AN: Sorry for the long delay. I was on vacation until yesterday. Anyway, thanks for all the reviews as usual. I love getting reviews from you guys, you're amazing, so please keep it up! Anyway, here's the next chapter. I hope you enjoy it, because I liked writing. Please read and send me a review!

Rory pulled away from Logan, suddenly realizing that three songs had gone by instead of one. She tried to ignore his smirk as she stepped back and forced her hands to stop shaking. What the hell was going on? This was Logan Huntzberger, the boy she couldn't stand. She wasn't supposed to lose herself dancing with him. The only person she was supposed to lose herself with was Jess. But somewhere in between the sarcastic, witty banter and the sight of his dancing eyes, she had lost track of time.

"Well, Ace, you gave me more than I asked for."

She chose to ignore him, for once. And she was grateful when Finn came bounding onto the dance floor and draped his arm around her shoulders. At least she was completely sure how she felt about Finn.

"It is time so time for a subparty. Colin has the drinks. Let's go."

"Finn, you're my hero," Rory announced, shifting her eyes towards Logan.

"And that's why you stuck around for two extra songs," Logan reminded her.

"I plead temporary insanity. Now, party time?"

Turning away from Logan, she allowed Finn to keep his lazy arm hanging around her shoulders as they headed towards one of Logan's many doors. Logan followed behind them, and the fact that she could feel his stare on her back made her want to confront him again, but she resisted. Finally, they stepped outside and she was grateful for the fresh air, and the sight of Colin opening bottles of alcohol. She wasn't usually much of a drinker, but society parties gave her an odd craving. And being around Logan wasn't helping the cause to stay sober.

"Here, Ror," Colin said as he planted a drink in her hand.

She gratefully accepted, but as she raised the drink to her lips, she felt someone walk up next to her. She didn't even have to turn around to know who it was.

"Don't you have someone else to harrass?" she demanded.

"Harrass? I think that's a little strong."

"I don't."

"You're the one that stuck around for a few extra dances, remember?"

She paused, "Maybe I just liked the songs."

Logan walked around infront of her now, the same smirk she'd been seeing for days plastered on his face, "Coming from the girl who said in the middle of the first song, and I quote, 'this is the worst music I've ever heard.' Want to take a walk?"

"Well, Mr. Psychic, I think you probably already know the answer to that one."

"Come on," his smirk grew into a smile, "Don't you want to get to know me better?"

She took a drink, "No."

"Why not?"

"Because I know you well enough already."

"I'm deeper than you think."

"Logan," she chuckled softly, "You're about as deep as the mud puddle in my driveway."

"The reporter in you should be a little more curious."

"The reporter in me is looking for a better story."

"Sometimes the best stories are the ones you have to dig for," he smiled again, "Take a walk with me and then I'll leave you alone."

"You said that about the dance!" she protested.

"I promise you I can never lie twice in a row."

Rory inhaled deeply and took another drink, studying him intently. His brown eyes were focused on her, and only her, which was a strange and almost empowering feeling. He didn't even seem to notice as Finn downed one beer after another, and Colin mixed drinks on the railing of his large, back porch. She could feel herself giving into him even before she opened her mouth.

"Fine. Let's go."

She felt the soft pressure of his hand against the small of her back as he guided her off the porch and into his spacious yard. She started to protest the connection, but it didn't feel threatening. It felt the same as a touch from Colin, or Finn. Logan's gesture felt nothing but friendly, and so she let his hand remain pressed on her back.

"So, tell me about your family," he offered.

Rory glanced over at him, studying him for a hint of sarcasm, but there was none. He removed his hand from her and stuffed both deep in his pockets, his jaw clenched slightly as they strolled farther way from the party on his patio. Maybe there was more to him than she originally thought.

"My mom is my best friend," she began, "We're really close, closer than daughters and mothers normally are. I tell her everything. And my dad is great too, don't get me wrong, he's just not around very much. He's always on one business trip or another."

"See? We do have something in common."

"But my dad's great, he really is. He'd do anything for me."

Logan inhaled slightly and shook his head, "And, we're back to sqaure one."

She smiled, noticing that this was the first real conversation they'd experienced. And even without the sharp remarks going back and forth, she found herself completely comfortable in his prescense. And the more they walked, the more her bitter feelings faded away.

"You and your sister seem really close," she stated.

"We are. Honor's great. We basically had each other growing up."

Rory was silent for a moment, and Logan jumped in almost instantly.

"Don't think I'm asking for pity or anything. I know how lucky I am," he sent a smile her way at the last sentence, "But what some people don't understand is that I don't have a perfect life or the perfect relationship with my parents. I don't have that. He's a jackass, and she doesn't care."

"Is that why you pull all those pranks? You're rebelling?"

"Kind of," he laughed, "But mostly it's just all in good fun."

"Can I ask you a question?"

"Sure, Ace."

"How did you get the desk out of Head Master Charleston's office?"

"Ah, yes. The glory days. Well, it was a group effort really."

Her eyebrows shot up, "A group effort?"

"You think I could pull something like that off without Colin and Finn? Come on, now."

"See, they left that part out when they were telling me about you."

He smiled, "Hense the glaring and the yelling and the banging from you to me?"

"Partly. But continue."

"To make a long story short: Colin and Finn handled the distracting and I did the actual dirty work. I spent a lot of time in his office the weeks before figuring out how to disassemble the thing quickly and into little pieces. We actually pulled it off, but I got caught later, they didn't. And so my little European adventure came to be."

"And yet you hold no grudge. Amazing."

"It was my idea. Although it would've been fun having Colin and Finn in Europe with me."

"There would be no more Europe," she pointed out.

"Maybe a little island floating around here and there."

"I'm sure all the Europeans would be thrilled about that idea."

He shrugged, "The ocean would be closer."

She laughed softly as they came to ae halt at the edge of his yard. And then there they stood, unmoving, looking into each other's eyes. In his steady gaze she caught things she'd never seen before: sincereity, interest, friendliness, and so much more. She wondered briefly if it had always been there and she'd been too stubburn to see it, or if it was just something that came out at a night, like bats and vampires.

"So, how did you meet Colin and Finn?" he asked her.

"Colin tried to get me to go out with him, and Finn appeared somtime later. You?"

"I've known them forever," he smiled, "It's good to be back here."

"I can understand that."

"So," he paused, "Tell me about your boyfriend now."

"Jess?"

"Yes, Jess. Unless you have another one hidden somewhere."

She grinned, "I'm not that kind of girl, Huntzberger."

"So tell me about him."

"Why the interest?"

"Just getting to know you better, making conversation."

"Fine," she exhaled softly, "He's different from any of you guys. He's smart, but even lazier than you are. He pretty much keeps to himself, except for me. But he's funny, and he can be really sweet."

"Colin and Finn hate him."

"I'm aware of that."

"I think he hates them, too."

"No way!" Rory exclaimed sarcastically, "Brillant deduction."

"And that really bothers you, doesn't it?"

She glanced up sharply. Nobody had ever called her out on that before, and she liked to pretend that her discomfort didn't exist, that the tension between her best friends and her boyfriend was nonexistant. But it did bother her, esepcially when they got into full fledged arguments or starting talking about each other to her. There were just some things she didn't want to handle.

"Yeah, it does."

But why was she telling Logan this, exactly?

"What about you? Why no girlfriend?" she inquired, changing the subject.

"I don't do committment, remember?" he explained with a grin.

"Does it cramp your style?" she teased.

"I wouldn't have put it that way exactly. But yeah, I guess it does."

"So you've never had a girlfriend?"

"Never."

"And yet girls practically throw themselves at you."

"I guess I'm just that irrestiable," he smirked.

"And modest too."

"Some of us are just born more gifted than others, I guess," he shot back with a wink.

She shook her head slightly and followed the distant light from his house with her eyes. They fell into a comfortable silence as Rory's eyes drifted from the glowing house to the stars above them. She felt so at ease suddenly, like this was where she was supposed to be. Once they got past the quips and sarcastic remarks, they were discovering a basis for a real friendship. And there was a connection with him that she couldn't quite understand.

"What are your plans for after college?" Rory asked him.

He laughed bitterly, "Yale, as if I have a choice. You?"

"I've wanted to go to Harvard since I could talk basically."

"And I'm sure you won't have a problem getting in," he paused, "I read some of your articles by the way. Good stuff."

"Really? You stayed awake that long?"

"Shocker, I know."

"You're not too bad yourself."

His eyebrows shot up, "I wrote one article."

"And it was very good."

"Well thanks, Ace," he started with a grin.

She nodded slightly and then motioned towards the party, "They're going to think we eloped or something."

"Damn. I forgot to buy a ring."

"Come on," she started walking towards the house, but his hand grasped her arm and pulled her to a halt.

"One more question."

She offered him grin, "Let me guess: what came first, the chicken or the egg?"

"Nothing quite that deep," he said with a laugh.

"Then what?"

He smirked, "Friends?"

She stared at him for a moment, taking in his sincere, yet playful eyes. The conversation they had just experienced kept replaying in her head and she realized that this was a person she did want to share a friendship with. The initial annoyance she felt for him had given way to interest, calm, and almost complete and total trust. Talking to him, really talking to him, had made her see something she never noticed before.

"Yeah," she informed him with a small smile, "Friends."

"Good. Let's go get drunk."

They walked back through the yard to the congregation of their friends on the porch. Colin handed them a both a drink as they neared and then studied them intently. Rory held back a life as she watched her friend's face grow increasingly more confused.

"You don't look like you want to rip his head off," Colin observed.

"We had a good talk," Rory explained.

"That must have been the mother of all conversations."

Logan grinned, "Have another drink, Colin. Where's Finn?"

Rory caught sight of him before Colin could open his mouth. She winced slightly, then nodded her chin to where Finn was standing on the porch railing, dancing wildly to music he could only hear in his head. Logan busted out in laughter, and Rory clamped the palm of her hand over her forehead. Growing up, she never expcted to find friends like these.

"What is he doing?" Stephanie inquired, suddenly appearing behind them.

Logan calmed his laughter slightly, "Dancing. Isn't it obvious?"

"But why is he dancing? like that? on your porch railing?"

"Because he's Finn," Rory, Logan, and Colin replied at the same time.

"Oh well. I guess I'll learn these things."

"This is actually one of the less extreme stunts he's pulled. At least he's not putting his own lives or the lives of innconent bystanders in danger," Logan explained.

Colin groaned, "Please don't make me relive those incidents."

"Oh, just one," Logan began.

Rory laughed as Logan launched into a story about their last Chirstmas together. She had to give him one thing: he sure knew how to tell a good story. It was impossible for her to tear her eyes away as recalled every little detail about one of Finn's more dangerous drunk escapades.

--------

"So, how was your party thing last night?"

Rory leaned her head against Jess's shoulder and turned her attention away from the movie briefly, "It was actually pretty fun."

"Fun?"

He looked at her like she had grown a second head and she shifted her position on the couch slightly. How could she even begin to explain to him why last night was fun for her? He didn't understand her friends. He never would.

"We formed a subparty of Logan's porch, got away from all the old people."

A flash of jealously shot through his eyes, "You and who else? All guys?"

"No. Stephanie was there, and a bunch of other girls who I didn't really know."

"Oh."

"You can trust me," she held complete eye contact with him for a moment, "You know that right?"

"Of course."

"Good."

He leaned down and planted a kiss on her lips. She was instantly more happy about having the house empty for the evening as the kiss intensified. He wrapped his arms around her back as she slid down next to him, brushing her hand lightly against his cheek.

"Is this more or less fun than a subparty?" he whispered in her ear, his voice hoarse.

"More," she murmered back, her lips curling into a smile as she pressed them to his again.

"Good," he said as they pulled apart briefly, "Because if the answer was no I might have gotten a little jealous."

"Just a little?"

"Just a little," he assured with a smirk.

For the briefest of moments, she stared at the expression on his face and couldn't help but thing how much more adorable Logan's was, but then she quickly forced the thought out of her mind. And it didn't take long for it to completely disappear as Jess ran his fingers through her hair and kissed her again.

The ringing of her cellphone interrupted her and she groaned in protest. She considered letting the call go straight to her voicemail, but then reluctantly decided to answer.

"Hello?"

"Hey Ror, we're all heading over to Finn's. You in?" Colin's voice greeted.

"All?"

"Me, Logan, Stephanie, Tristan, a few others."

"Tristan?"

"Can you string more than one word together in a sentence?" he questioned, "And yes, we invited Tristan."

"Why?" she demanded.

"There you go again."

"Fine, let me rephrase that. Why the hell did you invite Tristan?"

"Because he's a cool guy. So, are you in or what?"

She shifted her eyes towards Jess, "I would love to, but I can't. I'm with Jess."

"Oh," Colin replied flatly, "Well, we'll be here all night. So if he goes home, or you get bored, come on over."

"Will do."

"See ya."

Rory closed her phone and slid it onto the coffee table, before turning back to her boyfriend and placing a kiss on his jawline.

"Now, where were we?" she asked, leaning down to press her lips against his.

"Who was that?" he inquired, pushing her away gently.

"Colin."

"What did he want?"

She sighed, "They're having a party at Finn's and they wanted me to go."

"They?"

"Colin, Finn, Stephanie, Logan," she rolled her eyes, "You know very well who they are."

"Do you want to go?"

"What?"

His eyes were shooting sparks, "Do you want to go?"

"Yes, kind of. But I'd rather stay here."

"Are you sure about that?"

"Why are you getting so mad?" she almost yelled, "If I didn't want to be here, I would be on my way there. God, Jess."

"I would love to, but I can't. Sound familar?"

"What? What do you want me to say? That I don't want to go and hang out with my friends? Why does that bother you so much?"

"Why can't you just have normal friends?"

"What qualifies as normal?" she questioned, moving away from him on the couch.

"I don't know. People without servants, and cooks, and maids, and drivers. Maybe even a female every once and awhile."

"Oh my God," she seethed, "Just because they have money doesn't mean they are bad people. I can't help it that every girl I've met from that school, minus Stephanie, has contridicted that first statement."

Her heart was pounding in her chest as she shifted her eyes towards her brooding boyfriend. He had his elbows resting on his knees and his head was dangling towards the ground. She hated fighting about this. Sure, she could see where he was coming from, but she wanted him to show her the same kind of understanding. Colin and Finn, and now Logan and Stephanie, were the only friends she had at Chilton. Colin and Finn had been nothing less than her best friends. She wasn't about to throw that away, but she didn't want to throw away her relationship with Jess either.

"I made the decision to stay here with you tonight, Jess. Can't that be enough?"

He lifted his head up and stared at her for what seemed like an eternity. Rory was growing more and more shaky, until he finally reached over, tucked his hand behind her neck, and pulled her in for a kiss.

"I'm sorry," he told her, "I don't know what got into me."

She shrugged, but she didn't reply.

"Hey," he whispered, "I really am sorry, Rory. I trust you, I do. It's just that sometimes--"

"It's okay," she cut him off, "It's okay."

He kissed her again, "I think I'm going to go."

"You don't have to."

"I know," he paused, "But I think I should. I'll see you tomorrow, okay?"

She nodded.

"And Rory? I think I'm...I, um..."

"Yeah?"

"Nevermind."

"Okay," she smiled weakly, "Good night, Jess."

"Night."

And as soon as he walked out the door, she instantly lept up off the couch and started grabbing her things. She needed to be with her friends tonight, needed to forget the anger and strange emotions the evening with Jess had caused. And most of all, she needed to forget the feeling of dread that was hovering around her.