AVAVA
( Timmy's PoV )
VAVAV
Timmy sat across from her in the lunchroom, and watched her eat her lunch as he just pushed his around his tray. He didn't know what was wrong. This was his best friend, the person he trusted more than A.J., and Chester. Much more than Sanjay and Elmer... neither of which he'd seen in a while... that wasn't the point, he told himself. Tootie was the point... she'd spent the better part of the past seven years chasing after him. Though to be honest the last year and a half had been more flirty and less stalker-like tactics. However, three months ago, he finally agreed to go out on a date with her and had been surprised that it was a lot more fun than he imagined. Enough so, he'd asked her out on another date or two, before making it official... well before telling their friends they were dating. Tootie almost exploded in her seat when they told their friends.
That was then... now... most of her excitement was gone. She wasn't flirtyv anymore... he couldn't believe he missed it, after all the years he wished she would just stop... now he just missed it. It started about a month ago, he thought to himself. There was something his parents were doing, some dinner thing at a restaurant... maybe a work thing, he couldn't remember. But he had asked her to come with him. She said she couldn't. Now that didn't bother him, sometimes people just couldn't do things. However the next day was when she started to seem different. It wasn't all at once, but that was when he started noticing it.
She used to hold his hand between classes, even before they were together, not that much more could be done at school anyways. Now she didn't seem interested in it. The passion she had while kissing... all but gone. He couldn't figure out what he'd done. Had he upset her or something. But if he did something, surely after a month, she would have told him he did something wrong. Or at least hint at it. That couldn't be right, he thought to himself. She couldn't be mad... she didn't seem mad. She just seemed bored.
AVAVA
He turned into the neighborhood, and started towards Tootie's house, like he did every day after school. Today he planned to find out exactly what was happening between him and Tootie. He wanted to find out what he did that could have mad her upset at him... or what he wasn't doing...
"Hey Tootie?" He asked before he pulled up to her house.
"Huh?" she didn't even look up from her cellphone. She'd been busy texting someone most of the day.
"Did I do something to upset you? Or have I not been doing something?" Timmy pulled up in front of her house parking the car on the curb.
"Sure... alright, I'll see you in the morning." She got out of the car and started towards her door. Obviously she hadn't been listening to him... actually this wasn't the first time it's happened. More and more Tootie had begun to stop paying attention to him at all, and he was sick of it. This time was the last time, he thought as he turned off the ignition and got out of the car.
He spent about twenty minutes thinking over what he was going to say before knocking on the door. Then decided that he'd just say whatever came to mind first as he knocked on the door. He waited about a minute before knocking again harder. He -knew- she was home, he'd just brought her here. The third and louder time he knocked the door was swung opened and he stared at a very tired looking red-eyed Vicki, wearing nothing more than a simple tank-top and sleeping shorts.
"What!?" she almost growled, then focused on him, "Oh, it's you Twerp. Looking for Tootie? She just got home. TOOTIE!"
"Thanks," Timmy mumbled and followed Vicki when she grunted and gestured into the house, what he assumed was an invitation into the house.
"What Vicki... Oh Timmy! Did I leave something in the car?" Tootie came down the stairs.
"Actually... you might have..." Tootie looked towards his hands obviously curious as to what she had left. "I asked you something important, and you wasn't even paying attention. That's been happening a lot lately, and I'm getting sick of it. I didn't say anything because, well in the past I was less than nice about how you felt towards me... and I felt guilty. Now I don't feel so nice anymore... now that you have me, you don't seem to even care anymore."
"That's not true... I listen to you." Tootie just looked at him, seemingly surprised that it even came up.
"Okay what did I say in the car?"
"You asked me something... and I said sure."
"Okay... then what did I do?" Timmy asked, knowing full well she hadn't been paying attention, and wondered what she was going to say... instead... she said nothing. "I asked in the car if I had done something to make you mad at me... and you said sure. So what did I do?"
"Nothing... you didn't do anything... I just... I don't know. I spent all that time chasing you... and now. I don't know... I expected something big, but I'm just... I don't know" She seemed to be having a hard time explaining what she meant.
"Basically... This isn't what you expected?" Tootie just nodded, and Vicki seemed to understand what was coming next... maybe it showed on his face and Tootie wasn't picking up the hint, and she should have, if she still cared. "Then maybe we shouldn't be together anymore... If it's not what you expected."
"You're serious..." Tootie asked him, she didn't even seem dazed by what he'd just said. "Well are you still picking me up in the morning?"
"Tootie!" Vicki called sharply... Timmy was taken back by that tone, knowing that tone that used to be trouble for him, was taking his side, kind of. "That's all you're worried about? A ride? He's breaking up with you."
"That's not what he said." Tootie looked at him. He couldn't believe that she hadn't been listening completely again.
"Tootie are you paying attention?" She nodded, "We are over."
Tootie, he assumed, had finally paid attention as she begged him to come back as he walked out the door. He ignored her as she followed him out. Trying not to listen to her as he got into his car... He couldn't listen, because if he gave in, she wouldn't hear what he had to say.
"Give me another chance... please I'm sorry... I'm..." Timmy put the car in drive and left her standing next to the road, in front of her house. He couldn't help but be reminded about years before... now that he was ignoring her... obviously she was interested again. He wouldn't fall for it this time though. She wouldn't appreciate him. He sighed as he prepared to be chased again. It seemed she was only interested when she chased him. Only now, he had loved her... ignoring her would be difficult. Very difficult.
AVAVA
Two weeks had passed, and he was right. Each day after breaking up with Tootie, she became more and more interested in him. At first he found it hard to ignore her, just like he thought he would be. With each day though, it became more frustrating and what he had over looked when he was younger bothered him now. Actually bothered him enough that he was sitting in front of her house. Tootie had an orthodontist appointment, so this would be the best time to talk to the one person that might be able to help.
He got out of his car, and hurried to the door. He didn't want to waste any time. Each moment that slipped by was a moment closer to Tootie returning, he thought as he knocked on the door, having to repeat the process a couple of times. Vicki answered the door in the same manor she had a couple weeks prior.
"You again? I thought you were done with Tootie." Vicki almost growled, and he wondered if she worked nights, or if she was taking college classes at nights.
"I actually came to talk to you." Timmy just looked her into her eyes. The sleeping shorts and tank-top, made it difficult not to stare at anything he shouldn't. Considering the shorts were a bit more than tight. The tank-top on the other hand, had the opposite problem. It was too loose. So he focused on her bloodshot pink eyes.
"Why?" She narrowed her eyes, but gestured him into the house. Never would he imagine that he would have willing entered Vicki's house, to be alone with Vicki to talk.
"Trying to figure out how to get Tootie to leave me alone." Vicki pointed to the couch, but vanished into the kitchen.
"You want a drink?" She called from the kitchen.
"Sure." He took the drink when she returned to the living room and sat across from him in one of the chairs. He desperately tried not to notice how tight her shorts were.
"So she's following you around again? Look I don't know what's up with her." Vicki sighed, leaning back in the chair. She seemed uncharacteristically nice... except for answering the doors. First time she defended him, and now she sounded sympathetic. "You gave her a chance, and she ignored you. Even when you confronted her about it, she still was half ass paying attention. Then follows you around again like a puppy, when you ignore her. And it'll be a vicious cycle if you give in. So I know why you've been ignoring her."
"Yeah, I'm running out of options. And at this point, she's aggravating me. It's like she's teasing me with something I want, that I won't get. Okay, so the first couple of days, or maybe the first couple of weeks Tootie will care, and listen, and try to make things work. But then it'll go right back to her being bored. And I'm not going to be in one of those, break-up/make-up relationships."
"Well there are not many options. One, you could date someone else. Which might result in more obsessiveness from Tootie. Or Get Tootie's sights fixed on someone else." Vicki seemed to think for a while. "Is there anyone you might be interested in?"
"Uh, not really..." Which was true. Tootie had been the only person that he was interested in, at least until this moment. No sooner had Vicki asked the question, Tootie's name popped into his head. It's sad when the only person you want, is the one you're trying to get away from. "But didn't you say that me dating someone else might cause her to become more obsessive?"
"Hmmm. Yeah I suppose I did... Unless the person you dated was intimidating." Was Vicki messing with him, because she'd figured out that he might... just might have a crush on her? The look on her face while she seemed to be thinking, suggested that she didn't know, and was putting serious thought into the matter. "Or fix her up with someone else."
"Yeah... but if I tried to fix her up with someone else... that would require spending time with her... which she'd mistake as dates. Or that we were getting back together. I can't be the one to help her." And if he couldn't set her up with someone... then he'd be stuck with a human cling until either he moved away, or until she figured out he wasn't interested.
"Hmm. I might be able to help. I mean... I am known to dash a few dreams." Vicki smirked.
"As well as nightmares..." Timmy muttered.
"What?" Vicki raised her eyebrow just looking at him for a moment... either she didn't hear him, and was confused, or she did and was confused... Think, think, think damn it!
"Oh... uh... Um... I meant... Nightmares... yeah. You -were- known to create nightmares... All you have to do, is make Tootie think I'm a nightmare." When it seemed that Vicki went back to thinking, or planning. He assumed that he had gotten away with what he said. He'd really need to be more careful about what he had to say.
AVAVA
As days went by, he couldn't see where anything had changed. Tootie waited for him at his locker after most of his classes. Always found him during lunch. Even had been waiting next to his car after school. That was normal Tootie, old Tootie. The Tootie he fell in love with strangely. But he couldn't give in... he just couldn't... Just like the other days, there she was sitting next to his car. He could heard the muffled sobbing from where he stood. Wait... sobbing? That was different... as he crept closer he noticed scraps on one of her knees, and matching scraps that were still bleeding on the arm above the knee that was pulled to her chest as she wept. What happened?
No he wouldn't be pulled in by this... but Tootie could still be his friend... she had been more than a girlfriend, she was a friend... so he should at least find out what was wrong. That wouldn't give her the wrong impression right?
"Are you alright Tootie?" Timmy asked as he got closer to his car.
"What do you care?" she sobbed into her knees, didn't even bother looking up at him. Okay for the first time in weeks, he's actually spoke to her first, and she didn't leap at him? Something was really wrong.
"There's blood on your elbow..." He moved a bit forward.
"I tripped running out to your car... but not that it matters!" she pulled her head up looking at him. He winced as he noticed the scrap on her cheek. "Because you're not going to love me again. Because I'm all... I don't even know! Just go away."
She moved away from his car, and sat beneath the tree next to the car. Obviously moving so he could get in his car and leave. He was free to go. He didn't have to stay here. She wasn't his girlfriend anymore... So, why wasn't he leaving? Instead he went to the car, looking around until he found some clean napkins from the glove box, and the bottle of water from the back seat. Why wasn't he leaving, he wondered as he poured water over one of the napkins, and much to Tootie's surprise wiped the blood off her cheek, then her elbow, finally her knee.
"W-What are you doing?" Tootie just stared at him as he cleaned her scraps.
"I... I don't know." In reality he didn't. His mind kept telling him he should have left. That Tootie had finally gotten the message that it was over. She'd given up! And he just... couldn't leave. Did he still love her? Of course he did... but he couldn't... Did he love the chase as much as she loved chasing him? He admitted to himself, if not anyone else, that he did indeed love it. At the same time, he feared that she would end up bored with him again. He sighed as he sat next to her under the tree. "I just don't know anymore."
"Are you still mad at me?" she had buried her face in her knees again.
"Yes. You didn't pay attention to me at all. But, I finally understand what it felt like all those years I ignored you. I'm sorry I did that. I didn't know what it felt like." He said looking over to her.
"It really hurt. I'm sorry I made you feel like that. I don't know what was wrong. Just seemed... too good to be true you know. Timmy you are a great guy, you know. And Anyone would be lucky to have you, I was lucky... but then I started wondering. How long until you realized girls noticed you? So I tried to, you know, not make a big deal of anything. Tried to I don't know... maybe make it easier if you ever decided to leave me... maybe it wouldn't hurt as much. But I was wrong... all it did was make you mad... and it still hurt so much. And I was listening in the house when you said w-we shouldn't be together... I just thought if I ignored it... it wouldn't be true." She finally lifted her head, make-up smeared around her bloodshot puffy eyes. "Can... Can we just start over?"
"We can try... Hello, I'm Timmy Turner nice to meet you." Timmy held out his hand, knowing full well that wasn't what she meant. But he did want to try again... and this time he'd let her know. It didn't matter if other girls noticed him. Didn't matter if they all wanted him. He wanted her, everyone else could go jump off a bridge. Maybe if he told her how he felt more often, she wouldn't have to wonder.
"That's not what I meant, and you know it!" But she smiled slightly... then bit her lip... "Let's go back to that day... in the car. When I wasn't paying attention to you... Okay? Ask me again... Please?"
"Did I do something to upset you? Or have I not been doing something?" He asked, feeling the sadness that he'd felt that day.
"No! Never Timmy. You're great... I love you. But... I don't know... I'm worried I'll never be good enough... that one day... one day y-you'll leave..." she started sobbing into her knees again. Maybe remembering when he told her it wad over between them. He did the only thing that he could think of, and pulled her into his arms.
"Tootie, I loved you then. And I love you now. I didn't see it when I was younger... But I see it now. You are more than good enough for me. Actually, I should be asking if I'm good enough for you. I mean, you waited for me to realize this for years... when you could have found someone else. You never gave up on me Tootie." he kissed her forehead, since it was almost the only visible part of her skin, "So believe me, you are good enough, more than good enough. Never forget that. I was with you, because I wanted to be."
"And now?" she looked up at him, her violet eyes full of fear and hope at the same time.
"And now..." and now? Did he still want her? Wasn't he afraid that she'd ignore him again? Was it worth the risk? "Yes... I still want to be with you. Because you are you... But if... I can't do this another time after this... okay? My heart can't handle losing you again."
"Never! Oh Timmy. Thank you..." She clung to him as he held her, "You don't know how much this means to me... I love you. I'm so sorry."