Chapter 2: Nightmare or Fantasy

Louise is in a dark room staring at a door that has a faint glow coming from the floor. Suddenly she feels a hand on her shoulder. Without thought she spins around and punches the person who touched her. Her eyes begin to adjust to the minimal lighting in the small room and she can see a boy in a red shirt hunched over in pain. She takes a step back and leans against the door.

"Why did you punch me?" The boy says with a groan. "Thought we'd made a deal to not kill each other till we got out of here."

"I...I got scared." Louise says nervously. "I wasn't...expecting you to touch me."

"I'm sorry but it's not like there's anyone else in her Louise." He says getting up from the ground.

"Sorry Logan but I wasn't expecting it you surprised me."

Louise sits on the floor trying to figure out where she is. She can hear chatter from the other side of the door. They're in a rather large closet with beanie bag chairs and a tv. She puts her hands to her head and feels her ears on her head. When did I put these back on? She remembers the last time they were locked up it was for that stupid bonding thing their moms tricked them into going to. Something is different though Logan seems older.

"How old are you?" She asks

"24" he replies. "Why does it matter?"

That would make me 16, but I stopped wearing my ears at 13 and Logan left the same year. What's going on?

"Louise?" He seems conserned but her lack of response.

"I'm fine just confused." She says standing up.

Louise can feel her head starting to spin. She stumbles and trips, falling into Logan knocking both of them into the beanie bag chair. She feels his arms close around her. A calming feeling overwhelms her and she cuddles up to him. She's not sure why she feels so comfortable being in his arms.

"Logan?" She says softly. "Can we just stay like this for a while?"

"We can stay like this for however long you'd like." He says kissing the top of her head.

Louise looks up at him trying to figure out what's going on. She hates this guy, ever since he stole her ears. She reaches up and takes off her ears and puts them on his head not letting go of the ends. She feels her hair fall onto her back and shoulders. She feels his hand leave her back and he reaches for her hair. Louise pulls at the ears and make Logan lean in closer to her. She can't help herself, she leans in and kisses him.

"What was that for?" Logan asks bringing his hand to her cheek.

"I don't know." She says pushing away from him. "I don't know whats going on right now. This can't be real!"

Louise turns to the door and finds just a mirror. The room around her seems to go on forever and Logan is no longer there with her. She steps to the mirror and sees herself staring back.

"Why do you want to push your feelings away Louise?" Her reflection asks. "You love Logan and you know it! You've loved him since the day he stole your ears." The mirror shows a look at the day her and Logan first met, the day he stole her ears. "You followed him around for days."

"I wanted my ears back. I wanted to get my ears back." she says ignoring the mirrors pull.

"He invaded your safe place because of your father." The mirror shows her the day Logan was brought in as the newest member of the Bob's Burgers team. "You were fixated on him for days, Louise. You watched his every move. You've been obsessed with Logan for years, Louise. He has always been on your mind, even when he was gone you still thought about him."

"SHUT UP!" she screams falling to her knees "I hate Logan! I never want to see him! I hate him, he stole my ears! I just wanted my ears!" she feels tears welling up. "He came to my place!" the tears roll down her face. "I hate Logan Bush! I hate him!

"Louise, once you can admit to yourself your true feelings than your nightmare will end. You can be happy, Louise, just look." the mirror shows her with Logan laughing and doing things couples do. They're going on picnics, seeing movies, and cuddling up together. The mirror shows them kissing and hugging. Then she sees Logan down on one knee.

"Stop." Louise says standing up wiping away her tears. The mirror shows him pull out the ring. "Stop this." She's starting to get mad. The mirror shifts to a beautiful garden setting. She sees Logan standing under an arch way and then she sees herself. She's dressed in a long white gown with her Dad on her arm. "STOP THIS NOW!" Louise punches the mirror with both fists just as it shows her kissing Logan. She falls to the ground, shattered glass lines the floor and flies around the never ending room. Each glass shard showing a different memory she has with Logan, every thought she's ever had about him, and every prediction that was made for them. "Do I love him? How could I?" her hands are bleeding but she feels no pain. "He stole my ears. He invaded my safe place. He wormed his way into my mind, but could he have really found his way into my heart in doing all this?" she picks up the shard of glass playing out their first meeting. "You're so stupid, Logan. I think...I think I really do...I love you."

"Louise?" a mans voice calls her name from the distance.

"Logan? Logan is that you." she calls out to the voice.

"Louise, sweetheart wake up." the voices calls to her. "Wake up Louise, open your eyes."

"Logan?" she mumbles starting to wake up. "Dad? What are you doing in here?"

"I came to get you. It's still your birthday and we have a surprise for you." Bob says helping her up off the bed.

Louise drops her ears on her bed and goes with her dad down to the restaurant. When they get there the lights are all off and its pitch black. She reaches for the light switch and when the lights flicker on shes surprised to see party decorations and all their family and friends there to celebrate her 18th birthday with her. There's one face that stands out in the sea of people sitting in the booth all the way in the back corner is Logan.