#bigtimerushlibrary

"Timeout, timeout" "timeout?! who said you get to make the rules?" Kendall asked raising one eyebrow. "Umm… Maybe because I’m older" you said with a playful smirk. "Wow 2 days doesn’t count (y/n). Nice try though" he said and soon started to chase me around the yard with a bucket of water. Kendall and I have been best friends ever since our toddler days. Our parents were all best friends throughout college and remained that way till this day. Our families always grew up around each other so me and Kendall are practically brother and sister. He’s been there for me since day 1 and although I am 2 days older than him, he always played the role of an older brother. "Kendall Francis Schmidt!!" I yelled after he threw the bucket of water on me leaving me soaking wet. After a few minutes of chasing him, I finally tackled him to the ground. "You are so dead Kendall" I said through gritted teeth. "Maybe but it was totally worth it" he said with a smirk. After a few attempts of throwing some playful punches to his chest, Kendall tried to push me off of him with a blank look on his face. I got off of him dusting myself off noticing Logan standing in front of the backyard porch door looking straight at us with a clearly pissed look. "Oh hey babe, when did you get home?" I asked trying to lighten the mood a little between him and I. No answer. He simply went back inside, slamming the porch door behind him. "I’m sorry, I better go." Kendall said with sorry in his voice. I took a deep breath. This wasn’t the first time Logan’s acted like this. He’s always been jealous of Kendall & I’s relationship. He always thinks I’ll leave him one day to run away with Kendall because we’ll finally confess our love for one another one day. But I’m not in love with Kendall, I’m in love with Logan. "Don’t be, I’ll talk to him. Drive safe." I told him before making my way into the house. After changing out of my wet clothes, I headed upstairs to Logan & I’s bedroom. "Logan, open the door please" "Why should I? Aren’t you a little busy?" he said in a angry tone. "Babe, we were just playing around. Why do you always think there’s something going on between me and Kendall?" "Just leave please" he said. I started to cry because he always acts this way whenever he sees me and Kendall together. We always get into arguments where hateful things slip out of our mouths only for apologies to follow right after. I always tell Logan that Kendall’s like a brother to me, & I’d never date or have feelings like that for someone who’s like a brother to me. Or anyone else but Logan. But he always feels that jealousy feeling in him no matter what I tell him. I just sat outside our locked bedroom door crying my eyes out. Hearing him crying in the room made me cry even more. It’s been 3 hours since our argument and Logan’s been kinda quiet lately. “Logan, can we please talk babe” I said lightly knocking on the bedroom door. Within a few seconds Logan opens the door then walks back to sit on the bed. His eyes are all red and glassy, you can tell he’s been crying really hard. "Do you love him" he asked as I took a seat next to him on the bed. I took a deep breath before answering. "As a brother, yes. Anything else, no." I said grabbing a hold of his hand linking our fingers together. "Then why does it seem like you do?" "What makes it seem like I do?" "You guys are always with each other, doing so many things together. Sometimes it feels like you’re slowly replacing me with him." Logan mumbled out. "Baby no, no one could ever replace you. No matter how hard they try to, they’d never be able to. You’re the only one I’m in love with and has been ever since we first met. I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I want you to be the father of my kids. I want YOU and ONLY you." I said looking him in the eyes, meaning every single word. "It just hurts because before we used to do everything and anything together, I was the center of your attention & now that Kendall’s back, he’s been getting all your attention an doing everything with you. It’s not that I’m selfish, I just feel like I’m being shoved to side all of a sudden." "I’m sorry I’ve been making you feel this way. I never ment to shove you to the side. It’s just that Kendall’s always played a big part in my life, and then he leaves for the military for over a year, now that he’s back I try to spend as much time with him before his time runs out and he has to leave again. I promise to spend more time with you, & focus more on you. I love you and please don’t ever forget that" I said leaning in or a kiss. "Im sorry I got jealous. Even though I shouldn’t have." "Don’t be, because I’d feel the exact same way if roles were switched. You being jealous just shows me that you care. and I love that about you." "I love you too soon to be Mrs. Henderson, future mother of my kids, and mine and only mine forever and ever" he finished off before attacking me with his lovable kisses.

Friday, September 13, 2:45 am "Logan Henderson’s room please" I said out of breath to the lady at the counter. "Room 203" she replied after looking up from her computer. "thank you" I said before sprinting to the elevator. Friday, September 13, 2:52 am "Room 203, 203, 203…" I kept mumbling to myself while running down the hall of the quiet hospital. "203!" I said as I barged into the hospital room. *beep… beep…* There layed a bruised, cut up, pale Logan hooked up to many machines surrounding him. He looked so broken. "Ahh.. You must be Miss (y/n)" the doctor said before turning around from one of the machines Logan was hooked up to. "Yes, how is he?" I said as closed to door and took a step closer to him. "Badly bruised in many areas, shattered right leg, and has slipped into a coma." "When will he awake?" I said tears already forming in my eyes. "Hard to say. A coma depends on the subjects condition and body. In Logan’s condition, he’s not severly broken, which could be in it for about 3 or less months. However, there’s no guarentee. It mainly depends on Logan’s body. Usually when in a coma, you are kind of ‘trapped’ we say. Which means you’re still aware of things occuring around you, thus you can still hear. However, it’s as if you’re trapped in a huge dark room, usually you’re yelling and screaming for help, but no one can hear you. Scientists say sometimes it takes a certain voice, memory, or touch, to trigger the patients brain. So again there is no time frame I can give you before he wakes up. I’m truely sorry." he said before he made his way out. "Thank you doctor" Friday, September 13, 3:20 am "Logan… If you can hear me, please listen to me. Logan I’m so sorry. This is all my fault, if I didn’t convince you to stay over an extra hour, maybe you wouldn’t be here right now suffering. Or maybe if we haven’t been sneaking around, you wouldn’t be here either. Or maybe if we just never met, you wouldnt be here… Maybe you’d be lying in your own bed versus this one. I’m sorry I’m bad luck. I’m always the one to blame when something goes wrong. It’s my fault. And that should be me lying in this bed, not you. I don’t blame you if you don’t want anything to do with me after this, I understand if you want to leave me. Us. Im used to it. I just pray that you please wake up because someone as beautiful and great as you, don’t deserve to have a second of their life take away from them. Please, just please wake up Logan." I said a I balled my eyes out onto his cold body still holding his hand. *Rewind* Thursday, September 12, 11:50 pm "What are you doing here?" I whispered as I pulled Logan into my apartment. "I just had to see you. It’s been too long since I’ve felt your touch, and with tour rehersal & promoting, I’m literally about to go berzerk. I needed to see you. You calm me down & whenever I’m with you, nothing else matters but us." He said pulling me into his famous big hugs. "It’s late, you should be sleeping. Management won’t like it if you’re late again. Or if we can’t get caught." I mumbled into his chest. "Just give me one hour" he said looking into my eyes. All I could do was smile and lead him to the living room couch to watch movies with me. Friday, September 13 1:15 am "Baby you should just stay please. It’s late and I don’t want you driving out this late" I said trying to convince him. "It’s fine babe, it’s only a 10 minute drive. I’ll call you when I get home, I promise okay?" "Logan please" "Maybe another night babe. I have to go home and pack for tomorrow’s flight." he said giving me a kiss on the lips. "Please drive safe. Please." "I will" he said closing the door behind him. *Present day* "Breaking news!! Famous teen nick boy band member, Logan Henderson induced into a coma early this morning after getting involved in a head on collision accident. The driver appeared drunk and swerved into Mr. Henderson’s lane. The driver was pronounced dead at the time of the crash. Sources report that the boy band member left the dance studio with the rest of his bandmates at 11:30 pm Thursday night. Sources also say he then went to visit a long time friend & rumored girlfriend. It appears he didn’t leave till around 1:30 am, as paparazzi caught some photos of him pulling out of her garage. The accident didn’t occurr till around 2 am this morning." every television news reporter stated. *3 weeks later* It’s been 3 weeks since Logan has been induced into his coma. And everyday I go and visit him before work and after work till visiting hours end. I pray to god everyday that someday he wakes up and is able to enjoy life once again. Not a day goes by where I don’t regret letting him drive that night. Every night I get vivid dreams about him. Whether it’s his collision replaying in my head over and over again, or it’s me trying to talk to him, but he can never hear me. It’s eating me alive knowing this is all my fault. "Good afternoon (y/n)" said every nurse and doctor I walked passed while making my way to Logan’s room. This was my daily routine. To visit Logan before and after work. "Ahh Miss (y/n) just who i was looking for" Logan’s doctor said to me before I walked into Logan’s room. "Is eveything okay, doctor?" "Yes, i actually have good news for you. Mr. Henderson has finally woken up from his coma. We’re just performing some tests to see how he & his body is. However he will have to stay an extra night so we can monitor him for a full 24 hours. He will be able to leave tomorrow afternoon" he said with a big smile. "Are you serious?! Thank you so much doctor!" I said jumping into his arms to give him a big hug. I was literally crying out buckets of tears. "Hey you." I said as I made my way into Logan’s new room. "(y/n)! Oh god I missed you" he said giving me a tight hug. "Doctor said you can go home tomorrow" "I know, I’m so happy." he said smiling big. "me too" Saturday, October 5 3:45 pm "Logan, Im getting worried, where the hell are you?! You aren’t home, no one knows where you are, you aren’t answering any of my calls or texts, please just let me know you’re okay. Logan I’m going crazy. This is like the 100th time I’ve called you, please just answer. Logan, please." I said leaving yet again another voicemail. ——— (Logan’s POV) I let out a big sigh as I hung up my phone. (y/n) & the guys have been blowing up my phone ever since the hospital released me this afternoon. I told them I had a meeting with management & I’d meet up with them after. Only thing is after the meeting & I didn’t meet up with them. I just had to get away from everything and everyone. I needed to think but clear my head at the same time. I went to the only place that could help me do that. A place no one else knows about but me. I can’t do this. How am I supposed to tell (y/n) that management don’t want us together anymore. They’re blaming my whole accident on (y/n). They said if I didn’t go out to see her, I wouldn’t have been hit. They said she’s bad publicity for me. And its best if we just cut ties between us and went our seperate ways. But I don’t blame her. Not one bit of me blames her & no matter what anyone says, I’ll never blame her. But I can’t just give up (y/n) just like that. I’m in love with her. And letting her go would be the biggest mistake of my life. The number one thing I promised myself I wouldn’t do since I first met her. But if I don’t let her go, the company will let me go. Do I stick with the girl I love or do I stick with my career, something I’ve been dreaming of since I was 3….

"You know she’s not going to wait forever right?" Kendall said. "I know, I know. I’m just trying to figure this all out." "Figure what out?! Dude, she likes you, you like her. What’s to figure out?" Kendall argued back. "What if she doesn’t Kendall? What if taking us to the next level ruins our friendship? (Y/N)’s and I’s friendship isn’t something that can be taken for granted. She means the world to me. I can’t live without her. I just can’t." I whispered back. "Well, all I know is that if you want to take yours and (Y/N)’s friendship to the next level, you need to act fast. Cause word getting around is that Matt asked her on a date for Friday night." "Ha. Like she’ll say yes to Matt." I scoffed. "Well, according to twitter, she just did." Kendall said showing me her tweet, a photo of her and Matt hugging attached to her tweet. 
“(@YourTwitterName) Cause I can’t wait for Friday😊”
“What the hell, she said yes?!” I said freaking out. “Better act fast” Kendall said smirking. And with that I bolted out my front door. "James! James! James!! Where’s (Y/N)?!" I said out of breath. "Last I saw her Matt was walking her to period 1. Hey, I thought you guys had a thing?" He said closing his locker. "We do. Well at least I thought we do.. Or did. But I guess not, since she said yes to a date with Matt." I said resting my head against the lockers. "Maybe she got tired of waiting. I mean it has been, what, 3 years since you guys been ‘flirting’?" "I know, I’m stupid. I took her for granted, and I lost her. Maybe for good.." "Man why are you doing this? You know (Y/N) and Logan have a thing right?" said Matt’s best friend Luke. "I know, but it’s only to get Jess back." Matt said. "I still don’t think this is right man. Don’t you know that Logan will beat your ass when he finds out you asked (Y/N) out? And even more when he finds out you played (Y/N) just to get Jess back?" Luke said. "No he won’t." "Whatever man." Luke said walking away. "(Y/N)! (Y/N)! (Y/N)!!" I yelled while runnin down the school hallway. "Logan! Where’ve you been?" (Y/N) said. "Can I talk to you in private?" "Sure. What’s all this about?" she said while walking outside to a bench under a big tree. "Please tell me you’re seriously not going on that date with Matt." "Why not?" she replied with a curious look. "He’s just trying to get Jess back. I overheard him and Luke talking. Just please trust me." I said placing my hand on her shoulder. She moved her shoulder away and took a step back. "Logan are you jealous? Are you jealous because Matt beat you to the punch?!" she yelled at me. I was completely silent. It was true, Matt did beat me to the punch. I was jealous. "That’s what I thought. You thought I was just like to rest of the girls who fall for you. Once they fall, they’ll never get up and move on. They’re always going to be there waiting on their hands and knees for you. Sitting on your front door porch like a lost dog, waiting for your command. Waiting to be loved by you. Well guess what Logan, I’m not like the rest. Yes maybe I fell for you, yes maybe I thought there was a chance between us, but I got tired of waiting! Because waiting for you, is like waiting for it to rain in this desert town of Texas. It’s time for me to move on, and the time is now." she said stepping backwards with tears streaming down her face. "(Y/N)" I said trying to stop her. But it was too late. She started running towards her car in the parking lot. I’m the most dumbest, dummy, dumb, dumb of dumbest people ever. "Heard about you and (Y/N)’s fight yesterday, how you feelin?" said Kendall as he sat down besides me on the bleachers watching the football game. I sighed. "She was right. I am jealous that Matt beat me to the punch. I was stupid for waiting and thinking she’d never move on. But I was wrong. Majorly." I admitted. "I have to agree with you on that one man." He said with a slight chuckle. "Speaking of (Y/N), have you seen her tonight? I kinda wanted to apologize." I asked Kendall. "Come to think of it. On my way to finding you I did see Matt with Jess. It seemed to me like they’re back together. I guess it never really registered to me now. Maybe she turned down him down?" Kendall said. And with that I was sprinting to my car in the parking lot. "(Y/N)" I whispered while knocking on her bedroom balcony door. "Logan.." she said opening the door, embracing me with a big hug. She nuzzled her face into my chest continuing to cry. "You were right. Matt was just using me." She sobbed out. "Shh… It doesn’t matter, because I’m still wrong for taking my time in waiting to do this." "To do what?" She said looking up at me. "This" I said leaning in for a kiss. And she was more than happy to return it. "I’m sorry I waited for the rain" I said breaking the kiss with the biggest smile on my face as it began to rain down on us. "Well, it was definately worth the wait." she replied with the biggest smile I’ve ever seen on her face.

“Oh baby, you got it all,” she belted along with the upbeat hip-hop tune streaming from the speakers, her shoulders shimmying along to the beat. “Sexy from head to toe, and I want it- Oh, that’s the parking garage, right there.” Her voice suddenly snapped back to its usual tone as a french-manicured finger pointed to the next turn on their right. As Logan pulled the gleaming black S.U.V. into the towering maze of concrete, he couldn’t help but steal a glance at her in the passenger’s seat. Everything was still so new to her. She possessed that undeniable glimmer in her honey-brown eyes as they struggled to soak in every single inch of the city, and while Logan was already utterly jaded when it came to Los Angeles, that same spark played across his syrupy irises whenever he looked at her. As soon as she heard it, Kandi had confessed that this was one of her favorite songs they played on the radio right now, and he had wasted no time in reaching for the volume knob, laughing as he watched her bob along to the infectious rhythm. They sat in the car until the song ended, and as he stayed there, smiling and staring at her, Logan couldn’t help but envy her lack of inhibition. He barely even knew her, and already she seemed completely comfortable around him. There was something in the way that she was so upfront about who she was that attracted him to her. He got the impression that what he saw was what he got with her, and in a city where most girls played games and pretended to be something they weren’t, he found her attitude refreshing. Kandi kept her eyes on the dash as she spoke. “I had a really great time tonight.” From across* the small space, her gaze wandered to meet his, the corner of her lip curving upward in a soft smile. Once she caught his smile, she tacked on, “And I’m not just saying that to be polite, I really mean it.” The slight roll of his deep eyes and his dimpled smile gave him away. “Okay, so even though it wasn’t what I had in mind, I gotta admit that I had fun too.” The air between them was flooded with expectancy, a nervous anticipation as Logan watched her gaze flicker between his eyes and his lips. The hint wasn’t lost on Logan, and he found himself bridging the gap between them, his forearm uncomfortably crammed against the center console as his lips met hers. It was a quick but tender kiss, with both parties pulling away before they were ready to. From the corner of his eye, he could see her mash her lips together, throwing the ceiling a pleading glance as she clasped her hands to her knees. “Let me walk you to your building,” Logan offered, and as he came around to open her door for her, she replied with a simple but genuine “thank you.” As far as first dates go, it was perfect. Well, technically it wasn’t their first date. Their first first date had been last* week, when he’d taken her out to try sushi for the first time, but they’d both had a little too much sake and by the end of the night, they were fooling around on the floor of her empty bedroom, surrounded by unpacked cardboard boxes. He could’ve left it as a one-night stand, but she lingered in his mind. They were taking things slow now, starting over with a clean slate, and though a relationship wasn’t exactly what Logan was looking for at the moment, he still couldn’t pass up the opportunity to see if there was anything worth pursuing between them. It was a decision he grew to regret with each passing minute. It seemed that the more time he spent around her, the more he realized the undeniable chemistry between them. As the two of them walked the stretch of pavement to her apartment building, Kandi hooked her arm into his, and while he didn’t want to mislead her, Logan couldn’t bring himself to brush her hand from his arm. “That restaurant was really good,” she said casually. “I’ll have to go there with Autum sometime. We’re both kinda breakfast junkies.” “Maybe the four of us could go there together one night next week?” Logan prompted, raising an eyebrow as he lowered his coffee-colored eyes at her. Under the night sky, he could still catch the blood rush to her cheeks, adorning her fair skin in a peachy glow. She’d confessed to him earlier that night that she wanted to set her roommate up with his because, in her own words, “the two of them would produce beautiful children.” “So I guess it’s safe to assume that you’re gonna ask me out on that second date?” she said with a laugh, and there was a challenge in her tone that drove him wild. Logan kept his eyes on his sneakers. “Yes.” He smiled at her, and she returned the gesture. “Anyways, I liked the sausage and eggs, but the pancakes were kinda blah.” Her nose wrinkled, and she spat out the last word as if it had the same flavor as those pancakes. “Really? You didn’t like them?” he asked, and she shook her head. “James loves the pancakes there.” “Well, let me just say that they’ve got nothing on mine. I may not cook, but I can make some damn good pancakes.” “I’ll believe that when I taste them for myself,” Logan shot back as he rolled his eyes, laughing to himself. “Whatever,” she scoffed, but he could hear the grin in her voice. “I’m just glad that the tickets for that cheesy Twilight movie were sold out.” As soon as he said it, he could feel her staring at him. She’d stopped in her place, her mouth gaping open as if he’d just told her he’d shot someone or kicked kittens in his spare time. “Logan, you are the one that suggested that movie. I had nothing to do with it, so don’t stand here and act like you didn’t secretly want to see it.” He was quick to brush her remark away. “Yeah sure, Kandi. Believe what you want.” “Honestly, I would’ve rather seen Taylor Lautner take his clothes off,” she joked. “That horror* movie we saw was just plain terrible.” “Don’t say that, it wasn’t that bad.” “It wasn’t scary at all.” Kandi was right, it was a pretty lame movie, but she wasn’t quite as tough as she pretended. She’d clung to his arm throughout the entire movie, even hiding her face in his shoulder at times. It was the shit popping out unexpectedly that scared her, she claimed, and that was really just a cheap startle. They had reached her building, and as Logan was searching for the perfect words to close the night with, she spoke up. “Do you wanna come up?” A faint smile formed across his lips as he glanced at her. “I thought we were taking things slow.” Her touch* landed on his chest as she let out an awkward laugh. “I didn’t mean it like that.” “Okay, sure.” For two girls just out of their freshman year of college, Autum and Kandi had secured a place in a relatively nice apartment building on the outskirts of the city. As he stepped inside the space, Logan couldn’t help but notice how, despite the fact that they’d only moved in a couple weeks ago, the place looked so put together. While Logan and James weren’t the dirtiest guys ever, they didn’t put as much care into making their apartment feel like anything other than a place to crash at night. A couch, a coffee table, and a wide-screen television were the only real pieces of furniture they owned, although with their respective acting careers beginning to take off, they could certainly afford more. They just didn’t care, but seeing the girls’ apartment made Logan wish for some place that felt like home. As Logan took a seat on the beige sofa, he couldn’t keep his stare from drifting around the space. There was a sliding glass door that led out to the balcony just at his side, and a wind chime* decorated with tiny bluebirds dangled along the curtains. He kept catching whiffs of lavender, and though he casually glanced around in search of the source, he found nothing. “Nice place you’ve got here. Looking for an extra roommate?” he joked as she flitted around the kitchen. He could hear the thud of her shoes hitting the linoleum as she kicked off her nude pumps. “Thanks, but I can’t really take any credit for it. Autum’s the perfectionist*. If it were just me, the place would be a mess.” “At least you’re honest about it.” “Yeah. I did pick out those pillows though,” Kandi added, nodding towards the throw pillows tucked into each corner of the couch. They were made to resemble Scrabble board tiles, with one sporting an “A” and the other a “K” for the two roomies’ initials. “Sweet,” he chuckled. “I think you should just pop an ‘L’ right here in the center, and we can be likeThree’s Company.” “You’re ridiculous,” she laughed as she leaned forward against the counter that served as a divider between the kitchen and living room. “Do you want something to drink?” “Nah, I’m good,” he replied, folding his arms behind his head as he sunk back into the plush couch cushions. “Hope you don’t mind, but I’m gonna go change out of all this,” she said with a faint laugh as she waved her hands down her frame. “Those shoes were killing my feet, and I feel like my boobs are falling out of this dress.” “They are,” he admitted, and she flashed him a grin as she reached for the remote on the coffee table. As she flipped the television on, she tacked on, “At least you’re honest.” The laugh track from an old episode of Seinfeld suddenly flooded the space. “Feel free to change it if you’d like.” While she ducked into her bedroom, Logan took the chance to explore his surroundings, his brown-eyed gaze falling on a green and white striped photo album on the coffee table. His fingers brushed against the cloth petaled daisy on the cover before his curiosity eventually got the best of him. The photos tucked in the cellophane pages were all of the girl in the next room, and as he quickly flipped through the pages, he could see the progression of the years. In one picture, she was only an infant in a walker, those same big brown eyes staring cautiously at the camera as she devoured a slice of watermelon. In the next, she was a toddler dressed in baby pink, her mohawk of light brown hair sticking out amongst a garden of yellow daffodils. “I need you to stimulate* me,” she wailed along in her best impression of an R&B voice to the music playing in her head. She ran her fingers down her frame provocatively as her hips swayed to the floor, her legs parting for a moment before she worked her way back up. “You can have me if you want me.” She had reemerged from her bedroom, her navy blue strapless dress exchanged for a pair of curve-hugging fuchsia yoga shorts and a simple white tank top. Her curly brunette locks were swept back into a ponytail on top of her head, her sideswept bangs still hanging in her eyes. She’d kept her makeup on, almost as if she couldn’t let her guard completely down around him just yet. “Hey, whatcha up to?” Kandi asked, laughing to herself as soon as she realized that he wasn’t paying any attention to her. “Oh nothing, just looking at you.” He glanced up at her, the corners of his lips twitching up in a faint but knowing smile. “I can’t believe you’d even bother with that.” She was still laughing as she hopped up onto the arm of the sofa right beside him. Logan couldn’t help but think that she looked sort of beautiful when she was sober. Though, if he were completely honest with himself, she wasn’t the type of girl he’d ever see himself ending up with, she did possess that sort of effortless beauty* that he couldn’t shake. When she smiled, it wasn’t that forced closed-lip, wide-eyed smile that he had become so used to seeing. When she smiled, her whole face played a role in the expression: the initial glimmer in her doe eyes before they creased at the corners, the way her smile slowly spread across her features and her fingers swept through her hair. When Kandi smiled, she did it because she was genuinely happy. “I think it’s cute,” he said, flashing her a grin before he flipped to the next page. “Where’s this one from?” Through his light-hearted laughter he asked the question, his finger pointing to a photo of her as a child on a chestnut-colored pony. “That’s from this Indian summer festival* that they have in my hometown every October.” His gaze met hers. “Can you please tell me how you go from this,” he began, flipping back a couple pages to the toddler with the mohawk, “to this?” He turned back to the page of her on the pony, her loose waves pulled back in a ponytail that reached down past her waist. “Lord knows,” she replied with a slight shake of her head. “My mom says it took me forever to get my hair, but once I did, I had a head full of it.” “Is this your mom?” His fingertips brushed against a photo of her as a toddler, nestled in the lap of an older women. Without an affirmation, Logan could definitely see the resemblance in their features, and even now, as she sat at his side, she looked exactly like a younger version of the woman in the photograph. “Mhm.” “You look exactly like her.” Kandi rolled her eyes. “Everyone tells me that!” “Really? Probably ‘cause it’s true.” “I love my mom, but it’s so frustrating. I don’t want to look like her, I just wanna look like Kandi.” Logan shook his head as he chuckled to himself, turning to the next page. There she was as a toddler again, grinning over a multicolored birthday cake. It was the same smile that had adorned her face only seconds earlier, but once she saw that photo, the vibrancy that had resided seemed to fade away in an instant, like the breath had been knocked out of her chest. Concern rose to the surface of his irises as he looked over at her, trying so desperately to decipher her expression. Logan never asked her, too afraid from the pain in her eyes that he’d hit a nerve, but she offered the information anyway. “That’s the only picture I have of my dad.” There was a certain hollowness to her voice, like she was struggling to choke back a sob*. “Every now and then, I look at that picture because I don’t remember what he looked like anymore.” Logan nodded slowly in understanding, when really there was no way that he could comprehend the hurt embedded in her features. In that moment, she looked so vastly different than the Kandi he had known, and there was a part of him that was determined to never see that hopeless ache in her eyes again. There was a chink in her armor, in the way that she was so quick to confide* in him the quiet things that she rarely thought about, let alone told anyone. Logan’s lips parted as he almost asked her what had happened, but as if she could read his thoughts, Kandi answered the unspoken question. “He left when I was really little, and I never saw him again. But apparently he could go off and adopt his mistress’s kids and be a father to them, which completely blows my fucking mind that someone would go off and do that when they have a child of their own that they don’t even give a shit about.” She sucked in her breath and let it go in a drawn out sigh. “I keep looking at that picture, trying to find any of him in me, but I can’t see it. That’s why I changed my name, you know. He picked out my first name, and there was a part of me that wanted to get rid of any trace of him, so I started going by my middle name in high school.” Logan blinked, his eyes still focused on the page in his lap because he was too afraid to see her face. There were so many things he wanted to tell her, that she was good enough, that he’d never leave her that way, but he didn’t have the courage to say them. “Wow, that’s really fucked up.” “Yeah,” she agreed. “And that’s one of the reasons I will never have kids, no matter how much I want them. I couldn’t bare to put someone else through that.” With the waver of her voice fresh in his ear, he was quick to move on to something else. “Is that your brother? I think I remember you telling me that you have an older brother. ” “Yup, that was his senior prom.” Her tone grew lighter as she recalled the happier memory, and though her fingertip traced along the edges of her brother’s tuxedo, Logan was more focused on the little girl at his side, with that genuine smile, dolphin t-shirt, and blue tutu. “You are the most adorable prom date.” She laughed. “I really love this picture because I feel like it really shows the age gap there. Mark’s going to prom, and I’m like five or six.” “Damn,” he remarked, laughing softly along with her. “And I thought there was a big age difference between me and my little sister.” “Obviously, I was a surprise.” “Well, I’m glad you were,” he said with earnest as he finally met her stare. She smiled. “Thank you.” The two of them sat on her couch together, going through each of the photos in the album in a similar fashion. They’d made their way up to her high school years when Autum came in. “What are you guys doing?” she asked as she took the empty cushion beside Logan. Autum tucked a short lock of highlighted hair behind her ear as she leaned in, dark eyes glancing over the photos in Logan’s lap. “Looking at old pictures,” Kandi replied. “See, there’s us at senior prom.” “And just who is this character right here?” Logan asked as he pointed out her date. “Do I have anything to be worried about?” Autum couldn’t contain her laughter at his tone, leaving Kandi to spit out an explanation. “Hell no, that ginger son of a bitch broke my heart.” She said the words so blatantly that it was hilarious, and though he could still feel the resentment there, Logan had to bite his lower lip to keep from bursting into laughter like her best friend. He would’ve blurted out those three little words right then and there if he knew it wouldn’t have scared her away. “I don’t think I can stand this anymore,” Autum managed through her giggles. “I’m gonna get some sleep. Good night, you guys.” “Night,” they both replied in unison, and Logan let the album in his lap fall closed. “I guess I’d better be going as well,” Logan announced reluctantly as he rose from the couch, and Kandi followed suit, walking him to the door. “I had a really good time tonight,” she said for the second time that night as her arms wove around his neck. As he inhaled, the floral scent of her honeysuckle perfumed buzzed around in his brain. “Mhm, me too.” He pulled away, his gaze traversing her frame in the process. “You are really something.” “So when will I get to see you again?” she asked so nonchalantly, but Logan swore he could hear a hint of hope embedded somewhere deep in her voice, masked by that lazy southern drawl. “Soon,” he promised*. “I’m not sure what my work schedule’s like tomorrow, but I’ll text you and let you know.” “Okay,” she said softly, her teeth digging into her lower lip as her eyes so unabashedly shifted from his eyes to his lips. This time, Logan wouldn’t be the one to initiate the kiss, but as she leaned in, he could feel his breath catch at the back of his throat. With his eyes closed, he could feel her shadow ensconce him, the scent of her perfume growing stronger and stronger with each inch that closed between them. His pulse raced in his chest as she moved in, but once the softness of his lips met his own, Logan could feel all of his muscles loosen in the motion. This wasn’t the same gentle, polite kiss they’d exchanged earlier, there was passion buried beneath this kiss, the slow-burning kind of passion that Logan had seen in the movies but had never experienced firsthand. Her fingers swept past his temples, threading through tufts of espresso brown hair, and when her tongue washed along the seam of his lips, he let her in with no hesitation. Logan wanted so badly to take things further, to let his lips roam every inch of her fair skin and to hear the way that his name would hollow* out her throat, but as he broke away, he knew he was making the right decision. “I thought we were taking things slow,” he murmured in her ear, and he could feel her cheeks shift as she smiled. “We are.” Kandi pressed her lips gently against his cheek. “I’ll see you tomorrow.” “Good night, K.” As he opened the door, the warm glow from the hallway began to seep into the kitchen. “Sleep tight,” she recited back. “Don’t let the bed bugs bite.” As he walked down the hallway, Logan knew in his heart that he’d never be able to let her go.

He found himself at her door, his fist hovering above the wood grain and his brown eyes fixated on the bronze apartment number. His breathing was shallow, that familiar, unmistakable feeling as if somehow he’d gotten his heart lodged in his throat. The silver tie around his neck strangled him; his favorite pair of sneakers were far too tight around his toes. Before he knocked, his free hand reached to tug at the neckline of his cardigan, gently fanning himself off so maybe he wouldn’t look quite so flustered. Of course, it didn’t help. It just made him look like a middle-aged woman having a hot flash. And somehow, this was everything he’d ever wanted. Logan Mitchell was just waiting for the ball to drop, because no one in life ever got exactly what they wanted. There was always some sort of catch, and here he was, ready for his first date with the girl of his dreams, the same girl that also happened to be his best friend, and he was on the verge of a panic attack. It was her smile that brought him back down to earth, the sound of her lazy drawl that eased his nerves as she peeked out at him through the cracked doorway. “Hey.” Her voice was softer than usual as she looked up at him nervously from beneath her lashes, but there was still that underlying enthusiasm lacing each and every syllable. “How are you?” Her smile was reflected onto his lips, his dimples digging into the bases of his cheeks. “I’m fine.” His dark eyes traversed her frame before darting back up to meet her gaze. “Are you ready to go?” “Mhm.” Her lips stayed suspended in that subtle curve of a smile as her eyes tilted towards the ceiling above them. “This is ridiculous,” she remarked almost to herself, her voice lifting with the sound of laughter. “Come here.” Kandi pulled him in close, weaving her arms around his neck. As she let her chin rest on his shoulder, he could smell the coconut scent of her shampoo with each inhale, and he slowly began to feel at peace. “That’s more like it,” she murmured as she pulled away. “So what’s the game plan for tonight?” And just like that, the inherent awkwardness of a first date seemed to dissipate into the air around them. The two of them were no longer “Logan and Kandi, boyfriend and girlfriend,” they were simply Logan and Kandi. This was just their new normal. “Well, I know we’ve done this a million times, but I thought we could do the whole typical date-y date deal and go out to dinner, catch a movie after.” He reached out to press the button on the elevator. “I’m down. What movie did you have in mind?” “I know you’re into the whole vampire romance thing,” he teased her as the two of them walked into the waiting elevator. She scoffed. “I’ve had enough vampire romance to do me for the rest of my life, but I guess a romance movie would be a good way to go.” Her eyebrows wriggled against her fair skin as she glanced over at him. Though Logan was just teasing her, he could certainly understand her sentiment. After all, she was the one and only Kandi Jenkins, star of Varsity Vampires 3 and former flame of Hollywood hunk Dak Zevon, but to Logan, she was still the same girl he’d met over a year ago when she’d first moved into his apartment building. Thinking back to that first afternoon, Logan realized that their entire relationship had been a blur of subtle smiles, nervous laughter, and the erratic pitter-patter of his heart in his chest. The first time Logan Mitchell laid eyes on Kandi Jenkins, he’d been spying on her in the lobby. While he was, by no means, a stalker or any form of creeper, two of his best friends had convinced him that he needed to ask the new girl in the building out, a task that Logan wasn’t good at even with girls he knew, let alone a stranger. “Come on, Logan, just go down to the lobby with us,” James pleaded with him. “She’s perfect for you! We even brought you a tree hat.” He plopped the camouflage baseball cap adorned with poorly hot glue gunned twigs and fake ivy leaves on the shorter boy’s head. Logan looked to Kendall, the voice of reason of their group of friends, for backup, but all the blonde-headed boy could offer his friend was a simple shrug. “He’s right. She’s perfect for you.” Before he could protest any further, his two friends had dragged him down to the lobby. The three of them ducked down behind the fake bushes in the space, and while he had to admit, even then, he thought she was cute, he had never been more embarrassed in his life. And of course, she caught them, but to his surprise, it was the beginning of a beautiful friendship. Those awkward moments had brought them to where they were today, and truthfully, he wouldn’t have had it any other way. He didn’t know why he’d expect their first date to be any different. As his brown eyes watched the floor numbers tick off, he could feel the gentle glide of her arm as it hooked into his. The tips of her fingers grazed against his open palm, and as Logan glanced over at her, he didn’t notice any sign of the anxiety that was beginning to bubble up inside of him. She was just smiling up at him as if it was nothing, like it was the easiest thing in the world, and a part of him couldn’t help but envy her for it. Diverting his gaze to the brown carpet beneath their feet, Logan noticed the silhouette of her pointed ballet flats, the black patent finish shimmering in the dim light, and his thoughts wandered back to nights spent in her apartment. Even though they were both only seventeen and, under any normal circumstances, they’d never be allowed to spend that much time alone together, Ms. Jenkins worked for one of the biggest marketing firms in Los Angeles, so she was always either away on business or working late, a little detail that he knew bothered Kandi. She offered him her apartment for those times when he needed a break from his three roommates, and though she said the words so casually, he knew it was because she needed it more than he did. She was afraid of being alone. Some nights she’d come back from a date or a Hollywood event with Dak, always kicking her heels off across the linoleum floor and clutching a cramped foot as she made her way over to the couch to sit beside him. Kandi hated wearing high heels. She told him she felt like she was constantly on the verge of falling over whenever she wore them, but there was a substantial height difference between her and Dak, so she had to wear heels whenever they went out. It looked better for photos, or at least that was her excuse. Logan just thought it was biology’s way of telling her that she and Dak were completely wrong for each other, but he was more than a bit biased. The ding of the elevator shook him from his thoughts, and he couldn’t help but smile to himself as Kandi almost dragged him out of the small space and into the lobby. As he watched her smile and wave to their friends and acquaintances hanging out in the lobby, he noticed that there was no trace of fear or embarrassment in her features. Her grip only unraveled from his once she spotted one of her friends sitting in one of the comfy orange armchairs, flipping through a magazine. “I’m gonna go say hi to Jen before we go,” she said, and though he was reluctant, Logan followed her across the room. The two girls discussed a class they had together, a possible lunch and shopping excursion, and Jennifer complimented her on her hair. All the while, Logan was standing beside her, trying to play the role of the perfect boyfriend with a smile plastered on his face as he tried to nod at all the appropriate moments, but all he wanted was to just have her to himself for once. He’d been her best friend all of this time, had shared her with everyone else, but now that they were together, he wanted it to be just the two of them for once. He didn’t think he was asking for too much. Kandi must’ve caught the hint in the rigidity of his posture, because she was quick to excuse herself from the conversation. “Okay girl, I’ll catch up with you later. We’re gonna be late for our movie.” “Okay, have fun!” She blew an air kiss at her friend before hurrying along with Logan, both of them desperate to get out of the building before they got sidetracked in conversation with someone else. “You still haven’t decided what movie you want to see,” he prompted her as he opened the passenger’s side door on his dusty rose-colored convertible. “Since you’re too good for vampire romance and everything.” She waited until he was settled in the driver’s seat before she responded. “Okay, promise you won’t judge me.” Eyes the color of honey shifted towards him, her gaze locked on his as she waited for an answer. “Have I ever judged you?” He laughed as he turned the key in the ignition. “Yes.” “Well, I swear I won’t this time.” “Okay, so I know this is really cheesy and cliché and I’ll probably end up crying, but I kinda wanna see the new Nicolas Sparks movie.” Logan fought back his own laugher. “Okay, why?” “Logan! You said you wouldn’t judge me,” she gushed, her cheeks flushing pink as she stared at him in her feigned disbelief with her mouth agape. “I didn’t say anything!” “You’re over there laughing at me.” He loved the way her voice grew pitchy when she was all high-strung like that. “It’s just, it’s not the sort of thing I’d expect you to be into. I never pegged you as a fan of sappy romance.” “Oh, I’m not,” she was quick to bite back as Logan slowly began to maneuver the car from its parking space. “His films just remind me of home, that’s all.” “So you’re from a sappy romance movie?” he had to joke, even though he was fully aware of what she really meant. “No!” She reached over and smacked his thigh, forgetting for a moment that he was driving. “He sets all of his novels along the coast of North Carolina, and the beaches in North Carolina aren’t all that different from the beaches in South Carolina, and since I haven’t gotten a chance to go back there yet…and after all this shit with Dak…” Kandi stared at her hands in her lap as she spoke. “I just feel like this city’s getting to me, and I need something to remind me of who I am and where I’ve come from.” Pulling out onto the highway, Logan wasn’t quite sure of how to respond, so he just slowly nodded and reached for the knob on the radio, filling the space with music. It was times like this that he had a tendency of forgetting that she’d just suffered through a highly publicized breakup, and although Logan had been able to break things off with Camille as if it was nothing, Kandi had really felt something for Dak. It didn’t help that most of the tabloids had torn her apart, making it look as if she’d been cheating on Dak with Logan, despite even Dak’s comments to the contrary. Kandi made it look so easy, but he knew she still bore those scars. The upbeat pop tune seemed way to obnoxious for the occasion, but as Logan reached to change the station, the girl in the passenger’s side stopped him. “I like this song.” Her lips parted as if she wanted to say something else, but the words never came. In an effort to make her laugh, Logan began singing along to the lyrics streaming from the speakers. It was something that Kandi always did whenever they were in the car together, the carefree sound of her voice constantly managed to lift away some of the stress that weighed down his bones. “The way you can cut a rug, watching you is the only drug I need. So gangster, I’m so thug. You’re the only one I’m dreaming of.” Logan finished out the last verse, but she was quick to pick up on the chorus. “Hey, hey-ey-ey-ey-ey, hey-ey-ey-ey-ey” The two of them seemed to constantly drift back and forth over that line between the ease of being best friends and the awkward, unknown territory of being a couple. >> After a good fifteen minutes cruising around the nearest parking garage in search of a space, they walked down the block to the theater together, hand in hand. Being out together on the streets of Los Angeles was much easier than being together in their building, if only because, out on the streets, no one had any expectations of them, they could just be themselves. Back in the building, because everyone knew one another and generally knew everyone else’s business, there was always this unspoken but still felt judgment of them as a couple. Everyone had their own bets and opinions concerning whether or not the two of them would stay together, and it was difficult to escape that pressure and just be together. “You know, I really wanna see that Warm Bodies movie when it comes out,” Kandi announced as they walked passed a jewelry boutique. Though Logan had never considered himself good with girls or reading other people, he knew Kandi well enough to know that she was testing the waters. “We should go then,” he replied as he shoved his free hand into the pocket of his sweater. “It’s not something I’d normally be into, but the previews look kind of interesting.” “I like romance, and I like zombies, so that’s just a win-win in my book.” “To be honest, I’m not too big on zombies,” he admitted, glancing over to gauge her reaction. “It’s all just illogical to me, and I’m not a fan of all the gore.” “Are you serious?” she asked with a laugh. “You guys sit around in the apartment for hours at a time hacking away at that BioBlast 4 game, which is probably the most disgusting video game I’ve ever seen, and you tell me that you have a problem with some blood and guts.” “That’s different though. It’s a competition,” he tried to explain, but in the end, he just felt dumb. “It’s a guy thing, I guess. I can slay the guys in BioBlast 4 without an issue, but seeing all that junk in a movie is a little too much for me.” “It’s okay, I get it.” She smiled at him. “After all, we all have our quirks. Personally, I can’t stand being in the room when someone else is clipping their nails. Disgusts me.” “Now that’s weird.” She scrunched up her nose. “I don’t know, something about the sound just makes me cringe.” They were silent for a moment as they walked together, watching the cars zoom by on the street and peeking into the shop windows they passed. It was a comfortable silence though, and the city that buzzed and sparked around them said everything they needed to say. Logan stole a glance at Kandi. The dim light from the streetlamps above cast her features in a warm glow, making her fair skin appear softer, her eyes that much more vibrant. Day by day, he watched her grow more and more into herself, back into the girl she’d been when he’d first met her. It was like this slow unraveling right before his eyes, from this personification of young Hollywood that she had become when she was dating Dak back to the average girl-next-door, only this time, she was stronger and a little less naïve. Her heart had been broken, but she hadn’t given up on love. It was then that he noticed he’d never gotten a chance to see the way she looked when she was going out on a date, the way she presented herself when she was trying to impress someone. He’d only been around to observe the aftermath, when her feet were killing her, her hair was falling down, and her eyeliner was smudged around her eyes. The usual mess of chestnut waves that ran down her back had been loosely curled, but they still clung to a bit of their wild and unruly nature. The black blazer that she tugged over her chest to block out some of the chill was a step up from the hoodies and sweatshirts he was used to seeing her in, and while he was flattered that she tried to look nice for him, he didn’t need it. She could’ve come out with him in sweats and a baggy t-shirt for all he cared. She was still his best friend, and he was still hopelessly in love with her. The clothes she wore, the makeup she put on her face, and the way she did her hair would never change that. “I’ll go get our tickets,” he said as they approached the steps to the movie theater. “You still set on that Nicolas Sparks movie?” he asked with a grin. “Yup.” She followed him to the ticket booth, and he snaked his wallet from the back pocket of his jeans. “Two tickets for Safe Haven, please?” “I’m sorry, but we’re all sold out for the seven o’clock showing,” the girl in the booth replied. “We still have a few tickets for the showing at ten, and we have tickets for Off-Screen Chemistry at seven.” Logan turned to Kandi for some form of reassurance. She’d been cast as the lead in Off-Screen Chemistrybut had dropped out of the project once she realized Dak was cast as her male co-star. The wounds had been too fresh for her to work with him again. “We could always go eat dinner and come back for the ten o’clock showing?” She forced a smile. “Nah, it’s okay. It’s just a movie anyway.” After they’d gotten their tickets and a giant drink to share, Kandi hooked her arm into his as they walked into the pitch-black theater together. “You know I just talk through the entire movie anyway.” “Born to be a commentator?” he joked. “Exactly.” She stayed true to her word, and surprisingly, watching a movie starring her ex on their first date wasn’t as awkward as he would’ve imagined. They spent the entire two hours poking fun at the cheesy dialogue, Dak’s awful wardrobe, and the outrageous over-acting performance of the girl they’d cast to replace Kandi. The fellow moviegoers around them kept shushing them, but neither of them cared. Logan had never been one to break the rules, but there was something about being around her that made him a little more willing to test his boundaries. She just made him feel comfortable about himself. “Maybe this movie would’ve actually been good if they kept Kandi Jenkins in it,” he announced loudly, earning himself a few rude comments. “Shut up!” she whispered through her hushed laughter as she gave his shoulder a slight shove, and even in the dark theater, he could see her blush. “Well, it’s true.” Her lips curved into a soft smile. “Thanks.” While the movie wasn’t that great, they still had a good time entertaining themselves with their own running commentary. “You know, they should totally pay us to do the audio commentary on every movie,” Kandi laughed as they walked out of the theater together. “We’d be perfect for it.” “So…” she began, thrusting her hands into the pocket of her jacket. “Did you have any plans for dinner?” A sheepish grin made his dimples prominent. “Not exactly. What are you in the mood for?” “I don’t really have a taste for anything, but we passed a breakfast place on the walk over that looked interesting.” “Alright, that’s fine with me.” >> “How are the guys doing?” Kandi asked once they were settled in a red plastic booth in the back of the breakfast nook. She’d ordered blueberry pancakes, and he’d ordered something called a “trashcan omelet,” which he had mixed feelings about. “I haven’t really had a chance to hang out with y’all lately.” “They’re doing okay,” he laughed to himself. “You know nothing ever changes with us. Kendall’s still a little heartbroken since Jo left, so we’ve been trying to cheer him up. James is dating sunblock girl now, I think, and I’m still not completely sure what her real name is, since all he ever calls her is ‘sunblock girl.’ Heck, I’m beginning to doubt that he even knows her name himself.” “Typical James,” she added, taking a sip of her coffee. “Yeah, pretty much. It wouldn’t surprise me if he called her ‘sunblock girl’ to her face, to be honest.” “Mhm. If a guy’s good-looking enough, he can get away when anything. Trust me, I’ve been there.” “Oh, did I tell you that Carlos got a job?” Logan asked, desperate to change the subject. Even though whatever Kandi had had with Dak was over now, the presence of him seemed to surround them. It wasn’t her fault, he knew that she wanted to be with him, not Dak, but he was also aware that she still had those fleeting thoughts about him. “Actually no, you haven’t, but please do.” “Well, he’s been working part-time at the chili place for about a week or so now, and I know this is mean, but the rest of us have a betting pool going about how long we think he’ll last.” “That is pretty mean,” she admitted. “Why is he working at the chili place anyway? It’s not like you guys are strapped for cash, especially since the new record’s about to drop. By the way, I’m still mad that you haven’t managed to snag me an advance copy yet. Just sayin’.” “I can’t help it,” he laughed. “Gustavo’s really gung-ho about making sure the album doesn’t get leaked. I don’t even have a copy yet.” “Well, I guess I can let it slide then.” The waitress returned with their orders, and though the food was much too hot to eat, they tried to sample it anyway. “You know,” Kandi began as she reached for her drink. “This doesn’t feel much like a first date. No awkward silences, no getting-to-know-each-other questions, and no sketchiness whatsoever. Logan Mitchell, I am just not getting that rapey first date vibe from you.” He couldn’t help but laugh. “I’m sorry. I’ll try to work on it.” In response, he adjusted his tie and shifted his gaze from side to side, wriggling his eyebrows suggestively. “That’s more like it. So Logan, was it? What do you do?” He struggled to muffle his own laughter. “Well, I moved out here to be in a vocal group with my three best friends, and we’re about to release our second album, but eventually, I’d like to go to medical school and become a doctor.” “Interesting. I love a man with ambition,” she replied, and he could tell by the way her lips quivered that she was on the verge of breaking down into a fit of giggles. “Where did you move here from?” “Minnesota.” He grinned. “What about you?” “Oh, I’m from South Carolina,” she replied casually before taking a bite of whipped cream. “Can’t you tell by the accent?” “Just a little,” he confessed, happy to play along with her game. “So Miss Jenkins, what do you do?” “Right now, I’m an actress, but I honestly don’t know what I want to do with myself.” “Well, you’ve got nothing but time to figure it all out.” It was fun, pretending to be strangers, but Logan was no actor, so of course, he broke character. “But seriously, K, how are you feeling about the movie?” She held her coffee mug to her lips as she spoke. “Actually, I’m happy about the way things are going. Sure, I’ll have to fly out to Vancouver for a couple of weeks to film on location, but other than that, I think this is my favorite project I’ve done so far. New Town High was too small of a role, Varsity Vampires was too much hype, but this indie flick is just the right fit for me.” “I’m glad to hear that.” “I mean, all of the vocal acting has been really challenging for me, but that’s a good thing. I’m anxious to see how it all turns out.” “I’m sure you’ll do great.” He meant it. “But enough about me, how are you doing, Logie? I know I already asked about the guys and all of that, but I’d like to know about you.” “I’m doing okay…Better than okay, actually.” “Oh really now? Why do you say that?” she laughed. “Uh, I have a date with this really cool girl tonight.” “A really cool girl, huh? Spill it, Mitchell, what’s she like?” “Well, she’s talented, cute, funny, and she’s kinda sorta my best friend.” “Honestly, I can’t wait to meet this girl.” After they finished their breakfast-for-dinner, Kandi insisted on paying since he’d bought the movie tickets, but while she was preoccupied with the bill, Logan noticed a donation box for a children’s charity selling these little plastic roses. Each rose was wrapped in cellophane with a tiny bear lodged between the stem of the rose and the clear plastic, and while Kandi wasn’t looking, he slipped a five-dollar bill into the donation box and picked out a red rose for her. When she finally turned around, he held it out for her. “I got this for you.” “Aw,” she smiled as she took the little fake rose from him. “It’s so cute. They used to sell these at the gas stations back home.” “Really? I’ve never seen them before.” “Yup. My mom used to bring them home for me when she worked third shift back in SC.” The smile lingered on her lips as she stared down at the flower. “Anyways, thanks. That was really sweet of you.” “Don’t mention it, it’s nothing. It’s just plastic anyway.” He brushed away the notion, shoving his hands into his pockets as his gaze darted to the floor. “It doesn’t matter. I’d rather have fake flowers anyway; fake flowers don’t shrivel up and die in a week.” She leaned over and planted a kiss on his cheek before the two of them walked out of the diner. >> The date was coming to a close as they stood outside the door to her apartment. Kandi kept the little red rose clutched in her grip as she fumbled for her keys in her purse. “I had a lot of fun tonight, Logan,” she said, the jingle of her keys punctuating the statement as she fished them from her bag. “Honestly.” “Me too.” He smiled. “It’s nice to know I’m not a horrible first date.” “That you are not,” she laughed. “I know it’s getting late and everything, but I DVR’d the Lakers/Knicks game if you’d like to stay and watch it with me. It’s not as fun watching basketball by yourself.” “Sure.” “Now, I would like to throw in a disclaimer that I’m asking you to watch the game with me as my best friend, not as my boyfriend. Our official first date ends in this hallway. Is that clear?” Logan laughed. “Yes.” Kandi set her purse down in the hallway by her door, gently letting the rose rest beside it before she began to lean in for that end-of-the-night, first date kiss, and Logan was more than willing to meet her halfway. Her lips were soft as they brushed against his, and even though this wasn’t their real first kiss, there was still that hesitant passion buried beneath each of their movements. It was quick, gentle, and tender, but no less rewarding. As they walked into her apartment, Logan did notice that shift in the atmosphere, the tension between them dissipating as the formalities of a first date fell to the wayside. Kandi slipped off her shoes at the door. “Would you like something to drink or anything?” “Nah, I’m fine,” he replied, flashing her a soft smile. “Well, I hope you don’t mind, but I’m gonna go change out of these clothes. I’ve been tugging this dress up all night,” she laughed as she adjusted the bodice of her navy tube dress. “You can go ahead and get the game started, since you already know how to work the tv and everything.” Logan nodded as he watched her duck off into her bedroom. While he waited, he took a seat on the beige sofa, grabbed the remote off the coffee table, and started watching the game. Truthfully, he didn’t follow basketball that much, and while he’d been to a few games with the guys, he didn’t have a certain team that he rooted for, but he knew Kandi was a Lakers girl, and this had been one of the ways they’d bonded: watching basketball games on TV together while her mom was working. His exhaustion hit him suddenly. During the course of the night, he’d been to focused on Kandi to notice just how tired he was. Now, as he leaned back on the couch, he could feel his eyelids drooping as he tried to concentrate on the television screen. To stay awake, he had to keep reminding himself that she’d be back soon, and he’d promised to watch the game with her. The loud creak of her bedroom door as it swung open shook him from his drowsiness. “I haven’t missed anything, have I?” she asked. She flipped her head over, sweeping her loose curls into a ponytail before she joined him on the sofa. “Nope.” In her cornflower blue UNC Tarheels shorts and her plain white tank top, without a trace of makeup on her face, she was the Kandi he knew and loved. She propped her head up on her arm, folded her legs up beneath her, and curled up beside him. The two of them sat in comfortable silence for a few minutes, two pairs of brown eyes watching the dribbling ball switch between players. For the first time, Logan was the first to break the silence between them. “Kandi, how were things between you and Dak?” It was a thought that been nagging at him since Dak and Kandi had broken up, and while he felt like it was really none of his business, Logan cared about her, and he wanted to know where he stood with her. A nervous chuckle spilled past her lips. “What do you mean?” “You know, how was the relationship? Why did you guys break up? How far did things go with him?” Logan regretted the insecure stream of questions as soon as they left his lips, but he knew he couldn’t keep these things hidden from her. He was her best friend, he knew her better than anyone else in Los Angeles, and he knew that one ideal she held higher than anything else in her life was honesty. “If you don’t feel comfortable telling me, that’s okay,” he added. The last thing he wanted to do was scare her away, especially after they’d worked so hard to get to this point. “Nah, it’s cool. I felt like I should probably tell you all of this eventually anyway, since we’re together now.” She paused for a moment, taking a deep breath before she continued. “I guess the relationship was okay. Even now, it’s not that I hate him or anything. When it boils down to it, Dak’s a nice guy, he’s just not the right guy for me. I mean, sure, he made mistakes, but he’s only human, and honestly, I wasn’t perfect either. We just brought out the worst in each other, if that makes any sense?” The words seemed to tumble from her lips, one after another, each syllable piling on top of the next to build a mountain of her racing thoughts, of the things she’d kept pushing to the back of her mind until that very moment. IT was all bubbling to the surface now, and she couldn’t control it. Logan nodded. “So why did you stay with him for so long?” A drawn-out sigh filled the air between them. “He just has that charm and charisma about him that pulled me in, like I was under this spell, and even when things were bad, that chemistry we had between us made me think that it would all be okay. Pretty fucked up, yeah?” “And the breakup?” A weak smile spread across her lips. “Well, you know all about that…” Logan’s stare stayed fixated on his hands in his lap. “Kandi, did you ever sleep with him?” “Oh yeah, I slept over at his place all the time, and while I usually stayed in the guest room, there were some nights when we slept in the same bed together and-“ He cut her off. “No, I didn’t mean sleeping in the same bed together, I meant….did you ever have sex with him?” “Oh.” Her voice trailed off, and the delay in her answer made him feel that unshakable dread in the pit of his stomach. It wasn’t something that would ever change how he felt about her, but he was still a virgin, and if it did happen between them, he didn’t want his lack of experience to be compared to Dak’s performance. “No, I just couldn’t do it. I tried, but it just didn’t feel right. That’s lame to say, I know. Most girls would give their left arm to fuck Dak Zevon.” “It’s okay, I just…I just needed to know where we stood.” Logan’s teeth dug into his lower lip as he diverted his gaze, ashamed that he’d even brought the subject up. She let her head rest against his shoulder. “I love you, Logan. I know I shouldn’t say that because this is still new and everything, but you should know that by now, especially after all we’ve been through these past few months. Don’t feel like you have to compete with Dak because, trust me, you win every time. You won, Logan. You. Won.” He didn’t know what to say, but her actions spoke louder than his words ever could as she kissed him. It was the kind of kiss that made him feel dizzy, like his stomach was doing somersaults in his abdomen. There was a force, an underlying passion that made him feel fluttery and woozy, like that one time he’d drunk some lean that James made him. It was intoxicating, and as reluctant as he was to pull away, he knew he had to. Tonight, Logan had to go back to his apartment, but he knew there was always tomorrow. This was the night that set the wheels in motion, and now that they had that steady momentum, they could never look back.

"Where are you going?" Logan groans, hugging you tighter when you try wiggling yourself free from his hold. "I-I was going to go home. You’re feeling better now and it’s getting late." you reply softly to your sleepy best friend. He was feeling a bit warm before, and you decided to stay to watch over him. "No," he says, pulling you in closer to him, your back tightly pressing against his chest once again. Your heart begins racing when you feel his fingers roaming around from underneath the covers. You instantly gasp when his digits finally find what he’s been trying to find a couple seconds ago. Your hand. He then enlaces his fingers with your little ones, squeezing then tensely. His thumb grazes the skin of your palm in circular gestures. "I want you to stay here." he whispers. His face buries into the back of your neck, causing you to tingle on the inside. His warm lips press against your neck. "With me."

*Kendall’s POV* (Y/N) & I have been best friends since the first day of meeting each other in pre-k. Ever since that day we both have been inseparable. I’ve always been there for her no matter what. Through her relationship break ups, make-ups, good days, bad days, everything…As the years went by my feelings for her started to grow stronger & stronger day by day. Till this day I no longer see her as just my “best friend”. I see something way more in her. But I haven’t had the confidence to tell her how i truely feel… [ I know you’ve been hurt before 
But never say never, baby 
Slow down, don’t close the door You’ve been waiting forever, baby See I know your heart’s been scarred 
But you’ve come this far 
So baby don’t run away 
I, I know you’re close to giving up 
I just want to give you love 
And try to keep a smile on your face So open your eyes & see that we belong together,baby 
You’ll be surprised to find that things can be much better ] Today (Y/N) & I are meeting up at the local coffee shop down the street from where we both live. & today’s the day I’m telling (Y/N) how I truely feel about her. No backing down what so ever. “Hi Kendall!” “Hey (Y/N)” *starts to get nervous* “something wrong Kendall?” *gets more nervous & doesn’t know what to say or do* “(Y/N) I think I’m in love with you…No I don’t think, I know.” “Kendall…I love you too but…” [ I.. want to take you to a place Where love is something more than you imagined, yeah 
I.. put it right in your face 
Girl, it’s yours 
All you got to do is reach out and grab it 
You waited all this time 
You waited all this time 
I put it right in your face 
Girl, it’s yours 
All you got to do is reach out and grab it ] “buuuutt?” “but you know I’m still recovering from my breakup. I just can’t right now. I really want to be with you but my heart isn’t ready just yet…I’m sorry.” [ You played your cards, he left you with a broken heart 
Baby, I’ll never, I’d treat you like a treasure 
It’s not your fault, I know you took it hard 
That was a mistake 
For us it’s never too late 
You can’t live your life in fear 
I know it’s hard to move on 
You’ve just got to forget it 
Cause baby, the sky is clear
The rain is gone, and the sun is shining ] “(Y/N) I know he broke your heart, but I can fix it. Let me show you, prove to you that I can repair that heart of yours for you to love again. Us being together is the solution to your broken heart. Trust me. Please just give me, us, a chance. Please…” [ I…want to take you to a place Where love is something more than you imagined, yeah 
I…put it right in your face 
Girl, it’s yours 
All you got to do is reach out and grab it 
You waited all this time 
You waited all this time 
I put it right in your face 
Girl, it’s yours 
All you got to do is reach out and grab it
You waited all this time [x3] 
You waited all this] “Kendall…” *grabs & holds both of your hands in mine* “(Y/N) I LOVE YOU. I always have & I always will. Please just give us a chance. I promise you I’m not like all those other guys out there. I’ll never break your heart, I’ll treat you like a real princess, & give everything you want & need in life. I love you.” [ Time to get up girl 
And take a chance, yeah 
There’s nothing to be scared of 
Just grab my hand 
If you need someone by your side With the love inside 
Night or day, I’ll be there 
You know I will 
Cause I… ] “I love you too…& you’re right, its time I take a chance & give us a chance. You’re not like any other guy out there. You’re a 100 times way better than any other guy. You’ve always been there for me since day one & never have you left me.” *kisses you* “(Y/N) I’m never leaving you.” “I’m never leaving you too.” [ I want to take you to a place 
Where love is something more than you imagined, yeah 
I…put it right in your face 
Girl, it’s yours 
All you got to do is reach out and grab it ]

Today’s Friday & usually you’d be stoked for the weekend to finally arrive. But you’re not. Today is the last day to purchase your senior prom tickets but you have no date. All your friends already found dates & seeing them all happy for prom makes you feel even more sad. **Bell rings signaling for everyone to head to their first period** You head to your first period & find a rose taped to your desk. Attached to the rose is a small note. “P..P is for all the promises I promise to forever keep.” Weird but nice way to start your day. Second period arrives & you find another rose taped to your desk with another note. This time it says “R..R is for all this risks I’d take just for your love. All throughout the period you couldn’t concentrate. All you occult think of is who would give you these flowers and what were they trying to say?? Third Period arrives and still no one has asked you to prom. Once again you find a rose on your desk. “O..O is for One & Only. You are my one & only true love, & always have been.” Aww a secret admirer..but who? Last period of the day is finally here & you just can’t wait for the weekend. It doesn’t surprise you at all that you find a rose again on your desk. “M..M is for all the memories we shall create together.” Throughout class you couldn’t help but just think about the roses you recieved from today. P, R, O, M? PROM? Who’s asking me to prom? **Bell rings signaling the end of school** You remain sitting in your seat staring at the 4 roses with the notes still attached to them. “So how’d you like the roses?” you hear someone say snapping you out of your thoughts You turn & see your best friend Logan leaning against the classroom door frame. “They’re from you?” you ask. He just looks at the ground blushing. “Awww…” you say as you begin to make your way towards him giving him a big bear hug. “So what do you say? Will you be my prom date?” he asks breaking the hug. “I’d love to be your prom date” you respond with a big smile. “Awesome…But one more question.” “What is it?” “Will you do the honors in being not only my prom date but girlfriend as well?” You smile greatly big. “I’d be honored to be your date & girlfriend.” You give him a big hug. “forever?” “forever” you say.