Werifesteria

• || eight ||•

A week passed with Logan and Penny unable to do anything about the Ryder Hemingway case because their parents were always home after school and didn't want their kids running around when they could be at home doing their homework.

It was a Tuesday night, ten days since they talked to Vanessa Wheeler by the Hemingway house and Melissa through the computer. All throughout the week, Logan had been getting more and more impatient, even though he knew that it was only October 13th, and December 1st was still almost two months away.

He had also, however, started to doubt Melissa's words. Did she realize what she was asking him to do? She was asking him to completely trust a stranger and travel to the same spot where a man (supposedly on the run from some sort of monster or dangerous being) had disappeared thirty years ago.

It was almost too convenient that, decades after a man in River Heights vanished and a stubborn "freaky genius" boy tried to take up the case, that the same "magical forest" that had swallowed Ryder Hemingway whole would just return.

Logan knew it was unlikely. But he needed his answers, and his answers were inside that stupid forest and with Melissa.

He was sitting at his laptop when something very, very peculiar happened. An email popped up in the corner of his screen with a little ding, making him jump. He squinted at the message, his eyes widening when he recognized the name.

To: Logan Taylor (logan.taylor10@gmail.com)
From: Jordyn Wilder (thatonenerd@gmail.com)

Jordyn Wilder was a girl in his science class. She sat right next to him and made smartass comments under her breath that often made Logan snicker. He didn't consider her a friend or anything and sometimes found her annoying, but she certainly was entertaining.

Uncertain as to what he was about to read, he opened the email and hesitantly read it.

Hey Logan! It's me Jordyn, I sit next to you in science w Mr Telski? Anyways I was wondering about tonights homework assignment and since you're the smartest kid in the class maybe you can help out? Thx a lot if you can help

Jordyn Wilder

Logan narrowed his eyes. He'd never really spoke to Jordyn before now, though emailing didn't really count. The only time they'd ever had a conversation was when Mr. Telski had called on Logan to ask how fast light traveled, and Jordyn muttered, "Hella." Logan had fallen out of his chair laughing, gotten in trouble, and then told her after class that he appreciated her joke. Since then, though, they hadn't spoken.

After a few minutes of staring at his screen in confusion, he tapped Reply and started his email in response.

How do you deal with girls? he wondered as he typed. He would've asked Penny, but she was hanging out with Kasey, and the two were probably to busy making out somewhere. (He could still remember the argument Penny had had with their dad, Harry, before she left. Harry had argued that Penny was spending too much time with Kasey and needed to get a boyfriend. Logan remembered snickering, thinking about how Penny would never get a boyfriend. Penny was a lesbian. But Harry didn't know that.)

To: Jordyn Wilder (thatonenerd@gmail.com)
From: Logan Taylor (logantaylor10@gmail.com)

I'm the smartest kid in the whole school, thank you very much. And yea, tell me what you need help with exactly and I'll walk you through it.

Logan

He smiled, tapping Send and leaning back against the wall of his closet. Logan never missed a chance to tell people about his intelligence. He aced every test, so why shouldn't he? Maybe then more people would come groveling for his help.