(A/N): Before any of you get mad at me for not posting yesterday, I have an excuse! I had a really bad day yesterday. I went to the dentist to find out that they have to go in and take out my other two wisdom teeth. I've already been through the surgery once before to get the bottom ones out and now it's time for the top ones. Knowing how the surgery works, I'm really scared. They're going to be poking needles into my gums and that makes me very nervous. And then I found out that if they didn't take my bottom ones out, then my lower jaw would have gone completely numb meaning it would have been hard to eat, talk or do anything else with my mouth! That shook me up. Once I got home, I had to help my little sister find something downstairs and she decided to turn the light off on me. I ended up bumping my knee up against something and now it hurts whenever I move it. Plus, I'm still getting over my sickness. So, yeah, a bad day.
Anyways, thank you to oOo KitKat oOo, Milkamoo97 and treehillgirl1 for your reviews! I don't own Big Time Rush nor do I own the song Trading Heartbeats by Every Avenue.
Don't forget to vote and enjoy the chapter!
Chapter 19: Painting Heartbeats
Katrina woke up the next day with a killer headache. She grumbled as she untangled herself from the sleeping bag and left Katie's room. Walking into the main room, she heard a chorus of six voices greet her. She waved to them as she plopped down on a stool at the counter.
"Are you okay, Katrina?" Mrs. Knight asked.
"I just have a headache," Katrina answered.
Mrs. Knight appeared at her side with a glass of water and a couple pills, "Here. This will help."
Katrina took them, smiling, "Thanks." She took the pills as James showed up on her other side. Mrs. Knight left them alone.
"What are we doing today?" James spoke to her.
"Well, because we didn't get anything done yesterday," Katrina started, "We've got to check the walls to make sure they don't fall and then go shopping for paint."
"And then we paint?"
"And then we paint."
"Sweet."
Suddenly, Logan showed up beside them. "So," He began, "Are you two dating now or something?"
Katrina starting laughing hysterically, "You think-hahaha-that me-haha- and him-hahahaha- are d-ha-dating?" She couldn't form any more sentences as she fell out of the stool and literally began rolling on the floor, laughing out loud.
"Way to make a man feel good, Katrina," James told her sarcastically. He walked off, leaving Katrina with Logan.
"So, you're not dating James," Logan tried to confirm. Katrina could barely nod she was laughing so hard. Tears were starting to form in her eyes. "Then why did he kiss you? And why did you sit on his lap?" These questions helped Katrina settle down. She climbed back to her feet.
"Why does it matter to you?" Katrina asked him, "Were you jealous or something?"
"No," Logan remarked a little too fast. "I was just wondering why."
"Well, what about you and Camille?" Katrina pressed, "Are you two an item now?"
"I don't know," Logan told her honestly, "Technically, she's not talking to me for the week."
"Well, you were flirting with other girls," Katrina reminded him, "I'm still mad at you for that."
"Would you take an apology?"
"Ask me when you're sure about you and Camille."
"Why do you care?"
"I don't."
"Then why won't you give me an answer?"
Katrina glared at him, "For the smart one of the group, you're really dumb."
Suddenly, they heard a chorus of 'OH's' coming from the table. Katrina and Logan looked over to see Kendall, Carlos, James and Katie watching the scene.
"Don't stop on our part!" Katie encouraged, "Continue your argument!" Katrina and Logan just stared at their audience.
"We ruined it, didn't we?" Kendall asked. Katrina and Logan continued to stare.
Katrina stopped when her cell phone buzzed. She pulled it out and looked at the text message, groaning, "Brandon can't come today."
"Guess it's just us then," James came back up to Katrina and put his arm around her shoulder. Katrina turned her head slowly to give James an intense glare.
"Is it just me or did I just hear Katrina growl?" Logan commented, stepping away from the other two.
"Maybe Gustavo was wrong and she is a dog," Carlos added.
"Katie," Katrina began, "How would you like to join us?"
"Sorry," Katie told her, "You're on your own."
"Darn it," Katrina stomped her foot. When she realized that James wasn't moving, she picked up his arm and removed it. Before he could put it back, she walked over to the door, "Are we going now?"
"No, you're not," Mrs. Knight insisted. "You have to eat breakfast first." She stuffed a plate of pancakes and sausage into Katrina's hands. Katrina looked down at the plate, sighed and then joined the boys and Katie at the table.
After breakfast, Carlos, Logan, Kendall, James and Katrina went to Penny's Pet Care headquarters and checked the walls. They wouldn't fall even when Carlos ran into them, which all of them took as a good sign. Then, the group took a trip back to the hardware store to get painting supplies. Coming back to the headquarters, they were deciding on if they wanted to split up to work in the different rooms.
"We're ahead of schedule," Katrina told them, "We don't have to split up."
The boys seemed to agree with this. The group put tarps around the floor to save it from paint drips. Katrina opened a sky blue paint can and began to pour it into five different containers so all of them had their own. Once she was done, she looked up to find that the boys had taken their shirts off again. She turned to look away.
"Is that really necessary?" Katrina asked them. "I'm going to keep getting distracted."
"Think of it as punishment for how you looked yesterday," James replied.
"Plus we don't want to get paint on our shirts," Logan gave a logical answer.
"Right, well," Katrina began, "I'm just going to take this and go over there. Please don't follow me." She picked up a roller and a paint container and walked off. The boys chuckled before doing the same thing. All five teenagers started painting an equal distance apart, James and Logan on either side of Katrina. One of the boys had remembered a stereo and it was playing so they weren't painting in silence.
It didn't take long for Katrina to step away from the wall and look at her progress. She couldn't get much higher with the roller due to her shortness.
"Need help?" James appeared at her side.
"No, I'll just get a ladder," Katrina denied him.
"So, I never got to ask you," James continued talking, "Out of the four of us, which one has the hottest body?"
Katrina looked over at him. "You want me to say you."
"Well, you've got to tell the truth." She rolled her eyes at his comment.
Suddenly, Katrina smirked. She looked at the roller in her hand that still had paint on it. Using her other hand, she grabbed James's arm to keep him from moving as she pressed the roller onto James's chest and painted it. He shrieked and Katrina laughed. The commotion got the other boys' attentions and they looked over, laughing too.
"Don't mess with me," Katrina told him. She began to walk over to the ladder.
"Katrina," James called out to her. She turned around to find him smirking with his arms wide open. "How about a hug?"
Her smirk went away as her eyes went wide. "You wouldn't dare."
James took a step forward, "You look like you need a hug."
Katrina froze, staring at James for a second, before she broke out into a run, heading straight for the elevator. She didn't make it. James had grabbed her and pulled her close to him. She started screaming while James was laughing the hardest out of the four boys. As soon as she was covered in paint, James released her.
"Don't mess with me either," James mimicked her. She glared at him for a second and then looked down at herself. Suddenly, she burst into laughter, joining the others.
James looked down at Katrina and motioned to the other three with his head, smirking. His smirk was contagious by spreading to Katrina's face as she nodded. They looked at the boys who immediately stopped laughing.
"Why are you looking at us like that?" Logan asked. Katrina and James stepped forward. Kendall's and Logan's eyes went wide at this, finally realizing what they were thinking.
However, Carlos screamed, rolled paint onto himself and ran over to stand beside Katrina. She and James looked at him with eyebrows raised before turning back to Logan and Kendall with smirks again. The three painted teens took a step forward.
"We need to share the love," Katrina explained as she, James and Carlos held their arms open. Logan and Kendall stayed frozen for a second and then ran for the elevator. It was of no use. Carlos and James had gotten a hold of Kendall while Katrina attacked Logan.
Once everyone was covered in paint, James, Kendall and Carlos had collapsed onto the floor, but Katrina and Logan stayed standing. They were holding onto each other, closer than they should be. Breathing heavily from the previous laughter and activity, Katrina's and Logan's eyes were darting to places that were not innocent.
Kendall's voice brought them back to reality, "We should probably get back to work." Logan and Katrina let each other go as though the other was on fire, avoiding the eyes of everyone else. Logan, Carlos and Kendall went back to work.
Katrina grabbed her roller when she was suddenly picked up onto someone's shoulders. She screamed and looked down to find that James had picked her up.
"JAMES!" Katrina screeched, "WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?" The other three looked over with their eyes and mouths wide.
"Don't move too much or you'll fall!" James told her, his arms around her legs that were on either side of his head as she sat on his shoulders. She froze.
"YOU DIDN'T ANSWER MY QUESTION!"
"You need to get up higher to paint," James answered like it was no big deal.
"I CAN USE A LADDER!"
"This seemed more fun!"
"Ugh, fine. Just get closer to the wall." James did as she said carefully so he wouldn't trip. Katrina began painting as James made small talk with her.
Kendall and Carlos shrugged and went back to their painting, but Logan stared. He looked uncomfortable as he watched Katrina laugh at something James had told her.
Picking up a nearby paint can, Logan got the attention of Carlos and Kendall.
"What are you doing?" Carlos asked him.
"I think we should just let Katrina and James finish up in here," Logan responded. "Most of the bottom half of the walls are finished. We can let them finish the top part and get a head start on another room."
"You can use the ladder to help!" Katrina called out to him.
"No, it's fine," Logan told her, already half out the room, "You want the green color in the play room, right?"
Katrina turned her head to look at Logan, confusion on her face, "Logan-"
James interrupted her, "Go on ahead, guys. We'll finish in here." Katrina glanced down at him and then looked back up to watch Logan leave. Kendall and Carlos picked up some clean painting supplies and followed him out.
"Why did you do that?" Katrina looked back down at James.
"Because he was going to go anyways," James answered, "I could see it. I've known him longer than you."
"Why don't you put me down and then we can finish the bottom parts," Katrina offered, "I keep feeling like I'm going to fall." James didn't move. "You do know how to get me down, right?"
"Psh, of course I do."
"Oh great! You don't know how to get me down."
"I do! Drop the roller and trust me!"
"I guess I don't have a choice." Katrina dropped the roller and waited. James moved one of Katrina's legs over his head to join her other one and then placed his hands on Katrina's waist. Before she could react, he spun her around his neck to land in his arms, bridal style. She had to wrap her arms around his neck to keep herself steady.
"So, how was that?" James smiled down at her confidently.
"Actually, it was smooth." The song on the radio changed to Trading Heartbeats by Every Avenue.
You're just trading heartbeats, baby
You're just changing the person between your sheets
You're just trading heartbeats, baby
That's fine with me
Katrina smiled, "I love this song!"
"Well, let's dance then!" James set Katrina down and they started to dance around the room to the fast song.
Whoa, whoa, whoa, yeah yeah
Tell your friends not to speak until they're sober
They would slip as their inhibitions lower
My lips are sealed, but you still speak in fiction
So, keep telling your stories, even though I'll never listen
I heard the bad news, I heard all about you
It's not what you did, it's just what you do
Katrina tripped over a piece of tarp and almost fell, but James caught her. He quickly let her go though as they continued to dance.
You're just trading heartbeats, baby
You're just changing the person between your sheets
You're just trading heartbeats, baby
That's fine with me
James and Katrina began to sing along as they danced.
I've got you right down to the bone
But I don't let my feelings show
But I still remember all the long drives home
The two teens got right up in each other's faces as they sang the next line.
We sing, we sing
They turned away from each other to continue dancing.
Whoa, whoa, whoa, yeah yeah
You're just trading heartbeats, baby
You're just changing the person between your sheets
You're just trading heartbeats, baby
That's fine with me
Oh, oh
Katrina and James accidently bumped into the other's back. They stopped dancing, turned around and looked at each other, listening only as the lyrics picked up again.
Give it up and just let it go
What you had you will never know
The reason is right, but the feelings are wrong
And now we sing to a different song
At this, they picked their singing back up again.
Do you remember when we sang?
Do you remember when we sang?
Do you remember when we sang?
We sang, we sang
James grabbed Katrina's arms. She glanced down at them before looking back at James's face. There was something different in the way he was looking at her. Katrina dropped off her singing, but James continued.
Whoa, whoa, whoa, yeah
You're just trading heartbeats, baby
You're just changing the person between your…
You're just trading heartbeats, baby
That's fine with me
He pulled her close and wrapped his arms around her, trapping her arms to her sides so she couldn't move them. Katrina's eyes went wide.
Give it up and just let it go
What you had you will never know
The reason is right, but the feelings are wrong
Now we sing to a different song
James leaned in and practically whispered the next line to her.
And that's fine with me
The song ended and changed to the next one, but the duo stayed in their position. It was mostly because Katrina couldn't free her arms from James's grip. He spoke quietly, like he was afraid that one of the other guys would hear it in the next room, "If you wanted to change Logan's heartbeat for mine, it's fine with me." She shivered at this. James scanned her face, looking for a response. He seemed to find something, because he smirked and moved his right arm. Bringing his hand up to her face, he moved a strand of hair back into place and held her cheek with his hand.
Suddenly, he let her go completely, grabbed a roller off the ground and headed over to the wall, "Well. We should go back to painting." James began painting again as Katrina stared at him, her mouth wide open. She had a small twitch before she stomped over to James.
"I thought you were going to kiss me."
"Did you want me to kiss you?" James didn't even look at her.
"I-I don't know."
"Exactly. You still have feelings for Logan. When you don't is when I'll kiss you. Believe me, I'll know."
"Um, okay. I guess I'll just paint then."
"You do that."
Katrina went back to her painting, stealing glances at James every now and then, wondering if she did want him to kiss her. Eventually, the bottom half was done and Katrina was put on James's shoulders again. During that time, Kendall had come in the room and grabbed the ladder so the other boys could finish up that room. By the end of the day, only one room on the entire floor was left unpainted.
"We can do this room tomorrow," Logan decided as the group stood in the last unpainted room. They were all covered in different colors of paint due to a couple more paint wars, mostly started by Carlos.
"No, we can't," Katrina corrected him. All heads turned to look at her. "The people who are putting the plumbing and electrical stuff in are coming in tomorrow. I've also called in someone from the city to check this place out and make sure that everything is up to code."
"So, that means that we have a free day tomorrow?" James asked.
"Yep," Katrina answered. "And to get some time away from you guys, I've got a walking gig set up. Thank God for that too. This construction has been hurting my business."
"What do we do then?" Carlos looked confused at having some free time.
"Not my problem," Katrina told him, turning around to leave. The boys shrugged and followed her out to head back to the Palm Woods.
(A/N): Ooh, Katrina and James are having some sparks! Will she forget about Logan and go after James, or will she continue to pine after Logan? What's going to happen tomorrow during their free day? Hint: It goes along with the next episode!
And here are the choices for the voting contest again:
1. A girl bully.
2. A boyfriend for Brandon.
3. A stray animal.
4. A boyfriend for Katrina.
Confused? Check out chapter 7 for more information! Until the next chapter, happy reading and don't forget to vote!