wings ↣ w. worthington iii

9. dressed up for nothing, apparently. thanks anyways, jubilee. ✓

"I have dreamt in my life, dreams that have stayed with me ever after, and changed my ideas... and altered the color of my mind." (Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë)

Word Count: 2127

"SO, LILLI." Jubilee started, smiling a strained smile at her friend. "You know I love you to death. We're tight. Always remember that."

"Okay... Jubilee, why are we sitting in a tree?" Lilli asked, frowning at Jubilee. "Mr. Hager is just gonna give us more work." Lilli knew this as a fact, since she'd skipped his class so many times she'd lost count. What was the point of going? She'd graduated. She was probably never going to get her invisibility under enough control that she could have a normal job. Lilli supposed that in fifty years or so, the school would be turned into a retirement home. None of the mutants could ever leave.

On top of all that, it was the middle of August. It was summertime. School was just... not it.

"It's not personal. Actually, yeah it really kind of is," Jubilee was saying. "I just don't know. You're being, well, you know. A bonafide bitch and I just don't like it." Jubilee said, frowning at Lilli. She seemed almost... disappointed in her friend.

"What? What're you talking about?" Lilli asked, even know she already had a sinking feeling she knew what Jubilee would say.

"I'm talking about Warren." Jubilee said quietly. Lilli sighed. She knew it. "It's obvious that he hates Cas to the extreme. I don't know why, because everyone else has gotten used to him... But, it's not my place. Anyways, it's obvious that you and Cas like each other. So, if it obviously hurts Warren to be near Cas, why do you always hang out with Cas right in front of Warren? Are you trying to prove something?"

"Jubilee, you know me. I may be a bitch, but I would honestly never mean to do that on purpose." Lilli argued back. Of course, this was about Warren. Everything was always about that millionaire playboy. It annoyed Lilli to no end.

"Okay, okay, no hurt feelings!" Jubilee exclaimed, putting up her hands in surrender. "I just wanted you to know that it's not nice to be a bitch to a man about his feelings towards other men."

"Alright, okay. I hear you. Come on, we've got some time left before the next class. Let's go get something to eat." Lilli said, and she and Jubilee hopped out of the tree and headed inside. But Lilli couldn't get Jubilee's words out of her head. They stuck to her like a plague. She hadn't even thought of what her and Cas' relationship looked like to other people. Hell, there wasn't even a relationship going on. It was bugging her, and she needed to talk to Ororo. Ororo somehow always had the right answer.

...

Three hours later, Lilli and Ororo were sitting across from each other on Ororo's bed. Lilli had told Ororo she wanted nothing but honesty from her about her so called relationship with Cas, and she was prepared for a full blown out answer.

"Well, I don't know. Do you guys even have a relationship?" Ororo asked. "You seem to like each other a lot, which is great and all, but..."

"But?" Lilli pressed.

"You almost rub it in that you have a romantic interest. You sort of... showcase Cas?" Ororo paused and cocked her head. "I don't know how to put it, but sort of like that. You flaunt him."

I flaunt him?! Lilli thought to herself in panic. Heat flushed to her face as she rubbed the back of her neck. She felt like she'd been making a fool out of herself. "Can you tell me how I flaunt him?" Lilli asked, leaning forward slightly. She wanted—no, needed—to know. This was a problem that was going to be fixed.