James Possible Jr. was not excited for his first day of Pre-K. His heels dug into the lawn as his mom plowed him over to the car. They ended up making a deal. Little James would behave if he was allowed to bring his Cuddlebuddy, Pandaroo with him. His Mom didn't really like that compromise, nor did she think James wearing such bright pastel colors was a good idea. But it made James happy and who was to argue with that?
But she still caught James looking pretty forlorn when she drove off. James was a lot to handle. Always jumping around with his boundless energy, doing daring do things he should maybe leave up to — honestly it sounds ridiculous but — superheroes? He had auburn locks and a shoulder-length Beatles haircut.
A lot of adults mistook him for a girl, but James always wretched at that idea. As effeminate as James was, he didn't really get along with other girls. If anything, he seemed scared of them. As expected, James ended up having quite a first day. The teacher, Mrs. LaLoney, said that James kept to himself most of the day but people wouldn't stop staring at his Pandaroo. So James hugged them tighter.
During recess, some bullies picked on James and made fun of his hair, his outfit, his toys, everything. They wouldn't leave the poor boy alone. That is until Veronica Stoppable stepped in.
Ann didn't know that the Stoppables had a girl. She always saw the skinny little thing with cropped, blond hair and assumed — but anywho, she protected James. Told the other kids off. Usually this is how lifelong friends are born in Pre-K. But that doesn't quite happen.
They just sort of stared at each other for a long time. Like they were trying to recognize someone from something long since past. It's very melancholy for two four year olds. So instead of anything significant happening, Veronica hugged Jim tight, squeezing the boy until he was forced to drop his Pandaroo and hug back.
But they didn't talk or even face each other until sophomore year of high school, but when that finally happened? Well.
They saved the world.
Jim Possible Jr. is fifteen years old and has already mastered sixteen different styles of kung-fu. No joke. By a longshot, he's the most popular kid in school with the most spotless academic record. No one in town doesn't know Jim Possible because he's probably done a favor for pretty much everybody by this point. But not so much lately because he's been kinda busy. Doing what you might ask?
Oh, just saving the world, no big.
He does that for free by the way. But if you need someone to babysit for you, there is a section for that on the website and that costs money. So please. Please please please! Call him! Beep him! If you wanna reach him!
Jim has a good life. All-star quarterback, class treasurer, National Honor Society President, Yearbook Club committee, Sustainability Director of the Environment Club, and he can tap. Just ask him to do Moses Supposes for ya.
Honestly, Jim can do anything. He's been groomed for it. With a brain surgeon mom, rocket scientist dad, and twin brothers who look up to him like he's the stuff of epics, he's got it all. Really, Jim only has one problem, and it's certainly not Doctor Drakken and his assistant, Shego. Those two can schlep all they want, they don't stand a chance against Jim.
Jim's problem — well — he doesn't really know. He just knows that he's different from the other kids. How is he different? He doesn't know.
It starts in the locker room. After practice. The guys are changing and Brick Flagg, an older boy who's been locked in the senior year for an ambiguous amount of time, drops his trousers and — well — Jim gets caught gawking at it.
Jim is not gay. No way. He definitely likes girls. Erm. Okay, maybe he's overcompensating. He does think Josh Mankey is kinda cute. But Brick? No! Brick's like — an old man. Probably.
Jim's only looking at Brick's dick because he's never seen someone else's before. Jim um — late bloomer, ya know? People keep telling him it'll happen soon and he nods along like he actually cares. Really, he's secretly hoping someone's defective with his body and that puberty never comes.
He knows that's dumb and delusional. Especially for someone to think when they are so busy saving the world on the reg.
Anyways, Jim's not good at conflict resolution, so he punches Brick out. It feels really good, the guy's flabby chin momentarily smacking across his knuckle. Turns out Brick has a glass jaw and he drops. Everyone's quiet. People talk about boys kinda being assholes to each other but this?
Jim bites his lip and pretends that it's not super weird that he just conked someone out. He smiles to himself and thinks of something funny to say. That's usually how he gets by. Jim doesn't have any friends other than Wade, but all the jokes make it seem like
One of the older football kids, Brick Flagg, catches Jim staring at his junk while everyone is changing. Brick used to be Top Dog until Jim came along, so he used it as an opportunity to accuse Jim of being gay. Jim knows that he's definitely something, but he's not gay. Maybe. But he can't let people think that, not when he's saving the world which is the one thing he actually has going for him.
So he punches Brick. Right in the jaw. In front of all his teammates. He's not really sure how else to handle it, but he gets lucky and it works out okay. So he looks up at his teammates and drawls, "Is this guy seriously still our Lineman?"
It works enough. Rumors don't spread. It's good. No one can know that Jim has a violent side. Heck, if he wasn't a world renowned celebrity, he would make that no one knew anything about him.
Veronica Stoppable is the wallflower to your wallflower. Probably the funniest person in the class of '07, but no one seems to notice. She doesn't care though. She doesn't need people to laugh at her jokes; she's no Rockwaller after all. Her jokes make her laugh and that's enough.
Like Jim, she doesn't have any friends. The key difference here though is that everyone knows Veronica has no friends. Aside from the naked mole rat. Oh, and Barkin! Sort of.
She did give Barkin a funny look that one time...she was definitely thinking about something else, but whenever the look comes up, she knows exactly what the guy's talking about.
The cheerleaders are also sort of warming up to her and before you get excited, no. She's not on the cheer squad. Just the MIddleton Mad Dog. Which is cool! She does love that phony dog froth she can spit all over the place. But she's pretty sure that Rockwaller only let her on the team so she laugh at her and not with her.
But it's nice to receive attention at least. Otherwise she's stomping around the black top, waving futile jazz hands in the air like Mrs. freakin' Cellophane….
...shoulda been my name! Missus Cellophane! Because you can talk right through me! Walk right by me! And never know I'm there!
NEVER!
EVEN!
KNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOW!
...
Okay, Veronica, you just thought of a Chicago reference, you don't have to make it into a whole production.
….
….
….
….Iiiiiii'm theeeeeeere...hope I didn't take up too much of your time.
Veronica used to do drama club by the way. Like Jim, she can tap. Although neither of them really auditioned for anything.
Jim just liked to dance. He'd tap, tap away in any ensemble. You could make him a postboy, a tree, a splotch of grass, anything, and he will dance. He's just not great at acting, or honestly, emoting for that matter.
Veronica gets that. She's not great at the whole communication thing either. She just doesn't audition because there are never any parts for her. Her mom always finds out what production Middleton High School is putting on and goes through the cast albums with her, picking out the things in her range.
But she wants the bit roles. Like Mr. Mushnik in Little Shop of Horrors! Or Charlie the Anvil Salesman from The Music Man! Or even the Piragua guy from In the Heights!
(Although that's not out yet, but when it premiers at the Richard Rodgers, Veronica can't move from her seat during the intermission because she's so starstruck by the vision of her own destiny.)
But none of that matters because Veronica is a girl. A soprano at that.
I want to act with jokes that're good
I want to get - get to see 'em laughin'
Yuckin' it up at my
(What's that word again?) oh - bits
I'm a soprano, but maybe I could
Be funny, be witty, memorable
Fartin' away with my
(Whad'ya call 'em?) Armpits!
She chops off her hair. Hopes it'll make a difference. Cuts it out with the dresses and sticks with jerseys. She looks in the mirror and though she knows her mom and dad are about to curse her out, she feels weirdly — centered?
She can probably make friends like this. Something about dressing like a boy makes her feel empowered. Hmph.
So she decides to start with the boy who will most likely get all these weird feelings she's been having lately — and for some reason, that's Jim Possible.
Veronica remembers seeing this boy who seemed to want to be anything but, remembers feeling how unhappy she was. She remembers the boy's sad emerald eyes looking over her body and taking in how unhappy she was. Finally, Veronica remembers wanting to be Jim, and the shake in her spine told her that Jim wanted to be her too. And Veronica knew that would make them both happier.
But how can you possibly be friends with someone you've already placed so high on a pedestal?
Well, the way teen hero Jim Possible seems to be growing...don't seem like he'll be getting any lowlier, so no time like the present!
I don't know when
I don't know how
But I know something's starting right now
Watch and you'll see
Soon I will be
Part of your world
But Jim is also a world famous jock with nice teeth, so it's probs a wash. But dingity dang doo da, she'll be darned if she doesn't try!
Jim looks a little worse for wear today. He's good at hiding it — but Veronica's so lonely, her interactions so sparse — that she's become quite adept at reading people. Jim's not happy and though this might be the most harrowing moment to talk to him — it's the moment.
Veronica notes the shiner concealed behind the make-up Jim's thrown on. The purple reflects as gray sunspots from the overhead fluorescents. He's limping too, and most noticeably, still in his classic mission outfit. Black turtleneck with ¾ sleeves. Baggy olive cargo pants. Utility belt.
Jim swings open his locker doo and pops a hip against the side, swiping books back onto the shelves with the rapidity of a poker dealer. Meanwhile, the monitor on the top shelf flickers on and a boy starts yapping at him.
Veronica's heard of this him: Wade. Super young, but super smart. Always drinking soda apparently, Veronica always heard slurping whenever Jim was doing his mission thing inside his locker but now Veronica knows it's just the kid.
Veronica hesitantly gets a little closer and notices that Jim is grimacing about something. Then she hears what Wade's saying and it clicks together. It's this conversation that sounds kinda repetitive, like they've talked about this before. Like Jim is grunting affirmatives at the right moments to move things along. Bottom line: Jim needs backup and Wade doesn't care how Jim's been doing this for two years, he's been on board for three months now and wants Jim to open up a little.
"Yeah, yeah," Jim snarls. "Save it for the after school special. Can you please just update me on Drakken's whereabouts? I'm still kinda tweaked that he got away."
"Drakken? Got it," Wade says, absently typing. "But you should know — "
"I know, believe me, I know."
The screen flashes black and returns with a map sprawled across it. Dang. You know, it's like actually high-key bananas that freaking James Bond goes to their school, yet no one knows anything about them. Well, at least, most people don't realize that don't actually know anything about Jim; boy's good at painting a picture for everyone.
This is so nerve-wracking, she hates it. It's just going to be embarrassing. But what the heck, baby bird's gotta fly someti—
Jim actually sees Veronica first. He mouths a shy little "Hey," and rolls his eyes towards the monitor. "One sec. So Drakken's in the nearby timeshare. Hm. Tonight I'll do a stakeout if — oh seriously?
"Yeeeeeeah," Wade sighs. "That's the tenth message from him. Montgomery Fiske really needs our help I guess."
"Alright. Ugh. It should be fun, I guess. Wade, can you get me a ride to — "
"Done."
"— you rock, Wade," Jim smiles as if he was already planning on interrupting his own sentence that way. "Hey, what's up, Veronica?"
"Um — I just wanted to ask about your shiner," Veronica says weakly, then quickly adds. "Seeing how you're like a superhero now."
"Huh?" he gently touches his face and grimaces at the poor makeup job. "No, I'm not — I'm just your basic, average guy."
"Uh huh," she smiles. It's weird seeing him get kind of defensive, although that makes sense. "What happened? Like how did you get hurt that bad?"
Oh shoot, Veronica. You don't just ask people that. You always lead in with a friendly How are you doing? followed by some pleasantries and updates. That's how his parents do it. But now Jim's gonna think she's a total freak and —
"Um, no, went toe to toe with a robot earlier," Jim says with no hesitation in his clearest of voices. "Honestly it would've been so cool if it didn't hurt me. Heh."
Veronica smiles. "Hey! That's funny! You're funny!"
He blushes. "Yeah — well, you kind of have to be when you're alone all the time right?" His eyes hang on Veronica's for a second too long and they both look away. "It like keeps me calm. Sorry. I shouldn't be talking about this at school, it's a little heavy for some people and — "
"I don't mind at all," she says honestly.
Jim's mouth slowly closes in, eyes darting about, trying to snatch another excuse to not talk from the air. But he can't think of anything. "Is my bruise really that bad?"
She nods solemnly and Jim briefly deflates. "Darn. I need to watch out for that I guess. Hey, we have next period together right?"
"Well, Barkin kinda teaches every class so — probably."
"Can you tell him I'm helping this archaeologist in my first like Indiana Jones mission?"
"Oh," Veronica's face falls. "You don't want to hang out?"
"Um. Some other time," Jim shrugs. "Bueno Nacho, tomorrow. My treat?"
Ooh. Tempting. Veronica does love Bueno Nacho. Heck not even just Veronica but Rufus. But Jim's shiner is more important. She very tentatively grabs Jim's bicep and flinches when she feels those bulging muscles tense. She looks into Jim's eyes and sees sparks flying, but they quell fast. It's weird, but they don't talk about it. "Your ride can wait up, JP. I'm taking you to the nurse's office."
Jim looks at Veronica very carefully. Raises an eyebrow. "JP?"
"Uh, yeah, it's your name!" Veronica cackles.
"Jay….Pee….oh. Oh! I like that actually," Jim runs a hand through his short hair, wide chest broadening with his reach. This kid is like a freight chain. Woo woo, Veronica whistles in her head. "Don't tell anyone but I don't really like my name — "
"I don't either," Veronica says quickly. Without thinking. She purses her lips like she just swallowed something very sour.
" — so JP's a keeper…." Jim purses his lips in concentration.
Veronica frowns. "Veronica. It's cool, a lot of people forget my name and — "
Jim raises a hand to her. "Ronnie. How's Ronnie?"
"Hm," she bites her lip. It's not perfect — but it's going somewhere. "Better?"
Jim smiles so wide it's almost like a different person. "Spankin'. Cool, so we can hang tomorrow. I think it'll be really fun, but I'll see you later, okay?"
Veronica doesn't say goodbye, she just watches Jim go, and she knows it's wrong to stop him from leaving but — what if there is no tomorrow? That's kinda scary, and Jim deserves better. She's not sure what is sparking her to do this but she rushes forward and clamps her pale hands to Jim's bicep and the boy almost stumbles over, tripping back into place before the girl. He seems kinda annoyed with her, but Veronica's not letting go.
"If you don't go to the nurse, I'm going with you to Germany."
"But — "
Please take a moment to understand that the obvious answer is for Jim to just go to the nurse. Veronica realizes it right away and frowns at such a poor excuse for a gambit —
" — how do you want to help me?" Jim tries not to smile.
"Um — I'll — fight bad guys and stuff," she shrugs and off her own contagious grin says, "Note: Serious face."
"Serious face noted," Jim relaxes. "Okay — nurse then you go to Germany with me?"
"Huh?" Veronica blushes. "Uh — no no — it's not an if, then clause, just an or bag, I can't — "
"You can," he purrs. "I thought you said it was easy. Honestly though, this missions's a breeze. No bad guys! So not the drama."
Veronica narrows her eyes. So not the drama….that is so like — flamboyant for a guy to say? Maybe….maybe Jim is into guys? Is that why they connect? Because Veronica only likes girls and — no. Jim's definitely not into guys. Maybe both ways but not — gosh. What is it about this person?!
"Do you know where the nurse is?" Jim asks. "I've never been."
Veronica offers a weak smile. "Yeah. I have. Heh heh. Follow me. Maybe she can teach us first aid."
Jim raises an eyebrow. "I don't — do we have to?"
Veronica squeezes the bridge of her nose and feigns making a scene. "JP, c'mon. You shouldn't be hanging onto every bruise, scab, and shiner just because you don't have time to sit around and marinate."
"M-marinate?"
"Yeah! Like, like chilling out. Marinate!"
"Ah," Jim points up like an academic. "Context clues, I caught that — but marinate?"
Veronica pumps one arm into the air. "Never be normal!"
Jim blinks, and a faint red comes to his cheeks. That was super cute. Never be normal, huh? Neither say anything for some time, and Jim kinda notices something that he hadn't earlier. It really brings him back to Pre-K. He almost blurts out and asks why Ronnie decided to cut her hair so short, but thinks better of it. He's a boy. Boys don't ask questions about other people's gender identity.
Jim chews the inside of his cheek while they walk and he remembers that same fear that came to him at the playground. But that's not going to stop him from hanging out with this boy.
Oops! Girl. Veronica's….a….girl….?
Jim tilts his head to the side. Oh snap. Maybe — no. That'd be crazy. What are the odds that him and Veronica are cut from the same cloth? But he can't just not say it. It's like he's been waiting for this moment his whole life.
So he makes sure to not speak or cry, and throws his arms around Veronica's shoulder and brings her in, palms touching her thin, wispy hair. Veronica's own hands tentatively move down to Jim's waist and — she's kinda thankful they're both the same height because she does not want Jim seeing how scarlet her face is.
Jim whispers something so delicate that his hand clenches a little harder and Veronica can't help but reach up and squeeze it.
"Thank you."