4. "An Image That Remains Firm"

The episode opens with Jenna sitting at her kitchen table in her house with a blank and stunned look on her face.

"What's wrong hunny?" Jenna's mom, Maria, walked up and saw her daughter in a confused state.

"Everything," Jenna murmured.

"You look like you've been through death," Maria rested her hand on Jenna's shoulder, with a worried look on her face.

"Maybe I have," Jenna sighed. "I haven't been able to sleep for like the last week."

"Why?" Maria wondered. "Your break-up with Ben still getting to you?"

"Yeah. Except that it took a little turn last week when I learned from my good not-so-pal Nicki that she drugged Ben to make it look like he slept with her, when he never really did anything with her."

"Wow, that's kind of deep," Maria's eyes widened. "People never did that kind of thing when I was growing up."

"Well then I guess you can't be of any help?" Jenna's shoulders noticeably sagged.

"Sure I can," Maria smiled. "I'm a mom. I can always throw my two cents worth in, even when it's not needed or wanted. If Ben really didn't do anything wrong, then it's a no-brainer: get back together with him. You love him, right?"

"I don't know anymore," Jenna hesitated to answer at first. "I know I did. But even though he's beyond doubt blameless in this scenario, something's still pulling me from welcoming him back with open arms."

"Logan?" Maria guessed.

"Who else?"

"Well then it's simple, if truth be told."

"Really? Cause it seems like the antonym of simple."

"OK, maybe it isn't the most effortless thing in the world," Maria laughed. "But it'll eventually put you in a better frame of mind when you're done sorting through it."

"Sorting through what?"

"You need to decide who you'd rather reunite with: Logan or Ben."

"That's what I've been trying to do for the past 168 hours mom."

"No, I mean really think about it," Maria sat down. "Have you done that yet?"

"How do you 'really think' about something rather than just think about it?"

"You go back to the beginning; to the start," Maria moved her arms as she talked. "When it all was set in motion. Rewind to the first day you met Logan, and slowly work your way to when Ben came into the picture and clouded up things. Then eventually, you'll get back to the present. And when you've done that, making up your mind should be a heck of a lot easier than it is now."

"So simplistic, yet it totally makes sense," Jenna mused.

"What did I tell you?" Maria grinned. "Moms know all, even when they haven't experienced it."

"Thanks. I appreciate your help with this."

"Hey, I gotta help you get out of this funk so I can kick your ass for having that rager at our house," Maria rolled her eyes. "Did you know that I had to burn our bedsheets? Who knows what kind of crabs that Nicki girl brought into our bed! I seriously considered burning the bed frame as well and getting an entirely new one but your father talked me out of it."

(Jenna laughs)

"I don't blame you for wanting to take every precaution necessary when it comes to coming into contact with Nicki Oswald," Jenna screwed up her nose in disgust. "I promise I'll go shopping with you this weekend and buy you new sheets. And I'm sorry about the party. Too great of an opportunity to pass up though. I wanted to cement myself in history as being the person who threw the party when Ash Port High School finally won a state championship after 43 years of infamy and no sports titles."

"Well you did it," Maria patted her daughter on the shoulder again. "Congrats. Hope it will be worth the punishment your father will levy on you when this whole mess with Ben and Logan is cleared up."

"Worth every day I won't have my cellphone and will be locked in my room like an animal while I'm grounded," Jenna ducked, as Maria playfully hit her.

"Way to put on the brutality routine to avoid punishment. Probably would've worked if I was the one handing down the punishment."

"Maybe you could put in a good word?" Jenna optimistically posed.

"I don't think so," Maria beamed. "Nice try though. And don't worry about the sheets either. It's not like you have a job to pay for it anyhow."

"Good point."

"You'll just find an extra list of chores to do under your pillow one day."

"Good, cause I never look under there anyway," Jenna cackled.

"Speaking of that, you should really get some shut eye Jenna. You're gonna need it to fully function and decide on who you're going to be with. I gotta go to work. You can skip school today, but tomorrow I expect you to go out into the real world again and function with human beings, OK?"

"Alright. Thanks mom. I love you."

"Music to my ears," Maria kissed Jenna on the forehead. "I love you too sweetie."

(Maria leaves for work)

(Jenna sees the door slam and sighs, as she looks down at the table)

"Maybe I'll dream a decision if I'm lucky," Jenna hoped to herself outloud, as the credits roll.

(Flashback to when Jenna and Logan are still enemies in seventh grade)

Logan sees Jenna's boyfriend at the time, Kevin Preston, come out of a janitor's closet with someone else's girlfriend making out, as he must decide whether or not he wants to tell Jenna about it.

(Fast-forward a few days later)

Logan decides to tell Jenna about what he saw, but when he does, she doesn't believe him.

(Fast-forward about a week later)

Jenna learns Logan was right when she catches Kevin in the act when she goes over to his house.

"I hope the two of you are very happy with each other, because me and you are finished!" Jenna screamed at Kevin.

(Fast-forward a day later)

"I'm sorry for not believing you Logan, and thank you for telling me about it," Jenna apologized to him at school. "Friends?"

"Sure, you've got it, I guess," Logan accepted, even though he was stunned by this 'friend' word Jenna threw out.

(Fast-forward one month later)

As Jenna and Logan become good friends, Nicki (already evil in seventh grade) spreads a rumor around school that the two of them are now an item.

As Logan thinks of ways to make the gossip go away, he receives a surprise from Jenna.

"You know Logan, one of the ways to make a rumor go away is by saying it's true," Jenna proposed.

"Is that what you want, for the rumor to be true?" Logan raised his eyebrows in surprise. "Because if you did, that would be crazy. We would never work as a couple Jenna, because we hate each other. We're just lucky we're even friends."

"You're right," Jenna agreed, instead of revealing her true feelings for Logan. "I was just throwing all ideas out there, even the crazy ones."

"Do me a favor, OK? The next time you have any crazy ideas, keep them to yourself, or at least don't tell me about them."

(Logan doesn't say this in an angry tone but a jokingly one instead, although Jenna obviously doesn't see it that way)

"OK, will do," Jenna tried to hide the look of hurt on her face.

(Fast-forward to the end of seventh grade when Logan finally develops feelings for Jenna and they become a couple)

Logan's friends' reveal to Jenna's friends' that Logan likes Jenna, but are amazed when Jenna's friends' tell them that Jenna likes Logan back. Both Jenna and Logan's friends come up with a plan to get the two of them to divulge their feelings for each other.

Jenna and Logan meet by the swing set at Bay Beach (the entire seventh grade is having an end-of-the-school-year picnic there) and they both smile at each other, acknowledging that they both realize they like each other as more than friends, and realizing their connection to each other without having to say a word. They begin to hold hands and walk away with each other.

(Fast-forward to eighth grade)

Logan and Jenna have their first fight as a couple, which is astounding to both of them, since they use to clash all the time as friends, but didn't all summer when they dated and up until now, the second week of school. They became so used to not quarreling with each other that they take this fall out really hard, and Jenna has second thoughts about them becoming a couple.

(Later that night, Logan breaks into Jenna's garage and steals her dad, Chris', ladder. He climbs up to her window and knocks on it, scaring the daylights out of Jenna in the process)

"What the hell are you doing and how did you get my dad's ladder out of the garage?" Jenna, bemused, opened her window.

"I broke into your garage and stole it, because I had to tell you how sorry I was, but you wouldn't answer your front door," Logan clarified. "So I had to go to extreme measures to talk to you."

"What are you sorry for?"

"Lots of things."

"What kinds of things?"

"I'm sorry for breaking into your garage and probably breaking your side door on the garage, sorry for stealing your dad's ladder and sorry for scaring you. But most of all, I'm sorry for the fight we had and I hope you can forgive me. We belong together Jenna, and just because we had one little scrap, doesn't mean we shouldn't be a couple."

"You're right. I'm sorry too."

"For what?"

"Lots of things," Jenna pulled Logan into her room and they kissed, as the ladder fell down.

(Fast-forward to Logan and Jenna's break-up in eighth grade)

Logan's fears come true as he gives Jenna a choice: stop being friends with Alessandra or break-up with him, and she chooses Alessandra, breaking his heart.

"I like you more than words can describe Logan, but I can't turn my back on a friend," Jenna confessed.

"We use to be friends, but now you're turning your back on me. So I guess that makes you a hypocrite? We're done, as promised."

(Even if Jenna wants to respond, Logan doesn't give her the chance to, walking away)

(Fast-forward to the next day)

"I'm sorry for what happened, and I still want to be friends," Jenna told Logan.

"Things can never go back to the way they were before we were dating Jenna, and we both knew that before we started going out, which is probably why we kept our feelings for each other to ourselves for so long. And right now, I don't even know if I want to be your friend, because you hurt me so much, that I'm miffed by even looking at you."

"I really need you to be my friend Logan," Jenna pleaded.

"Apparently not enough Jenna, because you chose Alessandra over me," Logan shook his head in dismay. "I'll have to think about being friends again, but for now, I need some time without you in my life."

(Fast-forward to eighth grade graduation)

"Jenna Liverani and Logan Ullman belong together, and I don't care who knows it," Logan declared to the entire eighth grade at graduation.

The embarrassment pays off, however, as after the ceremony, Logan and Jenna share a kiss and get back together, much to the displeasure of Alessandra.

(Fast-forward to ninth grade)

Logan and Jenna's relationship reaches a boiling point when Jenna throws a surprise birthday party for Logan at his house and invites all of her friends, but none of Logan's friends.

"I just thought it would be a good opportunity for you to get to know my friends better," Jenna elucidated.

"That's fine, but why didn't you invite any of my friends to my own party?" Logan was urgent to hear Jenna's excuse. "Why do you refuse to accept that I'm not as popular as you? I won't kowtow to be something I'm not. I'll never be a 'cool kid' like you, but I'm OK with that. I don't understand why you aren't."

"I'm not going to give you an answer Logan, because I know it will just piss you off anyway," Jenna replied, her mood slightly off.

"The party's over Jenna," Logan glared at her. "And so are we."

(Fast-forward to Logan inviting friends over to his house)

When Nate and Tara (Logan's parents) go out-of-town for the weekend, he invites Jason, Warner, Jeremy, Jeff and Mike (Ben hasn't transferred to their school yet) over for a guy's night in sleepover without their permission. The boys end up playing poker and video games, and get drunk by slamming down all of the alcohol they can find in the house.

The boys also end up prank calling a few people, including Ciara Winiecki, Danny and Kristi, and eventually, Warner suggests that Logan should prank call Jenna.

After a little urging on, Logan agrees to do it, but ends up making a fool out of himself and regrets everything he says to Jenna as soon as he gets off the phone, especially when he told her that their relationship meant nothing to him and that he was just using her for sex, but when she didn't put out, he dumped her (which is obviously far from the truth and is just the booze and anger of their bad break-up with each other talking).

(Fast-forward to the next morning)

Logan decides to call Jenna back.

"I'm calling to apologize for being a jackass to you on the phone last night Jenna," Logan stated. "There was no reason for me to do what I did. I don't know what came over me."

"Well, after not being able to sleep last night due to me thinking about what would possess you to act completely out of character, I realized that you were just venting your frustration over our difficult break-up," Jenna sympathized. "So even though that doesn't buy you a 'get out of the doghouse free card,' it does give you my forgiveness. On one condition of course."

"And that would be?"

"We become friends again. Ones that actually talk to each other on a recurrent basis."

"Then friends we shall be Jenna."

(Fast-forward to Valentine's Day, still ninth grade)

Logan goes over to Bliss' house.

"I realized two weeks ago that I still love Jenna. So even though it pains me to do this to you on a holiday as sacred as 'V-Day,' I'm sorry Bliss, but I'm going to have to break-up with you. I thought about doing it tomorrow or the next day, but the truth is, I've been trying to find a means to do it 'the proper way' for 14 days now, and I realized there isn't going to be one. Once again, I'm sorry. You deserve to be with someone much better than me."

"You're right, I deserve to be with someone who won't treat me like grime and someone who wouldn't break my heart on Valentine's Day!" Bliss shrieked.

"Again, I'm really sorry Bliss, and I wish there was something I could do to make you feel better."

"You've done enough."

(Bliss shakes her head)

"Happy Valentine's Day Logan," Bliss finished in a sarcastic voice.

(Bliss slams her door in Logan's face)

Logan then goes over to Jenna's house to confess his feelings for her.

"I'm going to need some time to think about the idea of us getting back together," Jenna divulged.

"OK," Logan handed Jenna the flowers he purchased for her on the way to her house. "Just call me tomorrow when you've made up your mind."

"I'm going to need more time than that."

"How much time?"

(Jenna pauses)

"I don't know. A couple of days, maybe a couple of weeks."

"That's fine," Logan finally riposted, obviously dazed. "Take as much time as you need."

"Thanks again for the flowers you gave me," Jenna complimented. "They're really pretty. Happy Valentine's Day Logan."

(Jenna goes back inside her house)

"Happy Valentine's Day Jenna," Logan mumbled, still having a staggered look on his face, but she was already gone.

(The camera pans through a montage of scenes, with a shot of Jenna crying in her bedroom looking at a picture of her and Logan, a shot of Logan in his room throwing away a picture of him and Bliss, then picking up a picture of him and Jenna and staring at it with a sad look on his face, and finally, a shot of Bliss in her bedroom, looking at a picture of her and Logan in a picture frame, then throwing it across the room and against the wall, shattering the picture frame, as Bliss begins to bawl, and the scene fades out)

(Fast-forward three weeks later)

Jenna finally reveals her decision to Logan about them getting back together.

When Logan doesn't like Jenna's answer, he tries to persuade her to look at their relationship differently than she currently is, but initially fails.

"Give me one good reason why we should get back together Logan!" Jenna cried.

"Because I love you Jenna!" Logan inadvertently blurted out, shocking not only Jenna, but himself, since it's the first time either of them have said those three words to each other before, even though it was already implied.

"You don't love me," Jenna opposed. "You're too young to love anyone."

(Logan gets a dejected look on his face)

"But so am I," Jenna suddenly remarked, with a smile on her face, which turned Logan's frown upside down.

(Logan kisses Jenna, as they get back together)

(Fast-forward to the end of the school year)

Ciara decides not to stay with a friend and instead moves back home with her family.

"I'm leaving town because my dad was offered a promotion back home in Mishitowoc, and he asked me to go with him and the rest of our family. Minus my sister of course, who is going off to ROTC, meaning she'll join the army after two years in college. So basically, it's just me and my parents left. But that's not why I'm not staying. At least it's not the main reason why."

"Then what is?"

"You," Ciara looked Logan straight in the eyes. "I can't stand to watch you and Jenna be in love with each other, and even though I'll miss being your friend, I won't miss playing third wheel to your and Jenna's relationship."

(Logan tries to think of something to say that would convince Ciara to stay but fails, and sends her and her family off)

(Fast-forward to the first day of 10th grade)

Ben reveals to Jenna and Logan that he has a crush on Nicki.

Ben and Jenna really hit it off with each other during an out-of-class business project and learn they are very similar in the way they think and the things they like.

Nicki is paired with Logan for the project and tells him her intentions, and they are far from innocent.

(Logan calls Jenna at the end-of-the-night)

"How did your day with Ben go?" Logan cleared his throat after he spoke.

"Well first, let me solicit you, how did your day with Nicki go?"

"Don't even ask," Logan grunted.

"I can only visualize," Jenna chortled. "Well my day with Ben went really well. It's nice to make a new friend, especially now that Amanda and I aren't close anymore. I guess Amanda was too busy to call me this summer when she was modeling around the United States."

"I thought that Amanda wasn't going to do that?"

"She found a shorter gig," Jenna gave the details with distain. "Originally, Amanda was going to model around the U.S. for one year and drop out of school, then get home-schooled after that while on the road doing more modeling jobs. She ended up doing a three-month modeling stint instead but it paid less. I guess Amanda wanted to do it for the experience more than anything else. I don't know, that's all the information Amanda's mom, Rachel, gave me at least."

"Did you see Amanda at school today?"

"I saw her and she saw me, but as soon as I started walking toward her, Amanda turned the other way and walked away quickly," Jenna scowled.

"I'm sorry," Logan whispered.

"I should have figured it would happen, since our friendship started falling apart in eighth grade when we barely hung out, particularly during the second half of the school year," Jenna tried to pretend it didn't bother her. "We promised each other that things would get better in high school, but they got worse if anything."

"I know what you mean, because the same thing happened to me with Jeff and Jeremy."

"Do you think it will happen to us in time?"

"No, not if I have anything to say about it," Logan promised. "Well, it's getting late and you need to go to bed and get your beauty sleep and I need to get mine as well because we have school tomorrow. I love you."

"I love you too."

"Goodnight Jenna.

"Goodnight Logan."

(Logan hangs up the phone, and looks at a picture of him, Jenna and Ben in his room. Jenna is in the middle, Logan is to her left and Ben is to her right. Logan smiles while looking at the picture)

(The picture focuses in on Logan, as the scene fades into Nicki looking at a picture of Logan in her yearbook, while evilly smiling)

(The scene then cuts to Jenna, looking at a picture of Ben in her yearbook, visibly looking like she really cares about him)

(The scene finally cuts to Ben, looking at the same picture of Logan, Jenna and himself that Logan was looking at, as the camera focuses in on just Jenna and Ben, possibly revealing that Ben has more than "friendly" feelings toward Jenna)

(Fast-forward to the next day)

Ben asks Nicki out but gets rejected.

Logan fights off Nicki's advances toward him.

"I always fall for the girls that are either a bitch or taken," Ben moaned.

"I'm sorry that Nicki doesn't like you back Ben," Jenna expressed regret. "But I'm sure there's someone out there for you, because you're a great guy. Any girl would be lucky to have you as their boyfriend."

"I've already moved on to someone else," Ben let slip.

"Is it someone I know?"

"It's someone you know very well," Ben couldn't have made it more obvious for Jenna.

"That's good, because I can set the two of you up then."

"You can't Jenna, because the girl is already taken, and I'm really good friends with her boyfriend and wouldn't want to do that to him."

(Jenna finally realizes what Ben is saying without him actually saying it)

"I think we've done enough work for tonight," Jenna closed her book loudly. "We can finish the rest tomorrow. I'll walk you out."

(Just as Ben's about to leave Jenna's house, he turns back and kisses Jenna)

(Fast-forward to the next day)

"I love you," Logan wrapped his arms around Jenna by her locker at school.

"I know," Jenna didn't return the favor, refusing to say 'I love you too' to him like she normally did.

(Fast-forward to later that night)

Nicki throws herself at Logan.

"I love Jenna Nicki!" Logan was firm in his stance. "Period. End of sentence. No if's, and's or but's about it."

"If you wait for Jenna to have sex, you'll be waiting forever," Nicki claimed.

"I'd rather wait forever for Jenna than have a one-night stand with you and risk getting an STD."

Jenna regrets kissing Ben and tries to avoid talking about it with him at all costs.

"The kiss, it was a huge mistake and Logan can never find out about it," Jenna insisted.

(Jenna and Ben aren't able to get much work done on their project because discussions of the kiss keep coming up)

"I can finish the project on my own and you can just go home OK?" Jenna screeched, frustrated.

"Fine!" Ben angrily stormed out of Jenna's room and slammed her door.

(Ben then thinks for a second, runs back to the door and opens it)

(Jenna is standing there, and the two of them look at each other for a moment, before avidly kissing one another)

(Fast-forward to the next day)

Jenna and Ben decide to reveal to Logan that they kissed numerous times at Jenna's house.

(Logan is stunned by their confession, and doesn't say anything)

"We're sorry Logan, and we wanted to tell you before we went any further," Jenna looked down, ashamed.

"I can't believe my ears!" Logan shrieked. "Are you going to be a couple now?"

"Yes Logan, we are," Ben decisively confirmed. "We need to know if there's anything special there between the two of us."

(Logan punches Ben)

"You're lucky you're a girl Jenna, otherwise I'd punch you too!" Logan was mad, but not mad enough to go to jail.

(Logan composes him as much as he possibly can in this situation)

"What do you want from me?" Logan blubbered.

"Nothing," Ben and Jenna both maintained.

"Was this little meeting you arranged between the three of us set so you could get my sanction to become a couple? Well you know what? You got it! I hope you're very glad together, because your friendships with me are done! I hope your fling is worth throwing everything else away that matters to you!"

(Ben tries to stop Logan from leaving)

"Unless you want a matching black-eye to go with the other eye, I'd advise you to remove your hand off my arm Ben!" Logan coldly roared.

(Ben lets Logan go, as he exits Jenna's house, leaving Ben and Jenna standing there weeping and thunderstruck)

(Fast-forward to the next day)

Logan is a complete mess and refuses to go to school or even leave his room for that matter.

Warner tries to cheer Logan up and convince him to go to school, but fails, so he tries another tactic.

"You should just be happy that your parents' are still together and that you can actually get a girlfriend Logan!" Warner was fed up with him feeling sorry for himself. "There are people far worse off in this world than you, and just because you broke up with your girlfriend and lost one of your friends, it doesn't mean that the world is over."

"I'm sorry for being inconsiderate of your feelings Warner, but I can't help it. I got my heart broken, and what's worse is that I was absolutely betrayed by two of the most important people in my life."

Jenna and Ben question if them getting together will do more harm than good when people give them a hard time at school, but realize the damage is already done, so there's not much more they can do except be together, see if anything is there and hope in time that Logan will forgive them.

(Fast-forward to "the first date")

When Jenna and Ben go on their first official date together, Logan gets wind of it and spies on them by going on a date with Nicki. This creates a very awkward situation, in which the four of them run into each other.

"So, you're dating Nicki now, huh?" Jenna awkwardly inquired.

"Yep," Logan substantiated. "Hopefully she won't cheat on me with one of my friends."

(Logan walks away from Jenna)

This leads to Jenna and Ben's first fight as a couple.

"I just don't understand what Logan sees in Nicki!"

"Well I don't understand why you care so much about who Logan dates when you're with me now Jenna!" Ben fired back.

(Fast-forward a week later)

"Why do you never get into a serious relationship ever with a guy?"

"I always fall for the bad guys Logan," Nicki enlightened. "They never make a long-term commitment to me, so I never do to them."

"I'm not a bad guy Nicki."

"I know," Nicki smiled pleasantly for once. "That's why I really like you."

(This makes Logan feel sorry for Nicki and makes him feel bad for using her to make Jenna jealous)

(Fast-forward to Logan's break-up)

Logan breaks up with Nicki because he can't stand using her anymore, especially when she tells him that she loves him for the very first time.

Logan's break-up with Nicki turns her back into her old wicked self, but even worse this time around.

One of the first things "old" Nicki does is get a fake ID so she can get drunk every night and ease her sorrows. She ends up getting caught, however, when one of the bartenders is a parent of a student at Ash Port and recognizes her.

(Flashback to present-day)

After pondering her long history with Logan and short, but meaningful history with Ben, Jenna decides to go to Ben's house first to break the big news.

"As much as I want to Ben, I can't get the image of you and Nicki in bed together out of my head," Jenna confessed.

"I didn't want to sleep with Nicki," Ben exclaimed, incensed. "I was drugged."

"I know that. That's why I'm going to give you another chance. But things can never be the same between the two of us."

Featured Music:

"Black Balloon" By Goo Goo Dolls (Scene where Logan tells Jenna about her cheating boyfriend but she doesn't believe him)

"Have You Ever?" By Brandy (Scene where Logan rejects Jenna's feelings toward him)

"First Date" By Blink 182 (Scene where Logan steals the ladder to see Jenna)

"Blurry" By Puddle of Mudd (Scene where Logan and Jenna break-up in eighth grade)

"Goodbye To You" By Michelle Branch (Scene where Logan and Jenna break up in ninth grade)

"Till I Get Over You" By Michelle Branch (Scene where Logan calls Jenna after the guy's night in)

"Acoustic #3" By Goo Goo Dolls (Scene where Logan dumps Bliss and Jenna rejects Logan)

"I'm With You" By Avril Lavinge (Scene where Logan and Jenna reunite in ninth grade)

"Broken" By Seether featuring Amy Lee (Scene where Ben and Jenna reveal their feelings for each other to Logan)

"Rest In Pieces" By Saliva (Scene where Logan sulks with Warner)

Author Notes:

-Ciara appears for the first time in the series. Since she appears just once in the first eight episodes, she receives a 'Special Guest Star' credit for this episode instead of adding her to the opening credits just for this episode, which is almost entirely in flashback form.

-Hayley and Ana don't appear in this episode. This marks the first episode of the series not to feature Hayley or Ana.