Chapter 2 – To Prevent From Dying Of The Boredom and WorkaholismHow is that a man always wants the thing that he cannot have. For example one Liam Huntzberger really needed to talk to Natalie but right now he couldn't. Oh what a cruel world!
Liam sighed and threw aside the book he was currently trying to read. There was no use. He couldn't concentrate and he couldn't even feel interested in that book although he always liked Hemingway and that one was one of his favorites. He really wanted to do something besides his homework, reading books and newspapers and meandering around the flat.
He got up from his bed and walked up to his stereo. At least he could put on some music. Then he heard a chuckle from a doorway. He turned around and spotted his uncle Finn leaning against the door frame.
"Dad sent a guard?" Liam asked sardonically.
Finn looked at him with amusement, "Yes from now on I am your little guarding angle. Do you think I'm going to look good with those cut little wings?" he asked with a squeal which for Liam sounded like an overexcited cheerleader. Finn tried to turn his neck of 180o degrees and glance at his back.
"Nah, they won't looked good with my complexion and besides I don't think that the whole good bloke imagine suits me," he added after a moment of consideration.
Liam snorted. He really liked Finn but right now he wasn't is a mood to joke.
"So what's up mate?" Finn asked walking further into the room and sitting at Liam's desk chair.
Liam groaned. He knew that Finn was completely aware of the whole situation but he won't give up until Liam tell him everything. Finn liked to know everything "from the source" liked he always said.
"I'm grounded," Liam told him as he threw himself on the bed and put the pillow on his head.
"And the reason is…?" Finn was waiting for some follow-up.
Liam didn't reply. He was mad at his dad for grounding him. But he was more mad at himself for being catch into this situation. He was fully aware of the consequence when he had done the prank.
"OK, I presume that you aren't going to answer anytime soon." He heard Finn's voice but didn't pull the pillow from his head. "OK, so I'm going to do the talking now. You can lie there but please try no to suffocate yourself. I would have a lot of explanation to do. You know that I don't like to deal with your father when he's angry and I can imagine that he would be in that situation."
There was some grunt from beneath the pillow which Finn took as a permission to continue.
"So basically you pulled a prank on one of your teachers, was caught, Logan had to go to headmaster Williamston to have a talk about your behavior. Then he had a talk with you, grounded you and made sure that you won't do you anything you aren't allow for the next week. Am I right?" Finn finished with a question.
Another grunt.
"Wow I think you are breaking a record here. It's the beginning of second month of school and you've been grounded three times already," Finn snickered.
"It's nice to know that I am at least the source of amusement," Liam snorted and threw the pillow across the room.
"His alive, his alive! Thanks gods for that!"
"Which gods are you thanking?" Liam asked dryly.
"Anyone that's hearing rights now." Liam chuckled at that answer. "And you should be nice to your favorite uncle. You are forced to obey me for the whole week so I suggest you to behave," Finn noticed.
Every time that Liam was grounded and Logan was out of town he left Liam with Finn. And what's more the always easy-going and laid-back Finn was surprisingly strict when it comes to Logan's requests.
"Besides you own me. Your father's call tore my from a talk with a really hot lady," Finn pointed out.
"But she gave you her number anyhow," Liam stated knowingly with a snort.
"Of course!" Finn exclaimed with a passion as he picked up the framed photo from Liam's desk and started to study it.
"Besides she gave it to me at the very beginning" he added with a shrug, "any woman cannot say no to my charm."
Then they heard some giggling behind the door.
Finn sighed with a fake frustration and put down the photo, "You know what Gilmore! You wouldn't make a good spy even if your life depend on it!"
A brown haired head appeared on the door. "Sorry uncle Finn. But I couldn't stop myself. Hey Liam!" she added towards Liam smiling.
"Love! How could you? You are making fun of your beloved uncle. I am crushed!" and with that he flown out of the room only to appeared at the door a second later. "Now kiddos behave," he was serious this time, "I need to work a little so you must entertain yourself without my fabulous person. You will manage, right?" he asked.
"Yeah!" Lo confirmed with a smile.
"OK I have a trust in you, love. I'll call you when the pizza arrive," he left the room.
Lo turned to Liam as she was still standing at the doorway, "It always amaze me when uncle Finn is talking about work. I've never actually seen him in work so it's just hard to imagine him so prim and proper. Talking about work sounds weird coming from him," she laughed but stopped as she caught Liam's face, "What?"
Liam stared blankly at her, "Um.. nothing. I am just surprise to see you that's all," he answered, "Come in!" he invited her.
"Well uncle Finn suggested me to come with him today to make your punishment less painfully," she explained as she stepped into the room, "You don't mind, do you?" she asked uncertainly.
"No, no! Of course not! It's actually great. I thought I was going to die before uncle Finn came."
"That bad?" Lo asked with laugh.
"Yeah" Liam sat at him bed.
They fell into a silence. Although they've spent a whole day at school together, Lo felt a little uncomfortable. She just bashed unexpectedly to a guy room. What's more she's met that guy just today. She didn't know what to do next. She eyed the room curiously.
The room was average size. It was very light due to big windows on two walls. At one corner stood a double bed with a light gray comforter and one pillow. Similar pillow lay on the floor near Lo's feet. Opposite the bed was something like a study place – a desk with a computer, bookcases above the desk and a comfortable looking swivel chair. In front of one window stood a law glass table with a round dark blue ottoman on the side. The walls were light blue and the furniture were made of light wood.
Liam noticed Lo's hesitation.
"Come on, make yourself at home," he invited her.
Lo shot him a smile and sat at the desk chair that Finn abandoned a moment ago.
"What did uncle Finn do to convince you to come here and help to relieve my grief?" he asked in a melodramatic pitiful voice wanting to break the tension and maintain the conversation.
"Oh he came to our flat a couple of hours ago to bug my mom for a while. He is doing some lawyer's stuff for her. He told us that he would be living here for a week. We asked why and he told about the grounding. Anyway he suggested that I could pay you a visit. I was bored anyhow and my mom was having some sort of unpacking attack. She started with her work boxes so soon the unpacking change into sorting her work and that's really a disaster. So I agree and here I am!"
"Thanks! It nice of you!" Liam grinned, "I presume that the whole unpacking isn't going well?" he asked. They talked at school about Lo's move so he knew that they were in the middle of arranging their new apartment.
"Let's just say that it's not going," Lo sighed. "The whole apartment looks like one big storage room. I can't find anything. Now I am actually grateful that we have uniforms although next week I will probably cursing it. If I had to find some decent cloths in that pile of boxes I would probably go to school like that," she finished dryly pointing at herself.
Liam was confused, "And that is wrong because…?" He asked gazing at her.
She looked at him with a raised eyebrow. "I have a pink t-shirt with "My little pony!".
"So… You look cute in it," Liam replied with a smirk.
Lo shooked her head, "Geez, men and their sense of fashion!"
"Actually love, men are well known for their senses of fashion, look at the fashion designers – they are mostly men."
They heard Finn's voice and he appeared at doorway with a disc in his hand. He spoke to Liam, "I need to use a printer and I once again had a clash with the one in your dad's office. May I?" he pointed at the printer.
"Yeah," Liam responded. "Uncle Finn you didn't broke dad's printer again?" he asked worried.
"Nah, we had a little row but I am sure that Logan's return will set her into a good mood again," replied Finn as he walked up to Liam's desk, moved Lo aside and started the computer, "and going back to your fashion problem," he turned to Lo, "I must agree with Liam – you look cute in that shirt."
Lo snorted but Finn ignored her and continued.
"However if you don't like the admiration from the men in that room I think you should follow one of my friends' motto," he kept talking and in the same time he was setting the printer up.
"And the motto would be…?" Lo asked expectantly.
"A pretty girl looks pretty in everything. That what I am telling myself every morning before I go to work."
He trailed off for a moment as he saw through some documents at the screen, "Of course I change the girl to the boy," he added after the moment.
Lo laughed, "Thanks uncle Finn. I'll remember that!"
"You better. It'll set you in a good mood for a whole day. OK I'm finished," he told getting up from the chair and gathering a freshly painted papers, "the pizza will be here in 20 minuets," he walked out of the room.
Lo looked after him, "I adore uncle Finn," she told Liam.
"Yeah, his great although he could be better sometimes," Liam murmured.
"For example, like now and let you do things you aren't supposed to," Lo laughed at Liam's miserable face.
"Yup," Liam confirmed still mad about the whole situation. Well he could only blamed himself. He quickly turned to Lo. Again she came to keep him company. He was really grateful for that.
"So what about this shirt. Why did you buy it knowing that you won't wear it?"
Lo laughed, "It was sort of a gag gift from my grandma. She gave my it at my 16 birthday and then had the whole ramble my-granddaughter-is-so-big-and-she-won't-like-her-granny-gift-where-did-I-miss-those-years."
Liam chuckled, "It's sounds like aunt Lorelai!"
"Yeah she's great!" Lo exclaimed. "So what about your punishment. What you got?" she wanted to know.
"The usual," he replied with a shrug, "I cannot use my phone, watch TV, go out…"
Lo cut in. "And how does your dad know that you comply it when he is out of town?"
Liam sighed in frustration, "He blocked my phone and for the rest – that's why uncle Finn is here. And he made an agreement with the doormen in the building. They noticed every time I leave and come back when my dad asked them to."
"So basically you're screwed," Lo commented with a giggle.
"Yeah!" Liam was mad but couldn't help and laughed with Lo. It was nice that she was here, even only to mock him. Better then pity himself all night long.
"But that's not the worst," he added.
Lo looked at him with interest.
"As soon as my dad tell my mom about the prank, I'll have a 2 hour speech about my improper behavior and trust my – that's worst than the week without PlayStation." He cringed at awaiting talk with his mother. At least it will be only on the phone not face to face. "And at 99 I will spend the next weekend golfing with my grandfather Mitchum," he added.
"What's bad with it?" Lo asked confused.
"Did you ever golf?"
"Well no…"
"I hate golfing with grandpa Mitchum," he started to explain, "It's not that I don't like my grandfather but we always golf with a bunch of his club friends – some old boring guys. And I suck at golf. So basically the whole time I try to not make a real idiot of myself and I have to listen to their talk about what a bright future is ahead of my and that I really need to get better at golf because it the best way to do business. And the worst is when grandpa is golfing with headmaster Williamston. The whole day I am listing to a discussion about why teenagers don't want to make use of their potential."
When he finished Lo was bent down laughing hysterically. Liam looked at her a little hurt.
"Well it's nice that I've turned to the fun-center nowadays!"
"Sorry…" Lo tried to collected herself but that was too hard for her, "It's just…" another pause, "just funny way to punish you," she told him as she wiped the tears from her cheeks.
"Well if you think that it''s so entertaining I'll take you on that little golfing session with Mitchum Hunzberger and his cronies next Saturday." He proposed dryly.
"No thanks!" Lo exclaimed quickly finally calming down and smoothing her now wrinkled T-shirt. "What are you doing when you are grounded?" she asked wanting to change the subject from golfing and adjusting her pony tail, "other then mopping around how pathetic your life is," she finished with a smirk.
"Funny," he replied with sarcasm but sighed and continued, "I'm trying not to think about the things I cannot do. But it's not working."
"Uh," Lo spotted the book lying on the floor beside the table, "so you even done the dreadful thing like reading," she mocked. At school they talked about many things and reading was one of their topics. Lo found out that Liam really liked to read and looking at the collection on his bookcases she could tell that he really meant it.
Liam laughed and picked up the book, "Yeah, but I couldn't concentrate. Even Hemingway is not working now for me."
"For whom the bell tolls." Lo caught the title.
"Yeah, one of my favorites. You've read?" Liam asked.
"No, I have this weird relationship with Hemingway," she replied.
Liam raised his brows.
"He is my dad's favorite and my mom likes him too," she started to explain "well my mom like every written word even the description a the back of the cornflakes but that's not the point," she added, "I think I'm just afraid to read him. What if I won't like his books. It's just impossible not to like the author that half of the world and both of your parents think is a writing god! And what if I like him and become obsessed like my dad. He cannot leave the house without one of Hemingway novels!"
"Really weird logic," Liam commented, "And you could always side with the other half of the world."
"I know," Lo shrugged, "Maybe I'm just to lazy to read him. Besides I'm into Russian authors know. Gran told me that it's a Gilmore obsession."
"Aunt Lorelai?" Liam asked.
"No gran Emily," Lo specified, "she told my that my great-grandfather loved Russian poetry and my mother read every novel with a Russian name on the cover. So what's keeping you from enjoying your favorite lecture?" she pried again.
"Didn't you heard that curiosity killed the cat?" Liam parried with a smirk.
"But satisfaction brought it back," she replied quickly, "so…"
"I am just thinking about the stuff I could do," he respond stall.
"Well duh, that's obvious. But I want some specifics."
Liam signed, "I just want to call to someone."
"And someone is probably her?" Lo asked showing Liam the picture that Finn was looking at earlier. She spotted the picture a while ago and really wanted to know who it was. She was aware that that was a little rude but she couldn't refrain herself.
"Yup" Liam responded with hesitation.
"Who is she?" Lo didn't give up.
"Aren't you nosey?" Liam asked sarcastically.
Lo knew that she shouldn't be hurt at his respond. She wasn't very subtle with her questions. She decided to joke about it.
"No I only have a great need for knowledge," and seeing Liam's expression she quickly added, "in every kind of wisdom even about your personal life."
Liam laughed but got serious quickly. He surveyed the photo for a moment.
"She's my girlfriend," he responded, "sort of."
Lo raised her eyebrows, "Sort of?" She eyed him with curiosity, "How can you have girlfriend sort of?" she asked.
Liam weighed up his answers for a moment then started to explain cautiously.
"Well we are dating… Actually we were on two dates but I'm planning to asked her again and really want her to be my girlfriend so…" he trailed off.
"So you are so sure that she will agree that you already call her your girlfriend to the strangers," Lo finished for him.
"It's not that," Liam was a little perplexed, "It's… When you are seeing it's sounds weird."
She raised an eyebrow again.
"OK it sounds like I am some cocky bastard who has an ego like the whole Manhattan. But… we really… or better I really like her and want her to say yes and saying to you that she is my girlfriend bring it closer."
Lo shook her head, "And you said that my Hemingway thing was weird."
Liam laughed nervously, "Yeah… but you aren't a stranger anyhow so I can tell my friends what I really want."
"We just meet today," Lo pointed out and in the same time they heard Finn's yell "Pizza!"
"Maybe," Liam replied as he got up from the bed and motioned her to come with him "But that was a re-met and I think that being bitten by someone in the past makes you more then a acquaintance with him," he finished with a smirk and they left the room to join Finn in the living room.
Logan stepped out of the elevator fumbling into jacket's pockets for the keys to his Boston's apartment. He was exhausted. It was hard to even keep his eyes open. At the moment unlocking the door was like climbing Mt. Everest. Finally with a great effort he managed to open the door and went inside. He threw his things on the hall's floor and kicked off his shoes. He stumbled into the living room and threw himself on the couch not bothering to take of his jacket.
He thought that even if there was a earthquake or a fire now he wouldn't move a muscle. He wanted to forget about everything. To disappear for at least one day. To not have to think about business and papers and about Liam's behavior. He groaned at the thought about calling Samantha and telling her about the prank. She will once again criticize his upbringing methods.
His wishing hadn't been heard because there was a noise in the hall and a blonde woman appeared at the entrance.
"The birds were singing that you came," she said and eyed the room slowly "and you already managed to make the mess. You know I am really trying to keep that flat clean," she stated with a sigh.
"First of all, not you but your maid," Logan responded in tired voice, "and I really appreciate that. I could always hire someone on my own," he said as he rested his head on the back of the sofa and closed his eyes, "and how did you know that I'm here?"
"Why bother when Gloria can do it," she responded as she sat at the leather armchair across from him, "she is a cleaning freak. She loved it! About your arrival. You spent half of today with my husband," she pointed out.
"Yeah, sorry I didn't think about that."
"What's up?" she asked.
"Not much," he yawned, "I don't want to be rude but why are you here. It's nearly midnight," he wanted to know.
"I was on my way from the hospital. I thought that I can check up on you," she responded as she got up, took some bags she brought with her up and walked up to the kitchen. The kitchen was connected with a living room so Logan could clearly see and hear her. "You've ate?"
"Yes, mother!"
"I'm serious!"
Logan sighed, "Yeah, I've ate dinner. Now I only wanted to sleep." He got up and walked up to her, "So why the sudden interest in my humble person?"
"I thought that you wanted to sleep." She responded dryly as he sat down onto the bar stool, put his elbows on the kitchen counter and rested his head on his palms.
"Yeah I wanted but I can't leave my wonderful guest alone."
She snorted, "Don't try Huntzberger! Your charm isn't working on me," she told him unpacking some food and putting it into the fridge.
"I know but it's always some chance that one day it will change. Anyway why you wanted to check up on me?" Logan asked as he picked some grapes from the bowl she just sat on the table.
"Doyle told my that you didn't look well today so I've just wanted to make sure that everything is OK."
He snorted, "Tell Doyle that next time I'm going to be 100 sure that my make-up is perfect before I come to him. I didn't have time today to powder my nose," he responded sarcastically.
She stopped what she was doing and shot him a glare.
"Logan I'm really worried about you! You work too much…"
He cut in, "OK, OK I know, I know! It's just today. I had a real kick-your-ass day but I promise that after some sleep I'll be as good as new."
He tried to grin at her to defuse the tension but it was no use. She shook her head at him, "Yeah, until another bad day and then another one and then right into a hear attack," she retorted angrily.
She sat next to him and picked some grapes on her own, "So what's up besides the paper business things which really I don't want to hear about because I have them 24/7."
Logan sighed and looked at her with a tired eyes.
"Liam huh?" she guessed. She peered at him. That was what always really bothers Logan the most – his son.
Logan nodded.
"What was this time?"
"Another prank. It's just… I sometimes don't know if I really can do it anymore," he sighed, "sometimes and today is that day I think that everything is useless because he will hate my anyway…" he trailed off for a moment.
"Maybe I should just leave him be like my father did with me… Then after college or some other time I would just force him to grow up."
"Yeah, and I'm sure that he will be grateful for that," she said sardonically, "Logan stop that! You are a great father. You cannot deal with Liam the way Mitchum dealt with you, even if that turned up good."
Logan was listening but wasn't looking at her. He was staring blankly at his hands playing with some grapes.
"You are raising him well. He won't hate you for some grounding! Gee you are his model role!" she exclaimed, "I would kill to have the children who looked at their father like Liam is looking at you. Besides you have to remember that he is your son," she emphasize the word your, "and it's just a Huntzberger nature to create chaos."
"Yeah!" he smiled, "thanks," he added looking at her.
"For what?"
He grinned, "For checking up on me!"
"You're welcome. Somebody has to!" she exclaimed and then laughed, "If someone had told my 20 years ago that I, Paris Geller, will be concerned about Logan Huntzberger well being I would have laughed and told her or him to change pills."
"Life is a mystery thing," Logan told her, "and what's up in your live, Paris? How's the kids?"
"The usual – they scaring Doyle and that why I have to go now because he cannot stay with them to long, Gloria has a night of and the nanny was due to 10 p.m." she told him as she got up from the bar stole and started to gather her things.
"Are you sure that your house is still standing?" Logan asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Ha, ha!" she glared at him, "But honestly how a man who is leading the Boston Globe cannot managed to looked after his own three kids?" she asked shooking her head.
"You have to remember that there are Geller!" Logan chuckled thinking about Doyle and his fright about staying alone with the triplets.
"Watch it Huntzberger or you are going back to my black list!"
"OK, I was kidding!" he laughed and followed her to the living room and then to the doorway, "Say hay to them!"
"I will. Take care of yourself and I left you some soup and pork into the fridge," she told him. They said goodbyes and she left the apartment. Before Logan shot the door she turned around.
"By the way, take Gilmore to that new Mexican restaurant we've eaten last time. She wanted to eat there but hadn't the chance yet."
"How did you know about our dinner?"
"Well you see, before you and I had become friends I was friend with Rory. And still am. Bye!" and she left for good.
Logan looked at the door for a moment. This days Paris and Doyle were one of his best friends. Funny thought – he would never think about it when they had first met.
He yawned. He was planning to call his father to talk about Liam but he decided against it. He'll do it tomorrow. Now he just needed some sleep. So he turned around and walked up to his bedroom.
That's chapter 2!
Not much action in it – some background explanation are need to be done so this chapter and I think the next one or two will be like this.
I hope you like it.
The chapters will go on like that – one concerning more about Rory and Lo and the next about Logan and Liam.
Once again I'm truly sorry about grammar and spelling mistakes. If any of you wants to help me I would be really appreciate.
Thanks to: 19MikaelA87, Curley-Q, heavenleigh88, natyroganlover and controversy-queen for reviewing the first chapter.
Please tell my what do you think!
Edith