Drawings on the Pavement

Chapter Eighteen

~Logan~
Everyone's been staring at me at school.
And I have no idea why.
People's stares follow me wherever I go.
They're looks are almost....sympathetic?
Oh god no.

"Mum," I say as I walk through the door.
"Yes sweetie?"
"Did you tell the school about the...tumour?"
Mum winces. "Logan, I'm sorry. I had to put it on your medical record."
"Mum I think they told the whole year!"
"What makes you think that?"
"I don't know! Maybe the sympathetic states have something to do with it!" I snap.
"Hey don't snap at me like that!" She shouts. I make a point of rolling my eyes at her to see if she'd send me to my room. But she doesn't because I'm sick.
Unfortunately everyone treats sick people differently.

On Thursday Rose is away as she is getting her stitches out. So I have to brave the sorry looks.

I try to make it through the day with no dramas but there is no such luck. At lunch Leon walks up with a few of his friends behind him sneering.
"Oh look it's the sick kid!" One of them calls. I roll my eyes.
"Now now. What did the teacher say? Comfort him. Give him love. Cos God only knows how long before he ends up dead!"
Jessie looks about ready to launch herself at him. "Jessie, leave it," I say through gritted teeth.
"And he is so weak and fragile that he hides behind girls for support. You wimp! What does Rose see in you?" At the mention of her name I curl my fingers around the edge of the table. I don't have a problem with him dissing me but if he disses Rose. I will kill him.
Unfortunately Leon sees my hands curl. He sends his other friends away and comes over and talks low so only our group can hear. "You know the day in the closet?" I tense "Yeah she was so hot. I just wanted to....you know what I wanted to do and....she would've let me too."
I stand and grab his shirt with my fist. Bryce quickly comes between us.
"Hey, hey stop!" He said.
Leon snickers "Now you've got the God damn trash protecting you too!"
Suddenly our whole group stood up menacing and Leon retreats. I watch him go before sitting down.
Jessie looks at me "Logan when Leon said that thing about the janitor closet did Leon..." she trails off.
My throat is dry when I say "He tried," I growl and then mutter under my breath "Thank god I was there to stop him."
The whole group stares at me with their mouths wide open and I make a promise to myself.

I was not going to tell Rose.

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"I spy with my little something beginning with...T." Rose says.
"Is it a tree?"
Rose sighs and collapses back into the seat. "Yes."
I laugh as I turn the car around the corner.
Rose sighs and picks up her phone which is plugged in, charging in the centre console.
"What am I boring for you now?" I say with mock hurt.
"No," she says, "I'm just trying to find something for us to do."
"Now you know why I text you all the time. Though this is a lot better than being in the other car with two old people on my shoulders."
Rose giggles. "Ok. Truth or Dare?" She asks looking at me.
"That would be great except we're both strapped to our seats!" I say gesture towards my seatbelt.
"Ok," she says "20 questions?"
I shrug "Whatever."
"20 questions it is then!" She declares before clicking on the app.
"Ok," she says. "You first. Ask me what my favourite ice cream flavor."
"Ok what's your- wait hang on I already know that. It's choc-mint."
Rose looks at me. "Ok I have an idea. I'll ask you the question and then you have to see if you know the answer to the question for me. Does that make sense."
"Yeah. Ok ask away."
Rose looks down at the phone to read the question. "Who do I like?"
"Well I'm hoping it's me."
"Hmmm. Well Bryce is pretty hot," she says in fake thought.
"Too bad for you his gay."
"Hey! Don't be mean."
"I wasn't mean."
"Ok next question. What was the last movie I saw?"
"At the movies or at home on TV?"
"Uh...Both."
"Well at the movies it would probably be Ninja Turtles because I can recall you literally dragging me to that movie."
"Yeah because you were a baby and didn't want to come!"
"My childhood was scarred because of them!"
"Why?"
"I don't know they're creepy and made my skin crawl!" I say and fake shudder just for effect. Rose laughs.
"Ok. At home would probably be..... Knowing you it would be a cartoon. Ok this is a complete stab in the dark but Monsters Inc?"
Rose looks at me with a shocked expression.
"What?"
"It's so scary how much you know about me!"
"Well I've been your friend since we were six! I hope that in that time I've learnt something!"
She laughs. "Ok next question."

-----------------------------
I sit in the car listening to ACDC as I wait for Rose to get of the restroom.
Her phone buzzes and a message appears. I pick up her phone and look at the message. It was from Leon

Hey Babe
I miss you!
I can't believe you went away with that loser.
Come back soon Babe.
LeoXx

My skin crawls as I read it and set the phone down. I watch Rose carefully as she gets back in the car. She picks up the phone and I see her read the message and roll her eyes in disgust.
That makes me feel a little better.

I steer the car back over to the road. We drive for a bit, finishing off the 20 questions game where it was Rose's turn. The campsite was at the end of the highway we were currently driving on when I see another road branching off going up the mountain with and old sign that says Lookout. I turn the car and drive up the road.

It takes 20 minutes to get to the lookout but the view is spectacular. Rose and I sit on the hood of the car and watch the amazing view while we finish of our game.
"Last question," Rose says. "What is the best present you've ever gotten?"
I grin "You'll never guess."
"Give me a clue."
"It's from you."
"Hmm is it the Nerf Gun I got you for
Your tenth birthday?"
"No."
"Well I don't know then."
"Remember on my twelfth birthday and you came to my house with a box and inside that box was a note and that note said; Happy Birthday Logan.Your present is Me! From Rose. That is the best present I've ever gotten you."
Rose looks at me. "Your so cheesy you know that?" I laugh and press my lips to hers.

---------------------------
We ended up getting to the campsite when it was already dark. We ate dinner and gathered around the campfire. Rose was sitting next to me
On an old wooden bench by the fire and we laugh and joke with my family. Rose puts her forehead into my shoulder and yawns. I chuckle. "Tired Missy?"
She nods. I stand up and take her hand.
"We're going to bed," I announce to my family.
They mumble their good nights and Rose and me walk to our tent, the chorus of my families laughter echoing behind us.
Inside our tent are two single mattresses. One for Rose and one for me. We snuggle into our blankets say goodnight and then settle into sleep.
---------------------------------
The first thing I notice when I wake up is that it's still dark outside. The second is that Rose is missing.
I get up and pull my shoes on and walk out. Rose is standing near the edge of the campsite watching the river rush a few metres away. I walk up behind and put my arms around her waist and rest my head on her shoulder and kiss her cheek.
"It's so beautiful," Rose whispers.
"I used to think so too."
"You used to?"
"That was until I realized that this lake is nothing against you."
Rose blushed.
"What are you thinking about?" I ask.
"When you said you were gonna throw me in the lake last weekend." I smile
"That was funny."
"No it wasn't. It was such a nice moment and you had to say that!"
"Well let me make it up to you," I say.
I twirl Rose around and she stands on my feet as she's not wearing shoes and I dip her like I did the weekend before.

"Oh young love!" A voice says from behind us. Rose tries to stand up but she's still on my feet so we come crashing down, Her on top of me.
"Woah. Woah. At least use protection you two." It's grandma. I groan and Rose tries unsuccessfully to stifle her giggles.
"Grandma." I groan.
"You don't want to do That sort of a thing at a campsite anyway. To much dirt on the ground take it from me."
Rose rolls off of me her hand over her mouth to stop herself from laughing too much, her shoulders shaking with the effort.
"Grandma!" I groan again.
"What?" She says innocently "Where do you think your mother was made?"
I cringe and Rose's laughs are starting to escape Her hands. I stand up and sigh. "At a camping ground really Gran?! You could've had a little more class!!" I pull Rose up who has finally stopped laughing.
"It was the heat of the moment," Grandma smiles as if remembering the good old days. I put my hands around Rose's waist and smile at her.
"Goodbye Grandma!" I say still looking at Rose. We stay like that until Grandma's footsteps fade away before cracking up laughing. And I have to admit it felt good