Author's Note: I know this took me a while and I'm sorry. I think it's long enough, but let me know if it's too short. I hope you guys like this chapter. I was excited myself when I was writing it! LOL! Oh, and one reviewer said they know what Rebecca has. Hmm....really? Very interesting, Ash (the reviewer) LOL! Anyway! Enjoy! And the next chapter is a real treat! I think it's the next chapter. LOL! I can't remember!
Cindy sat alone at an empty lunch table. She sat in silence, thinking of Jimmy. She sighed. How would she be able to get him to open up? He was pushing her away. He clearly didn't want anything to do with her or so he made it seem. But Cindy knew that deep down he was just waiting for love. Her love. He was waiting for someone to give him a reason to open up and she wasn't going to keep him waiting. One way or another she'd help him. She just wasn't sure how yet, but she would. She planned on going to his house after school. She would use the unfinished project as her excuse and then she'd trap him making him come out and speak of what was truly bothering him and then she'd be able to see what she could do for him.
"Hey, girl," came Libby's surprisingly cheerful voice. Cindy looked up at her friend, wondering silently to herself why she was so happy. Her face expression alone was the only question Libby needed. "Jimmy and I are friends again. I hope you don't mind too much. I know how you feel about him."
Cindy wasn't looking at Libby anymore. She didn't see the knowing, sly smile that crept on Libby's face or the suspiciously knowing glance which Libby sent her way. The blonde had only continued to sit in silence as her wonderment of Libby's cheerfulness subsided. Her mind floated back to Jimmy. She wished that his life wasn't so damn complicated. She wanted so badly to understand him more, so she could help him out. This Jimmy was different from the Jimmy she had once known as kids. It was harder to understand him now. Everything he went through had just changed him so much, to the point where she felt she didn't know him at all. She tried to put herself in his position, but found that she couldn't imagine herself in his position. She just couldn't relate and this scared her and she didn't why, but it did. It terrified her.
"Hey, babe!" another voice interrupted her thoughts. Cindy looked up. It was Nick. Along with some fellow classmates which he hung out with. All of them were jocks. Some even from his football team. They filled the empty seats at the table as Nick took his seat beside her. This was not something that she needed at the time. She wanted nothing more than him to leave at that very moment. "How's my girl doing?" he asked as he lightly kissed her neck. Cindy pulled away slightly in disgust. She hadn't seen the shocked yet confused expression on his face, but she could sense it.
"I'm not in the mood, okay?"
"Shut down," Eric, one of his pals had whispered to the others. A burst of laughter had filled the table.
"Not in the mood?" Nick asked. His frustration and anger audible in his voice, but Cindy could've cared less. She wanted to continue her thoughts of Jimmy without interruption and Nick was just that. . .an interruption. He thought of only himself and his needs. She figured she was too, but she didn't care about what he wanted. At the moment it was what she wanted that was important. Nick was no longer of any interest to her. She had no desire what-so-ever to speak with him.
"Can you, please, just go away. I was thinking of someone," Cindy replied. She hadn't even noticed that she had said "someone" instead of "something", until Nick asked her about it.
"'Someone'?"
"Oooh!" the table began as the argument began to unfold. Cindy looked at Nick, who still sat beside her.
"Wouldn't you like to know," she said smugly as she looked him in the eye. A small smile slowly crept upon her lips. It was a half smile, but Nick noticed and Cindy could see his eyes fill with anger and with questions which she had no intention of answering.
"Ooh!" the table howled louder at Cindy's response, which only angered Nick more.
"It's that Neutron kid isn't it?"
The whole cafeteria fell silent at the mention of Jimmy's last name. Even the lunch ladies had quieted. The members of the lunch table where Cindy and Libby sat, fell grimly silent. Their howling had stopped and their joking mood was now gone. Cindy was shocked with his question, but it had shocked her more to witness the silence that followed Nick's question. She hadn't know that people would've reacted the way they did. Jimmy was more popular than he gave himself credit for. Even the seniors feared him! Some of them were bigger in width and in height and yet they feared him. But Cindy quickly recovered from her shock.
"Jealous?" she asked with a sly grin.
"No!" Nick retorted all to quickly. "But it's Neutron we're talking about! Neu-tron," he said slowly and clearly.
"So! He's a sweet guy!" Cindy confessed.
Nick fell silent for a while as he looked at Cindy with pure shock and distaste. She didn't care what he thought about her now. Sure Jimmy was sweet. Not to her, but to Rebecca he sure as hell was.
"Compared to who?" Nick suddenly asked. He paused. "Hitler!"
This angered Cindy. She slowly rose from her seat, her hands balling up into fists at her sides. Her eyes were shut, trying desperately to fight back the sudden urge to slap him, witch washed over her like a wave.
"No! He is sweet! He's so cute with his little sister!"
Nick was taken aback by this, it was clear to Cindy. She had no doubt that he was questioning this new information which he had received. In a moment he was standing as well.
"He's a jerk!" Nick protested.
"He's caring and gentle!"
"He's heartless and rough!"
"He's loving!"
"He's a dumbass!"
"He's a genius!"
It surprised Cindy when the word rolled from her tongue almost as if it was a natural thing for her to say about Jimmy. All those years Jimmy had tried to get her to actually come out and say that he truly was a genius, came flooding back to her. She couldn't help but smile at that. She actually said it and to the person she wasn't expecting. She never even imagined she'd say it and Jimmy hadn't even been there to hear it for himself. She looked at Nick and watched as he struggled for more words to insult Jimmy.
"We'll he -he's a loser!"
"He's a winner," she corrected gently as she smiled at herself for it. "And he's everything that you can never be." She said this with the greatest ease and pride. It made her smile widen. "This relationship. . .is over." And with that she sat back down. "You may leave now," she said, dismissing him without looking at him.
"Shows how much you know about Jimmy," Libby added. Cindy looked up at her friend. Libby looked at Cindy for a moment and winked. She then returned her attention to Nick and continued to speak as Cindy smiled brightly. "He is indeed a wonderful guy and he's amazingly sweet with his cute little sister who he has loved more than anyone and anything on this planet." There was a momentary pause. "And this is your cue to leave."
Nick didn't move for quite some time, but he left as soon as his brain caught up with him. His buddies slowly got up one by one and followed. Slowly as the table began to empty, the cafeteria became alive again.
"That was great, Cindy!" Libby praised.
Cindy took a deep breath. She nodded. She felt good. She needed that and she thanked Nick for it. She would have to thank him personally later she though to herself as she smiled, almost giggling. Her day seemed to suddenly brighten up. Things really seemed to be finally looking up. Now all she need was to speak with Jimmy and clear things up between them. Hey, maybe she'd get another kiss out of it, so she hoped. This time maybe Jimmy could keep up, she thought. She wanted to laugh at that, but held back. She wasn't going to give up on Jimmy. Never. Whatever it took, she'd stay by him no matter what he said to her. Maybe she's even be able to guide him if possible.
"Well, well, well, if it isn't Jimmy Neutron himself," Nick said. "We were just talking about you."
Cindy's smile faded as she heard Nick say Jimmy's name. She turned around to see Nick and his crew circling Jimmy, Carl, and Sheen. Jimmy wasn't looking too happy with it. His face clearly gave away his annoyance at the sudden interruption. He momentarily closed his eyes, Cindy guessed he was trying to calm his anger. His eyes opened after a couple off seconds. He gave Nick a quick fake, unenthusiastic smile. Carl began to wheeze and pulled out his inhaler. Cindy watched as he moved it toward his lips and inhaled. Sheen was looking about. His eyes held his question and Eric smiled, devilishly. Sheen gave him a funny look and looked away. Soon the cafeteria fell silent once more. Everyone looked toward the entrance where Jimmy stood. All eyes seemed to be on Jimmy.
From the corner of Cindy's eyes she could see one couple by the entrance slowly lift their trays and nervously tip toe to a neighboring table. Some others began to move from the entrance to the back of the cafeteria. They dared not to be close. They were all truly frightened by Jimmy. She had always dismissed the thought, but now it had made her truly think more openly about it. They were terrified and she had never really noticed until now. It was mind-boggling to her. It made her see Jimmy in a way she had never done before. The words danger and terrifying never came to her mind when she thought of him. And yet, now they did. She realized for the first time why everyone was so damn afraid of even hearing the name Jimmy Neutron. It struck terror in the hearts of student and faculty. He was dangerous. No one knew exactly what he was capable of and yet they didn't want to know. He was like a volcano ready to erupt and no one wanted that eruption to ever take place and yet now there was a slight chance that maybe that eruption would take place today.
"Hey, Nick," Jimmy said. His voice was chilling. The way he had said Nick sent a shiver down Cindy's spine.
"How's it hangin'?" Sheen asked, he seemed utterly clueless at the danger which threatened to explode around him. He nodded toward Nick, but Nick gave no response. Sheen gave him a look of distaste.
"It's rude to not greet someone after they've greeted you," Jimmy replied with calm brutality. To Cindy it looked as if Nick had winced at that, but she couldn't tell. Nick nodded toward Sheen a bit unsurely. Cindy could feel the tension all the way from where she sat. Her table was right smack in the middle of the wide cafeteria. "You said 'we were just talking about you.' Who's we?"
"Me. Cindy. Libby," Nick responded. Jimmy's face hadn't changed. Not even at the mention of Cindy's name. "They tell me that you're so cute with your sister."
At the mention of his sister, Jimmy's face expression changed. It became a mixture of curiosity and anger. Cindy's heart began to race. Her breath caught in her throat as she looked at Jimmy. A horrible and powerful sense of foreboding filled the room. She wanted to move and stop the conversation. She didn't like where she had a feeling it would lead, but her legs wouldn't budge. She couldn't move. She had completely froze.
"Oh, yeah! Jim is so sweet with Rebecca!" Carl announced. Cindy wanted to slap him. She knew he meant no harm, but sometimes he just didn't know. Jimmy turned to him slightly and shot him a warning glace. Carl immediately shut up, figuring he had said the wrong thing. I'll say you have, Cindy thought, guessing what Carl realized. Jimmy turned to Nick once more.
"They say you love her," Nick said. Cindy could see Jimmy's eyes narrow ever so slightly. "And your gentle with her. Very gentle, Neutron?" The corner of Jimmy's mouth flinched and Cindy's fear grew. She now tried to move, but found that she still could not. She could picture the grin which she knew Nick was giving him. The sly, evil grin. Don't say anymore, please, don't say anymore, Cindy begged. "I bet you play with her. All the time, right?"
"Hmm," Eric said with amusement. Cindy watched as Jimmy's jaw flinched. His foot moved ever so slightly. His body seemed to lean forward, toward Nick. Cindy could see his whole body tense as his hands formed fists. A fire of rage began burn in his eyes. The eruption was on it's way. . .
"You know, it's really known of my business, Neutron, but isn't she a little too young for you! And she's your sister, dude!" Nick shouted.
A rage filled battle cry escaped Jimmy's lips as he pounced on Nick. People jumped from their seats. Some ran off into the hall way, while others ran toward the fight. Students screamed as they watched their horrors unleash. Libby pulled on Cindy's arm. She was yelling something about help. Libby's voice seemed to smear together. For Cindy found that she could not quite understand and she looked beyond Libby's shoulder. She could see Jimmy sitting on Nick. He was pounding him. Thrashing about like a wild-man. His fists became something like sledge hammers, each blow drew blood from Nick's face and Nick's pitiful defense was nothing to Jimmy. Jimmy had only removed Nick's hands from his face as he repeatedly punched him. Cindy felt slightly light-headed, but Libby helped her up and dragged her to the fight. It was horrific. Cindy had never seen anything like it. She had never seen Jimmy like this!
She watched as Nick screamed for mercy. Jimmy was not himself. This Jimmy was truly frightening. He needed to be tamed. Carl and Sheen tried desperately to pull him away, but received nothing but a blow to the face. They continued to pull him away as they recovered, but to no avail. Cindy soon began to tear. Fresh tears escaped her as she continued to watch. Jimmy was slipping away, far away from her and she feared that she would never get him back if he continued. She pulled away from Libby and pushed her way through the crowd which surrounded Jimmy. She could faintly hear Libby's voice calling her, but she payed no attention.
From the entrance the principle, a lunch lady, Mr. Wilmington, the school psychologist, and two other teachers came rushing in. They moved their way toward the crowd, which was when Jimmy grabbed Nick's head and began slamming it down on the floor. Cindy's tears poured from her eyes as she watched the principle, Mr. Wilmington, the school psychologist, and the other two teachers helped Carl and Sheen. The lunch lady stood by, not wanting to get in and risk the chance of getting hurt. The principle took a blow to the face as well as one of the teachers who had come to help. The school psychologist had been among the lucky ones. She was able to dodge Jimmy's fist before she was hit. After a while, they had managed to pull Jimmy away , but not long enough. Jimmy pulled away from them and continued his vicious beating. Cindy just wanted it all to stop. She didn't want to lose Jimmy. With one final shove, she made her way out of the crowd and sank to her knees. She watched. Her eyes going back and fourth from Jimmy to the faculty to Nick. And without realizing it, she screamed. . .
"STOP!"
The room fell silent as every head turned toward Cindy. Jimmy looked at her. She held her breath. "Please, stop," she sobbed, softly. His eyes weren't his anymore. There was a fury in them that Cindy had never known was there before. He blinked once and his eyes became blank and his hands moved away from Nick's head. She sensed that he didn't know who he was anymore as he looked at her. He shook his head slightly before he looked at her again. His eyes held her's. There was a plead for help in them as they became sorrowful and guilty. "Jimmy," she whispered, with light sobs. Her hand moved to touch his, but he was pulled away. She looked at him and he looked away. Libby ran to her side and Cindy watched as they took Jimmy away from her. She called his name, but he would not turn around to look at her. She felt Libby pull her into an embrace and she let herself cry on her shoulder. She was losing him.