Come on; ask her out. That curly mop of chestnut hair and lithe figure…and she's reading Marcus Aurelius, just like you…so ask her out! You promised yourself you would put yourself out there and start dating! She's just sitting there all by herself and…and there's nothing wrong with you. What's the worst that can happen? So she says no…in front of everybody…and your spirit is crushed…and you turn that OH so embarrassing shade of purple that you do when you're embarrassed…and everybody gets a good laugh at your expense…!
Sitting in The Peanut Barrel, watching the object of her affection get up and walk out onto Grand River, Zoe Marie Possible did her best to just fade into the woodwork. She blew it…again! What in Heaven's name was WRONG with her? Why couldn't she…GRRRRRRRR…she was hopeless! It wasn't like she could meet somebody like her parents did. What were the odds of that? Sure, she was as much a part of Team Possible as anyone and saved the world alongside her sisters, brother, parents, and everyone else but…Mom and Momma had been rivals…then they'd finally gotten past that when Mom was inadvertently impregnated with Gracie. What were the odds of lightning striking twice?
Given her home life, it wasn't like she'd been ostracized when she'd told her family that she was gay. Mom had even tried to set her up with a junior agent at Global Justice. But…it just didn't come easy to her. Her twin sister Emily had had her sweetheart since they were all babies. Zoe had always had trouble talking to boys…and now that she'd come to grips with herself, she had even MORE trouble talking to women. What kind of sense did that make, not being able to talk to your own flipping gender?
"You know, granted that as a guy I may not be the best authority on how to be a lesbian…though given the house that you and I grew up in, I've certainly been privy to more than most, but I'm fairly certain that being attracted to women is only half the equation. You kinda need to actually take the plunge and go out with them too."
Nick Possible, her younger brother and roommate, set the tray of food down on the table and took a seat with his usual smirk. Quite the hockey star, he'd received scholarships from several well-known schools but when the offer from Michigan State University came in, and with Zoe having already established herself as the team's physical therapist, it made playing for the Spartans to be a huge appeal, especially given how much of a mother bear Momma could be. But Nick had absolutely no right to weigh in on this matter, her younger brother or no. The boy was a regular heartbreaker, never having a shortage of admirers. Always the consummate gentleman, and Mom and Momma would've expected nothing less, Zoe could understand why her baby bro would be so appealing.
"Shut up," She groaned, rolling her eyes as she rubbed her temples in frustration. She took her hotdog and took a few slugs from the Diet Pepsi she'd ordered. Two months into Nick's first year at MSU, this had readily become their routine, meeting for lunch at The Peanut Barrel, enjoying a few classics on the juke box, a little brother-sister bonding. Zoe making a fool of herself, however, was…hopefully…not going to become a part of it. "Why can't I meet someone, Nick; is there something wrong with me?"
"Come on, Sis," Nick swallowed a mouthful of his chicken sandwich. "There's nothing wrong with you. You just…need to get over your shyness. Don't over think it. I know it sounds clichéd but if you just be yourself, let all the ladies out there see the Zoe Possible that Em, Gracie, and I saw every day of our lives, you won't have a Friday night to yourself for years."
"You know, you're right…that IS clichéd. But thanks all the same, little brother." Nick WAS trying to help and Zoe couldn't help but love him for it. Thus far, Nick was shaping into a pretty good roommate. The hockey team, not to mention attempting a degree in Aerospace Engineering, kept him pretty busy but every inch the redheaded force of nature that was their mother, Nick managed to handle all of it, not to mention maintain a flourishing personal life with the greatest of ease. "I guess I'm just a little lonely.
"Hey," He reached over and patted her on the arm. "You know you always got me, Sis."
"Boy, I must've REALLY screwed up in a past life!" Brother-sister bonding was all well and good but hey, she couldn't resist just a little jibbing now and then.
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…KNOCK…KNOCK…
Hadrian began a fit of barking at the prospect of an intruder. Zoe should've known that getting a Siberian Husky would've been akin to getting a guard dog but…when she looked into the eyes of that little puppy when she moved to East Lansing, it had been love at first sight. The hyperactive ball of fur was protective but was still her baby. Zoe darted out of the kitchen, calming him down, and looked through the peep hole. Standing on her doorstep was a not at all unattractive looking brunette, clad in jeans and a pretty high-end looking leather jacket, pretty close to Nick's age. Well…it was a Friday night, Nick didn't have practice or any night classes, so what did she expect? She flipped the lock and opened the door.
"Uh…I'm Kristi. I'm…uh…looking for Nick…"
"Hold on a minute," Zoe stepped towards the stairs. "Little bro, you've got company."
"OH," The girl cried as it dawned on her. "You must be his older sister Zoe." She held out her hand. "Kristi Riggs."
"That's me, plaid pajamas and all," Zoe took the hand cheerfully enough, keeping the other firmly on Hadrian's collar. "Pardon my friend here. He can be a little over-protective."
The pair was silenced by Nick coming down the stairs. Sporting his plum dress shirt and black vest combo, Zoe instantly became very aware that the visitor's eyes and her focus had shifted 100% to Nick. Some things just never changed. Was it Mom or Momma that he got that ability to make an entrance from?
"So Nick…where are you guys going tonight?"
"Well MOMMA, we're going to get a bite to eat at El Azteco and then go to a movie at Wells Hall," He thought he was so slick with his sarcasm. Anyone with eyes could've seen that eye roll. "I hope that meets with your approval."
"Hey, little brother, you know the routine. This is the only thing keeping Momma from completely uprooting everything and moving to East Lansing…and you know from experience that it will be a lot worse having Momma Bear on your tail."
"Kristi, let's go before my sister decided to invite herself along as the third wheel."
"Just don't do anything you'll regret at Mass on Sunday."
"Good NIGHT, Zoe!"
Zoe waved goodbye one last time and returned to the kitchen to finish working on, once again, dinner for one. Hadrian trotted along faithfully behind her, likely expecting a few scraps from her plate. Looking at that dopey dog grin, Zoe's heart just melted. Who needed a date on Friday night? She had a lovable sidekick to keep her company.
"That's right, buddy," Zoe took Hadrian's snout in her hand and leaned down to plant a kiss on the furry head. "We're all each other needs right now, aren't we?"
Hadrian let loose a bark and lapped at Zoe's cheek.
Zoe laughed as she took her plate of reheated Chinese food and plopped down on the living room couch, Hadrian quickly climbing on next to her. Zoe tossed him a bite of General Tso's chicken and fished between the couch cushions for the remote. Was it really that much trouble to put the remote back on the coffee table when you were done with it? Zoe liked to think that she didn't ask a lot of Nick and for the most part, he was relatively clean roommate, it was just this one thing that bugged her.
The TV winked onto what remained of some cop drama. Frankly, those got kind of boring when you've faced down mutants, taken down supervillains, and prevented natural disasters. There proved to be nothing of interest on her stations and she still had a few weeks to go until opening tip-off for basketball season but she needed a sports fix so she settled on Fox Sports Detroit. The anchor had just concluded a story on the Lions when a new story came in.
"Turning now to winter sports; with the SSX season about to begin, our profile today is on Elise Riggs. Riggs, age 27, was one of the founding competitors of SSX and is consistently considered to be one of snowboarding's strongest competitors. A native of Whistler, BC, this boarding beauty virtually grew up on the slopes of British Columbia's Rocky Mountain ski resorts. An Olympic Gold and Silver medalist, she is the definition of beauty and power all rolled into one. In recent weeks, the end of Riggs' relationship with SSX favorite Nate Logan has caused much speculation…"
"Ha…what do you think, Hadrian? You think I have a shot with her?"
ZPNPZPNPZPNPZPNP
Elise Riggs stared into the mirror and heaved a sigh. She was gay! It still felt so freeing to be able to say or even think it now. She was gay! That night with Seeiah…that passion-fueled night was unforgettable. Brody Ford, Jean-Paul Arsenault, Nate Ford, it…it made so much sense now, why it had all fallen apart, why with all those successful men, granted, men that she had so much in common with and some that she still considered friends, it…it just didn't feel right, not like it was supposed to. That night in Quebec City, when her lips and Seeiah's met for that briefest of moments, it was like a bolt of lightning, burning away all of the uncertainty that had been building up, all of doubt. It…it was absolutely indescribable. She…she'd just been so caught up in the moment, felt so absolutely natural that…there just was nothing else to say. She was gay!
Back in British Columbia, Daddy had always tried to teach her and her sister to be comfortable with themselves. All he and Mom wanted was for their children to be happy. Elise had always thought she understood that. In the business world, snowboarding, her personal life, if they couldn't accept her for who she was, for what made her "Elise", then it was their problem. But…"she had an image to present to the public" the sponsors kept telling her. She was the Aphrodite of snowboarding, the Goddess of the Slopes and when goddesses dated gods, it meant more money. And so, to all but a few, that had become her life. Her business sense couldn't argue with the notion in the beginning but…it grew to feel like donning a mask every day when she rolled out of bed. But that day…with Mom, Daddy, Mac, Eddie, Kaori, Alex, and Moby…when she'd been prepared to admit who she was to the people that meant the most to her…her knees had been shaking like a newborn caribou calf. It took more effort than she thought she could muster to get the words out. The actual process of speaking seemed to go on forever…but they had barely left her lips when she felt her parents' arms around her, like when she was a kid. In her parents' arms, she was safe, she was always loved and that would never change. And her friends…well, they were just quite simply her friends, quirks foibles and all. And Mac didn't think she noticed that $50 that Eddie slipped him but she SO did!
And so here she found herself, trying to psych herself up enough to go before the snowboarding community and the entire world so she could put a stop to these rumors that had been circulating since she and Nate had broken up. Seeiah was…well…she made it clear that she wasn't interested in anything long-term and Elise could respect that. Frankly…this was still so new to her that she needed to figure out exactly what it was she found attractive in a partner, but Elise felt reassured to have Seeiah in her cheering section all the same. But outside in the green room were Mac, Alex, Eddie, and Kaori. Moby would've been in attendance too had he not been in the hospital nursing a broken arm. But they were presenting a united front. Memories of when Zoe Payne and Seeiah had come out and the ensuing fallout were still fresh in many of their minds and even in this day and age, no one here today was naïve enough to think that this wasn't going to cause a stir. But they had Elise's back, come what may.
There was a knock at the door and Alex poked her head in. "Are you ready, mon Ami?"
"As ready as I think I'm going to get," She took one last look at herself in the mirror. Mom had been right; the Chanel paint suit had been the right way to go. Now…now there was nothing left but to get this press conference over with. She turned and exited the bathroom, taking a look around the waiting room. "I…I can't thank you guys enough for doing this with me."
Eddie let out a small chuckle. It was amazing how well that disco duck could clean up, looking dapper in his Ralph Lauren suit and for once going WITHOUT that ridiculous red afro. "Girl, I'm hurt you'd think otherwise."
"Just so you guys know," Mac…God bless him. Eminem didn't have anything on this guy. Even when he was trying to "clean himself up" he still looked like the aspiring rapper. "I booked The Comet for tonight. After this, we head straight there and party UP!"
Everyone got a good laugh out of that. That was exactly the kind of thing Mackenzie Fraser would do after attending a press conference where one of his friends was about to do what Elise was. Who knows? She might need a little time to blow off steam after this.
But they'd wasted enough time already. She was done hiding and with her friends at her back, she was ready to tell the world exactly who she was. Joining hands, the five snowboarders walked through the curtains and were greeted by the familiar volley of flashbulbs and shouted questions. Temporarily breaking contact, the party marched up the stairs to the podium, taking their places in front of the massive SSX logo behind them. Elise stood at the podium, Alex, Mac, and Seeiah on her left, Eddie and Kaori at her right, all four acting like a guard of honor.
Okay…this was it. She motioned for the crowd to quiet and cleared her throat into the microphone. "Uh…thank you, everyone, for being here today. I…uh…I called this press conference to address the rumors that have been circulating in the wake of my separation from fellow competitor Nate Logan. There have been many stories brandied about and I would like to set the record straight. Mr. Logan and I didn't exactly part on good terms and I hope that he can forgive me and put it behind us but I've undergone a period of thorough soul searching and have come to a realization." This…this was it, the moment of truth. From this moment on, questions and flak were going to fly fast and furious at her…but she was done hiding. From here on out, she was Elise Sabrina Riggs and the fans, sponsors, and the world could take her as she was or to Hell with them. "I'm gay."
The sound was near deafening as a fresh volley of questions was launched and the camera flashes began igniting with a renewed intensity. She frankly hadn't intended to take any questions but…what to do now was…well…escaping her.
At that moment, Elise couldn't be more grateful to Eddie. He…he must've seen her floundering. He wrapped his arms around her in a hearty embrace and upon releasing her, turned to the microphone. "I know I speak for myself Mr. Fraser, Ms. Nishadaki, and Ms. Moreau when I say that Elise is like family to each of us and we stand alongside her in all things. We applaud her courage and expect her to be just as much a force to be reckoned with this October when the SSX circuit kicks off in Chamonix."
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"I'm sorry, Elise, but our decision is final."
"I…understand, Horace. You've got to do what you've…got to do. I'm just surprised that after almost ten years of working together and how much money I've made for your brand that you would…"
...CLICK…
The…the bastard actually hung up on her! This…why…this was 2035, for Heaven's sake, and not only was Ride Snowboards dropping their sponsorship of her for circuit…which started in less than a month…but the pig didn't even have the backbone to ADMIT that they were dropping her because she was gay! It had been barely two weeks since Elise's coming out to the press before the fallout had hit. Most of Elise's loyal fan base had remained loyal. Her Facebook and Twitter pages were proof enough of that and she had expected nothing less, given how much she valued them. But then…the letters started arriving. She'd quit opening them after the sixth "Burn in Hell" and now simply just threw them in the shredder the minute they arrived. She…she'd kind of expected that to happen and Zoe and Seeiah had both approached her to offer advice about how to cope with it. But ten years spent with Ride Snowboards…she had friends at that company! They…ARGHHHH! Well…given her financial situation, it wasn't like she NEEDED a sponsor to compete but…
She slowly marched back into the common room of the Whistler Blackcomb Ski lodge where she still liked to come to work and decompress, collapsed into her favorite couch by the window overlooking the mountains, and sipped at her cup of hot cocoa. You…just…COULDN'T tell somebody something that they didn't want to hear.
"Uh…Elise; do you have a minute?"
This couldn't be happening! Of all the things she DIDN'T need right now…another bout with Allegra Sauvagess was squarely at the top of the list. The reception from her fellow competitors had been relatively neutral to positive but of course there were those precious few that just couldn't keep their mouths shut, that snide little bitch Marisol Delgado, that trash heap on a board Luther Dwayne Grady…but most of all…of course they hadn't parted on very good terms but…before they'd started dating, Nate had always been at least half-way's decent and…Allegra, up until now, had remained silent on the issue but…this had to happen sooner or later and it looked like the fates had decreed that it wouldn't be later.
"Do I even want to know?" Elise muttered, turning to face her rival.
"I…I guess I should expect that but I promise that I'm not here to fight. Do you have a few minutes to talk?"
This…was actually a little weird. SSX rivalries could get a little intense and in many ways, you got to know your rival as well as you knew yourself…and Elise had never seen this body language or demeanor in Allegra in the three years that they'd known each other. Now that she thought about it, Allegra hadn't joined SSX until years after Zoe and Seeiah had admitted they were lesbians. Well…she kind of felt like she needed to take something on faith right now so she gestured to the chair next to the couch.
"I heard about your press conference…and heard about some of the things that have been said about it," This was without a doubt the first time Elise had ever seen Allegra struggling for words. "I guess…did you ever know about my oldest brother Charlie?" No one was ever surprised when they looked at Allegra Sauvagess that she was the only girl in a family with four other brothers. She was the utter definition of a tomboy…but since coming on the tour, Allegra had always been pretty guarded about her family life. Elise shook her head no. "Well, growing up, he was kind of my hero, and the reason that I got so into snowboarding. When I was eight, he used to take me to this huge hill out behind our property so I could go sledding while he practiced snowboarding. It was kind of like…sniff…our own little secret spot." She…there was actually a tear running down her cheek. It was almost subconscious but Elise could feel her hand slipping into Allegra's, squeezing it comfortably. "When...well, the summer of his senior year, Charlie told us that he was gay. Mom and Dad were totally fine with it, we all were. But…word spread through school like wildfire. His," Her breath caught and Elise could see the tears falling quicker now. This time she made the very conscious choice to scoot closer to Allegra and wrap her arm around her. "His so-called 'friends' not only wouldn't have anything to do with him but…Charlie wound up in the hospital with a broken arm and…and we still don't know who was responsible and…I…I was thirteen." She…she was openly weeping now. "I…sob…I came home from school and…sniff…I found the note…and then I heard the gun go off and…they killed him! The police…cough…ruled it a…" She couldn't even say the word "suicide". "But I KNOW they killed my big brother!"
She…Elise was utterly speechless. This…this was the most awful thing that she'd ever heard. If she hadn't been holding a weeping Allegra in her arms, she'd likely have hopped a plane to Government Camp, OR and hunt up the bastard responsible and beat the ever loving shit out of him. Within moments, this woman had gone from her biggest rival to…something else entirely.
Without warning, Elise felt Allegra's strong arms wrap around her in a bear hug. "Don't…sniff…don't let them do that to you. Please…if you need anything…if you just need someone to talk to…day or night…wherever I am, just come find me. Just…please don't let Luther or…that FUCKING IDIOT Nate do that to you." Now a portion of the old Allegra that Elise knew was beginning to arise. Beneath that ghastly sorrow, Elise was now detecting signs of anger, anger and utter determination to protect…her.
"Allegra, I…" Now it was Elise's turn to struggle for words. This…this was overwhelming. The only thing that came to mind was to stand, getting the pair on their feet, and returning the embrace with every bit of emotion that she possessed. "Thank you for sharing that with me, Allegra. I have to admit that…things haven't exactly been a picnic these last two weeks but I…thank you!"
A few moments passed by and Allegra began to regain her composure, even managing a few weak laughs. "Who…sniff…who knew that this was what it would take to make us act cool towards each other?"
Ha…hahahahaha; the humor of it all had been a bit of a delayed reaction but…she was right. Last season, Elise barely went a week when she didn't have to dodge one of the Allegra's volleys of snowballs and now…now it was almost as if their entire history had been rewritten in one giant stroke of the pen. "Hey, would you like to join me in a cup of cocoa?"
"Cocoa? Seriously?" There was that smirk that she had all too often been on the receiving end of.
"Don't knock it until you try it," Elise retreated to the vacant bar and snagged another coffee mug. Returning to her seat, she removed the lid from her thermos and poured Allegra a cup. "It's an old Inuit recipe my Grandmother taught my Mom. It's all we serve here at the lodge and the recipe is still a complete secret."
Allegra took the cup and Elise stared expectantly while the younger rider savored taste of it…and she was hooked! She could fight it all she wanted but NO ONE could resist a cup of Nanna's chocolaty goodness. Before Elise knew it, Allegra was asking for a refill.
"Told ya so."
"Yeah, yeah; just give me a refill, please." Elise topped her off and leaned back as…dare she say it…her new friend sipped this cup far slower.
"Dare I ask what that phone call was that you stormed back in here after taking?"
"What…OH," Darn…she'd practically forgotten that entire idiotic even. "Ah…more of the fallout; after ten years, Ride Snowboards has officially dropped me for the circuit this year. Absolutely nothing is going to stop me from competing EVER so it looks like I'll be competing without a sponsor this year. I mean, yeah it'll cost…a lot…but…what's with you? Why are you smiling?"
She did! Allegra was now smiling like a fox who'd managed to sneak into the henhouse. "To tell you the truth…after hearing the news, I didn't expect anything less from them…which is why I brought this." Taking another swallow from her mug, Elise took what looked like a business card. Flipping it over, she saw that it was for Alpine Commando. They weren't quite on the same level as Ride but were a rapidly rising entity and Allegra had been their poster child since her rookie season. Well…it WOULD be better if she didn't have to dip into her savings to compete…and not only did they represent Allegra but Mac had recently signed with them as well and couldn't say enough about them…
"O..okay; 'Randall Wolf, Executive VP'," She read off the front. "I'll give him a call."
"I'd actually recommend that it be sooner rather than later. You see, Randy's a friend and…he's waiting for your call as we speak."
Author's Notes:
To tell the truth, I've been percolating on this cross-over story for months and am finally starting it in-between chapters of A Matter of Leverage. Ever since writing the epilogue to Game On, I've had this idea for a series of adventures starring Nick and Zoe while Nick attends college and rooms with his big sis. I've also been a fan of SSX since way back to when the first game came out and was torn between having the cross-over be with Elise Riggs or an adult version of Edith from Despicable Me but having written it, I really like the way this has shaped up after one chapter and I'm excited to continue with it. And if you haven't guessed yet, anticipate a little romance in the later chapters.
Though the SSX games have been in existence since the late 90s or early 2000s, given the design of the tracks and the tricks being pulled in the later games (SSX 3 and beyond), I don't have trouble seeing them as being set in years beyond.
Kim Possible and all characters associated with that name are the copyrighted property of the Walt Disney and the intellectual property of Mark McCorkle and Bob Schooley.
SSX and all characters associated are the copyrighted property of EA Games and the intellectual rights are unknown.
And of course, partial credit for all of these stories must go to Poetheather1 for being by inspiration and her stories helping me get through a difficult period in life. Gracie Possible, George the Naked Mole Rat, and Abigail Normal are her intellectual property and used with her permission and my thanks.
It should also be noted that within this story, it is presumed that Ride Snowboards is against homosexuality. I do not know that for a fact nor do I suspect it. The name was chosen at random and their involvement is not an accusation in any way.