A/N: Thank you for all your comments on the first chapter and all I can say is that I hope this story is as good as it is in my mind.
Chapter 2: Food Chain
The lunch bell rang and the students in the biology classroom moved out into the hallway faster than they moved the whole day. Logan was the last one to leave, being that he did not want to be trampled over. He made his way down the hallway to his locker where he got his books for the rest of the day and his lunch.
After maneuvering his way through the mass of kids flooding the hallway and cafeteria, Logan made it to his table and ate his lunch alone, as he does every day. Looking around the room, Logan watched as everyone else sat at tables with their friends, laughing and having great times. As he was scanning the cafeteria he watched as Kendall walked right past everyone, that Logan could barely get past, with ease. Kendall was moving towards his usual table, occupied with the jocks and their cheerleader girlfriends when he noticed Logan staring in his direction. With a quick nod of the head Kendall gave the slightest acknowledgement of Logan's existence. Logan saw as Kendall nodded towards him and proceeded to look back down at the table and eat his peanut butter and jelly sandwich.
Logan knew the lunch period was about halfway over as he took out a book and started to read. He got lost somewhere in the words he was reading because he almost didn't notice someone sit down in the seat across from him. Putting the book down, Logan noticed it was none other than Kendall.
"Hey, why are you sitting all alone?" Kendall asked, not wasting any time by getting straight to the point.
"Why do you care? Shouldn't you be with your idiot friends?" Logan responded.
"Well I have come to notice that you always seem to be alone. And I told my friends that I needed to talk to one of my teachers about extra credit, which is true, but I thought I would talk to my project partner as well."
"The reason why I am always alone is none of your concern. So I would appreciate it if you only saw me as your project partner. I don't mean to be rude but that's the truth." Logan said the iciness clear in his voice.
"Okay sorry, I just thought I could extend an olive branch. But if you don't want to talk about it I understand." Kendall said and as he was about get up Logan spoke up.
"What teacher are you going to talk to?"
"Oh, um Mrs. Byrd. I just can't for the life of me be able to figure out what is going on in that class." Kendall said.
"Well if you need any help, I guess I could tutor you." Logan said.
"Thanks. I'll let you know. Don't forget we are meeting up next period to discuss the project." Kendall said as he walked away after Logan nodded in answer.
Logan finished his lunch and was waiting for Kendall in the library. It was ten minutes after the period started and Logan was beginning to think that Kendall was blowing him off when said student emerged through the door and took a spot at the table Logan sat at.
"I'm sorry I'm late, Mrs. Byrd just wouldn't stop talking about how it would be unfair to give me extra credit and no one else, so she turned me down. And then my friends bombarded me about plans for the weekend and I just got away." Kendall said as he pulled out his notebook and textbook.
"It's fine, and that offer to tutor you is still on the table." Logan said, kind of shocked at how social he was being.
"Thanks, I just might take you up on that offer. Anyway, the only times I would be able to work on this project would be on Fridays and weekends, since I have hockey practice almost every day." Kendall said flashing a friendly smile at Logan's offer.
"Okay, I am pretty much available everyday, it all depends on how busy my dad is."
'Okay, well here is my cell phone number in case plans change or anything. How about we meet up here again after school on Friday and get started?" Kendall said as he wrote his number down and gave it to Logan, who did the same.
"Okay, but I will probably have to get home to make my dad dinner. Uh because he is so busy with work that he doesn't have time to do it himself." Logan said, quickly making up a lie so that he didn't have to tell Kendall the truth.
"Oh, okay. If you don't mind my asking, what about your mom?" Kendall asked, not knowing the answer. But seeing the expression on Logan's face he kind of figured it out.
"Oh uh she passed away a few years ago. I don't really want to talk about it." Logan said.
"I'm sorry, I didn't know. But maybe it could help if you opened up to someone. You know just let it out." Kendall said.
"Why? Why do you want to know every detail about my life? Like I said before it is none of your business! Is this one of your ideas to get leverage over me so that you and your friends can just use it against me when you decide to beat me up? Just leave me the hell alone and stay out of my personal life!" Logan said as he stormed out of the library and past a group of jocks who all heard the exchange.
"Logan, I didn't-" Kendall tried to call after him but knew it was pointless once he was out of sight. Kendall just sat back in the chair and let out a sigh of regret. He didn't know why Logan was so touchy when he tried to get to know him a little better. All he wanted to do was try to make friends with him but it was proving to be a difficult task.
Logan wiped all emotion from his face and proceeded with his day, avoiding any contact with Kendall. He knew that Kendall was going to be persistent with the questioning and he just needed to make sure that he was nowhere near Kendall to make sure that didn't happen.
After the last period of the day, Logan made his way to his locker with any sightings of Kendall. Once he got all the books he needed for his homework Logan started to make his way out of the building when he felt someone grab the bag on his back and pull him forcefully into the men's bathroom.
Logan found himself being shoved onto the floor of the bathroom looking up into some of the hockey players faces, the same people that he stormed past when he left the library.
"So we heard that you seem to be getting close to Kendall. Or haven't you heard that he doesn't play for your team?" The biggest jock said. Logan never took the time to learn the names of the kids who constantly beat him up.
"What the hell are you talking about? We are partners for our biology project." Logan said, surprised by his sudden appearance of bravery.
"Who the hell said you can talk back to us?" The second jock said kicking Logan in the stomach.
"Yeah so here's how it's going to work. We are at the top of the food chain here and you are at the bottom, so naturally it is our duty to put you in your place. Now if you make any noise right now we can guarantee that we will just make things worse for you." The last jock said as the proceeded to beat him up. Punches were thrown and al Logan knew was that they got his face and stomach really well.
Logan finally sighed with relief once the beating stopped but soon felt himself being pulled into a stall. And felt what seemed like ropes being tied around him.
"This is a little insurance to make sure you don't do something stupid." The big jock said once they finished tying him up. They then put a bandana around his head and in his mouth. "Hope you have a good night….Oh and by the way if your stupid project interferes with Kendall's hockey priorities then it's you we are coming after." The jock said as the laughed their heads off leaving Logan tied up in a bathroom stall. This was definitely not something Logan needed to be going through right now.
Kendall just finished hockey practice, and he was tired as usual. When he was in the locker room getting changed he swore he heard some of the other guys talking about beating up a kid and doing something else to him, but Kendall wasn't close enough to hear what they saying exactly. Quite frankly, Kendall didn't want to know what they did. He always told himself to stay out of it to prevent himself from getting in trouble or doing something stupid. He looked at his phone and saw that it was 5:15 and his mom would be coming to pick him up soon.
Kendall finished putting his uniform away and headed down the hallway to his locker to get his books when he heard some noise come from bathroom. It sounded like someone struggling and banging against a door. He could also faintly hear the person saying 'help' but he wasn't sure.
Opening the door to the bathroom he heard the noise even louder. "Is someone in here?" Kendall said standing in the doorway. His question got a response of the person trying to say yes.
Walking over to where the noise was coming from, Kendall opened the stall door and was not expecting what he saw. Logan sat on the toilet, with his arms tied behind his back, his legs tied together and a bandana tied over his mouth. There were bruises and blood all over him.
"Logan? What happened to you?" Kendall said as he dropped his bag and untied the bandana and started to untie the ropes.
"Like you don't know. Your asshole friends took t upon themselves to beat the living crap out of me because we are project partners." Logan said untying the ropes on his legs once Kendall released his hands.
"Logan I had nothing to do with this. I didn't know they would do it, I'm so sorry." Kendall said, once Logan was freed.
"You know what I don't give a shit. We are just going to do this project and move on because it seems that you are the reason why I am getting more shit done to me." Logan said, storming out of the stall. "Thanks for getting me out, I need to go home. My dad is probably freaking out."
"Logan, I'm really sorry. Let me give you a ride home." Kendall said following Logan out of the bathroom.
"No, I'll be fine. See you on Friday." Logan said as he wiped his forehead seeing the blood and then left the school to now feel the wrath of his pissed off father.
Kendall just stood in place watching the pain in Logan's eyes knowing that no matter how much he offered, Logan wasn't going to try and be friends, but Kendall wasn't going to give up.