"That. Was. AWESOME!" Kendall yelled, fist pumping the air in obvious excitement. The boys had just wrapped up their All Over Again Tour, their final stop being at Madison Square Garden. They had sold out the show within the first 5 hours of tickets going on sale, and had never been more excited or grateful for their fans in their lives.
"God, Rushers are just the best fans in the world!" James exclaimed as he threw an arm around Kendall's shoulders. "I don't know what we would ever do without them."
"So true, but sometimes I don't know how to handle them." Kendall shot back. "I mean, did you see that blonde in the 2nd row who threw her BRA on the stage? Right at me?"
"Yes I did," James said with a pouting face. "She had no right to do that, I mean, I'm pretty sure everybody in the world knows by now that we're together." As he said this, James tightened his grip on Kendall and pulled him closer. "You're mine!" James practically growled, "And I'll make sure everybody else knows it, especially all those stupid fawning females."
James grabbed a slightly surprised Kendall's face and smashed their lips together. Kendall, the typically ever-so-fierce leader of the group, turned into a pile of jelly in James's embrace.
"A-hem." Logan cleared his throat, gaining the attention of the two. "If you two lovebirds are finished, I am going to go talk to Gustavo about never putting a trampoline in our shows again. I thought I was going to throw up tonight."
"Bye Logie!" Carlos quickly responded to Logan's statement, throwing him a winning smile as he proceeded to the doorway.
"Bye Carlos, I'll be right back though. And make sure those two don't completely ruin your innocence while I'm gone." And with that Logan was out the door with it swinging shut behind him and closing with a dull thud.
Carlos stared forlornly at the door as it shut, and then sighed softly under his breath and turned around and fell face forward onto the couch. He felt Kendall and James's burning stares, but he didn't flip over to acknowledge them.
"Dude what's up with you? You look like you just watched someone kick a puppy out into the rain." James said deciding to take the initiative to speak. Carlos almost never acted like this, so on the rare occasions he did, James always knew something was really bothering the young Latino.
"mf nfing" Carlos speech came completely muffled by the red heart shaped pillow he had shoved his face into.
"What the hell did he just say?" Kendall asked, turning to James for an answer.
"He said 'It's nothing'" James's reply came easily, used to being the one to decode Carlos's sometimes hard to understand speech. "But it's obviously something, otherwise you wouldn't have face planted in the couch the minute Logan walked out the door, so talk." James's tone took on one of authority as he demanded an answer.
Carlos slowly rolled over onto his back, and began staring intently at the ceiling. A couple minutes passed before Kendall quietly cleared his throat, unsure if Carlos had actually possibly forgotten he and James were there. Carlos opened his mouth as if to start speaking, but then closed it without a sound. Another minute passed before he decided to try it again, this time with a quiet result.
"What'd you say buddy?" Kendall questioned. He turned to James hoping for an answer, but James merely gave a shrug of his shoulders. Even he couldn't understand Carlos that time.
"I said..." Carlos's soft voice suddenly broke through their thoughts, "that I'm in love. With Logan." The entire room went silent, Carlos lay on the couch with one arm thrown over his eyes as if to block out the world, James paused with his cup of cappuccino halfway to his lips, and Kendall stood completely frozen a few feet away from James, shamrock eyes blown open wide in shock. Nobody made a move or sound until about 30 seconds later when Kendall started coughing wildly; choking on the gum he had swallowed when he heard Carlos's little confession. As Kendall doubled over, using the edge of the table for support, James took a couple long strides towards Kendall and clapped him on the back a few times before he finally spat the gum out. As Kendall sunk to the floor to catch his breath, James stood next to him and finally spoke up.
"You're in love…with Logan? Our best friend Logan?" James slowly questioned Carlos, not wanting to push him over the edge too soon.
"Yes James," Carlos's voice came heavy and weary, like an old man who had seen too many days in his lifetime. "I am in love with Logan Hortense Mitchell. I admit it. Are you happy now?" With that being said, Carlos took the heart shaped pillow near his head and ripped it in two. One half of the pillow hit a vase of flowers, shards of glass fell to the floor, and water soaked into the red carpet. Meanwhile, the other half went flying across the room towards the door, which opened just in time for the pillow to smack right into Logan Mitchell's face.
"What the hell was that?" Logan cried out in indignation. He stood in the doorway rubbing his right cheek where the pillow had smashed into him, with his other hand still on the doorknob.
"Oh my god Logan I am sooo sorry!" Carlos cried. If he had looked like a kicked puppy before, he now looked like a puppy that had been kicked repeatedly and was being held at gunpoint.
"Carlos it's totally fine, it was just an accident I'm sure." Logan chuckled softly, seemingly undeterred by the whole thing.
"No, it's not fine!" Carlos whimpered, tears forming in his round cocoa eyes. "Nothing's fine!"
"Carlos, dude, its fine, it was just a pillow. Well, half a pillow." Logan said bending over to pick up the projectile that had assaulted his face. "Why is our heart shaped pillow torn in half by the way?" Logan questioned.
"Mmm." The only sound that was made was a small whimper-y cry from the Latino who was standing next to the couch quivering like a leaf.
Logan finally looked up from studying the cottony stuffing falling from the pillow he'd picked up and looked at Carlos.
"Hey Carlos, what's wrong man? I'm totally fine." Logan smiled softly at the Latino, hoping to coax a smile of his own out of him. Said boy however, did anything but smile back. He stood stock still except for the shivering his body seemed to be doing uncontrollably. Logan was shocked; he had never seen Carlos act like this, ever. He didn't want to scare him, so Logan approached him slowly, hands up showing his palms.
"Carlos, buddy, it's just me. Logan. I'm totally fine, I know I'm the smallest of us, but a pillow isn't going to hurt me." Logan had hoped to evoke a laugh from the older boy, but no such luck. Logan had almost completely forgotten about their other bandmates until he saw James move slightly out of his peripherals. He turned his head slightly to look at James and Kendall, hoping maybe they would have an answer to their friend's odd behavior. James merely gave the slightest shake of his head and Kendall shrugged his shoulders slowly.
Nobody wanted to move more than necessary, it was like Carlos was a time bomb ticking away and the slightest disturbance could set him off. Logan was now about 5 feet away from the boy. He stopped hesitantly, not necessarily wanting to risk getting any closer.
"Carlos, come on, what's wrong? Tell Logie. I'm your buddy, remember?" He whispered the words to the Latino, hoping to soothe him into talking.
"Of course you're my BUDDY Logan! How could I EVER forget that you're my BUDDY!" Carlos suddenly exploded, this time his body seemed to be vibrating with anger instead of panic. Logan immediately fell back a few steps, completely startled by the outburst. He had never heard the Latino yell at anyone. Ever. He tripped back over the other half of the pillow and fell to the floor, right into the fragments of the glass vase.
"Oww!" Logan yelped in shock, quickly scooting away from the broken glass. He looked at his hand which was now slowly oozing drops of hot red blood. Kendall and James immediately rushed over to check on their wounded friend who was now cradling his hand to his chest. But Logan seemed much more intent on Carlos than his hand.
The young boy had slowly backed away from Logan as he watched the blood flow from his hand; his brown eyes were even wider than usual, filled with horror.
"Oh my god." He whispered. And then jumped as he backed into the arm of the couch. "Oh my god," he whispered again, his eyes never leaving Logan's hand.
"Carlos, it's ok. I am ok. It's not even bleeding that bad, just a few small cuts ok buddy?" Logan said gently, trying once again to coax a response out of Carlos.
"No..no it's not ok. It's never ok." Carlos whimpered softly. Logan stood up slowly still cradling his hand to his chest and took a step towards Carlos.
"Yes it is Carlos, it's totally and completely fine." Logan responded softly
"NO! I'm a monster Logan, a monster!" And with that, Carlos turned around and bolted like a fox from hunters.
"Carlos wait! Come back!" Logan yelled as he ran to catch the Latino who had already made it aboard their tour bus. But he reached him a minute too late, as he had already reached the door to his and Logan's shared room and locked the door.
"Come on Carlitos, tell me what's wrong buddy! Let me help you!" Logan pounded on the door trying to get it to magically fly open so he could console his grieving friend.
"Just leave me alone Logan, I really want to just be left alone. You can't help me." Carlos's voice softly came from behind the other side of the wooden door, sadness evident in every word. After a few more pounds on the door, Logan gave up with a small sigh and turned around, walking back to the room where Kendall and James were sitting on the couch talking quietly.
"You guys," Logan spoke up making the two of them jump and turn to face him. "I'm really worried about Carlos, he's never acted like that before in his entire life!"
"We're worried too buddy, but we don't know what to do. I think we're just going to have to let him be alone for a while so he can calm down a bit." Kendall spoke, swiftly taking charge of the situation. "Just wait and try and talk to him again tonight when you guys go to bed."
"Yeah I guess. I'm sure he'll have calmed down by then." Logan sighed and fell face down on the couch next to James who rubbed a few soothing circles on his back. After laying in silence for a few minutes, Logan stood up and started walking towards the exit.
"I gotta go clean this glass out before it gets stuck under my skin, I'll see you guys later." Logan said before walking out the door, leaving only James and Kendall.
"What are we going to do about this?" James quietly questioned Kendall. "We can't just let this go."
"I know. I know." Kendall sighed. "But there's not much we can do right now. Just hope Carlos gets the courage to tell Logan, and then wait for Logan to come around."