"Hey! Kiddo, hey!" Patton called, running up to the bookshop. He ducked out of the way of Logan's father and ran up to the second floor.

"Patton!" Mr Brown called. "Patton, you can't- Patton, listen to me!" Patton ignored him.

"Kiddo! Hey! Kiddo, Kiddo." Logan looked up from the table covered in books.

"Oh, hi Patton." He said, smiling a little and pushing his glasses up his nose. "Is there a reason for this visit?"

Patton nodded his head excitedly. "Have you seen the beach today?" He asked. "It's such a perfect day! Really sunny and not too windy and absolutely perfect for splashing around in the sea! C'mon, c'mon, we need to go!" He said, trying to pull Logan out of his seat.

"Patton, I can't." Logan said, pulling his hand out of Patton's grip.

"What? Why?"

Logan gestured to all the books piled up on the table. "Father says I have to complete my studies for the day before I can go outside."

Patton's mouth dropped open as he looked at the books. "All this is for one day?" He asked.

Logan nodded. "Father insists."

Patton walked around the table, looking at the covers of the book. "Com-mon Gra-mat-ic-al Err-ors." He spelled out. "Kiddo, how do you read all this stuff?"

Logan shrugged and looked back at the book he was reading.

"When will you be done?" Patton asked. Logan shrugged.

"I'm unsure."

"Well, how many book have you done?"

Logan looked down sheepishly. "Two."

"How many books are there?"

"Fifteen." Logan looked up at Patton quickly. "Oh, please don't tell my father that I've only done two books. He'll be so angry at me!"

Patton looked at Logan. "Why would I tell him?" He asked, tilting his head. "Secret promise, remember?" He giggled. "Are you gonna be able to come outside before 5? That's when I have to go home."

Logan looked down at all his books. He sighed and shrugged. "I doubt it, Patton." The other child tilted his head. "Oh, um, doubt means I don't think so."

Patton's confused expression turned to a sad one. "But that's not fair."

"Patton?" Logan asked. Of course, he got no reply. Patton was still not talking to him. "Patton, I'm sorry."

"Sure you are." Patton said curtly. He hugged his sketchbook closer to himself and kept sketching.

"I really am." Logan tried to insist. Patton looked up at him and the glare he shot Logan was so unlike Patton; cold and sharp. It didn't look like it should come from Patton.

Logan looked down, twisting his hands. His claws were still uneven and broken but still sharp. He could try and escape again tonight. But what would be the point? His only friend on this God-forsaken ship was very angry at him and it would just solidify the beliefs of everyone else that he had been manipulating Patton in some way.

He couldn't escape. Not now. Not after what had just happened.

"You're muttering again." Patton said. "It's kinda annoying, could you stop?"

Logan looked at Patton but the pirate wasn't looking at him. Logan looked back down at his uneven, blackened nails. "Yeah, sorry."

Do I know when this story's going to be over? No.
Will it ever be over? That's debatable.
Bye,
Blaize