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ANYTHING YOU CAN DO... written by Joan Milligan
Disclaimer: Jubilee, M, and Generation X in general belong to Marvel. They are used without permission. No money is made of this work, and it was written solely for the sake of personal enjoyment.
The beautiful tall, dark girl stared at the TV screen with numb fascination, absorbing images and sounds in a speed beyond a normal human’s capability. Her attention was complete and focused in a manner much unbefitting her age. The program was a horribly complicated lecture concerning geometry in four dimensions, but Monet St. Croix, Generation X member code-named M, drank it in like water.
Across the living room, Jubilee sighed and pouted. Sitting cross-legged, chin leaning on one hand, the Asian girl was cute but nothing more. Her hair was disarranged and her ever-present raincoat didn’t contribute to her looks either. And just looking at the screen gave her a splitting headache.
And attention… ah, attention.
"Stupid homework…" Jubilation Lee muttered, "Can’t Sean and Emma, like, let us live for just an itty bitty while?"
Monet cast her a glance that Jubilee was all but willing to call pitiful. She had been done with her homework for hours now.
Jubilee grunted and pushed the notebook to the floor. She couldn’t concentrate. She just hated math, and languages, and science, and… well, anything that had to do with studying, actually. M, of course, was champion of the class. Stupid beautiful, super smart, super powered girl…
She always gets it right, Jubilee thought in dismay, she never says the wrong thing. She can do it all. Look at her figure! Look at her hair! Look at her damn powers!
M was muttering along with the formulas in the program, numbers Jubilee didn’t even care to think up. The younger girl resisted the feeling of tears in her eyes.
She can do it all better than me. She’s smarter, prettier, she’s got so much more damn talent. God, I’m such a little creep compared to her!
Monet just sat there, perfect, proud. Not a single strand of her beautiful black hair went where she didn’t want it to go. Next to her on the couch lay a checked, marked exam. A+. Unexpected, Jubilee thought with a touch of bitter sarcasm.
She could just hear the song in her mind…
Anything you can do, I can do better…
Was Monet sending it telepathically? Perhaps she could, it was damn likely she could. But she was so focused on the program. Was she seeing Jubilee’s depression and using it?
I can do anything better than you…
Jubilee gasped. She was doing something she promised herself she’ll never do – she was getting horribly, painfully jealous of Monet.
But… but… I can’t be jealous of her! What she’s got, anyway? What does she have that I don’t??
M was sitting there, beautiful, intelligent, focused, perfect…
Anything you can do…
I can do better…
Jubilee sniffed. What do I have, anyway? I wasn’t even a real X-Man! I’m just a stupid kid next to her…
It wasn’t supposed to be that way. Monet was so arrogant and impossibly annoyed her at most times. She wasn’t supposed to envy that stuck-up party pooper.
But Monet controlled her powers so well, and she was so damn beautiful, and she was so smart, and she knew it.
I’m never gonna be like this! Look at me, I’m such a dweeb compared to her! I can’t even fix my hair right… And Wolvie’s probably the only person who actually cares about me, But who wouldn’t want Ms. Perfect around??
Anything you can do
I can do better
I can do anything…
"Get outta there…" Jubilee muttered, "Stop the dumb song. It’s not like tha – "
Monet gave her a glance, "I beg your pardon?"
She wasn’t sending it. It’s all in your head, kid. Get a grip. She’s nothing but a…
M ran a slender, dark hand through her lovely hair.
She’s so beautiful, and look at these programs she’s watching! And I can’t do that! Why can’t I do that??
I can do anything
Better than you…
The door to the living room was slammed open hard. Paige Guthrie, mutant shapeshifter called Husk and Jubilee’s close friend, ran across the room, sobbing loudly, and disappeared out into the biosphere. Jubilee saw tears running down Paige’s cheeks and wondered what happened. She immediately stood up, wanting to run after her friend and comfort her, when she noticed Monet didn’t even look at the door.
She probably zoned out, Jubilee thought.
But she didn’t.
Understanding struck the young mutant like a hammer. She doesn’t care! She doesn’t give a shit if hayseed’s sad! It doesn’t interest her enough to even look away from the TV!
And it’s always like that, the stunning thoughts continued. She never helps anyone in their personal trouble. She doesn’t care if anyone’s sad or hurting, not even when it isn’t me! It’s always… it’s always me who does that!
Anything you can do…
But M was so beautiful, and so smart, and so powerful…
And so damn arrogant!
It’s me who cares for Penance!
It’s me who sulks with Jono!
It’s me who cheers up Angelo!
It’s always been me!
In her head, silence…
Jubilee stood up, and turned toward the door to the biosphere. But before she left, she looked back at Monet, sitting like a statue, absorbing fantastic information in fantastic speed, not caring for the crying girl outside, and thought: you’re prettier than me, M, and you’re stronger, and you’re probably smarter, I’ll bet. But you aren’t kinder, and that’s – that’s why no matter what you can do, I’ll always be better.
And then she walked out after Paige, humming an Annie Oakley tune.
Fin
