-1Can't Be Tamed

Chapter 14:

Paparazzi

When the show taping was over, Piper headed over to the wings all excited.

"I'm so excited! I did it!" she said, jumping up and down.

"Yeah, it was good." Kendall said.

"Logan?" she asked, looking over at her boyfriend who's eyes were still glued to the screen, "You guys are acting like someone died."

"We have a problem." Kelly said.

"Huh?" she asked.

Gustavo walked up to her and pointed towards her neck, "I spy one that's not the same!"

"No! I swear I took it off back in my dressing room before…" she stopped, remembering how Logan and James got into the fight and she ended up talking to Logan, "Oh no."

She looked down at her neck and saw the dangling purple "L" hanging from her neck.

"I can't believe this." she breathed.

"The cat's out of the bag now." James said, earning him a wicked nasty glare from Piper.

"I just…I'm so mad at myself. I'm so sorry." she said.

"I'm the one that gave it to you." Jo said, walking up to her and giving her a hug, "It's my fault. I should have known something like this was going to happen. Apart from this, your performance was amazing."

"Thanks." she said, letting go.

"Logan?" she repeated, still not hearing anything out of him.

"It's going to be okay. We'll climb those mountains when we get there." he said.

"I just ruined the most amazing day. We both have great performances then I cause James and Logan to get into a fight and then I wear my necklace out on live TV." she said.

Everyone seemed silent, as if in some shock as they got in the car. Piper sat in between Logan and Carlos, with her head hung down. Logan held her hand tight whispering things like "It's going to be okay", and "I'm sorry, maybe this will turn out for the best", to her.

"I'm sorry this ruined your big night." Kendall said, "It really sucks."

"Maybe no one will notice." Carlos said.

"Carlos, you noticed it. If you noticed it, the whole world will notice it!" he said.

Piper's bottom lip shook, trying to hold back her tears as her head flopped over on Logan's shoulder.

Suddenly all the noise of phones going off filled the car again.

"Oh no." Piper said, letting the tears fall.

"It's probably not about you." Logan tried to reassure her.

"Hot Tunes Alert," James began to read, "Piper Holliday made an amazing return to the spotlight tonight on Late Night With Collin Lassiter, but her performance wasn't the most intriguing thing."

"Oh God." Logan groaned as Piper's sobs got louder.

"It's not a big deal, Piper." Carlos said, rubbing her on the back, "At least people will know."

"I've screwed up twice in one day. I can't lose this job." she said.

"Okay, the rest of it says: Piper's performance of her new single "Can't Be Tamed" was off the scale amazing, but what we saw in one of her zoomed up shots amazed us more. In the midst of all of her many layered necklaces, a silver and purple 'L' was seen dangling from a chain around her neck. I think it's no coincidence that the day photos of Hollywood's latest comeback queen and the brain's of boy band Big Time Rush surface that she's wearing a 'L' on a chain. L definitely has a double meaning here…maybe for the obvious love…now does it mean Logan? We'll have to wait and see."

"Great." Piper cried.

"Wait, what pictures?" Logan asked.

Jo gasped, "These, maybe?"

Jo handed over her phone to Logan. Just Jared was brought up, displaying the picture of Piper and Logan getting into the large SUV after rehearsal.

"I knew it." Piper said, "I knew I heard cameras going off."

"Well, we can officially be seen in public together." Logan said.

Piper's phone went off again a few more times on the way home. Texts were flooding in about the numerous pictures of her that were released that day.

"Oh my God. I'm turning my phone off." she said, doing just that.

"Hey, Jordin Sparks just Scuttlebugged you." Logan said, "She asked if you were dating me because she thinks I'm sweet. Aw, that's so nice."

"Logan, now is not the time." Piper said.

"Sorry" he replied.

When they pulled up at the Palmwoods there were crowds of people hoarded around the door loaded up with cameras and microphones.

"Oh my gosh!" Carlos said, "What are all of those people doing out there?"

"What do you think, Carlos?" Kelly spat.

"They're looking for Logan and Piper, already." Kendall sighed.

"Oh, this is a disaster." Jo frowned, "I feel so bad."

"Don't feel bad. It's not your fault." Piper said.

"Okay, Freight Train, you need to re-plan and drop them off in the back. If there are photogs back there, they'll just have to face it I guess."

"Oh my gosh." Piper said.

Freight Train drove around to the back entrance of the Palmwoods where the dumpsters were. No paparazzi, they scored the jackpot.

"Okay, so we have to get out and get in quickly." Kendall said, "Everyone take the stairs to 2J. Piper's in no state to walk up to the tenth floor and Logan can't walk with her because there's no doubt Bitters had cracked and told the paparazzi where she lives."

"What about us? Who's to say they don't know where we live?" Logan said.

"Then stand still and look pretty, boys!" James said, breaking out his lucky comb.

"No!" Kendall said.

"You tell them 'no comment' to everything they say and don't do anything you don't want in a still image on the internet for the rest of your life!" Kelly exclaimed.

"Got it." Carlos said, putting on his lucky helmet.

"What if someone asks about us?" Logan said, "Deny it? What am I supposed to do?"

"No comment!" she replied.

"Oh, okay."

They all got out in the dark and began up the stairwell. Piper was walking behind Logan, clutching his hand for everything that she had. When they got to the second floor, Kendall stuck his head out to look into the hallway.

"The coast looks clear for now." he said.

"For now being the key words. Watch out." Kelly said.

"I'm sorry." Logan said as he had to drop her hand as they walked up to their room. The silence of the hallway was a relief to their ears, knowing if they went in through the lobby it would have been a mess.

"You guys are safe and sound. Be careful when you go out tomorrow. Don't forget, you get the day off tomorrow and then marker rehearsals start the day after." she said, "Bye guys."

"Bye Kelly" They all called back at different times.

Kendall's mom shut the door with a sigh, and then directed her attention to Logan and Piper, "Have you two lost your ever loving minds? Kissing in a public place, and not expecting to get busted?"

Piper looked at Logan and then looked at Mrs. Knight, "I'm so sorry…"

Logan cut her off, "It was my fault. I got like, balls of steel, all of a sudden and grabbed her and she said she heard clicking but I didn't listen. I got ahead of myself. It's my fault."

"No matter who started it, you both are at fault here." Mrs. Knight said.

"We're sorry." Piper replied.

"You two have to figure out how to fix this. Being in a relationship is hard enough, let alone being in the public eye." she said.

"I know." Logan said, taking Piper's hand again, "I think we can do it."

Logan's words went through Piper, making her heart skip a beat. He was the nicest person she'd ever met.

"Me too." she replied, "I'm up for it if you want to."

Logan looked back over at her and nodded.

"You guys have got to be committed and you can't be hanging around members of the opposite sex often…oh, there are so many stipulations to a public relationship like this." Mrs. Knight said, "I worry about Jo and Kendall all the time, but people have adjusted to them because Jo isn't a huge star yet. This one is a toss up."

"I'll hold on as long as she wants me." Logan said, his voice pouring with sincerity.

"Oh my gosh." she thought out loud, "Logan, you're awesome. End of story."

Suddenly, Jo's loud gasp filled the air, "Piper come here! You not only are one of the most talked about things on Scuttlebug, but you and Logan made the week's cute couple list on Hot Tunes!"

"No!" Piper gasped.

"Yes!" Jo exclaimed, "Come here."

Piper dropped Logan's hand and ran off to where Jo, Kendall, and Carlos were hunched over Kendall's laptop.

"Well, I'll hold on until a news article comes up with us in it." he laughed.

"Maybe you're right. Maybe it won't be as bad." Mrs. Knight said.

"It's Piper, Mrs. Knight, they won't let this go." he said, "Sadly, because I didn't want her to be upset, especially because it involves me. I just wanted her to be my girlfriend. I never meant for all of this to happen."

"I know you didn't, Logan, but I guess it had to happen eventually." she replied.

"I know you'll probably say know, but if it's alright with you, can Piper stay here tonight?" Logan asked, "I don't want her going back to that apartment, and I've been told not to go with her. Plus, I don't think she wants to be alone or with her sister right now."

Mrs. Knight sighed, "Logan Mitchell, you are testing my will power tonight. It's fine, but you may not sleep with each other, do you hear me?"

"Got it." he saluted at her, just as Piper did to Gustavo earlier.

"Logan, you've got to see this. We're the number three cutest couple in Hollywood right now!" Piper exclaimed.

"Great, now we're a number." Logan sighed, walking over to where his girlfriend was standing.

"Under who?"

"Rob Pattinson and Kristen Stewart, who aren't really dating, I don't think, and Miley Cyrus and Liam Hensworth." she said.

"Please tell me they haven't 'named' us yet." Logan sighed.

"Pigan" Jo said, "That's what I voted for."

"I voted on my phone for Loger." Carlos said.

"It sounds like loser!" Jo replied.

"I liked it."

"Please kill me, now." Logan said, getting up.

Piper followed after him, "I'm sorry we're getting so much hype, Logie. I really didn't mean for it to happen."

"There's nothing you could have done." Logan said, taking her hands in his.

"I just wish it came out different. If I hadn't left the necklace on, we would have still had our secret." she said.

"I know, it was nice while it lasted."

Something about those words made Piper worry about her and Logan's future. She waited until he turned around, talking to Kendall to let her face drop into a frown.

"I've just committed the word's biggest screw up." she thought, running her hands over her face.

She walked over to the couch and sat down, putting her head in her hands again in thought until Logan came over and put one arm around her and then let his other hand rest on her knee.

"Don't stress about it, Piper. It's not a big deal." he said, "I mean, yeah, I didn't want my life publicized like this, but if that's what happens it happens. You're used to it aren't you?"

"Yeah, I am." she said, getting slightly annoyed, "I think everyone gets that I'm stupid okay. There's no reason to reiterate it."

"I'm sorry, Piper, really. I didn't mean for it to come out that way." he said, "I hate this. We run in circles all the time. I'll say something stupid and then you'll be like 'I'm stupid' and then we end up here."

"I've realized that too." Piper said, her heart sinking, feeling the same way she did with Logan's earlier comment.

"I don't want to end this." Logan said, frowning deeply.

"Who said anything about ending it?" Piper said in a tone of relief.

"I didn't." Logan half smiled at her, "Like I said, I'll hold on until you let go, and I might still reach after you."

Piper pursed her lips, her eyes tearing up a little bit, "Oh, Logan, you are the best boyfriend ever. End of story."

She tossed her arms around his neck and hugged him tight.

Logan laughed, "I'd same I'm close, but not the full title."

"Logan…"

"Sorry, I was just kidding." he smiled, "By the way, Kendall's mom said it was okay that you stay with us tonight."

"I don't have any of my…" she began.

"I have those athletic shorts and you can wear one of my t-shirts." he said, letting his mind drift off to a mental picture of her in his clothes, which drove him crazy at the moment.

"Can I have the black one you were wearing earlier?" she asked, messing with a lock of wavy brown hair.

"Yeah, but why, I've worn it. It's not clean." he said.

"Logan, drop the germ-a-phobe thing for a second." she laughed, "It's no fun unless it still smells like you."

Logan bit his lip a little, smiling.

"She so knows she's got me right where she wants me."

"So is that a yes?" she asked.

"Of course." he grinned.

"So does that mean I'll have you all to myself all night?" she said, making it no secret that she enjoyed messing with the boy.

Logan swallowed hard, "Uh, Mrs. Knight, uh, she said we couldn't sleep…together."

Piper pouted for a second, "Aww, that sucks. I don't want to go that far, but I think being with you all night would be fun."

"Yeah," Logan said, trying not to get overly flustered again like earlier.

She began playing with Logan's hand in hers, "So what's the fun in life if you don't break a few rules along the way. It may not have gotten me anywhere, but I broke the wrong rules at the wrong times."

"I live in a house with three other guys, one has ears of steel, making sure no one is exhausted at rehearsals, one watches you like a hawk, and the other…well, he's completely out like a light after midnight. No chances of waking him up at all. Oh, and Katie creeps at night stealing stuff from Kendall and Bitters." he said.

"Why?"

"It's Katie." he replied.

"Maybe tonight will be the one night where no one pays attention." she smiled.

"Not likely, and it's not like the luck's been with us recently." Logan said, "We've turned into Bad Luck Rush again."

"You guys have never been Bad Luck Rush. I think you guys have brought me the best luck ever recently." she said.

"Thanks" he smiled.

After scanning various internet websites for pictures and comments of her and Logan with Jo, Logan came and got Piper, leading her to the room he and Kendall shared.

"We can't stay in here long." Logan said digging through a drawer until he found a pair of red gym shorts.

He tossed them over his shoulder, letting them land on the bed and then went over to a pile of clothes in between his bed and Kendall's and picked up the black shirt that he wore on "Wake Up It's Wendy".

Piper walked slowly over to the door, a mischievous smile coming over her face. Logan turned around and began to laugh.

"You're up to something. I know that face." he said, "What are you up to?"

"Nothing," she said, taking off her glove.

Logan eyed her curiously. She shoved the glove in the door and then shut it, locking it behind.

"Ha, you know that isn't going to work. That's like, our most used trick around here. Shove something in the door then lock it, please. It's like taking candy from a baby." he laughed.

She walked over to him and stood very close, putting her hands on her hips, "Oh really?"

"Yep" he said, taking her hands off her hips, pulling them up to around his neck.

A huge smile came across Piper's face as he went from moving her hands to putting his own hands on her hips.

He kissed her shortly on the lips, and then let his head rest against hers. She took a deep breath and sighed, taking in his scent, intoxicated simply by being this close to him.

"I thought you said you weren't breaking any rules tonight, Logan Mitchell. My, oh my, you've turned into quite the rebel haven't you?" she grinned.

"Maybe I've realized I need to loosen up a bit."

"Or maybe I have a little too much influence you." she said with a laugh.

"Bingo" he thought.

She leaned down and kissed him again, slower and longer than before.

"Oh, but who said it was a bad thing?" he thought, smiling into the kiss.

Knock. Knock. Knock.

"Every time." Piper said, annoyed, still inches away from Logan's face.

"Logan, you in there?"

"Kendall" Logan whispered, his eyes widening with panic.

"I got 'cha, Logie." she smiled, holding up one finger.

She pulled away from him and ran over to the closet, kicking some of Logan and Kendall's shoes out of the way, making a spot.

"Something tells me she's done this before." Logan's mind drifted, "No, I'm not going to ask."

"Shut it." she mouthed.

Logan looked over to the door, back at Piper, back at the door, then back at Piper before hurriedly shutting the door. He smoothed his hair down in the back, making sure there were no signs Piper had been in here with him before opening the door.

"Yes?" he smiled at his best friend nervously.

"We were just wondering where you were." he asked, "Oh, and if you've seen your girlfriend?"

"Is she with your girlfriend? They're like best friends, try there." Logan attempted to shut the door, but Kendall caught it.

"I took Jo home right around when you disappeared. She's the one that noticed it. She was looking for Piper, but settled on texting her later about what she had to tell her." he said, raising his eyebrows.

"Well…her and Carlos are pretty tight…"

"Checked there too. He said he hasn't seen either of you in a while." Kendall replied, scanning over Logan's appearance from his head to the floor until something in the floor caught his attention.

A thin, black piece of material was laying against the hardwood floor, beckoning for Kendall to pick it up. He reached down and grabbed it, turning it around in his hands a few times before looking at Logan who was looking at him like a deer in the headlights.

"What's this?" Kendall asked, trying not to laugh.

"Part of…my…er…when I dressed up like a girl to get into Phoebe Nachee's math lecture! Katie let me borrow it!" Logan pointed at Kendall.

"Oh really?" he responded.

Logan began to panic, "It was like three months ago and Phoebe Nachee is so gorgeous and I had to get in okay. Don't judge me!"

"This isn't Katie's."

"How do you know?"

Kendall flipped it inside out. On the little gray tag on the inside of the wrist of the glove were the initials "P.H." written in a sparkly silver Sharpie.

Logan couldn't help it, "Why do you initial your stuff?"

Kendall watched him shout over his shoulder. The closet. He shoved Logan out of the way and walked over to the closet, opening it, dumping Piper onto the floor. Logan stood in the doorway with his mouth agape.

"Ow, what the hell, Kendall?" she said, sitting up, brushing off the stomach of her blouse.

Logan shut the door where no one could hear the conversation that was about to go on, and then walked over and helped Piper off the ground.

"Why'd you dump her out like that, dumbass?" Logan hissed, smacking Kendall across the chest.

"Why was she in the closet, dumbass?" Kendall repeated, smacking him back.

"You could have hurt her." the smaller boy said, glaring at his best friend.

"Well, I'm sorry, but seriously? You guys came up here to make out and didn't think anyone would find you?" Kendall said, a laugh in his voice.

"We did not come up here to make out. I came to get her a change of clothes…"

"And you ended up making out?"

"That's not the point." Logan said.

"I hope you know, that after this morning, that's what everyone assumes you two are doing when you go missing." He laughed.

"Well, I'm glad everyone thinks so highly of us." Piper rolled her eyes.

"Oh, and my mom's looking for you two, so you better come back down." Kendall said as he was about to go back out the door.

"Okay, tell her we'll be down in a second and Piper dropped an earring, that's why we're still up here. Tell her something else and die." Logan threatened.

"Fine" Kendall sighed, shutting the door behind him.

"Well, if they just assume we're doing it…" Piper said, taking one of Logan's hands as he was about to walk out the door.

She pulled him close into her and kissed him on the lips. He wrapped his arms around her waist and let his hands rest on the small of her back as the kiss deepened a little. Piper made a confused face when he broke the kiss, although she figured it was just because of what Kendall had said, but was completely taken aback when he kissed her again, trailing kisses down her jaw down to her neck, making her knees go weak. Her head was spinning the mixture of his scent, how close he was, and the little nips he took at her neck were becoming way too much for her, but she didn't want him to stop.

"Logan…" she breathed.

He smiled into her neck before bringing his lips back to hers. Her hands went straight into his hair as he licked her bottom lip.

The sound of someone clearing their throat in an obnoxious way, followed by a flash, and an exclamation of "Gotcha!" brought Piper back to reality.

She glared over in the door way and Carlos and Kendall were standing there. Kendall was the source of the cough like sound and Carlos had one hand on his helmet and the other on his camera, saving the picture.

"Out, now!" Piper hissed.

"I love how she can't pull herself away from Logie long enough to cuss us out." Kendall teased.

Piper backed away from Logan, knocking his hands off her waist. She glared deeply at Carlos, earning a highly frightened look in response from him.

"Can I have a ten second head start?" he asked, his voice getting high.

"Not even close." Piper said, kicking her red boots off.

"Por favor, mi amiga!" Carlos shouted, taking off running.

Piper ran close behind him, chasing him all the way down the swirly slide and into the living room near the hockey table. She backed up and got into a sprint before jumping on his back, reaching for his phone.

Carlos shouted as she reached closer and closer, "Delete it now!"

"Logan, get her off me!" he shouted, "I'm scared!"

"Release the phone, Carlos!"

"It's mine!"

"Hey, hey, hey, what is going on in here?" Mrs. Knight intercepted.

Carlos turned around to face Mrs. Knight with Piper still on his back.

"Nothing" they replied simultaneously.

"Why are you on his back?" she asked Piper.

"Uh," she climbed down and looked over at Carlos, "We were just playing. That's all, just playing."

"Uh, huh? What's the deal with the phone?" she asked.

Carlos stared at Mrs. Knight with wide eyes.

"Uh, I took a…."

"Picture?"

"Yeah"

Carlos handed over his phone, earning a groan from Piper, standing beside him and Logan who was still at the top of the slide.

"I'm dead." she whispered.

"So, what's the deal?" Mrs. Knight said, staring down at the phone.

Piper turned around, her mouth wide open.

"She thought it was a bad picture." he replied.

"It's cute." she handed the phone back over, "Now shush."

"What'd you do?" she whispered.

Carlos handed her the phone. She looked down at it curiously.

The picture showing was the one Carlos took for her caller I.D., the one of her with her tongue stuck out, doing a peace sign at him.

"Where's the other one?" She growled.

"Locked, chica. You've got to have a password to get to it." he smiled.

"Thank you very much. That was all I asked." she replied.

"What," Logan said before heading down the large yellow slide, "just happened?"

"Carlos just tricked Kendall's mom into thinking we were arguing about my caller ID picture." she smirked, "Oh, and then I scared him into locking the macking picture. The whole world sees enough of us anyway."

"Agreed, thank you Carlos." Logan said.

"Anytime" he replied, putting his phone in his back pocket.

"Here you go, my lady." Logan handed her the change of clothes.

"Thanks, Logie." she smiled widely.

"I love your smile." he said randomly.

"Aw, you're amazing. I'll say it over and over again." she sighed.

"You want to go ahead and change?" he asked, "I think the majority of the guys are going to bed, it's almost one."

"One, really?" she said.

"What, does your carriage turn back into a pumpkin at one or something?" Logan laughed.

"Very funny." Piper replied, taking the clothes from him.

"Bathroom's to your right." he pointed.

While she was gone, Mrs. Knight gave Logan a set of blankets and a pillow and went over the whole 'you cannot be down here with here' thing with him again, sending chills of embarrassment down his spine.

Logan fixed Piper's spot on the couch, eyeing the adjacent piece of the couch. Oh how perfect that would be. He silently wondered how early he could wake up so he wouldn't get caught and if Kendall had a big enough mouth that he would tell.

"Hey you."

He was thrown out of his thought by that oh too familiar voice. He turned around to see Piper looking at him with a small smile playing on her lips. She had one hand in her wavy brown hair, trying to adjust it from the tease it had been in earlier.

"So damn beautiful."

He couldn't help himself. She was wearing his clothes, her hair was a bit tousled, and she had no makeup on. Logan had seen Camille's Scuttlebug posts about how a girl dreams of finding a boy that loves her no matter what she looks like or wears, but he would have never guessed that he would be so attracted to a girl looking like that.

"Well aren't you going to say something?" she asked with a laugh.

"I'm afraid, if I say something, it's going to be really inappropriate and I'm either going to get in trouble with you or Mrs. Knight." he said, his eyes still fixed on Piper.

"Logan, Logan, Logan." she laughed, walking over to the couch.

She sat down criss-cross applesauce on the couch and looked up at Logan, beckoning him to come sit down with her.

"Thanks for setting this up, Logie." she smiled.

"You're welcome." he smiled, sitting down beside her.

She leaned over to let her head rest on his shoulder before he put both arms around her and pulled her over where her head was on his chest. She scooted in closer to him and sighed contently.

He let his head rest against hers, and laced their fingers together.

"I'm gonna fall asleep here if I don't get up." she said with a yawn.

"You don't have to get up." Logan said, "If you fall asleep, I'll move you over."

"Thanks, Logan." she said, adjusting her position one last time before closing her eyes.

"'Night, beautiful." Logan said, kissing her on her head.

After drifting in and out of sleep for a good thirty for forty-five minutes, Logan looked over at Kendall, who was talking to his mom and simply smiled. He figured it must have been some giddy smile or he looked like an idiot, because when Kendall returned the smile, he laughed a little.

Kendall began to walk over to where Logan was sitting.

"Need some…"

Logan mouthed, "Shh…" at him before putting a finger to his lips.

Something told him if she woke up to see Kendall standing over her it wouldn't be a pretty sight. Well, at least it wasn't Carlos.

"Nah, I got her. Do you think I couldn't get her or something?" Logan asked, completely taken aback by his best friend's hint.

"No, I was just wondering." Kendall smiled.

Logan glared over at Kendall, giving him the same "bitch, please" look that Kendall often gives his fellow Big Time Rush members when something ridiculous happens. They stared each other down until Logan rolled his eyes and adjusted himself carefully and scooped Piper up in his arms, smiling triumphantly at Kendall.

"'Night, man." Kendall said with a laugh before heading up to their room.

Logan walked over and used his foot to kick back the covers, rolling his eyes.

"Be careful, Logan!" Mrs. Knight whisper-yelled cautiously from the kitchen area.

Logan nodded back at her before gently laying Piper down on the couch, covering her back up. He studied her face, watching her expression change from one of peace to disgust, her nose scrunching up as she woke up.

"Logan?" she asked groggily.

"Shh…" he said, pushing her hair out of her face, "Go back to sleep. I'll see you in the morning."

"Mmkay." she mumbled, closing her eyes again, taking in the scent of Logan's cologne on the black t-shirt.

He leaned down and kissed her on the head again before going up to the room he and Kendall shared.

"Well, I did it." the smaller boy smirked.

"You did it?"

"And you doubted my strength."

"I was just offering to help."

"Liar."