The boys are now out by the pool area where Guitar Dude is playing sad music. Kendall was laying back on one of the lounge chairs with his hands behind his head, Logan was sitting on one, Carlos was laying on one of chairs and James was pacing in front of them. They were all upset with what had happened in the studio earlier.

"He's really good at piano." Logan spoke up, trying to lighten the mood but it didn't work.

"And I'm so depressed." Carlos mumbled, staring up at the sky with an upset expression on his face.

"It's the music." Kendall realizes and puts his hands down to his side. He looks over at Guitar Dude. "Guitar Dude, please."

Guitar Dude stops playing and smiles sheepishly at him. "Oh, sorry."

Kendall's younger sister, Katie, then walks up to them. "So, has Gustavo Dork made you guys famous yet?"

Kendall sits up, shrugging his shoulders. "We had some creative differences."

Katie rolls her eyes and puts her hands on her hips. "You got fired, didn't you?"

"All he did was yell and scream at us and make us wear dangerously tight pants." Kendall pointed out.

Logan nods in agreement. "Yeah, but Andi did stood up for us."

Katie raises a eyebrow. "That nice girl with brown hair?" She asks and the boys nods in response. "She's cool." Katie commented. She didn't know her very well, but she had been kind and nice to her.

"Yeah, she is." Kendall agreed with a smile on his face. She had stuck up for them when Gustavo had been so harsh and mean. He didn't understand why she had done that, though. But he did know it made him feel giddy that she did that. She was amazing. She was just so pretty and kind and smart and sweet and-

"Earth to Kendall." James waves his hand in front of his friend's face. Kendall blinks, shaking his head to get himself out of that daze as he looked at James. His friend had an amused smirk on his face. "What were you thinking about?"

"Nothing," Kendall answered quickly, glancing away from James to hide the blush that was creeping up his neck while his heart kept racing. His friends would definitely tease him about the crush he was starting to have on Andi. He could already imagine the endless amount of jokes and teasing.

"Hmm, sure." James rolls his eyes, not believing what he said but he didn't say anything else about it. "But yeah, you're right. He wanted to turn us into rich and famous pops stars. What an idiot!" He exclaimed sarcastically.

Kendall looks at him with a blank expression. "He wanted to turn us into trained dancing dogs."

"He's not wrong." A voice speaks, startling the five and they look over to see Andi. She looks at them with an apologetic expression as she walked over to them. "I'm really sorry about Gustavo."

Logan shakes his head. "You shouldn't be apologizing for him."

Andi sighs. "I know. I just hate how he treats people, especially you guys." She looks around at the boys, sympathy in her eyes. "I can't stand seeing him act like that. You guys deserve way better."

Kendall smiles fondly, catching her gaze and feeling that familiar flutter in his chest at seeing her concern for them. "Thanks, Andi. You've been one of the only ones who actually believes in us. It...Means a lot."

Andi smiled back, warmth evident in her eyes. "Well, someone has to keep you guys sane around here." She jokes, but her voice was sincere. "Besides, I know you all have something special. And Gustavo's...Intense approach doesn't help."

Carlos gives her a small smile. "Thanks, Andi. We appreciate you standing up for us."

She smiles back and nods. "I just wanted to come by and check on you guys and see if you were okay." She said as she looked at each of the boys. They were upset, but that was understandable. She would have been upset too if someone acted like Gustavo had acted towards them. "And to also apologize again."

"It's fine." Kendall reassures her and Andi looks at him, meeting his gaze and her smile grew. His heart skipped a beat when she smiled at him. It was beautiful. She was beautiful. He felt his face grow warm so he looks away quickly and clears his throat. "Uh, we'll be okay." He stutters, mentally cursing himself for being so flustered around her. He tries to regain his composure, glancing at his friends who were all watching him with amused expressions. "Yeah, we'll figure something out." He added, trying to sound more confident.

Andi nods, her smile softening. "Well, if you need anything, just let me know. Seriously." She looks at each of them, her eyes sincere. "I'm here for you guys."

James nods. "Thanks, Andi. That means a lot. But seriously, Kendall," He looks back at Kendall, going back to the topic he and his friends were talking about since he was still upset about it. "He was going to make us rich and famous dancing dogs."

Logan points to him. "He's got a point."

Kendall looks over at Logan with a little offense. "Oh, so you're siding with James now?"

Logan quickly shakes his head. "No, I, uh. Maybe. Kinda. Yes." He stammered with a grimace.

Andi looks over at Katie with confusion. "What did I just walk in on?"

Katie shrugs. "They're arguing. So nothing unusual." Andi still looked a bit confused but she nodded in response.

James glares at Carlos, Kendall, and Logan. "You guys blew it. You blew my shot. You could have tried harder, but you didn't."

Carlos jumps up from the lounge chair he was laying on. "Okay! Let's all just calm down and think nice, happy thoughts about kittens."

Andi smiles, thinking it was cute that Carlos was trying to help his friends cheer up. "You think about kittens with your bad singing and that stupid helmet!" James pushed him, making him fall back on the lounge chair he was laying on earlier.

Andi's eyes widens with surprise. "Woah, James. Calm down. No need to get violent."

James ignores her as Logan nods in agreement with Andi and stands up. "Guys, guys. Remember our pack about not letting this town tear us apart?" Carlos yelled angrily and ram at James to try and knocked him down, but James stopped him and they continued to fight.

Kendall groans and stands up, joining the fight just as Logan joins in. "Great! Now we're all fighting. I didn't even wanna do this."

"Everybody with no problem wants to do this, Kendall!" Carlos yelled.

Andi looks over at Katie with a smirk. "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?"

Katie looks at her, tilting her head to the side. "That this is stupid?"

Nodding, Andi chuckles. "Yes, but I was thinking of..." Her voice trailed off and she bent down to Katie's height, whispering what her idea was in her ear.

Katie grins at hearing her idea and nods while Andi stands back up. "I like the way you think."

The two of them walk over to the boys and push them into the pool. The four of them yell as they fall into the pool. The two girls high five each other triumphally. The boys looked up at Andi and Katie with disbelief.

"Andi, Katie!" Kendall scolds and the girls smiles innocently at him and the boys. "What'd you do that for?" He asked them.

Both of them smirks and said, "It looked like you guys needed to cool off."

Logan sighs and looks at his friends. "They're right."

James looks at his friends with an apologetic look. "I'm sorry." Andi smiled, thinking that their fight was finally going to stop. It did for a bit until Carlos splashed James and it just went down hill from there.

Shrugging, Katie looks up at her. "Well, we tried." She then walked away and Andi sighed as she looked back at the boys. They were having a water war now. She thought it was kind of funny to watch but it was probably going to get worse and escalate to a real fight.

"Guys, come on. Don't start that again." Andi tried to tell them but they didn't listen. She pauses when water was splashed in her direction. Her eyes widened as her mouth fell open. The boys had stopped splashing each other when they realized that and shared nervous looks, unsure of what her reaction would be. "Okay, it's on now." Andi dropped her bag and kicked her sandals off before she ran towards the pool and jumped in.

"Wait, what are you-" James' question was cut off as she was splashed in the face. He looks over at Andi and raises his hands up. "Woah, hey! Why'd you do that for?"

"Payback." She smirked as she splashed him again. He then started to splash her which led to a water war between her and the boys. Andi was completely soaked, but she could care less. She was having fun and so were the boys. She could tell by the smiles and their laughs that they were enjoying it.

The playful water fight continued for a while, with Andi and the boys splashing each other and laughing uproariously. It was a welcome break from the tension and stress they had been experiencing with Gustavo's harsh criticism and unrealistic expectations. As the sun began to set, casting a warm glow over the pool area, Andi and the boys finally called a truce, exhausted but in high spirits. They climbed out of the pool, dripping wet but smiling, and collapsed onto the lounge chairs, basking in the afterglow of their impromptu water war. They now sat near a firepit, chatting and laughing and simply enjoying each other's company.

Andi looked around at the group and felt a sense of warmth and contentment, her heart swelling with happiness. This is what it felt like to be truly happy, she thought, to have good friends by her side and nothing to worry about. She had friends, of course, just not many friends, and the ones she did have she didn't hang out with often. But being around these four boys made her feel at home. It was something she hadn't felt in a long time, and it was a feeling she could get used to.

She sat by Kendal, a towel wrapped around her and a smile on her face as she listened to the boys talk about a variety of topics. Her heart kept racing whenever Kendall's arm would brush against hers or he would laugh and smile at her. Her face would grow warm and butterflies would flutter in her stomach. She was starting to have a crush on Kendall and it was scary but also exciting. She had never felt this way about anyone before, and it was a new and thrilling experience.

"I could stay here and be a model. I'm still great looking." James speaks up. "Or the star of a reality show."

"Which one? 'Project Idiot'?" Carlos quipped, earning a small chuckle from Andi.

James sighs. "That's just your jealousy talking."

"You know what's funny?" Kendall questions. "We didn't even get a chance to sing together."

Andi watches with amusement as the boys started singing the song Kendall had made up. She leans back against the couch, watching them with a soft smile and amusement shining in her eyes. They sounded great together and she was impressed they could harmonize easily without any practice. They had amazing talent and she wished Gustavo had seen that. He missed out on some great talent. When the boys were finished with singing, everyone was clapping for them and she joined them. The boys looked surprised, but they all smiled at everyone. James, who had stepped on the couch when he sang, got down and did a small bow before he sat back down. Everyone then went back to what they were doing before, chatter filling the air again.

"You guys are really talented." Andi compliments. "Gustavo missed out on some great talent, that's for sure." She says, causing the boys to smile bigger. "Don't let him get you down, okay? I think you guys have amazing talent and I think you could go far if you became a band."

The boys grin at her. "Thanks, Andi. We really appreciate that." Kendall tells her and the others nods in agreement. After sharing a look with his friends, he smiles at them. "We should do this. You guys were right." He stands up and stands in front of the fire pit as he looks at his friends. "I really think we should do this."

"How? We got fired, remember?" Logan reminded him with a frown.

"We didn't get fired." When Logan sent him a look, Kendall corrects himself. "I mean, we got fired. But the problem is we didn't try out best."

James raises his hand. "I tried my best."

"We know, James." Kendall reassures him. "We know." He glances over at Guitar Dude. "Guitar Dude, I need some music. Something inspirational." Guitar Dude nods and starts playing while Kendall faces his friends again. "We are hockey players, brothers of the ice, and we do not quit. Now are we gonna dump the puck and scramble back to the bench or are we gonna grab that puck, pull the goalie, and rush the net big time?"

"You really think we can make it as a boy band?" Carlos asked hopefully. James nodded and grinned as he stood.

"No," Kendall admits and James sat back down. "But I've realized three things since we got here. One - I love singing, two - I love singing with you guys and opportunities like this come once in a life time."

"What's the third thing?" Logan inquired.

"It's minus eight in Minnesota right now and I'm in love with this pool." Kendall adds, glancing over at the pool behind him which earned some chuckles from Andi and his friends. "So what's the play? Dump the puck or big time rush?"

James stands immediately with a grin. "Big time rush."

Carlos stands as well, putting his helmet on. "Big time rush."

Logan is the last to stand as he smiles. "Big time rush."

"Big time rush." Kendall grins. He then glances over at Andi. "Andi, didn't you say that you write songs?"

She nods, a little taken aback that he remembered. Her heart flutters in her chest at the thought that he actually remembered her saying that. "Uh, yeah. Why?"

"Because if you're up to it, it would mean a lot if you could help us with writing a song. If not, we understand." He told her.

Andi was touched by their gesture and her heart warmed. She was surprised by Kendall's request but also excited at the prospect of collaborating with them. She had to admit she would love to help them out with this, but she was nervous and anxious. She never wrote a song for someone to sing. She wrote songs and poems, but she doesn't tell just anyone that and she doesn't show anyone them either. Though the boys somehow convinced her to show some to them and they all commented how great she was, but that was different. This is her first time writing a song that would be recorded. The pressure was on and she was already nervous and anxious. But the way Kendall was looking at her and how hopeful his friends looked gave her the courage to agree. Plus she had to admit she already had a few ideas for a song.

She hesitates a moment, glancing at the boys and then back at Kendall. "I don't know..." Her voice trails off as she gnawed on her lower lip. "Um, are you sure you want me to help? I'm not a professional writer. I just write for fun." Andi said nervously, fidgeting with the towel on her lap.

"Are you kidding me? Your songs are amazing!" Carlos gushes while he grins at her. "My favorite was 'Make It Shine' and I loved all the others too." The other boys chimed in to agree with him, saying their favorite was that song as well.

Andi blushed at their compliments, feeling a surge of warmth and gratitude. She had always been hesitant to share her writing with others, but their encouragement and praise gave her a newfound confidence. She smiled shyly at the boys and nodded, accepting their request.

"Alright, then. I'll help you guys write a song." She told them as she stood up. The boys cheered, their excitement contagious, and she grinned when they pulled her into a group hug. She laughed and hugged them back, her heart racing with exhilaration. 

It was going to be a challenge, but she was determined to help the boys create a song that would win over the record execs and get them a record deal. Andi found herself squished in the hug between James and Kendall and while they cheered, she couldn't help but glance over at Kendall, her cheeks turning pink at seeing he was already staring at her. His cheeks turned pink when their eyes met, but he didn't look away. She smiled shyly at him, and he returned it, her heart skipping a beat at his adorable smile. She hoped she could be helpful to them and maybe, just maybe, her crush would turn into something more.

****

Andi follows the boys down the hallway of Rocque Records, in front of the group besides Kendall. She tries to ignore how her heart skips a beat when their arm brushed against each other as they walked. She shook her head and tried to focus on what was going on instead of her growing feelings for him. She noticed her mom and Gustavo along with Gustavo's team behind them at the end of the hallway. They start walking down the hallway, meeting her and the boys halfway.

"Well?" Gustavo questioned.

"Okay, we'll do it your way." Kendall answers. "No goofing off, no pillow fights, and no questions for the next two days."

Gustavo is silent for a moment as he thought things over. Everyone is relieved when he says, "Okay. 'Girl Time' from the top."

Andi grimaces along with the boys. "Except for that." Kendall quickly said. "We really don't wanna sing 'Girl Time'."

"Oh, let me guess. You have a better idea. We'll, let's-let's hear it. Let's hear the dogs' better song title." Gustavo spoke dramatically, earning an eye roll from Andi while she crossed her arms.

"'Big Time Rush'." The boys said in unsion. Gustavo is quiet and Andi couldn't read his expression which made her chew her lower lip nervously.

"It's a song about four hockey players from Minnesota who have an amazing opportunity in front of 'em and they're gonna take their best shot." Kendall explains and butterflies swarm in Andi's stomach when he suddenly tossed an arm around her shoulders, pulling her close. "And Andi, here, already came up with some lyrics for it."

Andi's cheeks turn pink and her heart races as Gustavo raises an eyebrow at her. She wanted the floor to swallow her up right then and there at feeling everyone's gaze on her. She swallows nervously and leans into Kendall for comfort and support. He didn't seem to mind, in fact, his hand on her shoulder gently squeezed it and his thumb started rubbing soothing circles into her shoulder which helped ease her nerves. "Uh, well, they're just a few lyrics and, um, they might not be good, but uh...Yeah, they're something." She pulled her notebook out of her bag and with nervous, shaky hands she flipped to the right page and handed it to Gustavo.

"Wow, this is really good, honey." Kelly comments as she read it over Gustavo's shoulder. She glances over at Andi with a soft smile. "Why didn't you ever tell me you write songs?" She honestly felt hurt her daughter didn't tell her about this, but she understood why.

Andi's face grew warmer and she shrugs. "I didn't think they were that good." She mumbled, averting her gaze as she fidgeted with the strap of her bag.

"Which is crazy because everyone we saw was amazing." Logan chimes in. "Your poems and songs are amazing. You have a real talent for writing."

"I have to agree." Gustavo finally speaks up, startling Andi. He had been quiet for a few moments and she feared that he didn't like it or thought it was stupid. But hearing him say that gave her hope he would accept it. "These lyrics are pretty good."

"You've got to stop using the word 'girl' in all your song titles," Kelly said to Gustavo. "I think the title the boys came up with is good. And I also think maybe you and Andi could work together to finish writing the song. With her help, you could probably get the song done in a day."

Gustavo is quiet for a moment before he says, "Okay, we'll do it that way." He glances over at Andi and hands her back her notebook. "You think you can help me out with this?"

Andi is surprised by his question as she takes her notebook back and puts it back in her bag. "I, um, yeah. I'll do my best." She said quietly, a little nervous about helping him, but also excited at the same time. She never expected her day would turn out this way, but she was happy and she hoped that things would continue to go well for them. Kendall gave her shoulder another squeeze, bringing her attention to him and making her heart skip a beat. He grinned at her and she returned it. Maybe her crush wasn't as unrequited as she thought.

"Alright, we're gonna be workin' all night because friday is two days away," Gustavo continues, causing Andi and Kendall to look back at him. "And we are in a big time rush."

****

Once Andi and Gustavo finished writing the song, the boys were put in the recording booth to sing it. Andi stood by her mom where she stood by Gustavo, who sat at the sound system. "Okay, 'Big Time Rush' from the top. Only this time let's try not to make me wanna choke you." Gustavo told them before pressing the button for them to hear him and the boys gave him thumbs up.

For the next two days the boys practiced dancing and singing the song. Andi was surprised and proud that the boys learned how to dance well, and she could tell they were enjoying it. They still had their moments, but the boys had improved and she had no doubt they would wow the record executives. Soon their outfits were found and they were ready to preform. Andi stood next to her mom and Gustavo in the recording studio where Griffin sat and watched the boys preform. It took awhile for him to warm up to the song and the boys, but she could tell after awhile he was starting to like it which made her feel better. At the end, the boys stood in their ending poses, breathing heavily from the energy they put into their performance. They tried to hide how nervous they were behind their smiles, but Andi could see it in their eyes and it made her stomach twist. She hoped that everything went well and that they would get the record deal.

Andi's eyes widen slightly, not expecting him to speak to her. "Um, yes. Yes sir, I did."

"You did a good job. You're talented. I want you to be their songwriter and work alongside Gustavo with writing songs for the band." Griffin told her with a smile.

Andi stares at him with surprise, her eyes widening and her mouth dropping open slightly. "W-What? I-I mean, I would love to, but I'm not a professional and I'm just an intern."

"You're not an intern anymore. That is if you're up for the job." Griffin replies. "I want you to help write the songs for these demos. I see potential in you and I know you could go far if you stick with us." He explained, watching as she seemed to think things over. He knew she was young, but she had talent and he could tell that the boys liked her. He could also tell she was good with them and they seemed to respect her. So it was a no brainer that he wanted her to help Gustavo with writing songs for the boys. Plus this song was great and if she worked with Gustavo to write this song, that meant they could work together to make some other great songs for the boys.

Andi stared at him with wide eyes, her heart hammering in her chest. This was a dream come true, but she was afraid to take it. This was her chance to have a career as a songwriter, but it was a lot of pressure. She could feel everyone's eyes on her, and she swallows the lump forming in her throat. "I-I don't know. I'm honored, but I'm not a professional, like I said before. Wouldn't you want someone with more experience? Someone who has actually worked on songs before?"

"No." Griffin responds in a blunt tone and walks over to her, putting a hand on her shoulder. "I want you, Andi. I know you have the talent to write amazing songs. With Gustavo's guidance, I know you two can come up with great songs for the boys." He pauses a moment to glance over at the boys. "They're going to need all the help they can get, especially if they want to make it big." He looks back at her with a smile. "So, what do you say?"

Andi looks at him and then the boys, her heart skipping a beat. She would love to keep writing songs for the boys, but could she handle it? Could she live up to everyone's expectations? Andi glances at her mom, who smiles and gives her an encouraging nod. That's all it took for Andi to make up her mind. She returns her gaze to Griffin and takes a deep breath, letting it out slowly. "Alright. I'll do it." She tells him. "But I'll warn you, I'm new at this and I'm not used to writing for someone else, so I'm not sure how well I'll do."

Griffin smiles and pats her shoulder. "That's alright. I'm sure you'll do fine, I believe in you. Just work hard and do your best. I know you'll make some great songs for them." He pulls his hand away and heads for the door. "I'll leave you all to it. I have to go. My pants are cold." He then left the room with his two assistants.

Kelly pulls her daughter into a side hug, kissing the top of her head as she gave her daughter a squeeze. "I'm so proud of you, Romy." She murmured, feeling a surge of pride for her daughter. She could tell that this was a dream come true for her and she was glad her daughter was taking a chance and doing this. It was scary and nerve wracking, but she knew her daughter could handle it and she knew that her daughter would do a fantastic job. She had confidence in her daughter's talent and her ability to do a great job and she knew that the boys would be in good hands.

"Thank you, mom. That means a lot." Andi smiled and wrapped her arm around her mom's waist, giving her a squeeze. She was relieved her mom supported her, but she was nervous about taking this step. She hoped she could be the songwriter Griffin was looking for and that she could work with Gustavo and write some good songs for the boys. She was nervous, but she was determined to make her new job a success. She would prove that she was good enough and that she had what it took to make it big.

Gustavo leans over to press the button to speak to the boys. "Guess who's stayin' in LA?"

Andi grinned as she watched the boys cheer and hug each other. They were overjoyed and their joy was infectious. She was glad they were staying and now she had a job working with writing songs with Gustavo. It was definitely a big change from being an intern, but she was excited and looking forward to what would happen next. She would prove that she could be a great songwriter and show everyone she had the talent and skill to be the best.

"Stop cheering. If you thought the last three days were hard, wait 'till you see the last three months. Carlos still can't sing, Logan still can't dance, and I still can't stand James." Gustavo listed things off that were wrong with the boys.

James looks offended and he steps forward to say something, but Carlos pushes him back. Kendall steps forward as he speaks up. "We'll work on it!" He reassured Gustavo.

"Okay, now you can celebrate." Gustavo told them and after a moment of silence everyone went back to celebrate.

Andi couldn't help but smile widely as she watched everyone celebrating and cheering. This was an amazing day and the start of an exciting journey. SHe had no idea what was going to happen next, but she knew that with the boys by her side, and her mom's support she could do anything. And she couldn't wait for what the future had in store for her and her new friends.

A/N finally done with episode one !! im loving andi's relationship with the boys so far