Written in the Stars

15: Double Dibs

❝it's like a million little stars spellin' out your name❞

- untouchable : taylor swift

By the time that the bus pulled to a stop outside the Palm Woods, Kit practically sprang from the vehicle. She gathered her things in record time and sped off to the elevators without waiting for anyone to catch up to her. Months spent in cramped hotel rooms and airplanes with each other left Kit and the boys itching for some time alone. She ached for a nap on a real bed.

The boys watched her as she sped past, offering only the briefest of waves.

"Okay," said Kendall, eyebrows raised.

James chuckled. The boys stopped, clutching their duffle bags, as they stared at the Palm Woods.

"Well," continued Kendall. "BTR's whirlwind world tour is officially over."

"And, now it's back to the Palm Woods," Logan gestured to the building. "Where the new kids have moved in, and none of them will know us."

He frowned.

"Which means," Carlos lifted a finger to accentuate each of his points. "We have to re-establish our Big Time pool, lobby, and hallway cred... All over again."

James grimaced, "I hate re-establishing cred."

"Hey!" Kendall jumped in. "After four continents and our hotel rooms being broken into 19 times, I'm looking forward to a little 'Nobody knows us at the Palm Woods' relaxing time."

The boys nodded in agreement.

Whatever solace the boys found in that idea only carried them into the doorway of the lobby. A crowd of residents filled the reception area, holding signs and rattling noisemakers.

"Welcome back!"

The boys shared looks, grinning.

Carlos's eyes scanned the crowd. The Jennifers stood in the very front. Each girl wore a bright sundress over a bathing suit, but Carlos remained more interested in how excited they were to see Big Time Rush. Between them and Lucy, Penny stood with a handmade BTR sign. She grinned at her friends. Carlos lifted a hand excitedly to wave at them.

Kendall and James equally found themselves drawn to Lucy's grin. She held up a sign that read: "Welcome Home 💛 Big Time Rush." Kendall's lips quirked upwards at the hand-painted yellow heart.

"Huh," James said. "Maybe things will be different this season."

As always, though, Bitters had to ruin it. The manager drove a large golf cart right through his lobby, pulling to a stop before the band. A banner with his own face printed onto it ran along the bottom of the cart. "Bitters' Big Time Experience" sounded like trouble. Each of the boys eyed it with concern.

"And here's Big Time Rush," Bitters lifted the intercom system to his lips and spoke into it. "Now would be a good time to use your complimentary scissors to get some souvenir hair"

Concerned, Kendall and Logan agreed: "Very different"

Abandoning their luggage, the four took off running as fast as their jetlagged legs would carry them. Only through the narrow hallways did they finally make it with all their hair still intact.

They slammed the apartment door shut behind them, happy to finally be out of Bitters' reach. Mama Knight and Katie stood at the kitchen counter.

Incredulous, Kendall turned to his family. "What is going on around here?"

Katie held her hands out, as if it were obvious. "One," she said. "You're famous now. And two, I'm jealous that Bitters thought of the Big Time Experience before I did."