Author's Note: Thank you to everyone who reviewed. I'm feeling lazy, so no replies. Sorry.
Disclaimer: Fairly Oddparents will never belong to me.
Chapter Five: One Down
This time, no sounds expressed just how angry each girl was. The three exchanged one heated, hate filled glance before attempting to knock each other over in the hall. Well, more like Veronica and Trixie were attempting to knock each other over- Tootie wasn't nearly cruel enough to do that.
They sent each other into lockers, water fountains, and the occasional open door. Tootie stared at them and wondered just when they'd lost their friendship. Boys could certainly do strange things to people, couldn't they?
This wasn't to say she wasn't obsessed in her own way with Timmy. Everyone knew just how badly she had it for him, although she was beginning to wonder if it was all worth it. After all, these two nimrods stood a much better chance than she did and were more than likely going to get him. In the race for Timmy, she stood dead last.
What was the point of going after him, anyway? He hadn't changed his impression of her, no matter what she did to try to win him over, and she was beginning to lose the slim amount of hope she'd entertained. Trixie always overshadowed her, with her petty prettiness and her petite, elegant frame. It was like she was the tiny, dingy house attempting to stand out against a beaming, extravagant mansion. He'd always see the richness that was the large one and never explore the one that might be less attractive, but infinitely more interesting.
So what if she were the first to give Timmy her heart? Would he care? Probably, he'd still want Trixie's heart and he'd bowl her over in an attempt to retrieve it. He had last year, all but breaking his neck to get her to speak to him.
Every year, it was the same thing. She'd do her best to have him notice her only for him to fall head over heels for whatever stupid ploy Trixie had. She'd been trying this for years to no avail. Even in elementary school, she'd come up with elaborate displays that had the boys trailing her all day. No one paid her any mind the rest of the day…
Okay, perhaps that wasn't true. There had been one that gave her a wayward glance, but she hadn't thought much of it at the time. She still didn't, although she wondered.
Meanwhile, in the 200 wing, Timmy's History class loomed ahead. Tootie increased her pace, so as to keep up with the other girls, but, by now, she began to feel it was merely for show. Let them run after him…she didn't stand a chance in hell.
By a stroke of luck, they all arrived at the locked door in the same instance. A bitter smile arose on Tootie's face- how ironic that the door, the only other obstacle to giving Timmy their heart, would be locked. Were she not surrounded by those who supposed her like minded, she'd laugh humorlessly. In a few seconds, they'd probably start banging on the door and demanding entrance. Three, two, one…
As if in cue with her thoughts, Trixie and Veronica began to bang on the door frantically, as though seeking entrance to a bomb shelter in the middle of a nuclear war. Doors formerly closed opened as teachers, irritated, glowered at the interruption. Leave it to impertinent children to disrupt an entire wing. (The History teachers were, of course, grumpy old coots who deducted ten points over the improper stapling of a paper).
Seen through the window, Timmy's History teacher, a stout older man with thinning blonde hair, a brown sweater vest, and horn rimmed glasses, glared at them. A book lay in his lap that easily spanned a thousand pages, if not more. Most children who had him either feared him or regarded him as a minute threat. (Very few were friendly with him).
Unfortunately, Trixie, Veronica, and Tootie didn't know him, and, therefore, hadn't known he didn't take too kindly to interruptions of any sort, whether it be from guidance, the administration, or three lovesick girls. When he saw them, he froze, his expression one of extreme distaste. Not only were they causing his pupils to lose focus, he'd lost his place in mid lecture.
Instead of deigning to move, he merely glowered at them as if hoping they'd take the hint and leave. Of course, they did no such thing. Why should they? They were his fan club.
Tootie spat the word in her mind as though it were a foul substance. She'd begun to despise herself lately and this was just a part of it. She was pathetic, hanging onto this like she had nothing else. Then, she reminded herself, she didn't.
Glancing in the window, past the teacher, she could see the kids were falling asleep. Timmy himself was drooling on his arm, a pink eraser jumping up excitedly. One of these days, someone else was going to notice those oddities around him and call him on it, but not her. Besides, they thought she was insane anyway, so why would they believe her?
Alongside the pink eraser, a green pencil snoozed gently against his face. Apparently, it'd found this lecture boring as well. If it weren't so peculiar, she'd laugh.
The only student paying attention was A.J. and a blush spread across her face as she recalled he, of all the boys, hadn't fallen victim to Trixie's charms entirely. There were a few like that…but very few. That within itself was commendable.
He rose to his feet and, after giving his teacher an apologetic look, he opened the door for them. Softly, he smiled at Tootie, who did not return the smile. Hmm…
She'd never looked glummer than now. The spark in her eyes faded and the exuberance she normally had around Timmy vanished. He could sense this was an empty gesture, an attempt at normalcy.
She needs someone else, He thought, still trying his best to make her smile, to no avail. The girl simply would not lift the corners of her mouth in anything vaguely resembling a smile. His worry increased ten-fold.
"So…who are you lovely ladies here for?" A.J. quipped, his eyes not leaving Tootie's. In an attempt to prevent a smile, she turned her head away from him. Anything to prevent her from smiling at him…odd…
Instead of replying, which would force her to forsake her heart to someone not 'worthy', Trixie barged her way through to Timmy's desk. No one was standing in her way, no way in hell. He was going to have her heart and that was it. No questions.
Veronica did likewise, eyes narrowed. There was no way Trixie'd be first, because she was going to be the one to give him her heart! She could just mosey back to their first period.
"I'm here to give Timmy my Valentine," Tootie muttered, realizing as soon as she'd uttered that she'd lost. Instead of caring, she felt apathetic. So she'd lost her heart to A.J.? So what? What would Timmy have done with it, anyway? Thrown it in the garbage, mostly likely. At least she knew A.J. wouldn't waste it.
Very carefully, she took it off her neck and handed it to him. Tears filled her eyes, but they were not for the reason he thought. She should have been strong…not given her heart to anyone. If Timmy wouldn't have her, she shouldn't have let anyone else either. If only she believed herself.
Turning away, she left the room, but not without A.J. calling out to her. It caused her head to shift slightly in this direction for a second. Just a split second and he could see the tears streaming down her face.
"Tootie!" He called, about to run towards her when his teacher glowered at him. Okay, during homeroom, he'd find her. He wasn't going to let her slip through his fingertips.
The bespeckled girl did not answer as she darted towards the bathroom to sob. His heart went out to her, but, since she'd gone into the girls' bathroom, an area best left undiscovered by guys, he'd have to leave her be for a while. Fortunately, he sat near the window, so he could see if she left.
Sighing, he sat back down and waited. It was going to be a while.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> >>>>>
Good, so one bit the dust. That meant it was just her and Trixie, wonderful. Her worst competition couldn't have burst into tears and ran into the bathroom, right? Of course not. No one made Trixie Tang cry, least of all some loser.
Honestly, she couldn't remember when she'd started to like him, but it'd been back when they were in elementary school, early on. It'd been so long ago, the memory was half buried, but if she really tried, she might be able to remember it. Hmm, so long ago…
It'd been Valentine's Day then too, before he thought of her as a freak. Of all of the girls, he'd given her, not Trixie, a Valentine. He'd blushed and called her cute.
This was before he'd discovered Trixie and how pretty she could be. This was when they used to be friends, when everything was fine. She'd been a bit of a tomboy, of course, but nothing he didn't like. They'd been best friends until her mother told her she didn't want her to have only guy friends and shoved her in Trixie's direction. How she rued that day.
Sometime, although she had no idea when, he'd started to think of her as creepy. It'd stung, though. There was nothing more she'd wanted was to be friends, and maybe more, and he kept avoiding her and calling her those rude names. God, it'd stung.
And he'd called her those names to spite her, so he could pursue her. How she loathed Trixie every time she thought about how much he liked her. That's why she had to sabotage her, before she stole him for no real reason.
She could tell she didn't really like him, that she was just being overly cruel. If she really did succeed over her, she'd just throw him away. Timmy couldn't interest her, no boy could for very long. She was far too picky to go for them.
Anger filled her at the thought of her just throwing away someone like him. Didn't she know how precious he was? Didn't she know how much he meant to her? Oh, wait, of course she did. That was why she was doing this!
A gasp escaped her- she'd unconsciously given Trixie a lead. Fortunately, the Asian girl could not rouse him, which left the job to her. Excellent, so her daydreaming really hadn't done any harm. Now, for him and her married with children…
Frustrated, Trixie slapped him in the back of the head and, with a jolt, he awoke. His eyes narrowed, wondering who on earth could have smacked him that hard. It'd certainly woke him up, that was for certain.
The first person he sees, to her delight, was not Trixie but her. Triumphant! Before Trixie can take advantage of the silence, she butts in. There was no stopping her now.
"Timmy, would you be my Valentine?" Veronica smirked at Trixie before handing it to him. It was covered in her drawings of them together which were really too good to throw out, anyway. No matter how creepy he found them.
Befuddled, he took the heart from her and, winking flirtatiously at him and flipping Trixie a rude gesture, Veronica sauntered out confidently. The first task was won by her, not Trixie. Ha!
Knowing she was beaten, Trixie offered her heart to him as well, but, surprisingly, he shoved it away. Apparently, he'd bought Veronica's tales about her and no longer wanted any part of her. Either that, or he wasn't going to be won over that easily anymore.
Whatever the case, Trixie glowered at him and then left, crumpling up her heart. Fine, if he didn't want it, she wasn't giving it out. Deal with it.
I'll get you back for this, Veronica my dear, She thought, stomping out. The race was not won, not by far.
Now completely confused, Timmy stared at the window and waited for someone else to saunter in for him. This was getting weird…and why had Tootie deliberately slipped up? He'd thought her smarter than that.
Sighing, A.J. held Tootie's paper heart to his chest and glanced out the window. She'd have to come out sometime and when she did…
