The sound of wheels rolling on concrete echoed through the alley way as Logan, on his skateboard, rode home. Passing through the shaded space and into the glaring outdoors, he could feel hot rays of sun beat down on him. A breeze softly sifted through the strands of his blonde hair, giving him a calming sensation.
Yesterday was Logan's twenty sixth birthday. He had gotten tanked before spending a night of sloppy kisses with the bartender: a blonde named Beatrice. And now, with a raging hangover, he was going to work: Bob's Burgers delivery man. He's not really sure how he ended up attaining such a job, especially one that involved working with his nemesis. But he had an odd connection with Bob. When he and his friends, Scotty and Jacob, all applied for summer jobs at the one place that was hiring and was closest to the wharf, they ended up at his restaurant. Scotty and Jacobs antics of flirting with Tina, eating gum found under tables, and giving each other swirlies proved them to be a nuisance for Bob. And, truth be told, Logan would've been doing just as much dumb shit had he not been so busy arguing with, ugh, Louise.
Those two ended up being the best employees out there, despite their shared trait of lethargy, because they were both competing each other on who could win Bob's affections first. Logan ended up bussing tables within mere seconds, volunteering to clean toilets, and even jumping rooftops to finish a delivery before Louise was done washing a plate of dishes. Granted, Logan lost often - and he even broke his leg when hopping from roof to roof. But his time spent at Bob's Burgers contained some of the most memorable moments he had ever had, and he found himself being drawn more and more to this odd family. Even his mother became jealous of how often Logan would do the night shift at the restaurant. In reality, the night shift, which lasted three hours after the restaurant's closing, was watching "Banjo" with the family or spying on raccoons with Gene, Tina, and Louise. And, even after nine years of working for the Belchers, Logan was still doing the same activities that he was doing as a teenager.
Pushing the front door open, he found the entire family sitting at a booth, eating breakfast.
"O-o-oh, someone's doing the walk of sha-a-am." Linda howled from in between a glum looking Louise and spaced out Gene."So who was the lucky lady?"
"No one, Mrs. Belcher." Logan said playfully, trying to skirt around the truth. He changed the topic quickly, saying,"Why are you guys in the restaurant right now?"
"Well, if you weren't 'out', you would've known that the kitchen stove broke. So we've got to use the one in the restaurant. You want some bacon?" Linda held out a plate of greasy red strips that, despite their well cooked nature, made Logan's stomach twist.
"No thanks, I'm not feeling really good. I'm actually gonna take a nap. Call me when I'm needed." He said, heading down into the basement.
In the beginning of Logan's employment, he would, on the rare occasion, stay the night. If there was heavy downpour or he was too tired to ride his skateboard home, then Linda would make up a bed for Logan in the basement using an air mattress and several tablecloths. But when things started to go wrong at home, and Logan found his mother refusing him access to his own room, or his parents arguing became too tiring to bare, Logan began spending several days, uninterrupted, in the basement.
There was never an official moment that Logan moved in. It all just gradually happened. He found a bed frame abandoned in the city dump, which, after refurbishing, held the air mattress perfectly. After he got two similar sets of bedding for Christmas on accident, one stayed with his mother, while the other went on his new sleeping arrangment. After overturning a stray waste basket, he began to cover his new "night stand" with a lamp, collections of stale gum, and the various tin foil sculptures he made while bored. And, finally, as if a final goodbye to his family, he packed up all his clothes and brought it to the basement.
