Chapter 8

It was refreshing seeing Lloyd again, even though I could tell he had a lot to worry about, which I doubt he wanted to talk about in front of his employees... or me for that matter. He has always been very protective and will rather carry his troubles by himself than burden others with them. He could be quite stubborn at times.

It was a little weird being with Logan's friends so casually. They were really sweet and I have to agree with grandma. I might have been a little prejudice because of the rumors swirling around about that group of youngsters, but so far none of those rumors seem to have any truth to them.

My Sunday had been going with work and homework. Charlie had called to ask where I went to Brady's party and I was just about to tell him about being drugged, but I kept it for myself. I still didn't know who did it or what the person's intentions where, so it was no use making my best friend worried and angry for nothing. It's just that… this is not "nothing". This is something because for all I know it could has been someone with very bad intentions and…

Stop it, Cailyn! Don't think like that! It was probably just a prank. It's not like those people at the party like me – except for Charlie, but he doesn't count. It could practically have been everyone and… Oh God, here I start again. I really need some distraction and that's where Logan came into the picture because just as I'm rambling on and on in my thoughts, I'm on my way to his place. Unfortunately I'm not alone. Apparently I wasn't the only one to think that the Hales would be good company today. The walk with my slightly drunk mother makes me wonder why I let my car stay at the garage even though it needs it. She is an embarrassment and not in the typical teenager my-parents-is-so-embarrassing-way, but in the my-mom-just-drank-a-bottle-of-whiskey-before-we-left-and-is-now-walking-with-her-only-daugter-in-a-mini-skirt-way. I just want this dreadful walk to be over and disappear into Logan's room with some games as usual.

My mother and I doesn't talk on the way there – unless you count her complaining about how I hide my feminine curves under jeans and my red hoodie and how I really should think about getting bigger boobs – and when we finally gets there, I'm quickly to leave her be with Logan's mom and knock on my childhood friends door.

"Yeah?" is the only answer and I walk right in. He nods and returns to his game. I can see he's playing Call of Duty: Black Ops, but I don't won't to interrupt, as I can see it's going quite well for him. I throw myself on his bed and sighs.

"I hope my car will be done soon. It might have been a drag to play my mother's driver, but that's nothing compared to walk with her" I sigh and Logan chuckles quietly without taking his eyes of the plasma TV he has plugged his beloved X-box into.

"Don't worry I'm helping Kyle on your car. It will be done in no time" he simply says and I roll over, so that I can look at the screen. For a while the only sound there is, are Logan's fingers pushing the buttons on the controller.

"Do you mind if I start hanging out with Kyle and the others?" I ask after thinking about it in a couple of minutes.

"Why would I?" he simply retorts still not taking his eyes of targets and dyeing visual characters. I shrug.

"It would be harder to pretend not to know each other… and they're your friends. Anyway it's only if they want to be around me. It could be nice to have some company that doesn't think a broken nail is the end of the world or drinking your senses far away is the way to stay on top" I smile thinking about Charlie's friends who I usually hang out with – only because of Charlie of course. I wouldn't be able to stand them if it wasn't because of my best friend.

"I still don't get way you keep up with them. They remind me of brainless birds. Always thinking they are better than everyone else" it's not the first time we talked about the company I'm keeping, which is way I don't answer as he already know why I keep up with them.

"Sarah, Josh and especially Kyle like you, so you really don't have to ask me if you can hang out with my friends" he says after a few minutes of silence.

I bow over the edge of the bed and give him a kiss on the cheek.

"It's so nice of you to lend me your friends, as I seem incapable of making my own" I say in a sweet and joking voice which makes him chuckle again.

"You're welcome" he says playfully and I hit him on the arm.

"Auch! How the hell do you expect me to use the joystick if you make me a cripple" he complained and I laughed. He had paused the game so that he could rub one hand on the place I hit him.

"Sensitive little boy" I mocked. He glared at me.

"Just because you got fists of iron doesn't make me a…" he was interrupted by the door opening. We looked up at the intruder in surprise, as there was never anyone who disturbed us. Both of our mothers was either too drunk to remember the fact that they had kids or wouldn't bother coming to see how we were as they never cared. But the one to stand in the door, looking at us with disbelief wasn't any of our mothers.

It was Kyle.

"Hi" Logan calmly said as if it was completely normal for him to walk in like that, which it probably was, but not with me there as well.

"I guess the cat is out of the bag now, huh?" I whisper to Logan who smiles.

"You're the only person I know who would use an expression like that" he teases back. We both look back at Kyle who's still staring at us with the same expression and I can't help but think who funny he looks. I can't stop myself from laughing. Logan smirks slightly and Kyle slowly seems to get over the shock. He frowns as he closes the door.

"I was under the impression that you two didn't know each other. What's going on?" he asks Logan, who is as calm as ever. I, on the other hand, am laughing so hard that it hurts. I slowly gain control over myself and rolls over so that I'm lying on my stomach again.

"You really should have seen your face" I sigh with laughter in my voice, which only makes him glare at me, but it seems like… no, that must be my imagination. For at split second I thought he was blushing slightly.

"We're childhood friends and because our mothers enjoy to have drink together from time to time, we might as well hang out" Logan explains and I roll my eyes at how much of an understatement it is about the 'drink from time to time'.

"Wait… does that mean that you two have known each others for years?"

"Duh" I answer before Logan even opens his mouth.

"Why so secretive?" I could see a glimpse of betrayal in Kyle's eyes, but I guess I understand that. They are best friends and probably talk about everything – the way guys talk about stuff; with a beer in one hand and a pool table between them. Ok, I can't actually see them as pool playing kinda guys, but then a controller in the hand and faces directed at Logan's plasma.

Both Logan and I shrug. It has just always been that way… for some reason. I don't even remember how it started, but neither of us minded. Maybe it was just because our friendship was connected to our mothers, which we both find extremely embarrassing and by keeping our friendship hidden, we keep the part about our mother's habits hidden too. Or maybe it's something else entirely. Who cares anyway? It worked fine for us so far.

"So do I need to find out that you are an undercover agent on my own too or are you giving me a heads up?" Kyle jokes, but the lack of a smile kind of ruins the joke part.

"Relax dude. That's probably the only thing I've kept from you, man. It's no biggie" it was a little weird hearing Logan use a word like "biggie", but then again, I've never really seen the two of them together. I don't know how they talk to each other, what they have in common, what they dislike about each other – if there even is anything. I hope to find out sooner or later, especially because I want to know more about Kyle. I don't know why he seems so interesting to me, but even if I barely spend any time with him, I can already tell that… that what? That I like him? That I want to be friends? That I think he's a nice guy? I really don't know if he actually is nice or if he's just playing with me, but as Logan's best friend I know I can trust him. I don't feel like there's some ulterior motive to his actions or that he is the kind of guy to trick others in any evil way. He seems to sweet and… not simple. What's the word?

"But it…" source to my messed up thoughts starts out, but Logan simply cut him off.

Is it naïve? Nah, seems to strong, but what can it be? Come on you stupid word, come to me!

"No frowning allowed, kid" Logan smirks and Kyle's face break into a grin as Logan calls him kid in a way only Lloyd could have said it better. I smile and wonder if I should just take my leave and let those two sort out their... whatever.

I pull myself up in a sitting position before standing up and stretching.

"Well, I'll just let you two girls have your fun" I said teasingly and winked at them, before I went towards the door.

"Where do you think you're going? Get back here so that I can kick your ass in Forza Motorsport 3" Logan demands. Oh, that must lean heavily against blackmail. How can I possibly refuse a chance to kick his ass in one of his own games?

"Prepare to cry, sweetie" I grab the controller he's handing me and position myself on the edge of the bed with my legs crossed. After getting over his surprise, Kyle smirks and sit besides Logan in the black beanbag – Logan is sitting in the green one.

It doesn't take long for Logan and me to pick our cars even though there are hundreds to choose from. It's far from the first time we played this game and it won't be the last. It's hard to say beforehand who's going to win, because I have won almost as many times as Logan. I won't admit it to him, but he's a little better than me, but not good enough for him to win all the time. We're almost on the same level and it really isn't my fault for being a tiny bit worse than him. He's probably practicing without me a lot and as I don't have the game I can't really do the same.

"Ready?" he asks as always as the countdown begins.

"Are you?" I retort and then the race is on.