Disclaimer: I do not own Jimmy Neutron or any related characters.

As Jimmy, Nick, and Sheen began their descent down the stairs, Carl leaned his back against the wall near the staircase. He sighed deeply and slid down the wall to the floor.

"What's the matter?" Ike asked while taking a seat next to Carl. He took off his sunglasses and put them in his pocket.

"I don't know, man," Carl said while nervously fingering his silencer rifle. "You think Jimmy will be able to do this? I mean, there's like twenty of them down there."

Ike shook his head and pulled a pack of cigarettes out of his pocket. He pulled cigarette out and lit it. He took a deep drag before bending his head backwards and exhaling. "Don't tell me about odds, kid. I've been through a lot worse."

Carl stared quizzically at Ike for a moment. "You smoke?"

Ike shrugged. "If you've been through all that I have over twelve years, you'd be sucking down a pack a day too."

Carl edged closer to Ike and stared at his friend's nervous face. "Ike, you said something about a problem with a girl three years ago. What happened? What made you this way?"

Ike pulled the dangling cigarette from his lips and tapped a little ash onto the wooden floor. He studied Carl for a moment; saw nothing but curiosity. Bolbi was leaning against the entrance to Cindy's room, looking on at the unfolding scene.

At long last, Ike threw his cigarette onto the floor and stepped on it. He quickly pulled out another and lit it. He shoved it in between his lips, but they were trembling. The cigarette was shaking profusely. He finally pulled it out and threw that onto the ground as well. He banged his head against the wall for a moment before closing his eyes and running his hands through his hair.

"Ike?" a concerned Carl asked.

"It was three years ago," Ike began, his voice barely above a whisper. "Third grade. A time of innocence and growth. I had left behind second grade, I was looking forward to a year of independence and excitement.

I soon found the excitement. The first day of school, I saw her. Sandy. God, she was beautiful. Ten freckles on each cheek. Amazing how I can remember that after all these years, isn't it?" he asked, chuckling a little.

"Curly yellow hair, bright as the sun. It went down to her chin and bounced with every step she took. I, I, I had never seen a girl like her. She was, perfect. Sweet, beautiful, kind, all of that crap. It was love at first sight.

I took every chance I had to be with her. When there was an assignment where we had partners, I pushed everyone out of my way and ran to her. When we dodge ball in gym, she was always on my team. And when the dance came..." his voice trailed off. A single tear symbolically fell down his cheek.

Carl put his hand on Ike's shoulder. "What happened?" he whispered.

Ike shrugged Carl's hand off and turned around. He stared intently at a small crack in the wall. "It was the Valentine's Day dance. I had had a crush on Sandy for about five months. And the intensity hadn't changed at all. Well, no, that's not true. Each day that went by made me love her more.

Anyway, there was this kid in my class name Jack. We weren't that close, maybe spoken a few words at lunch here and there. But we ended up having a shake one day after school at the Candy Bar. We got to talking about the dance. He kept insisting how stupid girls were. You know, all that stuff."

Ike sadly shook his head at the memory playing in his head. "Now, I had kept this crush on Sandy completely secret for five months. Nobody knew a thing. But after all this time, I couldn't keep my feeling hidden anymore. I needed to tell someone, anyone."

"So I told Jake how I felt about Sandy. Not just that I thought she was cute or that I had a crush on her, but that I thought I loved her. I'll never forget the look on Jake's face. One of shock and horror. A boy liking a girl? It was absurd! Nobody had ever done that in the third grade!

He told everyone. The pointing, the laughing, the bullying. But there was one silver lining. Sandy had heard as well."

Ike paused for a moment, his back still at Carl. He twiddled with his thumbs while looking down the stairs. Jimmy and Nick were still a few stairs away from the first floor. Could they move any slower?

"Tell me what happened next," Carl urged.

Ike took a deep breath and continued sharing his horrific tale. "She asked me to the dance." Ike smiled a little while saying this. "And that made all the torture worth it. I was happy as could be until the day of the dance. My love had asked me out! It was amazing."

"So we met at the dance next week. I had a great time. Sandy and I danced, laughed, I even touched her arm. I swear to God, her skin was smoother than silk. And then it happened.

Jack was the DJ that night. He may have been a slimy bastard, but he knew his music. He called us up to the stage, saying that we had won a raffle. Looking back, I should have known better. But I was young and naive then.

So Sandy and I looked at each other and smiled. We grabbed each other's hand and ran up to the stage. The spotlight came on us, and everyone turned to stare at us. A lot of the guys were smiling. I grabbed a microphone that was on the stage and asked, 'What did we win?'

Jake just smiled and said, 'a night of humiliation!'

I looked up just in time to see it. A giant container of Hawaiian punch was placed on a beam above the stage. You know, the same kind of container on the bench at football games. Some guys pulled a rope and it tipped over.

Sandy and I were both drenched from head to toe and bright red Hawaiian punch. I was humiliated, but I was more worried about Sandy. I looked over and saw her crying. It was a horrible sight. Tears running down her red-stained face. She just looked at me. I think she thought that I was in on it. That's ridiculous, because I was also drenched in the stuff.

She ran out. I never saw her again. Rumor has it she was too humiliated to go back to school. Her dad got a job offer in Rhode Island, so her family gladly took it to help their daughter. I never even got to say good-bye," he sadly said.

Carl stared on at Ike, who just yanked out another cigarette and lit it. "I, I never knew." Carl sadly said.

Ike wiped the few remaining tears from his eyes. "Well, whatever. So I was humiliated and lost the girl I loved. It happens. And that's why I'm helping you and your idiot friend. If I can save one other kid, my pain will have been worth it."

"Really?" Carl asked.

Ike thought for a moment. "Well, no. It won't be worth it. But at least it'll be something."

Carl shook his head in amazement. "Jeez, I've been bullied in my day, but never like that. How did you go on?"

Ike smiled a little. "Two things. My smokes," he pulled a cross on a chain out from underneath his shirt, "and a friend upstairs."

Suddenly a shriek pierced through the three boys' ears. Ike and Carl immediately jumped up. "What the hell was that?" Ike nervously asked, his heart racing.

Cindy's parents immediately raced out of their room. Bolbi stared at them and fired off two quick shots, immediately knocking both of them out. "Bolbi got them!" he shouted while reloading his silencer rifle.

Ike looked down the stairs to see Jimmy and Nick standing back to back, both holding their guns. Suddenly a swarm of girls ran into the kitchen. Some of them looked up stairs and saw Carl and Ike.

Ike was sweating bullets as he saw several girls talk to each other and point up the stairs. He slowly pulled his shades out of his pocket and placed them over his eyes. "The lord is my shepherd," he whispered while holding up his gun. "I shall not want. He maketh me lie down in green pastures," he continued.

Carl stared at Ike, thinking that his friend had lost his mind. Several girls downstairs became ascending the stairs. He looked over at Ike, who was talking extremely fast now.

"He restoreth my soul. He leaden me in the path of righteousness for his namesake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod," Ike paused for a quick second to touch his sunglasses, "And thy staff," he aimed his silencer rifle, "they comfort me. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies."

Ike paused another second to look down at the girls who were now halfway up the stairs. They moved cautiously, slowly. Ike continued praying. "Thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over." Tears started falling down his cheeks as the girls quickly closed the distance between them and the boys. "Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever."

"Amen," he whispered while looking up. The pack of girls was right in front of him.

Author's Note: I'm not sure how well this chapter turned out. Please review and let me know.