Hello, all! Thank you for reading this story. It means a lot to me. =)
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Disclaimer: I do not own Big Time Rush. I merely own Leigh and this plot.
I hope you enjoy the latest installment!
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Chapter 4: The Jig is Up
Leigh POV
It's been two weeks since the accident. As much as I hate to admit it, the boys have actually started to grow on me. They and Kendall's mom and sister have been vigilant and, had I been left to my own devices, I probably would've made things worse. So, begrudgingly, I was indebted to them.
Even though I was pretty much healed, Mrs. Knight insisted that I eat with them from now on. I didn't want to, but then I realized what little money I did make went straight to my rent. In the end, my need to eat conquered my wariness of getting close to these people.
Actually, the more I thought about it, the more I realized that I didn't want to stop seeing everyone. Of course, I'd never admit it. If they realized I actually started to care for them, things could get messy. I just need to be careful, and things should be fine. No one will ever have to know. It's safer for everyone else that it be this way.
I started to see less of the boys since my recovery. I gathered from our exchanges that they were in a boy band that was in the midst of recording its first CD. Though some days they were gone for most of the day, the boys always made time to talk to me, even if it was only around the dinner table. Logan, Carlos, and James were even starting to pick up on reading Sign Language; they only needed Kendall to translate the signs they hadn't seen before. Overall, things were going good. I was beginning to think keeping my secret would be easy. But then, today happened.
Today was the first time I had been outside since arriving at the Palm Woods. It had been two weeks since I had used my camera, and I was getting antsy. I heard that the Palm Woods had a beautiful pool, so I decided that would be my muse for the day. I arrived and saw that James, Logan, and Carlos were out by the pool playing Frisbee. They saw me and waved frantically, to which I responded with a head nod. Accepting my greeting, the three boys resumed their game. I was getting some great action shots of the hustle and bustle of the pool scene. I decided to take some pictures of the Big Time Rush boys playing Frisbee. While snapping my shots, I couldn't help but wonder where Kendall was. Carlos threw the Frisbee toward Logan, but it soared over his head. We all turned and looked at it fly, and that's when I noticed Kendall. Talking to a girl and oblivious to the fact that a Frisbee was careening toward him. I did the only thing I could think of.
"Kendall, duck!" I yelled.
Kendall turned around, trying to detect the source of the voice, and ducked as soon as he saw the Frisbee. Once he got up, his eyes widened as he stared at me, finally putting two and two together.
"Oh shit," I thought as he walked toward me, looking pissed. I looked behind me and saw the three other boys quickly approaching me, their expressions, one of shock. Kendall, who was closer to me than the others, got to my first.
"You….can talk?" he whispered.
I cleared my throat. "Yeah," I croaked. Hey, it's been a while since I last talked; I'm rusty.
Wordlessly, Kendall grabbed my wrist and steered me inside. With the others following closely behind, we entered the elevator. The elevator ride was awkward, to the say the least. Everyone just stared at me, not saying a word. I shifted uncomfortably under their scrutiny. After what seemed like forever, the elevator doors opened and we made our way to 2J.
As soon as the door closed, Kendall growled, "Explain…now."
The tone of his voice gave me courage. "Explain what?" No way in hell I was going to let these guys push me around.
"Why you would pretend to be mute for two weeks!" Carlos responded, looking betrayed.
"I don't think it's really any of your business."
"How is it not our business? We've taken care of you for the past two weeks, and let you into our home! Then you go and keep this from us. We have a right to know!" James exclaimed, the anger evident by the tone of his voice.
I looked at them pointedly. "Hey, I never asked for you guys to do any of that stuff. I wanted to hire someone, but that didn't work out, did it Kendall?" I threw an extra icy glare toward Kendall. He ducked his head, knowing my words rang true.
Logan, who up til this juncture of time was standing there quietly, spoke up. "What are you trying to hide?"
I snapped my head in his direction. "What makes you think I'm hiding something?"
He sighed. "Look, no one just stops talking because they feel like it. It's almost always the result of some trauma they experienced."
I scowled, trying to hide the fact his words struck a chord. "Maybe I just wanted to be a problematic patient, did you ever think of that?"
"Oh, I doubt that…if that were the case, then as soon as Kendall suggested you stay with us, you would've spoken for yourself. Or, were you lying about not wanting us to look after you? Maybe this was some ploy to get our attention? As an emancipated minor, you probably don't have any money, and hospital bills cost a pretty penny. Were you just acting so we didn't think you were planning on mooching on us?"
The other three boys mouths dropped as they stared at Logan before they slowly turned their heads toward me. Damn, this guy was smart. I had to give him credit for that. I stared at him, hoping to frighten him enough to back down. He returned my stare coolly.
Seeing that I wasn't going to respond, he continued. "We may not know much about you, but from what we do know we can see you've had a rough life. Being on your own for two years? Abused by your parents? That's rough. We're not asking you to divulge your life story to us. But can you at least admit why you feigned muteness? It doesn't even have to be a specific explanation. Just please, let us help you."
I was taken aback by the sincerity I heard in his voice. So taken aback, in fact, that I whispered, "No one can help me."
The boys looked at me sadly. Then James placed his hand my shoulder. I tensed, which earned me more sympathetic glances.
James gripped my shoulder as he said, "We can try. Just let us in. Please."
I looked into each of their eyes. I mainly saw pity in them, which made me inwardly cringe. But I also saw steadfast determination. I knew they wouldn't drop it until I said something. A part of me was actually touched and I even toyed with the idea of telling them everything. But I knew I couldn't. It's too dangerous. So I did the next best thing.
"Ok, you're right. I haven't spoken in a long time because something bad did happen." I tried to not reflect on it as I looked into Logan's eyes. "Please, I don't want to talk about it. Not yet."
He nodded sagely. "Of course."
"Thanks," I replied, grateful that the subject has been dropped for the moment. I glanced down at my watch. "Don't you guys have a recording session? You should probably go."
Carlos checked his cell phone. "Crap, she's right!" We gotta go." What he did next stunned me. He actually hugged me and said, "Bye Li-Li!" and ran out the door.
I looked at the remaining guys. "Is he always that affectionate?"
"Yep," they replied in unison. I appreciated the fact that the others noticed my discomfort from the physical contact and opted to wave goodbye.
I walked back into my apartment and sat on the couch, facing the television. Absentmindedly, I began channel surfing. I couldn't help but think of what just happened. These guys were really getting too close. I know I shouldn't let them in, but there's just something about them. For once in my life, I felt like a normal person. I know it's selfish, but I want the preserve this normalcy for as long as I can.
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So there you go! The boys have discovered Leigh can talk. Yay!
Just a heads up: the next few chapters will mostly be focused on developing the relationships between Leigh and Big Time Rush. This will go on for about five more chapters. But then…the plot will really start roll. I know this for a fact because I am currently about to start writing Chapter 12. Anyways, thanks for reading and remember: reviews are welcomed, but no flames please!