One Mistake & No Survivors

Disclaimer: I do not own anything or anyone from Big Time Rush.

Chapter Eight

One Step Forward, Two Steps Back

James's POV

I stand inside the airport, waving goodbye to Rachel as she disappears from my view. It's two in the morning, and I want nothing more than to curl up into a ball and fall asleep. But I promised Rachel I would send her off as she goes to Peru from a week for a bikini photo shoot, and James Diamond doesn't break promises.

I exit the airport and begin my walk home. I pull the collar of my jacket higher around my neck in an attempt to block out the wiping winds of the January winds. Several people, still ringing in the New Year pass me on the streets as I make my way back to the Palm Woods. Ahead of me, there is a group of five kids my age just looking for trouble. All of them are either smoking or drinking. I cross over to the other side of the street, stick my hands in the pockets of my jacket, and keep my head down as I walk.

"Hey kid!" One of the kid's calls out. I ignore him and focus on my feet.

"Get over here!" Another one shouts. I glance to my side to see they are all leaving their spot and running towards me. I take off, rounding the corner. They're getting closer and I bolt down the empty street.

"Get back here!" One of the kid's screams. I round another corner and I'm slammed down to the street. I hit the ground and someone drags me into an ally, the darkness enclosing me. I go to scream, but a hand covers my mouth. I watch as the kids' run by. The hand unclamps my mouth and I jump off the ground, turning to see who tackled me.

It's Amanda.

I blink. But it's her. I recognize her brown eyes anywhere. Her hair is still the same; her blonde and red highlights till the same candy cane swirl at the bottom. She's a little taller, but it's her.

I take a step towards Amanda, but she takes off down the ally. I rush after her, chasing her through the dark ally. She knocks over several garbage cans and I just jump over them. Amanda jumps up, grabbing onto a ladder and climbing up onto the fire escape. Amanda grips the handrail, leaning over the side, just looking at me.

"Amanda." I gasp out from below. But Amanda doesn't respond. She just stares at me, breathing deeply.

"We can do this all night." I state. "I will stand her all night till you answer me. And I will do everything I can to get you to answer."

Amanda just blinks at me, almost like she doesn't recognize me. So I get down on one night, and placing one hand on my chest, and another in the air, I begin to speak.

"But soft! What light through yonder window breaks? It is the East, and Amanda is the sun!" I recite. "Arise, fair sun, and kill the envious moon who is already sick and pale with grief that thou her maid art far more fair than she. Be not her maid, since she is envious. Her vestal livery is but sick and green. And none but fools do wear it. Cast it off!" I get off my knee but keep my hands in place. "It is my lady! O, it is my love!" I make way towards the ladder and climb up, continuing to speak as I do. "O, that she knew she were!" I'm climbing up the latter and I reach where Amanda stands, her back pressed against the rail. "She speaks, yet she says nothing."

I stop talking and make my way over to Amanda. "My love, where have you been?" I ask in my best Romeo voice, making Amanda smile a little. "Why did you leave?" I ask, returning my voice to normal.

"I can't." Amanda whispers. She climbs up onto the handrail, the stands on top of it.

Then Amanda jumps off it. I run to where she was, watching as she lands softly on the ground. My hair whips around as Amanda runs off into the shadows like she had done a year ago, and once again, leaving me to watch.

Logan's POV

I nearly suffer a heart attack as I awake to a door slamming. James runs over to me and grabs my shoulders, shaking me as he smiles so wide that he looks like a crazed clown in the light of the room.

"They're back!" He nearly shouts.

"Who?" I ask. "The aliens?"

"Well, actually only she's back." James lets go off my shoulders and begins to pace back and forth in front of me. "I mean, the others may be back, but I only saw her. And if the others were back I don't know because I was more focused on seeing her…"

"James." I interrupt. "Who exactly is back?"

"Amanda." I open my mouth to say something, but James holds up his hand, stopping me. "I know I have said this before, but it's really her. I chased her through the streets and even recited Romeo and Juliet to her. Logan, I know what I saw and Amanda is back. And if Amanda is back, then maybe the others are too! Do you realize what this means? We get a second chance! Kendall and Elena, Carlos and Erika, Amanda and me, and Kameryn and you. It can be like old times."

I flinch slightly at the mention of Kameryn's name. I had pushed her to the back of my mind, shoved the memory of her in a box and locked it, swearing to never open it again. It's taken me a whole year to put my love life back together, and I have no intentions of letting it fall to pieces again.

James is still babbling on about how things could be like they were in New York. "I'm not doing any of that." I declare.

"What do you mean?" James questions. "How could you pass up an opportunity like this?"

"James, it's taken us a year to get over lives back together the best we could. Those four girls each took a piece of us with them when they left us a year ago." I stand up and sigh. "And if they are back, what happens if we let the girls back in? They leave again and just take more pieces. I'm not doing that again James. I'm sorry."

I walk past James, leaving him stunned. Kendall is asleep when I slip into our room. I climb into my bed and rest my head on my pillow, sighing. My hand slips under my pillow and I finger her bracelet that she had been wearing that night.

God, I miss Kameryn so much.