Slate's Acres
This is my first Fan Fiction.
I do not own Big Time Rush.
Chapter One: The Watermelon Heist
Mrs. Knight was once again driving her son Kendall away from chaos. Chaos that he and his friends created, of course. This time the gang had apparently been stealing watermelons from Farmer Slate's land, and taking them to the park to share with their friends. The other boys in town were quite impressed that they could get away with it...until they didn't.
The farmer had come out waving his shotgun in the air, threatening to plug buckshot into their butts and turning a vivid red as he shook his fists while chasing them down the lane. The boys expected the chase and giggled as they ran through the rows of neatly planted seedlings, kicking them up as they went.
This time he caught Kendall and Carlos by the scruff of the neck, and dragged them back to his porch where he promptly called Mrs. Knight and relayed his story. Farmer Slate had never known the parents of the other boys, and he had often wondered why. Two had managed to get away, and he seethed knowing that they were out there on his land somewhere.
Mrs. Knight arrived quickly with a still sleeping Katie in the truck. She must have sped all the way there to make it as quickly as she did. When she bounded out of the truck, Kendall retreated behind Carlos, and his shoulders slumped. He knew she was beyond angry this time. Her jaw was set in an unnatural way, and her arms were folded tightly across her chest. Not a good sign. She stared Kendall down, then turned her full attention to the equally irate farmer.
"I'm sorry, Farmer Slate. I really thought Kendall would know better than this. I've tried to raise him right, but since his father left it's been very hard...," she trailed off. She had found herself trying to get her young son out of a mess one too many times, and frankly she was getting fed up with his disobedience. "But, I have taught him right from wrong. He will be punished," she said sternly, flashing eyes landing back on her son.
"How?" asked the Farmer mockingly, "with one less piece of pie tonight, ma'am?"
"Oh, he won't be getting any dessert tonight!" she replied, rolling her eyes for effect.
"Oh dear!" continued the farmer with a wry smile curling up the corners of his mouth. Mrs. Knight caught the sarcasm in his tone.
"Wait...what are you suggesting?" Mrs. Knight asked curiously.
"I'm suggesting some hard work and discipline for a change," he said with a smirk, looking the two boys up and down as if they were a couple of hoodlums.
Mrs. Knight sighed. She knew he was right about the lack of discipline. She could not remember the last time she had made Kendall do more then a moderate amount of work around the house, and he always got away with staying up past his bedtime. Especially, since his dad had left and she found herself coddling him for it. A part of her just felt that he should be treated with kid gloves since his father had abandoned them. Now, she was second-guessing that way of thinking.
With so much freedom he had grown into quite a character thus far, free to express himself more than the average boy. And because of it, he could make her laugh when she should be angry. His friends looked up to him as the leader of the group, but one who didn't always make the wisest choices unfortunately. It was clear that he was intelligent by nature, but she knew that he needed a better education than she could give him at the school near home. All these factors had her mulling over her child rearing tactics.
He stared back at her from under his eyelashes, still half-hidden behind the smaller boy, and the look in his eyes seemed more hopeful than fearful to her. She tilted her head and studied him as if he wasn't her own child. How did others view the young man she was raising?
He was decidedly becoming a handsome young man, long and lean like his father. When his blonde hair fell across his forehead, she could remember exactly why she had fallen for Mr. Knight in the first place. She sighed again. She was certain that he could be a great leader one day if he stayed on the right path, but she had to do something before it was too late.
She studied Carlos next. He had begun to shake in the man's clutches. She knew Carlos was a good kid under all that rambunctiousness. Basically he was a happy-go-lucky and energetic kid, and always meant well. He made them laugh with his crazy contraptions he designed, and his daring stunts. He looked like a frightened little boy in front of her much taller and more confident son.
"It's okay, Carlos," she said. "I'll call your dad as soon we get back."
"Oh, and what will his punishment be," the Farmer asked, "to not get away with murder, cause his pa can pull some ropes at the police station?" Mrs. Knight went silent.
"I'll tell you what Mrs. Knight, just let me take the boys for a while. I'll see to it that they get the best education with me. Heck, I can afford it all right. I'll teach them to be fine young men, before they wind up in a whale of trouble and end up breaking hearts."
"NO, MOM!" Kendall blurted out, unable to listen to any more of his offers.
"Please don't interrupt Mr. Slate," Mrs. Knight said firmly. "i need to hear what he has to say."
The Farmer attempted to continue when Kendall once again interrupted. "Mom, you wouldn't!"
"Shhh!" Carlos whispered, still trembling against him. The Farmer looked menacingly at Kendall, then back to Mrs. Knight with a smirk still plastered upon his face.
"See, the boy needs some good old-fashioned discipline."
Mrs. Knight was deep in thought during the drive home. She realized that things were beginning to get out of hand now that the boys were getting older, and raising an adolescent boy without a father to guide him was sure to be a challenge for her. She didn't bother to ask where the other two little hoodlums were. She believed that she already knew.
Pulling up to find James and Logan waiting on the front porch looking extremely anxious, confirmed it. She carried Katie out of the truck with Kendall and Carlos lagging behind. They'd never seen her this volatile before.
"In the house right now!" she demanded, kicking the screen door open with her foot. She threw dagger eyes at James and Logan too. "You too, boys! We have to talk!"
They trudged into the house for the usual line-up. And, from the looks of it, some real explanations.
Thanks for reading!
Crumpet