Lies #5: Sanders

Chapter 16 - Epilogue, Part 1

Logan:

On a sunny, chilly January evening in Gainesville, Florida, traffic was nonexistent, and the roads were mostly clear. The weather was quite nice; there wasn't a cloud in sight, and yet a strong wind whistled past everyones' ears. In one of the many neighborhoods of the city, in a small two-bedroom house, there lived a pair of young men by the names of Logan Sanders and Patton Sanders.

Of course, Logan wasn't home yet. He was still driving back from the J. S. Mental Facility. It had been quite a long day. So many patients had signed up for REMI, and it had been extremely tiring to organize the perfect groups that would complement each other. His exhaustion and frustration were now coming out in his driving, and he kept finding himself doing aggressive things. Taking in a few deep breaths, he managed to calm himself. I do not have anger issues.

At first, the emotions Logan experienced had felt so incredibly overwhelming. In fact, he'd almost wished he didn't have them- almost. What reminded him of the good aspects of emotions was Patton. Patton, who was trying his best to be kinder, who was always there for Logan when he needed him. When Logan had Zoomed his parents to tell them everything, Patton had been there to tell him his tears were from happiness, not sadness. When Logan had broken down from all the work piling up around him, Patton had been there to tell him he was suffering from stress and needed to take a break. If it weren't for him, I wouldn't be able to figure anything out.

It had only been yesterday when Patton and Logan moved in together on the outskirts of Gainesville. Patton had decided it would be best to move out of his mother's house for the first time, and Logan wouldn't have been able to run the mental hospital from San Francisco. He'd left his old job and was now generating quite the income from his new one. It seemed everyone wanted to get to know him, to listen to his theories. Newspapers and journalists asked for interviews with Logan Sanders, the man who'd brought forth the life-changing invention REMI. Of course, he always told them that he'd only tinkered with it and Dr. Emile Picani was the real scientist, but they all seemed to share his same mindset that Dr. Picani was a terrible person and should not be credited for such a feat.

The fame was incredibly stressful, but Logan was slowly- very slowly- learning his limits. Patton and his parents were there to support him. The rest would come with time.

Finally, his car pulled up into their driveway and he got out of the car, carrying two bags of groceries. Unfortunately, this made him unable to open the door. He carefully kicked gently against the door, idly singing the lyrics to The Watchtower by The Do in his head. The door opening made him jump in surprise- he still wasn't used to his reflexes. It was Thomas; he took one of the bags quickly. "Let me help you!" Together, they made their way to the kitchen and set down the bags on the counter. In the living room adjacent, Joan and Patton were sitting on the couch watching Steven Universe, about six boxes scattered on the floor. Patton looked up a waved, "Hi, Logan! I was about to start making dinner, you can come in and watch Steven Universe with Joan and Thomas!"

"Aha, no," Logan started unloading the groceries as Thomas returned to the living room. Patton got up and swooped over. "Why not? I was going to make fried egg sandwiches! Does that not sound good? I've always loved fried egg sandwiches."

Logan sighed and stuck a carton of almond milk into the fridge. "I don't think you know the level of disaster you impart when you try to cook or bake something. Please, go watch your show while I make burrito bowls for everyone." He'd prepared to make a large meal, since Thomas and Joan had agreed to help Patton unpack his things. Unfortunately, Patton crossed his arms and stood his ground. "No, I want to help out!"

"Fine." Pulling out his phone, Logan scrolled through his contacts and clicked on Virgil's icon. Waiting as it rung, after a few seconds there was a clicking sound and Virgil's voice came over, "Hello?" Thank goodness he wasn't busy. Logan held the phone up to his ear, "Hello Virgil. I have called you to-" Patton tried to reach up and take the device, but he dodged. "Stop it!- to ask you if you think Patton should be allowed anywhere near the kitchen. There is a right answer." He went to the other side of the kitchen to escape his boyfriend, who was desperately trying to sabotage his plan. From the other end, there was a moment of silence before Virgil answered. "Uh, I'm gonna guess no? But why?"