One of Millions

"Foreign feeling"

Matt POV

"This it?" I sighed after carrying all the food. We were all walking along the hot rocks in a line. I was sweating like crazy and my swim trunks were riding up in all the wrong places.

"Yup!" Logan smiled breathing in the hot air. "I've missed this place. "

I tried not to stare too much but I caught myself utterly transfixed on her face and her face alone.

I looked away quickly realizing the creepiness in my stare.

"Let's go!" Logan encouraged as she escorted the 16, or so, behind her. We waded through the river to reach this rock that got her all excited.

The river was clear and piercing cold. The coolness was relieving and refreshing.

Everyone placed their stuff on the beach and started stripping into their swimsuits. I fell once again a trance watching Logan pull off her tank and short to reveal her baby green bikini. I gulped. Peyton was also very pretty. She was wearing a hot pink bikini and was quite obviously checking out the oblivious Jack Gilinsky.

"Come on Cam. " Jackie squealed pulled at Cam's arm. Morgan seemed to immediately get the message and pry at Nash's arm. I chuckled to myself. Those four are jumbled up in couples and they probably know it.

"You coming in the water Matt?" Logan grabbed my wrist and pulled me in. "Let's go Mendes, Gilinsky, Peyton, Johnson, Sammy!" Logan started naming of while we all followed her in a race to reach the rock. At first it was a running battle trying to jump high enough so knees and feet could get somewhat over the water. It was getting higher and higher to where it was at my waist; still no one wanted to full jump in the water. Except for Hayes who was trying to show off, but for the 7 of us currently racing, no one dared.

That was until Logan played the game changer. She half dove and started sprinting and one by one we all submerged into the river. My arms and legs were flailing in an attempt to keep up with the rest of them, but Shawn, Logan, and Peyton pulled ahead.

I stopped.

"Logan?"

"Yeah!" She yelled back still swimming.

"How do you get on the rock?"

"Yeah, shouldn't we be going to way Hayes is?" Sammy asked.

The rock was in the middle of he river and to the left of the rock was a small slab that looked easy to climb. From there, I was assuming you could just follow the trail up, but we passed the point and were now all treading in confusion.

"If you wanna go the wuss way, be my guest, but I figured "men" like you should probably go up this way. " She taunted. I watched intensely not at her butt, ok maybe a little, but mostly from where she was putting her feet and holding the side of the rock. I was going to copy her and upstage her at her own game. Peyton went second and also pulled herself up the side of the jumping rock with ease.

"Anyone?" All 4 of the boys exchanged glances that said 'I'm not ready yet, you go first. '

"I'll go. " I volunteered. The closer I got to the rock's face, I was more confident. It didn't look too hard. I could do it. All I had to do was find the foot hold to start.

"Any day now. " Shawn ridiculed. I turned to face him and face laughed.

"You need a hint?" Peyton giggled.

"No. I got this. " I answered.

"Not there. " Logan yelled scaring me. "Oh wait, no that's ok. "

I chuckled. "You can't get in my head! I'm too shmart. "

I placed my right foot in the foot hold and hoisted my body up to stand.

"Heh heh. " I laughed evilly. Slowly, I inched my way up the side.

"Wow, Matt. I'm impressed. " Logan nodded in approval.

"Well I know I'm an awesome person. " I smiled cheekily.

She beamed bigger because I know she loves my cheeky dork smile.

"Ew. Gross. I'm totally third wheeling this. " Peyton stood and jumped off the rock. "AHH!" She yelled as she came dangerously close to falling on Shawn.

"Third wheeling? We aren't even a thing. " Logan chuckled and leaving to jump.

"Yeah. " I rubbed my neck awkwardly. I'm not gonna lie. I was a little disappointed. Still, intrigued since she wasn't trying anything like the last girl that randomly joined Magcon. She practically slept with all 12 of us. I wasn't proud of it, but it happened. Thank goodness she got pregnant and left. Is it mean to say that?

•••••••••••••••••~~~~~••••••••••••••••

Peyton POV

"Wait! I--cant--breathe. " I gasped for air while being doubled over. I looked up at Jack and Jack who were both crying they were laughing so hard. "That story can't be true!"

"It is!" Johnson verified. "100% true story. "

"I can't believe you did that. " I was still breathing choppily but I didn't want the conversation to end. Truth was I was developing a really good friendship with the Jacks. Hopefully something stronger with Jack Gilinsky.

"Where's Logan?" Gilinsky asked.

"I think she's with Shawn getting his guitar. "

Slowly they returned and everyone was sitting around the fire we created.

Shawn, Jack and Jack, and Jacob started singing with Shawn's guitar and I realized how much I hated my tour. I loved this family. Logan's family. The family that couldn't have no matter how much I tried to shove myself into it. I just wasn't a part of it.

It was a bad feeling that came over me. This foreign feeling that I've never felt to my best friend. A feeling that she's probably felt for me when I got a boyfriend. And when I got a date to the dance and she didn't. When the unspeakable happened to her in her own house and I had a somewhat perfect childhood. A bad feeling that got know since the table was turned.

The next thing I knew I charged her. I leaped from my seat on the log to Logan. When she was in the middle of laughing with Matt and Gilinsky. I jumped on her an punched my best friend in the jaw. But why? I didn't know.

Matt POV

"Shit! Logan are you ok?" I asked kneeling by her with Gilinsky.

"Yeah. " She moaned getting up from her pass out. The rest of the gang left along with Peyton who kinda went bat sh*t crazy. Gilinsky and I stayed to make sure she was ok.

"I'll go get my sweater, you look cold. " I offered.

"I have one in my bag. " She mumbled.

"No. I insist. " I handed her my MAGCON sweater and beanie. I insisted harshly as a sign to Gilinsky. Almost like she's wearing my property because she is my property.

"It's still cold. " She said holding a paper towel of river water to her bruised eye and bloody cheek.

"I'll get some more fire wood. "

I stood to leave and Gilinsky laid Logan's head on his lap.

"You don't have to baby me, Jack. This is not the first time I've been beaten and this isn't bad at all. "

"But I want to baby you. " He smirked. Then I sprinted I had to get the wood fast to limit their alone time.

I hurled myself on a branch breaking it with my weight. It crack and I pulled it off. Sprinting back I heard laughing and giggling.

"I'm back. " I panted.

"Matt! Guess what. Jack just asked me out. " Logan smiled. "A weird time to ask but it was so sweet. Ugh that sounded too girly going back to me now. " She smiled.

I threw the log into the fire and smiled small.

"And you said?" My voice cracked in the cold air and in nervousness.

"We're going on a date on Friday! Isn't that great. "

Yeah great.