Waiting on 'Superman'

Disclaimer: I do not own anything or anyone from Big Time Rush. I only own the plot, along with Dr. Klavan.

"Nobody can go back and start a new beginning, but anybody can start today and make a new ending." ~Maria Robinson

Chapter Twenty Five

One Year Later…

"And now, ladies and gentlemen, our class valedictorian!"

The crowd cheered as a sparkling-eyed boy draped in a dark green gown made his way to the podium. The golden tassel blew into his face with the wind that gently floated through the open outside area. Smirking, the now eighteen year old boy (who insisted on being called a man now that he was classified as a legal adult), finally found his place at the podium.

"Uh, hey," He greeted nervously, tugged at the ends of his gown. All eyes were on him, making the man feel nervous. He glanced over his shoulder, catching his friends' eyes. They gave him a thumbs up, silently telling him that everything was going to be okay. Nothing had changed since he had made that decision when he was seventeen. Nothing was different.

Expect the boy, now turned man, felt so much different than a year ago.

"When they ask me to be class valedictorian, I got to tell you, I was pretty shocked." He began, his eyes scanning over the sea of people. "Most people would argue that I'm good with words, but most of my speeches are spur of the moment type of things. So when I realized that giving a speech for my fellow classmates, I had no clue what to say."

He wanted to faint. He wanted darkness to consume him and take him to a dead silent dark world. But since he was sixteen, he had been running to find himself. Now, standing here in front of a crowd of hundreds, he realized this people would never know his story. Since he was sixteen, he had been hiding his story from the world.

Now it was time for everybody to know the truth about who he really was.

"My name is Kendall Knight," He began again, catching his breath for a moment as he realized what he was about to do, "And these note cards mean nothing." He paused, throwing the colored index cards to the side. "A valedictorian's job is to tell you how me and my fellow classmates have had such a great time over the years we have been together. But if I told you all that, I be lying."

"My high school life was hell. I moved out to California when I was sixteen, and when I was on the borderline of turning seventeen, I began to see what the world really held. Lies, scandal, corruption, hurt, sorrow, pain; all of these things tormented me when I was betrayed by the person I thought I loved. My father died in a horrid accident, and my baby sister told me she hated me. How was I feeling at this time? I felt like there was no end to this bottom-less pit I was falling through. I needed to stop falling."

"So I tied a rope around my neck, kicked a stool out from under me, and tried to kill myself."

A gasp rippled through the crowd. Kendall took in all their reactions. There was the mother in the front row who had thrown her hands over her child's ears like Kendall had just gone out on some wild cursing spree. There was the husband and wife in the front row who had linked hands, probably thinking about what would have happened if it had been there own child who had taken the same actions Kendall had. Then there was Charlene Knight and Katie, the elder of the two wrapping an arm around the latter. Katie made eye contact with Kendall, and nodded her fourteen year old head at her big brother.

"I survived, as you can tell." Kendall continued. "But I was then stuck living in the aftermath that I had created. My life had been taken and thrown off course. Everything that I knew was no more."

Kendall could feel his throat tightening. Tears were springing his eyes, but through his slightly blurred vision Kendall could clearly see Dr. Klavan sitting in the front row, a small encouraging smile on his face. And next to him sat a curly haired blonde beauty, her slender hand linked with his. Rachel Klavan gave Kendall a small wave, showing that both the Klavans' were giving Kendall there full supported as he spoke the truth.

Ryan and Rachel had reconnected around little Jenny's birthday. They had decided to get together and celebrated their daughter's joyous, yet short life, together instead of fighting over it. Their old sparks began to reignite, and they had married in December of Kendall's senior year.

"How do you live in a new life?" Kendall said, confidence rebuilding in him. "How do you adjust to a whole new life when everything you had known was no more? My life felt like I was the lone survivor of apocalypse. Everything was just gone. How do you live in a world with nothing?"

"My main emotion was nothing. Sure, I would get upset or angry, but I was just so numb. I would spend hours at end staring at blank walls, thinking nothing. It may sound extreme, but I was just so numb. It was hard to feel anything when I felt like I had nothing to live for. I wasn't allowed to work, so I was alone most of time. Classified as 'depressed' and 'suicidal' by the doctors who treated me in the hospital after my attempt, I was sent to a therapist. I didn't want to do it. Why would I want to talk to some stupid shrink who is just being paid to sit there and go 'Yes sir, I understand how you feel.' But I was placed in the hands of a man who understood what it was like to lose a loved one. He understood my pain, and I think that's why I was so resistant to opening up to him at first."

In the front row, a wide smile spread onto Dr. Klavan's face, which helped Kendall continue on with his speech.

"But I warmed up to him, but I was still plagued by demons. I still had my lost love hating me and I was fighting with everybody I loved. There was so many times when I just wanted to quit and go and try to kill myself again. But it took one of my best friends' passing out for me to see that I really wasn't the only one hurting. I had caused so much trouble and misery for everybody because I was too busy grieving for myself. What kind of person does that make me? What kind of person am I then? I was supposed to be the leader; I was supposed to be the guide for everybody. I let them all down. What kind of person am I then?"

Kendall's voice was sharp and intense. He wanted to scream, throw a fit in front of everybody. He instead, he lowered his voice back to a normal tone as he began speaking again.

"I realized that I needed to be strong again. It was hard. I was so terrified of adjusting to life again after being a hollow shell for so long. Pressure built on me, and I wanted to run away from it all. So when my friend offered me a place to run too, I suddenly felt grounded to the place I had been living in. With the help of my caring therapist, I reached a conclusion that suited to my needs."

He made eye contact with Alex, looking at the brunette who had an arm wrapped around Lea, with pitiful eyes. She knew why Kendall didn't want to go back to Minnesota. Kendall and Alex's relationship was strained after Kendall finally confronted Alex about the affair, but the two were trying to repair things after their big blow out. In time, everything would be fine.

"I left the Palm Woods and went to Florida."

Once again, the nerves set in. Looking over his shoulder, James, Carlos, and Logan gave another reassuring thumbs up. Taking in a deep breathe, Kendall faced his classmates' families once again.

"I spent a good three months there before finally returning here to the Palm Woods. I just didn't fit in Florida. It wasn't home. Florida didn't feel like home, and Minnesota had lost that feeling a long time ago to me. Back here at the Palm Woods though, I found where I really belong. All of my classmates who sit up here on this stage with me today," Kendall paused and gestured to the other eighteen year olds sitting behind him, "Helped me find my place here again. And that is why I have come to view them as family. They helped me realize that here at the Palm Woods is where I belong. That is why this graduating class will stand out from the rest. They aren't just friends or kind, caring people. They are people who deserve a spot in the history books. People who deserve to be immortalized for generations to come."

Carlos, from behind Kendall, let out a whooping cheer, causing the crowd to laugh. Kendall glanced over his shoulder, looking at all his smiling friends. He turned back to the audience, ready to deliver his finally words.

"All my life, ever since I was a little kid, I have been waiting on a Superman. A hero to come in and scoop me up, then set me away on top of a building while he went back down and fixed all my problems. But now I realize there is no such thing as a hero, a Superman per say. Supermans are just fictional characters that parents create to help children fall asleep at night easier. Parents put these super heroes in children's heads so they can shelter there children from the horrors of the world. Superman isn't real. Batman isn't real. None of these characters are real. They are simply nothing more than a trick to make children believe that evil doesn't exist in the world. But heroes, on the other hand, are real. These people sitting behind me are heroes. They are artists, poets, singers, actors, and mostly importantly, humans. They are my idols, my friends, my family, my saviors. For that, I will thank and love each of them till the day I die. And everything we have ever been though, to that I can say is thank you."

Kendall gave a small bow before returning to his seat, thunderous applause filling the Palm Woods Park as he did.

"Will the first row of graduates please rise?"

The first row of the senior class of the Palm Woods class rose, ready to finally graduate from high school. One by one, each student went to the front of the stage, collecting their diplomas. James was the first of the group called. Cheers were all around as the tall boy ripped open his gown and flashed his washboard abs for the crowd, something he promised Carlos he would if Carlos would give him his sundae a few weeks ago.

Carlos went up next. He was smiling and wave to all as he collected his diploma. Before he left the front of the stage, Carlos quickly grabbed the microphone on the podium and shouted, "Take that all! I did graduate! And you said I wouldn't! Ha Logan, cheese doodles really do help improve I.Q. points!" The microphone was ripped from his hands right away. Carlos was ushered back to his seat by a teacher as the next student came up to collect their own diploma.

Kendall was the next to go, but he did with ease. He walked up, shook hands with the principal, flashed a smile for his mother, who was no doubt taking pictures, and collected his diploma without trouble. His speech had already left a mark on the crowd and school.

The last of the four was Logan, who was also the co-valedictorian of the graduating class. Loud cheers erupted as he collected his diploma, a blush sitting on his normally pale cheeks as he did. Logan followed the same routine as Kendall did before taking his seat once again.

"Will the graduates please rise?"

All the seniors rose, the moment they had been finally arriving. The principal of the school walked up the front of the stage, facing as the crowd as he spoke into the microphone. "You may now move your tassels." In a synchronized movement, they all moved there golden tassels to the opposite side they had been resting then.

"Congratulations, you all have officially completed your high school educations. You have all passed, and are officially graduates."

Cheers from the students broke out. Dozens of hats flew into the air as the screams grew louder in volume. The students, despite being told not to do this previously, ran off the stage, finding their families. The principal shrugged and laughed it off. "They always were a disobedient bunch." He laughed to himself before walking off the stage.

Kendall found Alex, Charlene, and Katie somehow in the mess. He hugged each of them, planting a kiss on his mother and stepmother's cheek before picking up his little sister and spinning her around in a circle. Katie laughed as Kendall set her down. Looking behind his mother's head, Kendall saw Dr. Klavan and his wife, still holding hands. Kendall rushed over to them, giving the five month pregnant Rachel a big hug before embracing Dr. Klavan in a manly one.

"I can never thank you enough for you have done for me." Kendall said into Ryan's ear, low enough that only the doctor would here. The doctor just smiled before once again hugging Kendall.

Ryan Klavan had become a father to Kendall since he had first met the fiery blonde. The two were constantly doing things together, and Kendall would even assist with helping Ryan talk to younger patients. Another one of Kendall's heroes was the man standing in front of him. The man with messy brown hair and gold circle glasses who was only thirty four, and already two PhDs and a degree in psychology, and recently getting his third PhD. The man who was the reason Kendall was going off to college for a degree in psychology.

James, Carlos, and Logan joined the group with their family, the four friends embraced in a hug. "We did it!" James cheered as the friends pulled away.

"I can't believe it!" Carlos shouted, bouncing up and down.

"Well I can." Logan responded sarcastically. Kendall laughed as he looked around at his three smiling best friends. Despite the fact that they were each going separate ways for college; Logan for a degree in medicine, James for a teaching degree, and Carlos for a degree in criminal justice, Kendall knew they wouldn't be fading away from each other's memories or lives anytime soon. Big Time Rush, although becoming more a side project to their studies, still mattered. Nothing was changing.

Kendall's green eyes found their way towards the blue sky. White clouds danced about as they rode along with the Earth's rotation. But something else in the sky made Kendall blink and rub at his eyes.

It was something red and dark blue, flying across the sky.

"Come on Kendall, let's go party!"

Looking back down at the horizon, Kendall saw his friends and family beginning to walk away. He jogged to catch up with them, not even looking back towards the sky to see if what he had seen was actually real.

The End

And that concludes Waiting on 'Superman'. When I started out this story, I had no clue that it was going to turn out to be this popular. Many times over the course of this story, I have been told that my writing has evolved into more mature and almost poetic writing. My first thoughts were, "What are these people talking about?" So I actually went back and read some of my first published works. And if you judge the differences between them, you can really tell how my writing as matured.

This story is the story is my favorite work that I have ever written before. Not to sound conceited or anything, but I really do think this is my best story. You can tell I have matured, and that my writing sounds so much older than I actually am. This story won an award for Best Kendall Angst Story (which I still am in shock over).

The major theme in this story is suicide. Bullying and lies lead to dangerous thoughts and results, as you can with what happened to Kendall. Words and actions hurt people deeply, and it so easy to knock down even the strongest person with what people do. Sticks and stones do break bones. Suicide is never the answer. Help is out there, along with love and hope. Never try anything to end your life. People love and care about you, so never do anything like what Kendall do. Just keep your head high and remember things will get better. Nothing ever stays bad forever.

The response I have received with this story will always blow my mind. Every single review I have gotten has put a smile on my face, as they always do. The support I have received is amazing, and I am grateful for it. I do hope that I lived up to all your expectations, and will continue to do so in the future.

Thank you to all again.

-TheRescuer2