Cinderellas

Cinderellas Chapter Twelve (NC-17)
Disclaimers Apply


A/N Goddess Foxfeather needs a long nap and some hot tea! *glares at Watari *You’re not taking care of her properly! Readers/Reviewers: *glomp * Sorry for the delay… RL sucks sometimes!


I couldn’t have gone to the prom even if I wanted to. Logan, Storm, the Professor and even Fearless Leader Scott made sure I had chores and punishment up to my eyeballs from the moment Logan brought me back from the Boardinghouse to the moment Jubilee floated down the stairs in that yellow dress she loved. I was sweaty and dirty and smelly and just plain gross from two hours in the Danger Room and then another three cleaning out the basement storage where it seemed we were breeding spiders and Dustbunnies. I was hoping I had missed her leaving but no. I had an appalling sense of timing. I came down the hall to go up the stairs and there she was, coming down. Bobby did not look properly appreciative so I elbowed him. “Say something,” I muttered. Jubilee did not even look at me. She was glowing, it seemed, and I didn’t know if it was because of the color of the dress making her look all gold and glimmery or if she was excited about going to this dance. I sighed and sat down on the floor, torturing myself by watching. Bobby wrestled with the corsage, which, to me, looked like someone’s salad gone horribly wrong with all the greenery sticking out, St John made some joke about Jubilee having two dates, and then all three of them swept out. I didn’t know if it was a kindness or a cruelty that they did not acknowledge me. I wanted to cry.
“You done downstairs?”
Logan. Fanfuckingtastic. “Yes,” I said sharply. “I’m all done. I’m going to shower and go to bed.”
He raised his brows at me but didn’t comment on my tone. I hate being pitied. “Okay. Night then.”
It was only six o’clock. I half wanted him to say something about the early hour but he just turned around and went back towards the rec room. I felt gross. Jubilee was apparently serious, not wanting to be with me anymore. Instead of making me angry, it made me feel sick. Why didn’t she want me now? I forced myself to get to my feet and head up the stairs. Everything was quiet. Everyone but me and Jamie were off for this stupid prom. I managed to get my bathrobe and pajamas without bursting into tears but when I turned back towards my bed to find my slippers, I cursed. Loudly. Jubilee’s damned teddy bear was in the middle of my bed, an envelope propped awkwardly in it’s paws. I moved towards it like it was some dangerous snake or something, not sure if I was going to be wounded or healed by whatever was in the envelope. I tore it open, my mind buzzing with a million thoughts, and began to read her cramped, looped writing.
_Rahne… I’m an ass. I know it, you know it, Jean has said it so many times I’m pretty sure she knows it… I know I can never make up to you what I did but I have to explain myself. I couldn’t stand to have what’s between us be a reason for someone to hurt us. I couldn’t stand the idea of YOU getting hurt. _
I stopped reading there. She had three pages scrawled on plain paper but I couldn’t go on. NOW, I was pissed. I folded the letter up and stuffed it back into the torn envelope. First a shower, then I kick someone’s ass, I decided.

“Where are you going?”
“Out.” I felt bad being so mean to Jamie but I figured the less he knew, the less chance there was of him getting into trouble. “Be back by ten.”
“But you’re not allowed to leave!” He shoved the book he was reading under the sofa cushion and followed me towards the front door. I knew it had been a mistake cutting through the rec room. “You going to the prom?”
I gestured to my jeans and t-shirt. “Do I LOOK like I’m going to the prom?”
He shrugged sheepishly. “Maybe it’s some sort of statement,” he muttered.
I don’t think Jamie ever really got over me and Jubilee…first of all, it narrowed his pool of available women down by two and second, it sort of blew his mind a little. ‘Real live Sapphic relationship! In the same house as me! Want to…watch…can’t!’ sort of a thing. “It’s not a statement, Jamie,” I sighed. “I just have to go do something important.”
“Right. Got it. Important. Oh, hey!” He grabbed my arm when I turned to leave and I hoped he wasn’t going to declare his love for me again like he had the week before. Or, as he put it, deep liking. “I forgot earlier but you got a package in the mail.”
“Huh?” My first thought was of Scotland and a package from my mum but I knew better, deep down inside. I was one of the students who never got a care package from home, who never even considered visiting my parents for the holidays… “From where?”
“It says Manhattan.” He disappeared into the rec room, where the package had apparently been abandoned for loftier pursuits such as X Box or staring down Jean’s blouse. “Did you order books or something?” he asked, returning with a medium sized box. It was plain brown, bearing only the marks of the postal service, the return address a P.O. box. “Bobby said he thinks you ordered some girl things with it…” It was clear by the blush spreading across his face that Jamie had a notion girl things meant things two girls used together.
“I don’t have money to order anything, girly or otherwise,” I muttered, moving past him to go into the rec room and set the box on the coffee table. The thought occurred to me that this was another piece of blackmail but I have to admit, I was far too curious to just let it sit there. Carefully, I peeled the packaging tape off the box, removing a good deal of cardboard with it, and winced a little, expecting something awful to happen. Even Jamie gasped when I opened the flaps. No explosion, no bloody head staring up at me. Just bubble wrap. I was almost disappointed. Jamie was breathing down my neck but I only noticed a little as I began pulling the plastic out of the box, something weighty but not really heavy unspooling from it. Jamie took the bubble wrap from me and began absently popping it as he leaned even closer. “You smell like grilled cheese,” I growled. “Gimme some room!” He snorted at me but moved, kneeling beside me. It was like an odd sort of Christmas except I was sort of scared of this present.
“Well,” he finally insisted. “What is it?”
“It’s…black…” I reached in and carefully pulled out what seemed to be a piece of fabric. I was partially right. It was fabric, but fashioned into a very thin, very…to use Rogue’s word, slinky…dress. It shimmered a little, like it had tiny flecks of silver in it, but it wasn’t scary glittery… I could practically see through it, the fabric was so fine. “I couldn’t even wear a bra with this,” I muttered, eyeing the thin straps.
“Rahne,” Jamie began and for a horrible moment I thought he was going to say he had sent it to me, but I realized he was reading a note. It was my night for missives, it seemed. “Put this on and meet me at eight at the hotel.” He raised both brows. “ Hotel?”
“Prom’s at the Bayville Arms,” I sighed. “Who’s it from?”
“Don’t know. They typed it even. Sneaky bastards.” He smiled and peered into the box. “I think it’s from Jubilee. Maybe she’s making it up to you for being…that way.”
I didn’t want to admit it, but my heart fluttered with hope. Maybe he was right… “I can’t go, though,” I said suddenly. “I don’t have make up, no shoes, my hair’s still wet…”
Jamie sighed and dropped the note back into the box. “I have a bad feeling I’m setting a precedent for the rest of puberty, but come on. I’ll help you get all pretty.”
I hesitated just a moment. The dress was very pretty and the idea of Jubilee making things up to me… All of my anger towards her flew out of the window in an instant. The thought of making up with her, on all levels, was too enticing. “Okay. But I swear if you end up having your own make up kit, I’m going to laugh.”