Disclaimer: I don't own Big Time Rush, but I sure wish I did.

A different take on the whole "Logan changes over time" situation. Mine goes the opposite of how it sometimes goes.

Less angst-y than my other fic "Sometimes A Hug Isn't Enough" that dealt with a different "Logan's got a secret he's never gonna tell"/ "Past" situation. There will still be angst (because I can't resist the angst), just not as much...maybe...

CheekyBrunette did a read through of this back when I only had, like, 15 pages and said I should add the first two parts of this three part chapter. And I agree with her. Hope you stick around for the rest because it's going to get very...bumpy...and angst-y (because, well, who's writing this story? Oh yeah, me, Mikkal, the girl who lives off ruining her character's lives and then letting the rise again)

EXPERIMENTING! Yeah...

Time Of Our Lives

Chapter 1

Mikkal

Summary: Logan moved away during the summer, but four years later he's back, better than ever, and oh so different. Join the boys as they go through Minnesota, L.A, and the roller coaster ride of being everything but normal. And angst, don't forget the angst.

December: 7th grade

"Logan Mitchell!"

The combination of his name being yelled and a textbook being slammed on his desk made Logan jump a mile high, dropping a few colored pencils on the ground. He blushed strawberry red as he retrieved them, keeping his eyes downcast, and staying silent. The class laughed and snicker, making the blush do the impossible by going a deeper red.

Kendall glared at the teacher hatefully, the only thing keeping him from saying anything was James' hand on his arm and Carlos' pleading look.

Mrs. Johnson pressed her lips in a thin line and put her hands on her hips. "Logan Mitchell," she repeated. "This is science class, not art class. Put away the sketchbook before I take it away and pay attention. Lord knows with your grades you need to."

"You can't talk to him like that!" Kendall shouted, finally losing it. He yanked his arm from James' grip. "Your suppose to be a teacher, not a hateful hag of a bit—!"

"Kendall Knight," she said sharply. "Detention after school today and I will being calling your mother. You may not speak to me like that."

He snapped his mouth shut only when Logan gave him a watery look and sunk down in his seat, grumbling under his breath.

"Why would you do that?" James hissed when the bell rang. "You keep getting detentions you can't play for the team anymore."

Kendall waved a hand dismissively. "I can always play hockey. I'm not going to play for a school that can't treat their students right." He glanced back at the quiet Logan. "You shouldn't let her talk to you like that."

Logan was always quiet and he, for the most part, hated that. There were times when the older boy wasn't, but those times were far and few between. So rare that the guys knew exactly what would set him off.

Art.

Sometimes, just sometimes, hockey would do the same thing. But that wasn't always a solid hit. And he wasn't much of a hockey player, only played against Carlos, James, and Kendall when they needed extra practice. It was painfully easy to beat him most of the time, but he's never complained. Well, not that he usually complained anyway.

He hardly ever talked.

Like now, all he did was shrug and mumble, "I didn't see the point. Either way I was going to get yelled at."

James rolled his eyes, a tiny bit irritated. He couldn't understand how people could stand staying in the shadows, how they could let themselves become wallflowers. He was so use to being in the limelight thanks to his mom it was so hard to understand.

When they sat down for lunch Logan pulled out his sketchbook and went back to drawing, James and Carlos started up a contest that had to do with catching popcorn chicken in their mouths. Kendall stared at his friend, it was amazing how they were even friends. They were so different.

The chemistry, the personalities, they all seemed to wrong and he couldn't figure out why they were friends, but he felt like, if one of them went missing, there would be this empty spot where he use to be.

Early April: 7th grade

Kendall walked out of yet another detention with a scowl on his face and hands shoved deep into his pockets. This one was for punching one of the basketball players for making fun of both Logan and Carlos. He freakin' hated school. One more detention and there was no more school hockey for the rest of the year.

Even though it sort of hurt to say it. Whatever. There were more important things than hockey and that was his friends.

He stalked down the road, going through the shopping district that was just before the communities. "Stupid school," he muttered, kicking a clump of ice and snow from the later than usual snowfall.

A noise from the space between the cafe and the music store made him freeze and go back a couple steps. Kendall glanced in the small alley, his eyes wide and a whoosh of breath escaped him. He ran down, dropping to his knees even though the ground of soaked with cold, half-melted water.

"Oh Logie," he murmured, lifting Logan up into a sort of cradle. "It was Daniels, wasn't it?"

Logan shook his head mutely, face going even whiter at the pain it caused. He grabbed his side weakly, blood dripping from his nose and lips. "No," he rasped. "I'm just a klutz."

Kendall scoffed. "You are a klutz, but you're not this much of a klutz. And I'm pretty sure the ground didn't give you that black eye."

He stayed silent, prompting Kendall to hoist him up and swing Logan's arm over his shoulders so he could help him limp to his house. He whimpered in pain, grabbing weakly at Kendall in an attempt to stop him from doing anything.

"You better tell your mom what happened," the blond said. "You know she'll believe you less than I am if you tell her you fell." And Kendall didn't believe him at all.

Logan kept his eyes downcast. "I know," he mumbled.

"Of course you know." He always knew, and yet he never changed.

July: Summer between 7th and 8th grade

"Guys..."

James and Carlos started an argument up, yelling about who would use the best controller in the Knights' house. Totally ignoring the fact that it was Kendall's house, Kendall's controller, Kendall's food they were shoving down their throats, and Kendall's video game. The blond just watched them, totally amused and about ready to crack up.

"Uh, guys..."

Carlos slapped on his lucky helmet and tackled James, shoving the tall boy off the couch and onto the floor. He let out an unmanly yelp and counterattacked with a headlock. They didn't notice as Kendall simply picked up the controller and started loading the game.

Logan took a deep, cleansing breath and yelled, "GUYS!" And immediately blushed bright red at the wide eyed silence that followed after his out burst.

"Whoa," Carlos joked. "Logan's got some voice."

The thirteen year old bit his lip and looked away at the tease. "I've got something to tell you," he mumbled, picking at his sleeves.

"What is it?" Kendall asked, concerned. Even though Logan was the oldest one (already thirteen along with James) he was the shyest, soft-spoken, clumsiest guy Kendall had ever met and that meant it was the blond's job to protect him.

And it sounded as if Logan needed protecting right now.

The blond moved a little bit closer. "Logan, what's wrong?" It was so easy to tell something was wrong on that pale face of his.

Logan glanced slightly up from his sleeves, eyes owlish behind the ill-fitting glasses James sometimes wish he could grab and snap (he'd get him some better looking ones as an apology). "I'm muyphmt," he mumbled.

James raised an eyebrow. "You wanna repeat that jumbled crap?" He too noticed something wrong, but he lacked the tact Kendall had with the nervous Logan...though he seemed a bit more nervous than usual today.

"I'm moving," he said quietly.

"What?" Carlos shouted, shooting up from his spot on the floor. "What do you mean?"

He wouldn't look at them. "My mom's having money problems," he said. "My dad's offered to have me live with him until she get's back on her feet. I'm moving back to Texas."

"You can't!"

"You can live with me," Kendall suggested. "My mom won't mind, she loves you."

The pale teen turned pink at that and rubbed the back of his neck. "My parents wouldn't go for it. Plus, I might be coming back, so it's not forever."

"You might be coming back?" James picked up. "That means you might not be coming back."

Logan stared at them, as if he couldn't comprehend why they were making such a big deal out of him leaving. As if he couldn't figure out how much they cared about him. "I will come back," he said fir—well, not firmly. Logan was hardly ever firm with anyone.

"You have to!" Carlos said, eyes stinging a little. "We've been friends so long, it'll be weird without you here."

Kendall frowned. "When to you leave?"

"Tomuyphty," he mumbled yet again.

The blond rolled his eyes. Sure he was use to the art geek mumbling, but this was too much. "Logan," he said gently. "When do you leave."

"Tomorrow." His bangs shadowed his eyes as his friends shouted loudly in disbelief.

"WHAT?"

"And you're not telling us until now?" James shouted. "What's wrong with you?"

Logan bit his lip and shifted uncomfortably. Kendall smacked the taller boy upside the head rather hard.

"That's not something you say at times like this," the blond hissed, glaring.

James wilted. "Sorry," he muttered. He turned to Logan and said a little louder, "Sorry, Logan. You just...caught me by surprise."

He gave him a small smile. "It's okay, I get it." He glanced at the clock. "I've gotta go. I'm not done packing and my uncle's taking me in the morning."

Kendall pulled him into a tight hug, successfully making him uncomfortable. "Send us a picture or a painting of Texas, okay? And call us every now and then."

The raven haired boy nodded. "Of course." He sat back. "Don't forget about me."

James smiled brightly. "Never," he said confidently. "I've got so many pictures of us I think that'll be impossible."

Carlos' eyes stung even more, a tear falling down his cheek. "And you can't forget about us either," he warned his friend. "If you do there will be some serious pay back when you move back."

Logan nodded. "Understood." He stood up, stretching. "I'll call you when I'm on the road?" It sounded more like a question than a promise.

"You better," Kendall threatened. "If not, we're gonna follow you to Texas and drag you back ourselves."

He smiled. "Good to hear." He shuffled towards the door, tripping over the pulled up rug, and pausing at the door. "I didn't tell you sooner," he said quietly. "'Cause I was afraid you wouldn't care."

They never got a chance to say anything because he was already out the door and down the street before it occurred to them what he said.