Jimmy sat up and looked around. There was light flooding into the cave, which meant that he had slept through the night. A small fire was burning. Cindy had obviously gotten it started. He looked around for Cindy and found her sleeping a few feet away from the fire. The light from the fire spilled onto her and made it look like she was glowing. Some of her hair was falling into her eyes, and for a minute he had a crazy urge to brush it out of her face, but he shook it off.
Jimmy climbed to his feet and gritted his teeth. He had forgotten all about his hurt ankle. For a minute he thought about sitting back down, but his stomach growled and he decided to go look for some food. Keeping as quiet as possible, he started to limp past Cindy.
"Where do you think you're going, Neutron?"
Jimmy jumped slightly and turned around. Cindy was sitting up, looking at him disapprovingly.
"Cindy! You're awake!" he said, surprised. "I thought you were asleep."
"I saw you wake up and I knew you'd try to sneak out, so I pretended to be asleep so that I could catch you if you tried to leave," Cindy told him. "Now sit down. I told you not to stand on your leg. And you still haven't answered my question."
Jimmy knew it was pointless to argue with her while she was in this mood, so he sat down.
"I was just going to get some food," he told her. "I was hungry."
"We're both hungry," Cindy said. "And you could have at least woken me up, I can go with you, you know."
"What would be the point of waking you up? You were already awake! And it's dangerous out there. Mr. Rex isn't the only meat eating dinosaur out there, there's Deinonychus' out there, and other things…."
"You didn't know I was awake, though, did you?" Cindy said. "And geez, you act like I'm helpless. At least I can run. You're ankle's hurt. You'd be toast. Besides, you let me go out last night to find firewood."
"I didn't have much of a choice, did I? You wouldn't let me get a word in edgewise. It's not like I wanted you out there. You don't know what could have been out there, you could have been attacked by a Didelphodon or something…."
Cindy looked liked she was about to burst out laughing.
"Jimmy, you of all people should know what Didelphodons eat, you're a genius, after all!" Cindy said. "Didelphodons eat insects, small reptiles, eggs and carrion, duh."
"Well, people aren't exactly well-known, are they? It could've gotten curious and attacked you," Jimmy said defensively.
"I don't think so. It probably would've thought I was some new dinosaur and left me alone. Didelphodons didn't like to tangle with dinosaurs. Sit down!" Cindy said, as Jimmy started to get up again.
"But I need to go get food, we'll starve otherwise," he protested.
"I can go get the food, then. You stay here and watch the fire."
"But I don't want you to go out there, something might happen to you."
"Something's more likely to happen to you than to me, you're injured, I'm not. I can run, you can't. Get my picture?"
"I get it, but I don't like it," Jimmy said. "I'm going out to find some food, and you stay here where it's safe." He got to his feet again, wincing slightly when he stood on his injured leg, and started to limp out.
"Jimmy, stop being stubborn and sit down," Cindy said. Jimmy ignored her. "Jimmy Neutron, get back here!" He still wouldn't listen, and kept walking. Cindy had half a mind to pick him up, carry him back and force him to sit down, but she knew he probably weighed about as much as her, so that wouldn't work. Sighing she stood up and walked over to him, grabbing his arm to stop him. "Jimmy, listen." He tried to pull away. "James Isaac Neutron, listen to me!" That startled Jimmy and he turned around to face her.
"Look, don't be mad. I just don't want anything to happen to you. If you got killed or seriously hurt or something I'd… I'd…. Listen, you're hurt and if something was to start chasing you, you'd be in trouble. At least I have full use of both my legs and could possibly escape. And remember what we said, we have to stick together. We're in serious trouble otherwise. So please, just sit down and let me go out and find food. Then when I get back I can make you a splint and you'll be able to walk easier. Okay?"
Jimmy sighed. Cindy was right. "Okay," he said.
"Are you still mad?" Cindy asked.
Jimmy thought for a second. He wasn't really. "No," he said.
Cindy smiled. "Good," she said. "I'll be back in a couple minutes." She turned to leave.
"Hey Cindy?" Jimmy called.
"Yeah?" she asked, turning around.
"I… I… you be careful, okay?" he said
"I will," she told him.
"Promise?" he asked.
"Promise," she said. She turned around again, then hesitated for a second and turned back around. Before Jimmy could wonder what she was doing, she ran over to him, hugged him, and ran out of the cave.
Jimmy climbed to his feet and gritted his teeth. He had forgotten all about his hurt ankle. For a minute he thought about sitting back down, but his stomach growled and he decided to go look for some food. Keeping as quiet as possible, he started to limp past Cindy.
"Where do you think you're going, Neutron?"
Jimmy jumped slightly and turned around. Cindy was sitting up, looking at him disapprovingly.
"Cindy! You're awake!" he said, surprised. "I thought you were asleep."
"I saw you wake up and I knew you'd try to sneak out, so I pretended to be asleep so that I could catch you if you tried to leave," Cindy told him. "Now sit down. I told you not to stand on your leg. And you still haven't answered my question."
Jimmy knew it was pointless to argue with her while she was in this mood, so he sat down.
"I was just going to get some food," he told her. "I was hungry."
"We're both hungry," Cindy said. "And you could have at least woken me up, I can go with you, you know."
"What would be the point of waking you up? You were already awake! And it's dangerous out there. Mr. Rex isn't the only meat eating dinosaur out there, there's Deinonychus' out there, and other things…."
"You didn't know I was awake, though, did you?" Cindy said. "And geez, you act like I'm helpless. At least I can run. You're ankle's hurt. You'd be toast. Besides, you let me go out last night to find firewood."
"I didn't have much of a choice, did I? You wouldn't let me get a word in edgewise. It's not like I wanted you out there. You don't know what could have been out there, you could have been attacked by a Didelphodon or something…."
Cindy looked liked she was about to burst out laughing.
"Jimmy, you of all people should know what Didelphodons eat, you're a genius, after all!" Cindy said. "Didelphodons eat insects, small reptiles, eggs and carrion, duh."
"Well, people aren't exactly well-known, are they? It could've gotten curious and attacked you," Jimmy said defensively.
"I don't think so. It probably would've thought I was some new dinosaur and left me alone. Didelphodons didn't like to tangle with dinosaurs. Sit down!" Cindy said, as Jimmy started to get up again.
"But I need to go get food, we'll starve otherwise," he protested.
"I can go get the food, then. You stay here and watch the fire."
"But I don't want you to go out there, something might happen to you."
"Something's more likely to happen to you than to me, you're injured, I'm not. I can run, you can't. Get my picture?"
"I get it, but I don't like it," Jimmy said. "I'm going out to find some food, and you stay here where it's safe." He got to his feet again, wincing slightly when he stood on his injured leg, and started to limp out.
"Jimmy, stop being stubborn and sit down," Cindy said. Jimmy ignored her. "Jimmy Neutron, get back here!" He still wouldn't listen, and kept walking. Cindy had half a mind to pick him up, carry him back and force him to sit down, but she knew he probably weighed about as much as her, so that wouldn't work. Sighing she stood up and walked over to him, grabbing his arm to stop him. "Jimmy, listen." He tried to pull away. "James Isaac Neutron, listen to me!" That startled Jimmy and he turned around to face her.
"Look, don't be mad. I just don't want anything to happen to you. If you got killed or seriously hurt or something I'd… I'd…. Listen, you're hurt and if something was to start chasing you, you'd be in trouble. At least I have full use of both my legs and could possibly escape. And remember what we said, we have to stick together. We're in serious trouble otherwise. So please, just sit down and let me go out and find food. Then when I get back I can make you a splint and you'll be able to walk easier. Okay?"
Jimmy sighed. Cindy was right. "Okay," he said.
"Are you still mad?" Cindy asked.
Jimmy thought for a second. He wasn't really. "No," he said.
Cindy smiled. "Good," she said. "I'll be back in a couple minutes." She turned to leave.
"Hey Cindy?" Jimmy called.
"Yeah?" she asked, turning around.
"I… I… you be careful, okay?" he said
"I will," she told him.
"Promise?" he asked.
"Promise," she said. She turned around again, then hesitated for a second and turned back around. Before Jimmy could wonder what she was doing, she ran over to him, hugged him, and ran out of the cave.