AN: So this is what I did instead of writing my essay. Lol. It won't be an exceptionally long story. At most 4 or 5 chapters. I don't trust myself to finish something longer than that. I've been reading so much Cargan stuff I just HAD to do one too. And yes, Alice-inspired. Although, it won't have anything to do with the actual Looking-Glass story, I just thought the idea of going through the mirror would be cute. Anyway, blahblahblah they're not mine and whatnot. If they were, well, it wouldn't be on Nick, wink wink. TeenNick maybe. I guess. Hahahahah
Through the Looking-Glass, and What Carlos Found There…
"CARLOS, I SAID 'DRESS FORMALLY!' WHAT PART OF THAT SENTENCE FRAGMENT DID YOU NOT COMPREHEND?"
Gustavo was not in one of his better moods, as per usual. The boys had a photo shoot scheduled in five minutes and all of them, minus Carlos, were dressed formal attire. Kendall wore a tan blazer over a white button-up with matching slacks with shiny leather, pointed slip-on loafers. James adorned a cream-colored fedora with a black stripe on top of a white blazer over a black button-up. His pants were white hoisted up by an equally white belt and polished white loafers with white laces. Needless to say, he had more than his hair to complain about when trying to keep his perfected outfit neat and pristine. Logan wore a white button-up with the sleeves folded up to his elbows and a form-fitting gray vest over it, buttoned up to the top. His slacks were loose compared to his upper body attire, which fit exactly and his shoes similar to James, but all black.
"I am dressed formally! I tucked in my shirt! Look!"
Carlos pointed to his dark blue crew cut shirt tucked neatly into his black jeans. Kelly quickly stepped in and pushed Gustavo back with her clipboard and tried calming him down with words. Logan stepped right behind her and proceeded to scold Carlos.
"I don't understand I laid your outfit out on your bed for you! With a note! A note specifically saying, 'Carlos, wear this!'"
Carlos physically slapped himself, "Oh dude! That was for me?!"
James gave him a look, "Carlos?! What other Carlos is there?!"
"Well, I don't know, I didn't know I even packed clothes like that."
Logan sighed, "That's because I packed your clothes for you. Remember? We went to your house? You knocked yourself out opening your bedroom door. Woke up and asked me what I was doing to which I replied, 'Packing your clothes,' to which you asked 'Why?' and I said—"
"Okay, Logan, I think he gets the picture," Kendall interjected.
"I get a picture?"Carlos asked.
"Never mind."
"Man, Logan, what are you? My mom?!"
"Excuse me?" The slimmer boy gasped and crossed his arms over his chest.
"I just mean, you're always babying me!"
"And if I don't, this is exactly what happens!"
"Well, you tried, and it happened anyway, so what's the point?! All this does is make me feel… Feel? Uh, feel?"
"Inadequate?"
"What?! I don't know what that means, but I'm pretty sure you just insulted me."
"GET THE DUMBEST DOG BACK UP TO HIS ROOM AND HAVE HIM CHANGED AND DOWN HERE IN TWO MINUTES OR I'M GOING TO PERSONALLY CHANGE HIM MYSELF!"
All four boys ran at the sound and thought of Gustavo's threat. One, to hear no more of his incessant roaring and two, to make sure Carlos dressed in the proper clothes. The four boys made it to their apartment and rushed Carlos to the room he shared with James. As Logan stated earlier, there was Carlos' outfit, laid carefully out on top his bed. It was beautiful to see the untouched, newly-ironed clothes folded neatly on top of his mess of a bed. James bent forward and picked up the note before turning to Logan.
"You typed up this three worded note?"
Logan shrugged sheepishly, "I wanted to make sure it was legible for him to read it… Which I now realize was wasted effort."
Kendall rushed James and Logan out and pushed Carlos towards the clothes on his bed, "Okay, enough chit-chatter, Gustavo will kill us if we're not down there soon, so you best hurry up." He closed the door to give Carlos privacy to change and dragged James out their front door, "Logan, you stay. Make sure he dressed himself properly. James and I will stall Gustavo."
Inside the room, Carlos looked at the pile in front of him. It was a dark red button-up shirt, black slacks, and black dress socks. On the floor was a pair of shoes similar to Kendall's. He picked up his shirt and a small post-it note fell out from inside. He bent down and picked it up off the floor.
'Leave the first two buttons undone'
He recognized the precisely printed handwriting and smirked at the thought. He carried on getting dressed and in two minutes he was dressed dapperly. He walked over to James' side of the room but tripped over a can of hairspray and crashed into the full-length mirror on the wall. He got up and shook his head then continued to place his black belt through the belt loops in his pants. He looked himself over and smiled. In the mirror he saw Logan push open the door and enter so Carlos whipped around to see him. But when he looked behind him, the door was still closed. He got a weird feeling in his body and shivered, as if he just saw a ghost. He turned back to the mirror and screamed noticing Logan was 'in the room.' It also took him a second to realize his reflection was nonexistent. In the mirror, Logan was looking at him as if saying, "What's taking so long?"
Carlos was clearly freaked out and lifted his right arm and touched the glass softly. A ripple emanated from the spot his finger touched. He was curious so he pushed his whole right arm into the glass, immediately regretting the decision because he couldn't pull it back out and all of a sudden he felt himself falling forward.
Carlos crashed into Logan's body and fell on top of him. Carlos's hands were on either side of Logan's head and the boy beneath blushed.
"Um Carlos? This is kinda… gay."
He jumped up off his friend and dusted himself off. Logan stood up and dusted himself off as well, "Carlos, it isn't like you to just crash into things like that."
"WHAT?"
Carlos was, ironically enough, dumbfounded. He, Carlos, wasn't like himself, Carlos, to crash into things? Like that?!
"Logan, I think your head hit the floor too hard. Maybe you should lie down."
"Are you insane?! Kelly will kill us if we're not down there soon!"
"Okay now I know you've hit your head too hard. You just confused Kelly with Gustavo."
"Gustavo?! Gustavo's too nice to kill us! If it weren't for him, we'd probably be like, like…? I don't know something bad."
"Logan. Seriously. Lie down."
Carlos grabbed him by the arm and pushed him onto his bed, "Wait a minute. Whose room are we in?"
Logan gave him a questioning look, "Yours and James', duh."
"But this bed is, made? Did you clean my bed while I was changing?"
"Dude, gross, why would I wanna be around while you're naked? And no, I wouldn't tidy up my own bed, why would I do yours?"
"Logan. Seriously. You're scaring me."
"You're scaring me, now come on let's go!"
Logan jumped off the bed and swung open the door hitting himself square in the face and dropping to the floor. Carlos rushed to the floor and looked at his fallen friend. Hmm, how do I wake him up? Oh, I know! He started to slap the crap out of him and screamed, "Wake up!" over and over.
"CAAAARLOS! LOOOOGAN!"
Carlos stopped slapping Logan and turned towards the window, "Was that… Kelly?"