The Bleeding
by Juul
A/N: Another songfic by me. This time, the song's from Five Finger Death Punch. Theyr'e real cool if you like nu/industrial/progressive metal, and they've got Motograter's vocalist, too. First off, I apologize if this sucks, it's my first Jimmy Neutron fic. This song's been stuck in my head all day, so I figured I'd write a songfic to it. Enjoy.
Disclaimer: I didn't write "The Bleeding" 5FDP did. I don't own Jimmy Neutron, John A. Davis does. NOTE: This story's supposed to take place a few years into the future, so that explains why the characters are a little older than they are in the show. Lyrics will be in bold.
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Cindy Vortex walked down the street with her best friend, Libby. The past few years have been very weird. Well, actually almost every year she could remember had been weird. Ever since she met Jimmy Neutron, the boy genius. There was never a dull moment with him around; he always either screwed something up or made a fool of himself or both, but somehow he always managed to save the day.
As much as this annoyed Cindy in her earlier years, it didn't bother her as much anymore, five years later. Now at age fifteen, Cindy was starting to rethink all the times she had helped in humiliating Jimmy. He wasn't that bad. Sure he was a bit cocky at times, but aren't all guys? Cindy shook her head at these thoughts, she shouldn't be thinking about Jimmy; nerdy too-smart, big-brained Jimmy...
Especially since she was with Nick now.
I remember when all the games began
Remember every little lie, and every last goodbye
Promises you broke, words you choked on,
And I never walked away,
It's still a mystery to me
Cindy and Nick had been dating since seventh grade. Three years was a long relationship to them. Of course, she considered herself lucky for a while, hell, she was dating the hottest guy in school. Everyone liked him. And he was sweet too, a really nice boy. He had good looks, a smile to die for, and treated his girl like a queen.
It's amazing how many things can change in any amount of time, though. In about the middle of their freshman year, Nick started doing drugs and drinking like crazy. It changed him. He started asking Cindy out on dates, but he'd never show up, or he'd call at the last minute and say he couldn't make it; and it was all too noticeable that he was high or drunk when he called, too.
That was only the beginning. Nick's mood swings made him real crazy and unpredictable. After a while, he started getting violent with his words. Cindy could remember plenty of times when Nick would call her up in the middle of the night, either piss drunk or higher than hell, asking for drugs or money, even though he knew she didn't do drugs and she didn't have money to give him. The minute she told him 'no,' he would scream and cuss, and eventually hang up and not call again for a while.
Soon, his actions became just as violent as his words, sometimes worse.
Well I'm so empty
I'm better off without you,
And you're better off without me
Well you're so unclean
I'm better off without you,
And you're better off without me
"Cindy."
The blonde girl shook her head and turned to face her friend. "Yeah, Libby?"
"You alright, girl?" asked Libby.
Cindy hesitated for a moment, then answered, "Yeah, why?"
Libby raised an eyebrow and gave Cindy a questioning look. "No reason. It's just that... you've sure been acting different for about a year now. You're way more quiet now. Definitely not the girl I picked on Neutron with back in the day."
Am I that obvious? Cindy wondered. She pulled the sleeves on her jacket down over her hands a little more. "Libby, I'm fine. If there was anything wrong, I'd tell you."
Libby put her hand on Cindy's shoulder. "You sure?" Cindy nodded. "Okay."
They began walking down the street again. It was about four thirty now. Cindy would have went home with Nick in his new Corvette, but she had taken to avoiding him as much as possible. Whenever anyone asked her why she wasn't with him somewhere, she'd always make up some bullshit story about wanting 'alone time' or something.
Alone time. Right.
"Hey," said Libby as they stopped in front of her driveway, "don't mind me asking, but how's things with you and Nick? You guys hardly ever talk anymore it seems like."
Cindy paused for a moment, trying to think of something to tell her that she hadn't heard already. "Well," said Cindy, nervously rubbing her arm and looking down at her feet, "He's always off somewhere with his guy friends ever since he got his license, ya know? So I'm just kinda stuck at home a lot more than I used to be, but yeah, everything's fine, why wouldn't it be?"
Libby gave her a questioning look before walking down the driveway and to the front door of her house. "Okay, Cindy. Whatever girl, but you know that if he ever lays a hand on you, I'll kick his ass, right? I mean that. Nobody messes with my friends." With that said, Libby went into her house and closed the front door.
After Libby went into the house, Cindy started heading towards her own home. Her parents wouldn't be home for at least a few more hours, so that was good. She could just go do her homework and then probably call up Libby and see what she was doing.
"Cindy, what the fuck is wrong with you?!"
"Nick, I didn't mean to, I'm sorry!"
"No you're not! You don't give a shit about me-- about us-- anymore, do you?! HUH?! DO YOU?!"
"DAMMIT, NICK! I SAID I WAS SORRY!"
Cindy bit down on her bottom lip to keep herself from screaming. How could things have gone so horrible? One day, Nick was a nice, loveable, protective boyfriend, and the next he was a raving, abusive lunatic. Had she done something wrong? Was it her fault he had changed so fast and so horribly?
The lying! The bleeding! The screaming!
Was tearing me apart!
The hatred! The beatings! It's over!
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Cindy sat on her bed looking at a picture frame. In that picture frame was a picture of course: a picture of her and Nick taken about two years ago at their eighth grade graduation. They were so happy. There was no way that any of that was real... it seemed too much like a dream now. There was no way that Nick had once been a nice, caring guy. There was no way that Cindy had once been a strong, happy, out-going girl.
That's not me, thought Cindy. I'm not special. I'm not unique. I'm not happy... happiness, what's that? Cindy tried to clear her mind of those memories of what had been, and even more of the newer ones. Nick, what happened to you? What happened to us? Was it really me?
No. It wasn't her. She could always control herself, and she never had quite that bad of a temper. No, she hadn't ruined everything, she always did what he told her to. If she didn't, she'd regret it later, it was that simple. The teenager tightened her grip on the picture frame, feeling the anger rise up into her throat, straight from her heart, ready to scream it all out to the world.
She couldn't help it anymore. She let her guard down after finally surrendering to the tears that had been threatening to fall. Cindy stood up and flung the picture frame across her room. It shattered on the other side, glass shards everywhere.
"Who the hell even cares anymore?!" Cindy screamed, hastily taking her jacket off and flinging that to the opposite side of the room. She walked past the huge mirror she had in her room, towards her dresser to get her pajamas, but stopped when she saw her reflection. Never once had she ever thought that she would look anything like this in her lifetime.
Injuries were scattered throughout her body. Mainly bruises on her shoulders and arms, but there were other wounds on her person. Red marks around her neck and shoulders, a few cuts and scrapes on her stomach and face, occasionally there would be unwanted hickeys on her neck even. Cindy frowned at her appearance and quickly changed into her pajamas.
Paint the mirrors black to forget you
I still picture your face,
And the way you used to taste
Roses in a glass, dead and wilted
To you this all was nothing
Everything to you is nothing
"Cindy, are you okay?"
"Yeah, Neutron, I'm fine. Now, could you leave me alone now?"
Jimmy raised an eyebrow in suspicion. "Okay, I'll leave you alone," he said, holding up his hands and starting to walk away. Before leaving the lunch room, he turned and gave her an odd look; one she had never seen him give anyone before: one of... concern?
"You've just not been acting yourself. I thought maybe something was up. I guess I'm wrong; it wouldn't be the first time, now would it?" He winked at her, indicating that he still remembered how many times he had managed to endanger the world because of a science experiment gone very wrong.
She should have told him.
Cindy layed down on her bed with her CD player in one hand. She left one of the headphones out in case the phone rang and it was one of her parents or Libby. Music helped calm her nerves sometimes.
Well you're so filthy
I'm better off without you
And you're better off without me
Well I'm so ugly
You're better off without me,
And I'm better off alone
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What the hell is that noise? Cindy sat up and lazily rubbed her temples. She pulled her one headphone out of her ear and swung her legs over the side of her bed. I guess I fell asleep again. Oh well...
There was that damn thumping noise again. "Cindy! Are you home? We need to talk!"
"Shit," said Cindy, getting up and walking across her room to get her jacket. She put it on and zipped up the front almost all the way, then stuck her head out her bedroom window. She looked down, to see Nick standing on the front porch, slamming his fist into the door.
"Nick, what do you want?" asked Cindy.
The young man rolled his eyes and cast Cindy an annoyed look. "I already said. We need to talk! So get your ass down here and let me in!"
Cindy didn't say anything; she merely left her bedroom, went downstairs, into the living room, and opened up the front door. "Okay, Nick," she said, sighing, "What do we need to talk about?"
Nick stepped through the door, an angry look on his handsome face. He shut the door and turned to face Cindy. "Someone told me that you aren't happy with me; that you wanna break up with me. Is that true?"
How the fuck does he know that? I haven't told anyone! "N-no! Why-why would I want to break up with you?" she said, a little shocked.
"Are you sure?" asked Nick, narrowing his eyes and backing her up a little bit. "You've been avoiding me, so how would I know what you're up to? We never talk anymore for God's sake!"
Cindy could feel her heart racing and the cold sweat starting to form on the back of her neck and her forehead. She was afraid. Why would she not be?
Nick continued on with his screaming and cussing and accusing for a few more minutes. Then, he noticed something different about his girlfriend. "Cindy," he said her name in a voice so smooth that it sent chills up her spine, "you wouldn't lie to me would you?" She shook her head. "Good. I've got one more question."
"What?" asked Cindy, a little relieved, but not by much.
"Are you afraid of me?"
Cindy didn't answer.
"Huh? Are you?" asked Nick. "I want the truth now!" He stepped towards her, and put his hands on her shoulders, looking into her eyes, his gaze piercing into her soul.
"I'm not afraid of you," said Cindy, in a quiet voice. She knew that it wasn't convincing.
Nick let go of her and chuckled lightly. "Okay, that's bullshit, and we both know it." Cindy backed away from him, but he pulled her close once more. Cindy could smell the scent of the cologne he wore occasionally to cover up the smoke smell. "You respect me, don't you? You know what happens if you don't respect me, right?" He put one hand around her waist and the other on her shoulder. He unzipped her jacket a little and pushed the collar off to the side, revealing a bruise that showed up clearly on her pale skin.
"No."
"What was that?"
Something inside of her finally snapped.
"I said NO!"
The lying! The bleeding! The screaming!
Was tearing me apart!
The hatred! The beatings! It's over!
Cindy shoved him away from her with all her strength. "I'm sick of this!" she yelled.
Nick was quite surprised, and it showed on his face. "Cindy, what the fuck?!" He walked towards her and shoved her. "What's your fucking problem?!"
"You," was all Cindy said. She couldn't bring herself to say anymore. Her heart felt like it was breaking, but at the same time, she felt an adrenaline rush of some kind.
"HOW DARE YOU! FUCKING BITCH!" Nick screamed, lunging at Cindy, pushing her into a shelf, knocking a few of her mother's statues and knick-knacks off of it.
"Get the fuck OFF ME!" Cindy started blindly swinging her fists at him, as hard as she could. Nick put her hands around her throat and attempted to choke her.
"I treated you so well," he said, "AND THIS IS THE THANKS I GET?! I TREAT YOU LIKE A QUEEN AND YOU DO THIS?!"
Cindy cried out and kneed him in the stomach. She swept everything on the top shelf off with her arm, most of it breaking on Nick's head and shoulders. She then made a run towards the front door. She almost made it, but Nick caught her around the waist and pulled her to the ground. They rolled around on the floor for a good seven minutes or so fighting and screaming.
Finally, Nick got Cindy underneath him and put one of his hands around her throat, the other holding her hands together by her wrists. "Dammit, girl," he said, turning his head for a split second to spit out blood and a tooth, "how could you do this to me?"
For the first time in her life, Cindy was truly scared out of her mind. She was damn near defenseless, and he could do anything he please to her. Nick gave Cindy a suggestive look, then crashed his lips down on hers. Alarmed, Cindy tried to scream, but couldn't. She managed to get one of her hands free and was feeling around on the floor around her for something, anything. She wasn't too sure what it was, but she managed to find something made out of either glass or ceramic. Cindy brought her hand up and crashed the thing into the side of Nick's head, then shoved him off of her.
The young woman stood up and held her fists out in front of her, ready to beat him to a bloody pulp if needed. Nick layed on his back for a moment, breathing heavily, then looked up at her. Somehow, through all the shit he'd put her through, Cindy almost cried thinking about beating him, even if it was in self-defense.
For some odd reason, she still loved him.
As wicked as you are,
You're beautiful to me ,
You're the darkest burning star,
You're my perfect disease
"Nick," said Cindy, her voice shaking partially from fear and partially from actually feeling sorry for him. "Nick, I am sorry. I didn't want to fight you like this. Ever." She glanced around the wreckage of the living room. She'd just have to explain to her parents later. "Nick, I just can't... do this anymore... We're better off apart."
Nick slowly sat up. Cindy noticed this and backed up a little. "What do you mean?" he asked.
Cindy let her arms fall down to her sides. She cast her gaze downward, her blond hair falling over her eyes. "Nick... I always used to hope that things would work out. And they did," she added, "But we both know that things fell apart. I just can't deal with you anymore. I won't lie, you did treat me well... at the beginning." Nick gave her a dirty look.
"I can't deal with you hitting me. I love you, but I can't love you, Nick. It's so hard to love someone who treats you like you're less than shit. It's so hard to fully love and trust someone who beats the hell out of you. It's hard to be with someone who you argue with almost all the time." Cindy tried real hard not to look at him.
Nick stood up and brushed some of the debri off of his leather jacket. "So... this is it?" he asked. Cindy sighed and put a hand to her forehead. "Yes... this is it..." She walked over to the front door and opened it. "Now get the hell out of my house," she said, pointing out.
Nick walked towards the front door, stopping to look at Cindy. Finally, he noticed the pain in her beautiful green eyes, he noticed the damage on her body, and he could see the hatred in her eyes... aimed at him. For once, Nick finally realized what he had done, but it was too late to change that.
"Get out." Cindy opened the screen door and walked out onto the porch, holding the door open for him.
"I guess this is goodbye," said Nick, walking past her. Cindy didn't say a word. After Nick was outside of the house, she slammed the door shut and locked it.
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Cindy walked through the trashed living room, still not worrying about what her parents would say when they got home, or how long she'd be grounded for. That was the least of her worries. Cindy went upstairs to her bathroom and cleaned up a little bit. She was putting a small bandaid on the side of her face when she heard a knock at the door.
"Who is it now?!" she wondered out loud.
The girl walked downstairs, mentally vowing to call the cops if it was Nick again. She walked through the living room once more and opened the front door.
There was Jimmy Neutron standing on the front porch.
Cindy opened the door and went out onto the porch with him. "Hey, Neutron... Jimmy," she corrected herself.
Jimmy had the most surprised look on his face. "Cindy?" he said. "What happened to you? Are you okay? I just saw Nick drive down the street and he was driving pretty fast. I thought maybe something had happened, and I heard a lot of screaming earlier, and... and..." He stopped talking to catch his breath. "Are you okay?" he asked again.
Cindy took a deep breath. "No," she answered, sitting down on the step, "I'm not okay."
Jimmy sat down next to her. "What happened?" he asked, concern in his eyes.
Cindy hesitantly rubbed her aching shoulder and looked away from Jimmy. But somehow, she found it hard to look away. Jimmy Neutron had grown up to be real handsome. More handsome than that bastard Nick even... thought Cindy. She quickly cast the thought aside.
"Well, you wanna know the whole story, huh Neutron?" she asked.
"Not if you don't wanna tell me," said Jimmy, "I mean, it's really none of my business, but--"
"Jimmy," said Cindy, "I should have told someone." She let out a heavy, painful sigh. "About a year ago, when we were in ninth grade, Nick started getting into drugs and stuff. I don't know if you knew that or not," she looked at Jimmy before continuing. "It all started to screw around with his head and he started being a real prick to me. He... he started hitting me and stuff..." Cindy closed her eyes and turned her head.
"My God!" said Jimmy. "Why didn't you tell anyone?! You could have really been hurt!"
"I should've told someone." Cindy repeated herself. "I'm sorry, Jimmy. You and Libby and everyone knew something was up. Even Carl and Sheen knew something was going on."
"Well, Cindy," said Jimmy, "You haven't exactly been yourself for a while."
Cindy smiled painfully. "I know. I'm sorry. I just... I just thought I was happy... I couldn't believe that all this was really happening... I couldn't--"
The blond girl turned her head only to become face to face with Jimmy. Her green eyes looked straight into his blue ones, and for once she really could tell how much he was worried about her. Cindy couldn't help herself...
She kissed Jimmy on the lips, right there on the front porch.
Jimmy seemed greatly surprised, but didn't say a word after Cindy pulled away. He looked at her in confusion, at a loss of words, noticing a deep red blush appear on Cindy's face. "C-Cindy? Why-?"
"Jimmy! I'm so- God! I don't know what came over me!" Cindy said, trying not to seem any dumber than she was already feeling.
Jimmy shook his head and put his hand on the girl's shoulder. "No," he said, "It's okay. I understand."
"Really?" asked Cindy.
"Yes," said Jimmy, pulling her close to him. "I do understand. And I'm sorry. About everything. You shouldn't have had to go through any of that. You deserve better."
For the first time in what seemed like an eternity, Cindy Vortex smiled. A real smile.
The lying! The bleeding! The screaming!
Was tearing me apart!
The hatred! The beatings! It's over! Disaster!
A/N 2: So how was that for my first Jimmy Neutron fic? I think it turned out okay, and I'm quite pleased with it, especially since it took almost three hours to complete. Hope this was worth the read.
-Juul