Carlos hadn't spoken in 14 hours. 

Ever since game night at Lucy's when James revealed the time he wronged him, Carlos just sat fuming in the crib. Logan and Kendall periodically texted Emily updates through the morning that he hasn't snapped yet. 

Emily had quickly shot down hosting game night when her friends asked. She did it once with the guys, and they managed to shorten the lighting circuits in her apartment. Game nights got violent whether they liked it or not. 

"Okay," Lucy said, sitting down on the floor by Emily, "the game is called "what's the worst thing you've ever done to a person in this room that they don't know about?'"

Emily looked at Camille amused as the guys froze, avoiding eye contact with each other. 

"Um, that game sound dangerous," Kendall told her. "And also not a game."

"Come on, guys!" Camille begged. "I love secrets. Let's play."

"Is BTR afraid?" Emily questioned, looking at Lucy who nodded at the guys. The guys began laughing.

"How do you play?" The asked, seriously. 

Emily smirked, nodding in victory to Camille. Lucy flicked the spinner sitting on the table, "I spin the spinner, and whoever it lands on has to spill their secrets." 

As the spinner twirled around, Emily drummed her hands on the table in anticipation. It slowed down, pointing at James. 

"Okay, um," he thought, scanning the room. "Carlos."

"Bring it," the boy said, hitting his helmet. 

"Remember that girl, Heather Fox, you had a crush on a Camp Wonky Donkey?" Carlos beamed, nodding at the mention of the girl's name. "Well, she gave me a note saying that she liked you but I threw it away and never told you because I had a crush on her too." Emily gaped, cautiously watching Carlos as the room grew tense. "Oh!" He laughed.

"She was the love of my life!" Carlos snapped, standing on the chair. James stood, nervously. Carlos fell before, tackling James in the small space, colliding into the door, breaking it down and landing the two in the middle of the hallway. 

Logan and Kendall hurriedly shot up, running out to break up the fight. Emily gasped, watching excitedly. 

"That is why game nights aren't allowed at my place," she pointed out to Lucy who winced sheepishly. 

The girl was forced to pack up her bag for her practice with Kendall that afternoon. 

Camille had been spending the past few days coaching the two through a routine in figure skating at the arena downtown. Her skates were thrown in her bag, as she exhaustingly waited for Kendall to knock giving her the clear to go. 

The guys had a million codes. Best friend code, ex-girlfriend code, but most importantly, the figure skating code. And the girl learned about it all when Kendall snuck into her apartment one night. 

"Can I help you?" Emily inquired, raising her eyebrows, as Kendall let himself in, quietly shutting the door behind him. 

"As a matter of fact, yes," he told her. "I need you to be my partner in a figure staking competition next weekend."

Emily scoffed, walking out of her kitchen, "Yeah, no. Why don't you ask Camille, she's a figure skater."

Kendall sighed, "I did, and she can't risk getting injured with her auditions coming up."

Emily turned, frowning, "So I'm expendable?"

"Pretty much," he shrugged. 

"Then definitely, no," Emily sarcastically smiled, falling into her couch. 

Kendall smugly walked over, pointing down at her, "I didn't want to have to use this," he told her, "but you have to skate with me if you don't want me to tell your secret."

Emily scoffed, "I have no secrets," she replied.

"So you weren't secretly dating James a few months ago?" 

Emily stared wide eyed, gaping as her heart rate increased. "No," she nervously laughed. "Of course, not. Why would you think that?"

Kendall shrugged, sitting on her table in front of her, "I don't know, maybe how you acted so weird at Prom or how you and James suddenly stopped talking, or maybe it's because Jo accidentally let it slip after her dad caught us sneaking out."

Emily jumped to her feet, "She told you?" She shouted.

Kendall pointed out, "On accident."

Emily paced back and forth, staring at Kendall, "So you've know the whole time?" He nodded. "And you don't care?"

"It's none of my business," he shrugged. 

"So you're blackmailing me?" She incredulously asked.

"Like you've never blackmailed me before?" Kendall shot back. 

Emily bit her lip, guiltily looked down, "Maybe," she mumbled.

Kendall smiled, giving her an excited look, "So you'll do it?"

The girl threw her bag over her shoulder, looking out of her door into the hallway, seeing know one she knew around. Emily slinked out, gliding down the stairs as she waited outside for the shuttle bus. 

The worse part of the whole thing was she actually had fun. Not only could she not tell the guys she enjoyed skating because they'd force her to play hockey and she'd die, they'd kill her for figure skating and she'd die, or Kendall would get the satisfaction of making her participate.

Camille had taught the two of them a few moves to add the the routine after Emily finally stopped slipping on the ice. Today, they were focusing on the two major points of the routine, the ones Kendall was obsessed with. 

"Em!" 

Emily looked over as Camille and Kendall ran out of the lobby. 

"Shall we go?" Kendall asked, holding out his arms for Emily and Camille to climb aboard the bus first. 

"We shall," she replied, following Camille up the stairs.

***

After a good rehearsal, Emily and Camille went back to her apartment for a break.

"Has Kendall talked to you at all about James?" Camille asked, grabbing a water from the fridge. 

Spinning in the tall stool at the counter, "No, I kinda wish he would," Emily grumbled.

"Why?"

She sighed, hitting her fingers of the counter, "I'd like to know what he's thinking about the whole thing. I mean, I guess it's a good sign that it's been this long and I couldn't tell but also it might not matter now that James and I are friends again."

Camille leaned on the counter, inquiring, "Do you maybe still like James?"

Emily lifted her eyes at Camille, shaking her head, tight-lipped, "I don't know." She pursed her lips in a teasing manner, "What about you? What's the current status on this on again, off again?"

"I think we're off right now?" She thought, unsure. 

Emily laughed, "You don't know?" Camille helplessly shrugged as a knock pounded at the door. 

Emily swung her legs over the side, getting up to see Kendall panicking in the hall. 

"Hey," she curiously greeted.

"Did you tell Logan about us?" Kendall asked.

She narrowed her eyes, "Why would I have told Logan?" 

Camille leaned against the door frame, giving the two a solid glance, "Maybe you should."

"No!" They both snapped. 

"They can't know I broke the code!" Kendall pleaded.

***

The next day Emily, Camille, and Kendall exited the shuttle bus, returning from the last full rehearsal before the competition tomorrow. 

"That was very fun," Kendall smiled, holding out a hand for Camille. 

"And let me say your moves are very smooth," she grinned, Kendall slinging an arm over her shoulder as Emily ran ahead, graciously opening the door. 

As soon as Kendall set foot inside, he pushed Camille forward while forcefully dragging Emily into the lobby. 

"Why are you pushing me?" Camille screamed.

"Dude, chill out," Emily mumbled. 

Kendall threw the door open into the janitors closet, pushing the two in before slamming it shut, breathlessly holding it closed with his back to the door. "I'm pretty sure I saw a tree hat wiggling out of my peripherals." 

Emily gasped, leaning against the door with Kendall to provide extra support, "They're onto us." 

Camille narrowed her eyes, shaking her head at them, "You are paranoid!"

"Well, you would be too if you were hiding a terrible secret from your friends!" Kendall cried.

Emily looked at Kendall, "We shouldn't of done this," she mumbled.

"Guys, we're just figure skating," Camille reminded them, taking out her skate. 

"Shh!" Emily squealed, jumping up and down with a finger to her mouth. 

"Someone might hear you!" Kendall hushed, desperately trying to hide the skate in his duffel, toppling over into the metal storage cupboard. 

Emily heaved Kendall to his feet, as he pressed his ear to the door. "If they find out Kendall broke the figure skating code, they'll find out I broke the code!"

Camille asked, "But you don't care about them finding out about you and James?"

Kendall looked back briefing, waving his hand in denial, "I wasn't actually going to tell anyone."

"And I'm having fun," the girl whispered

"Okay, but what's the figure skating code?" Camille asked.

"Growing up, hockey players and figure skaters were constantly at war for ice time," Kendall began. "And they are awful people with toe picks. And we vowed never to figure skate ever," Kendall cried, throwing his hands out as Emily copied him. 

"Hey," Camille snapped, offended. "I'm a figure skater and I'm not awful."

Emily nodded, "Yeah, but the Minnesota pairs figure skating champs Chet and Mimi Camerelli were," she pointed out. Camille frowned, pointing in confusion to Emily's attachment to the story. 

Kendall nodded, "They called us cavemen on skates," he said, still furious years later. "And made fun of our bulky and dull uniforms. And they said we could never do a double sow cow or death spiral if we tried."

"So why are figure skating?" Camille wondered.

"Because," Emily sighed, obviously, "Kendall vowed someday he would prove hockey players are just as good as figure skaters."

Kendall nodded, triumphantly, "And with your help, I'll prove it at tomorrow's competition."

Camille shook her head, still not piecing the story together, "Okay, yeah, but what does that have to do with you?"

Emily looked up at Kendall shrugging, "I've heard the narrative plenty of times by now."

Kendall peeked out the door, slamming it shut, "We have to figure out a way to get out of this closet without the entire Palm Woods thinking we're making out."

Camille smiled, "That's easy," she pulled down the extra janitor uniform hanging on a rack, "I'm an actress."

Camille pulled out the cart, Kendall and Emily each placing a big yellow trash can on the platform. The girl shuddered as Kendall jumped in his. "You owe me," she told him, climbing into the trash can. 

Camille gave the two a thumbs up as she covered their heads with towels and barged into the lobby. 

***

They made it back to their respective living spaces, safely and undetected. 

It was the morning of the competition and Camille had just received Emily and Kendall's uniforms. Kendall snuck up to Emily's apartment, waiting for Camille. 

Emily sat at her counter with a mug of tea in her hands while Kendall leaned onto the cool counter top beside her. 

"So, why did you and James, you know, break up?" He asked, searching for the right wording.

"Kendall, he's your best friend," Emily told him, not wanting to discuss her problems with James to Kendall. 

Kendall sat down, "Yes, but right now, I'm your best friend, and you tell your best friend how you're feeling," he smirked.

She playfully rolled her eyes, turning to face Kendall who perched his hand onto his hands, already invested. "He asked someone else to Prom because she was hot enough to win him king," Kendall nodded off to the side, remembering that day. "Then, he had that three day relationship with Selana," Kendall nodded, vaguely remembering that.

"That's when Jo left," he nodded.

"So, I ended it and he just kept doing typical James things that assured me I made the right decision," she shrugged. As Kendall looked down, nodding in thought, "But we're friends now. I don't think anything weird is still there," she assured the boy, hoping he didn't feel differently than before. 

Emily sighed, pleading with Kendall, "Also, if James finds out that you know, you didn't hear it from me. I'd never hear the end of it if he knew I was the one who couldn't keep it a secret."

Kendall chuckled in acknowledge just as Camille ran in, excitedly holding up two costumes in bags. 

"Wanna try them on?" She grinned. 

Kendall groaned nervously, "This is the worst part."

Emily took hers out to see a long sleeve metallic purple unitard flaring out into a skirt at the bottom. She looked over at Kendall gagging at his matching top with flared pants. 

Camille squeaked out a small laugh before pulling out two pairs of sweatsuits, "You also get these so people don't see the uniforms." Emily and Kendall gasped, grabbing theirs thankfully. "So, you guys go suit up and we can get down there for one last practice."

Emily walked out to her room, high fiving Kendall as they passed each other.

The girl stripped, first putting on the tights before pulling the top up. She slipped her arms into the sleeves as the tight fabric pulled on her skin. She held the sweatsuit in her arms walking out. Camille sat at the counter, turning and gasping at seeing Emily. 

The girl smiled, shrugging her shoulders as she gave a small twirl to show it off. "It doesn't look that bad," Camille admitted. The bathroom door opened and the two girls burst into fits of laughter when Kendall walked out in the right fitting, shimmering top and flared pants. 

"Oh, Kendall wins," Emily gasped for breath, as the boy sarcastically smiled at them. Emily calmed her laughter down while she slipped on the sweat pants, and swung the jacket around her shoulders. 

"Camille," Kendall asked. "Is the coast clear?"

Camille cracked the door open, peeking out. She nodded back silently as Kendall zipped the jacket up and grabbed his skates in the duffle. 

The three slipped out into the hallway gasping as Lucy stood in front of them arms crossed.

"Well, if it isn't the code breakers," she hummed. "You know, I thought you guys were cool, but you're dating behind Logan's back?" She snapped at Kendall and Camille.

"We're figure skating," Kendall winced.

"Oh, so you're figure skating behind Logan's back and- Wait, what?" Lucy mumbled.

"We're not dating," Camille said.

"We're skating," Emily smiled, pointing to her and Kendall, "Camille is coaching us."

"That's great," Lucy beamed. "I'll go tell Logan."

"No!" Kendall and Emily screamed. 

"Then he'll know I broke the figure skating code and you can't tell him because of... of the new friend code," Kendall told her. 

"Okay, I am really hating these codes," Lucy grumbled.

"You get used to it," Emily shrugged.

"We just have one more practice, then the competition tonight, and then we're done sneaking around," Kendall promised.

"Don't leave through the lobby," Lucy admitted. "Logan's hiding in the vending machine area."

Emily rolled her eyes, nodding to Kendall knowingly, "In a tree hat by the ferns."

"No," Lucy stated, "he's in the vending machine."

"Cause that makes more sense."

***

Emily and Kendall walked through their routine one last time, before returning to the Palm Woods to rest before the competition. Lucy called them ahead of time to warned the three Logan was waiting in the lobby with an axe. At least, Emily hoped it wasn't a real axe. 

The girl bounced her leg filled with nerves as she waiting in the lobby for Camille and Kendall. Emily found herself constantly looking over her shoulder for one of the guys or Logan and his axe. 

"Go!"

Emily looked ahead, seeing Kendall and Camille running towards her from the elevators, screaming for her to run. 

The girl turned, throwing the double doors open as she ran to the shuttle bus, her duffle flopping against her sides. 

"Hi, guys," Kendall spat out as they ran past Carlos and James with their hands stuck together. 

"Bye, guys," Emily called, leaping into the bus. 

"Ignore us!" Camille cried. 

They sat down, relieved as the doors shut, driving off before the two guys could question them or Logan found them. 

"Great warmup, guys," Camille joked, out of breath. 

Kendall and Emily both glared at their coach. "That's not funny," Kendall breathed out. 

Emily leaned her head back against the window of the bus, closing her eyes as she took deep breaths, calming her nerves before performing. In no time, Kendall shook her awake and Camille pulled her off the bus. 

"Okay, let's get in there, skate our routine and get out bef-" Kendall said before Emily screamed in horror when she looked up to see Logan with an axe of a guitar standing at the entrance to the rink. 

"Taxi's are so much faster than shuttle buses, ha!" He hissed, a crazed look in his eyes as James, Carlos and Lucy all ran around him.

"You broke a code!" James yelled while Carlos pried their hands apart. 

"Just tell them the truth, because this is getting out of control," Lucy snapped.

Kendall and Emily helplessly sighed at each other. The boy groaned, "Logan, guys," he said, "We're... in love."

"He broke the code!" The three shrieked. 

"He double broke the code!" Logan snapped at his friends. "Since he's dating two ex-girlfriends."

Emily squinted, horrified as she gaped to Kendal who shook his head. "Two?" Lucy asked, hesitantly looking at Emily who flashed her eyes to James.

Logan coughed, stuttering, "W-Well, Em and I kinda date during the reality show."

Emily shoved Kendall as Camille held out her arms in defense. The girl rolled her eyes, "Kendall," she groaned at the boy. 

"Okay, fine," he muttered. "The code I broke is..." He took a deep breath before tearing off the jacket, revealing the top of his figure skating uniform. 

The guys gasped, screaming in terror. 

"He's figure skating," Carlos gasped before his eyes rolled back and he fainted backwards. 

"I'm better now," Logan stated, tossing his weapon off. 

"Okay, but we hate figure skaters!" James shouted.

"No, we- you guys hated the Camerelli's," Emily reminded them. 

"And they always said we couldn't do it!" Kendall cried. "And, yes, the outfit is hideous," he shuddered. "But, I always said that I would prove them wrong. And I didn't tell you guys because of the code."

"Well, in that case," Carlos snapped to his feet, "Go get em my shiny, glittery best bud."

"You prove the Camerelli's wrong," James nodded. "And skate. Skate like the wind!"

Emily narrowed her eyes, confused as to how chill they were with it. From all the stories and late night rants, this shouldn't have ended this way, "Wait, you aren't mad?"

"No," Logan told him, stepping down a few steps. He hesitantly patted Kendall's arm, "we're proud of you." Logan grimaced at the touch of the uniform, wiping his hand off on the jacket on Emily. "Now, you get out there and you show the world that hockey skaters can skate just as good as figure skaters!"

Kendall and Emily grinned, running up the steps to the rink as their friends cheered. Kendall turned, tearing off the pants to reveal the flare legs. Emily swung her arm up as her and Kendall jumped inside for the routine. 

***

Kendall broke his leg and busted his lip. Emily broke her arm, again, and got concussion. They did not win.

The two sat, sadly on Lucy's couch with their friends wincing around them for the game night. 

"Wow, you were awful," James sighed, admit-tingly. 

"They were," Logan agreed. Emily snapped her eyes to Logan, offended. He shrunk back, stuttering, "He was, you killed it," he nervously corrected.

"Now I know why they call it a death spiral!" Carlos realized, hitting Kendall's leg, forgetting the bulky cast around it as Kendall cried in pain. 

"We tried it, it's over," Kendall said. 

Emily frowned, "You said it would be fun," she mumbled to Kendall, no longer liking figure skating. 

Logan sighed, "Let's just play a simple, non-violent game of truth or dare," he offered.

"I like it," Camille nodded. Lucy spun the spinner as the arrow landed on Logan. 

Carlos sat forward, "I got it! Logan, truth or dare?"

Logan gave it some thought, "Truth."

Carlos hummed, tilting his head back and forth, searching for a question, "Oh! What's something you know that you aren't supposed to know." 

Logan's eyes widened, fear filling them. He laughed nervously, shrugging it off.

"No, come on," Emily said as the group urged Logan to play by the rules. 

 Logan put his hand over his mouth, muttering into it. "What?" Lucy asked.

Logan mumbled again, no one hearing him. 

"Dude, say it!" Carlos shouted.

"I know about James and Emily!"

The room went silent. Emily and James shared and uncomfortable look as Camille, Lucy and Kendall looked down awkwardly, keep their mouths closed. The only noise came from Carlos who gasped.

"No way!" He cried. "What about them?" He questioned, looking to Logan with interest. 

Logan looked to the two in question. James couldn't speak and Emily stared off into space. He looked around the room, slowly realizing everyone else knew as well. "Do you all know?" He asked.

Camille nodded, "I was there when it happened," she admitted.

"Jo told me," Kendall mumbled.

"Emily started talking one day after I moved in and she never stopped," Lucy said.

"Know what?" Carlos asked.

"You told everyone?" James questioned, looking at Emily. 

She violently shook her head, "No, I told no one! They told people," she said, in accusation pointing at the group of friends around them. 

"Told people what?" Carlos demanded.

"You guys weren't super slick about it," Logan informed them. Emily scoffed in disbelief. 

"Like what?" She questioned.

"Pretty much every time James flirted with you and you didn't slap him."

James opened his mouth to respond, turning to Emily who shamefully looked down, nodding small to James that he might have a point. 

"So we weren't super slick about it," James mumbled to Emily who nodded into her hands. 

"About what?" Carlos wondered.

"And you guys don't care?" Emily asked, looking mainly to Logan and Kendall.

The boys shrugged at each other, "No." 

"Regardless of what you are to each other," Kendall said, "James will always be our friend."

"And Emily will always be our friend," Logan nodded. 

Emily and James shared a small, relieved smile as they grinned at their friends. 

"So..." Lucy hummed. "Can we ask questions now?"

Logan nodded, "Yeah, when did it even happen?"

The two inhaled, looking at each other, "Malibu," Emily mumbled.

"That long?" Kendall gasped. Emily turned to him.

"Jo told you!"

"Not everything!" 

"Hey!" 

The room went silent, turning to Carlos who anxiously sat on the arm of the couch, "What are you talking about?"

The room exchanged confused glances as Carlos hadn't caught on yet. Kendall nodded to them, "I got this." He turned to Carlos, gently, "Emily and James dated."

Carlos frowned, narrowing his eyes in confusion, "No, because James said he was dating a songwriter." 

Emily, unsurprised turn to James, smugly, who grimaced as he pointed to the girl. "That was Em."

"No, no," Carlos shook his head, "Remember, you said your mom yelled at her."

"Also me," Emily raised her hand. 

Carlos groaned, "No! James, dude, she was the girl who inspired the lyrics to the "Yeah" song."

"That was her!" The room snapped at Carlos who flinched backwards.

"Oh."

***

I REALLY hope y'all liked this. I tried to add some more tea on James and Emily because it leads into the next chapter and the movie and I also needed better content in this chapter. 

Share your thoughts, my loves.

Enjoy :)