Okay, I spent a ton of time on this chapter, and kept going round and
round in circles. I know Jubilee/Bobby fans are probably banging their
heads against the wall at this continuing angst thing....but I PROMISE it'll
be over very very soon. Please be patient, because this is really hard for
me to write, and if any of you awesome reviewers have any suggestions, tell
me! Okay, here it is...dum dum dum...hehe.
Bobby watched amused as Jubilee emerged from the water, her long black hair streaming behind her like some goddess. She forced a smile towards the laughing child who was walking away, but when she turned around, her midnight blue eyes were shooting daggers at him. And he'd never found anything more appealing.
He offered her a towel, which she took hastily. "What are you staring at?" Jubilee asked testily.
"You."
"Oh," Jubilee muttered, and looked away quickly. When a few minutes passed by without Jubilee so much as glancing in his direction, Bobby realized that it was going to be up to him to start talking. And judging from her tense posture, it wasn't going to be easy.
"You're awfully quiet," Bobby teased lightly.
"How perceptive of you," Jubilee snapped. O-kay, Bobby thought slowly, the subtle method wasn't working. God, it never used to be this hard talking to Jubilee. He knew that if he could just get her to open up to him they could start to close the rift that had developed so rapidly between them in the past few weeks. Then finally, he could chase away the sadness he saw swimming in her blue eyes and be at peace with himself. Our friendship is too important and has gone on far too long for it to end like this, Bobby thought determinedly.
"Alright fine, just tell me why you're not talking to me then," Bobby tried to reason.
"And make it easy for you? Why would I do that?" Jubilee replied hotly.
"You're so cute when you're mad-," Bobby couldn't resist saying, dodging a plasma blast hurled his way.
"Just leave me alone, you're good at that," Jubilee said coolly. Okay, a mad Jubilee he could take, but her giving him the cold shoulder was too much. It was going to end now.
"Okay, you're furious with me. I get it, Jubes. But, up until a few days ago, I had no idea something was wrong," Bobby said determinedly, spinning Jubilee so that she faced him.
"That's just it, Bobby!" Jubilee burst out, her blue eyes glittering. "You had "no idea" that you were putting everything before our friendship! You had "no idea" that blowing me off five or six times a week could actually hurt my feelings! And you actually have the nerve to ask me what you could have possibly done to make me mad?"
Bobby swallowed hard, his emotions flying out of control. The truth in her words hit him full force. "Jubilee-,"
"But I'm not just mad at you, I'm mad because I've been deluding myself that our friendship meant something," Jubilee continued, her lips trembling slightly.
"It does mean something...it means everything to me!" Bobby said passionately, a sickening feeling settling into the pit of his stomach as he saw Jubilee turn away again.
"I want to believe you, but after all that's happened, I can't believe that it's true," Jubilee said, her voice dropping. Bobby felt as if he'd been punched in the stomach.
"You can't mean that," Bobby said hoarsely.
"And-and...I want to take back what I said. I don't love you," Jubilee continued bravely, dashing away stray tears.
"I know you can't mean that," Bobby whispered, stepping closer. His heart was slamming into his chest, as he reached out a hand to stroke her cheek. He had the strangest feeling that he was experiencing something new. When she looked up at him with tear filled eyes, Bobby did the only thing that felt right, he leaned in to kiss her.
But as he was inches away from her, he felt a hand on his shoulder. "Bobby, what on earth are you doing?" Samantha's voice demanded behind him. She couldn't have chosen a worse moment to interrupt. Bobby closed his eyes in frustration, as Jubilee practically shoved him away.
"Samantha, what are you doing here?" Bobby asked, trying not to sound as irritated as he felt. After all, it wasn't her fault that she had ruined his chance to win back Jubilee's heart. Wait, Bobby thought swallowing, did I just say heart?! No, no, I want our friendship back, Bobby told himself sternly, his face burning up at his mental slip.
"That's a fine way to greet you're prom date," Samantha snapped angrily.
"You said 'yes'?!" Jubilee asked Bobby disgustedly, her eyes flashing with hurt.
"No, no I didn't!" Bobby said desperately, looking back and forth between Jubilee and Samantha who looked like they wanted to claw each other to pieces.
"Well, please don't let me stand in the way," Jubilee spit out, and made to leave.
"Jubilee wait!" Bobby yelled, watching Jubilee flee, her long hair whipping behind her.
"You aren't seriously going after her, are you?" Samantha said accusingly, her voice filled with disbelief.
Bobby looked into the dense crowd with a mixture of desperation and a strange unfamiliar pain, and turned back to Samantha with an empty apology in his eyes. "You better believe it."
"Bobby wait...what about me?" Samantha began entreatingly. "I'm sorry your little friend is upset, but doesn't our relationship count for something?" She put a hand on his arm, and looked at him with a rather pathetic expression on her face.
Bobby swallowed hard. Their relationship? He realized, that to be honest, he'd never even thought of it that way. Samantha had been this rather illusive crush of his for so long that now that she was right in front of him, practically begging him to give her the time of day, he wasn't sure how to feel. Instead of the usual emotions of nervous giddiness that used to flood his mind when thinking of Samantha, now all he felt was confusion mixed with a faint twinge of guilt. Why am I feeling guilty? Bobby thought, biting his lip as he looked at Samantha. It was as if his heart wasn't free anymore, and he couldn't pretend any longer that it was. But it wasn't fair to hurt Samantha either, Bobby reasoned guiltily.
"There's been a lot going on right now. I'm pretty confused," Bobby said quietly.
"Well, you can start clearing up that confusion by asking me to prom," Samantha said in a flirty manner, but there was a slight edge to her voice.
"That's the last thing on my mind right now," Bobby blurted out before he could stop himself. He winced when he saw Samantha's face grow red with anger.
"Oh really? And what is on your mind? I should think after your dumb pal Janice lost my riddle, you'd start concentrating on what's important," Samantha spat.
"Her name is Jubilee, and she's very important," Bobby said, trying to keep the anger out of his voice. This was a rather different side of Samantha he was seeing, and he didn't like it. As if she sensed his displeasure, Samantha changed tactics immediately.
"Of course, dear, of course she is," Samantha said in a sugary tone. "I-I don't know what I was saying. I was just hoping you could spare some time for me. You know, the prom is really important, and I just thought you liked me," Samantha said pitifully.
Bobby felt another twinge of remorse. "Of course I do, and I owe you an answer. You'll definitely get one soon, Sam. I promise," Bobby said guiltily. "But right now, I have to see Jubilee, it can't wait," Bobby said determinedly.
"Oh I understand, sweetie," Samantha said understandingly, but as Bobby fled through the crowd, her eyes flashed with fury.
Ooh....hehe, good, bad, ...ugly? Let me know!
Bobby watched amused as Jubilee emerged from the water, her long black hair streaming behind her like some goddess. She forced a smile towards the laughing child who was walking away, but when she turned around, her midnight blue eyes were shooting daggers at him. And he'd never found anything more appealing.
He offered her a towel, which she took hastily. "What are you staring at?" Jubilee asked testily.
"You."
"Oh," Jubilee muttered, and looked away quickly. When a few minutes passed by without Jubilee so much as glancing in his direction, Bobby realized that it was going to be up to him to start talking. And judging from her tense posture, it wasn't going to be easy.
"You're awfully quiet," Bobby teased lightly.
"How perceptive of you," Jubilee snapped. O-kay, Bobby thought slowly, the subtle method wasn't working. God, it never used to be this hard talking to Jubilee. He knew that if he could just get her to open up to him they could start to close the rift that had developed so rapidly between them in the past few weeks. Then finally, he could chase away the sadness he saw swimming in her blue eyes and be at peace with himself. Our friendship is too important and has gone on far too long for it to end like this, Bobby thought determinedly.
"Alright fine, just tell me why you're not talking to me then," Bobby tried to reason.
"And make it easy for you? Why would I do that?" Jubilee replied hotly.
"You're so cute when you're mad-," Bobby couldn't resist saying, dodging a plasma blast hurled his way.
"Just leave me alone, you're good at that," Jubilee said coolly. Okay, a mad Jubilee he could take, but her giving him the cold shoulder was too much. It was going to end now.
"Okay, you're furious with me. I get it, Jubes. But, up until a few days ago, I had no idea something was wrong," Bobby said determinedly, spinning Jubilee so that she faced him.
"That's just it, Bobby!" Jubilee burst out, her blue eyes glittering. "You had "no idea" that you were putting everything before our friendship! You had "no idea" that blowing me off five or six times a week could actually hurt my feelings! And you actually have the nerve to ask me what you could have possibly done to make me mad?"
Bobby swallowed hard, his emotions flying out of control. The truth in her words hit him full force. "Jubilee-,"
"But I'm not just mad at you, I'm mad because I've been deluding myself that our friendship meant something," Jubilee continued, her lips trembling slightly.
"It does mean something...it means everything to me!" Bobby said passionately, a sickening feeling settling into the pit of his stomach as he saw Jubilee turn away again.
"I want to believe you, but after all that's happened, I can't believe that it's true," Jubilee said, her voice dropping. Bobby felt as if he'd been punched in the stomach.
"You can't mean that," Bobby said hoarsely.
"And-and...I want to take back what I said. I don't love you," Jubilee continued bravely, dashing away stray tears.
"I know you can't mean that," Bobby whispered, stepping closer. His heart was slamming into his chest, as he reached out a hand to stroke her cheek. He had the strangest feeling that he was experiencing something new. When she looked up at him with tear filled eyes, Bobby did the only thing that felt right, he leaned in to kiss her.
But as he was inches away from her, he felt a hand on his shoulder. "Bobby, what on earth are you doing?" Samantha's voice demanded behind him. She couldn't have chosen a worse moment to interrupt. Bobby closed his eyes in frustration, as Jubilee practically shoved him away.
"Samantha, what are you doing here?" Bobby asked, trying not to sound as irritated as he felt. After all, it wasn't her fault that she had ruined his chance to win back Jubilee's heart. Wait, Bobby thought swallowing, did I just say heart?! No, no, I want our friendship back, Bobby told himself sternly, his face burning up at his mental slip.
"That's a fine way to greet you're prom date," Samantha snapped angrily.
"You said 'yes'?!" Jubilee asked Bobby disgustedly, her eyes flashing with hurt.
"No, no I didn't!" Bobby said desperately, looking back and forth between Jubilee and Samantha who looked like they wanted to claw each other to pieces.
"Well, please don't let me stand in the way," Jubilee spit out, and made to leave.
"Jubilee wait!" Bobby yelled, watching Jubilee flee, her long hair whipping behind her.
"You aren't seriously going after her, are you?" Samantha said accusingly, her voice filled with disbelief.
Bobby looked into the dense crowd with a mixture of desperation and a strange unfamiliar pain, and turned back to Samantha with an empty apology in his eyes. "You better believe it."
"Bobby wait...what about me?" Samantha began entreatingly. "I'm sorry your little friend is upset, but doesn't our relationship count for something?" She put a hand on his arm, and looked at him with a rather pathetic expression on her face.
Bobby swallowed hard. Their relationship? He realized, that to be honest, he'd never even thought of it that way. Samantha had been this rather illusive crush of his for so long that now that she was right in front of him, practically begging him to give her the time of day, he wasn't sure how to feel. Instead of the usual emotions of nervous giddiness that used to flood his mind when thinking of Samantha, now all he felt was confusion mixed with a faint twinge of guilt. Why am I feeling guilty? Bobby thought, biting his lip as he looked at Samantha. It was as if his heart wasn't free anymore, and he couldn't pretend any longer that it was. But it wasn't fair to hurt Samantha either, Bobby reasoned guiltily.
"There's been a lot going on right now. I'm pretty confused," Bobby said quietly.
"Well, you can start clearing up that confusion by asking me to prom," Samantha said in a flirty manner, but there was a slight edge to her voice.
"That's the last thing on my mind right now," Bobby blurted out before he could stop himself. He winced when he saw Samantha's face grow red with anger.
"Oh really? And what is on your mind? I should think after your dumb pal Janice lost my riddle, you'd start concentrating on what's important," Samantha spat.
"Her name is Jubilee, and she's very important," Bobby said, trying to keep the anger out of his voice. This was a rather different side of Samantha he was seeing, and he didn't like it. As if she sensed his displeasure, Samantha changed tactics immediately.
"Of course, dear, of course she is," Samantha said in a sugary tone. "I-I don't know what I was saying. I was just hoping you could spare some time for me. You know, the prom is really important, and I just thought you liked me," Samantha said pitifully.
Bobby felt another twinge of remorse. "Of course I do, and I owe you an answer. You'll definitely get one soon, Sam. I promise," Bobby said guiltily. "But right now, I have to see Jubilee, it can't wait," Bobby said determinedly.
"Oh I understand, sweetie," Samantha said understandingly, but as Bobby fled through the crowd, her eyes flashed with fury.
Ooh....hehe, good, bad, ...ugly? Let me know!