Author's Note: I know it's been like ages since I've updated and I'm so sorry! I've been having some computer problems lately, which were making the progress of this chapter very slow... But it's here now! It's the longest chapter so far! And guess what? No flashbacks! Hope you'll enjoy it!
THE FORCES OF NATURE
by Tardecita
CHAPTER 4: Dinner and Dancing
We might be lovers when the rhythm's right
I hope this feeling never ends tonight
A crimson red sun had slowly begun to sink into the azure sea when Jimmy and Nea arrived at Cindy and Oliver's hotel sometime after 6pm later that evening.
After the necessary greetings and introductions, the four teenagers were strolling down the street that led to the area where most of the restaurants nearby were. None of them said much during the short walk and all of them felt that the silence was starting to feel a little awkward. This was probably the reason to why they seemed to slow down their pace as they approached a nice-looking Chinese restaurant.
"Anybody in the mood for Chinese?" Oliver was the first one to say anything, and his question was followed by some mumbling and a few nods from the others, before they all headed towards the restaurant's entrance.
They walked pass the outdoor tables as they studied the neon sign over the doorway. Sunrise Palace, it said in yellow letters, surrounded by green and red lights that resembled a Chinese roof. The waiter who welcomed them at the entrance, noted that they were four persons and led them inside.
The red Chinese lamps that were placed all over the restaurant, gave a soft glow and a calm atmosphere. People were talking quietly with each other at their tables and low tones of typical Asian music filled the room. The teens got a table by the window and sat down, Cindy and Oliver on one side, and Jimmy and Nea on the other.
As soon as they got their food and started to try out the dishes they had ordered, they finally managed to establish a friendly conversation around the table. The only one who didn't participate actively in the discussion was Cindy. She had made it very clear to Oliver earlier what she really thought of this whole get-together. Although she smiled and commented as politely as she could every time Oliver bumped his elbow discreetly into her side, she didn't say much during the meal.
Jimmy noticed this and couldn't help but feel a bit guilty as he observed the quiet blonde who was poking at her food with her fork. After all, he had agreed on leaving her alone during his stay at the island. But on he other hand, he found it rather satisfying that the flirty tone that had been between her and Oliver earlier was gone. And he could honestly say that he knew Cindy and her reactions to different things very well by now, after knowing her for so many years. She would probably turn back into her old self before they left the restaurant.
Nea, however, had formed another opinion; she didn't want anybody to feel left out. Therefore she gave a wholeheartedly attempt to include Cindy in the conversation, but the outcome that caused wasn't exactly what she had been going for.
"So," Nea started and turned towards the silent girl. "I've understood that you and Jimmy have known each other for quite a long time? You have to be pretty good fiends, since-"
"Huh?" Cindy cut Nea off and raised her head from the cupped hand she had been resting her chin in. "Me and Jimmy?"
Nea surveyed her a little unsure as Cindy glanced doubtfully over at Jimmy. Jimmy cocked his eyebrow slightly, wondering how she was going to handle the situation.
"Oh yeah, me and Jimmy," Cindy suddenly said and smirked at Nea. "Jimmy and I are the best of friends!"
Jimmy rolled his eyes resignedly as Cindy moved her gaze back to him.
"But friends don't usually go back on their word, do they?" she continued sarcastically. "Then I guess we're not friends after all."
"Why can't you just try to socialize and have a good time?" Jimmy asked her a little annoyed.
"I was socializing just fine until you came along!" Cindy snapped, curling her hands into fists on the table surface.
"Cindy, this is not the best time for a fight," Jimmy muttered and gesticulated feebly towards Oliver and Nea, who both looked a little baffled.
"Well, if you hadn't been here, I wouldn't have anybody to fight with," Cindy responded irritated.
"I can't believe you're that selfish!" Jimmy retorted and narrowed his eyes disbelievingly at her.
"What?" Cindy stood up swiftly and gave him an incredulous stare. "Me, selfish? What about you? You're the one who comes down here with some stupid excuse, just so you can get a vacation!"
"Vacation?" Jimmy stood up as well, while glaring disbelievingly at the fuming blonde. "I'm here because of you!"
"I didn't ask you to come!" Cindy snarled, shaking her head slightly.
Nea and Oliver were now exchanging shocked looks. Almost everyone in the room had their eyes on them and both feared that if they didn't go between the angry teens immediately, they would all get thrown out of the restaurant.
Luckily, it seemed like Jimmy and Cindy had realized this, too, and winded up ending the fight themselves.
"I'm going to the ladies room," Cindy said quietly. "I'll be right back."
"I need some air," Jimmy mumbled, before both of them headed in different directions and left Nea and Oliver alone by the table.
"Err, well," Nea said and smiled apologetically at Oliver, feeling a little responsible for the scene Jimmy and Cindy had just made. "If I knew this would happen, I wouldn't have said anything about it."
"Oh, don't worry," Oliver reassured her, as he raised his glass of soda to his mouth. "This would've happened sooner or later, anyway."
"What makes you think so?" Nea questioned and shoved her plate a little to the side so that she could put her elbows on the table surface in front of her.
"It was obvious," Oliver stated after he had taken a sip of the soda. When Nea still was giving him an uncertain look, he continued, "Let me put it this way; Cindy was clearly annoyed with someone, and I don't think it was one of us. Well, maybe she was a little irritated because of me, since I came up with this idea, but we came to an agreement before we left the hotel."
"Oh?" Nea said and rested her cheeks in her cupped hands. "What kind of agreement?"
"She was a little skeptical about the dinner and all," Oliver said in a lower voice. "So I told her to try and make the best out of it."
"Cindy was skeptical about this dinner?" Nea repeated quietly and lowered her gaze to the table. Some strains of her long, black hair fell into her face and Oliver gave her a curious look. Nea started to think about the way Jimmy had talked about this blonde girl, and that she in the beginning had assumed that Cindy was a former girlfriend of his, that he still had feelings for. He had told her that they were just friends when she asked him about their relationship, though.
But what if there is something between them? Nea speculated. Then that would be enough to explain to the way Cindy reacted to my question about them being good friends. No wonder she didn't seem to like me! What would I do if I was going to have dinner with the boy I liked and some unfamiliar girl I hadn't met before?
"Hey, where did you go?" Oliver looked at Nea questioningly while waving a hand in front of her face, and sent her tumbling out of her thoughts.
"Hm?" Nea looked up at him and couldn't help but to smile at his expression. "No, I was just thinking."
"About what?" Oliver said and smiled, too.
"About our two friends," Nea answered and looked quickly around the room to check if either one of them were on their way back to the table, before she turned her gaze back to Oliver. "Why do you think Cindy was annoyed with Jimmy?"
"I'm not sure," Oliver said honestly. "But what can we know about the things that have happened in their past? I'm mean, they've known each other since kindergarten!"
"Really?" Nea widened her eyes in surprise. "For that long?"
"Yeah, Cindy said so," Oliver declared, before he came to think of something that had puzzled him a bit when he heard it. "But why did Jimmy say that he came here because of her?"
"Don't you know?" Nea looked at him a little disbelievingly.
"Know what? I thought he came here to visit you," Oliver said and pointed a finger at her.
"Me?" Nea exclaimed, raised her eyebrows and gesticulated towards herself with both hands. "I met Jimmy for the first time last night!"
"What?"
"Yeah, he came by the restaurant where I work and asked if anyone knew about a cheap hotel nearby," Nea explained to the confused looking teenage boy. "We started talking, and it got pretty late, so I told him he could just sleep on my couch."
Oliver looked even more confused now, and Nea added, "I could sense that he was alright. . .I don't usually let strangers spend the night in my apartment! Besides, it's in the basement under the restaurant and the owners live on the second floor."
"But. . .he just came here?" Oliver asked. "Without parents, or any grownups at all?"
"Well, yeah-"
"How did he get on the plane?" Oliver wondered.
"He didn't take the plane," Nea answered eagerly. "He came in his hovercar! Well actually, it kinda looks more like a round boat, but it's really cool!"
"A flying car?" Oliver cocked an eyebrow skeptically.
"Yes," Nea said quickly. "He made it himself!"
"Made it?" Oliver repeated disbelievingly.
"Uh huh," Nea confirmed, smiling slightly at the way he seemed to be getting even more confused by every word she said. "He's some sort of genius. He has told me about a few of his inventions; time- and cloning machines, rockets, potions and robots. It sounds so amazing."
"Yeah," Oliver said and raised a corner of his mouth, not really knowing what to believe. "It does…"
"And it's actually one of his inventions that brought him here in the first place," Nea continued, now in a little more serious tone of voice. "He has this machine that measures the earth activity. It can predict when and where the next earthquake is gonna hit."
"And it's going to hit here?" Oliver guessed, starting to comprehend where this was going.
"Well, at least nearby," Nea told him. "The real danger is the tsunami it'll cause. Especially if it's a big one. But Cindy doesn't seem to believe him. I guess that's why she hasn't told you."
"You're kidding me?" Oliver asked shocked and Nea shook her head firmly. "Wow!"
"I know!"
"When is it?" Oliver couldn't help but ask. A part of him hoped it would happen after he and his parents had returned to America, but another part felt that it was selfish to think that way when he knew that Cindy was going to stay for a couple of weeks longer. And what about Nea? She lives here! He had just met this girl, but liked her already.
Before Nea had had the time to answer, Oliver regretted his question. He was going home this weekend and should be worrying about his friends instead. They were stuck on the island.
"He's actually not quite sure," Nea admitted. "But he believes that it's going to happen sometime next week."
"And he came all the way down here just to warn Cindy?" Oliver tried to change the subject, in an attempt to be a little less egotistic.
Nea nodded her head yes, and Oliver's gaze sunk towards his plate as he started to reflect over other things than being altruistic. "Why would he do something like that?" he mumbled, more to himself than to Nea.
"I guess he likes her?" Nea presumed hesitantly.
"Really?" Oliver looked up at her again. "'Cause I have a feeling Cindy likes him too! As more than a friend."
"Yeah," Nea responded, sounding more confident about her assumptions, now that she shared them with someone. "That's what I get from Jimmy as well."
"Has he told you that?" Oliver questioned her.
"No, not literally," Nea answered promptly. "But I can sense it when he's talking about her."
"And when I met him and Cindy at the beach today, she started to flirt really obviously with me," Oliver told her eagerly; happy to share his theory with someone who felt the same way. "Cindy is a great girl, don't get me wrong, but she's not my type! And I think she knows that; that she and I are best off as friends. But she could be doing it because Jimmy was there. You know, to make him jealous."
"Of course!" Nea smiled and snapped her fingers, like that was the answer to the entire situation. "It is obvious!" But then her smile slowly faded away and she asked him; "But if it's so obvious, why aren't they together?"
Oliver sighed and looked into her dark brown eyes. "Trust me, there could be loads of reasons for that," he replied. "One of them could have done something to hurt the other, their friends could be against it, or even worst; their families."
"That's too bad," Nea said and leant backwards while folding her arms over her chest, glancing around the room once more, to check if they soon would be joined by Jimmy and Cindy again. "They would make a pretty cute couple," she added, when there still was no sign of either one of them.
"Well, maybe we could give them a push?" Oliver said casually.
"Yeah!" Nea sat up again. "But how?"
"If there just was someplace we could go after the dinner," Oliver pondered. "Like a discothèque or something. But there are few places we're gonna get into here, when we're underage."
"Maybe I can fix that," Nea said, smirking. "I happen to know the doorman at StarShine Nightclub. It's right down the street. Very hip amongst people in their early twenties; we would blend in easily!"
Oliver returned the smirk and said, "Let's take them dancing, then."
¤¤¤¤
"Oh, I love this song!" Nea exclaimed, just as the four of them had sat down in a sofa booth in StarShine later that evening. She started humming the melody to the Indian song that was playing. "Do wanna dance with me, Jimmy? I can teach you some Indian dance steps." Nea smiled playfully at the boy who were sitting next to her.
"Nah, I don't really dance," Jimmy answered apologetically. Oliver and Nea had managed to speak Jimmy and Cindy into coming with them to the nightclub after the Chinese restaurant. Nea's friend let them in on the condition that they wouldn't draw unnecessary attention to themselves, including buying alcohol.
"Oh, come on," Nea said and tilted her head slightly.
"No," Jimmy said again. "I don't feel like-"
"I'll dance with you," Oliver told her loudly over the table, cutting Jimmy off. "I'd love to learn some Indian dance."
"Great!" Nea yelled back so he would hear her through the music and smiled. She and Oliver got up and headed for the dance floor together, leaving the teenagers who still hadn't said much to each other since the fight, alone.
Eventually, it got quite uncomfortably between them as neither of them spoke or even looked at the other. And when the Indian music faded into a slow song, it got even more awkward. Jimmy decided that he needed some air again and got up without saying anything to Cindy. She followed him with her eyes as he headed towards the entrance and left her by herself in the booth.
After a while, the slow song seemed to get more bass as it faded into a little more upbeat song, and Cindy recognized the soothing tones of Stellar Project's Get Up Stand Up. She knew that song all too well and recalled that it used to remind her a little of her feelings towards Jimmy. As the lyrics started, she began to mouth the words softly, not noticing that Jimmy was approaching the table while watching her intently through the crowded room.
No one can hear the things I whisper
No one but you can hear the sound of my soul
Cindy sighed dejectedly. She used to believe that Jimmy was one of those few people who really understood her when it came to her parents, even if he didn't show it obviously. But she wasn't so sure anymore. The last six months had made her doubt everything she and Jimmy had together.
Jimmy listened automatically to the song when he saw Cindy lip-sync the words, recognizing it from somewhere. Maybe I heard it during the time I used to borrow her MP3-player in class? he wondered, before he remembered that Cindy had actually played it to him once. He hadn't listened so closely to the lyrics back then though, and decided that he would try to pay more attention to the words this time.
As he slowly made his way through the mass of people and drew nearer to the table, he noticed something about Cindy's features that made him stop. She seems. . .sad, Jimmy thought as a guilty feeling spread from his stomach and upwards, before it felt like it got stuck in his throat. He had regretted it a thousand times since he backed away from her about six months ago, leaving their relationship to their destinies. But every time, he seemed to convince himself that it was to his own good. That he had done it so he wouldn't get hurt. It wasn't until now he understood that he could've hurt Cindy instead. And maybe that was exactly what he had done.
He felt he needed some more air and decided to go outside again, but just as he was about to change his course, Cindy turned her head and looked him straight in the eyes with her big emerald ones.
Don't run away from me, I need you
Jimmy froze. He tried to smile at her, but was sure it looked more like a grimace. Nevertheless, she returned the smile weakly and turned her gaze towards the dance floor again. Jimmy figured it was stupid to leave the room again now that she had seen him, so he walked the last few foots to the table and sat down quietly.
I'm gonna follow you wherever you go
None of them said anything. They just sat there on each side of the table, watching the dancing crowd in front of them. Both of them were absorbing the words and tones of the song, thinking that it was playing for them.
Get up, stand up
Open your eyes
It almost felt like a request. It screamed at them: Get up and dance! You know you both want to!
"Doyouwannadance?" They said it very quickly and more or less in unison, which made both of them blush and smile embarrassedly.
Take me to the limit, never let me go
"I mean since we're just sitting here-" Jimmy tried to mumble it away, but it didn't have the same effect when he had to yell it over the music.
"I didn't think Jimmy Neutron danced?" Cindy teased.
"Not Indian dance!" Jimmy put up an offended expression, but dropped it quickly when he saw the mischievous smile on Cindy's lips.
Don't cry, don't lie
Open your mind
"This is different, right," Jimmy shouted feebly.
"Okay," Cindy yelled back and stood up.
Come and take me over, make me feel alright
Jimmy looked up at her as she gave him a warm smile. He got up as well, and hurriedly seized her hand to prevent both of them from changing their minds. Cindy blushed again, thankful for the constantly shifting disco lights that illuminated the room.
I feel I'm fading like a sunset
Jimmy headed for the dance floor with Cindy right behind. She held on to his hand as he led her through the dancing masses.
Tumbling softly slowly in to the sea
They stopped in the middle of the floor and turned towards each other slowly. They maintained their eye contact a little unsurely as they started to move to the beat, keeping as much space between them as possible.
You are the stars on my horizon
And you are always where I need you to be
But though they started out with a few feet between them, they seemed to gradually move closer to each other as the song went on. It could've been because the floor was so crowded and the space around them was getting smaller, but considering the fact that their hands started to seek hesitantly over to the others hips, arms and shoulders, it was easy to see that there was some kind of invisible magnetism between them.
Get up, stand up
Open your eyes
Take me to the limit, never let me go
Don't cry, don't lie
Open your mind
Come and take me over, make me feel alright
As the chorus repeated itself, Nea caught a glimpse of their friends through the crowd of dancing boys and girls. She was dancing in front Oliver and when she saw Jimmy and Cindy, she bumped her elbow softly in Oliver's stomach and pointed towards the couple that was dancing so closely. She turned towards him and they couldn't help but smile calmly at each other.
"Mission completed," Oliver said loudly so that Nea would hear him through the music, and winked jokingly at her.
"Yep, it looks like she believes him now," Nea laughed.
"Yeah," Oliver replied, knowing that she was talking about the earthquake. "But what about you?"
"Me?" Nea repeated, confused.
"Yes, what are you going to do when the tsunami comes?" Oliver asked her as they kept moving to the music.
"Oh, I'm going home this weekend!" Nea assured him, smiling.
"Home?" Oliver said. "But I though you-"
"I just live here when I work here, during my vacations," Nea explained. "My home is in India, with my parents and my sister. That's where I go to school!"
"Oh," Oliver said as he understood. "Well, then there's no problem then!"
Get up, stand up
Open your eyes
Take me to the limit, never let me go
Don't cry, don't lie
Open your mind
Come and take me over, make me feel alright
On the other side of the dance floor it seemed like Jimmy and Cindy were slowly forgetting about the world around them. They had both surrendered to the music and let the rhythm lead their bodies. It looked like they were born to dance this way; bodies synchronized, caressing and toughing but not much, and in perfect harmony with each other.
Stay with me forever
It was strange how these two could dance so tightly and yet follow the tempo of the song. They weren't exactly slow dancing, but any hopeless romantic walking by would probably envy them right away. How could two teenagers dance so passionately, but still not make it look vulgarly? Just amazingly romantically…
Call my name and I'll be there
Follow me wherever I will fly
The song was eventually nearing its end, but Cindy and Jimmy were still lost in each other. Cindy knew that the song would finish soon, but was still hoping for some kind of miracle to happen so that they could stay like that forever.
Get up, stand up
Open your eyes
Take me to the limit, never let me go
Jimmy was more than ever regretting the fact that he'd given up on them before. He was wondering if it was too late to tell her that he was sorry as he observed the wavy blonde air that was cascading down her shoulders. He liked it when she let it down loosely. It made him realize that he hadn't seen her with her hair down in months, because it had gotten so much longer than last time.
Don't cry, don't lie
Open your mind
Come and take me over, make me feel alright
As the last lines played, they were perfectly aware of the fact that the song would soon come to an end. It seemed like they were both keen on finding a way to make sure that the moment wouldn't be lost afterwards, so they were getting even closer. Closing their eyes as their lips were only inches away from touching…
YEAH
The melody had turned into a hip-hop song and both Jimmy and Cindy jumped of the sharp contrast, realizing what they were about to do. They froze and stared wide-eyed at each other for short while.
"Oh my God," Cindy whispered, shocked, before she turned away.
"Shit," Jimmy replied, looking just as dazed as he backed off.
Nea and Oliver watched them, puzzled, as the two teenagers parted quickly and got off the dance floor. They then looked at each other, silently asking: What just happened?
Author's Note: It seems like we're not really allowed to answer our reviewers in the author notes anymore, and to be honest I don't have the time to say thank you to everyone "in person". But I'll reply if someone asks me a question, of course! Or if there's something I feel like saying. And I'll keep writing thank you to all of my reviewers, because I really appreciate your opinions!
So thanks to those who has reviewed and to all of you:
HAPPY NEW YEAR! Make the best out of it! ;)
Please drop me a line or two! Reviews give me motivation and inspiration to write faster... :)