❝'Cause all the boys and their expensive cars / with their range rovers and their jaguars / never took me quite where you do❞
- king of my heart : taylor swift
The boys were broke. Big Time Rush might have been America's boyband, but their wallets didn't reflect that success. Between what they spent on their girlfriends and the snack stand, the four of them only had Carlos's stash of Monopoly money at their disposal. And that couldn't even buy them one packet of gummies from the Palm Woods snack stand. So, they dragged Kit with them to negotiate as they marched into Rocque Records, demanding pay.
All four of the boys crossed their arms over their chests, putting on their best tough faces. Kit followed a pace behind. She entered Gustavo's office and lazily walked to stand next to James. She watched as they all demanded at once:
"We want money!"
Kelly looked up from the tablet she and Gustavo were working with. She raised her eyebrows. Gustavo barely looked up. "Forget it!"
"What?" Asked Carlos. "Why not?"
"We earned it," Kendall reminded him.
"Ah," Logan chimed in. "From our sold-out concerts and our record sales."
"And," James cut him off. "What about that foreign commercial we did last month?"
Kit giggled at the memory. It was an eastern European production for Bavara-Slavian hoof soup and while the food had been nearly inedible, James had finally been allowed to wear a bandanna.
"Well," Kelly shook her head. "You can't have your money because Griffin puts it all into an account that you can't access until you're 21."
Kit nodded along. She seemed to be the only one who knew this. They did get paid a small amount from time to time, but the majority of their earnings were saved until they were more mature. Kit had her mother speak with Griffin and arranged for her to be able to take the money out on her daughter's behalf when the time came to pay for college tuition.
Kelly and Gustavo exited the room, ignoring the boys' protest.
"21?"
"That's so–"
The teens followed them out into the lounge. But Kelly wasn't listening. Instead, Gustavo tried to explain it to them.
"This way, it's safe and secure, and you dogs can't waste it on stupid things."
James shrugged, "We wouldn't do that."
Griffin strode into the room through the side door of Studio B. He addressed James:
"Of course, you would," he said. "Because you're all young and stupid."
Kit shrugged, not able to fully disagree with him. James gawked at him. Kendall and Logan shared offended looks at this assessment. Carlos gasped.
"Whoa," he jammed a finger towards Griffin. "That is not true."
Without moving a muscle, Griffin shot back: "Your hand is stuck in a vase."
Carlos lifted his right hand. He glanced at it and, to his surprise, found that it was jammed inside a red tinted vase that usually sat around the lounge. The others turned to look at it.
Kendall sucked his teeth. Logan tilted his head slightly, lip tugging down.
"Yeah, well, that's Carlos," he said. "But the rest of us are very responsible."
Kendall smiled, backing him up.
Griffin grinned, shaking his head. "You all have vases on your hands."
Abdul smirked, "Except for Kit."
Griffin nodded along with this.
In disbelief, the boys lifted their hands to inspect them. Sure enough, all of their right hands were trapped in vases of various sizes and colors. James's was long, white, and silver, while Kendall had been trapped in a classic silver vase, and Logan's hand was inside a blue version of the one around Carlos's hand. They stared at them a moment, considering them. Their faces slackened into frowns.
Kit started to ask. "How did-? You know what, never mind."
Gustavo buried his face in his hands. The boys busied themselves with trying to pry themselves free.
"Tell you what," Griffin lifted a finger. "I'll give you each a $5,000 bonus."
Kit blinked at this, surprised. She glanced at the suitcase in Abdul's hands, suspicious. He opened it to reveal several bundles of cash totaling the promised $25,000. Each of the teen's eyes widened at the sight.
Griffin pulled out five stacks of hundred dollar bills— each presumably totaling the promised amount— from the case and glanced at them. Kit's eyes narrowed. She waited for the catch.
"If," he said. "You can prove to me that you haven't wasted it by 5:00 tomorrow afternoon–"
He threw each of them a stack of cash. The boys were careful to catch them in their free hands. Kit caught hers with ease, holding it close. She glanced at it, unsure. Once they each had their $5,000, Griffin continued:
"We'll talk about access to the rest of your money."
Kelly's jaw dropped as she turned to Griffin.
Logan and Kendall didn't hesitate to answer for the group. "Challenge accepted!"
"Now," said James. "If you'll excuse us, we have a very busy afternoon of being responsible with our monies."
The boys each held up their stacks and wiggled them. Kit glanced warily at them, then opened up her purse to stash hers safely away before they stepped out onto the streets of Los Angeles.
James didn't waste time in spending his money. He spun around their apartment, showing off the reptile coiled around his shoulders. Kit shifted uncomfortably. Carlos was still staring at his money. Logan, unsurprised, simply stared at him. Kendall blinked.
"You bought a snake?" He asked.
Just as she exited the side hallway to go to the gym, Mrs. Knight stopped in her tracks. Her eyes landed on the large yellow snake and she let out a scream. Her arms flailed as she turned around, retreating to her bedroom.
Logan gestured towards the woman, allowing her reaction to answer for him.
"It was only $1,000!"
"James," Kit's eyes softened with worry. "Did you even do any research on caring for an exotic pet? They can be very expensive, and you're gonna need a cage to put it in and–"
"Oh, relax," He shook his head. "Besides, it's an investment... in love."
Kendall scowled. Logan and Kit shared a look. Quickly, Logan said:
"Please, don't tell us more."
Excitedly, James continued. "There's a lyric in one of Lucy's songs about how she 'loves snakes-'"
Logan shot Kendall a knowing look. The blonde boy shook his head. His brow furrowed, confused as to how James made this connection.
"Are you aware of the concept of metaphors?" Kit grinned sarcastically at him.
"Now," James ignored them all. "If you don't mind, my yellow wingman and I need to get ready."
James stepped off to his bedroom. Kit sighed.
"Why can't he just talk to her, you know, like a normal person?"
Kendall shrugged. He finally tore his gaze away from James when Logan changed the subject. Kit stared after James, too, for a moment. She worried for him.
"Okay, well," Logan said. "I'm going to be responsible and deposit my bonus in the bank."
He held up the money in question and pointed to it.
"Huh, who's with me?" Logan added. "You guys, huh? Gettin' my bank on. Ha ha, bank time–"
He held up his hands, lifting them in a raise the roof gesture. Kit reached a hand out to stop him, offering him a gentle smile. He let her hold his hand.
"Well," Kit said. "I am going to buy a new guitar, then I am putting the rest in my college fund."
Logan smiled. "So, you'll come to the bank with me?"
"Of course," she smiled.
Logan turned his head to the left, "Deposito."
Carlos was still in his own little world; he had yet to so much as look up from his money. Kendall started to flip his fingers through the ends of the notes. He looked up at Logan, lips tugged downwards.
Kit turned to her twin who had yet to answer, "Kendall?"
Uncertain, he said. "It's too easy. This bonus is some type of trap."
"Knowing Griffin? Probably," said Kit. "But I could really use that guitar, and it's an investment in my future, so." She shrugged.
Kendall nodded. "And we need to beat Griffin at what his 'bonus' trap is."
Logan looked from his bonus back to Kendall. He lowered it.
"Okay, nutjob," he brushed Kendall off. "Kit and I will FDI-see you later."
Kit giggled at the pun. She turned over her shoulder to wave her brother goodbye as Logan led her by the hand out of the apartment.
✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧
On their way to the bank, Logan and Kit stopped by the Palm Woods snack cart. The man behind the counter recognized Logan instantly from he and the other boys' incident in the park just that morning.
"Well, well, well," he said teasingly. "If it isn't Mr. Money Bags himself. Come to not buy something again?"
Logan tilted his head, lips tugging into a small frown. "Actually," he corrected. "I will buy something."
He pointed to the bags of candy hanging from the cart. "How about a Bag O' Gummie Buggies and lemonade, large. Two straws please."
Logan gestured towards Kit at this last part. She smiled awkwardly at the man. As if to prove a point, Logan pulled some of the cash from his pocket and slapped a $10 bill on the counter. The man picked up the slightly crumpled bill, inspecting it briefly— in case it was fake like Carlos's Monopoly money. Once he was satisfied, he put it in the cash box and went about grabbing their snacks.
"All right," he said. "Well, there's one bag of Gummie Buggies, one large lemonade, and your change."
Logan slid the remaining money from the counter. He pulled a few of the $1 bills out and stuck them in the tip jar. "And here is a tip for you."
The man grinned at this. "Well," he said. "There's two bendy straws..."
He unwrapped them for the teens and placed each in the cup.
"And some extra napkins. And a smile," he pointed to his beaming grin.
"Oh, uh," said Logan. "Thank you."
He chuckled lightly as he picked up the drink and napkins.
"Thanks," Kit said as she picked up the bag of candy.
The man waved them off as they walked the short distance to the First Federal Bank. Logan stopped to drop some money into an artist's open case as he played his saxophone, leaning against the bank sign.
Kit watched as he handed two more dollars to the security guard by the door. The man's eyes widened. He took it happily, opened the door for them, and pocketed the cash.
Logan practically skipped his way over to the teller, sipping from his straw.
"Yes," he said to the woman. "I would like to make a deposit, please."
He set the entire bonus on the counter and slid it over to her. The woman's eyes widened at the large amount of money. She rested a hand on it. "Do you want to deposit all of it?"
"Yep," said Logan. As he spoke, he moved the hand that held the lemonade, and it caught his attention. He stared at it for a moment. Glancing around, he turned back to the teller.
"Actually," he corrected. "I'll keep 100 of it... in singles."
Kit turned to him, eyebrows raised, but she said nothing. Once it was her turn, she deposited 4,000 of it and kept the rest for a new Fender guitar that she'd been wanting. Maybe she could even get it in pink.
She took a sip from their lemonade, eyeing her boyfriend, as the couple left the bank and went to enjoy their snack together in the Palm Woods Park.
✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧
James took his new pet and knocked confidently on apartment 2I. Lucy's smile faded rapidly as her eyes fell to James's neck. Her eyes widened.
James leaned against the wall outside her apartment with one hand, one leg bent and his feet crossed at the ankles.
"Hey, Lucy," he said. "It's me, James Diamond."
"Yeah," Lucy's eyes glanced up to look at the boy. "I know that."
James lifted up part of the snake with his other hand.
"Oh, this?" He answered a question that Lucy hadn't asked. "It's just my snake, Gordon."
His eyes shot from the animal to her. James gave Lucy a small, dimpled grin. "Pretty cool, huh?"
"Not really," Lucy blinked, shaking her head. "I hate snakes."
"What?" James exclaimed. "But, your lyrics state..."
He pulled the lyric booklet from her album from his pocket and read from it:
"Uh, 'they say love is give and take, but I can't help but to love a snake!'"
"Yeah," Lucy raised her eyebrows. "'Snake' is a metaphor for bad boys. So, again, I hate snakes."
She smiled at him, took a step backwards, and slammed the door in James and Gordon's faces. The animal coiled itself tighter around his neck.
"Well," He held both his hands out, calling after her. "You could've been clearer!"
James struggled to breathe as the grip around his neck tightened.
"Oh, great," his voice was hoarse. "Now you've upset Gordon."
"Gordon..." James tapped at the animal, hoping to get it to uncoil before he lost consciousness. "I can't breathe."
In between coughs, he stumbled the few feet over to apartment 2H, knocking rapidly on the door. Penny opened it. She gasped at the sight of him. As she helped her friend inside and went about trying to get the animal off of him, she said: "So, it was a metaphor, wasn't it?"
Between gasps, James could just get out a short. "Not helping."
✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* *:･ﾟ✧*:･
Kendall had yet to figure out what Griffin's trap was. Until he did so, he resolved not to do anything with the money. He didn't even want to look at it. So, he wrapped the bundle in a towel and took it with him down to the pool. He set it on one of the tables and sat, staring at it, with his face resting against his palm.
Katie spotted her brother and strolled over to greet him.
"Hey," she grinned. "I heard Griffin gave you guys a fat bonus."
Kendall lifted his head. Sharply, he quieted her. "Shh!"
Keeping one eye on the money, he added. "It's a trap."
Katie glanced at the bundle on the table, then back to her brother. Pointing at it, she asked him:
"Did you put it in a towel?"
Kendall shrugged. "I didn't know what to do with it! We have until 5:00 tomorrow to prove that we are responsible with our money."
Katie simply raised her eyebrows. She gripped at her purse straps. He continued his rant, "Because he thinks we're gonna do something stupid with it."
She nodded, pointing at the table, "Like put it in a towel."
"Katie!" Kendall snapped.
"It's easy," she shrugged. "He just wants you to do what he would do with it– invest it, and make even more money."
Kendall raised his eyebrows, considering the idea.
"I recommend commodities," said Katie.
"Commodities," Kendall nodded. "Of course."
He turned to her, adding. "What are commodities?"
Katie's smile fell. She shook her head, "Just name a food you like."
"Oranges," Kendall said.
"Okay," Katie replied. "Let's go make you some green with oranges."
Before either sibling could move, the sound of gasps drew their attention behind them. James struggled to walk, as Gordon was still wound tightly around his neck. Penny followed closely behind him, trying to get the boy to stop.
"James," she said. "I can't help you if you won't stand still!"
He paused just long enough to greet the Knights in a gasping voice, "Hey, guys."
Penny offered the two a wave, rolled her eyes, and continued after James.
Katie and Kendall slowly turned back around.
✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* *:･ﾟ✧*:✧
Gustavo finished setting up the extra microphone and headphones in the sound booth. He looked up through the glass once it was down.
"Kelly," he said. "Get Carlos on the phone. I need him to come down here and record some new vocals on my bonus track."
He lifted the stand up to the right height.
Kelly turned, "On it."
She dialed Carlos's number.
The line only rang once before it was answered. A voice she didn't recognize greeted her.
"Hello," said a cheery man's voice. "Carlos Garcia's assistant speaking. How may I help you?"
Kelly's jaw dropped. "Um, this is Kelly from Rocque Records. We need Carlos to come over to the studio to record some vocals."
Gustavo paused what he was doing and looked at Kelly, confused.
"My apologies," the man informed her. "Something important came up, and Mr. Garcia can't make the recording."
He hung up without a goodbye, but Kelly could faintly hear Carlos's shouts of glee in the background. She pulled the phone from her ear and stared at, confused. Kelly turned towards Gustavo, who was now wearing the headphones.
"Carlos's assistant says he's busy."
Gustavo took the headphones from his ears. The sounds of screaming in the distance pulled the adults' attention. They each looked around for the source. Gustavo dropped the equipment and scrambled to get out of the recording booth.
As they stepped out into the main hallway of Rocque Records, Gustavo and Kelly caught sight of a sleek black desk set up by the couches. It blocked most of the hallway. A man in a neat blue button-down and tie tapped away at a tablet. He didn't bother to look up at them. More importantly, their attention was drawn to Carlos, who danced around the hallway just mere feet from them. It seemed that the 'something important' he needed to do was some sort of rhythmic gymnastics with a thin white ribbon.
Just then, Kit rounded the corner. She sported a bright grin and carried a brand new guitar case in one hand. Her springy steps came to a halt as she spotted Carlos, his assistant, and an angry Gustavo. Raising one eyebrow, she stopped a few feet away from them.
"Gustavo, I just- oh..." Kit's voice trailed off.
Carlos came to a stop as he locked eyes with Gustavo. Kelly simply gaped at him. Neither seemed to notice Kit's entry. The man lifted a hand up to him.
"Get your butt in the booth and record my bonus track!" He yelled.
Carlos lifted his ribbon in the air. His eyes wide, he called out, "Assistant!"
He ran off with his ribbon before Gustavo could force him. Carlos's assistant rose to his feet.
"As I said on the phone, Mr. Garcia's schedule has changed. But, he does have an opening for tomorrow at noon."
He pointed to his tablet. The man stepped to the side to allow Carlos to pass by as he came back the other way, whirling his ribbon high in the air. He greeted Kit with a short wave as he passed.
"Um," Kelly blinked. "He's doing rhythmic gymnastics."
Gustavo's face scrunched up. He pushed a finger towards the man. "You annoy me, and Carlos, get in the booth!"
Wordlessly, the man pinched Gustavo's finger between his thumb and forefingers. Gustavo winched in pain. "Ah!" He whined. "Strong fingers."
The man's lips curled into a venomous grin. Kelly pulled out her own phone to check the schedule.
"Okay," she confirmed. "Tomorrow at noon."
He let Gustavo free and set about punching it into Carlos's calendar. Gustavo pulled his sore finger back, nursing it. They chose to ignore Carlos as he continued to whoop and play about the hallways.
Once the assistant sat back down, Kit cautiously approached Kelly and Gustavo.
"Uh, hey," she said, glancing at the stranger.
She lifted up the case. "I used the money Griffin gave me to buy a new guitar, and I was wondering if I could keep it here for now, just so it's safe?"
"Sure," Gustavo shrugged. "Are you free right now? Carlos bailed on his recording session."
Kit frowned. "Uh, no, sorry."
She had a date with Logan at the pool in half an hour. Gustavo didn't need to know that, though. Instead, she offered, "But I am almost finished with a new song, and I can have it to you by 5:00 tomorrow?"
Gustavo clapped his hands together. "Done."
Kit smiled at them, shot Carlos's assistant one last look, and went to store her new guitar in one of the studios.
✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* *:･ﾟ✧*:
As soon as she made it home and changed into her pool clothes, Kit met Logan down in the lobby. They gathered at the doors which led out to the pool deck. She shot him a smile in greeting. He seemed a bit more chipper than usual.
"Hey," she smiled. "There you are. I couldn't find any towels."
Kit gestured to the empty spot where the staff usually kept fresh towels for the residents.
"Hmm," Logan hummed. "But I can."
He pulled some cash from his pocket and gave it to one of the lifeguards. The lifeguard handed Logan two large towels.
"Here you go, kids," he said. "Enjoy the pool."
"Thank you," said Logan.
He glanced down at the towels.
Kit raised her brows. Teasingly, she said, "Look at you, big spender."
The two took a few more steps closer to the pool before Kit stopped. She gestured around them, "But there's still nowhere to sit."
"Oh, really?" Logan handed her the towels.
Kit glared at him. She had a bad feeling about where this was going. Just as she suspected, he paid two teens to give up their lounge chairs. Kit's jaw dropped as she watched them take the cash and straighten out their chairs before leaving. They had gotten two seats directly in front of the pool.
Logan stepped to the side of the right chair and sat down. He pulled his socks and shoes from his feet, set them by the chair, and pulled his shirt over his head before leaning back against the chair, hands behind his head. Kit set the towels down on the table by her chair and leaned over to let her bag fall to the floor. She pulled off the strapless dress she wore over her navy bikini and folded it neatly on top of her bag. Kit kicked off her sandals and took her seat next to Logan. She crossed her legs and turned her head to her boyfriend.
"Isn't tipping great?" Asked Logan. "It's like saying thank you only with money, and then you get things."
He smiled and pulled his hands down to rest in his lap.
Kit rested her hands on her knees. She turned her head to face him.
"True," she said. "Just, be careful not to overdo it, so you still have money."
"Me?" Logan gestured to himself, grinning. "Overdo it?"
Logan chuckled, scoffing at the idea.
"When have I ever overdone anything?" He chuckled.
Kit shot him a look, but Logan had already turned his head to pull more money from his pockets. He held some up and threw it at a nearby saxophone player.
The man played him an upbeat tune in gratitude. Kit sank lower in her seat, her stomach dropping. She breathed slowly, pulling her sunglasses from the top of her head down over her face.
Yep, classic Logan.
It wasn't long before he was on his feet, paying someone to save his seat until he returned, and putting his clothes back on to stop by the bank for some more money.
"You spent $100 already? Don't you think maybe-"
But Logan was already kissing her head and gone before she could finish her thought. Kit sighed. She pulled her songbook from her bag and went to work on a fifth song for her album.
Logan practically skipped his way through the Palm Woods Park and into the nearest bank, his new saxophonist friend in tow. He kept his sunglasses on as he stepped up to the teller.
He greeted the same woman as earlier. Logan shouted over the sound of the music:
"I'd like to make a withdrawal."
The woman leaned forward, raising her voice so he could hear her. "How much would you like?"
Logan didn't hesitate. He shook his head, "All of it... in singles. Ha-ha."
The woman's smile faltered as she carried out the transaction. She went off to count out the remaining $4,900 in $1 notes.
✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* *:･ﾟ✧*:･
Once Penny finally managed to get the reptile off of James's neck and calm it, they set the animal down on the table by the couches in apartment 2J. Penny sat next to James, who pouted as he stared at it. He hugged a pillow in his lap.
"It seemed like a good investment," he defended. "But, it turns out, Lucy doesn't like snakes. And now he's sad."
James gestured towards the animal.
Mrs. Knight had climbed all the way to the balcony atop the swirly slide just to get away from the thing. She called down to James, unamused:
"Snakes don't get sad."
Penny turned her head towards the woman. She offered an apologetic smile.
"They get hungry and cold," Mama Knight informed him. "And you need to get him food, a heat lamp, and a cage."
Penny nodded. "Right," she agreed.
James shrugged, "How much is all that gonna cost me?"
After a trip to the pet store, the three of them discovered that it would cost him quite a bit. Penny and Mrs. Knight shared knowing glances as James wheeled the cage, food, and lamp into the apartment.
Incredulous, James repeated. "$1,000?"
"Well," Mrs. Knight said. "There are a lot of hidden costs in owning a pet."
Penny agreed. She thought about reminding James of the kitten she'd been trying to talk her father into bribing Bitters to let her get. The idea went from her mind as her eyes landed on the table where they had left Gordon. He was gone.
"Where is it?" Asked Penny.
"Hmm?" James's eyebrows shot upwards.
He gestured to the last place any of them had seen it.
"I left him right there on the table."
The girls glared at him, unamused.
"You left him on the table?" Asked Mrs. Knight incredulously.
James grinned awkwardly at her, unsure what else to do.
The woman ran off, screaming. James sighed. He set about looking for Gordon.
Penny sighed and stepped further into the apartment, deciding they should start by the table. She stopped dead in her tracks as movement pulled her eyes to the vents. James spotted it at the same time and gasped.
They could only watch as the end of his yellow tail slithered inside the vents and out of their reach.
James rushed over to the vent, crouching on his hands and knees. He pressed his face against the grate and tried to get a look inside. He hooked his fingers in it, shouting: "Gordon! Gordon!"
Penny sighed. She placed her hands on her hips. "Yeah," she said. "I don't think he can hear you."
James turned to glare at her.
✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* *:･ﾟ✧*:･
Kendall and Katie used one of the computers in the lobby to invest Kendall's bonus. He sat at the desktop while Katie leaned against a nearby table, tapping at her iSlab.
"Okay," said Katie. "Just buy $5,000 worth of Sun Squeezed stock."
She stepped over to help him, but Kendall stopped her.
"I can do it."
She stepped back, offering a small grin.
"You don't have to tell me everything," Kendall assured.
Slowly, Katie said, "Fine. Once you select 'buy,' you'll hear a happy beep. Then your transaction is complete."
Kendall typed on the keyboard.
"Okay," he grabbed the mouse. "And with one click of a button, I am responsible with my monies."
The boy beamed, shooting his sister a thumbs up. He slammed his finger on the enter key, completing the transaction. Silence.
"Where's the beep?" Katie asked.
Kendall glanced back at the screen.
"After you buy stock, there's a happy beep."
"I don't know," Kendall stammered. "I went to the Sun Squeezed website and bought $5,000 worth of oranges."
Katie's eyes widened at this news. She rushed over to see what he had done.
"No," she exclaimed. "You were supposed to go to the financial website and buy $5,000 worth of Sun Squeezed stock!"
Kendall furrowed his brow, gaping at the computer screen. The word Congratulations! Blinked at him in bright orange letters. He looked to his sister, "Is that bad?"
Katie stared at it, speechless.
Okay, so maybe he had needed her help, after all.
Kendall was still a bit confused and Katie had her arms crossed in frustration by the time the Sun Squeezed truck pulled up to the Palm Woods. The sound of the truck backing up peaked Kendall's attention.
"Is that the beep you were talking about?"
"No!" Katie threw her hands up.
Kendall watched, mouth agape, as the man lifted up the sides of the truck to reveal more boxes of oranges than he could count. The delivery man offered him a bright smile as he pointed to them. Katie could only glare at her brother.
✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* *:･ﾟ✧*:･
By the next morning, Kendall's mood had yet to improve. He sat at the kitchen table. The carton of milk sat open in front of him. He rubbed his face in his hands, then called out: "Mom! What's for breakfast?"
She carried over a bowl filled with oranges and set it down next to the boy.
"Orange slices, orange wedges, and a bowl of oranges."
Kendall looked down at the bowl as she set it in front of him. He frowned at it. The table was already filled with untouched slices of oranges. The other boys had eaten a few of the other oranges and left their juice boxes behind, but Kendall was the last one to make his way out for breakfast. Kit sat across from him, offering him a worried glance. She finished up her slice of toast and last bite of an orange.
Kendall watched as his mother poured the milk into the bowl like the fruit was cereal. Panicked, he looked for help.
"Katie!"
The girl walked over to him. She moved her phone so the receiver was away from her mouth as she sat next to Kit.
"Okay," she said. "I have Sun Squeezed Oranges on the line. I explained to them that you were trying to buy stock, not oranges, and asked if they'll give you a refund."
"Okay," he nodded. "How's it going?"
Katie pulled the phone away and put it on speaker. The representative on the line simply laughed.
Kendall sighed and hung his head.
The delivery driver, who they had tried to get to take them back, looked at Kendall and sighed. He rose to his feet and took one orange from the table.
"Look, kid," he said. "Thank you for allowing me to stay on your couch last night and for signing this autograph for my daughter-"
He held up the autographed fruit which, sure enough, had Kendall's signature written on it in Sharpie. Mrs. Knight smiled at her son. Kit gave him a sympathetic look.
"But, I've got to unload that truck and get down to San Diego."
The man shrugged.
Kit turned around in her seat as Logan walked back out from his bedroom, now dressed.
"Or," he suggested, holding up a wad of cash. "You could take a tip from Logan, stay a little longer."
He placed the money in the man's hand. Kit frowned at him.
Logan looked over her shoulder to Kendall. He pulled more money from his pocket and fanned it out, waving it. The delivery man took the money and sat back down.
The Knight family watched, confused, as Logan used the money to fan himself and walked out the front door with a short, "Mhmm."
Kit rose to her feet. "You have got to be kidding me," she said.
Kit wished her twin luck with returning his citrus and went off to make sure Logan didn't actually give away the rest of his money.
Once the door closed behind her, Kendall blinked.
"Please tell me that everybody else is being responsible with their money!"
Carlos's assistant entered their apartment, shutting it behind himself. He hung a dry cleaning bag on the hook on the front door and smiled as he walked past the family. He grabbed a juice box and newspaper from the table and carried them to the swirly slide. Slapping the newspaper on the slide, he held the juice box out near the opening.
Still clad in his pajamas and holding his beloved stuffed puppy in one arm, Carlos slid down and took the drink. The puppy had a helmet of its own. His assistant gripped his shoulder as he informed him of the schedule for the day and led the boy to the shower.
"We have a 9:00 a.m. shower, followed by cartoon watching from 9:30 to 11:00, girl watching from 11:00 to 11:30, then your noon recording session with Gustavo."
The others watched Carlos, blinking. Once he disappeared into the bathroom, his assistant looked up at them. He grinned, "Busy boy."
Kendall turned back around in his seat. His smile faded.
"Oh, great. Now, aside from Kit, who I don't think is even really being tested, our only hope to prove that we're responsible with our money... is James."
The boy in question entered the living room dressed in an elaborate costume, complete with a turban. He placed his hands on his hips and glared at Kendall.
"Please," Kendall said. "Tell me you didn't buy a magic carpet."
"Do I look like an idiot?" James asked.
When he got only odd looks in response, the boy threw his hands down.
Mrs. Knight said, "The animal control guy wanted $2,500 to take apart the Palm Woods vent system to find his snake."
James nodded along to this. He pointed at her with the flute.
"But, this snake-charming outfit and flute was only 500 bucks!"
Penny, who James had asked to meet him for their Gordon search party, entered the apartment as James held up five fingers. Kendall could see that she was dressed normally, at least.
"Now who's irresponsible with money?" Asked James.
"Still you," said Penny.
She greeted Mrs. Knight, then Kendall and Katie. She took an orange wedge as Mrs. Knight offered it to her. Then, she followed James out of the apartment in search of a runaway snake.
The others sighed as they watched the pair leave. Kendall had a sinking feeling they would end up needing to call animal control anyways.
As James and Penny were leaving the crib, Lucy was locking her own apartment door. She held her guitar in her hand. She paused as she caught sight of James's outfit. Lucy gaped at him.
He frowned at her. "You will be mine!"
He dragged Penny by the hand after him as he stormed off. Lucy stared after them a moment, confused, before she slowly went on her way.
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Kendall and Katie went downstairs. She stared at him as he unloaded the orange boxes from the Sun Squeezed truck. He glared at his sister as he set another box down.
"What are we gonna do? We are meeting Griffin at 5:00 to prove we did not waste our bonuses on— I don't know, say— a truckload of oranges!"
He gestured wildly to the truck behind him.
Katie turned her head as a boy walked past her, drinking from a bottle of orange juice. She turned back to her brother, smiling.
"I think I might know a way that we can still squeeze some profits out of this."
Kendall was busy stuffing some oranges inside the sleeves of his shirt.
"Okay," he said. "What is it?"
Katie's smile faded as she watched him repeat it on the other side.
"It's a very juicy plan to get every 'drop' of your money back."
Even with her exaggerated finger quotes, Kendall didn't get the hint.
"Please, just tell me already."
Katie threw up her hands. "We're gonna make orange juice, genius!"
Kendall flexed his arms, showing off the muscles he had made from oranges.
"Then, let's get to squeezin'."
Katie crossed her arms over her chest and smiled.
The pair of them set about carrying the boxes upstairs to the crib. Katie borrowed a dolly from Buddha Bob so she could wheel more than one box at a time. She also put on one of her mother's aprons to keep the juice from getting on her clothes.
Kendall got out the manual juicer that his mother kept in their kitchen supplies, placing it at the breakfast bar. He slipped into one of the stools. Katie slammed down a much larger machine, grinning at him.
Kendall and Katie made quick work of slicing and juicing the first batch of oranges. They made it through the first batch in no time. Katie pressed the juicer down on another orange as Kendall sliced a few more for her.
The two of them kept things light by placing orange slices in their mouths and grinning at each other. Kendall was covered in juice and sticky from the manual press, but at least he was having fun.
That lasted quite a bit longer than Katie expected it to. Kendall sighed as he set aside the last of that batch of oranges.
"Okay," he said. "We have been squeezing oranges for two hours."
Kendall held up his manual juicer. The measuring lines on the attached cup showed that he barely managed to get a tablespoon of juice. Katie glanced at it. Kendall poured his latest batch in with the rest.
"We have made... one glass? Are you kidding me?"
Kendall threw the device aside. Both he and Katie were now covered in orange bits, and he had lost all hope.
"This may have been a terrible idea," said Katie regretfully.
She turned to her brother. "But, I know what'll cheer you up."
"What?" Kendall couldn't imagine what it could be.
Katie had taken two oranges and placed them in a sleeve each, just as Kendall had that morning, and she stuck another wedge between her teeth and grinned.
"Okay," it did pull a grin from him. "That is always funny."
Katie nodded.
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James and Penny tried checking the air ducts on the first floor. She unscrewed the vents and held them in her palm as James pulled it from the frame to check for the snake. Much to her chagrin, instead of actually trying to get a look inside, he stepped back. The boy sat on the carpet a few feet from the vent and lifted the flute to his lips.
Penny raised her eyebrows. She leaned against the wall. The girl shifted her weight as she watched him try to charm the snake, an idea she had a feeling came from some cartoon. It struck her as vaguely racist, but she kept that to herself for now. Losing half of his bonus on a snake and getting rejected again by Lucy surely hurt James's ego enough for one day.
James pulled the flute away from his lips when it failed to lure the snake to him. He threw the thing aside in frustration. Penny rolled her lips inwards, fighting the urge to say 'I told you so.'
James found that he had crossed his legs a bit too tightly and struggled to untangle himself. He rolled over, falling backwards on the carpet and further into the lobby. Sighing, Penny pushed herself off the wall. She watched him, waiting until she felt like she needed to help him.
Unfortunately, it was when her back was turned that the snake did poke out of the vent. James failed to find the words to tell her, instead gesturing angrily towards it and tumbling over himself. Penny leaned over to finally help him sit upright.
By the time she turned back to the vent, James had scared the snake off. She frowned. The thought only then occurred to her that they failed to bring a box or some net to catch it in. And as much as she cared for James, she refused to pick it up in her hands.
Penny locked eyes with some other teens who had gathered to watch James struggle. Her freckled cheeks pinkened and she offered them an awkward grin. She let out a yelp as the boy smacked her legs, knocking her over in the process. She smacked him harshly in the leg as she leaned back against her elbows. Penny's eyes widened as she noticed Mrs. Knight peek her head out around the corner and land on the teens.
It took all four of them to get James's legs straight again— two of them to hold his shoulders still and Mama Knight and Penny to untangle his feet. Unfortunately for the older woman, when James's foot finally did spring free, he kicked her in the process. This sent her flying across the room. Penny managed to duck just in time. She rushed to her feet to help Mrs. Knight up.
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Logan and Kit ran into the mailman as they walked through the halls of the Palm Woods. He offered a tip in exchange for a package. The man looked around before he reached into his cart and handed Logan a large gift basket filled with bread and fruits. Kit glanced between the two of them, brows quirked. She followed wordlessly behind her boyfriend, frowning.
The Palm Woods Park was as packed as the pool had been yesterday. When Kit and Logan failed to find a spot for their picnic, she turned to him, shrugging. Logan pursed his lips. He hesitated only a moment before he pulled some more money from his pocket and held it up. Kit looked at him, shaking her head.
She sat reluctantly down on the picnic blanket that he set out for them on the grass. As Logan began to set up their lunch from the gift basket and snacks they brought from home, Kit turned to stare at the crowd of people who had all given up their spots in the park in exchange for Logan's money. There must have been twenty, maybe thirty, of them. Kit frowned.
Kit—and mostly Logan— somehow finished the entire basket. By the time they finished their lunch, Kit was itching to leave. The others hung around and she found it difficult to have a real conversation with Logan.
She picked up the empty basket and stood to her feet. Logan shook his head, rubbing at his full belly. He explained that he didn't want to walk. Kit's eyes widened as she watched the light bulb go off in his head. He pulled out money and got some of the others to carry both of them back to the building. Kit could only watch in horror as he threw even more money into the air.
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As the clock struck 12:00, Gustavo glanced up from his watch to Carlos in the booth. He opened his mouth, but instead of singing as expected, he allowed his assistant to spray something in his mouth. The man blew on a cup of tea to cool it. Gustavo turned around to share a look with Kelly. She could only shrug.
By thirty minutes into his session, Carlos had yet to give Gustavo a single usable note. His assistant was busy, though. He whipped out a golden barber's apron and draped it over Carlos. He smiled and paused his singing as his assistant touched up his haircut. Gustavo glared at him.
Gustavo managed to keep his cool surprisingly well. That is, until Carlos decided to make his assistant sing for him. He shot to his feet as Carlos stepped away from the mic to play a video game. The assistant continued to sing as Gustavo chased Carlos out the side door and into Studio B.
A few minutes later, Kelly exited the studio. She stopped just in the doorway as she spotted a helmeted head sitting on the couches.
"Okay," she said. "What are you doing here? I thought Gustavo was chasing you around?"
Carlos didn't turn away from his game. "He was."
After pausing it, he leaned his head back to get a look at her. "But then I got tired, so my assistant is running for me."
Carlos returned to his game just as his assistant ran through, followed by a screaming Gustavo. Kelly watched them, mouth open.
Carlos smiled, "We are so responsible with our money."
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"One hour," said Kendall as he hammered in the post for their sale. "We have one hour to prove to Griffin that we are responsible with money."
He turned to Katie. She rocked back on her heels.
"Well, you better hope Kit could keep Logan from giving his away. Because otherwise..."
She turned behind her. "With a ball pit?"
It was a kiddie pool filled with oranges. Kendall's sign advertised a "Super cool ball pit" for the price of $10.
Kendall sighed. His hammer fell to the ground as he held his hands out.
"It's the world's healthiest ball pit, filled with vitamin C, and vitamin F, for fun."
He snapped his fingers at the line of impatient kids waiting to try out his ball pit. A few of the girls smiled at him, while the boys mostly glared.
"Now," Kendall added. "All I need is 500 kids, and boom, I win."
Katie raised her eyebrows, nodding.
"So," asked the blonde boy at the front of the line. "Is this thing any fun?"
"Fun," Kendall repeated. He laughed. "Seriously? This thing is full of fun. Watch this!"
He turned around and dove onto the ball pit. Katie watched as he landed with a thud. It looked painful. The kids left.
"So, uh," Katie asked. "Is that vitamin F kicking in?"
Kendall yelled at her with his face still buried in the oranges. "Katie!"
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Logan and Kit made it back to their spots at the pool from yesterday. Logan had gotten someone to bring them towels and lemonade. The entire group of teens from the park stood behind them, each holding some of Logan's cash. Kit sipped from her lemonade cup angrily.
Logan slipped on his sunglasses.
"-And that's when I said, 'that's just the tip of the iceberg.'"
He held up three more dollars. The group of strangers around them burst into laughter. Logan didn't seem to notice Kit's disinterest or that she flinched at the sound. They both set their drinks down on the tables.
"I know, I know, I know," Logan laughed.
Kit turned to face Logan, unamused.
"Okay," she said. "Don't you think this tipping thing has gone too far?"
She glanced at the group.
"Because now, you are tipping people for laughing at your jokes."
Logan pulled his sunglasses off.
"Oh," he brushed it off. "That is ridiculous. Everybody just loves a good tipper."
"Yeah," Kit scoffed. "Until you run out of money."
"Won't happen," Logan dismissed. "'Cause when Griffin sees how responsible we are with our money, I'll get even more; more money, more friends, and more towels."
Kit rolled her eyes. She already knew that wasn't likely.
In an attempt to demonstrate, he lifted his fingers, snapping them. Logan looked to them, only to see that they came up empty.
"Huh," he said. "That's weird. Out of money."
"Out of money?" Logan's head snapped back to his finger as it sunk in. He gasped. By the time he looked up again, the crowd of people were gone. Only the two of them and one boy at a table by the wall were left sitting by the pool.
"Hey," Logan gaped. "Where'd everybody go?"
Smirking, Kit slapped a single dollar bill in his hand. It had come from her own wallet, not from Griffin. She stood up, grabbing her purse.
Logan knit his brows. "What is this?"
"A little tip," said Kit. "Next time, you should listen to your girlfriend."
With that, she left Logan to deal with the consequences of his actions. Kit headed off in search of her twin, hoping Kendall had managed to return his oranges.
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As the time ran out, James gave up on finding Gordon by himself. He called animal control out of desperation. He and Penny stood anxiously in the lobby as the man tore apart the vents, throwing pieces out of the supply closet as he did so. James and Penny were careful to dodge the pieces that came flying by their heads.
James went to meet him as the man finally came out of the supply closet, dirtied but without a snake.
"Well," he said. "I went through the whole A/C system, but I didn't find your snake."
James's grin faded.
"But the good news is," the man continued. "I still get my fee."
James gawked at the bill. He snatched it.
"$2,500 and no snake?"
"Oh, I guess that's only good news for me."
Penny nodded.
"But," James pulled out the remainder of his bonus. "That's all I have left."
"Then, I guess I'm not getting a tip."
The man took the wad of cash from James's hand. James whimpered at the loss.
Just as Kendall walked in from the park, Kit entered the lobby from the pool. She walked around to sit next to him on the chair. Kendall exhaled deeply. She gripped his knee sympathetically.
They caught James's attention. He marched over to the teens. Penny followed him and stood beside him.
"Well," James informed them. "I have, uh, no snake, no girl, and no money. Tell me you two have something to cheer me up!"
Kendall simply parted his lips into a smile, showing off his orange wedge smile. Kit giggled at this. James sighed, but did offer a small grin.
"I bought that pink Fender guitar that I've been wanting for ages," said Kit. "And I put the last $4,000 in the bank."
"Okay," said James. "I'm glad you got it, but I don't think Griffin is going to count that as a win for Big Time Rush-"
Kit shrugged. She couldn't disagree.
"Let's just hope that Logan has some money left," James added.
Kit sucked her teeth. She shook her head. "Define 'some...'"
Logan walked in from the pool. He stepped over the table by the chair where the twins sat and perched himself on the arm of it. The boys both looked expectantly at him.
Logan parted his lips then pulled out the single dollar that Kit had given him. He held it up in the air as an answer, grimacing. Kendall spat out his orange.
"Are you serious?"
James could only shake his head. He sat down in the chair next to them. Carlos met up with them, his assistant in tow. He gaped at the state of the three boys.
"Ooh," he said. "Why the sad faces, bonus buddies?"
"Well," Kendall said. "In 45 minutes, we get to tell Griffin that James is snake-rupt, Logan has $1 left, and I have a truckload of oranges!"
"What about Kit?" Carlos asked.
"I bought a new guitar for my career, and the rest is in my college fund."
Carlos nodded. "That's good, right?"
"Wrong," said James. "Because this is exactly what Griffin expected to happen."
Kit rolled her lips inwards. She didn't bother to disagree with him.
Penny turned to Carlos. With raised eyebrows, she asked: "Is that guy your assistant? Because when I went to see you yesterday, he told me I had to leave."
Carlos turned around to face his assistant at this. He narrowed his eyes. "I told you, Penny is always on my schedule."
James, Logan, and Kit shared knowing smirks.
"Wait, what?" Penny turned to Carlos, blinking.
The boy tried to hide the slight flush to his cheeks. He didn't answer her. Instead, Carlos turned back to Kendall.
"Okay, well, problems are no problem when you've got a super assistant who can do anything." He pointed to the man behind him who was busy doing something on his phone. "Assistant?"
The man looked up from his phone. "Actually," he said. "I do know a way you can make a ton of money with a truckload of oranges."
The others leaned in at this, intrigued. "How?"
"It's simple," he said. "All you have to do is–"
The assistant's phone chimed, cutting him off. He turned to look at it.
"And, Carlos is officially out of money, which means I no longer work for him."
The man took a seat in one of the chairs by the boys and opened up a magazine.
"Wait, what," said Carlos. "How can I be out of money?"
He pulled out his bonus and counted some of the bills. His former assistant lowered his magazine to explain.
"Well," he folded his hands in his lap. "You pay me $100 an hour. Add in additional grooming fees, hazard pay, overtime, and the 12 lobsters for the lobster chariot you made me build and never used, your $5,000 is officially spent."
Carlos turned to his friends, grimacing. He let out a gasp as the man took his pay. Carlos turned sadly to go sit on the table on the other side of Kendall. The other three boys frowned. James buried his head in his hands. Kendall leaned his head on Kit's shoulder. With a sad smile, she leaned into him.
"Let me get this straight," Logan held out his hands. "We were given $25,000, and after one day, we have $4,001 left. Not counting Kit, that's just $1."
The boys winced. Kit frowned.
"You're welcome, by the way," said Kit.
Logan muttered out another thank you and pressed a kiss to her cheek. She rolled her lips into a faint smile.
"What do we do?" Asked James.
"We do what Griffin would do," Kendall grabbed the bill from Logan's hand. "We invest it."
Kit and Penny followed the boys across the lobby. The boys decided to use their $1 on the Palm Woods vending machine and another bag of Gummie Buggies. Logan reached down to take it out of the machine.
The four boys exchanged a look. Logan held the candy up in the air as his friends lifted their empty fists. They gave a toast, "To failure!"
Unfortunately, as Logan ripped open the bag, he did it a bit too aggressively, and the gummies went flying across the room, landing on the dirty carpet. He held the broken bag in his hands.
Kit and Penny offered him sad smiles. Kit placed a reassuring hand to her boyfriend's shoulder to calm him.
"Oh, for-"
"Unbelievable."
"Fitting."
"Probably not my best move," Logan admitted.
James glanced at the candy. His eyes widened as they landed on the vent. A familiar yellow snake popped its head out.
Excitedly, James leaned over. "My snake!"
Penny leaned forward at this, peering around Carlos's shoulder. Kendall gaped at his friend as he picked it up in both hands. Carlos and Logan watched as he spoke to it:
"Gordon Bartholomew Slitherton, you had me worried sick."
"You know," said Penny. "That is almost sweet."
James nodded. He lifted the snake higher in the air so that he could see its eyes. "I will never let go of you again."
The animal control man, who had finished cleaning up the mess he made, approached the group.
"Hey, I'll take that snake off your hands for 100 bucks."
James locked his eyes on the cash. "Sold," he nodded.
Carlos gasped. "Oh," he took the money. "And I'll take that because..."
James gave the man his snake. As soon as it was handed off, the six of them ran over to catch Carlos's old assistant before he left.
"I can hire my super assistant for one more hour."
He held out the bill, which the man took from him. Logan asked the question at hand.
"Now, how do we make a ton o' money with the oranges?"
The man stood up.
"We sell them to one of my old bosses," he glanced at his phone. "He thinks bathing in freshly-squeezed orange juice once a day keeps the goblins away."
While the boys shared looks of confusion at this, Kit's eyes widened. She turned to Penny, whispering: "You don't think that's..."
The redhead nodded. "Oh, it definitely is."
The girls stared at the man, trying hard not to picture it. Kit shuddered.
"Okay," said Kendall. "Well, how much money do you think we can get for them?"
The man pressed a button on his phone and laughed.
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After saying goodbye to Penny, the five teens made it to their meeting with Griffin on time. He asked Kit how she spent her money first. Kit had retrieved her new guitar from the studio before the meeting. She opened up the case and showed it to him.
"Well, I've been using the same guitar since I was thirteen, so I thought it was time I bought a professional one. And the rest, I put into my savings account."
She handed Griffin a copy of the deposit slip. The man took it from her. He gave a curt nod.
"An investment in your future," he said. "That's smart, I like that. Good job."
He turned expectantly to the boys, who he had less faith in.
Big Time Rush held out their $5,000 each for Griffin to inspect.
"$20,000," said Griffin. "I'm proud of you fellas. You didn't waste $1 of your bonuses, and you proved me wrong. Which is weird, because I'm never wrong. It's really weird."
Kelly eyed the boys suspiciously. Gustavo looked to Griffin.
"Well," said Kendall. "I guess that means that the 'R' in BTR stands for..."
"Responsible."
The boys waved their money for emphasis.
"And since you proved you can be responsible with your money," Gustavo said.
"You get full access to your accounts." Kelly finished.
The boys turned to one another. They hesitated. Griffin had been right, whether he needed to know it or not. They weren't ready to have unlimited access to money.
"No," they said at once. "We're good."
"You know what?"
"We're cool with it."
"Thank you so much, though."
The boys each put their bonuses in Griffin's hands.
Kit smiled at them. "And, I still want to save mine for college."
The boys walked backwards out of Rocque Records. Kit turned over her shoulder to watch them leave. Griffin leaned over to see as they turned the corner. He handed the money to Abdul.
"Well, I must be going, too," he said. "I just scored a sweet deal on a truckload of oranges. Got to keep those goblins away."
Griffin left a confused Kelly and Gustavo with a wide smile on his face. Kit raised her eyebrows, eyes training on the carpet as she learned that her suspicions were right.
The boys, who had been listening in while crouched on the floor, leaned their heads around the corner. They were somewhere between disturbed and confused.
"Okay," Kit said slowly. "Moving on, I have a new song for you."
"Great," Gustavo clapped his hands together. "Well, let's hear it."
Kit picked up her new guitar and led him into the studio. She opened up her songbook to the draft for "My Life Would Suck Without You" and handed it to Gustavo.
"Okay, so," she said. "I know we said no more break-up songs, but just trust me on this one. I really think it could also work as more than that. It's about people you can't live without, no matter how much they drive you crazy. Just, please, listen before you say anything."
The boys crept closer to the studio to listen in on Kit's session. She had yet to show them her latest song, which was not usual for her. Kit planned on playing it for them later, once it was ready. After all, she had written it not just for James but for all of the boys whenever they got on her nerves.
"You got a piece of me, and honestly, my life would suck without you"
It took only one run-through of the song for James to know that it would be an instant hit. The boys shared a look, similar thoughts running through their minds. Logan clapped a hand to James's shoulder, squeezing it.
Once she finished with the song, and Gustavo gave his initial thoughts, Kit called out to the boys:
"You can come out now, idiots!"
James was the first to enter the room. He shot her a wide grin. "Can I be in the music video?"
Kit turned to Gustavo, brow quirked.
"Sure, whatever."
"That's a yes," Kit added, laughing softly.
The boys crowded around Kit, but gave her some space to protect her guitar. Kendall gushed over the equipment to Carlos, who nodded along. James and Logan began to talk with Kit about the song and concepts for the video.
Kit turned her head to lock eyes with James. She shot him a smile. For the first time in longer than she wanted to admit, Kit finally felt like they were in a good place. She had the old James back, and Kit wouldn't trade that for the world. She might not have been in love with him, but she sure knew that she didn't want a life without him in it.
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A/N: the music video for "my life would suck without you" is actually so kames- especially the playground, the matching handmade jewelry. All of it, really, except y'know, (spoiler alert) they don't end up together. Ik i've used a couple of kelly clarkson songs lately & just wanted to say that this is kind of how i imagine kit's voice sounds.