Hi There,

Welcome back PCA fans! Here's the latest chapter of my tale. It is reaching you a Saturday later than planned, but hopefully you're still here. This one's from Quinn's Perspective and it will be the first one to really play alongside an actual episode. I hinted at actual events in my first chapter, but I really wanted to uncover some of the events that could have gotten Logan and Quinn from kissing that first time to staring into each other's eyes so intently in the next scene we see them in together. This chapter will bring all of that full circle but before we begin. I want to thank RhrGreatness, deb24, and Nichigoh for their supportive reviews and encouragement! You guys keep me going with all of your wonderful words. I wanted to thank all of you who are now following this story or me as an author, god bless you. Sorry again that this is being posted a week late. But this chapter got a lot longer than I suspected it would (Quinn's wordy… and so am I). I ended up chopping it in half and the next chapter will go up on time next Saturday (and yes this one will be on time) and since it is getting cut in half… yes, this half is Quinn's perspective so the next will be Logan's point of view. Looking on the bright side, it will be fun exploring both of their personalities and reactions during this adorable episode! That's enough of my yakking, here we go…

"The Collective Trails Of A Quinnventor and… Logan"
Chapter 6 – "Walk-a-thon" Part One!

Sunday morning, before the sun was even up, Logan and I were returned to PCA; Yes, it was in the same helicopters. Yes, there was a girl on Logan's lap the entire way, but no it was not the same girl as before. So at least he was consistently inconsistent, never singling any of them out. Every time that anyone asked him about his lip, he gave them a different fabricated tale that grew more outlandish by the moment. On the upside, he was taking my comment about working on his improvisational skills more seriously to heart… even if this wasn't at all what I had in mind when I'd made it. But hey, he is paying attention and that's something a bit new to me. God knows the relationship that just vacated my life didn't have a lot of that, or communicating, or effort on Mark's part in any way… Who would have known that Logan could be such a good listener… when he wanted to be?

I was the only one who knew it's true origin, while the injury may seemed miniscule, the emotional scar left by it's creator was something else altogether. I have only been made privy to these details for a few hours and while I wasn't sworn to secrecy it was definitely implied. So while I wasn't thrilled about the miniskirt situated on top of his legs, my stack of secrets I sat with somehow kept me company enough where I could keep shrugging indifferently. All I could do besides seem unaffected was shake my head and think to myself, "How brave is he?"

Yes, that was something that had come from this trip. If I were to sum up Logan Reese (the non-jerk-faced variety, of course) in five words, "Brave" would be one of the first. If not first, second would have to be "Loyal," even before this trip. I watched him have the hell beat out of him once standing up to a (should-be-pro) wrestler who had beaten up our friend Zoey in a wrestling match for our school. Not to mention, he'd stood by Chase during all of that Vince Blake malarkey. He was beat up then too, along with tons of other acts to prove loyalty is a serious strong suit in his arsenal. He's "Protective," of us all and his Dad. He's "Strong" and in more than just a brute strength way. I've always admired his physical strength, who couldn't he's an athlete, he sports it quite constantly. While he's never been the tallest, his success has always remained undeniable. Yes, he carries a short fuse, but more than anything on this excursion; his inner strength blew me away.

The last word is a bit of a new discovery, that explains his short fuse, irritability, impatience, grouchiness as well as all of the good words listed above. I've discovered that Logan is all of these things because he is a "Passionate" person. That passion can make him all of these cool things just as quickly as it can make him all of those harder to handle things. We keep him because even when he's being difficult, we can't help but root for the guy. He's always there when we need him and… I think we all try to return the favor, at least I know that I do.

…My personal feelings for him…

…They only seem to grow stronger the more I'm around the guy, which is great at the same time as terrifying. I still had no idea where this was going and that alone scared me!

At the launch of this experience, I had been hopeful that this thick block of time together would give us a better understanding of each other. As individuals as well as our ongoing metamorphosis of ever-altering perceptions of one another. I think that it is safe to say that we are both in a bit of a better place now, on the other side of this weekend, and looking back. None of it was easy, not all of it was fun; though most of it… was entertaining. Especially whenever I actually got be around Logan… or even better when we managed to get time alone.

As far as I can tell, he seems just as perplexed by all of this as I am. Before I could really think too much about all of what had happened however or overthink as Lola would have called it (true friend to the end) we were back at PCA and the sun was just starting to light the horizon. All of the other passengers were pretty much heading back to their dorms and back to bed. I couldn't have done that even if I tried, I was wide awake and ready to go… an unusual feat that usually requires lots of coffee or tea. Without a drop of either in my system it felt kinda strange, but I pressed on regardless.

I headed back to my dorm like all of the other girls had and… of course Zoey and Lola were still out like lights. So I ended up lounging on the entryway to the library, the sun was up and bright now slowly warming the air and everything it touched. While PCA still mostly remained a ghost town besides the very few random stragglers and me, I buried my head into my thick book of history and got a good rhythm going committing all of the dates to memory anew…

When someone brought me out of my concentrated bubble saying, "THERE she is! How did I just know that I'd find you somewhere on campus, nerdy?"

I shook my head at Logan's antics and returned, "I would have thought that you would have gone back to sleep like the rest of our crew."

"Nah, I mean usually I might, but not today," He shrugged. "I don't know, I guess I'm too awake, can't say the same for Michael and James though."

"Or Zoey and Lola." I added and he sat on the same step as me.

"They were still dead to the world?"

"They may need resuscitation later on." I joked and he chuckled.

"Well maybe this is a blessing in disguise, because having all of this spare time gives us a chance to get our stories straight. I mean, there's plenty of stuff that happened that we're more than happy to share but-"

"There were also quite a few things that need to remain strictly between us." I finished for him.

"Exactly… right." He agreed, then he looked around and said, "I know there isn't much life on campus just yet. But I think I could list at least six better places to have this conversation where we don't have to worry about being overheard."

"Right, talking about it, so out in the open… weird… let's go." I said closing my book and beginning to follow him.

"How long were you planning on sitting there?" He asked out of curiosity, I guess.

"Till it opened, or till I saw my roommates, whichever happened first."

"Then what?"

"Then I would have gone inside."

"To do what?"

"I don't know Logan, contemplate my navel."

"Isn't that… your belly button?"

"Yes, it's an expression, an old saying. I was going to get a head start on studying for exams. I know I'm gonna end up re-teaching at least 30 classmates (not including our friends or students in different classes) all of the material fresh again. So I might as well start making sure I have all of the things I remember stored correctly. Have you even cracked the cover of any of your examination pamphlets?"

"No! You know, I haven't! Be-be-because it's too early, we haven't even had prom yet."

"You wait till that late in the year to begin your studying for exams?"

"I'm usually exempt from some of them too, ya know? The ones that I do have to take I study for. There's no use in stressing so much over something that I don't even have to take." He shrugged.

I shook my head, "Don't you think that's a bit risky?"

"No, that seems more normal to me than laying in front of the library on a Sunday morning. A morning that we don't even have class, but your just so…so…"

"Let me guess, nerdy? Dorky? Geeky? Am I getting warmer?"

"You may be all of those things but you're also somehow, completely adorable when you do it. Even when I look really dumb standing near you."

"Because you're so cool and I'm so not?" I asked while watching my feet walk. I didn't say it like it was an insult to myself, but it kinda was.

I suddenly felt him take hold of my hand and stop me, saying, "No. I mean that just being anywhere near you, genius that you are, I appear a lot dumber than I would standing anywhere else. You just naturally smoke everyone with your intelligence and I don't think I could ever do that. Not even if I tried…really hard… But I keep standing here, even more lately than ever, because I can't seem to stay away."

I smiled so hard that my cheeks tingled, and I tried to hide it with my hand. While he pointed at my reddening face saying, "See? Who wouldn't find that adorable?"

After a couple of more moments of walking, he surprisingly led me to the smack center of one of the wild looking groups of palm trees that live all throughout campus. The center of this huge and spacious patch of gardening expertise there was a small patch of grass that could completely conceal us from being seen, but we would have to sit rather close to fit into it.

I asked him, "How did you find this spot?"

"There are a few perks when your Dad is worth millions and promises to donate lots of dollar signs with lots of zeros to the school."

"I see, that must be nice." Then we were sitting rather close and facing each other and it was a bit unnerving. I brought up my knees to hug in front of me, hoping that would be a little more comfortable. But there were no stirring crowds or music throughout campus like there usually was. It was all so quiet and even he looked a bit put off by it. After a couple of moments of silence, he finally asked, "So what didja have in mind to share with our friends when they ask about your weekend?"

"Weeeeell," I drew out and comically acting out thinking like a cartoon character might in classic cartoon shorts. Which seemed to break the ice a little before I began, because he laughed and I ended up joining in and most of that tension felt like it melted away. "I think it's okay to mention the group of girls and their theatrics to try and win just a fleeting moment with you. I think that falls under the safe material to mention."

"Well it is true, and they were pretty obvious." He agreed with a smirk on his face that was way too encouraged by this trail of thought. "Are you sure that you're not even the least bit jealous. I mean… you do seem to keep bringing them up."

"Oh no, how could I be resentful of anything that makes a friend so happy. You really seem to have too much fun to stop you… not to mention you have a rep to uphold. We wouldn't want that slipping."

"I've survived worse, but it would be one thing that I didn't need."

"Exactly." I agreed and there was this heat rising between us that had nothing to do with the sun rising higher and higher beyond the horizon. We were in a bit of shade at the start but now some of the hot rays were seeping through our small patch of tropical wilderness.

Logan quirked an eyebrow at me and said, "You're stalling Pensky, and it's working."

"It's not my fault that you're so easy to distract." I teased, before continuing. "I thought that I could possibly mention all of the fun and all of the work we had to do on your Dad's set."

He thought for a second before saying, "That's all fine, as long as you keep your personal experiences in that totaled igloo; alone with me, under wraps."

How could I have forgotten thosetimes had happened technically on the set. Even if off in a prop closet, and not anywhere out in the open. "Oh of course, I'll keep those to myself."

"Out of curiosity… What would you say was fun about that little field trip and what was more like work?" He asked, an interesting enquiry.

"Are you asking for the whole trip or just the happenings in your Dad's workplace?"

"Right now I'm just talking about Dad's studio set… but I will want the other answer too a little later." He verified.

"I will share my thoughts on work vs. play, if you promise you'll share your thoughts as well on the subjects." I bargained, as I stroked a nearby plant's velvety leaves. Botanicals can hold so many benefits for us humans, and their just a joy to be around or care for.

"Fine, but you go first."

"Fair enough, "I agreed, before starting. "I liked all of the science stuff, I adored the pyrotechnics squad. To the point that I have a new dream job to consider if I can't find an interesting enough place for me in the scientist world. Or at the very least a new hobby to keep whenever life gets too predictable."

"Hey, I'd hire you." He said before tacking on, "And I am planning to go into the same family business of film and television series producing. So there's totally a potential job just waiting to be snatched right there."

"I will have to keep that in mind." I smiled, before complementing. "I really don't know how you or your Dad make everything seem to happen so seamlessly on that set. Or how you have the patience for that kind of work. I would pull all of my hair out the first day on the job and spend the rest of my life a hairless wonder because of it, if my job was his or your job."

"Well… good thing it isn't… I like your hair." He said playing with some of it, and leaning right into my personal bubble when he did it. Then he said, "Believe me it took years and years of watching my Dad's smooth operating technics for me to play it so cool. I'm not really doing much but mimicking him really… I hope one day I can be as successful as he is while having my own voice all at the same time. So that I'm not just remembered as his son, but I'm remembered for my own contributions to the visual storytelling that we both love so much, ya know?"

He's probably said something similar to this before, around me. I had just never really listened, and I don't think it could have been expressed in the same context. It really melted my heart, hearing him share his dreams so openly. I think a little bit of my emotion may have leaked into my voice. "I know exactly what you mean and it's a great dream. I hope that you really get to be all of that and more."

"Thanks, so I'll be out there doing the entertainment industry a damn service. While you'll be out there doing the universe a favor and unraveling all of its best mysteries."

I laughed, but agreed, "Wouldn't that be the greatest?"

"That would be a freaking sweet set up." He agreed before realizing, "Man, you are good at distracting me!"

"It's a gift," I said shining my nails on my shoulder.

"Come on, back to business, what else are we saying?"

I took a deep breath and decided it was time to rip this thing off like a band-aid. I was gonna have to mention the parts of the trip that were a little harder to keep so upbeat about, when you know more of the truth. I didn't want to ruin this comfortable, playful back and forth rhythm we had going. I had to think the sooner we got this behind us the sooner we could both truly relax. So I started this tougher part of this exchange by saying, "Since the tabloids are likely to be splashing the magazines with tidbits about the whole wedding or lack thereof. I think we should acknowledge it occurred but we'll just be keeping out all of those bits that you don't want to mention."

I watched Logan's guard fly up and I saw the tension instantaneously make him sit a lot straighter. "Right, we can explain that Dad was going to re-marry but got technically left at the alter when his bride's ex-boyfriend showed up. The Bride married her ex instead of my Dad and then Dad partied all night celebrating his new found freedom. The whole appearance of my birth mom, I don't think any of that needs mentioning."

"I figured as much, so those events will stay strictly between you and me."

"Please." He said so softly and venerably that my hand flew to his shoulder all on it's own.

"Just making certain, consider your confidences kept safe." I tried to assure.

He went on to ask, "Can you blame me? For wanting to keep something so ugly hidden?"

"No, not even a little." I assured him and my knees came down to rest folded underneath me in Indian style, like his. Our legs were practically on top of each other because we had very little room and we had to sit so close. Yet somehow it wasn't uncomfortable, it was just a bit of a stretch calling it comfy either.

"Good, I mean-you are the only person from our group who's met her. I think your roommates may even half believe that my Dad was abducted by aliens and I'm the baby he had a little later after that, all on his own."

I laughed and between my own guffaws I somehow managed to say, "Lola has acted that out as your origin at least three times in her Improv troop."

"No way… and I missed it?" He laughed and looked sad that he'd missed out.

"Totally!"

"Man!"

"I know! I think that story makes more sense than the one I was told."

"Me too, that's a whole lot better than the drunken mess who is determined to ruin my entire life. Claiming that is what I did to hers, just being born, like I'd asked to be here."

"She's completely nuts, I mean your Dad is such a cool guy, not only is he smart and great at what he does. He really takes care of those he loves and you're just like him. You're an extraordinary friend, you take care of us when we need it and I'm glad that I know you. It just puzzles me how your own mother could be so blind to all of that."

He was quiet for a long few minutes and I couldn't look at him the whole time that I was talking or after. I was too embarrassed, I could feel his eyes on me but he didn't say anything. I thought I had said too much, overstepped, freaked him out - when suddenly I heard him say, "…Qui-…Quinn?…"

I finally looked at him and I realized the reason he was being so quiet was because he was having a struggle with his own words. Not in the way I was expecting either, I had thought for sure I've let too much of my feelings show and he's bound to be, like, 'get this crazy girl away from me.' He took a deep breath and his shoulders slacked just the teeniest bit before he regained control of his speech.

"Quinn… You're not just my first friend from PCA to meet my mom and remain my friend. You're the first person who's ever met her and remained my friend."

"Whaaaa-What do ya mean?" I heard myself asking.

"…I mean… something always happens to anyone my mom sees or meets that has any loyalty to my Dad or me. It's complicated and it's all only a small part of why I call her the nastiest part of myself. Part of why I started coming here in the first place is because this school exist in a part of the US that my mom can't come to."

"Really? What keeps her away from here?"

"It's all because of some ancient crime her ancestors committed here, back when they weren't jewelers and they were more like pirates. A deed that she re-portrayed when she was still in high school, and did such a great job making it believable, that she almost did serious prison time for it. Since I'm technically a different family and I'm a Reese, it doesn't apply to me. Especially since my parents have been divorced since, I was not even a year old. It kind of protects me from her being here."

"Well I'm not going anywhere, and thank you for trusting me with this."

"Thank you for staying, it means more than you know."

I smiled at him and both of us couldn't seem to snap out of our stare. Not till I started to recap, after clearing my throat. "So! We can mention our small herd of PCA female extras. We can mention the antics on the set, is it okay if I mention that two full grown and very famous actors would not rub noses together for a 15 second scene in the movie so we were all stranded staring at their agents arguing for them, back and forth for five hours."

"Oh yeah, it happens more than you think… five hours is that what was making everything late the other day?"

"For me it was five hours for everyone else on that set it was more like eight hours."

"Yeah, that's about right did the actors ever even speak to one another or was it all the agents barking at each other like dogs?" He asked.

"It was hilarious, it was like watching a smack down between kindergartens." I tried to explain to the accompaniment of his chuckling. "It was so funny, seeing such sophisticated, classy and respectable grown people… act so childish and they were all so serious about it. It wasn't like they were expected to have a huge love scene either. They were just supposed to be bumping and rubbing their noses together in a way that was more like making out than the innocent eskimo kisses you're used to seeing and these thespians were treating it like an act of congress."

"Yeah," He nodded, and totally knocked me out saying. "Knowing these two particular entertainers if they had been doing a big love scene it probably would have been easier."

"How?" I asked completely astonished.

"Well they've probably done upwards of a hundred different love scenes each. All with different actors and not each other but after faking it for that long, it's a second nature. The scene that the directors wanted wasn't nearly as easy as all of that, it was something new and difficult. That was what they didn't like… the challenge."

"Challenge? It's rubbing noses together." I said not seeing how demanding such a simple thing could be.

"In theory it sounds real easy, sure." He agreed, and I leaned back against the thick base of a tree behind me ever so slightly. Still trying to relax after the uncomfortable part of the conversation. I had no idea that Logan would suddenly be right up at my face and trapping me between the trunk and his two sun-kissed muscular arms. I know I audibly gulped as he continued in a soft spoken intensity, "Then you have to make it believable that you're completely crazy about a person you can't stand. A person that you've probably never had a real conversation with, and make an entire world believe that you want to jump each other's bones… If he screws up, it takes away from her performance and vice versa. So while I see your point, you have to admit it's a bit more daring than you originally thought, yeah?"

"I-uh, I hadn't really considered it in that circumstance." I said trying to appear unaffected by his sudden nearness… though really who am I fooling when he's smiling that knowingly. Curse him!

He spoke up before I could, surprising me by saying, "Can I tell you one more secret before this weekend ends? Before our roommates show up and everything goes back to normal?"

"Sure, I mean I don't see why not, and if you now know you can trust me with all of the others. What's one more to the pile." I asked, trying to keep the tremble out of my voice. The other guy I used to date, whose name I could not remember to save my life in this moment. That guy had never made me this shaky, not in the over two years we were a pair. What was wrong with me, why was I only seeming to get more pathetic about this boy the more he revealed of his true self and did he have to play with my hair like that? That sexy, ticklish way that turns all of my insides to jelly! I mean clearly I'm already completely under your spell, is there a need to really take that little bit further?

On the end of a deep breath he asked, "Do you know the real reason that I took you here?"

"No, but I hope that you're going to tell me."

"Can I whisper it, it's kinda embarrassing and people are starting the stir out there."

"I know I hear them too," I said before cocking my head to the side and saying, "Whisper away, I'm far too interested to say no."

He pressed his face in my hair. The last of his deep hot breath went right in my ear and I know that doesn't sound like it would be appealing. But somehow he did it just right and I totally saw stars! In this soft unthinkably sweet voice that I've never heard him use till recently, he whispered in my ear. "It has been countless seconds, minutes, hours… days really, that I have been dying to kiss you and haven't been able to because I got hurt before I could."

He took another deep breath, like just admitting this fact to me was a huge relief. My heart is once again trying to beat it's way out of my chest and all I can think to say is brilliantly, "Really?"

He'd rested his head on my shoulder for a half second but when I spoke his face flew back to my ear and he said, "Yeah! It turns out that not kissing you is very hard once you already know how it feels."

"I want to apologize for that, but I can't say I'm too sorry." I whispered in his ear.

"I bet you're not," he said looking me right in the eye and smiling way too charmingly. Then he exclaimed, "God!" Before his head flew back to my ear and he asked, "How have we been friends all of this time and I never notice what a fox you can be?"

I shrugged, "Well I barely let myself notice how sweet you can be, not to mention you're pretty hot yourself. Especially in all of this sunshine right now, I guess we're even."

"Hmm," He seemed to think for a moment and his mouth raced to my opposite ear. The one that hadn't been getting all of this attention and say, "I don't think we can call it exactly even just yet. I know we can't kiss like I wish we could, cause I'm still healing but you know something? This conversation has just given me a great idea… What if we tried to do what those actors couldn't? Use eskimo kisses instead of real ones so I don't undo all of the healing I've done so far and I can still get some of this pent up tension out of my system."

"Are you saying-" I began to question.

"Mmm-hmm," he agreed.

"Now?"

"No time like the present." He shrugged, before tacking in there, "Not to mention, how do you smell this good all of the time?"

"My smell?"

"Yeah!"

"You mean you've noticed that I had a smell and liked it?" I clarified while his head buried deep in my neck and obviously smelled.

"Yeah, why is that a shock?"

"Well, the ex… uh, whose name… currently escapes me-"

"Oh yeah!" Logan cheered, "Mission accomplished for me!"

"He used to always claim that all of my perfumes and soap smells always made him sick or want to gag."

"So not only did he have zero personality but the man had no taste. I may never recover from the shock, if I have reached the point where I can make you forget stuff you would normally know right away there is no question. We are doing this right now and we're going to first give this the preschool approach then we're gonna do this for real. Got it?"

"Wait! Wait!" I cried out holding out both of my hands in front of me. "Right now, right this minute-"

"Quinn, I am a desperate man! We're doing this!"

"Okay, on three-"

"Preschool approach on three, ready one, two, THREE!"

We rubbed noses together the quick back and forth motion that you always see on tv. It tickled so much that I couldn't stop giggling at first. We flew apart both gripping our noses and rubbing them to try and calm down the sensation a little quicker. Remember the teeny space we were occupying didn't allow for much separation. Logan's nose was so effected his eyes teared, and mine did the same after the second try.

The third however, when our faces got close again. Logan said, "Okay this time is a little more serious."

"As serious as tickling the living daylights out of each other's faces can be." I added and he shot me a look that was supposed to be disapproval, but it wasn't convincing at all. He was smiling way too much.

"Come on, close your eyes." I shot him a look that said 'should I?' He got impossibly close and stressed, "Close. Those. Eyes."

I complied and he went on to say, "Picture it if you can that we're the two people in that igloo- Why are you laughing?"

"Because Logan! It's only eighty-three degrees, sunshine everywhere and we're both dressed more for the beach than the artic."

"Come on, it's just a little role playing."

"Role playing? Really? You?"

"I am the one with the super successful dad who does this for a living…" He shrugged. "Come on, close your eyes again… let me just set the scene." He said and I did end up doing as he asked. "Now picture, if you can… that's we're on the very top of the world. We've been running for our lives for months, we've been shot at, we've been nearly captured twice. We're two of the most wanted people in the world-"

"And this is totally your father's script." I pointed out and peeked.

"Shush, you'll spoil my masterpiece before I can put it to color."

"I'm sorry." I said throwing both of my hands up and making a show of closing my eyes tight.

"Now listen."

"Listening…"

"This is the ONLY place in the world that we can possibly be anywhere near safe and the only way that we can remain safe here is if we keep our distance and remain silent. The only way that we can manage to get through this is if we get along… something we haven't done even a little. Not even when you first climbed into this tiny little ice house we managed to build together. But now that you're trying to sleep and can't between the hauling winds that almost sound like something screaming and annoyingly unbearable cold… the idea of togetherness is suddenly sounding better and better all of the time."

You have to admit, the boy's got a gift at scene settings. I chanced a peek at him and totally got caught. "QUINN!"

"I'm sorry, I'm keeping them closed, I really am."

"It is the dead of winter, the temperature is every bit of forty below." He waxes on not knowing all that I know about our poles.

My eyes pop open and I start talking before I can even think to stop myself. "Yes, minus forty degrees is typically what it averages in the winter time. In the summertime it can get as warm as thirty two degrees Fahrenheit. Did you know that the south pole is WAY colder with annual high of about minus eighteen degrees and lows of minus seventy-six degrees Fahrenheit? The coldest ever recorded there happens to be in the year 1904, just like your Dad's script that winter was the coldest ever recorded in the South pole a scientist recorded a low of eighty-nine point two Celsius. Which is about one-hundred and twenty-eight point six degrees below zero in Fahrenheit."

"Seriously?"

"Yes," I said as he for once didn't scoff at my add-on. He looked truly amazed.

"Wow, can you imagine cold like that?"

"It's giving me goosebumps just thinking about it and we're sitting in almost direct sunlight."

"Me too."

"Logan, I appreciate what you're trying to do, and I really think it is the sweetest thing. I am all for this experiment that you're conducting, but I personally don't want to be playing a role or pretending I'm an actress on the top of the world's polar ice caps. I just want to be Quinn, making her friend Logan a little crazier than she should. It's just way too fun to quit." I said as I trailed my fingers over the few buttons just under the collar of his shirt, nuzzling my face against his as if it was the most natural thing to do. I would have regretted something I'd said or the way I behaved, for sure. If he wasn't smiling so big and nuzzling right back.

What happened after that, I'll try to explain, I really will. But while we weren't making out in all actually. The way that we were snuggling faces felt like nearly the same thing and I was just as swept away as I would have been if I could have been kissing his lips. I can't be sure if it was just the case where he knew what he was doing. If I had been subconsciously paying a little too much attention to the actors who had been performing the scene the other day. So that I was somehow bringing my A-game to this exchange, or if there was just something magic naturally in the way we touched each other. All I do know is that I will never hear another eskimo kiss reference for as long as I live without turning three shades red, and remembering that moment in the shelter of those trees.

We didn't get to linger long after that, because Logan could hear James and Michael walking around looking for him. Of course they weren't just walking around talking muffled to themselves either. No! They were both yelling out to him and complaining about leaving all of his still packed crap in the floor of their dorm room. So he had to run off and get them both to quit running around and just screaming his business… but before Logan left the spot we'd been hiding in and returned to the world of normal… I may have very carefully took hold of his face and said, "Hold very still because I don't want to hurt you. But…"

Then I very carefully kissed the corner of his mouth that wasn't injured. He grabbed onto both of my arms and gripped me like a vice. When I pulled away he whispered, "When I can kiss you again and you don't have to be so damn careful. You better believe that I am gonna be coming back for a lot more than that."

"I look forward to it," I told him, and then he was gone.

He rush out at our friends shouting, "HEY! Would you idiots PLEASE pipe down!"

To which I could hear Michael return, "SURE! Would you mind please unpacking your crap! I stubbed my baby toe and James almost lost a foot tripping over all your mess!"

"Over-drama much?" I heard Logan firing back, "Did it ever occur to either of you Dodos to look where you're walking?"

"WE-WERE-HALF-ASLEEP!" Both boys answered without hesitation.

The arguing continued and I had a hard time covering my laughter in the meantime. But when they were finally gone I reemerged myself. Then just as promised, my world too returned to complete normal. I met up with Lola and Zoey eventually for breakfast and we talked about what the two of them had gotten up to in my absence. Which had consisted of double dating eating tons of things they shouldn't, staying up later than normal and tons of double dates. Then I got to talk about all of the pre-approved things that I'd seen and heard while on my trip to Hollywood with our group's little rich boy.

As if she was somehow psychic about the topics that I didn't want to talk about however. Zoey, completely out of left field asked, "So you got a glimpse at tons of his family, did you happen to hear anything about Logan's mom? I mean, I know he has a ton of moms and 'almost mom's -whatever that means- but he never mentions his birth-mother. Were you at all able to find out anything about her?"

"Ooh yeah!" Lola chided in before I could say a thing. "It's totally strange how he never mentions her or talks about her. I still stick by that bit I did in drama-class. His mom's some vain alien queen in the uncarted territories of deep space!"

I nervously laughed, "Yeah! No, not one thing about her the entire time I was there. How weird is that!" Thank heavens they switched over to more neutral topics after that. How does Zoey always have some crazy sixth sense about the things I shouldn't talk about.

By dinner time I knew that I had just returned that morning, but it was such a long day… I felt like it had been days ago. I would have simply went to bed and skipped dinner altogether, I was that tired. Then Lola had to go and mention that we would be meeting up with everyone for dinner. Everyone meant the guys and while I love them all as friends, there was one guy in particular that I couldn't miss. It wasn't till I was walking to this gathering with my tray that all of the insecurities started to rattle my overly tired and frazzled brain.

What if we've gotten too used to having our shields down around each other and our friends totally pick up on our steam? It feels so obvious and has a mind of its own and I am way too tired to trust myself right now! Or worse! What if I'm still the odd man out in the gathered mass because of Logan, keeping up his appearances, and bringing a girl along? What if he takes one look at me during this meal and I turn so red from our little pow-wow earlier that no one's fooled? Or at the very least, what if everyone picks up on the idea that I am totally harboring a crush on this guy and they all feel the need to talk me out of it. Maybe they're wrong… maybe I need to be talked out of this… Why didn't I just go to bed? Why did I agree to this?

Oh god, there it is. Our entire group (minus Chase's bushy head… and Nicole… and Dana…have we heard from those girls lately. I'll need to ask Zoey), all assembled around that same round table. Michael with Lisa, Zoey with James, Lola with her latest crush for all of a new impressive fifteen seconds. Dustin sitting next to his sister and Stacy Dillsen who was trying to talk to Logan. He was looking all around and when he spotted me he pointed at the empty chair left vacant for me on his left. As soon as I was seated and asked my first question about the trip from the guys. I felt Logan totally take my hand underneath the table and not look the least bit suspicious. How is he so good at all of this with so little sweat or effort while I'm constantly on the verge of heart palpitations?

Lola dropped her fork and went diving under the table after it, but luckily not fast enough to see our hands fly apart. He even recaptured my hand anew, a half second later. It was so nice, definitely worth staying up for but the both of us returned back to our dorms a lot sooner than we would normally from pure exhaustion. When I got back to my own bed and the dark quiet room, I was out like a light. I didn't even change into my jammies. I just brushed my teeth and fell asleep before I could even crawl under my covers.

When I woke up the next morning, I found myself wrapped up in Lola's comforter on top of my still made bed. She must have tucked me in before turning in herself. I got up, got ready for class, and just as I was thinking about breakfast, I got a text from Logan asking

"If u don't have anything that absolutely has to be done in free period today. Could u meet me behind the vine covered wall near the cafeteria.'

I told him, "that I would see him then," and tried not to let myself get too excited.

Then no matter how hard I tried, all day throughout all of my classes, my imagination would spur off into just what that boy was planning for behind that wall. So much for not letting myself get too excited. I don't know how many times I was busted for not paying attention. Definitely more than I have ever racked up in my scholastic career.

By the time that free period arrived, I had had it! I had every intention of marching up to that boy and ending things right then and there. This wasn't just a social thing any more, this wasn't helping me like it had before. This was becoming something else. Something I wasn't ready for, something Logan would never submit to… especially not with a rep crushing dweeb like me! The things that had made this irresistible at first had changed, this arrangement was beginning to affect my quality of work and concentration, my overall performance as a student here.

I had covered six pages of a double spaced book report in little red hearts before I even knew that I'd done it. Luckily it had been a report about Shakespeare's "Midsummer Night's Dream," and the parts I'd marked were all while the characters were under a love spell, so my teacher gave me extra credit for 'artistic flare illustrating an important plot twist.' I had been lucky, if that had been my 40 year-old and single math teacher, I would probably have been suspended. I'd never encountered anything like this before, certainly not at this magnitude. So I was decided, that I was going to end it. This crazy limbo between seeing one another in complete secret or some crazy form of friendship on fire. I was going to end it and just tell Logan that we needed to just be the better friends to each other we'd become and leave it at that.

I was sitting on the yellow wall in question. I had been sitting there almost two full minutes before I heard a "psst" come from behind the wall and I noticed my… friend crouched down and waving me over to join him.

I know I had gone into that conversation ready to end things and never let them veer to that extreme ever again. Then something happened when I actually got behind that wall with Logan Reese. He put his arms around my waist and pulled me close enough to rest my head on his shoulder… and all of that free will, and want to end things just vanished.

He even said a little later when we were looking at each other directly, and I quote. "I swear, you have the prettiest eyes."

Yes, he really said that, and my actual reply to that was, "Well, you have the cutest nose."

"I know." He shrugged.

We eskimo kissed still, even though his lip injury was barely noticeable to the naked eye. When he suddenly stops mid-nose nuzzle to look me right in the eyes with a serious look of, I don't know what! So I ask, "What?"

"Uh… Nothing, nothing."

"Then why did you stop?" He was still hesitating so I insisted, "Tell me?"

"Come on, this is just insane." He said in an outburst of his more typically Logan behavior.

"Why? Lots of guys and girls rub noses together." I pointed out.

"I mean, you and me… this," He said gesturing between us.

"Oh…" I said as I realized what he meant. I couldn't even defend it, I had walked into this conversation with the very same idea. It had just gone away once I got around him… pity I didn't have the appeal to him that he had over me. It was a perfectly fair point. So for lack of anything better to say I just admitted, "Yeah." Flatly, because it really is unwise, in every way irrational!

"It's just wrong." He said, and again what could I say except agree with him?

"Sooo wrong, this can't happen anymore."

"Let's just move on and pretend none of this you and me stuff ever happened." He said with a finality that I honestly admired.

"I'm so on board with that." I agreed. Then my alarm started going off. Letting me know free period was over and if I didn't get moving now, I was gonna be late. I caught him staring at me so I verified, "I gotta get to class."

"Yeah, me too." He said just as we were gathering up all of our things that had somehow haphazardly fell around us the moment we'd gotten close. The whole time that I was doing this, this little nagging voice in the back of my head kept screaming, 'One more kiss! one more kiss! Where are you going? I know you hear me! It can be over, but you NEED one more kiss! Look at his lips, they're practically healed, if not there a peek on the cheek, forehead, eskimo since that seems to be a favorite, ANY thing!'

I told the voice to 'get lost' but it just wouldn't shut up. As if he heard the voice too, Logan's stare caught my eye again and he asked me, "One more eskimo kiss?"

"KAY!" I erupted way louder than I meant to but we rubbed noses one more time and parted ways.

God, I really thought that was it. I thought that we were just gonna be friends from here on out and things would simply return to normal friendship-y gatherings…

But then in my next class my history teacher decides to go into the deep and twisted history of mirrors. Who do you think I was thinking of every time he said the word? In my class after that my gym teacher kept going on and on about a basketball game that he'd watched Zoey, Chase, Michael and (you guessed it) Logan dominate some very intimidating opponents for a whole game with some crazy strategizing that our coach is obviously still dorking out over. He talked about it the entire class while we were trying to shoot free-throws! Then in my final class of the day, Logan was remaining behind (really trying) to tutor a girl in chemistry and I was finalizing some stats on some of my Quinnventions…but all that Logan's lab partner was interested in was her tutor, not the material.

I did my best to tease him as any friend would, then ignore it and finish what I needed to complete my classwork day. I hope that my smiles were as genuine, my playful mocking and bantering had hidden my dampened spirits. What was wrong with me, I had gotten exactly what I wanted. Even the things I had been too chicken to ask for. Logan had given me an out, a very generous opportunity to remain friends and just pretend none of this 'us' craziness had ever occurred. I had taken it and now I'm perfectly free to move on as I was sure he would with that lab partner he's mentioned previously as 'hot.' She was certainly more like the girls I usually saw him hitting on or dating. His popularity status wouldn't be jeopardized with a pretty little tot like her on his arm. She was on the gymnastics team and the dance team. So not only was she flexible like all guys seemed to like but she had moves… She would be a fantastic prom choice. Why was all of this suddenly making me sick?

Why couldn't I be glad for him, like I was happy for all of the rest of my friends? Why was I so selfish about this one? Especially when I knew that rank and status were way too important to this particular friend. This guy who had grown up in a totally different world from mine. A dude who had done so much for me already? When had I become such an egotistical witch?

When?

After I waved to Logan like any friend would and left the labs, I considered heading back to see what the girls were up to. Somehow that already sounded like too much of a trap to me though. I just knew that Lola would be talking about whoever she's crushing today and Zoey will be talking about James when she isn't sighing at pictures of Chase. They're gonna try to get me to come with them to dinner later on too. Something I just wanted to skip tonight, so that I'm not there watching Logan move on with his life the way I need to be moving on with mine.

Why wasn't I ready yet?

What was holding me back?

I felt like the world around me was moving at a million miles per hour was while I was stuck merely going one hundred miles per hour. Mark had obviously moved on, Logan was probably moving on as we speak? Why am I incapable of doing the same?

These questions were big and hard, so I'd decided to head for the library. That was usually where I still got all of my best thinking accomplished. Even when I was little, I loved to just go and read for hours in my hometown's library.

The strange thing is that on my way to the library… I felt like someone was watching me, and the further I moved… The more I was convinced someone was following me. When I got near the main entrance which was on the way to the security office, out of thin air six huge goons surrounded me and tried to jump me. Their method was that they were trying to put a bag over my head and toss me into the side door of a van. Luckily all of my self-defensive training kicked in and not only did I push my panic button on my zap watch, which was like the buttons bank tellers had under their little stations that told the police to surround the area. It also alerted school security.

As if this day really needed to suck more…

I managed to take down four of the assailants, just as the last two were grappling with me. Which was no mean feat because they were all quite huge. But PCA security arrived a moment later and I was glad to watch all six get cuffed and tossed into back of the police armored trucks.

Rattled to my very core and not wanting to scare my friends just yet, I decided against it to try and head for the library. As I started walking this time, a very unstable lady lobbed her arm through mine and said, "Well done young lady, your talents are definitely wasted here in this drab and dreary place."

"Who the heck are you?" I asked even though when I looked directly into her face…I recognized her immediately, she was Logan's birth mother.

"Oh, that's right we haven't been properly introduced. My name is Devlin Jubilee and yes that is of the diamond mining Jubilee royalty. I was in attendance to that same pitiful little party you were the other day."

I ripped my arm out of her shaky grasp and grunted out in an angry grumble, "You hurt my friend."

"Oh please that little love tap was nothing compared to what he's done to me. However this isn't about him, this is your lucky day! I'm here to offer you-"

That was the moment I squeezed her pressure point in her arm and she went down. I called out to the guards, "Here's one more. I'm sure if you check her background it will perfectly state she is forbidden from ever trespassing on this property."

She was tossed into the back of an armored car with the rest of her goons. Zoey came rushing to me through the crowd and hugged me shouting "Oh my god, are you alright?"

"I am." I stated simply.

"What happened? Why are their cops and guards everywhere? Did you try to make another risky science purchase that back fired."

"No Zoe, I just… it's complicated. I'm fine, I promise I will explain when I can but not right now. I just can't." I said, as my annoying girl tendencies started to kick in and I was suddenly struggling not to burst into tears. I did manage to blink back the tears that had been threatening to fall. That's just how rattled I felt, even though I'd handled it and now knew what the purpose of this whole thing was. I still needed to talk to Logan before I spoke to anyone else.

It was just the way it had to be. Zoey was thrown back behind a line of crime scene yellow tape, and I don't know, I guess she went on to dinner knowing I'd catch up with her later.

I sat with three different cops and told them what happened. As soon as I was told "you're free to go," I had every intention of tracking down Logan and talking to him. But as I was walking past the same thick bunch of trees that we'd been hiding down in previously I was once again snagged and I don't think I need to tell you who was waiting for me behind those trees.

"Are you alright?" Was the first thing he asked and his voice was as stony and stilted as it had been on that chapel set in LA. It must be a natural reaction to any situation involving his mother.

"I'm perfectly fine, just a little shaken, a bit nervy, that's all."

"Did any of them hurt you?"

"No."

"Did? They. Try?"

"Well they were trying to put a bag over my head and throw me into a van, at first." I explained, then went on to say… "But that was really all a diversion that allowed your mother to enter school property undetected." His initial reaction to this was that he just slid an arm around my shoulders and pulled me carefully into a tight hug. He gripped me like he didn't want to let me go and I felt his lips on the top of my head.

"This is all my fault-" He said so sadly.

"No, this is all her fault." I said making him look me in the eye. "and now she's heading for jail."

"They won't hold her, she'll get out and be right back up here the next chance she gets. She knows you're important to me and she wants to ultimatum you into-"

"Hey, I know what she wants and I already told you. I am not going anywhere."

"It's not that easy Quinn, she's gonna dig up all kinds of crap on you and hold it over you. She's gonna make it seem like you have no choice but to get as far away from me as possible."

"No she's not son, not anymore." A familiar voice stated very powerfully from the outside of the brush.

Logan called out, "Dad?"

"Come on out, you too Quinn, if ya don't mind?" The second we stepped out Logan's father hugged us both and said. "Don't either of you worry for even a second about what happened today ever transpiring again. Thanks to Quinn's quick thinking and bravery we can finally have a case against Devlin. For years now I have been trying to get evidential proof of her scare tactics and damage to our social and professional circles. For years she's gotten away with it because no one has ever out smarted her and upstaged her guards all in one go. I'm gonna be keeping my eye on you Pensky, it's gonna be amazing to see what other remarkable things you go on to do."

"Is it really over Dad? For real?"

"Yeah Logan, you and Professor Pensky here just have fun. You're only gonna be here at PCA the rest of this year and next year is your senior year. I don't want any of you kids missing out on a moment of that because of that woman."

That was a relief, so I told them. "Well if you ever need me to testify or if you ever need anything more from me anything at all, consider it done, Mr. Reese."

"I appreciate that Quinn, and I may take you up on that. The legal system is such a racket, but I got a great lawyer who will be even more thrilled about this turn of events than I am. I just left Dean River's office," he said pointing out that our dean as he was fresh on the scene. Talking to some of his security and barking into walkie-talkies with other's not physically present. "Trust me when I say nothing like this will ever happen here again."

"Thank you for your assurances sir," I said, and I hope I sounded a gracious as I meant to, but I was starting to feel like the campus grounds were spinning. Could have been all of the swirling lights atop the police vehicles. It could have been everything just catching up with me at the wrong moment. Either way I knew I had to get somewhere quickly that I could sit down. So I told Mr. Reese again if there's anything that I could do to please let me know. Then politely excused myself and started for the nearest seat away from the flashing lights.

I ended up sitting on a wall that was kinda like a seat, and Logan was immediately plastered to my side. I could see that I was gonna have to cut him loose, for his own good. So after he'd offered me every possible beverage choice in a vending machine, along with every possible snack choice. I finally regained my condition enough to say, "Logan you don't have to do this."

"Do what?"

"This, tripping over yourself taking care of me. I'm okay, I can take care of myself, I'm not leaving PCA, I'm not going anywhere and I will always be your friend nothing is going to change that. So you don't need to fuss over me, you should be out with the rest of our friends-"

"Quinn, do you not know where our crazy friends are?" He asked before he pointed out the herd of familiar faces coming our way. Lola, Michael, Lisa, James, and Zoey who was carrying a laptop that had a very concerned looking Chase face on it.

Do I not have the best group of people in the world as friends? I lost count of how many hugs I got, before I could start to try and cover for any of this. Mr. Reese showed up again and picked me up like I was a baby doll. He personally carried me back to my dorm and once there. He told Logan, "These are the people that you trust more than nearly anyone else in the world. Don't you think it's time you told them about what happened today? Now that it's all over?"

So Logan and Mr. Reese did just that. They finally openly talked about Logan's birth mother and a little bit about what she'd put them both through. Michael and Zoey sat on either side of Logan while I choose to sprawl on a beanbag chair at Logan's feet. I just listened and let them do all of the talking. After listening to the story they told, no wonder both men have been so tightlipped about it in the past. Michael and Chase seemed to know a lot more than anyone else, both were very emotional and trying to make Logan feel as comfortable as they could. It was overall a very emotional day and night for all of us. Zoey asked, "What I don't get is what in the world made this woman attack Quinn?"

Logan spoke up for that saying, "My Dad almost got married this weekend as most of you know, it didn't pan out, he was left at the altar but there was a ceremony. Quinn was nice enough to sit with me and keep me company when that was going on. Like any good friend would, but Devlin was not only behind dad getting left, she crashed the tail end of the ceremony just after all of our guests had left the chapel to scream about how she'd schemed up the whole thing. I swore Quinn to secrecy, but I knew Devlin had seen the girl with me, and I knew that wasn't good. Any friends I've ever had in the past that she caught a glimpse of all mysteriously disappeared."

All of my friends gasped except Michael and Chase who just nodded. Michael said, "Well you know none of us are going anywhere."

Chase said, "I'm only toughing it out for this semester, then I'll be back at PCA and there's no way I'm missing senior year with you guys, buddy."

James pat Logan on the back and said, "We're all with ya, man."

Mr. Reese spoke up and said, "Thank you all for always being such good friends to my son. All of you have made him a better and stronger person, and none of you have a thing to fear anymore. All I needed was proof of Devlin's high jinx. Now that I have it, none of us have a thing to fear and for the first time it's Devlin that should be fearing for her very life, because I have no qualms locking her up for the rest of her existence. Not after all she's gotten away with, everything next to murder for this long. Not after the horrendous things I've seen her do just to get back at me and even more unbearable what she's done to our son."

I tried my best to stay awake and listen to everything that was said. Somehow I still fell asleep and when I woke up, I thought everyone was gone. Lola had stuck around and had been quietly reading a script for an upcoming play. She said, "Since you're finally awake, I'm gonna go rustle us up something for dinner. Before I do, can I ask you something?"

"Sure."

"Is there something going on between you and Logan?"

There was a bat of an eye, that I wondered 'where in the world that had come from,' before I reacted the way I thought was most appropriate for her question. I threw my head back and laughed as loud and hard as I could. "Quinn! I'M SERIOUS!" I heard Lola yelling over top of my laughter.

"Quinn I wasn't the only one suspicious! Lisa was too!" She yelled as I began to hold my screaming stomach. It ached from the forced laughter and onslaught of forgotten sadness from earlier.

I laughed out, "LO-LA! YOU CAN'T- You can't be serious!"

"I know how crazy it sounds, but he didn't want to leave you! Lisa and I were both wondering if there wasn't a little something there between you two?"

"Lola! Do you realize who we're talking about?"

"Yeah, I realize how farfetched it sounds but he seriously wanted to stay. He was almost-I don't know he almost seemed… Human… and sweet?"

"Logan? Human and sweet? Do you know how crazy you sound?" I asked while my heart's pounding was starting to make me sweat through my clothes. Which were still the clothes that I had been wearing when I was attacked. I decided I needed a shower and Lola called to me to hurry along because she was gonna find us some dinner.

After getting all cleaned up and returning to my dorm room, I found that Lola had set up our little coffee table with sushi from 'Sushi-Rox' and Zoey was back from eating Chinese with the rest of the gang (Mr. Reese had treated and insisted on Zoey picking out dishes for Lola and Quinn). So she'd brought a small abundance of goodies as well. Yes, they were both trying to be sweet, but when Lisa appeared with a tray of brownies she'd just baked (minus the chunk Michael had been taken for the guys) … My suspensions we're solidified; this wasn't just the cheer up Quinn pow-wow it appeared to be. It was that too, of course but this was three overly excitable and intrigued young ladies looking for some juicy girl talk after whatever they'd witnessed.

Whatever had them all worked up was something that I hadn't even seen. So how bad could it really be? Not to mention I could honestly say now that there was nothing between me and our friend in question because… that had been confirmed earlier today. So I sat myself down in front of this mountain of goodies and let the questions begin.

Lola was the first one to point out anything that I had missed. "I don't know if this was part of that swear you to secrecy nonsense or what? But when everyone was standing up to leave, when everybody started walking out, even when I said I was staying with you, he did not want to leave you. He was so-so hesitant… it made me think there might be something there."

Lisa said, "Yeah, that was cute, but what tipped me off was how he kept looking at you, Quinn. I don't recall him ever looking at anyone the way he was looking at you today."

Zoey added, "What about that touch?"

To which both of the other girls said, "I know?"

"What touch?" I asked, oblivious.

Zoey explained, "When Logan was walking out, he was the one that draped that blanket over you. Before he left altogether, he did this thing after he tucked it in all around you, where his hand touched you like this." She explained before ever so slightly touching Lisa's face as example. The touch just brushed her fingers down Lisa's jawline before brushing back her hair.

"Aww, well that was kinda sweet," I admitted, "Was that all?"

"Come on Quinn, are you telling me that there's seriously nothing behind a touch like that from a boy that proud and unaffectionate?" Lola asked with her fists on her hips.

I allowed, "I can see now, why you guys might think that something could be there. That was some sugary sweet kindness on Logan's part. Something we're not used to seeing from him, especially towards me, but guys, as charming and thoughtful as all of that appears. This is Logan Reese we're talking about, one of the vainest existences we may ever encounter." The words left a bad taste in my mouth, because I knew there was so much more to him. But revealing that now would not convince these girls (very intuitive females) that there was no need to swoon over something that simply wasn't there.

I went on to say, "I am just his friend, his comrade who recently accompanied him on a trip home because he thought I would like to go somewhere where Mark and Brooke weren't. He thought I could use a break and I took him up on that, I sat next to him at a wedding and hopefully made it not so boring. Because I was seen sitting next to him, and he wasn't bored, I was attacked by a member of his family almost as soon as we got back. This is the same faction of his life that I once heard him refer to as the ugliest part of him. Can you imagine?"

"Wow!" Lola agreed.

"We're pals, nothing more, he would never lower himself to even consider starting something with a geek like me, you know how he is about other's opinions of him."

"Come on Quinn, don't talk yourself down! If that's true, it's his loss!" Lola complained.

"I'm not Lola, I'm just being realistic." I told her, before I tried to enlighten her. "I'm no heartbreaker. Since Mark broke my heart, all of you have been nothing but supportive. I love you all and I will never forget how all of you have helped me, and yes I mean Logan too… but I have no delusions of my self-worth."

Zoey inserted, "Hey! Look at me!" I did as she asked, and my friend said, "Any guy, even a self-centered brat like Logan would be damn lucky that you were spending your time with him and not the other way around. You got me?"

"Thanks Zoe, that's really sweet of you to say-"

"It's true! It's not just us saying so. Whoever you choose to date next is a lucky-lucky-lucky guy and if he doesn't know that. We'll remind him." Lola said pounding her fist in her hand.

"Aww, you guys really are the best…really. I'm very fortunate that I have such a great bunch of people in my corner."

With that said and the customary group hug conducted, all three girls went off into their true thoughts if I had been dating our narcissistic friend. Which they could safely reveal now that they knew they were out of danger of hurting my feelings… Oh, believe me… the record needs to show this.

They revealed that they would have been supportive, if it had made me happy of course. Not even pausing for breathe all three professed that not only would they tease me endless and question my sanity but all of them would be keeping an extra eye trained on the boy in question. A protective one that would produce a kill shot if he even dared to screw things up even a little. All three ladies present seemed convinced that they could even get the guys on board with the right motivation (the girlfriend kind-one of the most powerful influences in the world [it's only trumped by fiancée and wife powers]) This tangent made me glad that honorably nothing existed between Logan and I… it did.

Even though I already missed him like he was far away. Even when all of our fears and reason's for seeing each other in total secret were all being confirmed. We'd had every right to fear how embarrassing it would be. I was mortified just listening to them now. Given they wouldn't be saying most of this if they knew him the way I did… or if they knew I had feelings for him. How would it have been if they had known the truth?

I kept pep talking myself as I brushed my teeth, went to bed, and fell asleep. But did that stop me from dreaming about him all night? I blame it all on that day that we'd spent together on the couch in our dorm room. We were all snuggled up, what I wouldn't do for another nap like that one…

Gosh, I really thought that was it, and then the next morning came. The day of the walk-a-thon, which was a free day for all PCA students, even if we weren't participating in the main event. Zoey was up extra early and I went ahead and got up with her. I noticed out of the corner of my eye, that the light on phone was blinking, which usually meant I had a message of some sort.

Since it was sooo early I was surprised, especially when I realized it was a text from Logan that was time stamped as being received at dawn. His message read:

"If ur not 2 busy, can u meet me near the patch of trees right by the basketball courts? We really need to talk."

So I texted back, "Is that time stamp true? Were you really up that early?"

To which he replied, "I never slept, just hurry on over I'll explain more face to face."

"Hold your horses, I'm getting presentable and wishing Zoey Luck in the walk-a-thon!"

"You're already beautiful, just come on."

So after Zoey was off, and Lola was heading out to go soak up some sun. I snuck off to the place he'd described and was once again marveling at his ability to find these gorgeous hiding places. This time he had brought a comforter to sit on and offered me the seat in front of him after he'd hugged me in greeting.

"Did you have a good night, after we left?" He asked.

"It was okay, but why couldn't you sleep?"

"I didn't know, I hadn't slightest clue… then right around the time that I sent you that text. It hit me."

"Okay… so what was it?"

"I missed you." He said looking like he was in a panic.

"You missed me… but I was only a short walk away-"

"No, I know that. I didn't mean I missed you like that. I meant… what I mean to say is that… I missed the way we've been. I missed holding your hand, or being able to kiss you when we're alone. I slept with that cushion that usually sits on our couch, you know, that little square one. You'd picked up when we were supposed to watch a movie together, and it still had the slightest hint of your perfume. Quinn…"

"Logan, yesterday you said-"

"I know what I said yesterday, and I've regretted it since the moment it left my mouth. It hurt on the way out and it's only gotten worse since. And I'd only said it because last night wasn't my first sleepless night. I haven't been sleeping or eating like normal, I've been here all morning…"

"Here, like right here in this same spot?" I asked.

"Yeah."

"What were you doing?"

"Thinking," he said simply, I couldn't help it, I tried to bite back my smile and raised eyebrows. But he saw them.

He rolled his eyes saying, "I know I'm not a big thinker."

"You said that, not me." I said putting both of my hands up in surrender, and he took a hold of both of my hands.

As he played his fingers with mine he said, "Be real with me Quinn. Is it too late to change my mind? Can I take back what I said yesterday and keep secretly seeing you… or have you already gotten tired of me?"

Did the sun somehow just get way brighter, did the flowers around us just all start to bloom? Was this all for real or was it only happening in my head. I was so happy, like the kind of happy little kids feel at Christmas. Yet somehow I heard my realist-self saying, "Logan… You… Me… I-I agreed with everything that you said yesterday. This is all too weird, too fast, too nuts-"

That was all I got out before he was kissing me and I kept trying to make my point. I did, and while my words would have been valid and a good solid argument to this idiocy… my words were just no match for his kisses. I swear I felt them to my toes, I saw stars, fireworks, meteor-showers and an eclipse behind my eyelids. I'd missed him so much; the same way he was saying he'd missed me all night.

I think there was a point before I gave up entirely on talking all together where I did manage to confess that. Which resulted in a lot more kisses and finally I had to concede, "Okay, obviously we're not doing a good job of stopping this."

"Yeah," He grinned way too big. "But I'm not sure I wanna stop."

"Well if neither of us wants to stop this than… I guess…"

"…We're… dating?" He finished for me.

"Sorta!"

"Wow!" He breathed.

"Yeah!" I agreed before catching a glimpse of his face and the expression I saw there had me demanding. "What are you thinking?"

"I'm not thinking anything!"

"Yes you are!"

"Quinn!"

"You're thinking something and I wanna know what it is"

"Let it go."

"No telling, no kissing." I said trying a little something new and the look on his face was so against any future with no kisses that I had a hard time holding out for him to share his thoughts. I demanded again, "Tell Me!" So I wouldn't laugh.

"Alright!... I'm embarrassed to be dating you."

"Really?" I asked as my face went perfectly serious for a second.

"Yes, I can't believe you made me say it."

"I'm thrilled you said it!" I shared.

"Huh?"

"I'm embarrassed to be dating you too."

"Seriously!?" He asked relaxing and smiling again.

"Super Embarrassed! If anyone found out I'd DIE!"

"I KNOW HOW YOU FEEL!" He said way louder than he probably meant to.

"OH!" We said together before hugging and then all of a sudden not even a full minute after agreeing that we're dating and clearly considering keeping this whole thing strictly between us because we clearly are too humiliated to be seen in public together...

Michael comes crashing in on our private little bubble harassing Logan about his Clack-ums… Oh, pardon me, his Clack-ers.

Did he see us hugging?

Did he hear any of our conversation?

Does he know the truth about us?

I have no idea and this 'not knowing' making both Logan and me nuts!

It's like that old saying, One step forward, two steps back.

Hopefully my next entry will be proclaiming that Michael knew nothing and all was well. He can't keep a secret, if he knows, everyone will know and we're just no ready for that. No! Not anywhere near ready for that… in fact, I don't know if Logan will not just see how irrational this whole endeavor is and just jump ship again… I don't think I could bare another day like yesterday.

This is so bad!

Well, that's it for this chapter, sorry again that this one was late. But I blame it on the characters who were all just way too talkative and interesting (and wouldn't leave me alone or shut up). Now it's all up to you readers. Did you like it, love it, hate it, tolerate it? Let me know! Your reviews keep me going and they really are a joy. Thanks again all of you following this tale, or me as a writer. Thank you everyone who reviewed, thank you anyone who is reading this right now, god bless you and I hope it brightened your day even a little.

~DippyBeDarcy85