A Not-So-Arranged Marriage

Episode 1 It was a cloudy morning. Logan woke up to the loud noise. His eyes looked to the window. It hasn't rained yet but there are noises sounding like thunder. He decided to get up and check for himself. He went downstairs while in his pajamas. The noises became clearer. BLAG! One suitcases fell right before him. He saw five which were there already. He looked up and saw his father holding another one. BLAG! Another fell again. "Get back to your room Logan!" His father shouted from the second floor. Logan stepped back and while more suitcases were falling, he finally saw his mother. She was behind the chair. She was sitting on the floor, hugging her knees. Logan could see her shaking. He could finally hear her sobbing. When he was ready to go to her, his father's loud footsteps made him stepped back again. "You're free now." Lucas said with his arms wide open. Olivia, Logan's mom slowly stood up. "I am bringing Logan with me." Lucas was quick to grab his son and hid him behind him. "Don't touch my son!" "He's my son too! You have no right to take him away from me!" "I have all the right, Olivia!" "He is not some kind of property. Make him choose!" Lucas paused for a moment and looked at Logan who was peeking from behind. "What's going on dad?" "Your mom made a choice. She wants to be free. And I am not someone who's going to force someone to love me." "I am tired of this Lucas! I never wanted to marry you in the first place! This is not just my fault-" "I loved you!" Lucas' voice broke. But then he swallowed and consumed all his emotions. Logan felt his father shaking but he sees him tightening his fist. "But it doesn't matter anymore, right? You're free to go." Olivia stood up and went to grab her son. Lucas did not fight back to get his son, but to his surprise... "I am not coming with you mom." Olivia gasped. "W-What?" "I am staying." Lucas wiped his tears and sighed with relief. "Why, my love? Please come with mommy. I am going to take care of you." Logan shook his head several times. "I don't want to go with you and uncle Sam. I am staying with dad." Then Logan ran upstairs to his room. Logan could hear his mom screaming from downstairs. "How did he know-" Olivia has been hiding his relationship with Sam and she never expected his son to find out about it. "He was the one who told me about everything." Olivia suddenly felt weak in her knees and fell to the ground. She cried. "He is going to bring all of this all his life Olivia. What did he ever do to you? He is our son! How could you make him suffer?" Olivia couldn't speak any words, she just kept on crying while her face facing the floor. AT SCHOOL "Chu, Logan!" The teacher called. Logan's seat was empty. "He's absent again." The teacher mumbled. "He was here this morning teacher." Corrine answered. "Are you sure?" "Yes teacher." "Okay I'll call the guards to find him." "No teacher. I will find him myself. Please excuse me." Corrine hurriedly ran outside the classroom before even the teacher could stop her. "Ninety-eight, ninety-nine, one hundred! Whoo!" She was chasing for her breath when she reached the final stair steps to the rooftop. She opened the door and a refreshing breeze from the outside swept at her. "Gotcha!" She said as she found Logan lying on the floor, taking a nap. She placed a sandwich on his chest and that woke him up. "Go away." He said. "Can't hear you, sorry." She said and chose to lie beside Logan. "So, what brings you here today Logan Chu?" "None of your business." "Really? I have known you since the day 1, I watched you pee, poop, and chang-" "Shut up!" Corrine got up. "You are a business to me Logan! You are making me worry. You never go to class for the entire week! What is up with you?" "It doesn't matter." Logan covered his eyes with his arm. But Corrine saw tears, dripping from behind it. "Tell me what happened?" She finally heard a sob. Corrine just sat there and waited. After a few minutes Logan finally calmed himself. And he moved aside, turning away from Corrine. "Now spill it. If this is just you losing a pet Logan, I am seriously going to push you off this roof to-" "Mom's not coming home." "W-What?" "Mom is not coming home." "I mean, what? Is this a new thing? You're crying over this? I thought she never comes home." "I meant she's never coming back. I told dad about everything. And it's my fault. Dad is hurt." Corrine suddenly realized what Logan meant. His parents are now separated. "What happened? Why did you tell him?" "Because! Because I hate my mom for lying! To my dad and to me! How could she?!" Logan groaned in anger. "Okay calm down! Okay wait let me think!" Corrine was still in the midst of absorbing everything she just knew. "B-But your dad loves your mom so much, right? How could he just let her go?" "He's tired, I guess. My mom never really loved my dad. It was all for business. But my dad, I saw him cried Corrine. He was shaking. I knew he didn't want her to go but he had no choice." "How is he now?" "He's been working all day and all night." "I'm sorry Logan." Logan just stayed silent. "Just be here with me please." Logan said and closed his eyes. The next day, Corrine managed to convince Logan to enter the classroom and to attend his classes. While they were going home, they both cancelled their rides home and chose to visit a nearby playground. Corrine bought some snacks from the convenience store and they bought enjoyed it while sitting on the swing. "Look at you, a 13-year-old girl still adoring those kinds of lollipops." Logan made fun of Corrine who's smiling while eating her cartoon character lollipop. "I'm still a kid, duh! You still watch Spongebob though!" Logan rolled his eyes. "Oh by the way, Simon's returning home tomorrow." "Really? How come he never texted me?" "Maybe he still hates you for making a move at his crush, traitor!" "She liked me first, what can I do?" "Really? Or you just wanted to win over him? You both have always been competitors. And now over a girl? How lame Logan!" "Why do you sound pissed?" "Because you played with the girl's feelings. You never really liked her and yet you gave her flowers." "Well, she's pretty." "Really Logan? Really?" "Cut it off." "You have to apologize to Simon when he gets home. Or else-" "Or else?" "You'll never be my friend again. I should have said this to you a week ago but thankfully you have some drama going on, so I never had the chance to bother you. And now you're doing great so I am going to threat you." "I am so scared, Chicken Corrine!" Logan teased Corrine. "Stop with that name!" She threw him a candy wrapper. Logan just laughed and they chased around the playground like little kids. But Logan came to a stop when he saw someone standing behind the tree. Corrine stopped too. It's Olivia. Corrine went to Logan and hid him at her back. Olivia slowly revealed herself. "What are you doing here?" Corrine asked. "Please let me see my son." "He's not going with you." "Leave us alone, Corrine. I am his mother, you are just a friend!" "No!" "STOP!" Logan shouted. "Don't talk to Corrine that way! If you're my mother and she's just a friend, then I DON'T WANT TO HAVE A MOTHER!" Corrine and Olivia were both shocked to what Logan just said. "Logan, that's not good." Corrine whispered. "No. She deserves it." "My son... I am still your mother. I am your mother no matter what happens." "NO! You stopped being my mother the day you chose to be with someone else rather than my dad! You destroyed our family! You destroyed everything! Let's go Corrine!" Logan grabbed Corrine and they ran away from the playground leaving Olivia behind in tears. When they have reached far, Corrine pulled to stop. "How could you say that to your mother?" "What? How could I?" "I know you hate her right now because of what she did to you but she is your mother Logan. You shouldn't have said those words to her!" "Are you listening to yourself right now? How could you defend her?" "I don't want you to grow in hate Logan. Hating your own mother is not good." "Isn't leaving your own son the same thing too?" "Then just let her live that way but please don't live in anger and hatred. Your dad let her go not just because he hated her but because he loved her more. Just let her be. You'll suffer forever." "I don't want to talk to you!" Logan ran leaving Corrine behind. "Bastard! You never listen to me!" Corrine just went to her way home. She was murmuring in her mind her annoyance towards Logan as she was walking from the front gate of her house to the front door. When she entered the door, her nanny greeted her and took her bag and lunch box. "Chicken Corriiiine!" She thought her heart fell. She was so shocked to see this person. "Simon?!" "Yeaaah! You don't look so happy to see me!" She hit Simon's shoulder with her hand. "You almost killed me! Do you have to shout?" "Hello too and I miss you too!" Corrine still looked pissed off with Simon. But then she pouted and and smiled. "Okay fine. It's really great to see you." They headed for the kitchen counter. "Oh and I bought you these bad boys!" Simon held out boxes with Avengers figurines. "WHAAAAT?!" Corrine's eyes almost glittered in happiness seeing her dream toys. "These are legit for me, right? This ain't a prank? Because I am going to really kill you!" "No it's real. I bought them for you. They're real and legit. I had to throw a tantrum to win over an adult to get those." "Waaaah! I love you Simooonsteeer!" Simon just rolled his eyes at his weird nickname. "You have to bake me muffins for one month. Nothing's free Chicken Corrine." "I don't care. Even if I had to bake you a hundred." She smiled. "Thank youuuu Simoniiiee!" "Just let me eat now." "How dare you ruin the mood. I still have some left over cookies in the pantry. Help yourself." "Okay! Thanks!" Simon came back with the cookie jar. He took a box of milk from the fridge. He opened it and drank from it. "We have a glass you know." "It's half empty already." Simon reasoned. He stuffed his mouth with some cookie. "Does Logan know?" Simon almost choked upon hearing his friend's name. "Are you trying to kill me?" He said while he was coughing and he drank milk to feel relieved. "Sorry. But does he know?" "I don't text him anymore." "Wow. You hate him that much?" "Well, that's for betraying me." "It was just a girl Simon! How childish!" "I am still a child! I'm thirteen. I hate losing things to someone else." "Things? She's a person you i***t!" "Why you're so pissed?" "Because you both played with her feelings. She is a nice person." "I really liked her but not anymore." "You both are stupid, you know that?" She grabbed her toys, "Thanks for the toys, you can leave now." Corrine hurried upstairs and locked herself in her bed room. "Typical Corrine." Simon was surprised when Corrine's mom, Danica, entered the kitchen. "Good afternoon, Mrs. Guevara." "Hello Simon! It's nice to see you again." Simon just smiled and continued eating. Danica poured herself a glass of orange juice and sat in front of Simon. "Don't mind Corrine's attitude. She always wants to make a point." "I am used to her ways of stressing out her opinion. She is always right." "Yeah but too harsh. But she's a good kid." In her room, Corrine remembered Logan and so she tried to call him. But he was not answering. "Come on Logan!" She just threw her phone on her bed and went to her new toys. She placed them on her shelf together with her nearly hundreds of figurine collection. After adoring her toys for nearly an hour, she finally felt sleepy and went to bed. Meanwhile, Logan was still awake until midnight. He could not sleep. Though she hated everything Corrine said but they were meaningful. Ever since, Corrine has her ways of showing someone he or she is wrong by just saying her point. *knock* He almost jumped at shock upon hearing a knock from his window. He stood up to check on it. He saw Simon waving at him. He opened his window and let him in. "What in the-" "Hello bro!" They tapped each other's shoulders. "When did you return? I thought you'd arrive tomorrow." "It's midnight Logan, typically it's today. And I'm here!" "Yeah right. So! Why are you here? You don't hate me anymore?" "I hate you still. But I love you bro." "Eww." "It's gross but I'm not kidding. I missed you! I missed this, I missed our night escapes. So? I found out there's a new computer shop nearby." "Sorry bro, not in the mood to play." "The Great Logan? Not in the mood to play? What happened?" "It's just-" "Did something happen?" "Mom is not coming home." "Did she ever come home?" "I mean not anymore, not ever. Dad made her leave. He found out about everything. I told him." Simon was speechless. "How could she do that? How could she leave you?" "I don't understand. I can't understand. I wanted to hate her. I saw her this afternoon, Corrine was with me and I said a lot of things. Mean things." "Let me guess. It's the Corrine thing again, right?" Logan nodded. "Typical Corrine." "She's right though. But I got angry at her for not taking my side. I was so hurt seeing mom. And whenever I look at my dad-" A loud knock at the door stopped their conversation. A few minutes later, the two boys hurried to ride the car in tears. Simon was trying to calm his friend down while he was also crying. Corrine woke up in the middle of the night upon hearing her mom screaming from downstairs. Corrine slowly went down and eavesdropped at her parents conversation. She thought they were fighting. "Calm down honey." "Noooo. Lucaaas! He can't die like this! He just can't! Logan's going to be alone!" She was crying. Corrine started crying out loud and she surprised her parents at her presence. "Baby nooo!" Danica hurried to hug her daughter. "Uncle Lucas died?" She was wailing. "Ssshhhh. I'm sorry baby." Paul stepped back to make a call. He came back later. "Honey get dressed we have to see him." "I'm going with you." "No baby." "Please mommy. Logan needs me there too." Danica and Paul looked at each other and nodded in agreement. "Okay get dressed. Wear something warm, okay?" Corrine and her parents arrived at the hospital. Corrine ran towards her friends, Logan and Simon who were sitting on the floor and leaning on the wall. Both of them had blank expressions. She could notice both of them have swollen eyes and still had dried tears on their cheeks. She was wondering how these two came together but she had to hug Logan first. "I am so sorry Logan." Logan's tears slowly flowed. Simon began tearing up too. After taking care of Lucas and his release from the hospital, Danica and Paul took the three kids home. Simon's parents also went to Guevarra's residence. The three of them stayed in Corrine's bedroom. They usually hang out there to play and have fun but this time, they stayed there to grieve. Logan stayed under the covers of Corrine's bed. While Simon and Corrine were sitting on the couch. In the living room, Danica, Paul, and Simon's parents, Anthony and Sally, are talking over coffee. "Don't let Olivia take Logan." Sally hissed in anger. "Calm down honey. Your blood pressure." Her husband held her hand. "I don't like what's happening with our dear Logan, honey. He is still a child. And this is all Olivia's fault." "I never really liked her ever since high school." Danica said. The five of them were long time friends. They had a strong bond ever since and now they could not accept that they lost a friend over something so tragic. Lucas was Paul and Anthony's sports buddy. They could spend a whole weekend playing their favorite sport. While Sally and Danica, Lucas was their first guy friend who always stood up for them and until they became adults and married, Lucas was there to defend them in the business world as he was the excellent in everything in their group. But what's greater pain for them now, is that their friend's son has to take all the pain of losing a father. They all blamed Olivia for the tragedy. Lucas died in a car accident. He crashed to a road construction site as he was drunk. He was still conscious in the hospital but died due to severe injuries to the head and to other organs. "Sir, Ma'am, I'm sorry but she really forced to enter." Olivia entered. "How dare you!" Sally and Danica jumped out of their seat and strangled Olivia. The men were quick enough to pull out their wives before they could end up killing her. To be continued...