Almost Perfect

Hello, this story is meant as a sequel for Brian Katchers novel Almost Perfect, so I guess it only makes sense if you’re familiar with the original story. The story is told from Logans POV. Constructive criticism is always welcome. I’m not a native English speaker, so please excuse any grammatical or other possible errors. Let me know if you like it and if you want to read more of it. Thank you very much!

Chapter 1

The campus had become deserted, with everybody seeking refuge inside the dormitories and communal buildings, as a thick layer of snow covered everything outside and the wind had become chilly. Winter Break would start tomorrow and my older sister Laura and I would go back to Boyer for Christmas. Jack, with whom I shared a room on campus, would also accompany us back to our tiny hometown to be with his family during the holidays.
I don’t know how to feel about going back home. It had only been a few months since I left Boyer to go to college at Mizzou’ in Columbia, but to me it seemed like eternity, a completely different life. It had only been a few months the last time I had seen Sage. I wondered what she was doing, and if she was thinking about me. I wondered if she was still a she. I hoped she was.

As I was loading our bags in the trunk of our truck, Laura looked at me with concern in her face and said: “Logan, I’m sorry it didn’t work out between you and Megan, and I know it sounds lame, but there are many fish in the sea, so don’t worry, you’ll find another one.” Megan was a girl I attended the same classes with and had dated a couple of times. She seemed pretty nice, but she sensed that I had something on my mind and as I wouldn’t share my concerns and thoughts with her she thought it was the best if we would just end it there. And I think she was right.
She wasn’t the only girl I tried dating with, but curiously Ebony was immune to her roommates charming little brother. As I sat behind the steering wheel and started the engine, I grunted: “Honestly I’m not interested in the other fishes in the sea.” “You’re still thinking about her, aren’t you?” remarked Laura. Everybody in the car knew who was meant by ‘her’. Jack, who sat in the middle of the truck between Laura and me, asked: “Are you ever going to tell me what happened between you and Sage?” I sighed: “Look Jack, I don’t know if Sage would appreciate everybody to know, it’s personal. I would like to tell you, but I can’t, maybe one day.” I can’t say if the reason I didn’t told him was that I didn’t want him to know that my ex was actually born a boy or if I really wanted to respect Sages privacy. Maybe both. Eventually, I had to tell him, he’s my friend after all. Laura shot me a knowing look.

During the rest of the trip nobody spoke, and I was fine with that. I couldn’t stop thinking about Sage.
Mom seemed happy to have both her kids back home during the holidays. Actually we didn’t see much of her because she worked both the lunch and dinner shift. Even though both Laura and I had found a job on campus, she still thinks she has to work double shifts for us. But she insisted on preparing a real dinner for us for Christmas Eve, in honor of her two college kids.

I was picking at the turkey on my plate. Mom looked at me and asked: “How’s it going at college?” “Well, lots of studying…and sometimes it’s pretty hard being stuck in a room with Jack, but I knew where I was getting myself into.” She stopped eating and frowned: “Logan, you seemed so distant the last days, is everything okay?” I hate it when mom asks this question. I sighed: “Yeah mom, everything’s okay, don’t worry, I was just thinking about some…thing.” “Well okay. By the way, I wanted to tell you, I saw Mister Hendricks and his wife.” I let fall my fork and stared at her: “What?! Where? Why? ...Was Sage there too?” I was shocked. I thought I would never hear of Sage or her family again. And know my mother tells me she met them, here, in Boyer! “No, Sage wasn’t there, it was only her parents. They came to the diner for lunch. They said they only came back to move the last things out of their house.” I tried to calm my nerves down: “Did they tell you where they moved to?” “They said they moved to a suburb of Saint Louis.” “Oh my God”, I couldn’t believe it, “that’s not that far away! I … I have to go there, I have to see her!” Laura frowned: Logan, calm down, I don’t know if that’s a good idea. “Why?” I shouted back, way too loud. “I mean, did you forget what happened? I think seeing you again is the last thing she wants right know.” “No, I have to talk to her, just one last time, to sort everything out between us.” Mom smashed some more potatoes on my plate and said: “Okay, but for now you eat, it’s Christmas after all. I already regret I told you about it…”

I pulled up in front of the house where Sage was supposed to live with her family. Laura had half-heartedly agreed to lend me the truck. I had to do a little research in order to find Sages correct address, and I felt a little bit like I was some weird stalker. Her house was a typical two story building painted in a light blue in the northern suburbs of Saint Louis. Now I wasn’t so sure anymore if seeing Sage again was a good idea. What was I going to tell her? Laura was probably right, she surely didn’t want to see me. And how would I react if she had really ‘gone back’ to being a boy? I didn’t want to see that.

But I just knew I had to talk to her. After everything that happened between us, it couldn’t end this way. Maybe I could talk her out of that nonsense of being a man. Maybe I could get her back. Show that she can trust me, that I care about her and that I … love her. I had to admit to myself that I didn’t want to live without her in my life.

I exited the car, crossed the street and walked up the front porch. I took a deep breath and rang the doorbell.

End of the first chapter