Lost And Found

9.You don't need the baggage.

"Here you go." Dean said handing Logan her burger and chips before taking his own from the bag.

They had just gotten home from the school and had stopped on the way to grab something to eat. The car ride was silent and awkward, mostly because Logan couldn't tell if Dean was angry at her and Dean didn't know if he had the right to be.

"You didn't have to go to the school." Logan said after taking a sip of her coke.

"I didn't. But I did." Dean responded not looking at her.

"My mom's going to be so pissed." Logan said after a while.

"Why did you hit her?" Dean asked ignoring her statement, only because he didn't know what to say.

Logan shrugged. "She's been asking for it."

Dean smiled, amused. "Care to elaborate?"

"She's been riling me up for years for no apparent reason. She used to be my friend up to the ninth grade. Today was the last straw."

"Why was today the last straw?"

"Why does this feel like an interrogation?" Logan asked, eyebrows arched.

Dean laughed. "You remind me so much of someone I used to know."

"They felt interrogated by you too?" Logan asked amused.

"Yeah, she said that she always felt like I was interrogating her."

Logan noticed a pained look pass Dean's features, but it was gone just as fast as it came.

"She called me an orphan." Logan said after a while.

Dean looked at her confused.

"Jennifer, she called me an orphan. Then she kissed Freddie. That's why I hit her."

"Freddie?" Dean asked as if it was the only word he heard in the sentence.

"Yeah, he's sort of my best friend. He's the only one that I actually hang around with. We have a group of friends, but it has always just been us."

Dean nodded. "Why would Jennifer kissing Freddie be a problem though?"

Logan looked at him, opening her mouth to talk but then closing it when she couldn't think of a good response. She shrugged.

"Have you thought that maybe you might like him?" Dean asked slowly, careful of his words.

"Of course I do. He's my bestfriend, I have to like him. I'll be in my room." Logan said standing up abruptly and going up the stairs, not giving Dean a chance to say anything.

When she got to her room, she threw herself on the bed and scram into her pillow.

Dean's question repeating itself in her head.

*

Logan was awakened from her nap by a knock on her bedroom door.

"Who is it?" She said sitting up and running her hands through her hair.

"It's Freddie."

She sat up straight in her bed, looking at the door as if it were a ghost.

"Logan? Can I come in?" Freddie asked when she didn't answer.

"It's open!" She called out after coming back to her senses.

Freddie walked in with a worried look on his face. Logan looked at the face she had grown to know so well, the blond hair that was always the perfect balance of messy and neat and the dark brown eyes that had always been able to console her.

Looking at him this way, she could see why he attracted so much attention. He very good looking, well built and had a nonchalant attitude towards almost everyone. It was a deadly combination. Most people wanted to be part of the selected few that he gave his attention to.

The selected few that Logan was a part of, first in line of.

"What happened?" He asked taking a seat at the edge of her bed as if scared to go further.

"I got suspended." She answered as if it wasn't a big deal.

"Why?"

"I hit Jennifer, she had it coming. She took it too far today."

Freddie shifted uncomfortably, guilt masking his face. He scratched the back of his neck and sighed. "I knew it wasn't a good idea to go on that damn trip."

"Don't talk to me as if I have no self control, you don't always have to be around to take care of me. I don't need a babysitter at school too, and you don't need the baggage." Logan said irritated.

"Logan you aren't baggage. I'm always with you because I want to be, because I like to be." He stood up and walked towards the window. "Is that what you think? That you're baggage?"

"I don't know. I probably am. Maybe I just stop you from doing the things you want to do because I'm too busy being your shadow."

"Being my shadow?" Freddie asked, an incredulous look on his face. "Is that really how you feel? What could you possibly be holding me back from doing?"

"I don't know, you tell me!" Logan shouted, the accusation clear in her voice.

Freddie walked over to the bed and sat right in front of her. Logan brought her knees up, resting her chin on them and wrapping her hands around her legs.

"Pearson." He said in a soft voice. "Where is all this coming from?"

She wanted to tell him that it came from seeing him lip locking another girl, especially when that girl was Jennifer.

"Sorry to interrupt." Georgie said walking in the room. "Logan, it's time to go see your mom."

Logan nodded and sat up, putting on her shoes then standing up.

"I'm coming with, if that's okay with you." Freddie said standing up.

"Freddie you don't have to." Logan said.

"No, but I want to." Freddie responded.

"Okay then kids, lets get going then!" Georgie said turning around and walking out.

Logan followed and Freddie joined her, putting an arm around her shoulders.

She smiled at the familiarity of the moment, but couldn't help thinking that something had definitely changed.