15: Back to Ordinary

Do not ask your children
to strive for extraordinary lives.
Such striving may seem admirable,
but it is the way of foolishness.
Help them instead to find the wonder
and the marvel of an ordinary life.

William Martin

“Mr. and Mrs. Sykes?” Ioana and Leslie entered the kitchen early the next morning, still wearing yesterday’s clothes. Leslie nodded to her father, not uttering a sound and remaining standing, warning her parents this was something significant. “I was hoping you’d have time to talk.”

“There’s no need to be so formal. Call me Jonathon. Or if what Logan keeps hinting is true, possibly Dad.” He glanced at his watch. “I have at least another half hour. Pour yourself some coffee, grab something to eat and we can converse.”

“I wanted to speak with you privately, but ... since this concerns Logan, and Leslie’s his self-appointed guardian, she needs to hear this too.

“First, I want to assure you I’m not interested in taking advantage of your children. They’ve revitalized my life, especially Logan, but at nearly forty years their senior, I’m the adult. So, I’ll do my best to look out for them all.”

“After seeing what you accomplished in Mexico, I don’t doubt it, but I was skeptical initially. And from what the other parents tell me, you now seem like different person.”

“I’m glad you feel that way, but ... I’m afraid Logan is close to spiraling out of control. He’s so focused on everything he does, all in every moment until it’s done. And while finding Rosie and Mattie helped, it’s only worsened matters.”

“What are you saying?” Jonathon asked, as his wife stopped buttering her muffin. “What is it you’re afraid he’ll do?”

“He’s too worried about everyone: our pod, those we trained in Mexico, Cardinal Garcia and the very spirits he’s wrestling with. But mostly he’s haunted by acting as the defacto judge, jury and executioner of these ... lost souls. He’s assumed all those responsibilities and it’s grinding him down.”

“She’s right,” Leslie concurred. “He goes from decisive to obsessed to guilt-ridden before starting again. He has no off switch. Other people can slow down or distract themselves, but Logan doesn’t feel he deserves time for himself. It’s like he’s punishing himself to atone for everyone’s suffering ... I’m concerned about him too.”

“I think we need to be clear,” Jonathon specified, moving his coffee and paper to the side. “How do you see this impacting him? You’re not saying...” Helen clutched his arm, her eyes opened wide, fearing the worst.

“He can’t continue like this.” Ioana glanced down as she fiddled with her hands. “I don’t think he’ll attempt suicide, but at the rate he’s going, he won’t have to. Instead, I’m suggesting we all work together to ensure it never reaches that point.”

“Shouldn’t the other girls hear this?” Leslie asked.

“Yes, but I wanted to discuss it with the family first. He and Leslie return to school today, but with everything that’s happened it’ll be difficult to focus, and definitely not on their futures. I have plans for that at least, but it will take a while before I can implement them. But for now, I’m afraid any undue attention may push him over the edge—increasing his preoccupations and worsening his mood.”

“I’m guessing we should alternate watching him throughout the day, like we did before,” Leslie said.

“I think it’s best. You’re more familiar with him than anyone, so you know what to look for, but if he starts acting panicky, we’ll need to intervene.” She turned to their parents. “If you could contact the school and warn them that he’s especially vulnerable, it should give his girls more leeway.”

“We’ve missed an entire week of classes,” Leslie added. “And while we received our assignments before departing, we never anticipated being gone this long. I’m not sure our teachers will appreciate us arriving late or leaving early.”

“Given that nearly everyone is aware of what happened in Mexico City, I trust they’ll be more supportive than you suspect. Besides, each of you are incredibly intelligent. It’s not like any of you are slackers. But I fear the next few days with be critical.”

“Morning everybody,” Jie said loudly, as she and Logan entered. She went for some orange juice, while Logan, still wiping the sleep from his eyes, headed for the coffee.

“So, what’s critical?” Logan asked.

“We were discussing your future careers,” Ioana said, covering her tracks. “I’d like to review your plans, as I might have several new opportunities if you’re interested.”

“I don’t know.” He poured himself a cup of steaming black coffee, still looking fuzzyheaded. “I’ve got my heart set on programming.”

“That’s fine,” Ioana continued, “I’m proposing alternatives, something you can do on the side to ensure you remain on track professionally. I’ve got to talk a couple people, but we’ll reconvene in a few days. In the meantime, Leslie and I still haven’t had our showers yet. So, enjoy breakfast, and we’ll see you soon.”

The ride to school was quiet, as everyone was nervous about their reception. While excited about finally being recognized for their accomplishments, the girls noted Logan’s disposition and sought to sooth his fears by swallowing their excitement. Midway, Leslie sent his girlfriends a terse text, advising them to watch him the entire day.

Exiting the car in the school’s parking lot, Leslie passed notes to the others outlining Ioana’s warning and their ‘Logan-watch’ schedule. Logan was so preoccupied he never noticed. As they neared and entered the building, the response was muted. Virtually everyone turned, stared and pointed, but no one approached or confronted them, so they had no idea how their schoolmates felt about the recent news. They were still unsure over the slant the local and national media spun on the stories—which they hadn’t concentrated on, anyway.

After entering, Leslie begged off, as she ducked into the office once they continued and couldn’t see what she was doing. When she did, everyone parted, and the school secretary grinned.

“We’re glad you’re back. We heard you were returning, and—”

“Look, we appreciated it, but that’s why I’m here. Logan is sensitive about the issue, and we’d prefer holding off on any public announcements until he’s had time to adjust.”

The receptionist bit her lip. “Yeah, there was a note in his record this morning concerning it and several teachers warned us.” She considered Leslie. “How about the rest of you? I can understand Logan’s being leery, as the videos didn’t make him look terribly good. But you’re hometown heroes and everyone loves stories of local students who’ve made a name for themselves.”

“I’m sorry, but the reactions we’d received before leaving were anything but kind, and I’m afraid any recognition will likely set Logan off.”

The older blond glanced back towards the principal’s office. “We’ll have to discuss this, as we’ve been planning this since before you returned. When you say ‘off’, what are we discussing?”

“Frankly, probably a full-blown meltdown, which would put a decidedly sour note to your little party. I’m not saying you can’t have a celebration, but he’s been struggling. We need time to ease him down and get him refocused on school. So, give us a few days, and hopefully things will improve.”

“Again, I’ll need to review it with Principal Hall, as he’ll make the final decision. If you’d like to make your case, we can always supply a hall pass to return to class.”

“Sorry, but we’re watching Logan like hawks today, without letting him know we’re worried. But if you call our parents, they’ll also warn you about doing anything, as he’s not quite ... stable, at the moment.”

“Should we write him a medical exemption?” she asked, her eyes darting back and forth as she considered how to proceed.

“No, he needs to get through this to adjust. Taking more time off will only worsen the situation.”

“Understood,” she said. “We’ll discuss it and decide how to handle it.”

“Thanks, we appreciate it.”

The reception once Leslie parted ways with the others was ... interesting. In such close proximity, the students were much more vocal.

“Way to go, guys!” “Loved the videos of your adventures.” “Next time, you should stop by the Spanish class before heading off on your latest adventure.” And the ubiquitous “You girls were wonderful. It was great seeing you step up and take charge. Way to go, sisters!”

The fact virtually no one addressed Logan seemed helpful, but they weren’t sure whether it helped or upset him even more. Aiesha clutched his right arm, while Jie tightly held his left hand, buffering him from those nearby. While they acknowledged the attention, they focused on his reactions.

He was tense, and each time someone said something, he’d pause before hurrying on, hoping to get away. The girls wanted to get him to his homeroom to recover before classes started.

For some reason, they flinched, drawing away and he glanced around, expecting someone to say something. “Ay, buddy!” someone yelled, slapping Logan on the back. When he turned, Roger Ales threw his arm around his shoulder.

“I always thought you were tough. I just never knew you wrestled the undead.”

“Uh ... I thought we didn’t get along?” Logan glanced at his friends, who seemed as baffled as he was.

“Nah, that’s long past.” Roger’s voice sounded off, not only softer and kinder, but slurred and slightly muffled. “After you said what you did about my nerves, I took it seriously. I ... asked the resource counselor for help and ... I’m doing better. I’m making new friends and catching up on my studies, but ... that’s probably a lost cause.”

“It seems a little soon,” Logan countered.

“Well, moving out made the biggest difference. Not having to be ready to bolt at all hours of the night ... takes the edge off. I’m now in a ... temporary home, but it’s safe. I can relax and concentrate on my therapy.”

“Uh ... I’m happy for you?”

“We’ll talk,” Roger promised, releasing him, backing up and waving. “Don’t let anyone hold you back! You saved my life.”

They glanced at each other, belatedly continuing down the hall. “That was weird!” Jie recaptured his arm, which she’d let go of earlier.

“Personally, turning him into a nice guy is the most miraculous thing you’ve done.”

“Trust me, it wasn’t me. He must be popping some powerful psychiatrics!”

It took a bit for those around them to return to normal—having watched the exchange—reassuring them it wasn’t a normal occurrence. Plus, everyone was moving faster, with less time to gab.

Kids still called out things, pointing and talking amongst themselves, but they were more distracted. Aiesha split, taking much of the students’ attention with her. Jie considered him and shrugged, but they made steady progress.

“I need to turn here, you’ll be alright the rest of the way, won’t you?” she asked.

“Yeah, I know where my homeroom is.” Logan looked at her. “What’s going on? What are you worried about?”

“Oh, nothing,” she said airily, waving her hand. “I’d just rather be by your side than anywhere else.” Then she danced away, leaving Logan shaking his head and ignoring those surrounding him, his mind miles away.