Eva's Expedition

Chapter 5: Breakfast

Logan nodded slowly in understanding. There was no judgement in his eyes like I was used to seeing.

"You think I'm crazy," I chuckled defeatedly, sitting back heavily.

He shook his head, "No, I think you're brave."

I blinked at him, "Really?"

He shrugged and smiled, "Yeah. I would wanna leave a life I didn't want too. I mean I've always thought about it, I've just never gone through with it. People who tell you what to do..I don't like those kinds of people."

I grinned, "You and me both."

"So this list," Logan said, playing with a straw wrapper.

I dug around in my bag and pulled out my journal, "Yeah. I've always wanted to travel and write. So I've lined up 12 places that I want to visit. They should take long enough to get to that my birthday will roll around by then. Then I'll be eighteen and my parents won't have a say in anything I do."

I spread everything out for Logan to see, putting a picture by each destination.

"Wow..." he said, looking at my work, "How are you going to pay for this?"

I grimaced, "I stole fifteen thousand dollars from my parents."

His jaw went slack and I giggled.

"You took fifteen grand...oh my gosh, what if they catch you?"

I shrugged, "They won't notice it's gone for a long while."

Our food arrived and Logan ate quietly while I happily explained to him why I wanted to travel. It felt so good to speak so freely to someone who wasn't Louise.

He grinned at me as I shoved crepe in my mouth, which was totally unlady like, whatever, and then went right back to talking about the dolphins at Myrtle Beach.

"I'd like to capture all of that," he beamed at me.

"Capture it?" I raised an eyebrow and took a sip of orange juice.

"Yeah, I mean, look," he pulled out his camera and turned it on. He handed it to me and I looked at the picture.

It was of me in the crown and it was really beautiful. I was peacefully asleep, my face turned towards the window and the sun was rising, bathing me in golden light.

"You're a really good photographer," I said, looking up at Logan.

"It's a passion," he shrugged sheepishly.

I gave him his camera back, "So where do you live? What do you want to do?"

He finished off his plate and sat back, thinking carefully, "Well I don't live in the most lavish of places...I'm in between jobs right now. But I'd like to be a professional photographer."

"Sounds fun," I said truthfully as I pushed my empty plate away.

"Do you still live with your parents?" I asked.

Logan chuckled, his smile faltering a little, "Parent, if you can call him that. Mom died a couple years back and Dad took to the drink instead of dealing with it. Nineteen years old and I babysit a grown ass man half the time."

"I'm sorry Logan," I frowned. I'd ruined the fun breakfast small talk. Way to go Eva, you're a real friend.

He shrugged, "Its okay. I could leave for a year and he wouldn't notice. Being a runaway sounds much more fun though."

"You think so?" I giggled. I felt like a lost idiot, but I was having the most fun I'd ever had in my whole life.

He nodded and laughed, "Your plan sounds pretty good too."