The Ever True Adventures of Sadie Noelle

Chapter 4

Chapter 4

   Logan watched Sadie trudge in the direction of the main house. It was barely half past noon and she was already beaten down. He tried making her feel better, assuring that this was just a phase, her father would get past his initial shock and see that Sadie’s beautiful smile and fantastic personality was all hers, not just her dead mother's. (Though he didn't use these exact words.) But it just wasn't convincing, and he knew it. Logan felt sorry for Sadie. When his mother died, all he had left was his father. She barely even had that. And on top of a depressed parent, she had a sister with rivalry issues. Her life wasn't easy, no matter how hard she tried to make it seem that way. Logan could always see past her soft smiles, the ones she used to hide how much she was hurting. It made him sick with worry for her.

   They didn't talk about much together. Mostly school and things like that. But there was a bond between them, a friendship that dated back to their earliest childhoods. Sadie's father and Logan's father had been college friends. When Logan's dad started going through tough times, Mr. Noelle hired him to work on their farm, and even offered him a house on the property. Ever since Elanore had died, the fathers barely talked. It was like she was the glue holding them all together, and when she left everyone tried replacing her with really cruddy kindergarten arts and crafts paste. Logan worried about Sadie, if anything ever happened to her; the whole entire farm would just come crashing down. So would his life. He was very protective of her, he didn't ever want her to get hurt. Unfortunetly, Sadie didn't like his protection very much. She liked to think he could fend for herself most of the time, and thought that Logan only acted like that towards her because she was small. That wasn't the complete reason. Logan protected her because he loved her. To help relax a little more, earlier this morning Logan went for a walk. Mostly to clear his mind, and partly to fill it with new thoughts. 

   A year ago, he had discovered a secret clearing in the woods. It was his retreat, his getaway. The clearing was nothing special, except for a giant boulder in the center of it. The rock was perfect for climbing and just sitting on. There was a constant gentle breeze on the top, and it was a comfortable cool, no matter what the weather was like outside. On this particular walk, Logan stumbled upon something new in his clearing, something extraordinary... And it seemed like the perfect way to start talking to Sadie again about different things. Maybe let her open up about her mom. She was always trying to explain to him the plot of a book her mother had left her with. Logan tried listening, but reading just wasn't in his DNA. He tuned her out, picking up little bits and pieces of what she said, but all that did was make her complicated sentences seem like a bunch of gibberish. Most of her words didn't work so well out of context. 

   He picked up the little piece of metal and studied it. It was familiar. She talked about it often. He opened the little heart locket and stared at the little folded piece of paper that dropped out on the ground. Logan remained motionless for a while, not knowing whether he should pick it up or not. His father used to tell him stories about when he was in the army, that some things lying around just weren't meant to be picked up. They were traps. Logan became angry that someone had been to his clearing. It was his special place and his alone. Why would anyone else know about it? His first guess would have been Jessica. She was almost like an older sister to him, always trying to show him up at everything. Being around her was a small taste of what Sadie's life really was. He really felt sorry for her. In his exasperation, he picked up the folded paper anyways, forgetting his caution about it being a trap. He unfolded the note and was surprised to see the a clumsy round script inside. Jessica's was neat and pointy, like her father's. But what surprised him even more was what was on the card. Who knew that three little words on a little piece of note paper could cause so much shock? It was strange, and confusing, and a little bit creepy. 

   It was perfect.

   Sadie was going to love this. Or hate it. Either way, he had to show her. He stuffed the strange note and necklace in his jean pocket, suddenly aware of how strange his situation was. He ignored the feeling and stepped out of the clearing. He would show her the locket and note later. After all, it was addressed to her...