LOGAN (A Wolfe Brothers Novel One) - LIAM (Book Two)

The car had flipped so many times that I had become disorientated before I could even sustain the concussion that had me drift in and out of consciousness my little body could not handle the impact. I jumped in my booster seat. My bones and muscles and joints and insides felt like they were being crumbled and smashed into a tiny box. My torso and head smashed up against the windshield while my arms and legs were flailing. I don't even know if it's still bright outside. I was fleetingly aware of the bloody taste in my mouth that made me cringed of the flavor. At times my eyelids fluttered and I thought what just happened.

Why the pain? Oh, why so much pain?

I cried out to my mom, "Mommy?" No answer. "Daddy?" no answer from him too. I sobbed crying out for them. Crying hard to wake them up as I use every weekend morning. I would jump on dad and fist his bareback as a drum and mom would join by tickling his sides until he wakes. To fully wake him up Athena and Ares would jump in and tackle him. But that will never happen.

"Mommy... Daddy..." I tried struggling out of my chair, but the glasses on my skin would hit a nerve sending my brain I'm in pain. "Mommy, I'm hurt... Daddy, help me..." No matter how much I call for them they'd never respond. The world must have kept flickering its figurative light switch because my vision kept flashing from bitter darkness to blinding white light.

"Mommy... Daddy... Thea... Ares... Mom-"

________________________________

"Effie, get up. You're going to be late."

My eyes shot wide open as I went up drenched in sweat. That nightmare. I pulled up my knees and hugged my legs putting my head in between. I took slow and deep breaths easing my shaking body and my soul.

"Effie, are you up?" I didn't answer. "I'll use the bathroom first."

I was saved Ares' bellow voice woke me up before I would be trapped in my nightmare unable to escape it. My eyes land on the door. Hearing my brother knock on the door telling me to get up once more then he drags his feet into the bathroom in the hallway hearing a door close. We have two, one in the master bedroom-my parents room and the one in the hall where three siblings share and fight over who gets to go first.

It will get wild in the morning but since my parents are gone everything lively in this house no longer exists.

I slowly moved out of bed, put on my fluffy slippers, and gathered my clothes for school. Choose a black cardigan no care if it's warm outside fall is coming up and I'll be the one laughing at those who dressed so little. Then pulled out a graphic black t-shirt with a Pikachu on it, and black leggings from my dresser, and converse - also in black. Everything I wear is black, and I like it that way. I didn't care much about what I wear because it's school. It represents my mourning, my grieving. I wasn't ready to move on, not yet.

I walk out of my room hugging my clothes and at the same time Ares, my brother comes out of the bathroom while steam from the bathroom smoked out. His short black hair damped and loose, his five o'clock shadow has been shaved as the towel wrapped around his waist reveals his torso with tattoos of the Filipino sun in his right chest and Japanese design that covers his whole right arm. He has another one on his back that has Greek words of apage, pistis, and theos.

Love, Faith, and God

"Morning sis," he greets with a smile as he plays with his damp hair, brushing it back. "Sorry about the steam kind of cold in the morning."

"It's okay," I say quietly.

Ares groans rubbing his face. "Effie, please speak up." I can tell by the sound of his voice he was cranky from waking up early for work. "You are seventeen and not making any friends with that soundless voice of yours."

I lowered my head, quiver my lips. I heard Ares make swear under his lips and before he can apologize and shush me, thundering footsteps come from the kitchen then we both hear a roar, causing Ares to freeze.

"Ares, you ass, are you making Effie cry again?"

"No!" He hollers back. He's shushing me to keep quiet but as usual, I don't say a word. I feel being bullied by my brother who doesn't mean to hurt me but my tears just suddenly appeared from my eyes, which puts my brother in a tight position with the head of the house.

My brother wince as we both see an angry woman stomping her way towards us and stopping. Athena stands there, her hip-swaying to the side, and arm crossed over her chest holding a kitchen knife and spatula glaring at Ares. She reminds me of our mother. I watch Ares swallows hard and his Adam's apple goes up, then down.

I watched Ares swallow hard. His Adam's apple went up then down.

"Want to test me from your lies, little brother?" Athena warns as she glares at him, tapping her feet.

I know Ares wants to run from our older sister but he knows not to mess with her, especially holding kitchen utensils as murder weapons.

"No, I'm not. I swear," Ares protests and leans back not to get into our older sister's face. "I'm just telling her to speak louder."

Athen sighs and puts down her hands to her sides. "Don't get angry at her. She's been through a lot since Mom and Dad passed."

"I know."

"And the foster home."

"Yes," he grunts in annoyance. "How could I forget?"

"Now, apologize."

Ares looks at me. "Sorry, baby sis." He leans in and kisses the top of my forehead. Then he walks away to his room and shut the door.

I hear Athena exhale a long sigh, then look as she shakes her head. "I swear. Don't worry, Effie, one day. One day you're going to be yourself again."

"I'm sorry."

Athena smiles, blushes a strand of my hair back behind my ear "Don't be sorry. It's just your brother, and I are worried about you."

I lower my head to the floor.

I had images of the accident in my head that gave me the feeling of a nail to my brain once I try to remember.

"We don't blame you," as Athena pulls me away from memory lane. "It's that dumb driver fault. We are glad that you survive. Otherwise, we would have lost both you and our parents. It's going to be okay." She kisses my hair and walks back to the kitchen.

Watching her go had me anxious to know if I had made things much harder for her and Ares.

I remember the accident as clear as day, it felt like it was yesterday. Next month would be eleven years and I will never forget. Flashes of memories from my head of the crash would sometimes appear, triggering my guilt and cause me to verbally cry our in pain as if knives pierced my skull, stabbed my brain, and the only way for me to forget was to ease that pain. I'm already marred with cuts from the crash that has been healed for a long time and stayed on my skin to remind me about every bit of it.

I was a spoiled brat and treated like a princess because I was the youngest wanting the attention. I whined to obtain what I wanted and because of it had lost my parents' lives.

My parents' car had collided with a truck driver who fell asleep on the road. The impact was quick. The next thing I remembered was waking up in the hospital bed with Athena and Ares by my side. Their eyes were swollen and moist with tears, and when I had asked where mom and dad were, they had fallen into silence and told me I was the only one who had survived.

We have no parents and our next of kin from the Philippines didn't want us because my mom marrying someone who isn't a doctor or lawyer. Typical. My sister wasn't old enough to take care of two of her siblings, social service has us put in different foster homes for some unknown reason. I felt lonely without them. Sixteen was still too young for Athena to take care of us. It took her two years to take us back.

Athena had taken a job working at a nursing home. Then when Ares graduated high school, he decided to work at a construction company to help out. But every week he would come home with a full smile on his face marred with busted lips, swollen eye, purple-black bruises and told us "I'll buy anything you want, just ask Kuya Ares here" then he would add wink as if he had scored big from playing a slot machine. I was still young and unsure of what he meant. It seemed he was doing something illegal that Athena nor I never suspect.

I owe my siblings a lot and I feel I need to do something for them. But I don't know-how.

I went to the bathroom and changed into my clothes to wear today for school. I took a shower last night because I didn't want to wait an hour for Ares to finish. He takes longer in the bathroom than the girls in this house. It takes one hour for him to shower, thirty minutes to shave, and extra minutes looking at himself in the mirror to kill time. Sometimes I think he so much like a girl. I let my hair fall smoothly down, looked at the mirror I see myself looking like Samara Morgan from the movie The Ring using my hair as a black veil hiding my face from everyone else. I then brushed my hair as it rains back like silk to give one look at myself in front of the mirror.

I came out from the bathroom entirely dressed, grabbed my backpack from my room, and heard Athena hog calling us to eat. The door slams shut behind me when I saw Ares in front of his room buttons up his plaid shirt, smiled at me, wrap his arm around my shoulders leading us to the kitchen. The smell of a delicious breakfast fills the whole house. Athena her back facing us wearing her two-piece navy blue scrubs and her hair in an updo bun.

I grabbed a seat, Ares takes the one next to me starting to fill his plate with scrambled eggs mix with tomatoes, spam, and sometimes fish - yeah definitely cooked fish in the morning to start the day. My siblings and I are half-Filipino, and half-white, so we sometimes eat breakfast with fish and other unusual meals with rice that replaces sausages, hashbrowns, and pancakes. We are very cultural with our Filipino heritage.

Athena seats herself at the table as she fills her plate, she stops and stares at me. "You are not going to eat?" She asks while Ares is stuffing his face like a pig.

"Not that hungry," I reply taking a piece of spam into my mouth.

"Okay, I'm done," Ares mumbles with food in his mouth and drinks his cup of orange juice to drown it with. "Awesome food ate. Bye kiddo, have fun at school," kissing me at the top of my head before he rushes out the door. The roaring sounds come off his bike as he left the driveway.

"He sure is in a rush," Athena says, "He doesn't start his shift until 8:30 because he wanted to sleep in a bit more. Lazy ass." I played with my fork as I got up from my sit strapping my bag over my body.

"I have to go."

"Okay, oh, wait," she stops me to a halt. " I won't be home tonight. We are short-staffed and I got a shift to stay at the nursing home. Ares will stay out late too, said something about one of his buddies' birthday. But, would you be okay here by yourself?"

"Yeah, I guess," I answer in a non-committal way like it doesn't matter to me whether my older siblings stay overnight. They are adults, so it's okay for them to do whatever they want.

I say my goodbyes as I walk out of the house. Before leaving, I see a moving truck appear in front of the house next to mine that has been vacant for some time since the Jeffersons' moved out a few weeks ago. Now it seems a new family has moved in. One guy came out from the truck carrying a heavy box get my attention my throat clogs as he stands on the ramp - shirtless. He placed the box down, and for the first time felt drawn to him.

Heat covered my face as I stare at him like an Adonis

God. Wait, Adonis God?

What the hell am I thinking like this about some guy? Who I absolutely have no feelings for. I need to focus on school and not boys.

I studied the guy; he looks about my age, six-feet tall, hair up in a bun reveals the side of his head shaved. I trail my eyes on his exposed upper body, sun-kissed skin as I get a good glimpse of his tribal tattoos that starts from his arm; covering the whole body part, almost painted on his right side.

I can't take my eyes off him, which worries me. I had to leave before its too late. I have never seen a man this good-looking in my life, well there are two men who I admired; my dad and Ares. But this guy, he outshined them. No one is that perfectly good-looking unless naturally born that way. When he finally takes notice of me staring, our eyes lock, I find sapphire blue eyes, and I completely lose it. My insides are screaming for this neighbor of mine, and I'm starting to hate myself for it. Shirtless let loose his hair, combs it through his fingers as an excuse to flex his biceps. My face turns redder than ever.

"Hey, Logan!" A male voice from inside the neighbor's house holler makes me flinch. "Fix that later, get your ass to school."

"Alright," shirtless guy hollers back, and I learn his name. He looks back at me again, and winks at me, making my whole body feel warm. As I turned away, heading for school, I see him flash a dreamy smile.

What is up with that guy?

He can just smile like that I will make me swoon easily.

Typical Rom-Com movie character.

I shouldn't stare at him like that or else he might get the idea that I want him. Pfft! As if, there is no way a guy like him wants a girl like me. I'm a nobody, and I should stay invisible.

The school is just down the street which makes it easier for me to walk without wasting gas and money. The streets are always busy on Mondays and once the walk sign appears I rush towards the school and to first period, English Literature.

I passed each student down the hall like a maze avoiding anybody in my way, and of course, no one noticed me. I was no one, a lonely outcasted girl who just wanted to get through the senior year in high school. Entering the classroom, the first one to arrive I see Miss. Walker sitting at her desk reading the journals the class had turned last week. Miss Walker, a young woman in her mid-twenties with her short strawberry blonde hair and honey brown eyes. The boys in her class love her because they check her out.

Perverts.

I know her as Jordan because she's close friends with Athena and Ares and she is the same age, but at school, I have to call her Miss Walker. There are no romantic feelings between her and my brother, but I get the sense she likes him secretly. They are best friends. Ares sees her as one of the guys. Before she looked and dressed like one but now.

Can't lie, the woman is beautiful in her unique way. Tall, slim, and have a badass chick attitude the guy in here loves it. Only when she is off-campus, she's Jordan Walker, but on campus she's Miss. Walker. I knew her because she is the same age as Ares. They went to the same elementary through high school together, and my brother uses to tell me that she was one of the guys because she lives with men; four older brothers, and a widowed dad.

She acts and hung out with the guys not caring in the world of what others think. Other guys never dare touch her because of the men in her family and no women wanted to mess with her - well, you all know what I mean. She can kick their asses the minute they open their mouths. That's what I love about her. She never cared about what people think of her. She does what she thinks best.

During middle school, she would hang out at our house playing video games or play basketball at the nearby park. Jordan was always welcome; now she sometimes comes visit, she was there during our parents' funeral along with her family giving their condolences. When Ares and I were separated from each other Jack Walker, we call him Big Jack, Jordan's dad, a friend of the family wanted to take us in but his hands were already full raising five children of his own and taking us it would be chaos. We didn't want to be a burden to the Walker's.

Jordan sees me and her lips curl into a smile. "Morning, Effie."

"Morning," I smile back.

It's weird having someone you know for a long time be your English teacher.

"I read your journal," she starts to say before I can get to my seat. I freeze. I look at her as she folds her hands together and rests her head on it staring back at me.

I gulp.

When she makes that face, I can't hide anymore. She sometimes gets scary, but it is not the same level as Athena when she looks.

"I'm sorry," I plead with guilt in my low tone of voice. "I couldn't write what you assigned."

Jordan shuts the composition notebook as our journal entries. "Look, I'll let it slide just this once because I know you and you've been going through a lot. But, I was hoping that this topic would make you open up, express yourself. That is why doing journal entries are for writing down your thoughts and feelings."

"I'm sorry," apologizing again looking down to the floor.

I heard Jordan sighed handing me my journal. "I'm going to give you until the end of the year to answer the topic otherwise you will fail my class and won't graduate. And I can't have that. This assignment will be your extra credit."

That seems fair.

"Okay," I say, then walk down the aisle heading to my desk.

"I'm not scolding you but it's your last year here and college is going to be harder and the professors are much tougher than they look."

"I understand."

"Good," Jordan smiles. "Go on and take your seat."

I nod and look down at my journal opening to the page where I read the topic question: What would I most like to change about my life?

Now, what kind of question is that?

I can't answer that question for her to read when she already knows. What do I want to change about my life? That I've never been born so my parents would be alive and could raise my older siblings as planned.

I couldn't reply to the subject and left the page blank before turning it in. With a light scold, Jordan has given me the whole year to come up with an answer, or I won't leave this hell hole. I'll be stuck attending summer school while everyone has the best time of their life.

As I make my way towards the back of the class, I went to a halt. There, sitting on top of my desk was something that made me groan. Sitting there with her nasty ass was none other than Paris Blake, one of the most popular girls in school and the biggest bitch in town. She brags about her parents and how wealthy they are and the things she buys using their credit cards. At school, she hangs out with the other cool kids, especially one whose name I don't remember but I've heard this girl be called the most beautiful girl in school.

Paris is sitting on my desk as if nobody sits there. I sit there. I wanted to yell at her to get off but I can't. She's talking to some boys who catch my attention. It didn't bother me that they are in my class, just the fact that Paris made herself in a comfortable spot with her ass on my desk like it doesn't matter to her. I avert my eyes back on the two students as I gaze at one of them whom I sought to be familiar with.

Maybe they are from another class who just waltz themselves in like they are bad.

I see that there are twins: replica, identical twins only the difference is the hair; one who I know has his hair in a ponytail instead of a bun. It was slick back undercut shaved on the sides, and the other has a similar look but his hair is a bit shorter with a clean frontal hair line-up cut. Both have dark hair, and I couldn't make out the eyes because they are looking the other way but saw once from the other guy my guess his brother has blue eyes too. They wear the same clothes only the one with long hair has a white tee v-neck that inflates to his body as it shapes the outline of his muscles while the other wore a leather jacket. Both boys were huge compared to my small frame and 200 pounds of muscles. Are they even high school students

Wait, correct that - why are Jason Mamoa and Dwayne Johnson even here?

And they are two of my most favorite actors. I could feel like I'm dreaming and your guess your wondering like a chick who wears black have a thing for sexy buff Samoan guys. I guess people have something that not most people do.

No high school boy can look this good and all packed with everything girls dreamed of being with.

I glanced at ponytail and starts to remember his name, Logan. I recognize him the moment I found him talking to Paris. He's not the kind of guy I usually fantasize about. The only thing that captivates me is his beautiful eyes that pop out more than his tan skin. As his back was facing my way I suddenly felt a gust of invisible wind blowing flower petals as he slightly turns his head that creates an onsite movie scene. This sort of scene seems irrational and possible but through my eyes, I see it loud and clear. Mom had told me about her first encounter with dad, she saw a divine light shone upon him and it made her swoon. I wasn't quite sure how that happens, but she said it the feel of having someone you like. I feel electrified by his eyes, I can see myself swimming in them as if I'm on vacation in Hawaii, which I would love to travel to.

This theory my mother came up with didn't make any sense because I was only four, so I was too young to understand the word "like" to someone who I don't even know.

Realizing my place I shook my head erasing these inappropriate thoughts and inhale.

I don't want to stand there for the whole period and approached my desk. I duck my head and hold behind Paris while she makes flirtatious jokes and brags about how rich her parents are. I swiftly make my way like a ninja hiding my aura. The twins notice my presence, caught like a jailer escaping prison, and tilt their bodies to the side of Paris as she talks look behind her at me.

"Um...hello?" She smacks her lips. "Are you two listening?"

"There is someone behind you," says the one with the shorter hair.

I watch Paris shift her body around and let out a yelp then scowl. "Shit! God, don't sneak up on me like that," holding her hand over her heart.

"Y-your in my seat," I say in a stuttering whisper voice.

"And can you speak up?" She says with annoyance in her tone. "It's like talking to a fucking wall."

We both heard Miss. Walker clears her throat loud enough for the whole class to hear especially Paris when she cussed. She groaned.

"I-I...you're in m-my seat," I stammer repeating what I said.

"W-w-well, can you wait," Paris mocked me like I have a lisp. She turns her body around. "People are talking here, so anyways..."

I heard a few snickers coming from the students who heard Paris insult me. I put my hand in front and squeeze them tight as I close my eyes to make it all go away.

This day could not get any worse.

"Hey," I wince at the sound of a husky voice as a desk scoots back. I looked up through my hair and see the guy with the ponytail stands up. "This your seat?"

I glance at him looking dumbfounded when he asked me a question. I nod my head in response.

Logan looks at Paris who seems to be enjoying his stare. "Get off her seat."

"Why bother? She's just a nobody," Paris lean forward showing her cleavage. "But I'm a somebody, definitely a somebody."

"Just get off so she can sit down," his voice seems annoyed and not affected by the way Paris is expressing herself with her seductive approach.

"Come on baby," Paris purrs. "She's not important. That girl is nothing. People call her the girl from that horror film - The Ring."

"Why?" Said the other twin.

"Because have you seen the way she looks?" thumbing behind her pointing at me. "Who dresses all black as if someone died here. And also because she killed her parents," Paris laughs hard, with some snickering are heard while others ignored her comment.

"Ms. Blake," Jordan slammed her hand on her desk glaring at Paris. "May I remind you to respect your classmates and not make false remarks about their personal life just to be used for your entertainment."

"All I'm saying is true," she shrugs, not caring about what she said. "She's cursed. Her name doesn't even match her whole get up." Paris flips her hair back.

"Enough!" Jordan demands. Although, I'm her student as a close friend she doesn't like the idea of anyone bullying me. "You go straight to the principal's office and explain why you are there."

"But-"

"No, but's. Go," Jordan says firmly and points to the door.

Paris grunts loudly kick off my desk as she glares at me. "You are so going to get it, emo bitch," she mutters a growl then shoves me, grabs her bag and heads out the door. I see that the twins watch her ass move and I inwardly groan. the bell rings. The bell is a wakeup call as I gaze at Logan, his eyes are staring back at me, and I know at that moment something has changed. My life will no longer be easy, be at peace, and Logan being in my business ha somehow made a crack in the invisible wall I've created to keep people out. Somehow, Logan is different and I am too scared to even admit there is someone who could bring me out from these walls.

Definity too scared to admit it.

"Okay, class take your seats," Jordan ordered making everyone inside her class sit on their desk. "And before we get started I will like to introduce you to two new students all the way from Hawaii."

I hit my head on my desk and let out a groan.

Kuya - older brother or cousin or friend or someone older than you who is male.

Ate (pronounced A-te-h) - older sister or cousin or friend or someone older than you who is female.