CHAPTER 3

Logan, sobbing, sunk between two roots of a Willow tree. Her mind was racing with memories of both her Mother and Father, together. She bit her lip and tried to stop the tears that were freely falling down her cheeks. This was the third time today she had cried. It made her feel weak and unworthy.

"I miss you so much Mum" she whimpered, hugging herself.

Her mother's face kept flashing before her eyes, making her feel guilty. It was her fault. It was her fault that her Mother died. Logan had been sick the day her Mother died, with strep throat. Her mother was so worried for her, that she went to the pharmacy to get medicine. That's when the drunk driver hit her. Logan felt anger bottling up inside of her. 'It's my fault' she thought, clenching her fists.

"Are you all right?"

Logan sprang to her feet as she heard a voice, hastily wiping her tears away. She looked around for the source of the voice, and then saw a boy, about 10 years old, looking at her with concern. She relaxed and nodded.

"What are you doing so far in the forest" she asked him, hoping he didn't notice her tear streaked face.

"I could ask the same for you" the boy asked, folding his arms defiantly.

Logan, surprised at the boy's demeanor, grinned. He seemed like a decent kid. But then she saw his black eye. Then she knew why this boy was in the forest.

"So what's his name" she asked, leaning against the Willow tree and raising an eyebrow.

The boy swallowed.

"Whose name?" he replied coolly.

Logan rolled her eyes.

"The kid that bullies you"

The boy's jaw dropped.

"How did you know?" he asked.

Logan looked at him sympathetically. He was too young to be bullied. She silently cursed all of the bullies in the world, including Vanessa and Sandra. She motioned to his eye and walked toward him.

"Let's just say I have some experience on it" she said, wincing at the shade of the skin around his eye.

"That looks bad" she said thoughtfully, touching the bruise softly.

The boy jerked away.

"I didn't come out here to be babied" he growled, avoiding her gaze.

Logan chuckled.

"How about you and me go out for some soda, my treat" she offered.

The boy's eyes widened.

"Really! That would be great!"

Logan smiled and started to walk back toward her house, the boy at her heels. She was momentarily forgetting her troubles, which was good. And it felt good, giving the kid some attention. He reminded her of someone she knew too much. Herself.

"Bye Jared!"

Logan waved to Jared as he walked down the street, his black eye covered up by some makeup that Logan had put on it. She smiled. He was very embarrassed when she took him to the store to buy the makeup supplies. But he went through it. He desperately didn't want his parents out. Logan knew what that felt like, since she had to do it a couple of times herself. 'He's a good kid' Logan thought, smiling.

As she strolled home, her thoughts drifted back to her argument with her father. She bit her lip. Her words had been to sharp. She decided to apologize right as she walked into her house. She shut the door quietly behind her and walked in the kitchen. She poured herself a glass of juice and waited for her father to come down from his office. But as she drank her juice, she realized that he probably hadn't heard her come in. She dropped the glass in the sink and strode up the stairs to her father's office where she lifted a hand to knock. But something stopped her. There were two voices coming from the office. One belonged to a man, her father, and another too a woman. Logan's eyes narrowed and she pressed her ear to the door. Her eyes widening as she heard their conversation.

"George she will come around, but you have to tell her that we are getting married!"

Logan's heart started to thump.

"I don't know Lilly; she was really shaken up today" her father's voice said.

Logan held her breath as the woman spoke again.

"Tell her George, or I will have to tell her myself"

Logan had heard enough. She backed away from the door, her head spinning. 'This can't be happening'

Logan banged into the wall behind her, but she didn't even notice. But her father obviously did. He quickly opened the door, his eyes widening as he saw his daughter staring blankly at him.

"Logan..." he stammered.

Logan glanced behind him to see a blonde haired woman, Lilly. She shook her head in disgust.

"You chose her; Mother would be horrified. I mean look at her. She's a troll"

Logan's father straightened at her words and he glared down at her.

"How dare you" he whispered.

Logan shrugged, not even caring., All her attention was on Lilly, the woman her father was going to marry.

"Get out" she suddenly hissed, pushing past her father and glaring at her.

Lilly's eyes widened, she took one look at Logan and quickly walked out. Logan's father watched her go, but he made no effort to stop her. Logan turned to her father. Her heart hard.

"Thanks for telling me" she said scornfully, walking away.

Logan's father let out a breath and turned away. The last thing Logan saw was his eyes, they were full of guilt.

Logan walked through the hallway of her school, not seeing anything. Students brushed past her, heading toward their classes. But Logan didn't follow them. She walked straight to her locker and grabbed her gym bag, just wanting to be alone. Then she walked toward the school's swimming pool, her heart pounding. Her thoughts kept leaning toward Lilly, her future stepmother. She growled. 'There's no way she's ever going to be my mother' she thought determinedly.

Logan hastily changed into her bathing suit, ready to plunge into the pool water. As she prepared to dive in, she knew heard a scuffling noise behind her. She whipped around to see a boy her own age walking out of the boy's locker room, dressed in a swimsuit as well. He recoiled slightly when he saw her but managed to keep his demeanor.

"What are you doing" he hissed, narrowing his eyebrows.

Logan rolled her eyes.

"Isn't it obvious?" she replied sarcastically.

The boy swallowed, his Adam's apple bobbing.

"I won't tell if you won't" he said quietly, glancing around nervously.

Logan nodded.

"Agreed"

After those words she dove into the water, ignoring the fact that she was skipping class. She immediately started moved her body to the rhythm of Freestyle, quickly feeling her attitude lighten. Swimming always made her calm. She didn't do the stroke particularly fast, but she did when she saw a figure coming up beside her . It was the boy. He was doing the freestyle as well, and he was going fast, really fast. Logan immediately fell in beside him and they swam side by side till the next wall. Logan surfaced, drawing in deep breaths. She looked at the boy beside her. He was panting slightly, his chest heaving.

"Your fast" he acknowledged, dipping his head.

Logan smiled sheepishly.

"Thanks, you too"

The boy grinned and held out a hand.

"The names Shawn, I'm new here. Just came from Australia"

Logan shook his hand, her eyes widened.

"Australia? That must be a big change. Since New Zealand is so wet and Australia is hot and dry. Do you like it here?"

Shawn nodded.

"It is, and I do like it here. The air is really fresh and clean, unlike Australia, you couldn't even breathe through your nose without sneezing"

Logan chuckled.

"If you don't mind me asking, but why aren't you in class?" Shawn asked unexpectedly, adjusting his swimming cap.

Logan narrowed her eyes.

"I do"

Shawn coughed, suddenly looking nervous.

"I'll see you later" Logan said, knowing that their conversation was over.

She pulled herself out of the water, expecting Shawn to answer. But when she glanced over her shoulder, he was in the middle of the pool, she snorted and headed to the locker room.

Logan grabbed her gym bag and tiptoed out of the bathrooms, trying to be as quiet as possible. It was P.E time, so most of her classmates were outside, playing soccer. She had to be careful not to be caught by a teacher. But as she was walking down the main hallway when she heard heavy footsteps. She quickly ran to the end of the hallway ad out the door, not looking back. She actually ran the rest of the way home, extremely worried about possibly being seen by a teacher. Her mind was troubled, and full of thoughts. She knew that she still couldn't face her father yet. And instead of going inside of her house, she dropped her gym bag off by the front door ad ran toward Ash's stable, wanting to ride him. But what she saw, made her freeze. Her father was standing at Ash's fence. He was smiling and laughing at something. Logan looked in the direction of her horse and gasped. Lilly, her father's future wife, was sitting on Ash's back, riding him. Logan's face grew as red as a strawberry in the next few seconds, and as she stormed up to her father, her movements became jerky, because she was so angry. When she reached him she reached out a hand, as if to slap him, but then remembered that he was indeed her father. She grabbed his hand instead and squeezed it tightly, to tight. Her father hissed in pain and when he saw her, his eyes widened.

"Logan you're not supposed to be back yet" he stammered.

Logan clenched her fists.

"So you weren't only going to let her ride my horse, but you were going to lie about it!" She screeched.

Logan's father eyes narrowed, but he didn't say anything. Logan climbed the fence and strode straight up to Lilly and her horse, wanting desperately to punch her.

"Get off" she demanded, walking up.

Lilly pursed her lips defiantly, but go off anyway.

"He's a beautiful horse" she said, patting Ash's neck.

Logan growled at her.

"Stay away from my family" she snarled, grabbing the reins from her hands and mounting Ash.

"I love your father Logan, and you can't come between us. So you might as well stop all this bickering" Lilly suddenly burst out, standing straighter.

Logan, surprised at her courage, raised an eyebrow.

"Try me, because I promise, that you will never get married. Not while I am still alive"

Lilly's eyes had widened, and she had taken a few steps back.

"See you" Logan hissed, urging Ash into a trot.

Logan jumped from Ash's back and onto the ground. Her heart was pounding unnaturally fast and she tried desperately to calm it. She suddenly stumbled and fell on the ground, getting a mouthful of dirt. She sat up and spat out the stuff in her mouth. She looked around, realizing that she had ridden without seeing anything. She was back in front of the Willow tree, that she had come too when she was crying yesterday. She stood up and walked over to it, brushing off leaves from her clothes as she did so. Soon she was face to face with the tree and she reached out a hand and gingerly touched it. The wood was soft, weirdly soft. She placed her palm on the bark and shivered. It wasn't scratchy like a normal tree, but smooth like an egg. She leaned against it, closing her eyes. Everything was so messed up. She just wished she could disappear.

"Watch out!"

Logan's eyes opened immediately as she heard someone shout frantically. And what she saw, changed her life.