Chapter 6

Scott

"Logan! What the hell?" Scott screamed as he forcibly pushed open the door to the boys' shared dorm room through the pile of clothes, garbage and empty beer cans. "I put up with a lot of shit from you. I let you leave your crap everywhere, but enough is enough.

You cannot, I repeat, cannot host parties in here without telling me. I found flyers posted all over school about a so-called 'party' tonight hosted right here. I refuse to let my reputation be tarnished by yours." He continued to scream, waving a brightly coloured piece of paper in front of Logan's face.

"How long have you been practicing that speech, Slim? Gimme that." Logan sighed from his perch atop a mountain of dirty laundry where he was playing a level of COD and crushing empty beer cans in his hand. He winced as the metal dug into his skin and healed over quickly. "I ain't got nothin' to do with this. It's a prank Bobby and Warren play every year on someone. A buncha people show up, trash the place and then leave. Ya gotta lighten up, Bub. Here, have a beer."

Scott's face twisted horribly as he stared at his roommate in disgust. "Lighten up? LIGHTEN UP? I've only been here three weeks and I've already dealt with more from you than I have with anyone in my seventeen years on this planet. I do not need to 'lighten up', I need a new roommate." He said in a voice that teetered on rage. He threw a beer can on the ground in sort of a desperate anger and defiantly made has way out of the room.

"Heh, I knew I'd break ya." Logan chuckled from behind him, not looking up from his video game.

"Excuse me?" Scott stopped dead in his tracks.

"You heard me. I. Broke. You."

Scott shook his head, he didn't want to get in the fight any deeper. With Logan, things tended to escalate to fist fights, and Scott had never been a hand-to-hand combat kind of guy. Instead, he merely walked quickly to Professor Xavier's office, still fuming from the encounter with his aggressive peer.

"Ah, Scott!" Professor Xavier said as he spotted the boy walking down the hallway. "I was just about to call you into my office. I have something important to discuss." He continued, eyeing Scott suspiciously. "But I take it that you're here for a different reason. Come in."

"I want to switch roommates." Scott stated without waiting for the two of them to get settled at the Professor's desk.

Professor Xavier sighed and placed his head upon his hands which formed a triangular shape. He stared at Scott for what felt like an eternity before answering. "Logan has always been hard to find a roommate for."

"I understand that Professor, but I don't think I can take any more abus-"

"Let me finish, Scott. I specifically requested that the two of you be placed in the same room for a reason. Can you think of why that may be?"

Scott thought for a moment with no avail. He had no idea. "Was it like a permanent detention or something?"

"No my dear boy!" The Professor chuckled, "I have been looking for someone with the courage and leadership skills to stand up to Logan. I believed that I had found that in you. Someone who is strong, capable, and can hold their own in an argument. Are you telling me that I was wrong?"

Scott hung his head, "No, Professor. It's just that... I don't know..."

"It's just that Logan can be quite difficult. I'm not saying that the arrangement will be easy, but I am saying that I think you should give it a little more time. You may find that you form some respect for one another."

Scott nodded his head in agreement. He couldn't argue with the Professor, but he still wasn't happy about the arrangement.

"Now," Professor Xavier started again, "I was going to call you down here to discuss a different matter. As I stated before, I see a lot of potential in you, Scott. I think that you have a great aptitude for leadership. So, I would like to propose an opportunity for you. I assume that you are staying at the school for the long weekend, correct?"

"Yes, sir."

"Good. Such is the case with a few of your classmates who have nowhere to go, or home is too far to travel back for a mere three days. So, I have decided to set up a bit of an excursion of sorts for anyone interested. It would be a camping trip that would involve team building, leadership exersizes and many other activities to strengthen each member's individual gifts.

That being said, I cannot run this trip alone. I need someone who can lead exersizes, and help form bonds between these students who isn't bound to a chair. I have considered you, Scott, because, like I have already stated several times, I see a lot of potential in you. I think it would be extremely beneficial to you and your peers if you took on a leadership position." Professor Xavier finished.

Scott stared at him for a minute, rather aghast. "I don't know what to say, Professor. I've only been here for three weeks. Do you really think that I'm the best person for this? What about Ororo or Jean?"

"As I have said, Scott. I have faith in you, something that you should try having in yourself. You may just be surprised."

Scott nodded, bearly losing his glasses in the process. He walked quickly out of the room, his roommate situation completely forgotten until he reached his destination. People had already begun to pile into the little dorm room, blasting music and dancing in manors against the strict school policy. He could feel the blood rush to his face as people squished themselves into the tight space and unknowingly ground chips and other snacks into the once-clean carpet.

"You know," Jean said from behind him, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder, "not everything has to be about the rules. You're allowed to have fun every once and a while."

Scott stared at her, mouth open. "Why are you here this late? I thought you didn't live on campus?"

Jean just smiled at him and took his hands in hers. "C'mon, dance with me!"

Scott returned her wide smile and followed her to the middle of his dorm where people were dancing, and grabbed a beer along the way.

Logan

"Are you ready to go yet, Logan?" Kurt's voice floated down the hallway and into Logan's dorm room where it woke him from his heavy sleep.

Logan merely grunted and rolled off his bed, landing with a bang on the floor. He picked up a duffle bag that was hidden beneath his bed and tossed some clothes and a sleeping bag in. He then proceeded to find a somewhat clean outfit and join his classmates outside.

"Sorry I'm late." He mumbled, still wiping the sleep from his eyes.

"That's quite alright, Logan. We were still waiting for a few people to arrive anyways." Professor Xavier confessed.

Logan nodded and threw his bag through the open compartment in the bottom of the small bus. He then proceeded to climb onboard.

"Hey Jeannie," he greeted the redhead in the first seat. "I thought you were with your parents this weekend?"

"They decided to go skiing in Vermont, and I wanted to come on the trip anyways." She smiled.

"Mind if I sit down, then?"

"Oh," Jean's face fell, "well I kind of already promised Scott that I would sit with him..."

Logan nodded and shrugged his leather jacket further onto his shoulders, feeling rather defeated. He's spotted Kurt sitting in the back of the bus alone, and decided to take a seat with him.

"Ugh, Logan!" Kurt coughed as he sat down, holding his nose in disgust. "Did you smoke a whole pack today?"

Logan laughed and scooted closer to his friend on the seat, making sure that his musky odor would not be missed. "You're one to talk, you don't even notice the sulphur smell when you 'port anymore."

Logan watched the front of the bus with a numb feeling in his gut as Scott took his seat next to Jean. He had only been at the school for a few weeks, and yet he had already set up camp in every area of his life. As he watched them, he noticed Ororo seated next to Anna-Marie. She flipped her long white hair in one absentminded motion so that it reflected the bright sun and took on a near iridescent quality.

"Alright, students," Professor Xavier addressed the group. "I believe that all ten of you are present and accounted for, so unless there are anyother matters that need further investigation, we will be off. Recently I have received word that you have all given one another 'codenames', so to speak. In my opinion, it is an excellent idea, that will encourage you to embrace your abilities. This weekend, I would like you to only use those names when addressing one another. Okay, let's go!"

Scott stood from his seat, and helped the Professor by clipping his wheelchair to the wall. He then returned to his seat and slid his arm around Jean's shoulders.

"How about it, Wolverine? Are you excited for the weekend?" Kurt asked excitedly.

"Whatever you say, Elf. I'm gonna get some shut eye."

"Hey, Elf's not my name! It's Nightcrawler!" Kurt said proudly, puffing out his chest and raising his arm in the air as if extending a sword.

Logan's quest for a nap turned out to be in vain, as many of his classmates, lead by Kitty, began to sing '99 bottles of beer on the wall' for the duration of the ride. By the time of their arrival, everyone except Logan had joined in.

"3 bottles of beer on the wall, 3 bottles of beer on the wall!" Kitty sang from her new perch on the racks above the seats. If she weren't intangible, she would have caused the racks to fall nearly ten verses prior. "Take one down, pass it around, two bottles of beer on the wall!"