Once again, a shout out to those who reviewed the last chapter. So much love for CarganFever, Lalaloopsie, kk, Gaby, I AM AIR, brittney, WeLoveTheLove and of course, MoonbabyAstroRock3r.
And for the alerts and favourites, thank you so much as well! I do keep a track on my e-mail about it all haha.
Behind The Lens
Chapter Five; The Start Of Something Beautiful.
The sun soon rose into the sky, the rays beaming down onto the apartment, a flicker of light peaking in through the window, illuminating the two boys wrapped up under the thin duvet. The rays got stronger, one in particular catching Logan's eye. His eyelid moved for a moment, before it carefully began to open, blinking furiously before it adjusted to the new found light. Logan let out a heavy groan, a throbbing pain shooting across the top of his eyebrows, last night rushing back far too quickly.
He groaned once more, using his hands to hoist himself up to sit properly. It was only then, his hand brushed against an object on the bed.
Logan turned to face the direction his hand was in, still blinking rapidly. He noticed the object wasn't small, in fact, it was rather big. It took him a while, the alcohol having softened his brain cells. Then, he realised. It was Carlos. In the same bed as him. He freaked out for a moment, quickly moving his hand away, a million thoughts racing through his mind.
He stared in shock at Carlos, before letting his eyes examine the room he was in. It was small, dark, shabby with not much furniture. It definitely wasn't Logan's apartment, so it must have been Carlos'. He noticed the couch not far from the bed, perched directly in front of a TV. To the left was a kitchenette, with only a few cupboards and the other necessities. Soon, his heart stopped, his whole body sinking.
Carlos rolled over, the cover slightly slipping down from his neck, exposing the top of his caramel torso. Logan's breath was caught in his throat, his mind registering the fact that Carlos was topless in the same bed as Logan. Logan wouldn't think bad of it, I mean, he enjoyed the fact he could see Carlos topless. Only problem is, he could barely remember much of last night, let alone whether he had slept with someone he didn't even properly know. The sunlight soon caught Carlos' exposed body, causing it to shimmer and shine perfectly. Logan quickly checked himself, making sure that he was indeed still wearing his clothes.
However, Logan couldn't remove his gaze from Carlos. It was as if he had to look at the torso, otherwise, he might never get another chance to again. He found himself staring at Carlos for a long time, until his thigh started to vibrate madly. Then, Logan remembered. He didn't call his mother. She was going to be pissed.
Logan quickly threw his hand under the cover, digging into his jeans pocket for his phone. He pulled it up, sliding it up to notice his inbox full, his voicemail packed with messages. Instantly, Logan's heart began slamming against his ribcage, desperate to be released. He checked the names, noticing the majority of the texts were from Johanna, only a few here and then from other people, particulary Mercedes and Drew, the former clearly not happy that he skipped out on her party. The latest one was from Johanna, but without even reading it, Logan deleted the message, unable to put up with her moaning with the constant pounding behind his eyes. It was as if a little rave was going on inside his head.
He sighed once more, pressing the buttons to go back to the main screen. The digits of the time flicked up, standing in the middle. It was 8:45am.
Logan thought nothing of it, simply moving his gaze to the window next to the bed, peering outside onto the street, noticing a park across the road, the trees swaying vibrantly in the distance. He smiled, realising that clearly, he was enjoying the fact that he wasn't under his mother's careful watch. Then, it finally registered, slowly but surely.
It was 8:45am.
He had an photoshoot in about 15 minutes with Andrew, in fact, Carlos was supposed to be there at that time as well, although Logan didn't know.
"Carlos," Logan mumbled, gaining no response. "Get up."
Still no response.
"Carlos!" Logan shouted, startling the Latino.
Carlos quickly opened his eyes, startled, flinging his body backwards. Unfortunately, he didn't realise how close he was to the edge of the bed, his mocha body tumbling off the side, hitting the hardwood floor rather hard. He let out a moan, sprawled out on his back as Logan peered over.
"Carlos!" Logan shouted once more. "I have to be at a photoshoot in 15 minutes! Where the hell are we?"
"Ughhhh," Carlos groaned, hoisting himself onto his feet. "Like, I don't know, 10 minute walk?"
"You got a car?" Logan inquired, moving across the bed to stand to his feet.
"Does it look like I can afford a car?" Carlos chuckled, using his fist to softly rub his eyes of sleep dust.
Logan stayed silent, realising how stupid that comment was. He remembered a bit of the talk last night, with Carlos telling him that getting the photographing job with Andrew would be great for him, due to the fact that he couldn't afford much stuff.
"Sorry.." Logan mumbled, drifting his eyes to his feet.
"Don't be," Carlos smiled, placing a hand on Logan's shoulder. Instantly, Logan's head jerked up at the contact. "You probably don't remember, seeing as how much you drank last night!"
Logan let out a faint laugh. "Carlos.. Thank you.."
"What for?" Carlos asked, tilting his head.
"For letting me stay here," Logan laughed under his breath once more. "And for being a good person.."
Carlos smiled, butterflies in his stomach starting. "Friend, Logan."
Logan stared into the Latino's eyes, noticing the genuine care. He was shocked. Sabrina and Drew were the only real friends that Logan had, and in all fairness, it wasn't good for him to only have friends who worked for the same company as him. He needed other friends, away from the limelight and craziness that was the modelling lifestyle.
"Friends?" Logan bit nervously on his bottom lip.
"If you wanna be.." Carlos grew quieter, his cheeks tinting scarlet once more as he lowered his head.
"Of course," Logan said sweetly. "Thing is, I really have to go before my mother kills me!"
Carlos laughed. "Why, what time is it?"
Logan quickly dug for his phone once more, bringing forth the device. He slid it up, tapping away for a moment before speaking. "8:52am."
"Shit!" Carlos hissed through his teeth, quick running to the bathroom.
"What's up?" Logan called after Carlos, slightly confused.
"I start work with Andrew at 9:00am!" Carlos replied, his voice bouncing off of the tiles in the bathroom.
"Oh dear.." Logan breathed, pinching the bridge of his nose.
Carlos soon returned, his teeth now sparkly and clean, his hair fluffy once more. Logan smiled at the sight of him, the warm feeling smothering Logan's insides. Carlos was so cute, the way he looked when his hair was perfectly done, the way his smile showed off his perfect teeth. I guess you could say, Logan thought Carlos was perfect.
Carlos fiddled around in his chest of drawers frantically, Logan's eyes fixed on him as he pulled forth a new long-sleeved bright red t-shirt, slipping the material over his head, watching it roll down his chiseled torso, landing softly at the tip of his jeans. Carlos turned to face Logan, instantly laughing at the fact Logan was gauping at him. Carlos quickly moved over to the kitchen counter, scooping up his keys and phone.
"Quick," Carlos called after Logan. "If we run, we can make it."
Logan nodded, quickly straightening up his tie and tucking his shirt back in, clearly irritated by the mess that was him. It wasn't his fault his clothes were wrinkly, it wasn't even Carlos fault, it just happened. But would Johanna see it that way, the fact her son was wearing messy clothes for a photoshoot? Probably not.
Carlos coughed, standing in the doorway. Logan's head jerked up, realising that Carlos was waiting, a small smile plastered across his caramel coloured face. Logan couldn't help but return the smile, quickly jogging across the floor towards the Latino, both boys leaving it as Carlos locked the door.
Carlos led the way, running along the sidewalks at a decent pace. Logan wasn't far behind, his feet not moving as fast. He knew he had to be there on time, knowing that his mother was going to freak out if Carlton turned up at the mall without Logan inside the limo. But deep down in his mind, something was stopping him, something was distracting him. The whole time they were running, Carlos slightly in front, Logan couldn't move his eyes away from the Latino bouncing on every step gracefully.
It's not like he was stalking the guy. It was just, something Logan couldn't put his finger on. Everytime he thought about sharing the bed with Carlos all night, he could feel his cheeks becoming warmer, an instant sick feeling swishing around in his stomach as his heartbeat grew faster.
Every now and then, Carlos turned around to flash a brilliant smile at Logan, without stopping. After all, they couldn't afford to stop.
A few blocks later, Logan could see the mall in the distance slightly. He could feel his phone vibrating furiously. In reality, it had been vibrating for ages now, Logan was only completely oblivious to it. Well, his mind was so stuck on Carlos, he managed to ignore all the signs of his mother desperately calling him.
They came to a halt, Logan quickly fishing his phone out to answer as Carlos caught his breath, trying to regain his composure.
'Hi mother.'
'Don't you mother me. It's Johanna, remember. Now, where the hell are you?'
'Just outside the mall now.'
Carlos turned to face Logan, noticing Logan looking rather conflicted. It was a mixture of not caring and anger.
'Why was you not at home?'
'The party got crazy.'
'Did it now? That's funny, because Drew called for your room, getting no response.'
'O-O-Oh..'
'Yeah, oh. Now where the hell were you?'
Logan stayed quiet for a moment, not knowing what to say. He looked over at Carlos for some sort of answer, Carlos mouthing something to him.
'I stayed with Sabrina.'
'Sabrina Bryant? You mean, little miss rebel?'
'Yes, mom.'
'Johanna, Logan. Look, we'll talk about this later. Get inside now.'
With that word, the line went dead before Logan could reply. He looked over at Carlos, letting out a depressed sigh as he pushed his phone back into his pocket. Carlos smiled, not knowing what to do. He didn't know what Johanna even said to Logan, so he couldn't even console him. Logan instantly smiled back, the sight of the Latino making him happy once more, allowing to forget about his mother being over-bearing.
"Carlos," Logan pointed to the door. "That's where you go in."
"Oh, right," Carlos nodded. "W-What about you?"
Logan chuckled, remembering that it was Carlos' first day. "I go in over there," he pointed to another entrance. "The entrance that lets me be seen by potential paparazzi and screaming fangirls."
"Sounds fun," Carlos laughed, starting to move away. "I'll see you inside?"
"Can't wait." Logan grinned, watching Carlos sprint ahead for the door, his tight red shirt clinging to his chest. Logan smiled, mesmerized by the sight of him, that was, until he snapped back into reality. He had to get moving, and fast, unless he wanted his mother to literally carve 'YOU'RE AN IDIOT' onto his forehead. After all, she had threatened him and others with it before.
He ran towards the other entrance, his black tie and cardigan swaying gently as he bounced on each step. He could see in the distance that thankfully, there was no crowd. Most of them had probably left when Logan didn't turn up on time. He pushed open the door, walking down the dark hallway that lead to the studio. Along the way, he saw the usual staff that helped Andrew take the pictures and the ones that made sure Logan looked perfect. Again, not knowing anyone's name. Again, following Johanna's idiotic rules.
He pushed open the last door, noticing the familiar spotlight shining down on a background of a sky, Andrew perched in his seat, an even more familiar boy stood next to him, talking to him. Logan couldn't control the smile that swept across his face, not even noticing Mercedes rapidly approaching him.
"Where did you go last night?" Mercedes asked, hands placed on her hips.
"I-I had a headache.." Logan lied through his teeth, raising his eyebrows.
"Fine," Mercedes huffed. "Ready for the photoshoot?"
"I-I-It's a joint photoshoot?" Logan asked, his emotions swirving between confusion and being scared at having to pose along the bleach blonde.
"Yes silly," Mercedes pulled his cardigan outwards, stretching it to make it neat. "I told you that Andrew wanted a girl to be with you. It's what the company wants."
"When?" Logan questioned her once more, unable to remember her saying the words.
"Before Drew came along and interrupted me." Mercedes whined, putting her hands back on his tiny hips.
Of course. She had to go and tell Logan in the moment that he decided to drown out her constant dribble. He huffed, admitting defeat as Mercedes tugged on his wrist, dragging him across the floor towards where the spotlight was shining. Logan passed Johanna, gaining a scowl from the woman, clearly not happy with her son being both late and not going home. That, and she probably wasn't happy that a picture of him didn't end up on Pop Tiger, a popular magazine for teenagers that had often interviewed and done photoshoots of Logan.
Mercedes pulled him into the middle, swinging herself to the side as she linked an arm with him, flicking one of her legs into the air. Logan looked confused, staring at Andrew for some sort of direction. Andrew mouthed something, but Logan couldn't catch it. He was trying to pay attention to Andrew's directions, but he only got distracted by the bright red t-shirt further back, Carlos going around to talk to others, a clipboard in his hand.
Taking a wild guess, Logan leant forward, planting a kiss on Mercedes' cheek and holding it in place.
Carlos was collecting some information from the other guys that worked the cameras and lighting, gaining a feel for it all so that when it came to his chance, he would know exactly what to say and ask for. He heard the clicking, turning to face the area that the light illuminated, noticing Logan's perky lips planted on a blonde bombshell's cheek. Instantly, his body became warm. He could feel a slight pain directly under his heart, the twinge causing Carlos to wince in pain.
It was jealously.
Carlos could tell he was jealous. After knowing him for a day, Carlos was determined that he liked Logan. He knew it. The constant smiling and blushing only added to his suspicion, but now, the jealousy overwhelming his body, that confirmed it. Carlos liked Logan. A lot.
He watched as Logan and the girl continued to swap poses, all the while their smiles were plastered across their faces, just like the good models they were. Only problem was, they were false and plastic smiles. Well, Logan's was. Mercedes, well, she just loved the attention she could get.
Then, the clicking stopped, Andrew turning round in his chair.
"Carlos!" Andrew called into the darkness.
"Yeah?" Carlos responded, shifting his gaze from the models to the photographer.
"Come," Andrew signalled, calling the young boy over. "You should come and try some shots."
Carlos quickly placed his clipboard on the nearby table, rushing over to the man and his equipment. He passed Johanna, the woman too busy applying some more heavy make-up to even notice, let alone care for the Latino. To her, he was just another employee that was below her and her superstar of a son.
Carlos slid himself into the warm seat, taking his position as he squinted his eye, leaning into the camera. The first thing he did obviously, was zoom in closer. But not on the pair, only on Logan. He watched as the pale boy blushed, shifting around on his feet. Then, after zooming out a little to take his job seriously, he noticed that Logan was squinting every so often, due to the coming hangover.
"Hey," Carlos signalled, pulling away from the camera. "D'ya think we could dim the lights a lil?"
"Sure." someone replied from the back, Carlos unable to really see due to the darkness.
Instantly, under Carlos' command, the spotlight shining on Logan and Mercedes became slightly darker, Logan's eyes instantly easing up now not under the stress of the constant blare of the spotlight.
"Thanks!" Carlos shouted, leaning forward once more.
He started to take shots of the pair as they posed, Mercedes being overly dramatic whilst Logan seemed more understated, more sauve and sophisticated. Carlos couldn't help but smile as Logan grinned, staring directly at the camera. Although to Carlos, it didn't feel like he was staring at the camera, but at him behind it. He felt as if Logan was smiling for him, posing for him, not for a simple photograph.
Finally, the photoshoot ended, Carlos being on the camera more than Andrew was.
Logan and Mercedes moved out from under the dimmed spotlight, Mercedes quickly dashing for a seat, people with make-up instantly swarming her to apply more to her overall plastic physique and personality. Logan on the other hand, flashed his crooked grin at Carlos, before moving over to his mother, no doubt to get moaned at.
"Hi." Logan quietly said, knocking his mother out of her own, self-absorbed world.
"Logan," Johanna started, making circles on her forehead with her fingers. "Do you see what you do to me? Huh? You give me wrinkles and I detest wrinkles."
"I'm sorry.." Logan mumbled.
"It's not about apologies," Johanna said. "It's about being professional and turning up on time. How many times have I told you not to hang around with Sabrina Bryant?"
"Many times.." Logan quietly replied.
"Yes, many times, but do you ever listen to me? You have to remember Logan, your career would be nothing without me," Johanna stated, pulling her phone to her ear. "Now move, you are not leaving my sight. We have a TV interview to go too."
The worse part is, Johanna was right. Without her, Logan's career would be nothing. But he wanted that. He didn't want a career, at least, not a superficial one like modelling. He wanted to be a doctor, but no, he needed to make a lot of money and fast, just to satisfy his overwhelming mother. Logan quickly followed his mother along the hall, turning to face Carlos for one last time, smiling at him. Carlos caught the smile, grinning a cheesy grin in the middle of his conversation with Andrew.
Logan's body warmed up as he turned down the hall, leaving the photoshoot and sadly, Carlos behind.
Logan and Carlos are falling in love hehe. Their friendship is starting, which is good obviously. But we need more, right?
And thank you for the reviews on your first drunken experience haha. I appreciated it. :) I might try and do that more actually, like, ask you guys on experiences and that. But for now, I'm sorry for how pointless this chapter seems. I want to give them a slow build-up, sorta? Okay, it will move slightly fast; but this chapter needed to be put out there because I wanna show the emotions that the guys are feeling.
Also, go check out my other Cargan story. The story is based off of a book most of you know, and has a sort of Cargan theme to it. Not too much though, cause it mainly follows Carlos as he reads the casettes from Logan.. But yeah, there is Cargan in there, a decent amount of it anyway; 'Thirteen Reasons Why'.
Check them out, PLEASE!