OK, what to say, what to say... All the chapters in the story will be fairly short. This is kind of like an outlet. I really am not particularly bothered about reviews, especially for the beginning chapters, but if you'd like to give one, I would be grateful. This is an idea that came to me while I was watching Everybody Hates Chris while babysitting. So yeah. XD It was pretty fleeting, and interestingly enough, the middle chapters came to me before the beginning and end. I don't think that's ever happened. XD There will be eight or nine chapters, couldn't say which. Depends on the feedback. The ending could change too. Again, depending on feedback. ;)

And that's all. Please enjoy.

Another normal day at the crib. Logan doing some bizarre experiment involving two window curtain rods and a can of creamed potato. James combing his hair in front of the mirror. Carlos trying to beat himself at dome hockey. And Kendall going through some old pre-BTR photos from good old Minnesota. Katie was down at the pool trying to sell quarters for a dollar, and Mrs. Knight was sitting in the kitchen with yet another new magazine she had subscribed to.

"Awww, guys, look at this one." Kendall held up a picture of a bunch of little boys in huge hockey uniforms. Carlos smiled fondly at it, abandoning his dome hockey conquest to come and get a closer look. James took one look at himself in the picture and said, "Uck." He went back to combing his hair.

Logan gave him a quizzical look. "Uck? 'Uck' what?"

James smiled at himself. "Uck, as in I was such a little fat kid back then." He flexed a sculpted bicep appreciatively, and shuddered. "How could I ever have eaten so many cheese puffs in one sitting? Just thinking about it now makes me want to..." He shuddered again.

Carlos laughed loudly. "Look at what I'm doing to Logan!"

Logan scrambled up and grabbed the photo. He spluttered. Then he glared at Carlos. "You're giving me devil horns?"

"Or bunny ears," Kendall observed.

"No," Logan corrected. "Bunny ears are straight, his fingers are curved at the outermost phalangial joint."

Mrs. Knight smiled into her tea. Carlos thumped Logan on the back of the head. Logan rubbed the sore spot gingerly.

"OK, I probably deserved that. I always forget. No anatomical references in casual conversation."

Carlos squirmed around happily in his seat. "We had so much fun back then."

"We have so much fun now," Logan added.

They all sighed. "Yeah."

A knock at the door brought them all out of their flashbacks. Mrs. Knight put up one finger and walked over to the small noise. She opened it.

Kendall saw something in her stiffen or grow numb. Like whoever she was seeing, she hadn't planned on seeing.

"Mom?" He walked up behind her.

Standing in the doorway was a girl. A young girl, couldn't have been much older than Kendall, with dark red hair and sea green eyes. Her facial features were hauntingly familiar. Kendall knew he had seen this girl somewhere before. He just couldn't put his finger on it.

"Mom, is... uh, everything OK?"

The girl's eyes had been glued to his mother's face, but the moment those words came out of his mouth, her attention was turned to him. There was something in her eyes so searching and deep, like she had finally found exactly what she was looking for, but couldn't quite believe her eyes.

Her lips began to form words. Mrs. Knight cut her off abruptly.

"Yes, Kendall everything's alright. This is just an old family friend. I'm going to take her into my bedroom and talk with her for a moment."

If this was an old family friend, Kendall wondered how his mom talked to her enemies.

She took the girl's arm, and led her away, up the stairs and through her bedroom door. The girl was looking at Kendall and then at his Mom and then at him again in hesitating succession. The door slammed shut behind them. Kendall was still standing by the open door.

"Shut that, would ya?" James asked.

"Oh, yeah. Sure."

He shut the door then went back to his photos.

"Who was she?" Logan asked him. "Old family friend? You recognize her?"

"No. She looked about our age, though. How much of an 'old' family friend could she really be?"

"I dunno." Logan shrugged. "But your mom looks like she can handle it. I wouldn't worry. I'm sure she'll tell you."

"Yeah..." But Kendall couldn't keep his eyes off of that door. He waited until he heard movement from behind it only a few minutes later.

Mrs. Knight strode out. She looked very angry. She was practically dragging the girl along behind her at breakneck speed. There was a sort of desperation in the girl's eyes that made Kendall want to comfort her.

"Well, I'm very happy for you, then, and enjoy your time here," Mrs. Knight said quickly, as she pushed the girl out of 2J.

The girl stood there in the hallway for a moment. Her bottom lip was shaking.

"But, I found you..." she whispered.

Mrs. Knight shut the door. She stayed faced away for a moment before turning towards them all with a false smile.

"So, who's up for dinner?"

"ME!" Carlos jumped out of his seat, and, in doing so, upset Logan's experiment.

"Hey!" Logan exclaimed, as creamed potato ran down the front of his shirt.

"Whoops. Sorry." Carlos shrugged. He didn't look terribly sorry.

Kendall barely heard the fight that inevitably ensued. His mind was on the red-head girl, and on why his mother would possibly be so heartless towards her. She had clearly been searching for something. Something that his mother had, but wouldn't give to her.

All Kendall knew, was that it had better have been important. He didn't think he could ever bear to have to watch so much pain in a pair of human eyes again.

Thank you! Til Chapter 2!

xoxoxo

~Starbucks