Kyra's POV
My name is Kyra. Kyra Dena Diamond. I was born April 14, 1998 to Brooke and Christopher Diamond in Hollywood, California. I have three older brothers, James, Brian and Nick and a twin sister, Jenica—I was older by two minutes and a younger sister, Olivia. Our dad moved to New York to pursue his career of being a wrestler. We still get to see him—twice a year.
When my brother and his three best friends, Kendall, Carlos and Logan became famous, we relocated to the Palm Woods in California so they could be closer to Rocque Records—and so we could all get a new start. But about a month ago, Rocque Records relocated to Miami—for some stupid reason. What was going on in Griffin's head?
I've been in Miami a week and nothing, I mean nothing, has changed. James is still a stuck up pop-star who takes headshots of himself and me? Well, I only had one friend in California: Tyler—a redheaded kid who acts in various juice box commercials. And I haven't made one friend in Miami.
And only one thing that was good was coming out of moving to Miami. The Gustavo Rocque actually cares about his band—he bought us a mansion for us all to live in: me, mom, Jenica, Brian, Nick, Kendall, James, Carlos and Logan. We have a media room, a workout room, five bathrooms and two refrigerators.
Austin's POV
My birth-name is Ross Shor Lynch but when I was two, I was adopted. My name was changed to Austin Shor Moon—at least I got to keep something of my real name. I was born December 29, 1996.
My best friends are Dez Worthy, Ally Dawson and Trish Rodriguez. Dez and Trish are . . . expecting and Ally and I are the godparents.
I heard there was this new girl in Miami. She just moved here about a week ago and I still haven't met her! Not that I was interested. I mean, I am but not like that.
Chapter One
Kyra's POV
Jenica and I were standing in the middle of the Miami Mall, infront of a store called Sonic Boom.
What kind of music store is called Sonic Boom? I thought to myself.
When I looked at my sister, I could tell she was thinking the same thing . . . or something close to that matter.
"Okay, so remember, James told us to meet him at Dairy Queen on the second floor in two hours."
"We have two hours to do whatever we want?" Jenica asked. "Buy whatever we want?"
I shrugged.
"I guess."
"Sweetness!" She squealed.
We walked into Sonic Boom. At the counter was a beautiful, petite brunette. She was writing in a book.
I saw a young male teenager who was about 5'11", he had blonde hair and—
Jenica shoved me into him pushing me out of my thoughts.
Austin's POV
"Jenica!" I heard a girl snap.
I turned around and saw two brunettes, both brown eyed.
"What? He's cute."
"Don't give you a reason to push me!" She snapped at her sister.
"Talk to him. We've been in Miami a week and you haven't made any friends."
Aw! I felt bad. I kind of wanted to talk to her now. She was probably the new girl that just moved to Miami and a girl as beautiful as that should've made at least . . . ten . . . friends by now.
"I don't want to talk to him!" She snapped again.
Man, she's a bitch to whoever this chick is.
"Talk to him." The second girl—who I presumed was Jenica—suggested. "I'll be at Victoria's Secret."
She turned on her heel and headed out the door.
"Wait, you're leaving me here?" She yelled.
"No yelling in the store." Ally said in her normal monotone voice.
"Bye-bye." She smiled, waving her fingers in the air.
"Jenica." She whined.
"Kyra." The second girl copied. "Meet me at Victoria's Secret whenever you're ready."
"You know I don't like shopping for bras."
"But you wear thongs."
"Jenica Lynn Knight!"
Jenica giggled and ran out of the music store.
She turned around to face me, arms crossed and sighed deeply.
"Hi." She said, her voice sweeter than just was. "I'm Kyra. Sorry about that. My sister sometimes doesn't know when to shut her mouth up."
"Austin Moon." I said, holding out my hand.
"The Austin Moon?" She asked, shaking my hand. "My sister—not that one—loves you! Pictures of you all over her wall. She has an autographed picture that she got at one of your concerts at the Helen Show."
"What's her name? Maybe I remember her."
"Olivia Diamond."
I tried to think back to the multiple times I was on the Helen Show; all those fans asking for my autographs. Olivia Diamond.
"Nope. Doesn't ring a bell." I finally said. She smiled. "What brings you to Miami?"
And that's when she really started talking.
"Rocque Records was located in Los Angeles, California but they relocated here to Miami. Big Time Rush is a band that just had to move to Florida after Rocque Records relocated. They are Gustavo Rocque's biggest boy band. Use to be Boys in the Attic, but that was 1999. Anyways, one of the main singers, James Diamond, is my brother. My full name is Kyra Dena Diamond. I'm close friends with the other boys of Big Time Rush: Kendall, Carlos and Logan. I use to date Logan."
"Isn't he like, nineteen?"
She nodded frantically.
"Yep!"
I smiled at Kyra's enthusiasm.
"And I'm only fourteen. James was pissed when he found out Logan and I were dating. We stopped dating after three months because we thought it'd be bad for the band."
"So, you're fourteen and you dated a nineteen year old?" I asked,
She nodded. "Mm-hmm. I was actually thirteen when we dated; he was eighteen. How old are you?"
"I'm sixteen." I said. "Hey, do you want to get a bite to eat?"
"Sure, but remember, I have to meet my sister at VS when were done. Remind me, will ya?"
"Sure." I said, smiling.
We ate at McDonalds. She said she loved their breakfast hash-browns and egg and sausage McMuffins. She ordered a double cheeseburger and large French fries. I ordered a Big Mac and small French fries.
"Why was your sister acting like that?" I asked, though I was pretty sure I already knew the answer.
"She's 'worried.'" She made quotes around "worried." "She wants me to have friends. I mean, we've only been in Miami a week and she already has a boyfriend—Jayden. A week."
I laughed.
I had already finished my Big Mac and French fries. She was slowly chewing on the French fries.
"A week?"
"And a boyfriend. She told me they had sex. Which is dumb considering they've only knew each other three days before. They were best friends in Kindergarten though. He moved to Florida when we were second grade."
"So, they knew each other beforehand? I guess it's okay that they had sex." I said, looking up at the ceiling.
"You don't know shit." She said. "Jayden cheated on her with Alicia Boos in first grade and they never talked since. Until now! Jenica is just a little . . . just a little . . . whack in the head."
I laughed again.
I looked at my phone.
1: 32.
"Hey, you should go and meet your sister now."
She gave me a funny face, then realized what I was doing.
"Oh, yeah! Want to walk me?"
"I don't want to go near a bra shop. I did enough of that when I was six."
She laughed. Her laugh was beautiful. It was like wind chimes.
She picked up her tray and walked to the trash can to dump the forgotten French fries. I followed her.
"Hey, maybe we can meet up again sometime? If you want to find me, you'll have a good chance of seeing me at Sonic Boom." I told her while following her to the lingerie shop.
"I thought you didn't want to go near a bra shop." She repeated my earlier words.
"Yeah, but I'm following you; not escorting you." I corrected.
We arrived at the lingerie store sooner that I would have liked.
"I'll see you around. Here's my house and cell number." She said, handing me a card.
"You have business cards?"
"Remember how I told you my sister Katie wants to be rich? She made a 'business' card for every member of Big Time Rush. I sing a little in the band sometimes, so she made one for me, too."
She was a singer? Cool!
She smiled and walked in the store.
I turned on my heel and walked back to Sonic Boom.
Kyra's POV
"Jenica Lynn Knight!" I whisper-shouted.
"Boo!" She exclaimed, jumping out of a rack of lace bras. "What took you so long?"
I smiled.
"He took me to McDonalds." I replied.
She must've noticed the smile on my face and she too, smiled.
"Ooh, you like him. Actually, no. With that smile, you love him."
I sighed, instantly frowning.
"He's just a friend."
"Ooh, you made a friend!"
I took hold of her wrist.
"Come on. It's . . ." I looked at my phone: 1:58. "One fifty-eight. Kendall wants us to meet him at DQ in two . . ." 1:59. ". . . one minute!"
I yanked her out of the store and we walked back to the second floor and waited at DQ for James and Olivia.
~A MONTH LATER~
Austin must really like me. Like, more than a friend should like a normal friend. He's asked me out on multiple dates. Then . . .
"Will you be my girlfriend?" He asked quickly.
I nearly choked on my Pepsi.
What. The fuck. Did he just ask me?
I started hyperventilating. I needed to get home and watch The Pink Panther to calm my nerves. He waved a hand in front of my face.
"Kyra, did you hear what I said?"
I shook my head slowly because after nearly choking, I hardly remembered.
"I really like you. I think I might even love you. Will you be my girlfriend?"
I smiled.
I love you too, Austin!
"You're not going to try anything?"
He shook his head.
"Because if you do, James and the rest of BTR will kill you."
He shook his head again.
"Only if and when you're ready." He said.
"I love you too, Austin." I figured it was time I told him. "I use to be in love with a purple kangaroo named Austin." I said.
"What?" He asked, a puzzled expression on his face.
"From the Backyardigans. He's a purple kangaroo and his name is—give or take, was—Austin. It stopped airing last year. All the episodes are on Netflix."
Austin's POV
"I just asked you to be my girlfriend; you said 'yes'; and now you're talking about a purple kangaroo on some kid's show on Nickelodeon?" I asked slowly.
"Nick Jr." She corrected. "And yes. I'm sorry."
"No, it's okay. Tell me more about him."
She told me about how he had four different animal friends: a yellow hippo named Tasha, an orange moose named Tyrone, a blue and yellow penguin named Pablo and a unknown pink spotted animal named Uniqua.
She told me how she thought his voice was so cute and his outfit: a blue yellow striped shirt and blue pants. She thought him being purple—her favorite color—was also cute.
Then, "Austin is depicted as a timid, but funny loving purple anthropomorphic kangaroo who moved into the block recently. Though generally shy during the course of season one, Austin starts to come out of his shell, revealing a smart, friendly, and imaginative child. Although rarely appearing in the spotlight, he does take the role of the lead character in some episodes."
"Wow."
Then she told me about Pablo.
"Pablo is good-natured and tries to make everyone happy. Pablo is an imaginative and frenetic little penguin who's a bit tightly wound. Pablo thinks, speaks, acts, and reacts quickly – but by no means is he a birdbrain. He's always ready to help his backyard playmates as they explore the High Seas, the Frozen North, or the Wild West. He may not be the most agile or graceful of the friends, but he's enthusiastic and determined."
Then Tasha,
"Tasha is extremely confident and likes to be in charge most of the time. She is usually determined to get her way no matter what, however, she is never downright mean to her friends. Tasha usually is very opinionated and likes to make people do what she says. She is hard to scare, as pointed out in the episode It's Great To Be A Ghost! At other times, she can very relaxed, carefree, and happy, as shown in the episodeA Giant Problem. Tasha is also Uniqua's much admired and always eagerly-awaited play date. She looks sweet as pie but underneath her extra girly exterior beats the heart of a CEO - tough-as-nails, take-no-prisoners, my-way-or-the-highway kind of gal. Tasha is rational, skeptical, and highly motivated to get her own way, but it's always special for Uniqua when Tasha's there, because she's someone who can also be giggly, silly and full of fun. She is one of the Backyardigans and lives in a yellow house. She goes on adventures with Uniqua, Pablo, Tyrone, and Austin. In most of their adventures, Tasha likes to make her friends do what she tells them to. Her interests include tea parties and talking fancy."
Then Tyrone,
"Tyrone is the sunny one. He's easygoing and can get along with anybody. Pablo's his best friend, after all! He takes life's ups and downs in stride, things just don't get under his skin. Tyrone seems little slow on the uptake sometimes. He's confident and enjoys a challenge because he knows, in his heart, that he is equal to it. There's always a way and he's bound to figure it out. Tyrone is the nicest little moose you ever met. He's an easygoing, laid-back child with a sunny disposition. Things just don't get under his skin; he's got his hands in his pockets and a cool head of antlers on his shoulders. A deep thinker, Tyrone may seem a little slower than his speedy best buddy Pablo, but they're perfect complements to each other. Whatever problem Pablo can imagine, Tyrone can solve. Tyrone is also the group scaredy-cat and is afraid of most things, including robotic bugs, ghosts, and spooky voices. He usually makes a moaning sound and puts his hands in his pockets whenever he is nervous."
Then Uniqua,
"Uniqua is a highly energetic and the sporty type. She is often the character to come up with new ideas for adventures, and if she's not, Uniqua will become a large part of the journey. Uniqua is best friends with Tasha, though she easily gets along with Pablo, Tyrone, and Austin as well. On rare occasions, Uniqua and Tasha may get into disagreements over small things, but no matter what, Uniqua will usually find a way to end the quarrel and have a good laugh with her friend. The cartoon's creator, Janice Burgess, describes Uniqua as "the child she wishes she was like as child", meaning that Uniqua is a very likable character. About 27% of all Backyardigans fans have chosen Uniqua as a favorite Backyardigan, Uniqua being the second most popular character in general. Janice Burgess' favorite is also Uniqua, and her liking of her creation is probably what leaded to Uniqua appearing in all episodes. Most episodes Janice Burgess writes star Uniqua as the center character for she never missed any episode! Uniqua is very intelligent. She likes to explore and discover new things and locations. Since she cannot go exploring real places without an adult, Uniqua pretends to visit these places and find these things in her imagination along with her best friends. Uniqua is really friendly, and will do almost anything to help a friend in need. Though not the most playful of the five, Uniqua often plays a major role in the adventure she is part of."
She smiled proudly after she had just told me everything about the Backyardigan friends. I, on the other hand, just stared at her and blinked numerous times and kept my mouth wide open.
What. The. FUCK?
I didn't really care though. Kyra was my girlfriend and that was all that mattered.
"So, you like the Backyardigans?"
She nodded.
"I watch them all the time. Never gets old. I've seen each episode twenty times."
"Twenty?"
She nodded again, still smiling, face leaning against her hand.
I smiled and then laughed.
"Well, maybe I can watch the Backyardigans with you sometimes." I suggested.
Her face brightened up at the comment.
"I'd love that!"
So, Saturday I went to her house and it was big. Big Time Rush must've made a lot of money because she told me each and every one of the Knight kids had an iPod, phone and every video game system in their room.
That means, Wii, PS2, PS3, Xbox, everything.
We ended watching the Backyardigan episodes: Knights are Brave and Strong, The Funnyman Boogeyman, Sinbad Sails Alone, Polka Palace Party, Surf's Up, Mission to Mars, Samurai Pie, Whodunit, Scared of You, Movers of Arabia and The Tale of the Not-So-Nice Dragon.
"Wow." I said, my eyes fixed on the flat screen.
Six whole hours of watching five lively backyard animals on their imaginative adventures.
"Dinner!" James called from downstairs. "Austin, would you like to stay?"
Kyra looked at me and nodded.
"Uh, sure!" I said.
They had a nice dinner: steak and mashed potatoes and corn.
After that I went home.
That was the first night I ever dreamt about any animal other than sheep. The first night I dreamt of Kyra and the five backyardigan friends.