Chapter 3

Erik

Erik Lehnsherr sat in his office near the back of the third floor of Greenfield High. It was a large office, larger than any of the other teacher's and it was decorated to the tee. It always helped to plant the woman you were sleeping with in as one of the school's top investors when you wanted nice things. And Erik had many nice things, there was no denying it, he just didn't have the thing he wanted right then.

"So you're trying to tell me that you didn't even attempt to speak with him in the two full days he's been here? You have four classes together! This is why you don't get an imbecile to do a man's job." Erik snarled at a slightly green-skinned boy who was seated across from him.

"I-I'm sorry, sir! It's just that the other kids got there first, and he is always with that Jean girl." He managed to choke out.

"Ah, yes. That'll help your case, mentioning the other failed recruitments on your record. That damn Xavier's probably already swayed him by now, but the situation may be salvageable." Erik said to the skinny boy.

The boy shrunk back into his cushioned seat. He looked stricken, his open mouth revealed an abnormally long tongue and oddly coloured saliva. "I'm sorry, sir. I'll do better next time."

"No, you won't, Mortimer, because there won't be a next time. And as for Summers, I guess that I will just have to take care of him myself." Erik replied pointedly. He left the office with his head held high in disgust, his slightly magenta suit swishing in his wake. He left Mortimer sobbing for forgiveness in his office as he slammed the large doors without touching them.

Logan

"C'mon," A voice said from above. "It's three in the afternoon, most classes are finished. You have no reason not to get up now."

Logan was suddenly and violently accosted with a bright beam of light across his tightly shut eye lids. He growled in dismay at his new roommate and his tendency to disrupt his unusual sleeping habits. "What the hell, Summers? What did I tell ya I'd do if ya ever did that again?"

"Yeah, yeah." Scott rolled his eyes behind his red glasses. "You'll rip my arms from my sockets. If you really want to follow through on that promise then I'll be on the field, otherwise, I will keep doing this earlier and earlier until you have no choice but to go to your classes. You can't keep staying up until five in the morning, doing God knows God knows where and then sleeping 'till dinner."

Logan growled and popped one certain sharp metal claw in the direction of the brown-haired, lanky boy who was already leaving. He rolled over in his bed and tried to ignore the light as he spat silent curse words at Scott. He didn't know what it was about this new roommate, every other one that he had ever been stuck with, he had been able to break. After a few days, they would hardly say a word to him and they would do whatever he said. Then, after about a month and a half of torture, they would ask for a different roommate, leaving Logan in peace for a few weeks until the school could scrounge up a new student out of nowhere. Scott, however, was different. Logan still hadn't been able to find the right buttons to push for him to crack, and he was already behind schedule.

He eventually resigned to his fate and rolled out of bed, putting on the closest clothes to him. There was still time to catch the end of the biology lecture that he was supposed to be in, but he wasn't really in the mood to listen to the last half hour of cell mitosis. He pulled out his pack of cigars and his lighter and went down the stairs, intent on swinging around the corner outside. The last time that he had lit a cigar inside he had lost all off campus privileges for a month, not that the punishment had stopped him from leaving.

Logan leaned against the cold brick wall of the boys dorms, narrowly avoiding the chewed gum that someone had recently stuck to the wall. He chopped the end off of the brown tube and lit it with the orange flame. He brought the cylinder to his lips and breathed in deeply. Because of the nature of his mutation, the smoke wouldn't affect him, which made it all the better to irritate other people with.

He stayed there for a while before deciding to see if Kurt was around. He had almost turned the corner when he heard two familiar voices.

"I have been noticing you lately, Scott," Professor Lehnsherr said. "I've noticed that you seem to be slightly more... Shall we say advanced than some of the other students."

"Advanced in what way, sir?" Scott asked. Logan's acute senses could tell him that they were only a few feet away. He almost felt bad for Scott, Professor Lehnsherr had given him the same spiel when he had arrived, but he had a soft spot for Professor Xavier. He was the only person that had seemed to give a crap for him, he was the only professor that Logan would never pull anything with.

"Advanced in the... Sense of your mutation." Scott looked taken aback from what Logan could see, and he fumbled about with his words for a moment.

"Uh, I'm not sure what you're talking about, sir." He finally decided to say.

The man rolled his eyes, "I had assumed that you were smarter than that, but alas, We can't have everything we want in life. You can shoot lasers out of your eyes, boy. And now that we're past that, I would like to offer you a spot among the most elite of your peers."

"No thank you," Said Scott politely after a moment. "I think I have already found a good fit at this school."

Professor Lehnsherr narrowed his wrinkled eyes, "Are you sure, Scott? Joining me can open many positions not otherwise available. I want you to be sure of your choice." He backed up into the boy, forcing him to step backwards towards the brick wall behind them.

Logan sighed and stamped out his cigar, sure of what he had to do. He walked up to the pair and placed his well-built arm heavily around Scott's shoulders, which was somewhat difficult do to their height difference. "Heya, Slim. Got somethin' I need ya to take care of. Sorry to interrupt, Professor, but it's important." Scott gave him a surprised glance, but followed as Logan's arm guided him away.

"I'm sure it is," Said the Professor, his voice dripping with annoyance. "Just remember, I can get you places, Scott, places that your silly human-loving Xavier can't."

"Thanks." Scott muttered as soon as they were out of earshot of Professor Lehnsherr.

"This ain't a handout, bub." Logan said without looking at him. "You owe me now."

Scott stepped out from under Logan's arm and gave him a cold glare. "Fine." He said, stalking off.

Logan smirked and lit another cigar. That had gone better than expected, Scott was starting to break. He stood alone in the parking lot, trying to look around him, when he spotted a bright head of red hair.

"Heya, Red." He said as he approached Jean.

"Hi, Logan." She smiled. Jean had always been one of those people that could see underneath the layers of growling and moody behaviour. "What's up?"

"Nothing much, my day just got a lot better though." He grinned at her.

"Logan, stop. I've told you before, I'm not interested in you that way."

"That don't mean I can't flirt though."

She sighed and resigned without further protest. "I didn't see you in class today."

"How often do you see me there though?" Logan laughed and took a long drag of his cigar.

Jean broke into a fit out coughing, "I wish you wouldn't smoke those things. You may have a healing factor, but the rest of us don't."

"Sorry, Jeannie." He grinned but did not put out his cigar, making the girl glare.

Ororo and Rogue approached them, followed closely by Scott who had apparently given up on avoiding Logan. It was difficult to see his eyes, but Logan could tell that he didn't like seeing him and Jean together.

"Hey, Logan." Ororo said in a sort of sing-song manner that vastly contrasted her usually commanding tone.

"Hey, Ro." Logan smiled. He had always liked spending time with her.

"Wanna give a girl a drag of that, Sugah?" Rogue asked him, pointing to his cigar.

"Nah, girlie, you don't want to start on these. They're shit on yer lungs." He told her. She pouted at this, but didn't pester him further.

"Hey, Jean," Scott spoke up. "Want to go get burgers or something for dinner?"

"Sure!" Jean said brightly with a smile that showed all of her carefully whitened teeth.

Logan watched the two of them leave with a bitter feeling in his gut. He had always assumed that he and Jean would eventually end up together. This Summers fellow was beginning to become more trouble than her was worth.