Along the Horizon.

"So we'll meet at your house and we can do the body paint there. Take some pictures then head out. Can we come over at like six?" Rachel asked as we walked down the hall.

The whole school was a sea of purple and white. It is incredible how the whole school can come together to support the football team. Even the teacher supported the team and in good spirit the homework was light.

At lunch it was the Chandler Turk show. It was amazing how a jersey could change someone. Chandler, a quiet well-mannered boy has turned into a loud cocky jock, much like Logan. I wondered why Logan wasn't on the football team.

By the end of the day, Logan was waiting at my locker for me. I was nervous for him to meet Brady. I don't know how Brady will react to a new person and most people find it awkward to be around people with disabilities.

When we picked Brady up, Mrs. Turk was wearing Chandler's pin on her purple blouse. She hugged Logan and formally introduced herself.

"Both Rachel and Chandler have told me so much about you. I wanted to introduce myself when I found out you two knew each other but I was afraid I'd embarrassed you."

I smiled kindly, as Logan said good bye. Brady was waiting patiently by the door.

"Hey Brady, I want you to meet my friend. This is Logan, can you tell him hi?" I bent down to his level.

"Hey Brady, it's nice to meet you," Logan got down to his level as well. "I hear that you like stars. Did you know that you can buy stars?"

Logan had remembered our first conversation at Brady. The one where Chandler talked about his mom being Brady's teacher and how his mom got him talk talk about his love for the solar system. Brady's face lit up instantly.

"We live in the milky way," Brady spoke.

I grabbed Logan's hand. Making a big deal out of a seven year old talking. Logan didn't seem to quite understand what the fuss was all about. He gave me a quizzical glance before turning back to Brady.

"I didn't know that. Why don't you tell me all about it on the way home?" With one of Logan's hands preoccupied with my own hand, he took Brady's hand in the other and Brady and Logan pulled me out to the car.

On the way home I wiped home tears as I heard what Chandler was telling me about. Brady talking casually to Logan from the backseat about stars. I haven't heard him in so long, it was an amazing sound. Even more amazing that Logan egged him on, to keep talking. I didn't feel the need to hide my feelings now, this was such a big accomplishment, even if it is just for this moment. My mom and I have been trying to get him to talk for the last six months. Begging and bribing him to say anything more than the occasional yes or no. Logan just meets Brady and only has to say one thing to get Brady to say something.

I pulled into the driveway and with Logan still talking, Logan's mouth dropped open. "This is your house? You actually live here?"

Yeah, my house was big and new with a perfectly trim yard and a pool and hot tub in the back but what was really amazing was the cliff drop off towards the ocean. From my room you can see the the beautiful view.

"Yup, it's home," I punch in the garage code with Logan still star-struck behind me.

Logan helped me with the daily routine. Cut the carrots and measured the ranch. He then played teacher and got me caught up on notes about Edgar Allen Poe. By the time my mom pulled into the drive way and Brady was running to the garage door, I was closing the English book.

"Hey Brady. Hey Mags," My mom smiled as she walked through the door. Brady dismissed himself to play quietly.

"Mother, Brady talked all the way home. It was amazing. I cried," I couldn't help but to gush. "I mean Logan just said that he liked stars and it was like the old Brady was back."

"Well thank you Logan," my mom shook his hand and smiled.

I pulled Logan up the stairs and into my room way from my mother's nagging questions. We had about thirty minutes until the rest of our friends would be here. I watched as Logan plopped down onto my bed, giving a peaceful sigh.

"Brady is pretty cool. I understand why your face lights up when you talk about him," he grinned casting his view my way.

We were quiet, Logan looked around my still bare room. I managed to move the boxed into one corner but not much has changed since we first moved in.

"So, what's the real reason?" Logan asked.

"What?"

"For not showing your stomach. I have a hunch, but I still think you should tell me."

"Why should I tell you?" Oh Logan is such an asshole.

"I looked you up on the internet. A news paper from New Jersey came up," Logan trailed off. I was fuming. How dare he. He saw that I was mad. "Look, I'm sorry but you're mysterious, I just wanted to get to know you better and I'm not good at asking questions."

I sighed. Maybe I would feel better if I shared some of my past with somebody. Slowly, without a word, I rose from my vanity seat that I was seated at and walked so I was standing in front of Logan. I lifted up my shirt just below my bra.

Absentmindedly Logan's fingers trailed along my skin tracing the pink lines that mark my body. Goose bumps rise against my flesh. Innocent turned into intimate out of the blue. I exhale the breath that was caught in my throat and pushed my body into Logan's hands. What was I doing? I just met this kid a week ago. I wasn't even sure if I liked him as a person yet. Surely I didn't like him sexually, but my body begged to differ.

Abruptly Logan withdrew his hands from my stomach as we both came to our senses.

"You shouldn't me ashamed or even scared to show people that you are strong, Maggie. You are beautiful even with these scars. You're beautiful because of them," I shook my head no. I wasn't beautiful. This was the body that was meant to be dead. "Yes, Maggie, yes. Show the world how strong you are. For your dad, show everyone that you are no longer afraid."

Before I had time to react, a knock on the front door pulled both Logan and I out of our private bubble. I rushed down the stairs to meet Rachel and the gang. "I'll paint my stomach," I announced as Logan came up from behind me.

The paint was cold on my skin. It turns out that with all of the paint you don't see the scars at all. No one saw the wounds but Logan who was having a blast painting a purple 'O' against the white paint already smeared over my stomach and back.

The girls had white Nike sports bras and white shorts with purple baseball socks coming to our knees, white shoes and a purple tied around our heads completed our outfits. The boys outfit were the same minus the bar. By six thirty the paint had dried and we loaded into cars and we were off to the high school with GO 55! painted on us in school spirit.