Hi there,

God bless the two souls who have been reviewing this story, your positive feedback has been my anchor and I really appreciate that! For this chapter I have jumped back to Logan's perspective. I think I'll (for now) keep switching per chapter. It's just keeping it very clean for me that way, and I like it. As the others get more involved (and start to push in and take over as they oft do) that may change but I will definitely have everything well defined if or when that takes place. Thank you anyone reading this right now. I hope you enjoy this latest chapter!

"The Collective Trails of a Quinnventor And… Logan"
Chapter 3 – Dating, Dating… MORE Dating!

I know that this week had began pretty great, almost awesome. I'm sure that I was having a great week, could have been better, could have been way worse. A great week nonetheless. So why, why is that ever since the ending of that pretty amazing week… am I being subjected to a week that has been nothing short of hell from the moment it began? Thursday marked it an entire week since Del Figs broke up with Quinn. Freeing her from his cold and useless methods he'd been conducting on her and calling it dating. That whole week (when I wasn't blown up or being blocked by Lola, Zoey and Co.) every spare moment I got, I was with Quinn.

It was great, I was really getting to know her and I was never bored around her. She was the kind of person who always kept things interesting. Even when things could so easily be boring, she knew how to keep me intrigued. I was really starting to like having her around more and getting way too accustomed to her constant interactions and input…

Then this new week began and it's just ruined everything! Starting with everything that faithful Thursday that was now a week ago.

It was the same day as Lola's big opening night… The play was a total shambles the funniest thing to happen to the PCA drama department in all of it's years of existing. Lola's dress caught on fire some many times, when it wasn't supposed to; that the tech guys stopped putting her out. She had to stop, drop and roll every time that wasn't in the script. Which wasn't good, because by the end scene, she didn't have much skirt left. So when it caught on fire again… which, come on it had to. She was very lucky her legs didn't get burnt up. That was when the leading man had to get into a completely adlibbed altercation with Carlos the head tech drama guy and an epic sword fight was happening. For real, all for the affections of Lola and not her character she was portraying. So not only did these guys completely pitch their scripts out the window, but they were no longer in character either.

Even I know nothing is less attractive to Lola than bad acting… and I do mean nothing. Except for maybe making her job so much harder with their bad acting. Oh wait, they did that too… these guys really didn't have a chance.

While it may sound like a disaster, all of my friends have been talking nonstop about how awesome it was; while Lola has not stopped whining about it. I was sitting in the audience, and I saw bits and pieces of all of this chaos; But I didn't really notice what was happening. Earlier that day, that morning in fact, I had a bomb dropped on me. In first period, just after I'd left a little gift for Quinn in her lab cubbie. I rushed back to my own first class that I shared with everyone. We're all separate from Quinn because she's in some advanced placement program or something. Lola and Zoey were sitting in front of me and both of them were busy at work. Little did I know their plots and schemes would be the undoing of my entire week. Yet those witches are crafty to no end!

When James arrived and noticed it wasn't homework occupying them. He asked them what they were up to. They explained that they were determined to help Quinn move on.

That's great, I had thought naïvely, she needs her friends right now just as much as she needs me keeping her mind off Mark. What a jerk!

Cue the bomb, the laundry list of names, times and dates that the two were compiling were all dates for Quinn.

DATES!

FOR QUINN!

Dates that she would be going on, spending time with all of these other guys. These random chuckle heads who wouldn't know their own sphincter from a hole in the ground. Did they really expect her to go along with all of this? They planned blind dates with people she'd never met, double dates so that they were there to ease the tension. Along with tons of get-togethers, hangouts, and rendezvous that were bound to help Quinn land herself a new man; no problem.

Lisa, angel that she is; spoke up just before I did something rash. Like tear up these lists and make some confetti on the spot. She said as the voice of reason, "I don't know, does Quinn really need all of this?"

THANK YOU! I knew I'd always liked her… or at least I had, till Zoey and Lola passed her this girly magazine column that had made the both of them nuts. I have no idea what it said, but by the time the period was over Lisa was suggesting that she may be able to contribute to the list too. Why do women have to get so crazy over the glossy pages of magazines? All of my step moms… are just like that too, don't tell me I'm being sexiest when it's literally every woman I know that is like this. I thought that Quinn may have been the only girl I knew that wasn't that way, then she changed her entire appearance trying to win Mark back. You cannot tell a magazines wasn't the blueprint to encourage those drastic actions.

I told myself, "They're crazy, Quinn will never go along with this. She'll take one look at those lists and say, no thank you, I'll find my own dates."

Then I saw Quinn on her first date at lunch and on another in study period…

Aww Hell No!

Every time that I would try to get a moment with her, just the two of us. To talk about this, Something always managed to make it feel like I couldn't get near her. I had been hoping to attend Lola's play and just so happen to end up sitting next to Quinn. Maybe even take her hand under the armrest, as long as it wasn't the front row or totally obvious. Even if she was being forced into this dating schedule by her girls, who's to know that's happening on the other side of this supposed date, right? Brilliant plan, genius, foolproof. That had been my plan at the start…

Is that what happened? Of course not, Zoey and James were double dating with her instead. And she was sandwiched between her date and Zoey's. Oh and her date was Rick Jensen, who didn't earn the nickname "Hands" because of his rep on the court. Oh yeah, I missed all of the plays hilarity, follies and disasters… all of which were at Lola expense (By far the BEST kind of person for it to happen to, something about her misery brings me immense joy). All because the whole time I could not tear my eyes away from what was happening a few rows ahead of me.

I hadn't chosen the row directly behind her, because for one I would feel like I was watching the play through a football field's odd goal posts with Hands and James freakiest heights on either side of my view. Also because I knew Quinn's date was gonna get handsy and if I was too close I would deck the dude before I even realized what I was doing. Not to mention the seat I chose was next to "Right Now Rita," whose always up for anything happening 'in the moment.' So If I needed a date to save face, Rita wouldn't let me down.

NOT EVEN eight seconds into the first act, Ricky was all hands and I had to pointlessly observe from a far. Even my backup fake date was like "OMG! That's boy's an octo-pee-ous!"

I agreed with her, I suddenly wished I had sat closer so I could level the lowlife regardless of his vast height advantage. I had to give props to Quinn, whose way smaller than me and yet she was able to singlehandedly handle herself so well. Whenever Hands overstepped to the maximum degree, Quinn would squeeze the pressure point in his arm and knock him out for a bit. He'd wake up, just as determined, end up asleep again. Man, I know his head was pounding by the time the play was over.

Ever since the ending of that play, every time I see Quinn; she is on the arm of another guy… which is… great. I just know it is.

It is, isn't it?

Than why doesn't it feel like a good thing?

How could something clearly so good in theory, for one of my dear friends; possibly make me feel this bad?

Especially when said friend is only doing exactly what all of us hope she'll do. Move on and never look back on Mark again, unless she wants a good laugh. Why wasn't I happier for her?

It didn't stop there either; it was something that carried on throughout the ENTIRE following week. I didn't get one second alone with her, not even a 'hi Quinn' that didn't end up greeting whatever guy she was newly attached to. I could see she wanted to talk too. She kept trying just like I was, but something was always preventing it. At least I'd had the good sense to make sure that I always had a honey on my arm all week too. Yep, why miss out on a minute of the fun? I had to see for myself this foolproof planning skills of team Brooks, Martinez and Perkins.

It all came to a head, when I went out Wednesday Night for some sushi. I was standing in line and waiting to place my order when I just so happened to notice… that Quinn was sitting at a table with all of our friends, I don't know how those dumbbells could let this happen, but Quinn was currently facing Mark and Brooke. Mark's huge form was stressing the iron wrought chair directly across the table from Quinn's booth bench seat, while Brooke was standing draped over his shoulders.

I have no idea what was said, what they did. All I do know is that Quinn looked like she was about to either cry or kill something. I was about to jump outta the line, head over there and intervene. When as if prompted, her next date sprung up out of thin air, right on time and at least he had the brain stem to get her the hell outta there.

Of course Mark and Brooke left after that, they'd only sat there to torture Quinn. Now that she was gone, there wasn't one thing keeping them there anymore. At least my friends hadn't let them completely off Scott-free. Lola totally set off one of Quinn's paint-grenades on the them before they hurried off together. Before she was out the door, Quinn waved at me and assured me she was okay. So I remained in the line, placed my order and as soon as I was free I went over to the table that still had Lola (plus her new drama-nerd date, hasn't learned a thing), Zoey, James, Michael and Lisa sitting at it.

I asked them, "How the hell did you all let that happen? Why didn't one of you stop them?"

Both Lola and Zoey got all defensive and yelled right back at me. Saying it was "Easy for me to say when I haven't been trying to stay ahead of those assholes all week, like they had." Then I was handed the same girly magazine that they all had been freaking over. It turned out that they weren't freaking over some silly article by a full grow person trying to appeal to teens. No, it turns out the magazine was concealing all of the things Lola and Zoey had heard Mark and Brooke saying about Quinn. These were all handwritten accounts of just some of the of the things that they'd overheard him actually say to Brooke or anyone who would listen. These were exactly what had made them all realize they needed to intervene and give her some help.

In the beginning, he'd tried to play if off like he was worried. Saying he'd really hurt her, she seemed so blindsided and he was afraid that she would simply never get over him… Could he be more full of crap. Do us all a favor and get over yourself! Then as he began to see her dating and moving on. It had all become clear. He'd liked the attention it was bringing him, he didn't really care about Quinn. Not the way I- we all do. They had been the ones to start circulating that Quinn was nothing more than a slut. As if anyone would think that, Quinn's not like that at all. Even if he she changed her mind RIGHT now and decided to go that route now, it would still mean that she was with Del Figgs for two years and he got NOTHING!

I was so seething, having read all of their written accounts. I didn't even realize that I was using my anger management breathing exercises, till someone asked me what I was doing. I ended up teaching them to Lola's date and Lisa. Once I was all caught up on what had just been said too, ALL of my friends told me that the best thing for me to do for Quinn would be to stay away from her. Let her figure this all out for herself, she needed this time to get straight and they were all helping her. That I would only make her feel worse and make things harder for her. Even if my intentions were good…

Yes, they don't know EVERYTHING that's happened between us recently… but they do know our extended history. I did have a tendency to make everyone feel worse, even when I was trying to be helpful and I couldn't bare the thought of hurting her. So, I thought, maybe they're right… maybe that's it. Clearly she's where she needs to be, moving on as she's meant to and I had some small part in that. An all but invisible role in her going forward. That would just have to be enough…

By the time that we reached the week mark again (Thursday), and this was all still going on. I was downright bummed about having to keep my distance. Everywhere I went now there was either Mark pretending that he's not effected by all of Quinn's handsome new suitors {and he is}, his girlfriend Brooke openly chatting up her hater friends about just how Quinn's able to entice all of these guys. Everyone calling Mark an idiot, if not shortsighted, blind, brainless or my personal fav, just plain stupid! Clearly he'd been only holding HER back all of this time or Quinn herself was always getting spotted on a date of some kind.

I didn't even want to go out, at all; by the time we reached the whole week mark the following Thursday night. That doesn't sound like me at all, usually when I'm bummed I'll push that much harder to get out. I guess part of my wanting to stay in had something to do with me already making plans to go spend some time with my Dad this weekend around his set, where he's making he's next blockbuster! So I'd decided I would do the world a damn favor and explore when I was in L.A. in the meantime I was gonna treat myself to some "me" time. I sunbathed on the roof while I was waiting for the guys to ready for their dates and clear out. I took some pictures of myself for a while. That never fails to cheer me up, or the people that get the gift of the results of such past times. Then I decided to settle in for a night-in… not nearly as nice as a night-in I'd had over a week ago, but a night-in nevertheless.

I would have ordered pizza, something about that easy, my usually go-to choice turned my stomach. So instead I had the Italian place deliver me an impressive looking slab of Lasagna. It was cheesy, tomato-ie yet not pizza. Selected a new action flick my Dad sent me that his company is producing (An entire month before it's public release date). I sat down on the couch, crossed my ankles on the coffee table in front of me, when suddenly Michael's computer started to make this annoying sound. It wasn't till I turned on his monitor that I realized someone was trying to video chat him. The name flashing across the screen was totally Chase. So I sat down and clicked chat.

When he saw me sitting there, Chase said, "Logan! How are ya, man?"

"Not bad, man; how are you doing? How's London?"

"Well, you know how all of those movies, shows and mini-series always seem to paint this picture of London being this rainy, foggy, muggy and dreary place?"

"Yeah?"

"Turns out that's not overdramatized at all, it's like that all of the time."

"No way, you're making that up."

"No, I'm pretty sure I haven't seen the sun since I got here. It's really awful given the stark contrast between this place and where you are. I always knew PCA was a paradise school I just think spending so many years there made me underappreciate it till now." Changing the subject, he went on to say, "I'm really thrilled to see you, it's been too long man, and we need to make a better habit of doing this more often but I was supposed to be meeting Michael here. Did he forget again."

"I'm afraid he did, he's out at the movies with his 'little Lisa,' you know how she takes precedence over everything and everyone."

"Oh my goddd! – Michael keeps missing chats and listen to you using the word 'precedence' correctly in a sentence! When I do return to PCA will I be able to recognize any of you people anymore?"

"I'm sure you'll still know us all," I said rolling my eyes, over-drama much. Then I asked out of curiosity, "But just how much do you know about the goings on around here?"

Chase took a deep breath and started, "Well, I have been able to catch Michael at other times, believe it or not. I also talked to Lola, Quinn and, I keep missing Zoey-"

"Missing her because she just left or just missing her?"

"Both… Let's see, I know Zoey's dating, which is… great."

"Really? Is it?"

"Is she happy?"

"I don't know, she seems to be pretty happy, I guess-"

"Than it's worth it, plain and simple." Chase said with no room for questioning. Yet I snuck one in there anyway.

I asked him, "Than why doesn't your face match your words."

He slammed his head down on the desk for a second, took a deep breath, and then he popped back up and said. "Okay, I'll admit, I'm probably crazy-"

"No probably about it, Chase, you have always been crazy." I confirmed.

"There's this old saying that my grandma used to swear by-"

"No… please tell me that you're not going to throw me some old world granny logic-"

"Afraid I am, remember how I used to insist that my grandma and I were soulmates because we're so similar. Now listen up, it goes, 'if you love them, let them go. If they return then, and only then, are they truly yours.'"

I scoffed, and rolled my eyes, "'Let them go,' if you love them, you never let go is more like it. Hasn't granny been to see Titanic?"

"Kate Winslet said that and then let go at the first opportunity."

"Leo was dead, what else was she to do? Jump in the water and freeze too?"

"Are we seriously having this discussion right now?"

"You started, my Dad is a big famous producer, if I want to be anything like him, I'd better know the bizz."

"Okay then, Leo's name was Jack in the film, Zoey made me watch it, like six times. The point is "Rose" (Kate Winslet) was saying lines written for her by some impressive script writer if not James Cameron. My grandma lived to her eighties and she never stopped saying this phrase. She'd had to let go of my grandfather when he went off to war and she was our age at the time, just a teenager, she was terrified that she would never see him again. During the years he was gone, he even lost contact with her for years because he went 'missing in action,' he'd been captured by enemy troops."

"Man, your gramps was lucky to make it back," I had to allow.

"That he was, I'm very lucky to be here in that instance. My Grandma swore to her dying day that while that time was by far one of the hardest things they were ever faced with, their love had overcome it. Once they'd returned to one another they were so much stronger together. She even alleged that if they hadn't been separated, if he hadn't needed to fight for our country, if they hadn't had to fight so hard to get together… She may have never fully appreciated how lucky she was when she finally got to find happiness with him. It worked out for them, I don't know if the love between Zoey and me compares to theirs. It hasn't really had a opportunity to fully start, ya know?"

"Yeah, you two keep missing each other at every turn."

"You said it, but I look at it this way. Maybe this is our war, maybe I was meant to be away from her just long enough to never take her for granted once we finally get it right. Or perhaps this James character is her real match in life; which I can't even be mad about even if I want to be. Zoey isn't just the girl I love more than anything she's also one of my best friends. If she's happy in the end, then it's all worthwhile."

There was a time that I would have shook my head and considered my friend a complete moron for this outlook. I would have laughed behind his back and called him out for his sappy sayings. All of these years being called one of his best friends however has taught me too much for me to put down something he's this hell bent on. While he's an awkward, lanky mess that can be dangerous if he's klutzing out. He's also one of the most loyal, down to earth Charlie Browns I've ever found (Michael thinks he's Joe Cool, but he's more Snoopy and I would be Schroeder [he clearly has the best hair]). There was something about the old saying he'd used and the stories told in this short time that suddenly struck a chord in me.

'If you love them, let them go?' Why do I feel like that applies to me when clearly, it can't. It works for Chase because Chase has been in love with Zoey FOR-EVER! It doesn't work for me, because I don't love Quinn… I don't… I like her… A LOT! I mean, I like her when I get to see her and she's not dating every Tom, Dick, and Harry tossed her way. I like her enough to want to end her ex for all of the nasty crap he's saying about her! Right now, I can't like her so much because she has no time for me, literally not even one measly second; and it's the opinion of ALL of my friends that best for her is that I keep my distance. Even her science teachers were all in a tizzy yesterday demanding that Quinn be given more time for her studies (which is totally code for: let her help them not suck at teaching so much).

Feeling a little uncomfortable in my own skin, I changed the subject by challenging. "So what else do you know Matthew's."

"I know that Lola was in a play, a play that did horribly because she'd at one point dated every male in the cast. Since she's 'Lola' it became this testosterone fueled clash of the sword fighting kind. All of these guys started to really fight among themselves right there on stage at every single performance. They all tried to hack each other to pieces just for a shot at her. Of course Lola, sat idly by, let the warfare end and then she would remind every single one of these Neanderthals why they weren't dating any more. Reasserted her independence as a free woman and STILL managed to steal the show… yet Lola refuses to count that as a win. Everyone has been on and on about that to me, and yet Lola calls it her greatest failure since she came to Pacific Coast Academy."

I shook my head at my friend and had to say to him, "Man. I was in the crowd of that play, and I've heard about it nonstop since then too. Yet no one tells that story better than you. We miss you around here, dude." I hadn't realized just how much I'd missed his one of a kind take on things.

"Believe me, I miss all of you guys too. Over here I'm just that clumsy American who can't seem to stop talking. So thanks for letting me know at least my friends don't see my way as pointless chatter. I got spanked with a ruler the other day."

"All right, was she hot?"

"Well, He was a balding man in denial with a comb over that would give your Californian warped perspective nightmares."

"Eww gross," I couldn't help but say, just when an official looking lady with a thick binder under her arm walked in and made Chase end the chat with the briefest goodbye I've ever gotten. After switching Michael's monitor off again. I was about to start my dvd again when I heard a knock at my door. This interruption was totally Zoey's little brother Dustin. Him and his buddies wanted to raid my horror movie selection. The little con ended up Bogarting three of my best monster flicks. Just when I was about to start my disk again, someone else knocked at the door and I totally had to use my anger management breathing exercises before I said, "beat it, Dustin!"

Then I heard, "…Logan… it's me, Quinn… can you open the door."

I was up and across that room in record time, but I didn't open the door nearly as fast as I'd wanted to.

'Play it cool Reese'… I told myself, 'Don't seem overly anxious and you're supposed to be keeping you distance remember? It's for the good of everyone.'

'Yeah, you may want to even seem mad at her at first… who knows. Just be ready for anything.' I tried to ready myself for any outcome. I took one glance at my door-check-mirror on the wall above the single bed. I looked great, so I opened the door. There on the other side of the door was Quinn standing in an array of sweatpants and an off the shoulder sweat shirt. Whenever I see most girls dressed in such unflattering getups it's usually a total turn off. But as I took in her appearance she appeared sexier than anyone had a right to be in such garb. She also seemed cuddlier than normal, with all of that thick softer clothing hanging off of her just right.

Just like that, all of my aggression, all of that 'Maybe I should act mad,' My whole ruined week, ALL of that, was gone in a blink.

She said, "Hi…"

I said, "Hey." Which was quickly followed by, "Are you alright?"

She tried, "Yes… no… maybe not… I don't really know…Could I please-would it be asking too much if I could talk to you. In there, for a minute, please?"

I know what I would have done or said if this had been happening any other time. I wouldn't have hesitated to say, "No, you haven't had time for me all week, so I am too busy for you now." If it had been anyone else, that probably would still be my reply. This wasn't just anyone though, this was 'Quinn' and that meant something. I don't know what, even now. She out of the blue has this power over me, where none of that other stuff mattered. It was all overshadowed by how miserable she looked, and how unhappy I suddenly felt just seeing her this way. I didn't even really want to kiss her as much as I really wanted to hold her, bring her comfort somehow… and I wanted this so bad it was starting to make it hard to listen to what she was saying, I felt kinda confused by it all.

I stepped back and let her in, and shut the door behind her. I said, that she could have a seat, but she remained standing in that same spot she'd stopped in. She said, "Logan…I'm not gonna intrude on you long-"

"You're not intruding, really-" I tried to say.

She was not gonna stop till she got this out. "I-I just wanted to apologize, I know you're probably mad at me. You have every right to be, and I won't ruin your evening by imposing on you any longer than I need to. What I need to tell you is that I am sorry that I didn't get to see you hardly at all this entire week but Zoey and Lola-"

"I know, Quinn."

She did stop and finally look me in the eye, something she hadn't been able to do since she'd arrived. "Y-Yo-You do?"

"Yeah, Lola, Zoey and Lisa told me."

"They did, then why didn't-"

"I couldn't seem to find any way to talk to you personally, you always had a different guy attached to you all week."

"I could say the same thing about you, Logan Reese. You've been arm and arm with different girls all week too."

"Look, we've both been busy," I simplified, "we've also just been missing opportunities all week."

"That we have," she agreed.

"When I did talk to our friends and they finally got around to informing me of ALL of that BULL, that Del Figgs has been saying. They all felt the need to also tell me the best thing I could do was give you the space you need and keep my distance."

"Wha- They What?" She looked like she was truly shocked.

"They're not wrong," I shrugged, "I'm usually not great at making anyone feel better about anything. I'm the one who needed anger management, remember?"

"Yes, they are wrong, I feel like no one has helped me as much as you have." She said without laughing or punctuating it as a joke at all.

I'd laughed just knowing that she was kidding, and ended up realizing out loud, "Oh, you're serious."

"The last few weeks have been nothing short of horrid. Literally the only bright points of it have always been my progress on my prototypes, patens … and you... And how do I thank you. I haven't had a moment to barely say hi all week. If you don't want to ever speak to me again I understand completely."

"Wow," I had to witness, "You seem very set on me being totally unforgiving and mean to you."

"You should be, I haven't even gotten to thank you for the lovely blank book you gave me." I tried to tell her that wasn't necessary. I hadn't gotten it to hear thanks I had gotten it because it was the right thing to do. It would help her move on, but she insisted, "No, I need to thank you for that. You've been a tremendous friend to me throughout all of this and you deserve better treatment than I have been forced to give you lately."

I shrugged, "I knew you couldn't help it."

"That doesn't make it right… anyway, no more. I put my foot down and told our friends that tonight was my last date, which is partially why I'm dressed like this. I was about to go on strike if those same dear friends hadn't relented."

"You quit, really, and they let you?"

"I wouldn't say 'quit,' necessarily…for I will date, but only when someone asks me and I have personally agreed to it. I made everyone cancel the rest of my dates for the rest of the week." I tried to stay cool and play off my typical aloofness. When really all I wanted to do was make a fist and pull it back exclaiming "YES!"

"Glad to hear it, besides you do not need their help getting dates."

"You don't think so?" She said sounding very doubtfully.

"No, you're just fine on your own."

"Well thank you and you may be the only person to believe that after this week. Nevertheless, that is what I told Zoey, Lola and Lisa tonight."

"Were they at least cool about it?" I asked, "You know, understanding?"

"They were really great about it, but the part I'm not telling you is that all of this happened very publically in one of our on campus movie theaters. Mark and Brooke turned out for this momentous occasion. By 'joining us' I mean that they both shoved themselves into the seats directly behind me and talked about me like I wasn't there, the entire time before the movie began."

"Did you say anything to them to?"

She let out a very nervous sounding laugh, before saying. "You know I'd heard of people having a conniption, but I didn't really recall ever having one. Then tonight happened and… well, let's just cross that off the bucket list, shall we."

"You had a conniption?"

"Do you know what they are?" she asked and wasn't even a little condescending.

"Yeah, I have them all the time, but not you. So you lost it on Mark?"

"Uh huh, very loudly and about fifteen minutes into a rom-com, I disrupted an entire movie theater that was supposed to be dark and quiet." She said pushing her glasses up her nose.

"What did you say?"

"After I fixed our friend's neatly into place, and tonight's date had ended a bit early (ten minutes into the movie early). I snapped up outta my seat, turned around and told Mark Del Figgalo to get over himself already. I told him I was sick and tired of hearing his artificial sympathy. I told him to do me a favor, and don't pity me, don't talk about me like I'm not around. Stop pretending that he wasn't loving all of the attention this brought him at first until it all turned negative. I'm not pathetic, I'm not some helpless little flower that needs nurturing, I'm a scientist, and the next comment sent my way about anything other than appropriately friendly conversation would bring out trial product experimentation on whoever dared to speak it. Then I busted outta that theater and came straight here."

"Well, that's great," I praised, "it sounds like you finally set him straight."

"So you don't think I was being overly pretentious, doing all of this in a very public place?"

"No, no… I mean, pretentious…uh, pretentiousness means…"

"I wasn't putting on this big fake, showy, production for my own benefit, right? I wasn't being a little too self-serving? Ostentatious?"

"Ah, that one I know, I get called Ostentatious all the time."

"Uh huh, somehow I see that." She smiled, "That might have even been me calling you that."

"Aww memories," I sighed and then I clarified, "No, you weren't any of those words you just used… I'm proud of you."

"Well, thanks that means a lot, actually… well, I won't disrupt your 'night-in' any longer." She said turning towards the door to leave.

I caught her shoulder and said, "Wait. You don't have to leave. I mean, your night's been rather crappy. Both of our weeks have sucked, why don't you stay and watch a movie here? With me."

"What kind of movie did you have in mind?"

"Well, my dad did hook me up with his latest action flick; an entire month before it's released to the public. If you're game we could watch that, and if not I'm open to suggestions we've got a great selection."

"Action sounds nice right now," She said sitting on the couch and placing one of the decorative pillows in her lap. Something she does all of the time when she's trying to relax. I sat next to her and made myself at home propping my legs on the coffee table in front of it. She propped her legs beside mine and I had to tear my eyes away from their shapeliness even when half concealed by her heavy-sweat-wear. She went on saying "I've had to see way too many rom-coms lately; because they were all predetermined by my friends and they're all about that gushy, mushy stuff."

"Eww, gross."

"Oh, I appreciate it when it's in moderation," she said while I was skipping through all of the previews or trying to. I know how important advertising is to the franchise (my dad will explain it again every time I complain about them) I just still hate it when the previews are designed unskippable. While I was in a battle with my remote, DVD player and advertisements, she went on, "When they're done right and well written, I enjoy them just as much as the next girl. But every day and night nothing but back to back cheesy rom-coms that don't even have a pretty man for me to look at… Do not waste my time." Quinn said reaching into her bag and pulling out a box of some type of candy.

"What is that?"

"What is what?" She asked back.

"What is that that you just stuck in your mouth."

"A bottle cap."

"You have bottle caps? Can I have some?"

"Sure, as long as I get to help you with… is that lasagna?"

"Yeah."

"If you can spare a small square, I will give you the rest of my bottle caps, and…" She dug around in her bag for a second and pulled out a box of my kryptonite of all movie candies, "You can have this unopened box of Reese's Pieces. I can stand peanut butter before peanuts that aren't buttered yet I'm still not a fan."

"Deal," I said and we shook on it, she handed me the boxes and I handed her a plate with a small square of the pasta at it's center. While the war of trailers and commercials still raged on, she began to dig out a bunch of other candies she'd had stored away as well.

"Geeze, are you running a small concession stand in there?"

"I think it's only fair that I share these as well, for I'll never finish it all on my own."

"Where did you get all of these."

"Told you I'd been to the movies a lot lately."

"You weren't kidding."

Finally the DVD menu started up for our film, but here's the thing. Instead of staring at whatever awesome screen should have been there. We were staring at a menu that was for a Pokémon Movie. Something my dad has never dabbled into (dubbing Japanese animated dramas into English) and something I know for a fact that neither of my roommates or myself watch… the only people I know who watch Pokémon… DUSTIN and his little Band of Merry THEIVES.

Quinn found the whole thing endlessly entertaining as I angrily paced back in forth in a rage. As I went on exclaiming my frustrations, (and when she wasn't laughing) she was listing all sorts of good things we could do to get back at them for this. Before I knew it, we had already devised exactly how we would get them back for this… and just the Quinnvention we'd use to do it. It really does help to have such a science-savvy… friend on my side.

Since that was all settled, I looked back at the flat screen and noticed that the movie menu was still running. If this had been a week ago I might have said screw the movie and jumped at this chance to make out with her. Something was holding me back, I don't know if it was the time apart; the way she would look at me sometimes. All garbed up in her sweats, sometimes like she was even on the brink of being depressed or crying… I didn't think it would help too much if I jumped her the same as all those other guys...

That's it! She's been non-stop mauled and mistreated all week by a bunch of man handlers. That's what it was… so I couldn't just jump up and kiss her like before. It wasn't that simple this time…she need to feel better before I did anything like that… and I suddenly wanted to help her feel better. So what did we do instead of watch any movie?

We talked…

Yeah, the menu was still going, and the flat screen was muted. We sat there on the couch just talking.

When our conversation turned to some of the dates we'd just experienced, we ended up 'conducting a field study.' Anyone else would have called it an open decision or debate where we all but competed for who'd had the best and worst things happening to them… Quinn called it field study.

She was convinced that she'd had to have been on some of the worst dates in the last week that any person could possibly ever have. I explained to her that sure it's easy to think that, but that's what dating is like normally. Being more experienced with getting matched up and more casual dating practices… I explained that it's never like it is in the movies and no one ever seems to warn you how awful it can be.

She said, "Oh I remembered it being horrible sometimes, I just forgot how bad it can get."

It was all very strange knowing something better than she did. I think that's where the debating started, we ended up competing for who's dates had been the worst. Which started a review of the late week's latest and greatest. Which evolved into an overview of who had the lifetime worst dating experiences. It should come as no surprise that Quinn won that one with flying colors… but it wasn't for lack of all the hot-messes, kinda-skanky kooks I dated giving their all to scare and disgust me. After more disputing back and forth… we ended up in the end, conceding (and yes I learned a new word), and agreeing we'd both dated some weridos and looney tunes that we wish anvils could fall on… and throughout this exchange. We ended up very close and cozy at the center of my couch.

I think the closeness increased, when we started to show each other examples of some of the affection we'd withstood from our more determined dates. She started it, by trying to explain one guy had been obsessed with the notion of getting her in his lap. I should have known that this would be trouble the second that she warned this particular date had ended up slapped and zapped before it was over. He'd not only kept sneaking his legs under hers or pulling her legs on top of his throughout the date. He also kept finding ways to run his hands and fingers down her lower and exposed (then as well as now) leg or knees. She showed me and I was instantly both angered that she had someone getting that bold with her. At the same time as I was way too excited about the light almost tickling contact she'd traced down my lower legs.

I said, "Sounds like a classic leg-fetish guy to me."

"Really?"

"Yeah, some guys are obsessed with them, others choose other features to obsess over." Then I told her the story about the art-student girl that I had dated that had been obsessed with hands. All of her notebooks and projects were all sketches of hands and she was never looking me in the eye. She was always looking at my hands even during our whole conversations. She sketched them, she'd always be touching them and making them cup her face.

She picked up my hand and made me do the same to her, and she nodded to herself while she admitted, "I think your hands are nice and more gentle than I'd thought they'd ever be."

"Um, thanks?"

"What's wrong with that?"

"Guys don't want to hear that they're cute, sweet, soft, sensitive or gentle. We all suppose it makes us sound weak."

"Or you suppose." She corrected and I assured her it wasn't just me.

She decided that I needed convincing that this was a trait that guys (or this one) may not find important. But woman certainly thought the opposite. She tried it herself and as her open hand had rested on the side of my face, she confessed. "Regardless they're big strong and comforting."

Quinn then went into how she'd dated a guy that was pre-med. Obsessed with becoming a cardio-specialist. She said that he had a stethoscope around his neck and insisted on giving her heart a listen before they left for their meal. He listened to her heartbeat and immediately rushed off. When she asked if there was something wrong with her heart. The Pre-med guy had said, "No absolutely nothing out of the ordinary, which just isn't interesting to him."

I don't know what possessed me, took me over and made me throw my ear against her chest, but I quickly said. "Are you sure there's one in here, I can't hear a thing."

"Well it helps when you listen where my heart actually is."

"What's wrong with where I am."

"Your heart is located in your chest, just off center to the left, and it's about the size of your personal fist. Where is your ear listening right now?"

"Your right." I realized and I felt her hands taking a gentle hold of my head and neck as she said...

"Let me put your ear in the right place, okay?" She offered.

She guided my ear to the right spot and I heard her heart beating. As it seemed to speed up I felt mine beat in time with hers. I looked up at her and said, "Now how could he possibly call that ordinary?"

When I sat back down on the couch more normally, the air between us was just charged with that same old familiar heat. The same stuff we'd both been enjoying the hell out of before this week had happened to us. I knew if I wasn't careful, I would end up kissing her and I didn't know if that would be for the best. I felt her hand come to rest over my heart and I couldn't help it, I held her hand there. Both of us effected… WAY effected, Quinn cleared her throat and tried to carry on with our dialog.

She was talking about this one guys who had meant to play with her hair in a way that was flirty and at the end of every try. He would PULL her hair really hard. I'd asked, "Who even does that?"

"This guy apparently," Quinn shrugged, saying it's usually done a lot softer. She started to do it to me and then she explained, "But this guy would start out right… then, yank"

"Oww!" I complained.

"Yeah, and I only yanked a fourth as hard as he did." She said, while I started doing it to her; we both started to laugh… our eyes met, the smiles faded… and I couldn't stand it anymore. I kissed her, just a little, then I pulled back and she surprised me by kissing me. I wrapped my arms around her, and lifted her up just a little so I could trail kisses down her neck and collar bones.

She hugged me so tight around my shoulders as I was still trailing kisses, she said. "Oh I missed you.. missed this… Oh, I was beginning to… think it could never be… like this again."

I leaned my forehead on hers and said, "I know… sorry, I just… didn't want to treat you like all of those… those other dudes you've been complaining about."

"And I wasn't sure if you'd want anything to do with me after all of that."

"Please… like I could blame you." I clarified, before she wrapped her arms around me, nodded her head to indicate that she wished to lay on the couch with me. So I eased us to lay down, her laying on her back and me on top of her and began to make out with her like we'd never done before. These kisses were way hotter than all of our past ones. I don't know if was because these kisses were making up for lost time, if it was because we'd both really wanted to do this for days or if I could just expect this kind of heat anytime we made up. I don't think I've ever gone so long without stopping for breath; but she was incredible, and I couldn't get enough of her.

The thing that interrupted us was our room's phone ringing. I was busy, so I let go to voicemail, it was my Dad leaving a message reminding me that I was coming to L.A. this weekend and he was warning that his time with me was going to be very irregular. He was yammering on, "I know it's short notice, but you may want to bring along one of your friends or two. Just to keep you company, otherwise you might be getting very bored. Nothing has been going right with my current movie project. In fact, we're reshooting several scenes that we already shot way back at the beginning of this feature. You know how much a hate staging scenes in L.A. that I've already taken the time to film in more natural settings elsewhere. It's just sometimes these scenes work better in the end. Not to mention my leads cannot stand on another. I gotta go, see you soon son."

"You're gonna be heading to L.A. this weekend?" She asked.

"Yeah, and it sounds like my dad is not gonna have very much time to spare."

She went on to say, "That's gotta be tough, and his leads at odds."

"It's really not that uncommon, it happens more than you think it would. You think my temper's bad, you should see some of the people my dad deals with." That was when an idea struck me. "Say, why don't you come with me."

"Me?"

"Yeah, I bring people all of the time, it's actually kinda odd I haven't done it sooner. I know you were with us for spring break a while back. But everybody else has been back with me since then, I think you were always too busy weekends with Quinnventions and Mark."

"That sounds about right," she agreed, then she noticed I was staring at her. "What?"

"So, will you come with me?"

"Logan… I don't know-"

"Come on, you're totally over thinking it. You coming along isn't nearly the statement you're thinking it is."

"Are you sure, because even if that's so… My main concern is that… this… what keeps happening between us. We don't even know what this is, should we really be left alone and basically unsupervised for long periods of time together when we're so… unpredictable right now?"

"Do you really think- My Dad's not - He's not dumb, Chauncy is always around too ya know, it's not gonna be like I'm the tiger just waiting to pounce on you the cute little bunny, when I get you outta here." She laughed at the picture I painted. "No, I just think it would be fun, not to mention it might be a chance to figure out more of what this is… but if you would like to go as just friends that's cool too… Please."

I could see her thinking about it and before I got an answer for sure or not. James was back and we just managed to spring up and away from each other just in time not to be noticed. He was followed shortly by Michael; Quinn and I ended up staging a fight to cover our togetherness. I texted her phone asking her to text back her answer before she went to sleep. I also hinted that she should mention it to her roommates. Both of which have gone with me and been extras, as well as stand ins for a bunch of my dad's projects and done other odd jobs around the studios when they've come with me before.

Just as I was thinking she hadn't gotten my messages and must be asleep. A few minutes after midnight, Quinn texted me:

"Thought about it like you said, and if you would still like me to come, I will."

So I replied, "Great, meet me on the roof of my dorms right after last period. Packed and ready to go. See ya tomorrow."

Then I had a hard time falling asleep because I was so excited. It could easily be nothing, or everything… one thing was for sure that this weekend would be very interesting.

Well that's all for now. If things keep going the way they have been I should be ready to post another chapter next Saturday. So keep an eye out for that, so what did ya think? Did you like it, love it, hate it, tolerate it? Let me know! I love hearing from you guys and I hope that you're enjoying this as much as I am! Thank you so much any one reading these words right now we'll catch next week. Till then, god bless and Much Love!

-DarcyBeDippy85