I don't own Jimmy Neutron. Yeah, go figure.

"It truly is a wonder, Goddard," said Jimmy, "how a course of plans can change in a matter of only twenty-four hours."

Goddard let out a small, groan-like sigh. He lay on the stone floor of the lab, three feet from Jimmy. Jimmy was working, yet again, on The Periphery Eliminator 9000.

"One more tweak, and that should just about do it…" Jimmy rotated the screw driver one last turn. "There! Now, let's fire her up!" Lying on his belly, he hunched over the remote-like machine, and pressed a red button. A white-violet light appeared in midair, flickered, and disappeared, quick as a flash.

"Mother of Rutherford! It still doesn't work!" Jimmy collapsed on his back, arms widespread, staring at the ceiling. Goddard, still lying on the ground, turned his head so he could face Jimmy. "I have to find some way to get these things off!" he snorted, indicating his braces. "If I don't, Cindy'll never let me live it down. I was hoping that maybe I could get some technology to fix my teeth on my own from the future…" He sighed and turned on his side, facing away from Goddard. "I guess I'm just," he paused, "stuck."

Goddard tilted his head and walked over to Jimmy, licking his face. "Gah! Bleah! Ha! Cut it out, boy!" Jimmy sat up and petted his robotic dog. "You're right, boy. I shouldn't talk like that." They sat for a moment in silence. "Goddard, options!"

Goddard revealed his built-in green computer screen. Its glow bathed the dark room. The screen read, "Continue working on the Periphery Eliminator 9000."

"Nah."

"Accept what fate wings you."

"Not in a million light-years."

"Create a new invention."

"Hey, that's it! If I can't fix the problem with the PE9000, why not! I could create something specifically for the job. It would be able to remove my braces, and straighten my teeth. Heck, I could benefit all mankind!"

Goddard tilted his head.

"Okay, maybe not all of mankind, but a hearty majority! Just think, Goddard! If I get started tonight, I could have this thing finished by tomorrow!"

Jimmy went to work right away, but he was already tired out from his long day. He'd fallen asleep by nine o'clock on the job, and Goddard had to carry him to his bed. When he awoke, he seemed unaware that ten hours had passed, and rushed downstairs in a quick desperation to get to the lab and continue his work.

Jimmy slid down the railing, apparently willing to skip breakfast just to get out the door.

"Uhp-uhp-uhp, young man! Where do you think you're going?" Mrs. Neutron called.

Jimmy froze, his hand on the door knob, "I'm going to the lab, if that's all right with you, Mom. I'm working on a very important experiment." He turned around, "It could benefit all of mankind."

Mrs. Neutron wasn't surprised. Her Jimmy was always working on something important. "Of course you are, Sweetie. But first," she led him over to the kitchen table, where Mr. Neutron was reading the newspaper and chomping away at his happy face pancakes, "you need to eat a nutritious breakfast." She sat him down at the table, and placed his breakfast in front of him.

"But Mom! I-"

"I won't have any but Mom's now, mister. Eat your food. A growing genius can't go on inventing without his diet in order, now can he? And don't even bother trying to think up an excuse; you know it as well as I do."

He sighed, but he was a fast eater when he wanted to be. I'll just finish this, and I'll be out of here in no time. "Okay, Mom! I'm done now! Got to go! Love ya, bye!" He ran for the door again.

"Where's the fire, Jimbo?" Hugh looked up to see what all the ruckus was about.

"Yes, Jimmy, do tell," Judy paced over.

"I already told you! I have to go work on a-"

Judy interrupted, obviously not interested in his reply. "You've probably forgotten. This wouldn't be the first time you failed to carry out your Saturday afternoon chores."

"Chores? Oh, Mom! Can't it wait just a little while?"

"No, now, it's not that big of a list. In fact, I only want you to do two things for me, so don't protest. Be grateful."

"All right, Mom…"

"Bring this sack of flour over to Mrs. Vortex's house. I had to borrow some last week to make a pie for the town Litter League assembly at the last minute."

"Mom, why'd you have to borrow anything from her? You know I don't like the Vortexes."

"Honey, it was inevitable. Just do it, and then go walk Goddard."

"All right, I'm going," he received the flour sack and crossed the street with Goddard to the Vortex residence.

Jimmy rang the door bell and waited. The door opened, revealing Cindy Vortex.

Jimmy and Cindy go way back. Cindy used to be the smartest kid in school, until Jimmy came along. She then made it her mission in life to beat him at everything, and make his life a world of torment and misery. Recently however, they'd been stranded on an island together, and realized that when they weren't always at it, they had really nice chemistry.

Of course, things returned back to normal when they returned to Retroville- almost. They still fought once in awhile, but they learned to treat each other like human beings.

Cindy just stared at Jimmy, eyes narrowed, lips sealed. She just gave him that look. That what do you want now look. She pretended she saw something in the sky, and stared at it. Obviously, the empty sky was a much more welcoming sight than Jimmy Neutron.

"Umm, hi Cindy. My mom said she borrowed some flour from your mom, and she wanted me to return it." He held out the flour sack with both hands.

She casually grabbed it, and started to close the door. Her gaze was now fixed on the door. He held his foot out in front of the door, and stopped it from closing. She quickly glanced at his face, and then focused her eyes on his shoes instead.

Jimmy stepped back onto her doorstep, and looked into her eyes. Emotion filled them. He couldn't distinguish what emotion, but something was there. He could sense it.

Or maybe he was mistaken. Maybe it was the absence of emotion he couldn't describe.

Cindy opened the door a little more, as if to say this time, Hurry up. Spit it out. She continued to stare down at his shoes.

"Look, Cindy. Do you want to come over to the lab? There's not really that much to do today. I don't know… Want to go see a movie?"

This time, she looked up at him. Her eyes penetrated into his. He couldn't stand her looking at him like that, so he turned his head to the side, cowering.

She said in a dark tone, "Why?"

He smiled and turned back to look at her. He laughed, "Why? Well, because it's a nice day, and I don't know but-"

She hid her head behind her door, and in a desperate whisper replied, "Go away."

"Wha-huh?"

She slammed the door, and started screaming a mile a minute, "You heard me, Neutron! Just go away! Leave me alone! I don't want to see your face ever again! Just GET AWAY FROM ME! YAHHHH!"

Do the braces really make me look that bad? Jimmy contemplated to himself. Jimmy was scared, okay- really scared. Cindy was one to yell, but she didn't seem mad. She seemed more depressed. What was it about his presence that sickened her so? Finally, he managed to say, "What do you mean?"

She yelled indignantly from inside the house, "What, do I need to grab you a dictionary! Get lost! Go away! I hate you! Partir, Neutron!"

"Go? Go where?"

"I don't know, Neutron. Go find yourself a nice ditch to jump in. You've never had a problem with keeping your distance from me before. Why should this be any different!"

"I'm sorry, Cindy. I just came to return the flour. I just thought something was wrong. I thought maybe I could help," he turned around. "Come on, Goddard. Let's go take that walk."

Back in her house, Cindy looked at her reflection in the mirror, "Something is wrong. But Jimmy can't help."

She hated her braces.