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Junior prom was supposed to be fun, like in one of those 2000’s coming-of-age romcoms that all teenage girls watched. Mean Girls, The Hot Chick, 10 Things I Hate About You, etc. Well, there was a certain thing that Cindy hated— getting ditched. And by the most popular, good-looking guy in her grade, too. She should have expected it, honestly.
Then again, why would Nick ask her to prom if he didn’t really mean it? Was she the second option? Cindy swallowed hard and made her way to the exit. Ugh, and she’d found the prettiest crimson red dress to wear and she didn’t want it to go to waste, but Cindy really just wanted to leave and practice her t’ai chi for a few hours to blow off some steam. Her parents wouldn’t care enough and Libby was out dancing with Sheen; Cindy couldn’t ruin that for her friend, even if she was having a hard time. Not that she exactly needed the comfort— Libby wouldn’t understand. Let’s not even mention Neutron. She was utterly alone.
During one of the slow dances, Cindy snuck out through the back door of the gym to sit on the concrete stairs and get a breath of fresh air. She clenched her jaw to the point of nearly shattering her teeth and she took a deep breath in. Holding her breath until she felt her face about to explode, she exhaled sharp enough to draw blood. Running a hand through her fancy-schmancy hairstyle, Cindy couldn’t help but think of how she’d been played. Nick went to the prom, alright— but ditched her for Betty Quinlan. She had Neutron wrapped around her finger for all of middle school, and now she was out to get Nick. Ah, who needs ‘em? Betty was out to get her for sure. Stole Neutron, waited for Cindy to get over him (not!), and then once Cindy has the opportunity to go to prom with Nick, she gets her grubby little paws on him, too! Good glory.
It was a little chilly outside— if only she had a jacket, things would be alright. It was a little cloudy and the bright white stars twinkled, as if taunting her from afar. She scoffed in their direction. Come to think of it, Cindy didn’t even have a ride home. Nick picked her up in his oldies hotrod that he got from an uncle or something that she didn’t care enough to remember. She sighed again, feeling real sorry for herself. All those extensive talks from her mother and father about how she couldn’t rely on anyone, and now she found herself stood up at the prom. Go figure. She ran her fingers across the goosebumps raising on her arms, thoughts of loneliness and disappointment in herself bursting in her mind like water balloons hitting a sidewalk. They evaporated soon enough, but it was one hell of a water balloon fight against herself.
Running a hand across her face, she sighed to herself. She was strong enough to handle being ditched at prom.
Feh!
Nick didn’t know what he was missing. She was a trophy and he was a fool not to realize that.
The door opened, a wave of pulsing dance music becoming louder as it opened. Footsteps neared her and she figured it was just Oleander and his girlfriend or something passing by. How wrong she was. The figure sat down next to her and said nothing. Feeling the presence of the person sitting next to her in silence like static electricity, Cindy took a peek at who it was.
“...Neutron?” she muttered, turning to face him. Jimmy shrugged and met her gaze. He was dressed exceptionally handsome. Cindy always did think he looked nice in a suit.
“Yeah?”
Cindy raised a brow and scooted away— he was too close for comfort. He didn’t move, keeping his distance. “Don’t you have a girl to be dancing with or something?” she grumbled.
Upon closer inspection, it seemed they were both in the same boat. Jimmy looked as disappointed as she did— maybe more. “I could say the same thing about you.”
Cindy couldn’t argue with that one. As if she didn’t already know the answer to the question she was about to ask. “So, who’d you bring to the dance?”
He took a moment to speak, gazing out into space. “Betty,” Jimmy quietly answered, a sad tone to his voice. “You?”
“Nick,” she divulged, crossing her arms and resting them on her knees.
He cocked a brow at her. Jimmy knew exactly what happened now. “Ditched?”
“Ditched.”
“Mmm. Also got ditched,” the boy repeated, scoffing. His eyebrows were pressed together so hard that it gave him a little knot between them. “I got her a corsage and everything. Waste of money.”
“Mmm,” Cindy agreed. “How much are you out?”
“Thirty bucks.” Something was really eating away at Jimmy. He pointed a thumb to the metal gym door with a rock used as a door stopper. “You know, they’re out dancing as if we don’t exist.”
Cindy could believe that one. “Yeah. We danced for, like, one song and then Nick said he was going to the bathroom or something and next thing I know, he’s getting all handsy with Betty,” she scoffed. “Should’ve never said yes.”
“I agree with you there,” he sighed. “I was so stupid for asking Betty to come with me.” They were silent for a small while, just soaking up the atmosphere like a sponge. “You gonna go home..?” Jimmy hesitantly asked.
“I was gonna wait it out here until Libby wanted to leave. Nick was my ride here, and with the way he’s acting with Betty, I don’t think I’m exactly welcome for their after-party activities, if you know what I mean,” Cindy grumbled sarcastically, giving Neurtron a knowing look. She half expected him to give her a crude gesture back. He didn’t, thankfully.
Jimmy was silent again, mulling something over. What it was, Cindy couldn’t tell. After about thirty seconds, he cleared his throat. “I could take you home, if you want,” he offered in a quiet voice, almost like he was trying to convince himself that she couldn’t hear it.
Cindy was confused. She turned to face him, cocking her head at him. “Why would you do a thing like that? I can walk home.”
“What? No. That’s a stupid thing to do.” Jimmy rolled his eyes and scoffed, rubbing his face and then folding his arms. Cindy walking home by herself? Not safe. “Vortex, I don’t need this. Do you want me to take you home or not?”
She blinked at him. The feelings that she thought she was rid of had suddenly been rekindled like a dying fire. Was it how he said he didn't care but obviously did, or was it the fact that he was offering to take her home when he didn't need to? She could easily catch a ride with Libby or something. “Why would you do that?”
“Look, Cindy—” Jimmy stopped himself before he said something he’d regret. The only reason he really went with Betty was because Nick had asked Cindy before he could get to it. He internally groaned at how stubborn she was. Time for a different approach. “Do you wanna talk about it..?”
“There’s nothing to talk about,” she replied coldly. For one, Cindy was confused. For two, if he really cared, Jimmy would have asked her to prom instead of Nick. In fact, she deliberately gave Nick the cold shoulder until a few days before to see if Jimmy would even try. He never did.
“Alright then,” he mumbled. “Suit yourself, I don't care.”
Fat lie.
Silence fell on them like rain. Neither knew exactly what to say, what to do, what to think. The atmosphere was so thick that you could cut it up like cold butter and serve it with lobster.
“It’s cold out here,” Cindy mumbled, gazing out into the night sky.
Next thing she knew, Jimmy was shrugging out of his dark gray jacket. He wadded it up into a ball— oof, that was gonna be one tough dry cleaning job— and handed it to her. Neutron didn’t look in her direction, clearly trying not to blush or anything. “Here,” he murmured, hand outstretched.
“Neutron—”
He cut her off. “Just take it, Cindy.”
Snatching the jacket from him, Cindy shrugged it on and muttered something that she hoped he wouldn’t hear: “Thanks, Jimmy.”
“Mhmm,” he hummed. “You sure you don’t want me to take you home? I have the hovercar keys on me.”
Cindy scooted a little closer, their fingertips brushing together. “Maybe in a few minutes.”
“Deal.”
They sat alone together. Jimmy had a fleeting sense to wrap an arm around her, but he wasn’t sure if it was the right thing to do. Instead, he stayed frozen in place. Which, in hindsight, was a stupid decision.
“It’s pretty outside.”
“Mmm,” he agreed. “How expensive was your dress? It looks… nice.” He was internally kicking himself. Why couldn’t he just be sincere for once?
She chuckled a little, nudging him. “You can do better than that, Neutron. I’m out of a two-week paycheck— $325.50, not including tax.”
He whistled. “Wow. That’s pretty expensive,” Jimmy commented.
She held up her hands. “Average prom dress price, actually. How much did you spend on your suit?”
Jimmy shrugged. “Nothing, Vortex; my wallet’s holes are microscopic, unlike yours. Might wanna sew it up next chance you get. This is my dad’s old wedding suit.”
“Mmm,” Cindy laughed. “Looks nice on you.”
For once, Jimmy gave her a genuine smile. She could see a slight pepper of color paint his face. His eyes dropped to his feet and he spoke quietly. “Thanks.”
“You’re welcome, Nerdtron,” Cindy smiled, elbowing him. When she set her arm down, her hand was on top of his. Neither acknowledged it.
“You’re being such a baby, you know,” Jimmy grinned.
She shot him a playful glare. “About what?”
“I’d say it’s 62, 63 degrees, tops,” Jimmy stated. He shoved his watch in her face so she could take a look at the temperature. 63.1° F. “You sure you need that jacket?” he teased. “Didn’t take you for such a softie.”
“Oh, shut it, Neutron, the wind is cold,” Cindy snickered. He couldn't argue with that one. “At least I didn’t get a stain from the punch bowl on the cuffs of my dad’s wedding suit.” She held up her free wrist and pointed out the small pink stain.
“For your information, Ms. Vortex, that was Carl’s fault. He bumped into me when he was grabbing a gluten-free snack for his mom,” Jimmy excused.
“He did what now?” Cindy snorted. She was so pre-occupied with how alone she felt that she failed to realize that Carl brought his mother to prom. “Am I hearing you right?”
“No, as loud as you talk, I’m surprised that you don’t need your ears checked. Carl brought his mom,” Jimmy giggled. He gently took her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. Her hand was warm and sent shivers down his spine. His eyes flickered back to her a few times, trying to make sure he made the right move. Neutron chuckled and swallowed nervously. “You sure you don’t wanna go in there and dance a little? We don’t have to go home just yet…”
“Wow,” she gasped, obviously sarcastically. “Well, I’ll be— James Isaac Neutron, asking me to dance? I thought I’d never see the day.”
He blushed furiously at the use of his full name and his obvious request, waving his free hand dismissively in her direction. “Wha—? Cindy—” he spluttered. “I—”
Cindy smirked at Neutron. She looked him squarely in the eyes and snickered at him. Cindy gave him a nasty grin. She loved it when he got all flustered. “Cat got your tongue?”
Jimmy sighed heavily, tore away from her gaze, and pursed his lips before muttering, “Shut it.”
“Or what?” she grinned, batting her eyelashes at him.
Jimmy waited a moment to speak before failing to look her in the eyes and huffing out, “Or you don’t have a ride home.”
“Oh, so scary!” Cindy sarcastically gasped. “Whatever will I do without the help of James ‘Jimmy’ Isaac Neutron?”
Jimmy glared at her, once again blushing at the use of his full name. “I will leave you standing on the side of the road,” he threatened through clenched teeth.
“Like you’d purposefully leave me in a dangerous situation. You care too much,” she snickered, looking over her right hand’s nails. Her left was taken by Neutron. His hand was slightly cold and Jimmy was gripping hers pretty snugly.
“I do not,” Neutron denied. That was one hell of an obvious lie. “I don't care one bit.”
“Mhm,” Vortex hummed. “So why are you holding my hand so tight?”
“Vortex!”
She stood up from the concrete stairs, dusted herself off, and gave him a knowing look. “Whatever you say, Neutron— prom’s almost over. Are we dancing or not?”
“I dunno,” he shrugged, trying to act like he didn’t care. “Are we?”
Muffled noises of the beginning synth score of “Say You, Say Me” could be heard from outside.
“Yes, we are. Get up— they’re playing Lionel Richie in there,” she demanded, nearly tugging his arm from its socket. Cindy shrugged out of his jacket and gave it to him. “Here ya go.”
Jimmy stood and he opened the door for her, letting Cindy enter first— such a gentleman. Inside, the lighting was a dim bluish-purple. Bright streamers decorated nearly every inch of the ceiling. Helium-filled balloons floated up to the ceilings. The floor was crowded with people slow-dancing to “Say You, Say Me.” It was an overplayed song, but secretly, Jimmy wouldn’t have it any other way.
He took her hand, squeezing it gently, and led Vortex to the dance floor. Jimmy gently wrapped his hands around her upper waist and she wrapped her arms around his neck. They gently swayed for a while. Cindy could feel his heart fluttering as she rested her head on his shoulder. Hers was racing at almost the same speed, if not faster. She was torn between teasing him or enjoying the moment. He smelled like cheap Axe cologne, but that was alright— most men didn’t exactly have impeccable senses of cologne. After a short minute of what seemed like hours, she picked up her head and gazed into his kind blue eyes. He gazed back, his eyes crinkling at the corners from how big he was smiling.
“Thanks, Neutron,” Cindy whispered, a grin on her face.
Jimmy gazed back, a soft, sentimental smile on his face. “You almost ready to leave?”
“Yeah.”
“Alright,” he nodded, holding her a little closer. Jimmy could smell her hair— it smelled like jasmine. That was a scent that Cindy could pull off pretty well. If only he could tell her how much this slow dance meant to him.
After another minute, the song ended. Jimmy and Cindy left by the back door exit. He pressed a button on his keys and the hover car made the double beep sound of an unlocking car…
Which was weird, because it didn’t have doors. Or locks, for that matter. Its headlights flashed, making the useless button all the more authentic.
“What’s the noise for?” Cindy asked, pointing a thumb at his hovercar.
“I thought it would be funny,” he shrugged.
“Almost as funny as getting ditched?” Vortex snickered, bumping his shoulder as they walked the short distance to Jimmy’s vehicle.
“Real funny, Vortex,” Jimmy mockingly huffed. “You got ditched, too,” he said as he climbed into the hovercar, turning it on.
Cindy followed suit and sat in the vehicle’s passenger seat. “I prefer the term ‘abandoned’, actually,” Vortex argued, a big smile on her face.
“Ah, my bad. What does that make me?” he replied in a comically serious tone as he started the car and they began to cruise in midair to their neighborhood.
“Ditched, obviously,” Cindy shrugged. “I’m a lady of class; you’re some dork who spends all his time in a homemade lab.”
They hovered across their street and in a matter of seconds, they were stopped outside of Cindy’s house. Her mother had probably gone to bed, as all the lights except for the porch light were on. “I prefer ‘refurbished’, Vortex.”
“My deepest apologies, James,” she uttered in a sarcastic voice.
He went a deep shade of red (it was hard to see because it was night, but it was clearly there) and pursed his lips. “Uh… We’re here, Cindy,” he mumbled.
“Thanks, Jimmy,” she smiled. Cindy had a slightly disappointed look on her face as she stretched her arms and looked around. Her green eyes flickered to his lips and then to his eyes before they settled on the floor. Jimmy wasn’t that great at reading signals, but this one was clear as day.
His gut was telling him to kiss her. If he didn’t do it, he’d be regretting it for days. Jimmy didn’t know exactly what to do, but he grabbed her hand before she got up to make sure he didn’t mess things up or give the impression that there was nothing there. He knew Cindy well enough to know when she wanted something but didn’t want to ask for it. “Cindy?”
“What?”
Jimmy reached over, took her hand, and gave her a sincere look. He leaned in close to her, as did she. Cupping a hand to her face, Jimmy brought her closer until their lips locked like two pieces of a puzzle. He kissed her softly and gently. She kissed him back, running her hands through his hair, cradling his head close to hers. Jimmy smiled slightly into her. He could smell the jasmine again. Pulling away, Jimmy’s hand lingered with hers and he could bet money that he looked like a lovesick fool. It didn’t matter, though.
“Thanks for driving me home, Neutron,” she softly whispered.
“No problem, Cindy,” he smiled. Jimmy stepped over to help her out, but she gently shoved him away. “You alright?”
“Yeah. If my mom sees you, I'm dead meat... Thank you for tonight. I’ll call you later, okay?”
Jimmy grinned back at her. “Deal.”