Hi There,

Thank you so much to the three people who signed up for story alert and the two of you reviewing! God bless you all, positive feedback is amazing from you both! This ship is still steering baby sister approved; It's a great feeling! I hope this chapter doesn't change that(Even though it's getting posted a day later than I'd hoped)! Hoping it's late and worth the wait! As the pattern has been established, the last chapter was Logan's perspective, so this one will be Quinn's. Her weekend alone with Logan will commence starting…

Wait for it…

Now! I hope you all enjoy!

"The Collective Trails of a Quinnventor and… Logan"

Chapter 4 – A Quinnventor in Los Angeles

(Yes, this is from Quinn's New Lotus notebook)

Friday (Lunch Break)…

Today is the day that I am supposed to be leaving Pacific Coast Academy and embarking on an entirely different world. After talking with Lola and Zoey last night (and the guys earlier today) I decided to accept Logan's offered escapade. He has invited me to go along with him when he visits his Dad this weekend in Los Angeles.

My friends all assure me that this is typical Logan behavior, that all of them have done it before and I have nothing to fear. Before their remarks had been heard, to say I had been reluctant to consent would have been an understatement. Not because I didn't want to go, or because I didn't think we'd get along for that long (which could have all been good reasons to turn him down in the past.) It's partially because being alone with him has changed so drastically lately. Whenever we're alone there always seems to be this awkwardness, this uncomfortable thing always charging the air like static... and this cracking voltage isn't just toxic and confusing, but it is HOT! I don't know what is going on. I don't have any past experiences with anything like this?

I am hopeful that this concentrated block of time together can reveal more of what this is. Like if it's anything at all; because from where I stand right now, I feel like there are far too many question marks surrounding everything in my life. Last Year's Yearbook depicted Mark and me as 'the Most Solid Couple' of our class. So having something that consistent cut it's own way outta my life…That alone has me second guessing everything. If my scientific training has taught me anything, it is nothing ventured nothing gained. Sitting around waving my hands in the air claiming that, "I don't know what to make of any of this," doesn't change a thing. It is only doing things (like this weekend with Logan) that will reveal the truth. I'm also hopeful that this time away can help me put all of this hurt and ugliness behind me. I will be taking this notebook along and hopefully I will get time to scribble some things down during this weekend. However, before any of that starts; I have two occurrences that I would like to write down for prosperity.

The first occurred this morning when I arrived before first period, like always. To find my ex Mark seated in my chair at my black topped lab table. I asked him how in the world he'd managed to get here alone and without Brooke. He told me, that he came in peace and this didn't concern her. This was a conversation that was just meant for me and him. Never a strong conversationalist, he then proceeded to speak more and for longer than I'd ever heard him carry on before. It felt more like a monologue than a dialogue. He told me in that voice flatter than fresh off the roll aluminum foil:

"That everything had gotten way outta hand, and he needed me to know a few things. Before me, before we'd gotten together; he hadn't really been looking for a girlfriend. He had too many hobbies and other interests occupying his time and energy (flattery isn't his strong suit either). Then I had pushed my way in, insisted on dating him and made him realize having that kind of connection with someone was special. That I had made him see that having a girlfriend brought so much more to one's life, he thanked me for doing that. He thanked me for the two years we'd dated, almost to the day; he did say that he will always appreciate that time. But it had also been me that had made him see that no matter how well you think of someone, or respect them… when the right one comes along [easy stomach]. You can't fight it, you just know and it takes you over. Then he apologized for losing his head, and treating me so badly because he was so in love with someone else so suddenly. He even confirmed before I said a thing that this wasn't nearly a good enough excuse, for all that he'd done. He even went on to say that he thought of me as one of his best friends as well as his former girlfriend… he really hoped that I could eventually forgive him."

I told him, "Ya know Mark, maybe I will sometime soon. Maybe there will be a time that this is all okay and I won't feel so betrayed, hurt or thrown away. Maybe I'll even like Brooke, she'll earn some self-love and stop dressing like a floozy. These would all be good things, I appreciate you taking the time to come down here, and doing so alone. I hear your apology, but Mark; it's gonna take a long time before this is anywhere near okay again."

He nodded, "I understand, I just… You deserved better than the way things ended up… I hope this helps, even a little."

"It does, but you'd better scurry off before Brooke notices your gone." I warned and you should have seen the speed and verocity of his scamper. If only your little pages had the capacity to record a viewable version of this that I could watch when I need a good laugh… that would be stupendous.

As strange as all of this was, that is NOT the strangest thing to already happen today. Nope, that didn't transpire until my free-period. I had been spending this time doing research in PCA's Library when out of nowhere, Logan appeared with his swanky laptop under his arm. He asked me a bit testily, "Do you have any idea how hard you are to track down?"

"I suppose, I don't, why were you looking for me?" I asked a bit louder as I noticed several people watching us.

"One of your silly 'Quinnventions' just bit the dust in our lab, it blew up all over my project. What's worse is that it also destroyed my chances of getting my totally hot lab partner's number. The teacher said that I needed to track you down and have you fix whatever the hell went wrong."

"MR. Reese!" The Librarian interrupter, "Kindly lower your voice or you'll find yourself in detention."

"I'm already gone, Library-uh…Lady. My teacher made me find Quinn, which I have." Logan said with the same arrogance he used when he spoke to all of the staff at PCA. I quickly put up the books I'd been looking through and he headed for the door just ahead of me.

I said quietly, "Don't punish him Ms. Beverly, he's probably just in a bad mood because he couldn't find the library." I joked and wished her a wonderful weekend. When I got to the big double doors. Logan was holding one open for me and standing out of sight.

"I heard that," he complained as we fell into step together.

"Hey, you get to act up and stay cool with your crowd, forgive me bestowing the same curtesy to my own."

"The Librarian is considered a part of your crew?" He said mid-scoff.

"Do you see me judging your friends or connections?" I asked as we walked down some stairs.

"Fair enough." He agreed, with a smirk that was a little too full of male approval.

"Well, mission accomplished; which of my Quinnventions bit the dust, when I wasn't there to observe it, this time?"

"That didn't happen actually, sorry – and I'm not picking on your pastimes or anything, I swear. I just really needed to talk to you about something important that couldn't wait and that was the best I could cook up, on the spot."

"Insulting my research and life ambitions?" I asked in a dangerous tone, but it was even sounding more playful to my ears.

Regardless of my friskiness, Logan faltered, "Phh-No-uh- I wouldn't- couldn't."

"I'll let it slide this time, but Lola's right, you need to work on your improvisational skills." I said as I noticed we were alone and he was suddenly walking a lot closer.

"Okay, I'm not sure, but I don't think I'm allow to work on that at school."

"To Improvise is like adlibbing, it's thinking on your feet, it's 'off the cuff,' or 'off the top of your head.' When there's no script, or plan and you come up with it all right there, in the moment."

"Oh, then I can work on that." He nodded.

"We shall, in the meantime however this had better be good Logan, I was on the brink of a breakthrough back there."

"Trust me, you'll see what I mean."He said glancing around the corner before he took hold of my hand and pulled me along behind him.

"Where are we going exactly?"

"Uh… Quick! In here!" He ordered and I found myself inside of an equipment storage room for the outdoor sports teams. So surrounded in the smells of heavy plastics, leathers and metals that made up most of the equipment with the accompaniment of armpit stench… we sat in some chairs. Logan placed his laptop [still flipped almost completely closed, one of his fingers had been propping it open this entire time and I could see the white light of the screen being lit] in front of us and busied himself with plugging in its cord. When I asked him what was up, he flipped open the screen and there sat Chase on a video chat window.

"Chase!" I exclaimed.

"Hey Quinn," our bushy headed friend waved a bit uncomfortably. "I hope Logan didn't pull you away from anything too important."

"Oh, it's ooookay… What's going on?"

Chase asked Logan, "Do you want to tell her, or should I?"

It was at this point that I noticed ever since Logan had opened his desktop his arms were crossed, his physicality was totally closed off and on the defensive. His whole body was turned facing completely away from me, in all of my slouched and turned towards him glory. He hadn't been that turned away from me since our first kiss. Looking back, I realize all of that should have been more of a sign, of what was to come.

"Tell me what?" I prompted and noticed Logan's head tilting back as he sighed loudly.

My attention was drawn back to Chase who was wearing a wary, even if an 'ill at ease' smile. He explained, "Yesterday, I was video chatting Logan, on Michael's computer when our talk got interrupted by one of my professors."

"JUST say Teachers!" Logan complained so loudly and out of the blue, that I jumped.

"In England, you have to say 'professors,' or they think you're disrespecting them and then you get spanked with a ruler." Chase said making a face that told me someone had definitely been spanked. After a noticeable shutter, he sprung back into his story. "Anyways, I ended up having to say a very quick good bye and didn't even get to close the window properly before my professor was switching off my screen I had been using."

I nodded, in show of following along, so our friend continued. "I ended up getting called back into a class on the other side of the campus and running to several more places before I'd done everything I needed to. I didn't get to return to my computer for a very long while. When I did finally get back to my room, hours later, I immediately began to hear voices softly talking out of my PC's speakers. When I turned back on the monitor a glitch was somehow still connecting me to Michael's computer and all three web-cams that we installed. It was that same glitch that showed Zoey our dorm room and made her overhear that I love her, I bet."

"Okay…" I started out slowly, "So where do I fall into all of this? Do you want me to see if I can fix the glitch?"

"Oh, if it were only that easy!" Logan said still the picture of a passive-aggressive angst fest.

"Quinn, what has Logan acting so… 'Logan' right now, is the fact that when I turned on my monitor and looked at what my computer was showing me. It was you and Logan... together."

I could feel myself becoming petrified, I could just feel myself freezing up. Before it became official, I had to know. "You know the word together can mean a lot of things, when you say together, do you mean-"

"I saw you guys laying together on the couch."

"Oh… My… God!" I said unable to react any other way.

Logan interjected, "Yeah, didn't take Chase as the 'peeping-tom' kinda guy."

"I am not a peeping tom! That would mean I did it on purpose, I turned on my screen and there it was. Do you honestly think I would spy on you guys, like that, intentionally?"

"No, you wouldn't," I knew it and said so. Logan knew it too but didn't say it, instead he jumped outta his seat and ran off to a place off camera to Chase and had this little temper tantrum on a punching bag and some mats that were all folded up and stored away.

All Chase had to say about this occurrence was, "You know he really held out a lot longer, on that fit, than I thought he ever could. You must be a good influence on him Quinn."

"Have you talked to anyone else about this?" I heard myself asked him, even though I knew Chase wasn't a stool pigeon.

"No, of course not! I came directly to Logan with this only because I was concerned."

"About?"

"I didn't want to see either of you hurt the other, Quinn you just got out of a long-time committed relationship. A relationship that was centered on one guy for two years, the longest I've seen Logan hung up on one girl was about the span of forty-five seconds-"

Suddenly Logan was over my shoulder saying, "Oh screw you! Not all of us can sit around mooning over the same girl and doing zilch about it for years. Only to cross a quarter of the globe chasing after that same girl when it's too late!"

"LO-GAN!"

"WHAT! He can't talk at me like he knows better than me!"

"STOP-IT! This isn't just some guy, this is Chase. He's one of our best friends; not to mention, out of all of our friends, I'm glad it's him that knows! Think if it had been Michael or Lola or nearly anyone else?" I had to say.

"Quinn's right, I'm not gonna judge and I won't tell a soul if that is what you want." Chase said, handling Logan's temper calmly as someone would who has dealt with plenty of his flare ups in the past. He went on to say, "The only reason that I am even bringing it up right now, is that I had to be honest to you two. I couldn't hide it that I knew. Though I will conceal it from everyone else, I just wanted to talk to you about it and hear your opinion."

"Please don't tell anyone," I said while Logan got right up at the lens

"You better not tell a single person or I will personally come to London, just to kill you." Logan threatened and again, Chase shouldered all of this without even batting an eye. Years of confronting Logan's short fuse.

"Then I will stay quiet, you have my word. The only other question I had was when in the world did all of this start? You two, snuggling and such?"

"None of your business!" Logan roared and I made him sit down beside me again.

I whispered to Logan, "This is our friend, we can be honest with him."

Then I turned back to face the computer and said, "Look Chase, Logan and I would love to tell you what is happening here… but honestly we don't know ourselves."

That was when I felt Logan take my hand, and our eyes met

"What does that mean?" We heard our friend say and remind us that we weren't exactly alone.

Logan's eyes closed for a second before turning quickly on Chase and asking, "Have you heard any of the details about their break up? Like how Del Figgs made her cry, did Lola mention that? Did she tell you how awful he treated Quinn, for no good reason? She was all alone crying on a bench and I just happened to be the first one to find her."

Chase confirmed, "Oh you aren't the only one who wanted a chance to give that vapid void a piece of your mind. Don't get me wrong, he's a good guy and he's been sort of a… friend, I guess. But no one, and I do mean no one messes with our Quinn. Seriously, how did you guys start this whole crazy enigmatic bond-thing that you've got going between you? Was it the same day of the dreaded initially break up, or the first time you saw that he'd moved on with the new girl?"

"Neither," I said just managing to break eye contact with Logan. Who had somehow managed to capture both of my hands with his. "It was after all of that, when I was dressing more like Brooke trying to win Mark back."

"Oh right, Lola mentioned that her and Zoey had caught you and tried to talk you out of it." Chase kept the conversation going. "They didn't seem convinced that they were too successful. Are you telling me that it was Logan who did that? Logan who got you to stop trying to be something you weren't."

"Yes," I said kinda eyeing him shyly as I freed one of my hands to push my eye glasses back into place and he lifted his eyebrows at me.

"I'm sorry but are we talking about the Logan sitting next to you? Because that does not sound like something that he would do."

"Oh, I know," I agreed and Logan tried to pretend he was offended but I still ended up making him smile. "This is exactly what I mean when I say I don't know what's going on. What's changed in him, in me, it's… like we're constantly playing catch-up to it. I don't know where this is going, but more importantly I don't want to know where I'd be without him."

"Well then I'm certainly glad that you have him," Chase smiled. "Thank you both for trusting me even when my way of finding out was… nowhere near intention or easy to admit. I hope that wherever this is going, it only brings out the best of you both like it seems to be doing right this moment. Hopefully when I am able to return to PCA I will still recognize you both. Man, who knew how much could change in one measly semester, right?"

"It's been heck of a year, so far," I had to agree and I felt Logan let go of one of my hands so that he could throw and arm about my waist. As he said:

"Yep, and it's only just begun."

Greetings from L.A.

There! Do you see how cool he was being? How well we handled everything aside from his first fight with some folded mates and a punching bag? How is it that I am currently finding myself surrounded in all of the best glitz and glamour of tinsel town. Giving off the appearance that I'm having a great time… yet I'm also not having a fabulous time because already…I am not speaking to Logan. The… friend who brought me here in the first place.

No, he didn't do something stupid here on the set with his father. Oh no, he'd already ruined everything long before we'd reached that point in time. Our journey here really did seem to have that 'wow' factor. I met Logan on the roof of the building where the guys' dorms were located. When I arrived, Logan and I were sitting on the edge looking down over the campus, when I asked him, "So why did you have us meet up here, and not down near the main entrance to our school?

Logan said, "well for one I wanted to do this." He hugged me and thanked me quietly for agreeing to come along. Once he'd let me go and taken a half step back, he explained, "He sounds totally swamped with this new project he's producing. When he gets like that, there will be tons of times that I won't get to be with him, really. It'll be nice to have you along."

"Hopefully I live up to your expectations, and with any luck you'll get some buddy time with your dad too. There's nothing better than some male bonding, I would imagine."

"It's cool, when we get to do it sure… are you very close to either of your parents?"

"My Dad, like you, I was born a daddy's girl. I think part of all of my tinkering and fixing things came from him. Only he isn't very good at it."

"Really? But you're so great at fixing things, making things no one else has thought of."

"Thanks, my Dad's more like 'Home Improvement's Tim 'the tool-man' Taylor; while I'm his more science savvy Al." He laughed and I said, "Maybe we should head on down, I don't want to make us late."

"Oh we're not and there's no need to go there, our ride will be meeting us right here."

"Really?" I did manage to ask, just before the wind picked up and a helicopter could be heard coming straight for us. Two of them actually, one landed next to us, the other landed on the top of the girls dorm, the same one I live in.

Logan yelled to me over the noise. "I have to speak to the pilots, it will only take a few minutes. Chauncy will take your bag and tell you where you need to sit. It'll only take me a few minutes and we'll be outta here."

"Alright!" I called back and 'thumbs up'ed him. He did the same and ran off, literally just as Chauncy seemed to appear out of thin air.

Saying, "The studious Professor Pensky, I have been counting the minutes, hours and seconds to this moment. It is so thrilling to have you with us again, if I'm not careful I might start to dance." He said in normal British delivery weighted down to nearly the breaking point in sarcasm.

I said, "Thanks, it's good to see you too." He took my bag and quickly showed me to my seat. With no preamble I found myself wearing noise cancelling headphones with a mouthpiece pressing to the corner of my mouth. I was belted down and then the butler scurried off to greet Logan where he was talking with two of the pilots. Since all of them were wearing headpieces too, I fumbled around with my heavy head-gear and finally flipped a switch on one of the sides to let their conversation flood in from outside of the crafts. It seemed that we were to be taking several other PCA students with us who were to serve as extras and stand ins. It seemed all very well organized and Logan was stating outright that "he would be sitting with me, because it was my first time going on the set and he didn't want me getting lost." He shot me a glance that told me he knew I wouldn't get lost, just wanted me near all the same.

Before you melt too much at this sentiment… he's gonna screw it up.

All of the people that we were taking with us in our craft were ALL girls. So both helicopters were loaded to the max, busting at the seams with babes. One was even seated in Logan's lap (because "she was so scared of flying") … which was all fine… just fine. That wasn't where he messed up. No, it wasn't even the shameless flirting and leading on that I heard him accomplishing on all of these girls. Even the one's he's been {casually} dating in past… No none of that was so awful. It wasn't great, but it felt a little put on, too thick to me, like he was overcompensating to keep up appearances… leave it to Logan to overdo it on covering for his own - posterior.

No, what hadn't been okay was his behavior when my ended relationship with Mark was mentioned. One of the girls seated in front of me was from my trigonometry class, she had sweetly said with genuine kindness that 'she was sorry to hear that I'd broken up with my long-time boyfriend. She'd always thought we were so cute.' I thanked her, and she complemented Logan as being a very good friend. I agreed and said that 'I'd keep him.'

…here it comes…

Logan not only basically called the entire two-year trek a joke. He then began to bring up all of these things he remembered witnessing us (Mark and I) doing on dates, outings and just anytime we were seen doing together. Just to pick on all of it and point out how weird we both were… yeah, NOT okay! That wasn't necessary, it was uncalled for and I didn't appreciate it one bit.

Yes, it had ended, it had been abrupt, terrible and it hurt. I am on my way to forgiving all and putting this far behind me. It is something that he knows I'm still struggling to work my way through. Or at least that is what he has been helping me do till this moment. It was like he was taking all of the progress we'd made and lit it on fire just to watch it burn. Right then, right now even, is not anywhere near a remotely appropriate time for any of that. Neither of us gained a thing from this happening either and I really had half a mind to demand out of that chopper right that very moment. Before I could get the words out however, the helicopter soared upwards, fast; and I was stuck on a trip that was suddenly feeling more like an ambush.

The teasing and joking at my expense lasted the entire ride to the studios. Which ended up being about 45 minute trip. If we'd been driving it would have taken a little over and hour and a half with no traffic. So we were making great time, I couldn't deny that. These were all things that I was trying to focus on, so I didn't cry right there or punch someone in the face. I was thinking of anything to avoid all of the things still being said around me, so that I didn't further embarrass myself.

When we finally touched down, I was the first one out of that copter so fast that even Chauncy and Mr. Reese both did a double take. They both welcomed me warmly and said that they appreciated my volunteering to help. Since I wasn't an actress, I was pretty much getting free reign to fill in wherever I saw fit. It turns out that I have a gift at that, even when I am in this setting. I ended up doing several different things all over the set. Too many to even sit here and name without needing a sufficient amount of time to do so. In light of this fact, I will just talk about my favorite.

For one I basically ended up have a crash-course lesson for several differing departments. That was way fun, and these people weren't mean, weren't calling me a freak. They were fascinated by what I had to say and appreciated my input.

The movie we were all working on is about two fugitives (a guy and girl) hiding out as eskimos in the north pole during the Victorian Era. Which is even funnier to film when the actual set where all of this was being filmed was about 80 degrees and all of the actors are bundled up and mean because they're way too hot. So I was the sucker stuck with the task of making that portion of the warehouses we were filming in feel like the artic… and I didn't disappoint. By the time I was through, everyone was wrapped up, the cast and crew, even the huddle of chairs where the directors and producers sit were huddled way closer and blankets and coats were draped everywhere or over everyone.

By far my favorite thing to do was aid the pyrotechnical crew. Mr. Reese had personally pointed them out to me [even he was well versed with my tendency to make a big bang], He whispered that, "Our actors are having trouble feeling the moment organically." He went on to say, "I know you're just the girl for the job, make them feel the danger of the moment without letting anyone get hurt."

Needless to say, by the time that I had produced one full take of poofs and blasts myself… the actors were convinced that our studio was really under attack. It was a crucial scene taking place in an very teeny set centering around the inside of an igloo. I hadn't heard much about the film (besides the sentence above: Fugatives, Victorian English couple running for their lives, hiding in an igloo as eskimos, in the North pole), I was just told at the time that both people were discovered and fired at as they hid in a very snug house built of ice. The crew were all talking about how they would be flying out to film some of the real artic scenes in the actual north pole after this weekend. So they were just filming some of the dialogue and 'close-ups.' As I was reading the script after hearing so much about this film, I realized that this was totally a movie I knew Zoey and Lola were gonna be dragging me to go see. The more I read and watched that they were filming … the more I was looking forward to that.

The actors that we had the pleasure of observing; were both famous in their own right. They were each professionals and I had to keep reminding myself of that, because they really sounded more like four year olds. A scene that should have taken five minutes, took nearly five hours of me sitting around to accomplish and the rest of the crew had been working three hours longer than me. Neither of these people wished to share the same planet with the other yet alone act out a love scene where even the polar ice caps couldn't compete with the steam. No these people kept running off to their trailers and fighting through a small flock of entourage.

When all was said and done, they did pull off a beautiful scene somehow. I just really could have done without all of their antics in between. Do you know what I mean? All of that he said and she said! It's amazing how good the scenes still felt when I knew that neither of the actors wanted to even be on the same stage together. Yet alone rubbing noses sweetly to stay warm for this scene. It was childish, it was playpen humor not Hollywood. Reaching the point of 'TOO bored,' I did wander over to the scene where Logan and all of the girls were mixed in with roughly a hundred other extras. For a scene that was supposed to be happening at another point in the film. It was the dress rehearsal and partial blocking portion of it. The stars were super late (because the igloo scenes were all taking longer than planned) though when the stars actually did show up and even managed to film those scenes now rather than tomorrow. That seemed to make all of the big wigs happier.

It truly was fascinating watching all of the moving pieces fall into place and make the whole scene work and appear to be seamless. It was also [I have to admit], pretty amazing watching how normal all of this seemed to Logan. Who had been around it so much his whole life it really was all second nature. He totally has a future in carrying on in his family's business. He didn't even really need tons of instruction or descriptions [like I would have]. He already knew exactly what his dad and the director were looking for. When I had last seen him, he was simply managing everything to his father's standards so that Mr. Reese could still do what needed to be done for the igloo scenes. Now, not only was he still carrying out this task, clip board in hand or tucked underarm. He was also dressed up and performing as an extra himself because a few actors hadn't shown up. [I'd overheard Chauncy explaining this to the crew setting up the producing and directing stations accordingly]. His usually perfectly fluffed and messy bed-head had been combed to an elegant more classic style and I have to admit... He was very handsome, he really looked like he'd stepped out of another time… why did he have to make me so mad? I couldn't even enjoy this.

Then Chauncy was asking me if I minded standing in as an extra. I said, "I don't know if that's such a good idea. I can't dance like they're dancing." I answered, keeping my reply as vague as I could. After all this part of the film was really showing more of its Victorian time frame. Logan was out there dancing with the others like he'd lived it, and I was very intimidated. Before I knew what on god's green earth was happening. I heard the butler say, "Don't worry, you'll make a perfect little wallflower."

Then I was kidnapped by the costuming and makeup departments. In about thirty seconds I was walking around in a realistically Victorian gown. I had also been somehow eaten by a beast of a corset that was squeezing me in all sorts of places I didn't know I even processed to squeeze. My hairstyle was a half up half down do, that I really loved. I had to ask how in the world did the hairstylist get my head to do this, and she was more than happy to show me on another extra. She made it looks so simple but I know better. I felt like I'd walked right off of the pages of one of my American Girls novels [Samantha was the one from the Victorian era, remember?] or Anne of Green Gables. Even though I was supposed to be a wallflower, I don't think I've ever had more guys ask me to dance. I know it was only to appear more dynamic in the scene, to whoever was watching. I just knew that I had two left feet and I wouldn't be able to do everything that those dancers were doing in perfect synchronization.

Just before the stars arrived, Logan wanted to help his dad figure out the proper blocking for our two leads dance together. He was the same height as our male lead and I was the same as the female lead. So Logan started yelling, "Where's Quinn, I know she's in jeans, but she's the perfect height for this."

Chauncy's voice carried over all of the chattering actors and actresses surrounding me and to my ears. "Master Logan, she's the wallflower leaned against that huge Greek pedestal to your left."

"No she's not- that's-" he gasped, "...Quinn!" he said with his mouth hanging open for a moment. The actors all began to go quiet as the director and other people began to coach everyone on what they needed to do before this could all begin. Logan didn't look like he heard a word of it, or like he could blink, and if I wasn't mad at him… I would have been completely swept away in the moment. But that had been a different time, a time that had passed…

Chauncy called, "Professor Pensky, could you please lend us your exquisite assistance again? It has been so great all day, up to this point." He said with the least biting sarcasm I'd ever heard him use.

I stepped out of my spot, where I'd been hiding myself. As I playfully flipped open the beautiful fan dangling from my wrist, I curtsied teasingly to the accompaniment of Logan's warm chuckle. Then he took both of my hands and said, "Sorry I didn't see you, you look so…so…"

"Strange?" I asked, wait, wasn't I not talking to him. One slip up is all he's getting!

"No, different but… you really look-"

"Master Logan, can we please begin!" Chauncy all but commanded and Logan seemed to snap out of whatever he'd been about to say.

"YEAH!" He called back, only to hear more Chauncy-sass about how 'yeah,' is not a proper answer in any time or era.

"Then YES! Let's just DO the stu-pid thing!" Then as he walked pulling me behind him, he said softer, "Don't worry, I'll walk you through every step, just pay attention you'll be fine."

Then he did just that, leading me through the motions that we needed to perform. The next two run-throughs of the same set of movements were like stop-motion and every time after that we would end up frozen in a particular pose or two because the cameras were still figuring out how to seamlessly follow us and not cast shadows or loose the moment. I didn't say a word during any of this time, I couldn't even look him in the eye really unless I had to. I only complied and did as I was told but every time that we performed these simple fluid motions we had to always end with a dip that got a little hotter each time we did it (and we did this eight or nine times if not more). It didn't help that all of the performers not performing would 'oww,' 'ahh,' or laugh when we got caught up. Some were even cat calling and whistling. Logan kept shooting me an expression on his face during that dip that was different every time, yet it never failed to heat my face with a nice embarrassing blush. I would have killed him for sure if I hadn't noticed him blushing here and there too.

Overall we helped them figure it out, so when the stars did show up in full costume change. They only practiced the scene once before production began for real. I slipped back into my place as a wallflower that hopefully won't ever get shown in the movie. Logan ran off to find his partner, but I noticed he kept shooting me looks that I didn't understand the whole rest of the shoot. After we'd wrapped it up and gotten changed out of our getups, all of us PCA members were treated to a viewing of another project that would be coming out soon. We all had to fill out a survey afterwards and we were all asked to be brutally honest.

All of the girls from our chopper (as well as the second), that had traveled here from our school were all sitting together. Like this mighty sisterhood of social butterflies, all a flutter with a competition of who Logan would choose to sit with. If I had been in a better-more normal mood I would have surely turned to them and said, "Please! Even if you all are truly that excited to sit with him. For the love of all that is sacred and holy, DON'T-TELL-HIM-THAT!"

I would have gone on to explain, "Eventually we have to take him home with us and no craft will be able to lift off if his ego is that huge, heavy and dense. Then, whenever we do make it back to PCA, we have to live with the guy. So do us all a favor and let him know nothing at all about any of this."

I would have teased and played, and had fun with the very idea. This evening however simply was not one of those fun loving times. I just wasn't in the mood for it, any of it. If Mr. Reese hadn't been so anxious to read my review in particular. I would have requested heading back earlier, because I was literally that done with today. Somehow, I found myself trying to pay attention in this teeny theater even with my overwhelming urge to run out screaming "I wanna go home" was only getting harder to hold back by the moment. While the staggering number of familiar faces I'd seen around campus took up most of the last four rows of the tiny theater. I was seated in the dead center of the second row, totally alone. With my legs dangled over my left arm rest. I heard a disappointed sigh among the gathered populace behind me, that I thought had to do with the film, then I discovered that I was no longer alone.

He came up and sat in the seat beside me without a word. An argument was happening on the screen that wasn't coming off at all like a true disagreement would. It lacked the fire, speed. sting and passion that most if not all fights carried, it felt like bad acting, but then again that could have been because I had a fire scorching the inside of me just itching to come out. Not five minutes after assuming his seat I felt Logan's hand trying to take mine underneath the arm rest. I immediately pulled it from his searching grasp.

He asked me in an almost soundlessly whisper, "What's wrong?"

I didn't answer, I simply pretended I didn't hear him, and after a few more minutes into this silly argument {and bad acting} I was being subjected to. Logan said, again in a whisper that can't be taught it was so perfectly soft, he said "This silence, you're keeping between us, is deafening."

When I still didn't answer, he said, "Come on Quinn, talk to me."

I simply shook my head 'no.'

He insisted, "Why not? Is it something I said or did? How can I know, if you won't tell me."

"Not here, not now," I finally ended up hissing.

"Why not."

"Because your Dad asked us to watch this and fill out a survey. He wants us to give an honest opinion of what we're seeing. If I don't pay attention, all of the feedback he receives will be subpar because those girls seated in the back wouldn't know a hit from a miss if their lives depended on it."

"No, Dad thought this would be a nice way to unwind after a much more stressful day than he'd had planned for all of us. He can go on the feedback from the amateur audiences. This is about you and me, and I can't stand this quiet, another minute."

When I ignored this he asked, "Is it the girls that made you mad?"

When I continued to disregard his questioning, he asked. "Are you pissed because I haven't been around you much since we arrived? Did something bad happen where someone treated you bad?"

When I still didn't say anything he grabbed me by my shoulders and asked louder, "QUINN!"

That was the straw that broke the camel's back. "NO!"

"TALK TO ME!"

"No," I managed through the myriad of shushes and popcorn being thrown at us. I reminded him, "We're in a theater, we're not having this discussion here."

"Why not?" He asked, soft again.

I finally told him, "Because if we talk here, it will turn into an fight-"

"So you are mad at me!"

"No Logan, I'm not mad… I'm furious."

"Why?"

"No, not here."

"Come on, no one is paying attention to us." He said lower still. Tacking on, "I can't stand this anymore."

"Well, you're gonna have to because there's no way; that I am going into this now."

"You know I was only flirting as an act, that was harder to keep up than anything I did for the cameras today."

I couldn't help but sarcastically say, "Oh yeah, you looked like you were really struggling with it."

"That was it, wasn't it? I was flirting and you got jealous?"

This was the point where the two of us were thrown out of the theater. Ushers with flashlights escorted us out and launched us both into the survey room. I finished mine as quickly as possible and apologized for only being able to comment on the scenes that had transpired before Mr. Reese's son wouldn't quit hassling me.

After that, I tracked down Chauncy and asked him, "if there was some way that I could possibly head back to their house early. Since it had been a very long and hard day and it was catching up with me."

He said that he was personally preparing to head to their home as we spoke. He even said that I was more than welcome to accompany him, but Mr. Reese was treating everyone to super late supper some place nice, on the way home. When I expressed I had no interest in eating, I was simply too warn out he said that I was more than welcome to accompany him back to their place. I was thinking good, I won't mortify myself to all of these strangers, I will be home free and argue with Logan about this later. Probably no sooner than our return to PCA. For that's probably the first opportunity he will get, that he's not playing Casanova.

As if the very stars were set against me, the butler then explained we would be leaving in about ten minutes. For that was how long it would take to fit all of the collective luggage that myself and all of the other guests had brought into a transportable vessel. PLENTY of time for Logan to track me down and spoil this outing that much more in a big scene for everyone to see. So what was my plan to keep myself hidden from my friend?

Extended bathroom break…

Of course this shot in the dark was a big stinking failure; and yes, Logan managed to track me down. As soon as I exited the hidden exit of the ladies room it was on, right there on the streets between differing studios (and the restrooms)! He was ready for a verbal skirmish too, all barking at me, "HEY!" the moment I was in sight. He began, "We're not in the theater, we're not working, let's get this outta the way; right here, right now."

"Really? You want to do this here, practically in public? You think that's a good idea?"

He gestured to me like "Bring it on," "hit me with your best shot," "how bad can it be."

I said, "Alright fine, you want to make a spectacle of yourself… Fine, but this conversation is only happening once so listen up…" I took a deep breath, let it out and said, "It wasn't the girls that bugged me, you're a free and single guy, knock yourself out. It wasn't that you haven't spent much time with me either, your material reason for coming here at all was to see your Dad. You were simply kind enough to let me tag along and escape Mark's-vanity-project for a couple of days. I thank you for that, it has been nice, really it has. I truly hope that if nothing else, some of my efforts provided you some more opportunities to spend time with Mr. Reese-"

"So what made you mad, then?" He shrugged.

I took a step closer and lowered my voice. "You making fun of my two squandered years like they were nothing more than a flimsy gag… You laughed, ridiculed and made sport of not only Mark's methods of dating, but mine."

"Come on, is that all? Even you said they were weird."

"Me admitting that does not give you consent to pick it to pieces. Not ever, especially when it's all still so fresh and I'm still working through it. I feel bad enough about it already, I didn't need you and those girls laughing merrily at my pain, heartbreak and efforts at dating. How would you like someone picking on your courtship techniques-"

"Are you really still on that?" He asked looking me in the eye. I felt my expression alter at his words and I don't know what I looked like. All I do know is that Logan broke the eye contact and looked at his feet for a second.

"I'm finished talking about this Logan." I told him, but he caught hold of my wrist.

"Well, I'm not. Do you hear yourself? You're still stuck on him, aren't you?"

"Excuse me?" I asked with a warning tone entering my voice, a tenor that he blatantly snubbed.

"You're still hanging on to what's already over, aren't you? You're brilliant but when it comes to all of this love stuff you are as backwards as you can be. You still love him and probably would take him back if he asked you to, wouldn't you?"

"No! Not even if he was the last man on the face of this planet!" He looked surprise by my confidence. So I continued, "I already pissed away two years hoping for him to love me even remotely like I loved him, and it was all for nothing. It was a total of twenty-five whole months gone down the drain, that's a total of seven hundred and sixty one days that I can never get back. I could tell you how many hours, minutes and seconds that was too. Though the real answer to all of those equations and figures is the assurance that I will never again… ever… spend even one second ever thinking of that boy; in that way, ever again. The reason that I am mad is because I didn't need you or your haram making me feel worse about that touchy subject."

"Oh yeah? You seem to be hanging on pretty tight for someone who's trying to let go so bad, if you ask me!" He said in a tone that wanted blood. He wanted me to hurt, but all I did was grow angrier.

I hadn't been planning to hit him with this bomb, here. Though he left me no alternative, it had to be said, "But really I should be thanking you all, because I had begun to lose sight of who you really are, Logan."

"Who I really am?"

"Yes?"

"Well don't keep me in suspense, let's hear it! I did go to all of the trouble of reminding you didn't I? Let's hear it?"

"Thank you for reminding me again, for I had begun to think that maybe 'something' between us could have been…"

This is not a time for tears, curse my wacky hormones and… being female.

"… It could have been everything... but thanks to that ride, I now know that the real joke was the very idea of that happening… we… you and me… can never be more than the unlikely friends we are right now."

"Qui-Quinn!"

"I'm just you're dorky odd friend-"

"No, you're not!"

"Yes, I am and that's all I will ever be to you, I understand perfectly again."

"No, you can't!" He was fighting me differently now. "If that is what you think I was trying to say, you can't-"

That was the last thing he got out before Chauncy was calling to me that the vehicles were ready, and I just ran as he was headed off by all of the rest of his guest flooding out of the survey room. That was the last I knew I would be seeing of him for the rest of the trip. I locked myself up in my guest room and climbed into my pee-jays. That is where I will probably remain for the rest of this trip. Even so, the quiet change of scenery feels nice. Even if a bit lonely…

Sometime later…

When I wrote all of that above, I truly thought that it was over. I thought that I had just closed the book on Mark with a loud resounding thud. Now I was gonna have to the same to Logan, before his book had even gotten to double-digit pages. I was beginning to run analysist on both (yes, let's go ahead and say) relationships and compared them side by side to better classify what had to be wrong with me. My findings were too much, too soon and I refuse to even acknowledge them here (I will paper clip those findings to this page for the sake of staying true to all sides of this tale.)

When I was finally so tired that I felt like I might be able to maybe sleep, I brushed my teeth and climbed into bed. Around one AM, I heard a knock on my door. Some of the girls were checking on me, and informed me, that if I needed any of them for anything, they were all sleeping in the guest wing just a hall away (I was in the family wing in the guestroom directly next to Logan's room). After that Chauncy checked on me for the third time since our arrival. He was trying to make certain I was eating the tray of food that he'd sent up.

I didn't want it; I was to miserable to eat.

I really thought that the night was over.

Then just before two AM, another knock came to the door. A knock that was one of the other servants picking up my tray. I had buried deep under the covers wasn't even looking at whoever had come in. Not that I could have seen them even if I had been looking right at them. My glasses were on the night stand.

The servant asked in a bizarre dialect, "No touch your food? What's matter, you no like?"

"No, just not hungry."

"Sum-athing else then?"

"No thank you." I said, just as I felt the bed move like someone was crawling in. Someone had climbed in and was now attempting to trap me by grabbing me from behind. I had taken self-defensive classes long before I had dedicated my life to science. Not only did I escape and scramble for my glasses, but my legs would not come free from the blankets cocooning them. So when I got my glasses over my eyes, I was twisting out of Logan's persistent hold somewhere between laying on the floor and him holding me up. As soon as he was sure that I could stand he was nursing his right eye claiming "Nice shot."

"Oh! Logan! I'm sorry- actually I'm not! What were you thinking grabbing at me like that?"

"You wouldn't listen to me when I was trying to talk to you earlier!" He explained as if he was accusing me. Even went on to say a little softer, "So I was trying to trap you so you'd have to hear me out, this time."

"Trapping me won't make me listen."

"Yeah, it just makes me blind."

I couldn't help it, I laughed, just before I asked; "What did you want me to hear-"

"You know." He stated with way too much meaning behind it to be confused. He hadn't stepped in the room with only friendly concerns.

"I think that more of your problem is the fact that, I don't know."

"That's why I'm here," He said as he helped me untangled my legs from the blankets and told me to have a seat on the couch nearby. Then he shut the door and came to sit with me.

Once seated, he apologized, "I'm sorry that this is all happening so late. Believe me, if it had been up to me we would have skipped the big dinner fiasco my Dad threw and I would have come straight here. That just wasn't possible because of all of those other guests."

"It's alright, I wasn't sleeping," I shrugged.

"But you have been crying again…and this time it's all my fault."

"You were the main instigator this time, yes."

"For what it's worth, I am sorry."

"-You don't have to be- "

"Yes I do… Quinn… You're not just a girl, you're not even just a friend… It's like you told Chase earlier, I don't know anymore where this is going, than you do. I just know that I don't want it to end, not yet anyway. It feels like it would be a cheat to us both if we didn't at least try? Don't you think?"

"I don't know Logan," I said sounding at least ten years older and exhausted even to my ears. "We're so different, everything is changing so much and so fast. I feel like we're in a race we can't win. You clearly think that my systems of dating are nothing like you're used to-"

"Because all of the girls that I have dated in the past. All they wanted to do was make out, and go out, then drop out. I was only making up all of that stuff today to cover my tracks."

"Cover your rear is more like it," I corrected and he agreed. I sighed, "You see, maybe we're kidding ourselves, maybe we're just not meant to be anything more than- "

"I don't think so."

"You 'don't think' what?"

"I don't think we're kidding ourselves. Not even a little, I think we're joking more thinking that this isn't worth a shot."

"A shot? Like… dating?"

"I don't know if I would go that far just yet, but… I do think we should at least, spend some more time together. Like a practice date or something… Yeah, you said it yourself, that you were nervous to get there again. That you felt like you needed time."

"You remember that?"

"Yeah, of course… and I don't know, I find the idea of dating you interesting."

"You do?" I asked and he nodded the affirmative. I don't know what made me turn to this boy, who was being so sweet and ask him, "Why?" But I did it in perfectly honest astonishment.

"Want me to tell you?" He asked with a look of too much slyness.

I pressed on, as if I didn't notice, asking; "Why else would I ask you why?"

So much (male) smugness flowing back into him, you could literally see it expanding his chest as he explained, "Well… You did state something back on that lot, about the 'something' between us feeling like it could be 'everything.' I did quote that right didn't I."

"I may have said something along those lines… I don't know, I was hurt and I was angry."

"Past tense?"

"Logan… I still don't know what I'm gonna get with you. The arrogant jerk who doesn't care about anyone but himself most of the time or the friend whose been so kind and supportive that at times, I've come to value him above all the rest."

"Reeeally?" He said, "All of the rest? Even Lola or Zoey?"

"See, I can't give you an inch without you taking a mile."

"If that's really how you feel, than let's make a pact. Let's promise, right here and now, whenever there is anyone else around besides the two of us. We will never again pay even a little attention to what we say. Because all insults, complaints and curses cast, are only for the sake of keeping this possibly 'everything' a secret. Does that make you feel better?"

"I don't know, even if I promise, do you really think it is a good idea for us to go out together. What if all we do is always end up making each other this crazy?"

"I don't know, but I think I could share with you the reason that I'm starting to think more and more that we should at least test it out."

"What's that?"

Then he gently trapped my head in his hands and said, "Here's why." Then he proceeded to kiss me to the point of nearly having an out of body experience. I know I have talked a lot of smack about Logan in this whole entry (and others), but that boy does know how to kiss. Sounds like he's had a lot of practice at it. Must be how he got this good. When we finally did stop, we were both laying down on the sofa, and I was on my back neatly snuggled into his side and he was half on top of me. He leaned his head against mine and said, "Sorry, didn't mean to get so carried away. I think that only happened because I have been wanting to do that, all day."

"All day?" I asked, "Even on the roof?"

"More like all day, since the moment I woke up." He got a few more kisses for that one.

So after much more discussion on this topic, Logan said, "So what d'ya say, Professor Pensky? Will you trial date me tomorrow, when we return from helping out around the studio?"

"Can we really do something like that? I mean, look how late we were getting back today."

"Believe me, it won't even be hard. Just leave it all to me and just prepare to be amazed."

So my plans for tomorrow you ask? I'm hopeful I'll be amazed.

That's it for this chapter, so what did ya think? Did you like it, love it, hate it, tolerate it? Let me know! I love hearing from all of you, and your feedback means the world to me! Sorry that this is probably reaching you all a day late, but my family and I having been working outdoors for the last three days… it takes a toll on more than my complexion. I have been typing every free moment I've had to make up for lost time. Next week will hopefully be on time! Love you all and hope you have a great week! Much Love!

~DarcyBeDippy85