Chapter 3: Good News and Bad News

"You stay here. I'll get it," I tell Cindy. I open the door to reveal Carl and Sheen. "What's up guys?" I ask.

"W-we overheard screaming," Carl responds very nervously.

"Ah, you're just a coward," Sheen tells carl. "They were just-"

"Hey guys," Cindy greeted nicely.

The two stooges paused in shock. "Don't hurt us!" Carl screamed.

"What're you talking about? I'm not gonna hurt anyone," Cindy said, wondering what they meant.

"But don't you hate us?" Sheen asked.

"That was two years ago and while my passion hasn't changed much, I don't hate anyone, except a few people," Cindy answered.

"Okay then..." Carl and Sheen said in unison. "Well it's good to see you're back. I wonder what my Libs will think about this."

"Oh yeah!" Cindy remembered. "I gotta talk to my longtime friend. How is she?"

"She hasn't changed that much," Sheen answered, "though she does seem lonely sometimes."

"I got an Idea," I say. "How about the five of us meet at the Candy Bar tomorrow for old time sake?"

"That sounds like a great idea," Carl, Sheen, and Cindy said in unison.

Carl then said, "Hey. How about we play Smash Bros. in the meantime?"

"That's a great idea! I brought the game, in case you guys wanted to play," Sheen responded.

"I'm the undefeated Brawl Champ. Tell you what: If any of you noobs can take me down, ice cream's on me!"

"You're on!" the rest of us say. After the first few minutes, Carl was the first to be KO'd.

"No! you'll pay for-" Carl raged until he felt his back hurt. "Ow my scapula," Carl said in defeat.

"Ok, let's team up," I whisper to Cindy.

"Hey what's going on?" Sheen says shocked as his character flys off the screen.

"Wombo combo!" Cindy and I shout in victory as we gave each other a fist bump.

"And then there were two," I say to Cindy. We played competitively for 7 minutes straight until my character was KO'd.

"Ha! Reading weep, Nerdtron number two!" Cindy gloated. "That's right! Me! After all these years!" She then struck a victory pose.

"Okay! We get it!" Sheen shouted impatiently. "What really matters is that she beat me 'the king'."

"Oh yeah," Cindy gloated. "Looks like I killed two birds with one stone then."

"That reminds me!" Carl said. "The reason we came here was to tell you a message."

"What is it?" I ask.

"We were passing by when I saw Betty Quinlin making out with Nick. We snuck away afterwards." Carl said.

"We both knew it meant she was cheating on you," Sheen said. "Sorry bro."

"It's fine. Not too surprised," I said trying to stifle how nervous I am. I didn't want Cindy to know that. She's probably pissed with me now.

"You didn't tell me she was your girlfriend," Cindy spoke as venom was coming out of her mouth. I gotta say the right thing, or else I'm screwed.

I slowly came up with a response. "Well for one thing, I thought I'd never see you again, and I had no communication with you. Otherwise, I would've been with you much earlier. And for another thing, she WAS my girlfriend. I was planning to break up with 'Ms. Perfect' anyway. She's too one-dimensional for my taste. As for you, I've never met anyone with more personality than you. I love you, more than anyone else. I don't want you to forget that ever." I hoped I said the right things.

"Thanks Jimmy," Cindy said. Then she immediately pulled me into a tight embrace. "I love you too. I do think however that we have to teach Quinlin a lesson though."

"I agree, and we'll do that soon," I say.

"Sooner than you think," Carl said nervously. "Look!" We all turned to face Betty at the end of the street and she's heading this way.

To be continued...