Second Chances

I don't own GH because you know if I did Spinelli would definitely have a better storyline.

The next morning Spinelli awoke thinking back to the wonderful evening he had. Was he just dreaming of did he actually go on a real date with a real sweet girl who wasn't using him for some ulterior motive like Jolene and Lulu had. He sighed. If this was how love felt he was glad to finally feel this way. Then he remembered Hope's coolness at the end of the evening and he decided to get showered and dressed and head to Kelly's and talk to his best friend. Even though it seemed lately more and more that Maxie was filling that roll Spinelli knew that the Fair Lulu would be honest with him, brutally honest.

--

However Lulu wasn't working that morning. Hope had lied to him. She was behind the counter in a daze.

"I see someone got some last night."

Hope rolled her eyes.

"Good morning to you Logan."

She placed the mug of coffee in front of him.

"You're usual Hayes. Black like your soul."

"I guess I read you wrong." He said taking a sip.

"No. it's just the comment. And even if I did have sex I wouldn't kiss and tell."

"So you did have sex."

"Nope."

Hope turned around to help another customer out before turning to Logan again.

"Your still here."

"I'm sorry."

"I didn't know sorry was in your vocabulary."

"You've been brainwashed by that geek Spinelli and that slut Maxie haven't you."

Hope took a glass of water from the counter and poured it on Logan.

"Never call my friends names again."

Luke Spencer who had taken up both working at the diner and residence down the hall from Hope a few days prier came out of the kitchen and smiled at her.

"Please don't tell Mike."

Luke grinned and watched Logan leave.

"Your secrets safe with me." He said patting her shoulder and smiling.

-

Logan ran out of the diner soaking wet as Spinelli headed around the corner almost bumping into him.

"Man Spinelli that girlfriend of yours in nuts."

Spinelli rolled his eyes confused.

"Hope. She did this too me. I mean it's not that didn't deserve it but that's not the point."

"H-hope is there."

"Duh."

"Impossible. She said Lulu was covering."

"Sorry to burst your bubble Spinelli but Lulu is at her brother Lucky's crashing."

Spinelli didn't believe him. He waited a few moments until the unworthy one was gone before he made his way to the door. He peered through the glass and saw her. Behind the counter in her apron pouring some elderly man a coffee.

'She lied to me' he thought to himself, 'why would she lie to the Jackal.'

He took a deep breath and debated on weather to head over to Lucky Spencer's home to talk to Lulu like he planed however he assumed Logan would be going there and he wasn't in the mood for more confrontations with the Crabby Commando this early. He instead decided to head to the Coffee House. He knew Milo would be there and thought Maxie may be there as well. As he walked he had began to have another haunting memory.

'Great.' He said to himself as he thought back to happier times once more...

--

APRIL 2006...mere days before the accident:

The sounds of the High School Musical soundtrack were echoing through speakers driving him to the point of insanity as he entered.

Bop Bop Bop Bop To The Top...

He rolled his eyes. She told him to meet him there, she'd leave the door open but except for the screeching of Ashley Tisdale and Lucas Grabeel's voices the house seemed dark and deserted.

"Hello, Aubs."

Suddenly the light flickered on.

"Surprise."

She jumped up and down before giving him a hug.

"Happy Birthday Spin."

He couldn't believe he had totally forgotten his own eighteenth birthday. He decided to chalk it up to the fact that he was in love with his best friend and they were going to the prom together where he was going to ask her to be his girlfriend. Aubrey pulled back and could see the smile spread across Spinelli's face.

"God I wish we had more friends Spin. So we could have a real party but this will have to do."

She walked into her kitchen and came back a few seconds later holding a cinnamon roll with a candle in it singing happy birthday to him. He blew out the candle and smirked.

"It would be even happier if you turned off that that noise."

"I thought you liked High School Musical Spin."

"I'm a man now Aubs. I can't be waiting my time in the latest Tween flavor of the month."

Aubrey nodded and switched CD's to Green Day's American Idiot she clicked the track up and the background noise had a total turn around

My shadows the only one that walks beside me
My shallow hearts the only thing that's beating
Sometimes I wish someone out there will find
Till then I'll walk alone

By then he took a bite of the roll.

"Did you bake this?"

"Bought it at that bakery you like."

He smiled.

"Anyway that's not the only thing I got you."

She handed him a rectangle shaped package. He opened it to see a white box.

"You got me cloths Aubs."

She shook her head as he opened it to reveal a green corduroy messenger bag.

"A man purse Aubs, seriously."

"Actually it's for the laptop your Granny has for you. Surprise."

Damian smiled. He was glad to finally be getting a technological upgrade. The ancient computer that his granny had gotten him for his schoolwork at a garage sale years ago was totally primitive and more times then not he was forced to go to the library anyway to work as most sites didn't even recognize the web browser.

"It's lovely."

"So I'm heading out to the city to get my prom dress this Saturday any color requests."

He wanted to tell her blue to bring out her eyes but he shook his head.

"Nope."

--

Spinelli by now was at the coffee house and sure enough Milo was there.

"So how was that date Spinelli."

He shrugged.

"I'm sorry."

"What's to be sorry? It was wonderful. It was the end of it that was most confusing even for the Jackal."

"I'm not the relationship expert by any means but I am your friend so you're obligated to tell me."

"I told her I'd see her at Kelly's today and she says Lulu was covering. Then when I go to the diner anyway to ask the Blonde One's advise who should be there but Hope."

"She lied."

Spinelli nodded.

"So did you confront her?"

"And say what exactly."

Milo shrugged.

"Anyway what did you want with our Lulu."

Spinelli loved that Milo referred to the Fair One as 'Our Lulu' even after the three of them had moved on.

"I wanted to ask her if she thought it would be too much if I Jackal-ed Hope to find out more about her mystery. I mean in one breath she's saying how much fun she had then in the next she says goodnight like she was kicking me out."

"Maybe she was tired." Milo suggested.

Spinelli shrugged.

"Maybe but I the Jackal think that there is definitely some kind of secret pain that Hope has hidden and as you know Milo I'm in the process of becoming Jackal PI."

Milo nodded.

"Maxie told me."

"So should I Milo, should I investigate."

"I think you should follow your gut."

Spinelli nodded and picked up that same green corduroy messenger bag off the floor and pulled out his computer. Though this was a newer model then the one he got from his granny when he turned eighteen he cherished it all the same. He opened it up and got to his favorite search engine.

'Ok Hope Owens what are you hiding.'

--

TBC

I know this is considerably shorter then the past 2 chapters but I wanted to get an update up before I went to bed also I just want to say I like Logan but I put the Hope/Logan bit in for my Logan hater friends out there reading this...I love you guys even if we don't see eye to eye about the Crabby Commando...songs used 'Bop to the Top' from High School Musical and 'Blvd.of Broken Dreams' by Green Day