Dyslexia ~A Logan Sanders One Shot~

dyslexia

It was just another school day filled with frustration for Logan. He wasn't stupid like the people who didn't know him said, or lazy like the teachers said he was. He always tried his best all the time, it wasn't his fault the work made no sense to him.

"Why aren't you doing your work?" The teacher asked him as she'd walked over.

"I'm thinking," was his reply.

"No one thinks for that long. Do your work and stop daydreaming."

The poor six year old was almost in tears as he stared at his workbook in front of him.

~☆~☆~☆~☆~

It was parents evening. It wasn't going well for Logan.

"He's a smart boy, if only he'd apply himself."

"He needs to stop daydreaming."

"He could do well if he'd only do his work."

"Your son is lazy."

These words hurt. Sure he was sitting outside but he still heard them. His ears were annoyingly good. He couldn't escape.

He tried to tell himself he didn't care anymore. It didn't work.

The ten year old sat there waiting impatiently for his parents, once again trying not to cry.

~☆~☆~☆~☆~

"Logan have you heard of dyslexia?"

He shook his head at the unexpected question. He'd never heard of it. Dis-whaty now?

"Ok Logan I'm going to need you to answer a few questions for me now ok?" The teacher looked at him expectantly. He nodded. He didn't like talking, no one listened.

She asked him to spell out a few words, write some sentences and various other things of that manner.

Turns out he wasn't stupid or lazy. He just wasn't being taught in a way that made sense to him. He had a learning disability and none of this was his fault.

The twelve year old wanted to scream. Surely this could have been seen earlier, right? It wasn't a very time consuming test, it lasted less than forty-five minutes.

~☆~☆~☆~☆~

Parents evening was here again. Logan had expected more of the same negative reviews he'd been getting his whole life. However he was surprised to get only one negative remark from one of his teachers, his art teacher if you were curious.

It didn't make any sense. He'd finally given up on trying at school. Why was he suddenly getting a glowing report card?

The thirteen year old was confused. If working hard brought negativity and not even bothering got him positivity then why surely not trying was the way to live his life. But that went against everything his parents told him.

~☆~☆~☆~☆~

The thirteen year old was placed in the top classes for his year. He was the second best at chemistry in his year group. This only further proved Logan's rapidly forming hypothesis.

~☆~☆~☆~☆~

Logan had only barely graduated. He felt horrible but that's how you succeed. You don't try because when you do failure is enviable.

He went home and lay in bed.
He did that for a long time.

~☆~☆~☆~☆~

He'd flunked college. Maybe those teachers were right. Maybe Logan really was stupid.

He lay back in his bed and read.
He did that for a long time.

~☆~☆~☆~☆~

"Logan why did you buy those glasses? You don't need them?" His friend Patricia had asked.

"They make me feel smart." He'd replied trying to make himself as small as possible.

"Logan," Pat placed her hand on Logan's shoulder, "you don't need those glasses to be smart. You already are one of the smartest people I know."

"Logically I know I don't need them to be smart. But they make me feel better about myself."

All the twenty-five year old wanted was to be smart. To be seen as smart.
He didn't realise that the ones who really mattered already knew he was.

~☆~☆~☆~☆~

He'd been doing some research.
It turns out he had a learning disability called dyscalcula as well as dyslexia. He'd been told that they were the same thing though he was quickly learning that was false.
Dyslexia affects literacy whereas dyscalcula affects numeracy.
All the more reason to distrust the schooling system.

~☆~☆~☆~☆~

"I'm so proud of you Logan!!!" Pat cried pulling the string from a party popper covering Logan in colourful streamers.

"Pat all I've done is got an interview." He'd laughed covering his friend in the contents of another party popper.

The twenty-eight year old had decided to go to college to study chemistry. He just had to get in first.

~☆~☆~☆~☆~

When Patricia had come to him uncharacteristically nervous Logan swore he'd do anything to get his bubbly friend back. So when she'd said that she was a he and his name was Patton, Logan accepted him and bought them celebotory pancakes.

He was suddenly glad he'd done research and knew about transgender people. Who knows, if he hadn't he might have done something stupid and lost his best friend. That really would have sucked.
That and Patton's twin brother Roman would have punched him again and that is to be avoided at all costs. He has one heck of a right hook.

~☆~☆~☆~☆~

"I knew you could do it!" His best friend Patton was as supportive as he'd always been.

"Yeah nerd, knew you'd do it!" Roman yelled as he ruffled Logan's hair.

"Why must you treat me as such Roman," Logan whined, "I got you your boyfriend, show me some respect!"

"All you did was introduce us Lo. Now pizza time!" Virgil was carrying two pizzas for the four of them to share.

The two chemists and the twins ate their pizza reminiscing about past friends and schools.

"You sure showed them, huh Logan."