

**

Kaelyn and Kelly managed to catch up with James (he actually didn’t get as far as he thought he would). And they, along with Dr. Hollywood, were now wheeling him back into the exam room tied down to a stretcher.

“Look, I’m not sneezing anymore, so I-I guess I can go back to the Palm Woods now and I definitely don’t need that shot!” James stammered. His argument was refuted by a sneeze.

“James, it’s not gonna hurt a bit,” Dr. Hollywood reassured him. He then smirked as he pulled out the needle, “It’s gonna hurt a lot!”

James shrieked as he continued struggling against his restraints. He gained enough traction to pull out the can of Barracuda Man Spray he carried on him as he warned, “Stay back! I’m not afraid to use this!”

“Barracuda Man Spray!” Dr. Hollywood identified. He then pulled his own can off his desk. “Now in new Spice Lime. Better wear your ‘Cuda.”

“Unbelievable!” Kelly cried.

“Bunny, please,” James pleaded to her quietly.

Squeezing James’ hand in a comforting measure, Kaelyn asked, “Is there anything else you can do? Something else that’ll help him stop sneezing?”

“Hmm, there is one thing that might work,” Dr. Hollywood hummed, stroking his chin. The trio looked at him impatiently for an answer, but the ‘good’ doctor was sidetracked once more. He pondered, “Do you think I need a chin implant?”

Kaelyn seriously wondered how this guy was still practicing.

**

When Jo moved back to the pool, this time occupying one of the poolside cabanas, the boys moved there too.

“So, we were thinking. You definitely need a girl strategy,” Logan smirked.

“So, try this!” Carlos suggested. He then forced a pair of fake teeth into Kendall’s mouth designed to make him look ugly.

Kendall quickly took the false teeth out, “Thanks, but I think I’m gonna stick with the ‘be myself’ strategy.” Taking a moment to fix his hair, he quickly moved to approach Jo.

“Told you we should have used the glue!” Logan mumbled to Carlos.

They then sat on the sun lounges and watched as Kendall approached Jo with the suave confidence he possessed. While James was the definite ladies man of the group, Kendall came second to him. Carlos has never had a girlfriend, and Logan has never been on a date with a girl that wasn’t a double date arranged by someone else (mostly James). So, they knew they were shot.

Or were they?

“Hi,” Kendall greeted Jo.

“Hi,” Jo smiled at him as she looked up from the script she was reading.

“I just wanted to welcome you to the Palm Woods. I’m Kendall, and, uh…”

Kendall trailed off when he suddenly felt himself being lifted off the ground by the back of his flannel shirt. Turning his head, he saw Freight Train standing near him and holding himself up.

“This looks weird, right?” Kendall tried to laugh off to Jo, who nodded in agreement. “Uh, we can continue this conversation when my friend Freight Train puts me down!”

Kendall sighed in defeat as Freight Train swung him over his shoulder and carried him away.

“We’ll do this again sometime!” Kendall couldn’t help but call after her.

Logan and Carlos were laughing at Kendall’s misfortune, cheering and hi-fiving amongst themselves. Their cheers quickly turned to screams as Freight Train grasped their clasped hands with his free hand and picked them up. He had Logan draped over his other shoulder while dragging Carlos along the ground with his free hand.

“That is not fair! I get a do-over!” Kendall told the boys adamantly.

“No, you don’t,” Logan smirked.

“This is fun,” Carlos remarked.

**

It was now take two of their attempt to learn and record the latest song for their demo. And it was… going about as well as the first attempt.

Kendall sang the first bit of the chorus.

Any kind of guy you want
That’s the guy I’ll be

Carlos sang the next line – Turn myself upside down

Yes I will, yes I will – Logan chimed in with the next line.

Now, Kaelyn knew the lines James was supposed to sing, but they were indecipherable to the others. Because James was now singing through a gas mask, which was Dr. Hollywood’s alternative to the allergy shot James refused to take.

A rather ineffective one at that.

Predictably, Gustavo began slamming the piano keys in frustration. Katie, meanwhile, sat in the swing chair writing in her workbook. She was getting a lot of material for her report.

“What was that? What was that?!” Gustavo demanded angrily.

“You told me to get him to stop sneezing, and I did,” Kelly responded calmly.

“But he can’t sing! And we have to sing this love song, because the record company wants a love song, and I still hate this song!” Gustavo snapped.

“Well, he refuses to take an allergy shot, and I’m not a nurse!” Kelly snapped back, waving her arms around as she did.

“Your yelling has improved,” Gustavo praised. “But more like this.” He then screamed in her face, “Get him an allergy shot!”

Sighing as he took off the gas mask, James sniffled, “It’s my fault, Gustavo.”

“James, you’re getting worse,” Kaelyn stated worriedly as he sneezed once more. His face was turning red and he was having trouble speaking.

“I need to do this. I’ll go get the shot,” James panted.

James obediently moved to follow Kelly and Kaelyn out of the rehearsal space. Their friends watched in concern.

But for Kendall, Logan and Carlos, the concern quickly disappeared when James did a little taunting dance in the doorway and proceeded to spray himself with more of his man spray.

“I’m not feeling too well,” Kendall immediately told Gustavo, moving to chase after his friend.

Logan and Carlos were quick to voice their excuses, claiming to be in need of an allergy shot as well. But their minds were quickly changed when Freight Train blocked their path.

“It’s not that bad of a song,” Freight Train remarked. “In fact, if I was a girl and someone sang it to me, I’d be really touched.”

A plan forming in his head, Kendall asked Freight Train, “How touched?”

“Like ‘go out with you’ touched?” Logan pressed.

“If we sang this song to you – if you were a girl?” Carlos added the last part of his statement sheepishly.

“Yeah,” Freight Train nodded.

Not even two seconds later, the three boys started squabbling. They clearly all had the same idea of serenading Jo with this song. Freight Train decided he was going to stop this fight by trapping the boys in a very tight hug. Gustavo looked on in disbelief. He thought he was used to his dogs’ antics by now, but they kept finding new ways to surprise him every day.

“So, after a day trapped within the soundproofed walls of his studio, Gustavo couldn’t write the song that he wanted and failed,” Katie read her report. “Report done!” she declared cheerfully as she closed her book.

“Your report and my song are not done!” Gustavo snapped. He then turned to Freight Train and ordered, “Release the hounds! I need more time.”

The boys were quick to make their escape, not wanting to give Gustavo the chance to change his mind. They were grateful for the close proximity to the Palm Woods that Rocque Records provided them. In their head, they could get there and woo Jo before James had the chance to return after getting that allergy shot.

But that plan quickly went to hell in a handbasket when they saw Kelly helping herself to a hotdog and soda from the hotdog stand outside the building.

“Where’s James?” Kendall asked urgently.

Kelly answered irately, “Well, we were in my car, then he jumped out, sprayed his entire body with man spray, jumped into a cab and shouted, ‘She will be mine! She will be mine!’”

“He’s going to the Palm Woods to steal our girl!” Carlos gasped in horror.

While the three boys chased after him, Kelly just stood there calmly eating her hot dog. She had already arranged for another cab for Kaelyn so she could chase down her best friend.

**

James was getting all sorts of looks from the teens at the Palm Woods as he swaggered his way towards the table Jo and Camille were occupying by the pool. He thought it was because of how incredible he looked in his tight pants and black bolero jacket that Dr. Hollywood had prescribed for him before. His hair was combed and styled in the way he liked, and he had sprayed himself with the man spray.

But what he didn’t realize was why everyone was staring at him.

“Hello.”

Jo and Camille looked up and cried in shock when they saw James stand before him. Various parts of his body – particularly his face and hands – had swelled significantly and were covered in red splotches. Kaelyn’s earlier warnings had been correct. James’ allergic reaction was getting worse.

But James still remained ignorant of his present situation.

“Not the reaction I usually get. But I’m James. I’m in a band,” James introduced himself.

“Hi. I’m Jo,” Jo introduced herself politely. “It’s… so nice to meet you.”

Thinking he was getting somewhere, James moved for the kill and said, “Hey, I was thinking maybe we could see a movie later on.” He then sneezed into his hand once more.

“Don’t you think you should see a doctor first?” Jo asked worriedly.

“Oh, because of my sneezing, right?” James chuckled. It was only when he brought his hand up to wipe at his nose that he noticed the swelling. He screamed in horror and asked, “What happened to my hands?!”

“James!” Kaelyn panted after him. “Oh my God!” she gasped in horror. “I told you your reaction’s getting worse!”

Jo sniffed the air around James and inquired, “Are you wearing Barracuda Man Spray?”

“Yeah,” James whimpered. He then pulled out his can and tried to pretend he was doing a ‘Cuda commercial, but his horror as the situation sunk in left him unable to.

“You do know that stuff was recalled for causing severe allergic reactions, right?” Camille asked her friend.

“Wait. It’s the ‘Cuda?” Kaelyn asked in confusion.

She only watched as Camille handed James her compact so he could see his face for himself. He only screamed once more.

“Okay. You need to get that shot,” Kaelyn declared. She grabbed James by the wrist and pulled him along while dialling Kelly’s number. “Kelly, I got him. Meet us at the Palm Woods.”

“Bunny!” James began objecting.

“Look at you!” Kaelyn snapped. “Forget singing! You won’t be able to breathe in five minutes!” Taking a deep breath, she stated calmly, “Look. I know why you don’t want the shot. Why do you think I’m going with you?”

Camille clarified for Jo as they watched the interaction unfold, “That’s Kaelyn. She’s Kendall’s twin sister and an aspiring songwriter. She’s cool.”

“Is there something between them?” Jo asked.

James and Kaelyn didn’t hear the question. Otherwise, they would have issued a quick and emphatic denial. By this stage, they were already in the lobby. They bumped into Kendall, Logan and Carlos, who cried in horror when they saw how bad James looked.

“I’m allergic to man spray and you are not allowed to talk to her until I’m pretty again!” James declared.

“Forget it!” his three friends predictably scoffed.

“I’m gonna sing her a song!” Carlos proclaimed.

“No, I am!” Logan objected.

“No, I am!” Kendall decreed.

“Oh, for God’s sake!” Kaelyn snapped in frustration, pulling James away from the chaos.

Mr. Bitters quickly grew bored of the fight unfolding in front of him, so he dinged his bell to get their attention and reported, “She left the pool.”

“She’s gone?!” Kendall, Logan and Carlos cried in dismay.

Seeing the boys had discreetly slipped him money, he elaborated, “Yes. She went to an audition. She usually returns at 5:30.”

With the information in mind, the boys started fighting once more.

**

James stormed into Dr. Hollywood’s exam room, decked out with his hockey helmet and gloves. The doctor was chilling on the exam table listening to music on his iPod, clearly oblivious to the intrusion of his down time.

“Give me a shot now!” James snapped at him. “I’m not afraid anymore and I am not pretty under here and-and I’m in love and…” James’ rant was cut short when Dr. Hollywood plunged a needle into his arm and injected him with an unidentified substance. “Hey. That wasn’t that bad.”

Kaelyn watched in horror as James collapsed to the floor unconscious. She immediately knelt beside him trying to rouse him.

“Nice jacket,” Dr. Hollywood praised.

“What did you give him?” Kaelyn demanded.

“Something for his panic attack,” Dr. Hollywood responded. “Were you not here?”

Kelly, having grown increasingly irate, grasped the doctor by the lapels of his lab coat and snarked, “He’s got to sing a song!”

Dr. Hollywood muttered to himself as he dug through his bag, looking for the appropriate shot. Kelly only looked increasingly annoyed until he pulled out the appropriate syringe.

**

Logan was pushing Guitar Dude into position. Jo’s apartment had a balcony that overlooked the pool. So, it made things perfect for his scheme.

“Okay. Go now. Here is perfect,” Logan told Guitar Dude.

“Well, shouldn’t we wait for the other dudes?” Guitar Dude asked.

“Change of plans. It’s a solo now. Just strum like you’ve never strummed before!” Logan ordered him.

He then sang his heart out to the balcony above him.

Here I am, there you are
Why does it seem so far?
Next to you is where I should be

Jo stepped onto the balcony at the sound of Logan’s voice. She was both incredulous at the display and touched that she was being serenaded like this. The sweet feelings quickly disappeared when she heard a scream and saw Logan be tackled out of the way by Carlos. After signalling for Guitar Dude to keep going, Carlos picked up where Logan left off.

Something I want so bad
Know what’s inside your head
Maybe I can see what you see

Just as Carlos had tackled Logan out of the way, Kendall zoomed up and knocked Carlos away, moving to take over the song.

Jo just stood there, unsure of what to think.

I got to keep on believing that everything takes time
I’ll make up any reason to make you mine

Logan pushed Kendall out of the way, holding a flower he had picked from the bush Carlos shoved him into.

If you’re staying or leaving, I’ll follow your lead

The boys ended up joining together for the last bit of the pre-chorus. Guitar Dude’s strumming picked up pace to match the relentless squabble between the three boys. It transformed the ballad to a fast-paced love song.

So why keep pretending?
Open your eyes – I can be what you need!

Pick any kind of guy you want, girl
That’s the guy I’ll be
I’ll turn myself upside down!

The… ‘beautiful’ performance was brought to an abrupt end when the boys started fighting amongst themselves once more. So, Jo decided she had to put an end to it.

“Hey, guys!” Jo called down to them. “Great song. But you should probably know that I have a boyfriend back home.”

“What?!” all four boys – including Guitar Dude – cried out in disbelief.

“But we can still be friends, right?” Jo asked hopefully.

“Yeah,” they nodded. Jo then smiled and walked back into her room.

“Well, that stunk,” Kendall grumbled.

“No! No, that was amazing!” Gustavo corrected. He had watched it all unfold with Katie, Jennifer and Freight Train. “I know what the song is. It’s not a slow love song. It’s a fast love song. Katie, do not finish that report until I finish this song! Freight Train, to the studio!”

Gustavo then moved to be picked up by Freight Train bridal style, but Freight Train wasn’t prepared, so Gustavo ended up slipping on the wet tiles near the pool. Kendall, Logan and Carlos immediately raced forward to help him up.

Jo and Camille were watching the scene unfold before them from the balcony.

“Uh, you told me you didn’t have a boyfriend,” Camille recalled.

“Uh, I don’t,” Jo admitted, “but I can’t deal with that every day.”

“Boys are stupid,” Camille chuckled. She then turned and told Jo seriously, “Remember, Logan’s mine.”

“Got it,” Jo quickly nodded.

**

James moaned as he began stirring into consciousness once more. There were three things he noticed straightaway.

The first thing he noticed was that his helmet and gloves were gone, having been positioned on the exam table above him.

The second thing he noticed was that Kelly and Dr. Hollywood were nowhere to be seen. They couldn’t even be seen lurking outside the exam room through the door’s windows.

The third thing he noticed was that he was lying on the floor, with his head in Kaelyn’s lap, and she was stroking his hair.

“Don’t mess with my hair,” James grumbled as he became more coherent.

“You’ve got your lucky comb in your pocket and you know it,” Kaelyn teased.

“What happened?” James mumbled.

“You got two shots,” Kaelyn revealed. “Doc Hollywood decided you were having a panic attack and gave you a sedative. Then, he finally gave you the allergy shot. I got them to give you space.”

“Thanks,” James sighed. “Did you tell them…?”

“I promised I wouldn’t,” Kaelyn reminded him. “Though, I think Kelly figured it out.” When James moved to sit up, she stopped him. “I’d go slowly. Apparently, the shots can make you woozy.”

Finding his world had started spinning as a result of that simple movement, James opted to make himself comfortable in Kaelyn’s lap once more. But this time, he reached up to clasp her hand.

“Did any of them…?” James asked.

“Nope. Nobody got the girl,” Kaelyn shook her head. “Apparently, she has a boyfriend back home.”

“Hockey pucks,” James grumbled.

“Guess you’ll have to find a new girl of your dreams,” Kaelyn remarked.

“I already have,” James mumbled. He then teased, “So, I have washboard abs?”

“Oh shut up,” Kaelyn grumbled. She was never going to live that down.

Her phone chimed to indicate new text messages. The first text was from Gustavo telling her to get James to the studio as soon as possible. Apparently, he had solved the problem with the song.

The second text was from Neil.

‘Meet up before dinner for that tour?’

With a smile, Kaelyn quickly texted back.

‘Sure. Meet you in the lobby.’

**

Everyone had gathered to find Griffin decided to watch this recording session. That immediately made Gustavo and Kaelyn nervous, since they had gone against Griffin’s express wishes for a ballad and gone for an up-tempo love song. Even though the up-tempo beat suited the lyrics of the song even better.

When they arrived, Kaelyn quickly arranged the lyric allocations. James opened the song, singing the first verse with Carlos providing some backing ad libs.

Here I am, there you are
Why does it seem so far?
Next to you is where I should be
(Where I wanna be)

Something I want so bad
Knows what’s inside your head
Maybe I can see what you see
(Tell me what you see)

She had Logan sing the pre-chorus with the occasional backing vocals from the rest of the band.

I gotta keep on believing that everything takes time
I’ll make up any reason to make your mine
If you’re staying or leaving, I’ll follow your lead
So why keep pretending?
Open your eyes – I can be what you need

As the boys started singing the chorus, Kaelyn could imagine the music video for the song unfolding in her mind. They would alternate between performing by the pool at the Palm Woods and performing outside Rocque Records. They would be dressed in different attires each time, ranging from suits with brown jackets that provided a throwback to the Motown days (complete with the choreography) to different interpretations of guys a girl could look for.

Her vision even included the boys dressing up as cavemen.

And, of course, every resident of the Palm Woods would be involved. Whether it be dancing for the camera or acting as a love interest – particularly in Jo’s case.

Any kind of guy you want, girl
That’s the guy I’ll be
Turn myself upside down
(Yes, I will, yes, I will)

Any kind of guy you want, girl
You know I’ll agree
Turn your whole world around
(Yes, I will, yes, I will)

Kaelyn watched as Katie tried to encourage Griffin to enjoy the performance, but the man maintained his poker face the entire way through.

Any kind, any kind, any kind of guy you want
If you decide to change to change your mind, I will be there
Won’t you try? One more try. Be my favourite kind of girl.
You decide. It’s alright. I will be there.

The best part about the performance was that James could both openly and subtly flirt with Kaelyn as she watched, and Kendall would play it off as him keeping the character of the performance. It was all about trying to woo the girl after all.

Let me know if I’m getting through
Making you understand
If it’s wrong, I’ll try something new

Don’t look away, cause I’m here to stay
If it’s a game, then I’m gonna play!

Katie muttered to Kaelyn, “You have a crush on him, don’t you?” Thankfully, everyone else was too caught up in the performance to pay attention to their conversation.

“Is it that obvious?” Kaelyn asked nervously.

“Fortunately, Kendall’s ignorant,” Katie remarked. “But… what are you gonna do?”

“I don’t know, sissy,” Kaelyn shrugged.

Any kind of guy you want, girl,
That’s the guy I’ll be
Turn myself upside down
(Yes, I will, yes, I will)

Any kind, any kind, any kind of guy you want
If you decide to change your mind, I will be there!

Everyone waited nervously as the song ended. It was very rare for someone to go against Griffin’s instructions, so nobody had any way of knowing how it would turn out this time. Sometimes, it went in their favour. Griffin would express his approval, then tell them to not do it again before walking away. Other times… well, if it went the other way, the group would be packing their bags and heading back to Minnesota.

“I tell you I want a slow love song, and instead, you ignore me and give me… a hit,” Griffin beamed. He allowed everyone to sigh in relief before requesting, “But I still want a slow love song. And put the word ‘baby’ in it. Yeah. That’s good.”

He then patted Gustavo’s cheek before moving towards Kaelyn. Rather than patting her cheek, he patted her shoulder. Then, he was face-to-face with Freight Train.

“And what’s your name?” Griffin inquired.

“Freight Train,” the bodyguard answered.

“Of course it is,” was all Griffin said before he left.

Kaeyln and Gustavo gave the boys a thumbs up, letting them know that Griffin approved of the song. Predictably, the boys started celebrating.

Gustavo, meanwhile, had unfinished business, and that came in the form of making sure Katie wrote her report to his satisfaction.

“Well?” Gustavo pressed.

Katie happily read her report to him, “So, like all great artists, Gustavo finds his music in life, and that’s why I admire Gustavo Rocque.”

“Amazing,” Gustavo said. “You forgot to write I’m amazing!”

**

Kaelyn only half listened to the boys’ promise to one another as they walked back into the Palm Woods lobby. For one thing, she knew that it was going to be worthless the next time a similar situation popped up. For another, she was looking for a way to slip past them to meet up with Neil.

She didn’t want them scaring him away. Especially since she no longer wanted to hang her hopes on a crush that can never be acted on.

“And we are not going to fight over girls anymore, right?” Kendall asked.

“Right,” James, Logan and Carlos quickly agreed.

“We’re gonna be civilized and only go after girls we meet alone and not together. Agreed?” Kendall pressed.

“Agreed,” his friends voiced their ascent.

“Hey.”

Kaelyn sighed to herself when she saw a curly-haired brunette approach them and she saw how the boys reacted to the presence of a new, attractive teenage girl. She already knew how this was going to unfold.

“I just arrived at the Palm Woods. Can you tell me where the gym is?” she asked kindly.

Seeing the boys were too starstruck to answer, Katie answered, “It’s past the pool and to the right.”

“Great. Thanks,” she smiled as she left.

“If you wanna meet that guy over there, now’s your chance,” Katie muttered to Kaelyn.

Kaelyn pressed a quick kiss to the top of her sister’s head and muttered a, ‘Love you, sissy’ before running over as the four boys began fighting over themselves once more.

Teen love is so complicated.

Chapter 8: Live It Up Until the Morning Comes

First dates were always nerve-wracking, but Kaelyn was surprised to find that she handled her first date with ease. Neil was a perfect gentleman.

They had organised a picnic at the local park as their first date. They each supplied snacks, and Neil supplied the picnic blanket. They talked and laughed the entire time.

And he kissed her after dropping her off in the lobby.

“I really had a good time today,” Kaelyn had admitted to Neil shyly.

“Me too,” Neil had agreed with a smile. “We should do this again sometime.”

Then, he had bent down to kiss Kaelyn before making his way to the elevator with a smile. The second Neil was out of sight and earshot, she couldn’t help but squeal in delight. She still had a hard time believing this was happening to her.

Before the date, a small part of her felt bad about keeping it a secret from the guys. Even with their overprotectiveness and tendency to scare away any guy that showed an interest in her. But on the high of a successful date, Kaelyn found that she couldn’t feel overly guilty.

Kaelyn went to turn around and was surprised when she bumped into someone. She immediately went to apologize, but froze when she saw Logan standing there. Arms crossed. Serious look on his face.

“Logan!” Kaelyn cried in surprise. “Uh… how much did you see?”

“Enough,” Logan shrugged. He then broke character as he enveloped Kaelyn in a big hug with a big smile. “I’m so happy for you.”

“Come again?” Kaelyn stammered in shock. “I thought you’d be upset I didn’t tell you.”

“Eh… partly,” Logan mused. “But I can understand why.”

“Are you gonna tell the others?” Kaelyn asked shyly.

“Nah,” Logan shook his head. “I was friends with you first, after all.”

Kaelyn smiled at the memory. Logan was the last person to join the friend group, having moved to Minnesota in the third grade. He was also friends with Kaelyn first. They hung out together on their own for a bit before Kendall, James and Carlos welcomed him into the group. And quickly embracing having someone willing to do their homework for them.

“Thanks, Logan,” Kaelyn sighed in relief. “I am going to tell the others. I just… I just wanna see where things go first. It is my first relationship.”

“I get that,” Logan reassured her. “But you are prepared for how the others are gonna react, right?”

“Somewhat,” Kaelyn admitted. “I know how Kendall and Carlos are gonna react. But I don’t know about James.”

“Hey. It’s gonna be fine,” Logan promised. “You deserve this, Kaelyn. Just… enjoy it and see where it goes.” He then told her in all seriousness, “I do want to meet him and go over some rules, however.”

That made Kaelyn laugh. While the others easily had Logan beat in the overprotectiveness department, he was still protective of his best friend in his own right. And it was perfectly natural for him to want to meet his best friend’s first boyfriend and warn him of what would happen if he ever broke her heart.

“We should head to the pool,” Logan suggested.

“Yeah,” Kaelyn quickly nodded in agreement. Leaving their friends to their own devices for too long was never a good idea.

It was something that was quickly upheld when Logan and Kaelyn made their way out to the pool area and saw Kendall and James standing by the edge of the pool with a phone surrounded by empty baked bean cans and Carlos nowhere in sight.

“What’s with the empty baked bean cans?” Kaelyn asked wearily.

“Carlitos,” Kendall and James quickly answered, pointing to the pool.

Kaelyn and Logan looked down and saw Carlos resting at the bottom of the pool.

“He’s attempting to set the underwater fart world record,” Kendall further elaborated.

‘Oh boy,’ Kaelyn thought to herself. She already knew this was not going to end well.

“But he’s too far down! Underwater farts are impossible to achieve at water pressure in excess of 4.2 pounds per square inch,” Logan declared. When Kaelyn, Kendall and James shot him a look, he justified himself, “What? It’s basic fartology.”

“So, how do we know when it’s coming?” James inquired.

“I’m not sure,” Kendall admitted.

The four of them bent closer to the pool when they heard and saw the ominous bubbles that were beginning to form above Carlos. Clearly, this was something that was not well thought out. But it was also something that was certainly in line with what the boys would come up with. Actually, it was in line with what Carlos in particular would come up with. Especially with Kendall and James encouraging him.

The answer came in the form of a fart echoing in the space around them and a bunch of water squirting up at them from the pool. The splash area was wide enough to hit the group of girls sitting at a nearby table reading scripts for their upcoming auditions. Of course, since they were standing right on top of the impact zone, Kendall, James, Logan and Kaelyn got the full brunt of the splash. It made Kaelyn wish she had the foresight to change out of her outfit from her date before moving to join the others at the pool.

Or at least stay as far away from the splash zone as possible.

Predictably, the boys started cheering, for it was a very glorious splash. Having released his epic fart to the world, Carlos swam back up to the surface. Kaelyn was surprised to find that he even wore his signature helmet in the pool. Although, he always wore it when he was looking to cause trouble, and this counted.

“Did you get that on video?” Carlos asked excitedly.

Kendall looked down at the phone he was using to record it and winced when he heard electricity cackling from it and saw the smoke being emitted from the device.

“Should it be smoking like this?” Kendall asked nervously.

The boys all let out various cries of dismay and frustration as they immediately understood what it meant. The epic video was lost. For, regretfully, the group was not yet in a time where mobile phones were waterproof.

**

The group all got changed after the unfortunate mishap at the pool. They were due at Rocque Records to work on another song for their demo. The song they were working on today was one of the two songs Kaelyn had wrote when they first arrived to Hollywood. It was a song called Famous.

Want to be famous
(Famous…)
You want to be the one who’s living the life

“And cut!” Gustavo called into the sound booth through the microphone.

“It sounded great, right?” Kendall asked hopefully.

“No!” Gustavo was quick to object. “Green Day sounds great! You guys didn’t make me want to vomit!”

The boys were quick to begin voicing their objections, but Gustavo was quick to mute all the sounds that were being emitted from the sound booth. It enabled him to quite literally turn a deaf ear to his ‘dogs’.

Gustavo was having a lot of fun tormenting the boys with this fact when he felt someone suddenly hit him from behind. Turning around, he saw that the hit had come from Kelly. Although, he could also see Kaelyn looking at him with disapproval.

“Why can’t you tell them they sound good?” Kelly asked her boss. “Or thank them for all their hard work?”

“Showing thanks is a sign of weakness,” Gustavo responded. He pointed at Kaelyn and told her, “Make sure you remember this.”

Kaelyn was quick to file that under lessons from Gustavo she was quickly going to discard.

“And besides,” Gustavo continued, “you don’t hear them thanking me!”

“Gustavo!” Kendall began as he and his friends filed out of the sound booth.

Kaelyn immediately began silently pleading with Kendall to not do anything to aggravate Gustavo further. She normally enjoyed it when Kendall talked back to him and challenged him. But not right now. Not when they were on the verge of making the news yet again for another unexplained earthquake in Los Angeles.

Taking note of his sister’s silent pleas, Kendall changed tactics, “We just wanted to thank you.”

James, Carlos and Logan were quick to add their expressions of gratitude and declarations about how they were having a good time working with Gustavo. Kaelyn almost collapsed to the floor in relief. She did not want to go back to the apartment with a throbbing headache. Again.

Kelly was quick to hit Gustavo, giving him the not-so-subtle hint that he should reciprocate.

“I just wanted to say… you guys are… done for the day.”

Kelly rolled her eyes, but Kaelyn wasn’t overly surprised as she moved to stand with her friends. Something she very quickly learned in her short time working with Gustavo? The man had a hard time giving praise.

“Kelly and I are off to North Carolina,” Gustavo revealed.

“Ooh! Can you bring us back a tar heel?!” Carlos asked excitedly.

“Ooh! I’m thinking about bringing back a hot new band that I can replace you with when you inevitably fail me!” Gustavo retorted.

“Replace us?!” the boys repeated in disbelief.

The group was quick to follow Gustavo and Kelly out of the engineering room, continuing to voice their objections.

“You’re not gonna replace us! Not after you see my new headshots!” James proclaimed. He then reached behind him and pulled out the new headshots in question. “One hot young doctor. One hot greasy mechanic.”

“Ooh! I’ll put these with the others!” Gustavo decided.

He then grabbed the new headshots and tossed them into the air. James yelped as he quickly rushed forward to save his headshots from Gustavo’s wrath. Kaelyn silently handed back to him the one she was able to recover. She noticed it was his headshot posing as the ‘hot greasy mechanic’. Which, she had to admit, was her favourite of the two.

“Kelly, who’d you get to housesit my mansion?” Gustavo asked, already moving to walk into his office.

“Oh, you said that you would take care of that,” Kelly reminded him.

“There is no way I would have ever said-!”

Gustavo’s objections were cut off at the knees when Kelly brought up a voice recorder she kept on her person and pressed the playback button. Predictably, the sentence that played back was Gustavo telling Kelly in a previous conversation,

“Kelly, I’ll find someone to housesit my mansion.”

Gustavo winced and groaned when he had to reluctantly admit that Kelly was right (not that he would admit it aloud). There was no way for him to refute the evidence. If it weren’t for the fact that it was being used against him, Gustavo would even admit that Kelly’s foresight impressed him.

“I record everything now,” Kelly smiled to the teenagers. James and Kaelyn were quick to give her signs of approval.

“You can play your blame game later,” Gustavo grumbled. “Meanwhile, who’s gonna dust my hundred-inch plasma?”

Gustavo was so lost in his tirade with Kelly that he didn’t notice the five teenagers who crowded around behind his long-time colleague were suddenly standing more at attention. He also didn’t notice the looks of sudden interest they were displaying.

“Feed my exotic pets?”

Kelly could’ve sworn she felt her personal space being invaded. If she looked behind her, she wouldn’t be surprised to see that the five teenagers were slowly creeping closer to the conversation, trying and failing to be subtle.

“And make sure my million-dollar media room stays set at 68 degrees?!”

The five teenagers could no longer contain themselves as they leapt forward and declared, “We’ll mansion-sit for you!”

“Oh, you want me to let the monkeys mansion-sit?” Gustavo scoffed.

“Yeah, I thought we were dogs,” Logan chimed in.

“You’re monkey dogs!” Gustavo snapped. “And the answer is no!”

“I’m still not one of your dogs,” Kaelyn glowered at Gustavo.

“Can I see you in your office, please?” Kelly asked politely.

But the way she grabbed Gustavo by his jacket and began dragging him into his office told him that it wasn’t a polite request. Gustavo whined ever so slightly as he allowed Kelly to drag him into his office. He already knew what was going to happen, but he wasn’t about to go down without a fight.

“I think you should let them housesit,” Kelly told him. “It would be a great way to thank them for all of their hard work.”

“It’s mansion-sit, and the answer is still no!” Gustavo declared. He was then struck with inspiration, “Get Freight Train to do it.”

“Do you remember what happened the last time Freight Train watched the mansion?” Kelly asked her boss.

Gustavo winced as he did. He had a flashback to Freight Train, wearing nothing but sunglasses, a white business shirt, tight white briefs and white socks dancing along the foyer eating a sandwich he had made. He was listening to music through his earphones, so he was blissfully unaware of his surroundings. That blissful ignorance came to an abrupt end when he collided with the statue that sat in the middle of Gustavo’s foyer. The statue had shattered upon impact with the floor. Freight Train was quick to run away.

“Good point,” Gustavo acquiesced.

“Our flight leaves in 49 minutes. You need a house sitter now,” Kelly told her boss.

“Get them in here,” Gustavo sighed.

When Kelly opened the door to Gustavo’s office, all five teenagers fell into the office, having been eavesdropping.

**

The second Gustavo agreed to let the five teenagers housesit (sorry, mansion-sit), one of the first things he did was drag the five of them to the rehearsal space. Kelly stood beside him carrying their bags and everything they would be needing on this overnight trip to North Carolina. They had to get to the airport, but there was no way that Gustavo was going to leave the five teenagers to their own devices in his mansion without laying down some ground rules.

“There are five mansion-sitting rules at Casa Gustavo!” Gustavo declared.

Standing in front of James, Gustavo listed the first rule, “One: stay out of my media room!” James gave him a thumbs up and smile to signify his understanding.

Standing in front of Carlos, Gustavo listed the second rule, “Two: do not open my living room fridge!” Carlos did an ‘okay’ gesture with his hand to signify his silent agreement.

Standing in front of Kendall, Gustavo listed the third rule, “Three: keep the butts of my $40,000 Federico Benini couch!” Kendall whipped up his hands to point his fingers at Gustavo, signifying his agreement.

Standing in front of Logan, Gustavo listed the fourth rule, “Four: do not touch my Peruvian hairless cat, Monty!”

“Ooh, I love cats!” Logan smiled.

“Don’t touch him!” Gustavo snapped.

“I don’t even like cats,” Logan quickly amended his statement.

Standing in front of Kaelyn, Gustavo listed the fifth and final rule, “And five, if anything – anything – is broken in my mansion, you are all fired!” Kaelyn nodded.

Standing back to appraise the group, Gustavo asked them, “Are we clear?”

The five teenagers immediately cheered.

**

But there was one obstacle they still had to work around in their plan to stay overnight in Gustavo’s mansion. Particularly without adult supervision.

And that was Jennifer Knight.

“No!” Jennifer immediately voiced her objection.

“Mum, just one night!” Kendall whined.

“You’re too young!” Jennifer objected once more.

“We’re sixteen!” Kaelyn retorted.

“Together, we’re eighty years old. That’s older than you,” Logan chimed in. He then pondered, “I mean, that is older than you, isn’t it?”

“Eat,” Jennifer told Logan sternly, turning his head back to his plate.

“Mum, it’s time you stop treating us like kids,” Kaelyn declared.

Reaching for his plate, Kendall chimed in with his own declaration, “And it’s also time you stop feeding us dinosaur-shaped chicken!”

“You love your dinosaur chicken,” Jennifer said.

“Yeah,” Kendall agreed. “When we were eight!”

“Yeah! We are men now, Mrs. Knight!” Logan chimed in once more.

Two of the ‘men’ in question (namely James and Carlos) were currently having playfights with their dinosaur-shaped chicken nuggets. Complete with sound effects. They may be on the cusp of adulthood, but they were known for frequently indulging in their inner child. Frustrated, Kendall threw his nugget at them to get them to stop. They were doing nothing to help plead their case.

“Mum,” Kaelyn sighed, grasping her mother’s hands, “it’s time.”

Jennifer continued to wrestle with the decision once more, but when she saw her twins’ hopeful looks, and Logan, James and Carlos look at her with pleading eyes, she couldn’t help but acquiesce to their request. But she still had a stipulation of her own:

“I want hourly updates.”

The five teenagers were quick to cheer in elation. But for James, the elation quickly ended when he noted to Carlos in dismay, “You knocked over my chocolate milk!”

Carlos just gnawed at his nugget making taunting noises. Those taunting noises quickly turned to cries as James was quick to tackle his friend to the ground. While James and Carlos wrestled behind them, Logan and Katie were quick to race forward and help themselves to some nuggets that were left on Carlos’ plate. Kaelyn, meanwhile, sneakily took a bit of James’ mac and cheese.

“I’ll be in charge,” Kendall reassured his mother.

**

The cheering continued for the five teenagers when they arrived at the mansion in question. All five of them carried duffle bags filled with the stuff they would need for an overnight stay. They were in awe of the sight – and they hadn’t even been inside yet.

“Okay,” Jennifer chimed in from the driver’s seat of her rental car. “I set my phone number in all your speed dials. Just dial ‘M’ for ‘mummy’.”

“Mum,” Kaelyn winced. She hadn’t called her mum ‘mummy’ since she was six. Except in times of severe emotional distress.

“And I brought your jammies for you,” Jennifer continued, holding out the pyjamas with a smile.

“Mum!” Kendall groaned with an eyeroll. But he still accepted the offered pile of pyjamas.

“Okay. Have fun,” Jennifer smiled. She then looked pointedly at one of the duffle bags on the floor and declared, “Katie, you’re not staying. Get out of the duffle bag.”

Katie unzipped the bag with a huff and grumbled with a pout, “Fine!”

“Sorry, Katie,” Kendall laughed.

“See ya, sissy,” Kaelyn smiled at her younger sister.

Then, she joined the four teenage boys as they raced into the mansion with a cheer. They slowed to a stop in the foyer, taking in the sights. There was a grand piano in the corner near the window. A beautiful statue. The whole space was opulent and grand. Certainly something you would expect of Gustavo’s mansion.

“A helmet rack!” Carlos gasped excitedly, already racing forward to place his helmet on the statue.

“Carlos, no!” Kaelyn rebuked him, already racing forward to hand him his helmet back. “It’s a statue! You don’t touch it!”

“Look. We promised that we would do this in a responsible manner,” Kendall reminded the group. “Now, we have eighty years of experience between us- who am I kidding?! I’ll race you to the media room!”

Even as she joined the group in their race to the media room, Kaelyn couldn’t help but reflect on her surprise that it only took them this long before they decided to break one of Gustavo’s rules.

**

Gustavo and Kelly had safely made it to North Carolina. Upon arrival, they immediately made their way to a recording studio. As Gustavo had told the boys, he was checking out another boyband. This boyband was a trio known as The Windmills, and they were currently in the sound booth singing Famous. They were even adding harmonies of their own volition. Harmonies that were admittedly out of place for the song.

When the song ended, Gustavo said quietly to Kelly, “That was great.”

“Yeah,” Kelly nodded in agreement. The boys certainly were talented.

“And now, to break their spirits,” Gustavo smirked. Kelly only sighed as her boss pressed the button to speak into the sound booth, “Windmills, that was amazing…ly average.”

He was expecting an argument. After all, that was what he always got from Kaelyn and the boys. (Although, he had to admit that Kaelyn was a lot more respectful in her arguments than her brother was.) He was expecting them to talk back to him. Voice their disagreement.

But to his surprise, one of the Windmills immediately asked, “Oh, w-well, how can we make it better, Mr. Rocque, sir?”

“I’ll tell you how you can-!” Gustavo’s tirade was cut short as he stammered in shock, “I’m sorry. Did you call me sir?”

“Yes, sir!” Another Windmill nodded. “We have total respect for your judgement!”

Gustavo and Kelly exchanged surprised looks with one another. They have never had this happen before. Turning their back to the group, they were quick to have a quiet conversation amongst themselves.

“Do you believe this?” Gustavo quietly asked. “They sing amazing, they respect me… and I am so not missing Kaelyn, Kendall and his pack of monkey dogs right now!”

**

Those ‘monkey dogs’ Gustavo alluded to had helped themselves to the media room in his mansion. They were playing a golf video game their boss had set up in there. It was one of those games with a realistic putting green, golf balls and golf clubs. The player would fire the ball at the TV, and the game would carry the shot through the virtual golf course.

“Now, watch the birdie, boys!” James taunted as he lined up his shot.

“Miss it! Miss it!” Carlos shouted as Kendall threw popcorn at him.

James swung the club, hitting the ball. They were on the fourth hole with a par of three. In order for James to achieve his goal of getting a birdie on this hole, he would need to land the ball on the putting green with the first stroke, and he needed the ball to land in a perfect spot for him to putt the ball into the hole.

James cheered when his ball did just that. He was never going to make a hole-in-one, but he was able to line up his next shot perfectly.

“Nice shot,” Kaelyn smiled as James sat in the beanbag next to her.

“Thanks,” James beamed, reaching into her popcorn tub for some popcorn. He noticed she had her phone out and asked, “Who are you texting?”

“No one,” Kaelyn answered quickly. Too quickly for James’ liking. He watched with interest as Kaelyn quickly locked her phone and slid it into her pocket.

Taking the club to make his own shot, Carlos declared to the group, “This is totally awesome, the five of us kicking back in a mansion!”

As Carlos walked back after taking his shot, Logan chimed in, “Where we’ve broken rule number one by entering the media room.”

“It’s gonna stop here, right?” Kaelyn asked the group firmly.

“Right!” the boys nodded in agreement.

**

Kaelyn did nothing to suppress her eyeroll when, after leaving the media room, the first thing the boys did was make their way to the living room. Particularly the living room fridge. She recalled Gustavo’s second rule. They were not to open his living room fridge.

Although, Kaelyn had to admit she was curious.

“Why would he padlock his fridge?” Kaelyn mused.

Gustavo had wrapped a chain around the fridge in question, sliding it under the handles on the fridge door. In the middle, the two ends of the chain were joined together with a combination lock similar to the lock the group had on their high school lockers.

“I bet he keeps his heart in there,” James quipped.

“Or his victims,” Logan chimed in.

“Or food!” Carlos gasped excitedly.

“Well, only one way to find out,” Kendall shrugged.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa, are you crazy?!” Logan immediately blocked Kendall’s path.

“Yeah. Remember rule number two?” Kaelyn added.

James, Carlos and Kendall sighed and recalled what Gustavo had said to them about his living room fridge. But it was clear to Logan and Kaelyn that they were misremembering what Gustavo had said. Rather than Gustavo stressing upon them heavily to stay out of his living room fridge, the three boys imagined their boss saying to them,

“Rule number two: help yourselves to anything you want in my living room fridge!”

“That was not it!” Logan and Kaelyn immediately objected.

“Yes, it was!” the three boys snapped.

Carlos smirked as he stepped forward, “Step aside, boys.” At Kaelyn’s not-so-subtle glare and ‘ahem’, he amended his statement, “And milady. My uncle was a locksmith. You just place your hands between the cylinder and the central housing… and hit it with the sledgehammer!”

Kaelyn would’ve asked where Carlos pulled a sledgehammer from, but she was too busy being horrified as Carlos whacked at the lock with a scream. Even the other boys were put off by the display in front of them. Yeah, they desperately wanted to see what Gustavo was hiding inside his fridge, but not to the point of destroying property.

However, those thoughts of horror were completely forgotten when Carlos opened both fridge doors, revealing shelves that were stacked with very generous amounts of…

“Pudding!”

They all immediately raced forward, helping themselves to some pudding and the spoons that resided in there.

**

Katie, meanwhile, was trying valiantly to do her homework while her mother took a trip down memory lane.

“Aw, look at them. They’re ten here. They still needed me to wipe his nose,” Jennifer remarked. She then flipped the page of her photo album to when Kendall and Kaelyn were toddlers, “Aw, they’re two there! Needed me to wipe everything.”

“Okay, I get it! There was a lot of wiping!” Katie yelled in exasperation. “Can we stop now, mum?”

“I’m sorry. I’m not used to this empty nest thing,” Jennifer pouted.

‘Hello? I’m right here!” Katie quickly reminded her mother.

“Please. You haven’t needed me since you learned to win at five-card stud,” Jennifer stated.

Katie smiled to herself. She had to admit. Her mother had her there. Katie was always a very independent child.

Jennifer then sighed sadly, “Maybe it’s just time for me to find a nice ice floe somewhere and float out to sea.”

Katie immediately knew what her mother was referring to the popular legend that the Eskimos put their elderly on ice floes and set the adrift out at sea to die. Emphasis on the legend because, while there were rare circumstances where the elderly were killed or left to die in extreme circumstances such as famine, putting the elderly on an ice floe and casting them adrift was not something that happened. (Or, at the very least, happened as often as the legend made it out to.)

Katie came to two decisions here. The first decision was to thank her older sister for the history lesson when she got back from mansion-sitting with the guys.

The second decision was to cheer her mother up and make her feel needed. And there was one way she knew that would work.

Faking sick.

When Katie suddenly cried out in pain, clutching her stomach, Jennifer immediately snapped out of her funk and asked urgently, “Katie, what’s wrong, honey?!”

“My tummy hurts!” Katie whined.

“I should take your temperature,” Jennifer immediately decided.

She pulled a thermometer out of her pocket and stuck it into Katie’s mouth. That alone shouldn’t have surprised Katie. When Kaelyn was battling her lymphoma, Jennifer was overly paranoid and went into ‘mama bear’ mode when any of her children (biological and informally adopted) showed any signs of illness. It could be understood, since Kaelyn had a weakened immune system due to her treatment that not only left her more susceptible to illness, but made it harder for her to fight any infection she did catch.

Watching the way her mother stared at her, she mumbled through the thermometer, “Mum, can you get me a blanket?”

Taking the opportunity, Katie dipped the thermometer into her mother’s tie while Jennifer raced to the lounge to grab the requested blanket. She put the thermometer back in her mouth before her mother even turned around. She knew she couldn’t keep the thermometer in the tea for too long anyway. She wanted enough of a temperature to make her mother believe she was sick without raising any alarm bells.

Especially since, in many ways, the family still hadn’t recovered from Kaelyn’s cancer battle.

Jennifer wrapped her youngest daughter in the blanket with a loving embrace before taking the thermometer out of her mouth. Reading the number on the digital readout, she gasped, “Ooh, 103! Stomach flu!” She immediately rushed to reassure her daughter, “Don’t worry. Mummy’s gonna take good care of her little princess!”

“Maybe – oh!” Katie pretended to wince as her mother went to guide her to the couch. “Some online poker will help settle my stomach.”

“I was thinking ginger ale,” Jennifer remarked. But then, she cooed, “But anything for my little baby!”

**

The five teenagers were certainly helping themselves to the pudding in Gustavo’s living room fridge. Anything they finished a cup, they tossed it to the side and grabbed another. They were also quick to break Gustavo’s third rule. They were sitting and relaxing against his $40,000 Federico Benini couch.

“And to think, Gustavo didn’t trust us!” Kendall scoffed.

He then mischievously leaned forward to help himself to some of the pudding his twin sister was eating. When she noticed, she went to grab his wrist with a cry of, “Hey! Stay away from my pudding!”

But the action caused the pudding that was resting on Kendall’s spoon to spill onto the white designer couch.

The five teenagers immediately screamed in horror as they bolted into their feet.

“Gustavo’s $40,000 couch!” Carlos screamed.

“Get your butts off his couch was rule number three!” Logan reminded the group.

“No, it wasn’t!” Kendall immediately objected. But as he flashed back to when Gustavo laid down that specific rule, he had to acquiesce, “Okay, maybe it was.”

“Gustavo’s gonna kill us, and we’re only eighty years old!” James cried.

“Which means we can do something as simple as removing a pudding stain from a couch,” Kaelyn rolled her eyes.

“Logan, brain, now!” Kendall pleaded his friend.

“Right, okay!” Logan began stammering. After briefly struggling, he recalled one specific detail Gustavo mentioned. “Gustavo has a cat, right?”

“Yeah. Monty,” Kaelyn nodded in recollection. “Why?”

“Because if he has a cat, he would have cat litter,” Logan pointed out. “And cat litter’s main ingredient is bentonite, which, as we all know, is a natural absorbent.”

Kendall was quick to start handing out orders, “Carlos, get the cat litter. James, open the door to air out the smell. Move!”

While Carlos and James quickly moved to carry out their assigned tasks, Kendall and Kaelyn moved to scoop the excess pudding off the couch, reducing their cleanup as much as possible. They did this very carefully, as they did not want to create a larger stain on the couch.

When that was done, Logan poured a generous amount of the cat litter onto the stain.

“Okay. There,” Logan sighed as he put the box down. “Now, we just relax and wait.”

But there was a further complication they did not take into consideration. Monty, the Peruvian hairless cat Gustavo mentioned owning, appeared out of nowhere. He jumped onto the couch and quickly moved towards where Logan had poured the cat litter.

The five teenagers all screamed.

“Whoa, what is that thing?!” Logan stammered in fear.

“Oh, it must be his cat!” Kendall identified.

“That’s a cat?!” Carlos gaped in disbelief.

Sensing what was about to happen, James began crying, “J-just get him off before he…”

He trailed off with a wince when Monty did exactly what James feared he would do: he peed on the pile of cat litter, which resulted in the white designer couch being stained with not only chocolate pudding, but with cat urine.

“Marks his territory,” Kaelyn finished James’ warning with a wince.

“Get him off the couch!” Kendall snapped.

Carlos was the one who raced forward to pick up the cat. But when Monty yowled at being touched by someone who was not his owner, Carlos screamed and threw the cat in fear. Unfortunately, he threw Monty in the direction of the open back door, and Monty made his escape.

“There goes rule number four,” Logan sighed.

Logan ended up being the one to break rule number five. When he went to lean on the nearby table, he accidentally sat on an unidentified remote. The group yelled in surprise when a disco ball dropped from the ceiling and dance music began blaring from the nearby speakers.

“Disco ball!” Carlos yelped.

As Logan tried to turn everything off with the busted remote, James cried, “Rule number five! If we break anything, we’re fired!”

“Everybody, just calm down!” Kendall snapped at the group. “All we got to do is get the stain off the couch, find the cat, and raise the disco ball! We can do this! Together!”

The five teenagers piled their hands together and broke apart with a yell as they quickly moved to clean up the mess they made.

**

Five Minutes Later…

In their efforts to clean up the mess they had made, the five teenagers had made everything worse. There were alarms blaring everywhere as Kendall used the fire extinguisher to put out a small fire that had broken out in the garbage can.

“I can’t find the cat at all!” Logan gasped as he raced past.

“I think I broke the statue,” James winced as he held up the broken pieces.

Kendall gasped in horror, inadvertently squeezing the trigger for the fire extinguisher and causing more foam to fly into the air. He then took note of the mess that surrounded them. The decorative pillows were all over the floor. The paintings were falling off their hooks. There were more stains resulting from their efforts to clean up. It looked like the results of a wild party.

Kendall tried to maintain an upbeat attitude by remarking, “Well, the good news is, this can’t get any worse, right?”

A growl was heard in the distance followed by two sets of screams. Carlos then raced back into the house, carrying Kaelyn in his arms bridal style as he yelled,

“The alligator’s loose! The alligator’s loose!”

“Wait, is there a- why is there an alligator?!” Logan demanded.

He hyperventilated briefly before fainting in shock. He conveniently landed on a pillow that was left there in the midst of the chaos. So, he at least had something to cushion his fall. James and Kendall immediately picked up Logan, declaring no man left behind, as the five teenagers raced away. The alligator followed behind them.

Moments later, they had come up with a scheme to trap the alligator in the bathroom. Kendall and Carlos stood on a stepladder while Kendall held a broomstick with steak (a prime cut of steak, Kaelyn couldn’t help but note) tied to the handle.

While trying to entice the alligator, Kendall decided he had to ask an important question: “How did an alligator get in here?!”

“Kaelyn opened the back door to let the smoke out and it crawled in from Gustavo’s moat,” Carlos answered.

“His moat?!” James and Logan repeated incredulously. Kaelyn nodded in confirmation, clinging to James’ back.

“Nice alligator. Follow the meat,” Kendall whimpered.

Predictably, the alligator jumped up, ripping the broom out of Kendall’s hands before taking its prize into the bathroom. Logan immediately raced forward to close the bathroom door, locking the alligator in there. Kaelyn relaxed in relief, releasing her tight grip on James. James found himself to be dismayed by the action and already missing her touch.

As the five teenagers sat on the staircase, Kaelyn pointed out, “We still have to find Monty.”

“So Gustavo doesn’t kill us,” Kendall finished his twin’s train of thought.

“Call the FBI!” James immediately suggested.

“For a missing cat? The FBI only works with serious crimes!” Logan objected.

“Oh, that explains a lot,” James winced.

“Did you seriously call the FBI because you ran out of hair products?” Kaelyn asked him incredulously.

“I know one of you used all of my Cuda Massive Hold!” James retorted in self-defence.

“Focus!” Kendall snapped. “Now, there’s only three possible places the cat could be hiding. One: he’s roaming the neighbourhood. Two: he’s hiding up a tree.”

Kaelyn winced when the sound of an alligator burping echoed around the enclosed bathroom they sat near. She pleaded Kendall, “Tell me that wasn’t number three.”

“It was,” Kendall winced.

The five teenagers groaned in dismay.

“How are we gonna explain this one?” Kaelyn asked in dismay.

**

The answer came in the form of a ginger cat that was now sitting in the middle of the coffee table.

“You are not shaving a cat!” Kaelyn immediately declared.

“Oh, would you rather tell Gustavo we lost his and, you know, have him replace us and destroy my dreams?!” James retorted.

“Where did you get the cat?” Logan asked Carlos, who was the one who presented the cat to the group.

“I’ve got a guy,” Carlos shrugged.

Kaelyn made a mental note to ask Carlos more about that guy he mentioned when this was over. Namely, how he managed to establish that type of contact in Hollywood to begin with.

“Quiet! Hold him down steady,” Kendall requested.

While James handed Kendall the clippers they were planning to use, Carlos immediately moved to hold down the cat.

“Oh, I can’t look!” Logan winced, looking away.

“Would you chill? How hard can it be to shave a cat?” Kendall scoffed.

Kaelyn made a mental note to throw those exact words in Kendall’s face not even thirty seconds later when she looked down at her torn clothes and the scratch marks on her body. The cat was not willing to have its fur shaved off, and after lashing out at the five teenagers – even the two who wanted no part of this scheme – set about destroying the mansion even further. The group watched the chaos unfolding in dismay from the ripped designer couch.

“Oh, not the chair!” James cried.

“Oh, no! Not the silk drapes!” Logan moaned.

Looking over at the spray-painted ‘Cats Rule!’ graffiti on a nearby painting, Carlos asked, “Where did it learn to spray paint?”

“We’re doomed,” Kendall and Kaelyn winced.

**

Gustavo and Kelly weren’t faring any better in North Carolina. Don’t misunderstand. There was no doubt that the Windmills were a very talented group. And Gustavo was indeed delighted by the fact that they did what he said and took all of his critiques without arguing.

When Gustavo asked them to shave three seconds off the song, they sang it at a more upbeat tempo. The difference in tempo compared to the original wasn’t significant, but it was enough to shave off those extra seconds Gustavo wanted gone. When he asked them to sing the final note in the key of G, they sang it in perfect harmony. When he asked them to perform Tibetan throat singing, they did that too. They even got Gustavo a pulled pork sandwich at his request, despite the fact the producer didn’t eat pulled pork.

Along the way, Kelly was constantly reminding him of the band he currently had looking after his mansion. But Gustavo ignored her, too delighted by the prospect of having a band that did everything he said.

But as he watched the three teenagers serenade him with a rendition of Fur Elise – turns out they’re also classically trained musicians – he had noticeably deflated. Kelly took a bit to notice, being too busy enjoying the performance.

She thought about Big Time Rush and their musical talents. The only one with musical talent was James. His mother had put him in piano lessons when he was young and it was a practice he continued alongside his hockey pursuits. She knew that Kendall had expressed an interest in learning guitar from the guitarist who often worked with Gustavo. Kaelyn had picked up some piano skills from James, but had never had a serious lesson until Gustavo took her under his wing and began expanding her repertoire.

“You guys are great,” Gustavo praised. But the enthusiasm he once held was long gone.

“Uh, Mr. Rocque, sir?” one of the Windmills began nervously. “Are you okay?”

“Do you not like that we’re all classically trained?” another inquired.

The third member piped in, “Because we can classically untrain ourselves!”

“I’m great. It’s all great,” Gustavo only sighed. “Everything is great!”

“Would you like us to get you a multivitamin?!” one of the Windmills immediately offered.

“No!” Gustavo snapped.

Kelly silently gestured for the band to give them a minute to talk in private before muting the sound between rooms.

“What’s the problem?” Kelly asked.

“I’ll tell you what the problem is. They do everything I say when I say it, and I can’t stand it!” Gustavo ranted.

“You know what I think,” Kelly smirked. “I think you miss your boys. Or your monkey dogs or your boy monkeys. And you miss your protégé.”

“Miss them? Me miss them?! Ha!” Gustavo scoffed.

“You thrive on the chaos. They argue with you, they get in your face, they raise your blood pressure – and you like it. You need it,” Kelly declared.

“Wrong!” Gustavo immediately objected. Sensing the look Kelly was giving him, he acquiesced, “Okay. Not wrong!” He then said, “But I can’t abandon the Windmills. I’m their hero. And it’s not like there’s record producers waiting outside the door ready to sign them.”

Kelly rose to her feet, deciding her boss needed a reality check on that last point. When she opened the door, numerous record producers fell through the door. They had been itching for their opportunity to get inside and have some time with the Windmills. When they rose to their feet, they babbled their greeting to Gustavo.

Gustavo sighed and told the producers, “Okay, they’re all yours.”

He was then knocked over in the producers’ rush to get to the Windmills and overwhelm them with their own offers.

**

Katie’s day wasn’t faring much better.

Now, when she had come up with the plan to pretend to be sick to cheer up her mother, she did so with good intentions. But she had forgotten how her mother can be when one of her children was sick.

First, Jennifer had placed a steam diffuser next to her, declaring she had a cough that required it. Then, Katie was bundled up with a bunch of extra blankets her mother had ordered through housekeeping. She was cocooned so tightly in the blankets that she struggled to move. She couldn’t even sit up. She was forced to lay prone on the couch.

But things were about to get worse, as her mother was now measuring a spoonful of medicine she needed to take.

“Mmm, extra strength Nyquip with real artificial cherry flavour!” Jennifer introduced cheerfully.

“No, that’s okay,” Katie began objecting. She gaped at the size of the spoon her mother was holding up, “Wow, that’s a big spoon!”

“Come on, take your medicine,” Jennifer cooed at her.

Katie moved her head from side-to-side, doing her best to keep her mouth shit and not give her mother the chance to slip the spoon past her lips. Especially since she couldn’t run. Katie mentally sighed to herself. There was only one way to end the well-meaning torture, and that was to fess up.

“I don’t have a fever, mum!” Katie blurted. When Jennifer backed away in shock, Katie further elaborated, “I dipped the thermometer in your tea so you’d think I have a fever.”

Resting her hand on her daughter’s forehead, Jennifer objected, “But you’re warm!”

“Because you mummified me!” Katie grunted, finally forcing her way free of the blanket cocoon her well-meaning mother had trapped her in. “Look. You were so mopey over Kendall and Kaelyn growing up that I decided to let you baby me.”

“Oh. So, you’re not really sick?” Jennifer pressed. Resting her hand on her heart, she asked with a smile, “You were faking for me?”

“Are you mad?” Katie asked nervously.

Sitting before her on the couch, Jennifer sighed, “No. I just need to face the fact that you kids are growing up.” She then declared, “In fact, I’m gonna call your brother and sister right now and tell them that I’m not gonna check up on them!”

Katie was quick to take the phone out of her mother’s hand, “No! I’m sure they’re doing a great job watching Gustavo’s house!”

**

“Oh, we are horrible mansion sitters!” Kendall lamented.

Logan was nowhere to be seen, while Kendall, Kaelyn, James and Carlos were sitting on the steps leading into the living room, observing the mess in dismay. Carlos was also helping himself to some popcorn they had made in the media room.

Kaelyn’s phone chimed, signifying an incoming text message. Exasperated, because her phone had been chiming at random times and she wouldn’t say who was texting her (and he did not like the way she smiled when it did), James reached for her phone and asked, “Okay, who the heck’s been texting you all day?!”

Kaelyn grunted when she suddenly found James on top of her, reaching for her phone. Looking to the side, Kaelyn was able to open the text and report,

“Oh great. Gustavo and Kelly are coming back early.”

“Okay, don’t worry! I can fix this!” Logan cried. He raced over to the group with a laptop. He paused to ask, “What’s going on?”

“Nothing!” James and Kaelyn immediately objected. James moved away from Kaelyn when he finally noticed Kendall’s glare.

“What do you got?” Kaelyn immediately asked Logan, hoping nobody noticed the blush that was now dusting her cheeks.

“There’s a 4am flight to Bolivia. We get there, change our names, raise alpacas,” Logan proudly revealed his plan.

“Seriously?” Kaelyn looked at him in disbelief.

“We can name one Stanley,” Logan compelled his friend.

“I’m in,” Kaelyn immediately declared.

“Seriously, bunny?” James shot Kaelyn a look.

“What?” Kaelyn frowned in confusion. “You know that’s my ideal pet name, fox.”

“Yeah,” Kendall cut in. “I have a better idea.” He then pulled out his phone.

“You’re gonna call a cleaning service!” Carlos immediately guessed, not even taking a minute to put away the tub of popcorn he was holding.

“A statue repairman!” James piped in.

“And one of those places that gets the cats out of the alligators,” Logan added, causing James to hum in approval.

Kaelyn smirked at Kendall, “All of the above?”

Kendall nodded in agreement, “All of the above.”

He pressed ‘M’ on his speed dial.

**

Nobody knew how many traffic laws Jennifer had broken in her race to get to Gustavo’s mansion. But there were two things she knew for certain.

The first thing: there wasn’t a significant time lag between Kendall’s phone call and her and Katie’s arrival. In both of their hands were cleaning supplies, including mops, brooms, buckets and sponges.

The second thing: Jennifer took a moment to gasp in horror at the mess before heading straight to work.

“Hey, mum. Here’s the sitch,” Kendall began explaining.

“Zip it!” Jennifer cut in. “I’m gonna need three litres of club soda, a sewing kit, a bucket of vinegar, bleach; and get on the phone and find a place that delivers super-turbo bonding glue and semigloss white paint.”

“Got it,” the five teenagers chorused. Logan immediately took out his phone to make the calls.

Carlos, after putting on his signature helmet, immediately asked an important question, “Wait. What about Gustavo’s cat?”

Jennifer wordlessly pulled out a box of cat treats from her bucket. The teenagers hummed in approval. While the box of cat treats were generic and certainly not the gourmet fare Monty would be used to receiving from his owner, they would still do the trick if he was still within the mansion. Jennifer shook the box before pouring some of the treats onto the floor. Jennifer didn’t even get the chance to lift the box back up before Monty appeared, immediately helping himself to the offered treats.

As the five teenagers cheered in relief, Katie asked incredulously, “That’s a cat?!”

Monty meowed in confirmation.

“What are you all staring at?! We’re gonna be here all night! Go, go, go, go!” Jennifer barked at them, causing all five teenagers to disperse.

“That’s right! Move it!” Katie piped in.

“You too! Go!” Jennifer rounded on her youngest.

Kaelyn immediately moved to the laundry room, grabbing the bottle of bleach her mother would need while James was nearby grabbing the buckets. Kaelyn didn’t realize her phone had slipped out of her pocket in her rush to get the supplies. While the buckets filled with water, James looked down and saw the phone on the floor. By this point, Kaelyn had taken one of the buckets, and taken it out to her mother after pouring some of the bleach.

Now, James knew this was wrong. He knew he shouldn’t be snooping through Kaelyn’s phone. Well… actually, he didn’t need to snoop. Because on the phone was a text message from a guy named Neil.

‘I had so much fun with you at the picnic. I can’t wait to go on another date with you.’

James gasped, all of these conflicting feelings racing through his body as he noticed the choice of words. ‘Another date’. That meant that Kaelyn had already gone on at least one date with this guy. He may have been slow on the uptake with a lot of things (he would be one of the first to admit he’s not the smartest guy on the planet), but he read the signs well enough to know that it meant Kaelyn had a boyfriend.

He felt hurt. That was the first emotion he could identify. Hurt that she hadn’t come to him. Hurt that she didn’t tell him she was interested in a guy. (Although, the small rational part of him reasoned it was because she knew he would do everything in his power to scare him off.)

But the other emotions swirled within him, intermixing so much that he couldn’t identify conclusively what they were. He remembered how Kaelyn smiled when she received her text messages – text messages that he now knew were from this guy. It made him angry. Irrationally so.

Because he wanted to be the one to make her smile like that.

That made James freeze. When he first started asking Kaelyn out, he did it to get a rise out of Kendall. After all, Kendall was a staunch enforcer of the bro code that ruled against dating your best friend’s sister (a rule he took to an extreme). Of course, the fact that Kaelyn was also one of James’ best friend complicated that rule. But as time went on, and he asked her out more and more (always with gentle ribbing, and he always respected her no), the more heartbroken he felt when she turned him down. Even if he understood why. She didn’t want to upset Kendall. She didn’t want to destroy their friendship. Heck. There may even be the weariness of dating someone with James’ dating history.

Did this mean he liked her too?

He thought about all those moments they had. The near misses. The way their hands would touch for just that little bit too long when they handed each other something. That time before they performed for Griffin to decide their future, when it felt like they were about to… Actually, James didn’t know what they were about to do, but certainly had his hopes about where they would have ended up. Everything.

And now, she was seeing another guy. And although he had done his fair share of dating even since arriving in Hollywood and he took part in the fight for Jo’s affections, seeing Kaelyn dating someone who wasn’t him hurt.

James shook his head. He needed to snap out of it. They had a lot of work to do and very little time to do it.

If anyone noticed the way he cleaned and polished bits of furniture with a bit more aggression than was necessary, nobody commented on it.

**

The sun had risen over Southern California, and Gustavo and Kelly were now in their stretch limousine, making their way back to Gustavo’s mansion. They had been on a plane for close to six hours, landing at LAX after departing from Raleigh, North Carolina. As the limousine moved closer towards Gustavo’s mansion, Kelly was taking the moment to coach Gustavo on what to say to the band he was working with.

“Let’s review what you’re gonna say to the boys,” Kelly told him.

Gustavo sighed, “I like you and thank you for all the hard work.”

“Good. I’m very proud of you,” Kelly praised him.

“Unless they touched anything in my mansion!” Gustavo added. “Then, it’s, ‘I hate you! And you’re dead! You hear me?! DEAD!’”

**

The group had indeed been up all right putting Gustavo’s mansion back to rights. The paintings were fixed. (Logan even painted over that ‘Cats Rule!’ graffiti the stray cat had sprayed on one of them.) The living room fridge was restocked with pudding and locked with the chain and padlock. The disco ball was no longer hanging from the ceiling. The plans were standing upright. Any rubbish was cleaned up.

Now, all that was left was waiting for the bonding glue to do its job on the statue.

“Alright! Looking good, guys!” Jennifer praised them. Pointing to the statue James and Carlos were holding together, she said, “And that glue will be dry in ten, nine…”

“Bigfoot’s on the campground! Repeat: bigfoot’s on the campground!” Logan warned the group. He had seen Gustavo’s limo approaching.

“Mum!” Kendall called nervously, holding the bundle of pyjamas she had given him earlier.

“Five seconds and the bond will hold!” Jennifer declared.

“He’s coming up the steps!” Kaelyn warned the group.

“Three, two, one! Let’s roll!” Katie did a hasty countdown before dragging her mother away.

As Gustavo held out his hand for Kelly to pass him his keys, he took a bit to sort through them. He had so many keys on his keyring, it made it hard for him sometimes to pull up the right key when he needed it.

As Katie and Jennifer went to leave out the back, Kendall and Kaelyn called out, “Mum!” When Jennifer froze in the doorway, her twins smiled at her and said, “Thanks.”

As Jennifer blew a kiss at her two oldest children, her youngest snapped, “Come on!” and proceeded to drag her out. Gustavo couldn’t know they were here.

The five teenagers quickly changed into their pyjamas and were nestled together in the alcove when Gustavo finally unlocked the front door and made his way inside the mansion. On cue, all five of them pretended to yawn like they had just woken up.

“Oh, look who’s here!” Kendall remarked through his fake yawn.

“It’s Gustavo and Kelly!” James piped in cheerfully.

“We slept here because we didn’t wanna touch anything,” Logan explained.

“Yeah,” Carlos nodded. “We’re not just pretending.”

“Carlos!” Kaelyn hissed at him.

“Silence!” Gustavo snapped. “Monty?”

Monty meowed and immediately jumped into his owner’s arms. He was clearly happy to see his owner. The group voiced their own happy greetings for Monty, pretending as thought hey weren’t worried about inadvertently feeding him to an alligator.

When Kaelyn’s phone chimed, James held it up to her explaining, “You dropped this.”

“Thanks,” Kaelyn smiled before reading her text. “We’d love to stay and chat Gustavo, but mum’s here to pick us up.”

The five teenagers immediately gathered their stuff and left, making sure to thank Gustavo for the opportunity on their way out. But in saying that, they wanted the opportunity to make a quick exit. Preferably before Gustavo realized anything had happened.

“Stop!” Gustavo ordered. “There’s something I need to say.”

“Well, you can say something tomorrow, so…,” Kendall trailed off as the group tried to leave once more.

“Guys! This is important,” Kelly told them.

It was with great reluctance that the five teenagers made their way back down the steps and stood in front of Gustavo in the foyer.

“We’ve been working together for a month now and… I just wanted to say… although we’ve had our ups and downs… the truth is… I luh…,” Gustavo froze as he struggled to get the words out. “I luh…” When he tripped over his words once more, Kelly elbowed him. He was then able to get the three words out with great reluctance: “I like you.”

The statue then toppled over behind him.

“And we like you too,” Kendall smiled. “RUN!”

Gustavo winced at the broken statue as four of the five teenagers took the opportunity to race out the front door. Carlos decided to race towards Kelly, holding the cat they had tried to shave before, and handed it over to the confused assistant before racing to catch up with his friends. Kelly sighed to himself.

“Thanks for the break! See ya!” James called behind him as he fled.

“Aspirin! Aspirin! I need aspirin!” Gustavo cried, racing towards the bathroom.

It was at that moment Kaelyn popped her head through the door and warned Kelly, “Oh, uh… You might wanna stay out of the bathroom…”

Kaelyn gasped when she realized she was giving her warning too late. She heard Gustavo scream and the alligator growl. While Kelly watched the scene unfold in concern, Kaelyn made her exit. Gustavo could have fun working out how to get the alligator back in the moat all by himself.

But right now, after the all-nighter she and the guys just pulled, they all needed some sleep.

Chapter 9: End Up on the Cover of Every Star-Studded Supermarket Magazine

Notes:

(Author breaths a sigh of relief when she realises she was able to fit the entire lyric she wanted as the chapter title) I would like to take this moment to thank AO3 for their generous character limit for chapter titles.

ENJOY!

It was a normal sunny day at the Palm Woods. The majority of the teenage residents were hanging out by the pool, like they always did when they weren’t auditioning or working on a project they were attached to. They were only too eager to take advantage of the perfect weather in Los Angeles and the glorious Palm Woods pool in their down time.

Camille had come over to talk to some of her favourite people in the Palm Woods: a certain boyband and their songwriter. In her hands, she held a poster that had been taken from Pop Tiger magazine. It was a poster of the band – their very first poster. Shot from the waste up, they were dressed in fashionable outfits and beaming at the camera as they posed like four best friends getting their picture taken.

“Cool! You got your picture in Pop Tiger magazine!” Camille gasped as she held up the poster.

But then, when Camille put down the poster and took a look at the four boys in question, she gasped and winced. It was safe to say that the four boys were more than a little worse for wear. They were all covered in various scratches (including some that were still bleeding) and bruises. Their hair was also a mess. And that was nothing compared to their individual battle wounds.

Logan’s battle wounds involved having to have both of his arms in slings. Kendall’s right arm was in a cast and he had a thick bandage wrapped around the top of his head. Carlos had his left leg in a moonboot and elevated with two pillows and he was holding a steak to his eye – the classic remedy for a black eye. While James’ left arm wasn’t in a cast or had a bandage wrapped around it, it was still elevated with three pillows and he was also sporting a neck brace.

It was safe to say the four boys had been through hell.

“But what happened?! You guys look terrible!” Camille gasped.

“What happened?! That picture happened!” James cried. His three best friends moaned in agreement.

Kaelyn immediately raced over, placing her hands on James’ shoulders from behind and encouraging him gently, “Lean back, fox. Lean back.” When he was leaned back, she came around and placed an ice pack on his wrist, stating, “You need to keep this on for fifteen minutes.”

James glowered at her briefly, “This is payback from when you had cancer, isn’t it?”

Kaelyn only shot him a sweet smile in response as she patted his non-injured cheek. That alone told him that yes, it was payback.

“Camille, get ready for a twisted tale of adventure, danger and nail-biting suspense,” Kendall told her. He then suddenly spat something in his hand. Holding it out for the group to see, he said, “Hey. My tooth came out.”

Looking closer at the tooth, Carlos grabbed it and said, “No, wait, that’s mine,” before moving to place it back in his mouth.

Everyone – including his three equally injured best friends – cringed and moaned in disgust at the sight. They then slumped back against their lounge chairs, their bodies radiating with pain.

Camille turned to Kaelyn and asked, “How did they get like this?”

“Well, it all started with a nice, quiet afternoon in the crib,” Kaelyn began telling the story.

**

Picture Day…

Spoiler alert: it was not a nice quiet afternoon in the crib, as Kaelyn was telling her friend. In fact, the four best friends were dressed in their hockey gear playing a round of hockey against each other. Kaelyn was doing her best to stay out of the line of fire – especially after Kendall knocked James into the kitchen bench.

It was safe to say when the boys played hockey, it got wild.

It made her thankful when Kelly walked into the apartment and immediately blew an airhorn to get the boys’ attention. Even when the boys stopped playing, it didn’t stop Carlos from knocking Logan over – just because he could.

“Get your helmets off and your smiles on!” Kelly ordered them. “Gustavo pulled some strings, and if we hurry, you can make the next Pop Tiger Hot-New-Star Pinup Fold-Out Special Spring Poster Issue!”

The four boys looked at Kelly in confusion. Immediately, Kendall turned to his twin and requested, “Lynnie, in English please.”

“It’s picture day,” Kaelyn supplied.

“So, move it!” Kelly snapped, blowing her air horn once more for emphasis.

That was all the boys needed to hear before they were immediately throwing down their hockey gear. Before they could leave the apartment, however, they had to put it back to rights. That was one of Jennifer’s key rules about the boys playing hockey indoors. If they move furniture around to make a makeshift rink, they have to put everything back the way it was when they were done. So, the boys had to fix the couch back up.

But before long, they were all in a limo cruising through the streets of Hollywood, making their way to Rocque Records.

“I can’t believe we’re gonna be in Pop Tiger!” James gushed excitedly.

“I know! It’s totally awesome!” Carlos cheered. Then he asked, “What’s a Pop Tiger?”

James pulled out a copy of the magazine in question before he answered, “Only the most popular teen magazine in the world.”

“Kaelyn, please tell me that’s yours,” Logan pleaded. He didn’t really want to think of James being in possession of a magazine that is mostly geared towards teenage girls – although, it wouldn’t surprise him.

“We share it,” Kaelyn revealed.

“Hey! This magazine has great articles for guys, too!” James snapped. “Like, OMG, I IM’d the Wrong BFF.”

Taking the magazine from James, Kendall read one of the titles that was displayed on the cover, “What One Thing Would Hottie Hunk Dak Zevon Bring to a Desert Island?” Kendall was totally prepared to tease his best friend, but it was overwhelmed by the one thing that killed the cat: curiosity. “I got to say, I’m curious.”

Kaelyn didn’t even bother hiding her snicker when she saw Kendall eagerly flicking through the magazine’s pages to find the article in question. Her snickers only became more pronounced when she saw Logan and Carlos trying to peer over Kendall’s shoulder, wanting to know the answer too.

“His dog Snowball!” Kendall read when he finally found it.

“What?!” Carlos gasped as he snatched the magazine from Kendall. “What an idiot! Everyone knows you bring a roller-coaster!”

“I think we unleashed Pandora’s Box,” Kaelyn muttered to Kelly.

“You don’t bring a roller coaster! You bring a flare gun to signal passing ships!” Logan declared.

“Oh, what? You don’t think people are gonna see my extreme looping coconut coaster?!” Carlos scoffed.

“He does have a point,” Kaelyn hummed.

“Your island is stupid,” Logan smirked.

“Your island is boring!” Carlos snapped.

‘Three, two, one,’ Kaelyn did a mental countdown in her head. She barely recited ‘one’ in her head before Logan and Carlos were beginning to attach each other as best they could. There was a little something restricting their movements called a seatbelt.

Fortunately, Kelly had her airhorn ready to go. “Break it up! You need to stay pretty. This picture could end up on the walls of millions of girls.”

“Did you say millions of girls?!” all four boys asked, leaning forward with interest.

James flashed Kaelyn a smirk and asked, “Are we gonna end up on your wall?”

Kaelyn shot James a deadpan look and stated, “I’m with you 24/7. Why would I put you up on my wall?”

James was going to make a flirtatious comment in response, but three things stopped him. The first thing that stopped him was Kendall’s close proximity – and he had a lethal kick. The second thing that stopped him was, even though Kaelyn didn’t know that he knew, the knowledge that she had a boyfriend. He never flirted with anyone who was in a relationship.

The third thing that stopped him was the sound of screaming girls. Looking out the window, the limo’s occupants saw a group of girls holding signs and posters and wearing fangirl shirts race out of Rocque Records. They immediately swarmed the limo, pressing their faces into the window to get a glimpse of the passengers inside. The site made Carlos scramble to put on his helmet. James revelled in the attention.

Then, one of the girls called out, “False alarm! It’s not him!”

As the girls moaned in disappointment, a girl who had thrown herself onto the top of the limo reported, “Somebody just spotted him at the front gate!”

The boys could only watch in helpless confusion as the group of girls sped away in the direction of the front gate. It did enable them to climb out of the limo safely.

“Whoa! What was that?” Kendall asked, still in a state of shock.

“That was a pack of screaming fangirls looking for Dak Zevon,” Kelly answered. She grabbed the magazine the boys were reading through before and held up a poster of the aforementioned teen idol.

“Dak Zevon is here?” Kaelyn gaped in amazement.

“He’s in the studio recording vocals for Varsity Vampire 2: Game On,” Kelly elaborated.

“Yes! They’re doing a sequel!” Kaelyn cheered excitedly.

“We have got to improve your taste in movies,” James shook his head. Logan, Carlos and Kendall nodded in agreement.

“This coming from the guy who danced in his bedroom to the soundtrack of the first movie,” Kaelyn smirked.

“You promised to keep that between us!” James hissed at her.

When she noticed Kendall snickering, Kaelyn rounded on him and remarked, “So did you.”

Carlos and Logan didn’t even bother suppressing their laughter anymore – especially with the way Kendall’s face dropped.

Seeing everyone was getting off-track, Kelly decided to steer them back on course by saying, “Just one great picture in Pop Tiger and those girls will be screaming for Big Time Rush.”

Kelly’s words had the desired effect, because the boys were racing through the door and down the halls of Rocque Records. Kelly and Kaelyn followed behind them in amusement at a leisurely pace. They both wondered how long it would take them to realize Kelly hadn’t told them where the shoot would be taking place.

But when they reached the lobby, they were surprised to see Jennifer and Katie.

“Mum? Sissy?” Kaelyn observed in surprise.

“What are you guys doing here?” Kendall asked.

“What? I can’t just come down to see my big brother and sissy, who I love?” Katie smiled innocently.

As Kendall and Kaelyn swooned at the sisterly affection, Kelly asked her knowingly, “Here to see Dak Zevon?”

“How did we not see this coming?” Kaelyn quietly asked her twin.

“I don’t know, but we never do,” Kendall shrugged.

“I just want him to autograph this picture for my wall,” Katie admitted.

“Really? I didn’t think you were into that stuff,” James laughed slightly.

“I’m a preteen girl. He’s a cute popstar. I’m not made of stone, you know,” was Katie’s response.

“Oh yeah, let me take a look at that,” Logan smirked, snatching the magazine from Katie’s hands. He then held Dak’s poster up over his face and taunted in a high-pitched voice, “Look! I’m Dak Zevon, and I love you, Katie Knight!”

The laughter quickly stopped when Logan was quickly swarmed by the same Dak Zevon fangirls who had swarmed their limo when they first arrived. Everyone else was barely able to get out of the line of fire.

“It’s not him!” one fangirl cried, putting an end to the siege as they all ran away screaming.

“Now, where’s Dak recording?” Jennifer asked Kelly.

“Sorry. I’m not allowed to say,” Kelly answered apologetically.

“Oh, look into those eyes and say that,” Jennifer smirked.

Kelly looked down at Katie and saw that Katie was doing her world-renowned puppy dog eyes. The same puppy dog eyes that had her older siblings and their friends wrapped around her little finger. Katie even threw in a pout with the quivering lip. Kendall and Kaelyn watched on in amusement, knowing Kelly would be breaking any second.

Wincing, Kelly finally conceded, “Studio B, down the hall to the right. Just… stop with the eyes!”

“We should try that with Gustavo,” Kaelyn pondered. Kendall hummed in agreement.

She then raced forward to help Logan to his feet. She gaped when she saw that Logan’s clothes were dishevelled. They even managed to partially take his shirt off.

“Girls – many girls in the – ouchies!” Logan winced as Kaelyn helped him fix his shirt.

The boys then heard the techno music from the rehearsal space and Logan’s pain was instantly forgotten. The four of them dashed towards the room, gasping in delight when they saw the setup. The lights. The fans. The white backdrop. The fog. The woman holding the camera in a pose while a man moved around testing everything.

“This is so not like school picture day!” was all Kendall could say.

“Oh!” the man cried when he noticed their presence. “Are you ready to rock my camera?!”

“What?!” the four boys shouted in return. They were having a hard time hearing the hyperactive man over the loud music.

“I said, are you ready to rock my- hold on a minute!” the man then took out a remote to turn off the music. But his volume did not dim. “That’s better! So, how are you guys doing?!”

The boys could only stammer random answers in response.

Gustavo appeared from the wings to make the introductions, “Boys, this is Marcos Del Posey, the best teen idol photographer on the planet.”

“Some say photographer. Some say magician!” Marcos boasted. “Mira. One camera.”

He then started taking random photos of the boys with the camera, holding it in different positions at different angles. Kaelyn already knew that, with how the boys were caught off-guard and were even squinting because of the flash, the pictures weren’t going to come out well. Either way, she moved out of the way of the camera. Even though it was getting better (somewhat), she was still camera shy.

“Now, two camera!”

Kaelyn decided she didn’t want to know where Marcos pulled his second camera from.

Then, Marcos threw his cameras behind him, almost hitting Gustavo and Kaelyn as he did, and began presenting his image: “Okay. Here’s what I’m thinking: shirts open, hair blowing, with… the stuffy puppy.” He held the stuffy puppy his assistant handed to him.

The four boys cried in horror at Marcos’ vision. They – particularly James – were on board with Marcos’ vision… until he brought up the stuffy puppy.

“Marcos invented the Stuffy Puppy shot,” Marcos boasted. Complete with the puppy dog eyes Katie had used on Kelly earlier.

“Yeah, no!” Gustavo snapped. He wrestled the stuffy puppy from Marcos’ grip and threw it away. Kaelyn immediately raced forward to catch it, cuddling it to her chest. Gustavo pressed on, “What I want is a simple shot of the four best friends just chilling and being themselves.”

Clicking his fingers, Kendall declared, “I totally agree.”

Clicking his fingers, Gustavo retorted, “I totally don’t care.” Ignoring Kendall’s dejected face, he snapped, “Now, get on the backdrop and look handsome!”

The four boys immediately rushed over to the white backdrop. Fortunately, the boys were already wearing outfits that were perfect for the photoshoot, so they didn’t have to worry about any wardrobe changes. James, predictably, pulled out his lucky comb and began styling his hair accordingly. Carlos took off his helmet and handed it to Kaelyn for safekeeping. Marcos’ unnamed assistant immediately came over and began applying some touch-ups to Logan’s face.

It was then that he learned that even men wear makeup in photoshoots.

“I changed my mind about the island,” Carlos informed the group. “I’m gonna bring a fridge packed with ice cream!”

“Where are you gonna get the electricity, genius?” Logan asked.

“Electric eels, duh!” Carlos answered with a tone that said he thought it was obvious.

When the two boys began slapping at each other (and Kendall backed away to stay out of the line of fire), Kaelyn quietly asked Kelly, “Can I borrow your airhorn?”

“Go for it,” Kelly muttered, already reaching into her bag for it.

Kaelyn had to admit: she got a lot of pleasure (maybe a little too much) in using it.

“Dogs, heel!” Gustavo snapped. (They did, after Carlos gave Logan one final whack up the head.) “We need a great picture before the Pop Tiger messenger gets here in two hours! Now, look into the camera and think about something funny.”

“You mean like that?” Kendall asked with a laugh.

The four boys turned to see Marcos bent over his camera bag, digging for not only the right camera, but the right lens to attach. He was also positioned in front of the fog machine, which was still operational. So, it looked like Marcos was blowing fog out of his ass. It had the desired effect – all four of them were laughing at the sight. Kaelyn was even hiding her face in the stuffy puppy to hide her giggles.

Gustavo caught on to what was happening and immediately pleaded Marcos, “Take the picture. Take the picture now, before something goes wrong!”

Marcos scoffed, “What could go wrong? I am Marcos!” He didn’t even move to stand upright, so the group were still treated to the visual that had made the boys laugh.

“Oh, you don’t know these boys, so snap the picture now!” Kelly told him.

Deciding he was better off trusting Kelly and Gustavo’s judgement, Marcos dropped the cameras and lenses he was holding and immediately moved to the camera he had set up on the tripod. The boys were already standing in their pose with their thousand-watt smiles. Logan stood with his back towards Kendall with his arms folded across his chest. Kendall stood with his arm around Logan’s shoulders with his back slightly towards Carlos. Carlos had his arms draped across Kendall and James’ shoulders. James had one arm around Carlos’ waist while his free hand was tucked into the pocket of his jeans. His legs were apart, one foot turned towards the fog machine in a confidant pose.

Marcos was doing a dramatic flourish as he slowly lowered his finger towards the capture button on the camera. His finger was halfway there (a song title Kaelyn was quick to note down for later) when…

“Freeze!”

Everyone was surprised to see two police officers standing in the doorway to the rehearsal space.

“Oh, so close!” Kelly winced.

“Gustavo Rocque, you failed to report to your court-ordered community service!” the policeman revealed.

Gustavo immediately began voicing his objections, “Officers, I don’t know what you’re talking about!”

The policewoman chimed in with, “I’m talking about destroying Matthew McConnaughey’s mailbox with…” she rounded on Kelly, “her!”

“He made me be the lookout!” Kelly blabbed while Gustavo stared at her incredulously.

Kaelyn exchanged looks with the boys. This was certainly not how they expected the day to go. Although, having spent a considerable amount of time with the hot-tempered producer, and when she considered his past exploits, Kaelyn did briefly wonder why she was even surprised. Especially when it was revealed what crime got Gustavo sentenced to community service. His hatred for Matthew McConnaughey was well-known to the group. It contributed to his (gradually decreasing) dislike of James.

Gustavo tried to justify his actions, “Hey! I’m the victim here! He plays the bongos till three in the morning!”

The officers weren’t interested in hearing Gustavo’s excuses. They were more interested in getting Gustavo and Kelly to their mandated community service.

The boys could only watch in confusion as Marcos cried, “Drama!” before turning the music back on and dancing with a stuffy puppy he reclaimed from one disappointed Kaelyn Knight.

“Aw come on!” Kaelyn whined. She then decided to focus her attention on the new song she was devising. Hopefully, she would have at least a verse and a chorus Gustavo could help her build on when he finished his community service.

Outside, Gustavo and Kelly continued struggling against the police officers who were still trying to drag them out of Rocque Records. Gustavo was barking for the policeman to let him go when he saw what he thought was his salvation coming down the hall. Griffin flanked by Abdul and an unnamed male associate.

“Gustavo. I see the photoshoot’s going well,” Griffin stated dryly.

“Griffin! Perfect!” Gustavo cried in relief. “Look. We’re in a bit of a jam here. Tell them to take their hands off me so I can take that picture!”

“Don’t worry. I’ll take care of everything,” Griffin reassured his subordinate.

“Ha! You heard the fourth most powerful CEO in America! Do what he says and unhand us!” Gustavo snapped.

But Gustavo was about to learn in a painful way that he misunderstood what Griffin was saying.

“Oh, I didn’t mean unhand you. I meant I’d take care of the photoshoot,” Griffin corrected him. When Gustavo and Kelly gaped at him in horror, he said, “I’m very creative.”

Gustavo and Kelly’s objections were more pronounced as the police officers finally dragged them away. But they weren’t objecting to being forced to do their community service. Now, they were objecting to Griffin’s declaration that he would take care of the photoshoot with the boys.

They already knew it wasn’t going to end well.

This was only confirmed when Griffin walked into the room and declared to the group, “Great news, everyone! I’m in charge!” He turned to Marcos and said, “Now, let’s get my big-time boys on the walls of millions of teen girls everywhere!”

They all cheered, thinking that it was going to end up being very straightforward after all. Even with the disruption Gustavo and Kelly’s arrest cause. The boys immediately returned to the pose they had been striking before.

Marcos prepared to take the photo once more: “All I have to do is push this button and…”

Kaelyn wanted to yell at Marcos to hurry up. To cut the dramatics and just take the damn picture. She felt in her bones that something else was going to happen.

Her suspicions were tragically confirmed when Griffin cut in with a, “Wait. This isn’t bad, but… change everything! We need something bolder, something nobody’s ever seen before!”

The boys were all on board with the idea… until Griffin’s vision unfolded. The white backdrop was changed for an outer space backdrop, one that was designed to make the boys appear as though they were standing on the moon with the Earth behind them. That in itself wouldn’t have been so bad. Kaelyn could certainly have thought of ways to make that work.

But then, Griffin insisted on the boys being dressed as matadors. Complete with the dress shirt, long skinny black tie, and the hats. The dress shirt, long skinny black tie, the hat, the thick black hand around their waists, the black shoes and the red socks were the only things all four boys had in common with their outfits. Even their pants had subtle differences, with Logan and Kendall’s pants being at their knees, Carlos’ being between his knees and his ankles, and James’ being full length.

The boys were also each wearing a different colour. Logan wore gold with whiteish silver embellishments, Kendall wore purple with gold embellishments, Carlos wore light blue with lighter gold embellishments, and James wore green with gold embellishments that were a few shades darker than Kendall’s.

As James shrieked in horror, Griffin danced across the setup, proclaiming, “Space matadors!”

It was with horror that Kaelyn recalled something Gustavo had told her about Griffin in one of their numerous private sessions together. Griffin was a genius when it came to corporate takeovers. There was no doubt about that. But Gustavo also likened his creative pop sensibility to that of a walnut. Kaelyn had been quick to think Gustavo was exaggerating, but now that she was seeing it in action, she made a mental note to issue her mentor a massive apology.

“I love it!” Marcos proclaimed, striking his own matador pose.

“Well, at least Griffin’s got one thing right,” Kaelyn offered with a grimace.

The boys chorused, “No one’s ever seen this before.”

Kaelyn did briefly wonder how Katie was going in her quest to get Dak Zevon’s autograph. She even thought about taking her phone out and shooting her mother a quick text, but ultimately decided against it. As interested as she was in her younger sister’s quest to get to a teen pop idol, she decided the situation unfolding in front of her took precedence.

“This is really messed up!” Carlos proclaimed through gritted teeth.

“Okay,” Marcos sighed as he prepared to take the photo.

“Our first picture, and it’s gonna brand us forever as space matadors!” James proclaimed.

“This is not gonna impress millions of girls,” Logan piped up. “I would say six or seven max!”

Kaelyn thought it was cute how Logan thought the current layout would impress that many.

“Smile pretty, pretty,” Marcos told the boys.

The boys weren’t giving Marcos the thousand-watt smiles they were giving before when they were relaxed and more comfortable with how the photo was set up. Now, they were giving the awkward, uncomfortable smiles that often made their way into yearbooks thanks to awkward school photos.

“Wait!”

The boys visibly relaxed in relief when Griffin stopped Marcos from taking the picture. They were hoping this meant Griffin was coming to his senses. They were hoping this meant that Griffin was realising there was no way for this photo to work and they could revert back to the original setup.

“The teen girl inside me says something’s missing,” Griffin mused. The boys quickly voiced their agreement.

“Marcos knows what it is!” the photographer proudly boasted.

Kaelyn, meanwhile, has come to the conclusion that Marcos talking about himself in the third person is getting real old real fast. Fortunately, they would be getting a reprieve from this as Marcos sped out the door, presumably to retrieve what he had earlier proclaimed was missing from the setup.

“Kendall!” his three best friends immediately hissed at the unofficial leader of the group.

“Don’t panic. In three seconds, Gustavo will barge through that door and fix everything, like he always does,” Kendall reassured his friends. They then turned to face the door in question, “One… Two…”

Kendall was quickly dejected when he saw Marcos racing back through the door holding four stuffy puppies.

“Giant stuffy puppies for everyone!” Marcos beamed.

“That’s not Gustavo!” Carlos hissed.

Marcos paid no mind to the expressions on the boys faces as he handed each of them a stuffy puppy to hold. When the boys were holding the stuffy puppy under their arms, Marcos raced back to the camera. Griffin, meanwhile, appraised the new setup.

“Perfect! The photo is now bold and cute and cuddly!” Griffin proudly boasted. “Let’s shoot it!”

“Hey! Don’t hit the puppy!” Kaelyn hissed at James when he hit the stuffy puppy in annoyance.

“It’s a stuffed animal!” James retorted.

The argument was stopped by Marcos ordering the group to, “Smile pretty, pretty,” once more. His finger hovered over the button on his camera with the same dramatic flourish he displayed before.

“Okay. Now we panic,” Kendall remarked to the group.

**

Present Day, by the Pool…

As the group recalled the story to Camille, they noticed that they were drawing a crowd. Many of the teens were hanging around Camille, who had helped herself to a chair to make herself comfortable and a bowl of popcorn. Even some of the teens who were relaxing in the pool floated over to the edge near the boys, eager to hear the story themselves.

Admittedly, when more and more male teenagers gathered around them to hear the story, James was subtly checking them out (as best as he could, considering his injuries), carefully observing Kaelyn’s interactions with them. He was determined to spot Neil in the crowd. Although, he did wonder what he would do if he did spot him. He couldn’t do much in his present condition.

“I get it. You guys didn’t want to look like space matadors, but then, what happened?” Camille pressed.

Kendall continued the story, “Top teen photographer Marcos was about to take the picture when…”

**

Picture Day…

“Wait!” Kaelyn cried. She raced over to Marcos and Griffin, proclaiming, “You can’t take this photo!”

“Why not?” Griffin demanded.

Kaelyn stammered before finally answering, “Because it’s not finished!”

Kendall spoke up to help his sister along, “I mean, sure, it’s bold and…”

“And cute and cuddly!” James chimed in, nuzzling his stuffy puppy as he did (to Kaelyn’s approval). “But we don’t have…”

“A snowmobile!” Carlos offered up excitedly.

Everyone was quick to offer Carlos varying looks. Of all the outlandish ideas he could come up with, he had to come up with a snowmobile?!

“Yeah,” Kaelyn hesitantly nodded in agreement. “A snowmobile!”

“With a snowmobile, you’re bold, cuddly, and dangerous!” Kendall presented the vision. He could see Marcos humming in approval.

Logan went for the kill by adding, “It’s the pop pinup hat trick.”

“The space matadors… are right!” Griffin declared, much to everyone’s relief. He turned to his two assistants and ordered them, “Get me a snowmobile!” Once they were gone, Griffin turned to the boys and told them, “Everybody take five for a snowmobile break!”

The five teenagers were quick to make their way to Gustavo’s office, locking themselves in. They needed to come up with a plan to save their photo – and quickly.

“We cannot let Griffin take this photo!” Kendall proclaimed.

“Ya think?” Kaelyn drawled.

“By the way, kudos on the snowmobile idea,” Kendall praised Carlos.

“Which is why I’m taking one with me on my desert island,” Carlos proudly boated.

“A desert island has a tropical climate, professor!” Logan snapped.

“Will you just let me have fun on my desert island?! It’s mine!” Carlos whined.

“Well, I’m taking my lucky comb,” James smirked, holding up the comb in question.

“What for? No one’s gonna see your hair,” Logan pointed out.

“Hey. I’m there,” James retorted.

“Focus!” Kendall snapped in frustration. “We need to figure out a way to change this photo.”

“Yes! From cuddly space matadors to… something like this!” Logan voiced his agreement, holding up the Dak Zevon poster once more.

“There he is!”

Kaelyn cried as she immediately climbed on James’ back, clinging to him in fear as Dak’s fangirls stormed into the office, knocking Logan to the ground. Carlos jumped onto the couch to get out of the line of fire. Poor Logan could do nothing to protect himself from the onslaught. Kendall and James could only wince. Kaelyn, meanwhile, was wondering where the heck they kept coming from.

“It’s not him!” one fangirl voiced in disappointment.

The group then ran away screaming once more. Kendall was quick to race over to shut the door and pick up the poster as he declared, “Let’s put this photo away before somebody gets killed, shall we?” Putting the photo in his pocket, he whined at Kaelyn, “Why did you jump on his back?!”

“He was closer!” Kaelyn justified herself, hopping down as she did. She then remarked to James, “You gripped me a bit too tight, by the way.”

“Sorry,” James offered his female best friend a quick apology before whining, “Now, where’s Gustavo ‘cause he should be saving our photo!”

“He’s not coming back!” Kaelyn declared to the group. “We have to save the photo ourselves!”

“Ouchies,” Logan moaned from the floor.

James immediately clasped Logan’s outstretched hand with his own, helping his friend to his feet. When Logan was standing upright, the group was horrified to learn that the fangirls that had attacked him before had somehow managed to flip his top clothes around.

“Is my head on backwards?” Logan asked nervously – a question Kaelyn decided wasn’t overly crazy, considering the rabid nature of the fangirls.

“No. And we’re in charge now,” Carlos brought Logan up to speed. He then turned to Kendall and Kaelyn and asked, “What are we gonna do?”

“We’re gonna take a secret photo and give that to the Pop Tiger messenger when he gets here,” Kendall informed the group.

Kaelyn turned to James and told him, “James, you’re in charge of wardrobe. Pick out outfits that are cool and fashionable. No offence to matadors.”

James flashed Kaelyn a thousand-watt smile and a thumbs up. He could easily fulfill that objective.

Kendall turned to Logan and told him, “Logan, we need to get this room super bright. Like Marcos’ lights.” Logan held up two lamps that were nearby, showing he could definitely make this work. “And Carlos, you’re gonna break down any door that stands in our way.”

Carlos patted at his helmet with a smirk.

“Great, but we still need a camera and a white backdrop,” James pointed out.

“I’ve got you covered,” Kaelyn reassured the group. “At least where the backdrop’s concerned.”

Kaelyn has spent a lot of time in Gustavo’s office working with the producer, so she was very familiar with not only the layout of the office, but any hidden treasures he had within. She grabbed a remote from his drawer and pressed the button to lower the projector screen Gustavo had on hand for presentations. While it was nothing to the stark white background that Marcos originally had setup, it would certainly make do for their secret photoshoot.

“Nice,” Kendall praised her.

“And when are we going to do all this?” Logan asked.

Kaelyn scoffed, “We’ve got time. It’ll take Griffin ages to find a snowmobile in L.A.”

The four boys smiled at her as they realized she was right. Finding a snowmobile in Los Angeles would surely be a challenge.

But they forgot that Griffin was the country’s fourth powerful CEO with connections even someone like Gustavo could only dream of having. It was shown when the door to Gustavo’s office swung wide open and Griffin was mounted on a snowmobile, revving the engine.

“Look what daddy found!” Griffin smirked. He was even dressed in a winter jacket and was sliding the winter goggles over his eyes. “Now, let’s go take that picture!”

When the four boys shot her looks, Kaelyn sighed and grumbled, “Yeah, that was my bad.”

After all, she was the one who put it out into the universe.

**

Gustavo and Kelly stood on a yard, dressed in orange jumpsuits picking up rubbish. This was their community service. They were to pick up rubbish under the supervision of a corrections officer. At least the duo wasn’t alone. There were others completing their community service alongside them. Including Gums, an elderly man with false teeth that Gustavo and Kelly had befriended not long after their arrival.

Even though they were focused on the task at hand, especially when the corrections officer had his eyes on them, Gustavo still couldn’t help but worry. He knew better than anyone what Griffin was like. He knew his boss’s considerable limitations where anything outside of the corporate world was concerned. He could only imagine what farse Griffin would be turning the photoshoot into, and he worried about what the boys would do in response.

“We need to get back to the studio. There is no way Kaelyn and the dogs can handle Griffin without me,” Gustavo told Kelly worriedly.

“Yeah, but how are we gonna get out of here?” Kelly asked.

“Here’s the plan. Kelly, you start by tying together all the garbage bags to fashion a crude zipline,” Gustavo ordered her. He quickly made his way over to Gums and told him, “Gums, you and I will make decoy dummies of discarded newspapers and empty soda cans.” He then raced over to a third person, “And corrections officer, you stand guard while the corrections officer does…”

Gustavo trailed off with a moan when he realized who he was talking to. He thought he was talking to another member of his community service group. But he was actually talking to the corrections officer supervising them – and he just tipped him off on his and Kelly’s plan to escape.

Kelly popped up from behind Gustavo to whisper in his ear, “New plan: run!”

Gustavo agreed with the plan and took off running, yelling behind him, “This way to freedom, Gums!”

“Go on! I’ll hold ‘em off!” Gums called to the retreating duo, blocking the corrections officer’s path.

“We’ll never forget you, Gums!” Kelly vowed.

Behind them, their fellow inmates cheered as Gustavo and Kelly dashed towards freedom.

**

Back at the studio, Big Time Rush were now positioned astride the snowmobile, the stuffy puppies draped across their laps. They were still dressed in their matador outfits, and they were positioned before the same space backdrop Griffin insisted they have.

“My inner teen girl is so putting this picture on her wall!” Griffin proclaimed, voicing his approval.

“My inner teen girl says we need…,” Marcos trailed off before appearing with…, “one more stuffy puppy!” This puppy looked different to the black-and-white stuffy puppy the boys were holding. Marcos’ new stuffy puppy was brown and white and resembled… what Kaelyn thought was a bulldog.

“Your inner teen girl is wrong!” Griffin told Marcos. “Now, shoot it!”

Marcos tossed the stuffy puppy he was holding behind him carelessly, ignoring Kaelyn’s cries of dismay as she raced forward to pick up the stuffy puppy. The boys would be amused by the display… if they weren’t petrified by the sight of Marcos slowly lowering his finger to the camera button.

“Wait!” Kendall cried, causing Marcos to groan in annoyance. “We need more fog!”

“He’s right. We need more fog,” Marcos nodded in agreement.

The boys were only too happy to immediately offer their help in producing enough fog for the photo. If only Griffin and Marcos knew what the boys were planning to do. But they were powerless to stop them. Not even as the room filled up with so much fog that it was hard to breathe. It left the occupants of the room coughing and spluttering as they made their exit.

“That might have been too much fog!” Marcos gasped out.

James snorted in amusement, “You took the stuffy puppy with you?”

“He’s cute,” Kaelyn pouted in a manner that made James strongly suspect was behind Katie was merely a Padawan to the Jedi Master standing before him. In fact, it made James smile as he patted the stuffy puppy on the top of its head as though it was a real dog.

“Alright, everyone. Fog break: five minutes,” Griffin ordered.

As soon as Marcos and Griffin walked away, Kendall held up the camera he managed to nick and quietly cheer, “Secret photo time.”

The group then raced down the stairs to where they knew the wardrobe department would be. They were dismayed to find that the wardrobe room was locked. But the dismay was only temporary when they remembered the role Carlos was assigned in the mission.

“Stand back, mi amigos,” Carlos smirked. Putting his helmet on, he psyched himself up with a yell and running on the spot to build momentum before charging at the door, which immediately gave away under him. “That was fun!”

Taking off his hat, James stood at the doorway with a smile, “Enter my domain, boys.”

They then quickly raced into the wardrobe room, shutting the door behind them while Kaelyn remained outside. For Kaelyn, it felt like only seconds had passed before the boys were emerging from the wardrobe room in new outfits. Kendall was wearing a black shirt, a grey vest and a matching hat. Logan was wearing a plain grey-ish white shirt with a black suit jacket. Carlos was wearing a blue long-sleeved shirt with a black vest over it. James was wearing a white graphic t-shirt with a purple velvet suit jacket.

“Looking good. It’s what I do,” James boasted with a smirk.

“Not bad,” Kaelyn nodded in approval.

“What about the pants?” Carlos asked worriedly. It was only then that Kaelyn noticed the boys were still wearing the pants from their matador outfits.

“We’ll shoot it from the waist up,” James answered.

“Move out!” Kendall snapped at the group.

They then raced to Gustavo’s office. Fortunately, the projector screen was still down to represent the white backdrop they needed. So, all they had to do was move to one side the top half of their outfits, and set up the lighting and the camera. Kaelyn fussed over the boys, making sure their clothes were straight and their hair was right.

“Pop Tiger and the walls of girls everywhere, get ready for a Big Time Rush!” Kaelyn proclaimed.

She gripped the camera and made some final adjustments to the way the boys were posing. Satisfied, she then prepared to take the photo, making a slight adjustment to the zoom to make sure the boys were in focus. (She didn’t know that would actually work – it was just something that felt right to do.) But when she went to press the button to take the picture, another complication presented.

The camera suddenly turned itself off. No matter how many buttons Kaelyn pressed, she couldn’t get it to turn back on to take the photo.

“Battery dead?” Logan asked Kaelyn.

“Yep,” she nodded with a wince.

The four boys visibly deflated. Then the panic set in when they heard the sound of the office door handle being jiggled. In lighting speed, the group quickly rid themselves of any evidence of their attempts to take a secret photograph. Including changing back into their matador outfits. Kaelyn had just finished helping the boys straighten up their outfits when Griffin finally made his way into the office.

“Hey, fellas! The fog is gone!” Griffin reported cheerfully. “Let’s take that picture!”

The four boys gave responses that were filled to the brim with fake enthusiasm. When the boys went to follow Griffin back to the studio space, Kaelyn gripped James’ arm, suddenly stopping him.

“Your vest button’s undone,” Kaelyn told him hurriedly, moving to do it up.

“Thanks,” James sighed in relief as he went to straighten up his hat. He couldn’t help but remark, “Maybe that stuffy puppy can help you with your camera shyness.”

“We can experiment with that later,” Kaelyn pondered. “For now, let’s just rip this Band-Aid off.”

James definitely approved of Kaelyn likening their ordeal to ripping off a Band-Aid. Because it was just as painful.

But before leaving, Kaelyn couldn’t help but say to James, “Only if you take the pictures.”

James couldn’t help the spring in his step that appeared at Kaelyn’s statement. He couldn’t help the juvenile thought of, ‘Suck it, Neil!’

Okay. Even James had to admit. Hating a guy he’s never even met was a bit concerning.

**

But James’ irrational hatred over Neil wasn’t the only concerning thing unfolding in Rocque Records. Jennifer was frustrated by her daughter’s lack of success of getting Dak Zevon’s autograph. The security guards that stood outside the studio Dak was working out of were very good at their job. He also didn’t like the way they were treated.

So, that was what made Jennifer send something out on her phone with a mad glint in her eye – one that unnerved Katie. Mama Bear was being unleashed – and it was a scary sight.

“Do you really think a screaming teen flash mob is a good idea?” Katie asked.

“Those security guards were mean to my little girl and you will get that autograph!” Jennifer vowed.

As soon as Jennifer made that promise, the flash mob Jennifer had orchestrated began surrounding them. Those same fans that attacked Logan whenever he held up a Dak Zevon poster were now standing around Jennifer and Katie, for Jennifer used her phone to send out a call to arms. And they were ready to go.

“Ladies! Are you tired of being told you can’t meet your cute teen idol?!” Jennifer asked the group.

“Yeah!” they screamed in agreement.

“Are you ready to show those security guards the collective power of screaming teenage girls?!” Jennifer challenged.

“Yeah!” they cheered.

“Are you ready for a Dak Attack?!” Jennifer asked.

When the girls screamed their affirmation, Katie chimed in with, “Or we could go home and let Dak live, because, mum, I think you’ve kind of lost it.”

Jennifer, however, was undeterred. “Let’s get him!”

Katie already knew this wasn’t going to end well. “Yep, she definitely lost it,” she muttered to herself.

She then looked behind her to see a door that was marked ‘Personnel Only’. Being intimately familiar with the layout of Rocque Records (even if she would never reveal just how she came to be intimately familiar), she knew that room would have what she needed to save Dak.

**

Dak was blissfully unaware of what was about to unfold outside. He continued running through his lines for the song he was recording.

Take it to the hoop every chance we get
‘Cause when the sun goes down,
We’re creatures of the net

He had no idea that his security guards were scoffing to themselves as they heard the approaching screams, dismissing the fans as a bunch of stupid teenage girls. Or that the security guards quickly changed their assessment when they saw Jennifer leading the charge, instead saying their farewells.

Dak realised too late when he heard the sounds of the screams approaching and the doors beginning to buckle under the pressure of the swarm. Taking off his headphones, he placed his back to the wall. He knew he had a rather large (and at times insane) fanbase, but it was also the part of the job that scared him. Because while he was deeply appreciative of his fans, he had to admit they could get a little intense.

He was surprised by the sound of the vent cover being forced open. Looking down, he saw Katie crawling through the vents.

“Hi, I’m Katie,” Katie introduced herself.

“I’m Dak?” Dak responded wearily.

“Come with me if you want to live,” Katie instructed.

Dak quickly decided that following a preteen girl through the vents was a lot safer than what awaited him if he stayed in the studio. Muttering his ‘thanks’, Dak crawled into the vents when Katie moved back to give him space. Before he shut the vent cover once more, he peaked at the now buckling doors and quickly concluded he made the right choice.

**

The boys were dejected as they sat on the snowmobile once more, clutching their stuffy puppies. Even Kaelyn, as she sat in a corner with her songbook working on Halfway There happily clutching her own stuffy puppy, was dismayed by what was happening. Because she knew there was no way they could stop the photo being taken this time.

“Alright, the Pop Tiger messenger is on his way! Now, let’s take this picture!” Griffin ordered.

“Wait!” the boys still cried.

“No more waiting!” Marcos whined.

“Gentlemen!” Griffin signalled his assistants to flank the boys, telling them in no uncertain terms they were expected to cooperate.

“Now, smile pretty, pretty,” Marcos told his subjects once more.

“Well, maybe girls will like space matadors on a star-mobile holding stuffy puppies,” Carlos tried desperately to find a bright side to this. It was appreciated, but there was no bright side to this.

“They won’t.” It was something James and Logan were quick to tell him.

As Marcos went to press the button, Kendall was struck with inspiration. He found a Hail Mary.

“Well, this’ll never work,” Kendall quipped.

He pulled out the very item he had declared to be too dangerous to leave lying around: the poster of Dak Zevon that caused Logan to be attacked by crazy fangirls. Twice. Adjusting the angle of the fan, Kendall then held the poster in front of the fan, making sure it blew in Griffin’s face.

“I’ve been hit!” Griffin cried once the poster landed on his face.

Taking the lead, Kaelyn screamed like an excited fangirl, “It’s Dak Zevon!”

As predicted, those same fangirls Jennifer had rallied to storm the studio emerged from nowhere, charging at Griffin. Marcos, Abdul and the second assistant were even lost to the swarm, falling to the ground as the girls were desperate to get to who they thought was their teen idol.

The five teenagers sprung to action. The boys tossed the stuffy puppies to the side and quickly dismounted the snowmobile. Kendall watched in amazement as clothes were flying everywhere and Marcos’ camera landed in his hands.

“I can’t believe that actually worked!” Logan gasped in astonishment.

Kendall remarked to Kaelyn, “You played the fangirl a little too well.”

“Came in handy, didn’t it?” Kaelyn smirked. “Come on!”

The boys raced out of the makeshift photography studio, ripping their clothes off as they did. It was at this time that Gustavo and Kelly, still dressed in their jumpsuits, raced down the hall to meet them. They had sprinted to Rocque Records all the way from the park they were completing their community service in.

“Dogs, what is going on here?!” Gustavo asked worriedly – especially as he took note of their outfits.

“Oh, we’re saving a photo from Griffin,” Kendall answered casually.

It was only then the group realized how long they had been fighting with Griffin over the photo, as a man on a messenger bike tooting his horn. Immediately, they knew who he was: Pop Tiger’s messenger.

“I’m here to pick up a photo card for Pop Tiger magazine!” the messenger revealed.

“Coming right up!” the boys promised.

The group then sped into Gustavo’s office. While the boys changed their outfits, Kaelyn gave Gustavo and Kelly a brief rundown of their plan. It enabled them to help with setting up the lighting.

James gave Kaelyn the camera, reminding her, “Shoot it from the waist up.”

“Got it,” Kaelyn nodded.

“Logan!” Kelly hissed at Logan, who was trying to set up the lights.

Gustavo just stood there watching the scene unfold before him. He was happy to watch Kaelyn take charge. Actually, he was proud of what he saw. But he wasn’t about to admit it to her. Well… at least with an audience.

“Smile pretty, pretty,” Kaelyn performed a near-perfect imitation of Marcos.

She then adjusted the angle and the zoom to make sure she was taking it from the waist up at James’ request.

“Here we go,” Kaelyn muttered with a smile.

Then she took the picture.

**

Present Day, by the Pool…

Camille was still holding the poster as the boys moaned in pain. They had been recalling a wild adventure so far. The boys trying to save the photo from Griffin. Katie trying to get Dak Zevon’s autograph. Jennifer hyping up crazed fangirls who actually helped save the day. Gustavo and Kelly escaping from their court-mandated community service.

Kendall had been right to say this story was a twisted tale of adventure, danger, and nail-biting suspense.

But there was one question Camille still wanted answered. How did the boys end up the way they were?

“Huh. Get to the part where you get your butts kicked and put meat on your faces!” Camille ushered them.

“We’re getting to that!” Carlos moaned.

Camille rolled her eyes, but still sat there listening patiently. Along with the significantly larger crowd that had now gathered around the group.

**

Picture Day…

The boys relaxed in relief when Kaelyn finally snapped the picture. Kelly immediately snatched the camera from Kaelyn, digging for the memory card to give to the messenger. The messenger had been waiting by the door to Gustavo’s office patiently. He knew there was an interesting story behind the events that unfolded before him, but he didn’t have time to find out.

“Here you go,” Kelly said to the messenger as she handed him the memory card.

“See you in Pop Tiger, boys!” the messenger told the group cheerfully before speeding away.

The band cheered at the messenger’s declaration. They had done it. They were going to appear in Pop Tiger magazine. Not only that, they were appearing with a poster they could be proud of. One that would definitely be hanging on the walls of millions of girls around the country – maybe even the world.

“I don’t know what happened here today, but maybe we should leave Kaelyn and the dogs alone more often,” Gustavo remarked.

“Please don’t,” Kaelyn immediately pleaded. “I am not ready for that.”

In an uncharacteristic display, Gustavo placed his hand on Kaelyn’s shoulder and told her gently but firmly, “You can handle a lot more than you think.”

Kaelyn smiled at the surprise complement. She even pulled out her songbook to show the song she had started working on: Halfway There.

“I think it’d be a good celebration song down the line,” Kaelyn muttered to Gustavo.

Gustavo hummed as he appraised what she had so far: “You’re getting better all the time. Just needs some Gustavo Rocque magic.”

Before they could discuss it further, they heard the sound of the vent door behind Gustavo’s desk being kicked open. Everyone frowned in confusion when Katie climbed out and rose to her feet.

What did she get up to today?

“Hey, guys! Look who I found today!” Katie said cheerfully.

Dak panted as he rose to his feet, “I think she just saved my life!”

As he wrapped his arms around Katie, she squealed excitedly, “That’s Dak Zevon!”

“Sissy, no!” Kaelyn gasped in horror. She knew what was coming.

Realizing what she had done, Katie pushed on Dak’s shoulders and forced him back into the vents for his own safety. He barely managed to scramble back into the vents as his fans forced their way through. Kaelyn immediately jumped over Gustavo’s desk to stand with her sister. Gustavo and Kelly remained rooted to where they were, clinging to each other in fear.

They could only watch in horror as the fangirls got to Big Time Rush. Logan clawed helplessly at Gustavo’s desk before being pulled back into the swarm. They could hear the sounds of clothes ripping, cries of pain and the sound of their bodies making unnatural noises as more fangirls swarmed into the tiny office space.

Kaelyn already knew the boys were going to be in a bad shape when the girls finally left.

**

Present Day, by the Pool…

“Huh. Who knew such a simple picture could bring you so close to death?” Camille quipped.

Her question had finally been answered. She now knew how the boys came to be how they were sitting before her.

“But it was totally worth it,” James smiled, even if the smile was still filled with the pain that coursed through his body.

“Cause we’re going to be on the walls of millions of girls!” Carlos boasted.

“All over the country,” Logan finished the boast.

Camille laughed slightly, “Of course you are.” Then she revealed why she was laughing, “Because Dak Zevon’s on the other side.”

“WHAT?!” the four injured teenagers cried.

They then groaned in dismay when Camille turned the poster around to reveal the poster of Dak Zevon, taken against a pink backdrop. They knew Camille was right. They were going to end up on the walls of millions of girls around the country. But only so the girls can have the poster of Dak Zevon.

Kaelyn wisely decided the boys wouldn’t appreciate her laughing at this.

Chapter 10: Everyday Feels Like the Other

Notes:

I'm warning you now. I'm ending this on a cliffhanger which will be resolved next chapter. So, I previewed a bit of the other guys' activities, but they won't be discussed until next chapter. This will be done for two reasons:

1. I didn't really want to do too long a chapter here. (The 30-page chapters are reserved for Avery Samuels.)
2. I wanted to do a nice cliffhanger.

ENJOY!

It was fair to say that the five teenagers from Minnesota have been on many adventures together since they arrived in Hollywood. They conspired to get into their preferred school in the Palm Woods. They schemed to get their apartment designed to their liking. They got a poser kicked out of their band. They fought over a girl who turned out to have a boyfriend back home in North Carolina. They wreaked havoc in Gustavo’s mansion. They put their lives on the line getting a photo in Pop Tiger magazine.

But there was one small problem: they did everything together. They never spent time apart since arriving in Los Angeles. And it was starting to show in their interactions.

The five of them were chilling by the pool. Hats resting over their eyes to block out the sun.

James took his hat off and began saying, “Hey, did I ever tell you guys about the time my hair dryer blew up and…”

Kendall, Carlos and Logan groaned their answers, which revealed that James had told the group that story at least thirty times before.

Logan tried again, “You know what I think ruins a smoothie?”

Logan received his answer in a similar manner to how James received his. The boys were all too familiar with what Logan thought ruined a smoothie. They had heard him talking about raspberry seeds in smoothies several times in the past.

Carlos leaned up in his seat, “Hey, do you guys remember that time…?”

“Robots from space,” his friends chorused. They all knew where this is going.

“Okay,” Kaelyn sighed, sitting up fully. She had been quiet all this time, and she couldn’t any longer. “We’re spending too much time together. We live together, we work together, we sleep together, we shower together and all of this is starting to come out wrong.”

“Kinda is,” Kendall nodded with a wince, sympathetically patting his twin’s shoulder.

“I am starting to hate all of you,” James admitted.

“Same here,” Logan nodded in agreement.

“Split up!” Carlos cried.

The five teenagers were quick to scramble from their seats and race away from the pool. They were hoping to be successful. To all end up in a place where their friends weren’t. Because they were all in agreement of one thing: they needed time apart.

But there was one significant problem with their plan. They all ended up in the same place: their apartment.

Observing their situation with frustration, James cried, “Split up again!”

Their second attempt at splitting up was as successful as the first, in that it was completely unsuccessful. They all ended up convening in the same place again. Only this time, they all left the Palm Woods in their attempt to split up.

They all ended up convening at Rocque Records.

“Well, that didn’t work,” Kaelyn quipped, blowing a bit of hair out of her face.

The group then started squabbling with each other, all blaming one another for their failure in splitting up. They were also trying to work out where they were going to go to get away from each other. Something that clearly wasn’t working out well.

The fight stopped when Gustavo emerged from his office wearing a white outfit characteristic of what one would wear on a tennis court. Complete with the sweatbands and the racket.

“Dogs!” Gustavo cut in. “I’m taking the rest of the day off. I’m starting to hate all of you.”

The boys were quick to voice their agreement, some even saying the hatred was becoming mutual.

“Really?” Gustavo challenged.

James winced as he felt Kaelyn’s hand colliding with the back of his head. “What’d you do that for?!” he whined.

Kaelyn didn’t answer James’ whining question, for she was too busy giving Kendall, Logan and Carlos a whack up their heads. The three remaining boys winced and whined at the impact as well.

Once she was done, she hissed at all four of them, “You really want to say that to the guy who can make or break you?”

The boys had to concede her point.

“But why’d you hit me first?” James couldn’t help but demand.

“You’re taller, so I decided to get the hard work out of the way first,” Kaelyn shrugged.

“Well, then, split up!” Gustavo snapped at them.

**

Kaelyn groaned in dismay when she found herself rendezvousing with the boys at their apartment. Again.

‘Well, at least we managed to lose Gustavo,’ Kaelyn mentally shrugged to herself. She didn’t voice it out loud, but she had to admit she was grateful for the break from the demanding producer.

“Okay. What part of splitting up are we not getting here?” Logan asked.

“Who cares? We have a day off!” Carloss cheered excitedly.

“I call pool! Alone,” Kendall immediately declared, grabbing his sunglasses. “Stay away from me.” He did exchange a quick glance at Kaelyn, “You’re exempt. Twin privileges.”

“I’ll keep that in mind,” Kaelyn laughed, hugging her brother before he raced away. She then revealed as she held up her phone, “I’ve got plans of my own. So… bye!”

Logan chuckled as Kaelyn raced out of the apartment the same way her brother had done before. James and Carlos watched in confusion.

Shrugging it off (but making a mental note to interrogate his female best friend later), James decided, “I’m gonna start my acting career.” He held up his headshots. “This face needs to be on the big screen!” Doing his signature move of bobbing his head while doing jazz hands down his face, he left the apartment, his own mission clear.

Logan grabbed a nearby book and held it up as he informed Carlos of his plans for the day: “I’m going to a lecture by the gorgeous math genius Phoebe Nachee. She combines my two favourite things: girls and math.”

Carlos scoffed as he took the book from Logan, “Well, I don’t know what I’m gonna do yet, but it’ll be totally irresponsible!”

Carlos then went to do a double tap on his helmet – his signature move, especially when he was about to perform one of the crazy stunts he’s famous for – but found his hand meeting hair instead of the moulded block of polystyrene foam with polycarbonate covering he always wore.

“Hey. Where’s my helmet?” Carlos asked in confusion. “My helmet’s gone!”

Logan only stood there watching as Carlos scrambled around the living room, tossing couch cushions and other objects that he couldn’t keep track of in his frantic search for his beloved helmet. Logan’s bewilderment (with a small dose of amazement) only grew when he saw Carlos scramble up the swirly slide he usually slid down.

Reaching the top of the swirly slide, Carlos whimpered, “Logan, it’s not up here! Help me find it!”

Logan cackled before answering with a resolute, “No,” and scrambling out of the apartment.

Carlos slid back down the swirly slide, glancing at his surroundings frantically before crying in dismay, “Who’s gonna help me find my helmet?!”

He turned around to the sound of a door being broken down. He saw the front door on the floor, having been knocked off its hinges with very little effort by the police officer who was now making his way into the apartment. He wore the standard police uniform, complete with aviator sunglasses and a white motorcycle helmet.

“Did someone lose a helmet?” the officer asked.

Carlos was overjoyed, for he knew this police officer.

“Papi!” Carlos cried in elation, racing to joyfully embrace his father. When they broke their embrace, Carlos stated to his father, “You know, you could have just knocked.”

“Ah, that’s no fun!” Officer Garcia objected.

It was clear where Carlos inherited many of his… eccentricities.

**

Kendall had stayed true to his word. The first thing he did when he left the apartment was make his way down to the pool area. But he didn’t help himself to one of the lounges. Or a table and chair. Nor did he dive into the pool he so loved. Instead, he hid behind the bushes, watching Jo as she stood there, dressed in workout gear and carrying a gym bag, talking on her phone.

Kendall was so lost in his observations that he didn’t realize Katie had snuck up beside him until she tapped him on the shoulder to get his attention.

“Why are you spying on the new girl?” Katie asked.

“I’m not spying!” Kendall objected. “I’m secretly observing her from afar.”

“That’s spying,” Katie deadpanned.

“Katie!” Kendall hissed at her.

“Doesn’t she have a boyfriend?” Katie recalled.

“Yes, and it would be wrong of me to ask a girl out who’s already taken,” Kendall declared. But then, he turned back to Katie with an uncertain, “Right?”

“Oh, please,” Katie grumbled to herself. “Hey, Jo!”

Kendall didn’t even get the chance to shoot his younger sister a look before he suddenly found himself being shoved into Jo’s path. Clearly, Katie decided to move the show along for him since he was clearly being chicken. Kendall had to decide whether he was going to thank Katie or kill her later. Maybe he will thank her as he killed her. That was still to be determined.

But either way, he was standing in front of Jo, who was looking up at him expectantly.

“Oh, hey, Kendall. What’s up?” Jo greeted him.

“I have the day off, and I thought maybe we could… hang out,” Kendall broached with her uncertainly.

“You know I have a boyfriend,” Jo reiterated.

“Which is awesome!” Kendall said in an awkward manner. “And it’s also awesome being just friends with girls. It’s cool!”

“Well, I was just about to hit the gym, and I could use a training partner. Want to come alone, just friend?” Jo asked coyly.

“Yes!” Kendall cheered. Seeing the way Jo looked at him, he suppressed his excitement and adopted a casual tone as he asked, “I mean… what are we doing? Weights? Cardio?”

**

Kendall found out the hard way what Jo was planning to do when he found himself being thrown onto the training mat. Turns out, Jo was planning to work on her martial arts skills. They were both dressed in the traditional judogi usually warn in judo practice and competition. What separated their outfits was the colour of their belts. Kendall, being a complete beginner, wore a white belt. Jo, meanwhile, wore a black belt.

“Judo! Cool!” Kendall winced. Holding up his hand, he asked Jo, “So, you’re a singer, right?”

Jo took Kendall’s outstretched hand and helped him up to his feet. “Yep,” she nodded in response to his question.

“Well, do you sing as good as you fight?” Kendall snarked.

He quickly regretted asking that question when he caught the glint in Jo’s eye. He whimpered as Jo grabbed his wrist and restrained his arm behind his back. Coming around behind him, she fired back with a retort:

“Do you sing as good as you fall?”

“Oh no,” Kendall whimpered. Before he knew it, he found himself on his back once more with Jo standing over him.

“Just let me know when you’ve had enough,” Jo smiled at him, helping him to his feet.

Once he was on his feet, they suddenly found themselves standing a little too close as Kendall smirked, “I could do this all day.”

Panicked, Jo cried, “Boyfriend!” before flipping Kendall over her shoulder once more.

She didn’t think maintaining the lie would be a problem. But now that she was actually spending time with Kendall, she did find herself struggling.

**

James was standing in the lobby, posing up a storm. He had adopted a thinking man’s pose. Clearly, this was his way of honing his acting skills. But soon, someone was going to come along and change all that.

That someone was Camille. Dressed as a witch. Complete with a prosthetic nose and wart.

“Ear of bat and spleen of toad. I’ll turn you into a-!” Camille looked up from her script and halted in confusion when she noticed James. “Hey, what are you thinking about?”

“Oh, I’m not thinking. I’m acting like I’m thinking,” James smirked. Seeing the look of bewilderment Camille gave him, he turned to her and said, “Come on! Tell me this face doesn’t belong on the big screen!”

“James, acting is about more than just being pretty,” Camille pointed out.

“I know!” James scoffed. “It’s also about washboard abs! Check it!”

Camille now understood what Kaelyn was talking about as James pulled up his shirt to expose his washboard abs. Camille did have to admit that James wasn’t lying. He did have washboard abs. However, she wasn’t overly impressed.

“Not bad,” Camille shrugged. “But acting is not something you do. It’s something you are.”

“Oh, will you teach me your expert acting ways?” James immediately asked.

Camille scoffed and declared dramatically, “I wouldn’t teach you if you asked me with your last dying breath!”

“Really?” James was confused and dejected.

“No,” Camille shook her head with a smile. “See, that was acting! Welcome to the Camille Academy of Dramatic Arts!” Exchanging a fist bump with James, she then stood beside him and recited a line that resembled the role she was preparing to audition for: “Eye of newt and twist of fates. Your acting future now awaits!”

She then threw up an unidentified white powder. Obviously to represent a magical charm being cast. But all it succeeded in doing is leaving the duo coughing and spluttering, as well as make a mess in the lobby that Mr. Bitters certainly would not appreciate.

“Baby powder. Cool, right?” Camille spluttered, holding her arm out for James.

“Sure,” James coughed, looping his arm through Camilla’s as they walked away.

No sooner than had James and Camille disappeared from the lobby, Kaelyn stepped off the elevator. She was wearing a cream soft-knitted dresses with black polka dots along with a pair of ballet flats. The dress had ruched short sleeves and an elasticated waist along with a modest neckline. Her hair was pushed back with a cream headband. It was something she didn’t wear often, but was glad to have the opportunity to do so.

Her smile widened when she met Neil outside the Palm Woods.

“Are you ready?” Kaelyn asked.

Neil smiled and leaned forward to press a kiss on Kaelyn’s cheek. They then began walking away from the Palm Woods proper. Kaelyn could hear Neil chatting away at her animatedly about their plans for this date. They were going to go window shopping. Exploring their new home. Especially since they planned to stay here for a while.

It was all well and good for Kaelyn. She enjoyed any opportunity to explore her new surroundings. Especially all the shops. Kaelyn thought it was a great way for her and Neil to get to know each other. Something that made Kaelyn almost stop as she thought about her last date with Neil, which was also their first date.

But she shook those thoughts from her head. Their relationship is still new. They’re still getting to know each other. And it was her first relationship. She wasn’t going to dwell on anything just yet.

**

By the time Carlos and his father finished searching the apartment, it was dishevelled. The couch had been torn apart and tossed carelessly in the centre of the room. Along with a pile of cushions and other knick-knacks that had been carelessly tossed around by the father-and-son duo in their valiant efforts to search for Carlos’ misplaced helmet.

But they were unsuccessful. The apartment had been tossed about, but there was no helmet in sight.

Rising from the pile that was once a bright orange couch, Officer Garcia declared to his son, “It’s official. Your helmet has been stolen.”

“This stinks!” Carlos cried in dismay. He was searching the fridge for his beloved helmet. But he closed the fridge and said with a smile, “But I’m totally stoked that you’re here, dad.”

“Oh, well… I missed my boy,” Officer Garcia admitted, pulling his son into a tight embrace.

The feeling was mutual. James, Carlos and Logan were more than happy to be out in Hollywood and embracing the opportunities that were being presented to them. But there was no denying that they missed their families. Kendall still got to have his mother and sisters with him. Their families stayed behind in Minnesota, but they were all in agreeance to let their sons stay with Jennifer; and they all kept in touch regularly.

But that didn’t make it any easier. It didn’t make them wish they could hold their sons when they wanted to.

“And it’s a good thing I’m here,” Officer Garcia remarked. “Officer Garcia is gonna crack this case!”

Carlos winced. He knew how his well-meaning father could be at times. It was what made him plead, “Just try not to go overboard this time, dad, okay?”

Both Carlos and his father thought of an incident nine years ago, when someone had stolen Carlos’ purple ice pop. Officer Garcia had lined up Carlos’ classmates as though they were in a police lineup and interrogated all of them about the missing ice pop. It was quite obvious who the culprit was, for he still had remnants of the purple ice pop around his lips. Nobody knew why the boy fainted, whether it was because of the ice pop he stole or Officer Garcia’s intimidation tactics, but one thing was certain: Officer Garcia concluded he was the culprit.

Officer Garcia reassured his son, “Don’t worry. I’ve taken sensitivity training nine times.” He then tapped his helmet twice and said, “Let’s roll!”

**

“Oh, look at this!” Kaelyn gasped excitedly. She ran from Neil towards a shop front in The Grove. Specifically, Barnes & Noble. “I love this bookstore!”

“Books? Really?” Neil asked her, walking next to her.

“I love books,” Kaelyn gushed. “Especially history books.”

“Never really could get into them myself,” Neil shrugged. “Always seemed to be other things to do.”

“What kind of things?” Kaelyn asked, turning to face him.

“You know, physical things,” Neil shrugged. He placed his hand on her back, intending to guide her away. “Come on, there’s a lot more to see.”

“Wait,” Kaelyn objected. “I just want to note this down.” She took out her phone, intending to take a photo of a book she wanted to research later for potential reading.

Neil rolled his eyes in frustration. But he obliged. Kaelyn didn’t see his eyeroll, or the physical signs of his growing frustration as she focused on noting down her book cover. Something that was starting to become clear through this activity was that Neil and Kaelyn, while they had some things in common, also had vastly different interests.

One notable example: Kaelyn favoured intellectual activities over physical ones (although, much of that was due to her medical history, which she hadn’t disclosed to Neil yet), while Neil is the other way round.

But Neil had to admit. This gave him the chance to allow his eyes to roam Kaelyn’s body. It was something that he didn’t really get the opportunity to do, since Kaelyn always felt uncomfortable when he did. He did think of her as a beautiful girl. It was what drew him to her in the first place.

It seemed to be the only thing drawing him to her, for if some had the gift of looking into his mind, they would see that his intentions with Kaelyn would be less than honourable.

But he masked those intentions well, putting on a smile as Kaelyn turned around to face him, thoroughly delighted. The duo then walked away, in search of something that would suit Neil’s interests a lot more.

His hand remained on the small of her back the entire time.

**

All the boys were ignoring each other the entire time, not bothering to check in on one another as they pursued their respective plans from the day. They were all of the agreement – even if it was an unspoken agreement – that taking the day away from one another would prove beneficial for their friendship.

So, Kendall didn’t even think of his friends when he held up a heart-shaped pizza he had acquired for his lunch with Jo. Jo, who was talking to someone on her phone, smiled before holding up a sign with the word ‘Boyfriend’ written on it.

Kendall wasn’t dejected. Instead, he played it cool as he made his way to their table.

Jo, meanwhile, remained on the sun lounger finishing her phone conversation, revealed to be with her mum.

“No, mum. I’m spending the day with a very nice boy,” Jo revealed to her. “No, he thinks I have a boyfriend. Career first, boyfriend later, remember? He’s very cute. I got to go, mum. Love you. Bye.”

She then hung up her phone and walked over to Kendall, not realising that Katie was next to her and heard her entire conversation. So, Katie now knew that her big brother was being lied to – and that did not sit well with her.

“Sorry. That was my mum,” Jo said to Kendall as she sat down.

“Enjoy,” Kendall beamed, gesturing to the pizza.

“I will,” Jo smiled.

Kendall went to pick himself up a slice of pizza when Katie came skipping over and said to him, “Hey, big brother. Can I talk to you for a minute?”

Kendall began to dismiss his sister, “Katie, I love you, but I’m a little busy right now.”

But Kendall was quick to learn that Katie wasn’t going to leave him alone until she talked to him. It was a lesson he learned in a painful manner, as Katie grabbed his ear and began pulling him away from the table. He winced in pain the entire time, but allowed Katie to drag him away from Jo (begrudgingly). Jo watched on in confusion and mild amusement.

Katie Knight wasn’t afraid to take charge when she wanted something. It was something Jo quickly noted.

“You are a chump,” Katie informed her brother once she stopped pulling him by the ear.

“What, for going after a girl who has a boyfriend?” Kendall guessed.

“No, because you’re going after a girl who’s lying about having a boyfriend,” Katie corrected him.

Kendall was stopped by Katie’s words. He turned to look at Jo in confusion. Fortunately, she didn’t notice, being lost to the slice of pizza she was eating. Kendall then turned back to Katie and muttered,

“Say what?”

Eventually regaining the power of thought and coherent speech, Kendall demanded, “What do you mean she doesn’t have a boyfriend?”

“I heard her talking to her mother. The whole boyfriend thing is a scam,” Katie revealed. Seeing that Jo was starting to pay attention to their conversation, Katie ordered her brother, “Now, look at her and give her the one-second ‘my little sister’s crazy’ gesture.”

Katie proved to be right. Jo was starting to pay attention to Kendall’s conversation with Katie. So, Kendall did as he was told. He did the classic gesture that silently told her he would be right with her – he just had to deal with his crazy little sister first. Jo smiled and nodded in understanding.

Once he was clear, Kendall turned to Katie and asked, “She’s been playing me this whole time?”

“Like a fiddle,” Katie nodded. “What are you gonna do about it, big brother? And remember – I look up to you.”

“Oh, you don’t worry. It’s on,” Kendall proclaimed.

He and Katie exchanged the secret handshake all three Knight siblings shared before the duo went their separate ways.

It was on now.

**

“Whoa!” Kaelyn gasped. She broke from the kiss she had been sharing with Neil and grabbed his wrists. “Hands above the waist, Neil.”

“Sorry,” Neil apologized breathlessly. “Got a bit carried away.”

“I told you I wanted to take it slow,” Kaelyn reminded him.

“How slow?” Neil demanded. “We’ve just been kissing.”

“And that’s where I want to stay for now,” Kaelyn told him firmly. “With hands in appropriate places.”

“But I like feeling up pretty girls,” Neil pouted.

“Neil,” Kaelyn sighed. She backed herself away from the wall she had been resting against when Neil kissed her. “I’m not saying never. Just… not yet. I mean, we’ve only been on a couple of dates, and we only text in between. I never just happen to bump into you and we live in the same building.”

“I told you it’s easier to text with my family at home,” Neil reminded her. “As for the not bumping into each other… I think that’s more to do with our schedules.”

“I’m not comfortable with anything physical beyond kissing, Neil,” Kaelyn reminded him. “If this is going to be a problem, maybe we should just…”

“Wait, Kaelyn,” Neil cut in, grasping her hands. “I’m sorry. You’re not like other girls I’ve met.”

“Is that a good thing or a bad thing?” Kaelyn couldn’t help but ask timidly.

Neil didn’t answer her question, Instead, he pressed on with his apology, “I don’t mean to make you feel pressured. It’s just… you have no idea how beautiful you are. It’s hard to keep things… but you’re right. We should be going slow.” He then cracked a joke, “Just don’t sic your pals on me?”

Kaelyn laughed, “Don’t worry, I won’t.” She then admitted, “I do plan on telling them about you soon. Actually, Logan already knows. I feel like Carlos will be cool once he gets over the shock. It’s Kendall and James you should watch out for.”

“Kendall’s your brother?” Neil inquired. Kaelyn nodded, which prompted Neil to ask, “Why should I watch out for James?”

“He and Kendall could rival each other in the overprotectiveness department,” Kaelyn remarked. “How about a final kiss so we can end the date on a good note?”

“I think I can manage that,” Neil smirked.

Kaelyn smiled as Neil gave her one final kiss before moving to walk back into the Palm Woods. The second Neil had walked back inside after giving Kaelyn one final wave, her face fell. She wasn’t sure how to feel about all of this. So many conflicting thoughts about everything that unfolded today. Yes, she and Neil had a good time, and he did indulge some of her interests. But whenever they kissed, he seemed to be trying to move things along physically.

Of course, he would always claim it was an accident and apologize for getting a little carried away. But there was a voice nagging Kaelyn at the back of her mind that made her doubt the sincerity of his apologies.

Kaelyn pushed herself away from the wall with a sigh, straightening her outfit before walking back to the Palm Woods. But before she could walk through the door, she was halted by the sight of a figure in a red dress stumbling towards the building. Her clothes were ripped, including the black tights she wore. Kaelyn was pretty sure that one sleeve of the dress had been ripped away and disposed elsewhere. Her hair was dishevelled, and her makeup was ruined. She dragged behind her the handbag she carried.

“Miss?” Kaelyn began worriedly as she ran over. “Miss, are you alright?”

But when she got a closer look at the woman, she gasped in shock and horror. For the woman wasn’t a woman at all. It was…

“Logan?!” Kaelyn gasped in surprise.

“Kaelyn…,” Logan whimpered. “Help… me…”

Kaelyn immediately grabbed Logan’s arm, draping it over her shoulder as she helped him walk. “Just lean on me, buddy,” she murmured reassuringly. As they walked haltingly towards the building, she couldn’t help but ask, “What happened? I thought you were going to a math lecture!”

“Girls… no boys…,” Logan whimpered.

That was all Kaelyn needed to hear before she nodded in understanding and sympathy. Obviously, Phoebe Nachee had issued a ban on boys attending her math lecture, so Logan disguised himself as a girl to attend. And when he was exposed – either through his own actions or something else – the girls reacted rather… violently.

“Okay. That’s it,” Kaelyn provided gentle encouragement. “Just one step at a time, Logan.”

**

Everyone else was gathering back at the apartment, filled with joy over how their day was spent; and they were all eager to tell their friends all about it.

“I had such a crazy day!” Carlos revealed. “Check it out.”

“I had the best time today!” Kendall cut in. “You guys got to hear what happened!”

“You’re not gonna believe what happened to me!” James declared.

“Okay, alright, guys,” Officer Garcia cut in as he and Jennifer brought over snacks. “So, how do we decide who tells their story first?”

Everyone looked up to the sound of the door crashing down. They watched in bewilderment and concern as Kaelyn practically carried Logan into the apartment.

“Logan goes first,” they all quickly declared.

Logan faceplanted it on the ground, losing the strength to hold himself up. Kaelyn, meanwhile, rested herself against the table, exhausted from her work supporting Logan. She barely registered Logan’s cries of pain as the boys rushed to help him to the couch. But they were having a hard time getting him up in general.

“Sit down, honey,” Jennifer immediately ordered her oldest daughter. “I’ll get you some water.”

“Thanks, mum,” Kaelyn panted. She then remarked to Katie, “What a day, eh, sissy?”

“Yeah. I mean, you hanging you with your secret boyfriend, Kendall finding out Jo didn’t…”

“BOYFRIEND?!”

Katie winced as she realized she had inadvertently gotten her sister into trouble.

“You hadn’t told them yet, have you?” Katie asked sheepishly.

“Nope,” Kaelyn shook her head.

Looking behind her, she saw that Kendall, James and Carlos had abandoned Logan to the care of Officer Garcia, and were standing before her. Arms folded across their chests. Faces neutral. Protective stance ready.

“Guess this means I’m going first,” Kaelyn quipped nervously.

When none of the boys even cracked a smile, Kaelyn sighed to herself,

“Oh, this will be fun…”

Chapter 11: One is Good, But Four is Better

Kaelyn knew that the boys weren’t exactly in a joking mood, so she supposed she had to be thankful they were willing to acquiesce certain things. For one thing, even though she was backed into a corner – she was sat on the couch while the boys (except Logan) sat before her, arms folded – they weren’t crowding into her personal space. Well… suppose, she should amend that to their knees weren’t touching.

For another, they left their hockey sticks by the door. (Now, she just had to stop them from hunting Neil down.)

At least Logan had been told rather sternly to lay down in his bed by Jennifer so Kaelyn didn’t have to worry about inadvertently throwing him under the bus by admitting Logan knew the whole time. Logan can throw himself under the bus when he could stand upright without crying in pain.

Those girls at Phoebe Nachee’s math lecture really did a number on him.

“So, uh…,” Kaelyn trailed off uncertainly, “what do you want to know?”

“Everything,” Kendall, James and Carlos predictably answered. In unison.

“What’s his name? What does he do? Does he live at the Palm Woods?” Kendall fired off the questions.

“What does he look like?” James contributed.

“When did you meet? How long have you been dating?” Carlos finished the rapid-fire questions.

Kaelyn stammered, blinking at the rapid-fire questions before proceeding to answer them in sequence, “His name is Neil Waters. He lives at the Palm Woods trying to get into TV. Tanned, tall, muscular, brown hair and brown eyes.”

James interjected, “So, he’s better looking than me?”

Kaelyn rolled her eyes, but did indulge James’ vanity by revealing, “You’d have him beat on the bench press at the gym.”

James was satisfied with that response, but that satisfaction was only brief. He wordlessly gestured for Kaelyn to continue answering their questions.

Kaelyn sighed as she finished, “I bumped into him in the lobby the day Jo moved into the Palm Woods and we had our first date not long after.”

“Jo’s been here for a few weeks,” Kendall muttered. He then gaped at Kaelyn, “You hid this from us for weeks?!”

“Really? You can’t see why?” Kaelyn drawled.

“He’s that guy you kept texting while we were at Gustavo’s mansion,” James said in realization.

“Yes,” Kaelyn confirmed. “We had our first date that day. It was a picnic at the park.”

James felt those same feelings stirring within him that he felt when he first saw that text on Kaelyn’s phone. In fact, they seemed to stir within him with a greater intensity. It took everything in him not to burst as a result of these feelings. But nothing he did could suppress the heartbreak that was written all over his face. For someone who wanted to pursue a career in acting, he was someone who often struggled with hiding his emotions.

Kaelyn winced and made it a point to avoid looking at James where possible. She always knew that he would take the unveiling of her relationship the hardest. It was why it made her so hesitant to tell them (among other things, like their history of scaring away any other guy that ever showed an interest in her).

Part of Kaelyn couldn’t help but wonder. Was James jealous? Did he wish it was him instead of Neil?

“What did you do today?” Kendall inquired.

“Just… window shopping at the Grove,” Kaelyn revealed.

She chose to not reveal what she had noticed about Neil, nor the fact that Neil seemed to be pressuring her to move things further along physically. For one thing, she wasn’t entirely sure if she was misreading signals. For another, she figured she owed Neil at least one chance in that regard. One chance to prove it was an accident. Even if, she couldn’t help but notice, he didn’t seem to be all that interested in her interests. He couldn’t get away from the bookstore fast enough.

“We want to meet him,” the three boys predictably declared.

“Not yet,” Kaelyn shook her head. When the boys went to object, she beat them to the punch, “Hey. I’m taking a lot of big steps here. You can work with me for a bit.”

“We can also meet your boyfriend.” It took everything within James to not spit out that final word. Jealousy was never attractive.

Also… as much as he wanted to hunt down every guy in the Palm Woods until he found Neil and kindly informed him of what would happen if he broke Kaelyn’s heart, he valued Kaelyn above all else. Begrudgingly, he had to admit she was right. She was taking a lot of big steps. It was her first romantic relationship. They could move at her pace. For now.

“And you will,” Kaelyn promised. “Soon, okay? He’s… he’s got a lot of auditions to prepare for.”

Kaelyn did speak the truth there. Neil did mention during their date that he had been fortunate enough to secure quite a few auditions over the coming days. In fact, there were at least two days where Neil would basically be going from one audition straight to another. The only contact they would have would be their text conversations after dinner, or if they happened to bump into each other in the building. Not that the latter point has happened beyond their accidental first meeting that day in the lobby.

“Fine,” Kendall acquiesced. “But we want to meet him. Before you go on another date.”

“Deal,” Kaelyn sighed. She supposed she could allow that. “Now, do you still want to interrogate me, or can I hear what you all got up to on our day off?”

“Just one final thing…” Kendall trailed off.

Kaelyn braced herself for it. She knew that Kendall would have one final thing to say on the matter. It was his nature, after all.

But nothing prepared her for what ultimately happened. Kendall rose from his seat to sit next to her on the couch. He pulled her into an embrace, wrapping his arms around her shoulders and pressing a kiss to the top of her head.

“I am happy for you, Lynnie,” Kendall proclaimed.

“Yeah,” Carlos quickly voiced his agreement. “We may give you a hard time over it, but we’re happy for you.”

Kaelyn smiled as she exchanged a fist bump with Carlos. She knew Carlos would take it well. She did hope that his happiness for her would override everything else (to a degree). And she knew that Kendall would warm up to the idea; the only question was how long it would take him to do just that. She was surprised by how quickly it happened. Although, she supposed that would change when Kendall finally met Neil.

James remained silent. Stoic. Not giving anything away. It made Kaelyn take back her earlier silent statement about him struggling to hide his emotions, because he wasn’t giving anything away here. At least in his facial expressions. But his eyes. His hazel eyes always betrayed him. Kaelyn only needed to look into his eyes if she wanted to see everything he was feeling.

“James?” Kaelyn prompted meekly. She wanted him to say something. Anything. The silence scared her.

James sighed, took Kaelyn’s outstretched hand and finally gave her an answer:

“As long as you’re happy, I’m happy.”

The bright smile that stretched across Kaelyn’s face did little to ease James’ heartbreak. He did speak the truth. He would be happy as long as Kaelyn was happy. Even if he had to nurse a broken heart because Kaelyn seemed to be finding that happiness with someone that wasn’t him.

“Okay,” Kaelyn began, “now that we got this out of the way, I wanna hear about your days off. What did you get up to?” She had clearly decided that Kendall was going to go first because she looked to him and asked, “What was Katie going to say about Jo?”

“Oh. Jo lied about having a boyfriend,” Kendall casually revealed.

“What?!” the others spluttered out in shock.

“Be kind. Rewind,” Kaelyn pleaded.

“Katie overheard Jo talking to her mum on the phone where she admitted to not having a boyfriend and decided to tell me,” Kendall elaborated. “So, with this knowledge in mind, there was only one thing for me to do.”

**

Palm Woods Poolside Cabana, Earlier That Day…

“Is your sister okay?” Jo asked worriedly. Kendall had a bit of an… expression to him as he reclaimed his seat at the cabana.

“She’s great,” Kendall finally beamed. “So, let’s talk. Friend to just friend.”

“You got it. What do you want to talk about?” Jo smiled, moving to take another bite of her slice of pizza.

“Your boyfriend.”

Jo’s smile immediately disappeared from her face and her hand froze. Did this mean Kendall was catching on?

Then, Kendall hit her with the rapid-fire questions, “What’s his name? What’s his favourite sport? Is he allergic to shellfish?”

Okay. Even Kendall had to admit. That final question was oddly specific. He could’ve done a general question about any allergies rather than narrowing it down to a specific allergen. But in that moment, Kendall didn’t care. He was trying to catch Jo in what now seemed to be a very obvious lie.

Jo faltered before answering, “Oh. Well… Travis doesn’t really talk about sports or his allergies.”

“Are you sure you have a boyfriend?” Kendall asked coyly. “I mean, I’ve heard stories of girls who make up fake boyfriends, but… you would never do something like that. Would you?”

Okay. That confirmed it for Jo. Kendall was catching onto her lie. In fact, he seemed to already know she was lying. Part of her did wonder if she should just take the opportunity to come clean to Kendall and let the chips fall where they may. Especially since, she had to admit, she did like Kendall and hoped to maintain… whatever was happening between them.

But teenagers are not known for their logical reasoning skills, and Jo determined she was in too deep with her lie. So, for her, the only option was to see it through.

“No!” Jo immediately answered. “In fact, my totally real boyfriend Travis is coming to visit me. Today.”

Yep. Jo regretted those words the second they left her mouth. Now, she was going to have to find someone in the Palm Woods who would agree to play the part of her fake boyfriend to maintain her lie. Under normal circumstances, that wouldn’t necessarily be a problem. The Palm Woods is the home of the future famous, after all. Including many aspiring actors. The tricky part would come with picking someone Kendall wouldn’t immediately recognize.

Something she noticed about Kendall and the guys? They seem to have struck up some form of a friendship with practically everyone living in the Palm Woods.

“Well,” Kendall smiled as he rose from his seat, “I can’t wait to meet him.”

“I can’t wait for you to meet him,” Jo responded in kind.

“I’ll be relaxing and waiting in the lobby,” Kendall informed her, his tone suddenly tense.

“Great. I’ll see you soon,” Jo smiled tightly.

After exchanging a few more “greats”, each one more tense than the last, Kendall and Jo walked off in separate directions.

**

Apartment 2J, Present Time…

“Okay. Before we keep going, I just want to say… I didn’t know Jo was lying,” Kaelyn wanted to quickly clear the air with her twin. “Probably because she knew I’d immediately tell you.”

Kendall nodded in reassurance. Kaelyn had struck up her own friendship with Jo since the latter’s arrival at the Palm Woods. And Kaelyn’s theory had proved correct. But not necessarily because Jo assumed (rightly so) that Kaelyn’s first move would’ve been to tell Kendall. But because she never wanted to put Kaelyn in the position where she felt she would have to lie to her fraternal twin. She adored the close relationship the Knight siblings shared. She wasn’t about to do anything to sabotage that.

“So, what happened next?” Carlos asked eagerly.

“Well…,” Kendall began once more, “I was waiting in the lobby for Jo and her obviously fake boyfriend to show up…”

**

Palm Woods Lobby, Earlier That Day…

Kendall was sitting at a table in the lobby with Katie, the both of them enjoying a pink smoothie. The oldest Knight sibling had certainly developed a fondness for the drink since they first moved to the Palm Woods. It had quickly become his go-to drink.

“Kendall.”

Kendall turned away from his baby sister at the sound of Jo’s voice. She had her arm looped through the arm of another boy. One that was slightly taller than her. Short brown hair and wearing a black singlet and jeans. He was carrying a duffle bag and had a basketball tucked under his other arm.

Jo really was going to great lengths to sell her lie.

When Kendall rose to his feet, Jo made the introductions, “I’d like to introduce you to my boyfriend, who just got in from North Carolina, who loves basketball, and is not allergic to shellfish.”

Kendall had to admit. Jo did good. She addressed any concerns he might have had. It made sense that he wouldn’t have seen her supposed boyfriend around the Palm Woods because Jo had earlier mentioned that her boyfriend was back home in North Carolina. She also addressed two of his earlier questions: he loves basketball and doesn’t have a shellfish allergy. Good to know.

But either way, Kendall went in for the kill.

“Well, it’s very nice to meet you.” Kendall offered his hand to shake before inquiring with a smile, “Trevor, right?”

“Right,” the man nodded.

Kendall cried out in victory as the actor Jo hired cried out in frustration. He had slipped and forgotten what his name was supposed to be, much to Jo’s very obvious dismay. Katie remained seated at the table, amused as the actor struggled to cover for his slip-up while trying (and failing) to remember the name of the character he had been hired to play.

“No, I’m Trenton,” the actor stammered. “Tralfaz. Trixie.”

“Travis! Your name is Travis!” Jo finally snapped. “And you’re fired.”

“Do I still get my twenty bucks?” the actor asked. Clearly, he had his priorities straight.

Jo shoved him away, making it very clear that no – the actor would not be paid for his… could she even call it services when he failed so miserably? Besides, she already had enough to deal with when she spotted Kendall tauntingly waving the actor away. He was clearly taking pleasure in having caught her in her lie. She was going to have to put up with his gloating.

“You set me up,” Jo accused Kendall.

“Well, you lied to me!” Kendall rightfully retorted.

“I didn’t want a boyfriend!” Jo attempted to justify her actions.

“Who says I wanted to be your boyfriend?!” Kendall scoffed. “Because, frankly, I don’t like dating girls who lie!”

Jo was determined to have the final say, because she fired back with, “Well, I don’t like dating boys who catch me in my lies and make me hire idiot actors who can’t remember their names!”

“Well, then, I guess we’re done here!” Kendall decided.

“I guess we are!” Jo readily agreed.

Jo and Kendall then stormed off in a huff, walking away in separate directions. Jo was headed back to the pool, while Kendall was heading back to the table he had occupied with his sister. He wasn’t about to let something like this ruin the delight that was spending quality time with his youngest sister (especially when that quality time involved the pink smoothies he had grown so very fond of).

Everything seemed to be said and done where Jo and Kendall were concerned. But then, they both raced back to each other in the lobby.

“So, do you want to go to the movies sometime?” Kendall asked.

“Yeah, I’d like that,” Jo happily agreed.

This time, Jo and Kendall parted ways on much happier terms.

Katie stared at the display in front of her in disbelief. She expected a blowup between Jo and Kendall, and she got that. She expected the both of them to storm off in a huff, and she got that. She didn’t expect the two of them to race back and agree to go on a date, almost as though nothing ever happened.

It confused her so much that, when Kendall reclaimed his seat, she voiced, “I don’t think I completely get the whole teenage dating thing.”

“I’m not sure I do either, baby sister,” Kendall replied, a wistful tone in his voice.

Then, the duo clinked their plastic drink containers together before returning their attention to their respective drinks.

It certainly turned out to be an interesting day, and Kendall couldn’t wait to tell the others all about it.

**

Apartment 2J, Present Time…

“So, let me get this straight,” James began. “You found out she lied to you. She went as far as hiring a fake actor to keep up her lie. …and you still asked her out?”

“Yeah,” Kendall nodded.

“Nice!” James praised.

“Idiots,” Katie muttered under her breath, walking off to get herself a snack.

Kaelyn shrugged. In a way, she wasn’t surprised that was how it turned out. Kendall had been itching to make a move on Jo since she first arrived. And, admittedly, he had gone further with her than his friends had when they were all fighting for her affections.

But either way, it looked like Kendall was getting a girlfriend, and she was happy for her twin.

“Okay. I know I mentioned I’m friends with Jo, but…,” Kaelyn trailed off, shooting Kendall a look.

Kendall rolled his eyes affectionately, “You can give her the ‘don’t hurt my twin brother talk’.”

“Only fair since you plan on giving that talk to Neil,” Kaelyn said pointedly.

Kendall only shrugged and hummed. He supposed she was right. It was only fair.

Kaelyn then turned to James and asked, “Did I see you with Camille in the lobby earlier today?”

“Yeah,” James nodded. “I decided I wanted to break into the acting industry and she was helping me.”

**

Palm Woods Lobby, Earlier That Day…

One of the first things Camille insisted James did as part of his acting training? Dress up in costume. Dressing the part would help him get into character. At least she didn’t make him put on a prosthetic nose with a wart like she had, because that would’ve been one thing James drew the line on. But he still had to wear the baggy robes and a wizard’s hat.

Gesturing to his baggy robes, James whined, “How am I gonna show off my washboard abs in this thing?”

“You’re not,” Camille told him. “They’re holding auditions today for Witches of Rodeo Drive, and I am taking you with me!”

James beamed at Camille’s news, “Great! Because I just got some new headshots. Should I go with athletic dog trainer or confused astronaut?”

Camille only took a minute to examine her friend’s headshots. She had to admit: the dog he posed with in the athletic dog trainer headshot was cute. The confused astronaut… she had no words for. But, she was quick to decide that James wasn’t going to be using any of them, as she grabbed the headshots and tossed them aside.

“Today, you are an evil warlock,” Camille revealed. “Now, give me evil!”

Now, James tried at first. He really did. He even did the ‘grr’ and everything… even if it wasn’t that well done. But that didn’t last long before he was breaking out into a smile and lifting his robes to show off those washboard abs he was always boasting about. He even performed body rolls to really show them off.

Now, Camille understood what Kaelyn was talking about.

“James, you call that evil?” Camille sighed. “See, it’s got to come from within. Yeah, so see that guy right over there?” She pointed to a guy sitting on one of the armchairs looking blissfully unaware of what was happening around him. “Imagine that he broke your lucky comb.”

It certainly had the desired effect. Imagining any harm befalling his precious lucky comb certainly helped get James into character. The only problem is, he actually rushed to confront that innocent bystander, and he turned out to be taller than James. Significantly taller.

“Oopsy,” Camille winced when she realized what was happening.

Before she knew it, she heard James pleading the significantly annoyed stranger to not hit the face before racing over and finding that James was… trapped in the vending machine.

“Press B7,” James instructed Camille. Apparently, it was the only way to get him out of the vending machine he was currently trapped in.

**

Apartment 2J, Present Time…

“He shoved you into the vending machine?” Kaelyn gaped. “How did he even do that?”

“Please don’t make me relive it,” James shuddered.

That alone made Kaelyn decide she was better off not knowing. It also made her hope that she never bumped into that guy around the Palm Woods. Looking at the facial expressions on Kendall and Carlos’ faces, she could tell they agreed with her silent thoughts.

“So,” Kaelyn decided to change subjects, “tell us what happened at the audition.”

“Well,” James resumed the story, “there were a few others there, but Camille and I were the only ones in costume.”

“That’s… not surprising,” Kaelyn deadpanned.

After all, it was Camille they were talking about.

**

Witches of Rodeo Drive Auditions, Earlier That Day…

James was focusing his attention on the script before him, studying it intently. It wasn’t because he wanted to rely as little on the script as possible for the audition. Well, not entirely, anyway. But because he needed the distraction from the looks of the other people in the waiting room. They thought it weird that James and Camille actually showed up to the audition in costumes.

“If we nail this audition, James, we’re both going to be on Witches of Rodeo Drive. We’ll be a team!” Camille smiled excitedly.

James smiled in return. Aside from thinking of great acting duos in the past – Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire, Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton, and many more – something he had learned through this process was that he genuinely enjoyed spending time with Camille, and really valued her friendship.

“Why are we the only actors here in costumes?” James quietly asked Camille.

“That, James, is because we have surrendered ourselves to the roles, and they have not,” Camille answered.

“I think I have butterflies in my stomach,” James admitted. When Camille went to comfort him, he smirked, “Right behind my washboard abs!”

When James began showing off those washboard abs once more, Camille muttered, “I now understand what Kaelyn was talking about.” She pulled James back into his seat, snapping, “Enough with the abs!” She then reassured him, “And don’t be nervous. I got a magic spell up my sleeve.” She then pulled up her sleeve and smirked, “See, if you thought the baby powder bit was good, wait till they get a load of this puppy!”

James caught a glimpse at the wires that ran up Camille’s sleeve and wondered what she was referring to. But before he could ask, the casting director walked out of the audition room and called Camille’s name. Exchanging a fist bump with James, Camille rose to her feet and began following the casting director into the audition room. She pointed her wand at James (with the tip lighting up) with a smile and wink before walking through the doorway.

As the door closed, James focused his attention back onto the script. He wasn’t worried about Camille. She had been doing this for a while, and she was very sure of herself.

All those thoughts went away when an explosion could be heard inside the audition room. James dropped his script in shock and took up a fighting pose while maintaining his seated position. His wizard’s hat snagged on the potted plant he was sitting near, and the motions pulled it clear off his head.

Camille emerged from the audition room, coughing and spluttering and covered in smoke. Her hair was also dishevelled from the explosion. But surprisingly, her intricate costume remained intact.

“Nailed it!” Camille cheered to James.

The casting director followed Camille out of the room, looking more than a little worse for wear herself, and she called for the next actor auditioning: “James Diamond is next.” But before James could walk into the room, she placed a firm hand on his chest and asked, “You don’t have any explosives on you, do you?”

“No,” James immediately answered.

“Then, come on in,” the casting director beckoned him with a smile.

James exchanged another fist bump and a smile with Camille before following the casting director into the audition room.

“So, just stand on the mark,” the casting director began, gesturing to the mark in question before walking to the camera, “and let’s begin.”

James than began reading his line, staring into the camera as he deepened his voice and adopted an evil persona: “Once I curse Chad with the zit of grimblezor, then I shall be homecoming warlock. Laughs evilly.” When he realized he was meant to laugh evilly rather than recite the words, James quickly rectified that mistake.

“Okay,” the casting director muttered to herself. She had certainly seen a lot in her time. “Uh, let’s do it again, and this time, just forget the words. Just stand there and smile.”

This time, James was a lot more successful in impressing the casting director. He pulled all sorts of poses, smiles, and facial expressions. Much of what James did called back to the modelling campaigns he did back in Minnesota. That was something he could do.

Outside, Camille paced the waiting area nervously. This was James’ first Hollywood audition. She wanted to support her friend, no matter what the outcome was. She turned to the sound of the door opening and saw James walk out with a smile on his face and a spring in his step.

“Well?” Camille pressed.

“She said she’d let us know by three,” James told her.

Camille smiled as she looped her arm through James’, declaring, “I just know we’re both going to get this one, James. Witches of Rodeo Drive, here we come! And now, back to the Palm Woods!”

James remained in his spot, turning to look in surprise that Camille had indeed disappeared. This shocked him. It was as though Camille had actually used magic to teleport herself away.

Eventually, Camille walked up to him and asked, “James, are-are you coming or what?”

James just shrugged and smiled before looping arms with Camille once more as they walked out of the waiting area.

**

Apartment 2J, Present Time…

The others had no words for James’ story. Part of them thought they shouldn’t be surprised. After all, Camille was… Camille. She was the person who threw the casting director in a flying headlock when she was auditioning for the part of a Lucha Libre star. She was the person who walked around the Palm Woods in all sorts of costumes, involving unwitting bystanders in her rather extreme audition preparations.

Kendall and Logan were often her victims, being subjected to slaps across the face whenever Camille was auditioning for a dramatic role. Logan was also subjected to very amorous kisses whenever Camille was auditioning for a romantic lead. Apparently, Camille had developed a bit of an interest in Logan.

“So, did you get the part?” Kaelyn inquired. In spite of the crazy story, she was hopeful for her best friend’s success.

“Well…,” James trailed off.

**

Apartment 2J, Earlier That Day…

James and Camille decided they were going to wait for three o’clock to roll around inside Apartment 2J. They both had placed their phones on the breakfast counter, watching obsessively for any indication of an incoming phone call, having never learned the lesson of a watched pot never boils. Well, Camille was watching their phones obsessively. James was pacing impatiently around the kitchen. Both of them were still dressed in their costumes from their auditions.

“It’s five minutes past three! When are they gonna call?!” James asked, his nerves making him impatient.

“They’ll call,” Camille reassured him. “But remember: don’t get upset if we don’t get a role. Another part of acting is conquering rejection.”

The demeanour changed, however, when they heard a phone start to ring. Both teenagers immediately scrambled to grasp their phones. Looking down, James realized that Camille’s phone was the one ringing. He watched her intently, hoping that her outcome would give him some idea on his own.

“Yes? Really? Got it. Thanks,” Camille spoke into the phone.

When Camille hung up, James asked her excitedly, “You got the part?”

“No. But see how well I handled the rejection?” Camille asked James.

Camille may have been able to put on a front long enough to get through the phone call, but her front quickly crumbled before James. She was sobbing hysterically as she sat on the stool at the breakfast bar. It made James wonder if this is what Camille often did: let her emotions out (usually in private) before putting on a blasé air whenever anyone asked, like she just tried to do with him.

But as much as James wanted to comfort Camille in that moment, he heard his own phone ring. And something Camille had told him on their way home from the audition? When your phone rings, answer it ASAP.

“Hello?” James answered his ringing phone.

“James? Congratulations! You got the part! You’re Memnock, the warlock with great abs!”

James did note that the role he was being presented with wasn’t the role he auditioned for, but Camille told him that was something that happened more often than he thought. Many actors went to audition for a specific role, only for the casting director to decide their talents were better suited to another role in the same production. After all, Amanda Seyfried originally auditioned for the role of Regina George in Mean Girls before being cast as Karen Smith while the role went to Rachel McAdams. (A decision Kaelyn always said was a wise one whenever she and James discussed movies together.)

“Really?! That’s…”

James was momentarily excited to hear the successful outcome of his first Hollywood audition, but then he glanced over at Camille, who was still heartbroken from her own rejection, and… none of it felt right. He suddenly hated the fact that he had been successful when Camille wasn’t. It made him decide that there were some things that were more important than success in Hollywood, and friendship was one of them.

With his decision made, James finally said, “…too bad.”

“Bad? Did you just hear me?”

Keeping up the blasé attitude, and seriously confusing the casting director, James pressed on, “Well, thanks for calling. Uh, my acting coach did say I need to learn to handle rejection.”

“Are you insane? I said you…”

James didn’t give the casting director the chance to finish her sentence, slamming his flip phone shut. There was only the slightest moment of doubt swirling through his mind, but he knew at the end of the day, he made the right decision.

Especially when he went to break the news to Camille, “Darn it! Oh! I didn’t get the part either!”

“You didn’t?” Camille asked, her sobs ceasing. When James shook his head, doing his best to look appropriately dejected, she immediately moved to reassure him, “Look, don’t feel bad. I didn’t get a part until my 32^nd audition.”

James nodded and smiled, wordlessly expressing his gratitude for Camille’s unconditional support. Admittedly, though, he wasn’t surprised that it took Camille 32 tries to land a part – especially when he had the privilege of seeing her audition process first hand.

“We’ll get ‘em next time, right?” Camille beamed, holding out her gloved fist.

James’ smile widened as he exchanged a fist bump with Camille. Already, this decision proved to be the right one.

“You’re right,” James told her.

“Of course I am!” Camille proclaimed. “And now, this witch has to fly!”

James was surprised to see Camille levitating before him, moving from side-to-side cackling like a wicked witch.

“When did you set up wires in my apartment?” James asked.

“I did it this morning,” Camille briefly broke character to answer his question.

That only made James frown. When did Camille find time to get into the apartment to set up the wires? He quickly figured that she must have done that when the apartment was empty this morning. Jennifer was taking Katie to audition for another commercial so Katie could maintain her ASPA membership and continue attending the Palm Woods school, and the teenagers were all relaxing by the pool. Camille must have done it then.

But James didn’t care. He got to experience his first Hollywood audition and he spent quality time with someone he was quickly starting to consider a friend.

It certainly turned out to be an interesting day, and James couldn’t wait to tell the others all about it.

**

Apartment 2J, Present Time…

“Wait. Let me get this straight,” Kaelyn stammered. “You’re telling me you actually landed a part that would be perfect for you? You nailed your first Hollywood audition. But you turned it down for Camille?”

“It just didn’t feel right,” James shrugged. “And I’m not just talking about Camille not getting a part. Landing a part on my first audition is… I know a lot of people would be excited for that, but even in Minnesota, I had to work hard to get what I got. And when I think about it, I don’t feel like I earned it. It feels like I was cast for my looks and not my talent.”

That was something James would’ve gone for in the past. It must really have not felt right for James to decide to turn that down. Especially since he took any opportunity to flash those washboard abs he kept boasting about. In fact, Kaelyn was pretty sure the only reason James wore a workout singlet to the gym was because the rules stated he wasn’t allowed to exercise shirtless.

Kaelyn chose not to say anything. For one thing, she didn’t want to inadvertently give James the opportunity to show off those washboard abs. For another, some things were better left unsaid. So instead, Kaelyn reached across and grasped James’ hand with a proud smile. He had undergone a lot of character growth during their months in Hollywood, and that was really exemplified today.

Squeezing Kaelyn’s hand with a smile of his own, James then turned to Carlos and asked, “When did your dad get here?”

“After everyone left,” Carlos answered. “I was freaking out because I had lost my helmet.”

His captive audience gasped in shock. Anyone who knew Carlos knew how attached he was to his helmet. It was his lucky helmet, holding the same value to him as James’ lucky comb.

“So, papi arrives and helps me search the apartment,” Carlos began telling his story.

“Explains why the front door’s off its hinges,” Kaelyn drawled.

“Yeah,” Carlos agreed with a wince. “But when papi didn’t find it, he declared that my helmet was stolen, and promised to help me crack the case. So, our first job was to talk to Mr. Bitters.”

Before Carlos continued with his story, Kaelyn took the opportunity to hope that Officer Garcia, as much as she liked him, got something out of the nine times he had to attend sensitivity training courses. But something already told her that wouldn’t be the case.

**

Palm Woods Lobby, Earlier That Day…

Carlos made his way down to the lobby with Officer Garcia. They both pressed the bell at the front desk, indicating that they wanted Mr. Bitters’ attention on an important matter. When the cantankerous hotel manager made his way out of his office, Carlos could already tell he was going to struggle getting his dad to uphold his agreement to stand back and let him handle it.

“What?! I’m busy! Come back never!” Mr. Bitters snapped, not even looking up from the handheld gaming device in his possession.

“Whoa! Dad!” Carlos grunted.

Mr. Bitters finally looked up to see that Carlos was struggling to hold back his irate father. It was also then he noticed that Officer Garcia was… well, a police officer. Wearing a police uniform.

“Let me handle this,” Carlos pleaded. He then turned to Mr. Bitters and asked politely, “Mr. Bitters, somebody stole my helmet. Can we please watch the hallway surveillance video?”

Mr. Bitters immediately began voicing his objections, “That is private Palm Woods property! There is no way I’m going to…”

“Well, I tried,” Carlos shrugged. “Dad?”

Clearly, being a good cop wasn’t going to work in this case, as Officer Garcia had warned Carlos earlier. Either way, he respected his son’s wishes to attempt to resolve this matter diplomatically. However, he always stated that all Carlos had to do was say the word and he would act accordingly.

In this case, Officer Garcia decided the appropriate course of action would be to pin Mr. Bitters by stapling his tie into the front desk.

Message clearly understood, Mr. Bitters changed his tone, “On second thought, why don’t I take this staple remover, free myself, and get you that video?”

“Good cop, bad cop!” Carlos beamed excitedly.

“Works every time,” Officer Garcia smirked.

They then made an indecipherable noise as they rubbed their heads together. Mr. Bitters, meanwhile, focused on unpicking the staples from his tie.

Before long, Mr. Bitters had managed to free himself and invited Carlos and Officer Garcia behind the desk with him after pulling up the requested security footage. Carlos immediately took control of the remote, fast forwarding through the extended periods where nobody was seen in the security footage.

The first person they saw was Tyler, the child actor they often helped hide from his overbearing, fame hungry mother. Tyler had gone into their apartment before emerging again not long after.

“Tyler? It couldn’t be him!” Carlos scoffed.

“Remember, son, everyone’s guilty until proven innocent,” Officer Garcia reminded him.

Mr. Bitters shot Officer Garcia a strange look. He was pretty sure it was meant to be the other way round. Everybody is meant to be innocent until proven guilty. Although, when he thought about his brief interactions with the man, Mr. Bitters decided it explained so much about him.

Carlos continued fast forwarding through the footage. The next person to appear on the footage wasn’t a person. It was Lightning the TV Wonder Dog. Carlos immediately fast forwarded through that section of the footage. He had already eliminated Lightning as a suspect. After all, Lightning was a dog. It was physically impossible for him to be the thief.

Carlos paused the video at the next person who appeared on the screen.

“Budda Bob?” Carlos identified in surprise, watching the maintenance man walk into Apartment 2J.

“Yep! There’s your man!” Mr. Bitters proclaimed quickly. Maybe a little too quickly. “Go get him, coppers. Bye.”

The suspicion on the hotel manager only increased when Mr. Bitters rushed to make a quick escape. But his path to freedom was blocked by Officer Garcia. He stood in the only walkway out from behind the front desk, arms folded across his chest, scowl across his face.

“How did you do that?” Mr. Bitters gaped. Last he saw, Officer Garcia was standing next to his son.

“Finish the tape,” Officer Garcia instructed.

Having been backed into a corner, Mr. Bitters had no choice but to allow the tape to play through to the end. Exposing the fact that he was also a likely suspect, for he had gone into the apartment after Buddha Bob had left.

“Mr. Bitters!” Carlos gasped.

Mr. Bitters only winced when Officer Garcia forced him onto the front desk once more, keeping him in place by stapling his tie down once more.

“Where’s the helmet?!” Officer Garcia barked.

“Hey, it’s my favourite tie!” Mr. Bitters whined.

**

Apartment 2J, Present Time…

Kaelyn was pretty sure she looked like a goldfish with the way her mouth opened and closed in shock. She was prepared for pretty much anything when Carlos began recalling his tale. But nothing could prepare her for what Officer Garcia ultimately did.

She couldn’t help but think of the time a relative of one of her fellow cancer patients stole the plushed toy Katie had given her to support her during her treatment, and she made the mistake of mentioning it to Officer Garcia when he brought Carlos to visit her. The fact that he was dealing with cancer patients did very little to hold him back.

Well, she got that plushed toy back in the end, and the little thief was sent home needing to change his underwear after being found to have stolen many things from many cancer patients. Whatever works, right?

“So, was it Mr. Bitters?” Kendall asked.

Carlos began telling the story once more.

**

Palm Woods Lobby, Earlier That Day…

Officer Garcia had apparently decided that pinning Mr. Bitters to his desk by stapling his tie into the wood wasn’t enough. He had now graduated to pinning Mr. Bitters against the wall by stapling his tie and jacket into the plaster.

“Okay, enough with the staples!” Mr. Bitters snapped. “These suits come out of my salary, and so do the staples!”

“Then, tell me why you went into my son’s apartment!” Officer Garcia demanded.

“And where’s my helmet?!” Carlos asked, visibly distressed.

“Okay,” Mr. Bitters sighed. “Somebody stole my bologna. And I went into a few apartments to look for it, but I couldn’t find it.”

“When was the bologna last seen?” Officer Garcia inquired.

“This morning. I wouldn’t want this to get out, but there’s been a stealing spree at the Palm Woods,” Mr. Bitters admitted. “Someone stole a lava lamp from Apartment 3B, a disco ball from the game room, and a bearskin rug from my office.”

“Hide me!”

Carlos and Officer Garcia turned around in surprise to see Tyler standing behind them, their interrogation of Mr. Bitters long forgotten. (Well, it would’ve ended regardless because Mr. Bitters revealing the theft spree afflicting the Palm Woods actually advocated for his innocence.)

But then Tyler, who for context was around the same age as Katie, elaborated further, “My mum wants me to be in a diaper commercial!”

That was all the two Garcias needed to hear before they pushed Tyler behind them. A ten-year-old kid being forced to appear in a diaper commercial? That was just opening the poor kid up to a lot of unpleasantness. They barely had time to position themselves into a neutral, natural stance before Tyler’s mother came rushing into the lobby.

“Tyler, where are you?!” Tyler’s mother called. “We’re late!”

“He went that way!” the two Garcias immediately told her. The only problem is, they both pointed in different directions. They quickly amended themselves to point towards the front entrance, which she immediately raced towards.

“Come here, kid,” Officer Garcia told Tyler once his mother was out of earshot. “I saw you go into my son’s apartment. Where’s the helmet?”

‘Well, at least he was holding back slightly for Tyler,’ Carlos mused to himself. The sensitivity training must have worked to some degree.

“I don’t know. I was hiding from my mum,” Tyler answered. He then revealed: “And your helmet was stolen? My froggy slippers were stolen!”

Carlos and Officer Garcia immediately exchanged looks with each other. This put a wrinkle in their investigation.

“Well, if Tyler didn’t do it, and Mr. Bitters didn’t do it, that only leaves one suspect!” Carlos proclaimed.

They then turned around to see that suspect in question walking through the lobby. Buddha Bob was lost in his own little world as he carried his stereo on his shoulder. He briefly paused to press a button on the aforementioned stereo, playing music that sounded like an excerpt from one of the band’s demo tracks. He then did a little boogey in the lobby before moving out to the pool area.

“Buddha Bob!” the four of them gasped.

“Proceed with caution!” Officer Garcia advised.

He, Tyler and Carlos immediately sped away to chase after Buddha Bob. Mr. Bitters, meanwhile, was unable to move. For he was still pinned to the wall thanks to Officer Garcia’s admittedly clever staple work.

“Guys, some help here?” Mr. Bitters requested.

Carlos and Officer Garcia immediately raced back over, rambling apologies as they began removing the staples from Mr. Bitters’ suit jacket and tie.

**

Apartment 2J, Present Time…

“A stealing spree?” James gaped. He suddenly yelped and sped off towards the shared bathroom. After hearing all sorts of sounds from the tiny space, James finally emerged and revealed, “Don’t worry! My hair products are intact!”

Kendall and Kaelyn didn’t even bother trying to suppress their eyeroll. Although, they couldn’t deny. The recent revelations made them want to dash off to their bedrooms to make sure their valuables are accounted for. Kendall, in particular, wanted to check on that box he kept under his bed full of things he didn’t want his mother knowing about. Kaelyn, meanwhile, was more concerned about that expensive recording equipment Gustavo had gifted her when he did the apartment makeover.

“So, did you catch the thief?” Kaelyn asked excitedly. “Was it Buddha Bob?”

If Carlos didn’t already know that Kaelyn’s guilty pleasure was a good old-fashioned ‘whodunnit’, he would’ve been shooting her weird looks. But he didn’t.

Instead, he continued his story.

**

Palm Woods Pool Area, Earlier That Day…

The foursome peeked around the doorway, watching as Buddha Bob danced by one of the planter boxes, trimming the hedges with his sheers. He was blissfully unaware of everything that was happening around him, along with the fact that he was the prime suspect in a series of thefts.

“But I like Buddha Bob. Why don’t we just ask him?” Carlos inquired.

“You better let me handle this, son,” Officer Garcia suggested. “He’s armed and dangerous.”

“They’re gardening sheers,” Carlos pointed out.

“I never trusted him,” Mr. Bitters muttered.

The four of them then moved into the pool area proper. But there was one thing Officer Garcia wanted to do first before he pursued the suspect, and that was to impart something special to his only son. His own helmet.

Placing the helmet on Carlos’ head, Officer Garcia told his son fondly, “Anything happens to me, I want you to have this.” Wrapping his arm around his son’s shoulder, he added, “But if nothing happens to me, I want it back.” When Carlos nodded, Officer Garcia proclaimed, “I’m going in.”

He then tapped his helmet, which was now resting on Carlos’ head, for good luck. This action informed Tyler and Mr. Bitters that it was a trait Carlos had inherited from his father. Actually, watching the father-and-son duo interact was what made Mr. Bitters come to the conclusion that many of Carlos’ eccentricities were inherited from his father.

Like father, like son.

Then, Officer Garcia charged at Buddha Bob with a roar, leaping into the air to tackle him to the ground. Buddha Bob remained unaware of his surroundings, so it was pure serendipity that he bent over at the right time to tend to the potted flowers next to the concrete planter box. The consequence of this was Officer Garcia being sent flying over the plants, landing in the covered alcove behind it with a loud crash. It was only then that Buddha Bob became aware of his surroundings.

“Dad!” Carlos cried, immediately racing forward.

Mr. Bitters and Tyler eventually followed Carlos in his dash towards the covered alcove, but they hung back, giving the father-and-son duo their space. Well… that was their official statement. In reality, they were a bit weary approaching Buddha Bob. They watched as Carlos helped his father to his feet. The elder Garcia spluttered as he spat out a flower from his mouth and dusted himself of the other foliage that had attached itself to his uniform.

“I should have kept my helmet on,” Officer Garcia panted.

Carlos was only too happy to quickly place his father’s helmet back on his head. He then turned his attention to Buddha Bob and adopted an accusing tone as he asked, “Hey! Where’s my helmet?!”

“And my bologna!” Mr. Bitters added his accusations.

“And my froggy slippers!” Tyler demanded.

Buddha Bob stammered, clearly thrown off guard by the accusations. But then he gasped and asked, “And my portable electrified music-playing machine!”

“Your stereo?” the two Garcias asked in confusion.

“Right,” Buddha Bob nodded. He then cried, “Why, I’ve been robbed!”

Mr. Bitters, Tyler, Carlos and Officer Garcia exchanged looks as they gasped dramatically. They then saw that Buddha Bob’s studio was indeed not where he had left it. Someone had taken advantage of the carnage from Officer Garcia’s failed attempt to capture Buddha Bob and slipped away with his stereo.

They were all thrown off now. Buddha Bob was the last person on the security footage who had been to Apartment 2J that morning before Carlos’ helmet was stolen. Mr. Bitters and Tyler were cleared when they revealed themselves to be victims of the theft spree. There was no way for Buddha Bob to suddenly make his own stereo disappear.

Their confusion was abated when they heard funky music being played. Turning in the direction of one of the poolside cabanas, they saw a barking dog racing into the enclosed space that was then zipped shut.

“Lighting was in the video too!” Carlos cried in recollection.

“Let’s move out!” Officer Garcia ordered, the five of them racing to the cabana.

“Stay back!” Carlos advised.

He then opened the cabana and gasped in shock at what he saw. The poolside cabana had been done up with a variety of items. Many of which had already been reported stolen. Including the disco ball from the Palm Woods game room, the bearskin rug from Mr. Bitters’ office, Tyler’s froggy slippers, Buddha Bob’s stereo…

And Carlos’ helmet, which was being used as a serving platter for the bologna that had been stolen from Mr. Bitters.

Lightning the TV Wonder Dog was also a thief. But the other dogs he hosted in his cabana didn’t seem to care for that fact. They were also helping themselves to the stolen goods.

“That’s my bologna!” Mr. Bitters cried in disgust.

“And my helmet!” Carlos cheered.

“Good work, son!” Officer Garcia praised before turning to Lighting and declaring, “and bad dog!”

Lightning only whined as he hid his face behind his paws in shame.

**

Apartment 2J, Present Time…

Okay, Kaelyn had to admit. Lighting being exposed as the thief was not something she saw coming. Because, again, Lighting’s a dog!

“Wow,” was all Kaelyn could say. Seeing her mother walk out of the bedroom Logan shared with Kendall, she asked worriedly, “How’s Logan?”

“He’s resting,” Jennifer answered reassuringly.

“How did he get so beat up?” James inquired.

“Turns out Phoebe Nachee doesn’t like her male fans,” Jennifer answered. “Logan couldn’t attend Phoebe Nachee’s math lecture because she didn’t allow boys, so I helped him disguise himself as a girl so he could go. He must’ve been exposed.”

“Well, I’m definitely not getting her autograph,” Kaelyn quickly decided. She didn’t have time for anyone who didn’t appreciate all of their fans.

The boys only nodded wordlessly. They knew Logan would tell his story when he was ready, but it was obvious he wasn’t up to sharing his tales of adventure quite yet.

**

Later That Night…

Kaelyn hummed to herself as she brushed her hair out, sitting on her bed. She was getting ready to go to bed for the night, as Jennifer was very strict about the kids observing their bedtimes. Especially with the way Gustavo tended to work them. She wanted to make sure they got all the sleep they could get.

So, it surprised Kaelyn when she heard a knock on her door. She was even more surprised when she heard James call out to her, “Bunny, can I come in?”

“Sure, fox,” Kaelyn nodded. Fortunately, she was still wearing her dressing gown.

James walked into Kaelyn’s bedroom wearing a pair of baggy sleep shorts and a black sleep singlet. Kaelyn could tell just by looking at him that he had just finished his strict bedtime skincare regimen. But rather than head to the bedroom he shared with Carlos, he decided talking to Kaelyn before going to bed was important.

Noticing that Kaelyn was trying to do her hair, James offered, “Want me to help with the braid?”

“If you’re offering,” Kaelyn smiled.

James returned the smile as he came round to kneel behind her on the mattress. His fingers immediately went to work, running themselves through her silky-smooth strands as he divided her hair accordingly for the braid. He could feel the traces of her leave-in conditioner, indicating that Kaelyn had washed her hair as part of her shower. Taking the brush from Kaelyn, he moved to take care of a knot she had inadvertently missed.

“Do you want one braid or two?” James paused to ask.

“Just the one,” Kaelyn decided. “And I know you didn’t come here just to braid my hair.”

“I didn’t,” James sighed. He then admitted, “I knew about Neil before today. Well, I knew you had a boyfriend, but I didn’t know who you were dating.”

Kaelyn only bristled ever so slightly, but maintained a calm demeanour as she asked James, “When did you find out?”

“When we were fixing Gustavo’s mansion,” James revealed. “You had dropped your phone, I was about to return it to you, and I saw text from Neil on the screen.”

“So, you’ve known about Neil pretty much the whole time?” Kaelyn surmised.

“And I didn’t tell you because I was waiting for you to come to me,” James told her. “Which brings me to my next point: why didn’t you come to me?”

“Because anytime I’ve gone to you about liking a guy, you’ve made it your life’s mission to scare them away,” Kaelyn reminded him.

She inhaled sharply when she suddenly felt James’ hands on her shoulders. He muttered something about wanting her to sit in the right position for the braid. But that, in combination with him doing her hair, felt so different. So intimate. Even if this wasn’t the first time this was happening. James often helped her with her hair if she was struggling to get it up in a ponytail. And she returned the favour. She was one of the few allowed near his hair.

“I only scared away the losers,” James scoffed.

“So, every guy’s a loser?” Kaelyn guessed.

“Good. You’re catching on,” James beamed.

“Fox,” Kaelyn rolled his eyes.

“Bunny, there’s nothing wrong with making sure any prospective boyfriend would treat you right. And none of those guys would have treated you right,” James justified his actions. He then pressed her, “Is there anything you’re holding back from me?”

“Yeah,” Kaelyn sighed. “Neil… Neil tried to feel me up when he kissed today.” She cried out in pain when James inadvertently tightened his grip on her hair.

“Sorry,” James muttered an apology, refocusing his attention to the braid he was working on. “Feel you up how?”

“I’ll only tell you when you’re calm,” Kaelyn decided.

“So, it won’t be happening tonight,” James grumbled. “If he tries to push you into anything you’re not comfortable with…”

“I can take care of myself, James,” Kaelyn began objecting.

“I know,” James sighed. “But I also know how you can be when you feel backed into a corner.”

“Be very careful what you say next,” Kaelyn warned him.

James finished Kaelyn’s braid, securing it with the hair elastic before moving off of Kaelyn’s bed. But he didn’t move to leave her bedroom. Instead, he grabbed her hands and knelt before her on the ground. On one knee.

Staring her in the eye as he tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear, James choked, “I don’t want you to get hurt, Kaelyn.”

Kaelyn felt herself softening at James’ words. She now understood that it was coming from a place of worry. And fear. She smiled gently and gripped his hands.

“I know, James,” she murmured gently. “And I know you’re just trying to look out for me.” She then moved off the edge of the bed, kneeling before James as she pulled him into a hug.

“You’re the best friend I could ask for.”

James’ arms stiffened at her words, but he didn’t hesitate to return her embrace. If anything, he tightened his grip on her.

Kaelyn gasped ever so slightly when she felt something at her shoulder. She couldn’t tell you with any certainty what had happened. Did James actually kiss her shoulder? Or did he open his mouth to say something only to decide against it and close it once more?

Pulling back slightly, Kaelyn reached her hand up to brush James’ fringe out of his eyes before murmuring, “You should probably get out of here before mum decides to check up on me.”

James quickly nodded in agreement. Jennifer had a rule against the other boys being in Kaelyn’s bedroom. Alone. With the door closed. Getting caught, even if everything was entirely innocent, wouldn’t do him any favours.

So, it was with this great reluctance that James broke his embrace with Kaelyn and rose to his feet. He took the moment to help Kaelyn up onto her own feet before moving towards the bedroom door. He walked to her door, but stopped when he gripped the handle. He turned back to her.

“Goodnight, bunny,” James smiled.

“Goodnight, fox,” Kaelyn returned in kind.

With their goodnights exchanged, James finally left her bedroom. When the door was closed, Kaelyn sighed heavily as she shrugged out of her dressing gown, hanging it on the back of her door. She paused briefly, resting her forehead against the timber of the door along with her hands. She didn’t know what she was thinking. Was she imagining James was on the other side? Doing the same thing? Trying to hold her hands?

Pushing down the conflicting thoughts and feelings that suddenly stirred inside her, Kaelyn pushed herself away from the door, making her way back to her bed.

It was only when he saw that Kaelyn had turned off her lamp that James made his way back to his own bedroom.

Chapter 12: Halfway There

Before Kaelyn knew it, the group had officially been in Los Angeles for three months. Three months of songwriting intensives. Three months of demo recording. Three months of making new friends and starting her first romantic relationship. Three months of a new life.

It was something that Kendall voiced aloud during their routine chillax by the pool.

“I can’t believe we’ve been here for three months!” Kendall voiced.

“Three glorious, fun-filled months!” Carlos beamed.

“Three glorious, fun-filled, sun-filled months!” James added.

“Let’s all look up and think about them now,” Logan suggested.

All five teenagers did just that. They looked up and recalled some fun memories of their time at the Palm Woods. The tricycle race they all took part in around the pool, in which James got knocked into the pool and Kaelyn couldn’t remember who won. The time they pushed Carlos through the Palm Woods lobby while he was taking a bubble bath (and the others were dressed in button-up pyjamas and hardhats). The time they were cornered in a poolside cabana by an unidentified individual dressed in a bear costume when the boys were planning to play hockey.

“Good times,” the boys smiled.

“And you know what I can’t believe?” Kaelyn pondered. “All of that happened today.”

The boys laughed. Kaelyn was right. That was only one day at the Palm Woods. It spoke volumes about their three months in Hollywood.

“Hey, guys,” Kelly greeted as she approached them by the pool. “I just stopped by to drop off your tickets.”

“Oh, hockey tickets?” Logan guessed hopefully.

“Concert tickets, hm?” James smirked.

“Convention tickets?” Kaelyn asked hopefully. When the boys looked at her in confusion, she defended herself, “What? There’s a book convention in town.”

The boys made noises that told everyone that was something they should’ve figured out. Kaelyn was the bookworm of the group after all. She always said she would be happy to be a teacher or a librarian (and while being a songwriter was her dream, none of her other career choices were considered to be fallbacks as they were equally her passion).

Kelly was quick to correct them: “Plane tickets.” When the group lit up in excitement, thinking they were going somewhere cool (a trip to a private island was among the many possibilities they thought of), Kelly further elaborated, “You guys do know that if your demos don’t get picked by the record company tomorrow, you’re going back to Minnesota.”

“What?!” they screamed.

They had forgotten about that little detail.

**

The first thing they did was race to the record studio, where Gustavo was mastering Famous, one of the songs on their demo.

“We don’t want to go home,” Kendall declared. “We want to stay here…”

“And get famous!” James added.

“Yeah, about that… too bad!” Gustavo snapped. “It’s been three months. The demos are done. That was the deal.”

“Right,” Carlos nodded in understanding. “What are demos again?”

“They’re the sample songs we’ve been recording; that if the record company likes, then you get to stay here, make a full album, go on tour, and then… you become famous!” Kelly sang the last three words.

“But if they don’t pick it, I take over my father’s scooter business, and you go back to Minnesota and be nobodies again,” Gustavo stated.

“Your father has a scooter business?” Kaelyn repeated in surprise.

“Wait. What about Kaelyn’s internship?” James asked. Since whether she got the internship was contingent on impressing Griffin three days after their arrival, he feared her continued partnership with Gustavo would be the same.

“I can’t have a songwriting/producing intern if I’m not songwriting/producing,” Gustavo pointed out. “So, if your demos don’t get picked and I have to take over my father’s scooter business, you won’t get famous and Kaelyn’s out of a job.”

James shrieked in horror at the news.

“But we’ve worked so hard! We’re so close!” Kendall stammered.

“You’re not so close,” Gustavo objected.

“We’re almost there?” Logan offered.

When Kelly and Gustavo shook their heads, Carlos asked hopefully, “Halfway there?”

“You’re almost halfway there!” Gustavo conceded. “Now, I’m going to go to my office. Please do not follow me.”

The five teenagers nodded, knowing full well they weren’t going to obey Gustavo’s request. In fact, Gustavo was counting on it. He had specifically worded it that way to keep up appearances. He wanted them to follow him into his office.

And that was exactly what they did.

Something that Gustavo had quickly learned about the boys in their three months together? If he wanted them to do something, he had to tell them the opposite. So, when Gustavo told the boys to not follow him to his office, that meant he wanted them to follow him into his office so they could discuss things more. And maybe plan a scheme or two. (The incident with WayneWayne sprung to Gustavo’s mind when he recalled how the boys were at plans.)

“How could Griffin not pick Big Time Rush? He loves us!” James declared.

“Griffin loves all the bands with demos, and there are six of them, but only one gets picked,” Gustavo explained.

“And the one that everybody is talking about is Vampirah,” Kelly added, holding up their demo CD.

“Vampire dudes with guitars?” Logan gaped.

“Yeah, we’re screwed,” Kaelyn winced.

“Hey, hey, hey, we are not screwed!” Kendall immediately objected. “What’s the one thing we learned since we moved to L.A.?”

“That black is the new black,” James smirked.

“If you drink cold milk on a hot day, you die,” Logan recited.

“That every time you leave your house, your toys come alive!” Carlos said excitedly.

“Uh, that’s the plot line for Toy Story,” Kaelyn reminded him.

Kendall then decided his friends needed a refresher: “That you don’t wait for your dreams to happen. You make them happen.”

Kaelyn turned to her mentor and asked, “How are the demos picked?”

“That is a highly classified corporate secret that no one will tell me, and it’s killing me!” Gustavo roared in frustration.

“Guys, we want this as badly as you do, but all we know is that the winning band is picked by a top-secret advisor very close to Griffin,” Kelly elaborated.

Before the group could ask further questions, questions that could possibly lead them to the top-secret advisor Kelly alluded to, a young woman walked through the door. She was dressed in a gold skirt, a white top with gold details, a white jacket and gold sandals. Her gold hairband pushed her blonde hair out of her face. On her arm, she carried a white-and-pink handbag with a dog sticking its head out. She was talking on the phone, laughing obnoxiously at whatever the person on the other end of the line said to her.

“Yeah, eww, I just entered this totally ugly office! Hold on, I’m mini-barfing!” the teen girl pretended to gag before turning to Gustavo and revealing, “I’m here to pick up a CD from Big Time… whatever.” She even helped herself to Gustavo’s chair.

“I’m sorry, who are you?” Gustavo demanded rudely.

“Mercedes Griffin, as in your boss’ daughter.” Seeing the way Gustavo gaped at her, Mercedes turned back to her phone and said, “I’ll call you back, Jess. Livin’ Large here is about to start grovelling.”

Predictably, Gustavo did indeed start grovelling while Kelly scrambled to retrieve the demo for Mercedes.

Gustavo laughed nervously as he began apologizing, “I am so, so sorry. Um, here…” Gustavo shot Kelly a look as she fumbled with the demo before handing it to him. “Hey, um, here is the demo. Um, can I… can I get you a latte or a yacht?”

“Or some…,” Kaelyn’s suggestion was cut off by James placing a hand over her mouth.

With the demo in hand, Mercedes was getting ready to leave, but she stopped in her tracks when she noticed that it wasn’t just Gustavo and Kelly in his office. It was Big Time Rush themselves.

“Is this the band?” Mercedes asked. “You guys are hot!”

“Oh, and you’re the secret someone who’s close to Griffin who decides the winning demos!” Carlos gasped excitedly.

Mercedes slowly nodded, “That’s right. I make the decisions. And I just decided that…” Mercedes scanned the four boys before pointing at Kendall and declaring, “…you’re my new boyfriend. Let’s go.”

“What?” Kendall stammered in shock as Mercedes dragged him away. “I don’t even… I don’t even know her!” He whimpered the word ‘help’ before he was dragged away entirely.

“This is not right!” James proclaimed. “How could she pick Kendall over me?!” Logan and Carlos rolled their eyes. James suddenly cried out in disgust and pulled his hand away from Kaelyn’s mouth. “Seriously?! Did you just lick me?!”

“I could’ve bitten you,” Kaelyn pointed out.

James had to acquiesce that he preferred being licked to being bitten.

**

Back at the apartment, Katie and Jennifer were more aware of the fact that their three months was up. So, they were packing for the move back to Minnesota, and Katie was expressing her displeasure to her mother.

“I don’t want to go back home,” Katie whined.

“I’m sorry, honey, but the record company stops paying for this apartment tomorrow, and we can’t afford to stay here,” Jennifer explained apologetically.

Defeated, Katie refocused her attention to helping her mother pack. As she did, she heard the door open and the sound of humming. Male humming that did not belong to her older brother or his best friends. Looking over, she saw Mr. Bitters waltz into the apartment along with his belongings.

As he put a box on the dining room table, Jennifer asked, “Uh, what are you doing?”

Pushing past her to unload another box, Mr. Bitters answered, “Well, your lease is up tomorrow, so I’m upgrading to this sweet apartment.” Replacing the Knight family photo with a photo of himself, Mr. Bitters smirked, “Have a Palm Woods day.”

Katie decided she wasn’t going to take this. “Hey!” she snapped, throwing an orange at Mr. Bitters and enjoying his cry of pain. “We still have one day to renew!”

“Oh. Well, in that case, I’ll need a three months’ deposit now,” Mr. Bitters said pointedly. He even held his hand out, as though he expected Jennifer to hand over the money on the spot. When she stammered, he smirked, “I didn’t think so. In fact, the only way you could renew is if you got a job here at the Palm Woods and received our employee discount. Uh, sorry, no jobs available.”

It turns out that the best way to get Mr. Bitters’ attention was to throw something at the back of his head. Crying in pain once more (and making a mental note to take something for the looming headache), Mr. Bitters turned to see one of his enraged soon-to-be ex-employee standing in the doorway.

“Bitters, I can’t stand working for you, so I quit!” she then tossed her badge of the floor and stormed away.

Katie rushed forward to pick up the discarded badge. She happily pointed out to Mr. Bitters, “Huh, looks like there’s a job opening for Assistant Manager.”

“Uh, but your mum doesn’t have any experience,” Mr. Bitters quickly pointed out, “so this place will be mine!” He cackled all the way to the doorway before reminding them, “Checkout’s at noon,” and walking away.

Katie turned to her mother and told her, “You need a power suit and an awesome resume!”

“You heard what he said. I don’t have managerial experience,” Jennifer reminded her.

“You haven’t seen your resume yet,” Katie smirked.

Jennifer was so painfully confused, but followed her daughter as she dragged her around the apartment. But something already told her she wasn’t going to like the scheme Katie was currently cooking up.

**

Mercedes now walked into the Palm Woods lobby dressed in a white sundress, matching sandals and a wide-brimmed hat.

“Hurry up, new boyfriend, I heard the Palm Woods’ pool scene is fabtastic,” Mercedes smirked.

All Mercedes was carrying was her bag with her dog. Kendall, meanwhile, was struggling along behind her with another bag, a lounge chair, a dog bed, and at least two pool noodles.

“Do we really need all this stuff just for you to sit by the pool?” Kendall asked. Seeing the look Mercedes shot him, he quickly added a term of endearment: “Pumpkin?”

“Froopy can only sit on imported dog bedding, and I always bring my own lounge so I never have to touch other people’s butt sweat,” Mercedes explained, as though the answer was obvious. “No more questions.”

Mercedes continued her way to the pool, not caring that Kendall had toppled over in the lobby under the weight of her stuff. Logan and Carlos were quick to rush over to help him back onto his feet.

“Hey, big guy, you’re doing a great job,” Logan praised him.

“She’s horrible!” Kendall gasped out.

“But if she loves you, then she’ll pick our demos, and we get to stay in L.A., and we’re almost halfway there!” Carlos reminded him.

James, meanwhile, was too busy holding a mirror between his face and Kendall’s face, asking, “How could she pick you over me?! Look at this!”

“Right now, I would’ve thought you’d be thankful not to be her victim,” Kaelyn snarked.

“Now, here’s some subliminal imagery that will help her pick our demos.” Logan then proceeded to place a green-and-white cap on Kendall’s head with the words ‘Pick Big Time Rush’ in black writing.

Carlos forced Kendall’s mouth open as he explained, “Ooh, and some breath spray just in case she wants to kiss you.”

Kendall gagged at the breath spray before asking, “I have to kiss her?!”

“Wait!” Gustavo screamed.

“We can’t let you do this!” Kelly declared, causing Kendall to sigh in relief.

Gustavo then pulled up a CD player with a smirk, “Not without the perfect mood music for your pool date with Mercedes.”

He then placed the CD player on top of the stuff Kendall was carrying and pressed play. Unsurprisingly, the mood music Gustavo was talking about was their demo CD. Carlos and Logan then gave Kendall some words of encouragement as he stumbled towards the pool. James was alternating between sulking and restraining Kaelyn. He ended up having to wrap his arms around her, trapping her arms to her sides as he pressed her back into his front.

“He looks great,” Gustavo remarked.

Kendall, meanwhile, had placed cucumber slices over Froopy’s eyes and was now doing the same to Mercedes. Their personal sun lounge and dog bed were set up at the primo location. The song Big Time Rush continued playing from the CD player Gustavo provided.

“This is relaxing,” Mercedes smiled. “Now, fan me and make dolphin noises so I feel like I’m in Cabo.”

The others were watching the scene unfold from a nearby poolside cabana. Kendall was exchanging incredulous and helpless looks with them. Rolling her eyes, Kaelyn took pity on her twin and made sounds that she hoped were close enough to a dolphin (and were as painful for the others to hear as it was for her to do). Kendall then took a leaf from a nearby plant and proceeded to fan Mercedes.

“Isn’t it great being in love, new boyfriend? You love me too, right?” Mercedes asked.

Kendall gaped at Mercedes. Did she really just ask the boy she strong-armed into being her new boyfriend not even an hour ago if he loved her? The others were encouraging him to nod and say yes. Even Kaelyn was prompting him to say something. Anything.

But it wasn’t enough, as Mercedes rose from her lounge chair, turned off the CD player and accused, “You hesitated!” She then pondered coyly, “Maybe I’ll hesitate to choose your demo as the winner. I heard Vampirah’s amazing.”

That was what made the others race out of the cabana to voice their objections. Carlos even fell to his knees in front of Mercedes.

Carlos raced to answer on Kendall’s behalf, “Of course he loves you! I mean, who-who wouldn’t love you… with your hair and your hands and that rat-dog thing?”

That ‘rat-dog thing’ grumbled at Carlos’ description of him, as though he understood what was said. Surprisingly, his cucumber slices stayed on.

“It’s like you really know me,” Mercedes smiled. She then turned to Kendall and proclaimed, “I’m breaking up with you.” She then told Carlos, “You’re my new boyfriend. Now, carry me out like they do in the movies. Old boyfriend, bring my stuff up later.”

James didn’t even try to hide his frustration at being looked over (again). Carlos, meanwhile, looked at the group pleadingly as he carried Mercedes away from the pool area.

“We can’t let her do this to Carlos!” Kaelyn objected. “He’s too sweet!”

“Do you want to stay in L.A.?” Kendall asked her.

“Yes,” Kaelyn grumbled.

Sometimes, she hated Hollywood.

**

Katie had been doing some strong-arming of her own. She strong-armed her mother into a business suit and was now escorting her down to the lobby with a resume she helped fabricate.

Katie took some delight in telling Mr. Bitters, “My mum would like to apply for the Assistant Management position,” as she slid the resume across the front desk.

“Uh, that’s right,” Jennifer nodded, having been prompted by Katie.

“Sorry. Not qualified,” Mr. Bitters dismissed them. He didn’t even bother to read the resume before sliding it back.

“She was the manager of a five-star hotel in Minnesota for ten years, speaks seven languages, and can go a week without water!” Katie retorted, sliding the resume into Mr. Bitters’ hands once more.

Jennifer, meanwhile, was gaping at her youngest daughter in shock. What the heck did she put in that painfully obvious false resume?

But Mr. Bitters wasn’t deterred, sliding the resume back as he explained, “Well, the approval process is very long and must be approved by a regional manager, so…”

He really was determined to do everything possible to force them out of the apartment so he could claim it for himself. But his plan was foiled by arguably the last person he wanted to see at this present moment. Another man snagged the resume before Jennifer or Katie could reclaim it, reading through it for himself.

“What’s this?” he asked.

“Regional Manager Taylor, what are you doing here?” Mr. Bitters gaped.

“Checking up on you,” was Taylor’s response. “Harvard, nice. You got the job.” Hearing Mr. Bitters about to voice his arguments, he silenced them by stating, “She was the ambassador to Japan. Now, go get her a Palm Woods jacket. Come on! Chop-chop!”

“Yes, sir,” Mr. Bitters nodded, rushing off to do just that.

Before walking away, Regional Manager Taylor took the moment to straighten up the lobby desk. Once both men were out of earshot, Jennifer focused her attention to her daughter, who was looking very pleased with herself.

“I didn’t manage a hotel back in Minnesota. I was a waitress,” Jennifer reminded her.

“Oh, please, how hard can it be?” Katie scoffed.

Well, they were about to find out, as Mr. Bitters emerged from the back room with not only a Palm Woods jacket, but a plunger.

“Fine. Here’s your Palm Woods jacket, and your Palm Woods plunger,” Mr. Bitters said, placing both on the desk. “Your first assignment is to unclog the toilet in 3R. Chop-chop.”

Jennifer winced in disgust as she grabbed both the plunger and the glove and started walking towards the elevators. Katie shot Mr. Bitters a menacing glare as she reclaimed the false resume she created and rushed to follow her mother.

Mr. Bitters sniggered to himself, “She won’t last a day on this job, and that apartment will be all mine!” His laughter was cut off by a cry of pain as he was hit with yet another orange. “Who threw that?!”

What was it with everyone throwing random objects – particularly oranges – at him today?

**

Mercedes had forced Kendall to create a poolside date for her. But with Carlos, she demanded he take her up to their apartment and turn it into a day spa. Her toenails were painted with fresh polish and propped up on the coffee table with a cushion while the nail polish dried. She was reading a magazine with Froopy curled up next to her. Carlos was scrambling in the kitchen to fulfill her requests. Near Mercedes was the CD player playing their demo tracks. This time, it was Any Kind of Guy.

“Where are my homemade fresh-baked cookies, new boyfriend?” Mercedes demanded impatiently.

“Coming right up, pooky!” Carlos reassured her.

He was dressed in an apron and a chef’s hat that had ‘Pick Big Time Rush’ written on it, and he was covered in spilled batter. As was much of the kitchen. That alone proved that Carlos wasn’t much of a baker. Along with the fact that he forgot to grab an oven mitt before going to take the cookies out of the oven. Mercedes rolled her eyes as Carlos screamed in pain and dropped the tray in shock. Carlos scrambled to pick the cookies up off the floor before rushing to deliver them to her, still on the tray.

“Here you go, sweetums!” Carlos smiled as he offered them to her. “It’s my grandma’s recipe!”

Mercedes took one bite out of a cookie before spitting it out in Carlos’ face and declaring, “These are the worst cookies ever!”

“Oh, well, I’m not my grandma! I’m a hockey player!” Carlos snapped back.

“Well, maybe that’s why these taste like hockey pucks!” Mercedes retorted. She then held up Vampirah’s demo CD, “I wonder if Vampirah makes great cookies. I guess I’ll find out when I pick them and not Big Time Crud!”

She then proceeded to throw the aforementioned cookies at Carlos, despite his pleas to stop. Froopy seemed to be egging her on. Carlos was seeking sanctuary, retreating into the kitchen before making his way into the attached bathroom. He leaned back against the door, gasping for breath.

Logan pushed the shower curtain back, revealing that he, James, Kendall, Kaelyn, Gustavo and Kelly were all hiding in the shower.

“This looks weird, right?” Kendall asked.

“Really? You think this is the weird part?” Kaelyn snorted. But even then, she had to concede, “Yeah, this is weird.”

“Who cares? Get back in there!” Gustavo ordered Carlos.

“Okay. We’re close to near to almost being halfway there,” Logan pointed out.

“Yeah, go on!” Kelly encouraged him.

“I can’t go back! She hurts me!” Carlos whimpered.

“He’s too sweet for this!” Kaelyn objected.

“Just stay in your corner!” Gustavo snapped at her.

Kaelyn glowered at Gustavo as James made sure she did stay in her corner of the shower.

“Are you talking behind my back with shower people?!”

Carlos stammered to come up with an answer for Mercedes, “No… apple blossom!”

Everybody screamed when Mercedes forced the bathroom door opened. Carlos stumbled back towards the shower in shock. It was clear on Mercedes’ face that she did not like what she was seeing.

“You lied to me! We’re finished!” Mercedes proclaimed. “My new boyfriend is…”

Kaelyn didn’t even bother trying to suppress her eyeroll when James made every effort to stay in Mercedes’ line of sight as she scanned the group. She couldn’t work out if he really was desperate to be her boyfriend, or if he was just trying to prove a point (and even then, she couldn’t work out what that point was). But it all turned out to be for nothing when Mercedes picked Logan, who had been trying his best to make himself look small.

“Him?! Do you not see this?!” James snapped.

“Let’s go, new boyfriend! We’re gonna dye your hair to match my bag!” Mercedes cheerfully revealed, holding up the dark green purse to prove her point.

Logan whimpered, clinging to his hair as Mercedes stormed out of the bathroom, clearly expecting Logan to follow her out.

“So, you gonna do the right thing?” Gustavo asked Logan.

“Nope. I am.”

The group gaped in shock to see Kaelyn making her way towards the door. They didn’t even know how she escaped her corner.

“Told you we should’ve duct-taped her to the wall,” Gustavo grumbled. Kelly rolled her eyes while the boys nodded in agreement.

Mercedes turned around ready to go, but she didn’t see Logan walking out of the bathroom. She saw Kaelyn.

“Hey. You’re not my new boyfriend. You’re… I don’t even know who the hell you are. Where’s my new boyfriend?!” Mercedes demanded impatiently.

“Oh, I’m Kaelyn Knight. Your old boyfriend’s twin sister and your new boyfriend’s best friend. And I’m here to tell you that… you’ve just been dumped,” Kaelyn smirked.

“What?!” Mercedes gaped.

Everyone else raced out of the bathroom, screaming, “What?!”

“Because you’re a spoiled, pushy, mean, entitled brat! And I would rather go back to Minnesota than watch my friends suffer as your boyfriend!” Kaelyn proclaimed.

“I have never known her to be like this,” Kelly remarked to the group.

“It’s the first time in a while,” James clarified. In fact, it was the first time he had seen Kaelyn act like this since before her cancer diagnosis.

“Well, let me tell you something! There is no way I’m picking your demos now! Big Time Rush is big time done!” Mercedes snapped in Kaelyn’s face.

Staring Kaelyn dead in the eye, she threw the demo CD down onto the ground and stamped on it with her heeled shoe, making sure it was destroyed beyond repair. She then grabbed her bag containing Froopy and stormed out of the apartment, despite everyone else’s objections. The group turned to give Kaelyn varying looks.

“Oops,” Kaelyn winced.

“So… what do we do now?” Carlos asked nervously.

Kelly held out the CD player while Logan pressed the play button. The opening line of the song Big Time Rush could be heard.

**

With their future in Hollywood decidedly destroyed, the teenagers focused their energy on packing for the move back to Minnesota. Kaelyn was holding a dress in her hands, one that was decidedly better suited for California than the Midwest. She wasn’t sure if she wanted to take it back with her or donate it. No matter how much she loved the dress.

“You guys can hold your heads high. Most bands don’t even make it almost halfway there,” Kelly stated.

“She’s right. I am very, very proud of you guys,” Gustavo praised them. He was helping himself to the tray of cookies. He suddenly yelped. When the teenagers looked at him in concern, he reassured them, “I’m fine. I’m fine. Scooters! No, I’m not.”

Kelly grabbed the tray from Gustavo before he fell back to the floor behind him. Kaelyn could hear the sound of glass shattering, but couldn’t work out what Gustavo hit on the way down.

“And she’s probably on her way right now to tell her dad to pick Vampirah,” Logan stated.

“Yeah, well, it sucks,” Kaelyn began, shoving her dress into her bag, “but I wasn’t about to let you guys turn yourselves into martyrs! Your dreams aren’t worth that!”

“But it’s not just our dream!” James finally snapped. “It’s yours too, bunny.”

“James, I’m happy with what I’ve got,” Kaelyn said. “I’ve learned a lot, I’ve got my family, and I’ve got my best friends. What else do I need?”

James couldn’t help but note with peculiar interest that Kaelyn didn’t mention her boyfriend anywhere in that conversation. It certainly made his moves a little more jovial, even if his joy was still tempered by the knowledge that their dreams were over before they started.

But the mood was ended when Mercedes forced her way back into the apartment.

“Look. I know we haven’t all dated that long, but I just wanted to come back and say… I’m sorry,” Mercedes sighed.

“Come again?” Kaelyn stammered in shock. That was not something she expected Mercedes to say.

James, meanwhile, stormed over and said, “Yeah, you should be sorry! How could you pick them over me?!”

“Because I never date anyone prettier than me,” Mercedes answered.

“I’m better now,” James smiled.

“Of course you are,” Kaelyn muttered under her breath. But she still gave him a smile as he walked over to her.

“And Kaelyn’s right. I’m a rich, spoiled bully who dresses hot and thinks your songs are great,” Mercedes admitted.

Carlos raced forward and gasped, “So, you’re gonna pick Big Time Rush!”

“We’re halfway there!” a suddenly revived Gustavo cheered.

The group lost themselves in the celebration, but the celebration was halted by Mercedes’ next confession:

“Yeah, I don’t choose the winning band.”

“What?!” the five teenagers snapped.

“You’re not the top-secret music advisor?!” Kendall demanded.

“See, my dad asked me to pick up the demos because it was on my way, but I let you believe I choose the winning band because you’re cute and…,” Mercedes trailed off as she started sobbing, “I love manipulating people!”

It seemed to drive her point forward, as Gustavo immediately rushed forward to comfort Mercedes.

“Oh, there, there, Mercedes. Kaelyn and the boys forgive you,” Gustavo told her. Ignoring the looks from the five teenagers (who had not forgiven her yet), Gustavo asked her, “Now, how do the demos get picked?”

Sniffling as she calmed herself down, Mercedes began answering Gustavo’s question, “Well… First, daddy looks at the demos to make sure that the covers are shiny. From there, the guy with white gloves takes them to an unmarked door at the end of the corridor. Finally, he places them on the desk of daddy’s top secret music expert: Lolo, the million-dollar hit-predicting super chimp.”

Kaelyn’s eyes widened in shock. All this time, Griffin’s top-secret advisor – the very person who held their future in their hands – was a…

“A monkey picks the demos?!” the group shouted incredulously.

“No. A chimp,” Mercedes corrected them.

“How does a chimp pick a demo?” was Kaelyn’s question. “Does it groom itself when he likes it and display aggression when he doesn’t?”

Gustavo frowned before asking, “Is there anything you don’t read?”

“Romance novels,” Kaelyn shrugged. “As far as mum knows.”

The boys immediately made gestures that told Kaelyn they weren’t about to dob her into Mama Knight over her forbidden reading material.

“If he claps, you’re in. But if he makes a fart noise, you’re out,” Mercedes answered Kaelyn’s question. She then started sobbing once more, “And sometimes, I thinks daddy loves Lolo more than me!”

“There, there, Mercedes. It’s okay. Don’t cry.” Kendall stepped forward to wrap a comforting arm around Mercedes’ shoulders. Then, he asked her, “Now, do you have a security card to your dad’s building?”

Kaelyn, James, Logan and Carlos immediately lit up at Kendall’s question. They knew a plan was forming, and they were all on board. Even Kaelyn was on-board with Kendall’s unspoken scheme. Gustavo watched the exchange unfold before him in confusion.

Kelly rolled her eyes and scoffed, “Oh please! What are you gonna do? Chimp-nap Lolo and training him to love Big Time Rush?”

**

Kelly was left gaping in horror when an undetermined amount of time had passed and they were all gathered in the studio at Rocque Records, watching Lolo jump around on a table. Lolo was even dressed in a business suit.

“I was kidding!” Kelly cried.

Kelly and Mercedes were the only people not dressed in different attire related to the scheme. Kendall, Carlos and Gustavo were dressed in classic black outfits worn by people who were planning a robbery. Logan was dressed as a sheikh. James and Kaelyn were dressed in uniforms.

“But the plan worked perfectly!” Logan proclaimed.

Everyone else took the moment to relish in their victory, but Kelly already knew this plan wasn’t going to end well.

“Okay. I’m gonna go change because this uniform is making me itchy,” Kaelyn proclaimed.

“I’m picking your next outfit,” Mercedes was quick to tell her.

Kaelyn offered no argument. She just wanted out of the itchy uniform.

**

Jennifer was having some troubles of her own. She walked back over to Mr. Bitters in the lobby, her hair down, her business attire looking dishevelled and having a dirty towel draped over her shoulder. In her hand, she was still holding the plunger – and it had clearly seen some stuff no plunger should ever see.

“Don’t we have a maintenance man to handle all toilet emergencies?” Jennifer asked.

Buddha Bob appeared next to Jennifer, already moving to take her plunger, “Yeah, here, I’ll take that.”

“No!” Mr. Bitters snapped, stopping Buddha Bob in his tracks. “I need you to… cut down a tree up on the north hill.”

“What tree?” Buddha Bob frowned in confusion.

“Pick one!” Mr. Bitters told him. “My new Assistant Manager is in charge of all cloggings.”

“Sweet.” Buddha Bob handed Jennifer back the plunger and made his way out of the lobby.

But Mr. Bitters wasn’t done with Jennifer just yet: “But first, I need you to reorganise all the lease files, disinfect the gym, skim the pool scum, and evict the angry giant from 3K for not paying his rent. And if you need me, don’t. I’ll be in my office working.”

Even as he said those words, Mr. Bitters was slipping an eye mask over his eyes. He didn’t even bother taking his glasses off before he did, which added to the ridiculousness of the situation. It told Jennifer that he wasn’t planning on doing any work at all, aside from finding more grunt work to pass over to her to bully her into quitting.

Katie appeared next to Jennifer and scoffed, “She can so handle that!”

“What are you doing here?” Jennifer demanded.

“Moral support,” Katie beamed.

“You think you’ve won by keeping this job, but you haven’t, because you’ll be doing all my work for me,” Mr. Bitters smirked. “Where are you?”

“Over here,” Jennifer and Katie answered, helping Mr. Bitters face their general direction.

“And if you quit, I get your apartment, so I can’t lose.” Mr. Bitters then began cackling evilly as he felt his way to his office.

“Well, moral support done. I’m off to the pool,” Katie told her mother.

But Jennifer had other ideas, as she told her youngest daughter, “Stop right there, Miss ‘I Want to Stay in L.A.’ and ‘My Mum Was a Hotel Manager’!”

Katie offered no arguments as Jennifer handed her the plunger before following behind her with everything else she had to carry. She was juggling a bucket with cleaning supplies, bleach, a towel, and the pile of lease agreements Mr. Bitters left for her to handle. Katie got her into this mess. It was only fair for the young girl to help her mother wade through it.

**

Mercedes decided that Kaelyn absolutely needed to have this dress that she had in her extensive wardrobe. Kaelyn balked at it at first because of the scoop neckline, but when she put it on, she felt like a different person. Before her bust, the solid black fabric changed into a flirty floral pattern. The length of the dress sat at her mid-thigh. Unlike the last time she wore a dress like this, she felt comfortable, and wasn’t wondering whether to tug it up or pull it down.

It was the first time Kaelyn tried on a dress and have it felt… right.

“Wow,” Kaelyn gaped in shock as she looked at herself in the mirror.

Mercedies had her wear her hair down in her natural waves and style it with a simple black hairband. There was no makeup on Kaelyn’s face. On her feet were a pair of simple black flats.

“I told you,” Mercedes boasted. “By the way, when this is over, I’m taking you shopping. Your closet is in need of an overhaul.”

“When did you go through my closet?” Kaelyn frowned in confusion.

“I didn’t,” Mercedes surprisingly admitted. “But if you want to make it in this town, you have to look the part.”

Mercedes didn’t say anything else, opting to drag Kaelyn back to the studio. The boys had changed out of their clothes to, and they all did a double take at Kaelyn’s dress.

“Whoa, you look hot!” James blurted. That remark earned him a whack up the head from Kendall.

Kaelyn smiled as she moved to stand between him and Kendall. Logan was pacing in front of them wearing a lab coat he must have appropriated from the costume department.

“Now, according to Pavlov, animals can be trained to associate positive feelings with certain stimuli, such as sights, smells, and…,” Logan trailed off.

“Big Time Rush demos,” Kendall finished with a smirk.

“Exactly,” Logan nodded.

“So, what positive reinforcement are you planning to give Lolo?” Kaelyn asked, folding her arms across her chest.

“Bananas,” Logan answered as Carlos placed a pile of bananas in his hand.

Kaelyn decided to join Mercedes, Kelly and Gustavo in the sound booth, suddenly deciding she wanted to be as far away from this as possible. She watched as Logan placed the first bunch of bananas on the table in front of Lolo while Carlos gave them the signal to start playing their demo CD.

Make it count, play it straight
Don’t look back, don’t hesitate
When you go big time!

Lolo seemed to be smiling and nodding and chattering away happily. It allowed the group to feel hopeful about their present situation.

“More bananas,” Logan beamed as James placed two bunches of bananas before Lolo.

“More Big Time Rush!” James called.

Kaelyn pressed the button for the next track to play.

Any kind of guy you want, girl
That’s the guy I’ll be

“He’s clapping! It’s working!” Kelly cheered.

Lolo was indeed clapping to the song. It made Kaelyn recall what Mercedes mentioned about Lolo’s process. If he clapped, the demo got picked. If he made a fart noise, the demo got rejected.

“Halfway there, here we come!” Gustavo proclaimed.

“And I think we’ll have the perfect song to celebrate,” Kaelyn winked at Gustavo.

But the trouble was imminent. All four members of Big Time Rush placed bananas on the table before Lolo before signalling the group in the recording booth to change the track from Any Kind of Guy to Famous.

You can do it! Stick right to it!
It can happen tonight!

“Uh…,” Kaelyn trailed off nervously when she saw Lolo pick up a banana. “This won’t be good.”

“He’s picked up the bananas. Is that a good sign?” Gustavo asked hopefully.

It didn’t turn out to be a good sign. Because Lolo was throwing the bananas at the boys. It made Kaelyn thankful for her wise decision to wait in the sound booth with the others. The boys weren’t as lucky. They ended up being felled by the numerous bananas that have been thrown in their direction. When the boys were down, Lolo took the opportunity to escape.

“Well, he either really loved that song, or really hated it,” Mercedes said nervously.

Gustavo yelled in frustration. They were so close.

**

So, for the group, there seemed to be nothing else for them to do but sit in the lounge area of the studio and make sure all of these bananas didn’t go to waste. Well, Kelly and Kaelyn were eating them. The boys were, too, but they were also feeling rather mopey, and looking at the leftover banana skins dejectedly.

“You know, the scooter is the sensible solution for today’s high gas prices, pollution, and offers seniors increased mobility and…” Gustavo’s involuntary sales pitch for the scooter was cut off by a horrified scream.

Kendall decided he had enough of moping around. He rose to his feet and proclaimed, “You know, we are not giving up! We’re almost halfway there! And another thing I’ve learned since coming to L.A. is that together, we can do anything.”

Now, Kendall’s motivational speech certainly could have worked, if it weren’t for Griffin walking into the room, flanked with two assistants as he always was… and those two assistants were holding Lolo’s hand.

“Look who I found hitchhiking on the Hollywood Freeway.” It was clear that Griffin was unimpressed.

“Yeah, we’re done,” Kendall quipped. He reclaimed his seat, ready for Griffin to deliver the harsh verdict.

“I am deeply disappointed in all of you,” Griffin rebuked them. “But I’m also curious. What happened? Help me out!”

The group exchanged looks with one another, not daring to lock eyes with Griffin and not wanting to be the ones to speak up. Because there was something else they had learned since arriving in Hollywood: Griffin could be unpredictable, almost dangerously so. There was no telling how he would respond to certain situations.

In the end, Mercedes decided to be the one to speak up.

“It’s my fault, daddy. I lied to them, and I made them be my boyfriends, and then I ate terrible cookies, and then I cried, and then I helped them chimp-nap Lolo, and… I love you,” Mercedes smiled nervously.

Griffin turned to the others and asked, “Is that true? Because she lies… a lot.”

“It’s all of our faults,” Gustavo told Griffin. Lolo even nodded in agreement.

“We really want to stay in L.A.,” Kaelyn told Griffin.

Kendall rose to his feet, standing with his twin sister and saying, “And make an album…”

Carlos popped up, “And a tour…”

James added, “And be famous…”

Logan conceded, “But we may have gone a little too far.”

“Sorry?” Kelly offered a weak apology while still eating her banana.

“Those are a lot of sentences containing words, containing letters. And I admire your passion and dedication. But it doesn’t change the fact that Lolo picks which demos win,” Griffin informed them.

“Seriously? Our futures are in his hands?” was Kaelyn’s incredulous response.

Griffin ignored it, instead turning to Lolo and asking, “So, what do you say, Lolo? Do you like Big Time Rush?”

Everyone stared at Lolo expectantly and hopefully. It was a decision Lolo was able to make. After all, he did listen to the demos before he went on his rampage against the group and somehow made his way out onto the Hollywood Freeway to be picked up by Griffin. And they were hopeful because, before the rampage, Lolo appeared to be enjoying the music.

But their hopes were dashed when Lolo turned to Griffin and made a fart noise. Kaelyn whimpered at the sound, because she knew what it meant.

Lolo wasn’t picking them.

“Ooh, the fart noise,” Griffin winced. “Sorry, boys. Vampirah wins.”

Lolo gave the group a big smile as they slumped in defeat and disappointment. Everything turned out to be for nothing.

Or did it?

“Lolo’s wrong, daddy!” Mercedes suddenly cried out, racing forward towards her father. “The vampire fad has one, two years left, max. These guys’ songs have infectious melodies, classic pop hooks, and Big Time Rush will crush the 6-16-year-old demographic, which is your core music-buying base.”

Kaelyn gaped at Mercedes in amazement. Looks like she did pick up a thing or two growing up with Griffin. Particularly a thing or two about the music industry.

“Wow,” was all Griffin said. And it turned out to be all he needed to hear because he turned to Lolo and declared, “Lolo, I’m transferring you to Missile Defence.” Kaelyn snorted when she saw Lolo facepalm in response to the news. Griffin turned to Mercedes and continued, “Mercedes, you’re my new hit-predicting advisor. And this way, we’ll get to spend more time together.” Then, he proclaimed, “Big Time Rush wins!”

Kaelyn found herself squashed in a group hug as they all celebrated. They had done it. They were going to stay in L.A. and make an album and do everything they had set out to do.

“Anything else for my princess?” Griffin asked Mercedes fondly.

“Well, I never really got a chance to date Logan,” Mercedes answered coyly. “And I want to take Kaelyn shopping for a new wardrobe.”

Griffin was quick to turn to Logan and order him, “Logan, you’re Mercedes’ new boyfriend.” Logan whimpered and hid behind James.

Griffin then turned to Kaelyn and said, “Kaelyn, Mercedes is taking you shopping.”

“Okay then,” Kaelyn shrugged. Something she was learning? Pick your fights.

Griffin then turned to Gustavo and ordered him, “Make Kaelyn a paid intern.”

“Done!” Kelly immediately nodded before Gustavo could voice his objections.

“Now, get to work! We need some new songs for the Big Time Rush album!” Griffin decreed.

“Kaelyn and I have already got one!” Gustavo boasted proudly. “Move out!”

The boys moved to the performance space to debut their new song before Griffin and Mercedes. Gustavo gestured for Kaelyn to sit next to him at the controls.

“We’re doing this together,” Gustavo told her. “Especially since you’re sticking around.”

Kaelyn could live with that.

When the chips are down, back against the wall
Got no more to give ‘cause we gave it all
Seems like going the distance is unrealistic
But we’re too far from the start!

Kaelyn smiled as Carlos moved across to sing the next few lines, taking over from Kendall.

So we take what comes and keep on going
Leaning on each other’s shoulders
Then we turn around
And see we’ve come so far somehow!

Kaelyn cheered in excitement in happiness as James took the lead in the chorus, with the others providing backing vocals.

We’re halfway there! We’re looking good now!
And nothing’s gonna get in the way!
We’re halfway there and looking back now!
I never thought that I’d ever say
We’re halfway there…

Hearing the lyrics made Kaelyn recall everything they had been through in the last three months. Their tumultuous arrival in Hollywood. Driving in a limousine. Almost jeopardizing their dream before it could take off. Winning Griffin’s approval for the demo. Recording that video for Fujizaki. It was certainly a rollercoaster.

Kaelyn looked up from the control panel with a wide smile as the song went into the next verse. It was something that nobody else was aware of, but she and James locked eyes. Everyone else was lost in the performance to notice or care. But Kaelyn couldn’t help but feel like James was deliberately trying to sing the next lines to her.

If we never flew, we would never fall
If the world was ours, we would have it all
But the life we live isn’t so simplistic
You just don’t get what you want

Kaelyn may have thought nobody else noticed, but Mercedes certainly did.

So we take what comes and we keep on going
Leaning on each other’s shoulders
Then we turn around
And see we’ve come so far somehow

Mercedes blew a kiss to Logan, since he was officially her boyfriend (by her father’s decree). Kaelyn, meanwhile, was lost to the memories once more. This time, she was recalling the schemes she and her friends cooked up to be sent to the Palm Woods School when Gustavo tried to make them attend school at the recording studio.

We’re halfway there! We’re looking good now!
And nothing’s gonna get in the way!
We’re halfway there and looking back now!
I never thought that I’d ever say
We’re halfway there…

Then, there was the bad boy off against WayneWayne, the boys fighting for Jo’s affections, mansion-sitting for Gustavo…

It was hard to believe this all happened over the last three months.

Oh, we’re halfway there
Halfway there…
We’re halfway there!
Oh, we’re halfway there
Yeah, we’re halfway there…

“I like it!” Griffin quickly proclaimed once the song finished.

Kaelyn raced into the sound booth, jumping into Kendall’s arms as she jovially embraced her twin. Over his shoulder, she locked eyes with James and the duo shared a smile.

They were now halfway there.

**

Back at the Palm Woods, Mr. Bitters was having to concede defeat, for Jennifer did everything he told her to do. She even found a way to get that scary man evicted from his apartment involving Buddha Bob and his chainsaw.

But even his concession came with conditions.

“Fine. You get to stay in your apartment,” Mr. Bitters relented. He watched as Jennifer and Katie cheered before continuing, “But you still have to do everything I say, because I’m your boss, and I will make every day here for you at the Palm Woods worse than the last.”

Jennifer deflated at the news. She knew Mr. Bitters would do just that. She loved her kids and was willing to do anything for them, but she wasn’t sure this was something she could do.

She looked up in surprise when Kelly appeared next to her and told Mr. Bitters, “I need to renew the lease for 2J.”

“We’re gonna make a full album!” Carlos told Jennifer excitedly.

“And probably a concert tour,” Logan added.

“And be famous!” James finished. Of course, the ‘be famous’ part was key.

“And I’m getting paid!” Kaelyn revealed excitedly.

Jennifer smiled as her two daughters embraced each other happily. Then, she rounded her attention on Mr. Bitters, forced the plunger onto the lobby desk, and took great delight in telling him,

“I quit, and I gave Buddha Bob the rest of the day off!”

“What room?” Mr. Bitters winced.

“3B, and it’s bad!” Jennifer happily informed him.

Everyone was amused by the way Mr. Bitters picked up both the plunger and the gas mask under the desk before making his way to unclog that specific toilet.

“Well, I guess we’re not going home,” Jennifer smiled.

“Actually, mum…,” Kendal mused, “I think we are home.”

“Race you to the pool!” Katie challenged.

Kelly and Jennifer watched in amusement as the group immediately started racing each other to the pool. Watching the scene unfold made Jennifer think of something her mother used to say:

Welcome to the first day of the rest of your life.

Chapter 13: It's Packed from Wall to Wall

Notes:

I've got a one-shot idea circulating and that's all I will say... ;)

By the way: this episode in terms of writing it out as a chapter? Not my favourite.

ENJOY!

The air changed for the group after it was decided they were staying in California. Things felt more certain. More stable. More hopeful.

And as Kendall had declared, they were home.

The decision allowed them to fully embrace their new life in Hollywood, knowing that it wasn’t going to be taken away from them.

It was with this spring in their step that the five teenagers walked into Rocque Records for another day of work. But there was something that made the group suddenly stop in their tracks. (Well, the boys specifically. Kaelyn only stopped because they stopped.) Their senses were tingling.

“I smell party!”

“Oh no,” Kaelyn muttered under her breath.

The boys had immediately dropped the bags they were carrying and were sprinting through the halls in excitement. Kaelyn chased after them, hoping they weren’t about to cause any headaches for Gustavo (well, too many). Because a headache for Gustavo became a headache for Kaelyn.

But even she had to admit. She was excited when they walked into the large room and saw the flowers, what she hoped was a chocolate fountain and small round tables being covered with a white table cloth. Along with the platter filled with an assortment of snacks. Including carrots and celery with the assorted dips.

It wasn’t just a party. It was a fancy party.

“What’s going on?” Kendall asked excitedly.

“Please tell us there’s a party!” James and Carlos pleaded.

“It is the Big Time Rush party celebrating the making of your first album!” Kelly happily reported.

All five teenagers immediately started cheering. A party – a Hollywood party, at that – in their honour? Now, they have really made the big time.

Then, Gustavo dropped the bombshell: “Yeah, you’re not invited.”

“What?! Why?!” all five teenagers demanded.

“One: it’s a classy party for executives only,” Gustavo began listing his reasons.

“But I’m an executive’s intern. Don’t I get special privileges?” Kaelyn asked hopefully.

“Not in this case,” Gustavo shook his head, causing Kaelyn to pout in disappointment. “Two: I don’t need dogs around playing with their food.”

“We don’t play with food!” Kendall and Logan objected.

“James and Carlos, turn around,” Kelly sighed.

Kaelyn face palmed when James and Carlos did turn around playing with the food, proving Gustavo’s point. She added all types of muttering under her breath when she saw that, as part of that, they stuck carrots up their noses.

“I’d throw those out,” Kaelyn deadpanned.

Fortunately, James and Carlos did eventually drop their food. And Carlos asked what Kaelyn felt was a logical question.

“How can you have a Big Time Rush party without Big Time Rush?” Carlos asked.

“You’ll be here. In spirit. And in cutout form,” Kelly answered.

Kelly and Gustavo then gestured to the cutout form of the band that was being carried in by one of the many people that had been hired to set up the party. Kaelyn recognized the photo from the redo of the disastrous photoshoot that had almost been hijacked by Griffin. The top halves of the outfits were the same. But this time, they were all wearing pants that actually went with the outfit rather than the space matador pants.

The only good thing that came out of that photoshoot was Kaelyn being able to keep one of the stuffy puppies.

“Well, we’re staying!” Kendall declared. All five teenagers then folded their arms and stared at Gustavo, staring him down.

This, of course, led to both sides scoffing ‘Fine!’ at each other, for it was the only suitable response to the challenge that was currently being presented. But unbeknownst to the teenagers, Gustavo had one last trick up his sleeve. Something he had on standby in case something exactly like this happened. He had gotten to know the group well enough.

Gesturing to the box that was being pulled up behind him, Gustavo told the teenagers firmly, “You can stay! But do not go in my Super Party Fun Box!”

The Super Party Fun Box was bright and colourful, covered with a bunch of tiny lights and with the sound of dance music that was clearly being played inside. Gustavo made a final gesture that told the group he was watching them before walking away. After all, he had a big party to get ready for, and preparations to oversee.

He knew full well that the second his back was turned, the teenagers would be making their way into that super party fun box.

**

All five teenagers gasped in relief as the door finally opened and they tumbled out of the box. The box wasn’t as highly decorative as the outside had been, and it was incredibly cramped. Kaelyn ended up being squished in the middle between the four boys. Her arms had ended up wrapped around James’ neck – and she only knew it was James because of the scarf he chose to wear today – in an awkward attempt to create more room for herself.

When they finally regained their breath, they realized they were no longer in Rocque Records. They were back in Apartment 2J.

“I can’t believe we fell for that,” Kendall remarked.

“He got us good,” Kaelyn hummed.

Kendall suddenly glanced over and cleared his throat in an obnoxious manner. James and Kaelyn frowned in confusion before suddenly realising their position. Kaelyn’s arms were still wrapped around James’ neck and James had even moved to wrap his arms around her waist, holding her against him. Muttering awkwardly, they detangled themselves from their accidental embrace and made a point of moving away from each other. James tugged awkwardly at his scarf while Kaelyn was determined to look anywhere else. Both of their cheeks were dusted a light pink.

Carlos couldn’t help but watch everything with peculiar interest.

Clearing her throat as she looked for a way to change the topic, she finally settled on, “What are we gonna do with the box?”

“I’m sure it’ll come in handy,” Kendall shrugged.

They quickly shoved it out of the way, thankful for the wheels, before Katie and Jennifer rounded the corner. Kaelyn was also thankful that they didn’t push the box in such a way that it was going to crash into something. The last thing she wanted to deal with was an irate Mr. Bitters.

“Hey. I’m taking Katie on a day trip. We’ll be back late,” Jennifer informed the teenagers.

“We’re going to Vegas!” Katie grinned.

“San Diego,” Jennifer corrected with an eyeroll.

“But I get to drive,” Katie smirked, waving around the keys to Jennifer’s rental car.

Jennifer was quick to snatch the keys back from her youngest daughter. Spending quality time with each of her children was something Jennifer made a point of doing. She had recently had a mother-daughter day with Kaelyn on the rare day where the boys were needed in the studio, but she wasn’t. They went to that book convention that was in town that Kaelyn had wanted to go to. Before that, she and Kendall went to the local ice-skating rink.

A smirk suddenly stretching across his face, Kendall began asking, “Hey, mum, would you mind…?”

Jennifer immediately knew what he was about to ask. A group of teenagers being left at home alone, parental guardian not being back until later… It was the classic recipe for something that she was quick to shut down.

“No parties!” Jennifer cut in firmly. When the teens pouted, she reminded them, “It’s a Palm Woods rule. And if we get another strike, Bitters kicks us out, remember?”

Kaelyn rolled her eyes as the boys reflected almost fondly on the incidents that earned them the two strikes in question.

**

The first strike happened because of an event that took place in the lobby. All of the Palm Woods teenage residents had gathered with an array of pillows. Mr. Bitters had emerged from his office to see the teenagers in the midst of a massive pillow fight – and it didn’t take him long to identify the culprits.

He stood in the middle of the chaos, putting a stop to the fight in question, and declared,

“Organizing a Palm Woods-wide extreme pillow fight: strike one!”

James and Carlos winced as Mr. Bitters held up a massive red cross with his face stamped in the middle. But the wince gave way to laughter when an unidentified individual threw a pillow at Mr. Bitters to express their displeasure at the interruption.

**

The second strike was something that, even to this day, Kaelyn still couldn’t believe had even happened.

The boys were exchanging fist bumps and overall looking proud of themselves when Mr. Bitters marched over.

“Putting a giant octopus in the Palm Woods pool: strike two!” Mr. Bitters declared.

This time, he held up two red crosses with his face stamped in the middle before storming off in a huff. While the boys winced, Kaelyn continued staring incredulously at the giant tentacles that were waving around in the air.

**

“Right,” the boys hummed, having remembered how they got the strikes.

“Seriously. Where did you get a giant octopus?” Kaelyn asked the group.

“I’ve got a guy,” Carlos shrugged.

“Was it the same guy that got you that cat when we mansion-sat for Gustavo?” Kaelyn inquired.

“No, a different guy,” Carlos shook his head.

“How many guys do you have?!” Kaelyn gaped at him. She always knew Carlos was a people person, but seriously!

Katie opened the front door, gestured to the two crosses that had been nailed to the outside, and asked in annoyance, “But did he have to put them on our door?”

Kaelyn had to agree with her younger sister. That was a bit of overkill. But it was also in line with Mr. Bitters’ character.

Katie stormed out of the apartment, not even bothering to turn back and say goodbye to the teenagers. They were immune to this.

Jennifer smiled as her teenaged twins stepped forward and hugged her. Pressing a kiss to both their cheeks, she left with a final warning: “Be good. I mean it.”

They all waved and smiled innocently, but the second the front door was closed and they were certain Jennifer was out of earshot, the scheming began.

“We have to throw a party!” James immediately declared. “We’re teenagers! If we don’t party, we could die.”

Kaelyn’s pondering of if James was being a little bit overdramatic was drowned out by Carlos chanting the word ‘Party!’ repeatedly.

“We can’t party at the Palm Woods,” Kendall reminded them. But then, he smirked, “But there’s nothing saying we can’t have a ‘get-together.’”

Logan slid across the room to stand next to Kendall, voicing with his own smirk, “Or a social gathering.”

James and Carlos voiced their approval of the plan by chanting, ‘Social gathering!’ and dancing to an invisible beat. Kaelyn allowed herself a smile at the sight before conceding to the plan. Kaelyn had only been to a handful of parties back in Minnesota, her illness and treatment making it hard for her to go out at night when most of these parties were being held. She was actually looking forward to the experience.

“James, Carlos, you two transform 2J into a cool club atmosphere,” Kendall immediately ordered. “Lynnie, you’re in charge of snacks and sodies.”

“Way ahead of you, Kenny,” Kaelyn smirked. She bent down and picked up both a large bottle of soda and a packet of O’Chippigans chips that made the perfect party snack.

“And we keep the guest list short – say, three people each,” Logan suggested. “Which is not a party, but a get together.”

This time, James and Carlos were quick to start chanting, ‘Get together!’ Kaelyn smiled in amusement at the sight.

Then, she asked, “Would it be a problem if I invite Neal?”

“Invite him!” the four teenage boys immediately told her.

“Okay then,” Kaelyn muttered under her breath. She then pleaded, “Just don’t go overboard. I do want to have a dating life and be able to show my face around the Palm Woods.”

James scoffed, “Why are you so worried? We’re gonna be cool!”

“I know you. That’s why,” Kaelyn deadpanned. “So, the hockey sticks stay away.”

“It’s cute you think we need hockey sticks to intimidate him,” James smirked.

“Logan,” Kaelyn pleaded.

“I’ll keep them in line,” Logan promised her.

“Well, I’m gonna go down to the pool right now and invite Jo,” Kendall proclaimed, “cause I kind of got a thing for her.”

**

Down by the pool, Jo appraised the object Kendall had handed her and said uncertainly, “Wow… Thanks for the thing…”

The object in question was beyond description, but Kendall clearly seemed proud of himself and Jo did think it was cute. Besides, it achieved Kendall’s objective. It gave him the opening.

“So, we’re having a small gathering get together tonight,” Kendall began informing her.

“You mean a party?” Jo asked.

She was startled by Kendall shushing her and quietly snapping, “It’s not a party!” Regaining his suave demeanour, he continued, “Anyways, I was wondering if you would be my guest friend person thing?”

“You mean a date?” Jo guessed.

“That’s a term that can also be used,” Kendall smirked.

Rising from her chair, Jo surmised, “So, you want me to be your guest friend person thing at your non-party?”

“It’s gonna be super fun and it starts at seven,” Kendall informed her. He was about to walk away cheerfully, but found his path blocked by Mr. Bitters. “Oh!”

“What’s super fun and starts at seven?” Mr. Bitters demanded.

“Marbles,” Kendall quickly answered. Turning to face Jo, he watched as she smiled and nodded enthusiastically. “We’re going to play marbles.”

Mr. Bitters clearly didn’t buy that, as he held up a red cross and began pursuing Kendall as he fled the pool.

**

At least Kaelyn asking Neil wasn’t as awkward. She tracked him down at the Palm Woods gym, lifting weights in front of the giant mirror.

“Hey, babe!” Neil greeted Kaelyn with a smile as he stopped briefly to kiss her cheek. He then asked with a smirk, “You come to check me out?”

“No. I’m here to invite you to the apartment tonight,” Kaelyn responded.

The casual way Kaelyn made that statement almost made Neil drop his weights in shock. He smirked as his mind immediately began wondering into a territory that was best to not be repeated in polite company.

“Really?” Neil leered.

Seemingly missing his demeanour, Kaelyn continued, “Yeah. My brother and his friends are hosting this social gathering and I wanted to invite you.”

“To a party?” Neil frowned.

He was startled by Kaelyn shushing him and quietly snapping, “It’s not a party!” Regaining her calm demeanour, she continued, “I just thought it would be a great chance for you to meet the guys. You know, in a fun atmosphere with… a lot of witnesses…”

“Sure,” Neil nodded. He then rose from his bench and wrapped an arm around Kaelyn’s waist. “Sure you don’t wanna hang around?”

“I have to help the guys set up,” Kaelyn explained apologetically. “But I’ll see you at seven.”

Kaelyn allowed Neil to kiss her, conveniently pulling back when his hand started wandering away from the small of her back. She used the excuse she had given earlier about having to help the guys set up for the party as she hurried away. Also, she wanted to let Neil get back to his workout.

When she reached the elevator, she leaned against the wall and sighed heavily. She wasn’t naïve. She knew what Neil was angling for. But at least he wasn’t being as overt about it as he was that time they went out together. She supposed she could take that as a win.

Shaking her head, Kaelyn distracted herself with happier thoughts. She had a social gathering to prepare for.

She looked down at her phone when it chimed and saw that she got a message from Carlos, but figuring it was him texting to ask her to help with the preparations, she shrugged it off and didn’t open it.

**

Inside Apartment 2J, James and Carlos had indeed done a great job transforming the space into the club atmosphere Kendall had requested. They had pushed the orange couch back to create space for the dance floor and had set up both strobe lighting and a disco ball. They even set up a VIP area in the corner, complete with beanbags for sitting and a velvet rope cordoning the area off.

Since James and Carlos were currently doing the heavy lifting in setting up the space, Kaelyn decided to help out by laying out the snacks. She set up bowls of chips and pretzels and other assortments of party snacks before moving on to set up the two lines of plastic cups that had been laid out for the soda.

Once that was set up, they all went to get changed. James and Carlos were dressed in full on suits. The only thing missing from their attire was a tie. They both wore nice pants and a white button-up shirt… and a leopard print suit jacket. The only difference between the two of them was the colour. Carlos’ jacket was orange, while James’ was purple.

Kaelyn opted for a white soft knit dress. The upper portion was overlayed with a see-through lace fabric, showcasing the interior spaghetti strap lining. Below the lace, the pleated skirt of the dress fell down Kaelyn’s body to her mid-thigh and finished in a bubble hem. She looked like an angel, and it had taken James some time to recover the power of speech when she walked out in the dress.

When the trio walked out and greeted Kendall and Logan, they showcased how the room was set up. They had also put fairy lights around the closed windows. The large TV played a screensaver resembling a lava lamp, and the music was already blaring with all the latest party hits.

“Guys, it’s just a small gathering get together,” Kendall reminded them.

“Dude, we’re not in Minnesota anymore! This is the big leagues!” James proclaimed.

“Our Big Time Hollywood Party cred starts tonight!” Carlos voiced his own declaration. “We start small, but you start hot.”

“And before you know it, we’ll be known as the Hollywood Super Party Kings of Hollywood!” James boasted. He and Carlos then went ‘Whoo!’ twice.

“You said Hollywood twice,” Logan pointed out.

“You bet I did,” was James’ response.

“I’ve already told him,” Kaelyn shrugged.

Finally taking note of his sister’s dress, Kendall asked pointedly, “Does that outfit come with leggings, by any chance?”

Kaelyn didn’t even bother suppressing her eyeroll. Fortunately for Kendall, Kaelyn didn’t get the chance to retort because the doorbell rang. As the designated hosts of the party, James and Carlos quickly rushed to open the door and greet their first guests. Jo and Camille among a group of people that had arrived early.

“Welcome to the get together,” James greeted the group of teens.

As the group walked in, Carlos told them, “Snacks to the left. Dance floor is straight ahead. And good times all around!”

“Nice!” James and Carlos took the moment to revel in their victory before sliding round in front of Jo and Camille.

“Hey. Where’s Logan?” Camille immediately cut to the chase. When James and Carlos immediately pointed to the kitchen, she headed off in that direction.

James slid next to Jo and informed her, “And you can find Kendall thataway,” pointing to the VIP area.

“Thank you,” Jo smiled warmly as she made her way over.

“You did good, guys,” Kaelyn praised them. “I think your reign as the Hollywood Super Party Kings of Hollywood is off to a good start.

“Thank you.” But James’ jovial mood quickly disappeared as he asked Kaelyn seriously, “Where’s the boyfriend?”

Peeking at the crowd of teenagers that had started gathering, Kaelyn answered, “He’s not here yet.”

James didn’t know whether to be sad over the lost intimidation opportunity (thus far) or happy that Neil was a no show (again, thus far). Overall, he did want him to show up – but only because he didn’t want to see Kaelyn heartbroken.

“Dude, calm down,” Carlos muttered.

When did James get angry?

“Why don’t we dance in the meantime?” Kaelyn quickly suggested.

That was something James could get on board with.

Jo walked over to the VIP area, where she saw Kendall standing behind the velvet rope with a clipboard. She noticed that James and Carlos had also repurposed the couch for the VIP area alongside the beanbags.

“Wow. VIP area,” Jo hummed in approval. She then asked teasingly, “Am I on the list?”

“Actually, you’re the only one,” Kendall revealed.

He then tossed the clipboard aside, not particularly caring where it landed. (Although, he did note with concern the sound of glass shattering, but they could deal with that later.) He then undid the clasp and moved the velvet rope to the side, allowing Jo entrance to the VIP area. The area had been set up specifically for Kendall to woo Jo and get to know her. He made a mental note to thank James and Carlos for setting this up for him.

Logan, meanwhile, busied himself in the kitchen. Kaelyn had done a great job preparing the snacks, but the preparation of the hot food had fallen on his shoulders. He was happy to do his part.

He nearly yelped in surprise, however, when he turned away from the oven and saw Camille suddenly standing next to him.

“Is it hot in here, or is it just you?” Camille asked flirtatiously.

Logan stammered, “Uh, no, it’s hot in here. I was just making pizza bagels.”

Sliding an oven mitt on his hand, Logan reached into the oven to take out the tray in question. The aroma from the pizza bagels filled the small space. But Camille wasn’t interested in pizza bagels. She was interested in the chef. And she demonstrated this by knocking the tray out of his hand.

Still confused, Logan asked nervously, “Are you preparing for a movie role?”

“Yes,” Camille nodded. She then grabbed Logan by the lapels of his jacket and pulled him close. “And it’s called...” She then dipped Logan and murmured, “You Are Mine Tonight. And it’s starring me and you.”

Logan was caught off guard. He had thought that Camille was being her usual overdramatic self, utilising her method acting skills in preparation for an upcoming audition and turning Logan into an unwitting accomplice. It had happened before. (And it did work on occasion – Camille has had a few yeses amidst a sea of nos.) But he realized quickly that Camille was actually hitting on him.

And he didn’t know how to feel about that.

So, he clumsily stammered (wow, he seemed to be doing a lot of that at the moment), “Um, I’m gonna be right back. So, you stay here.”

He then rolled his body, falling on the floor as he escaped Camille’s embrace. He knew he probably didn’t look that graceful crawling away from the kitchen, but he couldn’t bring himself to care. He needed to talk to someone. Now.

And that someone ended up being Kendall. He was just talking to Jo about how nice it was to be alone with her when Logan suddenly sat on a beanbag between them.

“And Logan,” Kendall deadpanned.

“Camille’s all over me and says we’re in a movie together. Yay!” Logan rushed to tell the duo. “Help!”

“What’s the problem? Camille’s cool,” Jo says.

“You have to admit she’s kind of crazy,” Kendall remarked.

“Oh, like your friends are normal?” Jo scoffed.

She gestured to James and Carlos, who were dancing with the current partygoers on the makeshift dancefloor. And their dance moves were… something. Even James had to do a double take when Carlos inadvertently knocked someone over in his enthusiasm. Kaelyn was in the corner with a plastic cup full of soda and talking to one of the recent arrivals. A boy.

Okay. Kendall had to give her that.

“Logan, just tell her that you’re not interested and you want to be friends,” Kendall advised him.

Jo offered a counterargument: “Or just relax and see where it goes. I mean, maybe starring in Camille’s fantasy movie could be fun.”

Logan then began fantasizing about what it would be like starring in Camille’s fantasy movie.

*

Logan and Camille were standing in the pool area of the Palm Woods, but it was covered in snow. A strange occurrence, especially since the Palm Woods was located in a part of California that got no snowfall. But Logan allowed the inaccuracy. It was a fantasy, after all.

Besides, he was more interested in what he and Camille were wearing. Logan was dressed to the nines in a tuxedo, looking rather dapper, if he said so himself. Like a spy in a movie. Camille was next to him wearing a long sleeveless red dress and black heels.

“Is it hot in here or is it just you?” Camille asked flirtatiously. She was playing the part of the dame perfectly.

Logan didn’t get the chance to answer the question, for the duo were attacked by three ninjas. Logan dispatched them all with ease, with a cool suave and confidence he didn’t possess in real life. One fell where he stood after Logan flipped him. One was sent flying over one of the flowerbeds. The third one tried to approach Logan from behind, but a raised fist quickly took care of that problem.

Logan slid over to Camille’s side once more and responded in the same flirtatious manner, “It’s just me.”

**

Jo and Kendall were startled when Logan leapt to his feet, karate chopping and fight cries being emitted from his lips. Obviously, he was so lost in his fantasy that he forgot he was back in reality.

“Yeah. A cool movie. Thanks, Jo,” Logan thanked Jo. “Kendall, you were totally wrong.”

James and Carlos rushed to greet the next guest – a well-known guitarist who serenaded them at the door.

What’s up, what’s up, what’s up!

“Guitar Dude!” James and Carlos greeted happily. They exchanged high fives with both Guitar Dude and the two girls who accompanied him.

“Alright. Everybody’s here!” James proclaimed.

“Let’s social gather!” Carlos cheered.

They then moved to dance in the middle of the dance floor. Gustavo’s fancy party was all but forgotten. Who needed it when they could have a cool ‘get together’ with their friends at the Palm Woods?

“I’m really glad you could make it,” Kaelyn smiled warmly, shouting slightly over the music.

“So am I!” Neil shouted in turn. “So… when do I meet the guys?”

“I’ll see if I can get them together,” Kaelyn decided. She walked off to do so.

James and Carlos were easy enough to locate. They were on the dancefloor making Kaelyn question the effectiveness of Mr. X’s intensive dance lessons. (Although, she did note that they had good rhythm and were letting loose, so she supposed that was all that mattered.) Logan and Kendall, on the other hand, were a bit harder to find. So, she began scanning around for them. She wanted to introduce Neil to all four of them at once.

Even if she may live to regret it.

Kaelyn spotted Kendall first. He was making his way back to the VIP area holding two cups of soda. Obviously, he was acting like a gentleman and had previously offered to get Jo some refreshments. The sight made Kaelyn smile. She hoped things were going well for them, and she hated to tear him away.

“So, I think our non-date at this not-party is going very nicely,” Kendall quipped after helping Jo to her feet.

“I agree,” Jo smiled. She was amused by Kendall making a ‘clink’ sound as they shared a toast.

“So, you like hockey?” Kendall asked casually.

“I hate hockey,” Jo admitted.

Kendall immediately regretted taking a swig of his drink when he heard Jo’s answer. He found himself spluttering as he performed the kind of spit take one would see in a comedy. He then coughed violently as he choked on the leftover drink. Jo patted his back in shock and uncertainty, wondering what she had done wrong.

Logan slid up behind Camille as she chatted with another guest, asking flirtatiously, “So, where were we?”

“Well, I was here. Where have you been?” Camille asked.

“Oh. Just a little hosting emergency,” Logan stammered nervously. “But I’m here now. And you have my undivided attention.”

Camille was delighted by the news, even if she was a bit thrown off by the karate moves Logan suddenly pulled, being reminded of his movie fantasy.

But all thoughts of spending quality time alone with Camille disappeared when the door opened and Mercedes walked in.

Wait. What was Mercedes doing here?

Logan barely managed to cover his shock as he said, “I’ll… be right back. Why don’t you talk to Guitar Dude?”

Logan didn’t give Camille any time to respond before subtly guiding her over to Guitar Dude, who was sitting on a bar stool, and scrambling over to the front door to greet what would later turn out to be the first of many surprise guests to the band’s ‘social gathering’.

“Mercedes!” Logan paused to shut the front door before asking nervously, “What are you doing here?”

“Carlos invited me. And you’re my new boyfriend, remember?” Mercedes reminded him. She tossed her jacket off, handing it to a confused guest she treated like a coat check person, and ignored Logan’s confused stammers (seriously, he’s doing a lot of that lately) as she said, “Let’s go,” and dragged him away.

James and Carlos were momentarily confused by the sound of a doorbell. (Which, admittedly, threw them off because they didn’t have a doorbell.) But they didn’t let that deter them. They quickly rushed to the front door to greet their new guests. But their greeting was cut off with a scream as they were knocked over by a barrage of excited teenagers who were more than ready to party. Kendall and Jo were not impressed when they found themselves crowded in what was supposed to be the VIP area.

Kendall and Kaelyn pushed their way through the sudden crowd to confront the shellshocked James and Carlos.

“Who invited all of these people?!” Kendall demanded.

“I don’t know! I only invited the three hottest girls in my phone!” James revealed.

“I only invited Neil,” Kaelyn admitted. Seeing the looks the boys were giving her, she reminded them, “Hey! We have bigger issues to worry about.”

“And I couldn’t decide, so I texted the first three people in my phone!” Carlos informed them. He then pulled out his phone and read out, “Abigail Aaron, Andrea Adams, and Al Contacts.”

Kaelyn snatched the phone from Carlos and cried out in horror after reading it, “Carlos, this says ‘All Contacts!’”

James snatched the phone from Kaelyn and snapped at Carlos, “You invited your whole phone?!”

The answer came in the form of even more party guests crashing what could no longer be called a social gathering and can now be comfortably called a party. Kaelyn barely avoided being knocked over. Kendall, James and Carlos… weren’t as lucky.

“Oh, this is bad,” all four of them winced.

**

It was indeed very bad. For Mr. Bitters heard the commotion downstairs and stormed out of his office in the lobby.

Inhaling the air, he proclaimed, “I smell party.”

He then rushed back into his office and emerged from it, having changed out of his suit into a jumpsuit that resembled something out of the Ghostbusters franchise and carrying makeshift detection equipment. He even wore shades.

“Who’s getting a strike tonight?”

He held up the red cross once more before beginning to hunt down the said party.

**

“This was supposed to be a small gathering, and now it’s an uncontrollable party that could get us kicked out of the Palm Woods!” Kendall snapped.

“OPA!”

Kendall, Kaelyn and James were confused by the cry. When they turned around, they saw two Russian acrobats walk in. Well, the male walked in carrying his female partner on his shoulders.

“Sergei, you made it!” Carlos cheered happily.

“Russian acrobats?!” Kaelyn gaped at Carlos in amazement.

“I’m a people person,” Carlos shrugged.

“Emergency party plan!” Kendall proclaimed. “I’m gonna go get my date, who doesn’t like hockey…”

“Seriously?!” Kaelyn screeched in shock. It was almost drowned out by James and Carlos spitting out their drink in a similar manner to Kendall.

“I know, right?” Kendall scoffed. “And go downstairs and keep an eye on Bitters so we don’t get our third strike while you guys get rid of this party!”

James and Carlos were totally on board with Kendall’s plan… until Kendall mentioned shutting the party down. That they were not on board with.

Still, they nodded, “Right. On it.”

Once Kendall and Kaelyn were out of earshot, however, they halted their movements.

James proclaimed, “We can’t stop a party this good!”

“We won’t be party kings!” Carlos gasped in horror. “We’ll be party killers!”

“Teenagers should not have to make decisions like this!” James whined.

Logan suddenly appeared before them, gasping, “I’ve got a huge problem! There are two girls at this party who are in love with me!”

“Got it! Now, what’s the problem?” James asked, genuinely confused.

“Dude, two girls have a crush on you at the same time? This is not a problem!” Carlos declared.

“This is the best party of your life,” James stated.

“Think about it!” James and Carlos finished together.

Logan did think about it.

**

“Is it hot in here or is it just you?” Camille asked flirtatiously.

What happened next unfolded like it did in Logan’s previous fantasy. He was standing next to Camille when the ninjas charged at him. He dispatched of the first two, but the third one grabbed his wrist as he went to punch them without looking. Startled, he glanced over at the third ninja, who revealed herself to be Mercedes in disguise.

“Actually. It’s me. You’re mine tonight,” Mercedes proclaimed.

Logan was nearly dragged away by Mercedes, but Camille grabbed his other arm and objected, “No, he’s mine!”

And that led to Logan being tugged between the two girls as they argued over who Logan really belonged to. Needless to say, this fantasy was not as enjoyable as his previous one.

In fact, this fantasy was a nightmare.

**

Moving from side to side as he imagined being tugged in real life, Logan said, “I think I see what you mean.”

“I don’t think you do,” James and Carlos deadpanned.

But Logan didn’t care. He sped off with a smile on his face.

Kendall, meanwhile, was trying to get to Jo. But he did pause long enough to see Kaelyn with a boy.

“Hey. You’re Neil, right?” Kendall asked casually. When Neil nodded, Kendall said, “Hi. I’m Kendall. Kaelyn’s twin brother. I don’t have a lot of time right now, so I’m just going to tell you now that you’d better treat my sister right. Otherwise, we will have problems. Bye!”

“That went a lot better than I expected,” Kaelyn remarked once Kendall sped away.

When Kendall appeared in front of her, Jo asked, “Do you like ice dancing, bubble tea and romantic vampire novels?”

“No, no and let’s talk about it on the way down to the lobby,” Kendall answered, guiding Jo to the front door.

Camille blocked their path, asking, “Hey, have you seen Logan?!”

“Sure, lots of times!” Kendall answered dismissively before walking away.

Camille just stood there looking confused, not realising that Logan was upstairs talking to Mercedes, who was watching the party unfold below.

“Hey there. Miss me?” Logan asked flirtatiously.

“So, Logie, it’s been a whole week since I made you my boyfriend, and it’s time we start thinking about our one-year anniversary,” Mercedes declared.

Logan shushed her and rested a finger to her lips before suggesting, “Let’s just enjoy this moment right here.” He allowed for a few moments to pass before saying, “Okay, got to go!” before racing away. He needed to find Camille.

Fortunately, for Logan, going down the swirly slide allowed him to land right behind Camille.

“So!” Logan began, earning her attention. “We’ve been neighbours for three months now, and I feel like I barely even know you.”

“Well, let me tell you about myself,” Camille began saying.

But then, Logan did to her what he did to Mercedes, shushing her and pressing a finger to her lips before saying, “Let’s just enjoy this moment together!” He didn’t waste any time before saying, “I got to go. I’ll be right back.”

He went to scramble back up the swirly slide, but found himself stopping when he realized Kaelyn and Neil were standing nearby.

“Hey, Neil!” Logan greeted jovially. “Nice to meet you. I’m Logan, and I’m sure we’ll get along just fine. As long as you make her happy. Otherwise… bye!”

When Logan scrambled away, Kaelyn sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. Yep. Her friends were being themselves. And she wasn’t sure if that was a good thing right now.

“Are they always like this?” Neil asked with a frown.

“Yeah,” Kaelyn winced.

She was almost afraid of what James and Carlos were going to do.

**

Kendall and Jo weren’t fairing much better as they waited for the elevator to take them to the lobby.

“Do you like ballet dancing, fine arts or Scandinavian cheese?” Jo asked nervously.

“I like slam dancing, lawn darts, and cheese puffs,” Kendall answered.

“This date isn’t going well, isn’t it?” Jo winced.

Things got even worse when the elevator doors finally opened to reveal Mr. Bitters. Kendall even voiced as such to Jo:

“And it just got worse!”

Mr. Bitters ignored them, leaping out of the elevator and scanning them before racing down the hall.

“Don’t you have two strikes on your door?” Jo asked in recollection.

“We’re dead!” Kendall sighed. There was no way the others would’ve shut down the party by now.

He was surprised when he saw Jo turn to the hallway and shout loudly, “Sure, Kendall, I’d love to go to that party on the fourth floor!”

Kendall smiled before grunting as Jo dragged him into the newly opened elevator. They already knew Mr. Bitters would rise to the bait.

“Looks like it’s time for Bitters to crash the party,” the hotel manager smirked.

Now, they just needed to keep him distracted long enough for the others to shut down the party.

**

“James, Bitters is roaming the hall now looking for our party! Did you get everyone out of the apartment?!”

“We’re working on it!” James shouted over the music.

“Are you on the dancefloor?!”

“I can’t hear you! We’re dancing into a tunnel!” James lied unconvincingly before hanging up.

Kendall was right. James was indeed on the dancefloor with Carlos, dancing the night away and making no effort to evacuate the apartment. They did look worried, though, so kudos should be given to them for that.

“Kendall says that Bitters is on the hunt for our amazingly incredible super party!” James informed Carlos.

“What do we do?!” Carlos asked frantically.

None of them came up with the answer, quickly surrendering themselves to the party beats once more.

Kaelyn came over to the boys, reminding them, “We need to get everyone out of the apartment!”

“I know!” James whined. But then he listened to Kaelyn’s words. Out of the apartment.

Maybe they can keep the party going after all.

Carlos, meanwhile, was having his own conversation with Neil.

“Hey, Neil! I’m Carlos! I am so excited to meet you! We should meet up later so I can tell you about the time I took on the eighth grade when someone hurt Kaelyn!”

Neil spluttered, “Uh… sure.”

“Great!” Carlos beamed before racing away.

**

Kendall and Jo raced back into the Palm Woods apartment an indeterminate amount of time later.

“Okay, everybody out! The party’s over…” Kendall trailed off in surprise.

He was surprised to find that there was no trace of the party. Sure, there was a mess all over the apartment that the teenagers were going to have fun cleaning up before Jennifer and Katie returned. But beyond that, they seem to have been successful in dodging a Mr. Bitters-sized bullet.

After all, he can’t bust a party that doesn’t exist.

“I can’t believe the Hollywood Super Party Kings of Hollywood actually got rid of the party,” Kendall quipped in surprise. He then approached the stereo system, “Now to just turn off this music.”

But when he turned down the volume, the music didn’t stop. In fact, it didn’t even dim. He frowned in confusion, but Jo was quick to clear it up for him.

“Uh, Kendall, you might want to see this,” Jo told him. She had moved to the window and was peeking through the blinds.

Kendall followed her and watched in dismay that James and Carlos hadn’t shut down the party. They relocated it to the pool area. He didn’t even know why he was surprised, considering how well he knew James and Carlos, but he was.

And the surprise turned into frustration as he and Jo made their way to the pool area and pushed themselves through the crowd, planning to confront James and Carlos.

“I told you to get rid of everybody!” Kendall snapped at him.

“No, you said to get everybody out of the apartment!” James corrected him.

“And we did!” Carlos cheered, blowing a party horn.

The duo then moved away from Kendall and Jo. When Kendall shared a look with Jo, she just started dancing nervously.

James, meanwhile, had moved past Kaelyn and Neil dancing in the crowd. When he saw Neil’s hands wandering a little too low down Kaelyn’s body for his liking (and he strongly suspected her liking), he made his presence known by forcibly grabbing Neil’s wrists.

“Hands stay here,” James told Neil firmly, placing them on Kaelyn’s waist. “Do we have an understanding?”

James didn’t give Neil the chance to answer, or even for Kaelyn to make a comment (even if it was to express gratitude for him). He shot Neil one final intimidating look before walking away.

“Let me guess. That was James,” Neil deadpanned.

“Yep,” Kaelyn nodded.

But unlike the others, she didn’t wince in embarrassment. She was thankful for his presence, and wished he didn’t have to leave.

Pushing those thoughts to one side, she focused on enjoying the party. No matter how chaotic it was turning out to be. She did see out of the corner of her eye Logan approaching Mercedes. But again, she would worry about it later.

“There’s my muffin loaf,” Logan greeted Mercedes flirtatiously. She had moved to one of the poolside cabanas.

“You know, I think my combination of looks and wealth deserves a little more attention,” Mercedes snarked.

“You’re right,” Logan nodded in agreement. “I’ll get you some chips.”

He then walked away from Mercedes before she could voice anything in response. One could only imagine Mercedes’ reaction if she realized Logan was simply making his way to the cabana next to hers to flirt with Camille.

“This party is amazing!” Camille gushed. “I could stay here all night.”

“Me too,” Logan whispered as he kissed her hand. “You want some punch? I’ll get you some punch.”

He then walked way from Camille before she could voice anything in response. One could only imagine Camille’s reaction if she realized Logan was simply making his way to the cabana next to hers to flirt with Mercedes. The only thing Logan did differently was snatch the bowl of chips from the unsuspecting Palm Woods resident who was walking by. He did promise Mercedes chips. He had to uphold his end of the bargain.

“Hello, my puka shell,” Logan greeted as he placed the small bowl of chips on the table. “Would you like some dip?”

“I would like you to sit down and spend some time with me!” Mercedes snapped impatiently.

Logan winced as he sat on the chair opposite hers with a sigh. He had been hoping for a clean getaway so he could get back to Camille. But it didn’t look like Mercedes was willing to give him one.

But he still made it work in his favour, as he hummed a few times before standing up as quickly as he sat down and saying, “That was great. I’ll get that dip.”

Once again, Logan left Mercedes before she could say anything. And once again, Logan snatched a party favour from an unsuspecting Palm Woods resident. This time, the punch he had promised Camille.

“Here’s your punch, milady…” Logan trailed off nervously when he saw Camille wasn’t there.

He then shrugged, thinking his problems were over. One girl would leave him alone and give himself time to spend with the other girl in question.

Seeing Camille and Mercedes in the other cabana giving him death stares quickly disabused him of that hope.

“Is it hot in here, or is it just me?” Logan giggled nervously.

Camille and Mercedes clearly weren’t impressed, as shown by Logan screaming as he found himself falling into the pool. Kendall and Jo had watched the scene unfold in incredulous confusion.

Kendall then began listing their problems: “Okay. Logan’s in the pool. James and Carlos think they’re the kings of Party Land. I haven’t been able to properly intimidate Kaelyn’s boyfriend.”

“And Bitters is not gonna stop until he finds a party to bust!” Jo finished Kendall’s list of problems.

“Then, I guess we should give him a party to bust,” Kendall smirked.

Jo flashed him a smile and a thumbs up in agreement. The duo then rushed to put their plan into action. For Jo, that was snatching some party horns from other guests, including a confused Carlos. For Kendall, that was helping himself to the boombox currently playing the party tunes. The guests moaned in dismay when the music came to a stop. Surely, the party wasn’t over.

But then, James saved the day by pulling out a backup stereo and pressing the button to start the music all over again. The song that started playing through the speakers was Halfway There, the song they had recorded in celebration over their demo being picked.

It served its purpose. It started the party back up as though it never stopped.

**

“No party,” Mr. Bitters growled in frustration.

He was racing through the halls on the fourth floor. He scanned every door he walked past, searching for some sign of a party. But he found none. He was having no luck.

But then, he had to pull his headphones away from him at the obstructive loud noise from the speakers next to his ears. He could hear the sound of a party horn and Any Kind of Guy playing from a stereo. It was the evidence he needed.

“Party!”

He then sped towards the stairwell, not realising that Kendall and Jo were leading him away, making as much party noise as they possibly could.

Not realising he was being led into a trap.

**

Gustavo’s fancy party was turning out to be a boring event. Gustavo and Kelly had done everything they can to liven it up, but their efforts failed spectacularly. They originally planned to have Russian acrobats served as the entertainment, recalling Mr. Fujizaki’s fondness for them (as pointed out by Griffin, who spent most of the party playing on his phone), but the acrobats failed in favour of another party. Their attempts at being acrobats failed miserably.

And now, they had resorted to having some Danish guy demonstrate the time-consuming process of making molasses.

“It’s official,” Gustavo sighed. “I threw the worst party ever.”

“It’s not that bad,” Kelly tried to cheer her boss up. But then she turned to the couch and saw Mr. Fujizaki snoring his head off.

“That’s it! I was wrong! I’m calling Kaelyn and the dogs so they can liven things up!” Gustavo decided. He took out his phone and called Carlos.

“Hollywood Super Party Kings of Hollywood! Party King speaking!”

“Carlos, get Kaelyn and the boys over here now!” Gustavo snapped impatiently.

“No can do, Gustavo! We’re having the greatest party of our lives! You crazy Russian acrobats! Put me down! Got to go, Gustavo! WOO!”

Well, that explained things for Gustavo. He had wondered where the Russian acrobats had gone to. One could only imagine his reaction if he found out that Carlos and James were crowd surfing.

“So, are they coming?” Kelly asked.

“No,” Gustavo shook his head as he hung up his phone. “But I think we just found out where the amazing party is.”

Kelly caught on quickly, as she rose to her feet and shouted to the bored party guests, “Listen up! Everybody on the party bus! We’re headed to the Palm Woods!”

Everybody scrambled out of Rocque Records – even the guy meant to be making the molasses.

**

Kendall and Jo raced out of the stairwell and through the halls of level two. They paused for a minute. They had put enough space between them and Mr. Bitters to allow them time to catch their breath. After all, the boombox wasn’t exactly the lightest thing in the world – especially if you have to carry it for a while. And it’s hard to blow a party horn when you’re exhausted and out of breath.

“You know, we’re gonna laugh about this someday,” Kendall remarked.

“I’m laughing about it now!” Jo laughed.

“Party!” Kendall cheered.

Mr. Bitters then burst through the door of the stairwell, chasing said party. He cried in victory as he rounded the corner. Only to find the Super Party Fun Box stationed in the middle of the hallway. He heard the faint music emitted from the box. He saw the flashing lights. The colourful sign. Everything that screamed ‘party’.

He had done it. He had found the party he had been searching for all night.

He opened the box, pulling the red velvet curtains aside as he stepped inside, confusion gracing his features. He realized too late that it was just an empty box. The reason it was too late was because Kendall and Jo had locked him inside.

Their problems were over and they breathed a sigh of relief.

“So, what do we do now?” Jo asked breathlessly.

“We party!” Kendall shrugged, sharing a high-five with his crush.

**

“Now, this is a party!” Mr. Fujizaki proclaimed.

By this point, the guests from the party at Rocque Records had arrived at the Palm Woods and were taking part in the festivities. The partying teenagers paid no mind to the sudden influx of guests. In fact, they thought to themselves, ‘The more, the merrier’.

“Whoop, whoop indeed, Gustavo! Whoop, whoop, indeed!” Griffin cheered. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to get funky.”

Gustavo and Kelly decided to join him. After all, they had just pulled off the ultimate save.

The same couldn’t be said for Logan, who was sitting by the fireplace trying to warm himself up. Cool night air and a forced dip into the pool weren’t the best combination.

Mercedes, however, decided she wasn’t going to let Logan have a moment of peace as she stormed over to him.

“I hope you’re happy, Logan, because my heart is shattered and I will never love again!” Mercedes sobbed. That was quickly forgotten, however, when Mercedes laid eyes on Guitar Dude. “Hey, you’re cute. You’re my new boyfriend.”

“Cool!” Guitar Dude nodded before he was dragged away.

Logan was further confused when he found himself covered in a towel that had been thrown on him. The towel landed over his head, obstructing his vision. When he was finally able to pull it off his body, he saw Camille standing before him. Clearly, she was going to give him a piece of her mind. And Logan figured that was what he deserved.

“I’m really sorry,” Logan apologised. “I was a jerk. You’re really mad at me, right?”

“Oh, big time. In fact, I’ve decided that I’m not talking to you for one whole week!” Camille decided. But her expression softened as she told Logan, “But we can still dance.”

Logan smiled as he rose to his feet. He went to say to her, “You’re really cool, you know that?”

But then, Camille placed a finger on his lips and shushed him, much like he had done to her. She reminded him, “No talking,” before grabbing his hand and pulling him out onto the dancefloor.

The party was going off with a bang, and it was something Kendall was celebrating in. As well as something else.

“So, we do have things in common!” Kendall remarked to Jo. “Tricking building managers, dancing, and hockey!”

Jo nodded, “Yes, yes, and still no!”

Kendall was briefly dejected before surrendering himself to the beat once more. He could deal with Jo’s dislike of hockey later. He wasn’t going to let anything else spoil his night.

James and Carlos, meanwhile, had occupied two lifeguard chairs. They were anointed with pool noodles and crowns made of foil, highlighting their status as the self-proclaimed Hollywood Super Party Kings of Hollywood. They were revelling in their success of hosting their first Hollywood party.

“Well, it’s official,” James smirked.

“We’re the Hollywood Super Party Kings of Hollywood!” Carlos cheered.

James shared a smile with his best friend. They were the Hollywood Super Party Kings of Hollywood, and they were proud of their work.

But the smile quickly fell from James’ face when he laid eyes on Kaelyn. Dancing with Neil. God, if looks could kill. James knew deep down that the rage he felt at the sight was irrational, but he didn’t care. Because it wasn’t him.

Carlos noticed, and it clicked for him. He might have been slow on the uptake in many respects, but he was a people person.

And he didn’t need a neon sign to see that his best friend was in love with the one girl he might never have.

Notes:

 

My first time trying something like this. So, I hope it works. It's meant to be the dress Kaelyn wears to the party.

Chapter 14: Come On, We Gotta Work Harder

Kaelyn was surprised that the boys allowed her to participate in this race. But she wasn’t about to question it, lest they change their minds. It was how she stood between Carlos and James, doing the warmup stretches she remembered from her PE classes in school and the times she watched the boys’ hockey practices as Kendall laid out the rules.

“Okay. The first to race around the Palm Woods and ring the bell at the front desk wins the Palm Woods 500 Invitational All-Terrain Decathlon Classic!” Kendall declared.

“And super champion of the world,” James added.

Katie, who stood at the front door of their apartment, held up the handmade trophy the group made together as she voiced, “And wins the Palm Woods 500 World Cup.”

“You will be mine!” Logan and Carlos were quick to proclaim. They were quick to start fighting over who would be the champion.

“Keep dreaming, boys,” Kaelyn smirked.

“On your marks…”

As Katie began the countdown, she moved to the front door, opening it so the group had a clear shot straight out the front door. Hearing the countdown start, all five teenagers took their starting positions. Logan and Carlos were quick to stop their squabbling.

“Get set…”

All five teenagers had crouched on the ground when Katie had started her countdown. When she told them to get set, they all lifted their butts, as this was the equivalent of the second whistle. They kept their heads down facing the ground. Not looking at Katie as she moved to open the front door.

“Go!”

Katie’s signal was the equivalent of the starting gun. James was the first out the door, followed closely by Logan. Kaelyn was third, followed by Carlos while Kendall was last. Once all five teenagers were out the front door and racing down the stairs, Katie calmly picked up the trophy and made her way to the elevator. She would be meeting them in the lobby, the designated finish line.

The five teenagers raced around the five garbage cans that had been laid out as hurdles, shouting a quick apology to a male resident they accidentally knocked over. They then opened the door that gave them an alternate entrance into the Palm Woods building.

Mr. Bitters was calmly standing behind his desk with a plate of spaghetti, his chosen lunch for today. He looked up in a mixture of confusion and apprehension as he saw Katie approach his desk with the homemade trophy. He had several strands of spaghetti wrapped around his fork, which was frozen between the plate and his mouth. Katie waving innocently at him did nothing to assuage his nerves.

The back way into the Palm Woods took the five teenagers to the pool area. By this stage, Logan had somehow claimed the lead, but he would not retain it for long. Carlos and Kaelyn were quick to overtake him.

Mr. Bitters was barely able to duck out of the way before all five teenagers were diving over the desk, knocking everything off of it. The computer system. The vases. Including the very bell they were supposed to win. Katie had a hard time suppressing her amused expression as she watched the scene unfold in front of her. Especially when all five teenagers emerged from behind the desk with all manners of stuff on them. James even had a ping pong ball in his mouth and Logan had the desk phone wrapped around his head.

They all stared intently at Katie, waiting for her to declare the winner.

“It’s Kaelyn!” Katie cheered.

Kaelyn cheered as she was declared the winner. The boys groaned in defeat, but they smiled all the same as Kaelyn pushed herself over the desk to claim the trophy from Katie. It called back to Kaelyn’s days on the school cross country team before her cancer diagnosis and subsequent treatment forced her to quit. Kaelyn was a very fast runner (she had to be to keep up with the boys).

But the happiness was quickly destroyed by Mr. Bitters. He had the broken keyboard and the mouse draped around his neck like a necklace and flowers stuck to his broken glasses as he declared:

“You are all going to pay for this!”

The five teenagers winced at the declaration. They already knew the repair bill would be significant.

**

But it turned out Mr. Bitters’ ire was nothing compared to Gustavo and Kelly.

“Two thousand dollars?!” Gustavo roared in shock. Kelly’s facial expressions portrayed her disbelief.

“And thirty cents,” Mr. Bitters added, almost cheerfully. He had marched all five teenagers to Rocque Records to personally deliver the repair bill to Gustavo and Kelly. “They destroyed the Palm Woods’ computerized registration system, two lamps, three vases, and my pants!”

Looking down, Kaelyn winced at the marinara sauce that had stained the front of Mr. Bitters’ pants. Yeah, those stains were going to be hard to get out.

“I can’t believe you’re part of this, Kaelyn,” Kelly remarked.

“Hey. It’s the first time I’ve been well enough to do something like this,” was Kaelyn’s justification.

Kelly shrugged. Nothing she could say would come out right. So, she just walked over to Mr. Bitters and handed him the cheque, “Here you go.”

Mr. Bitters practically skipped out of the building with a smile on his face, clearly satisfied with his compensation.

“Well, guess that settles it,” Kendall shrugged, slapping his thighs.

All five of them went to rise off the couch, preparing to leave. But Gustavo had other ideas.

“No! Because I’m sick and tired of you dogs breaking stuff!” Gustavo snapped.

The boys were quick to object to Gustavo’s declaration. But a series of flashbacks were quick to prove them wrong.

**

“More! I want to go really high!” Carlos called to the group.

The five teenagers were in the rehearsal space, Carlos seated in a swing seat that was installed in there for some reason. James, Kendall and Logan were pulling the seat back, giving Carlos the swing he was asking for.

The only problem with that is… the seat had to go through the wall to get the swing Carlos wanted.

Kelly and a construction worker were quick to appear, observing the damage in dismay as the teenage boys cheered. Kaelyn at least had the decency to flash Kelly a look of apology as she wordlessly wrote the cheque to cover the damage.

**

Kaelyn couldn’t remember why James and Kendall were fighting that day (they tended to clash a lot), but she knew it had come to a head while they were in the engineering booth. Kaelyn was working with the sound engineer on the recording of the song Famous, while Kelly supervised per Gustavo’s instructions.

James skipped into the room singing, “It’s a fruit smoothie and it’s mine, all mine!”

Something that had quickly become established since relocating to Hollywood? Kendall’s fondness for fruit smoothies. So it was clear that James was deliberately trying to bait Kendall.

It worked a little too well, as Kendall smacked the cup out of James’ hand. The only problem is the smoothie collided with the sound equipment, liquid spilling onto the machinery and shorting it out. Everyone winced at the inadvertent damage they had caused.

Kelly, meanwhile, just sighed heavily as she handed the sound engineer the cheque to cover the damages.

**

The third flashback happened at the Palm Woods rather than at Rocque Records. The teenagers had somehow gotten their hands on a golf cart and were driving it around the premises. (Well, the boys had. Kaelyn decided she wanted to stay out of that one.)

Mr. Bitters watched in dismay as Logan lost control of the cart as they sped around the pool. But rather than falling into the pool, which could have been disastrous, they ended up crashing into one of the poolside cabanas. Nobody was injured, but there was a fair bit of property damage.

As Kelly wordlessly appeared next to Mr. Bitters and handed him yet another cheque (she was going to have to get a new chequebook at this point), she wondered how the boys hadn’t gotten themselves evicted from the building.

**

At the end of the flashbacks, the teenagers had to concede that they have caused a fair amount of damage during their time in Hollywood.

“Okay, so we do put a little wear and tear on things from time to time,” Kendall conceded.

“Sorry,” Logan and Kaelyn apologized with a wince.

“But that’s showbiz, right?” James smiled nervously.

“Wrong!” Gustavo was quick to hand down his verdict: “And it’s time you take responsibility for your actions by paying me back my two thousand dollars!”

Everyone’s jaws dropped as Gustavo stormed off. They knew they were going to be facing trouble from Gustavo and Kelly as a result of their actions. But surprisingly, being expected to pay Gustavo back did not appear on the list of potential consequences.

So, they all chased Gustavo into the rehearsal space. Gustavo had his fingers in his ears and was singing as he made a show of ignoring the teenagers’ objections.

“Isn’t there a cheaper way to learn responsibility?” Logan asked. “Like a goldfish.”

Kaelyn perked up at that. It would certainly be away to get around Mr. Bitters’ policy regarding pets in the Palm Woods. (He had specifically banned dogs, but made no mention of other pets.)

“Guys, Griffin’s cracking down on us for overspending, and Gustavo’s right. This has got to stop,” Kelly backed her boss up.

Gustavo decided now would be a good time to add another element to his punishment: “Oh. And until you pay me back, you will not dip a toe into your beloved Palm Woods pool!”

Gustavo even made a point of playing a dramatic ‘dun-dun-dun’ on the piano behind him to really drive this home. All five teenagers gaped at him in shock. Now, he was just playing dirty.

“You cannot keep us away from the world’s greatest pool!” Carlos objected.

Kaelyn groaned and face palmed. She wondered why Carlos even put that thought out into the universe. She almost knew what was going to happen next.

“No,” Gustavo agreed. Then, he smirked, “But Freight Train can.”

Predictably, Freight Train appeared behind the group, dressed in a red jacket and a white cap reminiscent of a lifeguard. It was a difference from the business suit Kaelyn was used to seeing him dressed in. He even wore a whistle around his neck and carried a clipboard, highlighting his intentions of taking his role seriously. Kaelyn was the only one who didn’t yell in surprise at Freight Train’s appearance. She figured this would be happening.

“You guys are on my No Swim list,” Freight Train quickly informed them.

Kelly and Gustavo exchanged a fist bump at the scene unfolding before them. This was proving that hiring Freight Train was one of the best decisions he made.

“Gustavo, two thousand dollars?! That’s four hundred dollars apiece!” Kendall pointed out.

“Ooh, Kendall’s good at math!” Kelly gasped mockingly. “Well, I guess you guys are just gonna have to get jobs!”

All four teenage boys gasped in horror at Kelly’s declaration. The only one who didn’t was Kaelyn. After all, she technically had a job since Griffin turned her internship with Gustavo into a paid one. Although, she did make a mental note to interrogate Kendall over his reaction later. Especially as she recalled the part-time job he had in Minnesota.

“In fact, one of you can work off your debt for me right here at Rocque Records,” Gustavo benevolently offered. “Who wants to be my production assistant? Step forward.”

It came as a surprise to no one that there weren’t many takers. In fact, Kendall, James and Logan made a big show of taking a step back to signify their lack of desire to take the offer. Even Freight Train stepped back. Carlos realized in horror that he was the only person who hadn’t moved. So, he was going to be stuck working with Gustavo to pay off his portion of the debt.

“Carlos it is!” Gustavo proclaimed. Carlos groaned in frustration.

“What do I do?” Kaelyn asked. Because it sounded like Gustavo was going to have Carlos do a lot of what she did for him.

“You’re writing a song,” Gustavo answered as though the question was obvious. “You have to learn how to write under pressure because you’re gonna have to deal with a lot of artists who demand songs with tight deadlines. Give me a complete song – lyrics and instrumentation – by the end of the day and your pay will cover your $400.”

Kaelyn shrugged. She supposed she had it easier compared to the boys. She was getting paid to do what she did anyway – just with a tighter deadline. And her access to her money wasn’t as restricted as the guys.

Gustavo then turned to the rest of the band and shouted at them, “Now, the rest of you go get jobs and get me my money!”

**

It was what led James, Kendall and Logan back to Apartment 2J. Logan had immediately taken out his laptop to start searching for jobs online. Kendall (and James, for a brief period) was flicking through the newspaper, looking at the job listings.

“Bio taste tester, volcano cleaner, dentist?” They were all jobs Kendall was quick to cross off the list.

“Job found!” James cheered. “Russian translator. Pays twenty bucks an hour!”

Theoretically, the wage sounded good. Earning twenty bucks an hour would enable them to earn the money needed to pay off their portion of the debt to Gustavo in a matter of days. Thereby limiting their time away from the beloved pool. There was just one small problem.

“You know you have to speak Russian, right?” Logan pointed out.

James threw his newspaper away in frustration, “This is not fair! All you and I have ever done for work is shovel snow!”

At least Kendall had something solid on his resume. All James and Logan had in terms of work experience were odd jobs around the neighbourhood they did for extra cash. Although, James also had all the time he spent at his mother’s cosmetics company. But he couldn’t put that on a resume.

“We shall never swim again,” Logan sighed mournfully, in a dramatic manner that only a teenager could pull off.

Kendall joined Logan in his lamenting. He too was having a hard time in his job search. All of the jobs he found either didn’t pay a lot and therefore wouldn’t allow him to pay off his $400 quickly, or were beyond a high school student. After all, a sixteen-year-old couldn’t work as a dentist.

James, meanwhile, was reclining back on the couch, putting his feet up on the coffee table, and reading a men’s fashion magazine that had just happened to be nearby. It was something that annoyed Kendall and Logan.

“James!” Kendall snapped. “We’re supposed to be looking for jobs, not at fashion magazines!”

“It’s not a fashion magazine.” James didn’t even look up from his page.

“It says Man Fashion on the cover,” Logan argued.

James was pretending to not be able to find those words on his magazine. He deliberately made a point of avoiding the front cover. He tossed and twirled the magazine around in his hands. His actions made Kendall sit upright on the couch, having been struck with inspiration.

“Sign spinners!” Kendall gasped. “I heard the best ones make, like, twenty bucks an hour!”

Logan was quick to catch on, “Which means we can make money fast and be back in the pool in no time.”

Kendall and Logan were quickly on their feet. They had a plan. Now, they just had to put it into action. Surely, there was some business in Hollywood looking for sign spinners as part of their advertising. But they both stopped in their tracks when they noticed that James made no effort to follow them.

“James! You coming?” Kendall asked.

“No, I’d rather find a better job that doesn’t involve work,” James scoffed.

“Let’s go.”

Kendall and Logan didn’t care. They sped out of the apartment in search of a sign spinning gig. Gustavo may have said that they weren’t allowed in the pool until he was paid back his two thousand dollars, but they hoped he would relax the penalty on select band members who were able to pay back their assigned $400. They hoped that Gustavo wouldn’t enforce the penalty on all of them until everyone had paid back their assigned debt.

Because if they went off that, it would take them forever to be allowed back into the pool with James’ attitude towards work.

But James himself was struck with inspiration, for he happened to flick onto a page featuring an advertisement for a modelling job.

“Are you the new face of ‘Cuda?” James read aloud.

With a big smile, James moved himself from the couch to the mirror, giving himself a pep talk. He imagined his reflection talking to him.

“You bet you are. Look at yourself. Who’s handsomer than you?”

James scoffed, “No one!”

“Who’s got more style than you?”

James scoffed once more, “No one!”

“Who’s smarter than you?”

James could hear a record scratch as he responded to himself, “Well, lots of people, but that has nothing to do with being a model.”

James was running his fingers through his hair, making sure it was styled immaculately as he liked it, when Katie appeared next to him. The younger girl was dressed in a business suit with her hair up in a ponytail. She even donned a pair of black frames. (Katie’s 20/20 vision meant she could wear them for style without lenses.)

“Sounds like somebody needs a manager,” Katie began coyly, “and I only charge 40% for all your earnings.”

James glanced between Katie and his reflection in the mirror and said something that would make a lot of people face palm: “Tell her it’s 50-50, or we walk.”

Katie looked nervously between James and his reflection. But then, she realized what James was doing and was quick to agree. Because it actually meant more money for her.

“Deal.” She then began listing, “Now, we need new headshots, new clothes, some personal stylists, and you have got to stop talking to a mirror.”

James didn’t even get to say anything in response before Katie was dragging him away by his wrist. But he went along with it. Katie, despite her young age, actually had great business acumen. And even though she would be doing everything she could to maximize profit for herself, she wouldn’t do anything to screw James over.

**

Kaelyn was actually up to a good start with her song. Gustavo had her start completely from scratch. She wasn’t allowed to work on any concept she had in her songbook. All he gave her was access to his piano in his private office (making her thankful for the extended lessons she had been given), sheet music and pencils and erasers. He told her if she hoped to make it someday, she had to get used to this on occasion.

It was actually thinking of the word ‘someday’ that struck her with inspiration. From there, she began experimenting with different lyric combinations.

I know we can turn it up all the way
‘Cause this is our someday

Humming in approval at the latest lyrics she came up with, Kaelyn wrote them out on the sheet music before her along with the chord progression. Gustavo stood in the corner like a looming figure watching her work. He liked to test her every once in a while. He wasn’t necessarily testing her capabilities, although he did test them on occasion. He wouldn’t admit it aloud too often (or to just anyone), but he knew Kaelyn had a gift. But he had seen plenty of talented songwriters not get off the ground because they couldn’t handle the pressures of the industry.

He wanted to make sure Kaelyn could. Hence why he was so determined to turn her internship into an all-rounded education.

Kaelyn put the pencil down and poised her hands at the piano, ready to continue working on the chorus when a whirring sound made her slam her fingers on the keys in surprise and slight frustration. She had almost forgotten that Carlos was in the office as well. Working diligently at his assistant job.

Gustavo, however, didn’t have the patience for this as he snapped at Carlos, “What are you doing?!”

“My new assistant job,” Carlos answered as though it was obvious. He knelt next to the automated pencil sharpener as he held up a handful of pencils. “Your pencils were really dull.”

Kaelyn almost had a heart attack when she saw Carlos put too much pressure on the pencil sharpener, causing the machine to crumble under his hand. She could see out of the corner of her eye Gustavo resting his fingers on his temples, struggling to keep the looming headache at bay.

Much to her surprise, Gustavo kept his cool and told Carlos, “Just… Get me a cup of coffee. There’s a brand new, fancy-schmancy coffee machine that even you can’t mess up!”

“One coffee coming right up!”

Kaelyn couldn’t help but giggle as Carlos tossed up the pencils in his excitement. He really was eager to do well at his job. Although, she wondered how much of that desire to do well was tied with being allowed back into the Palm Woods pool. Instead, she focused back on the chorus she was working on, looking to finish it off.

Someday is what we make it
Someday is like here and now
What way what way what way
‘Cause this is our someday

**

Carlos walked back into the kitchen, peering around the corner nervously at C.A.L.

“I am C.A.L., your coffee assistant liaison. What is your name?”

Having already been freaked out when the automated coffee machine started talking before, Carlos didn’t run away screaming like he had done last time. But he still approached with a degree of weariness.

“Carlos,” Carlos answered with a weary tone in his voice.

“How may I assist you, Carlos?”

Carlos briefly stammered before answering, “Make Gustavo a coffee?”

C.A.L. did not say anything in response to Carlos’ request. Instead, the automated machine immediately started making the requested coffee. It was only now that Carlos realized that he didn’t actually ask for a specific type of coffee (not that he could name any beyond a latte or a flat white). But he still laughed with excitement as he saw the coffee go into the black mug that had already been situated underneath it.

“Cool!” Carlos gasped excitedly.

“Would you like foam?”

“Sure, C.A.L.,” Carlos nodded. “Throw down some foam!”

Carlos’ excitement only grew when he saw C.A.L. comply with his request. Soon enough, he could see the foamed milk be dispensed into the mug, coming up to the rim. Gustavo had been right. This automated coffee machine was turning out to be pretty user friendly.

“More foam, Carlos?”

“More foam it is, C.A.L.!” was Carlos’ eager response. He was so excited at being able to do something right.

But this was the moment where things would start going horribly wrong. For the automated coffee machine appeared to develop a glitch. C.A.L. kept repeating the words ‘More foam’ and releasing more foam from the foam dispenser (that was the best way Carlos could describe it).

“Okay, C.A.L. Yeah, that’s enough foam, C.A.L.,” Carlos began stammering nervously.

Carlos was quick to pull the mug away from the coffee machine and try to do something to get stop the overproduction of foam that was happening. He also used the disposable coffee cups to catch the excess foam spilling from the machine.

But nothing he did worked. C.A.L. continued repeating the same words and making even more foam.

**

It shouldn’t have come as a surprise to anyone that Kendall and Logan found themselves back in Apartment 2J, looking through the job advertisements once more. They did manage to find a car wash service to take a chance on them and hire them as sign spinners.

Their overall clumsiness and lack of skills (and eventual fighting over how it should be done) led to the owner of the car wash walking up to them with a sign that said, ‘You’re fired’.

And it went without saying that they didn’t get paid for their brief job.

“Crime scene clean-up. Sword swallower,” Logan hummed. “Oh, chicken inspector?”

Kendall was only half listening to Logan. His face was smooched against the window, watching as Freight Train did some sign spinning of his own. Knowing that Kendall was watching him, Freight Train was holding up a blue arrow sign that said ‘No Pool’ as he pointed said arrow at the pool.

“How much do you think we could get for our kidneys?” Kendall mused.

“No,” Logan was quick to object. They were desperate, but not that desperate.

A knock on the door interrupted their musings. The duo were quick to race to the front door, opening it to reveal one of their neighbours. Kendall and Logan didn’t know them that well, but had seen the mother and her son around the Palm Woods.

“I’m sorry. Is your mum here? My babysitter fell through and I need someone to watch Wendall,” the mother explained.

“Uh, no, she’s not here, but we can watch him,” Kendall offered. Logan was quick to nod in agreement.

“Would you?” Wendall’s mum asked hopefully. “Well, what do you charge an hour? Ten dollars?”

“Ten dollars an hour?!” Kendall and Logan repeated in shock.

Mistakenly thinking they deemed the offered money too little, Wendall’s mother countered with, “You’re right. How’s fifteen?”

That made Kendall and Logan cough in shock, “Fifteen?!”

“Okay, twenty, but that’s as high as I ever pay for a babysitter!” was her final offer. When Kendall and Logan nodded, still stunned, she sighed in relief, “Ah, you’re lifesavers!” She pressed a kiss to Wendall’s head, muttered, “Be good, sweetie. Bye.”

Before they knew it, Wendall’s mother was walking away and Wendall was already making himself at home in the living room.

“I was gonna watch him for free,” Kendall admitted.

“Yeah, but I’ve never babysat before. What do we do?” Logan asked nervously.

They asked as Wendall immediately made his way to the orange couch and started jumping on the cushions.

“He looks happy to me,” Kendall remarked.

“Yeah, but at this rate, we’re still not gonna pay Gustavo back anytime soon,” Logan pointed out.

That led to Kendall and Logan taking Wendall down to the lobby with them as they used their mediocre sign spinning to advertise their babysitting services. Nobody knows what exactly drew them over, but the teenagers found themselves swarmed by parents eager to take them up on their offer.

**

Things seemed to be going well for James as he sat in a chair having his hair and makeup done by the styling team Katie had organised for him. The styling team had also organised his clothes, helping him to look the best for his upcoming audition. He wore a pair of light wash jeans, a white t-shirt that resembled his lucky white V-neck and a black vest to complete the look.

“Katie, where did you get the money for these clothes and the styling team?” James asked his self-appointed manager. Katie only responded by handing him a black folder. “My new portfolio,” he observed in approval.

“Hey. It’s my job to worry about the money and your job to be pretty,” Katie told him. She then pointed to the portfolio and asked him, “Now, which two headshots do you want to go with?”

James flipped through the folder, appraising his choices carefully. “Hmm, let’s go with… sassy speed skater and luscious lumberjack.” Handing the portfolio back to Katie and rising from his makeup chair, he smirked, “Let’s show them some handsome.”

Exchanging a fist bump with Katie, he began to walk into the waiting area for the audition, but found several aspiring male models already waiting. All dressed like him. All handsome in his own right.

“Whoa! Too much handsome!” James cried.

James was certainly about to get a hard lesson about going for a modelling career in Hollywood.

**

“I think they’re starting to settle down,” Logan shrugged.

All the kids Kendall and Logan were babysitting were most certainly not settling down. Their earlier suggestion of nap time for the kids was not well received. The apartment was a mess with paintings and the mirror bent at off angles, toilet paper all over the place, and Kendall and Logan were tied up with their backs to one another on dining room chairs in the middle of the room.

This was the chaos Jennifer found herself coming home to carrying a bag of groceries.

Noticing her presence, Kendall and Logan were quick to scream, “Help!”

Jennifer was quick to race forward, barely taking a moment to drop the bag of groceries onto the dining room table. Standing near Kendall and Logan, she grabbed the TV remote and turned on the TV. Fortunately for her, she happened to turn it onto the right channel for a showing of The Ziggle Zaggles. All of the kids immediately stopped what they were doing and moved to make themselves comfortable on the couch as they watched in excitement. Jennifer, meanwhile, was freeing Kendall and Logan from their restraints.

They never thought they would be thankful to Wally Dooley for anything, but here they were.

“What is going on?” Jennifer demanded. “The whole story.”

“We broke a few things, and Gustavo is making us get jobs to pay him back,” Kendall answered.

“We were terrible at sign spinning, so we decided to start a babysitting service,” Logan added.

“And they won’t nap, and they tied us up, and they are evil!” Kendall proclaimed. He then whimpered, “Help us, mum.”

He couldn’t help but wonder if he was as much of a terror as a kid.

“They are not evil. They’re kids. And they need to be occupied,” Jennifer told them.

Logan was quick to take out a small notebook he carried with him and note down, “Occupy evil kids. Got it.”

“Now, The Ziggle Zaggles ends in about five minutes, so you need to find something else to keep them busy and active,” Jennifer advised.

Kendall frowned as he watched his mother race back to the dining table, “Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait. Where are you going?”

“As far away as I can get in five minutes,” Jennifer answered with a sweet smile. “Good luck!”

Clearly, she was going to let Kendall and Logan deal with the fallout of their decision themselves.

**

Maybe now is our best chance
To finally get it right
‘Cause if the world is an apple
Then it’s time to take a bite

Gustavo’s facial expressions did not give anything away as Kaelyn continued working on the song. This was the kind of thing he often had to deal with from Griffin. He had lost count of the number of times Griffin would suddenly appear in his office with an outrageous request for a song… and then tell him he had until the end of that day to have it written and recorded.

He was actually going easy on Kaelyn when he thought about it. He just wanted her to hand him completed lyrics and instrumentation ready to record. Basically, a blueprint. It wasn’t like he was asking her to hand him a perfectly recorded track practically ready for release.

“One coffee, Mr. Boss Man,” Carlos smiled.

Instead of the black mug he had before, Carlos was handing Gustavo his coffee in a paper cup. Gustavo didn’t comment anything on it, instead choosing to appraise the coffee itself. He took tentative sniffs at the substance within before finally taking a sip.

Smacking his lips, he surprised himself as he said, “Not bad.”

“Will there be anything else, sir, Mr. Rocque, sir?” Carlos asked politely.

“No. I’m good. Thank you,” was Gustavo’s blunt response.

Kaelyn supposed she should be glad Gustavo remembered to thank Carlos for the coffee. She looked up and offered her own smile to Carlos as he handed her a glass of water. Her throat had been feeling dry. She said her own thank you to Carlos as she took a sip of the water. She also made a mental note to ask her friend later why he sped away so quickly.

But she shrugged, instead choosing to focus on her new song.

“Okay. I’m going to scrap that,” Kaelyn muttered, moving to erase the first half of the first verse. She quickly decided she wasn’t happy with it. “Maybe this instead?”

She played through the intro again, trying out some new lines.

When everyday feels like the other
And everywhere looks just the same

**

Carlos opened the door to the kitchen and gasped in horror when he saw that C.A.L. was still producing excess foam. In fact, the automated coffee machine had produced so much foam that it was starting to flood the kitchen.

“Oh, no more foam, C.A.L.!” Carlos cried.

He was almost slipping on the floor as he shut the door behind him and tried to scramble over to the coffee machine.

“I just want to make four hundred bucks!” Carlos whined. His hands gripped the coffee machine, trying to shake it.

“Four hundred cups coming up!”

Carlos screamed in frustration, “There’s got to be a way to shut this thing off!”

He slid around the kitchen, searching for the very thing that he knew would turn the automated coffee machine off if all else failed. Because pressing all the buttons on the machine didn’t work. In fact, it only served to exacerbate C.A.L.’s issues. Moving the microwave to the side, Carlos found the power point the coffee machine was plugged into. Without hesitation, Carlos immediately pulled the plug away from the outlet, relaxing in relief as he heard C.A.L. shutting down.

“Yes!” he sighed in relief.

His problems seemed to be over.

“Switching to reserve power.”

“What?!” Carlos screamed.

Carlos slid back over, figuring that hitting the coffee machine would do the trick. After all, hitting the machine worked to fix the problem in other situations.

“Self-defence mode activated.”

Wait, what?

Carlos screamed as he found himself being hit with the foam C.A.L. was once flooding all over the place. He raised his hands as a means to protect himself, but it was doing nothing to save him from the onslaught. Turns out C.A.L. holds a pretty big grudge.

“No, C.A.L.! I just want to go to the pool!” Carlos whined.

**

James’ day was no better. The amount of handsome in the waiting room for the ‘Cuda auditions proved too much for him. It had chased him away and left him unable to go through with the audition.

Now, he found himself sitting in the Palm Woods lobby, drowning his sorrow in pink smoothies as he stared dejectedly at the pool. Well, rather, the looming presence of Freight Train, who blocked his view and stood there staring at him while shaking his head.

“Oh, who cares?!” James whined, taking another sip of his smoothie.

Katie ran over to his table, “What are you doing?! We have auditions to go to!”

“What’s the point?” was James’ dejected response. “In Minnesota, I was the face. Now, I’m just a face. I’m just a handsome grain of sand on an extremely beautiful beach.”

This was clearly not something James was used to.

“Okay. So you didn’t get the ‘Cuda man job, but are you gonna let one little failure stop you?” Katie was trying to psych him up.

James slammed his plastic cup against the table and rose to his feet, a smoothie moustache gracing his features. He could hear the dramatic, inspirational music playing in his head as Katie beamed up at him hopefully.

“Yeah, pretty much.”

Okay, that did not turn out the way Katie expected. She wished she could call Kaelyn. She always knew how to boost James up when he was down. But Gustavo pretty much had her under lockdown working on that song he wanted. So, Katie had to resolve this issue on her own.

Then, it struck her.

She took out her phone, hit a button and said coyly, “Well, according to this text, your manager – that’s me – just landed you a modelling job. But I guess I’ll tell them you don’t want it.”

That did the trick. James had perked up at Katie’s words, but when she said she was going to tell them he didn’t want the job, he blurted out, “No, I want it! I want it! Show me the text!”

Katie kept her phone out of James’ reach. “No time. Now, hit the shower, get your face on and let’s move!”

James did the jazz fingers down his face and raced off to do just that with a spring in his step. Things were finally looking up for him.

Freight Train, having watched the exchange unfold, approached Katie and asked, “You didn’t really book him a job, did you?”

“No,” Katie admitted, “and here’s a bunch of modelling agencies. Help me out and start calling. He needs a job!”

Freight Train happily took a page of Katie’s list and the duo started making the necessary calls. Katie had promised James a modelling job that would enable him to pay off his debt to Gustavo, and she needed to come through.

**

Kendall and Logan’s newest technique to keep their charges occupied was arts and crafts. It was actually a sound strategy. They certainly had the supplies and the space to enable the kids’ creativity to run wild and it was a productive use of their time and energy.

Even if some of the kids opted to spend that time gluing multicoloured macaroni onto Kendall’s shirt and give Logan a rather colourful beard.

“Well, they’re occupied,” Logan shrugged.

“But I can’t take another day of this!” Kendall growled under his breath. He winced as a kid across the table threw a bunch of paddle pop sticks at him. “There has to be another way to make even faster money.”

“How? Your mum said we got to keep the kids busy. How are we gonna do that and make money at the same time?” Logan challenged him.

Kendall’s answer came in the form of using the kids to run a car washing service. Two of the kids were holding up signs to advertise their services, which included charging $15 per wash, while the rest of the kids did the actual work. Kendall and Logan sat nearby counting their money and offering words of encouragement to the kids.

“Buff and wax.”

**

Since Kaelyn had made a lot of progress with her song – having nailed down a chorus and two versus – Gustavo allowed her a lunch break. Even he realistically took breaks while he was writing. It was hard to think on an empty stomach.

She found her path stopped by a blob of foam that had fallen to the ground before her, small drops landing on her shoes. (She was thankful she chose to wear her Converse today.) Looking up, she saw even more foam threatening to drop down from the air vent above her.

“Okay, what…?”

Kaelyn’s confused question was stopped by Kelly’s appearance before her. The talent scout was just as confused as the young songwriter.

“Hey, girls.”

Their confusion only grew when they saw Carlos running past them carrying a microphone stand. His pants and shoes covered in foam. Only exchanging a look, Kelly and Kaelyn quickly decided they had to chase after him.

“You cannot stop me, Carlos. Humans are futile.”

It was fair to say that Carlos’ battle with C.A.L. had taken a turn. The whole kitchen was filled with foam, with even more spilling out the door as Carlos opened it in a vain attempt to contain the damage. The way the foam had piled up in the small area explained how it got into the air vents and started dropping all over the building.

Just as Carlos had dived into the foam to confront C.A.L., Kaelyn and Kelly rounded the corner. They both froze in their tracks when they saw the flood of foam. Kelly started screaming in horror.

“Carlos?!” Kaelyn called after her friend worriedly.

Carlos quickly emerged from the foam, pleading, “No, no, no! Don’t scream! Don’t scream! I’m just making coffee!”

**

In Gustavo’s office, some foam even dropped into Gustavo’s coffee cup from the vent as he appraised Kaelyn’s work so far. He remained blissfully unaware as he continued reading her work. He noted with happiness that, even though it wasn’t finalised yet, Kaelyn had even started tentatively assigning parts to the band. So far, it looked like Kendall and James would sign the first verse and Carlos and Logan the second. She would decide on who sang the bridge when she wrote it.

Taking a sip of his coffee, Gustavo began humming the tune to himself.

**

Carlos had made his way out of the kitchen to stand next to Kelly and Kaelyn. His whole body was now covered in foam – including his precious helmet. The foam on his helmet had actually gathered to form almost a nice little hat.

“I will cover the earth in foam! Bow to my foamy powers!”

Okay. If Kelly and Kaelyn had any doubt believing Carlos about C.A.L. developing a mind of its own, those doubts were eradicated by C.A.L.’s declaration. They also quickly understood that Carlos was doing everything he could to stop C.A.L. – or at least contain the damage – with no success.

“We have to destroy it!” Carlos quickly decided. He had exhausted all other options.

“No, Gustavo said you can’t break anything else!” Kelly reminded him.

“Well, C.A.L.’s doing a good job of that himself!” Kaelyn remarked, pointing to the mess in the kitchen.

Kelly was about to argue once more when she heard C.A.L. say, “Girls are dumb. Women are weak.”

“Oh, what did he just say?” Kelly quickly whirled around to the kitchen, a dangerous look on her face.

“You heard me, cupcake.”

Exchanging a look, the trio screamed, “Oh, it’s on!” and charged into the kitchen with their makeshift weapons.

The flooding foam concealed their actions from view, but the bangs and C.A.L.’s objections made it clear to any onlooker that Carlos, Kelly and Kaelyn were in the process of destroying the rebellious coffee machine.

“I was just – ow! – kidding! Can’t you – ow! – take a joke?! Ow! Tell the blender I love her!”

It was with that dramatic final declaration of love that C.A.L. was finally defeated. His voice died as his machinery shut down. The trio were coughing and spluttering as they emerged from the kitchen victorious. They were sure they would bask in their victory later, but first, they wanted to regain their breath and deal with other matters.

“I’ll call a cleaning crew before Gustavo finds out,” Kelly promised the two teenagers.

“Yeah,” Carlos nodded in agreement. “By the way, do I get a lunch break?”

Kelly shot Carlos a look, having a hard time believing that he would choose now to ask such a question. Carlos looked appropriately chastised. Kaelyn placed her hands on her hips as she regained her breath, wincing at the sensation of the foam squishing under her hands. It was not a pleasant sensation.

“How are we gonna get cleaned up?” Kaelyn asked, referring to the foam that stained the trio.

**

James found himself back in the makeup chair. He still wore the light wash jeans, but had swapped out the white V-neck and black vest with a nice white button-up shirt. A team of three stylists surrounded him. One took to his shirt with a lint roller, one styled his hair, and the final stylist did his makeup. Katie stood next to him, filling him in on the job she had booked for him.

“This is amazing. I’m really gonna model a ‘Cuda product?” James asked her excitedly.

“It’s a product owned by ‘Cuda, yes,” Katie answered carefully.

James sat up as he began guessing excitedly, “Ooh, ooh, ooh! Is it aftershave? Or teeth whitener?”

“Close,” was Katie’s cryptic answer.

Rather than give James the opportunity to ask more questions, Katie grabbed him by the wrist and dragged him into the room. There, he was greeted by a photographer and his female assistant.

“There’s our elbow model!” the photographer greeted him jovially. “Now, let’s have a look at that beauty!”

“Uh, excuse me?” James stammered in shock. There were many things he was expecting to model – and had even modelled a couple of times back in Minnesota. Modelling his elbow was nowhere on the list.

The photographer then held up what James recognized to be a still from the luscious lumberjack headshot. Only, it had been blown up considerably to focus specifically on his elbow.

“James, when we got this picture from your manager, we knew your elbow was the one!” the photographer revealed.

“I’m sorry. What is this an ad for?” James was still hopelessly confused. Although, one could wonder if it was actually denial.

“Make your elbow look young again with… Uncle Vinnie’s chapped elbow cream!” the photographer held up the product in question.

Wincing at the look James shot her, Katie meekly defended herself, “Uncle Vinnie’s is made by ‘Cuda Cosmetics. It’s just their senior line.”

James turned back to the photographer, a polite smile straining his face as he held up a finger to indicate he wanted a minute along with his manager. It was something the photographer was happy to give him. The second he had the clearance, James guided Katie back out into the hallway.

“My elbow?! My dream is not to be an elbow model!” James snapped at her.

“Hey! It’s a job! And it pays four hundred bucks!” Katie revealed. “After I take my cut.”

“You tricked me,” he accused her. “I’m gonna model-walk away now.”

Katie watched incredulously as James did indeed model-walk away from her in frustration. He had been wondering why Katie had been so hesitant to share details about the job she booked for him. Perhaps it was because she knew James wouldn’t like it.

But James found himself stopping in front of the full-body mirror that was so conveniently near the elevator. Just like before, he imagined his reflection was talking back to him. It looked like in this case, the only person who could talk some sense into James Diamond was James Diamond.

“What are you doing? Take the job.”

“And model an elbow?” James scoffed.

“Not just an elbow. The elbow. They could have chosen any elbow in the world, but they chose the best. And I want to go back to the pool!”

James hummed as he appraised his own elbow in the mirror, “It is pretty good.”

“You bet it is. Now, let’s rock this joint.”

James clipped his fingers and walked away with a smile. Before he knew it, he was standing before the camera, shirt sleeve rolled up as he flexed his arm to show off his elbow. His face wouldn’t be in the shot, despite his best efforts. The shot would be focusing exclusively on his elbow and the product he was advertising. The photographer was very happy with what James was giving him.

And Katie was certainly happy with the wad of cash the photographer’s assistant handed her.

**

Making the kids wash cars for a profit proved to be beneficial for Kendall and Logan. Aside from the money they made from their endeavours, they had exhausted the kids so much that they were napping all over the Palm Woods. It was something they happily showed off to the parents who walked in to pick up their kids.

“Aw, look at them sleep!” one mother cooed.

“How did you get them to nap?” Wendall’s mother asked. She and the other parents were handed the agreed fee to Kendall and Logan before going to collect their kids.

Kendall began answering nervously, “Oh, you know kids. You just got to keep their busy minds…”

“And their busy bodies occupied,” Logan added.

“And they’re so clean!” another mother voiced in approval.

“They made us wash cars,” Wendall moaned sleepily.

“Whoops! Looks like somebody had a wild dream!” Kendall was quick to lie.

“Buff and wax. Buff and wax,” another child sighed sleepily.

“Oh, lots of snacks!” Logan corrected, quickly throwing away the sponge she was holding. “We did have lots of snacks.” He joined Kendall in guiding the parents and kids out the door. “Alright, and if you ever need babysitting again…”

“Please call somebody else!” Kendall called after them.

**

Before long, the day was over. And Gustavo, Kelly and Freight Train were standing in front of the boys, with Gustavo counting the money that had been delivered to him so far.

“$760, 780… eight hundred?” Gustavo counted in surprise.

“Plus, my four hundred from my… modelling job,” James smirked as he proudly handed over his share. His share brought the total up to $1,200.

Kaelyn walked forward and handed Gustavo the completed lyric sheet and instrumentation for her newest song, This is Our Someday. Everything was ready to go. All that was needed was for the band to record the backing track and the boys to recall the vocals.

Gustavo hummed as he observed Kaelyn’s work before instructing Kelly, “Cut Kaelyn her paycheque for $400.”

Kelly smiled widely as she did just that. Kaelyn’s portion now brought them up to $1,600.

But Kelly didn’t stop there. After handing Gustavo that cheque, she quickly wrote out another one, adding, “Plus Carlos’ paycheque.”

“That’s two thousand dollars!” Gustavo gasped in amazement.

“Oh!” Kendall suddenly gasped, digging through his pockets. “And thirty cents.”

“I have to say, I’m very impressed,” Gustavo praised them. “I hope you guys have learned your lesson.”

“Lesson learned,” all five teenagers were quick to promise.

Freight Train then happily reported, “You’re free to swim.”

Everyone cheered at the news. They had done what they were told to. They paid Gustavo back for the damages to the Palm Woods lobby in good time. In fact, it took them less than a day. They had earned their victory.

As they went to enjoy their hard-earned award and take a dip in the pool, they winced as they saw an irate group of people approaching them. And they quickly backed up towards Gustavo, Kelly and Freight Train.

Mr. Bitters was the first to present his itemised invoice to Gustavo, “Who’s paying my bill for Palm Woods towels, soap, and a fine from the city for running an illegal daycare centre?!”

Gustavo whimpered at the news as Kendall and Logan exchanged looks. Kelly, meanwhile, was already taking out her calculator and beginning to add up the costs.

A member of the cleaning crew Kelly had organised handed over his own invoice, “And here’s the bill for foam cleanup and new pitchforks!”

“Wha?” Gustavo spluttered in shock.

“And this coffee machine was a Sanyoid prototype! It costs eight thousand dollars!” C.A.L.’s creator revealed.

This time, Kelly, Kaelyn and Carlos winced. They had no idea the coffee machine was that expensive.

One stylist handed over her invoice to Gustavo, demanding, “And who’s paying this bill for James’ wardrobe and styling?!”

James didn’t wince like his friends did as the invoices were handed over to Gustavo. Instead, he shot a glare at Katie, immediately knowing she had something to do with this.

Katie said sheepishly, “I might have mentioned that Gustavo’s paying for… everything.”

Gustavo could only continue gasping in shock over everything that was happening. He immediately turned to Kelly, who was adding up the total of all the invoices on the calculator.

“Which adds up to a grand total of…,” Kelly trailed off, wincing at the total. “$14,089.”

Gustavo started trembling in suppressed rage. He was staring both at the $2,000.39 that the five teenagers had handed over to him and the invoices they had accrued in their efforts to repay him that money.

“Which is a small price to pay for such a valuable lesson,” Kendall said.

The ticking time bomb that was Gustavo Rocque was quick to disagree. The group was quick to get out of the line of fire as he started screaming, knowing that a breakdown was imminent. Kaelyn even made a point of wrapping a protective arm around her younger sister’s shoulders. Even the people who had handed Gustavo the invoices that caused the breakdown were watching this in astounding uncertainty.

“You know what?! This is great! No, no, no! This is good! I mean, who needs a lesson in responsibility?! Let’s just break more stuff!”

Gustavo began laughing maniacally as he charged at Gustavo, snatching the baseball bat he held out of his hand.

“I mean, how about this lamp, huh? That’d be fun, right?!”

Everyone winced as Gustavo did, in fact, take a bat to the lamp, knocking the lampshade off and shattering the lightbulb within.

“Oh, this is fun! How about this vase?! Ooh, this vase is too new! Let’s hit this vase!”

Kaelyn was barely aware of someone pulling her back in a protective response as shards from the vase went flying in her direction. She rested her hand on the person’s hand that still rested on her shoulder. But she was too caught up in the shock of seeing Gustavo losing it like this. She had seen Gustavo’s meltdowns before, but nothing she had ever seen before compared to what she was now seeing.

“And while we’re at it, why don’t we just bust up my whole studio?! I mean, it’s just money! Right?!”

Everyone gasped in shock as Gustavo broke one of the glass panels near the wall. But things were going to get a lot worse for Gustavo. For all the teenagers had to deal with before was Gustavo’s wrath. Gustavo had the misfortune of Griffin stumbling across his destructive meltdown.

“Gustavo, what did I tell you about breaking things?” Griffin rebuked him.

“I didn’t break anything,” Gustavo was quick to issue a denial.

“You have a bat. In your hand,” Griffin reminded him.

Gustavo was quick to toss the offending bat away, inadvertently making a further contribution to the damage bill he was accruing.

“Okay, so we might put a little wear and tear on things from time to time,” Gustavo stammered, trying the same excuse the teenagers had given him earlier.

“But that’s showbiz, right?” Kelly added with a nervous smile.

“No,” Griffin deadpanned. “And it’s time your take responsibility for your actions by paying me back $14,089.”

Kelly, Kaelyn and the band winced at Griffin’s declaration, for they knew they would be doing their part to help Gustavo pay back the money. After all, they were substantial contributors to that bill. Gustavo was wincing because he quickly found the shoe to be on the other foot, and he didn’t like it.

**

It was quickly decided that the best way for the group to raise that money for Griffin was to organise yet another car wash. This time, Gustavo and Kelly were the ones jumping around and waving the signs around advertising their pop-up business.

The five teenagers would be the ones actually washing the cars. They were all dressed in their various swimming attire. James was wearing a black singlet with his board shorts, while the other boys wore short sleeve shirts. Kaelyn wore a swim shirt with a high neckline and a pair of shorts. All five teenagers wore thongs on their feet. The perfect attire for car washing.

Griffin was even doing his part to help them… by giving them his own car to wash.

“Be sure to buff out the rims. I want them to shine like a pirate’s boot,” Griffin beamed.

He then slid on his shades and took a seat on a lounge chair nearby. Clearly, he was going to wait around and watch them work. He wanted the job done to his satisfaction after all.

“It’s not the pool, but it’s wet,” Kendall shrugged.

James responded by throwing a wet sponge at his best friend.

Griffin watched in slight amusement as he saw the five teenagers begin singing to themselves as they worked. On the back of the magazine he was reading was an advertisement for Uncle Vinnie’s chapped elbow cream.

They would pay him back. Eventually.

Chapter 15: The Camera's On, and It Never Lies

Notes:

Okay. I'm going to be the first to admit that this episode is not one of my favourites. So, I'm doing a different approach with this chapter.

ENJOY!

For the boys, it seemed to be another day relaxing by the pool. They all wore board shorts, ready to take a dip in said pool when they were done relaxing in the sun.

But it was clear Kelly had other plans for them, because she walked along behind them dropping an item in their laps. Their confused gazes altered between the item she dropped in their laps and the woman herself.

“Kelly, what’s with the cameras?” Kendall was the first to voice the curiosity all four boys shared.

“Gustavo wants you to shoot some videos for the future Big Time Rush website,” Kelly began explaining. After allowing a moment for the boys to express their excitement over the prospect of a website, she finished, “So your future fans can get to know the real you. Now, get shooting, and get the cameras back to me in the morning.”

All of the boys were already making plans for the footage they would film.

**

Unsurprisingly, James’ video was starting out to be rather… self-absorbed.

“This is James from Big Time Rush. Enjoy.”

He had positioned the camera in the living room of Apartment 2J and was doing all sorts of… poses would be the polite and concise term for what he was doing. It was beyond certain that this footage would be better never seeing the light of day.

But for James, a lot of it was forgotten when he heard the sound of fighting approaching the front door. It didn’t take him long to identify the source of the voices. It was Kaelyn and Neil. He knew Kaelyn had gone on another date with him, and from the sounds of raised voices coming closer to the door, it had clearly not gone well.

“Just leave me alone, Neil!”

Clearly, Neil wasn’t going to take the hint. James was more than ready to intervene until Kaelyn quite literally slam the door in Neil’s face. James wondered if it was terrible that he hoped Neil would’ve walked away with some type of injury. If he hadn’t, he would be more than happy to rectify that. Especially when he saw just how upset Kaelyn was.

“Are you okay?” was James’ first question. The worry in his voice was clear.

“No,” Kaelyn shook her head with a sigh.

“What do you need?” James immediately asked.

“A hug. And an ear,” Kaelyn answered.

They were both things that James was more than happy to give. In fact, he was in front of her in two strides and pulling her into his arms. Her head nestled into his sturdy chest and her arms wrapped around his waist. James wrapped his arms around her shoulders, holding her against him. He bent his head down to rest his cheek against the top of her head. He knew she would talk about it, because she had said she needed an ear to vent to, but he knew she needed the hug first.

Although, he could already feel the anger swirling through his veins, so one would wonder what kind of comfort he could offer that wouldn’t upset her even further. Instead, he focused on the texture of the fabric that made Kaelyn’s shirt. One that seemed to be covering her body – ironic, considering what Kaelyn was about to tell him.

Something that James had already decided: Kaelyn was going to take the lead on how long the hug lasted. He would only pull away when she did. And she seemed to do so with great reluctance. She sighed heavily as she tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear.

“Neil’s trying to pressure me into sex,” Kaelyn admitted.

Originally, Kaelyn had considered making James promise that he wouldn’t blow his top before confiding in him, but figured asking him to make such a promise had a higher chance of backfiring. So, she ultimately decided that it would be better to rip off the Band-Aid, so to speak.

“He’s what?!”

Kaelyn was certain that James wouldn’t react well. She knew him well enough to know he wouldn’t. But seeing him walk away from her, running his hands through his hair and ripping his bandana off in a vain effort to calm himself…

Yeah, this was definitely one of the things James hated.

“James,” Kaelyn began saying as she approached him.

“Bunny, that’s just… no,” James found that words failed him. He then really took note of her top: it was a turtleneck. On a hot day, no less. “Aren’t you hot in that?” His anger turned to worry. But only momentarily.

Because Kaelyn’s words were going to flare it up again, “Neil’s… weirded out by my scar.”

“Are you trying to talk me out of killing him?”

“You’re too pretty for jail,” Kaelyn deadpanned.

“Kaelyn!” James snapped at her. Something that was a rarity. “You’re not putting up with this, are you?”

Kaelyn suddenly began stammering. But it wasn’t because of the answer she was going to give James (not that she had thought of one). But because of the sound of something breaking. Looking over to the shelf, Kaelyn winced when she saw the broken pieces of the camera Kelly had given him.

James followed her line of sight and winced. He couldn’t even tell you how it had happened.

“Can you keep this between us?” Kaelyn pleaded.

“As long as you know this conversation isn’t over,” was James’ response.

Yeah, Kaelyn already figured it wouldn’t be.

**

Needless to say, James wasn’t the only one to have destroyed his camera. Carlos had decided to film himself testing out rocket skates and went flying into the pool… forgetting that the camera Kelly had given him wasn’t waterproof. Kendall turned his camera into a ‘hockey puck cam’… forgetting that the camera Kelly had given him wasn’t durable.

Logan most definitely could not be held responsible for what happened to his camera. He was just innocently filming himself giving a tour of the Palm Woods, figuring that would be something future fans would be interested in. That was before he was accosted by his three best friends demanding his camera. The camera ended up being destroyed in the skirmish.

But at the end of the day, how the cameras were destroyed didn’t matter. Because the end result was the same. The five teenagers (because Kaelyn, as always, somehow got roped into this) were dumping the remains of the cameras on Gustavo’s desk, and Gustavo was screaming in dismay at the sight.

Surprisingly, Gustavo proved to be really quick at redirecting his energy. If part one of his grand plan failed, he was simply going to have to put a pin in it and move on to part two.

This only made Kaelyn wonder how things were going to go wrong this time. Especially when Gustavo had hidden something beneath a red cloth.

“Boys, our album comes out in three months, and given our recent web video disaster,” Gustavo began saying.

‘That’s putting it lightly,’ Kaelyn thought wryly. There was no miracle awaiting those cameras.

Gustavo continued, “It’s time for phase two of my ‘Get Big Time Rush on the Web So People Will Know About You and Buy Your Album in Three Months’.”

“Gustavo,” Kaelyn cut in, “what did we tell you about trying to name plans?”

“What’s wrong with that name?” Gustavo demanded.

“It’s a mouthful!” Kaelyn retorted. “Just call it Operation: Exposure.”

“Is that phase two under the sheet?” Kendall asked. He needed his curiosity satisfied.

Kelly took over the introduction of phase two: “Guys, get ready, because today, Big Time Rush is spending A Day with Deke!”

Kelly then took the sheet off of the stand, unveiling a massive screen highlighting a website titled ‘A Day with Deke’. In one corner, there was a picture of the man in question, with a laptop quite literally attached to him. There was also the usual ads (Kaelyn was quick to recognize the ‘Cuda ad), brief blurbs about other articles available on the website…

And the featured article in the middle. This article was about Deke spending the day ice fishing with Dak Zevon.

“Hollywood’s number one entertainment music blogger,” Gustavo continued on where Kelly had left off.

“Guys, Dak Zevon was a nobody until he spent the day ice fishing with Deke,” Kelly revealed. “Then, he became… The Reel Deal.”

Sure enough, there was a caption accompanying that picture of Dak ice fishing called, “Dak is the Reel Deal”.

“And today, it’s Big Time Rush at the famous Palm Woods pool!” Gustavo announced.

Needless to say, the boys were excited. Spending a day with Deke at the Palm Woods pool certainly sounded like the easiest assignment they were given since arriving in Hollywood.

“Cool, so we just have to hang out with this guy and be the real us,” Kendall surmised.

By the tone of Gustavo and Kelly’s shared laughter, Kaelyn was not surprised to see them quickly turn around and say, “No.”

“I don’t want him anywhere near the real you!” Gustavo objected. “You’ll just knock him into the pool or slice off his arm with a hockey stick!”

“Can you even slice someone’s arm off with a hockey stick?” Kaelyn turned to the four teenage hockey players.

“No, but you can hurt someone pretty effectively,” Logan answered.

James was already making plans to utilise his hockey stick as a makeshift weapon on Neil.

“That’s bad, right?” Carlos asked.

“Yes, because if you have a bad day with Deke, your careers could end up like Tanyon Lavell’s,” Kelly warned.

“Who’s Tanyon Lavell?” all five teenagers asked.

“Exactly,” Gustavo and Kelly responded.

Kaelyn whistled low. So basically, Deke had the power to make or break Big Time Rush before they even released a single, never mind an album. It was also clear that Gustavo had little faith in the boys doing well in their interview with Deke.

Hence, Gustavo’s next move.

“And now, I present to you ‘My Day with Deke Big Time Dog Training Preparation Team’!” Gustavo introduced said team.

Kaelyn groaned in dismay when Kelly blew her airhorn and the team in question came racing over. She actually recognized a few people from previous experiences. The styling team, she recognized both from when they first arrived in Hollywood and when James launched his modelling career to pay Gustavo back. But what made her groan in dismay was the female marketing executive. She had a different male executive with her this time, but her mere presence made Kaelyn already conclude that this would not go well.

Also… what the heck was the monk-like guy doing there?

Sure enough, the marketing executives snapped, “Change them!” and the boys were knocked over by the flurry of stylists.

It was only thanks to Kelly that Kaelyn was able to get out of the line of fire.

**

Kaelyn gasped in dismay when Gustavo moved things along to the next stage of their training. They had recreated the firepit at the Palm Woods, which in itself was impressive – and not what made her gasp in dismay.

It was the outfits the boys wore. They were clearly not themselves. Carlos would never wear a tie. Kendall had vowed against wearing bad boy attire after defeating WayneWayne. Logan would never wear such a graphically-detailed top. And James would most certainly never wear pants that are so brightly coloured.

“Boys, we’ve not only recreated the Palm Woods pool setting for your day with Deke,” the female executive began.

“We’ve also recreated Deke!” the male executive revealed excitedly.

Sure enough, they had a cardboard cutout of Deke on hand. Kaelyn was very quick to note what looked like red and green lights on the cutout. Clearly, they were going to make sure the band knew when they were right and when they were wrong in their interactions with Deke.

“He’s so tiny!” Carlos gasped.

“Please don’t say that when you see him,” Gustavo pleaded. “Because it’s very important what he thinks of you. Got it?”

“Got it,” the boys nodded.

“Now, good luck with your training, my young padawans,” Gustavo bade them farewell. “It begins… now.”

Kaelyn had already decided that she was more than content staying out of his trainwreck. So, when Gustavo beckoned for her to follow him, it was something she was more than happy to do.

Wow. She didn’t think she’d ever say that.

**

“Shouldn’t we be helping the guys?” Kelly asked.

“We are,” Gustavo scoffed, as though it was obvious.

“Why do you have five phones on your desk?” Kaelyn chose as her question.

“Welcome to phase three of my Big Time Internet Blitz,” Gustavo answered.

“Better name,” Kaelyn praised him.

“I’m giving the guys Scuttlebutter accounts,” Gustavo revealed. “That way, they can text their fans what’s the haps. Only, they won’t be posting. It’ll be me, because they are stupid.”

“How is this introducing the fans to the real Big Time Rush?” Kaelyn challenged.

“You really want to trust your friends with Scuttlebutter accounts?” was Gustavo’s retort.

“Please don’t do that,” Kelly pleaded, snatching the phone from Gustavo’s hands.

Gustavo snatched it back from her, scoffing, “It’s easy! I signed up too! You just scuttbutt fun facts about yourself.”

“I don’t think it’s that simple,” Kaelyn frowned.

Kaelyn never had a social media account herself, but she knew people who did. Many of her classmates from her high school in Minnesota. Many of the other teenagers she met when she was undergoing cancer treatment. It was where she learned a lot about appearances, and how hard they can be to maintain.

But she didn’t bother voicing them, because she knew Gustavo was not in the mood to listen to reason. In fact, the irate record producer was too busy preparing his first scuttbutt, declaring his hatred for brussels sprouts.

Well, it was something the two had in common.

Gustavo held up the phone in a boastful manner as he prepared to send that first scuttbutt, only for Kelly to point out, “It’s two words: brussels sprouts.”

Gustavo only muttered things to himself as he went about fixing that error Kelly had highlighted to him. But then he asked, “What just happened?”

This time, Kaelyn was the one to take the phone to answer her boss. And she gaped (man, she’s been doing a lot of that today) when she saw what Gustavo had sent out into the void:

“You sent out a scuttbutt saying you hate Brussels. As in the city in Belgium.”

This time, Gustavo actually matched Kaelyn’s horror. All those talks he gave to the boys hit him like a freight train. Broadcasting that he hated a city – especially one as big as Belgium – was not good. Especially when you considered any future plans he had about Big Time Rush going on tour.

But then, he scoffed and went, “Who cares?”

**

At a café in Belgium, there were indeed people who cared about a record producer trashing their beloved capital city.

As shown by a man spitting out his coffee as he read that scuttbutt on his phone, “Sacre bleu! This record producer, he says he hates Brussels!”

He was soon surrounded by his fellow Belgians, who were quick to express their displeasure at the scuttbutt. And it was quickly decided.

Gustavo Rocque must pay.

**

“You surely know this isn’t going to go well,” Kaelyn voiced to Kelly once they were alone.

Kelly only shrugged, “He has to learn somehow.”

When they walked back into Gustavo’s office, Kaelyn asked, “Can that be now?”

Because Gustavo wasn’t just surrounded by those phones anymore. He was surrounded by laptops.

“I love the web. Web, web, web!” Gustavo said jovially. “Right now, the boys are winning over Deke, and thanks to Scuttlebutter, I’m getting the Big Time word out all over the world!”

Kaelyn was only half-listening to Gustavo’s boasting about his supposed plan going well. Because she had glanced over to the TV Gustavo had running in his office (on mute, which defeated the purpose). But she saw that her boss was making the news – and even with the audio muted, she knew it wasn’t for a good reason. So, she discreetly tapped Kelly on the arm and gestured for her to watch the screen. Even though Kelly had known Gustavo for years and had seen him through plenty of PR disasters, she already knew this one was not going to end well.

“Why are you on TV?” Kelly asked her boss.

Finally, Gustavo turned to see the TV. Kaelyn couldn’t tell anyone who had the remote, but all she knew that the TV was taken off moot, and she could finally learn what got her boss in the news this time.

“Gustavo Rocque is back in the news for sparking outrage in Belgium. After posting on Scuttlebutter that he hates Brussels, Belgian-Americans in L.A.’s Little Antwerp are burning his records and boycotting his latest project: Big Time Rush.”

As Gustavo screamed in horror, Kaelyn couldn’t help but think wryly that Gustavo was doing a great job at destroying Big Time Rush all by himself.

**

So, it’s probably a good thing that the band’s Day of Deke was going so well, James and Kendall were standing guard at the closet they had locked him in while Carlos and Logan frantically raced over to them carrying all sorts of cables… and garden hoses.

“Okay, we disconnected the Palm Woods’ wi-fi so Deke can’t post his blog from here,” Logan revealed.

They could hear Deke crying in displeasure inside the closet he was now trapped in.

“We also disconnected the cable TV, telephone, air conditioning, and all the garden hoses. Just in case,” Carlos added, almost cheerfully.

Kendall and James made gestures to Carlos that showed they clearly approved of his line of thinking. Better safe than sorry, right?

The smiles quickly disappeared when Deke started pounding on the door of his makeshift prison and crying, “You can’t stop the truth!”

“Look!” Kendall pleaded. “If you just agree to spend the rest of the day with us like you promised…”

“And let us prove we’re not phonies…,” James continued.

Carlos and Logan wrapped up their plea with a promise, “We’ll let you out.”

“Okay!”

The boys cheered in victory, thinking that they had achieved their objective. They would change Deke’s mind and stop him from posting that negative blog about them that would destroy their careers before they even got off the ground.

But the happiness and feeling of victory quickly went away when they opened the door and Deke immediately moved to make his escape. It naturally left the boys with no choice but to force him back into the closet.

“As soon as I get internet access, you guys are big time finished!” Deke vowed.

And something all the boys knew about Deke already? He would make it his personal mission to end the band.

“Well, let’s look on the bright side,” Kendall quipped. “This is definitely a day Deke will never forget.”

The downside to that is that it will be a day Deke remembers for the wrong reason.

**

Just like it was a good thing that Gustavo, Kelly and Kaelyn didn’t know what was going on with the boys and Deke, it was a good thing the boys didn’t know about the storm that had cropped up outside Rocque Records. Because Gustavo’s hope that his mistaken vent into the void would die down were quickly forgotten. There was a massive crowd of protestors gathered outside the building. The signs they carried contained various slogans and phrases about Gustavo that Kaelyn would rather not repeat. There was even someone walking around waving the Belgian flag with pride.

It seemed that Gustavo didn’t just insult Brussels; he insulted the whole country of Belgium.

“Ted Garcia outside of Rocque Records, where Belgian protestors numbering in the double digits are striking back against anti-Belgianism.”

“Is that even a word?” Kaelyn frowned.

Kelly turned her worried glance at the TV to an incredulous one at Kaelyn going, “That’s your concern?”

“It was a typo!” Gustavo raged.

“Don’t worry,” the female executive reassured him. “Belgians tend to get tired quickly, then go home and make waffles.”

“They’re a peace-loving and gentle people,” the male executive added.

“How does a picket line scream peace-loving and gentle people?!” Kaelyn snapped at them.

Pinching the bridge of her nose, Kaelyn wondered not for the first time how the painfully inept executives she was standing next to managed to graduate from their studies, never mind get jobs working for someone like Griffin.

“And now, joining the protest is very buff and violent Hollywood action star Jean-Luc Varn Darn.”

“Uh-oh,” Kaelyn winced as the menacing actor appeared behind the reporter. ‘So, he’s not doing a lot of acting in movies. He’s that menacing in real life.’

“Except for that guy,” the two executives deadpanned.

Sure enough, Jean-Luc shoved the reporter out of the shot and vowed into the camera, “Gustavo, I am coming for you!”

He even highlighted that threat with a punch to one of the many images of Gustavo that Kaelyn was certain would be burned in effigy before long. Gustavo grabbed a phone, screamed as he typed a series of words before calmly saying, “Send.”

“Are you kidding right now?” Kaelyn asked him.

Although, she didn’t know why she was surprised. It was Gustavo.

**

Kaelyn had been waiting in anticipation to see how they were going to get Gustavo out of this mess. Her repeated – and quite frankly reasonable – suggestion of having Gustavo issue a statement saying he had not meant to say he hated the city of Brussels, but was talking about the vegetable brussels sprouts. The executives overruled her, saying that there was only one option that would quell the masses.

“Now, once they see a photo of you enjoying Belgian waffles,” the male executive began.

“They’ll forget everything, and you’ll be a national hero,” the female executive finished.

Gesturing to the plate piled with waffles – topped with cream and fruit – and the one the nervous Gustavo was holding in his hand, Kelly asked, “Wait. Aren’t Belgian waffles supposed to be, you know, really thick?”

“And so are Belgians!” the executives cackled.

**

Jean-Luc was still protesting outside when he got a notification on his phone. Opening the Scuttlebutt app on his phone, he saw that photo of Gustavo supposedly eating Belgian waffles. But as the people inside Rocque Records were about to learn painfully, the only thing about Jean-Luc that was thick was his muscles.

Around him, he could hear the protest quieting as his fellow protestors saw the same photo on their own phones. But things would soon get fired up once more.

“These aren’t Belgian waffles! These are frozen toaster waffles!” Jean-Luc raged. “Get him!”

The photo had only added fuel to the fire, for the protestors were no longer content with simply protesting outside the building.

They wanted to breach the stronghold.

**

Kaelyn felt the ground shaking beneath her feet. And for once, it wasn’t as a result of one of Gustavo’s legendary temper tantrums. Turning around, the group were quick to see the source. A group of protestors led by Jean-Luc Varn Darn.

“I decided I hate the web,” Gustavo remarked to the people cowering behind him.

“Gustavo Rocque. You have insulted Belgium for the last time,” Jean-Luc proclaimed.

Mr. Fong, the monk-like figure who had been part of the team training the boys before their day with Deke, appeared from seemingly nowhere carrying a basket of oranges he had previously pelted at the boys.

“Go! I’ll hold them off!” Mr. Fong vowed.

The gesture was appreciated, but proved ineffective as the fruit simply bounced off Jean-Luc’s (surely massive) pec. Jean-Luc shot a withering look at the fruit before refocusing his ire on the group before him. So, there was only one thing left to do.

“Run!”

Kaelyn ran separately from the group, deciding she wanted no part of this. She never wanted a part of this to begin with. The moment Gustavo sent out that scutbutt, she decided she would have been better off babysitting her twin brother and best friends in their day with Deke. While also trying to avoid any cameras he may have carried on his person.

She hadn’t completely overcome her camera shyness yet.

Kaelyn was so lost in her thoughts as she ran that she wasn’t looking where she was going. Not until she collided with a massive, muscular form that she hoped would be James.

But it was Jean-Luc.

“I had no part of this!” Kaelyn blurted, her self-preservation instincts kicking in.

Jean-Luc regarded her for a moment, his expression giving nothing away. But he wasn’t staring at her menacingly. Kaelyn supposed she had to be thankful for that. Surely, it would mean he would recognize her as an innocent.

And it did.

His face softened considerably as he bent down to help Kaelyn to her feet, the collision in the hallway having knocked her to the ground.

“You should be more careful, little one,” Jean-Luc advised her.

“Thanks,” Kaelyn panted.

“I suggest you find someplace to hide,” Jean-Luc suggested.

Kaelyn was quick to take him up on that.

Although, as she went looking for someplace to hide from the carnage that was now taking place in the recording studio, she mentally kicked herself for not asking for an autograph.

**

“Life’s funny, you know?” Carlos began as the group sat by the pool. “One day, you’re hockey players.”

“Then, you’re a pop band,” Logan quipped.

“Then, blog-nappers!”

It went without saying that for the band, their day just got worse. Deke had somehow duped them, managing to escape from the closet into the vents. It led to a massive chase throughout the Palm Woods as Deke scurried through the vents. He then thought he had found his chance: the classroom with a computer setup. All he had to do was hook his computer up to the desktop inside the classroom, and then he could ruin Big Time Rush.

He didn’t count on the boys waiting below him with a new prison for him: a garbage can.

“Why does he think we’re phonies, hmm?” James asked. “He should like us!”

“Why would he like us?” Kendall finally snapped. Rising to his feet, he turned to his friends, “Because I’ve got to be honest: I don’t like us right now!” Walking over to the garbage can Deke was trapped in, he continued, “Worse than that, since when did we start caring about what people think about us? It’s what we think about ourselves that matters!”

Carlos stood, voicing his agreement with Kendall’s speech, “I think we might have let the marketers put words in our mouths.”

Rising to his feet, Logan added, “I think Mr. Fong’s biscuits may have caused temporary insanity.”

“Finally, a true statement!” Deke cheered, the garbage can rocking under Kendall’s arm.

“And do you guys realize we never even questioned these outfits?” Kendall asked.

Rising to his feet, James smirked, “I think… we look good.”

“It’s a little overdone,” Deke stated.

“Quiet, you!” James snapped at the garbage can.

“We are not four hockey players from Minnesota anymore. We are four Anakins who went to the dark side,” Kendall proclaimed.

Kendall’s friends sighed as they realized he was right. They weren’t themselves anymore. They had become Darth Vader, to continue the Star Wars analogy that Kendall had used.

“So, what do we do?” the three asked.

**

There was only one thing for them to do. And that was set Deke free.

Even Deke was surprised. When they opened the lid, he asked them, “You’re letting me go?”

His surprise only grew when the four boys actually moved to help him out of the garbage can. James even helped him dust himself off. Carlos helped him reattach the harness to his torso that he used to carry his computer.

“And the truth is, with our album coming out soon, there’s a lot of pressure, and it kind of got to us,” Kendall admitted.

“We hope you can forgive us,” James said.

“And we hope you don’t press charges,” Logan added.

“Wow. You’ve really given me something to think about,” Deke mused. “…right after I post my blog about how I was locked in a closet, tackled, chased through ducts, and trapped in a garbage can. Bye!”

The boys went to chase him, but remembering Kendall’s earlier words, they ultimately decided to let him go. At the end of the day, Deke was going to post whatever he wanted to post. All they could do was let the chips fall where they may, and deal with whatever comes next.

“Hey. You never know. Maybe he’ll get hit by a bus on his way to his coffee shop,” James shrugged.

Sure enough, as Deke went to cross the road, there was a close encounter with a bus. Emphasis on the word ‘close’, because Deke emerged from that unscathed.

“Oh, so close!”

**

The word that could be used to describe the boys as they walked into Rocque Records was confusion. Because Rocque Records was left in pretty bad shape after the protesters reaped carnage. Couches were tipped over. Posters were knocked out of alignment. Signs – both destroyed and otherwise – were left all over the place.

“Well, looks like Gustavo had a good day too,” Kendall remarked.

Appearing from around the corner, Kaelyn sighed, “You don’t even know the half of it.”

Wordlessly, she pointed at Gustavo as he emerged from his office with Kelly. He looked physically fine, but his outfit had so many stains and waffles stuck to him.

“Boys, I have a feeling your album’s not gonna sell very well in Belgium,” was all Gustavo said.

Kaelyn was worried when the boys began saying, “Yeah, about the album…”

But before she got the chance to voice her worries, and find out what happened, Gustavo and Kelly gasped as they recalled the band’s Day with Deke. Particularly, the fact that Deke would most certainly have published his blog by now. While they raced to the nearest computer, Kaelyn stayed behind with the boys.

“Didn’t go well, did it?” she asked knowingly. When they shook their heads, she shrugged, “It’s probably not as bad as you think. But we should rip off the Band-Aid regardless.”

Perfectly used analogy aside, the teenagers went to follow Gustavo to his office. They tried to warn the two adults, but were quickly shushed as they pulled the blog up on the screen.

Gustavo began reading the blog, “The Big Time Truth. After lies about snowboarding, corporate-written soundbites, and being locked in a supply closet, I knew within my first five minutes that Big Time Rush were big time phonies.”

Both Kaelyn and Gustavo yelled at the boys in shock, “You locked him in a supply closet?!”

“You two are spending way too much time together,” Kendall remarked to his twin sister.

“Tell me about it,” Kaelyn sighed. Gustavo’s been calling her over for a lot of songwriting bootcamps lately.

But Kelly stopped Gustavo from charging at the teenagers as she continued reading the article, “But the rest of my day was literally a big time rush.”

The teenagers immediately scrambled to get the computer from Kelly as they read the blog for themselves.

“And not just because of twenty-foot-high heating duct slides, garbage can rides, and sparkling water delivered upon request,” Logan resumed the reading.

Carlos took over, “But in discovering that Big Time Rush are four dedicated, smart and fun-loving guys who share a passion for music and life.”

“My day with Big Time Rush is one I’ll never forget,” the excitement in James’ voice was clear.

“And I’m looking forward to hearing their new album,” Kendall finished the article.

It was clear that in spite of their rough start, Big Time Rush had clearly impressed Deke enough for him to write a positive blog about them. One that would not tank their careers like he had… whoever that person Gustavo and Kelly mentioned was. So, they all cheered in relief at their victory. At least they had one thing go right for them today.

“Okay, okay. Now that my dogs have crushed phase two of our Big Time Web Attack,” Gustavo began, “let’s go back to phase one and make some web videos for the Big Time Rush website!”

“And this time, try not to break the cameras,” Kelly pleaded as she handed them the cameras.

“Got it,” all teenagers nodded.

**

Kaelyn sighed as she walked into her bedroom. Sliding through the Palm Woods air duct was fun (she was still surprised the boys let her join them), but proved disastrous for the cameras. Gustavo and Kelly surely had a heart attack before ultimately deciding to scrap the website idea for now. At least until they could invest in cameras that could withstand the boys’ wild behaviour.

She didn’t bother getting herself comfortable in her bed with a good book (she swears she’s going to pick something from her To Be Read pile tonight), because she knew that James was going to come in demanding to continue their earlier discussion now that they had the chance to.

Sure enough, James was knocking on her door and barely waited for her to say he could come in before he was entering.

Damn it. He had to wear the black singlet.

“Tell me you’re not going to put up with that,” James pleaded as he shut the door behind him.

“Just be careful. Katie’s right next door,” Kaelyn reminded him. She didn’t want her little sister hearing about this.

“You deserve better, Kaelyn,” James continued, as though Kaelyn never said anything. “You’re not ready, you’re not ready.”

“James, it’s not that,” Kaelyn began.

“You’re not seriously thinking about…,” James trailed off. “You’re thinking about giving in?”

“No!” Kaelyn immediately objected.

“Because that is for the wrong reason, Kaelyn. Trust me. I know,” James told her.

And he did know. Kaelyn also knew exactly what he was talking about, because she was the only one he confided in about that moment.

Taking a deep breath, Kaelyn said, “It’s not that I don’t want sex. It’s… I don’t think I want it with Neil.”

“What do you mean you don’t think you want it with Neil?” James challenged.

“I don’t know how I feel,” Kaelyn confessed. “Nothing is making sense.”

“Hey, hey, hey,” James cut in gently. He could see that Kaelyn was starting to work herself into a panic. He approached her and cupped her face in his hands, “Slow down. Just breathe.”

Kaelyn nodded before stepping forward. James immediately wrapped his arms around her like he had done before. He was struggling with his own feelings. His feelings of rage – all directed at Neil for making someone who meant so much to him feel this way. Instead, he focused on how smooth her skin felt under his hands. The baggy shirt she wore. He used it to ground him. To stop him from chasing down Neil at his apartment and…

Nope. He wasn’t going to go there. He wasn’t that type of person. Was he?

“He doesn’t deserve you, Kaelyn,” James murmured. “You’re too good for him. And if I have to tell you a million times for you to believe it, I will.”

Kaelyn didn’t say anything in response. She was just clinging to the black singlet James had chosen to wear to bed. She didn’t know when they had started swaying, but they did. He hummed some type of tune she recognised to be one she and Gustavo had worked on previously. But they couldn’t work out a lyric for the instrumental. So, it looked to be one that was going to get scrapped.

But hearing James hum the melody, and reflecting on her current position, struck Kaelyn with inspiration. Sometimes, being stuck was the best place to be.

She lifted her head, staring James in the eye as he tucked the strand of hair behind her ear that kept falling across her face. But he didn’t pull his hand away from her face when he was done. Instead, he rested it on her cheek.

Then, he leaned in and kissed her. And all the feelings that she was supposed to feel with Neil stirred inside her. She wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him closer as the kiss advanced further. The hand that was on her cheek moved into her hair, feeling the silky strands through his fingers.

Suddenly, they were falling backwards, the kiss never stopping. Their bodies pressed together. Like a jigsaw puzzle. It was something that felt right.

**

That was when Kaelyn woke up. She sat upright gasping in her dark room. The dream felt very vivid. Her lips tingled like they had just been kissed. She could feel her heart racing beneath her ribcage. She swore her skin tingled where he would have touched her in her dream.

The dream was innocent. It was just kissing. Although, it might be better to say the dream stopped while it was still innocent. If the dream had gone longer, it may not have stayed that way.

But there was one thing for certain. It felt more passionate than anything she had done with Neil. (No matter how much Neil tried to move things along more passionately.) She never felt this way.

“Oh my God!” she gasped breathlessly.

She didn’t know what she was more rattled by: dreaming of another boy while she had a boyfriend, or who she dreamed of.

But it did not help with her feelings of being stuck.

Notes:

he-he-he-he-he... gotcha, didn't I? ;)

I wasn't going to do that this early!

Chapter 16: It's Been a Hard Day's Night

Notes:

Yeah, I know I technically named the chapter after a Beatles track, but the Big Time Movie soundtrack is filled with Beatles covers, so it counts.

Also, the girl James put the sunscreen on didn't technically have a name, so I just called her Rachel after the actress who played her. (Fun fact: she would go on to star in Chicago Med.)

ENJOY!

In the middle of a perfect day
I’m tripping over words to say

Kaelyn smiled at the scene that was unfolding around her. Something that had apparently started happening since they moved to the Palm Woods was these fireside jam sessions with the teens. Surprisingly, this was something that didn’t happen, despite the Palm Woods being filled with aspiring singers as well as aspiring actors. There were many aspiring musicians who took part in these jams, singing either original songs or covers.

But there was no denying that Big Time Rush was the main attraction. They were the ones who started it after all. And tonight, they were performing an acoustic version of the song they had started working on.

‘Cause I don’t wanna keep you guessing
But I always end up getting
Stuck, stuck
But I’m never giving up, up

The enthusiasm of this fireside jam session died down when they heard a strange sound coming from behind them. Turning around, they saw one of the small tables situated next to the sun lounger being moved. On its own. There was no sign of anyone or anything moving it. Everyone just watched it nervously.

The screaming and freaking out happened when the doors to the lobby shut on their own.

**

“Carlos, it wasn’t a ghost!” Logan declared adamantly.

The five teenagers who lived in Apartment 2J were now making their way back to said apartment. Carlos was one of the many teenagers who started screaming and freaking out when the table moved and the doors closed on their own. On the way back, he kept insisting to his friends that it was a ghost. Logan, however, was in adamant denial.

“Then, what was it?!” Carlos demanded.

James, Kaelyn and Kendall also wanted to know how Logan was going to come up with a logical explanation for what happened.

“It was the air conditioner, which kicked on in the lobby, created a back draft, and caused the doors to shut,” was Logan’s logical explanation.

But James noticed a key thing that was missing from that explanation, so he challenged his brainiac friend, “So, how do you explain the ghost table?”

Logan’s response was, “I will tell you that later.”

“I’ll tell you what it was! It was a ghost and it could be after us!” Carlos declared adamantly.

“There is no ghost that is after us,” Kendall rolled his eyes. He then turned and asked his sister, “So can you hop off of James’ back now?”

“I don’t wanna,” Kaelyn shook her head.

“Why do you keep jumping on James when you’re scared?” Logan asked curiously.

“He’s usually closer,” Kaelyn shrugged. Well, shrugged as best as she could with the tight grip she was holding on James.

“Can you just… loosen the arms a little bit?” James asked kindly.

“Sorry,” Kaelyn muttered, doing just that.

James gave her a small smile as he adjusted his grip on her thighs when he thought she was about to slip. He wasn’t about to complain about his present situation. He hoped he wasn’t blushing with the way he felt Kaelyn resting her head on his body.

Any pleasant thoughts were quickly dispersed with the sound of the loud knocking on their apartment door. James and Carlos screamed and scrambled to stand next to Logan, putting as much distance between themselves (and Kaelyn, since she and James tightened their respective grips on each other) and the front door as possible.

“Guys, chill! There is nothing terrifying behind this door!” Kendall scoffed.

Kendall was quick to change his mind when he opened the front door and saw Gustavo standing there.

“Hey. My mansion is flooded and I need to stay with you dogs tonight.”

This time, Kendall joined his twin sister and best friends in their horrified scream fest.

**

The teenagers’ horrified screams had drawn Jennifer and Katie into the living room, where they were quickly briefed on the situation involving their unexpected houseguest. If there was one thing Jennifer prided herself on, it was being a gracious host, regardless of if her guests were welcome or not. So, the first thing she did was tell Gustavo to make himself comfortable on their orange couch while she made him a cup of tea. Katie, Kaelyn and the guys, however, just stared at Gustavo – a very much unwanted houseguest – with apprehension.

As Jennifer handed Gustavo his tea, Kendall finally asked, “Don’t you think you’d be more comfortable in, like, a five-star hotel that’s… not here?”

“Yeah, I can’t stay at any L.A. hotels,” Gustavo admitted.

“Why not?!” James snapped.

He only calmed down when Kaelyn reminded him that he was still carrying her on his back and he almost dropped her. Wordlessly, he helped her back onto her feet. Something that Kendall appreciated immensely.

“Well, James, I am a member of the Hotel Unwelcome List along with Russell Crowe, all the members of Aerosmith, and the original host of Blue’s Clues,” Gustavo explained before proceeding to dump the teabag on the coffee table.

Okay. Russell Crowe and the members of Aerosmith are people Kaelyn totally expected to be on the Hotel Unwelcome List alongside Gustavo, especially with everything she had heard about them. But Steve Burns, the beloved original host of one of her favourite shows from her childhood?

“How did…?” Kaelyn began asking.

“The ‘90s were a wild time,” was all Gustavo said.

For the teenagers, that was all they needed to hear.

But Jennifer still picked up the teabag and began saying with a polite smile (that was clearly strained), “Well, of course you are welcome to stay…”

“Mum!”

Everyone turned in surprise to see the way Kendall and Kaelyn suddenly started screaming for their shared parent.

Kendall quickly covered for it by saying, “Did you see that thing… in the bathroom?”

The other teenagers were quick to enthusiastically agree with Kendall’s question. James gently guided Jennifer towards the bathroom that was attached to the main living area. Somehow, the teabag that Gustavo had taken out of his mug ended up back inside it. He was staring at that as his songwriting protégé and boyband accosted the matriarch of Apartment 2J in the bathroom. Poor Katie was left in the living room with Gustavo.

Once the bathroom door was shut, Kendall began saying, “Mum, you’re a really nice person.”

“And that’s one of the things we love about you,” Kaelyn continued her twin brother’s sentence.

“But don’t let Gustavo stay here!” Carlos pleaded.

“We get so much Gustavo during the week that the Palm Woods is where we like to take a break from him!” James was clearly struggling to rein in his displeasure over the situation.

“Plus, he’s a man-beast,” Logan shuddered.

Kaelyn was quick to nod in agreement. Of the five teenagers, she was the one who spent the most time with Gustavo and worked the most directly with him. So, she knew exactly what Logan was talking about.

Jennifer, however, was unconvinced. “One night is not going to kill you, and doing nice things for people who… aren’t so nice is nice.”

Well, at least Jennifer conceded that Gustavo wasn’t entirely pleasant to be around, so the teens had to claim all the victories they could get.

They then heard knocks on the bathroom door and a familiar voice reminding them of one key fact: “Plus, he pays your rent!”

“There’s also that,” Kaelyn muttered.

Logan was the one who opened the bathroom door while all the other teenagers scrambled to stand next to Jennifer, trying to carry on as though they weren’t disparaging their producer and trying to convince their mother to not let him stay with them.

“Now, when’s dinner?” Gustavo demanded.

Kaelyn and Katie exchanged disgusted looks over Gustavo’s actions with the teabag.

**

It was a quiet night in the lobby. At least, after all the panic over the moving table and the doors slamming shut abated. It was so calm that Mr. Bitters was preparing for a comfortable night in his office with a bag of popcorn he grabbed from the microwave that was located at the front desk for unknown reasons. The teenage residents of the Palm Woods didn’t care what the cantankerous manager was doing, as long as they were able to stay out of his way.

Those thoughts quickly disappeared when Mr. Bitters opened the door to his office. There was a wind inside his office blowing all of his paperwork all over the confined space. There was also an eerie green light and smoke billowing out of the office space. To top it off, there was also the eerie sound commonly associated with horror movies. A cliché, but highly effective.

When Mr. Bitters screamed and ran from his office, tossing his bag of popcorn away from him, the teenagers followed.

**

Jennifer stood with a proud smile as she finished serving dinner to not only her three biological children and three bonus children, but her unexpected houseguest. The smile only grew when the teenagers reacted in excitement and immediately dove in to help themselves to the delicious meal.

Gustavo, meanwhile, scoffed derisively, “Fish sticks? Really?”

“It’s Fish Stick Friday!” Katie and Kaelyn said excitedly.

“With tots!” the boys added excitedly.

Gustavo clearly did not appreciate the meal he was served as he stated, “I actually prefer my fish poached with lemon and my potatoes au gratin.”

Kaelyn didn’t even bother suppressing her eyeroll. Gustavo’s snobbish behaviour never ceased to amaze her. For her, the best part was when her mother, with a clearly strained smile, just calmly placed a whole potato and a slice of cheese, still wrapped in plastic, on his plate. Her hidden message was clear. Eat up and shut up.

Sensing the battle he had lost, Gustavo tentatively took a bite of the fish stick he was holding in his hand. The underaged residents of Apartment 2J watched his moves in anticipation, looking for the slightest hint of a reaction.

“Not bad,” Gustavo shrugged.

The group visibly relaxed in relief, happy to have avoided one of Gustavo’s legendary blowups (they were on thin ice with Mr. Bitters as it was). They then fully turned their attention to their delicious meal, Kaelyn stabbing a tater tot with her fork and lifting it up to her mouth. Her phone buzzed with a message, but beyond a quick glance to see who the message was from, she ignored it. For one thing, her mother had a strict rule against phones at the dinner table.

For another, she wasn’t in the mood to talk to Neil. Not after their latest fight over her reluctance to have sex with him which included some disparaging remarks about her scar.

James, however, noticed the look on Kaelyn’s face when she checked her phone, and was able to quickly decipher who the text was from. He wondered if anyone would notice the way he suddenly tightened his grip on his fork.

“So, what else do you dogs do on Fish Stick Fridays?” Gustavo asked.

“Still not one of your dogs,” Kaelyn grumbled.

“I guess sometimes we play dome hockey,” Kendall mused, pointing to the dome hockey table they had. Honestly, they had never thought about what they usually did on a Friday night. They just did whatever they felt like.

“And then, a little swirly slide action,” Carlos added.

“Then we play Biohazard Blast 4: Rise of Crotchy,” James rounded out the evening’s itinerary.

“Oh, well, you can count me out of those festivities!” Gustavo scoffed.

Kaelyn exchanged a smirk with her twin brother. She already knew those were going to be famous last words.

**

And Kaelyn was right. For when they initiated their nightly round of dome hockey, Gustavo was quick to join them. Kendall, Logan and Carlos were on one side, and James, Kaelyn and Gustavo were on the other. They all fought valiantly, with Gustavo being a quick study of the game.

Gustavo cheered the loudest when he helped James and Kaelyn score a winning goal. He was really letting loose, something they had never seen him do before.

Everyone winced, however, when Gustavo went to do a chest bump with James and the force of the impact knocked James flat on his back. But Gustavo didn’t let it bother him for long. He was back playing dome hockey once more.

**

Kaelyn cheered as she slid down the swirly slide. It was fair to say this was the best part of the incognito renovations they had done all those months ago. When she landed at the bottom, she scrambled out of the way, knowing that Carlos wouldn’t be far behind. Scrambling back to his own feet, Carlos stood next to Kaelyn, watching as Logan made his way down the slide.

Kaelyn was more focused on the line at the top of the swirly slide. After Logan, Kendall would have his turn. Then James, and finally Gustavo. She knew what would eventually happen would happen before it did. She would never shame Gustavo for his weight, but she was also prepared for this:

“I’m stuck!”

The five teenagers immediately raced forward, blabbering their reassurances to the producer as they gripped his legs, the only part of him that was sticking out. They tugged forcefully at his legs, working to free him from the slide.

They ended up doing their job a little too well as the force of pulling Gustavo free of the swirly slide sent them all hurtling to the ground.

**

They then rounded off the evening with a gaming session playing the game James mentioned at the dinner table. Not being fond of the Biohazard Blast gaming franchise, Kaelyn opted to sit this activity out. She sat nearby, however, with a book that she finally grabbed from the ever-growing To Be Read pile in her bedroom. Gustavo took the fourth controller and was proving himself to be surprisingly good at the game.

Gustavo knocked James over, which forced him to fall against Carlos, who fell against Kendall, who fell against Kaelyn, and cheered, “Bam! I battle blast all three of you! Taste the shame!”

The game most decidedly over, everyone tossed their controllers onto the coffee table.

“Yeah, you sure showed us,” Kendall grumbled.

Looking around in confusion, Carlos asked, “Hey. Where’s Logan?”

“I haven’t seen him for a half hour,” James frowned.

‘The lucky bastard probably escaped,’ Kaelyn thought bitterly to herself.

That thought quickly disappeared when she heard muffled cries. Painful ones, at that. Gustavo frowned and shifted in his seat, finally registering there was something underneath him.

And when he stood up, that something was revealed to be Logan.

The four other teenagers all expressed their own disgust and incredulousness over the situation. How did Logan get stuck under Gustavo? How did Gustavo not notice Logan was under him until now (because Logan had literally left an imprint in the couch cushion because of how long he was under there)? And how did Logan survive this long?

“My bad,” was all Gustavo said to the shuddering Logan.

“Okey, guys, time for bed!” Jennifer proclaimed.

The teenagers weren’t often happy to hear it was their bedtime and would often try to barter with Jennifer to stay up longer. But tonight, they were more than happy to call it a night.

“And, Gustavo, here is a pillow and blanket for you,” Jennifer offered him the makeshift bedding for the couch.

“Pillow fight!” Gustavo cheered.

James ended up being on the receiving end of Gustavo’s rather zealous pillow swinging, being knocked onto the couch. But he didn’t land on the couch cushions. He landed on another body. A feminine body. Realizing he was on top of Kaelyn, he scrambled to get off of her.

“No! No pillow fight!” Jennifer quickly voiced her objection.

“Boo!” Gustavo could be heard whining as James helped Kaelyn to her feet.

“Off to bed!” Jennifer ordered the group.

As the teenagers made their way to their respective bedrooms, Gustavo made his way to the couch. But before everyone could leave, he said something that made everyone change their minds about the way the evening unfolded:

“You know, if my mansion hadn’t flooded, I would’ve been sitting alone all night writing songs. So… thanks. This was, uh… fun.”

Kaelyn gave Gustavo a small smile as he fell asleep on the couch after his declaration. He was clearly someone who was able to fall asleep the second his head hit the pillow.

“You see, one night with Gustavo didn’t kill you,” Jennifer stated to the teenagers.

**

They soon found their minds changed in the middle of the night as five very exhausted teenagers stared in disbelief and annoyance at the slumbering Gustavo on the couch. Logan still held a pillow over his head, having tried in vain to block out the noise that had originally awoken the group.

Gustavo Rocque, as it turned out, was a very heavy snorer.

“I thought he was loud when he was awake!” Logan hissed, throwing his pillow to the ground.

“How am I supposed to get my beauty sleep?!” James raged.

“I said sing it in the key of G!” Gustavo yelled, not once stirring from his slumber.

“He yells in his sleep?!” Kendall and Kaelyn voiced their own disbelief.

Watching his mother walk past, Kendall tried saying to her, “Mum, can you believe this?!”

But Jennifer didn’t hear her son. In fact, she didn’t acknowledge the teenagers until she turned away from the sink after getting herself a drink of water. And the reason she didn’t hear her son was because she was wearing a pair of noise-cancelling headphones.

Misunderstanding what her son wanted, Jennifer pointed to her headphones, “Oh, these? Sorry, I gave my other pair to Katie.”

The teenagers could only gape as Jennifer calmly walked back to her bedroom with her cup of water. Although, for Kaelyn, it explained why Katie – a notoriously light sleeper – wasn’t standing next to them actively plotting Gustavo’s murder.

“Do it the way I say! Do it!” Gustavo wasn’t just yelling in his sleep. He was twitching.

“We have got to do something!” James proclaimed.

Carlos’ answer was to look murderous as he seemingly manifested a roll of duct tape from out of thin air.

“Not that!” Kaelyn hissed.

Even if she was convinced no jury would convict a quintet of sleep-deprived teenagers for murdering their boss.

**

Kendall had a better idea. Well… it would be better to say that Kendall had an idea. It just wasn’t necessarily a better one.

As they all stepped off the elevator carrying pillows and sleeping bags, James asked his best friend in disbelief, “Seriously? Sleeping in the lobby?”

“You’ve got a better idea?!” Kendall challenged him.

“We do actually,” James and Kaelyn rapidly retorted.

“What about the Palm Woods Ghost?” Carlos whimpered.

“There’s no such things as ghosts,” Logan dismissed him.

Although, the group were quick to give the ghost theory another consideration when not only the lights suddenly went out, but the French doors leading to the pool area slammed shut on their own accord. Much like they had done earlier during the fireside jam session earlier that night. The five teenagers jumped and yelled at the sound.

“What’s that?” Kaelyn whimpered.

The group slowly turned to the sound of wood creaking. Someone was coming. And that someone was holding a candle while wearing a nightgown and cap. Something reminiscent to those old movies Kaelyn remembered watching (or at least movies set in a certain era).

“Get the ghost!” Carlos and Kaelyn screamed.

The others did not need further prompting. They were all acting on fear as they jumped the mysterious figure, using their pillows to knock them down. By some miracle, the candle the person was carrying had been extinguished without anything catching on fire.

When they were all back on their feet, they were shocked to see who the ‘ghost’ turned out to be.

“Mr. Bitters?!” Kendall gaped.

“You’re the ghost?!” Carlos asked.

“Keep your voice down!” Mr. Bitters hissed. “If people hear ghost, then people move out; and if people move out, there’ll be no more Palm Woods.”

“Well, technically, it would become a bit of a tourist attraction,” Kaelyn pondered. “Haunted locations are massively popular.”

All male occupants of the lobby shot the lone female occupant indecipherable looks. All Kaelyn did was shrug as if to say what she said was the truth.

Logan decided to reiterate what he had been saying all along: “There isn’t a ghost. This is just a power outage. There’s nothing to be scared of.”

Kaelyn almost groaned when Logan said those last words. Anytime someone puts something like that out into the universe, the universe treats it as a challenge. And this time, the challenge came in the form of the vase with fake flowers suddenly fall to the floor, shattering on impact. They all turned in the direction of the sound, shouting in fear.

But when they did, they laid witness to something that only made their fear grow. The furniture in the lobby had been rearranged. The tables and chairs stacked in a pile in the middle of the room. And there was no sign of the culprit.

“Who did that?” Carlos whimpered.

Okay. Even Logan had to concede that there was no logical explanation for this one.

When the French doors slammed shut once more (when had they opened?), everyone in the lobby screamed and raced away in different directions.

For the five teenagers, they ended up seeking refuge back in the apartment they had fled not long ago. They thought they had fled the horror, but were instead treated to the sight of Gustavo bending over scratching his butt (which was thankfully still clothed in the music producer’s sleep pants).

Hearing the horrified yells from the teenagers, Gustavo calmly said, “Guys, people are trying to sleep!”

Kaelyn could not believe how her boss could be so unaware of being the cause of their awake…ness. (Kaelyn cursed her present sleep deprivation for making her brain so sluggish.)

“We can’t stay here,” she whispered to the boys.

Kendall sighed as he conceded to James and Kaelyn, “What’s your better idea?”

**

That better idea involved having James and Kaelyn lead the group to an apartment that was at the opposite end of the building, but still located on the same floor. Kendall, Carlos and Logan only watched in confusion as James searched for something while Kaelyn checked something on a clipboard.

“We’re good?” James whispered to her.

“Yeah, there’s no one here,” Kaelyn nodded.

Satisfied with the confirmation, James located the key he had been searching for and unlocked the door to Apartment… actually, they couldn’t tell what the apartment’s official number us.

“What is this place?” Logan asked.

“It’s a hideaway. For teen couples,” Kaelyn answered.

The three other teenagers gaped in shocked when they got a real good look at the studio apartment. While it wasn’t rundown – or at least as rundown as their apartment had been pre-renovation – it was clearly not occupied on a regular basis. At least nothing more than overnight stays. And it didn’t belong to anyone in particular. Anyone was free to use it.

Seeing everything in the room that was most decidedly for teen couples to do all sorts of activities, Kendall felt the urge to ask, “And how do you two know about this?”

Kaelyn shrugged, “The Jennifers told me.”

“Camille told me thinking Kaelyn and I were dating,” James added.

“And did you tell her that would never, ever happen?” Kendall’s question was pointed.

James was barely able to cover the hurt he felt at Kendall’s adamant statement. Kaelyn, meanwhile, didn’t bother suppressing her eyeroll. Kendall’s threats were a moot point now anyway since she was in a relationship with someone else.

“So, we set an alarm to be back at 2J by a set time?” Kaelyn asked.

The boys nodded in agreement, already trying to decide where they would sleep for the next few hours. The only thing they could agree on was Kaelyn taking the bed.

**

The sun arose over Los Angeles and Gustavo was awoken by the sun’s rays peeking through the blinds. Rising from the couch, he yawned, “What a beautiful morning!”

He was barely given the time to wake up before he was accosted by a group of teenagers.

“And here’s your suitcase,” Kendall began, shoving the suitcase into Gustavo’s hands.

Kaelyn appeared next, slipping some pieces of paper into the suitcase’s front pocket, “Some potential song ideas for you to look at.”

Logan offered another piece of paper to Gustavo, explaining, “Turn-by-turn directions back to your mansion.”

James appeared next, placing a blue box on top of Gustavo’s suitcase, “And a box of fish sticks for the road.”

Gustavo frowned at the group. Logan was dressed in a pair of jeans and green t-shirt, while Kendall, James and Kaelyn were dressed in swim attire, highlighting their plan to spend the day by the pool. It was clear to anyone with eyes that the teens were more than eager to see Gustavo back to his home so they could enjoy what was left of their weekend in peace.

“Hey, what’s the rush? What do you dogs do on sunny Saturdays?” Gustavo asked.

Carlos appeared carrying a tripod with a camera attached, explaining, “Well, I’m going ghost hunting to prove to Lo-ho-gan that the Palm Woods Ghost is real.”

“And I’m going with him to prove that there are no ghosts, and I’d ask you to join us, but I don’t want to,” Logan said.

Logan and Carlos then scurried out of the apartment, not wanting to be stuck with Gustavo for the whole day. They had no qualms throwing James, Kendall and Kaelyn under the bus where that issue was concerned. The three remaining teenagers scrambled to get the rest of their pool supplies. Their towels (which they draped over their shoulders), pool noodles, and bags filled with sunscreen and other activities for them to do when they didn’t feel like swimming.

“And we’re going to the pool,” Kendall stated.

“Again, it was swell hanging out with you last night!” James beamed. “But…”

“Bye!” all three teenagers said.

**

The three teenagers were chatting happily and laughing as they raced down to the pool. They had done it. They had gotten rid of Gustavo. The weekend was theirs after a hard day’s night.

Or was it?

They stopped in their tracks when they saw an unpleasant sight: Gustavo chilling on a sun lounger with a coconut drink and spare sun loungers near him.

“You guys should’ve taken the stairs! Much faster! I saved you seats!” Gustavo stated happily.

Kaelyn sighed through gritted teeth to the boys, “We can do this.”

“We’re nice people,” Kendall recalled what their mother said.

“And it won’t kill us,” James finished with an equally strained smile.

**

Well, as it turned out, spending the day with Gustavo at the Palm Woods pool did indeed almost kill them.

It started innocently enough. Kendall had invited Jo over to his table to join him for a game of checkers he was setting up. It was an invitation Jo was more than happy to accept, happy to spend more time with Kendall. But she was barely able to sit, never mind make the first move of the game, before she found herself being knocked out of her seat. Kendall could only look on in disbelief when Gustavo took her place and made the first move on the checkers board. Clearly, he wanted to be Kendall’s opponent for this game.

Kendall could only hide his face in his hands.

James was sitting at his sun lounger reading a magazine before taking a dip in the pool. It was part of his routine. Then, a girl came to sit next to him. She was the girl who had arrived at the Palm Woods the night the guys had sworn off fighting over girls after the disaster fighting over Jo. James had his earphones in and was listening to music on his MP3 player, but when he saw the girl (he was pretty sure her name was Rachel) hold up the bottle of sunscreen, it was easy to tell what she wanted.

She sat on the sun lounger next to him, turning her back to him and pulling her hair over one shoulder. Clearly, she wanted James to apply the sunscreen on the parts of her back and shoulder that she couldn’t reach. It was something that James was more than happy to help her with. He didn’t turn away from the pool after putting the sunscreen on his hands and moving to apply it. But rather than feeling soft skin, he felt hairy skin. He frowned, thinking he was putting the sunscreen in the wrong spot.

He screamed in horror and fled when he saw that he was actually applying the sunscreen to Gustavo’s balding head.

Kaelyn was reading her book, taking a sip of the refreshing beverage that was always supplied by the pool. She wanted to finish the chapter she was on before she went for a swim. She leaned forward in her seat, clearly captivated by what she was reading. She really wanted to see how this scene ended. She reached next to her, thinking she was getting Camille’s attention. After all, the two girls were reading the book series together (Camille heard it had the potential to be turned into a movie series and wanted to be prepared for the upcoming audition).

She screamed when she didn’t find Camille next to her, but Gustavo.

“You know, we could end up being called to write the soundtrack,” Gustavo offered helpfully.

Kaelyn would be touched to see that he was including her if she wasn’t actively recovering from her jump scare.

But the worst part would come when the majority of the teenagers were in the pool itself. They were all having a good time. Tossing balls around. Chatting. Laughing. Overall, being teenagers. Kaelyn even found herself having a good time with Neil, in spite of the fight they had the previous day. At least until he went to grab her somewhere she wasn’t comfortable.

However, before she could say anything, an all-too-familiar voice screamed:

“Cannonball!”

All the teenagers screamed in horror and scrambled out of the way as Gustavo did indeed do a cannonball into the pool. But their efforts would turn out to be for naught.

Gustavo was laughing joyfully as he broke the surface of the water before frowning and asking, “Where’d everybody go?”

The force of his cannonball sent everyone flying out of the pool to varying locations. James was even clinging to the gazebo structure for dear life.

“Oh.”

**

Carlos seemed to be blissfully unaware of everything that was happening in the pool area as he set up his camera in the lobby.

“Oh. Now, we run the lobby cam 24/7 for evidence of ghostly activity,” Carlos smiled into the camera.

Logan shoved Carlos out of the way and adjusted the camera himself before speaking into it: “Day one, three minutes into the investigation. Paranormal prognosis? Carlos is stupid.”

Carlos hit Logan in the arm, clearly not appreciating his comment. But their brief squabble was over before it could start as their attention was caught by the crowd of people gathering at the front desk. Clearly, they were all eager to lodge their complaints over the recent happenings to Mr. Bitters.

“The Palm Woods is not haunted!” Mr. Bitters reinforced his message.

A man, clearly a new resident, told Mr. Bitters firmly, “My daughter and I did not come here to be woken up by strange noises and slamming doors!”

Carlos smirked at Logan. Clearly, there was someone else on his side who believed there was something else was wrong at the Palm Woods. Something that could not be explained away logically. Something supernatural.

“We’re having an electrical problem with the plumbing, and it will be fixed today,” Mr. Bitters promised.

Logan tapped Carlos on the helmet. Clearly, there was still no such thing as ghosts. There was a logical explanation for everything happening.

A teenage girl proclaimed, “It’s a ghost!”

It led to a squabble between Carlos and Logan as the other irate guests agreed with the girl’s declaration.

“No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. There is no ghost,” Mr. Bitters was quick to object. “But I will be offering a free in-room movie for any inconvenience.”

It was clear the ghosts weren’t entirely satisfied with Mr. Bitters’ explanation, but they were willing to let sleeping dogs lie for the time being. Besides, they were being offered some form of compensation for the inconvenience they were experiencing. And in-room movies weren’t cheap. They’d take what they could get.

The teenage girl walked away with her father, but stopped to offer a smile and wave to Carlos and Logan.

“New girl. Nice,” both boys smiled in approval.

Mr. Bitters raced over to Carlos and Logan, demanding, “What is taking so long? We have to catch that ghost!”

Clearly, despite what he was saying to the irate guests, he did indeed believe the Palm Woods was being haunted by a ghost.

“Ghost hunting takes patience and poise, so don’t pressure me!” Carlos snapped at him.

Mr. Bitters rolled his eyes before moving to stand next to Carlos behind the camera setup. Logan stood in front of the lens to voice his opinion once more.

“It’s 2:03 and there are no such things as ghosts, and Carlos is still stupid!” Logan smirked.

“Get out of here!” Carlos shoved Logan out of the shot. “Okay. Now, we just press record and look for anything unusual.”

With the camera now recording, all three men (well, one man and two boys) watched the small screen attached to the handheld camera closely. They were looking for any and all signs of ghostly activity. (Well, Carlos and Mr. Bitters were. Logan was looking forward to the opportunity to further prove that ghosts don’t exist.)

Seeing an eerie green figure move across the screen – one that was not in the lobby in real life – sent them running off in different directions screaming their heads off.

**

Gustavo continued to be blissfully unaware of the trouble he was causing as he, Kendall, Kaelyn and James made their way back to Apartment 2J.

“Oh, I can see why you guys love that pool,” Gustavo remarked, “but I’m surprised you don’t have more friends.”

“Yeah, they all washed away!” James snarked.

Kendall and Kaelyn were shooting Gustavo their own looks of frustration. Looks that Gustavo was conveniently unaware of.

“So, what’s for dinner?” Gustavo demanded. “I say Fish Stick Saturday. Fish Stick Saturday!”

Wow. They really got Gustavo hooked on fish sticks.

“Don’t!” Everyone looked at Kaelyn in surprise as she snapped in a manner that Gustavo would. Adopting a calmer voice and a sweet smile, Kaelyn finished her question, “…you think your mansion is unflooded by now?”

Turning Gustavo to face the couch, James was quick to nod in agreement to Kaelyn’s question, “Yeah, you don’t want to sleep on that ugly couch again. You need to be in your own comfy bed.” James was also quick to offer Gustavo his suitcase back.

“Yeah, don’t you miss the comforts of your home and not ours?” Kendall asked pointedly, shoving the box of fish sticks at Gustavo’s chest.

Gustavo pondered the teenagers’ words, “You know what? You dogs are right. I miss my things.”

**

Unfortunately for them, Gustavo took their words in a different way. That different way involved Gustavo hiring people to bring his bed to Apartment 2J, setting up the living area like his bedroom. Complete with the bedside table and a rug at the foot of the bed Kaelyn hoped didn’t come from an actual cow.

“Thanks again, fellas!” Gustavo said happily, now dressed in proper button-up pyjamas.

“You asked if you missed his bed?!” Jennifer asked them in disbelief.

“This is not what we meant!” Kendall and Kaelyn defended themselves.

“Pillow fight!” Gustavo cheered.

James reacted fast when he saw that Kaelyn was in the line of fire this time. He pulled her into his chest and spun them around, holding her close as the pillow flew harmlessly past them. Still holding each other, the two teenagers watched in disbelief as Gustavo danced happily on his bed before falling down with a massive thud.

Clearly, they had failed to get rid of their unwanted houseguest.

**

Things had not gotten better by the following morning. Gustavo was still there, and there was no getting rid of him.

Sitting next to James excitedly, Gustavo asked amidst his laughter, “Oh, and remember when I bumped into Kendall and spilled my oatmeal?”

Turning away from his mother, who stood in the kitchen with a damp towel, Kendall glared at the record producer as he gestured to the oatmeal stain on his shirt, “Yeah, ‘cause it happened, like, two minutes ago!”

“Good times, man! Good times!” Gustavo beamed.

Kaelyn almost choked on the bit of oatmeal she was eating when she saw Gustavo hit James on his back between his shoulder blades. The force of the impact sent James flying forward, with his face landing in the bowl of oatmeal he was eating out of. Some even got into his hair. Even Kendall and Jennifer exchanged worried looks, knowing that James was dangerously close to exploding.

Katie, meanwhile, was amused by what she was seeing. “This is better than pay-per-view.”

Barely keeping a lid on his own temper, James asked with a false calm demeanour, “So, tell me, is your mansion unflooded now?”

“Funny you should ask,” Gustavo began. “I just got a call from the crew, and they said it’s gonna take another day… or five.”

“What?!”

This time, there was nothing to stop James from exploding as he rose to his feet, a dangerous look on his face as he stared Gustavo down. Since Kendall was still getting the oatmeal cleaned off his shirt by their mother, and Katie was still enjoying the scene unfolding in front of her, Kaelyn needed to be the one to take action and stop James from doing something he would regret.

“James, did you see that cool thing in the hallway?!”

Okay. Not the best excuse Kaelyn ever came up with, but it did its job. It got James away from Gustavo.

“Fox,” Kaelyn began saying as she shut the front door.

But there would be nothing to stop James’ rant. “He snores all night, scares Rachel away, and oatmeal face?!” Wait. There was actually something that would interrupt James’ rant as he took out his handheld mirror and stated, “Which is actually good for my complexion.”

“Seriously?” Kaelyn rolled her eyes.

She suddenly found herself jostled as James gripped her shoulders and practically screamed in her face, “But I can’t take five more days!”

“And you think I can?!” Kaelyn retorted, shrugging herself out of Gustavo’s grip. “Look. We’re nearly adults, so I say it’s time we start acting like adults and handle this properly.”

James smiled at Kaelyn. That was a plan they could get behind.

**

It turned out that Kaelyn’s idea of handling this like adults involved her, Kendall and James summoning Kelly to the Palm Woods and pleading with her to do something about their unwanted houseguest.

Kelly, meanwhile, was trying to make sense of what was happening. “What is Gustavo still doing here? He’s supposed to be in his mansion alone writing a new song.”

“Yeah, he flooded his mansion,” James reminded her.

“I know that, and now it’s unflooded. I told him last night he could go back,” Kelly revealed.

“Wait,” Kaelyn stammered in shock. “His mansion’s fixed?”

“He just told us it wasn’t ready,” Kendall added.

A horrified look appeared on Kelly’s face as she pleaded, “Please tell me he’s not running around, having fun and playing.”

“Tag and seek!” Kelly’s answer came in the form of Gustavo appearing and knocking her over before running off again screaming, “Kelly’s it!”

Kaelyn was quick to help Kelly back to her feet.

“What is tag and seek?” the confusion in James’ voice was clear.

Dusting herself off, Kelly revealed to the teenagers, “You guys need to understand that Gustavo didn’t play games with kids growing up. His mum made him practice piano all day.”

Kaelyn moaned at Kelly’s words. She did wonder about the type of childhood Gustavo had for him to turn out like this, and it actually explained so much about her boss.

“See, now I feel kind of bad,” Kendall admitted.

James didn’t actually say the words, but the look on his own face told the group that he agreed with Kendall. He too felt bad for the type of childhood Gustavo experienced. As someone who had an… interesting childhood himself, it was something he could certainly relate to.

“Well, don’t!” Kelly snapped at them.

“Right,” the three teenagers nodded.

“He needs to get back to the mansion and write songs from the album, or there will be no album,” Kelly told them seriously.

Adopting a serious demeanour of his own, James nodded, “Got it. What do we do?”

Kelly laid out her plan: “Here’s the plan. Number one: I’m gonna go back to the studio. Two: you guys get Gustavo back to the mansion and make sure he writes a song and solve everything.”

Kelly then proceeded to take off before the teenagers could realize what she had done. But Kaelyn caught on quicker than the boys did, because she shouted to the older woman’s retreating form, “That’s low, Kelly!”

“Marco Polo!”

Kaelyn screamed when she felt something colliding with her back, forcing her to the ground. From the sounds next to her, she knew that James and Kendall experienced the same thing. Lifting her head from the ground, she saw the red balls rolling around, and she figured out that, much like Gustavo had confused the games tag and hide-and-seek, he had confused the games Marco Polo and dodgeball.

“No hit backs!”

“What game is he playing?!” Kendall demanded as the group pushed themselves up.

The group then ran into the lobby, where they encountered Carlos and Logan on another day of ghost hunting.

“Hey, we need help getting Gustavo back to his mansion,” Kendall told the duo.

“Yeah, well, we need help getting rid of a ghost!” Carlos retorted.

Mr. Bitters quickly appeared to say, “There is no ghost! There is no ghost!”

The girl from earlier appeared next to Carlos as she countered, “Yes, there is, and this place is freaking me out!”

James and Kendall watched the girl walk away before fist-bumping, “New girl. Nice.”

They then growled in frustration and stormed off towards the elevators. Clearly, they weren’t going to get any help from Carlos and Logan.

“We have to get rid of that ghost!” Mr. Bitters said into the camera.

“Don’t worry. We’ll catch it tonight,” Carlos beamed, pulling out a green net.

“With a fishing net?” Logan scoffed.

“An ecto-net!” Carlos was quick to correct him.

Mr. Bitters rolled his eyes and walked away as Carlos and Logan began bickering over whether it was a fishing net or an ecto-net. He couldn’t believe the future of the Palm Woods was resting in their hands.

**

James and Kendall decided they were going to try a scheme that Kaelyn quickly came up with in the elevator on the way back to Apartment 2J. Something she learned about Gustavo is that he was a control freak when it came to their songs. If he felt Kaelyn was doing something wrong, he would swoop in and show her how to do it correctly (read: take over completely). It was something he was working on, but it was also something Kaelyn knew she could exploit.

So, while he was playing a game in the living room (he even took over their TV and gaming consoles), the three teenagers came over.

“Hey, Gustavo. I’ve got an idea for a song you can put into the album,” Kaelyn beamed.

When she was certain Gustavo had shifted his attention to them, she stamped her foot to count the boys in like a makeshift metronome before James and Kendall proceeded to sing in perfect harmony.

Please don’t stay another moment
We don’t wanna hear more words spoken
Walk out through the door

“Oh look!” Kendall mock-gasped.

“It’s open!” James screamed.

And you snore in the dark
And it’s freaking us out

It was a tense few moments as Gustavo pondered the song he just had performed before him.

“Bad, right?” James asked.

“Terrible,” Kendall nodded in agreement.

“You know what? You should probably go back to the mansion and write a new song,” Kaelyn suggested.

“A better song for the album,” James added.

James and Kendall even did the added thing of holding up the suitcase and box of fish sticks (which were surely inedible by now, having been out of the freezer for way too long) for Gustavo to take.

Gustavo, however, just shrugged and said, “Nah, let’s go with yours.”

The three teenagers were dejected as Gustavo calmly resumed his game, making a comment about how he was skiing through the Alps. They just walked away, determined to come up with another plan to get rid of Gustavo.

Kaelyn still took the moment to whack the boys up the head.

“You told us you could insult it!” Kendall reminded her.

That didn’t mean she’d like hearing it.

**

It was now 10:53pm, and Kendall, James and Kaelyn weren’t the only ones staying up late for their schemes. Although, Carlos and Logan were preparing to spend the night camping out in the lobby alongside Mr. Bitters, looking for any sign of the Palm Woods ghost.

“Okay, it’s day two. 10:53pm. Me, Bitters and Loggan are gonna sleep in the lobby in hopes to catch the ghost,” Carlos whispered into the camera.

Sitting up in his sleeping bag, Logan hissed at Carlos, “There are no ghosts!” He went to lay back down, but he sat up to glare at Mr. Bitters when he heard a fart next to him. “Dude!”

Mr. Bitters only said coyly, “Did you hear that? It was the ghost.”

“Bitters just ripped one,” Carlos stated into the camera.

He then climbed into his sleeping bag and settled in for the night.

**

Upstairs, in Apartment 2J, Gustavo was still snoring his head off in the living room. But if the three teenagers had their way, this would not continue for long. Dressed in their own pyjamas, Kendall, James and Kaelyn wheeled over a stretcher to rest next to Gustavo’s bed as they whispered their plan to each other.

“We roll Gustavo onto the stretcher,” Kaelyn began.

“Roll him back to his mansion and in front of his piano,” Kendall continued.

“Then, he writes a song and we get our crib back,” James finished, exchanging fist bumps with the twins.

It certainly seemed simple enough, but the execution wasn’t as simple. One would think the teenagers would have learned by now. But nothing stopped them from trying to roll Gustavo onto the stretcher. They were being as careful as possible, not wanting to wake Gustavo as they rolled him over. This, however, was where everything started going wrong.

“Got his legs?” Kaelyn asked her twin.

“Too far!” Kendall gasped.

“Lose him! Lose him!” James told them.

Unfortunately, nothing was able to stop Gustavo from rolling off the stretcher completely and falling on top of the three teenagers, who were promptly entangled in the white sheet that had covered the record producer.

Hearing his continued snores, Kaelyn asked her co-conspirators in amazement, “How is he still asleep?”

**

In the lobby, the three people currently camped out were going to find their sleep disrupted. It was now 12:21am, so they had made it a little bit past midnight with no sign of the supposed ghost. But that would so changed when they heard a bang. One that was loud enough to stir them all awake. The source of the bang turned out to be the front doors into the lobby slamming shut. But at this stage, they had no way of knowing that.

“What was that?!” Logan gasped.

Carlos and Mr. Bitters were as startled as he was.

They ended up gasping in fear when they felt their blankets being pulled away from them, leaving them exposed. How did that happen? But this spooky incident turned out to be nothing compared to what they were about to encounter. A ghostly figure looming over them as the wind blew around them and the thunder clapped, even though there was not a cloud in the sky.

“Mummy!” Mr. Bitters and Carlos screamed at varying times as they all fled.

Nobody knew where Mr. Bitters had fled to. He probably sought refuge in his office or the apartment that is set aside for managers. But it was clear where Logan and Carlos had fled to. They fled all the way back to Apartment 2J, seeking refuge in their home.

But for a brief, horrifying moment, they feared that they ran right into the ghosts’ grip. The ghost was waiting for them in their home. At least, that’s what they thought when they saw an ominous white figure in the middle of the living room, very much moving like a ghost. Their screams intensified as Carlos jumped into Logan’s arms.

“Oh, it’s just us!” Kendall snapped as he, James and Kaelyn were finally able to free themselves from the white sheet.

“And Gustavo, who’s still here!” the irritation as clear in James’ voice as he stomped his foot.

Gustavo, as it turned out, didn’t just yell in his sleep. He sang too.

And you snore in the dark
And it’s freaking us out!

“Wow. I write catchy tunes,” Kaelyn mused to herself.

“Come on!” Kendall snapped in frustration.

That turned out to be what started stirring Gustavo from his slumber. Not wanting to deal with Gustavo or explain how he ended up where he did, the five teenagers fled the apartment into the hallway.

“I cannot believe we can’t get rid of Gustavo!” Kendall ranted.

“Yeah, well, I can’t believe we can’t get rid of the ghost!”

James, Kendall and Kaelyn looked at Logan in disbelief. They couldn’t believe those words had come out of Logan’s mouth of all places.

“You believe in ghosts?” they asked him in disbelief.

“I believe in the doo-doos in my pants,” was Logan’s response.

Kaelyn winced. Looks like Logan had the shit scared out of him. Literally.

“GHOST!”

The group parted in the hallways in an image that evoked Moses parting the Red Sea as Mr. Bitters raced through the hallways, screaming about the ghost that haunted the Palm Woods. There was no denying it anymore. Kaelyn clung to James’ outstretched arm, which he had pressed across her body to keep her pinned to the wall and out of Mr. Bitters’ path.

Once they pushed themselves off the wall, James stated, “We haven’t failed this bad since we lost to Duluth East in hockey 8-1.”

“Right! That was the game Kendall and I got ejected from for unsportsmanlike mooning!” Carlos happily recalled.

Kendall had a fond smile of his own. Even if they had lost that game, as James so eloquently pointed out, that was still a good memory.

It also evoked something that enabled him to come up with a way to solve all of their problems.

“Wait a minute! That’s it!” Kendall suddenly cried.

“We should moon Gustavo and the ghost?” James frowned.

Kaelyn caught onto what Kendall was trying to say, “Wait. Kendall’s right. You guys beat Duluth East later in the finals because you were all back on the ice.”

“As a team,” the boys finished her train of thought. They were finally starting to understand.

Although, Carlos may have misunderstood: “Right! We’re gonna team moon them!”

Kaelyn allowed herself a small smile and chuckle at Carlos’ words.

“Almost. We’re gonna team up,” Kendall corrected him.

The five teenagers then piled their hands in the middle and commenced their latest scheme.

**

The first part of their scheme involved dealing with the Palm Woods ghost. They feared that as long as this ghost stayed, the more disruptions their plans to get rid of Gustavo would experience. And Gustavo had clearly overstayed his welcome.

So, it had become clear. To get rid of Gustavo, they had to get rid of the ghost first.

It was what led them to make their way down to the lobby with vacuum cleaners strapped to their backs and goggles on their heads.

Well, that was the case for everyone except Logan, who was carrying a pillow and sleeping bag.

“Vacuum cleaners. We’re gonna trap a ghost with vacuum cleaners,” Logan deadpanned.

“No. Ecto-vacuum cleaners!” Carlos was quick to correct him.

“They trap dust mites, stale odours, and ghosts,” James smirked.

Kaelyn, who suffered from a dust mite allergy, was glad to see James specifically mention dust mites.

“So, how come I don’t get a vacuum?” Logan demanded.

Kendall’s helpful answer? “Oh, you’re the ghost bait.”

“Oh, right,” Logan nodded. Then, Kendall’s words sunk in. “W-w-w-w-what?! Why can’t Kaelyn be the bait?!”

Logan winced at the words that came out of his own mouth. Especially with the way the other three boys shot looks at him.

He had clearly forgotten their own important rule – don’t mess with Kaelyn.

**

It was now 2:53am, and Logan was once more asleep in the Palm Woods lobby. Or, rather, he was tossing and turning in his sleeping bag, for the hard floor did not allow for a comfortable sleep. In the end, he sat up and began talking to his four best friends, who he knew were hiding in various areas of the lobby waiting for their trap to work.

“So, are we gonna be taking turns as ghost bait? Guys? Okay, I’m alone and scared! I would really like some…” Logan got the company he did not want: company in the form of the Palm Woods ghost. “The ghost! Ghost!”

The other four teenagers sprung into action, having been waiting for the ghost to make an appearance. And it only took two hours.

“Stop right there!” Kendall ordered, pointing the nozzle of his vacuum at the ghost.

“Wow, you’re a really freaky ghost!” Kaelyn gasped out.

“Ecto-vacuums, go!” James ordered.

When the ghost ran away, Carlos screamed, “Get it!”

And that led to a chase around the lobby of the Palm Woods that lasted several minutes. The tides kept shifting during this chase. Sometimes, the five teenagers would chase the ghost. Sometimes, the ghost would be chasing them. They all ran in different directions, hiding from each other as best they could.

It all came to an end when they all found themselves colliding in the centre of the lobby. All parties involved were moving backwards, watching for each other. Ready to strike. Then, their backs bumped together and they found themselves face to face.

Now was the time to strike.

“Blast it!” they all screamed.

The four teenagers who were armed with vacuums focused their fire power on the ghost standing before them. It enabled Kaelyn to get a closer look at the ghost. Covered in white fabric. Giant hands. Giant head. Definitely really creepy. Enough to inspire fear in anyone who looked at it.

But that all changed when the white fabric was vacuumed off the shapeless form and revealed the true face underneath.

“The new girl?!” they all gasped in shock as the lights came on.

“You were the ghost?!” the shock Logan continued to feel was clear in his voice.

“And I would’ve gotten away with it too! If it weren’t for you meddling cute, hot guys…” the new girl trailed off sheepishly. “And your badass final girl.”

As the new girl took off her helmet, Kendall demanded, “Why would you do that?!”

“I’m making a no-budget horror movie and I kind of used you guys as my cast,” the new girl explained. “Say hi to the cameras.”

She then gestured to the numerous cameras that had been set up around the Palm Woods lobby. They were disguised as security cameras, something that Mr. Bitters had talked about installing before. So, nobody would have thought twice about seeing them.

“Are you guys mad?” she asked nervously.

After thinking on it for a minute, four of the teenagers shrugged, “Nah.”

“Yes!” Logan cried, earning looks from his friends.

“Please don’t tell!” the new girl pleaded. “It’s way past my curfew and I broke a lot of Bitters’ stuff in the lobby.”

Yeah, Kaelyn most certainly did not want to see their newfound friend get stuck with the repair bill and get in trouble with her dad. And it seemed Kendall had the same idea, as he took one of her prosthetic hands.

“Sure. We won’t tell… on one condition,” Kendall smirked.

**

Gustavo was continuing to sleep soundly in the living room of Apartment 2J. He had found his way back into his bed and was continuing to snore his head off as he clung to the stuffed animal he had been given. But he would soon find his sleep disturbed once more.

But rather than disturbed by the five teenagers who were actively conspiring to get rid of him, he was disturbed by the sound of thunder clapping (again, something that was extra disturbing when you considered the clear night sky) and a bright green light.

And an ominous voice.

“Gustavo! Return to your mansion now!”

Gustavo whimpered as he stared at the ghost that was hovering over his bed. He had heard talk from the teenagers in the Palm Woods about a ghost. Of course, he had dismissed it to be a ridiculous notion. There was no such thing as ghosts.

Although, he was certainly reconsidering that notion.

“Go to your piano… and-and write some songs, uh… uh, dance songs! Some dance songs!”

Gustavo continued screaming, but he did not move from his bed.

“Return to your mansion now and write some songs!”

That did the trick. Gustavo finally scrambled out of his bed, grabbing his suitcase (and the box of fish sticks) and screamed his way out of the apartment while also clutching his stuffed animal. Along the whole way, he screamed about the ghost.

“And cut!” the girl, whose name was now known to be Stephanie, smiled as the front door slammed shut. “That’s a wrap!”

The boys emerged from their hiding places. Carlos operated the makeshift fog machine, Logan held the light projector, James held the fan, and Kendall operated the microphone with the spooky voice. Kaelyn teamed up with Stephanie to operate the ghost puppetry. They all cheered to celebrate their victory. Of course, they still had the matter of getting rid of Gustavo’s bed and putting their living room back to rights, but that could be tomorrow’s problem.

Katie and Jennifer, however, decided there was a more urgent problem to deal with.

“What is going on?! It’s 3:30 in the morning!” Katie demanded.

Taking off her own headphones, Jennifer gently told her youngest daughter, “Katie, let me handle this,” before screaming at the teenagers, “What is going on?! It’s 3:30 in the morning!”

“Mum, this is Stephanie King,” Kendall introduced the newest person in the apartment.

“She’s the Palm Woods ghost,” Logan and Carlos added.

“Hey,” Stephanie greeted the mother-daughter duo nervously.

“She helped us scare Gustavo back to his mansion!” James cheered.

Jennifer and Katie shared a fist bump as the teenagers celebrated once more. They were more than happy to overlook the early morning chaos (inhumanely early morning chaos, no less) if it meant finally being rid of their unwanted houseguest.

“So, what happens now? Gustavo writes a song and you guys do a music video?” Katie asked innocently.

Under different circumstances, they would do just that. But in this circumstance…

“We go to bed,” was Kaelyn’s response.

It was something they all agreed with. Stopping ghosts and getting rid of unwanted houseguests was exhausting work.

**

The celebrations were something that continued well into the following day at the Palm Woods pool. All of the teenagers were relaxing doing various activities.

Kendall, who was finally able to play his long-awaited game of checkers with Jo, remarked, “Well, looks like everything is back to normal.”

“Gustavo is gone!” James happily proclaimed as he moved to help Rachel apply sunscreen on her back.

“And so is the ghost.” Carlos winked at Logan. After all, he had the supposed Palm Woods ghost sitting right next to him.

“Then, we can all relax again at the Palm Woods pool,” Jo finished with a bright smile.

Those thoughts quickly disappeared when they saw the small table being moved across them once more. Everyone sat up, alert. Nervous. Ready to run.

“Stephanie,” Logan began nervously.

“It’s not me!” Stephanie raised her hands to further demonstrate her point.

The confirmation that Stephanie was not responsible for this incident was enough to send everyone running in all directions screaming their heads off. So much for being done with the Palm Woods Ghost. Perhaps the Palm Woods really is haunted.

But Stephanie knew the real culprit. She approached one of the gardens nearby and shared a smile with Katie, who appeared wearing a tree hat.

“Man, I can’t believe how much fun you can have with fishing line!” Katie beamed.

“I told you so,” Stephanie smirked, exchanging a fist bump with the younger girl.

**

The boys ended up convening in their apartment once more. But everything was forgotten when they saw Jennifer consoling a clearly distressed Kaelyn on the couch.

“Lynnie, what happened?” Kendall immediately demanded, rushing to sit on the other side of his sister.

“Neil and I had another fight,” Kaelyn sniffled. “He wouldn’t take no for an answer, so we… we broke up.”

Kendall immediately pulled his sister into his arms, exchanging a brief look with the guys. Even if Neil was a total loser, it did not make the pain of going through your first heartbreak any easier.

And they would be there to pick up the pieces.

Notes:

Yeah, I didn't include the song Shot in the Dark in this chapter. Needless to say, I'm saving it for something special. You'll see what I mean towards the end of the story.

See ya!

Chapter 17: Everything Will Be Alright

Notes:

I'm turning Neil into a massive douche here. Well... I thought I already had, but I'm turning it up a notch.

Kaelyn knew the second she uttered those words to Neil that she had done the right thing. He had been pressuring her into something she wasn’t ready for – losing her virginity – for almost the entirety of their relationship. But today was the first time he actually dared to issue an ultimatum.

“Have sex with me or we’re over.”

Finally, Kaelyn had been given an out. And she took it.

“Okay. We’re over.”

She held herself together until she returned to the sanctuary Apartment 2J provided her, and she saw her mother standing in the middle of the living room. It was obvious she was still cleaning up and trying to put everything back together after Gustavo’s extended (and unwelcome) stay.

But the moment Jennifer noticed her oldest daughter’s distress, she dropped everything she was holding.

“What happened?” Jennifer was quick to ask.

That sentence – and the way she asked it – not only showed how in tune she was with her children (biological and bonus) and their feelings, but just how much the family had changed since Kaelyn’s cancer diagnosis, a memory that was two years old (closer to three now, when they think about it) but felt like yesterday at times. Even the slightest hint of discomfort sent Jennifer dangerously close to spiralling as she remembered how helpless she felt watching Kaelyn fight a horrific disease.

“I broke up with Neil,” Kaelyn answered.

Those words broke the dam and the tears began falling. Jennifer immediately crossed the threshold and took Kaelyn into her arms. She knew what Kaelyn knew deep down. She had done the right thing breaking up with Neil. But this was still her first relationship and her first heartbreak. She still needed to be nursed through it.

And Jennifer was determined to do just that.

It was how the guys had found them when they returned to the apartment from the pool. Normally, Jennifer would be questioning it. Usually, when they went down to the pool, she wouldn’t see them for the rest of the day. But today, she wasn’t. In fact, she was thankful. She knew her daughter needed her twin and her best friends.

And they all stepped up. Kendall immediately pulled her into his own arms, subtly exchanging looks with James, Carlos and Logan. From the silent communication alone, Jennifer could tell that where they were concerned, there was no love lost with Neil. They clearly never liked him. That told Jennifer everything she needed to know (even if she already knew a lot from her daughter confiding in her).

Knowing that Kaelyn was safe in the comfort of her brother’s arms, Jennifer walked over to talk to her three bonus children privately. She was ready to put a plan into action to cheer Kaelyn up.

In fact, Jennifer was already digging through her wallet for the cash she always carried on her as she explained to the guys.

“Okay. I’m going to make homemade mac and cheese for dinner tonight,” Jennifer began telling them. “I want you guys to go out and rent some of her favourite movies, get her favourite snacks… we’re nursing a broken heart tonight. We’re going to cheer her up.”

“Got it,” all three boys nodded, their faces serious.

None of them argued when Jennifer handed them the money. They all knew it would be enough for what they wanted to do, but they were more than happy to spend money out of their own allowances. Everyone knew how tight the Knight family’s finances were – even with Gustavo helping them out significantly since their move to Los Angeles. But one look at Jennifer told them she was not in the mood to argue.

So, they took the money and went out into the hallway. They knew Kaelyn would be okay with Jennifer, Kendall and Katie.

“Okay. I’ll go to the video store and get her favourite movies,” Logan decided. “We thinking Wizard of Oz, Singin’ in the Rain?”

James was quick to nod in agreement and added, “You should add The Sound of Music in there too.”

Logan clicked his fingers and nodded in approval at James’ suggestion. Those three movies were some of Kaelyn’s all-time favourites. She loved musicals in general, but those three were the ones she always gravitated towards. (Actually, she loved classic movies full stop.)

Carlos was quick to voice his role in restoring Kaelyn’s broken heart: “I’ll go to the convenience store and get her favourite snacks.”

Carlos didn’t need to offer up suggestions. They all knew her favourite snacks. And they also worked out that, since Jennifer didn’t mention anything about the ingredients she usually used for homemade mac and cheese (Kaelyn’s favourite meal), she already had everything she needed for the meal.

Logan suddenly stopped and asked James, “Wait. What are you gonna do?” He was the only one without a job.

“I’ll get something to cheer her up,” James decided.

While the boys were talking, he was counting through the money he had. Not just the money Jennifer had given him, but the money he already had on him. He decided it was enough for what he wanted to do. And when he told Logan and Carlos of his plan, they were quick to agree.

But when they got to the lobby, before they could disband, Carlos asked, “Wait. What do we do if one of us bumps into Neil?”

Both he and Logan tactically decided to ignore the murderous look that crossed James’ face at the question. They could only hope that James didn’t see Neil first.

The question was left unanswered as the trio went their separate ways. Logan and Carlos walked off in the same direction. The video store and convenience store were within walking distance of the Palm Woods and were next door to one another. James, however, needed a cab to get to his location. So, he was walking towards the taxi stand that was located in front of the Palm Woods.

Quietly, Carlos said to Logan, “Hopefully, James will tell Kaelyn how he feels.”

Logan looked at Carlos in brief surprise. Emphasis on brief. He shouldn’t have been surprised that Carlos picked up on James and Kaelyn having feelings for each other. Carlos was always a people person.

And Logan had picked up on it too. But he still said, “You know how Kendall would feel about that.”

Carlos sighed sadly. He did know how Kendall would feel about James and Kaelyn dating. Even though they all knew that for James, things would be different. One would only need to see the way James looked at her.

But Kendall would always be blinded by James’ success with the ladies. Even though he always treated each of his former girlfriends well and was able to end most of his relationships on amicable terms. (He’s still friendly with a lot of his exes.) Kendall would only see the revolving door of girlfriends, and he did not want his sister to be one of them.

Even though, as has been stated, anyone with eyes could see how James looked at Kaelyn and how Kaelyn looked at James. It would be meaningful. Everything a relationship should be.

But neither of them were going to comment on this. Not right now. Not when everything was still raw for Kaelyn.

So, instead, they focused on their respective missions.

**

Jennifer busied herself in the kitchen. Looking at the time, she saw that it had alluded the group; therefore, it was dinnertime. Or at least close enough to warrant the commencement of preparations.

The household was no stranger to mac and cheese, but it was rare for Jennifer to go the full length of making it herself rather than relying on the packet version. This recipe was even complete with breadcrumbs sprinkled on top of it. Plus, it was made with love. Like everything Jennifer makes.

Putting the water on the boil to cook the pasta, Jennifer watched as Kaelyn snuggled on the couch with her two siblings. It evoked a memory in her mind.

Begin flashback

Jennifer rubbed her tired face with a hand as she stared at the paperwork sprawled out before her. Whenever people talked about children battling cancer, they always seemed to forget to mention the strain that is put on the parents. Especially when the medical bills start rolling in.

She had a job, but with a boss that was always looking for ways to shortchange his staff in terms of the benefits he was meant to provide. So, that left her with benefits that ultimately proved to be not very beneficial. Covering a small amount of Kaelyn’s life-saving treatment.

It seemed as though Jennifer was going to drown in medical bills. She heard Kendall talk about getting himself a part-time job or giving up his extracurriculars to ease the burden on his single mother. Especially since their father seemed to be pulling every trick in the book to get out of paying child support. You can’t force money from a man you can’t find.

The only thing Jennifer succeeded in doing was talking Kendall out of giving up hockey. But she knew that she hadn’t talked him out of getting a part-time job when he wasn’t at school or hockey practice. However, if there was one thing this experience has taught her, it was to take all the wins she could get, no matter how small.

Looking at the clock, Jennifer decided she could continue looking at this in the morning. Fresh eyes may even help. She meticulously hid the documents, not wanting to worry her children or make Kaelyn feel guilty for something beyond her control.

Walking past Kaelyn’s bedroom, she gave into the urge to check on her daughter. She struggled through the night because of her treatment. It always broke Jennifer’s heart to see her oldest daughter struggling like this

But what she saw mended her broken heart slightly (because the one thing that would mend it completely was Kaelyn getting to ring the bell once she completed her treatment and received the all-clear).

It appeared the Knight siblings had decided amongst themselves that they were going to have a sleepover in Kaelyn’s room. Well, the girls were the only ones sleeping. Kendall was lying on the bed (Jennifer reminded herself to ask them how all three of them managed to fit), but he was wide awake. Watching over his two sisters.

They all crowded around Kaelyn, giving her their body heat to stay warm in her restless sleep. One of the side effects of the chemotherapy left Kaelyn with an increased sensitivity to cold. So, she often had trouble keeping warm. The amount of times Jennifer would walk into the room and see her snuggle into someone (mostly Kendall or James, who often ran hot according to Kaelyn) seeing their body heat broke her heart rather than endeared it.

Katie’s back was to the door as she snuggled against her older sister, but Jennifer didn’t need to look at her youngest daughter to know that her cheeks were stained with tears. Kaelyn’s cancer diagnosis was hard on all of them, but Katie was certainly forced to grow up faster than she was meant to. And she only cried when she was alone.

Wordlessly, Kendall looked up when he sensed his mother’s presence. He knew the toll this was taking on Jennifer, even if she did her best to put on a brave face and hide it from her children. The amount of times he saw her crying at the kitchen table wondering how she was going to pay the bills. The amount of times he heard her sob her heartbreak over her daughter’s cancer diagnosis, wondering what they had done – what Kaelyn had done – to deserve such horrific news. Begging God to take the cancer away from Kaelyn and give it to her instead. Kendall saw and heard it all.

It was with this in mind that made Kendall silently communicate to his mother with a single look:

“I’ve got this.”

Nodding, Jennifer quietly blew a kiss and closed the door all the way. Her heart was still heavy, but some of the weight had been lifted.

End flashback

Shaking herself out of the involuntary flashback, Jennifer refocused her attention on the water in the saucepan, which was now beginning to boil. (Was she daydreaming that long?) Refocusing her attention on dinner, she poured the macaroni into the boiling water. She would cook the pasta and set it aside (after tossing in some butter to prevent the pasta from bloating while it baked in the sauce) before moving on to what was arguably the best part about mac and cheese: the sauce.

Looking at her kids, again, she smiled with the reassurance that everything will be alright.

But then, she heard a commotion coming from outside. Quickly crossing over to the window, Jennifer peeked through the blinds and saw the cause by the pool.

Frowning, Jennifer made a subtle signal for Kendall to get the girls away. Deciding not to question his mother, he nodded as he suggested they relocate to Kaelyn’s room, citing privacy and comfort. Kaelyn was too broken-hearted to question the sudden change of venue.

Katie, however, didn’t follow. Instead, she joined her mother at the window.

“Idiots,” she muttered to herself as she stormed down to the pool.

There was no way she was going to miss out on this.

**

When Logan walked into the video store, he went straight to the musical section for the three movies they had picked out beforehand. The Wizard of Oz. Singin’ in the Rain. The Sound of Music. All Kaelyn’s favourites. The amount of times they would catch her singing the songs to herself. Especially Over the Rainbow.

Yep, she officially needed a bit of Judy Garland to help her through her heartbreak.

Under different circumstances, Logan would struggle. He didn’t know how to help someone through heartbreak. His dating experience was limited and did not end in a way that left him heartbroken.

But he knew how to be a loyal friend. That was something he could do. He knew how to be there for someone when they needed him.

When Kaelyn was sick, he helped her stay on top of her schoolwork, favouring practical gestures of help rather than symbolic ones like shaving your head. When she found the strength, he would guide her through her assignments. She refused to let him do the work for her like he tended to with the guys.

She said she needed the distraction. Something to help her forget her plight. And schoolwork was one of the ways to do that.

Before long, Logan was walking out of the store with the three movies in hand. They were all weeklong rentals, even though he knew deep down that they would be returned within a couple of days. Generally, the Knight family liked to return the movies as soon as they were done watching them. The cashier looked at him questionably at his choice of movies. But Logan merely shrugged and said,

“A friend’s in need.”

The manager happened to be nearby and scolded the cashier for being so judgemental. He had no right to comment on the customer’s rental choices (unless it was someone who was obviously underage attempting to rent something they would not be allowed to).

Logan waited outside the convenience store next door for Carlos. There was a bit of a line, so he wasn’t able to get in and get out quickly like Logan had done. Even though Carlos had clearly made a beeline for the snacks he knew Kaelyn would like. Clearly, they were going to go all out for a movie night to help Kaelyn through her heartbreak.

Hey. Time with family and friends was certainly going to prove beneficial. Kaelyn would have the time and space to heal and cry with her loved ones around her offering support rather than judgement.

“Got it!” Carlos cheered when he met Logan outside the store, holding up his loot.

Logan chose not to comment on how Carlos chose the largest size of everything he could get.

The conversation between the duo was light as they made their way back to the Palm Woods. Neither of them talked about Kaelyn’s heartbreak. For one thing, it felt inappropriate to make comments and speculate. For another, it would fuel their anger. Something Logan rarely experienced.

But that light-hearted conversation was forgotten once they reached the lobby and heard the commotion from the pool area. Racing over, barely keeping a grip on their respective bags, they gaped at what they saw.

**

James climbed out of the cab after paying the driver (along with a tip). The item in the bag he carried weighed it down, causing the handles to dig into his fingers. But he ignored the pain.

Especially when he saw Neil by the pool acting as though nothing happened. Stoking the fire inside James.

“How dare he…?” he growled to himself.

He should have walked away, but he wasn’t known for thinking his actions through. His body acted on its own accord as he stormed over towards Neil, rage burning in his veins.

“Uh-oh,” Neil muttered to himself.

“Really?! You couldn’t even wait an hour before throwing yourself at other women?!” James asked him incredulously.

“What? She broke up with me!” Neil tried to justify himself.

“Because you tried to pressure her,” James retorted.

The girls who were sitting around Neil looked at him in disgust. Clearly, Neil was trying to put on a sob story, talking about how things between him and Kaelyn were good and then she just broke up with him out of the blue for seemingly no reason.

“So, what if I did?” Neil scoffed, rising to his feet. “I mean… everybody does it. I’d still be with her if she…”

“No, you wouldn’t,” James cut in. “I know your type.”

And James did. He knew the type of guy Neil was. He would’ve dumped Kaelyn the second she gave in. He would’ve reduced her to nothing. Make her think all she was worth was what she could give with her body. And it made James’ blood run hot. He was certain he was turning red with rage.

“Do you now?” Neil sneered.

“Yes. I do,” James spat. “And she deserves better than you. She deserves someone who won’t pressure her into something she’s not ready for.”

Neil shrugged, “Well, if she’s gonna make it in this industry, she’ll need to…”

Neil didn’t get to finish his sentence. And James didn’t realize what he was doing until he felt his fist connecting with Neil’s jaw.

All the teenagers gaped in shock as Neil stumbled backwards, almost falling into the pool from the force of the hit. Nobody moved to help him, for his true views of how he viewed women were exposed. And they were disgusted.

Well… that, and they saw the pure unadulterated rage on James’ face, and decided they did not want to get in his path.

Neil, however, did not possess that wisdom. Instead, he charged at James, aiming for below the belt. But just like James was superior to Neil in many different ways, James was a superior fighter thanks to all of his skirmishes in the hockey arena. He wasn’t going to walk away from the fight unscathed – because Neil did manage to land a few blows – but he was certainly going to walk away the victor.

The other teenagers crowded around them, providing a makeshift ring for the fight. But one thing was clear. They were all cheering for James. Whenever it looked like James was going to lose his balance, they helped him back onto his feet. Whereas with Neil… they were more than happy to see him fall flat on his ass.

Katie was the only person who could break through the crowd, using her smaller stature to her advantage. Carlos and Logan were struggling.

“Break it up!” Katie screamed, forcing herself between James and Neil.

Seemingly broken out of his trance, James stopped his actions. His priority became protecting Katie. As he pushed her behind him, other teenagers moved forward to restrain Neil.

Katie rebuked James, “She wouldn’t want you to do this!”

James could offer no words. For one thing, his own jaw hurt a little too much. He looked better than Neil did, but he still sported his own bruises. Particularly on his knuckles from the repeated blows. It showed how hard and intense the fight was that those bruises were already beginning to show.

Giving Neil one last withering look, James calmly grabbed the bag he had dropped and met with Carlos and Logan in the lobby. Neither of them dared to say anything. In fact, they were silently applauding James.

Katie, however, didn’t move to follow the teenagers. At least not until she stomped the heel of her foot hard into the softest part of Neil’s bare one.

**

Kendall had moved to the kitchen to help his mother with the meal preparations. While she focused on cooking the mac and cheese, he focused on preparing a small side salad to accompany the meal. He gaped when he looked up and saw the state of James. So did Jennifer.

“We’ll talk about this later,” Jennifer told him firmly. Then she asked worriedly, “Do you need some ice?”

“I’m okay for now,” James reassured her.

“Neil better look worse than you,” was all Kendall said.

“He always does!” James scoffed.

Without saying another word, James walked into Kaelyn’s bedroom. He saw her laying on the bed, her face buried in the pillow. He could hear her sniffles from the doorway. And it only served to break his heart and made him want to track Neil down and finish what he started. But he decided his best friend needed him more.

“Bunny?”

Kaelyn lifted her tear-stained face from the pillow when she heard the nickname she loved so much. The nickname only one person used on her.

“James?” she whimpered.

She chose to ignore the scraped knuckles and the bruises on his body. She chose to ignore what she knew James had done to Neil. She didn’t want to deal with it right now (although a large part of her would have been cheering James on).

She just needed her best friend, and James knew that. So, he laid down on the bed next to her (above the covers, for the sake of everyone’s sanity) and opened his arms to her. Immediately, Kaelyn nestled herself into his chest.

Feeling the tears stain his shirt, James murmured, “You know you deserve better, don’t you?”

“I do now,” she reassured him.

James chose to ignore the ‘now’ in that sentence. She was supposed to always know that.

Kaelyn, meanwhile, was thinking about that dream she had before Gustavo intruded her sanctuary. The one where she was venting her problems to James and they were suddenly kissing. She hadn’t thought about it until now, when they were experiencing the most intimate moment they’ve had since.

“Hey,” James cut into her thoughts, reaching down. “I got something for you.”

Shifting slightly so she could grab the bag without leaving James’ embrace, Kaelyn dug through the bag, giving James a brief look at the tissue paper he had somehow shoved in there. She could tell by the weight of the bag what it was. Anyone who knows her knows of her love for a good book.

But when she pulled the book out of the bag, she recognized the significance of the book. It was the book she found on that day in The Grove with Neil. The book she said she was going to go back to buy, but never had the opportunity to. James must have remembered.

Although, she didn’t know why it surprised her. James was surprisingly attentive when it came to his friends, remembering all these key details about them.

“Thank you,” she whispered.

“Always,” he whispered back.

“Dinner’s ready!”

With a bright smile, James encouraged Kaelyn, “Come on! We’ve got your favourite dinner, your favourite snacks, and your favourite movies! We’ll get you through this!”

Kaelyn’s smile wasn’t as bright as it normally was, but the fact it was present was a victory James was going to take regardless as he escorted her out of her room.

Little did he know that, simply by being in his arms, Kaelyn’s broken heart had already began healing. And she truly began to believe that everything will be alright.

Chapter 18: I Would Scream to the World; They Would See You're My Girl

It was a quiet day in the Palm Woods school. It would seem weird to think of the classroom as quiet, especially on the last day, but all of the students were sitting their finals. And exam conditions required silence.

Kaelyn felt highly confident in her exam and knew she had done well. Many of the questions, she already knew the answers to, so she focused more on how she presented her answers. Making sure she answered each question according to the instructions. (The exam contained a combination of multiple-choice questions and written answers.) For example, when the question asked her to answer it in the form of a persuasive paragraph, she wrote her answer as a persuasive paragraph.

Briefly glancing around at the guys, she knew that Logan would be on par with her. They were both the smartest in the group. Kendall would get a solid B. James and Carlos often scored the lowest in the group, but they still passed. James would be the first to admit that he’s not smart, but he did well enough to maintain the minimum grades required to remain on the school hockey team and not be put on academic probation (thanks, in a large part, to Kaelyn’s tutoring). Carlos fluked a lot of it.

More than anything, Kaelyn was doing her best to avoid glancing towards the back of the classroom. It hadn’t taken long for Neil to find a new girlfriend after they broke up, and he seemed determined to flaunt his new relationship everywhere. He wanted to rub it in Kaelyn’s face, who was still recovering from her broken heart (even if she was doing better all the time).

She was thankful that she was sat between James and Kendall, their tall frames providing her the protection from Neil’s taunting eyes (that quickly quivered away with one withering look from James). Logan and Carlos sat in front of her.

They heard the bell ring to signify both the end of the school day, but the end of the exam.

“Okay, everyone. Pencils down,” Miss Collins instructed. She stood at the front of the classroom the entire time, her eagle eyes watching for any signs of cheating (the cramped nature of the classroom prevented her from walking around and looking over everyone’s shoulders). “Pass your finals forward and I’ll see you at tonight’s end-of-year Palm Woods school party.”

The majority of the class groaned in dismay when Miss Collins mentioned the end-of-year party. This was something that caused confusion for the newcomers – particularly Big Time Rush and their songwriter.

“Wow. Everyone seems really not excited,” Logan remarked to Camille. When he grabbed the exams Kendall had passed up to him, he added his own to the pile and passed it up to Tyler, who sat in front of him.

“No, it’s great,” Camille said in a weird show of enthusiasm.

“I sense a punchline,” Kaelyn muttered to James and Kendall.

“Yep,” both boys nodded in agreement.

“We get cupcakes, punch, and entertainment,” Camille listed, but her enthusiasm disappeared as she revealed who provided the entertainment: “by Bitters.”

Kaelyn winced. Suddenly, her mind was filled with images of what last year’s end-of-year school party was like. Everyone wearing balloon hats. Balloons and streamers all over the small classroom. The cupcakes and punch occupying a small table at the front of the room behind what would be Miss Collins’ desk. And Mr. Bitters’ awkward attempts at creating balloon animals.

Kendall was quick to decide that this could not stand.

“Miss Collins,” Kendall began, raising his hand, “don’t you think we could do something remotely cool for our end-of-year school party?”

“Like a dance,” James was quick to suggest.

Their classmates started talking in excitement. They were already anticipating the prospect of a school dance. They already knew it would be better than the usual end-of-year party.

“With slow dances,” Logan added with a smirk.

“And dates to slow dance with!” Carlos finished with an eager smile.

By this point, the entire class was on board with the plan. Something that Big Time Rush had gained a reputation for around the Palm Woods – particularly amongst the teen residents – was their schemes. Their schemes were legendary, both for good reasons and bad reasons. But they already knew that this one would be good, and they were all on board.

“Well, we’ve never had a school dance before, because we’re really just one small classroom,” Miss Collins pondered. But then, she smiled coyly, “But if a certain band wants to be the new school dance committee, sounds great.”

Everyone cheered excitedly. The boys were immediately delighted at the prospect of being elected the dance committee. This would be one scheme they would be happy to carry over the finish line. Kaelyn smiled at everyone’s excitement, but if she was being completely honest with herself, she was already thinking of ways to get out of going.

But Miss Collins wasn’t finished: “So, you need to find a theme, snacks, decorations, chaperones, and we have no money, no place to have it; and since today’s the last day of school, we need to have it tonight.” She even made the point of fluttering her eyelashes.

Kaelyn could have sworn she heard the opening bars of the band’s signature song playing in her head.

Ah, ah, ah-ah, oh…

**

But everyone was undeterred. They were determined to have a school dance. Surely, even a dance that was hastily put together was better than being subjected to the torture of a party hosted by Mr. Bitters.

As they raced out of the classroom, Kendall began, “Okay, the theme of our dance is…”

His male friends finished, “Move our butts, ‘cause we got to do this fast.”

Kaelyn shrugged. When she thought about it, Move Our Butts was a good theme.

“Kaelyn, what do you think?” Kendall asked his twin. He noticed that she had gone quiet since they first voiced the idea of having a school dance.

“I honestly don’t care because… I don’t know if I want to go,” Kaelyn admitted.

“What?!” all four boys gaped at her.

“Why would you not want to go?” James asked her in shock.

Kaelyn wordlessly pointed to a corner of the lobby. Following her line of sight, they saw Neil obnoxiously making out with his new unnamed girlfriend in the corner. The only thing the group knew about her was that she was a new arrival to the Palm Woods, having arrived after James’ infamous poolside showdown with his best friend’s ex. So, she was unaware of what Neil had done, and did not understand why all of the teenage residents treated him like a pariah.

Kaelyn would swear on a Bible that Neil seemed to revel in her discomfort. He was determined to punish her.

“I don’t want to punish myself with that,” Kaelyn admitted.

“But locking yourself in your room is punishing yourself just as much,” Kendall objected.

“Yeah. You need a fun night out dancing the night away with your friends,” James stated, draping an arm across her shoulder. “And I would be happy to…”

James didn’t get to finish his sentence as Kendall shot James a withering glare while lifting James’ arm off his twin sister. Kendall was quick to catch onto what James could potentially be implying, and he did not like it. Even if James’ sole motivation was to cheer his best friend up. (He hadn’t even resumed their running gag of him repeatedly trying to ask her out, showing how much he respects the fact she was still healing.)

“And you know we’ll protect you if he tries anything,” Carlos stated. “Remember. I took on the entire eighth grade for you. Neil would be a cakewalk.”

“I’ll think about it,” Kaelyn compromised.

The boys were willing to accept that for now, but they all exchanged looks above her head. They were determined to get her to the dance. They knew it would do her a world of good.

Jo was sitting at one of the tables in the lobby with Camille, Stephanie and two other girls. She watched excitedly as the band approached them.

“Oh, here comes Kendall,” she murmured to her friends. “I think he’s gonna ask me to the dance.”

“Jo, hey, I need to ask you something,” Kendall began. Jo smiled excitedly, but that smile quickly disappeared when Kendall asked his question, “Could you go to the convenience store and get them to donate some snackage for the dance?”

“Oh. Sure, Kendall,” Jo nodded, trying to hide her feelings. She glanced at her friends and decided to drop a hint to her… she wondered if she could call Kendall her boyfriend because they never defined their relationship, “Is that the only thing you wanted to ask me?”

Kaelyn was quick to catch onto what Jo was trying to hint at, and she exchanged a look with Camille. They were both hopeful that Kendall would get it.

“Oh. No, um…,” Kendall trailed off. But he still didn’t get the hint, “can you get some sodies too?”

This time, Kaelyn did nothing to hide her face palm.

“Sure,” Jo agreed, standing up without another word.

Kaelyn muttered to Jo, “Sorry my twin is an idiot.”

Jo stopped for a moment to place a comforting hand on Kaelyn’s arm and give her a kind smile. “Are you going to the dance?”

“TBD,” Kaelyn answered honestly.

Jo sensed that Kaelyn wasn’t really up to elaborating further, so she walked away to get those snacks and sodas Kendall requested.

Camille heard the exchange and sent a quick text to Kaelyn.

‘If you change your mind, I have some dresses you can borrow.’

Kaelyn mouthed an expression of gratitude to Camille. The two girls were roughly the same size, so they often borrowed each other’s clothes when needed. It came in handy when Kaelyn was forced into yet another commercial by Gustavo and she could just borrow one of the costumes Camille seemed to always keep on hand. And if Camille wanted a more casual look for an audition, she was free to raid Kaelyn’s closet. (Kaelyn made another mental note to thank Mercedes for the shopping trip.)

“Now we need a dance location!” James stated.

They thought this would be the easy part of the scheme. Surely, they could just host the dance at the Palm Woods. James went to knock on the door to Mr. Bitters office, thinking that asking him for permission would merely be a formality. But he screamed and backed away in shock when Mr. Bitters opened the door before he could, dressed like a musician. He was aware of Kaelyn grasping one of his arms in her shock.

“Of course I’ll be the entertainment at your school party!” Mr. Bitters beaned. He was holding a portable cassette and CD player in his hands. He pressed play on it as he spoke, “Watch… as I escape… the handcuffs of death.”

He laughed before wincing in pain as he tried to break out of the handcuffs that were latched to his wrist. It gave the five teenagers standing before him a taste of what their friends were subjected to at the previous end-of-year parties. It only made them more determined to host the best dance ever. Well, the boys anyway. Kaelyn wanted her friends to have a good time; she just wasn’t sure if she wanted to partake in it herself.

But there was something Kaelyn seemed to know for certain: Mr. Bitters lost the key to those handcuffs.

As Mr. Bitters cried out in pain once more, Carlos stepped forward to turn off his music and reveal, “Actually, we’re gonna have a dance this year. Can we have it here?”

“No,” Mr. Bitters declined, much to their dismay. “There’s a handsome doctors convention in the conference room. And I was never asked to a dance. Therefore, I despise them… and you.” He then went back into his office, grumbling all the way.

Kaelyn sighed to herself. Somehow, she was not surprised that Mr. Bitters would refuse to let them host the dance here. But she thought he would’ve at least… actually, the more she thought about it, the more she decided the blunt rejection was more in character with the grumpy hotel manager.

“Where else can we have the dance?” James asked.

Logan had already taken his phone out to start searching. “Got it!” he cheered. “There’s a warehouse we can rent for 28 bucks. Now, where’s L.A.’s Murder District?”

His friends groaned in response at the question. Clearly, that was a no-go. Miss Collins would immediately pull the plug on the dance if they presented to her a location in a highly dangerous part of L.A.

“Well, that only leaves us one option,” Kendall sighed.

**

And that option looked up from the paperwork on his desk when he sensed the presence of five teenagers.

“Gustavo, we were wondering…,” Kendall began.

“Can we have a school dance here tonight?” the four boys asked hopefully.

They then covered their eyes, preparing for the seemingly inevitable explosion from their producer. Carlos even made the point of putting on his signature helmet. Kaelyn was worried when Gustavo just sat there, pondering his response. But he wasn’t immediately exploding, so she took that as a good sign.

“Sure,” Gustavo nodded.

The boys immediately started arguing. It took them a moment to lean back and ask, “Did you say yes?”

Nobody expected Gustavo to be so agreeable. But Kaelyn knew there was a catch. There always was one where Gustavo was concerned. That was something she learned from working so closely with him.

“You can have your dance at my studio in one condition,” Gustavo told them. “You must sing tonight onstage in front of everyone.”

“We need to start getting you guys some stage practice,” Kelly added.

Even Kaelyn found herself smiling as the boys excitedly agreed. She was prepared for Gustavo to demand anything in return for his cooperation. His request was surprisingly… reasonable. And Kelly was right. Big Time Rush needed to learn what it was like to perform on a stage. The entire time they’ve been in Hollywood, their singing (she can’t call what they’ve been doing performances) have been confined to the recording studio or the privacy of their apartment. Or the fireside jams with their friends.

This would be their first proper performance.

“And since you will be terrible tonight, at least the audience won’t boo and throw bottles at you,” Gustavo remarked.

“And there he is,” Kaelyn muttered under his breath. She thought Gustavo was being too nice.

“So, we got a deal?” Gustavo asked.

“Deal,” the boys nodded.

“Great. Let’s hit the studio and rehearse a dance,” Kelly told them.

The boys had other plans, as James would say, “We need to find dates. Got it.”

They all – even Kaelyn – ran out of Gustavo’s office before anyone could stop them. Kelly shook her head in mild amusement. She wasn’t even surprised.

“What we need is a dance expert that will teach these guys a new dance on the run,” Gustavo proclaimed.

And as far as Gustavo was concerned, there was only one person who could. He reached into a desk drawer, pulling out a gold corded telephone. But rather than having buttons or a dial to rotate numbers, there was a big black X in the middle. When Gustavo pressed the big black X, Kelly could have sworn she heard a dramatic clap of thunder.

“It’s me. Come quick,” Gustavo requested.

Mr. X entered Gustavo’s office with a flourish that spoke of his years of dance training. Striking a pose in the doorway, he spun across the room, coming to a stop in front of Gustavo’s desk. When he stopped spinning, he struck his signature pose. Feet shoulder-width apart. Arms crossed into an X-shape in front of him.

“You rang?”

**

“Okay, dance committee,” Kendall began as they all walked back into the Palm Woods. “All we need now are some chaperones.”

“Dates. Got it,” his friends replied instead, slipping on some shades and walking away.

“Are you really surprised?” Kaelyn deadpanned to her twin.

“No, not really,” Kendall shrugged.

James, Logan and Carlos immediately made their way to the pool area.

“Now, who are we gonna ask to the dance?” James asked smoothly.

Their answer seemed to come in the form of the Jennifers, doing the dramatic slow motion walk past the pool with their hair blowing in the wind. The boys took off their shades in a smooth motion.

“I call Jennifers!” Carlos immediately proclaimed, putting on his helmet for good luck.

“Which one?” James and Logan quickly asked. They figured that if Carlos picked one Jennifer, they could ask the other two.

“Yep.”

Logan and James could only exchange a look as Carlos raced forward, blocking the Jennifers’ path.

“Hello, ladies,” Carlos greeted with a grin.

“What?” the three Jennifers asked impatiently.

“Will you go to the dance with me?” Carlos asked Jennifer 3.

“No,” Jennifer 3 rejected.

Undeterred, Carlos moved down the line to Jennifer 1. “Will you go to the dance with me?”

“No.”

When Carlos moved down to Jennifer 2, she held up her hand and told him, “Don’t even go there.”

James and Logan winced as they saw their best friend get rejected by all three Jennifers. They walked away from him with their noses up high. Seemingly sensing James and Logan about to ask them, they held up their hands as they walked away in the classic ‘talk to the hand’ gesture, clearly telling them not to bother. They’ll shoot them down flat.

“I call all the girls currently in Palm Woods Park!” Carlos hurriedly told his friends before racing away.

Undeterred, James asked Logan, “What’s your game plan, mon ami?”

“Uh…,” Logan trailed off as he glanced at Camille, who was sitting on one of the poolside cabanas intensely rehearsing for an audition. “You know, I was thinking about possibly asking, um…”

“Camille!” James had followed Logan’s line of sight. “Yeah, she’s cool, and not my type. I approve. Now, go.”

“I don’t want to do this,” Logan stammered as James began pushing him forward.

“Go!” James pushed him once more.

“Would you stop it?! Okay?!” Logan finally snapped. James backed off, but his facial expression clearly demanded an explanation. “I’ve never actually…” Gaining the nerve, he finally whispered to James, “I’ve never actually asked a girl out before.”

“What?!” James gaped in disbelief. “You’ve been on dozens of dates!”

“Yeah, double dates that you organized or a girl has asked me out, but I’ve never actually personally asked a girl out before and, you know, I’m…,” Logan’s voice went deeper as he grabbed James’ shoulder and stared him dead in the eye, “freaking out.”

“Asking a girl out is easy. You just have to be confident and relaxed,” James told him. He then decided the best way to demonstrate this was to turn to Rachel, who was standing next to him. “Hey. Would you go to the dance with me?”

“Sure,” Rachel nodded with a smile.

“See?” James smirked to Logan. “Now, go.”

He then pushed Logan the rest of the way across the pool towards Camille.

“Oh, hey, Logan,” she greeted him coyly, putting down her script. “What’s up?”

“I was wondering,” Logan began stammering, “m-m-me and James were actually on the…”

James’ face fell as he watched Logan fail miserably at trying to ask Camille to the dance. It actually fell with Camille’s. Because Camille was now undoubtedly thinking that Logan was only asking her because James told him to. Not because he actually wanted to. Eventually, Logan walked away, leaving Camille in disbelief.

“You are pathetic,” James told his best friend.

“Mm, that’s why you’re helping me,” was Logan’s response, making James walk alongside him.

But they both found their path blocked by Mr. X, who seemingly appeared out of nowhere.

“Stop right there!” Mr. X ordered him. “And go like this.”

He then stomped on the spot twice, bending his arms in front of him and pumping the elbows out to the side, keeping his arms in front of him. He then did a body roll accentuated by the arms before spinning once and striking a pose. Arm up in the air, leg popped out. James and Logan shrugged, deciding to go with the roll. They performed the moves with ease, adding their own flair. Instead of cocking a leg and striking a pose like Mr. X did, they decided to end their dance with a click of the fingers.

“Excellent,” Mr. X praised, striking his signature pose before twirling away.

“Just make sure you leave time to ask Kaelyn to the dance,” Logan said to James.

James stammered, “W-what makes you…?” Then he saw the look Logan gave him and saw no point in denying. “I would if she actually wanted to go.”

“She’ll go if you ask her,” Logan told him.

James could only hope that was the case.

“Tell you what. You get Camille to go to the dance with you, and I’ll go ask Kaelyn,” was James’ compromise.

He could only hope that Kaelyn decided to go to the dance on her own accord by then. At the very least, he could literally ask her to dance with him on the dance floor.

**

“Mum!” Kendall called as he and Kaelyn entered the apartment.

Kaelyn was still on the fence about whether she actually wanted to go to the dance, but she was happy to at least help Kendall set everything up. Kendall supposed he could take that as a win.

“We’re having a school dance tonight. Can you please be a chaperone?” Kendall pleaded.

“Sure. Sounds like fun,” Jennifer smiled, moving the dishes she was holding over to the sink.

Katie, who was sitting at the breakfast bar eating lunch, suggested, “Maybe you should bring a date.”

The suggestion made Jennifer drop the dishes she was holding in shock. It was a reaction that all three of her children noted with interest.

“That’s funny, me bring a date to the dance!” Jennifer fake-laughed. “That is funny, right?” Jennifer seemed to scold herself for even considering it. “No, chaperone. Just chaperoning is good.”

She then walked away, leaving the dishes she dropped on the ground. Normally, the two teenagers would be moving to pick up the dishes for her and saving their mother some work. But instead, they both approached Katie.

“When was the last time mum had a date?” Kaelyn asked her siblings.

“Legend says when I was three,” Katie answered.

So, with Katie having recently celebrated her tenth birthday, that meant that it had been at least seven years since their mother went out on a date. And the dates she had gone on between their father’s departure and that final date when Katie was three were far and few in between. She seemed to have decided to focus her energy solely on raising her three children, pushing aside any thought of a love life. In fact, they all had a hard time getting her to do things for herself. Something that only got worse when Kaelyn got sick.

So, the three siblings exchanged a smirk. They were all in agreeance.

They were going to get their mum a date.

**

“Find-your-mum-a-date.love,” Kendall smirked as Katie typed in the web address.

The trio had immediately relocated to the Palm Woods lobby, making use of the free WiFi. While they had computers in the apartment they could use (including personal laptops that were meant for their schoolwork), they did not want to risk getting caught by their mother. So, the computer in the lobby was the best way to go.

And their first stop was a dating site that was specifically engineered for kids looking for a date for their single mothers. (Kaelyn noted with satisfaction an advertisement for a similar service for kids looking for a date for their single fathers.)

“Here’s one!” Katie said happily as she pulled up a profile.

“Smooth Operator 75,” Kaelyn read the username.

“He’s a lawyer, a fighter pilot, and a gold medallist in the hammer throw,” Katie listed his accomplishments in his bio.

“I approve,” Kaelyn hummed.

“Make it so, baby sister,” Kendall requested, exchanging fist bumps with his sisters as they sent in the request.

Their jubilation quickly disappeared when they heard a cheer coming from a nearby office. A cheer they did not want to hear. Sure enough, they watched Mr. Bitters run out of his office in jubilation, his wrists still handcuffed together. The hammer he was holding told Kaelyn he was in the middle of yet another attempt to break himself free when he got the message from the dating site.

“Cancel the date, cancel the date!” both twins quietly told Katie, an urgent tone in their voices. Katie’s face held the same urgency as she hurriedly sent a message.

“Aw nuts!” Mr. Bitters grumbled. He then stormed back into his office.

“That was close,” Kaelyn sighed in relief. While she wanted her mother to find a date, she wasn’t about to subject her to Mr. Bitters.

“What’s Plan B?” Katie asked her twin siblings.

“I don’t know,” Kendall sighed. “It’s not like there’s some handsome doctors convention in town.”

They then turned to the entry of the Palm Woods when they heard an announcement over the PA system. They saw a sign at the front advertising a Handsome Doctors Convention. And walking through the door were a bunch of handsome doctors. Some were dressed in scrubs, some were dressed in suits, and others were wearing lab coats. They were all varying in age, but still around the right age for their mother. And the best part? They all appeared to be single.

“Well, what do you know?” Kaelyn smirked at her siblings.

All three of them were in agreement. They were going to approach these handsome doctors and see if they can find a way to introduce them to their beloved mother.

“Stop walking right now…,” Mr. X began, appearing in their path. “And start dancing like this.”

He then demonstrated a series of dance moves that were different to the ones he showed James and Logan. He leaned to his right, popping his leg and chest out with his hands clasped behind his back. He then brought his legs together, raising his arms before spinning on the spot and striking a pose. This time, his pose had his legs apart and his arms folded across his chest. A classic hip-hop pose.

Going along with it like the others, Kendall performed the dance moves alongside his sisters. Kaelyn was showing how she had picked up some things herself from the numerous times she sat in on the boys’ dance rehearsals. Something that Mr. X noted in satisfaction.

“Exquisite,” he praised, striking a pose and twirling away once more.

Undeterred, the three Knight siblings chased after the Handsome Doctors Convention.

Miss Collins’ voice could be heard over the PA system as the Jennifers made their way into the lobby, “Remember, Palm Woods students. The dance is in just seven hours, so if you want that special date, the time to act is now.”

The Jennifers watched as many of their fellow residents coupled up with ease. And yet, much to their dismay, they were still dateless.

“Why aren’t we being asked to the dance?” Jennifer 1 asked.

“Are we too unapproachable?” Jennifer 3 queried.

The girls seemed to answer Jennifer 3’s query themselves when a nerdy kid approached them, obviously looking to ask them to the dance. “Keey walking, nerdy kid.” The poor nerdy kid walked away dejected.

“We cannot show up to the dance without dates!” Jennifer 2 scoffed. “Our rep will be ruined!”

“Actually, Carlos did ask us, but we turned him down,” Jennifer 3 reminded her friends.

“Jennifers, I think we all know what we have to do,” Jennifer 1 proclaimed.

**

Carlos was scouting Palm Woods Park, sitting at a chair and picnic table with a pair of binoculars. There were many girls at Palm Woods Park, so he had plenty of choice. But it appeared the choice was about to be made for him when he found his view blocked. Putting down his binoculars, he saw the Jennifers standing before him once more.

“We’ve got great news!” Jennifer 1 began.

“You’re taking us to the dance!” the Jennifers proclaimed.

“Ladies, I’m flattered,” Carlos began with a big grin (he was certainly jumping up and down and screaming for joy on the inside), “but there’s only one Carlos to go around, so…”

Carlos clicked his fingers and made a gesture that indicated he was going to decide which Jennifer to take. But the Jennifers were quick to disabuse him of that allusion. They already had their own plans for Carlos.

“Oh, we’re not dating you,” Jennifer 3 scoffed.

That made Carlos freeze in confusion. How could the Jennifers say that he was taking them to the dance, but not date him? Everything became clear when Jennifer 1 held up a clearly photoshopped photo of Carlos. He recognized it to be from one of the headshots Gustavo made everyone in the band take for reasons surpassing understanding. (Or, surpassing his own understanding, at least.)

“My date to the dance will be Olaf, the Scandinavian supermodel,” Jennifer 1 said.

In Jennifer 1’s photoshopped image, Carlos was wearing a blonde wig and his eyes were obscured by sunglasses with lenses that almost matched the colour of the chosen jacket. The purple jacket was made of some type of material that reflected the light that surrounded him, and it stood out against the… was he made to wear two shirts underneath it, or was he wearing a black shirt with a white collar? Carlos couldn’t tell with certainty.

“My date to the dance will be Marcello, the Italian heir to the Spumoni sports car empire,” Jennifer 3 revealed.

Carlos had to suppose that Jennifer 3’s photoshopped image looked more natural. He wore sunglasses and a wig that was at least close to his natural hair colour. The only thing that didn’t look natural was the moustache. There was no way Carlos would be able to grow that in time. So, it was clear he would have to wear a fake moustache. In this photo, he wore a black button-up shirt with a silk scarf draped over his shoulders.

“And my date will be Ronaldono, the Jamaican soccer star,” Jennifer 2 finished.

In Jennifer 2’s photoshopped picture, Carlos had sunglasses that contained elements of the sunglasses he was wearing in the other photoshopped images: the shape of Jennifer 1’s, and the colour of Jennifer 3’s. He would also be sporting dreadlocks and what looked to be a shirt representing the Jamaican soccer team. In short, he really would look like a Jamaican soccer star.

“Three different guys! I wonder why I didn’t think of that!” Carlos pretended to laugh. “Oh yeah, ‘cause I’m not crazy!”

The Jennifers laughed before saying, “Let’s go,” as they went to drag him away. He needed to rehearse.

“X stop!” Mr. X snapped at them, standing before them in his signature pose in the middle of the park. “And x dance!”

Mr. X’s dance was simple. He had them move their hands like they were scanning the crowd before doing a little side boogie before spinning and landing in a pose that was obviously meant to segue into the moves that he had taught James and Logan earlier. The Jennifers also performed the dance moves with Carlos, showing off their own dancing skills.

“Exceptional!” Mr. X praised before twirling away.

**

James and Logan appeared behind a planter box, observing Camille as she had relocated to a sun lounge. She was still rehearsing for an upcoming audition.

“Now, Camille already likes you, so all you have to do is say…,” James trailed off as he held up a cue card for Logan to read, “Will you go to the dance with me?”

“Sure, James!” an unidentified teen girl agreed happily as she walked past.

James didn’t know what to make of that, and the girl had already walked away before he could clarify. But he shrugged it off. His main priority was helping Logan ask Camille.

“Now, let’s do this,” James encouraged him. When Logan still froze, James prompted him with a quiet, “Go!”

Before Logan knew it, he was standing in front of Camille. James was going to stand behind the planter box, out of Camille’s line of sight, but perfectly positioned for Logan to read off his provided cue card.

“Hello, Camille,” Logan greeted her.

“Logan,” Camille returned, putting down her script.

Logan looked up as he saw James pointing at the cue card, reading it aloud in a halting tone, “Will you… go… to the dance… with me?”

Camille didn’t answer straightaway. Instead, she took off one of her shoes and flung it behind her. She relished in James’ cry of pain as the shoe collided with his head and the sound of his body hitting the ground. Rising from her seat, she addressed Logan directly.

“Logan, you may not believe this, but I’ve never been asked out before,” Camille admitted.

“No, I believe it,” Logan remarked.

“This is my first dance, and I’d like to be asked in a way that I can remember, not by cue cards,” Camille said with a sweet smile.

“Cue cards? What are you talking about?!” Logan nervously stammered a denial. When he saw that Camille didn’t believe him, he asked nervously, “Are you gonna hit me with a shoe?”

“No,” Camille reassured him. “And I’m not looking for a prince to ride up on a horse, but how about something with a little flair?”

As Camille walked away after patting him on the chest a couple of times, he muttered to himself, “Flair…”

James stammered out from behind the planter box, slumping against it. Camille’s shoe had hit him pretty hard, so he was left pretty disoriented. He still maintained a tight grip on the cue card, so when another girl saw him slumped against the planter box holding the cue card, she voiced her enthusiastic agreement.

James could only smile before promptly fainting.

**

Well, the Knight siblings could say that their plan worked. They were able to get into the Handsome Doctors Convention and hype up their single mother. And many of those handsome doctors were more than willing to follow them up to Apartment 2J to woo the beautiful woman.

The only thing is… Jennifer was not on board with the scheme.

She was kind in her objections as she escorted the clambering group of doctors out the front door. When she closed the door in their faces, she immediately pressed her back against it, shooting a look at her three children. They all just stood in the middle of the apartment’s open concept layout, wearing all sorts of facial expressions that expressed no regret for their scheme.

But Jennifer couldn’t bring herself to be too mad at them. Especially since she understood why they did what they did.

“I love you all for caring, but I am perfectly capable of getting my own date,” Jennifer told them sweetly, but firmly.

“No, you’re not,” all three of her children immediately responded.

“I’m fine!” Jennifer objected. But the high pitch of her voice said otherwise.

“Mum,” Kendall’s own voice was gentle but firm as he told his mother, “it’s time to put down the romance novels and find some romance!”

“You deserve it, mum,” Kaelyn added.

“You’re not getting any younger,” was Katie’s contribution.

Jennfier gaped at her youngest daughter in shock. She was young enough, thank you very much, having given birth to Kendall and Kaelyn when she was eighteen.

But she knew that her children were not going to let up. So, she decided the least she could do was make it so impossible for them that they would forget the idea altogether.

“Fine! You want to get me a date? Get me…,” Jennifer trailed off before picking up one of her romance novels and pointing to the man in the cover photo, “him. But only him. This is the man of my dreams, the love of my life. Nobody else. Good luck.”

She tossed the book into Kaelyn’s hands and walked away, thinking she had done her job and her children would give up. But she underestimated the tenacity of her children.

They all looked at the man in the cover photo. He was astride a horse. Shirtless. Muscular. Long blonde hair blowing in the invisible wind. He was definitely the type of man you would expect to grace the cover of a romance novel.

“Okay, let’s get him,” Kendall shrugged.

“You got it,” his sisters nodded in agreement.

The three siblings exchanged a high-five. They were so doing this.

**

So, they found themselves back in the lobby once more.

“Okay. Search for ‘Fabio’ and ‘fake butter’,” Kendall instructed his baby sister.

“Excuse us just a second,” Kaelyn said sweetly to the man currently occupying the computer in the lobby before pushing his chair away. Kendall immediately grabbed a nearby chair for Katie to use.

Putting in the search parameters Kendall requested, Katie came across a problem: “Oh no. This guy wants to date is seriously famous.”

Kaelyn gaped at the results. Turns out Fabio was Fabio Lanzoni. The Italian actor and supermodel. And someone who had appeared on the cover of hundreds of romance novels. Kaelyn thought he had looked familiar, thanks to the secret stash of romance novels she had that her mother didn’t know about. He was good looking, but Kaelyn couldn’t help but think of some of the times she replaced his face and body on the cover with someone else’s.

Voicing that aloud would annoy Kendall to no end, so she wisely decided to keep her thoughts about imagining their mutual best friend on the cover of romance novels to herself.

Distracting herself, Kaelyn kindly asked Katie, “Can you click on that top link, sissy?”, pointing to a link for one of Fabio’s infomercials.

Katie nodded and did just that, taking them to a video sharing webpage that played an infomercial featuring Fabio about a pocket griller.

“Hey! Everyone loves the taste of freshly grilled meat! But you can’t drag your barbeque around with you everywhere! Isn’t that right, Fabio?”

Fabio gave a good-natured smile as he replied, “It’s such a hassle. Look!”

The three Knight siblings allowed themselves a small chuckle at the overly acted dramatization of Fabio trying to drag his barbeque around with him in an office building. Then, they saw the product Fabio was advertising. It looked like a regular suit jacket, but…

“That’s why there’s the Fabio Pocket Griller, which grills meat anytime, anywhere!”

“And make you look sexy, like Fabio.”

Kendall made a ‘fair enough’ gesture with his face. He did have to admit. The jacket looked good.

“Just put your favourite meat in your pockets two hours before your next meal. And when the timer dings…”

In a flash forward, Fabio was pulling the seemingly perfectly cooked steak out of his pocket, declaring, “It’s grilled meat time for Fabio!”

“And become a member of the Fabio Pocket Griller Platinum Club, and Fabio will personally deliver your pocket griller to your front door!”

The three Knight siblings exchanged looks of excitement. Even as they heard Fabio’s objections (which they clearly forgot to edit out). That was their way to get Fabio to the front door and to the dance with their mum.

When prompted, Kendall practically shoved his youngest sister out of the way as he put in the order for a pocket griller and to sign up for the platinum club to get the personalized delivery.

“So, what are you wearing to the dance?” Katie took the opportunity to ask her older sister.

“I don’t know if I’m going,” Kaelyn admitted.

“What?!” Katie had the same reaction the boys had when she first voiced it. “Why not?”

Kaelyn wordlessly pointed to the pool area. Katie only got a brief glimpse of Neil obnoxiously making out with his girlfriend before Kaelyn covered her eyes, deeming her younger sister too young for such a site. But Katie could have sworn she saw Neil make sure Kaelyn was nearby and looking before turning the already obnoxious make out session even more obnoxious.

“I can stomp on his foot really hard and break it,” Katie offered.

“You’re better than that,” Kaelyn told her firmly.

“Well, how about we go together?” Katie suggested. “Have a fun time dancing as sisters.”

“I’ll think about it,” Kaelyn acquiesced.

But she didn’t know if she was changing her mind.

Looking back at the pool, she saw James and Logan standing nearby. Originally, she was thinking of approaching them, but recognized them to be in the middle of a scheme, so she decided to keep her distance. She didn’t want to get wrapped up in whatever they were up to. For one thing, she had her hands full with her scheme with her siblings to get her mother a date.

For another, she already knew James would not let up about her going to the dance.

**

This latest scheme that James had concocted involved a frisbee.

“Now, girls love it when you’re fun and creative, like using my ‘Will you go to the dance with me?’ flying disc,” James began. “Observe.”

He threw the frisbee in a… it would be wrong to say that he threw it in a random direction because he was careful as he threw it. He didn’t want to actually hurt anyone, whether it be his intended target (not that he had one) or any innocent person in the crossfire.

“See?” James smirked once he received the frisbee back with a Post-It Note saying ‘Yes!’ stuck to it. Seeing Camille approach, he quickly took the note off and handed the frisbee to Logan, telling him, “Now, quick, aim at Camille and fire!”

About the only thing Logan got right with this attempt was throwing the frisbee at Camille. There was a significant problem with his execution. Rather than throwing it in a way that would allow Camille to see it and catch it, Camille was caught completely unawares. She screamed as the frisbee connected to her side, dropping the pile of scripts she was holding as she fell into the pool.

“What else you got?” Logan whispered to his face-palming friend.

All James could think was that this was going to be a lot more work than he realized.

At least he got another throw of the frisbee, hitting Neil accidentally on purpose. Logan even gave James a smile of approval as they walked away.

**

Kaelyn decided she was going to linger in the lobby while Kendall and Katie went back to the apartment. They were setting up for Fabio’s arrival, while Kaelyn would give them the high sign that he was in the lobby.

She watched as Stephanie stopped Carlos in his tracks and asked, “Hey, Carlos, are you going to the dance tonight?”

“Stephanie, you have no idea!” was Carlos’ hurried answer before walking away.

Seeing that made Kaelyn abandon her mission and follow Carlos. Carlos likes Stephanie. Why would he turn her down when she was all but asking him to the dance. Or at least asking him to ask her to go to the dance with him.

She watched him walk into the classroom, where the Jennifers were waiting.

“Okay, so, I…,” Carlos began saying.

“Cut the chit-chat!” Jennifer 2 snapped at him. “Here’s your bag of costumes. Let’s practice!”

‘Practice for what?’ Kaelyn mused to herself, watching Carlos struggle to catch the suitcase.

Then, Jennifer 1 fake gasped and said, “Oh, I am so thirsty! Could you get me some punch, Olaf?”

Walking into the classroom proper now, Kaelyn watched as Carlos disappeared behind the change screen with his bag of costume.

“What are you guys doing to Carlos?” Kaelyn asked nervously.

The Jennifers gently shushed her. Their rare gentleness didn’t surprise Kaelyn. The Jennifers have apparently likened being mean to her to kicking a puppy – and they don’t kick puppies.

She just wished they saw Carlos as a puppy.

Carlos raced out from behind the change screen, carrying an empty jug and cup as he adopted a Scandinavian accent, “Yeah, I’m Olaf, bringing the punch!”

“Oh, Jennifer, he’s darling!” Jennifer 3 gushed to her friend. “But you simply must meet my date, Marcello.”

When Carlos stood there confused, Jennifer 3 prompted him again by repeating the name ‘Marcello’. Finally getting the hint, Carlos disappeared behind the screen and changed outfits. The only problem is… he didn’t come out dressed as Marcello. He came out dressed as Ronaldono, the Jamaican soccer star.

“No! That’s Ronaldono, the Jamaican soccer star! I want Marcello!” Jennfer 3 told him.

Carlos raced back behind the screen, looking to change into Marcello. The four girls heard all sorts of sounds, even jackhammers and cats yowling, which confused the heck out of them.

“Carlos!” the three Jennifers snapped at him when he came out dressed in a combination of all three.

“I’ve never been three people before!” was Carlos’ defence.

“Hey, if you want to date the Jennifers, that’s what it takes,” Jennifer 2 told him firmly.

“Now, here’s a list of things to say at the dance,” Jennifer 1 handed him a piece of paper, “and show up prepared to Samba.”

Kaelyn was surprised when the Jennifers took her with them when they left, leaving Carlos standing there hopelessly confused wondering how he was going to learn to Samba. (She could’ve sworn she saw Mr. X in her peripheral vision dressed to Samba.)

“What are you guys doing?” Kaelyn managed to ask.

“Taking you to get a dress for the dance,” Jennfer 2 answered, as though it was obvious.

“But I don’t know if I’m…,” Kaelyn began to voice her objections.

“Sweetie,” Jennfier 1 began, “if you stay in your room and be miserable, Neil wins, and he will have messed with a Jennifer. And nobody messed with a Jennifer.”

“I’m not a Jennifer,” Kaelyn reminded them.

“Your middle name is Jennifer. That makes you an honorary Jennifer,” Jennifer 3 shrugged.

Seeing that wasn’t getting through to someone they considered a friend, they decided to go with a softer approach.

“Look. What Neil did to you was horrible. And you totally did the right thing saying no. But the best revenge is getting out there and showing that you can stand tall. Even if you have to fake it,” Jennifer 2.

“So, you go to the dance, have a fun time, and you dance the night away,” Jennifer 1 added.

“Well, I do want to see the guys perform,” Kaelyn mused.

“All the more reason!” Jennifer 3 proclaimed. “Now, we’re the same size, so we can go upstairs and lend you one of our dresses.”

With a gentle smile, Kaelyn nodded and allowed them to lead her away.

**

By the time Kaelyn got back to the apartment, Fabio was making his way through the halls to Apartment 2J. She was able to signal her siblings to get them ready to spring their trap on the unsuspecting supermodel. She found time to shoot a quick text to Jo and Camille, telling them that she had decided to go to the dance after all, and the Jennifers had accosted her into borrowing one of their dresses.

Jo was quick to text back her excitement, promising Kaelyn will have the time of her life (which gave Kaelyn a song title to use down the track). Camille, who had previously offered to lend Kaelyn one of her dresses, understood completely why she was wearing one of the Jennifers’ dresses, knowing very well how they can be. Sometimes, it’s best to just go along with it.

“Hello?” Fabio could be heard calling as he walked into the apartment, carrying a pocket griller. “I’m Fabio. Did somebody join my Pocket Grill Club?”

That was when the three Knight siblings made their appearance.

“Fabio!” Kendall greeted happily. “How would you like to date a totally cool and amazing woman?”

Fabio visibly deflated at the question. “Oh no. Not another kid who asks me to date their mum.” Setting the pocket griller down on the table, he told the trio firmly, “I’m leaving.”

“Time for Plan B,” Katie proclaimed.

Plan B involved tossing a net over Fabio the second his back was turned, forcing him to the ground as he cried out in dismay. Apparently, this was not his first time being caught in a net.

“Kendall, I got some snacks for the dance and…” Jo trailed off as she walked into the apartment carrying the paper bags filled with snacks. She was expecting to see many things. The three Knight siblings ensnaring Fabio was not one of them.

“Help me!” Fabio cried, struggling against the net as Kendall raced over.

Jo regarded Fabio for a moment before turning to Kendall and asking coyly, “I was wondering, is there anything else you wanted to ask me… about the dance?”

“Yes,” Kendall nodded.

Kaelyn did a silent cheer, thinking her twin brother was finally getting the hint and he was about to formally ask Jo to the dance.

But to her dismay, Kendall asked instead, “Can you make a theme banner and decorate the studio?”

Jo dropped the groceries in frustration and stormed away, leaving Kendall hopelessly confused.

“You’re an idiot!” Kaelyn rebuked him.

“What did I do?!” Kendall demanded.

“Guys!” Katie cut in, struggling to contain Fabio.

Forgetting their… can they even call it an argument? Either way, everything was forgotten as Kendall and Kaelyn rushed forward to help their younger sister.

**

Meanwhile, James and Logan were in the middle of yet another scheme to ask Camille to the dance. Camille had relocated to Palm Woods Park for her audition prep, deciding that hanging around the pool after being knocked into it probably wasn’t the best idea. Logan and James hid behind one of the hedges watching her. James held a microphone in one hand, a bouquet of flowers in another, and wore a tree hat adorned with flowers.

“Girls love flowers. And me,” James smirked. He then handed the flowers to Logan, “So, give her these and just say everything I say.” He then spoke into the microphone, which was revealed to be linked to an earwig Logan was wearing in his ear. “Testing, testing. Will you go to the dance with me?”

“Sure, James,” yet another girl nodded as she walked past.

James just stood there looking hopelessly confused. But he ignored that, prompting Logan to approach Camille.

Logan approached Camille with the bouquet of flowers and a smile on his face. A smile that quickly disappeared when he looked at James standing behind the hedge, freaking out as he swatted and screamed repeatedly, “Go away!” It turned out that the flowers that he decorated his tree hat with were attracting bees.

Logan, having momentarily lost the intelligence he was known for, repeated all of James’ screams verbatim, causing Camille to runaway screaming. Throwing down the bouquet in frustration, he decided that he should maybe save James from the swarm of bees.

And get him to ask Kaelyn to the dance.

**

The Knight siblings managed to get Fabio into the bathroom, sitting him in the shower. They tied him up with rope and covered his mouth with duct tape.

“Now, if I take the tape off your mouth, you’re not going to scream, right?” Katie asked.

Fabio shook his head and grunted to indicate his compliance. Compliance that went right out the window when Katie ripped off the duct tape covering his mouth.

“You said you weren’t gonna scream!” Katie reminded him.

“He probably screamed because it hurt,” Kaelyn stated.

“What she said,” Fabio nodded his head in Kaelyn’s direction.

Hearing the sound of their mother’s voice, Katie was quick to stick the duct tape back over Fabio’s mouth as the three Knight siblings raced out of the bathroom.

“Hey, mum!” Kaelyn greeted her mother happily.

“What’s up?” Kendall added his own enthusiastic greeting.

“What is going on?” Katie asked innocently.

“Don’t go in the bathroom,” Kendall warned her.

“There’s nothing in there,” Kaelyn and Katie shook their heads, laughing nervously.

Jennifer had a kind smile on her face as she said, “Look, I’m sorry I snapped earlier. I guess I am a little sensitive about the dating thing. But I wanted to thank you for caring.”

“We just want you to be happy, mum,” Kendall told her with a smile. His sisters quickly nodded in agreement.

“Hey, I am happy,” Jennifer reassured them. “Even if I don’t get a date with the buff and dreamy Fabio, I still have great kids.”

She then pressed a kiss on the cheeks of each kid, wordlessly showing her love for them. The three Knight siblings happily accepted her affections. But the second she was out of earshot, they scrambled back to the bathroom. To their surprise, they found Fabio standing in the shower rather than sitting down tied up, eating a kebab he had made with the pocket griller he was wearing.

“How did you get free?” the twins were quick to ask.

“I’m Fabio. I can do anything,” Fabio answered as though it was obvious. “And your mum sounds very nice.”

“So, you’ll take her to the dance?” Katie asked hopefully.

“What’s she look like?” Fabio asked instead of answering.

The three Knight siblings were quick to grab the family photo that, for some reason, was kept in the bathroom. The same one that had hung on the wall to cover up a massive hole pre-renovation. Jennifer stood beaming in the middle, happily embracing all three of her kids. So, it was easy for Kendall to point her out in the photo.

“Not bad,” Fabio hummed. “But… I have a grill to deliver to Azusa, so I can’t promise you anything.”

“We’ll take that,” Kaelyn reassured him with a smile.

Fabio exchanged a warm smile with Kaelyn before pulling out a kebab and handing it to her, “Have a kebab!” and walking out of the apartment.

Taking a bite out of it, Kaelyn shrugged, “It’s actually not that bad.”

Before anyone could say anything else, James and Logan raced into the bathroom. They paused in confusion when they saw Fabio walking out. Clearly, they had missed something.

“Is that the guy who’s on the cover of your romance novels?” James asked Kaelyn.

“Yeah,” Kaelyn nodded.

And James was totally not jealous.

“So, did you guys find a date to the dance?” Kendall asked, changing the topic.

Logan and James winced as they admitted, “We need a little help.”

**

“Okay, class! Welcome to the first ever Palm Woods School Move Your Butt Dance!” Miss Collins greeted happily in a sing-song voice.

Everyone had gathered in the studio, which was beautifully decorated with streamers and everything they would find at a school dance. Including the hastily put together banner that read, ‘The Move Your Butt Dance’. (It did turn out to be a good theme.)

Nobody cared about the fact that it was hastily put together. They were all excited for their very first school dance. It was already proving to be a lot better than the previous parties they were subjected to. Plus, by this stage, word had gotten out about Big Time Rush performing, so they had something else to look forward to.

Jo, Stephanie and Camille danced in excitement as Kaelyn walked over to them, immediately pulling her into a group embrace. They were so delighted that she ended up coming. They took note of the dress she wore, the one the Jennifers had given to her. It was a strapless black ruched bubble dress with an accompanying belt at the curve of her waist. She had gone for a smoky eye effect that made her green eyes pop and a natural colour on her lips. Her hair was in a braided half-updo. She finished the outfit with a pair of silver pumps.

“You look amazing!” Jo gushed as they made Kaelyn twirl on the spot.

“Little black dress is perfect!” Camille proclaimed.

“I love everything about this,” Stephanie declared.

“You guys look amazing too,” Kaelyn complimented.

“Oh, Olaf, you’re so famous and my date tonight!” Jennifer 1 sighed dreamily as she walked alongside Carlos.

The four girls gasped when Carlos walked in with Jennifer 1 on his arm. But he wasn’t dressed like himself. He was dressed like Olaf. Complete with the Scandinavian accent.

“Yeah, Jennifer! Olaf will meet you on the dance floor!” Carlos reassured her.

He then sped away and appeared at the other end of the hallway with Jennifer 2 on his arm. This time, he was dressed as Ronaldono, the Jamaican soccer star. He dressed in the soccer uniform – complete with the cleats – and even carried a soccer ball in his free hand.

“Yeah, Jennifer!” Carlos began, adopting a Jamaican accent. “I am not just a soccer king, but I am your date, mon!”

“I can’t believe this is happening,” Kaelyn sighed. She is grateful for the Jennifers ultimately getting her to the dance, but she hated seeing the way they treated Carlos.

Wordlessly, she teamed up with Jo and Camille to push Stephanie forward. They knew Stephanie liked Carlos, and they knew Carlos liked her.

“Carlos?” Stephanie queried as she walked over.

“Yeah?” Carlos immediately responded, breaking character. But when Jennifer 2 hit him on the shoulder, he resumed his Scandinavian accent, “No, I am Olaf!” Another slap put him back to rights, “No, I am Ronaldono!”

Hearing Jennifer 3 clear her throat obnoxiously before making her way over, Carlos scrambled away to change into his third disguise for the evening. He was meant to be dressing as Marcello, the Italian heir to a sports car empire. But instead, he came out dressed as Olaf, the Scandinavian supermodel Jennifer 1’s date.

“I mean, Marcello!” Carlos corrected himself as he adopted an Italina accent.

“That’s Olaf!” Jennifer 1 objected. “You’re dating Marcello!”

“I’m dumping Marcello. He’s stupid,” Jennifer 3 proclaimed, grabbing Carlos’ arm.

“Marcello’s not stupid!” Carlos immediately voiced his objections.

“Actually,” Jennifer 2 cut in, “Olaf dumped you for me.”

Things went downhill from there as the Jennifers began fighting over Carlos, the poor hockey head caught in the middle.

“Carlos!” Stephanie snapped, ripping off Carlos’ wig. With a softer and kinder tone, she asked, “Do you want to dance?”

Carlos was quick to take his sunglasses off, giving looks to the Jennifers before answering, “Carlos would love to dance.”

He looped arms with Stephanie and they prepared to make their way to the dance floor. But Carlos stopped them in their tracks. He had one more thing he wanted to do.

“Oh! And ladies…,” Carlos began, turning around to face the Jennifers, “Marcello and Olaf and Ronaldono, have left the building.” He made the point of tossing his wig at Jennifer 2. “And how hot is Stephanie?!”

He cheered as they made their way to the dance floor. The Jennifers could only sigh and storm off, hoping to preserve their dignity after being dumped in front of everyone. Jo, Camille and Kaelyn watched the scene unfold with a smile.

“Well, Stephanie got a date to the dance,” Jo pointed out. “And I can’t believe Kendall didn’t ask me!”

“Don’t worry. I’ve told him he’s an idiot several times already,” Kaelyn reassured her.

“Logan tried asking me, but he’s really terrible at it,” Camille lamented.

Hearing the sound of a horse neighing, Kaelyn laughed, “Don’t be so sure!” before turning Camille to the direction of the hallway.

They saw Logan round the corner astride a horse dressed like Prince Charming.

“Is that Logan… on a horse?” Jo asked in confusion.

Kaelyn was having a hard time suppressing her giggles as she got a closer look at the horse in question. It was clearly a costume, and she knew very well the two friends who were wearing that disguise.

“Hello, milady,” Logan greeted Camille regally astride his noble steed. “Would you like to accompany me to the dance?”

“Say yes!” they heard James and Kendall plead from inside the costume. Clearly, they were very uncomfortable.

“Heck yeah, I will!” Camille squealed happily, tossing aside her snacks.

She hopped astride the noble steed, wrapping her arms around Logan.

“Onward, trusty steed!” Logan beckoned, slapping the horse’s neck.

“Logan!” James snapped at him.

James and Kendall voiced their own objections as they carried Logan and Stephanie onto the dance floor, slapping them all the way to applause.

“Not a real horse!” Kendall reminded them.

“Everybody!” Mr. X appeared out of nowhere as he always did. “Let the dancing… begin!”

Everyone cheered as they started making their way onto the dance floor. Only Jo remained where she was, her dejected eyes searching for Kendall. She told Kaelyn to go ahead and have some fun. She’ll catch up with her.

“Hey, what are you doing out here?” Kendall asked Jo as he walked over.  “Let’s dance!”

“Hey?!” Jo repeated in disbelief. Kendall looked at her in confusion. “You can’t just waltz in here dressed hall half-horsey,” Jo referred to the lower half of the horse costume Kendall was still wearing, “and say let’s dance! I’ve been waiting all day for you to ask me to be your date, and you never did!”

“Seriously?” Kendall’s confusion only grew when Jo nodded. “I just thought we were kind of, you know, together.”

“Really? You thought we were together?” Jo repeated, her anger disappearing. “Like together-together?”

“Yeah. Is that okay?” Kendall asked nervously.

“It’s… it’s great!” Jo beamed. “Let’s go dance!”

But just as Kendall grasped Jo’s hand, Kaelyn popped her head out and said, “I hate to interrupt this, but… Kendall, you’re needed onstage.”

Kendall gave Jo an apologetic look, but still escorted her onto the dance floor.

**

Everybody was dressed in their normal dance attire as the band got onstage. No horse costumes. No Prince Charming costumes. Just boys dressed nicely as they performed.

There were so many things that I never ever got to say
‘Cause I’m always tongue-tied with my words getting in the way

Jo, Camille, Kaelyn, Stephanie and Katie stood at the front closest to the stage. Dancing along happily to the music and showing their support to their friends. Kelly was also enjoying herself. Gustavo stood there regarding the performance with a critical eye.

If you could read my mind
Then all your doubts would be left behind
And every little thing would be falling into place

The Jennifers found themselves towards the back of the dance floor, dancing with the nerdy kid they had rejected earlier. It was fair to say they weren’t enjoying themselves.

I would scream to the world
They would see you’re my girl
But I just keep getting

Mr. X watched in happiness as the boys broke out into the dance routine he had taught them separately and on the fly. And not only that, they were performing it to perfection.

Stuck, stuck
But I’m never giving up, up
In the middle of a perfect day
I’m tripping over words to say

‘Cause I don’t wanna keep you guessing
But I always end up getting
Stuck, stuck
But I’m never giving up, up

Katie had moved over to stand with her mother. Jennifer thought she was just happy to spend time with her and dance with her. But Katie’s true motives were clear when Fabio appeared next to her.

“Hi. I’m Fabio,” Fabio introduced herself.

“Whoa!” Jennifer gasped in shock as she turned around. Katie not so subtly guided her mother over to the handsome supermodel.

“Would you like to dance?” Fabio asked politely.

“Yes?” Jennifer answered. She may have sounded uncertain, but that was because she couldn’t believe what was happening.

Fabio lit up before reaching into his pocket and offering, “Would you like a pork chop?” Clearly, he had opted to wear his pocket griller to the dance.

“They grow up so fast,” Katie sighed wistfully.

Jennifer exchanged a smile with her daughter as she danced with Fabio. Katie, meanwhile, exchanged a thumbs up with both of her siblings, including the one currently onstage.

James took the lead as he sang the bridge of the song. Not for the first time, Kaelyn wondered if he was singing the lyrics directly to her. But this time, it hit differently. Because this time, she was open to it. She was hoping he would sing to her.

I’m over the chances wasted
Tell me it’s not too late, it’s
Only the nervous times
You keep me bottled up inside

Jo and Camille exchanged knowing looks with each other, having caught onto the exchange between James and Kaelyn. And with Neil out of the picture, it looked like things could really be happening. (Speaking of Neil, he and his girlfriend were accidentally on purpose forced out of the studio, with the adults in the room pleading ignorance.)

Keep getting stuck, stuck
But I’m never giving up, up
In the middle of a perfect day,
I’m tripping over words to say

By this stage, Gustavo had begun to let loose. He had to admit that the boys were doing good. They were acing their first onstage performance.

‘Cause I don’t wanna keep you guessing
But I always end up getting
Stuck, stuck
But I’m never giving up, up

The crowd cheered as the boys struck their finishing pose. It was the perfect performance. The perfect song. Perfect… everything.

“That was great!” Kelly beamed.

“Exceptional!” Mr. X praised.

“I’m taking credit for all of this!” Gustavo declared to the surprise of no one.

**

With the performance over, the dance is in full swing. James, Kendall and Jo stood near the stage with snacks. Carlos was with Stephanie and Logan was with Camille. Kaelyn was sharing a quick dance with her younger sister. And Jennifer was still dancing with Fabio.

“Well… looks like this dance has a happy ending for everyone,” Jo observed.

“Except… I spent so much time helping Logan, I never got the chance to ask Ka-anyone to the dance.” James managed to catch himself before he slipped up. He wasn’t about to reveal his intention to ask Kaelyn to the dance with Kendall in hitting distance.

“Uh, no,” Rachel began as she approached him. “You asked me.”

James frowned in confusion, trying to remember when he had actually asked Rachel to dance.

Another girl came over and said, “Uh, no. He asked me.”

“No, he hit me with a flying dance disc!” a third girl stormed over.

The remaining girls he asked stormed over and revealed, “No, he asked me!”

“Oh. Maybe I did ask a few girls out,” James winced. Seeing the girls glare at him, he began walking away with a, “Ladies, I’m gonna… I’m gonna get some punch. You wanna get some punch?”

He then took off screaming as the girls began chasing after him.

“He’ll be fine,” his three male friends shrugged dismissively.

Sensing the dance had stopped, Mr. X encouraged them, “Dance, everybody! Dance!”

City is Ours began blaring through the speakers as everyone started dancing once more.

**

Kaelyn walked away from the dance floor, looking to get some air. She was having the time of her life dancing with friends. Including the Jennifers. But now, she needed some air. Or at least to get away from the dance.

“Hey, bunny,” James greeted her once he saw her. He emerged from the other studio.

“Hey, fox,” she greeted him in turn. “Still hiding from the ladies?”

“No, I was actually able to clear it up,” James sighed in relief.

Turns out the ladies were actually very understanding when he explained what had actually happened. Especially when he revealed who he intended to ask all along. It went to show how genuine James was with his relationships with women, and his ability to remain on friendly terms with them.

“I, uh… I never got the chance to tell you,” James suddenly found himself getting nervous, “how beautiful you look.”

There was something in James’ eyes and voice that told Kaelyn this wasn’t just a line. Something he had used on millions of girls before or something to simply placate her.

“Thanks,” Kaelyn tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, suddenly looking shy.

“Will you dance with me?” James blurted before he lost his nerve, holding out his hand.

“Yes,” Kaelyn readily agreed.

She placed her hand in his, fully expecting to walk back to the dance floor with him. But instead, James kept his feet rooted on the ground. He reached his free hand out, resting it on her waist. Kaelyn’s smile grew wider as she rested her hand on his shoulder.

The only music they could hear was the muffled music from the studio. And it was definitely not music suited for the slow dance James and Kaelyn found themselves doing. But neither of them could bring themselves to care. They just stood there (or, rather, swayed there), basking in the glow of each other’s embrace.

Eventually, they let go of each other’s hands. James rested his free hand on Kaelyn’s waist while Kaelyn’s hands ended up around his neck. They only had eyes for each other the whole time. Gustavo could storm in and interrupt the moment and they would not care.

It also served as a moment of truth for Kaelyn. Making her admit to herself something she had never admitted before (which, she supposed, was a first step).

She was in love with James Diamond. And what she had no way of knowing was he was in love with her too.

Notes:

Kaelyn's dress:

 

Chapter 19: Count On You

Notes:

I'm tweaking with history a little bit. IRL, Jordin Sparks' second album Battlefield had already been released, and there's a song I mention in here that Jordin did record, but does not appear in the album. In this universe, Jordin's still working on that album, and the song I mention that doesn't appear on Jordin's album IRL does here. Just a little bit of context. (I'll link the song in the final author's note.)

And, um... I'm doing the full song again. Because it's one of my favourites on the first album.

Either way, I hope you enjoy the chapter. (Even though I think it's the longest one I've done to date; but this was one of those episodes where everything was relevant)

Not having to spend time confined within the walls of Rocque Records meant that the teenagers were free to spend time by their beloved pool at the Palm Woods. In the six months they had been in Hollywood, more often than not, if you wanted to look for the boyband known as Big Time Rush and their beloved songwriter, you could find them by the pool.

And that is where they are now. But rather than talking to each other, they were simply soaking in the Californian sun with reading materials. These reading materials reflected the individual’s personality.

Kendall was reading Hockey Action Magazine. All four members of the band love hockey, but for Kendall, hockey is life. He is considered a prodigy in the sport, with talk already commencing about him getting a scholarship (even though college is still two years away). It was something he kept up with even as they moved to Hollywood. It was demonstrated by him reading all about the latest and greatest hockey gear.

Logan was reading Future Doctor Magazine. They all may love hockey, but they had other passions outside the sport. For Logan, that passion is medicine. It is well known that he wants to become a doctor. That’s his life goal. The only thing Logan can’t seem to decide right now is what specialty he wants to pursue. Does he want to become an oncologist? A surgeon? A paediatrician? The possibilities were endless. Either way, Logan was keeping up-to-date with all the latest developments, hoping to increase his chances of getting into a good medical school.

Carlos was reading Helmet Magazine. Carlos’ attachment to his helmet was well-known. He never went anywhere without it, and seemed to wear some form of helmet 24/7 (much to the group’s annoyance). It was clear that Carlos’ helmet would become his signature when the boyband achieved fame. However, at the same time, nobody could necessarily begrudge Carlos for wanting to wear a helmet 24/7. With all the trouble Carlos seemed to find himself in, continuously wearing a helmet often saved his life.

James was reading Pop Tiger Magazine. James was the member of the group who was always attuned to the latest happenings in pop culture. Much of this could be attributed to his upbringing (which also explained his meticulous obsession with his looks; especially when one considered who his mother is). But much of it could also be attributed to his desire to be in the magazine as a celebrity himself. After all, some could say he was the reason they were here today: his desire to become famous.

Kaelyn was reading a book. Wolf Hall, to be specific. It was the book James had gotten her after her breakup with Neil to cheer her up. He knew she had her eye on the book for a while. The aspiring songwriter was also a massive bookworm, and there was nothing she wouldn’t read. (She may or may not also read the occasional fanfiction in her spare time.) But one of her favourite genres was history. Historical fiction. Historical romances. If it involved history, she loved it. Because one of her favourite subjects outside of music was history. And Wolf Hall, a historical fiction novel about the rise of Thomas Cromwell, was quickly becoming a favourite.

“Hey,” James began, interrupting the peaceful silence that had fallen over the group, “do you guys want to know Dak Zevon’s secret to perfect toast?”

“No!” Kendall, Logan and Carlos were quick to object.

“It’s all in this month’s Pop Tiger!” was James’ defence.

“Already read it,” was Kaelyn’s answer. She didn’t even look up from her book.

It was at that moment that James remembered that, in a rare event, Kaelyn was actually able to read the latest issue of the magazine subscription they shared before he did.

Carlos snatched the magazine from James, but not to read it. He was about to make a point, and he decided to use the magazine – more specifically, the celebrity on the front cover – to highlight that point.

“What I want to know is: we’ve been in L.A. for six months. When are we gonna meet some totally cool and hot celebrity like Jordin Sparks?” Carlos asked, pointing to the front cover in question.

The group found themselves agreeing with Carlos. They quickly forgot their own reading materials as they considered Carlos’ question. Something they thought would happen when they moved to Hollywood was meeting celebrities. After all, the town was full of them. They weren’t exactly expecting to bump into a celebrity on every street corner, but they were hoping for more than they got. Especially since they spend a lot of time at a recording studio. Surely they would’ve bumped into a famous singer.

Kaelyn thought of the few celebrities they did meet since moving to Hollywood. On their first day at Rocque Records, they met Nicole Scherzinger from the Pussycat Dolls. That was an interesting meeting. She threw a phone at Gustavo, clearly demonstrating that she wasn’t over the creative differences they experienced collaborating on Nicole’s first album. Beyond wishing the band the best of luck dealing with Gustavo, they never saw her again.

The second celebrity they met was Chris ‘The Masterpiece’ Masters, a WWE wrestler and ASPA teacher. Kaelyn gave Kendall grief that day for putting that idea out in the universe and challenging Gustavo to hire him when they kept trying to scare off every teacher he hired for his School of Rocque. They certainly didn’t make a good impression on the wrestler, pretending to eat vomit and scaring him away.

The third celebrity they met was Fabio. Or, rather, Kendall and Kaelyn met Fabio when they kidnapped him (with help from Katie, of course) in a scheme to get their single mother a date. Again, didn’t leave a good impression.

(They didn’t really count Gustavo because they work with him on a daily basis.)

But all of that was forgotten when they heard a voice say, “Excuse me.” The five teenagers looked up in amazement at the woman standing before them pulling her luggage behind her.

“I’m looking for Mr. Bitters,” she continued on.

She didn’t make a comment about the astonishment of the teenagers. It was something she had gotten used to since she rose to fame after winning a reality competition in 2007. She wasn’t even phased by the boys holding up what she recognized to be the new issue of Pop Tiger Magazine. Almost as though they were comparing her to the cover.

The five teenagers were shocked when they realized that it truly was Jordin Sparks standing before them.

**

Sensing the chaos that was about to happen, Kaelyn decided to take pity on Jordin and escort her to the lobby herself. Although, Kaelyn had to admit. She was amazed she was able to keep a cool, calm and collected appearance. Because she was walking side-by-side with Jordin Sparks. Gustavo had told her she would be working with other celebrities when they first started working together. But so far, he had never followed through on his promise. So, she began thinking it would never happen.

And now here she was. Walking and talking with Jordin Sparks.

“So, what brings you to Hollywood?” Jordin asked her. “Singing? Acting?”

“Songwriting,” Kaelyn answered. She was suppressing her urge to pull out her songbook that she always carried with her. She didn’t want to ambush Jordin or make her think she was weird.

“Maybe you can show me some of your songs,” Jordin suggested.

Kaelyn was suddenly thankful that they arrived at the front lobby. Specifically, the front desk. Because there was no way she would be able to maintain a cool, calm and collected appearance after having a famous singer like Jordin Sparks wanting to see her songs. Especially since it was clear Jordin wasn’t just being polite. It was a genuine interest.

“Ah, Ms. Sparks!” Mr. Bitters greeted her once he put his own magazine down. “Back for the famous Palm Woods two-star service?”

“Actually, I’m here for the famous good luck,” Jordin corrected him. “Whenever I throw a penny into the Palm Woods wishing well, my songs have always become hits.”

Kaelyn found herself thinking of some of the massive hits Jordin had in her career so far. Tattoo. No Air (her duet with Chris Brown). She wondered if she had been at the Palm Woods while recording at least those two songs. She also knew that Jordin was currently recording another album and was working with other songwriters and producers. So, she wondered if that was why she was at the Palm Woods.

After all, Rocque Records is in close proximity to Palm Woods. Kaelyn wondered if Jordin would be working with Gustavo. (And if she was, why hadn’t Gustavo mentioned anything to her?)

“Ah, that germ-infested sinkhole,” Mr. Bitters mused before clearing his throat, “I mean, yes. The place where a wish can make your dreams come true.” After handing Jordin the keycard to her room, Mr. Bitters asked, “Can I help you with anything else?”

“Yes,” Jordin nodded. She leaned in close and asked, “Can you keep a lookout for the paparazzi? They’re always trying to get embarrassing photos of me.”

“Don’t worry. You can count on me,” Mr. Bitters smiled.

Kaelyn decided that Mr. Bitters was being rather disarming in his smile and reassurances to Jordin. It didn’t take a genius to work out that he was planning to get an embarrassing photo of Jordin himself and sell it for a quick buck. After all, he was a man that was driven by greed.

But his first attempt was felled by Big Time Rush, who knocked him over in their quest to get to Jordin. (They didn’t even notice the hotel manager.)

“Wow,” Kaelyn laughed as she glanced at her watch, “it actually took you longer than I expected. Did you trip over something?”

“Ha-ha, Lynnie,” Kendall drawled sarcastically. None of them were prepared to admit Kaelyn was right. Kendall then turned to Jordan, “We just wanted to say welcome to the Palm Woods.”

“We’re Big Time Rush!” Carlos enthusiastically introduced them.

“We’re recording at Rocque Records,” James winked at Kaelyn.

“And I think that’s a new record for you,” Kaelyn quipped. “Think that was the longest you’ve gone between laying eyes on a girl you’ve never met and flirting with them.”

When James glared at her (there was no malice in the glare), Kaelyn just gave him a sweet smile in return. A sweet smile that was quick to melt away the weak glare that James was giving her.

“What are you doing here?” Logan asked politely.

“Recording. At Rocque Records,” Jordin answered.

Jordin and Kaelyn looked at the boys in confusion when they started pretending to cough and splutter. Kaelyn could’ve sworn she heard one of them say the word ‘quit’ amidst the coughing and spluttering.

**

It shouldn’t have come as a surprise that Big Time Rush immediately offered to escort Jordin to Rocque Records for her recording session. They claimed it was to help her smooth the way with Gustavo. After all, they knew how prickly the producer can be.

But in reality, they just wanted to see Jordin record her new song. Hearing the opening bars, Kaelyn immediately recognized the song to be Count on You, a song she and Gustavo had been toying with briefly before. She couldn’t help but feel hurt by two things.

First, Gustavo never mentioned pitching the song (or any of the songs they were working on together) to other artists.

Second, Gustavo was acting like this was entirely his work, ignoring Kaelyn’s contributions. (Honestly, Kaelyn was surprised Gustavo was even acknowledging her as his intern.) It made her realize that, when it came to working with other artists, Gustavo was taking the credit for everything.

But it was forgotten when she heard Jordin sing the last few lines of the song.

Yeah, I’m about to give you my heart
So, remember this one thing
I’ve never been in love before
Yeah, you gotta go easy on me

Kaelyn decided to put those thoughts aside for the time-being. Especially when she heard the guys enter the engineering room and whoop loudly. They were even decreeing it the best song ever.

“Really?” Jordin began. “Because I’m not sure I’m feeling it yet.”

When the guys were quick to agree, Kaelyn was quick to whack all four of them up the head. They whined as they rubbed the back of their heads shooting Kaelyn looks. But a subtle signal from Kaelyn told them everything they needed to know. Even though Gustavo was taking credit for every aspect of the song, it was clear that Kaelyn was a significant contributor.

Gustavo rose to his feet, rushing to reassure his latest singer, “Jordin, Jordin. Don’t worry about the song, okay? Just take a little more time with it, and give me some time to fill in the chorus and add some more layers. This song is gonna be a big hit! It’s gonna be a bit hit.”

Kelly moved into the sound booth to give Jordin… actually, Kaelyn wasn’t entirely certain what Kelly was doing with Jordin, but she knew it had something to do with the song.

Besides, she was more interested in what Gustavo had to say to the boys.

“Dogs, I got a big present for you in my office,” Gustavo revealed.

The boys screamed in excitement and immediately started making their way to Gustavo’s office. Not only do they love presents, but they knew (or rather hoped) it would be spectacular because it was from Gustavo. Kaelyn slowly followed them. She already knew Gustavo was up to something. He hadn’t done anything nice for them since the apartment makeover. (And by that, she meant something nice with no strings attached. Allowing them to have their school dance in his studio was a gift with strings attached.)

Sure enough, when she and Gustavo walked into his office, she found her twin brother and three best friends in Freight Train’s very tight grip.

“Hi, Freight Train,” Kaelyn greeted him happily.

Freight Train broke character for a moment to give Kaelyn a kind smile to acknowledge and silently reciprocate her greeting before returning to his stern portrayal as he looked down at the boys trapped in his grasp.

“Freight Train’s squeezing us!” Kendall managed to gasp out, his voice a higher pitch than usual.

James’ voice was also a higher pitch than normal as he struggled to ask, “This is our big present?!”

“Yes! Because I want you nowhere near Jordin Sparks!” Gustavo told them.

When Gustavo dropped the gauntlet, Freight Train finally released the boys from his tight grip. While Kendall, Logan and James struggled to regain their breath, Carlos had recovered sufficiently enough to ask Gustavo: “What?! Why?!”

“Because you’re bad luck and destroy everything you touch,” Gustavo answered. The tone of his voice told the group that he thought the answer was obvious.

“What?! That is so not true!” Logan scoffed.

Unfortunately, Logan inadvertently provided Gustavo with more evidence of their supposed bad luck and tendency to destroy everything they touch. Because Logan went to casually lean on Gustavo’s desk. But one of the desk legs appeared to have some sort of weakness, because it buckled under Logan’s weight. Gustavo winced at the sound of glass shattering and objects breaking as the items on his desk slid down the unexpected slope to the ground below.

“Sorry,” Logan winced an apology.

“You can’t blame him for that,” Kaelyn argued. “You told me yesterday your desk was breaking.”

“I don’t care,” Gustavo retorted. “Jordin and her team picked me to produce her new song over every producer in this town ‘cause word on the street is Gustavo Rocque is back!”

“Where do I fit into this?” Kaelyn asked before she could stop herself.

“TBD,” Gustavo answered before swinging back to the boys, “Now, Jordin is staying at the Palm Woods. Which means, if she is by the pool, I want Bad Luck Rush to be in the lobby!”

To them, the message was clear. The boys were to stay away from Jordin. So, if she was by the pool, they couldn’t be by the pool. If she was in the lobby, they had to stay clear of the lobby. If she was at Rocque Records… well, the point was made. Gustavo wanted as much distance between Jordin Sparks and Big Time Rush as possible.

But then, Kelly walked into the office and seemed to blow Gustavo’s plan out the window.

“Hey. I was talking with Jordin and she was wondering, to help work out the song, she can borrow Kaelyn for the day,” Kelly revealed.

“What?!” Gustavo roared in shock.

“What?!” the boys cried out. But rather than in shock, it was excitement. Amazement.

“Sure,” Kaelyn answered. “I mean, considering I helped with it.”

Yeah, Kaelyn was being a bit pointed in her reply there, but she figured it was the best way to let Gustavo know that she wasn’t happy with the lack of credit she was being given.

If Gustavo noticed it, he didn’t say anything. He was more wrapped up in the fact that the boys were now never going to listen to his talk about staying away from Jordin. Because there was no way in hell they were going to let Kaelyn out of their sight.

**

And sure enough, Big Time Rush were watching Kaelyn work with Jordin by the pool. At least they were somewhat listening to Gustavo’s warnings and keeping their distance. Since Jordin and Kaelyn were by the pool, they stayed in the lobby.

Okay. They’re standing in the doorway to the pool. But they were still in the lobby, so it counted.

Although the boys were still smarting over being told they were bad luck, they had to admit. They were excited seeing Kaelyn work with a prominent artist like Jordin Sparks. And not only that, be asked by that artist directly. They watched as Jordin and Kaelyn not only worked together effectively, but were able to share a few laughs along the way. They were bouncing ideas off each other. Jordin was treating Kaelyn like her equal. Something that the boys were excited to see.

Even then…

“Bad Luck Rush? He’s wrong!” James stubbornly declared.

“Yeah, we’re more like good luck charms!” Logan added.

“In fact, the best luck the girls could have is spending their entire day with me,” James smirked. He even took out a small handheld mirror he always carries with him and his lucky comb and began styling his hair. Seeing the looks his friends were giving him, James quickly amended his statement, “I mean, us!”

James went to flip the mirror in the air and catch it in his hand. It was a trick he had done a million times before. Especially when he was looking to show off. But this time, he fumbled, and the mirror fell to the ground below. They all gasped at the sound of glass shattering. But Carlos, the more superstitious of the quartet, was more freaked out by the implications.

“You broke a mirror! That’s seven years bad luck!” Carlos gasped.

“That’s ridiculous!” James scoffed as he went back to combing his hair. The mirror may be broken, but it was still usable.

Then, a series of events happened. They barely heard the yell of another teen in the pool yelling, ‘Head’s up!’ as a football got tossed around the pool area. Kendall, Logan and Carlos were able to get out of the way in time, but James was too absorbed in the mirror to notice anything happening around him. He only looked up when he felt the football colliding with his head. After that, he felt a substance spilling onto his white singlet and the greyish button-up shirt he wore undone over it. Looking across, he saw a mother trying to put sunscreen on her young son. It was clear what happened. When she squeezed the bottle to get the sunscreen out, something in the bottle made it squirt all over the place.

“Sorry,” the unnamed mother winced in apology.

Finally (because things always come in threes), James was bowled over by a throng of teenagers eagerly rushing to get into the pool. When James finally got to his feet (with no help from his friends, might he add), he glanced once more at the broken mirror before walking away dramatically with a scream. He needed to find a way to break the curse. Now.

Turning to Carlos and Logan, Kendall told them, “Guys, we’re not bad luck! And don’t let Gustavo get to you. Just enjoy the day. Like I’m gonna enjoy my day with Jo by the pool.”

Kendall went to walk into the pool area so he could spend the day with Jo like he planned. But Carlos and Logan were quick to block his path.

“Gustavo said don’t go to the pool if Jordin’s there,” Logan reminded him.

Honestly, the group were surprised that Gustavo didn’t sic Freight Train on them to make sure they did stay away from Jordin.

But then, it appeared that Kendall’s luck was turning around, because Jordin and Kaelyn were gathering their belongings and walking away from the poolside table they had occupied.

“Oh look! She’s leaving,” Kendall pointed out.

Things would not prove to be that simple. Because Mr. Bitters was hiding out nearby with a tree hat (something he totally copied from four certain hockey players from Minnesota; not that he would admit it). He had promised Jordin he would help keep the paparazzi away. But he didn’t say anything about getting himself material to submit to the tabloid.

And his first trick involved throwing a banana peel in Jordin’s path and taking a photo of her slipping on the banana peel.

It was at this point that Kendall was coming over, so he would be walking past at the right time.

“I think we’ll get it,” Kaelyn told her.

“I think we will-WHOA!”

Jordin gasped as her stuff went flying in the air while she lost her balance. Kendall and Kaelyn acted quickly. Kendall swooped forward and caught Jordin before she could hit the ground. Kaelyn, seeing that Kendall had saved Jordin, quickly saved Jordin’s belongings, catching it with ease.

“Thanks!” Jordin gasped out.

“It was a lucky catch,” Kendall smirked.

Kaelyn would have laughed at Kendall’s attempt to be suave… if it weren’t for Jo picking that moment to make her presence known. While Kendall was still standing there looking like he was romantically dipping Jordin Sparks.

“Um… Kendall?” Jo began.

“Jo!” Kendal gasped. Seeing what she was thinking, Kendall was quick to say, “This isn’t what it looks like.”

“Really? ‘Cause it looks like you’re embracing Jordin Sparks,” Jo said.

“It does look that way, doesn’t it?” Jordin asked.

“Yikes,” Kaelyn muttered under her breath as she saw Jo walk away, clearly pissed by what she saw. Once Kendall had righted Jordin, Kaelyn was quick to suggest, “Girly romantic poolside lunch. Stat. Don’t forget the flowers.”

Kendall pressed a quick kiss to the top of Kaelyn’s head, wordlessly thanking his twin for her suggestion before racing off to organise that.

Carlos and Logan, meanwhile, were doing some scheming of their own.

“Broken mirror, banana peel, potentially jealous girlfriend… this place is full of bad luck!” Logan decreed.

“We can’t avoid Jordin. We have to protect her!” Carlos told his friend.

And it was in that moment that the Good Luck Patrol was born. Logan and Carlos were now dressed in full black suits. Complete with black shades, a Shamrock patch ironed onto their suit jackets and watches that doubled as walkie-talkies.

“Gustavo is so lucky he has us,” Logan proclaimed.

“Copy that,” Carlos smirked.

They then disappeared from the doorway, determined to eradicate all forms of bad luck from the Palm Woods.

**

Gustavo, meanwhile, was about to find out that his luck – good and bad – wasn’t necessarily always tied to his boyband.

The moment started simple enough. Gustavo was in the engine room mixing the backing track for Jordin’s new song. It was something he had going for him at least. Some would describe it as mellow hip-hop track, but Gustavo preferred to think of it as a combination of pop and R&B. At least that’s how Kaelyn would put it.

That was something Kelly had managed to do once everyone left. Give Gustavo hell for hogging all the credit to himself and not sharing with Kaelyn. Gustavo seemed to not pay it any mind.

“Hey,” Kelly began as she walked into the engine room carrying a big box, “somebody sent you a big present!”

“Ah, must be one of my colleagues congratulating me on landing the new Jordin Sparks song,” Gustavo smirked.

Kelly had to give him that. It had spread around town by now that Jordin was recording a new song with Gustavo. A song that will go on her upcoming album. And since Jordin is one of the hottest artists around, it was a big deal.

But all of that changed when Gustavo opened the box that had been marked fragile. It certainly was fragile, but not for the reason one would think.

“Skunk!” Gustavo and Kelly gasped in horror.

Their eyes were not deceiving them. Someone had sent Rocque Records a live skunk.

Gustavo and Kelly scrambled to confine themselves into the sound booth, wanting to put as much distance between them and the skunk as possible. Skunks are native to Southern California, so Gustavo and Kelly were no stranger to them. Believe it or not, skunks were commonly sighted in areas like Hollywood Hills, Los Feliz, and near Griffith Park. They also recalled what Kaelyn mentioned about them in an animal book she read once. They are highly adaptable creatures, able to thrive in various environments (even urban and suburban areas) and opportunistic eaters.

Although, they could’ve sworn Kaelyn said something about skunks being nocturnal. (She did, but made a point of adding that according to some sources, they can be seen at daytime in urban areas if there’s plenty of food and few predators.)

But for now, Kelly had bigger worries as she watched the skunk climb out of its box: “Who sends a skunk as a present?!”

Gustavo immediately knew the answer: “The same person that stole my lead singer from Boyquake, hijacked all my best musicians, and gave me an atomic wedgie at the ’92 VMAs!”

And that someone was George Hawk. Hawk was the owner of Hawk Records, and Gustavo’s archnemesis. The two record producers had been in competition with each other for as long as either of them could remember. They had a history of pulling all sorts of tricks and pranks on each other. Their rivalry was legendary. Something that seemed to have disappeared into obscurity when Gustavo stopped producing as many hits.

But with Gustavo clearly on the up-and-up once more – creating a new boyband and recording a new song with Jordin Sparks – Hawk was eager to defeat his enemy once more.

Gustavo was able to ring Hawk directly. He did not have to go through any switchboards or any number of assistants to get to Hawk. And Hawk could do the same to Gustavo anytime he wished. It felt strange for two intense rivals to have a direct line to each other, but for them, it made things more interesting.

“Gustavo! Congratulations on landing the new Jordin Sparks song. I take it you got my present?”

“Hawk, I will destroy you,” Gustavo vowed, “because you are a big, giant stupid face!”

“You can’t destroy me, because you are a big doodie face! And once Jordin realizes that Rocque Records literally stinks, she’ll come to Hawk Records to record it where she belongs.”

Hawk then ended the call with a ‘Caw!’. It was Hawk’s signature. He really embraced sharing his last name with the well-known bird. Anytime he did anything, he always found a way to include a signature caw to mimic the bird.

But either way, it made Hawk’s plan clear to Gustavo and Kelly. Hawk sent the skunk to Rocque Records hoping it would spray all over the place and literally make Rocque Records stink. After all, a skunk’s spray not only smelled awful, but could be exceedingly difficult to get rid of, often lingering for days. Sometimes weeks. Gustavo would be forced to close down the studio for that length of time to clear out the smell. Meaning Jordin would turn around and opt to work with Hawk instead.

In Hawk’s mind, he couldn’t lose.

And Gustavo and Kelly had to admit – they were thinking the same as they watched the skunk move around Rocque Records.

“Call an exterminator!” Gustavo ordered Kelly urgently.

“I did! But the soonest one can be here is tomorrow, sometime between ten and next April,” Kelly answered.

“Fine! Then, we get rid of it ourselves!” Gustavo decided.

“Right” Kelly nodded in agreement. But then, she asked, “How do you get rid of a skunk?”

“I don’t know!” Gustavo cried in dismay.

**

Jordin and Kaelyn continued working on the song, finding themselves back at the pool. Out of the corner of her eye, Kaelyn saw that Kendall had indeed taken her suggestion and organized a girly romantic lunch for Jo. He even had a little vase filled with flowers. Showing the effort he was willing to put in to make up with Jo (even though he didn’t actually do anything wrong).

“Maybe for the second half of the first verse, maybe the line can be like this?” Kaelyn suggested. She then sang the line she was about to suggest, “I heard love is dangerous; and once you fall, you can never get enough. But the thought of you leaving ain’t so easy for me.”

“Yeah. Yeah, that works a lot better,” Jordin nodded eagerly as Kaelyn wrote the changes on the sheet music. “But I don’t know. I still can’t work it out. It feels like something is missing.”

“Maybe if we listen to the demo again,” Kaelyn suggested.

Gustavo had downloaded the demo onto an iPod for Jordin, so it was a simple case of Jordin pulling out the iPod and sharing the earbuds with Kaelyn.

“Hey, Jordin. Hey, Kaelyn,” Logan greeted the two girls as they walked past.

“Sup?” Carlos nodded to them.

“Working on the song,” Jordin dismissed them politely before walking away.

“You go do that,” Logan nodded.

Although, Kaelyn did do a double take when she saw Carlos holding a black cat. But ultimately, she decided that, combined with the outfits her two friends were wearing, she was better off not knowing what was up with that. (She knew the guys too well.) She did swear she heard through her ear that didn’t have the earbud in Carlos and Logan say something about bad luck being averted by the Good Luck Patrol. That alone strengthened her resolve to stay out of whatever they had planned.

But fate, it seemed, had other plans. Because Jordin suddenly found herself being attacked by that cat. Carlos had carelessly thrown the black cat into the air when Logan suggested finding a way to get rid of it. And the black cat was not happy with being thrown around like that. Jordin was an unfortunate victim of the cat’s rage.

Jordin screamed as she struggled against the cat, knocking over many things in her path (the cat was blocking her field of vision). Kaelyn was doing everything she could to get the cat off her. In the end, she ended up guiding Jordin into a nearby seat and telling her to stay still long enough to get the cat off her. Kaelyn was successful, but ended up with a pissed off cat latched onto her. Kendall immediately rushed forth to save his sister, grabbing the cat and throwing it in the direction of the nearby plants.

What they had no way of knowing was they had inadvertently foiled Mr. Bitters’ latest attempt to get an embarrassing photo of Jordin, because he found himself targeted by the black cat. And there was no one to rescue him. (Mr. Bitters’ hadn’t planned for Jordin to find herself entangled with a black cat, but he wasn’t about to turn down the golden opportunity it presented him.)

Logan and Carlos, meanwhile, quickly and quietly crept away from the scene.

“Thanks, Kaelyn,” Jordin panted.

“No problem,” Kaelyn panted.

“Oh!”

Kaelyn winced when she suddenly realized where she had sat Jordin. Right at the girly romantic poolside lunch Kendall was organizing. And Kendall was sitting in the other seat after helping Kaelyn with the cat. So, it looked like he was having a romantic lunch with Jordin.

“So, now, you’re having a girly romantic lunch with Jordin.” Jo’s words were pointed, portraying her anger through her seemingly calm demeanour. She then turned to Kaelyn, “And you’re helping him?!”

“It’s not what it looks like!” Kaelyn stammered.

Jo wouldn’t listen. She stormed off in a huff, clearly upset that her boyfriend appeared to be cheating on her and his twin sister – who also happened to be one of Jo’s best friends – was helping him cover it up. (Wait. Could she even say ‘cover it up’ since Kendall and Jordin kept getting caught? Well, either way, Kaelyn appeared to be an accomplice.)

Kaelyn winced apologetically to Kendall, but Kendall wouldn’t even let her get the words out. He knew Kaelyn wasn’t to blame. She was operating out of panic.

“You know, I’m not sure the Palm Woods is as lucky as I remember,” Jordin remarked.

“Tell me about it,” Kendall sighed.

**

“How long do I have to keep doing this?” Tyler asked.

Many would be asking why Tyler was dressed up like a leprechaun attempting to do an imitation of some sort of Irish dance. The answer came in the form of one James Diamond, who was desperately crawling around the grass in Palm Woods Park. Coincidentally, they found themselves near the wishing well Jordin had mentioned earlier to Mr. Bitters.

But James wasn’t interested in the luck the wishing well supposedly provided. Even though he was willing to do anything to break the seven years of bad luck that loomed over him.

“Seven years,” James answered.

Tyler immediately stopped dancing. That certainly wasn’t part of the deal.

“Look. I need to counter my mirror-breaking bad luck with good luck; and New Year’s Eve is months away, so I can’t kiss Kaelyn. Now, keep dancing and help me find a four-leaf clover!” James snapped.

Tyler was quick to recover from the shock over his remark James made about kissing Kaelyn on New Year’s Eve (his insides were certainly doing a happy dance, though, as everyone was just waiting for James and Kaelyn to admit their feelings for each other at this point). He immediately started looking for a way to escape. While being forced to dress like a leprechaun and dance wasn’t as bad as his mother forcing him to audition for all those commercials, it still wasn’t something he enjoyed.

“Look, there’s one!” Tyler gasped excitedly. When James went in the direction he pointed, Tyler was quick to escape.

When James realized he had been played, he cried out in frustration, “Sneaky leprechaun!”

He needed something to turn his luck around. Now.

‘Was kissing someone outside New Year’s Eve considered good luck?’ James suddenly thought to himself. He knew he could get any girl to kiss him. But then his mind turned to the one girl he wanted to kiss and he wondered:

‘Would Kaelyn want to kiss me?’

**

Gustavo and Kelly’s luck hadn’t turned around. They were still trying in vain to get rid of the skunk that was currently roaming around the studio.

“All we have to do is get Skunkie back in his box and out of my studio!” Gustavo proclaimed.

They watched as Skunkie proceeded to make himself at home in the studio where the band recorded the backing track to the songs. Much to Gustavo and Kelly’s eternal relief, Skunkie has sprayed. Yet. They knew, however, it would only be a matter of time.

“And we agree… the glue traps don’t work,” Kelly said.

The duo rose to their feet, revealing they were covered in glue traps they tried to lay all over the studio hoping to get Skunkie. But through a series of unfortunate events, they ended up adhering themselves to the glue traps instead. It was something they had looked up in their desperate web search for ways to get rid of a skunk that has invaded your home or workplace. Especially since they had no luck getting an exterminator.

“Yep,” Gustavo nodded.

Then, he heard his ringtone. Lifting the hand that had both a glue trap and his phone stuck to it, Gustavo scowled when he saw Hawk’s name flash across the screen. Either way, he answered it. Inadvertently sticking both the phone and the glue trap to his face.

“What?!” Gustavo barked.

Hawk’s taunting voice could be heard at the other end of the line.

“Gustavo! Here at Hawk Records, I have a full-time pest control department. So, why don’t you send Jordin over here to record her song; and then, I’ll send my guy to get Mr. Skunkie.”

“I will catch this skunk, Hawk, record a monster hit with Jordin, and then I’ll get you back!” Gustavo vowed.

“…you’re covered in glue traps, aren’t you?”

“Curse you, Hawk!” Gustavo roared.

He then hung up… once he was able to unglue the phone and the glue trap from his face.

**

“Look. You said the wishing well here’s always brought you luck. Maybe it can this time,” Kaelyn suggested.

Kaelyn and Jordin had found their way to Palm Woods Park. Clearly, they had decided that staying within the Palm Woods itself wasn’t helping them. A change of scenery would do them some good. Get their creative juices flowing. Help them finally figure out the song.

Jordin wasn’t about to turn down the suggestion. Especially since Kaelyn already had great ideas concerning the song.

“Okay, wishing well. I’m recording a new song today, and I need some good luck,” Jordin spoke into the void.

Logan and Carlos lingered nearby, keeping their distance from Jordin and Kaelyn while still being close enough to offer their unique form of protection. This time, they were hiding behind some trees watching the girls stand at the wishing well.

“Target is safe. No bad luck in sight,” Carlos reported.

“Wishing wells are nothing but good luck,” Logan pointed out.

Jordin handed a penny to Kaelyn, telling her she should make a wish into the wishing well too. Kaelyn decided there would be no harm in doing that. But then, she faced a dilemma. What should she wish for? Could she make multiple wishes, or would she have to narrow it down to the one thing she wanted more than anything?

While Kaelyn and Jordin were pondering their wishes at the wishing well, chaos was beginning to unfold behind them. James was continuing his relentless search for a four-leaf clover. In his quest, he ended up wandering over to where Kendall was setting up a small sand pit with a small pole he was currently hammering into the middle.

“What are you doing?” Kendall asked. Though, part of him debated if he really wanted to know what James was doing.

“I’m looking for four-leaf clovers,” James answered. “What are you doing?”

“Setting up another date with Jo.” Kendall’s voice was filled with exasperation. But he then smirked as he asked, “Hey, nothing can go wrong when you play horseshoes, right?”

James’ eyes snapped up at the horseshoe Kendall was holding. Horseshoes were good luck charms. It would break his curse.

“Give me that horseshoe.”

Unsurprisingly, James and Kendall began fighting over the horseshoe, each one arguing why they needed it more than the other. Kendall argued that he needed it for his date with Jo. Twice, she had caught him in an awkward circumstance with Jordin. He really needed to make it up to her. James argued that he had seven years of bad luck looming over him. He really needed any good luck he could get.

But during the fight, the horseshoe was turned upside down. And it sent the Good Luck Patrol into a panic.

“Upside-down horseshoe!” Logan gasped.

“That’s bad luck!” Carlos cried.

“Move out!”

Logan and Carlos quickly raced over to where James and Kendall were continuing their fight over the horseshoe. They were trying to intervene. Take the horseshoe for themselves. Do anything to eradicate the bad luck that was quickly forming. Jordin and Kaelyn remained unaware of what was unfolding behind them, but they were about to become aware in a painful way.

Because amidst the struggle, the four boys lost their grip on the horseshoe, and it went flying through the air, colliding with Jordin’s back. Jordin gasped as she lost her balance, reaching for anything she could to keep herself upright. But there was nothing to save her from falling into the well. And she took Kaelyn down with her when Kaelyn tried to help her.

All four boys winced when they saw a famous singer and their twin sister/best friend fall into the well.

“Maybe we are bad luck,” Kendall suggested.

“Yeah,” James winced.

**

Kaelyn cried out when she landed on the bottom of the well. She heard the crack before she felt the radiating pain travel up along her arm. Looking down at her arm, she saw immediate swelling, bruising, and a bend that was decidedly unnatural. She bit her lip to suppress another cry of pain as she tried to move it, but found she couldn’t.

“Oh my God!” Jordin gasped, immediately crawling over to Kaelyn.

She helped Kaelyn to her feet and took a closer look at Kaelyn’s arm. What she saw confirmed what Kaelyn already knew. Her arm was broken. She must have outstretched it in an instinctual attempt to stop her fall. The good news for Kaelyn was the bone hadn’t broken through the skin. It was a closed fracture. And it didn’t appear to have slipped out of place too much.

That didn’t make it hurt any less, though.

“I’m okay.” Kaelyn’s voice sounded strained through the pain she was trying to suppress. But the tears were beginning to pool at the corner of her eyes. Something Jordin couldn’t blame her for. Broken bones hurt.

Jordin suddenly cried out in pain when she felt something collide with the top of her head. Rubbing the sore spot, she saw that the object that hit her was a penny. Looking up, she saw the members of Big Time Rush peering worriedly into the well.

“Guys, is that you?!” Jordin called up.

“Uh, don’t worry, Jordin! You can count on us!” Kendall was quick to reassure her. But then he grew worried as he asked, “Lynnie, are you okay?!”

Jordin answered on Kaelyn’s behalf, “Her arm’s broken!”

Kaelyn winced when she heard the boys yell out in shock and horror. Jordin shot her an apologetic look. Something Kaelyn had told her about was the boys’ overprotectiveness of her. But Jordin still felt compelled to tell them about Kaelyn’s broken arm. She wasn’t knowledgeable in first aid, but she knew enough that they needed to stabilize it before they got out.

**

“We have to call the fire department,” Logan decided.

“We can’t call anyone!” Kendall quickly objected. “Or Gustavo will find out and kill us!”

“And think we’re bad luck!” Carlos added.

“We are!” James retorted. “Kaelyn’s got a broken arm!”

That made Logan gasp before suddenly taking off. When he came back moments later, he was carrying all sorts of stuff. At first, the stuff appeared to be random. But then, his friends got a closer look and recognized it for what it was.

Everything they would need to make a makeshift splint for Kaelyn to get her out and to a hospital.

“Hey, girls! Everything’s fine! We’ve got a plan!” Carlos raced forward to reassure them. But when he raced back to his friends, he asked nervously, “Guys, what’s the plan?”

For Kendall, the solution was as simple as it was obvious: “We’re going to rescue them.” He then smirked at Carlos and Logan, “Now, which one of the Good Luck Patrol is going down the hole?”

Kendall should have known the second he opened his mouth that Logan and Carlos (and even James) wouldn’t be the one going down the hole. He didn’t know why he was surprised when he found himself preparing to rappel down the well, with his three best friends holding onto the rope.

“Good luck, Kendall!” they all smiled.

“Yeah, just lower me down!” Kendall snapped. “I’ll put the rope around them, and then you pull us all up.”

“You may have to go one at a time,” Logan advised.

Kendall shrugged. He supposed Logan was right. There was no way the three of them could pull Kendall, Jordin and Kaelyn out all at once. So, Kendall was preparing to spend a few minutes down the hole doing the makeshift splint around Kaelyn’s broken arm (he made a mental note to thank every single individual who taught him and his friends everything they needed to survive in the wilderness – especially with their fondness for camping) before pulling her up first.

But before they could start lowering Kendall down, James suddenly gasped, “Hey, a four-leaf clover!”

Kendall screamed when he suddenly found himself falling. Because when he bent down to get the four-leaf clover, James let go of the rope. And Logan and Carlos struggling to maintain their own grip on the rope, causing it to slip out of their hands. They tried desperately to regain their grip, but the rope slipped out of their reach and fell into the well. Along with Kendall.

James realized his mistake when he heard the unmistakable thud of Kendall landing at the bottom of the well.

“Lynnie!” Kendall gasped worriedly as he scrambled to his twin. “It’s okay. It’s gonna be okay.”

Kaelyn only nodded, feeling as though the pain was seizing her throat. Especially as Kendall moved to create the makeshift splint. With every cry of pain that tore from her throat, Kendall was muttering a thousand apologies. Finally, he was able to tie the stick Logan found to her arm and use Jordin’s jacket (something she willingly offered) as a makeshift sling. It was crude, but it would hold.

“Oh, hey, Jordin. What’s up?” Kendall tried to play it off smoothly as he turned to Jordin.

“What’s up?” Jordin was at her wit’s end. “I got a song I can’t figure out, I slipped on a banana peel, I got attacked by a cat, your sister’s arm is broken, and again… I’m in a well!”

Kendall quickly realized that his problems were going to get worse when he heard Jo’s voice. She was asking for Kendall’s whereabouts. Especially since they had planned another date and he wasn’t where he said he would be. He heard James and Logan try to come up with something to explain his absence, but when Carlos blurted, ‘He’s not in the well!’, it told Jo everything she needed to know.

Looking down, she saw that Kendall was in the well. With Jordin. (And Kaelyn, but Jo wasn’t focusing on that right now.)

“Kendall? Is that you? And Jordin?!”

Even as Kendall and Jordin called back, “It’s not what it looks like!”, Jo stormed off in a huff.

Even through her pain, Kaelyn managed to joke, “Think you’re gonna need an expensive gift to make up for this.”

“Got any ideas?” Kendall asked, taking her seriously.

Can his day get any worse?

**

Gustavo and Kelly were certainly asking themselves that question. They were trying everything they could think of. But nothing was getting rid of Skunkie, who was now making his way into Gustavo’s office. It was only a miracle that he hadn’t sprayed anywhere yet.

“If that skunk sprays, Jordin will think Rocque Records stinks and go to Hawk,” Kelly whispered to Gustavo from their hiding place behind the couch.

“Don’t worry,” Gustavo reassured her. “Hawk may have a full-time exterminator, but I have a full-time Freight Train with the latest in skunk hunting technologies.”

“Did someone need help catching a skunk?”

Gustavo and Kelly turned around to shoot Freight Train a look of disbelief. Clearly, for Freight Train, the latest in skunk hunting technologies was…

“A skunk puppet?” Kelly said in disbelief.

“A girl skunk puppet,” Freight Train corrected her.

“Yes, and you are gonna work it,” Gustavo told Kelly, handing her the puppet, “because Freight Train’s girly voice is horrible.”

Freight Train could only shrug. He knew Gustavo was right. Instead, he focused on telling Kelly their plan: “Now, you lure him out, and we’re gonna throw the box over him.”

It certainly seemed simple enough. But surely, they would have learned by now that even the simplest plans seemed to backfire on them for reasons unknown. Kelly worked the puppet, trying to lure Skunkie out of Gustavo’s office. And she certainly wasn’t receptive to any tips from Gustavo, for his suggestions were met with a stern, “Don’t push it.”

It was all for naught anyway. Because while Skunkie came out of the office, he looked up and saw Gustavo and Freight Train standing in the doorway with a box, and knew he was walking into a trap.

When Skunkie hissed at them, Gustavo screamed, “Abort mission!” and the trio took off running.

**

When Jordin began pacing in the well, Kendal tried to reassure her, “Jordin, I’m sure Logan – aka the Big Time Brain – is concocting an amazing rescue plan as we speak.”

Then, they heard a scream, and he, Jordin and Kaelyn immediately pressed themselves against the wall of the well, keeping away from the latest person to fall into the well. When the dust cleared, the trio realized that the latest person to join them in the well was Logan.

“What plan was that?!” Kendall and Kaelyn asked incredulously. (Although, Kaelyn was thankful for all the distractions from the pain of her broken arm.)

“Oh, I’m fine, thank you!” Logan scoffed. “I was measuring the diameter of the well to fashion a crude pulley system when… I slipped.”

Kaelyn wasn’t surprised. Logan’s plans always ended up being exceedingly complex, and those complexities always caused his plans to backfire. It was why he kept pranking himself out during the boys’ annual Day of Pranks.

“Don’t worry, guys!” they heard Carlos call down to them. “James and I are on the case!”

“You can count on us!” James promised.

Logan, Kendall and Kaelyn looked at Jordin and sighed, “We’re gonna be here a while.”

Kaelyn cried out in pain as Logan went to adjust the splint and sling Kendall had made for her. Kendall had done a good job, but Logan’s obsession with all things medical made him decide some adjustments needed to be made.

Even then, Kaelyn grumbled, “It had to be my writing hand, didn’t it?”

They heard James voice his plan: “Now, we pour some yeast and flour into the hole and bake it at four hundred degrees until everybody rises!”

“NO!”

Carlos voiced another plan: “Or we could toss down some pool noodles, fill the hole with water, and they’ll float to the top!”

Logan was about to say the plan was idiotic, but then he thought about it. Carlos’ plan was actually genius.

“Wait! Did you just come up with an ingenious water displacement plan?” Logan asked in amazement.

“Ah, yeah!” Carlos responded. Though, it was clear he didn’t understand exactly what he was suggesting.

James ushered Carlos to get the hose that was nearby. Surely, this would work. They fill the well with water, and Jordin, Kendall, Kaelyn and Logan would float to the surface. (It also had the added benefit of being something that hopefully wouldn’t jostle Kaelyn’s broken arm around too much.)

But even though this plan was genius and seemed to be simple in theory, it would not be simple in execution. Because Carlos threw James the entire hose. James was standing near the well prepared to catch it. And he technically did catch the hose. But the force of Carlos’ throw knocked him off-balance and sent him hurtling into the well.

Jordin, Kendall, Kaelyn and Logan were horrified and concerned when they saw James land before them. Along with the hose that could have guaranteed their freedom.

But James quickly proved himself to be okay when he started celebrating what he landed on: “Millions of lucky pennies! I’m saved!”

Seeing Kaelyn’s confusion, Logan elaborated, “He broke a mirror.”

For Kaelyn, that explained everything. While Carlos was definitely the more superstitious of the group, the others did hold some superstitions of their own. And just looking at James told Kaelyn that he had gone through some stuff that made him believe he was cursed to seven years of bad luck.

Well, if anything had to break that curse, millions of lucky pennies would do it.

“What have I done?!” Carlos gasped in horror. “All my friends are all trapped in a well! There’s only one thing to do…”

James had fortunately managed to scramble out of the way by the time the next instance happened. Jordin did note with interest that the first thing James did was push Kaelyn into the well’s wall, shielding her with his body. She then thought about everything Kaelyn had told her about the band. Particularly James. And the lyrics to the song she was desperately trying to figure out.

Had Kaelyn written Count on You about James?

But she pushed those thoughts aside as they all stared in Carlos at disbelief. Because he had jumped into the well. Yeah. Not fallen. Jumped.

“What did you do that for?!” James, Kendall and Logan demanded.

“I was lonely!” was Carlos’ justification.

“So much for making the recording session,” Kaelyn said apologetically, her voice laced in pain.

The six people now trapped in the well sat on the ground, deciding not to think about the kinds of stuff they were sitting on aside from the pennies. It was clear that they were going to be stuck down here for a while, so they might as well make themselves comfortable.

“It’s okay,” Jordin sighed, glancing at the sheet music she still held onto. “I couldn’t figure out the song anyway. Kaelyn made incredible changes, but something’s still missing.”

“The song’s not bad,” James said, grabbing one of the loose sheet music. “How did it go again?”

James always had the ability to read music thanks to the piano lessons his mother insisted he have. He also picked up more than a few things watching Kaelyn in her element songwriting (along with the other guys). So, it didn’t surprise anyone that James was able to immediately start singing the chorus.

One, two, three, four to the five

Logan was quick to add a suggestion, “Yeah, yeah, oh, add some layers to it.”

“Yeah. Try it again,” Kaelyn requested.

When James started singing the chorus again, Logan added some adlibs for the layers he suggested. Jordin and Kaelyn’s eyes immediately lit up. Especially when Kendall and Logan started adding harmonies. Eventually, Jordin found herself joining in.

One, two, three, four to the five
Baby, I’m counting on you
One, two, three, four to the five
Baby, I’m counting on you

“That’s it!” Kaelyn cried in elation. “It’s a duet! That’s what was missing!”

“You just help me figure out the song!” Jordin cheered.

Kaelyn went to grab her pencil to immediately start rearranging the song accordingly. But then she remembered. Her dominant arm was broken. She suddenly felt sheepish.

James grabbed the pencil and told Kaelyn, “What do you need?”

James immediately began writing the notes Kaelyn requested. Particularly as she began dividing the parts. It was something that was taking a herculean effort. And it was nothing against James. Because he was following her trains of thought with ease. But Kaelyn hadn’t really written a duet before. So, it took time to get the parts divided and sorted.

Watching with amazement, Jordin said, “Gustavo should give you more credit.”

“I have to earn it,” Kaelyn rolled her eyes. “He’s not even giving me a songwriting credit for the album.”

“What?!” the boys snapped.

“Oops,” Kaelyn winced. She wasn’t planning on telling them that. (Then again, they would find out when the album was released and they would see her name missing from the songwriting credits.)

“Bunny, you came up with basically all our songs. Why are you letting Gustavo steal your credit?” James demanded.

“Because he’s the big name and I’m a nobody,” Kaelyn parroted what Gustavo had told her once.

“Well, you are the reason why I wanted to work with Gustavo to begin with,” Jordin revealed.

Kaelyn was surprised. Gustavo never talked about her anywhere outside of Rocque Records and RCM/CBT Globalnet/Sanyoid. She was trying to figure out what she could’ve done to draw Jordin’s attention to begin with. Especially since Gustavo seemed to be working hard to keep her a nobody.

“M-me?” Kaelyn stammered. “But I’m…”

“A talented songwriter with fresh takes,” Jordin smiled. “In fact…” Jordin grabbed Kaelyn’s songbook, which had fallen nearby and opened to another page, “when you were flicking through earlier, I saw something that I’m interested in. Another song for my album.”

Kaelyn smiled shyly when she saw the song Jordin was pointing to. It was called Art of Love. It was something Kaelyn had just started toying with. (She says toying with, but she already had the lyrics written out and envisioned it to be a duet and a ballad.) But she already knew one thing: it wasn’t a Big Time Rush song.

Hearing Jordin Sparks say she wanted it filled her with hope.

“Well, we should get out of here first,” was Kaelyn’s shy response.

“Well,” Kendall began with a shrug, “there’s only one guy I know that can pull six people out of a well.”

**

That person was in the process of continuing to help Gustavo and Kelly getting rid of Skunkie, who by some continued miracle still hadn’t sprayed. But the trio’s latest plan was even more outlandish than the last.

“Okay. L.A. skunks love two things: hot ladies and hot cars,” Gustavo smirked before unveiling a remote-control car… with the lady skunk puppet as a passenger. “Now, hot lady skunk drives over to Mr. Skunkie, who hops in thinking that they’re going to a hot dance club or make-out point, then I drive them out of here and into the street, and…”

Gustavo’s explanation of his plan was cut off by a yell when he heard a phone ringing. But this time, it wasn’t Hawk ringing Gustavo again to taunt him over his failure to get rid of the skunk. (Gustavo was starting to be convinced that Hawk had a spy inside Rocque Records because how else could Hawk know?) It wasn’t even Kelly’s phone. It was Freight Train’s.

“Hello?” After pausing Freight Train explained what’s going on to Gustavo and Kelly, “It’s Kendall. He said they knocked Jordin Sparks down a well, Kaelyn’s arm is broken, and they need me to get them out.”

Knowing that Gustavo was seconds away from exploding, Kelly clasped a hand over Gustavo’s mouth, warning him in a harsh whisper, “Don’t scare him, or he’ll spray.”

Seeing that Kelly was right, Gustavo told Freight Train in a falsely calm voice (even as his face turned red with rage), “Get Kaelyn to a hospital, get the dogs here so I can kill them and then record Jordin’s song.”

By the time Freight Train left to comply with his orders, Kelly was turning Gustavo’s attention to the remote-control car. His plan was working (thus far). Skunkie had climbed into the vehicle.

“Hey, it looks like Gustavo Rocque’s luck is finally changing!” Gustavo cheered.

But as Gustavo found out, much to his dismay, his luck wasn’t changing. In fact, it was getting worse. Because the car moved out of rage for the remote-control, so Gustavo couldn’t turn the car. And the car ended up crashing into a wall.

Skunkie was unhurt (because the wall wasn’t solid), but he was decidedly pissed. And he was beginning to charge at Gustavo and Kelly.

“Oh, he looks angry,” Kelly whimpered.

And Skunkie was angry. Because as he charged at Gustavo and Kelly, he was also hissing.

“And he’s coming right for us!” Gustavo cried.

Kelly and Gustavo screamed in horror as they held to each other in fear.

**

At the Palm Woods Park, there were some screams happening, but for different reasons. Freight Train had arrived at the well in record speed and quickly found a rope. Before long, he was using his immense strength to pull Kaelyn, Jordin, and the four members of Big Time Rush out of the well.

The group were then landing in a pile before the strong bodyguard. Kendall was on the bottom, with Carlos sprawled on top of him. Logan was half on the ground, half on top of Kendall. James and Jordin landed on top of Kendall’s legs. Kaelyn landed on James, who immediately wrapped an arm around her to protect her and stop her from being jostled too much. Thanks to Logan’s adjustments, her splint held.

“Thanks, Freight Train,” the boys expressed their gratitude.

“It did hurt a little bit,” Kaelyn winced slightly.

Freight Train gave Kaelyn an apologetic look, though he knew the young girl didn’t blame him. He did what he had to do to get them out. And she had a broken arm that was improperly bandaged. It would’ve made things worse.

But before Freight Train could say anything (including saying he’s to drive Kaelyn to the hospital), Mr. Bitters gleefully appeared with a camera.

“Ah-ha!” Mr. Bitters cheered. “Jordin Sparks pulled out of a well tied to five losers! I’ll be rich!”

Mr. Bitters went to take the photo, despite the group’s objections. But Freight Train decided to physically intervene. He didn’t push Mr. Bitters or lay a hand on him in any way, shape or form. What he did instead was destroy Mr. Bitters’ camera to make sure that he couldn’t take any embarrassing pictures. Not just of Jordin or Kaelyn or Big Time Rush, but any celebrity (established and up-and-coming) who crossed his path.

Any objections Mr. Bitters had quickly died in his throat when he got a good look at the person who destroyed his camera. He quickly decided he wasn’t going to go up against Freight Train.

With Mr. Bitters taken care of, Freight Train turned his attention to the group: “Hey, guys. Gustavo isn’t happy. He knows about the well, and he has a skunk in his studio that he can’t get rid of.”

The four teenage boys asked in disbelief, “Gustavo can’t get rid of a skunk?!”

**

Gustavo and Kelly were certainly still unsuccessful in getting rid of Skunkie. In fact, Gustavo and Kelly were cornered against the wall as Skunkie stood before them ominously. He was hissing and he was primed to fire.

“Why doesn’t he just spray us and get it over with?!” Kelly whined.

But that would not happen today.

Gustavo and Kelly turned in the direction of a yell they heard down the hall. They saw Carlos do a summersault into view. He was still wearing his dirty suit, but was now wearing his helmet. When he came to a stop, he unveiled a can of dog food (that coincidentally had a picture of fellow Palm Woods resident Lightning the TV Wonder Dog). He opened the can and then tossed it perfectly into the lounge area. Skunkie immediately forgot about his anger at Gustavo and Kelly, immediately making his way towards the food.

Kendall, still wearing his own dirty clothes, appeared from a nearby studio with a box attached to a rope. Swinging it a few times, he threw the box into the air so the rope went over the rafters. With Kendall’s tight grip on the rope, the box hovered above where Carlos had thrown the dog food, but out of Skunkie’s line of sight so he wouldn’t realize he was walking into a trap until it was too late. When Skunkie was in the right spot, and helping himself to the food that seemed to appear out of thin air, Kendall calmly dropped the box.

James appeared next, leaping over the couch. Alongside his own dirty clothes, he was also wearing a pair of yellow gloves and safety goggles. He was the one getting in close contact with the skunk, so he was the only person in the group taking the appropriate safety precautions (for he was the only one who would need to). He slipped something under the box (a flexible piece of cardboard, maybe) and held it in place for Logan, who came over with heavy-duty tape. Together, they sealed Skunkie in the box.

But when James pulled the rope out of the top of the box, Skunkie was left with an air hole. When the boys caught all sorts of wild animals in Minnesota, they were humane about it. They used humane methods, and they didn’t kill the animals if they could avoid it, opting instead to relocate them.

“Here’s your skunk,” the four boys chorused as they handed the box to Gustavo.

“How did you do that?!” Gustavo demanded.

“We catch stuff all the time in the Minnesota,” Kendall elaborated.

“Yeah! What did you use as bait? A lady skunk puppet?” Carlos scoffed.

The way Gustavo and Kelly laughed nervously and desperately tried to issue a denial told the boys everything they needed to know. They did try using a lady skunk puppet to get rid of the skunk.

“We’ll be right back,” Logan suddenly said.

Before the boys could leave, Kelly asked, “Where’s Jordin and Kaelyn?” She thought there was too much testosterone in the room.

“At the urgent care clinic next door, getting her broken arm tended to,” James answered.

Gustavo and Kelly decided they would be joining the boys, with Kelly also making sure Gustavo had his wallet.

**

It was an indeterminate amount of time later that the group found themselves back in Rocque Records. Specifically in one of the space’s recording studios. But it was long enough for Kaelyn to receive treatment at the urgent care clinic located next to Rocque Records. Fortunately, the fracture was minor enough to allow them to avoid a trip to the emergency room (which would’ve left them waiting even longer), and the urgent care clinic were able to take care of it themselves.

Now, Kaelyn’s arm was in a cast with a sling holding it against her chest. She now had a few things to think about. The first thing was how Jennifer, after being talked out of leaving her job (because, as Kaelyn said, it wasn’t serious and she was being well cared for), promised to make Kaelyn a special dinner to cheer her up. The second was the guys making plans for what they would sign on her cast the second they could.

But right now, those thoughts came second to Gustavo pacing before the boys.

“In light of recent skunky events, I have decided not to kill you,” Gustavo revealed. The boys sighed in relief, but the relief quickly disappeared when Gustavo continued his tirade, “However, you blatantly disregarded my orders to stay away from Jordin Sparks and proved once again, you are Bad Luck Rush!”

“Gustavo!” Jordin interrupted. “They’re not bad luck. They’re good luck.”

“Um, they knocked you down a well and Kaelyn has a broken arm,” Kelly reminded her.

“Yeah, but if I hadn’t fallen down the well, I never would have figured out the song,” Jordin revealed.

“They helped you figure out the song?” Gustavo asked in disbelief.

“Yeah. It’s not a solo. It’s a duet,” Jordin said.

The boyband lit up in excitement. They already knew the song was a duet. Kaelyn had proclaimed as such while they were still in the well and had spent a considerable amount of time (with James’ help, since her dominant arm was broken) rearranging the song as such. But what made them excited was Jordin’s hidden implication.

She wanted to sing the duet with them.

Gustavo, meanwhile, started cackling, “Duet?! Duet with Big Time Rush?! That is the most… greatest idea I’ve ever had.”

Before Gustavo could move to the engineering room, Jordin stopped him: “On one condition. Kaelyn gets a songwriting credit. Not just on this song. Every song on their album.”

“B-b-but she’s…”

“The reason I agreed to work with you in the first place,” Jordin told Gustavo firmly. “And… I want to borrow her to record another song for my album.”

Gustavo was about to voice another objection, but then he found himself surrounded by his dogs. The members of Big Time Rush were crowding around Gustavo with their arms folded and glares affixed to their faces. He had forgotten a clear important rule the boys had set with him in their early days together: don’t mess with Kaelyn.

Even Kelly was joining them in ganging up against Gustavo. Jordin remained with Kaelyn, a protective arm wrapped around her shoulders.

In the end, Gustavo relented: “Fine! She can work with you on another song for your album… and she’ll be credited as a co-writer.”

**

With everything sorted out, Gustavo, Kelly and Kaelyn made their way to the engineering booth while Jordin and Big Time Rush stood in the sound booth. They all changed into clean clothes, of course, so they could look their best. Jordin stood in the middle with James and Kendall on either side of her. Logan stood next to Kendall while Carlos stood next to James.

Now, I’m about to give you my heart
But remember this one thing
I’ve never been in love before
So you gotta go easy on me

Kendall sang the next part of the verse, the lines that Kaelyn had come up with by the pool with Jordin.

I heard love is dangerous
And once you fall, you never get enough
But the thought of you leaving
Ain’t so easy for me

Kaelyn could easily imagine a music video with Big Time Rush and Jordin singing Count on You. It would be an old-school music video, filmed in black and white. Jordin would be all dolled up in a pretty dress singing into a classic microphone. Big Time Rush would be dressed in the finest suits, their hair slicked back, and singing like they were Jordin’s backing vocalists. Looking like a group of singers from the 1950s or 1960s.

(One…) Don’t hurt me…
(Two…) Desert me…
(Three…) Don’t give up on me
What would I want to do that for?
(Four…) Don’t use me…
(Five…) Take advantage of me
Make me sorry I ever counted on you

The boys sang in the background, ’One, two, three, four to the five’ while Jordin sang, ‘Baby, I’m counting on you’. It was the perfect distribution of the parts in the chorus. They sang this four times before moving onto the second verse. This time, the boys were singing more, and even sharing lines with Jordin, harmonising perfectly.

Kendall went first, singing:

Understand I’ve been here before
Thought I found someone I finally could adore

Carlos sang the next part of the second verse. But while Kendall sang his lines as a solo, Carlos shared some of his line with Jordin, with them harmonizing towards the end.

But she failed my test, got to know her better
Saw I wasn’t the only one

James sang next; and this time, he sang with Jordin the entire time, their two voices working together perfectly. It was a line that made Kaelyn feel self-conscious all of a sudden.

Because she would only admit to herself that Jordin’s unspoken suspicions were true. Kaelyn did write the song about her feelings for James.

But I’m willing to put my trust in you
Baby, you can put your trust in me

Carlos sang with Jordin again.

Just like you count to three, you can count on me
And you’re never gonna see

Logan sang the next lines in the verse. While he sang his line alone like Kendall did, Jordin did provide a vocal adlib in the background.

No numbers in my pockets
Anything I’m doing girl, I’ll drop it
For you

James and Jordin joined together as they closed out the second verse. And this moment really hit different. Because even Kelly noticed that James seemed to be looking directly at Kaelyn, and she found herself hoping for the day where this song could come to life for them.

‘Cause you’re the one I’m giving my heart to
But I gotta be the only one

Kaelyn smiled as she watched them sing the song together. She couldn’t do much at the control panel because of her broken arm, but at least when she gave Gustavo a suggestion, he was listening. Though, there was a part of her that wondered how long this would last. Gustavo was proving himself to be unpredictable lately.

(One…) Don’t hurt me…
(Two…) Desert me…
(Three…) Don’t give up on me…
What would I want to do that for?
(Four…) Don’t use me…
(Five…) Take advantage of me
Make me sorry I ever counted on you

One, two, three, four to the five (baby, I’m counting on you)
One, two, three, four to the five (baby, I’m counting on you)
One, two, three, four to the five (baby, I’m counting on you)
One, two, three, four to the five (baby, I’m counting on you)

Now, if Kaelyn had to pick her favourite part of the song, it was the bridge. James and Jordin took the lead in the bridge, but the others provided backing vocals and even sang a line together.

I really hope you understand
That if you wanna take my hand
You should put yours over my heart
I promise to be careful from the start
I’m trusting you with loving me (very, very carefully…)
Never been so vulnerable
Baby, I’ll make you comfortable!

Those lines alone said everything Kaelyn wanted to say, but never had the courage to. In a way, both she and James had been burned by romance in the past. Kaelyn through her relationship with Neil, and James through a relationship in Minnesota – something he only confided to Kaelyn about. But she was saying that if she could, she would take that leap with him. And she hoped James would be the same.

What she didn’t know was when James was singing the lines, he was thinking of her. Like he always did with the love songs. He wanted to take that leap with her, but he always held back. Because he never knew if she wanted the same.

One, two, three, four to the five (baby, I’m counting on you)
One, two, three, four to the five (why would I wanna do that; hey, yeah)
One, two, three, four to the five (oh, whoa) (baby, I’m counting on you)
One, two, three, four to the five (baby, I’m counting on you)

And then, Jordin closed out the song the same way it had started, with the boys providing the perfect harmony for the final three words of the song.

Now, I’m about to give you my heart
So remember this one thing
I’ve never been in love before
Yeah, you gotta go easy on me
Yeah…

When the song was over, and they were able to do so, everyone broke out into cheers. The boys were elated. Not only were they recording a fantastic song, but they were recording it with a massive star like Jordin Sparks. Jordin was elated because she got to work with amazing people.

“Gustavo, Kaelyn, that was awesome!” Jordin cheered.

Gustavo rose from his chair, putting his headphones down as he told the group, “So awesome, in fact, that I’m teaming you up for one more project.”

**

And that project found the group waiting outside Rocque Records, helping Gustavo get his revenge on Hawk for the stunt with Skunkie. Before they went to record the song, the boys were talking about finding somewhere they could safely release Skunkie. After all, Skunkie was an innocent victim in this scheme. He did not ask for this. But Gustavo had a better idea.

This idea started with Jordin making a call to Hawk.

“Hawk Records. Hawk speaking.”

“Hey, Hawk, it’s Jordin,” Jordin began once Hawk answered the phone. “You were right. Rocque Records stinks. I want to record my song with you instead.”

Hawk predictably took the bait, immediately replying, “Hawk’s on his way. Caw.”

Jordin could hardly contain her smile as she hung up. She then took her hiding place next to Kaelyn and the guys. Like many artists in Hollywood, she had heard of Hawk’s reputation, and aside from wanting to work with Kaelyn, it was a big reason why Jordin opted to work with Gustavo instead. Hawk was the type of producer Jordin wanted to avoid at all costs. (Besides, him saying ‘caw’ all the time was freaky.)

And it was shown when Hawk sauntered out of the building in his grey suit and black shades, telling his driver, “Get me to Rocque Records. I beat Gustavo again. Yes!”

Hawk was cackling as he climbed into the limo, the driver immediately pulling away from the curb. But Hawk would realize too late that he had been lured into a trap.

Because the boys had released Skunkie into Hawk’s limo. And this time, Skunkie did not hesitate in spraying.

Gustavo and Kelly were sitting nearby as Hawk raced away from the limo screaming. They were trying to keep their distance so Hawk wouldn’t catch on, but they (Gustavo in particular) wanted to be there to witness the aftermath.

“You know, since Kaelyn and the boys came to town, you’ve gotten a recording contract, an album deal, produced a song with Jordin Sparks, and you just beat Hawk,” Kelly pointed out.

Gustavo paused as he considered Kelly’s words. He was also taking great joy in seeing Hawk running around the fountain screaming like a girl as he threw off his jacket, desperate to get the smell of Skunkie off him. If he was feeling kind, he would share with his enemy tips on how to get the smell out. But Gustavo never felt kind – especially where Hawk was concerned.

“Fine,” Gustavo relented, taking a moment to look at the boys, Kaelyn and Jordin as they celebrated their success. “But don’t tell them they’re my good luck charms. They’ll just mess it up.”

Kelly had to give him that.

**

With the song recorded, mastered and ready to go onto Jordin’s album, and the date set for Kaelyn to go to Jordin so she could record Art of Love with an artist she knew on her label, it was time for Jordin to leave the Palm Woods. Her bags were packed and she was handing them to P.J.

“Why do I always have to carry your bags?” P.J. asked in exasperation.

“Because you’re my brother,” was Jordin’s answer. “Thanks, P.J.”

The exchange made Kendall and Kaelyn snort. Not because they would do that to each other. But because they could totally see Katie pulling something like that with them.

With P.J. taking Jordin’s luggage to the car that was waiting outside, Jordin took the moment to say her final goodbyes to Kaelyn and the guys.

“And you guys, good luck on your album,” Jordin smiled as she pulled Carlos and Logan into a hug.

“Lucky!” Logan and Carlos beamed, wiggling their fingers together behind Jordin’s back.

Pulling back, Jordin added, “Because I could use a really great opening act in concert.”

That made the boys light up even more. Not only was Jordin prepared to record a song with a relatively unknown boyband. She wanted them to open for her at her concerts. Things were really looking up for them.

Jordin moved to hug James. Everyone was prepared for James to not let go, but to everyone’s surprise, Jordin was the one hesitant to break the embrace. This time, it was so she could whisper something in James’ ear.

“Don’t be afraid to tell Kaelyn you love her.”

James didn’t respond to that for two reasons. First, Kendall was in earshot – and Kendall would kill him in a heartbeat.

Secondly, Kaelyn was also in earshot – and James wasn’t ready to admit to her something he was just starting to admit to himself.

Jordin pulled Kaelyn into an embrace, being mindful of her broken arm. Since the required time had past for the cast to settle, the plaster was emblazoned with all sorts of artwork. Along with an autograph and personal message from Jordin. It would definitely become a keepsake for Kaelyn.

“Don’t be afraid to voice what you want,” was Jordin’s advice to Kaelyn. And Kaelyn knew she wasn’t just talking about her professional life. She was talking about her personal life too.

“Thank you,” was all Kaelyn could say. “For everything.”

Jordin gave Kaelyn a kind smile before moving over to Kendall. Pulling Kendall into a hug, she said to him, “I hope you and Jo work things out.”

“Don’t worry about it. We’ll be fine,” Kendall reassured her.

But it would take them a little bit longer for Jo and Kendall to work things out. Because Jo happened to walk in the lobby just as Kendall and Jordin were sharing a goodbye hug. Jo obnoxiously cleared her throat, making her presence known to her boyfriend.

“Unbelievable,” Kendall muttered. He and Jordin ended up breaking their embrace.

Watching as Jo stormed off, Jordin quickly took the bouquet of flowers from a nearby vase and handed them to Kendall, “Wait, here. Try these.”

Kendall took a moment to flash Jordin a grateful smile before chasing after Jo, waving the flowers around as he yelled, “Jo! It’s not what it looks like!”

Kaelyn’s shoulders shook with her suppressed laughter. Kaelyn and Jo had already made peace the night before when Kaelyn came back to the Palm Woods with a broken arm. (It was amazing what having your arm in plaster did for invoking sympathy from people.)

“He’ll be fine, right?” Kaelyn asked her friends.

“Yep,” all four of them nodded.

Either way, they all had the same thought: ‘Gotta love Hollywood romances.’

Notes:

Here's the song in question. It's called

Art of Love

. It's a song Jordin recorded with Aussie artist Guy Sebastian for his album Like It Like That back in 2010. I just wanted to throw that in there for three reasons:

1. I'm Aussie (if you haven't already worked it out) and I wanted to give an Aussie artist a shoutout.
2. I wanted to lay the groundwork for Kaelyn to start working with other artists outside of Gustavo and Big Time Rush, and I thought using a song that Jordin recorded around this time in IRL let me do that in an organic way.
3. It's a beautiful song.

Chapter 20: Do You Want to Take a Little Bite of the Fame Machine?

There was a California heatwave rolling over the Palm Woods. As a result, the pool was more crowded than it usually was with everyone trying to claim the best spot. Not just for ease of proximity to the glorious pool itself, but any shade.

Even though Kaelyn couldn’t swim yet, owing to her broken arm, she still joined them by the pool. She could sit on the edge and dip her feet in. Or just relax with a refreshing drink. (She avoided the fight for the best spots by the pool because, admittedly, the Palm Woods kids took one look at her cast and immediately insisted she take the best spot.)

Now, summers in Shakopee, Minnesota were different to summers in Los Angeles, California. They were both warm, but the heat in Los Angeles was drier compared to the humid heat of Shakopee. But it still got to them all as they raced down to the pool. Carlos, Logan and Kendall were decked out in swimwear and carrying towels, goggles (Carlos was even wearing his on his signature helmet) and pool toys. Kaelyn was simply wearing a lightweight dress and carrying a bag filled with sunblock that her mother snuck into it, a handheld fan for when she got too hot, and some books she wanted to read. That way, even if she couldn’t swim, she could still take part in the day out with her friends.

But there was a sight at the pool that they weren’t used to seeing. There were a whole bunch of kids there. That was normal. But what wasn’t normal was them simply standing around the pool rather than jumping in and splashing around. Was the pool closed and they had missed the memo? Had someone done something disgusting inside it? (It didn’t happen often enough for it to be a common occurrence, but it happened enough to be where it could no longer be called a rarity.)

In fact, the only person who was in the pool was Mr. Bitters. He was floating on an inflatable pool lounge with sunglasses, a coconut drink and a very smug grin.

“It’s 95 degrees out. Why is Bitters the only one in the pool?” Kendall asked their newfound friends.

Kaelyn, meanwhile, was trying to decide if Mr. Bitters was simply being his normal smug self, or if he had turned his smugness up a few degrees alongside the heat.

Tyler popped out from the crowd and told the group, “Hey, guys! Check out the sign!”

Now, Mr. Bitters’ whiteboards were infamous around the Palm Woods. But they usually stayed in the lobby. If there was one out in the pool area, it was to advertise an event for the teens or to warn that a certain area was closed off due to issues (like some chairs being broken or structural issues). But this time, Mr. Bitters decided to utilize them purely for his own selfishness.

“Adult swim?!” Kaelyn gaped.

“No kids allowed?!” Carlos voiced his own dismay.

“That’s just plain rude,” was all Logan could say.

“No, no, no, no. You guys are reading it wrong,” Kendall smirked. He then grabbed the nearby whiteboard marker and made his own adjustments so the sign now read, “Adult Swim? No, Kids Allowed!”

Mr. Bitters could only watch in initial confusion and then dismay when the kids were quick to start jumping into the pool, disturbing his solo float. In fact, he found himself being flipped off his inflatable lounge and into the water, losing his drink along the way.

“You guys are great!” Camille praised as she made her way over to them.

“I know,” Logan smirked.

“No, I mean it,” Camille shook her head. “I mean, a few months in Hollywood usually changes people, but you’re still the same down-to-earth people you were when you got here.”

The four teenagers standing before Camille took a moment to bask in the compliment. They certainly understood what Camille was talking about. Even if they hadn’t seen it first hand for themselves yet, they’ve certainly heard the stories about how celebrities started changing once fame got to their heads. They were certain they could name a few examples.

“Hey, guys!”

But all of those were forgotten when one James Diamond finally joined the group. Everyone stared at him speechless. Now, what he was wearing wasn’t the problem. He was wearing normal swim attire. Something he’s worn before. Right down to the tank top that showed off his muscular figure.

But Kaelyn couldn’t even appreciate his muscular figure (not that she would voice that aloud, partly due to Kendall’s overprotectiveness and partly due to James having a large enough ego as it was). Because like her friends, she was too much in shock over one key aspect of James’ appearance that certainly wasn’t there before.

Namely his orange skin.

James seemed blissfully unaware of the stunned reaction from his friends as he claimed a lounge chair by the pool and proclaimed, “Another tan-tastic day in Hollywood!” before taking out his magazine.

Using the only hand she had that wasn’t in the cast, Kaelyn rubbed her eyes, hoping to clear out whatever was affecting her vision. But when her eyes opened again, she saw she wasn’t seeing things. James really was orange.

Kendall, Kaelyn, Carlos, Logan and Camille silently crept away, not taking their eyes of James for a second as he examined his overly tanned skin in approval. Once again ignoring the weird looks he was getting.

“Does he know he looks like a yam?” Logan whispered to his friends.

“I swear he didn’t look like that this morning,” Kaelyn said. When Kendall shot her a look, she rolled her eyes. “You’re seriously telling me you wouldn’t have noticed this morning if one of your best friends was trying to turn himself into a muscular version of Garfield?”

Kendall shrugged and hummed, silently conceding his sister had a point. If James was that orange this morning, they would’ve noticed.

“Garfield?” Logan frowned at Kaelyn’s choice of character. Garfield was lazy, sarcastic, food-obsessed, selfish – everything James (mostly) wasn’t.

“He was the first orange character I could think of,” was Kaelyn’s justification.

“Fair enough,” Logan shrugged. He had to concede he had a hard time thinking of other orange characters. Although, he supposed a lot of that was also because of the scientifically proven fact that extreme heat can affect cognitive function, including the ability to think and concentrate.

“Looks like I spoke too soon,” Camille sighed gravely before passing on the prognosis: “James has Hollywood Fever.”

The other teenagers looked at Camille in horror at her words before shifting their horrified expressions to James and turning them back to Camille. They would be the first to admit that they didn’t understand what Camille was talking about, but they could tell by her unusually serious demeanour that it was serious.

However, Carlos was quick to show that he misunderstood Camille’s meaning. “Oh no! I told him not to buy clams from that guy on the freeway!”

“No, this town is starting to change him,” Camille corrected him, “and the heat is clearly making it worse.”

“Not possible!” Kendall scoffed. “Look, we made a pact when we got here to stay true to ourselves.”

Logan and Carlos quickly nodded in agreement with Kendall’s declaration. Kaelyn, meanwhile, said nothing. She knew of the pact Kendall was talking about, and she knew that James was part of that pact. But she worried that there was more going on with her best friend than breaking a pact (which is one thing James never does if he can help it) or suddenly developing an unhealthy obsession with tanning products.

“Yeah, look at him!” Camille snapped. “You have to shut this down before it snowballs like it did with Guitar Dude!”

“What’s up?!” Guitar Dude nodded to his friends. He was sitting on one of the tables in the covered area, serenading a group of girls with his talented guitar playing. Completely ignorant to the fact that he was the subject of a conversation.

“When he first moved here, he was a concert cellist,” Camille revealed.

That made the group gape in shock. They looked once more at their friend, who was rather chill, always attached to his guitar, and admittedly acted like a bit of a hippie at times. They had a hard time picturing him as a concert cellist (though they didn’t doubt that he would have been highly talented). An image suddenly filled Kaelyn’s mind of Guitar Dude with shorter hair wearing a tuxedo attending philharmonic auditions. And instead of singing, ‘What’s up?’, he’d have been singing, ‘What is up?’ while playing the notes on his cello.

Seeing another example enter the scene, Camille was quick to point them out: “Oh. Yeah, and when the Jennifers moved here, they walked in normal motion.”

Carlos still tried to approach the Jennifers as they walked past, but Jennifer 3 held up her hand in the classic ‘talk to the hand’ gesture to block his path, while the other two Jennifers simply ignored his existence. As always, Carlos was dejected, but Kaelyn knew it wouldn’t be long before he tried to approach them again.

“Hollywood Fever,” Logan pondered. He then quipped to Camille, “So, that explains all your weird behaviour.”

“What weird behaviour?” Camille asked.

Kaelyn could only gape when Camille stood in front of Logan, slapped him, kissed him, and then slapped him once more before walking away. Now, the behaviour in itself wasn’t weird. They have gotten used to Camille’s rather extreme behaviour – especially when she was preparing for an audition. It was the fact that Camille didn’t see her weird behaviour for what it was.

Which… honestly explained so much about her.

“Hollywood Fever!” Kendall continued scoffing, clearly still choosing to not believe it to be a thing despite the evidence presented to him. “I’ll cure his Hollywood Fever!”

James was blissfully unaware of his four best friends approaching him. Although, a lot of that could be attributed to the fact that James had his iPod with him and was listening to some music while reading his magazine. Kaelyn noticed that he was reading the latest issue of Man Fashion magazine. Which made sense. They had already read the newest issue of Pop Tiger to death and the newest issue wouldn’t be out for another few weeks.

Which admittedly made Kaelyn more excited than usual. Because Jordin Sparks had sent her an advanced copy of the newest interview she did with them where she was hyping up her new album. And one of the things she did was hype Kaelyn up as a songwriter. Because her song Art of Love – the one Kaelyn had been toying with when Jordin Sparks visited the Palm Woods and had recorded with Jordin and her chosen duet partner just a week ago – had made it onto the album.

But Kaelyn decided to put her professional accomplishments aside for now. Focusing more on her best friend looking an unhealthy shade of orange.

“James,” Kendall began. When he knew that he had James’ attention, he continued, “You’re orange and you look like a freak.”

“Actually, I’m mangerine,” James corrected him. He then reached into his bag and pulled out two aerosol cans. “As in Mangerine Action Tan by Cuda.” He then proceeded to spray more of the stuff on himself. Including spraying some into the air and walking into it (with his eyes closed, thankfully), much like a woman applying perfume on herself. “In Hollywood, if you can’t tan with the big boys, don’t even bother showing up at all.”

“I-I don’t even know how to respond to that,” Logan stammered.

“Please tell me they at least changed the formula,” Kaelyn pleaded, recalling the last time James excessively used a Cuda product. As it turned out, the man spray wasn’t the only product that had to be recalled due to severe allergic reactions.

James didn’t answer her, focusing instead on spraying himself. Kaelyn decided that, in a way, answered her question. When James used the man spray in his pursuit of Jo, the allergic reaction started pretty quickly, with the symptoms escalating the more he used it. For James to be that orange, he had to have been spraying himself for a while. And he wasn’t even sneezing.

“Yeah, James, we all agreed that we wouldn’t let this town change us,” Kendall reminded him.

“Hey, I’m still me! Just better!” was James’ response.

“James, this isn’t you!” Kaelyn argued.

“James, give us the spray!” Carlos compelled.

Seeing the teenagers starting to crowd around him, James panicked and cried, “Action man activate!”

He spun around on the spot, spraying wildly to keep his friends back. They all stumbled back, coughing and spluttering as they tried to avoid the spray. They didn’t want to end up orange like James, thank you very much.

Kaelyn gasped when she lost her footing and nearly fell into the pool. She didn’t have a waterproof cast on, so falling into the pool would have been disastrous. But as quickly as she nearly fell into the pool, she found herself standing upright and safe. No part of her ever touched the water.

“Get him.”

Hearing Kendall’s voice made her realize that James had taken advantage of the chaos to disappear. While the boys chased after him, Kaelyn lingered behind. Glancing at her arm, she initially sighed in annoyance. She had been hoping she was able to avoid coming into contact with the spray tan. Aside from the fact that mangerine was so not her colour (or James’, for that matter), she was a bit concerned about how she would react to a product specifically designed for men. Once upon a time, she wouldn’t have been so worried. But a side effect from her cancer treatment that hadn’t gone away was sensitive skin, meaning she had to be more careful about the skincare products she used.

(It actually, in a strange way, made her thankful for James’ obsessive knowledge of skincare and haircare products thanks to his mother’s cosmetics company. He was able to help her find products that were not only affordable, respecting the Knight family’s financial situation, but safe for her skin.)

But her annoyance at the orange – no, mangerine – stain on her arm disappeared when she looked at it closer. The stain had a shape. A handprint. In the chaos, she hadn’t seen her saviour. But the evidence on her arm was clear. James was her saviour.

It was a strange contradiction. James was clearly losing himself to this Hollywood Fever that Camille had diagnosed him with. He had developed an unhealthy obsession with spray tanning and didn’t seem to care that he looked orange. Which was strange, given his obsession over his own looks. And yet, even through that, when he saw she was about to fall into the pool, he saved her.

Kaelyn was thinking about that (along with how to wash the stain off her arm and worry about how much spray tan he used to cause that) as she slowly followed the boys – who were now long gone – into the lobby. She didn’t notice that her baby sister was appearing on the scene pushing a table in front of her. The table was adorned with a gingham tablecloth and had on top of it a blender, shaved ice, paper cones, and a wide variety of syrups. The three multicoloured products on the other end of her table showed her intentions.

But Mr. Bitters still needed clarification.

“Oh look. It’s devil boy’s sister,” Mr. Bitters sneered. “What’s all this?”

“A snow cone stand,” Katie revealed. She then smirked, “This heatwave is my chance to take over this town.”

Mr. Bitters laughed derisively, “You’re gonna take over this town with coloured ice?!”

Katie’s answer was calm and confident: “No. First, I reinvest my profits into the booming agribusiness sector, corner the market in soy futures to make a cool hundred mil, then combine cash and stock options to purchase a major movie studio, then take over this town.”

Katie’s plan was very detailed, but there were still some things she left out. Like how she was going to use a portion of the profits she was certain she would make to look after her family. She was shielded from a lot of her family’s struggles due to her young age, but she still saw what slipped through the cracks. Cracks that had only grown larger when Kaelyn was diagnosed with cancer and the focus didn’t just become keeping a roof over their heads and food on the table, but keeping someone alive.

Jennifer was always hesitant to accept help, not wanting charity. But Katie knew from a young age she wanted to make life easier for her mother. Kendall and Kaelyn did too, but Katie had a different type of intelligence – one focused on business – that allowed her a unique way to make her goals happen. So, in her gloating to Mr. Bitters, she left out her specific plans to help look after her family, including paying off the remainder of Kaelyn’s medical expenses, any other debts Jennifer had in her desperate efforts to keep them afloat, and anything else to ensure Jennifer no longer had to worry about anything. Financially, at least.

“Aren’t you a widdle tycoon?! Yes, you are! Yes, you are!” Mr. Bitters cooed at her, talking to her like one would talk to a toddler.

It was something that gave Katie even more pleasure as she lifted the open sign on her table. Immediately, a group of teenagers surrounded the table with cash in hand asking for specific flavours. Katie had a wide variety of flavours available, from the well-known and popular flavours like blue raspberry to some flavours that were unique, but still guaranteed to at least make a decent seller.

Seeing the sudden success of Katie’s snow cone stand caused dollar signs to appear in Mr. Bitters’ eyes.

**

Chasing James around the Palm Woods was momentarily forgotten when Gustavo summoned them to Rocque Records for a recording session. It certainly proved to be an awkward one, as none of the boys wanted to get too close to James because of his orange skin.

Kaelyn, as she sat in the engineering room, was shooting looks at Gustavo and Kelly, silently pleading them for help. And it was something they certainly noted… once they got over the shock of seeing James’ orange skin.

“Cut, cut!” Gustavo snapped.

It ended up being a good thing. Because the awkwardness over James’ orange skin – and him continuing to be in denial over his problem – was making them sing the song Stuck… Kaelyn didn’t want to outright say they were out of tune, but it certainly wasn’t the best job they’ve ever done with the song.

“Will somebody please tell me why James is orange?!” Gustavo demanded.

While his friends shrugged, James decided to correct his mentor: “Actually, I’m Mangerine.”

Watching James spray himself with more of the product made Kaelyn wonder where the heck he was hiding those aerosol cans. It wasn’t exactly like he could just stick them in a pocket.

“Help!” Kaelyn whispered pleadingly.

Gustavo didn’t acknowledge Kaelyn’s plea, but he still heard it. “Boys, can I see you out here for just a quick minute?”

The others were certainly hopeful that Gustavo would do something about James’ obsessive tanning habit in his unique way. It made them happy to take off their headphones and step out of the sound booth. James, however, was still unaware of the fact that there was anything wrong.

“Something wrong, boss?” James asked innocently.

“James, in this business, image is everything,” Gustavo began delicately. It was something that surprised Kaelyn initially – because she’s never known Gustavo to handle anything delicately – but it quickly disappeared when Gustavo continued, “and the image I’m going for is not three normal boys and a tangerine freak!”

Usually, Gustavo raging on James like that worked. Because James was always determined to prove Gustavo wrong about him. It started right at the very start of their working relationship, when Gustavo declared his hatred for James because of how much the teenager reminded the irate music producer of his archnemesis, Matthew McConaughey. It was a hatred that had ebbed away with time – something that was becoming something of a grudging respect. Because even Gustavo had to admit that James had a strong work ethic.

So, it was clear to at least Kelly that despite all appearances, Gustavo’s actions were coming from a place of concern.

“So, what you’re saying is the other three guys are too pale. I can fix it!” James immediately offered.

Kaelyn immediately stepped between James, who had armed himself with the aerosol cans, and her twin brother and other two best friends. Gustavo and Kelly watched the exchange with peculiar interest. It was clear that James was still in the throes of… whatever it was that was going on with him. But seeing Kaelyn standing in the line of fire still made him stop. He lowered the cans and stepped back, staring at Kaelyn intensely.

It wasn’t something that lasted, though.

“We think he might have Hollywood Fever,” Kendall finally told the producer.

Kelly gasped in horror and clasped a hand over her mouth. That was enough to tell the teenagers that Kelly was familiar with Hollywood Fever, and may even have seen it first-hand.

“You, don’t panic,” Gustavo told Kelly firmly. He then turned to James, “You… stop being orange!”

Carlos and Logan, being closer, were quick to gently pull Kaelyn out of the way when Gustavo charged at James. The two of them immediately began arguing, Gustavo trying to wrestle the aerosol cans out of James’ hands, and James trying to argue that he is mangerine rather than orange. (Apparently, the distinction was important.) They were all also trying to avoid the spray tan that was being sprayed around the space.

In the end, Gustavo emerged victorious. He cheered as he held the two aerosol cans in the air. Kaelyn noted with amusement that even though Gustavo had emerged victorious, he did not emerge unscathed. His white jacket was stained with Mangerine Action Tan. And Kaelyn knew those stains would not be coming out.

Those thoughts were forgotten when James pulled out more aerosol cans with a taunting laugh before fleeing, spraying himself as he went.

“Where does he put those cans?” Kaelyn voiced aloud. Kelly shrugged, showing her silent agreement.

“Well, that didn’t work,” Gustavo remarked. Throwing down the cans, he told the teens, “Let’s try this. Fix your friend or I will fire him and replace him with someone that is not orange!”

The teenagers scrambled to do just that.

**

But in order to fix James’ Hollywood Fever – or at least stop him from being so orange – they had to find him first. And they weren’t having much luck.

“He’s not in the bathroom,” Kendall sighed.

Carlos came down the swirly slide, reporting, “He’s not in the swirly slide!”

“He’s not hiding anywhere here,” Kaelyn decided. She had looked in all the places in the apartment she knew James liked to hide – even her own room. No such luck.

Logan had been searching the room James shared with Carlos holding empty aerosol cans. It was clear that he wasn’t successful in finding James. But it was clear that he found something that will help them.

“But look! I found an empty bottle of Mangerine Action Tan. According to the label, this stuff dissolves with water,” Logan reported with a smirk.

It was a smirk that his friends soon started sharing. They may not have found James in the apartment, but they still found something useful.

“You thinking what I’m thinking?” Carlos asked eagerly.

Kendall’s smirk told the group that he was thinking of something. Just not what Carlos was thinking.

It was shown when all four teenagers – because even Kaelyn was taking part in this, despite Kendall’s efforts to get her to sit out due to her broken arm – were dressed in black (a questionable choice, honestly, given the heatwave currently gripping Hollywood) and armed with water pistols.

“I was thinking that we get snow cones to beat the heat, but this works too!” Carlos smirked.

“And should break the fever quite nicely!” Logan proclaimed in his ‘doctor voice’.

Kendall began issuing the orders: “Carlitos, you scope the pool for orange James. Loganator, you hit the Palm Woods Park. Lynny, you stand guard at the gym. And I’ll stake out the lobby. Move out!”

**

With their orders given, the teenagers immediately separated (after striking some badass poses they had seen in action movies, of course). But they were about to learn that separating would prove to be a big mistake.

Carlos immediately made his way to the pool as instructed. It was one of James’ favourite places in the Palm Woods. Especially at peak times of the day that were perfect for sunbaking. He ignored the looks he got from his fellow Palm Woods residents as he rolled over a table, knocking items over along the way, and ducking and covering behind random objects. (They swear they’re getting used to Big Time Rush’s antics, but they still get caught by surprise from time to time.)

Recognizing Tyler nearby enjoying a snow cone, Carlos approached him for help.

“Tyler!” Carlos whisper-yelled before moving closer. “Have you seen orange James?”

“No,” Tyler shook his head, “but here come the Jennifers!”

Tyler immediately made his way over to the industrial fan he had to turn on anytime the Jennifers came to the pool. It was all part of their dramatic entrance. An upside for Tyler is that the Jennifers paid him for his services.

But when Carlos saw them coming, he immediately noticed that something was wrong. The Jennifers weren’t as graceful as they normally were. For the first time, Carloss actually saw them stumble. It made Carlos and Tyler look at each other in confusion. Something had to be going on with the Jennifers for something like this to happen.

And it was also then that Carlos noticed a crucial detail: Jennifer 2 was missing.

“Oh, who are we kidding?!” Jennifer 3 said to her friend.

“This just isn’t working!” Jennifer 1 whined.

Carlos quickly raced over. His efforts at searching the Palm Woods for orange James were quickly forgotten in favour of getting to the bottom of the cause of this singular event.

“Hey! Where’s the other Jennifer?” Carlos asked.

Taking off her sunglasses, Jennifer 3 answered, “She took a soap opera job in Iceland because the heat was making her hair lifeless!”

Having taken off her own sunglasses, Jennifer 1 added, “And now, with just two of us, our pool entrance lacks flair and intimidation!”

“It’s like a piece of us is missing!” Jennifer 3 sobbed.

“The middle piece!” Jennifer 1 wailed.

The two girls then sought comfort in Carlos’ embrace. Carlos was a good guy at heart. So, he still patted their backs and assured them that everything was going to be okay. But the look on his face was clear that he was enjoying this moment. The Jennifers had willingly gone to him, and they were letting him hug them. It was not something he thought would ever happen. And he would lie if he said he wasn’t enjoying it.

The Jennifers suddenly broke the embrace, the looks on their faces telling Carlos that an idea was forming in their head.

“Hey, you know something? You’re the same height as old Jennifer,” Jennifer 1 pointed out.

Jennifer 3 was quick to catch onto her friend’s train of thought: “Are you thinking what I’m thinking?”

**

And that was how Carlos ended up joining the Jennifers for their dramatic pool entrance. He certainly looked out of place – and it wasn’t simply because he was the only male in the newly-formed trio. He certainly lacked the grace of the two Jennifers. He wasn’t dressed immaculately like they were. And he was munching on a snow cone he had bought from Katie.

Katie was certainly watching the scene unfold in all sorts of confusion. Same with the customers that surrounded her.

“Who wants a snow cone?” Katie asked.

She recovered from her shock and began exchanging snow cones for cash once more. She could work out what was going on with Carlos later. For now, she had an enterprise to run. She was only selling the snow cones for one dollar, but she was certainly making a tidy profit.

But Mr. Bitters was about to ruin that. His voice echoed around the pool space as he shooed the perspective customers away from Katie’s snow cone stand. Katie noticed that Mr. Bitters was flanked by two Palm Woods employees she had never seen before. So, she knew this wasn’t going to be an ordinary showdown.

“What’s the big idea?!” Katie demanded.

“Your rental contract specifically prohibits you from operating a food stand on Palm Woods property,” Mr. Bitters revealed.

Katie glanced at the page Mr. Bitters had shown her.  “Oh please, just tell me what you want!” Katie scoffed.

“Fine,” Mr. Bitters sighed, having been caught out. “I want 50% of all future shaved ice profits and a three-picture deal once you buy your movie studio.”

“Never gonna happen!” Katie rejected.

“Fine! Boys, take it away!” Mr. Bitters ordered.

Katie could only stand there in shock as Mr. Bitters’ lackeys obeyed and lifted the table she was using as her snow cone stand out of her reach. The only thing she was able to grab before it was completely out of her reach was the metal box she was using to store her profits. Mr. Bitters then left the scene victorious with a mocking, ‘Have a Palm Woods day!’ To rub salt in the wound, he even stole a snow cone from an unsuspecting teen, making a big show out of enjoying the refreshing treat.

Katie jumped in surprise when she heard the sound of something in the pool near her. Turning around, she relaxed in relief when she saw it was merely Buddha Bob. He was clearly manually cleaning the pool. Though, for reasons beyond understanding, he didn’t change out of his clothes before diving in.

“You know, Katie, if I learned one thing in business school, it’s that you can get out of any contract,” Buddha Bob stated.

“You went to business school?” Katie couldn’t keep the incredulousness out of her voice.

Buddha Bob’s response? “Does a t-bond’s value move in the opposite direction of its yield?”

Katie took a minute to gape at Buddha Bob. The information Buddha Bob provided was actually correct. A t-bond’s value does move in the opposite direction of its yield. It showed that Buddha Bob was not someone to be underestimated. (And it also made Katie curious as to how Buddha Bob went from attending business school to working as a maintenance man at a temporary residence hotel.)

“Dude, I’m ten! All I know is that Bitters just jacked my blender!” Katie quickly pointed out.

She could certainly see what Buddha Bob was trying to say, but it was going to amount to nothing if she couldn’t find another blender to help her run her snow cone stand. After all, it was a vital component to making shaved ice.

“Oh, I can get you a blender,” Buddha Bob reassured her. He then lit up in excitement, “In fact, I can get you the Ice Grinder Z-5000!”

“What’s that?” Katie asked excitedly.

“My woodchipper,” Buddha Bob answered. “On hot days, I fill it with ice and turn it on myself and pretend I’m skiing.”

Katie lit up at the prospect. A woodchipper would be an excellent way to generate enough shaved ice to keep up with the demand of her new and improved snow cone stand. And she had to admit. Buddha Bob’s idea about filling it with ice and turning it on yourself on a hot day wasn’t the dumbest idea she’d ever heard.

**

James was still spraying himself obsessively with Mangerine Action Tan as he walked into the lobby. Nobody knew exactly where James had gone between fleeing Rocque Records and returning to the Palm Woods. But one thing was certainly clear: his skin was now a darker shade of orange.

“JAMES!”

James froze at the sound of the voice calling his name. He turned to see Kendall emerge from his hiding place behind the lobby desk. He took note of the dark clothing. The black bandana. The shades. The gloves. And, most importantly, the water pistols he carried in both hands.

It was then he realized what Kendall was planning. Get him wet to wash the spray tan off him.

But there was one key aspect about James that Kendall had forgotten. He was very agile and limber. He leaned backwards, avoiding Kendall’s first shots with ease. But Kendall was undeterred. In fact, he continued firing at James. James cartwheeled through the lobby with ease, avoiding Kendall’s water blasts with the grace of a dancer. (He supposed something good had to come from not just the intensive dance lessons with Mr. X, but the ballet lessons his mother made him and his friends take in lieu of snowboarding lessons.)

As James moved from the main lobby area to the hallway off the side where the elevators were located, he transitioned from cartwheels to back flips. He still dodged every water blast Kendall fired at him. And he also managed to maintain his grip on the aerosol cans containing his precious Mangerine Action Tan.

In fact, it enabled James to tauntingly stick his head out of the elevator and spray himself before retreating into the elevator car.

“I can’t believe I missed!” Kendall snapped in frustration.

The sounds of disgruntled teens behind him made Kendall turn around and yelp in surprise. It turned out that, while he failed to get James, he got everyone else.

Laughing awkwardly, Kendall quipped, “Looks like you guys beat the heat!”

He then fled with a shudder.

**

Logan was staking out Palm Woods Park with his own water pistols. He was doing all sorts of barrel rolls that called back to the summers in Minnesota when they had water fights in various backyards.

He wasn’t having any luck spotting James, but he did spot a potential ally: Guitar Dude. He had relocated himself to the park from the pool area. He had a bag, a picnic blanket, his guitar, and bongos.

“Guitar Dude! James has Hollywood Fever and is addicted to tanning! Have you seen him?” Logan asked urgently.

“Have you seen yourself? I mean, I know it’s hot out, but you need to chill out!” was Guitar Dude’s response.

“No, you don’t understand,” Logan began objecting. “James looks really stupid!”

“Well, hey, man. If tanning’s his thing, well that’s cool. Let James be James,” Guitar Dude said. Guitar Dude lit up as though he was struck with inspiration. He began strumming his guitar and singing, “Let James be James.” Seeing Logan still on edge, Guitar Dude suggested, “Grab a bongo, dude.”

“Look, I don’t have time to play with bongos!” Logan began objecting.

But Guitar Dude didn’t heed his objections. In fact, he just threw Logan the bongos. Logan surprised himself with how quickly he dropped his water pistol in favour of the bongos. He felt a change wash over him, as though the bongos were magic.

“Hey, man, you can rush around trying to find someone that doesn’t want to be found, or you can find Logan,” Guitar Dude stated wisely.

“Find Logan,” Logan muttered to himself.

Even though he had been hesitant to take the bongos to begin with, he began playing them. As he banged the bongos, he felt a weight being lifted off his shoulders. He felt himself relaxing. He felt at peace.

“How does that feel?” Guitar Dude asked knowingly.

“It feels good,” Logan admitted.

This time, when Guitar Dude began singing his new song, Logan joined with his harmonies and bongo playing.

Let James be James
Don’t play those games
Let James be James
Let James be James

And that was how Logan succumbed to Hollywood Fever.

**

Now, Kaelyn knew that Kendall had told her to stake out the gym for James. And she did. For a time. But then she figured that James wouldn’t show up at the gym. He wouldn’t want to do anything that jeopardized his spray tan. Even if he looked hideous.

So, she began staking the other parts of the Palm Woods (except for the pool and the park since they were already covered). She walked through the lobby and saw the soaked teenagers muttering their grievances over Kendall’s actions. That told Kaelyn that Kendall had spotted James in the lobby, but was unsuccessful in washing the spray tan off him.

Kaelyn’s decision to leave the gym ended up paying off. Because she spotted James in the hallway obsessively spraying himself.

“Gotcha,” Kaelyn smirked.

James froze when he saw Kaelyn standing at the opposite end of the hallway, her water pistol aimed at him. James darted around, seeing he had limited space to dodge the water blasts unlike when Kendall confronted him in the lobby.

So, he did the only thing he could do. He ran the opposite direction, listening to Kaelyn chase after him.

**

Carlos was surprised when the Jennifers still wanted to be around him once their dramatic entrance to the pool had been fulfilled. But the surprise only grew when – once they were all seated with their feet in the cool water – the Jennifers began trying to change him. He was stripped of his water pistols, his jacket and his bandana. His sunglasses were replaced with a pair of designer shades. They had draped a silk scarf around his neck over the white t-shirt they had allowed him to keep on. And now, they were trying to get him to replace his signature helmet with a black fedora.

They were turning him into a Jennifer.

“I don’t know, guys,” Carlos began objecting. “I mean… I’m not sure if I’m ready to be a Jennifer.” He handed the black hat back to Jennifer 1 and reclaimed his helmet from Jennifer 3 before taking off his designer shades. “I mean… I’m nice.”

“Right, as in people walk all over you,” Jennifer 1 cut through his objections. “When was the last time you sang lead in one of your songs?”

Carlos began stammering awkwardly, “Well, never, but…”

Because when he thought about it, while he had solo parts in the songs they’ve been recording so far, he hasn’t really sung lead. That went to Kendall (or maybe James). He knew Kaelyn tried to keep everything balanced, but when Gustavo was in charge of a song, that tended to go out the window.

“And what about your dressing room at your studio? You do have your own, right?” Jennifer 3 asked. Though, the tone of her voice told everyone she already knew the answer.

“Well, we keep our stuff in a duffel bag,” Carlos answered awkwardly. According to Gustavo, they haven’t earned the privilege of having their own dressing rooms yet. Not even one all four of them can share.

“Look. Hollywood is like a fish tank, and you’re either a minnow or a piranha,” Jennifer 1 told him firmly.

“Carlos, a little help here!”

Carlos turned around briefly at the sound of Kaelyn’s voice. Dancing across his vision briefly was orange James, with Kaelyn hot on his heels firing her sole water pistol at him. Given how dark his skin was (Carlos swore it was getting darker every time he saw him), it was clear his female best friend wasn’t having much success.

Normally, Carlos would’ve been among the first to rush over to help his friends in trouble. But the Jennifers’ words were having an affect on him. Weaving a spell that would soon see him succumb to the very affliction they were trying to cure James of.

“Keep talking,” Carlos told them.

Knowing they had his full attention, Jennifer 3 went for the kill: “The only people who make it in this town are the ones who are mean, selfish and in it to win it.”

Behind him, he heard two screams. The first scream was easy to identify as James’ scream as he avoided Kaelyn’s water blasts. The second scream was easy to identify as Kaelyn screaming for Carlos to help her.

But now, Carlos was fully in the throes of Hollywood Fever. And while Hollywood Fever turned James into a spray tanning addict and Logan into a bongo-playing hippie, it was turning Carlos into a Jennifer. Destroying everything everyone loved about Carlos.

“I don’t want to be a minnow! I want to be a piranha!” Carlos proclaimed, exchanging the helmet for the black fedora. As he slid on his designer shades, he changed his mind: “No, wait! I want to be a tiger shark!”

“Sure, whatever,” Jennifer 1 shrugged.

And that was how Carlos succumbed to Hollywood Fever.

**

James found himself back in the lobby in his desperate efforts to escape Kaelyn. A collision with another unsuspecting teenager found James being forced to the ground when he tried to do one of his signature cartwheels (or was it a backflip?). By the time he could begin to righten himself, Kaelyn was approaching. He could only back up until he felt his back collide with the wall.

The screams of innocent teens could be heard as they all raced away, trying to escape the line of fire.

James, meanwhile, was lost to the sight before him, even in the throes of Hollywood Fever. Seeing Kaelyn standing above him dressed in black – black jeans, black jacket covering a white shirt, black boots, sunglasses, and a black bandana holding her hair back (one of James’, people couldn’t help but note)… it was doing things to him.

“Sorry, James,” Kaelyn smirked, “but you’ve got the Fever, and I’ve got the cure.”

James curled up into himself to shield himself from the incoming blast of water. He wasn’t about to let anything destroy his hideous spray tan. Not even the best friend he was in love with.

But the water blast never came. All he heard was the sound of hissing that comes with a water pistol that had run out of water.

“Aw, come on!” Kaelyn whined in frustration, even stomping her foot. ‘Knew I should’ve waited until he was cornered before I started blasting.’

James was quick to rise to his feet, his presence towering over Kaelyn.

“What’s the matter, sweetheart? You’re looking a bit pale,” James noted.

Before James could even make a cry about utilizing his tanning powers against her, Kaelyn raced forward. She had dropped the water pistol in favour of trying to grab the aerosol cans from James’ tight grip. But it was a hard fight for Kaelyn because she was admittedly handicapped with her broken arm. (The itchiness of the cast wasn’t the only reason why she was looking forward to when it could be taken off.) James’ resistance was strong, but careful. He wasn’t letting her take the aerosol cans, but he was still being mindful of her broken arm.

Eventually, things escalated in the struggle. They were standing chest to chest, still fighting over the cans. A fight that seemed to weaken as it went on. Even through the orange skin, she could still see his eyes. They were staring at her intensely. It made her breath catch in her throat, even as she continued panting from the earlier exertion.

Then, he was kissing her.

Kaelyn was certainly surprised by the action, but she was quick to surrender. She closed her eyes and kissed him back. He maintained his grip on his aerosol cans, but he still wrapped one of his arms around her waist to hold her against him. It was all over her black jacket, so her white shirt wasn’t about to get stained with Mangerine Action Tan. Strangely enough, Kaelyn couldn’t bring herself to care.

James emitted a moan from his throat as the kiss deepened. It was soft. It was quiet. But it still made Kaelyn weak in the knees.

Then, the spell was broken.

A hiss made them break the unexpected kiss. Someone had bumped one of the aerosol cans and made it spray. Kaelyn stumbled back, noticing that some of the substance had gotten on her. The intense look in James’ eyes was gone. He was deep in the throes of Hollywood Fever once more.

“Tanning powers go!”

Despite Kaelyn’s objections, James twirled on the spot, spraying wildly before running away. Kaelyn found to her display that he did get her top with the spray tan this time. And some got onto her face (it actually gave her a bit of a healthy glow, oddly enough) and, therefore, into her mouth. (Or was it from when James kissed her? She couldn’t tell.)

Kaelyn was still spluttering when Kendall approached her in the lobby.

“Did he get you?” Kendall asked knowingly.

Kaelyn nodded, deciding to not tell him about the kiss. She wanted James cured of Hollywood Fever through methods that did not involve killing him, thank you very much. Kendall wordlessly grabbed a cup of water from the dispenser nearby and gave it to Kaelyn, enabling her to rinse her mouth. He also wet his own bandana and started wiping the spray tan off her face. (He wasn’t that fond of this particular bandana anyway.)

And as if things couldn’t get any worse, Kendall’s phone started ringing. A quick glance at the caller ID revealed the incoming caller to be Gustavo.

“Oh great,” Kaelyn muttered. He wasn’t going to be happy to find that they hadn’t cured James of his Hollywood Fever.

“Kendall! I trust you and Kaelyn have solved our little problem. Now get back to the studio. We’ve got work to do.”

Kendall and Kaelyn turned to the lobby to find that not only had they failed to solve the ‘little problem’ Gustavo was referring to, but it had snowballed drastically. James was no longer the only member of the band to be suffering from Hollywood Fever.

Carlos and Logan had also fallen victim. Logan was fully dressed as a hippie – complete with the scarf tied round his head and the shades as he banged his bongos – and Carlos was dressed in designer clothing with the Jennifers acting as his posse.

“Oh, you have no idea,” was all Kendall could say.

**

Predictably, Gustavo and Kelly did not react well when they all turned up at the recording studio.

They were gaping in shock when Gustavo stormed into the sound booth and pushed himself forward so he was dominating the microphone, determined to make sure he was the lead in the song they were recording. (Even though they were just finalizing the recording of Stuck, with the parts already finalized.) He also had the Jennifers accompany him into the sound booth. At least they didn’t disrupt the recording. They simply stood in the back and danced along, clearly enjoying the music.

Logan refused to part with the bongos he had become attached to. And he insisted on playing them in lieu of singing his part. And while the rhythm he was playing actually complemented it, it still didn’t go. So, Gustavo already knew they were going to have to rerecord it once everyone was cured of their Hollywood Fever.

And James… while James was able to restrain himself before by not spraying himself while recording, that restraint was now gone. He was actively spraying himself in the sound booth, and the microphones were picking up the hisses being emitted from the aerosol can.

Kaelyn just sat there helplessly looking at Gustavo and Kelly for help. When she was certain nobody was looking (or too consumed by Hollywood Fever and/or the awkwardness resulting to notice), she lightly touched her fingers to her lips. She could still feel James’ kiss. The butterflies in her stomach seemed to magnify with the awareness of this realization. It made her smile the kind of secret smile that only one person would know.

She was pulled out of her daydream when Gustavo finally spoke. In his dangerously calm voice that told everyone an explosion as imminent.

“Kendall, can I talk to you and Kaelyn for a minute?” Gustavo requested. “Just a quick minute.”

Frankly, Kendall was thankful for the opportunity to escape. It was awkward enough before being stuck in the sound booth with orange James. But now, he was trapped with three best friends in the throes of Hollywood Fever (along with Carlos’ posse).

Kendall and Kaelyn followed Gustavo out of the recording room and into Gustavo’s office. It was then that Gustavo finally snapped.

“What is going on?!”

“I don’t know!” Kendall and Kaelyn snapped back.

“We were trying to wash off orange James and then, things just kind of snowballed,” Kendall elaborated awkwardly.

For Gustavo, that wasn’t good enough. “Well, you are kind of the leader of this band, so kind of fix it!”

“You’re making this sound a lot simpler than it actually is,” Kaelyn stated. They still didn’t know much about Hollywood Fever, so how could they cure it?

“Sorry, I couldn’t stop them,” they heard Kelly’s apologetic voice.

Kelly had been standing guard outside Gustavo’s office so the irate record producer could have his private conversation with Kendall and Kaelyn. But she wasn’t able to stop Carlos and the Jennifers from forcing their way inside. Logan followed behind calmly, still playing his bongos.

“Yo, Gustav!” Carlos snapped rudely, getting in the producer’s face as he ripped off his designer shades and handed them to Jennifer 1. “I want a solo in the next album we record!”

“And his new name is Jennifer!” the two Jennifers cut in.

“Okay, maybe not that,” Carlos shook his head. But he unveiled a vinyl cover and revealed, “But the band’s new name is Carlos and the Rush!”

Carlos’ new album cover didn’t just have the new band name (‘At least he kept the logo,’ Kaelyn thought to herself), but it had Carlos in the forefront of the shot. Dressed in designer clothes striking an arrogant pose that reminded Kaelyn of the bad boy drama with WayneWayne. The other boys were so far in the background that their images were almost blurred. Kendall and Logan were the only ones standing together. James was standing on his own.

Gustavo eventually snapped out of his stupor that was induced by the shock of seeing Carlos – sweet, nice Carlos – acting like a total diva. He snatched the Carlos and the Rush cover out of Carlos’ hands and threw it to the ground.

“Well, you and your princess posse can take it and…”

Whatever else Gustavo had to say (which almost certainly would not have been pretty) was cut short by Logan’s bongo playing. Everyone turned to face Hippie Logan.

“Everybody, chill it out and hop aboard the Logan train – whoo-whoo! – to Mellowville!” Logan smiled.

Kaelyn gaped when Logan dared to bop Gustavo on the nose before playing his bongos once more. Already, she knew it wasn’t going to end well. Sure enough, Gustavo got all up in Logan’s personal space and slapped the bongos out of his hands. Another explosion was dangerously imminent; and in the confines of Gustavo’s office, the bystanders had no way to protect themselves.

That was when James decided to make his presence known outside the office.

“Knock-knock!”

“Who’s there?” all the occupants in the office – even the Jennifers – responded.

“Orange…”

“Orange who?!” they demanded, falling victim to the classic knock-knock joke.

James answered by walking into the office holding four aerosol cans and saying, “Orange you glad I brought enough mangerine spray for everybody?!”

Everybody screamed as James started spraying wildly. Even Carlos and Logan – who were in the throes of Hollywood Fever – did not want to be on the receiving end of James’ spray tanning obsession. (Though, admittedly for different reasons compared to the rest.)

Gustavo, Kelly, and the Knight twins were quick to flee Gustavo’s office, leaving everyone else to James’ answer. They fled to the storage room that had once been home to the failed School of Rocque. They needed to regroup.

“They’ve got the fever and it’s bad!” Kelly declared.

“And this heat is only making the symptoms worse!” Gustavo grumbled in annoyance.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, wait,” Kendall stammered.

“You knew about Hollywood Fever this whole time?!” Kaelyn gaped in disbelief.

“It’s broken up nearly every one of my bands,” Gustavo revealed. “It starts with tanning or bongos. Before you know it, they quit to start movie careers or they move to Canada to live among the moose.”

Gustavo then whimpered the name of one of his former boybands: Boyquake. That told Kaelyn everything she needed to know about what had happened to Boyquake. She had been thinking that moving to Canada to live among the moose was too specific. (Unlike the quitting to start movie careers, which actually sounded like a natural progression of Hollywood Fever based on her limited knowledge.) Well, at least that answered the question about what happened to Boyquake that everyone seemed to have.

Clearly, they went Logan’s hippie route.

“We have got to snap them out of this before it is permanent!” Kelly warned.

“How long do we have?” Kaelyn asked.

“It’s hard to say,” Kelly admitted. “Everyone’s Hollywood Fever progressed differently.”

“So, we should probably act like we’re running out of time,” Kaelyn surmised.

“Pretty much,” Kelly nodded.

“We must divide and conquer!” Gustavo was quick to decide. “Kendall, you take bongo boy and drum some sense into him. Kelly, you find Carlos and remind him that he’s not a Jennifer! And I am getting a shrink for James.”

“What do you want me to do?” Kaelyn asked. She noticed that she was the only one not given a job.

“You’re helping me make sure James doesn’t escape before the shrink gets here,” Gustavo answered without looking up from his phone.

“Uh, you do know she has a broken arm, right?” Kendall reminded the record producer, a protective edge in his voice. He even grabbed Kaelyn’s arm (above her cast, thankfully) and raised it so the cast was visible to prove his point.

“He’s gentler with her, so she can contain him better,” was Gustavo’s justification.

Kaelyn didn’t know how to feel about Gustavo picking up on that dynamic.

**

Meanwhile, back at the Palm Woods, Katie’s new and improved snow cone stand was as much of a success as her first attempt. In fact, it was more successful thanks to Buddha Bob lending Katie his Z-5000 woodchipper. It enabled her to have the supply to meet the increasing demand. It was being down like clockwork. When Katie looked like she was about to run out of shaved ice for her snow cones, Buddha Bob was quick to run some ice through the woodchipper, collect the contents in a plastic container, and hand it over to Katie.

Fortunately, everything had been thorough sanitized beforehand and the shaved ice wasn’t being contaminated with wood chips and the like. And it was producing shaved ice at the perfect consistency for snow cones.

Mr. Bitters, however, was displeased to see Katie had reopened her snow cone stand and pushed his way to the front of the line.

“I thought I told you you couldn’t sell food on Palm Woods property!” Mr. Bitters snapped.

“I’m not on Palm Woods property!” Katie smirked.

“She’s above it,” Buddha Bob added.

It was only then that Mr. Bitters noticed the loophole Katie was exploiting. Katie’s new snow cone stand was situated on a sturdy floor that was hanging above the ground. Having a closer look at the rope, he saw it was suspended from a tree that, while it hanged over into Palm Woods property, was rooted outside it.

So, technically, she wasn’t on Palm Woods property.

“Well played, my friend, well played,” Mr. Bitters praised his ten-year-old adversary. “But mark my words! I will destroy you and this stand!” He then did an evil cackle that Katie had to admit was pretty well done before stopping and immediately demanded, “I’ll give you a hundred bucks for the whole operation.”

Katie quickly presented her counteroffer, “Five hundred and I keep the franchise rights.”

“Forget it!” Mr. Bitters snapped. “But remember this: I will destroy you!” Mr. Bitters’ maniacal evil cackle was interrupted once more. But not by him presenting an offer to counter Katie’s counteroffer. But by him noticing a particular snow cone. “Oh, is that blue raspberry?”

Katie could only gape in disbelief as Mr. Bitters snatched the blue raspberry snow cone from the display and walked off continuing his maniacal evil laughter. He didn’t even pay for it.

But her shock was forgotten when more customers raced forward holding up cash requesting specific flavours. This would more than make up for the profit loss resulting from Mr. Bitters stealing a snow cone.

**

After the chaos that had unfolded at Rocque Records, Logan had fled for the peace and serenity Palm Woods Park provided. He was nestled under a tree, sitting cross-legged on a picnic blanket with a flower resting next to him as he continued playing his bongos. He was blissfully unaware of the world around him. Alternating between playing the bongos with his hands and his bare feet.

It was certainly strange seeing the normally high-strung Logan embracing the hippie lifestyle.

Kendall was watching the scene unfold from behind one of the park’s many hedges (maintained to perfection by Buddha Bob) donning a tree hat. Camille and Tyler had been roped into Kendall’s scheme to try to cure Logan of his Hollywood Fever, and they too were wearing their own tree hats.

“Tyler, all you have to do is tap into the old Logan’s love of math, then he trades in his bongo rhythms for logarithms,” Kendall told the redhaired child.

“And bingo – no more Hollywood Fever!” Camille added. Kendall really didn’t need to do much convincing to get her to help him cure Logan. He barely got the words ‘Logan’ and ‘Hollywood Fever’ out of his mouth before she was jumping all over him demanding to know how she can help.

Camille took off Tyler’s tree hat as he held up three apples. It was going to be a rather simple math question – something that would reasonably be expected of someone in Tyler’s grade. (Especially since Tyler actually struggled with math until Logan arrived at the Palm Woods and began tutoring him.) But they hoped it would be enough to snap Logan out of his Hollywood Fever.

“Hey, what’s the haps, little dude?” Logan happily greeted Tyler.

“Logan, I’m confused. If I had five apples and I gave two to my friend Cindy, how many would I have left?” Tyler asked.

The answer was right there in Tyler’s hand. Three apples. It should have been enough to snap Logan out of his Hollywood Fever. He was supposed to not only tell Tyler the answer, but show him how to work it out. But the grip of Hollywood Fever was too strong, and Logan was lost to his hippie persona.

“It doesn’t matter, dude. You still have some apples, right? And Cindy, she has some apples too,” Logan answered.

“You know, he’s got a point,” Kendall had to concede. “But darn it!” he still snapped, throwing his tree hat down in frustration.

They weren’t successful in curing Logan of Hollywood Fever.

**

Kaelyn had actually done a good job keeping James in Gustavo’s office until the record producer could summon a high-level psychiatrist he knew through a mutual acquaintance. (Kaelyn decided now wasn’t the time to try to work out if Gustavo was being truthful about the mutual acquaintance or hiding the fact that he had to seek the assistance of a shrink himself – more than likely court mandated thanks to his legendary anger management issues.)

There was a clear shift in James and Kaelyn’s interactions since the kiss in the Palm Woods lobby. And it made Kaelyn understand why Gustavo had chosen her to keep James at bay until the shrink arrived. Even in the throes of his Hollywood Fever, he was still careful with her. Mindful of her cast.

So, it was how James was lying on the couch in Gustavo’s office (still obsessively spray tanning himself – Kaelyn wasn’t successful in every aspect of James’ troubles with Hollywood Fever) until Dr. Ambrosino, the psychiatrist Gustavo called, had arrived.

Dr. Ambrosino took one look at James and was quick to pass her judgement: “James’ need to cover himself with tanning spray is an attempt to counter his feelings of estrangement brought on by his new and intense Hollywood environment.”

It was an explanation that certainly made sense to Kaelyn. In fact, she wouldn’t be surprised if Hollywood Fever turned out to be something that could be boiled down to homesickness or rising stars – particularly teens, who were apparently more susceptible to Hollywood Fever – struggling with the pressures of Hollywood and turning to various outlets to counteract that.

She supposed she was thankful that James had turned to a habit that, while annoying, was not in the same league as drugs or alcohol.

Gustavo, however, was quick to disagree. “Yeah, uh, no. He’s nuts… and orange.”

“Can you help him?” Kaelyn asked worriedly.

Dr. Ambrosino gave Kaelyn a reassuring smile. “Don’t worry. I’ve cured many stars of Hollywood Fever. Before he came to me, Taylor Lautner refused to leave his house without his sock monkey.”

With those words said, Dr. Ambrosino walked into Gustavo’s office and closed the door behind her. Gustavo and Kaelyn faced a nervous wait outside.

“What’s up with you?” Gustavo asked, noticing the way Kaelyn was touching her lips again.

“Nothing!” Kaelyn answered quickly – too quickly – as she lowered her hand away from her mouth. “I just… James got me with his tanning spray again and I think some got into my mouth.”

Gustavo gave her a look that clearly told her he wasn’t buying her answer. But Kaelyn wasn’t about to tell him about the second kiss that happened that was how Kaelyn got James on the couch to begin with.

All of that was forgotten, however, when Dr. Ambrosino emerged from Gustavo’s office. Now, while they were surprised to hear the sound of his door opening so quickly, they weren’t expecting what they saw. They were expecting her to say that James was beyond the help she could provide and recommend someone else or say his Hollywood Fever was incurable.

They weren’t expecting her to walk out with every exposed patch of skin covered with Mangerine Action Tan.

“I feel like I’ve been kissed by the sun!” Dr. Ambrosino skipped away merrily.

“Work it, doc! You look tan-tastic!” James called after her with a broad smile.

“STOP! BEING! ORANGE!” Gustavo roared.

Kaelyn decided it was safer for her to stay out of Gustavo’s office when he barged in to try to wrestle the aerosol cans out of James’ hands. Besides, it was his turn.

But based on the screams coming from the office, it was clear that they weren’t successful in curing James of his Hollywood Fever.

**

Carlos had truly become a Jennifer by this point. He had mastered the art of making a dramatic entrance into all spaces with the flare and intimidation that usually accompanied them. He had also substituted his white t-shirt for a white button-up shirt, but kept the rest of the outfit the Jennifers had put him in. People had to admit. Carlos did look good.

They just didn’t like the person he was turning into as a result of his Hollywood Fever.

“Hey, Carlos!”

Carlos and the Jennifers froze in their path when they saw Kelly standing in the lobby. Carlos was curious to see her wearing a helmet and pushing something back to the furthest wall of the lobby.

But he kept up his new persona and demanded rudely, “Kelly, what are you doing here?”

“Care to try out my new… shopping cart slingshot?” Kelly tried to entice him.

This was clearly Kelly’s plan to cure Carlos of Hollywood Fever. Carlos was known for his love of wild and dangerous stunts. So, Kelly figured going for a shopping cart slingshot in the middle of the Palm Woods lobby was the best way to snap him out of it.

And it appeared to be working. For a time. He was gaping in amazement at the setup and looking longingly at the extra helmet Kelly was holding up for him. But the spell was broken when he glanced at the Jennifers standing on either side of him, who were shaking their heads.

“Care to try out my forget it?!” Carlos snapped.

The Jennifers were quick to praise Carlos for his burn while Kelly scowled at him. She was moving to climb into the shopping cart.

“It does look really cool, though!” Carlos gasped excitedly, ripping off his designer shades.

But the Jennifers were quick to stop him from racing forward. Some would say it was out of concern for Carlos’ safety, but it wasn’t. It was simply because they deemed the activity beneath them.

“Last chance. I’m getting in,” Kelly told Gustavo in a sing-song voice.

Carlos just stood there with a scowl and his arms folded across his chest. A pose that was copied by the Jennifers.

“Carlos, get in the cart! You’ve got Hollywood Fever!”

When Kelly flung her arms back in frustration, she accidentally hit the lever that would propel the shopping cart forward. She screamed and held onto dear life as the shopping cart was propelled forward at high speeds. Carlos acted quickly and stood aside with the Jennifers clinging to the arms he had outstretched in front of them. They watched in shock as the shopping cart collided with a bag cart that was being pulled into the building. The force of the impact flung Kelly out of the cart and into the wall. Along with the stacked luggage.

Now, the Carlos everyone knew and loved would have been horrified at the sight. He would have been quick to scream Kelly’s name and race forward, screaming for someone to call for help. He would have been worried. He would have been scared.

But the Carlos everyone knew and loved didn’t exist right now. It was replaced by a Carlos who had been moulded by the Jennifers to be selfish and do whatever it takes to succeed – regardless of ethics. So, Carlos simply shrugged, straightening his jacket as he walked away.

Kelly was unable to cure Carlos of his Hollywood Fever.

**

“Okay. Hollywood Fever progress check…” Gustavo began before whirling around and facing his audience. “We have made no progress.”

Kendall and Kelly gaped at the sight of Gustavo, who was covered from head to toe in Mangerine Action Tan. Clearly, his fight with James was very… personal. And very unsuccessful. The only reason Kaelyn wasn’t surprised was because she had seen the gory aftermath. Along with James fleeing for escape.

Kaelyn turned to the two people sitting next to her. Kelly was a little worse for wear, sporting an assortment of bandages as a result of her mishap with the shopping cart slingshot. Kendall, meanwhile, was dressed in his hockey gear. In fact, his helmet and hockey stick were positioned next to the door, ready for Kendall to grab on his way out.

“How come all of your friends got Hollywood Fever and you didn’t?” Kelly asked the Knight twins.

“Because they have a normal brain, and their friends have the brain of a cricket!” was Gustavo’s answer. Taking off his sunglasses (and exposing the sole patch of skin on his face not covered in Mangerine Action Tan), Gustavo decided to propose a Plan B. “New plan: Kendall… you’re going solo.”

Kaelyn gaped at Gustavo in disbelief. Even though she knew she shouldn’t be shocked. When all their efforts to cure James, Carlos and Logan of Hollywood Fever failed, Kaelyn had been expecting Gustavo to write them off and focus his attentions on launching Kendall’s solo career. But she still didn’t expect him to be so callous about it.

And it was clear that Kendall didn’t like it.

“No way!” Kendall scoffed. “Look. They may just be a singing group to you, but they’re my best friends!” He then rose to his feet and kicked his chair back. (Fortunately, it was a wheelie chair and it landed against the glass wall with a gentle thud.) “Now, I’m gonna go do what I always do when you, this town, and this heat get to me! I’m hitting the rink to figure things out!”

Kaelyn rose to follow her brother. Even though she wouldn’t be able to skate (another reason she couldn’t wait to be rid of the cast because, even if she didn’t play hockey, she loved going out on the ice with the guys), she still went with Kendall to the rink because she enjoyed cheering her twin on. And she loved the atmosphere of the rink. The cold air caressing her skin reminded her of home.

“Wait, the rink?” Kelly pressed. But there was a tone in her voice that told the group that something was starting to click for her. (If only they caught onto that.)

Kaelyn shrugged and said, “Yeah, the ice and the cold help clear our heads and remind us of where we came from.”

“Say that last part again,” Kelly demanded.

Confused, Kendall restated his twin’s statement, “The ice and cold remind us… of where we came from!”

Kendall’s tone of voice changed at the end of the sentence, for he was finally understanding what Kelly was trying to say. Kaelyn’s face lit up as she too took note of the implication. The realization for why Kendall and Kaelyn never got Hollywood Fever. And a way to cure their friends.

“Why are you looking at each other and saying things twice?” Gustavo asked. He was still confused.

“Don’t you see? Lynny and I never got Hollywood Fever because we never lost touch with our roots!” Kendall stated.

“And maybe Hollywood Fever is just a fancy term for… homesickness!” Kelly gasped.

The group lit up with hope. Even Gustavo, who was ready to write the band off only moments ago. Knowing the true root of Hollywood Fever renewed their hope of saving Big Time Rush. Especially since the cure seemed to be straightforward.

“Get the dogs to the ice rink now!” Gustavo demanded.

Kelly presented one flaw in Gustavo’s plan: “I couldn’t get Carlos to try a slingshot shopping cart. You want me to get him to an ice rink?”

Gustavo whimpered in dismay. That was a major flaw to his plan. If Kelly couldn’t tempt Carlos – a known daredevil – to try out a shopping cart slingshot, they had no chance of getting him, James and Logan to an ice rink.

“Maybe bring the ice to them,” Kaelyn suggested with a shrug.

Kendall looked at his sister in confusion. How the heck could they bring the ice to their friends? Then, he remembered.

**

The answer was in the form of Katie’s snow cone stand. She was still serving snow cones to the large crowd that was gathering. In fact, when Buddha Bob wasn’t making more shaved ice, he was standing next to Katie helping her make and serve the snow cones in the requested flavours.

Katie had been expecting her brother and sister to make their way to her stand. If only because Katie knew snow cones was one of Kaelyn’s favourite summertime treats. But she certainly wasn’t expecting Kendall’s urgent request.

“Katie, I need six thousand pounds of shaved ice right away!” he told her urgently.

“Sorry, big bro,” Katie shook her head apologetically. “I’d have to leave my stand, and Bitters would destroy it.”

“Sissy, I love you, and I get it, but we really need your help!” Kaelyn pleaded.

Katie knew she would get the full story while whatever happened next was unfolding. But all she could see now was that her older siblings needed her help. And she wasn’t about to turn them away.

She turned to Buddha Bob and asked him with the same urgency her siblings held, “Buddha Bob, can the Z-5000 shave six thousand pounds of ice?”

“No,” Buddha Bob shook his head, causing the Knight siblings to visibly deflate. But then he revealed with a smile, “But the Z-10000 can!”

Buddha Bob raced ahead to power up the Z-10000. Katie lingered behind momentarily with her siblings. She still one thing to take care of.

“Bitters!” Katie called for the hotel manager. Predictably, Mr. Bitters was lingering nearby, wearing a tree hat as he spied on Katie’s successful business, waiting for the opportunity to strike. “Three hundred bucks and the stand is yours.”

“Deal!” Mr. Bitters raced forward and eagerly accepted the deal. He even had a wad of money ready to go.

After accepting the money from Mr. Bitters, Katie told her twin siblings, “Let’s roll!”

As the three Knight siblings raced away, Mr. Bitters was quick to take over the snow cone stand. He immediately started calling for more customers, preparing to accept the cash they were offering. But there was someone else cutting his way to the front of the line. But this wasn’t someone asking for a favour or trying to push their way into the business.

It was an official.

“City health inspector. Please show me your license for operating this food cart, or I’ll have to fine you five hundred dollars,” the official said.

Mr. Bitters began stammering nervously. He knew he would be the one facing the consequences, even though Katie was the one who started the snow cone stand to begin with. After all, he had just bought it off her for three hundred bucks. He needed to worm his way out of this, and fast.

Seeing a premade cherry snow cone ready to go, Mr. Bitters held it up to the city health inspector, “Oh look, a free cherry snow cone!”

The man tsked, “No license and bribing a city official. That’s another five hundred dollars.”

“Rats!” Mr. Bitters growled, watching as the city health inspector noted the two violations in his paperwork.

“Rats?!” he gasped. “That’s another five hundred dollars!”

Faced with no further recourse, Mr. Bitters ran away… not hearing the city health inspector say that earned him another $500-fine before chasing after him.

**

James was now standing in the bathroom of Apartment 2J, still obsessively spraying himself with Mangerine Action Tan. The orange of his skin was getting darker with each application.

“There really is no such thing as too handsome,” James winked to his reflection.

But even in the throes of his Hollywood Fever, James was thinking about a moment. Two moments, actually. The first moment was obvious. When he kissed Kaelyn in the lobby the first time she tried to take away his spray tan.

But he was also thinking about the second kiss. The one shared in Gustavo’s office. Kaelyn had been trying to stop James from fleeing before Dr. Ambrosino arrived. She had ended up on top of him on Gustavo’s couch when someone tripped. (Neither of them were sure who; all they knew was that whoever tripped ended up taking the other person down with them.) And it was just like when they kissed in the lobby. Everything froze. Everything stopped except for that moment.

And she kissed him. She was the one who initiated this time. James was eager to reciprocate. In fact, he almost entirely forgot the aerosol cans he was desperately clinging to. He loved her soft lips on his. The way her body pressed against him on the couch. He never wanted it to end.

But then, they had heard Gustavo coming and broke away. Kaelyn righted herself, quickly coming up with the lie that James had gotten her with his spray tan when someone started asking questions. Something that certainly helped was the fact that James had started spraying even more of the stuff almost immediately.

He briefly touched his fingers to his lips. He could still feel her kiss. Even now, his heart was still skipping beats, and he felt an intense sense of longing he had never experienced before. A longing he was ready to put a name to.

But his thoughts were disrupted by the feeling of something colliding with his arm. It was something cold. Something that disintegrated the second it came into contact with his body. Turning around, he was quick to identify the source of the snowball. Kendall and Kaelyn. Kendall was dressed in his hockey jersey. But James didn’t pay his male best friend any mind.

His eyes were drawn to Kaelyn. She was wearing a purple cami top – the same shade as the bandanas from his Bandana Man costume – with lace trim and a pair of shorts. It was the shortest pair of shorts he had ever seen her wear, walking the fine line between short and easily confused for underwear.

“Hey!” James snapped at them, quickly covering his shock over Kaelyn’s outfit. (He was conscious enough to remember that Kendall would kill him if he ogled at his sister for too long.) He winced when another snowball hit him. “Whoa, alright, you do that again…”

Kendall was more than willing to do it again. In fact, he threw three snowballs in rapid succession. The look that James shot Kendall and Kaelyn when the third snowball hit him told them that they got him. It was on now.

“Come get us, fox!” Kaelyn taunted.

That caused James to start chasing them.

**

Carlos was next on the list. He was still walking around the Palm Woods with the Jennifers. Striking poses as they moved from the pool to the lobby and other parts of the Palm Woods. They were certainly strutting like they owned the place. And in their mind, they did.

That was quickly forgotten when Carlos felt a snowball colliding with him. While the Jennifers were quick to gape in disbelief, Carlos was quick to glare at the source of the snowball.

The source revealed herself to be Kelly. And she had another snowball ready to go with a smirk to match.

“This is silk!” he snapped at her.

Kelly just rolled her eyes as she threw another snowball at him.

“Nice throw,” Kaelyn praised once she and Kendall were standing next to Kelly.

Kendall was about to voice his own praise, but that was forgotten when they heard Carlos’ scream. It was a scream that told the group, ‘It was on now!’ And it was the only warning they usually got before he went wild. (Let’s just say when it came to Carlos and snowball fights, everyone wanted him on their team because they never wanted to go against him.)

“Run!” Kendall was quick to advise.

As Kendall, Kelly and Kaelyn ran away, they heard James continuing his chase.

“Bunny, not cool!” James called after Kaelyn.

“I’m gonna get you, Kendall!” Carlos vowed, joining the chase along with the Jennifers.

Fortunately, they didn’t have to go far to find Logan. He had relocated to the Palm Woods pool, where he had taken Guitar Dude’s prime spot (fortunately, the guitarist was cool with it) and was serenading the ladies with his bongo playing (he was actually pretty good) and some hippie wisdom. But all of that was forgotten when Kaelyn, using her one good arm (turns out her writing arm, which is the arm that was broken, was not her throwing arm), grabbed some snowballs from Kendall’s bag and threw them at Logan.

“Whoa, whoa, bad vibes!” Logan objected.

But when he was hit with another snowball, he was quick to join the chase.

**

The chase led everyone to Palm Woods Park. Kendall, Kelly and Kaelyn (but more Kendall and Kelly) were still tossing the odd snowball behind them to keep James, Carlos and Logan chasing them. To lure them into their… it would feel wrong to say trap. But they needed them all in the same place to cure them of Hollywood Fever.

They all came to a stop and looked down when, rather than hearing the sound of grass beneath their shoes, they heard the crunching of ice. Looking around them, they finally noticed that a section of Palm Woods Park had been turned into an impromptu snow field. Complete with mounds of ice in random areas.

It was clear that it was already starting to have an effect on the afflicted boys. Carlos was starting to look more like his lovable self, with his excited smile and laughs of joy. James and Logan were also clearly loving what they saw.

Gustavo appeared from behind a snow mound, gripping a snowball in each hand as he roared, “FIRE AT WILL!”

The rest of the Palm Woods residents appeared and started joining the group in throwing snowballs at James, Carlos and Logan. Behind them, Buddha Bob was working overtime to make sure there was enough ice for the snowball fight.

Carlos sought refuge behind a tree with the Jennifers cowering behind him.

“Jennifer, do something!” they screamed.

That was when it clicked for Carlos. He was not a Jennifer. He was not arrogant. He had no taste for designer clothes. And he never went anywhere without his beloved helmet.

“The name’s Carlos, and it’s on!” Carlos proclaimed.

He threw off the designer shades and black fedora and replaced it with his beloved helmet before joining the fray. Carlos was officially cured of his Hollywood Fever. And he was giving as good as he got.

James was the next person to be cured of his Hollywood Fever. He glanced at the two aerosol cans he was holding before tossing them behind him with a shrug. He was no longer interested in covering his body with Mangerine Action Tan. In fact, with a scream of joy, he face-planted into the snow, creating an impromptu Mangerine Snow Angel. When he pushed himself back onto his feet, he was his normal self again. No trace of Mangerine Action Tan on his body. James was now cured of his Hollywood Fever. And he had his friends in his gleeful crosshairs.

Logan was the final member of Big Time Rush to be returned to normal. Initially, he was using his bongos to block the onslaught of snowballs coming his way. But just like with Carlos and James, something clicked within him. The cold of the snow reminded him of home, and it snapped him out of it. He tossed the bongos aside as Camille tossed a snowball at him. He dodged it with ease and was quick to create one of his own to throw back at her. Logan was now cured of his Hollywood Fever. And he wanted in on this snowball fight.

The screams of joy and laughter echoed around the park as all the underaged Palm Woods residents took part in the impromptu snowball fight. It was one of the best summertime activities someone had ever come up with.

Gustavo was delighted with the results, taking off his shades and remarking to Kelly, “Goodbye heatwave. And goodbye Hollywood Fever.”

He was quick to join the snowball fight again, however, when his dogs ganged up on him and Kelly and started pelting them with snowballs.

For James, going after Gustavo and Kelly – and his three male best friends – was all well and good. But he had someone else in his sights. And he was sneaking up on that someone as she stood on the sidelines. It enabled her to still take part in the action and throw snowballs, but offered her a degree of protection due to her cast.

He delighted in Kaelyn’s screams and laughter as he swung her over his shoulder and raced away from the snow field, unnoticed by the people too engrossed in the snowball fight. His own laughter rang out as he raced back towards the Palm Woods.

“Told you I’d get payback, bunny!” James laughed, recalling a moment when Kaelyn had hit him in the face with a snowball, clearly aiming for his hair. His weak spot, many would say.

Kaelyn’s laughter and joyful shrieks continued when she found herself being lowered to the ground… and tickled mercilessly by James. Her laughter was breathless as she tried to escape James’ grip, but found herself unable to. He was deliberately aiming for areas of her body that would elicit the strongest response to his giggles. The sensitive patches of skin (many of which were exposed thanks to Kaelyn’s choice of outfit) that caused the most squeals and laughter. The places that caused her to wriggle even harder against him as he held her against his body.

Eventually, she was able to turn around and face him as she tried to half-heartedly push him away. The tickles eventually stopped and both teens were struggling to regain their breath. They eventually noticed that, in the heat of the moment, James had ended up pressing Kaelyn to the wall. Her hair was slightly tussled by his tickles and her writhing against the wall.

The laughter came to a natural conclusion and the smiles fell from their faces as they realized their situation. But rather than blushing and pulling away from each other while stammering all sorts of unintelligible phrases as they had done before, they stayed there. In fact, James moved closer, noticing the way Kaelyn’s breath hitched in her throat when he did. His hand moved up to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear. Something he had done a million times before. But this time, he didn’t pull his hand away afterwards. He cradled her face, his hazel eyes darting between her green eyes and her parted lips.

This would be their third kiss to take place that day. The first kiss when Kaelyn had James cornered in the lobby with water pistols was a kiss James had initiated. The second kiss in Gustavo’s office was a kiss Kaelyn initiated.

But this third kiss, just outside the Palm Woods, was one they initiated together.

James brought his free hand up so both hands were cradling Kaelyn’s face as they kissed. He could feel Kaelyn’s arms moving up to wrap around his neck, feeling the slight weight the cast added to her arm. He sucked gently at her bottom lip, relishing in the whimper Kaelyn emitted in response. He could feel her lips turning up slightly into a smile, and it delighted James.

One of the things he always wanted to do was kiss her smile.

Kaelyn slightly adjusted one of her arms that was wrapped around James’ neck – the one that didn’t have the bulky cast weighing it down – and started weaving her fingers through James’ hair. It made him press his body closer to hers, trapping her further against the wall. The low moan that rumbled through his chest sent jolts through her body. Jolts that accompanied the fireworks. The confetti falling in her mind.

But this third kiss would regrettably not turn out to be so different from the first two kisses. This one would be interrupted.

The first kiss was interrupted by someone (they couldn’t tell you who) accidentally bumping the Mangerine Action Tan James had desperately clung to. The second kiss was interrupted by Gustavo’s impending approach with Dr. Ambrosino.

The third kiss was interrupted by a wild snowball coming dangerously close to hitting them.

Feeling the sudden cold made James and Kaelyn break apart with sudden gasps and eyes wild with panic. But when they turned around, they realized there was no one nearby. No one close enough to see what they were doing. They figured it was an errant snowball. One that was meant for somebody else but had widely missed the mark.

But still, it was enough to ruin the moment, and they broke away with great reluctance.

They both felt a heat on their faces that could not be attributed to the heatwave currently gripping Hollywood. James was trying to look at anything else that wasn’t Kaelyn’s kiss-swollen lips because he knew he would just want to kiss her some more.

Kaelyn began speaking, but cleared her throat when her voice came out differently than it usually did, “We… we should get payback.”

“Definitely,” James nodded.

So, they joined the snowball fight once more. Eager to get payback on the person who had disrupted their moment.

But when they all caught a spare moment separate from everyone and everything else, they did the same thing. They lightly brushed their fingers against their lips, feeling the kisses that still lingered and yearning for more. The same question swirling in their minds:

‘Where do we go from here?’

Notes:

I NEARLY went with a different lyric for the chapter title - something from I Know You Know - but I didn't want to spoil what ended up happening. Hence the random lyric from Famous.

Series this work belongs to:

• Part 1 of The Kaelyn Knight Stories