Chapter 3

A Few Answers, Please?

June 3, 2005

Carlos Rodriguez became Carlos Garcia when he was twelve.

The wedding was stunning. Carlos wasn't the type to enjoy weddings, especially not his mother's, but as he stood as his stepfather's best man, he felt like a celebrity. His friends heckled him about his little tuxedo, tailored with traces of a soft sea green, the theme color of the wedding. James and Kendall sat front row, supervising each other, their mothers being part of the ceremony, being the bridesmaids. Kendall never saw his mother appear more youthful, James as well, and Carlos... well, Carlos wished that his wife would be like his mother, as odd as that may have sounded in his head at the time.

But when his mother and Julian Garcia stole that kiss, he knew that Julian was now his dad. He had already been calling him papi the minute the beautiful couple started dating, and Julian was a very good man, so Carlos was happy to have the officer who helped him in his hour of need be there to be a father figure. It was a funny situation they were in because his mother was the last of the quartet of girls to get married, the first to get left behind, and now was the first to get re-married.

The boys had horrible fathers who contributed to them their most negative of personality traits. Their lives went like this: Jennifer, born first, married Michael, who left when Logan was two. Katherine, second eldest, married Kenneth, and left when Kendall was eight and Katie on the borderline of being born. Katherine was the last to have her husband leave. Emily, third born, shooed out her husband, Erik, when James was four. And lastly, Felicia, was married to her husband Rosario until Carlos was three. A year later, Carlos was molested, and her next husband was met.

And here they were.

For the longest time, the ladies believed that it was them. Their sons could easily recall the times their moms would tell them about the time they wasted crying, telling themselves that they were the unluckiest set of women ever, cursed with the inability to satisfy a man.

But then they took a slap in the face from reality whenever they took a glance at their young children, they were reminded that it wasn't them who was abandoned, it was their sons. Logan lost a teacher, a man who would show him the world. Kendall lost a hero, a man who would show him how to help people. But the cowardice men who left Carlos and James weren't valued; James lost a discouragement in his singing dreams, and Carlos lost a cruel dictator.

They grew to learn that it wasn't them who drove their husbands out.

Their husbands did that to themselves.

And when Carlos watched as his mother left a kiss on his new father's mouth, he couldn't help but shake giddily. He would be the first of his friends to get his father figure back, and though it was a touchy subject, he was glad to have something his friends didn't. The ceremony had come to a close, and now, people were milling about and partying. The kids were sent into a room within the country house that they rented for the evening's festivities.

Carlos, James, and Kendall sat watching their cousins dance about and hook up, which James found positively sexy, Carlos found himself feeling odd inside, and Kendall disgusted, believing that this was not the age to be hooking up, much less not at the place nor the time.

But the way James's eyes burned into Kendall, Carlos's eyes wandered to find James, and Kendall began staring adrift, they knew that awkward was slowly shifting itself into the air surrounding them.

Carlos didn't get why he was checking out James, but he figured that it was his natural inquisitive soul lurching about and acting up again. But the way he was enjoying it, actually taking in James's features, his soft chestnut hair, and his slimming tuxedo, began to confuse him. Boys naturally didn't feel the same way about other boys. And without a doubt, he would openly do the same thing he was doing to James to most of the girls, but the fact that it was James confused him.

James knew he loved Kendall. He was a bisexual thirteen-year-old boy. His father had it right from the beginning. But he most definitely enjoyed girls for the duration of his lifetime. Kendall, though? Kendall captured his attention. It was rare when another boy would capture James's attention, but when he did, James knew it was love. True love. Whatever that was at their age.

Kendall was in love with Logan. At least, he pretty was sure he was. From day one, Kendall liked Logan. His pale innocence, his constant need for Kendall's endearment and affection. It felt good to have Logan be the person he would risk anything for, besides his mother and Katie. But Kendall, even after he stopped being so dark about Logan, and befriended the two boys he thought he never would, still constantly missed Logan, the little boy who would retreat into his arms at every little thing that would get in his way.

The three boys went to sleep together that night, it being too momentous an occasion to end the night alone, despite the awkward burning marks into their skin. The three were laying on Kendall's soft, chocolate brown couch, huddling together and escaping under the woollen blanket to hide from the horror movie staring them in the face.

Carlos was whimpering fiercely, wishing it would go away, hugging his knees, and about to cry. But he insisted that he was a strong boy, and continued watching the movie. James was amused by how scared he was, mostly because he was clutching Carlos tight, chuckling, and Kendall was clutching him just as tight, choking back terrified screams. It may have been the most touching thing the three had ever done.

But that night, a ring at the doorbell caused them to jump.

Kendall gulped down a large lump. "We're going to get the door. Together."

"Agreed." James and Carlos muttered, as the three walked towards the door, huddled together, hesitating as they walked down the hallway. Every patch of darkness seemed to shock each of the boys' hearts, their imaginations extra-fueled by the horror movie left behind in the living room.

As they opened the door, they saw the most frightening sight, much scarier than the horror movie they had just witnessed.

Before them, stood Jennifer Mitchell, face purple and bleeding, his mother carrying a fainted and even paler than usual Logan in her arms, just as pained and destroyed. "We're back, boys."

"Aunty Jen!" Kendall cried, his voice drowned in peril, as Carlos and James instantly scurried to lift Logan into the living room, leaving Kendall to give his aunt a delicate hug, then flurrying amass of questions. "Aunt Jen, what happened? Why would you... how did you?"

"Kenny, sweetheart, please go get your mother. And some rubbing alcohol." Jennifer slowly limped to the living room, later to be helped towards Logan by Carlos and James.

Kendall nodded firmly and dashed upstairs, entering his mother's room. "Mom! Mom! Wake up!"

Katherine groaned, taking in the fear in Kendall's tone. "Kenny, I told you not to watch that scary movie..."

"No, mom, it's not the movie, it's Aunt Jennifer."

"What about her, babe?" Katherine almost sounded annoyed by the sudden wake up that early, early morning.

"She's downstairs."

"What?" She said, her being now wide awake, and her body rushing to fumble out the bed.

"And she's hurt." Kendall said, as his mother bolted out of the room, him beginning to feel tears from a mixture of shock, happiness, and fear.

June 4, 2005

Logan awoke, his outsides broken, but his insides somewhat elated to be able to be with the boy he loved once more.

He was dressed in Kendall's softest pajama outfit, alongside James who clutched a palm over his shoulder, arm slid over his small chest. The boys must have taken Katherine's bed, having woken in her room. Carlos and Kendall were early risers, leaving James and Logan together in the room.

Logan felt nice to be in somebody's grip, but he was somewhat thrown that it had been James. He tapped the long-haired boy's hand lightly, muttering, "James. James, let me go."

James's eyes fluttered open, eyes meeting Logan's. They became wide instantly, and he rose to lift the weight from Logan and wipe his palms on his shirt as if he was holding a garbage can. "Logan, are you okay?"

"I'm fine." Logan sat up slowly, hissing from the twinge in various areas of his body. His voice was scratchy and cracked, strewn with sadness and pain, yet a hopeful squeak about it gave both boys some sense of relief.

"Our moms talked over what happened to you." James scooted close to his smaller counterpart, taking him into a warm hug. "You can cry."

"James, what are you-" Logan didn't understand why it is that James, aggressive, determined, hard-headed James, would be the one he woke up with his arms slung around. Maybe it was James making a move...

No, it couldn't have been that. James liked girls. As far as Logan knew.

"Just shut up and cry already." James had already beat him to it, though, tears tracing his cheeks gently. "We never got around to being, you know, friends."

"Kendall didn't... want us to." Logan subtly figured, drawing up the most legitimate excuse.

"Kendall's not here right now." James chuckled. "Is hugging you weird? It sorta feels weird."

"Yeah, why are we doing this again?"

"I suppose I can relate to you. My dad left me behind and hurt me plenty, too. Then my mom brings home some horrible dude, in my case, multiple dudes, and you end up just running far, far away from where it is you absolutely love to be."

"I hated Texas." Logan admitted. "Too hot."

"Well, then, besides a little pain, you've got Minnesota and Kendall now."

"I thought Kendall wasn't here." Logan murmured in playful accusation.

"He rea-" James paused a second. Was he really going to do this? Was he going to drive Logan into the arms of the love of hislife? Logan, being a boy he knew almost nothing of, Kendall being the boy he idolized, both of them together will definitely break his heart. But, somehow, he managed, "Kendall. He loves you."

"Of course he loves me. We've been brothers since-"

"No. Not like that. Kendall loves you."

Logan's face ripened to a carnation pink. "He does?" Yep. James may as well have sold his entire heart to Logan, giving him a bonus deal by handing him his chances of happiness and romance.

"Not lying. And from your tone of voice, you love him back." James let go of the hug. He saw that Logan had begun crying, most likely tears of joy, knowing he reunited with Kendall for the first time in the longest time he had ever felt. "Well? Go get him."

James helped Logan out of the large bed, and down the stairs, into the dining room, where Kendall fed on his cereal. His face brightened to see James, a broken face attempting to override a happy one, and Logan, flustered and shy, approaching him with caution. James left the dining room to meet with Carlos, who could be heard from a distance playing his morning video games. His cries were muffled with oatmeal.

"Hey, Kenny." Logan's voice squeaked as they spoke across the table, Logan straining to stand up. He tried to not let his fear get the best of his ability to stand.

"Hey, Logie." Kendall's voice, too, was breaking slowly.

And Kendall had never felt happier.

August 13, 2005

Kendall and Logan began spending so much more time together, leaving James in an angered mess. He looked back to the day he befriended Logan, having fallen asleep, clutching the boy with a harmonious embrace, then woken up to have a crying fit with him, attempting to comfort him, only to send him into Kendall's arms. The school year had begun suddenly, the boys now in the seventh grade, prepared to take on the entire student populous.

James and Kendall had a few classes together, and Kendall and Logan, but the only class where the three were together was P.E. The three of them were generally skilled in athletics and sports, but James began getting especially competitive around Logan and Kendall, fueled by the envy of having the object of his desire smother himself upon Logan.

James didn't want to think ill of Logan. He was a smart kid. A very smart kid. Also a very good kid.

So bottom line, he was borderline enraged at how stuck he was. What was he supposed to say, anyway? "Kendall I'm in love with you, please dump Logan for me." Imagine how Logan would feel. Imagine how Kendall would feel. Imagine how he himself would feel, having felt like a bad person just fathoming about tearing the two about.

Coach had lined the class of teenage boys up to play hockey in the middle school's small rink.

Kendall, James, and Logan decided to sit it out that day. Life was a bit too serious at the moment to have a real game among friends, so they decided to simply shoo around the puck on the surface of the ice. The cold restraint of the rink and their thin gym clothes made them shiver, but the Minnesota boys had grown used to the quivering and the temperature alike.

They talked.

Well, Kendall talked, and he seemed to have the pair of boys hanging onto every word he said. He knew Logan and he had some chemistry going on, but James was beginning to look at him the same way Logan did, the same pair of desiring eyes.

Was Kendall just giving off the wrong pheromone lately, or what?

Kendall decided to test it. "So, Logan, we should go to the girls' hockey game tomorrow. I heard it's going to be intense. You know, just you and me." Logan looked up, joyous. He nodded enthusiastically, passing the puck to James, whose eyes were sharpened and narrowed onto Logan with a deathly glare. "Oh, I also think you should spend a bit more time with Carlos starting after school today. He needs help getting into this school."

Suddenly, Logan's euphoric face melted away. "He wants to go here? What, I'll tutor him, or something?"

"Yeah. Good plan, huh?" Kendall beamed.

"And what will you be doing without me?" Logan asked, a smudge of anger crossing his tone.

"I don't know. I'll be practicing with James, I guess." Kendall said, watching James and Logan switch emotions.

Oh, yeah. Something was definitely going on.

August 15, 2005

Even though Kendall blurted all the information about the girls' hockey game and the tutoring and the practice out on impulse, he didn't want to appear as a liar, so he went on with the plans and both pissed off and happily engaged both boys effectively. Kendall and Logan enjoyed as their home team for girls' hockey claimed regional victory, then Logan was dismissed to meet Carlos at the local library, leaving Kendall to meet with James.

What he had to do, he didn't know.

Logan, being shook off by his best friend, walked to meet Carlos at the library in a huff of rage. The local library was large, and prominent, sticking out in the middle of town, busy (as busy as a library could get) with college students and scholars, mothers and their soon-to-be geek children, enthusiastic about books. Logan found Carlos inside the library, fumbling with a textbook about ecosystems. What Carlos was interested in was the pictures of the fascinating animals of the planet.

He probably didn't even know what an ecosystem was.

Logan reached in his backpack, pulling out a new notebook he purchased at the store, labeled with Sharpie with the words: Lesson Plan. Carlos planned on learning anything it took to get him to pass the test he was required to take to get into regular school to be with James and Kendall. Logan tried to sound happy when approaching Carlos, who he had just gotten himself acquainted with yesterday, even after all these years.

"Hey." He sat down. It was awkward teaching Carlos, but he knew that it was, one, making Kendall happy, and two, the air of awkwardness would soon fade. Carlos was bubbly like that.

"What're we learning today, teach?" Carlos beamed brightly, welcoming his teacher with a happy, inquisitive sunshine about him.

"Uh." Logan took a glance and Carlos's smile, and suddenly, it was a lot easier to open up. "You pick: Math, English, Science, or Social Studies?"

"Can we do P.E.?" Carlos joked with a small chuckle.

"Let's save that for last. Maybe later, I'll take you to Kendall." Logan smiled.

"What about... something fun?"

"Fun? Well, what do you think is fun?"

"I think... I think you're fun." Carlos smiled with a sweet, small smile perked upon his face.

"You think I'm fun?" Logan was both thrown and flattered by Carlos's odd way of kissing up.

"Totally! So you pick, and you make it fun. You are the teacher, after all." Carlos made a very good point.

"Then let's do science."

"Alright, then." Carlos smiled, pushing the ecosystems book towards Logan. "Teach me about animals."

Logan didn't know what it was about Carlos that made it suddenly so easy to talk to. At first, the idea of being in the library, teaching Carlos was both a lost cause and a bore. Logan loved to learn things, sure, and teaching the things he learned may have been fun, but Carlos wasn't exactly his most desired student.

But suddenly, now Carlos was a desired student.

And Logan had never made Kendall so happy in such an easy way.

September 18, 2005

The first day the four boys came together diplomatically and quite peacefully was a few hours before Katie's birthday party. Kendall was doing a horrible job of hiding his gloomy emotions with a gleeful charade. Nobody bought it. The four were decorating the Knight house, rushing to finish before Katie and their mothers got home from entertaining the little girl.

They were luckily finished before the ladies of the house went home, leaving the four with time to get ready for the festivities and dress in their party clothes.

But for the next few minutes, the boys would take a well-deserved break. The four were panting heavily, flopped like fish onto the couch. Their sweat was ready to be collected in buckets, and they took a good, long look at their work. The entire house was adorned with streamers and confetti, the furniture slightly rearranged to support Katie's young friends who planned on darting about and shooting plastic toys at one another. The colors popped along the house, and the boys had never been so proud.

Logan was the only of the four who remembered that day as the first time the four worked together to accomplish absolutely anything. They even did a good job.

All they had to do was bake the cake, get ready, and entertain the guests. After that, they could sleep, which was heavily deserved.

The four had bonded closer, definitely, and ever since Logan's hard work earned Carlos a spot as a student at their public school, and Kendall's hard work that earned him a spot on the hockey team. Life was beginning to look up.

That is, until that night.

The four decided to bunk at James's house for the night. The mothers had ganged together and fallen asleep in the Knight household to oversee the band of little princesses who had made Katie's room their resting place. James laid out a large comforter to cover his couch, put on American Pie, and let the four's hormones rage on as they watched the teen angst-filled movie.

Kendall retreated to go to the bathroom, leaving James and Logan to stare as he walked out of the room. He donned only his plaid boxers and a white tee shirt. Carlos shoved another handful of popcorn into his mouth and let out a belch before the two broke their sudden need to stare down the blond as he left the room.

Carlos noticed the two's stares and began picking up on James's patterns of reacting to Kendall. He began to get a bit fed up. "I'm... going to get some air." Carlos sighed. "Hope you three can work things out."

"What?" The duo said in unison, both wondering what it was Carlos knew about the three. Kendall returned to find only the two boys, their eyes fixated onto the movie.

"Where'd Carlitos go?" Kendall sat down, taking the deep bowl of popcorn and mimicking Carlos's action by inhaling a fistful.

"He's out on the back porch. Getting some air." James announced. "Someone should go check on him. He seemed worried."

After a awkward silence, Logan surveyed the two boys' faces. He knew those two weren't the most sympathetic of the four, and he groaned. "Fine. I'll do it." He stood up, walking out to the porch to find Carlos, laying down on the pillowed porch swing, the ambiance saturated in a moonlit blue. Carlos seemed to glow in the light, and Logan approached his friend slowly.

"Hey." He said, as Carlos propped himself upright to make room for his friend.

Taking a seat, Carlos replied, "Hi."

"So, what's up?"

"Nothing much, you?"

"Just wondering why you're looking so... I don't know..." Logan took a glance at his friend. "Alone?"

Carlos gulped. "I'm going to tell you something."

"I'll listen."

"You promise you won't laugh? Or hate me forever, or something?"

"Why would I do that?"

"It's a bit... different."

"Different?"

"Yeah."

"Well, shoot. I can handle it."

"I've been looking at James the way the girls look at James. I don't know why. I really don't. I'm confused and I'm scared."

Logan chuckled, look at his friend shake with every word he said. Carlos never looked so innocent before.

"You promised you wouldn't laugh." Carlos bit his lip and sounded as if he was resisting a barrage of tears.

"I'm not laughing at you Carlos." He swung an arm over his shorter friend. "It's just a little different to watch you so vulnerable."

Carlos waded in the silence. "...okay?" He commented sarcastically, brushing off Logan's snickers.

"What you should do is..." Logan took a look at Carlos, his needy eyes and his lip bit back tight. His gaze was fixed onto the beautiful sky, stars fluttered onto the black of the sky, the moon governing each and every glow in the sky. Carlos wondered if that one star represented every person on Earth. If it did, there had to be a star out there that belonged to him. "You should, um..."

The more Carlos looked longingly at the sky, Logan got more lost into his expression. He began feeling warmth from the bottom of his stomach, and finally uttered, "You should come inside. James is wondering where you are."

"I like it here." Carlos didn't, for a second, look away from the night sky.

Logan smiled, and look at the wonderment that Carlos was gazing out upon. "...me too." He said under breath.

"Let's stay."

Logan took a last glance at Carlos, wishing that the subtle coziness he felt emerging from his insides would go away so that he could go inside and watch the movie. But instantly, he told Carlos, "...okay."

And they laid on the swing and watched the night.

Meanwhile, inside, James attempted to figure out what it was with Kendall that kept him from totally enjoying the funniest parts of the movie. James was bouncing hysterically at the comedic bit, but Kendall merely shone a fake smile.

"Okay, what's the matter?" James swiped the remote and clicked the television off.

Kendall suddenly looked angry. "Nothing. I want to watch the movie."

"No. Not until you tell me what's going on."

"James, I can't."

"Yes, you can. Please, tell me."

"Another time, okay? It's not the day for that."

"Tell me, Kenny. Now." James was almost angry at this point. Kendall gave a look of sadness to James, then tore out of the room and out onto the porch. He instantly clutched Logan's wrist after approaching in a rush, then pulled the two into James's room. Carlos followed the hasty couple back into the living room to find that the touching feeling he felt be replaced by a sudden heat after James approached. Carlos reacted by asking, "What did you say?"

James shrugged, his eyes wide. He'd angered Kendall before, numerous of ways, but never to the point where Kendall needed Logan and not him. James appeared awestruck and dumbfounded. All Carlos did was sit down and rub his shoulder in attempt to comfort him.

What just happened?

September 19, 2005

Kendall and Logan fell asleep on James's bed, and when Logan awoke, he recalled the night before.

"Kendall, we've been through this." Logan said as the two were in an embrace. "Your dad is gone."

"I know, but. I just."

"James asked you about him, didn't he?"

"Yeah."

"I can't believe you told him that this is the day he left. Am I the only one that knows the exact day?"

"Yeah."

"And you're angry that he didn't even bother to assume that it was the day. He's supposedly 'emotionally detached to you.'"

"...what?"

"I get it, Ken. You like James. I know."

"...what?" Kendall repeated almost instantly. Was Logan really that smart?

"Yes, I'm that smart, Kendall." It was as if he could hear his thoughts. "And no, I can't read your thoughts. I'm just really smart."

"I do not like James." Kendall muttered clearly.

"You love him."

"Stop it. I like you."

"You like me, sure." Logan blushed a bit. "I knew that. But you love James."

"I'm going to sleep."

"Okay."

And there were the two, awakening that morning.

The other two were downstairs, as James awoke suddenly to Carlos breathing lightly onto his neck, having fallen on him in their sleep. They were mounted on the couch, and James, too, couldn't help but recall the last night, after Kendall stormed off.

"It'll be okay, Jamie. Kendall won't be mad at you for too long." Carlos said, smiling a bright smile at his taller counterpart.

Carlos's voice sounded assuring, enough for James to respond, "You really think so?"

"I know so!" Carlos chirped brightly.

It was something about Carlos that made him feel like he needed to be strong and jubilant for the sake of themselves. James couldn't help but smile whenever Carlos was around. "Okay, then." He paused for a while and thought through things. He told himself that things were going to get better, trusting his smaller partner's word. "Hey, Carlos..." His voice trailed, beginning a heartfelt thank you to his friend, when he found his smaller friend dozed off, head fallen back against the couch.

James chuckled slightly, pushing Carlos's head into his neck, and the two fell asleep, right then and there.

And there were the two, awakening that morning.

Making a total of four, who wanted on thing that daybreak.

Answers.

A/N: I can see the couples already forming in my head, and they're beginning to solidify, but keep leaving your beautiful, beautiful reviews about the couples. I apologize if it's a little muddled and/or confusing. I'm beginning to experience that dreadful disease called Writer's Block. It'll go away soon.

Maybe.

Disclaimer: I own nothing except the plot. You already knew that, though, right?