Chapter 5: Leaving the Nest

Carlos woke up before Sapphire tapped his window eager for today's trip to the city. He immediately got up and showered then dressed wearing a gray hoodie with mid elbow orange sleeves with dark blue jeans, and black vans. After changing he opened his window and smiled when he saw the small blue bird chirping and flying around the room.

"Isn't this a great day," Carlos said earning an amount of loud chirpings. A few moments later Sapphire stopped flying and perched on his shoulder. They went to the kitchen for some breakfast and Sapphire immediately flew to the countertop pointing at the cabinets. Carlos snapped his fingers in understanding and went to the microwave to check the time, he groaned in annoyance he has to wait three hours for Kendall. Hitting his head on the microwave he wished time would move faster so he could go to the city.

Chirping noises made him freeze before he hit his head again, turning he saw Sapphire tap her claw on the countertop and lowered her head a bit. He smiled, "I have to be patient."

She fluttered her wings in agreement.

"I've waited seven years to go outside," he opened the cabinet and got a bag of mix dried berries. "I can wait a few more hours."

She fluttered her wings and chirped again in encouragement while he got his juice box.

Placing them on the countertop he went to the freezer and grabbed two frozen waffles putting them in the oven next to the microwave. While the waffles were being heated he grabbed a plate and a small bowl and poured the mixed berries then placed it on the table near his plate. When the waffles were done he quickly grabbed them placing them onto the plate and poured syrup. He ate while thinking what he'll do with Kendall, he always wanted to go to an arcade like in the Chuck E Cheese commercials. Go to a park and get on the swings like he used to do when he was a kid, maybe go to a library and see the amount of books they had, go get some ice cream or a corn dog from vendors or in a shop. There were endless possibilities he wanted to do, but he had to consider what Kendall might want to show him since he knows his way around the city.

Only knowing Kendall for a short while he already knew that he was like him in wanting to try new things, discover the unknown, and get to know places that they never been to before. He had the same gleam in his eyes whenever he looked out the window. For a moment he wondered if there was a local garden or some place that had a lot of flowers and a fountain like the garden that was below him in the city he could visit.

However there probably wasn't a garden better than Logan's in the state. There was a reason his mansion was one of the top ten locations to visit in the mid west. He frowned at the thought of Logan making his area restricted to people when they visit. Looking at his last half eaten waffle he contemplated why Logan would have people away from him. Normally whenever he thought about it his answer will be that it was for his safety. But that was Logan's answer, now that he was thinking about it he wondered why Logan really did it, if it was for his safety then he would have left the door locked. There had to be more to it, a memory popped in his mind when he thought about the last time he asked to go outside.

….

"Logan," Carlos asked looking away from the movie he was watching while the commercials were on. "When can I go outside?"

He sighed, "we've been over this Carlos."

"I know," he rubbed his arm nervously. "But you can be with me a-and I just want to go to the garden, the flowers look wonderful now that it's spring."

"What did I told you about going outside?" he asked ignoring what Carlos said.

"It's dangerous because there are bad people out there that will hurt others for no reason." He said with an automatic voice like a robot.

"And?"

"Accidents happen all the time and we can never predict what's going to happen, we could get hurt a little bit or worse," he finished his sentence with a quiet voice.

Logan kissed his temple resulting a blushing latino, "I know how much you want to go outside, but it's because I don't want you to get hurt."

"You're a doctor!"

He nodded, "I am, but I also need take to care of you."

"I know, but-,"

"Movie's back," Logan said when the commercials were over. Carlos sighed and turned back to the TV feeling an arm around his waist he was pulled to Logan's side. He situated himself comfortably and smiled with a light blush returning to the movie forgetting about the conversation that happened moments ago.

…

Carlos remembered that the next day Logan surprised him by getting a box of comic books and kept himself busy for weeks reading every single one of them and games that took him months to pass, levels that were difficult in every new game keeping him occupied. The last time he asked to go outside was three years ago and realized that Logan never brought up the subject. Carlos never thought of it because he was too busy using the things he bought him.

He heard chirping noises and turned to see Sapphire rubbing her head on his hand bringing him back from his thoughts. Looking at the time he found out that an hour and a half passed by, he blinked and did a double take on the time. He didn't realize that he was thinking that long, "I'm fine Sapphire," he stroked her wing earning a quiet chirp. "I'm fine."

Turning to his uneaten breakfast he got up and threw it away and placed the dish and the small empty bowl in the sink. With a sigh he turned leaving the kitchen with a quiet Sapphire on his shoulder, noticing her friend's gloomy mood she flew ahead and tapped on the window. Carlos quickly turned the latch as the bird clawed the glass. The minute he pulled it open the blue bird flapped its wings and made circles making loud chirp noises and pointed at the city looking at the distance he looked at the tall buildings he would soon be, bringing a smile to his face. This wasn't a time to be upset or sad, he was going outside today and Logan wasn't here to stop him, he'll soon be with Kendall walking in the streets of a city like a normal teen.

The blue bird landed on the window sill and looked up at Carlos. "Gracias Sapphire, I needed that."

She fluttered her wings and chirped in accomplishment at changing her friend's mood.

Turning around Carlos looked at the clock on his nightstand and noticed that he had two hours until Kendall gets here. He glanced at the guitar in the corner of his room his earlier thoughts were creeping slowly into his mind, but he quickly shoved them away as he grabbed it and his music book and sat on his bed to kill some time.

Turning to Sapphire he asked, "any requests?"

She chirped and tapped the window sill four times.

"La Bamba?"

She nodded.

"Okay."

He cleared his throat and with the tip of his fingers started to play one of his mom's favorite songs. He remembered hearing her voice singing La Bamba before he went to bed when he woke up from nightmares he smiled at the memory and started to sing.

A blaring loud beeping noise woke Kendall abruptly causing him to fall off his bed with a loud thud on the floor. He groaned and untangled himself from his covers and reached for his phone to turn off his alarm. His eyes narrowed at the bright light his phone emitted and scrunched his nose in distaste, it was six in the morning. It will take him forty five minutes to get ready and fifteen to get to the bus then another two or three hours (depending on traffic) for him to get to the mansion and an hour to get in and find his way to Carlos's area. He got up and placed his disheveled covers on his bed and went to the bathroom to shower. After he was scrubbed clean he changed into a blue plaid shirt with black lose skinny jeans and black and white checkered vans.

He left his room and went downstairs to the kitchen for a quick breakfast, he jumped back in surprise when he turned on the lights to see his little sister standing in the middle of the kitchen in a light blue robe, crossed arms, and shooting daggers at him. She was six years younger than him, but has a mind of an adult. This is one of those moments where she looks like her age. She had pink pajamas and yellow fluffy slippers courtesy of their mom. Her hair was light brown and was short only reaching Kendall's abdomen. She had brown eyes the same as their mom's and light skin.

"Katie what are you-,"

"Your stupid alarm woke me up," she said after she yawned.

"Then go back to bed."

"I can't and you know that," she growled angrily.

Katie developed a habit that she despised, once she wakes up she can't go back to sleep no matter what she tries and the young Knight is grouchy and moody if she doesn't get her full eight hours of sleep. Her family made sure to lower the volume of their alarms or use another way to wake up without her knowing it, a well slept Katie is better than a cranky one.

"Sorry little sis," Kendall said going to the fridge to get some milk.

"You do know this means I'm going to get my revenge right?"

He nodded, "yeah, but not today I got stuff to do."

She raised a brow and took a seat on their small white dining table. "You have stuff to do at six in the fucking morning?"

"Language."

She rolled her eyes and watched him grab the box of cereal and poured it on the bowl along with milk. "You never answered my question."

He took a bite of his cereal and swallowed, "I'm seeing a friend."

"You have to do that at six in the morning?"

He shook his head, "no, he lives far."

"He?"

Katie knew that Kendall liked guys before he did. She would make fun of him on whether the guy he had a crush on was cute and criticize his taste or asks when he will find a guy and do it so she could use it to her knowledge and use it against him. So far there weren't any guys he was interested much to her dismay.

"He's a friend," Kendall said quickly already knowing what she was thinking.

She shrugged, "alright then why doesn't he come here?"

Kendall looked down at his cereal avoiding her eyes and she leaned forward already knowing that something was up, "he's not allowed."

"So you're Romeo?"

"No! He's a friend and his caretaker doesn't let him go outside," he said deciding to tell her the truth. "I'm the third person he ever met."

"How can you be the third person he ever met? That doesn't make any sense," Katie said, both interested and curios about his friend.

He shrugged, "Don't know, but his caretaker is really overprotective. He locks the only way out of his mini apartment.

"That's creepy."

He nodded in agreement, "so how did you meet him?" she asked.

"He lives in the mansion I went yesterday with Guitar Dude. I got lost found a door opened it and found him." He said giving her a little summary of yesterday's events leaving out the part about James.

"Why am I not surprised?" She laid her chin on her hand her elbow resting on the table.

He shrugged and continued his story, "I found him we talked and we came up with a plan to get him out of the mansion and go to the city."

"Just like that?"

"Just like that."

"Wait so if…uh…what's his name?"

"Carlos."

"So if Carlos's caretaker doesn't let him outside and the door to his…uh…"

"He sort of lives in his own apartment, it's his little area in the mansion," Kendall commented.

"To his apartment," she continued. "Then how did you get in?"

"The lock was broken, I didn't know until he told me his caretaker always locks it before he leaves."

"The word overprotective is an understatement for his caretaker."

He smiled at her and gave a glance to the clock hanging on the wall above the refrigerator. His eyes widened when he saw it was nearly seven in the morning, quickly putting the bowl in the sink he went to the bathroom brushed his teeth and grabbed his keys, money, and his phone.

He gave Katie a kiss on her forehead, "see you later and tell mom I'm doing a project at a friend's house."

"You owe me." She said as she watched him walk to the door.

He opened and gave her a smile, "I know." He left and walked four blocks until he reaches a bus stop and wait until his ride came making a list of places to visit.

Kendall smiled when he looked at his phone, he was making great time when he reached the mansion. After he got off the bus from his neighborhood he went to the central bus station and spent two hours on another bus playing music on his phone with his headphones looking at the familiar scenery in the freeway. Thankfully there wasn't any bad traffic so he arrived at his destination early and walked the rest of the way to the mansion. He walked around the estate taking time to look around making sure there weren't any people or tourists around as he reached the hedge.

Narrowing his eyes he looked at the shrubbery looking for the door. He made sure to leave it a bit open as if looking it had a bump. He found the door when he saw the unevenness of its surface and crouched. He did the same thing as yesterday smoothing his hands on the hard wood until he felt something cool and found the knob. He pushed using his shoulder until there was a opening big enough for him to go through he stepped inside and quickly pushed the door back leaving it a bit open for easier access.

He crouched again and hid behind some bushes, looking around the garden looked the same as yesterday except for the sun that wasn't fully high in the sky yet. He looked up to see Carlos's window to see it closed. He kept hiding behind bushes until he reached the double glass door and quietly turned the knob opening it and closing it making sure it won't make a sound. Cautiously he walked down the hallway until he reached the same stairs from yesterday. Climbing them up he walked the same hallways he did yesterday using his memory to know where he was going, he also peeked the hallway before walking through them making sure that there weren't any workers. In the back of his mind he hoped to find the brunette he met yesterday, but didn't get his hopes too high since he probably won't ever see him again. Fifteen minutes later he arrived at his destination when he saw the familiar bare hallway and the only door at the end of it. He walked to it and knocked hoping it didn't alert any nearby workers and Carlos was able to hear.

After singing and playing his guitar for nearly an hour Carlos went back to the living room with Sapphire to watch a movie he already watched waiting for Kendall. While watching he wondered if he still remembered his way to his area and hoped he didn't get caught by the workers or worse by Logan. He knew Logan was gone the entire day, but didn't know if he still resided in the mansion for any work or meetings. Before he let his fears and nerves overcome him he heard a knock.

Startled Sapphire spread her wings, but hesitated if she should fly or not, she was never taught in what to do if there was a knock on his door.

Looking at the door curiously he got up and walked toward it, he knocked back not sure if he should open it or not. He should if it was Kendall, but what if it was another stranger, he quickly stepped back when the door opened revealing Kendall with a smile on his face.

"When someone knocks you normally open the door," Kendall said as he stepped inside and closed the door behind him. "So are you ready to go?"

Carlos stayed silent, staring at Kendall with a neutral expression making him raise a bushy brow at him. "Hey are you-oh!"

Carlos tackled him with a hug surprising the blonde, "you came."

"Of course I did I never break a promise," Kendall said returning his hug.

He took a step back and smiled sheepishly, "sorry I got carried away."

"It's okay I would too if I was going outside for the first time. So are you ready?"

He nodded, "yeah I am, come on Sapphire."

The blue bird chirped and flew to his shoulder and gave a small wave of her wing at Kendall. He smiled, "alright let's go."

Kendall opened the door taking a few steps out of his area, before Carlos did the same. He grabbed the knob and pulled it closing the door he watched for years barricaded him from the outside. Turning back to Kendall he smiled and followed him heading towards the unknown.