Logan's Salute

Chapter 2

Kristin's POV

The next morning came and Kristin left early again, even before her parents started screaming at Paula again. "Bonjour, Christine," Jacques makes his appearance as she leaves. "Good morning, Jacques," Kristin greets back, and gives him a peck on the cheek. 

"Ah, yes. Good morning," he eyes her curiously. "You, uh, look different. New hair? Make-up?" He asks, smiling broadly. Kristin shakes her head, smiling brightly. "I know this look," Jacques says, trying to analyse her. "Ah, you are in love, yes?" Kristin giggles and walks off, leaving the Frenchman to keep guessing.

Kristin takes the corner and Matthew pulls up beside her. 

"Morning, babe," he says, but she ignores him. He then pulls the car up in front of her, blocking her path, and gets out. She moves to the back of the car still trying to avoid him. 

"Kristin, we need to talk!" Matthew says and she stops. She looks him straight in the eyes, feeling agitated by his ignorance.

"I have nothing to say," she says and turns to walk away again.

"Then please listen," he says with desperation in his voice. "Please, we have been together for four years. We owe each other at least this," Matthew says, sounding hopeless. Kristin stops and turns back to him. She eyes him suspiciously as he gestures to the car.

 "Okay," she agrees, "Talk!" She folds her arms. 

"Can we get in the car and talk?" Matthew asks. "I will take you to school. Please, Kris!" He turns to the car and opens the passenger door for her. Kristin looks inside suspiciously. "Please," Matthew says again. Kristin looks up and down the road before climbing into his car. Once in the car Matthew hurriedly close the door, climbs in th drivers seat and drives off. 

"Now talk," Kristin says, regretting her decision the second she got in the car. 

"First Tel me," Matthew says in a tone, she did not like. "What were you doing with Logan yesterday?" Matthew asks her, in that same strange tone. She looks at him and hardly recognises him. His eyes were dark and his face pale. 

"Stop and let me out of this car, now, Matt," she says firmly, but Matthew gives a low laugh and shifts the gears. 

"Did you have s*x?" Matthew asks, speeding pass the school. 

"What is wrong with you? Are you insane?!" Kristin asks and screams, "Stop the car Matt!" holding onto the dash for dear life. Matthew's wheels screech as he takes the next turn, loses control, the car hits a ditch, causing the car to flip and eventually crash. Matthew looks over at Kristin, his head gushing blood.

"Are you okay?" He asks her. Kristin holds her head.

Kristin barely gets out an, "I'm fine," when Matthew's door swings open and Logan rips him out of the vehicle, breaking the seatbelt in the process. 

"You son of a...," were the only words heard as Logan begins to beat Matthew to a pulp. Kristin hurriedly exits the car and makes her way to Logan, begging him to stop. 

"Stop, Logan, stop!" She pushes him away from Matthew with great difficulty. His body was like a rock, hard and heavy. Logan's face was overwhelmed with anger as he looks pass her at Matthew. 

"Logan!" Kristin shouts, forcIng Logan to make eye contact. Logan eyes her for a while and then takes a few steps back, turning his back on her. Kristin looks back at Matthew as he writhes in pain on the ground, covered in blood. Suddenly, Kristin feels woozy. 

"Logan?" Kristin says. Her tone makes Logan turn towards her. Soon everything goes black.

When she opens her eyes again, she finds herself in the school sick bay. She looked around and saw miss Alexander, the on duty first aid teacher, sitting at the door facing her. 

"Morning, Kristin. How are you feeling?" the woman asks in a calm voice. Kristin sits up.

"I'm fine miss," Kristin say. "What happened?" 

The teacher gets up and walks over to her saying, "Well, John brought you in here, hysterical, claiming you were in an accident." Kristin looked at her with a blank expression. She checks Kristin's pulse and continues, "John Logan?"

"Where's Matthew?" Kristin asks sitting up abruptly. Her head gives a sharp pain forcinbher to lay back down.

"Not so fast, young lady," Miss. Alexander says, in the same calming voice. "The paramedics did give you a clean bill of health, but you do still have a bump on your head. Matthew is in hospital. John almost killed that boy. It took all of the men of this school faculty, to pull him away from the other boy." Miss Alexander smiles at Kristin and says, "Well, your pulse is fine. You can go. I believe you have biology in lab three now." Kristin thanks the teacher, exiting the sick bay. 

"Hey, Kris," Logan says, as she exits. "How are you feeling?" 

"Logan?" Kristin asks, looking around nervously. "What are you doing here? I mean shouldn't you be in class?"  

"I wanted to see you first," he says. "Wanted to make sure you were fine," Logan says and touches her face. His hand was bandaged. 

"You're hurt!" Kristin exclaimed and gently takes his hand. 

"I am fine," Logan says. "You should see the other guy." He smiles.

"Stop," Kristin says, "That's not funny." The humour in his eyes disappear. 

"Sorry," he says. Kristin begins to wak to her next class and he follows. "Can I ask you a question?" He asks and Kristin nods. "What were you doing in his car?" Kristin stops and turns back to Logan. 

"Logan, let me handle Matthew my way." Kristin says. "So, for now I need you to...," 

"Back off!" Logan finishes her sentence for her.

"You of all people should know that Matthew and I have a history," she says, taking his hand and continues, "I owe him at least an explanation. For years together is a long time." 

"You know he will sweet talk you," Logan says, adding, "That is what Matt does! He sweet talks you, and go back to him again and again and again!" Logan gives her a look she has never seen as he releases her hand. "I have geography with Mr. Langford." Logan then turns and walks away. 

"Logan!" Kristin calls after him and he turns back to face her.

"You owe him nothing," Logan says, adding, "He messed up!" Logan shakes his head, turns away and jogs to his next class. Kristin felt horrible.

Kristin did not see him for the rest of the day.  She then focused on her new teachers, while taking notes for Matthew as he was doing exactly the same classes as she. 

Once school was done, she took the bus and went to the private hospital where Matthew taken, to see how he was doing and to give him the notes. On arrival, Kristin finds Lisa in his room. Both of them looked very guilty as she entered. 

"Well, I guess I should be grateful that you have your knickers on," Kristin says, oozing with sarcasm. Lisa gets up to say something but Matthew grabs her arm, stoping her. Lisa looked very angry as her hazel eyes looked completely green, as they glared at Kristin. She was also still wearing her school clothes, with shorter skirt and tighter blouse. 

"Leave us," Matthew says, to Lisa. 

"Okay, babe," Lisa says, bends ove and kisses him. Kristin felt sick to her stomach when Lisa addresses Matthew as 'babe'. 

"No, I am leaving." Kristin says and turns to walk. 

"Wait! Please," Matthew says. "We should talk, I think, at least once." Kristin takes a deep breath and turns back to face Matthew.  Lisa leaves, eyeing Kristin as she exits the room.

"So, are you an item now?" Kristin asks, pulling a face. 

"Do you really care?" Matthew asks, adjusting his bed so that he could sit up and talk. 

"Not really," Kristin says moving closer to his bed and removes her backpack. "I brought you notes from school." Kristin says.

"Was that the only reason why you came?" Matthew asks. Kristin drops the books and looks Matthew straight in the eye.

"Why?"She asks and he smiles. 

"There's my Kris,." Matthew says. After a short silence, Matthew leans forward and asks, "Are you aware that this is the first time you engaged with me about something real?" He waits for her to respond. When she does not he continues, "You put me up on a pedestal. You did not talk to me. I felt isolated and alone, but Lisa sees me." Kristin makes a face and Matthew continues. "See, you're judging me. You had a preconceived notion of who I am and did not give me a chance to be me." Matthew leans back into the plush pillow. 

Kristin looks at him with no expression. 

"So this is all my fault," she says instead of ask. Matthew shakes his head and laughs. 

"You will never understand," He says. "So, maybe you catching us was a good thing."

Kristin picks up her backpack and says, "I'm leaving." She walks towards the door and turns around, saying, "You know what? I am human too and I needed to know this within the four years and not find out like this. Good bye, Matthew Gabriels." Kristin turns on her heel and walks out swiftly. Feeling like a bruised, beaten woman, Kristin makes her way home with the bus.

The rest of the day went by without a hitch. Kristin's thoughts, however, kept lingering to Logan. She even went to bed early after supper, in an attempt to stop thinking about him. Paula throws herself onto her bed.

"Well, dinner was almost normal," Paula says. The sisters shared a room, as they lived in a small two bedroom house. Kristin watches as her sister sighs with relief.

"Isn't that what you wanted?" Kristin asks. 

Paula sits up almost immediately. "You're alive!" Paula says. "Where have you been sis?" Kristin takes a deep breath and sighs. 

"You do know you can talk to me right, Tintin" Paula says and lays back down. Kristin smiles at her sister and close her eyes to sleep.

The next day at school was quiet and the gossiping died down. Logan was nowhere to be seen. Kristin kept basically to herself, as most her friends she dumped when Matthew invaded her life. She realizes now that removing them from her life might have been a bad idea. Lunch time is the loneliest, as she watches couples sitting together and laughing. She walks to the back of the school in the shade of an old tree and eats her lunch. Her gaze lingers over the empty field, where Logan's car stood days ago.

The rest of the day was quiet. Even Paula and her parents were no longer fighting. Jacques kept her parents busy with the engagement arrangements as well as the wedding. Kristin retired to her bed early that night as well. Just a ittle after wo the next morning, something woke Kristin up. Looking around the room she sees nothing out of the ordinary. She looks over at her sister, Paula and sees her sound asleep. Kristin then gets up and looks out of the window. The silhouette of a man catches her eye. He was tall with short hair and had a muscular build. The light was behind him so she was unable to see his face. The man places a hood over his head, turns away and runs off. She then notices as he leaves, that he was wearing one of the schools rugby jackets. 

"Logan?" She whispers. 'What was he doing there?' Kristin wondered, watching him disappear further up the road. 

The room door opens and in walks her father, Jacob Stevens. Tall and lean, handsome for his age and covered in grey. His expression changes when he sees his youngest daughter out of bed. 

"Princess, what's wrong?" He asks, making his way to her side. Kristin moves away from the window and climbs back into bed.

"I heard something," she says.

"Me too," Her father says taking a peak out of the window. "Having two beautiful daughters like you and your sister keeps a father alert at all times," he continues. She smiles and he gives her a kiss on her forehead. "Go to sleep. You have school later," he says and tucks her in. Soon thereafter, he leaves. Kristin fell into a deep sleep almost immediately.

The next day came and gone and still no Logan. She sat on the same spot lunch time and noticed that his car was still missing. She begins to worry, wondering if his anger was the reason for his absence. On her way home she had to tolerate glares from Lisa.

Kristin sits on their fence, later that day, thinking what the weekend would hold. The perks of being Matthew's girlfriend, was that they always had somewhere to be. She recalls that Logan was always there, with them. As Matthew's best friend, Logan entertained her when he did not have his own date to keep him busy.

Remembering the day they met, Kristin smiles. She liked him immediately. 

Logan was with his father, setting up the sound system inside the church. She was training to walk on a moving truck as part of the parade and fell off, landing on Logan, who happened to be walking by at that very moment. She remembered because when he reached down to help her, an electric shock flowed between them that made them both jump. 

"Ouch!" They both exclaimed. 

His gaze was intense, she remembers. She felt embarrassed, not only be of her fall, but also because she was dressed in a clown costume. Her sister took the last vampire costum, leaving Kristin with that. 

"I'm so sorry," He said. 

"Why are you sorry?" Kristin asked as she adjusted her clothes. "I fell on you!" She then reaches for her multi-coloured wig, saying, "I'm Kristin Stevens." She extends her hand as she introduced herself. Logan looked at her hand as if she was pointing a gun at his head and also lifted up his hands in defence.

"I don't think that we should touch again," He said. She slowly lowers her hand but before she could drop it completely, someone does take it and kisses it. 

"Well," the person said, "I am Matthew Gabriels." Kristin smiles as she looks up into the most amazing green eyes. Logan took a step back as Matthew swooped in. Matthew glances at Logan and says, "This is my very good friend John Logan. He is a bit unorthodox, but very loyal." Matthew made a date with her right there and then and the rest as they say, was history. 

"Hey Mrs. Matthew! Where's you boyfriend!" A voice brings Kristin back to present day. Kristin rolls her eyes as she recognizes the voice of a once very good friend. Melanie Dennis, was one of the friends Kristin lost touch with. Melanie also did not want to stay around for the drama. 

She lived further up the road and appears to be returning from the corner shop, as she is carrying a bread and a piece of cheese. 

"The sun is setting Mel, don't you think you should rush home and chain yourself," Kristin teases, "It is a full moon tonight!" Melanie makes a face.

"Is that the best you've got, Beastie?" Melanie says walking towards her, "If I didn't know better, I would swear you are losing your touch. What's the matter? Matthew leave you for a younger, more stupid version of yourself?" Melanie stops and notices Kristin's face change. "Joke!" 

"It's not you," Kristin says, "I just worried about Logan." Melanie gives her a malfunction face. 

"Logan?" Melanie says, confused. Kristin nods and Melanie says, "John Logan, captain of the rugby team at school?" Kristin nods again. 

"Do I know another Logan?" She asks.

"You don't know?" Melanie asks and moves closer to Kristin. 

,

"Know what, exactly?" Kristin asks her. Melanie looked around them, as if she is about to leak state secrets. 

"Logan's father is dying," she says in a low whisper. "He was diagnosed with cancer a few years ago and it went into remission. He told me yesterday that it has returned and it does not look good. Logan has been helping his mother these past few days. He asked me to bring him notes from school. Well, at least until he returns. I don't think his father will make it this time. Shame man, they found out about his cancer two weeks before Logan's birthday." Kristin's was completely shocked. 

"The day he and Matthew had a huge fight." Kristin says to herself softly. 

"Yes, that same day." Melanie confirmed. "I better go. My mother is at the gate waiting for me. See you later," Melanie says and runs home. Kristin watches her go before going back into the house and begins her chores, before her parents return from work. 

At the dinner table, her father notices that she is very quiet and questions her. 

"Its nothing," she replied.

"It is not nothing," her mother, Janice Stevens, says, looking at her over the top of her glasses. "You haven't been yourself for days now. What is the matter?" Her mother had dark brown hair, with a little grey here and there, light brown eyes, with olive skin. She was, however very short and curvy. 

Kristin and Paula make eye contact when her mother asks, "Whatever happened to that boy who was always hanging around here, Jack? Jonathan? Joe?" 

"John, mother," Paula says through her teeth. 

Kristin looks at her sister with big eyes. Her father catches the interaction, but says nothing. "Yes. The Logan's eldest son," their mother says. An awkward silence lingers with the clinking of forks on plates. 

"Melanie told me his father is really sick and that Logan is helping his mom look after him," Kristin says, pushing the food around on her plate. "Can I please be excused, I am really not hungry," Kristin asks her parents. Her father nods and she leaves the table with her food in hand.

After cleaning the dishes, Paula goes out on a date with her fiancé, leaving Kristin alone in the room. Her father checks on her later that evening. He sits on Paula's bed facing Kristin.

"I noticed that you were a bit off at the dinner table," he says softly. Kristin shrugs in silence.

"Where is Matthew tonight?" Her father asks. 

"We're no longer together," Kristin says. "It's too complicated." She tires to talk the Matthew issue away. "I am more worried about Logan, right now."

"Did you and Logan have a fight?" Her father asks.

"In a way," Kristin says and sighs, "He and I had a disagreement."

"He likes you and hates that you still have feeling for Matthew." Her father hitsnthe nail on the head. She looks at her father with surprise. He smiles and says, "I was young once. Besides, anyone with good eyesight could see that boy had serious feelings for you." 

"I didn't, daddy," Kristin says, sounding hopeless. 

"You were too involved with Matthew, how could you," her father says, "But that guy, Matthew, knew how your friend felt. He loved throwing it in hisface every chance he got." Feeling even more lousy for being the only person on the planet that did not know Matthew's true character, Kristin sighs again.

"Come," her father says and stands up. "Get ready. I will take you." 

"Really?" She asks and he nods.

Thirty minutes later, both Kristin and her father we standing in front of the Logan's house. "Go inside. I will be around the corner with the Brady's." Her father says and she exits the car. Feeling very nervous and shaky, Kristin opens the gate and slowly walks up to the front door. She gives her father another glance and then knocks on the door. The door swings open and her heart dives into her stomach. Logan opens the door himself. He looks at her, shocked, then leans out to see who brought her. On the sight of her father, he waves and smiles, then looks back at Kristin. 

"What do you want?" He asks her, looking annoyed. Kristin takes a deep breath and says, "I...," she swallows hard and continues, "Mel told me about your dad. So I wanted to see how you were doing." Logan looks at her from head to toe. She too was taking in his appearance. He was wearing an oversized red vest that left nothing to the imagination and a dark blue shorts that could have been a bit more loose. His hair had no gel in it and was hanging in his face. He has not shaved in days and he looked tired. 

"Who is at the door, John...," a beautiful woman appears from behind Logan. She was almost as tall as him, beautiful black eyes, short black hair, soft full lips and very slim. She had her hands on Logan's waist. "Hello, who are you?" She asks Kristin, eyeing the girl from head to toe. 

"Good evening, I am Kristin Stevens. One of Loga... I mean, John's school friends." Kristin says and puts out her hand. The lady takes her hand and pulls her inside the house. "Welcome dear. I'm his mother. Wow, you are a pretty one. Come, please have a seat." She points to the couches in the living room and then looks back at Logan. "John, why don't you bring something to drink for your little girlfriend." Logan closes the door aloud saying, " She's not my girlfriend, ma." 

"Well, she should be. She is gorgeous." His mother says sitting opposite Kristin with a huge smile on her face. "Go on!" Logan's mother shouts at him. He gives Kristin a dirty look and then disappears behind some curtains hanging in a doorway. "Sorry about him. He can be a bit temperamental." His mother apologizes. 

"Please don't apologize. I can't imagine what he must be going through. What all of you must be going through." Kristin says, feeling a bit awkward. "How is Mr. Logan doing now?" Logan's mother shoots her a look and begins to sob and at the same time Logan appears with a glass of Coke. 

"What did you say to her?" Logan screams at Kristin, placing the glass on the coffee table. "Ma? Are you okay? Come let's go to the room," he says and assists his mother up then leads her out of the living room. Kristin feels horrible.

Minutes later, Gabriella, no older than fifteen, came into the living room. Gabriella had long, black, sleek hair, dark eyes like her brother and mother, beautiful full lips and baby features. She was wearing a short denim skirt with a peach crop top and matching flip flop's. 

"So, you are the one who stole my clothes?" Gabriella says to Kristin. Kristin smiles, reaching for the cooldrink and says, "My mother will do the laundry tomorrow. I will bring it when she is done." 

"Okay, Kris. But don't keep it as a memento or whatever." Gabriella says and sits down. "Daddy-long-legs is busy cleaning himself up and will be out soon." Kristin giggles at Gabriella's description of her brother. She goes on to chat about anything and everything that comes in her head, making Kristin laugh out loud. Logan reappears from behind the curtain some time later. 

"Thank you, Gabby. You can go now." Logan says to his sister. She puts out her tongue at him and leaves the room. Logan clearly washed as well as shaved and was wearing proper sized clothing. He was still in a shorts, denim this time, with a navy blue t-shirt, that hugged his chest and upper arms. Hardly glancing at her Logan says, "Come let me take you home." Kristin shoots Logan a look and says, "I don't want to go home." He takes a step towards her and say, "What do you want from me?" His nose flaring with anger. Kristin slowly gets up and places the glass down, saying, "I want nothing from you. Nothing." She angrily passes him and opens the door. Logan calls after her as she makes her way to the gate, but when she gets to the gate, suddenly the lock does not open. She tugs at it again and nothing. She turns around and finds Logan right behind her, so close that he almost could kiss her. His closeness disturbed her. With one hand he unlocks the gate and it swings open. She gives him one more dirty look and turns to leave. 

"Kris," he calls her again and she stops. Very gently he touches her upper right arm and turns her back to face him. "My mother will kill me if I should let you walk. Please let me take you home." He says in a softer tone. His hand was so warm against her skin. 

"My dad is visiting the Brady's. I must get him there," she says. He looks up and down the road and says, "Okay. I will drop you." Logan gently guides Kristin back into the house and she waited for Logan to call her again. When he did, she first greeted his mother and sister then went to him and climbed in the car.

He drove in silence to the Brady's house. When they got there, her fathers car was not there. Logan went inside to find out where he was. Her father pulls up beside her as Logan reaches the door. 

"Princess, why are you sitting here?" he asks. 

"I was looking for you, daddy," Kristin answers her father. 

"I need you to stay with Logan," he says and Logan approaches, "Yes, my boy. Can you take her home safely? I need to run an errand." Logan flashes a beautiful, broad smile at her father and agrees. With that her father drives off again. Logan enters the car and starts the engine. With in minutes they were at her house and he turns off the engine.

"I just wanted to support you, as you did for me this week." Kristin speaks first. "I never wanted to cause you any kind of pain. I just wanted to be a good friend." As Kristin turns to leave, Logan stops her. "What Is it, Logan?" She asks, and with his right hand, he swiftly pulls her close to him and places his lips onto hers. Slowly he parts her lips with his tongue, as if tasting her. As suddenly as it started, it was over. "I have missed you," he whispers in a low voice, still holding her head in his hand. "Logan," she whispers and he stops her again. "Shh," he says softly, "Don't talk, please. Just...," he kisses her again. This time, more deeply. Exploring the inside of her mouth. She touches the back of his neck as he kisses her and he groans. Her hand slips pass his neck and down to his shoulders. 

"Stop!" He says in a husky voice and pulls her hand away. "Please stop. Don't touch me," he says and looks down into her eyes. "I cannot bear your touch." Kristin takes his hand and kisses the inside of his palm, then his lips. He kisses her back. His mouth then moves to her left ear and down to her neck. Her body was on fire and her breathing was irregular. She moans as his kiss lingers between her shoulder and neck. He then pulls away to look down at her. "Did I hurt you?" Unable to speak, she shakes her head. He captures her mouth again and she could feel a deep ache, making her restless in her seat. She gasps at the feel of his fingers suddenly touching her intimately, and he stops. He looks down at her for a few seconds, then returns to facing the front once again. Kristin, feeling exposed and confused, asks, "What happened? Don't you want me?" 

"Does this look like I don't want you?" He points to his erection. Kristin blushes feeling embarrassed. "I don't want to do it like this," he says, pushing down his arousal. Kristin remembers his reputation of sleeping with very capable and experienced girls and women. Feeling horrified, Kristin fixes her hair and face. "I am sorry," she says and turns to leave the car. "Where are you going, Kris?" He grabs her arm. She feels like crying. "Please leave me," she begins to sob. 

"No, baby," he says and pulls her towards him, placing her head against his broad chest. "Why are you crying now?" He asks and she answers, "Because I'm not experienced enough for you." Logan laughs, causing her to cry loader. "No! Wait, Kris. Let me explain," he says and holds her head in both his hands. "I want you so bad, I can't think anymore. But I want our first time to be special, not like this. I will take my time with you, loving you all night long." He says and kisses her on her forehead. "But for now, we go our separate ways. I will see you tomorrow." 

"Tomorrow?" Kristin asks.

"Yes," he says. "I want you to meet my dad. He will love you." Kristin smiles brightly and says, "Okay."

Kristin and Logan kiss one more time and he leaves.

Kristin's father comes and makes a turn in her room, after she gets into her bed.  She saw his car already parked, when she entered the house. "So? How did it go?" He father asks her. 

"It went well. I didn't see his father though, but at least we are friends again." 

"I'm glad I could help," her father says and winks at her. Kristin drifts off into sleep shortly after.