Author's Note: Hooray for 50 followers on Jimmy Neutron: Evil Genius! As promised, here is my little story that I have been working on. This story was so fun to write. I was kind of bumming myself out with all the doom and gloom going on in Evil Genius so I decided to write a little story with some humor in it.

This story is technically a one-shot. But you will notice there are asterisks at certain points in the story. They don't mean anything. Yet. They will eventually lead to some one-shots that follow different characters throughout this story. In the mean time, here's Cindy's story in Party at a Rich Dude's House.

Libby: Party tonight. You in?

Cindy: Party? Where? Can't you just call me?

Cindy's phone buzzed and she smiled to herself before answering. "Who's having a party?"

"Eustace Strych. Britney told me about it. Ever since she started dating that guy from the private school, she's been in on all the parties," Libby replied.

"Strych? I'm sure there's a guest list. There's no way we're invited. Britney probably just told you to rub it in your face."

"You're probably right, but that's not going to stop us from going, right?"

"I don't know, Libs. Eustace doesn't really get along with us."

"So we crash it. What's the worst that could happen?"

"Well, he could call the cops on us for trespassing," Cindy explained.

"And then he'd get in trouble for giving minors alcohol. Cindy nothing is going to happen. I'm going to call Sheen. He's really good at convincing Carl and Jimmy."

Cindy groaned, "Do they have to come?"

"Yes! Carl doesn't drink, so he can be the DD, and obviously Sheen is coming. It's Jimmy that will take some convincing."

"Yeah, he might as well not come. He won't have any fun."

Libby sighed, "What happened between you two now?"

"What makes you think that?" Cindy questioned. Libby didn't answer. Cindy groaned again, "Fine, he's been on my case all week because he completely creamed me on the chemistry test the other day."

"And by completely creamed, you mean that he got 100% and you got 99.5%?"

"Yes. Don't rub it in. I can't stand him."

"Uh-huh," Libby replied unconvincingly. "Look, I didn't say you had to talk to him at the party. But he is Sheen's best friend. Just try to be civil okay?"

"Fine. What time are you coming over?" Cindy asked, knowing that she would want to get ready together.

"Should we say six?" Libby answered.

"Okay, see you soon," Cindy hung up. She stared at the chemistry test on her desk, the "-0.5" mocking her because she forgot to label one of her measurements. An error made because she was trying to finish before Neutron while taking the test.

Libby came over precisely at six and let herself in to Cindy's bedroom. "Hey, girl."

"Hi, Libby. So what exactly do you wear to a rich person's party? Especially one that you're sneaking in to?"

"I figured you wouldn't know what to wear, so I brought you something," Libby explained. She pulled out a slinky, white, sequined dress from her bag and held it up for Cindy to see. It had delicate straps and a low back.

"Wow, really?" Cindy asked in awe.

"Well, I'm not sure how dressy this party is, so I figured something elegant yet sexy would be perfect," Libby answered with a smile. "Hurry up, the guys will be here in forty-five minutes."

Cindy put the dress on and helped touch up Libby's hair and make-up. They switched spots, and Libby started primping Cindy.

"Do we have a plan if there is a guest list? I mean, how are we supposed to sneak past the bouncer?" Cindy asked as Libby fixed her hair.

"Um…" Libby stalled as she put the final touch on Cindy's hair.

"Oh god, what now?"

"Well, there's definitely a guest list, so we will need to sneak in. Sheen and I were thinking that you could go talk to Jimmy and convince him to bring that spray stuff that we used to use to sneak into Retroland?"

"What?! Libby! Why don't you do it?" Cindy yelled.

"Like he would listen to me! Besides, Jimmy's not too keen on going to a party at the house of one of his enemies. It took Sheen a lot of convincing."

"So what makes you think he'll listen to me?" Cindy asked.

"Are you kidding? Deny your feelings all you want, you both know that you like each other. Besides, looking like that, he can't say no. Now go over there and be nice!"

"Ugh!" Cindy stormed out of her room, down the stairs, out the front door, and across the street. She didn't even bother going to the house, she went straight to the clubhouse and pounded on the door.

"What do you want, Vortex?" Jimmy's voice came over the intercom.

"Libby wanted me to come and ask you about helping us sneak into Strych's party."

"What kind of help?"

"Will you just let me come down? It's freezing out here."

"Quit being a baby. It's barely October." Jimmy pressed the button that unlocked the door and Cindy walked inside and down the stairs to the lab.

"Right, I'm the baby. Says the boy who sleeps with his light on," Cindy said as she walked into the lab.

"I don't sleep with my light on. I've been working on a…" Jimmy voice trailed off as he turned around and saw Cindy.

"Working on what?" Cindy asked, annoyed.

"Um, just a project. I've been up late. Have you been spying on me?" Jimmy finally answered.

"What? No. I see your light when I close my blinds geek-oid."

"What did you want?"

"Do you still have that spray stuff we used to sneak into Retroland? Libby says there's a guest list, so we're going to have to sneak through the fence."

Jimmy walked over to a shelf full of old inventions. He found the spray can and walked it back over to Cindy. "There should be just enough to get us in. Is that what you're wearing?"

"Yes, why?" Cindy asked as if it were an accusation.

"Nothing. You look nice."

"Oh. Thanks," Cindy was taken off guard.

"I mean, if you're cold now, then you'll probably be complaining all night. I'm just prepping myself."

Cindy rolled her eyes. "I'll see you in a little bit, Neutron."

"Can't even come up with a comeback. Second place, just like the chemistry test."

Cindy paused and clenched her fists. She took a deep breath and kept walking, remembering that she promised Libby she would be civil.

A little while later Carl and Sheen were knocking on Cindy's front door. Libby and Cindy headed downstairs. Cindy called to her parents that she was leaving, but knew they wouldn't care. They were busy with a court case and hadn't been paying much attention to their daughter.

"I texted Jimmy. He said he'll meet us out here," Sheen said. He gave Libby a quick peck on the cheek.

Not two minutes later, Jimmy walked out of his clubhouse and across the street. He had the spray can in one hand and a blazer slung over his shoulder. "This is so stupid. I can't believe we're getting dressed up to sneak into a party at Strych's house."

"Hey, if you want to stick out like a sore thumb, be my guest," Libby replied.

They all climbed into Carl's car, and headed toward the rich part of town.

They reached Eustace's neighborhood and realized that they would have to park pretty far away. Carl found a spot about four blocks away from Eustace's house. "Looks like we're walking from here guys," Carl said.

"It's okay, Carl. Thanks for driving," Libby said. Everyone else muttered in agreement.

Sheen gave Libby his jacket as soon as they got out of the car. Cindy had never realized what a gentleman Sheen was when it came to Libby.

They all started the trek to the mansion. Cindy tucked her arms close to her, wishing Libby would have let her bring a jacket. She felt something get slipped onto her shoulders. She turned to see that Jimmy had taken his blazer off and had given it to her.

"Thanks," she muttered.

"I told you, you would be cold," was Jimmy's response.

After several minutes, they reached the corner of the yard, knowing full well that they couldn't walk in through the front. Jimmy motioned for everyone to follow him to the side yard. He sprayed the fence with his disappearing spray and tossed the empty can into some bushes. Everyone climbed through the hole in the fence and made their way to the backyard so they could sneak in through the back door.

As soon as the friends were inside, they took a minute to stare in awe at the huge house. Sheen and Libby took off to find some drinks*, and Carl went to find some drunk girls to flirt with.**

Cindy shrugged the blazer off of her shoulders and handed it back to Jimmy. "Thanks," was all she said.

Jimmy just nodded. They stood in silence for several minutes. "Why is this fun again?" Jimmy asked.

Cindy laughed. "I don't know. Libby thought it would be fun to crash, but I don't know anyone, so it's not like we can even shock people that we're here."

"The only person I know here is the host, and I'd like to avoid him at all costs," Jimmy replied.

"Well, you're not doing a very good job of that, Neutron," Eustace said from behind.

Jimmy and Cindy turned around with nervous expressions.

"I'm not sure how you got in, but don't worry, I'm not going to call the cops. I'd get in far worse trouble for serving alcohol to minors than you would for trespassing. I'd ask you to leave, but I know that's not going to happen. Just stay out of my way."

"Always a pleasure, Eustace," Jimmy rolled his eyes.

"Yes, I'm sure," Eustace muttered. "Cindy! How are you, my dear?" Eustace took Cindy's hand and kissed it.

Jimmy scoffed and walked away.***

"I-I I'm fine, Eustace. How are you?" Cindy stammered as she watched Jimmy leave.

"I'm just grand, thank you for asking. Come, let's get you something to drink." Eustace took Cindy's hand and led her into the ballroom, which was swarming with rich, drunk, private school attendees.

"You look stunning, Cindy," Eustace said as they walked up to the bar.

"Thanks. You have a bartender?"

"Yes, of course. He didn't come cheap either. I had to pay him off to serve us tonight." Eustace turned to the bartender and ordered, "Champagne please."

The bartender nodded and poured the drinks. Eustace grabbed the flutes and handed one to Cindy. "Here's to a great evening and a beautiful girl," Eustace said as he raised his glass.

Cindy smiled and tipped her glass to toast. Eustace took a sip, but Cindy just held onto the champagne flute.

"What's wrong, my dear?" Eustace asked.

"I should find Jimmy," Cindy replied.

"Oh, pish-tosh. He's fine. I mean, I'm rather upset that he felt the need to break into my party but what's done is done."

"Well, I broke in too, Eustace," Cindy explained.

"Yes, but you didn't need to. You are always on my list." Eustace smiled seductively as he took another sip of his champagne.

Cindy squirmed uncomfortably. "Eustace, this is kind of awkward. Our past is rocky, and you've betrayed me several times growing up."

"Cynthia, the past is gone. I only did those things to get on Neutron's nerves, you know that. But the feelings are real." Eustace cupped Cindy's chin in his hand. "You can trust me."

Cindy looked up at Eustace skeptically. "I think I'm going to need a lot more alcohol for that to happen," she finally stated.

Eustace sighed. "I'll tell you what. Enjoy yourself for an hour, and if you've changed your mind meet me back here." Eustace finished his champagne, set the flute on the counter, and nodded his goodbye to Cindy.****

Cindy set her untouched glass of champagne on the counter and thanked the bartender. She wandered through the ballroom looking for anyone she recognized. She found herself in the living room sitting by Carl who was talking to some girl who was too trashed to comprehend that Carl was talking about his virtual llama farm.

"You're seriously sitting here watching Carl try to get some action?" Jimmy asked from behind Cindy.

She turned around to answer, "Well I couldn't find anyone else I knew."

"Did you scare your boyfriend off?"

"Eustace is not my boyfriend," Cindy scoffed. "He's just being… polite. Something you could learn from him."

Jimmy sighed and sat down next to Cindy on the couch. He had a bottle of Jack in his hand. "I don't think polite is in Eustace's vocabulary." He took a swig from the bottle and handed it to Cindy.

Cindy took a sip and winced at the burning sensation going down her throat. She handed the bottle back to Jimmy. "Well he's sure being a hell of a lot nicer than you've been lately."

"You'd seriously rather hang out with him? The guy's a total asshole." Jimmy took another swig from the bottle.

Cindy snatched the bottle from his hand. "Actually, you're the one being an asshole. Eustace has been nothing but a gentleman to me tonight. Meanwhile, you're drunk off your ass getting your nose into other people's business." She took a long swig from the bottle and stood up. "I'll see you later, Jimmy."

As Cindy walked away she looked at her watch. It had almost been an hour, and she was deciding whether or not she wanted to meet Eustace back at the bar. She took another drink from the bottle of Jack; she was getting used to the burning sensation.

Cindy decided that she would go meet up with Eustace. The more she thought about it, he was being very gentleman-like. He really hadn't done anything rude. She made her way back to the ballroom. Cindy could feel the whisky entering her system. She would have to get a glass of water once she got to the bar.

Eustace was already at the bar when Cindy walked up. "Cindy, what happened?" He pulled a chair out for her and took the bottle from her hand.

Cindy was confused at first, but then realized that she was crying. She wiped a tear from her cheek and explained, "Jimmy's just being an asshole—as usual."

"Tell me what happened," Eustace said.

Cindy took a deep breath and set the bottle of Jack on the counter, "Water. I need water." Eustace turned to the bartender and handed Cindy a glass. She gulped down the water rather quickly.

"Are you okay now?" Eustace asked. Cindy nodded. "Good, now tell me what happened." Eustace placed his hand on Cindy's knee.

"Well, I was just sitting by myself, and he came up to me, obviously already drunk, and he—" Cindy stopped her sentence short and stared at Eustace's hand that was rubbing up and down her thigh. "Seriously?" Cindy glared at Eustace. She stood up and started walking away.

"Cindy, come on," Eustace tried to bargain.

She turned around to answer, "What the fuck is your problem? To think I sat there and tried to defend you to Jimmy."

"You break into my party, and then try to reject me? You're not going to walk away from me," Eustace threatened as he grabbed Cindy's hand. She turned around and kneed him in the groin.

Eustace dropped his hand from Cindy's wrist as he fell to his knees in pain. "Don't mess with the girl who has a black belt in karate," Cindy spat before storming outside.

Cindy made her way over to where they had snuck in; they all had decided that would be their meeting place when they were ready to leave. Of course nobody was there, but she was glad. She sat down and started crying.

Cindy felt something get slipped over her shoulders. She winced, prepared to run if it was Eustace, but turned to see Jimmy sitting down next to her. He had another bottle of something but it was unopened. She touched her shoulder to see that Jimmy had given her his jacket again.

Cindy sniffled, "Thanks. What do you have?" she pointed to the bottle in his hands.

"Rum. I was looking for some Coke when I saw you knee Eustace in the dick, so I followed you out here. That was fuckin' awesome by the way," Jimmy replied.

Cindy motioned for Jimmy to give her the bottle to which he obliged. "You have a potty mouth when you're drunk," Cindy stated as she opened the bottle. She took a sip and sighed. She handed the bottle back to Jimmy. He smirked and took a sip and handed it back.

"So are you going to tell me why you kneed Eustace in the groin?" Jimmy asked trying to sound a bit more civilized.

Cindy took another sip and explained, "After I left you on the couch I went to meet up with Eustace. On my way back to the ballroom, I guess I started crying, I don't even remember why. Anyway, he asked me what happened and as I was telling him, he decided that it would be an appropriate time to feel me up. So I—"

"He did what?" Jimmy began to stand up, ready to give Eustace a piece of his mind.

"Sit down, Mr. Macho. He didn't get very far. He was touching my thigh."

Jimmy sat back down and grabbed the rum from Cindy and took a big gulp.

"Anyway," Cindy continued. "So I stood up to walk away and he grabbed my wrist, so I turned around and 'kneed him in the dick' as you so elegantly put it."

Jimmy handed the bottle back to Cindy and said, "Well what you did was pretty cool, so why are you out here by yourself crying?"

"Because I let myself get fooled again by that idiot. I don't know why I keep falling for his lies."

"He's a selfish asshole. He'll tell you what you want to hear so that you'll give him what he wants."

"Yeah, well, here's to making shitty decisions," Cindy held the bottle up to toast and took a long swig.

"I'll drink to that," Jimmy said as Cindy handed him the bottle.

"Thanks for sitting with me Jimmy. I'm sorry I called you an asshole," Cindy apologized.

"No, you're right. I have been an asshole. You want to know the real reason I keep rubbing that chemistry test in your face? I was so nervous that you were going to get a better score than me. When I saw that you missed half a point for that label, I was relieved."

"Why were you nervous?"

"All my life I've never really had that much competition when it came to intelligence. I was—"

"I take offense to that. I've know you since we were kids," Cindy interrupted.

"I know, but it wasn't until junior high that you really started to catch up to me. It made me nervous. I never had to worry about anyone being smarter than me."

"Why does it matter if someone is smarter than you?" Cindy asked.

"Because that's all I have. I'm not good at sports, or social things for that matter. You had your karate and I didn't want you to be better at school than me too."

"Oh, so you're jealous," Cindy teased.

"I am not jealous," Jimmy muttered. "I just don't like this whole competition between us."

"Seriously? The only reason I competed with you was because I thought you liked it. It has been driving me insane for years. Do you know how many hours of sleep I've lost trying to one up you?" Cindy laughed.

Jimmy laughed too, "I guess we're more alike than we thought."

Cindy shivered as she tried to nod.

"Come on. Let's go inside before you catch pneumonia." Jimmy helped Cindy to her feet. They were both a little wobbly as they made their way back inside.

"Ugh, I can feel a headache coming on," Cindy said as she rubbed her temple. "I shouldn't have had so much to drink."

"I'll find you a place to lie down," Jimmy said as they headed up a stairway.

They reached the top of the stairs and looked up and down the hallway. There were so many doors it was a game of chance to find a bedroom.

"Maybe we should just find Sheen, Libby, and Carl and go home," Cindy suggested.

"Yeah, that's not going to happen. Carl found some girl just as nerdy as he is. They were both DDs and took off 'somewhere quiet.' He figured we wouldn't want to leave anytime soon," Jimmy explained.

"Way to go Carl," Cindy muttered. "Well, let's play door roulette. You first."

Jimmy picked a room that was thankfully unlocked and empty. "Talk about luck," he said as he walked through the doorway observing the king sized bed.

"Thank god, I don't know what I'd do if there was someone in here," Cindy said as she closed the door and absent-mindedly locked it. She kicked off her shoes and sat down on the bed. She motioned for Jimmy to come sit on the bed with her.

Jimmy sat down and unlaced his shoes to take them off. He swung his feet up onto the bed and sat up with his back on the pillows. Cindy scooted close to him and nestled her head onto his shoulder.

"Thank you for staying with me. I really don't want to be alone right now," Cindy said groggily.

"Of course, Cindy. I'll stay with you as long as you want." Jimmy settled into the pillows more and closed his eyes.

Cindy started to trace her fingers along Jimmy's arm. Jimmy opened his eyes and watched as her fingers ran back and forth on his forearm. Cindy saw him watching and stopped suddenly. "Sorry," she muttered.

"You don't need to apologize," Jimmy replied.

Cindy closed her eyes and tried to go to sleep. Jimmy looked down at her and smiled to himself. He never thought he would be in this position, no mattered how many times he dreamed of it. As soon as he was sure Cindy was asleep, he kissed Cindy on the crown of her head.

As soon as he did that, Cindy started rubbing Jimmy's arm again. He looked down at Cindy as she was looking up and they leaned toward each other and kissed lightly. Cindy looked away quickly and touched her lips. She had kissed guys before, but this kiss felt different. She wanted to figure out what made it different.

She sat up and faced Jimmy. She pushed her messy hair out of her face and licked her lips lightly. She looked at Jimmy's lips and then up at his eyes. His eyes were glazy. He leaned forward and lightly kissed Cindy again.

Cindy still couldn't tell what made this kiss so different than the other ones, but now she didn't care. She leaned forward and kissed Jimmy with full force. She clutched onto his hair as she positioned herself to straddle Jimmy.

Jimmy was unsure of what to do with his hands. He didn't want to be caught in a compromising position after what Cindy had gone through with Eustace. He brought one hand up and gently touched Cindy's cheek.

As if she could read his mind, Cindy pulled out of the kiss and whispered in Jimmy's ear, "You can touch me, Jimmy. I want you to." She started to leave tiny kisses down Jimmy's jaw and sucked on his neck.

"Mmm, Cindy," Jimmy muttered. He placed either hand on Cindy's hips and rocked her closer to him.

Cindy looked at Jimmy straight in the eye and said, "Touch me, Jimmy."

"I am touching you," Jimmy argued, not understanding.

"No, touch me," Cindy emphasized as she grabbed his hands from her hips and placed them on her breasts.

Jimmy's eyes widened in shock. After composing himself he removed one hand from Cindy's breast and placed it on the back of her head, pulling her into a kiss. He massaged her breast with his other hand, enjoying the sounds she was making in her throat. Jimmy started to slide the straps of Cindy's dress down her shoulders. He yanked down on the dress's bodice, exposing Cindy's breasts.

"Careful! This is Libby's dress," Cindy patronized.

Jimmy rolled his eyes and began sucking on Cindy's right breast, and massaging the left with his hand.

Cindy dropped her head back and sighed contentedly. She slid one of her hands down her leg and onto Jimmy's lap. She traced her fingers over to the button on his pants and undid it. Jimmy momentarily paused what he was doing and looked up at Cindy. She smiled coyly as she pulled the zipper down on his pants.

"What are you doing, Cindy?" Jimmy asked.

"Same as you. Just having some fun," Cindy replied. She began to lift up Jimmy's shirt, coaxing him to take it off.

"Is that what you really want?"

Cindy swallowed her fear and said, "Jimmy, I like you. A lot. And I know you like me too."

"Of course I like you, Vortex. We're friends."

"That's not what I mean, and you know it. I mean, look where we are. 'Just friends' don't do this. You can blame the alcohol all you want, but maybe it just gave us the courage we needed to face this," Cindy explained.

"I do like you a lot, Vortex. I just don't know how to go about this."

"Well, you're off to a decent start," Cindy laughed as she pulled her dress back up to cover herself.

Jimmy smiled as he leaned in to kiss Cindy. He began to shift so that Cindy was lying on her back. Jimmy sat up briefly to remove his shirt, and set it on the bed.

"Oh my god," Cindy sighed.

"What?" Jimmy asked.

"That's what you've been hiding under your lab coat?"

Jimmy laughed and shook his head in disbelief. He leaned down and kissed Cindy. She dragged her nails lightly down Jimmy's back, to which he shuddered with pleasure.

Cindy smiled at his reaction and sat up to kiss Jimmy better. Soon she found herself on top again. She began to leave a trail of kisses down his chest and his stomach. She began inching his pants down, coaxing him to help her remove them. Jimmy lifted his hips lightly as Cindy pulled his pants down, revealing his boxer shorts.

Jimmy kicked his pants the rest of the way off, pulling Cindy back up. "Now it's your turn to take something off," he whispered in her ear.

"All I've got is my dress," Cindy feigned innocence. "That wouldn't be very fair."

Jimmy smirked and rolled his eyes as he slid his hands up Cindy's skirt and pulled her underwear down. He started kissing her as he laid Cindy down on her back so that he was on top again. Cindy finished removing her panties and set them aside. She wrapped her legs around Jimmy's hips, locking her ankles together.

"Whoa, Cindy," Jimmy breathed.

"What? You think just because you're on top that means you're in charge? I don't think so," Cindy replied. She started rubbing Jimmy, feeling him get hard.

"Are you on…?" Jimmy trailed off, sighing.

"On the pill? Yes. Do you have…?" Cindy trailed off as Jimmy sat up.

"A condom? I'm pretty sure. Give me a second." Jimmy stood up. He scooped his shirt up and tossed it, looking for his blazer.

"Your jacket is over there," Cindy pointed, assuming that's what he was looking for.

Jimmy stumbled over to his jacket and fished his wallet out of the pocket. He pulled a condom out of his wallet and squinted at the expiration date. He sighed in relief and put his wallet back in the pocket and hung his blazer on the coatrack by the door.

"So were you planning on getting lucky tonight, or do you always carry one of those around?" Cindy teased.

Jimmy rolled his eyes as he opened the wrapper. "Better safe than sorry," was his only response.

Cindy took the opened condom and placed it on the nightstand. "In a minute. I want to…see you, touch you." She started pulling Jimmy's boxers down.

"Cindy," Jimmy grabbed her arm, stopping her. "Are you sure this is what you want to do?"

Cindy pulled his boxers down and admired Jimmy. "Absolutely."

Cindy woke up to a beam of sunlight shining in through the window. Her head was pounding with a hangover headache. She rubbed her temples and then opened her eyes slowly. She froze. Cindy didn't remember where she was. She looked around trying to remember what had happened the night before. She sat up and realized she wasn't wearing anything. Cindy frantically looked around the room for her clothing, the panic and anxiety rising inside her. She needed to remember what happened.

Cindy found her dress in a heap on the floor. She quickly slipped it on, still looking for her underwear. She heard movement coming from the bed. It was only then that she realized that whatever, or whoever, had happened last night was still there.

Cindy turned toward the bed and saw Jimmy still asleep in the spot next to where she had been. The memories came flooding back.

"Oh shit," Cindy said to herself.

Jimmy woke suddenly. He saw Cindy standing by the door, eyes wide. He sat up and looked at her with confusion before his memories caught up with him.

"Oh shit," Jimmy said to himself.

Cindy fumbled for the doorknob behind her. She quickly unlocked the door, turned the knob, and ran out into the hallway, slamming the door behind her.

As Cindy ran down the stairs, she realized she forgot her shoes, but she was too mortified to go back and get them. She prayed that Jimmy would see them and get them for her, regardless of the fact that she was too embarrassed to talk to him.

Cindy pulled her phone out of the dress pocket to call Libby, but her phone was dead. She headed to the meet up spot by the fence hoping that nobody had ditched her.

As Cindy reached the main floor of the house, a hush fell over her. The house was mostly empty, save a few party-goers more wasted than she had been. She worried about running into Eustace, so she quickly and quietly rushed through to the back door where she and her friends had come in from the night before.

Outside was just as trashed as the inside of the house. Cindy carefully stepped around sleeping students and broken champagne glasses. She sighed in relief as she saw Carl, Sheen, and Libby slumped in a tired pile in their meet up spot.

Cindy wandered over to her friends. "Hi," she said.

"Oh my god, Cindy where the hell have you been?!" Libby scolded. "I called you until my phone died."

"Sorry, we didn't have a time we were planning on meeting, and my phone died too," Cindy replied. "Have you been waiting here all night?"

Libby blushed, "Well, no. Sheen and I woke up this morning. He called Carl to apologize only to find out that Mister Hot Shot found himself a girl and they ditched the party to go star gazing. He just got back," Libby smiled, giving Cindy eyebrow messages.

"Oh yeah, Jimmy told me about that," Cindy said absent-mindedly.

"Jimmy? When were you with Jimmy?" Libby questioned.

Cindy froze in panic. What was she supposed to say? "Umm, I ran into him last night and asked him if Carl was ready to leave. That's when he told me," Cindy lied.

Libby nodded. "Honey, where are your shoes?"

"Umm…"

"Cindy, I saw your shoes as I was walking out. Jesus, were you so trashed last night that you couldn't remember where you left them?" Jimmy came wandering over.

Cindy grabbed her shoes and thanked Jimmy with a look. "Shut up, I was not trashed," Cindy replied as she slipped her shoes on.

"Are you guys ready to go?" Carl asked as he stood up.

Everyone sleepily nodded and followed Carl through the hole in the fence that they came through. The four blocks they had to walk seemed to stretch for miles.

"Sorry I couldn't park closer. Elise used the valet, so we just took her car last night," Carl explained.

"Yeah, Carl, tell us all about your night of 'star gazing,'" Sheen said suggestively.

"Oh hush, Sheen. If Carl wants to tell you about it, he will," Libby playfully slapped Sheen's arm.

Once they got to the car, everyone fell quiet. They were all so tired.

Jimmy and Cindy were the first to be dropped off. They both said their thank yous to Carl and stepped out of the car.

"Do you want me to stay, Cindy?" Libby asked.

Cindy shook her head, "No, thank you. I need to shower and get some sleep. Text me later though?"

Libby nodded, "Will do. See you later." Carl drove off.

Cindy sighed in relief. She couldn't believe that she had kept this giant secret from her best friend. And to top it off, Libby had no idea whatsoever.

"Hey," Jimmy said.

Cindy jumped. She thought he had already headed home. She turned around to face Jimmy.

"So…" Jimmy began.

"Yeah," Cindy added. They both stared at each other in silence. "Well, this is a stimulating conversation," Cindy stated.

Jimmy finally said, "Listen, about last night…"

Cindy stopped him, "Don't. It happened and now it's done."

"I just don't want you to think—"

"Jimmy, we were drunk and vulnerable. I don't think anything. It happened and now it's done," Cindy repeated. She turned to walk toward her house.

"Oh, before I forget," Jimmy said as he pulled Cindy's underwear from his pocket.

Cindy turned around to see what he wanted. She turned red with embarrassment and anger as she saw what he had. She stormed over to him and snatched them from his hand. "Why do you have those?" she whisper-yelled.

"I found them as I was getting dressed. I figured you'd rather have me find them than Eustace," Jimmy explained.

"Well, thanks," Cindy muttered.

"Yep," Jimmy replied before turning around to go home.

"Jimmy?" Cindy quietly called.

Jimmy rolled his eyes and turned around, "What?"

"I-I I'm not sorry about it. And you shouldn't be either. It was really fun."

Jimmy's face softened. He nodded.

"I am sorry for storming off this morning. I panicked," Cindy explained.

"Understandable," Jimmy agreed.

Cindy tried to think of something else to say. She had a weird feeling that she just wanted to keep talking to Jimmy. "Umm, did-did you have fun?" Stop talking now. Cindy thought to herself as soon as those words left her mouth.

"I thought 'it happened and now it's done'?" Jimmy replied smiling.

"I meant the party, Nerd-bomb," Cindy tried to save herself.

"No, you didn't, and yes I did. Sitting next to you in the car, knowing that you didn't have any underwear on was driving me crazy," Jimmy replied. His face was turning red.

"Oh," was all Cindy said. She began blushing too.

"You know what woke me up this morning? I was having a dream about you, and then I heard you say 'oh shit' and in my subconscious I was confused because in my dream you didn't say that, so when I heard it, I had to wake up," Jimmy said.

"Oh?" Cindy replied. "What were you dreaming about?"

Jimmy perked his eyebrow, curious if Cindy was really that naïve. "Umm, definitely nothing g-rated."

"That was a dumb question."

Jimmy smiled. "Use your imagination."

"What do you mean?" Cindy asked.

Jimmy smiled and looked Cindy up and down before winking, "Use your imagination," he repeated before turning around to head home.

Cindy watched Jimmy until his figure disappeared behind the trees in front of his clubhouse. She took a deep breath, half expecting her parents to be waiting by the front door. She knew that she was going to be in a heap of trouble.

Cindy walked inside to a quiet house. She shrugged and wandered into the kitchen. Sometimes her parents sat quietly reading the newspaper and enjoying their coffee. She figured it would be best to face them head on, but there was no one in the kitchen either. Cindy looked at a note that was left on the kitchen island: Cindy— we didn't want to wake you, but we had a brunch meeting with a client. We need to put in some more work at the office as well. We will see you this evening. Love, Mom & Dad

Cindy sighed as she prepped the coffee maker. Her parents didn't even realize she had been gone all night. After she poured her cup of coffee, she took her drink upstairs to her room. She plugged in her phone, walked into the bathroom, and turned on the water for a hot bath.

She sat on her bed thumbing through a university catalog. She had dog-eared all the pages of schools she was interested in. Cindy had started writing college essays but had been feeling uninspired lately.

Cindy walked into the bathroom to turn the water off. She tied her hair up, slipped out of her dress and sank into the tub with a contented sigh. She tried thinking about the schools she wanted to apply to, but her mind kept going back to Jimmy.

"'Use your imagination,'" she muttered to herself. She closed her eyes as she tried to remember what happened the night before. It only came in pieces, but she remembered kissing Jimmy had felt different, amazing. "Touch me, Jimmy," she remembered saying to him right before he started sucking on her breast. She opened her eyes and looked down at her bare chest. There were still hickey marks on her right breast.

"'Use your imagination,'" Cindy quoted again. She closed her eyes as she pictured Jimmy sucking on her breast again. She reached up and started massaging her breasts the way Jimmy had the night before. She slid down deeper into the tub, as if it would hide anything.

She pictured Jimmy kneeling over her, because she figured that's how it would have been in his dream. Despite her similar personality for dominance, she enjoyed the thought of Jimmy being in charge in this scenario. She imagined Jimmy sucking on her neck and working his way down to her chest. She slowly slid one of her hands down her body, the way she imagined Jimmy would, until she reached her groin. She started massaging herself slowly.

"Jimmy," Cindy sighed to herself. She was about to finger herself, when she heard her phone ringing. Her eyes shot open and she quickly pulled her hands away from her body, as if someone could see her. She stood up, wrapped a towel around herself and walked into her room to answer her phone.

"Hello?" she answered.

"Girl, I have texted you, like, fifty times. What are you doing?" Libby replied.

"I was…sleeping," Cindy lied. "I told you I was tired."

"Well get untired, because I have some shit to tell you. I'm coming over," Libby stated before hanging up.

Cindy sighed and tried to not be annoyed by the fact that she would not be getting a nap in today. She got dressed and headed downstairs to make a fresh pot of coffee. Not much later, Libby came barging in through the front door.

"Don't you ever knock?" Cindy asked with feigned annoyance.

"Girl, please. I knew your parents wouldn't be home, because they never are," Libby replied.

Cindy handed her friend a cup of coffee before heading upstairs to her room. When they sat down on Cindy's bed, she asked, "So what did you have to tell me?"

"Okay, first of all, what even happened to you last night? I saw you for like a split second when Carl was hitting on that drunk girl in the living room, but then I got preoccupied trying to destroy some rumors."

"What rumors?"

"Don't change the subject! Well, actually it's not a complete subject change. But those rumors are done now. We need to talk about the rumors about you," Libby said.

"Me? Who started a rumor about me?"

"Aren't you at all interested in what the rumor was?"

"It's just gossip. It's probably not true."

"Well, whether you care or not, I'm telling you, because I don't know how to get rid of this one. I need your alibi so I can smother this one," Libby began. "Okay, so the first part of this deals with you and Eustace. You want to tell me what that's about?"

Cindy furrowed her brow and looked away in embarrassment. "So he made a move on me. So what? I took care of it."

"So it is true!" Libby shouted.

"Whoa, back up. What do people think happened?"

"I thought it was 'just gossip'?"

"Shut up, and tell me."

"People say he got you drunk and tried to feel you up. Then you kneed him in the dick."

"Why do people keep phrasing it that way?" Cindy muttered to herself. "Part of that is true: he did try to feel me up, and I did 'knee him in the dick' as everyone likes to say, but he didn't get me drunk. When you saw me in the living room with Carl, I was miserable. I wanted to go home. Jimmy came over, obviously already drunk. He had a bottle of whiskey, and he was being an asshole, so I took the bottle from him. I went to meet up with Eustace and—"

"Hold up, you went to meet up with Eustace? Why?"

"Because you guys all ditched me, and he was the only person I knew, and he was being super nice," Cindy explained.

"And that didn't scream red flag to you? Cindy, it was a party. Single guys only go to parties to hook up with girls. He probably thought that since it was his party, he could easily get some action. Your IQ might be high, but you are a bit naïve sometimes."

Cindy crossed her arms in anger. "Don't come over here and patronize me. You're my best friend. Where were you last night?"

Libby took a breath to defend herself, but changed her mind. "This isn't about me right now. This is about you. That's not the only rumor about you that spread last night."

Cindy rolled her eyes. She knew her friend was hiding something. "What else was said?"

Libby took a deep breath, "Don't get mad. I'm just telling you what I heard. Remember that I'm just the messenger."

"Libby, what could possibly be so bad that you think I would get mad at you?"

"People are saying that you and Jimmy hooked up."

Cindy sat in silence. She wasn't sure how to react. Sure, it was true, but she didn't feel like telling her best friend that. As far as Cindy was concerned, it was a drunken mistake, one which she had enjoyed, but a mistake no less.

Finally, Cindy thought up an innocent reply, "What would make people think that?"

"Well, what I heard was that after your fiasco with Eustace, you stormed outside. Jimmy followed you, and that was the last anyone had seen either of you all night."

"How did people even know us? I sure didn't know anyone there."

Libby just shrugged. "You two are the smartest kids in town. Who doesn't know you? Now, are you going to give me your alibi so I can put this rumor to bed?"

Cindy sat silently trying to come up with some excuse.

Libby caught on. "It's true? Cindy, did you hook up with Neutron?"

"I remember him following me outside," Cindy offered. "He had a bottle of rum and we drank a bit. My memory is a bit fuzzy after that," Cindy lied.

Libby was about to say something when her phone rang. She answered it immediately. "Hey, baby… I'm at Cindy's house… Right now?... Okay, we'll be there in a few. Love you." She hung up the phone and said, "You can finish your alibi later. Come on, we're going to Sheen's."

"Why?"

"Cindy, it's Saturday night. We always go to Sheen's on Saturday."

"Ugh, we're still doing that? Can't I stay home? I'm so tired."

"It's a tradition. With how busy our schedules are, sometimes it's the only time we can all get together. Come on Cindy, don't bail on me."

"Fine." Cindy stood up. "Let's go."

"Is that what you're wearing?" Libby asked incredulously as she stared at Cindy's leggings and The Great Gatsby t-shirt.

"Do not even start with me," Cindy threatened.

"Okay, okay. I suppose I got to dress you up last night. I want my dress back, by the way."

"Yeah, yeah," Cindy said as she tossed the dress at Libby.

Cindy wrote a note to her parents before locking up the house. As the girls walked outside, Jimmy was pulling out of the driveway. He stopped and rolled down his window.

"Are you guys going to Sheen's?" Jimmy asked.

Libby nodded. Cindy avoided eye contact.

"Hop in, I'll give you a ride."

"Thanks, Jimmy!" Libby bounded over to the car. She turned around and shared an eye message with Cindy, who rolled her eyes and sighed as she walked over to the car. She climbed into the passenger seat and pulled on her seatbelt. She and Jimmy sat in silence as Libby babbled on about unimportant things.

"Sheen, we're here!" Libby hollered as she walked through the front door.

"Hey, babe!" Sheen replied as he rounded the corner. He greeted Libby with a big kiss. "You'll never guess what."

"What?" Libby asked.

"Carl bailed. Elise called him," Sheen answered with a suggestive smile.

"Ah, man. So much for tradition. I mean, I'm happy for him, but still. Looks like it's just the four of us."

"Come on downstairs. The pizza should be here soon, so we should pick out a movie," Sheen said leading the way to the basement.

Cindy started to follow but was stopped by Jimmy saying, "Wait. Did you talk to Libby about, well, you know?"

Cindy sighed, "No, I didn't. But she told me something that I need to talk to you about."

"If you guys don't get down here now, you don't get a say in the movie we watch!" Libby hollered up the stairs.

"Coming!" Cindy rolled her eyes and shrugged at Jimmy, who gestured to Cindy to lead the way.

Sheen was putting in the movie that was voted on as the doorbell rang. "That must be the pizza. Libby, do you have change for a tip?"

"Sure, I'll help get the drinks too. Play nice you two," Libby winked at Cindy and Jimmy.

Jimmy looked at Cindy who had her brow furrowed as she glared at her friend walking up the stairs. "So what did Libby tell you?"

Cindy turned to face Jimmy. She took a deep breath before answering, "Apparently there's a rumor going around that we hooked up last night."

"And?"

"And aren't you worried?"

"No. It's just a rumor, Cindy."

"But it's true! Don't you think people will find out that we…"

"Fucked?" Jimmy smiled.

"Nice," Cindy rolled her eyes.

"As far as anyone is concerned, it's just a rumor."

"Yeah, but what if—" Cindy stopped herself when she heard Sheen and Libby coming back downstairs. "I still want to talk about this," she muttered to Jimmy.

"Quit worrying. You need to keep your mind focused for next week's math test," Jimmy whispered back.

"Hey, it's Saturday night. You know the rule, Jim: no school talk," Sheen said as he wandered into the basement.

Sheen hit play and the movie started. He and Libby settled in together on the couch, while Cindy and Jimmy sat down on the opposite side, trying not to act suspicious.

Twenty minutes in to the movie, Cindy got up, muttered something about the bathroom and walked upstairs. Not two minutes later, Jimmy's phone buzzed with a new text message: Meet me upstairs. Now. It was from Cindy.

Why? Jimmy typed back, even though he knew what she wanted.

Cindy: We need to talk about this.

Jimmy: What happened to "It happened and now it's done?"

Cindy: That was before I knew that people were starting rumors about it.

"Jim, who are you texting?" Sheen mumbled.

"Just some kid who wants me to tutor him for the math test next week, like it's going to help," Jimmy lied.

"No school talk. That's the rule," Libby muttered, half asleep.

Jimmy's phone started to buzz again. This time Cindy was calling him. "Excuse me, it's my mom," Jimmy lied again, as he stood up to walk upstairs. He walked over to the guest bathroom and pounded on the door.

Cindy whipped the door open and whispered in a shrill voice, "Are you crazy?! Do you want them to hear you?" She pulled him inside and closed the door.

"You know, last time you locked yourself in a room with me rumors got started, and I know how much that bothered you," Jimmy replied in a smug voice.

"That's the problem. Why doesn't it bother you?" Cindy asked.

"Because I'm not embarrassed by it. You told me you had fun, right?" Cindy nodded in reply. "And I had fun, too. So why are you letting some stupid rumor destroy your fun?"

"Because. It's. True. Don't you think that means somebody saw us?"

"And so what if they did? Nobody can prove it. But why does it bother you so much?"

Cindy pulled herself up so she was sitting on the counter. "I-I I don't know. The things I said last night were true: I like you, Jimmy. A lot. And I'm afraid of what that means."

"I like you too, Cindy. But it doesn't have to mean anything if you don't want it to."

"But I don't know if I want it to mean something. I don't want to just be some girl that you slept with at a party, but we're friends. Doesn't that make it awkward?"

"It's only awkward if you think it is," Jimmy said as he leaned down so he was eye level with Cindy. "Just tell me when to stop," he whispered.

"What are you—" Cindy was cut short by Jimmy's lips connecting with hers. He kissed her tenderly; much different than the passionate, forceful kisses from the night before.

Cindy pushed Jimmy away lightly and asked, "Do you want it to mean something?"

Jimmy looked Cindy in the eye, "Well, yeah. I'm not just some horny guy trying to jump on anything that moves. Cindy, you and I have both gone out with other people, and it hasn't worked out. It's my theory that we wanted those relationships to fail, because we knew what we wanted, but were too afraid to go for it. So let's go for it."

Cindy sat in silence, trying to come up with something to say.

"What are you thinking about?" Jimmy asked.

Cindy smirked and replied, "Use your imagination."