A/N—Reminder that I don't own these characters and that all credit goes to the creators of "Big Time Rush."

Okay SOOOOO. A few things. One, I probably won't be updating anything for at least a week due to a friend coming to visit. I'm sorry this chapter is so short but the next one will be longer so it all evens out. I predict that one of you in particular will really love this chapter. :P

Now for the embarrassing part. I don't know why, but as I was writing this story I had it in mind that the Kogan date took place on Monday and based the entire rest of the week on that. Nope, upon re-read I saw that it was actually on Tuesday, which means that there's an extra day thrown in before the weekend. It would ruin the storyline to go back and try to somehow fix it, so for the sake of my sanity and the story, please suspend your disbelief long enough to pretend that this makes sense. I'm sorry, I feel so stupid but the upcoming weekend stuff only makes sense to happen on a weekend so I'm just going to leave it. This story had two Mondays. Shhhhh.

Anyway, as always I thank you for reading and hope you'll be come back to read more next week! Have a great week, everyone!

When Kendall walked into the staff lounge for lunch, he noted that not only had Susan joined Logan, but also Mary. That wasn't going to work.

Catching Logan's eye from across the room, Kendall nodded toward a table halfway back that was unoccupied. Logan stopped in the act of retrieving two containers from a bag, looking over questioningly. When Kendall gestured again at the empty table, Logan shrugged but moved toward it. Kendall met him there.

"Sorry, I need to talk to you guys about Friday and I thought it would be easier without—"

"Say no more. I'm gonna go heat up our lunch. Flag James down when he comes in?"

"Sure."

James strutted in a minute later, mind on orange chicken and praying his stomach wouldn't revolt. He'd been craving it all day and needed it. He was surprised to find only Susan and Mary at their table, which was odd because Logan always got there first. He looked around and spied Kendall alone to his left.

Well well well. Lover's quarrel already?

He immediately hated himself for taking satisfaction in that. He was supposed to be Logan's friend.

"James!"

And now Kendall was hailing him. Damn, couldn't the guy just leave him alone? It was torture being around Kendall. He had no idea how he was going to last through Friday night.

"Hey," he managed as he approached. Kendall was wearing a green t-shirt from the athletics department and it made his eyes seem brighter. It would be easier if Kendall wasn't so...

Freaking hot.

"Hey. We're sitting here today, I hope that's okay."

"We?"

"Yeah, Logan went to warm up our food."

Our food. So the orange chicken wasn't just for him. This was how it was going to be now, Kendall a new addition to what he and Logan were.

"Actually, I'm not really hungry. I've had an upset stomach all day, so I'm just gonna go back to class."

He spun around before Kendall's voice stopped him. "James. Please. For Logan."

Fuck.

"I know you don't want me around. I don't know why you hate me so much, but for Logan's sake can't we at least try to get along?"

James didn't move, fighting the urge to run. What Kendall didn't understand was that it wasn't just about Logan. Speaking of which...

"Hey, you found us! Sit, I gave you the biggest portion."

Of course you did. Because you're amazing. Defeated, James faced the table again and sat across from them. He hated the positioning and the way it made him feel like he was the outsider.

Kendall thanked Logan when he passed over a plate, dreading the upcoming conversation. James was already annoyed and this was only going to make it worse. Maybe he should just forget the idea.

When Logan smiled at him, though, he thought about how much he wanted to kiss those lips again. Sorry, Diamond. You're just gonna have to deal. "So I needed to talk to you guys about Friday."

"Oh, no," Logan fretted. "Are you backing out?"

"No, nothing like that. I'm looking forward to it." He smiled back at Logan, then tried to do the same to James but James was staring into his food. "I wondered how you would feel if I invited a friend."

James' head whipped up. "A friend?"

"Yeah. If it's a problem, I understand, but I was thinking that since Logan's bringing one, maybe it would be okay if I did, too."

And just like that, Kendall had turned the whole thing into he and Logan making plans, with James being just an add-on.

"I guess that's okay," Logan shrugged. "I mean, it's only fair."

"So you're just okay with this?" James asked.

"Well, he's right. We're each bringing a friend, he should be able to, too." It would possibly kill the whole point of James and Kendall bonding, but at least they'd still be spending time together.

"But you don't even like meeting new people."

"Oh, well it's not a stranger," Kendall assured them. "It's someone you both know. Lucy Stone?"

James' fork dropped onto the table. "You've got to be shitting me."

Even Logan hissed in a breath. "That's...not a good idea, Kendall. James really doesn't like her."

"Why not?" Kendall wanted to know.

"I have my reasons."

"Can I hear them?"

"It's not your business."

"James..." Logan pleaded. "At least tell him why."

James was ready to scream at both of them and tell them to just go by themselves since that's what they so obviously wanted. "She's crazy."

"She's not crazy," Kendall laughed. "I admit she's a little out there, but her heart's in the right place."

"No, she's crazy."

"What exactly happened in that office?" Logan asked. To Kendall, he explained, "James had to go see her his first week here."

"Oh, yeah, I did, too. That's how we met. Did she give you the whole 'Welcome to Lincoln High' speech?"

"She tried to," James admitted. "We ended up on a tangent and she stuck her nose in where it didn't belong."

"What did she say, though?" Logan forked up a bite of chicken. "You never told me."

"It doesn't matter. She's rude and obnoxious and I have no intention of speaking to her again."

Though Kendall told himself to bite his tongue, the words slipped out anyway. "No offense, but so are you."

"Oh, that's it." James scraped his chair back before standing. "I'm out. You two have a blast Friday."

"James—"

"Forget it, Logan. I'll hang out with you Sunday. Alone."

He sprinted out of the room and toward the parking lot, not letting go until he was safely enclosed in his car. The anger expressed itself through a fist banging against the steering wheel, then the hot tears came and he fell forward, head resting there while his hand throbbed.

A knock on his window went ignored. He knew who it was, knew Logan was worried about him but for once, he didn't care about Logan's feelings. Why should he? Logan didn't care about his.

The second knock also had no effect. It wasn't until Kendall's voice commanded, "Open up!" that he raised his head.

And now this dickhead had caught him crying? Had he died and this was his personal Hell?

Okay good, Kendall was leaving. The asshole didn't deserve his attention anyway. Except...

"Dammit," James muttered when Kendall instead tried to lift the passenger's side door handle. "Can't you just leave me alone?" he yelled.

"No. We need to talk. Open the door."

More out of tired resignation than anything else, James popped the locks. Maybe if he just let Kendall talk, the guy would leave sooner.

Kendall shut himself inside the car before stating, "You're fast."

"What?"

"It's not easy to keep up with you."

"You're just slow."

"I didn't used to be. I was a lot faster before the injury."

"Are you trying to make me pity you? Because that's not going to get you anywhere."

"No, I'm starting to think you're incapable of pity. Or compassion. Or even feeling."

"Fuck you, you don't know anything about me."

"I know you care about Logan."

James looked away, gaze back on the steering wheel.

"The problem here is that I care about Logan, too. We need to find a middle ground. I'm trying with you, dude. You've been nothing but rude to me since the day we met and I don't know what your problem is with me but—"

"Logan didn't tell you?"

Kendall paused. "Tell me what?"

"Why I have a problem with you?"

"I assumed it was because you're afraid I'm gonna steal him away."

"Yeah, well you can't. You can go on all the dates with him you want, but he won't turn his back on me."

"I know. It's one of the things I like most about him."

That made James feel like an asshole.

"But dude, look. We don't have to like each other to make him happy. We just have to keep the peace around him."

"Not true. He sees right through me. He'll know I'm faking it."

"Really? So you never lie to him?"

James sighed; yes, he lied to Logan every single day by omission. And sometimes by improper use of the word "she." "Why do you care what I think?"

"Because Logan does. He told me the day we met that there's more to you than what we saw on the show. I haven't seen any sign of that, but I believe him. He wouldn't be friends with you if it wasn't true."

"You saw me on the show?"

"I did," Kendall nodded. "And let's just agree to be honest with each other. I wasn't impressed."

"Oh, thanks, that really helps me want to get to know you better."

"I think it's best we get our feelings out in the open."

"Yeah?" James twisted in the seat to face Kendall. "Okay, fine. I'm pissed at you for fucking up the Wild's chances of getting to the Cup. So...there."

Kendall's face paled. "Wow."

"Yeah, what you said hurt, too."

"I guess I deserved that, then. Is that...? Really? That's why you don't like me?"

"Like you're any better? You don't like me because you think I'm an untalented piece of shit."

"That's not true. You're extremely talented."

"You said you weren't impressed."

"With your attitude, no. Your attitude fucking sucks, dude."

James shook his head in anger, wondering why he'd let this asshole into his car.

"But you sing way better than that other dude."

The words sunk in slowly, James facing Kendall again. "Really?"

"Yeah. It wasn't your voice that held you back. You know that, right?"

Thinking of Rob's words during that phone call, James nodded. "Yeah. I know. And...I don't hate you for rescuing that little girl."

"You just hate me for screwing up the Wild's chances."

James shrugged.

"Trust me, dude, if there'd been a way to do both, save her and keep skating, you know I would have."

"I knooooow," James groaned, head falling back against the seat.

"Don't you think that if anyone should be mad about it, it's me?"

"Why aren't you?"

"I was. For a long time I was angry. And that made me feel like a bad person, because I was mad about something that saved a life. There should've been no regret, just gratitude that she was alive."

James blinked at Kendall, hearing what he wasn't directly saying. "Are you telling me that you regret what you did?"

"No. I did the right thing."

"But...?"

"But nothing. It was the right thing to do."

"But...that doesn't mean you have to be happy with the outcome," James whispered, echoing his own words to Logan.

"And...I'm not. Lucy's trying to help me see it another way, that my being here is a good thing because I'm inspiring other kids. She says there's a reason it all happened."

James rolled his eyes. "Sounds like Lucy."

"I want to believe she's right. I'm just trying to be happy, James. I'm just trying not to sink into that darkness again."

The darkness. James knew that darkness well. He was shocked to see wetness gathering in Kendall's eyes, but he understood it. The darkness was a scary place where you did nothing but examine yourself and your choices and fail to measure up.

Fuck. "Can't you just stay an asshole?"

"What?"

"Ugh, you're so annoying. Can I ask you something? And I want an honest answer. We agreed to be honest, right?"

"Yes. We'll be honest."

"Why Logan? What do you like about him?"

Kendall wiped at his eyes and smiled. "What's not to like? He's kind, funny, gorgeous, caring, smart...he keeps the darkness away."

"He does that for me, too."

"Which is why you're so afraid to lose him. I get it. But dude...I'm not out to take him away. I just...you know. Want visiting rights."

Against his will, James chuckled. "I've never had to share him before. It's hard."

"That's what she said."

James' jaw dropped, their gazes colliding before they both laughed hard. "Fuck you, that's my joke."

"Logan says we're both immature. Maybe we can share it. And...other things."

"Logan."

"Logan," Kendall confirmed.

James' phone rang in his pocket. "Speak of the devil."

"He's worried about you. He wanted to come after you but I told him to let me try."

"I was positive it was him knocking on my window."

"The guy's probably going crazy imagining us out here pounding each other." At James' raised eyebrow, he amended, "With our fists. My my, someone has a dirty mind."

"I think about sex so much more than I should."

"Hey look, we found something in common."

A reluctant smile formed on James' face. "I still hate you."

"That's fine, we can hate each other. But for Logan's sake, let's do it politely."

James' phone rang again and he groaned before answering. "I'm fine."

"Where are you?"

"In my car."

"Where's Kendall?"

"Who cares?"

"James, please, he went out after you, did you see him at all? He hasn't come back yet."

"Maybe he got hit by a—" James stopped in mid-sentence, suddenly realizing that was the worst thing he could say. "Okay, sorry. That wasn't funny."

"Not at all. I'm extremely disappointed in you for that one."

"Yeah, it wasn't very...I'm sorry. He's in the car with me."

"Kendall?"

"Yeah."

"Is he alive?"

James glanced over at Kendall. "You alive?"

"Who's asking?"

Logan heard that and sighed. "I hate you both."

"Too bad, because we just agreed that we like you a lot and you can't get rid of us."

Silence was followed by a hesitant, "Really? You guys talked?"

"Mostly we yelled. Did you eat the rest of my orange chicken?"

"James, can you be serious for five seconds?"

"Doubt it. Is that a yes?"

"Will you just get your ass back in here?"

James nudged Kendall. "He wants my ass. Be jealous."

"Shut the fuck up," Kendall laughed, James joining in.

"Oh my god, what have I started?" Logan groaned.

"Be scared, gorgeous. Be very scared."

"Stop calling me that. I know you're only doing it because Kendall's right there."

"What if I'm not?" With a smirk, James hung up. "By the way, sometimes I like to flirt with him just to mess with him. Fair warning."

"That's horrible. What if he actually had a crush on you?"

"Logan? Dude, please. He can do so much better than me. And honestly?" Bracing himself, James continued, "As much as I hate to admit it, he already has."

"Wow. You actually mean that."

"Don't let it go to your head."

Kendall smirked, "That's what she said."

"Fuck you, stop stealing my joke!"

"Too late! Also, I'm pissed at you because I could've been in there eating orange chicken but instead I was out here consoling your whiny ass."

"Excuse me, my ass is not whiny. My ass is perfectly happy, thank you."

Kendall hissed. "Sooooo many ways I want to answer that but won't."

They climbed out of the car together, both sighing when they heard the bell ring. "Logan better save our lunches."

"He will," Kendall nodded. "He's a good guy."

"Yeah." Not willing to sink back into the darkness, James opted for a joke. "Could be better at choosing boyfriends, though."

"Wow. Just when I was about to compliment you, too."

"Yeah, right."

"No, I actually was."

"Liar."

"Dude." When Kendall stopped walking and placed a hand on James' arm, James went with it and turned to face him. "You've got a gorgeous smile. You should use it more often."

James' throat dried up, and damn if he wasn't getting hard just from the way Kendall was looking at him. "Are you making a move on me?"

"Maybe," Kendall shrugged, then started walking again. "Or maybe I just like to mess with your head."

Fuck. I so deserved that. James followed at a slower pace. "So it's gonna be like that, is it?"

"Just giving you a taste of what Logan feels like when you do it to him."

"Except that doesn't work on me, because I'm not gay."

Kendall smirked back over his shoulder. "Tell that to the boner in your pants." With a wink at James, Kendall stepped through the main doors and left him standing there.

Holy fuck. I am so screwed. It had been so much easier when Kendall was an asshole.