Disclaimer: So… we meet yet again, my dear friends. And once again I must write the little five words that tear my heart apart, wrap me into sadness and put me in the verge of tears. I must, though they really hurt… I don't own Jimmy Neutron. There. (I'm so dramatic, hehe)

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Chapter 3

"Get Away, But Stay"

"Jimmy? Jimmy, are you there?" The female voice insisted. Jimmy's mind went blank as it had in the Candy Bar, but he was comforted by the thought that she couldn't get inside unless he allowed her. And he wouldn't. "Please, Jimmy," she continued hopelessly. He saw as she lowered her head. Is she…? Jimmy's eyes widened, Cindy was crying. He couldn't bear see her like this… Why couldn't he? She was still sobbing quietly. "Oh, Jimmy!" She sighed desperately. He couldn't take it anymore. He reached for the phone that was connected to the entrance and trailed off for calming and understanding words.

"Uh… Cindy?" Oh, isn't that clever!, he mentally kicked himself. He gazed upon the monitor; she immediately raised her head, revealing streams on tears on her face, her emerald eyes glowing with hurt.

"Ji-Jimmy?" She asked between sobs. She cleaned the tears on her face with her hand. "Let me in." Pause. "Why don't you let me in?" She glanced upon the camera, her eyes bearing in his, though she couldn't see him. He felt nauseous, what could he say? That she really didn't feel that way? Would she really believe him? No. She wouldn't.

"Cindy… You have to go," Jimmy said half-heartedly. He saw a tear run across her face, he had never seen her cry, and it shattered his heart into pieces. Without a word, she turned around and left. Every step she took, he felt as she was somehow stomping his heart. He wanted to yell out for her, he wanted to tell her "stay". But he didn't. He sank in his chair, all kind of emotions swirling in him. He heard his mom calling for him for dinner. He stood up in a daze, and walked reluctantly out of the Lab. In the way to his house, he glazed upon Cindy's and let out a sigh of exasperation. Why him? Why her? He let out another sigh as he opened the door to his house, his parents already sat at the table.

"Say Jimbo, how's it going? You know, what's grooving?" Hugh Neutron asked, trying to play it cool. No answer came. He noticed his son's depressed expression and glanced at his wife. She motioned with her hands for him to talk to Jimmy, and so he did. "Is everything alright, son?" He asked, his voice dripping with parental concern.

Jimmy considered the possibility of telling his parents everything that had happened. And he was about to… but he chickened out. How could he explain what he'd felt? Heck, he didn't even know! Man, this was too much pressure for a 12-years-old boy! Boy genius, he corrected himself bitterly. He glanced upon his dad; he was waiting for his answer expectantly.

"Personal affairs," he simply said.

Hugh looked at him disappointed, but understood that boys in Jimmy's age often wanted they privacy. He went back to his food, occasionally glancing at his son. Jimmy was playing with his fork and resting his head on his hand. He looked truly miserable. Hugh did the only thing he considered would help him now.

"You are excused," he told Jimmy. Jimmy at first didn't get it, but then he gave his dad a thankful smile, and walked away without a word. Judy gave Hugh a questioning look. "Something's troubling him, and I'm afraid this time we can't help," he explained his wife. She nodded understandingly and returned to her plate. Pre-teens, she thought. My baby's growing.

Jimmy sat once again on the chair in front of his main computer. He had reached a solution, a slowly one, but the only one he had left. He could repair the Neutron BioAdapter 900 and return Cindy to her normal human state. The only problem was they'd have to wait until tomorrow's afternoon, because the Neutron Energy Cells had to be charged, and he still had to go through his many boxes of diverse machinery rests. Cindy would have to endure a whole day of suffering. This wasn't fair. And it was his entire fault, every bit of it. Now he had really messed it up. Why do I care? He remained in misery, not able to answer his question. He took a quick glance at his watch, it was about seven thirty. He glazed upon the night sky; feeling absorbed by its vast darkness. Suddenly, a thought came to his mind. What was the cause that led Cindy to think she loved him? Not just think it, she loves you, a voice in his head told him. He refused to acknowledge it. He tried to convince himself that his stress was leading him to insanity. But logic defeated him at last. The Neutron BioAdapter 900 makes you think something happened, but the feeling is yours. Your feeling isn't the cause, it's the consequence. So what was the cause? I probably saved her life or something, he thought, trying not giving it much importance. But I've done that before, several times actually. That was true.

"I'm not getting anywhere like this!" He shouted out in frustration and slammed his fist on the table. "Not like this," he concluded sadly, and went back to his work with the Neutron BioAdapter 900. It wasn't until the phone rang that he stopped thinking desperately about Cindy and their situation. He froze in panic, please let it not be her, please, he mentally prayed while raising the phone

"Hello?" He asked hopefully. Please no!

"You betta explain yourself right now!" Libby's voiced cried out from the phone. Explain what?, he thought desperately. Then it hit him. Cindy had probably told everything to Libby, they are best friends, after all. This is bad. But then, Libby could help him. This is good. Pause. I hope. "Cindy was a mess when she called me! What did you do?" He heard Libby insist impatiently. Cindy was a mess… a mess… Good going, Neutron!, Jimmy mentally kicked himself yet again, but rushed to answer Libby.

"Libby you have to listen to me. Don't interrupt me, ok?" He asked, hopeful that he could clear this entire thing for once and for all.

"You betta have a somethin' good there, Neutron, or I'll kick ya butt!" Libby told him agitated. Jimmy took a big breath.

"Good. Now listen, I invented a device called the Neutron BioAdapter 900," Jimmy began, trying to find words to simplify the complex working of his invention. "Ok, to make it short, if I want to upset you, an identifying ray determines what would upset you, and other ray, a hypnotizing one, makes you believe that what would upset you actually happened. It's quite fascinating, actually, to think that with the gift of Science I can actually--"

"Quit the chit-chat, Neutron," Libby said coldly. Man, was she upset. "Lemme get this straight. You hypnotized my friend to love you? And then told her to get away? What's wrong with you? Outta brain power?" She shouted from the top of her lungs.

"I didn't! Something went wrong with the machine! It wasn't my intention to do that! As I told you, the Neutron BioAdapter 900 makes you think something happened, the feelings are her own!" Jimmy shouted frustrated, half trying to convince Libby, half trying to convince himself. Her feelings for me. "If you want to help her, then you'll have to help me."

Libby remained in silence, probably thinking it over. "I will," she finally said. "But there's one thing you hafta do. If you don't, you're dead man." It can't be too bad. But before he could ask her what it was, Libby talked again. "You hafta apologize… and pretend you really did whatever she thinks you did. In other words, you have to pretend being her boyfriend." Wrong. It's bad, really, really, really bad!

"What?" Jimmy Neutron was not going to play Cindy Vortex's boyfriend. Nuh-huh, no way. Not even in a billion years light!

"You heard me, lover-boy! Do it, or your life will be a living hell." Libby was serious, deadly serious. Jimmy took a moment to think things through. Would it be so bad to be Cindy's boyfriend? Yes, he answered himself. If he used the Forgetto-Blaster on Cindy, Libby would tell her everything that happened and they would kill him, unless, of course, he cooperated with her and they made a deal. But what if he used the Forgetto-Blaster on Libby too? Nah, scratch that, then it would be Sheen who would kill him. There was no way out.

"Ok, ok, I'll do it," Jimmy said defeated, this was against all he stood for. But again, being-- pretend being Cindy's boyfriend couldn't be that bad. Besides, he had an idea. "But there are two things I need you to do."

"Spit it out," Libby said, she wanted to get this done. The Men Pretending To Be Boys concert was starting at the TeenJukebox channel in fifteen minutes.

"First, I'll erase Cindy's memory about this whole accident when I'm done with the machine's repairing. And you won't tell a thing. Understood?" Jimmy couldn't believe he was actually going to play Cindy's boyfriend. But he was. And he didn't feel as bad and nauseous as he thought he would. He felt… good? It's Cindy!, he reminded himself.

"Ok, genius-boy, you got yaself a deal," Libby said, casting a glance at the TV, it hadn't started yet.

Ok, so they had a deal. Now on to the second, and maybe the most important one. "You'll have to keep her away from me," Jimmy heard Libby sigh, why would she? "I don't want to be with her alone." Alone with Cindy? The fact that he wasn't shivering at the thought surprised him, but what he thought next actually startled him. Maybe… maybe I want to. "I don't!" He shouted trying to convince himself. He'd forgotten about Libby on the phone. Smooth, Neutron, real smooth. Apparently, mental kicks were this season's trend in his mind.

"Ok, ok, I'll do it!" Libby said alarmed. "Don't ya yell at me!" Girls..., Jimmy thought annoyed. "See ya later, but ya betta call Cindy right now!" Before Jimmy could protest, Libby hung down the phone.

Jimmy stared at the phone for several minutes, thinking and over-thinking what was about to happen. He had a rather fair agreement with Libby, but could Cindy forgive him? Could he ask for forgiveness? Jimmy dialed her number. Though he'd only called her once, when he wanted to figure out if she had any plans for humiliate him the next day, he knew it by memory. Wonder why. Her voice, once sweet and now dripping with hurt, answered the phone.

"Jimmy, I have a Caller ID," she said bitterly. He felt a gulp in his throat. Be brave.

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Author's note: I want to thank everyone who reviewed my last chapter, especially EL CHUPACABRA. I'm such a big fan of him :P. Ok, anyway, I know this chapter was kind of boring, but I wanted to make two points clear. The first was how the Neutron BioAdapter 900 really worked and then there are Jimmy's feelings and pre-teen issues. I better keep my mouth shut, or I'll ruin everything. Ok, confession time. When I first started writing the story I wasn't really sure where it was going, but now I'm completely sure. I spent all night writing a 20-points plan on the story, and I have to say I'm rather satisfied with it. I'd never been prouder at myself. Lol, ok. So to EL CHUPACABRA and everyone who isn't a patient reader, these first chapters are the bases of my story, they'll help you understand what happens next, so if I were you I'd pay attention. Keep your faith! Oh, and one more thing, you'll understand Cindy's behavior later, it has a reason! Anyway, in the next chapters things finally get interesting. Finally.

And don't forget to review!