Author's Note: This is a super SUPER super small chapter about Logan, so please don't kill me. The previous chapter was so long, I thought you'd get dizzy. I promise; next chapter after this will be huge. Anyway, aren't you excited about the movie? In matter of weeks, we're going to see the movie! There's a spoiler roaming around about the movie, and plenty of people have pointed out that this fic is a bit similar with the spoiler. I don't know whether Rob Thomas read this fic, but I like the idea that both of us probably like this kind of theme. And I'm flattered if he reads this story. Rob, if you read this – I love youuuu! And this chapter basically is a glimpse about Logan's background.
Also, I just want to say, exactly on this date, it has been three years since I started this fic. And ever since then, plenty of things have happened. We're going to get our movie, books, spinoff, and who knows – maybe a new series. Thank you for all your feedbacks, follows, and reviews. I really appreciate it!
Flashback,
Army Base somewhere in the Horn of Africa, 2009
Their Platoon was composed of two Squads, which consisted of 50 people each, Logan included. The Platoon was led by Lt. Lamorne Doyle, who was tough as nails. He was a huge African American who was always barking orders and could make a grown man cry.
For some reason, he was really quiet tonight.
It was night in the desert, and it was very hot and windy at the same time. Logan was sitting outside the tent barrack, under the stars, with his notepad. He sat on the ground with his back on the tent. He was scribbling something and focused on his writing, so he didn't hear someone approach. He looked up, a little bit rattled, when his fellow soldier sat next to him with a thump.
"Echolls, what'cha doin'?"
Logan looked at the African American man beside him named Zeus Griffin – new to the team, friendly, very sociable, and an excellent marksman. He was the only one who was friendly towards Logan, and he didn't even care that Logan was Aaron Echolls' son.
"Shit, you've scared me."
Zeus just laughed and pushed Logan playfully. He grabbed Logan's notebook and tried to read it. Logan just sighed and let him. He knew that Zeus wouldn't be able to read his scribble. "Damn, son. What the fuck is this? I can't read your shit!" He looked at Logan's chicken scratch on the notebook. "I thought you went to school!"
Logan snatched the notebook back, "It's a steno, you ass."
"….-No what?"
"Steno. As in stenography. As in shorthand writing."
"Hey I don't know your fancy ass writing. You've been glued to that notebook ever since I got here." He shrugged. "What'cha writing about?"
"Nothing, really. Just… something to occupy my mind."
"What, like a diary?"
"Nothing pansy ass like that."
"Hey, don't knock on diaries! Or as I like to call them 'journals'. I wrote those too. You're right; it's something to keep your mind busy." He shrugged again. "Better than drugs. And I've done those too."
Logan nodded, "Snort some ants."
"A pinch of crack."
"A dollop of smack."
Both of them laughed.
Zeus lit his cigarette and offered Logan one. Logan took a cigarette and Zeus lit his. "Let's play some poker. The guys are playing in the kitchen tent."
"Nah, I'm cool."
"You're so emo and shit, man."
"If I beat them at poker, they're gonna beat me during lunch time. I like my face, thank you very much."
"I heard that you can fight, man."
"Yeah, but it doesn't mean that I like being ambushed every time I take a piss."
Zeus lay down next to him. "Man, it's a beautiful night."
"It's the same every night."
"Man, you gotta see the beauty of the night. Look at those stars. We don't get those back home."
"We have stars back home."
"Not as clear like this." He folded his arms behind his head. "Man, I wonder whether my babies are looking at the same stars."
"Your babies?" Logan asked.
Zeus chuckled and reached for his cellphone. "Check them out. My girlfriend, Shondra and our son Titus."
Logan looked at his cellphone and saw pics of Zeus' family. "Zeus? Titus?" He raised his eyebrows.
Zeus only laughed. "Hey, we're destined for greatness." He looked at the pictures longingly, "Titus is two now. And he can play a mean kazoo."
Logan frowned, "I thought you're younger than me. You're eighteen, nineteen?"
"I knocked her up when we were sixteen." He chuckled. "What can I say? When you're in love…" He looked again at the pictures. "I dropped out school, parents kicked us out, joined a gang, got a lot of money… I thought I'd done great, y'know? As long I can keep my babies happy. Then one day she made an ultimatum; straighten my shit or she leaves with my baby." He shrugged. "So I straightened up."
Logan smiled looking at the pictures, "He's cute. Like his mom. Thank God."
"Shut up." Zeus pocketed his phone. "So what about 'ya, white boy? Anyone waiting for 'ya back home?"
Logan shrugged, "Well… if you believe everything you read on the internet, I have a dead movie star dad who killed my girlfriend while my mom took a swan dive from a bridge. So… no."
Zeus seemed non-plussed about the whole thing. He only wanted to strike a conversation with the quiet guy who everyone seemed to hate. He had heard about Logan's wild life when he was a teenager – he read it on the tabloids, internet, and watched that TV movie starring his sister. Everyone seemed to have opinions about Logan's personality based on what they'd seen on television. Maybe it was true; especially after he watched the news about how Logan conducted bum-fights. Some of their fellow soldiers thought it was disgusting that this rich white boy got away with bum-fights and murdering his classmate.
Zeus thought every man had a dark past. He believed in second chances. Maybe Logan wanted a clean slate by serving his country.
"Yeah, I ain't talking about a stupid dead pedophile, hombre. I'm talking about some sweet girl waiting for you back home. Or sweet guy, I don't know."
Logan went quiet for a second and then pulled out his cellphone. "Yeah, I got a girl." Zeus sat up and looked at a picture of a really pretty blonde girl. "Well, technically she's not my girl." Zeus looked at him with a questionable look. "She's my ex-girlfriend."
"Whoooo, damn boy. Are you still hung up with your ex?"
Logan smiled sadly, "I guess so."
"She's waiting for you to come home so you can declare your love and shit like that to her?"
Logan blew smoke rings to the air, "She doesn't know where I am right now. I sorta… left without saying goodbye."
"Damn."
"Yeah…. As far as I know… She might be with someone else right now."
"You never look her up? Call her or something? We're in a war, son."
"We're not in a war. And no… It's better this way." Logan flicked his cigarette away. "I'm incorrigible, don't you know?"
"You and your big words. You're just an ass." Zeus said jokingly.
Logan laughed and lay down next to him, watching the stars. He was an ass, and he knew it. Being in the army, he felt he needed to redeem himself. He and his troops went on Tours of Duty to several countries and continents. He visited villages and met many people with different background and cultures. Most of them were poor and didn't even have proper plumbing… or even houses. Logan realized how much he took his life for granted.
He had a rough childhood; abusive father, alcoholic mother, murdered girlfriend – things that shouldn't happen to a child anywhere.
But when he went on Tour of Duty, he saw starvation, war, abandoned children, dead children… all those suffering and there was nothing he could do besides be thankful he was alive. Everyone had their sad stories to tell, Logan included. But here, it didn't matter. What mattered was Logan and the rest of the soldiers had to follow the rules. But tonight, he and Zeus had a little break for stargazing.
Logan was half-listening from Zeus's story about his adventure; he pulled out his cellphone again and looked at Veronica's smiling picture. He really missed her so much. It had been, what, two years since he last saw her?
He put the phone close to his mouth, and he kissed the screen.
Are you watching the same stars? I hope you're happy, Veronica…