I forgot to put an author's note last time. Well, more like I thought that would be an option that I could tack on as I uploaded the story. Apparently not. This is hardly the first thing I've written, but it sure is the first thing I've posted. Let me know what you think. I've got a couple more chapters written, so I'll update accordingly. Until then.

Cindy Vortex rolled over again, tossing her blonde locks frustratedly over her face. She brought an equally-frustrated hand up, and removed the annoying fibers from her line of sight. The clock placed strategically on the nightstand beside her bed informed her that it was 11:55 PM. With an angry sigh, she rolled back over.

She was tired. Tired, but unable to get to sleep. Her eyes burned… and not just from fatigue. No, there was far too much on her young mind to will herself to sleep on such an accursed night. The calendar hanging on the far side of the room told almost the entire story. A large red 'x' was placed over the current day of the month, the third of June.

It was only five minutes until the fourth, but that was of little concern to her. Just seeing the three on the calendar was enough to set her off. It was a day that Cindy had often since tried to place in the back of her mind… a task she inevitably failed at. It was two days before her birthday, a month and a day before Independence day, and sixteen days before her mom's birthday.

It was also the day he left.

Three years ago, Jimmy had left her… with the promise of a return in, at most, a week. That obviously hadn't happened. She had been so angry with him at the time, and yet she understood why he had to go. That didn't mean she didn't try to stop him, though. The fact that it had been April only made the matter worse in Cindy's eyes.

After going years without contact, Jimmy had received another one of the infamous message rocks, from a familiar green-skinned alien girl. Cindy was furious upon its arrival, but Jimmy just laughed and poked fun at her jealousy. Upon opening the message, however, there was nothing flirtatious about it.

April had sent Jimmy a plea for help. The message had been a poorly-recorded, last-minute decision on her part. According to April, the Yolkians had beset her homeworld, and were intent on wholly conquering all of Planet Gorlock. She requested Jimmy's help, and insisted that he needed to come as soon as possible. The alien girl didn't offer much detail besides that, to the annoyance of her and Jimmy. After that, the message had spontaneously ended.

Cindy's response had been instant and decisive. She downright forbid Jimmy from going on a "cockamamie rescue mission" to save his "alien girlfriend" (ignoring the fact that she was his girlfriend). Jimmy had simply told her in response, that it was neither her, nor his choice. He had to go. April was counting on his help, whether he wanted to or not.

Not that he didn't want to help her, of course. Jimmy obviously didn't have the negative feelings towards April that Cindy had. That also didn't mean Cindy wanted to see April dead, either. While she was certainly somewhat hostile towards the Gorlock girl, it was only because she was territorial… and as far she was concerned, Jimmy was her territory.

Jimmy had moved straight into action after that, more or less. He'd cobbled together all sorts of things in the lab, just for his expedition to planet Gorlock. A homemade laser rifle, a vast assortment of medical accoutrements, and even a prototype armored spacesuit that he'd been working on for sometime. He packed all of this and more into his hypercube, and began plotting a course to the planet with the coordinates April had given him.

Throughout this entire time, Cindy had continually expressed her disgust with his plans, at some points refusing to talk to Jimmy out of spite. While she barked and yelled at him on the surface, deep down she'd wanted to cry. It wasn't often that Cindy had felt genuinely worried about Jimmy's safety, but this had been one of those times. The fact that he was so unbelievably brave and committed towards a friend he hadn't seen in years, actually impressed her. If April had been the one sending her the message rock, Cindy couldn't say that she would've acted the same way Jimmy had.

Despite all her yelling, and provocative actions, Jimmy simply tuned her out. Each time she would complain to him, he would simply reply "I'm sorry, Cindy. But I have to do it." No matter what she did, Jimmy never seemed to reciprocate her anger. Not once did he threaten to kick her out of the lab, or even yell at her in return. At one point, the fact that he was being so calm about everything had even started to piss her off.

"What the hell gives, Neutron?!" she exclaimed loudly. Her shrill shout echoed through the lab. Jimmy dropped the device he was tinkering with on his workbench, and turned towards her.

"What do you mean, Cindy?" he asked, after a long pause. Her staunch frown and angry stare didn't even flinch.

"Why aren't you angry!? I've been yelling at you for days now... berating you every chance I get... being downright belligerent towards you. And nothing. Not even a rebuttal? Not even a little outburst of anger?" Cindy questioned disbelievingly. Jimmy frowned, and shook his head. He moved away from the workbench in front of him, and approached her.

"Because…" Jimmy began, looking her in the eye, "I understand."

Cindy's angry glare faltered, and she allowed her crossed arms to loosen a little.

"W-" she stuttered, "what do you mean?"

"I know why you're angry. I get it. It's perfectly reasonable." Jimmy explained. Those words alone were enough to shatter her anger.

"Any logical person would criticize me for this undertaking. The odds against me are ludicrous, even for someone of my stature. The anger you're directing towards me makes complete sense- and is completely expected." Jimmy stated matter-of-factly.

And just like that, Cindy felt the fires of rage that had burned within her for days seemingly vanish, replaced by tsunamis of sorrow. Her angry frown switched to one of sadness.

Jimmy seemingly sensed her change in mood, and closed the gap between them. He hugged her close to him, causing the last bit of angry resolve she had to ebb away. Her arms dropped to her side, and she placed her head on his shoulder. A loud sniffle emanated from her nose.

"Why…?" Cindy started. If not for the sniffles, Jimmy wouldn't have been able to tell she was crying.

"Why what? Why do I understand?" Jimmy questioned.

"No…" Cindy followed up, not moving off of him, "... why do you have to be so damned chivalrous?"she leaned her head up, and embarrassingly wiped away the few tears that had spilled over.

"Being a man of virtue is very taxing thing, Vortex." Jimmy chuckled lightly after that. She glared up at him.

"You're telling me." she replied, her voice only slightly venomous. Cindy was finding it very hard to remain peeved while he was clutching onto her so tight. Jimmy moved a hand up from her back, and softly stroked her hair.

"Don't worry, as soon as I get back, I'll make it up to you." Jimmy offered. "If I'm lucky, I'll be back in time for your birthday."

"You'd better." Cindy chided. Again, Jimmy chuckled. "I only turn fifteen once."

"That's what you said last year." Jimmy replied, smirking at her. She just shook her head, and fought the urge to smile.

"Now, if you don't mind, I have to finish calibrating my plasma cutter." he said, searching her eyes for permission. Cindy didn't immediately reply.

"Fine." she conceded. "But we're getting something to eat soon. You skipped breakfast."

"Whatever you say, ma'am."

That had been the first of June, two days before his departure. After that short talk, Cindy had kept her anger in check… at least, when she was around Jimmy. While she was hardly in a chipper mood in his presence, she was sure he'd appreciated her not taking his head off every chance she got.

Jimmy had neglected to tell anyone else he was going to help April. He and Cindy both had known his parents would hate the idea of him going on such a lengthy expedition, especially considering the dangers afoot. A couple of times, Cindy actually considered breaking the news to them, in hopes that they would be able rein Jimmy in more than she could. Cindy could never bring herself to do it, however. She respected Jimmy far too much to go above him like that. In hindsight though, maybe it would've been a better idea.

Eventually, the day of his departure arrived, along with the return of Cindy's anger. Determined to give one last show of resistance, she wouldn't even help him pack his rocket. It was admittedly childish of her to be so pouty, but at the time she didn't care. When he'd announced across the room that he was only minutes away from launch, Cindy had sprinted over to him, and demanded one final time that he stay.

"Cindy, we've been over this. I have to go. April and the Gorlocks need my help." Jimmy replied, giving her a stern look. It lacked the meanness that was reflected in her own.

"Neutron, surely she has some other genius alien friends that can lend her a hand. There's no way you're the only one on her contact list that can help!" Cindy proposed.

"April wouldn't have sent for me if she didn't need me, Cindy. I know you're not her biggest fan, but…"

"This has nothing to do with that alien skank!" Cindy shouted. "This is about you! You don't seem to be accounting for everything!" Jimmy gave her an inquisitive look.

"I assure you, I've prepared for every statistical possibility. If you want, you can review the inventory on my hypercube. I have it recorded all right here-" Cindy cut him off.

"I'm not talking about that, you dingbat! I'm talking about other people." Cindy clarified. This statement gave Jimmy pause.

"Neutron…" Cindy began, swallowing hard. She didn't want a repeat of two day ago.

"You realize what it'll do… if something happens to you? To Carl and Sheen? To your parents?" Cindy took a shaky breath. "To me?"

A deafening silence filled the space between them.

"Parents rarely recover from the death of a child… especially if they only have one." Cindy opened. She was sniffling now. "Carl and Sheen would be lost without you."

"And as for me…" Cindy trailed off, looking away from him. She didn't like talking about her feelings, even to the person she cared about the most.

"Dammit, Neutron. I need you. More than you can possibly imagine." the pauses Cindy took between each statement revealed the true difficulty she was having in making such admissions.

"Cindy-" he started. She quickly interrupted him.

"It's ridiculous, how much I think about you. All the time. No matter what I'm doing, you're always there, in the back of my mind, or the front. In my dreams, even." she continued, clicking her tongue loudly. Jimmy's jaw had gone slack.

"My point is… if anything happens to you, Neutron… it'll destroy us." Cindy admitted. "I can't fathom going on with my life without you in it. And I don't want to." Tears were coming out now, undoubtedly. She made no attempt to hide them.

Cindy didn't say anything else, giving Jimmy his cue to speak. It was a long time before he did.

"Cindy, I'm sorry. I- you-" he stuttered. "It's not an easy decision for me to make. But I won't be able to live with myself, knowing I abandoned the Gorlocks like that, when they needed me most." Jimmy explained. Cindy gazed up at him, and could tell even now that he was conflicted.

"Then at least take me with you, dammit!" she shouted. "You don't have to do this alone!" she decided to try one final tactic.

"My long distance rocket only has one seat." Jimmy explained, indicating the upright space-faring vehicle next to him. "Besides, I wouldn't risk you getting hurt."

"I am more than capable of handling myself, Neutron." Cindy spat. "Can't you at least take Goddard?" Jimmy shook his head.

"I think you'll need him more than I do." the sincerity in Jimmy's tone was abundant. It was Cindy's turn to stand in silence.

"So… there's nothing I can say? Nothing I can tell you that will make you stay?" Cindy whimpered. She felt so exposed, sputtering like a baby the way she was in front of him.

"I'm sorry, Cindy. No, there isn't. I have to do this. If I had been the one seeking April's help, I'm sure she would've come without hesitation." Jimmy stated, finally.

"Fine. Then…" Cindy took a long, deep breath. "Then I guess I have nothing left to say." she crossed her arms, and angled her face away from him. Jimmy's gaze hit the floor instantly.

A few seconds passed, before she felt his arms wrap around her. Unlike the day before, she resisted his embrace. There would be no easy concessions this time.

"You have a knack for making me feel bad, you know that?" Jimmy said to her, attempting to grab her gaze. She continued to look away from him, until he gripped her chin and directed her towards him. Cindy was about to say something nasty, when he planted a chaste kiss on her lips.

"I love you. Take care of Goddard, and my parents. And to some extent, Carl and Sheen. I have complete faith in you." Jimmy said. He released her, and turned back toward his rocket. Cindy, on the other hand, was frozen in place. Somehow, Jimmy had just waltzed away from her, after admitting he loved her. Like it was something he said all the time. Like it was something he said at all.

As his foot hit the first rung of the boarding ladder, Cindy slammed into him from behind, hugging him tightly. Twice now, he'd broken her angry resolve. So far, he'd been the only person to successfully raise and crush it in the same day. Jimmy smiled, and turned around to meet her hug.

"I love you too. I'm so sorry, for everyth-" Cindy began to issue an apology of her own.

"Hey, hey. Don't worry about it. It's fine." Jimmy stopped her, mimicking the hair-stroke he'd done two days before.

"You better take care of yourself. I'm not looking to put any those first aid classes to use, especially not on you." she asserted. A light laugh escaped Jimmy's lips.

"I'm sure you won't have to worry about that." Jimmy assured, before releasing her once more.

"Well… I have to get going. If I find the methods, I'll contact you from Planet Gorlock. As for my parents, you know the drill." Jimmy gave her a serious look.

"Yes. I do." Cindy nodded understandingly.

"Very well. Alright, I must be going. At most, I estimate I'll be gone a week. If I end up being gone longer, I'll find some way to contact you and give you an update on the situation." Jimmy placed his foot on the rung of the ladder once more, and placed his hand against his chin. Cindy stared up at him silently, wondering if he would say anything more.

"I'll be back. I promise." he assured her, finally. "Goodbye, Cindy."

"Bye, Jimmy." she said sorrowfully.

And just like that, Jimmy had gone. He boarded his rocket, and in a flash, he had departed the sanctity of the lab. Cindy still remembered the pungent smell of smoke the rocket had left in its wake. It often seemed to materialize out of nowhere, painfully reminding her of that fateful day.

Obviously, Jimmy had never returned. This by itself was a major problem, but it created a plethora of separate issues for Cindy. The most glaring problem had been Jimmy's parents. The plan they had agreed upon was, that if he wasn't back in one week, that she would simply tell them he was on an extended space cartographing expedition. In all honesty, Jimmy's parents would've probably believed anything that she told them. Jimmy often took extended stays in the lab, not seeing his parents or other outsiders for days on end. Besides, they had little knowledge of what went on down in the lab, and even less of the trouble he got himself into up in space.

Surely enough, one week eventually passed by. No word from Jimmy in sight. His mother, Judy, had showed up at Cindy's house that day, asking to see her. Predictably, she'd asked Cindy if she knew anything about where Jimmy had gone. Cindy had dispensed the lie she and Jimmy had prefabricated the previous week, and Mrs. Neutron had left the house satisfied. It was only a temporary patch to a dam that was destined to break.

Eventually, two weeks came. By this point, Cindy herself had become concerned. Not being able to contact him made the matter all the more weighty on her conscience. Again, Mrs. Neutron appeared, asking Cindy this time if he'd said he'd be gone this long. Cindy assured her that he said it could be over a week before he returned. Once again, Mrs. Neutron departed… a little more disgruntled than the previous time.

When a month went by, things had started to get serious. Cindy was beginning to get seriously worried, as was the rest of her friends circle. Carl and Sheen didn't understand why Jimmy hadn't mentioned it to them, and wondered what he could be doing up in space for a whole month by himself. For a third time, Mrs. Neutron had come a-knocking. She was agitated, clearly worried about the health of her son. The concerned mother proclaimed that if Cindy was withholding information, she had better spill the beans. Between the questions, Mrs. Neutron's surprisingly effective angry glare, and Jimmy's ever-lengthening absence, Cindy broke down. She told her everything.

She told Mrs. Neutron about the message rock. How Jimmy had gone out on a solo mission to save April and the Gorlocks. How they'd come up with a ruse, in the event that he was gone for longer than projected. Cindy recanted all the things she'd said to try and stop him, all the while bawling her eyes out. Mrs. Neutron, losing her anger from before, had wrapped her in a comforting hug.

Once things had gotten calmed down, Cindy had apologized for lying to her. Mrs. Neutron was, somewhat surprisingly, pretty understanding. Despite the grim circumstances, Cindy insisted to Mrs. Neutron (and herself) that Jimmy would be back. She told her about how he didn't truly know how long he would be gone for, and that if he found a way, he would contact them.

While the situation had hardly been rectified, Cindy had felt leagues better telling Mrs. Neutron the truth. She didn't like lying to Jimmy's parents. They were nice, welcoming people. Telling them even a minor fib felt like a crime. Despite this, Cindy had still done it, for Jimmy's sake.

Things had only gotten worse from there. Cindy had been counting the days since he'd left, but with the passing of the first month each passing minute felt continuously more debilitating. She had seriously begun to doubt that everything had gone according to plan for Jimmy. As the days continued to come and go, she told herself that everything was alright. He would be back. He had promised.

Soon one month turned into two, two into four, and four into a year. By that point, the Neutrons were a sputtering mess. Cindy didn't have answers to their questions, and it became clear to them that something awful had happened to Jimmy. Carl and Sheen too, were concerned for Jimmy's well being. With every doubt that was cast her way, Cindy did her best to dispel them. She insisted that he would return. He had to. He had promised.

If there was one thing Jimmy had been right about, it was that Cindy would need Goddard more than him. The robotic canine had become her defacto pet as soon as Jimmy's rocket had departed the lab. He'd followed Cindy home that night, and curled up at the foot of her bed as if it was something he'd done his entire life. Due to his mechanical nature, Goddard ended up filling many more roles than that of a traditional dog. He could "speak" through his built-in monitor, offer advice, provide logistical support, and much-needed comfort.

Despite this, Goddard couldn't solve all of Cindy's problems. Her social status, while already not exactly optimal, suffered even more. She became increasingly hostile towards the vast majority of her peers outside her friend group, snapping at anyone who pestered her for just a second too long. In private, she hung up her mask of anger, revealing the state of depression that had stricken her for sometime. Despite her perpetual sorrow, Cindy rarely cried. She reserved that spectacle for the anniversary.

Earlier that day, Libby had taken her to the Candy Bar, in an attempt to raise her spirits. The third year had been by far the hardest. Cindy had never imagined that she would graduate without Jimmy. Her mother had been thrilled that she'd risen to the top, but to Cindy it wasn't real. She hadn't earned the position. It had merely fallen into her lap, with the most favorable candidate having vanished into thin air.

To anyone else, it might sound ridiculous to make such a claim. Not to Cindy, though. Despite everything, she hadn't allowed her grades to suffer. She knew that Jimmy would've hated for her to slacken academically because of him, and continued to put forth the most effort she could muster. Cindy coasted through her senior year, maintaining a straight-A average and securing her position as #1. While she normally would've spent months formulating her graduation speech, without any serious competition, it was by far some of her least original work.

While the gesture from Libby was appreciated, there wasn't much anyone could do to cheer her up. She put on a fake smile, and told Libby that she was okay. Like usual. She ate the sundae her friend treated her to, and departed without much further comment. It was obvious to Cindy that Libby was deeply concerned for her, but so far her longtime friend had failed to come up with a way to address the issue. Understandably, as Cindy wasn't sure there was a way to confront the issue.

With high school finished, Cindy wasn't sure what her future plans were. College was obvious, but she didn't get the same excited feeling she used to when looking at Ivy League schools online. Her drive for higher education, her drive to do better… her drive for greatness had just… died off. It was like the competitive half of her personality had never existed.

"That Neutron boy isn't everything, dear." her mother had often reminded her. Each time she said it, the words stung. Both as an insult towards Jimmy, and as truth. Jimmy wasn't everything. He hadn't ran her life before (although he had influenced it greatly), and he certainly didn't now. With him gone, though, Cindy simply wasn't the same. So much of her academic career had been centered around competition with him, even after they'd started dating. After Jimmy disappeared, she lost her direction.

With life looking bleaker by the second, Cindy tried not to think too much about the future. It was those long, "what-if" trains of thought that kept her up at night. Like right now. She'd been thinking for so long, it was almost half past midnight… and she still hadn't gotten a wink of sleep.

Doing her best to shove complex thoughts from her mind, Cindy did what she always did when she had trouble sleeping: she clutched a pillow to her chest, curled up her legs, and mentally told herself that everything would be alright. Things would work out. Eventually, Jimmy would return. He had promised.

But even Cindy had begun to doubt.