Quinn held back a yawn as she made her way to the auditorium. Today was the day of Winston's seminar, something she had been looking forward to all week, but now she wanted to be anywhere but there. She never realized her friendship with him could cause such problems in her relationship. Then again, she never expected Logan to act like such a jerk to her. After she had left him and their friends in the lounge, she had taken a long hot shower, hoping to ease some tension and to make it seem less obvious that she had been crying. By the time she returned to her room, she was physically exhausted, but mentally, she was running full steam ahead. She tried drinking warm milk, counting sheep, and even attempting to create a better form of sleeping medication, but nothing worked. Even when her roommates came back into the room, she lay there pretending to sleep as her mind cursed her with endless thoughts. Did her fight with Logan mean that he didn't trust her enough? What was going to happen to them now? Was he going to break up with her because of their fight?
She had her phone in her hands the entire night, wishing he would call or send a message, but nothing came through. By the time she had given up and tried to get some rest, the sun had come up, and it was time to start the day. She had gone through the motions of getting ready, Lola and Zoey attempted to make small talk, asking how she was, but she wasn't really in the mood for chatter. All she wanted to do was curl back in her bed and stay there for the rest of the day.
Groaning, she sipped on her coffee, a cup size bigger than usual, but she needed caffeine today. She could only hope that Winston wouldn't want to go out to eat afterward because she could really use a nap. A lot of people had shown up for the lecture; many were reporters looking to do a story on the boy genius who would be talking about his latest theories and his new book release. He was telling Quinn a bit about it last night at dinner, and she had been so excited to hear it all live. Now she felt shame and anger whenever she thought about last night.
Taking another sip, she rounded the corner, ready to take her place in the front row, when she stopped in her tracks. Standing at the entrance of the auditorium's door was Logan, wearing a nice black dress shirt and his favorite pair of jeans. He held a single yellow tulip, her favorite color and flower, in his hands. When he spotted her, his eyes lit up, and he smiled so wide the tips of his lips reached to his ears. "Hey," he walked up to her, twirling the flower between his fingers as he did so.
To say she was shocked to see him would be an understatement. "What are you doing here?"
He shrugged, the smile never leaving his face. "To see you."
"Really?" she asked, biting her lower lip as she tried to get her emotions in check.
"Of course, why wouldn't I want to see you." He wanted to see her every day.
She shrugged her shoulders, seeming unsure about everything. "I thought after last night you would avoid me, and then when you never called me last night, I thought…" she held her tongue. She didn't feel like talking about what she thought last night meant. Usually, before bed, they would call each other and fall asleep to the other's voice.
He held out the flower for her to take, "Sorry, I got a little distracted. I spent most of last night trying to find a flower shop that would open in time and deliver this before the seminar started."
She looked at him momentarily, taking in his feature and listening to his words. Determining that he was being sincere, she took the flower into her free hand. "Thank you, it's beautiful." She took a small whiff of the bud; suddenly, it felt like all the tension in her body had just disappeared.
"Just like you," Logan laughed, knowing he was being a sap, but he didn't care. She deserved to hear those words because it was true. "Quinn, I'm so sorry about last night. I was such a jerk." This was when the apology came in, and he had a lot of apologizing to do.
She shook her head, "It's okay,"
"No, it's not." He stopped her before she could write him off and forget about what happened. "I was acting stupid and taking my issues onto you because I was jealous." Forgetting what happened last night meant it could happen another time, and he never wanted a fight like that to occur ever again. He hated that he was the source of pain for his girlfriend. That her tears came because of his poor words. He needed to make things right now.
She seemed so surprised by that. "You were jealous?" it was hard to imagine him being jealous of anything. Even though she knew how he came off was mostly just an act, he really was happy with his life and what was in it. It was rare for him to say that he was envious of anything or anyone else.
He nodded, "I was jealous of how much time you were spending with Winston because I thought you would realize you have more in common with him than you do me, and you'd want to break up." That was the source of all his anger and problems. He didn't want her to settle being with him or coming in second place to some other guy. He wanted to be first place in her heart, and it scared him that some other guy could so easily worm his way inside. He was so terrified of losing her that he acted without thinking about what his actions and words could do.
Shaking her head and silently laughing to herself, Quinn stepped forward to place a chaste kiss on his cheek. "You really are a heedless boy, but you're mine, and I wouldn't have it any other way."
Logan made a fist, not bothering to hide the cheer of victory he did. He had no idea what that word was that she called him, but he didn't care. All that mattered was that she forgave him and still wanted to be with him. "However," he instantly stopped, trying not to gulp when he saw how serious she seemed to look. "You really hurt me last night, so I think a punishment is in order." She raised her chin to him, letting him know she was in charge and this was not a matter up for debate.
He gulped but nodded. "Okay, yeah, that's fair." It was understandable that she would still be mad at him, and he'd do whatever she wanted. Be it some weird science experiment or make him buy some crazy chemicals or whatever she wanted. He would do it, no questions asked.
"No Eskimo kisses for a week." She took one final sip of her coffee, chucking the half-empty to-go cup into a nearby trash can. Suddenly she didn't feel the need for caffeine.
Logan began to stutter, "What, no! Come on, Quinn," he could handle being experimented on but going a full week without being able to do an Eskimo kiss to her. "That's beyond cruel."
She could only chuckle, "Keep it up, and I'll make it no kisses at all." She laughed out loud when she saw the look of pure fear on his face. Not many people knew this, but Logan Reese craved some form of affection on a daily basis. It was a secret she was proud to say that only she knew. Stretching out her arms, she motioned with her head for him to come closer. "Come here you." Happily, both embraced each other in their arms, holding tight and pulling the other closer. It had only been a day, but they both missed each other so much. "I am sorry too, you know." She pulled back, her arms wrapped around his neck while she still held the flower in between her fingers. "I didn't realize that by spending so much time with Winston, I was neglecting you and making you feel so insecure." She wouldn't admit it out loud, at least not yet, but hearing him say that he was jealous felt a little nice. When she was dating Mark, she was the only one who ever felt jealous. He never seemed to care who she was with or how often she hung out with them. It really made their relationship seem a lot more one-sided than she realized. She still felt terrible that she put Logan in that same position she was once in, but she was also very flattered at the same time.
Logan shrugged, trying to play it off, relaxed and unbothered. "Hey, I get it. You were excited about talking with somebody about science." He remembered her words from last night, how she was so caught up in finally being able to discuss a subject that she loved and was important to her. "Sort of like how everyone is talking about using water-splitting powered by solar electricity and how it could be an effective way to store sunshine as chemical energy."
If Quinn thought seeing Winston do a complete 180 in his look from nerd to dreamboat was astonishing, hearing Logan talk about scientific discoveries was a whole different level. "Logan Reese, are you…did you just talk science to me?" never in her wildest dreams did she think the day would come when he would talk science to her.
He smiled, proud that he could make her speechless but still impress her. "That's what I spent the other half of my night doing," he had been online looking up research papers and even downloading a digital copy of Winston's book so that he could talk with her about the topic. He could barely remember anything he read, but he recalled a few items. "Look, I know I'm not some super genius like you and Winston, but I know chemistry, and I'm pretty good with when it comes to engines and other things like that." He knew his stuff, and he could learn more. He would do it for her. "This way, if you ever feel like you can't talk to someone about what you want, you can talk to me." He never wanted Quinn to feel like she couldn't be herself. It was her true self that he loved so much.
If possible, she felt tears forming in her eyes again, but this time for good reasons. "You are the sweetest, and I love you so much." She hugged him tight, her heart pounding wildly in her chest. She was falling more in love with this boy. "And I must say, you talking science to me is kind of hot." She had to admit she was a little turned on when he started spewing facts.
Nuzzling into the side of her face, he sighed in relief. It felt so good, so natural, to have her in his arms. He never wanted to let her go, and he would work hard to ensure that never happens. "Wanna go make out?" he waggled his eyebrows, hoping she would say yes, and they could make up for all the time they had lost.
Lightly smacking him on the arm, Quinn gave him a quick kiss on the lips. "Later, for now, I promised Winston I'd be there for his lecture." She looked over his shoulder, seeing that people were finishing up going in and they were about the close the doors.
"Well, what are we waiting for?" he wrapped his arm around hers and guided her into the auditorium.
Quinn was starting to taste whiplash from how many times he had surprised her. "You're going to join me in a science lecture?"
He nodded, giving a mock salute with his two fingers to the security guard at the door. "Hey, if it's important to you, then it's important to me." He was already prepared to be utterly bored out of his mind here, but if it meant making Quinn happy, he was willing to make that sacrifice.
"Baby," she couldn't help but kiss him again. His words and gestures were so sweet today that all she wanted to do right now was snuggle up with him. Maybe she should reconsider her punishment of no Eskimo kisses. "But wait, what about your sociology project? Won't you get a zero if you don't show up?"
He waved off her concerns, his free hand digging around in his pants pocket. "I already told Mr. Matthews that it didn't matter what I wanted to be in the future because the things that mattered were happening now." he pulled out a folded-up piece of paper and handed it to her. Taking it carefully, she unfolded it and gasped at what she saw. "Apparently, that was the right thing to say because he gave me an A+," he beamed with pride when he saw her shocked expression. He also laughed when he remembered the angry glares he received from his friends and the rest of his class. His awesomeness was only growing stronger by the day.
Quinn guided them to the front row, directly in the middle. He was a little surprised that the place seemed to be so packed. He never imagined this many people would be interested in whatever it was Wiston had written about, but clearly, he was wrong. What was more surprising was that a girl about their age was sitting right in the center next to them. She looked the most out of place in a room full of adults wearing business attire or looked like the grown-up versions of what Winston used to look like. She was done up in tattered pants, a navy-blue tank top, and a black leather jacket with matching black combat boots. Her long curly locks were tied back into a half-up ponytail. "Charlotte, I'd like you to meet Logan." Adding to the surprise was that she seemed to know this strange girl.
"Hey," he offered her a wave, unsure of what to make of the new girl. She gave a wave back.
Quinn sat in between the two; the single flora he had given her was safely held in her lap. "Charlotte is Winston's girlfriend."
Logan would have smacked himself in the head with his own two hands if it was possible. However, they were in a very open room with a lot of press, and he wanted to avoid being featured in some story looking like he was some crazy loon. "His girlfriend?"
"That a problem?" she asked, leaning forward slightly to get a better look at him. Her tough-looking exterior didn't seem to be just for show. He got the vibe that she could easily beat him up if she wanted to.
He had no issues with this girl, in fact; he was rather happy that she was there. "Trust me; it's no problem at all. Actually, it's a great thing." He was still unsure and felt uneasy about the whole Winston thing. Knowing that he had a girlfriend made things so much better.
Humming a nameless tune to herself, Quinn was happy to be sitting down and ready for the show to start. She saw Winston peek through the curtains and motioned at her wrist. Looking down at her zap watch, she saw him give two thumbs up. "Be right back, guys; I think Winston wants to use my Zap watch in his lecture." She quickly got up from her seat and ran towards the edge of the stage.
Logan leaned back in his seat, trying to get a comfortable position. Why do they have to make the chairs in here so weird? "So, how long have you and Winston been together?"
"Oh, save it." She cut him off, scoffing at his excuse for small talk. "I wanna know why you haven't been around. When Winston told me his pen pal had a boyfriend, I'd figured that meant he would be a man and want to be around his girlfriend."
Taking great offense at her words, he sat up and turned his body in his seat to face her. "Hey, I am a man!"
She sneered at him, "Then why the heck were you letting those two be alone together?" she whispered, quickly looking back at the stage to make sure no one heard her. "I had to drive six hours to be here once I heard that they have basically been inseparable all week. When I arrived earlier this week, they were trying to determine how many stars had exploded or something." She huffed out, arms twitching as she grabbed the arm of her chair. "Do you not realize how similar they are? What if they fall in love with each other? Then what are you gonna do?" she had half her body over the arm of the chair, hands curled into fists and eyes gleaming angrily.
He merely waved her off, "Look, just because you don't trust your boyfriend doesn't mean I have to worry about my girlfriend. I'm awesome, and she loves me way too much to leave me for that loser." He tilted his chin upwards, showing the superiority he always felt when speaking to others. This girl didn't need to know that he felt the exact same way all week long. It was a secret he would take to his gave, and he'd make sure his friends would take it with them too.
Charlotte all but growled out, "He is not a loser," she huffed, throwing her body back into her chair and crossing her arms over her chest. "And I don't know what your girlfriend sees in you."
"Well, I don't know what your boyfriend sees in you," Logan replied, crossing his arms and looking away from the girl. She was so obnoxious and annoying. Acting like she knows everything and trying to come off like she was better than him somehow. He didn't know how anybody could stand to be around her.
"Hey guys," Quinn made a quick trip back just as the lights were starting to dim. "Everything okay?"
Logan just cupped her hand in his, "Everything's perfect."
"Couldn't be better. "Charlotte replied, faking a smile before turning her full attention back to the stage as Winston walked out and stood in the very center.
The seminar was three hours long, and Quinn was impressed. Charlotte fell asleep within the first hour, her head bobbing back and forth as she tried to make herself wake back up. Logan somehow managed to stay away for the full two hours before she felt his head fall onto her shoulder. His quiet snores echoed in her ear, and his breath tickled her neck. She couldn't find it in herself to be mad, though. Him just being there, supporting her interests and trying things for her, made her feel so warm and fuzzy inside. Leaning over, she kissed the top of his soft locks, laughing softly when she saw the smile form on his face and the way he leaned more into her.
It was sometime later when the lights finally came back on and everyone was making their way out of the auditorium, that Logan finally roused from his impromptu nap. He let out a low groan, his back and neck aching from the awkward sleeping position he had been in. Blinking his eyes open to get rid of the remains of sleep, he smacked his lips together as he stretched out his muscles. When he finally realized he was not in his room and that the auditorium was empty, did he remember where he was? "I passed out, didn't I?" he sighed, leaning back in the chair.
Quinn nodded, "Like a baby."
He rubbed his face with his hands, dragging them down his perfectly chiseled features. "Sorry,"
"Don't be," she reached out to intertwine their fingers together. "You actually stayed awake longer than I expected you to." She had anticipated him to be knocked out within the first ten minutes of the lecture. The fact that he stayed away for a full two hours as Winston went on about his latest discovery was an astonishment. One she was going to tell everyone. "But I appreciated you being here with me." She squeezed his hand in hers, smiling at his handsome face.
He returned the same smile. "Where is everybody?" not that he minded them being alone, but he figured that Winston and his she-devil of a girlfriend would be with them.
She waved off his question, "They went to get some lunch before Winston leaves PCA for the next stop on his tour."
Logan seemed shocked at how nonchalant she was being. "And you didn't want to join them?"
"Not really," she stood up, bringing him with her as they exited the theater hall. "Besides, I spent enough time with Winston this week and figured Charlotte would enjoy some one-on-one time with her boyfriend. It was so sweet of her to drive all the way up here and surprise him."
"Oh yeah, she's a real sweetheart." He wasn't going to tell Quinn the truth about how the girl really was. Or what he thought about her. At least not right away. "So, what do you want to do now? Wanna grab some lunch together?" he yawned, stretching both arms over his head but never letting go of her hand. Making her laugh as he did so. Last night he didn't really sleep, too busy trying to find a flower shop and researching all about the science Winston would be going over today in his lecture. The nap he took only made him realize how tired he actually was.
Quinn had to take a moment to look him over, taking in his exhausted features that looked very similar to hers. "I have a better idea." She kissed his cheek before guiding him to follow her along.
Zoey and Lola laughed as they talked about what happened today in the halls of their building. It seemed Michael was unsuccessful in removing the highlighter from his hands last night and walked around the whole day with yellow fingertips. At lunch today, everyone made fun of him for trying to eat a banana, saying it looked like it was floating at points. Strangely though, Logan was nowhere to be seen. After he had barged into their Sociology class and their teacher, for whatever reason, gave him a passing grade on his crazy answer, he had disappeared, and none of them knew where he went. He wasn't returning any of their messages, and they didn't see him in any of their shared classes. After lunch, the two decided to go hang out in their room for a bit. They had a break in between classes, and they figured why not relax and enjoy themselves before they had to go back to learning.
"Hey, what do you think is going to happen with Quinn and Logan?" Lola asked her friend and roommate as they made their way to their dorm. By the time they had come back in last night, Quinn was already lying in her bed, and they didn't want to disturb her, so they went to bed without talking. Though she suspected, from the tossing and turning, she heard below her that the girl didn't get much sleep.
Zoey could only shrug, unclasping her key from her neck to open the door. "I'm not sure. I hope they can make up." As much as they wanted to smack Logan upside the head, they knew he cared for their friend and seemed to be a pretty good boyfriend. Quinn had been devastated when Mark broke up with her, but what she had with Logan seemed a lot deeper and more complex. They were worried about what the outcome might be if the two broke up.
Turning the key in the lock, they entered their dorm but stopped in their track. Inside was Quinn and Logan, lying together and passed out in her bed. Logan taking up most of the space, one leg falling off the edge of the bed as he was on his back, head leaning against the pillows and the comforter down by his waist. His one arm was wrapped around his girlfriend, keeping her by his side. Quinn was lying down, curled into him, her back facing the pink walls of the room. One arm was wrapped around his waist, and her head was using his chest as a pillow. They were both sound asleep and didn't even twitch when they opened the door. "Guess that answers that question."
Lola nodded, happy to see that her friend made up with her boyfriend. The two girls smiled and laughed a little at the cute display that was before them. "Let's spray them," she cackled as she took out her blue spray bottle.
Before she could advance further, Zoey stopped the brunette and shook her head. "Let's give them a few minutes. I think they deserve it," she looked back, smiling at their peaceful expressions as they cuddled each other in their sleep. "But then we spray them." It was a cute display, but even they had their limit.
Laughing some more, they quietly sat on the two bean bags of their room and got comfortable, spray bottles ready as they looked at the clock. When their break was over, so was nap time.