Well guys, we're officially two thirds of the way through. There's only ten chapters left after this... We're also starting to get to the point where the chapters from the past are about the boys' time in L.A. This chapter texts place directly after Big Time Break.

o*o*o*o*o
The choices you make define
not only today, but tomorrow
and all the days after as well.
-unknown
o*o*o*o*o

16 Years Old

"Come on, come on." Kendall helps Logan to bed, the shorter boy still limping in high heel boots and a dress that's very nearly ripped to shreds.

Carlos is off spending more quality time with his father and James had offered to help Camille with more auditions, so both boys had left shortly after telling their respective stories to their other friends. Mama Knight had taken Katie with her to go shopping and get dinner, leaving Kendall to take care of Logan. The poor genius had managed to find himself surrounded by the toughest, most man hating group of nerd-y girls that Kendall had ever heard of.

"Thanks." Logan tells him as the blonde lowers him onto his bed. "Girls are mean."

Kendall laughs, giving his friend a cheeky smile. "Not all of them. You just seem to find yourself surrounded by a special brand of girl."

The genius mock glares at him. "Half of which comes from you deciding to do things like, oh I don't know, soak the girls field hockey team!"

The blonde's grin widens. "Whatever. You had fun." Logan nods in agreement, laughing as well. "I'll be right back with some ice, don't move okay?"

"I'm pretty sure I couldn't even if I wanted too." Logan calls after him.

He returns a few minutes later with some ice wrapped in a towel. "Here Logie." He hands the genius the towel and Logan rests in gratefully against his eye. Kendall takes a moment to take in his friend's attire, grinning. "Need some help with those hooker heels, Logie?" He tries his best not to laugh, but the sight in front of him is pretty ridiculous.

Logan chuckles too, leaning forward and attempting to get said footwear off. After a few seconds of struggling he looks up at the blonde, who is snickering quietly. "Some help would be great thanks."

Kendall nods, sitting on the bed and placing the other boy's legs across his lap. He gently pulls one boot off, wincing as Logan hisses in pain. "How do girls wear these?" The brunette asks.

"Who knows?" Kendall shrugs. "Years of practice I guess."

Logan grumbles in response as Kendall slowly starts to work the other boot off. He leans forward, massaging his poor abused calves. "At least I made a cute girl." He chuckles.

Kendall looks up from where he's got the boot half off his friend's leg, raising a questioning eyebrow. Logan catches this and laughs lightly, still massaging his leg. "Your mom informed me that I was being hit on by several guys while we were practicing my girl-ness. I didn't notice it." He shrugs, "But you're mom's a smart woman so I'll take her word for it."

The blonde inhales sharply. "It didn't bother you?"

"No. Why should it?" The genius looks up and it's then that he realizes how close their faces are.

The taller boy pulls off the other boot completely, never once breaking eye contact with Logan. He lets the boot drop to the floor and he brings his hand back to massage Logan's other calf, mimicking the genius' actions. A thick silence has settled over the boys, leaving them both unable to look away from one another. Slowly, Kendall starts leaning over the smaller boy. Logan can feel the blonde's breath hit his face and it actually hurts, how badly he wants to decrease the distance between them. He watches as Kendall licks his lips and knows the other boy feels the same way…

"Kendall?" He asks, not quite sure what's going on. Well, he knows what's going on, what he's not quite sure of is why.

"I was supposed to go the movies with Jo tonight." The blonde's not sure why he says that, considering he's very clearly about twenty seconds away from kissing his best friend.

This breaks whatever trance they seem to be in though, because Logan pulls back, eyeing Kendall worriedly. "Why aren't you?"

Kendall shrugs, eyebrow raising and tone suggesting that his answer should be obvious. "Because everyone else is gone. Someone needed to stay here and take care of you."

"I'm fine, Kendall, really." Logan says as he pulls off the dress, wincing as his body protests the motion, but hoping that Kendall doesn't catch it. "You should go out on your date. Jo's probably upset that you had to cancel."

The taller boy shakes his head, clearly catching the way Logan's wincing. "It's fine. Jo totally understands. Besides, I need to be here, taking care of you. Not off on a date." Kendall tosses him a T-shirt.

"No you don't." Logan protests.

"Yes I do." Kendall insists, moving back over to the bed. "I can feel it. Now come on," He climbs into bed next to Logan, curling up around the smaller boy. "You need some rest. Let's nap until Mom comes back with dinner."

Logan tries to protest, but Kendall is already half asleep, face nuzzled into Logan's hair. The genius sighs, trying not to enjoy the closeness. He knows that Kendall doesn't mean anything by it, that the blonde doesn't see anything wrong with it. It's how they'd always been, and, honestly, Logan has been doing a pretty terrible job at putting any kind of distance between them like he'd promised himself two years ago. Kendall's too alluring, too hard to stay away from.

But the brunette can still hear the sneers of their classmates; can still see the look their old hockey captain had given them when he'd thought that Kendall might have been crazy enough to take Logan on a date. And now that they're on their way to being famous all that hate is going to be amplified. As is all the trouble that it will bring Kendall.

Sighing, and attempting to keep the hurt out of his voice, Logan convinces himself that this is the right thing to do. "You need to go on that date with Jo. You like Jo."

"Mmhmm." Kendall mumbles sleepily, "But I like you more."

Logan's breath catches at the blonde's words. He knows that Kendall is all but asleep, that we won't remember any of this conversation when they wake up later, but it still makes his heart flutter. "Go be happy with Jo, Kendall," the genius whispers, sure that his friend can't hear him. "You deserve to be happy with Jo."

And Logan realizes he's going to need a distraction. Something to keep his mind off the fact that the one person he's ever really liked is going to be happy with another person, and all because Logan told him to be. So he figures he should give Camille a chance. The method actress is a little crazy, but she's nice and cute and Logan is sure he could learn to like her if he gave himself the chance.

And despite how much she can sometimes scare him, Logan knows that Camille is actually the safer the choice.