T H I R D  P E R S O N

Everything started on the day Logan was kidnapped by Maru. Scarlet had been feeling dizzy and exceptionally tired for a long time now but since she heard the news of Logan's abduction, it has been worse.

She endured the pain thinking it would pass like the other times but Scarlet had never been more wrong. Maru had been apprehended and given his due punishment, the news about Logan's inheritance spread like wild fire and everything seemed to be alright but it was hardly so for Scarlet.
Her head ached terribly and her vision wore out. Asa never knew the real extent of the head aches because Scarlet passed them as migraines that would leave. They both were careless.

Scarlet's eyes opened but squirmed shut as a shock wave exploded through her head. Tears dropped from her eyes as she gripped her sheets. The pain was too much! "Asa!" She groaned for her nanny but the woman was not around. "Alex, call Asa!" She commanded.

Her phone lit up as the call went through. Asa panicked when she did not hear anything on the other end of the call. "Scarlet?!" She called out from the other end. "Scarlet?!!" Asa tried again and this time she received a strangled yell. "SCARLET! I'm coming, I'll be there soon, please hold on! Don't move, unlock the doors! I'll be there!" Asa panicked.

Scarlet writhed on her bed and squirmed around but she tried to follow orders. "Alex, unlock all doors- gah!" She screamed as her head throbbed and rolled around. What she did not know was that she was almost at the end of the bed when she rolled.

Asa drove quickly and parked in front of the house. Without a moment's hesitation, she bolted out of the car and ran through the gate into the house. "Scarlet?!" She called but got no reply. Asa ran upstairs and barged into Scarlet's room. Her hands flew to her mouth and her eyes widened when she beheld the scene that lay before her.

Scarlet's green eyes were glazed over and looked almost lifeless at Asa. Her red hair was soaked in equally red liquid as she lay sprawled on the floor beside her bed. Asa gasped and wheezed as storms of emotions swirled through her head. "SCARLET!"

Ayo was getting ready to go to the hospital when he heard the siren of an ambulance. He frowned when the ambulance pulled up in front of Scarlett's house and ran downstairs with his keys in hand. Grabbing his phone and wallet, he locked the empty house and went to his car. Ayo drove to Scarlet's house but skidded to a halt when he saw the redhead being wheeled into the bus by a gurney. Asa cried as she closed the gate and followed the paramedics into the ambulance.

Ayo drove after the ambulance. He alighted from his car as the paramedics wheeled Scarlet out and Asa followed. Ayo ran after them and caught up soon enough. "Scarlet! Oh God what happened?!" He asked but got no answer.

"I'm sorry but you are to step back at this point." A doctor said, restricting Asa's entrance to the theatre but the woman raged. Ayo had to hold her to allow the doctor to do his work.

Everywhere was silent as the two waited. "Asa, what happened?" Ayo asked.

"I...oh my God it's all my fault! She suddenly called this morning and when I arrived, she was lying unconscious on the floor...blood...God!" Asa sobbed loudly into Ayo's shirt as the boy tried to console her.

"Ayo?"

Ayo's heart leapt as well as Asa's who stopped crying immediately. They both had forgotten that Logan was in the same hospital. Logan on the other hand was confused. He had seen Ayo run into the hospital but got worried when he did not arrive at his room so he went to search for him. Logan wondered why Ayo was sitting on the floor in front of the theatre with Asa, both having distraught faces, until it dawned on him.

"Who is in surgery?" His voice was low and dangerous.

"Logan, calm dow-!"

"I said who is in the theatre, dammit!" Logan yelled but he knew the answer already. It was Scarlet. It was his girlfriend. Logan went berserk as Asa and Ayo tried to hold him down. His heart clenched and he found it difficult to breath.

"He's hyperventilating! Doctor help!" Asa yelled as she ran to get a doctor.

"Logan, breathe slowly for me huh? Calm down!" Ayo tried but Logan was far away from calming down. A nurse appeared with a sedative with Asa behind her and gave Logan a shot. The last thing Logan saw was the theatre door before he blacked out.

Green and blue eyes opened to see a familiar white haired girl beside him. "Crys-tal?" Their owner called solemnly to the woman. Said girl sat up and pressed the nurse button.

"Hey soldier." She smiled and removed a brown lock of hair from his face gently.

"What happened?" Logan asked. Crystal only smiled and shook her head. She had heard what happened from Ayo and had been warned not to trigger him so she had to choose her words carefully.

"You were sedated." She said.

Logan didn't need to ask why for he remembered clearly now what happened. "Scarlet." He whispered and tried to sit up but Crystal's hold on him restrained him.

"She is fine so calm your nuts. Wait for the nurse's approval before you go and visit." Crystal reprimanded. Just as she was speaking, the nurse arrived and checked Logan's vitals. She deemed him okay to visit Scarlet and so he and Crystal were on their way to Scarlet's VIP room.

"Where's Ayo?" Logan asked.

"With Asa. She was so destabilized so he had to be there for her." Crystal explained.

Logan nodded. They got to the room only to find Ayo outside. "What's wrong?" Logan asked.

"Lo! Scarlet's father is in the room, I think he his annoyed and scolding Asa..." Logan didn't allow Ayo to finish talking before yanking the door open. Sure enough, a man whose appearance screamed 'filthy rich' was in the room. He had the generic red hair and green eyes of the Fredrickson clan and was true to Ayo's words, scolding Asa. The woman's eyes were red and swollen with over-shed tears and her cheeks puffy. Logan's fist clenched in anger at what the man was saying.

"How did you allow this to happen? This shows that you are irresponsible. You disappoint me Asa, I expected you as her maid to keep her in check and away from danger but you cause her to rebel and now she is in comatose-" Benjamin was interrupted by Logan's angry growl.

"You have no right."

"I beg your pardon?"

"You have no shitty right to speak to Asa that way, Benjamin Fredrickson!" Logan gripped his drip stand so hard that Crystal was sure it would bend from where she was watching. "How dare you?! How dare you suddenly show up and start hounding Asa for your irresponsibility?! Scarlet..." Logan glanced at the unconscious girl for a moment and locked eyes with the astounded Fredrickson.

"All Scar wanted was some attention from you, just some acknowledgment but all you ever did was to compare her to her dead sister. She could never be Sara no matter how she tried, she could never stop her mother's death because hell she was just a newborn! She could never help but be autistic! If anyone should be hounding anybody, it's you! You can't just show up and start feeling like a father all of a sudden because she finally landed in a hospital!"

Logan was heaving heavily. His nose flared and his eyes glared hard

"Such insolence." Benjamin spat.

"He is right sir." Asa spoke up, shocking both Logan and Benjamin. Her voice trembled a bit but her glare remained dark and strong. "You have in no way acted as lady Scarlet's father since I have worked with you. She grew up having no father and she would never recognize you as her father. I would like it if you left."

Benjamin gaped but caught himself with a stern glare. "Very well. I shall deal with you later." He threatened and left the room. Crystal dared to blow a raspberry at him as he walked past her but Ayo comically caught her tongue.

"This tongue would kill you figuratively and literally." He muttered, eyes shining with amusement as he shook his head. Crystal huffed and grinned at Logan, silently commending him for his bravery whereas Ayo smirked.

"Thank you." Asa spoke. "I have always wanted to tell him off but had no courage to do so. Because of you, I could speak up so thank you Logan." Asa gave a small smile.

"How is she?" Logan whispered, walking over to Scarlet's unconscious form. The only indication that she was alive was the heart monitor that kept beeping.

"She thankfully did not sustain any injuries. All these years of not having good sleep finally caught up with her, it was her body's way of protesting and getting her due rest. She is in comatose as you suspected, the time she would wake up is unknown." Asa explained.

Logan nodded solemnly and sat down beside Scarlet. Everybody left the room to give him some privacy. He gently removed the strand of hair that was in her face and kissed her forehead. "Wake up soon, Rebrum."

-

Logan entered the old mansion once again. This time, he allowed all the forgotten memories to replay in his head as he walked through the lawn. He remembered he and Ayo playing in the garden and chasing after the gardener's pet pig, how his parents relaxed on hammocks enjoying the sun, how Danna teased Ayo with dresses ( Logan was sure Ayó's fear of women and asexuality originated from his mother) and how his father and Matthew played draft while the women gossiped. He also remembered Martin's lessons and how he used to admire his home tutor.

He stood in front of the safe after opening the secret room with his biometrics.

Only you Logan, only you can open this safe.

Logan imputed the password to the safe.

H_A_P_P_Y_F_A_M_I_L_Y

A smile curved his lips upwards when the door turned green and clicked open.

"You and mummy and daddy are a big happy family!" Linely sang to young Logan, smiling widely to the child.

"And Ayo and Aunty Dandan and uncle Matty and all of my friends!" Logan sang loudly.

"Yes Lo, and everybody you love." Dorian smiled. "Now Logan, there is a secret treasure in the house. Only you Logan, only you can open the safe." Logan's eyes were wide with amazement.

"Really?! Where is it?! Ohh ooh, treasure hunt!" Logan yelped excitedly. His parents smiled down at him.

"Yes Logan. Now don't forget, we are one big.." Linely started.

"...happy family!" The family of three chorused.

Logan smiled nostalgically at the  bank book and wads of cash in the safe. He took the blue miniature dragon in his hand and smiled at it. This dragon sannin was the beginning of everything but the object did not even know what trouble it caused. Looking into the bank note, his eyes widened at the amount of zeroes left for him by his parents but chuckled after. They were rich after all.

"Mum, dad, thank you so much for being my parents. I have a family now and an incredible girlfriend, I know you would love her and one day we would come to visit. Bye, mum...dad."

Logan left the manor and closed the gate. Once he got into his car, his phone began to ring so he picked it up. "Hey Á."

"Dude, Scarlet has woken up!" Ayo chirped.

"What?! I'll be there in an hour!" Logan said excitedly and started driving to Beastville. Scarlet was in the middle of reading the wake up letters that everyone had given to her when Logan barged in. Oh the wet kisses and happy tears. Scarlet had been asleep for three months! That was too long for Logan to handle.

"Sunny." Scarlet whispered breathlessly. Logan smiled and dived in for a sweet and passionate kiss which had Crystal fangirling and snapping photos and Ayo smiling while Asa cooed in adoration. Crys sent the photos to the group chat which had the others reacting within seconds. The door opened and in came Sharon, Phyllis and April.

"Scarlet!!!" They screamed, breaking the lovers moment.

"I thought- what?! You guys were just replying seconds ago!" Ayo gaped.

"Too loud." Scarlet squirmed.

"Oi oi, you three! This is a hospital so keep your voices at a minimum!" Logan scolded.

"Overprotective boyfriend mode activated." Ayo teased while the others rolled their eyes at him. They ended up laughing and teasing Logan and the boys came around to visit to hang out until Scarlet fell asleep. Don found it strange because she had been sleeping for three months but... Oh well!

-

April and Phyllis were in the same tertiary institution studying to become teachers. It was surprising that they chose to be teachers but it was their choice. Sharon decided not to go to school and opened up a coffee shop/flower shop where the clique often met up at times. She decided to enjoy doing what she loved which was being a shop owner and if she wanted she could go back to school.

Jordan, Bryan and Don were studying criminology. Bryan wanted to be in the SWAT team for the FBI while Donald chose to be a detective and Jordan part of the CSI. Logan and Ayo went to the same med school with Logan studying to be a surgeon and Ayo, to be a psychiatrist. Crystal went to a nursing school a bit far away from the others so she was all alone in her school which sucked.

Scarlet studied criminology like some of her friends did. She had wanted to go for the military force but the complications in her health hindered her from doing so which was why she chose to be an officer instead. She decided that the T&I sector of the police force was where she belonged. Sean chose to study political science and Nata, law. The lovers kept their long distance relationship good and smooth.

Mr Fast became the principal of BVA while Lord Mayorkun assumed his position as the mayor fully. The mayor got married to Asa and had a beautiful baby girl they named Mayo. Benjamin actually apologized to Scarlet for being a shitty father and started an awkward father-daughter relationship with her. The company went to Brandon after he retired as Scarlet had no interest in the family's business. She was a major stock holder though.

Phyllis had to break up with Don because the idea of an LDR didn't sound good. It was a mutual break up but it hurt a lot. They weren't the only couples to break up because of distance as Logan and Scarlet also did. It was hard to do but it was what was best. However, Logan was not about to let go easily so he bought a bracelet for Scarlet and himself. It was plain, flexible and could be used as an hair tie but it meant more.

"If after five years you still want me, promise me that you would keep wearing this bracelet." Logan whispered as he slipped the blue bracelet unto Scarlet's wrist. "I will keep wearing mine too."

Scarlet looked at the red bracelet on Logan's wrist and smiled. "If after five years you still want me, then let's meet same day same time and same place." She spoke.

"It's a date."

Five years seemed far away and the future remained unknown but one thing was sure which was the love they felt for each other. They both started as teenagers with problems that nobody seemed to know about. They made friends, they overcame their darkness and found love. Neither were sure if they would end up together in the future, even the possibility of meeting seemed bleak but none of them really cared.

They were so different and yet the same.

Fin.

***

Sequel, yeah or no? Should there be an sequel and if yes what do you want it to be about?

And this is where, my folks, we draw the curtains on The Same Difference.👏 A standing ovation for yourselves for reading, voting, commenting, sharing and following. 👏👏👏 Thank you all so much for your support and the 1k+ views and 300+ votes. I did not get much comments but I really appreciate those that reviewed the story. Please don't miss the acknowledgements in the next chapter (depending on if you want an epilogue) and a list of my other books (if you liked my writing) and story ideas in the chapter after that. Love you all, till we meet again in another book.

-★Star.