A/N: Hi Readers! Finally! The promised companion piece to Hollywood Management! I'm so sorry it took so long, but like others, life pretty much got in the way and I haven't had time to really sit down and develop this story mentally. However, I have a vague outline of where I want this story to go, so hopefully it pans out. I've tried to write this to accommodate those who have not read HM, but it may help if you read Hollywood Management first.
Just a heads up, this story won't be nearly as long as HM (that one kind of spiralled out of control), nor will it focus on a short duration of time. This story time skips, or rather, moves at a much faster rate than the previous.
Disclaimer: I do not own Big Time Rush nor its characters
Kendall stared at the cabinet, hoping that inspiration would come to him.
"Honey, that cabinet doesn't hold the answer to your problems." Jennifer Knight sat down next to her only son on the couch. She gave him a reassuring pat on his thigh, "You're going to need to answer them soon."
He sighed, throwing his head back. "I know, it's just so hard. Was it this hard when we moved out to California for Big Time Rush?"
Jennifer chuckled, amused. "Yes, it was. It took the boys hours to convince you to leave, and you only did it because you forced Gustavo to bring them along with you."
He frowns at his mother with his green eyes. "Can't I do the same thing this time?"
Jennifer quirked her head, "Maybe, if the NHL was considering to now buyout whole teams to allow you to bring your boys with you. But I think you have to go through a lot of obstacles for that to happen."
"Can't you just tell me what to do?"
Jennifer chuckled again, getting up, "Kendall, I stopped making decisions for you when you learned the difference between girls and boys."
"There's a difference between girls and boys?" Kendall asked jokingly.
Jennifer rolled her eyes, "Please, as if you don't know the difference. Now, I'm off to help Mrs. Leland calm down, her little girl just booked her first commercial." Jennifer was a stage-mom consultant, coaching moms with aspirational children. "Don't worry, you'll figure it out."
"Thanks, mom," Kendall forced a smile, watching his mother leave.
He sighed again. Kendall had to face the impossible decision of leaving Minnesota for California, once again for his career. He knew that the opportunity to be the assistant coach on the NHL team was a once in a lifetime chance, something that seemed to crop up often for him. But, he couldn't just leave behind his current team at the university. The pros and cons of leaving for the job was balanced. He just couldn't decided which one was better for him.
Kendall got up, deciding that a walk around town might clear his head. He slapped on a coat and headed out the door. One thing was certain, the weather in Los Angeles would be a hundred times better than in Shakopee.
He somehow made it downtown in record time, waving to a couple of people he knew, though none of them that well. Kendall sighed again, the biggest push factor for him leaving was the chance to be with the people he cared most about again.
His old bandmates from Big Time Rush were all moving back to L.A. It seemed that life had come round full circle. Logan was moving back to really begin his medical career, his lifetime dream finally coming true. Carlos, after adventuring across the globe had finally taken to becoming an actor. James, the fame blood running thick in him, had stayed in the city of angels the whole time developing a living of acting and singing.
Most importantly, his baby sister, Katie, was living in Los Angeles. She, like James, had stayed behind when the band dispersed because she needed to further her own career. Kendall smirked to himself, whenever she had those crazy managerial schemes as a kid, he didn't think that she would actually do something about it. But, Katie made him eat his words when she opened her own business, Knight Management, about a year ago.
Kendall shook his head again, wondering what was happening with the aforementioned. He had just come back from visiting his beloved kin, leaving her behind in quite a messy situation. Katie had been dealing with a pressuring competitor, and last he heard, she managed to stand her ground and keep her company running. However, that wasn't what was troubling him.
Before Katie had left on a much-earned vacation, Katie and James had developed their working relationship into a more-than-working relationship; it was something that Kendall was still processing. The two had apparently begun to feel more loving towards each other much more than a talent manager and her client should feel and vice versa. When Kendall left L.A., Katie was still in the midst of sorting out her feelings for his best friend. The idea that his baby sister and James liked each other boggled his mind and didn't taste all that appetizing to be honest, but Kendall knew that if he so much as hinted that he didn't want this relationship to happen, Katie would hightail it out of there in a heartbeat. He couldn't let his baby sister run from the prospect of love; he wouldn't be the reason. Kendall knew that Katie had a fear of relationships, mostly blaming the lack of time that she had to actually have one, but as her older brother, he knew that Katie was fearful of diving into something that had such a big risk of failing. Even though their parents had separated when she was just a baby, the idea that a marriage, something that was meant to be eternal but could shatter so easily, was unappealing to her. Kendall smirked again, being a self-proclaimed tomboy, Katie was quite a romantic and she didn't even know it.
Kendall continued smirking to himself, thinking of how he left his sister and former bandmate. With Katie, he knew that he had to be more straightforward, telling her that she needed to believe in her instincts. While on the other hand, with James, he was a bit more cryptic. The hockey player in him wanted to bloody the pretty boy up, but the good friend in him let his friend say his piece about his feelings towards Kendall's sister. It was strange for Kendall to see his friend so enraptured by the prospect of actually being in a relationship, let alone with Katie, that he decided to leave James in one piece. There was still a part of him that didn't trust how this was going to end up. He knew that the possibility that one of them would end up breaking each other's heart was very high, but he was going to let them deal with that particular issue. It was a good time for Kendall to let Katie and his friends learn how not to depend on him for everything. Strangely, apart from the likely possibility that the two could destroy each other, he thought that James and Katie complemented one another; he knew that James was the person to get Katie to live life while his sister managed to stablize James' Hollywood lifestyle.
Kendall seated himself by the window of his favourite coffee shop. He pulled out his phone and looked at the Kings' email again. He knew that if he didn't answer soon, the team would eventually move on to scout a different coach, leaving him behind in the dust. Kendall scratched the back of his head in frustration when a pounding at the window startled him. He looked up to find three familiar faces staring back at him. The guys waved before quickly making their way into the establishment.
"Hey, Coach!"
Kendall stood up to greet them. "Hey, boys. Grab a seat." He had forgotten that some of his students hailed from his hometown.
Jory, the goofiest of the three bobbed over to the seat right across from Kendall, forcing his teammates to pull other chairs to the table.
Kendall was about to ask the boys how they were doing, having not seen them since he got back from vacation, but Evan, the smartest boy on the hockey team who was also on a full academic scholarship, beat him to the punch.
"So, Coach, word has it that the Kings picked you up for half a billion dollars."
Kendall shook his head, chuckling. He should have known that word would get out in a small town like Shakopee faster than you can say, 'hockey puck.'
"I haven't agreed to anything, yet, and it's definitely not for that much."
Evan slapped the back of Derek's head, before crying out, "See? I told you that was an outrageous and highly unlikely amount of money."
Derek slapped Evan's hand away and shrugged his broad shoulders. "That's what I heard, okay?" He turned to look at Kendall and flashed him a vivid white smile. "But the rumours are true, right? The Kings! Alright, Coach!" Something or rather someone caught his attention as he finished his proclamation. A girl Kendall recognized from campus passed by, giving Derek a wink, which he had returned with a grin and a 'call me' gesture.
Kendall shook his head again in amusement. These three boys reminded him of another trio who were waiting for him in California.
"Yes, the L.A. Kings have asked me to join them as an assistant coach, but I haven't agreed to anything."
"Why not?" Jory slapped the table furiously, startling the other patrons in the coffee shop. He held up his hands sheepishly in apology. He turned his attention back to Kendall.
Kendall sighed before taking a sip of his coffee. "If you haven't forgotten, I already have a job, as a coach for you guys, remember?"
Three pairs of eyes blinked at him before they broke out in amused laughter. Evan was the first to calm down.
"You're kidding, right? You're passing up the opportunity to work for the NHL to stay with us? Even Jory knows that's stupid."
Jory was still laughing but sobered up quickly at the insult. "Hey!"
Derek held up his hand. "The point is, Coach. What's keeping you? You can't say it's us, 'cause that's lame."
Kendall furrowed one of his trademark eyebrows.
"It's not lame, per se," Evan added, "but it is pretty dumb. Coach, you've taught us a lot over these past few years and we're grateful for it, but you'll regret this decision some time down the road, and most likely resent us for this, too. Not to mention, we're talking NHL, here! You have to go."
Jory smiled brightly, "Yeah, and if you miss us, just think, we'll see you in a year or two when we'll be part of the NHL, too!"
Kendall laughed, looking down at his drink before looking up again at his three companions. "You really think I should do this?"
"Yes!" All three of them cried.
Derek whipped out his phone and quickly placed the device in front of Kendall. "Look, Coach. I've put the news up on ScuttleButter and look at all the replies. Everyone's happy for you." He turned the phone back to him, frowning. "Except Jimmy, but I think that's more of a separation anxiety issue."
Evan quirked an eyebrow at him. "Well? What are you waiting for? You better tell them that you're going to take the job."
Kendall considered the three boys in front of him, trying to read their emotions, and he knew that they were truly being sincere about their happiness at this opportunity for him. Knowing that he wasn't letting down his team made the decision that much easier for him.
He sighed in resignation, "Okay, I'll take the job."
"Yeah, alright!" The three boys started slapping each other in elation.
When Jennifer and Kendall sat down for dinner that night, he told her about his decision to take the job in Los Angeles.
Jennifer grabbed her chest and sighed in relief. "Oh, thank goodness!"
Kendall looked at her in puzzlement and indignation. "Thank you?"
Jennifer gently rolled her eyes. "You know I don't mean it like that, sweetie. In case in turns out that you really didn't want the job, I didn't want you to feel like I forced you to go. But, it would be nice to finally experience the empty nest syndrome parenting magazines always go on about."
Kendall gave his mother another look, causing her to continue.
"I mean, let's face it. You and Katie had never really been problem children, so I never had to deal with any misconducts, aside from your childish antics. Not to mention, you've never left my side." She reached out and gave his hand a loving pat. "It's time for you to let go of me. I know you've stuck with me all these years because you think that I'll be lonely without you kids, but I'll be fine on my own. In fact, I'll start by experiencing life on my own with the yoga retreat I've been talking about."
Kendall looked at her with amazement, "You're actually going through with that?"
Jennifer frowned at him. "Yes, so I'll be leaving in about a week or so. By then, we should have you all set up and out in Los Angeles."
"Mom, I don't have to leave right away."
Jennifer shook her head adamantly. "Nope. We are getting you out of here as soon as we can so that you don't have the chance to change your mind."
"I don't even have a place of my own, yet!" Kendall cried out, trying to make his mother see the impracticality of her idea.
"You can stay at Katie's for the time being. She's in Europe right now."
"I think Carlos told me something about him house-sitting for her."
Jennifer shrugged her shoulders. "So? You guys can both do it."
"Mom," Kendall said sternly.
"Fine," she conceded.
Kendall shook his head, amused at his mom's frustrations. "Besides, who would watch the house while you're gone? Not to mention, I still need time to find a replacement coach for the team." He picked up his fork, ready to continue eating when he added, "Wow, you really want me out of here."
"Oh, don't pretend to act all wounded. You know I love you. Now, hurry up, your dinosaur chicken is getting cold."
A/N: Well, I hope this chapter started your appetite for this story! As you can see, this story will be from Kendall's POV just to spice things up a bit.
Like usual, I would love to hear your comments, so please leave a review!
Love always,
Dawnindanite