Catharsis
Disclaimer: I don't own anything related to Zoey 101.
A/N: Hi there. Never thought I'd ever write anything for this series, but nostalgia grabbed me and as I rewatched this show I realized how much fun it would be to bounce these characters off one another. (Nice writing practice). Since my favorite character is definitely Logan, I sort of started writing little moments, fill-in-the blanks with him and it turned into way more than I expected. I love the dynamics between him and the group (and later with Quinn, of course), because it's never really clear where he stands with them. Plus, he's really fun to write. So here it goes, a fill-in-the blanks for pre-mid-and post-series. Purely canon couples, because I'm a canon-nut.
1. Meetings
.
The students of PCA had learnt to accept that their lives would never stay entirely clear of the abnormal and the weird as long as they went to this school. For the past three years, PCA, with its picture perfect beaches, palm trees and swimming pools, had been the scene of many a strange event and it seemed that one unlikely sextet of friends particularly attracted the most impossible mishaps.
Yet despite the ghost sightings, the disastrous competitions and 'Quinnventions' going haywire, there was one thing that had always remained unshaken: the pillars of social life at PCA. Even if there were a lot of shades of grey in between, in essence there were the geeks and the jocks, the nice and the jerks, the hot and the not and a myriad of different relationships blooming accordingly between them all.
It was a beautiful haven of safety amidst the daily madness and it made sense. A safety that formed cracks when jerk jock Vince Blake returned a changed man catching the eye of one Lola Martinez, quivered when weirdo Mark dumped science geek Quinn for the incredibly hot Brooke, quaked when eternal 'just friends' Zoey and Chase finally hooked up and all but came tumbling down when egomaniacal, obnoxious, 'never-kisses-the-same-girl-twice' Logan Reese announced his love for Quinn Pensky. Only to have that feeling returned.
The week after prom most students of their year were still reeling in shock. While the majority of monumental changes that had taken place this semester were more a matter of 'How did it happen?', the last case in particular was all about the 'How could it happen at all?" and there was just no plausible answer to be found.
A superficial boy like Logan didn't do love and a sweet, if disconcerting genius like Quinn would never ever fall for a jerk of his likes. But the proof that it had happened was right there before their very eyes, whether they liked it or not, and unfortunately, nothing had ever been that simple with Logan Reese.
As the bonds between the infamous sextet around Zoey Brooks had tightened, for the better part of the past three years people had wondered, why, just why anyone would want to hang out consistently with someone like Logan- or simply hang out with him at all. Because for all his riches and willingness to flaunt them at any given time, he wasn't generous at all.
For the better part of their friendship his friends wondered the exact same thing as well.
Chase and Michael, best friends from day one, couldn't really pinpoint the moment they first considered Logan a friend of sorts. Like most unfortunate accidents, it had simply happened. In many ways Logan was similar to a bad pop song that was repeated all over the radio again and again. You realized how awful it was, but after some time you grew used it and then one day, you found you didn't mind so much anymore and started listening to it on your own until it was stuck in your head.
If you asked either of the two boys, they had ignored, vaguely tolerated and sometimes – but only sometimes- even hung out with him during those two years before PCA allowed in girls. He'd been their roommate after all and it just wasn't cool to shun the people you roomed with. (Even if they were narcissistic, self-serving and smug.)
And then, over the years, when stuff had happened and girls had suddenly run rampant in PCA, they supposed they'd just kinda, sorta…grown used to having him around.
Hey, simply because they were a fixed group of friends now and he just so happened to be included in it, they weren't necessarily 'friends' friends. It wasn't like they actually enjoyed hanging out with him. It wasn't like they were best friends with him.
Don't let others confuse you on the matter. Because it's always been the Chase and Michael Show and it would stay that way.
(Featuring Logan. Somewhat. In small parts. Like, tiny, really insanely small parts.)
No, Logan Reese wasn't their best friend, regardless of what people thought and assumed. (Oh, hush already!)
If anything – and that was stretching it- he was their worst friend.
And he'd been that from day one.
.
.
Chase had been anticipating this day for three months now, but it still felt somewhat surreal as he waved the departing back of his parents' cab good bye. His friends back home had seen him off at the airport a couple of days ago, handing him a handmade card with their signatures wishing him all the best and his baby sister had cried in his grandmother's arms as she'd pressed a wet kiss on his cheek. But it wasn't until that moment that Chase Matthews truly realized that he was gone from home and wouldn't be back for a good portion of months.
The campus of the Pacific Coast Academy lay sprawled out before him and it looked as pretty as a picture, with its gorgeous sea view, palm trees and sunny lanes. There were no palm trees in his corner of the States and he'd always associated the sea and golden beaches with summer holidays rather than school. But he would, ideally, spend the next few years of his education right here, in this Californian vacation paradise. Surreal.
It had been nothing but a stroke of good luck that Chase was standing here right now. If it hadn't been for his father's colleague recommending the school in passing (his nephew had apparently graduated here last year), he likely wouldn't even have known that it existed. A month of constant grating on his parents' last nerve to send him here and three further months of almost painful waiting and here he was. Ready to enter his very first boarding school, far away from home.
"Hey there, newbie. Get a move on!" A loud voice and a painful bump to the shin shook him out of his reverie. As Chase jumped, startled, he turned to see an older student who tried to tow his suitcases past the sixth grader. Tall and looming, he had to be a freshman or sophomore at least. And he looked positively exasperated. Now, Chase didn't know much about boarding schools yet, but he was pretty sure already that messing with students who looked as if they'd swallowed an entire cupboard wasn't the best way to start your stay off.
"Ah, yeah, sorry…" he sputtered, hastily reaching for his own set of luggage and tried to scurry away quickly and inconspicuously. But nobody could help being scrawny and so he found himself pulled down from the crushing weight of his suitcases sooner than he'd expected. Losing his footing, he tumbled to his left and connected with the concrete, headfirst.
"I'm okay, I'm okay!" he guffawed, as he tried to struggle free from the massive suitcase that had fallen right on top of him. He heard the sound of light giggles around him and groaned inwardly. Two minutes on his own and his infamous clumsiness had already struck again.
"Oh god…" the older student said rolling his eyes and brushed past the boy. As luck would have it, the corners of his largest suitcase hit Chase in the head and a sharp pain shot straight to his brain. Another round of giggles reached his ears.
"That's alright. Really! I love being put through pain. Thank you so much!"
The retreating back of the offender told him in a non-verbal way that he couldn't care less.
Rubbing the sore spot, Chase finally lifted the deadweight on his chest. A blush spread all over his cheeks as he caught a glimpse of a small crowd of students who'd apparently watched the incident. Trying to avert his eyes, he grabbed his luggage again and hauled it over the ground, feeling a little bit groggy.
Of course he stumbled promptly and gloriously over a couple of stairs that suddenly appeared out of nowhere. So much for a fresh start at a new place. At least he avoided falling down again.
There'd been a welcoming speech by the dean yesterday and a brief meet up with the dorm advisers earlier this morning, so he had at least a vague idea of where he was supposed to go now. The note stuck into the front pocket of his jacket (quite useless in the Californian weather) told him that he'd been assigned to Maxwell Hall, room 148.
"Hmm. Maxwell Hall it is, then." He muttered as he made his way towards the dorm area the new sixth graders had been shown this morning. All around him students were greeting each other, clapping on each other's back, catching up. Of course all of them were male as the Pacific Coast Academy was a 'boys only' school. It was a little weird, but then again, Chase didn't mind too much. Back home he'd had the tendency to make an even bigger fool out of himself when girls were around.
Disoriented, he hurried along the campus for a while until a couple of sophomores near a fountain took pity on him and asked him just where he wanted to go. Out of breath, his sides splitting with pain and his head still aching, Chase was happy to swallow all thoughts of pride and dignity and allowed them to send him on his way to Maxwell Hall.
As he approached the building, anticipation built up in him again. Despite the dorm assignment today, he had no clue who he was going to room with. There had been a multitude of boys his age in that hall and he'd been busy keeping his mom, nervous to have to leave her son so soon, from fussing with his hair every two minutes. He'd had a fair share of friends in his class back home, but he'd always had a bit of trouble meeting people and not having them write him off as soon as he stumbled, tripped and/or fell over the next obstacle within in reach. Hopefully he'd have nice roommates. But then again, could anyone be cranky living at PCA?
"I got this beauty at the twenty-seventh May Convention in Chicago. Original package, signed, with a very rare fabrication error, as I've been told."
"O. M.G. It's the 4.5 G.3.O! "
Chase turned his head as he passed through Maxwell Dorm's hallways, trying not to bump into the pieces of luggage that were thrown quite carelessly all over the ground. He noticed three boys his age animatedly chatting with each other in front of room 131. An Asian looking boy was presenting some sort of…package with a large smile on his face, while a tall blonde and a small pudgy guy took it from his hands and observed it with shining eyes.
"That's no regular G.3.O! It's the one that only appears in the 'Galaxy Wars: Here it is again' director's cut outtakes, released exclusively in the ultimate collector's edition from 2004! FCOL! How'd you get your hands on this one?"
A round of excited chatter and Internet slang flared up again and Chase who'd been about to approach them in the name of making friends , mouthed 'Galaxy Wars?' and cautiously retreated back into a side hallway.
It was there that he, still glancing over his shoulder back at the geeks with disbelief plastered all over his face, ran into yet another person. He whirled around with a shock. Groaning, a rather large black-haired boy had fallen onto his back in front of him.
"Oh, goodness, I am so sorry…" Chase jumped over the fallen suitcases and hurried to help the other boy up. He was met with a blank stare and an even duller voice.
"I fell."
"Uh…yes. I know. I…I didn't mean to…" Frowning, he pulled him up to his feet. "Have you hurt yourself?"
There was no sign of any emotion on the boy's face.
"Nah. I'm good."
"So…" Chase tried to think of something to say and leave, because frankly, this void expression was slightly unnerving. "You're new at PCA, too, eh?"
A sniff. "Yeah."
"Then…I guess I'll see you around. I'm new too, you know."
The boy shrugged indifferently.
"That's possible."
"Yeah." Chase blinked in confusion, but shook himself out of it to grab his bags and suitcases again.
"Alright. Oh, my name's Chase by the way."
His outstretched right hand was ignored. Inconspicuously, he drew it back.
"I'm Mark."
"Well, Mark, it was nice to…meet…you?"
"Guess so."
Shaking his head, Chase brushed past him. Okay, so the first impression of the boys of his year wasn't exactly top-notch, but hey, who knew what the year would bring? He wasn't disappointed. No, he wasn't. Wasn't.
Argh, he should just go find his room.
After several more moments of wandering around, his eyes finally caught sight of the number '148'. Relieved he reached for the handle. There was no sign of anyone standing around - perhaps he was the first one of his roommates to arrive. Sweet. He'd so call dibs on the single bed. The last class trip with his class back home had been a disaster…top-bunks were lethal. Lethal!
"Grandma! We just said goodbye to each other, like, fifteen minutes ago!" a voice greeted him from the inside of the room. "No, I won't forget to eat enough! Yes, I packed them…I…NO!...I swear I…look; can I just talk to dad now, please?"
Before Chase had a chance to catch sight of the tall black boy pressing a cell phone to his ear, his feet collided with a large blue suitcase that was inconveniently thrown just in front of the door and, his bags and suitcases flying off in all different directions, he yet again made contact with the floor, headfirst as always. The all-too familiar pain rushed through his body. Okay, this wasn't even funny anymore!
The other boy started at Chase's cry. His eyes widened almost comically as he spotted the his predicament.
"Sorry grandma, gotta hang up! Right now! Yeah, I…bye, Granny!" he barked into the cell and flipped it shut.
"Dude! Are you alright?"
Chase cracked a weak smile.
"Yeah. I'm sorta used to that sort of thing right now, actually."
"Really?" the other boy gave him a funny look and helped him break free from the various pieces of luggage. "Looks like a bad habit you're developing here."
"Yeah, well." Chase carefully circulated his arm to see if it still had feeling. His back was aching quite badly by now. He groaned inaudibly as the other boy clapped him on the back. "That's me. Pushing the boundaries of common sense."
"Hey, I'm sorry for leaving this stuff here. But you know how it is…my grandma called to check if I was alright." The boy shook his head with a meaningful look. "And that lady is fired up. It was answering the phone or having her march back here to whack me in the head."
"Sounds like a whack-tastic situation." Chase agreed with a small nod and noticed with some displeasure that the single bed was already occupied with another batch of bags.
"Yep. Anyway." The boy extended his hand and gave him an easy smile. "I'm Michael Barrett. Looks like we'll be roomies for a while."
Chase smiled back. "Chase Matthews. Though I suppose you could also call me the 'guy who tripped'. It's what I do."
Michael squeezed his hand, then turned to flip his enormous suitcase on top of the single bed and his other luggage. "Yeah, seems like you got some big issues with gravity, dude." He stopped as if he'd just thought of something and whipped his head around.
"Hey, is that your natural hair?" he asked curiously.
Chase self-consciously touched his locks. "Uh…yeah."
Michael gave a low whistle. "Impressive. It's like some crazy Jewish afro."
"Hehe…" Chase chuckled uncertainly. "Then I guess I'm the fro-boy."
He earned another funny look for that one. "Yeah…let's leave it a Chase."
"Right."
"So." Apparently having decided that unpacking was too much trouble right now; Michael abandoned his suitcase and grinned conspiratorially at him. "You gonna call the top bunk or what? Seems like our third guy's a little late. And you know what they say…you snooze, you lose."
"Oh…no." He could only imagine the various ways he could break his neck while sleeping and rolling over the edge of his bed. "I'd rather stay close to the ground, if you know what I mean."
Michael's gaze flickered over his lovely collection of bruises on his arms and his legs. A look understanding passed through his eyes. "Yeah, you're probably right."
"Anyway." Chase trotted over to the bunks beds and set his luggage down. Finally. It wasn't the optimal start, but at least he'd reached his destination in one piece. And, he thought with contentment Michael seemed like a really nice guy. He could so do this whole boarding-school thing. "You got any idea who our third roommate is?"
"Nah, I was trying to keep my grandma from tackling that one guy who'd bumped into her when they read out the assignments. But hey, we'll find out soon enough. I'm pumped for this year, anyhow! I mean, you seem pretty chill already."
"Oh…thanks. You too." Chase couldn't recall anyone calling him 'chill' before, but it was definitely appreciated. Maybe they could be friends. Hmmm. He would like that. Starting off here with a friend seemed infinitely less scary and Michael had that casual…friendliness about him. Like, you simply couldn't dislike him. "This your first time at a boarding school as well?"
"Yep!" Michaels face split into a broad grin. "And it's a boys only school at that! Haha! It's freedom time for Michael!" Catching on Chase's befuddled expression, he explained. "See, I'm from an all women household. My father and I are trying to hold our ground, but it's pretty hard with five girls in the house."
"Not to mention your 'fired up' grandma." Chase added with amusement.
Michael nodded seriously. "Ya, that woman got rage issues."
They spend the next minutes with amiable chatter while they settled in their new room, exchanging 'where are you from's, first impressions of PCA, a wise-crack or two. By the time Chase had already ranged his stuff into the cupboards and stashed his suitcases under his bed, Michael had managed to splatter all his clothes over his bed with seemingly no inclination to go any further with his unpacking. He glanced out of the window.
"Hey, Chase, you wanna go check out the campus together after our roommate's arrived?"
"Sure! Hey, do you know when we get our schedules for tomorrow?"
"Ya, I think we're supposed to meet our dorm advisor this evening at-"
Michael's answer was cut short by the sounds of rummaging and rumbling coming up in the hallway. Faint cries of 'careful with that!' reached their ears. Curious, the boys looked at each other and stood up, walking over to the door of their dorm.
"That's it?"
The door was pushed open forcefully and to the extreme bewilderment of both Michael and Chase, four uniformed men carrying a multitude of suitcases hurried inside to arrange them neatly in a corner, not even taking any notice of the boys. An elderly man clad in something that looked like a straight-from- TV black butler's suit stepped in after them, a sourly, yet guarded expression on his face.
Chase exchanged a stunned look with Michael who spoke up uncertainly:
"Uh…hi? Who-"
"We have indeed arrived, Sir." The elderly man drawled strangely, looking at them over the tip of his nose as though they were insects. Before they could open their mouths again, a boy their age with curly sand-brown hair and an exasperated expression strode past him. Everything about his attire, from the red muscle shirt to the shaggy jeans practically screamed 'jock'. It was clichéd looks brought to their extremes and it didn't make Chase comfortable at all.
"No way!" The boy exclaimed loudly and rudely, as the other four men quickly set down the suitcases and scurried out of the door. "You gotta be kidding!"
"I never joke, Sir."
The butler was rewarded with an annoyed look. Chase cleared his throat awkwardly.
"Uhm…would someone please explain what's going on here?"
"Yeah! What's all this?" Michael gestured around, his voice a touch hysterical. "And who are you people?"
The butler ignored them entirely and turned to the strange boy. "It appears we have met your roommates, Sir."
Chase and Michael gasped. "Roommates?" the latter whispered almost inaudibly. Chase shrugged helplessly.
The boy rolled his eyes and scoffed. "I can see with my own eyes, thank you Chauncy. What I don't get is why?"
"It is by order of your father, Sir."
"Well, can't you-"
"I cannot, Sir, as you know."
"Urgh!" With an overdramatic sigh, the boy's chest fell for a moment, before he puffed it out again and finally directed his gaze at the other two boys in the room. "Hi!", he barked out. "Looks like I'm stuck with you two."
"Uh…" Chase glanced at Michael for help, but the other boy was too stunned to say anything. To be fair, neither of them had quite expected something like this. But hey, it couldn't hurt to be polite, considering that apparently they all were 'stuck' with each other for this year, right?
"Hi!", he thus replied, hesitantly extending his hand. The other boy grabbed it and shook it once, but there was a look of distaste in his eyes. Chase chose to ignore it and skipped straight to the introductions. "I'm Chase Matthews."
Michael raised his hand in a faint wave. "Michael Barrett. What's up?"
The boy nodded courtly, before he settled back and crossed his arms casually over his chest. Self-importance practically radiated from his form. "The name's Logan." An arrogant, self-satisfied smirk flittered across his face. "Logan Reese."
He looked expectantly at them. But meeting his gaze, Chase was assured that Michael was just as clueless as him as to what exactly the boy expected from them.
"Uh, well, hi then… Logan." he tried weakly. The smirk slid off Logan's face and turned into utter annoyance and disbelief, as he whipped his head around to his butler.
"Okay, why don't they recognize the name?"
Chauncy's face remained entirely impassive. Chase was reminded of this Mark guy he'd met earlier in the hall. It seemed they would get along just wonderfully.
"I presume that they have not made the connection, Sir.", the butler replied in his unnerving staccato voice. Chase drew his eyebrows together in confusion.
"Made the connection?"
"Recognize what?"
Logan rounded up to them with a look of obviousness, stretching out his arms. "Uh, Reese? As in Malcolm Reese?"
A collective gasp escaped the boys' throats.
"The movie producer?"
"Duh!" Logan rolled his eyes.
Chase's thoughts were tumbling all over each other. Malcolm Reese? The man was the epitome of success and fame! He'd produced half of his parents' favorite films and then some shows Chase and his friends had watched each afternoon over at his place. Malcolm Reese was one of those producers who were just as well-known as the celebrities who starred in his films! It was the kind of name you heard so often on TV or read in newspaper, until you couldn't imagine that there was this actual person with an actual life running around somewhere.
He was blabbering before he could help himself.
"So…are you related to him? Or is this one of those funny coincidence things, where people share a similar last name and have nothing to do with each other, but everybody keeps asking them about it, so they freak out whenever the name's brought up and start kicking cute little puppies in the streets?"
Logan grimaced with disgust.
"Chauncy?"
"Yes, Sir?"
He pointed at them openly and rather unabashedly.
"Why do I have to live together with stupid people?"
"Hey!" Chase nudged Michael disbelievingly in the side. "He called us stupid!"
"I know!" the other boy exclaimed, outraged. " What'd I say? "
"Thanks for the support." Chase commented dryly. He was rewarded with an impish smile.
"I am not in the position to give a qualified answer to that, Sir. However, it has been Mister Reese's wish that you receive your secondary education in an "age-appropriate"-"
"…"environment", ya, ya. Whatever." Logan waved his hand dismissively and scoffed. "But look at this!" He gestured around; arms wide open, with a look of scorn etched into his face. "This place is a lumber room! Our cleaning lady has a larger dressing room than that! I'm supposed to live here?"
"It has been brought to my attention that the space provided in this dorm meets the authentic living conditions of regular pre-teenage boys your age, Sir."
Logan stared uncomprehending at his father's butler.
"There are two other boys in the same room." he pointed out with exasperation.
"I am most aware of the fact, Sir."
"Well…well…" He floundered around for words. "I don't wanna room with them! I want my own dorm! Understand? Besides, they look like total nubs!"
"Why do I have the feeling that we're being very rudely left out of the conversation?" Chase remarked casually. By now, both him and Michael stood with their arms crossed.
"Hmm, I don't know, Chase." Michael replied with fake wonder." It must be the weather."
"Yeah. It seems to be raining insufferable cockiness today."
"Oh, I was gonna say it's clouded with blatant obnoxiousness, but that works too."
Logan started pacing, anger flaring up in his voice. Carelessly, he trampled over various things of Michael's that still lay strewn over the ground. "Look, if you can't fix this, I'm gonna call my dad right now! I'm gonna call him and I'm gonna tell him that you-"
"Mister Reese has given strict instructions not to interrupt his schedule, unless in case of an emergency. I cannot allow you to call him now, Sir."
Again, a look of utter lack of comprehension flashed over the boy's face. "This is an emergency! And what do you mean you 'can't allow' me? Like I'm supposed to take orders from a serv- "
Not bothering to waste any more words, the butler suddenly started to poke him in the neck. Logan flinched back, incredulously trying to avoid the oncoming attack, throwing out threats and pleas to stop at the same time. Amazed, the other two boys watched him squirm.
"Ow, ow, ow!"
Michael shook his head, a quiet laugh audible in his voice. "You know, this school's cracked up to be really entertaining."
"Uhuh." Chase nodded.
Angrily, Logan eventually managed to fend Chauncy's hands off his neck and took a large leap back, fury contorting his features.
"Never do that again!"
The butler shrugged indifferently, not disturbed by the furious pre-teen in the least, and stepped over to the door where he gave a stiff bow.
"Farewell, Sir."
Logan's anger vaporized and turned, once again, into utter disbelief. With a start he jumped to the open door.
"You're leaving just like that? Chauncy? Hey, wait, Chauncy! HEY! You…You will regret this! You hear me? Dad will hear about this! Chauncy? Oh, you're as good as fired! For good!"
His threats rang hollow into the empty hallway. Scoffing like a child who is denied candy, Logan turned around and stared blankly at his roommates. Chase coughed semi-politely.
"Wow. What a… introduction."
"Yeah, so eventful." Michael tried. They were both subjected to a particularly nasty glare.
After an awkward silence that stretched over the better part of two minutes with neither of them sure what to do next, Chase slumped down on his bed and decided to speak up. If only to end the awkwardness, if nothing else.
"So…Logan." he began cautiously. His parents had always told him that politeness would eventually him far in any situation. Looking at his new roommate's expression, he was beginning to suspect that there were such things as hopeless cases. "I guess, we're roommates now and… we'll get along just wonderfully?"
A not-so subtle cough rang from Michael's direction. Logan rolled his eyes and kicked one of his bags across the room.
"Yeah, yeah, just listen. I didn't wanna share my room with two other guys and I'm sure as heck not gonna be your little pally- pal. So just stay away from my stuff, don't get on my nerves and at least try, just try, not to be idiots." He did that puffing-out-his-chest-in-a-superior-way thing again. "'Cause I'm obviously all-around awesome-"
"Obviously."
"- and I don't want to mess up my general awesomeness by having people think that I'm buddies with two losers or something. Is that understood?"
Michael nodded reassuringly. "Yeah, you won't have to worry about being buddies with us, believe me."
The veiled insult seemed to escape Logan. Instead he made his way over to the single bed, another look of disgust flashing in his eyes.
"Good. Now get this…stuff…off my bed."
Chase and Michael exchanged incredulous looks.
"Your bed?" Michael repeated irritated. "How is this your bed? We arrived here first and I called dibs on this one."
Logan smiled at him mockingly. "Cute story. But I want the single bed."
"So?"
"So…when I want something I get it. Get it?"
Noticing the suppressed anger welling up in Michael's face, Chase leapt off his bed and stepped in between of the two boys who had risen up dangerously close to one another. He raised his hands defensively and stared Logan down.
"Yeah, look, I don't care if your rich producer daddy got you everything you ever wanted when you asked for it, but this is our room, too, and we ought to have rules here and principles that-"
Logan reached into his back-pocket and pulled out a hot off the press one hundred dollar bill. With a smug smirk he held it in front of their faces. Rapidly, the expression on Michael's face changed, as his brain worked faster than ever and before Chase could get in another world, he reached past him and snatched the bill out of Logan's hands.
"-rules and principles that can certainly be bent when money's talking." Michael interrupted hastily with a huge, false grin and pocketed the bill. He straightened up and clapped Chase enthusiastically on the back. "Chase! I suddenly feel like sharing these fine bunk beds with you. That okay with you, Logan? "
The boy in question gestured over to the bunk beds.
"Don't let me stop you." He gave them a triumphant grin that seemed complacent and disdainful at the same time. "I think we'll get along just fine, after all."
Chase sputtered. "But Michael-"
He was nudged quite sharply in the side. "Shush, dude, that's one hundred bucks in my hand!"
"Yeah, but…"
Logan snorted at them.
"Average people. So predictable. Well…" He moved over to the room's entrance with obviously no inclination to invite them to come along." I'm gonna go check out the campus. Bye losers."
The door shut with a loud crash.
Chase shook his head.
"Michael?"
"Yes, Chase?"
"I don't think I like our new roommate."
"Yeah…" Michael agreed airily. "But as long as he dishes out these…" He held the one hundred dollars under Chase's nose. "…I think it could be a lot worse."
"Sell-out."
"Oh, come on!" Michael called after Chase, as they made their way out in order to check out the campus themselves. "What'd I do?"
.
.
A/N: So I think, coming from the background he did (multimillionair dad and house in Beverly Hills), PCA would've been quite a different thing for Logan, hence the attitude. The Chauncy poking thing is based on his line in 'Logan Gets Cut Off'.
I realize that, seeing that the show's been gone for four years now, it's highly unlikely anyone's gonna care about this story. But I'm mostly writing this for myself, so it's okay. Posting it up on the slim chance anyone's getting enjoyment from this, even though I'd still love you forever and ever if I got any feedback. I'm not a native English speaker (and don't live in the USA for that matter), so please forgive any mistakes language or context-wise (like the school system) , or better yet, correct them. Thanks for reading.
