Lean On Me

Chapter Twenty Five

Thursday November 22, 2007

"Home for the holiday or what?" Logan asked Serena.

"Home for you."

Their eyes met and held. Logan gritted out "Scott thinks I want something from him, but I don't. I don't want in the will or a college fund or his last name, okay?"

"I didn't say a thing about you and Scott. I'm not here...right now....to broker some kind of peace accord. I just wanted to meet you."

"Why?"

"Because we share blood."

"And that means what to you?"

"Do not cop an attitude with me, Logan. Seriously. Seriously!"

"There goes the temper again. Careful. You can get in trouble with having such a short fuse."

"Okay, fine. I didn't expect hugs right off the bat but do you have to be a total asshole to me?"

"That's just my normal personality."

"Keep it up. See how far it gets you." She plopped down on the couch. "You got any Coke?"

"Just get comfortable, why don't ya?"

"You can't run me off so you might as well get used to seeing me on your couch. I like reality shows and CSI. What about you?"

"I like my privacy."

"That's too bad. You won't have much of that anymore."

"Says you, Serena?"

"You can act like you're not glad to meet me all you want but I can tell its just a front. Could you do me a favor? Drop this tough guy routine when you meet Tina later at dinner because she's been through too damn much from Dad already to have to then put up with your shit too."

"That's not a very sweet way to talk to the brother you just met." He walked over to the fridge and pulled out a can of pop, then tossed it to her. "And I don't know where you got the idea I'm having Thanksgiving dinner anywhere near Scott cause I'd rather eat glass first. I'm hanging out with Coop tonight."

"That will work out great cause Coop is going to be at my mother's place. Scott won't. You will be."

"That sounds like an order."

"Because it is one."

Logan fought back a grin. He liked how headstrong his little sister was. Even if he was scared to death of getting close to her and then letting her down. He had to test her first. Make it seem like she didn't mean very much to him....when in truth....getting to know his sisters was one of the things that Logan longed for most deep down inside where he kept his dreams-the dreams that bumped up against all the broken edges and bitter shards inside of him.

XXXXXXXXXXX

Brooklyn couldn't help getting excited at the smile on Georgie's face as she talked about Logan. As far as Brooklyn knew Georgie found that guy infuriating these days but the look in her eyes right now, while they sat next to each other on the steps of Winston Academy, said that Georgie had more than changed her mind about the reckless cowboy from Texas.

Brooklyn squealed "Talk, talk, talk. I want to know everything!"

"Well not much happened so far really." Georgie shrugged.

"No one smiles like that over not much."

"We decided to stop hating each other."

"Did you ever really hate him?"

"Not really."

"I didn't think so. You crushed on him way too much when he first moved to town to really hate him. Even if he turned into a first rate ass when he pulled that sex bet shit."

"Its hard to get over that. It really is."

"But something happened to make you want to try, right? Tell me. Did you kiss him? OH MY GOD. How does he kiss?"

"I wish I knew!"

Brooklyn laughed. "He's done with Lulu, right?"

"He says he is."

"And you....my best friend who couldn't even tell a computer hacker she was into him...is gonna hit on this hottie? I've got to get a look at this guy in person if he gets you like this."

"I'm not hitting on him. We're trying to be friends. That's it. I'm not even sure it will work."

"You like him," Brooklyn teased her.

"I don't know...maybe."

"Maybe, my ass. You so can't stop smiling right now!"

Georgie blushed and looked away.

XXXXXXXXXX

While they were sitting at the bar at the country club, Lucas said to Dillon "Sean basically told me that he's not gonna play games and if I'm not out with my family then I shouldn't pretend like I am. He won't be my dirty little secret from my mother."

"Bobbie doesn't know you're in a serious relationship?"

"She doesn't want to even know that I'm gay. She accepts it but its one of those things that no one talks about at family dinners."

"That's so messed up, man."

"I didn't want to bring Sean into that scene."

"Did you tell him that?"

"He didn't give me time to. He showed up at my place with his bag packed, like he expected me to have bought him a plane ticket, and that we were spending this amazing long weekend together when I had never agreed to that. I guess I knew what he was thinking all along but I acted like I didn't to avoid the fight. Then when he showed up I put it all on him. Acting like he was nuts for jumping to the conclusion I wanted him to come home with me."

"Ouch."

"I think he dumped me, Dil."

"No way. He's just pissed. He'll take you back. Look at you. You've got abs and shit. If I ever got on a treadmill I'd end up with a broken ass when I fell off five seconds later."

"That's why you're the artist and I'm the athlete."

"Exactly," Dillon said "and nobody dumps the star athlete. Haven't you ever watched a John Hughes movie?"

"Sean was pretty pissed though and the worst part is that Christmas is coming up and the same fight will just happen again then. I don't know when I'd be cool with bringing a guy home to meet my mom, even the right guy....even a perfect guy. Maybe the most perfect guy who will ever love me."

"Okay, don't get all mushy. I'm a beta but I'm not a girl.

Lucas chuckled. "I should probably be telling this all to Georgie. I mean if I start crying what will you do?"

"Dry your tears while still maintaining my man card."

"Cause you're cool like that."

"Exactly."

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

"You passed," Tracy said with a smile after Sarah turned down a twenty million dollar offer to break up with Dillon.

"WHAT?" Sarah yelled.

"I had to make sure you are with my son for the right reasons. I'm sorry if you were distressed. I'm not sure you really know what you're doing jumping into this quickie engagement but at least I now know you really do believe you love Dillon."

"Are you for real?"

"It had to be done. Lets call it bygones and move on." Tracy walked out the door. "You have my sincerest apology but one can never be too careful these days. I'm sure you realize that your own great-grandfather Asa was the victim of more than one gold digger in his day."

"I...love....Dillon, okay?"

"I see that now. But hopefully you'll come to see that marriage is not something to be jumped into lightly. Take time and be sure. Because if you do marry my son....you better not break his heart."

"That's the last thing I would ever do."

"That's the thing though, Sarah. The thing you and Dillon are too young to understand....someone always gets broken in the end. And you can't just divorce every time it gets hard. This family has a bad record of that. I don't want Dillon following that pattern."

"Well we don't even have a date set yet. I'm not in a rush. So...please....no more scams or trying to chase me away. I stay away from my own nutty, big, rich family to avoid this kind sh-....stuff. I don't need it coming here."

"We're Quartermaines. If you were looking for a drama free zone you came to the wrong place."

XXXXXXXXXXX

Damien Spinelli did not aspire to be a private investigator for no reason. He had a very curious mind and was just reckless enough to jump into danger without thinking twice. Especially when he stumbled upon a mystery he wanted solve.

The answers that Milo had given him about what was going on between Milo and Maxie had not been articulate enough or forthright enough to satisfy The Jackal's mind. So he decided to put to good use his fledgling private investigator skills. He had just started studying online to get his license.

Heading straight from Milo's apartment down to the parking garage of Harborview Towers, Spinelli climbed behind the wheel of Stone Cold's SUV. He used the spare key he had made that Stone Cold didn't know about, and drove the SUV out onto the street, where he parked, pulled his wool cap down nearly over his eyes, slouched in his seat, and waited for Milo and Maxie to come out.

He really didn't give a damn who The Bad Blonde One decided to entangle herself with....it just was a good mystery to work on. Why she would spend the night at Milo's place when they weren't sleeping together?

Spinelli planned to find out.

An hour passed by. She must be talking a very long shower. A soapy, hot, sudsy....his eyelids fluttered as his mind drifted off into a fantasy about her.

Damn that Maxie Jones! Damn her for doing this to him. With her sexy walk, talk, dress, style, how was a mere Jackal supposed to resist? But resist he would. He had to.

She was all wrong for him.

(Don't touch my skin.
Don't dance around like that.
I feel damnation all around you.

And so I raise my voice to Heaven.
"Please hide me in some holy place.
Protect my soul.

I'm only human."

Mercy please, I'm on my knees.
You're my temptation.
Look down and see.
Deliver me from my dark sensation.

Give me faith, don't let me waste.
You're my temptation ...

Go away, just go away, my dark sensation ) (Alice Cooper)