There is a prayer in here you can skip if you want because it's kind of long. You won't miss anything. You'll know when you get to it.
"I miss you," Kendall said over the phone to Jo.
Logan shared an eye-roll with James. Ever since Kendall returned from North Carolina he had been on the phone practically non-stop with Jo. Well, when he wasn't on the phone he was Face Talking her or texting her or sending her Scuttlebutters or emails or…let's just say he was spending all his time with and on Jo.
"On the phone with Jo again?" Carlos whispered, entering the den with Alexa by his side. She had surprised him with a visit a few days ago.
"Well, he did just get engaged," she said.
"It's been a week," James argued.
"Just a week," she countered. "And you know…"
"We only have a week left here!" James exclaimed.
Kendall put a finger up to his mouth. "I'm talking to Jo."
"You're always talking to Jo," Logan said. "You know what that means?"
"Him always talking to Jo?" Carlos questioned.
"No, having only a week left here. That means there's only a week until my exams!" Logan began to panic. "And and and…" he said sounding like he was hyperventilating. "They haven't put up Camille's new show yet. She said it was supposed to be up December 1st and it's the 6th."
"Do you have the right address?" Alexa asked looking at the page Logan kept refreshing on his laptop.
"Yes, she said it was going to be on Crackle December 1st, 2 episodes that week, 2 episodes the next week, and the final episode the next week. If ratings are good they'll get back and film more to finish the season. We should be on the second set of episodes right now."
"For some genius you're not very smart," James commented. "Call Camille and ask her."
"Oh yeah," he blushed. He quickly pulled out his phone and dialed his girlfriend's number.
"Logan, you know I'm at an audition right now," she answered.
"But, you haven't gone in yet?"
"No, they haven't called me back."
"'K, so answer me this. Why isn't your show up on the site?"
"Woodruff Place? I told you, it's still in editing. It's been rescheduled to debut January 7."
"Oh."
"That's so sweet."
"What?"
"That you were worried about my show so you called me even though you knew I was at an audition." Logan blushed even though she couldn't see him. He hadn't exactly remembered she had an audition that day. "Logie-boy, I'm being called back now. Wish me luck."
"Good luck. Love you, Cami."
"Love you, too." He put his phone down. "With that worry over I can get back to studying."
"You've been studying non-stop," James sighed, "for over a month."
"Why don't you take a break?" Alexa suggested.
"I'm sure you'll do fine on your exams," Carlos said.
"8 o'clock," Kendall said.
"What's at 8?" Carlos asked. Kendall still on the phone ignored him. "Hey, I know! You need a break, Loges, and the mountains are now open…"
"Snowboarding!" James exclaimed.
"By the time we get ready and make it to one of the mountains the day will be almost over," Logan pointed out.
Carlos and James pouted.
"Tomorrow," Alexa said.
"Class," Logan said.
"Meeting," James said.
"With who?" Logan asked.
"Fallon and I are meeting with her preacher. I'm finally going to have that talk."
"And then you're going to quit the band."
"Carlos!" Alexa admonished.
"Can we not talk about that? I don't know what I'm going to do. Why don't we plan to head to one of the mountains on Wednesday? That all right with you, Kendall?"
"Yeah, yeah, fine." He looked at James. "What?"
Carlos, James, Alexa, and Logan laughed. Kendall rolled his eyes and went back to his phone.
"All right, well, I'm gonna go study." Logan left the den for his bedroom upstairs.
.O.
James took Fallon's hand in his and then quickly let go. Lucy, he thought to himself.
"Hey, you wanna come with us tomorrow? We're planning a ski/snowboarding trip to Aspen Mountain."
"I'd love to, but I've got class and I'm not sure your girlfriend would be too happy about me joining you."
"She doesn't have to know." James mentally slapped himself for saying that. "I mean, no, I'm not going to keep secrets from Lucy. That's how a bad relationship starts."
Fallon smiled.
"Thanks for inviting me, but it's probably best I didn't go."
"Yeah, probably best. But, Alexa'll be there. You could go as her friend."
"I don't really know her. But, it doesn't matter. I have class and it's my last history class until the exam so it's best I'm not absent."
James nodded. If she went she'd probably have to bring her roommate with her and he did not want that. He knew Logan didn't want that.
"James, Fallon?" Dr. Isaac, the preacher, stuck his head out of his office signaling the two to come in. "What do you want to talk about?" He sat down in his brown leather chair behind his desk and clasped his hands together.
"I'm James Diamond and I'm part of a boy band, Big Time Rush, and I told you over the phone I'm having a bit of an identity crisis." James and Fallon sat down in the two chairs across the desk.
"Right. You want to know what God's plans for you are?"
"Kind of. I'm getting mixed signals from what I'm learning in church."
"James has only recently started attending church," Fallon pointed out.
"OK. OK. Tell me what you think you've learned so far."
"A couple months ago you preached on the subject of idols and how we should follow God and not the people of Hollywood. All my life I have wanted to be famous. It's been my dream since before I can remember. About five years ago my friend Kendall was discovered by Gustavo Rocque and he brought all of us; Kendall, Logan, Carlos, and me, to Hollywood. We became Big Time Rush. We recorded albums. We toured around the world. We made money. We got the girls. And we became famous. I love my life. I love that. Performing on stage with my best friends is the most fun I've ever had."
"It's okay to have dreams, James."
"I know. But, my dream doesn't jive with what you said."
"What did I say?"
"We need to follow God and not the people of Hollywood."
"Do you think 'the people of Hollywood' are bad?"
"Well, there are some bad people there like Hawk and Justin Bieber and Lindsay Lohan and Wally Dooley and…"
"Yes, you don't have to name them all. But, James, there are good people in Hollywood, too. You've got you and your friends."
"Thank you, sir."
"Bad people are everywhere. The majority of role models are actors, singers, and athletes, but aside from their job they're just like the rest of us. Flawed. Kids look up to these people."
"Like I did."
"Sure."
"When I was younger I dreamed of marrying Nicole Sherzinger."
"And you don't want to marry her anymore?"
"If I marry anyone it'll be Lucy Stone. I mean, I'm not…I don't want…um…"
Dr. Isaac and Fallon laughed.
"Anyway…let's get back to your confusion. It boils down to you wanting to know if you can follow your dream and God at the same time."
"That's it!"
"It'd be easy if your dream was something like wanting to commit murder. That's cut and dry no. But, it's not that easy."
"No?"
"You have to find out if this is where God wants you. There are bad people in Hollywood. There are the unscrupulous, the liars, the low-down dirty, but there are also good people in Hollywood. By good I don't mean perfect. No one's perfect. If you look hard enough you can even find some Christians there like Patricia Heaton, Kirk Cameron, Tyler Perry, Denzel Washington, Angela Basset, Kristin Chenowith, Alexa Vega—"
"Carlos's girlfriend!" James exclaimed. "I wonder why he didn't say anything."
"I don't know who she's dating," Dr. Isaac said.
"She's dating Carlos. She's at the house right now."
"Why don't you talk to her about this? She's got experience being a Christian in Hollywood. Maybe she can give you some advice on how she's able to do both. Hollywood is known as being a liberal place but that doesn't mean Christians don't belong. We just have to be careful about the choices we make."
"I'm not a Christian, sir," James said. "I mean, I don't feel that I've been saved, yet. I'm working on it. I grew up in a non-practicing Jewish home."
"I'll keep you in my prayers, James."
"Thank you."
"I'm sorry if my message led you astray. I did not mean you should not follow your dreams unless your dreams are to commit a crime or something of that nature, of course, but be careful who you look up to. The only person you should look up to is Jesus. The question you have to ask yourself is 'What Would Jesus Do?'"
"What would Jesus do?" James repeated.
"Yes, what would Jesus do? Before every decision you need to pray to God. It's important to find out what path he wants you to take."
"The path God wants me to take."
"Yes, the path He wants you to take. I can't tell you what that is. Only God can."
James looked at Fallon.
"Pray," she said.
"Let's pray together." The preacher reached for James and Fallon's hands. James took Fallon's hand and closed his eyes. "Dear Heavenly Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, I come boldly before Your throne of grace, bringing Your son, James, in search of Your divine guidance and directions concerning his life. It is his sincere desire to do Your will, so Your will be done in his life on earth as it is in Heaven. Father, please cleanse him of any worldly wisdom, any selfish motives, lust of the flesh, lust of his eyes, and pride of life, that may drag him away from your purpose. May you count him worthy of Your calling, and by Your power may You fulfill every good purpose and every act prompted by his faith.
"I ask for Your wisdom regarding his present and his future, knowing that You give to everyone liberally and without reproach. He comes to you in faith, without doubting, expecting You to give him divine direction in every area of his life. I thank You in advance for the wisdom You assure You will give. Help James to be strong and of good courage as you lead him in the way that he should go. Father, give him courage to follow the pathway of faith, not the path of fear, for you have not given him a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and a sound mind.
"Oh Lord, lead James in Thy path of righteousness, and go before him to make every crooked place straight. He is lowly and meek in heart as we all should be before You so please guide him in his judgement and teach him Your ways. Search him O God and know his heart. Try him and know his thoughts, and see if there is any wicked or hurtful way in him: for Thou art the God of our salvation; on thee do we wait all the day. Lead him in a plain path so his enemies shall not overtake him. Send out Thy light and Thy truth and allow them to lead and guide him in all that he does and all that he says.
"Lord, as he walks this journey, please be his rock and his fortress. Show him favor and guide him in all his affairs. And when he cries from his heart being overwhelmed, lead him to the rock that is higher than him. Even in the midst of my storm let Your hand lead him, and Your right hand hold him. Instruct him in the way he should go and let Your eyes guide him. Teach him to do Thy will; for You are our God and Your spirit is good and will lead him into the land of uprightness. Lord, as he seeks Your face he promises to trust in You in everything he does, and allow You to direct his path so that he can always hear a word behind him saying, this is the way to go whenever he turns left or to the right. Lord, it is his desire to live a life pleasing to You and guided by the Holy Spirit all the days of my life.
"Father, please guide James continually and satisfy him so that even his dry seasons will be a watered garden with a spring of water whose waters never fail. Guide him with Thy counsel, so that afterward he can receive Your glory. Lord, please strengthen him to take the path You have set before him in the way that leads to life, and resistance, because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way that leads to life, and there are few who find it. Therefore, we ask You in the name of Jesus to reveal to him Your clear direction. Father, please speak to him that You would work in him both to will and to do Your good pleasure. For Lord you are our Redeemer, the Holy One, the One who teaches us to profit and will lead us in the way to go.
"James, do you have anything you would like to add?"
"Um, I—dear Lord, I don't want to make a mistake and lose my friends, but I also do not want to go the way You don't want me to go so please allow me to figure out whether staying in Hollywood and staying with Big Time Rush is right or wrong. Your path for me will become my path."
"Now Lord, we ask you to preserve our going out and our coming in from this time forth and forevermore.
"In Jesus Name we pray, Amen."
James opened his eyes and dropped his hands. He wasn't sure of all the preacher had said in the prayer but he hoped God revealed an answer soon.
That evening James sat on the brown leather couch in the den. The four guys and Alexa had eaten dinner and then sort of went their separate ways. James's way ended up sitting in silence thinking. He had been looking down at his feet in his black Converses but looked up when he heard someone walk through the room.
"Oh my gosh, James!" Alexa grabbed her chest like she was clutching her heart. "I didn't see you there."
"Sorry."
"Are you okay? You were awfully quiet at dinner."
"Yeah, I'm okay."
He watched her head for the stairs.
"You're Christian," he spoke up.
She turned around to look at him.
"Yeah."
"How do you do it?"
"Alexa!" Carlos called out from upstairs.
"Be there in a minute, Los!" She walked over to the couch and sat down next to James. "You had that meeting with the preacher today."
"Yeah, yeah, he mentioned you."
"Me?"
"Yeah, he said I should talk to you since you're a Christian in Hollywood."
"OK, yeah, I guess I am. I'm also a Christian spy," she said with a sly smile.
"That, too. How do you do it?"
"I don't compromise my beliefs. I stay true to my faith. I don't take roles that put me in compromising positions and I always talk to God. Every night Carlos and I pray together."
James's eyebrows rose to his hairline.
"You and Carlos?"
"Yeah, me and Carlos."
"Is he?"
"I don't know, but I think he enjoys the time on the phone. That's why it upset me so much when I couldn't get in touch with him for a few days."
"You really love Carlos, don't you?" James asked when he saw the tears in Alexa's eyes.
"He's everything. He's funny, sweet, crazy, and so cute…" She wiped her eyes. "I've never met anyone like him before."
"He is one of a kind."
"Yeah…" Alexa shook her head. "But, this isn't about Carlos this is about what you asked me."
"Yeah, it's just…how do you do it? How do you, how do you know that this is where God wants you?"
"I pray and ask God for direction.
"'Lexa!" Carlos called louder.
"Coming!" she called back. "I better go before he blows a gasket. If you need to talk some more I'm here and when I'm not you can call me. Unless I'm on a mission. I don't have all the answers, but sometimes it just helps to talk."
"Yeah. Thanks."
She patted his hand and then left for Carlos.
James smiled politely. He wasn't sure that conversation helped him any. He wasn't sure any of this helped him any. It just left him more lost and confused. He took his phone out of his pocket and found Lucy's contact information. He looked at her beautiful smile in her picture. Gosh, she was beautiful. So beautiful.
"James?"
"Lucy."
"What's up?"
"Just wanted to hear your voice. I miss you."
"I miss you, too."
I'll be honest, the preacher would probably not mention Alexa, but it fits with the story so I had to put her in here. The prayer written here comes from the website wherepeacefulwaters dot com. Also, don't fear. James is still going to be James! I'm not turning him into some Kirk Cameron wannabe or anything close. Also, not trying to turn anyone to Christianity with this chapter. James talked to the preacher and this is what I imagine a preacher would say. Preachers pray.
If everything goes according to plan there are seven more chapters left in this story. But, when have things ever gone according to plan?
Isn't it funny? I got Camille a spot on a web series and some guy with the initials JDM ends up getting a spot on a web series. Maybe I do have magical powers. :p (the format for Camille's show is not the same as for Sequestered if you're wondering).
I realized I jumped ahead and forgot about Camille's show so I put a little drama in there regarding it.