Disclaimer - I own nothing.
"Cindy, wait!" cried Jimmy.
But he was too late. By the time he had spoken, Cindy had already removed herself from the table and was no longer facing him. She kept her gaze nailed straight ahead as she stalked across the black and white tile floor of the Candy Bar. She was heading for the restroom.
"Cindy–" Jimmy began, but he was cut off when a hand placed itself on top of his. He looked to find Libby staring hard at him, shaking her head back and forth.
"Not now Jimmy," Libby said. She spoke with both firmness and empathy. "You know she won't listen when she gets angry like that."
Jimmy balled his hands into fists. He threw them out at his sides, letting out an exasperated sigh. "I know, that's the problem," he said. He stuck his elbows on the table and let his chin fall into his palms. "She gets so mad that I can't even talk to her. How am I suppose to get anywhere if I can't even communicate?"
Libby could only helplessly stare at the boy. Sheen and Carl, who were also sitting at the booth, followed suit. As always, however, Sheen could not keep quiet for long.
"I say you just barge right into that bathroom and declare your love for her!" he exclaimed, shooting his finger in the air. Sheen stood up on his seat. Emotion surged inside him, first valor, then despair. He began walking across the table, stepping on Libby's sundae. "What kind of world do we live in when you can't confess your feelings to the one you love?" He fell to his knees, on the verge of tears.
"Sheen!" Libby snapped. She glowered at her boyfriend. "That's not helping."
"Sorry." Sheen hopped off the table and back into his seat.
Thinking, Libby rubbed a finger over her lips. "Actually, Sheen may have a point there Jimmy," she said.
"I knew it!" Sheen shouted. He was about to climb onto the table again when Libby grabbed him and sat back on his seat.
"We need to have a little talk," she said. Flames flickered behind her dark eyes.
"But it's just like we both said!" Jimmy had thrown out his arms again. He then resumed resting his head on his hands. "I could say anything right now and she won't listen to me. She could be holed up in a fortress rather than that bathroom and it wouldn't make any difference. " He sighed, glumly peering down on the tabletop. "What's the use?"
Libby never got a good look at Jimmy aboard Goobot's spaceship, when the Yolkians had captured their parents and Jimmy was imprisoned by himself, without hope. As such, this was the first time Libby had seen the genius despair. It was so unlike him, it took her aback at first. Once she recovered, however, something struck her. Something about what Jimmy had just said.
"Maybe you have a point too, Jimmy," she said. The gears were turning in her mind.
"I think that's obvious Libby," Jimmy said.
Libby brushed off the comment. "What I'm saying is that Cindy's all but trapped in that bathroom right now. And knowing Cindy, it's gonna be a while before she comes out."
"Sometimes I take a while before coming out of the bathroom," Sheen said.
A demonic glare from Libby shut Sheen up. In spite of himself, Jimmy couldn't help but feel impressed. Somehow, Libby had managed to obtain complete control over her spastic boyfriend.
Jimmy returned his attention to Libby. "Where exactly are you going with this?"
"What I'm trying to say is that now's your chance to talk to Cindy. She basically trapped herself in the bathroom. All you have to do is hangout in front of the bathroom door and talk to her."
Jimmy's head rolled for a bit. He was growing irritated. "For the millionth time Libby, it doesn't matter when or how, she won't listen to me."
"Except now she doesn't have a choice," Libby said. "What's she gonna do, stick her fingers in her ears?" A pause from Jimmy suggested this was possible. "If anything Jimmy, now's your best chance to talk to her. She can't walk away or storm off. And who knows?" Libby gave a small smile. "Maybe after a while, whatever you tell her will sink in."
Jimmy clenched his fists. Despite his depressed mood, the logic in Libby's words was irrefutable. Even if the odds were slim, Libby's plan was still the most promising way to penetrate Cindy's shell. Either he could accept these odds, or wait for an indeterminate amount of time for Cindy to (hopefully) come around. If he was to act, he needed to do so now.
Closing his eyes, Jimmy made up his mind. When he reopened them, a quiet strength was within him. "I'll do it." He looked at Libby, Sheen and Carl, grateful for their presence and friendship. "I don't know exactly what I'm going to say, but depending on how this goes," Jimmy swallowed nervously, "the dynamics of our group could be different when I come back."
"Good luck Jimmy," Carl said. The portly boy tried giving a reassuring smile, but found that he could not meet Jimmy's eyes. Jimmy smiled back at his friend. His gaze then shifted over to Libby.
"Thanks Libby," he said. He paused. "I needed that."
"Good luck Jimmy," she said. Her countenance held all the friendly warmth Jimmy could need. Jimmy appreciated it. He got up off his seat and started heading toward the bathrooms when he stopped. He had forgotten to exchange words with Sheen. If his upcoming conversation with Cindy really did change their group, then this was a goodbye of sorts, and he didn't want to miss anyone.
Sheen, on the other hand, was in no mood for commiseration. He instead shot Jimmy a fierce look. "The warrior does not spoil the eve of battle with words," Sheen said.
Jimmy just looked Sheen. "Um, okay."
With that said, Jimmy began his fateful trek. It was time for all of this back and forth between him and Cindy to end. He had had enough. Somehow, someway, he would make sure that this conversation would change things. One way or the other.
As Jimmy walked past the other tables, their occupants began whispering excitedly. Although they couldn't have heard the conversation among Jimmy and his friends, no doubt they knew that something was about to happen. Jimmy shut out the ambient noise. He had a mission to accomplish.
Unable to restrain himself any longer, Nick leaped out of his booth and pumped his arms victoriously. "Alright Neutron!" he bellowed.
The Candy Bar went completely silent. Everyone in the restaurant stopped to stare at Nick. Even Jimmy was forced to halt. After several seconds of this, Nick's pride turned to shame, then anger.
"Stare at me if you want, I know you all feel the same way," he accused, pointing his finger at everyone.
A blond-haired boy chuckled at Nick. "What a dope," he muttered, wrapping an arm around two girls on his left, and two on his right.
"Shut up Francis!"
Jimmy's heart was hammering so hard, he couldn't separate the beats. His hands were cold, and sweat trickled under his arms and down his back. It had been easy to steel himself back at the table, surrounded by his friends, but now he was losing his nerve. Could he actually go through with this? Could he actually force Cindy's hand and tell her how he felt? Could he actually say something like that, knowing that there would be no going back?
It didn't matter. The whole Candy Bar it seemed knew what he was about to do. If anything, he couldn't chicken out in public. Jimmy's pride wouldn't allow that.
Jimmy had finally entered the corridor leading to the bathrooms. Thankfully, he was just out of sight from the main dining room. This helped calm him.
He stopped when he was outside the bathroom door. This was it. A panel of wood was all that separated him from Cindy. He had to do this. It was now, or never.
Hesitating one final time, Jimmy reached out his hand. It felt as if someone else was controlling his actions. All too soon, he had knocked on the door.
No response. Jimmy gulped. He waited. He waited until he knew he couldn't wait any longer. He knocked again. No response. He summoned his courage. And so it starts.
"Hey," he said in a tremulous voice. "It's me. You there?"
Nothing. Desperate to hear something, anything, Jimmy pressed his ear against the wooden door. He thought he heard the scraping of a foot, and then…was that…sniffing?
"Are you – are you crying?" Jimmy said. He listened. There was nothing at first, but then, he heard it again. There could be no mistake. Cindy had been crying.
"Don't-don't cry. Don't cry. Aw."
Jimmy's heart went out to Cindy. He couldn't stand the fact that she was in pain.
"Listen to me," he said. "I know things have been complicated between us. I know…" Jimmy struggled to find the words. "I know that there's something going on between us. We both know that. We'd have to be fools not to. And you and me? We're not fools."
No response came from the other side of the door. Jimmy prepared himself to keep talking. This might end up being a one-sided conversation after all, but so be it.
"How did it ever get like this?" Jimmy turned around and leaned on the door, using his back for support. He ran his hands through his hair. "We've lived in the same city for years, we've gone to the same schools, we've embarked on intergalactic adventures, and yet somehow, we still can't get it out."
Emotions surfaced within Jimmy. It would prove difficult keeping them at bay. "Don't you see what's wrong? Don't you – don't you get it? How is it that after all we've been through, that even though everyone in Retroville can see what's going on, neither of us has done anything about it?"
Jimmy waited. He didn't want to do this all by himself. "Can't you say something? I got up in front of everyone in the Candy Bar so I could walk over here. I could really use your help right now."
First there was no response. Then, once again, Jimmy heard Cindy sniffing. He didn't know why, but at this moment, he started losing his pity for her.
"I'm upset too you know!" he exclaimed. If he couldn't appeal to Cindy through sympathy, maybe he'd just try and get her angry instead. "Everything we've been through and you thought I was interested in someone else?! That's why I have to talk to you outside a bathroom door?! You thought I was interested in her?! That's unfair! She's just another girl and you know it!
Jimmy couldn't control it. Tears welled up in his eyes. "How could you think that? We mean more to each other than that, and we should be sticking together like glue."
No response. Perhaps Jimmy hadn't made Cindy angry, but he succeeded in making himself angry. "Or maybe I was wrong!" he said. "Maybe only one of us has feelings. Maybe this whole thing is just unrequited."
Again no response.
The tears began to fall. The emotions began to spill. And Jimmy began to sizzle. "Well I don't care! Do you hear that – I don't care! This has gone on long enough and I'm ending it!"
Jimmy whirled around and pounded his fists on the door. He bore his watery eyes into the wood, trying to see through it, knowing it was futile. "I'm going to say it, and I want you to hear every syllable. Every phoneme. And once I say it, neither of us can take it back. I meant what I said and I'm ending this now!"
There was a click and the door began to open. Jimmy froze. He couldn't believe it. Of all the things he expected to happen, he hadn't expected Cindy to come out. He had finally gotten through to her. Somehow, he had made such a profound impression on her that she was coming out to meet him. But he couldn't let his moment pass. He couldn't let this all be for nothing. He said he was going to end it, he was ready to confess, and doggone it, he was going to do it.
The second the door fully opened, Jimmy, his eyes swimming with tears, flung his arms around Cindy, mustered all the passion within him, and said:
"I love you!"
It was like a great energy had gone outside of Jimmy. The words he had wanted to say for years. He had finally done it. There really would be no going back now. Jimmy Neutron had just declared his love for Cindy Vortex. Hell had finally frozen over, and Jimmy himself had set loose the ice.
Gathering his resolve one last time, Jimmy forced himself to look up at Cindy's face. He had to know her reaction. He had to know that for a fact, without a doubt, she felt the same way about him. He had to know that –
"Bolbi confused."
Jimmy stared at Bolbi for approximately ten seconds. When it became painfully aware that Bolbi was not going to turn back into Cindy, Jimmy looked up the bathroom door. There, plain for anyone to see, was the word 'Men's.'
Jimmy turned to the side and spotted another door. On this one read the word 'Women's.' A second later, the 'Women's' door opened. A white-faced Cindy exited the bathroom and closed the door behind her with a trembling hand.
"Bolbi think you like that girl."
Cindy looked at Jimmy, then at Bolbi. She began to quiver, not with shock this time, but with rage. Jimmy realized he still had his arms wrapped around Bolbi.
"Sh-she's just a c-classmate, huh?" Cindy stammered through gritted teeth.
Jimmy immediately took his hands off Bolbi. "This isn't what it looks like Cindy."
Cindy's shaking became even more violent. "She's just another girl and you know it?!"
"I wasn't referring about you, I was referring to Betty!"
A deranged grin had appeared on Cindy's face. She looked from Jimmy to Bolbi. "I hope you two make each other v-v-very, h-h-happy." She marched past Jimmy like a soldier hewn of iron.
"Cindy wait, it's not what it looks like!"
Down at the end of the corridor, Sheen, Libby, Carl, and many of the other diners had assembled themselves, watching the scene as it unraveled. It was the shock of the century. Jimmy Neutron had just declared his love for…Bolbi Stroganovsky?
"Didn't see that one coming," Sheen said.
Libby was weeping tears of sorrow. "Jimmy how could you?!" she exclaimed.
"You said I could have Bolbi!" Carl yelled.
Sheen frowned. "Didn't see that one coming either."
Jimmy could only watch as everyone took turns yelling at him, and then began yelling en masse. Everyone that was except Nick. He was being ushered into an ambulance outside the Candy Bar.
Francis smirked as he watched the chaos. He bent over to give popcorn to one of his rats.
"You guys!" Jimmy wailed. "It was a big misunderstanding, I swear!"
"Yeah, well maybe you're just a big misunderstanding!" Butch shot back.
Jimmy glared at Butch. "That didn't even make sense!"
Everyone gave Jimmy their final insults and began walking away. Nothing Jimmy said could deter them. "Come on, you guys don't really think I love Bolbi do you?! Me?! In love with Bolbi?! No one thinks there's a chance that this is all a huge mistake?!"
Jimmy whirled around to find that the only person left in the corridor was in fact Bolbi. Jimmy seethed with rage. He was so angry he couldn't formulate proper words. He jabbed his finger at Bolbi. "You…why don't you…tell them this is all a mistake, you…why…"
Jimmy shot a finger at the men's restroom. "Why were you crying in there?!" he got out at last.
Bolbi shrugged. "Bolbi sad." He looked at Jimmy for a moment. Without another word or spare glance, Bolbi walked away.
Jimmy glared at Bolbi's receding form. Rejected by Bolbi. He had reached a new low in life. Maybe Sheen would still hang out with him. Sheen never held onto grudges for very long, right?
Jimmy sighed, leaning against the wall on his back. "What a day. Never thought my confession would go like that."
He remained in this position for a while, when a sound of scurrying feet caught his attention. Jimmy looked down to find a large black rat, staring up at him. The rat had a piece of popcorn in his front paws and was offering it up to Jimmy.
"Aw, is that for me?" Jimmy asked. The rat just looked at him. This gesture from a friendly animal soothed Jimmy's turbulent emotions. He supposed he shouldn't be surprised. Rats were known to display altruism.
"Thanks little guy," Jimmy said. He stooped down to get the popcorn. "You know, in my fourteen years of living, this is probably the worst – hey!"
The second before Jimmy's fingertips reached the kernel, the rat yanked it away and went scurrying with it in the opposite direction. If Jimmy didn't know any better, he could have sworn he heard high-pitched tittering coming from the rodent.
"I hate everyone!"
AN: Hey guys. Been a while, huh? Sorry it's taking me so long to continue Make a Move. I've been insanely busy lately, and it's been difficult to physically find the time to write. That really killed the momentum I had going for that story, and I'm having a hard time picking it up. Hopefully I can get back to it. When I do, I really want to make sure that it's up to par.
'OMG' will just be a collection of stories that have...rather unfortunate resolutions. I'm not trying to write great literature here, but hopefully I can write some unexpected stuff that'll make you laugh. For those who may have noticed or who are curious, Francis, the androgynous blond-haired boy, is from Make a Move. I'll try not to overuse him, but he does seem to be funny, and he may pop in here and there.
I honestly have idea when I can update again. When I have the time and an idea however, you'll see another update. Thanks guys! :)