The Neutron Show

by Gary D. Snyder

Chapter 1:

I hate photo day, thought Jimmy unhappily. It was perhaps the twentieth time he had thought it that day, and although he had said nothing out loud his friend Carl Wheezer recognized the disgruntled expression on Jimmy's face and attempted to console him.

"Cheer up, Jimmy," Carl said. "We only have to have our pictures taken once a year."

Jimmy gave a snort of disgust. "It's a waste of time. With my Chronoscope 3000 people can see what their kids looked like in sixth grade if they really want to."

"Yeah," agreed Sheen Estevez, who was wearing more Ultra Lord garb than usual. "But this way you can let everyone see your latest Ultra Lord spring ensemble!" When Jimmy and Carl stared at him Sheen fidgeted uncomfortably and quickly amended, "I mean, action gear. That's what I meant. Not ensemble."

"That's another thing," Jimmy grumbled. "For a whole day I have to wear a ridiculously uncomfortable suit and tie. And for what? Absolutely nothing!"

At that point Betty Quinlan, looking devastatingly attractive in her carefully coifed hair and demurely provocative outfit, paused and gave Jimmy an admiring look. "I like your suit, Jimmy," she smiled, shutting down the mental processes of all three boys. Then she moved on, leaving a faint hint of perfume lingering in the air behind her.

"Then again…" Jimmy began as his brain began to function again.

"Uh-huh," Carl agreed.

"You said it," Sheen added.

"Okay, drool spoolers," said a familiar voice. "The school district doesn't need a pond here, so close the mouths and reel in the tongues." The speaker was Cindy Vortex, standing with her arms folded and wearing an annoyed expression. Her friend Libby Folfax, standing next to Cindy, was giving Sheen an especially severe glare. Sheen desperately tried to implement some damage control.

"Hey, Libs," he greeted Libby as he strolled up to her. "Can you believe how far some of these other girls go to every year trying to upstage you?" He swallowed and tried to smile. "Unsuccessfully, I might add," he said weakly.

Libby's features softened somewhat. "You mean that?"

Encouraged, Sheen pressed on. "Absolutely! If you don't believe me you can stay by my side 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 52 weeks a year, 100 years a –"

"All right! All right! I forgive you!" Libby interrupted, clapping her hands over her ears. "Just cool it with the time units." When she saw that Sheen had stopped talking she removed her hands. "But just to show me you meant what you said, you can treat me to a Purple Flurp at the Candy Bar after school."

"Done and done," Sheen agreed, as Libby began walking away. "I'll be counting the seconds. 60 seconds to the minute, 60 minutes to the hour, 24 hours to the –" He stopped, puzzled, as Libby gave a scream and ran off with her hands again pressed tightly over her ears. "I don't get it," he said, scratching his head. "I thought that girls were supposed to be good at math."

Jimmy, in the meantime, had approached Cindy who was still glaring at him. In place of her usual ponytail she was wearing her hair down so that it fell softly about her shoulders, and she was dressed in a white blouse and green skirt that brought out soft green of her eyes. At the moment those usually warm eyes were like emerald ice that flicked with a dangerous fire. Despite that Jimmy couldn't help but notice just how beautiful she looked.

"Hey, Cindy," he faltered. "I – uh – you look really nice today."

"Interesting of you to notice," Cindy snapped. "I hadn't realized your eyeballs were back in their sockets already."

The rebuff annoyed Jimmy. "Hey, what's your problem?"

"Problem?" Cindy feigned indifference. "I don't have a problem."

"Good! Because I don't see why it should matter to you if I happen to notice what other Bettys – I mean people –"

Cindy gave a derisive sniff. "Notice all you want, Nerd-tron. It doesn't matter to me. Not that what I think would ever matter to you."

"Well, who said it should?"

"Who said I'd want it to?"

"All right, cla-a-ass!" came Miss Fowl's voice, interrupting the argument. "Let's get in line for your – bra-a-a-awk - individual photos. Then we can take the class picture and get ba-a-ack to class."

As Jimmy headed into the auditorium and shuffled towards the end of the line leading to the photographer Cindy cut in front of him. "Pearls before swine, Neutron," she shot back at him. "And this way I don't have to worry about the lens breaking before they take my picture."

"No," Jimmy admitted with a vicious smile. "Just when they take your picture." As Cindy turned away, hurt and unable to think of a crushing comeback, Jimmy silently reproached himself. Now why had he said that? What was it about Cindy that seemed to bring out the worst in him? Sometimes she seemed closer to him than anyone else he knew, but at other times she was like a complete stranger. He sighed unhappily. It was almost like living in an insane soap opera.

As Jimmy brooded Cindy was having similar thoughts about Jimmy. While there were other boys for whom her feelings waxed and waned Jimmy had somehow always remained on her mind, something like (she thought) a nagging headache she couldn't quite get rid of. Usually he was just an intellectual annoyance with an aggravating air of superiority, but there were other times when she felt that he was the only thing that really mattered in her life.

The line moved slowly forward as, one by one, the students had their portraits taken. As each subject took his or her place in front of the camera, striving to strike a suitable pose, various thoughts passed through each their minds.

Jimmy and Cindy had another fight, thought Carl. Why do they always have to fight?

Click.

If only Ultra Lord were here to help, Sheen mused. Ultra Lord can do anything. Well, him and Jimmy.

Click.

When are those two ever going to put it all together? thought Libby.

Click.

Stupid boy genius, Cindy seethed. Why can't he just wake up and realize the truth?

Click.

Maybe it's my fault we have these problems, Jimmy thought. I just wish I knew what was going on.

Click.

At length all the individual and class photographs were taken and the students filed back to their classrooms to continue their classes for the day. As the photographer began packing up his equipment a shadowy figure emerged from the darkness of the stage wings. "You have it?" the figure asked in a muffled voice.

"I have it." The photographer detached a small box from the side of the camera and held it out. As the dark shape reached out a hand for it the photographer pulled it back. "The money?"

Without a word the shadowy form held out a thick wad of bills, which the photographer greedily accepted. He quickly riffled through the bills and, satisfied that the full amount was there, held out the box. The dim shape accepted it and carefully secreted it on its person. "Excellent. My plan goes as…" The figure struggled for a suitable end to the statement. "…planned," the muffled voice completed lamely.

"Just what is your plan? And what does that box do?"

"Is that really important to you?"

The photographer hesitated as he considered it and then shrugged. "No," he replied absently, counting through the large stack of bills in his hands again. "I guess it isn't." As he did so the mysterious figure melted back into the darkness, smiling in satisfaction. Phase One of Neutron's destruction was complete. Phase Two was about to begin.

End of Chapter 1.