A/N: Surprise! She makes a return! Okay, I know it's been a long time. But I have a good reason. My life has been total chaos. From my house catching fire (no joke), to being displaced for over a year while I waited for my house to be rebuilt (take my advice: don't buy a condo). I've been in survival mode, and now that my life is back to my normal amount of crazy, and I'm on break from work for the holidays, I finally had a chance to sit down and get something written. "But here I am blah-blah-blahing about my own boring, sexy, thrilling life." (Sarah Lynn, Bojack Horseman), I hope you enjoy this installment. I'll have more to say at the end.

CONTENT WARNING: Se*ual A*sault

I know this wasn't something that I mentioned would come up in my initial warning. It sort of culminated as I started diving deeper into Cindy's backstory.

The next morning I got up early and took my time getting ready. I had a plan that was a sure fire way to get Jimmy to dump his girlfriend and date me instead. I hurried out the door without a word to my mother and I made it to the bus stop right on time.

At school I made my way to my locker and waited. Jimmy always walked by my locker in the morning on the way to Betty's locker. I tried to stay casual, but inside my heart was racing. I knew this would work. I saw him approaching. I took a deep breath and closed my locker as I turned around. I gave him a sultry smile but he walked right by me, not even glancing in my direction. I was thrown off guard. How could he not notice me? He must have had a lot on his mind. I would have to try again later.

The next time I would have an opportunity to dazzle Jimmy would be at lunch. I tried to think of what I could say to him so that he would notice me. I just needed him to look at me and I knew that he would fall for me instantly.

"Hey, Jimmy," I said casually walking up behind him and his friends at lunch. He turned around, glared at me, then turned back to talk to his friends. I knew it was just a show. He had to pretend that he didn't like me so he would fit in with everyone else at school. I tried a different approach. "Can I talk to you for a sec?" His friends smirked and exchanged glances.

Jimmy looked at me one more time, rolled his eyes as he stood up and started toward the hallway. I followed him. "Whore!" I heard one of Jimmy's friends cough. I chose to ignore them, along with the smattering of laughter that followed. I made it to the hallway, where Jimmy was continuing to our usual spot. He glanced around before opening the janitor's closet. I hurried over and opened the door, only to be yanked inside quickly by Jimmy.

"What the hell do you want? You can't be talking to me at school," Jimmy whisper-yelled.

I smiled. "I know you said that we were done, but I can't stop thinking about you." I walked over to him, expecting him to reciprocate, but instead he stepped backwards.

"Cindy, I told you we were done, and I meant it. I'm with Betty."

"But I thought–"

"No. You can't just lure me in here and expect me to fuck you. We. Are. Done."

I panicked. I hadn't come up with a back-up plan, because I thought that this would work. I was so desperate I started to beg. "I'll let you take control. Even if, you know, that you don't own me, I'll let you play the role."

Jimmy laughed. "You're pathetic."

"I'll be your animal." My voice quivered slightly as I held back tears.

"You know, you claimed that the rumors about you weren't true, but watching you beg only proves that they are, whore," Jimmy spat.

"I thought you liked me." I tried not to cry.

"I never said I liked you. You were just something to do. But I don't need you anymore, so just leave me alone." Jimmy opened the door and left me alone in the dark closet.

Tears started rolling down my cheeks. Why was he being so mean? This wasn't at all what I thought would happen. It was hard to believe that he was the same person who messaged me a happy birthday text a few days ago. What changed?

I wiped the tears off my face. This was no longer a game of winning Jimmy over. This was now a game of revenge. Okay, it was still about winning Jimmy over, but this time he was going to regret it.

I ditched school the rest of the day. I needed to restrategize. As I walked into my neighborhood I slowed down. I didn't really want to go home. My mother was at work, but the Ring doorbell camera would alert her that I had come home, and I really didn't need to deal with her right now.

I heard a car start nearby. I looked up and saw that Jimmy's mom was backing out of the driveway. No one would be home. I walked over to Jimmy's house and cut across the grass to the backyard. I was praying that the door to the kitchen wasn't locked. I quietly and carefully twisted the knob, and to my surprise, it was unlocked. I squealed quietly as I let myself in. I closed the door as silently as I could, even though I knew no one was home.

I crept up the stairs to Jimmy's room. Once I had closed the door, I inhaled deeply. It smelled so much like him it made me dizzy. I wandered over to his dresser, looking at all the things he had on top. There were a couple of trophies from past science fairs, there was a glass jar with pens and pencils, a fake plant, a picture frame with a photo of him and his parents, and a bottle of his cologne. I eagerly reached for the bottle and brought it to my nose. It smelled of cedar wood and leather with a hint of something I couldn't quite place, but combined, it was so intoxicating I had to sit down.

I sat on the edge of Jimmy's bed and set the cologne on his nightstand. I grabbed his pillow and held it close. Just knowing that he had been here a few hours ago was driving me crazy. I wanted to be with him so bad. I set the pillow back down and opened the drawer on his nightstand. Inside were the things you would expect from a high school boy. There were a couple of comic books, the book we were reading in English class, a bottle of lotion, and some old socks. I rolled my eyes. Guys are all the same.

I dug around some more, seeing if there was anything else, when I saw a small photograph of Betty lying at the bottom. I pulled it out and my eyes widened. It wasn't just a picture of Betty, it was a suggestive picture. She was topless, though you couldn't see anything, and she was posing in a way that could only be described as naughty. I growled instinctually. Then a thought occurred to me. I pulled out my phone and took a picture of the photo to use for blackmail later if needed. I tossed the picture back into the draw and slammed it closed. I grabbed the bottle of cologne before walking out.

Did he think about her when he was doing it with me? I couldn't believe that he would do that to me. Didn't he know that I was everything he could ever want? I had to find a way to get rid of Betty. She was the reason that Jimmy and I weren't together. With her out of the way, Jimmy and I could finally be together, I just knew it.

I was carefully walking back downstairs when I heard the sound of the garage opening. I panicked and quickly walked into the kitchen, opened the door, and slipped out of the house. I was almost finished closing the door when I heard Mrs. Neutron walk in. I didn't get the door quite closed all the way before booking it to the side of the house.

I waited on the side of the house, praying that I wouldn't be caught. I heard Mrs. Neutron open the door and mumble to herself about how she must have forgotten to close the door before leaving. When I heard the door click closed, I breathed a sigh of relief. I walked out and turned back toward the direction of school. I wasn't planning on going back, but I didn't need Mrs. Neutron to see me and suspect anything.

I was enjoying my walk when a car pulled up next to me and rolled down the passenger side window. It was John, my mother's boyfriend. I glanced at him briefly and continued on my way. He continued to slowly follow me.

"That's not a good look on you, John. A middle-aged man following a young teenage girl," I finally acknowledged him.

"Does your mother know you're not in school?"

"What do you care?"

"Get in the car. I'm taking you back to school."

"You're not my father. You don't get to tell me what to do."

"Get in the car, and I won't tell your mother that you ditched." I stopped. I knew that he would tell her, and I really did not want another lecture from my mother this week. I rolled my eyes as I opened the passenger door to John's BMW and sat down. "Good. Now why aren't you in school?"

"I don't have to explain myself to you."

"Fine." We drove in silence for a couple minutes before John turned on the radio to drown out the tension. He smiled at whatever stupid pop song came on. "Your mother loves this song. She sings it all the time."

"My mommy likes to sing along?" I mimicked.

"Cindy, I don't know what your deal is, but you need to get your fucking act together." I glared at him in silence. "Your mother is with me, so you're just going to have to fucking get used to it."

"You're just her current interest. She'll get bored of you soon enough."

John pulled the car into a convenience store parking lot and shut the car off. "What the hell is your problem? Your mother isn't the one who left. She stuck around, even though you are an ungrateful little shit."

I sneered. "You don't get to talk to me that way. You have no idea what she's really like."

"Try me," John goaded.

I'm not sure why I did it. I guess I just wanted someone to understand where I was coming from. I definitely shouldn't have opened up to my mother's boyfriend but he was really getting on my nerves and I wanted him to see my mother for who she really was. "She forgot my eighteenth birthday. Let's start there."

John looked at me in silence for several seconds. I couldn't read the expression on his face. "When was your birthday?" He finally asked.

I laughed dryly. "A few days ago. The day you took her out, actually. And then she started yelling at me, accusing me of being a whore. And then she grounded me. Remember that day?"

John nodded. "I'm sorry about that. That wasn't right of her to do that. You must have been embarrassed."

I looked away and started fiddling with the cologne bottle in my hand. I was already regretting telling him all this. "Don't say anything to her. I don't need a pity party."

"I won't say anything to her about that, if you don't say anything to her about this."

"What are you—" I was cut off by John leaning over and kissing me, shoving his tongue into my mouth. I forcefully pushed him off of me. "Ew, what the fuck!"

"Come on, baby. I've been waiting for your eighteenth birthday. You're the only reason I'm dating your mother." He reached out for me again, but this time I was prepared. I sprayed Jimmy's cologne in his eyes.

I rushed out of the car as he yelled in pain and ran into the convenience store. I was panting and I felt tears starting to stream down my face.

"Are you okay?" The store clerk asked me. She looked to be about twenty-five years old.

"Just tell me when that silver BMW leaves." I sniffed.

"Are you sure you don't want me to call the police or something?"

"No, I'm fine. Just tell me when the car leaves." I didn't want the police to get involved. They would tell my mother and I would never hear the end of it. When the coast was clear, I thanked the store clerk and headed home. It was the end of the school day anyway.

I finally got home and walked up to my room. I curled up in a ball on my bed and cried. I had no friends I could talk to, and no adult in my life that I trusted. I didn't know what to do.

I felt my phone vibrate. I reached for it quickly, hoping it was Jimmy begging me to come over. It wasn't. It was a text from Libby. Since you were absent today, Miss Barkley wanted me to remind you that your lyrics are due tomorrow. I had completely forgotten that I had homework in my music composition class. I had some lyrics, but they weren't finished, and they were in my backpack which I had left at school. I stood up and walked over to my desk. I grabbed a piece of paper and a pencil and started writing so that I would have something to turn in tomorrow. After everything that happened today, I was feeling inspired.

A/N: Oof, that was a heavy chapter. While I don't condone Cindy's obsessive, stalker behavior, I wanted to start painting a picture of why she is behaving the way she is. I'm going for the villain origin story.
Also, and this is just a silly note, I pulled inspiration from Cassie in Euphoria when Cindy got up early to get ready just so she could impress Jimmy. Cindy is giving me Sydney Sweeney vibes for this one. I don't normally fancast characters in my story, but for some reason, she is who I picture when I'm writing Cindy's character.
Anyway, I'm actually really nervous to know what you think. I've been gone for so long that I forgot about the fear/excitement of waiting for reviews. If I have portrayed anything incorrectly or in poor taste, please let me know. I've tried to be as tactful as possible.