Feeling the body against him as he woke up the next morning he thought maybe it was all just a dream. But, when he spotted the dark brown hair of his sister draped over his arm he realized it wasn't.

"You're awake." Katie turned over and sat up. "How do you feel?"

"Numb," was all Kendall could say.

"I'm sure she still loves you."

"Yeah and I'm sure pigs can fly." Noticing he still wore the leather bracelet, he tore it off and threw it across the room. "I don't get it. I just don't get it."

"Kendall…"

"She said no. I asked her to marry me and she said no. She told me she loved me, said something about wanting me to come home, I think. But, then she says no. What am I supposed to think?"

"Have you two talked about marriage before?"

"Well…honestly? No."

"So what made you think now was the right time to ask?"

Kendall couldn't answer that. He didn't have an explanation. He just knew. He felt it in his heart that this was the time, that Jo was the girl. He just knew.

"Let's go get some breakfast," Katie suggested.

Fortunately, arriving in the kitchen he saw Jo was not there. Camille, Logan, James, Lucy, Linus, Carlos, Alexa, Nina, Tina, and Christian were but not Jo. He was glad for he was not ready to face her.

"I'll ask," Cristian said over his cell phone. He cupped the mouthpiece and turned to his brother. "Is it okay if Dara and Lindsay come over before their flight?"

"Love is a cruel mistress," Kendall answered.

"Someone's not bitter about last night," James muttered. He sat at the counter with Lucy, Camille, and Logan while Linus, Carlos, Alexa, Nina, Tina, and Christian took up the table. Katie grabbed a seat at the table made for eight, but Kendall hung back a bit before choosing the only other empty seat at the table.

"Are you two together?" Carlos asked.

"We—we—" Cristian blushed. "I don't know, but she's a really cool girl and she wants to see me before she heads back to LA." He turned back to the phone. "Come on over."

"I don't want you to break her heart," Carlos demanded.

"I won't."

"She's a really sweet girl. You're not just into her because she's a celebrity?"

"No, I don't know. It's hard to tell, you know?"

"You're not only into me just because I'm famous?" Carlos asked Alexa.

"Yes."

"What? So, you don't love me?"

"Nope."

Alexa giggled at the look on Carlos's face, gave him a quick kiss, and tweaked his nose.

"You're so cute when you're upset." She ruffled his hair for he was currently not wearing his helmet.

"Well, I'm only dating you because you're a spy." His eyes widened and he clapped a hand over his mouth when he realized what he'd said.

"Carlos!"

"I'm sorry," he mouthed.

"You mean Carlos was right?" Tina asked.

"Does this mean Dara's really a robot?" Nina asked.

Tina rolled her eyes.

"Where's Camille?" Logan suddenly asked changing the subject. She had been sitting next to him at the counter and now she wasn't.

"I think she went up to talk to Jo," Lucy said.

Kendall flinched at her name.

"Are you okay?" James asked.

"She only doesn't want to spend the rest of her life with me. Of course, I'm okay."

Alexa put a hand on Kendall's and spoke reassuring words with her eyes. He smiled sadly at her.

Kate placed a mug of coffee in front of her brother fixed the way he liked it.

"Drink this." He took a sip of the coffee and then threw the mug across the kitchen. Linus, Katie, Logan and Lucy were in the path of the flying mug and ended up with coffee all over them, well mostly over Linus and Katie. If Logan hadn't ducked he would have ended up with a coffee mug to the head.

Everyone looked at him in shock as he jumped from his chair and headed toward the stairs. On the way to his bedroom he passed by Camille and Jo carrying her suitcase.

"Kendall!" She called out, but he didn't stop. "We need to—" he slammed the door to his bedroom before she could finish.

He wasn't numb. Oh no. He was full of feeling at the moment and the feeling was anger. His phone rang and instead of answering it he wanted to throw it across the room and watch it smash into a million pieces sort of like the coffee mug. But, he didn't want to have buy a new phone so he refrained from doing that.

"What?" He shouted into the phone not checking the caller ID.

"Dog!" Gustavo yelled. Kendall winced at the volume. "What's this about you getting married?"

"Don't worry. She said no," Kendall sighed. How in the world did Gustavo find out about that so fast?

"I'm sorry."

"Really?"

"No! You're too young to get married. It also doesn't help the record sales with the ladies."

"You had no problem with me dating Jo. In fact, I remember you wanted me to appear on the red carpet with New Town High's newest star."

"Dating, dog, dating. It's about being part of the hottest couple in Hollywood. However, when you get married you're off the market. Girls don't want to hang posters of married boy band members on their walls. They want guys they can imagine themselves with. Tween girls don't daydream themselves with married men."

Kendall sighed again. He loved the band. He loved the fans. He loved his buds, his brothers, but he wanted more. He wanted something where he could be himself without worrying about this "image." He didn't mean being able to do whatever he wanted. He wasn't a bad boy. He just didn't want to have to "get permission" from someone like Gustavo. It's his life.

"Is that why you called? To let me know you're disappointed I proposed to Jo?"

"What? Oh, no. I'm calling about the New Year's Bash you're performing at on New Year's Eve."

"Huh?"

"The 97.1 Amp Radio's New Year's Bash. James is performing with Lucy Stone so I got BTR to do a set as well."

"What?"

"Did James not tell you? I called him about a month ago with the news. You're coming home a week before Christmas to prepare."

"Oh."

"Yeah, so instead of returning a few days after New Year's like we originally planned you'll be coming back on the 17th of December instead. I've already booked your flight."

"Thanks."

"Now can you tell the rest of the dogs since I can't trust someone like James to do that?"

"Yes."

"Good. I'll email you flight details."

Kendall tossed his phone to the side and rubbed his face. What he'd like to tell Gustavo was to f-it. He didn't want to perform at some radio station's New Year's Eve party. His girlfriend, ex?, was all packed up and ready to leave him.

"Go away!" He yelled at the knock on his door.

The door creaked open and Camille stuck her head in.

"I don't want to talk."

"Jo and I are leaving now. I just wanted to tell you."

"You're supposed to stay a few days with Logan."

"I know. I told him I'd make it up to him. Jo needs me right now."

"I really messed things up."

"No, no, no, okay, yeah. Why?"

"I love her."

"I know."


I planned Gustavo's lines from pretty much the day I started this story, way before Carlos got engaged in real life (in all honesty, it might have been a week before Liam from 1D got engaged, so that had me laughing). No disrespect to Carlos. I just think this is how Gustavo would think in regards to one of his dogs getting engaged (though, I do think in real life we're all for the most part happy for Carlos and if the group (or just him) had new music coming out I don't think we'd not buy it just because he's married).

Does anyone remember when Gustavo called James about the show? I'm sure James has a good reason for forgetting to tell anyone.