A/N: Chapter Six has arrived. :] Sorry it took so long.

Sun Down

Chapter Five

Can you not see me anymore?

Logan's head hurt worse than it ever had in his life when he woke up the next morning. He lay there in bed looking up at the ceiling for a long while. When he blinked he remembered. He remembered going to see Maddy. He remembered what she was wearing, or really what she wasn't wearing, which was pants. He remembered getting Joseph to buy them alcohol and he remembered struggling to smoke his first cigarette. It all got hazy after that. All he could remember was Maddy in his lap, her lips on his. Then he remembered Jo. Oh man, what an ass hole he'd been.

He covered his face with his hand as he sat up. Crap. What else came after Jo? Oh right, he puked in the living room.

Logan glanced to Carlos's bed, but it was empty. Which was odd. Carlos was never up before Logan. Then Logan looked at the time. It was only an hour or two before school ended. He had slept all day? He'd missed school? It was the first time in the history of Logan's life. He'd never been absent, save for the weeks they were on tour.

He forced himself out of bed and down the hall. He needed water, aspirin, something. Help.

"Oh, you're up. Finally." Mrs. Knight stood in the kitchen behind the sink.

"Hi." He said, "I'm so sorry Mrs. Knight, I –"

"Logan." She said sternly. "I understand that you are a teenager, and nights like last night are expected to happen." She paused and put on hand on her hip, the other holding onto the counter. "But. If it happens again, I will be calling your mother."

"Oh, thank you so much, Mrs. Knight, it won't happen again." He gave her a hug.

"Now, sit down, let me make you some breakfast and get you some Tylenol."

Logan did as he was told. He was extremely grateful that Mrs. Knight had not called his mother. She would have been so pissed.

Logan ate toaster waffles, every jaw movement made his headache worse, but his stomach was begging for food. He forced it down and then went to take a shower. He'd rather not look like he was hung over when he went to apologize to Jo, get his missed assignments and talk to Madison. He told Mrs. Knight about his plan, but left out the last bit, about talking to Madison. He was sure she wouldn't approve. But he had to talk to her right? To clear things up if nothing else. They'd kissed last night. Well not just kissed, it'd been the most intense making-out he'd ever done that hadn't led to something else. It made him wonder whether or not things would have continued if Jo had not interrupted. He couldn't decide whether or not he was thankful for that. Because having sex with Madison would be well, fantastic. But, where would that have put them? Logan wasn't a one night stand kind of guy, that was James's gig, but while he was extremely curious and even slightly worried about that mysterious beauty, he wasn't sure he wanted to date her. He liked her easily enough, they could talk to each other, and they were friends, right? Logan could date her, but then he realized he was looking at the situation like he had control. Yeah fucking right. Madison could date anyone she wanted, just because she decided she wanted to get drunk and make-out with Logan didn't mean she wanted to date him. So Logan wasn't quite sure where that put him.

As Logan exited the apartment, Buddha Bob came walking up, his trusty plunger resting on his shoulder. How disgusting. He was smiling at Logan, but Logan was flipping out on the inside. Did Buddha Bob know about last night? Was he mad?

"Hey Logan." He said. "Thanks for keeping Madison occupied last night, she was upset I wouldn't let her out, but she seemed like she was in a fine mood this morning."

Logan nodded and mumbled a response, he wasn't even quite sure what he said, but Buddha Bob looked satisfied and when on his way. Logan raced to the elevator. How would she have been just fine? Logan was dying! The lights in the hallway were killing him. But then again, she was a lot more accustomed to drinking than he was. Logan had brushed his teeth three times, he still could taste smoke from those two cigarettes.

What had he been thinking? Smoking? Really? Getting insanely wasted? Why? Because he wanted to be someone else. But as he thought about it, sure he'd been someone else last night, but was it who he really wanted to be? Anything had to be better than who he was now though, right?

He waited outside the Palm Woods classroom for five minutes until school let out. He wondered if the guys or Jo, or Maddy even, had said anything about last night. But like always, people walked right past him. No one said anything to him except for a few 'hello's' as they left the classroom. Then Jo walked out, she glared at him.

"Can I talk to you later?" he asked. She gave him a curt nod.

Maddy came out right behind them. She gave him a brief smile and walked away before he got the chance to say anything to her. What did that mean? Did it mean anything?

Then came Carlos, Kendall and James. He braced himself for the worst because knowing them it would come. He'd never hear the end of this. They would be forty years old one day and they would still be bringing it up and laughing at him. But it made him wonder if when they were forty would Logan even remember Madison's name? Would he remember each and every angle of her face, would he still be able to picture that haunted smile and her lost eyes? Would he remember the way her perfume mixed in with the scent of cigarettes that clung to her constantly? Something told Logan that forgetting Maddy was going to be a feat, if he ever did it. But why would he want to? At least right now. Sure he'd broken curfew, gotten drunk, smoked for the first time, and puked on the living room floor, but those were all things that the old Logan would never do. He didn't want to be the old Logan, he wanted to reinvent himself, even if this wasn't the right way to do it, he was making progress, wasn't he?

"Hey Logan." Carlos said slinging an arm around his shoulder.

James was right there behind him and said, "Well look who it is, don't you look dashing this morning."

Logan glared at James.

"You look pretty fucking hung over." Kendall said humorlessly. Logan could only guess that Jo had told him about his behavior towards her. He hadn't been the perfect gentleman and she did deserve an apology but Logan hadn't been a total asshole, had he? No, he'd just asked if she was pregnant. But that was still bad.

"I'm going to apologize to Jo, so calm the fuck down." Logan said in the same dead tone of voice to Kendall. Logan was so not in the mood. He just wanted to get the work he missed, apologize to Jo, and go to talk to Madison.

Kendall's eyes widened as did Carlos's and James's, but Logan just shook his head and pushed past them. He still had a headache and he wasn't ready to deal with the ridicule that was sure to come. He would accomplish his goals for the day and then he'd lock himself in his room and read so he could forget the real world.

Miss Collin's greeted him cheerfully, the smile, the pink dress and yellow cardigan, the bouncing blond curls reeked of delight and altogether sheer, happy-go-luckiness, it made him want to gag. Normally he didn't mind how peppy and upbeat she was, but he was hung over and the world was irritating him.

"Logan," she said, "you don't look well. Are you alright?"

"I'm just not at my best today. May I have the assignments that I need to make up for today's work?"

"Of course."

He closed his eyes and rubbed his temples, the fluorescent lights up above were so not helping. She came back with a few sheets of paper and told him to feel better. Logan forced a smile and then trudged out of the classroom down the hallway. To Jo's apartment.

Her father opened the door and let Logan in. As long as he wasn't dating her daughter, Mr. Taylor didn't mind his daughter having male friends. Needless to say, he wasn't entirely too fond of Kendall, which was like, unheard of. Everyone always liked Kendall, no matter what. James might be the beautiful one, but Kendall was a natural at everything he did. People flocked to James because he was handsome, but people flocked to Kendall because he was a pretty good mix of everything. It was the first time Logan realized that James wasn't the only one of his friends that he felt some resentment for. Logan practiced singing and dancing and hockey and skating and being adequate at all that his friends did when it just came so natural to Kendall. Logan decided for the moment that he liked Mr. Taylor quite a bit.

Logan knocked on Jo's door; she let him in without a smile. Personally, Logan thought she was over reacting and being a bit ridiculous, all he did was call her Josephine and ask her if she was pregnant. But then Logan remembered that Jo and Camille were best friends and that she was probably madder that he would do something like that to Camille. But the truth was that Camille and Logan were done. At least for now. If they'd be on again, Logan didn't know when it would happen, but he wouldn't lie, he was kind of waiting for it. She was with that Steve guy for a few weeks now and while Logan has tried to distract himself, it didn't always work. Jealousy stirred.

"I'm sorry for last night Jo, I shouldn't have cursed at you or asked if you were pregnant."

Jo shrugged. "I actually wanted to laugh at the last bit, but if I had you wouldn't have listened to me."

"Still, I shouldn't have said it."

"Isn't there something else you shouldn't have done?"

Logan wanted to roll his eyes. She was trying to be all motherly, much like he thought she was being last night. Maybe she really was pregnant, it could be practice. But it was a ridiculous thought that Logan shook from his mind. He wasn't going to tell her that he regretted last night though. It'd be a lie. He didn't regret getting wasted with Madison. As much pain as his brain was in, last night he'd felt liberated and it had been a good feeling.

"No." he said.

She quirked a brow, "really?"

"I had fun last night."

"But what about Camille?"

"What about her? She's with that Steve guy."

"Yeah, but that's a temporary thing, we both know that."

Logan raised his shoulders and said, "I don't. She's barely even been talking to me lately, so I don't know what you, or her, want from me."

"Logan," Jo crossed her arms, "Camille was hurt. You seemed like you got over her so quickly."

"How? Because she cheated on me so I broke up with her? I didn't want to hold her hand because we aren't a couple anymore? I still like Camille, but what lesson would be learned if i didn't change anything? What would stop her from going and kissing Kendall, or Carlos or guitar dude, or James again?"

"It was an accident, Logan." Jo defended.

"That doesn't make any difference, she did what she did, I still like her, maybe after I've licked my wounds for a while, we can get together again, but she's the one who went and got a new boyfriend so fast."

"You went to the movies with that Peggy chick!"

"We didn't even watch it because I felt bad about things with Camille, I went to tell her and she was already with Steve."

"But what about Madison? You brought her to the table."

"She was a new girl that needed some friends. Does that make me a bad person because I invited her into our little social circle?"

"You were making out with her last night!"

"And Camille doesn't make out with Steve? If she can date someone else while we're off, why can't I?"

Jo took a step forward and looked up at Logan, "Are you going to date her though?"

Logan shrugged, because that was the real answer. He really didn't know.

"Isn't that leading her on then?"

Logan actually laughed at that remark. "If anyone is being led on it's me. Have you looked at Maddy?"

Jo looked down at the floor and then said, "Yeah, she's beautiful. That's why I'm concerned."

Logan knew what she meant so he didn't ask. Madison was beautiful. But so was Camille. They were beautiful in different ways, Camille was bright, everything she did involved a smile, she was radiant and it was part of what drew Logan to her. But Madison was dark, everything about her told him that there was some deep, underlying problem that was slowly eating away at her. And the look in her emerald eyes, the blank expression on her angelic face, even her body language, her posture, it all told him there was something wrong, and maybe he shouldn't be but Logan was curious. Curiosity did kill the cat though. When Logan looked at Camille, he automatically smiled. When Logan looked at Maddy he felt this need to help her overcome. He didn't even really quite understand it, especially since he didn't know what was causing her such adversity, but it was there in him, when he saw how broken she looked sometimes, he just longed to help her.

Jo let him leave after that. Logan wasn't sure what he established from that visit and he could only imagine what she would tell Camille, but if Camille wanted to sort things out, she needed to confront Logan directly.

He was off to find Madison then. He expected to knock on her door, but she was sitting there in the hallway her knees pulled up to her chest, and one hand covering her face.

"I'm sorry." She said. He realized that she was on the phone. Maybe eavesdropping again wasn't a good idea, but she hadn't noticed him.

"I just can't, Aaron."

"My uncle won't let me."

"I don't want to, Aaron." She said the last words like she was about to cry. He was still halfway down the hallway but he could hear static from the other end as if someone were yelling at her.

That's when Logan made himself known. He took a few loud steps towards her and said, "hey- oh." Like he just realized she was on the phone.

She looked up at him, with big watery eyes and then said, "I have to go."

She hit a button on the phone and clutched it in her hand until her knuckles turned white.

"Are you all right?" Logan asked kneeling down in front of her. She looked up to the ceiling and tried to blink away her tears. She nodded after a moment and then met his eyes, wiping under her own for any stray tear that may have slipped her eyes.

"Yeah, I'm fine Logan."

He took her by the hand and helped her stand. Maddy let him in to the apartment and they sat at the kitchen table, no words were exchanged. She drew imaginary pictures with her index finger on the table, Logan just watched.

"Who was that?" he asked finally.

"My own personal villain." She replied quietly. "He's also a hero, but lately, he's mostly been a villain."

They sat in silence again, Logan still looking of her face, never tiring of its beautiful features. Sometimes he feels like he could just stare at it forever and he would be happy. But her statement made him wonder, who was her villain, and why was he so terrible? But if he was so terrible, how could he be her hero as well? And if her hero was turning out to be a villain, then maybe she needed a new hero. Maybe Logan could be her hero.

"About last night," she said, "I'm sorry."

Logan felt his heart drop. Did she regret being with him last night? Sharing her cigarettes and alcohol? Did she regret kissing him?

"For?"

"When I talked to Jo today, she said that you and Camille were the off and on thing, so I'm sorry if I messed something up."

Relief washed over him. "No, no, not at all. We are off and on, but we're off right now and she's dating that Steve guy."

"She could do better." Madison said looking at Logan sideways. "Why she gave you up for him is beyond me."

Was that a compliment? Was Maddy telling Logan that he was attractive?

"Well, we broke up because she kissed James." Logan reminded her. He told her about it the first night they sat poolside.

"I know." Maddy said looking back down at the table, "you told me that. But James isn't even all that pretty."

Logan scoffed, had she really just said that? It was the first time Logan hadn't heard a girl rave over how insanely gorgeous his best friend was. Logan decided he liked her more after that statement.

"I mean, he is great looking, sure, don't get me wrong, but you." she paused. "You are so handsome."

He liked her a lot more after that one.

"Really?" Not even Camille has given him such a compliment. Hot and cute aren't as intense or meaningful as old fashioned words such as handsome. His mom and Mrs. Knight have said it to him before, but it's different coming from a girl as beautiful as Maddy.

"Yeah." She shrugged still looking at the table, she was spelling something out now, but he couldn't follow her fingers. "I mean, just everything about you, you're smart as I've figured out sitting next to you. You are just generally charming, and are an all-around gentleman. It just feels like maybe you're the last of a dying breed. Guys just kind of suck now, and looking at you, I feel like there might be hope for the rest of them."

Logan didn't know how to respond to that. He didn't know what to say. Was a thank you good enough for such an immense compliment? Suddenly he was over taken by an urge, and he acted on it. Logan Leaned forward over the corner of the table that divided them and with one hand on her on her hollowed cheek, against her soft skin, he pressed his lips against hers.

The world didn't stop, and it wasn't a fairytale moment, and now that he was sober, and the only taste in his mouth was syrup from his breakfast waffles, he could taste the lingering cigarettes on her breath, but the kiss was nice, and gentle. It was Logan's way of saying thank you. He didn't fall madly in love with her in that moment, in fact he was even feeling some confliction, because he knew he still had feelings for Camille and now he had no alcohol to hide them away. But a kiss had seemed like the right thing to do and now that he was there, kissing her, hand on her cheek, leant over the table, kissing sweetly, not as intensely as the night before, it still seemed right.

When they broke apart, Logan realized that maybe he shouldn't have done that. Maybe he would be leading her on or getting into a relationship that he didn't want and wasn't ready for. But she just looked at him, "So what does this make us?"

"I really don't know." Logan said. He felt like kind of a jerk saying it, but it was the truth. He didn't want a friend with benefits like he had been with Camille, it complicated things, there was no such thing as sex without feelings. But he wasn't sure he just wanted to leave things at friends either. Maybe they could just be friends that shared a kiss or two after an intimate moment or revealing something of meaning. Whatever they were, Logan didn't know how or when he'd find out. It would just happen, maybe something would just develop.

"Okay." There was no hint of resentment or anger, or hurt or disappointment when she said it, just an okay.

A/N: So, how do you like it so far? Logan's being a bit more assertive, yeah?

Review!