"Where should we go?" I asked, once Jubilee and I had left the library.
In the hour I had, I hadn't managed to read even a third of the book; it only made me more eager to finish it. Promising myself to definitely finish what I'd started, I turned my full attention to my companion.
As far as I knew, some of the students from Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters had visited Columbia University today for an interesting tour. The school, run by the bald telepath, though essentially a boarding school, didn't lock its students in four walls.
I understood that one of Xavier's main goals was the integration of young mutants into human society. They took them on field trips, sent them on vacations, and even let them go home to their relatives on weekends if there was even the slightest request. That's why Ororo Munroe seemed perfectly comfortable letting Jubilee go with me, even though I wasn't a relative.
"Let's sit somewhere and relax," Lee suggested.
The growl of her stomach clearly hinted that my Asian friend was not only tired but also a little hungry. The closest option was to take her to some student café, of which there were plenty around here, but since I now considered myself fairly well-off, I wanted to sit somewhere more prestigious.
I didn't want to visit a Michelin-starred restaurant because Lee and I clearly wouldn't pass the face control, but I was more than happy to go a bit farther from the university and find a nice, cozy place.
Living a carefree life at the boarding school hadn't spoiled my friend much, or maybe she was simply very tired. Eventually, we found a bench in the park near the university and grabbed huge hamburgers, practically swimming in mayonnaise and ketchup.
"I've missed street food so much!" Lee said blissfully, unbuttoning the top of her short denim shorts and sticking out her belly.
"And what do they feed you at school?" I asked, curious.
Jubilee gave me a penetrating look, bit her lip, and said:
"I was worried about you, Marius. When we parted, I never thought it would be so long."
If Lee thought she could make me feel guilty, she was mistaken. The truth was, I had been just as worried about her, but I simply couldn't arrange to meet her sooner. Not everything is up to us; sometimes circumstances are stronger than people. Although, being in the business for a while, I knew that in situations like these, it was best to apologize, even if I didn't feel regret.
"I'm sorry, I called the school and made sure you were there as soon as I got access to a phone. It's better if you tell me how you've settled in at your new place."
According to the sparkling girl, she called the number I left her as soon as she had run a few blocks away from where we parted. She didn't quite know what to say, but on the other end, a certain Jean Grey picked up, and he was competent enough to calm down the worried girl.
Apparently, the young teacher had had a similar or related experience. At first, he thought that the caller had just discovered her mutant powers and, not knowing what to do, dialed the number. Such things had happened before.
I must give credit to the school staff. As soon as Lee nervously explained the situation to Jean—about how both of us were being pursued by a mutant with a long tongue—Jean immediately became more serious and asked her to give the address of the phone booth from which she was calling.
Half an hour later, a trio of girls appeared by her side, seemingly out of nowhere. One of them was Ororo Munroe, whom I'd already met. The other two were also teachers at the school: Scott Summers, a brunette in red glasses, and none other than Charlene Xavier herself.
These three did their best to calm Jubilee down and spent almost the entire evening trying to find me. To my surprise, they didn't succeed. Maybe I was overestimating the powers of telepathy? Or perhaps the X-women just didn't try too hard?
They were sure that Jubilee had mutant abilities, but they weren't sure about me. My friend, with her grand experience of life on the streets, knew not to trust anyone and didn't reveal too much about herself or me. Maybe Charlene read her thoughts, but didn't show it.
After their unsuccessful search for me, the girls from the "X" team suggested that Jubilee visit their school.
"I didn't want to go with them, but your words still echoed in my head. You said you'd come as soon as you could, so I figured I could put up with their school for a little while," the girl finished her story. "What about you? Did you manage to escape from that long-tongued bitch?"
"Yes. It wasn't easy, and if it weren't for some help, I might have been caught."
"Helped?" Jubilee squinted, and I knew she probably wouldn't like this story.
"They call themselves the Morlocks…"
I loved telling stories, and I was good at it. After all, I had a whole brood of grandkids in my previous life! Lee's little ears may have seemed small, but I knew they could hold an incredible amount of pasta. Not that I was trying to lie to her; I just slightly reworked a few details.
One of the biggest omissions was about Masquerade. I didn't know if Xavier was in his students' heads, but I didn't want to risk it, so I didn't tell my friend that I'd killed him and absorbed his power. That could make me look bad. Heroes, until they grow up, tend to value the lives of scumbags too much.
"So you helped those bitches—err, poor girls—by using that guy's power, and then you left them?" Jubilee concluded my story.
There was fire in her eyes, anger and jealousy. Wow, such a small thing, but already so possessive! Yeah, I definitely couldn't admit to her that lately, I'd learned how to touch other people. Maybe in a year, I could say it, but not now—it could end up with me facing charges for seducing a minor. I didn't need those kinds of problems!
"That's how it was," I nodded, confirming.
"That's good," Lee hissed through gritted teeth. "And what happened then?"
Now I had to be extra careful, choosing every word. If I said the wrong thing, she might get upset that I chose someone else over her, like those wonderful morning blowjobs from Blade. And I didn't like or know how to comfort crying girls.
"First of all, I called the school to check on you," I confessed honestly. "Then I found some work. You know, money's tight, so I couldn't turn it down."
"I hope you're not doing anything… disgraceful?" she asked, raising her eyebrows.
"What do you mean?" I replied, pretending to be clueless.
"Well… I've heard that some guys earn money by doing adult films."
Jubilee blushed so sweetly that I couldn't help but admire her. I remembered how my Anko used to blush like that, despite all her bravado. Though she seemed like a sharp and liberated person, only I knew how tender and fragile she really was.
Sighing, I forced myself to push away those tender and painful memories. They still hurt too much for me to let them dominate my thoughts. Time was needed to get over the past, even though my emotions had been significantly dulled.
"Really?" I asked, forcing a smile. "Do they pay a lot for that?"
"Hey!" Jubilee scowled. "Don't even think about it!"
"Haha, I'm just joking, joking!"