Saving Primary Sanders | A Sander Sides Book

VII - Closencounters

Back again! This was super fun to write, and probably has my favourite scene to date. You'll know what I mean when you read it!

0600 h

A shrill alarm clock rings, hops across a bedside table, and falls off.

Logan wakes up with a headache already pounding behind his eyes. Last night’s shenanigans did not sit well with him… in fact Logan was sure he was allergic to things not going as planned. He groans and sits up in bed. This was the only time he let his guard down and let himself feel the exhaustion and pressure of being a leader. He did need his down time, and it was never pretty, so the early morning when no one else was awake to witness it was the best time to unwind. And Logan’s favourite method of unwinding? A simple method, guaranteed to work: put your head under the covers and scream as long and loud as you can. You would probably feel better after that to face the day.

Logan rubs his crusty eyes and slides out of bed. He pre-set the electric kettle last night to be boiling at seven o’clock sharp, so he only needs to pop a tea bag in a porcelain cup and pour in the hot water to have his morning pick up. He sniffs in the sweet aroma of green tea and heads upstairs onto the balcony. That was the best place to think. The birds were chirping, dew was on the railing and the sun was peeping through big fluffy white clouds. But everything cannot always be perfect, as Logan slips on a splatter of bird doodle, and the tea goes flying over the railing.

0605 h

Remy is attacked from all sides. By feelings, I mean, not armed gunman or devoted grandmas or debt collectors. He walks agitatedly to and fro in the garden and presses his phone to his ear. A voice goes on and on shouting at the other end. He is used to tuning out annoyances, but this was important. He was in hot water.

Literally.

A stream of scalding hot tea lands on his head.

Remy screams and drops his phone, fanning his head and jumping from foot to foot.

“OIIIIII!” He shouts. “What butterfingered silly sally spilt their tea on my precious head? Come out! I’ll show you what spilling tea really is!”

“Goor?”

Remy looks up at the voice. A slightly bashful Logan peers over the balcony.

“My apologies,” he says. “Of all the people it could have been, it’s an unbelievable coincidence it was you!” Logan cannot help but chuckle. “However, it was an honest mistake.”

Remy huffs. “I dunno, Cheese Crackers, you’ve made my life hell since I got here!”

“I most certainly did not!” says Logan indignantly. “I treated with you all the respect you deserve.”

“Exactly! You’re a mean one, Mr Cragrinch.”

“You can’t talk to your superior like that!” Logan feels his face going red as brick wall behind him. it was too early in the morning for this!

“Well you treat me like dirt, babushka!” says Remy with a pout. Then he pulls himself together… he can’t let his cover get blown by acting childish. “I’m sorry!” he calls up. “Shouldn’t have said that, boss, way out of line.”

Logan blinks. That was unexpected. Maybe Remy has some redeeming qualities. Should he apologise too, or not? But before he gets the chance to decide either way, the voice in Remy’s phone lying in the grass gets louder and louder.

“AGENT 101! ANSWER ME! YOU CAN’T THROW THE PHONE AWAY AND PRETEND I DON’T EXIST!”

Remy quickly picks up the phone and reduces the volume.