A/N: My last chapter got so many visitors, but their weren't many reviews to compensate. I need your feedback so I know where to go next. What couple pairings do you prefer? Who is your favorite character? Please consider leaving a review for this chapter, no matter what you think of it.
Thanks to those who did review or simply liked the story enough to stay. I'll do my best to update regularly. Shoot me some ideas if you want them in the story. I make this stuff up as I go, so anything can happen.
Chapter 9: Drunken Words, Sober Feelings
A couple of songs later, Carlos hobbled back into the club sporting a brand new pair of crutches from the hospital. Stephanie was right by his side, the rest of their friends trailing in behind them. Scarlett and Lucy had just finished the last chorus of a song and were currently retiring backstage.
Lucy placed the guitar back into its case and laid it down on the concrete. She sat down on one of the ridiculously large guitar amps, looking around the quiet, empty space. Scarlett rocked back and forth on the high heels of her shoes.
"Isn't your last name Browning?" Lucy asked, breaking the silence. The way Scarlett had introduced herself had been bothering her for the entire set and she just had to know why. "Who is Scarlett Spade?"
Scarlett's lips twitched, fighting a smile. "Well, I'm not the same person I was a year ago, am I?" she replied thoughtfully. Lucy kept looking at her for a further explanation. "Spade was my mother's maiden name—"
Scarlett turned away when she heard the unmistakable sound of her best friend's four-inch stilettos. Mercedes was running towards her at break-neck speed. Scarlett cringed when she felt Mercedes slam into her, throwing her bracelet-laden arms her and shrieking hysterically. Scarlett's glasses pressed into the bridge of her pert nose.
"You were so frigging awesome out there!" Mercedes pulled back and took hold of Scarlett's limp hands. She bounced around in a small circle, forcing a grin upon Scarlett's face. "There are people out there that want to talk to you. Let's go!"
Scarlett didn't even have time to say goodbye to Lucy and she got the feeling that she wouldn't be seeing her again that night. Mercedes directed Scarlett through the crowd into a mob of Hollywood news correspondents and photographers. Flashbulbs were bursting all around her and sixty questions a second were being thrown at Scarlett. A trendily-dressed woman with purple streaks in her dark hair stepped up first:
"I love your new look! It's just so old-school class!" she chirped, holding an iPhone up to Scarlett's shell-shocked face. "And I love how you mixed blonde hair with black. So hot!"
"Um, wow, thanks," she breathed, pushing her hair away from her face.
An Asian guy in glasses like her own held up a recording device. "Who made your dress?"
"Oh, this was actually a DIY project," Scarlett divulged, swishing her dress' skirt from side to side. "I made it myself."
"Your performance was perfection," a twenty-something year old redhead gushed, "Is this your big comeback in the music world?"
Mercedes nudged Scarlett gently, reminding her to smile for the cameras. "Well, someone's interested in signing me and I might take them up on the offer," Scarlett answered, winking at her friend.
"Scarlett will be able to answer more questions later tonight," Mercedes politely stated. She removed Scarlett from throng of people wielding camera phones. When they were out of earshot, Mercedes bent down close Scarlett's ear and said, "Right now, it's time to have a little fun." The two girls were headed in the direction of the reserved table of Mercedes' father, Arthur Griffin.
As promised, there was a free bottle of vodka stuffed into a bucket filled to the brim with blocks of ice sitting on the table surface. Mercedes plucked the loosened cork out of the bottle opening and instructed Scarlett to line up two glasses.
"Here we go," Mercedes said, pouring the transparent liquid into the tumblers. Scarlett hastily picked up one of them and pounded it like she hadn't had anything to drink in months. A couple drops that had escaped Scarlett's lips dribbled down her chin. The cool, crisp vodka slid down her throat lazily.
Mercedes stared at Scarlett with a raised brow. "Someone's an eager beaver," she laughed, lifting her glass to clink against Scarlett's empty one.
Scarlett shrugged sheepishly. "I just feel a bit rattled after the performance," she explained, gripping her glass. "Vodka takes the edge off, although I'd rather have a scotch." She sank into the mahogany leather of the booth seat. Scarlett could already feel her body getting loose. "So, uh, where's your dad anyway? This is his table."
Mercedes fixed her focus on her Manolos, abruptly going mute. Her dad would always promise to come to all her big events, but at the last minute, he would always back out at the last minute. "He couldn't make it," Mercedes said curtly.
Scarlett shrugged her milky shoulders and dropped the subject. "We should make cocktails!" she suggested excitedly. "Remember the last time we had Cosmos together?"
"Ooh, great idea!" Mercedes twittered, clapping her hands. It was pretty easy to distract her, especially when the distraction involved alcohol. "I'll go fetch the ingredients."
Scarlett threw her head back and let her eyes close. Things seemed quieter when she couldn't see. The darkness behind her eyelids enveloped her, making her feel drowsy.
When Scarlett reopened her brilliant green eyes, James Diamond, followed by the Jennifers, appeared in front of her. "Oh, hello," Scarlett said, smiling.
"Did we wake you, Sleeping Beauty?" James asked jokingly, scooting into her seat.
"Yes, actually," Scarlett shot back, feigning annoyance. "You shouldn't wake a person when they're dreaming. It's bad luck."
James rested his elbows on the smooth surface of the table, his chin in his soft hands. "What were you dreaming about?" he asked gently.
Scarlett's eyes searched James' handsome face for a minute. She had barely heard what he had asked. Her gaze left the boy when Mercedes returned, this time with a burly bartender on her arm. He was holding a platter of cocktail ingredients Mercedes had requested impatiently.
"Anyone in the mood for Cosmos?" Scarlett asked, raising her eyebrows.
"Isn't that a girl's drink?" James asked, narrowing his eyes at the frothy pink concoction the bartender was creating.
"Yeah, but we won't tell anyone," Scarlett teased, handing him the finished masterpiece.
Everyone watched as James took a cautious sip from his glass. James' wary facial expression contorted into one of pure pleasure. "It's alright," he said nonchalantly, putting the drink down.
Mercedes snorted. "Yeah, right. You thought it was amazing," she giggled, poking James' chest playfully.
"It looked like you were having some sort of alcohol-induced orgasm," Curly-haired Jennifer added. Scarlett nearly spat up her drink laughing. She was fairly sure some cranberry juice had gotten into her lungs. She removed the lime wedge from the edge of her cocktail glass and sucked on it. Her eyes squeezed shut when the tangy sourness hit her taste buds.
Mercedes took the opportunity to whip out her phone and snap a pic of Scarlett's cute, pinched face. "I am so posting this on Instagram!" Mercedes squealed gleefully. Her thumbnails tapped furiously across the face of her Swarovski crystal-encrusted iPhone.
"No!" Scarlett squawked, lunging across the table for the sparkly cell. Mercedes hoisted the phone just out of Scarlett's reach.
Mercedes quickly posted the snapshot to the website. "Whoops, too late," Mercedes chirped, tucking her phone back into her pocket. Scarlett stuck her tongue out at her friend and plopped back into her seat. Feeling loose and warm, Scarlett leaned against James' shoulder. James laid his head upon her pale blonde head.
"So...I was shown a recording of your performance," he said softly, his hand brushing Scarlett's fingers. "You were incredible. The audience was in the palm of your hand."
Scarlett shrugged with casual nonchalance, but her beaming emerald eyes were giving her away. It had been ages since she had even sung that song. It had never been recorded, just collecting dust with the rest of the label-rejected lyrics she had painstakingly penned. She had always loved it, even when no one else shared her opinion.
Scarlett was so close to James that when she turned her head, her lips brushed James' clean-shaven jaw. She gently pressed her lips against his cheek discreetly. James was the only one who had noticed.
Scarlett reached for the remainder of her drink. It was immediately snatched away by Mercedes.
"I think you've had enough to drink, missy," she scolded, shaking her head. "You're working tomorrow, remember?" Mercedes glanced from her friend and back to James, who were looking a bit more comfy than they did before.
That's how it had always been for Scarlett. Mercedes had known her for a long while and somehow, she could always attract anyone to her. It actually wasn't much of a mystery. She was beautiful, smart, and enviably talented.
She was a bit of an enigma. No one knew quite everything about her even though her life was the talk of the town. People thought her mysterious personality was attractive. Mercedes found it annoying at times.
Things came to Scarlett easily. People gravitated to her like moths are drawn to light.
Mercedes lowered her eyes, her vision falling beneath their table. She could see Scarlett's slender white pinky wrapped tightly around James' bigger one.
"I guess I'll go get everyone some water," Mercedes mumbled, suddenly feeling defeated.
Blonde Jennifer shot up in her seat. "No worries. I'll do it," she objected with a saccharine smile. If her grin had been any sweeter, caramel would've leaked from her teeth. Before Mercedes could argue, Jennifer headed towards the bar with the other Jennifers following closely behind.
Scarlett cocked her head, her dark eyebrows furrowing in confusion. That was the nicest thing she had ever witnessed Blonde Jennifer do. Screw that, it was the first time Scarlett had seen Blonde Jennifer being nice.
Scarlett shook her suspicious feelings; maybe Jennifer had been loosened up by the alcohol. Or maybe she had something up her sleeve...
"Hi," Blonde Jennifer chirped to the bartender. She perched on a barstool and leaned against the counter coolly. "Can I get five waters in glasses and one more, but mixed with a double shot of Grey Goose?"
The bartender shot her a strange look. The other Jennifers exchanged curious glances.
"I'm trying to have a drink without getting the worst hangover tomorrow morning," Blonde Jennifer explained, lying through her bleached-white teeth. "Put it on Arthur Griffin's tab, please." The bartender nodded and started getting the drinks ready.
"You've already had, like, two glasses," Dark-haired Jennifer pointed out. "I don't think mixing vodka with water is gonna help anything."
Blonde Jennifer rolled her eyes at the dimness of her friend. "It's not really for me, sweetie," she clarified. "It's for Scarlett. I wanna get the flaxen-haired floozy super smashed."
"Why?"
Blonde Jennifer sighed in frustration. "When she's drunk," she continued in a measured tone, "She tends to do some pretty dumb things." Jennifer lowered her voice. "I heard that during her tour, she crashed a car into a tree while intoxicated."
Curly-haired Jennifer gasped, her hand covering her tiny mouth. "Did she get hurt?"
Blonde Jennifer scoffed. "Does she look hurt to you?"
Their eyes all gravitated towards the table. Scarlett was aggressively flirting with James. It was blatantly obvious from the way she tossed her pale gold hair over her shoulder and batted her inky, long lashes from behind her lenses.
Dark-haired Jennifer pouted, her lower lip protruding. "She looks like a goddess, as usual," she mumbled. She picked at a run in her tights absentmindedly.
"Not for long," Blonde Jennifer laughed. The bartender had just finished getting the drinks, complete with tiny cubes of ice.
Jennifer took the tray and brought it back to their table, making sure to hand Scarlett the vodka-tainted glass.
"Thanks," Scarlett said, bringing the glass to her lips. She cringed at the water; she'd had so much vodka that night, everything tasted of it. She ignored it and gnawed on the ice cubes floating around in the glass. After a few more sips, she had begun to feel a bit woozy.
"Hey, are you alright?" James' concerned voice sounded echo-y within her head. His dark, shimmery eyes were burning into her.
"I'm fantastic!" Scarlett exclaimed hysterically. An old Fall Out Boy hit had begun to bubble out of the speakers, the heavy beat pulsing through the marble floors. "Wanna dance?" Scarlett ripped off her borrowed leather jacket and urged James out of his seat.
James shrugged; it didn't really seem like he had a choice. Scarlett all but shoved him onto the dance floor. The two buried themselves in the mass of gyrating bodies and got themselves lost in the crowd.
"Dance, dance," James sang in a high-pitched voice, "We're falling apart to half time!" Scarlett could feel herself falling apart at double time. Images were blurring together in front of her eyes. She smiled widely and flicked her head around, masking the dread creeping into her.
A grin tugged on the corners of James' lips. Scarlett reminded him of a sparkler on the Fourth of July. She lit up the night with her spastic energy. Everyone wanted a piece of her. When someone started grinding up against Scarlett, all traces James' grin dissipated.
"What the hell do you think you're doing?" James barked, yanking Scarlett away from the intruder. Scarlett's curls fell in front of her eyes and she glared at the person who stood before her. Then her cheeks paled to an inhuman shade of white.
A handsome, young man with long, golden locks wearing an irremovable smirk stared back. He was in a crisp dress shirt and was wielding a red SOLO cup half-full of beer.
"I'm just having some fun," he replied in an impossibly smooth voice. His eyes scanned over Scarlett's body in a way that made her feel violated. "You look...healthy. Nice glasses."
"You know this creep?" James spat, clenching his fists. Scarlett was holding him back and failing. She was so drunk, she could hardly stand on her own, let alone hinder someone.
Brett pointed at James. "Is this your new boyfriend?" he pressed, smiling drunkenly. His leering gaze briefly shifted to the sandy-haired boy.
"Shut up, Brett," Scarlett hissed. Her words came out clumsy and slurred.
Brett ignored her. "You don't want to get involved with this one," Brett laughed, jerking his thumb in Scarlett's direction. "She's a great fuck, but she's also trouble." He narrowed his cold, blue eyes. "She's not worth it."
Brett's words cut into Scarlett like a knife. The last part of his comment was like someone had twisted it. Her eyes were starting to sting and people around her had started to stare.
Suddenly feeling claustrophobic, Scarlett turned on her her heel and high-tailed it out of there. She stumbled into a dark hallway outside the club doors, where the coats were hung. Scarlett's back pressed against the wall and she slid down until she hit the cold floor.
James, still inside the club, slowly approached Brett with a steely look in his eyes. Their faces were mere inches away, yet Brett didn't seem intimidated in the slightest by the taller boy.
"You're lucky there are all these people around," James sneered ominously. He shoved past the overly-smug boy and stormed out of the mob to search for Scarlett. Ducking into the coat-check hall, he shut the club doors behind him and was immediately engulfed in a sea of blackness.
James held his hand in front of his face. He couldn't see it. The sound of music was muffled by the solid concrete walls. "Scarlett...," James whispered impatiently. "Where are you?"
James jumped when he felt a tug on his pant leg. "I'm right here," Scarlett answered below. She pulled her knees to her chest as James sank down beside her and landed with a soft thud.
James made a sound of annoyance. "Gosh, why is it so dark in here?" He dug his hand into the back pocket of his dress pants, shining its dim light in the air. He aimed it towards Scarlett's face for a moment. Her lovely pale face was tinged red in mortification.
James sighed and crossed his lanky legs. He had the feeling he'd be there for a while; he might as well get cozy. "Whatever happened between you and that guy is none of my business. You don't have to explain anything."
Scarlett let out a shaky breath. James was a sweetheart when he wasn't being all suave or focusing on himself.
"We never slept together," Scarlett blurted out, "He's going around bragging to people that we did something that we didn't do and people are gonna believe him." Scarlett fiddled with the arm of her glasses.
James set his phone down between them. The soft glow illuminated both of their faces. James lifted up Scarlett's chin and asked, "What can I do to make you feel better?"
The alcohol in Scarlett's system was going to her head. The more intently she stared at James, the prettier his features seemed. His glittering eyes were more glittery, his rosy cheeks were rosier, and his lips...oh, those lips. They were so soft and pink and Scarlett couldn't help but let her mind wander about what they felt like.
"What are you thinking about?" James asked, bursting her thought bubble. The smile he was wearing made her heart beat fast. But maybe it was the alcohol...
"What it would be like to kiss you," Scarlett whispered, breathing in James' cologne.
James didn't seem the least bit caught off guard. He closed the gap between the two of them and pressed his lips against hers. It was gentle, and sweet, and...wow.
James broke away from her, his hand resting on her own. "So what did you think?" James asked playfully. "Did it live up to your expectations?"
Scarlett didn't say anything. Instead, she grabbed James by the back of the head and kissed him forcefully. And this time, it was anything but gentle.
Back in the club, Nova was searching for the teenagers, frustrated by her results. All but two had been located: James and Scarlett. Nova had called them both on their cells, but neither had picked up. Where the hell were they?
Scarlett's aunt went up to Logan, the first person she saw, and tapped him on the shoulder frantically. He turned around and blinked, startled.
"Uh, what's up?" he asked, frowning.
"Have you seen my niece or James around?" she asked. "I want to remind them that we're leaving in half an hour and I have no idea where they are." Her almond-shaped eyes were wide and panicked.
"I haven't seen them in a while," Logan admitted. When Nova grimaced, he added, "You want me to look around?"
"Ooh, that would be great!" Nova sighed happily, clasping her hands together. "If you see them, tell them to stay in my sight." Logan nodded and walked off. He glanced at his girlfriend, who was on the dance floor with Stephanie. He'd have to meet up with her later.
Logan knew James and Scarlett couldn't be on the dance floor. He and Camille had covered that whole area, never one bumping into them. They weren't at their booth, either. Logan decided to check out the hallway, partly to get away from the noise.
A second later, he was surrounded by complete darkness. Logan groaned and groped along the walls for a light switch. He stopped in his tracks when he heard a noise down the hall.
Turning his phone light on, Logan tentatively followed the sound. "Scarlett, are you in here?" he called out. "James?"
Logan heard a bit of scuffling and muttering before he got a response. "Yeah, um, it's James," a voice answered.
"Hold on, I think I found a light."
"Wait, no-"
Logan flipped a light switch on and was surprised to see James and Scarlett...together. Logan was no genius (well, he kind of was), but he didn't need to be one to deduce what had been going down just a second ago.
James' hair was ruffled beyond belief and his tie had been loosened. Their were hints of creamy red lipstick on his collar as well as a few buttons of his shirt undone. Scarlett dress had ridden up slightly, her glasses were askew, and the back of her dress was unzipped halfway down. They both looked sweaty and guilty.
"What the hell..." Logan trailed off. "Good Lord, how hard is it for you people to keep your hands off each other? You realize Gustavo could fire you over this?!"
James took a step towards his friend. "And who's going to tell him?" he asked, eyebrow cocked.
Logan clenched and unclenched his jaw. He was a total goody two-shoes, but he wasn't going to rat his friend out.
"Okay, who started this?" Logan asked wearily. Scarlett raised her hand sheepishly, her head down.
"I did, but I shouldn't have," she slurred, her legs wobbly.
Logan raised his eyebrows and shook his head at Scarlett's glassy-eyed expression. "My God, are you drunk?"
Scarlett look away. She felt ashamed, and dirty, and used. Not that it was all James' doing.
Logan pointed at James accusingly. "You took advantage of her," he said in a measured tone.
"No, he didn't!" Scarlett argued.
"I've had just as much to drink as she has," James insisted.
Logan took a deep breath and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Okay, James, you need to head back into the club. Scarlett, you're going back to your house with Nova."
James shrugged in nonchalance and swaggered back into the club. The second he had left, Scarlett roughly grabbed Logan by the shoulders.
"You can't tell Nova about this!" Scarlett pleaded. "She'll kill me. Then she'll resuscitate me and kill me all over again!"
"That's not really possible," Logan pointed out, still in Scarlett's iron grip. "Besides, you have to tell her. She's your guardian."
Scarlett bit her lip. "Please don't make me feel worse," she huffed, letting go of Logan's jacket.
"Sorry. Look, do you want me to call you a cab or something?"
Scarlett buried her fingers in her platinum locks and threw her head back. "You know what, I'll just stay in the bathroom until I sober up."
"The bathroom. Really, you'd rather do that?"
"Yes, I would. I happen to like bathrooms very much."
"Oh, yeah, 'cause the smell is just so enticing," Logan said, his voice dripping with sarcasm.
Scarlett folded her arms over her chest. "God, this is ridiculous!" she exclaimed. Her eyes were squeezed shut behind her glasses, her head facing the ceiling.
After a tense moment of silence, Logan said, "Look, I was planning on heading out anyway"-complete lie-"I'll take us both back to the Palm Woods."
"Fine," Scarlett agreed. "Let's just go." Scarlett hurried towards the back entrance and almost tripped over her own foot, careening forward. Logan charged forward, catching Scarlett around the waist before she fell. Scarlett clung to him desperately as he hoisted her upright...and into him.
"Uh...," Logan stammered, only letting go of Scarlett after a few moments. "Sorry...again."
Scarlett opened her mouth to say something and nothing came out. When Logan had pulled him towards her, she had almost thought that maybe, just maybe he had been about to kiss her. The way he had been staring into her eyes with that caring look in his eyes...
"Scarlett?" Logan said, waving a hand in front of her eyes. Scarlett blinked, feeling her cheeks heat up. "Do you want me to, uh...?"
"I can walk on my own, thank you," Scarlett replied briskly.
"Yeah, I could tell by the way you just tripped over your own foot two seconds ago." Logan snaked his arm around Scarlett's bitty waist and walked her outside through the back door.
The only lights outside were those of the flickering streetlights, the full moon, and the twinkling stars. Gravel crunched under Scarlett and Logan's shoes as they made their way to the red convertible.
"We're taking the Big-Time-Rush-Mobile?" Scarlett asked. "How are the others gonna get home?"
"Kelly will send a limo," Logan shrugged. He opened the passenger-seat door for Scarlett and circled around the car, getting into the driver's seat. "Have you got your seat belt on?"
Scarlett rolled her eyes. She reached for the buckle and pulled it over her body. Being that her vision was a bit impaired, she was having a hard time getting the buckle in.
"Let me," Logan offered exasperatedly, leaning over. Scarlett's fingers tingled as Logan took the seat belt from her and buckled her in securely. He quickly shot a text to James to tell the others they had left.
Logan ignited the engine of the convertible and pulled out of the club parking lot. Scarlett absently wound a thick strand of dyed black hair around her ring-clad index finger.
When they rolled to their first stoplight, Logan broke the deafening silence. "Why did you have to hook up with James, of all people?" he asked finally.
Scarlett didn't even know the answer to that one herself. She had let her drinking get out of control and one thing led to another...it wasn't her fault, really. Kind of.
"Nothing was going to happen," Scarlett assured him.
"Oh, really? I know James, and if I hadn't shown up, he would've-"
"I don't want to talk about this." Scarlett shifted to face the open window. The stoplight turned green and Logan gently nudged the gas pedal, speeding forward. The brisk wind whipped Scarlett's platinum-blond around her face. Every few minutes, Logan would sneak a brief glimpse at her hardened features and look away when he remembered they were hardened by him.
The sky was even darker when the two arrived back at the Palm Woods. Logan held on to Scarlett to steady her as they ambled into the hotel. At the front desk, Bitters was in his blue-and-white striped pajamas, complete with a nightcap. His cheek was laying on the keyboard in front of his computer monitor and a bit of drool was leaking out the side of the mouth that had been left ajar.
"That's attractive," Scarlett muttered sarcastically. Logan bit back a chuckle.
The lobby was totally empty, free of the teenagers and tweens that normally littered the place. It was kind of nice. Chaos was the last thing Scarlett needed right then.
She and Logan got into the elevator. Logan was just about to press the third floor button when his finger froze.
"Do you have your room key with you?" he asked, his eyes flickering to Scarlett. She quickly checked the pockets of her dress and let out a groan.
"I left my purse at the club," she uttered slowly, covering her face with a palm.
Logan's hand went to the back of his neck. "Um...Okay, we'll just hang in 2J for a while, then," he decided, biting his lip. He held down the second floor button and stared up at the ceiling. He could feel Scarlett's eyes on him, but he wouldn't meet her gaze.
After what felt like an eternity, the elevator doors finally parted. Logan led Scarlett into 2J, holding the front door open for her. He flipped the lights on to reveal the silent, empty apartment.
"Looks like Mrs. Knight and Katie have gone to bed," Scarlett remarked with a curious glint in her green orbs. She perched down on the arm of the orange couch. "Guess we have the apartment to ourselves."
Logan could have laughed at the irony of their situation. He had envisioned himself going home with a girl, just for a different reason. And with a different girl.
"I'll be back with a glass of water," Logan announced. Scarlett watched him vanish into the kitchen.
Opening the refrigerator, Logan reached inside and grabbed the handle of a pitcher of water. He couldn't stop seeing James, one of his best friends, and Scarlett, the ex that had popped back into his life, together. He was over Scarlett, obviously, so why was it such a big deal to him that they had hooked up? It wasn't even his job he was concerned about. Something else was eating away at him.
Logan stepped back into the living room, cup in hand. Scarlett was no longer on the couch.
"I'm in here," Scarlett called out from down the hall. Logan walked over and found the blonde in the bedroom he and Kendall shared. She was holding a small picture frame in her hands. Enclosed, their was a photograph of Logan and Camille. They were sharing a cone of cotton candy at a carnival, staring lovingly into each other's eyes.
Scarlett felt a familiar twinge in her stomach. She'd never taken a photo of she and Logan when they had been together.
"Cute picture," Scarlett commented insincerely, placing the frame back onto its place on Logan's dresser. She trudged past Logan and sat down on his comforter. She crossed her silky smooth legs, blinking at Logan expectantly.
He handed her the cup of water, awkwardly standing in the middle of the room.
Scarlett's red lips twitched with mirth. "You wanna maybe sit down?" she asked teasingly.
Logan gingerly sat down on the mattress across from her, Kendall's bed. Scarlett looked annoyed. "What, you can't sit next to me?" she snapped. Then she added playfully, "Afraid I'll come on to you?"
"I'm fine right here, thanks," Logan replied, unbuttoning his sports coat. He pulled it off laboriously, left in his tucked-in dress shirt.
Scarlett shrugged and hopped off of the mattress. "Whatever floats your boat," she sighed. Her eyes wandered around the tiny bedroom. She smirked at Logan's side of the room. It was tidy, clean, and the crazy organization was bordering on OCD. At times, Scarlett wished her life could be like that: orderly and arranged. Instead, she had a mess of broken, scattered pieces.
Logan grasped the untouched cup of water Scarlett had left on his bedside table and swallowed down a swig. He observed Scarlett closely from behind the glass. Her wide-eyed look reminded Logan of a child let loose in a candy store. If he wasn't so pissed off at her, he would've smiled.
"Have you ever had sex?"
Logan nearly choked on his sip of water. Close to hacking up his lungs, Logan exclaimed in a strangled voice:
"What?!"
Scarlett wasn't sure what had prompted her to ask that question. It had just popped out of her mouth before it could be stopped. Not that she wasn't dying to know.
"With Camille, I mean," Scarlett clarified.
Logan's face reddened, as well as his neck, and, well, everywhere else. "W-why is that any of your business?"
The ends of Scarlett's lips curled devilishly. "You know, when someone answers a question with another one, it means they don't want to reply."
"Yeah, well, when someone asks you a nosy, inappropriate question, you tend to not want to answer it," Logan countered.
Scarlett grinned, nodding understandingly. "You're right, I get it. Sorry."
Logan raised his glass and took another sip. Scarlett settled down beside Logan, causing the mattress springs to squeak under her weight. Their knees touched together unconsciously.
"You're gonna have the worst hangover tomorrow," Logan chuckled, resting his head on the wall behind him.
Scarlett groaned dramatically and fell back onto Kendall's navy-blue and plaid bed sheets. "I know!" she laughed dryly. Scarlett shook her head. "Logan...I'm sorry about ruining your night," she added seriously. "I'm not usually this bad."
"I wasn't having much fun anyway," Logan confessed, staring out his bedroom window. How could he have? He had spent the majority of his night babysitting his slightly immature group of friends. Camille had been the only highlight of his night.
"You need to let loose once in a while," Scarlett advised. She kicked her legs into the air, her shoes flying across the room and landing on Logan's bed. "Have a bit of fun. It's your job as a teen."
Logan snorted. "If I let loose, all hell breaks loose. Someone has to be there to keep the other guys in check."
"It shouldn't have to be you."
"If I don't do it, who will?" Logan retorted.
"You know, I bet that's what Camille likes so much about you," Scarlett murmured sleepily. "You've got a good head on your shoulders, Mitchell."
Logan didn't say anything. It was hard to distinguish whether Scarlett was being facetious or not when she was so wasted. He took another sip of water from his bedside table and nodded along.
"I remember when we first met, I thought you were a total smart-ass," Scarlett giggled.
Logan couldn't distinguish whether he was angered or amused by this. "What?! Why?"
"You just had that vibe about you," Scarlett explained, like it was no big deal.
"Yeah, well, my first impression of you wasn't all that nice, either," Logan said challengingly.
Scarlett raised her eyebrows in interest and she sat up straight. "Oh?"
"From the start, you never seemed to want to follow the rules," Logan continued, "You tried so hard to be a badass." Not that she had to try.
"You know you all loved it," Scarlett teased. "Besides, it's not like you didn't get annoying sometimes, knowing all the right answers all the time...although, I admit, I thought it was kind of hot." After a pause, she added, "I still do."
Logan felt his face burn when her words fully registered. "Um..."
"I remember the first time you and I really talked, like really talked," Scarlett went on, averting her eyes. "You smiled this shy, crooked grin and I just thought, 'God, I want to kiss him'."
Logan tried to swallow and found his throat had gone dry. He looked down at his hands to find that they were shaking. How could she make him so nervous? "Can we not talk about—"
"Logan, I really want to kiss you right now," Scarlett whispered. She put her hand over Logan's and the shaking stopped.
And then she passed out.
Logan sat there frozen and stared at Scarlett's limp body on Kendall's Spider-Man blanket. He realized his hand was still in her own and yanked himself away.
"She didn't mean that, she didn't," Logan said to himself, backing away from Kendall's bed.
Could she have meant it? Drunken words were sober feelings, right? Logan mentally pinched himself and shook the silly thought out of his head.
Still, the possibility that a part of Scarlett (even if it was the drunken part) still had feelings for him made Logan weirdly giddy.
Logan nearly jumped out of his skin upon hearing the front door slam open.
"Hey, Logie! We're back!" shouted Kendall from the living room. He tossed his jangling keys onto the neon-orange couch. James and Carlos nearly trampled him to get to the television remote.
"Where's Logan?" Camille asked, ducking under Kendall's arm to enter the room. Stephanie and Lucy followed in suit.
On cue, Logan waltzed into the living room. He smiled as Camille's face lit up. He took her hand in his and pressed a kiss against her cheek. She buried her face in his shoulder.
"How come you left early?" she murmured. "We could have left together, maybe hung out at my apartment."
"Sorry," he apologized, wrapping his arm around her, "Scarlett really wanted to leave. She conked out the moment her head hit the pillow." He knew it was a lie, but he wanted to avoid getting anyone in to trouble. Mainly himself.
Camille tried not to look suspicious or annoyed, but she knew her face was probably betraying her. The thought of her boyfriend and his ex together just made her a bit peeved.
"Where is the party princess anyway?" Lucy asked, turning to Logan. He pointed down the hall towards his room.
"Back in a sec." Lucy took off in the direction of Logan's finger.
She exited the bedroom a second later with a hammered Scarlett slung over her shoulder. "Where are we going?" Scarlett mumbled sleepily.
"Don't worry, you'll be back in bed soon," Lucy grunted, struggling under Scarlett's weight.
Kendall turned away from the TV. "You're leaving?" he asked. He sounded disappointed.
"Scarlett's basically dead, so we should really head out," she yawned. When she saw Kendall's smile turn into a grimace, she added, "We should hang tomorrow, though."
Kendall nodded enthusiastically, leaping off of the couch and across the room. He pulled open the front door and grinned as Lucy made her way out. When he shut the door, James started laughing hysterically.
"What's so funny?" Stephanie piped up, confused. She fiddled with the cast of Carlos' crippled leg in her lap.
James wiped a tear from his eye. "Dude, just ask her out already!" he laughed, shaking Kendall's shoulders. "Seriously, or I'll do it for you."
"I will," Kendall claimed unconvincingly, "...in time."
"'In time' means 'never'," Logan whispered to Camille. She snickered, shaking her head.
Camille's phone buzzed in her purse. She pulled away from Logan and fished her cell out of her bag, scanning over the new text.
"I should get going," she announced suddenly, "I've got an audition early tomorrow morning." She gave Logan a tiny peck on the cheek and squeezed his hand. "See ya," she whispered, walking herself to the door.
"Right," Logan replied distractedly. His head was engulfed with the possible scenarios that might unfold the next day. Would Scarlett remember anything she had said? Would it change things between them?
He wouldn't admit it, but he was kind of hoping it would.
A/N: Thanks for reading! I loved writing this chapter. I apologize sincerely for the long wait. I've been having flash drive trouble and a bunch of my fanfiction stuff was deleted. I'll try to update more quickly, I promise :)