Part 32: Different Ways of Dealing
Logan paced. He'd been doing it all week and they had watched. They had walked into the dorm last Friday and had seen him pace. They had sat down on the couch and watched avidly as if he was the newest episode of "Cops".
Back and forth, back and forth, back and forth, back and forth, back and forth, back and..
"Okay, stop!" Finn yelled standing up and grabbing his temples. "You're making me dizzy with all this back and forth."
"Same here. Jeez, what has gotten into you lately?" Colin asked. Logan turned to Finn who was grabbing a bottle of Advil from the cabinet.
"Finn didn't tell you?" Logan asked.
"Finn isn't talking to me, what should he have told me?"
"Why isn't Finn talking to you?" Logan asked confused.
"Because he's a cheating bastard who can't swim." Finn yelled.
"Hey! You promised you wouldn't bring that up anymore!" Colin yelled back. "Now what the hell is going on!"
"Logan made out with the reporter girl." Finn said offhandedly as he popped the Advil in his mouth and washed it down with a swig of water.
"WHAT!" Colin yelled.
"It was an accident!" Logan yelled back.
"Didn't look like much of an accident to me, especially since you were about to take off her shirt when me and Paris walked in."
Logan groaned and sat on the recliner burying his face in his hands as Colin's eyes widened.
"You almost slept with her!"
"NO!" Logan yelled. Then sighed. "Yes, no, god, I don't know anymore!"
"You don't know if you almost slept with her? Wow, you haven't had a woman's touch in a long while, have you, mate?" Finn teased as he sat on the couch.
"Shut up, Finn." Logan said with a glare as Colin threw a pillow at him.
"What happened? How did this happen?" Colin asked still trying to comprehend the situation at hand.
"We went the that thing last week at her grandparents' house."
"The wedding planning?" Colin asked.
Logan nodded. "Yeah, well, my mother and her grandmother suggested that we should practice our kiss."
"What kiss?" Finn asked. He hadn't heard the whole story so he was eager to hear how one thing had led to the other.
"Our wedding kiss." Logan said with a groan as he leaned his head back on the recliner.
"You're kidding?" Finn laughed.
"I kid you not. Well, Rory got pissed and stormed out of the house."
"So you made out with her?"
"No! God, that was after we went back to her dorm and started studying. We ended up talking about the LDB and well…"
"Please, don't say one thing led to another, cause, let me tell you, that line is clichéd even for you." Colin said.
"No, no, as much as I would love to say that. I sort of convinced her to kiss me."
"You had to convince you fiancée to kiss you? Oh, this just keeps getting better and better, doesn't it?" Finn laughed.
"Shut up, Finn!" Logan glared once again. Finn bit his lip.
"All right, so what happened?"
"Well, we kissed and that's when one thing led to another and we sort of took it a step further."
"I don't think your mother wants you two making out in the ceremony, Logan." Colin said.
"Shut up, Colin." Logan said.
"So what are you going to do now?" Finn asked.
"I don't know."
"What does it mean?" Colin asked.
"I don't know."
"What is she thinking?" Colin asked again.
"I don't know, Colin! Why do you think I've been pacing for the last week? I've been trying to figure out what the hell all this means."
"All of a sudden he wants it to mean something. Oh, this is so great." Finn said with a sigh as he placed his hands under his head and lay back on the couch.
"What the hell are you babbling about?" Colin asked.
"Logan Huntzberger has been a what, ladies and gentlemen? That's right, a ladies' man all of his life. He is now getting married in how long? That's right, a week and a half. To a woman he barely knows."
"I know her!" Logan argued.
"You know the basics. You don't know her know her." Finn pointed out. "A completely different thing, so now, what I don't understand is why you had to convince her to kiss you. Why did you want to kiss her?" Finn smirked. Logan frowned.
"Why does that matter?"
"That's true, why did you want to kiss her Logan?" Colin asked with the same smirk.
"Because... she's my fiancée and I thought that maybe we should have at least one kiss between us before getting married."
"And that led to making out?" Colin asked.
"We might have been caught up in the moment." Logan rationalized.
Finn shook his head and pointed to him. "You're falling for her." He laughed. "The great Logan Huntzberger is in love with his future wife. Who would have thought?"
Logan glared at Finn before getting up from the recliner and slamming into his room. Finn laughed as he leaned back and sighed.
"Who would have thought Logan would be the first to fall?" Colin asked in awe.
"My money was on him the whole time." Finn muttered as he stared at the door.
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"I've booked the pub." Steph said as she checked that item off her list.
"How the hell did you book the pub?" Paris asked looking at Steph with a raised eyebrow.
"The bartender is a friend of mine." She said cryptically.
"What kind of friend?" Paris teased.
"Contrary to popular belief, Paris, I am not a slut. He's a friend of mine is all."
"Fine, fine," Paris said checking the item off her list as well.
"I mean I only sleep with Colin and at least he's my age."
"Asher was not that old." Paris said with a glare.
"Who said I was talking about you and your sexcapades with the aging professor?" Stephanie said with a smirk. Paris just rolled her eyes.
Rory's twenty-first birthday was in two days and though she was good at getting what she needed when she needed them, Paris could not plan a party all on her own, she was not her mother, or any female member of the Hartford society. So while Rory was taking a shower, she had gone through her contacts and found Steph's number and enlisted her help.
She had to say Steph was good at planning. She had booked the venue, sent out invitations, booked caters, decorations. They were currently going to the boys' dorm to invite them personally. Seeing as Finn and Colin were Rory's friends they thought it might be best to invite them personally as well as Logan seeing as he was her fiancé. Steph had said that any envelope that had fancy writing was instantly discarded by the boys for fear it might be an invitation to some Hartford event or another. Their belief was if they didn't open it they could truthfully tell their parents that they had never seen the invitation. Thus asking them personally.
Steph knocked on the door as Paris looked over the list.
"We need drinks."
"Finn is perfect for that one." Steph replied as Colin opened the door.
"Hey, what brings you here?" He asked. "We didn't have a date, did we?"
"No, Colin, we didn't have a date. I have to talk to you, Finn and Logan. Well, me and Paris do."
Colin nodded and opened the door wider to let the two girls in. Steph looked around and saw Finn sitting on the couch watching TV and Colin closing the door.
"Is Logan here?" She asked.
"Probably in his room pacing, thinking." Finn said with a smirk.
"Pacing?" Paris asked.
"He's been doing it all week."
"Huh, Rory just locks herself in her room and listens to The Shout Out Louds on repeat." Paris muttered.
"What?" Steph asked confused. "Why is Logan pacing and Rory locked in her room…. Oh my god, they kissed!" She squealed.
"Made out." Colin corrected.
"How did I not know about this?" Steph said.
"Have you been living around a rock for the past week? It's apparently the news in our group." Colin said bitterly with a glare Finn's way. Finn just smiled innocently.
"Not my fault you didn't ask." Finn said with a smirk.
Paris rolled her eyes. "Colin, get Logan." Paris ordered. Colin gave a nod and went to Logan's room and knocked.
"What?" Came Logan's voice from the other side.
"Paris and Stephanie want to talk to us." Colin said
"Is it important?"
"They have clipboards. I assume it's important." He heard Logan sigh. Then the door opened and Logan came out and sat on the recliner closing her eyes. Colin sat down on the couch next to Finn as the girls stood in front of them as if they were drill sergeants giving orders.
"As you three know Rory's twenty first birthday is on Friday." Steph began, but was quickly cut off by Finn.
"I didn't know that." He said. "Did you two know?"
"I didn't get the memo." Colin said. They looked at Logan who shrugging.
"I heard rumblings." He muttered.
"Rumblings?" Finn asked. "You're fiancée is turning 21 and you heard rumblings? My god, she's lucky to have you." Finn said sarcastically.
"This is not enough time to get a good gift." Colin said.
"Don't worry about it, I've already got it." Stephanie said with a smile.
"What, I'm three now, I can't get Rory a present?"
"Must I remind you of the shampoo-conditioner incident?" Steph asked. Colin shook his head while Finn eagerly nodded.
"Please, remind him." Finn smirked.
Paris sighed, brought her fingers to her mouth and gave out a shrill whistle that had Logan groaning and Stephanie, Colin and Finn covered their ears.
"Back to business people." Paris said "As we were saying, Rory's birthday is on Friday and we're planning a surprise party for her down at the pub."
"No better place for a twenty first birthday party than the campus pub." Finn said.
"Right, well, you three are invited." Paris said. "Finn, Stephanie said you could be in charge of drinks."
"I'd be happy to." Finn agreed.
"Colin?" Stephanie asked.
"Well, you need a date, don't you?"
"Of course I do, Colin." Steph said with a roll of her eyes.
"Then I'll go. I don't see why not."
"Good." Paris said. "Logan?"
"I'll think about it." Logan said.
"You have to think about going to your fiancée's birthday party?" Finn asked in disbelief. He knew that the kiss or make out session had left Logan a bit unsettled, but not this much.
"I said I'd think about it." Logan said as he got up, grabbed his jacket and walked out of the common room.
"What the hell is his problem?" Steph asked staring at the door.
"He's in love." Finn said. Steph stared in disbelief as Paris checked her list.
"Shit, Marty." Paris said looking at the group.
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Logan walked around campus pulling his coat tighter around him as the fall air nipped violently at his insides. Before he knew it he was at the coffee cart ordering two black coffees and walking towards her dorm. He opted for the window. There was a chance she wouldn't even go to the door. But with the window… He walked over and crossed the small bushes that were under it. He saw her lying in her bed, staring at the ceiling. He knocked and she looked over, her eyes widening for a minute before getting up and pushing a button on her CD player and walking over to the window. He watched her hesitate before opening the window. But she unlocked and opened it.
She stared at him for a second before looking at his hands and smiling slightly.
"One of those for me?" She asked. Logan smirked.
"I know you well enough to know never come up to you without coffee."
"You're learning." She said as he handed her a cup.
"I am."
She bit her lip before taking a sip and looking at him. "Do you want to come in?"
"Sure." He climbed in through the window and landed firmly on the ground. He walked in so she could close it. She stood by the window as he stood in the center of the room.
"So?" Rory asked taking another drink.
"So?" Logan said. "I hear it's your birthday on Friday."
"Yeah, Paris and Steph are planning a surprise party." Rory said easily as she sat on her bed.
"What? I didn't hear anything!" Logan said in mock surprise as he sat at her desk.
"I saw the plans lying on the table. Steph left them out. How I know it was Steph? Because Paris isn't stupid enough to leave a white piece of paper with the words 'Rory's surprise party details' in big bold red letters lying around the table." Rory said.
"How do you know they weren't just trying to throw you off?"
"What, make me think there's a surprise party, then nothing happens and I pretend to be disappointed and then twenty minutes later they're convincing me to go the some bar where everyone is. Oh, I have no doubt that's the plan."
"You're good."
"Just smart." Rory said. "So what are you doing here?"
"Well, I said I'd talk to you later and well, it's been a week, so I guess that's later, right?"
"Right." Rory said. "What are you doing here?"
"I don't know." Logan said running his hand through his hair. "I just sort of found myself buying the coffee and walking over here. The kiss threw me off."
"You mean us making out threw you off?" She corrected.
"Yeah."
"It threw us both off, Logan. Not just you. I've been lying here all week, with the exceptions of going to classes and writing, that's all I do. I think about what happened."
"And what happened?"
"We got wrapped in the moment, Logan, no harm, no foul."
"Do you think it's because we might be falling for each other?" Logan asked. Rory stared at him before shaking her head.
"No, I don't think so. As much as I like you, Logan, as a friend, I couldn't love you, not yet at least." Rory ran a hand through her hair. She threw away her empty coffee cup and sighed.
"Well, I think your grandmother and my mother are going to be ecstatic when they hear that we not only practiced our kiss, but also for our honeymoon." Rory looked up to see him smirking and she laughed.
"Let's get it right, Logan, we didn't sleep together."
"Admit it. If Paris and Finn hadn't walked in, we would have."
"I have self-restraint."
"Wow."
"What?" Rory asked confused.
"It's comforting to know, that you have to at least restrain yourself not to jump on me." He wiped a fake tear away from the corner of his eye. "This is a proud day for me."
She threw a pillow at him and lay down. "Are you going to stay or leave?"
"Are you asking me to stay?"
"Maybe."
"Then yes, I'll stay."
"Good," she patted the space next to her on her bed. Logan took off his jacket and shoes and lay down next to her. He felt her lean over and press a button on the stereo again before lying down next to him. They lay there, staring at the ceiling, listening to the music.
I want to hear drums, and my heart's a drum
I guess we never know what to become
Well, I didn't know that this was such a problem
It's going to get better when we solve them
I try to, try to lose my head
But I wish, wish, wish that you were always there
And I try to, try to lose my head
But I wish, wish, wish that I was dead
"Who are they?" Logan asked. Rory turned her face to look at him.
"Shout Out Louds." She said.
"I like them."
"Yeah, so do I."
I'm on birthday cards and on a big trip
If this wouldn't happen then I'd bite my lip
But I didn't know that this was such a problem
It's going to get better when we solve them
And I try to, try to lose my head
And I wish, wish, wish that you were always there.
And I try to, try to lose my head
And I wish, wish, wish that I was dead…
Rory woke up to the vibrating of her cell phone. She groaned as she tried to sit up and grab it off her nightstand, but something heavy was weighing her down. She turned and saw Logan's arm around her waist, him sleeping peacefully. She carefully removed his arm and got out of bed grabbing her phone and going over to sit on the window seat. She opened the phone and answered.
"Hello?"
"Rory, it's your grandmother."
Rory sighed. Why hadn't she checked the caller ID. "Hi grandma."
"Hello, are you busy?"
"No, I was just taking a nap before studying; why, did you need something?"
"Well, Shira and I were talking, and realized that you and Logan had yet to see the house."
"The house? What house?" Rory asked confused.
"The house we got you."
"I though it was decided that we wouldn't be living in that house." Rory said. Logan had been dead against it, so had his father and her grandfather.
"Well, Shira and I convinced the men that it was an appropriate gift."
"It wasn't granpa and Mitchum's choice if it was appropriate or not, grandma. It's mine and Logan's. If you remember we're the ones getting married, we're the ones living together."
"Rory!"
"Grandma, you're forcing Logan and me into a marriage. I don't think you or Shira are completely grasping that concept. The fact that neither of us is at the point in our lives to get married, grandma, let alone live together. We barely know each other."
"When you get married you'll get to know each other, Rory." Her grandmother rationalized.
"That's besides the point, grandma. The point is that neither Logan or I want to get married or get shown a house that we don't want to live in." Rory took a deep breath before running a hand through her hair.
"Rory, it doesn't matter if you want to live in the house or not, it's the fact that either way you will be living there, and Shira and I want you and Logan to take a tour of the house."
"Fine." Rory said bitterly. No point in arguing a lost cause.
"Good, be in front of this address at three tomorrow." She rattled off the address and Rory scribbled it down on a piece of paper on her desk.
"I'll tell Logan." Rory said.
"Thank you, good bye Rory."
"Bye grandma." Rory hung up her phone and dropped it on her desk before sitting back down at the window seat. She leaned her head on the cold surface of the glass and thought what her life had turned into. What her life was becoming. She felt the tears start to blur her vision and she closed her eyes.
She felt a hand on her shoulder, she looked up and saw Logan standing next to her. She moved over a bit and he sat down next to her.
"What's wrong?" He asked, his hand moving down to clasp onto hers.
"Everything." She whispered. "This isn't what I want, this isn't how I planned my life."
"I know." He whispered hugging her. She buried her face on the side of his neck.
"I'm not ready to become an heiress to Gilmore Insurance, the heiress to the Hayden fortune. I'm not ready to become a wife, I just want to get through college, get a job. I wanted to become an overseas correspondent. I won't even get to become a reporter." She murmured.
"Why not, you're marrying into the Huntzbergers, Rory, if you want to write for a newspaper, I'll most likely own it." He said. She pushed back and stared at him in disbelief.
"I don't want your family giving me handouts, Logan, I want to earn my right as a reporter. I don't need my husband's family giving me a spot as a reporter, Logan. God!"
"That's not what I meant. Rory, come on. You think I want to get married right now, so soon? I'm twenty two for god's sake, you're not the only one in this god forsaken arrangement, so stop thinking you are."
"I don't!" Rory denied. "I don't." She leaned back on the wall and sighed. "Why didn't we just run away?" Rory asked.
Logan laughed bitterly. "I'm staying for the money."
"Oh, that's always nice for a future wife to hear." She said sarcastically.
"I didn't mean it like that."
"I know."
"It's just, if we don't go through this…"
"We lose everything."
"I mean, I don't know about you, but I'm used to having money and I like it. It's safe for me."
"I wasn't raised that way."
"So what's stopping you from running away?"
"Everyone." Rory said. "Family ties, Logan. Those damn family ties keep pulling me back. It's not the money, it's not you. It's because if I run now, so close to the wedding, it'll be on me and my family and for some odd reason, I can't handle that kind of guilt."
"Looks like we're getting married."
"Next week." Rory said with a sigh.
"Next week." Logan muttered.
But I didn't know that this was such a problem
It's gonna get better when we solve them
Oh, oh, oh, and I try to, try to lose my head
And I wish, wish, wish that you were always there
And I try to, try to lose my head
And I wish, wish, wish that I was dead…
Wish I was dead.
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AN: Okay people, the reason I have a blog is so that if I don't for some reason post a new chapter when I usually do, then it's most likely that I have posted on my blog Why not! I hate it when people put authors notes as chapters. It gives readers false hope for a new chapter... and I hate that false hope feeling. So that's why you will never see me do that. So if I don't post regularly a new chappy, there will always be a new post on my blog saying why I haven't.
So please, please, don't give me any crap about me not updating in a long time. I missed two Sundays! If you had read the blog you would have known that I was in Mexico with my family, and though I tried to write this blasted chapter, my little thumbdrive was not working! Why you ask? Because the stupid Mexican scanners that look through your bags rewired something so now ALL my files are gone. And I had to rewrite three chapters!
So believe me, while you were frustrated with not getting new chapters I was anxious to write and get it out. But it was impossible!
I am not going to say I'm sorry for not updating, because I had a damn good reason for not doing so. These past two weeks I really wanted to spend as much time as possible with my family, and though I wanted to write (Ask my beta, and family) I was not able to.
So please, please, if you ever want to know something about my stories it's all on my blog, why I don't update, what new ideas I have, when I'll update, what I'm planning to do. So I really would appreciate it if the rants about me abandoning my stories would stop. I will never just stop writing without giving all of you at least a three weeks notice!
Okay, now that my rant is done, Please leave a review!
I promise I'm not mad, just frustrated with my thumbdrive and having to re-write everything, But it just bugs me that even though I told all of you to go to my blog for very important news, you are all asking when I was going to update. I didn't want to write that I was in Mexico three times. SO I wrote it once on my blog. Grrr...
Okay, really am done now.
Please don't be afraid and review! I really do love them!
Also the song is Wish I Was Dead by The Shout Out Louds
Kassandra
Sorry for being such a bitch, I'm not normally that way!
A short BA's note: Everything that Kassandra wrote in her slightly longer than usual author note's is true. She did warned about not updating regularly on her blog. I think it's a miracle she managed to post some chapters while still in Mexico. But I am not that good myself. I kept asking her about new chapters whenever I had the chance to catch her online and was lucky with her giving me little snippets of things to come that she has written and than lost when crossing the border. And being the fic junkie that I am, I am happy that I saved them cos this would have made posting new chapters even more delayed. And I don't know if you noticed that this chapter is almost twice as long than usual. Ok, now I just shut up.
Flynn