Who: Jasper and Logan When: Early evening, Friday, December 8th Where: Jasper’s house Status: Complete
After getting dropped off on the edge of town the night before, Logan had finished his journey by walking the rest of the way to his mom’s house on Cedar Lane. He had texted her a few days ago to let her know he was coming home, so she wasn’t surprised when he walked into the house and dumped his bags on her floor. Alina seemed happy to see him, which was kind of nice, considering they hadn’t had a lot of contact since his graduation from Wolf Creek. But her eyes were bleary and her words slurred so he figured she was high as a kite and probably wouldn’t remember he was even there until she woke up the next morning to find him in her house. It didn’t matter and he was pretty tired from his travels to care much.
After a few minutes of catching up, Logan had gone up to his old room and fallen asleep in his old bed, still in his clothes. He slept through the next morning and into the late afternoon until his mom’s coughing downstairs in the kitchen finally roused him from sleep. Logan wasn’t worried. She’d had that cough for years due to chain smoking, but it was a decent alarm at least and he finally rolled out of bed to rifle through his bags for clean clothes before he headed for the shower.
It felt strange being back in Point Pleasant. He had only been back twice in the past year, both for holidays. He felt like he was back for good, but he didn’t want to box himself into it. If the urge to get the fuck out came again, he’d probably take it. It was no good to make plans, not in this fucking town.
After showering and getting dressed, he headed downstairs with his phone to check in with his mom before he grabbed the keys to her Tahoe and left. The sky was already gray and getting dark as the evening started to set in. It was chilly and made Logan miss the west coast as he climbed into the Tahoe and started it up. Fuck it had been a long time since he drove anywhere. Logan had briefly considered texting Jasper to make sure the guy was home, but he was all about surprises these days so he drove to Green Street where he knew Jasper was now staying with his dad. Jasper’s car was the only one in the drive so Logan parked along the curb and ran both hands through his dark, thick hair as he walked across the lawn to the front door where he knocked twice, resisting the urge to just ring the bell obnoxiously until Jasper answered ready to punch whoever was on the other side of it.
It was Friday night, and ordinarily Jasper would’ve been feeling like a loser staying home. But it had been a rough week, his uncle was in the hospital from a crazy-girlfriend stabbing, his mother had officially abandoned him and Amelia, school had been kind of shitty, and he was just super done with the day. The whole fucking week. Most of his life, in fact. So once Jasper got home from school, he dropped his stuff, changed into something more comfortable, let the dogs out, then sat in his room and rolled a big flat blunt.
He’d smoked half of it and then settled himself in front of the television, munching on chips and drinking one of his dad’s beers. Gavin wasn’t home, and neither was Amelia. He wondered vaguely if they were at the hospital visiting Aaron, but Jasper didn’t give it too much thought. They were all grown ups now, free to come and go as they pleased.
Some time later, the knock on the door made the dogs jump to their feet and start barking, which scared the shit out of Jasper. Cursing under his breath, his heart suddenly pounding because it was sure it was bad news, he went to the door and started to open it. Max and Rude pushed at his legs from behind, but Jasper nudged them back, muttering at them to shut up. When he looked up and saw Logan Rees’s face on the other side of the storm door, Jasper’s mouth dropped open in a dumb look of surprise.
Logan could hear the dogs, which prompted a grin from him as he waited for the door to open. Jasper had sent him pictures of Max and Rude over the past year, though not super often, given the fact that he hadn't really been one to hang out at his dad's house often. But the dogs weren't really why he was there and his grin widened as soon as Jasper pulled open the door and stared dumbly at him. That look alone was why he fucking loved surprises. Other than the occasional ridiculous selfie, they hadn't seen each other in a long time and Logan realized then how much he had missed Point Pleasant, even if it was a dead ass town. Jasper had been one of his only friends and even the boys at Wolf Creek hadn't come close to being as tolerable. Logan pulled one hand from his jacket pocket and saluted Jasper in greeting. "Are you gonna open the door or what? It's fucking freezing out here, man."
“Holy shit, dude,” Jasper said as he unlocked the storm door to push it open for Logan. The dogs were still unsure, and Max growled a bit behind Jasper’s leg. He ignored it for the moment; being as high as he was, this was all a weird surprise. “What the fuck are you doing here?” he asked, his tone slowly turning jovial. Jasper herded the dogs backwards so Logan could come in, then grabbed the guy into a hug that was a bit tighter than he meant it to be. He hated to admit anything emotional, but he’d missed Logan Rees a lot when he’d been sent away. Jasper didn’t have a lot of friends, and Logan had been his best one since they were kids. He looked good, like he’d filled out and matured some.
Logan didn't mind the hug. He would have initiated it if Jasper hadn't. He could smell the pot lingering in Jasper's hair and it was like he was fifteen and getting high with the guy all over again. "I'm back, man," Logan explained as he leaned back again. His hands came up to grip Jasper's face, Logan’s exhilaration evident in his own expression. "Look at your fucking face! Fuck, I missed it." He sighed happily and let go of Jasper to crouch down and offer his hand out to the dogs to sniff so they'd stop growling at him. At least he showered and didn't smell like dirty cars and sweat anymore. "I got tired of dicking around out west," Logan explained, pleased when one of the dogs began to lick his palm. "I don't know. It's almost Christmas and shit, so... I'm home. And you're here." Logan stood again and looked around the bit of house he could see. "Never ever thought I'd see the day you were living with your dad."
It was almost hard to believe. Seeing Logan gave Jasper such a jolt of unexpected joy, he half-wondered if he’d fallen asleep and was just dreaming this. So many other things were shit, but if Logan was back, that balanced the scales a little bit. Absently, he scratched at Rude’s head and ears, grinning when Max accepted the visitor. They hadn’t hung out much at his dad’s growing up for various reasons, and the dogs hadn’t always been there, so they didn’t know Logan or vice versa. “Yeah ... things have changed a lot,” he answered with a faint chuckle. “My mom got even shittier than usual, and now she’s like, pregnant and moving away with another dude, so ... here I am.” He shrugged. “But holy shit dude, it’s crazy to see you. Good crazy.”
Logan couldn't help but shudder and make a small face at the thought of Jasper's mom being pregnant again. Wasn't she too old for that? Then again, Jasper's mom was a hell of a lot younger than his own, so maybe not. Obviously not, if she was pregnant. "That poor guy," Logan said after a minute, wondering who it was that knocked up Jasper's mom but realizing it didn't matter, and he didn't really care. Jasper probably didn't either. "But yeah, good crazy is good." With his hands back in his pockets, Logan started walking toward the living room, assuming Jasper would have invited him further inside anyway. "You home alone?" he asked, looking over his shoulder at Jasper. "'Cause you smell good, if you know what I mean." Jasper had been smoking something and it had been a couple weeks since Logan had been able to chill with some weed.
Jasper followed along like this wasn’t his own house for a moment, then diverted them toward the kitchen. “Yeah, s’just me. Got a big-ass blunt in the living room, but uh ... you want a beer too?” he offered, quirking an eyebrow at his friend. Gavin might not like him handing out beer to his underage friends, but oh well. He never bitched about Jasper drinking, and Logan coming home deserved a drink. Plus Jasper needed a refill anyway. When Logan accepted, he opened the fridge to grab a couple of tall cans, then nudged it shut with his hip before he led the way to the living room where he’d set up camp for the evening and motioned to the couch. “Make yourself at home, mi amigo. If I knew you were coming back, I woulda asked for some of that good Cali shit,” he said with a crooked grin as he picked up the fat joint and offered it over.
Logan never turned down free beer or free weed. Money was scarce and he did tend to blow it on frivolous shit when he had it, but he had needed to get home so he hadn't even been able to buy cigarettes until just outside of town. He plopped down on the couch and grinned as he took Jasper's joint from him, leaning forward to grab his lighter. "That Cali shit is expensive," he explained, leaning back again and lighting the joint to take a hit. He was silent as he enjoyed the taste and the smell, closing his eyes for a brief moment before he handed it back to Jasper if he wanted some more. "I was going to text you when I left New Mexico but I figured you'd probably appreciate the surprise." Logan exhaled the smoke and reached for his beer to open it. God bless Jasper's dad for always having the fridge loaded. Now they got to actually enjoy it. "So what's been going on, man? Besides your mom and shit. Uh, your sister?" He knew Amelia had gone missing but hadn't gotten many updates since. And he felt kind of like a shitty friend for not keeping up on it.
Jasper took the joint, even though he was already feeling pretty good. Another couple of small puffs couldn’t hurt, right? He took a few sips while Logan talked, and a mild wave of ‘ohshit’ ran down his back. Amelia. Jasper’s mind blanked out for a moment, the THC in his system not helping matters. She was supposed to still be missing, presumed dead, and Jasper had been doing all right with pretending in front of most everybody ... he was kind of a moody asshole anyway, so it was easy to just seem even moodier. But this was Logan. The guy knew more about him than anybody else in the world. He took his time exhaling, gazing at the glowing tip of the blunt before he offered it back, smoke drifting out from between his lips. “You can keep a secret, right Logan?” he murmured, watching his buddy’s face. “A ‘to the grave’ kinda secret?”
Logan's brows rose in interest. His secret keeping depended on the person in question and whether he felt any real loyalty to them. He could count on less than one hand how many people he actually gave a shit about and Jasper was one of them, so his answer was an easy one. "Yeah, of course. You know I can. What's going on?" He hadn't really expected to walk into Point Pleasant again and be handed a 'to the grave' kind of secret, but Logan liked it when his life was a bit unpredictable. And Jasper looked pretty serious, even stoned, so Logan wasn't expecting to be fucked with or anything.
Jasper licked his lips and tried to think of the best way to lay it on the table. “Amelia came back,” he murmured quietly, like someone might overhear them sitting alone in the house on the couch. Considering all the bullshit with Elodie next door, that paranoia probably wasn’t too misplaced. “She was gone for a week, and she came back, but she’s ... older. She was in some other dimension or some shit, and she’s like, my age now. But it’s her, we know it is. We’ve been saying she’s a cousin named Lyra. My grandparents don’t even know, they think she’s still missing.” He huffed a stoned little laugh, even though none of it was super funny. It was just so crazy when he distilled it down to the basics.
Logan's brows rose high at the revelation that Amelia was back, and then higher at the mention of other dimensions and all the shit that followed. That was definitely a 'take to the grave' secret and it took Logan's brain a few moments to catch up. He definitely believed in the weird shit that happened in this town, and kinda sorta believed in other worlds, simply because of the mausoleum story, but damn. "Man, I should have waited to ask you that until I was as stoned as you," he said finally, chuckling softly before he ran a hand over his face. "Let's just jump right in to the crazy shit, shall we?" He lowered his hand back to his thigh and sighed. "That's just fucking weird. She's okay and everything, yeah?"
The surprise was obvious and totally understandable, and Jasper was grateful that he didn’t see any judgement or outright disbelief mixed in. He knew Logan had been more apt to believe weird shit than he was, back in the day, and luckily it didn’t seem like that had changed much. He laughed about the stoned comment, gesturing for Logan to take another hit off of the joint. “She’s ... okay, yeah,” he said thoughtfully, leaning forward to pick his phone up off the coffee table. He unlocked it to get to his pictures so he could show Logan. “She’s a little different, she went through a lot over there. Time like, moved way faster for her, obviously, so she was gone for nine years in a shitty, dangerous place. But she’s settling in.” He pulled up a side-by-side comparison photo he’d made, with Amelia before she disappeared on one side and Amelia now on the other, both smiling and beautiful and strikingly the same person. He turned his phone so Logan could look. “It’s crazy, dude,” he murmured.
Logan didn't need anymore encouragement than that and he took another pull from the joint before leaning over to set it down in the ashtray. When he settled back he leaned over to get a better look at the pictures Jasper wanted to show him. He couldn't remember Amelia much since he rarely hung out at Jasper's mom's house, but he could see the similarities between the two girls. Unless some amazing doppelganger had decided to cash in on the tragedy, the pictures were pretty hardcore evidence. And honestly, knowing Jasper's family, there wasn't much of anything to 'cash in' on, especially if they were keeping the whole thing a secret. "Crazy is probably an understatement," he said, looking up at Jasper. "You know if that ever got out, like... some secret government organization would probably be here in a second." Not that he planned on telling, but he was sure Jasper and his family had considered that.
“Yeah, exactly,” Jasper said with a faint chuckle, then shot Logan a Look. “So don’t forget, take it to your grave.” There was no threat in the reminder, he trusted Logan more than almost everybody else, but when it came to Amelia, Jasper would remind him every day if he had to. He gazed at his sister for another beat, then turned the phone screen off and set it aside again. “Besides that ... me and Jules Cooper are actually going out now,” he continued, sure that news would at least be amusing to his friend. Logan had barely believed him when Jasper had told him over the phone a few months prior that they’d been hooking up. “And uh, my uncle got stabbed the other day. By his crazy ass girlfriend. He’ll be okay though. Been a lotta bullshit going on here. Oh, and my dad is apparently dating my English teacher, so that’s weird.”
"To my grave, wherever that may be," Logan promised with a grin while crossing his heart with his index finger. He wasn't really expecting anymore bombshells so he could only look at Jasper with increasing incredulity as his friend filled him in on all of the other stuff he had kept from him in the past year. "Jesus fuck, man, give me a second to recover from the missing sister of another other dimension shit first." He wanted to laugh, not also not, because his uncle getting stabbed wasn't cool or funny, and he didn't really know where to start with that barrage of information. Rubbing his eye, he thought about taking another hit from the joint but decided to take a drink of beer instead before he said anything else. "I'm sorry to hear about your uncle, but I'm glad that he's going to be okay. That has to suck on top of your sister having been gone." He assumed Jasper was talking about Caden, since he seemed like the uncle who'd get stabbed by a crazy girlfriend.
"I think your dad dating your English teacher means you have to go into class every day knowing your dad has seen her naked." Logan waggled his brows suggestively. "I hope she's hot, at least." Jasper's mom had always been pretty in a certifiably insane bitchy kind of way, but not what Logan could have considered hot. Maybe Gavin's tastes had improved over the years. "And you need to define going out to me, 'cause I... have no idea what that means." He knew about Jasper hooking up with Jules Cooper, but sex was one thing - who wouldn't fuck Jules Cooper? - dating was another.
“That ain’t even all of it,” Jasper low-muttered after Logan’s first exclamation, smirking a tiny bit. There had also been the black-eyed kids, Jules’s weird-ass dreams, getting drugged at the party and Ruby Fox confessing her fake love for him or whatever. Not to mention all the crazy bullshit in town in general. It had been a really weird season or two. He gave an ‘ew’ sort of face at the reminder that his dad had seen Ms. Harris naked, mostly because of the Gavin half of that equation. “She’s decently hot, yeah,” he admitted. “They apparently knew each other back in high school. It’s a little weird to like, have dinner with her and stuff, I know she’s all disappointed in my slacker ass, academically, but ...” Jasper trailed off and shrugged. “As for Jules ... c’mon man, yes you do.” He gave a lopsided grin, always low-key happy to talk about her. “We’re like, together now. Out in public and everything. It’s kinda great.”
There was always weird shit happening in Point Pleasant. It had been a little refreshing to be away for awhile, to experience life somewhere normal. Logan wasn't sure he was ready to jump into the crazy again so soon. Hearing about Jasper's sister was insane enough. "Who isn't disappointed in your slacker ass?" Logan asked with a snicker. His slacker ass had been sent off to what was essentially boarding school, but he hadn't wanted to be held back another year so he had managed to skate by with decent enough grades to graduate. If he hadn't, he probably would have just dropped out and was maybe a little surprised that Jasper hadn't yet. Logan rubbed the side of his nose thoughtfully, still a little amused. "No offense or anything, but did Jules Cooper get her bitch gene removed? Like, I don't know... those girls were assholes, remember? Tell me she's got a magic pussy or something."
Jasper knew Jules would’ve slapped him for it, but he laughed before he could stop himself. It was just Logan’s phrasing. His best friend had a way with words sometimes. “Well I mean, yeah, she’s hot as fuck and she’s got a magic pussy,” he said, grinning lazily as he settled back comfortably, his beer held lightly in one hand. “But it’s more than that. She can still be a bitch, a’course, but we like ... fell in love.” It was sappy as hell, and not something Jasper would’ve said to just anyone, but this was Logan. Jasper’s expression made it obviously true, as it turned a bit dreamy. “I dunno, we went through some shit together, she’s not as bad as she wants everybody to think, you know? We match up good. And before you ask, no, I didn’t knock her up.” It wasn’t the most eloquent way to describe their relationship, but it was the best Jasper could do at the moment.
"You fell in love?" Logan groaned and covered his face with his free hand. "Oh no, man, no! I haven't been gone that long and you go and fall in love. With Jules Cooper of all people. Fuck." He sighed as he lowered his hand. "Please tell me this isn't gonna be like, you can't hang out 'cause she wants you with her twenty four seven. I don't think I can take a neutered version of Jasper Lucas in my life. I have high hopes for the two of us, now that I'm home." He didn't want to say so, but he didn't want someone else turning Jasper into someone he wasn't and Logan was having a hard time picturing the guy on the straight and narrow, hanging out with the rich assholes in Overlook. Jules Cooper and friends always seemed like the type who cared way too much about their image and how people perceived them. Jasper was on the complete opposite end of that spectrum and Logan wanted to keep it that way.
“Neutered,” Jasper scoffed, rolling his eyes. He slid his hand down to grab his crotch and muttered, “Come see how neutered I am.” Sure, he’d made some concessions and done some things for Jules that he ordinarily wouldn’t have done, but Jasper didn’t think he’d changed all that much. Didn’t think she’d tried to change him. She hadn’t been dressing him or ordering him around or coaching him on how to talk to her friends. They avoided her friends for the most part. So he didn’t think Logan had much to worry about. “But naw dude, it ain’t like that. I get plenty of time to myself, she doesn’t bitch about my friends, none of that. But why, what are you planning on gettin’ us into already?” he asked with a chuckle.
"Don't tempt," Logan shot back, gesturing toward Jasper with his beer. At least it didn't sound like Jasper let Jules lead him around by his dick. Sharing was caring and he would make sure they both knew that if need be. So far so good, though. "I'm not saying I have plans, I'm just saying it'd be nice to know that if I did have plans I won't end up having an angry cheerleader on my ass." He grinned and leaned over to set his beer down on the coffee table. "You look like you could use some distraction from all the bullshit anyway and haven't I always been good for that?"
Jasper laughed a little -- he couldn’t promise that Logan wouldn’t incur Jules’s wrath over something or other, especially if it involved police trouble for Jasper, but if they kept a low profile, he thought everybody would get along just fine. Jasper needed to stick with a low profile anyway. He was a legal adult now, and his family had enough fucking problems. “You have been,” he conceded with genuine affection. “And you know I love some good distraction.” He took a swig of his beer. “So what’s your situation now, man? Where you stayin’? Getting a job? That kinda shit?”
"I'm with my mom right now. I literally just got in last night," Logan explained. "I mean, I'm sure eventually I'll need a job if I want my own place and shit like that." He eyed Jasper. "You don't want to live here your whole life either, right? I mean, here in your dad's house. You got a job? We could probably find a cheap two room at Castle View or something." Yeah, Jasper was still in high school but the guy was eighteen so as far as Logan was concerned, he could do whatever the fuck he wanted.
They were apparently thinking along the same track, because the idea of an apartment had crossed Jasper’s mind too. Gavin might not like it, but he probably would like Jasper living there for a long-ass time even less. If he moved in with Logan, it would free up the second bedroom for Amelia, so everybody could actually have a bed and privacy and all that good shit. “I lost my job when Amelia went missing, but I can get another one,” Jasper said, nodding and giving a slight grin. “We would have an awesome fuckin’ time in our own place.” If he was going to be a complete failure in life and get stuck in Point Pleasant after graduation, he might as well have fun with it, right?
They would have to get decent paying jobs at least. Fast food wasn't going to cut it. But Logan knew they would figure something out. He sure as hell didn't want to be stuck living with his mom any longer than necessary. "It's December so I'm sure places are hiring," Logan said, satisfied that Jasper seemed to be on board. "Get some money saved up for deposit and rent and all that shit and we can get you out of here." Logan glanced around and grimaced. "No offense, but your dad's place is depressing." Kind of like Gavin himself, if Logan remembered him right. "And I think we'd both like a place where we can get laid without worrying about parents coming home and ruining shit."
It was pretty depressing, but at least Amelia had brought light back into it. It had been downright suffocating there for a while, understandably so. But she’d done wonders for both of them. Jasper hoped she wouldn’t mind if he moved out. He still wanted to see her all the time, he just needed more space to stretch his adult legs, he guessed. “You shoulda been here when my sister was missing, it was like a black hole,” he agreed with a low chuckle. “But yeah, my own place would be great. I’m always sneakin’ around at Jules’s, and cushy as it is, I’d rather not risk getting caught, y’know?” His face lit up with amusement and he grinned at Logan. “Speaking of you gettin’ laid ... guess who came out a few weeks ago? Sebastian fuckin’ McCarthy. Queer as a two dollar bill.”
Logan wished he had been here solely for Jasper, but he was selfishly glad he hadn't been. Point Pleasant was a depressing hell hole, and if he had the money, he probably wouldn't have come home at all. But Amelia was back now which meant Jasper was more likely to be himself again. So far, so good, anyway. Dating Jules Cooper was decidedly unJasper-like, but Logan could accept it. A lot of their friends would have fucked Jules Cooper if given the chance, so Logan wasn't going to pretend it was beneath his friend or whatever. He reached for his beer again and cocked a dark brow in Jasper's direction. "Is he?" Logan paused thoughtfully before grinning. "Yeah, I can see that. So, what, you start fucking the homecoming queen and suddenly I gotta raise my standards too?"
That made Jasper guffaw, and trying to picture Sebastian and Logan as some kind of couple just made him laugh harder. That hadn’t been where he was aiming, just that there was another gay guy around, but it was pretty funny to imagine. “God no, he couldn't keep up with you, I’m pretty sure,” he said, swiping at his eyes and snickering a bit. Jasper took another swig of beer. “Just popped into my head. He’s dating the sheriff’s son. That’s a whole other heap of trouble you could get into.” Jasper had never minded his best friend being gay, after the initial ‘ugh’ sort of reaction that had been trained into him. Logan had told him early after he’d figured it out, and he’d just continued to be Logan, so Jasper got used to it. Hell, Jasper had been tempted more than once to see what it would be like to kiss a guy, and who better than his best friend? “Not that I’m tryin’ to hook you up. You’re outta school now, best to leave it behind, I guess.”
"I don't mind hooking up, I just don't want the... dating part." Logan wrinkled his nose. "No offense to you and Jules and all that. It just doesn't appeal to me. I like having the options of... well, having options." He grinned again and lifted his brow suggestively. "Never know who or what'll strike your fancy, and the more the merrier." He still liked girls and rarely had trouble getting laid, but Logan had been leaning more toward guys since the academy. But fuck, he didn't say no if the interest was there, he didn't care who it was. Sex was sex and it was usually pretty fucking great. Logan rested his arm against the back of the couch, tapping his fingertips against the material for a minute. "You gonna leave high school behind when you're done too? Go to college and all that shit?"
Jasper nodded his understanding -- before Jules, he’d never really been into dating either. He’d had a few girlfriends here and there, like you did, but never for long and never very seriously. They’d just been a way to fill time and get laid, someone to smoke weed with, more or less. But Jules ... Jules was so different. He didn’t expect Logan to get it, not before he got bit by the same bug himself, if he ever did. The last part made him snort again and he shot Logan an incredulous sort of look. “College? Have you met me? Fuck no, dude,” he answered. “I’m barely gonna graduate, if I even do. I’m gonna be stuck right here, probably work at the bar over the summer or somethin’, and like ... start my life as a loser Lucas in Point Pleasant, Maine, the Weird Asshole of the World.” He lifted the beer again for a sip. He wasn’t destined to escape this town, he was pretty damn sure of it. None of them were.
"There're worse things in the world to be than a loser in Point Pleasant," Logan pointed out with a soft snicker. "And worse things to do than work in a bar, especially one your dad owns. Besides, take it from me, the rest of the country isn't that great either. People are idiots and shit costs way too much. I mean, other than yeah, being the weird asshole of the world and suffering from a severe lack of options, it's not too bad, I guess." That's what he was willing to tell himself, anyway. Whatever helped him accept the fact that he had come back here and was now not entirely likely to leave again. At least Jasper was still around. "I mean, as long as you don't die or disappear and all that shit." He shrugged and took another sip of his beer.
Jasper knew he was in line to inherit his dad’s share of the bar -- maybe even all of it eventually, considering that his uncles weren’t having any kids. Some days he really wanted that, because running a bar ultimately seemed like a cool occupation, and maybe Amelia could join in, and they could carry on the tradition ... but it also meant he was stuck there, so some days he didn’t. He could’ve argued with Logan’s defense of their hometown, but the guy had just gotten back and Jasper didn’t want to be a downer and kill his own buzz. “Gonna do my best,” he said with a huff. “And yeah, people are idiots everywhere. So like, got any fun stories? Go on any crazy benders or anything? I was totally jealous of you out there adventuring and shit.”
"If I can remember the benders, they aren't worth mentioning," Logan said. "Driving through the Midwest was a trip though. You think Point Pleasant is weird?" He shook his head, huffing with soft amusement. "I don't have anything too crazy to share. There was a lot of sleeping outside and hitting on women to get drinks and food and shit. Went skinny dipping in Missouri with some girls we met, in that lake of the Ozarks? Keith got bit by something in the water." He snickered at the memory. "I don't know, man. Nothing happened they'd make a movie out of, but it was fun when we had cash. We stopped anytime we wanted to, met some pretty cool people. I need to just marry rich and have someone foot the bill for my preferred lifestyle. If I could find a decent job I might have stayed out west."
The lack of stories was a bit of a disappointment, but that was how real life went, Jasper supposed. It was kind of telling how he’d stayed put and he had more crazy news to tell Logan than vice versa. Jasper wasn’t sure if that was points in Point Pleasant’s favor or not. They probably would’ve all been better off in more ‘normal’ places ... but if his sister had disappeared out there? She probably wouldn’t have come back at all. Pros and cons. “Start taking applications for a sugar-daddy-or-mama and see how it goes,” he said to his friend, amused. Jasper knew that his only chance at marrying rich was going to go off to college and live her own life, so he didn’t even mention Jules. “We gotta get an apartment first though. Even somebody rich ain’t gonna take you outta your mama’s house. You’re cute but not that cute,” he teased.
Logan had some stories to tell, he supposed, but they weren't exactly the kind he wanted to share right now. Point Pleasant was a weird ass town, and sometimes it felt like that brand of weird had followed him across the country, pulling at him until he finally decided to come home. It was a strange thing to explain and he wasn't in the mood to do it right now. He just wanted to chill and drink his beer and catch up with Jasper. Logan smirked at his friend and lifted his feet to rest them on the edge of the coffee table. "I don't know, man, I'm pretty fucking cute. But you're right, I'd rather not have to bring someone with sophisticated tastes back to my mom's house. Give me time though, I'll find someone. I've lived a meager life and I'm not a fan. Time to try something different. It's workin' out for you, hooking up with a girl from Overlook. I'll just make sure mine has their own bank account."
Jasper laughed a little, like it was that easy to force one’s self out of poverty. “I just don’t care for being broke,” he murmured in a high-pitched, snooty sort of way, and tittered again. “But I’ll have you know, Jules hasn’t given me like, any money. And I think she has her own bank account? I dunno. We don’t talk about it. But like ... yeah, go older, if you’re aiming to be taken care of.” It was usually difficult for him to forget about the disparity between him on the rich fucks at Overlook, but he hardly ever thought about it now in regard to Jules. Him being poor as hell genuinely didn’t seem to matter to her. It was more the contrast of what he imagined their futures would be like that bothered Jasper now. But all that was too heavy to get into at the moment. He took another long pull from his beer. “Really though, it’s good to have you back, man. There’s so many bullshit people in this town, glad the scales are a little more balanced again.”
Logan grinned at Jasper's snotty impression, well aware that it wasn't as easy as just deciding he didn't want to be broke anymore. But he would get a job and go from there. He did not have much pride, so if some rich lady wanted to shower him with gifts and money down the road? Logan was a-okay with that. "I'm glad to be back," Logan said before pausing and shaking his head. "Okay, that's a sort of lie. I'm glad to be back but it also sucks at the same time. I dunno. We'll see." He would just have to make Point Pleasant suck less somehow. "So what're we doing tonight?" Logan lifted his brows expectantly. "Don't tell me you planned on sitting on your ass all night by yourself."
Jasper could definitely sympathize with that ‘we’ll see.’ He knew not everybody even got out of Point Pleasant, and a lot of people seemed to be drawn back after a while. The town had its own gravity. He was selfishly glad to have his best friend back, he just hoped that the darkness that seemed to be plaguing their family would leave Logan alone. Jasper perked up a bit at the mention of plans, as he had none, and gave Logan a half-grin. “That was kinda the idea, yeah,” he said. “But I’m open to suggestions.”
"It's Friday and you're sitting here on your ass," Logan said before shaking his head. "Nah. We're going to go find some shit to get into. I don't know where, and I don't know what, but we're not going to know what's out there if we stay here all night." And if Point Pleasant was dead, he would drive them out to Cherries just because. They weren't legally allowed to drink but Logan was pretty confident he could convince a waitress or two to serve them anyway. "Finish up and we'll get the hell out of here," he told Jasper before taking a long pull from his own beer.
At the moment, Jasper was glad he hadn’t made plans. It freed him up to do a real welcome home thing with Logan. The idea of getting into some shenanigans really lifted his spirits, and Jasper grinned. He tilted his beer up to drain the last of it, clunked the bottle down onto the coffee table, and stood up. “Lemme just change pants,” he said, and headed off to do just that. He didn’t care much what they did either, it was going to be awesome to hang out again. Jasper needed some fun in his life, and on that front, Logan had always delivered.