Hey There,
Loyal Loga-knights And Quinn-thusiast! Sorry that this has taken forever and a day to get posted, but isn't it just the worst when life takes SO many unexpected twists and turns. But I am back and determined to finish this story once and for all! And if possible, before the new things for this series release. Because I don't want new info spoiling the cannon I've got clear in my head now.
Chapter 12 is here at last, as promised it will feature the epic return of Vince Blake. This will be my first swing-shifting chapter (for this tale, anyway), which is where the perspective will be changing all throughout this chapter. I have completed several chapters since posting last (like six or seven years ago). I will be posting one a day for a little bit. Depending on what I can get proofread then posted. This is still a sister act, and we are still sailing with little sister-approved material! YAY!
Before we begin, I would like to give a Special thanks to my proofreading little sis! Without her, I never would have started this. I never would have seen Zoey 101, come to think of it. So THANK YOU! To the best baby sis in the world! Seriously! For that! I'm not gonna lie! One of the years I've been away was spent in a wheelchair for me. So difficult and degrading. That kid never complained once, even though I know what a burden I had to have been during that time. SO THANK YOU! FOR ALL YOU DO! This is just one other thing we ace together!
THEN! I would like to give a BIG Thank you to all of you who favorited this story or me as an authoress. Over the years between posts, God bless you all! Not to mention, all of you following this tale or me as an authoress! I truly don't have words for the compliment! Thank you seems so small to describe it …
Standard disclaimers apply, I don't own Zoey 101, Nickelodeon or any of the rights to any of the trademarked things mentioned. I'm merely borrowing all of these things for my own plots and schemes. Most will be unharmed, and no money was made on this venture. Please don't sue.
Some of you even reviewed, like… (RHrGreatness name changed) SpideyGirlHepburn (I know that you changed your name ages ago, baby sis. I just never got to acknowledge it. Love it! So completely you. This story started as a passion-project just to add to your enjoyment of the series. I never expected it to become such a big and fun thing for us. I have loved every minute of working on this with you, for you, and all of the hours fangirling in between. I hope that still shows as much now as it did in the beginning. Thanks so much for the memories as well as the kick-butt story. Much Love!), Rosa-Aki (My Friend! It's so nice of you to wish me a happy new year, even when I'm feeling guilty that that was in 2017 and it's now nearly Spring of 2023. I really never meant for this to be this late. I'm so glad that you loved all of the specific things you named in that review. They were all things I had been nervous about when posting. I know you're still writing and killing it. If you are still reading, I hope this still brings a smile to your face. You were such a big part of this getting done and posted. God bless you! Thank you so much for your comments and friendship! Much Love!), Guest (Thank you so much for writing in and being so kind! I appreciate you so much and hope you're still reading. Much Love), IAmVictorious1614(Thank you so much for the compliments and making me blush. I hope you're still reading and enjoying it. Much Love!), (Nichigoh name changed) miley-nanami (Love the name choices btw! If anyone understands a business stealing your time, it's me. And yes, I remember you well. Thank you for continuing to read and support this story. I hope Vince was late but worth the wait. Much Love!), myasia88 (Aww! You sound just like my sis and me. We got the DVDs and binged for months before we began this story-project. We each fell for the cast and I am gonna be really hoping that this take on Vince satisfies the die-hard Vince lovers like you. Hope you're well, still reading and Much Love!), XantheIris (Glad to hear it, hope you're well, still reading and enjoying Much Love.), UnaverageWriterFreak (Reviews like this one make me so happy! Hope you're well, still reading and liking it! Much Love!), Hungergames. hp n divergent (Ask and you shall receive, I am back and hope to never leave again till this story is complete! Hope you're well, still reading and Much Love!), stardavis1616 (Six or seven times? OMG! What a compliment! So flattered, I can't stop blushing. Thank you so much, I hope you're still reading and enjoying it! Much Love!), Guest (I am back, wish the reboot was still a thing and sorry it's been more than those three years. It's the reviews like this one that pushed me to keep working on this. Hope you're well, still reading, enjoying and Much Love!), jadewestsissorluv (LOVE your name, btw! And WOW! Thank you so much, I am gonna do my best to match your enthusiasm), GeekGirles (I will be honest, I read this review and was like… "I have to work on this NOW, and post SOON!" Thank you seems inadequate after reading such kindness and glowing praise. I never gave up on this story, I had always intended to finish it. It just took far longer than planned for it to sound like it does now. I even have some other outlines and stories to try later, because while I have been writing this. My sis and I have been brain-storming other storylines for this fandom {Yes more Quogan and Choey, we love them} and I have been working on some of them out too. You're words stopped me in my tracks and made me focus solely on the re-entrance of Vince again. There were so many times my sis and I have been convinced that this story probably didn't mean anything to anybody besides us. Having it mean something to anyone else, it just makes my life. I hope you're well, hope you're still reading and it doesn't disappoint after such a wait. I can't say thanks enough and Much Love!).
Enjoy everybody!
"The Collective Trials of a Quinnventor and… Logan"
Chapter 12 – The Great Revenge Bomber
(Logan's Perspective:)
There he was...Vince freakin' Blake... on campus and surrounded by his adoring public. All screaming how freakishly happy they are that he's back. If not how much they've missed him…
Like none of those two-faced banshees weren't cheering for me like YESTERDAY! (Wrestling match, ring any bells? Seriously, is being loyal a dead thing now?) Given it wasn't yesterday, it was really several days ago and I'm fresh out of the infirmary, BUT that is all beside the point.
Vince Blake shouldn't be here... duh!
Does everyone in our entire school suffer from that soap opera sickness that makes you forget everything? Isn't that called Nostalgia? …No, I think that means something else. Maybe it was a phobia… anyway, all the soap opera characters have it at least once. Just like a secret unborn child that will appear alive a few years later. Full grown with a complicated back story, that will definitely come back to haunt them.
Do our classmates have that or are all of them just refusing to use their brains TODAY?
Our entire gathered gang has just corrected me and swear that 'Amnesia' is an actual sickness. That actually people can get it and it is very serious. Michael is even claiming to have known someone who had it. I still think that it's a fake thing made up by some of those genius storytellers like the writers that my Dad's always going on and on about. Whatever – Fake or not – Vince Blake is nothing more than a wrongly overly self-assured flirt factory whenever he's not a total bully. Pacific Coast Academy did not have enough room for his ego. It hardly has room for my ego these days, let's be honest.
I bet the only reason he's here is that no other self-respecting school on the west coast would accept him. Not after the hefty rep sheet he racked up for himself, tossing the honor code out the window. Not to mention, any school on the east coast is gonna suck after getting spoiled in a paradise school like this one. Four seasons, instead of one (and the best 'warmest' one)… And one of those seasons is winter. Brr! Gross!
The only perk to "snow" is "snowboarding" or "skiing." Even then, just visiting, thank you! I could never live in a snow town, ski resort, or any place that cold. Sorry Canada, you're just too cold for me. Notice when my dad was heading for the North Pole, I wasn't trying to go with him. It isn't just because I would miss my girlfriend, [secret or not] and my friends. I can only stand that kinda cold for a week or two max. Then I'm so far beyond done that I don't even want to see it; not for at least another year.
So Vince returned to his former stomping grounds, to begin another reign of control and harassment. While screaming girls throw themselves at him and tons of our shared former teammates slap him on the back, what a warm welcome …
I think I'm gonna be sick!
Am I the only one who seems to remember this bully's terror tour? All of the bad things he'd done, even to his fellow teammates and popular kids... along with the nerds and normal people. He'd been heartless to us all, and yet they were all going out of their way to welcome him back. Why?
As I looked around the faces of my friends surrounding me, however. I knew that at least they all seemed to recall this tough guy's terrorist times and thug tactics.
Everyone minus James, that is. He missed out on all of that fun when it happened.
Zoey was whispering to him a paraphrased version of the story, not forgetting to mention how badly Chase, Michael, Mark and I were all beaten by those jerks. Even how Vince had barely delivered one punch himself. Pointing out that most of the time he ordered the others to do his bidding, then watched them do his crimes, and laughed (even more laughter for the goons that got busted doing his dirty deeds); until teachers and Dean Rivers personally walked in on this little showing of Vince's wrath (yeah, they just walked right in as we were all neck deep in knuckle sandwiches and Del Figgalo getting hanged by his arms in the basketball hoop above us). So instead of simply expelling Vince like originally planned; The Dean took some gutsy measures to ensure that Vince learned how wrong he'd been. Sending him to a behavioral correction facility (code for a nut house).
That was all we knew, and the Dean had said at the time. It was likely he would never be allowed to attend another private school on this coast's circuit. So we thought the last place we'd ever see him again would be Pacific Coast Academy… So WHY in the HELL is he here NOW?
As if she could somehow sense the screaming inside my head, I suddenly felt a hand on my shoulder. The hand of course belonged to my incognito girlfriend Quinn. She left it resting there silently, even after her eyes somehow asked me "Was I okay."
I nodded soundlessly once to let her know that I was okay… Pissed off but okay…but to my surprise; Zoey's hand found its way to my other shoulder and she asked me out loud, "Ya okay, slugger?"
"Yeah," I said only because there was nothing really wrong with me. I was just so frustrated and aggravated, that there was a noise happening inside my head as I tried to contain it. A noise that sounded like the roar of something burning… something big marinated in lighter fluid or gasoline that was burning off behind my throbbing ears.
"Ya sure?" Zoey asked, adding, "You look like you could spit fire."
"If only I could," I was quick to wish. If I could do something like that and not be caught… Vince would be the big thing that I hear burning inside my head.
"Ah, don't let that dummy get to you, if he was smart he wouldn't have needed to cheat." Lola pointed out. Then she shot a look at Zoey and said, "But I do think that we should try to get the story on why the heck he's back."
"Oh no!" Zoey barked, waving her hands all around as girls do when they've had it. "I am not going to take anything that boy has to say to heart. I am not about to believe anything I hear secondhand in this place either. One of the last times anyone did that, I ended up in London, lesson learned. Nope, I'm going straight to the dean's office and he's gonna explain to me what in the Sam Hill is going on!"
Then she was rushing on in the Dean's direction while Lola followed calling, "I'll go with you."
Quinn added, "I have Quinnventions to check on, I'll catch up with you guys in a little bit."
Lola and Zoey called back, "See ya!"
As he watched them walk off together, James said proudly, "Wow! That girlfriend of mine sure can be protective. I just know she'll get answers too." Then he headed off in the direction of his next class. While he was trying to get Michael to breathe normally, stop grieving the loss of his precious rocket pop, and not sound like a dying-wheezing animal.
As Michael was walking and looking for anything to ease his anxiety. He pointed out that another time that second-hand news had been used recently it had ended up pushing James with Zoey. That was how they'd gotten together. James patted him on the back and said, "Yep, ya see? How good that turned out for everybody? Not all effects of gossip are so bad. Come on man, let's get going, or we'll be late."
As Mark Del Figgalo spotted Vince Blake walking into his next classroom (obviously his class now too). He began to have a panic attack right outside the doorway of that classroom. Brooke did at least pat him on the back and make him blow into a paper bag. What a pair, excuse me while I don't envy them.
It was so funny, most of the people around us were all laughing and I almost joined in… almost. Then I noticed that Quinn wasn't even grinning. So I asked her, "What's wrong, you've gotta admit that's funny."
"Not when that's the same lab that I'm logging my hours in today, as well. This class period." Quinn said, as I felt like something had hit me over the head. I could not - would not let Vince be in a room where he could corner my-… Quinn and- no, I wasn't even going to go there. The more that my brain tried to fill in the blanks, the more that I was seeing red.
I ground out the words "Ditch it," from between my teeth.
Quinn shot me a surprised look and told me, "You've got to be kidding me, that's not something I just do so lightly. You would skip out for sure, but it's not like it would be missing a class either. This is the precious time that I am supposed to be devoting to my Quinnventions. I can't squander that." She laughed humorlessly as if it was completely out of the question to log her time somewhere not tainted by the smog that that waste of skin was breathing in and out.
"I have totally seen you skip!" I pointed out knowing I had her beat. I reminded her, "You so skipped when Paige Howard was here. You were like a smoking hot rebel, for her whole stay." I reminded, adding out the corner of my mouth. "Why not bring her back for a class period or a day? A few moments in the janitor's closet-ow!" I yelped when her sharp pointed elbow got me in my hip bone.
"Did you just call me smoking hot?" Quinn asked with a glance up at the sun to remind me. We weren't in one of our hiding places, we weren't alone. We were in the middle of a busy quad in bright sunshine. I doubt anyone noticed us thankfully, but it was so dangerous it was a bit of a turn-on.
"Well, you were… as a, damn-I can't think of a better way to say it…All I got is a devil may care, stick it to the man, rebel-yeah. Bring her back. For just a class period, this class period." I tried to say and make the right picture.
"I think the term you're looking for is a 'nonconformist.'" She said rather flirtatiously, considering we were standing out of hiding. In open air and in broad daylight. This seemed to hit her at the same moment it hit me because she took one full step back before she asked me, "Why is it that all of you men think bad equals hot-"
"Please!" I insisted right back. "Like none of you girls have ever fallen hard for the bad boy. All of you do, you eat it up."
"Some bad boys are more misunderstood." She shrugged, before spiking her aim with, "You of all people should know that. I just wonder, how come kindness and goodness doesn't make us more appealing to each other?"
So I took a big step forward and fired right back, "Why is it that you always complain or shy away whenever I compliment you?"
"Umm," she cleared her throat and claimed. "Like you have ever complimented me."
"Give me a reason to, today, by cutting class. I'll even go with you." I offered, not wanting to even think about her being trapped with that monster, not even for a minute. If she stepped through that door frame she would get ambushed for sure. It was guaranteed, and as her friend, I couldn't stand by. I wouldn't have let Zoey or Lola walk in there either. (If Chase was here I'd be stopping him too) Michael, or James… Del Figgs can go, but not my friends and certainly not my girlfriend, secret or not.
"Nope, No way!" She insisted as if the idea was ridiculous. "Vince Blake and I traveled in very different circles. I bet he wouldn't recognize me in a line-up. My prototypes, experiments, clinical trials, and field analysis are all crying out to me. Like tiny little babies only instead of bottles and diaper changes, these things require their thirst for knowledge quenched. They need study and reflection as well as fine-tuning and consistent repetition. I can hear them all calling out on the breeze...Can't you? Hang in there babies, Mama's coming!" Quinn said as the warning bell started to ring and warned everyone that we had a minute to get to class.
I looked up at the sky as if to ask God, why? Why did he just HAVE to make me care so much about a person who is such a goodie-goodie like her. Someone this focused, driven and clearly insane. She's even speaking to her experiments like they have feelings. Like they're all people instead of things. Then I'm back to just liking every hair on her head and not wanting to change one thing about her… even though I simply can NOT let her stay in that class. So what did I do?
I did what any self-respecting secret boyfriend would do. I planned to crash her class and lie my ass off. Anything it would take to get her out of there, I would have done it. She thought Vince Blake wouldn't possibly recognize her or trap her while they were in class. She forgets how unforgettable she is or how much she stands out from the herd. She's special, he'll remember her, and try something.
NOT TODAY!
Before I flew in that classroom and made a fool of myself, the perfect solution presented itself. Dean Rivers bursted into the Science lab for me and pulled Quinn out. When she stepped back out of the classroom she'd already donned her white coat, heavy-duty apron, rubber gloves, metal tongs and she wore her thick custom goggles that fit perfectly over her trademark glasses on the top of her head like a crown.
Never had science been hotter! I had no idea what the experiment had been, to have her dressed this way. Or how she'd gotten dressed this way that quickly. All I did know was that I was in and I hoped I was the subject.
Back to the Dean and Quinn's conversation. He was asking if she had been doing any experimenting with stink bombs at all. I already knew what she was going to say, but it was nice to have my guess justified.
Quinn made a face and said, "Heavens no! I see stink bombs as a childish waste of resources, time, and energy."
The Dean reminded her of three times she'd set off such bombs on school property. She'd maintained, "Yes, but they were paint bombs. I didn't know the acrylic paint that I used would burn so it would stink of burnt plastic. That was just a coincidence, it wasn't intended for it to stink."
"Well, coincidence or not," The exhausted old man drew out. "Have you been doing any further experimentation with explosives that could even potentially stink if set off?"
To this question, Quinn said, "Of course, theoretically… sure. But why are you asking me this?"
The Dean blotted at his sweaty face with a cloth. "Because a stink bomber has been setting off several different types of homemade stink products in all areas throughout campus. I have been getting complaints about it all morning. Some of the bombs were so potent they made people sick when they were too close to the source areas. I'm hoping that this has nothing to do with any of your creations."
"It doesn't," Quinn verified sharply. "I'd never do something so immature or inhumane. My aim is to help people not hurt them."
"Thank goodness," The Dean encouraged before he got to his real point of tracking Quinn personally down. "Because I want you to find out who is doing this."
"Excuse me?" Quinn asked, in that tone that said, 'I-had-better-have-misheard-him,' Even if she hadn't.
Dean Rivers repeated, "I want you to find out who's doing this." Then he started to show Quinn the bomb threats he'd gotten from the bomber. Asking her if she could do some of her magic to track down "the culprit."
After the final bell had rang and a few moments of looking them over Quinn said, "Hmm! It would seem that my friends and I weren't the only ones aghast and appalled by the new appearance of the former PCA villain Vince Blake. These bomb threats are all tied to his reappearance and demand his expulsion."
"Vince isn't a villain Quinn, he's just a misguided young man trying to better himself." The Dean said.
Quinn snapped, "That has yet to be seen. All I can tell you from these bomb threats, aside from the glaringly bad grammar errors. Is that they seem serious, and this person is clearly upset. It would seem that Logan, Michael, Chase and Mark weren't the only one's he hurt in his tyranny of terror. Good luck finding your suspect, I have work to do."
I took the threats from the Dean's hand and said, "I'll work on it, Dean. Quinn and I can work on it together. I know all of the athletes who used to play on the football team with Vince. Quinn's good at identifying the geek squad, if we put our efforts together I know we can find this nutbar."
The Dean said, "Great! I'll leave it in your hands. Good Luck!" Then he went to work clearing us with both of our teachers before he disappeared.
I could feel her glaring holes into the back of my head. But I would do it all again, good thing too. Because when we stepped back into the classroom for Quinn to grab her book bag. I could see Vince Blake had confronted Del Figgs. The blowhard was still apologizing to Mark, about beating him up. Del Figgs was still hyperventilating into his paper bag, and just as the chump noticed and recognized Quinn. I stepped in and got her out of there before he could corner either of us. He even stood up when he saw me. He didn't care that he was in class, he was gonna start something right there.
So I KNOW I did the right thing... but knowing that, doesn't get me off the hook.
It wasn't till we had arrived at the site of the first stink explosion that I realized… I'd messed up. Quinn wasn't just giving me the silent treatment. She wouldn't even look at me, she just threw a gas mask my way and started working on the job she didn't want. I think she'd given me a faulty mask too, because I could still smell the stink through the thick rub face-covering. I couldn't help but wonder if that had been on purpose. I loved my girlfriend, but I knew she could be petty when she was mad.
When we lifted the masks and were walking to the second site. I asked her, "Could you please talk to me? We'll never solve this if we don't talk."
She crossed her arms and she, "demanded an explanation."
When I couldn't give her one, the silence got worse. More strained and uncomfortable.
After investigating two blast sites, she still wasn't talking to me. I finally admitted, "Okay, I messed up. I admit it! Happy?"
"No!" Quinn said sarcastically, "Seriously?"
I tried to explain, "I couldn't bear the thought of you getting fed to the sharks like that. Especially with your ex right there just waiting at a chance to toss you in. And watch you be eaten, it would be a cold day in hell before Del Figgs helped you outta a situation like that."
"He wouldn't do that," Quinn pointed out. "The tossing me in, because that would mean doing something and Mark. Doesn't. 'Do.' Anything. You of all people know that!"
"I know, I know!" I waved off.
"All of my poor little experiments, all sitting there just waiting for me to check on them. Yet I'm here." She said taking samples of each explosion. I have no idea what she's looking for, but she looked so professional and confident in everything she did. Damn, she gets smarter and hotter everyday.
She can pretend to not be enjoying all of this, but I know she is. As we were walking to the fourth blast sight we ran into Lola and Zoey. Who were asking if Quinn had any more masks like that to spare. Quinn said, "Sure but their back in our dorm room closet. Did you guys speak to the Dean yet?"
"No, he's off somewhere handling this bomb thing according to his secretary. Even though obviously he's assigned you guys to do it." Lola said, clearly seeing through the lie. Proving here or there that she was good for something besides annoying me.
Zoey simplified, "We're gonna try again after class, are you guys excused or just cutting class?"
"We're excused, when I report my findings to the Dean. I'll bring you guys with me and we'll make sure he can't hide from us that way." Quinn planned, perfectly.
After walking to each site, collecting all kinds of evidence in vials and plastic bags. We were walking back towards her dorm room to do some lab work. I took off the heavy hot mask and asked, "Won't Lola and Zoey get mad at you for doing science in the dorm?"
"Nah." She waved off, lifting her mask too. "Even if they do, I've got enough new dirt on both of them. I can defuse the situation in my favor easily."
Seeing my chance I leaned in closer and asked, "You wouldn't be trying to get me alone now, would you?"
"No." She answered too surely. I wasn't outta the woods yet myself, for getting her excused from class.
"Come on, don't be like that." I pleaded, "I've already had to smell all of these stinky chemical combos. Because you gave me the faulty mask. Haven't I suffered enough?"
She whipped my mask off of my head and twisted the whole mouthpiece attached to the front of the mask saying. "I would never do something like that intentionally. All of these masks' mouthpieces screw on so they can loosen over time or use and let unfiltered air in."
I lowered my voice to growl, "Tell me how else they work, use big words and get descriptive."
"Logan!" She hissed in a whisper.
"What?" I shrugged, "No one's here because class is in session, and you know how I love it when you talk science to me."
She shook her head and tried not to smile as she informed me, "You just gotta tighten this." Then she handed me back my mask and started to walk faster so I wouldn't notice her blush. But I noticed it, anyway. It gave me hope that she would be over being mad at me soon if I kept this up.
Then before she could say whatever witty thing she had been about to say after that. She grabbed my shoulder hard, shoved me into the bushes just outside the girls dormitories screaming, "LOOKOUT!"
I landed hard on the unlevel loose packed ground and I yelled, "What did you do that for?"
As I heard something break and I could see the pinkish-colored smoke. Quinn yelled shrilly over the hiss of the bomb, "USE-THE-MASK! COVER-YOUR-FACE!"
I did as she asked, but when I stood back up, with the mask over my face. The smoke was THICK and everywhere, it clung to the ground like a wet heavy toxic blanket. You couldn't even see the ground. As I climbed back over the shrubs, I tripped on something laying under the smoke. It was Quinn, laying flat on her back with her mask on.
I kept calling out to her and trying to talk to her, but got no answer. She had to be knocked out underneath it. I was too afraid to peek, and expose her to more gas. The bombers must have stooped to using knock-out gas this time. It's the only way this could happen because even the few stragglers walking around were all passed out on the ground. I figured out Quinn must have accidentally breathed when she warned me…I had no idea what to do.
A double-masked figure who wore the same kind of world's ending gas mask underneath of a costume mask of an elephant's face came running at us fast and clumsy. This wasn't someone used to running or even the odd way of breathing in these masks. Whoever they were tried to take Quinn's bookbag. They had to be an accomplice if they weren't the bomber themselves. That bookbag was loaded with evidence we'd been gathering for hours. Clues that in Quinn's hand would reveal this lowlife. They were so desperate to stay a mystery, they used gardening shears to cut one of the bag's straps right off of Quinn's shoulder and almost got away with it.
I tackled the guy, wrestled him to the ground. He took a few swipes at me but didn't land one, so when I'd trapped him, I decked him. Hard. Before I took off his mask and let the smoke do all the rest of the work for me. I knew that face, he was part of the sci-club, but I have no idea what his name was. I didn't even feel sorry about punching him, even though I'd bloodied his nose.
Going purely on instinct, I took Quinn's book bag's remaining strap and slung it over my shoulder. Then I picked her up and high tailed it to the infirmary. There were a few DAs and people on the ground besides Quinn, and masked elephant guy. But I figured if I could just make it to the school's clinic. I could let them know what was happening too. They could help the other people, the only important thing right now was Quinn, who was still knocked out because of these cowards.
I ran so fast, the whole trip was a blur.
The petite nurse behind the counter at the built-in school hospital was watching 'I Love Lucy.' When she looked up and saw me in the heavy gas mask running full speed towards her. She screamed and hid from me screaming. "AHH! PLEASE-LORD-JESUS! Don't let me be abducted TODAY, LORD! NOT TODAY!"
I had to rip off the mask to speak. Saying, "We were investigating the bombings for the Dean Rivers. When the culprit threw a fresh bomb right at me and Quinn." I explained, but we've both spent so much time in this place recently. The lady knew both of our faces on sight once we were de-masked.
She got me to place Quinn on a gurney as she called for backup to collect the other victims of this bombing. Whoever she was talking to whined and complained about the workload this bomber was sending to the infirmary.
I had to let her know, "They're gonna need gas masks or they'll just be more bodies in here." She also called the Dean and told him what happened to us. Also that I had seen a face but didn't know the name of the student involved (and Quinn's knocked out, so she can't help).
While the nurse was back to checking Quinn's vitals, The Dean got me to use an early copy of this year's yearbook to identify the nerd. I did find his face and he promised to 'take care of it.' But I had to throw it back in his face, "Like you took care of Vince Blake but then let him come back?"
Dean Rivers told me, "This is another matter altogether. I don't have to justify my actions to any student."
While I guessed, "I hope whatever extra money his family gave you was worth it. Because we're not the only ones pissed off about this, Dean."
He threatened to call my dad, but I threatened right back. "You do that. Get dear old dad on the phone, he knows about the incident last year. I know he'll just love that the bully's back at the school he's given so much money to this place besides my tuition. He'll also totally appreciate the disturbance of his work to talk about it. Really, knock yourself out."
Conveniently, he was called away by walkie-talkie, but it wasn't over. I know it isn't.
I went on explaining to the nurse as she checked my vitals. "I had just gotten my mask on before taking a breath. But I think Quinn had taken one to warn me and got knocked out."
Thank goodness she seemed fine, vitals were all healthy and normal. It was like she had fainted, and she was just resting. So I sat there with her waiting for her to wake up. I held her hand and just watched her breathe. I took off her glasses, and combed my fingers through her hair. She had helmet hair noticeably, and both of our clothes reeked from the heavy chemicals used in the bombs.
All I could think as I sat there was that this was all my fault. If I had just let her go to class like she'd wanted to, let her stay out of this wild goose chase. She wouldn't be here… again.
She could have told Vince off and probably taught him a thing or two.
She'd better be alright, she'd better wake up soon and show me that she's perfectly fine. Or there will be blood, there will be pain and hell to pay. She didn't even want to be doing any of this. She'd only done it because I'd trapped her into it. She'd even gotten mad at me, with good reason. How was I ever going to make this up to her?
((Quinn's Perspective:))
When I opened my eyes and saw that I wasn't home or in my dorm. It didn't surprise me too much to discover that the blurred world surrounding me was the infirmary at PCA… again. I merely wondered what had brought this on this time and hoped that I hadn't brought any of my friends to this sickly prison with me. Then I noticed something attached to my hand. As I pulled, hard. I heard Logan saying, "Quinn! Are you okay?"
"Yeah, I'm fine." I comforted as he placed my glasses back over my eyes. "I just don't remember why or how I got here. Why are you here? What's going on?"
"Do you remember the bombings, do you remember the bomb threats Dean Rivers showed us?" He asked me and I instantly recalled all of this morning anew.
"Oh, right-right, I remember now. Sorry, I guess I was so disoriented by the haze. My mind feels all discombobulated." I tried to comfort him, because his face was so puckered, careworn and panicked I felt sorry for him, terribly.
He took one of my hands like he'd just crossed a desert and that hand was a glass of water. He kissed it, not even bothering to look around and check if anyone was watching. The curtains weren't even drawn to give us privacy. I had to tug on my hand and warn, "Someone could see you."
His lips were still resting against my knuckles as he told me, "Let them. I don't care."
I could feel my whole face heat up with blush as I whispered, "You don't mean that, you can't-"
"Do you know how long you were out?" He asked, "Do you have any idea how worried I was? How scared or angry?"
"I can imagine," I said, taking hold of his face and snuggling him, "But I also know there's no way that you want our secret revealed like this. So could you please draw the curtains first? Then I'll give you what you need."
"What is it you think I need?" He whispered back in that warm mushy tone that always makes my heart melt.
"Reassurance… for starters, and a little more affection than I can give you out in the open like this." I promised, while he grumbled and did as I asked.
The moment we were completely boxed into the beige curtains. He rushed back towards me and I kissed him with all my might. He kissed me back and I could literally feel the tension leave his body. Poor guy, he'd been a complete ball of nerves this whole time. When we finally stopped we were both so outta breath that we just lay there together and caught our breaths for a minute.
He whispered directly in my ear, "I'm sorry, I should have listened to you and not gotten involved."
"Yes, you should have." I agreed, I wasn't gonna deny anytime that Logan Reese told me I was right… when I was right and knew it, anyway. But I did tell him, honestly. "I'm glad that you did volunteer us the way that you did anyways. Today was a lot more fun than I had been expecting, even if I ended up here. Even with my experiments getting neglected and-WHAT! HAPPENED! To my BACKPACK?"
"Oh yeah, I'll get you a new one." He waved, "The bomber or one of its crewnies totally tried to steal it along with our building case against them. They used gardening shears to try and cut it off of you. But one strap is still good."
"You mean you saw this person?" I asked, needing further info.
He went on to explain, "Yeah! I decked the dude and ripped off his mask, so he definitely got knocked out."
I had to compliment, "Logan, that was awesome."
"Thanks," he smirked before remembering he had more to tell me. "He's here and handcuffed to his bed with a security guard watching him too. Like he's a criminal." Logan said, like he was impressed at the reaction of our security staff. Hadn't he read the pamphlet before attending this school? Unorderly conduct and any law-breaking or felonies will still get you jail time. Whether it's a juvenile or an adult charge. These bomb threats and scares are more than appropriate for police involvement. This is not a day or time that these things are taken lightly.
I asked him, "Has the entire school gone into lockdown yet?"
He nodded, "Yeah, it came over the loudspeaker a little while ago. No one is to be walking the grounds till the all clear is given."
I read the situation and informed him, "If they're going through standard procedures they're probably bringing in K9 units to sniff for any dangerous bomb activity." Then I had to explain everything I'd read about the process because Logan had never heard it before. I left out that I have been the cause and source of such searches before. My research and exploration of such topics was purely educational, experimental if not finding ways to make it beneficial to society. In the best way! I couldn't guarantee that same thing when referring to other students in this school. Especially not after all we've seen today, and all I know about our sci-club which has already been implemented.
We weren't left in this peaceful reprieve for long before the loud footsteps of Dean River's dress shoes could be heard. As soon as Logan popped back into his chair beside me. The Dean ripped the curtain open and told us both, to "Come with him."
Once we were both cleared by the nurse on duty. The Dean was sneaking us into a lab with almost the entire remnants of the knock-out gas canister for me to study. This along with a ton of other used bombs that had been used throughout campus while we were in the clinic. The Dean had mentioned, "These were gathered by our cleaning staff. While you two have been out for the count. They knew what to do because of those paint bombs you made Quinn. I miss when your creations were our biggest threat."
"Sorry that's not the case today, " I did tell Dean Rivers, and he'd seemed to appreciate it. He liked it even better when I asked him, "Please thank your security and staff, they did a great job. Their efforts teamed with all of the other things we'd gathered earlier should be more than incriminating to whoever did this."
He told us, "Even though the guy Logan had wrestled has been apprehended. Bombs were still going off all over the place. So the real brains behind this operation was still at large and still sending threats."
He didn't leave out that now some of these threats were aimed at Logan and/or me. As if this wasn't already personal enough, with the knock-out stunt. When the Dean left me and Logan alone again, he told me, "You know if you didn't want to do this anymore. We could turn this whole mess over to the cops. I'm sure a forensics lab could easily do all of the things that they're trying to force on you."
He's right, they probably could, and if this was handed off to me now. I would have done that, probably. Before I was involved, I could have still slept at night with that turnout. But not now, no. Now this was far too personal and close to home. I had to know who this was and just how badly they were going to pay for it. My grasp of the law was enough to ballpark any outcome these clues brought me. So I suited up, got Logan to do the same and promised him that, "We aren't leaving this place till we're done and hopefully have more answers."
He clapped his hands and said, "Alright! Let's get busy!"
But as motivated as he sounds, he was quickly distracted by the fact that we were all alone in a lab. With no teacher, supervisor or other classmates around. He started to flirt, and touch and even kiss me on my neck or shoulders. I complained, "Looooogan, I need to focus."
"You're always focused, you need to relax just a little." He claimed as he held onto my waist and nuzzled my neck.
I turned and was about to tell him to cut it out. But over his shoulder, I could see shadows heading for the door. Someone was coming. So I pushed away quickly and tried to make it look like I needed an ingredient from the silver case I'd brought here from my dorm. It was opened up on another tabletop across the room. Logan hadn't seen the shadows, so he was totally confused as to why I was so far away. But then our friends all came bounding in and answered the question marks in his eyes.
They'd all brought more of my locked-up silver cases of tools and materials. They'd also brought dinner for us and themselves. They all did what they could to help us, it was really sweet of them. Well, it was sweet till Michael said, "I knew I wouldn't be but so much help. I personally just wanted to make sure that you two hadn't killed each other yet. Looks like I lost that bet to Chase."
"Chase?" Me and Logan both repeated.
"Yeah, I was video chatting with him earlier," Michael explained further. "Letting him know about Vince Blake. But you wouldn't believe what he told me."
"What did he say? Did he say he's staying in London now? Not coming back?" Logan guessed.
Lisa popped into the conversation, "He's refused to share with us what Chase said. Because he wanted to tell all of us together. Now that we're all here can you please stop dangling that carrot?"
"Yes please," Lola backed Lisa, "I'm so done with all of this suspense."
"Alright, ALL-RIGHT!" Michael caved, telling everyone to, "Ease UP!" My eyes couldn't help but shoot to Zoey. Who was frozen solid facing me. Even just talking about Chase makes her react like this. She was still as a stone statue listening like she was trying to hear a pin drop.
"Chase said," Michael relented, "That he'd been wondering about Vince and looked him up not long ago. He hadn't cyber-stalked him or anything, but he had read some of the guy's posts about his wellness program at the center and was truly surprised at what he'd read."
James asked, "Did he tell you anything he'd read?"
"Yeah," Michael went on… as he always does. "Chase said that reading his past posts dated back when he was at PCA and the things he posts during and since his stay at 'the center.' Are like day and night different. Chase believes he could be trying to change for the better. He was even gonna bring it up when we talked today. He wasn't expecting me to be so postal about Vince coming back to PCA."
"He hadn't read about that in his posts?" Lisa asked. I was glad because I had found that strange too.
Michael went on explaining, "Yeah, because he had looked him up like a week ago, or weeks ago. He brought up a window beside the one he was using to talk to me and looked to see if he'd posted more. Chase said he had posted excitement for coming back. But as he read to more recent ones. Ha HA! It doesn't sound like his return has been going too well."
Zoey shook her head and started to put out napkins for everyone. So she had something to do with her shaking hands, "What does he expect? A parade? He was a terrible person. Not all of us are as forgiving as Chase."
Lola agreed, "Yeah, If Chase ever got bit by a shark, he'd want to shake it's fin and thank it for the cool scar."
Michael shared, "The last summer I went to visit Chase in his hometown. He was telling me all about this long-running rivalry in his hometown. Between the pizzeria and Chinese place that were connected by the same parking lot. He got them to shake hands after more then twenty years of being at each other's throats. The boy is pure magic, I tell you."
James chimed in, "I know I've only gotten to talk to him a little via video chat. But I have to say after that little bit of time. I believe everything you guys just said about him."
Finally Logan snaps, "Yeah, he's great. But can we agree to disagree and get back to work? I want to get out of this crowded stinking lab while I'm still young enough to attend PCA!"
"No!" Zoey sassed, "We can work after dinner, it's already getting cold from all of this chit-chat. Now eat up so we can get to work."
(Logan's Perspective:)
I have no idea how long we were in that lab, I have no clue how many hours ticked on by. ALL that I do know is that the sun was coming up when we came out. The next school day was starting around us by then. I'd love to tell you all of the ways I'd distracted Quinn from her work and made a little magic happen in the highly scientific atmosphere. How heated things got without the need of a bunsen burner, how romantic things had gotten behind those closed doors…
But our friends had shown up and tried to help, they brought us dinner. They even stayed and all helped as much as they could so the work went by quicker than Quinn and me working alone. I really shouldn't complain but their presence shattered all of my plans of flirting and distracting her for a while… As for the several hours when we were alone… Honestly, NOTHING distracts Quinn when she's this in the zone. Not even her boyfriend, when he's on a mission.
So while she'd forgiven me for getting her involved in this whole thing yesterday, I was the one a bit ticked off with her today. So as the bombing started again and classes ended up being canceled for the day. Everyone was bummed because they had to stay in their dorm rooms, or one specific place and couldn't leave. Only Security, Dean Rivers, Quinn and me were able to walk around.
It took two stink bomb sites being examined, before Quinn finally realized I wasn't talking to her today.
She'd said, "You're awfully quiet this morning?"
When I didn't answer her, she stopped me and said, "Logan. You gotta talk to me to let me know you're alright. These heavy masks don't let me see your expressions."
The only answer she got was a grumble. So she dragged me over to the outdoor eating area. Made me sit and take off my mask. So she could shine a little tiny flashlight (a keychain on her keys) in my eyes and made me stick out my tongue. I apparently appeared dehydrated to her, so she made me drink a whole bottle of water before we went to the next place Dean Rivers told us to check. A stairwell in the elective department.
This device had been different from all of the others. It had somehow caught fire and was still burning away underneath the stairs. When Quinn cautioned me and put out the fire first. I finally lost my patience with the whole silent treatment plan and I said, "Oh look who finally noticed I'm here. My supposed girlfriend who doesn't even know I'm alive till just now."
"Looooogan," Quinn drew out my name sounding exhausted as I felt. "We've only got two other bombings after this one. Please just hang in there a little longer-"
"-Why should I?" I cut her off. "Last night you didn't even know I was there with you. You didn't give me one thing to do once we were alone and you didn't return a single flirt, kiss or glance. What kind of girlfriend does that?" I demanded and Quinn did look sheepish for a minute.
"I knnnnnnnow, I'm sorry." She said looking around to make certain we were alone.
"The schools in lockdown, it's practically a ghost town. I think we're safe." I said a bit smart aleck.
"Yeah, but you of all people know the moment you let down your guard is the moment you're vulnerable." Quinn said as she walked back over to me and took both of my hands.
I curled my fingers with hers, and agreed. "Well yeah, everybody knows that. That's why we have to be so careful."
She made me look her in the eyes and she pulled me closer. Leaning her forehead on mine she whispered, "I'm really sorry. I have a terrible tendency of getting laser-focused on anything I tackle. Especially when it gets personal like this problem has. I know I'm famous for trying to take on too much myself, and then I'm super slow getting legible results. Because I'm only one person… I should have counted on you more. Let you do more and I should have let myself be affectionate… But I knew if I let you draw me in I might not get anything done."
I let my eyes close and let out a breath I hadn't realized that I had been holding. I matched her volume of whispering, "Oh… I get that last point, I guess. But you should have counted on me more. I can help you, I'm pretty good at science stuff sometimes. Especially chemistry, like you've been doing for hours on end."
"You're right, I keep forgetting." Quinn smiled and it made one of the cuts on her face hurt. I gently touched the bandaid and asked. "Does it hurt much?"
"Only when I smile, or almost feel joy." Quinn grimaced. I smiled at her and kissed the band-aid better.
When I pulled back I said, "All better."
"That was just what I needed," She smiled. "So are we good? Are we okay now? Are you still teed off at me? Don't say you weren't either, because I've never heard you that quiet for that long. Even on your Dad's working sets."
"We're good, on one condition." I said even holding up one finger.
"What's the stipulation you're so fixated on?" She asked me, and no I'm not even making that up.
"You gotta kiss me before we bag that new charbroiled thing and you gotta like it too." I demanded and she gasped.
"How dare you," She said theatrically. "It's one thing to make me kiss you but to make me enjoy it too. You're just too much sometimes, ya know?"
"Yeah, I know." I shrugged but before I could get her to pay up. Someone could be heard opening the door at the top of the stairs where we couldn't see them. Calling out to us, "HELLO-DOWN-THERE? ARE-YOU-IN-HERE? QUINN-PENSKY? LOGAN-REESE?"
I stepped away from my secret girlfriend and called back, "WHO'S-ASKING?"
Then the cheerful, sunny-sounding classmate hopped down to us claiming, "Oh! Hi! I'm Vince Blake. I've been looking for you guys since yesterday. Turns out you're pretty hard to track down."
Did you read that, VINCE-FREAKING-BLAKE? Wearing surfer dude casuals, instead of his famous jersey. Playing the role of happy-go-lucky, misunderstood hooligan with a heart of gold. The only problem with the flip-flop sporting has-been's story is that Quinn and me aren't stupid. We've seen his true colors and they're ugly. I was about to curse him out or lay him out. But Quinn caught my arm when it reared back to throw a punch and spoke first instead.
"Why would you be looking for us? What are we to the likes of the great Vince Blake?" Quinn had asked beautifully. I ended up agreeing with her a little too loudly and quickly.
"YEAH!" I'd insisted.
"Well since this bomber is fixated on me, Dean Rivers and I thought that I could be of some help. To your investigation. I hear you're the smartest girl on campus Quinn, but I remembered you were smart before. I was in the outdoor theater that day when your battle bot took down the sci-club. I was glad to hear you were selected to work on this."
"Oh Really?" Quinn said darkly, and I felt the corners of my mouth curl upwards. She went on, "Even though you clearly recognized Logan and me in Science class yesterday? Where you had been disrupting class to try and apologize to Mark. Are you certain the bomb threats are your sole motive?"
That's my girl! Make him sweat! Let him think about that!
After a pause, Vince did recover rather quickly. He admitted, "What can I say? You caught me. I was hoping to work with you because the bomber is calling me out personally. But I did hope for the chance to say I'm sorry for what happened last year too. I know that I was caught cheating on my tests by your friend Chase Matthews. I would gladly apologize to him if I could. I hear he's in London for a semester, so I'll have to wait till he returns. I know that he was beaten up, so were you Reese-"
I cut him off saying, "Let me stop you right there." I finally found the power to talk and not scream. But I twisted the wrist free from Quinn's hold and took hold of Quinn's hand when I found that will to do this right. She'd still been holding me back from trying to throw a punch at his shit-eating grin.
I clarified for him, "I'm not the least bit interested in anything you have to say. You act all strong and tough, but you're nothing more than a big bully. My friend was brave and he did the right thing. Your goons beat him up for that. Even if I wasn't involved, that would have been enough to make me think you're crazy. I know you're trying to convince everyone that you've changed. But nobody can really change that much, so go back to whatever hole you crawled out of and get outta here."
Quinn stepped between us adding, "When we've solved this thing, and we will solve this. We will make certain you're the first to know our findings. Because even though your actions are unforgivable right now and we're not too thrilled at your return either. I wouldn't wish this kind of worry or guilt on anyone… even someone like you who is labeled an enemy."
As he left, claiming "I knew it was a shot in the dark. I just had to try." He looked disappointed but appreciative as he climbed back up the stairs. I bet it was because of what Quinn had said at the end.
So when I was sure Vince was gone I asked through my teeth, "Why did you have to give him hope at the end?"
"Oh, believe me, I'm on your side." She assured me, "I'm not ready to even think of forgiving what he did to you boys. Even if Mark probably deserved it."
"Good." I said a little easier, not through my teeth.
Quinn explained her thinking, "But if we withhold our findings from him. That makes us cruel and petty. We're no better than he is, we'd be jerks and we're not bullies. We're better than that."
"Can you settle for letting the Dean tell him what we find?" I asked her.
She made a face and said, "Oh yeah, but if he's acting like he's not gonna do it right away. Which is what I'm expecting right now, we gotta bite the bullet, okay?"
"If I agree to that we're totally going to have to tell him," I complained.
She had to stress it to me like this, "What would Chase do?"
"Now you're just being mean," I said, before going right to work. On storing the charred leftover thing that had once been a burning stink bomb. It melted two bags, even though we'd let it cool for our whole conversation with Vince. Thankfully Quinn had heat-sensitive bags that wouldn't melt and looked like aluminum foil… she thinks of everything.
On our way out of the building, another canister was tossed at us and hit the ground right in front of us. I didn't expect the newest bomb to look like a canister an architect would use. To keep their blueprints safe and dry. Only this canister broke something up inside of it when it hit the ground and it started to spin and spew putrid green smoke.
Quinn felt the need to shout up at the rooftop, "HEY! DO-YOU-SEE-THIS-MASK-I'M-WEARING? DO-YA? PUNK? THAT-MEANS-YOUR-STUPID-WEAPONIZED-STINK-DOESN'T-EFFECT-US! OKAY? YOU-NINNY! WE-CAN-DO-THIS-ALL-DAY! EVERYDAY! BUT-JUSTICE-WILL-PREVAIL!"
I know I could never compete with that so I yelled, "WHAT-SHE-SAID!"
The person on the roof was wearing a halloween costume and big mask. The person blew us kisses, so I hoped it wasn't a guy. Cause that would be creepy as all hell and it just seemed more like something a girl playing evil queen would do. When that masked villian tried to leave the building still in costume I tackled them to the ground before they had a chance to get away. I felt a little bad when I realized the enemy was a girl. Till I realized it was Chase's ex-girlfriend Rebecca. As we handed her off to security, she screamed at us. "This is far from over, I'm not your only enemy. You just wait, the others will make sure this place burns and Vince Blake with it! But you two are NEXT!"
The Dean only showed up long enough to make sure we didn't think we were done. He told us to keep investigating and keep looking for answers. I could just see the wheels in Quinn's mind shifting into overdrive. Even as her tests and experiments in the lab took longer than hoped. So the Dean escaped home before the girls could trap him and we were left with way more questions than answers.
I wanted to so badly ask her what she was thinking. But our friends were all trying to be supportive and help out in the lab we'd taken over till dinner time. I appreciate their help, I really do! I was also going into withdrawal of my girlfriend's attention.
Finally James asked her, (the thing I had been DYING to ask), "Quinn? What's carried you off this time?"
"Carried me off?" She countered, "I'm sitting right here James."
"Maybe so," He allowed, "But your mind was far, far away. Now what could have gotten you thinking so hard?"
When she realized that she now had everyone's undivided attention. She took a deep breath, turned slightly towards James and answered, "I've just been thinking about what Rebecca said as she was dragged to the security office. Where I hear she's sitting in a barred cell till the Dean has more information. It's not even her first time there. She's worked up quite a rap sheet for herself here at PCA. It was even worse at her old schools too."
"How did you learn that?" Michael asked.
"I peeked into her permanent record," She admitted.
"Can you do that?" Lola asked her.
Quinn confirmed, "With a computer I can do anything."
Lola nodded, "Right, silly me."
Quinn went on, "Rebecca's record was an interesting read and she's no stranger to crazy. But you know something she's never been particularly good at?" She asked the room, then answered for them. "Chemistry! She's terrible at it, barely passing it at all. Yet someone, who knows their stuff was helping her cook up these almost good bombs."
"Almost good?" Michael asked. "They blew up, they stank, how are they not perfect if they did just that?"
She explained while looking through a microscope, "While that is true. From an average point of view, it's completely different from a scientific standpoint. Everyone of these is nearly perfect. Except for nine or ten major flaws in each one. Imperfections so glaringly obvious; that if I were their creator, I wouldn't even count them as effective. It's like they understand the theory, but lack the full understanding of how any of this really works. It could be a younger student, someone less experienced who's not testing these things at all before using them. Just throwing them willy-nilly and seeing what happens. It just seems all very under-practiced and sloppy… and Oh my GOD! I know who it is." She suddenly said, snapping her fingers.
Michael said, "Great, now we can lift the lockdown and finally go to dinner!"
"No!" I (Logan) said smacking at Michael. "We gotta catch the guy. Right Quinn? And now you know who it is?"
"I do," she said with that all-knowing glitter finally returning to her eyes. The one that had been missing all day for nearly two full days. If we caught whoever this was, this day could not be the complete train wreck that it was. I might even get to make up with her a little, after she was so mad at me yesterday. Then I was mad at her today too, so we could use the makeup time.
Quinn went on (unaware of my planning). "And if my calculations are right, and they are! This won't be a 'catch-the-guy' situation. This will be a 'catch-the-group' troop." So Quinn and I marched a very impressive group of security up into the Science department and we busted the freshmen charter of Sci-club for bombing the school. Not only did Quinn hand their own crappy explosions back to them. But she also made them show their hands underneath a blacklight. If the materials used to make the bombs had been handled by them, their hands would glow. Those dummies had it all over their clothes, faces and hands. Because they didn't even wear protective gear at all. They were all locked behind bars for the night. The older members of sci-club, who had been apprehended and claimed to be innocent for two days were finally released. And not one of them thanked Quinn, they all picked on her for taking so long.
I almost got myself thrown behind bars for punching out the newly released students. But Michael grabbed me and kept threatening all of them as they left. "I'll let him go! I will let him go! And this boy has played for the wrestling team more than once! Try me! Please, try me right now!"
But as happy as I know we should have been catching all of these wannabe bad guys. Quinn was far too quiet, and I had to take her hand under the table at dinner. We didn't get to talk till all of the others had gone their separate ways for the night. Then I could finally get her into one of our hiding spots, turn to her and ask her "What's wrong?"
She explained, "I just feel really guilty right now."
"Guilty?" I repeated. "Why would you feel that way?"
"Because I understand why they did what they did. It wasn't because they really wanted to burn the school down. Well maybe Rebecca did, but the Sci-club… they love PCA, and they did what they did out of fear not malicious intent." Quinn had said as she followed me to a secret hiding place we'd just started to use. It was almost a dead even distance to both of our dorms from this one.
She crossed her arms and said, "That could have been just as easily us. We were just as panicked and hurt when we saw him, I even sketched out some Wile E. Coyote Style blueprints to trap Vince if he ever tries to cheat again."
"Well I definitely want to see them later," I said and meant it. "I want a presentation too and I want you to be as geared up as you were yesterday morning."
"When, yesterday morning?" She asked me, curiously.
So I listed, "White lab coat, heavy duty apron, tool belt, big rubber gloves, and goggles." I may have just finished the list before I trailed some kisses down her neck. I could hear her laughing into my shoulder.
"How is that a come-hither outfit, for you?" She asked, mystified.
I shot back at her, "Exactly! I thought the same thing when I saw you talking to the dean. All I wanted to do was get you away from Dean Rivers, from Blake and get you someplace like here. So I could finally do this." I did say before I kissed her. Deeply she gave it all back in spades. When we stopped to catch our breaths I told her, "And sorry about pulling you into this investigation thing, that took almost 48 hours to finish. At the start of this thing, I just couldn't let you near that monster. But today that same monster found us anyway."
"Well, you're gonna have to learn a few things." She said trapping me by throwing her arms around my neck and telling me. "First, I can take care of myself. Second, I'm not afraid of bullies; and Thirdly, I am no damsel in distress."
"No, you're not." I agreed, "But if you're going to tell Vince Blake. I don't care when you're going, you're not doing that alone. Not because I don't think you can handle it or anything. But because it would just make me feel better if I were with you… You know what I mean?"
"I do," she nodded, which must have been the right answer because the kiss she gave me made my toes curl. When we did separate she said. "You know he's probably eating dinner right now and we don't want to be rude or anything."
"No, I think we have a little time to spare." I agreed before pulling her back into another deep kiss. That made me forget I hadn't slept nearly at all last night. (I had dozed for an hour or so on the black-topped workbenches in the lab. Quinn hadn't slept at all). I could have hid all night, kissed her that entire time and still swear I'd never get enough alone time with my girlfriend. As the day began to catch up with both of us. Our mission was clear, so I asked Quinn, "Are we really doing this now?"
"A promise is a promise." Quinn shrugged, which made me ask myself for the millionth time. Why did I have to fall for such a goodie-goodie? How did she always make it so hot? Being Good? Did she read it in a book or take a class we don't know about? Whatever it was, she's incredible and I can't believe there was a time before it all affected me like this.
((Quinn's Perspective:))
When we managed to untangle ourselves from each other and rejoin the human race. We began to walk toward where we hoped we could find Vince Blake. Leave it to our friends to not only notice us. But they also had our backs as we walked up to him. Zoey, Michael, Lola, Lisa, and James all joined us as we crossed the outdoor eating area. When our intended destination became clear, Mo and Sockburger joined our procession unexpectedly. Mo even leaned over to me and assured, "We got ya."
It wasn't so surprising that Vince Blake was sitting at a table all alone tonight. Even though girls had been shrieking and singing his praises when he'd first arrived. Somehow, all of the bomb threats being linked to him had made the newscast with Jeremiah Trottman. So everybody was way cautious to approach him now. Even if it was for a whole different reason from ours.
I was not given the luxury of a choice, I had to confront the elephant in the room. Let him know what we'd figured out. For three big reasons:
A. it was the right thing to do, just like I had told Logan earlier.
B. It really is what Chase would have done and Chase would have wanted.
C. (arguably the most important factor of all) If we wanted this to end a certain way. Possibly setting free the younger science club, and asking for leniency on Rebecca too (Like expelling her instead of jail time). For being a scared, panicked bunch of kids, who just wanted others to feel as they did. Who didn't want to hurt anyone necessarily, the bombs that where knockout gas or caught fire had been errors. Not because it had been what they wanted to do.
We were gonna need to be on the same page about all of this. Vince Blake needed to understand our standpoint, as well as his own. If he agreed it may turn this possibility into a certainty.
Zoey looped her arm through mine and she said to me, "You're brave, I get that. But isn't this a little much, even for Logan and you."
"We told him earlier we'd let him know." I explained, "Besides, it's like I told him. I'm far from thinking of forgiving him. But I wouldn't wish the worry and guilt of this on anyone."
"You're right," Zoey agreed and she gripped me tightly when we reached his side.
He greeted us pleasantly, "Oh! Hi! Did you figure out who was doing it?"
"We did," Zoey said, her tone coming off rather clipped.
Lola was next, "It was our old pal Rebecca working with the freshmen Sci-club."
"The freshmen SCI-CLUB? Are you sure?" Vince asked before sharing his outlook of the group. "I mean sure they're arrogant and unpleasant to almost everyone. But most days they wouldn't hurt a fly."
"Oh, it's them alright," I confirmed. "They were the only ones who could have made those bombs using their loose grasp of chemistry. Rebecca isn't bright enough to have done any of the scientific stuff. She was just the 'Idea man,' the younger science club enthusiasts were the designers and suppliers. For once the older sci-club members weren't lying when they claimed innocence."
Michael took over for the next part. "We're trying to cut them all a break because if you read their letters. They do seem really scared."
Lisa's arms are crossed and her eyes were dead serious as she said, "We're gonna try to do our best to make sure the Dean and Authorities cut them a break. But we can't do that without your help it seems." I'd never heard little Lisa say anything she hated to admit this much. It was disarming.
Vince ignored all the negative and agreed, "Yeah! I agree, I needed to leave and go somewhere else. It helped me a lot and I owe this place for that. I'll do my best to back whatever plan or alternative you have in mind."
I (Quinn) nodded, "We would appreciate that… It still doesn't get you off of the hook, you know? But we would appreciate it if you could assist us in lessening their blow. As malice as their methods may have seemed, they didn't intend to hurt anyone. The bombs that knocked people out or caught fire weren't made properly. It was all errors that occurred and weren't planned."
"I understand," Vince said with prayer hands, "Consider it done."
With that we all started to walk away, we'd done our part and no one could say we hadn't. That's it, that was all I had, and I had nothing left. So I said goodnight to everyone and started heading for the dorms. Logan was visibly tired too, yet he insisted on making sure I got back to my room before I just passed out and slept somewhere out in the open. His exact words had been, "I don't want to find you sleeping in one of the flowerbeds outside your dorm building tomorrow. Just because you couldn't make it."
Honestly it wouldn't even be the tenth time that had happened here at PCA.
As I began to sound sillier and sillier from lack of sleep on the walk to my dorm. Logan scooped me up and carried me, thankfully I was so exhausted, the second I was partially laying down, I was a goner. I don't even remember the rest of the way back. All I do remember is the cush of my mattress hitting my back, the familiarness of it comforting me right back to the sweet dark oblivion of restfulness. Then Logan planted a kiss on my lips and whispered to me…
What had he said…
I couldn't remember…
I would have to ask him about it later, whatever it was it had made me really happy… I just can't remember what it was.
Anyways Goodnight.
That's all for this chapter!
That's all for part one of my Vince Blake tale. Don't worry the other part(s) are done too. It will be posted tomorrow. I'm going to be posting several next chapters over the course of the next week. I hope you'll stick around for this mini-arc I've planned and the next chapter will be starting from Logan's Perspective. Hopefully, these are all good things to look forward to. Thank you for reading this far, for sticking it out with us. If you can please review. I would love to hear from you! Hope this reaches you well! I hope you all enjoyed it and I hope it reaches you all with a little sunshine, Much Love!
~DarcyBeDippy85