THE MISFIT: CHAPTER FOUR “There he is,” Logan heard someone behind him say as he walked to the spot in the schoolyard where he had first met Eddie. It sounded like they were scared of him, and with good reason. Logan was going to kick some major butt today. Eddie spotted Logan as he walked toward him like he had done in the parking lot the day before. The crowd of friends Eddie had around him quickly spread out. They were clearly afraid of Logan. Eddie got up from the picnic table he was sitting on. He let out a long, deep breath and held his ribs as he stood. Logan had done a number on him, making the job at hand that much easier. “You ready to go again?” Logan asked with words so cold they could have turned a man to ice. “I’d rather not,” Eddie said with absolutely no hostility in his voice at all. “You’ll kick my ass today. You would have yesterday if Jim here wouldn’t have hit you in the head with a pipe,” Eddie said patting one of his friends on the back. Logan looked at the small boy who immediately backed down from Logan’s menacing glare. “So that’s who helped you,” Logan said calming his tone to help the boy relax. Logan didn’t want him, he wanted Eddie. “Why’d you set me on that bench?” Logan asked. “It’s not good to go laying around in parking lots.” Eddie said still keeping his friendly tone. “That doesn’t answer my question,” Logan growled. “You’re the best fighter I’ve ever met,” Eddie admitted, his tone finally breaking a little. “I’ve won state Tae Kwon Do tournaments for the last three years. I’ve never lost a fight in my life, but if I wouldn’t have had help you would have beat me easily,” Eddie said with wonder and even a little contempt in his voice. “How much training have you had?” Eddie asked. “None,” Logan answered plainly. “No way,” Eddie said obviously shocked. “No martial arts, no boxing, no wrestling?” “Nope,” “Wow. Anyway I don’t want to fight you again.” Eddie turned to his crowd of friends. “Hey guys, why don’t you let us talk alone,” he said. Logan and Eddie talked for the rest of the lunch period. They had gained a lot of respect for each other. * * * * * * * That night, before he went to bed Logan sat on the large, padded sill of his window. He just sat there and looked at the stars as he often did. He had “the feeling” again. That utter loneliness that told him he was far from home. Logan reviewed the day’s events. He had made a friend of the kid he had gone to school to hurt. Needless to say his father was speechless when he found out hat his son wouldn’t be suspended. For some reason Logan felt that he wasn’t his father’s child. But that was stupid, of course he was. Over the next five years Logan and Eddie became great friends. They did almost everything together. Logan even started Tae Kwon Do training and soon exceeded his statewide legend of a friend in both skill and rank. Within a year and a half Logan earned his black belt. That’s about half the time it usually takes. In another year Logan was rewarded with his second-degree black belt, again about twice as fast as usual. In another two years Logan was promoted to third-degree black belt. During his training Logan won the state championship three times and even won nationals once. Logan became quite a celebrity within the small town and was friends with everyone. After a while the other kids even started dressing like him and eventually took up his style of music too. Eddie stayed the same though, keeping the same personality. The two became as close as brothers. Alone everyone knew they were dangerous, but together they were thought to be unstoppable. Logan eventually mastered the art of guitar playing and even started a band with Eddie as the singer. At times, and only for a moment, Logan could forget the loneliness that he was seemingly born with. Although Logan could never bring himself to call the little town home, he did feel that he was truly happy there right up until his graduation, which brings me back to where we started. * * * * * * * “Only a few more minutes,” Logan thought to himself as he watched his fellow classmates file down to the front of the stage to receive their diplomas. Logan had been waiting for this day for the last five years. He had seen a lot of glory in the little farm town, but know it was time to go. It was almost four o’ clock now and the graduation ceremony would soon be over. “Logan Hall,” came a voice from over the microphone. It was Logan’s turn to get his diploma. Logan walked down from the stand he was on and went to the front of the stage. Standing in wait of him was a man Logan had spent a lot of time with over the last five years, the principal. Instead of just handing Logan his diploma and allowing Logan to walk on, the man decided to make a speech about his favorite pupil. The entire town knew Logan. The entire town loved Logan. He was something different. He had his own style and his own way of doing things. In the eyes of the townspeople Logan was a born leader, he just didn’t know it yet. The speech went on for a few minutes, a few minutes longer than Logan wanted it to. Due to a lack of attention Logan didn’t realize what the man was saying about him, nor did he want to. Logan just wanted to leave. Suddenly the crowd erupted in laughter. The principal must have said something funny. “What do you think about that Logan?” he asked. “Yeah whatever,” Logan responded staring into the blackness in front of the stage. He knew the crowd was sitting there, but with the lighting the way it was he could see nothing. Then suddenly it hit again. The feeling, the sickening feeling that he was once again all alone. Logan couldn’t listen to the old man blow any more wind. He had to get off the stage. With the principal still talking Logan grabbed the diploma and quickly walked off the stage. It was planned that the graduates would walk around the stage and then go back to their original position on the stand. With this new development Logan chose not to. Instead he just kept walking until he came to the exit of the auditorium. Logan walked through it and into the hallway it led to. Logan walked down the hall and simultaneously shed his cap and gown, exposing his normal clothes, which were previously underneath. At the end of the hall was a small flight of stairs with a door leading to the back parking lot at the top. Logan walked up the stairs and out the door. He then walked around the school to the picnic table where he had first seen Eddie and where he knew Eddie would look for him after the graduation ceremony ended. The sun was still shining bright and showing almost no sign of setting soon. “Why does this always happen? Why can’t I just be happy?” Logan asked himself. He could never control when the feeling came on. It seemed to just come at random. Logan had been happy for the last five years and the feeling hadn’t come for a long, long time. Logan was starting to think that he was rid of it, but now it had come back stronger than ever. With the sickening feeling came two emotions now. The first was despair, which always accompanied it. Logan felt that he was helpless. That some great danger was coming and there was nothing he could do about it. The next feeling had only come a few times. It was almost indescribable. It was a fusion of anger, aggression, and longing. Like he had some great mission, some valiant adventure. In a way it was a feeling of bravery and responsibility, like he was being depended upon to protect something, or someone. Like I said it was almost impossible to describe. Logan had been sitting for almost fifteen minutes now and he couldn’t wait much longer. He was becoming eager now, like some great opportunity would pass him by if he sat there any longer. Tonight was going to be good. Logan had been planning for years to take Eddie back to Miami and tonight, after a Tae Kwon Do class and a little partying, it would finally happen. “Yo Logan. What’s up?” yelled a familiar voice from a distance. Logan looked up to see the source of the voice although he already knew who it was. It was Eddie. Logan didn’t respond. Instead he just watched as Eddie walked up to him. “Hey man what’s wrong?” Eddie asked, obviously concerned. “Did it come again?” Eddie and Logan were as close as brothers now, and Logan had told Eddie everything about himself. Well, everything except for the fact that he had a tail. Not even his parents knew about that. “Yeah,” was Logan’s simple response. “Are you going to be alright man?” Eddie asked knowing that Logan, with his strong will, would act like it wasn’t getting to him at all. “Yeah I’m fine,” Logan said with the expected answer. “Are you ready for tonight?” Logan asked trying to lighten the mood. “Hell yeah I’m ready, but uh what’s the plan?” Eddie asked excitedly. “Oh, I thought we’d go party tonight after class, then we’ll get a room by the airport and leave in the morning.” Logan explained. “Sound good?” “Yeah, sounds great. I have to go eat dinner with some family now. See you at class tonight?” Eddie asked. “Yeah dude I’ll be there,” Logan said. He was starting to forget the dark feeling that had drug him down for so much of his life. “Oh dude. My parents won’t be home then. They have to take my grandparents to the airport and my car’s still broke down, so can you give me a ride?” Logan asked. “Of course I’ll give you a ride man. So I’ll be by your house about six then?” Eddie asked to confirm the time. “Six? Class doesn’t start until seven dude,” Logan said with a hint of suspicion. “Didn’t Mr. Siders (their instructor) tell you? He wants all the black belts to show up early tonight for a special black belts class,” Eddie explained. It wasn’t at all like their instructor to forget something like this. Especially not when it involved Logan or Eddie. “No. He didn’t,” Logan responded letting his suspicion be apparent now. “Oh well,” he said clearing his voice of any wonder. “I guess he just forgot. It happens. Yeah I’ll be ready at six,” “See you later,” Eddie said as he started to turn and walk away. “Yeah, later,” Logan said back.