AN: YEA! I've finally finished a story! I'm sorry it's so short- but, this chapter really wraps it up quite well,I think. (unless I think of somewhere else to go with this fic...but I'm really liking it the way it is...what do you think?)
Reveiwers: I had so many lovely revewers, I had to reply to them at the end of the chapter so as to get to the story quicker. Thank you, everyone, and I hope you like this fic!
Disclaimer: Between whom is a hearty truth, there is love. - Henry David Thoreau
Chapter 4
Tears kissed her face as she moved the hair behind her ear. Drawing up her face to meet his eyes, she tried again to croak out the word. "Hello." She said, tautly.
He was unable to answer.
She cautiously took a step toward him. "Nerdt-" She swallowed. "I-" She stopped, searching for words.
"I can't believe you're here." Jimmy said finally, truth serum speaking its part.
She shrugged as if to belie her fear.
"Why-" Jimmy remembered his previous occupation and wiped his face quickly. "Why are you here?"
She fixed her stony gaze on him. "You know why." Her inner voice spat at him. "To get the truth." Giving voice to her weariness, she sighed. "I just want the truth."
"But I already-"
"From you."
"But-"
"Not the serum."
He paused, finally allowing this to sink in.
"Listen, you've done plenty of weird things before. You probably stuck yourself with some pheromones again. Whatever it was that-"
"I didn't stick myself with pheromones. It was a truth serum. Cindy, I-"
She shook her head violently. "We're not getting anywhere here, are we."
"No, but-"
"Maybe I shouldn't have come."
He closed his mouth against the admonishments that tried to come. "It's growing weaker." He realized to himself.
Her eyes betrayed her once more as a tear rolled down her face. "Look, I'm sick of playing games, Nerdtron. I'm sick of dealing with this. I don't know why you do the things you do. Why you hurt me- then turn around and do something nice. Why you act disgusted when I'm around…and still, I'm the first one you run to when you have 'invention' problems. I put you down- hit you- yell at you- still, you fight back. Why?" She said, crushing her hands together as she articulated the final cry.
His shoulders dropped with every word. "It's true. It's all true, what she's saying. But how do I get her to believe the truth?" "Cindy." He began, sucking in air as if it were honesty. "I know you won't believe me, but I'll say it again. I'm sorry for everything I put you through. I was stupid- I was wrong. But, most of all, I was scared." With every word, his heart beat faster, signaling the departure of the chemicals from his body.
"Scared. Of what? That I might actually call you a friend? What's wrong with that? What's wrong with-"
"Haven't you been listening? You are my friend. I wanted more! Gas planets! Come on, Vortex, I know you're smarter than this! Why do you think I berated you? Competed with you? Acted like I hated you? It was all a mediocre defense against my feelings!"
She blinked back tears at his sudden revelation. "Could a serum really do this to him?" She wondered, silently. Finally, she just shook her head. "I- I shouldn't have come. This isn't you, Jimmy. Whatever you did to yourself-" She backed away slowly as she raised her chin in defiance of the crushing weight on her chest. "You'll have to fix yourself. I'm done trying to keep up with the boy genius of Retroville." She said, sarcasm clinging to his title. "I liked you better when you were a jerk." She turned to go.
He crashed his eyes closed. "Arg!" The frustrated sound escaped his mouth as he shook his head. "This is too much to take!" He said, with remonstration, to himself. "Is it too late to ask for a miracle?"
As she reached the door, the rush in her head began to dissipate into a steady thump…thump… It took her a moment to recognize her heartbeat, rapidly firing off signals to remind her she was alive.
And as he watched her go, his own heart sank lower. He felt the chemical drain from his body with every breath, but still he was left with no recourses. She lifted her hand to the button, summoning the elevator.
He closed his eyes once more, praying that he could get the image of her departure from his head. The chime sounded, a once friendly sound turned sour in their ears. Suddenly, he looked up in astonishment.
"The sky is purple!" He said loudly, wide eyed.
Confusion overtook her- she turned her head toward this fictitious comment. "What?"
"With green stripes!"
She matched his wide-eyed look. "You're crazy." She whispered.
"No, I'm not." He said, stepping closer to her. "I'm a liar!"
She just looked at him, trying to put the pieces of the Neutronic puzzle together.
"Don't you see? I can lie! The serum wore off! I told you it would."
She felt her face regress into disgust once more. "Whoop-dee-do for you. So now can we put the drama of tonight behind us. You're over your episode. Now leave me alone."
She went to step into the elevator, but he cut off her course. Putting either hand on the edges of the doorway, he blocked the elevator door with his body.
"No."
She looked him in the eye, too weary to answer. "What is this, the hundred faces of Jimmy Neutron? Isn't he done messing with my head? I can't take much more of this." She argued, in her mind.
"Cindy-" He said, looking her in the eyes. His stare was steady as a smile grew on his face. "I'm not under the serum anymore. Isn't that what you wanted? The real me, not my drug?"
She looked away.
"Well, here's your chance."
She whipped her head around, eyes blazing. "Fine. Fine! Have it your way. Wake me up in the middle of the night, mess with my head, then 'Oh! It's so amazing! I'm back to my normal self!'" She mocked, voice rising a pitch to emphasize her pain. "Fine. Answer me, then, Normal Jimmy. What has this whole night been about? I mean, just for once, will you tell me what you really think about me so we can put this behind us and go on with our lives?" She shouted.
His smile grew. "Will you believe me if I tell you, Dorktex?"
She couldn't keep the tear precariously hanging from falling over the edge of her eye. "He's back to insulting me- he really is himself. I guess he doesn't need to tell me- I already know."
"Well?" He pressured, deep blue eyes piercing into her own.
"Sounds like you're back to normal, all right. Why shouldn't I?" She said, words encrusted with pain and sharp at the edge.
"Fine. You want to know how I really feel- I'll lay it on the line."
She closed her eyes to listen to his tart report. Seconds flew by like lifetimes as she prepared her heart to be crushed once more. Suddenly, her eyes flickered open as she felt a hand on her face. He drew her closer, softly but firmly, and before her brain could register what was happening-
"He's kissing me." She told herself, unbelievingly.
"I'm kissing her!" His inner voice cheered.
Finally, they broke away, each one silently contemplating the ramifications of the moments that had passed. He was the first to speak- looking at her with a provisional smile.
"That's what I think about you. That's what I'll always think about you."
Still she could form no words.
"And if you don't believe me-"He said, with a insolent look, "I'll just have to prove it to you. And keep proving it until you believe me. It might take days- it may take years. But I will eventually. You're right- we've spent to much time tiptoeing around our feelings. I'm not going to watch you walk out my door like this."
She blinked back fresh tears as she smiled diffidently. "I-" She swallowed. He watched her face carefully, his heart hanging by a thread, attached to her words. "I don't believe you." She said, looking downward.
His heart crashed. "How can she not feel it? Doesn't she see I'm telling the-"
But his words were cut off by her devilish smile as she raised an eyebrow.
"You're just going to have to prove it."
And as the realization of the taunt set in, his smile grew to a grin. She slipped past him and hit the button on the elevator.
Looking at her brashly, he shook his head with a laugh as the door swept closed.
"I don't know what jut happened…" He thought to himself. "But I can't wait to find out."
He thought to himself.And as the sun rose on a new day, the colors of the sky reflected on her back as she crossed the street to her home. She pulled her weary body along, sustained by the thought echoing in her mind- the serration made in her heart by the events of the night strengthened further by the words of Blaine Pascal.
"We know the truth not only by reason…" She reminded herself, remembering her disinclination to believe his words of truth. "But also by the heart."
She reminded herself, remembering her disinclination to believe his words of truth.She felt the glow of his smile on her lips, and grinned.
For once, she was glad he had been proved right.
The truth, at last, had reached their hearts.
Well, what do you think? PLEASE be sure to review!
Thanks to:
rikagirls; cutterforthecause;kingdom219 : Thank you! i'm so glad you like it!
kirarafanatic: Um...okay!
Nomia; And FOREVER (Passes around a tissue box) here you go!
samuraistar: BWAHAHA! Now you can find out "what noise"! And, get a dictonary! ; )
Elynsynos 18: Thank you so much for the well thought out review- I really appreciate ppl helping me improve!What I meant in the part about Jimmy's peotic...ness, was that what he said what poetic, not that he planned it that way. (EvenSheen can be poetic by accident, lol!). You'retotally right about the ending- I hate it, myself, buti wasgoing through some SERIOUS writers block-I feel bad for sacrifing my ending like that. Thanks for the compliments! I know I've improved: i read my old stuff and GAG! Thanks, though, seriously. I hope you enjoy this chapter as well.
CindyNeutron3: HAHA! (Revelation 19:10)
TheInVisibleGirl: (pulls TheInVisibleGirl off the edge) Don't do anything rash! Here's another chapter!
acosta pérez josé ramiro: That's exactly the points of my fic! HAHA, you've hit the head of the nail: Truth is not painful, but keeping it in is, as Jimmy and Cindy learns by the end...as you shall seeeeeee...BWA-HA-HA!