i have a reason for why the talent show thingy is in there.

oh and since it's pretty AU, i threw in some outer shows just because. i mean, i don't see why they couldn't exist in the world of retroville.

I stared at the screen for a moment in confusion, wondering who in the heck &theghostboy360& was when I saw the status on the IM window change to theghostboy360 is typing a message…. I waited for whoever it was to finish.

theghostboy360: ignoring me won't make me go away. I'm not a bad dream.

I frowned and even though it was probably a bad idea, I decided to respond.

nuclearblackbelt48: for your information, I just woke up. Second of all, who the HELL are you?

theghostboy360: does my username not tell you anything at all?

I looked at the username again and made a face.

nuclearblackbelt48: just because it says 'the ghost boy' doesn't necessarily mean you're the infamous James Neutron ghost.

theghostboy360: - and are you a nuclear black belt?

nuclearblackbelt48: for your information, I AM a black belt in karate. Don't take me lightly.

theghostboy360: LOL. I've decided that doing that would be an understatement to your mental prowess. So far you've impressed me but not enough. Did you read my first message?

nuclearblackbelt48: no because you sent the second one soon after.

theghostboy360: then let me ask again: would you like to play a little game with me?

nuclearblackbelt48: I don't know who you are. I'm not playing anything with you.

theghostboy360: did you ever think to ask yourself how I got your email address and added me to your list of people to message?

nuclearblackbelt48: you could be a hacker.

theghostboy360: you have a pretty good security on everything so it was a bitch to hack into. Made up the coding yourself based off of a high end security program. Amateur but it works all the same.

I stared at the screen in complete shock. It was true, I had made my own coding to add to my security software to add holes the name brand didn't think of and because I didn't want to have to pay for a new one every year. Only a good hacker would notice homemade programming, but only someone one my intellectual level would be able to worm their way through the intricacies and hack in.

theghostboy360: then again, I AM a supposed ghost so it doesn't take much for me to just stand over your shoulder and watch you when you log into your email. :D

I frowned and subconsciously looked over my shoulder. Of course, there was no one there. I breathed out and turned back to the computer.

nuclearblackbelt48: oh yeah? And what else have you been helping yourself to watching?

theghostboy360: well, I was finally able to catch up on all the seasons of Psych and the new Sherlock is pretty good but I prefer the books. *shrug*

nuclearblackbelt48: that is not what I meant, but that will do.

theghostboy360: if you meant did I raid your panty drawer or watch you get undressed or something, no. I'm not that kind of guy.

nuclearblackbelt48: well isn't that a relief? A modest ghost. In regards to your game, I guess I'll play it.

theghostboy360: good. I think you'll like it. it's a form of hide and seek. The gist of it is to see who gives up first: you trying to see me or me trying to MAKE you see me.

I thought about that for a second. First of all, it's four in the morning and I'm IM-ing a supposed 'ghost' who may or may not be a fat dude who likes little girls or something. Second, if this is truly the ghost of James Neutron then why does he talk like he can't reveal himself to me? If he were a ghost, it would be that big of a deal… that and he assessed my programming with such fluidity and precision.

nuclearblackbelt48: what does that mean? Aren't you a ghost? Can't you just allow me to see you?

theghostboy360: LOL. If it were that simple then we'd have met face to face by now. I'm not going to tell you straight up how to see me but if you think hard enough, you can use your own deduction on how to actually see me. I've given you a couple of clues as to how everything happened.

nuclearblackbelt48: did you commit suicide? Or… at least tried?

He didn't answer for a long time and I thought I had offended him when he stared typing again.

theghostboy360: is that what everyone's been saying about me?

nuclearblackbelt48: well school hasn't started so I'm not exactly sure but it seems to be the common consensus.

theghostboy360: that is underwhelming.

nuclearblackbelt48: the other is that you got caught up in experiment

theghostboy360: at least that seems a little more plausible.

nuclearblackbelt48: so which is it? Are you dead or not, Mr. Neutron?

theghostboy360: that is for me to know and for you to discover. The game is afoot, Ms. Vortex.

theghostboy360 has signed off

I smiled a little and turned the computer off all the way. If it really was James that I was talking to, he sounds interesting. I'll ask around when school starts and maybe I can get a more concrete answer about James.

School finally started and I made my way into first period: Drama. Although I like science and a lot of other intellectual things, I also really enjoyed theatre. I like going to plays and things like that (which I will really miss from home) but not as my first class. As the teacher prattled on about the requirements of the class and what would be expected, he suddenly stopped talking and crossed his arms. He didn't say anything for a bit and then tapped his foot.

"Ms. Folfax."

I turned to see who he was looking at (because it looked like right at me) but it was actually at a dark skinned girl behind me. I turned and saw what the disruption was. She had on headphones and was mouthing the lyrics to whatever song was playing as well as dancing in her seat.

"MS. FOLFAX" the teacher yelled.

Folfax looked up and took her headphones off.

"Yeah?"

"Did you hear anything about the class?"

"I've had this class twice, I think I know the rules. They never change."

A couple of other students who must be in the same situation nodded. The teacher made a face at her but walked back up to the front of the room. Folfax made a face behind his back and then looked at me.

"You're new."

"Um, yeah. I'm Cindy."

"I'm Libby. No offense, girl, but you don't look like you would like being in theatre. You look more like a sports type of girl."

"The only thing I do sports-wise is doing karate after school. Other than that, I'm pretty normal."

"Would have never guessed… Well, even though I look like a pretty popular girl, I actually don't have a lot of friends. You seem interesting enough, wanna be my friend?"

"Um, sure."

"-and now for the details on the Talent Show."

Libby took her earphones off completely for this and put her stuff to the side. It seemed like everyone was interested in this topic so I turned around to listen.

"As you all know, the last time we had a large talent show it was probably the last time any of us saw James Neutron alive. I know it's a heart-wrenching circumstance and we didn't have one for the last two years to commemorate his memory, but our school is known for having the best talent shows around. In order to get back to the usual routine, the staff consented to start the show up once more."

I lifted an eyebrow and turned to Libby to ask but she was so engrossed in the talent show information that I just wrote my question down on a sticky note to ask later.

As we left the Drama room, I caught up with Libby.

"Hey, I have a question."

"I may have an answer."

"I thought that James was a super intelligent kid?"

"He was. The smartest guy around."

"Then… why did they commemorate the talent show to him when they should have been commemorating the science fair?"

"Well, one, we really don't have a science fair because Jimmy always won and not many people here are into science anyway. Two, even though he had a knack for inventions, he was also really good at acting and dancing… and even singing. He was an all around kind of guy."

We happened to walk past the picture of James (or Jimmy) and I stopped stare at him. I turned my head a little, trying to see him doing some sort of musical theatre.

"You know that saying 'don't just a book by its cover'?" Libby said behind me, scaring me.

"Yeah."

"High school is the epitome of that saying. We look at everyone in their little cliques and groups and pre-judge them before we even know them. Everyone's got talents and interests and with Jimmy, he helped everyone understand that it's okay to be a cheerleader who plays the tuba, it's okay for a football player to be able to sing German opera. Yeah, Jimmy was a genius –an amazing genius- but the first time he did the talent show… shit, it blew up the school. I mean that literally, actually. We used to have a smaller school." I laughed a little. "The point is though, that what he was doing was so good that we all didn't notice the pyrotechnics behind him. It was really awesome."

"Do you guys have it on tape or something?"

"I think so. I'm sure Mr. Chippers will show it to us as inspiration."

"Were you good friends with Jimmy? He seemed kind of popular."

Libby looked at me quickly and then laughed over loudly.

"Jimmy, popular? No way!"

"Then…"

"Jimmy was good at a lot of stuff, no doubt, but boy talking to him was like trying to understand someone in a foreign country and you can't get home. He was so over everyone's heads. True, he did an amazing job at acting but science really was his thing and so that's mostly what he talked about. No one liked being around him because he seemed like he was lording it over everyone. I never thought he did."

"You were friends with him?"

"Friend of a friend. I'm dating his friend Sheen Estevez. If you sit with us at lunch you can meet him and Carl. They're such goofballs, but Jimmy's death was really hard on them. Hey, we should get going, the bell's about to ring."

Libby left and I looked at the picture of Jimmy again. He was started to become a full fledged mystery.

I met Carl and Sheen at lunch and Libby was right, they were goofballs. Libby and Sheen did not look like they went together at all but for some reason, it worked. Sheen was kind of geeky and nerdy, always talking about this show called Ultra Lord, and Carl was always talking about llamas. I didn't ask about Jimmy because I felt doing that without any real reason to was a bit of a harsh move. If what Libby said was true then I would seem really insensitive.

I also met this really dreamy guy at school whose name is Nick Dean. He is so handsome! He's got this dark black hair and is such a cool guy! Okay, I didn't actually 'meet' him, more like ran into him and fell. He helped me up and told me his name. He was really hot though…

When I got back home, I found my room in complete disarray and my mother came down the hall.

"Cynthia, I was going to ask you why you didn't clean up your room last night?"

"I did clean it." I frowned. "James Neutron…" I grumbled.

"James Neutron? Who is that?"

"Apparently the ghost who lives in our home."

"You're still on about that rumor? Just pick up your room."

I sighed and went in, picking up all of my stuff.

"You're such a dick, Jimmy."

My phone went off that I got a text message and I threw the pile of clothes on my bed. I went to see who it was.

I'm glad that got your attention. What's for dinner tonight? I'm starving.

I growled and began typing.

Whoever this is that is hacking into all of my stuff, STOP IT. I will call the police on you and have your ass arrested. Got it?!

I grabbed the hangers out of my closet and began to hang up my clothes. My phone didn't go off again and I smiled because I probably scared the perv off.

"If you can convince the police that a ghost is hacking into your electronics, then I'll be thoroughly impressed when they arrest me."

"Yeah, well, it would be your own-"

I stopped dead in my tracks with a hanger in one hand and a shirt in the other.

"I wouldn't get so high and mighty, Ms. Vortex. It's not like I can leave. By the way, though, I like you calling me Jimmy. It makes it feel a lot less rigid around here."

I was trembling so hard that I almost started crying.

"Save me some leftovers."

I screamed at the closeness, since it was literally whispered in my ear, and whipped around with the hanger in my hand. No one was there and I was trying to breathe normally with nothing but a hanger for a weapon. I heard chuckling again and the door started closing slowly on its own. It clicked shut and I fell to my knees, scared half to damned death.

uh oh, it looks like this ghost is getting a little personal. what will you do cindy? is it really jimmy?