I don't own Jimmy Neutron.
I just wanted to let you all know that I really appreciate those of you who have been reviewing. I really take it to heart, because your reviews reflect my writing, and my writing reflects on me.
It's just, I've written a lot, but I haven't gotten that much feedback. If you read my fan fiction, I ask you kindly, please review. A few words typed out here and there doesn't take up that much time for you, and it means a lot to me, especially since it takes me a lot longer to write the story itself.
So please, if you've been reading but not reviewing, give it a second thought. It would mean the world to me.
Thanks again,
Ko
It was the day of the carnival. Jimmy and Cindy awaited the bus.
Cindy's back was hunched over, her elbows bent at her sides and her fingers entwined together, occasionally fidgeting by her chin. She stood in that fixed position, a crazed look in her eyes, as they shifted back and forth. She looked mad, not mad but indubitably insane.
Jimmy edged towards the sidewalk, Ah, saved by the bus.
The bus doors swung open, and driver greeted them. "Good news, after your little spit-off yesterday, I've decided everyone can sit where they want from now on. I guess it doesn't really matter where you sit; as long as you have your bus pass, I can figure out where you get off.
Jimmy couldn't have been more grateful. His face showed relief, and the bus driver acknowledged that as Jimmy passed and took his seat next to Libby. The bus driver's smile turned to a cringe, however, when he caught sight of Cindy, looking as unhinged and deranged as she did.
She passed him and walked down the aisle.
The bus driver directed a question to Libby and Jimmy, "Uh… She moonstruck?"
Sheen, in his seat near the back of the bus overheard and answered him, "Of course she is! Who wouldn't be when they're dating a handsome guy like me?" The whole bus gasped. Cindy's eye twitched furiously as she practically stormed over. "That's right, My Sweet! Take a seat by your-"
She sat down by Sheen and squashed his toe. "That's enough, dear," she sneered. She looked around to make sure no one was listening, then sharply turned to him, "What do you think you're doing? I only need Jimmy to think I'm dating you- not the entire bus!"
"Why do you care?" he whispered back. "You're always saying it doesn't matter to you about what other people think."
"How'd you know I said that?"
"Well it's not like you haven't told the entire bus before."
"Ah, never mind that! Just do what I say, and don't let me catch you doing that again!"
"Forget it! I could very well be taking Libby right now, and she isn't embarrassed to be seen with me!" He started to get up from the seat when she pulled him back down.
His face was questioning.
"Ah, you know what? You're right. Look, I'm sorry. You're doing me a favor, and I kind of took it for granted. I guess you can be loud, if you want… As long as it makes him jealous…"
"That's right! Play it close to the vest! And don't you forget it!" He put his arm around her shoulder. She rolled her eyes.
"Yeah, yeah. Just don't make me watch anymore UltraLord junk or what not like you did last night… I had the hee-bee-gee-bees for twelve hours straight."
If Sheen had an eyebrow, he probably would have raised it, "No comprende?"
Back with Jimmy and Libby, they were seated right behind the bus driver discussing their date for the carnival.
"It just doesn't feel right."
"Ah, why do you care, Libby? You get your CDs, don't you?"
"It's not that I don't care. It's just… I know you don't. I'm only doing this to make Cindy jealous."
"…So?"
"Well, first of all, she's my best friend. I shouldn't have to be put in a situation where I have to make my best friend jealous. Second of all, I could be going with Sheen."
"What's so great about Sheen?"
"How can you say that? He and Carl are your best friends."
"Yeah, I know, but no offense, Sheen is a little dim."
"You're a little dim."
"Excuse me?"
"No, yo' heard me. You've got all the school smarts, but you've also got all the street dumbs. You can't expect a lady to do something for ya, Jim, if yo' gonna go insultin' the lady's man."
"You know, she's right about that, Jimmy," the bus driver joined the conversation.
"Ah, who are you to talk?"
"Hey! Don't insult me! I watch General Post Office!"
"So does my mom!" Libby laughed. Libby and the bus driver were soon talking a mile a minute.
Jimmy felt out of place, Why can't I ever have a conversation like that? The voice in his head paused, Because I don't watch lame soap operas. He smiled to himself.
The bus came to a halt, and Jimmy was the first to step off. Libby followed close after as she said goodbye to the bus driver.
They headed to their classes, "See ya later, Jimmy!"
"Bye!" he rushed into his classroom, glad to have some alone time before---
Cindy arrived. She took her seat next to Jimmy. He was at least glad to see she wasn't twitching anymore…
The class filed in, and the bell rang. Ms. Gildred wasted no time getting down to business, "All right everyone, it's the beginning of the school year, and what better way to start off the year than with a group science project?"
The class groaned.
"Yes, what a thriller," she became even more optimistic. "I decided to pair you up with people I knew you got along with." She went down her list of people. "Sheen, Carl, partners!"
Sheen and Carl exchanged high-fives.
"Jimmy, Cindy, partners!"
"NO!" they shouted at once.
"What? Aren't you two friends? You said you lived right by each other and that you got along. What's the problem? I figured it would be easiest for you to get together and complete this."
They looked at one another, and finally Jimmy spoke, "We had… a fight."
"Well, nothing a little sorry can't fix up."
They raised their eyebrows.
"Go on, just say sorry." Nothing happened. "Go on, just get it over with."
"Don't mind me saying so, Ms. Gildred, but I don't really appreciate you putting us on the spot like this."
Cindy ignored his last statement, "You can't MAKE ME say sorry!" Cindy assumed a position that very much resembled a cat, clawing menacingly at a window.
Ms. Gildred rolled her eyes, "Well, I've already assigned everyone's partners. I don't feel like switching the class around just to please two people. Hopefully you'll be able to sort things out soon."
"Pfft, yeah right."
"Unlikely."
Ms. Gildred went on announcing partners. For Jimmy and Cindy, the next few periods dragged out all too sluggishly.
When fourth period ended, everyone thought so loudly, you could almost hear the humming of, Finally, lunch!
Libby and Jimmy walked slowly to the lunch table, "Look, why don't you just get this off your chest?"
"But she's my best friend…"
"I know, but if you just get it over with, you'll have no regrets later on for making her jealous."
"…Okay, but this is a one-time deal. No more after today, got it?"
"Yes." Cindy and Sheen were approaching the lunch table. "Okay, here they come; get ready."
Libby looked uncertain. Carl, who had been sitting at the table the entire time, shifted his eyes from both groups. He was so confused.
Cindy and Sheen sat at the table and managed their lunches. Libby was casually eating her food, when Jimmy nudged her. She glared at him, but he gave her a look that read, What are you waiting for?
She unsurely picked up her tofu soup, curled her tongue up the side of her upper lip, and threw it at Cindy.
Carl raised his eyebrows and gave a funny grin. Jimmy and Sheen turned their heads to each other, smiling while laughing breathlessly, "Hoh."
The bowl remained suctioned to Cindy's face; one could see tofu and residue seeping out through the sides, until it fell off completely, revealing… a mess.
Cindy's eyes were fastened shut and her face screwed up into a tight grimace. Libby went on eating non-dairy yogurt casually. She acted as if nothing happened.
Sheen was still smiling slightly as he leaned forward to stare at her. Cindy finally opened her eyes, just barely, and hissed, "Well, are you just going to sit there and let her do that to me? Do something back?"
Sheen laughed, "But I-"
"Do something!"
Reluctantly, he unwrapped his Kaboom! Bar, and threw it at Libby.
Libby ducked, and it hit Jimmy.
"Ah! I can't see! Libby! Do something!"
Libby took her spoon and slingshot her yogurt at Sheen.
"He won't stand for that, will you, Sheen? Take my orange!" Cindy tossed Sheen the orange. He threw it at Libby.
"Libby! Don't let him cream you! Here's my bagel!" Jimmy threw her his lunch.
She threw.
He threw.
Okay, they both threw.
Carl, upon realization, held up a note card, "FOOD FIGHT!"
The whole cafeteria went mad. The lunch lady ran to the office.
Cindy yammered, "And this is for your ugly face!" Sheen threw the gummies at Libby.
Jimmy yawped back, "Oh yeah, well this is for your ugly English!" Libby threw the cream cheese at Sheen.
The vice principal rushed into the room and hollered, "STOP!"
Everyone froze, food leaking from their hands and the walls.
"Who started this?"
Everyone pointed at Sheen and Libby.
"You and You! Trash pick-up!"
Jimmy, Cindy, Sheen, and Libby all chorused, "What?"
"Is this your first year?"
They all nodded.
"Oh, well what a wonderful start," she commented sarcastically. "A trash pick-up is when you spend your lunch hour cleaning up all the pollution around campus. Wouldn't that be fun?"
"Not particularly…" Sheen and Libby winced.
"Follow me," the vice principal motioned to the two of them, and they headed off.
"Wait!" Jimmy and Cindy called.
They all turned around.
"I feel a little responsible for this," Jimmy confessed.
"Yeah, me too."
"Very well, then, you can keep your friends company. Come now, follow me." They all walked outside, and she handed Sheen and Libby garbage bags. "All right, all you have to do is fill up ten of these garbage bags to the top before lunch is over."
"And if we don't?" Sheen interrogated.
"You get to come back tomorrow and try to fill up twenty."
They sighed.
"Just remember, there are other kids who've been bad this week too. They may have cleaned up most of the garbage, so you're going to have to work hard to get find it, unless you want to lose it to the other."
They looked around. There may be just enough trash to fill up twenty garbage bags, which meant they had to get to work.
They ran around campus, Cindy and Jimmy calling after them.
"Over there, Sheen!"
"Don't let him get it, Libby!"
"Turn around! To your left! YOUR LEFT!"
"Oh, come on! Right behind you! You let her get it!"
"What do you think you're doing?"
"Come on! Go faster!"
"I know you can do better than that!"
"Do you hear the words that are coming out of my mouth?"
After much work and exhaustion, not so much from grabbing trash but from taking orders from Jimmy and Cindy, Sheen and Libby ran and grabbed their tenth bags, and sped off behind the dumpster. "Do you think we lost them?"
"Yeah."
She sighed heavily, "Finally."
He held his nose, "Not exactly the greatest place to catch our breath- by a-"
"DUMPSTER!" they cried.
They lifted up the cover. "Ah, it reeks!"
"I know, I know. Let's just do this now while no one's looking."
They scooped up some garbage from the dumpster and filled their bags. They took their time walking back to the vice principal. Cindy and Jimmy caught sight of them, "Where were you guys? We've been looking for you!"
Sheen and Libby just held up their full garbage bags. They met up with the vice principal and handed her them.
Sheen spat, "Well that was no fun."
The vice principal stopped writing on her clipboard to look up at them, "It's not about fun. It's about getting the job done."
They walked off back to the halls, with Jimmy and Cindy calling after them.
Libby rolled her eyes, and looked back to Sheen. He looked, to say the least, uncomfortable.
She murmured, "It's about getting the job done." Then she left Sheen's side to meet up with Jimmy.