The day started out like any other day, I got up, read some stuff, had to run through the snow to catch the bus, normal things. A track away from my normal routine was my Orthodontist appointment near the end of 4th period in which I would have to get on the brace express to drive me to Clarion and then come back to school. When I went to sign out in the office a terrible ringing was sounding, I didn't really know what it was and I was in a hurry so I put it out of my mind and left the school.
I came back about ten minutes before 5th period was going to end, so I was taking my time going to Chem. When I was a couple doors down from the Chem room I see the Chem teacher, Mrs. Albright, rush out of the room crying. I thought maybe somebody in my class did something horrible to her (it's her first year and it's obvious some students don't respect her). So I ran up to her and asked her What's wrong, did someone do something? She just shook her head and pointed to Jordan who was just coming out the room behind her. Jordan was crying too. When i asked her what was wrong she said, "There was an accident. Logan's dead. Logan Daugherty's dead." My first thought was car crash because the weather was bad and snow was everywhere. And then disbelief settled in.
Apparently there was an announcement on the intercom for all teachers to check their e-mail. The students thought that meant we were getting out early so they were happy. And then Mrs. Albright started crying. And then she told them. We went to the library where they had already started counseling. Pretty much all of our grade was down there, more than half of us crying or just looking plain lost. They told us that we could go home if we didn't think we could make it through the rest of the day. They didn't tell us how he died, they said they didn't know yet.
I saw a lot of people cry that day, people I thought I would never see anything other than their usual faces. I'm a sympathetic crier. I cry when I see other people cry. It was a very bad day. We found out later, after tons of rumors floating around about what had happened (maybe he slipped on the ice and cracked his head? Maybe he was sick, I mean he said he wasn't feeling well before? And then the hushed whisper of suicide was floating through the air). Most of us students didn't find out what really happened until Jordan Whitmer and Jake came back from his house. I was with Taylor when we ran into them in the hall. Logan Daugherty had committed suicide with a gun in his basement at midnight. There was a note but it was given to the police. This, of course, made everyone wonder WHY? I won't ever know for sure, maybe he was too stressed. Maybe he was tired. Maybe he was angry. I don't know.
Half of our class didn't show up the next day and nothing was done. Mr. Warner was quiet and at the end of the class he told us that we were like family to him and he loved us as a family. He looked ready to break in SSR the day before. He must have felt guilty because he and Logan always bantered back and forth with a little teasing thrown in here and there. The funeral is on Monday. I'm going to try to go if I can, but I might not. If I can't then I guess I'm going to have to hold down the fort.
Logan, you always made everyone laugh, intentionally or not, and you were the bright light of History class. You were our DJ, our man somehow broke the quiet to make us laugh. You were the King of Dance and the kid who could never quite put what he was thinking into words. You were an awesome friend Logan. I just wish you would have let someone help you. See ya Logan, I'm sure you won't be forgotten, and I'm not too sure I won't look around sometime in school and wonder, "I wonder where Logan is. Is he sick?" And then I'll remember and think about what could have been.
Goodbye.
No comments:
Post a Comment