The Right Page Chapter 6, a jimmy neutron fanfic

With a familiar, (yet still irritating) whooshing sound Cindy found herself once again alone, outside Jimmy Neutron's lab. She went to pick up her bag and watched as the red eye attached to VOX, swiveled giving away his position.

So he's watching me, is he she thought.

Well then, no harm in putting on a show.

She stood up as gracefully as she could manage, she had landed in the dirt after all, dusted herself off and began the short trek back to her own home. Her mind, a swirling vortex, much as she was named. She wondered sometimes if it meant she was a destroyer of anything good, or decent in her path. She secretly hoped it meant she was a force.

She reached into her pocket as she began to cross the street for her house key. Shit she realized. She'd been holding her fingertips gently against her own skin. As she pulled her hand away she couldn't help but smile demonically at how different the afternoon had gone than expected.

Wait she thought.

He kissed me. He finally kissed me.

We have a date tomorrow.

Tomorrow!!!!

Fuck. Fuck, fuck! Cindy thought as she began to pace her kitchen island. Setting her backpack down she looked at her house as if seeing it for the first time.

She had agreed to help Betty. It was paying her dues. She felt a lump the size of rock begin to pummel the butterflies that had been flocking since Jimmy Neutron had lain his lips upon her own.

Replaying the events of the afternoon on repeat she knew there was only one thing left to do.

She pulled out her cell and immediately dialed her best friend's number.

XXXX

Jimmy watched Cindy untangle herself from her backpack with ease, standing and dusting herself off he thought has she always been that beautiful? Oh Neutron he chastised himself. You've really got it bad.

However, hadn't things gone… well better than expected? He had flown to space more times than he could count, mine for astrorubies on hundreds of planets, saved the world almost as many times as he'd tried to destroy it…. And he had finally achieved the impossible.

He'd kissed Cindy Vortex. Really kissed Cindy Vortex. The events of the afternoon on replay for him… and he'd asked her out. To which he hadn't gotten a punch, kick to the groin or a resounding no.

Truly he had accomplished the impossible.

There is of course the Betty issue to deal with he surmised. Standing up and walking over to his closest and cleanest table he began to laugh at the audacity she had. How could she not see every look, every passing touch he'd rebuffed.

And to think, she's using this to induct Cindy into her popularity cult. To think that he, Jimmy Neutron would ever settle for someone with bellow a 3.6 GPA was mind boggling. And to put Cindy up to it?? Cindy, who everyone (excluding the two of them) knew they belonged together since… well grade school. The more he thought the more absurd and irritating it became.

As his emotions and memories began to crest, he realized he was both ecstatic and pensive. He'd agreed to go on a date with Betty. It wasn't something he'd enjoy, which is why he had suggested taking Cindy out first.

And he thought a plan beginning to form in his genius brain. If I plan it just right, I'll only have one date to go on….

XXXX

After the screaming, squealing and other various sounds of delight had escaped both young girls Libby had announced she just had to come over. After enough begging and pleading Cindy had finally relented.

If I'm going to break the rules now I might as well have a little fun. She thought, hopping down to answer the doorbell for her best friend, what had she time traveled here?"

"Coming!" She called out making her way to the door, really and truthfully she should have looked through the peep hole.

XXXX

Jimmy had made it an unspeakable rule in his mind that he'd never think about, update or even glance at any of the security measures he had installed at the Vortex family residence.

It had been a surprise gift to Cindy, at her now infamous 14th birthday party. He'd made her, her own personal panic button, motion detector, and two way encrypted messaging devices that hooked into the Vortex's power grid, something he'd definitely have to answer for if an electrical storm ever wiped out the transformer by the Vortex residence.

Sadly, he'd never been able to properly gift it to her, their awkward kiss being one of many reasons. As time passed, he felt stranger and stranger about telling her it even existed.

And yes, he had thought about the "creep" factor if she'd ever found him out. But truthfully it had become a comfort to him, over the years.

He liked to see the notifications when the lights all officially registered that the family had gone to bed…. He reveled in watching her making her way to Libby's car in the morning as she got picked up for school… even when he was in the lab. Even when he was underground, and out of touch… she never truly was.

But. Even though Jimmy had made it such an unthinkable act, he occasionally still glanced at the buttons flashing different meanings. He hadn't, until very recently realized he liked, no he needed to know she was safe. Even if he'd never have her, she'd be safe.

As luck would have it, he had just begun his pacing for his diabolical plan when he saw a flashing blue light in his peripheral vision. Strange he mused. He'd seen the light flash earlier alerting him to Cindy's safe arrival.

Maybe, just this once. He thought as he walked over to VOX and asked" please pull up the security camera footage of the Vortex residence's door."

For a moment he thought the image must he old, the system was hacked… but he realized with true terror and unexpected justified rage he was wrong.

Betty, in all her glory was on the Vortex porch.

XXXX

"Betty." Cindy simply said, her body flooded like ice water, and she briefly wondered if this was how scuba divers felt when they came up from the bottom of the sea too fast. A rush, and then impending and unbending reality.

"Heyyy girl, " Betty drawled her simple and fake accent sliding into her voice over her usual quick and sharp demeanor. "I was just wondering if you'd been able to talk when you went over to Neutron's today…" as she slowly and carefully slid past Cindy into her main foyer as if she belonged here simply because she had willed it so.

"I did. " she managed to get out. Now comes the part where I have to figure out how or even what to tell her….Cindy thought desperately.

"And?" Betty turned on her as if her head could go all the way around and Cindy briefly wondered if it could.

"And he said he had plans tomorrow but the day after is good for him. "

"Good for him??" Betty asked incredulously, "I'm the one finally giving him a real shot at popularity, a shot with me, a chance to get what he's been longing and pining after for all these years!" She spat with venom Cindy was sure she'd never emotionally get out of the carpet.

"I—" Cindy started but ultimately was interrupted by the bell. "That's Libby" she said to Betty's withering stare. "We're watching a movie and hanging out."

Betty made a face but lost her chance to retort as the doorbell rang and more insistence came from behind it.

"It's open!" Cindy called out, turning her back to the door and the occupant coming inside. She had a pretty good idea by the look on Betty's face that either Libby had undergone a tragic accident or the visitor was still in fact not Libby.

As if on cue his rumbling voice cut through the tension that had enveloped the room like the Scottish moors.

"Hello ladies", Jimmy said politely. "Cindy you really should look through your peep hole before you let just anyone in. For all you know I could have been an intruder. "

"You are!" Cindy barked at him. Silently begging him to leave with her eyes. "Libby is supposed to be here any minute! How can I help you?" She yelled hoping he'd hear the stress in her voice.

"Oh well we never finalized when we'd finish the project, we were so busy talking about my social calendar." He replied cheekily. To which Betty smiled and Cindy inwardly groaned.

"Betty," he said now officially addressing her. "I'm so sorry I unfortunately have other plans for tomorrow night. I'm taking a friend of mine to the Blue Elephant, and it would be rude of me to cancel so last minute."

The blue elephant…. Cindy thought. That place was.. nice, cute, romantic and was definitely known for the best Tia food near Retroville.

"Oh of course!" Betty squealed, "I've always liked a man with good manners" she said moving closer to him to put her hand on his shoulder. Cindy tried not to openly gag as Jimmy causally moved her hand away and began fiddling in his pockets.

"So I'll give you a call tomorrow night about Saturday then." He said, and Cindy felt like death by a guillotine would be preferable to this conversation.

"Sounds wonderful" she purred. At that the doorbell rang again,