"Alright claaass. The teaching aids will be over to pass out the tests now." Ms. Fowl squawked. It was the first week of Summer school and teaching oddly hadn't tired her out by June. There was any place in the entire world Cindy would rather be than wasting her summer vacation in summer school. She was the smartest girl in school. Mrs. Vortex, Cindy's mother always had to throw a show in front of the PTA's, school boards, neighborhoods, so when they asked if since her daughter was so gifted academically, if she'd help tutor the summer school students she rushed to agree. It made the Vortex family look even better, especially in the eyes of the school board. How could Sasha Vortex miss a status-raising opportunity like that?

Jimmy's reasons were a bit different. He had enough vacations all the time with his adventures. He couldn't stand an entire summer away from school, science and learning. He was just as quick to accept as Cindy's mother had been about accepting on her daughters part. Cindy and Jimmy were the only two aids. No one else had signed up, and when asked to spend a warm, sunny Retroville summer stuck in the halls of school, it was easy to see why they'd declined.

Jimmy eagerly walked to the teachers desk to grab half the stack of empty tests. Cindy lagged behind lethargically. Her eyes were having trouble keeping straight. They danced in a spin around the sockets. Jimmy made an observation of her. His eyes started to widen as she had caught him off guard. She looked like she hadn't got much sleep the previous night before. She must have been really sick because she looked like she didn't even care enough to put herself together. She wore her pajama pants instead of her khaki capris, but she still kept the tank top. She hadn't threw her hair back like she did ever morning, instead it was down. Framing at about mid back. Jimmy squinted his eyes at her as he surveyed this look of hers. Cindy had to place her hands upon the desk to keep standing up. Before her eyes lost themselves she had a chance to murmur. "Ms. Fowl... May I be excused?" Cindy carefully removed her now clammy palms from the teachers desk. The colour on her face changing to reveal her nausea. "I don't feel so good." Instantly she cupped her mouth with her hands and made a low, bubbling gagging sound. Ms. Fowl quickly nodded and as soon as she did, Cindy ran out of the classroom just as fast if she'd been wearing Jimmy's special running shoes. Jimmy watched her bolt out of the door. Ms. Fowls eyes found him. "Jimmy, brawk. Go and check on her."

His oceanic eyes, still watching the door now zoomed back until he was locked with his teachers. He had to look through the clear glass covering her eyes. She wore reading glasses once in a while. Cindy may have had the stomach flu but what Ms. Fowl was recommending started to make him feel just as sick. "But Ms. Fowl. She's in the girls lavatory. I didn't think I was allowed."

"Nonsense Jimmy. It's just a bathroom. I can't leave these students. Plus; They are all second graders so they aren't supposed to be out roaming the halls. You're the oldest one here aside from me."

"Well, alright. That sounds dianoetic enough."

Ms Fowl scratched her head, oblivious to what he had just said. Assuming this meant he was agreeing to it? She walked behind her desk. A small fridge stood in the corner. She opened it, extracting a bottle of purified drinking water. Cocking back an elbow she chucked it at Jimmy. "Catch"

Before he had a chance to realize what she was doing, he'd been looking her way. Being caught off guard a bit he jumped into the air to catch this the best he could. Hard considering he was the shortest boy in his 5th grade glass as it was and Ms. Fowl was a full grown good height of 5'7.

Ms. Fowl had been right. The girls restroom had been just any ol' restroom. No bells or whistles, pretty basic. He was admiring the pink tiles on the walls, opposed to the baby blue of the boys room. His big hand and fingers engaged in tracery up the pattern as he passed the sinks. No one was in here, but he heard sharp coughing coming from one of the stalls. Her coughs was much deeper sounding and blocked. "Cindy? It's Jimmy. Ms. Fowl sent me to check on you."

"Neutron!" The sound of her barking pierced the bathroom, echoing off of the walls like a single harp string strummed reverberated off of the entire thing. Now she yelled in-between chokes. "What are you doing in the girls bathroom!?"

"I told you Ms. Fow--

"LEAVE! Being around you when I'm well makes me feel like puking enough as it is. I don't need a double dose of sickness."

It was creative how quick she had been able to come up with that one. Normal situations she could always plan on. Snappy comments in the lunch line, sarcastic come backs in class. But who would have been prepared for a retort while sick, just finding out your male enemy stepped into the girls washroom?

"Fine. I'll leave. Whatever." Just as he was about to walk out he noticed he still had the water bottle in his hand. His hand was pushing the door open, but he let it fall back and shut. Spinning back around on his sneakers to come to Cindy's stall. "Cindy." Starting to knock upon it, it hadn't been locked and it flung right open. Revealing her back and long, blonde hair coming down it. She was sitting upon her knees, hugging the seat of the toilet. Starting to gag. Jimmy knelt down behind her, setting down the water bottle, then inching closer to her. Cindy's eyes started to ignite in intense anger but she couldn't say anything. She felt her knuckles whiten from with under her as she clutched the seat harder and let her head hover over the bowl. Emptying the contents of her stomach. Quickly Jimmy scooped up a mop of her hair into his hands. He ran the other hand through her hair just as quick and pulled it all back in his hands. Ponytail style. Jimmy winched a bit as he heard her gag harder, her chest rising and falling with harshness as she lost control to her bodies rejecting of vomit. He looked down, watching her knuckles get their colour back as she let go of the seat. With her free hand she pointed toward out the open stall door. The space was so small she could only turn around about half way. She couldn't antagonize him with beady eyes but she was sure her voice could be just as threatening. "Leave Nerdtron! You already think I'm gross enough. You don't need this picture imprinted in that big head of yours forever."

Cindy didn't move at all after that. She wanted to shut her eyes, crawl into a little dark and dingy hole and just cover herself with dirt. Why had she just said that? And OUT LOUD! She really needed to examine her mind at times. Jimmy didn't move, he couldn't really look into her eyes because she was only spun around half way. Cindy opened her mouth to yell at him to leave again. This time she'd insult him harder so she wouldn't come off looking like she cared about what he thought again. As soon as her lips separated she had threw herself back around to face the toilets direction, starting to regurgitate again. She felt her stomach twist painfully as everything inside of it rushed up through her body and came out. She winched from the troubling pain knotting in her stomach. Jimmy lay his hand upon her back to comfort her. He hesitated for a moment, quite honestly afraid she'd rip him into shreds. He slowly started to rub her back. "It's okay Cindy." Cindy shut her eyes tightly when he did this. "Cindy, In the event that you hadn't already noticed, science is my middle name. I know all about the contents and happenings of the human body. This is nothing more than a self rejecting poison. I've pretty much read it all, so nothing grosses me out. Especially about science and anatomy."

Jimmy wasn't sure if she heard everything he'd said over the sound of her gagging, which was now getting louder. But Cindy had heard. She kind of hoped this could last a long time, even though it was painful. Just so she wouldn't have to face looking at him after this. If this had been anyone else in the world they'd be grossed out, but he was holding her hair back and rubbing her back. Darting her head up quickly out of the bowl for air. She gasped sharply for oxygen to fill through her lungs. She started to breathe heavily now, tiring herself out. The toilets at school didn't have lids so she had no where to rest her head. She just let it lean up against the bathroom walls of the stall. Now trying to catch her breath. Her muffles sounded shallow and lighter now, they started to return to a more sound pattern, which freaked her out because soon there would be nothing but silence and one of them would have to speak.

Why am I doing this?? It wasn't like he asked to come after me, He was sent by the teacher. He probably put up a big protest first anyway. Yeah he is in here with me now, but is it really because he cares? Doubt it. He probably just wants to waste time to get out of being in class. Even holding my hair back while I threw up wasn't that nice. It was thoughtful, but not like the nicest act in the world.

So why was she making it such a big deal? Why was it so nice to her? Why did she happen to think this was one of the nicest things any had ever done. Jimmy slowly took his hand off of her back as she watched her sit up. "How do you feel?" Turning around a bit, everything in her chest froze up. His eyes had been upon hers the entire time. There was something different about them, they looked... worried.

Cindy snorted to make it less awkward. "Like my insides are ripping apart and I threw everything inside of them up. How do you think I'm supposed to feel Neutron?"

"Apologies, idiotic question."

The blonde spat into the toilet with disgust. "Gah. The taste in my mouth is so foul. I think I'm going to go to the drinking fountain to rinse my mouth out." Cindy tried to stand but everything below her knees started to wobble and fell to jelly. Weakly she fell back to her knees, carefully coming to them. "You need to redistribute your weight. Like Holding onto the toilet paper rack."

Jimmy reached for the bottle of water he just remembered was at his sides. "Never mind, don't try that. I've got this." He slowly handed it to her, she snatched it into her hands hastily. Eyeballing the label and then bottle carefully. She shot him an enraged eyebrow. Cocked high. "Why are you giving me this? Did you spit in this first?"

Jimmy shook his head nervously. "No, No of course not. Ms. Fowl told me to bring it to you. It is from her miniature fridge."

"Wow." Cindy said as she twisted off the top and took a swag from the bottle. "That was thoughtful of her. I guess I just switch to aggression when I think someone could actually care about me. It's just weird with Ms. Fowl because I never had a mother figure care about me like that before. Or any women really. Well any person PERIOD." Cindy hadn't noticed how much she'd been blabbering on, she decided she'd just shut up and continue drinking. She took one final sip before setting the bottle down.

"No. You need to keep drinking that. To get your fluids back up."

Cindy started to drink it again. "Well alright. You're the genius."

Jimmy looked up, down then away, nervousness embedded in his eyes in each motion. "Umm Cindy. Do you mind if I check something?"

Cindy stopped. Pausing and drawing the plastic away from her lips for a moment. She noticed this looked rather attention drawing. She didn't want him to go check on something and leave her. It felt good to have someone care about her, it felt good to have HIM care. But she couldn't let him know that. Quickly slipping in to a cool vocal tone she acted like she just didn't care. "Sure, cool. Go ahead and check. Adios Nerdtron."

Jimmy tried not to let nerves get the best of him as he worked up enough courage. As she started to drink again he lay his hand over her forehead. Cindy dragged the bottle from her mouth quickly. Swallowing in fury. Forcing the liquid down her throat with quickness so she could yell at him faster "What are you doing??"

The force in which she got him, had him jumping back. He'd even hit himself on the stall door. As he sat back up, eye level to her he rubbed his own head to relieve the pressure from the hit. "I was checking to see you're temperature. I've memorized every Fahrenheit by touch. It took hours to do, but in times such as this where no proper thermal reading device is present I'd like to think it comes in handy." Jimmy noticed he was bragging about his intellect and skill again. He started to shut up. "That's okay, isn't it?"

Cindy bit her lip and nodded slowly and carefully. "I guess it is. . ."

Shy smiles and sideways glances met each other slowly. He smiled at her a bit, then looked away, repeated and returned by her as he lay his hand upon her heated forehead. She was burning up. He didn't need to be a genius or a human thermometer to know that. "101 degrees."

Cindy put her hand over his hand on her forehead. Her checks felt hot and started to burn as well, but not from any fever. They took their hands off at the same time. "That's incredible. How did you do that."

Jimmy smiled, he was glad he'd been impressive to her. "Like I said. Practice. But you're really burning up. You should go home and try to lye down. You should do some immediately so you can get better and be able to return tomorrow..."

Cindy looked up at him instantly.

He looked at her too. It was silent. "For... The field trip. Ha yeah, field trip. Don't want to have to watch those second graders all by myself."

"Oh... yeah, right. Field trip. Well I'll tell Ms. Fowl I'm leaving so I can get rested for the field trip."

Jimmy rubbed the back of his neck nervously. "Do you need help walking out?"

"Nah. I think I can manage Nertr-- Jimmy."