You're Not Alone

four.

2011. Present Day.

Kendall's POV

My family doesn't know I'm back in L.A. yet, and I want to surprise them. I told them I wouldn't be back for a few more days, because even though we were done touring, we were going to do some show stuff and vacation a little before I saw them and headed off for our "winter tour", basically just playing at Jingle Jams and the like. I've been careful not to tweet too much information so my mom or Kevin (or even Kenneth) wouldn't guess.

I open the front door; no one in sight. Good. I hear sizzling and chopping sounds from the kitchen and assume it's either Kevin (who thinks he's a master chef) or Mom. I take off my shoes by the front door so I can sneak easier.

"Guess who?" I ask with a smile in my voice, my hands over my mom's eyes. She was humming, so she didn't hear me stealthily come up behind her.

"Kendall!" she cries in an angry way, but I can tell she is really happy. She grabs a rag off the counter. "Don't. Do. That," she slaps me with the rag with every word.

I laugh, wrapping my arms around her. "Good to see you too, Ma. You'd think you'd be happy and not abusive, seeing your favorite son that just got off tour," I joke. I reach around her to dip my finger in a pot on the stove, but she slaps my arm with the rag.

"Kendall Francis, you know better."

"Ow," I whine, grabbing my arm and pulling a face.

"You get no special rights just because you just got home."

"Mom," I whine some more, "come on."

"But it's good to see you," she smiles, finally hugging me. She goes back to stirring the pot.

It's instinct, but I get the feeling something's happened that she's not telling me.

"So," I ask innocently, leaning against the counter, "anything interesting been happening?" Her motherly instinct probably tells her I'm fishing, but oh well.

She stops stirring, just freezes, and I instantly go on alert for whatever she's about to tell me. I can't imagine something would have happened that she wouldn't have told me about.

She sighs. "Kendall..."

Suddenly the front door slams. I don't jump, but I do immediately stand up straight and turn toward the sound.

A jingling tells me my dogs are heading in here, and I get super excited. I haven't seen them in forever, and I was getting kind of suspicious about their current absence...

My dogs run in, still on leashes, and a girl is trailing behind them, laughing. "Whoa!" she cries, immediately bending down to try to get my dogs under control so she can take their leashes off. I'm about to ask Mom since when did we get a dog walker? "Well, I'd thought they were worn out but..."

Sissy and Jasper are straining to get to me, and she's still on her knees trying to unleash the crazy pups. I doubt she even saw me at all. She laughs at my dogs' antics as they rush me and attack-kiss my face. But then she stops laughing suddenly.

"Kendall?" she says quietly. I really look at her for the first time, and realize she looks vaguely familiar, but I have no idea where I've seen her.

******

Ari's POV

The Schmidts' dogs Sissy and Jasper are so cute. They were panting up to the front door, but once they hit the threshold something snapped in them and they started running, dragging me behind them. When we got in the kitchen where Mrs. Schmidt was, I hit my knees to try to get them under control so I could unleash them, but for some reason they were going crazy.

Only after I unhook them, laughing at their exuberance, do I realize why they are so riled up.

I would recognize those deep dimples anywhere. And those sparkling green eyes. I haven't truly seen him in 15 years, but he looks almost the same as his kid-self, just a bigger--hotter--version.

"Kendall?" I say quietly. He wasn't supposed to be here. This is not supposed to happen. He's supposed to be gone for a few more days, and by then I would have some other arrangement.

He's staring at me through his dogs' kisses, and I stare right back, wanting to look away but not able to. Unlike me, though, I can tell he doesn't know who the heck I am.

Finally Kendall breaks off, patting his dogs' heads before standing up. But then he fixes his eyes back on me. "Mom?" he asks, never moving those piercing green eyes from mine.

I get up too. I don't want to lose this fight, but I can't take that searching gaze, so I look at the ground as I shakily push myself up. He's trying to figure out who I am. I wonder why Mrs. Schmidt hasn't intervened yet, just letting all this awkward silence happen.

"I was just leaving," I say, starting to turn. The dogs run out of the kitchen in front of me, done with Kendall.

"Arabella, don't," Kathy finally speaks. I freeze, only turned halfway anyway. I see Kendall's face change from the corner of my eye.

"Arabella?" he repeats.