A/N: Hey, so I'd just like to say, about this chapter, yeah, I know that usually you can't bring friends of the patient into a mental health inpatient ward, I've been in 2 of them, I know, so before anyone corrects me, it was just because I wanted to put it in the story. So that being said, the song for this week is Cursive by Billie Marten, I thought it sort of fit Logan and it's really pretty. Also, my procrastination is catching up with me a bit as I only have like, 3 more chapters written after this when I used to have a fallback of 5 and yes, that does make me slightly very anxious, but that's okay, I'll figure it out.

Logan took a breath in and out, looking in the mirror at the faded bruise just under his eye. He'd been home for two days already, and his dad said he needed to go back for Friday, so here he was Friday morning getting ready for school. He wanted to crawl back in bed, but he couldn't, he needed everyone to know he was okay anyways.

"Hey, bud, Matthew wanted me to make sure you got your meds." His father said, setting the baby blue, oval shaped pill on his dresser.

"Thanks, Papa." He smiled, glancing at it.

"Does it still hurt?" He asked, looking at the bruise.

"Not unless I touch it." Logan said and gave him a small smile.

"Alright, well, I've got to get going, but have a good day. Maybe we can go out to a movie or something this weekend."

"Yeah, sure, that sounds great." Logan said and hugged him before he walked out.

His father, Allen was a lot taller than Matthew, his other dad. According to the story Logan had always been told, they'd met sometime in highschool, Allen was on the football team, Matthew went to another school, but worked at the library close to Allen's school. Allen stopped in to get a book and Matthew was on shift, they just clicked and Allen had told Logan a few times he knew he was in love with him from the moment he saw him. Logan thought it was a cute story. Now they were working in a business together.

Logan adjusted his beige cable-knit sweater and picked up the pill, pulling a small glass jar out from under his bed, he dropped it in and watched it collect with the others. He'd stopped taking his meds a few months ago, he felt a bit guilty for wasting money on them, but he figured the peace of mind of his dads was worth more than a prescription.

"Hey, dad, I think I'm gonna walk today." He called down and ran down the stairs, picking up his backpack. He still had to work off the binge as best he could. He'd planned everything out: Fast 2 days, go on walks, and do extra exercise at night. He hoped that would make up for it anyways, he needed to get back on track.

"Alright!" He heard from the kitchen. "I love you, Bear, have a good day!"

"Thanks, Dad, I'll see you." He smiled and walked out the door, slinging his backpack over his shoulder. It was about a mile walk, it wouldn't take him more than 15 minutes if he walked fast. He'd still be twenty minutes early to school.

At lunch, Tyler looked a bit out of it and tired, Syrus was nowhere to be seen, and Ivy sat next to him, a small, sad smile on her face.

"Hey, what's up?" Logan asked, already concerned.

"Oh shit, Logan, I'm so sorry, I'll get you the notes."

"It's alright, get them to me whenever. What happened?"

"Syrus has just been in the hospital, I was seeing him the other day and I didn't have time to drive to your house."

"Wait, what? what happened?"

"The doctors are sure it was just his meds, but he tried to-" Tyler took a breath "He's in a mental hospital for attempted suicide." He breathed out and Logan's eyes widened.

"Shit, I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault." Then Tyler looked at Logan and his brows furrowed "What happened?"

"I just...got in a fight."

"You got in a fight?" Ivy asked and Logan shrugged.

"Yeah, I guess."

"Logan, you're not even close to violent enough for a fight."

"I dunno, I guess I just-"

"You're not being bullied, are you? Who did it, I swear to god, I'll kill them." Ivy started and Logan's eyes widened.

"Well I-" He swallowed thickly, playing with his sleeve.

"Logan, you were out of school for two days because of this. Who the hell did it?" Tyler looked mad and that was saying something, he got worked up but he was never angry.

"I-It's not important, it would probably make it worse anyways.." He said quietly.

"Is that where you got the bruise last week?" Ivy asked. Logan seemed to curl in on himself.

"Yeah..it was, but he usually doesn't get that physical, I just..I pissed him off." He sighed, playing with his fingers.

"Who is he?" Tyler asked and Logan shook his head.

"Just don't worry about it, it's not even that big of a deal." Liar.

"You're underreacting."

"No, I'm not, it's not even every day." LiarLiar.

"I can't believe you don't want him to stop." Ivy said and Logan pulled his sleeve over his hand.

"I do, I just you weren't even supposed to know, okay? It's not a big deal, and it'll only be till the end of highschool anyways, I'm at the bottom of the food chain, this stuff happens, and if I tell the principal, it'll just get worse."

"We don't graduate for another 7 months, you don't have to put up with this shit, I'll- I don't know, I'll beat him up." Tyler said, talking before thinking.

"You don't even know who it is."

"Tell me then."

"Only if you promise not to beat him up or even mention it to him or his friends or anything." He said and Ty sighed but shrugged.

"Fine, I won't."

"It's Jace."

"Wait, Jace Connolly? That fucking dick." Tyler breathed out and Ivy looked just as mad.

"You said you wouldn't do anything!" Logan said quickly and Ty nodded, rolling his eyes.

"I won't, I'm just not happy about it."

"He shouldn't be able to just push you around, Logan." Ivy said and Logan shrugged.

"Don't worry about it.." He said, playing with his sleeve.

--

"Hey, Log, do you want to come with us?" Ivy asked as they were walking out.

"Where?"

"We're going to see Syrus." Tyler said and Logan smiled.

"Yeah, I'd like to."

"Cool, come on, it's about an hour away, I'll drop you home after." Tyler said and Ivy called shotgun so Logan sat in the back.

They listened to music most of the time, they talked a bit about unimportant things like the weather and drama tryouts and tests coming up, things that normal kids talk about. It felt out of place.

When they got to the hospital, they waited in a small, white waiting room with cartoony flowers painted on the walls and pictures that appeared to be painted by hospital attendants clipped up on a string. There were a few kids walking around behind glass in another room and Logan paused a second when he saw Syrus, his hair was messy and he looked exhausted, but it was him. A nurse came out, her hair a yellowy blonde with corkscrew curls, just starting to grey in some places.

"Who are you here to see?" She asked. Tyler looked at her, adjusting his glasses and forced a smile.

"Syrus Scott."

"I'll be back in a moment." She smiled, walking back into the room and she said something to Syrus that was unaudible from the waiting room. He seemed confused for a moment before he looked to them, a bright smile appearing on his face and he nodded to her and she walked him out to where they were sitting.

"Hey, guys, what are you doing here?" He asked, the smile still on his face.

"They missed you." Tyler said with a small smile and Sy laughed.

"What, and you didn't?"

"Not at all." Tyler smiled though to let him know he was joking. "How are you?"

"Oh man, tired for one. They've got me on some new sleep meds though so I'm hoping that helps, doc says I should be out within the next week, they just want to make sure I'm stable on my new meds and stuff first." He said and Tyler nodded.

"How's the food?" Ivy asked and Sy shook his head.

"Don't even ask, it sucks so bad, I'd rather be eating cafeteria fries."

"How are you feeling?" Logan asked.

"A lot bet- wait, what happened to you?"

"Long story." Logan gave a small smile.

"Jace fucking Connally." Ivy said and Tyler sighed angrily.

"Apparently this has been going on for a while and he wasn't going to tell anyone." Tyler said.

"Loggy, are you serious?" Syrus looked concerned for Logan less than angry at Jace.

"Sorry." He said, feeling guilty "It's not that big a deal."

"Like hell it isn't, as soon as I get out of here I'm-"

"Don't." Logan said. "Please, I don't need it to get any worse than it is." Syrus shook his head.

"Whatever, fine, but I'm walking you out to the bus from now on." He said and Logan nodded with a little smile.

"Thanks, Sy."

"Oh man, I've got so many crazy stories for when I get home, you're not even going to believe them, oh my god." Sy laughed and Tyler smiled.

"Can't wait to hear them." Ty said and Sy smiled.

"Oh hey, did you get into mathletes?" Ty asked.

"I don't think I'm joining."

"Why not?"

"It's nerdy."

"Since when has Tyler Scott ever not done something because it was nerdy?"

"You're joining mathletes?" Ivy asked and Ty sighed.

"No, no I am not."

"But you totally should, bro, they'd love you there." Ivy said with a smile. "You'd fit right in."

"Oh, when are drama auditions by the way?" Sy asked.

"Three weeks." Ivy said and Sy nodded. "I think I might audition for the lead, they're doing alice in wonderland this year."

"You'd be perfect." Sy smiled.

"Really? thanks."

"Maybe I'll audition for the mad hatter. You think I could pull it off?"

"Oh definitely." Ivy laughed and Logan nodded.

"I might work backstage." Logan said. "I've been thinking about it a bit lately."

"They've already asked me to do music tech for the play so that's another reason not to join mathletes." Tyler said and Logan smiled.

"Cool, maybe I'll do lights so I can watch it." Logan said, thinking it over.

"Good idea." Syrus said. "Then you can watch Ivy and I rock the stage." He said with a laugh.

"Oh absolutely." Logan giggled.

"Syrus, visiting hour is over." The blonde nurse said and he nodded.

"Alright. I'll see you guys when I get out then." Sy said and Ty hugged him followed by Ivy and Logan before the three of them headed out. Ty looked a bit happier, maybe more relieved.

--

"Do you think that penguins have knees?" Ivy asked on the way home, there was no music, they were just talking.

"I dunno, do they have knees, Ty?" Logan asked.

"Why do you expect me to know?"

"You know like, everything." Logan said and Ty sighed.

"Yes, they do, they just usually remain curled up in a squatting position." He said and Logan giggled.

"Dude, you're like, a more accurate wikipedia." Ivy said.

"So..an encyclopedia?" He asked with raised eyebrows.

"..yes."

"Ivy, be honest, did you forget encyclopedias existed?"

"For a second."

"It's alright, we all blank sometimes." Logan said and Ivy smiled.

"Stick, you're so pure, it's adorable." She said and he smiled.

"Thanks." Logan giggled.

"Yeah, you're the kid of the group, we all gotta pitch in to protect you." Ty said and Ivy nodded.

"I'm your age."

"Okay, 1, you're 3 months younger than me, and 2, you're short and it's cute, but you get people like Jace trying to mess with you." Ivy said.

"I can deal with Jace."

"But you haven't"

"Because it's not a big deal."

"Yes it is." She said and he sighed.

"Whatever, but I'm not a kid."

"But you're still adorable." Ivy said.

"I am not."

"Yes you are." Tyler said and she smiled as if that proved her right indefinitely.

"I am not!"

"Denying it isn't helping your case." Ivy said and Logan slumped against the seat, crossing his arms with a sigh.

"Whatever." He said, but smiled a little.

"Hey, how about we drop by the gas station and get slushies before we head home?"

"Im okay, but you guys can." Logan said.

Logan felt normal in moments like these, moments where he was almost real, when they joked around and smiled at everything, when they just talked, when there was nothing to remind him that he hated the spaces inbetween his bones, when there was anything to distract him from the moments where all he could think was that he was a skeleton in a boy's body, when he felt like the boy whose skin he wore, in those rare moments, he thought maybe he could be that boy, that he'd look in the mirror and recognize himself. But the moment always ended.