This Side

Summary: In just one year things can change, in the 525,600 minutes lives can be taken away and given, and at PCA this year is one no one will forget.

Rating: T

Disclaimer: I don't own Zoey 101! I don't own any of the original characters, and the title is a song by Nickel Creek. However, I do own the plotline and I'm very protective of it. (I own the additional characters as well.)

Pairings: Wouldn't you like to know, eh? R/R!

A/N: Dana is in this story, Lola is out. I have nothing against Lola. I just like Dana better. Oh, and in this story they're all in Grade 9, it'll end with them in Grade 10. R/R peoples! ENJOY!

Chapter One: Time

It all started on September 31st.

Zoey looked at herself in the mirror for the first time in decades. It's not like she never looked in the mirror, oh no of course she did. What kind of freak wouldn't look in the mirror? It's just this time; she was actually looking at herself. Not at her face to apply make-up, and not looking to see if her jeans fit – no this time she was looking at herself. Looking at how different she was. She wasn't "Little Zoey" anymore. Little Zoey who used to eat all of the cookies from the cookie jar, Little Zoey who beat up Dustin's tormentors, Little Zoey who wasn't afraid of speaking her mind, and Little Zoey who was such a little tomboy that people mistook her for a boy on a regular basis.

"Eh, why's your name Zoey sonny?" a man once asked her, "Ain't Zoey a girl's name?" The old man took off his spectacles and began looking at Zoey.

Zoey shifted uncomfortably on the balls of her feet, "I am a girl Mr. Laer", she answered shamefully, "And yes, in fact it is". She remembered feeling so uncomfortable at that moment. And being seven, she decided it was time for a change. She wasn't going to be Little Zoey anymore, oh no. She was going to be different. She was going to be a girl, and she was going to be proud of who she was.

Case closed. The end.

So looking at herself in the mirror on that chilly September morning, she realized how far she had come from where she had started. She had started off being such a little boy and in the end – I guess you could say she matured into a little woman. But still there were times where Zoey thought of her being Little Zoey, and she kind of – she missed it.

"You're just like your father Logan!"

"You're going to be so famous Logan!"

"You're so hot Logan!"

Logan Reese had been completed on a regular basis since the day he had been a fetus.

"Oh Marsha what a beautiful bulge you have".

"Oh Marsha the way he kicks is so adorable!"

Marsha, Marsha, Marsha, was that all they could think about? What about Logan and what about the fact that he was going to be purely and solely the greatest thing that ever lived? What about that? Logan was never one to be humble, in fact he was everything but humble. And cocky wasn't the proper term he used either – it was confident. He was confident in the way an elephant was large, and he wasn't afraid to show it. And so what if he came off as a jackass? He didn't care, as long as his grandmother was around and his father had money in his pocket and treated Logan like a prince, everything was going to be peachy.

Or that's what he thought.

She had died in her sleep the night before and the last words Logan had said to her were "Take care". She lived in the guest house and was relatively close to Logan. Closer than many people expected Logan Reese to be with his grandmother. Any chance he had he'd spend his time just hanging out with her. Treating her more like a friend than a grandmother. She had taught him how to hock lugees off the tenth floor balcony and she taught him how to kill someone in "Teken". She had taught him so much and promised to take him parasailing as soon as he went on break on PCA. That opportunity never happened though. This time he was taking a personal leave from PCA, only for a little while so he'd be able to recollect his thoughts and go to her funeral and mourn.

Logan Reese zipped the zipper of his suitcase and sat down on his bed for a while. It's amazing you know how life can seem to be going so great and then suddenly come to a screeching halt. Logan had never imagined what life would be like when she had died. He kind of thought – hoped that she would live forever. It's kind of a juvenile thought now that you really think about it. No one can really live forever. But to Logan, he thought his grandma would live forever. She seemed sort of invincible, like Superman or this really cool grandma who can go surfing and skiing all in the same week. She showed no sign of weakness, no sign of breaking down. The woman just kept on going, and Logan respected that about her. He loved that about her. And for the first time in his whole life, Logan Reese broke down crying in his dorm room.

He had spent so much time with her, and then it was just – ripped away.

Dana hated off-again-on-again relationships. She hated how when people start dating they become so indulged in their every action and turn into these weird robots that freak out if spinach got stuck in their teeth, or if they ate onion dip. That's why Dana didn't date. Sure, she liked someone at PCA, but he was so not her type, I mean he was cocky, sexist, and probably one of the best looking guys in the ninth grade. But all things aside, she couldn't like him, and she couldn't let him know he liked her either.

"DANA!" Nicole came running towards her like a rocket. Her hair was flying all over the place and when she reached Dana she stopped to take a long breath, "Dana", Nicole gained her composure, "Logan just left PCA?"

"What?" Dana snapped, somehow she had grown interest in the topic of discussion, but didn't want to appear to be too obvious, "What are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about Logan crying for the first time in his life", Nicole threw her arms up for emphasis, "I heard from Zoey who heard from Chase who heard from Michael who said that Logan's grandma died, so Logan's taking time of PCA for a while", Nicole bit her lip, "Isn't that sad?"

"Logan was crying?"

"That's what Michael said", Nicole popped a piece of bubble gum into her mouth, "Supposedly he and his grandma were really close, like best friends".

Dana thought about Logan going to the movies with some old woman with a cane, and helping her into her chair and adjusting just about everything for her. She thought about him just walking around with an old woman, holding her bags and talking, and helping her cross the street. The images seemed nice, and she was shocked Logan would be so nice to an old woman.

Dana let out a nervous laugh, "That's so sad".

"I know", Nicole sucked on her gum, "So I was thinking, like I do best, that maybe we should write Logan a card, and sign it from EVERYONE at PCA, like even Dean Rivers, and all the teachers".

"That's a good idea. But why do you need me?"

"Come on Dana", Nicole grinned, "Everyone knows you have a thing for Logan, it's more obvious than Shaq on steroids".

"A. Shaq's not on steroids and B. I don't like Logan!"

"Whatevs", Nicole laughed, "I just need your help".

"Are you sure there wasn't something in his eye?" Chase asked Michael skeptically as he sat down on his bed.

"I'm positive. He was sitting on his bed, crying huge blubber tears. It was kind of sad", Michael turned on the TV, "He must've spent a lot of time with her".

"Yeah".

"It sucks when old people die".

"Yeah".

"I can't believe Logan was crying".

"Neither can I".