At sixteen years old, Jenny Foxworth had everything a girl her age should want. She kept a nice figure through her rigorous exercise routine, which also made her very strong. She studied often to keep up with all the lessons in school, as well as get A+'s in them, and did that well. And of course, after years of trying, she had gotten Mowgli Dean's attention.
Mowgli had never noticed her much during the long time that they had known each other. But at the start of this year, he did, and accepted when she asked him to go to homecoming dance with her, and soon enough became her steady boyfriend. She was ecstatic. They were the perfect couple. Well, they certainly looked it, anyway. Many other girls had a crush on Mowgli, but Jenny had been the one to win him. Although it made a few girls hate her, most of them just wanted to talk to her about what he was like. Jenny had a wonderful reputation, she couldn't wish to be more popular.
Besides having one of the number one desired boys as her boyfriend, she'd also secured her spot as number one academically in her class. She discovered this in December as everyone's report cards were passed out in class. "Looks like you were no competition after all, Neutron." she noted as she looked over Melody's shoulder at his report card.
"It's none of your business." Melody said as he crumpled up his card.
"Couldn't keep up in Gym?" she teased.
"I'll make it up next semester."
"Too late. I'll still have all A's and you won't. That's what matters."
"Maybe to you." Melody stated simply. "I have other things I worry about besides being number one at everything."
"Like your stupid experiments?" Jenny said mockingly.
"Yes, like my experiments, but there's also my friends. I actually have some that I don't have to impress to keep."
Jenny flushed a little with fury. "Who says I'm worried about being number one, anyway? I just am. And I have plenty of great friends."
"If you say." Melody said calmly. "But what are you doing with someone like Mowgli, if it isn't just to make a few false friends?"
"Mowgli and I are as close as close can be, so take your butt and move it somewhere else." Jenny said a little too loudly.
She set off the class' default immaturity. "Mowgli and Jenny, sitting in a tree. K-I-S-S-I-N-G." Cody chanted. All of the other boys in the class laughed, except for Mowgli and a few of his friends.
"Not funny." Mowgli walked over and smacked him before he could continue as the bell rang and they went out of class. "Were these guys bothering you?" he asked Jenny.
"No, not really." Jenny said, although they were.
"Good. Then I don't have to kick their ass."
"Good." Jenny now smiled. "Want to walk me home?" she asked.
"Na, I have other stuff to do. Later." Mowgli ran off with his friends, obviously to do some vandalism to celebrate the Winter Break.
Jenny chose to walk home with Penny. Snow started to fall as they went. "Why do you let Neutron bother you so much?" Penny asked.
"I don't. That egomaniac doesn't bother me at all." Jenny insisted.
"If you say." Penny said calmly. She had learned through experience that it was best not to argue with her friend over little things like this.
At that moment, Melody and his friends ran by laughing. Cody suddenly stopped to talk to the girls. "Hey guys, I mean girls," he began, speaking very quickly. "We're going to go to the Candy Bar after Melody gets cleaned up, want to come with us it's to celebrate school being out. I mean it might be fun or something, we can-"
"Woah, slow down." Penny said.
"The Candy Bar? You still stuck in elementary school, Cody?" Jenny said. Penny giggled.
"So you'll come?" Cody asked, as all three of them caught up to Melody and Miguel.
"No way. I have better things to do than waste my time at the Candy Bar with you freaks." Jenny said.
"Ah, perhaps go throw eggs at the school building and random students like your forever intellectually stimulating boyfriend?" Melody suggested. Everyone except Jenny laughed. They all noticed the egg on Melody's shirt, he was obviously one of Mowgli's victims.
"No, I'm just going to go home." Jenny walked up to her doorstep, they can reached her house. "And study."
"Have fun then." Melody called.
"I think I'd like to come." Penny said to Cody. "It'll probably be fun."
"Great! Let's go!" Cody shouted, tugging on the arms of Melody and Penny.
"I still have to get cleaned up, Cody!" Melody protested.
"And I'm going to go drop off my backpack." Penny said.
"I have to do both." Miguel said.
"Okay. We meet here in five minutes. Don't be late!" Cody shouted, then ran off towards his house.
Jenny stood at her doorstep, unnoticed by the others as they all went inside their respective houses. She felt a twinge of jealousy, but quickly pushed it aside, insisting to herself that it was never there. She then went inside, and for the first hour of her winter break, studied alone in her room.
The next semester of school went horribly. Jenny couldn't seem to keep up with everything, and found herself becoming very irritable at times. Mowgli hardly ever took her out on dates. He didn't seem much interested in her anymore. Jenny just made a point of showing that they were still together whenever she could. Melody, and Penny as well, were both right. She was only using Mowgli to keep up her reputation with others. Jenny realized this, but didn't think it was so bad. After all, Mowgli didn't seem to actually like her, anyway.
Penny seemed to be becoming less of her friend slowly but surely as the semester went on. She didn't do or say anything mean to Jenny, she was just around her less and less, seeming to hang around Melody and his friends more and more. Penny even told Jenny that he had been dating Cody. This disgusted Jenny. What Penny could see in that manic Ultralord fan was beyond her. He wasn't as obsessive as he once had been, but still collected the dolls, taped every episode, and could go on hour long rants about the program when cued.
Jenny did Penny the favor of cuing him onto one the next time she saw the pair together. Penny seemed horrified, and Jenny smiled smugly. Her smile soon fell as Penny asked her with an expression, 'What was that for.' Jenny felt a little guilty then. It was kind of nasty of her, and she'd only done it because she was jealous.
Mowgli was also hanging around her less and less. Whenever she asked him to go anywhere, he was busy. This made Jenny alone as well as lonely more than ever.
But there was one event that neither Mowgli nor Penny could avoid her for. The final school dance of the year. Mowgli of course had to go with her. It was going to be a formal affair, and Jenny and Penny always had liked to prepare for those together. She called Penny a week before the event. "Hey girl, what's up?" Penny asked.
"Hey Penny, get over here! We have to pick up our dresses and plan everything out." Jenny replied.
"Okay." Penny said, and was soon over at Jenny's house. They chatted a while, before Penny asked what seemed a weird question to Jenny. "So, who's your date?"
"Mowgli of course. He is my boyfriend after all." Jenny said.
"Really? Still?"
Jenny then realized how little they had actually been talking, and became a little annoyed about it. "Yes, still."
"He is cute, but I think I should tell you, there's something I don't really like about him." Penny said plainly.
"What, like you should talk." Jenny snapped. "Drooling over your loser boyfriend, Ultralord."
"You mean Cody? Oh please, we're just friends. I don't even have a boyfriend."
"Sure you don't." Jenny teased. "You and Cody look really close."
"We've dated a little, but we're not serious at all." Penny explained.
"Sure you're not." Jenny said.
"We're not!" Penny declared, but still seemed jovial about the subject. "You know, Cody's not even my date to this dance. We're both going with other people."
"You are?" Jenny was now quite interested. "So, who are you going with?" she asked.
"Hm? Oh, Melody asked me." she said.
"Melody?!" Jenny repeated loudly. "As in Melody?"
"Yeah, that Melody." Penny said.
"He asked, and you said yes?"
"Yeah."
"Why?"
"No one else had asked me yet."
"Well, there's plenty of reasons you shouldn't have. Melody's only about a foot shorter than you, you'll look so dumb together." Jenny said.
"He might be a foot shorter than you, but I'm not as tall-"
"Also not as short as he obviously is."
"True, but it's still not that much of a difference. We'll be fine, don't worry about it. Maybe Melody will wear platform shoes." she giggled.
Jenny was not amused. "It's just the kind of thing that dork would do! Only he'd have some mechanical thing on them that would make him crash through the ceiling and ruin everything for everyone as we had to drag him out in an ambulance." Penny laughed at the visual as Jenny spoke. However, that wasn't the reaction that Jenny was looking for, so she frowned and continued. "Think about what other people will say about you going out with a dork like him!"
"Jenny, I don't really care. I'd rather go with a guy like Melody or Cody and have fun than a guy other people approve of and look good." Penny said.
She hadn't said it to show a parallel to Jenny and Mowgli, but Jenny saw it anyway, looking away as her face flushed red. She really shouldn't be dating Mowgli, she thought. It was a stupid idea in the first place, and it was still stupid now. But how else would she keep up her reputation?
Jenny thought she'd be the belle of the dance, but not even her date seemed interested in her. Since they had arrived, Mowgli had seemed spaced out, or distracted, always looking anywhere but at her.
"Mowgli? Hello?" Jenny spoke irritably. "So, do you want to dance or something?" she asked.
"Wha?" Mowgli turned back towards her, but then quickly looked away again. "Na, maybe later or something." he said, and then dropped her hand as he wandered off towards his friends.
Jenny was quite irritated, but at the same time, scared. She tried to shake the feeling off, but it still lingered. What did she have to be scared about? Other than the fact she was alone in a high school, which wasn't exactly the most dangerous of places, but at the same time most certainly wasn't the nicest of places. She'd never been this lonely before. Jenny looked toward Penny and Melody, and almost gravitated towards them. "Hey." she greeted the pair.
"Oh, hey Jenny." Penny smiled and waved at her friend.
"Hello." Melody nodded politely.
"Oh, hi Neutron. I didn't notice you there. So, where's your platform shoes? Penny thought you might need them." Jenny smirked.
Melody blushed in embarrassment. "Where's your platform boyfriend? I suppose he has more important things to do than come here, like vandalize walls."
"Of course he's here. Mowgli just went to get some punch." Jenny lied. "What about you? I think you'd have something better to do tonight than hang around us mere mortals, Lord Neutron. Either than or you'd be too out of shape to walk over here."
"There are many flaws in your argument Jenny. I walk here everyday and hang around these same people. You're the one that seems to think you're too good for us." Melody retorted.
"Why don't you just shut up, the world could do without another pearl of wisdom from your freakishly large head." Jenny said.
"I-"
"Enough!" Penny stepped between the two. She smiled as they were silent. "Thank you. I'll be over there while you work out your differences." she pointed to the dance floor.
Melody sighed as Penny walked away. "Thank you, Jenny." he said with a note of sarcasm.
"You're thanking me? For what?"
"Nothing, it's just that you always know how to ruin things when I'm having a nice time."
Jenny looked away guiltily. She hadn't been trying to ruin things for anyone, she'd just been bored. And arguing with Melody had always cured boredom in the past. "You look nice tonight." she said.
"What? Don't tell me that's a compliment, Ms. Vortex."
"Well it is. Go alert the newspapers or something." Jenny said. There was a moment of silence between the two, although the noise was still quite loud around them, it was very uncomfortable for them both. "I'm sorry." Jenny finally spoke, as it seemed Melody was trying to get Penny's attention.
"Did you say something, Jenny? I couldn't hear you over everything else." Melody spoke honestly.
"I said I'm SORRY!" Jenny now shouted loudly over the loud music.
Now she had Melody's attention. "Sorry? What for?" he asked, showing some surprise.
"I'm sorry I ruined your evening. I didn't mean to mess things up with you and Penny."
"Don't worry." Melody assured. "You didn't mess things up too badly. Plus, you're always like this, anyway."
"Maybe I don't want to be like that." Jenny said.
"Well it wouldn't be fitting for you to go against your nature." Melody said with a smile. Jenny smacked him. "Ow!" he cried.
"Sorry." Jenny apologized again, this time with much less sincerity. "I guess I've been meaner to you than usual because things haven't been going that great for me."
"And what have you got to complain about, with your perfect grades, reputation, and boyfriend?" Melody asked.
"Plenty." Jenny said. Melody just ignored her.
Mowgli came over to them. "Hey Jenny, I've been looking all over for you. Me and the guys are going to go throw rocks at cars. Want to come?"
"No, I don't want to come." Jenny said strongly, with a very cross look.
"Your loss." Mowgli said. "Are you sure, because-"
"Why don't you go invite that redhead I saw you kissing the other day?" Jenny suggested, as she menacingly advanced towards Mowgli. "And never talk to me again, because we're through." Jenny finished, as she got right up to Mowgli's face.
Mowgli stared at her, wide-eyed, as did Melody, who couldn't help but overhear the conversation. Mowgli's expression quickly relaxed. "Okay." he said, and then went off with his friends. Jenny turned the opposite direction as him, looking stormy as she tried desperately not to cry. It worked, Melody could only see that she was highly annoyed.
"Wow," Melody began. "I guess things are as perfect for you as they looked, Vortex."
"Okay, they're not. Now go ahead and gloat."
"What?" Melody looked at her, confused.
Jenny turned away from Melody as he tried to walk in front of her. "Yeah, gloat about how you were right about Mowgli, and how stupid I was, and then go tell Penny about it so she can come and do the same. Go on, get it over with."
"I wouldn't do that." Melody said.
"You wouldn't?" Jenny asked.
"Well," Melody drawled. "I did mention Mowgli's vandalism tendencies on more than one occasion..." he said. "And you did just ignore me and say how wonderful he was."
"Okay, enough already." Jenny had lost the urge to cry, and could now argue with Melody full force. "I'm miserable like you hoped, now go away."
"Aw, Jenny." Melody said sympathetically. "It's never been my intention to see you unhappy. I've always kind of..." Melody trailed off.
"Always kind of what?" Jenny asked curiously.
"Well, it's nothing, really." Melody said, blushing slightly.
"I really have been dumb this year. But Penny's been more right than you." she stuck her tongue out. "So don't let your head get any bigger over this - The rest of us might not be able to fit in here.
"Very funny." Melody rolled his eyes.
"When Penny started hanging around you, I got really jealous. She was having all this fun with you guys, without me." Jenny twitched a little. "I guess I can give you guys a chance.."
"How kind of you." Melody said sarcastically, but regretted it immediately. He really did want to be Jenny's friend, he had hoped to be for a long while, but even when it seemed like they would be, something got in the way. He didn't want the same thing to happen this time.
"Who I am kidding?" Jenny sighed. "I had a lot of fun with you and your group of geeks when we were kids, Melody. Even though we were 'enemies'... Even with him around..." Jenny looked with some disgust as Cody walked by, wearing a purple suit.
"It's the exact color of Ultralord." Melody explained the strange attire.
"I see." Jenny raised an eyebrow. "Well, anyway, I guess I got a little caught up in our rivalry. But I always thought you were okay."
"Really?" Melody said nervously. "I always thought you were okay, too."
"I knew that." Jenny said, and Melody blushed again. "I mean, there was no reason we couldn't have a friendly rivalry. Um, except, it would have been a lot less fun." she grinned as Melody. "There's no reason we can't have a friendly rivalry now and fight still."
"No reason at all.. I kind of feel like you've been my friend all along anyway. I mean, at least you've always talked to me, and helped me out when I really needed it. Even if you were annoyed with me most of the time, it was still nice. And as far as our rivalry goes, I'm afraid you'll have to put aside your ambitions of beating me. I do have an IQ of-"
"Help!" Jenny pretended to be pushed against the wall. "I can't fit in here with Melody's ego!"
"Stop!" Melody insisted.
Jenny smiled, and laughed a little. It had been her first laugh in a while. "Okay, okay." she said. "So what do you say? Friends?" she held out her hand.
"Friends." Melody said, and then shook hands with Jenny. "But the rivalry must go on. I might not do my best work without a rival, and you are one of the few worthy in this school."
"You can say that again." Jenny said. "And by the way, I never liked Mowgli." she said, as she was energized again.
"No?" Melody said skeptically.
"No. I did just go after him because a lot of other girls liked him." Jenny said guiltily. "Plus if I went after the one I really liked, people would think I was weird." Jenny said quickly. "Now, where's-"
"Wait, who you really like? Don't tell me that someone actually captured Jenny's heart of ice." Melody said.
"I don't have a heart of ice." Jenny sighed, but then sMowgliered at the concept. "And not that it's really anyone's business, but I do have a crush." Jenny said.
"Really?" Melody asked.
"Really. But I'm not-"
"On who?" Melody asked quite curiously.
"I'm not telling."
"Please? You have to tell me now." Melody said.
"I don't have to do anything." Jenny insisted.
"You know I won't repeat it anywhere. I can keep a secret." Melody said.
"You're a blabbermouth." Jenny stated.
"Only when it comes to my knowledge of the universe. And I-"
"Oh fine, fine. If I tell you, do you promise to shut up about your knowledge of the universe?" Jenny asked. Melody eagerly nodded. "All right then." Jenny agreed. Melody suddenly found himself very nervous as Jenny paused. "And if you do tell anyone, you'll get this." she waved her fist at Melody. "Understand?"
"Uh huh." Melody said as his heart beat even faster.
"Okay..." Jenny paused, and looked away shyly. "The one I like..." she said, looking out onto the dance floor. Melody followed her gaze, but saw many people there, he couldn't pick out one that she might be looking at. "Is your date."
Melody's heart slowed to normal. "Oh." he said. So it wasn't him. He was both relieved and disappointed. Then he realized who she was talking about. "OH."
"Yeah, but it would never work out. So I keep my mouth shut. Like you'd better."
"Of course! Wouldn't dream of saying anything." Melody insisted.
"Good." Jenny said, and then there was an awkward moment of silence between them.
"Jenny?" Melody said.
"Yes, Melody?"
"I know I'm kind of short, and you don't like me as more than a friend, but do you think maybe... You'd like to dance with me? I'm not bad at it."
"You didn't teach him, did you?" Jenny asked as Cody raced by with a bewildered Penny.
"No, no, he improvises on his own." Melody insisted.
"Well, I think it might be fun, then." Jenny smiled, and he took her hand.
"Hey guys, good to see you've made friendly with each oth-ER!" Penny ended with a shout as Cody spun her around again.
Jenny and Melody giggled as they slow danced together. Jenny was glad she'd thrown aside Mowgli, and basically thrown aside her popularity by agreeing to be friends with Melody. It was too much stress for too little output, anyway. Melody and his pals were alright. They'd have way more fun than the people she was trying to impress.
The dance ended, and Cody looked around. "Who's next?"
"Your date, maybe?" Penny asked, as she dizzily looked around for Melody.
"She had to leave early. Don't know why though. Oh, hey Jenny!" Cody grinned as he walked towards her.
"No way." Jenny elbowed Cody in the ribs as he tried to get her for one of his crazy dances. Just because she was going to be friends with them didn't mean she had to do anything against her nature. "Miguel, would you have this dance?" she asked the boy standing by the wall.
"A-All right Jenny." Miguel said shyly
Cody was stunned at her generosity. Even if it wasn't directed towards him, it was really surprising. Maybe people could change, after all. Even Jenny Foxworth. He made it his mission to capture her for the next dance.
Before he could, a body came crashing through the windows. The person was mostly unhurt, especially for the fall he had taken, and stood up. "What was that?!" Mowgli asked, bewildered.
"Oh," Melody began, stepping near Mowgli. "You didn't go near my car, did you? Could you have possibly activated the anti-theft and vandalism system? A rock would have done it."
"You're gonna pay for this, Neutron." Mowgli said. He then grabbed Melody's shirt and raised his fist.
"Get him, Mowgli!" a random girl shouted.
"Yeah!" another agreed.
"He shouldn't be always setting up things that hurt innocent people." another of Melody's classmates nodded.
Jenny glared at Mowgli. This was her chance to prove herself. She could always say she was Melody's friend, and even hang out with him in public, but here was where she could really prove herself. Jenny stepped forward boldly. "Back off, Mowgli." she ordered. "I heard you joking about throwing rocks at cars, don't tell me you actually did."
Mowgli dropped Melody and turned towards Jenny. "Well, duh."
Now everyone was mad at Mowgli. "Were you the one that put oreos on everyone's cars?" one of the same girls that had been defending him now accused him.
"How about that graffiti on the basketball hoop?" a boy asked. "It did say 'Mowgli'!"
"Um..." Mowgli stuttered, he realized how he'd made a mistake. He shouldn't have let anyone know that he was responsible for anything.
"Probably." Jenny answered for him. "Just leave Melody alone, you practically asked to be thrown through that window." she said.
"Are you going to fight for Neutron or something, Jenny?" Mowgli asked.
"Oh please." Jenny said. "As if I would be that immature." she added, although she secretly mused on what a fight with him would be like. She'd win, certainly, but it would be a challenge.
"Well then I'll just-"
Before Mowgli could continue, another guy ran in, one even tougher looker than Mowgli. "So you're the one who put the boloney on my roof! It pealed off the paint, you freak!" he spoke.
"That was the point." Mowgli said. "I mean..." he didn't get a chance to say what he meant, as he made his quick get away. The tough boy as well as a chaperone ran after him.
"What a creep." a girl commented.
"Yeah. You know I used to have a crush on him?" another girl replied.
"Ew! No way!"
"Yeah, but no way anymore. You know, Melody's cooler than I thought, getting Mowgli back like that."
"Oh, totally!"
Jenny and Melody smiled at each other. Penny got in-between them, looking exhausted. "That's way too much excitement for me. I am spent." she said.
"Too much excitement?! Not nearly enough!" Cody shouted. "The night is young! Right, Melody?"
"Right, Cody. But I have a feeling that they'll be shutting down this dance pretty soon." Melody said.
"WHY?! Why always when things are just getting good?" Cody sulked.
"Any ideas for what else we could do?" Melody asked.
"The Candy Bar is open for another hour." Jenny said. The rest of the group looked at her strangely.
"Cool! Then let's go!" Cody shouted, and then he, Melody, Miguel, Jenny, and Penny exited the gym together.
The End