Hi guys. I'm back! This is my third X-Men Evolution story to follow my OC Mattie Drew otherwise known as Chase. If you haven't already please read my other stories about her. And then let me know what you think by leaving me a review.

Reviews totally make my day.

I hope you like this story. Anyone who can come up with a better title please let me know. I'm not sure I like this one. But it might grow on me.

Any thoughts, questions, points, likes, dislikes, errors, raves or just the weather near you. Please let me know.

I don't own the X-Men. Just Mattie

Enjoy

7th Jan 2006

Growing and Learning

Shopping Fix

"Look, we don't all have to go." Bobby said. "We could just meet you guys here in a couple of hours."

The girls exchanged glances.

"He's got a point." Amara admitted.

Bobby nodded enthusiastically.

"They would only slow us down." Jubilee agreed.

"With the moaning." Mattie added.

"And the groaning." Paige chipped in.

"And the constant whining." Rahne sighed.

"And the lack of stamina." Tabitha said with a smirk.

Ray opened his mouth to protest and was quickly silenced by Bobby and Sam.

"See. It would be better for you guys to leave us here." Sam told them, his hand wrapped tightly around Ray's mouth.

The girls exchanged glances again.

Finally Jubilee nodded. "Okay. We'll shop. You can hang here, or shop for football cards or, like, whatever it is you do."

The boys let out a collective sigh of relief.

"Great!"

"We'll do that then."

"See you in a couple of hours."

Rolling her eyes at her boyfriend, Jubilee heading off with Mattie, Paige, Amara, Rahne and Tabitha in tow.

"Besides." Tabitha grinned at them. "We know you just want to hang out in the food court checking out skirt."

The boys suddenly developed not so convincing poker faces.

Tabby just shook her head at them.

"We are so busted." Sam murmured as he Ray and Bobby watched their respective girlfriends head off to their shopping fix.

"No way. Tabs is just yanking our chains." Ray disagreed.

Bobby shook his head. "If Tabby knows, the rest of them know."

Sam pointed to Bobby in agreement.

"But they haven't hauled us out for it." Bobby continued. "So I guess we're in the clear."

"Besides. No harm in looking." Ray pointed out as the three of them wandered through the Mall.

"Why are we even here?" Sam muttered.

"Because Bobby wouldn't let his girlfriend drive his car." Ray told him.

"That speed freak!" Bobby exclaimed. "You think I'm letting her behind the wheel of my car!"

Ray smirked. "And by the time that argument had run it's course all the others knew that a shopping trip was on the cards and wanted in on it. Meaning we had to take more that one car."

"Meaning that you two felt compelled to come with me." Bobby added. "Because you wouldn't leave me on my own in a sea of girls in a full on shopping frenzy. Would you?"

Sam and Ray exchanged glances, before shaking their heads.

"Why though?" Sam asked. "I mean, I just don't get it. Does this place call to them in some kind of voice that we can't hear? What is the attraction of this place?"

Bobby and Ray glanced around at the Mall.

"I think it's like chocolate." Bobby said at length. "It's a girl thing."

"But it's not like they haven't been here before." Sam continued. "I mean Jubes has practically been living here this summer. You'd have thought she'd have bought everything she could ever need. Ever."

"But it's the last weekend before school." Ray told him knowingly. "That makes this the last chance to see if they can find that perfect outfit for the first day back."

"Paige tell you that on the way over?" Bobby asked.

Ray flushed slightly. "Yeah."

Sam shook his head. "I have sisters, I have a girlfriend and I live with plenty of girls. But I just don't understand the way they think."

"You only just figured that out?" Bobby asked him with a grin.

"Hell, I gave up trying to work out girls years ago." Ray told him. "Give in up buddy, you are never going to get it."

Bobby nodded. "He's right."

"Of course I'm right." Ray said. "Now, food court anyone?"

X

"They just don't get it." Amara said, her voice carrying over the changing room door.

"I know." Paige called back to her. "I tried explaining it to Ray on the way here and his eyes kinda glazed over."

"Men don't get shopping." Jubilee told them as they three of them stepped out of their various cubicles to view how they looked.

Paige scrunched up her nose at her reflection. Orange, lime green and red clashed in front of her eyes. "No. Way." She disappeared back inside.

"I can understand Ray." Jubilee said, tugging at her skirt and turning slightly to see herself from another angle. "But Sam? I mean, he's your brother Paige. You couldn't have taught him something?"

"Jubes, he's your boyfriend." Paige called back to her. "You teach him all you want. Maybe he'll be a better pupil for you."

Amara shook her head, studying the price tag for the jacket she had on. "But I mean, would you want him to?" She studied herself in the mirror again. "Can you imagine if boys liked shopping as much as we did? We'd never get any shopping done."

"They'd turn in into a sport." Paige said, reappearing in a new outfit. "And you know how competitive they get. They'd have leagues and stuff."

"Yeah." Jubilee agree. "Like the National Shopping Association."

"The Shopping World Series." Amara added.

"The Shopping Olympics." Paige nodded at her outfit. "I like this."

"Me too. You look good in it." Amara told her.

"On the other hand…" Jubilee tugged at the skirt again. "If they did turn shopping into a sport you just know that girls would win hands down. I mean, I know I would."

"True." Amara commented.

"You do seem to want to live up the name Mall rat." Paige told her with a grin.

"Hey, I can't change the fact that shopping is my gift." Jubilee told her. "And who am I to deny my gift."

"Hey gifted. Are you planning on getting that skirt?" Amara asked. "I'm getting this jacket and I think Paige is set."

The blonde nodded.

"Na." Jubilee shook her head. "I don't like this as much as I thought I did." She frowned again. "And I'm pretty sure that I already have it."

"Well lets finish here and go find Mattie and the others before we hit the next shop." Paige said as the girls started to get changed.

X

Once they'd shopped themselves to exhaustion the girls headed to the food court to find the boys.

"I told you they be here. Ogling girls!" Tabby said. Sitting down in front of Ray and obscuring his view.

Ray blinked then smiled up at his girlfriend. "Hey Paige."

Paige rolled her eyes, but kissed him as he pulled out a chair for her.

Mattie collapsed next to Bobby. "I am so tired. I feel like I just ran a Danger Room session."

The other girls nodded.

"This should totally be considered a workout." Amara agreed.

"Slackers." Jubes teased, but she made no move to get up from where she sat, leaning against Sam.

"I can't believe we start school on Monday." Rahne sighed.

"I can't believe that we'll graduate at the end of this year." Bobby said.

"Yeah, good luck with that one." Ray teased.

Bobby threw some of his chips at him.

"Aww." Mattie leaned over and kissed Bobby while Paige elbowed Ray.

Tabby wrinkled her nose. "This place is so very… couply." She winked at Amara and Rahne. "Want to get out of here?"

"Yes." Rahne answered.

Paige stuck her tongue out at her.

"I'll come with you guys." Jubilee said. "I have a ton of course work to do." She held her hand out to Ray for the keys.

"Do you think I'm stupid, Jubes?" Ray asked, tossing the keys to Tabitha.

"You trust the crazy boom boomer over me!" Jubilee screeched, hands on her hips.

"Tabby may be crazy, but she has yet to crash a car." Ray told her. "You haven't even passed yet and your record is… What is your current record, Jubes?

Jubilee's expression darkened and she muttered something under her breath, before turning wrathfully on Sam.

Sam smiled apologetically up at her. "Sorry. But you know he's right. I'm still waiting to get my car back."

Jubilee threw up her hands. "I didn't do that on purpose!"

"Jubes, you never even got it out the drive." Tabby pointed out, earning herself an evil glare from Jubilee.

"Let's go then. Tabby can drive." She said at last, gathering her stuff up and stalking off.

Sam made to get up to go after her.

"I've got it." Rahne said, hurrying after Jubilee.

"Don't worry farm boy." Tabitha consoled him. "She'll have got over it by the time you guys get back."

"I've never crashed a car either." Mattie pointed out to Bobby. "And you won't let me drive your car."

"Mats, the idea of the speed limit is that it's a limit. Not a target." Bobby told her.

Mattie pouted. "I never crashed though."

"More due to dumb luck that anything else." Bobby muttered.

"Say again, Drake?" Mattie asked brightly.

"Nothing." Bobby told her.

"What is the big deal about driving?" Paige asked. "I've been driving the truck round the farm since I was big enough to reach the peddles. There's not much to it really."

Sam nodded his agreement.

Ray gave her a tight squeeze. "My girl can drive."

The others erupted in to protest. Bobby and Sam championing their own girlfriends driving merits while Paige and Mattie balked at the term 'my girl'.

Ray just laughed.

"So on a scale on 1 to 10 just how bad do you think school is going to be this year?" Ray asked once the others had quietened down to a gentle simmer.

"Dull." Sam replied.

"Hard work." Paige added.

Mattie nodded. "I still think it's unfair that we have to do all the Danger Room training and then school work on top. Shouldn't we get special dispensation or something?"

"Sure." Bobby told her. "All we have to do is tell the whole school that we're mutants and that every morning we train in special fighting techniques. I'm sure they'd be more than happy to give us extra credit."

"Arse." Mattie said.

"Ray? Any thoughts?" Bobby asked.

"Yeah, get a load of that." Ray murmured.

The others followed his gaze to see a tall blonde leaning casually against the cookie counter, clearly flirting with the attendant. Her tight skirt came well above the knee and the white tube top she was wearing left little to the imagination. One ankle crossed across the other she was leaning on the counter in the full knowledge that this displayed her rear assets to the best of their ability. The attendant handed her a soda and she placed the straw in her mouth with deliberate care. She took a slip before slowly licking her lips.

"Little Miss Shy." Paige said with heavy sarcasm.

"God, could she be more obvious in her cry for attention." Mattie asked, grinning at Paige.

Paige grinned back. "I bet he gives her that soda for free."

"Oh yeah. Easy money."

True to the girls predictions the attendant waved the girl's money away, then produced a cookie with a flourish and presented it to her. She smiled sweetly at him, her eyes blinking just slightly too rapidly.

"Did she just bat her eyelashes at him?" Paige asked incredulously. "I didn't think anybody actually did that. You know, outside of Jessica Rabbit."

"I've got a five says he asks her out." Mattie said.

"Ten says she turns him down flat."

They watched as the attendant smiled sickeningly at the radiant beauty in front of him. The girl smiled at him before throwing a casual glance over her shoulder. A group of guys walked past and she flicked her hair back, further securing their attention.

The attendant had a piece of paper and a pen held out to her. The blonde gave him a smile that had suddenly turned cold. With a casual flick of her hand she dismissed him and turned herself to face her new audience.

Mattie rolled her eyes at Paige.

Paige flicked her own blonde hair, imitating the blonde. "Why yes, it is from a bottle."

The attendant, looking dejected, watched as the blonde repositioned herself against the counter. Now she was directing all her assets and attention towards her new targets.

"I can't believe her." Mattie shook her head. "It's like she woke up this morning and though 'how can I get men to like me?'"

The alpha males of the group of guys surrounding the blonde had taken up positions either side of her. The rest jostled for position. Each one trying to impress her with something witty or clever or at the very least some well toned muscle. In the middle of it all, serene and safe in the knowledge of her own self importance the blonde preened and pouted. She was an innocent, blushing beauty. The only crack in her facade was on the occasions that she found the eye line of the female population of the food court. Then a wicked smile crossed her lips for just a second. She had ever males eye and she knew it.

"It's so pathetic." Paige sighed.

"I can't believe that guys fall for that." Mattie said.

"Speaking of which." Paige glanced at the three boys. "Does this conversation seem a little one sided to you."

"As in, missing three of the players?" Mattie asked.

"Ah hem." Paige coughed.

Sam, Bobby and Ray all looked at her, radiating guilt.

"Guys." Mattie dabbed at her lips. "Little drool."

They had the decency to look sheepish.

"So you do come here to check out skirt." Paige said her voice dangerously level. "Interesting."

Ray looked nervous. "Interesting, like the fact that I never tidy my room? Or Interesting like that time I happened to accidentally mention that there was an attractive girl in my bio class?"

Paige raised an eyebrow.

"Time to go home." Mattie cut in, trying to prevent another Ray and Paige argument in public. She caught hold of Paige's arm and steered her towards the exit. "Don't think I didn't see the look on your face either." She hissed over her shoulder at Bobby.

"This is going to be a fun ride home." Bobby muttered.