NOTE: Aaah! I don't know what to do with this couple.... I really don't. I
think I'm at the point where I'm making it up as I go along, and it
probably shows with the sucky writing in this chapter. Please, brilliant
reviewers, any advice you can give me would be appreciated!
Jubilee chewed her apple rather angrily as the cold morning air hit her face full force. She couldn't think of a single reason why she wanted to be at this dumb carnival. Everything was all wrong. Last year Bobby and her had been running around making idiots out of themselves....and this year.... "This year, I'm an idiot all by myself," Jubilee muttered, fighting back the hitch in her throat. She refused to feel sorry for herself, even though she was stuck alone, probably in charge of some lame booth.
"Let me just get this over with," Jubilee said under her breath, as she walked over to wear Jean stood, looking positively military with her green clipboard and tight ponytail. Scott stood next to her, and the pair of them looked so awkward, that it managed to bring a small smirk to her face. "So...what thrilling activity am I going to helping with?"
Jean shot her a disapproving look, but cleared her throat quickly. "Well....you and Bobby will be manning the "Dunk" booth."
"Wait...wait a second! There are two things very wrong with that," Jubilee began sputtering. "First off, it's bad enough I even have to be here, but I'm not sitting on some flimsy plastic chair waiting for some little kid to throw a ball over my head, plunging me into freezing water. And...and SECOND, I'm not working with Bobby!"
Jean looked exasperated. "Well, we need two people to run the booth, and unless you want to do all eight shifts ALONE, I suggest you learn to work with him. Besides, I thought you were best friends....you still are, right?" Jean asked again, a frown on her face. Uh oh, Jubilee groaned inwardly. Jean was getting that "concerned" look, and even Scott was leaning in curiously to hear her answer. Wonderful.
"Look, I'll do it okay," Jubilee muttered, avoiding the question entirely. Maybe she could get to the booth before....
"Jubilee."
Her breath caught in her throat as the familiar voice of Bobby reached her ears. For some reason, she wanted to flee. She didn't want to hear what he had to say. Fighting the tears rising to her eyes, Jubilee squared her shoulders on and slipped into the crowd, trying to ignore Bobby's repeated shouts. What did she need of his inevitable pity? Pushing on, Jubilee tried to locate the dunking booth, but was so preoccupied with her thoughts, all she ended up doing was bumping into people. "Oops, excuse me," Jubilee mumbled softly, when she hit her head against someone's chest. To her irritation, they didn't move. Jubilee raised her head to meet Bobby's eyes piercing into her own. She was so stunned she couldn't even think to try and lose herself in the crowd again.
Bobby took her arm and wordlessly led them through the crowd to the dunking booth. When he turned to her finally, his eyes were a whirlwind of emotion. "We're going to talk whether you want to or not. You first." Short, to the point, yup, that was Bobby all right. Jubilee just stared at him.
"Me?" Jubilee managed to get out. "Why should I have to go first?"
"You can't just say something like 'I love you' and then leave without an explanation," Bobby said intensely.
"Oh yes I can!" Jubilee said hotly. "There is no point explaining what was doomed to begin with, especially when you've made it perfectly it was Sam you wanted!"
"You didn't let me find out who I wanted, because you were never honest, Jubilee," Bobby said softly.
"How could I? Did you really expect me to humiliate myself by telling you how I felt after I spent weeks hearing about your infatuation with Sam?" Jubilee asked in disbelief, trying to keep her emotions in check even with Bobby's unwavering eyes watching her.
"I'm not infatuated with her! And you just presumed that I was too big of a jerk to care about your feelings! Thanks for the vote of confidence," Bobby argued back. Jubilee forced back the sadness rising in her, and masked it with anger.
"You can't even figure out what a lying witch Sam is. You're so blind," Jubilee countered, hating herself for resorting to such low tactics. But the hurt inside her had lain dormant for too long. Bobby's eyes snapped fire at her, and Jubilee met his gaze angrily.
"You call her a liar, and yet who was it that made up an entire story about liking Duncan of all people, and on top of that, hide a letter from the person she supposedly loves?" Bobby countered. Jubilee flushed. Why was everything turned against her?
"I never intended for-," Jubilee began furiously, but she was cut off by a child's voice.
"Looks like the dunking booth is officially open," Bobby said grimly, with an unreadable glance at her.
"Great," Jubilee said tersely, refusing to look at him.
"Ladies first," Bobby said sweetly, and Jubilee could've sworn he was silently laughing at the murderous look she threw him, as she climbed the short ladder into the seat. The child handed Bobby the ticket, and happily took aim with the red ball. "Oh, and Jubilee?" Bobby asked innocently.
"WHAT?" Jubilee seethed, her eyes focusing on the child's hand.
"Our talk isn't over," Bobby whispered. It was the last thing Jubilee heard before she felt the seat give way sinking her into cold water.
Jubilee chewed her apple rather angrily as the cold morning air hit her face full force. She couldn't think of a single reason why she wanted to be at this dumb carnival. Everything was all wrong. Last year Bobby and her had been running around making idiots out of themselves....and this year.... "This year, I'm an idiot all by myself," Jubilee muttered, fighting back the hitch in her throat. She refused to feel sorry for herself, even though she was stuck alone, probably in charge of some lame booth.
"Let me just get this over with," Jubilee said under her breath, as she walked over to wear Jean stood, looking positively military with her green clipboard and tight ponytail. Scott stood next to her, and the pair of them looked so awkward, that it managed to bring a small smirk to her face. "So...what thrilling activity am I going to helping with?"
Jean shot her a disapproving look, but cleared her throat quickly. "Well....you and Bobby will be manning the "Dunk" booth."
"Wait...wait a second! There are two things very wrong with that," Jubilee began sputtering. "First off, it's bad enough I even have to be here, but I'm not sitting on some flimsy plastic chair waiting for some little kid to throw a ball over my head, plunging me into freezing water. And...and SECOND, I'm not working with Bobby!"
Jean looked exasperated. "Well, we need two people to run the booth, and unless you want to do all eight shifts ALONE, I suggest you learn to work with him. Besides, I thought you were best friends....you still are, right?" Jean asked again, a frown on her face. Uh oh, Jubilee groaned inwardly. Jean was getting that "concerned" look, and even Scott was leaning in curiously to hear her answer. Wonderful.
"Look, I'll do it okay," Jubilee muttered, avoiding the question entirely. Maybe she could get to the booth before....
"Jubilee."
Her breath caught in her throat as the familiar voice of Bobby reached her ears. For some reason, she wanted to flee. She didn't want to hear what he had to say. Fighting the tears rising to her eyes, Jubilee squared her shoulders on and slipped into the crowd, trying to ignore Bobby's repeated shouts. What did she need of his inevitable pity? Pushing on, Jubilee tried to locate the dunking booth, but was so preoccupied with her thoughts, all she ended up doing was bumping into people. "Oops, excuse me," Jubilee mumbled softly, when she hit her head against someone's chest. To her irritation, they didn't move. Jubilee raised her head to meet Bobby's eyes piercing into her own. She was so stunned she couldn't even think to try and lose herself in the crowd again.
Bobby took her arm and wordlessly led them through the crowd to the dunking booth. When he turned to her finally, his eyes were a whirlwind of emotion. "We're going to talk whether you want to or not. You first." Short, to the point, yup, that was Bobby all right. Jubilee just stared at him.
"Me?" Jubilee managed to get out. "Why should I have to go first?"
"You can't just say something like 'I love you' and then leave without an explanation," Bobby said intensely.
"Oh yes I can!" Jubilee said hotly. "There is no point explaining what was doomed to begin with, especially when you've made it perfectly it was Sam you wanted!"
"You didn't let me find out who I wanted, because you were never honest, Jubilee," Bobby said softly.
"How could I? Did you really expect me to humiliate myself by telling you how I felt after I spent weeks hearing about your infatuation with Sam?" Jubilee asked in disbelief, trying to keep her emotions in check even with Bobby's unwavering eyes watching her.
"I'm not infatuated with her! And you just presumed that I was too big of a jerk to care about your feelings! Thanks for the vote of confidence," Bobby argued back. Jubilee forced back the sadness rising in her, and masked it with anger.
"You can't even figure out what a lying witch Sam is. You're so blind," Jubilee countered, hating herself for resorting to such low tactics. But the hurt inside her had lain dormant for too long. Bobby's eyes snapped fire at her, and Jubilee met his gaze angrily.
"You call her a liar, and yet who was it that made up an entire story about liking Duncan of all people, and on top of that, hide a letter from the person she supposedly loves?" Bobby countered. Jubilee flushed. Why was everything turned against her?
"I never intended for-," Jubilee began furiously, but she was cut off by a child's voice.
"Looks like the dunking booth is officially open," Bobby said grimly, with an unreadable glance at her.
"Great," Jubilee said tersely, refusing to look at him.
"Ladies first," Bobby said sweetly, and Jubilee could've sworn he was silently laughing at the murderous look she threw him, as she climbed the short ladder into the seat. The child handed Bobby the ticket, and happily took aim with the red ball. "Oh, and Jubilee?" Bobby asked innocently.
"WHAT?" Jubilee seethed, her eyes focusing on the child's hand.
"Our talk isn't over," Bobby whispered. It was the last thing Jubilee heard before she felt the seat give way sinking her into cold water.