It's been a couple of days now and I haven't heard from Jimmy since our talk. I've been listening to 'Little Talks' over and over again and I have to say that he was right, there is a certain theatrical process to the song. I have no idea what I'd do for those theatrics, but I can tell that it would be awesome if I could do it. In the meantime, I tried to bring up the subject of Jimmy's lab with Carl and Sheen but they seemed to keep their mouths shut tight.

"Come on, Carl, don't act like I'm asking you to do something really hard, just tell me how to get into Jimmy's lab."

Carl pushed up his glasses. "It's not that I don't want to tell you, I really just don't know how. When we were friends with Jimmy, Sheen and I would just come over and ring the doorbell. He'd see us in the camera and let us in. That's all I really remember."

"He said something to me about having whole DNA or something like that. I mean, how am I supposed to get something like that?"

"I don't know what you mean…"

I sighed, realizing that Carl wouldn't know what I was talking about even if Jimmy were here. I go to my locker and start to switch books when a text comes through on my phone. I swipe it open to see who it is.

Do you walk home?

I looked around for a moment and back at my phone.

Who is this?

Jimmy.

Oh, so he wants to talk to me now? I frown a little, looking at my phone and wanting to put my hand through it and ring that guys stupid little neck. But I calmed down and typed.

Every once in a while I walk home. Why?

Do you take the shortcut through the alley beside the house?

Sometimes.

Don't do it anymore. There are sketchy people hanging around there while your family is out. I'm not sure if they're scoping the place or not. Just be careful.

Thanks, MOM. I type, throwing my phone back into my purse.

After leaving in a temper tantrum the last time we talked, he texts me out of the blue for a warning? Not that I'm not grateful for it, but it was just kind of random. Was he trying to make amends?

"You're Cindy, right?"

I looked up and almost dropped all of my books. It was that hot guy from before!

"Ye-yes! Yup, that's me. Ole Cindy Vortex…" I mentally slapped myself in the face. "What can I do for you?"

"Do you have something for the talent show yet?"

"Um… I'm still working on it. Why?"

"Well, I was going to say that we'd be rivals if you did since Betty and I will be performing together."

"Oh, well, that's a shame. What are you guys going to be performing?"

"It's none of your business, Catherine." Someone said and I saw Betty walking down the hallway towards Nick. "Why would we tell you what we're doing?"

"I don't know, so that I know what I'm going up against?"

"Isn't it obvious? You're going to try and do things by yourself and bomb while Nick and I do a beautiful duet and win the competition."

"Well if you think I'm going to suck so bad, what's the difference in telling me what you're going to do?"

Betty frowned at me as she looked at Nick for a moment.

"We're going to sing 'Phantom of the Opera'."

"Really? Wow, I honestly didn't expect that." I said, actually surprised at the choice. "That's bold choice."

"And we're going to kill it. Don't try to get in our way, Cassandra. Besides, if you wanted to try and one up us, you'd have to sing something like 'Think of Me' or a comparable song choice. Nick and I are the best duet team ever since Jimmy went and offed himself of the balcony."

I growled at her subconsciously. "You don't know anything about Jimmy and I would appreciate it if you left your derogatory remarks about his condition to a minimum."

Betty laughed a little. "You haven't even gone to this school for more than a few weeks and you somehow think you know Jimmy better than me? I dated the guy until he died! What makes you think you know him better than me?"

"I live in his house and talk to his ghost." I said without realizing it.

Betty and Nick leaned away from me as Betty stepped away from Nick.

"You're crazy. I hope you lose at the talent show, Sandy."

They both walked away and I groaned, walking away from the locker. I wanted to rub her smug little face into the pavement! I take karate for God's sake, you'd think I could teach her a lesson…

When I got home, I ran up to my room and looked around it for a second. Nothing was out of place and my books were neatly on the shelf. I went to the computer and brought up the IM box.

nuclearblackbelt48: jimmy are you here? I need to talk to you

I waited for a moment when the typing screen showed he was typing.

theghostboy360 has signed on

theghostboy360: what is it?

nuclearblackbelt48: I decided that I want to do little talks like you said and I think I might take you up on your offer

theghostboy360: what offer?

nuclearblackbelt48: when you said you'd sing with me…

theghostboy360: oh, that offer. Well, I guess if you want me to I will but you have to find me first.

nuclearblackbelt48: can you be serious for five minutes?

theghostboy360 is typing…

...

theghostboy360 is typing…

theghostboy360: fuck you.

theghostboy360 has signed off

"What?! Not again! Jimmy! Jimmy! JIMMY NEUTRON!" I screamed loudly. He didn't answer me. "What the hell is going on with you?! I don't understand what you want from me and I don't understand why you keep getting mad! Can you actually talk to me?!"

There was silence and I stamped my feet like a little child. He was playing mind games with me that I just didn't understand. Why was it when I was trying to be normal to him he got all pissyboots about it? I'm not doing anything on purpose…

As we ate dinner, I really couldn't focus on my food, wondering about Jimmy. Was it due to his lack of social activity or something that he just couldn't comprehend a joke? Or the fact that maybe someone who is invisible is asking me to play hide-and-seek with them and making it an impossible game. I mean…

"Cynthia, are you not hungry?" my mom asked, looking at me in curiosity.

"I'm just… thinking…" I said, getting my fork and diving into the mashed potatoes.

Jimmy's attitude was an enigma to me but I know that I want to do 'Little Talks' for the talent show. Jimmy is welcome to be in it with me but I don't know how to get him out…

"Did you see on the news today where the police caught some burglars near the house?" my dad said, sipping some tea.

"Yes I did. They said that they were supposedly going to rob a house but was somehow stopped, captured, and waiting for the authorities before they could even get in. The men acted crazy, talking about ghosts and dismembered voices and such."

"It's a shame how little this town really looks into some issues. In High Tech City there were cameras everywhere and no matter where you were, they could find you. Here is a little more… how should I say this?"

"Reserved." I said, playing with my peas.

"That's a great word. Yes, reserved."

"Small towns like this may not have a lot of crime happen here because everyone knows everyone and if you do something bad, you'll be shunned for life by the people within these walls."

"That's true. Then they must have been from out of town. It's a shame that they weren't in their right minds in the end."

"Yeah, well good riddance for them. I don't need them near my home with my wife and daughter about."

I pushed my dinner away and stood up. "Excuse me, I'm not really hungry right now."

"Are you sick, dear?" Mom asked.

I shook my head. "No, I just… I'm trying to understand a guy at school and I just can't seem to wrap my head around it."

Mom smiled wide and her eyes got giddy as she sat up straighter and motioned to my seat.

"Sit back down, Cynthia, tell me all about this boy."

"Yes, I'd like to know about the guy that actually has my wonderfully smart daughter thinking about him instead of homework." Dad said, putting his chin in his hand. "Must be some guy…"

I laughed nervously, very uncomfortable with all this attention.

"Seriously, it's nothing that deep. It's just some guy…"

"Who is he? What's his name?"

It looked like I wasn't going to be able to get out of this one, so I moaned and sat back down. My parents immediately bombarded me with a million questions and I tried to answer them as best I could.

After that long and odd conversation I had with my parents, I went upstairs and checked to see if I had a missed IM from Jimmy or a text, but there was none. I sighed and did some studying and went to sleep.

"Last call for the talent show sign up! Last call for the talent show sign up!"

"Did you sign up?" Libby asked, walking next to me.

"Not yet…"

"What? Seriously? You better get your name on that list… Yo! Over here!"

The guy holding the talent show list turned as Libby grabbed it from him, shoving it in my face.

"Get your name on there, pronto."

I sighed and fished out a pen, taking the paper from the other guy. There were three places on there for type of talent, name of solo person and a space for a duet or partner in the act. I hesitated for a moment but I put something down. It was vague but I figured it would suffice. I looked at Libby as she nodded her approval.

"Great, everything's set."

"Yeah…"

"I noticed you put someone else on there. Who is it?"

"Don't worry about it… Hey, um… could I ask you a question?"

"Sure, what's up, girl?"

"It's about Jimmy."

"Always is…" she said with a roll of her eyes.

I made a face at her. "No it's not."

"Yeah, it is. Like, always."

"Well… I don't know about him and he's the one trapped in my house so…"

"I get it. It's not that big of a deal. What's your question?"

"My question is about his wishy-washy attitude."

"Oh! Pfft! That… Yeah, Jimmy was known for that as well. Smarts, talent, looks, haughtiness and the ever favorite of mine: the mood swinger."

"Well… was it an issue that he needed medication for? I mean…"

"Not that I'm aware of. I just know that every once in a while he would go on a little mood swing. I mean, I think it was just a ploy to get people to pay attention to him. Remember, I did say he was an attention whore. Why do you ask?"

"Because I keep asking him to tell me where he is and all he will do is mention this stupid game of hide and seek that I can't even try to fathom!" I said, pulling my hair with my hands. "I mean, if he's a ghost, then what's the point and if he's invisible, what's the point!? I mean, it's like trying to get wise answers from a madman."

"Well, we kind of already established that he's not dead, so maybe you should just think about it from his point of view."

"I've been trying to and I just can't seem to get through to him. I mean, the only thing I've gotten so far is that he accidentally made himself that way and doesn't know how but he can't get into his lab without a whole piece of DNA to get into it. Like, a hair follicle or something."

"Why don't you go over to the Neutron's house? I'm sure they have some of Jimmy's old stuff over there."

I glared at Libby. "Yeah, let me just go over and there and make them relive the trauma of their son being gone with tall tales of him being invisible but for some reason unable to leave the house? That sounds smart… I mean, even the ghost thing sounds more plausible than that."

"There's obviously a reason he wants you to find him instead of just telling you where he is. Jimmy didn't do stuff without a reason, even if some of them were dumb. Honestly, I wouldn't sweat it. If he were in my house, I'd tell him to come clean or get the hell out."

"You'd have moved out before you got to this point and you know it."

"True."

I sighed, wondering what to do about Jimmy. I wanted to help him but he just kept pulling away from me, seeming to want to stay in a continuous tug-o-war over his appearance to me.

When I got home, I threw my bag in the chair and crossed my arms, drumming my fingers for a minute. I knew there had to be a way into that lab without his DNA. I thought about it for a moment and walked out of the room and into the bathroom to think for a moment. I looked around when I saw a few of my hairs littering the countertop. I brushed them off when I thought of something and pulled open the drawers. I moved all of my stuff around, looking into the back of the drawer when I saw it. My eyes widened and I pulled the dust and bits from the drawer towards me and found what I thought would be missed: a baby hair that had broken off while someone was brushing their hair. My hair is blonde and my parents don't use this bathroom. Only one person I knew who would have it.

"Gotcha, Jimmy Neutron." I whispered, as I pulled out the small hair and examined it in the light of the bathroom.

looks like someone found a hair! will it be enough to maybe get into jimmy's lab?

sorry for lack of updates. things have been crazy and i've been trying to edit my novel and some real life stuff. thanks for being patient.