Big Time Pain

New Chapter!

When they finally reach 2J, Carlos can hear the cheers and arguments of a normal dome hockey game coming from inside. He doesn't want to break up such an exciting game, but he has more important things to worry about right now. Carlos has sacrificed his helmet to *her* so that in case he drops her or accidentally runs her into anything, she'll be ok and not get any worse.  

He steps through the door with *her* by his side, her head down, as he quickly glances around in search for Mrs. Knight. The guys hear a door slam and look over to greet him. 

"Hey, Carlos! Uh, who's she?" James asks. 

"Dude!" was all Logan could exclaim. 

"Carlos...what did you do!?" Kendall freaks. Seeing an unconscious girl hanging on Carlos' shoulder isn't the most normal thing in the world. 

"Nothing!!! It's not my fault!" He hollers back, enthusiastically waving his arms. So enthusiastic, in fact, that in turn, he drops the girl. All the guys stare at the breathing mass on the floor as Carlos realizes what he just did. 

"Sorry," he tells her as he lifts her up again, this time so the guys can see her face. Logan, of course the only one who was with Carlos before, recognizes the victim. 

"Carlos! Really? Mustache girl?" 

At this, the girl opens her eyes and stares at Logan, her head tilted.  

"Why would you call me that?" She mumbles. He leaves and returns quickly, wielding a hand-held mirror. He shows her that she does, in fact, have a mustache drawn in Sharpie on her upper lip. She streams a line of curse words and requests some cotton balls, nail polish remover, and the hand-held mirror. Carlos shuffles over the couch and sets her down gently on the end, but does not return to standing position to pace in front of the couch with the rest of the guys. Instead, he stays planted on the cushions next to *her* if for some reason, she needs anything. Even as she removes the mustache Carlos now knows her for with shaky hands, tear-filled eyes and a putrid chemical he is sure will make her lip smell horribly for days to come, he doesn't move an inch. She needs him, and that fact makes him feel quite responsible and proud; protective, even. 

"Who did this?" She asks Carlos, looking straight into his eyes, tears threatening to fall from her lids. 

"A bunch of people from the Palmwoods were in, like, a circle around you. I dunno their names. Sorry..." he trails off, wishing he had more comforting news to provide to her. Right then, in a microsecond, a tear dropped from her eye and rolled down her cheek as she lowered her head. Not giving it a second thought, Carlos wiped it away with his thumb and put his arm around her shoulders in a half-hug.  

"MMHRRRRM" one of the guys clears their throats, clearly trying to interrupt the moment. Carlos' head snaps up and she barely lifts hers. 

"Okay, so what happened? Carlos?" Kendall asks. As Carlos fills him in on the event's happenings, the girl just glanced around room, taking in the colorful scene.  

"HEY! What's your name?" Kendall directs the question to her. 

"Uh, Chelsea. Chelsea Further." She tells him. 

"How long have you been staying at the Palmwoods?"  

"Um, one week? Yeah, one week." She unsurely replies. 

"You don't know?" His eyebrow arches in an accusing, confused look. 

"I don't remember, really. I think I have a concussion or something. So what are your names, then? 'Cuz frankly, I don't really know you guys." 

They all introduce themselves rather quickly to instead get to the matter at hand. 

"Dude, I brought her up here 'cuz I thought your mom could help her." Carlos asks Kendall, his eyes urgent for a reply.