OOM

[obligatoryass]

Logan checked the door one last time, just to make sure it would continue to open to Neptune. How embarrassing would it be if it didn't open? Or worse, opened somewhere boring, like Indiana.

Fortunately, the Neptune Grand is right on the other side, and he leaves the door open a crack, just in case Bar should decide to play a cruel, cruel trick on them both. But it seems the trip is likely to go off as planned.

He turns as he hears a knock on the door and goes to answer it.

Comments

[obligatoryass]

Logan nods. "Okay, well, down there is the food court. You can get greasy versions of all kinds of food from my word. And the people are involved in all kinds of fun social interactions - those two, over there? On a date. He's interested, she's totally not."

The two in question are a pair of high school kids, probably freshmen. The boy is talking animatedly and the girl is picking at her salad and staring around the mall as if searching for a friend to save her.

[kitchen_maid]

Amy looks at the indicated couple. "Well, that at least hasn't changed. Looks like my sister Sapphire and that rather persistant Baron of hers."

[obligatoryass]

"I don't think it ever does," Logan says drily. "Guys can't take a hint."

He looks around again, spotting a group of idle males watching all the girls walk by. "And those three goofballs are hoping one of the girls will realize that the catcalls are flirtatious, not offensive."

Pause. "Guys are also not very bright, a lot of the time."

[kitchen_maid]

Amy looks at the the group of boys and then back at Logan, eyebrow raised incredulously.

"That's meant to be flirtatious? They sound like they're trying to herd cows."

[obligatoryass]

"Yeah, well, they don't know that," he says, smirking at their youthful ignorace. "They're young and dumb and certain they're the coolest kids on the planet."

[kitchen_maid]

Amy merely nods.

"Like knights," she says. "Until someone comes along and knocks them off their horses."

[obligatoryass]

"Which will happen...right now."

A group of juniors - well, rising seniors, now - has come along to harrass the soon-to-be sophomores.

They're not violent, at least, just obnoxious.

"Ah, high school. How glad I am to be done with you."

[kitchen_maid]

Amy giggles. "This could be the courtyard at the palace. Except for the odd lights and the strange music and the clothes."

[obligatoryass]

"Glad to hear it's not totally alien," Logan says, laughing. "So, what's your favorite shop at home, then? Are you a sucker for jewelry or clothes or what? Because the mall has any consumer good you could want, usually in spades."

[kitchen_maid]

"Do I strike you as a person whose overly concerned about clothes or jewelry?" she says, amused. "I like the onion stall -- Mr. Vidalia is charming, and Daddy insists that a member of the family do all royal table onion purchases."

Onions are a hobby of her father's.

[obligatoryass]

"No," he says, amused. "Sadly, there are no onions at the mall, but we can hit the grocery store on the way home. There are lots of onions there. Or we can continue our anthropological survey of wildlife at the mall."

[kitchen_maid]

"I think I'm good on onions, thank you. It's more that I enjoy talking to Mr. Vidalia than that I'm excessively fond of root vegetables."

[obligatoryass]

"I see," Logan says.

This is a foreign concept. And yet, for Amy, he'll see what he can manage. "Well, I need a few things - a new watch, for starters. How about we start there?"

[kitchen_maid]

"That's fine," she says.

Her vision of watches involve chains and pockets, so this should prove interesting.

[obligatoryass]

Logan steers them to the nearest department store - it happens to be Nordstroms - but before they're halfway there, a voice calls Logan's name.

He turns, and who does he see but a brown-haired Madison Sinclair. Raising an eyebrow, he says, "Oh, goody. This should just take a minute, okay?" as the annoying 09er walks toward them.

[kitchen_maid]

"Of course," says Amy. "Is she a friend of yours?"

[obligatoryass]

"Not exactly," he muttered, as Madison reaches earshot.

"Logan!" she exclaims. "I'm SO sorry about your dad! That's really sad. I didn't get to go to the funeral because I was in Mexico with my boyfriend, but I TOTALLY donated to the Hurricane Relief Fund. Anyway, I just wanted to offer my condolences."

[kitchen_maid]

Amy's smile slips from genuine to Court. This girl is . . . loud. And oddly dramatic.

[obligatoryass]

Logan, when he manages to get a word in edgewise, says, "Thanks, Madison."

His mannerisms have also gone stiff and oddly formal. It's public-face, rather than Court, but much the same.

"This is my friend Amy," he says. "She's an exchange student. From Europe."

Madison glances at the Ordinary, plainly dressed girl. "Hi," she says, taking in little more than that. "I love Europe, but Daddy says it isn't safe right now, after all those bombings or whatever. So I go to Cabo instead, or like, Hawaii, if we're taking longer trips."

She promptly dismisses the strange girl and turns back to Logan. "Anyway, I haven't seen you much this summer. Are you like, hiding out and stuff, or are you just saving up all that partying for your first semester at college? I heard you're looking at Hearst - I guess it's good enough. I'm going to UCLA, which is totally awesome. I think I'm going to be a cheerleader, isn't that great?"

Logan really, really wishes Madison had an off switch.

[kitchen_maid]

Same expression, different names. And now more Court than ever.

"It's lovely to meet you--I'm sorry, I didn't catch your name," says Amy, stiffly and properly polite, but there's a slight undertone that implies she'd have caught the other girl's name if it had mattered in the slightest.

[obligatoryass]

"Madison," the girl says, now looking a bit harder at Amy. "Do I know you from somewhere?"

Amy's expression and tone are making her think of someone. Probably someone from one of the royal households of Europe.

[kitchen_maid]

"Oh, I don't think so," says Amy, pleasantly if rather disinterestly. "I'm sure if we'd met before, you'd remember."

What? Just because she doesn't usually choose to act like a princess doesn't mean she doesn't know how.

[obligatoryass]

Madison opens her mouth to respond.

Then she closes it again.

She turns to Logan. "Anyway, it was nice seeing you, Logan. If you need anything, you just let me know, okay?"

Logan has never heard a less sincere offer of help, but he smiles rigidly back. "Thanks, Madison," he says. "I'll see you."

And with that, he steers Amy away from the annoying girl.

[kitchen_maid]

Amy shudders slightly as they walk away.

"Is she always that . . . rude?"

[obligatoryass]

"Always," Logan says ruefully. "When she's not talking incessantly, she's making what she thinks are biting comments. It's not her fault, mostly - she's spoiled rotten and dumb as a box of rocks - but it doesn't make it any easier to deal with."

He gives her a sidelong look. "No one's quite that rude back home, huh?"