A/N Yeehaw a quick update! Thanks everyone for the reviews and alerts! Makes me so happy Oh and James looked gorgeous in that sweater in the BTR special. Like, yummy and sexy slurpness. Ugh why are they so adorable? I almost can't stand it.
James nervously paced the break room of Rocque records back and forth, glancing up at the clock every 30 seconds or so. Kendall still hadn't arrived at the studio and it was past 6 in the evening, and he wouldn't answer his cellphone either.
Logan was getting nervous as well. He just had alarm bells going off inside of him all afternoon. He remembered the state of wellbeing that Kendall had left in. He was so upset. Logan had only seen Kendall that emotional a couple of times in his life, and each time Kendall had followed it up by acting irrationally.
"I think we should go looking for him," Logan said, breaking the worried silence.
"Right now?" Carlos asked. "Won't Gustavo get mad?"
"Screw Gustavo, Kendall could be hurt," Logan said.
"Why would he be hurt?" Carlos asked, and James turned to Logan and looked him almost accusingly.
"What do you know that we don't, Logan?" James asked.
"Kendall was upset earlier. He said he was going to go find those punks that hurt you and beat them up," Logan said guiltily, and James' eyes widened in terror. Justin and his friends were tough kids. No way would Kendall have been able to take them all by himself.
"Damn it," James said roughly under his breath. Carlos flinched at his choice of words but didn't say anything. The Latino was confused. Kendall had never been stupid enough to pick a fight by himself, and the only time he ever fought anyone was when they were picking on his buddies in front of him.
"The guys always hang out in the park after school, we could go try there first," Logan said.
"Logan, why didn't you tell me Kendall went off by himself?" James asked, balling his fists tightly. He cringed at the pain the pressure caused him, and he quickly loosened his fists.
"He told me not to," Logan said quietly, feeling like he was being attacked. He knew he shouldn't have let Kendall leave the apartment when he did.
"So? You should have told me, I could have stopped him," James said as Logan pulled out of the parking lot and headed to the park. Logan said nothing, just concentrated on the traffic, feeling incredibly guilty already.
"We are going to get in so much trouble," Carlos whined, throwing his head back against the seat. Gustavo would probably kill them when he found they left the studio on their break.
"We'll be fine Carlos," Logan mumbled. He pulled into the Palmwoods park and they searched the large, dark area for Kendall. The park was void of people, as it was dark outside and getting a bit chilly outside. Carlos pulled his jacket against himself tighter as they walked against the wind and called out Kendall's name.
"Maybe he's not here," Carlos finally said, speaking Logan and James' thoughts that the 2 taller boys were too nervous to admit. If he wasn't here, than where could he be?
"Kendall!" James screeched through the trees. The boys jumped when they heard a rustling noise nearby, and they saw a flash of golden hair several yards away.
"Guys?" Kendall asked groggily, shivering uncontrollably.
"Oh my God, Kendall, are you ok?" Logan exclaimed, rushing to Kendall's side. The blonde was trying to hold himself up on his arms, but he collapsed back to the ground, wincing in pain. "What happened, bro?"
"Ugh, I did something stupid," Kendall moaned, trying to suppress his incessant shivering. Not only did he not want to look weak, but the shaking jarred his bruised up torso. "Got in a fight, passed out a while ago. What time is it?"
"It's almost 7 at night," Logan said, assessing Kendall's injuries best he could in the dark. "We need to get you home. Can you walk?"
"Can you help me up?" Kendall asked, his cheeks darkening with a thin layer of blush. Logan nodded and silently asked Carlos' assistance, and together the 2 small boys brought Kendall to his feet. The blonde boy swayed on his feet and fell against Logan, nearly pushing the tiny brunette to the ground.
'Whoa!" James exclaimed, reaching for Kendall and supporting him from under the arms. "Put your arm around my shoulders and I'll help you to the car."
Kendall nodded and did as he was told. He felt his body practically being dragged across the concrete, shoes scrapping behind him, and he was nearly exhausted by the time he got to the car. The boys drove home in silence.
"Dude, how are we going to get Kendall inside without Mama Knight noticing?" Carlos asked as the entered the lobby.
"I'll distract her," James said. "Just wait out in the hall until you hear me say "lucky comb.'" James entered the apartment. Mrs. Knight was busy in the kitchen, cooking up a pot of spaghetti. He went straight to the bathroom and immediately started wailing dramatically.
"James! What in the world is going on?" Mrs. Knight, rushing into the tiny space and clutching her chest in surprise.
James tore open the medicine cabinet and the doors underneath the sink and gestured to them, flailing his hands around miserably.
"I can't find my Cuda Hairspray, and I have a date and I'm freaking out!" James cried. "Please help me look? I can't find my LUCKY COMB! Either," James said, yelling out the lucky comb part.
Mrs. Knight just stared at him, dumbfounded, than rolled her eyes. "Honey, you aren't going on a date tonight. You sir, are grounded. You deliberately ignored my requests…"
James tuned out Mrs. Knight's voice and nonchalantly glanced at Logan and Carlos practically carrying Kendall across the hall, nearly collapsing under his weight. Their chests were heaving and their muscles were quaking as sweat beaded on their foreheads. Kendall just looked annoyed, trying to walk by himself, but the other boys seemed to insist on carrying him.
"…Do you understand me, James Isaac Diamond?" Mrs. Knight finished, staring at the teenager expectantly.
'Yep, got it, grounded. Bye!" James said, waving his fingers at Mrs. Knight and pushing past her to get to Kendall's room.
"Hey buddy, how are you feeling?" James asked, sitting on Kendall's bed next to the blonde boy. Logan was busy examining his purplish torso.
"Ugh, sore," Kendall groaned. "Am I gonna live, Logan?"
"Well… I'm not so sure about that," Logan said.
"What?" Kendall cried, sitting up with a jolt. He cried out in pain and cradled his ribs with a wince. Logan pointed to the doorway with a grimace of sympathy. They were so dead.
"What is going on here?" Mrs. Knight demanded, stomping into the bedroom. "Oh my God, Kendall! Explain, now!" Mrs. Knight ghosted her fingers over the bruising on her son's chest and stomach. Kendall gaped at his mother, opening and closing his mouth like a fish.
"Uhhh," Kendall said, his heart pounding in his chest. He knew he couldn't lie to his mother. There was no way he could look into her eyes and outright lie, even if it meant getting in trouble. "I got in a fight, mom."
Mrs. Knight looked stunned. "Kendall Donald. What is going on with you boys, huh? You are such good boys and now both of you are in trouble." She looked at James accusingly. He turned red and ducked his head. It was on very rare occasions that Mrs. Knight got upset with her children. "Kendall, I'll fix you up and then you are grounded. No video games, television, skateboarding, guitar, dates, or junk food for 2 weeks. You can come home from the studio and go straight in your room. You and James will have plenty of time to think about your behavior. A fight, Kendall? Really? You know better than this!" Mrs. Knight rubbed her forehead and left to go grab an ice pack and a wet washcloth to wipe off the dried blood on Kendall's face.
"Mama Knight is mad," Carlos said quietly.
"No duh," Kendall said, putting his face in his hands. "Ugh, this whole week has been crazy. This whole month has been crazy, actually. I'm ready for it to be over."
James sadly looked at his shoes, his floppy bangs covering his eyes so nobody could see the hurt expression in his eyes. The only reason why this month was crazy was because of him.
"Hey, I think I'm gonna head to bed early," James said, turning to leave the crowded bedroom.
"But dinner is in 15 minutes," Mrs. Knight said, entering the room with an armful of supplies.
"Can you just save some for me for later? I am really tired," James said. He scurried out of the bedroom without another word.
"That was weird," Logan said softly. He made a mental note to be sure to check on James later on to make sure he was alright.
Mrs. Knight laid icepacks against Kendall's tender, marred skin and had him swallow a couple of Tylenols before cleaning his face up.
"Too many injuries in one day for me," Mrs. Knight said, dabbing Kendall's nose gently. She couldn't stand to see her children hurt in any way. It made her sick to know Kendall was bleeding.
"I'm really sorry mom," Kendall said sincerely. "Those guys hurt James. I had to do something about it. You don't know the crap James has been going through. I just want to fix it for him."
"I know you do baby, but some things are out of your control, you know that," Mrs. Knight said, pushing Kendall's bangs off of his forehead lovingly. "You can't fight fire with fire. Or else this happens." Mrs. Knight gestured to Kendall's torso. She grabbed a sweatshirt and helped him into the warm fabric. "I'll go get dinner for you. I want you to stay in bed."
Kendall nodded and watched his mom leave. He could see the disappointment in her eyes as she spoke to him. He instantly regretted ever trying to fight those goons.
"You ok?" Logan asked, noticing Kendall was still shivering. He covered his body with a warm comforter and patted his shoulder.
"I guess so," Kendall said halfheartedly.
"Hey, you didn't mean for this to happen. You were only trying to help," Carlos said, trying to offer some comfort.
"Then why do I keep getting the feeling I made things much worse?" Kendall wondered softly.
~~~~~~BTR~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~BTR~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~BTR~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~BTR~~~~~~~~~~~~~
James buried his face into his pillow, fighting the exhaustion that the events of the day had brought. He just wanted to sleep everything away. He wanted to wake up and find that everything had gone back to normal, the way they were supposed to be.
He hated this. He hated it so much. He was sick of the nightmares, he was sick of his friends treating him like a delicate flower. He hated being teased in school. He hated the knowing, pitiful glances that all of his friends and acquaintances gave him. He felt so incredibly weak, yet there was nothing he could do to help himself. He was afraid that he was going to be scared for the rest of his life. That the fear would never go away. He couldn't live like this. The fear was taking over not only his life, but the lives of his friends as well. Kendall was in pain and in trouble because of him. Logan and Carlos were worried sick. It was only going to get worse as the days went on and the fear progressed.
Suddenly, James heard somebody open a door and felt somebodies presence in the doorway. He shut his eyes quickly and evened out his breathing, trying to pull off the illusion that he was sleeping.
The figure crept closer to him and he felt a gentle hand lay on his shoulder. "James, you awake?" Logan's voice whispered. James refused to acknowledge him and kept his face in the pillow. Logan sighed, not convinced that James was really asleep.
"Good night James," Logan whispered, rubbing his shoulder blades for a moment. James relaxed into the touch, but still kept quiet. After a minute Logan gave up and left the dimly lit room for his own.
About an hour later, Carlos entered the room and got dressed for bed, than silently slipped underneath his covers. James could feel Carlos' eyes on him for several long, and a little bit creepy, moments. Finally, soft snores could be heard from across the room, indicating the younger boy was fast asleep.
James rolled onto his back and folded his hands behind his soft locks, staring at Carlos' glow-stars on the ceiling. He grabbed his Ipod, knowing this was going to be a long night.
A few hours passed, and James was fighting to stay awake. His eyes burned and his mind felt foggy. But he could not deal with another nightmare. He needed a break. He would rather be tired than have to endure another night terror.
But over the low volume of his Ipod through his earplugs, James could hear a strange, muffled sound coming from the other side of his wall. He glanced at the clock. It read 1 AM. He pulled out his earplugs and listened carefully. It sounded strangely like a coughing sound.
James threw his bare feet over the side of the bed and lowered himself onto the freezing wood floor. He tiptoed out of his room and into Kendall and Logan's room. Logan was snoring away. He was always an extremely heavy sleeper. But Kendall was coughing into his pillow, his thin body quaking in pain with each hack. He sounded horribly congested, and when James got closer, he could see tears running down his pale face.
"Kendall, are you alright?" James asked, concern churning in his stomach. Kendall jumped, not realizing that somebody was next to him.
"I think so," Kendall rasped, rolling onto his side. He moaned and held his ribs, waiting for the pain to pass. His mom had told him it would hurt for a while, but he didn't think it would be this bad.
James sat next to Kendall nervously. Logan was better at this stuff than he was, but the junior doctor was sleeping and he didn't want to disturb his slumber. "You sound sick," James noted, listening to Kendall's sniffles and coughs.
"No, I'm not sick," Kendall said with a chuckle, though he wasn't quite sure he believed his own words. His chest felt heavy with gunk, his throat scratched and ached, and he felt generally overheated and tired.
James felt Kendall's forehead and frowned. "You feel warm, dude. What's wrong? You can tell me, you know I won't freak out like your mom or Logan and baby you or anything."
Kendall sighed. "I don't feel very good. But don't tell mom, please. Can I just have a couple more Tylenols? My ribs are killing me."
"Yeah, no problem," James said. He left for the bathroom and found a bottle of Tylenol, than brought the bottle and a glass of water to Kendall, who thankfully drank down the pills. "You must have gotten sick from sleeping in the chilly weather all day."
"Mmm, it's just a cold, no biggie," Kendall said. He took a deep breath that rattled his ribs and moaned. James reached out and rubbed his arm. He would have rubbed Kendall's back, but he was afraid that would only hurt him even more.
"I'm really sorry bro," James said softly.
"Why are you sorry?" Kendall asked, his heavy eyelids starting to flutter shut. James noticed his ill friend's exhaustion and ignored his question.
"Just go to sleep," James whispered. His palm rubbed circles into Kendall's shoulder and the blonde slowly slipped into a deep sleep. Every so often he would cough or moan. James felt terrible. It was his fault that Kendall was sick. It was his fault Kendall was beat up left to rot in the park all day. If it wasn't for him, Kendall would be healthy and pain-free.
James rested his hand on Kendall's forehead, making sure that his fever wasn't anything dangerous. He was only warm, not burning, so James took that as good thing.
"I'm sorry Kendall," James said one more time. A tear rolled out of the corner of his eye and splashed onto Kendall's cheek, and the brunette gently wiped it away before heading back to his bed, where he knew a long, sleepless night would be awaiting him.
A/N Ok so I listened to Elevate on the aol listening party and just… I can only say one thing about it: I was crying. It's beautiful. I am so impressed. Yay boys! I am so proud of them. I wish they knew how much they just influence my life and take everything away. They are seriously such a bright, warm light in my life.
Um, anyway, I hope you liked this and please review, they are Narwhals! Ps, tell me your favorite song off of Elevate if you have one yet!