Wow...this is really branching out from all of the Toy Story stuff I've written. I don't know why, but something that happened a while back reminded me of my favorite Jimmy Neutron episode "Trading Faces." I then started watching all of the JN episodes again, and I re-fell in love with the show. I especially adore the love/hate relationship Jimmy and Cindy have. It's great. :3
Plus, Cindy is a kick-butt girl I can look up to and respect. She doesn't take crap, and she's not afraid to get what she wants (although I don't particularly commend the ways in which she gets what she wants), but all-in-all, she's pretty swell. :D
Anyway, I hope you enjoy this, and the next chapter should hopefully be up sometime soon. Let me know what you think! :)
James Isaac Neutron was born in Retroville, a small yet quaint town, to Hugh and Judy Neutron. From birth, Jimmy was always different. You know how every parent says their child was a genius at a young age? Well, Hugh and Judy Neutron could definitely say that about their son. He literally was, and from the moment he could walk and talk, he was always asking questions. Young Jimmy always wanted to know more about the world around him, and he approached his questions rather logically and methodically. Being the natural scientist he was enabled him to find the answers to many of his questions. As Jimmy grew older however, he had one question that no scientific method could answer: Why did Cindy Vortex dislike him so much?
Cindy Vortex, the girl from across the street, set to hating Jimmy the moment he stepped foot in Lindbergh Elementary School. Poor Jimmy didn't know why; all he knew was that she thought he was a know-it-all. Well, he was a genius. What could she possibly expect? But no, there must be some other reason. There had to be. Little did Jimmy know that the next day would be a day he'd never forget.
It started off as a rather normal day. The bright yellow sun was casting its rays on the Earth, not caring whether anyone wanted them. A few birds perched on the large oak tree outside chirped to one another rather loudly, and Goddard, after the robotic dog couldn't stand it anymore, barked and howled out a two-story window until the birds scattered and rested on the neighboring picket fence.
"It's ok, Goddard," Jimmy patted his metal canine. "They're only birds."
Goddard growled a little more but eventually quieted to watch Jimmy scurry about his house to get ready for school. It was astounding, even for Goddard, to watch his master prepare for school each and every day. Jimmy used at least twenty of his inventions to prepare for school, all of which included styling his hair, helping him dress, and tying his shoes. Even with all of these inventions, Jimmy still managed to almost miss the bus every day. He insisted that it wasn't due to the extra time his inventions added on to his morning routine, but the fact that the bus driver came thirty seconds too early.
"My inventions are here to help, Goddard, and help they do!" Jimmy had once told Goddard after missing the bus. Goddard whimpered as he realized his master was trying to justify his somewhat unreliable inventions, but Jimmy just smiled and promised he'd make the bus the next day. This next day never seemed to come, but of all days, it had happened to be this one.
"Early for the bus, dear?" Judy Neutron asked in surprise as her young boy entered the kitchen fully dressed with a backpack casually slung around one shoulder.
"Yup! I knew if I simply recalibrated the digital wiring on my alarm clock, it would enable me to alter my brain's conception of time and terminate sleep mode earlier than normal."
"So you set your alarm clock a few minutes earlier?"
"Simply put, yes, but that doesn't sound as scientific, mom," Jimmy laughed.
Mrs. Neutron bustled around in the kitchen as Jimmy headed out the door. "Have a great day at school, sweetie!" she called out. "Your father will be there to pick you up!"
He waved back at his mother and stood on the curb waiting for the bus to arrive. Thirty seconds passed, and the bus still hadn't arrived. He nervously began to pace back and forth on the sidewalk, but his pacing only made him more nervous.
"Puking Pluto! Why hasn't the bus come yet? If my calculations are correct, which they usually are, the bus should have come approximately fifty two seconds ago!"
At that particular moment, a young blonde girl exited the bright pink house just across the street from the Neutrons. It was none other than Cindy Vortex, Jimmy's mortal enemy.
"Finally early for the bus, Spewtron?" she mockingly asked.
Jimmy closed his eyes and tried to find a happy place to escape to while the young girl continued to unload a barrage of insults his way. Once he could no longer hear her annoying voice, he opened his eyes to find the bus was just about to pull up. He eagerly headed towards the door, but as quick as the blink of an eye, Cindy was standing in front of him.
"Whatever happened to ladies first?" she angrily questioned as she stormed up the steps and onto the bus. Jimmy muttered a few mean names under his breath but followed behind her to see his friend Sheen already on the bus.
"Where's Carl?" Jimmy asked as he took the empty seat next to Sheen.
"Do I look like I know where llama boy is? I'm much too busy examining my newest Ultralord action figure!" Sheen pulled out an Ultralord action figure that looked no different than any of the others Sheen owned.
"What does it do that's different?"
"Oh Jimmy," Sheen sighed. "Of course someone with your little knowledge on all-things-Ultralord wouldn't recognize that instead of Ultralord wearing his normal eleven shoe size, he's instead wearing his super charged moon boots, which are actually two sizes bigger."
Jimmy rolled his eyes, causing him to turn his head to the left. There sat Cindy and Libby, gabbing away over the next boy band that had become popular. He quietly watched as Cindy then commented on how one of the boys looked like Nick Dean. Jimmy involuntarily choked, and before he knew it, Vortex was staring him down. If looks could kill, Jimmy would have been burned to a crisp.
"What is it, Nerdtron? Why are you staring at us? Creep…."
"It's just because he wishes he looked like Nick," Libby spoke up. "Just ignore him, Cindy."
"If you must know, I only looked because of an uncontrollable reaction of my eyes to Sheen's new Ultralord doll."
"It's an action figure!" Sheen yelled.
"Whatever, Neutron," Cindy said. "You should wish you were like Nick though. He's sweet, good-looking, and cool. In other words, everything you're not."
Cindy and Libby laughed to themselves as if they were the two funniest comedians on the planet. Jimmy just grumbled and restrained himself from punching that good-for-nothing Vortex in the face.
The bus slowly began to move, but not without a large, round boy chasing after it. The bus driver reluctantly slowed the bus enough for the boy to clamor aboard and take a seat in front of Jimmy and Sheen.
"Carl? Why were you late? You usually beat Jimmy here, and that's saying something," Sheen nodded.
"Sorry guys, but my mom forced me to finally wash my llama underwear," Carl said, a bit out of breath from his run. "I've worn it for a whole week now."
"Eww!" Cindy and Libby said in unison as they turned to face the troublesome trio.
"Who's listening in now?" Jimmy asked.
"Carl, that's gross!" Libby shuddered.
"Well, it was only because it was llama week. Sheen's worn his underwear for almost a month now."
Everyone turned to face Sheen, and Sheen, oblivious to their disgusted faces, continued to show his newest Ultralord action figure the utmost adoration.
"Well, I'm glad you made it, Carl," Jimmy smiled at his friend.
"Thanks, Jim. How'd you make it on time?"
"Some simple recalculations, that's all."
Carl nodded and stared at the window as the bus headed towards Lindbergh Elementary School. Jimmy pulled out a blueprint for another rocket he was constructing, and Sheen hummed the Ultralord theme music under his breath.
Once the bus had pulled up to the school, the children literally had to be forced off. They dragged their feet to their individual classrooms, and once Jimmy, Sheen, and Carl had entered their classroom, Ms. Fowl commanded them to take their seats immediately. She was getting ready to hand them a pop quiz, and Sheen began to ask Ms. Fowl question after question.
"Why do they call a pop quiz a pop quiz? Does that mean we get Purple Flurp after we finish?"
"No, Sheen. Now be quiet and take your exaaaaam!" Ms. Fowl cried.
The kids quietly worked on the test that lay in front of them while Jimmy quickly sketched in the correct answers in less than a minute. He turned his paper over silently and let his eyes wander the room. He noticed almost everyone else was still working. He sat back comfortably in his chair and put his hands behind his head. He was sure to get the best score on today's quiz.
"Time's up! Hand in your quizzes!" Ms. Fowl called after five minutes had passed.
Once Ms. Fowl had each paper in hand, she passed them back randomly to each student. "If you get your own, make sure to give it baaaaack so I can get you a new one!"
Sheen raised his hand. "Ms. Fowl, I got Carl's. Can I please get someone else's?"
"Hey!" Carl pouted as he turned to face Sheen. "I got yours, so if anyone should be complaining, it's me."
"Take that back, llama boy!"
"No!"
"Boys! Quiet down and grade the paaaaapers you have!"
She finished passing out the tests when suddenly Jimmy heard someone whispering. He turned to see Cindy staring at him; in one hand, she held his exam, while in the other, she held a blood-red pen.
"I hope you did well, Neutron, because you're going to need these answers to be verbatim if you want to get a decent score."
Ms. Fowl slowly wrote the answers on the board in a sort of chicken scratch that proved hard to decipher.
"Hmm…should I give a point for 'insect' if the answer she gave was 'bug'?" Cindy mused to herself.
"It's the same thing," Jimmy hurriedly whispered. "Give me the point, Vortex!"
"Well…you didn't put what she had, so it must be wrong. Ouch, Nerdtron, you're flunking so far."
Fourteen more questions followed, and Jimmy flinched each time he heard the scratch of Cindy's pen against his paper. He inwardly cursed himself for not being more prepared and putting multiple answers on each question. Of course Vortex was going to try and find some way to win, no matter the cost.
"Now claaaaas, let's see who got the highest score on today's quiz! Remember, if you didn't do as well as you would have liked to, maybe you should be held baaaack!" Ms. Fowl said as her gaze slowly drifted in Sheen's general direction. She shuffled through the stack of papers and instinctively pulled out one. She opened her mouth to announce the winner, but then stopped when she noted the score at the top of the page. Jimmy just scowled while Cindy victoriously smiled.
"Well, that's a surprise," Ms. Fowl frowned. "Jimmy did nooooot win, but instead, the winner is….Cindy."
Cindy stood up and bowed in front of the class as if she'd just won a pageant. She waved and blew kisses while the class just stared at her in complete and utter shock. Then, when everyone had come out of their momentary trance, they stared at Jimmy, wondering how the boy genius had been beaten.
Jimmy raised his hand. "Yes?" Ms. Fowl said.
"I demand that my exam be re-graded! My grader was biased."
"What do you mean, Jimmy?"
"I mean...Miss Vortex graded my paper!"
The class looked to Cindy. "What do you have to say, Cindy?"
"I graded it just like we were told," she said as she folded her arms.
"Jimmy didn't get a hundred?" Carl whispered to Sheen. Sheen just shrugged and raised his hand. Ms. Fowl ignored it.
"Well, I guess I'll have to re-graaaaaaade it then. Cindy, have a seat. You might not be the winner after all."
Cindy miserably sat down at her desk, and after a few moments, Ms. Fowl announced that Jimmy had won. Jimmy smiled his victory smile at Cindy and thanked Ms. Fowl for correcting such an unfair mistake.
"Cindy, the next time I find that you've tampered with something of Jimmy's, I'll be sure to have the principal speak with your moooooother."
Cindy, dejected looking, stared at the wooden finish on her desk for the rest of class. Jimmy couldn't help but feel a twinge of pity for her. She was always so close to victory, but yet, Jimmy always beat her out the last minute. Well, it served her right, seeing as she almost sabotaged his perfect grades.
Once the bell had rung and the class had rushed out to spend their afternoon doing something other than using their brains, Jimmy, Sheen, and Carl were picked up by Mr. Neutron to be taken over to Jimmy's home.
"Hello boys!" Mr. Neutron greeted with such enthusiasm that Carl felt a little nauseous. "What plans do you have with Jimbo this afternoon?"
Sheen was the first to speak up. "Ultra—"
"No, Sheen," Carl shook his head. "I need to show Jimmy The Adventures of Jake the Llama." Carl turned to address Jimmy. "My favorite llama, Betty, has hair kind of like yours."
"Well…uh…thanks Carl. It might be interesting to watch," Jimmy smiled as he remembered llamas were his best friend's favorite thing in the whole entire world. "Besides, at least it would be something other than Ultralord."
Sheen rolled his eyes, but before he could come up with an idiotic retort, Hugh Neutron decided to put in his two cents.
"How about you boys spend the day helping us with some chores around the house?"
All three simultaneously flipped their lids. "Chores? It's a Thursday afternoon!" Sheen complained. "If anyone has to do chores, it should be Jimmy."
"But Jake is coming on, and we've got to watch it! Today we find out who the mysterious girl llama Buster's been seen with is!" Carl whined.
"Dad! I've been cleaning non-stop all week! Can't you let me have a break?" Jimmy fibbed.
"Now, now, I'm only saying that because we're having company over tomorrow," Hugh replied, as if chores would suddenly become more acceptable after this revelation.
"Please don't tell me Granny's coming over again?" Jimmy sighed. The last time she'd visited, it hadn't exactly been one of Jimmy's most fondest memories.
"No, of course it's not. She's refused to come over ever since you turned her into a baby. No, it's not her. It's that one friend of yours from school, Jimmy. The one right across the street from us."
Jimmy gulped. There was only one girl Jimmy's age that lived right across the street from them. But no, it couldn't be her. Why in the galaxy would she want to be a guest at the Neutron residence?
Again, I hope this was somewhat of an interesting read, and I also hope everyone was in character! Reviews are more than welcome! Thanks! :D