Hey There,
Welcome again lovely readers on another Thursday post. And yes, this should have been posted like three or four Thursdays ago. I am sorry for falling so far behind on these updates. But October took over my life far more than I expected it to and November has been just as nuts, at it's start. This is the very earliest I could get this chapter sounding right. You wouldn't believe the drama I have faced getting this right. With STILL unexplained missing chunks of story disappearing with no explanation too…. AHHHH! I think my laptop restarted itself without permission and that's how it happened, but literally whole chunks of all my stories I'm working on were missing. And had to be re-written. No chapter was more effected by this hit that this one. But it's all done now, it is here and it is the last of my Prom night coverage going into the next day. I hope you've all enjoyed this take on things as much as I have.
Ultimately I had to end up writing two versions of this chapter, this version I'm posting and another that would have pushed that T rating to it's absolute limits. I may be posting that as a one-shot later (let me know if anyone would like to hear that version too). Where prom night got a little hotter than even I expected it to.
I also posting a second chapter to my new Halloween Quogan fic as well (hopefully) tomorrow. That I have been working on, and I have been dying to feature them in a Halloween tale for ages. It's entitled "Monster Movie Mayhem," and I am quite proud of it. ((Yes, the teeny bit of them doing a haunted walkthrough in that last chapter was a chip off the iceberg of my spooktacular plans!)) Even if it did get posted WAY later than planned… But you guys have waited long enough for this update… No more of my yakking. Let's get on with the show!
Special thanks to you guys who just found this story. Adding it to your favorite stories list or story alert list. Also, the few new people who have added me to their favorite author's list or author's alert page. That is high praise and I can't tell you what it means to me. All of you who have done this, all I can say is thank you and hope you still enjoy these updates… even when they're this late.
Special thanks to reviewer (and friend): Rose-Aki (CONGRATULATIONS for posting your 200th story! I'm too proud of you, not to mention that! Congrats on also posting twice since my last posts. That is HUGE! You really are too AMAZING! Thank you so much for your kindness about Lydia [she is an OC and you know how nerve-racking that is firsthand], the tie-dye {thank you for saying how Zoey that was}, and switching perspectives that kept going back and forth in that last chapter. It was murder to edit and accomplish, but after reading your review, I felt like I may have pulled it off. I had been re-watching the show and I loved it how they kept switching back and forth between the guys and girls groups. And HAD to give it a try for the Quogan L-bomb coverage. As always, your experience and kindness are an inspiration! I hope this is reaching you very well! Take Care and Much Love!)
Standard disclaimers Apply! - I don't own Zoey 101, Zoey 102, Nickelodeon, MTV, or any of the other trademarked things mentioned. I am merely borrowing all of these things and characters for my own twisted plots, most will be returned unharmed.
Enjoy!
"The Collective Trails of a Quinnventor… and Logan"
Chapter 37 - Scheming For Some Quiet Time
(Quinn's Perspective)
I know this night had the rockiest start possible, but the rest of it. Has been nothing short of magical. When the after-prom was in full swing, but our friends were still asking too many questions. About every little thing… About our relationship, how it started, how we've hidden it all this time? They were asking about all of the secrets we've had to keep. Logan had asked outright for some alone time when it all got to be too much. So I had bravely suggested the Ferris wheel, knowing it was the perfect mini escape. Where we could get a little time together, and I could show my boyfriend. He'd helped me overcome a major stumbling block too.
Mark had really hurt me on a similar ride and had turned me against them for a while. But in the one time, Logan had gone with me (on the very wheel Mark had used to hurt me) Logan had managed to turn me completely around. To where I couldn't wait to suggest it tonight and try it again.
Determined to enjoy myself tonight and not have another breakdown (like I had the last time we'd ridden this ride together). Logan had taken such an old wound that night and made it seem nonexistent. I wanted to show him how grateful I was.
But the moment we'd been alone and in the almost perfect darkness of the wheel. The moment I'd felt his arms go around me and there weren't any more questions to answer. I will admit to a lot of making up for that lost time together (and yes, some of that making up was making out… but we'd talked too, and just enjoyed it). I'd tried to remember everything about that time… because it had been some of my favorite time spent with him all night. But every time I got to be with him tonight. For any measurement of time, had been the best.
It was also very difficult to remember anything besides the way he'd kissed me, held onto me, snuggled me, and that smile of his dominated most of those memories. But Logan had snapped several pictures of us throughout the night selfie style too. Walking around, riding rides, and the ferris wheel was no exception. I would have to rely upon those snapshots too. To remember more from our countless trips round and round. I honestly lost count of how many times we rode it together. All I do know is we rode it till the ride operator was warning us that the after-prom was wrapping up. And both of us were stumbling when we got off, because the world was still spinning a little for both of us… hopefully in the best way.
As the after-prom ended, and everyone was heading in different directions. Logan still wouldn't clue any of us in on his plans for us. It was basically climbing into a limo and waiting to be surprised. Or heading on back to your dorm rooms and calling it a night. Which no one wanted to do. Not even any of the newer additions to our usual bunch. Logan even had a van waiting too, in case more people than planned had wanted to come along. And since Dustin was bringing a few of his new friends (yes, friends who were girls too), it had come in handy.
I wasn't sleepy at all, I was too wide awake even though I knew it was very late, I blamed it on all that had taken place in both the after-prom and the actual Prom. I still suspected this was all leading to a campout on our shared beach (the one we share with our gang) just like I'd been thinking all night. But I kept that to myself, for now and wondered if Vince, Stacey, Mark, James or Lydia had ever even heard of it before. Or would even be into a campout on a beach like we'd always dreamed up. When we were all a little younger.
Chase, Zoey, Michael, and Dustin had been on that fateful trip. I even heard Lola telling Vince about it while we were still standing around in the parking lot. Lisa and Lola hadn't been around when we found this beach, but both had been to it several times over the years. On group trips, celebrations and parties… Lola explained how we always go back there several times a year, and now it's owned by Logan's Dad. So it really is ours, and we call it our friendship beach… till we think of anything better to call it.
Logan told us all to "Quit talking about it, and decide whether you're staying or going, already! I made it as easy as I could. Either come along or goodnight." Then Logan stepped up to me and asked me, "What are you doing?"
"I'm going, I am." I assured. But before I could head for the door to climb into the vessel designated to carry all of us. I noticed Lisa and Michael were heading for his new car. And I noticed Logan was tugging on me, like he almost didn't want me to climb in with everyone else.
He asked me, before I could ask him, "Where are you going?"
"Aren't we riding with everyone else?" I asked and he let me know.
"Nope," He said, not offering much else.
"No? Then how are we getting there?" I asked him, as his smirk made me just a little wary.
My boyfriend explained, "Michael wasn't the only one who drove his date to Prom, tonight." He said before pointing out the swankiest looking car in the whole place a beautiful black sport's car. Telling me, "And believe me, when I was arranging for this to be my car for the night outta my Dad's collection. I wasn't visualizing Stacey sitting shotgun."
"You weren't? Are you sure?" I asked as I let him pull me closer for a second before we reached the vehicle he was pointing out.
"Positive," He'd grinned a little. As we got closer, but he kept talking. "I kept bartering with Dad for one of his best, because I wanted to impress you. Now that you're officially my date, for the rest of the night. Would you mind if we rode together, for a little alone time? In this car instead of with everyone?"
"That sounds fantastic, actually." I had to tell him. We had been getting pestered with all kinds of questions throughout the night. And even a little time of just us, where that wasn't happening, every other sentence just sounded magnificent.
And he tried to play it cool, saying, "Good, follow me."
He'd made a point of walking me to the passenger side and opening the door for me too. He really was trying to impress somebody, wasn't he? I asked him over my shoulder, "Are you sure you won't get too distracted, driving yourself? Because I remember how diverting some of our car rides have been together… in the past."
He'd smiled at me and said, "Yeah, but those were nights when I could only be with you so long. We had curfews to beat, Dorm Advisors to trick, classes the very next day… and tonight's a little different, okay?"
"You're telling me." I teased and he'd stolen a quick kiss for that one.
Before promising, "Believe me you're safe with me, I've been driving since I was fourteen. Because I had to drive cars from set to set for my Dad too many times-"
"Illegally?" I asked in a gasp.
"Well, it was usually dirt roads or around the movie lots, studio to studio. Stuff like that." He shrugged like it was no sweat. "I learned stick shift before automatic, and it's easy. I just didn't bring it up around Michael because I didn't want to try and teach him. You know how tough he is to teach sometimes."
I admitted, "I had to learn stick shift first too, all the trucks on my Uncle's Farm are stick. But I had to learn it on his motorcycle before he let me drive a car. It's a little easier to explain that way. It's all in the grips on the handlebars."
"You're first driving lessons were on a motorcycle?" He asked like he really liked the sound of that.
But Michael yelled to us, "Hurry up, you guys! We gotta keep up with the others."
I told Logan, "He's right, we better go."
"We're so talking more about this tonight." He warned me, before he'd shut the door for me. And I'd gotten to laugh without him hearing it in the enclosed space. He couldn't see me either thanks to the tinted windows. I still never knew when he was gonna react like that.
He'd walked around to the driver side, briskly. When he entered and sat in the driver's seat, he'd made a show of doing all the things you're supposed to. He checked the mirrors, put his seat belt on, started the engine, then he drove out of the parking spot with ease. But I had been expecting him to pull up behind the limo and Michael's car. I thought we would be following them to our shared beach, I really had thought that was the plan. But instead, Logan took another exit out of the parking lot and left ahead of everyone else.
When I'd asked him "Why?" I had said, "Aren't we gonna be heading to the same place as everyone else?"
He'd answered my question with another question, "Where do you think we're all going?"
"Aren't we all going to end up at the beach we share? All together? Our friendship beach?" I asked not as sure right now, why was he being so cryptic. I also want to point out that whenever he wasn't using his hand to shift, he was holding my hand. And a few times he let me shift for him too.
He said, "We can if you want to, I set up for that too, if that's what you want to do-"
"What other place could we really go? At this hour? Not much is open." If the clock on the dash was correct it was past four in the morning. I'd asked, but then I realized… "Wait a minute, that is where the gang is all heading, isn't it? Our friendship beach?"
He finally fessed up, "Well, yeah. I didn't forget what we talked about as freshmen. How we wanted to hang out there together, after our prom nights ended… but that was before tonight. So much more than just a dance happened for you and me. I set up for all of us to be there together like we've always planned to… but I also set up something just for us on another abandoned beach I could name that's way closer than where all of them are going… in case you wanted to be alone… together."
I simplified for him, "So… the beach that we've been calling our beach?"
"Mmm-hmm." He affirmed, before he chanced a split-second glance at me, trying gauge my reaction to this news. And his hand tightened around mine, like he really was concerned that I would freak out. But even I was surprised at how happy this news had made me. Had he really planned this out, to be alone with me, even before all of the confessing and turmoil tonight? I was again just amazed at his plotting skills, at the same time as I was so touched. I felt so incredibly lucky just to call this person my friend. The fact that I got to call this guy my boyfriend, the person I loved… it was just a lot. And I was glad he'd planned this, and I wanted to proceed with this plot where we got a little time to ourselves.
But Logan had taken my silence, the wrong way. And he'd started talking… fast. He'd said, "It was just an idea, we don't have to do it or anything. I didn't know what was gonna happen tonight, or anything. I had just figured when we got to the end of the night. I wouldn't want to give you up, or share you with everyone so much. You know, planning for every possible thing that COULD happen. It doesn't mean it has to, or should, or-"
I finally was able to stop him, "No, no, you're right. I feel the same… tonight has been a lot and we've been very open with everyone. About a lot of things we've been hiding and while it's been great… it's also been a bit much. All the questions and reactions, Chase is back, James wasn't gonna go, but we talked him into it. He seems to really like Lydia, and may start dating her…on top of our L-bomb drama, and Stacey getting hit by a car… I mean…"
Logan said, "It's A LOT, and that's just Prom. That's not even counting all of the stuff that happened BEFORE the Prom, or after-prom either."
"It is, a lot." I agreed, before admitting. "I'm glad you planned it like this… and would love a little alone time too…" I'd said and he was all smiles. Even as I cautioned, "But are you sure that we can pull this off without worrying our friends?"
"Sure, no problem." He assured as I knew we were getting close, I recognized some of the signs and distinct markers near the same area as our beach. I'd been here often enough now, where I almost knew it by heart. Even though we had both been very distracted during those other rides when we'd had a driver.
When he pulled over to the side of the road and stopped. It wasn't in the usual place at all, he'd pulled this car off into an area where the car would be locked up behind a protective fence too. A long place set for hiding vehicles that needed to park here when they were filming in the area I suppose. Showing me a secondary entrance into the closed-off beach area that I didn't know existed. When he'd undone his seat belt. He told me, "Stay right there, I'm coming around to get you."
"I can open a door." I tried to let him off the hook. But he wouldn't hear of it.
He told me, "If we're doing this, we're doing it right. Wait right there."
Then he was at my door in a flash, opening it for me. As I stepped out onto the poured pavement. I teased, "How archaic, but very sweet."
As he'd shut the door behind me he admitted, "I don't know what that 'R' word was, but I may have been talking to my grandparents a lot over the last few days. And they may have reminded me that they'd raised me to be a gentleman."
"I can vouch for them, yes, they did." I'd smiled and he'd quickly stolen another quick kiss.
He'd apologized, "Sorry, but I've been holding that back since Michael was yelling at us."
I stole one kiss myself before I laughed, "Me too."
Then we both seemed to realize that we were still technically on the outside of our beach. And we'd better get to the shoreline before we get too carried away. Because otherwise, we will be standing here all night together and the sun will be coming up. Just because we're too glad to finally be alone. He'd cleared his throat and I'd asked him, "Did we need to carry anything? Could I help?"
He told me, as he took my hand. "Nope, not this time. Everything's already out there waiting for us. All we have to do is walk to it and we can be here as long as you like."
This secondary entrance had a security box and guards. They told us both that they had secured the area and we would be totally alone on the beach. They were watching the gates and ensuring that no one messed with Malcolm's car while we were here more than anything else. They told Logan where to find more firewood for the campfire, where the food had been stashed, and a few other details I didn't hear. Before they gave us each walkie-talkies for any other service we could need while we were there.
I thanked them with Logan, before they opened the gates, and gave him a brightly lit solar-powered lantern. Wishing us both a good night or really, good morning. Then Logan took my hand again and pulled me along the new path that quickly merged with a more familiar path winding through the towering sand dunes. I saw the light coming from the lighthouse first, we easily reached the beautiful shoreline, and once again, The familiar setting and crashing waves immediately made me feel more relaxed. As promised there was a tent pitched lit somehow (probably by a similar lantern light), a campfire crackling away and we were completely alone… Just like all of the other times we'd been here.
I can't even properly explain, how such a simple scene of a tent and open flame was so romantic… but it really was. And I was so touched I felt my eyes tear. Before I could blink it back and pull myself together. This boy was constantly bowling me over with his care and attention to even the teeniest details. And I know if we had skipped this and just gone to where all of our friends were. I would have still felt the same, because I know he was just as thorough in his plans for that campsite as he was with this one.
Luckily Logan had slipped over to the tent and fire to check everything out for himself. So I had a minute to pull myself together. Before he saw me sniffling, and giving my emotions away. When he'd checked everything, and was satisfied with what he'd seen. He'd come back to where he'd left me standing. Staring at the crashing waves, starry skies, and lit lighthouse. He'd put his arms around me tightly from behind. Then he'd kissed my t-shirt-covered shoulder and said, "Hi." With such a warmth lacing his voice. It made me smile, remembering how we'd done this earlier when we didn't know what to say to each other.
I had taken hold of his arms and answered him again, like I had then, "Hey?"
He asked me, "Is this okay? Be honest with me, I want to know if it isn't okay."
I tried to assure, "I love it, I really do." Before I turned to face him adding. "And I love you."
"I love you too… but if you don't like it or if you're even a little uncomfortable, we can go. Just say the word and we're gone. Our friends are probably wondering where we are. Even though I told Michael I was stealing a little alone time...I didn't say how much or where we were heading really. Because I wanted as much as possible and I didn't know what you would want to do. So I was vague on purpose."
"You told Michael and he actually kept it this quiet long enough for us to get out of sight?" I asked, not realizing how bad it sounded till it was out. Thank heavens Michael hadn't been around to hear that. I wouldn't have wanted to hurt his feelings. He can't help it if he's bad at secret-keeping, he just is. And he means well, it's just not his strong suit.
Logan had just said, "I know! I probably timed it just right, telling him when I did. It was just before the ferris wheel, when we were all split into pairs, before he got in his car to drive separate from everybody too. We made it out of sight, somehow before he told anyone. But I do not even want to glance at my phone. Probably missed calls and texts galore."
"Mine too, probably." I had to say, as he pulled me back into a tighter hold. So I could lay my head on his shoulder. I took a breath before I asked him, "Am I a terrible person for still being too glad to be here alone with you? Even when I know the girls are probably worried?"
"Quinn… you could never be terrible… not even if you tried." He'd said sticking his face into my hair. "And there's no place else on earth I'd rather be… than here, right now, with you. The last time we came here, I wished I planned something more like this for that night. Because I did not want to take you back and go to separate dorms. I wanted to keep you with me till you felt better. And you'd been so upset, that day."
I found myself confessing, "That would have been nice. But we had classes bright and early the next morning. We had roommates who would have definitely missed us too. We really couldn't have worked it out then-"
"That didn't make it any easier letting go of you that night." He told me like it still wasn't okay. Not even now.
And I'd shared, "It wasn't for me, either."
He'd pulled me into a kiss that had gone on for much longer than either of us expected. That had only gotten hotter and hotter as it had carried on. When we broke apart we had to catch our breaths and he'd asked, "Why don't we get a little more cozy by the fire? That wind is getting chilly and I can feel your goosebumps." He'd said as he smoothed a hand down the bare part of my arm.
"That sounds, really nice." I'd agreed before I'd let myself be pulled over to sit by the open flame. And let him pull me into his lap again once he was seated on the blanket nearby. I'd giggled, "This really is becoming a thing for you isn't it?"
He just pulled me snuggly against him shamelessly, "Yeah. Where's bad?"
"I don't mind, or anything." I tried to explain, "I just worry about hurting you. It's not like you're used to lugging a person around. ALL the time and I know I'm not exactly light."
"You're lighter than most and I've been lifting you for dance class. You should know better than anyone that I'm stronger than I look." He reasoned, and I couldn't even dispute most of what he'd said.
I know we had so much to still talk about, so much that we should have been figuring out. While we had this time together. But at first, all we did was sit there by the fire and hold each other. If we weren't making out. It was so quiet besides the sounds of ocean beside us. But it was such a comfortable quiet… I felt like after so much talking and explaining all night. This was what we needed more than anything else.
When we couldn't put it off anymore and both of us looked at our phones. Missed calls and texts from ALL of our friends. Before we broke this shortlived reprieve, my boyfriend did ask me, "What do you wanna do? What do we say?"
I reasoned, "Well, it's not even going to be dark for very much longer. Why don't we stay here for a little longer and tell them we'll be there in the morning?"
He was already typing, saying. "Sounds good to me."
So we'd sent everyone the same message, 'Need a little more time, We'll see you guys in the morning.'
To the point while still vague.
It wasn't till we'd both sent these texts that I started to yawn, and so did Logan. The night was finally starting to catch up with us. The fire was nice, but the way the wind was whipping, I was very cold. As I shivered, Logan immediately suggested, "Why don't we climb into the tent for a little bit. I bet it's more comfortable than this wind."
So we both climbed in, whoever had set this up had gone all out. The floor of the tent was almost a square mattress. There were sleeping bags and a basket full of snacks off to the side. A lit lantern hanging from the roof inside. I was mad impressed, but of course. Logan wasn't through yet. He said, "You think this is cool, lay down for just a second."
So I did as he asked and he laid beside me. He reached up and switched off the light. And unzipppped the roof of the tent. So a hidden hatch opened up and let us look up at the stars. I'd flipped out, I'd never been in a tent that did that before. Espically not one with such a clear view.
But there was a magic that fell over us when we'd laid side by side and that light was switched off. I don't know which had taken my breath away first. The view of the night sky or being here with him like this. I suspect it had been when I looked over at him in the almost perfect darkess. I don't know how I could still see him at all, and how the teeny lights in his eyes had been so bright. But before I could even tell him what I thought. We were kissing again and this wasn't as impassioned and heedless as some of the other kisses we'd shared since we'd gotten here. This one had a tenderness, a sweetness and lingered… And we'd ended up tangled together in the sleeping bags. A mess of love and cuddles…
When we could speak again, and had stopped to catch our breaths. Logan said. "So the whole first trial you ran in this relationship was 'Can you love again?' Right? That was the question you needed answers to?"
I affirmed, "Uh-Huh." sounding a little hoarse now. I don't know if it was all the talking we'd had to do, or sleepiness starting to kick in.
But Logan's voice was clear as a bell, "I think the question I needed answered was, 'Can I do this?' You know?"
"Do what?" I'd asked with interest as I rolled to face him on my side. He lay on his back and pullled me against him and I curled myself into him. Watching the smile spread across his face slowly as we both got comfortably close to the other again.
"Could I actually be someone's boyfriend and be happy? While actually making them happy too. Or can I deserve, joy like this… and I still don't know if I do-"
"You do." I promised him planting a kiss on his cheek. "You do." He turned his face and planted another slow kiss on my lips.
"I still don't know, but if you're going to sound off about the results of your trial. Don't you think it's only fair that I should too? Isn't that how it usually works when more than one person is part of a paper or experiment?"
Of all of the reactions he could have to my collective trials… this had not been one I'd considered. But I was quick to respond, "Sure. If you want to, it would be great to hear your input as well. I mean, no relationship is one-sided, no good one anyway. You should sound off too."
"Good, I'll work on that then." He'd said on a yawn, before saying. "But can you give me a little time to work on it? I suddenly feel like I could sleep for the first time tonight."
Hearing him yawn in the darkness had STILL made me yawn. So contagious! I'd told him, "Me too."
Before all was quiet and I almost thought he'd fell asleep. But then he turned more toward me, and whispered one last time, "Hey… I love you."
I still smile everytime he says it and everytime I answer him, "I love you too."
Then I think we both fell asleep, for a little while snuggled together in that tent. Because the next thing I knew, warm sunlight was everywhere. And I was still laying next to my boyfriend.
((Logan's Perspective))
I really hadn't wanted last night to end, but somehow. I'd fallen asleep and so had Quinn. When I woke up, sunlight was shining bright outside of the tent. And Quinn was still asleep tucked into my side. I lay there just watching her sleep for a little longer. She looked so happy, so beautiful, and at peace. We were still in our after-prom clothes, so tie-dyed t-shirts and jeans… nothing fancy. I did my very best to commit this view to my memory.
There was still weeks of school to get through, that required sleeping in separate dorms. She may not sweat about passing her exams. She takes them looking for a challenge, and usually complains about how easy they were. She is helping tutor several people for them who need to pass. I needed tutoring and lots of review if I was gonna do better than just passing. And I wanted to impress people. I wanted to show my friends and the colleges I'd applied for that I wasn't stupid. Maybe get Lola a little more off of my back about not deserving my girlfriend. Even if more than anything I wanted to give my Dad and Quinn something to brag about (let's not forget Chauncy).
One of the big reasons I hadn't wanted Prom to end. Was because I knew it would mean it was time to buckle down and study harder till those exams were over. But the thing I dreaded the MOST, would be when exams were over. Because everyone had to go their separate ways for summer vacation… and right now, I couldn't imagine EVER letting go of this girl.
Who doesn't love summer vacation time? I usually do! Even when all my friends spread out all over the map. But this year, I wasn't looking forward to it at all. Not really! Because I didn't want to be that far away from Quinn, not even for a minute. And yes, Quinn is from Seattle and I'm from L.A. Which aren't that far apart… but I hate having her across campus. How is gonna be when she's in another state?
I would have to try to remember this, whenever I missed her too much to sleep. What it had been like to be with her. Every minute of it. I could hear both of our phones pinging with more texts from our friends, as they were all waking up and wondering where we were. But I couldn't have cared less, let 'em wait. Let her sleep, and let me soak this all in for just a little longer. Before I have to give it all up… for months.
Maybe this summer could be different. Maybe we could work something out where I didn't have to be alone so much in Los Angeles… Maybe I could end up for some time in Seattle. Even if it is when we're working on that nature path at 'Mystic Mountain.' Getting it lit, and more popular… great excuses to want to stay close to my girlfriend. Incase I need really good excuses to stay near her, or bring her with me… and I probably will. Knowing my family's tendency to plan out parts of my summers for me. Thankfully they let me plan SOME of it these days.
Suddenly her breathing changed, she stretched like a cat into my side. And I saw her eyes crack open at me. I don't know how well she could see without her glasses. But she had smiled and said. "Hey."
I'd smiled back, I couldn't help it. "Hey, yourself."
She leaned like she was gonna kiss me but stopped mid-lean and said, "Nope, better not… I don't want to find out if my morning breath can kill-"
I caught her and rolled us till she was trapped. And I told her, "Oh no. It's too late now, you leaned-"
"You don't want none of this. Trust me," she'd laughed and tried to fight it.
I told her, "Don't be a tease." Before trailing a few kisses up her neck.
She'd giggled and told me, "I'm the one teasing?"
I nudged her, "Come on," before I stole a few kisses anyway… and no, there was no difference between this kiss or any of the other's we've shared. Nothing to make me stop, for sure. She'd laughed into those kisses too, my absolute favorite way. I leaned my head against hers and didn't have a complaint in the world… except, "Why in the heck did you hesitate?"
She clarified, "I was afraid I had 'morning breath,' after hearing the other girls complain about getting kisses like that before. I didn't want to ruin this, for you."
"I want names." I half demanded as she was still trapped.
"Nope, the topics that spring up when girls are sharing a mirror. Stay between those girls and that mirror, babe. Girl code." She tried to squirm outta my grip. But I was quicker.
I snuggled her tightly and said, "Come on, I just want names so I know who almost robbed me of a good morning kiss."
"And I wanted a fruit that was both a banana and an apple in one bite. But it just isn't in the cards yet, is it?" She asked right back not missing a beat. When I stole another kiss, she spun us and trapped me. Not that I wanted to escape or anything. She pinned me down in place and told me. "You're just gonna have to wonder. We promised our friends that we would see them in the morning and this is the morning. So as nice as this has been, we'd better get going soon."
She put on her glasses, nodded at me and tried to get up. But I sat up just to catch her before she was outta reach and pulled her back to me. Then I whined, "Do we have to?"
She laughed in my face and started patting down the left side of my head saying. "Your hair's funny, how bad is mine?"
"Your's isn't bad." I told her truthfully. It may be a little flatter now but it was even still curly from last night.
She asked me, "Are you being cute or serious?"
"Why can't I be both?" I asked her confidently, which made her smile.
She nodded, "You could be both, it's not impossible… but you would probably still swear I was cute even if I had a big cowlick."
"A what?" I'd asked, did I hear her right?
"Oh come on, you know what that is, the name's self-explanatory." She said getting away and slipping out of the tent. Thank goodness we weren't facing the sun, head on. When she'd unzipped the door the light had been blinding enough reflecting off of the water. But I knew it could have been worse.
She reminded me as she got up and walked away, "We've lulled here long enough, we've really got to get back to our friends. Besides, none of them will know how to cook breakfast on location. We need to be there for that."
So I said, "You're right," I didn't want to admit. I didn't want to go back to all of the endless questions and judging. But we had gotten this little pocket of time together. And I would only be pulling out my hair right now if we HADN'T gotten that.
As Quinn started cleaning and packing up the campsite. I told her at least ten times, 'We've got people for that.' But she insisted on not leaving too much for whoever that was. Then she'd taken one long look at the shore line when she felt more ready to leave. She made me stand next to her and look with her, and she said. "I want to remember this scene years from now. When I think back on how AWESOME this prom was. I want to keep it with me, for all the weeks of school left. When we're both too busy to come here or be together. And I want to remember this feeling."
I had to admit, "It does seem so much prettier being ours, even than it did in Dad's movie."
Then she turned me and faced me and said, "Then I want to thank you for the BEST night ever."
I corrected her, "So far."
She agreed, "So far, and as we try not to be too gross around our friends today. Don't doubt for a second that I love you any less. It's just I'm trying to figure out where's this new line. Letting them see us together, and-."
I warned her, "We're probably going to get mixed reviews."
"I'd be more shocked if that wasn't true." She'd said with a push at her glasses. "But I need you to know, we're gonna figure it out, together… okay?"
"Yeah, we're in this together." I'd agreed. Before reminding her, "But they're not here to scoff at us yet." Then I'd dipped her and kissed her as romantically as I could. Knowing full and well that all of our friends would have HATED that. Especially the girls who would have all been totally jealous. None of theis boyfriends are that confident in their dips. This is a 'Me & Quinn' thing. Eat your heart out girls.
But then we did leave our beach, hand and hand just as we'd entered it last night. Promising to come back at least one more time before school lets out for summer vacation. Before we got back to my Dad's car and drove the rest of the way to the beach we shared with our friends.
(Zoey's Perspective)
When I woke up the following morning, after camping out all night on our group's private beach. I couldn't even remember crawling into a tent at all… I guess I had been so silly exhausted I blacked out.
But I wasn't expecting to wake up in a tent with my new boyfriend. But that was how I woke up, tangled in sleeping bags and my boyfriend's arms and legs… and I really didn't want to leave. But I needed to move around, I was stiff all on one side and the other half of my body was painfully asleep. Like I needed to get my circulation back to normal. I needed to wake that side of my body back up, fast. It was painful already… Uhhhg!
Chase caught me by my waist from behind and started kissing down my neck and shoulders. Telling me, "No… Don't go, Zo. Why are dream Zoeys always in a hurry to go away?"
"Dream Zoeys plural?" I repeated. "Are there more than one of me?"
Sleepily but honestly he mumbled, "Sometimes. But mostly the plural was for the multiple versions of you I've seen in different dream scenarios. But there have been times that it seemed like more than one of you and ALL of you are in such a hurry to LEAVE."
"I gotta go, I gotta move." I laughed, his kisses tickled even through my t-shirt. "And I'm not dream Zoey, I'm just real Zoey."
"Prove it?" He'd challenged, and I never back down from a challenge said in that tone by this boy. He just irks me too much.
So I'd wrapped both arms around his neck and laid a kiss on him that could have convinced ANYONE. They weren't dreaming. And the kiss he gave back was so good, we ended up laying flat again. And making out till we were BOTH more awake. Me on top him flat on his back.
Pinned flat to the soft beach floor and our sleeping bags, Chase breathed. "Hey real Zo."
"Hey, real boyfriend… Can you believe it?" I asked him.
"No-Nope, still feels like I'm gonna wake up anytime now and and still be in rainy old London." He said, squinting at me.
"Nope, you're in California, on our beach that we share with our friends. And we just had our Prom last night… well, our junior Prom." I assured him.
"That all really happened?" He asked me in this voice of wonder. Still hugging me close.
"Yep, and we're awake and it's still true." I tried to simplify for him.
He said, "That is pretty amazing, but I can think of one thing that's a little more amazing."
"What's that?" I asked not entirely sure where he was going with this, till I was kissed again. Quickly, and he said, "Yep, that's a little more spectacular."
"That's gonna take a little getting used to?" I guessed, but Chase wasn't so flabbergasted.
He was quick to say, "Nope, not for me, I'm already way too used to it. I've known I loved you for nearly FIVE YEARS, Miss Brooks. To me it's still WAAAAY overdue and I'm probably never gonna get tired of it."
"Yep, I gotta say it feels that way to me too. But now I gotta get up and move a little. One whole side of my body's stiff and the other's got that sharp painful cramped feeling. Like not enough blood flow, you know?"
He asked all worried, "Did I do that?"
"No, it's just the way I fell asleep, that's all." I was assuring him.
He reasoned, "But I was holding you, that sounds like the way i was holding you wasn't good."
"I wouldn't say that," I'd flirted and his eyes had gone wide open a second hysterically. As I laughed, "But I think we may have found the thing you need to get used to."
"It won't take me long, this is far too much fun." He assured before he said, "But if you leave how will I know this isn't a dream?" He'd asked me with such a cute pout. Eyes not even open anymore he was still too tired.
I told him, "I just gotta move around a little, if no one else is up then I'll be right back. But if anyone else is up, we can start rustling up some breakfast… And finding out if anyone ever saw Quinn or Logan last night, at all."
Chase got more comfortable on his side saying, "You'll be back then. Knowing how late everyone went to bed, you won't see anyone. And knowing Logan, I bet he planned a whole separate thing for him and Quinn."
"That's what I'm thinking too," I said as I was climbing out of the tent. All of the zipping and re-zipping that took. "Even though it's very hard to picture for me, Logan doing something that romantic."
He'd agreed, before I was done rezipping the door closed, "Who knew, right?"
Then I was on the outside and walking around. Already feeling better just doing that… but I was surprised to find our campfire still going. And James seated beside it.
I knew this talk had potential to be awkward. I mean just a few days ago I was calling him my boyfriend and we were still dating each other. And last night I not only started dating another person, but I'd said 'I love you' to that person so easily… when I couldn't say it to James…
I didn't know if I could be casual and normal with James. But would I ever find a better time to find out?
I tried not to be nervous as I greeted him, "Hey."
Thank goodness, he smirked, and said "Morning Zo, how are you feeling?"
"Stiff." I admitted rubbing at my aching shoulder. Stealing the seat beside him. "I guess I slept wrong, even though these tents are a lot more comfortable being built on top of all of this sand. It's much better than the one's I'm used to in the woods, with tree roots poking you in the back."
"I know!" James agreed immediately, "I've never camped out on a beach before, and now I think I'm spoiled to ever do it again in the woods."
"Me too," I'd agreed lightheartedly. I had to ask, since he was sitting here and I know I couldn't have been asleep very long at all. "Did you sleep at all?"
"Like a baby," he confessed, "But then when Michael came in and started snoring so close to my head, I woke up and couldn't get back to sleep. So I've been keeping the fire up since then. Some how I get the vibe we may need a healthy fire whenever Quinn and Logan get here. There's all the extra firewood and equipment to cook with behind that dune over there."
"Yeah, that was always a part of the dream." I explained, "We dreamed it up freshman year and apparently Logan was taking notes. Because he hasn't forgotten a thing."
"I have to admit, this is one of the coolest things I've ever been a part of. And I don't think I would have ever thought of it on my own." James did say sincerely. So I felt it was safe to finally ask him.
"So you had a blast at prom, after-prom and here too? You didn't miss out at all? Because I really wanted that for you."
"I know you did," He nodded, "And I did have fun. I can't believe I almost missed out on all of this. I'm so glad I let the other guys talk me into going-"
"Aaaaaand, I noticed you spending and awful lot of time with Lydia Reynolds too." I elbowed and he'd grinned so big.
"Yeaaaaaah, she's really great… she's helped me tremendously to not be too down." Then we both tried to talk at the same time. And we laughed together before he told me to, "go ahead."
"James, I'm so happy for you."
"I'm happy for you too, Zo… and Chase. I'm glad you're finally together and it's important to me that you know, I'm rooting for you. And I didn't just say I want to be friends just to be the nice guy. I really meant it, and there really aren't any hard feelings."
"Me too!" I had to tell him, "And it's important to me that you know I do love you. I do. It's just not the way you meant it at the time."
He said without the slightest bit of ire, "You weren't in love with me. But now we can be friends and love each other the right way."
And we'd hugged it out, just as my little brother materialized out of thin air and asked, "Uhh, didn't you two break up to date other people?"
I could feel James waving at him all chill behind my back. While I jumped outta my skin. "Du-STIN!"
"Wha?" He asked chomping on an apple… I don't want to know where he'd found it. I don't remember apples being in the mix of snacks left here for us… but I hoped I was wrong.
"Where did you even come from?" I asked while James was chuckling behind me.
Still chomping away on the apple's core, "Didn't Mom have that talk with you?" He asked way too smartly.
I told him, "Don't be a smart alike!"
He bit back, "Don't be a crab, just cause I caught you hugging it out with your ex while you new boyfriend sleeps a few feet away. You guys were clearing the air, I get that. I just hope Chase does too." around one last =CHOMP= for good measure.
When did my sweet little baby brother turn into a teenager? When did this happen?
As if this situation needed more chaos, Lola showed up with her shirt on backward and her makeup smeared all over her face. Asking, "Has anyone seen my purse? I need a mirror, stat!"
Dustin looked horrified and hid slightly behind me as he agreed, "You're telling me." And I had to swat his arm.
"What?" Lola asked with a warning tone.
James and Me were both covering quickly, "Nothing, he said nothing."
I jumped up and tried to be helpful, "I'll go grab mine, I know I've got those make-up wipes you like in there too." I raced back over to my tent and tried to be as quiet as possible. And not rouse Chase.
Even though he'd opened one eye at me and whispered, "You cleared the air with James?"
"Yeah," I'd whispered back, and I was gonna explain. Because Dustin had made me WAY self-conscious and I just KNOW Chase had heard him.
But before I could explain, he cut me off and said, "I'm glad, you both needed that, and I trust you. Don't worry."
I had kissed him for that, but then I raced back to Lola. Purse in hand, she needed help, and I admit to taking a glance at myself in my mirror before I handed it off to her. My hair did need brushing but my makeup was intact… though even I don't know how.
Lola had made a sound like something was killing her, when she saw her own complexion. I told her, "Calm down, we've got this, and I'm here to help, you take the left, I'll take the right, and we'll meet in the middle and make quick work of this."
Lola complained as we got to work (and Dustin and James were both now chomping on apples watching us). "How do I have to look like this, while you get to look like that?"
I was more concerned with, "How did you get your shirt on backward?"
Lola looked down and realized, "Whoops, must have gotten turned around while I was geting my bra off and on again."
"You did that even though you were in a tent with your boyfriend?" I freaked out and Lola just waved off.
"Oh! He was asleep. Lighten up." Lola shrugged.
While my baby brother leaned over to James and asked, "How much you wanna bet Vince wasn't as asleep as she thinks?"
Encouraging him James said, "Oh yeah, he saw the goods."
I hung my foot back to kick both of them in their knees and tell them to "Knock it off!"
Lola unphased, "You're acting like he hasn't seen 'these goods' before."
My mouth fell open and so did the boys. "Lo-LA!"
While she still shrugged shamelessly, "Oh please like no body else here knows what I'm talking about. Now that nearly everyone's paired off. You better get more used to topics like this Zo. And try not to blush that hard everytime, maybe."
"You're not even looking this way, I'm not blushing." I claimed but James had to bust me.
"Yes, you are." He'd told on me. So I threw my hair brush at him, and he fell backward.
While Dustin handed my brush back to me telling me. "Lola needs more help than that, keep working."
Which had made Lola take a swipe at Dustin saying, "Hey!"
I had to catch her and make her sit back down where I'd had her sitting before. Threatening, "Nuh-uh-AH! No swinging on my baby brother if you want my help. Now park it and try to hold still. So I don't pull on these tangles too hard."
"You laid out James, I don't get to even smack Dustin for that?" Lola had a little tantrum.
"Not if you want my help." I bargained as she pouted, and crossed her arms as she sat down.
Once she was sitting and I was back to working on the bird's nest sitting just parallel to her part on the top of her head. And Michael was now walking up to join James and Dustin behind me. Michael asked, "Did anyone ever see Quinn or Logan last night? You know…Ever?"
"Nope!" I answered while all the other gave similar negative answers.
Dustin had even said "Nay!" like he knew any other words in German. Who is this person?
I brought Michael up to speed on what all of think, by saying "Which you know means that Logan probably set all fo this up for us. While he planned something else for Quinn."
Michael had said, "Yeah, it makes sense." As he suddenly remembered, "Hold on, I think Logan told me something like that when we were talking last night too. But I forgot about it till just this second."
I asked, "You couldn't have thought of that while we were all worrying last night?"
"What can I say? I forgot." Michael shrugged.
Lisa and Stacey joined us, not looking much better than Lola. As Lisa reasoned, "I hope they had as much fun as we all did."
Stacey added, "They did seem so cute together, the rest of the night."
That was when Lola had gotten her evil queen smirk, she'd perfected for a Snow White play years ago and said. "For now."
I asked with no small amount of attitude. "What?"
"Oh come on Zo! There's no way this whole Quinn with Logan campaign will last. He's just a rebound, clearly. Any minute now he's gonna mess up… BIG! And it'll be over. Then I can be the first to tell Quinn, 'I told you so.'"
I was so appalled, it took me a minute to even answer her. While the group behind me, already had plenty to say. When i could speak the first words that came out were, "You can't say that, I can't believe you would even THINK that! Lola, I realize that you're still mad about how Vince struggled for acceptance in this group. But not only does he have it in spades now. But even when he had all the appearence of a returning VILLIAN none of us said anything like that about you-"
Lola cut me off, "Because all of you could see that Vince was turning things around. It was obvious he wanted to be better. But Logan hasn't changed at all, and this has been carrying on for months… it's not only hopeless it's pointless."
Michael spoke up before I could, "You really think he HASN'T changed? Because as someone who's been his roommate for YEARS. I can claim quite the opposite."
James backed him up, "I haven't been his roommate that long and I can see changes too."
Dustin even said, "I think Quinn's good for him, she straightens him out. Makes him want to be better, the same way you make Vince better. But I think Logan's good for Quinn too, because she needs to loosen up. You know?"
Lola told Dustin, "Stick to your better subjects little boy."
When all of us told Lola to quit, and Michael even told her to "Ease UP!"
She got up and said, "Sorry Not Sorry, you guys. But I refuse to root for a doomed cause when I see one. Any minute now he's gonna mess up big enough where Quinn won't want anything to do with him. And it'll probably be too weird for them to stay friends because it's pretty weird already-"
I read between the lines and said, "So you're not only hoping their relationship fails, you're hoping even their friendship is unsalvageable? What the actual HELL, Lola. I didn't even think you were that mean and petty."
"Petty?" She repeated. "Don't even pretend like you guys weren't all doing the same when Vince came along."
Chase appeared out of nowhere and made us all sit down. He started what he was gonna say with. "I just heard a car pull up, so it's a good bet Quinn and Logan are just arriving. Here's what we're gonna do. We will be kind, we will be supportive and we will NOT be any of what Lola just said. Anyone who can't behave is getting voted off the island. Because contrary to anything I just heard, both of these people are too good to be hurt like that. Especially after one of those friends bent over backwards making all of that AMAZING night LAST night HAPPEN. Is that clear?"
Everyone agreed, just as Quinn came into sight waving to us. Logan was a step behind her, waving too and smiling. They looked so happy holding hands, how could Lola have said anything so cruel. I totally agreed with Chase, they both deserve better than that. From all of us.
Luckily Lola did behave during breakfast and on into lunch time. It was at least dinner time the following night before she was back to all of her mean comments and bashing. She'd even been mean enough to start calling this relation-'ship' a 'Titanic.'
That was the last straw, she's gone too far and I felt like it was up to me to warn my friend about this. So right before dinner, I asked Logan if I could talk to him for just a minute. Before Quinn was around to distract him too. Quinn is my roommate and she's one of my best friends. But Logan is one of my best friends too and I'm done not acknowledging that anymore. Lola's jabs weren't even coming as marked for Quinn as they were Logan. So I pulled him aside and warned him of all Lola was saying, and thinking.
I was expecting him to be arrogant about it and tell me he didn't need my help. But all he had said as he looked sad was, "Yeah. I wish I could say I was surprised. But really I'm not. She's really been awful all day today. More than normal, and I kinda thought it was something like that."
I had to say, "I'm sorry to tell you any of it. But I would want to know if it was being said about me so-"
He agreed immediately, "No, I'm the same, thank you. That couldn't have been an easy thing to hear or tell me. So… thanks. Really Zoey, thanks."
He did say and I ended up hugging him and telling him. "And I don't feel that same way she does."
He said back, "I know you don't. Thanks for having my back, and being so great to Quinn too. I don't think I ever say that enough. I can even see some of what Lola's doing is she's trying to protect Quinn. So I can't even be too made about it… it just sucks though, cause that doesn't mean it doesn't… you know?"
"It still hurts," I filled in the blank for him.
"Yeah." He admitted.
I told him, "All you gotta do is prove her little theory wrong. Don't mess up, don't do anything Mark did and just show Lola she's wrong. I don't think it'll take you long to do that." I had to let him know, he had my vote of confidence.
And you could literally see that puff his chest out with confidence and he'd smiled. "Easier said than done, but I can promise you that I will do my best."
I did just manage to say, "That's all i need to hear before we were both waved over the to dinner table, that was now officially all paired off.
Bravo to Vince for spotting this, but the moment we all sat together he'd noticed. "Quinn, Logan? Are you still holding hands under the lip of this table?"
They'd both realized at that same moment, that they were still so in the habit of hiding things. That they were still holding hands under the table. Vince got us all cheering till they put those joined hands up on the table's top with pride. Then the rest of the surrounding pairs had done the same. Lydia had even taken James hand to hang with the crowd, and he'd blushed so cutely. I knew they were on to something there too. Even if nothing matched the pure elation of me getting to sit next to Chase and hold his hand during that meal.
It was all baby steps but it was a start… and it all felt very new and bright.
That's All Folks!
Well, for this update anyway. I hope you all enjoyed this version of events. God bless anyone reading these words right now. Please review if you get a chance I would love to hear from you. This was the safer route that fit the story best. Hope you're all having an amazing day! I'll be back next Thursday and BACK on schedule! We're getting close to the end now… I'm already working on the story that will follow this one too. SO EXCITING! Take Care and Much Love!
~DarcyBeDippy85
