I've been working on this for awhile now...it started out as two separate one-shots that I combined into one big idea, so this will probably end up being 4-5 chapters. I still consider that a short story though it may be pretty long - if that makes sense. I am using a LOT of creative liberty here, because I obviously know nothing about science/robots/inventing.

Sometimes I envision Cindy as a Blair Waldorf type personality. Does anyone agree?

I hope you all enjoy this story. Most of it is written, and I will update it in about a week or maybe sooner depending on how everyone likes it.

Radio Silence

"Who's this fellow over here?" Sheen asked the second he entered the lab with Carl in tow. The two boys stared in awe at the seemingly real replica of a teenage boy sat on the ran-down couch inside Jimmy's lab.

Both were staring so intently, that they jumped nearly three feet in the air when the arm of the boy moved.

"Ah! Jimmy!"

The genius' head popped up from behind the boy, holding a screwdriver in his hand. "Why are you screaming?"

"What is that? Or should I ask - who is that?!" Sheen pointed to the boy, who was now still.

Jimmy stood up fully, grinning proudly. "Guys, meet DJ, my newest creation."

"DJ?"

"He's got a longer name, but I shortened to something that would be more catchy and less technical. He looks real, doesn't he?"

"Please tell me that's not a robot," Carl said, eyeing the invention warily.

"Of course it is, Carl. I've been testing out a new prototype lately and -"

"I'm already bored," Sheen interrupted, gaining enough confidence to inch closer to the robot on the couch. "Why does he look so real?"

"A lot of people are put off by the look of my old robots," Jimmy said, gesturing to the corner of the lab that was specifically used for storage of old creations. "I figured if I could make him look and act like a real person, he would be okay to use in public."

Sheen poked the robot. "Oh my god, ew. He even feels real! Carl you gotta touch it!"

Carl shook his firmly, his feet firmly planted several feet away from the couch. "No way."

"Oh, he's perfectly safe," Jimmy said. He lifted up a flap that was located on the back of the neck of the robot and flipped the on/off switch. DJ's previously blue eyes flashed green for a quick moment and the robot fully came to life.

Sheen jumped back again when the robot smiled and spoke in an eerily normal-sounding voice. "Hi! My name is DJ. What can I play for you?"

Carl looked like he was ready to have an aneurysm, so Jimmy flipped the switch again quickly. "He might take some time getting used to. It'll be okay."

Sheen, who was a little more comfortable with Jimmy's eccentric creations than their cautious friend, laughed heartily. "What the fuck, dude. Why did you do this?"

"Well, you know how Betty mentioned that she's throwing a pool party to celebrate the end of the school year?" His friends just nodded. "She also mentioned that she was having trouble finding a good DJ in our area that her dad would be willing to pay for."

"Wait, is that why you named it DJ?" Sheen interjected. "Is that why you made him in the first place?"

Jimmy was a pretty honest person, but he was also a little embarrassed that his friends had figured him out so quickly. Inventing a robot that was both functional and lifelike hadn't been easy, but he always liked a challenge. The plus side was that when he eventually presents the idea to Betty, who would hopefully approve, she would be forced to acknowledge him in a way that was other than friendly.

The plan was mostly foolproof, as long as DJ worked the way he intended it too.

Jimmy didn't answer and Sheen gave him a shit-eating grin. "Turn him back on. I want to talk to him."

Jimmy obliged and DJ's eyes glowed once more, followed by his earlier greeting. "He knows every word in the English language, and with the software I used, he's similar to programs like Alexa or Siri. He has pre-programmed replies and sayings, and he'll only get smarter as time goes on and the more we talk to him."

"So, in other words, he can tell me a bunch of useless information and play music, but not carry on a normal conversation without sounding like a robot?"

"He does what he's intended for," Jimmy said with a glare. By this time, Carl was inching closer to the couch curiously. "I didn't create him to be that lifelike."

"Hey, DJ, how the heck are ya?" Sheen asked loudly.

The robot blinked and smiled, and his fake eyes focusing on the boy in front of him. "I'm doing great. What is your name?"

"My name is Sheen, and that's Carl," Sheen replied, pointing at the terrified redhead.

"Nice to meet you. I can play any song you like - just tell me the title and name of the artist so we can get started."

"Looks like a human, sounds like a robot," Carl said, like he was reassuring himself. "That's not so bad."

Jimmy was a little put off by the reaction. With the pool party only a few weeks away, that didn't give him a lot of time to make adjustments. Luckily it would be easier to update the software rather than change the actual hardware that the robot was composed of.

"C'mon, let's go test him out on someone else. You two are unappreciative of my hard work."

"Where are we going?"

"Just across the street."

Sheen snorted and nudged Carl. "He thinks that Cindy is going to appreciate his hard work, Carl, can you believe that?"

"I can hear you!"

-0-0-0-0-0-

"Do you think Betty's pool is bigger than yours?" Libby asked the blonde sitting next to her. They were soaking up the late Spring Texan sun in lounge chairs set up in Cindy's backyard, right next to the pool. The water was crystal clear and looked inviting on such a warm day.

Cindy's expression was hard to gauge behind the sunglasses she wore, but Libby could feel the annoyance radiating off of her anyway. "Probably. That bitch has everything."

Libby snorted. "She doesn't have your crudeness, that's for sure."

The blonde just smiled, not phased by the mild insult. Libby was Cindy's sense of reasoning and the sometimes-angel on her shoulder that whispered in her ear to be nice. She was grateful for that. She didn't always take others feelings into consideration before she spoke. She tended to say the first thing that came to mind and whether that hurt someone's feelings or not, she didn't usually care.

Cindy was made out of tough material. It wasn't necessarily her fault that she didn't know others weren't. Betty was one of those people.

Cindy was tough, unforgiving, and competitive, Betty was the opposite - soft, generous, kind. Not that Cindy was unkind, but she was less forthcoming with kindness than Betty.

Cindy's phone was resting on the metal patio table a few feet behind where the two girls lazed in the sun. It started buzzing, making the table rattle ever so slightly. Cindy reached behind her head and grabbed the phone as the vibrations threatened to knock it onto the ground entirely. An unknown number was calling her and she answered it cautiously.

"Hello?"

"Hello, Cindy? It's Betty."

Cindy pulled the phone away from her ear and stared at it like it was going to explode. Libby gave her a curious look, reaching over to press the speaker button.

Betty spoke again when the silence stretched for too long. "Hello?"

"...I'm here."

"Oh, good! I have something very important to ask you."

Libby pushed her sunglasses up her head, making eye contact with her stunned friend.

"Does my lawyer need to be present for this?"

"Very funny," Betty said with a touch of dryness. "I've always admired that Vortex wit."

Cindy made a face at the phone and Libby stifled a giggle. "It's what I'm known for."

"This is about the end of the school year party I'm planning."

"I got my invitation in the mail, so maybe this phone call is overkill, huh?"

Libby grabbed a pool noodle and hit her best friend in the leg with it. Her curiosity was too strong to let her end the phone call before it ever really began.

Betty just plowed on without so much as a sigh or hint of frustration. "It's meant to be a pool party. Everything was going great until this morning when I realized my pool is out of commission."

Cindy gazed at her own pool and its fresh, crisp looking water. "What happened to it?"

"The concrete surface is cracking. Not a huge deal but it needs replastered...and with the party happening in just a few days, I'm afraid it won't be ready in time."

"So move the date."

Cindy was wondering why Betty was coming to her for advice when the two barely spoke to each other. "I can't do that. The invitations have already been sent off."

The sound of rustling grass and footsteps sounded behind the girls. They both turned, and saw Jimmy, Sheen, and Carl walking towards them. Cindy rolled her eyes and stood up, walking to the other side of the yard so she could keep talking in peace. Libby grinned at the sight of her boyfriend but when her gaze fell upon an unknown fourth member of the incoming group, she paused.

"Alright, Quinzilla. I would love to hear more about the structural state of your pool but you're going to need to tell me why you're calling me in the first place."

"I know you and I haven't been the closest of friends over the years," Betty said kindly. "But I'm calling to ask you for a favor."

Cindy made eye contact with Jimmy, who was looking at her curiously, and she turned her back away to the rest of the group in her yard. "Keep talking."

"I need to borrow your pool so I can still have my party. Please."

Cindy smiled to herself. Oh, she loved the feeling of the mighty asking for her help. It made her feel warm inside. And Betty certainly was mighty - she was popular, rich, and never without company.

That meant she was truly desperate if she was asking Cindy Vortex for help.

Cindy tsked into the phone. "I must say you're asking a lot from me."

"I am?" Betty asked innocently.

"If I'm not mistaken, you're not just asking to borrow my pool for a quick dip in the water, right? You want to host your party here. That will be messy. Not to mention expensive."

"I understand that, and I'm one step ahead of you. I'll take care of setting up, cleaning afterwards, and I'll arrange for your pool to be cleaned. Your house too, if you want."

"That's just the tip of the iceberg."

Betty was quiet for a moment. Cindy was testing just how desperate she actually was before she started making demands. "What else would it take?"

Ah, desperate times call for desperate measures, it seems.

"Since it's my house and my pool it would only make sense that I get some of the credit, right?" Cindy said, pure joy creeping into her voice. "I like to think I have good ideas for parties. A lot of variables are involved. Refreshments, music selection. Maybe we need to start a list."

"Of course," Betty agreed quickly, sounding relieved. "I'm so grateful that you're going to do this, you have no idea-"

"Ah ah ah, hold on. I haven't agreed to anything yet. Although, I like the idea. I need to think about it and ask my parents."

"Absolutely, and if you need me to speak with them I will."

Cindy's smile grew wider. This was too easy. She didn't actually need to ask her parents. Her parents wouldn't care if she threw a rager in their basement every night of the week as long as she stayed out of their way. She just wanted to make the older girl sweat a little.

"I think I can handle it. I'll call you tomorrow morning and we'll settle everything."

"Thank you so much, Cindy. You're a lifesaver."

Like music to her ears.

-0-0-0-0-0-

Libby was both dumbfounded and suspicious by DJ the moment the guys and robot stepped into Cindy's backyard.

"Who is that?"

"The appropriate wording is what is that, honey," Sheen said.

Jimmy impatiently glanced at Cindy, who was talking on the phone across the yard. "What is she doing?" He asked Libby.

"Not entirely sure. She's making a business deal I think. Now are you going to tell me what this is?" She gestured towards DJ. The robot's eyes followed her movements.

"His name is DJ. He's a robot I created specifically for musical purposes, like a real disc jockey. He has every song ever made from the 1970s to today available for playback."

"Why did you stop at the 1970s?" Carl asked.

Jimmy shrugged. "I didn't want to overload him since he's so new. I didn't think anyone would appreciate the decades before then anyways."

"By anyone, he means Betty Quinlan and her party attendees," Sheen said to Libby, who grinned and glanced at Cindy.

"I thought he was a real person at first. Very lifelike."

"Thanks," Jimmy said proudly. "You can talk to him."

"Uh, hi," Libby said to DJ, who smiled at the sound of his nickname.

"Hello! What is your name?"

"My name is Libby."

"Nice to meet you Libby. What song would you like to hear today?"

Libby chose a song and music started to emanate from DJ. The sound was clear and loud thanks to the quality of the speakers Jimmy had used.

"I have to admit, that's pretty cool, even if he sounds like he's reading off a script."

"He's still working out some of the bugs."

Jimmy indicated for DJ to stop playing music as he noticed Cindy was no longer speaking to anyone on her phone and was making her way towards them.

"Is this going to make or break you?" Sheen whispered loudly.

"Shut up, Sheen. I don't need nor care for Cindy's opinion. I told you we are just testing him out."

The other three just gave him a collective eye roll. Jimmy would never admit it, but Cindy was still his one true skeptic and critic after so many years and he did care about her opinion. She didn't mince words. She was honest. When she disliked one of his inventions, she would certainly let him know. She was smart, so her opinions weren't the kind to easily brush off, either.

The one thing that did change over the years was her vocalization of the inventions of his that she did happen to like. It didn't happen often. When it did, he felt a sense of pride that was uncommon for him. Like he'd won a coveted award. Like he was special. He didn't know why - he figured it was because her approval was so hard to come by. They'd known each other for a long time, too.

That had to be why.

But he would vehemently deny it when anyone would bring it up. His friends knew him well enough to see it. He hoped no one else could.

Cindy had her eyes on DJ as she joined the rest of the group. She could tell that something was amiss right away judging by the look on her face.

"How was that?" Libby said, nodding her head towards Cindy's phone.

"It was great. What the hell is this?" She asked, looking towards the genius.

"His name is DJ, he's a-"

"Okay I've heard enough already. What's up, creepy robot?" She asked DJ.

The robot had its eyes trained on her but her words didn't seem to compute within the system placed inside. Jimmy sighed. "You'll have to say his name for him to reply."

"What's up, creepy robot named DJ?"

"Hello! I'm doing fine. What is your name?"

"Cindy."

"Nice to meet you, Cindy. What can I play for you?"

She didn't reply to the question, just looked back at Jimmy. "Why am I the host to a nerd convention right now?"

"Just taking him on a test run."

"He has to make sure that DJ is ready for his first gig," Sheen chimed in helpfully.

"He has a job?" Cindy asked.

"Yeah, Betty's party."

The two girls shared a look that Jimmy noticed, but couldn't decipher. Cindy's smile was bright and mischievous. "What?" Jimmy asked, suspicious.

"Nothing at all, Nerdtron. I just hope your creepy robot is waterproof."

She slid her sunglasses back on her face and Jimmy scowled. Going to Cindy's had been a mistake. While she wasn't being overtly rude, she didn't seem to care about his invention at all.

That was fine. The only person he really needed to impress was Betty. She was the one throwing the party after all.

-0-0-0-0-0-

Jimmy spent two long days and nights upgrading DJ so that he would speak and act more like a human. He had to figure out how to do that without sacrificing any of his efficiency as a smart music device. It hadn't been easy, but when he was finished he was satisfied. DJ could now hold a conversation without sounding like a robot.

In the end he had to remove a whole decade worth of songs to make room for the improvements, but no one would miss the 70s tunes. He was sure of it.

Now he just had to show Betty and hopefully knock her socks off.

He texted and asked her if they could meet up soon so he could ask her about her party. If Betty was confused or weirded out by that, she didn't show it. She told him he could come to her house any time. He left DJ sit in the car - powered down - so it would be too awkward bringing a robot with him inside.

Betty answered her front door with a bright smile. "Hi Jimmy! How are you?"

He followed her inside and they made small talk. He could hear the sound of a drill and construction noises coming from what he thought was her backyard. She saw him glance towards the direction of the sounds and filled him in, "Our pool is being fixed. It's such a pain."

"Oh, well I hope it'll be ready for the party on Saturday," he said and she gave him a confused look.

"Surely you heard by now, or Cindy told you?"

"Cindy? Tell me what?"

"The party got moved. I thought I told everyone," she said, looking a little horrified. "I may need to contact some more people."

"Moved where?"

"Cindy's house. It was the only place I could think of that had a decently sized pool and wouldn't cost me a ton of money, and she was nice enough to say yes! Isn't that great?"

Jimmy's heart sank all the way to his feet. Cindy was hosting the party now.

"That was nice of her," he agreed weakly.

"What did you want to ask me about?"

"Well, actually, it was about the music for your party. I was hoping to test out a new invention of mine that would be perfect. I can show you, if you'd like."

"Oh, Jimmy, I trust you," she said with a warm smile. "Whatever you invented is wonderful, I'm sure."

He was sensing a sentence starting with the word but coming next and he held in a sigh. "So you'll let me use it at your party?"

"Of course. My answer is a yes. But since the party is going to be at Cindy's, I promised her that I would run all my plans by her. I think the person you should ask is her."

"You really think so?" Betty nodded, not seeming to see what the issue was. She probably didn't know that Cindy Vortex was not the type of person to look after someone else's best interest unless it directly involved her own.

He left Betty's house feeling dejected, and took DJ back into the lab so run more diagnostic tests on him. Sheen and Carl came over to keep him and company, and he wasn't surprised to hear that they already knew the party had been moved - thanks to Libby, he was sure.

The two boys watched Jimmy work for awhile before Sheen decided to speak his mind.

"This is a lot of work for one girl," He mused.

Jimmy looked at him with a raised brow. "Like you wouldn't go to great lengths to impress Libby if you were in my shoes?"

"Yeah but I love Libby. Do you even know Betty's favorite color or food? Her middle name?"

"Does it matter? I know I like her. I can learn those things."

Sheen just shrugged. "Leave Jim alone, Sheen. He's trying to be romantic."

"Thanks, Carl. I'm glad someone is on my side."

"Hey, I am on your side! I just wonder if maybe when you do get to know Betty, you won't like her as much and this will all be a waste."

"What do you suppose I do then? Not even try?"

"Why don't you just find a girl you already know pretty well and woo her instead?"

Sheen had ridiculous ideas sometimes. It was funny though, so Jimmy humored him. "Like who?"

"I don't know. Carl, what do you think? Can you think of a girl our age that Jimmy would know better than Betty?"

Carl thought deeply about that for a moment and Jimmy rubbed his temple where a headache was starting to form.

"I only know of one," Carl said uneasily.

"Who?" Jimmy asked.

"I don't wanna say it."

Sheen smiled slyly. "We might be thinking of the same person. We can say it together if you want. On three."

He held up his fingers and started a silent countdown, and when there weren't any left they both said "Cindy" at the same time. Jimmy groaned.

"I refuse to think of Cindy that way!" He exclaimed.

"Why is that?" Carl asked.

"You guys know how she is! She's...rude. She's annoying. She always been hell-bent on making my life as uncomfortable as possible. And she's impossible to get along with."

Sheen just shrugged again. "It was just an idea."

"Well it was a bad one. Betty and Cindy couldn't be more different. That's why I like Betty so much."

"Because you hate Cindy?" Carl asked, sounding confused.

"I don't hate her. Hate is a strong word. I would definitely say she hates me though."

"She just projects all of her emotions as anger no matter what they are."

"Where are you pulling this information from, Sheen? Have you been reading advice columns again?"

"It's Libby," Sheen said defensively. "She's been messing with my brain. And she tells me everything about Cindy too. I think she does it so I won't pick on her anymore. AND IT'S WORKING!"

"Girls are tricky."

"You're telling me."

-0-0-0-0-0-

This had to be Jimmy's worst nightmare. The party was moved to Cindy's house? He might as well throw in the towel. She already didn't care for him or his inventions. There was no way she was going to allow him to provide the music now that she'd been given one ounce of control.

Remembering Betty's sweet smile, Jimmy knew he had to at least try.

He didn't want to fight with Cindy, though. She wasn't anything like Betty, who was selfless. Cindy only cared about herself.

With two days left before the party, he went to Cindy's house. She was predictably in the backyard again, but alone this time. He cursed internally. He would have a better chance if Libby was there.

Cindy seemed to sense his presence without even turning her head. She was relaxing in a lounge chair next to the pool, clad only in a pristine white bikini that showed way more skin that it covered and a pair of sunglasses. Her skin was already darkening from its usual shade of pale and it was only the first week of the summer vacation.

"What do you want Neutron?"

He sat down in the chair next to hers, facing her. She didn't move. "I heard something interesting yesterday."

She smiled widely. "The news is out then. About the party."

"It's nice of you to let Betty throw her party here."

Cindy sat up fully and pushed her sunglasses up, automatically sensing that his words were off. "Please don't tell me you're here to butter me up."

"Did Betty tell you about my idea?"

"No, but Libby did."

Jimmy wanted to pull his hair out. "Cmon, I know you still need to figure out the music situation. Let me do it."

"I don't want your creepy robot near my party."

His eyes widened. "Your party?"

She just rolled her eyes. "It's my house. My pool. My party."

"You're taking advantage of Betty," he said angrily. "She came to you for help and you're walking all over her."

Cindy scoffed and fell back into her previous lounging position. "It's not my fault that she makes a good doormat."

"Vortex, don't think I won't go to her and say something."

She was silent, and she turned her head to look at him, green eyes piercing into his own. "Neutron, stay out of this. Keep it in your pants for two seconds and mind your own business."

He ground his teeth together, trying to resist the urge to yell. Cindy held his fate in her hands for the time being but he would hopefully change that with another talk with Betty.

"That's pretty low, Vortex. Even for you."

His words made her soften her edges just a tiny bit. He could tell it by the way she frowned and broke eye contact for just a moment.

She closed her eyes and leaned her head back. "Betty probably doesn't care if you supply the music."

"Is that a yes?" He asked hopefully.

"It's a maybe."

"What can I do? I'm not trying to step on your toes. I promise."

He thought being earnest and nice to her would help. And surprisingly, the tension in her body language seemed to loosen considerably.

She sighed. "If you can also promise me something else, then it'll be a yes."

"Sure. Whatever you want."

"I'm going to tell you something that only Libby and my parents know. If you tell, I'll know, and you'll regret it," she said darkly.

"Okay, okay. What is it?"

"I don't know how to swim."

He stared at her in shock. "That's ridiculous. Yes you do."

"No, Neutron. I can fake it well enough, but truthfully I sort of panic and I flail and it ends badly."

"You're serious," he said. "You can't swim."

"Why would I lie about that?" She snapped.

"I'm confused. Why are you telling me this?"

"Just promise that you'll help me keep it a secret. With so many people bound to show up here for the party, it might be hard to keep people from realizing that I never actually swim. It's embarrassing."

"...and in return you'll let me have free reign over the music?"

She nodded and his excitement spiked. She stuck out her hand and he shook it. When he went to move away she gripped his hand tightly so he couldn't. "I'm serious Nerdtron. Tell anyone and you're dead. You'll never get to touch Betty."

As if he believed she had that much power, but he would humor her. "No one will find out. And I'll do you one better - I can teach you how to swim."

She let go of his hand and slipped her sunglasses back on, clearly dismissing him. "We'll see."

"Thank you, Cindy."

"Just get out of my face."

He was so happy he could have skipped home. He didn't, but he wanted to.

-0-0-0-0-0-

Eternally grumpy from her most recent conversation with Jimmy, Cindy went inside for the day. She had a headache from too much sun and overthinking.

She had lied her ass off. She knew how to swim. She was terrified of deep water, and so she didn't usually partake in water activities, but she wasn't going to drown if someone dropped her in the pool. She would probably try to kill them but that wasn't the point.

She had no reason to lie! Not a real one, anyway. She just wanted him to view her as a human and not the cold-hearted bitch he clearly had a vision of her being. Cindy detested the fact that Jimmy was so enamored with Betty that he was inventing the creepiest robot to ever exist for her damn party.

That was why she wanted to tell him no so badly. No, your robot can't be used for the music and impression of one Betty Quinlan in my backyard, Neutron. That was what she wanted to say but that would certainly give her away.

She hated it. She hated him. But she also didn't hate him, and that confused her.

In her head she could pretend that this was her party and her guests and her suitor, who did weird but romantic things for her. God, she just hoped there was no way this new robot could read her thoughts or something. She didn't need Jimmy to hear how she was feeling.

And maybe things would work out in her favor in the end. Betty would fade quietly into the background and so would Jimmy's obsession with trying to impress the older girl. If she were lucky enough, he would see her instead. For who she really was.

It was delusional, and with all of the hatred inside of her, she hated herself the most.

-00-

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