Ron peeked out from the relative safety of the corner. He sighed,
relieved not to see anyone, especially one of Mankey's goons. He was just
glad he didn't have to go through this but one period a day. The rest of
the time, he was with Kim, and no one dared mess with him then. He dashed
with the speed of an NFL linebacker towards his locker. Lacking the skills
or vision of one, however, he found himself tumbling on the ground, Brick
standing over him.
"Come on, Stoppable, you didn't think it would be that simple, did you?"
"A guy can hope." Ron said, seconds before the kick to his ribs caused him to roll farther forward. He groaned in pain, slowly coming to his feet.
"You owe us about ten bucks for the privilege of walking down our hall." Privilage? So not! He thought to himself, as his hand entered his pocket. All he found was Rufus, unharmed in the malay, and a couple of ones. He groaned, knowing what was next.
"All I got is two."
"Sorry, Stoppable, that's not enough." Rufus jumped down, and sprinted down the hall, towards where Kim's classroom was at, as Brick and the two others moved in. Ron faught them off as best he could, which wasn't very well, but soon found himself on the ground, getting stomped. He tried to pull himself up, and quickly got kicked in the stomach, causing him to flatten out once more. Brick and the others held him up, as Josh walked out from the adjorning hallway.
"Well, well, well, if it's not my girlfriend's little sidekick." Josh said, slowly walking over to Ron. Ron looked him in the eye.
"Well, if it's not the asshole Kim's dating." The shot to Ron's solarplexus caused him to instinctively try to curl up, as their grip on Ron increased.
"Shut up, Stoppable. How many times do I have to tell you, this is our hall. You don't come here without paying our fee."
"Fuck you and your fee." Ron said, defiantly. Josh backhanded him.
"You must like pain." Josh said, laughing.
"Just used to it." Ron answered, as another punch sends him to his knees.
"Kim at three o'clock." Brick said, as he and the others ran away. Josh kneeled next to Ron, as she ran up.
"You OK, Ron?" Kim asked, helping him up.
"Yeah." Ron said, wiping the blood from his lip, staring at Josh.
"Brick and some of the other guys were just having fun with him." Kim glared at him.
"Beating up my best friend is not fun." She said, putting her arm around Ron's waist protectively.
"Chill, babe. I saw what was going on, and busted it up." Kim's glare turned into a wide smile.
"Thanks, Josh." Ron glared at him, as he winked.
"No problem, baby. Anything for my girl." Kim blushed, grinning.
"Hey, injured sidekick here." Ron interrupted, feeling sick to his stomach.
"Sorry. Josh . . ."
"Don't worry. I've got class anyway. See you later?"
"Oh, yeah." Ron had to stop his gag reflex, as Mankey kissed her. Mankey soon left, and Kim helped him to the nurse's station. The nurse quickly cleaned him up, just in time for lunch. He made his way towards the cafeteria, when Mankey caught his eye. Actually, it wasn't Mankey, it was the smile on Bonnie's face, as he talked to her. Ignoring the feeling in his stomach, he made his way to their usual table, finding Monique and Kim talking.
"Can you believe those guys? You OK, Ron?"
"Yeah, thanks for the assist, KP."
"I didn't do anything. Josh had already broken it up when I got there. Thank him." Kim said, smiling.
"Josh is so totally sweet." So totally not. Ron thought to himself, as Monique sighed, dreamily.
"Yeah, really great guy." Ron said, bitterly.
"What's wrong? He saves your tail, and you can't even be grateful?" Kim asked, angrily, as Josh walks over, sitting next to her. Ron suddenly became very interested in his plate of spaghetti. The fact was, he loved Kim, but he also knew that Kim didn't feel the same. And she was so happy with the jerk, Ron didn't want to break her heart. If she found out on her own, that was one thing. For him to do anything to hurt her, like telling her that her angel of a current boyfriend was a total asshole, was quite another. He was used to getting his ass kicked anyway, and it hurt less than a broken heart, he consoled himself. Unfortunately, he usually got both every time he saw them together.
The rest of the school day was uneventful, thanks in part to Kim's protective presence at his side. He went to Bueno Nacho, as always, to wait for Kim. She had a school dance to plan, and wouldn't be there for about an hour. It was cool, because two bucks would keep him stocked in Nacos and soda until she did. Besides, the employees knew him, and frequently hooked him up with any mistakes. He sat down with his Nacos, he noticed Josh walk in. Great, I have to deal with that asshole even here. He bitterly thought to himself, as Josh walked past with Bonnie. They sat together in a booth. Josh and Bonnie? He wondered what they were talking about. His thoughts were cut off, as he saw Bonnie snuggle up in the booth with Josh, and him kissing her. That was all he could take. It was one thing to beat the shit out of him, to humiliate him. He was used to being the butt of the jokes. But fucking with Kim, that crossed the line. He put Rufus on the table, and marched over.
"What the hell are you doing!?" Ron yelled, as Bonnie laughed.
"Get lost, loser!" Bonnie said, snuggling tighter with Josh.
"How can you do this to KP, dude? This is sooo sick and wrong!"
"Why don't you get lost, before you get hurt?" Josh said, growling.
"You're not gonna diss KP like this."
"And what are you gonna do about it? You tell her, and I'll personally kick your ass."
"One week." Ron said, angrily.
"What?"
"The dance is in Friday. You and me, outside, before the dance."
"You're calling me out?" Josh asked, laughing. Ron picked up his soda, pouring it all over Josh, as the other customers laughed.
"Looks like you do have a brain, Monkey."
"You got it." Josh said, standing up.
"Good." Before Ron could move, Josh smashed a Naco all over him. Ron looked down at his shirt, nodded, picking Rufus up off the table, and left. As he walked home, it suddenly dawned on him. He challenged Mankey, and he couldn't beat Brick?
"Come on, Stoppable, you didn't think it would be that simple, did you?"
"A guy can hope." Ron said, seconds before the kick to his ribs caused him to roll farther forward. He groaned in pain, slowly coming to his feet.
"You owe us about ten bucks for the privilege of walking down our hall." Privilage? So not! He thought to himself, as his hand entered his pocket. All he found was Rufus, unharmed in the malay, and a couple of ones. He groaned, knowing what was next.
"All I got is two."
"Sorry, Stoppable, that's not enough." Rufus jumped down, and sprinted down the hall, towards where Kim's classroom was at, as Brick and the two others moved in. Ron faught them off as best he could, which wasn't very well, but soon found himself on the ground, getting stomped. He tried to pull himself up, and quickly got kicked in the stomach, causing him to flatten out once more. Brick and the others held him up, as Josh walked out from the adjorning hallway.
"Well, well, well, if it's not my girlfriend's little sidekick." Josh said, slowly walking over to Ron. Ron looked him in the eye.
"Well, if it's not the asshole Kim's dating." The shot to Ron's solarplexus caused him to instinctively try to curl up, as their grip on Ron increased.
"Shut up, Stoppable. How many times do I have to tell you, this is our hall. You don't come here without paying our fee."
"Fuck you and your fee." Ron said, defiantly. Josh backhanded him.
"You must like pain." Josh said, laughing.
"Just used to it." Ron answered, as another punch sends him to his knees.
"Kim at three o'clock." Brick said, as he and the others ran away. Josh kneeled next to Ron, as she ran up.
"You OK, Ron?" Kim asked, helping him up.
"Yeah." Ron said, wiping the blood from his lip, staring at Josh.
"Brick and some of the other guys were just having fun with him." Kim glared at him.
"Beating up my best friend is not fun." She said, putting her arm around Ron's waist protectively.
"Chill, babe. I saw what was going on, and busted it up." Kim's glare turned into a wide smile.
"Thanks, Josh." Ron glared at him, as he winked.
"No problem, baby. Anything for my girl." Kim blushed, grinning.
"Hey, injured sidekick here." Ron interrupted, feeling sick to his stomach.
"Sorry. Josh . . ."
"Don't worry. I've got class anyway. See you later?"
"Oh, yeah." Ron had to stop his gag reflex, as Mankey kissed her. Mankey soon left, and Kim helped him to the nurse's station. The nurse quickly cleaned him up, just in time for lunch. He made his way towards the cafeteria, when Mankey caught his eye. Actually, it wasn't Mankey, it was the smile on Bonnie's face, as he talked to her. Ignoring the feeling in his stomach, he made his way to their usual table, finding Monique and Kim talking.
"Can you believe those guys? You OK, Ron?"
"Yeah, thanks for the assist, KP."
"I didn't do anything. Josh had already broken it up when I got there. Thank him." Kim said, smiling.
"Josh is so totally sweet." So totally not. Ron thought to himself, as Monique sighed, dreamily.
"Yeah, really great guy." Ron said, bitterly.
"What's wrong? He saves your tail, and you can't even be grateful?" Kim asked, angrily, as Josh walks over, sitting next to her. Ron suddenly became very interested in his plate of spaghetti. The fact was, he loved Kim, but he also knew that Kim didn't feel the same. And she was so happy with the jerk, Ron didn't want to break her heart. If she found out on her own, that was one thing. For him to do anything to hurt her, like telling her that her angel of a current boyfriend was a total asshole, was quite another. He was used to getting his ass kicked anyway, and it hurt less than a broken heart, he consoled himself. Unfortunately, he usually got both every time he saw them together.
The rest of the school day was uneventful, thanks in part to Kim's protective presence at his side. He went to Bueno Nacho, as always, to wait for Kim. She had a school dance to plan, and wouldn't be there for about an hour. It was cool, because two bucks would keep him stocked in Nacos and soda until she did. Besides, the employees knew him, and frequently hooked him up with any mistakes. He sat down with his Nacos, he noticed Josh walk in. Great, I have to deal with that asshole even here. He bitterly thought to himself, as Josh walked past with Bonnie. They sat together in a booth. Josh and Bonnie? He wondered what they were talking about. His thoughts were cut off, as he saw Bonnie snuggle up in the booth with Josh, and him kissing her. That was all he could take. It was one thing to beat the shit out of him, to humiliate him. He was used to being the butt of the jokes. But fucking with Kim, that crossed the line. He put Rufus on the table, and marched over.
"What the hell are you doing!?" Ron yelled, as Bonnie laughed.
"Get lost, loser!" Bonnie said, snuggling tighter with Josh.
"How can you do this to KP, dude? This is sooo sick and wrong!"
"Why don't you get lost, before you get hurt?" Josh said, growling.
"You're not gonna diss KP like this."
"And what are you gonna do about it? You tell her, and I'll personally kick your ass."
"One week." Ron said, angrily.
"What?"
"The dance is in Friday. You and me, outside, before the dance."
"You're calling me out?" Josh asked, laughing. Ron picked up his soda, pouring it all over Josh, as the other customers laughed.
"Looks like you do have a brain, Monkey."
"You got it." Josh said, standing up.
"Good." Before Ron could move, Josh smashed a Naco all over him. Ron looked down at his shirt, nodded, picking Rufus up off the table, and left. As he walked home, it suddenly dawned on him. He challenged Mankey, and he couldn't beat Brick?