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4. Settling In

The heated interaction between Logan and Jean didn’t go unnoticed. There were two witnesses, one deliberate and the other accidental. Both of them were intrigued as the past history shared between them.

“Rriiinnggg…… Rriiinnggg…… Rriiinnggg”
“Yes.”
“Its me.”
“I thought I told you not to call here.”
“Don’t worry I am calling from a pay phone.”
“A pay phone near the school…..Do you want to get both of into jail. You do not call me, I call you.”
“But I have some important news.”
“What could be so important it couldn’t wait till the evening.”
“Xavier has got a security lackey…..Logan. Ex military…..”

A sharp sound from the other end cut off the conversation.
“Logan. When did this happen?”
“Last week. I wasn’t at the meeting. I just met him today. Don’t worry I’ll take care of it.”
“You’ll take care of it. Like you took care of the garage? The Police and Fire Brigade were there within 20 minutes. You will not do anything to harm him or anyone else. until I tell you do so.”

There was silence from this end. The person on the other end emphasized his last statement.
“UNDERSTOOD.”
“Yes Sir, Understood” was the tight lipped reply.
“In the mean time, I want you to get close to him, develop a ‘friendship’ with him.”
“Friendship….huh.”
“Yes…Friendship. Will that be a problem?”
“No…..No sir.”
“Very well, now get off the phone and don’t call me again.”
“Yes Sir.”

The line was cut. Slowly the mysterious person replaced the phone in its cradle and started thinking of a plan to get close to the new guy. ‘Friendship….this will take some planning.’


Meanwhile, Logan’s Office

Logan was trying to calm himself down by working to get his office setup. It wasn’t helping much. His thoughts kept on going back to Jean Grey. ‘Of all the people on the world, why did it have to be her? Didn’t I suffer enough ten years ago.’

The past events came rushing up on him.

Flashback

“Jeannie…..JEANNIE…. I am home.”
There was no answer from within the single room apartment shared by Logan and Jean Grey. They had been dating for a year and half and living together for more than six months.
“Hey ‘Red” said Logan, knocking on the door.
When there was no answer Logan unlocked the door. He then picked up his luggage along with the dozen red roses he had got for his girl friend. They had reminded him of her. ‘Red like her hair and green leaves like her eyes. Can’t wait to get home.’

Upon entering he left his luggage next to the closed door and crept to their bedroom. ‘Must be sleeping.’ Upon seeing the empty bed, he went to check the bathroom but that was empty too. In fact the house looked it hadn’t been lived in for atleast 2-3 weeks.

‘Where could she have gone? She didn’t say anything about it. Although it’s been more than a month since we last talked. She was busy with some project and asked me not too call. It still can’t be going on.’

It was then he noticed the closed envelope lying on the small dining table. Picking it up he noticed there was no address just the words ‘Logan’ printed with a typewriter. He tore the envelope open, took out the letter and started reading it. It was a short letter, but the words on the page blew his whole world to smithereens.

‘Logan,

By the time you get this letter I will have left. Please do not try and follow me. I met someone else and am in love with him with all my heart. Both of us have a bright future together. Even my parents like him.

We had some great times together but great times don’t make for great lives. You play with the bad boys, but you take the good boys home to meet your parents.

Jean’

Logan read the letter again and again, not believing his own eyes. ‘This cannot be happening. Not to me. Not my Jeannie. We had plans together. That’s why I took this contract job, so that I could save money for a marriage. No…..not Jeannie.’

Logan sank to the ground still holding the letter in one hand. Looking up he saw the red roses lying on the table and his and Jean’s photo on the wall.
‘She left me…..SHE LEFT….me…..THE BITCH FUCKIN’ LEFT ME.’

Suddenly Logan went into a rage and started wrecking everything. Anything that reminded him of Jean. After about an hour he realized that ‘EVERYTHING’ there reminded him of Jean.’

He got his leather jacket and left for the nearest bar. He was going to get drunk and forget Jean and her betrayal.

End Flashback

Logan was deep in thought and didn’t notice the person standing in front of him.
“Don’t people here knock before entering someone else’s office” he asked curtly.
“Sorry, but I knocked 3-4 times. The door was ajar so I guessed you were busy, so I came in. Sorry if I disturbed you.” answered Marie Darkholme.
“It’s alright. Did you need anything?”
“No. Its 6:30 PM and we have dinner in half-an-hour. I came to remind you” she answered sweetly.
“Uh…thankyou.”
“So, are you joining us.”
“Sure, why not. Just give a couple of minutes to wrap up.”
“OK…I’ll be waiting outside.” With that she stepped outside the room.

Logan got up and gathered his documents. ‘No use leaving them here. With the state of the security system, they will be safer with me.’

About five minutes later he stepped out of his office where Marie was waiting for him. After locking he applied a strip of scotch tape to the top of the door.
“What is that for?” questioned Marie.
“That is basic security, using whatever is at hand. I have placed this strip. So if anyone breaks into my office I will come to know.”
“Oh….That’s sheer genius.”
“Naw…nothing genius, just smarts you get in the army, protecting your closet from your teammates.”
“Did they steal from each other?”
“No, not stealing. But some of them had a habit of playing pranks on others.”
“Oh” Marie started laughing. “And here I thought that you would be all serious and about business in the army.”
“When you spend months together stuck in trenches, with just each other for company you have to make do. Come let’s go.”

With that they started walking to wards the dining room. Marie spoke again.
“Well what if someone breaks in through the window?” she asked.
“What makes you think I have only secured the door?”
“Oh….so you have scotch tape there also.”
“That and something else.”
“Something else…..What something else?” inquired Marie.

Logan looked down at her, and spoke gruffly
“You know, you ask too many questions for a teacher. And I was wondering why you came all the way to my office to invite me for dinner?”
“No…No…I…I just wanted to make conversation and make you comfortable.”

Logan realized that he had frightened the young teacher.
“Hey I am sorry if I scared you. I am not very good with people. I am sorry, Ok.”
Marie looked at Logan and smiled. “It’s OK.”

“I hope you don’t mind my saying this but aren’t you a bit young for a teacher. You look like a College student yourself.”
Marie huffed to make herself feel larger “I will be 23 next January. And what does age have to do with the work I do.”
This time Logan lifted his hands in mock surrender. “Hey, I was just making conversation. No need to go all ballistic on me.”
Marie started laughing at Logan’s actions. “I accept your surrender.”

They had reached the dining room doors. Marie pushed the swinging doors and entered, followed by Logan.
He immediately noticed the crowd gathered in the room. The students were sitting in small groups and were already eating, while the teachers hadn’t started yet. Logan and Marie made their way to the teacher’s table. Logan noticed many of the students looking at him. He turned his face to them and gave them a hard glare, which immediately got them back to their dinners.

“Ah, Logan. Glad you could join us. Please have a seat” said Charles.
Logan didn’t answer and just grunted his answer. He waited for Marie to sit down, who took the empty seat between Ororo and Remy. Logan took in the seating arrangement. Charles and Liliandra sat on either ends of the table. On one side, were Scott, Jean and Hank, while on the other side were Ororo, Marie and Remy. Logan took the empty seat next to Ororo noticing that Victor Creed was absent from the table.

Sensing his unspoken question, Charles spoke “Mr. Creed seldom joins us for dinner. Nevertheless we keep a seat open for him.”
“Hn” was the only reply he got.

Dinner was mostly silent with most of the conversation focusing on the day’s events in the school.
“Jean are you alright?” asked Ororo, taking note if her friend’s pensive mood.
“Yes Ororo. Just tired I guess” answered Jean.
Ororo didn’t push the matter further at the dinner table.

Once dinner was finished everyone started to get up and move to the recreation room. Logan on the other hand started to move towards the front door.
“Logan, why don’t you join us in the recreation room?” asked Liliandra.
“Na…thanks for the offer, but I need to get some fresh air” answered Logan “and smoke a cigar or two” he muttered under his breath.
“As you wish. Goodnight. See you tomorrow morning. Breakfast is at 7:45”
“Yeh sure.” With that Logan stepped outside the dining room and into the corridor leading to the main entrance.





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