Jubilee quickly paid and returned. Together, we hurried to leave the crowded square.
"Aren't you even going to ask how I did that?" the girl asked nervously once we reached a quieter part of the city.
"Are you a magical girl in disguise?" I threw a test stone.
"Actually, that's something they say about boys," Lee snorted, raising her right hand and bending her left arm at the elbow. "Forward, wizard boys, in the name of the Moon!"
"Archie…" I groaned, clutching my heart. "I curse…"
"Hey, are you okay?" the girl asked worriedly.
"Yeah, yeah, just have a great 'imagination!"
"You're weird," Jubilee said, folding her arms behind her back.
The ready response never left my lips. What could I tell her? That this is her world, and she's the one who's not normal? That they're all crazy and I'm the only sane one here? No, if you go against the current, sooner or later you'll get swept away.
Jubilee counted the money she got from her performance and was seriously thinking of reimbursing me for the money spent on the glasses and ice cream. She turned out to be incredibly stubborn, but she didn't manage to change my mind. In the end, she had no choice but to give up and accept it. She looked pretty cute and embarrassed, and I almost wanted to pat her on the head, but I felt it might be too much.
As a token of gratitude and in return, she showed me a pretty decent spot where you could get a bite of human food. Hot dogs hadn't worn me out yet; they were actually quite good here, but I was starting to miss shawarma a little.
But seriously, meals in restaurants, even the cheapest ones, cost so much that even Elizabeth Stark could go bankrupt if she visited them regularly! That's why fast food was so incredibly popular—it was unhealthy but cheap and filling.
Anyway, Lee showed me a hidden gem where they served pretty homey dishes at a very reasonable price. By evening, we had covered most of Manhattan and were extremely tired. She suggested staying at her place, and I saw no reason to refuse.
It turned out she spent most of her money on rent for a tiny room in a shabby dormitory run by some volunteer. She only paid for utilities, but even then, sometimes there wasn't enough money. Jubilee didn't often risk showing up at Times Square because there were usually cops around. The other places where she performed didn't bring in as much income.
The room was really tiny, just enough space for a bed, a narrow path, and a tall closet near the door. But across from the door, there was a big window… overlooking the blank wall of some building.
"I'll sleep on the floor, there's a spare mattress," Jubilee said, squeezing her gloves in her hands. "You change, and I'll go pay for this month's rent while I still have the money, hehe".
I didn't have time to object, and Lee disappeared out the door. Shrugging, I changed and threw my backpack in the closet. The owner is the master, as they say. I was too tired to argue about gender inequality and preferences again.
Soon, Lee came back. I was already under the blanket, half-dreaming, so she quickly took the mattress out of the closet and set up her bed.
"Good night," she said.
"You too, I replied."
Before I became a "time traveler," I often had trouble falling asleep, especially if I was somewhere other than home or at someone else's place. New surroundings and all that. But after going through the huge, massive school of life, I learned to grab any possible sleep, day or night. The second most important thing I learned was how to sleep lightly. So, when my bed creaked a little, I immediately woke up. Someone had lifted my blanket and let in some cool night air.
She hesitated for a while before making her next move. But, overcoming herself, she finally dove under the blanket and pressed herself against me in one swift motion. The silence of the night was broken by a loud thud.
"Ow!" she exclaimed, startled, when my mighty flick tested the strength of her skull.
"What are you doing?" I lifted the edge of the blanket and asked.
Visibility in the dim light was poor, and I didn't have infrared vision like I did in my second life. Still, I could make out the expression on her face. At first, caught off guard, she looked scared, but she quickly got angry with herself and asked sharply:
"What does this look like?!"
"Looks like someone missed a good scolding."
"You're too feminine," she shook her head. "But that's actually better, I won't pretend to be someone I'm not! I'm not some fool, and I'm not going to miss my chance! I have a guy in my room, understand? Another opportunity might not come!"
"You know, I can understand you. But it seems you're overlooking two very important reasons why we can't roll around in the same bed."
"Really?!"
"Yeah," I snorted. "The first reason is I'm not a pedophile, and I'm not going to jail."
"What are you talking about!" she pretended to be surprised. "I already told you, I'm sixteen!"
"Very much doubt it, but even if you are, do you think I don't know that the age of consent in New York is seventeen?"
I think she blushed, at least I really hope so.
"I… I…"
"And the second reason," I decided to remind her of something even more important. "I already told you, I'm a mutant, remember? I can't touch others, it ends very badly."
"You're lying," Jubilee puffed up like a frozen sparrow. The girl moved away from me and sat on the edge of the bed. "You just don't want to make me happy, even for one night! You're all like this, liars and pretenders..."
Now I was really surprised.
"Wait, do you really think I'd wear gloves in the summer just to maintain the image? That I'd just go to sleep in my pajamas because I'm cold at night?"
"My friends have told me worse. You guys" you're ready to do anything just to avoid sex. One minute your head hurts, then something else.
Yeah, this is already a clinic. Although now I understood what she thought of me. It was a little hurtful, though. Hurtful that she didn't believe me.
I took off my right glove and extended my hand toward Jubilee.
"Touch me. Just with one finger, please."
Even now, she didn't believe me. I guess she decided not to fall for the provocation.
"Shame, very shame, that this is not a provocation" – I thought, watching the girl twitch in convulsions from a brief contact with my skin, gasping for air intermittently