Thanks for the reviews. There aren't that many chapters left, just two or three. So, hang on! The end is near! I would have updated sooner, but I was on a trip. My FBLA went to the state capital (Jackson, Mississippi) for a conference for three days, so I was really busy.

Why had he done it? The last time Jimmy had checked, he was still in his right mind. Why, then had he kissed Cindy? It wasn't as if he'd planned it. He certainly hadn't expected it. It wasn't exactly horrible-he just didn't know what to do next.

He and Cindy stood for a minute in complete silence. What were they supposed to say? A momentous thing had just happened. And, they had no idea what to do next.

"So, then. . . ." started Cindy. She didn't know what else would be appropriate to say.

Jimmy didn't say anything for a minute. A look that said he was deep in thought spread across his face. After a minute, though, he did speak.

"Cindy, I just want you to know that I'm really sorry. I shouldn't have done that." said Jimmy, looking her directly in the eyes.

Cindy's heart plummeted into her stomach. What was he saying? He hadn't wanted to kiss her. He had only done it as a spur of the moment thing, and it hadn't really meant anything at all. Was that what he was trying to tell her?

"Oh, well. . . .no problem." said Cindy at last.

Jimmy let out a sigh of relief. "Good, then, I thought that you might be mad at me."

"I mean," said Cindy, "It's not that I wanted you to kiss me, because I didn't."

Jimmy looked startled, then a look that told Cindy that he finally got it spread across his face.

"Cindy, is there something that you need to tell me?" asked Jimmy.

"Like what?" asked Cindy, looking at her feet.

Jimmy looked as if he wanted to say something, because he opened his mouth for a moment, and then quickly snapped it shut. Then, he seemed to think of something better to say.

"Cindy, I just want you to know that I really am sorry that I didn't take you to the dance." said Jimmy.

"It's forgotten." she replied.

"So, " said Jimmy, glancing around the littered gym, "Do you want to dance?"

"What, do you mean right hear? And now?" asked Cindy.

"Why not?" asked Jimmy.

"For one thing, we don't have any music." she said.

"Sure we do," said Jimmy, strolling towards the large CD player. He didn't have much hope that there would be any good music nearby, but there just so happened to be a large collection of music to choose from.

He chose a CD that fit his interests best, allthough he had never been a music lover.

Cindy felt her heart beating increasingly faster. She had no idea what was going on. First, he'd kissed her. Then, he'd apologized. And now, they were going to dance. What type of warped reality had she wandered into? Besides, Cindy thought it very odd that there just happened to be a few CD's lying around. Surely, who'd ever supplied the music for the dance wouldn't have forgotten to take their discs.

Jimmy led her to the dance floor. Cindy could tell that he was nervous by the way that he carried himself. She could also tell by the clumsy way he walked to the dance floor that he didn't have much experience dancing.

Truthfully, she didn't care if Jimmy had about as much grace as a blind chicken. She was just glad to be where she was- in a place and situation that she had hoped many times would happen. That she had secretly wished would come true. She to fight back the urge to laugh at Jimmy's dancing. His feet went all over the place, and he couldn't find exactly where to put his hands. Still, she didn't care.

The song slowed gradually, until it morphed into a beautiful ballad of unrequited love. Cindy couldn't help but smile now. She didn't know where that moment in time would lead them to. Would they go on with their lives and pretend that nothing had happened? Or would something evolve out of the magical moment? Then, with the searing intensity of a white-hot lighting rod, Cindy was struck with the terrible truth- this would be their last day together. Nothing would be able to evolve out of that day. Because, at the strike of midnight, Jimmy would be gone forever.

Cindy felt like Cinderella. Instead of turning back into a homely young girl with a pumpkin and a hand full of mice, something much worse would happen. Her prince would not find her glass slipper and return it to her-and he would not refuse to marry any girl in the whole country exept the owner of the shoe. She and her prince would not fall in love, and defy all logic by living happily ever after. Her prince was going to die.

Cindy looked at the clock hanging on the wall. It was seven o' clock. Only five more hours left. She knew that that amount of time would have drug by any other day, but she could already tell that it would speed by at the pace of a freight train.

She had to do it-she had no other choice. She was running low on time.

"Jimmy," she said, looking him square in the eye, "I have something really important to say to you."

Jimmy glanced at her curiously and waited for her to continue.

"I'd like to tell you a whole lot of stuff-like how I really am sorry for wasting all that time fighting. Or how, I really was impressed with all of your inventions. Or. . . well, like I said, I would really like to tell you a lot of stuff, but I'm not sure there's much time." said Cindy, immediately regretting her last words.

"What do you mean, not much time?" he asked.

"Nevermind that," replied Cindy, eager to get to the point. "I just want you to listen to one thing that I have to say. Please, don't interrupt me, just listen."

Jimmy nodded.

"I know that over these past years, we've fought a lot. And I know that most of it was just playful, but, I'd really like you to know that. . . " started Cindy, but she stopped.

Something was wrong. Terrible wrong. Jimmy still looked at her, but his gaze was faraway. He stood, hovering for a minute, and then grabbed his side in anguish. He gasped and then collapsed on the floor.

"Jimmy!" said Cindy, shaking him vigorously. It wasn't fair. There she'd been, moments away from saying something she'd been preparing for for years. Life was cruel.

Cindy pulled out her cell phone, dialed 911, and explained the situation. She whipped her cell back into her pocket and sat down on the floor next to Jimmy. He was still breathing, and she felt a pulse. She didn't know what was wrong with him. All that she knew was that whatever it was, it was going to claim his life in a matter of hours.

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