Every little thing.
Disclaimer: Nothing belongs to me except the story
Author's Note: I sort of changed their ages a bit, but it shouldn't matter much. Read and review if you'd like to. ;)
Oh, and I made Jo an aspiring actress instead of singer.
Timeline.
Chapter I – Your eyes.
I'm living a dream.
That much I get, because so many people tell me that every day. I'm living a dream every girl dreams of; I have all the money my wallet can hold, the latest of fashion trends delivered straight to my closet, the abundant fame and fans, the perfect boyfriend. But I get lost sometimes between what I'm supposed to feel and what I really feel.
It's hard to explain, but it's sort of like this. Since I was nine and I watched my first Broadway production, I wanted to be an actress. I wanted to perform; to manipulate people's emotions with a simple sentence whispered the right way or a single narrowing of the eyebrows. It amazed me; how the littlest things an actor in this fake reality we call television could make the viewer feel so much. My mom was absolutely thrilled when she discovered my revelation while we were taking the bus back home from the musical we watched.
She wanted to be a dancer when she was a teenager, but she didn't have the money to support her dreams, since her parents lived in poverty. Immediately, she signed me up for as many classes as she could down at the community center. It wasn't the best place in the world to learn performance, but with the little money my parents had, it was just enough. Modern dance practices, acting classes, and vocal training took away most of my free time, but I enjoyed every moment of it.
It was my third year at the community center's performing arts program when I was accepted into an off-Broadway production at the ripe age of twelve. Everything went smoothly, even more so when the director took a liking to me and recommended me to a nearby performance arts academy. The director, being important as well as a beneficial alumnus, was able to get me accepted into the program with little to no money.
Whereas I improved in the community center's program, at the academy, I flourished. For three years, I completed my training there, occasionally taking Broadway roles and small jobs in the entertainment and film industry. My parents were proud, and money from my time spent dabbling in theater was able to afford us a move to California.
I was accepted into the Palm Woods School, and while my parents got settled into our new apartment, I was able to mingle and make new friends. It's been two years since then.
Life seemed to go perfectly for me. I had become best friends with a very talented actress, Camille. I had a starring role in a wildly popular television show as the romantic interest of the 'teen heartthrob of the year,' Jett. I was closely associated with the top boy band, Big Time Rush, and I was dating the most admired and down-to-earth boy in the band, Kendall. To top it off, I landed front page of dozens of publications, ranging from the teeny bopper, rumor mill magazines to the more sophisticated and venerable periodicals.
I was living a dream; a dream dreamt by countless of boys and girls, young and old, yet I never felt that satisfaction.
I wondered why for days on end, lying down on my bed after a long day of shooting scenes or watching movies with Kendall or having a girl's day out with Camille.
I think I've finally figured it out. I'm living a dream, but not my own.
…
"Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday, dear Kendall! Happy birthday to you!"
Kendal leaned against me as he blew out the candles on the chocolate cake and smiled at his best friends and his family that were uncomfortably flanking us on all sides while they sang. After the candle was blown out, they immediately ran for the cake, yelling and attacking each other while we remained in our seats. I glanced at his eyes, his perfect, gorgeous eyes that reflected his emotions and captured the attention and awe of whomever looked into them. The very eyes I'd think about often, whenever I felt discouraged or upset.
"Hey you," I whispered in his ear, "I guess this means I'm illegal now."
"Oh?" He gave a wide grin, "Just because I'm eighteen? You're only one year younger than me, you know. And plus, this is California we're talking about."
"Well, still. I'm sure it's illegal in some states, like Alaska or something." Jokingly, I slapped his arm when he tried to lean down for a kiss, "You should be arrested."
"By what? The Alaskan state patrol penguins? And," He paused for a gentle kiss, "I'm the unofficial bad boy in Big Time Rush. I'm made to break the rules."
"Right. You're such a rebel." He positively gleamed at me while I got up to grab us both a slice of the cake that was currently being raped by the hungry birthday party guests. I just needed to figure out how to get through the human pile that kept me far distanced from the cake. With a sigh, I took a step forward before a hand grabbed my arm and pulled me back.
"Don't. That cake's a goner. Going for that is like trying to find a completely broken needle in a haystack set on fire." I looked up to see a familiar pair of stunning eyes. For a second, I thought they were Kendall's.
"Katie?" I was surprised as she stepped towards the boys surrounding the cake.
With a twist of her hand, she was able to pull Carlos off the table and onto the floor. With another jerk of her arm, Logan was thrown into Carlos, and James was more than eager to comply when she turned towards him. He quickly hopped off the table and into the unwilling arms of his fallen comrades.
"Ah shit. Sorry, but there's barely any cake thanks to them. And the pieces that are left have indents of what looks like Carlos's nose, but I could be wrong." Katie scratched her head as she tried to find a piece worth eating, "Nope, no luck. Sorry, Jo."
"It's alright. Thanks though." I gave her a smile before turning towards Kendall and giving him a quick shrug. No cake for the birthday boy.
"Don't worry about Kendall. He needs to stop eating so much junk anyways." With a shrug, Katie shuffled off to her room, giving her brother a friendly pat on the shoulder while passing him.
"Your sister's really matured." I commented, taking a seat next to him once again.
"I know. She's gotten taller. It's almost annoying now. I mean, it's only been two years and she's hit like, what, a million growth spurts?" Kendall laughed, "And since her birthday was last month, she's fifteen now. My sister's going to be a freshman when I'm a senior. You know how weird it is to imagine her actually attending school with me?"
"Well, that should be interesting. She got in for basketball of all reasons, didn't she?" I asked.
"Yup. I hope she doesn't reach my height. That would really suck. But I guess all the growing took away all the development on her chest," he joked.
"Kendall! You do not insult a girl's boobs!" I punched him lightly on the chest, "And plus, she's pretty and she's got a great body. You don't need a huge chest or a gargantuan ass to have a good body, you know."
"She's too fit. I think she might even be more cut than I am. Stupid basketball." Randall continued on.
"You're making her sound like Hulk. She doesn't have skyscraper length shoulders and she doesn't have watermelon muscles, Kendall. She just has a healthy, toned body." I tapped his head with my finger, "She's fifteen. She'll eventually develop. And if not, who cares."
"I want watermelon muscles. Do you think steroids might really do the trick?"
"Steroids shrink your genitalia."
"Oh. Never mind then."
Katie really did mature a lot. She was tall, even slightly taller than I was. Her body hit puberty, but she remained relatively flat, although she seemed not mind since she was a captain at her middle school basketball league and the newest member to the Palm Woods School's basketball team. That dedication to sports left her in comfortable clothing, but she always seemed to pull it off quite nicely. A shirt and ripped skinny jeans or a hoodie and sweats were usually what she wore. Her sneakers were impressive and flashy, usually obtained through Logan, and her need for simplicity lead her to don a black backpack rather than a purse. Her hair was usually as long as ever, tied into a messy ponytail at the back with her bangs and side bangs always in that perfect position. The best part was that she had her brother's eyes.
She had this unique kind of beauty. A model-like beauty mixed with a strange sort of rugged badass side that only she possessed as well as her rebellious antics, her athleticism, and her calm and cunning personality defined her. All her life she had those qualities, but when she hit her teenage years, she immediately received all the attention she never did before. Her androgynous appeal made her popular to both boys and girls. She seemed oblivious to all the attention her peers gave her, but it could have been her not caring. Katie never really cared for much, other than basketball and her family.
"Well, I think your sister's a total sweetheart." Kendall smiled at my statement, patting my head.
"She is. She acts all tough but I know she has this soft, marshmallow heart."
"What kind of heart do I have?" I asked, giggling as James, Carlos, and Logan regained consciousness.
"Well, you look quiet and a little mean on the outside, like ice," he began, "But on the inside, your heart is like a flame, because you're fiercely loyal and faithful to the person you love. And these eyes, this smile, this voice, these arms, these lips, this face, and our love… they're all you think about."
"You're right again, boyfriend."
I leaned over for a kiss, and despite the other boys' loud cheers and catcalls and Kendall's hand on the side of my cheek with its soft caress, I couldn't help but feel that maybe there was something wrong, because sometimes, I was confused as to whether the beautiful eyes I'd always think about were his.
A.N. Read and review to make me smile! :)