Hey y'all!
So, originally, the second chapter was supposed to be Logan having a panic attack but, within a different context. I didn't really mean to give Logan a panic attack in Big Time Bully but I did, so we'll save that idea for later. But for now, Camille! We love Camille (I do, sorry if you don't). This is vaguely inspired by a post I saw on Tumblr. Also, spoilers for the movie Five Feet Apart if anyone cares. Happy reading!
There was a very specific reason why Logan couldn't watch medical dramas or watch horror movies (other than the fact that he didn't want to, but maybe this was why he didn't want to). The deaths weren't accurate. The organs, ugh, they bothered him beyond belief. They looked like a kindergartener's paper mache project.
This was why nobody could watch horror movies with Logan. Carlos was particularly scared of horror movies but watched them anyway because it gave him a thrill. To him, Logan was the thrill killer. James didn't really like horror movies, but Logan would ruin the "cinematic realism" of the movie. Kendall was the only one who genuinely liked horror movies out of all of them, but couldn't watch them either because Logan would complain about the fake deaths. Loudly. He would say that the main character wasn't even attacking the villain to cause fatal injury. And that the fatal injuries anyone did suffer weren't really fatal. And, the organs.
Camille knew all this. Logan was glad she knew, he didn't want to ruin their date by commenting so much. Usually, he couldn't help it. So, because Camille knew of Logan's problem, she told him that they weren't going to a horror movie. Logan was relieved, he would be fine, he couldn't possibly ruin their date now.
He was confident until he saw the promotional poster for Five Feet Apart outside the movie theater. He cringed, then consoled himself with the thought that nothing could be worse than that four hour interpretive water dance play thing Camille had attempted to drag him to. Even she ended up hating that.
He was very wrong.
His comments on the movie were worse than usual, even before the thing started. Camille handed him the tub of popcorn and told him to be quiet.
"Better I tell you then the people behind us, right?"
Logan shrugged and belligerently submerged his hand in the mega size popcorn tub, the butter, slippery and gross, coating it. He ate a handful of the stuff, which was too salty, and handed it back to Camille. "I'll be quiet, I promise."
Camille smiled as the lights dimmed and the movie began. Logan pulled her closer to him, deciding that he would rather enjoy the time with his girlfriend than watch a movie that he would complain about. Which, unfortunately for Camille and the other movie-goers, he ended up complaining about anyway.
Mostly, it was just minor complaints about Stella being an annoying character. The majority of the medical information was accurate enough, from a purely medical standpoint. The romantic plot in the movie may have been the whole point of the movie, but it just didn't make any sense. Why were Stella and Will ready to endanger themselves for each other after so little time together? It made no sense.
"It's supposed to be romantic, Logan." Camille hissed at him, popping an orange Fruit Smacker in her mouth. She had stolen his Fruit Smackers for "emotional support" apparently. He knew most people only ate popcorn at the movies not because they were actually hungry, but because of the emotional correlation between certain foods and the cinematic experience. But Camille was taking this to another level.
"Yeah, it's really romantic. I bet they both die at the end."
Camille opted for swatting his chest, hard, rather than her usual slapping his face. It hurt just the same. "Shut up!"
"Sorry."
By the time Will had jumped into the lake to save Stella, Logan was biting his lip so hard it bled. He was clenching the armrests of his seat so hard his knuckles were white. He really didn't want to ruin the movie for anyone, especially not Camille. She was enjoying it, maybe. She was crying, he couldn't really tell whether that meant it made the movie more or less enjoyable for her. Maybe it was a Carlos situation, watching sad movies (even though this wasn't sad, of course he understood that they loved each other but they were still stupid because both of their lives would've been saved if they just didn't) even though it made her sadder.
His plan was going better than he thought. He tried to rationalize with himself. Will had to get her out of the lake or she would die of hypothermia no matter what. Now he was going to call an ambulance, right? And the non cystic-fibrosis afflicted paramedics would take care of her, and they would both be fine and—
That's not what happened.
Logan didn't remember what he had yelled at the screen when Will gave Stella cardiopulmonary resuscitations, but it had been enough to get themselves escorted out of the theater. They received a half-refund for their tickets and a dirty look from the ticket handler as they walked out.
Logan reached for Camille's hand and rubbed his thumb over hers, a blush creeping onto his face. He tried to ignore the guilt and figure out a new date plan. "Sorry. Really. I didn't mean to, except they were both endangering each other's health no matter what, and one of both of them was going to die anyway. Sorry. Forgive me?"
Camille kissed his cheek and smiled at him. Of course, he knew he had messed up, he knew he definitely had ruined the date. She was mad at him, though hiding it well. "Of course."
"I'm sorry."
"I know."
And that was their second failed date. At least he had a better track record than Kendall.
—-
Although, he mused, with a hint of envy, Kendall usually made it up to Jo in the end. Logan needed to do the same for Camille.
"I need your help, Super Friend," Logan said, in the Super Friend voice and pose. "I think I'm being a bad boyfriend."
"I don't want to play Super Friend right now," he complained. "Last time it was a whole mess, remember?"
"Yes, but both our girlfriends were happy in the end, remember that?"
Kendall nodded. "I do."
"Please, Kendall? I really messed up. Camille might be extremely mad at me."
"What did you do, Logan?"
He explained the situation as best he could, with emphasis on the fact that Will and Stella were going to kill each other, and that was worse than the organ problem. Besides, the organs looked pretty realistic in this movie.
"I think it was supposed to be romantic," Kendall suggested weakly, with a shrug.
"But stupid."
Kendall gave Logan a pointed look, adorned with his trademark grin. "And that's why Camille is mad at you. Girlfriends don't tend to appreciate when their boyfriend dislikes something they enjoy."
Kendall thought back to how different him and Jo really were. She didn't like hockey, for one thing, which was almost a deal breaker. But, being the nice girlfriend she was, she had played a match or two for him. Sure, he accidentally checked her a couple times. But that was beside the point.
"I'm not going to pretend to enjoy the stupidest movie I've ever had the displeasure of watching."
"No, you don't have to pretend. Just keep your comments to a minimum?"
Logan glared. "Yeah, well, I tried that. It got us thrown out of the theater, Kendall."
"You didn't finish the movie?" he asked.
Logan shook his head. "No."
"Call her back, tell her to be up here in half an hour. Come with me, Super Friend is going to save your date."
Reluctantly, but purely for Logan's sake, Kendall assumed the Super Friend pose. The genius cracked a smile despite his distress.
"Thank you, Super Friend."
—
With Kendall's assistance, Apartment 2J was set up for movie viewing. The last thing Logan had to do was prepare the microwave popcorn, which was when Kendall left him, giving him a pat on the shoulder and making him promise to tell how the date went.
Unfortunately for Logan, microwave popcorn was not his friend. He coughed as gray-black smoke billowed out from the microwave. Hesitant, he pinched the corner of the bag and tore it open.
Dumping it into a bowl, one thing was clear: the popcorn was completely inedible.
There was a knock on the door at this exact moment. Startled, Logan accidentally knocks the bowl of burnt popcorn to the floor. This might actually be a blessing in disguise, since there was no way he would offer that popcorn to Camille if he hadn't knocked it over.
He opens the door to reveal Camille, gorgeous as always.
"Hey," he says. "Come in."
She does, taking a tentative seat on the couch. Logan follows and sits down next to her, trying to ignore the pungent scent of burnt popcorn in the air.
Five Feet Apart is queued up from where they left off before Logan's eviction from the theater.
"I'm not going to promise I won't say anything, but I'll try."
Camille smiled. "Thank you."
She wrapped her arms around him, pulling him into a gentle kiss, right as Logan pressed play and the movie began again.
He braced himself.
—
Kendall, Carlos and James returned to the apartment when the ending credits rolled. The lights were off. Camille and Logan were holding each other in a tight embrace.
"Camille," Kendall said, flicking the lights on. "How was the movie?"
"Logan was unprepared."
"He's totally wrecked," Carlos concluded. "Was it really that sad?"
Logan pulled away from his girlfriend to glare at his three friends, all smirking at him. "Yes, actually. Stella got that lung transplant and then Will just…just leaves her. And they touch hands at the window, and he tells her to—stop laughing at me, guys, it's wholly depressing. I dare you to sit through that and not cry."
"So the movie was good, then?" James ventured.
"Yes."
"Your date?" Kendall asked.
Camille was smiling and blushing too. They were honestly perfect for each other. "It was one of the sweetest dates I'd ever been on."
Alright so that was entirely my idea. As you can see, I do not fare well on my own. Sorry if this was bad, and also, my update schedule is most likely very sporadic going forward, but I want to get as many chapters out as possible when I can for your own enjoyment. This chapter is dedicated to all who have read and enjoyed so far. Thank you, have a lovely day!