A/N: I haven't updated this for so long. Sorry 'bout that. I've been a busy, busy Bea.
Disclaimer: I don't own anything.
Chapter 10
"Okay, James," Kendall said, walking a small circle around his sandy-haired friend. "If you want Kara to go for you, you're going to have to stop acting like such an ass." He turned towards James quickly. "No offense." James frowned.
"Some taken," he huffed, crossing his arms. It was true, though. He could think of several worst names he'd been called. Carlos popped into the 2J with a bunch of clothes piled up in his arms. He dropped them onto the orange couch and sighed dramatically, collapsing very close to Kendall's feet. Kendall jumped away and stumbled into the dome hockey table.
"Dude!" Kendall exclaimed. James smiled and looked away, trying not to laugh. Carlos shot Kendall an apologetic glance, and got to his feet.
"Sorry," he said sheepishly, "Your mom wanted me to get the laundry out of the dryer." He looked to James and leaned closer to Kendall. "Have you guys started "the session"?" he whispered. Kendall nodded sharply.
"Anyway," Kendall continued, "First, you're gonna need to say you're sorry to her."
"Apologize for what?" James retorted, "For kissing her? I bet she loved that!" Carlos gave James a look.
"James!" Kendall exclaimed. James pouted and brought his knees to his chest.
"It's not my fault," James whined. "Old habits die hard." Kendall sighed and sat next to James. He actually seemed really beat up over this. Kendall didn't like when any of his friends were upset. Even if he was someone as conceited as James.
"Why do you even want Kara to fall for you so badly?" Kendall asked, "Is it because you want to prove that every girl is prone to the Diamond charm? Because a girl finally doesn't want to go out with you?" James looked down at his feet and shook his head.
"Is it because you actually have feelings for her?" Carlos asked. James swallowed hard, not wanting to answer the question.
"James Diamond does not have feelings," James said weakly. "And he never will. I'm a walking one-night stand." Katie Knight chose that moment to walk into the living room. Her eyebrows furrowed when she saw the how sad everyone looked.
"What's with the pity party?" she inquired, taking in the heartbroken heap that was once the charismatic James Diamond. She sat down on a red beanbag.
"James wants Kara to go out with, but she hates him," Carlos explained. "We're trying to fix him." James' eyes widened and he smacked the back of Carlos' helmeted cranium.
"Dude!" he yelled. "Don't tell her!" Katie smiled smugly and grabbed James' arm.
"Come with me," Katie instructed. James surrendered to the little girl, much to upset to protest. Carlos and Kendall started to follow, but Katie locked the door before they could come in. James asked what she was planning to do. He was honestly a little scared.
"I'm not gonna hurt you," Katie said. "I'm gonna help you." James sat down on his bed and watched as Katie rummaged through his closet. She pulled out a bouquet of fresh red roses and dropped them on the comforter.
"How did you"—
"Don't ask," Katie interrupted. "They're for Kara. If you want to win her back, not that you ever had her, than you're gonna have to play nice. I want you to go to her room and ask for her forgiveness. Don't ask her out, just do what I say. You gotta fix your friendship with her first. We'll go from there."
"Um…thank you?"
James took the roses and started for the door. Katie stepped in front of him, blocking the exit. "Hold on." She reached for his hair and roughed it up a bit. James cringed as she did this. Then she undid a few buttons on the shirt he was wearing and smiled.
"Perfect," Katie said. "My work here is done. Now go!" She gave him a big push through the door and he stepped out of 2J, feeling far less confident than he usually did. James found the door to Kara's room and raised his hand to knock. It stopped in mid-air and drew back. Why was he feeling so hesitant? The worst that could happen was her not forgiving him. Then he could just forget about her and move on.
James shook his head and glared at Kara's door. Why was she making him so… crazy? There was nothing special about her. She was just an ordinary girl. James balled his hand into a fist, ready to knock again—
"What do you want, Diamond?" Kara asked sharply, throwing the door open. James jumped back and shrieked. Kara didn't laugh at this, but she really wanted to.
"You knew I was coming?"
"I have a peephole. I can see people who are outside my door." Kara glowered at him through a curtain of curled lashes. "And I heard shuffling."
"So you were checking me out?' James said smoothly. His grin crumbled when Kara continued to glare. "Yeah…no. I came here to apologize to you for what I did. I'm seriously sorry."
"I don't believe you," Kara said calmly. She leaned against the doorjamb and smiled without opening her mouth.
"Whaddaya mean you don't believe me?" James exclaimed. Kara wasn't fazed by this. "If this wasn't going to be sincere, I wouldn't have even come!"
"James, even if you're being sincere, you messed up the best friendship I've ever had," Kara explained. "Miranda hates me, but I didn't do anything. You kissed me." James sighed quietly. Kara wasn't going to give in easily.
"You guys will make up," James assured. "You seemed really tight. Plus, you guys are related."
"We're nothing like your little band of brothers, James," Kara argued. "When we have a fight, we have a fight. But this one is over a boy. Miranda's favorite boy. That makes it one thousand times worse." Kara's hazel eyes started to water, but she willed the tears not to fall. She looked at the ground so James couldn't see.
"Kara, I really am sorry," James repeated. "When I meet a pretty girl, I have to make her like me. You obviously don't like me and I guess I'm gonna have to except that. I know you think I'm a moron, but you have to forgive me. Will you take the flowers?" Kara reached out to touch one of the petals and brushed James' hand. A tingling sensation went up and down his spine. Zap!
"The smell of roses makes me queasy, but they're really pretty," Kara said softly. "You wanna come in and help me get these in some water?" James nodded, and Kara opened the door a little wider.
BTRBTRBTR
Kara and James hung out in her apartment for a while, trying to figure out ways to fix Kara and Miranda's broken bond. After an hour, they got bored. Kara asked James if he could help her with the backup routine for BTR's next concert, which was next week. She wasn't sure if Miranda still wanted to do it.
"Sure," James agreed. Kara gave a tiny smile and excused herself to go change. James ambled aimlessly around her apartment. There were still a few boxes piled up with things in them. James couldn't bear it if one of the guys had kicked him out of the apartment. Worst of all, Kara had no one else to go to. James picked up a small photograph of Miranda and Kara at a dance studio. They were sitting back against back. Both of them were holding small, gleaming trophies. He set the picture back down on the television set when he heard footsteps.
Kara emerged from the hall wearing a striped, oversized top. It pretty much hid the khaki shorts she was wearing underneath. James' gaze fell to her legs and stayed there. He could almost feel how nice it would be to touch them…
"Just do what I say, 'kay?" Kara said. She pressed a button on the boombox sitting on one of her boxes. It started playing an upbeat song by Big Time Rush. Kara started dancing in a robotic manner, but to the beat of the song. James watched her immediately change at the chorus and raised his eyebrows. He was completely blown away. Suddenly, she grabbed his shoulder and circled around him. Then she raised her leg and held it at James's hip.
"Hold it up," Kara instructed. James put an arm under her leg and lifted. She put a hand on his chest, causing James tense up.
"Is this part of your dance?' James asked nervously. Kara shook her head.
"Just stuff I've been coming up with," she replied. Their chests were touching and Kara didn't seem to even notice. She tore away from James and finished the rest of her routine. James clapped and Kara bowed jokingly.
"That was fun," Kara said. She sounded out of breath. James was even more out of breath, and he really hadn't done anything. He was out of breath for a completely different reason. "We should do this again sometime."
"Yeah," he answered. But his mind kept drifting to how he felt when they were chest to chest.
A/N: Sorry I can't really describe the dancing in words. I'll try to do better. Thanks for reading this chapter!