What Oz doesn't know won't hurt him,Logan thought as, shifting, he adjusted himself surreptitiously, eyes never leaving the sight of Oz wearing his sneakers. A thoroughly pleased smile curved his lips, a squad of little voices chanting in the back of his head;M-I-N-E! Mine! Mine! Mine!
Just have to find some way to make it up to him, if Oz ever finds out
"Dude," Ashton said from Logan's other side. "When did Oz get nice sneakers?"
"Aren't those your kicks?" Noah asked Logan, wandering over from where he'd been chatting with his parents and some other alumni.
Careful to appear neutral, Logan nodded. "Mix up at the rental place. He needed something in a hurry."
"Hope he offered to do your laundry for the rest of the year or something to repay you," Ashton murmured, the corners of his mouth tightening in a jealous frown.
"Forget laundry, I hope he offered to blow you the year of the year," Noah said, staring at Oz with a similarly sharp look. "Hell, until graduation. You know I'd have justboughthim a new pair of Schnikis or something for a shot at borrowing those tonight, right?"
Logan shrugged.
"He looks terrified up there," Ashton pointed out. Noah nodded, the corner of his mouth twitching upward.
"Yeah. He's…kinda nervous no one's going to bid for him," Logan replied, frowning. "His parents were supposed to come to this thing, and I think he was counting on them as a sort of 'worst case scenario'. But they haven't arrived yet."
"Oh, people are always coming fashionably late to these things." Ashton smirked. "I bet they'll be here soon. Eventually."
Eyes narrowing at the smugness filling Ashton's voice, Logan glanced over at the other man. "You know something I don't?"
But Ashton just shrugged. "Me? Nothing. Well, nothing provable. But there's a rumor his folks might've gotten a phone message about tonight's event being postponed until next week, due to… I think you said house repairs?" he asked, turning to Noah.
"Undefined 'plumbing problems'," Noah supplied. "There's always something wonky about the pipes in this old place, and no one ever asks for the details."
"Good call," Ashton told him, grinning.
"Poor Oz." Noah's voice dripped with insincerity and mock empathy. "Looks like the bank of mommy and daddy isn't going to be able to bail him out.
"Didn't your Dad win the bidding when it was your turn up on that block?" Logan asked, knowing full well it was even without hearing Noah's petulantly muttered,"Shut up."
Turns out Noah's father was co-owner of an S1 racing team. Who knew? The eight hundred bucks he'd dropped on Noah tonight probably wasn't a drop in the bucket for someone like him, either. It was currently the auction's highest bid, though, netting Noah the obnoxiously garish cowbell hanging from the wide navy ribbon looped around his neck. It bore "Blue Ribbon Bull" stamped right in the middle of the boxy, golden bell — the title given to the brother who earned the yearly auction's highest bid.
'Bank of mommy and daddy', my ass
"I'm just saying, tonight will finally prove to everyone the truth about the little twerp," Noah said, a smarmy grin twisting up his lips.
"Oh, yeah?" Logan prodded, hands curling into fists at his sides at Noah's snide tone. "And what's that supposed to be?"
"No one will bid on him," Ashton answered coolly. "And then everyone will see just how completely worthless he is."
"Fuck off," Logan bit out, frowning. "Oz isn't worthless."
He's worth more than the two of you clowns combined,Logan carefully didn't say, not yet sure he was willing to open himself up to the sort of jokes he knew such a declaration would inspire.
For all that they were pompous jerks, Ashton and Noah weren't stupid. If Logan wasn't careful, they'd put two and two together, and get —
"Look, I know you've taken him on as some kind of charity case, Logan; dragging him out of his room to our parties and all," Ashton turned to whisper, oblivious to the increasing punchability of his smug, irritating face. "It's very noble. But even you've got to admit: he just… He doesn't represent Mu Tau Rho'svalues, does he?"
White hot fury surged up Logan's spine at the emphasis Ashton laid on 'values', filling his vision. He breathed slowly, carefully unclenching his fists as he reminded himself what a bad idea it would be to break Ashton's nose. At least, not in front of so many witnesses.
Logan eyed Ashton's toothpaste commercial grin.
Maybe knock out a few teeth, too
But he and Oz had worked too hard to bring Logan's grades up. To help Logan stay eligible to play on the football team. Be a shame to ruin all that now just because Logan couldn't keep his head, no matter how well deserved it might be.
