Crazy on You

Disclaimer: I do not own X-Men Evolution or any of the characters.

Chapter Two

A muffled thump broke the silence of the library and Amara had to bite her lip to keep from crying out. Her head snapped up from her book, eyes shooting daggers at Jubilee, who was seated to her left. As if spending time with the object of her eternal frustration and distraction wasn't bad enough, now it seemed as though her best friend wasn't even going to allow her to use the time to study.

"What?" she hissed, actively avoiding the curious chocolate gaze directly across from her.

Jubilee's eyes flickered. Apparently she was trying to ignore their guests as well. "I have to go to the bathroom."

An amused snort came from Amara's right but she didn't pay the blonde next to her any mind as she leaned across the table to her friend. "So go."

Jubilee flashed a cheeky grin and closed the distance between them to whisper in the princess' ear. "And leave you with them?"

Amara's eyes widened and she spared a glance at the two boys in their company for the first time since they'd sat down. "You wouldn't."

"I would," she assured, jerking her head in the direction of the door.

Amara sat back and leisurely took in the entire table before rolling her eyes and pushing her chair back. "If you would please excuse us, we will be back momentarily."

The boys watched with fascinated interest as the girls withdrew hastily, both a little more than impressed at the amount of dignity Amara brought to the otherwise cowardly action.

"Is she running away from me?" Roberto wondered, a bemused expression on his handsome face.

Ray just laughed and turned his attention back to his book. "I believe when you're royalty it's called a strategic retreat."

000

Jubilee grabbed Amara's arm and stopped just outside the doors to the library.

"I thought you had to-"

"That was just an excuse to get out of there," the Asian girl cut in with a sigh. "Remind me why I'm here again?" she pleaded, wide eyes holding a panicked edge.

"Because you love me and support me," Amara supplied in all seriousness.

Jubilee rolled her eyes and sagged against the wall. "And that's always your excuse because...?"

The young royal shrugged. "Because it works. I would be stupid not to exploit your soft heart and easily guilted conscious."

Jubilee shot her a dubious look that would have been humorous at any other time but this was not any other time. There were two guys with unknown intentions waiting for them in the library to prove just how not-funny the entire situation was.

"I'm not even sure guilted is a word," Jubilee snapped, a bit bitter over the easy and fairly accurate assessment of her character.

She was ignored as Amara carried on.

"Be content in the knowledge that you are doing your very best friend in the entire world a great service by stepping out of your comfort zone for a mere two hours," she assured as she cocked her hip and crossed her arms over her chest. "If it was just Roberto and I the situation would be unbearably awkward but, with you here, Roberto must have Ray here as well to relieve the tension and quell the illusion of there being a third wheel."

Jubilee wasn't sure which one of them Amara was trying to convince with that speech of hers but nodded in response to the theory anyway.

"I don't understand why you have a problem with Ray anyway," Amara went on after a brief pause. "You two used to hang out all the time. You, Ray and Bobby were the three musketeers when it came to pranks around here, what happened?"

"I don't want to talk about it," her friend replied stiffly, pushing off the wall and turning back to the library. "Let's just get this over with," she sighed, disappearing through the double doors.

Amara looked after her suspiciously before shaking off the strange exchange and following at a slightly slower pace. No need to hasten to her end.

000

The two hours Amara had allotted him were over before he knew it and Roberto silently cursed not only how quickly the time had passed but her craftiness as well. When she had agreed to allow him to join her to study, he had imagined that they would be studying alone. Never in a million years had he expected her to invite Jubilee, who was notorious for skipping any and all things scholarly, which had, in turn, forced him to invite Ray.

She had outfoxed him and set up a damned group-date. It was now painfully obvious that he had underestimated her but he would not make that mistake again.

If she wanted to play hardball, that was just fine with him.

If she wanted to make him work for her attentions, then that's exactly what he would do.

If she wanted a war, she'd get one. He just hoped she was ready for it because he was determined to make her his.

And once she was his, he would keep her. This wasn't a challenge for him and he wasn't just interested because she was the first one to ignore him. He was completely enamored with her and everything about her, had been for at least a year.

She was smart, spunky and devious and he liked that. She wasn't a party girl; she was the kind of girl that made a guy want to settle down. She wouldn't stand for being second choice or one in a number of girls in his little black book and she had an attitude and temper that could match his own. She could stand her ground against him, of that he was sure.

Maybe it was the spoiled rich kid in him, or perhaps it was the flirtatious playboy who'd never been told "no." Whatever it was, Roberto da Costa was accustomed to getting what he wanted and he wanted her...

And damn anyone who tried to stop him.

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