The duo whiled the rest of the day away as usual, scurrying from class to class and occasionally stopping here and there between classes to chat with Bobby or a passing by Arch. However, the rest of the day went by rather uneventfully, save bumping rather unexpectedly into Logan as they entered the dinning hall for dinner. Nicole handled this situation rather badly, Katie thought as she had watched Nicole blush crimson at the sight of Logan's unwelcome face. Logan didn't exactly look all that happy to see them either. Rather, he looked as if they had both interrupted a very important train of thought, and he scowled eyeing them both with distaste. Katie could feel the usual Logan remark coming on... however it didn't come! Unusually, Logan only brushed past the passive Katie, and rather flustered Nicole with a soft grumble of "Excuse me."

Nicole looked shocked. Excuse me? That's all she got for her troubles? The man had shoved his hand up her skirt and stroked her thighs, rather enthusiastically, she might add, while grinding her in the dark... and all she could get from him was an "Excuse me? You're in my way, kindly move?" Well, if he thought he could brush her off that easily.. he was clearly mistaken... vengeance would be hers... she would get him back for this... she'd make him apologize if it were the last thing she did.

Katie blinked a bit, then grabbed Nicole by the shoulder. "Nicole... relax!" She knew Nicole extremely well, and she knew Nicole's feelings towards Logan. "You can't just go tearing after Logan and start trying to beat him up to make him apologize!" Nicole sometimes felt like it was Katie that could read minds, as Katie continued ranting. "You are going to go to dinner like a NORMAL PERSON, and you are going to forget for TWO SECONDS about Logan." Katie finished. "Or you'll regret it."

Nicole gaped at Katie's sudden burst of insightfulness. How had she known that she was thinking those kinds of things? Nicole's gape faded to a frown. Her sudden need for revenge surprised even herself... but this sudden show of emotion towards Logan as she undoubtedly knew Katie had sensed.. was bad. Emotions were bad. Especially emotions, vengeful or other wise, towards Logan in particular.. could lead to disaster. Nicole blinked at her sudden realization, but just as quickly realized that, she didn't care. "I hate him." she growled softly, " And I'm going to make him pay."

"You can hate him all you want. But you can't attack him! All it does it make things worse. You can't win against a teacher! And all you'll do is really, really piss him off. And it does not pay to make him pissed at you! Can't you just... ignore him or something? Please?" Katie pleaded, dragging Nicole to her seat at the table.

With a huff of rage, Nicole sat in her seat. She crossed her arms over her chest in a stubborn gesture, but she relented. " Oh... I suppose I don't have a choice.." she mumbled, throwing Logan the most vicious look she could muster as soon as she caught his eye.

Katie sighed with relief, smiling at her very willful friend. "No. You don't."

The dinner that night had a summery theme for absolutely no reason, grilled steaks, potatoes, and popsicles. Nicole tore into her rare steak with vigor, enjoying imagining it as Logan's face as it bled. Scott had yet another immense pang of guilt as he watched Katie suck at her popsicle, wishing that they didn't serve such suggestive food.

Despite Katie's efforts, Nicole simply refused to pay attention to anything other than Logan's hateful face. And quite obviously as Katie observed, Logan was very aware of Nicole's spiteful glances, and he didn't exactly look like the happiest man on earth.

Meanwhile, Logan was expressing his exasperation at Nicole's behavior with a slightly inattentive Scott, who had unwillingly found a blues brother-friend in Logan as they had both shared their troubles with each other recently. "I mean, I know she freaking hates my guts, but the least she could do is stop STARING at me like that!" he growled, declaring the word 'staring' loudly enough for her to hear, while pointedly staring right back spitefully, as if to get her to take the hint.

Scott smirked, tearing his guilty eyes from Katie's progress on her popsicle, snorting with amusement. "Logan, lets take into consideration that you've had your dirty hands up and down her thighs and skimmed her panties quite perverted-ly in a dark night club. Now, lets wonder exactly why she's glaring at you." he brandished his fork in Logan's face, poking him in the chest with it. I mean really, the man could be unbelievably dense sometimes...

Logan brushed away Scott's fork, indignant. "My hand are not dirty!" he protested self-righteously, still half-glaring at Nicole.

Scott rolled his eyes, not that Logan could tell. "You still groped her in public, and I don't think that would make anyone want to buy you a present afterwards." Logan really needed to grow-up some, and realize that not every girl was going to flop down and spread her legs if Logan smiled at them right.

Logan's lip curled unpleasantly as he cast Nicole yet another exasperated glance. "It's not like I knew it was her, I just thought that.." he began, eyeing her ruefully when she finally turned away apparently to answer a question that Katie had asked her, trying to quell the notion that he rather liked the way Nicole's short, dark brown hair just barely brushed her cheek. A strange urge to brush it behind her ear overwhelmed him and he quickly scrambled to quell the feeling that had caused his stomach to clench rather pleasantly...

"That she was just some other girl that you could take back to your room, throw down, and have wild, hot sex with? " Scott finished his sentence rather ruthlessly. "Really Logan, It's not like every woman that you ever look at in a flattering way will lay themselves at your feet and declare themselves as yours." he sighed, feeling as if he were scolding a bad child that dearly needed a good spanking.

Before Logan could think of any brilliant replies, dinner was over. Decidedly ignoring Scott's existence, Logan waited for the massive crush of students leaving the hall for their free time before they had to be in bed.

Katie, trying to keep Nicole distracted from Logan's existence and failing rather miserably, had almost given up when Arch appeared at her elbow. "Hey, Katie, um.." He began, looking cutely awkward. "Would you like to take a walk in the garden with me?"

Katie, brightening, took the hand he offered, twining her fingers in his. "Sure, I'd love to!"

Smiling, Arch squeezed her hand gently. "Great.." he mumbled, flashing Katie one of his boyish grins. Still holding hands, the couple walked in comfortable silence in the direction of the gardens outside. Arch held the door open for Katie as they exited the school.

Rolling her eyes, but grinning despite herself, Nicole decided to allow the couple the privacy that they deserved. Sighing to herself, she thought that it would be nice to find an empty couch in one of the sitting rooms to curl up on. Alone. So that she could plot her revenge and stew in her hate for a few hours so that it could hopefully boil down to a civil level.The sitting room she found first was filling up fast, but she found a nice, cushy futon that was off on its own. Settling down, she prepared to brood...

- - -

Katie smiled up at Arch a little self-consciously, but still basking the warm, fuzzy glow she got whenever she was near him. Finding an isolated bench surrounded by scarlet rose bushes, he sat down, stretching his wings awkwardly as she sat down next to her. He'd worked all dinner steeling himself up to do this, and now, watching her look up at him with those big, pretty eyes, he found himself nearly losing his nerve. Oh, but how could she like him?Taking a deep breath, he tried desperately to regain his composure. "Katie... I.. " he began, shifting awkwardly nearer to her on the bench. Arch blushed furiously as Katie looked up at him through her lashes.

"Hmm?" she prompted him, smiling warmly and making his heart flutter as nervously as his wings chose to.

Forcing his wings to behave he pushed himself to speak again, "I know.. that we haven't known each other for... a long time.. but... I really like you and..." he faltered again. She was so close, warm, and soft... and the urge to just kiss her already was becoming hard to suppress.

"And..." She repeated, feeling almost overwhelmingly warm and fuzzy at the idea of him really liking her. Enjoying the excuse to look at him, shivering lightly from pleasure, she hoped that the next thing he had to say wasn't 'but I don't want a relationship'.

Arch, completely stuck for something to say, reached up for her face with one trembling hand, and pulled her in closer. Leaning in he pressed his lips to hers gently, desperately hoping that she wouldn't pull away...

To Katie's delight, she was pulled into Arch's warm embrace. His lips encompassed her own, taking her breath away. Moaning in both surprise and pleasure, she slowly wrapped her arms around Arch's neck to let him know that she wasn't going anywhere anytime soon...

Utterly shocked by her total acceptance of his advances, Arch couldn't help but feel almost blown away. Pressing a bit harder on her mouth, he was rewarded by another small moan of pleasure from her. He felt so very lucky that he wouldn't be surprised if he woke up with his face in his pillow... and so wasn't so terribly surprised (though disappointed) when they were interrupted by a wolf whistle and some sarcastic applause.

Horrified, Katie and Arch turned to see Logan's characteristic smirk. Logan was leaning in the doorway, looking completely relaxed and nonchalant. As usual he had the air of a teenager who never grew up mentally. "Time for bed love birds.." he snickered, light blue eyes flashing with obvious amusement.

Katie's horror turned to narrowed eyes and a frown. She personally didn't have anything against Logan, but Nicole's feelings were catching. "That was mature." She muttered, not amused at having her lovely moment interrupted by someone such as Logan.

Scowling, Logan watched the two lovebirds brush past him, shooting him angry and offended looks. Vaguely he could have sworn that he heard Katie mutter, "That was mature..." . Growling grumpily, he swung himself around to follow them inside, not loosing his usual self satisfied saunter, but mentally growling. I'm not paid to be mature.