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She paused right outside her locker that afternoon, when she heard a familiar voice.
"-Not that I don't like her, she's just, well," she heard a haughty laugh from a from around the corner.
Another voice chimed in as he said in a deep tone. "I don't know dude, you said yourself, she's not giving it up."
"Dude," she heard him say with a grinned whisper. "What do you think I have Betty for?"
Her heart dropped. He didn't mean...
The other deeper voice chuckled with his friend. "Dude, that's sick," she could hear them high five each other. "You're the man, Nick."
"Tell me something I don't know, Butch."
Her face grew hot with anger as hers welled up with shameful tears, threatening to fall.
She was so stupid. She should have known.
Ever since his stupid sixteenth birthday party a few weeks ago, he had tried to make a move, but she had indeed declined. Apparently wanting to wait for the right moment, was too late for someone like Nick Dean.
Her chest rose with fury as quickly wiped her tears away, hearing his voice grow close around the corner.
"See ya later, dude!" Nick called to a departed Butch over his shoulder.
He came face to face with his "girlfriend" just as he rounded the corner. His eyes grew slightly in apprehension, unprepared for her sudden appearance. Nevertheless, he ran a cool hand through his long dark hair and flashed her a signature grin, as he greeted her coolly. "Hey, babe, what's up?"
She narrowed her eyes. "I'll tell you 'what's up'," she growled at him. Without warning, she reared her right hand back and slapped him hard across the face.
The smack was so loud it rendered the hallways silent for just a moment, aside from the other passing by onlookers that had the unfortunate view of their scene.
"Ow!" Nick cried out in pain, as he held his cheek in shock. "What the hell, Cindy?"
"The next time you wanna cheat on a girl, you better hope she's nicer than I am, cause we're through, Nick."
His eyes widened in panic as he watched her start to walk away. "Wait, hold on babe, just a second!"
Her eye twitched as she spun around to face him angrily. "Let's get something straight." She growled in his face. His eyes widened in fear with her sudden close proximity. "I'm not your babe." She enunciated darkly. "So you can run back to Miss Betty Boring all you want." Her face grew warm, as she retorted smartly. "Well," she snorted sarcastically, "I guess according to you, she isn't all that boring, now is she?"
He scrunched his brow in feigned desperation. Clearly his acting wasn't as good as she remembered from Elementary school. "W-what are you talking ab-"
"Don't play dumb with me, you jerk!" Her eyes welled up once more but she refused to cry in front of him. She wouldn't give that satisfaction.
"I heard you talking to Butch!" She snarled, repeating his friend's words. "'I wouldn't give it up', right?" She blinked furiously.
Nick sighed, as he rolled his eyes in understanding, as his expression changed quickly. "So that's what this is about," he shook his head carelessly. "Hey," he dropped the act quickly, as he realized there was no coming back from their conversation anyway. "It's not my fault you're a prude." He offered her a slick smile, as he watched her jaw slightly tremble with frustration, as he leaned forward with a sickening grin. "What's the matter, gonna cry about it?"
Something inside the blonde teen snapped, as her brow furrowed, her eyes darkened, and her tone growled with disdain. She leaned forward in one swift motion and grunted with venom. "I'll give you something to cry about."
Suddenly her shin met his crotch, as she swiftly kicked him to the ground. He fell immediately letting out a yelp of distress.
"Yoww!" He wailed in high pitched moan, as fell helplessly to the ground. Two of his friends from the basketball team caught the scene and helped him immediately, as they gave her a sour look.
As if she were the one in the wrong.
Typical, she thought. She sneered in their presence as the boys carried their injured friend to the nurse. She could hear him cry down the hall, "You're crazy, Vortex!"
She shook her head, as her public display grew some over the few minutes, as the witnesses stood by to watch the aftermath. But she was too tired to even entertain.
"Well, whaddya looking at, the shows over people!" She shouted gruffly.
This made some of her peers disperse, as she laid her head to the back of her locker door.
She should have known this would happen. How could she be so stupid? All those late night "study sessions" he claimed he had with a tutor was probably with Little Miss Popular the whole time.
She finally wiped her eyes of her previous tears, as a nearby locker door shut to her attention.
Glancing to her left, she immediately regretted her actions, as she caught a familiar blue eyed glance staring back at her with a mix of sorrow and apprehension.
Great, she huffed, internally.
They were soft and full of concern for once, as he sheepishly began. "Cindy-"
"Not a word, Neutron!" She barked at the teen genius as she stomped away, silently begging him to not follow.
He let out a tired sigh, as he called after her. "Cindy, wait!"
Apparently she couldn't be that lucky.
He jogged up to her step, having been slightly taller than her over the years (as if he would let her forget) and tried again.
"Look, I wasn't trying to eavesdrop," he started.
"Oh, you mean my little display of an outburst didn't give you satisfaction?" She spat with disgust, even if it was misguided.
Jimmy must have thought so too, as he continued on anyway, dismissing her anger. "I know you're not really angry with me, you're angry with-"
She whirled around suddenly and pointed a harsh finger in his face. "Don't you dare say his name." She practically seethed.
He blinked for a moment, before he continued. "As I was saying," he tried again. "Misdirected anger aside, you didn't deserve that," he hesitated as his tone softened. "And for what it's worth, I'm sorry."
Cindy shook her head. She knew his words were nothing less of support. But it still angered her to have him bear witness.
It was super embarrassing.
Especially in front of Neutron.
"Sure you are," she scoffed. She turned to walk away, but he followed her anyway, undeterred.
"No, seriously, I mean it," his voice cushioned as he continued warmly. "Nick's a jerk, and a real idiot, if you ask me."
"Well, I didn't." She snapped at him suddenly.
He flinched in her quick turn to him, as he tried to rebuttal. "Look, I know you're upset, but-"
"You know what? Who cares what you think?" She stepped closer to him, as she poked him hard in the chest with each phrase of emphasis. "Who cares what he thinks? I don't need him, and I don't need your stupid opinion, Nerdtron!" She yelled loudly, as other students passed them quickly.
Jimmy rolled his eyes as he tried to control the situation. "Cindy, please calm down, you're starting to create a scene."
She snarled. "I don't care!" She bellowed into his face. "Let me people stare at me!" She waved her arms in the air, as she ranted on. "I want everyone to know what a big stupid-"
"Cindy," he tried to hold on to her arms as he gently calmed her. ""Just relax-"
Her chest grew tight.
"Lying, cheating-"
Her voice began to break, as she tried to choke back a sob.
She closed her eyes, and fell into Jimmy's shoulder, sobbing into his red polo.
He stumbled back slightly at her sudden weight into him, stunned at not only her close proximity but just the situation in itself.
His eyes softened as she cried into his neck, holding onto him as if he would float away if she didn't. He reached a hand around her back and soothed her to calmness.
"I'm so sorry, Cin."
His tone was everything opposite of its usual condescending demeanor. It's not that they hadn't remained friends over the years, because they did... to some degree.
After their best friends started dating in the sixth grade, it really left her with no choice.
But she'd be lying if she said she didn't enjoy his company, even if it was just to banter pedantically about academics.
There was something about that she did miss. But as they got older, she noticed, they seemed to argue less, and spent even less time together.
But once she started dating Nick a few months ago, all her adventures seemed to suddenly cease.
It was very strange.
She scolded herself. She probably looked like an idiot crying in his arms over an even bigger idiot.
She pulled back, with a solid sniffle, and mumbled. "No, I'm sorry," she wiped her eyes. "I just..." she shook her head, as she omitted aloud barely over a whisper for him to hear. "What's wrong with me, Jimmy?"
She expected some backhanded comment about her 'loud mouth' or 'abrasive cactus attitude' as he liked to call it; Or nothing but negative thoughts just to bring her down in her moment of weakness.
But instead, he surprised her when he murmured back softly. "Nothing."
Her eyes glanced up to see him, with a worried expression that somehow still shone like diamonds even when he was perturbed. How was it that he could still render her speechless with just a simple glance in her direction?
How was it that after all this time, the small internal flame that she tried to snuff out for him over the years, could never really ever burn out?
She hated it.
And somehow... she couldn't let it go.
"Why?" She shook her head in disbelief. "Why are you being so nice to me?"
She didn't mean to be rude, but somehow she could still see the flash of hurt in his eyes, as if she asked the most ridiculous question ever.
His arms fell in disbelief. "Because," he answered honestly. "Despite the fact that we may bicker on the rare occasion and seem to find displeasure in one's academic appreciation in one another," his expression relaxed, as he watched her roll her puffy eyes. "I still consider you my friend, Cindy."
Her green eyes grew warm at her brainy neighbor, as he went on.
"And..." he paused. "I... don't like to see you this upset," he gestured to her pouty face. "Especially over that Neanderthal," he cracked a smile. "I mean, come on, his GPA couldn't have been anything more than a 2.5."
She couldn't help but choke out a small chortle. "Try 2.3." She corrected him with a brief smile.
"See?" Jimmy's smile widened. "Exactly my point." His voice turned tender for just a moment as he truthfully said. "You were too good for him anyway."
He suddenly looked down, clearing his throat in the moment, as he pointed a thumb behind him. "Well, I better get going, I gotta upgrade Goddard's internal hard drive tonight." He chuckled lamely. "Long night in the Lab ahead of me."
She watched his form start to drift backwards, as he asked. "Are you gonna be okay?"
She nodded slowly, as she looked to the door behind him. "I think so..." she trailed off.
Because truthfully, she would be.
And if she didn't know any better, she would say he had to agree.
He nodded simply. "Good." With a flick of his wrist he pulled out the key to his Hover Car as he waived goodbye to her.
He hadn't gotten far before she called out to him.
"Hey, Jimmy?"
He stopped dead in his tracks at the sound of his first name.
Slowly he turned to see her pouty face once more, as she sheepishly asked, "Can you give me a ride home?"
A small smile tugged at the base of his lips, as he cocked his head curiously to the side. He nodded slowly as he looked at her with a strange expression. "Yeah, of course."
Her green eyes sparkled with a previous shimmer, as she quipped sarcastically."Do you need the directions to my house or do you think you can find it?"
He rolled his eyes playfully, as he led them out into the courtyard and into the parking lot.
"I'm sure I'll manage just fine."
When they reached the Hover Car, as she climbed in, she leaned over and kissed his cheek sweetly.
He stiffened at her close touch as he turned to her with a raised eyebrow and small grin.
"May... I ask what that was for?"
Her smile softened as she omitted. "For being a good friend."
His smile stretched, as he started the vehicle and flew them upwards and into the sky.
And as she flew next to him, she marveled in her view of the clouds and as the trees began to grow smaller.
Something told her she should have broken up with Nick a long time ago.
And after that evening, she would realize she was right.