Jo was hanging out by the pool, going over the script for the newest episode of New Town High when Camille ran up to her with a panicked look on her face.
"Jo! There you are! I've been looking everywhere for you!"
"What's wrong Camille? And I've been here all morning. Does this have anything to do with Logan?"
"No! It has something to do with you!" Camille shouted and held up the Pop Tiger magazine she had been clutching at her side.
Jo slowly read the title, and took in the cover image. "New Town Romance? What? What are they talking about?" Jo ripped the magazine from Camille's grasp and flipped through it to find the story. And even just skimming it, she couldn't believe what she was reading.
"Who even wrote this? I have never said anything to anyone about dating Jett of all people!"
"So it isn't true?" Camille asked.
"Of course not! I would never do that to Kendall!" Jo said, feeling a spark of anger at Camille's suggestion.
"Of course I know that." Camille reached out to place a hand comfortingly on Jo's shoulder. "That's why I've been running all over looking for you."
"Thanks Camille. But I need to go find Kendall before he freaks out about it before I can explain everything. He doesn't like Jett already, and I don't want him to get jealous again."
"About that…Logan's the one who told me, and Kendall's already panicking about it up in their apartment."
"Why didn't you tell me that first? I have to go find him!" Jo stood up, but then she grabbed her phone. "But first I'm going to call my publicist to see if she knows anything we can do to fix this!"
"Good luck Jo, but from Logan it sounded like Kendall is just panicking but not angry or anything, yet at least."
"Thanks for the heads up Camille, I'll talk to you later once I get to the bottom of this," Jo promised.
She then ran to the elevator and on her way up dialed her cell phone. "Hi, Amy it's Jo. By chance have you seen this week's Pop Tiger?"
"Oh yes I have it's great isn't it?"
"No, it's not because it isn't true at all! I'm not dating Jett!"
"OK, how about you come to my office and we can talk about it?"
"Sure thing, we just need to fix it." Jo agreed. "I'll be right there but I have to make one stop first," Jo promised and hung up her phone. And once she left the elevator she sprinted down the halls towards apartment 2J as fast as she could.
Kendall was pacing around the apartment, his mind in a whirl as he was panicking. Katie had grabbed their mail today and this month's Pop Tiger had Jo on the cover, but for the worst reason possible. Her first cover story was all about how she and Jett were dating! He couldn't even make himself read it. He gave James and Logan that job for him.
"It says things got hot from the very first episode," James reported.
"And that their onscreen chemistry quickly turned into offscreen romance," Logan added.
"But no! We talked about this! I don't like Jett and I still hate the fact that she has to kiss him for the show, but Jo would never do this to me. I know she wouldn't!" Kendall shouted, mostly to try to reassure himself.
Right then Jo ran through their door. "I can explain!"
"OK, explain." James and Logan crossed their arms and glared at Jo.
"Guys, I can handle this." Kendall motioned at them to cool it on interrogation mode, while Jo rolled her eyes at them. "OK, explain." Kendall then demanded crossing his own arms over his chest.
"Ok…I can't." Jo admitted, "They told me that photo was going to be on a billboard."
"Does this look like a billboard?" Logan demanded and waved the magazine in front of his face.
"Guys, seriously, I got this." Kendall motioned for them to take it down a notch.
"I'm going over to the network executive right now to get to the bottom of this," Jo reassured him.
"Well, Kendall's going with you!" James declared.
"Guys, Let me handle this. I'm going with you!" Kendall declared.
"Gladly." Jo smiled and held her hand out to him. "At least we have an excuse to hang out together."
Kendall reached out and curled his hand around her fingers. "You bet. Now let's go!"
Kendall was ready to march down to the lobby and practically pulled Jo behind him until they entered the elevator.
"Kendall, wait." Jo looked up at him and gently reached out to caress his cheek. "You know I had nothing to do with this and it's not true at all, right? I promise you can trust me and I'll do anything to prove it to you. Jett and I are not dating."
Kendall's glare softened for a moment, and he leaned closer to gently kiss her cheek. "Of course I know that. I admit I still don't like Jett a whole lot, but I know I can trust you. You don't have to do anything to prove it to me. Let's just go fix whatever's going on, together."
"Thank you, Kendall. You're right, I know nothing can stop us as long as we're together."
A half-hour later, Kendall and Jo walked into the office of Colossal Studios' network publicist, Kendall's glare had returned, while Jo did her best to act composed, even though she was still seething inside at whatever idiot decided to publish this ridiculous story.
"Ah, Jo what can I do for you?" Amy, the network publicist asked with a smile on her face and a questioning look at Kendall's presence in her office.
"I want to know why Pop Tiger thinks Jett and I are dating," Jo demanded and threw the magazine on Amy's desk. "Literally everyone here should know I'm dating Kendall, and the last thing I want to do is lie to my fans."
Amy leaned on her desk and steepled her hands in front of her. "Jo, here's how publicity works, you give the people what they want-"
Jett walked into the room behind them and wrapped his arm around Jo's shoulders. "And what people want is the cutest couple on TV to be the hottest couple in Hollywood." He flashed his signature smolder to her, but only received a look of total disgust from Jo, and an even stronger glare from Kendall, both of which he ignored.
Jo shrugged off his embrace, but he just moved on to stand beside Amy on her side of the desk.
"You knew about this?" Kendall demanded.
"Knew about it? It was his idea!" Amy replied proudly.
"What?" Jo yelled.
"This story is already boosting New Town High's ratings! That's why you and your "boyfriend" Jett are going to be walking the red carpet at Hollywood's Hottest Young Faces Gala tomorrow night!" Amy announced proudly.
"But me and Jett are not real." Jo reminded everyone.
"But we could be. Me and you, the lights, the cameras, the red carpet, it could all be very hot." Jett offered, leering at her.
Jo just crossed her arms and glared at him.
"Can I hit him?" Kendall asked.
"Not yet," Jo said slowly, placing a hand on Kendall's chest. "What if I fake break up with him?"
"Do that and fans will sympathize with Jett, and your popularity will plummet, forcing us to kill you off in some sort of bizarre cheerleading accident." Amy warned her.
"And Jo, have you ever taken a really good look at Kendall's face? It's odd!"
"Alright, that's it!" Kendall leaned over ready to throw a punch in Jett's perfect face, and this time Jo wasn't going to stop him, but Amy did jump in front of Jett and he was able to hold himself back.
"Who is this?"
"Kendall, my real boyfriend!"
"Aww, sweetie…I'm sorry…Not anymore." Amy said nonchalantly like the case was closed. "Security!" Amy pressed a button on her desk and two big security dudes walked in and started dragging Kendall away while a third stood between him and Jo to stop her from leaving with him.
"Hey, where are you taking him?"
"He isn't an employee of Colossal Studios, and so I am removing him from the premises."
"Kendall I promise I'll keep looking for some way to fix this!" Jo yelled.
"I will too! And we are not breaking up! No matter what any of you people think!" Kendall shouted as he was dragged away. And then once he was thrown outside Freight Train found him and told him Gustavo wanted to see him at Rocque Records stat.
"Alright, what do you guys want? I have a big problem I'm already dealing with today so can we make this quick?" Kendall asked, his knees were bouncing as he sat across from Gustavo and Kelly in his office. He just wanted to get back to Jo so they could brainstorm together for a way to fix this mess.
Gustavo held up a copy of Pop Tiger and slammed it on his desk. "These are the kinds of lies that drive me crazy about this town! The fans need to know the truth!"
"And the truth is Hollywood's hottest new face should walk the red carpet tomorrow not with Jett, but with her real boyfriend." Kelly declared.
"Kendall Knight, from the band…Big Time Rush!" Gustavo shouted.
Kendall felt the small spark of hope that they really wanted to help die inside. This wasn't about him and Jo, it was just a PR stunt for them too, just like Jo's studio. Although he was sure Jett had more than just TV ratings in mind when he came up with this lie. He knew Jo wouldn't let anything happen for real, but if Jett thought he could trick her into being his girlfriend for real, he had another thing coming.
"Not you guys too." Kendall sighed.
"Do you have any photos of you and Jo like…making out or something?" Gustavo asked.
"What? So you can put them in a magazine and get publicity for Big Time Rush? Sorry, I don't have any photos of me and Jo making out, or something!"
Gustavo and Kelly snapped their fingers and a photographer armed with two cameras leaped into the doorway. "Can you get us some?"
"No!" Kendall shouted and marched out of the room, and the photographer followed behind him, snapping picture after picture. "Dude! Obviously, Jo isn't here!" He finally made his escape by hopping in a limo and telling his driver to take him back to the Palm Woods.
So neither Gustavo nor Jo's boss was going to be any help, and Jo couldn't just fake dump Jett because it could ruin her career, and to make things worse, a whole pack of paparazzi was stalking the Palm Woods waiting for Hollywood's hottest couple to return.
Kendall had no idea how he could fix this and now he and Jo couldn't even be seen together in public, which meant for the time being…well Kendall had one idea that could work for the short term. He texted Jo to fill her in on his plan for disguises.
Jo was riding back to the Palm Woods with Jett sitting across from her in the limo. Despite all her attempts to reason with Amy, she refused to correct the story or let her break up with Jett amicably, instead insisting that she just had to accept it and enjoy the fame of being Hollywood's hottest couple. And Jett was no help at all, forget about Kendall, she really wanted to hit him.
"Come on Babe, lighten up and enjoy the spotlight."
"Babe? Let's get one thing straight. I told you before and I'll tell you again. There is never ever in a million years going to be an actual me and you. I will never kiss you. Only Rachel kissing Drake and nothing else. Kendall is my boyfriend and that isn't going to change."
"Never say never. Come on, not even a hug for your boyfriend?"
"You're delusional." Jo rolled her eyes at him.
"No, I think I'm a genius. I'm helping both of our careers and even better, giving you an excuse to break up with Kendall and be with me. You know you want to."
"You do know Big Time Rush plays hockey right? Kendall's told me about some of the fights they get into on the ice. I really don't think you want them on your bad side even more than you already are."
"Please." Jett scoffed, "I have no bad side. I mean, look at me, I am way better looking than Kendall. Speaking of, ready to give the people what they want?" Jett asked as their limo pulled up in front of the Palm Woods.
"Just wait until Kendall and I figure out how to fix this," Jo warned him but managed to bury her anger enough to fix a smile on her face. As she and Jett stepped out of the limo. Jett immediately wrapped his arm around her and pulled her close against him, while Jo forced herself to lean close to him and did her best to act like she liked him for the paparazzi.
There were tons of questions flying all around them, and Jett tried to stop and answer a few but Jo just kept up a constant walking pace forcing him to keep moving forward until they could make it to the elevator.
Once the door closed she threw off Jett's arm. "I can't believe you did this!"
Jett was quick to replace his arm over her shoulders. "Want to practice our red carpet smooch?"
"You are unbelievable!"
The elevator doors opened with a ding! And Jo was quick to throw Jett out of the elevator as Kendall, disguised as a biker dude with long dark hair and a handlebar mustache stepped in with her.
"Hey!" Jett of course recognized him as the doors closed and they made their escape from him.
"Here put this on." Kendall handed her a bag and Jo quickly put on the white robe, sunhat, and sunglasses. And thankfully when they exited none of the paparazzi recognized them as they made their way to the pool and sat down to take a breather.
"My agent says if I fake dump Jett the fans will hate me and I'll never work again," Jo reported.
"Well, we can't just keep sneaking around like this forever." Kendall pointed out.
"Well, what about you? We can't even hang out at Rocque Records either since Gustavo's trying to catch us together."
"I just want to see my normal girlfriend Jo and go to the zoo! Like we planned!"
"Tell you what, meet me in the lobby later, no disguises, just me and you together…and maybe Jett." Jo offered as she came up with her own plan.
"Excuse me?"
"OK look you know how the paparazzi are even on a random day in Hollywood, if I'm seen with any guy at all without Jett around they'll be on me like a pack of hyenas. Just trust me on this, Meet me in a half hour?"
"OK, half an hour, no disguises," Kendall promised.
And a half hour later, Kendall and Jo were sitting together in the lobby, no disguises…sort of. Jo was sitting next to Jett, and Kendal was sitting back to back with her at the next table over.
"Well, it's not the zoo, but we are together with no disguises," Jo said and took a sip of her coffee.
"That's true," Kendall admitted, as he did his best to focus on the bright side of things as he typed on his laptop to look like he was busy.
"I am so not into this." Jett declared.
"Just be quiet! You're the one who started this!" Kendall yelled.
"Actually-"
"Look, we're all going to get along and accept the fact that this is what it's like dating and fake dating in Hollywood." Jo reminded them and both quieted down with matching grumbles of annoyance.
Kendall was looking up gossip news on Jo and Jett to try to think of a real plan to fix this when he opened a Hollywood gossip page with an image that made his eyes pop out of his head. "Yeah, that just got a lot harder."
He held the laptop up so Jo and Jett could see the picture of Kendall and Jo making out at Rocque Records. JO TAYLOR HAS A BIG TIME CRUSH?
"You're cheating on me?" Jett demanded, acting scandalized.
And right at that moment, the paparazzi pack descended on them in a lightning storm of flashes and rapid-fire questions. "Are you dating Jett or Kendall?"
Jo didn't answer anything, while Jett and Kendall both started pushing each other and trying to throw their arms over Jo's shoulder, but Jo just felt trapped in an impossible situation. Now the story was just going to be even bigger.
And even though Jett would have been happy to stick around and answer the paparazzi's questions, Jo made sure to drag him away with her by holding his hand, even though she would much rather be holding Kendall's hand who was walking protectively on her other side. Doing his best to block her from all the cameras.
Jo soon got a call from Amy to come to the studio to try to fix this mess and so once again all three of them were riding in the back of a limo.
Jett tried to sit on the same side as Jo and Kendall, but as soon as the door closed she shoved him over to sit across from them. She wasn't in the mood for any of his games right now. It was taking everything she had to keep her composure at the idea that either her career could be over already and if it wasn't, she may never be able to see Kendall again. And it was all Jett's fault.
Kendall reached out and gently took her hand in his own, circling his thumb over her knuckles in a comforting gesture. "I'm sorry."
"What? What are you sorry for?" Jo looked at him mystified at his look of guilt.
"That picture was obviously us at Rocque Records from last week. So obviously Gustavo was behind this. I'm sorry. I told him and Kelly that I don't want to do anything to ruin your career, but it looks like they didn't listen."
"No, Kendall it's not your fault," Jo told him, and then she smiled the tiniest of smiles. "That was a fun day, we had a chance where both of our breaks lined up for two whole hours and just played foosball and hung out."
"And kissed a couple of times," Kendall smirked at her.
"Yes we did, and I would never regret kissing you, even when it may blow up my life. But this isn't your fault, we are going to make it through this." Jo leaned close to give Kendall a long kiss on the lips.
"Hello, I'm still here, remember? Your boyfriend? The one you should be kissing."
"Shut up Jett." Jo and Kendall both ordered. "We're choosing to ignore you right now, and trust us, its better than the alternative," Jo warned him, and then all three just sat silently the rest of the ride, Jo and Kendall both lost in their own thoughts as they still struggled to think of a plan.
And Amy did have a solution, but it wasn't one either Jo or Kendall agreed with.
"I know who's going to be half of the hottest Hollywood couple on the red carpet. It's me not…that!" Jett yelled and motioned to Kendall like he was just some thing.
Kendall scoffed, "Can I hit him now?"
Jo rolled her eyes. "Yeah go ahead."
Kendall got ready to lunge at Jett, but before he could move, two security dudes held him back.
"Don't worry Jett, because Kendall is going to disappear from the public eye for a little while."
"Oh really? Where am I going?" Kendall demanded.
"You are going to be living here for five weeks." Amy opened a closet door with a cot and a pillow inside. "That's the standard life cycle of celebrity gossip."
The security guys started pulling him inside but Gustavo and Kelly walked in the room. "He's not living in there!" Gustavo yelled. "Cause Kendall is going to walk the red carpet with Jo."
"Now give us the boy," Kelly ordered.
"Or what?" One of the security guys smirked.
Gustavo snapped his fingers and Freight Train walked through the door, and seeing him towering over everyone else in the room, the other guys quickly handed Kendall over.
"Locked in a closet or not, Jo is walking the red carpet with Jett." Amy grabbed Jo's wrist and pulled her over to her side of the room away from Kendall and Freight Train.
Kendall reached out and latched onto Jo's hand like a lifeline and she was doing the same. "Wait! Doesn't anyone care what we think?" Jo and Kendall said at the same time.
"No!" Everyone else shouted. Gustavo and Freight Train dragged Kendall out of the office while Amy and Jett held onto Jo to keep her from escaping.
"Jo!"
"Kendall!"
Kendall and his team soon made it back to Gustavo's office at Rocque Records and Kendall still felt even worse about everything. "Gustavo, is there any way we can just go back to normal without any red carpet?"
"No. Big Time Rush needs the publicity, and you and Jo are our best ticket to success."
"Can't you find some other way to make good publicity for us?"
"No." Kelly explained, "We all know Carlos loves corndogs more than even the most perfect girlfriend we can find. Logan and Camille are too unpredictable with their on-again, off-again relationship. And James loves himself more than any other girl. Therefore we need you and Jo on the red carpet."
"Ok, I see your point but I am very mad at all of you! Jo is my girlfriend because I care about her. Not because I want to be a hot celebrity couple!"
"Kendall there are two things people love more than anything. Hot celebrity couples, and cute animals doing funny things. And since you aren't a sneezing panda we have to get you on the red carpet with Jo." Kelly explained.
"Thus creating a publicity juggernaut for Big Time Rush!" Gustavo finished.
"But if I go on the red carpet she'll alienate her fans and get kicked off her show." Kendall reminded them.
"I have a three-point plan for that. I DON'T CARE!" Gustavo yelled and counted off his fingers.
"Well is there a plan where everyone gets what they want and Jo and I can just go to the zoo?"
"NO!" Kelly, Gustavo, and Freight Train yelled.
So he definitely wasn't going to have any help from Gustavo but as Kendall rode back to the Palm Woods, something Kelly said gave him an idea that if pulled off successfully just might work at fixing this whole mess. And when he explained it to Jo, she was a bit skeptical at first, but she was willing to do anything to get back to normal.
And thankfully Gustavo and Amy both agreed to the plan…at least the version that Jo and Kendall pitched to them, and most importantly Kendall and Jo would make it to the zoo after all.
And just as promised a few hours later everyone was at the zoo and ready to go.
"The paparazzi are going to be here in three minutes," Amy reported.
"OK, Kendall and I are going to break up over there by the gift shop," Jo said.
"And then Jett swoops in and comes to the rescue," Amy added.
"It's about time you realized Jo belongs with me, and not you," Jett said, and while he was talking, Kendall slowly reached his hand into Jo's bag to grab a glob of peanut butter and then walked over to pat Jett on the back, secretly slathering his hood with the peanut butter.
"And I'm sure you will be very…very fake happy together." Kendall forced a smile to his face.
Everyone then split up and Kendall and Jo went to hide behind some nearby bushes. "OK, the public loves two things. Hot celebrity couples and cute animals doing funny things. So we combine the two for a PR juggernaut." Kendall said, accepting the tissues Jo offered him to wipe his hand off.
"And you really think this will work?" Jo asked.
"No." Kendall admitted, "But at least we made it to the zoo."
And just like Kendall planned, within a few minutes, Jett, who was leaning against the fence of the llama's cage was soon making a new friend thanks to his delicious treat. The paparazzi were quick to swoop in on Jett so that he had no choice but to act like he loved the llama just as much as it loved him.
Jo and Kendall shared a high five in congratulations. "Yes, it worked!"
"I never doubted your deviousness for a second," Jo promised him.
"Alright, let me guess, we're in the middle of another Kendall plan?" Gustavo interrupted their celebration.
"Yes, but look how it worked. No one's going to care about Jett and Jo anymore which means we can go to the red carpet together without making Jett's fans mad so now everyone's happy." Kendall pointed out.
"Oh yeah, all those pictures this will definitely be big news." Kelly agreed. "And we should have known something was up when you two agreed to break up." Kelly shook her head. "Both of you just be ready tomorrow night."
"Happily." Jo and Kendall both nodded with smiles on their faces.
"So, now that we have Jett taken care of what should we go check out first?" Kendall asked after Gustavo and Kelly walked away.
"Ooh let's go the Africa area. The giraffes are my favorite." Jo smiled at him.
"Happily. I am going to spend some well-earned time with my girlfriend!" Kendall declared loudly, but the paparazzi were still so busy with Jett that they didn't even spare them a glance.
"And I'm going to spend it with my boyfriend," Jo added. And they walked off hand and hand together.
And the next night was even better. Kendall walked up to Jo's apartment and knocked on her door. She opened it with a smile on her face, and all Kendall could think was, "Wow…you look… great."
"Thanks, you do too boyfriend." Jo teased him as she scanned his tux up and down, while Kendall was taking in her red and blue dress.
"So are you ready to walk the red carpet as the hottest young couple in Hollywood?"
"As long as you're the other half, absolutely. But I think we're going to have some competition from Jett. Amy's making him bring the llama with him tonight." Jo said with a straight face but then quickly broke down into giggles.
"Really? Honestly, I need to take a picture of that." Kendall laughed. "But as you said, as long as you're the other half with me, I think I'll still be able to enjoy myself somehow."
"Let's just get down there, we don't want to miss Jett's big entrance, do we?"
"Oh, we most certainly do not." Kendall agreed. He held his arm out for her and Jo happily snaked her arm with his as they walked to the elevator and then made their way to the red carpet."
Once they were there they had a wonderful time, mostly laughing to each other at Jett's expense, who shot Kendall knowing glares and at one point even accused Kendall that he was behind this somehow, but Kendall just played dumb like he had no clue what Jett was talking about.
Jo and Kendall each did their best to enjoy their time together and were also happy that they not only had to no longer hide their relationship but were even happy to answer some questions, ready to show the world just how much they cared for each other.
By the end of the night, everyone was happy, and Gustavo and Amy revealed that based on public perceptions of them, and the fact that #Jendall was trending on all the social media platforms, there may be opportunities for them to work together someday. Amy had already scheduled an interview with Pop Tiger to give them the inside scoop first. While Gustavo already had a few songs percolating in his head for New Town High's soundtrack. Plus they both promised other than playing up their relationship for some PR, they won't try to break them up or cause any drama just for the tabloids. And finally, they both said they would work together to allow them more time to be together within their busy schedules, at the very least lining up their breaks and days off so they had more time available to go on dates that the paparazzi could possibly catch and create more publicity.
But all Jo and Kendall really cared about were that they would never have to sneak around just to be together ever again. Yes, dating in Hollywood was complicated, but both were hopeful it was about to get somewhat easier.