Kendall returned to 2J with the presents he got for Jo and Leila. He wrapped the presents himself. Before he wrapped Jo's locket he placed his favorite picture of the two of them inside it. When he closed the locket he realized that it was tough to open. This made Kendall feel better; knowing Jo wouldn't see the picture or the engraving inside.
He headed downstairs to the lobby, where him and Liam had planned to take the girls to a local karaoke café for dinner. When he got to the lobby Liam and Leila were already there, waiting for him to arrive. Jo was late. They waited for her to come down but when she hadn't shown up after 20 minutes they started to get worried. Each one of them called her in hopes of her letting them know if she was showing up or not.
She didn't pick up her phone until Kendall called her. She sounded fine, but Kendall could hear a twinge of sadness in her voice. "Is everything okay Jo?" Kendall asked.
"I'm fine. I was taking a nap and I totally forgot about our karaoke plans." Jo said sweetly. "I'll be down in 5 minutes." She hung up with out saying goodbye. Kendall new something was wrong.
"She says she'll be down in 5." Kendall told the anxious siblings.
Jo came downstairs in five minutes, just like she had said. She looked beautiful like always but Kendall noticed that her eyes were red, as if she hade been crying. 'Why was she crying?' Kendall asked himself. He looked at her curiously hoping he might catch something from her that might explain the red eyes. She gave him a sweet, reassuring smile, but Kendall wasn't convinced.
Kendall and Leila took Mrs. Knight's rental car, while Liam and Jo took Liam's two-seater, black convertible. They headed off to uptown L.A where the karaoke café was located. Kendall and Leila talked about her favorite songs to sing for karaoke. Kendall had never been karaoke-ing before. This should be interesting.
The café was pact with people. It took them 10 minutes just to get seated. They ordered drinks before looking at the menu. They watched people go on and off stage singing songs that varied from rock-and-roll to show tunes to hip-hop. Leila went to sign them up for the next cue choosing songs for them to sing without letting them know, to make it interesting.
They all talked about the party on Saturday and how exciting it was going to be. Kendall watched Jo from the corner of his eyes. She looked like she was having fun but something in her smile suggested that she was trying hard not to ruin the night with her problems. They began a game of truth or dare while waiting for their food.
"Kendall, truth or dare?" Leila asked.
"Uh… Dare." Kendall replied.
"I dare you to tell that guy over there, that you think he's cute!" Leila said excitedly.
"C'mon anything but that!" Kendall complained.
"You have to!" Jo joined in, smiling a bit freer. Kendall considered complaining again, but he went over and told the guy, to make Jo happy. The guy looked at Kendall strangely and then told Kendall he was cute too. Everyone at the table burst out laughing. Kendall's cheeks were red in embarrassment.
"Ha ha! Very funny." Kendall said sarcastically.
"It was hilarious dude!" Liam said patting Kendall on the back.
"Your turn! Truth or Dare?" Kendall asked Liam.
"Dare." Liam said coolly.
"I dare you to sing a Spice Girls song while you're up on stage." Kendall said with a devious smile.
"Fine. I'll do it." Liam said. Jo and Leila started to laugh again.
Their food arrived before they could continue playing the game. They all ate and continued watching people sing. By the time they finished eating, it was their turn to go up and sing. They all insisted Liam go up first to complete his dare. He began singing "Wanna Be" by the Spice Girls. He had such a deep voice that the whole crowd was in an uproar of laughter. Liam finished the song and left stage with a confident smile.
"That was pretty good!" Jo said to Liam, planting a kiss on his cheek.
"I didn't know you had it in you." Kendall said giving Liam a fist bump.
"I can't wait to show mom." Leila said closing her phone.
"You recorded it?" Liam asked his sister.
"Every minute of it!" Leila said with an ecstatic smile.
It was Leila's turn to sing. She chose a sweet song by Taylor Swift called "Superstar." She had a blast singing it. She looked over to Kendall while she was singing as to show she was singing about him. When it was Jo's turn, Leila chose "Love Alone" by Katelyn Tarver. It was slow and sweet just like all the songs Jo loved.
I told you my heart's leaning towards you,
A little more than I knew something was scaring you.
Is it too much or too fast or too forward?
Should I step back and pretend I don't feel this way?
I don't wanna tell a lie, I don't wanna have to hide.
It's on the line I've waited for a sign,
I see it in your eyes, I, I know you really feel the same.
I need to know if I should raise or fold, my heart is stuck on hold,
I, I wanna know which way to go.
I can't love alone, I can't love alone.
Jo sang the song like an Angel. Kendal had never heard her sing before and now the only thing he ever wanted to hear was Jo singing. When she was done, Kendall wanted to hear her sing again and again.
"You still have it in you!" Leila said to Jo.
"Always like an Angel." Liam said and Jo smiled.
"You never told me you could sing so beautifully." Kendall said to Jo making her blush.
"Well I forgot about singing when my acting career picked up." Jo said.
"You should really start singing again." Kendall said. The others murmured in agreement.
"Now its Kendall's turn to sing!" Leila said as she pushed Kendall to the stage.
Leila chose the song "Phone Call" by Forever the Sickest Kids for Kendall. He went on stage and began singing the song. Half way through the song Leila's phone rang and her and Liam went outside to answer it. Kendall finished the song and returned to sit with the still alone Jo. He looked at her questioning what happened.
"Their mom called and I guess they thought it was important for both of them to answer it together." Jo explained.
"Oh." Kendall said. They sat in an awkward silence between them for a while before Kendall broke it. "Jo, why'd it really take you so long to meet us in the lobby?" Kendall asked.
"I told you, I was taking a nap." She answered giving him a false smile.
"Your eyes were red, as though you were crying." Kendall told her.
She looked down, avoiding Kendall's eyes. "I wasn't crying Kendall." She said weakly. He raised an eyebrow, questioningly. "Okay I was crying."
"Why?" Kendall asked, concerned.
"My dad isn't going to be here for my birthday. We were supposed to spend the day together at the carnival like we used to when I was a kid, but he has to go out of town for the whole weekend for work and he didn't even tell me in person. He left a note on the counter and had left already. He's going to miss the party and everything." Jo explained, holding back tears.
"Look, it's going to be okay. I'm here for you Jo." Kendall said grabbing a hold of her hand. He stroked it with his thumb to calm her. She felt a strange comfort fall over her. She liked that Kendall was holding her hand. She needed a friend right now.
