Logan sat staring at the door. Why was he so impatient for them to arrive? He had hardly slept the night before. Thoughts of Cassi filled his mind. Who was she? Where did her abilities come from? How did she know their secrets? Would she tell anyone else? He had kept replaying the night over and over again in his head.
He had been so upset before they arrived. (Jealous? Where did that word come from?) So maybe he had been jealous. The thought of someone else close to Max actually hurt. Why had he jumped to that conclusion so quickly? Why?...Maybe because he had been wallowing in a pool of self-pity for weeks...Maybe he thought he had finally pushed her too far...Maybe his love for her had grown past friendship and he was just noticing...Maybe all of the above...
He didn't know when it was that he closed his eyes. The next thing he was aware of was the feeling of two hands covering them. "Guess who?" the familiar voice sang.
Logan smiled. He was so glad that Cassi had come the night before...it had changed everything.
"Don't you ever knock?"
Her hands were still over his eyes.
"Nah. I like to keep you on your toes."
Logan felt her hands tense and begin to draw back as she realized what she had said. He decided that he wasn't going to make the same mistake again. He reached up to his face and held her hands there. "Do you really think you are up to that job?"
Her hands remained in place and seemed to relax as she replied, "Yeah well, I have a certain someone to help me."
"Oh yeah, like who?"
Max dropped her hands and Logan tried not to laugh at the sight in front of him. Cassi stood there. She had Max's sunglasses on her face and Max's leather jacket was hanging from her small shoulder down to her knees with the arms reaching inches over her hands.
Logan didn't see what Max was doing behind him but he saw the result. Cassi tipped the glasses down to look over the rim. Eyes focused on Logan, she simply said, "See you."
****************
Logan knew better than to repeat what she said. He remembered quite well what would happen. Instead, he wheeled over. "Ok Little Max. How about a ride to the kitchen to make you dinner?" On cue, she hopped on his lap. When she had positioned herself just right, Logan wheeled around and looked at Max.
"Sorry, we don't have any more room. The Cale Express is full. Race you to the kitchen?"
An evil grin spread over her face, "You don't stand a chance."
"Try me."
They held each other's focus and then broke suddenly. Logan turned the chair to block Max's path but she gave him a smirk and jumped over him. Instead of running to the kitchen, she ducked around the chair and grabbed the handles.
Leaning close to Logan's ear, she whispered, "Now, what is the great Cale Express going to do?"
Logan looked at Cassi and tightened his hold on her, "I think we had better hold on."
In a flash, they were careening into the kitchen. Coming to a stop, Max let go. "Okay, I've done my part. Care to play Chef Cale?"
"Sure." As he answered, Max grabbed Cassi's hand and began to leader her out of the room as Logan watched. "Hey, where are you two going? Just leaving me here to slave over your gourmet meal?"
Max reached in the pocket of the jacket that Cassi was still wearing and produced a compact disc. " Took part of Original Cindy's pre-pulse collection. Little sister here likes music. Besides, we would just be in your way." With that, they left Logan alone gazing after then in wonderment. Snapping himself out of it, he wheeled to the refrigerator. "Ok Cale...now for dinner..."
****************
Logan had finished making a pizza, put it in the oven, and cleaned up the dishes. He shook his head at his own lack of culinary creativity but he was at a loss for what to make for a seven year old. Pasta Tricilore just didn't seem appropriate.
His curiosity finally got the better of him. He had heard various songs while preparing the pizza but had managed to stay in the kitchen without straying. Now, he had to look and see what they were up to. He wheeled around the corner to get a glimpse of his "girls."
~Just like the ocean, under the moon...~
There they were. Hand in hand, Max and Cassi were dancing around the room.
~...Well, that's the same emotion that I get from you...~
Logan wheeled further into the room. He noticed Max was singing and Cassi was too.
~...You got the kind of lovin' that can be so smooth...~
Max noticed Logan there for the first time as her mouth faltered on the words to the song. As they looked at each other, they heard Cassi finish it for them.
~...Gimme your heart, make it real or else forget about it...~
Blushing, Max looked away as Logan turned to check on the pizza.
He had been so upset before they arrived. (Jealous? Where did that word come from?) So maybe he had been jealous. The thought of someone else close to Max actually hurt. Why had he jumped to that conclusion so quickly? Why?...Maybe because he had been wallowing in a pool of self-pity for weeks...Maybe he thought he had finally pushed her too far...Maybe his love for her had grown past friendship and he was just noticing...Maybe all of the above...
He didn't know when it was that he closed his eyes. The next thing he was aware of was the feeling of two hands covering them. "Guess who?" the familiar voice sang.
Logan smiled. He was so glad that Cassi had come the night before...it had changed everything.
"Don't you ever knock?"
Her hands were still over his eyes.
"Nah. I like to keep you on your toes."
Logan felt her hands tense and begin to draw back as she realized what she had said. He decided that he wasn't going to make the same mistake again. He reached up to his face and held her hands there. "Do you really think you are up to that job?"
Her hands remained in place and seemed to relax as she replied, "Yeah well, I have a certain someone to help me."
"Oh yeah, like who?"
Max dropped her hands and Logan tried not to laugh at the sight in front of him. Cassi stood there. She had Max's sunglasses on her face and Max's leather jacket was hanging from her small shoulder down to her knees with the arms reaching inches over her hands.
Logan didn't see what Max was doing behind him but he saw the result. Cassi tipped the glasses down to look over the rim. Eyes focused on Logan, she simply said, "See you."
****************
Logan knew better than to repeat what she said. He remembered quite well what would happen. Instead, he wheeled over. "Ok Little Max. How about a ride to the kitchen to make you dinner?" On cue, she hopped on his lap. When she had positioned herself just right, Logan wheeled around and looked at Max.
"Sorry, we don't have any more room. The Cale Express is full. Race you to the kitchen?"
An evil grin spread over her face, "You don't stand a chance."
"Try me."
They held each other's focus and then broke suddenly. Logan turned the chair to block Max's path but she gave him a smirk and jumped over him. Instead of running to the kitchen, she ducked around the chair and grabbed the handles.
Leaning close to Logan's ear, she whispered, "Now, what is the great Cale Express going to do?"
Logan looked at Cassi and tightened his hold on her, "I think we had better hold on."
In a flash, they were careening into the kitchen. Coming to a stop, Max let go. "Okay, I've done my part. Care to play Chef Cale?"
"Sure." As he answered, Max grabbed Cassi's hand and began to leader her out of the room as Logan watched. "Hey, where are you two going? Just leaving me here to slave over your gourmet meal?"
Max reached in the pocket of the jacket that Cassi was still wearing and produced a compact disc. " Took part of Original Cindy's pre-pulse collection. Little sister here likes music. Besides, we would just be in your way." With that, they left Logan alone gazing after then in wonderment. Snapping himself out of it, he wheeled to the refrigerator. "Ok Cale...now for dinner..."
****************
Logan had finished making a pizza, put it in the oven, and cleaned up the dishes. He shook his head at his own lack of culinary creativity but he was at a loss for what to make for a seven year old. Pasta Tricilore just didn't seem appropriate.
His curiosity finally got the better of him. He had heard various songs while preparing the pizza but had managed to stay in the kitchen without straying. Now, he had to look and see what they were up to. He wheeled around the corner to get a glimpse of his "girls."
~Just like the ocean, under the moon...~
There they were. Hand in hand, Max and Cassi were dancing around the room.
~...Well, that's the same emotion that I get from you...~
Logan wheeled further into the room. He noticed Max was singing and Cassi was too.
~...You got the kind of lovin' that can be so smooth...~
Max noticed Logan there for the first time as her mouth faltered on the words to the song. As they looked at each other, they heard Cassi finish it for them.
~...Gimme your heart, make it real or else forget about it...~
Blushing, Max looked away as Logan turned to check on the pizza.
