Something Special - Chapter One (Rewritten and Revised on January 4th, 2009)
Hello, my wonderful readers. I wrote this, as you probably already know, many months ago. I re-read it yesterday and felt like it could be better. So, I rewrote it. I'll probably rewrite the next chapter as well before going on with the story. Hope you enjoy it, and please review!
Disclaimer: Jimmy Neutron or other characters, places, planets, ice-cream flavors, shoes, and inventions aren't mine. I can only dream.
A young Cindy Vortex awoke to the obnoxiously loud buzzing of her small alarm clock. She quickly snapped out her left hand, turning it off angrily. It was unnatural to have to wake up so early on a Saturday. She sighed. Her mother was impossibly cruel. She widely stretched her arms before slowly climbing out of bed, yawning. She walked toward her dresser, but stopped abruptly when she noticed a moving truck parked in the driveway of the house across the street.
"Wow, someone's actually moving there? It's been empty for ages," she said sleepily, "Hopefully they're at least somewhat normal, unlike the last idiots who lived there."
Her curiosity got the best of her, so she watched the house momentarily. A small vehicle pulled into the driveway behind the truck, leaving the car idle. The passenger got out and stood in the front yard, looking up at the house.
They must be the ones moving in, she thought, Well, they look all right.
That was, until Cindy saw what the movers were removing from the truck. A collection of model ducks. No normal family collects ducks. The young blonde rolled her eyes and walked away from the window. She didn't even want to know what kind of crazy neighbors she would very soon have.
She took a shower and got ready for the day, taking her time. It was a Saturday, after all. She glanced toward the window once more, and noticed that the moving truck was gone, but a smaller one had taken its place. They were unloading many different high-tech-looking gadgets, and carrying them behind the house. Cindy furrowed her eyebrows in confusion.
She picked up the phone lying on her desk and dialed her best friend Libby's number. Right before she pressed send, her mother called from downstairs, "Cynthia! Come down here please!"
Cindy sighed exasperatedly, walking down the stairs slowly. She trumped into the kitchen, where her mother was carrying a freshly baked cherry pie. It smelled delicious. She paused in front of her mother, wondering why she would bake on a Saturday, when her father wasn't even home. Cindy received her answer immediately.
"Cynthia, please take this pie to our new neighbors right across the street. Be polite and welcome them to the neighborhood," she said in her pompous voice, thrusting the pie into her only daughter's outstretched hands.
Ugh. This is great. Just perfect. My Saturday spent socializing with weirdo neighbors. Why do I have to go, anyway? Why can't my mom go and do something herself for once? She's so infuriating! she thought exasperatedly as she stormed off across the street, carrying the warm pie in her arms.
She approached the doorway, and knocked lightly. She waited impatiently, until the door opened. The woman who stood before Cindy was smiling, and looked very serene and kind. She asked amiably, "Hello. How can I help you, Sweetie?"
"Hi. I'm Cindy Vortex, and I live just across the street. My mom baked some cherry pie, and wanted to welcome you to the neighborhood!" Cindy said politely, holding out the pie innocently as she returned the smile.
"Well hello there, Cindy! I'm Mrs. Neutron. Thank you very much for the pie," she said as she took it from Cindy's hands, "Let me introduce you to my family."
Cindy rolled her eyes inwardly. How long can this possibly last? I need to go the Candy Bar to meet Libs! But this Mrs. Neutron is so nice, I can't just be rude and leave… She sighed, defeated.
"Hugh! Jimmy! Come here for a minute and meet one of our neighbors!" Mrs. Neutron yelled up the stairs.
In no more than a few seconds, the man appeared whom she saw in the front yard. He seemed very happy. It was almost creepy. He reached out his hand and said, "Hey, I'm Hugh Neutron! I see you've already met my sugar-booger," he gestured toward his apparent wife, and Cindy laughed inwardly at the ridiculous nickname, "It's great to meet a neighbor!
Cindy smiled slightly, but didn't have time to respond since someone else showed up at the door. He was a young boy, about the same age as Cindy, but shorter. The first thing she noticed were his eyes. She was completely captivated by their intense color. A magnificent sapphire blue. It reminded her of the ocean, only this was even more pure. She then noticed his expression. It was quizzical, and curious. Like he was naturally very intelligent, in much contrast to the idiotic boys she knew now. Then, his hair. It was very large, most likely in an attempt to make him appear taller. It looked like fudge ice-cream. She almost giggled. He was so… different. So much more unique than anyone else in this boring little town. And his intense eyes looked sincere and innocent, something very rare in her experiences.
It was then that she noticed how her heart was beating so much more quickly than normal. Her breaths seemed faster, more shallow. She had a weird feeling in her stomach, and it just got stronger by the moment. She had never felt like this, and it was so strange and unfamiliar. She was in shock, and found it difficult to speak. She couldn't even think properly.
He smiled, and her stomach flipped. He extended his hand and said softly, "Hi. I'm James Isaac Neutron. But you can call me Jimmy."
She somehow worked up enough composure to shake his hand, and the moment their palms touched, she felt like she'd been hit by ten-thousand volts. Yet it wasn't unpleasant.
She finally got the courage and breath to speak coherently, "H-hi. I'm C-cindy Vortex." She smiled back, though to her it felt different. Less forced, and natural. It was silent, since Jimmy's parents went to take the pie inside.
Jimmy and Cindy just watched each other, analyzing. It was as though they were trying to figure out the emotions buried beneath one another's eyes. She realized she was still holding his hand, and snapped out of her trance, dropping his hand with a crimson glow on her pale features. He was blushing also. They looked around nervously until she asked to break the awkward silence, "Uhh… So how do you like Retroville so far?"
It sounded a lot braver than it felt, and her heart was still beating profusely. He answered quickly but almost unsteadily, "I think I'm going to have a very interesting time here. I like it."
He smiled, and she couldn't help but return it even easier than before. It was like blinking. Simple.
The silence was broken when Mrs. Neutron shouted from inside, "James Isaac Neutron! Clean up after your dog right this instant!"
His blush returned, yet less fiercely, and he said before turning to go back into the house, "Sory, Cindy. I've gotta go. See you around?"
"Yeah. See you."
And with a smile and a wave, he was back inside the house. Cindy smiled, momentarily frozen, before turning around and walking back across the street to her own home.
And from that moment she knew that Jimmy Neutron wasn't like all of the other boys in Retroville. He was definitely different. Something special.
How was it? Bad? Good? Immensely horrible so you never want me to update again? Inform me in reviews please!