The school bus was crazy, but Kendall paid no mind to the screaming kids or the paper balls as he followed Logan all the way to the back of the bus. Hortense took a seat in the very back, keeping his face turned toward the window as the rest of the students piled in. Kendall slid into the seat next to him as Carlos and James took the one exactly across the isle from them, the two boys looked around in wonder at how much fun everyone was having at the moment.

Logan turned his head when he felt the seat move next to him. "Oh hi Kendall, I thought you walked home?" it was clear that he was surprised.

"Change of plans today." Kendall said, grinning a little.

"What do you –"

"Hey pipsqueaks, out of my seat."

The two boys turned to see a tall muscular boy, he looked to be about six feet tall.

"No." Kendall stated, it slipped from his lips before he even realized he had opened his mouth.

The large boy grabbed Kendall up by the front of his shirt, lifting him up off the ground as the bus finally started to move forward. He swallowed.

"What was that small fry?" The boy asked.

Kendall couldn't say anything, he was beginning to feel like he was back in Wisconsin again. He was in trouble and this big guy holding him up was his father. Good going Kendall. He thought. Just as he began to brace himself for this big guys slaughter, a hero came to the rescue.

Carlos was on the bullies back, piggyback style. His arms where wrapped around his neck and Kendall was dropped back down into the seat. "Don't you ever try to hurt one of my friends big boy, are you stupid? Carlos Garcia will go Loco on a mofo!" Carlos bit onto the boys ear then, causing him to yell and try to buck the young second grader off. The bully fell back into the seat James was seated in, said boy gave a shriek of terror and shoved the duo from him with surprising strength. His eyes were bulging at the chaos that was unfolding infront of him, James was not one for craziness.

After today his perspective of crazy would be forever changed.

"HEY! WHAT'S GOING ON BACK THERE!" The bus driver screamed, he veered the big yellow bus over to the side of the street and put it in park. He wobbled through the isle, yelling at the kids watching the fight in the back to sit down and behave. When he finally reached the back of the bus Carlos hopped from the bullies back, he grabbed his backpack from the seat and opened up the emergency exit door, it let off a loud buzzer.

"Come on guys!" He took a flying leap and jumped from the bus, running down the road.

James didn't think twice and followed after his best friend. "Kendall, lets go!" He shouted behind his shoulder.

But Kendall remained seated, the bus driver was inspecting the boys bitten ear – he turned toward Logan. "Come on, let's ditch this place." Nodding his head back toward the distracted bus driver.

"But im supposed to go straight home.." Logan looked scared.

Kendall grinned. "That'll be our first stop." He stood from the seat and bent his knees to take a jump. "Either you come willingly or I call Carlos back to come get you." The two boys shared a long look before Kendall exited the bus and ran for it after Carlos and James, who were clutching their knees and waiting at the corner for him.

Logan followed just behind him after the bus driver noticed the opened door.

.

.

"Wow, that was actually really fun." Carlos said giddily as adrenaline coursed through him, he was pumped!

The four boys were on a quest to get permission from Logan's parents to join the sleepover, they had given the nerd of a kid the round – about and needed to stop by his house to get his overnight bag. They walked through random neighborhoods, Logan leading them the way.

"Never again man, when that guy fell on me! He almost broke my lucky comb." James was pouting.

Kendall rolled his eyes. "It wasn't even a serious fight, Carlos just bit his ear."

"What do you know about serious fighting?" Carlos asked jokingly, he jumped out infront of a car coming down the road, laughing as the driver slammed on their breaks and started spewing curse words from his mouth about ignorant kids.

At that question Kendall came to a dead stop. Old memories of beatings flooded his mind and all at once the pain throughout his aching body came back and hit him like a ton of bricks. He was back in Wisconsin again, mentally at least.

James was pulling Carlos out from infront of the car, the small little Latino boy was sticking his tongue out at the driver and blowing raspberries. "Naynuh naynuh boo boo, go stick your head in doo doo!" Carlos laughed and blew another raspberry.

Logan was the only one to notice Kendall's strange behavior, he walked to him. Kendall stood there, eyes wide and unblinking. He stayed stiff as a board and Logan could tell he was holding his breath in.

"Kendall?" He asked loudly, waving his hand infront of the dazed boys face.

The blonde didn't respond to the movement, he was back in Wisconsin, he was being beaten again. The two boys on the street turned and noticed the two boys on the sidewalk. All the joking left their faces as they walked their way to Kendall, standing frozen on the sidewalk.

"What's wrong with him?" Carlos asked, he gave Kendall a little nudge in the back and Kendall snapped back to reality.

He shook his head. "I thought I seen a three legged dog." He finally said lamely.

"Where!" Carlos' head snapped to the side in search of the canine.

"It went behind one of the houses, nevermind – what were we doing again?" He asked.

Logans brows furrowed, he was in the lead and never noticed a dog, esspecially one with three legs. "We're going to my house, and then to James'…" they hadn't talked about going anywhere else. Something was up with his new friend from Wisconsin, Logan could sense it.

.

.

They continued the walk, but everything wasnt normal as they came and left Logan's house. Logan noticed how stiff Kendall had been since the thing on the sidewalk, he didn't make a peep the whole time they were in his house and looked almost scared as his father came in for lunch. Why would Kendall be afraid of his dad though? Logan's dad was a nice man, doctor in fact – he helped the sick be better again, so why was Kendall looking at him as though he where some kind of bully, like the one on the bus.

Those thoughts where swiped from Logan's mind as they started off walking again, James' house was just a few blocks away. As they walked they talked, except for Kendall. His fun humor filled personality was gone and only short grumbled answers where left, every once in a while Logan would shoot him a look, trying to read his face.

But Kendall was good at hiding his emotions.

.

.

(James' house.)

The place was huge, even bigger than Kendalls house! As it turns out the four boys lived blocks within eachother, they were big blocks – they'd walked for about six miles now just going inbetween houses. James led them up the gravel pathway, pointing and showing Logan and Kendall his moms nice cars and the 'James' quarter wishing well' as he so called it.

"I made a wish for a new bike, and when I woke up the next morning – what do ya know, I had a new bike sitting out here right by my wishing well." He patted the cement like it was something precious to him, like his comb. After a moment he led them to the arched front double doors.

"And now boys, we enter my domain."

(Later)

The boys spent the rest of the day playing, and they played hard. It took a while to get Logan and Kendall to loosen up, but after they turned the stairs into a slide – for once Kendall almost felt like a normal kid.

"Move over dude!" Kendall shouted down to Carlos from the top of the staircase, he moved as Kendall placed the plastic bin lid down and sat on it. Using his hands to push forward he went bolting down the staircase even faster than he did in in the sleeping bag. He laughed as he reached the bottom and did a roll to lighten his landing, who knew a simple staircase and a few random storage items could be so much fun. Then James appeared at the top of the staircase with a surfboard that easily made two of little ole him.

"Cala-bunga dudes, make way for the big wave!" He sat the board down and jumped on it, easing himself forward over the top floor landing.

.

.

"I knew you were going to do that." Carlos said five minutes later after James had fell from the board and tumbled down the stairs, face first.

James had an ice pack to his head, a few bruising knots were forming on his head. According to future Dr. Logan Mitchell, ice would help.

James used his free hand to scoop a spoonful of pudding from his cup. "You could have said something before I broke my face, now my money maker is ruined!" Again, he was pouting.

Kendall burst into laughter, so much that he ended up doubled over and red in the face. His laughing caused the other two boys to join in, James glared. "Haha." He pulled a nerf gun out from under the table and let loose, orange foam pellets rained around the room as they all took cover from his attack.

"I DECLARE WAR!" Cralos shouted and grabbed Kendall by the arm. dragging him to a safezone.

Carlos didn't notice the way Kendall flinched from his grip.

Hehehe, im having too much fun writing these boys. :D Little Carlos is a little handful, haha. And Little Logie is on to something ;)...James, well hes gonna be...well, James. Haha. Review?