Author's note: When I upload the finished chapter, for some reason screws up all my formatting! I apologize if all my chapters are a big mess, I'm going to go back and fix them. Sorry!
About a week later the boys of Big Time Rush were back on the set of their TV show, filming for the upcoming season. Kendall sat around in the dressing room, still in the hockey jersey he would be wearing in the episode they were shooting that day. There was plenty of downtime, so he played his guitar as he listened to his iPod, picking out the chords of the song and humming along.
"Kendall. Kendall. KENDALL. KENDALL!" Quickly he set the guitar down and pressed pause on the iPod, looking up.
There stood Logan, smiling innocently as if he hadn't just been yelling to get his friend's attention. "Yes?"
"What are you doing?"
Kendall raised an eyebrow as if to say 'Really?' and gave him a look. "I was listening to that John Mayer CD you told me about. There's this one really hot song on it."
"Edge of Desire?" Logan asked excitedly.
Kendall grinned and nodded. "Yeah! I can't get it out of my head." He gestured to his guitar. "I was sort of figuring out how to play it."
"I know, I saw. And it got me thinking we have like, three hours of downtime. Why don't we make one of those YouTube videos and post it on your channel? We could sing it."
"Sing it like a duet?" Kendall asked slowly. "I guess we could make that work, yeah." He plucked at his guitar strings for another minute before nodding confidently and rising to his feet. "Let's do it." They talked about it, deciding who would sing what. Once they felt they were ready they turned on the camera.
After a brief interruption from Carlos involving a Jamba Juice, the two started their duet. Kendall stood in the background playing the guitar, allowing Logan to take front and center, though he took the first verse.
When Logan's verse began he couldn't help but smile to himself. His friend sounded amazing, not that it was any surprise to Kendall. It was like the song was made for him to sing it. Kendall watched him and realized he was seeing a rare side of Logan. He looked so tiny in his oversized blue t-shirt and almost vulnerable as he stuffed his hands in his pockets, shoulders slightly hunched as he sang. Then just like that, it disappeared. He watched as Logan leaned into the camera and hammed it up, smiling that crooked smile of his that made the girls go wild. There was that confidence, that charisma.
Kendall was shocked at the strange feeling that coursed through him almost like butterflies in his stomach. What the hell? What was wrong with him? Kendall shook it off. Maybe he just needed to eat or something it had been awhile since breakfast. Logan looked back at him briefly and Kendall couldn't even muster up a smile. He was sure he looked as uncomfortable as he felt.
He waited as the verse ended and then started to sing as it came back to the chorus, realizing to his own surprise that he was suddenly singing the words as if he really felt them. He didn't know what to make of that, but they were sounding so good together that he just pushed it out of his mind, a huge smile on his face. The song ended, he strummed the last note on the guitar and then the two bid farewell to the viewers, turning the camera off.
"That was great!" Carlos exclaimed from the couch before either Logan or Kendall could say anything. Kendall turned toward Logan and nodded in agreement, suddenly feeling shy. It was stupid to feel that way in front of his best friend and he was annoyed with himself for it. Logan leaned in to give him a congratulatory hug but Kendall pulled away from his grasp, tossing his guitar down next to Carlos on the couch and mumbling a lame excuse before leaving the room.
The smile on Logan's face froze and then turned to a frown as he looked to Carlos. "What's his problem?"
Carlos shrugged, palms upturned. "He looked a little weird. Like maybe he was about to throw up."
Logan made a face, arms folding over his chest. "I hope he's not sick. I don't want to catch anything, I have a hot date tonight."
Carlos face brightened. "Oooh, with Tiffani? Where are you guys going?"
"She wants to go to some fancy new place that just opened. It was practically impossible to get reservations but I pulled some strings," Logan bragged proudly.
"Well, have a good time. Are you gonna wear that new shirt? The one you won't let me borrow?" Carlos teased, rising to his feet.
Logan laughed a little. "Yeah actually I think I will wear that one. I'll catch you later." Logan disappeared out of the room and Carlos went to look for Kendall. He checked the bathroom first in case his friend was indeed throwing up. He found him in the cafeteria, wolfing down some food.
Kendall looked up and smiled sheepishly. "Guess I get cranky when I don't eat." He motioned to the sandwich he was consuming like his life depended on it.
Carlos looked relieved to see that his friend wasn't sick. "I thought you were gonna puke on Logan or something. He was all worried about getting sick because he has a big date tonight." Carlos could almost swear he saw Kendall's jaw twitch at the mention of the date.
"Oh does he?" Kendall asked casually, tossing the rest of the sandwich back onto the plate. "That's good."
"Kendall." Carlos said his name as if he were Kendall's mother, reprimanding him. "Remember what James said. Be nice!"
"What! I'm nice. I'm always nice." Kendall said pointedly.
Carlos made a little snorting sound, absently gathering up Kendall's trash and transporting it to the garbage can.
"Okay fine. Almost always." Kendall said quickly, flashing a grin at Carlos. He patted his friend's shoulder. "I'll catch you in a little bit, okay? I m gonna take a nap before we get back on the set."
Carlos nodded. "Catch you later man." He watched Kendall throw out the remainder of the sandwich and narrowed his eyes a bit. Something was up with Kendall.
"CARLOS!" Logan's angry yell could be heard throughout the house the four guys shared together. Carlos and James were downstairs in the living room watching TV and Kendall was up in his bedroom, playing guitar. He paused, hearing the yell, but decided it didn't concern him and went back to what he was doing.
Logan came storming down the stairs, expensive new shirt in hand. He walked up to the couch Carlos was sitting on and shook the shirt in his face, eyebrows drawn downward. Yeah, he was angry. Carlos looked up at him in confusion. The new shirt had a big hole in the left underarm, the sleeve was hanging on by a thread. In addition a big circular stain that looked suspiciously like pizza sauce covered the front of the shirt. "I TOLD you not to borrow it Carlos!" Logan exclaimed.
Carlos shook his head frantically. "I didn't! I haven't worn your shirt Logan."
"Now you're going to lie to me?" Logan asked incredulously, holding the shirt up in the air with a disgusted look on his face. "What are you going to tell me, the clothing fairy did this? Thank you. Thanks a lot." He threw the shirt on the carpet and stormed back upstairs.
Carlos turned to James, who had been just sitting wordlessly, taking the entire scene in.
"I didn't wear his shirt," James said finally. "And Kendall wouldn't be caught dead in it. So who did?"
"Not me!" Carlos said quickly. "I wouldn't do something like that."
"But someone did, Carlos." James said calmly.
"Are you calling me a liar?" Carlos asked in surprise, sitting up very straight in his spot on the couch.
"No! No. If you say you didn't take his shirt then I believe you." James smiled slightly at Carlos. "But there is definitely something weird going on here."
