Chapter Three
"Well, where the hell IS she?" Logan angry was formidable. Logan left to stew in his own anger was a powder keg better left corked.
This Storm knew. "You promised the Professor you would wait to talk to Scarlett."
"And I will but I want to know where she is."
"She'll be back soon, Logan."
"Do you know that? Really?! She's a drifter, Ororo. Running's easier for her than staying."
Storm studied the man across the room from her. He'd been unpacking but most of his few belongings were scattered across the suite. What she knew of him lead her to believe that he was being uncomfortably honest. He knew that Scarlett was safer at the school than she would be anywhere else. And, surprisingly, he seemed to truly want the girl to be safe. "If she isn't back by midnight, we'll go looking for her."
"Thanks." There was no grudging in his tone.
Although she had been charged with keeping an eye on him, Storm headed for the door. She paused just before exiting. "Is there anything I can get for you?"
"Can you turn back time?"
She smiled, appreciating his humor. "No."
"Then, I'll be okay."
___________________________________________________
The front room was always abandoned after eleven. there was no hard and fast rule but Scarlett had found that she could depend on that fact. Time alone was no easy to come by in a school for mutants so Scarlett stole what time she needed during the late night hours. At exactly 2:26 AM Scarlett sunk into the oversized armchair under the primary picture window overlooking the front grounds. It was her usual place; she had never been interrupted there.
At least, never before.
"You're too skinny, Mara. Don't they feed you here?"
She didn't jump at his voice. Perhaps she half expected it. "I've gained five kilos since I last saw you."
"Looks good on you."
Even an off-handed compliment from Logan was unexpected to Scarlett. It threw off her rhythm. "You look the same."
"Do I?"
She nodded. "Pretty much."
There was a long pause. Scarlett inspected the chipped icicle blue paint on her toenails, waiting for Logan to speak. Finally, he took her silent invitation. "How are you?"
She considered for a few moments wanting to be honest but not too candid. "Happy to be here."
"Good." Again the silence stretched out almost unbearably between them. "You have every right to hate me."
"Good to hear."
The pause was shorter this time but no less significant. Logan stole a short glance at her. As of yet, neither of them had really looked at the other. "It wasn't safe. For me to stay with you. You'd have gotten hurt."
"Well - good thing we managed to avoid that one entirely." But her sarcasm lacked the bite she would have liked. Somehow she felt he was telling the truth, in part, at least.
"Mara, I'm a dangerous man."
"And you never made me any promises," she finished for him.
"I wasn't going to say that." He sounded contrite.
She shrugged. "But it's true." On the road, no one made promises.
Tactfully, he declined to give a reply to her comment. "I should have-"
"It's done. It's been done for some time now. I'd rather just...stop talking about it."
Logan almost smiled. "I doubt we'll be afforded that luxury." Slowly, gracelessly, he reached out one hand, placed two fingers under his chin and pushed up gently. Her eyes met his. "Do you hate me?"
Turning her head, Scarlett once again avoided his gaze. "I don't know. A little, maybe." She sighed. "Does it matter?"
"On a grand scale: no."
"There you go." Scarlett rolled her eyes. Typical Logan. Truthful and hurtful. "I need to get to sleep. I have classes tomorrow." She stood and started for the door, her bare feet padding quietly on the wooden floor.
Logan let her get a full ten feet away before asking, "Why did you change your name, Mara?"
She turned, her blonde hair moving with her, half obscuring her face. "I didn't. No one ever called me 'Mara' but you."
"Well, where the hell IS she?" Logan angry was formidable. Logan left to stew in his own anger was a powder keg better left corked.
This Storm knew. "You promised the Professor you would wait to talk to Scarlett."
"And I will but I want to know where she is."
"She'll be back soon, Logan."
"Do you know that? Really?! She's a drifter, Ororo. Running's easier for her than staying."
Storm studied the man across the room from her. He'd been unpacking but most of his few belongings were scattered across the suite. What she knew of him lead her to believe that he was being uncomfortably honest. He knew that Scarlett was safer at the school than she would be anywhere else. And, surprisingly, he seemed to truly want the girl to be safe. "If she isn't back by midnight, we'll go looking for her."
"Thanks." There was no grudging in his tone.
Although she had been charged with keeping an eye on him, Storm headed for the door. She paused just before exiting. "Is there anything I can get for you?"
"Can you turn back time?"
She smiled, appreciating his humor. "No."
"Then, I'll be okay."
___________________________________________________
The front room was always abandoned after eleven. there was no hard and fast rule but Scarlett had found that she could depend on that fact. Time alone was no easy to come by in a school for mutants so Scarlett stole what time she needed during the late night hours. At exactly 2:26 AM Scarlett sunk into the oversized armchair under the primary picture window overlooking the front grounds. It was her usual place; she had never been interrupted there.
At least, never before.
"You're too skinny, Mara. Don't they feed you here?"
She didn't jump at his voice. Perhaps she half expected it. "I've gained five kilos since I last saw you."
"Looks good on you."
Even an off-handed compliment from Logan was unexpected to Scarlett. It threw off her rhythm. "You look the same."
"Do I?"
She nodded. "Pretty much."
There was a long pause. Scarlett inspected the chipped icicle blue paint on her toenails, waiting for Logan to speak. Finally, he took her silent invitation. "How are you?"
She considered for a few moments wanting to be honest but not too candid. "Happy to be here."
"Good." Again the silence stretched out almost unbearably between them. "You have every right to hate me."
"Good to hear."
The pause was shorter this time but no less significant. Logan stole a short glance at her. As of yet, neither of them had really looked at the other. "It wasn't safe. For me to stay with you. You'd have gotten hurt."
"Well - good thing we managed to avoid that one entirely." But her sarcasm lacked the bite she would have liked. Somehow she felt he was telling the truth, in part, at least.
"Mara, I'm a dangerous man."
"And you never made me any promises," she finished for him.
"I wasn't going to say that." He sounded contrite.
She shrugged. "But it's true." On the road, no one made promises.
Tactfully, he declined to give a reply to her comment. "I should have-"
"It's done. It's been done for some time now. I'd rather just...stop talking about it."
Logan almost smiled. "I doubt we'll be afforded that luxury." Slowly, gracelessly, he reached out one hand, placed two fingers under his chin and pushed up gently. Her eyes met his. "Do you hate me?"
Turning her head, Scarlett once again avoided his gaze. "I don't know. A little, maybe." She sighed. "Does it matter?"
"On a grand scale: no."
"There you go." Scarlett rolled her eyes. Typical Logan. Truthful and hurtful. "I need to get to sleep. I have classes tomorrow." She stood and started for the door, her bare feet padding quietly on the wooden floor.
Logan let her get a full ten feet away before asking, "Why did you change your name, Mara?"
She turned, her blonde hair moving with her, half obscuring her face. "I didn't. No one ever called me 'Mara' but you."