The Boy That Stole My Heart

CHAPTER TWELVE

     School came and I was almost offended by how excited Logan was about it but i understood. This was his first year going to school since he got sick and unlike me he actually enjoyed it.
     We stood out front waiting for the bus, him bouncing excitedly and me trying my best to sleep while standing, swaying back and forth like a tree. He had arrived at my house thirty five minutes before the bus came, hair combed, blazer ironed, and I had barely managed to brush my teeth. I kept having to push him away from trying to straighten my tie, and tuck in the back of my shirt, his OCD getting the best of him and he was unable to let it go. Use
     We sat together and I listened to him babble about literally everything, turning to me every few moments asking "are you listening?"
     When we arrived it hit me that we would actually be apart for an entire day and I didn't like that one bit. All of his classes were advanced placement courses that I would never be able to get into. It was kind of a wake up call. When we met, I was the tough athletic one and he was the smart one. Now not only was he smart, he was a better pitcher than me and I'd fight anyone who tried to say that he wasn't tough. Not many people could go through what he had and still be so upbeat and chipper. I know that I couldn't.
     "You know my classes," I said to him before we parted. "Anyone messes with you and you know where to find me."
      He gave me a stern look. "No. No more fighting."
       "Okay."
       "Promise?"
      I couldn't help but smile as he held his pinky out and I locked mine with it. "I promise you dork."
      "The first day is always the worst," I kept thinking to myself as the day progressed much slower than it should have. I caught a glimpse of Logan once, in between classes, prancing down the hallway in a hurry, smiling and giving me a wave that made my heart flutter.
     "Hey do you think we could walk down to the baseball field?"
     I sighed in exasperation. "How the hell do you have so much energy man? We will miss the bus and then we gotta walk home. It's hot!"
     "Please Ellie, please?" He begged, pulling at my sleeve, using that stupid nickname and fluttering those stupid golden eyelashes that were much to long and pretty to be a boy's and I caved, acutely aware that he was drawing a lot of attention. Word had gotten out about the incident and people were trying hard to get a glimpse of out unlikely duo.
     "Fine," I said sullenly, watching the busses drive away as I let myself be dragged in the opposite direction.
     "It's big!" He exclaimed happily as we reached the fence, looking around in awe.
     There was no practice today but there were people everywhere, hanging out in the stands and a mock game in progress out on the field. One of the ones where people tagged in and out at will and there was no score.
     "I wanna pitch," he told me, mesmerized by the game. "I wanna play Ellie. I wanna play!"
     I frowned, hating how excited he sounded. "Uh, I don't know..."
     "Why? Will they not let me?"
     How was I supposed to follow my dad's instructions? Tell him he wasn't any different than any other boy but he couldn't play with them. How the fuck did I make that work. How was it fair?
     "Ellie, I will be okay," he said laying his hand on my arm, looking up at me with eyes much too wise. "You have to trust me."
     I sighed, pushing my hand through my hair. "Kelter! Tag out!"
     The boy on the mound turned to see who called him and smiled jogging over to us. "Thank God you're back bro! I can't pitch worth a shit! You going lefty?"
     "Logan's going to pitch."
     He eyed the boy incredulously as if I were joking. "Uh, you sure?"
     "Can't be much worse than you."
     He laughed loudly. "That's true! I'm Kevin, Kevin Kelter. Everyone calls me Kelter."
     "I'm Logan."
     "Cool beans. I got an uncle named Logan but everyone calls him Bobby."
     Logan scrunched his nose. "Why?"
     "Y'know.... I don't know. Anyway what ya say? You up for it?"
     Logan smiled. "I'll try my best."
     Kelter turned to the guys. "I'm tagging out! Little Logan's gonna pitch."
     "That little shit?" Someone called back.
     I felt my face grow hot but Kelter and Logan both laughed.
     "I got ten for everyone that he strikes out." Kelter boasted and everyone jumped up wanting a piece of the action.
     I looked down at Logan. "Time to test your mettle."
     "It's okay. I had a pretty good teacher," he told me with a unusual grin. "You're going to watch me right?"
     I ruffled his hair. "I wouldn't miss it."
     I went and sat up in the stands, kicking back to watch the show.  Logan was smaller than almost every other boy on the field and everyone of them was watching him. He was building quite a contradictory reputation, wearing diapers to school, fighting in the bathroom, and  now calling out every hitter on the baseball field. It didn't matter if the fighting was my fault and the baseball was Kelter's.
     "STRIKE!"
     Everyone was silent. There was no jeering or shit talking. Everyone right then at that moment was witnessing something magical.
     "STRIKE!"
     The first could have been a fluke. The second possibly had a little skill.
The third, Logan looked up at me and waved, everyone's eyes following his over to me and back, a few snickers, probably some rude remarks, and then Logan launched a knuckle ball that most professionals couldn't and everyone went wild, screaming loudly and clapping, booing the batter off the field.
     It was a slaughter. One strike after another, the ball jumping or dipping, and no one ever knowing where to swing. He was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen before, on the mound in his t-shirt, his hair plastered to his face with sweat, and his tongue stuck between his teeth in concentration.
     "He's really good," a girl said from beside me. I hadn't even noticed her sit down. Her name was Rachel and I recognized her from a few of my classes though we hadn't spoken before.
     I wasn't really in the mood for a conversation so I just nodded, doing the thing where you look somewhere else as if you are waiting for something in hopes that they will just go away until I felt her hand on my thigh.
     " I think it's so sweet what you are doing for him."
     I looked at her then. "What are you talking about?"
     "Y'know... Playing friends with the diaper boy. Making him feel accepted."
     I clenched my fist but Logan's voice chimed in my head, "promise?" So I leaned over close to her instead. "You should thank him."
     "Huh? For what?"
     "Because he's the only thing that's keeping me from knocking your teeth down your throat," I informed her in the sweetest voice I could manage. "But if you don't get your fucking hand off me I might not be able to help myself."