Words of Wisdom

What’s this?" Angelo dropped himself onto the couch beside Everett. The school was alive with the sounds of females preparing for an impromptu trip to the mall. Down in the basement, the boys could hear Paige screeching at Monet about hogging the bathroom and Ms. Frost promising to commit some dire act if the two of them didn't hurry.

"Um... some movie." Everett stuffed a fistful of chips into his mouth. "I fink iss cawd Cwuess." He swallowed and tried again. "Clueless. What?"

Angelo shot him a look.

"Well, there’s nothing else on and I don’t want to go to the mall," Everett defended himself, "Do you?"

"Dios, no." Ange shuddered and tried to suppress a vision of himself being held hostage by the girls as they tried on shoes, being asked if he though they looked good on them and trying to answer so that they didn’t try to kill him. Upstairs a door slammed and angry voices were raised in what was definitely not song. Footsteps marched across the floor and headed down the stairs to where the boys hid. "Oh, hell..."

"I am not going. They can’t make me go. I’ve already been driven to watching a movie about Alicia Silverstone trying on shoes. I refuse participate in the reality." Ev folded his arms across his chest and stared at the television determinedly.

Angelo adopted a similar pose just as Jubilee burst into the room with her usual flair.

"Hey Ev! Ev! Ya wanna come with us to the mall? I was thinkin’ that we could go..." She trailed off as she noticed Angelo. "Oh. Hi Ange."

"Hi Jubes."

"Didn’t see ya there." She stubbed her toe into the linoleum that covered the floor. "I wanted to ask if Ev wanted to go to the mall with us. Butyoucancometoo." She added in an unenthusiastic rush.

"I am honored, chica, but..."

"...we can’t go." Everett finished for him, noting the sarcasm that had begun to creep into Angelo’s voice.

"Oh."

Everett winced at the dejected tone and tried to soften the rejection. "We’re really into this movie, you see. We gotta know how it ends."

"Oh!" Jubilee perked up a bit at that not quite outright rejection and squinted at the TV. "You’re watchin’ Clueless ?" she asked with more than a hint of suspicion.

"Yeah!" Ange burst in, recognizing a flagging excuse when he saw one. "We gotta know if, um, Sonny-"

Ev poked him in the ribs and whispered frantically, "Cher!"

"Right, Cher. If Cher ends up with the James Dean wannabe. Comprende?"

Jubilee rolled her eyes. "Whatever." Upstairs Paige was howling her name with a touch of hysteria. "Listen, I gotta go. I’ll see you later, all right?" She gave Everett a measured look and ran out the door.

Ev and Ange gazed at the TV until they felt assured that the females were not coming back.

"This movie is so stupid."

"It’s not that bad."

"Wanna bet?"

Onscreen, Ms. Silverstone pointed to a redhead in a ridiculous outfit. "No, she's a full on Monet. It's like a painting, see? From far away, it's OK, but up close, it's a big old mess."

Angelo cackled. "Maybe it’s not as awful as I thought." Still grinning, he gave Everett a sidelong look. "You’re going to have to deal with her sometime, you know."

Everett stared at the TV. "What?"

"Jubilee. She wants you to ask her out."

He snorted. "You’re crazy."

Ange shook his head. "Am I, amigo?"

Everett concentrated on Cher’s shoes. "Yes. You are."

"If you say so." He stretched his arms in the air with an audible yawn and grinned. "All I’m saying is that if she gets any more explicit about it she’s going to..."

The younger boy suddenly rounded on him and Angelo fell back against the cushions, surprised. "She’s going to what? C’mon Ange. Tell me. What’s she gonna do? God, why couldn’t you just drop it? It’s not like your love life is any better. ‘Oh, Paige!’" Everett heaved a dramatic sigh and fluttered his eyelashes. "Spare me the advice. Let. It. Go. It’s none of your damn business." He returned his gaze to the television and stared at it determinedly.

Angelo turned red. "Fine." He swung off the couch and headed for the door.

Everett swore. "I didn’t mean it like that. Ange..."

Angelo halted at the door. "Yeah?"

"I.Well. Here’s the thing. I know Jubilee likes me and I know she wants me to ask her out. But I don’t really want to. I mean, I like her and everything but…she’s such a kid still. It’d be like dating my little sister."

"I see." Angelo’s flat voice signaled his lack of interest.

"No, you don’t. You hit a really sore spot. You and Jono need to lay off a bit. I feel really guilty about Jubilee. I can’t tell her I’m not interested in her, that would hurt her feelings too much. But I’m not going to get involved with her either, and that’s hurting her too. I can see that. And then I kinda..." He trailed off with a bit of an embarrassed look on his face.

Unfortunately for him, Angelo was thoroughly engaged at that point. "Oh no. Keep going. You kinda...?" He walked back over to the couch and leaned against the back. "C’mon, ‘fess up."

"...i kinda like monet..."

"Speak up, I didn’t hear you. You’re mumbling." Angelo gave him an amused look.

Everett sighed. "Didn’t I just say somethin’ about letting up on this sorta thing? Could have sworn that I did." He straightened his shoulders. "I like Monet. I think. It’s hard to understand her sometimes, you know? Sometimes she’s really friendly and sometimes she’s made of ice."

"Umhm."

"And she’s still trying to deal with that whole twins and Penance thing."

Angelo made a superhuman effort to keep a straight face. "I think we all are. Are you going to ask her out?"

Everett shook his head. "No. She’s still got a lot to work out and I don’t want to be stuck in the middle of that. Besides, there’s Jubilee to think about too. I don’t think she’d take my asking M out very well at all."

No, he silently agreed, I don’t think she would. Angelo pictured the previous week’s incident where she’d mixed purple dye into Monet’s shower gel. And she hadn’t had any ulterior motive behind that. He supposed he could understand Everett’s reservations. "So you’re gonna do nothing?"

Ev grinned wryly. "I don’t exactly call doing my best to act oblivious around Jubilee nothing, but yeah. That’s about it." He settled back against the couch and resumed watching the tv.

"Hrm." Ange started picking at his skin, slowly drawing out a long, thin tendril. Lines of thought creased his brow. "Hey, Ev?"

"Yeah, Ange?"

"Do you think you’re being fair to Jubilee? I mean, you’re leaving her hanging out there."

Everett began to stammer, "Well, yes. No. Um, you see, um, it’s..."

Angelo regarded him with a exasperated expression. "I know it’s not exactly a yes or no question, but it’s not that difficult to answer."

"No, I suppose not."

Angelo nodded sagely, letting the younger boy digest.

Everett scuffed his feet against the floor for a minute before standing. "I should probably talk to her," he mumbled and headed upstairs.

Angelo sprawled out on the couch with a beatific smile. "All right!" Mentally congratulating himself on his wise words of wisdom and his masterful manuvering in getting the rec room to himself, he didn't notice the person standing behind him until a hand dropped heavily onto his shoulder.

"That was a nice talk you had with Everett, Angelo," Cassidy's voice rumbled in his ear. "But don't you think you should try following your own advice, now?"

Angelo jumped and stammered a little, a. "Well, I-"

"I think you'd better hurry up if you're going to catch the girls. I believe Paige was trying to convince Emma to let her drive."

Angelo paled. "But-"

"Go."

Angelo nodded to himself, catching the slightly ominous tone in Sean's voice. Driving with Paige would probably be the safer option. Or maybe Emma'd let them take the Jeep. Now there was a thought. Pulling himself to his feet, he shoved his hands in his pockets and edged toward the door. "Y'know? I think I will."

Sean smiled beatifically. "That's a good lad." He watched the teen flee through doorway and flopped onto the couch. The things he had to do for a little peace, he thought, allowing himself a small grin. He grabbed the remote and flipped the channel.

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