Sweetheart

Ditch

The next day, I got up early and got ready. I shrugged on my jacket as it was cold here in Maine. I grabbed my phone from its charger and checked the time before slipping it in my pocket. 7: 20. I had just about enough time to grab some breakfast. Walking downstairs, careful not to slip on the steps in my socks, I could tell Dad had already left for work because the house was silent except for the hum of the heater. Good. He wouldn't be here to threaten Logan again. And possibly scare him away, though I didn't know for the life of me why he hadn't been scared away the first time.  I would've, that's for sure!

I sat on the steps, chewing on a granola bar while unwrapping the plastic cover off my mocha. They were so addictive. I'd already had five bottles in the past three days! I checked my watch, reading the time. It read 7: 26. Perfect, he should be here any minute now... provided he was on time. When I shifted my eyes from my watch to stretch my legs, a pair of Converse blocked my path. I blinked and snapped my head up, causing black spots to dance in front of my eyes.

I blinked a few more times, then gave him a small smile, picking up my backpack and mocha. Slinging it over my shoulders, I walked over to his silver Toyota and pulled open the door.

"Are you coming?"

Logan was still staring at the place I had been sitting and hadn't moved an inch. When he heard my voice, his head moved up to look me squarely in the eyes. I was surprised at the startling intensity of the blue in his eyes, which made me look away before he spoke.

"What, no 'Hello'?"

"Hi. Happy? We're going to be late for school, we can talk in the car, so come on!" I replied while throwing my backpack at the foot of the passenger seat and collapsing on the seat. While I pulled the seat belt over my chest and slammed the door shut, Logan rolled his eyes and walked around to the driver's side. He sat down and made a point of closing his door more quietly than me. This time, I rolled my eyes and snorted. He glanced at me for a moment, then turned to face the rear view mirror.

"Chillax, we won't be late. We've still got a half hour."

"Chillax? Who says that?" 

"I do. Now let's get to the point. You and I both know what you're going to ask." Before I could say anything, he continued. " Have you ever heard of the Black Oil and Motors?" I nodded. It was a global company and very famous. "My grandparents started a trust fund for all the inheritants of the company when they turned eighteen. My father had one too. Now I have a trust fund because-"

"Wait, your family owns Black Oil and Motors?" I gasped in shock. I'd never made the connection with his last name and the compay's name. I mean, Black was a pretty common last name. He kept his eyes on the road, passing a few cars.

"Yes. As I was saying, I'm going to inherit the company once I finish my business degree in college. Actually, I wouldn't have the money if Luke had accepted the job. So, now I'm stuck with it. Luke wants to be an architect." He added at the end. We were almost at the school, passing the 'Slow Down for Children' sign. 

"That's not fair. You don't have a choice?" My brows furrowed as I asked this. 

"No, If I refuse, they'll disown me. And worse." He chuckled bitterly. "And who said life was fair?"

I pursed my lips at this, thinking. Why would Luke do this? He didn't seem like the type who would dump all this on their sibling, no matter how much the cost. But, as if he'd read my mind, Logan added, "Luke didn't want to do this to me. I forced him to since I knew how much he wanted to be an architect."

By this time, we'd reached the parking lot and people had begun to stare at us, probably wondering what a girl like me was doing in a car with a guy like him. This time, I ignored them and replied, "Well, you're a great guy, but you shouldn't dump all this on you. Can't you talk to your dad or grandparents? What does your mom think about this?" We parked in one of the closest spots to the school available, which wasn't too hard to find since we still had a lot of time before the first period bell rang.