Chapter Four: I Like

Memories hung in his room from the time he was two, this was where he had his first kiss – and got to second base. His room was like this vortex that held so many moments, and so many experiences that he remembered forever. This room was where he first met his grandmother. It was 1994 and she had just came back from rehab resulting after a strenuous drug binge. He remembered she was insanely skinny and had stringy curly blonde hair. She staggered into his room wearing oversized sunglasses, and a cigarette was posed in between her fingers. He remembered she smelt like lemon pledge, which was a rare sent for anybody's grandmother to smell like.

Even if she was a drug addict.

She was wearing hot pink pumps and Calvin Klein jeans; he remembered this because at that age Logan knew everything about fashion – being brought up by no one other than his mother. After the first year he was born, his father went off on some wild business expedition. He returned by the time Logan turned eight – but that's beside the point – we're focusing on his grandmother. So she plopped down on his bed and crossed her legs Indian-style looking directly into his eyes. Her cigarette now in her mouth, and her sunglasses still on her face.

He remembered the first words she'd ever said to him. They were odd words for anybody's grandmother to say, he remembered she had a raspy voice too and as she took the cigarette out of her mouth she blew a huge smoke puff into Logan's face, resulting in him having an enormous coughing skit. "Logan", she said, her breath was a mixture of cigarette smoke and cream soda, "You're going to grow up to be a stud". And then she laughed – no she hackled furiously and ruffled Logan's curly brown hair with her wrinkly dry fingers.

And now Logan sat on his bed – in the same spot where his grandmother once sat, wearing her hot pink pumps and her Calvin Klein jeans. At that moment – I swear Logan pressed his nose against his bed and smelt the distinct smell of lemon pledge. He buried his eyes in the blanket and tried his hardest not to cry into them. It had been two weeks since she had died, and his family was now finally having the funeral, in their backyard nonetheless. Logan took a deep breath and stood, fixing up his black Armani suit in the mirror.

"Hey Logan", Dana walked into his bedroom, she was dressed appropriately in a black dress and plain black shoes, "How are you?" She stood uncomfortably and looked up at him.

Logan didn't even ask how Dana got there, instead he walked over to his bed, and pointed to the place where his grandmother had once sat, "She sat right there, Dana. Right there", he then walked over to another part of his bedroom, where a chair was facing directly at the window, "This was her favorite place to sit", a tear dripped from his eye, "She – she'd sit there every day and just look", more tears came from his eyes, "She loved it".

Dana slowly walked closer to him and put her hand on his shoulder, "Logan, I am so sorry".

"She's gone Dana!" Logan turned around, now facing Dana and more tears flowing like floodgates from his eyes, "She's not coming back! She's – she's not gonna tell me when I should clean my room or help me sneak out of the house! She's not going to do it!" He started shaking now, covering his hands to his eyes.

"Logan", Dana breathed, "Logan", she then wrapped her arms around him, "Everything's going to be okay. I promise. Everything's going to be okay". She bit her bottom lip, "I'll make sure of it".

And at that strange moment when both Dana and Logan were outside of there selves, Logan wrapped his arms around Dana and they actually hugged. Yeah – Logan's room had a lot of memories, and they kept on getting better.

Confessions weren't necessarily something that Chase was particularly good at, and what happened last Friday added to that. He had thought going to a movie would be the absolute perfect time to tell Zoey how much he cared about her – it was then or never, he was ready, he was set. So when his and Zoey's hands touched when they both reached for the popcorn and their eyes locked, Chase said the absolute worse thing. 'I have to go to the bathroom'. And he walked out of the theater and kicked himself in the ass. Hard.

Why couldn't he do it? Why couldn't he just go for it and for once stop being the silly best friend? Why? Because he was a wimp, that's why. Because she looked so beautiful that night and he was afraid of loosing her as a friend – but he could've gained her for something more, and something better. He remembered the look on her face when their hands touched – her eyes were staring into his and –

"Hi Chase!" Zoey walked up to him while he was in his writing fury.

Chase quickly slammed his laptop shut and grinned at Zoey, "Hey".

"What were you writing", Zoey eyed the laptop suspiciously.

"Oh, nothing".

"Chase!" Zoey seemed stern and upset, "Just tell me".

"I was writing a story".

"What about?" Zoey was becoming more interested.

"We've been through this before Zoey, I'll tell you, when I finish".

"Yeah and that'll be never", Zoey rolled her eyes, "Please Chase, can I read it?"

"Not yet".

"Chase!"

Chase sighed, "Nope, so um Bender's test, it was pretty hard…"

"Yeah", Zoey nodded, "I probably failed it".

"Yeah right", Chase rolled his eyes, "You're a genius – well not like Quinn but you still are really smart".

"I couldn't study last night; I had a lot on my mind".

"Like what?"

"I'll tell you, when I finish", Zoey laughed.

"Ouch!"

"I better get going; Dustin wants me to help him pick out his outfit. Later Chase".

"Bye Zoey", Chase waved and watched as Zoey walked away. He then set his laptop safely on his lap and was about to start writing when he was interrupted by a girl named Kelly Carter.

"Hey Chase", Kelly waved to him, "Is anyone sitting here?"

"No, you can sit", he quickly closed his laptop and set it on the table.

"It's kind of weird, I've always wanted to talk to you", Kelly sat down, "I just never knew what would be the right time".

"What do you mean?" Chase was becoming interested now and turned to Kelly.

"Well every time I see you, you're with Zoey, talking or watching a movie – or doing something. I guess I was sort of I don't know intimidated?" Kelly shrugged.

"Of Zoey?"

"Yeah", Kelly nodded, "Because I like you Chase".

And that moment, Chase's heart came to a stop.

"Okay, so put the picture there", Michael hovered over Nicole as they worked on their internet assignment. They'd been spending a lot of time together in the past week and Michael was trying his absolute best not to think about his little sister whose life was slowly melting away by the cruelty of leukemia.

Nicole clicked something over on the computer, "Like this?"

"No", Michael reached for the mouse, "Like this".

"Ooh", Nicole grabbed his arm, "You smell nice".

"Thanks", Michael pulled his arm away, "Okay so save the file".

Nicole clicked save and turned to Michael, "Done".

"Cool", Michael stood up, "Do you want to go get a slushy or something?"

"I'd love to", Nicole hopped up and walked with Michael out of the lounge.

Michael took Nicole's hand as they started walking around the campus.

"I like this", Nicole grinned.

"You like what?" Michael asked as he looked towards Nicole.

"This", Nicole repeated, "You and I together".

Michael fell silent.

"We are together right?" Nicole ripped her hand away, "Oh my God! I feel like such an idiot!"

"Nicole, chill", Michael reached for her hand, "We're together". For the first time, the words suddenly entered Michael's brain. 'We're together'. It wasn't that Michael didn't like Nicole, if she and him were going out last year he'd love it, but now with everything going on back home with his sister – he didn't know if he could handle a girlfriend. But he couldn't let a show. Michael Barrett was a man, he showed no fear. No fear at all.

Nicole took his hand and kissed him softly on the cheek.

But during that moment, all Michael could think about was his little sister back at home hooked up to monitors in a hospital, and there he was kissing his girlfriend? It didn't add up. No fears Michael, he repeated in his mind, you're a man dammit, no fears. But in the back of his mind, he was hiding.

Quinn thought her change of appearance took a turn for the better, she thought breaking her glasses and wearing revealing tank tops was what Mark wanted. She thought she was doing the right thing. But ever since her sudden make over Mark was trying to avoid her, he was not going anywhere near her. And quite frankly, it was pissing Quinn off. So she pounded on his door manically until he answered.

"DO YOU HATE ME MARK?" She stormed into his dorm room, her hair flying and her mind raging, "WHAT'S GOING ON?"

"Quinn".

"What?" Quinn was seemingly impatient at this point and her arms were crossed firmly over her chest.

"You've changed".

"Well, isn't that what you wanted?" Quinn asked, her voice quivering.

"No – now guys look at you – and give you attention – Quinn I don't want any competition".

"You didn't have any competition before?" Quinn's voice was shaking, "When I was ugly".

"Quinn you were never ugly!"

"Yes I was, and you know it", tears formed in Quinn's eyes, "It's like I can never make you happy everything I do just makes you more upset…"

"Because you're not being yourself!"

"I'm being me, Mark, I'm just wearing different clothes and making myself feel better, and you know what? DAMN YOU MARK! DAMN YOU! I tried getting inside your head to know what I could do and nothing made you happy".

"Nothing has to make me happy. Quinn I like you – not this girl who you are right now".

"Well this girl is me, I don't want to be considered the freak anymore Mark", Quinn bit her bottom lip, "And if you don't like it, screw it! We're over!"

Quinn stormed out of his dorm room and ran into the hallway where she ran into a gorgeous guy with curly blonde hair and insanely deep green eyes. She nearly trampled him, and they both fell on the ground. Tears were now flooding from Quinn's eyes and she couldn't help but break down crying. "I'm so sorry", she blubbered to the guy, "I'm so sorry – I should've looked where I was going – I'm so stupid…"

The guy got up and held out his hand, "A pretty girl like you shouldn't be crying. Sushi?"

Quinn nodded and took his hand.