Chapter 17 #3
Seeing Joel’s parents makes me wonder how my mom is doing and whether she’s waiting up for me to come home.
Logan comes back not long after with a massive basket of fries and slides into the booth across from me.
“The size of this basket never fails to amaze me,” Logan says as he grabs a fry and tosses it into his mouth.
“I thought you weren’t hungry.”
He rolls his eyes. “That was three hours ago. Now I’m hungry. Do I have to lecture you about how satiety works, Alex?”
I kick his shin softly under the table.
His whole face lights up, and he picks up a fry and throws it at me. I try to dodge it, but it hits me square in the nose instead. I let out a belly laugh and fall back against the booth.
“You need to watch your mouth, or there’s more where that came from,” Logan says, shoveling more fries into his mouth.
I finally grab some of my own.
I moan as I eat one. They’re perfectly salty and crispy at the same time, as all fries should be.
Logan gives me a weird look, and his eyes linger on my mouth.
“What?” I ask.
He clears his throat. “Nothing.”
I decide not to push whatever he was thinking about.
Logan leans forward in the booth. “I got an A+ on the leads assignment you helped me with, if you must know.”
“Congrats! If I had a giant cooler of Gatorade, I’d pour it all over you,” I say, holding up my hand for a high-five.
He smacks his hand against mine. “Thanks. It’s probably the best grade I’ll get in the class, but I’ll take it.”
I purse my lips. “Well, I can help you with your assignments if you want…”
He looks at me in surprise. “You would?”
I nod. “Yeah, of course. What else are friends for?”
Logan chuckles. “I think that makes you more of a tutor than a friend.”
“Well, why can’t I be both?”
“Because that’s a very unprofessional relationship, Fields,” Logan says in a playfully earnest voice.
I roll my eyes. “Oh my God, you’re unbelievable.”
He takes another handful of fries. “But aren’t you busy enough as it is? You have The Goldberg, your classes, the cafe. How would you have time to help me so much?”
He does make a good point.
It’s like he’s telling me I should stop doing whatever this is and stop kidding myself that I just want to be his friend.
It would help, too. I already have too much on my plate.
If my mom’s treatments don’t work, I’d feel terrible watching her get worse while I get distracted.
“I mean, I’m not saying I’d help you all the time, but... whenever you need it, you know? As long as I’m free and my sister or mom don’t need any help…”
Logan lifts an eyebrow. “What would your mom and sister need help with?”
I swallow.
I hadn’t meant to bring them up, but they’re integral to my life, and all of this juggling I’m doing is inherently tied to them.
“My mom is, uh... she’s sick, and she can’t take care of my little sister as much, so I’ve been picking up the slack to help keep things... going smoothly, I guess.”
I run a hand through my hair and avert my eyes from Logan’s.
“I’m so sorry, Alex. I didn’t know,” he says softly, like he’s talking to an injured bird.
I shake my head. “It’s okay. I haven’t, uh... I haven’t talked to many people about it. I just—just wanted...”
I sigh.
“I don’t know. I just need something to make the weight not feel so heavy, you know? Sometimes that’s going to football games, or working on a piece, or... helping you with your homework. I’m willing to do it if it means I can have a little bit of levity, you know?”
Logan squints. “Levity?”
“A bit of lightheartedness.”
He nods, tapping his fingers nervously on the table. “Is she... is she going to be okay?”
I inhale. “I’m not sure. She has Multiple Sclerosis, so her motor abilities are the most affected. She has a hard time walking and moving around, but she just started treatment. That’s why I took the job at the cafe, to... help pay the bills. Hopefully, she won’t lose her ability to move.”
Logan puffs out a breath. “That’s a lot of responsibility.”
I nod. “Yeah, but... she’s worth it. I wouldn’t trade any of it for anything else. And so is Naomi, even if she can be a pain in the ass sometimes.”
Logan laughs. “How old is she?”
“Ten, so she’s not fully a teenager yet, but she’s sure as hell developing the attitude of one.”
Logan beams. “Where’s your dad?”
I roll my eyes. “He fucked off and pretended like we don’t exist. He was always like that. Here one day, gone the next. That’s how we ended up with Naomi so late in their marriage... I don’t know how my mom put up with it for so long. I just wish he’d left us with some money...”
Logan’s face crumples, and I realize how sad my story sounds, but I try not to dwell on it. There’s no point in wallowing in what I’m going through.
Logan drums his fingers on the table and purses his lips like he’s contemplating saying something. I fall silent to let him speak his mind.