003.

"You know, Logan," Hayley said with a yawn. "We've known each other for like, what a few years now and I don't know a thing about you!" She pulled the chair upright and covered her legs with the blanket. "Tell me about yourself."

Logan grimaced. "Can't you just sleep the entire way to New Orleans?"

"Nope."

It had been a day and a half since they left New York. Hayley had spent most of that time sleeping. She needed to rest.

"Are you sleepy?" Hayley asked.

"No." But she knew he was lying. His eyes were looking droopy.

"Pull over, Logan."

"I said I'm fine."

The car swerved towards the side of the road. They were lucky that the highway was empty. The engine died despite the key being in the car. Logan's door flew open and his seatbelt unbuckled. He turned to glare at Hayley.

"Cut this shit out. I'm fine."

Logan flew out of the car and onto the side of the road. He couldn't move and while he was forced against his will, Hayley unbuckled her own belt and moved into the driver's seat. She closed her own door and forced her passenger door open. "Kay, Logan. Hop in," she grinned.

Logan didn't look too pleased as he got into the passenger side. "Thirty minutes of driving. That's it."

"If you say so." She started up the engine and got the car back on the highway.

Within seconds, Logan's snores filled the quiet car. Hayley chuckled, making a mental note to poke fun at his loud snoring. If she were blind, she would've thought their car had picked up a grizzly bear.

It would take another day or so until they arrived in New Orleans. It would've been faster if they hadn't taken all those breaks for food. Hayley checked the tank. They were running low and there wasn't a gas station in sight but she wasn't worried. She could get the car moving with her ability until a gas station showed up. She tapped on the steering wheel, a song running through her head. She was alert and feeling good after her nap.

She thought about what the school was up to. A smile spread across her face when the thought of Bobby, Rogue, Piotr and Warren taking care of the monsters appeared in her head. She liked the students but when they were in class, they turned into little demon brats who didn't want to work but play. But she could thank them for her telekinesis being able to improve quicker; she had used it quite often to pin them in their seats.

John's face appeared in her mind and all her happy thoughts and feelings went flying out the window. Where was he? What was he doing? And whythe hell was he wearing some Magneto dork hat? She sighed.

John Allerdyce had always been distrusting of others and despite their history and their closeness, he didn't trust her 200% like she did with him. He knew her better than she knew herself and it was clear that he knew that she would try to use Xavier to find him. He was always a step ahead of him.

The countryside looked beautiful as the sun began to rise. Thoughts of John disappeared as Hayley sighed at the sight of the bright green fields. A city girl at heart, she giggled and squealed softly when she saw cows grazing and horses galloping down hills. She rolled down her window slightly, wanting to take in the crisp country air.

"Jesus kid, roll up the windows. It's cold!" Logan was awake in an instant, his eyes looking weary.

"Don't those muscles help keep you warm?" Hayley said, nodding at his biceps.

"No they don't," he said shortly.

"Ah, so they only help you rope in the ladies."

"Roll up your damn windows."

"Alright, alright," Hayley surrendered with her teasing and rolled up the windows.

"Where are we?"

"Birmingham," Hayley answered him. "We'll be there tonight or tomorrow morning."

"Finally."

"Pull over, I'm gonna drive."

"Nope." Hayley had already made up her mind to drive the entire way.

"Kid-,"

"I said no and you are going to deal with it. I'm not a kid anymore. I can drive and you know I'm a good driver," she snapped.

To her surprise, Logan chuckled. "You know, you've been snapping at almost everyone since you graduated from the school."

Hayley grinned. "Well, I couldn't snap at you guys when I was a student, right? I'd get detention."

"Good point."

She turned on the radio, flipping from station to station. She left it on when she finally found a decent station with decent songs to listen to. She tapped the wheel again to the beat of the song. "So Logan. Tell me about your life."

"What's there to tell?" he grumbled.

"I'm sure you have a lot of stories since you can live pretty much forever," Hayley pointed out. "Like, where you were born, what you did over the years.. you know, memories. Stories."

"I don't remember."

Hayley scowled. "Oh c'mon, you know you do-,"

"I said, I don't remember."

Hayley took her eyes off the road and onto Logan. He was telling the truth. His lips were set in a firm line, his eyes were staring straight ahead at the road in front of them. He looked frustrated and sad at the same time.

She felt bad for pushing him and accusing him of not remembering when he really didn't remember. "You.. have amnesia?" she asked softly. Before he could reply, she shook her head. "You don't have to answer it, actually if it makes you uncomfortable. I apologize for pushing."

"It's alright kid," he sighed, giving her a pat on the shoulder. He cleared his throat. "I don't remember too much about my past. Something happened to get me this way but I'm really not sure." He tapped his fingers on the temple of his head. "Remember William Stryker?"

"Yeah," she answered.

"He made me this way." Hayley heard the sounds of metal knives clashing with one another and through the corner of her eye, she could see the blades coming out of Logan's knuckles. "That day we went to Akali Lake, he told me that he had put adamantium in my body, making all my bones to metal."

Hayley's eyes bulged. "How did they manage to do that?"

"I remember being put in this glass tub of water, being strapped down," Logan said slowly. His eyes squinted, trying to remember. "They had all these needles inserted into different parts of my body and the adamantium was injected. I was the only mutant at the time who could survive the operation."

"Wow." She looked at the knives that were slowly going back into his body. "So were those.. metal things bone before then?"

"Probably."

Hayley shuddered at the thought of bones protruding out of his knuckles. "You'd have one hell of a Halloween costume," she remarked.

Logan laughed. "Yeah." He shifted in his seat and folded the blanket that had been covering him, tossing it in the back.

"What's the use of folding something if you're just going to throw it?" Hayley asked.

"Anyway," he said, ignoring her question. "What about you, kid? What's your story?"

Hayley grumbled words under her breath.

"Not ladylike to say those kinds of words."

"Well, my story isn't exactly great."

"Well, whose isn't when you're a mutant?" Logan asked. "If I could remember, I bet my story is even more fucked." He chuckled. "C'mon kid. This was your idea to talk and get to know each other."

He was right. "I don't know.. where do you want me to start?" she asked.

"Where were you from?"

"San Francisco."

"San Francisco?" Logan raised an eyebrow. "That's far from here. Professor find you?"

Hayley nodded. "Yeah, he found me. He told me about the school and convinced me to come here."

"Your parents okay with you coming here?"

Her grip on the steering wheel tightened. Her throat felt dry. "Yeah."

Logan nodded. She knew that he didn't believe her. "So when did your powers start to manifest?"

She shrugged. "When I was young. I just remember being lazy and wanting the juice and suddenly, the juice box came flying at me. Made quite a mess," she chuckled.

"I'm sure," he smiled.

"The pyrokinesis, that appeared sometime later," she said softly.

"Any siblings?"

"Only child."

"Favorite.. color?"

Hayley smirked. "That's the best you got? My favorite color changes from time to time. Right now it's red but not that bright red, more of the dark red."

Logan challenged her smirk with a haughty look of his own. "Well then, Level Five, tell me when you're going to stop pouting about Pyro."

Hayley glared at him. "Stop bringing him up."

"I'll bring him up whenever I want," he said simply.

"You don't get it."

"What's there to get? Bad ass kid draws the attention of the good girl. The two are inseparable, causing mischief all around school. Drama happens- boy leaves to the dark side. Girl mopes but gets him back eventually because the kid realizes how stupid he's been and has nowhere else to go. Peace in the house for what, a few months-,"

"A year," she hissed.

"-A year and then he bolts again, this time, for no good fucking reason." Logan shook his head. "I don't get why you even deal with him. If he can't see how much he's hurting you by leaving then he doesn't deserve you."

Hayley was beginning to see red but did her best to control her anger. She knew Logan was just trying to be nice- he had a different way with words. But she didn't like the way he was belittlling John. He didn't know John the way that she knew him.

"I know you think I'm being mean because I don't know him. But you're better off without him," Logan said firmly.

"I'm hungry," she snapped, spotting a McDonald's on the side of the road. She drove into the exit road and headed towards the fast food joint. She pulled up to a parking space and got out, slamming the door shut.

Hayley heard Logan get out of the car and jog up next to her. She felt his hand on her shoulder and he turned her around. "What?" she hissed, tears in her eyes. "What more do you have to say about how stupid I am for being with him?"

"I never said you were stupid."

"Yeah, well you're thinking it," she growled. "You think I'm an idiot for moping over John. But you have no idea, no fucking clue to what kind of person he is. You're just like the rest of the people at school who judge him for his outward appearance but fuck! You have no idea who he is!"

"Hayley," Logan said sternly. "Calm yourself." He stared uneasily around the parking lot and Hayley followed his gaze. The cars in the parking lot were trembling due to her telekinesis. Hayley knew she had to calm down; her telekinesis tend to get out of control when she was too emotional.

"Yes I don't know Pyro as well as you do," he continued. "But you know what? Fuck him. You were a strong girl, Hayley before he came. Where is that girl? Where's the girl that didn't give a rats ass? Where's the girl who didn't need some boy to depend on?"

She shut her eyes and a couple tears slithered down her cheeks. Logan was right. He was always right.

"I'm sorry Logan for yelling at you."

"C'mere, kid."

Hayley felt his arms wrap around her small body, bringing her close to his chest. She let her tears fall a little bit, not wanting to bawl like a baby in front of Logan who then wouldn't know what to do.

"It's okay to cry, it's okay to be sad," Logan said softly. "But eventually you have to move on."

She knew he was talking from experience. His situation with Jean Grey was far worse than her own. At least John could come back to her if he wanted. Jean Grey never could. She was gone forever.

Hayley pulled away, wiping her tears away quickly. She gave him a small smile. "Sorry," she apologized sheepishly.

"It's alright, kid." Logan patted her on the head. "C'mon, let's go get some breakfast."