Libby was painting her nails and doing her own thing when there was a knock at her door. She got up, still humming, and went to it, opening it up. Upon seeing Cindy, she gasped and dropped her nail polish on the ground.
"Oh my god!"
"Does it look as bad as it feels?"
"Girl, what the hell?!" she growled, pulling Cindy into the house. "What happened?"
"I really don't want to talk about it right now."
Libby took her to her couch and then went to the kitchen to get a bag of ice. She wrapped it up in a napkin and brought it to her friend. Cindy took it and held it up to her face.
"I know you don't want to talk about it but seriously, girl, talk. What happened? Did… did Nick do this to you?"
Cindy all but crumbled in her seat, sobbing in her hands. Libby wrapped her arms around her friend and held her close, wondering what had come over Nick to be this way to her.
"I decided that I couldn't stand it any longer and wanted to break up. I really didn't want to say that it was because of Jimmy but… but it was. I still love Jimmy, I've always loved Jimmy and when he came back I just… I couldn't fight my feelings anymore. Seeing him again just brought back every feeling I tried to hide when I began to go out with Nick. I tried to let Nick down easy but he suddenly went psycho and just started screaming at me. He was yelling and screaming about not understanding how I could like Jimmy when he was so much more good looking and that we were made for each other and all this stuff. Then he started hitting me."
"But Cindy, you're a black belt in karate. Why did you let him do-"
Libby realized that it wasn't shadows on Cindy's neck but bruises. She stared and then looked at Cindy, who was whimpering.
"That punk ass choked you?" she seethed, reaching out to touch her neck.
Cindy pulled back and touched her neck tenderly.
"Just enough to make me unable to fight back. He remembered that I was a black belt and wanted to make sure I couldn't get away when he decided to 'teach me a lesson'. I don't know what's gotten into him and why he suddenly turned on me like that. I mean, he's not on drugs and he never drank… Every once in a while, maybe, but not enough to make him go into a drunken rage…"
"You need to call the police about this."
"And have him even more angry? I can't go to them about it. I can't prove anything… I knew I couldn't go home though."
Libby made a face at her and crossed her arms.
"Girl, let me tell you something right here in the this living room: if I see Nick, I swear I will bitch slap that ho until he wishes a pimp would come and save him. I'm serious, Cindy. I will put the hurting on him and you can't stop me."
"No! Libby, you can't. He'll just get even more mad." Cindy put the ice to her eye and looked down a little. "I'm sure things will settle down and tomorrow he'll apologize. When anyone asks, I got this at practice, do you understand? If Jimmy asks, I was hurt at practice. Right?"
Libby hated seeing the desperation in her friend's eyes but she knew that maybe silence was the best at the moment.
"Fine… Go take a shower, girl. Get into some of my comfy PJs and I'll tell my mom that you're spending the night."
Cindy smiled and did as Libby asked.
Libby watched her friend go up the stairs and then she grabbed her phone. She scrolled to a name she hadn't texted in a long time and typed out a message.
Libby waited behind the Candy Bar for the person she needed to talk to. It was cold but this was important to her.
"Libby."
She gasped and turned around, putting her hand over her heart.
"Don't scare me like that."
"How did I scare you? You told me to meet you behind the Candy Bar at 12:30AM. What's this about?"
"Remember when I did that favor for you a while back and I said that you owed me?"
"Yeah…"
"This is you owing me."
"Alright, some hanky-pank behind a restaurant. I like it. So, what do you-"
"Get a hold of yourself, Butch!" Libby snarled, smacking him in the face.
Butch rubbed his cheek from the contact but straightened up.
"Fine, I'm listening."
"I need you to do something for me in regards to a certain someone."
Libby told him what she wanted and Butch nodded, an evil smirk appearing as she listed what she needed.
"Sure thing. But do you really want to go that far? I mean, it's Nick we're talking about."
"I know exactly who I'm talking about and yes, I want you to go that far. Do this for me, and we'll be even."
"I dunno…"
"Or I could let everyone know your true passion and let that video I have 'accidentally' get shown on the morning announcements. I mean, I know a lot of people in the CTV lab… and I know a lot of people willing to see you humiliated."
Butch growled but nodded, hitting his fist into his palm.
"You got a deal."
Jimmy and Sheen walked to school together from Jimmy's house.
"Should really be walking all this way? I mean, won't it cause some issues or something?" Sheen asked.
"Walking never hurt a pregnant person. Although my back and ankles are killing me, I'm fine."
"How far along are you? I never got to ask since I was depressed."
"Probably at the end of my first trimester if the universe is kind. I'll be starting to show really bad pretty soon." He said, already pulling his shirt down subconsciously.
"If Carl can have a baby in his ass I think you'll do fine with one in your stomach. Remember that?"
"Yeah, I remember. It's not the same though. I still wish I knew what happened."
"You'll figure it out. You always do. Brain blast!" he said, pumping his fist in the air.
Jimmy laughed a little as they got to the school.
When they got in, they met up with Carl, Libby, and Cindy to which Jimmy gawked at her as she crossed her arms.
"I got whacked at practice. Don't look at me like I'm weird." Cindy growled.
Sheen seemed to stiffen beside Jimmy and he coughed a little.
"Uh… yeah… Are you doing roller derby now?"
"You're so funny. And no. I was on top of the pyramid and the girl in the middle shoved her fists back too hard and smacked me in the face."
"You mean Betty Quinlan, whacked you in the face." Carl emphasized.
"Yes. Betty Quinlan whacked me in the face." Cindy growled.
"Betty doesn't seem like the type to mess up like that."
"Yeah, well, she's got arms like spaghetti noodles so they go all over the place."
"She has legs like spaghetti noodles too." Sheen mumbled to Jimmy and they both snickered. "Long and-"
"You're sick, Neutron."
"Sheen, I'm ashamed of you." Libby said.
Sheen shrugged. "Hey, I won't deny aesthetics. Carl, back me up."
"Betty's legs are quite delicious."
"Even you, Carl?!"
"I cannot deny the truth."
"Well how about I give you a truth: if you don't stop fantasizing about Betty Quinlan's legs I will show you my leg and it will be coming at your face at full speed."
Sheen and Jimmy laughed a little when the person in question actually walked up and Jimmy really had to admit, her legs were like everlasting strings of perfect spaghetti.
"Hey, Cindy. Just letting you know that Brittany won't be at practice today and some other girls won't be either so we cancelled it. What happened do your eye?"
"Don't you remember hitting me yesterday?" Cindy said a little too intently.
Betty looked at her for a second and then seemed to realize she was being the scapegoat for something.
"Oh! Wow! I'm so sorry! I didn't know that I hit you that hard. I thought maybe just a little smack."
"No you were pretty pumped yesterday."
"Well, I'm just so excited about the new cheers and I get so caught up. I hope there's nothing else I may have caused?"
"Nope. Just the black eye."
Betty nodded a little. "Alright then…" She looked at Jimmy and gave a smile to him. "Oh my gosh, Jimmy? Is that you?"
"It's me. How have you been, Betty?"
"I've been swell! I heard you were back in Retroville but I just haven't had time to seek you out. It's so good to have you back with us."
She grabbed Jimmy into a hug and he hugged her back nervously. The hug earned him a glare from Cindy and he pulled back.
"You have to come to one of our games and cheer us on. Are you free this Friday?"
"Uh, well-"
"Galileo will be going against your old school I think. Was there a school called Chrome City Classics in High Tech City?"
"Yeah. It was my old high school."
"Well then you definitely have to come and watch the game." She said, grabbing Jimmy's hands and jumping up and down a little. Jimmy allowed his eyes to travel with her bouncing bosom. "It will be so much fun, won't it Cindy?"
"Oodles." She said, glaring at Jimmy behind Betty's back.
"What do you say?"
"Sure, why not?"
"Great! I'm excited! Can't wait to see you there!"
She walked off and Jimmy smiled.
"I've never been to a game before… I've never even been invited to one."
"That's because you're a nerd. Come on, Libby."
Jimmy watched Cindy leave with Libby as Sheen leaned over to him.
"Something's not right."
"I know. Betty Quinlan asked me to a game?"
"I meant with Cindy."
"Oh, that too. That doesn't surprise me anymore."
"The black eye?" Carl asked.
"Yeah."
"Aren't you concerned?"
"I already tried to be. It's her issue. If she wanted me to know, she would tell me. Cynthia Vortex is anything but silent about what she wants."
Jimmy walked off and Carl shook his head a little.
"He doesn't know her now."
"What do you mean?" Sheen asked.
Carl looked at him and smiled sadly.
"Cindy has been devoid of what she's wanted ever since Jimmy left. Jimmy knew a Cindy who wasn't afraid to say what she needed to say in order to get what she wanted but he doesn't know this Cindy. A Cindy ruled by Nick Dean."
That statement puzzled and concerned Sheen even more.
so now we have full proof that nick is a sleezeball and all that jazz. but what did libby ask butch to do to nick? and betty quinlan makes an appearance. it's said that betty never deterred jimmy's advances in the story so i don't see why there couldn't have been a hidden liking for jimmy for her? and yay, sheen is getting a little better!
and as for the neck bruises, scarf. that will be added upon later *thumbs up*