Author's Note: Hey, there. You know, a few people mentioned to me that this should be a movie or a play or something because it's so good. I'm actually amazed. It's so great to hear that you all like it so much. Anyway, thank you all so much and I really hope you enjoy this next chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it. I can't thank you enough for your support and enjoyment of this fic. You all bring a smile to my face. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
A huge crowd stood waiting outside the school's double doors. Cindy had come with her family, but she had managed to pull away from them and now she looked about, trying to find a familiar face, though most of the faces she saw were familiar. Being as popular as she was - or use to be - she knew many people. To be more specific, she was looking for a more welcoming face. She knew Libby would be coming with her family. Sheen and Carl too. Becca had mentioned to her that Mrs. Neutron had called up everyone she knew, inviting them all to see Jimmy's painting. She had been so proud when she found out and it was also something to take her mind off of Becca's illness for a bit. It had been hard on her. For all of them and they needed some excitement and this was definitely some excitement, even if Jimmy hadn't agreed.
She bit her lip as she thought of him. She was still worried about him and his entire family. She never wanted to imagine going through that. How they all survived, she didn't know, but what she did know was that Jimmy was dying on the inside just as Becca was slowly passing. Every breath he took, was another lost and in time he'd give up.
"Cindy," came a cold, unfamiliar voice. It pulled her away from her thoughts and she turned. A girl she had never met before stood in front of her. She had, although, seen her in school hanging around Jimmy and-
"Sarah," Cindy said as Sarah emerged from the crowd.
Sarah nodded and then she turned to her friend. "Robin," I told you to wait for me."
"Sorry," the other girl replied. Her hair was long and black. Her bangs were orange and the two strands of hair on either side of her head which hung just below her chin were also orange. Her attire was black with silver chains all over her body. Her skin was just as pale as Sarah's, but her eyes were different. The anger they held seemed more intense than Sarah's and surprisingly Sarah's eyes were sorrowful yet strangely calm and tired.
"Cindy," Sarah said as she looked at her. "This is Patricia, my friend, but we all just call her Robin."
"Nice to meet you," Cindy said, extending a welcoming hand. She didn't feel in the mood to be nice to any one of these girls, but what would confrontation do?
Robin looked down at her hand and sneered when their eyes met. She crossed her arms over her chest and shook her head.
"Hm."
"I have something to say," Sarah replied.
"Don't," Robin argued.
"It's about Jimmy," Sarah continued, completely ignoring Robin as she took a step in front of her. Robin's anger grew, but Sarah didn't take notice.
Cindy paused.
"He's waiting for you to save him," she said.
This had of course come as a shock to Cindy and she wasn't sure if she believed it. He can't be, she thought. He's too proud to even mention the word help. No, not proud. Stubborn and afraid. Afraid the help might actually came because if it came the burden of another person joining his life would come with it.
"I know it's hard to believe," Sarah responded as if reading her mind. "But it's true. He's just to afraid to say so. He's hurting inside and he needs you."
"I thought you-"
Sarah shook her head. She was trying to get me away from Jimmy just last week and now she's telling me Jimmy needs me? "Not anymore," Sarah confessed. "I've learned the hard way that sometimes no matter how hard it is, you just have to let go. I was holding onto a dream. A fantasy which had been over for a long time." She smiled sadly before continuing, "He doesn't love me as I hoped he still did."
It was unbelievable! Only days ago she had been threatening her and she was sure she'd do anything and everything in her power to keep Cindy away from Jimmy, but now it was like she was waving a white flag in defeat. She looked as if she were holding back her tears.
"You're making a grave mistake," Robin warned.
"Don't make this any harder than it is!" Sarah argued as her tears surfaced. "It's hard enough." She paused as she attempted to collect herself by looking up as she took a deep breath. "Take care of him, please." And with that she walked away with Robin scowling behind her.
Cindy watched them shove through the crowd and she found herself pitying Sarah. She really loved him, she thought. It had been brave what she had did and Cindy felt she handled it quit well. It was hard to give up someone you loved. Cindy had never actually given up on a guy she had fallen in love with, but she did go through the lose of a relative and she figured it might've been as painful. Plus, she had never fallen in love until just recently.
"Cindy!"
She turned. Jimmy and Becca pushed their way to her.
"You okay?" Jimmy asked as he approached her.
Cindy was confused. It showed in her face, but she nodded.
"We saw you with Sarah and Robin and thought that maybe they were threatening you or something," Becca added.
Jimmy looked down at her. "Did they threaten you?" he asked.
Cindy searched his eyes. He seemed to be alright and even sincere. She shook her head. "Sarah just wanted to tell me something."
"She didn't threaten you?" Jimmy questioned.
Cindy shook her head. "Why?"
"Because I know those two. They're tough and when they say they're going to do something, they do it. And you-"
"Can't handle myself?" Cindy asked as she crossed her arms. Her anger rose.
"Correct."
There was a pause as Cindy sarcastically nodded her head in agreement. Becca sighed.
"I can take care of myself, thank you very much."
"I'm sure you can," Jimmy said, not actually meaning a word of it.
Cindy placed her hands on her hips in challenge. "I can!" she protested. "I don't need you to rescue me either. If you ask me, you're the one who needs saving!"
There was no reply. Jimmy seemed to freeze.
"You hide from everyone and everything. You're scared of everything and everyone the world has to offer you. You're even afraid of yourself! You need the rescuing not me."
Becca' shoulders seemed to sag as Cindy's words hovered in the air. Her words hit everyone and by the time she realized it, it had been too late. Jimmy was no longer in his frozen state and his eyes narrowed into dangerous slits.
"No," Cindy said. "I didn't mean-"
But Jimmy turned and walked away.
The double doors to the gym opened and the crowd poured into the school and Jimmy was soon lost in the swarm. She attempted to follow him, but the crowd was brutal.
When the crowd outside cleared, Becca stood beside Cindy. "Make sure you talk to him later," Becca said. "Don't let him know you're giving up so easily."
Cindy nodded with a saddened sigh. She continued inside with Becca by her side. She would really have to speak with Jimmy later. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
"It gives me great pleasure to finally reveal the masterpiece that a fellow student has created. This individual is certainly gifted in more ways than one and I'm sure you've seen his other works around the room," Mrs. Owens preached.
There were faint mumbles across the room. Becca nudged her brother as Judy squeezed his shoulders. Hugh whispered a few words of praise.
Mrs Owens soon continued, "I think we can all agree that this individual is as surprising as he is gifted. No one had expected this from him and I'm happy to say that he's finally passing my class!"
There was an outburst of laughs as Mrs. Owens smiled down at Jimmy. He didn't mind people laughing, but not at his expense.
"Now without further ado. I give you James Neutron's 'Sea of Emotion'."
Mrs. Owens unveiled the painting and tossed aside the piece of cloth. People gasped and then there was silence. No one uttered a word and Jimmy's heart began to pound. His body tensed and he suddenly felt as if the world was judging him. He looked about at the faces around him. Many people were wide-eyed with their jaws down to the floor. It doesn't matter what they think, he assured himself. Just don't think about it. But it was hard no to think about it when everyone in the gymnasium was looking at his painting.
There were soon a few mumbles as Mrs. Owen's stepped aside for the crowd to gather. And gather they did. They swarmed around it like a piece of meet that had been thrown in a lions den.
"How beautiful," one woman commented.
"It's amazing," another agreed.
"It's cool," a senior said. His eyes examined every inch of the canvas.
A smile grew across his face as he watched. jimmy had never felt proud of any of his work in years and this was definitely something to be proud of. The comments surprised him, but they added to his pride and they helped build his tarnished confidence.
"It looks good on you." He turned. "The smile, I mean."
Cindy's bright smile warmed his heart, but he looked away.
"Still mad?"
He didn't answer.
"I'll. . .just go, but before I do." She paused. "I'm sorry for what I said before. I didn't mean it. I was just a bit angry that's all."
No reply.
She nodded and then she walked away.
When he turned, Cindy was gone, but Becca made her way to him with Samantha beside her. His parents followed close behind. They greeted Cindy as they passed each other. They exchanged smiles and continued on their way.
Cindy's words had hurt him. The truth always hurts, he thought and it was true. Sometimes the truth does hurt and that's why he had become so angry. He had been worried about her and he was just checking up on her. He knew he should've been a bit nicer, but he wanted to distance himself a bit. He didn't want to get hurt, but it was like no matter what he did, he always got hurt. Always. And even if Cindy had spoken out of spite, it was still true and still very, very hurtful.
"Congratulations!" Samantha squealed as she wrapped her arms around him.
"Thank you," Jimmy replied, feeling uncomfortable.
"Everyone loves it!" Becca exclaimed.
"Your 'Sea of Emotion' is the talk of the gallery!" Mrs. Neutron said.
They looked at his painting. Samantha's hand found his and she took it. She smiled at him when he looked at her. He gave her a weak smile, unable to make it look like a genuine one. He pulled his hand away and put it in his pocket. He didn't want to tell her, but he had to. The guilt was actually killing him. He wanted nothing more than a friendship. He liked her a lot and that was enough to scare him, but he didn't love her which made him somewhat happy. There was only one girl for him and it was definitely not Samantha.
Samantha's smile faded as worry invaded her eyes. "What's wrong?"
"Let's go outside," he suggested as he led her away from everyone. Becca kept her parents occupied when she realized Jimmy was taking Samantha away. "I have something to say."
They stood outside the gymnasium doors in silence before either one of them spoke.
"Samantha," Jimmy began cautiously, "I. . .like you."
"I like you too," she said, a smile growing on her face. There was a strange glint in her eyes, but he couldn't figure out what it was for or why it was even there.
"But," he continued, dreading the truth, but knowing it had to be said. He wasn't going to keep up with the charade any longer.
"But what?" she asked.
He took a deep breath. Damn, this conscience, he thought. "But I don't see you as anything more than a friend."
"What?!"
Her sudden anger had taken him by surprise.
"I thought we hit it off," she said as she angrily put her hands on her hips.
I didn't think it'd be a big deal, he thought.
"What went wrong?" she inquired.
"I just don't like you that way, but we can be friends," he answered.
I guess, he thought.
Samantha looked at him, her current state was unreadable. He couldn't tell what she was thinking and he wanted to hear her say something, but she said nothing. She simply walked away and never turned once. Jimmy didn't know what to think. Had she really like him that much? But her anger bothered him. It wasn't appropriate. Wouldn't she be more sad than anything. But she seemed to suddenly hate him. He confused him. It's probably nothing, he thought. People get angry when they're dumped all the time.
He sighed as he stood in silence. He shook his head as he looked up into the sky. There were a few stars twinkling above. Moths fluttered about, circling the street lamp. He liked the silence that surrounded him. It was strangely soothing and it made him think. Is it right to push Cindy away?Silence.
Of course it is, came a second voice. She'll use you, break you, then leave you. It's what everyone does and she's vicious. She won't be nice when she leaves you either. It's not her style.
He placed a hand on his forehead as he shut his eyes.
But I love her, he argued.
All the more reason to leave her be!
He shook his head and laughed softly to himself. What am I doing? He asked again. I must be sick if I'm arguing with myself. He sighed.
"Hope I'm not interrupting," a voice called.
Jimmy grunted. He didn't have to turn around to know who it was.
"Of course not, Mr. Hunter," he said sarcastically.
"I knew you'd be out here," Becca added. Jimmy turned when he heard her soft voice. "Mr. Hunter was asking around for you and I led him out here."
"How are things?" Mr. Hunter asked.
"Confusing," Jimmy answered bitterly.
"How confusing?"
"Extremely confusing."
"You say more to him than you do to me," another voice joined. "And I'm the psychologist!"
Everyone turned to see Dr. Swanson standing only a few feet away.
"Hi," Becca greeted. "Rebecca Neutron. I'm the little sister." She smiled with pride.
"I remember," Dr. Swanson said. "Nice to see you again." She shook the little girl's hand.
Dr. Swanson greeted Mr. Hunter with a nervousness that he knew. Her cheeks turned red as he nodded toward her. She smiled without making too much contact. She looked like a giddy school girl with a crush and it surprised Jimmy to see it. Did Dr. Swanson have something for Mr. Hunter. And what about Mr. Hunter? Did he have something for Dr. Swanson?
"So, Mr. Hunter," Becca began, "are you and Dr. Swanson dating?"
"What?!" Mr, Hunter and Dr. Swanson exclaimed. They looked at each other and then looked away as their cheeks grew red with embarrassment.
Jimmy cocked his head as a smile crept on his lips. Who would've guessed? He wondered, his questions answered. He sat back and watched. It was nice to hear about someone else's life every so often, to forget about your own and this was a great distraction from his life.
"It's just a question," Becca defended sweetly.
"Sorry," Mr. Hunter replied. He took a deep breath. "No, Stephanie-"
Becca's smile grew wide, but it stayed innocent none-the-less.
"Uh, Dr. Swanson," Mr. Hunter corrected as he placed his hands in his pockets, "is not my girlfriend."
"Why not?"
Mr. Hunter was taken aback. He opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out.
"Well, you see," he began. Becca looked eager to learn. "She's just. . . a friend of mine."
Becca nodded, understanding. "Have you considered dating her?"
"You like to ask a lot of uncomfortable questions, don't you?" Dr. Swanson asked as she looked down at Becca, fighting a blush.
Becca looked at her as she shook her head. "Are they uncomfortable?" she asked Mr. Hunter, looking up at him with puppy dog eyes. He smiled weakly and shook his head.
Jimmy fought back a laugh. He cleared his throat.
"Well, why aren't you dating Dr. Swanson. She's very pretty and her glasses are nice," Becca commented. Mr Hunter, though did not look at the psychologist beside him. Becca leaned closer, she motioned for the man to come closer. Mr. Hunter leaned down. "She's pretty without her glasses too. Her eyes are so bright. They really show their colors in the light," she whispered, but it was loud enough for all to hear and she knew it.
Mr. Hunter turned to Dr. Swanson as she pushed her glasses up. He smiled at her and she blushed.
Interesting, Jimmy thought.
"Rebecca is right," he said. "You should wear your contacts more often. I'd love to see your eyes. They do gleam in the light."
Dr. Swanson smiled. "Thank you," she said. "I'll try to remember that."
Mr. Hunter took a deep breath as he turned to face Jimmy. "Congratulations, Jimmy," he said. "But I have to. . .be on my way."
Jimmy nodded as he shook the man's hand.
He left and then it was Dr. Swanson who was saying her goodbye's.
"You're very creative," she commented. "Keep it up. I'll see you tomorrow."
She went off and Becca stood smiling as she looked at Jimmy. "I'm quite the Cupid," she said. "And I have one, very important job left."
Jimmy shook his head as he headed inside. Becca followed close behind, humming a song as she skipped. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
The week had come and it was gone. It was finally Friday and that meant his aunt's wedding was only a day away. He couldn't wait to see what thrills it had to offer. He sat back in the chair and watched Dr. Swanson. She wasn't wearing her glasses today, so he noted. Probably trying to impress Mr. Hunter. He almost laughed as he thought about Wednesday night.
She was talking on the phone with one of her "clients." She had tried repeatedly to get the other person to hang up, but the woman was having some sort of crises. It had only been ten minutes, but Jimmy could tell that there wasn't going to be much talking today.
So what else is new? He asked himself. He looked about the room. He had seen these articles, books, and diploma's so many times. She's well achieved, he thought.
"Silvia, I know this is hard, but you have to leave the house," she said. "You can't stay there. Get out and get some fresh air. You need-" She stopped. The woman on the other end had obviously interrupted her. She shrugged when she met Jimmy's eyes. Without a word she took a piece of paper and scribbled on it. She handed it to him. "I'm sorry," she mouthed.
Jimmy took the piece of paper and read it. It was a permission slip to go to lunch. Freedom! He waved a mock salute and quickly rushed out of the room.
When he closed the door behind him, he took a deep breath as if he had smelled a piece of his mother's pie. He walked down the hall to the cafeteria and as he entered he could feel all eyes on him. The cafeteria always seemed to hush when he entered. Come to think of it, all of his classes were like that. Especially, now that he had been back from his long month away from school. He looked about and caught Cindy sitting beside Nick and some of the "popular people." Libby sat on the other side of her. Carl and Sheen sat in a secluded corner, talking to each other about who knew what. Probably about Llama's Weekly or Ultra Lord, he thought. He smiled. May they never change.
"Hey!" Sheen called. "Over here, Jimmy!"
His name seemed to trigger something in Cindy. Her head snapped up quicker than it had ever before as Jimmy waved to his friends. He walked passed her table and for a split second, their eyes met. He looked away as he continued on. He sat down across from Carl, beside Sheen.
"I thought you had therapy, Jimmy," Carl said as he took a bite out of his sloppy joe. It oozed with grease and meat. Jimmy cringed. How can he eat that stuff?
"I was let out," he said, his face twisted in disgust as Carl continued to eat. "She had someone on the phone who was going through some mid-life crisis or something," he answered.
"Cool!" Sheen exclaimed. "I can't wait till I grow old! Adults have all the fun."
"I don't think a mid-life crisis is anything to be excited about," Jimmy said.
Sheen shrugged, not quite caring.
"Libby and Cindy aren't sitting with us today," Carl said.
"I can see that," Jimmy replied.
"Cindy!"
They turned around to see Cindy trying to leave her friends, but one of them would not let go of her arm.
"I'll sit with who ever I want to sit with!" Cindy argued. "Why is it such a crime?"
"But he's dangerous and the other's are just. . .dorks!" one girl protested.
"Sheen is not a dork!" Libby defended. "And neither is Carl!" She got up and walked toward Cindy. She pulled her from the girls' grasp and led her to Jimmy's table. There were no more protests.
They sat down and all was silent.
"I wasn't expecting you to come to lunch today," Cindy said calmly as she broke through the silence.
"Hmm," he said. "I was let out early."
"Obviously," Libby replied. She greeted him with a smile as she moved toward Sheen. "It's good to see you here. Isn't it, Cindy?"
Cindy jumped. "Ow!" She looked under the table and then at Libby as her eyes narrowed. "Yes, it is, Libby."
"Ow!" Libby exclaimed, but she smiled it off.
"Nick?" a girl asked.
"I need to greet a good friend of mine," he said. He made his way to Jimmy's table. No one protested or questioned him. Who was going to question the guy who defined the very meaning of "cool"? Nick greeted them all before he spoke to Jimmy. "Nice to see you here."
Jimmy nodded. "Nice to be here."
"How have your sessions been?" Nick asked. He seemed a bit nervous and he looked as if he were trying subdue his nervousness.
This had surprised his friends. Jimmy leaned back to see them. Their jaws dropped. A slow, devilish grin made it's appearance on Jimmy's face as he looked at Nick's friends. They closed their mouths and simultaneously turned away. It made Jimmy laugh softly to himself. He couldn't believe he still struck fear in the hearts of his fellow student body. It was deliciously powering, but it also seemed like a curse. I shouldn't be surprised, he thought.
"Just fine," Jimmy answered as he turned to Nick again. "You should get back to you're friends. They're lost without you." Jimmy nodded toward them. They looked completely confused and they were all trying to make sense of everything. Nick nodded. He said his goodbyes and left.
"Thank you," Cindy mouthed to him.
Jimmy caught it. He turned in time to see Nick's reply to her: "No problem."
Cindy smiled at him and Jimmy's jealousy over took him. He stood.
"Where you headed, Jimmy?" Carl asked.
"Uh, I've got some business to take care of," he said.
"You're not going to beat some kid up are you?" Libby asked. She placed her head in her palm and cocked her head as she raised her brows, a smile curling her lips. Jimmy knew she was talking about Nick.
"No," he replied and took off. He didn't want to be in the cafeteria anymore, but now where would he go? He was not going to stay in the boys' bathroom. That was just wrong. He didn't want to stay around smelling urine for the remainder of the period. Who did?
The library, he thought. Nice and quiet. Great place to sit down and think. He headed for the library and he was thankful to see that there were few people there. The librarian greeted him with forced enthusiasm. She remembered him from his last visit, but Cindy was not with him this time. Had he ever apologized for that day? He hadn't remembered if he had. She had gone out of her way to help him and he repays her by making her cry. I was a huge jerk, he thought. And even after that she continued to come back. How much verbal abuse can she take?
"What's this?" a voice asked.
"Your money," a second answered.
Jimmy peeked over the side of the bookshelf. It was Sarah and Samantha. I didn't even know they knew each other.
"This is only 25," Samantha informed.
"Wow," Sarah replied in mock surprise. "You can count."
"The deal was 50," Samantha said.
Deal? Jimmy asked as he continued to watch the events unfold before him. There was something about Sarah's and Samantha's meeting that didn't feel right and something told him that he was somehow involved
"Jimmy?"
He turned.
It was Cindy.
"Shh!" he hissed harshly as he grabbed her wrist, placing a hand over her mouth, and pulling her close.
"What was that?" Sarah asked.
Jimmy pushed Cindy up against the bookshelf. He pressed his body against her's.
"Nothing," Samantha answered after a slight pause.
Cindy mumbled her protest, but then remained silent.
"Look," Sarah began. "You were suppose to get Jimmy to fall for you, so Cindy-"
"Would be thrown out of the way," Samantha finished with annoyance ringing in her voice. She crossed her arms over her chest as she rolled her eyes.
Jimmy's jaw dropped. Are you kidding?
"Right," Sarah said. "So you could later dump him. He'd of course need some comfort. A little TLC and that's where I come in." She grinned.
"Yeah," Samantha said. "I know. You only told me about a hundred friggin' times. "
"And yet you didn't do your part," Sarah said in mock sympathy. "Therefore, no 50. Sorry."
"I spent time with the bastard!" Samantha shouted.
"Sh!" the librarian hushed.
"I kissed him!"
"You did what?!" Sarah exclaimed.
"Quiet!" the librarian warned, but neither girl payed any mind.
Cindy peered beside the bookshelf, Jimmy's hand still over her mouth. Her eyes narrowed.
It was a joke? He asked, confusion flooding him. She tricked me! His anger grew with every passing second and on impulse he took a step to the side, but Cindy pulled him back before either girl had taken notice. He looked at her questioningly and she shook her head. She gently removed his hand from her mouth and his hand found Cindy's waist.
"Don't," she whispered. "There's probably more."
He fought a growl and settled for a scowl instead as he continued to watch.
"It wasn't a spit-swopping kiss!" Samantha argued.
"Thank god," Cindy said as she watched. Jimmy looked down at her. She looked at him and smiled before she hid her eyes with her bangs.
"I should get at least another 20 for that," Samantha continued.
"No," Sarah disagreed. "I should take away a 20 for that."
Robin soon made her way to the scene. "So?"
"Let's go," Sarah said, ready to walk away.
"Hold on," Samantha replied. "I just want to know what exactly you told Cindy on Wednesday. I thought I saw you crying."
Sarah smirked. "I knew my drama class would pay off."
"Oh, yes, it did," Robin agreed.
Jimmy looked at Cindy again, but she adverted her eyes. She had been tricked too, he thought. So then she really wasn't being threatened by Sarah or Robin that day. She was being feed some crap story.
"I told her that Jimmy was waiting for her to save him," Robin said as she smile.
Samantha's mouth opened wide, but then a smile formed on her face.
"Go on, Raven, recite the best part of your speech," Robin urged.
Sarah smirked as she looked up at the ceiling. Her smile then faded and when she looked back at Samantha, her eyes were misty with tears. She took a deep breath and spoke, "'I've learned the hard way that sometimes no matter how hard it is, you just have to let go. I was holding onto a dream. A fantasy which had been over for a long time.'" Sarah's smile surfaced once again as she wiped her eyes.
Robin laughed. "And the sap believed every word!"
Samantha joined her and their laughter seemed to take on an ugly sound.
Jimmy looked down at Cindy. She was angry, there was no doubt about it. Her grip on his arm grew tight. He wondered what she was thinking, but as he looked at her he knew. She was blaming herself for this whole thing and she was beating herself up for it.
"Shh!" the librarian scolded, but Robin did not quiet down. It didn't take long for the librarian to get angry enough to kick them out.
"I can't believe I fell for her crap," she said as she clenched her fists. "I'm such an idiot!"
"Don't beat yourself up for it," Jimmy encouraged. Cindy looked up at him. "You didn't know. Neither one of us did."
"But I should've listened to you. You warned me before that she was no good and then I fall for her mind games," she argued. She looked away as if ashamed.
Jimmy smiled weakly as he lifted her chin. "You didn't know. She could've fooled anyone."
"But she fooled me."
"It doesn't matter. She'll get what's coming to her. What comes around, goes around. She'll get her's."
Cindy smiled as she nodded.
There was silence as they looked into one another's eyes. Boldly, Cindy smoothed her hands up Jimmy's arms. His heart raced at her touch and a sweet ache spread all throughout his body and soul. He felt suddenly weak and he couldn't believe that Cindy had touched his very soul, his essence. He felt an undying connection with her at that very moment and on impulse he leaned forward. She closed her eyes awaiting the kiss she knew would come. The sweet anticipation only feed his desire, but something seemed to hold him back. He hovered over her lips for a few seconds, wondering if it was a good idea. And then, without warning, his lips touched her's and before he knew it, he was kissing her and she was allowing it. He felt a joy that he hadn't felt in years. The feelings that over powered him had a warm, calming affect to them and the barrier around his heart seemed to fall.
When they broke the kiss, he smiled and then rested his forehead on her's.
"I have something important to tell you," Cindy whispered as she looked down. Her hands wrapped around his lower torso.
"What is it?" Jimmy asked.
She gently pulled away as she smiled softly, with a blush spreading rapidly on her cheeks. Her eyes misted with tears. She bit her lower lip and Jimmy found her irresistible. He wanted another kiss, but he refrained. She was about to tell him what she had been trying to tell him since he came back and he wanted to hear it. She took a deep breath and then. . . "I love you."
The world around him seemed to fade. All noise ceased, except his heart beat. It grew louder with every passing second and then his fear kicked in. His head pounded and he could feel the air seeping from his lungs. He couldn't breath. He needed to breath. Why couldn't he breath?!
He pulled away from Cindy, her smile faded and fresh tears threatened their escape. Her mouth moved, speaking his name, but he did not hear. He stumbled backward and almost lost his balance. Cindy stepped toward him, but he stepped away, clutching his chest. He needed air and he needed to get away. He looked at Cindy once more and then. . .
He ran.