A/N. Thanks to everyone who took the time to review! You're awesome! I'll spare you the long author's note this time. I don't own anything.
"Kendall, what are you doing here?" Logan asked in surprise. He pulled his best friend inside, glancing outside as he did so. "It's raining, where's your coat?"
In spite of what had just gone on at his own house, Kendall couldn't help but laugh. "Logan, it's just a little rain." he said with a roll of his eyes. "I'm not going to get sick or anything."
Logan frowned. "No, I guess you won't." he admitted. "But still. What are coats for if they aren't for keeping us warm and dry?"
"Okay, okay!" Kendall laughed again and held up his hands. "You win. I'll wear my coat next time."
"Good," Logan nodded, looking satisfied. But as he studied Kendall closely, he quickly caught on to the fact that something was wrong. "Are you okay?" he asked quietly. "You look upset."
It was useless trying to hide anything from Logan. The same with James and Carlos. They all knew each other too well. Kendall looked down at his shoes and shrugged. "My parents were fighting again," he said in an offhand tone. "I got sick of it and came over here. Is that okay?"
"Of course it is!" Logan told him. "Come on downstairs, I was watching the hockey game." He led Kendall back down to the basement and sat on one end of the couch, regarding his best friend solemnly. "So do you want to talk about it?"
I remember when
we used to laugh
about nothing at all.
Kendall wasn't sure if he wanted to talk. He was almost certain that his parents would be getting a divorce any time now and he didn't even want to think about what would happen after that. However, Logan might be able to make him feel a little better by answering some of his questions. But Kendall just didn't feel right about complaining to Logan about his parents when his friend only had his father who hardly noticed him.
Before Kendall could make his decision, the boys heard the front door fly open once again. They jumped and then listened carefully, each of them holding their cell phones ready to call 911 in case someone had decided to rob Logan's house at 9:00 on a Friday evening.
"Logan?"
Logan sighed in relief and set aside his phone. "Basement, James!" he called up the stairs. He shared an exasperated look with Kendall as James came thudding down the stairs. He never failed to make a dramatic entrance. However, when their friend first came into view, both of them knew that something was wrong.
"What's up?" Kendall asked in concern, relieved that his issues could be forgotten for the moment. He didn't want to talk about it just yet.
James sighed and flopped down on the couch in between the other boys. "My parents," he said glumly. He shot a guilty look at Logan and then Kendall because he knew that both of their situations were worse than his. "It's no big deal," he muttered.
"Guys," Logan broke in. "Both of you just showed up unannounced at my house. I don't mind seeing you. Not at all. In fact, I was about to call you two and Carlos to see if you wanted to sleep over or something. It gets pretty lonely here. But. . . you can talk, you know?"
James opened his mouth to respond but was interrupted by another knock at the door. "That's Carlos," he guessed with a small grin. "I'll get it. Logan, should I knock too?"
Logan laughed as he stood up. "No, James. It's not a big deal. My dad doesn't mind." He probably doesn't even notice. He thought to himself. Neither Kendall's or James' arrival had appeared to caught his attention and as Logan made his way upstairs, it was obvious that the newcomer still hadn't interrupted his father's work. With a sigh, Logan pulled the door open. "Hey, Carlitos!" he said cheerfully.
Carlos grinned back, forgetting for the time being, what had happened back at home. "Logie!" he said, holding out a cardboard box full of broken model airplane parts. "Can you help me fix this?"
"I was right!" James cried out happily. "I knew it was you, Carlos."
"Shhh!" Kendall gave his friend a small shove. "Logan's dad is working!" He looked slightly upset by the idea of Mr. Mitchell being interrupted from his work. What if he got mad like Kendall's dad did?
All three boys looked hard at Kendall and Logan took hold of his arm. "Basement," he announced, dragging the taller boy along with him. Once they were all downstairs together and he was sure that there would be no more interruptions, Logan stared at his friends. "Who wants to go first?" he asked.
It was better than going mad
from trying to solve all the problems we're going through,
forget 'em all.
Carlos raised his hand. "It's nothing really," he said honestly. "I just wanted to get away from all the noise. I love my sisters a lot, but I feel like I don't get enough time with just my parents. There's always something going on. I kind of miss them. Especially my dad. I mean, I know you guys have more going on, but-"
"It's okay, Carlos." Logan said quietly. "I'd feel the same way." It was hard to imagine having such an active household as opposed to his quiet one, but he guessed that too much of anything could get hard to handle eventually. "It's quiet here!" he tried to joked.
Too quiet James wanted to say. It was much like his house. But it was better now with all of his friends. At least he had someone to talk to. "That's kind of why I came over," he said, gaining the other boys' attention. "My parents have been really busy lately with their new jobs and they haven't had a whole lot of time for me. I was bored and-" James stopped talking and blushed.
"Lonely?" Logan guessed. "I feel that way too, James. All the time when I'm not with you guys."
"You go next, Logan." Kendall said quickly.
"Me?" Logan laughed. "I'm not the one who walked to someone else's house in the rain. I've been right here all night long."
"Didn't you say that you were about to call us?" Kendall reminded him. "What's up with you? Your dad still real busy?"
Logan nodded. "Yeah," he said quietly. "Especially now. He has a new client and a new case and everything. The guy's old lawyer left everything a big mess and my dad is stressed out trying to organize it all."
"He's always busy," Kendall scoffed, forgetting his own issues. At least both of his parents loved him and Katie. It hurt that they couldn't stand each other, but at least they tried their hardest to pay attention to him. "When was the last time you two did something together?"
"No idea," Logan shook his head. "It sucks." He looked at James who nodded and then at Carlos who looked sad. "Carlos buddy, don't worry. I bet once your sisters get a little older, your parents will be able to have more time with you."
"I know," Carlos said, looking a little cheered. "I just wish you guys could have my parents."
"Me too," Logan said softly thinking of Mr. Garcia. When they were all younger, they had called Carlos' parents "Mama" and Papa". Though, he now called his friend's mother, "Mrs. Garcia" like the others, he was the only one still holding onto "Papa." He wasn't the type to get jealous, but Logan would have loved to have Mr. Garcia as his real father.
"I want my parents," Kendall said quickly. "I just wish that they'd stop arguing all the time. They make Katie cry and. . . I get real mad sometimes. Tonight I broke some dishes and told them that I hated them."
"I'm sure they knew you didn't mean it," James offered in a rather rare moment of wisdom. "And they love you more than they love their dishes so. . ." he trailed off and shrugged. "Yeah."
'Cause on those nights we would stand and never fall.
Together we faced it all.
"I think they're gonna get a divorce," Kendall finally admitted his worst fears. "They were both really mad tonight."
The other boys were silent as they took in the latest information. They all knew that the Knights were having problems but it seemed that they had done well in hiding their worst from those outside the family. A divorce was serious. "You won't have to move, will you?" Carlos asked in a small voice.
Kendall hadn't even thought of that. To his embarrassment, tears filled his eyes. "No," he said as firmly as he could even though he had no idea what was going to happen. "I'm not going anywhere." Even so, now all he could think of was moving far away with his mom or dad and leaving the only people who understood him behind.
"We won't let them take you away," James said stubbornly. "You can stay over my house, or maybe Carlos' or Logan's if you have to. But. . . I don't think both of your parents would leave."
"I hate this," Logan whispered. "Why do all-" he shot a look at Carlos and corrected himself. "I mean, almost all of our parents have to be so. . ."
"At least we have each other!" Carlos said trying to cheer everyone up.
It worked better than he thought it would. James, Kendall, and Logan all brightened up considerably. "We always will too," Kendall said in determination. "No matter what happens."
"Goal!" Kendall and James shouted simultaneously. The boys jumped up from the couch with fists raised in the air, celebrating another Minnesota Wild goal. Then they turned to each other and exchanged high fives before settling back down. "That makes it 3-1 now!" Kendall said happily.
Logan rolled his eyes at their enthusiasm but didn't turn away from the model airplane that Carlos had brought over. "Keep it down over there!" he complained. "One of these times you're going to scare me so much that I'm going to break this thing all over again!"
"Sorry," James apologized as he and Kendall walked over to the other side of the basement, away from the TV and to the work bench where Logan sat with Carlos watching over his shoulder. "How's it going?"
Frowning in concentration, Logan didn't answer at first. He carefully applied the slightest amount of glue to a wing that had been snapped in half. "Fine," he said when he had finished. He sat up and rubbed his aching neck. "I just have to get everything right or-" he broke off as he picked up another broken piece.
"Thanks for doing this, Logan." Carlos said appreciatively. "My dad would have done it eventually but he's been so busy lately with work and everyone else." He fell silent and didn't say anything else. He felt incredibly guilty that his parents were still happily married and made as much time as possible to spend with him and his sisters. It wasn't their fault that his sisters were so young and needed them more than he did. He just missed them.
Logan grinned up at him from his seat. "No problem," he said lightly. He remained quiet about Carlos' family too. The boys had made an unspoken pact to stop talking about their problems, at least for the night. It wasn't that they could totally forget what they were going through, especially Kendall, but they could focus on something else for a while. Anything but their problems.
Remember when we'd stay up late and we'd talk all night
in a dark room lit by the TV light.
Through all the hard times in my life
those night kept me alive.
"So you guys want to play two-on-two tomorrow?" Kendall asked hopefully. "We could head over to the rink and spend the day there."
"Sure," his three friends agreed, mostly because it was what Kendall wanted. They wanted to keep his mind off of his parents' inevitable divorce as much as possible. If it meant playing hockey all day long then that was fine with them.
"We might have to walk though," Logan said, turning a little red. "My dad has been going to his office really early all week long."
Kendall's smile faded. "You're here alone?" he asked. "My parents never leave me alone."
"Mine don't either," James said glancing at Carlos.
Carlos shrugged. "I'm never alone." he said with a forced smile.
"It's no big deal." Logan said quickly. "Besides, on the weekdays I'm at school and on the weekends, I'm with you guys. I'm never alone." Before the others could protest at all, he turned pointedly back to his project, determined to drop the subject of his dad.
Normally, one of them would have tried to push Logan a little more. But since they were all burdened by their collective issues that night, James, Kendall, and Carlos backed off. The two older boys went back to the hockey game and Carlos watched Logan as he fixed the airplane. They were only ten but they had been best friends for five years. Now that they were being forced into growing up, they were beginning to realize how much their friendship really meant.
After the game had ended though, the boys were left with nothing but late night infomercials and everything else that they knew they would get in trouble for watching. James bitterly suggested that they watch something anyway because no one would even notice to care. He had been silenced by a glare from Kendall and shocked looks from Carlos and Logan.
So Logan turned the radio on to the local 90's station and got out enough sleeping bags, blankets, and pillows. They spread everything out on the floor and laid down, trying to think of something to talk about that didn't involved why they were there in the first place.
Kendall stared up at the dark ceiling, deep in thought, especially for one so young. "You know," he said quietly. "I'm really glad I have you guys as my friends." he hugged his pillow closer to him and turned on his side to face his friends. He could just make out their faces in the dark and he found it comforting. "Even if they do- you know. . . I know it'll be okay. I have you guys."
"Parents suck," James said softly. He felt someone nudge his side. "Sorry, Carlos." he apologized quickly. "Not your parents. Just. . . lots of them do. I don't get it. Why get married and have kids if you're going to ignore them or move out?"
"Well," Carlos said, trying to sound optimistic. "If your parents didn't get married and have you guys, then I'd be alone."
Impulsively, Logan sat up and dragged Carlos into a hug. "You wouldn't be alone because you're so awesome and everyone loves you, Carlos." he whispered. "But I'm really glad it gets to be us who have you as our best friend. It makes everything hurt a lot less."
We'd listen to the radio play all night,
didn't want to go home to another fight.
Through all the hard times in my life,
those nights kept me alive.
"Logie?" Kendall murmured sleepily. "If you're ever alone for a real long time, you know you can come over my house right? Or James' or Carlos'? We don't want you to be by yourself. We don't want you to be lonely."
"I know," Logan said, taking comfort in the fact that while everything else around him was uncertain, he knew that he would always be able to count on his best friends. "I will, Kendall. I promise. And Kendall, if your parents are fighting, you can come over here. Or if James gets lonely or if Carlos needs one of us."
"All of you," Carlos said as he yawned. "All of us need all of us." He paused and looked at his friends. "Did that make sense?"
James laughed. "More sense than anything else, Carlos." he assured his friend. "Everything makes sense with you guys."
That was when they knew for the first time that as long as they had each other they would be okay. No matter what happened.
A/N. Sorry for the longish wait dlgjrdgtrh. School started yesterday and I'm trying to figure all of my classes out. I had my first public speaking class tonight. It was. . . okay. Better than I thought. I'll let you know after I actually make my first speech haha. For now, I'm working on what I can. Meaning school and this story and "TH1RTEEN R3ASONS WHY". And Christmas. Because I'm in the mood for Christmas. Okay, I'm done rambling. Review? :)