Monsters of Manhattan

“Are you sure it was him?” Logan questioned as he ran his hands through his tousled blonde hair. 

“I told you already, it is him,” I replied for the hundredth time today. 

After Melissa had introduced me to Bentley, I decided to tell Ethan I was too tried to stay. Of course being the gentleman he is, Ethan offered to take me home but I asked him to stay instead. I text Logan to meet me at my penthouse as soon as I stepped outside of Gotham Hall. 

He arrived ten minutes after I got home. 

I, then, revealed the remnants of memory I still obtained from that night in Greenwich Village. Logan claimed he didn’t know the dealer that I had described. He said the usual dealer was shady and smelt like liquor and held no resemblance to the dealer that possessed looks even Francisco Lachowski would be jealous of. 

Logan sighed heavily, “Alright, I’ll take care of it.” He stood up from where he sat and began to make his way towards the exit.

I hastily stood up and pursued him. My brown hair swigged back and forth against my back as I caught up with Logan. 

“What do I do?” 

“Nothing. Just stay out of it,” he replied as he stepped into the lift. The doors inches apart when I muttered a thank you. 

Logan didn’t response nor acknowledge what I said. The doors sealed shut and familiar wind sounds shuttered from the opposite side of the wall. 

I wrapped my arms around my torso and headed upstairs for a much needed nap. 

---------------------

Thick morning air hit my face as I stepped out of the black Cadillac, I rode to school in. A pair of sophomore girls standing besides the thick iron gates of our school, eyed me before whispering to each other. Their curly blonde hair and thick stockings reminded me of my former minions Caroline and Madeline, who were still M.I.A. since the Logan and Jake accident in the hall. 

Ignoring the snickering and whispering that spread as I walked through the iron gates and up the school steps, I searched amongst the forming crowd of arriving students for any sign of Lauren or my blonde idiots, Caroline and Madeline. 

Halfway up the flight of stairs, I noticed a familiar pair of blonde heads near the edge of the building, laughing the rest of their brain cells away. I deceased the stairs and rushed towards Caroline and Madeline. The school building concealed who they were speaking to, but from the sound of the voice it was a boy. 

“Where have you guys been?” I asked, annoyed with their disappearance. They had gossip to inform me about. I was completely outdated with the latest scandals and rumors. 

Madeline spun around with astonishment shining brightly in her blue eyes. 

“Oh. Chels. Didn‘t think you show up today,” she said, awkwardly. Blake, the boy, Madeline and Caroline had been talking to, walked off without a goodbye. He, like everyone else in school, knew conversations between my friends and I were private. 

“What Madeline is trying to say, is that we thought you would’ve stayed home until other things overshadowed what’s going on in your life,” Caroline hesitantly clarified what Madeline failed to say. 

“What are you talking about?” I had a feeling this had to do with all the snickering and whispering earlier. 

Caroline and Madeline looked at each other before answering my question. 

“Well,” Madeline began, “Sarah Anderson saw you with Ethan at the state dinner.” 

“And? Everyone knows we’re sort of together,” I pointed out. If people thought this was gossip, then scandals were really drying out in New York. 

“Yeah, but Sophia said she saw Logan living your building later that night, after you left the dinner early without Ethan,” Caroline concluded. 

Great. Ethan can start to remember details about his overdose at any moment, Justin wants to kill me, Lauren hates me for being shocked at the idea of her and Justin dating, Logan likes me for no apparent reason, and now people think I cheated on Ethan with Logan. Can my life get anymore complicated? 

“It’s fine, Chels. We know you would never do anything with Logan,” Madeline said as she offered a hug for comfort. I embraced her, but still held a distress expression on my face. 

“Don’t waste that youthful face on a stupid rumor. Plus, Ethan doesn’t believe any of it,” Caroline said.