Disclaimer: I don't own Jimmy Neutron.
How to Deal
Eleven year old Cindy Vortex gazed out her window with tears in her eyes. Nine o'clock flashed on her bedside alarm clock—he hadn't showed up yet. It was the third time in the past two weeks that Jimmy Neutron had broken off another date he had planned for them.
Flashback:
"Cindy, wait up! Cindy!" he called out to the angry blonde, storming out of the school building.
"Get away from me, Nerdtron!" she snapped, picking up speed as she headed for home. After only getting a few hundred feet, she felt a hand latch onto her arm, pulling her back into the arms of her boyfriend.
"I'm warning you—let me go now!" she growled venomously, trying to keep her composure, which unfortunately hadn't lasted for very long. A few tears were already present on her face as she continued to hide the fact that she was breaking down inside. How could he just forget about the stargazing event he planned for them!
"I know I forgot again, Cindy…It's just…I've been performing some routine maintenance on the lab. All these storms we've had lately have disrupted the computers that operate everything—if VOX isn't working properly, I won't even be able to get into my lab much less work on my inventions. Worst of all, my DNA scanner is broken! It's taken me weeks—"
"Yeah, yeah yeah, it's always about you, isn't it? You said you would meet me AT THE PARK after 7:30 and you weren't even there! I try to call your house and your mom tells me you're pulling another 'all nighter' in the lab! You knew we had a date this week and last week and you completely blew me off!"
Jimmy looked sheepishly at his hands before he locked his gaze into Cindy's deep emerald eyes. "I didn't—"
"Yes you did. Jimmy, you call your girlfriend if you're not going to be able to do something with her. What you've done the last two times is rude…inconsiderate."
Not being able to control her emotions any longer, she felt the tears gush down her cheeks uncontrollably. He reached up and brushed away a few of the tears with his hand.
"I'm so sorry, Cindy." He whispered softly, pulling her into his arms, feeling a rush of guilt spread over him.
Her facial expression softened as he was holding her. Even still, something had to give. "I think we should take a break…this isn't working out so well…"
He paused for a moment as the couple pulled apart from their embrace. Then, came the three word sentence that completely melted her heart.
"Cindy, I love you…"
Love was a very complicated word…one minute it could mean commitment and devotion, the next, lies and betrayal. In this case it meant both. Her family problems at home were enough as it is, but when her boyfriend was added into the equation of emotional problems she was having, it had become next to impossible to bear.
"I know things between us haven't been easy lately, but… I never meant to hurt you, Cin. The last thing I'd want is to see you cry. You have to believe that."
Cindy nodded in acknowledgement, allowing him to continue.
"Please give me another chance…I want to make this work."
Cindy, about ready to respond, was interrupted by Jimmy holding up a hand.
"I know, Cindy, you've already given me a second chance so why should I have a third? Maybe this will answer your question."
He pulled a small box from behind his back and placed it in her palm.
"This isn't one of your inventions, is it?" she replied, carefully inspecting the box.
He shook his head and smiled, "Open it."
Jimmy eagerly watched as Cindy cautiously opened the tiny package. Inside was a small ring with an inscription written on the outside:
'J+C Forever'
Letting out a soft gasp, she looked deep into his eyes.
"Jimmy…where did you get this? Why?"
"I made it out of some scrap silver I found a few weeks ago. I was meaning to give it to you, but I wanted to wait for just the right moment."
Cindy had a dreamy, contented look on her face which soon melted into an expression full of skepticism.
"The right moment…"
Jimmy took a few steps towards the confused preteen.
"You don't like it?"
"Neutron, if this is a sympathy gift, I can't accept this. If you really and truly love me, you're gonna have to prove it."
He grabbed her hand and led her to the hovercar. After they climbed in, Jimmy put his arm around her waist and pulled her closer to him, leaving Cindy anxiously hoping that he would do something right for once.
"There's going to be a stargazing expedition tonight at Lookout Point. I'm going to take you, and you're going to dress nice. I'll pick you up in the hovercar outside your window," he instructed as they were headed towards Cindy's house.
Cindy sighed as she started toying with the ring he had given her. She still hadn't found the guts to put it on, as she rolled it around in her hand, observing all the different colors the ring possessed in the sunlight. She felt a hand run through her hair as Jimmy snuggled closer to her.
"How do I know you're actually going to show up this time?"
Jimmy took the ring out of her hand and placed it on her right ring finger. He then slowly turned her face towards his, placing a finger underneath her chin.
"Because nothing is going to tear me away from what matters to me most," he replied softly as he slowly advanced towards the girl, brushing his lips softly against hers. She almost wanted to pull away and slap him for everything he's put her through, but, knowing what kind of effect his kiss had upon her, she closed her eyes and returned the emotional display of affection that was bestowed upon her, desperately holding onto what was left of their troubled relationship.
Once they parted, Jimmy gave Cindy an encouraging smile.
"I want you to think of me every time you wear this ring. It symbolizes the strong feelings I have for you."
Cindy began to question her faith she had in the boy sitting next to her. She had been in love with him from the first day she saw him, and the thought of breaking up with him literally ripped her apart inside. He was everything she had been looking for in a potential romantic interest: kind, extremely smart, handsome...way better looking than Nick ever was.
But what had become pure romance the first few months of their relationship was merely salvageable at this point. She didn't feel like she had the Jimmy she once had. The Jimmy she knew never missed a date, never forgot about her, and was always there for her when it counted.
He was now taking everything he had with her for granted everything they shared. Even after all they've been through, nothing seemed to mean a whole lot anymore. He only wanted to spend time with Cindy when it was convenient for his schedule—heaven forbid his lab work get in the way of a relationship. His work came first before anything else…even his other friends came before she did. But then again, her best friend Libby wasn't really a part of Jimmy's group anymore, either. They had both drifted away for 'scientific reasons' Jimmy never would mention, except that he didn't want the girls, especially Cindy, getting hurt.
Jimmy pulled over to her bedroom window, while Cindy grabbed her books and looked into his eyes one last time with an uncertain expression. She wanted to trust him, but she knew something still wasn't right.
He wrapped her into a protective embrace, brushing a few stray strands of hair from her face.
"Don't worry about anything. Go ahead and get ready. I'll pick you up around 7:30."
And with that, she climbed inside her window as Jimmy gave her a see you later kiss and headed off towards his respected home.
"Jimmy…where are you?" she whispered irately, banging her fist on the windowpane as more tears fell down her face. How could he do this, especially after he said he wouldn't?
Cindy slowly maneuvered herself away from the window to her dresser set. Dressed in a tight form-fitting strapless black dress with matching black flats, a small amount of makeup, and free-flowing long blonde hair, she was the definition of true beauty. What Jimmy could possibly still be doing in that lab of his that was more important than his date with the girl he supposedly loved, was beyond her.
She grabbed a few more Kleenexes and sat down on the edge of her bed and continued to sob, until she heard a familiar voice call out to her.
"Cindy?"
She reopened her eyes to see Jimmy standing in a dress suit beside her.
"Jimmy?" she whimpered softly, looking into his eyes.
He drew her into his arms as she cried softly.
"Don't cry, Cindy…I'm here."
All sorts of thoughts flooded the blonde's mind as to how he got in her room, seeing as how the window was shut, why he was so late, and why he even bothered to show at all. Regardless of those questions, she needed him badly. Having a broken heart was simply not going to do at all.
"You're so beautiful…" he told her as he wiped away the tears that continued to cascade down her face.
She was utterly speechless…Jimmy even being in her room at that present moment had to be too good to be true.
"I didn't think you were coming…" she murmured quietly as she closed her eyes, inhaling the light, fragrant cologne he was wearing.
"How could I forget?" he grinned, as his lips met hers in a deep kiss.
He pulled away slowly, giving her a quick squeeze. "You ready to go?"
And, just like that, all the fears Cindy had…come true.
She nodded her head in response, but when she opened her eyes…he was gone.
"Jimmy?" she looked around worriedly, in all directions.
"Jimmy…I'm ready to go." She said again, hoping he'd reappear…to at least tell her he wanted to see her, if not to take her anyplace at all.
However, it was evident after several minutes of searching that Jimmy was never there—it had all been in her imagination. And that was when something inside her finally snapped. Cindy finally came to the realization that Jimmy Neutron did not love her. He never did.
Out of frustration and heartbreak, Cindy angrily swiped everything off her dresser, knocking pictures, makeup and jewelry to the ground with a loud crash. She grinned out of satisfaction when the picture of her and Jimmy from a recent dance had been cracked as she placed it into a separate container. She then forcibly pulled the ring he had given her earlier off her finger and placed it back in the box he had given her.
Not bothering to change into her pajamas, she quickly turned out the light and flung herself into bed, crying herself into a deep, deep slumber.
Several hours later, a figure climbed through her window and sat on the edge of Cindy's bed.
"Cindy…" he whispered softly, running his fingers through her hair as he came across the container, as well as the rubble scattered all over her bedroom floor.
"I know you hate me," he sighed sadly, placing one final chaste kiss on her lips, "But I love you…"