A/N Here I go again on my own. Going down the only road I've ever known!!!!...Oh hey didn't see you there. Welcome back folks, got to thank you guys for the pretty good reception for the first chapter. Looks like I'm on a roll with the last few "initial" chapters of my stories. It's keeping you guys around that is my problem.
Again I pledge not to OD on the angst (although for the sake of plot development I had to dip into it a little)
So yea , again AU (no world saving yadda, yadda) Please enjoy
A crowd of five hundred or so students and their parents all had their eyes on the stage anxiously waiting for the schools award ceremony to finally get under way. Two girls took their seats in the front row "God I hate these school events" one of the young girls sighed "I mean I'm like going to be thirteen soon, I've got better things to do."
'Totally" her friend replied.
"So who'd they get to sing the anthem this year?" the first girl asked.
"Kim" the second one said
The first girl scoffed "Oh god, hey don't you think…. Kim…well she's kind of prissy dontcha think?"
"Uh oh you're starting to sound a little like Bonnie."
"I know Bonnie isn't always right but she isn't always wrong either. Sometimes she makes a lot of sense."
"Keep your voice down, before someone here's you, especially one of the staff. You know how much they love Kim"
In the backstage area Kim peered through the curtains and glanced at the audience. She spotted two of her friends in the front row and waved at them, they caught sight of her and politely waved back. Kim pulled her head back behind the curtains and let out her breath. "Why am I here?" She asked herself.
A long story short, she was the head of the committee in charge of preparing the awards ceremony. A very distinguished honor, at least it was, until the rest of the committee decided she was the best candidate to sing the national anthem as the ceremony's opening.
God why did I say yes...Well I couldn't really say no, could I…….Did you forget about the high note incident? No way I can't watch American Starmaker without cringing But…..Why am I talking to myself?
"Welcome ladies and gentleman to….."
Oh no that's the vice principal! What am I going to do….I am going to sing that's what I'm going to do….I'm going to sing my heart out, I can do this. Remember what dad said anything is possible for a Possible…..right?
"On our featured honor students will begin tonight's festivities with the singing of the national…..
I can't do this, I can do this, I can't, I can, I can't, I can! She peered back out to the crowd
"……introducing Kimberly Ann Possible"
Applause filled the air
I can't!
Kim was frozen; she couldn't even pull back behind the curtains. She stood there in wide eyed open mouth awe. As if she had seen something out there among the audience, something of pure horror that was beyond any rational understanding.
"Kimberly Ann Possible!" The Vice Principal repeated. Hearing her name again seemed to awaken Kim enough for her to finally retreat backstage.
"Excuse me" the perplexed VP told the audience when the applause once again faded. He then made his way backstage.
He found Kim there tugging lightly at her hair "Kimberly" he said
'What?"
"Are you ok?"
'I can't" she said.
'What's that supposed to mean?"
"It means I can't" she repeated.
He sighed "ok, don't worry about it."
Kim's face relaxed as if she had just been granted a reprieve. Her hands dropped to her sides and she profusely apologized before quickly making for the backstage exit.
'I'm sorry to announce that Ms Possible seems to have fallen ill" was the last thing Kim heard before she was completely out of earshot of the ceremony and wandered into the parking lot.
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A Few Years Later: (Two years after train ride)
"So were youse guys off too?"
Kim blinked, pulled herself away from the cab window and brought her attention to the cabbie "342 Address Lane" Kim said evenly before sitting back into the battered leather backseat. She turned smiled brightly at the other passenger in the cab. He was a tall and fit; blandly handsome young man with short neat hair wearing an official Upperton University sweater. A laptop on his lap his eyes were fixed to the screen as his fingers danced on the keyboard
"So Nicholas, what did you think of the first weekly group study at the Professor's house?"
"It was alright, I did manage to get some new ideas for the project" he said without looking up.
"Um yea" she cleared her throat "his…lecture on Tocqueville was quite enlightening. In describing eightieth century America, Tocqueville was right that the balance of property determined the balance of political power; but his somewhat racialist views can be seen as quite contemptible."
"True" he said with little to no enthusiasm.
Kim sighed and returned her gaze towards the window.
The cabbie sensing tension between the two reached for the radio "Maybes I shoulds play a little music for you'se all"
I am unwritten, can't read my mind…..
The familiar tune from the speaker perked Kim up immediately "I love this song." She began to slightly bop along to the melody. "I am unwritten, can't read my mind, I'm undefined. I'm just beginning, the pen's in my hand, ending unplanned."
She hit Nicholas playfully on the shoulder "come on sing along with me…Feel the rain on your skin… No one else can feel it for you, only you can let it in. No one else, no one else, can speak the words on your lips."
He finally lifted his head up "do you mind?" Then he leaned over to speak to the cab driver "can you lower that, I'm trying to do some very important work here."
Kim watched as Nicholas returned to his computer "look I was thinking that since its Friday we could do something fun tonight."
"Nah" he said flatly "We should get back to your place and finish up on this project. We've got a lot to get done tonight"
"That doesn't sound like much fun….we've got a weekend to finish let's go catch a movie or something."
"I'd rather not; this report takes priority" He chuckled "Now way in heck I'm going to face my dad with a 3.5 GPA. I'd be disowned"
"But…"
"Really if we don't get through this we'll be behind schedule. I'd like to get this done as quickly as possible, because I've got tennis practice tomorrow, and there's now way I'll be able to concentrate with a report like this looming in the back of mind. And when I screw up at practice that just deflates my whole week"
Undeterred Kim decided on a change of tactics "how about we go bowling?" Bowling was Nicholas's favorite hobby and although she wasn't too fond of the "sport" the prospect of returning home to do schoolwork, and following that up by watching late night television or reading old magazines did not appeal to her at the moment.
"No"
"What?"
"I don't want to" he said simply
"But you love bowling" If you ever spent more than ten minutes in the same room with Nicholas and he wasn't talking about the political state of the United States, he was talking about bowling. He was the captain of the school's bowling club for goodness sake.
"I don't bowl too much any more….I think I grew out of it."
This was certainly news to her "really……….." Should she ask? No she shouldn't it would be rude, it would most likely make things worse…….she should ask
"Is this….is this because I beat you that one time in front of your fri…"
"What…No" he said with the quickness of a Black Mamba "Don't be ridiculous, I don't care about that….That didn't bother me in the least…..Please….." he scoffed "no can you just be quiet and let me concentrate"
Be quiet? Excuse Me!
She combed her fingers through her red hair "You don't have to be snippy about it"
"What?"
"I don't appreciate this snippy attitude of yours"
"I don't have an attitude"
"Yes you do" she countered "and it's snippy "
"What in the world does snippy mean anyway?"
"It means you're acting like a big jerk! And you've been acting like one for quite some time now!"
"Maybe the problem is…..that someone is a little too hot headed. Maybe someone should give that some thought!"
"Maybe someone wouldn't lose their temper if someone else wasn't acting so snippy.
Nicholas let out and exasperated sigh "you know I don't think this is going to work"
"Come again" Kim said frowning at this point.
"This" he made a motion of his hand going back and forth between him and Kim "is not going to work."
She stared at him bewildered.
"Look how do I say this uh we just don't….I don't know…um really mesh" The well of Nicholas' usually robust vocabulary had suddenly gone dry "Hey we both knew from the beginning that this wasn't going to be a permanent thing"
"We did?" Kim said incredulously. They had been going out for just a little over four months.
"I'm sorry….but I never made any promises, I was very, very clear about how I've felt so far."
"Uh-huh" she paused to let everything sink in "stop the cab!" she told the driver
"Cans do" he said
"What are you….oh come on you're not going to walk out are you?"
"I'm not going anywhere, you're getting out" she said as the cab pulled over.
"I'm paying for half this ride too you know…..and besides we're like forty minutes from…."
"Get out" she said.
"Are you crazy?" Nicholas asked "I'm not going anywhere"
"I'ds do what she sez mister, she looks like the jaw breaking type" the driver quipped "juss like my wife"
Nicholas looked from the grinning cabbie back to Kim's livid face "I can't believe it; deep down I always knew you had major, major issues." He popped the passenger door open "you know what, you've really got some nerve….who do you think you are?" He was going to continue but he caught sight of the fire burning in her green eyes. "Fine I'm leaving but just remember we're through!" he said with all the fervor he could muster before sliding out of the door and slamming it shut behind him.
With him gone Kim released her breath.
"Youse a real firecracker ain't ya cupcake"
"Don't call me cupcake"
"Yes ma'am so wheres to now same place?"
"No just drive around a little I don't want to go home yet" she said staring up at the ceiling. Her hair sprawled all over the backseat.
"Alright but the meter's running"
"I don't care" she said "just drive"
Silently she watched the lights of the city zip by the window as she recapped what just happened in her mind
"Who do I think I am? I'm Kimberly Ann Possible that's who I am."
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We're
a movin' on up, (We're a movin on up.) To the east side (Mo-vin on
up.) To a de-luxe apartment, In the sky-.Mo-vin' on up (Mo-vin on
up.) To the east side, (Mo-vin on up.) We finally got a piece of the
pie.
"Fifty-five, fifty-six, fifty-seven, fifty-eight, ugh, fifty-nine, sixty, wheeze, sixty-one, sixty-two, lord why have you forsaken me, sixty-three, sixty-four, god I can't even tell what's hurting any more, sixty-five, seventy, seventy five, eighty, ninety, one hundred….oh…thank…the heavens….it's over"
On the floor beside his bed, Ron's limp and exhausted body was illuminated by the glow of the television though the rest of his bedroom was cast in darkness. The only movement in the room was the rapid rising and falling of his chest and the occasional blinking of his brown eyes.
"Lord why is self improvement so hard" he huffed. "What's the point of doing sit-ups everyday………so I can…..just die healthier?"
Ron reached under his bed and pulled out a box. He pulled out a handful of the cheesy crackers, placed some in his mouth and the rest on a paper towel, next to his head.
Fish don't fry in the kitchen; and beans don't burn on the grill, took a whole lot of trying. Just to get up that hill, now we're up in the big leagues.
Moments later Rufus scrambled from under the bed, up his body across his arm and dashed right to the snacks. Ron watched as the adorable pink creature feasted on the crackers.
Rufus was the oldest friend he had. Rufus had been with him through all the good times, the bad times, more bad times, and the ok times when nothing bad happened but nothing good happened either. Rufus was the only one who knew all his secrets which was great because since he didn't know how to talk, he wouldn't be spilling the beans.
Gettin
our turn at bat, as long as we live, it's you and me baby. There
ain't nothing wrong with that.
Ron petted the mole rat as it continued to feast. "It's you and me buddy" Rufus and Ron friends till the end, loyal to each other no matter what. Me and Rufus the Dynamic Duo, The Untouchables, The World's Greatest Tag Team……..The….the….."
Rufus curiously looked up from his snack as if he sensed Ron's hesitation.
"The…." He sighed "I'm sorry little buddy no offence but you're not human." Ron continued to pet his friend "I mean you're cool for a non-human and all but sometimes a guy needs a little more you understand."
"Florence
if I paid you to think, you could cash your check at the penny
arcade."
"Why Mr. Jefferson, where do you think I cash it now?"
Ron laughed, the magic of television once again giving him an opportunity to ignore any and all personal problems he was currently having. Who needed therapy when there were old sitcoms to watch?
"Oh that Florence is one sassy maid" he squinted "and I don't know if it's the desperation talking but she's more than a little easy on the eyes"
The door to his room abruptly flew open and a loud knock dispelled the relative quiet of the room "Yo Ronnie"
"Don't you ever knock?" Ron sighed.
"I did knock"
"No you barged in and then you knocked" Ron told his roommate "In any civilized society on this planet that is not considered knocking."
"Well if you're going to be so grumpy, I won't sing you the song I wrote."
Ron kept his eyes on the television screen "Good because I don't want to hear it"
"But it was inspired by you, you were my muse."
"You're not going to leave until I hear it huh?"
"Nope"
"Alright go ahead" his roommate removed a piece of paper from his back pocket and cleared his throat. "Rufus, the two of us need look no more….We both found what we were looking for. With a friend to call my own, I'll never be alone and you, my friend, will see, you've got a friend in me.
"Ok please, no mas, that's all I'm asking from you...no mas" Ron groaned
His roommate bowed to no applause "that song was based on a true story."
"So Jake, how long did it take you to conjure up that nugget up?"
"Oh this little diddy, well actually I wrote it up sometime in the last forty hours. You know the same forty eight hours you've spent in this room, in the dark, making out with your rodent friend."
Ron's eyes went wide. Forty eight hours had passed already! "I missed a lot of classes" he said.
"Yea your rock solid 2.2 GPA is in serious jeopardy." Jake let his eyes wander around the room "so what's going on man, what happened to the cheerful, happy go lucky Ron I used to know and love."
Ron glared at him.
"Ok what happened to the mildly content, yet cynical Ron I've grown to pity."
"He's gone; heart failure. Didn't you see it? It was on the news, police found him dead on top of a pile of super models lying on a bed made of hundred dollar bills"
"Sweet" Jake said before taking a deep breath "by the way what happened to the spicy Zita, I haven't seen her for awhile. She used to be around like every other weekend."
"She's been busy"
"Oh ok. But I've noticed she doesn't call as much either. She used to call like what every other day, something like that."
Ron's eyes shot darts at his roommate "If you must know we're going through a bad patch right now"
"A bad patch you say"
"Yea a bad patch I say"
"So uh" Jake said rubbing his hands together "if you don't mind me asking when was the last time uh, you two got together?"
Ron sat up "I do mind and a relationship isn't based only on "getting together"
"Of course you're absolutely right; I don't know what I was thinking. I must have been out of my mind asking yo…she's left you hasn't she?" Jake said solemnly.
Ron plopped himself onto his bed "yes my friend she has. The "Rita" Era has come to an abrupt end"
"What happened?"
"She said I was with her but I wasn't with her"
Jake looked confused "how is that even possible, how can you be with her and not with her at the same time?"
Ron sighed "Jake she meant that I'm emotionally unavailable or something like that….I think……I looked it up on the internet….Dr wasn't stupid; he earned some of the top grades in his business courses. The problem was that he, like Ron and most other men, was ignorant in the ways of women and relationships, but you couldn't tell that just by looking at him or talking to him.
Jake like any good businessperson mastered the art of the bluff. He looked the look and he talked the talk. But the reality of the situation was that Jake used to be a huge loser before he came to college. Jake Mancini or Jake the stuttering, muttering prick as he was called by his "friends" back home; was a poor yet somehow chubby kid with a speech impediment. From middle school to high school he was terrorized by the neighborhood kids. He was shunned by pretty girls and the ugly ones just wanted to be his friend.
But Jake was ambitious, not just in business but in his personal life as well. After graduation frustrated with his life he went on diet and exercise regiment that would have made marines cry. He worked three jobs so he could buy expensive skin creams for his acne problem and special goops for his hair. He took speech classes to finally do away with his stuttering, and in just one summer he lost thirty pounds, grew three inches and stepped onto campus as the most eligible male hottie in the school.
Over the Christmas holiday Jake returned home for the first time since leaving for college. Back in his home town he broke hearts and noses, and he returned with the largest grin Ron had ever seen on a man's face. Jake was the best-looking, cleverest, most ambitious guy Ron had ever met. He was someone to be admired by losers around the world. Of course he would never tell Jake that because well….it would be weird and a bit creepy, and they weren't really friends per se as they were roommates who got along ok on some vague level.
"Emotionally not there" Jake nodded "that makes some amount of sense"
"It does?" Ron said skeptically
"…well you know, sometimes"
"I don't want to talk about it" Ron replied as he placed Rufus back in his cage.
"Ok so you got cut loose. That's no reason to be depressed."
Ron rolled his eyes "Who said I was depressed?"
"You were totally depressed"
"Actually I don't think I was"
"Then what do you call what you've been going through for the past two days!"
"It wasn't depression" he paused for effect "it was anger without enthusiasm"
"Ah of course"
"Now if you'll excuse me I just want to get something to eat.'"
"That reminds me" Jake said cutting Ron off from the path to the kitchen "I ate those grilled chicken fajitas you made a couple days ago."
"All of them?"
"Yeah they were delicious"
"You know if you keep pigging out like that, you're going to get bloated again"
"Not really those fajitas were low in fat and in sodium, yet high in deliciousness"
"Really" Ron said surprised.
Jake laughed "you made them and you don't even know their nutritional value"
"I got the recipe in some magazine at the dentist's office"
"Jugs?"
"No" Ron grinned "that's your literary source of choice….." he snatched his jacket from a coat rack, slipped it on and headed for the door of the apartment "now I've got to go out and get something to eat"
"Dude again those fajitas were fantastic"
"Thanks for not rubbing it in"
"No I mean it was some of the best stuff I've ever tasted in my life. You should really think about my idea too…."
"No" Ron waved his hands dismissively "your idea stinks on ice and it would never work"
"Come on, you and me buddy, we could finally show them what we're made of"
"Who's them?" Ron asked curiously
"Them" Jake pointed towards the door melodramatically "those guys out there. Everyone who's ever thought we wouldn't amount to anything in life."
"Jake chilax you've already done that….me I don't really care what they or "them" do or don't do, and none of them care what I do or don't do, and you know what, that's all right with me."
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It was a nice night, the moon was full, the air was crisp, and the two stars you could see through the city's pollution were shining. Traffic sped by as Ron stood motionless on the sidewalk eyeing a filthy looking phone booth. He was on his way to Bueno Nacho when he realized maybe he should give Zita a call, maybe it was still possible to work things out….maybe…..
Ok he and Zita weren't the happiest couple but like all relationships it had its perks. Like "getting together" for example, "getting together" was nice. Especially when she called him Papi…...or when she called out his new favorite phrase of all time, since they started dating "Aye Papi!"
As far as perks go that always put a smile on his face. And then there was the companionship, he did actually enjoy her company. Well it was better than nothing. If he knew anything for sure it was that "nothing" was much, much worse, than "better than nothing." All this led back to his occasional bouts with……
Loneliness issues
It wasn't like he was some friendless miser; wait you needed money to be a miser. It wasn't like he was some friendless hermit. He had Rufus and Jake when he wasn't with some girl; he kept in touch with Felix sometimes. And his mother annoyingly called like almost everyday. Yes he had an acceptable amount of human interactions for a normal human being….yet sometimes…most times he just……
Needed somebody
Ugh that sounded so sad
And Zita was the closest thing to "somebody" he had right now. He couldn't let the longest relationship he ever had with a woman other than his mother just go poof.
Ron entered the phone booth, picked up the phone and dialed. It rang for an eternity or about a minute and a half before she picked up. "Hello"
Sound causal
"Hola Zita mi mamacita, Que Pasa?"
He heard a sigh "Ronald is that you?"
"Yea, yea it's me"
"What do you want?"
"Well…I was on my way to Bueno Nacho and I passed by this car wash, where I saw this homeless guy dancing and muttering to himself and it just got me thinking "hey me and Zita should get back together"
Another sigh
"Zita we had a good time together right?"
"Si we did"
"So why not keep the hot streak going you know? Go for broke?"
"You know what they say Ronald. Sometimes you've got to know when to hold them, know when to fold them----
"Know when to walk away, know when to run" Ron interrupted "Hey look Z we're finishing each other's sentences. I think we should get back together."
"That's not possible, I already told you Ron I care about you but our relationship is kaput. It has reached the point where it can no longer grow."
"Yes it can, I know it can, we can make it grow….together" he said in his sweetest, lovey-dovey voice.
"Nada it cannot grow if you are not willing to let me in."
"Ha, Ha what are you talking about sweetie?" he said with a forced chuckle "you're in; you've always been in, heck you're number two on my speed dial."
"That's not enough."
Ron shifted the phone to his right shoulder "You want to be number one, my mom will be a little miffed but I think I can….."
"Ron I did not find out about Rufus until seven months into our relationship"
"Oh so what," he's just a goofy (sorry buddy) pet my parents gave me."
"No he's not you brought him and you love him like a brother. You see this is what I'm talking about I had to learn that from your parents."
"What? I should have mentioned him on the first date; it would have freaked you out."
"Seven months Ronald, seven months, that's how long it took me to find out about him. I asked you so many times to open up and tell me your ambitions and dreams."
"I don't have any ambitions and dreams, you know that! Just ask my folks, they seem to love telling you stuff about me! They'll tell you how unmotivated and lazy I am"
"There are a lot of things I don't know about you. The truth is I never got further than I did on our third date."
Ron took a deep breath 'Is this because I left the toilet seat up that one time. It's not my fault, I'll never understand why woman think they can use the bathroom in the dark."
"Let's be honest Ronald you were never fully comfortable around me. It was like you were always on guard, watching yourself in case you slip. Do you know how hard it is to be involved with someone like that?"
"Come on" he said softly "you are exaggerating"
"Am I? You remember last winter when I thought you were cheating on me and it turns out you were sneaking off to go to J. P. Bearymore's Pizza Party-torium."
"Would you rather I had been cheating on you?"
"That's not the point, the point is when you went there you turned your phone off, and you quickly switched your clothes and took a bath when you got back home, to hide the smell of pizza and cotton candy on your body. What was I supposed to think? You were either cheating on me or you were doing spy work for the C.I.A….Why didn't you just tell me you liked going there?"
Ron bit his bottom lip "look I can have some personal time to myself right"
"Did you not here what I said I thought you were cheating on me! It was obviously you're favorite place besides Bueno Nacho…why didn't you just tell me about it?
"Look…."
"Why?"
'Come on Zita?" he said "Be serious what kind of girl is going to like a twenty year old supposed "man" who still likes playing pinball, and watching muppets dance at a kids restaurant. If I was a girl I wouldn't like me!"
Zita sighed "so you were afraid I wouldn't respect you"
"Oh please if I was afraid of that we wouldn't have gone out for so long….look Zita….think of something man before she gets impatient, something that'll turn this all around something she can't find fault it…….Zita…I…I love you"
Awkward silence
"Hello!" he shouted into the phone "did you not hear me I said I love you!"
"I heard you, I wish it was true but it isn't."
What? "What do you mean it's not true, how do you know? Isn't me saying it enough"
"You don't know what love is"
"How can you say I don't know what love is, I know what is and it's what I got, that's why I'm saying it to you right now. Because I know what I feel and what I'm feeling is love, a love I hope will not be unrequited but very much requited."
Silence
"Ron you can't know what love is, because there are things you haven't figured out about yourself, I'll say it again I care about you, I really do but it's over."
"But"
Dial tone
Ron stared down at the phone as if it had just sprouted from his hand.
"Ouch"
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
It was over….kaput…..
How did "I love you" not work? It always works in the movies
He had been rejected before but never after professing his love….this…this was a new type of pain all together. It was like something he had never felt before it was
The ultimate rejection. It hurt like hell.
The least she could have done was to say "Aye Papi" one last time."
"Hey are you going to drink something?"
Ron blinked at the bartender "Uh can have a coke?"
"Jack and coke coming right up"
'No wait, just a regular a coke…..I don't drink" Ron received a dirty look.
"You don't drink? Then what the hell are you doing here?"
Ron looked over his shoulders. The bar was a dank place, every corner of the establishment seemed to be shrouded in darkness. The zombie like bar patrons shuffled slowly from the bathroom to their seats, a glass in hand they were more than extra careful in making sure they didn't spill a drop of their precious liquid
"Uh I just broke up with my girlfriend and being the loser that I am, I just thought this was the perfect place for me." He opened his arms wide "these are my people"
"Yeah this place is for losers alright, losers who drink…I'll be back in ten minutes if you're still here I'm throwing you out head first."
Friendly chap Ron begrudgingly slid off the bar stool "I'm not even welcome in a dive bar" On his way towards the exit he glimpsed up at the lone T.V hanging from the ceiling. A talk show host was introducing a celebrity.
"She was the teen queen of pop, but now she's grown and matured through the trials of tribulations of adulthood. Her new single "Pass the valium on the left hand side" is currently at the top of the charts. Her new album "I'm bald, but I'm not crazy" will hit the stands in just a few weeks….ladies and gentleman Britinia."
The reaction she got from the crowd when she stepped out was tremendous. Ron felt instantaneous envy. Being a celebratory had to be great, you weren't weird you were eccentric; people loved and respected you for no real reason, besides the fact that you were famous. They just felt obligated to adore you.
Like that song says when everybody loves you. That's the funkiest you can be……Optimism Ronald, optimism! The sun will come out tomorrow!
He told himself as he walked out of the bar into the windy streets. Who needs chicks anyway they're yucky and they have cooties…..and if things get desperate severely lower your standards.
Heh, He was cool on his own; a swinging bachelor in the big city. "The only three people I need are me, myself, and I. You won't break me universe, you can't keep the Ron man down! Because…..because I decided long ago, never to walk in anyone's shadows. If I fail, if I succeed, at least I'll live as I believe, no matter what they take from me. They can't….take….away…. my….dignity! Because I found the greatest love of all, inside of m----"
Ron stopped when he suddenly smacked right into a wall.
No it wasn't a wall, it was someone's chest. He stepped back to come face to face with a hulking brute of a man in a long leather jacket.
"Gimmie ya wallet"
"Oh geez" Ron ran his hands across his face
Universe 3 Gazillion; Ron zero
"I said gimmie all ya money"
Ron's face went blank. He stared past the mugger, his gaze caught on something behind him "Oh my god" he said with a look of unrestrained terror written on his face "No not you, not again" he cried softly.
The mugger spun around quickly "What? Who's there?" It didn't take him long to realize that there was nothing behind except an empty trash receptacle.
"I ain't seen nothing" he turned back to Ron who was currently sprinting down the block.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
The cabbie glanced over his shoulder to take a peak at Kim. "See, the thing about youse kids these days is that you don't knows nothing about relationships. All you dos is jumps right into the sack."
Kim felt like her brain was hemorrhaging.
"You knows how long me and old lady been together?"
Kim groaned.
"Thirty three years…..and you knows why….Because of understanding. Youse can't have love without understanding."
Kim tried her hardest to ignore the cabdriver as she rubbed down her throbbing forehead. An almost four month old relationship, blown up in just a matter of seconds, how was that even possible?
A part of her wanted Nicholas to come back and apologize, then she would apologize and things would go on like nothing ever happened. The other part of her wanted to punch his face in for being an insensitive, idiotic, weasel-faced jerk.
She sighed; she could see the rest of the weekend clearly. She would go home and maybe take a long bath. Then she'd lie in bed for the whole weekend, snuggling up to her panderoo, watching Agony County reruns, or reading her course requirements.
But by Monday morning she'd be fine, ready to tackle a new school week. She didn't need Nicholas, or a boyfriend of any kind for that matter. Hell, she really didn't need anyone; if push came to shove she could make it in the city alone. She was Kim Possible; she could make it anywhere, with or without anyone's help.
Ok Kim get a grip, so not the drama. I'm not alone. I have Monique and other friends…well most of them are more like acquaintances really. And my family is only a few hours away….See things really aren't that bad.
"…Everything will turns out for the best trusts me. You'll find someone special to yas," the cabdriver continued. "cuz like my ma says…..you can't hurry love. No, you'll just have to wait…..She says love don't come easy, it's a game of give and take. Youse can't hurry love….." he sang.
"Oh my god," Kim moaned.
The cabdriver's fingers tapped festively on the steering wheel. "My mama said….Youse can't hurry love, no, you'll just have to wait. She says love don't come easy!"
"You know," Kim leaned in toward the front seat to glance at the meter, "maybe it would be best….LOOK OUT!"
She screamed out when she caught the glimpse of a figure enshrouded in darkness jumping into the middle of the street before them.
"Wha..." The cabbie slammed on the breaks, forcing the vehicle to come to a screeching halt; miraculously just a few inches from the young man in the street.
Inside the cab, no one spoke as Kim and the cabbie caught their breaths. Outside, the blonde was frozen in horror, a proverbial deer in the headlights.
Through the windshield, hazel locked onto to emerald
"That was close," Kim huffed, her eyes still linked to the stranger's.
The cabbie placed his head out of the drivers side window. "What's the matter with youse, are you some kind of nut?"
The verbal assault seemed to awaken the young blond. Kim saw a look of relief wash over the stranger's face; he then turned away from the cab and looked off to his left. She saw the look of relief immediately turn into one of terror and the blond abruptly sprinted towards the right. Seconds later, a burly man jetted past the cab in the same direction.
"Crazy nut, the city's full of em!"
Kim ignored the cabbie's complaining, alarms were going off in her head. She had caught a glimpse of the second man's face and he didn't look happy.
A/N So there you go hope I didn't turn you off...I can hear you thinking now...Ron wouldn't throw around the L word like that, how could he do that Zita...etc...There are reasons, excuses, explanations and resolutions...in the rest of the story so stay tuned. The next chapter will be out fairly soon I'd expect.
Actually what I want to hear about is Kim...I'm not worried Ron, but Kim is a litter harder to get a a handle on so I'd like some feedback on her. And I hope the time skip didn't bother you guys much it was necessary for story line purposes
Jake is actually a recycled character (for those of you who've read Sliding Doors) but I like writing for characters like him
So there we go read, review I'll respond eventually. Just don't forget to tell me how much you love me and my stories and I'm the greatest. You know something honest like that
