You Give Love a Bad Name

"God, its freezing out there," Logan said conversationally, stepping inside and shivering slightly as a gust of cool, October air blew past him and into the warm atmosphere of my home. "Make sure to wear a warm jacket when we go out."

I nodded and close the door behind him. "Sure thing, Mom. I'll make sure to keep that in mind."

"I hope your friend doesn't mind that I'm late," Logan said cautiously, looking a bit too jittery for my liking. I was going to have to work hard on loosening this guy up.

I rolled my eyes. "If Frank gives you any shit, just ignore him. That's what I've been doing for the past seven years now, and it worked fine for me. We're still best friends after all this time."

Logan chuckled nervously, following me into the living room where Frank was sulking just like an immature prat that he was. I groaned inwardly, Frank was making life harder for me than it already was.

"Honey, I've got our third," I joked, coming behind Frank and pulling his hood down teasingly, trying to lighten him up a bit. "Frank, this is Logan, my next-door neighbor."

Logan smiled and stuck out his right hand. "Hey."

"Hi," Frank gripped it in his own and shook it with more force than necessary. "I'm Frank, Lena's best friend."

I sighed and started back towards the front door. This day was going to be long and awkward. "Lets roll."

"How do you like it?" I asked Logan, glancing back at the rapidly disappearing Belleville High School campus.

"Um," he looked lost for words, "its nice and gloomy?"

I laughed and turned to face Frank, who was gripping the steering wheel with brute fierceness - so hard that the tips of his fingers were turning white. "Where are we going now?"

"Ray's work. I need guitar strings," he replied drily.

I shot him a dark look and faced the window so I could watch the stormy clouds pass Frank's car in a herd of gray cotton.

"I hope it doesn't rain on Halloween," Logan mumbled, looking at the scenery as well.

The last word gave me an idea. I whipped around with enthusiasm, laughing lightly as Logan gave me a startled look. "Are you going to the Halloween dance?"

It was perfect. I wouldn't have to go on some blind date that Cara would make sure to set me up on, make my friends happy by going, and my date would be someone that I actually liked spending time with.

He shrugged, biting the inside of his lip. "No. Is there a reason you're asking?"

I grinned, ignoring Frank's sour look. "I'm not asking, I'm offering."

"And I'm accepting," Logan replied with a huge smile.

We drove the rest of the way to Guitar Planet mostly in silence, except for the occasional short conversations courtesy of me and Logan. Frank continued to mope. I didn't know what was up with him today. Maybe it was the grim weather that affected him or he missed Manda, but what ever it was, I decided to leave him alone.

"Hello," Ray said, pleasant surprise playing out on his features as soon as he saw the three of us walk through the door. "Didn't expect to see you guys here. I thought you were sight-seeing."

"Frank needed guitar strings," I explained, watching his retreating form as he went to the back of the nearly-empty store. I sighed and plastered a weak smile on my face. "Ray this is Logan, Logan this is Ray. Logan will be spending a lot of time with us until he realizes we're a bunch of losers and ditches us for someone better."

Ray laughed and extended his hand towards Logan who awarded me a mock-glare. "If you need anything music related, I'm your man. I get a discount."

Logan grinned, shaking Ray's hand. "I'm not that musical, but I'll keep that offer in mind. Thanks."

Making sure that Logan and Ray were comfortable with each other and indulged in discussing some local band's new lead singer, I left two of them alone and decided that it was time to confront Frank and ask him what was up.

Frowning, I made my way towards Frank, who was bent over something, leaning against the bookshelf.

"Hey," I said quietly, causing him to look up from a book that held the guitar tabs for any Metallica song you could ever imagine.

He gave me a quick smile and averted his eyes returned to the marked page.

"Frank," I started cautiously, not really sure what exactly it was I wanted to say. "Wha-"

"Listen," he looked up, slamming the book in sheer frustration, "I don't feel so good. Ray's shift is about to end, can he take you and that guy home?"

He was lying, I could see that clear as day. It hurt me to think that after all those years of friendship he would actually think I would fall for that load of bullshit that he was feeding me.

"Logan," I hissed. "That guy's name is Logan, and don't worry about it, we'll walk. Make sure to call me when you get that head of yours out of your ass. Later."

With that, I left Frank glaring at me with the Metallica book still in his hands and walked out the Guitar Planet's door, making sure to grab Logan by the hand and away from the stunned looking Ray.

After both of us - Logan not having any choice seeing as his hand was still firmly grasped in mine - practically ran almost a block towards my house, he finally stopped dead in the middle of the street, thus causing me to halt with him.

"What happened?"

I started to walk forwards, letting go of his hand "Nothing."

Logan grabbed my arm. "Is that why we're walking fifteen blocks home?"

I shook him off and started my march yet again. "You can go with Ray. His shift ends in ten or so minutes."

"And leave you by yourself? I don't thinks so."

We walked quietly for almost two blocks before I broke the heavy silence that surrounded us like some sort of thick fog. It happened after I spotted my old elementary school and decided to go the playground that I haven't been to for the past four years.

Only when I was comfortably seated on the old rusty swing, I turned apologetically towards Logan who was slouched on the swing next to mine. "I'm sorry. I just don't - I, uh, fuck! I don't even know what the hell's wrong with me. I seriously had no excuse to storm out of there like I did."

Logan shrugged on the swing next to mine, kicking up some dirt and swaying slightly. "It's alright. Ray told me a bit about you and your family, about your Dad and stuff, so you don't have to apologize. I can't say that I understand what you're going through - my parents are still together - but it must be hard. Especially now, during your Senior year of high school, when you are starting to plan out you future and all."

"Ray seriously told you my whole life story during those five minutes that I was gone?" I asked incredulous and somewhat amused.

"No," Logan gave me a small smile and yet again I noticed how captivating his gray eyes were, "just a portion. I intend to find out the rest by myself."