Jubilee bounced over to Ariel and squealed "The Gap- 50% off- Groovy Shirts!" Ariel wasted no time reacting to the news, and flipped her blond hair over her shoulder.

"Let's Go!" Turning to wave goodbye to her older sister, she told Jubilee, "I have three hours to shop, lets make the most of it. I got my first paycheck and I'm blowing it baby!" She bounced up and down.

"Julie" and Ariel were two friends with one thing in common- they were both mall rats. They had meet over the last pair of Bongo's at The Body Shop. Ariel allowed Jubilee to try on the jeans and then pointed out how big her butt was in them. She ended up buying the pants, but giving Jubilee excellent shopping advice.

"I majorly hate dry clean only tags! Who has an inheritance to pay for the cleaning?" Jubilee laughed as she bought the shirt. She did have the money. "Oh, Miss Moneybags!"

"Don't hate me," Jubilee paused and tossed her hair "because I'm rich-- borrow from me!" When Jubilee had the chance, she would take a bag of clothes to Ariel's house and exchange them. Ariel wasted no time in handing her three more shirts. "Corn dogs-- five minutes!"

At the food court, they sat across from a travel agency. "I wonder what it would be like to go to Austral, New Orleans, or Japan! Have you ever left the country, Julie?"

Jubilee chocked on her corn dog. The real answer to that question would get her in so much trouble. "Ms. Frost took us to Canada last week."

Ariel nodded. "Did you have fun?"

"Let's just say it was interesting-- and I never want to see another frog as long as I live!" At her puzzled look, Jubilee started to think up an explanation. "Let's just say Ms. Frost cooking leaves much to be desired-- like a stomach pump!" Ariel looked sick.

"OH MY GAWD-" Jubilee started, "Did ya see that fine butt?"

"Guy in black jeans or blue?"

"You mean that their are two of them?"

"Buns always come in pairs." Jubilee tossed her fry at her. They giggled. With one mind, they picked up their packages and followed the guys into the music store.

"Ewww-" Jubilee whispered as the guy in the blue jeans turned around. "That cute butt belonged to Ev!"

"So what? It's cute." Ariel was scoping out the boy with him, Anglo, who was wearing an image projector.

"He's, like, my best friend! My friends _do not_ have cute butts." The very idea gave Jubilee mixed feelings.

Ariel quickly picked up a CD and looked at it. "Then he has cute eyes! He's a fox!"

"Country? If I wanted angst I'd talk to my friends." Ariel rolled her eyes. Jubilee, once had a passing interest in country-- just enough to know 'cowboys had the cutest butts'. "I mean, how long can a song that goes 'there's a tear in my beer because you're no longer here.' last?"

Ariel smiled and said, "The TLC and Smashing Pumpkins are over there. I'm going to get the new John Michael Montgomery CD." Jubilee quickly picked up the newest CD by Offspring and met her friend at the counter.

Ariel thumbed the display for the new group "The Mutants." "If they were really mutants, it would be different, but they're in it for the money-- and they stink!" Jubilee laughed. Ariel just couldn't hurt a fly, much less hate anybody. She was a pure, kindhearted airhead.

After buying the CD, they walked down to the bookstore. "I've got to read "A Man for All Season" and "Ivanhoe" for next month. Some people live in the real world, not a fancy school. How did you do one that test, by the way?"

Jubilee gulped and sighed. "Hank is going to post them next week. I HATE school!" It was a sick feeling she got when she picked up a pencil and started to write her answers. "I mean I knew the stuff, I could tell you anything about mitosis or photosynthesis, but when I go to write the answers they just GO!"

Ariel nodded sympathetically. "I mean ask me anything and I could answer it, but ... I know that I'm smart, but I'm dumb!" Ariel smiled kindly, and waited for her to continue. Sometimes Jubilee just got on a rolled and the best thing to do was to wait until she passed out from oxygen depravation.

This time was different, Jubilee stopped talking. After a few painful minutes, Ariel offered, "Not everybody is meant to be a brain, Jubilee.-- You know what I mean! You're good in ways that I'm not. I mean you can paint and draw and do all sorts of stuff. My sister is as smart as me, but because she's learning disabled, she had a harder time in school." Ariel looked like she was going to say more, but she paused and thought about it.

"Maybe people should stop placing so much pressure on grades and things." Jubilee smiled sadly.

"Just I go to a school where they make A's and B's and I have to work my butt off for a C." As quickly as she said that, she stopped that track of thinking. That was Jubilee, quick clouds blocking out the sun.

Ev walked down and tapped Jubilee on the back. "Ms. Frost just called and said we need to get back to school." Jubilee sat up, intuition horned by the time she had spent with the X-men. Quickly, she gathered her bags.

"Off to save the world!" Quickly, she hugged her friend goodby. "See you next time!" Jubilee and Ev walked to their car and Ariel walked the to food court.

In the car, on the way out, Jubilee waved to her friend as Ariel was loading the trunk. Ev asked, "Why do you go to the trouble of pretending?"

Jubilee smiled and straighten his hat, "So I remember what we are fighting for. Besides, she gives the best fashion advice."

And she watched as they pulled out of the parking spot and drove to their safe home, in their safe world. For a long moment, Jubilee envied that.