Hey everyone! Thank you so much for reviewing, faving, subbing and stuff! I was kinda blown away when I got so much feedback. Keep reviewing guys, it makes me happy ;D So... I don't want to talk too much, let's just continue with the story, shall we? :) Just as a side note, I hate making Kendall, James and Carlos look like jerks in this story, but I had to... Well, they'll come to their senses in future chapters :) Now, enjoy!

When Worlds Crumble

Ch. 2 - Would you care?

After long minutes of dull silence Logan had calmed down again. He wiped his running nose and attempted to stand up when he noticed movement across the room. He looked up only to be met by the sight of Katie standing in the door, her eyes wide open in shock. Logan returned her gaze with an equally shocked expression. They stood like that for several moments before Logan found his speech again.

"Katie? What're you doing here?", he croaked, voice still sore from the shouting.

She slowly walked towards him, hands up in defence, like he would run away if she scared him. "I heard you screaming."

Logan hung his head in shame. "Oh", he whispered, trying to get up. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to-"

He was cut off when he felt small arms wrap around his midsection. He opened his eyes in surprise to see Katie hugging him while rubbing his back in slow circular movements. At first he hugged her back only tentatively, but then he gave in, falling to his knees again and pressing himself tightly against her, burrowing his face in the crook of her neck. Logan could have cried again because of the sheer joy he felt right now. Somebody hugged him! Somebody cared about him! A choked sound escaped his throat as he tightened his arms around her, pulling her impossibly closer, as if he was afraid she would be gone at any moment when he let go. He didn't know it, but this small gesture broke Katie's heart. They stood like that for another few minutes until Katie broke the comfortable silence.

"Why do you let them do that to you?", she asked quietly while stroking his hair softly.

"Huh?", he asked, startled by her question.

"Well, Kendall, Carlos and James. They treat you like... I don't even know what to call them. If I were you I would kick their asses", she stated matter of factly before pulling away to take a closer look at Logan's face. She gently touched his sliced cheek. "You're bleeding!" She wrinkled her nose. "And god, you look like shit!"

Logan frowned slightly despite his urge to smile. "Language, Katie!"

She rolled her eyes. "Oh, like you care!" Logan couldn't help but laugh softly for the first time in months at her adorableness, but looked sad only moments later again.

"So you noticed?", he asked worriedly. He had tried so hard to pretend everything was normal.

"Yeah, everyone would have", she snorted. "At least everyone who's not as stupid as my brother and his friends." She got up to grab a box of tissues from the counter.

Logan's hope sunk. "And Momma Knight?"

Katie smiled before dropping down next to him again. "Like she'd ever not notice something?" Katie shook her head while wiping Logan's face clean of the blood. "She even wanted to confront you a few times, but you pushed her away. Remember?"

Now that he thought about it, Mrs Knight had indeed been acting a bit strange around him lately. He hung his head. So he had bothered someone after all.

"I'm such a burden", he whispered sadly.

"No you're not."

"Yes I am", he said, a bit louder this time, gently wiping Katie's hand away from his face. "I always try to make life easier for all of you, but still somebody worries about me!" He turned away, closing his eyes."You'd all be doing better without me."

"Logan Phillip Mitchell!" Said boy's head shot up when Katie yelled while pointing a finger sharply at him. He crawled a few feet away, shocked at her outburst. She really was like her mother when she was upset. "Don't you ever dare think that! I need you. We all need you. Even though some of us are too dumb to show it."

"No, you don't", he said so quietly that Katie almost didn't catch it. "Thanks for comforting me Katie, it means a lot more to me than you think, but... I just don't deserve it. I'm no use for anybody." He held up his hand when she wanted to protest. "And currently I don't think Kendall, James and Carlos would even notice if I was gone."

Katie couldn't answer to that. Logan stood up slowly.

"I gotta go." He smiled briefly at her. "Thank you so much, Katie. Now I know what I'm gonna do." He ruffled her hair softly before he started walking towards his and Kendall's room.

"Wait!", Katie shouted. The desperation in her voice caused Logan to turn around again. From the look in his eyes the young girl could tell clearly that he wouldn't let her stop him this time. She sighed sadly. It was his decision and she would have to let him do what was best in his opinion. But still... "Just... promise me something", she said quietly. Logan looked at her expectantly.

"Anything."

She eyed him sadly. "And don't do it only for me, but for yourself, too." This statement left Logan confused.

"Um... okay?"

"Don't do something you could regret", she said seriously. "Alright?"

Logan looked down at the ground. How could Katie just see through him like that? And where the hell did she know from that he had once thought about putting a stop to it all? Sure, he had quickly discarded the idea, but it had never completely left his mind. He wanted to ask her, but instead he just murmured. "I will."

How could he ever say no to those eyes?

She narrowed said eyes at him. "I know you're still planning to-"

Suddenly the door burst open, startling the pair and his friends walked in, completely wrapped up in their conversation.

"I told you, there is NO such thing as a wumpydoodle, Carlos", James said in an annoyed tone. Kendall laughed heartedly at how ridiculous James and Carlos were being.

"Yes there is. It's a fish and I saw one just a minute ago", Carlos insisted stubbornly.

"You totally made that..." He stopped dead in his tracks. "Oh... my god, guys!"

Logan's heart pounded hopefully in his chest.

"Momma K bought us cookies!", James squealed excitedly. Logan's face dropped. For one moment he had thought they had noticed him. He shook his head. Why did he always hold his hope up? He should know by now that it was pointless. His gaze locked with Katie's once more. She looked up at her brother and his friends furiously. Just as she was about to say something Logan put his hand on her shoulder. Her head whipped around towards him and she eyed him suspiciously as he shook his head and continued towards his room, once again ignored by his former best friends. It still bothered him, but he was determined now and wouldn't let this distract him anymore.

He closed the door softly as to not disturb his friends and grabbed his duffel bag from under the bed. He walked over to his and Kendall's wardrobe and folded all of his clothes neatly before packing them. He wouldn't need them here anymore. His books, his toilet bag and the other stuff followed quickly and only ten minutes later he stood in the living room, ready to go. Upon seeing him Katie stood up from her seat on the couch and just looked at him for a few seconds before hugging him one last time. Logan could see tears in her eyes when she looked up at him again and his heart throbbed painfully. He prepared himself for her telling him that he shouldn't leave, that it was all a mistake or even that he was being a dumbass, but she didn't say any of that. Her only words were:

"I will miss you, Logan. And they will, too."

He closed his eyes to keep the tears from falling and pressed the girl, that was like a little sister to him, close once more, hearing his friends' laughter in the kitchen.

Logan pulled away, looking her softly in the eye.

"I'll miss you too, Katie." He pressed a kiss to her forehead. "Tell Momma K that I love her, okay?"

Katie wiped her tears away before nodding bravely. When Logan turned away to leave she cried out again.

"Wait!" Logan stopped in his tracks. "Don't you want to say goodbye to them?" She pointed towards the kitchen, hope that her brother would knock some sense into him again evident in her eyes.

Logan hung his head before nodding slightly. He didn't want to do this to avoid any further heartbreak, but even if he wouldn't admit it, he still held the same hope that Katie had. Maybe it wasn't all lost. Maybe they could be friends again. Maybe. Too bad that at most times maybe wasn't enough.

When Logan stood in the door frame of the kitchen he saw that Kendall, James and Carlos were busy stuffing their faces with cookies.

"Um... guys?" When he received no answer Logan sighed and raised his voice a bit. "Guys, I'm leaving now."

They didn't even look up from their food, they just waved their hands at him dismissively. A few mumbled "Yeah, yeah, whatever"s were their last words to him before they would probably never see each other again. Logan felt tears pricking his eyes before he turned around and whispered quietly "I love you, guys." And just like that, he was gone.

To Be Continued...