A/N: This was written in recognition of anti-bullying day. I wrote this because there are so many types of bullying, whether it's based on ethnicity, sexuality, level of intelligence, appearance, etc. If it causes physical or emotional pain to someone, it's bullying.
Also, it can be inflicted by anyone with power or authority over another, not just the obvious sources, such as peers. I hope that anyone who is experiencing bullying in any form, can find someone they trust to help resolve the matter.
If anyone just wants someone to listen, I assure you that I will always be on your side.
"Did you hear? Did you hear?" asked Carlos, running up to the three boys sunning themselves by the pool.
"Of course...everyone is ready to see this face on the television screen," said James, framing his perfectly chiseled jaw line.
Kendall rolled his eyes for Logan's benefit. "Where were you anyway?" Kendall asked Carlos.
"Well, I found this really cool crate in the back...Bitters must have thrown it out or somethin'...and I had this bungee cord...and I-" Carlos rambled.
"Never mind!" Kendall cried, raising a hand to stop him.
"I'm a little nervous about this whole idea," Logan said.
"You're a little nervous about every idea," James countered, smiling toward the sun.
"I just feel that doing a biography on Big Time Rush, is a big step for us. I don't know if we're ready for it," Logan finished.
"What's to be ready for? It can't be that much different from an interview. They ask the questions...we answer them.." Kendall began, pausing to think for a moment, "as honestly as possible..."
James shrugged, and went back to fidgeting with his i-pod.
"Exactly. What if they ask questions that we don't feel comfortable answering?" asked Logan.
"Yeah! Or what if they don't like what we have to say?" asked Carlos.
"What's not to like?" asked James, getting a bit miffed with the direction that the conversation was headed for.
"I'm just sayin'...what if they turn out to be like those reality show people, who tried to con us into all of that bogus footage?" Logan chimed in, his voice climbing higher.
Kendall sighed. "Nah. This is about our real lives, not about network ratings," he reassured him.
"Right. It's basically for the fans," James added, relieved that someone else was as excited as he was. "They want to know more about us, and we're going to bring it!"
"Do they want to know everything about us?" asked Carlos, with a slight panic in his voice.
Kendall chuckled. "I s'pose so. After all,we do have Super-Fans!" he said.
"Even about...my...you know..." Carlos trailed off, referring to his latest skin condition.
Kendall's grin faded. "Yeah! You may want to leave out a few things Carlos!" he said. Carlos nodded, obviously relieved that he wouldn't have to share.
Logan still looked worried. "I just hope that they don't ask too many personal questions. I tense up when people do that."
"I'm sure that they are very nice people and won't expect us to answer anything that makes us feel too uncomfortable, " Kendall reassured him.
"You're probably right," Logan said, leaning back in his chair and adjusting his sunglasses.
The next day, Gustavo and Kelly, introduced the new crew to the boys.
"Here are your writers, photographers, editors, producers, aides, and everyone that you will be working with...blah, blah, blah," Gustavo said. "Don't screw up dogs!"
"Nice to meet you boys!" a young brunette man said, extending his hand. Kendall leaned in first, and shook the hand. "My name is Jeffery Maloy, but you can just call me Jeff."
"I'm Kendall, nice to meet you Jeff," Kendall said.
"Oh, we know who all of you are. We've done our research. I am the main producer, and I will be overseeing every aspect of this project," he continued, as he went down the line to each boy. "I'd like you to meet my assistant, Sara Johannson," he said, pulling her over to the group, and resting his hands on her shoulders, as he spoke.
The equally young blonde woman, stepped forward with him. Her eyes crinkled as she smiled at them warmly, and shook each hand as well. "Sara. It's great to finally meet you," she said.
A group of ten, surrounded the pair. They pointed to two of the crowd. "These two are your writers," she said. "These two are your editors, and these two are your photographers, who will basically be shadowing you," she explained.
"All of the others are aides, who can help you with absolutely anything that you need at all," said Jeff. "If you have any questions or complaints, they are the ones to turn to. Don't be afraid to ask."
The boys looked at the several remaining faces that they were indicating. They seemed to be the least friendly looking of the group thus far. The boys simply nodded. "Of course, we will always be accessible as well," Sara said.
The boys couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. They liked Jeff and Sara, as far as they could tell, and it was nice to know that they wouldn't be disappearing on them.
"Okay then!" Jeff announced, "we'll see you at six o'clock tomorrow morning then!" The entirety of the crew managed to squeeze out the door together.
"So? What do you think?" Kelly asked, after they had left.
"They seem great," Kendall said with a shrug.
"Good," Gustavo said, "then you heard them, six o-clock tomorrow morning and don't be late! Well, go on! You have work to do! Your other duties don't stop for this!"
They scurried back into the recording studio.
The next day, the boys met with the crew in a room, to begin gathering information. Several people were present to take notes.
"James?" Sara asked, "can you come with me to the other room?"
"We're not going to be together anymore?" asked James.
"No, silly. Did you think that you would only be answering group questions? That could get rather confusing, don't you think?" she asked, with a slight edge to her voice.
"I guess so," James answered, his eyes a bit round, as he rose from his chair, and exchanged a glance with Kendall. She stuck a cup of coffee, that he had not even asked for, into his chest.
"Just come with me," she ordered.
He followed obediently. The door closed behind them. "You can come into the other room with me," Jeff said to Kendall. "Would you like anything to drink first?"
"Um...no thanks," said Kendall.
"Okay then, follow me," he said. He grabbed a stack of papers and motioned for another man to come along.
Carlos and Logan were left with the rest of the crew. They made small talk with the boys, and one woman informed them that her niece would just die when she found out that she was working on this project with BTR. They smiled shyly, and thanked her.
"Would she like an autograph?" asked Carlos.
"Yes. I'm sure I will be getting one of those before we wrap this up," the woman said. Carlos nodded.
"So, tell us, how was your last tour for the four of you?" asked a middle-aged man. A cameraman rolled in closer.
"Oh...we're filming already?" Logan asked, caught a bit off-guard.
"Naw..no minders, we're just getting clips. We'll pretty much be filming the entire time anyway, so you'll get used to it," the man said nonchalantly.
"So what was your answer then?" he asked.
Meanwhile in the rooms, James and Kendall were being asked a lot of questions. Many, they weren't sure how to answer and others, they felt were uncomfortably personal.
"Would you mind if I chose not to answer that question?" James asked, blushing a deep crimson.
"You're a teenaged boy. Certainly, you must get sexually frustrated on the road...all cooped up in that tour bus. I'm simply asking how you relieve your sexual tension," she repeated.
James diverted his hazel gaze, from the penetrating blue one, that bored right through him. "Look, it's your choice James," Sara said, her eyes narrowing. She looked over to the note-taker, who had his fingers poised above his wireless tablet.
"Apparently, his honest response would raise too many questions," she said sarcastically. "Just put down, that he did not feel comfortable sharing the truth with us," she said. The writer began to type fervently.
"What exactly does that mean?" James asked, blushing even deeper. His question went unacknowledged.
Kendall was also enduring a round of questions. "Do you ever wish that any of the other band members were on a separate tour bus?"
"Do the girls...or whoever they choose to date...ever get on your nerves?"
"Do you ever fight about personal issues?"
"Have you ever felt more than just friendship for one another?"
"Where exactly is this line of questioning going? And what does any of this have to do with our biographies?" asked Kendall in frustration. "I thought that this was supposed to be about stuff like where we grew up...or what our dreams were.."
"Are you uncomfortable answering these questions?" Jeff asked incredulously. He stared at Kendall.
"Aren't you uncomfortable asking them?" Kendall threw back defiantly. The two stared at one another intently for a moment.
"No," the man finally replied.
Kendall folded his arms across himself protectively. "Well, you should be," he mumbled into his chest.
"I think that you are just uncomfortable giving a truthful answer to them," the man said with a smirk.
"I don't think that's it at all," Kendall threw back. The man's eyes roamed over Kendall, resting on his crossed arms and slumped shoulders. "You say one thing, but your body language says another," he said smugly. He began to type into his own wireless device. Kendall stiffened in his chair.
"We are the experts here. We have most of that kind of information already. There will be plenty of time to get basic, easy-to-find data like that," he said. "We want to know how you think and feel. Then we will fill in the blanks. Do you need a break or what? Maybe one of the other boys will be ready to talk to me."
Kendall blinked back at the stranger before him. He was uneasy with the approach that they were taking, and he couldn't help but wonder what James was going through.
"Yes. I think I'll take you up on that offer," Kendall said. He had to get to the others and see what they were dealing with. The man escorted him to the door.
As Kendall exited, he couldn't help but wonder how things had turned so quickly. He swallowed the lump that had formed in his throat, as he thought about how poor Carlos would probably say things that could be misconstrued, or how easily they could intimidate Logan. Immediately, he was met with the sight of James, already seated on the sofa, his cheeks flushed pink, and his eyes downcast in his lap. He was nervously drumming his fingertips on the thighs of his jeans. They had embarrassed him too.
They did in fact, spend the rest of the day, supplying the writers with basic factual information on their childhood and such. The other two were never called in alone, and Sara and Jeff had disappeared right after lunch, making the last few hours bearable.
Gustavo and Kelly came to collect the boys, to work on their dancing with their choreographer.
"So how are our Boys in Demand?" asked Kelly affectionately.
"Oh...well pretty good now that Attila The Hun and her evil sidekick, have left for the day," Kendall said.
Kelly and Gustavo stopped dead in their tracks. Gustavo's head turned a beet red. "Please tell me that you are not having problems on DAY ONE of this!" he shouted.
"Oh, that would not be good!" Kelly added, shaking her head vigorously, for emphasis.
"Now just calm down!" Kendall said hurriedly. "We're just sayin'...that they ask a whole bunch of nosy questions, with no safe answers, and we don't trust what their up to, and we think that Sara is kinda' mean, and that Jeff is a bully too-"
"STOP! STOP! STOP!" Gustavo said, pinching the bridge of his nose, and breathing heavily, to calm himself down. He began to make inhuman sounds, as he forged ahead of them down the hallway.
When he had entered the dance area, and controlled his panic, he turned to face the boys. "You do realize that this was Griffin's idea, and that I have absolutely NO control over whether it happens, don't you?"
The boys fell silent. "SO, WHAT HAPPENED?" Gustavo and Kelly asked in unison.
"Nothing," Kendall said quietly. "We can fix this tomorrow. Carlos and Logan haven't been privately interviewed yet."
"Good!" Gustavo said. He waved a hand in Carlos' and Logan's direction. "Just don't say anything stupid!" he warned.
The next morning, the boys arrived back at the studio to meet with the crew. Jeff immediately called Carlos into one room, while Sara called Logan into the other. Kendall and James sat on the sofa answering questions about their upcoming tour and photo shoot, while the cameras rolled. They couldn't help but occasionally glance at the closed doors nervously.
They wondered what the other two were being asked, and most of all how they were answering. So much depended on it. They were in fact, being asked the same set of questions that the other two had been asked the day before.
"What do you mean by... sexual tension?" Carlos asked naïvely.
Jeff sighed and laughed mockingly."I think that you just answered my question," he said, shaking his head.
"What do you mean by... more than friendship for one another?" asked Logan.
Sara curled her lip at the wide-eyed boy. "You tell me," she said.
"I don't have anything to tell," Logan replied. "We love each other, and we are the best of friends."
Sara smiled and looked over at the man typing. She gave him a nod. "Did you get that?" she asked.
After the line of questioning was complete, all four boys were seated at a long table with the crew.
"We have completed the first part of the documentary," Jeff announced. "Tomorrow, we will begin the second part. Please come ready to have a good time just talking about your experiences as friends, as well as members of the band. Thank you very much for your coöperation so far," he said with a smile.
The boys left to meet with Gustavo and Kelly. "I don't like them one bit," Kendall told the others.
"I know. I don't trust how they're making us sound," James added.
"Those questions were hideous today," Logan said.
"I don't think that they even like me," Carlos chimed in.
"I don't think that they like any of us. They're just doing this for the publicity," Kendall said.
"Well, hopefully the worst part is over, and they won't twist up our answers too badly," Logan said.
Each boy was brought into a separate room the following day and asked questions about the other band members.
"Who do you feel is the leader of the group?" Sara asked Carlos.
"That's an easy one!" Carlos exclaimed. "Kendall is!" He almost sounded happy that he could get an answer to a question correct.
"Who is the messiest of the group?" Jeff asked James.
"That would definitely be Carlos!" replied James.
All of the boys felt pretty good about the morning session, and went to lunch happily. However, after lunch they were once again separated for interviews.
"Logan?" the man called from the doorway of the room, "Can we talk for a bit?" Logan was apprehensive.
"I promise that I don't bite," he chuckled.
"Are you sure about that?" Logan asked with a grin and a forced laugh.
"So Logan, would you say that you are often called the know-it-all of the group?" he asked as soon as he was seated.
"Uh...I hope not?" Logan said uncertainly.
"Well, is it true that you get on everyone's nerves with your judgmental ways?" he pushed.
"Really?" Logan asked in a squeaky voice.
"Well, we seem to gather from the other boys, that you always have an opinion about everything, choosing to over-analyze everything, yet you are afraid of everything, keeping everyone from moving forward," he stated.
Logan looked hurt. "I-I guess I didn't know that," he stammered, his throat clenching.
"They indicated that you tend to become impaired by your own fears, unable to move forward, without their guidance," he added with a gleam in his eye.
Logan could feel his heart beating fast in his chest, as the tears sprung to his eyes. He fought them back. He did not want to cry under the watchful eyes of this crew, especially since they were already implying that he was the weak link.
Carlos was asked a hurtful question as well. "Carlos, is it safe to say that you are not the most...intellectual member of the group?" the woman asked.
Carlos looked like a puppy that had been slapped with a slipper. "I'm not as smart as Logan," he said, "but not very many people are." He squirmed under the woman's gaze.
"I guess I'm not as smart as any of the guys," he said in an uncertain voice.
"Is it true that on many occasions, you have created chaos and narrowly avoided devastating injury?" she asked.
"I-I guess so..." Carlos answered in a tiny voice, staring down at his lap in shame.
"Would you agree then, that you are often the problem of the group?" she asked wickedly.
Carlos bit his lower lip sadly. "I guess...sometimes I do stupid things without thinking...and I cause a lot of trouble for everybody," he cried. She wrote down a few things and made sure that the other man was listening.
"Send the Jew in!" Jeff called from somewhere inside the room.
"Jew?" James asked upon entering the room.
"I uh...I uh... wanted to differentiate you from the others guys," the man stammered guiltily.
"You can. I have a name. It's James," James said.
"Sorry if I offended you in any way," Jeff said with little sincerity.
James studied the rude man as he sat down.
"So, James, are you known as the shallow member of the band?" the man asked.
"Shallow?" James repeated.
"Yes, that means little to offer, but looks and fashion," the man said callously.
"I-I know what it means," James said with a pout. "But I can sing and dance too!" he said, his face lighting up.
"Right. I'm just going off of the interviews with the other guys," he lied. "I meant to ask...how important are your looks to you, as opposed to your music?"
"Well, equally...I guess," James answered honestly.
"So it would be safe to say, that the others feeling that you are self-absorbed, is true?" he asked.
"James smoothed his hair down self-consciously, and looked back at him wide-eyed. "They said that?" he asked.
"Well not in so many words...we do have the impression that you tend to embarrass the others with your haughty personality and obsessive vanity," he said.
James reddened and his eyes were full of hurt, as he tried to comprehend what he was implying.
"Kendall," Sara began, reaching for her water bottle, "would you say that you could consider yourself, somehow, the appointed leader of the band?"
"Why would I?" asked Kendall, growing angry immediately.
"Well, just from the information that we have gathered from the others, you seem to come off as arrogant, and as the one always in charge," she said, taking a swig from the bottle.
Kendall stood abruptly from his seat. "Do you guys have any interest in us, as people at all? Do you have any loyalty to Rocque Records or-"
"Calm down Kendall," Sara said coolly. "I didn't mean to upset you. I see that the rumors about your explosive temperament are correct," she said haughtily.
Kendall grew quiet. "I was simply wondering if there was any merit at all, to the impression we have, that the others seem to be tolerant of your ambitions to control everything," she continued.
"I don't feel like I try to control everything,"Kendall almost whispered.
"So you do not have delusions of grandeur then?" she asked nonchalantly.
"Delusions of who?" Kendall asked, an eyebrow climbing high.
"Grandeur, meaning that you are the chosen one, in your own eyes only," she supplied happily, enjoying his obvious discomfort. Kendall looked down at his feet, and slumped his shoulders.
"Well then, what is your take on your role in the band then?" she asked.
"I'm just a band member. We're all like brothers," Kendall said quietly.
"So it's not true that the others are tired of your commanding attitude?" she prodded.
Kendall's bottom lip quivered slightly, as he took in the full gist of what she was implying. "This is surprising to you then?" she asked him. Kendall nodded with a pout.
By the time all four boys were once again seated at the long table with the others, they were sullen. Their confidence and morale were at an all-time low, and they didn't know what to believe anymore. They had been mocked repeatedly by their interviewers, and every fault had been pin-pointed.
Sara and Jeff were in high spirits however. "Is there anything that you boys would like to say to one another, on record today?" Sara asked cheerfully.
"Yeah!" cried Carlos. "How come you guys told them that I was dumb?"
"Carlos! We never said that!" squealed Logan.
"They just want you to think that!" added Kendall. Carlos folded his arms and thrust out his lower lip.
"It's true Carlos," James said. "They told me that you guys think that I'm too vain, and only care about myself."
It did not go well from there. The boys went around and around with the accusations while the crew typed and filmed with glee. Sara and Jeff excused themselves from the circus, and took off.
Back at Sara's hotel room, the two newly made lovers embraced.
"We have those teeny-boppers right where we need them," Sara nuzzled into Jeff's neck.
"I think you're right," Jeff agreed. "But hey, don't forget, it wasn't that long ago that we were teeny-boppers, ourselves," he laughed.
"That's true, but we were never like them. I can't stand their type. They make me sick with their bubblegum pop, and their plastic personalities. That dumb one, Carlos is getting on my last nerve with his shenanigans. He's such a stupid-" The racial slur that was about to roll off her tongue was swallowed up by the passionate kiss that they were now engaged in.
They finally pulled apart for air.
"That's exactly what I love about you," he murmured into her ear. "You're going to go places with that attitude of yours."
The next day were even worse than the one before. The boys had spent half of the night clearing up the lies and misunderstandings, and were exhausted. They grabbed extra-large cups of coffee, and trudged miserably into the meeting area.
"Well. Don't you boys look grumpy today!" Sara greeted. They shot her unpleasant glances, and took their seats at the long table.
"Let's get something straight," Jeff wasted no time in saying, "Griffin, aka, your boss, called upon us to do this boring task. If any of you have a problem with any of us, take it up with him. Got it?" he asked menacingly.
So much for being phony anymore. "Got it!" they chorused in defeat.
"Now, to get back on track...we are heading into the third and final phase of the collecting aspect of the documentary," Jeff said.
The boys remained silent, apprehensive about what the phase might entail. "We are going to let you speak freely about anything and everything that interests you. You can pretend as if we're not here at all, or you may include us whenever you like," he said.
"Like you're not here?" Kendall exploded. "How could we everact as if you're not here after yesterday?"
"Like he said," Sara spoke as if the words were sour in her mouth, "it's your choice how this segment turns out."
"But it's not our choice to do this at all, it's Griffin's," said Logan.
"True, but if you play your cards right, it can be beneficial to you, if not...well-" Jeff stopped himself from finishing.
"I don't believe that any of our fans would feel that it is beneficial for us to be treated this way!" Kendall exclaimed.
"Maybe, they don't know you guys as well as we do now," Sara said coyly. There was a long silence as the boys exchanged glances with one another.
"Do you plan on remaining in the music and recording industry for long?" Jeff asked.
"Why do I have the feeling that you are blackmailing us?" asked James.
"Why do I get the feeling that you are bullying us into a fabricated sensational story here?" asked Logan.
"Look! Call it whatever you want boys!" Sara spat at them. "We really don't care! We are not a bunch of infatuated tween girls, or confused boys for that matter, who hang on your every word! To us, this is just another job. In our eyes, you are four, unimpressive adolescents, who got lucky, attempting to follow in the footsteps of the Monkees. You are practically a fluke! So unless, you want us to fill in all of the remaining blanks...I would suggest that you cooperate!"
Jeff beamed at his secret love interest as if she had given a speech worthy of the Nobel Peace Award.
"Gee, the Monkees were pretty cool. You think we're like them?" James asked with a smile. The other boys groaned and dropped their heads onto the table as the crew laughed harshly.
"I guess we have them pegged right," Sara said, making the crew laugh harder.
"Now...what to do from here..." Jeff said, mostly to himself, as he rapped his pen against the table.
"What if we just back out of this all together? You don't have to spend any more time with us, whom you despise, and we don't have to spend any more time with you?" Kendall asked.
"Then we sue you and Rocque Records for breach of contract," Jeff said.
"We need to talk to Gustavo and Kelly," Logan said.
"Suit yourselves!" Jeff said. "We will no doubt be meeting you back here after lunch. We will tell them of your lack of coöperation, and about the difficulty you have caused."
The couple rushed to steal time together at the hotel.
"You were fantastic back there!" Jeff said breathlessly, as he pushed Sara up against the wall.
"You weren't so bad yourself!" she panted back.
"Well, they're a bunch of pansies," Jeff mumbled into her ear.
Sara giggled. "Unless...you beg to differ?" he asked.
"Why would I?" she asked wide-eyed.
"Oh..I don't know. Maybe you think one of them is hot. They do have a following you know-" he teased.
"Stop! I don't get thrills from that boy-band crap! Besides...I doubt they're into girls anyway," she said.
Jeff laughed. "You're probably right. You always are, and I'm going to make sure that your dad does not regret putting me on this project with you," he said locking his lips on hers, and pushing her toward the bed.
"I'm flattered that you think I'm always right. We are going to have fun with these fagots, and wind up with a following of our own," she told him. He pounced on top of her, knocking her to the bed, as they collapsed into a fit of giggles.
Gustavo and Kelly were not pleased to hear that the boys were still having confrontations with the crew. They agreed to come back with them after lunch, hopefully to smooth over any disagreements.
Upon walking in, they were surprised to find Katie dressed in a suit waiting outside of the interview room.
"Katie!" Kendall exclaimed. "What are you doing here?"
"They wanted to interview me for what I renamed, your 'Rockumentary', and come and answer a few questions. I figured that it couldn't hurt my career any," she said, pointing to her leather portfolio, "so I agreed to come."
Sara poked her head from the interview room. She glowered at Kendall. "We're ready for you Miss Knight!" she called out in a syrupy tone.
"Miss Knight?" Kendall repeated with a scoff. Katie shrugged.
"I gotta' go!" she said giving her brother's arm a little squeeze.
"Be careful Katie! They're evil!" he warned under his breath. Katie stared at her brother over her shoulder, in wonder as she walked away. She gave him a small nod, before the door closed.
Kendall sighed. "We are so dead!" said Logan. All three boys, Gustavo, and Kelly, nodded simultaneously.
"Would you care for a cup of coffee?" Sara asked Katie.
"Coffee? Er..no I don't drink coffee...yet, but I'll take a water bottle!" she said. Sara handed her the water bottle.
"Now, let's get down to business," she said. Katie folded her hands maturely before her in anticipation.
"Shoot," she said.
"What are the sleeping arrangements for the boys?" she fired off.
"Sleeping arrangements?" Katie echoed, blinking her big brown eyes.
"Yes. At the Palmwoods," she clarified.
"They sleep in one room, and my mother and I sleep in the other." she answered.
"So, all four boys sleep together in the same room?" she asked.
"Well, they sleep in the same room. There really isn't a choice...we only have-" Katie was cut off by the next question.
"Have you ever seen any of them sleep in the same bed?"
Katie thought for a moment. "Only the one time that Carlos had a nightmare about the Palmwoods' ghost, and jumped into bed with Logan..because he didn't believe in ghosts and-"
"Mmmm-hmmm. Any other time?" Sara asked.
"Once, James was sick, because he thought that Logan had taken his swagger...and Logan was worried about how sick he was, and he accidentally fell asleep on his bed...watching him..." Katie trailed off when she saw a grin spreading across the woman's face.
"Have you ever seen the boys display any affection toward one another?" she asked.
"Sure, every day!" Katie all but shouted. "They're like brothers!"
"Can you elaborate for me?"
Katie hesitated again. "Well...my brother just gave Logan a big kiss on the forehead for his birthday. Does that count?"
"Sure. Go ahead and tell me more," Sara said, taking notes as well as the other two people in the room.
Katie suddenly giggled at a humorous memory. "James kissed Logan on the neck during a photo shoot-" Sara's head shot up. "To be silly..." Katie finished.
"Of course!" Sara said happily. "Did you get that?" she asked the other two.
Katie's face fell. She no longer trusted the woman. "Can we like retract all of that?" she asked, giggling nervously.
The woman laughed sarcastically. "Boy, what is it with you and your brothers, thinking that there is some sort of rewind button on this deal?"
Katie grimaced. There were a few awkward moments, while the crew whispered among themselves, before Sara asked the next question.
"Katie? Would you say that Logan is the one who is always involved, when there is any questionable behavior taking place?"
"Questionable?" Katie asked, her eyes blown wide. She stood abruptly. "NO! You are the one displaying questionable behavior here! They behave like brothers, and they are all like brothers to me...just in case you were headed in that direction next!"
"Katie, please sit down. I think that you misunderstood. I'm simply saying that you seem like an intelligent young woman, with a bright future ahead of her. We have a lot of connections in Los Angeles you know, and I am rather impressed with you. Surely, you too could conclude, that Logan is the member who seems to have the most issues."
"What do you mean by issues?" Katie asked, calming herself down a bit.
"Katie, you aren't homophobic are you? I mean, would it be so terrible if any of them had an interest in one another that went beyond friendship?" Sara asked.
"What? No! Of course not! But you are twisting some of my words, and putting other ones in my mouth!" Katie cried. "I think that you are all just big bullies...and...I'm finished here!"
Katie removed her leather portfolio from the tabletop, and stormed out of the room.
"So, you no longer have plans in this business, in the future?" Sara shouted after her.
"Oh, I highly doubt that you guys are all that!" Katie yelled, with a snap of her fingers and a twist of her wrist. "You won't stop me!"
"It's okay baby sister!" Kendall tried to comfort her. He wrapped his arms around her small form, and rubbed her back.
"You just may be the ones with no future in this business!" a voice rang from the hallway. It was Sara's turn to be shocked. Mrs. Knight stood with her hands on her hips, her mouth pursed into a bow.
"Come on Katie!" she called. Katie went to her mother and hugged her. Katie burst into tears.
"They were asking me questions that ..." she sobbed. Sara huffed back into the room and banged the door behind her. "They were implying that I was some kind of hater!"
"You would never be a hater!" Kendall said. Katie ran back into her brother's arms.
"Why would they even imply that?" asked Logan.
"Because when I said that you and Kendall kissed...they asked more questions about you Logan," Katie said.
"Well that's just ridiculous," Logan retorted, "w-w-wait...WHAT?"
"All I said was that Kendall gave you a kiss on the-" Katie began. Logan's eyes were as wide as saucers.
"Aren't you boys familiar with the term Kogan?" Jeff asked, entering the room. "Or Jagan..or Cargan for that matter."
"Hey, isn't that where they combine our names to show friend-" Kendall started to ask.
"Shipping," Jeff summed up. "And the fans love it. You guys make it simple for us to give them what they want," he said with a wry smile. Katie buried her head into her brother's chest.
"It's okay Katie, they are going to do what they want anyway, regardless of what we say," Kendall said.
"Um..I have a question," Logan said raising an index finger, "Why do those combinations all have my name mixed into them?" he asked in a shrill, squeaky voice.
"What are you guys going to do?" Katie asked.
"Well. It's gone too far now. I think that we should go straight to Griffin about this," said Kelly.
"Good idea! But I just have one question. What is going on here?" asked Gustavo.
Jeff and Sara had left for lunch separately, still attempting to keep their relationship discreet. They met up at her hotel room.
"Can you believe the nerve of those useless wonders?" she asked. "Especially the blonde one with the bratty sister.."
"Kendall," he filled in for her.
"Right. Whatever. What's one queer from another?" she scoffed.
He chuckled and pulled her in for a hug. "You're sooo bad!" he said in a husky voice. "I saw you eying the tall brunette one today though.." he said.
"You know me better than that. I used to be attracted to guys like them, until I kept getting hurt by their selfishness." She looked off in thought. "I assure you that they are homos. All of those boy-bands are. Even if by chance, one of them isn't, he's probably one of the ones that's as dumb as a stick." She cackled at her own joke. "As a matter of a fact, I had to put dumb-dumb Carlos in the back room as punishment yesterday, because he wouldn't stop bouncing around." They fell to the floor in a heap, laughing.
"I know what you mean," Jeff chortled, "I had to take away that pretty boy's comb and mirror, because he couldn't stop admiring himself with them!"
"And what about Mister Big Stuff? I had to put him in his place by telling him that he was not the fan's favorite by a long shot, because we know the facts!" she said.
"Really? He isn't, huh?" Jeff asked.
"I don't know," she said with a snicker, "I just wanted to hurt him and make him feel...you know taken down a notch."
"I told that little smartypants, that he was basically a hindrance to the band moving forward, and that only the girls who had a thing for nerds, thought that he was cool!" Jeff added.
"That's hilarious! How did he take that?" She asked.
"I think he was crying, but he took off before I could enjoy myself thoroughly!" Jeff said between fits of laughter.
"I wish I could have seen him!" Sara whined.
"Well, there's always next time. Especially when he learns that we have him pegged as "the gay one" in the band!" Jeff told her. His eyes twinkled mischievously.
Meanwhile, back at Rocque Records, a heated conversation was underway. Griffin and his gang were present, as well as the boys, Gustavo, Kelly, and even Katie.
Griffin had listened patiently to the accusations, periodically arching an eyebrow. "This does sound unacceptable," he said simply.
"SO?" asked Gustavo. "Are we going to call them in and tell them that we're not going forward with this?" he asked.
"No, that's not possible. We have a contract and I have a reputation to protect." Griffin stated calmly.
"Then what are we going to do?" Kelly asked, her eyes bulging.
"We're going to finish by giving them what they want," Griffin said.
"HUH?" asked Gustavo.
"Tell them every nonsensical thing that you can come up with that they can not verify, but have to document as informative, Confuse the daylights out of them. Have them chasing their own tails so-to-speak. We will have them begging to be off of the job," Griffin said.
"BRILLIANT!" exclaimed Gustavo.
Jeff and Sara stopped behind a tree outside to talk before entering Rocque Records. "I hope this doesn't backfire on us," Jeff said a little concern in his voice. "I don't really trust that little girl.."
"Babe! Seriously! We have these idiots exactly where we want them. Squirming and on their knees. Griffin is not going to get them out of the contract. They will be a laughing stock when this comes out!" she laughed evilly.
"I have a confession," Jeff said, leaning in to steal a quick kiss, "I've always been jealous of those perfect, plastic boy-bands. All the screaming girls, the teen magazines..."
Sara gave him a swat on the arm. "Jeff?" she asked incredulously.
"I mean...all of those bands like N' Sync, Backstreet Boys...what did they have that me and my friends didn't? We had a band you know!" he said bitterly.
"Listen!" Sara said, irritation clearly in her voice now, "The world will thank us for this! And their fans are going to be in for such a big surprise!" she hissed.
"SURPRISE!" Katie yelled, jumping out from behind a tree where she and a cameraman had been hiding the while.
Sara and Jeff attempted to hide their faces and run. "Oh, don't bother!" Katie shouted after them. "It's all on film! Congrats on your relationship, by the way!"
They followed the twosome all the way back to the studio where Griffin and all the others were waiting.
"I see that you have returned to complete the documentary..or should I say Rockumentary?" Griffin chuckled. He was completely unaware of the reason that the two were so shook up.
"Oh no! It's over! You need to find someone else who is willing to work with this group of fruit-loops!" Sara screeched.
"I see," said Griffin. "Boys, is there anything that you would like to say to that?"
All four boys, as well as Katie stepped forward. "Oh yeah!" they said in unison.
"First of all," Kendall said, naturally going first, "We think that all of you are crazy, not us, and you are rude to boot." Sara and Jeff rolled their eyes at one another.
"Secondly, Logan said, "You are the real haters here, not Katie!"
"And you are racist!" James and Carlos said, pointing their fingers at the couple.
Katie took another step closer. "And you have a lot of nerve trying to dig up dirt on my brothers, when you two are sneaking around!" she blurted out accusingly.
Jeff and Sara feigned innocence, and exchanged indignant glances. They stomped their feet in frustration.
"Oh I have the proof if you want me to share it!" Katie said, crossing her thin arms over her chest.
They glared at her. "We-We want out of this!" Sara screamed at them. "I'm calling my daddy and telling him that you people are impossible!" she screamed louder, yanking at her blonde locks and leaving them askew.
"Y-Yeah!" Jeff screamed. "We promise never to speak of any of you again as long as you never speak of us!"
"Deal!" said Griffin calmly.
"Why don't you all just gather up your things and-and go then," Gustavo said, flicking a wrist at them in annoyance. Kelly held open the door for them while she glared at them.
"Oh we will!" said one of the writers, as they scurried to pack up.
"Good," Griffin said calmly, looking to each person with satisfaction clearly on his face. "So that's that. Now can anyone bring me a pair of warm pants?"
They all watched as the crew squeezed through the narrow doorway for the last time. Katie couldn't resist asking them a final question of her own. "Hey! I bet you guys wish that you could find the rewind button now, HUH?"
Thanks for reading,
Crumpet