YOU'RE LOSING ME ✦ WOLVERINE

CHAPTER FIVE

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 6TH — 2007

THE NEXT MORNING, Logan woke up dreaming of Jean again. Of all of the X-Men and the house.

He had been deep in a dream of a memory, before Jean had disappeared, when everyone had been in the house, and happy. Marie and Bobby sitting on the couch together, one gloved hand in a colder hand. Jean and Scott sitting across from them, Logan sitting next to Storm.

It had been a general movie night, something they would do occasionally. They'd send someone with a list of movies to rent from a local Blockbuster, and then everyone would all come sit in the living room with blankets and pillows and snacks.

It was the happiest he had ever been.

But then he woke up, and the bone deep sadness set in as he remembered his reality. He was staying in some dead-end town, with some girl who was fixing Scott's motorcycle for his imaginary birthday gift.

He suddenly felt the urge to call Marie, to hear her voice.

He got out of bed, and walked over to his duffle bag, digging through it. He pulled out his dead phone and his phone charger, and plugged it in. It would take about thirty minutes or so for it to turn on, so Logan decided to take a shower to pass the time.

Under the water, he had placed his hands against the wall, leaning against them. The water ran down his face as he thought about the past year. He had tried so hard to stay present at the school. So hard. But he couldn't take it anymore, he saw Jean everywhere. He couldn't even enter the lower levels of the school without having constant flashbacks.

It had been three months ago when he finally approached Storm, and asked her to give him a vacation, a leave of absence, something. He couldn't take being in this school anymore. He felt like he was going insane.

She'd told him to take as long as he needed, and to come back when he was able to. She would have Hank take over his position just fine. He had cried with relief hearing that, in her office. Let her hold him.

Jean was still gone. And it was still his fault.

When he finally washed himself off, and got out of the shower, he sat on the bed in his towel, his phone in his hand. It had finally turned on again. He flipped it open, going to his contact list. It was pretty short, so he found Marie's number quickly. Pushing the call button, he held the phone up to his ear.

It rang once, and Marie's Southern drawl filled his ear. "Logan? Is it really you?"

"Hey, Marie," Logan replied, throat feeling like sandpaper. "I'm really sorry I disappeared. I really am."

"Are you doing okay?" She asked, and Logan replied, "I'm...Alright. I'm still here, at least. That counts for something. But I wanted to hear your voice."

"I'm really glad you called me," Marie tearfully replied. "I was so worried about you, Logan."

"I'm sorry," He whispered. "I miss you and the school so much, Marie. But I...I couldn't be there anymore. I saw her everywhere."

"I understand, Logan, trust me," She said. "Where are you, if you don't mind me asking?"

"Only as long as you warn me before you come visit," Logan replied, earning a small laugh out of Marie. "But I'm in a town called Riverside. Really, really small town. I'm...I'm getting Scott's motorcycle repaired for his birthday."

"Oh, Logan," Marie quietly said. "You're better than you think you are."

Logan wanted to retort, But I'm not, really, and decided better of it. Better to stay quiet. "The girl who's repairing it seems weird. If she's not a mutant, then she's just really weird."