Chapter III

I haven't even gone through the second six-pack and I can already sense that I'm not going to get as much mind-numbing relief as I was hoping. Still, today is a day in which I'm going to hide in this closed-off wing of the house and get as drunk as I can manage. I seem to be a failure at everything else but that lately.

I haven't seen Jean after our little encounter on the hallway a couple of days ago. I know she's in the mansion because I can hear her and smell her, but she's been out of my sight. At this point it's no use wondering if she's avoiding me or not.

Beer's clearly not going to work. I wonder if I should switch to something stronger. Bourbon? Heroin? Bullet to the head?

"Hey. Took me a while to find you."

She's standing at the door and I wonder how long she's been there without me noticing and what the hell is wrong with me that I would let that happen.

She takes two small steps inside. "Do you have ten minutes for me?"

I have forever. Thank these old bones of mine. "Sure."

She sits next to me on the window ledge and we both look out at the miserable weather, doing nothing else for a couple of minutes.

She starts cautiously. "It's not a secret."

"It's not a secret but it's something you have to lie about."

"I don't have to lie about anything. That's my choice."

"Sure it is. Look, it's none of my business-"

She cuts me off. "I told you I was working with the professor. That he was helping me control my powers."

So that's it. I have to admit I was an idiot not to think about that as the only possible explanation, really. I wonder if Slim knows exactly what this "help" entails and how he feels about the fact that it seems to be killing her.

"How is he doing that, exactly?"

"It doesn't matter, Logan."

She's being a good little follower but I'm usually good at telling when people are about to crack.

"What is it like?" I prod.

"It's... hard. It doesn't matter. I know... you know sometimes the Professor can be..."

"Ruthless."

"Goal-oriented", she corrects. "But he cares about me."

I care about you. Stop doing whatever it is you're doing down there with him.

"Sure", I manage to mumble.

She's not moving to go but I can tell she's not going to say anything else.

"I'm not going to ask you any more questions about this. You just... scream if you need me, 'kay."

She looks up for a second and smiles. "I will."

Sure.

tbc