Something Else Entirely

30 - Your worst nightmare . . . my sweetest dream.

We didn't win the final, going down by six points in the end. But I sure as shit felt like I won a lot today.

My biggest prize was Logan's phone number, granted willingly, which made the victory all the more sweet.

We didn't really get a chance to talk again once the game started, what with the three hour-long loss, but a few opportunities started opening up after we all headed down to the pizza joint for food afterwards. Byron, Ryder, Jasper and Kirra wanted to get food, and Logan's friend Celeste came to meet us there, too. Apparently she's been speaking to Ryder quite a lot since Byron's party last weekend, despite him hooking up with the other blonde that night.

As there were too many of us to fit in the one car, we had to take two, Byron and I going with Logan in her car, and Ryder and Kirra going in Jasper's with him. I sat in the back seat of Logan's Vitara, having to climb over the front seat in order to do so, and surely looking like an uncoordinated loser in the process based off Byron's laughter and Logan's smirk at me from the rear view mirror once I'd finally managed to turn my tired body around in the tiny back seat and fasten my seat belt.

After the very uncomfortable drive to the pizza shop, my legs splayed in gymnastics-level split position just to avoid hitting the backs of Byron and Logan's seats with my knees, I asked whether I might talk to Logan before we went inside seeing as we had an unfinished conversation that needed tending to.

"There's nothing to talk about, Jet," she said, glancing quickly at Byron who was still in earshot of us walking from the car.

"Yes, there is, Logan. And I'm guessing you don't want to have that conversation in front of everyone else. So, my options for you to choose from are: we talk about it now and get it out of the way, or you give me your number and we talk about it later?"

"And nurture your ego further with the conquest of being able to contact me at any time? No, thank you," she said dismissively.

"I'll give you her number, Jet, if it means I get to stop listening to you both bickering for two seconds and we can actually go inside and get some food!" said Byron, waiting impatiently for us at the door.

"You wouldn't dare," spat Logan, glaring daggers at poor Byron.

"What? It's not like he's going to start sending you unsolicited dick pics like an asshole! We've had this discussion, Logan. Jet's not a heartless, misogynistic bastard. He's a fucking dr—" Logan cut him off by punching him in the stomach with more force than I would have expected her petite body to pack.

"I'll aim a little lower if you dare finish that fucking sentence, cousin," she hissed quietly, but not quietly enough that I didn't hear and wasn't completely overjoyed by it.

Byron stood bending over, winded and heaving oxygen into his lungs, and trying not to make it any more difficult for himself by laughing at Logan, who was sulking next to him with her arms folded, doing everything she could to avoid looking me in the eye. "You are . . . surprisingly swift . . . and strong for your minuscule size. Big, fighting words . . . for a tiny girl," he teased between breaths.

"You haven't seen anything yet, By," she said, continuing to lace every syllable with malice and ill-wishes of his most manly possessions.

"Okay, you two. Not that I'm not interested in hearing the end of that sentence," I said, playing it up for both Byron and Logan's sake, not that she was aware of that fact, of course. "But I'm hungry and I've resigned myself to the fact that you're not going to talk to me . . . again . . . for a change . . . you know . . . just for something new and unexpected. So, can we please just go inside now?"

Logan rolled her eyes and walked inside as I held the door open for her, and Byron followed while rubbing his stomach, more out of pain than hunger. We were the last ones there, so filed into the remaining seats, Logan taking up one between Celeste and Jasper, and Byron and I sat in the remaining two between Ryder and Kirra. She could have done me a solid and sat at one of the chairs with another free one next to it so I could sit next to her, but I guess that's just Logan for you.