Kendall slid down the ramp on his skateboard swerving to avoid Tom, well, he thought it was Tom but it could have been John, coming down as well. He liked skateboarding, but he had never learned many tricks. Before Big Time Rush he spent most of his free time playing hockey. And now? The boys were reckless enough without adding injury trying to slide down a handrail.
"Wow," Carlos said mesmerized when one of John and Tom's friends did a 360 in the air. "Can you teach me?" He called out.
Just what Carlos needed, to learn how to do something that would eventually land him in the hospital.
"How about we start with the ollie first?" John said.
Carlos nodded and double tapped his helmet. "I can do a wheelie." He showed off his talent.
"Great, great."
Kendall didn't know how Carlos managed to rope him into coming to the Skate Park that Monday afternoon. He didn't know John, Tom, or any of their friends and he wasn't a big skater boy like he had imagined and now knew they were. He felt out of place. This wasn't an ice skating rink, his home domain.
"First, we'll start with the basics."
Kendall tuned Carlos and John-Tom out as he decided to just skate around the park. He came because Carlos begged him to death. Carlos wanted to come but he didn't want to come alone in case the guys were dangerous. The guy who Kendall thought was Tom was a bit of a jerk, but the other guy, John if he wasn't Tom, seemed okay.
"Hey, look its pretty boy from Big Time Rush," someone snickered behind Kendall's back.
"That's not the pretty boy, Jeff, that's the bad boy," someone else replied back with a giggle (which Kendall didn't think was very manly of someone making fun of him being the "bad boy"). "Some bad boy."
"How do you know that?"
"My sister's a fan."
"Yeah, your sister."
"Yeah, shoot, she's got this picture of him on her wall of him trying to look all bad boy in black leather and eyeliner."
Kendall remembered taking that picture. He wasn't happy about it, but he and Gustavo had worked to convince Griffin he was the bad boy so he had to project the image at least once.
Not wanting to hear the rest of the boys' argument, discussion, whatever, Kendall grabbed his board and walked over to the area where Carlos was being taught how to ollie over a low balance beam. He'd seen Carlos ollie not very high, but never over anything aside from a crack in the sidewalk. And he wouldn't see that today as when Carlos jumped over the beam he landed before his skateboard did, falling to his knees, but he looked to be all right.
"Hey, Carlos, I think I'm going to head on home."
Carlos looked up at him with smiling eyes.
"You're okay here, right?"
"Yeah, I've almost mastered this."
"Sure." If that's what you call almost mastering something. "See ya later."
"K."
On Kendall's drove home he thought about heading to an ice skating rink. He hadn't brought his skates or any of his hockey gear to Colorado, but he was sure he could rent a pair at the rink. However, instead of driving to find a rink he found himself driving back to the cabin. After parking the SUV in the garage he decided to collect the garbage cans at the end of the driveway. Monday was garbage day and he'd learned the garbage men liked coming early. He found out when the loud grinding of the truck woke him up last Monday morning.
As he was about to pull the can back up the driveway he noticed a young light brown haired woman opening her mailbox. She looked his way and they locked eyes.
"Hey, you're Kendall Knight from Big Time…" She clasped a hand over her mouth. "Sorry, I know that can be annoying. Probably more for you though because you're more easily recognizable. That's the beauty of being an author." Their driveways were not exactly close to each other so it was kind of hard for Kendall to hear what she was saying, but he did hear her say she was an author and noticed her cheeks turning red.
"Have you written anything I might have read?" He wasn't a big reader or much of one really, but it wasn't like he never picked up a book. He walked over so he could better hear her answer.
"Do you read chick lit?"
He shook his head.
"Didn't think so. I'm Paige Godfrey."
"Hey, my girlfriend's read some your work. I think she was reading one of your novels when we left on tour."
"Jo Tay—"
"Are you a stalker?" Kendall interrupted.
"No," Paige laughed. "Entertainment Tonight." She grabbed the mail out of her mailbox which had been open this entire time.
"Do you live here?" Kendall asked curiously and stupidly. He looked at the front entrance of the cabin that he had to admit was smaller than the one he was staying at. Of course she lived here. She wouldn't be collecting the mail if she didn't. Kendall thought about checking the mail, but bills and stuff like that were sent to Griffin's California address and any mail for the boys was not directed to Colorado (fan mail was still sent to Rocque Records). Actually, Kendall thought he heard Griffin had mail service stopped for this address.
"For the time being," Paige answered closing the mailbox door and shuffling through the envelopes. "My agent rented this house for a few months to help get my juices flowing. She claims I need some inspiration for my next big hit." Paige rolled her eyes. "You can't make inspiration come. It runs on its own schedule. What about you? Did you finally get tired of Hollywood?"
"Griffin, our producer's boss, owns this cabin," Kendall pointed to his left with his thumb, "and decided we need a break."
"Yeah, you've been pretty busy. You won that tween show thingy."
"Tween Choice Awards. You'd think it was a Grammy the way Gustavo acted."
"Gustavo?"
"Our producer."
"Ah, well congratulations on the award. Any award is something to be proud of even if it's not a Grammy."
"Thanks." Kendall turned to head back to the house but stopped himself and looked back at Paige who had taken a few steps up her driveway. "Would you like to go ice skating?"
"Ice skating? But you have a girlfriend?"
"I'm not asking you on a date. If you know anything about me, about the band, is that hockey is in our blood. I just, I need to get on the ice right now. I'm sure there's an indoor rink around."
"I—I don't know. Are any of your band mates coming?"
Kendall shook his head. "I haven't asked them. Carlos is out with some new guys and I'm not sure what James and Logan are doing."
"This is—I'm not very—I don't—"
"It'll be fine. I won't do anything. I promise."
"I don't know," she said quietly looking down at the concrete.
"I'll, uh, I'll go see if one the guys will come with us. Is that okay?"
She looked up at Kendall and nodded slowly.
"Give me fifteen minutes. No, wait, give me your phone number and I'll call you in about fifteen minutes." He pulled his cell out of his back pocket and handed it to Paige who quickly typed in her contact.
"Go change and I'll call you when I get one or both of the guys to join."
Paige nodded and as soon as she entered her house Kendall made his way back to his. She seemed like she could be a fun girl and it was neighborly of him to want to make friends with the neighbors. He meant what he said about not doing anything and this not being a date. He loved his Jo. He wished it was Jo he was taking skating but it wasn't.
"What's up?" Logan answered Kendall's call. He had tried James first, but it went to voice mail.
"Hey, where are you? I need to get on the ice."
"I'm in the basement. OK, go get on the ice."
"I'll find you in the basement. I need to get on the ice and I want to know if you want to join me."
"Uh, yeah, sure, I guess. I didn't bring my hockey gear, though."
"We can rent some at the rink or something."
Kendall entered the house through the basement. On his way to finding Logan he passed James in the gym pumping iron. His small wave caught James's attention and that almost caused him to drop the barbell he was holding. Kendall laughed. James sat up, laid the barbell down, and smirked.
"Ice skating?" Kendall asked.
"Weight lifting."
"No, dummy, I mean do you want to go ice skating? Hockey? I am itching to get on the ice. Logan's coming."
"Oh, um, well, I am a bit sweaty and my hair's a me—" James paused. "Yeah, I'll go. I just need to clean myself up"
"Don't take too long. I told Paige we'd meet in fifteen minutes." He hadn't actually told her they'd meet just that he'd call her but he knew James and had to give him a short time limit.
"Five minutes. Wait, who's Paige?"
"She lives next door."
"What about Jo?"
"I don't think she'll make it here in time to meet us at the rink."
"Kendall," James pulled a face, "you know what I mean."
"What? I'm just inviting a neighbor to go skating with us."
"A neighbor who is a girl and let me guess, she's an attractive young woman."
"Young woman? Yes. Attractive? I dunno. I wasn't paying attention."
"How can you not be paying attention?"
Kendall shrugged.
"It's because the man's got Jo on his brain 24/7." Logan appeared in the room.
"James, go get ready. I promised her fifteen minutes."
"Fine, fine," James grumbled as he left the gym.
Five minutes later Kendall and Logan met up with James on the first level of the house. James had changed into a tight navy blue t-shirt, a pair of blue jeans, and a red Minnesota Wild baseball-style cap.
"What's that on your head?" Kendall asked.
"Funny you don't recognize the hat I'm borrowing from you."
"You don't usually wear that sort of thing, unless it's part of your outfit or fitting for whatever we're doing. That is…not that."
James made one of his trademark faces. "I didn't feel like doing my hair."
Logan immediately put a hand to James's forehead.
"He doesn't feel like he's got a fever."
James swatted Logan's hand away.
"I'm not sick. I just didn't feel like doing my hair. Is that a crime?"
"For anyone else? No. For you…"
James laughed sarcastically.
"OK," Kendall said stepping onto the ice wearing borrowed hockey skates and a hockey helmet, holding a hockey stick in one hand and a hockey puck in the other. James and Logan immediately followed. Paige, however, hung back by the entrance. Kendall turned to see her. "You do know how to skate?"
"Forwards and backwards." She smiled shyly. She put a toe, rather the edge of her skate blade, on the ice and then retracted it.
"You're not afraid, are you?" Logan asked.
"No," she squeaked.
James put his hand out.
"I'm—I'm okay." Paige tentatively stepped on the ice not letting go of the side wall. "I took lessons once," she admitted.
"Good. Just follow us." Kendall began skating around the perimeter of the empty rink. This is what he wanted. If he could live on the ice he probably would except it would be too cold and Jo didn't really like hockey, so she might be out. OK, no. He wouldn't do if it meant no Jo.
Well, if he was rich enough maybe he'd have an ice skating rink put in his next house.
Kendall dropped the hockey puck and smacked it across the ice.
"We're here to play," he announced. "Me and Logan against James and Paige."
"That means you have to let go of the wall," James said to Paige.
"I can do it," she said to herself and slowly edged further away from the wall.
"Come on!" James grabbed her hand and pulled her out in the middle of the ice. Then, he dropped her hand. "There."
"I thought you said you took lessons." Kendall skated up to them while Logan retrieved the puck.
"I did. Once. It's been, um, I think, gosh, I don't know, a long time? I was oh, gosh, in my teens."
"That can't have been that long ago," Kendall said.
"Fifteen years?"
"No!"
"Something like that."
"What was fifteen years?" Logan asked handing the puck to Kendall.
"When I was a teenager. Well, actually, it was eleven years ago I left my teenage years."
"Kendall, you invited an old lady to skate with us?! No wonder you put her on my team," James mock whined.
"Hey!" She aimed to push him but ended up getting her skates caught together and fell to her knees.
"See, she doesn't even know how to skate!"
"James, face off." Kendall dropped the puck and the hockey game began.
After thirty minutes Team Kogan was winning 6-2 over Team Pames due to Paige being such a newcomer to the sport of hockey and James having to help her out a lot.
"Break!" James shouted, skating over to exit the ice.
"Just because you're losing!" Logan exclaimed.
"Thanks for coming," Kendall said to Paige.
"I don't want to get you in trouble with your girlfriend."
"You won't." James tossed Kendall and Paige bottled waters. Kendall tore into his and downed half while Paige sipped hers.
"Come on. What would she say if she knew you were playing hockey with another woman?"
"I put you on James's team, so actually it's Lucy you have to worry about."
"His girlfriend?"
"My Lucy!" James declared. "Does this mean we can't hang out with pretty girls now?"
Paige's cheeks turned deep red.
"Aw, you embarrassed her!" Kendall said.
If it was possible Paige's cheeks turned even redder. She ducked her head into her hands.
"Again, thank you for joining us on the ice."
"I had fun. I just don't want you to get in trouble with your girlfriends."
"We're dating very understanding girls," Kendall decided.
"I wouldn't be so sure about that," Logan muttered.
The two guys talking "smack" about Kendall remind me of the two guys on Rugrats (I know, my second Rugrats reference…I wasn't a huge fan growing up but I did watch them). Their names are Larry and Steve and are seen in such episodes as "Incident in Aisle Seven" and "Together at Last".