Sorry, sorry, sorry! Well, actually, I'm not that sorry. Why be sorry for enjoying my time being social and shopping and not sitting in a corner with a mac? Yes, the plot bunnies have been driving me crazy, but I suppose it's somewhat of a fair trade. I have a life outside FF, you know!
Y'all should be thanking 3Blue3Moon3, because I'd almost forgotten about this (I've been working on the next chapter of PAE – coming very slowly, but surely, let me tell you) and if she hadn't reviewed, it probably wouldn't have been updated until the end of the summer (she also gave me a fabulous idea – woot woot!)!
Disclaimer: If I said I owned this, feel free to sic a Japanese psycho ghost on me to kill me very slowly by beating me with a spoon again and again and again and again and again and again...
Kiss Her Already!
Bobby peered around the corner with exaggerated movements. He was gauging the intervals in which Jamie zoomed across the room on his swivel chair so he could pass through without being seen or getting hit.
Go time in 5... 4... 3… 2…
"Are you hungry?"
Bobby just about jumped out of his skin at the voice behind him. He spun around, pressing his back to the wall, hand over his heart. "Dude! Don't do that!"
"Sorry," Jubilee apologized. "Just askin', though. You didn't eat much."
"Oh, I, uh…" he stuttered. Suddenly, Bobby wished he had longer hair as he felt his ears go red. He scrambled to regain his bearings, but matters were only made worse when Jubilee's expectant expression turned to one of perplexity. It wasn't that much of an accusation, was it? "I wasn't that… hungry."
She didn't believe him. Of course not, after the way he'd been scarfing down pancakes before Ororo and Logan's interruption. "Riiiight..." She dragged the word out to highlight her disbelief.
In the slightly tense silence that ensued, Jamie rolled up to them, shorter than usual in his chair. He looked up at them, switching between their faces as if watching a ping pong match between Scott and Duncan. He opened his mouth to say something, but was cut off by Jubilee, who had distantly noted his presence.
"So…."
More silence. A sudden revelation occurred to the youngest mutant, and he considered saying the three words that would probably end both this life and the next one over. Looking at their faces, he figured it would be worth it to see their expressions change. Besides, Bobby had embarrassed him plenty, and he'd only be doing his duty to reinforce the laws of karma. Once again, he opened his mouth, and once again, was cut off by Jubilee.
"What'cha been up to?"
"Nothin' much…." Now or never.
"Ki-"
Bobby slapped his hand over Jamie's mouth, not even allowing a whole syllable to leave his mouth. "Kicking butt and taking names." He covered, glaring at the younger mutant. He spun Jamie's chair around and kicked it away. "Like his."
There was a thud and Jubilee cringed. Bobby twitched, making a brief face as if dreading punishment to come of Jamie was hurt or something was broken.
"Whoo! That was awesome! Do it again!" They heard.
Jubilee and Bobby exchanged looks, then cracked up laughing.
"That kid," Jubilee said, rolling her eyes. "But you never answered my question. 'Nothing much' is hardly a reply. I haven't seen you around for the whole morning."
Dang. She remembered. He'd managed to avoid the morning rush for breakfast and bathroom, respectively, and he'd managed to avoid Ororo and Logan since his 'breakfast'. He'd managed to stay away from Jubilee for most of the morning, evaded the taunting and teasing from his peers, and successfully averted the threat that was Jamie. But he hadn't been able to distract Jubilee from her question.
"Yeah, you did. At breakfast."
She gave him a look that said, 'Not even. And that's not an answer either'.
"Um, well…." Really, it shouldn't have been that big of a deal, but he just didn't have an answer. He honestly hadn't been doing that much that morning. Aside from avoiding every living being in the mansion, that is. Then, he noticed something. "Hey – wasn't your hair blue this morning*?"
Jubilee gave a sigh of annoyance, though Bobby thought he saw something else in her eyes, along the lines of, 'Oh, good. You noticed. Finally!'
"Yeah…."
"And?" He dragged with word out the same way Jubilee had drawn out the 'yeah'.
"And what?"
He gave her an incredulous look. "Are you going to explain?"
"No…." She said slowly, a strange look contorting her face. Like there was a reason behind the change that she found to be embarrassing*. He tried to read into the expression, but Jubilee changed her mind about her answer. "Maybe. Sometime. Eventually." Bobby blinked. The words came so fast that it was as if three different people had said them, each with a different opinion.
"Okay, then," he said, regarding her as if she'd just announced she'd found Narnia in her closet. Well, that'd be pretty cool – no, more like if she'd just said she'd like to grow a third arm. But at least he'd distracted her from –
"So, where were you all morning?"
… the topic.
"Obviously not dying my hair purple."
"There is nothing wrong with purple!"
"I never said there was!"
"But you implied it!"
"Says who?"
"Says me." As soon as the words left her mouth, Jubilee smacked herself in the forehead. "Ugh! Gotta stop doing that!"
Bobby grinned like the Cheshire Cat. It was so fun toying with her mind – ahem, distracting her train of thought.
"Okay," she took an exaggerated breath to focus herself – Bobby could practically hear her chanting the word, 'Focus… focus… focus.' "Where. Were. You." With each word, Jubilee poked her best friend in the chest. Bobby opened his mouth to answer, but she cut him off. "And don't even think about changing the subject!"
Fine, fine. Be that way. Mentally, Bobby stuck his tongue out at her. He ran a hand through his hair. He was really running out of distractions now. He opened is mouth to respond when –
Please meet me in my office, Bobby. There are several issues I would like to discuss with you.
Bobby didn't know whether to be relieved or worried at Professor Xavier's telepathic message. "Yeah, Jubes, the Prof is calling, so I gotta go," he said, skirting around her, feeling slightly guilty. "Later."
But he couldn't get away fast enough to escape Jamie's call from the next room.
"Hey, Bobby! Kiss her already!"
* Okay, I have come to realize that many of you didn't get what I was hinting at in the previous chapters. Her hair is – or was – blue. Maybe y'all took that fact for granted, but poor little Bobby likes some things to remain constant. Like Jubilee's hair color. But that doesn't matter now cuz it's a different color!
* Wink, wink, nudge, nudge ;) Sorry, I noticed I left the sentence unfinished and I guess I kinda skimmed over it while proof-reading. I was slightly distracted... (thinks to self: caaaaakkkkkke...) I fixed it.
Once again, I did start getting antsy towards the end. I need to go run in circles or something. Or stretch. Stretching would be nice. Then, I'll start the next chapter!
And if you feel like giving me some motivation, just click the button below and type, "Hi! I'm giving you some motivation! Keep it up!" or something like that lol. I'm not going to say "If you don't review, I'm going to come after you like that crazy Japanese ghost in the youtube video 'The Horribly Slow Murderer with the Extremely Inefficient Weapon' and you should go view it so I can scar you for life!"
**Yes, Tobz, you should have put a warning on that!
J. J. Bean
