The Seven Day Gangster

Chapter 12

"So why do you stay up so late?"

I shrugged, halfway through a piece of toast.

Alex shook her head. "Like last night, I got up to get some water at some godforsaken hour. And your room light was still on. I mean, your room has absolutely nothing in it; what are you doing in there?"

Logan leaned forward. "That's a very good question Alex." He turned to look at me. "What are you doing in your room so late at night?" He raised his eyebrows meaningfully.

I shook my head quickly and scowled at his underlying words. "I wasn't doing anything in there," I said quickly. "I'm sort of an insomniac. So I just wander around at night. You know, to look around and stuff."

Logan stared at me. "You wander around? That's super creepy dude."

I tuned red. "That's not what I meant!" I protested. "I just do stuff."

"What stuff?" asked Alex.

"I don't know," I answered honestly. "Eat fajitas, play tennis." I smiled; those had been the stuff I had done with Nathan.

There was a silence.

"Eat fajitas?" questioned Alex.

"Like Wii Tennis?" jumped in Logan.

I looked down at my empty plate, wishing there was more food I could cram into my mouth to avoid responding. I didn't like where this conversation was heading.

"Nathan took me to that one Spanish place and the day after that we played some Wii games," I answered, as casually as I could.

Again there was a stunned silence.

"Nathan?" asked Alex and Logan together.

I shrugged. "Yeah, it's nothing."

"Clearly," interrupted Alex. "It is something. I didn't know you two were tight like that."

Logan nodded in agreement.

I turned red. "We aren't 'tight' or whatever. We both don't sleep well and we both don't have anything to do all night."

Alex narrowed her eyes at me. "That's a lot in common, actually." She turned to Logan. "I'm sensing a secret friendship going on here that they don't want anyone to know about."

Logan nodded with a straight face. "Maybe even more than just a secret friendship," he said, trailing off.

I glared at their underlying meaning. "I hardly think playing Wii tennis and eating food together qualifies us as friends even."

Alex raised her eyebrows. "Even when it's like freaking 1 am in the morning and everyone else is sleeping? I think that's a pretty strong basis for a friendship."

I shrugged. "I don't think he considers me a friend. Sometimes I feel like he's just pissed off at me for no reason."

"That's Nathan for you," said Logan, getting up to put his plate into the sink. "Anyways, what do you want to do today?"

I stared up at him. "Where's Sam?" I asked automatically.

Logan put a hand to his heart and tried to look offended. "I'm hurt Arianna. It's like you don't even appreciate my company. Your Sam-in-shining-armor is at school."

"I thought he didn't go to college," I asked, ignoring his jibe.

Alex smiled. "I know, but like I said he goes occasionally. I guess our conversation yesterday just kind of motivated him to take a class. So he's over at the U right now trying to sign on for late enrollment or whatever." She looked over at Logan. "Sam-in-shining-armor; I really like that. I'm going to start calling him that."