Chapter Text
Some kids chatted quietly, the room was filled with the scrape of pencils on papers. This and the teacher's steps completely filtered out of one kid's mind as they stared out the window. It was bright out, and the glow of the sun caressed their face warmly. They propped their head with a hand, watching the colorful world just out of reach. They wished the class would end sooner, so they could finally reunite with their friends - birds. There was this one pigeon that kept finding them every time they went to the park just outside their school. They named him Rocky, because of his coloration, and how he kept pecking small pebbles on the ground.
"Alright, kids, time's up! Who wants to share first?" The teacher spoke loudly, prompting the room full of kids come to life again. A girl raised her hand high, practically jumping out of her seat. They didn't turn from the window to see what she, or any of their classmates drew.
"Logan?"
They wondered if today is warm enough to stay out a bit longer.
"Logan??"
Not like their parents will mind anyway. Safe neighborhood and all that.
"Logan!!"
Finally Logan turned around, their daydreaming disrupted by the teacher practically screaming their name. "A?"
The teacher sighed. "Your picture. Did you do the assignment?"
They handed a piece of paper to the teacher. A puzzled look crossed woman's face. "...The task was to draw something dear to you," Logan nodded. Although now that they were looking around the room, it seems like everyone drew either their families or pets. "You just drew yourself."
Despite the constant stoic look on the kid's face, in the drawing they were smiling wide. Their arms were wrapped around themself and they looked... at peace. "I'm dear to me." Logan said matter of factly, looking at the teacher in confusion. "Isn't that what you were asking for?"
"No, sweetie-" She sighed, rubbing the bridge of her nose. "Why don't you draw your family or something? Come on, I'll give you a new paper."
This sentiment persisted with them in their later life, and this woman was far from the first or the last person to find the idea challenging. It seems to be hard for some people to wrap their hears around the fact that not everyone feels things the same way they do. And people like Logan get considered outsiders, heartless freaks, you name it.
But they aren't heartless, far from it.