Chapter 10: Oblivious

After waking up to the familiar tap on his window from Sapphire; the first thing Carlos did was let her in before he went to the farthest part of his closet where he stashed his toys and rummaged through it trying to find his Nerf guns. After a few minutes of causing a huge mess, he found a Nerf spectre, a Nerf strike-n barricade, and his own Nerf long strike, placing them on his bed he went toward his desk and went through the cabinets before he found capsules full of orange darts. He placed them next to the Nerf guns and then left his room heading to kitchen with Sapphire perched on his shoulder for breakfast.

Before he could grab the cereal box, Sapphire quickly flew and hid on top of the fridge. Carlos quickly turned around and walked to the living room, a smile appearing on his face when he saw the tall brunette. Logan returned his smile and walked to him enveloping him in a hug and giving a kiss on his temple resulting in a blushing latino. "Good morning Carlos."

He cleared his throat, "morning Logan, how was the charity event?"

Shrugging he let him go and took a step from him, "it wasn't bad, but to tell you the truth I would have rather spent the evening with you."

Two thoughts went across Carlos's mind. We could have watched Cars together and Thank God, you didn't.

A loud growl broke his train of thought, the latino's blush spread across his neck, when Logan chuckled, "have you had breakfast yet?"

He shook his head. Logan placed his hand on his lower back pushing him towards the kitchen, "come on let me cook something for you, how does scrambled eggs sound?"

In fifteen minutes Carlos was eating scrambled eggs with bacon, toast, and an orange juice. Logan beamed whenever Carlos made a silent 'yum' after every bite. "You never answered my question," Carlos said after he took a sip from his juice, "how was the charity event? You didn't give any details."

He bit his lip; Carlos placed his fork down, having his full attention. There were only three reasons why Logan bit lip, one was because he had something on his mind, the other was because he was worried about something, and finally holding back laughter.

"The event was alright, but," Logan clasped his hands in front of him, trying to organize his thoughts inside his mind. "James was acting strange."

"What's new about that?" this earned a chuckle from the brunette.

"No it wasn't that." He shook his head as he played last night's event in his head. "He seemed determined about something, when I tried to ask there was always some sort of interruption, I never got the chance to speak."

"Did it have to do with what the charity event was about?" he asked.

"Maybe," he placed his elbows on the table and laid his chin on his hand. "He did look at the list like it was a brand new sports car."

"What list?"

"It was a list of schools that the charity money was going to."

"He probably recognized a high school he went to." Carlos said, after he took a bite of his toast.

"No," he leaned back on his chair and shook his head. "He grew up in California before he moved to Minnesota."

"Do you think there was something familiar on the list he recognized that made him…" the latino faltered wanting to let Logan finished his sentence to help him out what James was feeling.

"Excited," he said as he assumed that's what James felt when he saw the list. "He seemed excited when his checks were placed in a donation box." What was he excited for? He questioned. Normally James will tell him about his thoughts, about his business, his family, he was his only friend and vice versa, they talked about everything together. It bothered him that there was something James was hiding from him. Is he purposely not telling him? If so for what reason? Logan shook his head, he'll ask James later today, he shouldn't be thinking or talking about anything beyond Carlos's home. It might make the latino more persistent, wanting to leave the mansion.

"So, how was your day yesterday?" he asked, changing the subject.

Carlos paused, "yesterday?" he was a bit disappointed that Logan won't talk to him anymore about his evening last night. But he knew it was futile to continue, whenever it had to do with the outside world, Logan will immediately talk about something else much to his disappointment.

He tapped his chin in thought choosing his next words carefully, "I played a few video games." At an arcade at a mall in the city. "Watched some tv." I went to the park. "read a little bit of comics." I was in a Nerf War. "Played my guitar." I got in a bus! "The usual." He finished with a shrug and quickly went back to his breakfast, not wanting to look directly into Logan's eyes.

A sudden noise made the latino turn to him, he watched as Logan pressed a button on his phone before he placed it back in his pocket. "Gotta go to work." The brunette said as he stood up, Carlos pushed his now finished plate away from him and quickly stood up both walking to the living room.

Logan gave Carlos another smile and took a step towards him, he grabbed him in a hug and kissed his temple again and slid his hands to Carlos's lower back. They shivered at the touch, luckily neither of them noticed as Logan took a step back, but still kept him in his arms. "I'll see you later."

Carlos nodded, Logan smiled and raised his hand, placing it on his chin and moved his thumb, across his bottom lip. The latino felt his heart skip a beat, he was so close, he could smell a slight hint of mint emitting from his mouth and felt his hands near his-Logan removed his arms and took out a key from his pocket unlocking the door and opened it. "After every meal make sure to wipe your mouth okay?"

"Y-yeah, I w-will." He raised his hand and gave him a short wave, "bye Logan."

The brunette closed the door and heard the familiar click of the door before his footsteps faded away. Carlos walked to the door and laid his forehead on the wood, feeling empty without having Logan close to him and felt something cold on his hand. Looking down he realized he was holding the door knob with a tight grip, the temptation to open the door and leave was overwhelming him, taking a deep breath he let go and took a step back quickly heading toward the kitchen.

He placed the empty plate in the kitchen and whistled, signaling Sapphire that Logan was gone. She flew off the fridge landing on the kitchen table; Carlos grabbed a bag of her usual berries and a jar of nuts mixing them in a small bowl. He placed it in front of her and she gave him a small chirp as thanks. The latino went back to his room to change and shower, before he logged on to his classes. He decided to wait until the afternoon to check his email account to see if Kendall replied to make a new plan and made a mental note to ask Logan when his busiest day of the week will be the next time he visits. He also made a mental note to check the recycling bin for bottles and cans to use for target practice.

James found out that his check won't be into Kendall's school's budget until the next three weeks. It gave him plenty of time to prepare the blonde's space to be remodeled in his home to buy the necessary furniture and supplies he will need so he could be comfortable, and time to see Logan's medication storage information.

The CEO called him earlier for lunch and decided to tell him about the medication storage and see if he could get his hands on it. He arrived at Logan's mansion in the afternoon and went inside and to the second floor near one of the brunette's private study rooms. He went inside and walked toward opened doors leading to a balcony, Logan was there sitting with plate of his lunch, James sat across from him in front of his own meal.

"Hey Logan," he smiled.

He raised a brow, "what's with you?" he asked skipping formalities and getting straight to the point.

"What do you mean?" James asked taking a sip from his drink.

"You've been acting strange last night…and you didn't take a woman or a man to a hotel either?"

He raised a brow, "you're assuming I'm strange because I didn't have sex last night?"

"Yes…part of it."

James sighed and leaned back on his chair, "I'm going to be honest to you Logan, not because I owe you an explanation, but because you're my friend and you have a right to know, since I want to ask you something that involves with my plan."

"What plan?"

He took another sip of his drink, before he looked at Logan straight in the eye and spoke, "I'm planning to make Kendall mine."

Logan sighed, "James he's a kid and it's illegal."

"Not unless you're caught," James pointed out. "And as long as no one knows where he is I have nothing to worry about."

"What do you mean by that?" he asked intrigued.

"I'm going to have him live with me," he said as if he was talking to a child.

"You're going to-okay say you miraculously did it how are you going to make sure the public, the media, and your mom don't find out about your relationship?"

"The same way the world doesn't know about Carlos."

The brunette placed his hands on his lap and clenched his fists underneath the table, a habit he developed whenever the latino was mentioned in their conversations. "It won't work," Logan said with a stoic expression, "Carlos was raised indoors and is used to his life. Kendall isn't."

"Ah!" he said and pointed a finger at him. "That's the thing I want to ask you about that would help me with my plan."

"And what is that?"

"What do you know about memory manipulation?"

Logan cannot believe what he was hearing; his best friend was asking a question that deals with the brain and a bunch of medical stuff he has no comprehension or understanding of it.

"You're kidding right?"

"I'm serious."

Logan gave him a scrutinized gaze, but he can tell by the way his eyes held determination to accomplish his goal.

"Manipulating memories are impossible, except in cases of head trauma or psychological and health problems," he said trying to discourage James into going forward with his plan. It's not that he didn't want him to go after Kendall, but he didn't want James to destroy his reputation and could wait a few years until he was legal for them to get together publicly.

"I did a little research early this morning," he said surprising Logan he used the word research and early morning not with words business or she/he. "I found out that a Doctor Hawk has been researching about determining the functions of different systems in the brain that causes to make memories or the concept that refers to the process of remembering. Since memories are senses that has been stored in the brain through cells and transmitting information with one another, he found a way to manipulate those senses change them into new memories or take them away. I also found out that Doctor Hawk was part of a project you made for making new medicine and funded his research thinking it could help people with mental disorders or diseases."

Logan stared at his best friend in absolute amazement and shock.

James smirked, "I'm not stupid you know, I'm just really lazy to listen, half of the time I don't understand it, and ignore conversations when it comes to those types of subjects."

The brunette took his glass and finished half of his drink before he cleared his throat and looked up at his taller friend. "I remember Hawk, he was very obsessive about his research and the changes it could make to the world. I was fascinated with it, I funded half of it, but he lied when he filed that the research was to help cure diseases instead it was for more…radical though he was known as a crazy man he was a genius because he created a drug that could do exactly what you just explained…and it works."

"You've seen it," James asked with a spark of hope.

He shook his head, "no, but I have seen the results with some people who volunteered for the experiment, they didn't remember what happened to them the day they did what they signed up for, but they did remember doing things they never actually did only what they were told."

"Do you have any of the drugs in storage?"

Logan clenched his teeth not wanting to reveal the information, but by the grin on James's features he saw right through him.

"Are there any side effects of using the drug?"

He crossed his arms, "doesn't matter because you won't use any of it."

"Is that a no?"

He sighed, "as far as I know there are no harmful side effects, but that doesn't mean I am giving you any."

"You know you can use it on Carlos right?" he said with a thoughtful tone, "because if you give him some, Carlos would never remember his dad or yours."

"I don't care what you do about Kendall, don't get Carlos mix into this and get the idea of messing with his brain out of yours, if you could come up with that idea surely you can make another and since you're hell bent on taking him your determinism will help you along the way."

He nodded and leaned back on his chair, "you're right I need to make back up plans in case that one goes sour, so about the meeting with Griffin..."

In less than a second their conversation turned casual as they talked about business and their free time other than the conversation before, however James couldn't get the idea out of his mind and decided to place it in the back of his mind for now until he can think about it more in detail later.

James wasn't the only one with the idea of manipulating memories, Logan was fascinated by the idea, but as a doctor it was radical, but it left an imprint on his mind to think how it can be used for alternative reasons.

Kendall dropped his sport bag and placed his hockey stick near his bed the minute he got home. He quickly made up a plan at school and decided to talk to him via email when he got home to discuss it with the latino to see if it could work or come up with a new one.

Logging on to his email account he typed his message and typed Carlos's email address before he sent it. He was surprised he got a message in less than three minutes and quickly read.

HelmetsRCool: Hey Kendall! This is so cool! My 1st chat with a friend :D

Kendall let out a sad smile, before he typed.

HockeyPlayer13: I'm glad you're happy. I was thinking the only reason you could go outside was because Logan wasn't there. Idk if Logan is there this Saturday so we're going to put our plans on hold before you could sneak out.

HelmetsRCool: I was thinking the same thing. I'm going to ask Logan when he's gone the entire day or the week the next time he comes by my place. Once I get the info I'll let u kno.

The blonde raised an eyebrow.

HockeyPlayer13: Logan can be gone for a week?

HelmesRCool: Yeah, he has business trips in other states, sometimes in other countries.

HockyPlayer13: Ever had a sleepover?

HelmetsRCool No, r they fun?"

HockeyPlayer13: Very, first tell me so we could arrange the day or something, if you could get his plans for the entire month then that will be even better.

HelmetsRCool: No problem mi amigo I'll let u kno 2morrow or later today.

HockeyPlayer13:Great, I gotta go my mom's telling me to do my HW or else…

HelmetsRCool: Haha! Loser! I already did mine!

HockeyPalyer13:…..We will settle this like men…..in other words multiple rounds with your Xbox.

HelmetsRCool: Can't wait to defeat-I mean go against you.

HockeyPalyer13: You will be the looser, soon.

Kendall ended the conversation with a goodbye before he reluctantly began to do his homework.

I am so sorry ! I know that I haven't updated in a while and I am so sorry for that I will try to update as soon as I can. I was able to get over my writer's block for this chapter, but I am having a hard time writing the next chapter...I am not giving up this story I am determined to finish this no matter what.

I hope you like it, review please : )