Title: "Monet and the Pills"
Author: Pirate Turner
Rating: PG
Summary: Trouble begins when Monet starts taking pills to help her stay awake.
Disclaimer: Jubilation "Jubilee" Lee; Emma "White Queen" Frost; Angelo "Skin" Espinosa; Sean "Banshee" Cassidy; Monet "M" St. Croix; Jonothon "Chamber" Starsmore; Paige "Husk" Guthrie; Everett "Synch" Thomas; the Phalanx; Emplate; Omega Red; Xavier's School For Gifted Children; Xavier's Institute For Higher Learning; the X-Men; and Generation X are © & TM Marvel Comics and are used without permission. Everything else is © & TM Pirate Turner.

It was a cool Fall night. Jubilation Lee and Monet were studying for a test together in Monet's bedroom. It was late.

Jubilation yawned. "I better go to bed, Monet. I'm about to fall flat on my face; I'm so tired!"

Monet stood up and stretched. "Okay, I shall see you in the morning then, Jubilation."

"Are ya gonna go to bed, too?" asked Jubilee.

"No, I shall stay awake and study awhile more." Monet walked over to her desk and picked up a bottle of pills. "I just need one of these, and I shall be capable of staying awake." She took a pill and washed it down with a glass of water.

Jubilee stared at the pills in horror. "M, do ya know how dangerous those things can be?"

M replied with a shrug. "Oh, they are surely harmless. They sell the medication over the counter."

"SO? Just 'cause they sell them over the counter don't make them safe!" announced Jubilee. "You've gotta stop takin' them, Monet!"

I had best say I shall stop using the medication. Otherwise, she shall most likely inform Ms. Frost of this minor situation. Monet sighed, "Okay, Jubilee, I shall stop using this type of medication."

Jubilee's face brightened. "Okay, see ya in the morn. 'Night!" She left.

Monet sat down at her desk and proceeded to study.

---

Two days later, Monet and Everett Thomas were both in the classroom early. Monet was having trouble staying awake, so she took a pill.

Everett saw her take it. "So Jubilee was telling the truth! You are taking pills! Monet, you've gotta stop taking those pills before you get addicted!"

Monet replied, "I shall not get addicted to this medication! It is safe medication! They sell it over the counter, and if it was harmful, they would not be allowed to do so!"

"All medicine is harmful, Monet, if it's taken too much or used wrong!" protested Everett.

"Nonsense!" objected Monet. "I know what I am doing! You are not my father nor Mr. Cassidy; therefore, you have no authority to direct me as to what I should or should not do!"

"I'm telling you as a friend, Monet! I'm trying to help you!" exclaimed Everett.

"I can take care of myself sufficiently, thank you very much! I do not need nor do I wish for your aid!" answered Monet.

Before Everett could respond, Emma Frost, Sean Cassidy, and their fellow students filed into the classroom. Monet and Everett relunctantly took their seats.

"Quiet down please, class. I have an announcement to make," declared Emma Frost. Once her students had quieted down, she continued, "We will be taking an out-of-state field trip this weekend. We shall embark on our journey Friday evening."

Jubilee raised her hand. "Where will we be going, Miss Frost?" she asked after being acknowledged.

"We shall be going to visit the X-Men at Xavier's Institute For Higher Learning in West Chester, New York," announced.

---

It was Friday evening. Emma Frost came into Monet's bedroom. Monet was asleep on her bed. Emma shook Monet, "Wake up, sleepy head."

"Huh?" Monet slowly came to. "Wuzzit?" When she saw , she asked, "What time is it?"

"Time to get going," replied Emma.

"Where are we going?" Monet inquired.

"To New York to visit the X-Men. Don't you remember?"

Monet panicked and began running around the room. "TRIP! TO SEE THE X-MEN! WHAT SHALL I WEAR? WHAT ITEMS SHALL I TAKE? HOW MUCH MONEY SHOULD I TAKE? OR SHOULD I SIMPLY BRING MY CREDIT CARD?"

"You already took care of all that," Emma gently told her, confused at her student's actions.

"I NEED TO WASH MY HAIR!" Monet started to run to the shower.

"There's no time!" Emma blocked her way.

"NO TIME? NO TIME! THERE'S NEVER ANY TIME! NO TIME TO STUDY! NO TIME TO SHOP! NO TIME TO MAKE FRIENDS!"

Emma grabbed Monet by her shoulders. "Monet, calm down! Everything will be okay!"

Monet broke loose of Emma's grip and walked over to her desk. "You are accurate, Miss Frost. Everything shall be okay. All I need is one of these!" She took the pills out and opened the cap.

Before Monet could take the pill, Emma knocked them out of her grasp. Monet scrambled frantically for them. Emma grabbed Monet's hands and held them firmly. "NO!"

"BUT I NEED THEM!" protested Monet.

"Correction. You think you need them, but you don't. You're addicted to those pills!" Emma corrected Monet.

They sat down on the bed, Emma still not letting go of Monet's hands. "You...you are accurate, Miss Frost. I am sorry," Monet admitted.

"It's okay, Monet," Emma told her. "We can cancel the trip."

"No, I can go," Monet replied. "I'm fine. I'm fine..." She started to cry. "I'm scared! I'm scared, Miss Frost!" she admitted between sobs.

Emma held Monet. "It'll be all right. We'll get through this. Just like we got through the Phalanx, Omega Red, and Emplate. We'll get through this!" She gently rocked her crying student. She looked up as a figure entered the doorway.

Sean Cassidy entered the room and crossed over to take a seat on the bed next to Monet. He patted her back gently. With the other hand, he took Emma's hand and squeezed it gently, trying to reassure her that their student would indeed be all right, but nothing could take away the tears in each person's eyes.

---

Much later that night, Sean Cassidy went out to were his rather angry students waited for him in the hanger. "Sorry, lads and lasses, but the trip's been canceled."

"WHAT!" hollered Angelo Espinosa. "What do ya mean the trip's been canceled! We've been waiting out here for hours and now you come and tell us the trip's been CANCELED!"

Jubilation Lee and Everett Thomas exchanged a Look. "Monet," Jubilation whispered to him. He nodded in agreement.

Hearing their conversation, Sean nodded. "Aye, I'm afraid so, lass." He looked around at his other students, who, until now, had known nothing of the situation. "Unbeknowest to the rest o' ye, Monet has been takin' some pills lately tae keep her up tae where she would have time tae study. She thought they were safe 'cause they were over-the-counter drugs, but nae drugs 'tis truly safe. She's become addicted tae them, and now it's our duty as her friends tae help her overcome this addiction." He looked directly at Angelo as he added, "And that, Angelo, 'tis why the trip's been canceled."

"Well, that's different..." Angelo muttered.

"Shouldn't we go talk to her?" Paige Guthrie suggested. "Let her know we're here for her?"

Sean shook his head. "Nae. We should nae wake the poor lass."

Where's Miss Frost? Jonothon Starsmore asked via his telepathy.

"Sittin' up with Monet," Sean told him. "Now, come on, lads an' lasses, let's get in outta this cold."

---

After he had seen his students to their respective dormitories, Sean entered Monet's room in silence. Monet was still asleep on her bed, and Emma had passed out in the chair next to her bed. Sean couldn't help a small smile at the sight of the two sleeping so peacefully as if nothing was wrong. He turned off the light and pulled the door shut behind him.

---

Generation X rescheduled their trip for sometime after Monet had regained her health. Monet's friends took turns taking care of her, keeping watch on her, and helping her overcome her addiction to the pills. It was a long and difficult fight, but they eventually won. From then on, Monet was always careful with her manner of taking every kind of medication. Monet not only learned to be careful with all types of medication, but she also learned that she had more friends than she had ever thought she had.

The End