Logan smiles back at Mia. "Hey, sorry I'm a little early."
She glances back inside the apartment quickly before turning back to Logan with a worried expression. "H-how did you get up here?"
"Oh, there was a pizza guy delivering, he let me in and I saw Stewart on one of the name plates with your apartment number." He notices her agitated and nervous behavior. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah, yeah. I'm fine." She shows a small smile. "Just...ready to go. Let me, uh, let me get my concert ticket and I'll be right out."
Logan nods as Julie walks out from the back of the apartment. "Is that my customer?" She asks while walking over to the door.
Mia shuts her eyes in horror and turns to her sister. "No, it's not."
"Who is this?" Julie asks before looking over at Mia's horrified expression.
She wants so badly to tell Julie off but she knows she needs to convince Logan everything's normal. "Julie, this is Logan. Logan, this is Julie my....sister."
Julie smiles and turns to her sister. "You little bitchy hypocrite."
Logan's expression turns to shock at Julie's comment.
"Okay, time to go." Mia quickly grabs her ticket off the side table before taking Logan's arm and pulling him down the hall.
Julie shouts out the door after them. "Use protection!"
Mia shakes her head and buries her head in her hands as they continue to walk down the hall. "I am so sorry."
"So...what was that all about?"
"That was my sister."
"Bad day?"
"No, that was her on a good day."
His eyes widen. "Wow."
She sighs and nods. "Tell me about it."
"So...um, you live with your sister? What happened to-"
"-they died. Three years ago in a car wreck." Mia answers his question before he can ask.
He looks over at her with sympathy. "I'm sorry."
She shows a small smile, hiding her sadness. "It's not your fault."
"So, I take it you don't like living with your sister?"
Mia snickers before speaking sarcastically. "Yeah, like I like getting a grenade thrown at my head."
He looks over at her with seriousness. "You have no other option?"
"Other than a group home? No."
"What about emancipation?"
"My sister would never sign the papers, I'm the only reason we're still living in that rat infested apartment. Without my job at the coffee shop we would be out on the streets."
"She doesn't have a job?"
Mia takes a minute before answering. "Yeah. It's just not very...reliable."
"She works off of commission?"
"Yeah, I guess you could say that."
Logan walks up to a medium sized motorcycle and hands Mia a helmet. "Hope you don't mind helmet hair."
She chuckles and begins putting on the helmet. "Don't worry, you're not on a date with Chelsea."
"Thank God." He laughs before putting on his helmet and getting on his motorcycle. She laughs along with him before swinging her leg over and sitting behind him on the motorcycle. Logan looks over his shoulder with a smirk. "So, does that mean I'm on a date with you?"
She smiles at him and puts her arms around his waist, leaving the question unanswered as he rides off.
~~~
Dani walks downstairs wearing a simple pair of jogging pants and loose top. Mr. Landon looks over at her from his position on the couch. "Going somewhere, Dimples?"
"I think I'm going to take a walk. Clear my head."
"Alright. Try not to clear it too much, that could have lasting effects." He smiles jokingly at his daughter.
She rolls her eyes with a small smile. "Bye, dad." She walks out the door as he yells after her.
"Be back by curfew!"
"Wouldn't miss it!" She yells over her shoulder before closing the door behind her. She takes a deep breathe of the cool air and begins walking down the sidewalk.
Dani walks slowly for a while and eventually begins to pick up speed, running faster and faster.
She closes her eyes for a minute, feeling the fresh air engulf her, trying to forget everything that had happened the past few weeks.
She is stopped abruptly when her body collides with another's.
She falls forward on top of the other person as he groans in pain while lying on the concrete. "What the hell?!" The guy says harshly.
Dani groans and looks down to see the face of the last person she ever wanted to see lying beneath her. She growls at the sight and quickly stands up before rolling her eyes and giving him a look of disgust.
He sits up slowly with a clear look of agitation. "Are you blind?!" He looks to the side and sees Dani trying to dust herself off. "Great, it's Demoted Danielle. What is your problem?! Did you not see me in the middle of the side walk?"
"Uh, hello?! Did you not see me running straight towards you?! Are you really so brain dead that you can't move out of the way when someone is headed right for you?"
"You are such a bitch."
"And you are a monumental jackass! Looks like we're even." She spats back before turning and walking off.
"Uh, I could use a hand!?"
"Why don't you pull the one out of your ass?!" She shouts back before picking up speed and running out of view.
"Whore." He groans as he makes his way to his feet and walking up to his house. He swings open the front door and is met with his fathers anger filled eyes.
"Where the hell have you been?!"
"I'm sorry, I just...ran into someone." Nick responds, surprised that it was technically the truth.
Mr. Jerry steps closer and looks down at his son with serious eyes. "I said be here at seven o'clock. I meant it. Next time you will be here...understood?"
Nick swallows his fear and nods. "Yes, sir."
Mr. Jerry points up the stairs to Nick's room. "Go upstairs and change now. I have to be at this work party with you in the next hour, so make it quick."
Nick nods and makes his way upstairs without hesitation.
~~~
Scarlett's sitting across from Jake at a nice restaurant. She had just finished her desert and pushes it forward before smiling over at Jake who had finished his cake just minutes before.
"Good?" He asks with a smile.
"Delicious."
He smiles at her for a moment. "Are you ready to go?"
"Yeah." She grabs her purse from the back of her chair and stands up with Jake as he pays for the meal and they both walk outside. She starts walking for the car but he takes a gentle hold of her hand to stop her.
"Why don't we walk for a bit?"
"Okay." She smiles and nods as he releases her hand. She begins walking down the sidewalk beside him and reaches for his hand
Jake glances down at their hands then over to Scarlett with a smile. "So...tell me something I don't know."
"Something you don't know..." She thinks for a minute. "...your eyes are always the same size from when your baby until you die." She smirks at him before looking ahead.
"Well, I meant something about you..." He trails off before laughing softly. "Besides, I already knew that." He smiles over at her.
"Really?"
"Did you know your ears never stop growing?" He asks.
"Yep. Did you know that Hippo milk is pink?"
He laughs and looks over at Scarlett. "You're making that up."
"Nope, cross my heart."
"If you say so." He smirks. "Did you know that when you are looking at someone you love, your pupils dilate? They do the same when you are looking at someone you hate." He looks down at her with a sweet smile.
She blushes and glances down at the ground. "So...have your pupils ever dilated?"
He nods. "Numerous times."
She looks over at him quickly.
He notices her expression and chuckles before leaning closer to her ear. "When I see Nicholas Jerry."
She feels a sudden rush of relief and laughs. "Yeah, I just really hope it's because you hate him."
~~~
"Okay, would you rather...eat a jar of mayonnaise or a jar of relish?" Joe asks while walking Taylor home.
Taylor gives Joe a disgusted look. "Relish."
"Yeah, I'd probably take the relish too but that's just cause I hate mayonnaise."
She looks over at Joe with shock. "You hate mayonnaise?! How can anyone hate mayonnaise? I couldn't imagine eating a turkey sandwich without mayo. That's just crazy." She snickers and looks straight ahead.
"What's crazy is eating a bunch of eggs, vinegar and oil all mixed together in a jar." He gags jokingly.
"Okay, okay so maybe it does sound horribly disgusting and I would never be able to eat it by itself but a sandwich without mayonnaise is just criminal."
He laughs and looks over at her. "Your turn."
"Okay...would you rather lick a toilet seat or...be a toilet seat."
He chuckles and shakes his head. "Okay, that is just weird."
She laughs and turns to look at him. "Come on, which would it be?"
"Definitely lick it."
She gives him a look of disgust. "Ew, seriously?"
"What? So, you're telling me you would rather be a toilet seat?"
"No, but I'm definitely not licking it."
Joe laughs and shakes his head at her as they both stop in front of a small house. "Well, this is my stop."
He smiles and looks to his right. "You have a nice house."
"Thanks."
"Thanks for meeting me today, Taylor. I had fun."
"Yeah, me too." Taylor says honestly.
"So...we can do this again sometime?" Joe asks in hope.
Taylor looks down at the ground for a moment before looking at him seriously. "I don't think that's such a good idea."
Joe gives her a look of hurt and confusion. "Why not?"
"It's just...I had a really good time with you tonight, Joe."
He shows a small smile and nods. "Yeah."
"And...the more fun I had the guiltier I felt. I'm not this person Joe, I don't hang out with a guy while I'm dating another one. It doesn't feel right and I know that's what I need to listen to, I'm sorry."
He sighs and suddenly feels very frustrated. "I just...I don't understand why you're with him!" The question was out before he could think twice about it and there was no taking it back.
"I know you don't and that's okay but it makes sense to me."
"Do you really think he cares about you? I mean it's an honest question. I really want to know because you deserve someone who cares about you, who would do anything for you and makes you feel like you are the best thing that ever happened to him."
Taylor shakes her head as tears form behind her eyes. "No, no, I don't. Why are you saying these things, Joe? You barely know me."
He steps closer to her as his tone softens. "Maybe I haven't known you for very long but even in these past few days I've seen how truly amazing you are and you deserve all the compliments in the world and you don't deserve someone who bails on you every weekend."
She wipes away a few tears. "I'm sorry, Joe. I have to go." She turns around quickly and takes the steps up to her front door two at a time. She steps inside and closes the door behind her as she leans her back against it and slides down to the floor with tears falling effortlessly from her eyes.