Disclaimer—I don't own Jimmy Neutron or any of the Nickelodeon characters just my own OC

A/N: This story takes place before their senior year of high school but all the characters are 18, except for Sheen who is 19. I also realize that Cindy might be slightly OOC but I wanted to try and write her a little differently. Warnings for underage drinking and possible J/C interactions.

Chapter One

By the time Jimmy Neutron arrived at what was probably the biggest party of the summer it was in full swing. Jimmy wasn't big on parties. He found the noise, the music, the drinking and quite frankly even the conversation to be extremely tedious.

He fully stood by his brilliant opinion that once you've been to one party you've been to them all. Unfortunately this party he was unable to get out of. In fact he'd gone to this party for the last three years, and now as a senior he took comfort that it would be the last time he was forced to "make an appearance" at Libby Folfax's end of the summer bash. He wasn't entirely cynical though. In truth there were two small advantages to his involuntary presence at these social gatherings.

The first of course, being that because Libby was his best friend's girlfriend, his best friends were naturally in attendance. While Sheen played the doting boyfriend to the party's host, Carl and Jimmy enjoyed the sights. For Carl the sights normally consisted of the Drama Club girls, or the snack table, Jimmy had a more refined taste.

There was only one solitary individual that could without a doubt captivate his entire attention.

"Hey guys!" Jimmy yelled out over the music that was cranked up so loud it appeared to be shaking the house.

"Hey Jim!" Carl called back as they leaned against the staircase banister.

"What?!" Sheen screamed, and Jimmy waved him off just as Libby came around the corner.

"Jimmy! So glad you could make it!"

"Well, I'm pretty sure I didn't have a choice."

"Either way, we are still happy you're here!" She smiled warmly at him and he couldn't help but smile back. She ushered them down the hall a little ways so it was easier to hear her.

"Why don't you guys get something to drink in the kitchen? "

"Sure" Jimmy said while Carl nodded. Jimmy doubted he would follow him; he'd just spotted last year's lead in the musical Grease.

Jimmy checked his watched. 10:30. He only had to stay another hour, hour and a half tops.

He pushed the swinging door open to find himself face to face with the second small benefit to being forced to socialize with his peers outside of his intimate friend group.

XXXX

When Cindy Vortex walked through her best friend's front door at 9 that evening, she knew it was going to be a long night. The music was already blaring, tables were already beginning to be converted into beer pong arenas, and she had already spotted at least three people she despised. Betty Quinlan, for one.

Betty and her had reached somewhat of a truce as of late. They both had the misfortune of running in the same crowd now, and it was important to "keep up appearances". Cindy of course was as intellectual in high school as she had been in grade school. She made high honor roll every semester, was Captain of the debate team and had taken her Quiz Bowl league to states last year. She was in all AP classes too. But on top of that she was a cheerleader during football season, a diver for the swim team in the winter and Co-Captain for the Volleyball team come spring. The other Co-Captain being Betty of course.

"Cindy!" Betty called out, waving ever so slightly in greeting. Cindy nodded back to her with a small smile as well.

"Hey!" She said as she approached her, Brittney and Natasha. All were fellow members of her volleyball team.

"Have you guys seen Libby?" She asked. Betty shook her head no, as the music began to get louder.

Cindy turned to go just as Nick Dean came around the corner. He nodded at the girls in greeting before bending down to give Betty a kiss.

"Do you guys wanna play beer pong?" He asked. "At least it wont be as loud in the dining room."

Cindy shrugged and followed the others into the other room. She wasn't much of a drinker. She had been to more than a few of these kinds of parties but she never got hammered. The trick was knowing your limit. But Cindy Vortex had never played beer pong.

By 9:45 Cindy was buzzed. By the time 10:15 finally rolled around she'd found Libby and managed to get closer to tipsy.

"Cindy, slow down" her best friend cautioned.

"Oh I know Libs, I'm good." She reassured her.

"Ohhkay…" Libby sighed, smiling at her best friend. She looked good. Her hair was down and the ends were lightly curled where it fell in the middle of her back. She was wearing a short cotton, black strapless dress with her black converse. That was just Cindy's style and for her it worked. Her makeup was simple yet tasteful and her emerald eyes were glowing. She looked relaxed.

I wonder how quick that will fade whenever our local teen genius finally shows up. Libby thought. Jimmy and Cindy saw plenty of one another in school, Libby was pretty sure they had every single class together. But over this summer they hadn't see one another.

In fact Libby thought, this would be the first time in two months they've seen one another. Cindy had left in early June to be a girls' camp counselor for the past eight weeks. Libby herself had only just seen Cindy again the past Sunday. And she had to admit she seemed different. Looking at her best friend now she knew this was the happiest she'd seen her the past few days.

Libby heard her front door open and turned to see Jimmy come striding through her foyer. Cindy, who was distracted by a conversation going on with Britney didn't notice.

"Hey, why don't you guys go get something else to drink in the kitchen? I'll be right there." And Libby excused herself to go greet her highly anticipated guest.

XXXX

Jimmy stepped though the small kitchen and pretended to be surveying the island that was packed with various bottles of liquor, empty beer cans, and a suspicious bowl of punch.

In reality he was drawn like a moth to flame by the blonde sitting casually on a bar stool with her back towards him. Her attention was on Brittney who was telling a very loud story about a parking space at the mall and a "real angry old dude."

"Oh Hiii Jimmy" Brittney drawled out, and Jimmy finally turned towards the two girls. He watched Cindy's shoulders stiffen for a brief moment before she turned around and faced him head on.

Jimmy was immediately thrown. As he so often was, when he hadn't seen her in a while. His memories of her, even vivid ones never did her justice.

"Hey ladies. How are you?"

"We're gooood." Brittney replied and then giggled "maybe a little drunk."

"Speak for yourself" Cindy scoffed quietly. To which Jimmy grinned and addressed her specifically.

"Alright there Vortex?"

"Never better." She said sarcastically taking a swig out a red solo cup in her hand.

"And yourself?"

"Can't complain," he said as he watched her slide gracefully away from the counter and towards him.

"Here, hold this for me"

Obediently he held his hand out and she placed her drink into his palm. Her pinky grazed his slightly and he felt a pleasant shiver race through him.

He watched her move effortlessly across the linoleum tile to grab another cup and began filling it with clear liquid, probably vodka he surmised and something that looked like Sprite.

Walking back over to him she grinned, and he felt the butterfly wings in his stomach begin to beat uncontrollably.

"Here, trade." She said simply as she placed the new cup in his hand and extracted her drink back.

"You made this for me?" He asked filled with genuine surprise.

"Yeah, can't promise it will be any good though, it's cheap booze. But it's what I'm drinking." And with that she laughed, threw her head back and downed the rest of her cup.

She stared impatiently at him. "Come on Neutron, I haven't got all day."

Realizing she wanted him to follow her lead, he did—but not without grimacing.

That earned him a genuine laugh.

"So Vortex how was your summer?"

She looked at him for a moment as though considering her answer carefully. "Have you ever been to Maine, Neutron?" Without waiting for his answer she continued on "it's beautiful, don't get me wrong. But it's so boring I was tempted to walk off the end of the dock a few times."

"Well, "he supplied "if it makes you feel any better it was pretty boring here too."

"Really?" She asked as Sheen, Libby, and Carl finally made their way into the kitchen.

"Cindy!" Carl cried, clearly a bit drunker than when Jimmy had left him.

"Hey Carl, Sheen." Cindy said and smiled at each of them. In their childhood Cindy often showed distain for both boys, almost as much as she did to Jimmy. But as they'd grown, and Libby and Sheen had become inseparable their relationship had changed.

"How are you Carl?" She asked turning her attention towards him.

"Drunk." Carl answered honestly and Jimmy and Sheen laughed while Libby snorted and Cindy smirked.

A loud commotion came from the dining room and burst into the kitchen and Jimmy inwardly groaned. Football Players. He believed these latest models were called Tyler and Shane.

"Hey, Cindy, Libby" they both said while their eyes roamed up and down their female forms.

Sheen protectively wrapped an arm around Libby's waist. Jimmy looked over at where he thought Cindy would be but was quite surprised to see she'd moved closer to him. Close enough that he could smell the jasmine wafting out of her hair, and the vanilla coming off her skin. Not that he was complaining. Not one bit.

The girls ignored them, and they soon moved on, stumbling into the next room to start another game of beer pong.

"Hey Libs, I know I said I'd stay until at least 11:30 but I'm wiped, I still have to unpack and school starts in four days."

"That's okay, I know girl thanks for coming." Libby responded and wrapped Cindy up in a big hug.

"Bye guys" She said sweetly to Carl and Sheen. Jimmy was about to turn and give her his own goodbye before she said quietly asked him "walk me home?"

Jimmy couldn't agree fast enough, and began nodding like a bobble head. He followed her out of the kitchen, through the den, where she grabbed an unopened bottle of wine off the end table and out the door into the summer night.