A/N: So here it is everyone. The second installment.... are yah happy? This thing took me long, but I've had so many things coming up. Mid-terms suck, okay? I didn't even study at all, but I had to pretend! Lol, please review this story. I'm putting a lot of work into this one and I'm really hoping that you will all enjoy it. And please give me some suggestions, where do you want this? You as the reader can make many changes to my plans. Let me know.
Also, the song, Hangin' by a Thread is sung by Jann Arden. Go download it!
Oh, and in my world, Jubilee's eyes are BLUE! Her eyes are BLUE! Oh, and I also don't own em. Yeah, cause if I did..... ah, don't get me started. Do me a fovor and look forward to the next chapter. In a month or more!!!
Chapter two of:
Something to Sleep To
The cold and harsh winter sky looked down upon her as she made her away across the grass. Her
black sneakers squeaked in unison with the wet grass, wetness soaked through her shoes and
through her socks. She was cold, but that was an everyday occurrence for her.
Jubilee wanted nothing but to be cold and empty. She wanted nothing more than to be clothed in
black without any color. But, as much as she wanted to be dark and sullen, she had no more
money for new clothes. So on went the peach overalls. It was the least colorful article of
clothing she owned. Always next was a black tee shirt, but it wasn't even black anymore. More
like a dark gray, which was depressing in itself. What the heck was the use for a black shirt if it
wasn't even black any longer? After putting on her socks, shoes, and pushing her hair back into a
messy bun, she always slid her hands into her gloves. Hey, the gloves weren't fancy. Heck, they
were kind of ugly, but it was all she had.
She still made her way across the wet lawn, walking with a goal. After pausing for a brief
moment she quickly found the way she wanted to go. It was her tree. The biggest one on the
grounds, or at least the farthest she would walk. It was really dramatic to say, but it was her
rock'. It was her only rock. Rain or shine.... this is where Jubilee went every day.
Everyday, Jubilee was forced to endure the people that tried to reach her. Jean; almost everyday
that woman would ask if there was something that she could do. Could Jean bring back everyone
that she had killed? No, because that was impossible. But she never said anything to Jean. She
just ran away, saying nothing. Nothing; at least not ever since the first night that she had gotten
to the X-mansion. Fleeing was all she could do. And it's all she wanted to do.
Although being in the X-mansion helped her forget, and it was sorta nice to be back home; under
Jubilee's circumstances, it wasn't nice. Nothing was nice about the current situation. And
this was not her home; at least not any longer. Home was in the office, chewing her bubble gum,
making her coworkers laugh so hard they cried.
That was another hard thing; her coworkers. Watching their faces come up onto the television
screen in tribute to them. Pictures with their children, or husbands, or wives; their families.
After a couple of days of sitting still and pretending not to listen, she found herself avoiding the
television set at all costs. Seeing the set made her want to cry. Or just kick the thing sky high,
but she never cried, and maybe that was her problem. Everything would just plug into her
system, and her mouth continued to hurt day by day for not crying. It really all just... well... it
all sucked.
But there was one thing that she despised with every fiber in her body. The media flashed
pictures of her on the television. The person who had been the cause of the whole accident and
the entire reason that the happy people on the television weren't there any longer. She was the
cause. But the sick and the twisted thing that made her the most angry was that in every picture
they flashed of her, she was alone.
Even though she never watched the television any longer, it wouldn't stop any other regular
human beings. Everyone that had known her or at least met her called the X-mansion. She only
knew this because she would glance at the caller ID and recognize names. And although they
called, they never, not once, asked to talk to her. They paid their little debt and bailed. Though
there was one name that she never ever saw on the caller ID. And she doubted that she wasn't
there when he would've or should've called. She had been glued to a cushion on the couch in a
fetal position for at least five days. After that, she couldn't be found. Sickly, she would make
excuses for Logan. He never watches T.V.' , she would think. But even that would fall through,
and she would hurt again inside just thinking about it. Because there was one thought that
lingered in her mind and wouldn't go away like the others. Maybe he's forgotten me, even my
name. If he sees the name Jubilation Lee on the television, he won't even think. Wolvie hasn't
seen me for at least six years, give or take a few. Maybe.... maybe Wolvie - no, LOGAN doesn't
care.' Too bad the girl wouldn't cry, cause she sure wanted to.
***
Today, or early morning rather; it was raining. Jubilee had awaken from her light sleep the
minute she heard the thunder roll and the lightning flash above the roof. Ever since her mistake,
she loved rain storms. They were the only things in nature that could comfort her. Nothing else
would... unless someone could make things disappear. But she had already done that.
3:15, 3:15, 3:15, 3:15, 3:15
The numbers started in a little dot, but continued to grow in her eyes. She couldn't take it any
longer, in a blur, she flipped her blankets off her bed and went in search of clothes. She wanted
anything dark... anything that would not be noticed. Anything not bright. Anything not
noticeable. Things were hard to find these days.
Jubilee decided on the same peach overalls; her continuos style for the past week. Her will to be
quick led her hands to be shaky and for her to trip slightly. Without tying her shoes, she quickly
closed the door.
Lighting was Jubilee's guide as she walked down the millions of hallways. She couldn't wait for
the elevator or risk the noise, so she ran down the stairs. As she was nearing the last step, she
fell; careening downwards. She wasn't hurt, maybe just a little bruised. But her mind reeled in
remembrance.
***
Hustle and bustle of every day life surrounds her. She is in her city again. Steps; lots of steps.
But she is late, and she has to run. There is so many people around her... elevator is broken.
Always the elevator. And then there is a tugging. TUG, TUG, PULL!
Jubilee finally reaches one of the platforms, tugging her heavy briefcase with her. Such a stupid
briefcase... always too heavy. She can't see, it's too crowded. PUSH!
Hey! Can't you open your stoopid eyes a little wider! Stoopid chink! A sharp push meets her
weaker one... she falls down the steps. Numbness is surrounding her body, she can't move.
Gently, a hand reaches towards her.
Hey, are you okay? I'm Caroline. I think we might be heading the same way.
***
She wouldn't cry, no. She couldn't cry. No matter how tough anything got, Jubilation Lee did
not cry. She sat down at the bottom of the steps, still dazed and confused. Forgetting where she
was, was not an uncommon occurrence for Jubilee. Walking anywhere could bring back any type
of memory that she didn't want to remember, that's what was bad about the mansion. Too
many memories.
A persistent aching began at the back of her throat. Clamping her teeth, she tried to make the
aching stop. Her whole body began to shake as her teeth clamped together. Then, an idea came
to her. My tree...' If she needed to, she could cry there. But, unconsciously, her tears had
already started to fall.
When I cry, I close my eyes
And every tear falls down inside
And I pray with all my might
that I will find my heart in someone's arms
When I cry, cry
Jubilee finally reached outside in the wondrous rain. She stood there for a moment, taking
everything in. All the trees seemed to droop, as the lighting cracked high in the sky. She closed
her eyes tight, trying to rid of her too frequent flashes of Caroline's face. Thunder rolled past her
and she ran again. She needed to run.
RUN, RUN, RUN, RUN, RUN, RUN, RUN, RUN
So she did run.
As fast as her feet could carry her, she flew into the woods. Jubilee was aimlessly running, not
even thinking to where her tree lay. But she got there. Miraculously, she got there. By the time
she had reached the tree, her body was soaked. Yet, she couldn't feel the coldness. There was no
time to feel cold. With such agility and anger, she threw herself at the tree, punching and kicking
anything that she came in close contact with.
By the time she had finished, her palms were sore and swollen, and her knuckles were open and
bleeding. There weren't even gloves on her hands any longer. Jubilee slumped against the tree
trunk. Small sobs escaped her body. Her face in her bloody hands. She doesn't care that she's
hurt. How could she care, when someone so kind to her is dead.... because of her. AND IT'S
ALL MY FAULT!
When I cry
When I am sad I think of every awful thing I ever did
Oh When I cry, there is no love,
No there is nothing that can comfort me enough
When I cry,
Cry, cry
Flashes of memories flood her mind, as she sits there. Rain was continuously falling about her,
unchanging as time grew. Caroline pushing her to the manager's office, Caroline pushing her to
go for the open job, Caroline pushing her. Caroline's rape. Endless nights of laughter and
healing. Caroline being her family. Except that awful day. Jubilee was a mutant, the same as the
thing that had attacked Caroline. It couldn't be forgiven. That's why Caro had attacked her.
That's why she had hated her in her last moments of life.
The salt inside my body ruins everyone I come close to
My hands are barely holding up my head
I am so tired of looking at my feet
Or all the secrets that I keep
My heart is barely hangin' by a thread
Hangin' by a thread
No, no, NOOO! Her head hung listlessly, looking down at her worn and tattered shoes.
Everything she was doing, she wasn't aware of. Her bottom lip was puckered up, her whole face
set in a deep frown. But the most important thing that she was doing was her hands. They were
glowing, but not only were her hands glowing, but her whole body too. If anyone had passed her
at this exact moment, they would've seen a highlighter amidst all the rain. But she couldn't see,
her mind was on other things.
Her heart ached.
Oh look at me
At all I've done
I've lost so many things that I so dearly love
I lost my soul
I lost my pride
Oh I lost any hope of having a sweet life
So I cry,
Cry, cry
As Jubilee's tears started to dry, the rain had started to lessen. There was one more flash of
lighting and then the sky was dark. She sat against the tree, her body perfectly supported by the
base of the tree. Although she wouldn't have cared, her body was slick with the wet rain, and
she was still shivering. Jubilee sneezed, and what she saw before her eyes made her fall away
from the base of the tree. Her highlighted body flashed back to her regular skin tone and back to
the bright color once, and then fully dimmed out to a pale white. Pale as a ghost, Jubilee had
passed out. Before her very eyes were the fading reminiscent of tiny globules that had shot out
of her body when she had sneezed.
Oh the salt inside my body ruins everyone I come close to
My hands are barely holding up my head
Oh I'm so tired of looking at my feet
And all the secrets that I keep
My heart is barely hangin' by a thread
Hangin' by a thread
Before anything else registered in her mind, she saw her old office. She could see them all, but
they were separated. Glass stood tall and in between herself and her friends. She pounded the
glass, trying to get through... but her friends were crying and telling her to go back.
What had happened to their little firecracker?
I miss you all
I wish I was with you now
I wish I was
