Logan glanced over his computer screen to his clock. It was just after one in the morning. It had been his birthday for over an hour and he hadn't noticed. He didn't think that there was any reason that he should have noticed, he was only a year older. The age difference between him and Max was a year more than it was yesterday. There was even less chance she'd want to date him now, not like she'd ever wanted to in the first place. He shut down his computer, it could wait until the morning. He went into the kitchen, got out a bottle of wine and poured a glass. "Cheers," he said to no one. Max heard him though. She was on the roof thinking about dropping in to see him. She wondered what he was celebrating before she realised that it was his birthday. She had completely forgotten, "What a great friend I am," she thought. Max decided not to go in right then and go round tonight, after she had brought him a present.
That morning Max told Original Cindy about her problem with Logan. She had only slept about an hour since she got back from his place and still hadn't managed to think of something to give him.
"Why are you worrying about what to get him if he doesn't mean that much to you?" Cindy asked, trying to get her to admit her feelings for Logan.
"Because he's my friend and he would buy something for me." Max asked wary of what Cindy was trying to do. "It's so hard to think of something to buy for him. He's got everything he wants."
"I can think of something he wants," Cindy said and when Max threw her a questioning look she added, "You."
Max's heart jumped at the thought of Logan thinking about her in that way, but she didn't let Cindy see. There was no chance though he was so much more mature than she was. He knew what he wanted and Max knew it wasn't her. "Ha ha," Max replied to Cindy's comment, "Seriously, what should I get him?"
"I don't know," Cindy replied. She was amazed at how blind Max and Logan were to their feelings of each other, "We'll go shopping at dinner to try and find something."
Max pulled a face, "I hate shopping, we'd better find something and he better be grateful for what I'm doing for him."
"He will be, he'll be surprised you remembered." Cindy joked at what her friend was going through for Logan. Max threw an angry glare at Cindy but didn't say anything because she hadn't remembered until this morning and knew there was a lot of truth in her statement. The two girls headed of for work an hour later, Max still worrying over what to buy her friend.
Normal had been in a particularly vindictive mood this morning and all the Jam Pony messengers had been rushed off their feet. As a result there were no packages left for them to deliver and Normal begrudgingly gave them the afternoon off. Cindy was happy as it gave them more time to go shopping, Max on the other hand wasn't as pleased.
"Just because we've got time off doesn't mean that we have to spend it shopping." Max grumbled.
"Yes it does because you will take forever deciding what to buy." Cindy replied not paying full attention to Max as she was looking for a new outfit. She could find anything for herself but she saw something for Max. Cindy knew that Max would never buy it herself so she paid for it hoping it would be worth it. She planned on making Max wear it later. Max was so distracted that she hadn't noticed that Cindy had just brought clothes that weren't her size or style.
"What do you think about these?" Max asked pointing towards a pair of slippers. She knew that it was no good but she had to fine something she cared about Logan too much not buy him anything.
"I don't think so," Cindy replied before ushering Max away, "You have to get him something that comes from your heart."
"Yeah but I can't do that. He can afford to buy me expensive presents but there's no way I can do that." Max moaned.
"You know that old saying it's the thought that counts?" Max nodded, "It's right, now think of something." Max eventually settled on a tape. She didn't remember him having this one which probably meant he didn't The song itself was pre-pulse and she thought that it summed up how she felt about Logan. Original Cindy was impressed with Max's choice of gift. If Logan didn't pick up how Max felt about him she'd give up, she had to make Max see it first though.
That night Max threw on a pair of jeans and a T-Shirt and shouted that she was heading to Logan's.
"Not like that you're not." Cindy stopped her friend.
"What's wrong now?" Max asked not seeing anything wrong with the way she was dressed.
"Don't you want to make an effort?" Cindy asked.
Logan was at his place making dinner. He was expecting Max to stop round as she dropped in most nights. She wouldn't remember it was his birthday and he wasn't planning on reminding her. He had prepared a special dinner though. He had found a chicken while he was looking round the market at lunch and had cooked it along with mashed potatoes gravy and carrots, she should like it.
Cindy had talked Max into getting dressed up to go to
Logan's. She had produced the new outfit she had bought earlier and told her to
put it on. Max couldn't believe she hadn't noticed that Cindy had brought
something that was so obviously for her. She agreed that it suited her and
eventually agreed to wear it. On the way out of their apartment Max caught a
glimpse of herself
