Disclaimer: I, sadly, do not own anything from Big Time Rush or from Nickelodeon for that matter. However, I do own the girls and all of the little lovely things that swim around in my brain.
Author's Note: I am so freaking sorry for not getting this written and updated sooner. I'm a failure when it comes to updating and keeping promises. BUT I hope that you enjoy some of the things happening in this chapter and will bear with me while I get the second part of the chapter written as well. I won't bore you with a long Author's note, so without further ado, chapter 7! :)
Chapter 7:
"Baby (You've Got What It Takes)"
"Are you all ready for this?" Carlos asked in an excited whisper as they all stood around in their attire for the evenings show. The benefit that was being put on had asked the kids of the William S. Hart choir to put on a few songs for the teens and the adults that would be in attendance. Tuesday when they had found out about it, Mrs. Burbage had told the kids they would each get to perform what they wanted and as a whole they would perform at the beginning of the show together.
Now, as the boys stood around with their preshow jitters, Carlos had decided to ask the same question over and over again. It was about 5 minutes to curtain and the girls were all in the zone. Sophie quietly practiced her steps to the opening number, while Leah ran a Chi through her already straightened hair in case a curl decided to pop up out of nowhere. Tess, however, sat calmly trying to think of things that wouldn't stress her out.
James and Logan were a different story. As the two boys whispered quietly in the corner away from everyone else, they continued to shoot covert glances around the room at their classmates. Kendall, who was looking slightly uncomfortable in the flowing white pants of the costume for the opening number, tried to calm Carlos down so he wouldn't freak out and burst in excitement. Finally, after what seemed like hours, Mrs. Burbage came behind the curtain and smiled at them all.
"I'm so happy that we were able to get this together on such short notice. Now, remember your lines, steps, lyrics, and please, smile." They all nodded as the girls did one last wardrobe check. Slipping out to address the crowded auditorium, Burbage left her students to make their final adjustments.
Twirling to make sure her dress wouldn't stick, Leah adjusted the straps on her deep maroon salsa dress and smiled at her dance partner for the dance, Kendall. Shaking her wrists back to push all her bangles out of the way, she walked towards where he was picking at his pants. "Stop fussing with your pants, you'll get them dirty." She said while rolling her eyes and smoothing down Kendall's flowy maroon button down.
Cuffing the sleeves of his own aqua shirt, James paused to spin Tess around and she rolled her eyes as her own salsa dress spun around her, the tinkling of the beads the only noise behind the stage. "We're so going to own this. Sophie, Leah, don't trip over the bench again. Alright?" Throwing her a dirty look, Sophie let Carlos, in his soft yellow shirt, take her arm. Curtsying in her yellow salsa dress she stuck her tongue out in acknowledgement as the crowd began to clap.
"Logan, you ready?" Sophie whispered to the boy in the emerald shirt, who looked nervous but otherwise like he was ready to go out to the stage where Samantha, Emily, and Travis all waited. Without any further warning, the curtain lifted and they all walked out to take their places. Leah and Tess sat together on the bench in the middle of the stage where it was still dark, acting as if they were going to be talking quietly to each other and Logan waited just off stage with the ice cream stand.
Sophie, who was standing with Carlos and Emily, bounced excitedly while James, Travis, Samantha, and Kendall took their places in the background as well. Giving the go ahead, Logan started to walk out on stage pushing the cart with a very nonchalant air as the music started to play and the background noise filled in. The spotlight hit Leah and Tess who began to act as if they were interested in talking and quasi-stalking Logan.
"Ice cream. Ice cream!" Logan said while the bells rang and it sounded like the ocean was sounding in the background. Stopping in front of the girls, Logan winked at Tess. "Hey, baby, want to try this ice cream?" Giggling, she acted like she was peering into the cart while biting her lip.
"Got a little bit of banana?" She asked coyly while the bongos started and Logan made a 'ah' noise to the girls. As the lights began to slowly come on, she asked for another flavor. "Chocolate? Vanilla? Banana flavored?"
As they started to laugh and he held out his arm for her, Leah started to 'ooh' into her mic, while they started to push the ice cream stand off the stage into the side and out of the way. The lights began to light up and slowly standing off of the bench she got louder as everyone started to walk out, the boys congregating together and Logan kissing Tess's hand suavely as she joined the girls.
While the music started to go, they all began to dance and twirl around while the trumpets took full force. Whooping with the music, they all did their best to smile and engage the audience before giving themselves over to the parts they were playing in the song.
James and Kendall walked over with Logan, sitting on the bench while Logan stood casually next to it and began to sing. "I'm the ice cream man, known as Melo. Now wouldn't you like to say hello to a fellow?" As he said this, Leah walked by and twiddled her fingers at him in hello walking off flirtily and Kendall got up to follow after her while James spread out more on the bench. "Me and my amigos, sitting all on a bench, somewhere down in Puerto Rico."
"Two coco hunnys stepped by." At this point, Sophie and Tess started to stroll by arm in arm and Logan and James exchanged a look while nodding their heads as if they were interested. "They were looking magnifico so I stepped to 'em. Yeah, how ya doin? I took a close second look and knew that I knew 'em!" During this sequence, James and Logan both slid in front of the girls. While James and Tess casually eye-flirted, Logan looked at Sophie and did a double look to get a better feel for her.
Grabbing hold of her hand, he pulled her closer to him to sing and semi-dance with her. "Bingo! Let me drop all my lingo. I'll make you understand that I'm still single. So hunny don't you worry, no way. I gotta truck full of pop sticks here to stay."
Moving the bench out of the way, Carlos and Travis joined Emily and Samantha to dance while Kendall, Leah, Tess, and James began to dance and sing into their head-mics and Logan 'seduced' Sophie in front. "Whoop whoop!" Everyone called out while they got prepared to follow Logan's directions as he sang them.
"Just slide a little." Taking the girls by the waist, the boys slid them closer and then bent them back into a dip.
"Whoop Whoo!"
"Just ride a little." Spinning the girls around while they were in the dip, the boys righted them before letting go and switching partners with the boys to their rights.
"Whoop whoo!"
"Baby, baby, get down! Little in the middle but surrounded by a big round," Logan stopped right before and looked at Sophie as if he was scared of her reaction while the boys behind him were fake slapped and switched partners again.
"Whoop whoo!"
"Just slide a little." The same moves from earlier were repeated, but this time the girls slid away from the boys and the boys got pulled towards them.
"Whoop whoo."
"Just ride a little." Instead of being dipped, the girls used the boys to spin themselves, their skirts looking like ball gowns as they fanned around the spinning legs.
"Whoop whoo."
"Baby, baby, get down! Little in the middle but surrounded by a big round," Again, he stopped right before but not before Sophie broke free from his grasp, hands on her hips as she sashayed away from him. As the band played louder, Logan shrugged his shoulders in a 'what can you do' motion and began to stand there as the girls got their right partners back and Emily came to join him. As they all began to sway and sashay around the stage, Kendall decided to have a little fun and twirled Leah while letting go of her, making everyone think she was going to crash until Logan caught her and then dipped her back.
This was Kendall's cue to start his part of the song. "Chocolate, banana, vanilla flavor, you can trying any 'one' thing, I'll do ya that favor. But later on ya got be here by my side, waiting on the side of the ride." Turning around, he moved back out of the center to take Leah back from Logan, who acted like she was swooning in Kendall's arms as he danced with her. Meanwhile, Tess and James took their spot in the center while he sang to Tess.
"Hey, we're goina do a thing that's mega. I'm having way more 'fun' than those kiddies playin the Sega. Like Noriega, I'm dictatin' the game and I don't stop until you scream out my name!" Grabbing her around the middle, she glared and then took off after him while she called after him. "Hey!"
"So honey don't you worry no way! I gotta truck full of pop sticks here to stay." Carlos sang while he and Sophie ran past James and Tess, Sophie navigating and side-stepping the bench markers with a happy expression on her face as she sent a wink to Tess.
Once again, the whole choir gathered around to sing while Logan and Samantha stood in the front. "Whoop whoop. Just slide a little. Whoop whoop; just ride a little! Whoop whoop; baby, baby, get down. Little in the middle but surrounded by a big round," Pausing, he flinched back as Samantha fake hit him and spun her away only to have Leah smiling up at him. The chorus began again, the same dances happening. "Whoop whoop. Just slide a little. Whoop whoop; just ride a little! Whoop whoop; baby, baby, get down. Little in the middle but surrounded by a big round," Again he spun her away but when he turned back around it was to a glaring Sophie.
Putting his hands up he backed up some, as if caught, "Ha ha. Havin' fun." Side stepping her, he let Carlos take her back and start dancing with her again as Logan stepped forward and started to address the crowd. "Why don't you all slide a little, ride a little, smile a little, and spend a little time with me?"
"Would you all, stop standing around. Bring that butt to the dance floor. Let's get it on," Addressing Kendall and Leah, as well as Travis and Emily, who were all acting like they weren't going to dance again, he pulled them to the 'dance floor' and acted like he was showing them how to move. "Tonight's the night! Oh, yeah!"
He continued to encourage everyone while still keeping up his moves with Samantha. The crowd was entranced by all the twirling dresses, the boys in their white pants and their flowing tops, and many people were clapping along, and even a brave few were swaying to the music from their seats. Smiling, Logan got ready for the grand finale as everyone came to stand around each other as if they were singing to each other in their semi-circle.
"Whoop, whoo!" They all called while clapping their hands and raising their hands up to get the crowd involved.
"Just slide a little." Kendall and Leah sang together.
"Whoop whoo!"
"Just ride a little." Carlos and Sophie sang while laughing slightly.
"Whoop, whoo!"
"Baby, baby, get down! Little in the middle but surrounded by a big round," Tess and James sang while turning to look at each other like they were questioning each other.
They sang the chorus twice more, everyone laughing and dancing around and as the trumpet began to play the final notes, they all started to walk away. Sophie and Leah took each other by the arms and started to exit the stage while Kendall, James, and Tess walked off. Carlos and Emily, then Travis and Samantha soon followed them. As the final notes played, Logan put his 'ice cream' hat back on and strolled off the stage with a smirk on his face and his hands in his pocket.
As the curtain lowered, they all happily smiled at each other and clapped each other on the back while Carlos left to get ready for the next song, which he would sing by himself. He was to be followed by Travis and Samantha, then Emily would go, and then Kendall and Tess would sing their song. Leah would then succeed them, then James, Logan, Carlos, and Kendall would perform together, and finally Sophie would close the show.
Judging by the amount of nervousness that had followed them at the beginning, they all knew it was going to be a ways to go before they were truly comfortable waiting backstage even though they were so excited.
Three songs later, and freshly changed into their costumes for the dance, Tess and Kendall waited for the curtain to rise and the band to start their song. Tess, who was in a navy swing dress with a fitted middle, flung her hands out in front of her in repeated motion as she ran over her words in her head. Kendall, who stood opposite of her was a complete 180 from her nervousness. Arms crossed over his white dress shirt, he tapped his foot, making the suspenders that were attatched to his black dress pants swing.
"Are you ready?" He asked, taking his place across the stage and pulling his bowler hat off to hold in his hand as the very beginning of the band started up. Looking at him and putting her hands on her hips, Tess sent him a slight smile and mouthed back, "This better work," as the curtain rose.
Flashback
"Mrs. Burbage, can I talk with you for a second?" Tess asked after choir that Monday. As her cousins filed out of the old music room, Tess lingered behind and walked up to the old stage to talk to her teacher. At Mrs. Burgage's nod, she tried to phrase the question in an appropriate way. "My parents are probably going to make it to the benefit on Friday and in order to make them see that I really am serious about this whole music career thing, I need to really impress them with my work."
Putting her hand to her chin, Mrs. Burbage mulled over what she was saying before looking at Tess square in the eyes. "Tess, I believe you've got as much talent, if not more, that the wack jobs in the music industry today, so anything I can do to help you would be my pleasure."
"Thanks, Mrs. B. What I need to know is your opinion on who would be a good person to sing a duet with? It can't be Leah or Sophie, because my parents will just think it's too cutesie because of them being my cousins and all. But I'd really like to do a duet." She explained while pulling on her ponytail and then pushing her layers back behind her ears. Mrs. Burbage studied her for a moment before smiling at her and walking with her towards the door.
"My dear, I think if you're looking for a duet partener, that you know just the blonde to sing with you." Raising an eyebrow at the teacher, Tess tried hard not to roll her eyes because she actually liked the choir director.
"But, I can't do a duet with Leah." She said, thinking about her blonde cousin with her curly hair and shy demeanor. That just wouldn't work out. She'd be too shy to even get out in front of the crowd unless the whole choir was backing her up.
"Oh, Tess, I'm not talking about Leah. I'm talking about tall, blonde, and eyebrows." The look on the older woman's face looked like she was up to something and it took less that a second for Tess to feel her face drop.
"Kendall? But I can't ask him to sing with me. We barely even know each other." Tess said. Mrs. Burbage shrugged her shoulders and then ushered Tess out of the door. "If you want to impress your parents, you will duet with Kendall. If not, then I'm sure a solo would be fine for you as well."
Shutting the door to the choir room, Tess walked out into the empty hallway before making her way towards the doors that would lead her to where Leah had parked for the end of the day. Truthfully, it wasn't like she didn't like Kendall. It was quite the opposite really. He was genuinely nice, just a little bit adventuress, and enough of a rule breaker to be fun but not dangerous. And he was cute. But she wouldn't admit that to anyone.
He wouldn't be a terrible partner but there was just something about him that she wasn't sure about. Sighing, she pushed open the big glass doors and walked through the busy parking lot to the Range Rover that was sitting in Leah's spot. "I'll be happy when you get your convertible back, Leah, because this thing is too damned tall to get into." Tess mumbled as she opened the door and climbed into the front seat.
"Trust me, as soon as my brother get's his head out of his ass, I'll have my car back." The curly blonde said while adjusting her mirror. Turning around to talk to Sophie, Tess furrowed her eyebrows.
"Any idea where Sophie is, Leah, or are we just peacing out without her today?" She asked. Rolling her eyes but smiling, Leah continued to back out of her spot and then started towards the exit.
As she waved a few people in front of her, she pushed her sunglasses out of her eyes and into her hair so her bangs would stop falling into her eyes. "She's with Jack, going over 'notes.' But we all know that they're just flirting in the library and generally being adorable." Laughing, Tess settled back into her seat and watched the scenery go by. They were just getting off the exit to head into Los Angeles when Leah looked down at her phone. "Hey, do you care if we head over to my house for a minute?"
"Yeah, sure, that's fine. I was going to ask you to drop me off at the Palm Woods anyway. I need to ask Kendall a question." Raising her eyebrows in a suggestive manner, Leah laughed as Tess shooed her off and then pulled into the parking complex of her father's hotel/her home. Walking into the spacious lobby, Leah smiled and waved happily at her favorite concierge, Wendall. "Afternoon, Wendy!" Tess said with a smile while he rolled his eyes.
"And how are you beautiful girls doing this lovely day?" The admittedly gay man asked with a wink. Laughing Leah signed the paper to pick up her package and they waved goodbye at the man as they got on the private elevator that would bring them to the penthouse. After swiping her card, the eleveator started to move.
"What do you think these are?" Leah asked while looking over the official looking envelope. "Zack said they were really important and to pick them up right away while he goes to school to sign some papers or something. He's not going back for the semester because he said he's needed at home. I'm just really pissed that no one is saying anything to me and everyone is being so freaking secretive."
Putting an arm around her cousin, Tess patted her on the back while the elevator-dinged open and they stepped out to open the door to Leah's house. "I'm sure it's nothing, Leah. Probably just Zack being stupid and indecisive as usual." As they stepped into the apartment, Leah frowned while she noticed that it looked like no one had been at home since the week before. She had been staying at Leah's for the past few nights, about a week since the incident at the beach had happened, and it looked like the apartment hadn't been lived in since she'd gotten back.
"I wonder where the hell my mom has been?" She wondered aloud as Tess went into the kitchen and checked the fridge. She frowned when she noticed nothing in there and no money on the magnet next to the freezer where Leah's mother usually left it for groceries. Getting a bad feeling in the pit of her stomach, she walked into the living room where Leah was standing.
"Leah, you want to grab some clothes and just stay at my house tonight?" She asked trying to divert her cousin's attention from the envelope she was holding in her hand. Walking over to her, Tess put her hand on her shoulder while Leah's hands shook.
"I have to open it. Something is up and no one is telling me anything. This 'very important document' obviously has something to do with it, so I'm opening it. And if no one is here to tell me not to then I can't be held responsible." The blonde reasoned as Tess stood by watching.
Ripping into the envelope, she pulled out the papers inside and read over the first few paragraphs as her face continued to fall. "What is it, Lee?" Tess asked and closing her eyes, Leah just shook her head and laughed before tossing the papers on the coffee table.
"I should have seen this coming." Leah said with a shake of her head, then with a sigh, she walked into her room. Not knowing what to do, Tess looked down at the papers and felt her throat close up some. No way. This could not be happening. The only word standing out on the paper in front of her was printed in bold letters. Ann Monroe files for Divorce from Jack Monroe blah blah blah.
"Leah," Tess said in a dejected voice while walking into her friend's room where she was grabbing clothes and other things she would need in her biggest Vera Bradley bag. Shaking her head and wiping under her eyes quickly, Leah zipped the bag up before swinging it over her shoulder.
"I'm going to stay at your house for a little while, if that's okay with you?" She said in a small voice and Tess nodded before walking back out of the apartment with her cousin. Once they were safely back in the car, Leah started to pull out of the hotel. "So, mind if I tag along to the Palm Woods with you?" Her laugh was shaky and Tess smiled, trying to keep the sympathy off of her face.
Looking out the window as the cloudy sky turned a little darker, she nodded her head. "Of course. I'm just going to ask Kendall to do a song at the benefit with me. It shouldn't take more than a few minutes as long as I can get him to agree. Although I have no idea what song to do."
Leah laughed and sped along the streets, her sunglasses firmly in place over her red eyes even though the sun wasn't out. "I'm sure he'll agree in no time. You are like the love of his life anyway." She let out a loud laugh when Tess rolled her eyes and shoved her slightly. "Anyway, I'm sure you'll think of something. I, on the other hand, have no clue what I'm going to do."
"Why don't you play? It's been forever since you've actually sat down at the piano." Tess said and Leah shrugged non-commitedly.
"It's also been forever since I've seen my mom at one of our shows. She's the only reason I even played in the first place. I don't think it's going to happen now." With a sad smile, she pulled into the Palm Woods and unbuckled her seat belt as the valet came to get the door. "Hey, Tess, don't tell anyone about my mom and dad, alright? Not even Sophie. I just don't want the sympathetic looks right now."
Nodding her head, Tess grabbed Leah's hand and squeezed. "Not a soul." As they hopped out of the car, Tess suddenly felt her nerves jump to the top of her throat. If Kendall didn't agree to this, she was going to have to resort to a solo. Not that she didn't think she could sing on her own, but she didn't want to get up on the stage by herself if she didn't have to.
Walking into the bustling Palm Woods, it was easy to spot the boys, who were being berated by the Manager of the hotel. "If it happens again, you're out. I mean it this time. Turning the pool into a bubble bath is NOT IN THE CONTRACT!" Smiling happily, the boys ignored the man's screaming until he got bored and stalked off into his office.
"You boys sure know how to start a party, don't you?" Tess said from next to Leah, who was smiling and rolling her eyes. Looking over at the two girls, the boys all grinned while Logan and Carlos checked their phones.
"It's what we do best." Carlos said before nudging Logan and pointing at the time. "We've got to run and do some, uhm, errands. See you at school." The two looked back at Kendall and James flintily before hustling out of the doors where Leah and Tess had just come.
"What's up with them?" Leah asked and Kendall and James both shrugged before exchanging a look.
"Well, whatever, we didn't come here to just chat. Knight, I need to talk to you for a minute." Tess said before taking the boy's arm and pulling him towards the quiet part of the lobby, leaving James and Leah standing awkwardly next to each other. "Want to go to the park?" James asked, and Leah shrugged before following the boy out.
Turning towards Kendall, Tess tried to smile charmingly. "So, Knight, we're friends, right?" She asked and looking at her warily, Kendall nodded slightly. "Good, well, you know the benefit is on Friday and as friends I was thinking that you could help me out with something."
"Well, friend, what would that be?" Kendall asked sitting in a recliner and leaning back contentedly. Tess rolled her eyes at the blonde boy and smiled at him.
"You could help me out by singing a duet with me?" She posed it as a question, leaving him room to refuse if he really wanted to, but she hoped he wouldn't.
"What's in it for me, friend?" Kendall asked with a smile on his face. He was going to do the duet with her, because they were friends of course, but she didn't have to know that. And if he could get her to give up the ice-queen act with him then it would benefit the whole group dynamic. At least, that's what he told himself. He wasn't helping her because she had pretty aqua eyes or really long legs. Nope, that wasn't it at all.
Trying not to frown, Tess put her arm across her chest and then sat in the recliner opposite of him. "What is it that you want, Kendall?" She asked, noticing the way his eyebrow rose when she actually addressed him by his first name, which was a rare occurrence for her. She didn't know why it was so hard for her to let him in. But she was guarded with trusting people, and she just had a feeling that he wasn't telling her the whole truth.
"I want to pick the song." He said with a smile, already thinking of duets that would finally break the streak they had going on picking fights and being semi-mean, semi-teasing with each other. He would make her see that he wasn't all bad, even though she was determined that he wasn't telling her the hwole truth.
Rolling her eyes and smiling at him, she held her palm out across the table. "Fine, Knight, you've got a deal."
End Flashback
"Well, now, it takes more than a robin," Kendall sang while walking across the stage towards Tess, who was swaying slightly and acting like she was ignoring him. "To make the winter go. And it takes two lips for fire, to melt away the snow."
Puckering up, the audience laughed as Tess looked at him and rolled her eyes playfully before pushing off of the makeshift desk she'd been leaning against and started to walk away, her black heels clacking as her dress fluttered around her. Her tight pin curls bounced as she turned around and walked backwards while she began her part.
"Well it takes two hearts a cookin', to make a fire grow. And baby, you've got what it takes." Stopping, she crossed her arms, with one arm raised up and pointed at him. "Now, listen, honey." She said in a normal voice as Kendall stopped in front of her and said, "Alright, baby."
"You know it takes a lot of kissin,' oh, to make a romance weak." Putting her hand to Kendall's chest she pushed slightly with a grin on her face and then took her hand back and crossed her arms. "Oh, it takes a lot of lovin' to make my life complete." Grabbing her wrist, Kendall pulled her back and swung her around as her dress went wide and the audience clapped.
"Oh, well it takes somebody special to knock me off my feet." Acting like he'd fallen back a few steps, he shook his finger at her before smiling suavely. "And baby, you've got what it takes."
Together, they mimicked each other's movements and began to do a dance. "I said, oh." They sang together and then they continued to dance to a swing-style movement before spinning out and facing the crowd.
"You know you've got just what it takes because it takes more than an effort to stay away from me. And it takes more than a lifetime to prove that I'll be true." Kendall danced smoothly around Tess who stood with a cocky smile on her face as she sang her next line to the boy who was standing behind her.
"But it takes somebody special, to make me say I do." Tess pursed her lips and rolled her eyes as Kendall looked a little taken a back until he moved to her side as if to look at her questioningly and then they both put easy smiles on their faces as they turned towards each other and Kendall pulled her towards him.
"And baby, you've got what it takes." Together they sang to each other and spun around while they both smiled. Tess felt her heart race a little as she stared into Kendall's sea-green eyes but pushed that feeling away as she hummed her next line. "Ahhh, oh."
"Uh-huh, ooh. You know you've got just what it takes." With a unexpected dip, Kendall sang to Tess as his face flushed a little from their close contact. His face twitched for just a second before his smile fell back into place and no one noticed except for Tess who sent him an odd look.
Shaking it off, she came back up from the dip and then pushed him back a little bit. With a coy smile, she put her hand on her hip and used her other to point at him and then smirked."Oh, because it takes a lot of effort to stay away from you. And it takes more than a lifetime to prove that I'll be true."
"Oh, it takes somebody special to make me say I do." Kendall sang with a wink and they moved a little bit away from each other for the finale as Tess got ready for the closing of the song.
Together, they sang to the line twice before Tess stopped and Kendall continued to move back more. "And baby, you've got what it takes."
"Baby, don't you know you've got what it takes." As Kendall sang the final line, Tess started to skip towards Kendall and finally as the song finished playing, Tess jumped up into Kendall's waiting arms as he spun her around and the curtain dropped. The crowd clapped and from behind the curtain, Kendall slowly lowered Tess to the ground with a smile. "Told you it'd work." He said and as neither of the two stopped smiling, they slowly drew closer until they were just a breath away.
"Guess I should have believed you." She said with a deep breath and then standing on her tip toes, she leaned in and kissed him on the lips.
Cliffhanger! (Ducks head) Sorry! I'll update soon though, promise.