(A/N): I shouldn't be working on this. I've got three exams next week, but I couldn't help it. This is something we've all been waiting for! Big Time Concert! I can't believe I made it this far…. Anyways, thank you to these people for your reviews: Dreamer1992 (Evan's decision isn't in this chapter, but it's coming up soon!), Milkamoo97 (I hope this was soon enough for you!), Cryss'BTRusher (Evan does have that scaring people thing down. And you have to think about this from Evan's point of view. If he came back, he still wouldn't be completely happy. He'd always be looking over his shoulder for something to go wrong. That's why he's hesitating.), Awesmazing (I had to do some research to answer your question. And the answer is…. Sort of… This story is the longest one in the T rating and any under it. However, there are two that are longer, but rated M. So, technically, on this website, under the Big Time Rush heading (not including crossovers), this is the THIRD longest fanfiction.) and Sugarcrazed (That was really your favorite chapter? Honestly, it was just supposed to be a filler chapter so that I can have something that changes everything happen in chapter 60 instead of 59. And it was so hard to write. But, I have to admit, it was fun writing about their cuddling!). I STILL don't own Big Time Rush and I had nothing to do with the making of Big Time Concert. I also don't own BTR's song, This Is Our Someday which is mentioned in this chapter. I do, however, own Katrina, Evan, Brandon and Tim. Just a little mention here, every Lorina shipper is gonna like part of this…. That said, ONTO THE CHAPTER!
Chapter 57: Crushing Dreams
The day after the guys and Katrina had finished filming the commercial for the perfume, Greek Goddess, Katrina walked into the apartment to find the guys playing a video game together. They didn't notice her come in, but she didn't mind. She continued to look around the apartment and found Katie playing an online poker game on the laptop. Katrina kept looking to find Mrs. Knight absorbed in one of her romance novels. Katrina smiled slightly at the peaceful scene, feeling like she had a family for the first time in a long time.
Suddenly, her phone buzzed and Katrina pulled it out to look at it. That's when her smile got larger.
"Hey guys!" Katrina called out to the boys playing the video game. Everyone looked over at her. "Gustavo just got a package!" They blinked at her, confused as to why she would be excited about this.
"What kind of package?" Kendall asked.
"Oh, it just might be a whole bunch of CDs," Katrina responded. "And by CDs, I mean Big Time Rush CDs!"
"NO WAY!" The guys got to their feet, dropping their controllers in excitement.
"Yes way!" Katrina exclaimed. "And he wants us over at Rocque Records now!" The boys raced out the door, almost knocking Katrina over as they run past her. She sighed, throwing up her arms in annoyance.
"Oh, you love their crazy antics," Mrs. Knight told her.
"You will never hear me admit that," Katrina insisted.
She barely caught Mrs. Knight say, "But you haven't denied it." Before Katrina followed the boys out of the apartment. She caught up with them at the elevator.
"So, what else did Gustavo say?" Carlos asked her as they filed into the elevator.
"He said that he had a surprise for you too," Katrina answered. "But even I'm in the dark about that one." The boys and Katrina thought about what the surprise could be as they left the elevator and made their way over to the limo that would take them to Rocque Records.
"Ooh, I bet it's a petting zoo!" Carlos exclaimed as they stepped off the elevator for Rocque Records.
"Oh, how I wish that would happen," Katrina mentioned.
"Yeah, there's no way that Gustavo would get us a petting zoo," Logan crushed Carlos's suggestion. Carlos opened his mouth again, but didn't get a chance to speak because Logan did, "Or a circus." Carlos shut his mouth and groaned.
"I bet that it's a bunch of hot models for our next music video," James decided.
"For some reason, I'm insulted by that," Katrina told him. "Actually, I know why. Because I'm a model. Remember?"
"Yeah and you're super hot so you can join them in the background," James responded.
"I'm not taking you back if that's what you're trying to do," Katrina insisted. Kendall, Logan and Carlos glared at James from behind Katrina's back.
"I wasn't trying to hit on you," James defended his actions. "I was just saying the obvious. I mean, you wouldn't be a model if you weren't super hot." Katrina glared at him. "I mean-"
"James, why don't you just stop talking before Katrina hurts you again?" Kendall suggested. James shut his mouth as his hands went up to protect his hair. Katrina laughed as they ran into Gustavo's office. Gustavo and Kelly were behind Gustavo's desk. They, the boys and Katrina had a short stare down.
"WELL?" Carlos, Logan, James, Kendall and Katrina exclaimed. Gustavo and Kelly jumped a bit before reaching down and pulling a box out from behind Gustavo's desk. They put it on the desk and Gustavo grabbed a CD from it, holding it up for the guys and Katrina to see.
"Schpingo!" Gustavo made up a word. The guys grabbed the CD and began fussing over it. Katrina glanced down at it with a huge grin on her face while Gustavo and Kelly each sported smiles of their own.
"And people can buy this?" Kendall spoke up once the guys had stopped their cheering. "In stores?"
"Not yet," Kelly admitted. The boys and Katrina looked at the adults with confusion.
"Why not?" Katrina asked. "They put so much hard work into it that it should be out!" The boys pointed at her, nodding.
"The record company will not release it," Gustavo began as he got to his feet, heading over to the white screen. The teens turned to face him. "Until they announce your big time TOUR!" He pulled down on the white screen so that it unlocked and moved up, revealing a map on the wall behind it with a bunch of pushpins in it and three stickers on it saying, 'Big Time Rush'. The guys cheered while Katrina covered her mouth in shock.
"That's the surprise?" Katrina realized, releasing her mouth from her hand.
"We're going on tour!" James exclaimed.
"And your first concert is in two weeks," Gustavo announced, putting a pushpin in the map somewhere in southern California. The guys and Katrina automatically went into their daydream mode. While all of them thought of the concert being in Times Square, the guys concentrated on the performance while Katrina daydreamed of being in the crowd, right at the front with Logan singing a slow song straight to her.
In real life, Gustavo and Kelly were staring at the teens. The boys had their eyes closed and hands to their mouths as if they were singing into microphones. Their mouths moved even though no words came out. Katrina had her eyes closed too. She had a giant smile on her face as she swayed around to the music in her head.
"Should I tell them that preparing for a concert will be the hardest thing they've ever done?" Gustavo asked Kelly. "And that it's not in Times Square."
"Oh, let them have their fantasy," Kelly insisted. "They look so happy. Although I have no idea what Katrina's fantasizing about." At that moment, Katrina was dancing to a fast song in her head as she circled around the guys, somehow not bumping into them.
"Fine," Gustavo gave in. "I'll give them another minute. Then, I'll burst their bubble." He looked up at the clock as though he was going to time the minute. Kelly rolled her eyes at this.
"This is the perfect moment to talk about Katrina," Kelly pointed out. "Have you decided on what you're gonna do with her yet?"
"The cat is the dogs' assistant," Gustavo insisted.
"So, that means she's coming with us on tour," Kelly clarified.
"I haven't decided yet," Gustavo revealed, still watching the clock. "Depends on how much that cat gets on my nerves in the next two weeks." Kelly rolled her eyes again. He watched the clock hit the minute mark, smirked and pulled an air horn out of nowhere. Gustavo pressed the button on it causing a loud noise. The guys and Katrina yelped, being pulled out of their fantasies and putting their hands to their ears.
"DOGS!" Gustavo yelled. "And cat! Follow me!" He stomped out of the room with Kelly following. The five teens looked at each other before racing after the two adults.
Katrina was sitting in the circle seat, eating popcorn as she watched the scene in front of her. The guys were standing in a line in front of a stage that had been built in the practice room. Gustavo and Kelly were standing on the stage, looking down at the guys.
"The concert stage," Gustavo began, "Where you will need intense focus."
"Incredible stamina," Kelly added. "And-" She and Gustavo stepped to the side, revealing Mr. X.
"Expert knowledge of every inch," Mr. X finished.
"Why are we wearing DOG CONES?" Kendall exclaimed. All four boys had dog cones wrapped around their necks so that they couldn't use their peripheral vision.
"Because you're dogs!" Katrina couldn't help but to say. The guys turned all the way around to glare at her. She just popped another piece of popcorn into her mouth as she smiled.
"I'm starting to like her again," Gustavo revealed. "What the cat said and because during the concert, you gotta look at your fans, not your feet!"
Mr. X quickly ran off the stage to jump in front of the boys, "And to avoid extreme injury, you have to know without thinking and see without looking." He screamed something incomprehensible, waved his arms in front of the boys' faces and ran off to the side.
Suddenly, Brandon ran into the room and went up to Katrina, "Hey Rina! Did I miss anything?" Katrina had texted him everything before the boys had even gotten the dog cones around their necks.
"You're right on time," Katrina assured him. "Popcorn?" She held up the bag of popcorn for him. He took a handful before squeezing next to Katrina on the circle seat.
"DOGS!" Gustavo yelled. "On stage. NOW!" The guys raced for the stage as Gustavo and Kelly left it. Mr. X came back with a stereo so that they could begin the training.
"What's with the dog cones?" Brandon asked Katrina. She laughed, unable to answer him. Brandon didn't ask again.
The guys lined up and Logan called out, "What if we have an itch?"
"DON'T!" Gustavo yelled. Katrina couldn't help but to giggle at this.
"You get a kick out of them being in pain, don't you?" Brandon noticed.
"So much," Katrina admitted.
"Places," Mr. X instructed the boys. They stood in their first position. "Focus." The guys waved a hand in front of their faces before going back to their position. "Begin." Mr. X pressed a button on the stereo.
The guys' new song, This Is Our Someday, began as the guys tried their choreography on stage. It ended up being a mess as Kendall and James ran into each other. Carlos and Logan tried spinning only to fall and knock over the drum set. Gustavo, Kelly, Brandon and Mr. X winced while Katrina roared with laughter. Mr. X turned off the music.
"They actually lasted longer than I expected," Mr. X told Gustavo and Kelly as the boys tried to regroup. "AGAIN!" The boys lined up and Mr. X pressed the button to start the music again.
The rest of the day was chaos. The guys kept running into each other, the things on the stage and the edge of the stage. Soon, Brandon even joined Katrina with laughing at them. Although as the day went on and the two teens ran out of popcorn, Katrina and Brandon got bored. So, when Gustavo and Kelly started a card game, they quickly joined. They watched the boys whenever it wasn't their turn, chuckling whenever they saw one of them fall off the stage.
"They're gonna have so many bruises after this," Brandon noted.
"Oh yeah," Katrina agreed, laughing as she saw James attempt a back-flip only to fall backwards, off the stage.
Eventually, Mr. X got tired of instructing the boys and joined the four at the table, while still encouraging the boys to continue.
After three hours of this, the guys finally seemed to be getting the hang of it. The adults, Katrina and Brandon stopped their card game to watch the boys.
"And lastly," Gustavo spoke up, "The spotlight test." He pulled a spotlight over to him from the side of the room and shined it on the boys right as they stopped their dancing to strike a pose. The guys screamed at the bright light as they tried their best to guard their eyes from the light. They flailed around, trying to keep out of the light only to fall off the stage yet again. Gustavo pushed the spotlight away as the boys groaned in pain.
"I will expedite their training and have them X-ready," Mr. X told Gustavo.
"Great!" Gustavo exclaimed as the guys got to their feet. "Now let's move on to the hard part of your training."
The guys responded with fake enthusiasm before Logan yelled, "RUN!" The four guys screamed and ran from the room, pulling off their dog cones as they did.
"Well," Katrina piped up once they left the room. "Now what?"
Gustavo stroked his chin as he thought about it. He looked around before screaming, "FREIGHT TRAIN!"
Suddenly, Freight Train showed up in the doorway. Katrina and Brandon waved at the large man.
"You called?" Freight Train spoke up.
"Yeah," Gustavo replied, "Now, go get the dogs and bring them back here so we can get back to work." Freight Train nodded, leaving the room. This left an awkward silence between everyone.
"So," Katrina broke the silence. "I'm going along with you guys on tour since I'm the guys' assistant and all that, right?" Gustavo and Kelly looked at each other before they looked at the expectant teen girl.
Luckily, they didn't have to say anything because it was at that moment that Freight Train came back into the room, carrying Carlos. Logan, James and Kendall followed behind him.
"Wow," Brandon commented. "They're coming willingly."
"Freight Train must have bribed them," Katrina realized. "There's no way the guys would come to their doom willingly."
"Actually," Kendall spoke up, "We did come willingly. If this is gonna help us with our concert, then we're ready to do this."
"Wow," Katrina responded, impressed. "You guys are driven." Carlos was put down by Freight Train as the guys exchanged confused frowns.
"Dogs," Gustavo gained their attention. He pointed to the stage, "Stage, now." The guys climbed back on the stage, getting back in line as they waited for the next part of their training. Mr. X, as he was done for the moment, left the studio. Freight Train walked over to join Katrina, Brandon, Gustavo and Kelly.
"Okay," Gustavo began, "Time for fan preparedness training with the number one teen idol, Dak Zevon." Kelly pressed a button on the small stereo she had in her hands as Dak slid into the room, right in front of the stage.
"Guys," Dak addressed them, "Fans are your friends, but they can also be frenzied."
"So true," Katrina agreed.
"Like that one guy that hung around your house all the time," Brandon remembered. Katrina shivered at the thought of the guy that had stalked her for a week.
"Until the cops showed up," Katrina reminded him. She and Brandon went back to paying attention to Dak.
"Which is why," Dak continued. "Lesson one of the Zevon Method is-" He pulled a white board over to him and pointed at it with his pointing stick. "Proper Fan Interaction or PFI." He blew a whistle and tons of teens swarmed into the room causing the guys, Katrina and Brandon to be confused.
"HOLY WHAT THE HUH?" Katrina spit out as the screaming crowd knocked her to the ground while heading for the stage. The guys on stage stepped back to stay as far away from the crowd as possible. Brandon helped Katrina to her feet.
"Fans are dangerous," Brandon noted. Katrina nodded, checking herself for anything broken, bruised or damaged in any way on her body.
"Cat! Goat!" Gustavo addressed Katrina and Brandon. "Get in there!" They shook their head energetically.
"Do you want us to die?" Katrina exclaimed.
"Fine," Gustavo gave in. "Just stay out of the way." Katrina and Brandon held up their hands, stating their innocence. They backed over into the corner, away from the crowd.
"Okay," Dak started as he got up on stage with the boys, "Now observe carefully how I demonstrate the mosh pit hand slap." Dak went up to the edge of the stage and quickly slapped the hands of the crowd close to the stage. Once he was done, he came back up to the boys. "Okay James. Now, you try it."
"Alright," James left his spot to go up to the edge of the stage while his friends shouted words of encouragement. He tried slapping the hands, but one of the fans was able to get a good grip on him, pulling him to his doom in the crowd. Kendall, Carlos and Logan watched in horror as James disappeared.
Dak turned to the three boys left, "That was wrong. We'll find James later." The remaining boys stared at the crowd with apprehension, suddenly not wanting to go through their training anymore. "Actually." Dak turned back around to face the crowd, adults and Katrina and Brandon. "Katrina, can you find him?"
"I don't wanna die!" Katrina exclaimed.
"They've been instructed to only harm the guys," Dak informed her.
"They've been WHAT?" Carlos, Logan and Kendall yelled.
"Fine," Katrina gave in. She turned to Brandon, speaking in a fake dramatic tone, "If I don't come back out, I want you to have Penny's Pet Care."
"I'll take care of it," Brandon responded, imitating Katrina's style of the fake dramatic tone. Katrina took a deep breath before diving into the crowd to look for James.
Dak turned back to the guys, "Now, you guys try it and remember, slap the hands quickly." The guys went up to the edge of the stage and imitated how Dak had slapped the hands before. Luckily, they did it fast enough that they weren't pulled into the mob. Once they finished, Dak blew his whistle and told them, "Excellent." The guys high-fived in excitement.
"FOUND HIM!" Katrina's voice came out of the mosh pit.
Suddenly, James was thrown from the crowd, back onto the stage. There was a slight open spot where he had come from and Katrina was standing in the middle of it.
"Damn, he's heavy," Katrina complained. She stretched her arms.
James stood up on the stage slowly. His shirt was unbuttoned, revealing his white undershirt. He got a confused look on his face as he revealed to the others, "My underwear is gone."
Katrina groaned before yelling out to the crowd, "Alright! Which one of you fangirls stole James's underwear?" There was a short silence as no one admitted that they had taken James's underwear.
Suddenly, one of the boys in the crowd stepped out and pulled James's underwear out of his pocket. He held it out for Katrina to take. James looked on, horrified, while his friends seemed amused.
"I'm not touching that," Katrina insisted, backing away from him.
"A fanboy," Dak commented. "I've never actually seen one before."
The boy came up to the stage, holding out the underwear for James. He snatched it away and stuffed it into his pocket. The boy gave James a wink before disappearing back into the crowd. Katrina quickly made her way over to Brandon before the crowd retook the space that Katrina had stood in. James began to re-button his shirt.
"Now," Dak continued, turning back to the boys. "Security guards will protect you from ninety-nine percent of the crowd." Freight Train appeared in front of the crowd, blocking them from the stage. "But, one percent of your fanbase will be insane and get to you."
Suddenly, a girl screamed, "KENDALL!" as she jumped onto the stage and then onto Kendall's back. She clung tightly to him as he tried to get her off. "I love you! I love you!" Carlos, Logan, James and Dak backed away as Kendall ran around, trying to get her off. Gustavo and Kelly watched the scene, peeking from behind their fingers as their hands were on their face. Katrina couldn't help but to laugh while Brandon shook his head at his best friend's actions.
"What Kendall should have done there, is duck," Dak informed James, Logan and Carlos. "Uh, your feet are too close to the edge." The three boys looked down and noticed that they had somehow made it to the edge of the stage. They looked back up in horror before hands came out of the crowd, wrapping around the boys legs. Screams left their mouths as they were pulled into the mosh pit.
That's when Katrina stopped laughing. She glared at the group, growling, "How dare they attack him." Brandon watched Katrina in disbelief as she dived into the crowd.
"I'll call the paramedics," Kelly announced, pulling out her phone. Gustavo, Brandon and Freight Train watched as Kendall ran past, the crazed fan still on his back.
"You do know I have a girlfriend?" Kendall exclaimed.
"I DON'T CARE!" the girl screeched, holding onto Kendall even tighter than he thought was possible. "MARRY ME!"
Katrina came back out of the crowd, dragging a damaged Logan along behind her and a fangirl that was still holding onto Logan's leg. As soon as they were free of the crowd, Katrina let go of Logan and went up to the fangirl.
"Back off," Katrina snarled at the girl. She immediately let go and ran back into the crowd.
"Nice moves," Freight Train came up to her. They fist bumped.
"Just doing my job," Katrina told him. She took a deep breath before yelling out, "I WANT THE MOSH PIT TO GIVE UP CARLOS AND JAMES BY THE COUNT OF FIVE OR ELSE! ONE!" Katrina began counting down with her hand raised in the air. "TWO! THREE! FOUR!"
Suddenly, the mosh pit threw James and Carlos out of the crowd and down at Katrina's feet. They gave her hurt, but grateful smiles as they groaned in pain. Logan did too. Katrina happily walked back over to Brandon.
"Somebody's a little too protective over someone who's not her boyfriend," Brandon teased. Katrina glared at him, pushed him to the ground and walked out of the room.
Logan, Kendall and James were sitting on the couch while Carlos had the lounge chair. Carlos was getting tended to by a paramedic. Katrina, Brandon, Dak, Gustavo, Kelly and Freight Train were standing in front of them.
"Boys," Gustavo began, "I am proud of you." They watched as one of the paramedics removed the fangirl from Kendall. "This concert is gonna take BTR to the next level. And you have your first dress rehearsal in three days."
"And," Kelly added, holding up a bunch of VIP access lanyards. "We want you to invite all of your friends from the Palm Woods so you can practice your stage swagger." She tossed the lanyards to Logan.
"So, you're gonna drive us back to the Palm Woods, right?" Carlos assumed.
Mr. X popped in out of nowhere, "No." The guys stared at him in disbelief. "A concert can last two hours and you'll need more endurance than a marathon runner carrying a cow."
"That would be one strong marathon runner," Katrina whispered to Brandon.
"Which is why you'll be running back to the Palm Woods," Dak told the boys. "Carrying these microphones." He and Kelly each pulled out two microphones and tossed them to the boys.
Gustavo pulled out a megaphone, "MOVE MOVE MOVE IT!" The guys quickly got to their feet and began running out of Rocque Records. Gustavo handed the megaphone to Katrina, "Follow them. Make sure they keep running. I'm giving you permission to hurt them if they don't." Katrina smirked at the thought. Gustavo pulled out a set of keys and tossed them to Brandon. "Goat, these are the keys to the golf cart. You're to drive the cat while she yells at them."
Katrina and Brandon looked at each other with smiles before saying, "Let's go!" They ran after the four boys.
"KEEP RUNNING!" Katrina yelled into the megaphone as she and Brandon followed the running boys in the golf cart.
"We're only a block away!" Kendall exclaimed. "Can't you give us a ride the rest of the way?"
"NO!" Katrina responded. "DON'T MAKE US RUN YOU OVER!
"But-" James started.
"I DON'T HEAR SINGING!" Katrina screamed. The boys breathlessly began singing Any Kind Of Guy. Katrina relaxed a bit as she looked at Brandon. He was shaking his head. "What?"
"This reminds me of the time your dad was training you for your first runway show," Brandon told her, not removing his eyes from the road. "Remember?" Katrina looked up to the sky as she had a flashback.
"Daddy!" ten-year-old Katrina complained. "When can I move?" She was in heels and a dress, standing only on one foot. Her arms were out, trying to keep from falling.
"When you don't fall for five minutes consecutively," Mr. Wolff told his daughter. The two were in the living room, getting ready for Katrina's first runway show the next week. Katrina groaned, but didn't move an inch. Twelve-year-olds Evan and Brandon were sitting on the couch, watching while they stuffed popcorn in their faces.
"Why are Evan and Brandon here?" Katrina asked.
"They're your judges," Mr. Wolff responded, not looking up from the stopwatch he had in his hand.
"You better be perfect," Evan warned her. "Or you'll get a zero." It took all of Katrina's willpower not to turn her head and glare at him.
"Three, two, one," Mr. Wolff counted down. "Okay, you can move." Katrina sighed as she fell to the ground. "Now, get up."
"Can't I take a break?" Katrina begged.
"Do you want this?" Mr. Wolff asked her. She nodded her head. "Then get up! We need to work on your runway walk."
"But my feet hurt," Katrina moaned.
"Katrina," Mr. Wolff addressed his daughter. "In order to succeed in anything in the entertainment business, you need to have drive and passion. Are you sure that you want this?" Katrina nodded again. "Then say it."
"I want this," Katrina replied.
"Louder!"
"I want this!" Katrina exclaimed.
"LOUDER!"
"I WANT THIS!" Katrina screamed at the top of her lungs. She got to her feet and stared at her dad with determination.
"Good," Mr. Wolff told her. "Now, show us your runway walk." Katrina took a deep breath before putting her hands on her hips and began her strut.
"Yeah," Katrina replied to Brandon. "I remember. I never complained again after that. These boys are gonna need drive and passion too."
"Think they have it in them?" Brandon asked.
Katrina nodded, "They have it. It's just buried deep down in them. If they have the right incentive, they'll go for it and become one of the best boy bands out there today."
"There's not very much competition of boy bands anymore," Brandon noted.
"True," Katrina agreed. She looked over at the guys and noticed they were slowing down. Smirking, she brought the megaphone up to her lips, "HEY! DID I TELL YOU TO SLOW DOWN? KEEP RUNNING!" The boys moaned in pain. "AND WHERE'S THE SINGING?" They went back to their breathless singing.
The boys stumbled into the Palm Woods to the shock of Camille and Jo who were in the lobby. Katrina and Brandon followed them from behind. The four teenaged band members were covered in sweat as they practically tripped over their feet, walking through the lobby.
"What happened to you?" Jo asked them.
"WATER!" The boys didn't answer her question as they stumbled into the pool area. Jo and Camille turned to Katrina and Brandon.
"They just ran all the way from Rocque Records," Katrina explained. The two girls winced. "I was just about to get them some water."
"We've got some water here," Camille informed her as she and Jo each held up two bottles of water. Katrina raised an eyebrow.
"We were gonna hit the gym," Jo responded to Katrina's unasked question. "But the guys need it more."
"And I gotta go," Brandon told Katrina. "I've got a shift to work at Penny's Pet Care." Katrina nodded in understanding as Brandon ran off.
"So, why did they run all the way from Rocque Records?" Camille asked as she and Jo got up. The three girls headed towards the pool to give the guys the water bottles.
"Their first concert is in two weeks and Gustavo's training them," Katrina explained. "And I've been roped in again." Jo and Camille winced as the three girls went up to the guys sitting by the fire pit in the pool area.
"Are you guys gonna make it the next two weeks to your concert?" Jo asked the boys as she gave Kendall and Carlos the two waters she was carrying while Camille gave Logan and James hers. Instead of drinking it, the guys poured the water all over themselves. They sighed in happiness once they were cool again.
"Yep," Kendall answered her. "And it's gonna rock."
"And you and ALL the Palm Woods are invited to our dress rehearsal," Logan added, throwing Camille the VIP access lanyards. Katrina was already wearing hers along with the guys.
Camille and Jo looked at the lanyards as Camille commented. "Cool. We're VIPs."
"Someday we'll be able to say we knew them when," Jo added.
"Hey!" James exclaimed. "Someday is today." He got to his feet, walking away slightly. The three girls turned to stare at him. "I have dreamed about this for so long. And it's finally gonna happen."
Suddenly, the crazed fangirl that had attacked Kendall earlier jumped onto James's back. Jo and Camille jumped in shock while Katrina sighed, rolling her eyes.
"Don't worry about that," Carlos informed Camille and Jo. "It's part of our training." James stumbled past as he tried his best to get the girl off his back.
"Should have ducked," Katrina mumbled, shaking her head.
The next few days passed by in a blur as the guys continued their training. Slowly, they got better. They stopped getting pulled into the crowd and they didn't bump into each other while dancing. They were even able to actually sing to the music without getting breathless.
All of them were at the dress rehearsal, the Palm Woods kids joining the mosh pit at the front of the stage. The guys were standing in front of Katrina, Gustavo, Kelly, Griffin and Griffin's assistants. They were dressed in their stage clothes, ready to start the rehearsal.
"Remember the training," Gustavo reminded them.
"Break a leg," Kelly added.
"Show off your passion and you'll do great," Katrina finished with a smile. The guys nodded and headed for the stage. The music started and the boys went into their choreography as they sang their latest song, This Is Our Someday.
Katrina made her way through the crowd where she joined up with Camille, Jo, Brandon and Tim. The five of them danced together to the boys' singing. Katrina smiled with pride when she saw Logan duck so the crazed fangirl couldn't attack him. She cheered loudly when she saw the spotlight shine on them, but they didn't flinch from the bright light. The boys finished the song with a pose to the applause of everyone.
"Bravo!" Griffin called out. "Bravo!" The guys walked up to the edge of the stage as Griffin continued, "Watching you boys go from nobodies to somebodies has been more thrilling than hunting humans." The guys looked at him in confusion.
"How did Griffin ever make it to CEO?" Katrina whispered to Brandon and Tim. They shrugged.
"Which is why it hurts me to say," Griffin went on. "The album, tour and this concert are cancelled." There was a collective gasp from the crowd.
"WHAT?" Gustavo and Kelly yelled.
"WHAT?" Kendall, Logan, Carlos and James screamed.
"WHAT?" The mosh pit added.
"WHAT?" Jo and Camille continued the chain.
"WHAT?" Katrina, Brandon and Tim screeched.
"WHAT?" Katie reacted, pausing in her wheeling of a bunch of boxes of BTR merchandise.
"WHAT?" Griffin exclaimed. He seemed surprised by his outburst before he turned to Gustavo and Kelly, "I mean, yeah. The Big Time Rush is dead!" Everyone stared at him, frozen in disbelief.
A few minutes later, the group was finally able to gather themselves together enough to question Griffin. They were all facing him as the entire crowd yelled, "WHAT DO YOU MEAN THE BAND IS DEAD?"
"Accounting has just released their risk and feasibility report on Big Time Rush," Griffin explained as his assistant pulled out a copy of the report. "And they decided it's too risky and not feasible." The man threw the report at Gustavo who caught it with a groan.
A business woman walked over to address them, "We're shifting our strategy to children's books on tape. No tour support is required, they have a higher profit margin and are super cheap to make."
"Nobody but preschool teachers buys those anymore!" Katrina pointed out.
"And that's our target audience," the business woman responded. "They will keep buying because their tapes will keep getting ruined by the kids they teach." Katrina shook her head in disappointment.
"Which is why tomorrow Gustavo will be producing Can You Foo?" Griffin went on as the business woman showed them the green children's book. "As read by actor environmentalist, Ed Begley, Jr." The woman showed them the picture of Ed. Gustavo stared at it in confusion while Kelly went through the risk and feasibility report.
"But Griffin," James spoke up, "This is our someday."
"Close," Griffin responded, "It's your last day. Sorry fellas. I like you, I do, but as we say in business-"
"That's business," He and the business woman finished together.
"You can't do this!" Gustavo exclaimed. "We-we-we worked our butts off! Our concert is in one week!"
"Don't worry," Griffin assured them. "That's why I'm giving all of you," He paused for dramatic effect as everyone anticipated something amazing. "Fruit baskets!" Everyone sighed in disappointment. A cart of fruit baskets came rolling into the place as everyone stared at it in disbelief.
"WHAT?" Katrina yelled. "After everything you have put them through, you're just gonna fire them?"
"And you," Griffin added. Katrina stared at him in shock. "Brandon, I'm promoting you to executive." Brandon furrowed his eyebrows in confusion.
"I thought you had a contract with her," Tim pointed out.
"She violated the contract," Griffin revealed.
"No she didn't!" Katie exclaimed as she joined the group. "I should know. I read her contract."
Griffin held out his hand and a stack of papers was placed in them, "This is Katrina's contract." He held out his other hand and was given a magnifying glass. He turned to the first page and pressed the magnifying glass against it. "What does that say?"
Katrina stepped forward to read it, "It says, 'If the executive in question gets into the entertainment business, they must promote a RCM CBT Global Net Sanyoid product or the contract is void and the executive's employment will be terminated.'"
"Which means that since Big Time Rush is no longer a RCM CBT Global Net Sanyoid product, you are not promoting anything of ours," Griffin explained. "Which means you're fired." He ripped the contract in half as if to emphasize the fact that she was no longer under it.
Katrina stood frozen in her spot, a mixture of emotions crossing her face. On one hand, she was happy to be out of her contract. But she was furious that the guys were no longer going to be a band. She was also upset that she had lost something that had come from all of her hard work.
Griffin didn't seem to notice as he went on, "Now, grab a fruit basket and be on your way." He walked off with the business woman and his assistants.
Brandon waved his hand in front of Katrina. She didn't move. Although, she wasn't the only one frozen. Carlos, Logan, James and Kendall had joined her in a frozen state.
"Think they're gonna be okay?" Brandon asked. No one said a word. They didn't know what okay was anymore after seeing five dreams get crushed.
Kelly noticed their frozen states so she pulled out an air horn and used it. The loud noise made the boys and Katrina jump out of their paralysis. They looked around the room at the sadness etched on everyone's face.
"What do we do now?" Katrina asked. No one had an answer.
Katrina walked into apartment 2J with her last paycheck in hand. She watched in confusion as a bellboy pushed some luggage out of the room. Looking back in, she noticed Carlos, Katie and Mrs. Knight were packing up boxes and bags.
"Why is everyone packing?" Katrina asked. "Are we moving somewhere bigger? Someplace where I can get my own room?"
"We're going back to Minnesota," Carlos told her as if it was obvious. Katrina stared at him, confused.
"Great," Katie exclaimed, sarcastically, "I just spent three thousand bucks making t-shirts, posters and hats on a band that doesn't even exist."
"I'll take a hat," Carlos offered. Katie handed him one. "It'll be a nice memory of what almost was."
"That'll be three thousand dollars," Katie held out her hand, completely serious. Carlos put the hat on her head. She sighed as she took it off her head and put it back in the box. Katrina continued to stare at them confused.
Mrs. Knight knocked on the door to the bathroom, "James! The moving van is coming! You have to come out of the bathroom!"
Suddenly, the door opened and James poked his head out, "I am dreaming. You are not real! The concert's in a week!" He laughed and shut the door as he hid in the bathroom again. Mrs. Knight gave them a look of disbelief.
"Classic denial response," Katie explained. "It's sad really."
"Katie," Mrs. Knight got the young girl's attention, "You need to pack your things."
"I'm dreaming," Katie responded with denial. "You're not real! The concert's in one week!" She hid herself inside a fort of boxes. Mrs. Knight tossed a dish into a box.
"Wait," Katrina spoke up, "Why are we going to Minnesota?"
"Because that was where we lived before we came here," Carlos reminded her. "I thought you knew that."
"I did," Katrina replied, "But why are we leaving? I thought that all of you would want to stay in LA and prove to Griffin that you can make it as a band."
"We can't afford to stay here," Mrs. Knight explained.
"Then take money out of my account," Katrina offered.
James and Katie poked their heads out, "DO AS SHE SAYS!"
"Katrina," Mrs. Knight addressed her niece, "We can't take money out of your account. You can't touch it until you're eighteen."
"But what about Evan!" Katrina exclaimed, continuing to make excuses. "He's eighteen! If we find him, he can pay for it!" Everyone suddenly wouldn't look at her. James and Katie went back into hiding.
"Sweetheart," Mrs. Knight decided to break the news. "Your brother is old enough to make his own choices and, well, he chose not to be here. Now, go pack your things. The moving van's gonna be here soon."
"But," Katrina would not accept the truth, "I can't leave. My family's buried here. My friends are here. My career's here. LA's my home."
"Your home is with your family," Mrs. Knight reminded her, sadness in her eyes. "And what's left of your family is leaving for Minnesota. I'm sorry."
Katrina put her hands on her head, starting to hyperventilate. She looked around the room at all the boxes, fear evident on her face. After a few seconds of this, she did the only thing she could think of.
"I'm dreaming!" Katrina laughed. "You're not real! The concert's in a week!" She maneuvered her way through the maze of boxes to the swirly slide where she somehow made her way up it. Carlos and Mrs. Knight watched her run through the door on the balcony. They shook their heads before going back to their packing.
The moving van pulled up in front of the Palm Woods and the group waiting there sighed as they saw it. Knowing it was time to face the truth, Carlos, Logan, Kendall, Katie and Mrs. Knight began packing up the truck. That's when they noticed two people were conspicuously missing.
"Where are James and Katrina?" Mrs. Knight asked.
"We'll find them," Kendall decided as he, Carlos and Logan walked back into the building to find the missing teens. It wasn't hard to find James since it was his prime tanning time. He had taken up a spot by the pool.
"How are we gonna get him to come with us?" Logan asked his friends.
"Lie," Kendall replied. The three of them went up to James. "Hey James. Gustavo wants us at the studio to practice for the concert. We just gotta find Katrina first."
"She's hiding in the closet in the lobby," James informed them as he got up. "Let's get her and go." He walked towards the lobby.
"That was easier than I thought it would be," Carlos admitted.
"We haven't tried to get Katrina yet," Kendall reminded them. "You guys make sure that James doesn't run off and I'll get Katrina." Logan and Carlos nodded before racing after James. Kendall took a deep breath to ready himself as he made his way into the lobby and then the closet. He found Katrina sitting on the ground, holding her knees up to her chest in a fetal position. She was shaking and didn't seem to notice that Kendall had walked in. He slammed the door shut causing her to jump and look up at him.
"I can't go," Katrina insisted. "I-I-I can't."
Kendall sighed, sitting down next to his cousin, "Katrina, maybe this is what you need." Katrina stared at him in anger, but she didn't say anything back. "A fresh start."
"I already had a fresh start," Katrina snapped back. "Remember my little accident and how I ran from it all."
"That wasn't a fresh start," Kendall responded. "That was you hiding from moving on." Katrina looked down at her feet.
"Maybe we can stay with Brandon," Katrina mumbled.
"If you don't come with us, I'm gonna carry you out there," Kendall warned her. Katrina didn't move. He decided on a different approach. "You know, if we stay here, Logan and Camille are together. But if we go to Minnesota, Logan is single. And you wouldn't have to worry about taking your friend's boyfriend because you'll never see Camille again."
Katrina laughed a bit as she turned to Kendall, "Are you trying to bribe me?"
"Is it working?" Kendall asked.
"A little bit," Katrina admitted. Kendall smiled and got to his feet. He held out his hand and waited to see if Katrina would take it. She stared at it for a second before she did take it, letting Kendall help her to her feet. The two cousins walked out of the closet and headed outside to the moving van. A bus was next to it, waiting to take them to the airport. Brandon had joined the others outside.
"We'll let you say your goodbyes," Mrs. Knight told Katrina as she, the guys and Katie got on the bus. This left Katrina and Brandon alone.
"I never thought this would happen," Brandon began. "I can't believe my best friend is leaving."
"We'll keep in touch," Katrina assured him. "It's not like I'm dying or anything." She felt the tears starting to come to her eyes. The two childhood friends came together for a long hug. "Take good care of Penny's Pet Care. I wouldn't trust it with anyone else, but you."
"And you be careful around the guys," Brandon responded, still holding Katrina in a hug. "Keep them out of trouble and have a good time being normal. Don't take too much attention when you're living in that small town."
Katrina broke away from him, smiling and wiping her eyes, "I'll try, but you know me. I tend to attract trouble." The two laughed a bit. They stopped and just stared at each other a moment, Katrina not wanting to get on the bus.
"Katrina," Mrs. Knight called out as she leaned out of the bus. "Time to go." Katrina sighed as she headed for the bus. On the steps, she turned her head to look at Brandon. He gave her a quick wave goodbye. She returned it before she continued into the bus. The door closed after her and she sat down in one of the seats. Looking out the window, Katrina watched in tears as Brandon waved one last time at the bus before walking off. She let her head fall back on the seat as the bus started for the airport.
The group of seven left the plane and headed through the terminal to the baggage claim. While Logan, Kendall, Carlos, Katie and Mrs. Knight just seemed sad as they walked, James and Katrina acted differently. James walked in a trace, a smile plastered on his face as he kept mentioning dreams. Katrina's eyes went everywhere in anxiety, but there was also a slight amount of curiosity.
"There's like no one here," Katrina mentioned. She continued to look around, noting the few groups of crowds there were smaller than the ones she experienced at the airport in her hometown.
"This isn't LAX," Logan reminded her as he walked beside her. "You okay?"
Katrina turned to him, confusion taking over every other emotion, "No one knows me here. I haven't been swarmed by paparazzi, asked for an autograph or recognized by anyone. It's weird."
"Weren't you just a minor celebrity anyways?" Logan asked. "You know, a local one?" Katrina nodded. "Then you shouldn't be surprised that you're not well known here."
"It's just so weird not to have to worry about it," Katrina told him. "A good kind of weird." She smiled slightly as she looked around the airport again.
"Maybe I can show you around later," Logan offered. "After all, you should get to know your new home."
Katrina flinched when he said the word 'home', but gave him a happy smile, "I'd like that." She reached forward to grab his hand, interlocking their fingers. He mimicked her smile. They continued to hold hands as they followed the others to the baggage claim.
"I still can't believe we're back in Minnesota," Kendall told the others as they stood at the conveyer belt, waiting for their bags to come to them.
The bus from the airport dropped the seven of them off in front of a market. They were quite a sight from them having tons of bags and boxes around them. Katrina looked around the place with curiosity and confusion. Not very many people were walking around and the parking lot was almost empty. The nearby street wasn't backed up with traffic like most streets in LA.
"Okay," Kendall spoke up, "Now I believe it."
"Huh," James mentioned. "This dream is so real!" He laughed crazily. "This totally looks like Minnesota!" He put his arms around Kendall's and Carlos's shoulders.
Suddenly, an old guy came up to them, pushing a shopping cart and wearing an apron, "Kendall, you're back. Can you take the afternoon shift?" Kendall opened his mouth to say something, but the old guy continued, "Great." He gave Kendall an apron and then pushed the cart inside, never giving Kendall a chance to say anything else.
This seemed to pull James out of his denial as he screamed, "NO!" And stormed off.
"So, will someone tell me why the bus dropped us off here and not at wherever home is?" Katrina asked.
"The bus can only drop us off at certain places," Mrs. Knight explained. "This is the closest to all of us." Katrina nodded, finally getting it. "The moving truck should be here now."
Suddenly, a moving truck drove into the parking lot and parked right in front of the group. They started loading it with boxes and bags. Soon, everything was on the truck and the group headed for the Knight's house.
(A/N): And now, they're in Minnesota! Poor boys… At least we know that things are going to turn out okay for them. Katrina seems to be taking the change well. It might be because of a certain smart boy that she's interested in. Logan's gonna be showing Katrina around. I don't know about you, but to me, that sounds like a date! So, what are the boys and Katrina gonna get into while they're in Minnesota? And what's gonna happen when Evan finds out that his sister left California? You'll just have to wait to find out! Until next time, happy reading!