Chapter 1: THE FRICTION

Why did I agree to her stupid 'no-strings' deal? Logan thought to himself. Maybe I figured that I could really do it like that with her… but why? I knew, even before, that she was special. I even told her so. But she said that she wanted it this way, that she didn't want more… but I think that's shit now too. Why else would she have come with Robert tonight?.. She wanted to make me jealous, just like she was jealous last weekend when she saw me out with Karen. "Damn her!"

Logan had Frank drop him off close to Rorys dorm and now he was just walking around campus. He was still in his costume from Finn's party.

He'd stayed for as long as he could. He just couldn't bear watching her with Robert anymore. Having fun, laughing, dancing. She even danced with Colin and she wouldn't dance with him… not that he had actually asked her to dance.

"Damn it… why wouldn't she just leave with me?" Logan said out loud as he stopped walking for a moment and then raked his hands through his hair.

Why was this happening to him?

She knew he was mad when she wouldn't leave with him but she had never seen him like that before. But then she hadn't really seen him mad before. She decided to dance with Colin so that she could ask him if Logan was alright.

"I don't know Rory. I've seen him like this before but it was after the whole Fiji thing and his dad had just gone off on him." Colin looked at her trying to figure out what she was thinking. "I've never, and I repeat never seen him like this over a girl before. Why did you come with Robert? I thought that you liked Logan?"

"I do like him Colin," she was giving him a look like he was crazy. "But caring, it's not part of the deal. He was coming with Whitney, and Robert just asked me…" She sighed and closed her eyes for a moment. When she opened them again Colin was looking over her shoulder and she knew who he was looking at. "This whole thing was supposed to be fun and relaxed; I just don't know what happened."

"Well I've got a pretty good idea, but hey, you can enjoy the rest of your evening now! It looks like Logan just told Whitney off and stormed out." Rory turned around to look and saw Finn over with Whitney trying to calm her with some kind of shot. Whatever he was saying to her wasn't helping either, she just stared in Rory's direction.

The song ended and she walked over to Robert. "Wow! You know I don't think I've ever seen Huntzberger leave one of these parties alone." So far Robert had seemed to be oblivious to the penetrating stare that Logan had been giving him. He also hadn't noticed her own stares back at Logan and his date.

"Robert would you mind if I bailed? I'm not feeling all that great and I want to go home." She gave him her sick look and it seemed to help.

"Sure, I'll drive you Rory." Robert said looking a bit disappointed.

"No Robert, it's alright. You stay and have a good time, I'll just call a cab or something."

"Are you sure because I can drive you?"

"No it's really alright; I don't want to ruin your night. Stay. Have fun." She tried to look absolute, but in this costume it just wasn't working. As she started to back away she added, "Really I'll be fine." She stopped by Colin and Finn on her way out and told them that she was going to go find Logan. "Obviously we have some things we need to talk about."

"Have fun Gilmore. I'm sorry that you could not stay to drink merrily with me so I will drink your share!" Finn laughed as he spoke.

"I think you already did that." Rory smiled as she looked at Logan's friends. "Happy Birthday Finn. I'll see you guys later." As she was walking away she heard them say goodbye but she was already thinking of where she should look for Logan.

She looked at the pub first, and then at his dorm. She knocked on the door for 5 minutes and then she pounded on it for 5 more. Defeated she slowly started walking back to her dorm across campus. Where the hell did he go? She wondered. This is not what I thought would happen. Sure I figured he'd get mad, I sort of wanted him to, but not like this. Maybe I'm not the only one who's feeling more than we had bargained for. She smiled when the thought came to her mind.

By the time he'd made it back by her dorms (for the third time) she had already got back and was sleeping with a book laying half open beside her. He wanted to go to her window, wake her up and make love to her and never let her go. But he just watched her for a few minutes and then slowly walked back to his dorm contemplating what it was exactly that he was feeling and whether he was alone in it.