CHAPTER 3: Logan
"Wake up, Maggie, I think I got somethin' to say to you. It's late September, and I really should be back at school..."
Of all the songs to be playing when Mary Anne woke up from her nap, the one song that happened to be playing was Rod Stewart's "Maggie May". Now that I think about it, I wondered if my singing along also woke her.
We were just entering the city limits of Stoneybrook as the sun was setting. "Have a nice nap, honey?" I asked.
"Mm-hm," she answered, yawning and stretching. She didn't have much room to stretch, because we were in my Jeep. You know, the kind with the plastic zipper windows. Fortunately, both windows were open, so it wasn't too unbearable, and she also made sure she didn't hit me in the face when she stretched.
As I pulled into the BP on the edge of town to get some gas, the first thing I saw was just how cheap the gas in Stoneybrook was, as opposed to Auburn. Dad once told me that by the end of the decade, gas will be so expensive that no one will be able to afford it. And that's why he traded in his Oldsmobile—his pride and joy, and the car we've had since Kerry was born—for a Hybrid.
Just as I was putting the nozzle in the gas tank, I happened to look toward the store, and saw Sam and Stacey coming out of the exit. Sam was carrying a twelve-pack of Diet Coke. "Hi, you guys!" I shouted, waving.
"Logan, hi!" Stacey exclaimed. The two of them came over to us as Mary Anne was getting out of the Jeep.
"Hi!" Mary Anne cried. I thought for sure that she'd start crying for real. After all, this was Mary Anne, the same girl who cried over literally every little thing, even if it's good news—which is why my nickname for her used to be the "Town Crier". All you had to do was tell her that the Cubs finally made it to the World Series, and we've seen our last Fast & Furious movie, and boom, Faucet-City. But this time, she didn't shed one tear.
"Hi, Mary Anne," Stacey said as they hugged. "So, are you looking forward to the reunion?"
"Oh, absolutely," Mary Anne said "I can't wait to see everyone again."
"We're staying at my mom's tonight," Stacey continued. "Then we're going to the Thomas-Brewer mansion tomorrow afternoon, so we'll be there for the reunion."
I nodded.
"I don't know about you guys, but I'm looking forward to the graduation," Sam said. "Wow, I can't believe it's finally Karen and David Michael's turn to graduate."
"I know," Mary Anne agreed. "It seems like only yesterday that Karen thought that the old lady who lived next door was a witch."
While I put the nozzle back, I remembered the story that Kristy had told about how Karen and her friend, Hannah Papadakis, had showed up unannounced at a garden club meeting that this woman was hosting, and how Karen had actually called everyone there witches, including her grandma! Kristy says she still remembers how pissed her mom and stepdad were when they found out. I can only imagine how my folks would've reacted if I'd pulled a stunt like that.
"Those were the days, huh?"
"Yeah," Sam agreed.
"It's going to be so weird seeing all those kids graduating from high school."
"Yeah."
"Is that all you can say?"
"Yeah," Sam repeated. Apparently, he couldn't quite shake his Hawkeye character from SHS' production of M.A.S.H. Then he changed his voice to a stuffy, falsetto British accent. "Will it rain, do you think?" he asked, rolling the r's and the whole bit. It reminded me of the last day of school before Christmas vacation my junior year of high school, and I'd just told some of my friends that I was going to Shea Rodowsky's piano recital. I remembered how King (to this day, I still don't think he answers to Clarence) and some of his friends had acted out that one bit from Amadeus. Long story short, if you've ever wondered if Sam felt that it was his duty to be such a clown, you're not alone.
We got a good laugh for a minute or two, then they turned around and went back to their car.
"See you at the reunion," Stacey called.
After they left, I said, "Mary Anne, I'm going to get something to drink. Do you want anything?"
"Sure," she said. "A Tab would be fine."
"No problem," I agreed, and made my way into the store.
I got the drinks out of the cooler: a Tab for her and a Cherry Coke for me. When I turned around and headed toward the checkout, I saw a pretty young girl who looked about fourteen years old buying a bottle of water She had long dark hair in a French braid, and was wearing a red short-sleeved top, a blue denim miniskirt, and neon yellow jelly shoes. When she turned around and saw me, she had the world's biggest grin on her face. "Hi, Logan!" she exclaimed.
"Hi," I said. "Do I know you?"
"Duh!" she giggled. "I'd know you and your wife anywhere! She was the only baby-sitter who could handle me. Well, before my sister came along, that is."
"Really?" I asked. Then it started to click with me. "Jenny Prezzioso?"
She grinned and nodded. "That's me," she said.
"Well, I'll be damned! What's new with you?"
"Mom and I are two of the chaperones on the trip that the Stoneybrook Kids are taking to San Francisco," Jenny answered. "We just came from Pizza Express, and I came in to get something to drink while Mom and Dad were filling up the car."
"Okay," I said. "Would you like to come out to the Jeep with me? I'm sure Mary Anne would be happy to see you."
"Sure," Jenny said. After we paid for our drinks and headed outside, Jenny spotted her parents and said, "Just a sec."
"Okay," I said. I waited while Jenny talked to her parents, and waved to them when they took notice of me standing there. We got back to the Jeep just as Mary Anne was getting ready to get back in.
"Hey, honey, look who it is," I said.
It took Mary Anne a few seconds to size Jenny up. "Jen!" she exclaimed, hugging her.
Jenny rolled her eyes. "You know I hate that nickname," she said. But she was still smiling.
"Sorry," Mary Anne apologized as she held Jenny at arm's-length. "How have you been?"
"Oh, pretty good," Jenny answered, opening her water bottle and taking a sip. "First of all, I just graduated from SMS, and will be starting high school this fall."
"That's wonderful," Mary Anne said. "Anything else?"
"I was just telling Logan that Mom and I are going to San Francisco with the Stoneybrook Kids."
"Really? That's great!" Mary Anne said. "I'll be sure to tell Dawn when I see her, so she can let Jeff know. I'm sure he'd love to see them perform."
"I'm sure he would," Jenny agreed. "Well, I should be getting back to my parents, okay?"
"Sure," I said as both of us hugged her. "Nice seeing you."
"Tell your family we said hi, okay?" Mary Anne added as she opened the door and got back in the Jeep.
"I will," Jenny smiled warmly. And she ran off.
As I got back in the Jeep, handed Mary Anne her drink, and started the ignition, I couldn't help thinking that it felt strange to see our former baby-sitting charges all grown up, and it made me feel older than dirt. I was also looking forward to the reunion, even though Jason and I would be the only guys there. Still, it was going to be great to see everyone again.
