Only One

I don't own Jimmy Neutron, if I did, there's no way it would have ended that lamely!

A.N. All the kids are now 18ish, except Sheen who's obviously older if you've paid any attention to the show! Also Italics indicates flashbacks.

Jimmy's POV

I thought I had seen her across the room. She was already sitting at a table at the Candy Bar. I approached the table cautiously not really knowing what to expect. It was just like Sheen had said, black dress, long blonde hair, and light lavender rose in her hand. Of course this was just from behind. Somehow I didn't think this date was going to go so well. I still cannot believe I ever let Sheen Estevez set me up on a date.

"Come on Jimmy, you need to get over this whole Betty Quinlin thing. It's been seven years!" Sheen had exclaimed

"7 years 8 months and three days," I replied

"Yeah Jim," Carl piped in, "There are plenty of other fish in the sea, and you can't spend all your life in the lab or doing homework."

"But I have a test coming up in class, a paper, and Goddard needs updating, and I have umm… umm…" I stammered searching for some reply, knowing that sooner or later Sheen was going to talk me into this blind date he had been pushing me to go on.

"Come on Jimmy! I told Libby I could get a date for her friend!"

"No Sheen!" I said finally exasperated with him, walking out of my living room.

I don't know where I was planning on going; I just knew that I couldn't stay there. I didn't want to date anyone, well not just anyone, especially not one of Libby's friends from college. Yeah they may be in college and no offense to them, but really who has the ability to keep up with me? I'm a genius after all. No one's ever been able to keep up with me. Well that's not exactly true, there has been one girl, not that I would admit it to anyone, especially Carl and Sheen. They still think I have something burning for Betty Quinlin.

Betty Quinlin, oh the memories there, or rather lack of them. Yeah I liked her, but that was so elementary of me. I mean that was 7 years ago like Sheen said. I pretty much gave up when she went to the first school dance with Nick Dean. I had just played it up that I liked her because well I couldn't tell the guys who I really liked. I still hadn't admitted it to myself then either. I had just come to grips with it this past year in college.

She and I had separated ways after high school, just as we all had. This just happened to be the first day of Thanksgiving break and I was back in Retroville visiting home for the first time semester. I hadn't realized how much I missed our intellectual debates, well to be honest arguments, until I had left for school this fall.

I was deep in thought when suddenly…

Bam!

I fell to the ground, knocking over someone in the process.

"Nerdtron!"

Oh great! I thought, Just what I need now. Back in town for less than a day and already I had messed things up!

"Why don't you just watch where you're going!" Cindy exclaimed

"Sorry Cindy I didn't see you there" I said offering her a hand up.

She stood and there was an awkward silence that only Cindy and I seem to be able to create. Looking around I realize how far I had come in my ranting angry walk. I don't know how but in the ten minutes I had been walking I had come to downtown Retroville.

Cindy still looked like the same old girl she had been growing up. Well, at least she hadn't changed since I had seen her three months ago. She still had her amazing green eyes, same gorgeous blonde hair, and same saucy attitude. Yeah we still had our spats like in grade school, but they became less frequent and less violent. I still couldn't believe it had taken me so long to realize that I liked her. I should have known sooner but well I may be a genius but when it comes to women, I would have to say that I am a complete idiot.

"Uh…I take it that you're back from school for the holidays?" I asked trying to fill the void where conversation should have taken place.

"Yes and some of us are going to try and enjoy it" She said.

"Aw I said I was sorry."

Again a looming silence followed my comment. Somehow I could feel the silence this time become a bit less foreboding, but still I felt the need to fill it with something. Finally I couldn't take it anymore.

"Any... Anyway where were you headed?" I asked, curious to find out why she was so far from our neighborhood.

"If you must know I was going to meet Libby at the Candy Bar. I haven't seen her in forever it seems and we're having a reunion of sorts."

"Oh… does Sheen know she's back in town yet?" I asked chuckling.

"Libby's back in town!" a voice in the distance pierced the silence.

"I guess he does now," Cindy said giggling slightly.

Sheen and Carl ran up behind us. Inside I sighed. My chance to talk to Cindy alone was gone, and I didn't know when I would get a chance to talk to her before we both had to leave to go back to school. The four of us continued walking.

"Jimmy, have you given any thought to what I said?" Sheen asked.

"No! And that's final," I yelled.

"Wow Jimmy," Libby said, "still trying to work out those anger issues?"

She and Cindy laughed as the five of us entered the Candy Bar, just like old times. None of us had really changed since elementary school. Yeah Carl had lost some weight and gotten rid of his glasses, but he was still the number one member of the Llama Love Society. He was now studying to get a business degree so that he would actually know what he was doing with his llama farm that he had opened up shortly after graduation. I still don't know how he had convinced his mom to let him leave the house. Maybe it had something to do with the fact that Sheen would be moving in with him as well, though that thought should have deterred Mrs. Wheezer.

Sheen was still the Ultra lord fanatic that he was back in elementary school, but his other passion, Libby, kept his mind focused on other things as well. He also gave up wearing his Ultra Lord t-shirt in high school after some heated arguing with Libby and a trip to the mall.

The two of them now lived on a small farm just outside of Retroville. It had plenty of room to grow, as two of them put it. All of us knew however that neither of them were thinking the same thing. Carl about llamas and Sheen about his and Libby's future. I suspect that soon, maybe during Christmas he's going to propose. It really wouldn't shock any of us, seeing as how, well, he keeps talking about it.

Libby too hadn't changed much. She, like Cindy and I had done, had gone off to college to pursue a career in music and business. She was still unsure of what she wants to do, whether it is managing a group like Graystar or be a singer herself. Sheen, we knew, would support her in anything she did.

We all sat down at the table and Sam walked over to take our order.

"I'm busy Friday anyway," I said.

"Friday?" Cindy inquired.

I walked over to the table. I knew who it was before I had even started walking over; well at least I thought I did. This wasn't going to be pleasant. I mean she would be upset, though I didn't mind so much. Maybe then I could finally tell her. I ran my hands through my hair nervously.

"Cindy," I whispered, though there was no way she heard me because at that moment every window exploded throwing glass shards everywhere.

I ducked behind a booth to protect myself from the pointy debris. The room filled with smoke and a familiar scream pierced the darkness ensued. I had heard it many times before but never so gut wrenching. Instantly I sprung up and pressed a button on my watch to clear the smoke from the smoke bombs, but instead of Cindy all that remained in her seat was her purse and a disc.