It was already late when they had left Laughlin City and the darkening sky was becoming troublesome as Logan drove down the dark roads. He also found that he was quite hungry and couldn’t help but be tempted where he saw a little diner at the edge of a little village. Slowly, he pulled the van into a little car park. The sound of the dying engine stirred Rogue, who had fallen asleep against the door. She looked around blearily.
“You still hungry, kid?” Logan asked her as he unfastened his seatbelt.
Rogue was more than hungry, she was ravenous and her stomach ached for the food she could smell drifting in from the late night diner. Mutely, she nodded her head to him.
“C’mon then,” said Logan as he opened his van door, body swinging out to step onto the snow-covered tarmac, “It’s on me.”
Rogue smiled faintly before she hurriedly opened her door, jumping out with a crunch upon the snow. She quickly slammed the door, hurrying over to join him as he locked up. He breathed out a sigh, his breath a cold mist. He shoved his hands into his coat pocket as he strode across the car park with Rogue close behind him.
The luminous neon sign saying, “Mackey Gee’s Diner” flickered poorly in the darkening sunlight. Snow fluttered by at a fast pace, falling thickly onto the two mutants’ bodies as they hurried in their short walk across the car park towards the doors of the restaurant. Rogue reached the door first, pulling on the handle with her numb cold fingers. The door was slowly pulled open, but behind her Logan grabbed the top of the door and held it fully open in one swift pull. Rogue felt herself cringe and she hurried on in.
A breath of warm heat flowed upon them as they entered, followed by the tantalising smell of cooking food. Rogue made a quiet sort of moan, holding her stomach. However, she looked round in surprise as Logan tapped her once on the shoulder roughly. As she turned, the same two fingers beckoned her to follow him as the man strode over to take a booth in a dark corner of the room, out of the way from the other customers. Rogue didn’t object. She’d rather stay hidden, with all that about mutants around. Didn’t want to be recognised, although it was unlikely that anyone from Mississippi would be up here.
Rogue slipped onto the red leather cushioned seating, sliding up to sit against the wall. Logan followed her in on the opposite side of the table. Saying nothing as he unzipped his jacket. Rogue obligingly pulled down her hood, but remained with her coat firmly on, as well as her silky gloves. Logan tossed the plastic covered menu across the table to her, leaning back as he watched her carefully. A hand ran through his spiked hair to knock out the snow. “Take your pick, kid.”
“Y’know,” began Rogue quietly as her eyes began to drift down the menu, “You don’t have to do this.”
“Don’t worry about it. I got my winnings. Just hurry up,” muttered Logan as he looked at his own menu. Rogue glanced over to him, smiling slightly before she looked down once more, her eyes studying the food available. Her stomach rumbled louder, demanding for her to hurry up. She heard the slap of Logan’s menu as it hit the plastic surface of the table and she momentarily glanced up to see him leaning back, comfortably lighting a cigar.
“I’m done,” said Rogue in a quiet voice as she lowered her own menu also. It was a good job too, for one of the waitresses had just walked over.
Her attire consisted of a red dress fastened by studs with a red and white chequered apron slung around her hips. The young waitress held a notepad ready and a chewed pencil. A spare pencil was tucked behind one of her ears, nestled against her curled blonde hair. “Good evenin’, welcome to Mackey Gee’s Diner. I’m Janet, what can I getcha?”
Rogue thought it sounded all very rehearsed and forced down a snigger.
But Janet the waitress had just looked up and was watching Logan with a mix of disapproval and fear in her eyes. She stepped forward, leaning closer and speaking in a less cheerful voice that sounded quite nervous, “Erm, excuse me sir. Ya can’t smoke in here. We got ourselves a non-smoking policy. We’d like to stick with it,” she pointed with her pencil to a sign on the wall.
Logan looked up at her slowly, this very action apparently unsettling the woman who had abruptly straightened to put distance between herself and the burly looking man. Rogue was expecting Logan to continue smoking, but to her surprise, he nodded grudgingly and pulled the cigar from his lips. He put it out on a saucer. “Fine,” he grumbled under his breath. “Right, I’ll have a Molson’s beer and the T-Bone steak special. An’ whatever the kid wants.”
The waitress obligingly turned to face Rogue, quickly scribbling away on her notepad.
“Could I have a cheese and ham omelette and a cup of ground coffee, please?”
“Alright. Won’t be long,” said the waitress before she turned and walked away to the counter.
As soon as she left, Rogue leaned in, casting a wary eye on Logan, “You’re havin’ alcohol?”
“Yeah,” said Logan calmly, idly studying his knuckles.
“But ain’t you drivin’?”
“I’m fine with one bottle, ok, kid?” Rogue fell quiet and folded her arms, but she was watching him shrewdly as she leant back. Logan’s eyes rose from his hand and his eyes met hers, “So where are you headin’ to?”
Rogue’s eyes dropped, “I was headin’ for Laughlin City, I didn’t have any plans after that,” said Rogue to the tabletop.
“So I’m givin’ you a ride to nowhere. What do you think this is, kid? Some kinda mystery tour?”
“No,” said Rogue uncomfortably, “I was just gonna go when you told me to. I really don’t mind where you leave me. I have no plans.”
Their conversation was broken up momentarily as Janet returned with their meals and drinks. Logan grunted his thanks before the woman walked away. The pair ate in silence for a short while. Both hungry and happy to do nothing but eat solidly for the next ten minutes. Even though Logan had the biggest meal, he finished first, and sat back with a squeak of the upholstery as he watched Rogue finish her omelette. He sipped on his beer slowly. He had been intending for her to make her own way after this meal. At least he wouldn’t feel so bad by giving her a warm meal before she left.
“So, what is this?” said Logan after a while, “Some kinda holiday?”
“Somethin’ like that,” said Rogue quietly as she finished up her omelette. She pushed her plate to one side before she began to sip on her hot coffee. “It’s been planned for a while, y’know, to travel when I finished college. But it started a lil’ earlier than expected.” She fell quiet, drinking back the rest of her coffee.
Logan glanced up momentarily to signal for the bill. But other than that, Logan made no words to encourage Rogue to continue, but she felt he deserved an explanation.
“There were some.. differences, at home. So, I took off. Lookin’ back it was probably a dumb thing to do. I ain’t got anywhere to go, flunked qualifications so I got no hopes of gettin’ a good job either..” she finished with a heavy sigh and looked down into her coffee mug morosely.
Logan still hadn’t spoken, and was now watching her very carefully. It was with a mixture of sympathy for the girl and a pang of annoyance for his emotions that rattled around his head at the moment. So, basically, this kid was a runaway, nowhere to go, and no money. It didn’t take him long to realise if he left this girl out on the empty roads she was either going to get lost, be attacked, starve or just possibly all three. Wouldn’t hurt to give her a ride to the next town would it? He scolded himself in his head. Damn hitchhikers. This was going to teach him a lesson.
His thoughts were interrupted as Janet arrived with the bill. Silence came over the table and Logan paid the correct amount. With an incoherent grunt as a farewell, he stood up, striding out of the booth. Rogue, who hadn’t expected this quick departure stood up hurriedly and scrambled after him, pulling her hood over her head as she stepped out with him into the snow.
“You got anywhere to sleep tonight, kid?” asked Logan as he reached his battered camper van again. He paused at the door as he retrieved his keys from a pocket. He didn’t look at her.
Rogue shook her head gently, eyes looking down at the snowy floor. She was hoping so much that he wasn’t just going to leave her here. She had no clue where she was..
“Get in,” said Logan gruffly; opening the door, “We’ll stop in a bit.”
Rogue looked up slowly, seeing him get inside his camper van. He didn’t meet her eyes, but just concentrated on turning on the ignition. Rogue hurried around the front of the vehicle, running through the falling snow, which had just become illuminated as the headlights burst on. She pulled back the metal door, pulling herself up into the seat. He still didn’t look her way. “Thank you..”
“No problem, kid.”
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