An: ok, well I didn't get the beta back from everyone, but I think I'd rather post this so people can be happy.
Summer Magic
Max swallowed at the sight of Nic sitting on the sofa, legs crossed, elbows on her knees, and fingertips touching, "So, how'd it go?"
Max shifted uncomfortably, "Look, he's a nice guy Nic. Don't worry about it."
Nic took a deep breath and stood, "Max, you're a big girl and can take care of yourself. I just hope you learn differently than I did."
"What are you talking about Nic?" Max asked, totally confused.
Nic shook her head, "Just be careful Max. I tried to warn you, but you have to do this on your own."
Max looked at her shoes, "Nic, tell me what's going on?"
"I can't Maxie." Nic said, looking at her hands.
"Why?" Max walked over to Nic.
Still looking at her hands, Nic sighed, "Because I…I just can't. Just promise me you'll be careful?"
Max nodded, "I'll be careful, I promise."
Nic looked up at Max, doubt clouding her expression, "I know you will Maxie. I just..."
"Why don't you trust him Nic?" Max slipped of her shoes and curled up on the couch.
Nic sighed, "I can't tell you Maxie. One day, but not today ok. Lets just forget about this. I mean I didn't come here to lecture you or bore you with my sap stories. I came to see if you wanted to watch a movie or something."
Max studied Nic for a second, "Ok. Sure."
Silence fell between the two as they sat staring at the ground. Finally Max cleared her throat, "Speaking of movies. You know what was really odd?"
"What's that?" Nic asked, sinking back down into the sofa, seemingly erasing the past minutes.
"Well, I was getting ready for my date," Max started, "and right before I was about to go, Logan comes in. He asked if I wanted to do something. I mean, how weird is that?"
Nic looked to the connecting door, "Pretty weird. Even for Logan. I wonder what's going on."
Max shrugged, "I don't know. I don't think I even want to know. I mean, I knew he was odd. But all of a sudden me and him are 'hanging out'?"
"Must be the weather." Nic grinned, "No worries chick, I'll get it out of him."
Max nodded, "Please do."
The two sat in silence for a moment, "So," Max started, "Tell me about Levi."
"Well," Nic started, her eyes shining, "He's great. Nice, funny, kind, hot, spectacular, everything I've ever wanted in a guy and then plus some."
Max laughed and Nic stared at her, "Max, I'm so serious. I mean, sure I've only known the guy for what? Two days. But he's just…and we just…and it's so…" Nic trailed off with a sigh as Max began laughing harder.
"So when's the wedding date?"
"Shut up Miss 'I-don't-really-think-of-Logan-like-that', although I stare at him while he's topless at the pool." Nic retorted, grabbing a piece of loose leaf paper from the end table next to her which she crumpled up a ball threw at her.
Max sobered, "Nic."
"Max."
Max sighed picking up the crumpled paper and setting it on the coffee table, "Give it up ok. Logan doesn't like me. I don't like Logan. We have an agreement."
Nic nodded, "An agreement, I see." Pursing her lips, Nic added, "And what was it again? I can walk in on you in the bathroom and you can walk in on me too? Nice arrangement."
Max rolled her eyes, "You know sometimes I don't know who's worse. You or Him."
"Well," Nic laughed, "We are related."
"So about that movie." Max clipped, wanting to get off the subject.
Nic laughed, "You are so gone for him Max, you just don't know it yet."
"That movie sure is sounding nice right about now." Max quipped.
Nic shook her head, "Maxie, Maxie, Maxie. What am I going to do with you?"
"Oh I don't know. A movie perhaps?" Max tossed out.
'"Ok," Nic laughed, throwing her hands up in mock defeat "You win, a movie it is."
Max grinned, "So what are we watching tonight?"
Max and Nic both yelped and turned as a voice from behind answered, "How about Terminator 2?"
"Logan! You dork, don't do that!" Nic jumped up and shot out.
Logan looked at his sister, "Do what?"
Max groaned and stood, "Never mind, too complex for your pea sized intellect. And no, not Terminator 2, that's such a guy movie to watch. We need something good, like…" Max stopped and looked to Nic for help.
Nic shrugged, "I don't care so long as it's good and can keep me entertained."
"You guys are thinking a chick flick aren't you?" Logan groaned.
"Hey, who invited you? You don't want to watch what we want then go sit in your room and terminate the hell out of whatever you want." Max retorted.
"Oh, somebody's got her panties in a knot." Logan fired back, "I was just making an observation."
Max laughed, "Wow, big words for a little boy. And for your information, I'm not wearing panties."
Both Nic and Logan stared at Max. Logan looked as if he were going to faint, Nic seemed to be in too much shock to speak.
"Bathing suit you guys." Max laughed.
Nic and Logan both let out a breath, "Where in the world did that come from? and, Max, I mean..." Nic trailed off, putting her hands on her hips while Logan nodded deftly.
"What?" Max asked, "I'm really not wearing any!"
Nic grinned, "I swear we had to have been separated at birth."
Max grinned and shook her head, "No, I just learn well. How you doing over there cowboy?" Max asked Logan, who was still sort of pale. "For a moment there I wasn't sure if you were going or dance for joy or faint."
"Oh I know." Nic added, "And you can roll your tongue up and put it back in your mouth now."
Max and Nic laughed as Logan shrugged, "Hey, a hot girl tells me she's not wearing underwear, what do you think I'd do?"
Nic grinned, "I thought it was just Max?"
Logan's eyes widened, "Oh come on," he quickly
explained, "I was joking Nic."
Nic's eyes shone, "Sure you were."
The three stood for a moment till Max tried again, "So really, what movie?" The two others just shrugged and Max rolled her eyes, "Oh you guys are such a help. Seriously, what?"
"You know my vote." Logan claimed.
"And I'm happy with whatever, long as it's good." Nic nodded.
Max sighed and looked to Logan, "Ok, so I guess it's up to me and you. And I really don't want to watch Terminator 2."
"Ok," Logan nodded, "They have Star Wars. All six of them. We could have a marathon or something."
"Hey, not a bad idea." Max mused aloud, "Nic?"
Nic looked at Max "What, huh?"
Max rolled her eyes and looked to Logan, "That's a yes."
"Great." Logan smiled, "Where we watching it?"
Max shrugged, "Our suites are the same, so it doesn't really matter."
"Yeah, so want to just stay here then?" Logan suggested.
"Sure." Max nodded. "You set up the TV and whatnot and let me go change, then we can crack down on these suckers."
Logan grinned, "Yeah."
Max walked into the bedroom and heard Logan turn the TV on. She gave a small smiled at the remembrance of Logan's face when she'd announced that she wasn't wearing panties. 'He is such a doof, but then I'm the one being amused by it.' Max shook her head as she changed into her pajamas, a white tank top with pastel blue and white plaid flannel pants. Pulling her hair, up she walked out the door and went over to the couch. She sat down on the larger of the two couches only to spring up again.
"Oh Nic!" she exclaimed, "Sorry, I didn't see you."
Nic looked up from her position on the couch. She had obviously just flopped down on it, not caring who else wanted to sit there too. "Oh it's ok Max. Just don't do it again."
Max smiled, "You just sort of blend in with the fabric, and i promise never to do it again. Now scoot over."
Nic grinned up at Max and shook her head, "Nope. Guess you'll just have to sit on the love seat with Logan."
"Nic," Max groaned, "This is so not funny."
Nic giggled, "Actually, I find it rather entertaining. Now go sit."
Max sighed and curled up on the love seat and waited for Logan. Looking around, she realized he wasn't in the room.
"Hey Nic, where'd Logan go?"
Nic shrugged her whole body on the couch, "Dunno. He was here."
"Oh, sorry Max, did you miss me?" Logan grinned smugly as he walked towards the couch. Apparently he had also changed. Max swallowed as she noted that the wife beater and soccer shorts looked awful nice on him.
"No," Max shook her head, clearing her thoughts, " I just noticed that your familiar stench wasn't stinking up the place."
Logan grinned and went to sit on the couch, "Oh, so you missed my stench then. Woah...Nic?" Logan jumped up from the couch.
Nic nodded, "I know I know, didn't see me here, i blend in, bla bla. Well," Nic paused for a breath, "Now that you've seen me, go sit down so we can start."
Logan looked at the love seat and then at the couch, "Nic, come on. Move."
"She doesn't bite Logan." Nic growled, "Now sit!"
Logan looked at Max, "I can sit on the floor."
"Truce, remember?" Max offered.
Logan swallowed, "Yeah, truce."
Max scooted over some and looked to the TV, "Now come on. We don't have all night."
"Yes we do." Logan frowned.
"Shhh!" Max interrupted, "No we don't. Now start!"
Logan shrugged and pushed the play button before sitting down. The movie began and all three sat, enthralled and entangled in the sinister plots and twists and secrets revealed. Halfway through the third episode Max looked over to Nic and noticed her rhythmic breathing. Looking at Logan, she caught his attention and nodded at Nic.
Logan just shook his head and mouthed, 'spoil sport.'
Max smiled and nodded back, then shifted making herself more comfortable. She stretched er legs out as Logan also did and the two connected knees.
"Oh sorry." They both said, pulling away like they'd been burned.
Max shook her head and whispered, "This is ridiculous. We should be able to be comfortable."
Logan nodded, "If Nic would move herself off the couch."
Max shook her head, "You want to move her and risk the fire of Nic? Be my guest."
"Oh no, I tried that once." Logan said shaking his head.
"Oh really, and what happened?"
"Lets just say that the next day my pre-pulse Tonka trucks were a ball of compressed trash."
Max laughed, "Ouch."
Logan nodded, "I still hold it against her."
Max elbowed Logan in the ribs and laughed, "You are such a little kid sometimes."
"Hey, it's my natural charm." He smiled hotly.
Max shook her head, "No. That's not it."
Logan put hand on his heart, "That hurts me Max."
"Good. Now shhh. I'm trying to watch a movie here!"
Logan rolled his eyes but just shook his head and went back to the movie. Finally about halfway through the fifth episode Max started to nod off. Trying to get more comfortable, she kept bumping Logan's leg, "Sorry." She mumbled once again.
Logan looked at Max, "It's ok. Here. Stop." He said grabbing her arm pulling her to his shoulder, "You can rest your head here."
Max looked up and Logan and smiled meekly, "Thanks Logan." She said, leaning her head down and watching the movie.
Logan nodded, and continued to watch the movie. Not ten minutes later he realized that like Nic, Max had fallen asleep. Logan watched her for a second, temporarily forgetting the movie. Her face seemed older looking to him now, not that baby face she'd had before. Resisting the urge to wipe a stray hair off her brow, Logan shook his head and went back to the movie. Just the girl next door, she's just the girl next door.
Nic smiled to herself. She'd woken up in the middle of the night when the movie had stopped and the TV had started blaring. She'd grunted to Max or Logan to turn it off, but when she got no response she'd looked up at them. Somehow during the night Logan and Max had ended up closer than farther. Logan sat with his head resting against the back of the couch, his arm around Max's shoulders and her head rested in the crook of his neck. She closed her eyes and sleep over took her as she mumbled to herself, "Some agreement you guys have there."
An: ok, what did we think? Be honest…give it to me straight. or review.