Here's a gift for y'all (if anyone is even reading this). Got a little bored, so decided to update early. I've already got plenty written for this story.
"Ah, Purple Flurp," Cindy said, holding up a can to the sunlight. "How I've missed you."
"You're telling me that Sweden didn't have any Purple Flurp?" Libby exclaimed.
Cindy shook her head. "None. Not even a drop."
Libby shivered. "Those savages."
They were on their way to Cindy's house, dragging her suitcase behind them. Cindy's mother had hurried off in her car soon after greeting her daughter at the bus station, with nothing more than a muttered explanation that Cindy hadn't been unfortunate enough to catch. Now, as they rounded the corner to her street, she felt a strange flip-flop in her stomach as she recognized an old house. But it wasn't her house—it was the Neutron house.
She immediately pushed the thoughts that realization brought from her mind. It had been five years. Even if she did still feel that way—which she was fairly (okay, sixty percent) certain that she did not—it was likely that Neutron had found some other girl to go on adventures with. Someone like Betty Quinlan, or April, or—
Cindy was still thinking about it. She sighed in frustration and forced her eyes away from that house. Luckily, something else captured her attention.
"Libby," she said, "what are those and why are they outside my house?"
Cindy's house—glowing bright pink in the afternoon sun—was surrounded by people carrying speakers inside, by people carrying tables, and by people hauling twelve packs of Purple Flurp. Inside, lights were being strung up. It was the making of a party.
"It's for your welcome home party, girl!" Libby said, raising an eyebrow. "What did you think it was, an invasion?"
In this town, it wouldn't surprise me, Cindy thought. "Libby, you can't have a party at my house!" She struggled for a reason, other than her exhaustion. "I don't have anything to wear!"
"Oh, don't worry about that!" Libby replied, grabbing Cindy's arm and dragging her forward. "I updated your wardrobe when I heard you were coming back!"
Cindy started to protest, but Libby was not having any of it. Soon, she was shoving her way—and Cindy's—past the helpers and into the house through the open door.
The inside of Cindy's house hadn't changed much in five years. There were still pictures of all of Cindy's achievements everywhere—which used to give her pride. In her tired state, she couldn't care less. The wooden floor was still spotless, and the purple wallpaper was still slightly sparkly. But where was—?
"BARK!"
Something big and yellow and furry slammed into Cindy, knocking her to the polished floor. For a moment, she panicked, until she realized what it was.
"Humphrey!" she exclaimed, scratching the golden retriever behind the ears as she laughed. Above her, the dog's tail wagged furiously as he licked her face.
When Cindy finally managed to free herself from her dog's embrace, she was covered in slobber, but she was grinning. It was good to see that her mother had taken care of her dog while she was gone. Now all there was left to check was her room, and the supply of clothes that Libby had bought her.
"Who all did you invite to this party?" Cindy asked, dusting herself off as she watched several people setting up the twelve-packs of Purple Flurp.
"Oh, just most of the kids in Retroville," Libby responded, sampling some of the Purple Flurp.
Cindy sighed. "And I suppose I have to go to this."
"Yep!"
She rolled her eyes. "I missed you, Libs."
"Missed you too, Cin."
Cindy turned to go upstairs, but something she saw out her window made her pause. Across the street, the door was open.
Jimmy Neutron was dragging the trashcan down the driveway, seemingly struggling to do so. Despite herself, Cindy felt her jaw drop open.
Neutron had ditched the get-up he'd worn every day of their childhood. Instead, he wore blue jeans, a black t-shirt, and a red, unbuttoned flannel shirt. His hair was still as brown and strange as before, with part of it sticking up like Goddard had licked it. He had grown taller, though he still seemed to be a little shorter than Cindy was, and his head was just as big. Still, it was odd that he was taking the trash out himself and hadn't invented some strange gadget to do it for him. The moment he had the trashcan at the bottom of his driveway, he rushed back inside, almost as if he were afraid to be seen out in the open.
Odd.
Cindy shrugged, and turned back to her own house. When hadn't Neutron been a little strange? Maybe he'd even show up to the party, and they could have a proper conversation.
Eh, probably not. After all, not a lot could change in five years.
"I can't do it!" Jimmy exclaimed, grabbing both sides of the doorframe so as to not be dragged out of his own home.
"Come on, Carl! Push!" Sheen shouted, tugging on one of Jimmy's shoes. It popped off his foot, and Sheen crashed into the dirt.
"Jimmy, move!" Carl whined. "You're hurting my scapula!"
Jimmy rolled his eyes and stepped aside so that Carl could step out of the house, clutching his back and panting. He took a hit off his inhaler and wiped the sweat off his brow.
Jimmy crossed his arms. "There is no way you can force me to go to that party!"
He nodded across the street, to where strobing lights in the windows of the Vortex house shone. He could hear music blasting from the building, and saw multiple people dancing. Even just looking at the house sent a spike of nervousness through him.
Cindy had left for Sweden five years ago, and it had been like a punch in the teeth from Butch. He'd done his best not to think about it, but once his genius left him, it had grown immeasurably harder. Now that she was back, he had no idea what was going to happen. Jimmy had grown used to the idea of not knowing something, but for some reason this particular notion bothered him more.
"But Jimmy!" Sheen said. "When was the last time you went to a party?"
"Libby threw one last week, remember?" Carl replied.
"Oh, right." Sheen scratched his head. "Well, when was the last time you went to a party at the Vortex house!?"
"Miss Vortex threw a dinner party two weeks ago, remember?" Carl pointed across the street. "Our parents all forced us to go."
"Oh, right."
"I'm not going!" Jimmy repeated.
"Oh, yes you are!" Sheen said, crossing his arms with that familiar crazy look in his eyes. "I promised Libby that you would be there, and I always keep my promises!"
"You once promised me that you wouldn't make fun of llamas," Carl commented in a soft voice.
Sheen rolled his eyes. "That doesn't count! You're not a girl, and llamas are stupid!"
"Are not!"
"Are too!"
"Are not!"
"Are too!"
Jimmy made a face at their childish arguing and took slow steps backward, hoping that they wouldn't notice he was gone until he had locked the door behind him. Unfortunately, he stepped on a twig, which snapped just loudly enough to catch his two best friends' attentions.
"Oh, no you don't! Carl, grab his legs!"
"Wha—guys, get off me!"
"Ow, Jimmy! That was my scapula!"
Before Jimmy knew it, he was being hauled across the street like he was a piece of furniture, despite his struggling. Sheen was laughing like a madman in his ear the entire time, and Carl was struggling to keep Jimmy's legs up. Unfortunately, it seemed that all of Jimmy's struggling was in vain, because they were plopping him in front of the Vortex front door a moment later.
"Let go of me!" Jimmy grumbled, shaking Sheen's arms off of his shoulders as they set him down. "God, manhandled by my own friends."
"Don't worry, Jim," Carl said. "All you have to do is talk to Cindy, and then you can leave."
"Carl!" Sheen exclaimed, hitting the pudgy boy in the back of the head.
"Ow!"
Jimmy felt panic slice through him at Carl's words, and immediately tried to make a run for it. But Sheen and Carl already had their hands clamped on his arm, and Sheen was already ringing the doorbell.
A moment later, Libby opened the door, holding a can of Purple Flurp. "Oh, hey, guys."
"Libby!" Jimmy exclaimed. "You've gotta help me! These two are—"
"Holding you against your will? I know. I told them to." Libby smiled innocently. "Come on in, guys. I'll go get Cindy."
The three boys watched as Libby walked off.
"That girl is diabolical," Jimmy commented.
"And that's why I love her," Sheen said in a smitten voice. "Now get inside!"
Jimmy struggled up until they shoved him inside the house, then slumped in defeat as the door thudded shut behind him.
"Relax, Jim," Carl said, patting Jimmy on the back. "It won't be that bad."
"Easy for you to say," Jimmy replied, feeling incredibly defeated. "You didn't use to be a genius. What if she's expecting that Jimmy?"
Carl thought about that for a moment. "It'll be fine. Just be yourself!"
"Nobody wants that!" Sheen interrupted, patting Jimmy on the shoulder rather forcefully. "Be Ultralord. Women love Ultralord. That's how I won Libby—with the Arcturian Dance of Wooing from episode 921, 'The Courtship of Ultralord's Father.'"
"Sheen," Carl warned.
Sheen deflated. "Did I barf Ultralord information again?" Carl and Jimmy nodded vigorously, and Sheen sighed. "Oh, well. I'm off to synchronise my sugar high with the music. See ya!"
Jimmy gaped after the tall boy, feeling more confused and panicky than ever. What was it he was supposed to do again?
Escape. He had to escape.
"Look, Carl!" Jimmy said, pointing at the outdoor pool through the window. "There's a llama out there!"
"Really? Where?" Carl grinned and rushed off in the direction of the pool.
Immediately, Jimmy turned around and tried the door, but it wouldn't budge. He tried harder, tugging on the handle until he saw stars that throbbed in time with the music, but he couldn't get the door to open. When he looked out the window, he saw a couple of teenagers melting the hinges on the door with Purple Flurp. Great.
His only other option was to hide until he could think of another way out of there.
Jimmy straightened his flannel and swallowed, looking around for a suitable hiding place. It was hard to see through the crowd of people, especially because they were all dancing to Libby's playlist, but eventually he managed to locate the bathroom, which was right next to the table of food and Flurp.
He pushed his way past Oleander and his girlfriend, who were busy making out in the middle of the walkway. It was all that Jimmy could do not to run for his designated hiding place. He wasn't entirely sure why he was feeling so anxious over something as simple as a reunion, but it felt like his head was going to split open.
He was about halfway to the bathroom before somebody stepped in front of him, knocking him to the floor—which was now sticky with soda.
"Hey, watch it, Neutron!" Butch barked, turning around and shaking a meaty fist at him. The bully had grown even larger in recent months, becoming the quarterback of the Lindbergh High School football team, which meant that he punched even harder now than he had when they were kids. His red hair still hung over his eyes, and he was wearing his green football jersey.
Jimmy picked himself up off the ground, picking crumbs out of his hair. "Sorry, Butch. Listen, I really need to get to—"
"It's a good thing you're here, Neutron," Butch said, crossing his arms. "We have a paper due for English that I need you to do for me."
Jimmy winced, feeling anxiety coil in his stomach for an entirely new reason. "Butch, I'm not going to do your homework. I need to get to—"
"What about my math homework? You've always been good with that."
Jimmy grit his teeth. "I'm not going to do any of your homework, Butch! Now get out of my way!" He tried to walk past, but evidently he had said the wrong thing.
Butch shoved Jimmy backward, and it was only some quick-thinking on his part that stopped him from falling over. "You'll do my homework or you'll regret it, Neutron."
"Butch," a new voice exasperatedly said, "You're so dumb that Neutron could put any answer on your paper and you'd never know the difference."
Jimmy and Butch both turned, and both gave little yelps of fright, though for different reasons. Cindy Vortex stood in front of them with her arms crossed, looking very upset.
Despite the current situation, Jimmy's heart did a kick-pivot-slide in his chest (or a kick-slide-pivot-pivot, depending on who he asked). Cindy looked…well, she looked older and more mature, and it was doing strange things to his sensibilities.
Cindy was wearing black jeans and a dark green tank-top underneath a dark orange jacket. Her blonde hair was gathered in a neat ponytail, and her green eyes glared at Butch fiercely. It wasn't that the outfit was particularly glamorous, but Jimmy felt his throat tightening nonetheless. It seemed that she had grown a hundred times more beautiful in Sweden. For a moment, he had the wild idea that cold weather somehow increased beauty, which was followed by the even wilder idea of saying something to let her know about that increased beauty. He bit his tongue and settled for just staring at her instead.
"Vortex," Butch said. "Nice of you to come back home to defend your—"
"Finish that sentence," Cindy said, crossing her arms. "I dare you."
Even though Jimmy couldn't see Butch's eyes, he could tell that the bully was considering it. On the one hand, Butch was the star quarterback and didn't want to be undermined by one girl. On the other, Cindy was incredible at karate, and everyone knew it.
Finally, Butch backed down. But he did point a finger at Cindy in what he probably intended as a threatening manner. "You watch yourself, Vortex. Five years can change a lot."
"Doubt it," Cindy muttered. Then, as Butch passed her, "Yeah, keep talking, Butch, it's all you're good for."
He growled a curse as he passed, and then Jimmy and Cindy were left facing each other in the middle of a party.
That familiar panic returned, and Jimmy seriously considered trying to make a break for the bathroom anyway. What was he supposed to say to her? He wasn't a genius anymore.
"So, um…" he started, clearing his throat. "H-how have you been the past five years?"
"H-how have you been the past five years?"
Jimm—er, Neutron looked sort of nervous. It might have just been the warm temperature in the room, but he had a bead of sweat working its way down his giant forehead. His hands fidgeted nervously with each other, and he seemed to be avoiding looking anywhere near her. His voice had gotten deeper over the years, and it sounded strange to hear him without the voice of a ten-year-old.
Someone deep inside, it gave Cindy a flash of pleasure that she was having this sort of effect on the boy genius. She tried her best to silence it, but it was almost as if the past five years had never even happened in the first place. Her heart still pounded traitorously out of her chest, and her palms started to sweat. It took her a few moments to beat down the frivolous feelings of her youth before she could speak.
"Uh…cold," she eventually said. "Sweden isn't very warm."
The big-headed genius chuckled quietly. Around them, Cindy thought she could see money changing hands. Great—people were betting on them. It wasn't like they had a thing! They didn't have a thing!
Cindy swallowed tightly. Why was this so awkward? She and Neutron were friends, weren't they? She was perfectly capable of making conversation with him. After five years. In front of everybody.
"How have you been?" she asked, hating the slow blush that crept across her cheeks.
Jimmy opened his mouth to respond, but before he could, some kind of strange feedback burst through the speakers.
Or, at least, Cindy thought it did. After a moment, she realized that the sound was coming from somewhere else, and it was very different than feedback. It was a roar, the kind that came from an engine.
Rockets. And the sound was coming from her front lawn.
How'd I do? I tried to capture each character accurately, but it was a little hard. Hope you guys enjoyed (those of you that are even reading, as I update this, there are only 26 views). Please review, in the giving spirit of the Christmas season.