Along the Horizon.

Rachel had spent three hours on just my face and hair. Carefully plucking unwanted strays of eyebrow hair, and priming my skin for layers of cosmetics at made me look sun-kissed and pulchritudinous. My hair that once came up to my shoulders in a ball of frizz as a wild, curly mane, is now sleek and flat that cascades flawlessly down my back.

I looked in the mirror in complete shock. Who was this girl looking back at me? Sure we had this same eyes that were still too big for her face. But now they seemed less sunken in, more alive. My eyes even had a faint glimmer to them. My skin now pulled tight and now longer hanging loose from the weight I've lost over the months. The lips that used to be chapped and pale are now glossy with a deep natural red tint.

I thought this person was lost, the smiling giddy child I used to be. The monster inside me had trapped in not letting her come to the surface.

Rachel interrupted my thoughts when she told me to get undressed. All I was wearing was one of her fluffy white robes. I looked at her dumbfounded. I couldn't take off my clothes in front of her. She would see my private parts, and even worse my scars!

"Oh my god, Maggie! I'm not going to check you out. I have the same lady parts as you. Here, if you want I'll get you some of my underwear," before I could object, Rachel was rummaging through a drawer and pulled out a matching set of underwear still with tags. Lacey white thong and strapless bra. I glance at the price tag, one hundred dollars each.

"I can't wear this," I start to give them back to her.

"Shut up. I've never worn them before. It's a present. Happy birthday, go put them on so you can come out here and be my barbie, dammit!" Rachel placed her perfectly manicured hands on my shoulders roughly and spun me around, shoving me to the bathroom.

I bite off the tags with my teeth and don on the undergarments one at a time. Surprisingly they fit my body like a glove. Rachel and I had very different body types, so it was amazing how perfect they were. I glanced at my stomach in the mirror. So far only Logan has seen these scars. I would like to keep it this way but I know Rachel would have a cow if I didn't come out and let her dress me like one of her dolls. She even said it herself, "be my barbie, dammit!".

I reluctantly opened the door and faced Rachel who was holding up the first dress. She looked down slightly then back up to meet my eyes.

"You could have told me you know, that you were self conscious about your scars," Rachel said like she already knew about them. "Logan told me when I started complaining about you. I thought you were kinda bitchy at first. Sorry."

I remembered what made me first like Rachel, her bluntness. I smiled slightly, less nervous now. "Yeah, he's the only one that's seen them so far. It just brings back painful memories."

"Want to talk about it. I understand if you don't want to, but I'm always here if you want a girl's shoulder to lean on."

Maybe if I opened up to more people, I'd feel less bad about myself. Less harsh on my mom. "I was the one that was driving," I say simply, trying not to put to much emotion into. "I begged and begged. Finally he let in. The drunk driver ran a red light. Hit on my side completely wrapping my vehicle around the nose of their car. I was supposed to die, but my dad did instead."

Like Logan she didn't talk, didn't try to comfort me, or make me go on. She let me make my peace and when she knew I was done, she smiled simply. "Obviously you were put here on this earth to do something. I think it's to save Logan," she looked up quickly.

I was going to ask what she meant by that but Rachel threw a dress at me and told me to slip it on. Again I was surprised with how well this dress fit. Rachel fastened a belt around my waist and gave me jewelry to match.

"We're going out. I already texted Chandler and Logan and they'll meet us there."

"Where are we going?"

"Out to eat."

"Not to Ernie's. Someplace classy."

*

Rachel climbs out of my car looking perfect in the outfit she put together without even thinking about it, or changing multiple times. I wish I was as confident as her. She has so much or it it's practically oozing out of her pours.

The boys are waiting for us by Chandler's car. They both looking dashing in their button up shirts that are tucked in to their nice pants. They a both wearing matching black ties with silver accents like they planned it.

"I see Rachel made you her little pet this morning. You look lovely though, you always do," Logan leans down and kisses me softly. I almost melt at his touch.

"You look very dapper as well."

The restaurant was cozy and romantic. It was a place where you go for an anniversary. In a corner I saw a young couple being serenaded too while the boy proposed. How cute. Once we were seated our waiter gave us our menus, holy shit everything was expensive.

"How are we paying today?" she asked brightly.

"Us two and those two," Logan said first.

After our waitress was gone, I looked at Logan. "You don't have to pay for me, I have money."

"This is our first date, there is no way I'm letting you pay. My ego is already damaged by having a girlfriend," Logan smirked. He doesn't do girlfriends. "Don't completely shatter my ego by not letting me pay for you."

Chandler and Rachel were lost in conversation from the moment we sat down. They were the type of couple that was a no brainer to be together. He was a captain on the football team. Popular, handsome, extremely nice. Rachel the most ideal girl at our school. Even though the stereotypes match, Rachel and Chandler were on a much deeper level. They were the couple that attended the fifty years reunion for school still together, happily married. Their relationship reminded me of my parents.

Our food arrived on huge fancy plates. My sea bass was cooked to perfection and tasted like heaven. I ate everything on my plate, ignoring my filled stomach. My stomach expanded more when I took a bite of delicious chocolate cake Logan and I got to share. I felt a food baby forming.

I stood taking Logan's hand once we paid. Outside was dark, and it had gotten colder. I tucked myself closer into Logan's body. Happily he pulled me into him, wrapping his arms around me. "Come stay with me tonight?" He whispered in my ear.

I looked at him stunned, was he really asking that. "I don't want to do anything, not if you don't want to. Besides my folks won't be there tonight."

Maybe he was finally going to tell me what was wrong. I nodded, not able to say anything, afraid that word vomit about his past would come flying out. What do I need to save him from?

"I'm going to go with Chandler to say hi to his parents, I'll see you later okay?" Rachel hugged me tightly before strutting off to Chandler's car.

I text my mom before I pull out of the parking lot.

*Staying the night at Rachel's. I'll see you in the morning.*

Logan's thumb caressed my knuckled while he told me what turns to make. Slowly we exited the high class neighborhood that Rachel and myself lived in, and entered the lower class of San Francisco.

"There are some things I want to tell you," Logan said lightly, probably afraid of what he was going to say. "Turn here."

I pull into a neighborhood that looked rundown. The red and blue lights that were stationed at the end of the road grew nearer. A squad car and two police vehicles occupied the road. "Do you know who lives in that house?" I asked. Then all the oxygen in my lungs dried up. The emergency vehicles were parked in the same driveway as Logan's old, red mustang.