"Thinking Up Ways to Say Hello"

Chapter 1

I sighed as I turned my head to face Cindy. "Hey Cindy...What's up?" Well, that's what I thought in my head. I was always 
thinking. Thinking of ways to talk to her. Finally talk to her. I sighed again, turning to my other side to face Sheen.

"Hey Sheen...How did you and Libby start going out like this? You know...I mean..You were the geek, she was the 
popular one...She could have gone out with anyone! But why..How...Did she pick you?" asked Jimmy suddenly.

Sheen looked at him, confused. "I just showed her that I liked her. All she doesn't like about me is that I give her 
nicknames. But we try to work as a team, you know? We put down 'rules' and we follow them. Well...The rules are 
mostly for me."

Jimmy nodded. "Oh...Ok..."

Jimmy had changed a lot over the past 4 years. (A/N: This is when the gang is all aged at 15) He got rid of his soft-serve ice 
cream hair, and let it just flow down to his jaw. He stopped wearing his everyday outfit, and alternated between his limited 
clothing every day. Today, he wore his Fall Out Boy T-Shirt with plain jeans. His jacket was navy blue. Jimmy no 
longer acted out, being the town's genius that had adventures everyday. He only did crazy things when needed. In fact, 
he was almost like a hermit. Shacked for days in his lab, inventing things that he threw in a corner when finished.

BRINNNNNNGGGGG! The bell rung, sending all the kids into a frenzy, hurrying to leave the school for the day.

"Hey Jimmy!" It was Libby, waving a flyer in the air while running to him. Jimmy froze at the sound of his name. 
He turned just in time to see Libby stop, panting.

"It's a party at my house tonight! Please come! Sheen said you were acting very emo all week...So..You know. I don't 
want you to be like that either." she said in a hurry. It was as if she was afraid he was coming to her party.

Jimmy shrugged. "I'll...I'll ask my parents. I don't know. I'll call Sheen and---"

Libby was already gone, presumably left at the words 'ask my parents'.

Jimmy sighed again, walking to the Candy Bar for his weekly after school milkshake.

He always sat at the bar, watching all the people walk by, chatting with friends. SLURRRRPPP. He took a long sip of his milkshake.

"Hey Jimmy! What's new?" asked Carl, sitting down next to Jimmy.

Jimmy sighed for the tenth time that hour. "Hmm? Nothing's new. Nothing's EVER new."

Carl nodded, calling to Sam so he could order his daily sundae. "Well...Sheen said you might go to the party at Libby's 
tonight. Hope you can go."

Jimmy shrugged. "I don't know if I can go. I'll ask my mom or something when I get home."

Carl nodded again, his head bobbing like a turkey's. "Cool. Hey, guess what?" He said this with a certain amount of 
excitement in his voice.

Jimmy shrugged again. He mumbled something that sounded an awful like 'Who cares?'.

"I got a date to the party!" said Carl excitedly.

Jimmy stared. "Y-You got a date?"

Carl nodded and pointed at a girl at the table near them. "Her name is Tori. She JUST moved her from Michigan. 
She's actually really funny and nice. You should hang with us at the party!"

"Uh...Sure..Okay..I don't even know if I can go to the party, Carl..." muttered Jimmy.

Carl had already left to be with his date to the party, Tori.

Jimmy sighed for the eleventh time that hour. 'What's with all the people leaving while I'm still talking?'

"Am I that invisible?"


I Just Wanted To Say Hi

Chapter 2

The party was bumping. It was hip. Cool. Fresh. However you wanted to say it. But Jimmy was none of those things. 
He was just Jimmy.

"Hey Jimmy! Glad you could make it!" yelled Sheen over the overly loud music.

"Yeah, but I might leave after a little bit! I don't like the music, and I was totally unaware there would be alcohol!" 
shouted Jimmy right back over the overly loud music.

Sheen shook his head. "Don't leave, Jimmy! Have fun! And if you go by the pool, the music's not so loud!"

Jimmy shrugged but he waved good bye to Sheen and walked to the side door. As he passed the couch, he saw Carl, 
making out with his new girlfriend, Tori. He shook his head in disapproval, but went on to the pool.

"Hey Cindy." Jimmy shook his head. That wasn't the right way to say hi. 

"Hello Cindy, having a fun time?" Jimmy considered for a moment. Then he shook that greeting away. It was too long 
for his liking, she might walk away before he even finishes the sentence.

"So, What's Up, Cindy?" He stood there, thinking about it when he heard a shout from the pool house.

"GET OFF ME NICK! I DON'T WANT TO SLEEP WITH YOU, YOU SICK BASTARD!"

Jimmy heard a different voice. "WHAT? CALLED ME A SICK BASTARD, HUH? WELL, YOU'RE A SLUTTY BITCH!"

He heard a gasp. Then more yelling. "YOU FUCKING BASTARD!"

SLAP!

Jimmy jumped a little bit, shocked by the noise of hand on cheek. Then, he heard sobbing.

"You never. You never call me a bastard again. You do, and I kill you."

Still surprised by the fight, Jimmy hardly glanced up as he saw Cindy run out, hand over her face, followed by 
the infamous Nick Dean. And then something happened. Something that confused all.

Jimmy punched Nick in the mouth.

Everybody gasped, not knowing what could happen. But most of them hoped for one thing.

A fight.

And a fight they got. But not from the person they expected.

It was Jimmy who broke the silence. "Don't you ever call Cindy a slut again. You bastard."

He spit in front of Nick. He glared at him with force. Nick stood up slowly.

Then, he punched Jimmy back.

The crowd around them, erupted in cheers, chanting, "FIGHT, FIGHT, FIGHT, FIGHT!"

Nick and Jimmy circled each other, waiting for the moment to strike.

Jimmy got the first chance. He swung his right arm, stopping it mere centimeters about 2 seconds before his left 
arm swung from the other direction, catching Nick full in the face.

"Uh!"

Jimmy had a fire in his eyes now. A fire that had burned for five long years.

The fire of love.

Nick tried to fake Jimmy, but without success. He tried again to punch Jimmy, but was blocked by Jimmy's arm.

Jimmy reached his leg out and tried to trip Nick. Nick just jumped back, wiping his nose before jumping back forward.

Jimmy threw his left arm straight out, aiming for Nick's forehead. Nick, thinking it was another feint, tried to block 
himself from Jimmy's right arm. How wrong he was. Jimmy, in fact, was not at all trying to pull off another feint, but 
enuinely trying to punch Nick, square in the forehead.

And his target was met. Just as if slow motion was suddenly turned on by God, Jimmy's arm went slowly, ever so 
slowly, toward Nick. And Nick. He was moving his arm slowly from the middle, and up to his face.

Too late.

Even with the slow motion like movements, Nick was knocked out.

Spitting on Nick's unconcious form, Jimmy walked away slowly, trying desperately to avoid the stares.

Too late for that too.

Cindy stopped Jimmy and led him to the pool house.

"Why did you do that, Neutron?"

So it was true, Cindy never decided to call Jimmy by his first name. He knew it was a rumor that she was calling him 
'Jimmy' at school.

"I-I just wanted to say hi."

The surprised look on Cindy's face was priceless.

I Woke Up So I Could Explain 

Chapter 3

Jimmy had just walked out on Cindy at the poolhouse. He had walked 3 blocks home. He had laid in his bed 
without changing. He had fallen asleep, thinking of her.

Cindy, on the other hand, just stood at the poolhouse thinking, 'Why did he REALLY do that? Why? Does he love me? 
And do I love him back?'

"Agghh...My head hurts!" She sighed angrily and walked to Libby's house. It was quiet inside.

"Where'd everyone go?" Cindy asked to Libby, who was sitting on the couch.

Libby shrugged. "I don't know. They just plain up and went home. I guess they didn't feel like partying anymore. 
Especially after what happened between Jimmy and Nick. I'm serious, I donot know what the hell is going on in Retroville 
anymore. It's like the end of the world."

Cindy raised an eyebrow. "You that drunk?"

"I...I don't know. I mean, I had a couple cups of beer, and a couple martinis, but I don't think I'm completely hammered."

"Umm...You might want to sit back down again."

When Libby had stood up, she had started to sway.

"I think you're right...I don't know if I want to go back to school tomorrow..."

Cindy grasped Libby's arm and led her to her room. "I think you're right. Anyway, where's Sheen?"

"Sheen went home. He said he forgot a stupid Ultra lord special they were airing on

channel 39 or something."

Sighing, Cindy sat down next Libby. "So..Um..He left you alone for a cartoon?"

Libby nodded. "Yeah. You know, sometimes I think I'm going to dump him, yah know?"

"Uh...Sure..I know..."

Libby smiled vaguely. "Haha, the room's all swirly."

Cindy leaned back. "Are you going to throw up? 'Cause if you are, I'll get you to the bathroom or get you a trash can..."

"Nah, I'm fine...Seriously, I'm---ARGGGHHH!"

Vomit splashed out of Libby's mouth onto Cindy's mini-skirt.

"Ugghhh...Damn it. This is new, Libby! Ah, shit."

Libby giggled, "Hehe, I think I made a yucky!"

Cindy sighed. "I'm borrowing one of your jeans, Libs."

She opened Libby's dresser. Rummaging through her clothes, she found something that shocked her beyond belief.

"A pregnancy test?"

Libby nodded with a wide smile on her face.

"Sheen didn't use a condom. I don't know..I just felt like I needed to know if I was pregnant."

"And are you?"

Libby shook her head. "Nope. I'm perfectly fine. I mean it."

"Libs, you need to be more careful. If you get pregnant, what are you---" She stopped in mid-sentence, seeing as Libby 
had fallen asleep.

Cindy sighed. "Well, I better get home."

She quickly changed into one of Libby's jeans, stuffed her mini-skirt into a plastic bag, and walked out of Libby's house.

Jimmy was standing in front of her. "Hey."

"H-Hey. What are you doing here?"

"I woke up because I decided you need the real explanation for why I beat up Nick."

Cindy nodded, urging him to go on.

"Well...The truth is...The truth is..."

"What? What is the truth?"

"I don't know how you'll take it.."

"Go ahead. You'll never know how I will take it if you never ask me or tell me or

whatever."

"Do you want to go somewhere else?"

"What?"

"I mean, I don't really want to explain everything everything in front of Libby's house."

"Oh. Okay. Why don't we go to my house?"

"Why your house?"

"Um...Libby threw up on me. I just want to take a shower or something."

"Ok."

"You can wait here, Jimmy."

Cindy pointed to the sofa and looked at him. "You want a soda or something?"

Jimmy shook his head. "No, I'll just wait here."

Cindy shrugged. "Okay. The shower shouldn't take long. I'll be down in 15 minutes."

"Okay."

Cindy went quickly up the stairs, swinging the plastic bag with her mini-skirt in it. Jimmy explored the living room, 
walking from the T.V. to the photos in the large glass in-closed shelf.

One of the photos were of Cindy when she was about 4. She was eating ice cream in the photo, and she had vanilla 
ice cream all over her mouth. Jimmy smiled and looked at another picture.

This one was of her and Libby at her 6th birthday party. She was wearing a small, pink, plastic crown. Libby was 
wearing fluffy, tie-on wings. They were laughing, shoving cake into each other's mouth. Jimmy smiled even wider.

He moved onto the picture all the way in the middle. It was of the gang. Jimmy, Cindy, Libby, Sheen, and Carl. 
Jimmy and Cindy were on the opposite sides of each other, both crossing their arms, scowling.

"This must be when we were 9 or something..." he whispered.

Jimmy looked up and at the stairs. He heard singing.

"Must be Cindy..."

He slowly walked up the stairs, making sure to be quiet.

"Take our tears, put 'em on ice, 'cause I swear I'll burn the city down to show you the light! We're the therapists, 
pumping through your speakers, delivering just what you need, we're well read, and poised, we're the best boys!"

Jimmy slowly opened the door to Cindy's room. It was still pink, but she had taken down posters of ponies and put 
up posters of her favorite singers. 

"Fall out Boy, huh? Well...At least we both like the same bands..."

He walked even slower than before, this time because he was approaching the bathroom door. His breath caught in his 
throat as he put his hand on the door knob. The water turned off and he heard Cindy walk out of the shower. He panicked 
and ran straight down to the living room.

When Cindy walked down to the living room, she noticed that Jimmy was out of breath.

"Why are you panting like that?"

"Uh..Nothing..I was just looking through the house and um...I went outside and a dog was running after me. Yeah. A dog."

Cindy raised an eyebrow. "A dog? But..my dog isn't outside. He sleeps inside, in the den."

"Must have been a stray." Jimmy crossed his fingers and hoped she would believe him.

"Hm...You must be right."

Jimmy let out the breath he had been holding ever since she walked down from the bathroom.

"So. You going to explain to me why you beat up Nick?" asked Cindy as she slid onto the couch next to Jimmy.

Jimmy shuffled around as if he was very uncomfortable.

"Well...I did it because..Because...You're..."

'The one I've loved since we were 10!' he screamed in his mind.

Cindy leaned forward curiously.

"I'm what?"

Jimmy leaned back. "You're my..."

Cindy cocked her head to the side. "What, Jimmy, what?"

"You're my friend."

At The Candy Bar

Chapter 4

Once again, Cindy sat there, speechless.

'Why does he always say something so totally unexpected?'

"Wha-what?"

Jimmy looked at her as if she was an idiot.

"I said, 'You're my friend.'."

Cindy shook her head.

"I heard that, it's just...It's just..."

'Not what I expected.'

"Never mind."

Jimmy shrugged and glanced at the clock hanging above the mantel.

"Shit. I better get going. I mean, it's already 12:00...I'm sorry if you wanted to talk more. I'll see you tomorrow at school."

(A/N: I know all of you are going, where are her parents? Why is there no one to

catch Jimmy and Cindy's little meeting? Well, her parents are in Las Vegas for the

week. She gets rides to places from one of her older friends and Libby's mom. Happy

to know the answers? I am.)

Cindy waved in a daze.

"Well...That's absolutely nothing what I thought it would be."

 The next day at school was torture for Cindy. She and Jimmy had no classes together, so she couldn't ask Jimmy 
for a more thorough answer from the day before.  It was lunch. Jimmy was sitting in his usual seat, the one at the 
corner of the cafeteria.

Nick and his 'posse' slammed the doors open and marched in. They looked around, and spotting Jimmy, they marched 
right over.

"Hey Neutron, You're dead meat. You know that? You just got lucky last night." spat Nick angrily.

Jimmy looked up from his lunch.

"So you were hammered? Is that it?"

Nick shoved his finger into Jimmy's chest.

"Yeah, that's right, I was drunk, that's why you could kick my ass the way you did."

Jimmy pointed behind Nick.

"Well, you're in deeper trouble than I am."

Nick whipped around, thinking it was a trick. It wasn't. The principal of the school was right behind him.

"You, young man, are in deep doo-doo."

Nick clenched his fists and muttered, "Shit."

The principal wagged his finger. "Swearing, that's more added on to your naughty list."

Jimmy couldn't keep from laughing.

Nick glared at him. "You wait. You just wait, and I'll get you. I'll get you when you least expect it."

The principal grabbed Nick's shoulder and led him out.

Jimmy shook his head. "I could beat him with my hands tied behind my back. He's got the agility of a dead cat 
and the fighting skills of a 208 year old grandma."

He heard someone sit across from him.

"Is that so?"

It was Cindy. She was smiling. She continued talking.

"So, Jimmy."

Jimmy screamed in his mind, 'Yes, she called me Jimmy!'

"You want to go to the Candy Bar after school?"

'I know somewhere better, but...'

"Umm...Sure?"

Cindy smiled even wider.

"Great, meet me in front of the school right after school."

Jimmy nodded, feeling a numbness that spread from his toes to the tip of his ears. Cindy left him sitting there, causing 
him to wonder with the speed of light.

'She asked me to the Candy Bar! Is that a date? Should I go home and change? What should I do? AHHHHH! 
I think I've finally gone crazy!'

Jimmy smiled and shoved the rest of his lunch into his mouth.

Cindy waited awkwardly in front of the school, holding her books tightly to her chest.  Jimmy came up behind her.

"Hey Cindy. Let's go."

Cindy jumped and calmed down when she noticed that it was only Jimmy.

"Oh, yeah, let's go."

The Candy Bar was crowded with the kids of all ages. There was even Libby, Sheen, Carl, and his new girlfriend, Tori.

"What can I get for you, folks?" asked Sam.

Jimmy looked at the menu, although he had memorized it already.

"Uh, I think I'll just take a chocolate milkshake. What do you want Cindy?"

Cindy also looked at the menu, even if she had memorized it already.

"I'll have the same."

Cindy reached into her purse to take out her wallet, but Jimmy had already paid for it.

"Oh, thanks."

Jimmy nodded in reply.

Sam came back a moment later, sporting two cups. "Here yah go. Enjoy."

Jimmy took the cups in silence, only stopping to get two straws.

"So. Is there a reason why you asked me here?"

Cindy took a slurp of her milkshake.

"Well, I just wanted to ask you...You know..."

'I'm in love with you and I think you love me too!'

"Do you want to catch a movie with Libby and Sheen?"

Cindy cursed in her mind, knowing fully well that that was not what she wanted to ask.

"Uh...Sure."

Splashed With Spit

Chapter 5

(At the Movie Theater)

Cindy, Jimmy, Sheen, Libby, Carl, and Tori had gone to the movies to watch Scary Movie 4, but only two of 
them was actually watching the movie.

"I can't believe they would do that in full view of everyone," whispered Cindy.

Indeed. Everyone really was staring at Libby, Sheen, Carl, and Tori. 

"I know. But it's not like we can stop them." replied Jimmy.

Cindy and Jimmy, through the power of disgust at their friends, had become friends themselves.

"You want to move to a different part of the theater?" asked Jimmy.

Cindy just nodded and stood up slowly. She practically crawled to a row about 20 feet behind their friends.

"Looks like a good place to be..I guess. Too bad we can still see them."

Jimmy nodded in agreement. "Well, At least we can't be splashed with their spit anymore."

"You're right. Now we can actually watch the movie."

He nodded and nudged Cindy with the popcorn box. "Want any?"

Cindy nodded, she stuck her hand in, reaching for the popcorn that didn't have any butter on them. 
Jimmy also reached in. Their hands touched. Jimmy held his breath, and waited for her to remove her hand.

"Uh..."

Cindy jerked her head to the side. "OW!"

The people around them went, "SHHHHHHHH!"

Cindy cringed and muttered a 'Sorry' here and there.

"What?"

Jimmy pulled his hand out of the popcorn box. It was covered in butter.

"Uhhh...Nothing."

Cindy shrugged. "Whatever, Nerdtron."

Jimmy held his breath once again, waiting to see if she apologized. Cindy recognized her mistake.

"Oh, I'm sorry Jimmy...Old habits die hard."

Jimmy nodded.

"It's fine...It's nothing..."

Cindy blushed, but in the dim light, Jimmy could not see this.

'I have to tell him. Before it's too late!'

Jimmy had also blushed, and was thinking similar thoughts.

'Why do I have to be like this? I mean, I never get nervous! Why only with her? Am I that scared to tell her
how I feel? Have I wasted five years in preactically worshipping her?'

Jimmy smiled at her nervously.

"Cindy.."

Cindy looked up from her lap.

"Hmm?"

Jimmy shook her shoulder lightly.

"The movie's over."

She nodded and rose to leave the theater.

"I don't know if we should leave those 4 here."

Cindy just shrugged.

"It doesn't matter, really. They'll realize that the movie's over sooner or later.

I'd rather hope later."

Jimmy raised an eyebrow.

"Why?"

Cindy blushed, and in the newly turned on lights, Jimmy could see the rose color, rising in her cheeks.

"Why?"

She shrugged and just walked quickly out to the lobby.

"Want to stay and wait for them, or do you want to just walk home?"

Tori's mom was supposed to pick them all up in about ten minutes.

"Let's go."

Jimmy and Cindy were at the park, just talking about the old days.

"So."

"So?"

Cindy shrugged and looked at Jimmy slowly, devouring every single detail.

"Remember that time, when our brains got switched?"

"Yeah?"

Cindy blushed again.

"And the part when our brains were in that big thingy-majiger in your lab?"

"Yeah?"

She blushed an even deeper shade of magenta.

"And then we saw each other somehow?"

Jimmy merely nodded, urging her on.

"And we were walking along that country road?"

He cocked his head to the side.

"Yeah?"

"And we were...making out?"

They both blushed at the same time. Jimmy crossed his legs, feeling a bit bothered for some reason. Cindy looked 
at Jimmy with a passion.

"Jimmy?"

He cleared his throat and said, "What?"

"Do you like anyone?"

"What do you mean?"

Cindy saw it in his face. 'He knows what I mean.'

"You know, do you have a crush on someone?"

Jimmy shrugged. "I guess you could call it a crush."

"What else could you call it?"

"A life-long passion."

"Why?"

"Well, maybe not life-long."

"How long then?"

"Five years..."

Cindy gasped. "That's a long time..."

He nodded. "I know. I can't get rid of it though."

Cindy rested her hand on his knee.

"It's just agonizing though. She's so close, yet she's so far away." She leaned back on the swing she was sitting in.

"I have that problem too. I mean, I've liked him so long. But I'm afraid to ask him if he likes me the same way."

"That's the same with me! I can't tell her how she feels, because she's been friends with me since we were ten!"

Cindy stopped herself on the swing.

"Is it...Betty?"

Jimmy shook his head, realizing the more she asked, the more of a chance she would find out about his five year 
crush on her.

"Is it...Libby?"

Jimmy shook his head again.

"Brittany?"

He shook his head once more.

"Is it...Would it happen to be..."

Jimmy stared at the ground, preparing for the worst.

"Is it..."

He now looked to the other side of himself, the direction Cindy was facing.

"Me?"

Nads In Outer Space

 Chapter 6

Jimmy had nothing to say. He couldn't deny it, but he was too much of a coward to tell her the truth.

"Cindy..."

Cindy looked at him, lips curling into a smile.

"Yes?"

He sighed and decided there was nothing he could do but this.

"I'm...gay."

Cindy scowled and scoffed at his measly attempt to cover up his true feelings. She sniffed the air.

"I smell bullshit."

Jimmy looked timidly at the ground.

"If you knew I liked you, why did you ask?"

Cindy thought about it for a second.

"I wanted to hear it from you. Not from myself, but you."

He smiled at her nervously.

"So, you're not going to freak out and kick me or something?"

Cindy returned the smile and stood up.

"Why would I do that?"

Jimmy stood up also and began following her as she strolled down the trail leading to the small pond.

She continued. "On the contrary..."

Jimmy gasped lightly as she leaned toward him. Gently, she pushed her lips onto his.

'Why am I so damn nervous? I've been waiting for this for five years...Goddamnit!'

When they parted, this was the first thing out of Jimmy's mouth:"Cindy, I don't know what to say..."

She smiled mischievously at him.

"Then don't say anything."

Cindy pushed her lips onto his lips again. When she separated from him, she was as

chittery as a chipmunk. (A/N: I don't know why I said this, but I felt like using

the word 'chipmunk'.)

"You know, I only went out with all those other guys because I was just trying to forget about you. Why 
didn't you go out with anyone? How come you turned all emo on us? Damn, I have a ton of questions I want 
to ask you."

Jimmy smiled and held her close to his heart.

"I didn't want to forget about you. I turned emo because I got emotional. And it's not my fault you have so many 
damn questions you want to ask me."

Cindy just smiled up at him.

"Can you answer all of them?"

He pursed his lips together and looked at the stars.

"Yes..."

Cindy just continued talking.

"And can you get a haircut? For me?"

Jimmy laughed.

"Yes, and of course for you."

She smiled and for the last time that night, kissed Jimmy.

They stood there, next to the small pond in the park, holding onto each other.

'Damn he's a good kisser!'

Similar thoughts in Jimmy's mind.

'Finally! We're together! Wait, are we together? Ah, fuck that. I'm kissing the girl of my dreams.'

Holding onto that thought, he just held Cindy even closer.

"Does this mean we're together?"

Cindy cocked her head to the side and looked at him.

"I suppose...Unless you don't want to be. Or are you too scared to tell me that you want us together?"

He scowled playfully.

"Of course I want us to be a couple. God, I mean, I've wished for this happening since we were ten years old. 
Come on! I mean, Look at you! You are the hottest girl in the school. You are smart. You are the best student 
in your karate class."

Cindy peered at him curiously.

"How'd you know that?"

Jimmy cleared his throat and rubbed his nose. He muttered something at the ground.

"What?"

He coughed and repeated what he said, but it still wasn't audible.

"Hmm?"

Jimmy sighed in a frustrated manner and practically shouted at Cindy.

"I said, I sort of STALKED YOU!"

Cindy covered his mouth with her hand.

"Not so loud! It's 11:46 right now, I don't think anyone wants to hear about some dude stalking some girl. 
Anyway, it's not that weird. I would have stalked you too, but I had to be with my mom practically all the time. 
She finally loosened up when I started yelling back."

He laughed, as if what she said was incredibly funny.

"So, what now?"

Cindy looked at him quizzically.

"What do you mean?"

Jimmy cracked his neck. POP, POP.

"I mean, will you want people to know about us? The popular, smart, pretty, and ultimately perfect girl with the 
freaky 15 year old genius hermit?"

She shook her head.

"You are not a freaky 15 year old genius hermit. You, on the contrary, are one of the hottest,sweetest guys in school. 
You almost beat Nick when we, as in we, I mean the girls, voted for the hottest guys. I mean, I had to keep telling 
everyone you were crazy or something so they wouldn't ask you out. I'm talking girls and boys."

He choked on his laughter.

"Guys? No wonder I thought guys kept checking me out in the locker room."

Cindy snorted and she wrapped her arms around Jimmy's waist.

"That's messed up."

"That is messed up."

They kissed again. But then, out of nowhere, a fist flew out and landed on Jimmy's shoulder.

"That's right, you bitch! I got you. I told you I would."

It was Nick.

"Nick, you son of a fucking bitch! Why do you have to be such a fucking bastard!"

He sneered and placed his foot on Jimmy's crotch.

"Move, and I squish your 'nads to outer space. Since you like it so much."

Cindy screamed and tried to knock Nick down.

"You fucking---"

One of Nick's goons had knocked her down and knocked her out.

"Damn it, Nick. You are such a fucktard. I mean, you need five other people to look after you. What are you, 
some kind of deaf, dumb, mute retard?"

Nick pressed his foot down. Jimmy groaned and clenched his fist.

"Damn."

Nick smirked and motioned for one of his gang members to hold Jimmy down.

"I rather like Cindy. You know that?"

He walked over to her unconscious form. Something clicked in Jimmy's brain.

"No!"

Nick just grinned wildly and leaned down. He ran his hand down her face.

"You don't want this beautiful face to be ruined, do you?"

Jimmy inhaled and grabbed the leg of the boy who was holding him down. Apparently, he was too weak to actually 
hold Jimmy down. Too bad Nick was such a retard.

Jimmy knocked this boy down and raced to Nick's side. He knocked Nick down and began punching him ferociously.

The little gang members just ran away. It was 2 hours later when the cops finally came, separating Jimmy from 
Nick's limp form.

Cindy had awakened a few minutes before, but when she saw Jimmy beating up Nick, she had just inched to the side.

"Hey Cindy. You okay?"

Jimmy had only minor scrapes, a bruise on his shoulder. That was it. But Nick. He was battered and bruised and 
bleeding. The doctors reported two broken bones. One rib and one arm.

"Will you go to jail?"

A look of shock appeared on Jimmy's face.

"Of course not. Why?"

Cindy's eyes began watering.

"I don't know why...But seeing Nick after what you did with him...It was…It was just scary...You know?"

"I'm sorry, Cindy. But he was going to..."

Cindy narrowed her eyes and looked at him.

"He was going to do what?"

Jimmy swallowed. A lump stuck in his throat.

"He implied that he was going to rape you."

Cindy gasped.

"Really?"

Jimmy nodded.

"But I couldn't watch that. I had to stop him."

She nodded along. "I guess I understand."

Time Can Wait

Chapter 7

Jimmy arrived at school the next day, sporting a new haircut. It was much shorter than before and it was 
spiked. It looked much like Sheen's hairdo, except the clumps of hair were thinner.

"Whoa, Jimmy! What's with the new cut?" asked Libby.

Jimmy smiled at her and replied, "For Cindy."

Libby scrunched her face up in confusion, but unfurled it once she realized what he meant.

"Oh! Cindy's inside if you were looking for her!"

Jimmy nodded in thanks and continued on. He got many gasps and stares as he approached Cindy.

"Hey, Babe."

Cindy turned around and smiled.

"Where were you?"

He smiled widely, looked around, and said,

"In your dreams."

Cindy giggled and kissed his cheek lightly before piling her books onto his arms. He took them wordlessly.

The crowd was silent. There were a couple catcalls and jeers.

"Hey, NERDTRON! What did you do? Brain-wash her?"

Jimmy shrugged.

They stood, silent once again.

Then, Jimmy dropped the books on the ground and swooped Cindy in his arms and kissed her passionately.

The crowd waited eagerly for Cindy's reaction.

And they got their reaction, just not the one they wanted.

She just kissed him yet again, even more passionately than he had kissed her.

"We're a couple. Didn't you know?"

Cindy giggled again and pulled Jimmy along as she left in the direction of the courtyard.

Gasps just filled the air.

Libby walked into the hallway.

"The classes start in a few minutes, I think you guys should think about Jimmy and Cindy later."

They all nodded and went along with their everyday lives. (A/N: Seems like a humor story for some reason...)

"Did you see their reactions?" 

Cindy laughed and touched Jimmy's newly cut hair.

"Yeah. Priceless."

Jimmy smiled and began reciting an old commercial.

"Books: $35. Pens & Pencils: $5. Seeing Jimmy and Cindy make out in the Hallway: Priceless."

Cindy giggled and placed her hand on his cheek.

"And to think, we could have had a longer relationship. Doesn't that just suck?"

He smiled and stared at the ground.

"Yeah, it does suck. It sucks balls."

Cindy laughed, "Yeah, I guess. If life had balls."

"You're right. Maybe life is a girl."

She snorted.

"Yeah right, if life was a girl, it'd be perfect."

Jimmy nodded.

"True, true. Especially if the girl was you."

Cindy smiled shyly and ran her hand down his chest.

"Thanks," she whispered.

He smiled. Then he leaned forward...

The bell rang.

"Damn, too bad life is a dude. No wonder it sucks so much," sighed Jimmy

"Good thing there are ways to stop time."

Jimmy took a small contraption out of his backpack. He pressed a button, and everything was still. A bird 
in flight, a paper plane.

"Now...Where were we?"

Cindy's lips curled up devilishly.

"I think..."

She pushed her lips close to his.

"...We were right..."

Cindy kissed Jimmy, time staying still as they did.

"..Here."


THE END