3

"But Gustavo, Kendall can't go on tour now. He's still malnourished, he hasn't exercised at all in two and a half weeks, and he has a broken heart to boot."

Kendall kept his head down to hide his flaming cheeks. Sure, it was all true, but Kendall wasn't about to admit that.

"Look, dogs. Griffin wants money. If we don't make him some soon, he's going to kill the band. Again."

"What?!"

"He can't do that!"

"Yes, he can. And since making another album takes way too long, you're going on tour."

"But Gustavo—"

"No buts!"

Kendall looked at his boss for a moment and then crossed his arms defiantly.

"All right then. We'll go on tour."

"Good. Now—"

"IF you give us an intermission."

"But—"

"AND rework the choreography to emphasize Carlos, James, and Logan."

"But—"

"AND don't schedule a million and one interviews and photo shoots in between each show."

Gustavo's face had gone fire engine red. Steam poured out of his ears. HE was the boss. NOBODY talked to him like that.

Then again, there was no way Stubborn Dog would go on tour unless he agreed to his terms.

"Fine," he said, teeth clenched, "We have three weeks until the first show. To the dance studio!"

"What? Three weeks?" Logan protested, "We can't be ready in three weeks!"

"Well, you'd better be. Move!"


"Here it is. Your new home."

The words continued to ring in Anya's ears hours after they had been spoken. This would never be home. Home was with James' beauty products and Carlos' helmet. Home was with Logan's books and Katie's money-making schemes. Home was at the Palm Woods. Home was with Kendall.

"Anastasia! Dinner!"

Anya stood up and slowly made her way downstairs, where her foster parents were waiting. She sat down at the table, avoiding eye contact with her foster mother, Suzanne, and foster father, Herbert.

"Anastasia, is there anything you'd like to say before we eat? A grace or a prayer, perhaps?" Suzanne asked kindly.

Anya shook her head.

"Then let's eat!" Herbert said, digging in.

Anya stared at her food. She wasn't hungry.

"What's wrong, Anastasia? Mrs. Knight said you like dinosaur-shaped chicken nuggets. Don't you?"

No, Anya didn't like dinosaur-shaped chicken nuggets. Anya liked the way James and Carlos would shove carrots up their noses and make their dinosaurs fight each other. Anya like the way that Kendall and Logan would roll their eyes at them for being immature. And most of all, Anya loved the way that Kendall would join in when Logan wasn't looking, giving her that wink that said, 'Logan doesn't have to know.'

"Aren't you hungry, Anastasia?"

Anya shook her head.

Her foster parents exchanged a look.

"You may be excused," Suzanne said.

Keeping her eyes down, Anya pushed in her chair and returned to "her" room. She went to her bag and dug around. Finding what she was looking for, she curled up in "her" bed, holding one of Kendall's beanies close as a tear slipped down her cheek.


"1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, BACK FLIP, 3, 4, SPIN, 7, 8, 1, 2, TRAMPOLINE, 5, 6, 7, and DONE!"

The four boys of Big Time Rush collapsed on the ground, panting.

"Take five," said Mr. X, leaving the room.

"I don't know how much more of this I can take," Logan wheezed.

"Don't…worry," said Carlos, "Only…3 more days."

"And then 3 months of doing this every night."

"To thousands of screaming fans," James added, "Come on, guys, aren't you excited?"

Logan, Carlos, and Kendall groaned in response.

"No," said Logan.

"I want to go home," Carlos whimpered, as he always did when he was in pain.

"I know, Carlos," said Logan, reaching out and patting him on the leg, "I guess it's our fault that we're so out of shape. We should have exercised more."

"You should have exercised more," James corrected him, flexing his biceps.

Logan rolled his eyes.

"DOGS!" shouted Gustavo, throwing water bottles at them, "Studio! Now!"

They groaned again.

"Gustavo, give us a few minutes," Kendall said as his friends greedily emptied their plastic bottles, "We're exhausted."

"Fine." Gustavo turned around and left the room.

Logan began to wheeze. "I can't take much more of this," Logan's said after using his asthma inhaler.

"In three and a half months, this will all be over," Kendall assured him.